《To Hell With Being a Hero!》 CH 1 ¡°How can big brother Chi-Hyun do this?¡± a chubby man remarked. He had a round, bald head with beady eyes gleaming from behind his glasses. ¡°He left without a warning again...How many times has it been now?¡± The pale, young man in front of him remained silent. ¡°Seven? Taking into account the instances I heard about, I think it¡¯s around seven.¡± Even when the chubby man¡¯s voice rose with rage, the young man simply yawned in response. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing about big brother Chi-Hyun¡¯s disappearances since I was in elementary school. How could your brother not have changed at all since then?¡± Chi-Woo, the young man, covered his wide-open mouth. ¡°But anyway, don¡¯t worry too much. You know what they say. No news is good news,¡± the chubby man said and glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°He is gone for longer than usual, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to suddenly appear like he always¡­¡± He then noticed that Chi-Woo was looking far off while smacking his lips. ¡°¡­I might as well have been talking to myself,¡± the man grumbled and placed his mouth back onto his cup¡¯s straw. Slurp. As he drank, the chubby man observed the young man in front of him. On his wrist, there was a beaded bracelet that he had never seen Chi-Woo without. A silver cross necklace was especially noticeable on his black turtleneck, and a bible sat on top of the table before him. The chubby man pulled his mouth away from the straw and spoke, ¡°I thought you were living in a temple? When did you move to a church?¡± Instead of answering, Chi-Woo kept his gaze far off in the distance. ¡°A Buddhist prayer bead, a cross, and a bible. Now that I think about it, don¡¯t you carry around a talisman too?¡± Chi-Woo shrugged, but didn¡¯t respond any further. Frustrated, the chubby man slammed the cup down and demanded, ¡°Is this really how you¡¯re going to treat me?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Do you know how long it has been since we last saw each other?¡± At last, Chi-Woo turned to look at him. ¡°Do you know why I asked to meet you?¡± the chubby man asked. Chi-Woo snorted as if he was telling the man to continue. ¡°I called you to buy you a meal! To feed you! And to see how you¡¯re doing!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When was the last time you looked into a mirror or went outside? You should go out more often and get some fresh air, man.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Chi-Woo finally opened his mouth. Placing his hand on his jaw, he continued, ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Gil-Duk, did you really call me to buy me a meal and check on me?¡± ¡°Yeah! I did!¡± Gil-Duk shouted. Chi-Woo smiled and said, ¡°Okay! Then let¡¯s just do that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s catch up and eat together.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°But nothing more than that.¡± Gil-Duk hesitated. ¡°You¡¯re not going to do or bring up anything besides that, right?¡± Chi-Woo asked for confirmation. Gil-Duk opened his mouth, but no words came out. He turned a blind eye to Chi-Woo¡¯s strong gaze and fiddled with his cup. ¡°No¡­.¡± Gil-Duk soon confessed the truth. ¡°I also have things to confide in you while we¡¯re at it¡­¡± Chi-Woo snorted knowingly, and Gil-Duk yelled, ¡°Come on! You don¡¯t have to be so mean about it!¡± After his outburst, Gil-Duk let out a big sigh and clenched both fists. Then, he tilted his torso slightly forward and told Chi-Woo, ¡°Just listen to me for a bit. I have been feeling funny these days.¡± ¡°What is it again?¡± ¡°You know that I have been working as a Content Creator recently, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, you suddenly took a year off from school to make vlogs or whatever it¡¯s called.¡± ¡°Okay, so I think I went too far, and I am really screwed now.¡± Chi-Woo looked taken aback. Gil-Duk wasn¡¯t someone who admitted his mistakes so easily. ¡°I created a new video recently and uploaded it. But afterward, I began to feel a bit strange. I started to feel chills even when I wasn¡¯t doing anything. My shoulders began to feel heavy, and I keep having these terrible nightmares¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re having chills, dress more warmly. And if you¡¯re having shoulder pains, go to the hospital. As for nightmares¡­ Well, why don¡¯t you try changing your bed?¡± ¡°No, Chi-Woo, please listen to me.¡± Gil-duk desperately pleaded. Chi-Woo clicked his tongue at him and scrolled up his phone. He opened an app and typed into the search bar. Soon, a channel with Gil-Duk¡¯s name appeared, and Chi-Woo clicked on the most recent video. [Hello, everyone! This is your dirty, dirty, lovable boy, Gil-Duk!] ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s the video. You just have to watch that.¡± Gil-Duk¡¯s voice overlapped with his video. Chi-Woo blinked and asked, ¡°Okay, I understand that you were introducing yourself, but why the heck did you call yourself ¡®dirty, dirty, lovable boy¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my signature greeting. How is it? Isn¡¯t it funny?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but it sure sounds dirty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not dirty but lovable.¡± ¡°If I was a viewer, I would want to turn this video off as soon as I hear this greeting,¡± Chi-Woo said, and the video continued. [Today¡¯s video is about! Tatatatata~! Touring the haunted house!] Chi-Woo scowled slightly as he heard this line, but he remained silent as he focused intently on his phone¡¯s screen. After watching the video for around ten minutes, he shut the app off and looked up. He glanced behind Gil-Duk¡¯s shoulders as he asked, ¡°How did you learn of this place?¡± ¡°The haunted house? I did some legwork. You know, famous places have all been covered many times before. I happened to find this place when I was wandering around¡ª¡± ¡°It looks like a house in a rural area. Did no one try to stop you from going in?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ A grandpa from a supermarket tried to stop me. He asked me if I was crazy and warned me to not go in there if I didn¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Chi-Woo sighed deeply. He looked at Gil-Duk like he was pleading to God to save this stupid soul, which made Gil-Duk¡¯s anxious face fill with more dread. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to me? A ghost from the haunted house is following me, right?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Chi-Woo!¡± ¡°Why are you asking me? What can I do?¡± ¡°But since you were young, you have been¡ª¡± Gil-Duk trailed off as Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned cold. He quickly changed the topic, ¡°Can¡¯t you do something? I can''t sleep at night because I¡¯m too scared of nightmares. It¡¯s killing me.¡± Chi-Woo shifted his annoyed gaze from Gil-Duk to the window and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do. Deal with it yourself.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°But? If it¡¯s really affecting you, why don¡¯t you go back there to apologize?¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± ¡°Yeah, just think,¡± Chi-Woo said with disinterest, ¡°How would you feel if you were resting peacefully at home, and some stranger barges into your home and starts filming a video there? Wouldn¡¯t you feel completely peeved?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Gil-Duk couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°You mentioned a supermarket nearby. Tell the grandpa there your situation and prepare an ancestral offering. Then beg for forgiveness, saying that you were in the wrong.¡± ¡°Will that fix¡­everything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It depends on the ghost living in the haunted house. They¡¯ll decide if they¡¯re going to accept your apology.¡± Gil-Duk scratched his head like he didn¡¯t like that idea. Then he asked carefully, ¡°Could you perhaps exterminate¡­¡± ¡°Gil-Duk.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you have a conscience? It sounds like you don¡¯t have one if you are asking me to do that.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s meaning was clear: if Gil-Duk had a conscience, he wouldn¡¯t have even asked such a question; and if he didn¡¯t, the solution was already given to him, so he had to figure out the rest by himself. ¡°You know the saying, ¡®the one who is at fault grumbles the loudest¡¯. You are the one at fault, but you are talking about extermination.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyways, deal with it yourself if you really want to do that. Or turn to religion like me.¡± With that, Chi-Woo picked up his bag and rose from his seat. ¡°C-Chi-Woo. Wait, Choi Chi-Woo!¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Chi-Woo turned his back to Gil-Duk without hesitation. After leaving the caf¨¦, Choi Chi-Woo headed to the station. ¡°Seriously. I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± When a friend he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time called him, Chi-Woo had an inkling what the meeting was going to be about. ¡®There were two of them.¡¯ Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what exactly Gil-Duk did in that haunted house, but now, one guy was hanging on his back while another guy was fervently choking his throat. Chi-Woo might be willing to help him out a bit if Gil-Duk had been in an unfair situation. However, once Chi-Woo listened to the full story, it was clear that Gil-Duk was wholly to blame. ¡®That guy only calls me when he needs help.¡¯ Chi-Woo recalled, and his mood worsened. However, he soon calmed himself down and thought of what Gil-Duk had said. [But since you were young, you have been¡ª] As Gil-Duk said, since he was young¡ªno, since he was born, he had experienced all kinds of strange incidents to the point that this event didn¡¯t even count as strange for him. For example, there was currently a black smoke-like figure on top of a streetlight in his path. When he saw a spirit for the very first time and realized they weren¡¯t humans, he really was¡ª ¡®Huh?¡¯ Chi-Woo halted his steps. He quickly went back and rechecked the top of the streetlight. He saw two black smoke-like figures that looked as disheveled as a rat¡¯s nest. ¡®Those guys¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo made a startled expression. ¡®Did they follow me?¡¯ The two spirits had seemed familiar; now that he looked at them more carefully, he realized that they were the spirits that had been attached to Gil-Duk. He didn¡¯t know the reason why, but they were following him now. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Chi-Woo covered his face with both hands. His head hurt, so he rubbed at his temples. ¡°Ah¡­ Seriously¡­¡± Now that he was aware of them, he could feel the unpleasant sensation radiating from the spirits more clearly than before. He had a few guesses as to why they were following him. It could be because he had briefly met their eyes before, or it could be because they heard Gil-Duk¡¯s words. ¡®What the hell did that fucker get himself into¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo poured a bucket of insults towards Gil-Duk inside his mind and pondered what he should do next. Should he just ignore them and go on with his life or send them back? Honestly, the former option was usually better, but his parents were at home. Most of all, he had experienced the unpredictable nature of spirits countless times, so he couldn¡¯t just leave them alone. ¡°Hello. What do you want?¡± In the end, Chi-Woo turned back and asked while looking at the top of the streetlight. ¡°Why are you here?¡± The two puffs of smoke flowing around the streetlight shook, seemingly startled that Chi-Woo talked to them. They soon flowed down like water to face Chi-Woo. ¡®See. I told you, right? Our eyes met before.¡¯ ¡®How interesting. How can he see us?¡¯ That seemed to be what they were saying to each other. ¡°I already told that guy to apologize. I won¡¯t intervene whether you decide to accept his apology or not, so please quickly go back.¡± Even though Chi-Woo spoke nicely to them, the two spirits did not move at all. Instead, they moved one step closer to Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. ¡°You want me to listen to you two for a bit? You want to borrow my body for a bit? No, I refuse. Why would I do that?¡± Chi-Woo was used to these requests. In the first place, vengeful spirits had lingering attachments to the living world and could not move on to the next world. For that reason, they tried everything they could do to borrow a living person¡¯s body to fulfill their wishes. Of course, this was not an easy feat, but there were humans with special characteristics, Chi-Woo being one of them. ¡°Stop doing useless things and just go back. And it¡¯s best to move on to the afterlife if possible.¡± Chi-Woo rejected their request outright and made his intentions clear. When he then turned around, he felt a great force bending his head back so violently that his neck could have ended up snapped should things go wrong. An ominous presence crawled up the back of his neck and hair. Even without seeing who it was, the perpetrator was obvious. One of the vengeful spirits had used its powers, angry that Chi-Woo refused to listen to their requests. ¡°Ha.¡± Chi-Woo stared up at the sky involuntarily and let out a laugh in astonishment. He wanted to tell them that the more they used their powers in the living world, the harder it would be for them to move on to the afterlife, but he would be wasting his breath. The two spirits weren¡¯t the types to care about such things to begin with. So instead, Chi-Woo immediately took out his bible to extract the talisman he stuck between the pages, wrapping it around his hand. Then he silently mouthed ¡®this fucking shit¡¯ and rolled the talisman around his hand. With his other hand, he seized the smoke and threw the spirit down as hard as possible. ¡°Hey.¡± With a thud, the spirit hit the ground at about the same time that Chi-Woo opened his mouth. Both the spirit flung to the ground and the spirit watching this exchange were shocked. He was able to hit us? But Chi-Woo was not interested in their reactions. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Chi-Woo grabbed onto his cross necklace and pulled it off. ¡°I was already in a rotten mood¡­Oh my, were you surprised?¡± He grabbed the trembling spirit by its throat and pulled it up. ¡°Why are you so surprised? I¡¯m able to see you. Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to touch you?¡± Chi-Woo stabbed the spirit¡¯s head with the protruding part of the cross. -Kieeeccccccckk! A scream that only Chi-Woo could hear rang in the air. ¡°The one who wronged you was that bastard.¡± Chi-Woo did not stop. ¡°Did I do anything to you guys?¡± He pulled out the cross and stabbed the spirit¡¯s head again. ¡°Why. Are. You. Fucking. With. Me. Then?¡± Chi-Woo stabbed the spirit¡¯s head nonstop and kept shaking it. Noticing the other spirit trembling in shock, Chi-Woo flung the spirit he was holding to the ground. ¡°Ah, can¡¯t forget about you, can I?¡± ¡°Get over here, you fucking shit.¡± Chi-Woo opened his backpack and took out a darkened club. The startled spirit quickly moved back. ¡°¡­Oh?¡± Chi-woo came to a halt. ¡°Are you claiming innocence now? You tried to go back, but this bastard kept pushing you?¡± The remaining spirit fluttered violently, as if it was agreeing with Chi-Woo. ¡°Do you really expect me to believe that?¡± Chi-Woo bobbed the black club on his shoulder up and down. ¡°Aha. So then, I guess I should leave you alone and beat only this guy to a pulp.¡± Hearing this, the spirit quickly got on its knees. Two hands popped out from the smoke and rubbed against each other in a pleading gesture. Chi-Woo snorted at this sight and looked down at the other spirit he had just beaten down. ¡°Hey.¡± He nudged the smoke wiggling on the ground like a bug and told it, ¡°I just want to live quietly. Are you listening? We¡¯ll leave each other alone. Do you understand me?¡± The spirit didn¡¯t answer. It seemed like it was on the verge of disappearing. Chi-Woo got up from his spot and kicked the collapsed spirit away. Then he told the other spirit, ¡°Take it and piss off.¡± The spirit stopped rubbing its hands together and hurriedly took its companion away. Chi-Woo watched the two spirits until they became mere dots and disappeared. Then he clicked his tongue and put his club back into his backpack, along with his belongings. He latched the cross to its string and hung the necklace around his neck again. He also tried to put the talisman back into the Bible, but shoved it into his pocket instead when he noticed that it was blackened. Only then did he realize that many eyes were on him. ¡°What is that man doing¡­?¡± ¡°Oh my¡­he must be crazy¡­¡± ¡°Mom! I want to be like that guy when I grow up!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Many people passed by Chi-Woo like they were looking at a monkey in a zoo. All kinds of resentful thoughts whirled inside his mind, such as ¡®I should¡¯ve moved spots¡¯, ¡®Why do I have to suffer such humiliation because of those bastards?¡¯, ¡®That damn Gil-Duk¡¯, and so on. Brrrrrr! Suddenly, something in his pants pocket began to ring. Brrrrr! There was another ring, and Chi-Woo reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. He pushed back his hair in annoyance and pushed the call button. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡ªAm I speaking to Mr. Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s younger brother? It was an old but deep voice. Chi-Woo flinched and pulled his phone away to check its screen. It was a number he didn¡¯t recognize. After looking at his phone¡¯s screen intently, he placed his phone back to his ear and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡ªIf it¡¯s fine with you, could I have some of your time? Possibly right now? CH 2 ¡°Yes. I mean, what? Sorry¡­Yes¡­I understand.¡± The call ended. For the most part, Chi-Woo had one-sidedly listened to the conversation, and he stared at his phone blankly after the call ended. Although they had agreed to meet, there were many red flags about this caller. For one, he wanted to meet Chi-Woo at the same caf¨¦ he had met Gil-Duk not long ago. It alarmed him that the caller spoke as if he knew Chi-Woo had been there. It was also strange that the caller was insistent on meeting him so soon. The whole ordeal just seemed far too suspicious. However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t refrain himself from going, and the reason was simple: his brother was missing. Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t rare for his brother to go missing. It had been happening from time to time since Chi-Woo was young, and as he grew older, his brother¡¯s disappearances only became more frequent. It was common for his brother to disappear without a warning; and they would hear nothing from him for a while until he suddenly returned. It could be the same story this time. ¡®But something¡¯s strange.¡¯ Things were different. It didn¡¯t feel like the other times his brother disappeared. When was it? Right, it was during his last month in the military. His older brother visited him out of the blue and handed him a bank statement with a large sum and a seal stamp. He told Chi-Woo the following words. [Take care of mom and dad.] When Chi-Woo relayed this message to his parents, they were baffled. They reported to the police about his brother¡¯s disappearance, but the police didn¡¯t even accept the case, much less investigate it. Chi-Woo and his parents were certain that his brother had been going overseas often because he worked for a foreign company, but upon further investigation, they found out that his brother had never even left the country once. Chi-Woo did everything in his power to learn more about his brother¡¯s disappearance; he tried posting to internet forums, handing out leaflets, and posting missing persons posters all over the city. Yet, his efforts proved to be fruitless, and the deeper he searched, his brother¡¯s whereabouts seemed to become more unclear. All this soon exhausted Chi-Woo. He felt like he was floundering alone in an open sea. It seemed like he was the only person looking for his brother. Yet, he couldn¡¯t give up. At least for his heartbroken parents, he had to grasp onto any thread of hope. That was why Chi-Woo pushed himself to briskly make his way to his destination. Chi-Woo soon arrived at the caf¨¦, where he had parted ways with Gil-Duk. ¡®I''m meeting a lot of people in this place today,¡¯ he thought and sat at the exact seat where he had talked to Gil-Duk. Then, he lifted his gaze off the table and stared warily at the mysterious man who asked to meet him. Chi-Woo took an instant dislike to the man. He wore a pressed down fedora hat, pitch black sunglasses, and a mask that covered his nose and mouth. On top of that, his long coat covered his body from the neck down, reaching his calves, and he wore gloves on both hands. It was as if the man was advertising to everyone that he was a suspicious figure. Even when Chi-Woo ordered iced coffee for him ¡ªthe man said he was thirsty¡ª he drank it by sucking on the straw from under his mask. ¡°Haaaa!¡± When his cup was almost empty, the man pulled out the straw from below his mask and breathed deeply. ¡°Sigh! Thank you. I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible, but I was so thirsty¡­Thinking of meeting you must have made me really nervous.¡± After placing his plastic cup down, the man leaned slightly towards Chi-Woo. Then, he nodded a couple of times and smiled while saying, ¡°My goodness~ You really are handsome. As expected, even your appearance is something else!¡± ¡®It¡¯s like he¡¯s doting on his best friend¡¯s younger sibling.¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered what the man was planning to tell him, but instead of saying anything, he arched his neck from side to side. ¡°Ah! That habit! Your brother also did that often! You guys really are siblings! Haha!¡± Choi Chi-Woo stopped moving his neck. It was true. His brother sometimes arched his neck sideways for no apparent reason. If the man knew about this habit, perhaps¡­ Chi-Woo felt a ray of anticipation rise in his heart as he said, ¡°You told me you knew where my brother was.¡± The man stopped laughing. ¡°Yes. Um. I¡¯m not sure where to begin¡­¡± Then, the man fixed his posture and continued, ¡°I must confess I had a lot of worries before coming to Earth. I wondered if I should be so bold as to meet you, Sir Chi-Woo. And even if I did, I wondered if I could make such a request.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face stiffened. Coming to Earth? Was this man claiming to be an alien or something? ¡°But then, I happened to come by this,¡± the man said and searched inside his coat, taking out a piece of paper soaked with sweat. It was the missing person poster that Chi-Woo had posted everywhere for months in search of his brother. ¡°When I saw this poster, I became certain. Ah! Sir Chi-Woo also wants to help his brother! So that¡¯s why I contacted you.¡± The man¡¯s explanation only served to fill Chi-Woo¡¯s mind with more worries and questions. ¡°Is my brother in trouble?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, you know the current situation¡­ and the stories that are going around.¡± The man spoke with a heavy tone, and Chi-Woo¡¯s forehead wrinkled. He didn¡¯t get what the man was saying at all. Yet, regardless of what Chi-Woo was thinking, the man fiddled with the poster and continued, ¡°But I also have one thing I want to ask you, sir. What is your reason for posting this?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± ¡°Did you want somebody to help you? Does that mean there¡¯s a force posing a threat to you, sir?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I have undertaken great risks to meet you, sir. Please tell me the truth. If there¡¯s a force strong enough to threaten you, I must know of it beforehand.¡± Chi-Woo was finally sure of it now. The man was speaking on a completely different wavelength from him. What if the man was serious? Perhaps he was mentally ill and set up an elaborate show to get a free cup of iced coffee. Chi-Woo¡¯s expectations crumbled, and feelings of disappointment rushed into his heart. But still, in a final desperate attempt, Chi-Woo asked once more. ¡°Do you know my brother?¡± ¡°Ah! I just realized that I forgot to introduce myself.¡± The man stretched open his mouth awkwardly. ¡°Yes, I know your brother very well. There was a time when I followed him around everywhere.¡± The man¡¯s voice became sentimental. ¡°Not only did your brother save me from a miserable death, but he took me under his care. I learned many great things from him. It¡¯s only thanks to him that I am now recognized for my skills and actively working.¡± The man went on like a child bragging about his parents, ¡°He¡¯s a savior that most can only wish to have. I had no choice but to part ways with him¡­but I think of my time with him as a great honor and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡± Chi-Woo shut his eyes. Anger rose in his heart as he continued to listen. Finally, the little shred of patience he had wilted, and he said snarkily, ¡°What did you do with my brother, exactly?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You said you worked with him. What did you do?¡± Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t actually curious about the answer. If the man spoke any more nonsense, he planned to kick him out of his seat. However, the man¡¯s response was strange. Although he had spluttered all kinds of incomprehensible statements well until now, he stammered like he received a great deal of shock. ¡°What¡­kind of¡­?¡± Perhaps the man didn¡¯t expect such a question. He seemed too sloppy for someone trying to scam people. ¡°What¡­do you mean by those words, sir¡­?¡± The man barely managed to finish his question. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. His suspicions turned into certainty. ¡°I asked you what my brother does for a living. I am asking you because I am curious, and I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± Chi-Woo wondered how the man would respond now. It was obvious. He would change the topic of the conversation or make up something feasible. ¡°Please give me a moment.¡± The man lifted both hands and lowered his head. ¡°I am asking you in case¡­really just in case, sir.¡± The man¡¯s breathing roughened, ¡°Do you not know anything about your brother? Nothing at all?¡± Choi Chi-Woo snorted. ¡°I just know his birthday. Which elementary school he graduated from, his face, manner of speaking, favorite songs and food, and so on.¡± That was about the extent of Chi-Woo¡¯s knowledge. Even as he listed this information, Chi-Woo realized that he didn¡¯t know that much about his brother. It couldn¡¯t be helped since the few things he thought he knew were proven to be lies. ¡°Not those things, but¡­ha, this is insane. What I mean is¡­do you not know what your brother does at all?¡± ¡°I heard that he works for some foreign company far away. But that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡± ¡°A company? What about your parents?¡± ¡°My parents used to work for a company, but they are retired now.¡± The man rubbed his temples harshly. ¡°Wait. Wait a minute. A company? Was there a problem with the synchronization change?¡± The man suddenly rolled up his left sleeve. Then he tapped the air like he was typing. ¡°¡­What?¡± He asked in aghast, ¡°Commerce? Besides that, the corporation¡¯s main goal is seeking financial gains?¡± He suddenly tightened his fist and barked, ¡°How could Sir Chi-Hyun be a mere salesman!?¡± The man heaved in obvious rage. ¡°What do they mean by the greatest sales group on planet Earth? Which lunatic uttered such nonsense¡­?¡± Only then did he notice Chi-Woo¡¯s expression. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The mask on the man¡¯s face lengthened horizontally, as if his mouth was stretched wide open. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± The man clutched his head with both hands and groaned. ¡°How could this happen¡­ I thought it was strange¡­but I didn¡¯t think it would be this much¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, did you perhaps¡­no, then, why¡­?¡± Chi-Woo sat quietly like an audience watching an actor carry out his monologue. After trying to collect some information, the man was now having his own one-man show. There was a limit to how much Chi-Woo could endure even while considering his missing brother. He was sure that he was caught up in some sick joke. There was nothing more to ponder about. ¡°Does it feel good?¡± Chi-Woo glared at the man like he was pathetic. ¡°Huh, sorry?¡± ¡°Are you satisfied yet? Is it fun to prank a person, suffering from a missing family member?¡± Chi-woo asked coldly and got up from his seat. ¡°No! That¡¯s not it, sir!¡± ¡°Do you think you are the first one to pull a prank like this? You damn scamming bastards¡ª.¡± Bam! Ring, ring! The loud sound of bells suddenly rang from the caf¨¦¡¯s entrance. Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze whipped to the door in reflex, and he frowned when he saw a person with light-brown short hair, a beret, and white clothes. A woman had suddenly burst into the door and was huffing in anger. ¡°W-what? How could you?¡± The startled man became even more shocked. The woman seemed to pause when she saw Chi-Woo, but as soon as she saw the man, her eyes burned with rage. ¡°You. Crazy. Bastard!¡± After letting out harsh insults, she angrily stomped towards him. ¡°In the end, you had to¡­!¡± Judging by how Chi-Woo could even hear her grit her teeth, she seemed filled to the brim with rage from head to toe. Chi-Woo clenched his fist to guard against the newcomer, but he wasn¡¯t who she was after. The woman roughly grabbed the man¡¯s nape and pulled him back. ¡°Get going. Why aren¡¯t you moving faster? When we return, I¡¯m going to fucking kill you.¡± Surprisingly, the woman¡¯s frail hand was able to easily drag away the giant man. ¡°Ah, no! I haven¡¯t finished talking ye¡­!¡± The man tried to resist with all his strength, but he wasn¡¯t able to match the woman¡¯s strength. ¡°Your older brother is not something like a salesman!¡± Even while being dragged out, the man shouted with all his might, ¡°Neither are your parents!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you shut the hell up!?¡± shouted the woman, but the man wouldn¡¯t give up. ¡°Sir Chi-Woo, you need to¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, ack!¡± The woman screamed as she tried her best to cover the man¡¯s mouth. He seemed to have bitten her hand hard if the way his mask crumpled was anything to go by. ¡°You need to find out the truth! Sir Chi-Woo¡¯s family is¡ªumph!¡± The woman quickly covered the man¡¯s mouth with her palm. In fact, she had used both her hands to stop him from talking as she hurriedly dragged him out of the door. ¡°Umphh!¡± Chi-Woo watched the whole scene play out and scoffed in astonishment. ¡®What a show.¡¯ He was also suspicious of the woman. She probably had been secretly watching them outside, and when she saw that it was getting disadvantageous for the man, she quickly intervened and got him out. If she and the man were in cahoots, this whole situation made sense. After all, the giant of a man couldn¡¯t be that easily dragged away, could he? ¡°Where might you be going?¡± Chi-Woo had no intentions to let them go easily like this. Even if he had wasted his time, he was going to at least get the price of the man¡¯s iced coffee from them. ¡°Stop right there, miss.¡± The woman stopped momentarily, but she soon went back to dragging the man out with even more force like she didn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°Miss, I told you to stop.¡± She pushed her back hard against the glass door. It was when the door opened half-way and the bell gave out a small chime¡ª ¡°Hey.¡± Chi-Woo discarded all formalities, and his voice dropped low. ¡°You deaf?¡± At that moment, the woman completely stopped moving. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± A startled look appeared on her face as if she couldn¡¯t understand why she had stopped. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it!¡± The man used this opportunity to break free of the woman¡¯s grasp and shouted again, ¡°You have the authority and justi-umph!¡± Of course, the man was soon silenced again. Chi-Woo brushed his hair back in annoyance. His luck today was truly rotten; it was only fair for him to make these two bastards suffer as he had. ¡°I can easily guess what type of people you two are.¡± Chi-Woo glared at the man and woman and said, ¡°It seems like you two work together to act out a skit and rip off money from people down on their luck.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m ¡ª¡± The woman shouted as if she was being wronged. ¡°Shut up.¡± However, Chi-Woo calmly cut off her words. ¡°No! I¡¯m - I¡¯m not in the same team as this guy! Instead ¡ª¡± ¡°I said shut up. Does it sound like a request?¡± Chi-Woo spoke in an authoritative tone. The woman¡¯s complexion paled at his chilling command. ¡°No, this shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± She slightly faltered, and one of her arms began to slowly fall. ¡°Move it!¡± The man pushed her away roughly and got up. ¡°Sir, wait. I can finally understand your reaction a bit now. And why did you stare at me like I was crazy the whole time?¡± The man didn¡¯t care about fixing his mask as he continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t know anything, this situation will obviously be very confusing and sudden for you, but even then, there¡¯s something you must know.¡± The man finished quickly and said, ¡°Sir, your older brother is a hero.¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­what?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the hero of heroes, the greatest hero.¡± Chi-Woo was about to say something, but ended up gaping at the man because of those outrageous words. He thought he had misheard for a second. But without paying attention to Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction, the man continued talking as if he was revealing an amazing secret. ¡°And¡ª¡± He repeated himself with a resolute voice, ¡°Sir, you are also a hero.¡± A freezing cold silence passed between them. The man caught his breath with a stiff face, and the woman tightly shut her eyes. Chi-Woo struggled to recover his jaw, at a loss for words. He experienced with his whole body what it felt like to become speechless when one heard something so astonishing. The caf¨¦ was also quiet. A few customers were staring at them while holding their breaths, and the part-time worker was nervously dialing 112 to call the police. ¡°What, is he a hidden son of a chaebol family?¡± ¡°Are they shooting a drama?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face reddened from all the voices whispering behind his back. ¡°I understand, sir. You probably think I¡¯m blabbering nonsense.¡± The man spoke again after a short silence. ¡°I thought that there might be some unexpected circumstances, but¡­I hadn¡¯t anticipated this in my wildest dreams.¡± He continued with a gloomy expression. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯ve been living like an ordinary person without knowing anything.¡± ¡°¡­Drop it, and make a decision for yourself.¡± Chi-Woo cut him off. ¡°Give me my money back, and we¡¯ll go our separate ways, or we can finish our conversation in the police station.¡± ¡°Sir, money?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the coffee. What I paid for the iced coffee.¡± Chi-Woo indicated with his chin the plastic cup the man had emptied. ¡°Normally I would just move on, but I can¡¯t let this pass after hearing and seeing all your bullshit.¡± Chi-Woo stretched out his hand as he continued, ¡°Think of this as your last opportunity. Give me 5,000 won.¡± The man looked at Chi-Woo¡¯s outstretched hand in a daze. ¡°¡­No wonder. I guess there¡¯s no point saying anything more in this situation.¡± The man responded with a bitter smile and turned back to the now frozen woman. She glared at the man as if she wanted to kill him, but took out a 5,000 won bill from her wallet. ¡®Will you look at that. I knew it,¡¯ Chi-Woo smirked as he saw the man take the 5,000 won from the woman. The man didn¡¯t immediately give him the money. He took his time as he rolled his sleeves, tapped his elbows, and touched the 5,000 won. Chi-Woo had enough. He was about to snatch the money bill when¡ª ¡°Sir, I apologize if what happened today was unpleasant for you.¡± The man slowly walked towards him and humbly bowed while handing him the money. ¡°You should live honestly.¡± Chi-Woo grabbed the 5,000 won bill and shoved it into his pocket. ¡°Don¡¯t try to scam people who are already having a hard time. What you two are doing right now is a sin. It¡¯s going to all become part of your karma.¡± Then he placed the money in his bag and said, ¡°You think I¡¯m lying? Then continue to live like this and kick the bucket. You¡¯ll spend the rest of your afterlife in regret.¡± Chi-Woo turned away after giving them a good verbal lashing. He didn¡¯t want to be in the same space as them for even a second longer. ¡°Sir, since you don¡¯t believe me even after I said all this¡­,¡± the man continued with a face full of resolve, ¡°I will show you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a demonstration and explain again.¡± Chi-Woo, who was about to pass the man and go on his way, let out a laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever is necessary to guide you, sir.¡± Chi-Woo planned to quietly part ways, but even till the end, this guy refused to stop. ¡°I will guide you to where you should rightfully be.¡± ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± Chi-Woo snorted and flung the glass door open. He took one step outside when¡ª Flash! A flash of light suddenly filled his vision. Chi-Woo only noticed something was off after taking two more steps. The sound of cars and people walking in the streets disappeared. ¡®What¡­¡¯ These weren¡¯t the only things that changed. ¡®Where¡­is this¡­?¡¯ There was a circular arched ceiling, and the space was surrounded by white walls with no patterns. No matter how he saw it, he was no longer in the caf¨¦, nor was he anywhere near a street. ¡®I was definitely¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened as he looked back. The caf¨¦ had completely disappeared, and there was now only white space. ¡®I need to be calm.¡¯ This whole situation was extremely shocking, but Chi-Woo calmed his breathing while trying to process his thoughts. There were two reasons why this could have happened: he was either dreaming, or bewitched. Regardless of what had happened, he needed to wake up. He was about to slap his cheek as hard as possible when¡ª ¡°Sir, how is it?¡± A low voice rang in the space. Chi-Woo whirled around, shocked. He doubted his sight as he looked at the giant man looking down at him. ¡°You must be dizzy, right? I hope you understand since this is your first time connecting.¡± The man¡¯s size was threatening, and when he talked, Chi-Woo saw that his teeth were sharp and pointy like a piranha¡¯s. ¡°But you will soon¡ª" ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Who are you, and where am I?¡± Without saying anything, the giant man extended his hand and grabbed a fedora out of thin air before placing it on his head. Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth slightly gaped open as he saw the man also take out a long coat from the empty space. ¡°Perhaps¡ª.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He was one of the two swindlers Chi-Woo met in the caf¨¦. ¡°Sir, I told you,¡± the man with the fedora hat easily replied, ¡°That I would lead you to where you rightfully belong.¡± CH 3 Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth hung open. He began to notice his surroundings: the space large enough to fit a soccer field and the walls that were all pure white just like the ceiling. There was nothing else in the space. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re surprised, sir. You must feel like you were in a dream.¡± The man with a fedora hat said, and Chi-Woo¡¯s hand moved in a flash. Slap! He hit his face with all he had. Then he pinched his tingling cheeks. Not yet satisfied, he pinched his thighs as well. ¡°Uhahhh!¡± He even tried running into the wall while shouting. The giant man didn¡¯t stop Chi-Woo. He simply watched from a distance with his arms crossed. Not long afterwards, Chi-Woo breathed heavily and glared at the man. ¡°You¡¯re not dreaming, sir. Nor are you hypnotized,¡± the man said calmly. ¡°To explain it simply, I created an avatar that is connected to your mind and called you to this place. Since this connection is quite strong, it shares senses with your main body. Of course, if you receive a big enough impact, the connection will break off.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face made it clear that he hadn¡¯t understood a word of what the man said. ¡°That is¡­I played a trick on the money I gave you, sir.¡± The man smiled and stretched out his hand. ¡°But well, that¡¯s not really important. Should we go out now?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t take the man¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re talking about, but I¡¯m sure of one thing,¡± he said while continuing to glare at the man, ¡°You¡¯re saying that I will wake up if I receive a shock strong enough to kill me, right?¡± The man¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Yes¡­ but I strongly hope that you would refrain from such behavior.¡± His voice was stern. ¡°Sir Choi Chi-Woo, you are an ordinary person right now.¡± The man pointed at Chi-Woo and placed his hand on his own chest. ¡°However, I am not.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°It means that I can forcefully overpower you if I wish to. Of course, I do not have the slightest desire to treat you with such disrespect.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Chi-Woo cut the man off, ¡°Thanks a lot. I suppose I should be really grateful that some con-man won¡¯t harm me after kidnapping me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, sir!¡± The man¡¯s voice rose higher. ¡°I¡¯m simply telling you that I¡¯m confident.¡± The man clenched his fist tightly and shouted, ¡°I just need one chance. One chance to prove to you!¡± Clearly frustrated, he thumped his chest. ¡°If you follow me¡­I¡¯m confident that I can convince you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know the situation is really confusing for you, but¡­¡± While the man recovered his breath, Chi-Woo asked, ¡°What are you going to tell me?¡± He still looked doubtful as he said, ¡°What is it that you¡¯re going to convince me about?¡± ¡°I just told you, sir,¡± the man said pleadingly. ¡°That sir Choi Chi-Hyun is a hero. And you are one too.¡± Chi-Woo grunted loudly. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re not one currently, but you possess all the qualities to be a hero.¡± ¡°Yeah, right.¡± Chi-Woo snorted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me that my parents, grandpa, and grandma are all heroes too?¡± ¡°They are, sir.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your parents and your grandparents are all heroes. Of course, they are all retired now.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth dropped open at the man¡¯s ready admission. ¡°How come only I didn¡¯t know?¡± Chi-Woo nodded in disbelief. In a voice dripping with sarcasm, he said, ¡°To think everyone in my family were heroes just like people from the animation movies! How amazing!?¡± Then he asked, ¡°How come no one told me?¡± ¡°I am also curious about that, sir,¡± the man responded seriously. ¡°I thought it was strange when I researched about you. Among the direct lines in your family, there was no exception. How come only you¡­¡± The man was at a loss for words. A heavy silence descended between them. ¡°¡­Then.¡± Chi-Woo broke the silence and asked bitterly, ¡°Is this the time where you tell me my parents picked me up from the streets?¡± ¡°Certainly not,¡± the man denied it immediately. ¡°Most don¡¯t know of your current circumstances, but there¡¯s no doubt that you are the Choi family¡¯s hereditary son.¡± Chi-Woo covered his face with both hands. Nothing he said was getting through the man. ¡°You said you wanted to find your brother, right sir?¡± After a brief pause, the man said with a tired voice. ¡°It¡¯s the same for me too. I want to help him in any possible way.¡± He sounded desperate. ¡°I promise you. Even if I have to put my insignificant life on the line, I would let you meet him. So please!¡± The man dropped to his knees and bowed so deeply towards Chi-Woo that his head was touching the floor. ¡°¡­I beg you.¡± Chi-Woo looked at the man with complicated feelings as the man laid bowing on the floor without moving. Not long afterward, the man straightened his posture and walked a couple of steps to the side. An entrance hidden by the man¡¯s large figure appeared into view. The man stretched out his hand like he was guiding Chi-Woo to the entrance, turned around, and trudged forward. He was trusting Chi-Woo to follow him willingly. Chi-Woo watched the man grow farther away from him and sighed deeply when the man disappeared into the entrance. ¡°¡­Ah, seriously?¡± He rumpled his hair with both hands and scratched his scalp. Perhaps the man¡¯s heartfelt actions had moved him slightly. ¡°Ha!¡± Contrary to what everyone would expect him to do, Chi-Woo turned the opposite direction. ¡°Why should I?¡± he exclaimed and glared at the wall on the far side and rushed towards it. He shut his eyes tightly and used all the strength he could muster to smash his head against the wall. That was when¡­ ¡°Wait!¡± The man, who had been waiting outside, ran back in, shocked by Chi-Woo¡¯s abrupt behavior. He managed to snatch the back of Chi-Woo¡¯s neck by a hair¡¯s breadth. ¡°Let me go! Let go!¡± ¡°How could you, sir! When I pleaded to you so desperately!¡± The man and Chi-Woo rolled and wrestled on the floor for a while after that. In the end, Chi-Woo and the man left through the entrance ¡°together¡±. Chi-Woo was dragged out with a rope wrapped around his body. He yelled all kinds of curses the whole time, but the man didn¡¯t release him. ¡°I will receive the punishments for my sins later. I won¡¯t resent you even if you beat me to death, but for now¡­¡± The man apologized and asked for understanding from time to time, but he continued to drag Chi-Woo. ¡°Let me tell you about the place that we are leaving right now first. The room you were in is called the Stranger¡¯s Space.¡± Chi-Woo was quiet now, exhausted by his attempt to break free. Thus, the man said carefully, ¡°It¡¯s also a place used as a filtering area.¡± ¡°Fuck off.¡± Chi-Woo continued to spit out swear words, but the man paid no attention to him and continued, ¡°Sometimes these types of incidents happen. Whether it¡¯s by their own will or not, they sometimes flow between the gaps and enter here.¡± ¡°I said fuck you.¡± The man coughed. ¡°Hmm, hmm. Since we don¡¯t know when or from where they¡¯re coming, we connected all the spaces to this area.¡± While glaring angrily at the man, something caught Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ah. Perhaps, would it be alright for me to remove this? I had to wear this on Earth, but it¡¯s uncomfortable to keep wearing it here.¡± ¡°Yes, do whatever the fuck you want. It¡¯s funny how you¡¯re asking for my permission when you forcibly kidnapped me, and you¡¯re now dragging me along.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you. Please don¡¯t be too surprised.¡± The man took off his coat and put his fedora and mask in the air. Chi-Woo stared intently at the air and wondered if there was some hidden pocket, and then his eyes focused on the man¡¯s nape. Two gill-like parts poked out of his neck from both sides. Chi-Woo also saw something that looked like shiny scales on the man¡¯s skin. But most of all, all of his attention shifted towards the long and thick tail that came out from the man¡¯s hip bone. ¡°¡­A lizard?¡± Chi-Woo was so shocked that he let out words he meant to keep it to himself. ¡°You¡¯re not human?¡± ¡°Haha. No, I¡¯m not. Sir, I wasn¡¯t born or raised on your planet.¡± The humanoid lizard-like being laughed good-naturedly and continued, ¡°Sir, if I¡¯m following Earth¡¯s expressions, I¡¯ll fit more closely towards an alien.¡± Chi-Woo did not withdraw his suspicions. ¡°You did a really good job making your costume. Did you work for Hollywood?¡± ¡°Of course not. Sir, did you really think that in this enormous, expansive universe, the only living beings were on Earth?¡± Chi-Woo closed his mouth. He hadn¡¯t thought about it like that before, but¡­it was not a field he was an expert in. ¡°I guess these days, even aliens learn Korean. Judging by how extremely fluent you are.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case. We don¡¯t know which planet would fall into danger or where we have to go, and it doesn¡¯t make sense to learn the language of every planet we need to go to.¡± The alien lizard raised his left hand and shook his wrist. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to this device. I work all over the galaxy, so I naturally receive special items like this.¡± Chi-Woo narrowed his eyes. He had wondered why this alien lizard had tapped his left wrist a few times when they first met. Even when they were talking right now, he couldn¡¯t see anyt¡­? ¡°Uh?¡± As soon as he thought this, Chi-Woo saw a bunch of holograms stretch out from the alien¡¯s left wrist like a mind-map. Chi-Woo swallowed his breath as he saw various geometric patterns fill the space in front of them. When the alien lizard shook his left wrist one more time, the hologram completely disappeared. ¡°Well¡­I understand, sir. I also had a hard time when I found out that the planet I was born and raised on wasn¡¯t the only place that had intelligent life forms.¡± The alien lizard nodded. ¡°But we¡¯re lucky. Even though we might be different inside, we look quite similar outside, right? We don¡¯t have to feel disgusted that one of us looks like a squishy sack.¡± When Chi-Woo remained silent, the alien lizard seemed to ponder for a short while and then said, ¡°The heroes from Earth have a pretty good reputation. Even though they don¡¯t have special physical abilities, their ability to adapt and learn, especially their potential, are rated very highly. Moreover, they have also made many significant achievements.¡± The alien lizard continued, ¡°However, we can¡¯t stop all the dangers in the universe with just heroes from Earth. Even if everyone on Earth is a hero, it still won¡¯t be enough.¡± As the alien lizard said, the Earth¡¯s human population of 6 or 7 billion was miniscule in comparison to the size of the universe. Chi-Woo understood the meaning behind the alien lizard¡¯s words. Since there were other living beings on other planets, it made sense that heroes would come from other planets, too. However, understanding and accepting a piece of information were completely different matters. Chi-Woo wondered if he should really believe the alien lizard¡¯s words or not. But in the first place, it didn¡¯t make sense that he was in this strange space after coming out of a caf¨¦. ¡°So where are we?¡± Chi-Woo forcibly calmed his voice down and asked. ¡°Where are you taking me now?¡± ¡°To a higher place¡­I guess that¡¯s not good enough of an explanation.¡± The alien lizard rubbed his neck, visibly pleased that Chi-Woo finally asked a proper question. ¡°As I said before, your older brother is a hero.¡± Then, he said with more strength in his tone, ¡°I am also¡­the same.¡± However, the alien lizard seemed to be embarrassed to say the last part as his voice got noticeably quieter. ¡°Hm, hmm. Sir, the number of heroes is greater, much greater than what you¡¯d think. It might not be that much from each planet, but if you count all the heroes in the universe, it¡¯s a vast number.¡± The alien lizard suddenly stopped walking. ¡°And the place we¡¯re going to is where heroes gather together.¡± Before Chi-Woo realized it, they were at the end of the path. ¡°The heroes¡¯ paradise, the galaxy¡¯s administration, a space outside of the flow of space and time, the milestone of dimensions, heaven¡­ It¡¯s a place called by various names.¡± Multiple paths converged together at the end of the path like a rotary. ¡°But heroes like me whose qualifications are officially recognized and are still working call this place with a specific name.¡± The alien lizard opened the thick door at the end of the path with great force. Chi-Woo instinctively turned away and closed his eyes from the blinding light bursting from the crack between the door panels. The alien lizard grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. ¡°Welcome to the Celestial Realm.¡± CH 4 An intense light blinded Chi-Woo. By the time he regained his sight, Chi-Woo felt strong pressure on his pupils. A vast sea of clouds loomed over a sky so pure blue that it gripped his heart. Below the clear blue sky, white steam bloomed upwards and stretched out like an endless carpet. ¡°¡­What¡­¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but admire the far-off horizon before him. Even words like vast and infinite seemed far too lacking to describe the scene. His dazed admiration was interrupted when the alien lizard lifted his body up. After stomping down the stairs, the alien lizard placed Chi-Woo carefully down on the carpet made of clouds. Chi-Woo was about to ask what the alien lizard was doing when a soft sensation embraced him. ¡®What if I suddenly fall off?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered anxiously. The cloud was so soft and fluffy that it made him nervous. It felt like he was floating. ¡°How is it, sir?¡± The alien lizard¡¯s face suddenly popped out above him. ¡°Does your planet have the technological capability to configure a scene like this?¡± It was like he was asking if Chi-Woo still thought he was in a dream or not. It was irritating to see how pleased the alien lizard looked with himself, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t find the words to refute. He had seen advertisements claiming that their beds were as comfortable as clouds before, but he had never seen or heard of a bed that was made of clouds. Even when he told himself everything was created by computer graphics, the sensation he felt told him otherwise. ¡°I suppose you find it difficult to believe everything with just this.¡± As if he had read Chi-Woo¡¯s mind, the alien lizard winked. ¡°But do not worry, sir. I still have a mountain full of things to show you. This isn¡¯t even the beginning.¡± The alien lizard¡¯s past promises to change his mind seemed much more convincing now. Looking around his surroundings quietly, Chi-Woo realized that he had reached the bottom of the stairs, and he stared at the direction he had come from. A large, white building that resembled ones from the medieval ages stood magnificently on top. As he stared at the building blankly, one of the many things the alien lizard had blabbered to him about crossed his mind. ¡°¡­Let me ask you one thing.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice sounded slightly relaxed, and he spoke much more politely than before. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say those who aren¡¯t invited to the Celestial Realm or whatever go to that building over there first?¡± ¡°You have been listening to me the whole time, sir?¡± the alien lizard smiled widely in joy and answered, ¡°Yes, it is as you say. Those without permission lose their consciousness upon entering the realm. Then they wake up inside that building.¡± Chi-Woo was about to remark, ¡®Isn¡¯t that me?¡¯ but stopped and asked, ¡°Then, what happens to them?¡± ¡°They are taken care of,¡± the alien lizard replied simply, but when he saw Chi-Woo stare hard at him, the alien lizard quickly said, ¡°¡­No, not all of them are. They go through the necessary procedures¡­Uh¡­Well, it¡¯s not as if you weren¡¯t invited at all, sir¡­¡± By the way he stammered, it seemed the alien lizard wasn¡¯t completely confident about his statements either. ¡°Do you often hear that you don¡¯t think things through?¡± The alien lizard twitched. He averted Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze and coughed. ¡°Urmph! As I told you before, there¡¯s no need to worry, sir. By ¡®taken care of¡¯, I mean that they had their memories erased and dropped back to the place they were originally at.¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips. In that case, it was exactly what he wanted to happen. ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time for them to come¡­ Oh! See, there¡¯s one coming. Look!¡± The alien lizard pointed forward with his tail. Chi-Woo wanted to complain how he was supposed to look when he was tied and laid on the floor, but he turned to the direction where the alien lizard was pointing at anyway. At first, he only saw a faint haze. Upon a closer look, he saw a simmering object speedily rushing his way. ¡°What is coming¡­?¡± Chi-Woo was about to ask and stopped. The alien lizard¡¯s face froze. He pursed his lips tightly and his tail was stiffened upwards, clearly showing his tenseness. Chi-Woo suddenly felt an unfamiliar touch beside his head. His body also went still like the alien lizard. ¡®Already?¡¯ He shifted his eyes for a moment when he felt a presence near him. He tried to tilt his head as much as possible, but he couldn¡¯t see anything from his position. Instead, a chilly sensation touched his left cheek. Then the mysterious presence moved again. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Please stay still, sir,¡± The alien lizard said in a low voice. Chi-Woo felt a momentary urge to cause havoc so that he could return home, but decided to stay still; it was because for some reason, he had a foreboding feeling that something very bad would happen if he did otherwise. ¡°You must not move recklessly, sir. Their first instinct is to be extremely, extremely wary. The moment that they judge you as a harmful existence, they will¡­¡± Chi-Woo was in such a nervous state that he couldn¡¯t hear the alien lizard well. Even though the sensation he felt at his left cheek bothered him, he couldn¡¯t dare to look around. ¡°¡­Be careful, sir. If Hell¡¯s gate has Cerberus, the Celestial Realm has Sorebrek.¡± ¡®Damn it. He is the one who brought me here. Instead of watching, he should do something!¡¯ Chi-Woo grumbled inside his mind as he laid fixed on the spot. Lick. Something licked his left cheek and startled him. ¡°What¡ª¡± Chi-Woo looked forward instinctively and stared in disbelief. The first thought he had was: ¡®A cat?¡¯ A pair of pointy ears protruded from a round face. The creature looked to be about thirty centimeters in length and had four legs and a long tail. Of course, it would be ludicrous to think the creature in front of him was a real cat. When he saw it from far away, he thought it was wavering; and now, he saw its whole body was made up of rippling lights. Its eyes reflected this light and shone, but its pupils were not visible. However, the most significant difference they had with a real cat was its pair of wings, neatly folded on top of its back. Chi-Woo felt his body relax. He had been anxious when he heard that this creature rivaled the three-headed guard dog in Hell that breathed out hellish flames. Lick. Lick. The way they licked his face was just like a friendly, street cat. ¡®No.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t let his guard down. He couldn¡¯t judge a creature he had never met just by its outward appearance. ¡ªMya, mya~ As soon as he thought this, the cat¡ªno, the sorebrek rubbed its cheek against Chi-Woo¡¯s while letting out cute sounds. ¡°¡­.¡± Chi-Woo was confused. Was the creature trying to lower his guard by using its cuteness? Yet, no matter how he looked at it, the sorebrek didn¡¯t seem wary of him at all. Chi-Woo looked towards the alien lizard for confirmation and saw that he was staring blankly with his eyes wide and mouth hanging wide open at Chi-Woo. ¡ªMyaaaaa~ The sorebrek purred happily after rubbing its cheeks. ¡ªMya? Mya, mya, mya, mya? ¡ªMya, mya! Mya, mya, mya, mya! Soon, there were cries ringing from everywhere. There wasn¡¯t only one or two of them. It was unclear where they were popping out from. Soon, Chi-Woo felt a ticklish but cool sensation all over his body. There were about a dozen of them stuck to both of his hands, licking his palms and gathering at his ankles to nuzzle and sniff him. ¡°Hey, come down.¡± There was even one sorebrek who got on top of Chi-Woo¡¯s face and secured their position there. And that wasn¡¯t all. ¡ª Myaaaa¡­ When he turned his head towards the weak cry, he saw a group of sorebreks gathered closely together from a far distance. Judging by their tiny sizes, they seemed to be baby sorebreks. Their ears drooped down as if they were sad, and they seemed to be saying ¡®call us too¡­¡¯. ¡°¡­Come here.¡± ¡ª Myuff! When Chi-Woo called them over after seeing their pitiful appearances, four or five baby sorebreks came flying towards him while wagging their tails. The alien lizard was still speechless. It would only be a slight exaggeration to say his chin had dropped to the floor, and he was expressing his shock with his whole body. ¡°If Cerberus is in hell¡­where is this?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice was aloof. He asked this question while looking at the baby sorebreks going myuff, myuff while rubbing his chest or lying on his stomach. ¡°U-unbelievable!¡± The alien lizard finally regained his senses. ¡°Is this perhaps how they finish off intruders?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± the alien lizard screamed at Chi-Woo¡¯s question. ¡°Then why¡­ah, that¡¯s ticklish! Don¡¯t do that!¡± Chi-Woo poked the baby sorebrek wriggling inside his arms with his chin. The baby sorebrek let out a peal of laughter. ¡°What¡¯s happening? They don¡¯t act like this usually? Really, for real?¡± The alien lizard tightly clutched his head in confusion and quickly stretched out his hand towards one of the sorebrek snuggling near Chi-Woo. ¡ªMya!? The startled sorebrek shot daggers at the lizard with its eyes, and Chi-Woo was able to clearly witness what happened next. The sorebrek instantly transformed from the size of a cat to that of a giant elephant and bit the alien lizard¡¯s head. ¡°Huburuhbuhbururuhbu!¡± As the enlarged sorebrek lifted the alien lizard up in the air, the alien lizard desperately moved to escape. ¡°Oobuh! Oobuhbuhbuh!¡± When the alien lizard frantically moved his arms around, the sorebrek spit him out as if they got tired of holding him in. ¡°This shit!?¡± The alien lizard rolled on the ground and jumped up in anger. The sorebrek turned back to its original size and quickly ran into Chi-Woo¡¯s arms to hide itself. ¡°T-t-that! Sir, did you see that! That¡¯s how they¡¯re supposed to be!¡± The alien lizard jumped up in a frenzy; he looked like a rat completely soaked in water. Chi-Woo became speechless at the sorebrek¡¯s completely contrasting actions, and he now fully understood why the alien lizard had warned him to be careful. ¡ªMehhh~ However, Chi-Woo tilted his head to see the sorebrek pop its small head out from his arms and stuck its tongue out. The alien lizard just laughed in futility. This whole situation was completely different from when he took his first step into the Celestial Realm. He could still vividly recall when he first woke up in the stranger¡¯s space and followed Chi-Woo¡¯s older brother here. At that time, not a single sorebrek had appeared in front of him. Even then, however, he could feel their sharp, piercing gazes boring into his face and the great wariness they held against him. Moreover, he also felt their awe, respect, and¡­a kind of fear directed towards Chi-Woo¡¯s older brother. Yes, he had definitely felt those emotions back then. Chi-Woo ordered, ¡°Make a sound like a cat. Together.¡± ¡ªMyamyamyamya! ¡°While acting cute.¡± ¡ªMyamyamyamya! While tightly tied up, Chi-Woo cooed with a relaxed face, and the sorebreks energetically responded, thinking that Chi-Woo was playing with them. The alien lizard had a hard time believing his eyes. Hope filled up his heart seeing Chi-Woo surrounded by light. Even after finding out that Chi-Woo was an ordinary person, he had initiated contact in a desperate attempt to grasp at straws. Perhaps¡­ ¡°¡­Ok, ok. I understand that all of you are welcoming him, but stop it. He¡¯s a very busy person.¡± The alien lizard shook his head and approached Chi-Woo. ¡°Sir, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll lead you there.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chi-Woo angrily glared at him as the alien lizard lifted him up and held him like a princess. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Are you going to keep me tied up like this?¡± ¡°Yes, until I showed you everything.¡± ¡°Please untie me. I will walk with my own feet.¡± ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t know what actions you might take.¡± The alien lizard smirked. ¡°As you know, I don¡¯t think things through.¡± Chi-Woo had no words to say to that. ¡°I felt this before, but, as expected of his younger brother, you¡¯re really not a person I should look down on. And¡­¡± The alien lizard continued, ¡°Even if I untie you here, I¡¯ll still have to carry you. The place we¡¯re at right now is the outermost area. If we want to go to the central area, it¡¯ll take a bit more time.¡± The alien lizard looked to one side and slightly bent his body. ¡°Of course, sir, it¡¯s not a bad idea to slowly move and explore our sights, but that¡¯s probably not what you would want, right?¡± ¡°Is it very far away?¡± ¡°For you it would be, sir, but I can get there quickly.¡± While they were talking, the sorebreks climbed into Chi-Woo¡¯s arms as if they didn¡¯t want to be separated from him. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re going. Don¡¯t be too surprised.¡± ¡ªMya! One sorebrek raised its arm and made a gesture for departure, and the alien lizard strongly kicked his feet off the cloud at the same time. CH 5 Chi-Woo gasped when the alien lizard stomped on the ground¡ªno, the floor made of clouds. It was truly astonishing. Whoosh! The winds struck his face quite strongly. Every time he blinked, the scenery changed around him. The alien lizard was moving tens or more meters with every step. ¡®Is this really happening?¡¯ Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what to believe anymore as he looked up at the sight before him. As he stared at the alien lizard, he suddenly realized something. ¡°I don¡¯t know your name.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Not having expected this question, the alien lizard responded one beat too slow. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Are you¡­talking to me, sir?¡± The alien lizard¡¯s eyes widened. Chi-Woo raised his voice and said it more clearly this time. ¡°I¡¯m asking you what your name is.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ My name is Gripping Giant Fist and Rising,¡± the alien lizard murmured. ¡°Gripping Giant what?¡± ¡°Haha, I guess my name will sound strange to you. Although the Celestial Realm¡¯s automatic translation system is splendid, it isn¡¯t perfect by any means. However, the meaning of my name should be passed onto you with the best translation in your planet¡¯s language.¡± The alien lizard¡¯s name reminded Chi-Woo of a traditional Native American name. He said, ¡°I mean, even for inhabitants of the same planet, people have all kinds of names depending on their country of origin.¡± ¡°It is as you say. It¡¯s important for us to understand and respect each other despite our differing backgrounds.¡± ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll call you Gripping Giant Fist and Rising from now on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite a long name. You can just call me Giant Fist. If it¡¯s you, Sir Choi Chi-Woo, you can certainly do that.¡± The alien lizard, Giant Fist, said this as if he was granting Chi-Woo a great honor. ¡°Um, but Giant Fist is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­I know, it was your brother who gave me this name.¡± ¡°My older brother?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Giant Fist meekly nodded at Chi-Woo¡¯s question. ¡°He gave a name like that to another being¡­? His naming sense is really¡­¡± Chi-Woo muttered to himself. Giant Fist¡¯s voice shook as he said, ¡°Umph, thank goodness¡­that you¡¯re not like him in this respect¡­¡± Seeing that Giant Fist¡¯s eyes became teary, Chi-Woo decided to not pry any deeper into this topic. ¡°But why are you suddenly asking for my name, sir?¡± Giant Fist asked, his face gleaming with anticipation. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t answer right away. At first, Chi-Woo simply thought Giant Fist was some crazy man. He hadn¡¯t got rid of all his suspicions about the alien yet, but at the least, it seemed highly unlikely that he was experiencing a new type of advanced virtual reality now; the situation he was in was far too devoid of common logic. Now, Chi-Woo had a slightly different mindset than when he first arrived at this place: instead of reality, he believed he was in a dream. After all, it seemed much more sensical to explain everything as part of a dream. ¡®Yes, that would explain it¡­¡¯ Perhaps nothing around him was real. He could just think of this as a silly dream. Of course, he couldn¡¯t deny that there was a part of him who wished that he wasn¡¯t dreaming. If what Giant Fist said was maybe, just maybe true¡­ ¡°Look, sir. We¡¯re almost there.¡± Giant Fist¡¯s words broke Chi-Woo from his reverie, and Chi-Woo turned his head sideways. The scene before him was just as surreal as everything he had seen until now. From far away, he saw a pure, shining white castle; only the castle¡¯s top was visible, so Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t approximate its size. Perhaps what he saw wasn¡¯t even the top of the building. The building was so ginormous that he couldn¡¯t see its end even when he tilted his head to project his eyesight as far as possible. As they got closer, they saw the castle¡¯s exterior walls; it was astonishingly massive. Compared with the ¡®Stranger¡¯s Space¡¯ he was just at, the difference in scale was that of an elephant and an ant. ¡°This is insane¡­¡± ¡°You think so too, sir? I was blown away by the castle when I first saw it¡ª although I have become used to it after entering it so many times,¡± Giant Fist said and stomped forward. After walking some more, they soon saw a place that looked like an entrance. Even the entrance was bigger than most high-rise buildings. Chi-Woo wondered if they would be able to open a door as big as that. ¡°They will soon come,¡± Giant Fist said, ¡°I sent them prior notice before coming here. If we just wait a bit¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a blinding flash of light shone from the center of the door. ¡®Wha¡ª¡¯ Before Chi-Woo could even ask what that was, glimmers of shadows appeared out of an oval of lights in an instant. The wavering shadows seeped out like objects floating to the surface of water. At a quick glance, the figure appeared human. But upon closer inspection, they¡ªhe clearly looked like an otherworldly being. He was more than two meters tall and held a long trident. His hair was semi-transparent so one could see through it, and he wore a white uniform, which made him look like a holy priest. When Chi-Woo noticed the pair of feathery wings on his back, he became certain that the being wasn¡¯t an earthling¡ªmore so, because his pure white and beautiful appearances made him look like an angel straight out of a storybook. ¡°Did you just arrive here? Have you finished all your businesses?¡± ¡°Yes, sorry.¡± Giant Fist replied succinctly to the angel¡¯s business-like tone; he sounded quite cold to the angel. ¡°Oh. What is it? You have always barged in here whenever you wished to. Why are you apologizing now?¡± By the angel¡¯s tone, it sounded like he had more than one or two extra complaints to make. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± Giant Fist also talked casually; clearly, he was familiar with the angel. ¡°How very unusual, sir. You usually don¡¯t even pretend to listen,¡± the angel scoffed. ¡°Anyways, I understand. I apologize if I came off as rude. We are grateful for the work you do, but we also have our own protocols to follow,¡± the angel concluded, as if he didn¡¯t intend to make a bigger deal out of this issue and turned his gaze to Chi-Woo. ¡°What can I help you with, sir?¡± Giant Fist stared back at the angel awkwardly. He hesitated. ¡°Uh¡­well, you see.¡± The angel stroked his chin and said, ¡°You must have come from the Stranger¡¯s Place¡­did you personally catch this one?¡± Then, he suddenly tilted his head and muttered, ¡°But the sorebreks are outside, why would you personally¡­?¡± The angel saw a cluster of sorebreks attaching themselves to Chi-Wook. It was clear that he didn¡¯t understand what was going on. Giant Fist gulped and said, ¡°I led him here.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I led him here. Don¡¯t say anything more and just let me pass. Please.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, sir,¡± the angel refused immediately. ¡°What happened? Please explain the situation first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is going on?¡± the angel continued to interrogate. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call him ¡®that¡¯. He¡¯s an esteemed guest.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get any message that a guest was coming¡­No, wait?¡± The angel looked at Chi-Woo and his forehead scrunched up. ¡°Why would you tie up an esteemed guest?¡± Then the angel exclaimed in shock as he looked back at Giant Fist, ¡°Did you perhaps¡ª¡± ¡°I am telling you beforehand, but it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t invite him. I already explained everything to him and led him here.¡± ¡°Do you really expect me to believe that?¡± Giant Fist hurriedly loosened the ropes around Chi-Woo, but the angel gripped his trident tighter. ¡°Did you drag this person here forcefully!? An existence that hasn¡¯t been verified yet!?¡± The angel¡¯s voice rose higher. If the situation escalated any further, a fight was likely to break out. ¡°I didn¡¯t kidnap him! You don¡¯t have to worry! Just look, look at him!¡± Giant Fist yelled in frustration and pushed Chi-Woo towards the angel. ¡ªMyah! The sorebreks began saying something; it seemed that they were complaining about Giant Fist¡¯s loud voice. ¡°What are you telling me to look at¡­¡± The angel calmed down since each and every one of the sorebreks was complaining about their loudness. The sorebreks were a naturally cold and cruel species that guarded the outermost area of the Celestial Realm. They identified foreign beings that were dangerous to the Celestial Realm and, depending on the situation, eliminated outsiders without an ounce of hesitation. However, they were now cuddling an unidentified existence with happy, content faces. Since the angel became the Celestial Realm¡¯s gatekeeper, he had never seen the sorebreks act so friendly. To prepare for the worst, the angel aimed his trident at Chi-Woo. ¡ªkyak! One of the sorebreks instantly grew bigger and bit the angel, rearing its head to lift him off the air. It then harshly slammed the angel onto the clouds. ¡°Ack!?¡± the angel gasped as he bounced and rolled. ¡°No! Sirs! I wasn¡¯t aiming the trident at you, but towards that dangerous¡ªeckkk!¡± The sorebrek kicked the angel one more time. The angel slammed against the gate and dropped to the ground. Then he stopped moving completely. He looked dead. ¡°¡­I told you. These guys are like this.¡± Giant Fist sent a pitiful look towards the angel. All the sorebreks had now fully extended their wings and formed a defense formation with Chi-Woo at the center. Their completely upright tails reflected their strong intentions to protect Chi-Woo from the slightest harm. ¡°E-excuse me. I now understand that this person is harmless,¡± the angel murmured to himself while on the ground. ¡°But it¡¯s very strange. It¡¯s my first time seeing such a sight¡­¡± The angel struggled to stand up and wobbled, but he soon became cold again. ¡°Even then, I cannot give this person permission to enter,¡± the angel firmly said while looking at Giant Fist. ¡°What? Why? You saw it too!¡± ¡ªMyah, myah! The sorebreks also cried out in unison to support Giant Fist¡¯s words. However, the angel calmly replied, ¡°Dear Sirs, I respect and honor your respective authorities, but the decision to open or not open this gate falls under my authority. None of you have the right to interfere with my work.¡± ¡ªMyah, myahmyah¡­! The sorebreks, who had been acting feisty so far, slightly backed down as they were unable to find a proper retaliation. ¡°Moreover, verifying if someone is harmless to the Celestial Realm is a completely different matter to allowing them to enter this gate after obtaining qualifications. Shouldn¡¯t you know this the best, Sir Gripping Giant Fist and Rising?¡± ¡°I know, I know. But I still brought him with that in mind. Did you really think I brought him here to just sightsee around the Celestial Realm?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I can understand. There are various instances when someone brings someone or something completely unrelated to the Celestial Realm.¡± The angel clicked his tongue. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s not the case, I won¡¯t severely reprimand you, but¡­¡± The angel paused for a bit and continued, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you following the formal protocol, sir?¡± Giant Fist became speechless. The angel¡¯s words hit right on the mark. ¡°Sir, why aren¡¯t you replying?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t try.¡± Giant Fist clicked his tongue and sighed. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t able to receive permission.¡± The angel firmly replied. ¡°Then I can¡¯t allow him to enter.¡± ¡°What the hell. Are you being serious?¡± ¡°Sir, you¡¯re the one who brought someone without qualifications to enter the Celestial Realm without permission, and you¡¯re now telling me to open the gate?¡± ¡°Why are you saying that he has no qualifications? Ah, man, why are you being so uptight?¡± ¡°Sir, are you in any position to get angry at me?¡± Giant Fist and the angel were slowly getting heated up. Giant Fist had been keeping a minimum level of politeness, but now he acted as if he could do anything if it meant fulfilling his mission. ¡°Hey, you! As you know, I ate with Sir Chi-Hyun! And we saved the world together! I did all this with Sir Chi-Hyun!¡± Giant Fist flailed both of his arms around and let out a passionate speech. ¡°Ha. Please try making a reasonable argument.¡± The angel snorted to express that none of Giant Fist¡¯s arguments were working on him. ¡°What? Make a reasonable argument?¡± ¡°Yes. Also, why did you suddenly mention Sir Chi-Hyun¡¯s name? Are you threatening me?¡± The angel didn¡¯t back down at all. ¡°Wow, just look at this punk? When I first came with Sir Chi-Hyun, you let me in without a word.¡± ¡°Because the situation is now different from before! And also, sir, do you think that you and Sir Chi-Hyun are the same?¡± ¡°Ah, I see~ Since the person who brought me here last time was Sir Chi-Hyun, you humbly crawled on the floor; Now that I was the one who brought this person, you won¡¯t let him in?¡± ¡°Please refrain from mocking me. I was unable to understand Sir Chi-Hyun¡¯s actions before, so I received a scolding from Sir Laguel. But this isn¡¯t the case for Sir Gripping Giant Fist and Rising.¡± The angel¡¯s expression turned displeased. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t understand why you, someone who served Sir Chi-Hyun closely, are saying this to me.¡± ¡°I know that! I know that he¡¯s the exception!¡± ¡°Then why are you being so unreasonable, sir?!¡± The angel finally yelled and glared at Giant Fist. He didn¡¯t bother to hide his displeased expression and shouted again, ¡°What, are you saying that this person is on the same level as Sir Chi-Hyun?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Giant Fist immediately replied. ¡°Geeze, you have to at least make a realistic comparison¡­wait, what?¡± The angel couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°Yes!¡± Giant Fist yelled, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying! If you don¡¯t believe me, see for yourself!¡± The angel sighed. His gaze seemed to be asking if Giant Fist was out of his mind. ¡°Search him! Then you¡¯ll understand!¡± ¡°Search what?¡± ¡°You can check the entrance records and compare it with your own! Did you not see the contacts I sent?¡± Giant Fist thumped his chest and was about to jump in frustration. ¡°My goodness.¡± The angel looked at Giant Fist with a mixture of understanding and disbelief and tapped his wrist. A hologram appeared in the air. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll repeat myself once more.¡± As the angel tapped in the air, pages quickly flipped to the next. ¡°Even if the individual you brought is a descendent of a hero or an acquaintance, I can never allow them to enter on the mere basis of sight-seeing¡­¡± The angel¡¯s voice suddenly quieted down. When he searched the database to filter out everything except for an analysis of Chi-Woo¡¯s physical attributes and heroes with whom his probability of being genetically connected to exceed 99.9%¡ª ¡°What¡­¡± A considerable number of results appeared. Blood-relations connected to Chi-Woo continuously streamed down in the air. ¡°What the¡­Why is it so long¡­¡± The angel¡¯s expression became more dumbfounded as he looked down at Chi-Woo¡¯s long family tree, which started from the first progenitor and stretched down like a long tree branch. ¡°G-S-3-E origin and¡­¡± When the angel checked the very bottom of the family tree and saw the face and name of the most recent hero on active duty, his mouth gaped open like he was going to scream. ¡°¡­.!¡± Favorite CH 6 The angel stared at the hologram blankly. ¡°Did you see it?¡± Giant Fist said proudly while crossing his arms. ¡°See? Not a collateral relative but a direct descendant. Moreover, he is Sir Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s biological brother!¡± The angel looked stunned as he shifted his eyes to Chi-Woo and back to the hologram. ¡°Why¡­¡± the angel stuttered as he looked back at Chi-Woo. ¡°Why is he¡­ finally here now¡­?¡± He looked like he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Yet, there was no way the information on the hologram was lying. ¡°I thought you would react like this, so I sent you a message beforehand. Didn¡¯t you get it?¡± ¡°Well¡­I thought you were just asking us to open the door for you like¡­last time¡­¡± ¡°Ha, seriously?¡± Giant Fist looked baffled, but he also looked slightly apologetic. ¡°Anyways, are you satisfied now? Can¡¯t you just let us pass considering Sir Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s background?¡± Giant Fist sounded understanding of the angel¡¯s reaction, but then he shouted, ¡°Did you hear me? Hey!¡± The angel finally regained his senses. Chi-Woo stared at him while being smothered by a group of sorebreks, and the angel blinked a couple of times. ¡°That is¡­¡± The angel seemed conflicted by the difficult dilemma. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would dare to make a decision in a situation like this.¡± ¡°What? Are you saying you won¡¯t open the door for us even after checking Sir Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s identity?¡± ¡°No! I am not saying that I won¡¯t open the door!¡± The angel shook his head nervously; he seemed more concerned about Chi-Woo than he was about Giant Fist and took furtive glances at him. ¡°I lack the authority to make the decision. I will have to report to the higher-ups.¡± ¡°But last time¡­¡± ¡°Last time, we received prior notice from our side. But for Sir Choi Chi-Woo¡­¡± The angel trailed off, and Giant Fist sighed and glanced sideways at Chi-Woo. ¡°I don¡¯t want to place Sir Choi Chi-Woo in a troublesome situation because of me.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he made some educated guesses and responded, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s response, Giant Fist dropped the issue and said, ¡°Okay, do whatever you need to do. But you have to skip over Laguel.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± the angel asked. ¡°Skip the middle management and notify the very top. If you do that, I¡¯ll wait patiently without complaint. I will also promise to follow the conditions they give.¡± At Giant Fist¡¯s reply, the angel tilted his head. ¡°But Angel Laguel is the one in charge of Sir Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s cases. How could I not notify Angel Laguel when Sir Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s brother came ¡­?¡± ¡°Although Laguel is Sir Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s personal case manager, she doesn¡¯t manage all cases belonging to the S-3-E¡¯s Choi family. Besides, didn¡¯t you say for yourself that you didn¡¯t receive any prior notice for Sir Choi Chi-Woo, but one for Sir Choi Chi-Hyun? If you are going to make a distinction like that between them, stick to it properly.¡± ¡°Hm¡­I suppose that¡¯s reasonable. I understand. As you say, I¡¯ll send the notice straight to the top. However, you must keep the promise you just made.¡± The angel relented, thinking that Giant Fist had a point. ¡°I said I would. Hurry and come back. We¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± Giant Fist waved the angel away, but the angel didn¡¯t look at him. ¡°I apologize, sir.¡± The angel deeply bowed towards Chi-Woo. ¡°I sincerely apologize for my previous rude behavior. I deserve punishment for the offense I showed you, but¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Woo replied quickly to the angel¡¯s sincere apology. ¡°I would have responded in the same way. I didn¡¯t know anything either.¡± Giant Fist puffed out his chest at Chi-Woo¡¯s response, squaring his shoulders evenly while his face gleamed with pride, as if he wanted to show off. ¡®See! He is Sir Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s brother! I brought him here!¡± ¡°Ah! As expected¡­! What an honor, sir! I won¡¯t forget this generosity!¡± The angel¡¯s face instantly brightened. Then he deeply bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to keep you waiting. I¡¯ll be back with a response as quickly as possible.¡± Then he hurriedly disappeared into the portal he came out of. The angel had been wary to let them in, but changed his attitude immediately after checking Chi-Woo¡¯s identity. This made Chi-Woo wonder, ¡°Who exactly am I?¡± He had an inkling, but it still puzzled him. ¡°That guy just has a high sense of responsibility,¡± Giant Fist muttered while letting out a sigh. ¡°Although he¡¯s rigid, he isn¡¯t completely inflexible¡­so please, don¡¯t think too badly of him, sir.¡± Giant Fist defended the angel; although they argued, it seemed that their relationship wasn¡¯t so bad. ¡°Like I said before, it¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Woo said, unconcerned. ¡°He responded like a soldier on guard duty if a division commander appeared without prior notice in civilian clothes. I would¡¯ve responded like him in the same circumstance.¡± ¡°The situation is almost exactly like how you described, except for one caveat, sir.¡± Giant Fist smirked. ¡°I rank higher than a division commander.¡± Chi-Woo smiled weakly, ¡°But well, I guess I know one thing for sure now.¡± ¡°What is it, sir?¡± ¡°If everything you said is true¡­¡± Chi-Woo stared at Giant Fist. ¡°I feel like I could be an unwelcome existence in the Celestial Realm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly not the case,¡± Giant Fist immediately denied his words. ¡°You simply didn¡¯t know, sir. Since you were neither well-known or actively working, it can¡¯t be helped. Even I wonder why you¡¯ve just been living like a normal person.¡± Giant Fist continued while clenching his fist. ¡°But it¡¯s not that no one knows of your existence.¡± Chi-Woo looked hard at Giant Fist and thought, ¡®That¡¯s not what I wanted to ask though.¡¯ What Chi-Woo wanted to ask was why Giant Fist had told the angel to skip over an angel named Laguel¡ªwho apparently managed his brother¡¯s case¡ªwhen notifying about his arrival. It also bothered him that Giant Fist had asked if there was a force threatening him at the caf¨¦. There were many questions Chi-Woo wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth sealed for now. Although he appeared calm, everything was too new and bizarre, and his head was still in a mess. ¡°I¡¯ve returned!¡± They heard an excited cry. After coming out of a portal, the angel recollected his breath and made a bright smile. Then he shouted proudly, ¡°I received permission for your entrance, sir!¡± Giant Fist was surprised. ¡°What, already?¡± ¡°Yes! When I told them of Sir Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s identity, the issue was handled in an instant!¡± ¡°As expected, everything gets solved quickly without that woman¡¯s meddling. Damn, how easy was that¡­?¡± Giant Fist murmured. Then he said, ¡°Open the door now. We have a lot to do.¡± ¡°Please wait.¡± ¡°What? What is it this time?¡± Giant Fist said angrily, and the angel stretched out his hand without answering. Then another portal like the one the angel had come out from was formed. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a portal leading straight to the Celestial Road,¡± the angel spoke with a smile on his face. ¡°Archangel Raphael wanted to prepare a way for you both to enter without having to pass through all the gates.¡± ¡°Raphael? Not Laguel?¡± ¡°Yes. Archangel Raphael personally gave me the order.¡± ¡°Ha, even the archangel came out of his way to help?¡± Giant Fist whistled. ¡°Ha ha. They are finally realizing the gravity of the situation. Good. With Raphael, it¡¯s all set in stone now. Thank you for keeping your word.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s my honor, sir.¡± The angel said the last part to Chi-Woo. Overwhelmed by the angel¡¯s sparkling eyes, Chi-Woo gave him a nod before following Giant Fist in. Intense light struck him head on and lit up the surroundings, but it didn¡¯t hurt his eyes. It felt as if he was peacefully walking inside the light. Then, suddenly, he felt a pulling sensation on his belly button. ¡°Have you arrived?¡± Simultaneously, he heard Giant Fist¡¯s voice, and the surrounding lights cleared as if they were washing away. Chi-Woo gasped when he saw the new world before him. A castle erupted upwards without an end in sight. There was a wide path of pure light that led to the center of the castle. Chi-Woo felt an indescribable sense of pressure from the overwhelming sight. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we talk a bit while waiting here?¡± Giant Fist told Chi-Woo. ¡°Talk?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if the higher-ups gave their permission, it takes some time for those below them to get the notice. I bet they are in quite a shock too.¡± Giant Fist laughed. ¡°So, let¡¯s just kill time by talking. I¡¯m sure you are curious about many things, sir.¡± Since he had been waiting for this chance, Chi-Woo took the offer. Like Giant Fist said, the place they were currently at was where heroes from all over the galaxy gathered. Among the heroes, there were very few whose parents were also heroes. The reasons were manifold. In the first place, one had to go through tremendous turmoil and adversities that most couldn¡¯t even imagine to be a hero. Thus, it was unlikely they survived long enough to have children and, more so, for these children to also take the same path as them. Furthermore, even if they were related by blood, there was no guarantee that the children would inherit their parent¡¯s talents and gifts; and as time passed, bloodlines naturally thinned out. Yet there were always rare exceptions, whether by the force of miracles, prophecies, genetics, bloodlines, or other special cases. Across the galaxy, there were special cases where heroes consistently passed down their traits to their family. The exemplary case was the twelve families lighting up the Celestial Realm. Children belonging to these families were raised as heroes since their birth, and they dedicated their lives to the galaxy¡¯s well-being. Considering their sacrifice and deeds, these twelve families received special treatment in the Celestial Realm. ¡°Of course, all twelve families deserve all the reverence they get, but there are ranks even among them. Sir Choi Chi-Woo, your family is at the top. They have protected the galaxy for more than a thousand years by dedicating their mind and body to the work and are the elites among the elites. They are definitely not some merchant family.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s why you were so enraged at the caf¨¦.¡± ¡°As I should! Your family is one that has sacrificed so much for the galaxy for more than a thousand years. If anyone who knew of your family spoke in such a manner, I would have cracked their heads.¡± Even after hearing this explanation, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what to think. What in the world? To Think that not only his older brother, but his parents, grandparents, great grandparents, great-great grandparents, and generations upon generations before them were all members of a greatly revered family of heroes¡­ ¡®This is crazy.¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t deny it since the scenery in front of him told him otherwise. If all this was the truth, though, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand why he had been the only one to grow up without knowing anything. Giant Fist glanced at Chi-Woo, who was clutching his head while frowning, and looked forward while raising his hand. He shouted, ¡°Hey!¡± Chi-Woo soon saw an angel running towards them. The angel¡¯s white hair was tightly tied back with a round hat that resembled what an ancient Korean official might wear. The monocle on his left eye fit his intelligent appearance and made him look like a scholar. Another notable part about the angel was that he had not just one or two, but three pairs of wings on his back. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s my first time seeing you running so fast,¡± Giant Fist addressed the angel rather brashly. ¡°What do you have your wings for? Are you saving them to make some wing soup later?¡± ¡°I was in such a hurry that I forgot to. And don¡¯t you know, sir? It¡¯s strictly forbidden for us to fly when welcoming a member of the twelve families anyways.¡± The angel began walking as he got closer to Chi-Woo and Giant Fist, a soft smile tugging his lips. ¡°Huff. Strict ban, my ass! Is there anyone except the Ho Lactea Family that care about such a nonsensical rule? Ain¡¯t I right? Periel?¡± The angel named Periel quickly scanned their surroundings. ¡°What do you mean by nonsensical, sir? That¡¯s out of bounds.¡± ¡°Out of bounds, how are they out of bounds? Do you think it makes sense to ban you guys from flying, saying that it was unpleasant to have angels looking down on them?¡± ¡°They sacrificed so much for this universe. They had done more than enough to make such a small request.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then did you come running so frantically because you were trained by the Ho Lactea Family¡¯s greatness?¡± Periel made a bitter smile without saying anything, and Giant Fist gave up on making any further sarcastic remarks. ¡°Honestly, I just wanted to see you get frazzled and frantically come here.¡± ¡°If that was your intention, sir, you¡¯ve succeeded.¡± ¡°It¡¯s regrettable that I couldn¡¯t see it with my own eyes. Anyways, greet him.¡± Giant Fist let out a low laugh and introduced Chi-Woo. ¡°I was the one who brought him here! He¡¯s Sir Chi-Hyun¡¯s younger brother.¡± Giant Fist greatly emphasized the ¡®I¡¯ part in his sentence. ¡°Is that so? That person is¡­¡± Periel raised his monocle and his eyes glistened. He looked at Chi-Woo like he was looking at a newly discovered ancient ruin. ¡°You¡¯re well aware of him, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. I know him very well. After all, he was the only person born in the G-S-3-E¡¯s Choi Family in 10 years, after Sir Chi-Hyun,¡± Periel murmured in a daze and, after composing himself, deeply bowed. ¡°Sir, I apologize for my late greeting. My name is Periel.¡± ¡°Hello,¡± Chi-Woo greeted the angel back and felt intense pressure because he didn¡¯t know the exact reason why Periel was being so polite to him. ¡°I¡¯m Choi Chi-Woo.¡± Even though Chi-Woo said his name several seconds later, Periel did not seem to mind at all; instead, Periel looked extremely touched. ¡°Sir, now that I look at you like this, it feels very strange. It seems just like yesterday when the entire Celestial Realm held their breaths when you were born¡­¡± They saw him getting born? This instantly piqued his interest, but Periel looked completely immersed in the past, so he couldn¡¯t even think about asking. ¡°How is it going inside?¡± At Giant Fist¡¯s question, Periel came back to reality. Unlike before, Periel¡¯s face looked slightly stiff. ¡°It¡¯s not very good.¡± ¡°Not very good? Did she intervene or something?¡± ¡°Sir, it would be strange for her to not know about his presence when you caused such a scene.¡± ¡°Damn it. Did I cause too much of a scene? I should have just quietly gone in.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped,¡± Periel quietly added. ¡°She would have known as soon as you two entered.¡± Words that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand at all passed between them. ¡°So. What should I do?¡± ¡°Sir, wait¡­¡± Periel lowered his voice and came closer to Giant Fist. They seemed to be whispering something to each other, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. If everything so far had been real, there was something Giant Fist desperately wanted from him¡ª which was to help his older brother. There were angels like Periel who were supportive of Chi-Woo entering the Celestial Realm, and there were angels who did not want him to enter. When the conversation between Periel and Giant Fist seemed to be ending, Giant Fist pondered for a bit and turned to Chi-Woo. Giant Fist asked Chi-Woo, ¡°Sir, would you be able to wait here for a bit? There¡¯s just one thing I need to take care of.¡± ¡®As expected, are things not working out?¡¯ Clearly there were complications preventing things from turning out as Giant Fist hoped. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to cooperate with Giant Fist for now, since it was better for both of them if he quietly watched the situation unfold. Chi-Woo answered, ¡°Yes. But do I have to wait here?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Sir, there¡¯s a waiting room.¡± Periel immediately added onto Giant Fist¡¯s words. With just a flick of his hand, Perial created a portal in the air. After seeing this multiple times, Chi-Woo was now less surprised. Periel continued, ¡°Sir, since we prepared the waiting room to match the conditions on Earth as much as possible, you should find it comfortable. Sir Gripping Giant Fist and Rising will be coming with me¡­¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll go with Sir Chi-Woo first. I have something to tell him separately. It won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°Sir, if you¡¯re going to come back soon, I¡¯ll be waiting for you here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Let¡¯s go in, Sir Chi-Woo¡± With Giant Fist¡¯s guidance, Chi-Woo pushed his body towards the portal. He was still not used to the feeling of the portal passing through his whole body as lights flickered. After a while. ¡°Woah.¡± Chi-Woo let out his admiration. He admitted that the place he was in was somewhere you could possibly see on Earth. ¡®But this is a bit¡­¡¯ It was the first time he saw such a luxurious penthouse. It would be inadequate to simply describe it as amazing. The penthouse was bigger than most stadiums. After he looked around, Chi-Woo moved towards the terrace to check the outside scenery. He could only see clouds outside the windows. ¡°Sir, you just have to wait here.¡± Chi-Woo heard Giant Fist say. ¡°It¡¯s also the exclusive waiting room for the Choi family.¡± ¡°An exclusive waiting room?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a special privilege. Only people from the Choi family can use it, but people who are invited can also enter it.¡± Giant Fist seemed to be suggesting that he had come here several times before, and then he intently looked at Chi-Woo. ¡°Sir, you promised to give me a chance to convince you.¡± Giant Fist continued as if he was waiting to say this all along. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to keep this promise.¡± Giant Fist slowly glanced around their surroundings and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Without further ado, please look around this place,¡± Giant Fist spoke with slight melancholy in his voice. Chi-Woo scratched his head. ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ll be keeping your promise by having me look around this place?¡± ¡°Sir, what did I say this place was?¡± ¡°The Choi Family¡¯s exclusive waiting room¡­Ah.¡± ¡°The only person who recently used this room was Sir Chi-Hyun. If you¡¯re his family, you would definitely find traces of his presence .¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try looking around.¡± ¡°Yes, please do so. I¡¯ll come back as soon as possible, so please just wait a bit.¡± ¡°I think you can come back slowly since this place is so big. It¡¯ll take me a while to look everywhere.¡± ¡°Thank you. Then, please excuse me.¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s reply, Giant Fist made a relieved face and turned away. Once Giant Fist disappeared into the portal, Chi-Woo began looking around the large waiting room, which he wondered if he should even call it a ¡®room¡¯. Then something caught his eyes. The shape of the door knob looked familiar. ¡®Should I try going in?¡¯ When Chi-Woo carefully turned the door knob and went into the room, his eyes opened wide. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ The room looked familiar to him. The bed, pillow, blanket, books, and many more were all things he had seen before. Even though Chi-Woo only saw a fraction of the room, he felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. When he saw the various pictures posted on the wall, Chi-Woo realized the reason for his d¨¦j¨¤ vu. The child smiling brightly in the pictures was none other than Chi-Woo himself. Most of the pictures were of Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo, and there were some pictures of their parents as well. From the left, he saw his brother¡¯s childhood pictures from kindergarten and elementary school. He also saw his baby picture. His brother¡¯s pictures ended after he graduated from elementary school, and from then on, there were only pictures of him. Chi-Woo stared at the pictures for a while and let out a small sigh. He could finally understand who had used this room. ¡®Father¡­ Mother¡­¡¯ After standing in the room for a while, Chi-Woo turned and left the room. He went around opening doors and exploring the different rooms, coming to a complete halt at one of them. The only thing he saw was a bed, a closet, and one desk. The room was desolate and empty, and it could even be described as bleak. There was only one person who he knew that had only the most necessary items in their personal room. ¡®Chi-Hyun.¡¯ Chi-Woo took a few steps inside and opened the closet. There weren¡¯t a lot of clothes; it was instead filled with snacks. Snacks that could be bought in the convenience store were piled up together. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo recalled an old memory as he saw the snacks. It was probably when he was around seven or eight years old. His brother had returned home for a short while, but he said he had to leave soon and made preparations to leave, one of which was to buy snacks he enjoyed eating and fill his closet with snacks without eating them. When Chi-Woo saw the snacks, he had childishly pestered his brother to give him some. Surprisingly, his brother had firmly refused, saying he could never give them away and told Chi-Woo to not even think about touching the snacks while he was gone. In the end, their parents had thrown Chi-Woo a few snacks after he kept crying and harassing them. [So stingy. He has so much. Why can¡¯t he share?] And then, what had his brother said in reply? [It¡¯s not because I can¡¯t share them. It¡¯s because I want to come back.] [I can¡¯t eat snacks like this over there.] [When I get tired sometimes, I think of these snacks and gain strength.] [It¡¯s because I want to eat them. I know; it¡¯s ridiculous.] And Chi-Woo recalled the last words his brother had said. [You¡¯re able to eat them whenever you want to.] Why did he suddenly think of these words? When he was young, he couldn¡¯t understand his brother¡¯s words. When he got older, he had thought that his brother had gone to a very strict dormitory. He had believed his parents¡¯ explanation. But if all he saw today were true¡­ Chi-Woo closed the closet. He didn¡¯t know why but¡­he didn¡¯t want to look at the snacks anymore. Anyway, he now understood Giant Fist¡¯s words. He could definitely find traces of his family in this room and his parent¡¯s room. Chi-Woo still had been partly skeptical of this whole situation, but it was slowly becoming more real. It was at that moment. ¡ªHey¡­! Wait¡­! He heard a sound from far away. Chi-Woo pricked his ears up, but the sound was quickly getting louder. It was when he realized that the sound was of a woman and a man¡ª Slam! The door flung open. A foot covered by white robes stepped inside. Favorite CH 7 Thump, thump, thump, thump! Although she was walking barefoot, every step she took made a heavy thump on the floor. The owner of these angry footsteps stopped when she found Chi-Woo standing still. ¡°No! Listen to me for a bit!¡± Giant Fist, who was hurriedly following from behind, closed his mouth when he noticed Chi-Woo. A heavy silence befell them, and Chi-Woo looked at the angel who had just appeared. ¡®Wow.¡¯ She was beautiful. He couldn¡¯t help but admire her beauty. Although both the gatekeeper and Periel¡¯s beauty were one that transcended gender, this angel was to say the least¡­ different. Her slightly arched eyebrows made her look irritated, but even that fitted her. She had the elegance of an old art piece and had four pairs of wings¡ªnot the feathery wings he had been seeing on angels up until now, but translucent ones like those of a spirit. Her appearance alone invoked reverence and devotion, and it wasn¡¯t difficult at all to see that she was different from all other angels. ¡°Finally, you¡¯ve done it¡­¡± The angel¡¯s thin neck jerked. Her furious voice caused Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders to slouch. He felt compelled to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness this instant. It seemed he wasn¡¯t the only one, since Giant Fist had also fallen into silence after making a fuss. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t expected an angel to be so fearsome. ¡°Haaaa¡­¡± Finally, the angel let out a deep sigh. Then she took in some deep breaths with her eyes shut. Giant Fist timidly opened his eyes. ¡°It seems¡­like there¡¯s a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t force¡ª¡± ¡°Force?¡± The angel, who was finally calming down, furrowed her brows again. ¡°No! I didn¡¯t bring him here by force!¡± Giant Fist waved his hands and jumped from his spot. ¡°Sir Choi Chi-Woo really came of his own will! Ask him!¡± The angel looked exasperated by Giant Fist¡¯s quick response, but said, ¡°Well, yeah¡­I guess you wouldn¡¯t have brought him by force unless you were absolutely insane.¡± Giant Fist twitched, and the angel continued, ¡°However, if you hadn¡¯t made contact with Sir Choi Chi-Woo, he wouldn¡¯t have come to the Celestial Realm in the first place.¡± ¡°Laguel! Wait! I even got permission to enter from the higher-ups!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± A high-pitched shriek rang across the hall, and Laguel turned around like she had nothing more to say to Giant Fist. Then she placed one hand on her chest and bowed to Chi-Woo. ¡°I sincerely apologize for raising my voice.¡± Wanting to break the tension in the air, Chi-Woo quickly asked, ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± The angel replied with an indifferent yet polite expression on her face, ¡°It¡¯s not very important who I am since you will forget it even if I tell you.¡± ¡°What do you mean that I will forget?¡± ¡°You can just think of all this as a dream. No, it¡¯s more precise to say that¡¯s what we will do for you, sir.¡± Chi-Woo bit his lower lip at the angel¡¯s firm declaration. ¡°Forget what happened today and live the life they truly wished for you to have.¡± Before Chi-Woo could ask exactly ¡®who¡¯ wished for this life, Laguel opened her eyes widely and shouted. ¡°Expel them!¡± There was a short but strong ringing sound. Simultaneously, Chi-Woo felt an intangible force burst in like a thunderbolt. ¡°No!¡± Giant Fist stretched out his hand meaninglessly and Chi-Woo instinctively covered his face with both arms. Crash! They heard a powerful collision. Pop, pop, pop, pop! A series of crumbling sounds followed suit. Laguel raised one eyebrow; she had expected to expel Chi-Woo out of this place soundlessly, but instead, a burst of light blinded their eyes and made a loud ringing noise. It was as if an intense ball of energy had burst out of a collision point and debris was flowing out of it¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± An idea popped into her head. The released energy couldn¡¯t reach its target. It went off its course and hit an unintended object. The crumbled remains from the ceiling and floor scattered like fireflies. What was going on? Laguel looked around her surroundings in puzzlement. When the array of lights faded into view, she doubted her own eyes. ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯ she wanted to cry out. Chi-Woo stood fixed in his spot. Forget getting expelled, he hadn¡¯t taken even one step backwards. And that wasn¡¯t all. Over his head, a giant and semi-transparent hand stretched out over him like an umbrella; it floated over him, as if it was ensuring that not even a single speck of debris would hit him. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± That was all Laguel managed to say. Giant Fist, who had thought everything was over, looked stunned. But he soon struggled to pick his wavering body up. ¡°Are you alright? Sir Choi Chi-Woo! Sir Choi Chi-Woo!¡± He shouted again, and the surrounding suddenly became quiet. It felt like everything was sinking; in some ways, it also felt like Chi-Woo was standing on some kind of shapeless, intangible space that was abruptly created. Neither Giant Fist nor Laguel could speak. Chi-Woo¡¯s both arms were slouched downwards. He stood crookedly and raised his head slowly. After checking Chi-Woo¡¯s face, Laguel was able to guess the cause of this abnormal phenomenon. It was because Chi-Woo¡¯s pupils were shining brilliantly as if they were embracing a light. Laguel¡¯s eyelids fluttered. If the hand had come from a place above the highest place, the Celestial Realm¡­ Crash! Before Laguel could finish her thought, a tremendous collision pierced her eyes. ¡°Kahhhh!¡± After a brief moment of unconsciousness, Laguel regained her senses and found herself flying into the air. It was impossible to tell if she had been hit or if she had penetrated through the mysterious wall of energy. She simply floundered as she felt a mind-splitting pain and let out a stream of white light. And although Laguel couldn¡¯t see it, Giant Fist saw it; Chi-Woo pulled back his tightly clenched fist and struck it down towards the ground. Laguel, who was speeding away from the white castle, was slammed onto the road and roughly yanked back toward Chi-Woo. ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡± Laguel groaned. Faint, white light flowed out of her body like blood and caused her to fade from view. Even though her mind was becoming blank, Laguel raised her head. The moment she met the figure¡¯s eyes, she felt a presence she couldn¡¯t describe; it was an overwhelming pressure that would seemingly squish and flatten her like a bug. As her body convulsed, she saw Chi-Woo raise one foot. ¡ªYou arrogant wench. Stomp! Laguel¡¯s head was roughly stomped down to the floor. ¡ªI was trying not to burden my child, but¡­ Chi-Woo spoke in a lonely and cold voice with his feet on her head. ¡ªThe things you do are beyond unacceptable. I can¡¯t bear to stand by and watch any longer, as it enrages me tremendously. Laguel¡¯s body trembled. ¡ªMy child is finally trying to find his destiny. Chi-Woo said softly as if he was trying to comfort a crying child. ¡ªBut why do you use all means possible to hinder him? The quiet and calm voice boomed with an undefiable aura, and Laguel muttered the being¡¯s name as she gritted her teeth, ¡°Dear Ancestral God¡­¡± Laguel shuddered, as she desperately responded, ¡°It¡¯s a¡­.vow I made with him.¡± ¡ªA vow? Ha, a vow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you also aware of it¡­ dear deity? Please have mercy on me¡­¡± Laguel managed to plead with all her remaining energy with the knowledge that she might become extinguished by the ancestral god. ¡ªHm. Yes, I am. Yet the being followed that up with mocking laughter. ¡ªSo? Laguel clenched her eyes shut. ¡ªDid you really think of blocking this child¡¯s path just because of one silly vow? ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a vow!¡± ¡ªWas that really the conclusion you have reached? Chi-Woo clicked his tongue and looked down like he pitied her. ¡ªHow pathetic. You are looking to become an archangel, but you are swayed by your emotions. Laguel pursed her lips and gritted her teeth, but it seemed like she couldn¡¯t refute the deity¡¯s words. ¡ªI won¡¯t talk for too long. After a momentary silence, Chi-Woo¡¯s voice sounded firmer as he continued. ¡ªI have granted the request you made on the day when the sign of the tiger overlapped with the sign of the dragon in four ways. Because you made quite the offering, I waited for some time¡­but. The deity paused for a moment, as if they were going to make a great declaration. ¡ªAs long as my child wishes to take on this path, nothing can precede his will. Thus, I also can¡¯t wait any longer. Laguel¡¯s face fell into despair at this clear declaration. ¡°Ancestral God!¡± Laguel shouted but the god didn¡¯t listen to her. ¡ªFu, fu. I thought there would be a battle between two heroes with matching power, but it seems more like the opposite would happen. This will be quite a spectacle. The deity made a satisfied smile and lifted their feet. Like they were leaving, they raised their hand to the sky. The giant hand that had wrapped around Chi-Woo slowly disappeared, and the dim lights in his pupils also began to dwindle. After his pupils returned to their original state, Chi-Woo stumbled heavily. His head drew two circles in the air before Chi-Woo fell to the ground. Then a sinking silence filled the space. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t move at all. He seemed to have fainted. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Laguel groaned painfully as she looked up. Giant Fist stood frozen in his place; after watching the scene that just happened, he partly understood how reckless he had been. ¡®I thought I hit the lottery¡­¡¯ Now, Giant Fist couldn¡¯t guess whether he made a winning or losing bid. Then he recalled what Chi-Hyun had told him in the past. [It¡¯s rare, but there are some people who are born with unbelievable destinies. For instance, there¡¯s my younger brother.] Now, Giant Fist better understood what Chi-Hyun had meant by those words. His blurry vision slowly came into focus. When he finally opened his eyes, Chi-Woo saw that he was no longer in the waiting place. ¡°Huh?¡± Chi-Woo tried to raise his body but laid down again. His body wouldn¡¯t move. It was burning, and he didn¡¯t know if it was him or the world that was spinning. It made him dizzy. ¡°Stay lying down, sir.¡± Then he heard a low voice. Chi-Woo quickly glanced towards his side and blinked. Laguel was standing next to his bed quietly. What happened? The last thing Chi-Woo remembered was Laguel pointing at him and commanding his expulsion. He didn¡¯t remember what happened after that. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s going to chase me away this instant¡­¡¯ Laguel seemed much less energetic now. Perhaps he was imagining it, but her complexion appeared paler than before, and it seemed like she was struggling to remain standing. It was difficult to believe that she would simply have a change of heart after seeming so ready to remove him from this place. It was much more likely that something happened while he lost consciousness. Unable to hold in this curiosity, he was about to ask what happened when Laguel spoke first. ¡°Sir Chi-Woo. I wish to speak to you about something.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will keep it brief, so please pay attention and listen to me.¡± Soon, Laguel kneeled and arched her torso so that almost half of her body was over the bed. ¡°I¡¯m sure that even you think that you had lived an unusual life.¡± Her face looked sincere but also desperate. ¡°It¡¯s a life you probably thought of as unfair. Even though you tried to find a way to escape, you ended up in a slump. Despite it all, you did your best to adapt and endure, but when your brother disappeared, you couldn¡¯t help but burst out in anger.¡± Laguel continued with sorrowful eyes, ¡°And so, when you saw this Celestial Realm¡­yes, I understand. I suppose you thought it was the escape route that you had been looking for so long.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°I also know that your first priority is finding your older brother.¡± Laguel nodded like she understood everything. ¡°But as someone who knows what you don¡¯t know, I dare to give you a warning.¡± Laguel¡¯s tone sounded more solemn as she said, ¡°The means and methods through which you¡¯re about to embark on this journey are definitely wrong.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyebrows wiggled. ¡°I beg you. You can turn back everything even right now.¡± Chi-Woo got basically what Laguel was telling him: she wanted him to return to his original world, forgetting everything he saw here. ¡°What do you mean by the means and methods being wrong¡­?¡± Chi-Woo muttered, ¡°Who¡­decided that¡­?¡± While glancing at Laguel, he let out the breath he had been holding in and steadied his breathing. ¡°I am curious¡­about¡­many things¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Laguel apologized. Both knew that meant she couldn¡¯t tell him. She said bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t even give a small clue to you. That¡¯s how strong the vow I made is. Even revealing this fact to you is dangerous to me.¡± Hearing about the vow, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what more to say. ¡°Then, I¡­guess¡­it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± Chi-Woo took a short breath. ¡°I have to meet¡­my brother personally¡­and ask.¡± ¡°Sir Choi Chi-Woo.¡± Seeing that it was unlikely for Chi-Woo to change his mind, Laguel¡¯s voice became firmer. ¡°Please. The only one who can turn things around now is you, sir!¡± Chi-Woo understood why Laguel¡¯s attitude had changed so much now. He asked, ¡°If I follow what Gripping Giant Fist and Rising tells me, do you think I will be able to find my brother?¡± ¡°¡­He could be using you for his own personal gains.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t care about this; it didn¡¯t matter as long as he used the other party too. ¡°I am also an angel, sir. Should I tell you the truth? If a person of your status came to this place on his own free will, I would have welcomed him with open arms. At least, in normal cases!¡± Then, she put her hand on her chest so strongly that it made a loud thump. ¡°Still I¡¯ve gone this far to stop you because you don¡¯t have an inkling of what lies before you.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes. His heart wavered for a bit. Yes, he knew she must have a good reason to plead with him so strongly. For now, going back home like this was a viable option. It wasn¡¯t like he had no fear or hesitation about what the future held for him. However¡­ ¡°You told me before¡­¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°That¡­you empathize with my life and¡­understand it.¡± Chi-Woo looked at Laguel, ¡°But do you know what I feel¡­every time I experience something like this¡­?¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°Ah¡­I don¡¯t want to live¡­¡± He had thought this recently again. ¡°Why only me¡­if I¡¯m going to live like this¡­why was I born¡­¡± Laguel closed her mouth to swallow down what she was about to say. ¡°Go back¡­Yeah, that sounds great¡­but if I go back like you told me¡­¡± Chi-Woo steadied his breathing and said, ¡°After my brother¡­what if my parents also go missing¡­¡± Laguel immediately replied, ¡°Sir, that will never happen.¡± Chi-Woo stared intently at her, ¡°How¡­are you so sure¡­?¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s question, Laguel looked a bit troubled. ¡°Sir, I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± Laguel couldn¡¯t reply, but her response confirmed Chi-Woo¡¯s suspicion. ¡°Is it because of that vow¡­you talked about before¡­?¡± When Laguel looked taken aback, Chi-Woo made a small smile. It wasn¡¯t just about his brother going missing. After he began to see things that ordinary people shouldn¡¯t see, he began to get swept into all sorts of big and small incidents. There were many times when people around him were also swept by these incidents and got hurt. While these incidents kept happening around him, he had now coincidentally found out a secret he had no idea of. The reason why he had such an unusual life, why his brother went missing, and why his parents became so reclusive. The decision that Chi-Woo made after continuously going through all kinds of incidents was this: ¡®I want to know¡¯. He wanted to know why his brother had to disappear, why his parents couldn¡¯t eat or drink, and why he had to live such a cruddy life. After finding out the secret of his continuous misfortunes, he wanted to return everything back to normal if it was possible. ¡°Is it an immoral method¡­or a way¡­?¡± Laguel was unable to reply. ¡°If those who get hurt because of me are¡­people worth getting punished¡­I don¡¯t care about them¡­¡± After all, Chi-Woo was also human¡ªno, he was most certainly human. ¡°But that¡¯s not the case, right¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My family¡­the people who care about me¡­are having a hard time because of me¡­ Rather than watching them in anxiety, I think it would be better if¡­it can end with just me¡­¡± Laguel became speechless because she had also thought the same before. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know what my¡­fate is¡­¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°And I don¡¯t even want to know it.¡± With a parched voice, he strained to continue talking, ¡°I¡¯m¡­tired now¡­¡± After hearing this, Laguel finally realized that Chi-Woo had thought these thoughts for a very long time. After a short silence, Chi-Woo let out a cough and said, ¡°If I live like this, I¡¯ll die someday¡­while regretting that I didn¡¯t do anything¡­I might become crazy one day and die¡­¡± ¡°Sir Chi-Woo¡­¡± ¡°Miss, you may consider me weak¡­I know my capabilities¡­this is my limit now¡­¡± Chi-Woo exerted great effort to turn his body. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t ask you to help me.¡± While having his back towards Laguel, he declared, ¡°I won¡¯t insult you¡­or hate you¡­if I regret this, it would be because of my choice¡­So, just don¡¯t¡­block my path please¡­.¡± That was the end of the conversation. Chi-Woo stared at the ceiling, and Laguel silently stared at the floor. They were on opposing sides; Chi-Woo was trying to find out about her secret, and Laguel was trying to stop him. An awkward silence enveloped the two, and in the end, Chi-Woo felt his fever rise further and fell unconscious. When he woke up again, Chi-Woo blinked and met the gaze of an angel with blonde hair and lightning blue eyes. It wasn¡¯t Laguel. Even though they looked similar at first glance, it was the first time he saw the angel in front of him. ¡°Oh my? You¡¯re already awake?¡± The angel got up. She had been leaning her body over the bed and watching him with both hands cupping her face in a V shape. ¡°Wait, wait. Wait a bit. This is our first meeting after all.¡± She coughed a few times and extended her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m an angel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo stared at the angel as she introduced herself with a very lively voice. He was visibly confused, but it seemed that she was the angel Laguel had said would soon arrive. ¡°Uh¡­was that too much? But I still have my pride as an archangel.¡± The angel scratched her head and turned back. She looked at Laguel, who was humbly clasping her hands and bowing her head for the first time since Chi-Woo saw her. ¡°Okay, fine. Let¡¯s do it again.¡± The angel disappeared in a flash. After a while, a shimmering light flashed on top of Chi-Woo while he was lying in bed. ¨CWelcome. Sir Hero. A magnificent voice rang in his ears. At the same time, the angel slowly floated up and beamed out light while fluttering and stretching out her wings to their maximum size. ¨CWelcome to the Celestial Realm. I¡¯m Archangel Raphael, who would be guiding you. Raphael. Chi-Woo had heard that name before. Raphael smiled in satisfaction when she saw Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°How¡¯s your body? Are you okay?¡± Raphael asked as she landed back on the ground, folded her wings, and turned off her light. Raphael talked to him like he was her friend. At Raphael¡¯s friendly attitude, Chi-Woo nodded in a daze. He felt much better than before. ¡°Good. Shall we start talking right away? I don¡¯t have as much time as you think. I might not look like it, but I¡¯m a very busy angel.¡± Chi-Woo stared at Raphael as she came closer. It was pointless to talk about her cutely tied-up ponytail or her beauty. The only thing he could focus on were the translucent wings on her back; she had a total of eight wings. Considering that Laguel had four, there must be a huge difference between them. ¡°Archangel Raphael, please wait a bit.¡± Laguel, who had been quiet so far, was about to say something. ¡°Shh.¡± But Raphael silenced Laguel with a slight wave of her hand. Rather than deciding to keep quiet, Laguel seemed to be forced to close her mouth. Chi-Woo slowly spoke up, ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m one of the four highest angels here,¡± Raphael replied before Chi-Woo even finished talking. ¡°Or should I say¡­¡± She smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m the archangel with the highest authority to listen to your request?¡± Chi-Woo gulped. ¡°Did you say you were from G-S-3-E? If you have some interest in religion, you must have heard of me. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter even if you haven¡¯t.¡± Raphael shrugged and looked back at the nervous Laguel. ¡°Archangel Raphael.¡± ¡°Hey, stop.¡± Even before Laguel could say something, Raphael waved her hand and forced Laguel¡¯s mouth shut again. ¡°I gave you enough opportunities.¡± ¡°How can you say they¡¯re opportunities? This is¡­¡± ¡°I know. I didn¡¯t expect Princess Saheu (’μ§¹«Ö÷) to come out, either¡­but since the situation turned out like this, it can¡¯t be helped, right?¡± Raphael pointed at Laguel. ¡°In the end, you weren¡¯t able to stop him from coming here, and you also failed to persuade him.¡± It meant that even though she could have easily intervened beforehand, Raphael had purposely given Laguel some time to persuade Chi-Woo. ¡°I think I¡¯ve shown you enough respect by giving you that much time. Do you not think so?¡± ¡°Archangel Raphael, do you think that¡¯s respect?¡± ¡°Yep. Why?¡± Raphael asked with a cheery smile. ¡°You want me to not respect you for real? Are you curious what would happen then?¡± Laguel took a step back without meaning to. She immediately raised her guard to the highest level. Raphael smoothly said, ¡°Hey, hey. Calm down. This person really wants to do this, so there¡¯s really no reason for us to go out of our way to stop him, right?¡± ¡°Sir Chi-Hyun wouldn¡¯t stand still.¡± ¡°Uh¡­Yeah, he probably won¡¯t.¡± Raphael also seemed bothered about this. ¡°But Princess Saheu spoke through him, and won¡¯t he also explain the situation well to Sir Chi-Hyun? It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯ll stab us in the back later on.¡± ¡°In the worst case scenario¡ª!¡± Laguel was about to say something but shut her mouth. It seemed that she couldn¡¯t say it in front of Chi-Woo. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you''re wrong.¡± Raphael smirked. ¡°When I eavesdropped on you two, I heard some funny things. ¡®If a person of your status came walking here, I would have welcomed them with open arms¡­¡¯ Was that it?¡± Raphael mimicked Laguel and chuckled, and Laguel flinched. ¡°Yep. That¡¯s right. Well, I won¡¯t go as far as welcoming them with open arms though.¡± Raphael¡¯s eyes spun around, and she turned her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any intentions to object to anything in particular. Honestly, there are some things I¡¯m kind of hoping for him as well. Well, that¡¯s basically where I stand.¡± She stretched out her thumb and bent it. Chi-Woo gulped several times. Even though his head was muddled from the fever, it seemed like the conversation was going how he wanted it to. ¡°Yeah. But¡­it¡¯s a bit regretful.¡± With this thought, Raphael¡¯s words took a turn. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? When the game seems to be getting dangerous, what would you think when a good card suddenly comes into your hand? It might become the golden card that will save you from losing.¡± Raphael began to inspect every part of Chi-Woo as she continued, ¡°So you become a bit hesitant about using it immediately, and you might want to try to assess the situation first and save the card for later. All of you know about card games, right? This is like a card game.¡± Then Raphael rubbed her fingers together, like she was telling everyone to focus on her hand. Chi-Woo pondered for a bit and said, ¡°What is it that you want?¡± ¡°¡­I like that you get straight to the point.¡± Raphael smirked. Her expression seemed to be saying, ¡®look at this punk.¡¯ Compared to how she had been acting before, Chi-Woo believed this was closer to her true nature. Then Raphael stretched her thumb and pushed it in front of Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll set the conditions.¡± ¡°Conditions?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. You¡¯re not the only one with conditions.¡± Raphael withdrew her hands. ¡°Not everyone has the same goals; you aren¡¯t the only one who wants to find your brother.¡± She smiled cheerfully and continued, ¡°I can¡¯t let everyone join, so if you want to fulfill your goals, you have to pass a test.¡± ¡°A test?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Do you seriously think I¡¯ll tell an ordinary person like you to fight someone and survive?¡± Raphael folded her arms. ¡°The test itself is simple, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry. Well, I think the level of difficulty and whether you can pass the test are completely different matters.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. How could passing and the level of difficulty be completely different matters in a test? ¡°If you pass this test, I¡¯ll send you where your brother is.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll accept the conditions.¡± ¡°Oh my. Really? You answered immediately.¡± Raphael had a cheery face the entire time she talked with Chi-Woo. ¡°Did you hear me properly? I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯ll let you meet your brother, but I¡¯ll send you where he is.¡± Chi-Woo suddenly realized that while Raphael had her mouth curved upwards, the angel¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t been smiling at all so far. It was not a very good feeling to see her smile. ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but nope.¡± Raphael firmly cut off Chi-Woo¡¯s words, ¡°I¡¯m not going to say a word about you or your brother. Not even about your family. You heard the reason why from her, right?¡± Raphael pointed towards Laguel, who looked very worried. Chi-Woo let out a small sigh. ¡°If I could, I would have explained in the very beginning. You think I want to explain in a roundabout way like this, while paying attention to my every word? I¡¯m also frustrated.¡± Chi-Woo wanted to ask about his brother just in case, but as expected, Raphael also could not reply. Chi-Woo gave up asking any further; there was no point in crying over sour grapes. ¡°Good. Conversation over. With this, you don¡¯t have any complaints, right?¡± Raphael accepted Chi-Woo¡¯s silence as agreement and glanced sideways at Laguel. ¡°What is the test?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Raphael rolled her eyes and smiled brightly, ¡°You¡¯re curious, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Come and take it then.¡± Chi-Woo looked up at Raphael. Raphael was an angel that was quite talented at pissing people off. ¡°Ahaha. Did I go too far?¡± Raphael flapped her hands to show that she was joking. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Anyway, if you do decide to take the test¡­¡± She put her thumb on her chin and made a bright smile. ¡°Should we first start talking about when it¡¯ll take place?¡± * * * Intense sunlight pierced his eyes. Chi-Woo soon completely opened his half-lidded eyes. He quickly picked himself up at the same time. He had returned home. His right hand instinctively felt around his bed. When he turned on his phone, not much time had passed since he last checked it. ¡®I can¡¯t believe it.¡¯ When he opened his eyes, he was in his house. Did she teleport him or something? If not, it would mean that since the time he went out to meet Gil-Duk, everything had been a dream. Chi-Woo stared into space in a daze. There was no way for him to check if what he experienced was a dream or reality¡ªno, there was a way. At that moment, Chi-Woo jumped out of his bed. He searched through his pockets and opened his wallet. ¡®Money, money¡­¡¯ He checked to see if had the money he received from Giant Fist. Soon, Chi-Woo¡¯s pupils fiercely shook as he took out a paper bill from his wallet. [Let me see. Your planet is Earth, and you said your country was the Republic of Korea, right? Then¡­] On the paper bill, there was Chi-Woo¡¯s name, family, and a location and date. [I know about Earth pretty well. I have a lot of connections there.] [Here, take it. You just have to go to the location I wrote for you here.] The letters were very special as it gave off a subtle silver light. [You can¡¯t even be one second late, got it? I can¡¯t take responsibility if you¡¯re late.] After checking one, no, several times, Chi-Woo quickly raised his head. He also tightly clenched his fist. He was now completely sure. ¡®It really¡­wasn¡¯t a dream.¡¯ CH 8 The next day, after finishing his preparations to leave, Chi-Woo told his parents around dinner time that he was leaving home for a possibly long time. He told them that he might have to even go overseas. He thought he would get permission from his parents easily; since his birth, they had often left home to stay elsewhere because of the strange things that happened around him. But unexpectedly, his mother responded, ¡°Do you really have to go?¡± Chi-Woo thought he should tell them the truth so that he won¡¯t have any lingering feelings and regret, so, he said, ¡°This has to do with Chi-Hyun.¡± Straightening his posture, he added, ¡°I want to look for him.¡± ¡°¡­Let me just ask you one thing.¡± His father, who had been listening silently, finally opened his mouth. ¡°Is it only because of Chi-Hyun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only because of him.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s also for me.¡± His eyes didn¡¯t waver as he spoke confidently. The silence between them didn¡¯t last long. ¡°¡­I see.¡± His father let out a long sigh. Then he said the same thing he had told Chi-Woo before, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Honey?¡± By contrast, Chi-Woo¡¯s mother whipped her head around. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Honey!¡± his mother raised her voice, and his father shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do either.¡± ¡°What?¡± his mother asked. ¡°I want to stop him too. I feel like I¡¯m committing a huge sin just by telling him to go,¡± his father answered. ¡°But,¡± his father looked at Chi-Woo with hollow eyes. ¡°I also feel like I¡¯m doing wrong if I tell him to not go¡­¡± His father sighed again and smiled faintly, saying, ¡°If he wishes to go, he should.¡± His mother held back her words and squeezed her eyes shut while crossing her arms. ¡°Don¡¯t overexert yourself. If things get too difficult, you can always¡­¡± His father stopped his sentence midway and said with more conviction, ¡°No matter how tiring or difficult things get, never give up.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± A warm smile formed on Chi-Woo¡¯s lips. ¡°I will return with Chi-Hyun.¡± ¡°I believe you. Good luck.¡± Chi-Woo bowed deeply. The conversation was over. Chi-Woo returned to his room with mixed feelings. After checking the contents in his bag one more time, he laid on his bed. He couldn¡¯t go to sleep easily. At the break of dawn, Chi-Woo woke up with the sound of a loud alarm noise. ¡®When did I fall asleep?¡¯ He took a shower with a dull pang in his head and came out to the living room. There, on the table, he saw a hot bowl of white rice and all his favorite side dishes filling up the space. On one side, there was even a bag of freshly steamed corn that he could eat on during his travels if he got hungry. Chi-Woo turned and saw that the door to his parents¡¯ room was firmly shut. ¡°Thank you for the food,¡± Chi-Woo said and stared for a long time before he took a seat at the dining table and began to eat. After he finished his meal, he went to his brother¡¯s room. Although his brother had told him to not touch the snacks stacked in his closet since he was going to eat them on his return, Chi-Woo took many of them and put them into his bag. Then he flung the stuffed bag over his shoulder and stood at the entrance door. ¡°I¡¯m going now, Mom and Dad.¡± Chi-Woo bowed towards his parents¡¯ room and opened the door. Before he left, he looked around and stared at the empty house as the chill of dawn swept in. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to return,¡± he murmured while closing the door behind him and pushing the elevator button. As soon as he stepped outside and breathed in the morning air, he no longer felt the anxiety that had always tormented him for so long. Instead, he felt incredibly calm. It felt like he was finally going to work on the unfinished business that he had been putting off for a long time. The sunlight felt warm on his body, and the fresh wind stroked the tip of his nose. It was his first time feeling this way. It didn¡¯t feel bad. Chi-Woo adjusted the bag on his back and walked confidently towards the path where the sunlight lingered. * * * At port Chodo¡ªa port located in Gangwon-do, Goseong-gun county in a town named Hyeonnae-myeon. After arriving an hour earlier than promised, Chi-Woo occupied himself by wandering around the place. In hope that he might meet the guide early, he walked all over the port, but it was futile. Eventually, he stopped near the harbor, thinking that he would need to get on a boat. ¡®It¡¯s 1:55pm.¡¯ With only five minutes left from the promised time, Chi-Woo began to feel nervous; then he noticed a boat approaching from far away. To make sure the boat was for him, he moved from his spot and saw the boat change direction to where he was. The boat arrived at the dock exactly at two o¡¯clock. The boat had no redeeming qualities; it was just big enough for seven people, and its hull was faded and worn out, showing the time it had lived through. An old man standing on the bow of the boat attached a longboard to connect the deck under his feet to the dock that Chi-Woo was standing on top of. Creak, Creeak¡­. Every time Chi-Woo took a step, the board let out an anxious cry. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to be soaking wet before he even got on the boat, so he tried to maintain his balance as best as possible and carefully walked forward. When he arrived in front of the bow, though, Chi-Woo had to stop moving. The old man was blocking his path. Without saying anything, the old man stretched out his hand as if he was requesting something. Chi-Woo stared at the man¡¯s hand blankly, but quickly caught up with a muttered ¡®Ah!¡¯ and took out a won bill from his wallet. That seemed to do the trick; the old man scanned the bill, folded it up, placed it in his pockets, and turned around. When Chi-Woo took a seat at a corner of the boat, the old man turned the boat around skillfully and headed towards the open ocean again. With a loud cranking noise of the motor, the boat quickly glided through the waters. ¡®Finally.¡¯ They were going. It didn¡¯t feel real yet; it just seemed like he was continuing a dream he had a couple of days ago. As an introvert, Chi-Woo was able to quietly enjoy the ocean scenery. As time passed by, however, with only the open ocean in sight and the fog growing increasingly thick, Chi-Woo became slightly concerned that he might have taken the wrong boat. While eating the corn his mom had packed for him, he took furtive glances at the old man, who was preoccupied with smoking his pipe. The old man¡¯s hat was pushed down, but Chi-Woo could still see his indifferent expression and shaggy beard. The sleeves of his worn-out jacket were rolled up and revealed his hairy forearms. He looked just like how Chi-Woo expected men from the sea to look like. Chi-Woo thought the old man would say something on their way to the destination. Yet as the hour passed, the old man simply sat in his seat without saying a word; all he did was stir the steering wheel. After hesitating for a bit, Chi-Woo took out an ear of corn from his bag. ¡®Excuse me, sir.¡± Chi-Woo scooched slightly forward and spoke from behind the old man¡¯s back. ¡°Would you like some corn?¡± The old man didn¡¯t completely ignore him, but instead of replying, he simply turned his head indifferently and stared at the corn quietly. Chi-Woo began to regret asking and felt his face flushing when¡­ the old man took his corn. A period of silence followed again. The old man fingered the corn for a while and turned it around this way and that. It almost seemed like he was reminiscing about some memory he had longed for. ¡°Could you tell me where we¡¯re going?¡± Chi-Woo asked, unable to contain his impatience. ¡°How much longer do we have to go?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to waste the corn he gave as an offering. ¡°¡­Quite some time more,¡± the old man replied after a moment of silence. He had a shaky, old voice. Chi-Woo finally managed to hear the old man¡¯s voice, but the reply he got was unsatisfactory to say the least. It was like catching a pale chub when you had been aiming for a big catch. Disappointed, Chi-Woo went back to his seat again; as he was about to sit, though, the old man took a large bite from his corn and asked, ¡°Are you Mr. Chi-Hyun¡¯s family member?¡± Chi-Woo remained half-standing, and the old man asked again, ¡°Are you his younger brother?¡± The old man had turned his back from him again while munching on his corn. ¡°I am¡­.how did you know?¡± ¡°Your name was on the bill. I thought you guys might be related because your names are similar.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°And,¡± the old man said while swallowing down his corn, ¡°Only three people gave me corn while I was on this job. It¡¯s four people now.¡± ¡°Three people besides me gave you corn?¡± ¡°Mr. Chi-Hyun and his parents,¡± the old man said calmly. This statement came as a great shock to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo was sure of it now: his parents and his brother also rode on this boat. In other words¡­ ¡°Mr. Chi-Hyun especially gave me a lot. He gave it to me like he was trying to get rid of them and always grumbled that he got too many. He always shared them with me, saying that he couldn¡¯t finish all by himself.¡± Corn was Chi-Woo¡¯s mom¡¯s favorite snack. At home or whenever he needed to go somewhere, his mom packed him corn. ¡°Did my parents and my brother ride this boat often?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only guide for this destination in Korea, so I had been giving Mr. Choi Chi-Hyun rides since he was in middle-school.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo recalled the picture he saw at the Celestial Realm. ¡®It¡¯s not that he went overseas or to some isolated dormitory.¡± His brother had left for the Celestial Realm riding on this boat. ¡°But besides that,¡± the old man abruptly said. ¡°Must you go?¡± Chi-Woo stopped thinking. It was such a direct question. ¡°Are you asking if I have to go?¡± ¡°I have heard one or two things about you.¡± The old man took out the pipe in his mouth. ¡°The last time Mr. Chi-Hyun was on this boat, he made a request. He never did that before.¡± The old man shook the ashes off his pipe and stared straight at Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo also tilted his head forward intently. ¡°He told me, ¡®Just in case that¡­¡¯,¡± the old man began and arched his neck sharply while looking at Chi-Woo, ¡°¡®a guy with a similar name as him offered me corn¡¯, I should kick him in the butt and chase him away. He said he would take responsibility for what happened afterwards and pay me for the work.¡± The old man¡¯s tapping on his pipe sounded especially vicious. Chi-Woo glanced at the corn he was holding and blinked. ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± The old man shrugged. ¡°I was only asked to do so.¡± The way he talked, it seemed he was about to stand up from his spot. ¡°Are you really going to though?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t do that.¡± The old man shook his head. Then he said impassively, ¡°since I already got this.¡± The old man tapped the pocket where he had placed the won bill he got from Chi-Woo and took another bite of his corn. Chi-Woo felt relieved for now but licked his dry lips. Why did every person he saw try to stop him from going to the Celestial Realm? In this awkward atmosphere, Chi-Woo opened his mouth again with difficulty. ¡°How was my brother?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What kind of person¡­or being he was?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a surprise. If you don¡¯t know who that young man is in this world, aren¡¯t you from the North?¡± the old man said bluntly. ¡°But how did he seem like when you met him?¡± ¡°Hm, personally, I thought he was a good buddy to talk to. Can¡¯t say more.¡± The speed at which the old man chewed his corn significantly slowed. ¡°Well¡­there was a funny side to him, too.¡± ¡°A funny side to him?¡± Chi-Woo spoke like he couldn¡¯t believe it, and the old man laughed. ¡°After we met each other a couple of times, he would sometimes tell me about his adventures. When I listened to his stories, I couldn¡¯t even feel time passing.¡± ¡°What kind of stories were they?¡± Chi-Woo sat closer to the man and asked. ¡°Let me see. Once, just a couple days after your brother returned, I was contacted to drive him back to the Celestial Realm as fast as possible.¡± Unexpectedly, the old man continued his story without restraint. ¡°I did what they told me to do. Two short days after that, though, they told me the young man was returning to Earth again. Even if time didn¡¯t flow in the Celestial Realm, it was my first time driving someone back and forth in such short intervals.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So I asked your brother about it, and he told me that a queen who helped him save a planet in the past had purposefully caused a disturbance.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It was for a surprising reason. She wanted to see him again.¡± The old man clicked his tongue. ¡°She made the recently saved planet fall into chaos again for some silly emotions. It was truly unbelievable.¡± ¡°How shocking,¡± Chi-Woo added. ¡°Yes, considering how busy someone like that young man is. But when he told me this story, his face became all red even though he was usually so stoic¡­¡± A person¡¯s mind worked in mysterious ways. Unlike when Chi-Woo was waiting quietly and bored, time seemed to fly quickly by as he began to hear interesting stories from the old man. It was to the point that Chi-Woo felt a deep sense of regret when the boat reached a nameless island. He wanted to hear more about his brother. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Chi-Woo went down from the board that the old man had connected from the bow to the island. It was a deserted island where he couldn¡¯t feel any presence. The fog was so thick that he couldn¡¯t tell what was in the place, or where everything was. When he turned on his phone, he saw that he could neither use the internet nor make a phone call. ¡°If you keep going this way, you¡¯ll see a cave. Go inside that cave,¡± the old man told him. ¡°I can¡¯t see because the fog is too thick.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be able to find it easily because it¡¯s a small island.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news. Thank you,¡± Chi-Woo said politely. The old man didn¡¯t leave immediately. He hesitated a bit and opened his mouth. ¡°If you are going to meet your older brother, could I ask you to do one thing?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°When he was on my boat last time, I had something I wanted to tell him¡­you just have to pass a couple of words to him.¡± Since it was not a hard task to merely relay information, Chi-Woo easily nodded. ¡°Please tell him that I wish for him to come back safely. And tell him that I¡¯ll prepare fresh sashimi and good alcohol, so he should tell me some fun stories about his adventures again.¡± Chi-Woo got off from the boat and stared at the old man. He didn¡¯t know exactly why, but he felt thankful towards this old man. It might be because there was someone other than their family that was waiting for his brother. The old man asked, ¡°Will it be possible for you to do that?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to bring back my brother, but are only the two of you going to eat together?¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s blunt remark, the old man smirked, ¡°I built a long relationship with your brother, but isn¡¯t this our first meeting?¡± ¡°But even so.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t do it for free, but if you also tell me some interesting stories...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for free.¡± The old man frowned. Chi-Woo clearly pronounced each word and said, ¡°You ate the corn I gave you.¡± The old man grinned widely and took off his beret. ¡°You really are his brother.¡± His wrinkled eyes softly curved upwards. ¡°You¡¯re saying the same things as him.¡± Chi-Woo also smiled back. ¡°I¡¯ll bring him back, Mister. I don¡¯t know any interesting story though.¡± ¡°Just come back safely. When you come back, prepare to eat sashimi until your stomach is about to burst.¡± It was not hard to tell that this was the old man¡¯s way of cheering him on. Soon after, the old man put the beret back on his head, and Chi-Woo turned away. Brrrrrrrrrrrm! As the motor sound faded, Chi-Woo walked towards the direction the old man had pointed him to. The thick mist made it hard to see, and the rocks were slippery because of the moss. The landscape also got steeper the further he walked. Even though the path was very difficult to climb, Chi-Woo steadfastly adhered to the path that the old man told him about. It took some struggling for him to climb the mountain, but Chi-Woo eventually reached its peak. Taking a short break, he sat on a flat rock and looked around. ¡®Woah.¡¯ The scenery had completely changed. The slope of the mountain went down as sharply as it had when he was going up. Stagnant, blue water filled the surface of what looked like a crater. The view of the hazy, flowing smog reminded him of a miniaturized version of the Paektu Mountain. Chi-Woo looked on in a daze, and then something suddenly caught his eyes. There was a black hole at the edge of his sight. Judging by how water was surging near the hole, Chi-Woo was sure that it was a cave. Chi-Woo began moving. He soon reached the top of the place he found the hole in and slowly went down. Splash. His feet touched the ground. The water was deeper than he thought, coming up right under his knees. The cave was also bigger than he had expected when he stood right in front of it. Even though it felt like he was facing a monster¡¯s mouth, Chi-Woo walked in without hesitation. The inside of the cave was quite dark, so he needed to depend on his phone¡¯s flashlight while walking. After walking for a long time, the water that had reached his knees was now just up to the soles of his feet. ¡®How is the level of water getting lower when I¡¯m going down?¡¯ While Chi-Woo was thinking about this question, he saw a faint light from far away. As he approached the light, it became brighter and brighter until it illuminated the entire cave. Chi-Woo suddenly stopped walking when his phone¡¯s flashlight was completely drowned out. Before he realized it, he was already surrounded by nothing but a brilliant luminescence, and he let out an exclamation. It felt as if he was walking inside the very light. He had experienced this feeling before¡ªnot in reality, but in his dream. Having placed the source of his sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, Chi-Woo was about to take a step forward when he felt a sudden suction, sweeping him off to god-knows-where. And when he finally opened his instinctively closed eyes again¡ª ¡°!¡± Even though he had experienced this before, Chi-Woo was still unable to suppress his surprise. A completely new sight opened up in front of him. It was a city on top of clouds. Strange and utterly foreign to him. What surprised him even more, however, were the beings populating the streets of the city; living beings that didn¡¯t look like humans were wandering about. There were tiny fairies fluttering their wings, bears and other beasts that looked like they had failed to eat garlic and mugwort for 21 days straight and thus couldn¡¯t become human (*from Korean mythology), monsters with tentacles that he had only seen in movies, and many more. From a glance, most of them appeared to be humanoid, but there were some that looked completely different from humans. If he hadn¡¯t seen Giant Fist, who looked like a black lizard, he might have dumbly screamed out loud. Chi-Woo returned to his senses and realized that he was standing in what seemed like a circular plaza in the center of the street. It was very wide, and many other beings continued to pop up from the air. ¡®Did I also come out like that?¡¯ Everyone who came out seemed to be used to this, as they casually walked out of the plaza. There were also beings outside that seemed as if they were waiting for someone to come out; in a way, this whole place looked like an airport. ¡®It¡¯s completely different from the Stranger¡¯s Space.¡¯ On the other hand, it was no wonder that it was different, as unlike before, he had come here after receiving an invitation and gone through the proper process this time. ¡®But what do I do now?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked around and slowly walked forward. His senses were more vivid than in his dreams. ¡®Did I come to the right place? Where do I go first?¡¯ He decided to first get out of the center of the portal. Not one to sit idle, Chi-Woo was about to blindy move towards the magnificent white castle he could see in the distance when¡ª ¡°Ohhhhhhh!¡± A thunderous voice pierced through his ears. Chi-Woo turned to the source of the sound and stumbled back. A huge lizard was running towards him with his coat fluttering in the wind. ¡°Giant Fist-huk!¡± ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve arrived!¡± Giant Fist gave Chi-Woo a very strong hug as soon as he was within reach. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª! I can¡¯t breathe¡ª!¡± ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t enter through the entrance!¡± Fortunately, an angel that looked like the manager stopped Giant Fist, and Giant Fist released Chi-Woo from his grasp. After they hurriedly got out of the square, Giant Fist began crying. ¡°Thank goodness¡­I¡¯m so glad¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dead.¡± ¡°But sir, when we last separated, you were forcibly dragged out. You don¡¯t know how worried I was about you.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t really dragged out though.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­Thank you for coming here. Thank you so much¡­¡± The rim of Giant Fist¡¯s eyes began to redden. Chi-Woo sighed. Rather than being glad to see him alive, it seemed as if Giant Fist was more touched that Chi-Woo believed his words and came to the Celestial Realm with his own feet. ¡°It¡¯s because I became certain that this was real.¡± Chi-Woo continued while tapping his waist. ¡°I¡¯m not so wary that I won¡¯t believe you after going through all that.¡± ¡°Yes. I also heard about what happened, and that¡¯s why I was waiting for you here. If you decide to come, you¡¯ll arrive at the guide station so¡­¡± Giant Fist wiped his eyes and finally gave a small smile. ¡°Sir, what do you feel about coming directly to the Celestial Realm without using an avatar?¡± ¡°I was surprised.¡± Chi-woo¡¯s words were brief. Giant Fist smirked. ¡°But sir, you don¡¯t look very surprised¡­ah!¡± Giant Fist slapped his forehead so hard that it made a loud clap. He grabbed Chi-Woo¡¯s arms and dragged him along. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste. Let¡¯s first go, sir. I¡¯ll tell you more while we¡¯re walking.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To the testing site.¡± When Giant Fist spoke with a nervous tone, Chi-Woo also became slightly nervous. ¡°When does it start?¡± ¡°There are probably some test-takers already taking the test.¡± ¡°Huh? But I came at the right time.¡± ¡°The test doesn¡¯t start at the same time for everyone. Everyone takes it separately, but¡­¡± Giant Fist cleared his throat. ¡°The acceptance is based on a rolling basis.¡± ¡°A rolling basis?¡± Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to fully understand Giant Fist¡¯s words. ¡°Has the test already started? What if the first test is to arrive at the testing site at the correct time? It¡¯s not like that, right?¡± ¡°Ahahah! No. Sir, it¡¯s not like that at all.¡± Giant Fist burst out laughing and quickly shook his head. ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t have to worry about it too much. Even though the acceptance is based on a rolling basis, it¡¯s still a conditional acceptance. From what I know, there have been very few cases of failure due to tardiness until the fourth or fifth recruitment.¡± ¡°Fourth or fifth recruitment?¡± ¡°Yes. There are groups that take the test in advance. There were a total of six recruitment stages. If you count the total number of test-takers who entered from all six stages, it¡¯ll easily pass over thousands.¡± ¡°Then my brother¡­¡± ¡°He was part of the 1st recruitment. Honestly, rather than a recruitment, they called for him to take the test since he was the very first one to go in by himself.¡± Giant Fist sighed. ¡°Even after he went, they selected a second group of test-takers. And seeing how they sent out the seventh recruitment announcement five times, the situation doesn¡¯t seem to be looking too good.¡± Chi-Woo organized his thoughts for a bit and asked, ¡°Mister, you told me that everyone who comes and goes here are heroes, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Hmhm.¡± Chi-Woo looked at Giant Fist as he coughed and bunched up his shoulders before continuing, ¡°Then it must not be a common occurrence for the Celestial Realm to organize a massive recruitment like this to specially select heroes, who could all save a world, seven times.¡± ¡°It may not be unprecedented, but it¡¯s certainly rare.¡± ¡°Then, what is the situation like?¡± ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know.¡± Giant Fist immediately replied. ¡°I¡¯m merely making predictions. Since they have tried to recruit heroes seven times and even made an announcement five times, the situation must be getting worse. As a result, the number of applicants is decreasing as well.¡± Giant Fist breathed heavily. ¡°In order to know what¡¯s going on inside¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me that I need to pass the test.¡± ¡°Yes. But honestly, regardless of whether you pass or not, the test itself is not very difficult.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°You just have to stand in front of a round orb.¡± Raphael had told him that even ordinary people could take the test, but Chi-Woo found it hard to believe that the test would be that easy. ¡°I only have to stand in front of it?¡± ¡°Yes. The orb will automatically make a judgement.¡± ¡°Judgment?¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s hard to explain this part of the process.¡± Giant Fist struggled to find the right words as he continued, ¡°Let me put it this way, the orb will judge whether Sir Chi-Woo is suitable and necessary for the future to save a specific world in crisis.¡± When Chi-Woo only stared at him, Giant Fist groaned once more. Then he suddenly clapped and said, ¡°Let¡¯s imagine a toilet.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°A toilet, toilet. And let¡¯s say that our goal is to make the toilet perform its function in an hour.¡± ¡°And by performing its function¡­¡± ¡°A toilet¡¯s function is to remove urination and defecation. In order to reach that goal, who should we send?¡± Giant Fist continued in high spirits, ¡°We need to send those who ate a lot rather than those with an empty stomach. Or someone who drank a lot of water. We may also consider those with enteritis. So that they can poop and pee as fast as possible.¡± Chi-Woo looked disgusted, but he understood what Giant Fist was trying to say. There were two outcomes for a world in crisis: extinction or salvation. Thus, the test he was going to take was selecting those who were fit to save the world on the verge of extinction. That didn¡¯t mean Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t going to grumble inwardly about the disgusting metaphor Giant Fist had come up with as they walked. Suddenly, Giant Fist came to a stop. Before Chi-Woo realized it, they had walked inside the pure white castle. Now that he was in, he saw that there were a group of creatures queuing in a long line on the path of light. By a rough estimate, there were easily over hundreds of test-takers. ¡®There are a lot more applicants than I thought.¡¯ ¡°As expected, there are a lot less applicants. It¡¯s really fortunate.¡± Unlike Chi-Woo who clicked his tongue, Giant Fist murmured calmly. ¡°A lot less applicants?¡± ¡°Yes. There were a crazy amount of applicants during the 2nd recruitment. If everyone stood in one line, it would have reached all the way to the Stranger¡¯s Space.¡± Giant Fist scanned the line and snorted. ¡°But I can assure you, sir, only one or two would pass out of all these test takers.¡± ¡°What the hell? Who was the punk saying¡­¡± A hero who stood at the end of the line seemed to have heard Giant Fist¡¯s words and turned back with angry eyes. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you.¡± He snorted when he recognized Giant Fist. ¡°Tch. You sure talk big as a five-time test taker.¡± Someone added in, ¡°Yep. Even though he¡¯s going to take his sixth test soon.¡± ¡°Five-time test taker?¡± Chi-Woo turned around to look at Giant Fist. No wonder he knew about the test so well. ¡°Hm, hm. Let¡¯s go, sir. Let¡¯s get in line.¡± Giant Fist spoke as calmly as possible and quickly moved his feet. Chi-Woo stood behind Giant Fist and fell into contemplation. Giant Fist told him that the Celestial Realm was where those who proved their worth gathered together. Chi-Woo could make a rough guess from the perspective of a Korean; it probably meant that all his fellow test-takers were heroes. However, most of them would be eliminated in this test. Moreover, he heard that the current situation was getting worse and worse. ¡®Then that means¡­¡¯ Where he needed to go to find his brother was a place very little could be done even if a bunch of heroes with the potential to save a world rushed in together. In other words, it was an environment presenting a trial of hellish difficulty. At that moment, he saw an angel quickly fly towards him. CH 9 The angel who was flying toward Giant Fist and Chi-Woo was Periel. ¡°Periel? What is it?¡± Giant Fist asked the cautiously approaching Periel. ¡°Sir Gripping Giant Fist and Rising.¡± Periel sounded slightly nervous as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­I wanted to ask if you¡¯ve come to take the test again.¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Giant Fist asked in surprise, and Periel looked taken back. ¡°I heard that when you applied for the sixth recruitment last time, you created quite the fuss¡­¡± Laughter erupted all around them. ¡°A fuss? What fuss?¡± Giant Fist¡¯s shouted angrily, his face turning beet-red now. ¡°I applied to take the test whenever I saw an announcement for it! But whenever I did, I was told to get out with no warning. At least tell me your reason for kicking me out!¡± ¡°We thank you for your willingness to participate,¡± Periel said as sweat poured down his face. ¡°Because of an issue that happened during the sixth recruitment, I heard that you got a penalty, disallowing you from participating in any more recruitments in the future.¡± ¡°What? Who told you that?¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s calm down, please.¡± Periel glanced at Chi-Woo over Giant Fist¡¯s shoulders before looking back at Giant Fist. ¡°Let¡¯s move since there are many people waiting around us. We can continue our conversation elsewhere.¡± ¡°Ha! Ridiculous!¡± Giant Fist grumbled furiously, but he didn¡¯t resist. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Are you guys even allowed to treat me like this?¡± He turned to Chi-Woo and scrunched up his face. ¡°Please wait a bit, sir. I¡¯ll come back after a short chat with this guy.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± Chi-Woo replied immediately. ¡°Uh¡­Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. I can just stand in line again, and it¡¯s boring for me to be alone. Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°This way, please.¡± Periel stretched out his arms, and a faint portal appeared in the air. Giant Fist entered first, and Chi-Woo followed him. As soon as Chi-Woo stepped out of the portal, he saw a familiar scene; he had been here before¡ªthe special waiting place for the Choi family. Before Chi-Woo could ask why he had been brought to this place, Periel opened his mouth. ¡°Thank you for your cooperation.¡± ¡°Okay. Why don¡¯t you speak now,¡± said Giant Fist. He seemed to have calmed down a great deal. ¡°Truthfully¡­¡± Periel let out a deep sigh with a conflicted look on his face. ¡°We hope that you two¡ªno, sir Chi-Woo will wait to take the test last.¡± ¡°Take the test last? Why are you giving him an order like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, sir. But it¡¯s more of a request than an order.¡± ¡°Who was it? And they didn¡¯t even give any explanation.¡± Giant Fist¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Who would make a request like that?¡± He narrowed his eyes, glaring at Periel and asked, ¡°Is it that Laguel¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not Ms. Laguel, sir,¡± Periel firmly cut him off. ¡°It¡¯s Archangel Raphael.¡± Giant Fist became lost in thought. Raphael was the highest authoritative figure here, and she had granted permission for Chi-Woo¡¯s entrance. Although he didn¡¯t like the fact that she was making a request without any explanation, he couldn¡¯t simply disobey it. ¡°What do you think, sir?¡± Not knowing what to do, Giant Fist turned to Chi-Woo to make the decision. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°As long as I can take the test, I¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Periel¡¯s complexion brightened, and he left while saying, ¡°Please rest in the meantime. I¡¯ll come to pick you up when it¡¯s your turn, sir.¡± The waiting room became quiet after the angel¡¯s departure. While waiting, Chi-Woo sat and fell deep into contemplation. Giant Fist had looked nervous for a while, but soon, he stood in front of a window and quietly stared down from it. Some time later, Periel came knocking on the door. It was finally Chi-Woo¡¯s turn. Although Giant Fist looked like he wanted to ask some questions, Periel had immediately made a portal. ¡°I like how comfortable this arrangement is, but I have no idea what¡¯s going on.¡± While Giant Fist grumbled his complaints, Chi-Woo passed the portal. He tried to calm down his racing heart and soon found himself facing a surreal scene. Surprisingly, the space wasn¡¯t as big as he thought it would be. It was as big as a school¡¯s soccer field, but not much bigger than the waiting room he had been in. Marble pillars lined from side to side, and between the two pillars at the end stood a tall altar, on top of which was a round, transparent crystal orb that shone brightly. Standing next to it was a familiar-looking angel. ¡°Here you are.¡± Raphael, who had her hair tied up, smiled up at them. ¡°Thank you for waiting. Although you didn¡¯t have to wait.¡± The last part was directed to Giant Fist. Giant Fist said annoyedly, ¡°I want to ask what you are thinking, but I suppose you won¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°Why are you asking then?¡± Raphael said in a sing-song voice and placed the fist-sized crystal orb onto her hand. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, quickly take the test. Today, I¡¯m overseeing this particular test, so don¡¯t think about making a fuss like last time.¡± ¡°The fact that you¡¯re suddenly overseeing this test makes me curious too,¡± Giant Fist said in surprise, but Raphael simply smiled. Giant Fist grumbled and stomped towards the orb. With a decisiveness of someone who had done it many times before, he placed his hand on the marble and stared down at it with wide eyes. ¨CNot suitable. A flat voice clearly flowed out of the marble. ¡°Damn it.¡± Giant Fist frowned and pulled back his hands. ¡°Why!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Raphael laughed. ¡°Even if you have the conviction to save the world, you still might not be chosen. But your first priority is finding your master. Did you really expect to pass?¡± At Raphael¡¯s words, Giant Fist¡¯s face reddened. ¡°Anyways, your test is over! Next person in line~¡± Raphael pointed at the air, and a faint portal appeared out of thin air. ¡°You can leave through that. Wait there.¡± ¡°I have to wait?¡± Giant Fist stopped turning around mid-way. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± ¡°This is really strange.¡± Giant Fist looked back suspiciously. ¡°Whenever I failed the test, I was told to just go back. I¡¯ve never been told to wait.¡± Giant Fist folded his arms. ¡°And I was looking at the line the whole time, but I didn¡¯t see a single person return back. There¡¯s no way that everyone passed¡­Perhaps, is everyone waiting?¡± Raphael¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Don¡¯t make it so obvious that you¡¯ve been doing this for a long time. 5-time test taker¡ªno, are you making a fuss as a 6-time test taker?¡± Raphael spoke with a cheery voice and lifted her index and middle finger before Giant Fist could start yelling. ¡°Time is gold! Since you¡¯ve been declared as unsuitable, you only have two options from here on.¡± Raphael continued while folding each of her fingers. ¡°The first is to quietly get out of the portal and wait. The second is to quietly go back. Regardless of your choice, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Giant Fist stared at Raphael, who hadn¡¯t stopped smiling since they met. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll wait.¡± Unlike his usual self, Giant Fist easily agreed and disappeared into the portal after a bow towards Chi-Woo. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s now¡­¡± After making sure that Giant Fist was gone, Raphael turned back towards Chi-Woo. ¡°Shall we start the test for the protagonist we¡¯ve all been waiting for?¡± Raphael gave him a wink and a bright smile. Chi-Woo slowly moved towards the orb as Giant Fist did and stared intently at it. The bright light inside the orb turned cloudy. ¡°¡­¡± It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t nervous. The test wasn¡¯t hard; he just had to put his hand on top of the orb. It was a task that even someone who had lived the life of an ordinary person like Chi-Woo could do. However, those who were revered as heroes were judged to be ¡®unsuitable¡¯ without any room for negotiation. If even those heroes were considered unfit, was there any point for an ordinary person like him to try? Chi-Woo began to doubt himself, but he breathed several times and firmed his heart. Now that he had come all the way here, he couldn¡¯t turn back. Whether he made it or died trying, he needed to do something. Chi-Woo lifted his hand. Raphael didn¡¯t say anything. Even though she had tried to make Giant Fist take the test as fast as possible, she didn¡¯t try to rush Chi-Woo. She merely looked at him with eyes full of curiosity. Even though he felt pressured by her attentive eyes, Chi-Woo stretched out his hand towards the transparent light. When he was about to put his hand on the orb¡ª ¡ªStop. Stop. A voice suddenly rang out of the orb, and its light quickly flickered. ¡ªI request a suspension. Chi-Woo stopped before his hand could touch the orb. A short silence followed. The orb continued to flash, and Chi-Woo stood frozen. When he turned around because his eyes hurt, he saw his feeling reflected on Raphael¡¯s face. Her mouth was still smiling, but her eyes widened. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Raphael soon recovered and tilted her head. ¡°Why¡­No, that¡¯s not it.¡± After organizing her thoughts for a bit, she asked, ¡°Did you ask for a suspension because there¡¯s no need for him to take the test?¡± ¡ªThat¡¯s half of it. ¡°Interesting. What¡¯s the other half?¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s because there¡¯s a risk that I will stop functioning. The smile on Raphael¡¯s face was completely wiped away. Chi-Woo, who had been standing still while looking confused, stared carefully at Raphael. It was the first time he saw her real expression rather than her perpetually smiling face. Raphael intently stared at the orb and slightly lifted the corners of her mouth. ¡°¡­Yeah. I was wondering why I felt compelled to come today.¡± She glanced at Chi-Woo and murmured to herself, ¡°Even though I¡¯ve stood at the top of the Celestial Realm, rolled down to the abyss, and tried all my might to climb back up¡ªthis universe is still full of things I can¡¯t understand.¡± She pushed back her hair with both hands and stretched out her arms. ¡°This is why I can¡¯t quit working here.¡± If Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t mistaken, Raphael seemed to find this incomprehensible situation extremely enjoyable. ¡°Anyway, we need to hear the results, right? So what?¡± She was smiling again. ¡°What is the reason why our cutie pie, Ms. Prophecy, decided that there was no need to test our earthling Choi Chi-Woo?¡± Raphael asked while staring at the orb straight-on. ¡°Because he¡¯s suitable to go?¡± Or. ¡°Unsuitable?¡± ¡ªHis existence there is inevitable. The orb¡ªor Ms. Prophecy, as the angel called it¡ªcontinued without an ounce of hesitation. ¡ªInescapable. ¡ªAnd indispensable. The orb replied as if it had been waiting to say these words out loud. ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± According to the orb, Chi-Woo could not avoid or resist going to where his brother was, and he was an indispensable being there. ¡°An existence that cannot be stopped and is also indispensable,¡± Raphael stared at Chi-Woo with curiosity and said. ¡°Good. You passed.¡± She smiled brightly and splayed her hand. A portal appeared in the opposite direction of where Giant Fist had left. Chi-Woo looked perplexed as he asked, ¡°So did it mean that I was suitable?¡± ¡°No.¡± Raphael bent her thumb. ¡°You¡¯re not a suitable candidate, but a successful candidate. Congratulations. Even your older brother wasn¡¯t able to get accepted as a successful candidate. For this matter, you¡¯re the first irregular.¡± After correcting Chi-Woo, Raphael pointed towards the portal. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. I don¡¯t fully understand the situation, either.¡± Since Raphael was basically telling him to get out, Chi-Woo moved towards the portal. He had achieved what he wanted. Even though he had some questions, there was no reason for him to stay any longer. Soon after, Chi-Woo disappeared into the portal. ¡°Good.¡± After turning off the portal, Raphael folded her arms. ¡°Now tell me, why did you say that your function would stop?¡± ¡ªBefore I reply, I request two corrections. Raphael was unable to hide the surprise in her eyes again. ¡°Corrections?¡± There was a change in the prophecy orb. The orb on top of the altar was not a machine, but an intelligent life form with its own consciousness. However, it had only been replying to the questions they asked, and it had always searched for the best path with the information given to it. But now, the orb revealed its will. A change had, for the first time, happened to a flow that had been repeating itself like a turning wheel. What could possibly explain such a phenomenon? ¡°¡­I¡¯ll decide after hearing what you have to say,¡± Raphael responded while she tapped the orb. ¡ªFirst, I request a change in the composition of the number of suitable persons that were selected earlier. ¡°What?¡± ¡ªSecond, I request a change in the transmission point of the 7th recruits and the first achievement goal for this mission. CH 10 Chi-Woo escaped the cluster of lights. His chest heaved when he got a clear look at the new scene before him; not because of what he saw, but because of the heavy atmosphere pressing down his stomach like a big boulder. He saw a spacious, oval-shaped stage that shone faintly with rows of audience seats surrounding it. The place resembled open-air theaters from the Middle Ages. Its stage was completely empty, but a majority of the seats were filled. There were at least a couple hundred people in the area, and it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess that they were participants of the seventh recruitment. Some turned their heads when they heard Chi-Woo¡¯s footsteps. Most of them scanned him from head to toe but turned back again indifferently. Chi-Woo sat down in one of the seats. Trying not to make it obvious how nervous he was, he looked around the space. ¡®There sure are many heroes of all kinds here,¡¯ thought Chi-Woo. He had made a similar observation when he was in the Celestial Realm, but now there were certainly a great variety of different beings around him. Perhaps it was because every one of them was a hero who had saved at least one world, they all exuded a special aura and had a fittingly unique appearance. Most of them looked human-like, but there were many who looked like animals, demons, and even sea creatures. Chi-Woo thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw a creature with a jellyfish body and seaweed hair. Pop! Light burst out, and a portal appeared at the center of the stage. As white sparkles glittered in the air, a foot stepped out from the exploding cluster of lights. Seeing the emerging figure¡¯s neatly brushed long golden hair and four fluttering pairs of wings, Chi-Woo narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you all wait,¡± her beautiful voice rang across the silent space. ¡°A slight change has been made during the selection process,¡± the angel Laguel said in a business-like tone. ¡°Before I give you the details, we will respond to the change that has been made. We ask for your understanding in this matter...¡± Chi-Woo felt like she made eye-contact with him briefly. ¡°When I call out your name, please come to the stage and enter the portal.¡± Laguel quickly looked away and began to call out several names, ¡°Lucia Delenka, Bob Vilora, Diblaru Pilat, DDiddiri DDiddi¡­¡± At the fourth name, one of the giant jellyfishes that Chi-Woo had stared at got up while grumbling. Chi-Woo watched from afar, nervous and worried that his name would get called. From time to time, there were some who asked why they had to go, but Laguel simply responded that Archangel Raphael would explain the reason to them in person. She didn¡¯t say more than that. Some time passed. When Laguel stopped calling out names, only about half of the heroes present remained. Her silence was broken when a crowd of footsteps came from the far side of the staircase. Chi-Woo was relieved that his name wasn¡¯t called, but soon, his eyes widened at the newcomers coming out of the portal. Giant Fist was among them. ¡®What happened? Why did Giant Fist come back after failing the selection process?¡¯ ¡°As I expected, you¡¯re already here, sir,¡± Giant Fist said in a low voice when he noticed Chi-Woo. Surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t the only one in the group Chi-Woo had seen before. ¡°Um¡­Hello.¡± There was even the beret-wearing woman whom Chi-Woo had seen in the caf¨¦ where he first met Giant Fist. Chi-Woo looked up at her in surprise, and the woman awkwardly bowed her head and cautiously sat beside him. Giant Fist looked like he wanted to ask her why she was sitting there, but simply snorted and sat on Chi-Woo¡¯s other side. ¡°What happened?¡± Chi-Woo whispered to Giant Fist. ¡°I don¡¯t really know, sir.¡± Giant Fist shrugged. ¡°I was waiting patiently like they told me to when they suddenly said that there had been a change. Then they called people into a portal¡­¡± Hearing his story, it seemed like the event that had taken place on Giant Fist¡¯s side wasn¡¯t much different to what had happened on his side. ¡®Something is going on.¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, but he didn¡¯t know what it could be. He was also concerned about the fact that the change had happened right after he came in. ¡®There¡¯s also that prophecy I heard with Raphael.¡¯ Chi-Woo hoped his worries were unfounded. ¡°Anyways, sir, I thought I was going to die laughing when we were all called to go back to the portal again,¡± Giant Fist said in a cheery voice. It seemed that he was just happy about becoming a participant again. ¡°It¡¯s because of her. She took the test in secret, and when I saw her, she tried to avoid my gaze¡­huhuhu!¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± snapped the woman wearing a beret. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like you¡­!¡± She was about to say something, but decided against it when she felt Chi-Woo¡¯s penetrating gaze. She glared intently at Giant Fist and pressed down her hat. Nevertheless, more and more beings were coming through the portal until they replaced everyone who had left, and they reached the original number of participants. ¡°I¡¯ll resume my announcement,¡± Laguel said once everyone had taken their seats. ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to thank all of you for participating in this selection.¡± Following the words of formalities, she said, ¡°Before explaining the situation to all of you¡­¡± She went on to warn everyone, ¡°Know that you must keep what I¡¯m about to say to yourselves with utmost secrecy, and you won¡¯t be able to pull out once you hear the explanation.¡± Pointing at the yet unclosed portal, Laguel said, ¡°You may go now if you wish to.¡± Her unspoken message was clear: this would be their last opportunity to leave. No one would be allowed to give up or return home should they choose to stay now. Even after a long period of waiting, however, not a single hero had gotten up. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Laguel¡¯s gaze lingered on Chi-Woo before she let out a sigh. ¡°I hereby announce that the seventh recruitment process has officially ended.¡± Now that the recruitment process was over, the couple hundreds of heroes would leave for a planet they had never seen before to save it. It sounded heroic, but that was simply the official story. Nobody knew what was going through each person¡¯s or creature¡¯s mind. For example, the thought of saving a world from danger wasn¡¯t on Chi-Woo¡¯s mind at all. ¡°If that¡¯s everything you needed to say, please tell us about the situation,¡± a low voice rang. It belonged to an arrogant face with a lion¡¯s mane hanging on their chin. By their appearance and voice, it seemed likely the being was a male. He looked down the stage and glared as he said, ¡°I¡¯m going mad with curiosity. You people have held seven selection processes for this single mission. Furthermore, I heard that Choi Chi-Hyun went in after the first selection.¡± Chi-Woo flinched. He hadn¡¯t expected to hear his brother¡¯s name here. ¡°That bastard! How dare he address Sir Choi Chi-Hyun so informally?¡± Giant Fist shot an angry look at the lion-maned man, who simply continued, ¡°What the hell is happening on that planet that it¡¯s still in such trouble?¡± This was the question people were most curious about. Everyone looked at Laguel, but she didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Trouble that great couldn¡¯t have been limited to the planet itself.¡± The lion-maned man seemed to be enjoying himself. ¡°Is the danger at least on the scale of a stellar system?¡± ¡®What does he mean?¡¯ Chi-Woo tilted his head in confusion. The man continued, ¡°What about its danger level? Is it around a disaster or catastrophe level?¡± Chi-Woo briefly glanced at Giant Fist, but Giant Fist was too focused on Laguel to notice him staring. ¡°He¡¯s talking about a ranking system that sorts the level of dangers that appear,¡± The woman wearing a beret whispered like she had been waiting for this moment. ¡°The ranking system takes into account not only the harm the event would cause in the present, but also the potential danger it may bring about in the future.¡± She seemed to be much more quick-witted than Giant Fist, and Chi-Woo began to have a better opinion of her. He slightly smiled, which encouraged the woman to explain more passionately, ¡°The range the danger would occur and influence is also considered. All potential futures are factored in to determine its danger level.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Is it greater than the stellar system level?¡± the lion-maned man continued to ask, and the woman wearing a beret added to what he said. ¡°You heard him, right, sir? That guy is talking about the scale of the danger. The scale system starts with Planet and continues to the Stellar System ¨Cah, the solar system is a stellar system, for example. Then it continues to Star Clusters, Galaxy, and Galaxy Cluster.¡± The explanation gave Chi-Woo a better understanding of the situation, and he nodded. In the meantime, the lion-maned man continued to ask, ¡°Even more than a Catastrophe? Is it a Doom level event?¡± ¡°The danger levels start with Crisis and go up to Disaster, Catastrophe, Doom, and Mass Destruction.¡± The beret woman had explained that the scale and danger of an event are measured by a system of 5 scales and 5 levels; thus, an event could be described in twenty-five variations of scales and levels. In other words, the scale of an event was ranked in this order: Planet < Stellar system < Star cluster < Galaxy < Galaxy clusters As for its level of danger: Crisis < Disaster < Catastrophe < Doom < Mass Destruction In other words, the scale of an event was ranked in the order of Planet, Stellar System, Star Cluster, Galaxy, and Galaxy Cluster; and its level of danger in the order of Crisis, Disaster, Catastrophe, Doom, and Mass Destruction. After organizing his thoughts, Chi-Woo opened his mouth to say, ¡°I suppose even if two events are on the same danger level, if one is at planet scale and the other at a galaxy cluster scale, they will be completely different from one another.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. As expected, you are very bright, sir!¡± The woman wearing a beret smiled brightly when Chi-Woo caught up immediately. ¡°If we are to give a number to represent an event¡¯s difficulty, a planet-scale event, the first rank of the scale system, will be 1, while a stellar system event is at least ten times more difficult. And a star cluster event is at least 1000 times more difficult than a stellar system event.¡± The beret-wearing woman cleared her throat. ¡°You can think of scales from galaxy and onwards as merely there for nominal purposes. Throughout the history of time, there has only been one galaxy-scale event and never a galaxy cluster event.¡± She quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s honestly the same for star cluster. In comparison to the scales above it, it happened much more frequently; but the number of events on a star cluster level amounts to less than ten, and they have been a big issue whenever they happened.¡± So that was why the lion-maned man had used the planet scale as his basis. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°The danger levels are also divided in five. What is the difference between Doom and Mass Destruction?¡± ¡°The meaning of the two terms is similar, but the Celestial Realm uses them differently,¡± the beret woman eagerly answered. Chi-Woo felt a sense of goodwill the woman wanted to show him that he had felt from Giant Fist. ¡°When a Doom level event occurs, things disappear. For example, a planet is doomed when the majority of its creatures are erased.¡± In other words, if a planet was doomed, the planet might remain, but most of its surface would be devoid of life. ¡°It¡¯s more intense when a Mass Destruction occurs. For example, if a planet goes through Mass Destruction, the whole planet itself would be destroyed¡­¡± It was then that Laguel broke the silence and spoke, ¡°N-S-2-L. It is the name code of the planet you all will be going to. The planet is called Liber.¡± Chi-Woo and the beret woman looked back to the stage. ¡°When Sir Choi Chi-Hyun went to the planet as part of the first recruits, the Celestial Realm had deemed Libre to be in a stellar-system-scale Disaster.¡± Beings all over the room held their breath. Giant Fist opened his eyes intently, and the look on the beret woman¡¯s eyes also underwent a slight change. The lion-maned man¡¯s face darkened. He had asked for the scale of the danger boldly, but in reality, the difference between each scale was so large that it was difficult to wrap one¡¯s head around. Each stellar system had at least a thousand suns, and an uncountable number of planets. ¡°After that, we sent the second team. Then the third. And finally, the sixth,¡± Laguel continued in a monotonous voice. ¡°While we were sending the fourth recruits, we made a decision after several internal discussions. At that time, the danger level of Planet Liber was¡ª¡± Unlike before, Laguel didn¡¯t pause and calmly relayed the shocking information, ¡°¡ªupgraded from star-cluster-scale Crisis to star-cluster-scale Mass Destruction.¡± ¡°And currently,¡± Laguel wasn¡¯t yet finished, ¡°Since the fifth and sixth recruits were sent¡­¡± Laguel continued while looking at Chi-Woo, who stood between a giant man and a woman wearing a beret, ¡°We would like to inform all of you that the event is at least a galaxy-scale Crisis, and we are currently discussing whether or not we should further raise it to an event of galaxy-scale Doom.¡± The hallway became engulfed in silence. The universe was infinite; planets orbited around the sun, and thousands of those suns formed clusters, and a collection of star clusters formed a galaxy. But according to Laguel, a galaxy was in danger and could possibly collapse? Everyone completely froze with their eyes wide open. They had expected the worst, but this had gone way beyond their expectations. ¡°If things are that bad, rather than us, shouldn¡¯t heroes that fit¡­ah.¡± Someone murmured to themselves in a daze but did a double take as they realized that Choi Chi-Hyun, who was considered the best hero, had already gone to Liber. ¡°Can we even save it?¡± a clear voice rang out. Laguel simply replied, ¡°Well, first, the flow of the prophecy has not stopped.¡± Since the prophecy was still functioning, it meant that there was still a future left where Liber was saved. ¡°A planet¡¯s crisis is leading to the death of a galaxy?¡± another hero asked out loud. ¡°How the hell did that happen?¡± Laguel shook her head and replied, ¡°Sir, we don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There is very little information in the Celestial Realm about Liber¡¯s present status.¡± The hall became noisy for a bit. The angels didn¡¯t know the cause of the situation, and they didn¡¯t know the current situation in Liber, either. ¡°How can you say there¡¯s hardly any information¡­If you¡¯ve sent six groups of recruits, you should still have some connections with them. Is the information being blocked or interrupted?¡± ¡°No,¡± Laguel continued. ¡°We ran into this problem because Liber¡¯s connection with the Celestial Realm is random and unstable.¡± The hero who asked the question frowned. ¡°Random? Unstable?¡± ¡°We have tried to communicate with Liber several times, but we weren¡¯t able to find Liber¡¯s signal.¡± ¡°Wait. Perhaps¡­¡± The heroes stopped scowling, and their eyes grew bigger in shock. ¡°Yes,¡± Laguel continued to speak with a soft voice. ¡°According to our speculation, the ¡®World¡¯ of Planet Liber has disappeared.¡± The murmuring became more intense than ever before. ¡°Fuck! How does that make sense?¡± Giant Fist even jumped from his position and shouted his condemnations. ¡°If the World got fucked, you¡¯re basically asking us to throw our lives away!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes quickly moved. ¡®What does it mean that the World had disappeared?¡¯ ¡°Simply put¡­it means we¡¯re on the same boat as you.¡± The woman with the beret made a bitter smile. ¡°Heroes¡ªon Earth, people also call them champions, right?¡± Heroes, champions, saviors who saved the world in danger¡ªthese were all words that Chi-Woo had frequently heard before. People were born mortal, and thus no one was born omnipotent. Everyone had their limits since birth. However, from among these humans, sometimes, very occasionally, special individuals who could surpass their limits were born. Humans usually called these people heroes, and what made people heroes was not just their mental and physical abilities. Heroes didn¡¯t die easily, and even if they did die, they could be revived. They could also turn back time and become a regressor, retain knowledge of the future that other people don¡¯t know about, or possess various other perks. In dangerous situations, unexpected allies always appeared, and miraculous coincidences occurred as often as eating a meal for heroes. With the various forms of support provided by their World, heroes could always break through difficult circumstances and become even stronger. It was not an exaggeration to say that the World revolved around its heroes. Heroes were truly overpowering in every way, and they had no one who could compete with them. However, all of this was only true when the prerequisite of ¡°to save the world¡± was attached to them. Heroes were existences that the ¡®World¡¯ chose and wanted, and in exchange, these heroes saved the World. However, in this case¡ª ¡°The World disappeared¡­¡± Someone muttered in a dejected voice. If a World died, this basically meant that the existence of heroes had also disappeared. Rather than gaining any perks, they would arrive at Planet Liber and die easily like an extra, an expendable soldier without a proper name. Moreover, rather than breaking through difficulties in times of crisis like heroes, they¡¯d have to worry about their lives first. As the woman with the beret said, they would really just become ordinary human beings. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to keep the power I got from a different World, but I can¡¯t believe that we aren¡¯t even able to get support from Liber¡¯s World. This is a bit¡­¡± The lion-maned man, who had spoken confidently in the beginning, slightly slurred his words. He even looked a bit scared. ¡°Miss, I have a question,¡± a woman who had been quietly listening spoke up. She was a priestess who had been praying with her eyes closed. ¡°What will we be doing when we arrive there?¡± With her question, a small hologram appeared in front of everyone. In the hologram, Chi-Woo saw what looked like the Earth¡¯s world map. ¡°Sir Chi-Hyun, who entered Planet Liber as one of the first recruits, succeeded in securing a relatively stable transmission point.¡± Someone laughed in vain. In other words, before Chi-Hyun went to Planet Liber, there hadn¡¯t even been a proper transmission space there. For heroes who were used to being summoned under a large-scale ritual or an oracle held by the natives of respective planets, this method was completely foreign to them. ¡°Since then, we have been continuously dispatching new teams and expanding our domain little by little.¡± One part of the hologram map blinked and lit up. And with this area as the center, parts of its eastern, western, southern, and northern areas began to light up one by one. However, the rest of the map was still gray. ¡°The goal of the fifth recruits was to recapture the northern part of the previously secured transmission point. They were able to achieve some success, but¡ª¡± The light in the northern area turned from white to bright red. ¡°Not even a few days after its recapture, all communications from the fifth team suddenly stopped.¡± And then the bright red area turned gray like the rest of the map. ¡°Since then, the sixth recruits had been dispatched to the outpost in the northern area, but our contact with them has also been lost. It¡¯s hard for us to even figure out what¡¯s going on,¡± Laguel continued with a blank voice. ¡°The seventh recruits were originally going to be dispatched to the center outpost, and their goal was going to be re-entering the northern base while cooperating with the existing teams there.¡± A couple of heroes nodded. Even though they couldn¡¯t do anything right away, this was a realistic goal. But there was a twist in Laguel¡¯s following words. ¡°However, the prophecy changed our goal.¡± Those who were nodding stopped. ¡°The seventh recruits are going to be dispatched right here.¡± The northern part of the center, which had lost its light, began blinking again. ¡°You will be sent here to investigate and re-occupy the northern outpost.¡± In other words, the seventh team had to find out what happened to the fifth and sixth recruits who they lost contact with and recapture the northern area of the central territory. This was the purpose and goal of the seventh recruit team. ¡°I will take the liberty to say that we don¡¯t expect you or the previous recruits to save Liber,¡± Laguel looked back at the audience and said. ¡°You just need to create the conditions for salvation to be possible.¡± In short, they were going to sacrifice Liber to save the galaxy. Nobody knew what to say in response. They were completely lost. Everyone knew that the number of applicants had decreased as more recruit teams were sent out. For example, there were much fewer heroes in the seventh recruitment than the fifth recruitment, and the quality of heroes had also decreased. However, Laguel had announced that they were going to be dispatched to where the Celestial Realm had lost contact with the two previous teams. The administrators were basically telling them to go on a suicide mission. Moreover, they couldn¡¯t even get aid from the Celestial Realm or support and protection from a World. ¡°I have a question.¡± After a short silence, someone spoke up. It was a hero with an alien head and a thick book. ¡°Are you sure that the goal you just announced was given by the prophecy?¡± ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Laguel replied without an ounce of hesitation. ¡°Then there should still be a future where Liber can be saved.¡± The hero tilted his long head and closed his book. ¡°There must be a reason why the prophecy has changed. Am I correct to say that the change is related to what had happened earlier?¡± Laguel¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, but she fixed her expression before anyone could notice. ¡°That¡ªsir, what do you mean by that question?¡± ¡°Many of those who were originally judged to be suitable were sent away, and many of those who were judged to be unsuitable came in here,¡± the long-headed hero calmly continued, ¡°After that hero came in.¡± He turned his head back and looked at Chi-Woo. ¡°Am I not right?¡± The long-headed hero (that Chi-Woo judged to be a male) slightly raised his chin towards him. ¡°Right now, we are in an unprecedented and ridiculous situation in which a World has disappeared. On top of that, the prophecy had set an even more ridiculous goal, while also correcting its past decisions.¡± The long-headed man looked even more intently at Chi-Woo. ¡°Am I correct to assume that there is something or someone that can completely flip these terrible conditions among the seventh recruits?¡± As soon as he finished talking, a large number of heroes stared at Chi-Woo. Giant Fist blinked in surprise, and the woman with the beret glared at the long-headed man. ¡°Sir, I understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± Laguel calmly said. ¡°We don¡¯t know when the prophecy was revised, and I¡¯m merely relaying the information I was given.¡± Her words were very vague. ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s your stance.¡± The long-headed man smirked and looked away. Only then did the heroes¡¯ gazes shift from Chi-Woo¡¯s face. Even though he still felt some intense stares, Chi-Woo forced himself to ignore them and focused on the stage. ¡°Everyone, please stand up from your position now.¡± As if to draw the attention from Chi-Woo, Laguel¡¯s beautiful voice resonated in the air. Those who were seated began standing up one by one. Laguel waved her hand. The portal that had disappeared at the stage¡¯s center reappeared. ¡°Since this is a very urgent matter, we¡¯ll prepare to transport you as soon as you enter this portal.¡± Laguel had said everything there was to say. It was now time for them to go. ¡°But,¡± Laguel added before anyone could move, ¡°We will give you one more chance to change your mind.¡± Laguel¡¯s words took an unexpected turn. ¡°I¡¯m sure none of you expected this, and it¡¯s reasonable to think that this is too much for us to ask.¡± Previously, Laguel had said that once they heard about the current situation, no one would be allowed to turn back, but she now changed her tune. Her motives were clear as she continued, ¡°If you swore to keep all of this information confidential at the price of your qualifications¡ª¡± Laguel pointed her thumb at the portal again. ¡°¡ªWe won¡¯t stop you from turning back.¡± In a way, Laguel¡¯s words were very compelling. ¡°Now, those who wish to enter despite all the risks, please move to the portal on the stage.¡± She then turned to Chi-Woo with an earnest gaze and continued, ¡°And the rest of you, please exit through the portal at the end of the stairs.¡± As soon as she finished, everyone in the hall began moving at the same time as if they had all planned it beforehand. Every single hero, without fail, moved towards the portal at the center of the stage. CH 11 Once the heroes entered the portal at the center of the stage, there was no turning back. Thus, before they were transported to another World, they needed to make some preparations; and most importantly, they had to go through an inspection. Most of the time, heroes were able to use their original powers in other Worlds, but there were some cases where they couldn¡¯t. And in those situations, special perks were prepared for them beforehand so that they could build up their strengths quickly in the new World. Yet, this time, they didn¡¯t have anything. Laguel told them that they couldn¡¯t get a signal from planet Liber at all, and the temporary connection the Celestial Realm had established to Liber was very weak. They were only able to force a transmission, but even this connection was weakening as time went by. The heroes who went in the previous recruitments had failed to make much progress, and each recruitment had significantly fewer applicants than the previous recruitment. This meant that the Celestial Realm couldn¡¯t provide much support to the heroes besides maintaining the function of basic devices and sending them to the specific planet. They had to go into a new world with nothing but their own physical beings, leaving personal belongings that were basically an extension of themselves. ¡°Excuse me, could you give us your bag?¡± two angels politely asked Chi-Woo as soon as he approached the portal. Chi-Woo handed his bag to them, and one of the angels opened it, while the other angel carefully inspected his body. ¡°My gosh? I never had to do this before,¡± the hero who was inspected before him grumbled, but nobody could do anything about it. If someone secretly hid an item they weren¡¯t supposed to and used up the maximum capacity the teleportation could handle, the members of the seventh recruitment could be shredded apart before they landed on Liber due to the unstable connection. Everyone was aware of how important this process was, so although some grumbled, they followed the inspection procedures thoroughly. On the other hand, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t too concerned. Not only had he lived an ordinary life, but he also thought he didn¡¯t have anything that could be considered an important weapon. ¡®Just a club is fine, right?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. The angel inspecting his body didn¡¯t say much. He simply scanned Chi-Woo¡¯s whole body with a white stick and moved aside, saying that he was cleared to pass. Yet the angel inspecting his bag had a completely different response. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The angel looked up at Chi-Woo with a shocked face. On the floor, there was a pile of items that he had squeezed into his bag. A pile of snacks that he brought to give to his brother if he met him. Then there was a Bible, a cross necklace, a club made from a jujube tree that had been struck by lightning, a bottle with chicken blood, a couple of religious texts, a bottle of salt, a can of red bean, a clump of talisman, and so on. ¡°Could I ask what all of these are, sir?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing much. You don¡¯t have to mind them,¡± Chi-Woo answered calmly when the angel asked. ¡°You can¡¯t bring them, sir.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened at the angel¡¯s reply. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t nothing, sir.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head. ¡°I just carry these around for self-defense purposes¡­¡± ¡°Y-You carry these items for self-defense?¡± the angel stuttered with obvious surprise. ¡°Wow, all these items have a strong repellent power against evil energy¡­you are truly amazing, sir. I admire you.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand why the angel was fussing over these items this much, but he decided to think of it in a positive light. ¡°Still, you have to leave these items behind.¡± However, the angel didn¡¯t let go of this matter. It seemed he wasn¡¯t going to let the situation slide no matter how amazing he thought Chi-Woo was. Chi-Woo pondered for a moment. ¡®Hm¡­it¡¯s a bit.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to insist or whine about the matter. He knew it was a situation he had to accept, and he had to let these items go. However, words didn¡¯t come out of his mouth easily. Before he was discharged from the military and moved out, Chi-Woo had stayed in various places. He lived in a church, stayed a brief period at a Buddhist temple, and even settled down in a shrine; during his stay in these places, he picked up various items and carried them in his bag pack every day. There wasn¡¯t a time he left his bag behind, and there were many times when he was actually helped by these items. Since he had carried these items everywhere with him, it felt like he was leaving his lifeline behind if he let go of them. It seemed Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t the only one feeling this way as he heard several commotions around him. ¡°I made these items with all I had. They are basically a part of my body! How can I leave them behind?¡± one hero shouted. The angels guided the hero who was making a fuss somewhere else. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. ¡°Could you go somewhere else with me, sir? We could discuss the matter in that place,¡± seeing that Chi-Woo was conflicted, the angel placed the items back into his bag and asked. The angel soon guided him to a private area hidden behind the shadows; if an analogy had to be made, it looked like a voting booth, only a couple of times bigger. An angel he knew was sitting in the area. ¡°Hello.¡± Archangel Raphael smiled widely and shook her hand. ¡°I knew you would come. Quickly take out his stuff. I¡¯m curious.¡± Before Chi-Woo could reply, Raphael egged on, and the other angel took out Chi-Woo¡¯s belongings from his bag. ¡°Wow¡ª¡± Raphael responded exactly in the same manner as the angel who was in charge of inspecting the bag. ¡°It reminds me of the time when we had a revolution. Are you going on some kind of war¡­ah well, you are,¡± Raphael answered her own question and smiled. Chi-Woo looked confused. It seemed the angels and he had a vastly different understanding of these items. ¡°Okay, you can go out for now,¡± Raphael commanded, and the angel who guided Chi-Woo to this place backed away without complaints. ¡°Taking items of such high value to Liber is impossible. You must have heard the reason for it, too. You understand, right?¡± Now that they were the only ones left in the room, Raphael spoke bluntly. ¡°I can¡¯t take even a single one?¡± ¡°Yes, not a single one.¡± ¡°Why? What kind of items are they?¡± ¡°I mean, you must also know that these items aren¡¯t commonplace goods that you see everywhere,¡± Raphael said with a prim look on her face. ¡°Of course, since you lived such a normal life, you might not think of them as special, but these items are no joke, especially this one.¡± Raphael picked up the club that had been made by a tree struck by lightning. ¡°This could be considered a godly item.¡± ¡°A godly item? Seriously?¡± ¡°Even though it hasn¡¯t been around for that long, it looks to be at least a couple of centuries old. I¡¯m sure the maker of this club and the people who managed it weren¡¯t nobodies either.¡± Raphael touched the club carefully. ¡°Above all, an enormous amount of ¡®belief¡¯ is embedded into this item.¡± ¡°Belief?¡± ¡°Yeah, a belief of at least a thousand.¡± Chi-Woo still looked like he had no idea what she was talking about, and Raphael clicked her tongue. ¡°What is this made out of?¡± ¡°I heard that it¡¯s made from a jujube tree that was struck by lightning.¡± ¡°Aha, no wonder. With this much energy combined with lightning, there¡¯s no need for me to say more. What does your world believe when seeing a jujube tree that was struck by lightning?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking what your people think of when they see this. What do they expect?¡± ¡°Well, traditionally¡­people believe that it vanquishes bad energy and chases away evil spirits.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. Gods eat and live off beliefs and faith. It¡¯s the same for godly items,¡± Raphael said coyly and placed the club on the floor. ¡°You would know only once you are there, but in a special situation, I¡¯m sure they will display an almost cheat-like power.¡± If what Raphael was saying was true, there was not much Chi-Woo could do. ¡°But don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Chi-Woo was about to give up, but Raphael spoke with a cheery voice. ¡°Is there a way I can bring them?¡± ¡°Hmm. Maybe?¡± Raphael¡¯s eyes curved upwards. Chi-Woo had thought this before, but Raphael was really good at playing with people. ¡°The prophecy didn¡¯t ask for a change for no reason. Since we¡¯ve reduced the number of heroes previously at maximum capacity, I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be a big problem if you take them, but¡­¡± Raphael continued, ¡°It¡¯s a completely different matter for you to take them with you and for it to perform its proper function on Liber.¡± Raphael smirked and made a circle with her thumb and index finger. ¡°What you need is money.¡± Chi-Woo frowned; Raphael¡¯s words were completely out of the blue. ¡°Splurge. Just use a crap ton of money and become a complete wastrel,¡± Raphael said while rubbing her thumb and index finger. Chi-Woo laughed because he was so dumbfounded. Where did she even learn to talk like this? ¡°Please be honest with me, Archangel Raphael. What kind of relationship do you have with Earth¡ªno, South Korea?¡± Raphael snickered and replied, ¡°I told you that I have some connections on Earth.¡± ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t have much money.¡± ¡°Come on, kid. What do you mean you don¡¯t have any money? You were born with not just a golden spoon, but an anti-matter spoon.¡± This was the first time that Chi-Woo heard his family was wealthy. ¡°No way. Should I show you my bank account?¡± ¡°My goodness. Do you really think we want money from Earth? I¡¯m talking about your family, the Choi Family.¡± ¡°¡­Do we have a lot?¡± ¡°Yep. Of course. In terms of time alone, the Celestial Realm has been indebted to the Choi Family for the longest out of the families. Do you seriously think your family hasn¡¯t accumulated any wealth?¡± In order to send heroes to another world, they needed cosmic energy purified in the Celestial Realm. Raphael explained that the intangible contribution the Choi Family has accumulated so far would be exchanged for cosmic energy to create a separate channel for him. ¡°Is this a special case?¡± ¡°Yep, it¡¯s an extremely special case, but there are always exceptions to everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking this out of concern.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s not like this never happened. Well, it¡¯s also a problem that exceptions like this are only made for the twelve families in the Celestial Realm.¡± Raphael pointed her thumb at Chi-Woo. ¡°By the way, your brother also did the same thing.¡± After hearing that his brother also went through the same process, Chi-Woo felt relieved. ¡°Then please do as you said.¡± Chi-Woo readily agreed to Raphael¡¯s suggestion. He didn¡¯t know how it would work, but it was clearly beneficial for him. ¡°I like how easy-going you are, but taking all of them with you is a bit wasteful¡ªwhy don¡¯t you just take this, this, and this?¡± Raphael pointed at the club, talisman, and cross necklace in order. Chi-Woo stared intently at Raphael and fell into thoughts. ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯ Since he had come this far, he couldn¡¯t turn back. If he was going to do it, he should go all out. ¡°All of them.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Not just those three. Would it be possible to take all of them?¡± ¡°Ah, um?¡± It was a rare occurrence, but Raphael was flustered. ¡°Uh¡­It¡¯s not impossible, but seriously, even the emergency food?¡± ¡°Yes, even the snacks.¡± Caught completely off guard, Raphael tried to dissuade him by saying, ¡°Umm. I¡¯m saying this because I feel like I tricked an innocent kid but...¡± Raphael smacked her lips and continued, ¡°I said to splurge, but just so you know, this is not a very effective method. For example,¡± Raphael picked up one snack, ¡°How much did you buy this for?¡± ¡°I bought it for 1,500 won[1].¡± ¡°If you want to bring this to Liber, you¡¯ll have to pay 10,000 times that price.¡± Chi-Woo would be paying 15 million won for just one snack. ¡°Do you still want to bring it?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll bring it.¡± ¡°Wow, how ballsy of you! Are you for real?¡± Chi-Woo responded with a confirmation without thinking any longer; there was no need for him to really ponder about this. ¡°Can I ask you why? I¡¯m just curious.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one else who can use the Choi¡¯s Family¡¯s money except me anyway.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re just gonna use it however you want? Without thinking who and how they gathered it, and how much all of it is worth?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± Even though Chi-Woo spoke sharply, his voice didn¡¯t waver. ¡°Even though this wealth is shared property by the whole Choi Family, you told me that everyone retired except for my brother. And my brother doesn¡¯t seem like he can use it right now, so if I disappear, who¡¯s going to use it?¡± Raphael blinked her eyes. ¡°Rather than letting it go to waste, it¡¯s better for me to just use it; and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m using it for myself. If I explain it well to my brother later on, he¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°Now that you say it like that¡­¡± Even though there was something strange about Chi-Woo¡¯s words, there was nothing much to say against it. ¡°Okay. Do what you want. given the way things have turned out, there must be some kind of meaning behind all of this.¡± Raphael raised her shoulder and looked at the items near the bag. ¡°Good. Just leave these items here then.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Dummy. What would the others think if they all left their belongings, while you¡¯re the only one carrying a bag?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Chi-Woo expressed his gratitude for Raphael¡¯s careful consideration. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I should be the one to thank you. You¡¯re going anyway, whatever your reason may be.¡± ¡®Whatever your reason may be.¡¯ Chi-Woo felt like Raphael had seen through his thoughts. Raphael smiled brightly and got up from her seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go do our respective jobs. I¡¯ll go complete your request, and you¡¯ll be on standby.¡± Raphael walked softly and winked at Chi-Woo. ¡°I hope what you wish for comes true. I don¡¯t expect you to save Liber, but I¡¯ll appreciate it if you could normalize it.¡± Then Raphael said she needed to immediately get on with his request to complete it in time, and she disappeared like the wind. Left on his own, Chi-Woo let out a long sigh. He felt strange since he had to go to a completely new environment soon. He had no idea what he had to do there or what he was supposed to do. It might be more accurate to say that this whole situation still didn¡¯t feel very real to him. If he went back home right now and had a long sleep, everything would feel like a dream. Of course, Chi-Woo had no intentions to go back without achieving anything. ¡®Well, I should just think of it as going on a special trip.¡¯ Chi-Woo hardened his resolve and was about to turn around when¡ª ¡°?¡± He saw the curtain lift, and a shadow crept in. 1. US$1.26 ? CH 12 Laguel entered the space. Chi-Woo had seen her a couple of times now; he felt like something was off about her, but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it. During their first meeting, she had appeared like an untouchable, otherworldly being, but now she didn¡¯t look so much like an angel anymore. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo was trying to sneak past her when Laguel caught him. ¡°Could I see your bag, sir?¡± ¡°Why?¡± he blurted out. Realizing that his response came out more sharply than he intended, he cleared his throat. ¡°I already finished my inspection and received permission from Archangel Raphael.¡± He tried to keep his voice steady, but his tone was still prickly. After all, he had almost been forcefully expelled from the Celestial Realm with his memories wiped out by her. Whatever Laguel¡¯s reason may be¡ªhe never found out since she didn¡¯t tell him¡ªshe was simply acting as a hindrance. Seeing that Chi-Woo felt uncomfortable by her presence, Laguel hesitated. ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate it if you show me your bag, sir.¡± Her tone softened. ¡°I¡¯ll only look at the items and not touch anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please.¡± Chi-Woo bit his lips, thinking, ¡®How bothersome. The matter has been resolved already. What are you bothering me for?¡¯ And his expression made his feelings clear. In the end, though, he backed down. Laguel went inside and exclaimed in surprise when she saw all the items that had been carefully laid down. ¡°This is¡­¡± She turned around to look at Chi-Woo with equal parts shock and admiration. This was beyond her expectations. ¡°Did Archangel Raphael really give you permission?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where did you get such precious items?¡± ¡°I received all of them as gifts. The people I served all took pity on me.¡± ¡°Ah, so you received them. But this one.¡± Laguel¡¯s response wasn¡¯t different from Raphael¡¯s. She couldn¡¯t suppress her surprise when she saw the blackish club. ¡°How would you take something like this¡­ah.¡± While tilting the club back and forth, Laguel came upon a realization. ¡°You¡¯re using your family¡¯s inheritance.¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Chi-Woo had already settled the discussion, and he had no intention of keeping the deal a secret, so he readily replied. ¡°Archangel Raphael told me that there was a method for me to bring my items and suggested using my family¡¯s inheritance. There¡¯s no one who would use it anyways.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s true.¡± Laguel agreed. Her response took Chi-Woo by surprise because he had been fully expecting her to attack him, yelling things like, ¡®What?! How could you use your family inheritance however you like?!¡¯ ¡°Ah. This is¡ª¡± Laguel¡¯s eyes shone when she saw something else: the chips and other snacks that Raphael had thought were emergency foods and was stunned to hear that Chi-Woo also planned to take them. ¡°These are snacks that your brother likes.¡± Chi-Woo looked at her in surprise, and Laguel asked, ¡°Are you planning to give them to him?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I saw him eating those in the waiting room sometimes,¡± Laguel said. Chi-Woo was surprised that Laguel knew what these snacks were exactly, but what surprised him more was that she wore a slight smile on her face, as if she was reminiscing about some fond memories. He hadn¡¯t expected her to know his brother¡¯s little quirks. He felt complicated feelings as he watched her fumble with the snack boxes for a while. He wasn¡¯t pleased by her actions. However, he didn¡¯t feel any sense of animosity from her. To put it simply, he didn¡¯t know what to think about her actions when he didn¡¯t know her reasoning behind them. ¡°I¡¯m surprised,¡± Chi-Woo said, feeling awkward about the silence. ¡°I thought you¡¯ll try to stop me again.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s impossible now,¡± Laguel softly said. ¡°You arrived through the proper process, and you also passed the test.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s also true.¡± ¡°Of course, I hope you turn away even now, but¡­¡± Laguel made a bitter smile. ¡°I guess it¡¯s too late.¡± She let out a deep sigh and fixed her posture towards Chi-Woo. ¡°If I may take the liberty, I have a request to ask of you.¡± ¡°A request?¡± ¡°Please take this.¡± Laguel took out something from her pocket and politely pushed it towards Chi-Woo with both hands. A fist-sized lump of pure light was placed on Chi-Woo¡¯s palm. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be helpful in various ways. You may use it as the situation necessitates, since divinity can be used for many purposes everywhere.¡± ¡°Divinity?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°Does everyone get this?¡± ¡°Sir Chi-Woo, I¡¯m only giving it to you.¡± Even though he was getting special treatment, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t too keen about accepting Laguel¡¯s gift because his suspicions were not completely gone. ¡°If I may, could I check this with Archangel Raphael?¡± ¡°She probably already knows.¡± Laguel continued with no strength in her voice, ¡°Since she takes care of the prophecy, there¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t know. Her silence is as good as her approval.¡± ¡°When I met her just before, she didn¡¯t say anything about this.¡± ¡°Since this is an independent action from me, she didn¡¯t intervene.¡± Laguel continued with a slight strain in her voice, ¡°But if you are still worried, I¡¯ll do as your wish and try to bring Archangel Raphael here immediately.¡± Chi-Woo pushed aside his suspicions for now and asked, ¡°Could I really take this?¡± ¡°Of course. Just as you used your family¡¯s wealth, I¡¯ve separately mobilized the energy I can use to support you.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a bit too much. Why so suddenly¡­¡± Laguel looked a bit hesitant as she said, ¡°I just¡­¡± After a short silence, she continued, ¡°This is a way for me to repent since I couldn¡¯t fulfill Sir Chi-Hyun¡¯s wishes. Moreover, I¡¯m also personally wishing for his survival more than anyone else.¡± Laguel looked at Chi-Woo with desperate eyes. ¡°So, despite my past actions, I sincerely ask you to help him. Please return safely back with Sir Chi-Hyun.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t immediately take her gift. He didn¡¯t know why, but his hands couldn¡¯t move towards it easily. He felt like he was being indebted to her. Then his gaze moved towards Laguel¡¯s back. ¡®Huh? Her wings¡­?¡¯ Her wings were gone. Her fluttering, four pairs of wings were all gone. Chi-Woo realized belatedly why Laguel felt different to him than before. Her elegant and noble aura was also completely gone; she now looked like a normal person, lesser than even a gatekeeper angel. ¡®That¡¯s what happened.¡¯ From what he had seen so far, the attitude and rank of an angel were dependent on the number of their wings. Chi-Woo finally realized what Laguel had done to supply him with more energy. To be more specific, he realized what she had to sacrifice to send him away with a bit more support. She had given away everything she had achieved so far. Chi-Woo was puzzled as he asked, ¡°Did you seriously have to go this far?¡± He had no idea that Laguel would risk so much. ¡°If I can see him again, I¡¯ll have no regrets.¡± Laguel pushed the sphere of light towards him as if telling him to quickly take it. Chi-Woo said nothing for a while and sighed. ¡°I got it.¡± Even though he felt like he was now indebted to her, he accepted it. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely come back with my brother.¡± As soon as he touched it, the sphere of light completely disappeared, but Chi-Woo was able to clearly see what happened. The soft light had spun around like a swallow and flowed into his wrist. ¡°W-what happened?¡± ¡°I stored the divinity inside the device.¡± Laguel smiled furtively. ¡°Even though usually only those who have proved their worth can get this¡­given the circumstances, I guess it¡¯s meaningless for us to talk about if you¡¯re worthy or not. You¡¯ll need it.¡± ¡°By device, are you talking about that hologram-like thing?¡± ¡°Yes. Since you¡¯re from Earth, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get used to it fast.¡± In order to talk to the natives in Liber, he needed her gift. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Chi-Woo bowed with an awkward face. A strange silence flowed between them. Laguel¡¯s face turned expressionless again as she began stuffing the items back into the bag. ¡°Archangel Raphael told me to leave those behind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this because it¡¯ll be easier for you to take your belongings if I organize them inside the bag.¡± ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll organize them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. But more importantly, you need to be careful.¡± Laguel refused Chi-Woo¡¯s offer and continued talking while stuffing items into his bag. ¡°Even though I did my best to do everything I can, it¡¯s not much. It¡¯ll probably be like dropping a few drops of oil in a completely soaked log.¡± While carefully wrapping the snacks in a cloth so that they won¡¯t break, she said, ¡°There have only ever been two galaxy-scale events throughout the entire Celestial Realm¡¯s history¡­so even if you are extremely careful, it¡¯s still not enough.¡± Chi-Wo watched Laguel skillfully organize the items into his bag and scratched his head. ¡°Well, yes. But there¡¯s something I¡¯m really curious about.¡± He watched Laguel close his bag and coughed. ¡°Perhaps, do you like me?¡± ¡°You must never let your guard down¡­wait, what?¡± Laguel was so surprised that she whirled around to look at him. Her eyes became wide as saucers, and she stared at him as if she just saw a car ram into a building. ¡°W-What did you say?¡± Chi-Woo nodded at Laguel¡¯s startled face. ¡°You don¡¯t. Well, of course that can¡¯t be true.¡± Then he changed his question. ¡°As expected, you like my brother.¡± Her reaction was completely different this time. ¡°!?¡± Chi-Woo was definitely sure that Laguel liked his brother. Laguel¡¯s face immediately froze, and her body also became stiff. She had stopped moving altogether. ¡°I almost misunderstood.¡± Chi-Woo smiled. ¡°Ah, please give that to me. Thank you so much for organizing my bag.¡± Chi-Woo put his bag over his shoulder as Laguel blinked her eyes like mad. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I will definitely, without fail, bring my brother back for you. And¡­¡± Chi-Woo raised his left wrist and tapped it with his thumb. ¡°Thank you for caring about me. I¡¯ll use the divinity well and return it to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much¡­no, wait a bit.¡± ¡°Please stay healthy until we meet again, Sister-in-law.¡± After saying this, Chi-Woo quickly turned around. He heard strange sounds coming from behind his back. ¡°Wait! Wait a bit! Please wait a bit! Sir Chi-Woo! You misunderstood¡­hey, Chi-Woo!¡± Laguel tried to catch him in a frenzy, but Chi-Woo swiftly stepped outside. Even though he heard her quickly follow him behind, it seemed that she was concerned by the gazes of other heroes as she loudly huffed without saying anything. But then he soon heard a voice. ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that! Ah! I said nooo!¡± Laguel¡¯s shrill cries burst out from behind him, but Chi-Woo simply laughed and walked forward in search of the transmission point. It wasn¡¯t difficult to find the waiting place. After finishing most of the preparations, the majority of the heroes were gathered inside the transmission point¡¯s gigantic circular structure. Chi-Woo joined this group and found a familiar face. There was Giant Fist, standing by himself. When Chi-Woo approached him, Giant Fist felt his presence and turned around. ¡°Ah, you came, sir?¡± ¡°Yes. I just finished everything.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Giant Fist replied blankly and closed his mouth. Giant Fist had always made a big fuss whenever he saw Chi-Woo, so it was strange that he was quiet as a mouse now. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Giant Fist blinked a couple of times and made a bitter smile. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± unexpectedly, Giant Fist responded truthfully. ¡°I¡¯m relieved¡­but nervous at the same time¡­¡± What did he mean by this? ¡°To tell you the truth, I couldn¡¯t believe it,¡± Giant Fist said in a low voice. ¡°When I saw an announcement, saying that there will be a second recruitment process after Sir Choi Chi-Hyun went to the first one, it was hard for me to believe it¡ªespecially since I knew how amazing he was better than anyone else.¡± Chi-Woo felt a sense of detachment and curiosity while hearing Giant Fist¡¯s statements about his brother. To him, Chi-Hyun had been like any normal older brother; whenever he came back home to rest, Chi-Woo often saw him lying on the couch with only his underwear while watching TV. It was baffling how everyone he met regarded his brother with the utmost respect and was careful to even utter his name. ¡®It¡¯s like they are talking about another person,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Of course, it might be because he had lived without knowing anything. Meanwhile, Giant Fist continued, ¡°But when I heard how dire the situation is, I felt relieved. I suppose even he couldn¡¯t help it in a situation like this¡­¡± ¡°Well, the most important part is that you want to help him. Isn¡¯t that all that matters?¡± ¡°Yes, I do want to help him. My heart hasn¡¯t changed in that way, but¡­¡± Giant Fist sighed deeply. ¡°Now that the situation has come to this, I wonder if anything will change simply because someone like me is going¡­¡± ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t say that. You are a hero, too.¡± ¡°In a place where the World is extinct, a hero is just like any ordinary being. Besides, heroes are just mere mortals in the end.¡± ¡°Mortals?¡± ¡°Yes, they are mortals whose ultimate fates are to die in the end. When they use up all their lifespans, they will return to dust.¡± Giant Fist chewed on his lower lip. ¡°It might sound strange, but think about it, sir. If everyone on your planet united under one mind and force, how far do you think their influence would extend to in space?¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°I suppose the Earth as a whole at most. United, people would be able to doom the planet, but no matter how hard they try, I doubt they would be able to make an impact on the star cluster at large or what lies beyond that.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°Yes, it is as you say, sir. That¡¯s the way it is not only on Earth, but everywhere you go. That¡¯s how insignificant mortals are. No matter how much they struggle, they could only impact a planet at most.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face darkened. He grasped what Giant Fist was trying to say. ¡°Then Liber is impacted by¡­?¡± Giant Fist stretched out his thumb and pointed up in response. Chi-Woo raised his chin and said, ¡°A god?¡± ¡°An immortal,¡± Giant Fist replied succinctly. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll only know once we¡¯re there¡­but.¡± He folded his thumb back down and slowly dropped his arm. ¡°We might be getting thrown in the middle of a battle between gods.¡± ¡ªPreparation complete. An announcement interrupted their conversation. ¨CTransmission is starting soon. Please gather inside the circle as quickly as possible. Chi-Woo fell into deep thought. He had heard about a war of the gods such as Ragnarok. But for some reason, he didn¡¯t feel much after hearing such terrifying news. He had the same feeling as he did when he left home like he was leaving to attend to some unfinished business. Giant Fist took a deep breath when he noticed how calm Chi-Woo was. If his speculations were right, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do much even if they went to Liber. Far from normalizing a World, they could be too busy surviving day by day. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like Giant Fist felt completely hopeless. He looked to Chi-Woo, who looked more unperturbed than other heroes after having lived an ordinary life, and gulped. Giant Fist believed it would be different this time. The seventh recruitment would be different from all the other ones. He didn¡¯t know what kind of place Liber was, but they also had a formidable figure on their side: the being who had stomped one of the top angels said to serve God¡¯s will like a bug¡ªthe unpredictable delegate who had a monumental immortal backing him up. CH 13 ¡ªTransmission will begin soon ¡ªCountdown starting. 100, 99, 98¡­ The announcement quieted the murmurs. As everyone stopped moving, someone approached Chi-Woo. Although the person looked familiar, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t recognize her right away. ¡°You finally came?¡± Giant Fist asked the woman with short brown hair as she staggered towards them. ¡°Where is your hat?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They told me to leave it behind,¡± she said with a scowl. ¡°It¡¯s not even a big deal. How annoying. What about you?¡± ¡°They took everything away. Thankfully, they let me keep my fists.¡± Giant Fist lifted both his hands up. Chi-Woo finally realized then that the woman in front of him was the woman with the beret hat. Without her hat, her face was in full view, and she gave off a different air than before. At a glance, she looked human, but further inspection revealed an alienness about her that suggested otherwise. ¡®I didn¡¯t know she looked like this.¡¯ Chi-Woo looked closely at her to find the reason for her alienness and ended up meeting the woman¡¯s eyes. As soon as she saw him, she fixed her posture and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, sir.¡± She gathered her hands together and bowed. ¡°It¡¯s an honor. My name is Mua Janya.¡± ¡°Ah, I am¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I know. You are Giant Fist¡¯s childhood friend, right?¡± Chi-Woo closed his mouth. What was she talking about? He knew the woman was aware of his identity. However, the beret hat woman¡ªno, Mua Janya, quickly darted her eyes sideways, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t question her. It appeared that she was purposefully speaking wrong information out loud, and he could make a guess why she was doing this. ¡®She is telling me to keep my identity a secret.¡¯ It was the same in every world. People connected to a famous person always garnered a lot of attention, especially if they were a blood relative. If one had to rank heroes and line them up in order, Choi Chi-Hyun would be on the first row; and even in this row, he would be standing right in the front. He was the hero of heroes, the king, and the legend. It was only natural that Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s one and only brother would attract all kinds of attention. And while some of this attention might be positive, there would also be those who saw him in a negative light. Although there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone eavesdropping on them, Chi-Woo decided to be careful just in case. ¡°I bet you were really surprised when we first met,¡± Mua Janya said in a low voice. Chi-Woo smiled, remembering when Mua Janya suddenly intervened in his meeting with Giant Fist. ¡°Yeah. A ton.¡± It especially shocked him when he saw her aggressively drag away a titan of a man like Giant Fist. ¡°That time, I thought you were collaborating with Giant Fist to con me.¡± ¡°As if. I¡¯m more like a stalker than a collaborator.¡± ¡°Haha¡­is that so¡­wait, stalker?¡± ¡°I had been spying on you guys from within a 100-meter distance for 24 hours straight,¡± she said calmly. Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback. He was joking, but she readily admitted that she was¡­what? ¡®And for 24 hours straight?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t noticed her at all then. ¡°It¡¯s because I was asked to do so,¡± Mua Janya clarified. ¡°By my brother?¡± ¡°Yes. He told me to protect you¡­¡± Chi-Woo stared at Mua Janya intently. The captain of the boat who drove him to the island had also said similar things. ¡°Did he tell you to make sure I didn¡¯t come here?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Mua Janya admitted. ¡°Why?¡± This was the most pressing question he had; why did his brother and his whole family hide their identities from him? It was the first question he wanted to ask his brother when Chi-Woo met him. ¡°Sorry. I only received the request and didn¡¯t hear anything else.¡± It was a reply that Chi-Woo had expected. Mua Janya continued, ¡°I also asked him for an explanation, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡®Of course, he wouldn¡¯t.¡¯ ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m not even supposed to tell you this.¡± Mua Janya shook her head sideways. ¡°Why are you telling me this now?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Mua Janya stopped shaking her head. ¡°I wanted to tell you before it was too late. However, things have already progressed to this point, and it¡¯s not like you can turn back now¡­¡± Mua Janya spoke bitterly and slightly hung her head. Her lips twitched a bit before she muttered quietly, ¡°We don¡¯t know what will happen after we are transmitted. Moreover, since I failed to fulfill Sir Chi-Hyun¡¯s request¡­I felt like I had to atone for it in some way.¡± ¡®Atone¡¯- it was his second time hearing this word today. He wondered what in the world his brother did that Laguel and Mua Janya would act like this. Chi-Woo blamed his brother for putting him in such an uncomfortable position. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. There¡¯s no need for you to also come¡ª" Giant Fist began to feel sorry as he listened to Mua Janya and spoke up to apologize, but Mua Janya cut him off immediately. ¡°You, shut up.¡± It was completely different from the way she addressed Chi-Woo. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s fine,¡± Mua Janya said. While Giant Fist slouched in the corner, she cleared her throat. ¡°It¡¯s my decision in the end. I won¡¯t regret it.¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. It seemed many had become involved because of his actions without him meaning to. Although he hadn¡¯t forced anyone to act, there was a part of him that felt slightly guilty. Wing! A strong vibration shook the area. Shocked, Chi-Woo saw a faint halo of light rise from below and fill up the space. The floor lit up, and straight lines were drawn to form a geometric shape, which emitted a white light and shone straight at Chi-Woo, enveloping him like it was trying to take over his body. It didn¡¯t take long for the light to submerge him and transform his body into dazzling particles. ¡®My body is¡­?¡¯ It was turning into light. And that wasn¡¯t all; Chi-Woo realized that he couldn¡¯t hear any sound at all. He saw Mua Janya move her lips, but he couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying. He had lost all his senses except for his sight. His surroundings suddenly morphed into a very bizarre and silent space. The surging light had reached the top of his head now. Chi-Woo watched as giant pillars of light shot up from the shining floor like they were trying to break the ceiling. Every hero underwent the same transformation following Chi-Woo, and they all simultaneously sprung upwards with the pillar of light. There wasn¡¯t even a moment to gasp. The crowd of angels who had been standing around to pay their respects suddenly became dots and disappeared from their view. The light then vanished. Chi-Woo lost his sight, which meant that all his senses were gone. It felt like he had become a nonexistent being. Complete darkness rushed in. It seemed like he was being swept somewhere, or perhaps he was just swimming in a vast sea of darkness. He didn¡¯t know where he was going nor whether he had stopped. In his anxious state, Chi-Woo spotted something in the darkness: the milky way, an embroidery of blue and red lights against the canvas of nothingness. Various shapes quickly flashed past him, reminding him of what one saw when they pressed their arm to their eyes for a long time. Then a ball of light approached him at an especially fast pace. It was a tiny, sparkling star. At first, it was the size of a dust speck, but it grew bigger and bigger. The light pillars that had vanished appeared faintly into view again. Its long tails stretched outwards and bent towards the star; and following the pillars¡¯ trajectory, bursts of lights shot down like meteorites- Chi-Woo being one of them. ¡®That star is¡­¡¯ It was the star that placed the entire galaxy in danger: Liber. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. Something was strange. He felt himself distancing from the meteor shower. He was falling behind the others until he seemed to have stopped altogether. No, he and only he had stopped moving. It wasn¡¯t his imagination. The meteor shower of lights grew distant from him until they disappeared, and he was all alone. Before he could wonder why, the space in front of Chi-Woo stretched horizontally. ¡®What is it this time¡ª!¡¯ The space swallowed the one still-standing ball of light in one bite and closed instantly, as if it was hiding from someone. * * * Chi-Woo thought he had lived a special life, but considering the way his life unfolded, it was difficult to think that special necessarily meant good. In fact, dictionaries defined the word ¡®special¡¯ as ¡®different from what was usual¡¯. If he had to measure his life between good and bad, he considered it more to be ¡®bad¡¯¡ªespecially since he had to grow up seeing things normal people couldn¡¯t see. Furthermore, since he was young, his house was never free from incidents. Thus, Chi-Woo always had to live in fear and anxiety, not knowing what would happen next. He had to worry about strange beings causing him harm once they met his eyes or worry about getting winded into some strange incident and exposing his family to danger. Before he even entered elementary school, he was diagnosed with anxiety disorder; he had believed the beings only he could see to be the cause. It was only after he grew up a bit that he thought the spirits might not be the cause for his anxiety after all. He got used to them. Eventually, he reached the point where he saw spirits so frequently that they no longer scared him. They were merely annoying and tiring to deal with later on. And so, after he grew indifferent to these beings, there was no need for him to shiver in anxiety. This was the same for the tumultuous events that happened to him. After facing all kinds of strange situations, Chi-Woo was now unfazed by even the most bizarre situations. Yet, even then, Chi-Woo was always anxious. He couldn¡¯t really understand why, and his childhood trauma wasn¡¯t enough of an explanation. Everyone probably experienced this sensation at least once as a student¡ªthe anxiety one feels at having not studied enough for an upcoming test. In this case, the solution was simple; they just needed to study more. With this same thought process, Chi-Woo concluded that the cause of his mysterious anxiety might be he hadn¡¯t accepted his role as a shaman[1] and served a god. This was a common story among shamans. If a person who was fated to become a shaman didn¡¯t accept their fate, the gods would become furious and send punishments through misfortune and sickness to the person or their children. People who might not be familiar with shinnaerim would just laugh and move on, but Chi-Woo, who had an uncanny life, seriously considered becoming a shaman. When Chi-Woo was young, he was more precocious than children around his age thanks to his unusual life, and after a few days of consideration, he declared that he would become a shaman. He would eagerly accept a god and become a shaman if it meant his family wouldn¡¯t need to suffer because of him, and he would be able to get rid of the mysterious source of anxiety that plagued his life. Surprisingly, his parents didn¡¯t object and even helped him after saying that they wouldn''t stop him as long as this was what he truly wanted. With his parent¡¯s help, he met various shamans. He had even become a disciple of a skillful and highly respected shaman. However, long story short, Chi-Woo failed to become one himself. It wasn¡¯t that Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to accept a god into his body; he couldn¡¯t. Every time he became a shaman¡¯s disciple, he was chased out in a matter of weeks or even days. It didn¡¯t help when he apprenticed under a different shaman; they all said the same thing. According to them, they wanted to help him because they pitied his circumstances, but their powers fell short. The powers of the gods they served were not strong enough to help him out. Chi-Woo was crushed. He had thought he could finally break his repetitive and ill-fated life. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t fall into despair. No, he tried not to fall into despair. If other people could help him, he didn¡¯t need to be a shaman. With this in mind, he went to Buddhist temples and churches and repeated the same process again. The more hopeful he became, the further he fell into despair. Regardless of where he went, how much he begged and pleaded, held on for dear life, and tried with all his might, it was all pointless. When there was no longer anywhere for him to go, Chi-Woo became furious. He became angry at his parents and cursed the world in spite. He didn¡¯t know what else to do. However, his period of hating his parents and cursing the world didn¡¯t last long. His parents, who always pitied their youngest child, comforted Chi-Woo with tender hearts. Moreover, good fortune eventually came knocking. The sixth pastor that he served under introduced him to a teacher while saying, ¡®if he can¡¯t help you, there¡¯s no one in Korea who can¡¯. After going through years of misfortune, it was extremely fortunate that Chi-Woo met his teacher at the lowest point in life. As soon as the teacher saw Chi-Woo, he clicked his tongue and complained, ¡®Ha, damn it. What a guy¡­Even in my old age, I¡¯m shocked.¡¯ However, without further complaints, he accepted Chi-Woo under his wings. Unlike the others, his teacher didn¡¯t make Chi-Woo accept a god or ask the gods to give him some more time until he became a shaman. His teacher also didn¡¯t make him read Buddhist scriptures or the Bible or make him pray. Instead, he acted like Chi-Woo¡¯s grandpa and made Chi-Woo study and brought him along to many different places. Unfortunately, his teacher passed away not long after living together for just two years. Depending on how one saw it, the time Chi-Woo spent with his teacher could be considered long or short. Chi-Woo learned many things while following his teacher. He listened to various stories and went through different experiences and changed his mindset. Looking back to his memories, these were one of the few times in his life that he felt peaceful and happy. [Please cherish life, whether it¡¯s a ghost or not¡­and also believe in yourself no matter the circumstances.] Following his teacher¡¯s wishes, Chi-Woo tried to accept his situation even when his present circumstances were painful and extremely difficult. Moreover, he firmly resolved to not go astray for his devoted family and enlisted in the military. However, before he was discharged, one of his family members had gone missing¡ªhis brother, Choi Chi-Hyun. They were ten years apart. Not that big an age gap, but it was still a gap. It was around then that his parents became exhausted and drained. In order to find his brother, he employed all possible efforts. However, the more he looked for his brother, the more unanswered questions came up, and Chi-Woo steadily became wearier and wearier. Moreover, when he experienced incidents that were a little more intense than usual like today, old, pessimistic thoughts came back into his mind. Perhaps his brother¡¯s disappearance was a continuation of God''s punishment¡­ ¡®No.¡¯ Chi-Woo shook his head. His teacher had told him to not be consumed by feelings of guilt, or it¡¯d be much easier for him to become corrupted. ¡®I can¡¯t be pessimistic.¡¯ Chi-Woo shook his head one more time and suddenly heard a strange sound. It sounded like papers fluttering. ¡®Oh, come to think of it¡­¡¯ * * * ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chi-Woo frowned deeply and slowly opened his eyes. With narrowed eyes, he quickly scanned his surroundings. What he saw made his jaw drop and his face go blank in surprise ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ He was in a library. No, to be more specific, he was in a space that looked like a library. Countless bookshelves lined up all over the place and reached unknown heights. There were an immeasurable amount of books on the bookshelves. Aside from the sudden appearance of the library, what kept Chi-Woo from recovering his jaw was the extremely strange shapes of the books. There were small books, big books, books of all sizes, shapes, and colors, and the books were moving by themselves. Chi-Woo could not hide his amazement as the books moved like living beings. Some flew all over the place with wings, and others opened on their own and fluttered their pages. He even saw a book flip through another book to read through it, and a book using another book as its pillow to sleep. He was literally in a world of books. ¡ªHeh. This is pretty interesting. A sudden voice rang in his head, and Chi-Woo flinched. ¡ªIt¡¯s no wonder. Even a wild beast recognizes those who will save them. You¡¯re probably even more desperate. ¡°Who are you?¡± Chi-Woo replied with a question, but the only sound that came back was a quiet laugh. ¡ªRather than finding out who I am, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to quickly choose? ¡°What¡­do I choose?¡± ¡ªWhat do you think of those things around you? The mysterious voice spoke as if it was gently trying to persuade him. ¡ªThere¡¯s not much time. ¡ªThis space is the last ability that the World has saved for the very worst-case scenario. ¡ªIf the channel disappears, this space will also disappear with it. ¡ªSo, find your partner before this space disappears. ¡®Find my partner?¡¯ Chi-Woo was about to ask another question, but he hesitated. The movements of the books had become strange. All of them had come to a sudden halt. Chi-Woo felt an enormous number of gazes on him. Of course, books didn¡¯t have eyes, but he felt as if he was being stared at. Flutttter! As soon as Chi-Woo faltered, all kinds of books quickly flocked to him. Their covers fluttered like wings and rotated around him as if they were asking him to look at them and choose them. Among these books, there were several that forcibly rushed forward and pushed the other books behind. They all fought to show Chi-Woo their titles and opened up to show their content. However, there were so many books that were doing this that his mind couldn¡¯t stay focused, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even think about reading any of the books. Whooooooosh! At that moment, a book flew through the huge crowd of books. Its unusual qualities were clear even at first glance. The book was big and very thick. The edges were decorated in gold, so it looked expensive. The other books also seemed surprised by this book¡¯s appearance as they quickly scattered away like fish facing a ferocious shark. The book arrived proudly in front of Chi-Woo. It seemed to think that it was only natural that Chi-Woo would pick it. It swept over Chi-Woo¡¯s legs and climbed up, and the way it tickled his legs made it seem even more mysterious. Flutter, flutter. And this wasn¡¯t the only behavior it showed. As if to tempt him, the book subtly opened and closed itself as if it was debating if it should show its inside or not. ¡°What the heck is this?¡± Chi-Woo kicked the book as it continued to play its tricks. In the first place, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t like the way it appeared, and he also didn¡¯t feel anything special from it. Flutter, flutter? Whoosh, whoosh! A commotion erupted around Chi-Woo. The books around him seemed as if they couldn¡¯t believe that Chi-Woo had kicked the gold-rimmed book without hesitation. After being dumped by Chi-Woo, the gold-rimmed book¡¯s bookmark trembled as if it was humiliated, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t give it another glance and continued on. ¡®Hm?¡¯ After looking around without rest, Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze fell on one area. ¡®That book¡­before.¡¯ It was the first book he had seen as soon as he opened his eyes in this place. Unlike other books, it had beautiful white wings on its outer cover, and after flying around, it laid on another book to rest. It was still lying down. Even though the other books had caused a commotion at Chi-Woo¡¯s appearance, it stayed quiet by itself. In the first place, it looked completely uninterested in Chi-Woo as if it was saying, ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m different from the other books that make such a big fuss.¡± ¡®It really¡­¡¯ It really was elegant and chic. It also looked noble, and he felt the same dignity from the book as when he first saw Laguel. Perhaps that was why it had first grabbed his attention. ¡°Well¡­if it¡¯s not interested, I also don¡¯t want it.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s attention immediately shifted away. There was an overflowing amount of unique and special books anyway. There was no reason for Chi-Woo to stay fixated on this book just because it had wings. ¡°!¡± When Chi-Woo really began looking around at different books, the winged book flinched. 1. Called ¡®shinnaerim¡¯ in Korean ? CH 14 ¡®W-What? Didn¡¯t he just see me? But he¡¯s still looking at another book? Really?¡¯ The winged book tried to hold onto its pride, but when it saw Chi-Woo reach for another book, it hurriedly flapped towards him. ¡®Look! Look at me! I have such beautiful wings! How could you look at any other?¡¯ The winged book dropped all pretense and tried to appeal to Chi-Woo aggressively, but it was too late now. ¡°Ah, seriously. Go! Go away!¡± Chi-Woo scolded the book for hindering him and pushed it back. The book flew weakly away like a fly hit by a fly trap, lost consciousness, and flopped down to the ground. ¡®This is driving me crazy.¡¯ Chi-Woo looked visibly tired now. He picked up books by random and tried to read them, but he couldn¡¯t process the writings on the pages. There were simply too many of them. Even if he only read the title of the books and flipped through them, it would take him several decades to get through them all. He didn¡¯t know how he was going to find a fitting book in this case. ¡ªI understand your confusion in this unfamiliar situation. ¡ªAren¡¯t you the one who said it¡¯s easier to make mistakes if you¡¯re in a hurry? ¡ªDon¡¯t be so anxious and take things more slowly. ¡ªFollow your intuition. The mysterious voice muttered in his head. ¡®You were the one who told me to pick fast since I don¡¯t have much time¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo grumbled inside his mind and soon closed his eyes. It was his habit whenever he had to concentrate. ¡®With my intuition¡­¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem like he would get anything done by standing still, so he moved both hands. Like he was swimming, he swerved his arms in the air and heightened all the senses in his body, feeling books sweeping past him like water. ¡®¡­Oh?¡¯ To his surprise, his intuition was telling him something. He felt a variety of sensations?¡ªcold and hot and even hard and soft¡­ Among these sensations, he just had to find one that he liked. Flip. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. He opened an eye to peek as he swam in a circle of books, following his intuition and tightly grabbing the book that tickled his left hand. ¡®It¡¯s this one.¡¯ He felt nothing but basic physical sensations from other books, while this particular one gave him a special feeling. When he grabbed the book, the feeling became stronger, and he felt a burst of assurance rise in his heart. ¡®I know it. This is the one!¡¯ It was just like the feeling one would have when seeing an ally amid a losing battle. ¡°Ok, I''ll pick you,¡± Chi-Woo said. As soon as he declared these words, everything halted. The movements of all other books¡ªthe gold-rimmed book with a shaking tail, the crying book that hid its cover with its wings, and the book that flew around in a frenzy¡ªseized. Then they began to disappear. Like ice melting from the sunlight, they gradually evaporated, starting from their tops until there was nothing left. Soon, Chi-Woo was standing in a white space without anything in it. Chi-Woo looked around in amazement. ¡ªYou came. A voice rang. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes naturally darted towards the front and saw a gentle ripple. There hadn¡¯t been anything just a moment before, but now he was seeing something glimmer in the air. ¡®A child?¡¯ The figure looked like a child, or a girl, to be more precise. Her body was covered in wounds, and she was crying. She cried so sorrowfully as if she was an orphan who had just lost their parents on the battlefield. She looked so pitiful that Chi-Woo wanted to approach the girl and hug and pat her, telling them that everything would be alright. ¡ªNow¡­ The voice rang again. ¡ªYou are the owner of this space. ¡®I am the master of the library I just saw?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. Simultaneously, the child lifted her head. As tears dripped down her face, she stared at Chi-Woo and approached him, taking one slow step at a time. When the child finally reached Chi-Woo, she looked up at him and stared for a moment. Then she fumbled through her belongings and carefully stretched out her hand. ¡®A die?¡¯ A die lay on top of her small palm. It wasn¡¯t a normal, cube-shaped die, but a seven-sided one. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hear the child¡¯s voice, but he could understand what she was trying to tell him. It looked like she was asking him to take the die, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t accept this offer easily. He didn¡¯t know who this child was and why they had invited him to a place that looked like a library and made him choose a book¡ªand why they were suddenly giving him a die now. Questions popped up in his mind and formed more questions. ¡ªWhy don¡¯t you take it? Chi-Woo felt a slight push against his back, and he took one step forward towards the child. The child raised both hands as if she was pleading to Chi-Woo to take the die. When Chi-Woo met the child¡¯s eyes, he stretched out his hands like he was hypnotized. He wiped away the child¡¯s tears and picked up the die from her palm. ¡ªGood. The voice rang again. ¡ªYou have received it. The child¡¯s eyes darted around, and her mouth opened slightly. ¡ªYou have suffered a lot. It must have been very difficult, but now, you can go on and finally rest. At these words, the child smiled brightly as her face glittered from dried-up tears. It was a smile that filled all on-lookers with happiness. The child closed her eyes like she was finally relieved now. As if she wanted to thank Chi-Woo, she opened her arms widely and leaned her body towards him. ¡°Ah.¡± But before she could, she disappeared. The child was gone as if she had never existed in the first place. Chi-Woo felt a sense of regret and squeezed the die twice before he stretched his hand back out and lowered his arm. It felt like he was dreaming. What was the die? And what about the book? Chi-Woo raised the book he was holding. It was a simple book with a deep blue-indigo cover; just the right thickness, and it pleased him whenever he looked at it. ¡ªHeh. Chi-Woo thought he just heard laughter. ¡ªHow surprising. Of all the books you could¡¯ve chosen, you chose that one. ¡°What kind of book is it¡­No, before that, who are you, really?¡¯ ¡ªFu, fu. Why don¡¯t you take a look at your book first? It felt like he was getting ridiculed, but since Chi-Woo was curious, he decided to open the book to its first page. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo was speechless when he saw curly shapes that he didn¡¯t recognize at all. Yet the shapes soon wavered until they changed to Hangul, which Chi-Woo could read. ¡®Is this the effect of the translation device?¡¯ Chi-Woo read the writings that had changed shape. The title said: [7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent] ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Woo gasped when he saw a title he hadn¡¯t expected at all. It wasn¡¯t an instruction book, detailing celestial martial arts or a legacy written by a wise sage. It wasn¡¯t even a guide to a hidden or hard job. What need did a 20-year-old young man who had barely lived his life have for such a book? ¡°This is¡ª?¡± Slaaaaaam! Before Chi-Woo could finish his sentence, he heard bookcases fall over and saw a blinding flash of light burst in the center of the books. Simultaneously, Chi-Woo felt his body drop. * * * Bam! Chi-Woo trembled on the floor. ¡°Ah, ughhhh!¡± He stretched and wrapped the back of his head with his hands, rolling sideways. ¡°Ahhhh¡ªUhhhhhh.¡± Chi-Woo groaned for a while, but eventually sat up. His face was all scrunched up in pain. Slam! ¡°Umph!¡± Slid. A heavy bag struck his face and slid down his body. ¡°¡­.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his chin and closed his eyes. How great¡ªnot only was he suddenly dragged away to some mysterious place, but he was also thrown back like some baggage. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± It almost killed him, getting treated this well. The pain gradually dwindled. He could move his body to some degree, but his mind was still blank. It felt like he had just woken up from a deep sleep, and he had to recover his senses first. ¡®I have to get my bag first¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo picked up his bag and looked around. ¡°Hm¡­¡± As his surroundings slowly came into view, he realized that he was in a place completely different from what he had expected to be brought to. ¡®It seems I am¡­in a warehouse for trash?¡¯ A pile of moldy, wooden boxes was disorderly stacked in the corner, and debris littered on a floor covered in crushed hay. Perhaps that was why the room appeared so full. It was about 252 to 288 square feet and as big as a one-room apartment. From the look of it, it seemed big enough to accommodate only one or two people at most. Usually, when heroes traveled to another world, they appeared out of a magic circle and a princess would greet them in their confused state. Then they would meet the king and hear about the situation facing the kingdom. ¡®This is a bit¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t expected his first stop to be an old storage room. It looked to have been abandoned for many years judging by the thick layer of dust on the floor and the stale smell permeating the air. Chi-Woo frowned and scrunched up his nose. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t realized it right away since he was so dumbfounded, but he now noticed that the odor coming off from this room was quite awful. It seemed they hadn¡¯t let fresh air come into the storage since they built it. But besides that, he didn¡¯t see Giant Fist, Mua Janya, or any of the rest of the seventh recruitment team. ¡®Was I that late? But I don¡¯t think those two would leave without me.¡¯ They would have most likely looked for him if they didn¡¯t see him. It was more reasonable to conclude that all of the recruits had landed in separate places because of the unstable connection. ¡®I¡¯m sure of it. I¡¯m the only one who fell here.¡¯ If there was someone besides him, there should have been some traces left. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even spot a footstep, and all he could see were layers upon layers of dust save for the place he had landed. He wouldn¡¯t be gaining more information by staying here. Chi-Woo organized his thoughts, shouldered his backpack, and got up. In order to gain useful information and meet other heroes, he needed to start moving. ¡°What the hell. Why isn¡¯t it openi¡­!¡± While Chi-Woo struggled to open the rusty door, he heard a strange sound. Swish. The sound quickly passed by, so Chi-Woo didn¡¯t pay it much attention and instead pushed the door with both hands. While he was trying to push the door with his whole body¡ª Bam. Chi-Woo stopped pushing the door. ¡®What was that just now?¡¯ He thought he heard something crash outside. No, he was sure of it. ¡°Who is¡ª¡± Chi-Woo was about to ask who was outside, but quickly closed his mouth. He had arrived last among all the seventh-batch recruits; it would be overly optimistic to the point of naivety for him to assume that the figure outside was one of his fellow recruits. Even though they might be his companions, it was good to be extra cautious. Chi-Woo stopped moving and carefully pulled his hands away from the door. He also slowed his breathing and turned his ears towards the sound. Swish, swish¡­ He definitely heard it this time; it sounded like something was being pulled. Bam. Following that was the sound of something hitting the ground. Now that he thought about it, his surroundings were suspiciously quiet. It was so quiet that he could even hear the smallest noise. Swish, swish, swish, swish. The mysterious sound began to grow closer and closer. Chi-Woo wondered if he had made a loud noise when he landed here. He followed his instincts and moved back. Judging by the situation, it seemed that he wouldn¡¯t be welcomed by kings and royals like the heroes in comics. Swish. The sound stopped in front of the door. An ominous silence stretched, smothering both inside and outside the warehouse until¡ª Crash! The iron door that wouldn¡¯t budge no matter how hard Chi-Woo pushed broke off with a ferocious sound. There was nothing in the warehouse. The place that Chi-Woo landed on was also empty, as he had quickly hidden himself behind the wooden boxes. He didn¡¯t even breathe. Chi-Woo covered his mouth with his left hand and quietly opened his bag with the other. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiii¡­.! The sound of air escaping through teeth rang in the warehouse. An evil energy swept through the space in the form of cold air. After a while. Swish¡­ He heard the sound of something getting pulled again, then¡­ Bam! He heard other doors opening. Swish, Bam! Swish, Bam! Swish, Bam! Swish, Bam! It seemed like the unknown being was opening and checking each door. Chi-Woo sat paralyzed and didn¡¯t move for a while. He didn¡¯t even budge an inch until the sound moved far away. By that time, he was completely out of breath. ¡°Pw¡­..eh¡­¡­¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out his breath as softly as possible and quietly dropped to the ground. All the emotions he had suppressed flowed out of him like water. He felt an innate fear towards the unknown. ¡ªEven if you¡¯re extremely careful, it¡¯s still not enough. He suddenly recalled Laguel¡¯s words. ¡®What was that¡­just now¡­¡¯ The evil energy he felt was enough to make him shiver head to toe in fear. What would have happened if he had hidden behind the wooden boxes a second slower? Gulp. The sound of him gulping was way louder than usual. He hadn¡¯t realized it, but his heart was beating in a frenzy. Now that he thought about it, he had been way too calm about all this. Even he thought it was strange how calmly he had accepted this role and situation. He had acted way too indifferent to everything else because he was overwhelmed with the joy of finally finding something he could do. At the end of the day, however, he was not a hero, but an ordinary person. Mua Janya said that they were now in the same boat as him, but that was not true at all. Even though Chi-Woo had lived an unusual life, he was still an ordinary person in the end. It was absurd to compare himself to heroes who had gone through all kinds of thorny paths filled with hardships and adversity. ¡®If this is how it¡¯s going to be¡­¡¯ ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have come¡­¡¯ But Chi-Woo strongly shook his head. He had come here after resisting dissuasions from multiple individuals. ¡®I need to stay focused.¡¯ He needed to understand his limits and reassess himself. Because everyone he met was so awed by him and treated him so politely, a part of him had thought he had become someone great without meaning to. However, they were treating him this way not because of who he was, but because of his brother and his family. The thought jolted Chi-Woo¡¯s mind awake like a bucket of cold water. He chastised himself for being way too careless, for thinking only that he needed to find his brother and bring him back. ¡®This is not a game.¡¯ If he died, it would be all over. Before he found his brother, he first needed to be concerned about his survival. Chi-Woo took a deep breath and peeked out his head a tiny bit and stared at where he had been before. Nothing had changed except the fact that the door was now wide open. No, there was one more difference. ¡®This smell is¡­¡¯ A metallic smell wafted into his nose¡ªit was the smell of blood. He saw a hall past the opened door. It seemed that he had been teleported into a building. ¡®I should first get out.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t just stay here all day. There was no guarantee that this place was safe, and someone might come in again. Chi-Woo got up from his seat. Pushing his trembling legs to move, he carefully stepped around the fallen door and stood in front of the entrance. ¡®It¡¯d be really creepy if someone was waiting outside.¡¯ He snuck a glance again. After checking that there was no one around, he went outside. The smell of blood immediately thickened. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ CH 15 There were blood marks. A trail of blood, broken up in some areas, followed a long line across the long corridor. ¡®Was something¡­dragged across the floor?¡¯ Chi-Woo shook off his frightful imaginations and turned sideways. There were two possible paths that he could take: either to the left or the right. He wanted to leave this dreary building as fast as possible, but he didn¡¯t know which direction to take. ¡®I need more information.¡¯ In situations like this where he didn¡¯t know anything, he simply had to take the path that appeared to be the better option. But what was that sound he had just heard? It sounded like a person was hunting something. What if that guy heard Chi-Woo and decided to come his way? ¡®I think that guy was going left but turned right.¡¯ If that was the case, Chi-Woo had to go in the other direction. If he followed the blood marks, he might be able to find the building¡¯s exit. Of course, the mysterious hunter might simply be wandering around the building, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t risk it. Chi-Woo turned left and hoped his guess was right. ¡°!¡± As soon as he turned, he flinched. He almost screamed out loud in shock. There was a man standing and staring right at him. ¡°Who are you?¡± Chi-Woo demanded. He instinctively backed one step away and reached behind his back. ¡°¡­Ah, I¡¯m sorry,¡± the man apologized, his eyes widened in realization. Chi-Woo stopped reaching for his club, but he didn¡¯t let his guard down. He was sure that there hadn¡¯t been anyone just a moment before. ¡°Who are you? Where did you come out from?¡± Chi-Woo quickly scanned the figure. The man gave off a kind first impression, and his features were beautiful. He was an extremely handsome man, but he looked pale, almost sick. His blonde hair was rumpled and in a mess. His eyes looked dazed perhaps from fatigue, and his face and body were covered in dried red marks. His abdomen was especially smeared with red stains. ¡°You were lost in thought and I¡­¡± The man began. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t felt his presence at all, and the man seemed to have popped out of nowhere. He couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. He asked, ¡°I am asking you again. Who are you?¡¯ The young man seemed dumbfounded by Chi-Woo¡¯s threatening stance. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a member of the seventh recruitment team from the Celestial Realm?¡± the man asked. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. Seeing his response, the young man smiled widely. ¡°Yes, I am. I didn¡¯t realize that we were on the same team.¡± Chi-Woo twitched the fingers that were holding onto his club. Could he believe this man¡¯s words? ¡°But could you answer some questions for me? What¡¯s the name of the angel who made the announcements at the seventh recruitment?¡± The man looked confused at first, but he soon realized the reason behind the question and answered, ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Laguel.¡± ¡°Correct. What¡¯s her hair color?¡± ¡°I think her hair is blonde just like mine.¡± ¡°Correct. Do you know Ms. Laguel¡¯s bust, waist, and hip measurements? This is a piece of information that all heroes from the Celestial Realm know, and if they don¡¯t, they are surely a spy.¡± ¡°Uh¡­I¡­don¡¯t know that¡­¡± The man blinked. ¡°To tell you the truth, I just managed to save only one world and I¡¯m still a newbie. But I assure you that I am not a spy.¡± The man spoke desperately to convince Chi-Woo and appeared as earnest as his face suggested. ¡°I trust you. Truthfully, I don¡¯t know that either,¡± Chi-Woo said. When he realized that it had been a trick question, the man smiled slightly and remarked, ¡°You could¡¯ve proven my identity easily by turning on your hologram. You sure are thorough, sir.¡± Chi-Woo took his hands off his club and flinched. ¡®How do I turn that on?¡¯ he wondered. He did receive a device like that, but he didn¡¯t know how it worked. Chi-Woo suddenly got nervous that the man might ask to see his hologram and suspect him, but thankfully, the man changed the topic of the conversation. ¡°Were you sent here too?¡± the man asked. ¡°Sorry? Ah, yes, yes. When I woke up, I was in this room.¡± Then Chi-Woo responded with his own question, ¡°You too?¡± And the man¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I¡­¡± He squinted one eye and placed his hand on his forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­remember too well¡­When I gained consciousness, I¡­¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why, but the man appeared to be in pain. ¡®Did he hurt his head badly when he fell to this place?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. The man shook his head and took a deep breath. ¡°Did you see anyone else?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for a giant man with a tail and a woman with short brown hair. Their names are Giant Fist and Mua Janya.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I saw them. Sorry to disappoint you.¡± It wasn¡¯t really something to apologize about, but the man apologized like he was genuinely sorry. However, Chi-Woo was sure of one thing now. He wasn¡¯t the only one that had been dropped separately from the others; everyone was scattered to various places. After a stretch of silence, the man spoke again like he had reached a decision. ¡°Anyways, it seems we have confirmed each other¡¯s identities well enough now,¡± he said calmly even in this chaotic situation. ¡°Would you like to team up in the meantime?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure two is better than one.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t refuse. Even if they didn¡¯t know each other, they were allies with the same goals. Besides, the man might have lost his power, but he was still a hero. There was no reason for Chi-Woo to reject an experienced and skilled veteran fighter from joining him. ¡°I think our first priority should be getting out of this place,¡± the man said. ¡°What do you think, sir?¡± ¡°I agree with you strongly,¡± Chi Woo answered. Chi-Woo liked that the man didn¡¯t just act on his own and instead asked for Chi-Woo¡¯s opinion. ¡®I also like that he doesn¡¯t speak informally to me right away.¡¯ Chi-Woo would only know for sure after spending more time with the man, but his new companion appeared to be a good person. ¡°So¡­Oh, that¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t ask for your name,¡± the man said. Chi-Woo nodded and spoke, ¡°Yes. I am Choi Chi¡­¡± He stopped midway. He had been warned to not give away his identity if he could prevent it. ¡°Excuse me? If you are Choi Chi¡­are you part of the Choi family? Are you perhaps from G-S-3-E?¡± As expected, the man caught on right away. This made Chi-Woo also wonder, ¡®I thought he said he was just a newbie who joined the ranks after saving one World.¡¯ ¡°No, no,¡± Chi-Woo quickly denied. ¡°I think you heard wrong. My name is¡ª" No name came to his mind, and he knew he would invite suspicions if he took too long, so he blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m Chichibbong.¡± Chi-Woo could clearly see the corner of the man¡¯s lips rise as soon as he heard this name, and a quiet ¡®pfff¡¯ escaped his mouth. Chi-Woo laughed humorlessly when he saw the man clench his teeth. ¡®Is it that funny?¡¯ he thought. The man¡¯s lips trembled, and Chi-Woo gripped his fists tightly. ¡®Seriously?¡¯ If Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been there, the man would¡¯ve burst into laughter on the spot while yelling, ¡®Hahaha! Chichibbong! His name is Chichibbong!¡¯ ¡°Perhaps¡­Is my name funny to you?¡± Chi-Woo asked suspiciously, but the man shook his head fervently. After talking so much, the man had become a mute now and was chewing his lower lip so viciously that it looked like it would bleed. Wanting to push this moment a bit further, Chi-Woo added, ¡°That¡¯s good then. It¡¯s a precious name my parents gifted me.¡± If his parents heard him, they would have protested and asked him when they had done such a thing. Still, mentioning his parents seemed to have a significant effect, and the man stopped fidgeting and opened his eyes widely. Then he gulped loudly and spoke again. ¡°I-I see.¡± He coughed roughly and cleared his throat. ¡°Ehem! I almost¡­misunderstood..even though¡­there was no¡­way¡­¡± The man struggled to let out each word. Chi-Woo applauded the man¡¯s phenomenal self-control and in the meantime, the man took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Then he said, ¡°Nice to meet you, sir. I¡¯m pleased to introduce myself as Ru Amuh.¡± After finishing their introductions, Ru Amuh and Chichibbong¡ªno, Chi-Woo left their spots. Ru-Amuh decided to take the lead in directions while Chi-Woo kept watching. Ru Amuh had the same idea as Chi-Woo. He also thought that if they followed the blood marks in the opposite direction of where that dangerous figure went, they would reach the exit. The inside was dark and considering that they were in a building, the path was very twisted and complicated. Now that Chi-Woo thought about it, they might not even be in a building. Even though their surroundings had been built by human hands, Chi-Woo thought that Ru Amuh was right in that they were in a cave being used as a shelter. While Chi-Woo walked through the twisted path, he was plagued by embarrassment. Since he had spouted out the first part of his name ¡®Choi Chi¡¯, he couldn¡¯t take it back. He managed to turn ¡®Chi¡¯ into a new word, and spat out the first thing that came to his mind for ¡®Woo¡¯. However, it was precisely because he had said the first thing that came into his mind that he caused this embarrassment. There were so many cool and pretty names. Why did he have to pick Chichibbong? Why Chichibbong of all names! Chi-Woo stared at Ru Amuh. The man hadn¡¯t said anything since he began to lead the way. Even when the blood marks stopped at some parts or the path diverged into multiple directions, he moved forward without hesitation. ¡°Are we going in the right direction?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Ru Amuh was very succinct in his reply; he sounded a bit different from when Chi-Woo conversed with him before. ¡®Since he might need to focus, I shouldn¡¯t bother him.¡¯ Chi-Woo had asked the question out of concern, but since Ru Amuh was a hero, he probably knew what he was doing. ¡°Sir¡­¡± It was then that Chi-Woo heard Ru Amuh¡¯s voice. ¡°Chi¡­for what reason have you come here?¡± It was an unexpected question. ¡°Well, I came here to save a world in danger like everyone else.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel the need to reveal his true reason. ¡°What about you, Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Ru Amuh paused a bit and replied, ¡°I was led here by a god¡¯s call.¡± ¡°God¡¯s call?¡± ¡°Aerys is the god that we serve on the planet I was born and grew up in.¡± After saying this, Ru Amuh asked for permission to continue his explanation, and he started with a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s a common story. A disaster struck, and the world fell into a crisis. The days passed on like hell until one day, a boy received a divine command.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s voice sounded flat and empty as he continued, ¡°The na?ve boy who didn¡¯t know anything just did everything that the god told him to do. Even though a tremendous amount of suffering and adversity followed him, the boy became a hero that saved the world by the time he became a man.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s steps became a bit slower. ¡°And I thought everything was over.¡± His story was not over. ¡°But then, I received a new divine command.¡± ¡°What did it tell you to do?¡± ¡°It told me to help. It told me to go to Liber and save Him.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡®The god that Ru Amuh served, Aerys, told him to come to help Him? And not to save Liber?¡¯ Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t really understand the situation. ¡°And as the divine command told me to do, I went to the Celestial Realm to apply as a recruit, but I failed.¡± ¡°That.¡± ¡°I failed and failed¡­and repeatedly failed.¡± ¡°Someone I know also went through the same problem.¡± ¡°While I was wandering around, not knowing what to do, I was suddenly judged to be suitable. I was judged to be unsuitable even right before, but the results had changed.¡± Chi-Woo was silent. ¡°I thought there was a reason for Aerys¡¯ command,¡± Ru Amuh continued on, ¡°Like how I saved my world, I thought I would be given a specific role or mission. But¡­¡± His voice steadily grew quieter. ¡°But why is it?¡± Ru Amuh asked Chi-Woo, ¡°Why did the god I believe in brought me to this place?¡± Ru Amuh was asking Chi-Woo about his mission and role here, but Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t equipped to make a witty reply to a philosophical question, so he maintained his silence. He didn¡¯t know the reason why Ru Amuh asked this question, but he felt uncomfortable because he had been the reason the prophecy changed. Ru Amuh stopped walking. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± He looked to the front and pointed upwards. ¡°You just have to go up.¡± In a dark space, water dripped from the ceiling. Ru Amuh¡¯s prediction had been right¡ªthey really were in a cave and not a building and a very deep and wide cave at that. ¡°Just climb up from here.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s index finger moved down and pointed to the wall in front of him. At first glance, it just seemed like a bumpy wall, but when he got closer, Chi-Woo saw rocks that crossed diagonally and popped out. Rather than walking up, he would need to climb up to get out. ¡°You found it very quickly.¡± Chi-Woo was impressed. When he came out of the warehouse, he had a very vague idea of what he was going to do, but after meeting Ru Amuh, everything worked out much easier than he thought. ¡°¡­Perhaps,¡± Ru Amuh calmly added, ¡°This might be the reason why.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My mission and role here might have been to guide Sir Chichibbong out of this place¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a humorless chuckle. Ru Amuh was way too serious; it seemed like he was the type of person who became serious and fell into thought when everyone was laughing. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking and quickly climb up. Let¡¯s get out first.¡± Ru Amuh nodded. ¡°Please go ahead.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°No, Sir Chichibbong, you should go.¡± ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh, you should go first.¡± ¡°Hurry, you must quickly climb up.¡± Ru Amuh made a serious face and looked at him with a hard gaze. Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback. ¡°Please sir, I¡¯m asking you¡­¡± Ru Amuh looked back at the entrance they passed through and chewed his lips. He looked anxious. ¡®Did he sense that guy chasing us?¡¯ Since Ru Amuh was a hero, his senses might be different from ordinary people. ¡®Or¡­¡¯ The suspicion that had disappeared after finding out Ru Amuh was also part of the seventh recruits re-emerged. Perhaps something had happened here while Chi-Woo had taken his time to get transported to this cave. However, rather than hiding an insidious plan, Ru Amuh looked eager to flee. ¡°I understand. If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll go up first.¡± Ru Amuh spoke as if it couldn''t be helped. He looked desperate to get out even a second earlier. ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ll go first.¡± Since Ru Amuh was going this far, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything further and climbed up by using the rocks protruding out of the walls. He grabbed onto the flat rocks on his left and went up. He climbed left and then right, and then left again. A creaking sound rang out from the cavity of the cave. The cave was taller than he had thought. Even though he had climbed at least 20 meters up, he still hadn¡¯t reached the exit yet. However, after using all his strength to persistently climb up, he was able to get close to the ceiling. He also saw the vague outline of an iron door that was slightly open. ¡°Are you following me?¡± When Chi-Woo almost reached the end, he asked out loud. However, Ru Amuh did not reply. ¡°I asked, are you following me?¡± Even after waiting a bit, he heard no answer, so Chi-Woo asked once more. ¡®What the?¡¯ Chi-Woo huffed and looked down after tightly gripping onto a rock. ¡°Quiet!¡± It was then that Chi-Woo heard Ru-Amuh¡¯s voice. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m following you. But more importantly, don¡¯t look back and go quickly!¡± ¡°You should have replied quicker. I was worried about you.¡± ¡°How much longer until we get out?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much left. We just need to climb one or two more rocks.¡± Chi-Woo sighed in relief and climbed up another rock. There was now only one left. ¡°Ah.¡± At that moment¡ª ¡°Then¡­¡± CH 16 ¡°Could I make a request, sir?¡± Ru Amuh abruptly asked. ¡°A request? Why are you suddenly...urgh. Please give me a moment.¡± Chi-Woo stopped speaking and focused on climbing the boulder. From above, streams of water flowed down and soaked the top of his head. He heard the clear sound of rain coming from near him, indicating that he had almost made it to the top. ¡®It seems it¡¯s raining outside.¡¯ The rocks were slippery from the rain. He climbed a short distance at a time and soon the top of his head was touching the ceiling. He lowered his head and looked above. Between the cracks, he saw water leak out from a worn-out, faded iron gate. Although the bars looked rusty, it didn¡¯t have a lock and looked like it would open with a strong enough push. ¡°I found a door. It seems like we can open it. It¡¯s slippery because of the rain, so please be careful when coming up,¡± Chi-Woo warned. But instead of responding to Chi-Woo¡¯s warning, Ru Amuh just replied with what he had to say. ¡°Among the seventh recruits, there¡¯s a person named Ru Hiana.¡± ¡°Ru Hiana?¡± Chi-Woo answered carelessly and pushed the iron gate with great force. Creeeak! It let out an unpleasant, metallic sound, but thankfully, the door opened easily. Shaaaa! As soon as the door opened, water poured down from the heavy rain. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t see clearly because it was dark, but he still looked around. After making sure that there was no one there, Chi-Woo gripped the open iron gate tightly and lifted his body with great force to get out. Although he was soaked with rainwater, Chi-Woo felt free. ¡°I will hold onto you. Come out.¡± ¡°Ru Hiana is my ultimate best friend. Although she didn¡¯t need to come, she still insisted on following me.¡± ¡°Ru Hiana?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s alive, she¡¯s probably looking for me ardently. Since not a lot of time has passed, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what she is doing.¡± Ru Amuh sounded certain. Chi-Woo turned around. Through the open iron gate, he saw Ru Amuh. He had stopped after climbing the last boulder. ¡°So, you¡¯re asking me to look for this Ru Hiana together, right?¡± Chi-Woo said and knelt in front of the gate, hanging his body over it like an oyster. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go together. I also have two people whom I want to look for. We can look for them together, too.¡± He stretched out his hand below him. ¡°Please come out.¡± Looking at Chi-Woo¡¯s hand, Ru Amuh made a faint smile. Then he said, ¡°Ru Hiana is a girl with a ponytail, and her hair is the same blonde as mine. She can come off as a bit rough, but she¡¯s cute and kind.¡± ¡°No,¡± Chi-Woo muttered. ¡°I am not asking you to go out of your way to find her. If you meet her by chance or find a way to contact her, please just pass on a couple of words to her.¡± ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°Tell her that if she doesn¡¯t have a foolproof and safe method, she shouldn¡¯t even attempt to find me. Tell her that she shouldn¡¯t risk such danger, and should instead return safely back home.¡± At this point, Chi-Woo felt an unsettling sensation. ¡°Are you perhaps¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling you beforehand,¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s voice shook. ¡°When I regained my consciousness, I saw some stranger dragging my body.¡± It felt like someone had hit Chi-Woo with a hammer. This meant that the sound he heard at the storage room¡ªthe sound of a body getting dragged across the floor, and the long trail of blood was¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would be able to see me,¡± Ru Amuh said quietly but clearly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could even hear me, either. That was why I had been staring at you blankly when you suddenly spoke to me¡­¡± Chi-Woo licked his lips a couple of times. ¡°¡­Were you attacked?¡± ¡°Yes. Right after I was transmitted,¡± Ru Amuh said with a grave expression. ¡°I was dragged to this place without knowing what had happened to me.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes. No wonder he had known the directions around this place so well. ¡°I thought you were a living person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I don¡¯t know for sure, either. I don¡¯t really know if I am dead or alive. When I opened my eyes, I¡­¡± Ru Amuh trailed off, ¡°I could no longer get out.¡± Ru Amuh shut his eyes tightly to repress his indignation. ¡°I would like to go out even in my current state, but I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know why, but it feels like my soul, in addition to my body, is entrapped.¡± Ru Amuh was about to say something more, but his body trembled. Visibly petrified, he looked below. ¡°If you keep going straight, you would see pieces of a crushed boulder. Go past that place for a bit and turn left; you would then reach a point where not only I, but a couple of others had been transmitted to.¡± Ru Amuh spoke fast while looking below him. ¡°Once you reach that place, please try looking for Ru Hiana once. If you do find her, Ru Hiana might not believe you since she¡¯s naturally doubtful. If that happens, please tell her this: ¡®Listen to what this person has to say carefully. It¡¯s my last wish, Ruana.¡± Ru Amuh looked up at Chi-Woo and added hurriedly, ¡°If you fail to find her, you can just go on your way, so please leave.¡± His tone grew urgent. ¡°Right now!¡± Again, he shouted, ¡°That guy is coming! I can feel him looking for my soul! So please¡­!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ru Amuh, who had been shouting hastily, fell silent. Chi-Woo was bafflingly calm. Ru Amuh was sure that Chi-Woo had heard him, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t have been more poise. ¡°I want to help you, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice and raised his hand simultaneously. ¡°I have so little information, so I¡¯m not too confident.¡± He lifted his body. ¡°I understand that it will be troublesome and difficult¡­ but please endure in this place.¡± Chi-Woo grabbed onto the iron door and said, ¡°I can¡¯t promise you anything, but when I¡¯m confident enough, I will come to save you. That¡¯s all I can tell you.¡± Ru Amuh looked shocked to hear this. He said, ¡°But I could be dead.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be too sure. You could still be alive.¡± Chi-Woo flung his bag onto his back with one hand. ¡°And at the least, you have to get your soul saved.¡± Ru Amuh squeezed his eyes shut twice, and his body trembled. ¡°I have to pay you back for telling me the directions. I don¡¯t like being indebted to others,¡± Chi-Woo said and made a bitter smile. ¡°But of course, it¡¯s only if the situation allows me to do so. If I can¡¯t, I will at least do what you asked me to do.¡± ¡°Thank¡­you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going now. If you are having a hard time enduring in there, just think of my name: Chichibbong.¡± Chi-Woo winked and closed the iron gate. Then he got away from the area. Ru Amuh smirked for a moment, but soon his face darkened, growing stiff and tense. Simultaneously, his body dropped like he was getting sucked from below; as if someone had grabbed onto his feet and pulled him down. Shaaaaa! Rain continued to fall in a downpour. Furthermore, since it was night time, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t see what was in front of him clearly. He ran. That was all he had been doing since being separated from Ru Amuh. He was running out of breath when he found a trace of something. It was like Ru Amuh had told him. Rocks were in pieces and scattered all over the place. ¡®I just have to go a bit further from here and turn left¡­¡¯ After collecting his breath, Chi-Woo suddenly stopped walking. There was a faint voice. Although he couldn¡¯t hear well due to the rain, he could hear somebody crying desperately. Chi-Woo quickly moved toward the source of the sound. ¨CRuahu¡ª! After hearing the sound more clearly, Chi-Woo became certain that someone was calling out a name. ¨CRuahu¡ª! Where are you¡ª! Ruahu¡ª! It sounded like Ru Amuh¡¯s name but not quite. The shouting soon became distant again. After hesitating for a moment, Chi-Woo shouted in response, ¡°Ru Hiana!¡± He didn¡¯t like the idea of making a loud sound in this place, but he thought, ¡®Well, they were already shouting on their end¡­¡¯ Furthermore, since their eyesights were limited because it was night-time, he judged that it would be better to check each other¡¯s location by sound. ¨CRuahu? Is that you? Fortunately, it seemed the other party had heard him, and Chi-Woo heard a faint voice. Chi-Woo yelled at the top of his lungs, ¡°Ru Hiana! Come this way!¡± ¡°Ruahu! It¡¯s you, right? Yeah? Ruahu!¡± The voice quickly approached Chi-Woo, but as the footsteps came closer to him, his heart grew heavy. As Ru Amuh said, his friend was looking for him. When Chi-Woo met her, he would have to relay to her what had happened to Ru Amuh, which filled him with mixed emotions. ¡°Rua¡­!¡± Soon, a figure jumped out like a panther. ¡°¡­hu?¡± Her voice faltered as soon as she got a good look at Chi-Woo. ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± ¡°Did you find him?¡± It seemed that the woman hadn¡¯t been moving by herself. Chi-Woo heard two voices a moment after her appearance. As expected, he saw two more figures emerged. One of them was someone he hadn¡¯t seen before, but the other man looked familiar. He tried to recall where he had seen the second figure and remembered that the man was the long-headed hero who had pointed Chi-Woo out during Laguel¡¯s explanation. ¡°Uh, you are¡­¡± The long-headed man also recognized Chi-Woo and lowered the thick book covering his head. ¡°Perhaps¡ª¡± Even before the long-headed man could finish his sentence, the woman asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Chi-Woo carefully looked at the woman¡ªshe had the same blond hair as Ru Amuh. He wasn¡¯t really sure about the cute part, but she fit Ru Amuh¡¯s description. ¡°Are you Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± ¡°How do you know my name?¡± Ru Hiana asked sharply. ¡°I have a message from Ru Amuh.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please listen to me first. Mr. Ru Amuh has¡­¡± Chi-Woo relayed Ru Amuh¡¯s message without forgetting a single word. Ru Hiana listened to him in a daze, but her expression soon darkened. ¡°Where did you meet him? Is he alive? He¡¯s alive, right? Yeah? Just like what he did for us, he told you to relay that message to help you escape, right?¡± Chi-Woo sighed. Most people would have understood by now after he¡¯d said this much. No, she probably knew what had happened to Ru Amuh by now, but she didn¡¯t want to believe it, and would continue to search for him. ¡°Tell me. Please.¡± ¡°Miss, the situation is really not good. That guy could be chasing us. Let¡¯s first escape and decide what to do.¡± ¡°You can just give me a rough explanation. I¡¯ll listen well. Please, please¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out another sigh at Ru Hiana¡¯s desperate pleas, and then finally relayed to her everything that had happened since he was transported and escaped the cave. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Ru Hiana mumbled as she listened to his brief summary. ¡°That can¡¯t happen. Ruahu¡­would never¡­.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything because he knew no words would reach her. ¡°In the first place, can we even trust this guy? Does it make sense that a dead Ru Amuh guided him out?¡± the other hero besides the woman and the long-headed man asked out loud. ¡°Yeah, good point. Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s been too succinct, but the story doesn¡¯t really make sense from¡­¡± Chi-Woo added, ¡°He also told me to relay this message. Listen to what this person has to say carefully. This is my last request, Ruana.¡± As soon as he mentioned Ruana, Ru Hiana¡¯s face paled, and her legs gave out. ¡°Are you all right?¡± The other hero quickly supported Ru Hiana before she fell. ¡°Hey, you. Did he really¡ª¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s telling the truth,¡± Ru Hiana replied with a hoarse voice as she frowned at Chi-Woo. ¡°Ruana and Ruahu are our nicknames for each other. We only call each other that when we are by ourselves, and we¡¯re the only ones who know them¡­¡± Ru Hiana faltered, but she suddenly pushed away the hero supporting her with a resolved expression. ¡°Please tell me his location,¡± she fixed her stance and asked with a firm voice. ¡°Since he was the one who guided you earlier, he might still be alive.¡± ¡°Miss, I really don¡¯t recommend it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to help me. Even if it¡¯s a rough estimate, you can just tell me his location.¡± ¡°I understand your concern, but you should only go looking for him after making a solid pl¡ª.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s fine, so just tell me where he is!¡± Ru Hiana cut off his words and angrily replied. This is the reason why Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t wanted to accept a request like this. ¡°I can¡¯t really remember it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Why do I have to tell you?¡± Ru Hiana looked startled as she pointed her fingers at him. ¡°You, how can you¡­say that after receiving help from Ruahu¡­¡± ¡°I received his help, but Mr. Ru Amuh is asking a favor from me; not from you.¡± Ru Hiana became speechless at Chi-Woo¡¯s cold reply. ¡°Moreover, if I consider Mr. Ru Amuh¡¯s request, won¡¯t it make sense for me to not tell you his location?¡± ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s face became red with anger. She tightly clenched her fist and glared at him with annoyance before pushing past him. ¡°Hey!¡± Even though the long-headed man tried to stop her, Ru Hiana quickly disappeared into the darkness. ¡°¡­Ah man. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re wrong but¡­¡± the other hero butted in. ¡°I understand why you didn¡¯t tell her, but weren¡¯t you too cold?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chi-Woo felt bitter as he continued, ¡°She lost her family¡­I think I would have acted the same.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of Ru Amuh¡¯s request,¡± Chi-Woo calmly said. ¡°Even though I can¡¯t force her to not look for him, I have to try my best to fulfill Ru Amuh¡¯s request.¡± ¡°¡­Well, yeah. Rather than leaving her to die after telling her Ru Amuh¡¯s location, there¡¯s a higher chance for her to live if she tires herself out after wandering around to look for him.¡± ¡°I also think so. It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯ll calm down, and seeing how agitated she is right now, there¡¯s a high chance that we¡¯ll also get swept into danger.¡± The long-headed man also added in his two cents. The two heroes definitely had different thoughts and plans than Ru Hiana. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°But are you two not going to chase after her?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah. I was following her because I received help from her just before but¡­what the hell, I don¡¯t know.¡± The other hero scratched his head in annoyance. ¡°I was interested in Ru Amuh, so I joined them to look for him, but if your words are true, there¡¯s no reason for me to look for him anymore.¡± The long-headed man firmly stated his perspective and crossed his arms. ¡°Anyway, a hero at his level has already¡­.it¡¯s a really frightening world. No, since we don¡¯t have the protection of the World, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Was he that strong for a hero?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He told me that he was just a beginner that saved one world.¡± ¡°He said that?¡± The long-headed man let out a humorless laugh. ¡°Is that wrong?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s right. But.¡± The long-headed man continued, ¡°The planet he saved was hit by a star-cluster Crisis.¡± ¡°Star-cluster Crisis?¡± ¡°Hmm. It had been a while since an event of that level happened, so it was quite the news for a while in the Celestial Realm. Were you not aware of it?¡± ¡®He was a greater hero than I thought.¡¯ Chi-woo clicked his tongue silently. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to stop following her. It¡¯s unfortunate that Ru Amuh died, but even then¡­¡± The long-headed man stared at Chi-Woo and continued, ¡°Since it turned out like this, why don¡¯t we move together? Why don¡¯t we find a suitable place to rest while avoiding the rain?¡± Chi-Woo and the other hero nodded. Having a companion was better than not having one, and being a company of three was better than two. ¡°Uh?¡± At that moment, the other hero widened his eyes and stared past Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ru Hiana?¡± he called out. ¡°What? Did you come ba¡­Who are you?¡± Chi-Woo and the long-headed man quickly turned around at the hero¡¯s cries. As the other hero had said, they saw Ru Hiana, but she was being held by someone, her mouth muffled and her body tied with a rope. CH 17 It was hard to see through the heavy downpour in the dark. However, Chi-Woo could tell that there were about seven or eight people surrounding him. Every single one of them was wearing a dark robe with their hoods pressed down to conceal their faces. After a momentary silence, the one who was holding Ru Hiana spoke. ¡°Are you guys the new heroes who came this time?¡± The person had a low, husky voice. ¡°Since the most recent ones were from the sixth recruitment¡­I guess you¡¯re from the seventh recruitment.¡± It seemed the person knew their identities. ¡°Who are you?¡± the long-headed man asked quickly but calmly. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m right then. How lucky. I found four at once.¡± The woman sounded quite relieved. ¡°Can we take your refusal to tell us your identities to mean that you are our enemies?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you quite the impatient one?¡± another robed figure said snarkily, prompting ripples of chuckles from his other companions. ¡°Hm. I¡¯m a guard captain of a group of wanderers who had either lost or were chased away from their hometown. Is that enough for a first-meeting introduction?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an original inhabitant of Liber?¡± The long-headed man cast his doubts. ¡°You know of our existences despite that. Does it mean you¡¯ve also met the previous recruitments before?¡± ¡°You sure are sharp. But I guess there¡¯s no way a great hero would be a half-wit.¡± The robed figure¡¯s voice had a hint of mockery. ¡°What happened to the previous recruitments? Are they still alive?¡± ¡°That could be a long story or a short story depending on how you think of it,¡± the captain answered. After a pause, the captain lifted one shoulder and said, ¡°If you want to hear more, follow me.¡± ¡°Follow you guys? Where to?¡± the other hero, who had been listening quietly, asked. ¡°Why are you asking us to follow?¡± ¡°Our group¡¯s seer wants to meet you.¡± ¡°A seer?¡± ¡°Our group leader. She¡¯s the one who makes decisions for our activities. It¡¯s thanks to her that we got to meet you in the middle of this night.¡± The captain continued, ¡°She told us that a group of heroes from the seventh recruitment would be wandering around in a high place, so we should secure the safety of at least one more person. And I¡¯m just carrying out her command.¡± In other words, the captain was telling them that she was simply following orders, and they should carry the rest of the conversation with the seer. Then the captain added, ¡°I know you all are wondering about many things and must be really confused right now, but as someone who knows the situation here better than you, I advise you all to prioritize leaving this place as fast as possible.¡± The hero Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know said with annoyance, ¡°My gosh. We can¡¯t just trust these people and follow them, can we?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re welcome to stay behind,¡± the captain said assuredly in response to the hero¡¯s grumbling. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t pressure you. I don¡¯t want to drag someone who is so suspicious of us by force, either.¡± The captain¡¯s voice was resolute and without anger. It almost seemed like she had already accepted their responses or given up on changing them. Then she said, ¡°I have a general idea of who you are and why you have come to this complete hellhole. I don¡¯t want to fight those who have come to our aid. At the same time, I don¡¯t want to be seen as a suspicious figure, either.¡± Then the captain said more threateningly, ¡°Since you four are probably not the only ones who have come to this place, I hope you will make your decision quickly. Are you going to trust and follow us, or are you staying behind? We can¡¯t wait for long.¡± It seemed that the captain would look for other heroes instead if they refused to follow him. ¡°Can I just ask you one thing?¡± Chi-Woo, who had been listening patiently, spoke up. He turned to Ru Hiana and asked, ¡°Why did you do that to her?¡± ¡°Hm¡­I suppose I should explain that clearly.¡± The captain spoke in a surprisingly relaxed voice. ¡°I know this is a bad look, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m not letting her get us all killed.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Has none of you met that guy yet?¡± The hero who wasn¡¯t the long-headed man gulped. It seemed he knew what the captain was talking about. ¡°It¡¯s the same for the other areas. There¡¯s a really dangerous being roaming around this place. Since we¡¯re not near their nest, and the noises we made were muffled by the heavy downpour of rain. Though, we were able to find you all. If it hadn¡¯t rained, we wouldn¡¯t have come out to look for you all regardless of what the seer said.¡± ¡®A really dangerous being¡­are they talking about that?¡¯ Chi-Woo recalled what had happened right after he landed on this planet and shuddered. Then he announced, ¡°Let¡¯s follow them.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s not a fancy place, but it would at least let you escape the rain,¡± the captain said, satisfied. Then she turned to the other two. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I will also go,¡± the long-headed man said without further pondering after side-eyeing Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­You too?¡± the other hero said, clearly displeased about the situation. ¡°That leaves you. What are you going to do?¡± the captain asked. ¡°Again, we won¡¯t take you by force. We may also leave this woman behind if you wish, but you must only release her after we leave the area.¡± The hero closed his mouth. After clicking his tongue, he raised both hands and said, ¡°Smack. I guess I have no choice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s decided then. As for this woman¡­¡± The captain glanced at her. Eyes blood-shot, Ru Hiana tried to speak under her binds. ¡°Please bring her with us,¡± the long-headed man requested. ¡°Regardless of her situation, she¡¯s our companion with the same goal. I know you¡¯re reluctant, but we can¡¯t leave her like this.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have her making a ruckus in the place we are going to.¡± ¡°I will try talking to her.¡± ¡°Hm¡­Fine. But I will keep her in this state until we arrive there,¡± the captain said and turned around. The rain poured down with no sign of stopping. Chi-Woo¡¯s clothes were soaked to his underwear, but he hoped the rain would pour down harder. This was because the captain had told him the sound of rain was raising their chance of survival by at least a bit. Besides that, the destination was further than he expected. He was sure that quite some time had passed now, but the captain continued walking. ¡®Urgh, ouch.¡¯ He had been walking so much that his groin was hurting. ¡°We have arrived,¡± finally, the captain announced. A light appeared from a distance, and stars faintly sparkled in the night sky. They had arrived at the wanderers¡¯ campsite. However, Chi-Woo was shocked when he saw the place. He had expected their camp to be the size of at least a small village, but there were only about six or seven tents. He wasn¡¯t expecting some European village site; however, the camp was so shabby that even the long-headed man was slightly surprised. The other hero didn¡¯t even hide his astonishment. ¡°Seems our humble camp doesn¡¯t meet our esteemed guests¡¯ standards. Considering the situation, we can¡¯t offer you much, but you all would at least be able to escape the rain.¡± The captain chuckled after seeing the heroes¡¯ reactions. As they approached the camp, one of the guards hurriedly rushed toward them. ¡°You¡¯ve come back, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Yeah, as you can clearly see. Who told you that you could leave your post?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡± Huuuuuu¡ªUmp! At that moment, a scream burst out. It sounded like their mouth was quickly blocked before they could scream longer. Now that Chi-Woo thought about it, the inside of the place seemed chaotic even though it was deep in the night. ¡°What is it?¡± the captain asked sharply. ¡°There¡¯s some trouble. Once again, Lady Hawa¡­¡± Chi-Woo and the others couldn¡¯t hear them clearly because they were talking in hushed tones. At the guard¡¯s statement, the captain clicked her tongue. ¡°I¡¯ll go there soon. But first, you guys follow me.¡± The captain immediately went in and crossed the camp with great speed. They passed through small and decrepit tents and went into a tent that was relatively big compared to the others. The inside of the tent was dark, but two torches lit up the area. ¡°Rest for now. I¡¯ll bring the seer soon,¡± the captain replied curtly and untied the rope and mouthpiece restraining Ru Hiana. ¡°You¡­!¡± As soon as she was freed, Ru Hiana ferociously glared at the captain and was about to shout when¡ª Swish. Ru Hiana froze with her mouth open. She felt a cold sensation on her neck. A blade with a blue glint was pressed to her neck. ¡°Don¡¯t yell.¡± The captain¡¯s voice was emotionless. ¡°Even if this camp is impoverished and shabby, I¡¯m still the captain here.¡± While staring at Ru Hiana¡¯s trembling mouth, she continued, ¡°Even though all of you might not really care about what happens to this camp¡ªI am willing to do anything to protect it.¡± Ru Hiana tightly closed her mouth, and the captain smirked. ¡°Since it seems like some of my words are getting through to you, I¡¯ll give you one piece of advice. I won¡¯t stop you if you quietly go out of this camp, but before you go, you should at least meet the seer. She¡¯s a lot kinder and more knowledgeable than me.¡± The captain withdrew her dagger. ¡°The rain is coming down strongly, so it would be okay if all of you just talk quietly. Even then, don¡¯t make any loud noises if you don¡¯t want to start running in all directions at the dead of night.¡± Then the captain said she¡¯d return soon and hurriedly went outside. The tent became quiet. ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest for now?¡± The long-headed man started a conversation with Ru Hiana, who was sitting in a daze. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything right now. If we gain more information, we might come up with some solutions. It¡¯s always a good idea to rest beforehand to prepare for the future.¡± Even though he made his suggestions with a soft tone, Ru Hiana showed no reaction. However, since she wasn¡¯t acting rashly, the long-headed man sat down and didn¡¯t pressure her to reply. Chi-Woo also put down his wet bag and sat down on it. The other hero let out a very deep sigh. ¡°Seriously, what kind of situation is this¡­¡± Chi-Woo stared at the hero who was looking around while complaining. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been able to get a clear look of his face since it was dark outside, and the hero had been staying in the back, but now that Chi-Woo was able to get a better look, the hero did seem familiar to him. The man had short black hair and black eyes. He looked a bit rough and had the face of a thug who¡¯d smoke a cigarette while holding an ice cream cone in a local convenience store. Unlike the long-headed man, he looked ordinary. He didn¡¯t even look like a foreigner to Chi-Woo. The man smacked his lips and quietly sat next to Chi-Woo. ¡°Hey, bro.¡± Even though they¡¯ve barely met, he called Chi-Woo ¡®bro¡¯ in a friendly manner. ¡°I¡¯m asking this just in case, but are you from Planet Glaze? Cause you look like you¡¯re the same species as me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. He had thought they looked alike, but it was the first time he heard of Planet Glaze. ¡°Ah, as expected. Figured as much. In this enormous galaxy, it¡¯s hard to meet a friend from back home. Unless it¡¯s an exception like Earth. Where are you from then?¡± Chi-Woo was slightly caught off guard when the man mentioned Earth. What did he mean by exception? Holding the thought, Chi-Woo replied, ¡°Well, you know, very far¡­even if I tell you the name, you probably won¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oh man, it¡¯s not even a big secret to reveal your Planet¡¯s name,¡± the man complained and extended his hand. ¡°Anyway, since we¡¯ve been brought together despite the odds, why don¡¯t we exchange names? I¡¯m Eval Sevaru.¡± ¡®A unique name¡¯, Chi-Woo thought as he held Sevaru¡¯s hand. ¡°The number of worlds I¡¯ve saved is about two, and¡­anyway, what about you, bro?¡± It seemed that heroes categorized themselves by the number of worlds they saved. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°It¡¯s not an important name. Please just call me according to your preference.¡± ¡°Ah~ Wow, why is this bro so cold?¡± Eval Sevaru grumbled. ¡°Your Planet is a secret~ Your name is also a secret~ Are you one of the 12 Families or something? Hmm?¡± He hit right on the mark. Chi-Woo tried to hide his emotions and gave a flat smile. ¡°Just leave it. Everyone has their own circumstances.¡± The long-headed man intervened. Eval Sevaru snorted. ¡°What about you, Mr. Spiky Head?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Zelit.¡± Chi-Woo had almost laughed at ¡®Mr. Spiky Head¡¯; hearing the name ¡®Zelit¡¯ gave him an even harder time holding in his amusement. ¡®Is he a Zealot?[1]¡¯ This had actually been Chi-Woo¡¯s first thought when he saw the long-headed man. ¡®That was dangerous.¡¯ Chi-Woo had almost laughed at a person¡¯s name; there was no greater social faux pas than that. Eval Sevaru looked strangely at Chi-Woo, who suddenly began breathing in and out in a controlled manner. Then he lied down with a careless attitude and said, ¡°Ah, man. This is the first time I regretted joining a mission as soon as I arrived. That being we¡¯re running away from can¡¯t be some sort of low-level monster here, right? If they are, we¡¯re really fucked.¡± He let out a deep sigh. ¡°But I guess even if they¡¯re not, we¡¯re still fucked. I never heard about a World that sprouted out mid-level bosses from the very beginning.¡± Eval Sevaru grumbled and blinked two times. A hologram appeared above his eyes. He tapped the hologram and let out a humorless chuckle. ¡°Wow. Look at the user information. I¡¯m basically crawling on the floor. My stats are so low.¡± Chi-Woo perked up at the mention of user information. ¡°Even though we aren¡¯t getting any support¡­this is still a bit too¡­I really should have trained my body¡­¡± Eval Sevaru¡¯s words no longer reached Chi-Woo¡¯s ears. Words like system window and stats were common in novels and games about ¡°otherworlds¡±. ¡®Then, what¡¯s my status like?¡¯ Chi-Woo could not help but be curious given the situation. He looked down at his left wrist. ¡®How do I turn this on?¡¯ If he asked the other heroes here, they¡¯d find out that he was a non-hero, so he tapped his wrist with his thumb the way he saw Giant Fist do before. Flash! He was startled when a hologram suddenly flashed in front of his eyes. He gulped and looked at his hologram. After a short moment, he nodded. ¡®Ah. That¡¯s why¡­¡¯ He now understood why Laguel had told him that he would quickly adjust to the hologram function if he was from Earth. Chi-Woo felt like he was looking at his phone. Rather, there seemed to be fewer functions in the hologram than his phone. Even though there were many things he wanted to try pressing, he first clicked on the human-shaped emoticon with the word ¡®user information¡¯ on it. Then the hologram¡¯s screen changed. 1. Zealot from Starcraft ? CH 18 1. Personal History 2. Stats 3. Skills 4. Miscellaneous ¡®Oh?¡¯ There were four headings to click on. With a thumping heart, Chi-Woo chose the first one. 1. [Choi Chi-Woo]¡¯s Personal History ->Basic Name: Choi Chi-Woo Age: 23 Sex: Male Home Planet: G-S-3-E (Earth) -> Innate Ability Disposition: Neutral Characteristics: Three Lines Record: A member of one of the 12 families who lit up the Celestial Realm and is the youngest son of G-S-3-E¡¯s prestigious Choi family. The information was much simpler than he expected. ¡®Basic, Innate Ability?¡¯ As the word suggested, ¡®Basic¡¯ was the person¡¯s basic information, and ¡®Innate Ability¡¯ was the unique trait or characteristic that a person had to separate themselves from others. ¡®It seems ¡®Record¡¯ is a collection of biographies¡­But what does it mean by ¡®Three Lines¡¯?¡¯ Chi-Woo tilted his head after scanning his information. There was no explanation for it, and he couldn¡¯t guess what it meant. ¡®Aren¡¯t there other information? Such as my strength or agility?¡¯ Chi-Woo clicked the second heading. 2. [Choi Chi-Woo]¡¯s Stats -> Basic [Feeble] Strength [Soft] Durability [Dull] Agility [Weak] Stamina [Sharp] Mental State -> Special Ability [???] ??? [Blessed] Luck After seeing this page, Chi-Woo was at a loss for words. His stats were too shabby. However, when he read the explanation, he understood. For example, it said that an average adult who didn¡¯t train rigorously would have ¡®feeble strength¡¯. ¡®I see. They consider an average adult¡¯s strength weak¡­¡¯ It was understandable given the standards for a hero. It was the same for his durability, agility, and stamina since Chi-Woo had never trained professionally. The one thing that was markedly better was his mental state, and the explanation for that stat continued as followed: [Sharp] Mentality -He¡¯s sensitive to overt, hostile behaviors and, in an emergency, he knows how to prioritize logic above emotions. -Having lived with anxiety and unexpected happenings for a long time, he is always on high-alert. At times, he¡¯s more sensitive than necessary. In extreme situations or when he receives intense stress, he can crack easily and break. ¡®Is this good or bad?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered and felt dejected. He couldn¡¯t really disagree with any of the information, but that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t disappoint him. When he saw his special ability, though, he thought differently. [????] ??? -Sealed for unknown reasons. [Blessed] Luck -A blessing retaining To-be-archangel Laguel¡¯s earnest prayers and wishes. A form of protection that¡¯s been given by exchanging all the divine power she has gathered until now. -It follows a different direction from normal luck. Rather than simply increasing one¡¯s luck, it is linked to a special ability, [Weakened] Deus Ex Machina, for a pre-defined purpose. ¡®?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered what these question marks meant and if they were something great. He thought to himself, ¡®What if I have some black flame dragon sealed inside me?¡¯ Furthermore, what was this about Laguel¡¯s divine powers? ¡°Ah, damn it. I¡¯m super jealous of the guys who have a special ability,¡± Eval Sevaru, who had been looking at his stats for some time, rolled once and grumbled. ¡°Even if you have an inherent ability, it might not have manifested in this World,¡± Zelit said between reading a book. ¡°Each World has its own set of laws and rules. There are no exceptions whether they are your innate power, bloodline, special traits, or so on¡ªeven an ability you were born with wouldn¡¯t be able to circumvent these laws.¡± ¡°As expected of someone holding a book. You just have to be difficult~¡± Eval Sevaru snorted and stood up. ¡°But hold up, brother. How did you manage to bring that book here? What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a book.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s ¡®just a book¡¯, I¡¯m the super ultimate hero, Choi Chi-Hyun! You see how believable I sound?¡± ¡°I get what you mean now. I suppose I¡¯ll just keep this a secret,¡± Zelit said firmly. Eval Sevaru narrowed his eyes and glanced at Chi-Woo, who was busily looking in the air. Then Eval asked, ¡°What about you? What¡¯s inside your bag?¡± ¡°I picked this one up in the storage I was transmitted to,¡± Chi-Woo replied without even turning to his direction, and Eval Sevaru muttered ¡®bullshit¡¯ before he flopped down to the ground again. ¡°Ah, damn~ How sorrowful is the one without anything~ Although we are all heroes, some have more~¡± Eval Sevaru sang a song that expressed his indignation of the unfairness of the world. And it was around then that they heard footsteps approaching them. ¡°Are they finally here?¡± Eval asked. Zelit closed his book. Ru Hiana, who had curled up in a corner, also raised her head. ¡®Ah, but I haven¡¯t checked everything yet.¡¯ Chi-Woo lamented; he was curious about the rest of his User Information, but he shifted his eyes to the entrance. A figure dressed in a faded gray robe entered before a group of robed figures rushed in. They couldn¡¯t see the first figure¡¯s face clearly because of their robe, but the firelights revealed a wrinkled mouth and indicated that the person was an old woman. ¡°You can stay seated,¡± the old woman said to Chi-Woo, who was getting up to show his respects to the elderly. Then she stopped and bowed her head. ¡°Greetings to you, recruits. I am the one who manages this camp, Shakira Hao.¡± The old woman had an old voice, and her words held a mysterious power that warmed the chilling air. Zelit spoke first, ¡°Are you the seer who wanted to see us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much credit. I¡¯m nothing more than a grannie who can make small predictions based on gods¡¯ will.¡± ¡°Predicting the future. It seems like an ability that we would need in our situation.¡± ¡°I suppose that means you all are in the same state as those who came before you in the previous recruitments.¡± ¡°You know?¡± Knowing that she was talking about how the heroes had lost their powers, Zelit smiled bitterly. Then he said, ¡°Fine. You said your name was Shakira, right? It seems like you have made contact with the previous recruits and know our general situation. What¡¯s your reason for wanting to see us?¡± ¡°Let me confirm something first. Are you all members of the seventh recruitment who have come from a high place?¡± ¡°And if we are?¡± ¡°Then may I ask you what the goal of the seventh recruitment is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to investigate the fifth and sixth recruits and find out what happened to them; and to occupy this place,¡± Zelit said simply, but the response he got back wasn¡¯t so. The guard captain standing behind Shakira looked like she couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°¡­Does the high place know the situation here?¡± Shakira asked. ¡°A bit. They don¡¯t seem to know exactly,¡± Zelit said and told her the prophecy he heard from the Celestial Realm. ¡°Is that really how the prophecy goes?¡± ¡°I know you might find it hard to believe, but it¡¯s the truth. I wasn¡¯t satisfied when I heard their explanation either, and I asked some questions.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Shakira organized her thoughts quietly and spoke again. ¡°Could you perhaps gather the recruits who have come to this place as fast as possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult to even protect ourselves here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I know that you all have a device that allows you to transmit messages to each other.¡± ¡°Oh, you knew about that too?¡± Zelit looked surprised. ¡°We do, but it¡¯s impossible. The device works, but to use it to contact others, we need a connection from the outside. Since the connection is unstable here, it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Then.¡± Shakira took out a small statue from her belongings. She placed it on her two hands carefully and lifted it up. ¡°How about now?¡± ¡°Hm. Is it a holy relic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that amazing. It¡¯s a medium that allows my lowly self to receive gods¡¯ words.¡± Zelit shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know about contacting those near us, but reaching far distances is difficult.¡± ¡°Ruahu¡­!¡± Ru Hiana immediately turned her hologram on, but her head dropped when she saw that there was no response. Zelit shrugged and said, ¡°Besides, to communicate with the other party, you have to get their mutual consent and save their information on your device. It¡¯s difficult in every way.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Shakira didn¡¯t continue. Looking at the helpless Ru Hiana, Zelit jerked his head toward the seer. ¡°I have a question.¡± ¡°Yes, go on.¡± ¡°One of the recruits whom we came with has di¡­been dragged out.¡± Zelit changed his wording after glancing at Ru Hiana. ¡°Even though we came here as just a shell of a hero, we arrived while being at full alert. Even then, the being that took our companion had snuck up on us without anyone even noticing.¡± ¡°Help him!¡± Ru Hiana quickly rushed up to the old seer as soon as Ru Amuh was mentioned; she looked ready to cling onto the hem of Shakira¡¯s pants. ¡°Please calm down. Even though I have an idea of what you¡¯re talking about, please listen to what I have to say first,¡± Shakira consoled Ru Hiana and continued, ¡°Please tell me the being¡¯s characteristic or appearance, or at least their color.¡± Zelit frowned at Shakira¡¯s words. ¡°¡­None.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± Zelit scratched his head. ¡°We didn¡¯t see who it was. No, it¡¯s more accurate to say we couldn¡¯t see who it was. The only thing we felt was an evil energy that was enough to make us all uncomfortable and a chilling sound.¡± ¡°Yep. You don¡¯t know how surprised we all were when that good-looking bro suddenly went flying away.¡± When Eval Sevaru, who had been quietly listening, added in his few cents, Shakira¡¯s body froze. The captain also frowned, and the others¡ªthey seemed to be guards of some sort¡ªbegan murmuring among themselves. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ask one more time,¡± Shakira controlled her breathing and reaffirmed, ¡°Did you really not see their face?¡± ¡°Yep. Since it was so dark, maybe we simply couldn¡¯t see them properly.¡± ¡°If it was because you weren¡¯t able to see and not because you couldn¡¯t see¡­¡± Shakira¡¯s words faded into silence at the end, and she slightly shook her head and let out a long sigh. Ru Hiana looked as if she was about to cry; Shakira¡¯s attitude was very telling. ¡°Could you tell us any information about them? Anything is fine.¡± At Zelit¡¯s question, Shakira paused for a bit and slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Those beings are¡­the fragments of a crazy goddess.¡± ¡°A crazy goddess?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re strange monsters created by the curse of goddess Elephthalia, who was in charge of Liber. Those beings are alive but not really alive, and they cannot die¡­¡± ¡°What the hell is she talking about?¡± Eval Sevaru quietly murmured to himself. ¡°Undead?¡± asked Zelit. Shakira slowly shook her head. ¡°If it¡¯s just that, multiple factions should¡¯ve been able to take care of them rather than falling apart without achieving much. Those beings are so vicious that they even eat the undeads, and it¡¯s difficult to even describe what they really are.¡± Monsters that ate immortal undeads as food¡ªShakira¡¯s bleak words brought about a heavy silence. ¡°Then¡­are you saying that there¡¯s no way to save him?¡± Ru Hiana broke the silence. ¡°My comrade was dragged instead of me. I need to save Ruahu whatever it takes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please¡­no matter how outrageous it is, please tell me a way I can save him¡­¡± Ru Hiana desperately pleaded. To Ru Hiana¡¯s despair, however, Shakira maintained her silence. Chi-Woo looked at Ru Hiana with pity before shifting his gaze back to his hologram. He clicked the third button to finish checking his user information. 3. [Choi Chi-Woo]¡¯s ability ->Basic [Beginner] Blunt Ability [1] ->Inherent ability [Innate] Spirit Eye [Fated] Sainchamsagum [2] [Weakened] Deux Ex Machina ¡®What the heck is this?¡¯ Chi-Woo was startled when he saw his inherent ability. He could understand why he was a beginner in his blunt ability as he had only ever swung around clubs and hadn¡¯t properly learned how to use it. But¡­ [Innate] Spirit Eye ¡ªSupernatural eyes. Ability to see and discern beings spiritually. [Fated] Sainchamsagum ¡ªWith the influence of this ability, one is born with the Sainchamsagum. The Spirit Eye part at least made some sense to Chi-Woo, since he had experience with it, but¡­ [Fated] Sainchamsagum (ËÄÒú”Øа„ª) ¡ªThe ¡®in¡¯(Òú) from the Sainchamsagum stands for tiger, and the Sainchamsagum is believed to ward off evil spirits and stop disasters; this belief has then been shaped into an ¡®ability¡¯. ¡ªWith the influence of someone¡¯s arrangement, this sword was born on a very specific date. ¡ªYou show an absolute advantage and power when fighting with ghosts. Chi-Woo had no idea what this was. [Weakened] Deus Ex Machina ¡ªThe sudden appearance of a god. This is the only means for gods to intervene in the causal flow of the World. Depending on the god¡¯s behavior, it twists the cause of events and even changes predetermined results in the future. ¡ªOne can¡¯t try to obtain this ability or be allowed to possess it. This ability falls under an informal category created for management at a higher level. Only those who are chosen are born with it according to certain laws. ¡ªMost of the functions in this ability have been lost, but they were transferred and partially recovered in conjunction with the inherent ability [???] ???. It occurs randomly only under specific conditions due to degradation in function. ¡®What is this about? There¡¯s question marks here as well.¡¯ Chi-Woo was about to say ¡®what the heck are these marks?¡¯ out loud but quickly suppressed it. Even though it seemed like it would be a tremendous ability, Chi-Woo felt frustrated because he couldn¡¯t get a clear idea of what it was. Rather than being stuck on something he didn¡¯t know, Chi-Woo clicked on number four. 4. Miscellaneous ->[The 7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent] has not been activated yet. Please open the book and flip to the first page. ->You have the [World¡¯s Milestone] in your possession. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a humorless laugh. He rummaged through his bag just in case and scanned his surroundings, but he couldn¡¯t see even a trace of the strange book he got. ¡®Really, it¡¯s no joke.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know anything about the will of the World. He had thought the system window would be like the ones in games, but he had been caught completely off guard. Chi-Woo decided to turn off the hologram for now. His head was muddled after receiving so much information at once. ¡°We can separate those beings into two main categories. The first are those who became insane under the curse; the second are those who became broken and eaten up.¡± It seemed that Ru Hiana was still begging them judging from what Chi-Woo heard Shakira say. ¡°Those who became crazy from the curse are the ones I told you about earlier; they¡¯re alive, but not really alive. They¡¯re beings who have lost their sense of reason, leaving them with only a crave for flesh. And they sometimes mutate and evolve.¡± ¡°Crave for¡­flesh?¡± ¡°However, those who were broken by the curse and were eaten up are different,¡± Shakira continued. ¡°They have the same instincts as those crazy beings, but they don¡¯t have physical substance.¡± ¡°Physical substance? Do they not have a body?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if the physical body is unable to endure the curse and breaks, it¡¯s still not over. The curse reaches even the soul and corrupts it. That¡¯s why we describe them as broken and eaten up,¡± At Zelit¡¯s question, Shakira quietly continued. ¡°I¡¯m sure that the one you met is most definitely the broken ones because we can¡¯t see them with human eyes.¡± Her words were firm. ¡°Then¡­¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s face became pale. ¡°Ruahu is¡­¡± ¡°Those who are broken obsessively hate and desire to eat those who are alive,¡± Shakira spoke with pity. ¡°They don¡¯t recklessly rush towards living beings like the crazy ones. They cause harm and stir trouble in extraordinary ways.¡± ¡®They must be causing harm and chaos.¡¯ Chi-Woo nodded unconsciously. Shakira¡¯s explanation gave him a general idea of what they were. ¡°Those who became crazy under the curse are of course dangerous, but we¡¯re still able to defeat them if they¡¯re less evolved. However, those who are broken and eaten up¡­we can¡¯t converse with them, and no strategy, weapon, or divinity works on them.¡± Shakira hung her head low like there was no hope. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t be of help.¡± Ru Hiana collapsed to the floor as she lost all strength in her legs. ¡°The information I gave you are speculations we came to from all the experience we¡¯ve been through so far¡­.¡± Shakira¡¯s attempt to comfort her didn¡¯t reach Ru Hiana. She still looked completely out of it. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve just been standing still. We¡¯ve tried countless different methods and strategies. However, our reality is that we couldn¡¯t even make an accurate definition of them, let alone come up with an effective response.¡± If they had found a way, they would have definitely done something before the situation turned out like this. ¡°Juk.¡± It was at that moment Chi-Woo suddenly spoke up. ¡°It sounds like a juk.¡± 1. ability to use a heavy, blunt weapon ? 2. Pronouned as sa-in-cham-sa-gum. It is a famous Korean sword that literally means ¡®Great Four Tiger Sword¡¯ as it is made according to the year, month, week, day or hour of the Tiger; ceremonial sword used for slaying evil spirits/ghosts and shamanistic rituals. ? CH 19 At Chi-Woo¡¯s sudden announcement, everyone¡¯s eyes darted to him. ¡°A juk?[1]¡± Zelit asked. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t mean an enemy¡­How do I put it? Is the translation off? Or does it have trouble passing on its meaning because it¡¯s a homophone?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Zelit¡¯s eyes shone. There was only one reason why Zelit came to this camp; it was because Chi-Woo said that he would go. Like how Zelit saw Ru Amuh¡¯s potential and joined him as a companion, Zelit had felt Chi-Woo¡¯s. If he had to compare, in fact, Zelit felt a greater curiosity towards Chi-Woo than he did towards Ru Amuh, especially since there seemed to be a connection between the prophecy¡¯s change and Chi-Woo¡¯s entrance into the recruitment process. ¡°Although we are unfamiliar with the term, I can¡¯t say the automatic translation device is perfect. Could you give us a detailed explanation please?¡± Zelit asked. Chi-Woo scratched his head. All he did was mutter a word, and now, everyone¡¯s attention was on him. They were all looking at him like they were seeing a raft in a rough current. Thus, he felt a great need to correct the situation. ¡°It describes a ghost that died and became a ghost again.¡± ¡°So, is it a soul that has died more than once?¡± ¡°Yes. These beings are called red ghosts or jukgwi.¡± Zelit looked lost, so Chi-Woo felt the need to explain more. ¡°Those who have become jukgwis are always like that. They try to stir up trouble and inflict harm to others whenever they can.¡± ¡°To living people?¡± Shakira asked. ¡°No.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°They not only harm living people, but also the dead. That¡¯s why ghosts are also afraid of jukgwis.¡± ¡°Even ghosts are afraid¡­?¡± It seemed from Shakira¡¯s surprised expression that it was her first time hearing this piece of information. The heavy atmosphere inside the tent slightly changed. According to Shakira, they had been looking for ways to defeat those beings for a long time, but failed to come up with even an accurate description of it. All their attempts and plans had been completely futile and resulted in meaningless losses. Eventually, they gave up on confronting the beings head-to-head and were forced to be always on the run. But now, a man¡ªa hero who had been to high places that no ordinary person could even imagine¡ªspoke as if he knew what the beings were. No matter how dire and hopeless their situation was, she couldn¡¯t help but hope again. ¡°It¡¯s an ingenious interpretation,¡± Shakira said. ¡°And it sounds like you have fought these jukgwis before.¡± ¡°Well, yes.¡± Chi-Woo agreed hesitantly. Jukgwis were rarer than common ghosts or evil spirits, but it wasn¡¯t like he had never seen one. While following various masters and teachers, he had encountered several and saw how they handled these beings. ¡°Then.¡± Shakira¡¯s weak voice had more power to it now. ¡°Do you know how to deal with them too?¡± This was the most important point. This could finally be the end of their miserable days, where they only strived for survival because they couldn¡¯t die. ¡°Uh¡­¡± No one was making even a sound, and Chi-Woo had a hard time opening his mouth in the silence. No, he simply couldn¡¯t. A part of him even regretted bringing up the topic. This was because his Earth was a completely different World from Liber. There was no guarantee that this being was a jukgwi. ¡°I see. Now that I think about it, you were different.¡± While Chi-Woo was trying to find the right words to wiggle out of this situation, Zelit suddenly interrupted. ¡°When you met Ru Hiana and explained what happened, you told her you heard a suspicious sound when you were transmitted into a storage room. You then hid in the corner as the sound approached, and the door suddenly broke. After the sound disappeared, you went outside and met Ru Amuh¡¯s spirit.¡± ¡®This damn Zealot head.¡¯ Chi-Woo cursed that Zelit had a uselessly good memory. ¡°What? You saw a spirit?¡± Shakira said with great shock. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right,¡± Eval Sevaru added. He had been listening to the conversation indifferently, but now he looked at Chi-Woo with interest. ¡°When I first heard how a spirit guided him, I thought he was just some crazy bastard. Hm.¡± Chi-Woo glared at Zelit with exasperation, feeling the urge to demand why he was saying such unnecessary things and pierce a nail through his long head to spin it around. However, Zelit simply smiled at him. ¡°Is that true?¡± Shakira asked. ¡°Can you really see spirits?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not it.¡± Chi-Woo quickly tried to backtrack from the conversation. ¡°I didn¡¯t see what that broken spirit looked like since I was hiding.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that you saw your companion¡¯s spirit?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo closed his mouth. ¡®Ha.¡¯ He didn¡¯t expect that story to bite him in the neck like this. It almost made him think that he shouldn¡¯t have granted another person a favor. ¡®This is why you can¡¯t just blabber about stuff. You might regret it later.¡¯ ¡°How surprising. I suppose that means you¡¯ll be able to see the spirits who have been broken and eaten.¡± ¡°Give it up,¡± someone sharply cut in while Shakira was speaking passionately. Surprisingly, it was the guard captain. ¡°What if the same thing happens as last time? What are you going to do then?¡± ¡°That time¡­¡± Shakira trailed off as if she was coming to a realization. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®last time¡¯?¡¯ Zelit asked. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal¡­no, I suppose I can¡¯t say that,¡± Shakira continued hesitantly, ¡°Actually, there was another person who saw the broken beings¡¯ real form.¡± ¡°Hm? Didn¡¯t you say that no one had ever seen them before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the case for us, but a sorcerer of the fifth recruitment said that he spotted the broken spirits.¡± ¡°Ah, the fifth recruitment.¡± Since all kinds of heroes gathered for the recruitment, it was understandable that at least one of them could see spirits. ¡°What did that sorcerer say? No, where is that person?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. From what I heard from the sidelines, the sorcerer said that there was no way of handling the broken beings, and we should avoid them rather than try to fight them. However, they also said that if another hero that could see spirits came, things could be different¡­¡± Shakira then explained that the sorcerer had lived quietly for the next couple of days until they disappeared, never to be seen again. ¡®Went missing, huh?¡¯ Perhaps the sorcerer had been bewitched. Chi-Woo wetted his dried-up lips; his face had burned some time ago. ¡°Help us!¡± It was Ru Hiana who broke and crawled towards Chi-Woo, clinging to him. ¡°Please. You know! You said you fought them before! Please!¡± Chi-Woo averted his gaze. ¡°Please, it can be anything. I¡¯ll do as you say. No, just tell me the method. Even if things go wrong, I¡¯ll never blame you.¡± Seeing Ru Hiana, Chi-Woo became ashamed of his past self. He supposed this must have been how Laguel had felt. Chi-Woo wanted her to stop, but Ru Hiana was even kneeling and bowing to him now. ¡°Please. Tell me¡­¡± Her voice trembled. ¡°I¡¯m willing to do anything, however crazy, if I could just save Ruahu.¡± Her eyes were watery with tears. ¡°I swear by the Ru family¡¯s name. Please help, please¡ª¡± Chi-Woo understood her state of mind. It seemed Ru Amuh was a companion she treasured more than her own life, but the problem was that Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t a hero. He had come to Liber not to save it, but for his own personal reasons. ¡®It¡¯s not a difficult thing to tell her.¡¯ However, it wouldn¡¯t even make a difference. Chi-Woo could only imitate the method after learning it for many years; there was no way that Ru Hiana would be able to do it in a few days. Irresponsibly telling her the method when it clearly meant her death would probably give him nightmares in his sleep. At the same time, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to go in her place at all, either. If their enemy was really a jukgwi, there was a method to deal with them. But what if he died while trying to confirm its nature? He didn¡¯t want to die at an early age after coming all the way here. Since Chi-Woo was just human, he wanted to meet his brother in the safest way possible. ¡®I can¡¯t¡­deny this part of myself.¡¯ Even though Chi-Woo could differentiate between right and wrong, he put his safety and life first. (Neutral) Chi-Woo recalled this word on his user information and made a bitter smile. ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± With a deep sigh, he rejected her. ¡°Even if I tell you the method, you won¡¯t be able to do it, Ms. Ru Hiana. And I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll even work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡ª!¡± ¡°To say it more precisely, it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t do it, but even if you do, it won¡¯t work for you.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± the captain sharply said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what that guy said just now? He saw your friend¡¯s soul.¡± She didn¡¯t extrapolate further, but everyone got the meaning behind her words. She was telling Ru Hiana to let go since her friend had probably died already. However, Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t control her heart even though she was a hero, so she continued to look up at Chi-Woo with pleading eyes. She wanted him to tell her that it wasn¡¯t too late. On the other hand, Chi-Woo was also not certain about this matter. ¡®Why couldn¡¯t I recognize it immediately?¡¯ A soul was definitely different from a living person, and he had seen one more than once or twice. Usually, Chi-Woo would have realized that Ru Amuh was a soul right away, but this time he had only come to the realization after leaving the cave. ¡®He didn¡¯t seem like a soul. He seemed more like a ¡°living¡± soul.¡¯ Chi-Woo quietly speculated, but it sounded ridiculous¡ªhow could there be a soul that was still alive? But¡­ ¡®If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, then¡­¡¯ There was one possibility, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say his thoughts aloud. He didn¡¯t want to give false hope in a matter he was not sure about. When Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say a word, Ru Hiana¡¯s face plummeted to the ground. She tightly clenched her hands that had clung to the edges of his pants. ¡°I understand where you¡¯re coming from¡­but would you still be able to tell us how we can deal with them?¡± Shakira, who had been trying to find the right timing to butt in, spoke up and formally made a request. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a meaningless method to us, we want to at least keep it in mind while making our plans.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken about what I meant.¡± Chi-Woo sighed. ¡°The important part is not the method, but whether it works or doesn¡¯t work. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Shakira nodded in agreement. ¡°Then the first thing we have to do is to come up with a way to check if the method I suggest actually works.¡± ¡°Hmm. A way to check.¡± Shakira rubbed her chin. ¡°How can we check it?¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± Chi-Woo contemplated for a bit. Even though he didn¡¯t even want to get close to those evil ghosts, it was a completely different story if someone else was willing to do the dirty work. Of course, the method alone wouldn¡¯t be enough. Chi-Woo organized his thoughts and glanced at Shakira, or more specifically, at the stone statue she was gingerly holding. ¡°Would you be able to let me borrow the statue?¡± Shakira flinched at Chi-Woo¡¯s question. ¡°Fucking nonsense,¡± the guard captain immediately refused. Chi-Woo tilted his head. Didn¡¯t they say that the statue was not something valuable? ¡°Asking for the statue is the same thing as putting all the lives in the camp in your hand. Since you also said you were not sure, I can¡¯t just let you have it. I¡¯ll never let that happen.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think that the statue was that important, so he was surprised. ¡®But maybe it is for the better.¡¯ Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything because he felt uncomfortable taking a stand anyway. ¡°I respect you, Shikira, but I don¡¯t agree with your decision this time, especially as a guard captain who protects this camp.¡± The captain noticed that Shakira was wavering and firmly continued, ¡°His words are pretty convincing, and it doesn¡¯t seem like he is lying, but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Even then¡­¡± ¡°Stop. Did you forget about the fifth recruits?¡± Shakira closed her mouth at the captain¡¯s angry tone. ¡°We fell for their plan and gave them everything we have. Look where that got us.¡± Chi-Woo was able to hear an update on the fifth recruits. He stared closely at the captain. He had felt this beforehand, but the captain didn¡¯t seem to have good feelings about the heroes that came as recruits here. ¡°It¡¯s a completely different matter to merely help and to make us trust and follow you without reservation,¡± the captain added. ¡°If you want us to put our lives on the line, the first thing you should do is to show us you¡¯re worth trusting and entrusting our lives to.¡± The last part was directed towards Chi-Woo. An awkward silence followed. ¡°Great Seer!¡± someone suddenly came running in and shouted. ¡°We¡¯re in big trouble! Again, Lady Hawa has¡­!¡± ¡°What? ¡°I-it¡¯s a bit different this time. Please¡­.!¡± Eeeeeeeeahhhhhh! Before they even finished talking, a chilling scream rang outside. ¡°Tch. Shakira?¡± At the captain¡¯s words, Shakira turned around and said, ¡°I apologize. I¡¯ll come back soon. Please rest for now.¡± She then left the tent with the captain. ¡°Hmm¡­It doesn¡¯t seem like they intend to let you borrow that statue,¡± Zelit grumbled in a regretful tone and turned around towards Chi-Woo as soon as they left. ¡°Do you need it?¡± ¡°I do. It¡¯s the bare minimum to ensure my safety. I can use it to protect myself.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that we definitely need it.¡± Zelit glanced at Ru Hiana. Ru Hiana was still on her knees with her head on the ground towards Chi-Woo. ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Zelit said, and Ru Hiana released her hands. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± They heard Ru Hiana loudly gulp her breath. ¡°Ugh. Heuk¡­Uaaaaaaaah. Wahhhhh¡ª!¡± She began crying; it was not a soft cry but a loud wailing. Zelit sighed, and Chi-Woo closed his eyes. ¡°Hey, really. Why are you being like this? Ah? Do you think we don¡¯t want to go save him? It can¡¯t be helped. Don¡¯t cry. Didn¡¯t you hear that we can¡¯t make loud noises? Come on, get up. Get up. If you act like this, it¡¯ll become uncomfortable for all of us.¡± Eval Sevaru supported Ru Hiana and lifted her up. He made her sit down after consoling and trying to convince her to settle down. Chi-Woo suppressed the bitterness in his mouth and laid down on dry hay. In order to calm his uneasy heart, he pointlessly rummaged through his pockets when something caught his hand. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was the seven-sided die. It remained intriguing to him no matter how many times he looked at it. He had seen a cube or hexagon die, but he¡¯d never even heard of a die with seven sides. Even though it could technically be made, it was not geometrically equal, since it was mathematically impossible to make a perfectly equal-sized seven-sided die. However, this die was different. It had 7 sides, and yet all sides looked equal like a cube. It wasn¡¯t something that should exist in the three-dimensional world. At that moment, the image of that mysterious girl he saw in the library suddenly overlapped with Ru Hiana. That child he saw had also been crying; however, she had reached out her hand and smiled at him. ¡®Why did she give me this die? I wonder what this is¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo fell into contemplation while touching the die. He threw it onto the ground. Tap! Rooooll¡­ The die rolled and slowed down; it looked like it was about to turn over one more time. ¡­Uh? Then, it stopped. 1. juk means enemy in Korean or less commonly, ¡®death of a disembodied spirit¡¯ ? CH 20 [Rolling World¡¯s Milestone.] Following the sound of a notification, there was a message. [Results: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï] ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze naturally fell to the ground. There were four stars on the top face of the die. ¡®Is this the World¡¯s milestone?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at the die like someone had punched him in the face. However, that wasn¡¯t the end. Several messages popped up afterward. [Consuming inherent ability, [Blessed] Luck (100 -> 96).] [The flow of the World is silent.] [Meaningless failure; nothing happened.] [Would you like to roll the die one more time?] ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo spoke out loud in disbelief. ¡°Hm? Is there something going on?¡± asked Zelit. ¡°Ah, no. Just,¡± Chi-Woo answered sloppily and looked in the air again. He had rolled the die just once, but not only did it use up some of the holy power Laguel gave him, it also failed. However, the failure also meant that there was a chance of success. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but Chi-Woo thought he had to try once more. He gingerly cast the die. [Rolling the World¡¯s Milestone.] After rolling a couple of times, the die stopped, and there were five stars on its top face this time. [Result: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï] [Consuming inherent ability, [Blessed] Luck (96 -> 91).] [The flow of the World slightly diverts.] [Small success. An incident occurs.] [Broken relationship will reconnect again. Ru Amuh, who has been wandering among the dead, recalls his most recent encounter and invigorates his will to live. (Extending Ru Amuh¡¯s life by one more day.)] ¡®So he was still alive¡­¡¯ If the message was true, his speculation had been right. After reading the messages several times, Chi-Woo looked at his die and blinked. Then he quickly turned on his hologram and clicked on User Information. [Blessed] Luck -¡­ it is linked to a special ability, [Weakened] Deus Ex Machina, for a pre-defined purpose. -¡­Depending on your actions, it distorts the cause and even the result of a decided future. ¡®I guess this is what they meant by them being linked.¡¯ When he rolled the die called the ¡®World¡¯s Milestone¡¯, it consumed some of his [Blessed] Luck and activated a [Weakened] Deus Ex Machina. As a result, Ru Amuh¡¯s future changed even though he was meant to die. More specifically, there was a chance for the change to take place now; Chi-Woo focused on one of the lines in the information: ¡®Depending on your actions.¡¯ Even though Ru Amuh¡¯s life had been extended, if they left him as is, he would die the next day. Chi-Woo felt conflicted. It was confirmed now that there was a possibility of rescuing and saving Ru Amuh, but he still hadn¡¯t solved the fundamental problem of ¡®How?¡¯. ¡®Damn it. Is this what they meant by [Weakened]?¡¯ Although the [Weakened] Deus ex Machina was indeed helpful, its effectiveness would depend on how Chi-Woo acted. And that wasn¡¯t all; he also had to think of the reason ¡®Why?¡¯ Even though he had received directions from Ru Amuh during his escape, Chi-Woo had already paid back his debts to him. He didn¡¯t want to take additional risks if it wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡®However, it seems like there¡¯s something more. Otherwise, a message like this wouldn¡¯t have popped up. But why Ru Amuh of all people?¡¯ Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel too great. It felt like someone was pushing him from behind, telling him to go save Ru Amuh. ¡®But it might not be so¡­hopeless, either.¡¯ Chi-Woo glanced at his inherent skills and noticed a shadow cast over him. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Zelit sat next to Chi-Woo and asked. ¡°You seem to be lost in thought for quite a while.¡± Now that he thought about it, Chi-Woo recalled how Zelit had accompanied Ru Hiana to find Ru Amuh without knowing them well. ¡°I was thinking about Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± ¡°Oh? As I suspected, you¡¯re concerned about him, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°A bit.¡± ¡°I agree with you though. We don¡¯t know if Ru Amuh is alive or dead, and the risk is great.¡± They heard a small noise coming from before them, but Chi-Woo disregarded it and asked, ¡°Mr. Zelit. Why were you trying to look for Ru Amuh again?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Did you know him before?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯ve only heard of his name.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± Zelit tilted his head. After organizing his thoughts, he answered, ¡°I suppose I could say that I wanted to¡­ bet on his potential.¡± ¡°His potential?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s my opinion, but I don¡¯t think we would be able to save Liber.¡± Surprised by these words, Chi-Woo stared at Zelit. Zelit simply continued, ¡°After all, didn¡¯t Laguel state it too? The Celestial Realm wasn¡¯t sending recruits to save Liber, but to normalize the World so that it would be savable.¡± In other words, all the heroes who had come to Liber until now were simply biological resources for future heroes who would save the planet. ¡°It¡¯s the same for us. Even though we are heroes, most of us are fitted for planet-scale events or stellar-system-scale at most. But you know what Liber¡¯s danger level is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s on a galaxy-scale.¡± ¡°And they are discussing changing its danger rating to galaxy-scale Doom.¡± Zelit continued, ¡°At most I¡¯ve resolved a stellar-system-scale Disaster. At that time, moreover, I had felt my limits, and I knew anything greater than a stellar-system event would be beyond me. But do you know what¡¯s interesting?¡± Zelit narrowed his eyes at Chi-Woo. ¡°The danger level rises in a steep curve starting from the star-cluster-scale.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. A stellar system contains perhaps a dozen planets, but a star cluster has at least a thousand suns that planets orbit around.¡± ¡°Well, that must be why there were hardly any events that were at a star-cluster level.¡± ¡°Unlike galaxy-scale events, which have never occurred, there were star-cluster events in the past. In fact, one happened just recently.¡± Zelit scratched his nose. ¡°And it was Ru Amuh who resolved it.¡± Chi-Woo became lost in thought. He understood what Zelit was saying, but it didn¡¯t fully click for him. It was probably because he had lived as an ordinary person that he couldn¡¯t really wrap his head around the enormity of this information. ¡°Of course, I know Choi Chi-Hyun is on Liber,¡± said Zelit. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to doubt a person like that, but since he arrived here alone, six more groups of recruits have been sent.¡± Chi-Woo was losing track of how many times he had heard his brother¡¯s name. He just nodded and listened. ¡°You ought to think that something has gone wrong after they gathered recruits for the seventh time. I personally think the Celestial Realm wanted to find someone who could replace Choi Chi-Hyun in the worst-case scenario.¡± That slightly changed the course of Chi-Woo thoughts. Even if he met his brother, things might not go as planned. For example, his brother could refuse to leave until he turned the World back to normal. Chi-Woo needed to prepare a countermeasure for such a scenario, and Zelit¡¯s words sounded reasonable. ¡°Ru Amuh is a hero who has come to the Celestial Realm only recently. That also means that he¡¯s a hero who managed to resolve a star-cluster-scale event from the get-go,¡± Zelit continued. ¡°He¡¯s proven himself worthy by overcoming an event that most heroes in the Celestial Realm couldn¡¯t even hope to tackle. That¡¯s why I was placing my hopes on him. However, this is how things end up. As expected, a galaxy¡­¡± Zelit was saying regretfully when¡ª Clang! Zelit and Chi-Woo looked towards the same direction simultaneously. ¡°Ah! Geez, my butt!¡± Chi-Woo and Zelit saw Eval Sebaru sitting gracelessly on the ground, while Ru Hiana huffed angrily. Zelit quickly stood up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just stand over there talking! Stop her!¡± Eval Sevaru shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Ru Hiana huffed, her eyes red. ¡°Leave me alone. I¡¯m going to quietly leave.¡± Her tone was full of venom as she turned around and moved out without hesitation. ¡°Hey! Wait¡ª¡± Zelit tried to grab her, but she fiercely shook off his hand. Chi-Woo clenched his teeth while looking at Ru Hiana¡¯s back. He glanced at the messages on his hologram and recalled Zelit¡¯s words. Then he remembered his mentor, who had helped him while asking nothing in return, and he heard in his mind the last thing his teacher at the church had said to him. ¡°Please wait.¡± In the end, Chi-Woo called out to Ru Hiana. Ru Hiana was about to leave, but immediately stopped at Chi-Woo¡¯s words. She then stiffly whirled around. ¡°¡­Why?¡± Her spirit had dampened somewhat. She had seemed ready to explode at any moment, but now, she looked as if she was trying her best to suppress a cry. Ru Hiana probably knew how reckless she was being. They didn¡¯t even know if Ru Amuh was alive, and even if he was, there wasn¡¯t a way to save him. Death would be her only end if she just left like this. However, if she was going to do it, if she had to go¡­ Chi-Woo released the breath he had been holding. ¡°You said before that¡­¡± Staring straight at Ru Hiana, who looked half crazy, he continued, ¡°You would do anything.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s pupils shook. ¡°No matter how crazy it was.¡± Ru Hiana quickly schooled her expression and nodded in earnest. ¡°Yes. I can do it. I''m going to do it.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Do you mean it?¡± ¡°Of course. Definitely.¡± ¡°You¡¯re replying too fast, but¡­¡± After checking that her resolve was firm, Chi-Woo was now leaning towards helping her. ¡°I¡¯m saying this again. Ms. Ru Hiana, you¡¯re the one who said you were going to do this.¡± He needed confirmation before putting his decision into action. ¡°We might not be able to save Mr. Ru Amuh, and you can also die. No, you¡¯ll definitely die. Would that still be fine with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll never regret my decision or resent you,¡± Ru Hiana responded in a fierce voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to die anyway. I¡¯ll do anything for Ruahu. You can use me or do whatever you want.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Chi-Woo finally made his decision and stood up. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana, from now on, you must absolutely follow my words until we save Mr. Ru Amuh. Unconditionally.¡± Ru Hiana seemed pumped up as she quickly asked, ¡°What do I have to do first?¡± ¡°Please wait.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an order to these things. Please wait for now.¡± A look of suspicion flashed through Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes. ¡°Perhaps you¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be going today or tomorrow at the latest,¡± Chi-Woo cut her off. Sensing Ru Hiana¡¯s lingering hesitance, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana, didn¡¯t you just tell me that you¡¯re willing to do whatever I said?¡± Ru Hiana flinched. She seemed to ponder about this, and then she turned around like she had no choice. ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± Zelit asked with curiosity. ¡°Do you have another plan?¡± ¡°We have to check something first.¡± ¡°In order to do that, didn¡¯t you say that you needed the statue?¡± Eval Sevaru interjected. ¡°Are you going to steal it or something?¡± He got up from his seat and dusted his butt. ¡®He should really shut his mouth.¡¯ Chi-Woo realized that the guards left in the tent had become wary and insulted Eval Sevaru in his mind. Eval Sevaru¡¯s remarks were unhelpful when they needed as much support from the natives as possible. ¡°I¡¯m not going to steal it.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°The guard captain wasn¡¯t wrong. She said that all the lives in the camp were dependent on that statue. How could they possibly leave it to a stranger they saw for the first time?¡± However, there was still a way to borrow the statue; he just needed to follow what the captain said. To summarize, in order to make sure his plan worked, Chi-Woo needed the statue. And in order to borrow the statue, he needed to earn the trust of the natives. And to earn their trust, he needed to prove himself to them by action. ¡°I need to show them.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That I¡¯m someone they can trust and entrust the statue to.¡± Zelit still looked puzzled. Even though he didn¡¯t say his thoughts out loud, he looked like he was thinking ¡®so what are you going to do?¡¯ However, Chi-Woo was thinking about something different. He had two options. The first was to roll the 7-sided die. Even though it was a simple method, it wasn¡¯t his first choice because there were too many uncertain factors. The line between success and failure was but a step apart. If he wasn¡¯t careful, the situation could take a turn for the worse. ¡®And it¡¯s not like I can roll it infinitely.¡¯ Considering the future, Chi-Woo needed to save the divinity he had been gifted with as much as possible. Chi-Woo had to borrow the statue with his own ability. Judging by the current situation, the conditions had already been met. ¡®I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll work but¡­¡¯ ¡ªKaeeeeeeeahhhhyaaa! He heard a piercing scream at just the right time. ¡°Would you be able to guide me?¡± Chi-Woo put his bag over his shoulder and asked a guard near him. Surprised, the guard was slow to respond, ¡°¡­.Yes?¡± ¡°I want to check the situation and offer help if it¡¯s within my ability.¡± Since it was an unexpected request, the guard could not easily reply. He turned around to the other guards in concern. ¡°Ah, just go. Do you even need to get permission?¡± Eval Sevaru muttered. Chi-Woo sharply replied, ¡°Please shut up if you¡¯re going to help.¡± Chi-Woo could understand the guards¡¯ hesitation. They couldn¡¯t easily reveal the internal affairs of the camp to an outsider, especially if they didn¡¯t have the authority to do so. Thus, they needed to go through the formal process. Chi-Woo needed to respect the native¡¯s ways for even the smallest matters so that he could earn their trust. While the guards fumbled, the sound outside grew louder. It seemed like they couldn¡¯t stop the commotion, and Chi-Woo heard another scream. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Chi-Woo said to the guards who were not sure what to do. ¡°Have you heard of the term ¡®Golden Hour¡¯?¡± Chi-Woo was not sure if the meaning behind his words would be conveyed properly. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go and ask.¡± The guard who was biting his lips quickly went out of the tent. Chi-Woo was able to hear the results soon after. While Eval Sevaru complained that Chi-Woo had told him to shut up, the guard came back. ¡°Please help us,¡± the guard asked Chi-Woo with his head bowed. Chi-Woo immediately moved. This place was where beings like jukgwis had been causing chaos, and someone was having seizures. Even though he would have to see with his own eyes to be sure, Chi-Woo could get the basic picture of what was happening if he was right about there being a connection between these two incidents. He had already crossed the mountain of no return. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t going to hesitate since he had decided to carry on with his plan, and if he was going to do a good job, he needed to get off on the right foot first. ¡®Let¡¯s do it. I need to do it.¡¯ Chi-Woo breathed deeply and went out of the tent. Then Eval Sevaru, who looked at him with displeasure, Zelit, who looked at him in a daze, and Ru Hiana, who looked at him with nervous eyes, all followed behind Chi-Woo. Favorite CH 21 Following the guard, Chi-Woo went inside the tent and saw that a grapple was taking place. A girl lay thrashing on a pile of hay as several guards covered her mouth and pinned down her arms and legs. ¡°Shakira! Quickly!¡± The captain desperately tried to put a gag inside the girl¡¯s mouth, while Shakira raised her statue high in the air and prayed ardently. Yet, it seemed to have no effect. ¡°Kihihihii!¡± Every time the girl floundered, she pushed the captain¡¯s and the other guards¡¯ arms away. The girl showed unbelievable strength considering her delicate frame. Chi-Woo opened his eyes widely and stared at the screaming and resisting girl. More specifically, he was eyeing the dark energy whirling violently on top of the girl¡¯s body. ¡®Possession.¡¯ It was just as he thought. However, the girl¡¯s condition had progressed much further than he had expected. She was at a stage where the being possessing her was flinging her body however it liked, even to the point of injuring her body. To put it bluntly, this was out of his hands. The girl¡¯s state was beyond severe; she should have died ages ago. Still, Chi-Woo saw a glimpse of hope. ¡®How is she still alive?¡¯ In wonder, Chi-Woo observed the girl closely and noticed something. ¡®Oh?¡¯ A spiritual energy encompassed the girl, and he could see a faint ray of light on top of her head. Every time the dark energy surged, the girl¡¯s condition grew precarious, but she endured it somehow; nevertheless, this pivotal resistance was wavering like a candle that was about to die out. There was only one chance now. Chi-Woo moved past the guards and stepped forward. ¡°Hawa! Come to your senses!¡± the guard captain shouted while dripping in sweat. Although he had received permission to intervene, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t step into the scene and instead watched from behind. ¡®It¡¯s not a jukgwi.¡¯ He knew because he didn¡¯t see a red energy. Still, that didn¡¯t change much, and he felt a dark energy that was actively causing harm. ¡°Jeonggueop Jineon[1]¡ª¡± Chi-Woo stepped away and opened his mouth. ¡°Surisuri mahasuri susuri sabaha¡ª¡± Everyone reacted to these sudden words. ¡°Surisuri mahasuri¡ª¡± Shakira stopped praying in surprise. ¡°Obang-newe ahnwhi-jeshin-jinuhn¡ª. Namu-samanda.¡± The guards turned around one after another. ¡°Gaegyeonggye¡ª musangshim-mimyobup baekchun-mangup nanjou ahgum-moongyuk duk-suji wonhye-yeoryejin shileh¡ª.¡± The captain looked at Chi-Woo with a conflicted expression. ¡°Gaebup-janjin-uhn¡ª. Ohm aranam arada¡ª.¡± Chi-Woo carried on relentlessly. ¡°Chunsu-chunahn-gwanja-jaebosal¡ª. Gwangdae¡ªwonmanmu¡ªedaebishim-daedarani gaeychung¡ª.¡± Chi-Woo recited The Thousand Hands Sutra continuously and moved his feet. ¡°Namudaebi-gwanseum¡ª. wonah-sukji-ilchebup¡ª.¡± The captain looked at him like she was wondering what he was chanting, but then realized that she had accidentally loosened her grip on the girl¡¯s mouth from the distraction. The captain immediately tried to exert more pressure; that was when she noticed the girl¡¯s change in condition, and she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. Just a moment before, the girl had been making a huge ruckus, biting and scratching her. And yet¡­ ¡°Hawa?¡± The girl suddenly stopped moving. She simply scowled and glared at Chi-Woo. She seemed bothered by him for some reason. ¡°Namu-suwol-bosal-mahasal¡ª.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t stop chanting. ¡°Namu-bonsal-ami-tabul¡­¡± Finally, Chi-Woo completed his mantra and carefully observed the silver-haired girl called Hawa. The girl¡¯s eyes were blank and rimmed with deep dark circles, giving her the look of a sociopathic murderer. She leveled a glare at Chi-Woo menacingly. ¡°My goodness.¡± Chi-Woo met the girl¡¯s eyes and forced a laugh. The girl¡¯s bloodlust was almost palpable. If looks could kill, she would have already killed Chi-Woo and more; and the girl¡¯s dark energy, which had spilled all over the place before, was now gathered together, aiming at Chi-Woo. ¡°Can I ask you all a question?¡± Chi-Woo asked while warily eyeing Hawa and the being that possessed her. ¡°Does Hawa have an older sister or younger sister who died? Or a cousin, perhaps?¡± Everyone looked surprised by these words. ¡°She had one older sister named Hayi. She¡¯s gone missing, but how did you know¡­?¡± At Sharkira¡¯s response, Chi-Woo jerked his jaw at Hawa. ¡°They have the same silver-Hayir and share similar facial features. She also looks too young to be her mother. Anyways, it looks like their relationship wasn¡¯t all that great.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sticking onto her.¡± Shakira''s mouth dropped open. ¡°It can¡¯t be. Are you saying that Hayi became a jukgwi?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t a jukgwi,¡± Chi-Woo responded instantly. ¡°She isn¡¯t red. It seems she¡¯s just a vengeful spirit¡ªa vicious one at that with more than the ordinary amount of resentment.¡± ¡°Are you saying that Hayi¡­¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°That can¡¯t be. Hayi adored Hawa very much,¡± Shakira said with confusion. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s possible that she¡¯s no longer herself due to a curse.¡± Chi-Woo loosened his bag and looked through it. Then he turned to the captain and asked, ¡°Could I borrow your dagger please?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t pierce anyone with it. I just have to swing it around.¡± The captain looked doubtful, but she soon loosened the belt around her waist. Sling. The weapon let out a clear hum as Chi-Woo swung it; it seemed the captain had maintained it well. Chi-Woo took out a few cans from his bag filled with white beans, red beans, and salt. He scattered each of them at Hawa in that order. Then Chi-Woo lifted the dagger above Hawa¡¯s head and twirled it around before throwing it behind him. The dagger fell onto the wet floor. The edge of its blade pointed exactly at Hawa, and Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. He picked up the dagger again and repeated the same motions. The captain looked confused, but with her meticulous eyes, she realized something strange. Whenever Chi-Woo threw the dagger backward, the blade always pointed exactly towards Hawa. It hadn¡¯t pointed outside even once. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think this is going to work.¡± After repeating the same motions nine times, Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°It won¡¯t work?¡± ¡°No matter how many times I tell her to leave, she won¡¯t listen.¡± Chi-Woo clicked his tongue while looking at Hawa. Shakira also turned to her with a disgruntled face. Now that she thought about it, Hawa had been staying still, but she responded strangely to Chi-Woo¡¯s actions. Every time Chi-Woo threw the dagger backwards, she snorted or curled the edge of her lips upwards. It was like she was laughing at him. The Hawa Shakira knew would never smile so snidely. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I have to return her to nothingness,¡± Chi-Woo said matter-of-factly, leaving no room for arguments. ¡°You¡¯re going to make Hayi¡¯s soul¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no other way,¡± Chi-Woo cut her short. ¡°She won¡¯t listen no matter how much I implore her to. And she won¡¯t go even when I open a path for her.¡± The firmness with which Chi-Woo spoke made Shakira hesitate. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°She¡¯s not even trying to steal her body. She¡¯s the worst type of ghost who tries to inflict the greatest amount of pain onto her victim before killing them. It even makes me want to ask her why she is doing this. It¡¯s a miracle that Hawa has lasted this long. I can¡¯t give you a guarantee, but if we take any longer, there will be no way to save Hawa¡¯s life.¡± These words were the decisive factor. After some time, Shakira opened her clenched mouth. ¡°¡­If it¡¯s for Hawa.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as permission. Please hold back even if my actions seem cruel from now on. You must believe in me wholeheartedly.¡± ¡°Did you say ¡®cruel¡¯?¡± the captain interrupted. ¡°Yes.¡± Chi-Woo took out a talisman from his backpack and gently loosened up his body. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to approach her now,¡± Chi-Woo rolled the talisman around his hand and arched his neck sideways. ¡°Okay. So, your name is Hawa¡ªno, it¡¯s Hayi, right?¡± Chi-Woo shook his hand at the silver-haired girl who glared at him like she wanted to kill him. ¡°Hayi.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hawa looked astounded, and Chi-Woo smirked. ¡°I¡¯m asking you one last time: Do you have any intention of leaving peacefully?¡± Hawa¡¯s lips distorted. ¡°¡­Fu.¡± Mocking laughter escaped from her mouth. Her strangely twisted lips opened and¡ª Crack! Hawa¡¯s head swished to one side. Everyone was shocked, including Hawa. She widened her eyes, not expecting to get slapped on the cheek. ¡°Ku¡­!¡± She twisted her head and looked up. ¡°!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± It was like another being had replaced Chi-Woo. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer.¡± Chi-Woo, who was slightly over twenty-three years old now, had been swept up in all kinds of incidents since he was young. Because of that, there was a time when he went through a rebellious stage. His anger had been misdirected towards his family before. Through the support of many kind people, Chi-Woo was able to correct his mindset. However, this didn¡¯t mean that everything had returned to normal. There was a side of him that hadn¡¯t changed since childhood¡ªand it was his hatred towards things that only he could see. In a way, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Given the difficult life he had lived, it was only natural that his hatred would be directed towards those who tortured him first, and this hatred had been with him for the longest. Through the help of various teachers and his mentor, his perspective had changed a bit, but his hatred towards ghosts remained. For that reason¡­ ¡°Just.¡± Chi-Woo looked down with cold and emotionless eyes. ¡°Disappear.¡± He mercilessly brought down his hand and struck her head. A harsh sound rang in the air again. Hawa¡¯s head plummeted to the ground. However, it was not over. He was only just getting started, in fact. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say a single word, and he didn¡¯t hear anything, either. Without even taking a break, he swung his hands again and again. He didn¡¯t just slap her cheeks or head; he also hit her neck, chest, stomach, thigh, calf, and the bottom of her feet. And when he hit her back, he was finally able to get a reaction. The evil spirit inside Hawa¡¯s body began moving in a frenzy. ¡°Kyaaaaakh!¡± Hawa began screaming out in pain. ¡°Please hold her tightly,¡± Chi-Woo said and focused his hits on her back. ¡°Kak! Kaak! Ugh! Eek!¡± The captain sprang into action and covered her mouth, and Hawa¡¯s screams became muffled. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t stop striking her, and Hawa looked like she was in extreme pain. ¡°Umpphuuuggh!¡± It seemed as if the evil spirit could no longer endure the torment as Hawa¡¯s body finally collapsed. The captain was startled and quickly tried to grab Hawa, but at that moment, Hawa¡¯s eyes flashed open. She moved viciously and escaped from the captain¡¯s grasp, using that opportunity to crawl across the ground like a spider. After grabbing the dagger, she turned around and flung herself towards Chi-Woo as hard as possible, moving like a thunderbolt. However, Chi-Woo had anticipated her attack and quickly moved away, so the dagger only sliced the air. With great speed, the shocked captain hit Hawa¡¯s wrist to make her drop the dagger and successfully captured her. ¡°I told you to tightly hold onto her.¡± Chi-Woo spoke calmly; he spoke as if he had experienced this many times. ¡°You can¡¯t lose your grasp,¡± Chi-Woo said as he fiercely swung his hand again. ¡°Ack! Ugh! Teup! Arrrgh!¡± Because of Chi-Woo¡¯s harsh hits, Hawa¡¯s movements were noticeably diminished. Her eyes rolled into her skull and saliva dripped from her mouth. Shakira, who had been watching them with anxiety, met Hawa¡¯s gaze. Hawa¡¯s wide-open eyes suddenly gained focus and scrunched up when they landed on Shakira¡¯s face. ¡°Ugh!¡± The captain was bitten by Hawa while trying to put a gag into her mouth, and blood began flowing out of her hand. ¡°Grandma¡ª¡± The captain was about to gag her again but stopped because it had been a long time since they heard Hawa¡¯s voice. ¡°Stop her from talking.¡± ¡°Grandma, save me!¡± Hawa frantically shouted. ¡°This man! This man is trying to kill me!¡± Hawa began fervently pleading with tearful eyes. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m so scared of this man. He¡¯s trying to kill me. I want to live. Please save me. Save me¡­.ahhhhhkkk!¡± When Chi-Woo resumed hitting her back with his palms again, Hawa¡¯s cries turned into screams. ¡°Save¡­! Grandma¡­! Please¡­!¡± Hawa cried out with a desperate face. Shakira¡¯s pupils shook. The captain and the surrounding people also became confused and shocked. ¡°¡­If you¡¯re the Hawa I know.¡± At that moment, Shakira opened her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t think you would talk like that.¡± There was a short silence. Hawa¡¯s desperate expression immediately turned menacing. ¡°This damned old fart¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯m going to kill you! I¡¯m going to kill this fucking bitch and rip you all to shreds¡ª!¡± However, Hawa was unable to finish her sentence because the captain had successfully gagged her while her mouth was open. Slaaaam! Chi-Woo¡¯s palm slammed into Hawa¡¯s back again. At the same time, the light blinking on top of her head surged, as if it was burning itself. ¡°Ummphhhhh!¡± Her frantic screams could not even be dampened by the sound of rain. Then Hawa¡¯s whole body shook, trembling like an aspen tree as sweat poured down like rain. Her eyes were so bloodshot that it looked as if the veins were going to burst. Foam dribbled down her mouth, and she struggled to breathe like she was choking. Then soon after. ¡°Uumph-! Hawa began gagging, and her limbs stopped moving one by one like a stringless doll. ¡°Umph¡ª. Blergh¡ª!¡± She vomited out a dark liquid mixed with white foam. Only then did Chi-Woo stop hitting her. The energy of the evil spirit that possessed Hawa was flowing out of her mouth. It wriggled on the ground like a bug and slowly faded away. Likewise, the small light on Hawa¡¯s head also began disappearing. ¡°¡­Thank you for your help,¡± Chi-Woo gasped for breath and dropped his hands. ¡°I hope you find peace in the afterlife.¡± The light followed the dark energy and slowly disappeared. After this intense time passed, silence returned to the tent. ¡°Please¡­lay her back down.¡± Chi-Woo struggled to breathe and lowered his eyes. The talisman in his hand had turned completely black. Chi-Woo took out a new talisman and asked for fire and a cup of water. With the torch fire that the guards quickly brought, Chi-Woo burnt the talisman and mixed its ashes with the water before pouring it into Hawa¡¯s mouth. Hawa¡¯s eyes looked unfocused like she was just coming out of a deep sleep, but she seemed to have regained her consciousness. Her throat trembled slightly. ¡°Is¡­Hawa all right?¡± Shakira asked with deep concern. ¡°For now.¡± Chi-Woo wiped the sweat on his forehead and continued, ¡°A person who was possessed once is much more likely to get possessed in the future. Moreover, her first possession was extremely chaotic, so it¡¯s difficult to tell.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t need to worry too much,¡± Chi-Woo collected his breath and said. ¡°As long as I¡¯m by her side, I won¡¯t let that happen again.¡± Shakira gulped; her mouth moved as if she wanted to say something, but instead, she gathered her hands together and slowly held them up with her head down. This was the highest expression of gratitude and respect that the Shahnaz Tribe only bestowed to their god. ¡°Please sleep.¡± Chi-Woo met his eyes with Hawa¡¯s who was letting out a faint groan. ¡°Miss, you¡¯ll be able to sleep peacefully from now on. The evil spirit that¡¯s been torturing you is forever gone now.¡± Hawa¡¯s trembling pupils became slightly more focused. ¡°So you can now fall asleep in peace.¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s soft whispers, Hawa¡¯s fluttering eyelids slowly closed. It did not take long for snores to come out of her sharply shaped nose. The captain stared at Hawa; she had a peaceful expression like she was in a dream. Since the day the captain had first found her collapsed, there had never been a day when Hawa was not tortured or in pain. It felt almost strange to see her like this because it had been so long since the captain last saw her sleep so serenely. ¡°Tha¡­nks.¡± At the captain¡¯s words, Chi-Woo brightly smiled. ¡°Only by words?¡± The captain didn¡¯t know what to say. She knew why Chi-Woo had suddenly decided to come forward and help them. ¡°¡­Please give me some more time to think about it.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine with me. I also have to rest, but I can¡¯t wait long.¡± ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ll immediately leave?¡± ¡°No. How long will it take until the sun rises?¡± ¡°In two or three hours, the sun will rise.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll really be able to only rest for a bit. Anyway, I¡¯m not going to immediately leave. It¡¯s time for spirits to be the most active right now.¡± Chi-Woo picked up his bag. He had produced meaningful results. Even though the beings here were not jukgwis, he found out that his abilities still worked. But of course, the being that ambushed Ru Amuh could be completely different from the evil spirit that possessed Hawa, so Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t be completely sure if he would be able to defeat that opponent. However, he did gain a bit of confidence. ¡°Please make your decision before the sun rises. And tell me when you¡¯re done.¡± Chi-Woo slung his bag over his shoulders and turned around. He was about to leave but halted his steps. There were three people at the tent¡¯s entrance¡ªZelit, Eval Sevaru, and Ru Hiana. They were all looking at Chi-Woo in a daze. Chi-Woo was going to simply walk past them, but he stopped in front of one of them. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± ¡°Uh, what?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡± CH 22 After talking to Ru Hiana, Chi-Woo returned to the first tent they were guided to and flung himself down on the ground. It wasn¡¯t as soft as his room¡¯s bed, but the guard captain had laid a heap of fresh hay for them, so it wasn¡¯t too uncomfortable. As soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep. He was exhausted after the relentless effort it took to exorcise Hayi. When Chi-Woo opened his eyes again, his whole body felt like a block of ice. It seemed he had dozed off despite the unfamiliar environment and the cold. Chi-Woo lay blankly on the floor before jerking his head around. There was Zelit, sleeping with his head on a book, and Eval Sevaru, sleeping curled up like a shrimp. Ru Hiana was leaning on a corner of the tent. She had her head on top of her knees and showed no movements. It seemed she had stayed awake all night and blacked out at some point. Chi-Woo shifted his eyes back to the ceiling and sighed quietly. This was their first night after coming to a new World; all kinds of emotions whirled inside him before fading away. He thought of his parents first. Then he remembered his teacher, monks he served as masters, shamans, a couple of friends including Gil-Duk, and finally his brother. Chi-Woo still couldn¡¯t believe it. In fact, he was in greater disbelief now than he had been on his first night in the military. Of course, he no longer felt the need to deny his reality by saying everything was a dream since he had come to this place of his own will. He was fully aware of the reality. However, things were a bit¡ªno, a lot different from what he had expected. He thought he would at least start his journey in an ordinary village if not a fancy kingdom right out of an adventure story, but instead, he was staying in a shabby camp that was clearly exposed to danger and residing with those who feared for their lives every day. Chi-Woo had thought he would be looking for clues about his brother while staying in a safe place. Finding his brother seemed far-fetched now, and he had to worry about his immediate survival. When he thought about what had happened up until now, it almost felt like he was bewitched into coming to this place. Just like last time, he simply had a strong urge to go. ¡®Maybe I just wanted to run away.¡¯ What compelled him might have been his desire to get out of the rock bottom his life had hit, but who knew he would have escaped to a gutter worse than the dump he used to be in. ¡®No.¡¯ Chi-Woo shook his head. There was no point in crying over spilled milk. It was his decision to come to Liber even though everyone around him had tried to stop him. He had to take responsibility for his decision. Sleep didn¡¯t come easy to Chi-Woo with his mind whirling with thoughts. After fidgeting around for a while, Chi-Woo quietly rose from his spot and walked out of the tent. He breathed in the morning air and cleared his head. It was still raining, but it was more of a light drizzle now. Droplets fell onto his hair, and Chi-Woo stared at the darkness before him. ¡°Are you already awake?¡± He heard a strong, rough voice. ¡°You look tired. Why don¡¯t you rest some more? It does seem like the sun will rise soon though.¡± Chi-Woo turned to the source of the voice and saw a woman he had never seen before. She had heavily bleached copper hair and matching eye color. She didn¡¯t appear as old as Shakira, but her rough skin detailed the difficult years she had gone through. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t recognize the middle-aged woman at first. He looked at her in confusion, and the middle-aged woman smiled and pulled out the dagger on her waist. It was the dagger that Chi-Woo had asked to borrow. Chi-Woo racked through his head and asked, ¡°Guard Captain?¡± ¡°My name is Rawiya,¡± the guard captain replied and continued, ¡°I was talking to Shakira and came out to get some fresh air.¡± ¡°Are you still in a meeting?¡± ¡°Yeah, since the safety of the entire camp depends on it.¡± Rawiya glanced at Chi-Woo and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the string tied to your wrist?¡± ¡°Ah, this?¡± Chi-Woo raised his wrist and said nonchalantly, ¡°It was used to tie up Ms. Ru Hiana. It¡¯s sort of my safety device.¡± Rawiya looked at the item curiously, but apropos of nothing, she then coughed and said, ¡°Hawa woke up once just now.¡± ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°She quickly fell asleep again, but she¡¯s fine. Much better than she was before even though she¡¯s weak. She could recognize us and even ask us for water. She was also fully conscious.¡± Rawiya paused for a bit. She was obviously grateful and wanted to express her gratitude. She hesitated, however, since Chi-Woo had purposefully done them a favor in order to make a request that could jeopardize the safety of the whole camp. Thus, she brought up another topic. ¡°Were you serious about what you said before? I know it sounds foolish to talk about hope in a situation like this, but Hawa is our one and only hope for a future.¡± ¡®She¡¯s quite an important figure,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought to himself. ¡°Thus, I¡¯m asking you if you can make sure that she doesn¡¯t go through the same experience ever again,¡± Rawiya asked. It seemed Chi-Woo¡¯s parting words after saving Hawa had left a deep impression on her. Chi-Woo pondered briefly before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make a promise like that. I can¡¯t even manage what¡¯s happening right now. How can I make any promise about the potential future? Who knows what and when something will happen to her?¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°What I meant was I¡¯d put in my best effort. If a situation that I can¡¯t control arises, I can¡¯t do anything, either.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite honest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to make promises I can¡¯t keep.¡± Rawiya looked surprised to hear this. After staring intently at Chi-Woo¡¯s face, she said, ¡°Then why did you say that you would help us?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say you stepped forward in the beginning to show us your skills. That would have been enough for us to be indebted to you. But why did you keep talking as if you would protect us while not being confident about it at all?¡± The topic of the conversation changed. Rawiya didn¡¯t speak in an accusing tone. It seemed she was asking out of curiosity and wanted to check something. Chi-Woo wondered how he should answer such a question, and decided to answer truthfully. ¡°I used to be afflicted with the same condition.¡± ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Yes. My condition was much worse than Ms. Hawa. It was so serious that nobody was able to tackle even its most basic symptom.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t deal with it?¡± ¡°But I am standing in front of you, alive and well.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to those who didn¡¯t give up on me despite knowing how difficult it would be to cure me.¡± Rawiya listened quietly as Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I always thanked those who helped me, but every time, they gave me the same response. ¡®Don¡¯t thank me. I only did what was expected of me. If you ever run into a person in pain, you shouldn¡¯t pass by them without helping.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I plan to help others in a similar manner until I die, offering at least the same degree of help I¡¯ve received before.¡± ¡°Oh ho. Are you telling me to keep that in mind?¡± Rawiya smirked, and Chi-Woo smiled in response. After a brief silence, Rawiya began, ¡°You know, I am not really fond of guys like you, who called themselves ¡®heroes¡¯.¡± It was Chi-Woo¡¯s turn to listen now. ¡°They all talk so well, saying ¡®We can get it back. We can do it. We can save them.¡¯ But they were always too idealistic.¡± Rawiya¡¯s voice was cold and flat. ¡°Of course, I know where those lofty ideals came from; you¡¯ve all accomplished great feats in your respective worlds. That, I¡¯m not gonna deny, but what is true in your world does not apply here. You¡¯re all on Liber now; that¡¯s what matters to me.¡± Chi-Woo unconsciously nodded. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Rawiya¡¯s words were completely reasonable. ¡°When the fifth recruits came, I understood their reasonings in my brain, but I don¡¯t think I fully accepted them in reality.¡± Rawiya¡¯s voice sounded empty as she continued, ¡°They might sound logical and calculative, but in important matters, they clearly had a blind faith that everything would turn out just fine in the end. And they acted like it was natural for us to take a huge amount of risks for things to work out.¡± The heroes had acted so confidently even though they shouldn¡¯t have; after all, Liber didn¡¯t have the blessing of a World like other planets. ¡°We¡¯ve lost¡­more than our comrade¡¯s lives.¡± Crack. Chi-Woo heard Rawiya grit her teeth. ¡°We had to sacrifice what remaining hope and future we had in order to make their unreasonable ideals a reality, which did not bring us the promised rose-colored future, but despair that was two times more hellish than before.¡± Rawiya clenched her fist and looked at Chi-Woo with burning eyes. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback; he didn¡¯t expect her to suddenly question him. ¡°You''ve shown me what you¡¯re capable of. That I¡¯ll admit. I understand that, unlike the previous recruits, you seem to have some skills.¡± Rawiya¡¯s voice hardened. ¡°Tell me, will you be able to return the hope we lost?¡± Chi-Woo immediately replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± His words were exactly the same as before. Rawiya looked confused. ¡°¡­You.¡± She seemed to be wondering if she had misheard. ¡°Are you sticking to the same answer even after knowing that I have the highest authority among those who were against your request?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you need to persuade me to borrow the statue?¡± ¡°No, I need something that would persuade you, but I don''t have anything.¡± Chi-Woo grumbled, ¡°Even the term jukgwi is merely used where I¡¯m from. In reality, neither I nor anyone in this camp knows for sure what those beings are. I need more information before I can tell you if I¡¯ll be capable of doing something.¡± Rawiya looked at him like she had no idea what to make of him, but what could she say in response? There was nothing wrong with Chi-Woo¡¯s words. Instead, she asked, ¡°What if I tell you I¡¯m grateful that you saved Hawa, but I can¡¯t let you borrow the statue?¡± ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped,¡± Chi-Woo replied indifferently. ¡°But you¡¯re still going forward with your plan? Are you going to be like the fifth recruits and take dangerous and unknown risks?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Chi-Woo immediately answered. ¡°I¡¯m not going forward with any plan.¡± Rawiya looked shocked. ¡°You¡¯re¡­not going to?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What about that female comrade of yours?¡± ¡°Well¡­if there¡¯s no other way.¡± Rawiya could tell that Chi-Woo was being honest. He might have stepped forward, but it didn¡¯t mean he was committed to helping out. After sleeping a bit, Chi-Woo had organized most of his thoughts. In the first place, he had felt uncomfortable about being pushed to the front, so there was no reason for him to carry out such a dangerous plan if the necessary conditions couldn¡¯t be met. Of course, he would help out if he could¡ªbut only if the prerequisites he set for himself were fulfilled. Ultimately, Chi-Woo only had one goal. That was the reason why he came to Liber, and he was going to put this goal above everything else. The World¡¯s Milestone, message, and whatever else all came after. Even though he was going to do his best, he couldn¡¯t do things that surpassed his abilities, or to put it simply, there was no reason for him to risk his life. It didn¡¯t really matter to him if he couldn¡¯t borrow the statue. No, it would actually put him more at ease. He had already made his intentions clear to the captain. Even though this situation was regretful for Ru Hiana, he would simply tell her, ¡®I tried to borrow the statue, but they told me I couldn¡¯t borrow it. I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ and be over with it. In that case, he had no intentions to stop Ru Hiana if she wanted to leave by herself. ¡°Are you really¡­fine with that?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s rather natural.¡± ¡°Natural?¡± ¡°I understand why you¡¯re not letting me borrow the statue. Honestly, it¡¯ll be less burdensome for me if you don¡¯t let me borrow it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean.¡± Chi-Woo looked irked at having to explain something this obvious. ¡°If you let me borrow it and something goes wrong, it¡¯ll doom not only me but also every single one of you. How can it not be burdensome?¡± It was said that if you know your enemy and know yourself, even a hundred battles would pose no danger. But perhaps the opposite was also true¡ªif you didn¡¯t know your enemy and didn¡¯t know yourself, even a single battle would pose great danger. ¡°I¡¯m the type of person who only fights battles that I can win for sure.¡± Rawiya didn¡¯t say anything. She just stared at Chi-Woo with an astonished expression, as if she was staring at a strange animal. ¡°You¡­¡± She spoke after a long pause with a slightly raspy voice. ¡°Don¡¯t really seem like a hero.¡± Chi-Woo felt a prick from his conscience. Inwardly, he was praising her for her good instincts. ¡°So¡­¡± Rawiya let out a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s your stance.¡± She nodded with a lighthearted expression. ¡°I got it now.¡± She smiled before continuing, ¡°It seems I expected too much. I apologize for giving you a burden you can¡¯t endure.¡± She was right. Her words stung a little, but ultimately, there was nothing wrong with what she just said. Chi-Woo was going to let it pass when¡ª ¡°Why don¡¯t you get ready if you¡¯re not going to rest more, then?¡± said Rawiya. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving as soon as the sun rises. You must need someone to guide you, right?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re still discussing whether or not to let me borrow that statue?¡± ¡°Yep. And the discussion is going to end soon.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Because the person with the highest authority among those who oppose the idea has changed her mind, and is going to vote in favor soon.¡± ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Chi-Woo had been rationalizing inside his mind that he had done enough, but Rawiya¡¯s words struck him like a thunderbolt out of the blue. ¡°Please wait.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why the sudden change of mind?¡± ¡°Is there a reason why I shouldn¡¯t?¡± Rawiya seemed to be teasing him. ¡°It¡¯s not like we want to live like this forever.¡± She continued while looking straight at him. ¡°If there¡¯s a way to overcome our current situation, if you have the foresight to take care of not only yourself but us as well, and if you aren¡¯t chasing lofty ideals, but can instead face the reality and recognize the gravity of the mission you¡¯re undertaking¡ª,¡± Rawiya spoke with a soft voice tinged with liveliness. Then with perfect precision, she enunciated her next few words, ¡°If you¡¯re that type of hero, I want to try trusting you at least once.¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. Rawiya smiled brightly and turned around. ¡°I heard your thoughts very well. It was refreshing to hear such a realistic answer. I like it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As you told Hawa, I¡¯ll try trusting and relying on you. I look forward to collaborating with you.¡± Rawiya waved at him and disappeared into a tent. Chi-Woo stood frozen like a stone statue. ¡®Trusting and relying on me? When did I say such a thing?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s jaw fell when realization dawned on him. The namu part in the mantra he had chanted to Hawa meant ¡°to rely on¡±, which indicated absolute faith in Buddha¡¯s teachings. ¡®How did things turn out like this¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh. He tilted his head and looked at the sky. Before he realized it, the light drizzle earlier had stopped. From far away, he saw the sunrise. CH 23 It was all Ru Hiana could do to think about Ru Amuh; hopes that he was well¡ªno, still alive and the more realistic thoughts that it was already too late warred in her mind. As a hero, she knew she had to accept the reality of the situation. Still, Ru Amuh was also an outstanding hero whose skills she had personally witnessed by his side. No matter the danger or how dire the situation was, Ru Amuh had always managed to survive. Thus, Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t accept his death easily. She knew that the title of hero was meaningless on Liber, but right now, she simply wanted to run out of this camp. Whenever she thought of Ru Amuh, she felt like she was sinning by doing nothing. Now, however, after listening to what the nameless young man told her, Ru Hiana had to repress these feelings. But if she really¡­. She didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep. It seemed she had slipped into unconsciousness while shuddering in guilt. ¡ªI¡­ Ru Hiana opened her eyes slightly. She had heard someone calling her name in her sleep. ¡®Did I imagine it?¡¯ Ru Hiana tilted her head and decided to close her eyes again. ¨CRuana¡­ Ru Hiana opened her eyes wide. A red light flashed past her, and she jerked her head around. ¡°Ruahu?¡± she called out in a hoarse voice. No one answered. She turned her head sideways, but only saw people sleeping around her. She couldn¡¯t spot Ru Amuh anywhere. What if she hadn¡¯t imagined his voice, though? ¡°Ruahu¡­¡± Ru Hiana murmured as she got to her feet. She stumbled past the tent and staggered across the camp like she was possessed. ¡°Ruahu, Ruahu¡­.¡± She cried out continuously and stopped. Could it be¡ªno, it couldn¡¯t. Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes widened at the figure in front of her. The figure looked pale, and the edges of his eyes looked dark, almost purple. He had bloodstains all over his body, and he stared at her from afar with sorrowful eyes: it was Ru Amuh. Ru Hiana came to a halt. ¡°Ruahu.¡± An emotion she couldn¡¯t explain by words rose inside her. ¡°Ruahu¡­!¡± Ru Hiana ran like mad. Questions like how he got here weren¡¯t important at this moment. All she could think of was that Ru Amuh had returned, and he was alive. ¡°Ruahu!¡± Ru Hiana was about to run and hug him when her eyes widened. ¡°Are you alr¡­.?¡± He was there just a moment ago, but now he was gone without a trace. ¡°Ru¡­!¡± Ru Hiana looked around desperately and saw Ru Amuh again. Like how she found him the first time, he was looking at her from afar. Ru Hiana approached him again, but she couldn¡¯t close the distance between them. He always got away, always out of her reach by a hair. Ru Hiana even ran sometimes, but it was futile. She didn¡¯t question this though; she wasn¡¯t in the mental state to think about anything else but the Ru Amuh in front of her. ¡°Ruahu! Ruahuu! Don¡¯t go! Where are you going! Please!¡± Ru Hiana shouted with all her might in heartache. In response, Ru Ahu opened his mouth slightly. ¡ªHel¡­. His lips twitched. -Help¡­ As if he wanted to¡­no, as if he didn¡¯t want to keep talking, his face scrunched up. Finally, Ru Amuh shook his head sideways vigorously and completely disappeared. In a way, it almost looked like he had fallen over backward. As she ran desperately, Ru Hiana felt something brush by her ankles, but she ignored it. She found a pit where Ru Amuh had last stood. There was no need for her to think any longer. She had been enduring well until now, but with Ru Amuh¡¯s sudden appearance, her heart couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Ru Hiana entered the pit. She stepped on the rocks protruding from the wall and made her way to the bottom. She soon saw the ground and got ready to jump down. ¡°Ah!¡± She suddenly felt something pull her by the ankles. By the time she realized it, her body had turned half a circle. Flop! She hit the floor hard before she could do anything. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes narrowed from the pain. Her face felt sticky, and she smelled the metallic smell of blood. It was extremely unpleasant. Ru Hiana looked up, perplexed. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ She got up slowly and looked around her. She had never seen this place before. She had trouble seeing clearly in the dark, but she saw enough to be confused about how she ended up in this unfamiliar space. Now that she thought about it, she had been chasing¡­Ru Amuh. ¡°Ah.¡± Ru Hiana finally regained her senses. It was like someone had poured water onto her and woken her up from her dream. ¡ªKkirik, kki, kki, kki, kki She suddenly heard a series of strange noises. ¡°Ru-Ruahu?¡± Ru Hiana stuttered. ¡ªKkiugh, ugh, ugh! She heard someone sobbing, or was it laughter deriding her? It was then the firelight coming from the inside of the entrance glimmered. It was only for a moment, but Ru Hiana saw them clearly¡ªlong, shadowy figures that flickered in and out of existence. Shudder. Goosebumps popped up all over her body. A heavy silence abruptly swept the place, and she could neither hear nor see anything. However, she could feel it, a terrifying and menacing malice. And this intangible yet ominous aura engulfed the entirety of the empty space until there wasn¡¯t a corner untouched. At this moment, a memory flashed inside Ru Hiana¡¯s mind like lightning. She reached for her belongings and pulled out a finely woven red silk thread that flowed out like waves. Ru Hiana lifted the silk thread high in the air and stopped. It was like she had suddenly stopped while dancing happily. ¡°Ha-ah¡­Ha-ah¡­¡± Ru Hiana quelled her trembling breath and tried to understand the situation. The silence didn¡¯t last long. Dddddddddddu! The whole area began to tremble. Dirt and sand fell from the ceiling, while the ground shook so intensely that Ru Hiana¡¯s legs were vibrating. The red silk thread was also shaking along with everything. No, it wasn¡¯t just shaking. It fluctuated wildly like it was full of wrath and ready to tear their opponent apart madly. Ru Hiana felt a sudden pull from the other side of the silk thread and lost her grip. Rather than grabbing it from the ground, she remembered an instruction she was given and quickly turned on her hologram. She was surprised to see that her hologram was connected. She quickly clicked it with her finger. ¡®Please¡­ please¡­¡¯ She called one of her saved contacts and quickly sent a message. When she looked forward again, the red silk thread was already in tatters. The mysterious being had been so enraged that even the nearby ground had slash marks all over it. The silk thread had been split in half and scattered into pieces like it had been shredded by a razor blade. The cloud of dust dispersed all over the place and suddenly settled down. Ru Hiana backed away with a fear-stricken face; it felt like a mysterious being with murderous intent was glaring at her. ¡®Please!¡¯ An entirely different sensation hit her. It felt like the being was going to swallow her whole. She squeezed her eyes shut intently. ¡®Come quickly¡­!¡¯ * * * A couple of hours earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s go in first and sleep.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Of course, not without doing anything.¡± Chi-Woo had told her to wait and went into the tent for a short while before returning to her. ¡°Could you tie this to yourself first, please?¡± Ru Hiana looked at the rope Chi-Woo handed her. It was the rope that had been used to tie her up. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°You promised before,¡± Chi-Woo said while wiping the sweat on his forehead, ¡°That you will do anything to save Ru Amuh.¡± Ru Hiana looked taken aback and stared at Chi-Woo contemptuously. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°What do you mean? You definitely said you¡¯ll do anything.¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯ve never done anything like this, and until you save Ruahu¡­¡± Ru Hiana trailed off when she saw one of Chi-Woo¡¯s eyebrows slowly go up. Ru Hiana saw his reaction and asked to make sure, ¡°Did I just misunderstand you?¡± ¡°Yes. But I did say it in a way that you would misunderstand. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because I¡¯m tired.¡± True to his words, Chi-Woo was completely soaked in sweat. He continued, ¡°You don¡¯t need to tie up your whole body; just tie it to a certain area¡ªit can be your arm or ankle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to be very difficult, but¡­¡± Ru Hiana looked at him with suspicion. ¡°Are you doing this because you think I¡¯ll secretly run off by myself?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already considered that possibility in my plan.¡± ¡°Hm? What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s first get some sleep and rest a bit. We¡¯ll head off once the sun rises.¡± Ru Hiana had heard this before. ¡°It¡¯s a simple plan. However, it was made on the premise that I would be able to successfully borrow the statue.¡± ¡°What if you can¡¯t borrow it?¡± ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped. When that happens, I won¡¯t stop you from leaving.¡± In other words, Chi-Woo would wash his hands of this whole situation. Ru Hiana hesitated for a while and finally spoke, ¡°You know¡­Ruahu¡­is probably dead, right?¡± Chi-Woo stared at Ru Hiana with slight surprise. He thought she would say something like, ¡®What if you can¡¯t borrow the statue, and Ru Amuh dies in the meantime!?¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t know that,¡± Chi-Woo replied while scratching his throat. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know when we get there. I don¡¯t think I can jump to conclusions, but there¡¯s a high possibility that he¡¯s alive.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes widened. In her perspective, Chi-Woo was a hero with an extremely cold personality. She had expected him to declare Ru Amuh dead without hesitation. ¡°But¡­you said that you were able to get out because of Ruahu¡¯s soul.¡± ¡°Dead people aren¡¯t the only ones who have souls.¡± Chi-Woo let out a wide yawn. ¡°It¡¯s possible for a living person¡¯s soul to emerge. We call that a living soul.¡± ¡°Are you saying this for real? You¡¯re not trying to comfort me, are you?¡± ¡°Have you only been tricked all your life? It¡¯s not like this has never happened before. You just need to be extremely strong-willed and have a powerful enough wish.¡± Of course, Chi-Woo knew for sure that Ru Amuh was going to be alive until at least tomorrow, but he couldn¡¯t just reveal this information without any evidence. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to business. If I successfully borrow the statue and fulfill one more condition, I¡¯m going to change the plan.¡± ¡°One other condition?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chi-Woo paused for a bit and continued, ¡°The condition will be fulfilled when you go to that place by yourself.¡± Ru Hiana slightly frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You may end up making your way there even if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°How? Is someone going to forcibly transport me there?¡± ¡°No. Hmm. Well, for example¡­¡± Chi-Woo shifted his eyes around. ¡°You may fall asleep, and when you open your eyes again, you¡¯re suddenly there.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying you can be bewitched.¡± Ru Hiana still looked befuddled. ¡®How could they bewitch her?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s how those beings operate. I don¡¯t know about that specific spirit, but the ones I know bewitch and trick people through all kinds of evil methods.¡± Chi-Woo pointed to Ru Hiana with his thumb. ¡°What if Mr. Ru Amuh suddenly appears in front of you and asks for help?¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°What if he lures you into his den by asking for your help?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Ruahu will never do that to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely what they¡¯re aiming for. Those evil spirits utilize the weakest and deepest parts of the human mind.¡± Chi-Woo clapped his hands. ¡°Anyway, the important part is that if something like that happens, I¡¯m going to just leave you be, Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± Ru Hiana blinked and exclaimed, ¡°Ah! You¡¯re saying that while that thing is tricking me, you¡¯re going to save Ruahu, right? That¡¯s why you gave me this rope.¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± Chi-Woo snorted. ¡°Please accept this first.¡± Chi-Woo searched through his bag and took out something. It was a beautiful skein of red silk. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me where I got it and listen to me carefully from now on.¡± Chi-Woo calmly continued, ¡°While you¡¯re being bewitched, you won¡¯t be able to think about anything clearly. If you have an extremely tough mentality, you might be able to gain consciousness by yourself, but I¡¯m not very hopeful about that, which means you¡¯ll have to regain consciousness using whatever means possible. I¡¯ll help you with that, though; you don¡¯t have to worry about it too much.¡± Chi-Woo raised the hand holding the end of the rope and continued, ¡°When you gain consciousness, please don¡¯t try to do anything and just lift this silk I gave you up so that the spirit can see it well.¡± Chi-Woo explained everything quickly, and Ru Hiana nodded with a startled face. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°One more thing. After this, just tell me what happens to the red string.¡± ¡°What? How?¡± ¡°You know our devices can send messages, right?¡± Chi-Woo spoke nonchalantly. ¡°I know that. Messaging works fine here, but how do I contact you when I¡¯m outside¡ªah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to borrow the statue.¡± Ru Hiana looked at the red silk string in her hand. ¡°Can I¡­ask why I have to do this?¡± ¡°Because I need to confirm something,¡± Chi-Woo replied simply. ¡°If what we¡¯re facing is the thing I¡¯m familiar with, he¡¯ll probably go crazy for it.¡± ¡°Go crazy for it?¡± ¡°Yes. But you still have to be careful. That string is just a means to confirm my speculation, so the only thing it¡¯ll do is stalling for time.¡± Chi-Woo warned her again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me in detail. Please just send me a brief message on what happened to that red string.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be difficult, but what if it doesn¡¯t react to it?¡± ¡°Then run as fast as possible,¡± Chi-Woo said clearly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to survive, but you have to give it your best. By the way, if I don¡¯t receive a message, I¡¯ll also be running away.¡± Ru Hiana bit her lower lip. Even though she had said that she¡¯d do everything, she still had her suspicions. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped. She had to grab onto any straws for Ru Amuh, who might still be alive. But most of all, she had already witnessed Chi-Woo¡¯s ability earlier. ¡°¡­I got it.¡± Ru Hiana spoke with a determined face and held out her pinky. ¡°Let¡¯s first register each other as contacts. I¡¯ll do as you said. If you save Ruahu, I¡¯ll keep my promise.¡± Chi-Woo stared at the hand that Ru Hiana held out and presented his left wrist. Her pinky and his wrist touched, and a message that said, ¡®one registration request received¡¯ popped up. Since the interface was similar to that of a phone, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Chi-Woo to use it. Ru Hiana asked, ¡°What do you want me to save your name as?¡± ¡°Whatever you want.¡± After registering Ru Hiana in his database, Chi-Woo let out another yawn. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest. Please don¡¯t forget what I told you just now.¡± Chi-Woo tightly rolled the ends of the rope around his wrist. Ru Hiana stared at him. Letting out a sudden sigh, she tied the rope around her ankle. She then went into the tent and sat in a corner, burying her face in her knees. And then¡­ * * * Pachichichichicihi! At the same time, the sound of electricity crackling hit Ru Hiana¡¯s ears. ¡ªKyaaaaaaaaaaaaakh! A chilling scream assaulted her, the horrifying sound sending shivers down her spine. Then she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Good. You did very well.¡± Ru Hiana held her breath as she slowly opened her eyes. She saw a bizarre and grotesque black figure in front of her. ¡°Please just stay put now.¡± She saw the back of the young man standing in front of the black figure. The person blocking the figure¡¯s path was none other than Choi Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­What?¡± Cracccccckle! Chi-Woo looked at the quickly burning talisman with surprise. ¡°Look at this punk.¡± He shook off the ashes of the burnt talisman and reached into his bag again. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your response would be this enthusiastic. If I knew¡ª¡± At that moment, Ru Hiana clearly caught the expression on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. ¡°I would have beat the crap out of you in the storage room before.¡± Chi-Woo had a graceful smile on his lips. CH 24 The being exposed itself for a brief moment and went into a craze. Every time it struggled wildly, the talisman burned more quickly. ¡°Woah.¡± Chi-Woo clicked his tongue when he saw the talisman getting charred black. It had been a long time since he saw a talisman burn so fast. ¡ªKuhuhhhhhhhhh When the talisman finally turned to dust and scattered away, the being howled in rage. Ru Hiana shielded her ears from its ear-splitting shriek. ¡®No. It¡¯s all wrong¡­!¡¯ Ru Hiana thought everything was over when she saw the stunned look on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. The ghost shook violently and rushed towards them. With a surprised look on his face, Chi-Woo moved his hands quickly. He took out a new piece of talisman and stamped it on the rushing ghost. Haaaaaaaaa! From the talisman came a pouring path of flames, burning vibrantly in the air. ¡ªKiahahahahhhh! A painful scream incomparable to the one before rang inside the pit. ¡°Wow, amazing,¡± Chi-Woo exclaimed in admiration at the talisman as it swallowed the ghost. ¡°W-What?¡± Ru Hiana asked in shock. Likewise, Chi-Woo looked surprised by what he had done. ¡°Ah, this is called a Jakyulbu. It¡¯s a talisman that inflict burning pain on ghosts if they trespass¡­¡± Although Chi-Woo had seen plenty of ghosts suffer from Jakyulbu, it was his first time seeing a talisman actually emit fire. Ru Hiana gulped and looked forward. It took her a while to understand the situation since everything had happened so suddenly. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Her eyes widened. On top of these pained beings who were suffering from the fire, black energy bloomed upwards like a haze. Like paint dampened by water, it scattered across the air and wrapped around Chi-Woo. ¡°Be careful!¡± Ru Hiana shouted. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo felt an unfamiliar sensation seep into him from all parts of his body. It was an unpleasant sensation. It felt like the thing was trying to penetrate him. His head was about to jerk suddenly, but Chi-Woo resisted with all his might and stopped his movements. Still, his whole body, including his two hands, trembled furiously. His body no longer seemed to be listening to his will. Chi-Woo felt his control stolen away. ¡®This is¡­!¡¯ How could he forget about this when it had happened so often in his childhood? ¡°This bastard¡­!¡± Chi-Woo pressed his lips together. He moved the leg that he still had control over and staggered to sit down. Then he forcefully clasped his trembling hands and murmured. ¡°Nama¡­Saddarunma¡­puntarika¡­sutura¡­¡± He chanted the same seemingly meaningless words twice and closed his eyes. ¡°Nama¡­Saddarunma¡­puntarika¡­sutura¡­¡± Ru Hiana watched from behind, obviously confused why Chi-Woo was suddenly praying on the floor after being enveloped by a dark aura that caused his whole body to tremble. As someone who swung spears against monsters, she couldn¡¯t comprehend Chi-Woo¡¯s actions at all. Not knowing what to do, Ru Hiana fumbled and noticed a change happening. ¡®It¡¯s getting pushed back?¡¯ The dark aura that was trying to enter Chi-Woo¡¯s body was pulling back like it was running away. The aura broke in parts and twisted, and Chi-Woo¡¯s noticeable tremor died down to some extent. In the meantime, Chi-Woo was so concentrated on his prayer that sweat was collecting on his forehead. ¡°Nama¡­Saddarunma¡­puntarika¡­sutura¡­¡± After seeing things he shouldn¡¯t see¡ªmore specifically after ghosts found out that a small child could see them, Chi-Woo went through an intense level of torment. The ghosts all begged him to free them of their resentment or lend them his body. There were even some who attempted to forcefully steal his body. When things were at their worst, Chi-Woo had wandered around places at dawn like a sleepwalker. There was even a time when he woke up inside a mountain. It still sent shivers down his spine when he recalled opening his eyes to find himself standing at the edge of a veranda. Yet, among the many masters he served to escape from this torment, there was one famous monk. Chi-Woo stayed in the temple with the monk and wrote sutras and prayed every day according to their wishes; among the sutras were the Diamond Sutra, The Thousand Hands Sutra, The Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, Vimalakirti Sutra, Flower Garland Sutra, and many more. Unfortunately, none of them could free Chi-Woo from the clutches of his unidentifiable destiny. There was a silver lining, though. Something he¡¯d tried proved to have an effect: chanting the prayer of the Lotus Sutra¡ª one of the three Mahayana Scriptures written in the early days of Buddhism. This scripture was spoken right after Buddha finished his pursuit in Bhod Gaya and came out to the world; thus, it was considered one of the most important scriptures in Buddhism. It was also the scripture that vengeful spirits feared the most. The prayer expressed resolute faith for Buddha, and the belief that as long as they had a strong will to memorize the Buddha¡¯s name, there was nothing they couldn¡¯t defeat. It didn¡¯t matter whether Chi-Woo was a Buddhist or a shaman when he was suffering so much. After he witnessed the power of the prayer, he prayed whenever he had the time and was never possessed again. ¡°Nama¡­Saddarunma¡­puntarika¡­sutura¡­¡± Having repeated the same chants for the third time, Chi-Woo slowly raised his head and opened his eyes. His dizzy head felt clearer now. The uncomfortable sensation that squeezed at his body was also gone. He turned slightly and made a fist two times before he got to his feet and walked to the path of fire. The fire was still burning, but it was much weaker than before. ¡°That bastard.¡± He looked down at the vengeful spirit that made him recall a bad memory and took out a new talisman. He usually comforted spirits and prayed for them so that they could pass onto the afterlife, but for vengeful spirits with deep resentment, he prayed for support and annihilated them. ¡°Go away. You¡¯re not even worth talking to,¡± Chi-Woo said coldly and scattered his talisman. It had a clear effect. The being with a strong evil aura began to grow fainter. Then they stopped moving altogether helplessly. Once the vengeful spirit began turning to dust, Chi-Woo let out the breath that he had been holding. His mind was still in disarray like the aftermath of a typhoon. ¡°How¡­¡± Ru Hiana muttered. ¡°Could you¡­ so easily¡­defeat a jukgwi?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°Ah. That one wasn¡¯t a jukgwi.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t?¡± ¡°No, it was just a vengeful spirit. It was stronger than the one possessing Hawa, but nowhere near an evil spirit.¡± An evil spirit was beyond awful. One of his masters took a year and six months vanquishing an evil spirit possessing a woman, and in the end, they lost their lives from the tremendous task. Chi-Woo made a bitter smile in remembrance of his master. If even an evil spirit was capable of wreaking such havoc, it was obvious how powerful a jukgwi must be. ¡®Still, if I had known it was just a vengeful spirit, I would¡¯ve handled it as soon as I was transmitted here.¡¯ But with this, he had finished the task that needed to be done and made an important discovery: his techniques worked on these beings, which was significant progress in itself. ¡°Still¡­¡± Ru Hiana looked at Chi-Woo with admiring eyes. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± She looked more in awe than in disbelief. In her point of view, Chi-Woo had vanquished a vengeful spirit by pulling out a couple of sheets of paper and praying. And his opponent was something Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t do anything against. She wondered how strong this hero was; and what kind of arduous life and hardships he had overcome that he was able to see spirits in a world like this one. Seeing how he was able to respond to a dangerous situation calmly, she assumed he was a seasoned hero with much more experience than her. ¡°No. I¡¯m not¡­such an amazing person.¡± Ru Hiana also added humility to her mental list of Chi-Woo¡¯s character. Now, her impression of Chi-Woo was one of a veteran hero who made ice-cold, logical judgments of situations and solved them. ¡°It¡¯s my teachers who were great.¡± Ru Hiana thought people who respected their teachers tended to have good personalities, and her expression became even softer. Chi-Woo scratched his head. It felt nice to receive a gaze full of admiration, but he didn¡¯t feel very comfortable because of Ru Hiana¡¯s status. Even though he was a non-hero, Ru Hiana probably admired him as one. The very sound of that statement was a bit strange. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t made the talismans himself; they were given to him. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how to make a talisman, in fact. He had merely seen people produce a couple at a time after praying intensely all day long for several days. ¡®I need to save them.¡¯ It hadn¡¯t even been a day, and Chi-Woo had already used five talismans. If he kept this up, he would run out of his supply in a month. ¡®Anyways, they¡¯re amazing though.¡¯ Even though Chi-Woo had followed many masters and his church mentor, it was the first time he saw a talisman burn so quickly or let out such a huge fire. On the other hand, the effects of the talisman were astounding. He was able to neutralize the spirit way more easily than he thought he would. Chi-Woo could only think of one reason for this. [It reminds me of the time when we had a revolution. Are you going on some kind of war¡­ah well, you are.] Raphael had said this before. [Where did you get such precious items?] Laguel had also been amazed by his items. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly what happened, but it seems like his items might have received an enormous buff while coming over to Liber, or they were finally showing their full potential. Using a crapload of money was definitely worth it. ¡®Then perhaps, it¡¯ll be the same for this?¡¯ Chi-Woo took a new talisman from his bag. Called the Vanquishing White Horse General Talisman, it was a talisman known to summon a general with supernatural power and his army to sweep away evil spirits. It was one of the talismans his mentor had told him to use sparingly since it was extremely precious. ¡°Did you defeat them?¡± Ru Hiana asked. Chi-Woo was shocked by her words since she was suddenly speaking in honorifics. ¡°W-why?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡ª¡± Ru Hiana muttered and followed Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze, shifting her eyes to a particular spot on the ground. Her eyes narrowed. The dust that they thought had scattered and disappeared was beginning to form a shape. It was reminiscent of a vampire turning into smoke before returning to its original form. Gradually, the distorted dark shape morphed into a humanoid figure. It looked human at first glance, but there was no hair on its body at all. It was also covered in patches of decayed flesh, and its whole body had a bluish tint. Like a corpse, to put it simply. The unexpected nature of its emergence was the most alarming thing of it all. Wriggle. The body suddenly flailed like a fish. Startled, Chi-Woo moved away. The figure slowly lifted its head. Its eyes fluttered open; they were pure white, and they shone. ¡°Keugh¡­.¡± The monster had a hole for a mouth, from which came the sound of whistling air. The monster stared quietly at them for a bit, and then its white eyes flashed suddenly. Chi-Woo¡¯s face turned serious. An unexpected event had occurred. It was a variable that he hadn¡¯t considered. ¡°W-what is that?¡± Ru Hiana exclaimed in surprise. ¡®She can see it too?¡¯ This meant that the being in front of them was not a vengeful spirit at least. While Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes briefly strayed towards Ru Hiana, the unknown monster jumped and rushed towards them with a raspy howl. ¡°Heuuuugh!¡± It was a sudden attack; the monster stretched out its hands frantically towards Chi-Woo. ¡°What the hell! Is this like the second phase¡ª!?¡± Chi-Woo, who had been standing on guard, swore and quickly withdrew. At the same time, he took out another Buriptwegwi Talisman[1] and threw it at the monster. ¡°Guwaaaa!¡± The monster continued to rush towards Chi-Woo, completely unfazed. ¡®Uh?¡¯ In a matter of seconds, the monster had closed in on him, and Chi-Woo fell into utter despair. ¡®My talisman¡ª¡¯ It had no effect on the monster at all. When the monster was about to grab and crush Chi-Woo¡ª ¡°Watch out!¡± Chi-Woo felt a strong hand grabbing him by his nape. Then Ru Hiana dashed out from his side. Chi-Woo watched her following actions with bated breath. Moving like flowing water, Ru Hiana ran towards the monster and firmly grabbed onto its arms before twisting around to hurl it away with all her strength. Bam! The monster flew far away and plummeted to the ground after hitting a wall. An ordinary person would have never been able to copy Ru Hiana¡¯s movements. ¡°You¡¯re good at fighting!?¡± Ru Hiana didn¡¯t know what was happening, either. However, she had been able to gather a little bit of information from the earlier experience. When she met the vengeful spirit, Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t do anything. It was the first time she felt such a sinister presence. However, the monster that suddenly appeared after Chi-Woo defeated the vengeful spirit didn¡¯t give off the mysterious sinister feeling that the vengeful spirit gave off. Most of all, she could see the monster with her own eyes, which told her that it was just a common monster. Ru Hiana made a split-second decision and she rushed forward to attack the monster in Chi-Woo¡¯s stead; her judgment turned out to be correct. The being in front of her was as strong as a monster¡ªbut that was all. Even though Ru Hiana had lost her unique strength as a hero and couldn¡¯t receive the World¡¯s Blessing, she was still a hero at her core. She retained the techniques she trained for and the experience of fighting hundreds and thousands of battles to save the world. Fighting with a monster was a specialty for heroes like her. Unless her opponents were beings like the vengeful spirits she had never encountered before, there was no way Ru Hiana would be hit by a monster recklessly swinging their fists. The battle soon ended. Ru Hiana successfully grabbed the monster¡¯s back and tightly wrapped her arms around its head. Then with a push¡ª Crack! The sound of bones crushing could be heard. The monster¡¯s head twisted at a grotesque angle. However, Ru Hiana didn¡¯t lower her guard, and she stayed fixed in her position. She only released her grip when the monster¡¯s body began to collapse. It slipped and lay sprawling on the ground, no longer moving. Even though the situation was now over, Chi-Woo was unable to tear his gaze away. He had only seen fights like this in movies. If someone told him to move like Ru Hiana just now, he would never be able to do so. ¡°What happened?¡± Ru Hiana softly asked. Only then did Chi-Woo regain his senses. ¡°I don¡¯t know, either.¡± Chi-Woo controlled his breathing and swiped his chest. ¡®Thank goodness we came together. If not¡­¡¯ Because of his past experiences, Chi-Woo was used to dealing with vengeful spirits, but he had never faced a monster. Thinking of the monster¡¯s reaction to his talisman sent a chill down his spine. While his body shivered, Chi-Woo found and picked up the talisman he cast before. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t forget to thank the person who saved his life. ¡°I almost crossed the river of Styx. Ms. Ru Hiana, you¡¯re a great fighter. I was really surprised!¡± Chi-Woo gave her a thumbs up and praised her, and Ru Hiana looked at him with puzzlement. ¡®Is he angry that I intervened without asking?¡¯ Ru Hiana wasn¡¯t sure if Chi-Woo was making fun of her or being courteous. All heroes would have been able to fight that monster if they didn¡¯t win their title through dumb luck. However, the person who enabled her to fight that monster was none other than Chi-Woo. ¡°I apologize¡­I stepped forward because I thought it might be dangerous¡­I also didn¡¯t feel comfortable watching from the sidelines, so¡­¡± It seemed that Ru Hiana had decided to just keep speaking politely to him from now on. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana, what are you sorry about? You¡¯re amazing. I feel very reassured with you. I always have great trust in you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Well¡­¡± In Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes, Chi-Woo was a hero with extensive knowledge, experience, and skills. It would thus serve her well to stay on his good side. ¡°Thank you for your thoughtful words.¡± Ru Hiana politely gave him a bow. ¡°But may I ask what that is?¡± Ru Hiana became curious after seeing Chi-Woo shake his crumpled talisman. ¡°Hmm. I can explain it to you, but...¡± As Chi-Woo put the neatly straightened out talisman into his backpack, he said, ¡°Isn¡¯t there something more important right now?¡± Ru Hiana realized her mistake. Soon after. ¡°Ruahu! Ruahu!¡± ¡°Please wait! He¡¯s not there, but over here!¡± Chi-Woo and Ru Hiana ran, following the long marks on the cave¡¯s floor. 1. Bu-rip-twe-gwi literally translates to "deny entry and ward off ghosts". ? Favorite CH 25 Although they were all dried up, the red marks remained clear. It was where Chi-Woo had first met Ru Amuh and the path they had taken together. Chi-Woo walked past the storage room he first found himself in and headed where the vengeful spirit had dragged Ru Amuh to. At the end of the passageway was a spacious area divided into several holes like a rabbit burrow; a pungent odor assaulted his nose. There didn¡¯t appear to be another passageway besides the one they just came out of. Thinking that they would find Ru Amuh here, they scanned the area and searched the caves. Eventually, they found Ru Amuh in one of them. ¡°Ruahu!¡± As the message indicated, Ru Amuh was still alive. Although the wound inflicted on his stomach was severe, and he suffered significant blood loss, he was still holding onto his life by a thread. While crying, Ru Hiana ripped a cloth into pieces and bandaged him skillfully like she had done it many times before. Chi-Woo wanted to help, but held back in the end. He had no professional knowledge of medical aid. Rather than causing trouble by making mistakes, he knew it was better for him to wait until he was asked to help. Still, he looked around the place to see if there was anything that could be helpful for treatments, but it was futile. He found nothing resembling a reward for clearing the ¡®dungeon¡¯. All he got were ripped clothes inside an empty cave and black-reddish marks. ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer! We have to go outside now!¡± Ru Hiana supported the unconscious Ru Amuh. Before leaving, Chi-Woo turned back to the empty cave again. He wanted to get out of this filthy and smelly cave as fast as possible, but there was something bothering him. He thought about the vengeful spirit, the corpse-like monster that suddenly disappeared after its annihilation, the talisman that didn¡¯t work, Ru Amuh who was still alive, and the shredded pieces of cloth as well as the mysterious marks. ¡®Why are there several caves?¡¯ They were probably made to lock up prisoners, and the cave itself appeared like a prison. ¡®Why? Who made this, and for what purpose? What happened here? What was this cave¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly heard Ru Hiana¡¯s voice beyond the entrance. Chi-Woo stopped thinking and picked up a brisk pace. After Chi-Woo and Ru Hiana returned to the place they first arrived at, they took turns carrying Ru Amuh up. They ascended the rock one by one and finally reached the ceiling. Through the open grate, they saw streams of light shining through. The morning sky was completely clear. Chi-Woo raised his head above the entrance and breathed in the fresh air. Then he turned around to see Rawiya waiting for them nervously. She hesitated when she saw them, but then Chi-Woo waved his hand, and she quickly ran up. ¡°Are you here to help us~?¡± Chi-Woo said, meeting Rawiya¡¯s shocked gaze with a smile. ¡°How about pulling us up?¡± * * * Chi-Woo¡¯s return after saving Ru Amuh triggered a ruckus in the camp. Rather than simply being overjoyed, many of them were shocked and dumbfounded; that was how unbelievable the story of the pair defeating a vengeful spirit and saving their companion sounded to them. Shakira ran madly towards them, and Chi-Woo returned the statue to her. Then the old seer stopped Chi-Woo from leaving to have him explain what had happened. ¡°May I visit that place with you once?¡± Shakira asked, unable to wrap her head around the situation. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Rawiya returned at just the right time. ¡°I¡¯ve checked the place before coming back. He¡¯s telling the truth.¡± Rawiya had reacted in the same way after meeting Chi-Woo at the entrance of the pit, saying that she wanted to see the remnants of the monster. [Let¡¯s go down together.] [You can go alone.] [It¡¯s scary.] [¡­] That was why Chi-Woo had to go down after coming up all the way to the top. Having checked the monster¡¯s remains, Rawiya stated that there was something else she wanted to investigate and told Chi-Woo to go ahead. Chi-Woo had then climbed his way back up grumbling all the way and asked another guard to escort them back to the camp. ¡°Was the monster really there?¡± ¡°Yes. I checked multiple times.¡± ¡°Was it perhaps¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Rawiya made a bitter smile. ¡°He was the one who got driven crazy by the curse. If my memory serves me right, his name was Kadei. Used to be a farmer.¡± Shakira closed her eyes. ¡°You knew the person?¡± Zelit soon joined the conversation. ¡°From what I can gather, the being who ambushed us wasn¡¯t a jukgwi, but a vengeful spirit ¨Cone of those broken and eaten beings. And when the vengeful spirit was defeated, another being appeared. That monster was someone who became crazy from the curse and originally a village person you all knew, right?¡± Chi-Woo was impressed by Zelit¡¯s organizing abilities. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you say.¡± Shakira nodded. ¡°But the problem is the cursed one who appeared after you defeated the vengeful spirit.¡± The information that Chi-Woo revealed to them was something the original inhabitants of Liber were also hearing for the first time. After all, they had never been able to handle what they called ¡®the broken and eaten beings¡¯ before, so it was expected. ¡°Now that you mention it, didn¡¯t you say that those who become crazy from the curse also mutate? Is there a chance this person has mutated?¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s a possibility, but it¡¯s simply one among many.¡± ¡°I also think the broken beings could have attached themselves to a cursed person,¡± Zelit said with interest. ¡°Like the girl named Hawa.¡± Shakira jerked her head to look at him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you said? The broken beings all hate the living.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°Maybe we can think of these broken beings as unknown creatures who puppeteered those cursed living people.¡± ¡®A living person.¡¯ Chi-Woo fell into contemplation. That could explain why his talisman had failed to work. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s all just hypothetical at the moment,¡± Zelit said while fixing his glasses. ¡°We need more information. And for that, I hope you¡¯ll tell us the origin of the curse.¡± Shakira fell into a momentary silence at Zelit¡¯s request before opening her mouth. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to explain the reason why the empire became cursed.¡± After warning them the story could become long, Shakira began. * * * The reason for the war was trivial. It might have been a serious matter for the individuals involved, but in the grand scheme of things, it was simply a common occurrence. The empire one-sidedly began the war, because a kingdom had fought against the empire¡¯s requests, which they thought had crossed a line. The sizeable kingdom gathered all its forces, but it was difficult for them to overcome the vast difference in size between them and the empire. The final troops they had managed to scrape together fell into the empire¡¯s trap and were captured. Since their supply route had been cut off, they had to surrender without engaging in a proper battle. However, the real problem was the empire¡¯s treatment of their prisoners. Even prisoners of war would require resources such as food and manpower to take care of. And there were far too many prisoners from the kingdom. To exacerbate the situation, there had been a great famine a couple years ago, which was part of the reason why the empire started the war. Thus, they had no way of maintaining their captives; if they took in the captives, it would be hard to manage them, and the empire might even collapse with them; if the empire released the captives, though, they would become their enemies and a nuisance one day. After days of deliberation, the imperial troops finally reached a decision that they couldn¡¯t reverse: a burial of the living. Without a single exception, they buried each of their prisoners alive. Hearing what happened, the kingdom burned with rage, and several other countries that had been watching from the sidelines were stunned by the empire¡¯s atrocities. The empire destroyed one of the countries that condemned them to make an example out of it, but in the end, this action backfired. Although they feared the empire, the rest of the countries formed an alliance in their anger. At last, there was a war between the empire and the allied forces. All hell broke loose, and a war that was more about revenge than victory was waged, with both sides one-upping the other in the level of viciousness they showed to their enemies. Not only did they buried more people alive, but both forces also dealt with their prisoners of war with extreme cruelty, to the point that throwing captives into a boiling pot of oil became nothing but child¡¯s play. * * * ¡°Thank you for explaining the history of your planet,¡± Zelit interrupted. ¡°But how is this story related to our findings today?¡± ¡°Goddess Elepthalia rules over all gods on Liber,¡± Shakira continued. ¡°All gods, including Her and those under Her, exist through faith.¡± Chi-Woo rummaged through his memories and recalled Raphael saying something similar about ¡®faith¡¯. ¡°Think about it.¡± Shakira¡¯s voice grew lower. ¡°The empire obviously worshipped the master of all gods, and the other kingdoms also served goddess Elepthalia.¡± The more followers there were and the stronger their faith was, the more powerful the god became. That was how much impact faith had on gods. ¡°However, an insurmountable number of people got swept into this war and began to loathe each other. What do you think they had been praying to the goddess they worshipped?¡± Without waiting for an answer, Shakira replied, ¡°As they were buried alive and died suffering, they prayed.¡± It was obvious they would have resented their enemies and cursed them; and on their descent to death, they would have prayed and hoped for the fall of their enemies. Those venomous wishes and prayers slowly accumulated and poisoned Liber¡¯s goddess. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Zelit shook his head. ¡°Even if they¡¯re beings that consume and live on people¡¯s belief, gods are still gods in the end.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re mortal beings, it¡¯s difficult to understand the gods, but it¡¯s not like they don¡¯t have their own suffering.¡± Shakira¡¯s voice grew heavy. ¡°It¡¯s safe to say that Liber¡¯s history was built on wars. There had never been a time when there wasn¡¯t a war.¡± If what Shakira was saying was true, then, it was only natural that the goddess would have suffered from the endless wars, and an infection would have formed from her cuts and scars. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Liber¡¯s ruling god died because she wasn¡¯t able to endure all those negative beliefs¡­.¡± Zelit clutched his forehead. It was a story that was hard to accept right away. ¡°What happened then?¡± Chi-Woo asked. He had been listening to Shakira¡¯s explanation with some curiosity. Shakira continued her storytelling. After the goddess went crazy, the continent fell into despair. People began to grow crazy. Those who had lost all sense of reason attacked their own people, biting and striking everyone near them. And from among those people, there were some whose whole body had shattered, and others who had gone missing. The few people who remained alive became very ill or died mysteriously. Even then, it was still possible to round up the few survivors and try to reconstruct Liber. However, after the goddess went crazy, the World of Liber was no longer protected, and its barriers broke down. The result was devastating. Monsters from all over Liber went feral, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the gates to Hell and the Demon World opened at the same time. To make things worse, unimaginable alien lifeforms also invaded Liber and caused chaos. Liber had already been devastated by long wars. It was impossible for the natives to endure the various invasions that took place when there was even an unknown civil war going on. ¡°¡­Shit.¡± Zelit, who had been listening quietly, blurted out without meaning to. He tried not to swear as much as possible, but the curse slipped out despite himself. He couldn¡¯t even joke about how Liber had gotten a full combo gift set. Any of the incidents would be difficult to deal with on its own, let alone when all of them had occurred in quick succession. ¡°Do you know why we can¡¯t leave this place?¡± Shakira bitterly said. In the first place, it was difficult to get out of here, but there was also no point in trying. Even though Shakira did not know what was happening outside, she could make a rough guess¡ªhell probably looked like heaven in comparison. This might be the only safe haven left on Liber. Shakira let out a soft sigh and continued, ¡°Kadei is one of our tribe people who went missing a long time ago. I¡¯m sure he was influenced by the curse plaguing all Liber if what Rawiya saw was true.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any trace of mutations or evolution,¡± Rawiya calmly said. ¡°I have one question,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Did Lady Hawa also¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. Getting cursed is different from getting attacked by the broken ones,¡± Shakira said. ¡°We¡¯ll fully know when she gets up, but I suspect it¡¯s the latter that happened to her. If she wasn¡¯t saved, she would have died, gone crazy, or got broken and eaten.¡± Chi-Woo was silent. Even though there was a saying that being alive was better than being dead, he would¡¯ve chosen death out of the three options Shakira presented. Zelit sighed. ¡°You¡¯re saying that the result will be the same whether we stay here or venture out and get defeated.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, Liber is getting invaded by all kinds of intruders.¡± Zelit, a real veteran hero who had saved a world from a stellar-system event, let out an empty laugh and said sarcastically, ¡°What a fantastic world.¡± Chi-Woo bit his lips. Giant Fist¡¯s words suddenly flashed through his mind. ¡ªOf course, we¡¯ll only know once we go there¡­but¡­ ¡ªWe might be getting thrown in the middle of a battle between gods. The reality was even worse. Gods and all kinds of things were mixed together. ¡®This place is fucked.¡¯ After easily defeating two vengeful spirits, Chi-Woo had thought, ¡®Perhaps I can easily solve this matter,¡¯ but his confidence was crushed immediately. Chi-Woo was sure of this now; he kissed his fantasy dream of receiving a lot of special privileges and going on an exciting adventure goodbye. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. There was no use crying over spilled milk. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t received anything. Rather than complaining and despairing, it was better to use the information he received to plan his future actions. ¡®And in that sense, it was a mistake for me to step forward this time.¡¯ If he stood in the front lines, he would die. That was the kind of place Liber was. There were enemies and dangers everywhere even if he avoided taking a stand and instead stayed away from the thick of things. Attracting attention would do him more harm than good. Rather than living a short and action-packed life, he needed to live a long and boring life. That was what ordinary people should do. ¡°But¡­¡± Shakira looked at Chi-Woo and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would really be able to do it.¡± Her voice sounded slightly excited. ¡°Same here. On my way back, I was struck by how warm the sunlight was. It¡¯s been a while since I last felt that way.¡± Rawiya, who had been curt since Chi-Woo first met her, echoed Shakira¡¯s sentiment and looked at him favorably. Her gaze also grew a lot warmer. It was understandable as Chi-Woo was able to face the curse of the crazy goddess head-on and come out victorious, something that no one had been able to do before. Moreover, she thought he was a hero who had come here to save this planet. It was only natural that Rawiya would consider Chi-Woo a ray of hope in a world full of despair. Of course, this was only from their perspective; for Chi-Woo, this whole situation was very burdensome. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I did this by myself. In all honesty, I would¡¯ve been dead if it hadn¡¯t been for Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. I wouldn¡¯t lie about this. Ms. Ru Hiana is also really amazing. She saved me when I was about to die, and she also finished the monster off. Even though I don¡¯t know much, I¡¯m sure that she¡¯s an amazing hero.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± In order to gain less attention, Chi-Woo continuously praised Ru Hiana, but he didn¡¯t say a single lie. Everything out of his mouth was true. ¡°Anyway, how is Lady Hawa¡¯s condition?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t forget to change the topic. ¡°She¡¯s now much better. She gained her consciousness and was able to eat, even though it wasn¡¯t much. I think she¡¯ll soon recover enough to talk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. I don¡¯t know how I can ever repay you.¡± ¡°No! There¡¯s nothing to pay me back for.¡± Chi-Woo frantically tried to stop the conversation from getting back to its original track. ¡°You¡¯ve paid me enough by lending me the statue. There¡¯s nothing to be grateful about. Please just forget it.¡± ¡°But still, how can we¡­¡± ¡°Would you be able to help Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± Chi-Woo brought up poor Ru Hiana¡¯s name again. ¡°I don¡¯t think Mr. Ru Amuh¡¯s condition is very good. I¡¯ll be grateful if you can help him however you can.¡± Chi-Woo said this in the hopes that they would form stronger ties with Ru Hiana. However, contrary to his expectations, Shakira looked at him with new wonder, and Rawiya gave him a soft smile; they looked touched. Even Zelit, who had a long face, looked at Chi-Woo and nodded. Zelit said, ¡°As expected. My eyes haven¡¯t failed me.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but sigh when I saw the kind of mindset heroes from the past two to three decades have, but fortunately, there are still heroes like you and Ru Amuh. Oh, wait, are you from my generation?¡± ¡®I¡¯m not,¡¯ Chi-Woo murmured inside his mind. ¡®And I¡¯ve never been a hero.¡¯ ¡°It seems that I¡¯m not the only one who felt this way,¡± Rawiya murmured. ¡°If there was even one person like you among the fifth recruits¡­¡± She looked regretful with a bitter face. ¡®No.¡¯ Chi-Woo began blinking like crazy. ¡®What are they suddenly talking about?¡¯ ¡°I got it,¡± Shakira politely bowed to Chi-Woo again and said. ¡°We¡¯ll do our very best to take care of him. I promise you with everything I have.¡± ¡®No. Please, you don¡¯t have to promise me with everything you have.¡¯ Chi-Woo smiled in frustration. ¡®No, this wasn¡¯t it. I didn¡¯t mention Ru Hiana for it to turn out like this.¡¯ CH 26 By dusk, the excitement surrounding Ru Amuh¡¯s rescue had settled down, and the camp slowly quieted down. Although Chi-Woo was the center of all their attention, he¡¯d been lying in his tent all day while twirling ¡®The World¡¯s Milestone¡¯ in his hand. ¡®A milestone.¡¯ A milestone usually referred to a sign on the side of a road that marked the distance from or to a particular place. It also referred to a significant developmental stage in a work or a goal. When he rolled the die without thinking, he had gotten a message related to Ru Amuh¡¯s rescue, which in turn pushed him to act. The important part, though, was that it had done nothing more than give him directions. Of course, its directions had been helpful, but all it did was provide him with a slight perk so that he could take the path the World wanted him to. It was still up to Chi-Woo if he was to listen to its guidance or not. If Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t done anything or had given up in the end, Ru Amuh probably would¡¯ve died, and Ru Hiana would¡¯ve likely followed suit. ¡®I get that.¡¯ Chi-Woo shuffled through his memory. After rolling the die, he had gained a couple of pieces of information. 1. Holy power was consumed according to the number that he rolled. 2. The die roll ended up either a success or a failure. The latter was what caught his attention more. When he rolled four stars, it said that he got a ¡®meaningless failure¡¯, while five stars resulted in a ¡®small success¡¯. ¡®If it fails, it fails. Why added extra words to describe the results?¡¯ Chi-Woo was curious about the standard of success and failure, too. He wondered if even numbers yielded failure and odd numbers yielded success. And that wasn¡¯t all. 4. Miscellaneous -> [7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent] is disabled. Please turn to the first page. -> [The World¡¯s Milestone] is currently inactive. Please wait for a bit¡­ Without his knowledge, his user information had updated, and it appeared that he was currently unable to use the die. Seeing this, he recalled how he got a message asking him if he wanted to roll another time after he rolled 4 stars and failed, but he didn¡¯t get any message after rolling 5 stars. What was the condition for the die to become inactive? When would it become active again? And how was he supposed to turn the first page of a book he couldn¡¯t find? ¡°Uhhhhh¡ª¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know!¡¯ Chi-Woo shouted inwardly and decided to clear his head by rolling the die. Neither Ru Hiana nor Eval Sevaru was inside the tent, and Zelit was lost in silent bemusement. That was when Chi-Woo heard someone enter. A blonde-haired woman with a ponytail slightly lifted the tent¡¯s veil; it was Ru Hiana. She glanced at the preoccupied Zelit before gesturing at Chi-Woo and turning around. Chi-Woo quietly rose from his spot and followed her. Once they put some distance between them and the tent, Ru Hiana began, ¡°Ruahu¡¯s condition has stabilized now.¡± She spoke much more politely than before. Furthermore, her mood seemed much brighter despite her slightly haggard appearance. ¡°We can finally be at peace now. I should have come tell you earlier. Sorry for the delay.¡± ¡°No worries. I¡¯m just glad that everything has worked out. Good work.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do much. It¡¯s all thanks to you that we were able to save Ruahu, and¡­¡± Ru Hiana stopped momentarily to glance at Chi-Woo before continuing, ¡°The guard captain said you told her that you wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat the vengeful spirit without me¡­.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the truth,¡± Chi-Woo replied honestly, but Ru Hiana waved her hand in denial. ¡°No. How could you say that? I couldn¡¯t do anything the whole time and just did some clean-up in the end.¡± ¡°What do you mean by clean-up? You fought with me.¡± ¡°But I think I¡¯m taking too much credit¡­¡± Ru Hiana looked flustered. She thought Chi-Woo had purposefully given her undue credit so that the original inhabitants of Liber would look after Ru Amuh with more care. After all, she knew how important something like fame was. No matter how great a hero was, they needed helpers; especially in a confusing world like this, they desperately needed the planet¡¯s original inhabitants on their side, but Ru Hiana could feel the guard captain¡¯s implicit dislike for the recruits. Fortunately, after Chi-Woo¡¯s deed, her attitude had become much more favorable that she even helped take care of Ru Amuh with Shakira. Chi-Woo had managed to gain the original inhabitants¡¯ trust. Ru Hiana had no qualms about this matter; she believed it was only natural for him to receive the praise. It was thanks to Chi-Woo that they were able to see the rescue mission to its end, and Ru Hiana had personally witnessed this fact. Still, Chi-Woo decided to share his hard-won influence he could¡¯ve rightfully monopolized. And Ru Hiana, who had an honest personality like Ru Amuh, felt thankful but apologetic. She was also nervous. ¡°Not at all. We helped each other out. And there¡¯s no need to make a distinction like that when we¡¯re companions with the same goal,¡± Chi-Woo said. Of course, Chi-Woo had a completely different mindset from Ru Hiana and wasn¡¯t pleased by the current situation. But he continued, ¡°Anyways, is Mr. Ru Amuh fine now?¡± ¡°Yes. His condition was critical for a moment, but with the guard captain and the seer¡¯s help, he was able to overcome it. His breathing returned to normal, so I think he will regain his consciousness soon.¡± Chi-Woo silently thanked her for allowing the change of subject. Finally, things were getting back on track, or so he thought. ¡°Then¡­¡± Ru Hiana took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s my turn now.¡± She suddenly got on one knee, which caught Chi-Woo completely off guard. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°The Ru family is one that considers a promise as valuable as one¡¯s life.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s attitude suddenly changed. She looked up at Chi-Woo and said in a serious voice, ¡°I made a promise to you for this rescue mission.¡± [It can be anything. I will do whatever you tell me to.] [I swear on the Ru family name.] It seemed Chi-Woo had misunderstood what those words meant. ¡°Since you kept your side of the promise, it¡¯s my turn to fulfill mine.¡± With disciplined movements, Ru Hiana put her hand on her chest and bowed. ¡°As I promised, I¡¯ll follow whatever you say. Regardless of how crazy it is, I¡¯ll gladly accept it.¡± Ru Hiana sounded like she was prepared to even become a meat shield if Chi-Woo asked her to. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. The situation was not turning out as he hoped. ¡°That¡­If not¡­¡± Ru Hiana hesitated, and her ears reddened. She looked down and fumbled as she took out the rope. ¡°I can¡­ what you wanted¡­last time¡­¡± ¡°No! I told you that was a misunderstanding.¡± Chi-Woo realized what she was saying and exclaimed in shock. ¡°I thought you might want¡­¡± Ru Hiana ducked her head with a pitiful expression; she seemed unable to meet his eyes due to embarrassment. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand her behavior; it was a bit too much. ¡®Why is she being like this?¡¯ ¡®Is this how all heroes are?¡¯ Chi-Woo complained inside his mind and said, ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana? Please get up. Let¡¯s talk a bit.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll listen to you like this.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Please don¡¯t be like this. Don¡¯t¡­Ugh, I¡¯m going crazy.¡± After resolving a crisis, he gained a devoted follower; this was typical of a protagonist walking the path of a king. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want a follower, and he wanted to embark on a completely different path than that of a protagonist. ¡°Please just listen to me first.¡± Chi-Woo cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m not as great as you think I am.¡± ¡°Ruahu and I owe my life to you, sir. That is enough for me to act like this.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m saying that we did it together. We both owe our lives to each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. If you hadn¡¯t stepped forward, we would have failed to rescue Ruahu, and I would have also lost my life. I¡¯m not so foolish that I can¡¯t accurately assess the situation.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s reply was firm. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana, I used you as bait, and I was able to confirm that my knowledge was applicable to the spirits here. That¡¯s why I was able to step forward. If you hadn¡¯t accepted that role, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to even think about what to do.¡± ¡°In the first place, I told you that you could use me however you wanted if it meant rescuing Ruahu.¡± Even after Chi-Woo told her the truth, Ru Hiana replied as deferentially as ever and continued, ¡°You did exactly as you promised to, sir. Even though you used me as bait, that¡¯s no excuse for me to break the promise I made to you.¡± ¡®This is crazy!¡¯ Ru Hiana was way too stubborn about her principles. Chi-Woo tried to stay calm as he continued, ¡°Other than that, Ms. Ru Hiana, you saved me from that monster that suddenly came out, so you did more than your fair share. You understand, right?¡± Chi-Woo looked at her with an expectant glimmer in his eyes, as if he was silently saying, ¡®Hmph! You must understand me now, right?¡¯ ¡°With all due respect,¡± Ru Hiana said without hesitation. ¡°As someone who went through the situation you spoke of, I¡¯m having a hard time agreeing with your statements. I have no intentions to speak ill of you, truly, but those words sound like lies to me.¡± ¡®This is driving me crazy! What the hell!¡¯ Chi-Woo clutched his head and tilted his chin back; there was nothing deceitful about his words. He wanted to roll around and scream. ¡®There¡¯s no hope.¡¯ Chi-Woo was sure that the Ru family or whatever must be a special breed of spectacularly stubborn people. If an idiot was firm in their belief, no words would work on them. Chi-Woo needed to change his methods. ¡°¡­That¡¯s your stance.¡± ¡°Promises should be and must be kept.¡± Chi-Woo slowly lowered both of his hands from his head and swiped his face. ¡°Yes, yes. So you¡¯re saying that you need to do something for me, right?¡± ¡°Of course. If you want me to be your sword, I¡¯ll become your sword, a slave or a sacrifice, too, if that is your wish.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you one last time. You sure you won¡¯t regret it? You¡¯ll need to follow my orders without complaints.¡± Even though Chi-Woo had spoken with a threatening voice, Ru Hiana nodded without hesitation. ¡°Unless it¡¯s to kill Ruahu again with my own hands or through other means, I will follow your orders.¡± ¡°Hmph. What do you see me as?¡± Chi-Woo snorted. ¡°If that is the extent of your will¡­I¡¯ll accept your offer.¡± Chi-Woo dropped the honorifics when addressing her. ¡°Good. Ru Hiana, you are to¡­¡± ¡®Ruahu, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what will happen from now on, but I¡¯ll no longer be able to¡­¡¯ Ru Hiana apologized inside her mind and tightly shut her eyes. Then, Chi-Woo said, ¡°Go inside Ru Amuh¡¯s tent and take a nap next to him.¡± Chi-Woo gave precise instructions so that there wouldn¡¯t be any misunderstanding again. ¡°¡­Are you serious, sir?¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes widened. She raised her head and stared at Chi-Woo. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged with a satisfied look on his face. ¡°What you want from me is¡­to take a nap?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡ªThat¡¯s right,¡± Chi-Woo folded his arms and spoke with a solemn face. ¡°That is the price you have to pay for the pledge you made to me.¡± Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t look more incredulous if she tried. Chi-Woo awkwardly coughed to break the resulting silence and said, ¡°Hmm. Patients usually have a hard time when recovering, Ms. Ru Hiana, but I know it¡¯s also very tiring for caretakers. You¡¯ve been with him the whole time, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then you should rest. You weren¡¯t able to sleep properly earlier because you were so concerned about Mr. Ru Amuh. You should at least take a short break. Let¡¯s meet each other later with a smile.¡± Chi-Woo spoke nonchalantly and turned around. ¡°W-wait!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face turned serious at Ru Hiana¡¯s desperate cries. ¡°I just told you the price you have to pay, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Are you perhaps¡­unwilling to fulfill your promise? Even though you¡¯re part of the Ru family, of all people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­but¡­¡± Ru Hiana became speechless as Chi-Woo used her words against her. ¡°Good. That settled the debt between us. It¡¯s done.¡± Chi-Woo let out a big yawn. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep. You should do that as well. Goodbye.¡± Chi-Woo forcibly put an end to their conversation and turned around. Ru Hiana shouted as she watched him quickly walk away. ¡°Please at least give me your name!¡± Chi-Woo flinched after recalling what had happened with Ru Amuh. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana, I already told you.¡± He tried to reply as calmly as possible. ¡°I¡¯m not such a great person that you should know my name for something like this.¡± Without another word, Chi-Woo swiftly walked away. With a blank face, Ru Hiana stared at the back of the first real hero she had ever met since she entered the Celestial Realm. CH 27 Ru Hiana was a hero who had ascended to the Celestial Realm with her companion. She was also a newbie who hadn¡¯t proven her skills until recently like Ru Amuh. Before arriving at the Celestial Realm, Ru Hiana had a fantasy about the place. She imagined a meeting of heroes from many different worlds. As someone who had grown up with Ru Amuh as his childhood friend and learned to become a hero in that manner, she thought other heroes would be like him. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t take long for her imagination to be shattered, and she soon learned that pure and just heroes like Ru Amuh were very rare. Most heroes didn¡¯t think of doing heroic acts without getting recognition in return and were selfish and greedy. There were plenty of immature blokes who thought the whole universe revolved around them. It was understandable, of course, since heroes were people, too. Nevertheless, when she heard heroes badmouth the princesses or princes they had met or complained about the perks a god had given them, she thought she was hearing things. She, who thought no sacrifice was unwarranted in the name of saving a world, was severely disappointed. The angel in charge of Ru Hiana told her that it couldn¡¯t be helped. Since too many dangers were popping out all over the universe, they had lowered some of the criteria to become a hero to fulfill their quota. ¡°Things were different during my time. It¡¯s true that today¡¯s heroes are much lower in quality compared to the previous generations,¡± the angel told her, and Ru Hiana could only nod in agreement to these statements. She had the same reaction when she met Chi-Woo for the first time. She wondered how a person like him could be a hero. However, when she now thought back to that moment, Chi-Woo had been the most experienced and collected person among them. What he did after things settled surprised her, too. Not only did he know to share and give, but he also recognized the value of making sacrifices without being seen, and didn¡¯t boast about himself. It was her first time seeing a true, experienced hero who was even a step above Ru Amuh; he was the kind of hero who persevered and walked a road of hardships for the well-being of others even when he wasn¡¯t recognized. He was the epitome of a hero. ¡°¡­So cool.¡± Ru Hiana muttered, unable to tear her eyes away from the tent that Chi-Woo had entered. That was the kind of light a newbie hero like her would see Chi-Woo in. Not long afterward, Ru Hiana got up from her seat. Chi-Woo was now her hero. He wasn¡¯t just someone who had become a hero before her, but an admirable senior from whom she had a lot to learn. ¡°Ruahu. Just now, I¡­¡± As she lay down next to Ru Amuh, she started talking with an excited expression. She blabbered for a long time in a quiet voice and eventually fell asleep. * * * The next morning, Chi-Woo woke up and stretched out his arms. He was in quite a good mood. Although his future was still unclear, he was in a better situation than when he was running away, soaking wet in the heavy downpour. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Having felt his movements, Zelit asked. As if he hadn¡¯t been able to have a wink of sleep, his face looked haggard. Chi-Woo was about to ask him what was going on with him when he stopped himself. ¡®On that note.¡¯ It seemed he had been pulled into these past events because of Zelit. Rather than getting mixed into some unexpected situation, he thought it would be better for him to not get involved at all. ¡°Yes, the weather is good today.¡± ¡°The weather? Hm.¡± That was all Zelit said before he got up from his seat and went outside the tent. ¡®What?¡¯ It bothered Chi-Woo that Zelit was acting in this manner with such a distressed face. After walking out without saying anything, Zelit soon returned with four others following behind him. ¡°Good morning, senior! I slept well like you told me to. How about¡ª¡± ¡°Did you sleep well? Was there anything uncomfortable about your accommodations¡ª?¡± Ru Hiana and Shakira talked at the same time and turned to each other in surprise. It seemed they hadn¡¯t expected each other to share the same sentiment. ¡°Both of them asked me to let them know once you woke up,¡± Zelit said calmly. ¡®This Zealot head.¡¯ Chi-Woo insulted Zelit inside his mind but couldn¡¯t complain outright. Then from behind Ru Hiana and Shakora each came a handsome, respectable blonde man and a mystical-looking, silver-haired woman who had one of her eyes closed. ¡°Ru Amuh¡­and you are Hawa, right?¡± Both were saved by Chi-Woo. It seemed they had come to meet him after they gained consciousness and recovered to the point that they could move. ¡®If they came to thank me, then¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo felt a sense of worry as he stared at them. The two of them snuck glances at each other like they were battling to see who would talk first. Thus, Chi-Woo decided to take the initiative. ¡°Are you both feeling well?¡± ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Ru Amuh replied first. ¡°I heard from Ru Hiana that not only did you grant my request, but you also saved my life. Thank you so much, sir.¡± Ru Amuh bowed deeply. ¡®He really is good looking.¡¯ Chi-Woo rolled his tongue. Ru Amuh was a handsome man with neat blond hair and blue eyes reminiscent of a calm lake. He looked like a comic book character in real life. ¡°You¡¯re acting like we were meeting for the first time,¡± Chi-Woo answered with a smile. ¡°Yes, ¡± Ru Amuh said with a slightly nervous face. ¡°It is as you say, sir,¡± ¡°You seemed more relaxed then.¡± ¡°Ah, that time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m also thankful to you. Thanks to your guidance, I was able to leave the place quickly.¡± ¡°No. Truthfully, my mind was in a mess at that time, and I was half awake¡­¡± Ru Amuh made a bitter smile and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I kept remembering your words that you would at least save my soul. I think that¡¯s how I was able to endure the situation. Thank you very much.¡± He bowed again so deeply that his head almost touched the ground. ¡®Hm. I suppose it was the die¡¯s doing.¡¯ Chi-Woo carefully studied Ru Amuh. Ru Amuh was handsome, had a good voice, and was mild-tempered. He was a hero with no faults. Since the World had also wanted to save him, Chi-Woo looked forward to Ru Amuh¡¯s future actions. At that moment, Shakira let out a small cough. ¡°I¡¯m Shahnaz Hawa. Thank you for saving me.¡± The silver-haired girl revealed her name with a calm voice and slightly bowed. ¡°Yes, nice to meet you. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. But you still have to take good care of yourself. Please eat well and get a lot of sunlight.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Hawa closed her eyes, and after brushing her silver hair back, she slightly nodded. Even though she appeared cold, it seemed to be her natural disposition rather than her trying to be rude. ¡°Anyway, senior.¡± Ru Hiana suddenly intervened. ¡°Rest assured, I already told Ru Amuh everything.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. Now that he thought about it, he heard her calling him something strange. What did she just say? ¡°Even though he¡¯s just a beginner, Ru Amuh is a hero who has resolved a star-cluster event. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be of great help to you, senior. You can look forward to it.¡± ¡°Ru Hiana? If you suddenly say something like that¡­¡± Ru Amuh tackled Ru Hiana¡¯s words, visibly flustered. Chi-Woo felt like he got struck by lightning. Why was she suddenly calling him senior, and what was she talking about? Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even know where to begin contradicting her statements. ¡°Hawa is the successor to the Shahnaz tribe,¡± Shakira also spoke up. ¡°She also received Rawiya¡¯s and my teachings.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°She¡¯s intelligent, and she can take care of herself. I can also say with full confidence that she¡¯ll be very helpful to you in the future.¡± Chi-Woo looked taken aback. ¡®Why are they talking as if they are competing with each other?¡¯ Their attitude seemed to indicate that he was someone of great importance, which Chi-Woo found extremely burdensome; it felt like someone brought a child and told him, ¡®this is yours.¡¯ Resolving something troublesome ended up bringing entirely different trouble to his door, and they kept popping up one after another. ¡®What do they want from me?¡¯ Chi-Woo gulped with an awkward expression, struggling to come up with something to say. Then several people near the entrance suddenly looked back to check the commotion outside. ¡°What? What¡¯s happening?¡± Ru Hiana flipped the tent¡¯s entrance open and stuck her head outside. Then she took two steps back because someone had quickly come inside. ¡°Shakira?¡± Rawiya looked for Shakira as soon as she entered the tent. ¡°They have arrived.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just come out first.¡± After excusing herself, Shakira quickly went out of the tent. While everyone was confused, Chi-Woo quickly got up. This was a godsend; a once in a lifetime opportunity for him to get out of this uncomfortable situation. ¡°Let¡¯s follow her.¡± ¡°Yes, senior!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have the chance to ask you this before, but why do you call me senior, Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± ¡°Sir, you must have become a hero earlier than I did, so it¡¯s only right that I address you as my senior.¡± Ru Hiana spoke nicely and took the lead by opening the tent¡¯s entrance. When most people were out, Zelit grabbed Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I also have something to tell you.¡± Chi-Woo turned around to look at him with wariness. ¡°Not right now, but later. I want to talk to you when we¡¯re alone. Will you be able to spare some of your time?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about your opinion on something.¡± ¡°Hmm. Yes. Well, if I can¡­¡± Chi-Woo purposely trailed off. ¡°Thanks. Then let¡¯s head out. I hope it¡¯s nothing serious.¡± Zelit also exited the tent. ¡®What¡¯s happening.¡¯ Chi-Woo clicked his tongue and sighed before following them. When he stepped out of the tent, he saw Shakira conversing with another person. Surprisingly, Shakira was bowing to the woman despite being the one with the highest authority in this camp, and the woman was young and beautiful. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll get a total of five people¡ª¡± The woman stopped mid-sentence, her dark obsidian eyes widening and sparkling when she saw them approach. ¡°Those people are¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re the seventh recruits that our guard captain, Rawiya, brought in.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± the woman exclaimed softly. ¡°There¡¯s our hope, at least. How very fortunate for us.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head because of the slight disappointment coloring her voice. And what did she mean by fortunate? The woman fixed her clothes and posture, like she had felt Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze. Then she gathered her hands together and politely bowed to the heroes. ¡°Nice to meet you. If I may briefly introduce myself, my name is Salem Eshnunna. I manage the camps here, and I used to be the princess of the Salem Kingdom.¡± Ru Hiana asked, ¡°Used to be¡­?¡± ¡°Since the Salem Kingdom has collapsed, it¡¯s just an empty title now.¡± Chi-Woo observed Eshnunna¡¯s face as she smiled bitterly in response to Ru Hiana¡¯s question. He was able to finally meet one of the royals, who were usually among the representative figures that met and assisted heroes in stories. ¡®There really does seem to be something different about her.¡¯ Her silky hair was as black as her eyes, and it was braided neatly to one side. The navy blue shift dress she wore was simple but neat, and the way she greeted them showed the strict education she must have received since she was young. Moreover, her soft smile immediately gave off a pleasant and friendly vibe. The first impression she left on people was very different from Shahnaz Hawa in many ways. ¡°Did you say you manage the camps here?¡± Zelit asked. ¡°Did you not hear this from Shakira?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m hearing that there¡¯re multiple camps.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to get that far yet. I apologize.¡± Shakira lowered her head in apology. ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. Would you allow me to give you an explanation, then?¡± Eshnunna smiled kindly, and Zelit nodded. CH 28 According to Eshnunna, the place they were at was the southernmost area of the Liber Empire¡¯s northern province and currently served as the frontier of the now lost and fallen Salem kingdom. Furthermore, it was also a place where those who dreamed of the revival of the kingdom resided. ¡°Of course, restoring the kingdom is still nothing more than a distant dream.¡± It was more accurate to say that they were a gathering of people who had been chased away from their homeland and struggled to live day by day. ¡°Even though we call ourselves The Restoration Army, we have no power to resist. It won¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that we are hunted like livestock.¡± As the saying went, though, there was always a way out in any crisis. ¡°Thanks to you all who have come to this planet to help, we have some hope now.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s gaze looked extremely grateful. ¡°I wish I could give you all the support you need, but¡­it¡¯s simply impossible given our current resources.¡± That came as no surprise. As Laguel said, the connection between the Celestial Realm and Liber was very one-sided; the Celestial Realm had been sending people to the planet, but even this connection was extremely unstable¡ªA case in point was the way all the recruits got scattered all over the place although exact coordinates had been set for the transfer. ¡°We need all of you for Liber¡¯s salvation. Our number one goal is to find and guide the rest of the recruits before they get into any danger.¡± ¡°In short,¡± Zelit spoke, ¡°You are saying this camp exists to ensure our safety, and you guys have prepared not only this place but several other camps for the same purpose.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not that we doubt you all¡¯s skills. However, the situation on Liber is too¡­¡± Eshnunna trailed off. It seemed she was very careful to not offend the heroes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± the kind Ru Hiana shouted brightly when she noticed the flustered look on Eshnunna¡¯s face. Staring at Chi-Woo, she continued to say, ¡°You might not know about it, but we have already¡ª¡± ¡°Ru Hiana,¡± Ru Amuh cut her short. Furthermore, he stepped between Ru Hiana and Chi-Woo to block her view. ¡°They are in the midst of talking,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just interrupt them like that. Didn¡¯t I warn you about this habit before?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ru Hiana looked stunned, but Ru Amuh simply bowed while looking at Eshnunna and apologized, ¡°Sorry for interrupting you.¡± ¡°No, you may go on,¡± Eshnunna spoke softly. However, Ru Hiana first glanced at Ru Amuh before opening her mouth again, looking a bit more nervous. ¡°No¡­I just wanted to¡­tell you to believe in us.¡± ¡°You can relax when you speak to me.¡± Eshnunna smiled gently. Chi-Woo tilted his head at Ru Amuh. Wasn¡¯t he overreacting given how little Eshnunna seemed to care about the interruption? ¡®Is he perhaps jealous?¡¯ Was it because Ru Hiana was showing an interest in him? Or did it have something to do with a hero¡¯s pride? Or did Ru Amuh fall in love at first sight with Eshnunna and didn¡¯t want her attention to be stolen by another hero? ¡®I didn¡¯t think he was a person like that,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Still, since it wasn¡¯t a serious matter right now, he decided not to bother himself about it. ¡°Thank you. Naturally, we¡¯ve always believed in all of you.¡± ¡°You people seem to know our situation quite well,¡± Zelit asked. ¡°Well, you are the only ones we can believe in,¡± Eshnunna responded calmly. ¡°I see. But is that all? Even if it¡¯s to ensure our safety, isn¡¯t it too dangerous to scatter us to different places?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but we can¡¯t help it. First of all, we don¡¯t know what day and time you will be teleported here. Secondly, we have to check if all of you are recruited to save us. And¡­¡± Eshnunna hesitated. Her lips twitched and she let out a deep sigh. ¡°It¡¯s because we have a shortage of supplies.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Zelit seemed to have gained some insights from her simple words. ¡°I expected as much since we couldn¡¯t even get a meal after coming to this camp, but the situation seems quite dire.¡± ¡°I apologize. We expect all the camps to run self-sufficiently¡­In the first place, we have moved people away to save supplies for the main base camp¡­¡± Eshnunna said with slight embarrassment and hung her head low. ¡°That can¡¯t be helped. Anyways, does that mean you guys try to find all the recruits first before sending them to the main camp and gathering them in one place?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not a perfect method, but it¡¯s a place comparably safer than the other camps.¡± ¡°How far is the main camp? Is there a way to contact them?¡± ¡°It''s an hour away on foot. Unfortunately, there¡¯s no way to contact them from a distance.¡± ¡°Then how did you know that this camp had found us?¡± It seemed Zelit was curious about many things, as he continued to fire questions. Even Chi-Woo thought he was being too much. However, Eshnunna¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even falter as she replied to each question dutifully. ¡°We have a designated guide in each camp to take the recruits to the main base, but this time, I¡¯ve personally made my way here for a special reason.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve successfully secured some recruits at the main base, and some of them had repeatedly requested for me to personally come here.¡± Chi-Woo opened his eyes widely. He knew Giant Fist and Mua Janya would be worrying about him like how Ru Hiana had worried about Ru Amuh. ¡°Hm¡­So there are already recruits you have gathered¡­¡± Zelit stopped his rapid questioning to collect his thoughts before speaking up again. ¡°Well, for now, it seems like there¡¯s no reason for us to refuse going.¡± Zelit¡¯s gaze was about to land on Chi-Woo before he abruptly shifted his eyes to Ru Amuh. ¡°I think so too,¡± Ru Amuh said immediately. Ru Hiana nodded, and everyone else agreed. ¡°Shall we get going at once, then? I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± ¡°What about the other camps?¡± ¡°We have already sent people to other camps, too,¡± Eshnunna replied as she turned away from Zelit. The rest of the group left one by one and returned to their tent to pack their belongings. However, Chi-Woo remained in his spot because he had something he wanted to ask. Before he could ask his question, though, Shakira had already spoken up. ¡°Lady Eshnunna. Could I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes, what is it, Shakira?¡± ¡°I want to ask if you could also take Shahunaz Hawa,¡± Shakira spoke quite straightforwardly for someone making a request. ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± The seemingly perpetual smile on Eshunna¡¯s face was replaced by an expression of surprise. ¡°But Shahaunaz Hawa is¡­¡± ¡°Several days ago, she had miraculously regained her sanity.¡± ¡°Is that really true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But how?¡± ¡°She was always a strong-willed child, but I think it¡¯s also proof that goddess Elephthalia has not abandoned us yet.¡± Eshnunna still looked like she didn¡¯t understand the situation, but she soon put on a bright smile. ¡°I see. That¡¯s great! How wonderful! You have my gratitude, Goddess Elephthalia! Ah, ah¡­!¡± Eshnunna rejoiced like she herself had received the goddess¡¯ favor, but it soon gave way to a troubled look. ¡°That¡¯s something worthy of a proper celebration, but¡­as you know, the situation at the camp base isn¡¯t great, either¡­¡± ¡°I am aware that this is a difficult request, but I have truly realized from this event that¡­¡± Shakira spoke with great conviction. ¡°That we don¡¯t have the capabilities to protect this child. The Heavens may have favored her this time, but if something similar happens to her again¡­¡± Chi-Woo listened to this conversation without intending to. He was the one who saved Hawa, and he had no intention of revealing that unless necessary. But why was Shakira skirting away from the truth? Especially when he was standing next to her? ¡®I should just keep observing for now.¡¯ Even though he was curious, Chi-Woo decided to keep his silence. When you didn¡¯t know something, it was best not to say anything. ¡°Lady Eshnunna, Hawa is a smart child. If you accept her under your wing, she¡¯ll be very useful to you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eshnunna still looked conflicted. After a while, she quietly sighed and said, ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I understand. I¡¯ll bring her with me for your sake.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll never forget this favor.¡± Shakira bowed so deeply that her head almost touched the ground. ¡°No, not at all. I should be apologizing to you. If I had done a bit better¡­¡± Eshnunna smiled wryly, unable to continue. ¡°Hel¡­¡± Chi-Woo got tired of waiting and subtly intervened. ¡°Oh my.¡± Eshunna was startled. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize you were here¡­¡± Chi-Woo smiled. He found the contrast between her now clumsy reaction and her previous disciplined mannerism cute. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important, but I was wondering if I could ask you a question.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Of course.¡± Eshnunna faked a cough and fixed her posture. ¡°I was curious if the heroes you verified in the main camp were people I knew.¡± ¡°Ah, if you are talking about those people¡­¡± Eshnunna shifted her eyes like she knew something. ¡°Are they perhaps Mua Janya and Gripping Giant Fist and Rising?¡± ¡°One of them has short brown hair and the other has a tail¡­how did you know?¡± Chi-Woo stopped talking mid-sentence, his eyes widened. Eshununna seemed to have found Chi-Woo¡¯s expression funny as she smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know how much they had been asking about you. It¡¯s very fortunate that I met you here. How lucky of me.¡± ¡°Then, they are both¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll be able to meet them soon.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression brightened. ¡®They¡¯re both alive.¡¯ ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. It¡¯s something I should obviously do.¡± ¡°No, not at all. You saved them at your own risk. Thank you. I mean it.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s gaze turned inquisitive, and Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s nothing. And you can speak to me comfortably.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s our first time meeting each other. Well, I might think about it if you speak comfortably to me first.¡± ¡°What? No, how can I do that to a hero?¡± ¡°Then how can I do that to a princess?¡± Eshnunna looked flustered. After thanking her once more, Chi-Woo turned away, saying that he would go fetch his luggage. He definitely needed to bring his bag. * * * The tent was busy as people prepared to move. Even though it was sudden, there was no reason for them to not go. There was nothing much for Chi-Woo to pack; he just needed to get his bag. ¡®What? Where¡¯s my bag¡­¡¯ The backpack he had left on top of a haystack was nowhere to be seen. While Chi-Woo was looking around, someone reached out to him. ¡°It¡¯s right here.¡± The person holding his bag was Rawiya. ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Chi-Woo took the bag and instinctively touched its side. Fortunately, he felt the hard texture of his club. He would be fine with losing everything else, but not the club his church mentor had given him. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like anything¡¯s missing.¡¯ Instead, he felt that the bag had become heavier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I touched your bag without permission. I packed some food in there because I realized that I¡¯ve never given you a single meal.¡± ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯d like to return it to you since the camp seems to be struggling.¡± ¡°Take it. It¡¯s just one meal, and I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re still edible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Chi-Woo opened his bag. It was also to check if anything was missing. ¡®Everything¡¯s still there.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s fine for you to have it. That¡¯s a gift given from the bottom of our hearts. I don¡¯t want to get reprimanded by those in the main camp.¡± Rawiya stopped Chi-Woo from taking out the food and forcibly closed the bag. ¡°I really am fine.¡± ¡°You should just leave it. But anyway, it¡¯s disappointing. You¡¯re leaving when we were just getting to know each other.¡± ¡°You made it sound like we would never see each other again.¡± Rawiya smiled in lieu of a response. Then, apropos of nothing, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± It was a sudden question. Rawiya continued, ¡°Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t gotten your name.¡± Chi-Woo pretended to not hear her. He couldn¡¯t reveal his real name. He wanted to give her a cool fake name, but Ru Amuh was here now. If he gave her a different name, Ru Amuh might get suspicious of him. On the other hand, he really didn¡¯t want to give her that fake name. It wasn¡¯t so bad to remain nameless like this. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out. Until we meet next time, I hope you stay healthy.¡± ¡°Hmm? What? Hey!¡± While Rawiya was confused, Chi-Woo tried to quickly leave, but¡ª ¡°Sir Chichibbong!¡± Coincidentally, Ru Amuh called out to him at that exact moment. Chi-Woo immediately froze. ¡°I apologize for what happened before, sir. I don¡¯t want you to misunderstand, but¡­?¡± Ru Amuh stopped mid-sentence and hesitated because Chi-Woo was glaring at him as if he wanted to kill him. ¡°Chichi¡­bbong?¡± Ru Hiana blinked. ¡°That¡¯s Senior¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Ru Amuh replied calmly. ¡°While I was guiding him out of the cave, he told me his name before he left. Since the name left a deep impression on me, I remember it.¡± ¡°Aha~¡± Ru Hiana nodded. ¡°That¡¯s his name~ Chichi¡­¡± However, she wasn¡¯t able to continue, and she lowered her head. ¡°Hmmmhm. Is that¡­so!¡± Rawiya also looked down and seemed to be having a hard time speaking. A short silence followed. Rawiya gulped and her lips twitched as she continued, ¡°Your name is Chichibb¡­ha-ong¡­¡± While Rawiya almost managed to say his name. ¡°Heeheaumph.¡± Chi-Woo heard the sound of suppressed laughter escaping someone¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ru Hiana? Why are you¡­¡± Ru Amuh tried to warn Ru Hiana but¡­ ¡°No-hee! It¡¯s not bb-ha-ong! But bboong-haahahaha!¡± In the end, Ru Hiana was unable to keep it together and burst into loud laughter. And that was the start of it all. ¡°Bbuuuuugh¡ª!¡± Rawiya gritted her teeth and strained her eyes to stop laughing, while Zelit quickly turned away and stared at a far scenery that didn¡¯t even exist. ¡°Why are you laughing? It¡¯s rude!¡± Only Ru Amuh was flustered and got angry. There was a saying that the sister-in-law who pretended to help was more annoying than a fussy mother-in-law; Chi-Woo could now completely understand the daughter-in-law¡¯s sentiments. Chi-Woo stared blankly inside the tent that had fallen into fits of laughter and helplessly walked out. ¡°No! Senior! I¡¯m sorry! I wasn¡¯t laughing because your name was funny!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s because your name is so different from your image that I couldn¡¯t stop myself!¡± Ru Hiana and Rawiya apologized later on, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t listen to them. Instead, he shed tears inside his mind. Yes, there was no one to blame but himself. Why did he pick Chichibbong of all names? ¡®Among all the names I could¡¯ve picked¡­¡¯ Why Chichibbong!? CH 29 Rawiya kept laughing. She tried to hold in her laughter with all the self-control she could muster, but she failed and let out a clutter of sounds such as ¡°Wh-hiii!¡± or ¡®Humph!¡¯¡¯ At last, she couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, ¡°Hahahaha.¡± When Shakira nudged her, Rawiya covered her mouth with her hands and kept her head down as Eshnunna guided Chi-Woo and the rest of his companions out of the camp. Thanks to this farewell, Chi-Woo was in a foul mood the entire trip. Sure, a name could be funny. Even Chi-Woo had wanted to laugh when he heard Zelit¡¯s name, but he kept it to himself and didn¡¯t make a fool out of anybody. And it wasn¡¯t as if Rawiya had just snickered at him. She was laughing right in his face. Of course Chi-Woo would feel offended. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I didn¡¯t think she would laugh so¡­I personally think it¡¯s a nice name. I truly do.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I will warn her severely, so please don¡¯t be angry any longer¡­¡± Ru Amuh apologized instead, not knowing what to do, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even glance at him, giving only the most succinct replies. Chi-Woo also didn¡¯t respond to Ru Hiana as she tried to appease him in a high-pitched voice. ¡°Ah, Senior. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think you would be so angry. I won¡¯t laugh anymore, so please stop being so angry? Please?¡± Eshnunna turned around. She seemed unsettled as well, but managed to put on a smile. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. It¡¯s only a little bit away.¡± Like she said, they soon arrived at their destination. It was a large settlement surrounded by medium-sized stonewalls, thickly coated with green moss. Eshnunna stepped inside the wooden doors and said in surprise when she saw the two people waiting behind them, ¡°Here it is. This place is¡­Oh my. Were you both waiting?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back? Did you perhaps¡­?¡± The two quickly scanned the companions Eshnunna had brought with her and exclaimed when they saw Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo¡¯s surly face also brightened. ¡°Mr. Giant Fist! And Ms. Mua Janya!¡± ¡°Waaaah!¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t continue because Giant Fist was running towards him while shrieking. ¡°Y-you¡¯re alive¡­! Alive¡­!¡± Giant Fist hugged Chi-Woo and lifted him into the air, so overwhelmed with emotions that he couldn¡¯t speak properly and instead kept wailing. ¡°Wait, Mister. Ah. Please.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t breathe. He turned to Mua Janya to implore her to save him, but her response wasn¡¯t much different from Giant Fist¡¯s. ¡°Thank goodness¡­that you are alive¡­oh, thank goodness¡­¡± She didn¡¯t react as strongly as Giant Fist, but she wiped the tears falling from her eyes a couple of times. After some struggle, Chi-Woo was finally able to free himself from Giant Fist¡¯s grasp. Watching from behind, both Ru Hiana and Eshnunna smiled brightly. Hawa, who had followed the group quietly from behind, simply stared at Chi-Woo and Giant Fist, who was still heaving and crying. Then Eshnunna placed her hands together and smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you all hungry? I will prepare a meal shortly, so why don¡¯t we talk at the restaurant?¡± Everyone agreed readily. They hadn¡¯t eaten anything since they were teleported to this place, so they were all extremely hungry. After the passionate reunion, the group followed Eshnunna into a building. The place was quite spacious, and there was even a garden and a field growing vegetables. There was also a building that was the size of a small mansion and another smaller-sized building. Eshunna explained that the smaller building was a temple, which was the main source of protection for the camp base. Perhaps its existence was the reason why there seemed to be about a hundred or more original inhabitants of Liber in the area. Of course, the size of the community was far too small to be called a village, but it was much bigger than a camp. They soon arrived at a restaurant on the first floor and ate the food Eshunna personally prepared for them. Even though the main base was in a better situation than the other bases, the meal was still simple: a diluted soup mixed with cereals and two root vegetables that tasted like potatoes. Nevertheless, the fact that they were eating produce grown from the fields tended by the community showed how much care Eshnunna had put into the meal. No, considering the current circumstances, it was basically a feast. After all, the food Rawiya packed for them in apology was a bag of tree bark dust and a mysterious mud-looking lump. It was only fortunate that they had been able to quench their thirsts momentarily from the recent heavy downpour. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I want to let you all have your fill, but I also have to leave some for the other recruits¡­¡± Eshnunna said regretfully while watching Chi-Woo scrape the bottom of his bowl. After they finished their humble meals, Eshnunna guided them all to the dormitory where all the recruits were supposed to reside. Saying that they must be all tired, Eshnunna told them to rest and left them to converse amongst themselves in private. The rooms were old but well-maintained and clean. There were even beds to sleep on and walls to shield them from the wind and rain. In comparison to the camp¡¯s tents, this was a palace. After deciding that Chi-Woo would share a room with Mua Janya and Giant Fist, they started catching up. Mua Janya and Giant Fist were both lucky. They were teleported near the main base camp and were found early on and brought here. Although Giant Fist made a fuss, saying that he had to go look for Chi-Woo, Eshnunna pleaded for him to wait, promising to ask around the different camps once the day broke. ¡°I¡¯m so glad¡­if something had happened to you, sir¡­I don¡¯t know how I would face your brother¡­¡± Giant Fist¡¯s eyes were still red as he whimpered. Mua Janya also shook her head. ¡°We were so worried, sir. He almost said your name out loud several times, so I had to interrupt him.¡± ¡®It was as Eshnunna said.¡¯ Chi-Woo recalled Eshnunna¡¯s exasperated responses and appreciated Mua Janya¡¯s thoughtfulness. ¡®I really shouldn¡¯t reveal my identity.¡¯ Chi-Woo was taking the utmost care to not bring attention to himself right now. If people found out that he belonged to one of the twelve greatest families in the Celestial Realm and was Chi-Hyun¡¯s younger brother, Chi-Woo wondered how they would respond. It gave him chills just thinking about it. ¡°By the way, regarding the other recruits who came with you, sir, you didn¡¯t reveal your name to them, did you?¡± Mua Janya asked. After Chi-Woo nodded, she continued, ¡°You should think of a fake name in case you need to introduce yourself.¡± ¡°Ah, that is¡­Sigh.¡± Chi-Woo was about to say something, but stopped himself and hung his head low. Mua Janya asked him what was wrong with widened eyes. Chi-Woo made her promise that she wouldn¡¯t laugh before telling her. However, she couldn¡¯t keep her promise. ¡°What? What did you tell them your name was?¡± ¡°¡­Chichibbong.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I said ChichiBbong, Chi-Chi-Bbong.¡± As soon as he repeated his fake name again, the two burst out laughing. ¡°Ahahahah! Chichibbong! Of all names, Chichibbong!¡± ¡°Uhahahahahha!¡± Giant Fist laughed so hard he cried, and Mu Janya shrieked in high-pitched laughter. Chi-Woo crossed his arms in annoyance; he knew this would happen. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t laugh?¡± ¡°No! But this is¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t laugh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m s¡ªsorry!¡± ¡°I told you to stop laughing.¡± Giant Fist and Mua Janya were so out of breath that they couldn¡¯t even respond. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it,¡± Chi-Woo said loudly. ¡°He immediately caught on to it after I said ¡®Choi Chi¡¯, so I had to quickly come up with a name¡­ah, seriously.¡± Chi-Woo showed his annoyance, and Mua Janya quickly collected herself. She coughed a couple of times and changed the topic of the conversation. ¡°Ah, wait. You must have received a device, too, right sir? It has many functions. Let¡¯s save each other as contacts first. I will teach you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. I already know.¡± ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t be like that. I don¡¯t know that much yet, but I¡¯ll give you all the information we have collected so far. Chichi¡­hmph. Anyway, I will always keep it open, so you can download it whenever you want.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a function like that?¡± Chi-Woo showed interest while pretending not to, and Mua Janya smiled as if she thought his reaction was adorable. ¡°Yes, but of course, it only works if we¡¯re close together, and I need to set it up separately.¡± Mua Janya sat next to Chi-Woo and turned her hologram on. As Eshununna said, it seemed that the shrine had enabled a somewhat stable connection. While Mua Janya explained each feature to Chi-Woo, Giant Fist rolled around and laughed. Then they suddenly heard someone knocking. ¡°Senior! We¡¯ve arrived¡­¡± Ru Hiana opened the door and peeked out her head. They also heard someone say, ¡°How can you open the door without hearing his reply?¡± Judging by the person¡¯s voice, it seemed that Ru Hiana had come with Ru Amuh. And they seemed to have stopped by to make sure Chi-Woo was feeling better as well as to greet the others. ¡°Are you perhaps still ang¡­?¡± Ru Hiana cautiously spoke, but she blinked when she saw Giant Fist rolling on the floor. Chi-Woo sighed. * * * True to her words, Eshnunna successfully located and brought the seventh recruits from the different camps. The number of heroes she brought in each day ranged from two or three heroes to six or seven. When Chi-Woo first arrived at the main camp, there were around ten heroes, but after several days, there were now more than thirty. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been doing much while Eshnunna brought in more heroes. However, the same was true of the others. When they did do something, it was to introduce themselves and exchange what little information they had gathered with each other. Even if they wanted to do something, they didn¡¯t know what to do. Chi-Woo had been concerned that Ru Hiana might run her mouth about what happened back in their previous camp, but she never brought up anything related to that; perhaps Ru Amuh had warned her or did something to that effect. From Chi-Woo¡¯s perspective, Eshnunna was very busy. She was the type of person who was very active in all matters, so she never seemed to have enough time. Eshnunna woke up earlier than everyone else and went to the shrine to pray. She also went out almost every day to find the remaining seventh recruits they hadn¡¯t found yet. All the while, she had been personally taking care of the recruits¡¯ meals and done her best to satisfy their needs. He couldn¡¯t speak for the others, but Eshnunna worked so hard that he was starting to feel bad about just staying still and eating the camp¡¯s precious food. On the other hand, Eshnunna didn¡¯t make them feel bad at all. Instead, she was very understanding of the recruits¡¯ situation. She felt sorry for being unable to help solve the problem on Liber and constantly showed a favorable attitude towards them by thanking them for coming to save their world. ¡®This is fine.¡¯ Like the past few days, Chi-Woo went around the camp without doing much. He exchanged greetings with a couple of natives and fell into contemplation. Considering the recent events, his situation was not bad. However, it would be too much to even jokingly say that things were looking good. On the other hand, the natives hadn¡¯t fallen into despair and had instead busily moved on with their day. With Eshnunna as their anchor, the natives stuck together and worked hard to do what they could. Chi-Woo was so satisfied with this place that he wouldn¡¯t mind living here for a while. Of course, his future was still unclear, but he could leave such important matters to the other heroes. Chi-Woo thought he could spend his time helping with small matters while asking about his brother and, after finding him, went back home with him. However, Chi-Woo also had no intentions to just sit idly by like a slacker. To stay safe in the future, he needed to stabilize his surroundings, and to do that, he needed to help out to a certain extent. ¡®I should aim to be average.¡¯ Chi-Woo had no intentions to do more than what was necessary, but he couldn¡¯t wash his hands off everything. Not too much but not too little. He should avoid standing out and just do as much as everyone else was doing. ¡®And in order to do that¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo, who had been contemplating for a long time, began walking to the cafeteria as dinner time approached. Food rations were distributed two times a day. If he didn¡¯t receive his food right now, he would starve until the next afternoon, so Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t miss it. The ration he got was the same every time: A bowl of soup with grains and produce, as well as root vegetables similar to potatoes. They used to get two of those root vegetables, but due to the main camp¡¯s situation, Eshnunna had to decrease the portion to one and asked for their understanding. ¡°Tsk. I¡¯m tired of eating the same thing every day.¡± Giant Fist, who was huge in stature, made a long face when he heard that their rations decreased. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We were successful in locating and bringing more recruits than we expected¡­But of course, this is great news.¡± ¡°I understand that it can¡¯t be helped, but is there no meat? Any meat at all?¡± ¡°In regard to meat¡­I apologize.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just asking if there was a way I could try to get meat.¡± Eshnunna bowed as if there was nothing for her to say, and Giant Fist kept pestering her, going so far that the others narrowed their eyes at Giant Fist with disapproval. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with you?¡± Mua Janya tried to stop Giant Fist, unable to stand by and do nothing, but he snorted instead. ¡°Why? I can¡¯t even ask?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The tails of Mua Janya¡¯s eyes began to slowly curl up. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± ¡°Come on. Your old habits are coming back agai¡ª" ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll try to obtain it.¡± When Eshnunna saw that the situation was starting to become tense, she hurriedly tried to mediate the conflict. ¡°It¡¯s true that we¡¯ve been focusing less on finding food since we¡¯ve been putting a lot of our efforts into locating recruits¡­I can¡¯t guarantee that we¡¯ll be able to find meat, but I¡¯ll tell the others to keep an eye out from tomorrow. We¡¯ll try to look for it inside the camp as well.¡± ¡°Yeah, you should do that. Look into it.¡± Eshnunna bowed deeply and turned around. As she took their empty bowls and left, her steps seemed weaker than usual. Mua Janya kept her mouth shut, but she looked a bit bewildered. Ru Hiana¡¯s face was red. She glanced at Giant Fist, who was now gulping his soup straight from the bowl with an indifferent expression. ¡°Did you know?¡± In the end, Ru Hiana could not stand it any longer. ¡°The natives here can¡¯t even eat food like ours and try to sustain themselves with grass roots and tree barks.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Giant Fist replied indifferently and bit into his share of root vegetables; he looked at her as if he was saying ¡®so what?¡¯ Ru Hiana let out an angry huff and stared intently at Chi-Woo. It seemed that she wanted to yell at Giant Fist, but was suppressing her anger since Giant Fist seemed close to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo also didn¡¯t like Giant Fist, but he didn¡¯t step forward and instead quickly finished his meal. * * * After the meal, the heroes didn¡¯t disband immediately. At Zelit¡¯s suggestion, they all participated in a meeting. The agenda was simple¡ªit was to discuss what they could do here and what they needed to do in the future. However, since the meeting was sudden and the atmosphere during the meal was far from amicable, the meeting turned out horrible. Some of the heroes argued they couldn¡¯t just sit and do nothing, while others retorted and asked what they could possibly do in a situation like this, suggesting that they waited a bit more to observe the situation. Then another group argued that if they waited any longer, they¡¯d all starve. Then another side quickly countered that by saying if they were so concerned, they should go and find their own food. It was basically just a dog fight. Frustrated, Chi-Woo quietly got up in the middle of the meeting and left the cafeteria. ¡®We need to do something, but¡­¡¯ There were a ton of things to do. Chi-Woo knew they had many problems to solve, but what would be the best way to go about it? ¡®I need information.¡¯ Eshnunna didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened to the fifth and sixth recruits. Chi-Woo recalled what she said previously. [I¡¯m not sure about what happened to them.] [We gave them as much support as we could, but they didn¡¯t tell us their plans for important matters. I think they considered us useless to them in those regards.] Thus, Eshnunna had just trusted them and did as they said. ¡®How, how the heck do I¡­.¡¯ Chi-Woo smacked his lips. ¡®In comic books, notification windows would pop up at these moments and kindly explain to users what to do.¡¯ While Chi-Woo looked at his wrist and thought about fruitless thoughts like this¡ª ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Chi-Woo saw a figure furtively moving in the dark night. CH 30 The shadowy figure was moving extremely carefully. It seemed to be a small baby animal, and it was sneaking towards the fields like it was aiming for the crops there. ¡®I¡¯m so lucky.¡¯ While protecting their precious food, Chi-Woo could also secure meat, which Giant Fist had been whining about. He moved as quietly as possible. When he approached the shadowy figure, though, he realized that it wasn¡¯t a small beast, but a person wearing a dark robe. ¡°Huh?¡± The robed figure said in surprise and stopped pulling out a root vegetable midway to look over his shoulder. A pair of small and cute eyes met Chi-Woo¡¯s. The two of them stood still in awkward silence until the child plopped down to the ground. ¡°Ah¡­Ah¡­¡± The child¡¯s lips closed and opened like he was greatly flustered. Chi-Woo immediately understood the situation. He had heard from Ru Hiana that the original inhabitants of Liber got far worse meals than the heroes. Thus, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess why this child was clutching a piece of root vegetable tightly with both of his tiny hands. Chi-Woo strutted forward, and the child lost his grip over his harvest, at a complete loss of what to do. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± The child responded weakly. Chi-Woo stopped walking and looked down at the child before picking up the root vegetable from the ground. Then he spoke in a firm voice, ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± the child asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t come, I¡¯m going tell on you to Lady Eshnunna.¡± ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t!¡± It was a childish threat, but it was clearly effective. Eshnunna was a great authoritative figure among the original inhabitants in the camp base. At the mention of her name, the child hurriedly got up to his feet. ¡°If you follow me willingly, I won¡¯t tell Lady Eshnunna what happened here,¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice and turned around. After taking a few steps, he glanced behind and confirmed the child was following him. Although the child was trembling, he kept walking. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t direct the child to the restaurant where a meeting was still taking place, nor the area where Eshnunna was. ¡°Make yourself comfortable,¡± Chi-Woo told the child when they arrived at his lodging place. However, when the child remained hesitant and lingered around the door, Chi-Woo shook his head and said, ¡°Ah! I guess I don¡¯t have a choice. I have to go to Lady Eshnunna.¡± The child clearly wanted to keep this from Eshnunna at all costs; he scrambled to sit on the bed. Chi-Woo smirked and opened the bag he had placed on the corner of his bed. He took out the food Rawiya had packed for them and thought about his options briefly. ¡®Since I brought a lot, I can give away one¡­¡¯ After pondering for a bit, Chi-Woo took out a long box of snacks. He opened the box, took out the wrapper inside it, and placed a pack of chips in front of the child. ¡°Please eat it.¡± Chi-Woo smiled at the blank eyes that stared at him from behind the hood. The boy didn¡¯t immediately reach out. He seemed very wary. Thus, instead of mentioning Eshnunna again, Chi-Woo picked up a chip and placed it in his mouth. A savory and slightly salty flavor tickled his tongue. Given his current circumstances, it tasted so heavenly to him that it made him want to cry and sent a tremor through his body. ¡°If you don¡¯t eat it quickly, I¡¯m going to finish everything.¡± Chi-Woo kept egging the child on and pretended to pick up another chip. When the child saw the big deal Chi-Woo made out of the chips, though, he only grew warier. Chi-Woo let out a sigh and personally popped a chip into the child¡¯s mouth. ¡°Urgh!¡± The child shut his mouth to keep the chip out. ¡°I told you it¡¯s tasty. Try it. I just ate one,¡± Chi-Woo suggested gently, and the boy closed his eyes like he was making a serious decision and bit into the chip. His eyes opened wide, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to¡­ Crunch. Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch! As the child¡¯s mouth moved faster, the chips disappeared like it was getting sucked in. ¡°Wow¡­¡± the boy let out a soft exclamation. Chi-Woo offered him the remaining chips with a smile, and the boy stretched out his hands. He was no longer refusing Chi-Woo¡¯s offer. ¡®He¡¯s like a squirrel.¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at the boy warm-heartedly as he ate senselessly. The bag of chips was quickly emptied. Chi-Woo stared as the boy sucked his fingers clean and asked, ¡°How old are you?¡± After licking his lips, the boy replied warily, ¡°Ten¡­¡± ¡®That¡¯s around third grade.¡¯ Chi-Woo nodded and asked, ¡°Do you have an older sister or brother? Or a younger sibling?¡± ¡°¡­I have one¡­older sister¡­¡± For some reason, the child hesitated; it seemed he was unwilling to reveal this part of himself to Chi-Woo. Thus, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t question the child further and took out another bag of chips from the snack box, saying, ¡°Eat this with your older sister. This, too.¡± Chi-Woo handed the child the small portion of food that Rawiya had packed for them as well as the root vegetable the child had secretly dug up. The boy looked lost at the unexpected gift from Chi-Woo. ¡°Eat the chips in secret. I would share my snacks with everyone if I could, but I don¡¯t have that much.¡± Chi-Woo winked. The child seemed to have understood and nodded. He hesitated for a while before mustering the courage to ask, ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you¡­a hero?¡± Chi-Woo closed his mouth. Although it was a simple question, he didn¡¯t want to lie. ¡°Did you come here to save our World?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You did, didn¡¯t you?¡± The boy¡¯s questions made Chi-Woo nervous; it sounded like he wanted assurance, which made it even more difficult for Chi-Woo to come up with an answer. He couldn¡¯t tell a white lie to mislead the boy, nor did he want to make a promise he couldn¡¯t keep. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ The boy¡¯s blatant staring pressured him to open his mouth. Knock! Knock! Someone was suddenly pounding on the door. ¡®What? Is the meeting over?¡¯ ¡°Who is it?¡± Slam! Chi-Woo was getting up when the door slammed open. ¡°Excuse me,¡± the intruder spoke in repressed rage. ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring a small boy with you?¡± Salem Eshnunna spoke quickly. Her eyes zeroed in on Chi-Woo, and the look on her face took him by surprise. Her usual gracefulness and friendly smile were replaced by fierceness, and she had a chilly air about her, making it clear that she was extremely enraged. ¡°Yes, you were right. I brought him here.¡± ¡°Sister! No!¡± The boy jumped off the bed and ran in front of Chi-Woo, saying in a protective tone, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. He didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Instead¡­!¡± Chi-Woo stared at the child and thought, ¡®Sister¡­?¡¯ ¡°Yohan!¡± Eshnunna kneeled so that her eyes were at the boy¡¯s level and placed her hands on his shoulders. ¡°How could you¡­!¡± She was so overcome with emotions that she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. In response, Yohan looked at his sister and explained the situation so precisely and articulately that it impressed Chi-Woo. As Eshnunna listened to Yohan¡¯s explanation, she gradually calmed down. She regained her usual composure and sighed at the ground. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened¡­why did¡­¡± She bit her lower lip and quietly got up from her seat. ¡°Yohan. Could you leave us?¡± ¡°But Eshnunna¡ª¡± Yohan replied. ¡°I get the situation. It¡¯s late; why don¡¯t you go to sleep now?¡± Eshnunna¡¯s tone left no room for arguments. Her attitude was completely different from before, and Yohan turned back to Chi-Woo. ¡°Um¡­Mr. Yohan?¡± Chi-Woo spoke up, debating what he should do. ¡°Before you leave, I have to tell you that I honestly don¡¯t know how I should answer the question you just asked me.¡± Both Yohan and Eshnunna widened their eyes. ¡°Since it¡¯s my first time coming to a world like this, I don¡¯t know what to do in this situation, either.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Even then.¡± Chi-Woo cleared his throat. ¡°We¡¯ll find the answer as we always did.¡± He smiled at the dazed-looking boy. ¡°Good night and good bye.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Chi-Woo waved at him that the boy blinked and cracked a small smile for the first time. He bowed to Chi-Woo before running outside while clutching Chi-Woo¡¯s gift to his chest tightly. ¡®Hmm. Wasn¡¯t I a bit cool just now?¡¯ While Chi-Woo praised himself inwardly, Eshnunna stared at Yohan with a complicated expression and sighed again. She quietly closed the door, fixing her posture before turning around. ¡°I apologize.¡± Eshnunna deeply bowed towards Chi-Woo. ¡°I¡¯ve made you uncomfortable. I don¡¯t know how I can make it up to you¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Please stop.¡± Eshnunna only straightened her back after Chi-Woo repeatedly asked her to, but she was still unable to lift her head. Chi-Woo said, ¡°I heard him call you sister.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. He¡¯s my little brother,¡± Eshnunna replied while looking at the floor. ¡°He¡¯s the only family I have left.¡± ¡°Ah. That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°When I heard that he was missing, I was so worried¡­I apologize again for this embarrassing blunder.¡± Chi-Woo observed Eshnunna; her face was red, and she was wearing a white lace pajama. It seemed that Eshnunna had rushed here in the middle of sleeping since her usually neatly tied up hair was loosely sprawling down her shoulders. Chi-Woo said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He seemed very hungry, so I brought him here to give him something¡­I didn¡¯t know he was your brother, Lady Eshnunna.¡± Chi-Woo apologized readily. Putting himself in her shoes, he understood how worried she must have been. ¡°No. It¡¯s me who should¡­ And¡­¡± Eshnunna waved Chi-Woo¡¯s apologies away, but hesitated before she continued, ¡°What Yohan did today is¡­¡± Eshnunna looked guilty as she struggled to say, ¡°Would you be able to keep this a secret¡­¡± Honestly, this was not a big deal for Chi-Woo; the boy¡¯s actions were completely understandable. However, not everyone would think the same. There were some who wouldn¡¯t be as understanding. Giant Fist, for example, had complained about the lack of meat as the food ration decreased. Eshnunna seemed concerned about heroes like him. The thoughts made Chi-Woo feel some pity towards the woman in front of him. Moreover, Chi-Woo felt indebted to her. He was able to enjoy what little protection and food the main camp could offer because of her and the natives¡¯ efforts. He should¡¯ve paid them back for what they had done for him. However, Chi-Woo had only been thinking about ways to make as little effort as possible instead. Now that he thought about it, he felt even more apologetic. ¡°Well¡­there¡¯s no reason for me not to keep it a secret.¡± Thus, Chi-Woo decided to do her a little favor. ¡°But Lady Eshnunna, I¡¯ll only keep it a secret if you do something for me. Haha.¡± ¡°¡­A request.¡± Because of the way Chi-Woo said it, Eshnunna¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. It was only for a brief moment, but there was even a look of contempt in her eyes. ¡®Geez, how were the previous recruits like for people to react like this¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo clicked his tongue and took out a box of snacks. It was a sweet one with strawberry cream. He felt a bit apologetic to his brother, but there were still some snacks left. ¡°Please eat this.¡± Chi-Woo opened the box and unwrapped it before offering it to Eshnunna. She accepted it, but she looked visibly confused. ¡°It¡¯s a snack, but a different variety than the one I gave to Yohan.¡± ¡°You also gave one to Yohan?¡± ¡°Yes. He seemed to like it. Do you perhaps not like sweet food?¡± ¡°No. I like it.¡± ¡°Please eat it then. It¡¯s sweet and tastes good.¡± Eshnunna looked up while smoothing her finger over the box of snacks. ¡°I am sincerely grateful for this, but must I really eat this right now? This seems very precious.¡± ¡°I would also like you to eat it at your place, but I think you¡¯ll share it with everyone else then.¡± Eshnunna became speechless. ¡°Please just finish this snack here. If you do it, I¡¯ll keep what happened with Yohan a secret.¡± Eshnunna fidgeted with her fingers, and in the end, took out a piece and carefully took a bite. As she slowly chewed it, her breath hitched in surprise. She let out a fake cough when she saw Chi-Woo smile as if he had expected her reaction. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Please eat a lot. As much as you want.¡± Eshnunna nodded without saying anything. She looked at Chi-Woo like she could not understand his actions. ¡°I just¡­it doesn¡¯t really mean much,¡± Chi-Woo looked into the distance and said. ¡°I once heard someone say that when you¡¯re tired and having a hard time, eating something delicious would be the best remedy.¡± While watching Eshnunna eat, Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I hoped that you would at least be able to feel a bit better.¡± To say it simply, he was telling her to cheer up. ¡°Honestly, I can understand your situation.¡± Chi-Woo linked his hands and cradled the back of his head. ¡°You and the natives have been offering us the majority of the crops that all of you harvested after much toil. Even though we¡¯re called heroes, we hadn¡¯t been doing much except for eating. Some of us even complained about the food we got. I can¡¯t even imagine how unfair you must think of this whole situation.¡± Eshnunna doubled over coughing, shocked. With widened eyes, she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve committed a¡­! No, that¡¯s not true at all! We don¡¯t think like that at all¡ª!¡± ¡°Also a kid can eat if he¡¯s hungry.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°If someone complains about that, that person is the one with the problem.¡± Eshnunna stared at Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­Sir.¡± She tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re not really like a hero.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Chi-Woo silently praised her for having a quick mind and smiled cheerfully. Eshnunna smiled back and eased up. ¡°Could I eat one more?¡± ¡°Lady Eshnunna, I told you that you must eat to your heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really good. It¡¯s the first time I had soft cream with such a subtle taste. It makes me want to keep the taste in my mouth for a long time.¡± The atmosphere was now much gentler than before. Chi-Woo was enjoying a snack break with a beautiful woman late at night under the moonlight. It would¡¯ve felt like a date if they were elsewhere. Given the current situation, however, they didn¡¯t think too much about it. Chi-Woo made a bitter smile. ¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t see the others¡­¡± Eshnunna gulped down a piece of snack and looked around. Since it was a good time to change the topic, Chi-Woo went along with the shift of conversation and said, ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re in a meeting.¡± ¡°A meeting?¡± ¡°Yes. Since the meeting was progressing so slowly, though, I left halfway¡­¡± ¡°Would you perhaps be able to tell me what the meeting is about? Or would that be too intrusive?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re not being intrusive at all.¡± There weren¡¯t any important matters being discussed in the meeting anyway. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think it would matter if he told her, so he relayed to her what had transpired before he left. Eshnunna listened with a serious face and closed her eyes after saying she needed to think for a bit. It wasn¡¯t long before she opened her eyes and asked, ¡°Could I ask you a favor?¡± ¡°What? But you haven¡¯t even fulfilled my request.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat all of the snacks you gave me if you lend me your ears for a moment. I promise you.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but laugh, finding Eshnunna¡¯s words cute. ¡°Let¡¯s hear about it first.¡± CH 31 Chi-Woo left his room and returned to the restaurant. Eshnunna¡¯s request was simple. She wanted him to gather all the recruits in one place because she thought she had something that could help them. Chi-Woo had been away from the meeting for some time, but the situation hadn¡¯t improved at all; the heroes¡¯ conversation was going nowhere, and they were still arguing about the same topics, namely how long they were going to keep waiting without doing anything, and whether they should at least prepare some countermeasures. Chi-Woo interrupted the meeting and guided the heroes to a small building next to the mansion as per Eshnunna¡¯s instruction. ¡°Why is she suddenly telling us to go there?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go along with it this time. I¡¯m also curious why we were told not to set foot in there without permission.¡± The building they were going to was a place that Eshnunna had warned them to not enter carelessly. When they opened the door, they saw a woman standing alone in the center of a spacious room. ¡°Welcome.¡± Eshnunna bowed, revealing the large statue hanging on the wall behind her. It was a statue of a beautiful goddess, lit up by the silverish moonlight and wrapped all over in stems; on each stem was a blooming, reddish-black flower that looked like it would start dripping blood at any moment. ¡°Is this a place of worship?¡± Zelit asked while looking around his surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s not much for a temple, but it is meant to serve the master of all gods, Elephthalia,¡± Eshnunna replied. ¡°Elephthalia?¡± Zelit furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I heard Liber reached its current state because the goddess Elephthalia became crazy and put a curse on this World. Why would you worship a mad goddess?¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the Shahnaz clan¡¯s point of view. There are certainly some who think that way. However, my opinion is slightly different.¡± ¡°Hey, so why did you tell us to come?¡± the impatient Giant Fist asked bluntly. Since he had come right after arguing passionately in a meeting, he wasn¡¯t in a good mood. ¡°I heard that you all were in a meeting in order to prep for the future,¡± Eshnunna continued calmly without a change in tone. ¡°Thus, I gathered you all here despite how late it is, hoping to be of some help.¡± ¡°You, helping us? How?¡± Giant Fist snorted. He was clearly looking down on her, but Eshnunna smiled brightly and turned to Zelit. ¡°I think all the inhabitants on Liber are receiving punishment.¡± ¡°Punishment? Are you talking about divine punishment?¡± ¡°Yes. We are all creatures molded by gods. In other words, our relationship to gods is that of a child and a parent,¡± Eshnunna continued, ¡°If you¡¯ve heard about our planet¡¯s history, you must know the tremendous sorrow that we had inflicted to our goddess¡¯ heart. And you must all know that it is also a parent¡¯s responsibility to correct their child if they¡¯re going down the wrong path.¡± Liber¡¯s history was fraught with wars. The most recent one was especially harsh and went overboard; and the master of all gods couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer. Thus, she brought down divine punishment upon her people. Zelit tilted his head and said, ¡°I get that this world is greatly influenced by a god. But isn¡¯t this punishment too extreme?¡± Zelit¡¯s point was valid. ¡°Call it a curse or divine punishment, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that monsters are roaming all over this planet, and the borders of this World have broken down to the point that aliens are invading.¡± Rather than punishment, it seemed more accurate to say that the goddess was trying to exterminate all the humans on Liber. This certainly was beyond the level of a parent scolding their child for their wrongdoings. The parent in this analogy was trying to kill their child by abandoning them in danger. ¡°Because that¡¯s how wrongful our actions were,¡± Eshnunna responded calmly. ¡°Of course, I know I might be too idealistic. It could be more than that.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®more¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve considered the possibility that the goddess is trying to change the owners of Liber after being so severely disappointed by humans.¡± In other words, the parent could have gotten sick of the first child¡¯s reckless actions and decided to abandon them to give the planet to a more obedient child. ¡°That leaves us with one thing to do. We have to admit our mistakes and beg for forgiveness so that we may ask for one more chance.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Well, they always say that there¡¯s no parent who can win over their child in the end. I still hold onto the belief that our goddess hadn¡¯t completely abandoned us.¡± ¡°It is an interesting interpretation,¡± Zelit said. ¡°And what¡¯s your reasoning behind that belief?¡± Eshnunna approached the statue as if she had been waiting for this moment. With the gentleness one showed to something precious to them, she stroked the flowers in different parts of their stems. ¡°Flowers.¡± Everyone looked taken aback. ¡°These flowers are the final test and opportunity presented to us by our goddess Elephthalia.¡± ¡°They just look like flowers,¡± Giant Fist said peevishly, and Eshnunna shook her head. ¡°These flowers don¡¯t grow anywhere on Liber but on this statue. Thanks to them, this main base has enjoyed a comparably higher level of safety than other camps.¡± ¡°Comparably?¡± Zelit¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I want to know how far its effect extends to. Is our safety forever guaranteed as long as the flowers are blooming?¡± ¡°No. Its effects are not absolute. There will be no meaning to a test then.¡± Of course, nobody had expected the fundamental problem to be solved simply by some flowers. If that was the case, the whole area would have turned into a flower garden long ago. After organizing his thoughts, Zelit spoke, ¡°I have some questions.¡± ¡°Please speak your mind.¡± Eshnunna nodded like she had expected this. ¡°First of all, in what way are you going to help us?¡± ¡°I will give this flower to those of you who are leaving.¡± ¡°You said its effect wasn¡¯t absolute. How many are you planning to give us, and how powerful can we expect their effects to be? ¡°As long as you hold onto one of the flowers, you will be able to escape divine punishment, and the punished ones won¡¯t be able to approach you as easily.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in comparative terms. The flowers will simply help you avoid them. It will be useless if you purposefully cause a commotion and try to attack them.¡± It was clear that ¡®the punished ones¡¯, ¡®the cursed ones¡¯, and ¡®the broken beings who were eaten¡¯ were synonymous with each other. ¡°Additionally, the flower begins to wilt as soon as you pluck it from the statue. Each of the flowers has four petals without exception, every hour a petal would fall.¡± ¡°So we will be safe for at least four hours as long as we have this flower.¡± ¡°Not ¡®safe¡¯,¡± Eshnunna responded, ¡°But ¡®safer¡¯.¡± ¡°Since they start to wilt as soon as you pluck them, the number of flowers we carry won¡¯t matter much. Still, it¡¯s important to know how many there are. Are those all the flowers you have?¡± ¡°Yes. We tried all kinds of methods to increase their supply or maintain them, but nothing worked.¡± Giant Fist was about to shout, ¡®Why are you being so stingy and giving only one to each of us!?¡¯ but decide to stay silent when he heard that. ¡°They follow a strict set of rules, and everything else is futile. It really is a divine plant.¡± ¡°Yes, that is what I think. After all, the flowers bloom only through a genuine prayer, and the number of flowers never changes.¡± Hearing this, everyone understood why Eshnunna had said the flowers were the enraged goddess¡¯s final grace and test. ¡°¡­Okay, but I have one last question.¡± Zelit opened his eyes widely as he asked, ¡°Why are you telling us this now?¡± Sharp eyes bore into Eshnunna. ¡°You could¡¯ve told us sooner.¡± Eshunna had replied to all the questions so far smoothly, but this time, she had trouble responding. ¡°Well¡­¡± She lowered her eyes slightly and answered after hesitating a great deal. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan on keeping them a secret forever.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I am telling you all this now to avoid future conflicts,¡± Eshnunna said in a low voice. ¡°And the reason why I didn¡¯t tell you all until now is because¡­we wanted to continue surviving.¡± Many eyebrows rose at this statement; they could guess the meaning behind her words to some degree. ¡°It is our natural responsibility to help and assist heroes, but we are all just humans. We have endured so far solely on our will to live.¡± According to Eshnunna, these flowers were an essential life force for the main base and offered great support to the resistance efforts. However, even as the demand for them increased, the number of flowers remained small and constant. It was already difficult maintaining the base camp. If the heroes found out about these flowers, it was obvious that they would try to use them, prioritizing themselves above the original inhabitants of the planets all in the name of saving Liber. Thus, Eshnunna had been hiding the flowers¡¯ existence from the heroes for the sake of all the inhabitants of this camp who relied on her. ¡°I planned to tell you all sometime in the future since it¡¯s not as if we could simply continue this situation for long.¡± Eshnunna turned to the heroes staring at her. ¡°Thus, after gathering all the recruits and observing them, I was planning to reveal these flowers to those who would seem the most empathetic to our situation.¡± As many eyes stared sharply at her, Eshnunna continued in a pleading tone, ¡°I know how offensive my actions could seem, but I had no other reason but my earnest desire to find someone who could help us.¡± Zelit stared hard at Eshnunna, clearly displeased. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We all have our own reasons. It¡¯s not like you tried to hide the whole thing from us¡ªit¡¯s not even a big deal.¡± Ru Hiana stepped forward and supported Eshnunna. ¡°Tch. Are you discriminating between us? Why do you have to make us feel bad when we came to save you all?¡± Giant Fist grumbled. ¡°Well, the situation might seem a bit unfair to us, but we don¡¯t know what the previous recruits were like. Considering that, I can understand why you¡¯d been keeping this from us.¡± Mua Janya quickly took Eshnunna¡¯s side. It seemed like people weren¡¯t planning to rebuke Eshnunna after Ru Hiana voiced her support. Because Eshnunna appeared completely sincere in helping her people, no one could openly fault her. Zelit seemed to have dropped the matter as well and asked, ¡°Even though it¡¯s late, is it reasonable to assume you trust us now since you¡¯re telling us the truth?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even a matter of trust,¡± Eshnunna responded with a smile. ¡°As I said, there¡¯s only one way for us to endure until we¡¯re forgiven by our goddess. But even then¡­¡± Eshnunna suddenly shifted her eyes to look at one person. ¡°Rather than placing my trust in you because I have no other choice, I want to trust you all in earnest.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s eyes settled on Chi-Woo, and her gaze softened. Chi-Woo looked away, feeling burdened. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Zelit sighed. ¡°The princess from a fallen kingdom wants to offer flower petals in exchange for the protection of those in the main camp. What does everyone think?¡± Nobody replied. The only sound that came out was Giant Fist¡¯s snorting. * * * As soon as the day broke, the recruits began moving as they discussed last night. They all received a flower from Eshnunna and formed a three-member party, and each group had a native as their guide. Their mission would be determined at the members¡¯ discretion¡ªwhether it was to locate the seventh recruits that haven¡¯t been found yet, find goods and supplies, or search for traces of the fifth and sixth recruits. However, all groups had to come back to the main camp when all the petals fell. Chi-Woo ended up in the same group as Ru Amuh, Ru Hiana, and Salem Eshnunna. Giant Fist was disappointed that he couldn¡¯t team up with Chi-Woo, but he soon became happy because the mysterious silver-haired girl, Shahnaz Hawa, was assigned as his group¡¯s guide. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry! Just trust me and don¡¯t worry about anything! What¡¯s your name?¡± Giant Fist grabbed Shahnaz Hawa¡¯s hand and dragged her to him. He didn¡¯t look like someone going out for an exploration mission. ¡°Shall we also go?¡± Eshnunna looked at Hawa with concern as Hawa¡¯s group moved further away before she got moving herself. She had been at the front but fell back to get closer to Chi-Woo, who had been following right behind her. ¡°I have a question,¡± said Eshnunna. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why did you do that yesterday?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what are you asking about?¡± When Chi-Woo asked with a confused face, Eshnunna pouted and complained, ¡°Why did you avoid my gaze?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head and glanced at Eshnunna. ¡°Were you hurt?¡± ¡°A bit.¡± ¡°Were you very nervous?¡± ¡°You think I wouldn¡¯t be?¡± Eshnunna grumbled. ¡°I only revealed the existence of the flowers because I became braver from the conversation I had with you. I had nowhere to rest my gaze, so I tried to gain a bit of courage by looking at you. How could you¡­¡± Chi-Woo blinked. It felt strange to be suddenly addressed as ¡®you¡¯ when Eshnunna made sure to always call him ¡®sir¡¯. ¡°No, well¡­was it bad?¡± ¡°Yes, a little.¡± However, Eshnunna seemed only mildly annoyed as she glanced softly at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t really have anything to say, so he apologized. Eshnunna looked sideways with a coy expression, and after a fake cough, she asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°My name?¡± ¡°Yes. Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t asked for your name.¡± Chi-Woo looked troubled. He heard a soft ¡®pwff¡¯ from behind his back. It seemed that Ru Hiana had been eavesdropping on their conversation judging from the way she quickly covered her mouth. Chi-Woo shot Ru Hiana a glare and complained inside his mind, ¡®Damn it. Why did I end up in the same group with them of all people.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you not want to tell me your name?¡± Eshnunna asked in a sulky tone. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. My name is¡­¡± Chi-Woo calmly said, ¡°Ru Hiana is a stupid dumbass.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No! Senior!¡± Ru Hiana quickly ran towards him. ¡°What¡¯s up with that!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why am I a stupid dumbass?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Miss. That¡¯s my name.¡± ¡°In what world can there be such a name?¡± ¡°My world, of course.¡± ¡°Senior, are you seriously going to keep up with that argument?¡± Ru Hiana huffed. Eshnunna looked startled, while Ru Amuh quietly laughed. But then Ru Hiana abruptly stopped talking. There was a commotion in front of them. It was Giant Fist¡¯s group, which had departed earlier than them. Then they saw Shahnaz Hawa on the ground. ¡°What the¡ª What happened to her?¡± Ru Hiana asked in surprise. Eshnunna quickly stepped forward and approached Hawa. ¡°What happened to her? She suddenly¡­!¡± Mua Janya and Zelit, who were in the same group as Hawa, looked bewildered. Giant Fist¡¯s face was red, and he was huffing in agitation. Shahnaz Hawa was unable to lift her head. Just a few minutes ago, the atmosphere of Giant Fist¡¯s group had been very energetic, but the tension between them suddenly ran high. ¡°Hawa! Are you all right? Ha¡­.oh my!¡± Eshnunna was shocked as she lifted Hawa¡¯s head. Hawa¡¯s left cheek was bright red and swollen, and one side of her lips was ripped and bleeding. It was clear that someone had hit her very hard in the face. ¡°Why¡­For what reason¡­¡± Eshnunna was very startled as she requested an explanation. ¡°That damn bitch. She shouldn¡¯t have played so hard to get. She got too cocky because I was so nice to her!¡± Giant Fist huffed in anger and yelled in frustration. Eshnunna asked, ¡°Did this child do anything wrong?¡± ¡°Anything wrong? Yeah, she did!¡± Giant Fist shouted confidently, ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have ignored a hero like me! Why do you think I came all the way here!?¡± ¡°Sir, she ignored you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mua Janya intervened. ¡°It¡¯s his hands that are the problem.¡± Mua Janya looked at Giant Fist¡¯s massive hands and mocked him. ¡°I just touched her a little because I thought she was cute!¡± ¡°Crazy bastard. Is that why you patted her butt and touched her breast?¡± Mua Janya looked sick of his behavior. It was then that everyone could guess the situation. It was obvious that Giant Fist probably kept hitting on Hawa, and he eventually crossed the line. When Hawa reacted stronger than expected, he got angry and hit her. ¡°This fucking bastard¡­!¡± Ru Hiana glared at Giant Fist with anger. ¡°Hawa. Are you all right?¡± At Eshnunna¡¯s concern, Hawa lowered her head without saying anything. Eshnunna wrapped her arms around Hawa¡¯s back and gritted her teeth. Then she said, ¡°Apologize.¡± ¡°What? Apologize?¡± Giant Fist looked like he thought he heard her wrong. ¡°Apooologize? What the hell!¡± ¡°Apologize to this child.¡± Eshnunna resolutely got up. ¡°Apologize to her.¡± She looked straight at Giant Fist and clearly enunciated each word. ¡°Why should I?¡± Giant Fist growled threateningly. ¡°We are your aids, and we¡¯re here to assist you.¡± Eshnunna didn¡¯t back down. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you can just treat us however you want.¡± She looked at Giant Fist with fury in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m saying that we¡¯re not your slaves.¡± Her gaze was firm and intense, and she seemed like a different person than when she was complaining to Chi-Woo before. ¡°If you want treatment like that, you should go to a place where you can receive such treatment. I won¡¯t stop you from leaving.¡± ¡°What? How dare you!?¡± ¡°If you do something like this again, we would also treat you appropriately. Keep that in mind if you plan to stay, sir. Giant Fist¡¯s face became red and twisted in fury. He looked like he was going to hit her at any moment. However, he then saw Chi-Woo¡¯s cold expression, and his face contorted before he turned around. ¡°Fuck! Why did I come to such a shitty world like this!?¡± Ah¡ª! Spit! Giant Fist spat loudly onto the ground and angrily stomped towards the entrance by himself. Even though people asked him where he was going, he didn¡¯t reply. ¡°T-t-that shit¡­!¡± Ru Hiana was so shocked that she stuttered. ¡°What the¡ª! That fucking trash! Senior, are you seriously just going to stand by like this?¡± Ru Hiana followed that up with a litany of swear words. ¡°Stop. Let¡¯s stop.¡± Zelit rubbed his forehead like his head hurt. ¡°Sigh¡­Perhaps, would you be able to become our guide?¡± he asked Eshnunna, who stood rooted to the spot with a tired expression. ¡°We won¡¯t let his behavior slide anymore, but if that guy has a brain, he won¡¯t do anything funny with the top person in charge. Anyway, it¡¯s only him we have to deal with, and we still need a guide.¡± Moreover, if they exchanged the guide with a native other than Eshnunna, Giant Fist might let out his frustrations on the innocent native. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Eshnunna hesitated for a bit, but she accepted that there was no alternative and looked back at Hawa. Chi-Woo nodded to ease her concern. In the end, Eshnunna joined the others and left to chase after Giant Fist. Hawa remained on the ground. She seemed to be extremely shocked. ¡°For real, what the hell is wrong with that bastard? Senior, why are you close to such a trashy bastard?¡± Ru Hiana repressed her annoyance and walked towards Hawa and Chi-Woo. ¡°Miss, are you all right?¡± Chi-Woo checked Hawa¡¯s puffy cheek and stared at where Giant Fist had headed off towards. It would be a lie if Chi-Woo said he wasn¡¯t disappointed. He hadn¡¯t expected Giant Fist to be a person like this at all. ¡°Would you be able to stand up? Please grab my hand.¡± Hawa nodded silently. As soon as she got up with Chi-Woo¡¯s help, her legs wavered, and she fell into his arms. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Their faces got close, and Chi-Woo froze. Hawa¡¯s small lips quickly moved. Chi-Woo paused, and Hawa quickly moved away. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡± She quickly apologized while she struggled to gain stable footing. It seemed that she was still reeling from what had happened earlier. ¡°Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot? Ah, let me see your face. That rotten lizard bastard!¡± Ru Hiana carefully held Hawa¡¯s face and angrily yelled. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo stared silently at Hawa. CH 32 After the unsettling commotion, Chi-Woo and the rest of the group soon left the main base camp. It was a nerve-wracking ordeal to investigate an unknown area, and a strange atmosphere had been haunting the group since the earlier incident. Hawa had a despondent, frail look on her face as she guided the group, and Ru Hiana relentlessly tried to comfort her. Ru Amuh occupied himself by surveying his surroundings on high alert, while Chi-Woo was lost in thought. Giant Fist appeared to be a completely different person. Chi-Woo knew that he had a reckless side to him, but Chi-Woo never thought that Giant Fist was a bad person. Since Chi-Woo reunited with him, however, Giant Fist had been engaging in one incomprehensible action after another. Of course, Chi-Woo might have simply misjudged his character, but¡­ ¡®Shahnaz Hawa¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at the back of the girl scrambling in front of him. There was something suspicious about this silver-haired girl. Besides, why didn¡¯t Shakira tell Eshnunna that Chi-Woo had freed Hawa from a vengeful spirit? ¡®Why did she try to hide it?¡¯ Was it because the camp¡¯s situation was so dire that they wanted to monopolize Chi-Woo¡¯s ability? No. That couldn¡¯t be. One of the main reasons why the camps existed was to gather the hero recruits. There must be some other reason why they decided to hide such valuable information in this manner. ¡®But that¡¯s not all.¡¯ When Shakira brought Hawa, she had simply asked Eshnunna to take care of her and handed her over. ¡®Why did she want Hawa to go?¡¯ Now that he thought about it, there were too many things that were strange. Questions led to more questions, and Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Hawa¡¯s back. Sometime later, Hawa stopped. ¡°From here on, we¡¯ll be entering an area that even I have never set foot in.¡± She turned around and asked, ¡°What are you guys going to do?¡± Ru Hiana tilted her head, and Ru Amuh glanced sideways at Chi-Woo. Having waited for a chance this whole time, Chi-Woo stepped forward and turned to his companions. ¡°What about separating into two groups for a short time? We each have a flower, and I think it will be more effective to travel in pairs than a group of four. Besides, there are still recruits we haven¡¯t found yet.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it still better to travel all together?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like the effect of the flower is stronger because we are gathered together. Also, I am not saying that we should completely part ways, but rather separate far enough to look around the area. I think it¡¯s best to explore as many places as we can before the flowers wilt. We should be close enough that we can hear each other¡¯s screams if something happens.¡± Chi-Woo responded politely to Ru Hiana¡¯s argument. ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯m sure Senior can handle¡­¡± ¡°We will do as you say,¡± Ru Amuh quickly answered when it seemed that Ru Hiana was coming around. ¡°Okay. Once there is only one petal¡­¡± Chi-Woo began, but when he saw Hawa slightly shake her head, he corrected himself and said, ¡°No, considering the time it took for us to come here, we should leave one more petal intact.¡± Hawa didn¡¯t show any response this time. ¡°Why don¡¯t we meet at this spot again after two petals wilt?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll pair up with Ru Hiana, and¡­¡± Ru Amuh trailed off, unwilling to say Chi-Woo¡¯s full fake name. ¡°Okay, then.¡± He bowed and quickly got moving while taking Ru Hiana with him, leaving Chi-Woo alone with Shahnaz Hawa as he had intended. ¡°Is there a place around here that we can look around?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Understanding the meaning behind his question, Hawa nodded and moved. She silently walked for longer than Chi-Woo expected her to, which made his heart grow heavy. He suddenly began to wonder if she was leading him into a trap, and if she had received a secret order from her camp to lure him somewhere unsafe. ¡°I just realized that there¡¯s something I forgot to tell you,¡± Chi-Woo spoke up. He needed to do something. ¡°I wanted to apologize to you.¡± Hawa stopped. She turned around half-way and asked, ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± They commenced walking again, and Chi-Woo said weakly, ¡°She was your older sister.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°The vengeful spirit who possessed you. Ah, should I say that broken and eaten one?¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I wanted to send her away peacefully, but she wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Surprisingly, Hawa answered instantly. ¡°My sister had hated me since I was young. She hated me so much that she wanted to kill me before she died and even after she was cursed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In the first place, there¡¯s no one around me who likes me. Things like family don¡¯t have much meaning to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± Hawa was about to say that there was no need for Chi-Woo to concern himself about such matters when she heard this response. She stopped walking again and turned her head slightly, shifting her eyes to the side to stare at Chi-Woo. ¡°I should have told you sooner, but¡­you were in a dangerous state,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°You were so weakened that it could have been a hopeless cause. If it wasn¡¯t for your guardian spirit, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything.¡± ¡°Guardian spirit? Who¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, either.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°It could be your ancestor, family, people around you, or even an animal. But I can say for sure that there¡¯s someone who treasures you, Ms. Hawa.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If they didn¡¯t care for you, they wouldn¡¯t have tried so hard to fight for you. Thanks to them, you were able to endure until the end, and I was able to clutch onto the opportunity.¡± Hawa turned to Chi-Woo. She no longer looked like the fearful girl, scared after getting hit by Giant Fist; her face looked as emotionless as they had looked when Chi-Woo first saw her, and he couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking behind her deep eyes. ¡°¡­Then.¡± In the awkward silence, Hawa opened her mouth. ¡°Mr. Chichibbong, I guess that also means you defeated two broken and eaten ones¡ªeven when one of them was a mad one, who had mutated.¡± She was changing the topic of conversation now. Chi-Woo felt gratitude and respect to Hawa for not smiling even slightly as she said his name. ¡°Mutated?¡± ¡°Those who became insane from the curse sometimes mutate, but there are some who mutate due to other factors. One such example is something you¡¯re already aware of: Where a broken being attaches themself onto a cursed one and uses them as a host.¡± Chi-Woo was slightly surprised. Truthfully, he¡¯d only used terms like vengeful spirits and jukgwis for semantic purposes. However, Hawa was talking about these beings on her own terms and telling him new information. ¡°But even if we exclude my sister from the equation, it¡¯s clear that you didn¡¯t defeat the broken beings by coincidence.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Chi-Woo was now sure that Hawa knew something he didn¡¯t. ¡°You told me, ¡®stop for signal and alone¡¯,¡± Chi-Woo confronted Hawa and crossed his arms. When Chi-Woo helped Hawa get up, she had secretly whispered these words to him. Chi-Woo had interpreted them to mean that Hawa would give him a signal later, and he should create an opportunity for the two of them to be alone. That was why Chi-Woo suggested for them to separate into two groups. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve misheard you,¡± Chi-Woo said and pushed her to speak. ¡°Thank you for believing me. I¡¯ve requested a separate meeting because I have something to tell and show you privately,¡± Hawa responded calmly. ¡®Something she wants to tell me privately? But other than that¡­what is the thing she wants to show me?¡¯ Hawa cleared her throat and said, ¡°First, I hope you don¡¯t blame him too much.¡± ¡°Him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Sir Gripping Giant Fist and Rising.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Why? Ms. Hawa, you were definitely¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I requested him to do.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°You¡¯ve requested Mr. Giant Fist to purposely perform those actions?¡± ¡°Yes, and other than the incident in the cafeteria, I told him to act horribly whenever he could.¡± ¡°Then, perhaps even that¡­¡± Chi-Woo was startled. Instantly, what conclusions that had cemented in his mind became muddled and confounded. ¡°¡­Why?¡± He combined all his suspicions and confusion into a single question. ¡°It was because I wanted to set up a place to meet you privately.¡± ¡°But there were a lot of opportunities for us to meet privately. You could have come and found me alone. Why did you have to go so far¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Hawa shook her head. ¡°There wasn¡¯t a chance for me to do so. Not even once.¡± ¡®What does she mean?¡¯ Chi-Woo became confused. ¡°Ever since we arrived at the main camp, I had felt that we were being watched the whole time, especially you, Sir Chichibbong. For that reason, I couldn¡¯t carelessly approach you.¡± ¡°Watched? By whom?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t specify who it is yet. Anyway, from the main camp¡¯s perspective, I¡¯m an outsider, so I need to be careful about my actions.¡± Chi-Woo was going to ask her what she was talking about, but he swallowed back his words as a thought came to him. Even though Hawa hadn¡¯t specifically pointed out anyone, one person came into his mind. ¡®Salem Eshnunna.¡¯ Now that he thought about it, there were some strange details he could think of. When he brought Yohan into his room, how did Eshnunna come so fast, and straight to where he was staying? When he found Yohan, he had been certain that there was no one around. ¡°Since it was difficult to approach you inside the camp, I needed an opportunity to meet you outside. However, in order to get out of the main camp, I needed to get Eshnunna¡¯s permission, so we had no choice but to create a situation like this. If Sir Gripping Giant Fist and Rising acted like that suddenly, though, it¡¯d be suspicious. Therefore, for the past few days, he¡¯d been persistently acting¡­¡± Chi-Woo sighed. His head hurt; he had thought that things were going somewhat smoothly, but now, he suddenly felt that something was seriously wrong. ¡°Wait, wait a bit.¡± Chi-Woo raised his hand to ask her to stop. He had so many questions to ask. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my questions one by one. Starting from what comes to mind first¡­¡± Hawa made a slight nod. ¡°First,¡± Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Why did you pick Mr. Giant Fist?¡± ¡°Because the two of you seemed close,¡± Hawa immediately replied. ¡°Also, the recruits are heroes who came down from a divine place. It¡¯s not strange that there would be heroes that know each other.¡± Hawa¡¯s stern but pleasant voice continued, ¡°And even among these heroes, Sir Gripping Giant Fist and Rising cried and hugged you as soon as he saw you. I didn¡¯t think that someone who did that would betray you. I judged that he was closer to you than mere acquaintances and approached him.¡± Moreover, Giant Fist, as someone who was found by the main camp, received relatively less monitoring and attention than those who were found in Shahnaz¡¯s camp. Chi-Woo clicked his tongue inside his mind. It was amazing that she had made such quick judgments during their brief reunion. As Shakira said, Hawa knew how to use her brain. What, then, was this bright girl trying to tell him? Chi-Woo asked, ¡°You said that you had something to tell me.¡± In all honesty, this was what he was most curious about. ¡°Before I tell you, I think it¡¯ll be better if I show it to you first. Then it¡¯ll be easier for you to understand.¡± Contrary to Chi-Woo¡¯s expectation, Hawa switched up the order of their conversation and said she wanted to show him first before answering his question. ¡°Then please show it to me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it here. We have to go a little further.¡± Hawa was firm in her reply. ¡°Even though it¡¯s a bit far from the main camp, it¡¯s a short distance from here.¡± Chi-Woo looked troubled. ¡°Would we be able to make it on time?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be able to make it before two of the flower petals fall. It¡¯s close.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That¡¯s why she had purposely led them here. She had lied about not knowing her way around. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± Chi-Woo made a decision after a short contemplation. Hawa immediately turned around and hurried her steps. As she said, the destination was not far from where they had conversed. When they arrived, Hawa asked him to wait a bit, and after going into a place full of dense, overgrown bush that grew like vines, she crouched down and dug into the ground. Chi-Woo was startled by what Hawa soon presented to him with both hands. It was a hand that had its fingers and wrist cut off. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Chi-Woo scrunched his face and covered his nose and mouth at the putrid smell of rotten flesh. Hawa quietly said, ¡°It¡¯s the hand of a hero from the fifth recruits.¡± ¡°The fifth recruits?¡± ¡°This hero was the only sorcerer among the recruits and had spiritual abilities.¡± Chi-Woo recalled hearing something about a hero who was the first to see a broken one. ¡°But I heard that they suddenly disappeared one day?¡± ¡°After seeing a broken one, their mind became strange. However, on the day before they went missing, they regained their sanity and called me out separately. The sorcerer then cut their own hand off, and while giving it to me, they said,¡± Hawa looked straight at Chi-Woo and continued, ¡°That they had already been bewitched. They had tried to resist as hard as they could, but they couldn¡¯t do anything but just watch. However, the sorcerer told me to pass this hand to a hero who can see the broken ones and defeat them.¡± Chi-Woo frowned deeper. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but they told you that while giving you their hand?¡± Hawa tilted her head towards him. ¡°Yes, they definitely told me that¡­ah.¡± It seemed as if she had forgotten something. ¡°Now that I think about it, they said that they had fully opened access to the information¡­¡± ¡®Open access to the information?¡¯ At Hawa¡¯s words, Chi-Woo recalled what he had learned from Mua Janya. [I don¡¯t know that much yet, but I¡¯ll give you all the information we¡¯ve collected so far. Anyway, I will always keep it open, so you can download it whenever you want.] [Yes, but of course, it only works if we¡¯re close together, and I need to set it up separately.] ¡®The device.¡¯ The sorcerer¡¯s hand might still have the device from the Celestial Realm implanted. Chi-Woo immediately tapped his left hand, but realized that he was in a location outside the shrine¡¯s influence. In order to get information from the hand, he needed to go back to the main camp. ¡®What?¡¯ While he was pondering how to hide the rotten hand once he returned to the main camp, the hologram turned on without much trouble. With doubt and hope warring in his head, Chi-Woo tried using the hologram, and it worked properly. ¡®Is it because of the divinity I possess? Shouldn¡¯t the hologram¡¯s function be limited by location?¡¯ Before Chi-Woo could find the answer to his question, a message popped up in front of him. [Accessible document found.] [Will you download the released document?] Chi-Woo clicked ¡®yes¡¯ without hesitation. CH 33 Chi-Woo stood fixed to the spot for a long time, not moving even an inch. The information he saw shocked him so much that he had to read it several times before he regained his senses. Then he became so lost in his thoughts that he didn¡¯t notice that one flower petal had wilted, and another one hung loosely like it was about to fall off. ¡°It¡¯s getting late now. We have to go.¡± Hawa broke Chi-Woo from his pondering and reminded him of the passage of time. Chi-Woo turned around blankly, and he staggered back to the path they had taken while keeping his mouth closed. Hawa walked forward and guided him from the front. Meanwhile, Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana were beyond anxious and worried about their two companions. They argued among themselves, going back and forth with one saying, ¡®We should wait a bit longer.¡¯ And the other countering, ¡®No, we should go to search for them right now.¡¯ When they saw the bush in front of them rustle before Chi-Woo came out of it, they both sighed in relief. Of course, Ru Hiana was the one to complain angrily. ¡°Hey, senior! How could you come so late! Do you know how worried we were?¡± Ru Amuh tried to stop her, saying that they had to be quiet in this place, but Ru Hiana¡¯s anger didn¡¯t settle down easily. Since he knew he was in the wrong, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say much of anything else but a simple apology. Although his apology sounded insincere, Ru Hiana noticed the look on Chi-Woo¡¯s face, and her rage quickly evaporated. ¡°Senior¡­did something happen?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your face¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking.¡± ¡°¡­You aren¡¯t angry or anything, right?¡± Chi-Woo made a weak smile. Ru Hiana worried if she had crossed the line, and from behind them, Ru Amuh glanced at Hawa and carefully observed Chi-Woo¡¯s expression. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything back but instead stared at the empty space in front of him. Since only one flower petal remained, the group set out to return to the main base camp. They didn¡¯t accomplish much with this trip except confirm that this chilling forest was indeed very wide. When they reached the base camp, they realized that they were the first ones to have returned. Having gone out at similar times, all other groups soon arrived after them. However, there was one group that they didn¡¯t see; it was Giant Fist, Mua Janya, and Zelit¡¯s team. All the petals on their flowers would have fallen off by now. Chi-Woo waited anxiously for some time, but they didn¡¯t come back. ¡°Messaging them won¡¯t work, right?¡± ¡°The connection is too weak. We can¡¯t even contact everyone at the base camp.¡± ¡°Now that I think of it, didn¡¯t that group have some quarrel before leaving?¡± ¡°They are really late. Shouldn¡¯t we go look for them?¡± People murmured, and Chi-Woo¡¯s stomach tied in knots in worry. Out of all groups, it was the group he was most affiliated with that was missing. ¡®Is it still¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo checked the ¡®Other¡¯ section of ¡®User Information¡¯ on his hologram, but he only saw a message that said the World¡¯s milestone was still on cooldown. It was then he heard someone exclaim, ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that them?¡± ¡°Yeah, it is. Why are they so late¡­Wait, hurry!¡± The nodding hero¡¯s expression suddenly changed before he ran off. Chi-Woo also rushed towards the group and soon realized what the fuss was about. Eshnunna came in running so frantically that her usually neat hair was in a mess. Mua Janya and Zelit were moving as quickly as they could while supporting Giant Fist, as he laid his head sideways on their shoulders. The heroes who had run earlier than Chi-Woo quickly opened the entrance and helped carry Giant Fist past it. Even from a glance, anyone could see that Giant Fist was in a critical state. Like Ru Amuh had been when Chi-Woo first saw him, there was a deep gash on Giant Fist¡¯s stomach, and a great amount of blood gushed out from it. His face was pale with foams bubbling out of his mouth. His eyes were wide open, and his face was rigid as if he was about to enter a shock any moment. ¡°How did you end up like that!?¡± Ru Hiana shouted. ¡°Medical aid first!¡± Eshnunna looked flustered, too, but she immediately called out for the villagers and took Giant Fist to them. ¡°Shit! This stupid bastard!¡± Soaked with sweat, Mua Janya kicked the innocent ground for no reason. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Giant Fist as he grew farther away from him. The day passed by in a blur. Later, Chi-Woo heard from Mua Janya that it was completely Giant Fist¡¯s own fault that he became critically injured. Like the troublesome fellow he had been inside the camp, he continued to stir up trouble outside. It seemed it had hurt Giant Fist¡¯s pride as his groupmates appeared to blame him for the guide change. Thus, Giant Fist began to act out however he wanted. He didn¡¯t listen to the guide¡ªEshnunna¡¯s suggestions and kept going the opposite way. He tried to argue about every little thing, spoke in a rough manner, and Eshnunna had to endure all his abuse and rudeness. And that wasn¡¯t all; Giant Fist also picked fights with other heroes. He didn¡¯t listen when Mua Janya tried to stop him, and he insulted Zelit by saying things like ¡®Why is a nobody with the face of a dog telling me what to do?¡¯ Considering all this, it was inevitable that Giant Fist would get into an incident. Even when the time was up and the exploration ended up futile, Giant Fist insisted on staying longer. Eshnunna tried to convince him that it would be dangerous, but Giant Fist only mocked her and didn¡¯t listen. After enduring for so long, Eshnunna couldn¡¯t take it any longer and raised her voice slightly. Giant Fist exploded like he had been waiting for this moment, and he pushed Eshnunna away hard and swore at all of them to do what they wanted before going off on his own. Not long afterward, they heard Giant Fist scream; he had been ambushed by a cursed being. When Mua Janya and Zelit rushed over to the source of the noise, they saw Giant Fist groaning on the floor and found traces of someone having run away. That was where the story ended. Giant Fist hadn¡¯t woken up, but he wasn¡¯t dead. His injury would¡¯ve killed any ordinary person, but his strong body, honed from years of training, was keeping him alive. Giant Fist let out small, weak breaths, unfitting to his large stature. Chi-Woo stood to watch by his side for a while and ate his meal mindlessly before returning to his lodging place and lying on his bed. As soon as he lay down, he turned on his hologram and opened the records he had received during his exploration. [Avoid the main base camp at all costs. Stay in a camp farthest away from the base camp or try to find another way out of the place on your own. It¡¯s much better that way. If you are already there, it can¡¯t be helped. You must try to run away. Before you leave, though, come up with a plan first. There¡¯s no place that is safe, but there¡¯s still some time. No matter how dire the situation is, don¡¯t die. Even death won¡¯t be your ticket to escape. Stay inside your lodging place at night, and don¡¯t wander around¡ªthis includes the inside of the camp as well as, of course, the outside. Don¡¯t ever sneak into the building next to the lodging place. Perhaps the thing we are looking for is there. And above all, keep out of Eshnunna¡¯s way. You must act mannerly to not offend her and avoid being her target. All the village people are in on this, but the boy might be different. If someone guides you to this information coincidentally, don¡¯t try to get too close to the girl since Eshnunna doesn¡¯t like the Shahnazs. But in the case that you find a way, consider taking the boy and the girl and running away. I don¡¯t know about the boy, but the girl is quite trustworthy. If Eshnunna approaches you separately and suggests going somewhere, refuse adamantly. Whatever her reason is, she will try to lead you into a trap. Bide time by whatever means and remember, you do not have much time. The clock is ticking as more recruits gather. Don¡¯t reveal this writing to people carelessly. If someone mentions and asks about me, always pretend ignorance. Besides, if you¡¯re reading this, it also means you can see those guys and have the ability to get rid of them. But still, don¡¯t ever let your guard down. There¡¯s much that even I don¡¯t know about. Stay on high alert and don¡¯t act carelessly. Only move when you are completely certain. I beg you. Please help us¡­] Chi-Woo read over the note over and over, but he had the same response every time. ¡®I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡¯ From what he heard, the hero was in a terrible mental state when they recorded this information. Perhaps they had drafted this letter haphazardly in a moment of sanity. It was disorganized and all over the place, so Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know which point he should focus on, and if he should believe it at all¡ªespecially the part about Eshnunna. ¡®It¡¯s too shocking. Many of them could be mere guesses.¡¯ The Eshnunna Chi-Woo had seen until now was the epitome of a great leader; she knew when to step down or push forward strongly. Why would this sorcerer paint Eshnunna as a villain? In what aspect did Chi-Woo have to look out for? Of course, something bad had already happened, and considering this record and the recent incident, there were reasons to be suspicious of Eshnunna. According to Mua Janya, however, it seemed that Giant Fist had been completely in the wrong. Chi-Woo turned off the hologram and shut his eyes. ¡®I¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what to do and how he should think about this record. Neither did he know how he should act from now on. He couldn¡¯t get a sense of what to do at all. As he pondered over this, he heard someone approach. The door opened before a shadow crept in. Chi-Woo, who had been on guard, immediately got up. ¡°Shh.¡± Chi-Woo was about to take out his club, but he stopped; the person who came in with an index finger on his lip was no other than Zelit. ¡°May I come in?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t say this after coming in though. Close the door quietly.¡± The latter part was directed to the person behind him. Upon closer look, Chi-Woo recognized the figure as Ru Amuh. He closed the door quietly and gave Chi-Woo a deep bow. Chi-Woo was confused why they would come unannounced in the middle of the night. Moreover, it was even more suspicious that they were acting carefully to not get caught. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about coming so suddenly,¡± Zelit apologized and revealed the purpose of his visit. ¡°I want to talk to you for a bit.¡± Now that he thought about it, Chi-Woo recalled Zelit saying that he wanted to talk privately. Then Chi-Woo became curious why Zelit also brought Ru Amuh, but he first led them to their seats. Soon after, the three of them sat loosely on the bed facing each other. ¡°I originally intended to come by myself, but this guy said your friend is in a life and death condition, so you must be having a difficult time. He wanted to join me and comfort you.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Chi-Woo waved his hand to say that he was okay but stopped at Zelit¡¯s next words. ¡°Well, it was a pretty good excuse. Since we can¡¯t act too loudly in front of a heartbroken comrade, it was a good justification for us to act quietly. Even then, I hope we don¡¯t get caught.¡± ¡°Sir, it wasn¡¯t just an excuse. I wanted to comfort him while also fulfilling our goal,¡± Ru Amuh replied awkwardly. ¡°An ex¡­cuse? To not get caught?¡± Chi-Woo blinked in confusion. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll start first,¡± Zelit said while staring at Chi-Woo. ¡°Have you not noticed something strange?¡± Zelit began without beating around the bush. The first time he realized something was strange was when Eshnunna arrived at their previous camp, and he saw the Shahnaz camp¡¯s natives¡¯ reactions. It was understandable for the natives to see the recruits in a negative light, but the guard captain¡¯s expression when she told Shakira that people from the main camp had arrived was bad to say the least. Shakira also looked surprised. If he wanted to be more specific, it seemed as if she was surprised that people from the main camp had arrived so soon. The place that Chi-Woo rescued Ru Amuh from also introduced many unanswered questions. ¡°The statue as well. Have you compared the statue in the previous camp to the statue in the main camp?¡± Ru Amuh shook his head. He had seen the statue in the main camp, but he hadn¡¯t seen the statue that Shakira had ¡°They¡¯re different.¡± ¡°They¡¯re worshipping different gods¡­¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°But sir, are you implying that there is a bigger problem at hand?¡± ¡°Yeah. They both stated that Liber had ended up like this because their main god deserted them. But their views, interpretations, and beliefs are different.¡± Zelit clutched his hands. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not strange for separate groups to collaborate together in a situation like this, but¡­¡± In the midst of talking, he turned towards Chi-Woo, ¡°But then, why did the natives from the previous camp not reveal your achievements to the main camp?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since you defeated not just a cursed one but two broken ones, there should be some reaction by now.¡± However, since there was no special reaction from the main camp, it meant that Eshnunna still didn¡¯t know about Chi-Woo¡¯s feat, and the Shahnaz camp was purposefully keeping it a secret. ¡°I think there are circumstances we don¡¯t know about between the main camp and the previous camp.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, sir, one person from the previous camp did follow us to the main camp.¡± Ru Amuh continued, ¡°At first, it seemed like they were asking a favor from the person in charge here to take her in, but once we reached the main camp, rather than being forced to follow us¡­ It seemed that she was following us because she had no other option.¡± ¡°I agree. But I think it¡¯s still too early to try to contact her right away. We have to think about if we¡¯re being spied on, and we can¡¯t trust her yet.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°If we could find a person we can trust, we¡¯ll be able to expand our search, but¡­¡± While talking, Zelit glanced at Chi-Woo; Chi-Woo was quietly looking at the floor. ¡°¡­This is just my speculation, but I¡¯m suspicious of Eshnunna.¡± Zelit sighed and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not because of anything she did. There¡¯s just something quite off about her. I can¡¯t point out anything specific, but it¡¯s hard to trust her.¡± Moreover, she was way too relaxed and considerate if she truly wanted to overcome this hell-like reality. On the other hand, though, she was also hardworking and passionate, so it didn¡¯t seem like she had completely given up. ¡°It feels like her side is one-sidedly closing us off.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she show her trust in us by revealing the shrine¡¯s secret?¡± ¡°No. Actually, it was then that I became certain.¡± ¡°But her words made sense.¡± ¡°Yes, and that is the problem.¡± Zelit was firm in his statements. ¡°It felt like she was leading us to believe that she couldn¡¯t help but put her trust in us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that she was playing it by ear and leading us on.¡± ¡°Yeah. Think about it. Has Eshnunna ever told us that she trusted us? At most she had said that she wanted to trust us, or that she was in a situation where she had no choice but to trust us.¡± Thus, in other words¡ª ¡°She might believe in something that we don¡¯t know about.¡± Silence fell upon them. Ru Amuh looked troubled as he had his mouth shut. But in the end, he continued with a bitter smile, ¡°¡­There were some aspects that I found perplexing. She said that they were asking forgiveness from god¡­It¡¯s not a bad idea, but it also made me think why they would need us in that case.¡± Then Ru Amuh carefully asked Zelit, ¡°Perhaps, Sir Gripping Giant Fist and Rising was...¡± ¡°About that.¡± Zelit hesitated, swallowing down what he was originally going to say. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± He frowned with uncertainty but continued, ¡°His behavior is suspicious, but as you know, I witnessed his actions firsthand.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Anyway I see it, it was Gripping Giant Fist and Rising¡¯s fault. Eshnunna had no fault in this case.¡± Ru Amuh tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Then why did he¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. Before we get to that, I think I¡¯m not the only one suspicious of Eshnunna.¡± Zelit looked towards him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you also suspicious of her?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I was planning to keep observing for the moment, since I could be wrong.¡± Ru Amuh admitted readily; there was no point hiding his suspicions anymore. ¡°Yeah, you say that, but you made it too obvious. When Ru Hiana was about to talk about his achievements, you purposely intervened and cut her off.¡± ¡°Ah. You noticed then already?¡± ¡°I only became sure after coming to the main camp. Ru Hiana hasn¡¯t said a word about that since our arrival here. It¡¯s probably the same for Eval Sevaru. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s up to these days, though.¡± ¡°Yes. I made sure that she won¡¯t speak a word about it anymore. Sir, I apologize again for acting so rashly that time.¡± Ru Amuh scratched his head and bowed to Chi-Woo. ¡°I judged that it¡¯d be better to just observe the situation first before revealing information about you. And you seemed to want to keep it a secret¡­¡± Chi-Woo was speechless. Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t acted like that because of Ru Hiana? It wasn¡¯t because of jealousy. It was all for him. ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that Gripping Giant Fist and Rising might have purposely acted out like that.¡± ¡°Yes, even more so because Sir Chi-Hyun was the one who specifically brought him. I thought it was a bit strange.¡± ¡°Yeah. Even though I heard that he¡¯s rash, he¡¯s a hero that Chi-Hyun of all people took interest in. Among all the heroes that went around with Chi-Hyun, there hasn¡¯t been a single hero who was known to be problematic.¡± Chi-Woo unexpectantly heard his brother¡¯s name come up again. Even though he thought that Zelit¡¯s reasoning for Giant Fist¡¯s innocence was weak, he didn¡¯t carelessly comment. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know a single thing about his brother as a hero. ¡°There¡¯s only one difference between him and us. You and I have been hiding our true feelings, while Giant Fist has made his hostility very obvious.¡± Even though all of Zelit¡¯s words were all speculations, there were many parts he was exactly right about. ¡°It would be reasonable to say that¡¯s the reason why he became the first target, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right.¡± It was shocking. No, Chi-Woo was more than shocked¡ªhe felt chills run down his spine. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, the situation is full of contradictions.¡± But Zelit wasn¡¯t the only one dishing out chilling speculations. It was Ru Amuh as well. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­Sir, I understand what you¡¯re talking about to some extent.¡± Giant Fist, Shahnaz Hawa, Salem Eshnunna, and even more people who might be hiding under a veil. ¡°Why did he decide to act out like that? For what reason? For what purpose?¡± They had all been standing on a stage and acting with masks on their faces¡ªwhile surrounding an entirely oblivious Chi-Woo. CH 34 ¡°So¡­¡± Zelit stopped mid-sentence, noticing Ru Amuh giving him the side-eye. Chi-Woo blanched. His expression was sullen, lips tightly sealed, and he clearly wasn¡¯t in the mood for a conversation. Still, Zelit needed to get Chi-Woo talking. Chi-Woo had the greatest potential among the heroes chosen for the seventh recruitment, and whatever their plans were, they wouldn¡¯t work without Chi-Woo¡¯s cooperation. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have your suspicions, too. I mean, you also kept it a secret that you finished off those broken beings,¡± Zelit said. Chi-Woo made a bitter smile. That wasn¡¯t it. He kept this information a secret because he didn¡¯t want the extra attention. Chi-Woo had never once suspected Eshnunna and was simply making sure that he would be able to stay in the safety of the main base. ¡°As I thought.¡± Zelit interpreted Chi-Woo¡¯s smile as agreement, and his face brightened, ¡°I¡¯ve spoken my mind. I¡¯m curious what you are thinking.¡± Zelit asked with anticipation, but Chi-Woo¡¯s only response was silence. It didn¡¯t seem like he would speak any time soon no matter how patiently Zelit waited. ¡°Is there something else you know?¡± Zelit prompted. ¡°Tell us your suspicions; it¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t have evidence backing it up.¡± All kinds of thoughts passed through Chi-Woo¡¯s head. He did have things to tell them¡ªafter all, there was the information that Hawa had led him to. ¡®That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not alone.¡¯ Chi-Woo had companions who had come to this place with him for the same goal. Two heads were better than one. Perhaps the two heroes, whose minds had been thoroughly trained through dangers and experiences, would be able to come up with something he hadn¡¯t thought of before. There was no reason for Chi-Woo to hold back this information. With his thumb, Chi-Woo tapped the area of his wrist where the hologram was planted and was about to speak. ¡°¡­¡± For some incomprehensible reason, however, Chi-Woo curled his thumb and pulled his hand away. * * * Meanwhile, Eshnunna wrote something on a piece of paper and said, ¡°I see. I was wondering what had happened¡­like how Hawa regained her sanity. This is really surprising. I suppose a hero without their powers is still a hero.¡± She twirled her quill and smiled softly. ¡°But why didn¡¯t Shakira tell me this?¡± She suddenly stopped writing and looked up. Then, while arching her head sideways, she asked without facing who she was talking to, ¡°And what is the reason why she entrusted me with a descendant of the Shahnaz, whom she so treasured?¡± There was no reply. The figure shrouded in darkness bowed their head, seemingly to convey their inability to answer the question. Eshnunna snorted. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m going to increase surveillance around Hawa. For your sake, I will support the Shahnaz camp and give them supplies as promised¡­But.¡± Eshnunna trailed off to glance at one side of the room and said, ¡°I will allow no more attempts to hide the heroes from me as before.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m emphasizing how important your role is. You¡¯ve done well, and I hope you will continue to do so,¡± Eshnunna declared, and the shadow quietly got up. The door opened without a sound and closed. ¡°He defeated broken and eaten beings¡­And one of them was a mutated one that attached itself to a person who went mad.¡± Eshnunna twirled the quill with her fingers. ¡°Is that what they almost told me last time?¡± She recalled the time when she went to meet the seventh recruits at the Shahnaz camp. [You might not have heard, but we¡¯ve already¡ª] [Ru Hiana.] Remembering how Ru Hiana had been silenced, the corners of Eshnunna¡¯s mouth perked up. ¡°That was sloppy. How annoying.¡± Eshnunna put her quill down and got up from her seat. She quietly left for the temple while keeping an eye on her surroundings. After making sure that no one was there, she went inside, kneeled, and prayed on her knees. Not long afterward, tears of blood began to stream down from the statue¡¯s eyes. Eshnunna hurriedly bowed low so that her forehead almost touched the floor. Shaaaaaaa! An intangible energy surrounding the statue swept over Eshnunna as she kneeled. There was no sound. Yet Eshnunna felt a ferocious clamor throughout her whole body, and she hurriedly cried out, ¡°Forgive me!¡± Enduring the terrifying and chilling bloodlust, she spoke, ¡°I tried to keep them in place until they were all gathered, but there was one hero who wouldn¡¯t listen...It seemed one of those beings, who had been looking for an opportunity from the outskirts, heard the commotion and attacked. Seeing how it managed to attack quite a formidable hero, I assume it must have been a mutated one at green level.¡± The energy threatening Eshnunna showed no signs of relenting, but she continued, ¡°Furthermore, we have confirmed that our spy at Shahnaz camp was taken out by one of the seventh recruits. It was also this hero that had ruined our work on the Shahnaz descendant.¡± Eshnunna shuddered at these words but quickly added, ¡°Please do not worry. I have gone to personally capture this hero, and he is currently staying in this base camp.¡± The energy gradually settled, but she soon felt a looming threat over her, and words poured out from her mouth, ¡°Yes. Since this hero could clearly pose a threat¡­Yes, I will immediately¡­I understand. I will do as you command.¡± The energy washed away from her. The blood flowing down from the statue was absorbed by the stems, and flowers bloomed. After sitting in her spot for a long time, Eshnunna raised her head slightly. She first checked the flowers. Then she looked up at the statue with an expressionless face before turning to leave the temple. * * * After Ru Amuh and Zelit left, Chi-Woo lay down on his bed, fumbling with the die in his hand and looking up at the ceiling. There was no one in the room except for him. Giant Fist had moved rooms to get treated, and Mua Janya went off to keep an eye on him out of concern. Chi-Woo was too preoccupied to feel lonely, and his head felt like it would explode. ¡®Should I have told them?¡¯ He thought about Zelit and Ru Amuh. In the end, he hadn¡¯t told either of them the information he had acquired. Chi-Woo had been like this since he was young. Whatever he did, he rarely made the decision on the spot. Of course, as a human with emotion, he sometimes acted impulsively, but those instances were few and far between. His personality was perfectly summarized by his kindergarten teacher¡¯s comment, ¡®Even when others ask him to play together, he observes them closely for a while before he joins them.¡¯ Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know when he started acting in this manner. It simply became a habit of his after all the unusual incidents he¡¯d endured. It was too ingrained in him that bad things happened when he acted hastily in unfortunate events. As his mentor had told him, [Whatever the result is, the blame lies in the instigator.] Like how people had to second guess themselves one more time before buying something, his mentor gave him several pieces of advice: [The instigator must take responsibility and always think about the consequences of his actions.] [He must not get swept by the situation no matter what the situation is.] [He shouldn¡¯t behave as if he was forcefully pushed into taking action.] [If he doesn¡¯t know what to do, he should try taking a few deep breaths. There will always be something that he¡¯s missed with just his eyes.] [And after pondering as much as he should, he should question himself what he wants. The important thing is his own will and how certain he is of his decision. He must make a decision that he won¡¯t regret.] Hearing this, Chi-Woo asked his mentor if he really needed to follow all these rules and why he would have to. His mentor had looked at him pitifully, saying, ¡®Value your life¡­ Don¡¯t take it for granted¡­¡¯ With his mentor¡¯s last words whirling in his head, Chi-Woo closed his eyes. [It¡¯s understandable if you can¡¯t trust us completely, but remember that you don¡¯t have an infinite amount of time.] These were Zelit¡¯s parting words before he left Chi-Woo¡¯s room. [If you are in a difficult position, call me anytime. I will put my life on the line to save you at least once,] Ru Amuh told him. Chi-Woo understood where Zelit came from. Eshnunna was very suspicious. Given how terrible the situation was, she ought to have some expectations or express her disappointments no matter how patient she was. Yet, as the representative of the natives, she never reacted negatively towards the incompetent heroes. Even in Giant Fist¡¯s case, who had crossed the line unprovoked, had been treated with nothing but generosity and understanding, what happened today notwithstanding. ¡®Eshnunna¡­ doesn¡¯t expect anything from us.¡¯ What was the reason? She might be plotting a conspiracy, and he needed to figure out her plan. If he revealed the hero sorcerer¡¯s message to Ru Amuh and Zelit, he would gain two allies. However, would that be the right thing to do? Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t predict what that choice would lead him to. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ Because Eshnunna might be hiding more secrets than the eyes let on, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t take her side. And he couldn¡¯t commit to a decision yet given how unclear the current situation was. Thus, he decided to take a step back and wait. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to tell them the truth.¡¯ He could reveal the sorcerer¡¯s message right now if he wished to. However, before he made this decision, or in other words, made Eshnunna his enemy, he wanted to give himself a night to sleep on it. Of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think an answer would just fall into his lap. Giant Fist¡¯s injury might be the precursor for future ills. Chi-Woo felt strongly pressured to make his decision before it was too late, and when he felt like this, he had rarely been wrong. ¡®Really, this is a fucking shitty world.¡¯ Chi-Woo could understand why Laguel had told him to not save the World, but to normalize it so that it had a chance to be saved. What should he do in this case? How should he act for Liber to get its chance? What kind of choice should he make? ¡®Should I go and tell them now¡­¡¯ Or should he maintain his silence? Or if not¡­¡¯Should I just completely turn the tables?¡¯ Chi-Woo opened his eyes. If he decided to turn the tables, how would he do it? ¡®There¡¯s¡­a way.¡¯ Chi-Woo instinctively tapped his left wrist and checked his user information on his hologram. 4. Miscellaneous ?[The World¡¯s Milestone] is currently active. The cooldown for the World¡¯s Milestone had ended. A dark light flashed through Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. He quickly sat up and stopped rolling the die between his fingers, pushing aside all the doubt in his mind. There was no need for him to ponder anymore. ¡®Tell me. Tell me what I should do. What I have to do. In a world where I¡¯ll fall into a bottomless pit if I make one small mistake, tell me how I should forge a path forward when there¡¯s neither an easy way out nor a second best alternative.¡¯ ¡®Tell me¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo reached out to cast the die through the air. [You rolled the World¡¯s Milestone.] The die rolled on the ground and stopped. Six stars were etched on the top surface. [Result: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï] [Innate ability {Blessed} Luck will be used (91¡ú85)] Messages that Chi-Woo had seen before flashed in front of his eyes. [The World¡¯s flow will clearly change.] [Success. An event will occur!] [A meeting between Salem Eshnunna and Salem Yohan will take place soon. Salem Eshnunna¡¯s heart will be greatly shaken immediately after the meeting¡­{The mind of Salem Eshnunna, who had been slowly contaminated, will be purified for a short while.}] Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®Contaminated?¡¯ Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly what this meant, but he knew one thing. Eshnunna¡ªor something appearing as Eshnunna¡ªwas plotting some kind of conspiracy. In addition, Chi-Woo realized that he was presented with an opportunity. Instead of just going with the flow towards a set future, there was now a perfect chance for him to turn the tide. Chi-Woo focused on the part of the message that said ¡°will take place soon¡± and hurriedly got out of his bed while picking up the die. Shouldering his backpack, he went outside, pausing for a brief moment before turning around at the door. * * * ¡°Are you good with knives?¡± ¡°¡­Sir?¡± Ru Amuh looked confused at Chi-Woo¡¯s question. His reaction was entirely justified since the last time Ru Amuh visited Chi-Woo, Chi-Woo had kept his mouth firmly shut. Not long after, though, he approached Ru Amuh, and the first thing out of his mouth was if Ru Amuh was good with knives. Nevertheless, Ru Amuh calmly answered, ¡°Yes. Well, I¡¯ve been consistently training my swordsmanship; it¡¯s my main weapon of choice.¡± Ru Amuh was not the type to praise himself, so he spoke in a roundabout way. However, his voice was full of confidence. ¡°But you don¡¯t have a sword in your possession right now.¡± ¡°Yes, they told me to leave everything behind.¡± Ru Amuh smiled and stared at Chi-Woo¡¯s bag, but he didn¡¯t ask about it. ¡°When I saw her fight last time, she also seemed very skilled at fighting barehanded.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about Ru Hiana?¡± Ru Amuh glanced at Ru Hiana, who was sprawling on the ground in deep slumber; a stark contrast to Zelit¡¯s orderly posture while he slept. ¡°Thank you for your praise. That¡¯s probably the case. She worked very hard when I was training her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who trained her, Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°Yes. Sword fighting and martial arts as well. In the first place, she became a hero because of me.¡± Ru Amuh looked affectionate and apologetic at the same time. ¡°That must mean you¡¯re stronger than Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± ¡°Hmm. There¡¯s a saying that the disciple will eventually beat the master, but I think I¡¯m still stronger for now. Even though we¡¯ve never fought each other with our lives on the line, I¡¯ve never once lost a spar with her.¡± Even though Chi-Woo¡¯s question could be considered rude, Ru Amuh answered earnestly without a frown on his face; he believed there must be a reason why Chi-Woo was asking these questions. ¡°I understand.¡± Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh. He had gotten the confirmation he needed. It was now time to state his business. ¡°¡­You told me before that you¡¯ll risk your life for me once.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s cheerful expression gave way to seriousness. ¡°Yes,¡± Ru Amuh replied without hesitation. ¡°I would have died if not for you. I think it¡¯s only right that I should risk my life for you at least once.¡± There was not a trace of dishonesty in Ru Amuh¡¯s calm voice. Chi-Woo nodded as he saw the utter certainty in Ru Amuh¡¯s clear, bright eyes. Chi-Woo had gotten this feeling before from Ru Hiana; the Ru Clan was very committed to paying back their debts. Still, Chi-Woo preferred it that way since he could then make a request without feeling any pressure. ¡°Good. Mr. Ru Amuh¡­Let¡¯s get something done together.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes widened. CH 35 After returning to the mansion, Eshnunna stopped five meters in front of the entrance. There was a small shadow standing at the door. She edged closer to see who it was, and was pleasantly surprised when she got a better look. So much so that she seemed almost taken aback. ¡°Yohan?¡± The figure standing in front of the mansion was her younger brother: Salem Yohan. Seeing the brother she loved so much, her cold, expressionless face melted like snow. ¡°What happened? Why aren¡¯t you in bed?¡± she walked up to her brother and asked softly. ¡°Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you want to sleep next to me?¡± Eshnunna smiled gently like she was asking her brother if he had nightmares. Then she suddenly stopped herself. ¡°¡­Yohan?¡± She blinked fast, and her smile was wiped clean from her face. Yohan didn¡¯t move at all, nor did he say anything. He simply stared up at Eshnunna as she walked up to him. His cold gaze was sharp enough to send chills down her body. ¡°Yohan. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Eshnunna hurriedly approached him and kneeled down to meet his eyes. ¡°What happened? Hmm?¡± She stretched out a hand and was about to place it on his shoulders when he finally said something. ¡°It was you.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s hand froze midair, and her heart sank. She plastered on a forced smile. ¡°What are you suddenly saying¡­¡± ¡°It was your doing.¡± Yohan¡¯s voice was boiling with fury, and Eshnunna¡¯s face fell. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± ¡°Y-Yohan?¡± ¡°Did you have to do that?¡± ¡°Wait, what do you mean?¡± ¡°The hero who went with you. Did you have to put him in such a state?¡± Eshnunna¡¯s face hardened. She stared at her brother¡¯s enraged face and glaring eyes. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a misunderstanding,¡± she replied after a moment of silence. ¡°That¡¯s not it, Yohan. It¡¯s really not.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Yohan laughed; it wasn¡¯t a child¡¯s innocent laughter, but one dripping with mockery. Eshnunna gulped and opened her mouth again. ¡°Yohan? Wait, please listen to me. I will tell you everything. Just give me some time.¡± ¡°Sure, and you would be telling the truth.¡± Yohan suddenly changed his stance, but it was clear from his tone that he was mocking her. ¡°We can say that you aren¡¯t at fault. After all, even though the heroes have lost their powers, they are still heroes. How could you have inflicted any harm on them?¡± The corners of Yohan¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°But there was no need for you to go out of your way when you could simply let things happen.¡± Eshnunna breath hitched. She wanted to plead to him and say that he was wrong, and that it was all a misunderstanding. These words lumped in her throat, and her desire to declare her innocence pounded inside her chest. However, she couldn¡¯t voice them. It was because Yohan seemed to be talking about more than the earlier incident. Still, she had to say something. ¡°No¡ª" ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± Yohan had already interpreted her brief silence as admission and immediately cut her off. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± ¡°Yohan¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know how we were able to survive in the middle of this complete hell?¡± Eshnunna opened her mouth and closed it again, but regardless of her reaction, Yohan continued, ¡°You handed the fifth and the sixth recruits over.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s complexion turned pale. ¡°For the price of selling the seventh recruitment, you now¡ª¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Eshnunna shouted unintentionally and hurriedly looked around her in surprise. Then she realized that she had basically admitted to her brother¡¯s accusation with that reaction. Yohan¡¯s face fell from this final confirmation, and he gritted his teeth. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Yohan asked, and Eshnunna squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°Are you satisfied with selling off the heroes who had come to help ensure our safety? Does that make you happy?¡± The words she had feared the most came out of her brother¡¯s mouth. Eshnunna heaved a couple of times and let out a deep breath. ¡°Yo¡­han.¡± She tried to calm herself down, but her voice shook. ¡°I know what you¡¯re saying. I also know that you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Then why!?¡± ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t make sense logically. It really doesn¡¯t.¡± Eshnunna calmed her breathing and continued, ¡°Did you ever stop for a moment to wonder why I made these decisions, Yohan?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear that you¡¯re not completely oblivious. You are smart, so you must have guessed it by now. Right?¡± Then she said in a pleading voice, ¡°You called them heroes, but do you really think so?¡± Yes. She knew what she had to say. ¡°No, they are certainly not heroes. Rather, they are just a bunch of fanatics, wallowing in their own far-fetching ideals that hold no sense of reality.¡± Since the truth was out, Eshnunna felt compelled to continue, ¡°They said they had come to save this World. Fine, we should be grateful about that. Why shouldn¡¯t we? And it¡¯s our duty to show support out of our gratitude. But.¡± Her voice hardened. ¡°Even if it¡¯s for the World, there¡¯s no need for us to die. Wasn¡¯t that what the heroes told us? They didn¡¯t want us to die fighting alongside them, but instead expected us to sacrifice ourselves. All the while claiming that they were here to save us. Does that make sense to you? How are they heroes then?¡± Yohan¡¯s pupils shook slightly. Eshnunna said in a firm tone, ¡°Think about it. What¡¯s the point of saving the World if we¡¯re not in its future? ¡®Noble and sacred sacrifice?¡¯ Don¡¯t make me laugh. I don¡¯t want to die. I want to live with you, Yohan, and¡­¡± Eshnunna couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. ¡°No.¡± Yohan shook his head sideways. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong.¡± Although he had wavered slightly, his voice now sounded resolute. ¡°If that¡¯s what you really think, it¡¯s all the more reason for you to not act this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You said you wanted to survive and forge your own future. If you continue in this manner, you might be able to live momentarily, but you won¡¯t be able to reach the future you have dreamed of.¡± Eshnunna failed to respond. ¡°Could you be certain that the recruits would continue to come if this keeps up? What happens if they stop coming? Even if they continue to send people here, do you think all heroes are stupid? You would be exposed sooner or later. What are you going to do then? And is there a guarantee that the cursed ones would keep their promise forever?¡± Yohan argued vehemently, and Eshnunna looked at him with sorrow. ¡°Plus, not all of them are the same,¡± Yohan said. Eshnunna had expected Yohan to understand because he was precocious for his age, but Yohan continued, ¡°There are heroes among the recruits who are skilled and have the ability to help us.¡± He was too stubborn, Eshnunna thought. That was why he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Of course, she knew stubbornness wasn¡¯t a bad trait, and Yohan was born this way. But right now, she was simply frustrated by his inflexibility. ¡°Is that what you think? Then, Yohan, are you saying that we should all just give up our lives?¡± Eshnunna felt strong emotions bubbling up inside her. ¡°That we should all sacrifice ourselves for this World? For the future of people we don¡¯t know? Yohan, aren¡¯t you aware of all the responsibilities on your shoulders?¡± ¡°That is preferable compared to how we¡¯re living now,¡± Yohan said without hesitation. ¡°And I¡¯m sure that if I were in your position, I would never do something like this.¡± ¡°¡­What¡­?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just speak truthfully?¡± Yohan¡¯s eyes shook with betrayal. ¡°Just say you did everything because you wanted to live. Did you want to live so badly that you used me to rationalize your actions?¡± The words he then uttered cut Eshnunna¡¯s wavering heart deeply. ¡°You dirty coward.¡± Slap! The clash of heightened emotions almost sent sparks flying between them. The impassioned shouts gave way to a smothering silence. Eshnunna was startled; she couldn¡¯t process what she just did. Her palm was numb. Yohan¡¯s face was turned to the side, and a clear red mark burned on his cheek. It was only after she saw his cheek that she realized what she had done. ¡°Yohan¡­¡± Eshnunna was startled by her own action, but it was only for a moment. Rather than feeling sorry for slapping her brother across his cheek, emotions that couldn¡¯t be defined by simple disappointment and sadness were ready to burst out from her. How could he say these words when he didn¡¯t know anything? When he didn¡¯t know what those blasted, self-centered recruits requested from them and how truly awful they could be? ¡°¡­How could you do this to me?¡± Eshnunna spoke with trembling lips. ¡°What do you want me to do? Why do you think I¡¯m doing this? For what reason, because of whom¡ª!¡± ¡°Stop using me as an excuse.¡± Eshnunna flinched. Yohan was glaring at her with hateful eyes, his face still tilted to the side. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to do all that, did I?¡± Eshnunna felt all the energy leave her body. Her raised arms listlessly fell to her sides, and she collapsed onto the ground. She no longer had even the energy to look up or say anything. The only thing she could do was cry in sadness and disappointment. ¡°I now fully understand your thoughts. I also know very well that you can¡¯t be saved.¡± Yohan now called her ¡®you¡¯ instead of ¡®sister¡¯[1]. Even though he had merely changed the way he addressed her, it left a deep wound on Eshnunna¡¯s heart. ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯ll do whatever I want, too,¡± Yohan said coldly and turned around with no consideration for Eshnunna¡¯s feelings. Shocked by Yohan¡¯s statement, Eshununna quickly asked, ¡°W-what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You always did whatever you wanted. Is there any reason for me to tell you anything?¡± Yohan was about to step out, but paused for a moment. ¡°What?¡± He turned back half-way and mocked her, ¡°Are you going to hand me over as well?¡± Eshnunna couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°Do what you want. I won¡¯t even be surprised anymore if you do that.¡± He didn¡¯t say ¡®because that¡¯s the kind of person you are¡¯, but it was implied. With those final words, Yohan left. ¡°Yohan? Please don¡¯t go! Wait a little bit! Yohan? Yohan!¡± No matter how much she called out to Yohan, he didn¡¯t stop. Her calls died down when her brother finally disappeared into the darkness. Eshnunna remained on the ground in a daze. How much time had passed? When Eshnunna finally regained her senses, she was in her place. She didn¡¯t know how she got here. She hadn¡¯t even thought about closing the door. She just stood and stared into the air with a devastated expression, her mind blank. She could no longer even muster the tears to cry. Her heart felt so empty that she wanted to give up on her life. When she slowly regained focus, memories she had been suppressing began to surface her mind one by one. Yohan¡¯s face. Yohan¡¯s words. The more she thought about these memories, the more the futility of her actions possessed her. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Her body shivered; she felt as if she had fallen naked into freezing water in the dead of winter. ¡®What I¡¯ve been living for all this time¡­¡¯ Eshnunna was aware of her actions; she hadn¡¯t forgotten what she¡¯d done. However, that hadn¡¯t been her intention. No, it didn''t use to be like this. ¡®How did it come to this?¡¯ Her mind was muddled. The memories that had surfaced one by one now assaulted her all at once, and it messed with her head. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was her vision that was distorting, or if her body was spinning. She looked down at her shaking hands and hugged herself. ¡®It¡¯s so cold¡­¡¯ She shook like an ash tree and slowly turned her head. She couldn¡¯t look away from her reflection in the mirror. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ With great strain, her hand reached the mirror. ¡®Me¡­?¡¯ Was it because she was so confused? Her own face felt strange to her. There was no trace of the lovely princess who had been considered the treasure of the Salem Kingdom and received all kinds of praise and admiration. There was only a woman who was swept away by harsh circumstances and filled with sadness and anger. ¡®This is me¡­?¡¯ At that moment, the Eshnunna in the mirror smiled brightly. It was a beautiful smile that blinded people¡¯s eyes. Meanwhile, Eshnunna¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She blinked like crazy and quickly touched her face. Her eyes were wide as saucers, and her lips were shut so tightly that her teeth hurt. But the face reflected in the mirror was still smiling. No, it wasn¡¯t just smiling. The softly curved eyes had become strangely bent and distorted like those of Hahoe masks, and the lips stretched impossibly wide to the tip of its ears. Then, in the blink of an eye, the thing opened its mouth wide and burst out of the mirror. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Eshnuna¡¯s scream came out a few seconds later. Bam. Eshnunna fell hip first onto the ground and gulped, but before she could calm down¡ª [Why don¡¯t you be honest with yourself?] She heard a voice from her left ear. ¡°Yohan?¡± [Sister, you did it because you wanted to live.] [Did you want to live so badly that you use me to rationalize your actions?] She could also hear his voice coming from above her. [You dirty coward.] When she lowered her head, his voice came from below. [Why? Do you also want to turn me over?] ¡°No!¡± Eshnunna screamed at the top of her lungs. She shook her head in a frenzy and struggled to move. Even then, the voices did not stop. She heard the accusations from all directions, so she could no longer even decipher what they were saying. She instinctively struggled to fight, and her back hit against the wall. ¡°No¡­That¡¯s not true.¡± Eshnunna shrunk into herself with nowhere to hide. She denied what the voices were saying about her while covering her ears. The last person she had held onto for support, her younger brother, had also turned his back on her in an impossible situation where there was no place for her to go and nobody to depend on. Eshnuna sobbed and subconsciously pleaded in her heart, ¡°Help me.¡± Anyone. ¡°Please¡ªPlease help me. Please¡­¡± ¡°I will.¡± Eshnunna flinched. She had been covering her ears so hard that marks were left on her temples, but finally, she allowed her hands to come loose. Before she realized it, the mysterious voices had all disappeared. Eshnunna raised her head in reflex, and her tear-soaked eyes looked up in bewilderment. The person standing in front of her was no other than Choi Chi-Woo. Eshnunna¡¯s lips slightly parted. ¡°¡­Why¡­?¡± ¡°You asked for help,¡± Chi-Woo calmly replied and reached out to her. Eshnunna¡¯s gaze trailed along his arm and settled on his large hand. ¡°Here. Please get up.¡± She then heard the words she wanted to hear the most right now. ¡°I will help you.¡± 1. A different kind of ¡®you¡¯ is used in different situations; in this context, he addresses her like they¡¯re distant or strangers. ? CH 36 Eshnunna was stunned. Before she realized it, Chi-Woo had suddenly appeared before her and was reaching out to her. However, she soon regained her composure and placed her hand on the floor, groaning. Instead of taking Chi-Woo¡¯s hand, she pushed herself up. Chi-Woo pulled his hand back awkwardly, while Eshnunna looked away from Chi-Woo and gulped. ¡°W-when did you¡­?¡± ¡°I heard a scream. When I came, I saw you floundering amid the commotion¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± A wave of relief passed through her; he hadn¡¯t heard her conversation with Yohan. ¡°I showed you something unpleasant. How embarrassing.¡± ¡°Were you in trouble?¡± ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t,¡± Eshnunna instantly replied and put on a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious¡­Must have been a nightmare.¡± ¡®Oh. Is she planning to feign ignorance?¡¯ Chi-Woo carefully observed Eshnunna; she looked like she would collapse at any moment. On another note, he supposed it would be weirder if she immediately clutched onto his hand and cried out, ¡®Oh my, yes! Please help me!¡¯ ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like she is possessed. Was she bewitched?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know exactly, but it was something to dive deeper into. Eshnunna¡¯s usually neat hair was in a wild mess, and she appeared to be extremely nervous. ¡°I apologize for causing you concern with something so trivial. I know you have other matters to worry about,¡± Eshnunna said while smoothing her wrinkled clothes. It seemed she was trying to change the subject of the conversation. Before that could happen, though, Chi-Woo scanned the room, and something caught his eye. ¡°You didn¡¯t finish it.¡± ¡°But please don¡¯t worry so¡­sorry?¡± ¡°That.¡± Chi-Woo pointed at the corner of the desk. There was a small, unopened package lying on top; it was the strawberry cream cracker that Chi-Woo had given her. ¡°I gave it to you because I thought you would like it.¡± ¡°Ah, that.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you eat it?¡± ¡°It was just too tasty, so¡­" ¡°Is it because it¡¯s a present from a hero you can¡¯t trust?¡± ¡°I was saving it¡ª" Eshnunna started awkwardly and froze. She was usually skilled in acting, but after reaching the peak of mental instability, it seemed she couldn¡¯t hide any of her emotions. ¡°W-Well¡­¡± She opened her eyes widely and stammered. It was clear that she was greatly taken aback. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to repeat myself,¡± Chi-Woo said more forcefully, ¡°I want to help you, Lady Eshnunna.¡± Rather than reassuring her, that only filled Eshnunna¡¯s heart with nervousness again. ¡°But I can¡¯t help you in this state.¡± Chi-Woo whirled around. ¡°In order to help you, I have to at least know what you, Lady Salem Eshnunna, has done to this point, as well as the where, when, and why of it.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s sharp voice pierced through the silent room. ¡°Only after you tell me what¡¯s going on, can I let you know how I can help you.¡± Chi-Woo sat down at the desk and looked over his shoulder at Eshnunna. Then he crossed his arms and lifted his chin. ¡°So, let¡¯s talk.¡± Chi-Woo knew, of course, that someone who had tricked and sold heroes off like Eshnunna would be no pushover. Rather than approaching her carelessly, he concluded that it would be better to confront her authoritatively from the beginning. Thus, he acted tough like he already knew everything and wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook. It helped that Chi-Woo was certain of her actions, as the message from the World¡¯s Milestone had proven to him. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t show her that message as evidence. Thus he bluffed. Now he simply had to wait and see how Eshnunna would react. ¡°¡­Hey!¡± Chi-Woo glanced at the slightly ajar door and raised his voice. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone outside, come on in and give me a cigarette or something.¡± No one replied, but Chi-Woo remained at ease; he waited for a moment and turned back to Eshnunna, meeting her gaze of disbelief. It was then that they heard footsteps, and a figure came into the room. It was a village person, and he was holding an old long sword with both hands. Eshnunna frowned. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Sorry, but this guy¡­¡± The middle-aged village man looked extremely nervous as he placed the long sword against Chi-Woo¡¯s neck. All sorts of thoughts passed through Chi-Woo¡¯s head. ¡®W-What? There really was someone there?¡¯ Chi-Woo was shocked. He had planned to follow up the question with, ¡®Hey, I thought you placed surveillance on me. I guess everyone is asleep at this time.¡¯ Thus, he was seriously surprised that someone had been behind the door the entire time. Of course, he expected Eshnunna to have someone follow him like Zelit and Hawa had suggested, but he didn¡¯t think the person would actually come out when he called out for them. ¡®Why are they so responsive to what I said¡­? No, I have to remain calm.¡¯ While he was surprised by the turn of events, Chi-Woo worked hard to maintain his composure. If he showed fear, he would be passing the upper hand to them, and everything would fall apart. Thus, Chi-Woo made a carefree smile like he had predicted all this and said, ¡°Well, can¡¯t you let me have one last smoke before I go? Hmm?¡± Of course, Chi-Woo¡¯s words didn¡¯t make the middle-aged man take out a cigarette and light it up for him. Instead, the man pushed the long sword closer to his neck and growled, ¡°Shut up.¡± The blade touching Chi-Woo¡¯s skin felt cold. It shook and seemed ready to slice into his neck at any moment, which sent shudders down his body. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was found out. I apologize, Your Highness, but we have to kill him now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you noticed me¡­but we have to finish you off¡­¡± Eshnunna didn¡¯t say anything. As she pondered about this matter, Chi-Woo felt cold sweat trickle down his back. Still, his mouth curved into a smirk, and he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give it up?¡± ¡°I thought I told you to shut up. If you say one more word, I am going to kill you.¡± ¡°Haha¡­Should we make a bet, Mister?¡± Chi-Woo said nonchalantly. ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s faster¡ªyou cutting my neck, or me stealing your sword and taking you down.¡± The middle-aged man faltered. Chi-Woo seized the chance to keep pushing with an eyebrow raised, ¡°Hmm? Should I try?¡± Gulp. The middle-aged man¡¯s adam¡¯s apple moved up and down. Even though he had his blade against Chi-Woo¡¯s neck, Chi-Woo remained completely calm. The middle-aged man assumed there must be a reason behind his confidence. Even if they had lost their powers, heroes were heroes; their bodies were trained, and they still had their techniques and skills. Moreover, they had the accumulated experience they gained from numerous trials. Ru Hiana was a prime example of this¡ªshe had lost her powers, but she was still proficient in martial arts. In the first place, a hero¡¯s physical capabilities were incomparable to an ordinary villager. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try?¡± Even though the middle-aged man had replied in a confident tone, it was merely a bluff; his trembling sword was a clear indication of his fear. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident, why don¡¯t you give it a go now? Can¡¯t you do it? I guess even heroes get scared when facing death, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Eshnunna interjected. ¡°Please withdraw.¡± ¡°What? But¡ª¡± The middle-aged man was taken aback by Eshnunna¡¯s unexpected command. ¡°No, it¡¯s all right,¡± said Chi-Woo. ¡°You can stay where you are.¡± That took the man by surprise even more. The person who should be ordering him to get rid of the threat was telling him to withdraw, while the person he should kill was telling him to stay. ¡°I don¡¯t have any intentions to steal your sword and use it as a weapon, so you don¡¯t need to be concerned.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head and rested his cheek on the blade. ¡°You must already know. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t do it, but I won¡¯t do it. If I wanted to harm you as this man suggested, I would have done it as soon as he came in. However, I don¡¯t really want to do something like that.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s your motive?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any hidden motives. Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Chi-Woo slowly continued, ¡°I came here to help you, Ms. Eshnunna, and everyone here.¡± Chi-Woo stared at the conflicted look on Eshnunna¡¯s face before continuing with a serious expression, ¡°Ms. Eshnunna, don¡¯t cross that river.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Eshnunna couldn¡¯t understand him. ¡°I meant what I said,¡± Chi-Woo said without a change in his expression. ¡°If you take one step further from where you are, you really won¡¯t be able to turn back. Ms. Eshnunna, you must know it the best.¡± Chi-Woo noticed Eshnunna clenching her fist. ¡°But now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can still turn back.¡± While talking, Chi-Woo felt the blade on his throat move slightly away from him. The man holding the sword seemed to have done that without realizing it, but he wasn¡¯t the important one here. ¡°It¡¯s still not too late.¡± If Eshnunna recognized her mistake and wanted to turn back¡ª ¡°If you want to change your ways, but you¡¯re in a situation where you can¡¯t do so, I¡¯ll help you.¡± And if she felt that she had gone too far to turn back, Chi-Woo wanted to reach out to her and free her. Eshnunna didn¡¯t shift her gaze away from Chi-Woo this time. She tightly clenched her fists and chewed her lower lip. The first sign of her resignation was her drooping shoulders. Soon after, she closed her eyes and lowered her head. ¡°¡­Ah¡­¡± She let out a sigh as she tipped her head up to look at the ceiling. Then she slowly began talking. * * * It wasn¡¯t like this from the beginning. On the day she met the fifth recruits, Eshnunna became hopeful for the first time in a long while. The heroes had come down from somewhere holy and great to save Liber. Moreover, it was not just one or two heroes, but hundreds of them. There was a saying that even if the sky collapsed, there was still a way out. To Eshnunna, who had lost her home and had nowhere to go to, the heroes felt like miracles. Everyone was elated, and they welcomed the recruits with open arms. Truthfully, Eshnunna and the natives had no choice but to feel hopeful and look favorably towards the heroes. All the natives knew how disastrous the situation was like on Liber. Putting themselves in the heroes¡¯ shoes, none of them would¡¯ve wanted to come to a world like this. However, these great heroes were willing to take on the terrible odds in order to save them. It was natural that they would feel nothing but gratitude. Of course, they were slightly disappointed when they found out that the heroes couldn¡¯t utilize their powers since the World in Liber had collapsed. Moreover, after staying with the heroes for a while, the natives found out that many of them were nothing like the righteous heroes from storybooks, and were instead extremely selfish and greedy. Still, the natives didn¡¯t completely lose their faith in the recruits. The hope they discovered in a pit of despair was too sweet to give up on. For that reason, Eshnunna promised the heroes that she¡¯d fulfill their requests whenever they wanted assistance from the natives. At first, it felt like they were companions. The recruits made requests, and the natives fulfilled them. However, the two factions'' positions began slowly changing. From a certain point, the recruits began wielding their coming to save the world as a weapon. Or to be more precise, the recruits came to consider the natives as their servants, or a useful tool they could use whenever, and for whatever they wanted. Nevertheless, it was acceptable because they were heroes. They were heroes here to save this world, and they had given back the hope the natives had lost. Even though many days passed with the heroes producing little to no results, Eshnunna didn¡¯t try to urge or pressure the heroes. Despite their lack of special powers, the heroes had the experience of saving other worlds. And she considered it a necessary evil when there were complaints from the natives about the recruits monopolizing the food they had secured. The heroes had to be prioritized over everyone else. Eshnunna had been willing to endure the heroes¡¯ misdeeds even when they began fighting among themselves and created great tension in the camp, and she was tolerant even when they showed annoyance towards the natives who asked the heroes to leave a bit of food for them. In reality, she had tried her best to act as a mediator between the recruits and the natives. In the process, she gradually lost much of her previous goodwill for the heroes, but she persisted. At the end of the day, they were still heroes, weren¡¯t they? And they were the only hope left in this wretched world. She focused on the hope that they might be able to return Liber to how things were and survive. Thus, Eshnunna had tried her best to endure whatever injustice and unfairness she encountered. She thought that was what she had to do. ¡­Until she heard those words. CH 37 The heroes from the fifth recruitment contacted her. They said they finally had a breakthrough, but they needed the natives¡¯ help and wanted to talk. Eshnunna was overjoyed. She was having difficulty intervening whenever a conflict arose between the recruits and the natives. However, if the heroes found a way out of this situation and began to make some progress, the complaints from the natives would subside. Thus, Eshnunna dashed to the meeting and met some of the leaders from the fifth recruits. What they told her, however, left her completely at a loss. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm? Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± one of them responded to Eshnunna¡¯s puzzlement. ¡°I asked you all to die,¡± the hero spoke as if he wasn¡¯t concerned about the natives¡¯ well-being in the slightest. Eshnunna couldn¡¯t open her mouth for a while. She had come running to this meeting, thinking that everything had been worth the wait, but now¡­ ¡°What¡­do you mean by that¡­?¡± ¡°Die for a worthy cause. From what we heard, it seems like among the camps¡­there¡¯s a tribe called the Shahnaz tribe, isn¡¯t there?¡± The hero continued indifferently, ¡°They told us that you have a holy relic¡ªa statue of the god that the Shahnaz tribe worships.¡± ¡°Why are you bringing that up?¡± ¡°They told us that you will be able to make a divine circle around the statue. Then it won¡¯t be difficult to build that into a proper temple.¡± Eshnunna was at a loss for words; she had figured out what the hero was telling her to do. ¡°Of course, it will take a long time. A god can only exist through beliefs, and right now, we can only gather a couple of hundred followers at most.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Thus, unfortunately, we plan to perform the greatest display of devotion that we can possibly do and secure the most amount of faith that way. You and your people will have to be our sacrifice for the god.¡± The hero was talking about human sacrifice. Currently, even if all the natives converted to the Shahnaz tribe¡¯s faith, the number they would amount to was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Thus, rather than doing that, the heroes planned to increase the god¡¯s influence by providing sacrifices. Human sacrifice was practiced in every World and was the ultimate religious act to show one¡¯s devotion. By helping a god regain a bit of influence, the heroes explained, they could recover some of their lost powers. ¡°I understand and respect your culture. Even if we tell you to change your religion, you won¡¯t be able to suddenly muster much faith for a new god. Thus, the Shahnaz tribe has agreed to carry out the ceremony.¡± ¡®Understand?¡¯ Eshnunna thought. But the hero continued, ¡°So, go ask for the natives¡¯ cooperation and persuade them.¡± ¡®Respect?¡¯ Eshunna thought. ¡°We could tell them ourselves, but we are outsiders. And I know you are an authoritative figure among the natives, so we believe you can minimize the backlash we might get about this matter.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s face turned completely pale. ¡°I know it won¡¯t be easy, and I know we are pressuring you to perform a task that you don¡¯t want to do. But in order for us to carry out this plan, the role you play is key. We¡¯re thus asking you to do it even if it¡¯s difficult.¡± As if he didn¡¯t even think about the possibility that she would refuse, the hero tapped Eshnunna¡¯s stiff shoulder. She woke up from her daze and said, ¡°I-I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t do it. It¡¯s impossible.¡± The hero¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°We¡¯re willing to die fighting alongside you, but being sacrifices¡­How could you ask¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± the hero immediately dismissed her and snorted. ¡°Fight alongside us? And die a meaningless death? Rather than that, your deaths could at least be of use.¡± ¡°I beg you, sir. All of us, including me, have come this far because we wanted to live¡ª to survive. Please reconsider.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no other way,¡± the hero firmly refused, ¡°We have already decided amongst ourselves, although we haven¡¯t settled on the person to get the holy relic¡­¡± The hero brushed his forehead and sighed. ¡°Anyways, I do understand your perspective, but this is the only option left. We¡¯re not doing this because we want to.¡± The hero spoke as if he knew everything. ¡°Don¡¯t be too heartbroken. If this plan succeeds, we¡¯ll be in a much better place even with only a few of us regaining half of our powers. Besides, you¡¯ll be making a noble and valuable sacrifice rather than dying in vain. We will make it so.¡± Perhaps Eshnunna was misunderstanding him. The hero couldn¡¯t be telling her to quit being troublesome and do as she was told, could he? ¡°I promise you. All of us here will remember your courageous decision and sublime sacrifice.¡± The hero finished his great speech, but none of his words reached Eshnunna. If she could, she would have started screaming then and there. She would have yelled, asking them how they could do this to them, and if this was what the heroes meant by ¡®understanding and respect¡¯. With a supernatural level of patience, however, Eshnunna repressed her emotions and gulped down the words threatening to rush out of her throat. It was because these people were heroes, and they were the only thing she could place her faith in right now. While clutching onto the last ounce of hope, she blurted out in desperation, ¡°Please reconsider¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Ha.¡± The hero closed his eyes. His indifferent face was now twisted in annoyance. ¡°This is a bit disappointing. I thought you were a reasonable person.¡± The hero spoke as if he genuinely failed to understand her. ¡°Why can¡¯t you do it? Do you want all of us to just die like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you are aware of this, but the Shahnaz tribe¡¯s seer, who suggested this method, readily promised to offer not only herself but the rest of the tribe members as sacrifices.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes, except for one person¡ªthe tribe¡¯s next-in-line, as she is the closest person to their god, and we at least need a priestess to manage the ceremony and connect us to their god.¡± Eshnunna felt like someone had dropped a hammer on top of her head. She thought it was strange that the Shahnaz tribe had suddenly intervened like this, but now, it was clear what that old, sly fox intended to achieve. ¡°It was probably difficult for them, but she made the most reasonable decision for a better future. You should learn from that seer¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Eshnunna shouted before the hero could finish his sentence. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it, so¡­¡± Tearfully, she continued, ¡°Please let just one person¡­let my brother live.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Salem Yohan. He is the Salem kingdom¡¯s sole successor and direct male heir of the bloodline.¡± The hero didn¡¯t reply. It seemed he had already made up his mind. Eshnunna knew that there was no way out of this situation. However, she couldn¡¯t accept the hero¡¯s proposal simply and sacrifice lives for the so-called greater good. If she couldn¡¯t save all of them, she had to at least keep the person she loved the most alive. ¡°I will do as you say. I will take responsibility and persuade them all. If you tell me to be an example to my people, I will gladly die in front of everyone. So¡ª¡± Eshnunna dropped to her knees and clutched her hands together before bowing to the hero. ¡°Yohan¡­please spare him¡­¡± She heard a short sigh. ¡°I was wondering why you were acting like this¡­but I guess you had a reason.¡± He sounded annoyed. ¡°Hmm¡­Do you guys also have something like that statue?¡± Eshnunna carefully shook her head. ¡°Then, no,¡± the hero all too easily refused her request. Eshnunna jerked her head up as he continued, ¡°I understand that you want to leave the heir to your kingdom, but we¡¯re only letting the next leader of Shahnaz live because we need her for our plan. If you have a solid reason like that, we¡¯ll let him live. Other than that, though, that¡¯s not enough of a justification to keep him alive.¡± As he said before, they didn¡¯t need the heir to the Salem Kingdom, so there was no reason to keep Yohan alive. No, instead, they needed him to become a sacrifice. ¡°Judging from the way you¡¯re acting, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet a lot of resistance from the natives. What do you think will happen if we let some people live then? Do you think that the other natives will easily accept their fate?¡± The hero raised his voice. ¡°If you and your brother still have your pride as royals, serve as examples for your people! Fulfill your duty as befitting your status.¡± ¡°Sir hero!¡± ¡°Stop. This discussion is over.¡± The hero got up, and Eshnunna burst into tears. ¡°I won¡¯t criticize you any further. It¡¯s unfortunate, but I understand that you love your sibling.¡± Eshnunna tried crawling on the floor and clinging to the hero¡¯s legs, but it was futile. ¡°You may consider me cold-hearted. You may hate me. Don¡¯t forget, though, there will be no exception.¡± With these last words, the hero pushed Eshnunna away and left. Eshnunna lost all motivation from then on. She remained stuck in her room and refused to eat or drink. In order to fulfill their plan, the heroes came to her several times, but clicked their tongues at her appearance. To complete the sacrificial ritual, they used Eshnunna¡¯s name without permission to gather people and carried on with their plan. Moreover, they made sure to threaten her that if she didn¡¯t fulfill her task, they would have no choice but to use force. Eshnunna could only cry; her thoughts and emotions fluctuated wildly numerous times a day. Time passed by as she struggled with distress, and then the final D-day arrived. The hero one-sidedly told her that they¡¯d first give a speech, and then move to the Shahnaz camp where the ritual would have been prepared. The hero also told her to become the very first sacrifice with Yohan before everyone, and she could leave the rest of the plan to them. Eshnunna didn¡¯t say a word; she merely lay down with an expressionless face. She had completely given up and was letting things unfold without her. However, the hero who had told her that he¡¯d come and bring her out when all the preparations were done did not arrive. Even though a significant amount of time had passed, not a trace of him could be found. By that time, Eshnunna realized something was off. Then she noticed that it was noisy outside. Eshnunna got up from the bed and sluggishly went out. She couldn¡¯t hide her horror once she saw what was going on. Hellish chaos! There was flesh and blood everywhere and screams assaulted her senses from all sides. A bloody figure was flung right in front of her. It was the hero who had spearheaded this plan and acted as the leader of the fifth recruits. But he wasn¡¯t the only victim. Similar events were happening everywhere. Most of the fifth recruits had been violently ripped apart, and their flesh and body parts were scattered all around the camp. The heroes who were alive were severely injured and groaning in pain. Many of them had also been flung to the ground with parts of their bodies torn off. Eshnunna lost all strength in her leg and dropped to the ground. She struggled to speak, ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°¡­You weren¡¯t the one¡­¡± the fallen hero saw Eshnunna¡¯s reaction and muttered. ¡°No wonder¡­then who¡­how did¡­ugh!¡± The hero was suddenly off the ground. It looked as if someone had forcibly lifted him up. It was then that she felt it. Even though Eshnunna couldn¡¯t see it, she felt an extremely evil and ominous presence all around them. ¡°Aghhhhh!¡± The hero¡¯s eyes went bloodshot. The being grabbed the hero¡¯s arms and dangled him upside down, flinging his body around like they were playing with a toy. Eshnunna did not know what to do, so she instinctively scanned her surroundings to ask for help. However, this only made her realize how doomed they were. The heroes that seemed as great as gods were all too easily defeated. The natives were huddled together, and they could only cry or shiver in fear. It was only a second later that Eshnunna noticed Yohan¡¯s warm presence; he had come up to her without her noticing and was holding onto her with his eyes shut. Then she shouted without thinking, ¡°Please spare us!¡± Eshnunna was certain that the unknown being had heard her because the hand roughly yanking the hero¡¯s hair paused for a moment. Eshnunna felt chills down her spine. She got goosebumps on her skin, and tears flowed out of her eyes. Seemingly broken, her body refused to move, and it felt like she was going to faint at any moment. Just being near them made her gasp for air. She felt her mind slipping toward unconsciousness, but she managed to say, ¡°Please¡­spare us¡­¡± ¡°These people¡­they said they¡¯re great heroes from a holy place¡­¡± Eshnunna pressed on for survival, ¡°They¡¯ll¡­probably send people here again¡­However, if they find out that the heroes have disappeared¡­they¡¯ll definitely¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll make contact with us again, so¡­.¡± Eshnunna was basically saying anything to escape from certain death. ¡°If you just let us live¡­¡± She tightly hugged the crying Yohan. It was at that moment¡ª Thud! The hero floating in the air suddenly dropped to the ground. He stayed that way briefly and began awkwardly moving like a doll without strings. With his head lowered towards the ground, he crawled up to Eshnunna before shoving his face into her space. The hero¡¯s sunken and bloody eyes distorted into a circle, and his mouth split open. Chatter, chatter. His teeth hit hard against each other as if he was trying to say something. Even though no voice could be heard, a chilling presence poured out of the hero¡¯s figure. ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Eshnunna blurted out. Yohan, who had been trembling in fear, slightly opened his eyes to look at his sister. He saw clearly that his sister was smiling and laughing with tears at a being that was no longer a hero. ¡°Of course. Yes, of course, we¡¯ll do that! If you just let us live¡­we¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s pupils began to steadily lose focus. CH 38 ¡°I heard later that there was some trouble at the Shahnaz camp,¡± Eshnuna said monotonously. She explained that there were originally two candidates for Shahnaz¡¯s succession: Shahnaz Hawa and her older sister Shahnaz Hayi. However, a couple of days before the D-Day, they heard reports that Hayi had suddenly deserted the camp, and the Shahnaz camp couldn¡¯t find her anywhere. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s understandable how angry she must have felt. Not only was her position stolen by Hawa, but she had to also become a sacrifice in a ceremony that her sister performed.¡± ¡°Are you saying¡­that Ms. Hawa¡¯s sister had brought the broken beings to commit revenge?¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably what happened.¡± Eshnunna stared at the empty space before her. ¡°The day before the attack, the only ones who knew of the plan were the recruits, me, and a couple of people from the Shahnaz camp.¡± And yet the broken beings had ambushed the recruits the day before the D-Day. ¡°Of course, Hayi could have simply failed to understand Shakira and run away. But whatever her intention was, there¡¯s a high possibility that she was connected to the first arrival of the broken beings.¡± Chi-Woo fumbled through his memories. [I want to live. Let me live, have mercy¡­!] [Help..! Granny¡­! Please¡­!] [You damn hag¡ª!] [I will kill them! Kill them all! I will kill this damn bitch and shred the rest of you to pieces¡ª!] He nodded, recalling what the vengeful spirit that possessed Hawa had screamed. If the vengeful spirit¡¯s true identity was Shahnaz Hayi, Eshnunna¡¯s story held validity. ¡°Then the fifth recruits¡­¡± ¡°Most of them died at that time. And those who survived were dragged away.¡± ¡°Dragged away? Where to?¡± ¡°Those beings had a deep interest in the existence of heroes and a slight fear of the unknown.¡± Although Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t directly talked to these beings, he remembered the powerful and malicious energy he felt when he touched a cursed being. It was enough to make the hair all over his body stand on end, and he still remembered the intense feeling. ¡°Those beings desire only one thing: they want me to gather as many creatures from other Worlds as possible and further increase their number,¡± Eshnunna said. ¡°In other words, they want me to be their ranch manager.¡± ¡°Ranch¡­manager?¡± ¡°That¡¯s essentially what I¡¯ve been doing. I gather as many animals as I can find, take care of them, feed them¡­¡± Chi-Woo was so shocked that he thought he must be mishearing things, but he soon regained composure and asked, ¡°But if their purpose isn¡¯t to kill them¡­why are they doing this? What is their purpose¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ehnunna replied simply. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯m certain about, though. I don¡¯t know why they do what they do, and I shouldn¡¯t be privy to the knowledge.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you know the situation we¡¯re in on Liber?¡± Eshnunna asked apropos of nothing after Chi-Woo fell into silence. ¡°We are livestock, no different from caged beasts.¡± Just like animals, they were to be tamed and raised in a confined community. ¡°Of course, for livestock, we receive quite superb treatment. We¡¯re allowed to prioritize ourselves as long as we serve them, while a majority of our people had died in the attack.¡± The current population on Liber is less than 10% of what it was. Taking into account those who are imprisoned or kept in confinement to reproduce, we¡¯re left with about half of the remaining population. ¡°Considering that,¡± Eshnunna said, ¡°How do you think those beings would see heroes like you, who have come from other worlds?¡± ¡°¡­How?¡± ¡°As food, you¡¯re the ultimate delicacy, difficult to hunt. As pets, you¡¯re the ultra-rare exotic pets.¡± Eshnunna shrugged. ¡°Where do you think that leaves us then? We¡¯re neither special nor rare, and we can¡¯t do anything more than beg and wag our tails to them in exchange for mercy.¡± A faint smile tugged at her lips. ¡°Rather than trying to figure out what they are thinking and angering them in the process, we have to show them we are useful by following all their orders.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s smile didn¡¯t look gleeful, but empty and helpless instead. ¡°That¡¯s the only way we can stay on their good side and receive our treats.¡± Chi-Woo let out the breath he had been holding. Although he had a rough idea, the situation was more serious than he had thought. In Earth¡¯s terms, they were as good as animals like dogs, cats, chickens, and cows. No, considering everything he had heard up to this point, that might be too generous an analogy. They were probably at the bottom of the lowest level of the food chain, and the same was true of the hero recruits. With their powers stripped away, they weren¡¯t much different from the natives. ¡°Were the sixth recruits not much different from the fifth?¡± ¡°They were a bit different.¡± Eshnunna snorted. ¡°I had some expectations for them, but after dealing with the sixth recruits, the fifth recruits were practically saints in comparison.¡± Not only were their abilities nullified, but their personality and behavior also left much to be desired. Chi-Woo let out a humorless laugh. He didn¡¯t know how terrible the sixth recruits were, but there was something else he needed to know. ¡°What happened to them?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Are they still alive? Or were they like the fifth recruits¡­¡± Eshnunna huffed out a soft breath and shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­say for certain, but I did take all of them to those beings.¡± Unlike the fifth recruits, a very small number of whom had survived, she had turned over all the sixth recruits alive. ¡®Why?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered about the difference between them, and the answer came to him after a moment. Eshnunna had told him that the broken beings feared the high place where the fifth hero recruits came from. Why would they have captured the sixth recruits with this fear of the unknown? ¡®That doesn¡¯t sound like something an evil spirit would do.¡¯ Perhaps something about the fifth recruits scared them. Then he recalled the hero from the fifth recruits he heard had disappeared¡ªthe sorcerer who first realized the nature of the broken beings. According to other people, the hero claimed to be unable to do much other than seeing the broken beings; however, it was difficult to tell if that was the truth. There was a good possibility that the sorcerer could feel their fear and finish some of them off. Perhaps the hero had been letting Eshnunna reign in control while keeping watch from behind the scene, acting independently in risky situations, and ambushing some of the broken beings when convenient. ¡®Without cooperating with the natives, the sorcerer could be going after the mutated beings by themself¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo reorganized the information he had gained from his conversation with Eshnunna. These guys were certainly no idiots, nor were they simply vengeful spirits that only acted upon their instincts. Perhaps they were capable of forming communities and engaging in complex social activities, and they were trying to do something after gathering the recruits. Chi-Woo gave the thought some time. ¡°So¡­¡± Eshnunna trailed off. ¡°Is that why you handed over the sixth recruits?¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Eshnunna faltered a bit, but admitted without hesitation. ¡°I won¡¯t deny it. I definitely hid the truth and gathered the recruits.¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°Regardless of what happened, a small fraction of the fifth recruits have survived, and all the sixth recruits survived as well.¡± Chi-Woo tapped his temple and asked, ¡°I¡¯m curious why you acted like that, Ms. Eshnunna.¡± Eshnunna looked anxious for the first time since he arrived. She bit her lips for a while and sighed. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll believe me, but when I regained consciousness, the situation had already turned out like this.¡± ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s not out of your own will?¡± Eshnunna shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I had no agency during the attack on the fifth recruits, but when the sixth recruits arrived¡­¡± Eshnunna¡¯s face fell; she had a choice when the sixth recruits arrived. She could¡¯ve told them what had happened and asked for their help. However, Eshnunna didn¡¯t do that; the sixth recruits were even less trustworthy and less skilled than the fifth recruits. ¡°I¡­do have the memories.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s voice wavered. Eshnunna recalled the time when she first faced the hero possessed by those beings. She didn¡¯t think too much of it during their first meeting. She simply mindlessly followed what they told her to do. It felt like her head was filled with an unknown dark matter. But for some reason, after talking with Yohan, it felt as if her mind was cleansed and became clear again. Emotions and thoughts she hadn¡¯t felt or thought about came down on her like hail all at once¡ªTo the point that her eyes began to well up with tears. However, this didn¡¯t justify her past actions. She was past the point of no return. Eshnunna laughed bitterly. ¡°I know what answer you want from me.¡± She cried like the first time she faced that mysterious being. ¡°That I hadn¡¯t actually wanted to hand over the heroes. That I was bewitched by something, and it wasn¡¯t my will.¡± Her eyes were crying, but her lips were curved into a smile. ¡°But you know what? That¡¯s not true.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disappointing you, but that¡¯s not true at all. No matter how much I think about it, there¡¯s a part of me that really wanted to do this.¡± Eshnunna closed her eyes, getting her breathing under control. ¡°I¡¯m¡­nothing like heroes like you.¡± She continued with a slightly raspy voice. ¡°I can¡¯t understand your mindset, and I don¡¯t want to act like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why? Because that¡¯s the way it is. I¡¯m no hero.¡± ¡°¡­Ms. Eshnunna.¡± ¡°A noble spirit? A glorious sacrifice? Be an example befitting my status? Fuck off. Is there a rule dictating that princesses can¡¯t do whatever they can to survive?¡± ¡°Ms. Eshnunna, I¡ª¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you understand me? Haha. Thank you so much. I thought you would. You seemed different from the others somehow.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s voice became thick with indescribable worry and anxiety. ¡°Good. Please help me then!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Help me. I¡¯m telling you to help me. You told me that you¡¯ll help.¡± Her eyes reddened. ¡°Please help me live. My brother as well, and all the natives who depend on me. Please don¡¯t tell us to become sacrifices. Can you do that?¡± Eshnunna couldn¡¯t even understand what she was saying anymore. ¡°Please just¡ª" She wavered and struggled to stay upright; all the energy in her body had left. Her words came out as a whimper. ¡°¡­.save me¡­.¡± Silence fell between them. Eshnunna steadied her breathing and regained focus. She slowly looked up with a sad smile, lamenting the ridiculous state she was in. ¡°Would you be able to do that¡­?¡± And Chi-Woo, who had been quietly watching the whole time, said with a shocking lack of hesitance, ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do that.¡± Eshnunna was stunned. ¡°Let¡¯s do as you say.¡± He took in the look of shock on Eshnunna¡¯s face and repeated her words, ¡°Let¡¯s save you and your brother and the natives. And in the process, let¡¯s save the heroes who have been caught. Is that what you want?¡± No one had to die, and no one had to be sad. It was a happy ending where everyone could rejoice. Eshnunna was left speechless for a while. She soon recovered and let out an empty laugh. ¡°How?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°All the problems stem from the broken beings, do they not? If we defeat those beings, then, won¡¯t everything be alright again?¡± Chi-Woo quickly added, ¡°Of course, without sacrificing anyone.¡± Eshnunna looked at him like he was out of his mind. Of course, everyone would be happy if the future Chi-Woo pictured could become reality. However, the important thing was how realistic it was, and if it could really be brought about. ¡°¡­That¡¯s absurd.¡± Eshnunna snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything. You don¡¯t know how frightening and evil they really are.¡± In a small part of her heart, Eshnunna had secretly been hopeful, so her disappointment in Chi-Woo¡¯s overly simplistic remarks was obvious. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The cursed ones aren¡¯t the only problems. So are the broken ones that can mutate. Ah, I heard that you dealt with one of them at the Shahnaz camp. Unfortunately, all you did was defeat the weakest among them.¡± ¡®As expected,¡¯ thought Chi-Woo. Eshnunna knew them well. With a nod, he said, ¡°You can¡¯t trust me. That¡¯s basically what you¡¯re saying, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of trust!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m not telling you to trust me right away,¡± Chi-Woo calmly replied. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to give me a chance to earn your trust.¡± Eshnunna narrowed one eye as if she couldn¡¯t quite understand him. That was only natural, though. The situation had stumped everyone up until now, and yet Chi-Woo had suddenly come to her and claimed to have a solution. Even if Eshnunna decided to work with him by blindly following him just this once, their failure would surely doom them all. Chi-Woo could tell that Eshnunna was probably imagining the worst-case scenario. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do it this way?¡± Chi-Woo considered her position and explained the plan he had in mind, which made Eshnunna question her hearing again. Eyes wide, she asked, ¡°Wh¡­.what did you say?¡± She wasn¡¯t the only one reacting this way. The middle-aged man was completely shocked witless as well; he even dropped his sword at his feet. ¡°What do you say?¡± Chi-Woo got up from his chair. Dusting his pants, he smiled at Eshnunna, who was gaping so hard her jaw might fall off. ¡°If we do it like this, Ms. Eshnunna, at least there will be nothing for you to lose. CH 39 That night, under the cloak of the dark sky, three figures left the main camp in secret. Eshnunna led the group while lighting up the darkness with her torch. Chi-Woo followed right after her in the middle. And falling to the back was the villager, who kept a watchful eye on their surroundings with a long sword in hand. The three walked without saying anything, but they clearly looked wary of each other. Eshnunna glanced behind her from time to time and wondered ¡®What in the world is this person planning to do?¡¯ The middle-aged village man clutched onto his sword tightly, making his suspicion for Chi-Woo clear. ¡®There¡¯s no way,¡¯ the man thought. ¡®He¡¯s definitely up to something.¡¯ However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t show any signs that warranted suspicions even after they had traversed quite a long distance, and the man¡¯s suspicion gave way to bewilderment. His grip around the hilt soon loosened, and the man began to wonder, ¡®Is this really happening?¡¯ With a baffled expression, he gulped. Eshnunna felt the same way. While unconsciously slowing her steps, she recalled what had just happened before. * * * One hour ago. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet them,¡± Chi-Woo said so matter-of-factly that Eshnunna stared at him blankly. ¡°Let¡¯s go to them, now.¡± ¡°T¡ªto whom?¡± Eshnunna asked, and the following response shocked her further. ¡°Who else could it be but those broken beings?¡± Chi-Woo smiled as Eshnunna gaped in surprise. ¡°Well¡­no. Why¡­?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Those beings must know about me already.¡± Eshnunna realized then she had revealed how she knew about Chi-Woo defeating two broken beings in a fit of anger. ¡°Knowing them, I don¡¯t think they will leave me alone anyway.¡± Chi-Woo was exactly right. During her last contact with the broken beings, Eshnunna had actually received an order to ¡®personally lure and lead the hero who had dealt with two of their companions at Shahnaz camp to them¡¯. ¡°I want to take care of them, while they also want to get rid of me. So, this is what I will do.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s plan was simple; he wanted Eshnunna to take him to the broken beings while pretending to have lured him there, and Chi-Woo would take care of them. Whatever happened, Eshnunna would be simply following the broken beings¡¯ commands, and she would have a way out. Even so¡­ ¡°How about it?¡± Chi-Woo got up from his seat, smoothing out his pants and smiling brightly at Eshnunna. ¡°Now, there¡¯s no way for you to lose anything.¡± * * * They stopped walking. After pondering a bit, Eshnunna said, ¡°If you want to turn back, do it now.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Chi-Woo blinked as he scanned the surroundings. Eshnunna stood stiffly without even turning back. ¡°If we take another step forward¡­those guys will sense our presence. Then we won¡¯t be able to turn around.¡± In other words, Chi-Woo could still change his mind and return to the camp. Although he understood what she was saying, Chi-Woo tilted his head and asked, ¡°Why the sudden change of mind?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not sudden. You don¡¯t seem to have a sense of self-preservation at all,¡± Eshnunna sighed, ¡°I get that you genuinely want to help us. That¡¯s something I became sure of today. If you are confident that you can make a change as you say, I sincerely believe it would be better to gather helpers and cooperate with them.¡± Chi-Woo smiled softly. Although Eshnunna purposefully spoke in a business-like tone, she couldn¡¯t hide the worries and uncertainty in her heart. That allowed Chi-Woo a glimpse into her state of mind and saw that he had managed to turn her around. If she had been unmoved by Chi-Woo¡¯s words, she would have accepted Chi-Woo¡¯s proposal without any complaints. She wouldn¡¯t have cared whether he died or not. Instead, she hesitated to take another step further into danger. She knew it wasn¡¯t right to let someone who had come to help and save them die like this, and she still had a tiny bit of innocent hope for the heroes left in this world. ¡®She must have been bewitched,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, noting the hesitant look on Eshnunna¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t know exactly what had happened, but something had made her lose a part of her mind. Nonetheless, even Eshnunna herself didn¡¯t know she had been bewitched. ¡®She was used like a puppet. Thank goodness that her mind wasn¡¯t completely taken over, but¡­¡¯ His relief was somewhat tarnished by a grim realization. This being had achieved what they wanted through the briefest of contact with Eshnunna; this meant that they were able to perfectly grasp a person¡¯s state of mind, and they knew what button they should push. In other words, they were far more than beings that wreak havoc solely on instincts. Finally, Eshnunna spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s return for now. Why don¡¯t we rest today and talk again tomorrow?¡± Eshnunna turned around, but Chi-Woo crossed his arms and said, ¡°What if I change my mind and backstab you then?¡± Eshnunna stopped walking. ¡°I could reveal to my companions what I found out today and forcefully use all of you guys as sacrifices. Doesn¡¯t that make you worried?¡± Eshnunna glared at Chi-Woo with angry disgust. She bit her lips and said, ¡°That would mean I have made a misjudgment of your character.¡± ¡°As a price, you¡¯ll lose everything you¡¯ve been trying to protect.¡± Eshnunna sucked in a short breath. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know you can¡¯t trust me completely even now, and you¡¯re hesitating. Of course, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s my fault,¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I told you I wasn¡¯t asking you to believe me, but to give me an opportunity to prove myself.¡± Chi-Woo fixed his bag¡¯s position on his back and looked over his shoulder at the path they had taken. ¡°We can certainly discuss everything with the others, but¡­¡± If that was what he was going to do, he would have told Zelit and Ru Amuh everything beforehand and attacked Eshnunna. What was stopping him was his main goal. At the end of the day, there was no denying that he had to take care of all the broken beings as soon as possible. Chi-Woo was the only one who stood a chance of doing that, not only among the natives but also the recruits. The other heroes could be helpful, but they wouldn¡¯t be as essential as Chi-Woo would be. Thus, if he had to come forward, Chi-Woo wanted to take the lead and reach the conclusion he wanted. He had prepared an insurance just in case, but he didn¡¯t want someone else to intervene and order him around. ¡°I might not be able to keep my promise to you if we do that.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Ms. Eshnunna, you said that you wanted everyone to live, including yourself.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s face stiffened. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t a hero. As a non-hero like Eshnunna, he could somewhat relate to Eshnunna¡¯s feelings. However, the mindsets of heroes and non-heroes were fundamentally different. Even though not all of them would react the same way, many of the heroes might consider Eshnunna their enemy if they found out the truth¡ªregardless of the context surrounding her deeds, or whether or not she had been bewitched. Even if everything went well, Eshnunna might still be in danger. However, there was a way for her to be safe. Zelit and Ru Amuh were merely suspicious about her for now, and Chi-Woo could say that Eshnunna had no choice but to precariously mediate between those beings and the heroes for their benefit. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the fifth recruits, but the sixth recruits won¡¯t just stand still and do nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell the seventh recruits my side of the story. The rest we¡¯ll consider later.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°We still don¡¯t know what happened to them, and if they¡¯re alive. If you were the reason they survived, they probably won¡¯t act recklessly.¡± Eshnunna stared at Chi-Woo, at a loss of words. Essentially, Chi-Woo was suggesting they take care of the matter between themselves and come up with a story as an explanation without getting anyone else involved. Eshnunna wasn¡¯t too dense to realize that Chi-Woo was saying this in consideration of her safety, which was why Eshnunna hesitated; her hesitation held her back from going forward with Chi-Woo¡¯s plan. She felt deeply regretful that this ¡°hero¡± had not been part of the fifth recruits, and that she hadn¡¯t met him earlier. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go back.¡± Eshnunna finally opened her mouth. ¡°This is what I have to deal with anyway. Even if you don¡¯t keep your promise to me, it¡¯s okay. As long as Yohan and the natives can be saved, I¡¯ll be able to pass away smiling even if I become a sacrifice or get beaten to death.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips. He had thought of Eshnunna as a firm and decisive person, but surprisingly, she had a soft heart. Still, he couldn¡¯t return as she suggested; instead, he would welcome it if she acted cold-heartedly. The message explained in a roundabout way that he needed Eshnunna¡¯s help. Her existence was necessary to save Liber. ¡°That¡¯s not the happy ending we want.¡± Chi-Woo got moving. ¡°Ah!¡± Before Eshnunna could stop him, Chi-Woo crossed the line; he had entered the area where those beings resided. They could no longer turn back. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Ms. Eshnunna, where do we go from here?¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Eshnunna tightly shut her eyes at Chi-Woo¡¯s carefree tone. ¡®This man is¡­¡¯ Eshnunna finally realized that this person¡ªno, this hero¡ªtruly wanted to help her. She couldn¡¯t possibly hold onto her suspicion of him when Chi-Woo had gone this far for her sake. Eshnunna opened her eyes again and stared at Chi-Woo¡¯s back as he moved further away. * * * At the same time. An angel in the celestial realm was kneeling down with her two hands clasped in prayer. Her blonde hair tumbled down her shoulders, and her wingless back was in full display. It was Laguel. The rumors surrounding her after sending away the seventh recruits were unfavorable, to say the least. Since Laguel had suddenly lost all her wings when she was on the brink of becoming an archangel, it was understandable that there would be a lot of rumors surrounding her; she had effectively given up all the status and divinity she had accumulated so far. Of course, Laguel didn¡¯t care about the rumors. She only felt guilty for not keeping her promise and was hoping desperately for just one thing. Someone treaded lightly towards her from behind. ¡°Are you still praying?¡± the figure asked cheerfully. It was an angel who appeared as a girl with blond hair and blue eyes like Laguel. ¡°How many days has it been? No one¡¯s going to recognize or praise you for doing that.¡± Raphael sat down mid-air and crossed her legs. ¡°How does it feel?¡± she looked down at the still praying Laguel and said in a mocking tone. ¡°How does it feel to fall to the very bottom of the pecking order as a former archangel? Oh, I don¡¯t think I can even call you an angel right now, can I?¡± Laguel did not reply; she merely focused on praying without moving in the slightest. ¡°Things are out of our hands. We can¡¯t do anything about it anymore. You must know that as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I guess to you, I might as well be a sorebrek barking to you.¡± Laguel sighed and tilted her chin, looking up at the ceiling as she recited a short prayer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even though he¡¯s not a hero, the worst-case scenario that you¡¯re imagining won¡¯t happen. Stuff like him getting attacked and killed by a low-level monster upon arrival.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­He¡¯ll probably survive until he meets his brother, won¡¯t he?¡± Raphael smiled when she felt the atmosphere around Laguel change. She had hit right on the mark. ¡°You can take my word for it because that was what the prophecy said.¡± Raphael was able to get a clear reaction from Laguel this time. Laguel¡¯s eyes fluttered open when Raphael mentioned the prophecy, and she turned around with a look of surprise. ¡°Archangel Raphael, the prophecy¡­truly said that?¡± ¡°Ah. She speaks!¡± ¡°Would you be able to tell me what the prophecy said?¡± ¡°Are you curious?¡± Laguel did not reply. Even though she didn¡¯t even nod, her eyes were intense to the point that they were blazing. ¡°Fine. There¡¯s no reason for me to not tell you. But there¡¯s a condition.¡± ¡°A condition?¡± ¡°Return to your post. I¡¯ll take care of your lost divinity.¡± Laguel couldn¡¯t respond immediately to Raphael¡¯s unexpected proposal. But it didn¡¯t take long for her to say, ¡°Archangel Raphael, I¡¯ll decide after hearing more.¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t act like that. Wake up, will you? Do you think you¡¯re a newbie hero that¡¯s fun to trick? My answer is no.¡± Raphael snorted and continued as if she was doing Laguel a favor, ¡°But I¡¯ll give you a hint. Did you not feel something strange about the seventh recruits this time?¡± Laguel¡¯s eyes narrowed. Something strange? There were too many strange things about the seventh recruits. The first being Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s participation. Then there was the fact that the prophecy changed suddenly. ¡°Not things like that. I¡¯ve given you a clue. I¡¯m talking about the seventh recruits, the seventh recruits.¡± Raphael made a mysterious smile as she repeated herself twice for emphasis. ¡°You¡­¡± Then, Raphael explained. CH 40 A while ago, right after Chi-Woo passed the test for the seventh recruitment and entered the portal. ¡ªFirst, I request a change in the composition of the number of suitable persons that were selected earlier. ¡°What?¡± ¡ªSecond, I request a change in the transmission point of the 7th recruits and the first achievement goal for this mission. Raphael¡¯s smile faltered, and her soft curving eyes became slightly distorted. Change of prophecy wasn¡¯t a common occurrence at all. It was the first time she had experienced something like this, in fact. ¡®If a prophecy changed¡­¡¯ It meant that Liber¡¯s destined future had also changed, or to be more specific, there was now a chance for it to be changed. It should be obvious that it was almost impossible to change a destined future. And yet someone had accomplished just that¡ªit was the new variable and recruitment participant, Choi Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­Explain everything in order.¡± Raphael looked down at the dazzling orb with an uncharacteristically expressionless face. Her voice was also much lower as she asked for more information. ¡°First of all, why did you reject the examination, and why was your function terminated at his touch?¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s because Princess Sahee¡¯s nature and my origins are at opposing ends. One of Raphael¡¯s eyebrows slid up. The orb wasn¡¯t created in the Celestial Realm. It was an existence born from one of the forces standing in opposition to the Celestial Realm. The two forces engaged in an inescapable war for centuries, and in the process, they repeatedly stole each other¡¯s valuables. One such loot was the prophecy orb, which used to be a treasure from one of the adversary groups fighting the Celestial Realm. When they first retrieved it, the orb emitted dark energy, but the Celestial Realm recognized its prophetic values and kept it. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What does that have to do with your origins?¡± ¡ªThe person who changed the prophecy was born in the year, month, day, and time of the tiger. ¡°So? Are you saying that he is some embodiment of the Four Tiger Sword or something? The sword that is the best weapon for defeating evil spirits?¡± ¡ªNot a living embodiment, but his nature is certainly similar to it. ¡°Are you kidding me? What little energy he has is enough to damage your function? Plus, haven¡¯t you already gone through a purifying process?¡± ¡ªIf you think his energy is ¡®little¡¯, you are greatly mistaken. ¡°Greatly mistaken?¡± ¡ªThink of the one who had arranged his fate. Raphael couldn¡¯t fathom what the orb was getting at. Was it saying that there was someone who could read and prepare for a distant future so far away that the orb itself didn¡¯t dare touch it? She could only think of one existence that could carry out such an unbelievable feat. ¡ªThe one who rules over spirits, controls death and presides over the underworld: the shaman god. The orb¡¯s mechanical voice rang across the room. ¡ªI was born out of darkness, and I died twice and was reborn again. The situation had been more dangerous than Raphael had thought. Both Chi-Woo¡¯s given destiny and the god who arranged it was a natural bane to the prophecy. It wasn¡¯t at the level where they would sabotage one another, but they did stand at opposite ends. One force could diminish the other¡¯s existence with a simple touch. Raphael nodded. She had finally understood the situation. ¡°I see. Princess Sahee¡­¡± she muttered. Then something else made her frown in confusion. ¡°Still¡­that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he had lived an ordinary life.¡± ¡ªThat is true. ¡°And yet his participation is enough to change the prophecy? When it has never been changed before?¡± ¡ªYou are misunderstanding. It¡¯s simply a guess that the destiny placed onto that one is in the form of a gift for the future. The orb began to address Chi-Woo more politely. ¡ªI requested the change because of that one¡¯s singular existence. In other words, the orb was distinguishing Chi-Woo¡¯s existence from everything it had said so far. ¡°It¡¯s because of his existence¡­¡± Raphael was vaguely aware of Chi-Woo¡¯s background, such as the reason why he hadn¡¯t been able to step into the Celestial Realm for so long. It was simple; there were those who didn¡¯t want it to happen; and neither the highest beings in the Celestial Realm, the archangels, nor the shaman god could simply ignore their requests. However, she only knew the story on a surface level and wasn¡¯t privy to the details. ¡®Why?¡¯ Truthfully, she was curious. She wanted to know why some beings had tried so hard to cover Chi-Woo and hide him. ¡®Even after I met him in person, I can¡¯t figure it out at all¡­¡¯ She wondered if the secret around him was connected to the change in the prophecy. If only she could grasp onto an inkling of a clue, she would be able to understand the situation better. Thus, she had to ask the orb something else. After taking a deep breath, Raphael spoke again. * * * ¡°Have you been paying attention to the composition of the seventh recruits?¡± Raphael asked suddenly. Laguel furrowed her brows. ¡°Don¡¯t focus on the fact that it has been changed. What did you notice in particular before and after the change?¡± Laguel closed her eyes; she hadn¡¯t noticed much because her mind had been too occupied by Chi-Woo. ¡°One plus one,¡± Raphael answered for her, and realization dawned on Laguel after a moment of visible puzzlement. Generally, there would only be one hero at a time from each world, and after proving their worth, they alone would ascend to the Celestial Realm and begin their heroic pursuit. Even when two heroes emerged from the same world, they were usually from different eras. In other words, it was very rare for a hero to meet someone from their world. Rare, but not never. Sometimes there would be exceptions. The reasons behind these occurrences were many, but nevertheless, there were heroes who had entered the Celestial Realm with their companions after receiving additional approval for them. ¡°Such heroes aren¡¯t as rare as the twelve families, but still very few and far between. It happens as frequently as a common person getting into an accident in the middle of the streets,¡± Raphael said with a smile. ¡°After the orb requested the change, however, this group of people made up 70% of the new recruits.¡± Laguel looked surprised. ¡°Do you think that makes any sense?¡± Raphael asked while positioning her chin on her hand. ¡°And it¡¯s only for the seventh recruitment. The orb didn¡¯t even specifically request me to find these types of people, but instead just gave me their names.¡± ¡°Why¡­?¡± ¡°Who knows? I sure don¡¯t. It won¡¯t tell me more. You know the orb only tells me things that are certain,¡± Raphael said indifferently and rolled her eyes. ¡°But I do have my guesses.¡± ¡°Guesses¡­?¡± ¡°When I see the members of the seventh recruitment, there¡¯s something that comes to mind. For example, have you heard about Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard a bit about him.¡± Everyone knew of him in the Celestial Realm. Ru Amuh was a hero who saved a world at the danger level of a star-cluster crisis even before proving his qualifications. After finding this out, the Celestial Realm had done everything to bring him in. ¡°It had been a long time since someone at that level emerged. I looked more into him because I was personally interested, but he¡¯s a hero through and through¡ªto the point that you can call him the living embodiment of virtue.¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°A problem? No, not at all. But that¡¯s in our perspective.¡± Raphael moved her thumb. ¡°In Chi-Woo¡¯s perspective, it can be a problem.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious. Chi-Woo doesn¡¯t think like a hero.¡± Apart from being fair, righteous, and sincere¡ª ¡°He won¡¯t be able to understand the mindset and values of a hero, but¡ª¡± Raphael raised both of her thumbs and put them together. ¡°What if there¡¯s a link between the two?¡± ¡°A link?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Ru Hiana.¡± By Celestial Realm¡¯s standard, Ru Hiana was not qualified; she was closer to a non-hero than a hero. If she was by herself, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to even take a step in this place. However, the Celestial Realm recognized her special value and let her enter with Ru Amuh. ¡°We didn¡¯t bring her in for no reason. I told you, right? Ru Amuh is a typical hero through and through.¡± Laguel still seemed confused. ¡°Just think about it. Heroes didn¡¯t become what they are by will alone. What does someone need to become a hero?¡± ¡°But Sir Chi-Hyun¡­¡± ¡°Ah, come on. Leave that guy out. I¡¯m talking about the norm. Chi-Hyun is an exception out of exceptions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to ponder. Just say what anyone would think of. What¡¯s something that immediately comes to mind?¡± Laguel slowly replied, ¡°The World¡¯s choice, comrades, a helper¡­¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s enough. As you know, Ru Hiana is Ru Amuh¡¯s comrade. Of course, she was allowed to enter together with Ru Amuh because there was something special about her.¡± ¡°Something special?¡± ¡°She¡¯s his comrade and guide,¡± Raphael smirked. ¡°That¡¯s a very important factor for making a hero.¡± The reason why Ru Amuh decided to save a World in crisis was simple¡ªHe wanted to protect Ru Hiana. He didn¡¯t want to see her sad and wanted to see her smile. Ru Amuh had fought against hardships and adversity and resisted numerous temptations because of those simple reasons. That was how Ru Amuh became a hero, but Ru Hiana wasn¡¯t aware of it. ¡°He decided to become a hero for his childhood friend, who grew up in the same village as him. It¡¯s a clich¨¦ but beautiful story.¡± Raphael snickered. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the main topic at hand. What if Chi-Woo becomes connected to Ru Hiana¡ªthe reason why Ru Amuh stays as a hero¡ªin some way?¡± Raphael began rubbing her two thumbs together. ¡°And in the process, he also develops a connection with Ru Amuh?¡± Raphael tilted her chin to hear Laguel¡¯s reply; it seemed as if she was expecting admiration and praise for her conjectures. However, Laguel¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°What? Why are you reacting like that?¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know.¡± Laguel shook her head. ¡°Even if that is true¡­it doesn¡¯t explain why their destination was changed as well. Why did it specifically lead them to where the fifth and sixth recruits fell?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about? There¡¯s only one reason for that.¡± Raphael¡¯s expression fell slightly. ¡°The only thing ordinary about Chi-Woo is his values. Anyone would be hard pressed to call his ability ordinary. Even though we gave him all sorts of items and benefits, the prophecy had a specific reason for sending him there.¡± ¡°But Archangel Raphael¡ª¡± ¡°The prophecy must have sent him there without hesitation because a stage for him to show his abilities has already been prepared.¡± Of course, it was too optimistic a belief to hold onto. Raphael knew that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to survive in a galaxy-scale event. ¡°And did you forget?¡± Raphael clicked her tongue at the look of confusion on Laguel¡¯s face. ¡°Dummy. What did I tell you just now? The things you need to be a hero.¡± Laguel thought of each factor and suddenly flinched; she got a basic idea of what Raphael was trying to say. ¡°Since Liber¡¯s World can¡¯t reply, it can¡¯t choose a hero. We¡¯ll take that factor out of the equation. It would also be hard for him to get comrades and helpers there for obvious reasons.¡± Raphael directed the following question to Laguel. ¡°Then why did the prophecy send so many heroes there, when Liber needs only one hero?¡± Laguel did not reply, but she opened her mouth with surprise. ¡°I think each member of the seventh recruitment has been given a specific role.¡± If that was not the case¡ª ¡°Why would those who had been considered unfit for the mission suddenly be chosen as recruits?¡± Laguel looked at Raphael with disbelief. ¡°How excessive. He¡¯s going to have heroes as his comrades and heroes as his extras. There¡¯s probably never been a hero with this ludicrous a journey ahead of him¡­Ah, should I call him a hero in training? Anyway¡­¡± She snickered and continued, ¡°One thing¡¯s for certain.¡± Whether the heroes in the seventh recruits would become a comrade that walked with Chi-Woo, a helper that supported him, a reason for him to get stronger, or a meat shield for him¡ª ¡°The seventh recruits¡ª¡± The corners of Raphael¡¯s lips curved up. ¡°They¡¯ll act as good stepping stones for our Mr. Protagonist¡¯s grand future.¡± * * * After Chi-Woo crossed the line of no return, Eshnunna had no choice but to take the lead again. Since those beings had found out about their existence, they could no longer turn back. She didn¡¯t know about her or the villager¡¯s future, but there were only two fates awaiting Chi-Woo¡ªsurvival or death. However, Eshnunna still slowed her pace in case Chi-Woo changed his mind, but he didn¡¯t say anything about turning back. ¡°¡­¡± Eshnunna stopped walking. The air about her was different from when she stopped last time. Rather than hesitation, she looked extremely tense. Her lips also trembled as if she couldn¡¯t even watch the situation before her eyes unfold. ¡®Have we arrived?¡¯ Chi-Woo opened his bag and scanned his surroundings. There were dense trees and bushes reminiscent of a jungle. Even though their environment did not even allow a ray of moonlight to pierce through the darkness, the torch that Eshnunna held onto illuminated their surroundings somewhat. Thanks to the torch, Chi-Woo was able to make out a shelter of sorts from far away. However, Chi-Woo soon realized his mistake when he got closer. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ CH 41 It was certainly not a place suitable for the living. From afar, he could faintly see several long wooden storages that looked like greenhouses, which brought to mind a barn that was commonplace in the countryside. There was no visible entrance, and it stuck out like a sore thumb amid the forest¡¯s chilling landscape. Chi-Woo suddenly remembered the depths of the cave that he had saved Ru Amuh from; the prison-like crypt reminded Chi-Woo how Eshnunna had described her job¡ªshe managed their ranch. He wondered what would be there and what kind of hellish sight awaited him. He strutted forward and scrunched up his whole face, quickly covering his nose and lips. A foul odor that he couldn¡¯t withstand suddenly sieged his nose. ¡°Urgh!¡± He was about to enter one of the greenhouses, but quickly staggered back, tasting bile in the back of his throat. As soon as the odor hit his senses, extremely dark energy rushed through his entire body: rage, bloodlust, antagonism, hate¡­it was an evil energy amassed with all kinds of negative emotions. Chi-Woo felt nauseous, and he felt a sense of strong rejection that made his body shudder. He almost vomited. ¡®There aren¡¯t just¡­one or two of them.¡¯ There were certainly more than a few¡ªif he had to come up with an analogy, this was a pool of water filled up to create a swamp. Not only would ordinary people escape as soon as they saw the area, but those with spiritual power would also do the same. Even the famous psychic tunnel in Japan paled in comparison. Eshnunna and the middle-aged man came to a halt. Their instincts were stopping them from continuing. ¡®Damn it. Almighty God, Jesus, Buddha, Allah¡­¡¯ If his wise mentor had been with him, he would have scolded Chi-Woo for turning to gods who were irrelevant to this situation instead of running away; and his mentor would have warned him to not linger in such a place again. However, this wasn¡¯t a time for him to back down. He had already entered their territory. While calming his breath, Chi-Woo organized his thoughts. The fact that such an extraordinary number of them had gathered at one place suggested that it was a voluntary act. He didn¡¯t know the exact circumstances, but there was a possibility that the majority were forced into submission out of fear to a leader; a jukgwi was a being that commonly acted in this manner. And that was the one Chi-Woo had to catch. The only problem was whether or not things would go his way. ¡°W-What is this place?¡± Chi-Wo said as he reached back for his bag. Before he did anything, he had to make sure Eshnunna would be able to escape unscathed. ¡°What is this unpleasant place¡­why did you bring me here?¡± Chi-Woo had begun his act, but Eshnunna didn¡¯t answer. She didn¡¯t say anything for a good long while. ¡®What is she doing?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought she would catch on and respond to him, but it seemed she was still hesitating. No, that wasn¡¯t it. Chi-Woo saw fear etched deeply into Eshnunna¡¯s face, and he noticed something suspicious. She wasn¡¯t the only one. The middle-aged man was also staring at the space in front of him. The hand that had been gripping his sword now hung loosely by his side, and the man¡¯s mouth was dripping saliva like he had lost his mind. ¡°Jeonggueop Jineon. Surisuri mahasuri¡ª.¡± Chi-Woo recanted the Thousand Hands sutra. The incantation seemed to have offset some of the evil energy, which gave him some comfort, and he continued walking. Once he was about 60 meters away from the ranch, he managed to get a better look at its interiors, and what he saw rendered him speechless. Skeletons of humans and other animals were hanging on rods all over the place; interestingly, they were all upside down, and items that weren¡¯t bones were placed among them: there was a statue with its neck cracked and bent 90 degrees, and a decoration that appeared to be a religious symbol. Likewise, all these assortments of items were hung upside down. Moreover, they were all plastered with blood¡ªThe statue¡¯s broken neck was drenched in blood, and the religious symbol was painted crimson all over. Chi-Woo realized then why his body had instinctively rejected this place, and with such a negative response at that. If a temple was a place where one served and prayed to a god, this place was the opposite. It was a place that defiled gods and insulted them. It was akin to seeing an upside-down cross or a statue of Buddha and Virgin Mary with their necks broken on Earth. A monk would have been shocked by the impurity of it, while a pastor would have cried out, ¡°Blasphemy!¡± ¡°S-Sir¡­¡± Stricken with fear, Eshnunnna stuttered. She lifted her shaking thumb and pointed at something. It was a figure hanging upside down upon several rods that were fixed to the wall, their limp body trembling. The tremor worsened as the person whimpered in a weak, high-pitched voice, ¡°H-Help¡­¡± Thud! It dropped to the ground. Splatter! There was a wet sound conjuring the image of skin bursting with water. And a small fountain of blood emerged. That wasn¡¯t a sound a body dropping two meters should make. Instead, it sounded like someone had pulled the body off the rod and roughly thrust it down. Not long afterwards, something wavered and rose from the place that the figure had dropped onto. It no longer looked like a person. The¡­ thing with leathery skin exploded, scrambled, and toppled over before hanging itself back onto the rod. Chi-Woo took the display as the warning it was. These beings seemed to be showing him what they would do to him. The surroundings suddenly became quiet as if in response to his speculation. Even though the moonlight was blocked, Eshnunna had brought a torch. And yet they found themselves fallen into a complete darkness devoid of even a speck of light. Then a fierce, chilling wind brushed past the three of them. ¨CKkihihihi! The intense cold was brimming with haunting energy, which brought shivers to the back of his knees and made his legs limp. Chi-Woo hurriedly took out a talisman. He lifted it high, closed his eyes, and was about to mutter a scripture, but he felt someone snatch it away from him. Szzzz! Pssssh! The talisman rose to the air, flipped upside down, and was shredded apart until it scattered away in ashes. ¡°T-that¡¯s the one!¡± The middle-aged man yelled in fear. ¡°That¡¯s the one we talked about! The one who caused all that chaos at Shahnaz camp!¡± The man yelled desperately while pointing at Chi-Woo. ¡°W-We brought him like you asked us to! Do as you wish, so please¡­!¡± ¡°What? What are you suddenly saying?¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up! Die! You fucking bastard! Die, damn it!¡± ¡®What the hell?¡¯ The man didn¡¯t seem to be acting. It was so convincing that if it had been an act, he should receive several awards for his acting. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t matter; the man had done what Eshnunna was supposed to do. And while his attention was stolen by the middle-aged man¡¯s performance, Chi-Woo felt an icy sensation at the back of his neck. ¡°¡­¡± It was there. Something not human. It gave off an indescribable, haunting feeling that didn¡¯t belong to a living creature. He felt as if a predator had secretly approached him from behind and was about to bite his neck with its mouth wide open. ¡°Ah¡­Ah¡­¡± The struggling middle-aged man was now heaving for breath, opening and closing his mouth in quick succession. Eshnunna reacted similarly. Neither were looking at Chi-Woo, but instead staring at the being behind his shoulders. Given the sheer energy the beings gave off, even an ordinary who couldn¡¯t see them would be able to sense them. Chi-Woo froze and gulped. As someone who had gone through hell and came back from the worst of such situations, his whole body was warning him, ¡®Don¡¯t look back. You will die the moment you turn around.¡¯ Chi-Woo was fearful, scared. Feelings he had forgotten for some time rose inside him. No, he hadn¡¯t forgotten; he had simply become accustomed to these feelings after enduring them for so long. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. ¡®The talisman didn¡¯t work.¡¯ The talisman he tried to use was one that warded off evil spirits. As long as he carried this talisman, spirits that accidentally came within his vicinity would disappear without a chance to escape. This also meant the spirits would be unaffected as long as they didn¡¯t get too close to him, and both parties would get out of the situation unscathed. When Chi-Woo lifted his talisman, he was clearly telling the spirits, ¡®I see your antagonism, so I am going to take this out and protect myself with it. Don¡¯t get too close to me or try anything.¡¯ However, his opponent hadn¡¯t listened but instead stole his talisman and made a mess of it. That in and of itself was a response to Chi-Woo. ¡®I guess they have no intention of communicating.¡¯ Chi-Woo opened his eyes wide. He didn¡¯t look back. He stared at Eshnunna and the middle-aged man as they stared blankly into the air. Chi-Woo reached back and sneakily grabbed something from his bag. His hand moved in a flash. Bam! Chi-Woo¡¯s arm swung like lightning, and a loud thud followed. At the same time, the feeling of something pressing down on the nape of his neck disappeared. ¡°?¡± The middle-aged man who had been watching him widened his eyes. ¡°?¡± Eshnunna blinked in surprise. ¡ª? And the being Chi-Woo hit fell to the ground, confused and shocked by Chi-Woo¡¯s attack. ¡°!¡± Chi-Woo nodded as he felt the sensation of hitting something. As expected, his strike was effective; he had made sure of that. ¡®Why wouldn¡¯t it work? I have this item after all.¡¯ Chi-Woo found a half-transparent clump that was wriggling on the ground with its body turned over; he twisted his neck right and left in preparation. Chi-Woo had no intentions to converse with this being. Instead, he just said, ¡°Great Lord of Hell?¡± Raising his club high in the air, he added, ¡°Please drop the beat.¡± * * * Chi-Woo remembered his mentor as a remarkable person. His mentor didn¡¯t have a separate shrine, so it didn¡¯t seem like he was a shaman. He also didn¡¯t seem like a Buddhist monk who trained in religious asceticism for a long time. He didn¡¯t seem like a pastor who preached in church, either. However, his mentor was extraordinary; he had a different aura from the others. It was a conclusion Chi-Woo had come to after seeing the way people treated his mentor. For example: ¡°Father~ Please~ Would you be able to help just this once~?¡± ¡°Since when have I become your father?¡± ¡°Come on~ Don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯m having a hard time with this. Help, please?¡± Chi-Woo was shocked when one of the masters he had trained under came to visit his mentor. In the short time he had met her, she had been a dignified, strict, and serious person. She was known as a tiger lady in the neighborhood, but in front of his mentor, she became a humble and meek house cat. ¡°Sir, I know it¡¯s shameless of me to visit suddenly, but there¡¯s no other way. I¡¯m having a really hard time. This thing is really evil!¡± His mentor couldn¡¯t coldly refuse her constant pleas, so in the end, he made his final decision. ¡°For goodness¡¯ sake! Since I took him under my wing, I¡¯ve been going through all kinds of¡­You know I¡¯ve washed my hands from all this a long time ago.¡± Even though his mentor had complained while blaming Chi-Woo, his answer was ¡®Yes¡¯. ¡°If it was just a newbie, I would have refused, but there must be a reason a person of your level is acting like this. Okay, I got it.¡± On that day, Chi-Woo begged to tag along with his previous master and his mentor and witnessed something unique. In a way, he was seeing the true nature of his master for the first time. Before, he had always seen his mentor as someone who was completely liberated from the secular world. But now, his master was almost unrecognizable. ¡°You fucking useless dogshit! Weren¡¯t you a mountain god? Look at yourself! You¡¯ve become crazy in hunger!¡± ¡°Hey, you punk! How dare you glare at me? Keep them fucking down, you piece of shit!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have fucking eyes! I should just pierce through your useless eye sockets!¡± ¡°My dear who crosses the Bagdaljae Pass in Cheondeungsan Mountain in tears~! I¡¯ll make you cross it in tears as well! You good-for-nothing scoundrel!¡± [1] The sight of his mentor pouring out swear words while singing in rhythm and swinging a club left a deep impression on Chi-Woo. After causing a great commotion, his mentor successfully completed his task and turned to leave. But it seemed that he was bothered by the glances Chi-Woo threw him. He asked bluntly, ¡°Why do you keep glancing at me?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head. ¡°I was a bit surprised.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Sir, I didn¡¯t know you were so skilled at swearing, and why did you begin singing in the middle?¡± Chi-Woo snickered, and his mentor snorted. ¡°Seriously. When a person is busy at work, there¡¯s nothing wrong with saying some profanities and singing!¡± ¡°Sir, you were so brutal. I thought the same when I saw different masters exorcizing evil spirits, but compared to you, sir, no one even stands a chance.¡± ¡°You punk, do you think we do those things for no reason?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head at his mentor¡¯s question. ¡°Why do you do it then?¡± ¡°We¡¯re scared.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Scared? His mentor? ¡°Come on, sir. You must be joking.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a joke?¡± His mentor smiled tightly. ¡°We¡¯re still humans. As long as we¡¯re humans, we feel emotions. There are of course times we feel scared and intimidated.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t show our fears, since those guys feed on human fear and get happier and stronger.¡± His mentor nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I swear.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Those guys are no different from beasts,¡± his mentor continued. ¡°How do beasts act when they realize that humans are afraid of them? They become more confident.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°But then, what if I look straight at their eyes and keep staring at them? They lower their tails. They would slowly back away or stay quiet.¡± His mentor emphasized that they were no different from beasts again and, punctuating every word, said, ¡°You can¡¯t be scared or intimidated. Straighten your back and puff out your chest. Stand upright and firm and face them head-on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s said that if you can¡¯t escape something, you might as well enjoy it.¡± His mentor snickered. ¡°Anything is fine. Be it cussing, singing, or even shitting and peeing. You must rid yourself of fear by any means necessary.¡± ¡°Even so, sir, shitting and peeing is too much, isn¡¯t it? Why should you do that in front of those guys?¡± ¡°Well, then they¡¯ll think, ¡®Wow, this guy is one crazy punk! We should quickly run!¡¯ I¡¯m telling you that¡¯s how crazy you should act.¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips because he wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Sir, you told me to solve matters by words before.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s quiet murmur was met with a club to his back. Smack! ¡°Ack! Why did you hit me!¡± ¡°Who told you to do that every time? They¡¯re punks like you who can¡¯t be taught with just words!¡± ¡°No! Wait a bit! Why does that hurt so much!?¡± ¡°Of course it hurts, you punk. This club is hundreds of years old!¡± Honestly, Chi-Woo had been curious about the club; it could easily defeat a spirit that even his previous master couldn¡¯t defeat. However, he couldn¡¯t ask about it then because his mentor had been chasing after him, yelling at Chi-Woo for talking back insistently when he was already exhausted. And after this, his mentor rarely used the club, so he didn¡¯t have an opportunity to ask about it¡­ Until the day before his mentor passed away. * * * [Gwibolsemyongsi] [It¡¯s the name of this precious artifact.] His mentor hadn¡¯t given him the club for him to use it for his satisfaction. His mentor had agonized over whether he should pass down the club to Chi-Woo. Before he passed away, his mentor had told him that this club was a clump of karma. It was able to gain strong power by gathering strong desires over a long period of time. However, in exchange, the club came with serious restrictions. If one used it for personal reasons or abused its powers, the user¡¯s lifespan would decrease, or they would be swept up in an unfortunate incident and get hurt. In other words, the karma gathered in the club would land on the user. Thus, this club had to be used according to its name Gwibolsemyongsi¡ªwhich meant ¡®punish ghosts and light up the world¡¯. Chi-Woo had no doubts that this was now time for him to use this club. The reason was clear. Did words not work on this ghost, and was it causing harm to people and deserve punishment? ¡®Yes.¡¯ Would he be bringing light to Liber¡¯s World by punishing this ghost? ¡®Yes! Yes!¡¯ ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Mentor?¡± Then there was no reason for him to hesitate any longer. Even though he was scared, so scared that he felt he was going to die, Chi-Woo swung his club with great force as his mentor had and shouted out a cheer for Korea, ¡°Dae¡ªhan min guk! [2]¡± 1. From the song Crossing the Bakdaljae Pass in Tears (1948) sung by Park Jae-Hong and made by Kim Gyo-Sung. ? 2. Dae han min guk is the Korean for Republic of Korea. ? Favorite CH 42 ¡°Dae Han Min Guk!¡± Punch, punch! Punch! Punch, punch! ¡°Ohohohoh!¡± Punch! ¡°Ohohohoh!¡± Punch! Eshnunna couldn¡¯t believe her ears. It sounded like Chi-Woo was hitting something other than wet floor whenever he swung his club. Bam, bam! Bam,bam,bam! ¡°Korea!¡± Bam, bam! Bam,bam, bam! Bam, bam, bam! ¡°Korea!¡± Chi-Woo struck down his club rhythmically and shouted. Eshnunna heard that Chi-Woo had chanted scriptures and brandished a piece of yellow paper drawn with red symbols when he dealt with these beings. This time, Chi-Woo did take out a piece of paper, but it was stolen and shredded to pieces as soon as he gripped it in his hands. Her heart had pounded violently, thinking everything must have gone wrong. However, the situation completely changed once he took out a burnt club. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ She suddenly realized that the pressure that had been pressing her down like it was about to eat her alive was gone. The evil energy that had taken over the area and made it difficult to even breathe had disappeared without a trace as well. ¡°Whew¡­¡± After floundering around passionately with his club, Chi-Woo finally stopped and wiped his forehead. He looked at the dark shape wiggling beneath his feet like a bug and rotated his shoulders. ¡®That¡¯s enough for a warm-up.¡¯ His opponent was stronger than a vengeful spirit, but compared to the lumpy beings further inside the greenhouse, it was a weakling. ¡®Should I try to lure them out first?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked into the greenhouse before glancing below him. He smirked and tightened his grip around the club. He soon commenced a fiery dance of club swinging. ¡ªKkieeeeh! The spirit turned around and squealed like a pig getting beheaded. Its cries made clear the pain it was under. Chi-Woo stopped swinging his club momentarily to look forward. After a brief hesitation, he beamed and got back to swinging the club. This time, he aimed only for the spirit¡¯s head. ¡ª¡­ There wasn¡¯t even a scream this time. The black shape was completely helpless and became noticeably fainter. Seeing this, Chi-Woo cupped his jaw with his right hand and beckoned the spirits to him with his left, his lips widened into a smirk. He was clearly returning the provocation he first received, and it was effective. Whooooosh¡­! A sudden whirlwind shook the grass on the ground. A gush strong enough to tilt a tree swept past him. Anyone would be able to tell it wasn¡¯t wind, but some other forces. Chi-Woo saw a flurry of faint shadows poured out from the inside of the greenhouse. The shadowy beings swirled around the space and shortened the distance between them at great speed. ¡®They¡¯re fast.¡¯ Chi-Woo gulped. He quickly reached inside his bag and prepared himself. His hair whipped around in the violent currents of air, and before he realized it, the spirits that had popped out from the greenhouse were inches away from him. Chi-Woo scattered a fistful of talismans into the air, which flew high and swirled around Chi-Woo. One of the dozens of talismans soon caught on fire and burned until it turned to ashes. This was the opportunity he needed. ¡°Take this!¡± He struck his club where the ashes of the burnt talisman landed. ¡°This is a sword from the heavens!¡± he yelled. Bang! Eshnunna had been watching everything unfold from a distance, dazed. The sudden explosion sent a shuddering shock down her spine. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything there. Perhaps she was imagining things, but she thought she saw a blackish vapor rising to the sky. Following that, another talisman caught on fire. Chi-Woo swung his club relentlessly at the area. ¡°Let me hear your cries, bow!¡± Bang! ¡°Burn up, arrowhead!¡± Bang! Every time he struck a blow, it seemed to be doing critical damage on the beings, causing them to explode and scatter away. ¡°Failure is what makes a man!¡± Chi-Woo made one last wide swing with a satisfied smile. ¡°As expected of a holy item, it¡¯s super effective!¡± Eshnunna watched as Chi-Woo whirled his club around and around in confusion. Something was strange. She couldn¡¯t understand anything, but the nonsense Chi-Woo said in between his swings completely baffled her. She heard from her sources that Chi-Woo had defeated the broken beings while chanting meaningful words, but right now, it didn¡¯t seem like his passionate cries made any sense whatsoever. Satisfied with his work, Chi-Woo picked up the talismans that were still salvageable from the ground. ¡®I have to be careful about saving these things.¡¯ The talismans he currently had were all gifts he had received. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how to make them. Since it was a finite resource that he had no way of acquiring more at the moment, he couldn¡¯t use them recklessly. Moreover, his precious club couldn¡¯t be used in all situations, so it was all the more reason for him to be careful. ¡°Let me see. Since I exploded four of these guys, there will be one, two, three, four¡­seven left¡­?¡± While counting his talismans like Korean won bills, Chi-Woo flinched. He suddenly felt a chilling sensation all over his body. It was an indescribable, eerie sensation that brought chills all over his back. ¡°Urgh¡­Uh¡­.¡± It seemed Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t the only one who felt it. The middle-aged man¡¯s legs jittered before he collapsed to the ground. Eshnunna had also turned pale. ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression darkened. It was the first time he had experienced something like this. It was a sensation beyond his imagination. He had expected the spirits to have gathered and clumped together, but not to this extent. This was a bit dangerous¡ªno, very dangerous. ¡®Was I too full of myself?¡¯ He had been excited to finally use the club after a long time, and every time a spirit exploded under his strike, it boosted his confidence further. However, it was too late by the time he realized his mistake. Soon, they heard murmuring all over the forest. Since they spoke in the language of the dead, Sauh, he couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying. However, he could clearly feel their rage. ¡°Uhuh¡­.Uhahahah!¡± The middle-aged man had already lost half of his consciousness and shrieked. Eshnunna scrunched up her face and blocked both of her ears. A ringing sound filled the space. ----------------------! An incomprehensible clamor exploded out from the inside of the forest. The numerous sounds combined into one and exerted tremendous energy, like a gargantuan entity¡¯s powerful howls, like the battle cry of an army of not hundreds of but thousands of soldiers. Their presence dwarfed the spirits he had just defeated in both power and number, and Chi-Woo took a couple of steps backward. The evil spirits jeered. They swept the surroundings and moved in a frenzy and danced. They must be excited by the thought of ripping and destroying Chi-Woo soon. Chi-Woo began to feel overwhelmed by his current situation. There was a long-standing saying that no hero could put up with being ganged up; even if a soldier was carrying a machine gun, they couldn¡¯t withstand the force of thousands of people rushing them with spears. No matter how powerful his club was, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think he could survive thousands of evil spirits swarming up to him and refusing to let him go. Chi-Woo kept retreating until his back hit something. When he instinctively turned around, he saw Eshnunna looking down at the ground with eyes wide open. Her lips were trembling, and her hand that was holding the torch shook. She looked completely terrified. In all honesty, it was a display of great courage that she hadn¡¯t burst into tears and wet herself like the middle-aged man had. Eshnunna looked up with tearful eyes despite the fear weighing down her entire body. Had her true inner nature come out due to the extreme situation they were in? Despite everything, Eshnunna was looking at Chi-Woo with concern, and only then did Chi-Woo regain his focus. He calmed down and felt slightly embarrassed. He had talked big by claiming that he would be able to deal with this problem, and yet he failed to follow that with action. He told her he was going to earn her trust and asked her to give him an opportunity to prove himself. He needed to keep his word at all costs. This was his chance. ¡®There¡¯s not much time.¡¯ If the being in the middle sent out an order to the other spirits, he¡¯d be overwhelmed by their powers before he could do anything, and there would be nothing left of his body. He needed to take action before that happened. ¡®The World¡¯s Milestone!¡¯¡ª ¡­was not available because the cool-down period was not over. Chi-Woo opened his bag and searched through it. This wasn¡¯t something that could be solved with chicken¡¯s blood, beans, red beans, salt, or other materials. Chi-Woo found a bundle of talismans and quickly flipped through them. This was not it. Not that either. Chi-Woo paused when he found a particular talisman, and his eyes glistened. ¡®It¡¯s¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo pulled it out. It was a special talisman that his mentor had told him to save until the very last moment and to treat it like one of his kidneys. Honestly, Chi-Woo was hesitant to use it since his mentor had told him again and again until his ears hurt to treat it like his most precious belonging. However, this was not a time for him to be stingy. One misstep could mean his death, and a talisman was never too great a price to pay given the circumstances. He needed to survive this in order to live a long, fulfilling life, so there was no other option. Chi-Woo decided to take a special route instead of a standard one. If he was comparing this situation to a game, rather than steadily leveling up by defeating weak monsters, he was a newbie trying to face a middle-level boss as soon as he received a special. If he completed this mission, he would be able to receive compensation beyond his wildest dreams. And in order to receive those compensations, he needed to use up something equally valuable. Chi-Woo did not hesitate any longer. He already made sure that the talisman¡¯s effects were greater here while rescuing Ru Amuh. If his predictions were right, then¡­ ¡°Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Chi-Woo grabbed Eshnunna¡¯s arm as she stood in a daze. He used the torch she was holding to light the talisman. Crackle! The edge of the talisman caught on fire. The fire quickly spread and consumed it whole. Since the talisman was mixed with powder created from chicken blood and peach tree oil, it burned very well. Once the talisman burnt to ashes, Chi-Woo lowered his head and put his hands together. Eshnunna still looked confused. In her perspective, Chi-Woo had taken out a strange piece of paper once again and burned it. And now he was quietly praying. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had given up. However, Eshnunna was clever enough to catch on to the subtle change that happened around them. The murmuring had stopped momentarily. Eshnunna distinctly felt a change in the still silence. Murderous and hostile emotions were replaced by confusion and shock. The spirits were noticeably baffled. Eshnunna looked back at Chi-Woo to gauge the situation, and her eyes widened. His face had gradually become clearer as the darkness around them was slowly dispersed by the moonlight. Eshnunna looked up without thinking, and what she saw shocked her further; she gulped at the sight in front of her. If this was not an illusion or a dream, she would say the clouds were separating, revealing the moon and allowing its rays to shine on their surroundings in a focused beam. It looked as if the sky was lighting up a path for someone to come down from heaven. ¡°Ah¡­Ah¡­?¡± The middle-aged man, who had been crying the whole time, looked bewitched by a spirit. ¡°What is the sound? Did an army suddenly appear? A-am I the only one hearing this?¡± He wasn¡¯t. Eshnunna had heard the same thing. Da-dum-da-dum. There was the majestic chorus of percussion, followed by the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground. Chi-Woo slowly opened his eyes. He quietly steadied his breathing and looked up. The sky had split apart, and a general was descending from heaven. Not by himself, of course, but with his loyal soldiers. Heavenly Generals could be divided into three groups. The first was generals that led heavenly soldiers. The second was generals who were effectively gods. And the third was spirits that possessed the dignity and ability of a general. All three groups protected the gods they served, and were in charge of defeating mischievous and evil spirits. The general that Chi-Woo called upon was of the first group. Soon, a huge crane landed on the ground, followed by countless soldiers. Chi-Woo looked up at the crane that towered over him. And he saw a figure with thick eyebrows like a pair of furry caterpillars, two sharp eyes like those of religious statues, and a long beard. He wore armor that looked like a brigandine all over his body, and his cape fluttered in the wind. With his large hands that were the size of cast iron lids, he held a blue guandao decorated in gold. Chi-Woo straightened his posture as he faced the dignified and grand giant who had descended down from heaven with his loyal soldiers. Cupping his hands together, he bowed deeply and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sir White Horse Heavenly General.¡± Favorite CH 43 The talisman called upon the White Horse General, who served the supreme god in the Heavens, the Jade Emperor. Heavenly generals¡¯ primary roles were to protect gods, and the White Horse General ranked top among them. If Chi-Woo¡¯s aim had been to purify a spirit, there would have been no need for him to call for a heavenly general. Right now, however, he needed help annihilating vengeful spirits. Heavenly generals came down to the human world from time to time to vanquish evil spirits. Of course, it didn¡¯t happen often, and although Chi-Woo had seen his mentor cleanse many spirits, he had seen his mentor call upon the general only once. ¡®Wow, he¡¯s not someone who comes just because you call him.¡¯ Chi-Woo worried whether the White Horse General would accept his request, but thankfully, the general had descended with his troops. ¡°Come again? Oh, when did we meet? Come on, sir. Don¡¯t you remember me? My mentor¡­¡± Eshnunna and the middle-aged man looked at Chi-Woo strangely as he bowed and clasped his hands at nothing. ¡°Yes, sir. I am talking about him. I was a kid? Haha. I was quite young at that time.¡± Even though there wasn¡¯t anything in front of him, Chi-Woo conversed like somebody was there. ¡°Yes, yes. I can¡¯t express enough gratitude to you for responding even though I¡¯ve bothered your esteemed self. I was in such a desperate situation that I had no choice but to request for your help¡­¡± ¡­No, now that they looked carefully, it seemed that something was there. First of all, the chilling bloodlust that brought goosebumps all over their skin was now gone. Instead, they felt reassured and safe like they were protected by an army with an insurmountable number of soldiers. Furthermore, they smelled a strong scent of sandalwood, which on its own was enough to calm them and clear their heads. Although neither of them could see the general or his men, Chi-Woo saw clearly what was before him. There was a general exuding powerful aura riding on a giant red-crowned crane; and below him, a mass number of soldiers were holding onto their spears while waiting for their general¡¯s orders. ¡°This isn¡¯t your business? Hold on, please. Please don¡¯t abandon your faithful servant,¡± Chi-Woo hurriedly pleaded with the general. Although the White Horse General had responded to his call, he planned to return after vanquishing one or two spirits. Chi-Woo had predicted this beforehand. After all, he had simply burned a talisman that was passed down to him. His mentor was an unworldly person, who dedicated his whole life to using his special ability for others. Thus, in recognition of his mentor¡¯s good deeds, the Heavens looked upon his master favorably and granted him privileges. In comparison, Chi-Woo had lived a short life and hadn¡¯t done much for others. There was no reason for them to offer him help. The White Horse General had probably shown up in consideration of Chi-Woo¡¯s mentor¡¯s merits and nothing more, which was a miracle in and of itself, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t let the general leave like this. ¡°Please excuse any offense I might cause you, sir, but how could you draw such lines? This place is full of lost humans who are desperate for a helping hand.¡± Chi-Woo had to secure the general¡¯s help somehow. ¡°Moreover, the beings tormenting the humans here are extremely vile, and it is impossible to communicate with them.¡± Chi-Woo pleaded desperately. ¡°Sorry? I keep blabbering on? That¡¯s how I am usually, sir.¡± The general remained unfazed. Chi-Woo was racking his brain for anything when a bright idea struck him suddenly. ¡°Look at that, sir!¡± He yelled and pointed an accusing finger like a child tattle-telling to their parent. ¡°They aren¡¯t satisfied with simply pushing humans into a pit of pure evil, but went so far as to entertain themselves by ridiculing gods.¡± The general¡¯s eyebrow rose slightly when he saw the blood-stained bones and severely wrecked statues. ¡°Those beings deserve to be shredded to a thousand pieces. Are you really going to let such foul creatures off the hook?¡± Chi-Woo licked his lips. ¡°I certainly won¡¯t be able to stand by and do nothing. Although I have grown up in a different world, this is too serious for me to stay on the sidelines.¡± Chi-Woo even got on one knee and continued, ¡°Yet, I am far too lowly and lacking in strength to help these people. That¡¯s why I implore you, Sir White Horse Heavenly General, please allow us to witness your might.¡± At this point, he began to mutter anything that came to his mind, ¡°I beg you, sir. If you help us this time, I¡¯ll muster all I have to save those who are here and the world at large as you so wish.¡± Without truly realizing what he was saying, Chi-Woo kept blabbering, ¡°With upright thoughts and just behavior, I will save the good lives; and with my steadfast faith, I will restore the lost dignity of gods, and I will make sure that this World becomes overflowing with strong faith.¡± ¡ª¡­ The general sighed. He had planned to not let Chi-Woo borrow his powers no matter what he said. Although sacrilegious acts were committed here for all to see, it didn¡¯t involve gods that he served, and thus it didn¡¯t matter to him. Nevertheless, there was a reason he couldn¡¯t turn down Chi-Woo¡¯s request and return home: there was a being lingering behind Chi-Woo that was pressuring him. If it wasn¡¯t for her, the general wouldn¡¯t have even come down to the mortal realm in the first place. As someone who protected the Jade Emperor, the White Horse General could snort at most gods¡¯ requests without care. Yet, this time, the fact that he served the Jade Emperor was the thing hindering him. ¡®The Jade Emperor is troubled,¡¯ the general couldn¡¯t hide his discomfort when he spoke to her. The response he got was cold, ¡®Stop talking nonsense and do what you are supposed to do.¡¯ The general licked his lips. It hurt his pride to simply listen to Chi-Woo¡¯s request, but he was hesitant to refuse. He had to save face somehow. That was when he heard Chi-Woo¡¯s words. ¡ªI¡¯ll muster all I have to save this World¡­ It was nonsensical for the White Horse General to remember a lowly human, but he managed to recall memories about Chi-Woo. He had forgotten about Chi-Woo¡¯s existence until now, but he now remembered a pair of curious, young eyes that snuck glances at him from behind his mentor. When the general first saw Chi-Woo, he was shocked. The infinite potential that he had felt from this boy¡¯s small body was immeasurable. It almost frightened him, and at the same time, it brought him such intense joy that goosebumps popped up all over his body. If only he could awaken this boy¡¯s potential and make him use it only for righteous and just deeds, he couldn¡¯t imagine all the astonishing works that could be accomplished. And now, this boy¡ªChi-Woo was declaring of his own volition that he would walk the straight path of justice. ¡ªWould you swear it? ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡ªWould you swear that there¡¯s not an ounce of lie in your declaration? ¡°Of course, sir! Of course!¡± Chi-Woo readily agreed, not realizing what was going through the general¡¯s mind. ¡ªHm. If that is the case¡­ Although it didn¡¯t push him to act at once, he now had a reason to help, which was investing in Chi-Woo¡¯s future. It was still too early to come to a conclusion, but if everything worked out¡­ ¡®Fufu, how interesting,¡¯ the general thought. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t exactly go according to the White Horse General¡¯s plans. ¡®Are you trying to take advantage of him?¡¯ A voice that he couldn¡¯t simply ignore rang through his mind. ¡®Well¡­I suppose it will be fine. Someone at your level could at least be of some help.¡¯ The general didn¡¯t like Princess Sahee¡¯s arrogant tone. It sounded like she was talking to a lower-ranking subordinate. ¡®You¡¯re not planning to make him do your bidding after doing him one easy favor, are you?¡¯ she asked. The White Horse General hesitated. ¡®You¡¯re a great general, but you¡¯re sniffing around for goods like some small-minded coward. I will give you one of my seats so that you can have a big share.¡¯ ¡®Damn you!¡¯ the White Horse General growled. ¡®You¡¯ve crossed a line!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll say the same to you. Trying to secretly nibble off this boy, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. I have no intention of doing that.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t make me laugh¡­But well, I do understand where you come from.¡¯ The princess¡¯s cold voice became noticeably softer. ¡®You are too outstanding for your own good. Of course you would be unwilling to stay enslaved by your position forever.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it about time for you to seize a throne among the greater celestial beings?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s absolutely preposterous,¡¯ the general said, but his demeanor also lost some of its edge. ¡®Hm. Well, it is true that the title granted for your service has its perks. If you want to boast about that for tens of thousands of years, I won¡¯t stop you from returning.¡¯ In other words, Princess Sahee was asking if the general would be fine acting as someone¡¯s minion forever. ¡®¡­That isn¡¯t your concern.¡¯ ¡®Really? And here I thought I would have a private chat and put in some good words for you.¡¯ ¡®What? Are you serious?¡¯ ¡®I know I¡¯m not the giving type, but I always pay back a favor.¡¯ In short, she would repay him depending on the level of help he offered Chi-Woo. That changed things. There was strong energy embedded into words, especially from higher beings. The words the general just heard were more than enough to change his mind. A part of him detested the feeling of being used, but it was a very attractive offer, worthy of consideration to say the least. The general looked down at Chi-Woo, whose eyes sparkled in anticipation. ¡ªFine. It was just one word, but Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes became a couple times wider. ¡®It¡¯s done!¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what kind of deal had been negotiated and made concerning him, but Chi-Woo was simply overjoyed. ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± Chi-Woo got up from his seat and declared, ¡°It¡¯s time for this place to witness the greatness of the White Horse Heavenly General! As another soldier under your command, I will lead in spreading your name and glory to this World!¡± ¡ªThere¡¯s no need for you to step forward. Just watch from the sidelines. ¡°No, sir. Although I don¡¯t have much to offer, I want to follow you.¡± Chi-Woo quickly added, ¡°My mentor told me that actions are more important than thoughts.¡± ¡ª? ¡°And didn¡¯t I tell you, sir? I can¡¯t stand by and simply watch. I want to be of some help despite my lacking skills.¡± Truthfully, Chi-Woo knew that there was no need for him to join the battle as the general said. However, Chi-Woo had a chance to think while the general was deliberating the decision. First, Chi-Woo wanted to look good in front of the general. Second, he knew he would be safe since there was no way that they would lose now. Lastly and most importantly, Chi-Woo had an inkling that there was something he was missing. The White Horse General had been indifferent, and yet his attitude did a one-eighty after a few exchanges of words. That alerted Chi-Woo to the possibility that this incident could be used against him in the future. If the White Horse General later asked him to keep his end of the bargain, he wanted to be able to say, ¡®But I also fought with you then.¡¯ ¡ªThe apple certainly doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Don¡¯t lose this mindset even in the future. Not knowing Chi-Woo¡¯s wily thoughts, the general nodded approvingly. ¨CYou may join me as the vice-captain. Let me see how well you carry out your words. Vice-Captain! It was a position where he could help the general in close proximity. He would have to fill the top position in the absence of the general. At his instant promotion, Chi-Woo deeply bowed to the general. In response, the general fixed his grip on his guandao and glared at the scene in front of him. His attitude had changed, and all the soldiers under him followed suit. There was no need to wait any longer. The march began. Clomp, clomp. Horses¡¯ hooves struck the ground. Thud, thud, thud, thud! Numerous feet marched forward. Chi-Woo also put great force into every step he took. He didn¡¯t have much confidence a moment before, but the situation was different now. Seemingly sensing the change, their enemies were completely silent. They gathered the energy they had spread out widely across the area in a hurry, but Chi-Woo snorted. ¡®What will that do?¡¯ He walked confidently toward the place he hadn¡¯t dared to venture into. Chi-Woo looked around and saw on both sides armored soldiers advancing forward in unison with their weapons. Above him, there was one majestic, white crane that shone in brilliance, and next to him, a steadfast giant general who led them all. Chi-Woo felt like he was going to take revenge on a bully who had hit him with a group of trustworthy older brothers. How sweet that those who intimidated and acted viciously against him couldn¡¯t do anything but cower in fear now. It was a great catharsis. As his heart thumped in excitement, they soon approached the ranch. The general looked disgusted by the sinister sight in front of him, and the soldiers boosted their momentum. It was time to catch those beings. ¡°¡­General.¡± Drunk with his own feverish excitement, Chi-Woo looked up to the general seriously. The general nodded with a stern expression on his face. Chi-Woo smirked and put greater pressure on his club. He tilted his body slightly like he was going to run. ¡°Okay¡ª¡± While flinging his left hand forward, Chi-Woo yelled, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡ªWahhhhhhh! At Chi-Woo¡¯s signal, a thousand soldiers charged forward. CH 44 Ohhhhhhhhhhh! A tremendous chorus of battle cries rang in the area. A member of the cavalry cladded in iron armor rode to the vanguard, while their hundreds of well-trained comrades rushed forward with astounding force and trampled their enemies. They marched to the center of the ranch at once and flipped it upside down. The iron-bearing cavalry created a commotion and opened the path for the infantry to follow, which marched forward to sustain the great momentum their fellow soldiers had created. The wave of horse hooves trampling the enemies was followed by an ocean of foot soldiers stomping on them. Those few who managed to survive and attempted to gather with their companions were soon greeted by spears. Again and again, the spears struck. Not even a shred of blackish energy remained where the army of thousand strong had charged past, and the place was wiped clean. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo was jumping up and down in excitement. ¡°Hey friend! The one with your head down!¡± Chi-Woo swung his club at the broken being groaning with its head down. ¡°If your heart is beating!¡± Chi-Woo smashed into its head. ¡°Rise! Rise! All of you, rise!¡± He attacked any enemy on sight. ¡°Rise! You bastards!¡± He even forcefully lifted off the ground a broken being that had declared its intention to purge itself after being severely beaten up. ¡°Ah, you can¡¯t get up because your heart is beating too hard? You should¡¯ve told me sooner.¡± Chi-Woo struck a home run with this particular fellow, and it flew far away into the night sky, becoming one with the stars. ¡°Next!¡± Feeling exuberant, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes flickered in search of his next enemy. In the frontline, the thousand-strong army was grappling with a swarm of broken beings. As soon as he saw that, Chi-Woo gripped onto his club tightly and jumped into the midst of the battlefield. ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± He twirled his whole body and spun like the windmill. ¡°Youuuuuuu!¡± Like a mad barbarian, Chi-Woo¡¯s circular swings mercilessly thundered down on his enemies. If this had been a battle between humans, the enemy would have called him a madman and immediately killed Chi-Woo by plunging a spear into him. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s enemies weren¡¯t living people. Furthermore, the combination of Chi-Woo¡¯s skill and weapon of choice, namely the Four Tiger Sword and his club, was effectively a calamity to these beings. Every being touched by the sword¡¯s sharp blades were shredded apart. Chi-Woo burst into laughter as they scattered like autumn leaves. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Perhaps, he had been too excited. After spinning his body around dozens of times continuously, Chi-Woo staggered in dizziness. Noticing the opening, the broken beings stopped running, their eyes glinting. They had run away when Chi-Woo rushed into the fray to protect the center like a mad man, but now, it was their chance. ¨CKyaaaah! Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes fluttered as blackish energy rushed upwards like wet paint bleeding onto paper. Fortunately, their attempt of retaliation was met with an outpour of arrows falling all around Chi-Woo, making short work of those who had charged at him with a single-minded focus. They fell without letting out even a scream. Face pale, Chi-Woo turned to look behind him despite the lingering dizziness and saw a group of archers pulling out a fresh batch of arrows. Chi-Woo gave them a thumbs-up and thought, ¡®I knew I could count on them.¡¯ One of the archers returned the gesture. Then the iron-clad cavalry cut into the disarray frontlines and stomped over their enemies once again. They quickly parted to the sides afterward so that the infantry could advance forward. The archers shot their arrows as the foot soldiers covered the area. Like a fire spreading across the mountain, the place full of evil energy was purified. ¡®This is war¡­!¡¯ No, it might be more accurate to call it a one-sided annihilation. It was only natural. After all, this was the White Horse General, the top among the many heavenly generals. Raphael had stated that gods lived and died by beliefs, and Chi-Woo agreed. However, it didn¡¯t apply to all deities. There existed a hierarchy even among gods. Some were completely disinterested in human affairs. They led a merry eternal life without the need for human prayers; they were far beyond the level of lower-ranking bachelor gods, warlords, the Dragon King, and the like. Jesus, Siddhartha Gautama, and the Jade Emperor were some examples. Even among this group, the Jade Emperor was the supreme God of Taoism and at the level of a creator. As someone who guarded the Jade Emperor closely, the greatness of the White Horse General was apparent. Thus, not even the most powerful evil spirit would be able to do anything against the general. ¡°Ha!¡± Chi-Woo smiled, having finally regained his balance. ¡°How laughable!¡± He landed a blow against a fleeing spirit and shouted, ¡°To think that you were threatening me not long ago! Acting all impudent! You bastards!¡± Chi-Woo was the one acting impudent now. Then a sudden chill made him turn around, and he saw the lump behind the ranch. From far away, it looked like a mountain. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Upon a closer inspection, he realized that it was a mass of broken beings forcefully clumped together to form a hill at the center area. ¡°Urgh.¡± It looked so strange and grotesque that he wanted to vomit at the sight of it. But the most important thing was that this clump of broken beings was burning up with a united rage at Chi-Woo. It let off pure bloodlust, resentment, and loath. It was as if it was grinding its teeth while whispering, ¡®because of you, if only you weren¡¯t here¡­I will at least kill you at all cost¡¯. Not only was it Chi-Woo¡¯s first time seeing such a formidable opponent, but the bloodlust he felt from it prickled his skin. Nevertheless, there was no need for him to worry since he had a great entity hundreds and thousands of times stronger by his side. ¡°Great general! It¡¯s that guy!¡± Chi-Woo saw the general coming his way at just the right time. He rushed up to the general and said, ¡°I think that thing is responsible for the sorry state this area is in.¡± The general leisurely stroked his mustache and snorted. As expected of the Jade Emperor¡¯s top man, the White Horse General was far from lacking in size, and actually towered over the clump. The general and the crane¡¯s presence overwhelmed their enemies. The White Horse General raised his gilded guandao askew. The clump seemed to have felt the danger. It absorbed all the energy it had scattered in the area and inflated its body. The general¡¯s crane made a loud, piercing sound while spreading its wings and approached the clump. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Without giving the broken beings even a chance to resist, the general marched up to the grotesque mountain and¡­ Bang! ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-Woo could barely believe his eyes. The only thing he managed to see was the White Horse General swinging his guandao in a wide arc, followed by the crane piercing through the clump of broken beings and coming out the other side before soaring into the air. ¨CKuhoooooooh! Shrieking in pain, the clump collapsed like a rice roll that had burst on its side. The crane flew over it, and the White Horse General made a wide swing again. A faint flash of light sliced diagonally across the giant lump of broken beings, and the crane landed elegantly on the ground. Slice! Sliiiiice! The clump split in half and let out a myriad of energies before it was all over. That was no exaggeration; the fight was over. Through their concerted effort¡ªwell, that wasn¡¯t entirely accurate since Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t even lifted a finger against the clump¡ªthe White Horse General had defeated his enemy with two blows. His attack was so powerful that the evil energy disappeared as soon as it spilled out. Once the clump of broken beings was exterminated, the soldiers cleared the area and waited quietly in formation. Chi-Woo looked up to the White Horse General in awe; he had expected the general to be strong, but he hadn¡¯t realized the true extent of the general¡¯s power. The nauseating, dark energy disappeared like it had been washed away. Finally free from the darkness that obscured it, the moon shone upon all of them. ¨C¡­It ran away. The White Horse General¡¯s murmur made Chi-Woo pause while he was stretching his shoulders. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡ªOne of them ran away. There¡¯s a high possibility that¡¯s the true culprit. ¡°Ran¡­Away, sir?¡± ¨CThat one had already distanced itself a great deal by the time I descended to this world. Even I could only faintly sense their presence. The general explained that the being had been watching from afar when Chi-Woo arrived, and it ran away without looking back immediately. ¨CIt probably escaped because it¡¯s scared of you. ¡°Me?¡± ¨CIndeed, it radiated evil energy, but it seemed to be fundamentally different from the rest of the beings here¡­ The White Horse General muttered in a low voice and looked down at Chi-Woo. ¨CI don¡¯t know why the being had made a mess of this place, but it would have received considerable damage since I wiped this area clean. Still, it¡¯s good to be careful. ¡ªI¡¯m sure those beings would have realized that they couldn¡¯t lay a hand on you on their own. The next time they come after you, they will do it differently. The White Horse General pointed his guandao at where the clump had scattered. ¨CLike those things. When Chi-Woo turned to look, he saw black haze blooming in all directions; soon, the scattered energy had converged into humanoid shapes. What he feared would happen was happening. Monsters in human form¡ªto be more specific, the cursed humans who have gone mad began to appear like the time he and Ru Hiana went to save Ru Amuh. The only difference was the sheer number of those beings coming into existence now. There were so many of them. He counted more than a hundred even at a short glance. Perhaps there were two hundred¡ªno, more than three hundred in total. ¡®I didn¡¯t think there would be that many.¡¯ Chi-Woo scratched his head and glanced at the White Horse General; he knew it was a long shot, but he had to at least try. ¡°Could you perhaps¡­¡± ¨CWe can¡¯t directly touch the living. The general¡¯s tone was firm, like it was something Chi-Woo should¡¯ve already known. It was no wonder that Chi-Woo¡¯s talisman didn¡¯t work. On Liber, the curse beings were categorized as ¡®the living¡¯. Both his club and talismans were likely useless against them. ¡°That leaves me with no choice¡­¡± Chi-Woo sighed. There were more beings forming than he had expected, but he had thought of a way to deal with them and prepared accordingly. He¡¯d learned from his past experience. ¡°Thank you for your help, sir. I will not forget this favor until the day I die.¡± Although it was no time to chit-chat, Chi-Woo decided to express his gratitude to the general first. He couldn¡¯t keep pushing the general to do something he simply couldn¡¯t do, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know when exactly he would need the general¡¯s help again. ¨CI¡¯m just keeping my side of the bargain. The general said rather distantly. Chi-Woo squeezed his eyes shut. He thought the time had finally come for the general to ask Chi-Woo for a covenant. That was how calling upon a heavenly being usually ended. Unless he properly took a god into his body, he had to pay the rightful price for calling someone of this stature. Just like how the three-thousand-year-old Dongfang Shuo prepared ceremonial food by stacking rare foods into a tower whenever a death-ripper came to catch him. Chi-Woo wanted to get out of it at all costs, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. His head was in a mess after witnessing the might of the White Horse General¡¯s power. ¨COf course, I don¡¯t expect anything from you at the moment. That surprised Chi-Woo. ¡ªTake this. The general took out something from his belongings and threw it to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo barely managed to catch it, and his eyes widened. ¡®A book?¡¯ It was a book with a faded cover. Chi-Woo immediately opened the book and looked up in surprise. ¡°What?¡± Translated by Kasyapa and Dharmaratna, it was widely known as the first Buddhist scripture to be translated into Korean. And it was the White Horse General who had protected and carried the scripture back to China on his white horse. There was only one reason why the general would give Chi-Woo such a precious book. ¡°Can I really¡­have this?¡± ¡ªI have a duty to make sure that you are keeping your promise. The general said amicably without going into what that promise would entail. ¡ªIt won¡¯t always be this easy, though. I responded this time out of my sense of loyalty, but the next time you call on me, you will have to pay a fitting price for my help. He seemed to be telling Chi-Woo to at least build a shrine next time. Since it was a perfectly reasonable request, Chi-Woo nodded with a blank look on his face. Although he couldn¡¯t use it right away, he struggled to even put his gratitude into words after receiving such a tremendously valuable item. ¡ªThere are more eyes watching this place than you think. Persevere. With those words, the White Horse General disappeared with his men. It felt like a sturdy support had left Chi-Woo. Of course, the general had wiped a great number of his enemies with him, but the new enemies that had appeared remained a problem. While he conversed with the White Horse General, the cursed ones had stacked on top of one another to form a giant pile. It seemed that most of them were gaining consciousness. Some ran out of the pile and blinked hard at Chi-Woo. ¡°Hm. Could you please back a bit away?¡± Chi-Woo turned to Eshnunna and the middle-aged man and said. ¡°There are a lot of them, and this can get dangerous.¡± Instead of answering Chi-Woo, they pointed to the scene before them, opening and closing their mouths without making a sound. Chi-Woo could understand why they were acting like this, but his lips still twisted into a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing this for a bit!¡± From behind, someone whizzed past the middle-aged man like the wind. He couldn¡¯t be compared to the General White Horse, but the newcomer was extremely fast for a human as he sped past Chi-Woo. ¡°Huh?¡± The middle-aged man blankly stared at the ground and reached for the sword attached to his hip, but found nothing. He looked to the side and blinked. His sword was missing. He looked up at the scene unfolding before him. Shaaaaa! One swing, and the sword sliced through the monster¡¯s neck. Its head fell to the ground while pouring out a pool of blood. It was an astonishing sight. ¡°Huh, Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± Yes. It was Ru Amuh who had beheaded the monster that tried to attack Chi-Woo. Ru Amuh had been watching from the back and rushed out when the situation reached this stage as per Chi-Woo¡¯s instructions. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chi-Woo asked while letting out a big yawn. ¡°I saw you leaving in the middle of the night, so I secretly followed you,¡± Ru Amuh said with an awkward smile. ¡®At least he sucks at acting,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. It would have been unfair if Ru Amuh was good at acting on top of being handsome. Thankfully, it seemed that he wasn¡¯t that perfect. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Ru Amuh asked with admiration in his eyes. This wasn¡¯t an act; he was genuinely awe-struck. ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t do much after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so humble, sir.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just the truth.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged and glanced at the pile as more cursed beings broke off. ¡°Anyway, there seems to be quite a lot of them.¡± Whoosh! Whoosh! Chi-Woo heard the currents of wind brought about by sword swings. Before he could finish his sentence, all the cursed beings that were approaching them had already lost their heads one after another. Chi-Woo rolled his tongue. It was impressive that Ru Amuh could do so much after losing his special powers, relying solely on his physical ability; as expected of a hero whose main weapon of choice was a sword and had resolved a star-cluster event before entering the Celestial Realm. ¡°I think I can manage by myself, but I think it would be difficult to fight while protecting another person.¡± Ru Amuh shook off the blood from his sword as he spoke. ¡°No need to worry, though.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°As you suggested, I didn¡¯t come here alone.¡± Chi-Woo quickly let out a fake cough to shut Ru Amuh shut up. Although he had told Ru Amuh that it would be better if he brought some companions with him, it didn¡¯t mean he should speak of this out loud in front of Eshnunna. Soon, they were joined by more heroes. It was Ru Hiana and three more individuals. ¡°What? What happened? Who are those guys?¡± ¡°Senior!¡± Ru Hiana shouted, and Chi-Woo responded by pointing at the pile of cursed beings in front of him. He was telling her to take care of them first, and he would explain later. Without missing a beat, Ru Hiana joined in the fray. It didn¡¯t take long before the cursed beings and the heroes were engaged in a ferocious battle. CH 45 A being that had gone mad from a curse was different from a broken and eaten being. They could exercise physical power at the level of a living being. Thanks to Ru Hiana, they found out that heroes specializing in battle could deal with these beings considerably well. Chi-Woo had been concerned due to their considerable numbers, but everything turned out well in the end. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± Ru Hiana twisted their last enemy¡¯s necks and brushed the dust off her hand. ¡°I apologize for borrowing this without permission. I was in such a hurry¡­¡± Ru Amuh sincerely apologized to the middle-aged man and returned the cleanly wiped sword. His performance had been especially amazing; he had cut down half of the cursed ones by himself. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s¡­¡± Ru Hiana was about to ask Chi-Woo for an explanation but stopped when she got a good look at her surroundings. Groans were coming from all over the place. The ranch was full of heroes, and each one of them was squirming on the floor. ¡°What in the world¡­?¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s jaw dropped; she looked incredibly shocked. The rescue effort began immediately. There were more survivors than they had thought there would be. As they predicted, it seemed that heroes had been dragged to the ranch for a specific purpose, and therefore weren¡¯t killed. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean they were in a good condition just because they weren¡¯t dead. Most of them were waking up and regaining their senses, but there were some heroes in such devastating states that it was difficult to even look at them clearly. ¡®How cruel.¡¯ Chi-Woo pulled a heaving man outside and scowled. The man was left with only his head and torso, and his two eyes were missing; it was a miracle that he was still alive. His condition was grotesque enough to induce vomiting, but since Chi-Woo had grown up seeing spirits in all kinds of gruesome forms, he could endure it. He ran into Eshnunna as he dragged the hero outside. Her breath hitched when she saw who Chi-Woo was carrying. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s him.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The leader of the fifth recruitment¡­¡± He was the hero who had pushed Eshnunna to be a sacrifice. Chi-Woo shut his mouth and looked down at the man. He wasn¡¯t acquainted with him in any way, and didn¡¯t want to judge him. Chi-Woo simply pitied the man. The hero must have received all kinds of respect and reverence in other worlds, but this was how he ended up after coming to Liber. Unlike the time she told her story, Eshnunna didn¡¯t seem to hold much resentment towards this hero, either. She simply froze in her spot from the shock. Chi-Woo turned around. They found a total of 155 people at the ranch. Since they lacked the necessary manpower, the middle-aged man and Ru Hiana went off to call on more of the heroes at the main base camp. During the wait, Chi-Woo surveyed the ranch. ¡®Let me check for rewards in case there¡¯s any!¡¯ The glory of raids was their reward. No matter how thoroughly he searched the area, however, he didn¡¯t find any adequate weapons or useful potions. Instead, the effort did nothing but foul his mood. He could see traces of what had happened to the heroes from the fifth and sixth recruitment, and he realized where the skin and bones hanging on the walls came from. After some time, Ru Hiana returned to the ranch with the seventh recruits and more natives. Despite their surprise at the scene before them, the heroes quickly took up a patient or two and carried them on their backs. Chi-Woo watched them with satisfaction and turned around when someone came up to him. Shahnaz Hawa was looking down at the scattered remains on the floor. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to join them?¡± Chi-Woo asked. In response, Hawa slowly turned her head to glance at Chi-Woo and said, ¡°This is him.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°The sorcerer hero.¡± Chi-Woo sighed. Now that he thought about it, he had heard somebody call for help when he arrived at this place. Perhaps¡ªjust perhaps, they might have been able to save more people if he had come yesterday. Hawa turned around and stared at the people leaving the area. Her eyes lingered especially long on Eshnunna before turning to Chi-Woo again. It seemed she wanted to ask something. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go first?¡± Hawa suggested and kneeled. Then, while gathering the remains on the floor into one place, she said ¡°I¡¯ll catch up a bit later.¡± Chi-Woo stared at Hawa¡¯s back and approached her quietly. ¡®I have to come back here a couple of times anyways,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and got down to help Hawa dig the ground and collect the remains. There was no deep meaning behind his actions. It just didn¡¯t feel right for him to simply leave. Hawa glanced at Chi-Woo, but she didn¡¯t turn down his help. After collecting the remains of as many heroes as possible, Chi-Woo held a short ceremony for them, praying that they would go to a good place. Then he thanked the sorcerer for leaving him with information and apologized for not coming sooner. On their way back to the camp, Chi-Woo had to endure everyone¡¯s attention on him. Zelit appeared especially excited; originally, he had thought the situation in this World couldn¡¯t have been worse, and that it was near impossible to save it. Thus, he planned to gather like-minded individuals and secretly escape from the trap that the leader of the camp might have prepared for them. However, on the very day he discussed his concerns with Chi-Woo, Chi-Woo had returned after dealing with the main problem they were facing. Not only had Chi-Woo saved the fifth and sixth recruits, but he also wiped out a whole army of broken beings. A part of him wondered how this was even logically possible, and if he had been bewitched into believing the impossible. ¡°Ugh, what¡¯s happening?¡± Not being able to shake off all these stares, Chi-Woo turned to Eshnunna, who was walking by his side. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Eshnunna shook her head quickly. Chi-Woo asked one more time, ¡°Did you fall in love with me or something?¡± ¡°What?¡± The tails of Eshnunna¡¯s eyes rose sharply. Chi-Woo regretted his words instantly and quickly looked forward. Eshnunna snorted, sneaking glances at Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo was covered in dirt from head to toe from all the digging. Eshnunna thought about the way Chi-Woo had cared for the dead, his drastically calmer state while fighting, and his unreadable face. ¡°Which one is your real self?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Eshnunna blurted out loud without meaning to. She had stared at Chi-Woo intently because she couldn¡¯t figure him out. He seemed like a completely different person than the man he had been a couple of hours ago [Let me hear your cry, arrows! Burn arrowheads!] [Ohohohohohoh!] She could still remember it clearly. The image of Chi-Woo sputtering nonsense and singing excitedly while wielding a club like a madman. When they returned to the camp base, the day had gone by in the midst of all this craziness. Instead of resting, they had to take care of the injured now. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much they could do. There wasn¡¯t any priest who could use curing spells, and they didn¡¯t have medicine. All they could rely on was folk remedies. Even the strongest of the heroes they rescued were in a severely weakened state, as they hadn¡¯t been able to eat or drink properly in captivity, and many were near the point of starvation. A storage room had to be cleared out to house the injured. The camp scraped the meager resources they had and made porridge to make the most out of their food reserves. Their amount of resources hit an all-time low as a result, but saving lives took precedence. Once afternoon passed and night fell, Chi-Woo could finally take a breath in relief. Of course, what awaited him was a great mountain of questions. It was something he had to deal with at least once, and Chi-Woo decided to answer as truthfully as he could while making up some details here and there. ¡°So¡­she was bewitched?¡± asked Zelit. ¡°Yes,¡± Chi-Woo responded. ¡°It took advantage of Eshnunna¡¯s desire to live.¡± ¡°Hm. So you¡¯ve been thinking of the big picture while investigating¡­¡± Chi-Woo explained that he had waited quietly for an opportunity to escape rather than resisting when no good could come out of it. Those who were present considered his action reasonable given the circumstances. In fact, it was a calculative decision that prevented everyone from dying with minimum casualties. However, some of them couldn¡¯t accept how he had gone about it even though they could understand Chi-Woo¡¯s decision. ¡°But it¡¯s problematic that you didn¡¯t talk to any of us about it,¡± said Zelit. After all, if Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been involved today, the seventh recruits could¡¯ve ended up just like the fifth and sixth recruits. ¡°That¡¯s true, but we were all keeping secrets before.¡± Chi-Woo was talking about what had happened at the Shahnaz camp. As someone who had concealed such information at that time, Zelit saw his point. ¡°I guess we couldn¡¯t trust each other from the beginning.¡± Zelit bitterly smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why I said we should just tell everyone. You stopped me from doing that,¡± Ru Hiana interjected. ¡°Lady Eshnunna couldn¡¯t control herself when she was bewitched. She didn¡¯t do what she did because she wanted to.¡± Chi-Woo searched the faces of the heroes around him cautiously. To protect Eshnunna, he had to convince the seventh recruits first of his version of the story. ¡°Everything turned out well; that¡¯s what matters. Without sacrificing the natives, we managed to save some surviving members of the fifth and sixth recruits.¡± That got him different responses from his companions. ¡°Anyways, you really are amazing, Senior. How were you able to achieve that? You are the best, the very best!¡± Ru Hiana cupped her jaw with both hands and smiled brightly at Chi-Woo. Her eager eyes looked at Chi-Woo like she was seeing a holy man. Ru Amuh responded similarly even though he had warned her to address Chi-Woo more formally. It would make sense for him to take Zelit¡¯s side since he had been there when they discussed their suspicions, but he simply looked at Chi-Woo with admiration. ¡°My heart is still beating so hard. What if something had happened to you¡­¡± On the other hand, all Mua Janya did was worry. ¡®Their responses aren¡¯t as bad as I thought they would be.¡¯ Chi-Woo anxiously turned to Zelit. ¡°¡­I understand. If Lady Eshnunna was bewitched as Ru Hiana said, we have to take that into account.¡± Surprisingly, Zelit didn¡¯t protest further. Chi-Woo looked at him, a bit taken back. He thought Zelit would keep digging for more information considering his personality. That was exactly what Zelit wanted to do; even if Lady Eshnunna was bewitched, there was a lot more they hadn¡¯t got to the bottom of. He stopped himself, though, since he was talking to Chi-Woo. Zelit lived by his personal motto that ¡®one had to know their place¡¯, which aligned with his previous declaration that he had felt his limits when dealing with a stellar-system catastrophe and couldn¡¯t dream of solving any event beyond that level. That was what had been keeping him alive for so long as a hero. If he had been the leader of this operation, he would have interrogated Eshnunna till the end, but Chi-Woo was the one in charge this time. Chi-Woo was the hero Zelit had set eyes upon since they were in the Celestial Realm. As soon as he landed on Liber, Chi-Woo had done what no other heroes could even attempt to do. Most importantly, what he had gone on to achieve were meaningful feats. Statements without any results to back them up were nothing more than incompetence; however, it was another story if the speaker behind such words had accomplished the best case scenario above and beyond anyone¡¯s expectations. Thus, Zelit considered Chi-Woo a superior hero to him, and it was understandable that Chi-Woo would want to keep Eshnunna alive. Chi-Woo must have been able to see the greater picture that he couldn¡¯t see. Zelit wasn¡¯t the only one who thought this way, but all of the seventh recruits. They had all accepted and followed Chi-Woo¡¯s lead because they acknowledged Chi-Woo¡¯s achievements. To make an analogy, veteran e-sport players often dismissed a new coach no matter how passionate they were, but if an expert player with many victories under his belt stated the importance of a skill, the other members of the team would heed his words. Considering the fact that Chi-Woo possessed the World¡¯s Milestone, their thought process was strikingly accurate. ¡°I understand,¡± Zelit said. He understood Chi-Woo¡¯s intentions and concerns. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the fifth and sixth recruit would react, but don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll talk to them.¡± ¡°I mean, what are they gonna do about it?" Ru Hiana piped up. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t even have a say.¡± Chi-Woo was surprised at how well everyone accepted his story. It also made him see Zelit in a new light. The hero seemed more like a trustworthy companion than a bother. ¡°Yeah. If they remember how important the natives¡¯ cooperation is to us, they might not make a big deal of it,¡± Someone suddenly joined in the conversation. Chi-Woo blinked and saw that it was Eval Sevaru. ¡®Hasn¡¯t it been a really long time since I last saw him?¡¯ He had rarely seen Eval since coming to the main base camp. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still here?¡± ¡°What, did you think I was dead?¡± Ru Hiana was also surprised. ¡°Where have you been this whole¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just been hanging around,¡± Eval Sevaru interrupted and rubbed his belly. ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you guys hungry? Is there anything left for us?¡± ¡°There is, but I heard that the remaining food will only last for a couple of days. This includes the food we received from the other camps too,¡± Ru Amuh answered, which put a frown on Eval¡¯s face. ¡°I suppose it will be better to just starve today.¡± ¡°I am going to preserve my stamina and go to rest. Since the forest is now safe, I think it will be easier for us to find food,¡± Zelit said while getting up. Everyone else was also tired after all the work they had done today without having a proper meal. Chi-Woo got up from his chair as well once a couple more people rose to leave. Outside, the bustling hadn¡¯t stopped. The natives and Eshnunna were busy taking care of the heroes, whose conditions had suddenly grown worse. They seemed as exhausted as they were. ¡°Please get me some warm water. Grind wild flowers and¡­¡± Eshnunna gave out clear orders even in the midst of this chaos. Her stern face befitted her much more than the friendly smile she had put on while greeting them. Chi-Woo wanted to help, but he had promised to scavenge for food tomorrow. To save the rest of his stamina, he had to get some sleep On his way back to his room, Chi-Woo¡¯s head was full of all kinds of thoughts. Zelit had told him that he was amazing¡ªthat he had gotten the greatest result possible in a hopeless situation. That might be the case if one looked at the current matter in isolation. In Chi-Woo¡¯s perspective, however, this was only the beginning. In a way, he had done everything he did of his own volition. He wondered what repercussions his action might have, and if they would come to him suddenly or gradually. He couldn¡¯t relax yet. He had to be prepared for what was to come. With his thoughts sorted through, Chi-Woo lay down on his bed. Growl. His stomach growled. Chi-Woo looked up at the ceiling blankly before closing his eyes. He suddenly thought of the chicken he had left at home. ¡®I¡¯m hungry¡­¡¯ CH 46 A day passed. As soon as the dawn broke, Chi-Woo and the others split up into teams and set out to investigate. Although they didn¡¯t make much progress, the mood around the camp didn¡¯t sour because everyone could feel a significant change. First of all, it was much easier to wander around the forest now compared to the day before, where it had been all gloomy darkness and suffocating air. Today, the air was clean, and warm sunlight embraced them all. For the first time, the forest felt like a forest to the heroes. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m on a walk.¡± ¡°Yeah. I thought I was walking into a haunted house yesterday.¡± After falling into an all-consuming pit of despair where there was no room for dreams or hope, the heroes felt liberated when they finally saw the rays of light shining on them. Thus, everyone talked to one another with relaxed faces, and as they did, the topic of the conversation naturally steered to Chi-Woo. ¡°It really is amazing. I wonder how he did it though?¡± ¡°He did explain what happened. It seems there¡¯s something more than meets the eyes about him.¡± Chi-Woo would¡¯ve been displeased to hear it, but he had become a household name among the natives and the seventh recruits. ¡°But what¡¯s his name again?¡± As expected, it was his alias Chichibong¡ªrather than Choi Chi-Woo¡ªthat was becoming well-known. The day passed by without much happening. Of course, there were still problems to be dealt with. Although the biggest threat had been taken out, the food shortage grew worse day by day. Ironically, saving the fifth and sixth recruits had exacerbated the shortage. Not only were there significantly more mouths to feed, their new additional members were also mostly patients suffering from malnutrition and therefore needed to eat well, which was the greatest challenge they faced. With the way things were progressing, the recruits would soon have to dig up grassroots to eat. There was a silver lining, though. Thanks to the natives¡¯ ardent care, the fifth and sixth recruits had begun to wake up one by one. ¡°Water¡­water¡­¡± When one hero opened his eyes and asked for water, Eshnunna quickly brought a water bottle to his lips. Gulp, gulp. After mindlessly drinking the water, the hero finally looked around his surroundings with narrowed eyes. They looked confused for a while and gasped out, ¡°Where¡­?¡± ¡°We are at the main base camp.¡± ¡°Main¡­base?¡± ¡°The seventh recruits had arrived. They attacked the ranch yesterday and defeated the broken beings and saved you all.¡± The hero opened his eyes slightly wider. ¡°I see¡­Seventh recruits from the Celestial Realm¡­¡± He let out a sigh of relief and attempted to sit up, but ended up wincing in pain. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Eshnunna reached out to support him with a hand on his back. The hero struggled a little before nodding. ¡°Thank you¡­oh, by the way¡­¡± As if he had suddenly remembered something, he turned to Eshnunna, and his whole face twisted. Upon his return from the noon investigation, Chi-Woo dropped by to check on Giant Fist. Giant Fist hadn¡¯t opened his eyes since the ambush during their first attempt at investigation. He was still in a critical state. After all, it had been a miracle that he was still alive after getting a hole in his stomach and having most of his intestines destroyed. Chi-Woo would¡¯ve died if he suffered such injuries. Giant Fist was only able to hold onto his dear life because he was of a different species, and his body was honed with arduous training. After bringing the almost untouched meal he had received close to the bedside, Chi-Woo stared at Giant Fist, lying on the bed so still like he was dead. Perhaps Chi-Woo shouldn¡¯t care if this person died or not. In a way, it was Giant Fist who had brought Chi-Woo to this living hell. Still, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but care for him. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want Giant Fist to die so pitifully, and he knew the hero¡¯s death would leave a mark on his heart. At first, Chi-Woo had been skeptical of Giant Fist and had suspected him to be some madman. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t even known Giant Fist for a long time, but he had become quite attached. Frustration welled in him as he watched Giant Fist¡¯s pale face. He wanted to do something, but there was nothing he could do. He didn¡¯t have healing abilities, nor could he bring someone who could heal¡­Wait, there was one thing he could do. Chi-Woo took out his seven-sided die and stared down at it. He felt hope rise in his heart; perhaps an alternative event could occur like that time with Ru Amuh. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo hesitated to roll the World¡¯s Milestone because there was more than a fifty percent chance that the dice would fail. He had gotten a message notifying him of the die¡¯s failure when he rolled a four, and nothing happened¡­ When he rolled five and six, he got a ¡®small success¡¯ both times, and an incident beneficial to him occurred. In other words, if he got a number below three, he could fail, or an incident could occur to make their predicaments worse. For example, the die could cut off Giant Fist¡¯s lifeline, as he was barely staying alive. Since Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t manipulate the chances, he couldn¡¯t just roll the die and see what happened. At the same time, he wasn¡¯t going to sit here and do nothing. Although everyone around him put him on a pedestal and praised him for accomplishing a great feat, the reality was still grim. Chi-Woo tightened his fists, feeling his helplessness weighing heavily on him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here,¡± said a familiar voice. Chi-Woo turned around and saw Mua Janya. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired from the investigation? You should rest.¡± ¡°I was wondering if he was awake.¡± ¡°Are you worried about him?¡± Chi-Woo nodded. Mua Janya smiled sweetly at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Chi-Woo looked at her in surprise, wondering if she had found a way to save Giant Fist, but she replied, ¡°If he dies, he dies.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo was at a loss for words. It wasn¡¯t the first time he got this impression, but Mua Janya had a tendency to speak very bluntly at times. ¡°He knew about Liber¡¯s situation beforehand, and it was Giant Fist who made the decision to come to this place,¡± Mua Janya continued. ¡°He has to face the consequences of his choices. He must have been aware of this before coming here.¡± Mua Janya was quite different from Ru Hiana. She had already considered and accepted the possibility that Giant Fist could die. ¡°Moreover, Liber wouldn¡¯t give us the luxury to linger around and mourn for our companion¡¯s death.¡± In short, it was better to do something rather than let their companion¡¯s death go to waste. Chi-Woo understood what she meant, and he did agree with her. However, there was a difference between simply understanding a concept and putting it into action. Chi-Woo let out a humorless laugh and smiled. ¡°I envy you. I wish I could think like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I have survived to this point,¡± Mua Janya shrugged. ¡°You can¡¯t do my line of work without such a mindset. It wouldn¡¯t be fair otherwise.¡± ¡°Fair?¡± ¡°A hero doesn¡¯t become a hero because of their greatness,¡± Mua Janya said in a lowered voice. She looked down at Giant Fist and asked, ¡°Do you know why most heroes are the sole survivors of all kinds of adversaries and difficulties? It¡¯s because their dear families, companions, subordinates, masters, and even strangers have sacrificed themselves for them.¡± She answered her own question without giving Chi-Woo a chance to respond. ¡°Why, there¡¯s even a term for extras that no one even remembers¡ªRandom Villager A.¡± Despite the smirk on her face, her words were grave and loaded with meanings. ¡°Who¡¯s to say we won¡¯t turn out like them?¡± Mua Janya glanced sideways at Chi-Woo and added, ¡°Especially in a world like this.¡± Since heroes reached their position through the sacrifices of a large number of people, they could also be sacrificed at any time. When it was time for them to sacrifice themselves, they needed to recognize this fact and accept their fates. Chi-Woo smiled bitterly at Mua Janya¡¯s extremely logical and reasonable statement. Every time he heard things like this, he always thought, ¡®Are all heroes like this?¡¯ If that was indeed the case, Chi-Woo was not confident that he could ever become a hero. He didn¡¯t want to be one, either; he was a thoroughly selfish person full of desires. ¡°If you¡¯re so worried, you should rest and save your energy. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to use that energy to find food or medicine?¡± ¡°What about you, Ms. Mua Janya?¡± ¡°I have a lot of experience with situations like this, and I¡¯m strong, so it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll stand guard here. I can delegate the responsibility to someone else if a native comes.¡± Everything Mua Janya said was reasonable, so there was nothing Chi-Woo could argue against. He turned around to leave. Mua Janya sighed deeply as she watched him go. With a bitter expression, she said to Giant Fist, ¡°You¡¯re up, aren¡¯t you?¡± Flinch. Giant Fist flinched. He slowly opened his eyes and said with a hoarse voice and a weak smile, ¡°You¡­knew¡­?¡± Mua Janya snorted. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something if you¡¯ve regained consciousness? He¡¯s worried about you.¡± ¡°I¡­just¡­woke up¡­and you were talking¡­¡± Giant Fist spoke with involuntary pauses. Glancing at the plate that Chi-Woo left behind, he smiled faintly and said, ¡°Again¡­root vegetables¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re complaining about the food as soon as you wake up?¡± Mua Janya clicked her tongue ¡°You should be grateful. This is probably the last day you¡¯ll be having root vegetables. From tomorrow on, we¡¯re going to have a great time eating mud balls together.¡± Giant Fist¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The situation¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad. Things are much better than before in terms of safety. I¡¯ll even say that everything is looking up except for the food shortage we face.¡± ¡°Better¡­how¡­?¡± ¡°Right, you don¡¯t know about it. While you were sleeping on your ass, a lot of things happened. Don¡¯t be too shocked by what I¡¯m about to tell you!¡± Mua Janya sat on the edge of the bed and relayed to him what had happened so far. Surprisingly, Giant Fist was not shocked at all. He simply nodded calmly while Mua Janya talked about Chi-Woo¡¯s achievements. ¡®What the¡ªwhy isn¡¯t he surprised?¡¯ Even if Giant Fist wasn¡¯t shocked, Mua Janya thought he would at least say something along the lines of, ¡®As expected! It¡¯s Sir Chi-Hyun¡¯s brother after all!¡¯ and be proud of Chi-Woo. However, Giant Fist quietly listened to Mua Janya and said, ¡°Do you¡­really¡­think that¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡­he said¡­at the end¡­¡± Finally understanding his question, Mua Janya smirked and said in an incredulous tone, ¡°Come on. Do you think I won¡¯t know something that even you know?¡± Giant Fist smiled and sat up with some difficulty. ¡°This is a¡­good time¡­I have something to tell you¡­¡± Giant Fist took a deep breath to say something important, but at that moment, both of their gazes quickly shifted outside, where a commotion could be heard. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Wait here. I¡¯ll go check and come back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also¡­¡± ¡°No, you haven¡¯t recovered.¡± However, Mua Janya went up to support Giant Fist as she said that, and they slowly made their way out together. It was complete chaos. ¡°This fucking bitch!¡± Several heroes of the sixth recruits were yelling and pointing their fingers at Eshnunna. It seemed that they had tried to attack her; Zelit and the other seventh recruits were doing their best to hold them back, while Eshnunna lowered her head and silently endured their accusations and insults. ¡°Calm, calm down for a bit!¡± ¡°Let me go! I told you to let go!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I explain everything to you! You¡¯re taking out your anger on an¡ª!¡± ¡°Fucking hell! Do you seriously expect me to believe your nonsense!?¡± The man pushed strongly in anger, and Zelit took a few steps back. Despite his condition, he still had some strength left since he was a hero. ¡°You seventh recruits may not know any better, so listen carefully. That bitch, that fucking bitch¡ª¡± The man¡¯s voice shook as he pointed at Eshnunna with his thumb. ¡°She¡¯s a fucking traitor. Ain¡¯t I right?¡± Eshnunna bit her bottom lip. ¡°We came all the way here to save them, and this fucking bitch sold us in exchange for the survival of her and her people. You hear me?¡± Ru Hiana stepped forward with gritted teeth. ¡°It¡¯s so fucking annoying to hear you end every sentence with ¡®bitch¡¯.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Who the hell am I? Are you fucking deaf? We told you that she didn¡¯t do it out of her own will.¡± ¡°You expect me to believe that? Are you a moron?¡± ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from you. Some of us have been bewitched as well. Why do you think it¡¯ll be different for the natives?¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s rebuttal gave the man pause. He huffed and looked at the seventh recruits who had now gathered around them. ¡°Fine. That¡¯s what you think, but what do the rest of you think?¡± ¡°Sir, I understand how you feel, but please calm down.¡± Ru Amuh stepped forward this time. ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t tell you about them. She couldn¡¯t. I understand that you¡¯re angry about the suffering you¡¯ve gone through, but please consider the fact that the natives didn¡¯t have a choice, either.¡± Ru Amuh asked him to listen to their story again in a calm and polite tone. However, Ru Amuh¡¯s words fell on deaf ears since the man was too enraged to listen. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± He let out a burst of fake laughter in disbelief and suddenly smiled. ¡°Wow¡­Ah. Is that it?¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand why you were shielding her so much even when the truth is so obvious. Did that bitch beg you guys to save her in exchange for her body, perhaps?¡± His unforgivable insinuation plunged the heated atmosphere into dead coldness. Ru Amuh looked disgusted, and Ru Hiana¡¯s face turned bright red with fury. Eshnunna, who had been quietly enduring the verbal abuse, froze as well. ¡°Aha! If that¡¯s not it, did you already¡ª¡± While the man continued to spout insults, Chi-Woo saw Eshnunna¡¯s pale, stricken face and stared hard at the source of the abuse. The man had crossed the line. 1. [Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s] Personal History ->Innate Ability Personality: Neutral Characteristics: Three lines ¡°This fucking bastard¡­¡± Chi-Woo swore under his breath and took a step forward. CH 47 ¡°Hey, man!¡± Someone hurriedly grabbed Chi-Woo from behind. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s not time for you to come forward yet.¡± Eval Sevaru leaned in and whispered into Chi-Woo¡¯s ear, ¡°Why are you trying to intervene already? There¡¯s no need.¡± ¡®Where did he pop out from? And why is he talking to me like we¡¯re close?¡¯ Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but wonder, but then he remembered Eval had been talking to him casually since their meeting at the tent. While trying to figure out what Eval wanted, Chi-Woo prompted Eval to let go with a glare. ¡°Think about it, man. Those guys are from the sixth recruitment,¡± Eval Sevaru said, letting go of Chi-Woo and dusting his clothes. ¡°You had taken a stand against them during the first meeting between the sixth and seventh recruits.¡± That was true. Chi-Woo had made the decision to save Salem Eshnunna. Due to all the successes he had achieved to this point, Chi-Woo had become quite influential among the seventh recruits. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that Chi-Woo had become their spokesperson. On matters regarding Eshnunna, the sixth and seventh recruits were at odds. ¡°This is also a form of battle. You¡¯ll be giving them the satisfaction of winning by stepping in.¡± Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. He understood what Eval was saying, but he didn¡¯t think his intervention would mean that much. As he continued to listen to Eval, though, he realized his arguments did hold some water. ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to do anything as long as they kept quiet, but those bastards made the first move. Why don¡¯t you stay here for now? I¡¯ll have a go. You know what summit meetings are usually like.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°The top superiors don¡¯t concern themselves with each and every matter. The working team comes to an agreement on 90% of the issues on the agenda, and the superiors gather to discuss what to do with the remaining 10%.¡± Eval continued after clearing his throat. ¡°Furthermore, that guy is like a beast. A beast won¡¯t be able to understand human language. It will only understand if you talk in its language.¡± Similarly, an officer was needed on the ground to lead an army during a battle. Eval Sevaru opened his mouth as wide as possible and moved his jaw sideways. He looked like a boxer warming up right before a match. ¡°Anyways, just believe in me and wait. You might not know this, but I have become a hero with my mouth alone.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Chi-Woo was about to respond when he was interrupted by a man¡¯s mocking remark. ¡°What? Why aren¡¯t they responding? Seriously! Did I hit right on the mark? What nonsense!¡± Eval immediately turned around and sauntered forward, tilting his head sideways with swagger as the man let out a litany of insults. ¡°Shit. I can¡¯t stand to listen to them any longer¡ª¡± The man who had been making a mockery of the situation shut his mouth as Eval approached him. He could sense a formidable opponent in Eval from Eval¡¯s stern gaze and boastful attitude. ¡°Hey, you bastards.¡± Eval¡¯s first words to the man fulfilled all expectations. ¡°What are you blabbering on and on about~?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just eat your food and get treated like a good patient. Quietly. Why are you yapping about everything and stirring up such a fuss?¡± ¡°What did you say? Yapping and stirring up a fuss? Watch your mouth!¡± As a fellow hero, the man flew into a rage for being treated like a dog. ¡°So what? What are you going to do about it?¡± Of course, Eval was unconcerned whichever way the man responded. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. Do you think we are some dickheads that will let you keep barking without doing anything? Yap, Yap!¡± Eval barked fiercely, and the man backed away. He then continued, ¡°Get it through your head while we are still talking nicely. The sixth recruits had all been destined to die. It¡¯s only thanks to the princess and us that at least some of you managed to survive.¡± Truthfully, it had nothing to do with Eshnunna or the seventh recruits; it was all thanks to Chi-Woo. Eval only brought up the others so that the seventh recruits present would feel a sense of belonging, the power of which should not be ignored. For better or worse, individuals would usually gravitate towards the beliefs and stance of the group they belonged to. Case in point, a couple of seventh recruits nodded in agreement with Eval¡¯s words, which assured Eval. He knew he had now established a solid foundation to build upon. ¡°Furthermore, if you think about it, what did this pitiful princess do to warrant the blame?¡± Eval smirked and shoved his hands into his pockets. ¡°She simply gathered the recruits scattered all over Liber, ensured their safety, fed them, and provided them shelter. Wow, she was basically your mom.¡± ¡°She should¡¯ve at least warned us¡ª!¡± ¡°Do you think it would have made any difference?¡± Eval Sevaru purposefully cut the man off. ¡°If she had told you about the situation beforehand, would you have gone to save the fifth recruits while letting the natives live? You guys?¡± Eval laughed and continued in a mocking tone, ¡°You can¡¯t blabber whatever you want just because you can. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t tell you, but she couldn¡¯t. Not only was she bewitched, she had the foresight to save her people despite the situation they were in.¡± Eval shook his head like he pitied the man for having such a dull head that he couldn¡¯t understand this simple fact. Then, he clicked his tongue and said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to say this, but I can understand the princess¡¯s point of view. It must be clear to her how little the heroes who have arrived could do. They had been doing nothing but bossing the natives around and killing time.¡± The man flinched. ¡°You were the ones who got ambushed and dragged away without putting up a fight. And now you wouldn¡¯t stop whining. Whine, whine¡ªwhine about not being warned beforehand. Whine about anything and everything. Are you a bunch of toddlers or something?¡± Eval¡¯s words hit them right on the mark. ¡°Given the way you guys have been acting, I wouldn¡¯t have told you anything even if I wasn¡¯t bewitched if I were her. Heroes, my ass. I could see how fucking stupid you guys must have been.¡± The man¡¯s face flushed red. The other sixth recruits standing around him scowled harder as well as Eval insulted all of them. However, it was the truth. Even though Eshnunna held strong resentment towards the fifth recruits, she had said that the sixth recruits made them seem like saints. ¡°Oh? Have I hurt your feelings?¡± Eval looked around and asked boldly. Then he raised his voice and continued, ¡°What can I say? It¡¯s just the god darn truth. You guys should¡¯ve been better. Should I tell you something none of you know? Originally, all of us were supposed to be transmitted to the center of this world, but the prophecy orb changed the transmission point at the last moment. Do you know why?¡± The sixth recruits murmured in response, while the man reluctantly looked at Eval. ¡°It¡¯s so that we could do the work in your stead,¡± Eval Sevaru said teasingly. ¡°If not for you, we would¡¯ve started this mission at a location that was at least habitable for humans.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hilarious! You guys were sent to save the fifth recruits, but not only did you fail to do that, but you also became captured and ruined our connections with the natives. That¡¯s fucking impressive!¡± The man pursed his lips. Eval Sevaru went on with his relentless takedown, ¡°And yet you have been barking nonstop about killing our collaborator after we saved you all. How does that make sense? Why the hell would you make the decision on your own? Damn, you really are idiots.¡± At the end of the fierce condemnation, the man¡¯s face looked blank. Eval smiled with satisfaction, knowing that he had thoroughly intimidated his opponent. ¡°¡­So.¡± The man finally opened his firmly shut mouth. ¡°Are you telling us to just let go of this matter?¡± Then he raised his voice and shouted with a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Look at that man!¡± He pointed in another direction. There was a hero who couldn¡¯t do anything but lie down after losing his arms and legs. ¡°He isn¡¯t the only one! We¡ª!¡± ¡®This bastard,¡¯ Eval flinched. He didn¡¯t think the man would go down without pulling a hidden card, but he hadn¡¯t expected the man to resort to guilt-tripping. ¡°No,¡± someone else spoke up from the opposite direction. The hero had been the leader of the fifth recruits and the one who had pushed Eshnunna to sacrifice herself. ¡°I¡¯m part of the fifth recruits, and I don¡¯t think Princess Salem betrayed us.¡± The hero continued with his eyes closed, ¡°It simply happened because we couldn¡¯t stop the deserter from the Shahnaz camp. The princess didn¡¯t even have a chance to contact those beings. I swear upon this.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m simply talking about what happened to the fifth recruits. I don¡¯t know what happened after that.¡± The man looked visibly taken aback. Meanwhile, Eval had put on a faint smile after the initial surprise. Things could have turned in a strange direction, but it seemed the man had dug his own hole. ¡°Let¡¯s put a stop to this.¡± After a short silence, a person emerged from the group, and Eval¡¯s attention snapped to him. Eval had expected a no-good hoodlum burning head to toe with rage, but the man before him caught him completely by surprise. The man stood out from his peers. He was tall, and his body was well sculpted. His face was slim and covered in wounds. His bleached, gray hair flowed messily down his face, and a shaggy beard spread his jaw to the bottom of his ears. There was a noble air about him with his sorrowful eyes and elegant features, but the way he presented himself bore more resemblance to a mercenary who traveled around rough places. Eval was silent. It was obvious even at a glance how different the man was from the others. Even though one shouldn¡¯t judge others by appearance, Eval decided to trust his instincts. Heroes were not all equal. Ordinary heroes were different from heroes from the twelve families that lit up the Celestial Realm. And even among the twelve families, there was a hierarchy. The same rule was applicable to the heroes here as well. Even though Eval didn¡¯t know who he was, the man was likely to be one of the leaders of the sixth recruits. ¡°We have more to say, too,¡± Chi-Woo piped up. Well, we have a leader on our side as well. Eval Sevaru stepped back to give Chi-Woo room. Now that the cockfight between working-level staff members was over, It was time for the top bosses to finish the conversation. Chi-Woo walked up to the center of the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits in attendance, purposefully stopping beside Eshnunna to face the man who had taken center stage. ¡°You are¡­Hmm, I¡¯m Allen Leonard.¡± The man swallowed whatever he was going to say to Chi-Woo and introduced himself instead. ¡°Would you tell me your name?¡± He waited for Chi-Woo to respond, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t return the gesture. ¡°Well¡­let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m the one who saved you people.¡± Chi-Woo refused to reveal his name. Even though that could be taken as an insult, Allen Leonard nodded like he didn¡¯t mind and said, ¡°I see. I apologize for giving my thanks so late.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± Chi-Woo stared at the man behind Allen Leonard, whose posture made him look like a tied-up barley bag. ¡°I¡¯m regretting it, actually.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think that¡­I shouldn¡¯t have saved you guys.¡± The air froze. ¡®Woah.¡¯ Eval Sevaru clicked his tongue silently. Chi-Woo was going stronger than he had expected. It was obvious that the others felt the same. In fact, Ru Hiana appeared to be unnerved by Chi-Woo even though she had been cheering Eval on. The actions of a working-level staff and those of the boss carried different weight. If Chi-Woo followed through with his words, the seventh recruits would be forced to make the sixth recruits their enemies. They waited for Allen Leonard¡¯s response, and in the end, the man decided to take a step back. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I think my comrade was not in his right state of mind due to the intense turmoil he went through and the loss of many of our comrades. We were in the wrong.¡± Eval Sevaru yelled ¡®Nice!¡¯ in his mind. Just like that, the hierarchy between the sixth and seventh recruits was established. However, he was taken aback by Chi-Woo¡¯s response. ¡°Then he should apologize.¡± Eval didn¡¯t think it was a wise decision to push further when the other side had already taken a step back. But Chi-Woo continued, ¡°Mistake or not, isn¡¯t it only right to apologize if you¡¯re in the wrong?¡± Allen Leonard¡¯s thick eyebrows slightly twitched. ¡°That man is in the wrong, and Ms. Eshnunna is the victim. An agreement must be reached between these two parties.¡± In reality, Chi-Woo was not making any complex calculations like Eval Sevaru thought he was. Instead, he had been acting out of personal reasons, which had nothing to do with him being proactive or a pure urge to help out. He was making his decisions based on the World¡¯s Milestone. That could have darker implications; depending on the situation, Chi-Woo might choose evil over good. He hadn¡¯t stepped forward because he considered it the right decision, or to fulfill a noble cause. The sixth recruits were going after someone he had promised to keep safe and needed for his personal goal. Simple as that. This was the reason why Chi-Woo¡¯s alignment was ¡®neutral¡¯. Silence passed between them. The tension building up threatened to burst at any moment. Allen Leonard slowly opened his mouth and broke the silence, ¡°I have a question for you.¡± ¡°Do you really think that this woman hasn¡¯t done anything wrong?¡± Flinch. Chi-Woo caught Eshnunna slightly trembling next to him. He found himself in the middle of an important crossroad. He had already chosen to save Eshnunna. In order for his choice to come to fruition, they needed to overcome this challenge. He had anticipated mistrust and unfavorable feelings for Eshnunna from some of the heroes. For her future and for him to keep his promise to her, Chi-Woo needed to come up with something that would prevent similar arguments from breaking out. After a moment of silence, Chi-Woo quietly said, ¡°I do think Ms. Eshnunna isn¡¯t free of blame.¡± Eval Sevaru couldn¡¯t believe his ears, but Chi-Woo got to his real point quickly. ¡°However, do you really think we should put all the blame on her? This isn¡¯t an issue we should look at with such a narrow mindset.¡± Allen Leonard listened with rapt attention. ¡°What made Ms. Eshnunna act like that in the first place? Wasn¡¯t it the broken ones?¡± Allen nodded. ¡°With the World as it was and the heroes having lost their powers, it¡¯s understandable that Ms. Eshnunna wouldn¡¯t be able to trust the recruits, isn¡¯t it?¡± Allen blinked and tilted his head. ¡°So I think part of the blame should be placed on the broken ones and Liber¡¯s World.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Allen Leonard looked like he had been hit in the face. ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing for me to say¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s logical argument had rendered him speechless. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± He smacked his lips a few times. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of those circumstances.¡± He let out a deep sigh and finally came to a decision. ¡°I promise you that the sixth recruits will not harm or question her in the future.¡± In the end, he raised the white flag. ¡°And¡­I guess we should apologize.¡± Allen Leonard glanced back. The man who had insulted Eshnunna lowered his head under the silent pressure. His pridefulness was obvious from the way he had been visibly repressing his anger. Anyone could see that he didn¡¯t want to apologize. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Eshnunna spoke up for the first time since the start of the conflict. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize.¡± ¡°Is that all right?¡± asked Allen. ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Eshnunna coldly replied. She held a personal grudge against the man who had insulted her. Before his capture, the man had requested native women like it was his natural right, and had even outrightly harassed and pressured her to accept him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to accept his apology.¡± Allen made a bitter smile, and Eshnunna gently pulled Chi-Woo back. ¡°Let¡¯s just go.¡± She didn¡¯t want to stay here for even a second longer. Despite what she wanted, Chi-Woo stayed to say a couple more words to the man. ¡°You should be careful when you open your mouth in the future.¡± The man furtively looked up. ¡°Ah, this is not a warning, but advice.¡± Chi-Woo looked intently at the man. ¡°Because you have the face of someone¡­¡± He paused for a bit and said, ¡°whose face will soon be cut off if you say a single word wrong.¡± Gulp. They could hear the sound of the man gulping. ¡°Why, don¡¯t you agree with me?¡± Sweat popped out and streamed down from the man¡¯s temples. He didn¡¯t know why he felt this way, but Chi-Woo¡¯s words sounded like a prophecy. He felt anxious that what Chi-Woo said would one day become reality. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, of course, you¡¯re welcome to continue to live like that. Whether you regret it later or not is up to you.¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m s-sor¡­¡± An apology began to escape his lips, but Chi-Woo did not stop to listen any further. ¡°Well, when you finally regret your actions, it¡¯ll already be too late,¡± Chi-Woo smirked and turned around without hesitation. CH 48 With the matter concerning Eshnunna settled, the meeting came to an end, and the majority of the seventh recruits gathered around Chi-Woo. ¡°Wow, you really were good at talking. You said everything I wanted to say and more. It was so refreshing,¡± Ru Hiana said to Eval. ¡°Come on, it was nothing. It wasn¡¯t hard to come up with things to say given the way they were acting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. By the way, where have you been? I hadn¡¯t seen you around for a good while until you started showing up more often.¡± ¡°Nowhere really.¡± Her excitement fading, Ru Hiana tilted her head at Eval in question, but Eval began whistling in lieu of a proper response. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m glad everything has been wrapped up nicely. I suppose Lady Eshnunna won¡¯t have to concern herself with this issue anymore,¡± Ru Amuh said in relief. Ru Hiana shifted her inquisitive gaze to him and asked, ¡°But do you think the sixth recruits would stand by and do nothing? They looked like a shady bunch. What if they stab us from behind?¡± ¡°Although we may see them in a negative light, they had all proven themselves before entering the Celestial Realm. They made a promise to help save this World in front of everyone. I doubt they would try to break the promise now,¡± Ru Amuh said kind-heartedly like the good soul he was. The fact that they had proven themselves didn¡¯t necessarily mean they were kind, of course. ¡°They could break their promise.¡± ¡°If they do that, then¡­¡± Ru Amuh trailed off and made a soft but cold smile. When he turned around to face Chi-Woo, though, his usual amicable expression was back in place, and he crossed his arms before his chest. ¡°Yup! That¡¯s how the Ru clan should respond!¡± Ru Hiana looked at Ru Amuh with pride. ¡®A clan that regards promise as a living being¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought as Ru Hiana and Ru Amuh sorted through their thoughts. Then Ru Hiana turned to Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°Senior! Did you know how cool you were just now?¡± Like someone who had read tales about princes riding to rescue on a white horse, Ru Hiana squealed, ¡°When you stood next to the princess and demanded an apology, I wanted to scream because of how impressive you were.¡± Seeing the enthusiasm in her eyes, Chi-Woo almost felt like he was talking to a fanatic fan. ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything to fuss about.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re acting like this again, Senior! There¡¯s a limit to how humble you can be. You should show off sometimes.¡± Ru Hiana nudged Chi-Woo with her elbow and chuckled. ¡°No one will blame you for that. You really are awesome!¡± She gave Chi-Woo a double thumbs-up with sparkling eyes. Chi-Woo sighed when he turned to see Ru Amuh smiling in silent agreement. They¡¯re mad, especially Ru Hiana. Ru Amuh knew to draw a line even though his admiration for Chi-Woo was clear, while Ru Hiana didn¡¯t restrict herself in any way. It seemed like she would burst into cheers any moment and declare, ¡®I will cheer for you whatever you do!¡¯ ¡®We haven¡¯t even known each other for that long¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Of course, saving a life she treasured was no small task, but¡­ ¡®She seems passionate¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo remembered how it hadn¡¯t been long since Ru Hiana became a hero. In that aspect, she was closer to an ordinary person than a hero at heart. That was why she was prone to overreaction. ¡°Huh, Senior? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?¡± Ru Hiana tilted her head back and forth. Chi-Woo shook his head. Her and Ru Amuh¡¯s dazzling eyes felt heavy on him. It was a small comfort that Ru Amuh had been taking secret glances rather than staring straight at him like his childhood friend. ¡®It¡¯s quite¡­¡¯ Eval licked his lips while looking at Chi-Woo. His reason for stepping forward earlier was far from noble. Eval Sevaru was a unique hero. Unorthodox, in a manner of speaking; he relied heavily on his superb ability to read the situation. As soon as he arrived at the Shahnaz camp, he had been suspicious of them and planned to escape on his own should anything happen. However, the situation changed with Chi-Woo¡¯s intervention. Intelligent as he was, Eval quickly realized who the most influential figure would be, and if he didn¡¯t get himself under Chi-Woo¡¯s banner, there was a high possibility that he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape an accidental death. The surest way to survive was sticking to the strong. Eval didn¡¯t choose the strong simply by their abilities. They had to be in a different league from all others, which let them rise above everyone. If they fulfilled this criterion, people naturally gathered around them, and even those who were reluctant couldn¡¯t help but support them. In an age where heroes could come from anywhere and any background, this kind of person stood out as true heroes in the traditional sense. Knowing that he lacked this trait more than anyone else, Eval had to crawl under someone of a different league. It hadn¡¯t been easy for him to find someone like Chi-Woo from the beginning. Not only was the situation on Liber dire, but since everyone around him was a hero, it was also more difficult to find someone above and beyond everyone else. All things considered, what happened earlier had left a deep impression on Eval. Chi-Woo had managed to shake up the crowd with just a few words, and he had more than proven his abilities. Was he in a different league than the other heroes? It seemed to Eval that Chi-Woo ticked most of the boxes¡­ ¡®I have to watch him for a bit longer, but he¡¯s worth sticking to for now,¡¯ Eval thought to himself and maintained his silence. If he could, he would rub his hands togethers and flatter Chi-Woo to gain his favors, but it seemed Chi-woo wasn¡¯t comfortable with that, so he thought it was best for him to not go too far. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ While Eval was doing all sorts of calculations inside his head, Chi-Woo was straining his eyes to look ahead of him. Somebody had been watching them from far away. As soon as Chi-Woo focused his gaze on the figure, they flinched and hid behind a building. ¡®Would you look at that.¡¯ Chi-Woo smiled brightly after getting a good look at the hem of the robe sticking out from behind the building. ¡°You guys can keep talking. I¡¯ll be heading back.¡± ¡°Really? Where are you going, senior?¡± ¡°I have some business to take care of.¡± Chi-Woo got up from his seat and walked to the dorm. ¡®One, two, three¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo began counting in his head after returning to his room. When he counted to twenty, he heard someone knock on the door. ¡®He came faster than I expected.¡¯ Chi-Woo smiled brightly and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Creak. The door opened, and a boy standing shorter than the doorknob showed himself cautiously; it was Eshnunna¡¯s younger brother, Salem Yohan. ¡°Hello,¡± Chi-Woo greeted Yohan in a friendly tone. Yohan entered the room awkwardly, but his eyes clearly revealed all the emotions he was feeling: limitless admiration, gratitude, and a bit of¡­ anxiety. Chi-Woo was also grateful that he was able to stop Eshnunna thanks to the die. Considering this, he understood why Yohan had come to visit him. ¡°Sir Hero, I want to thank you sincerely for saving us,¡± Yohan said. Chi-Woo knew he must have many things he wanted to ask about and things he was extremely curious about. Nevertheless, the boy didn¡¯t ask his questions right away, and instead politely expressed his gratitude first. ¡°No need to thank me. It was all thanks to everyone putting in the effort.¡± Pleased with Yohan¡¯s response, Chi-Woo decided to live up to the boy¡¯s expectations. ¡°Did you come here because of your sister?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Yohan gasped. He seemed taken aback that Chi-Woo had read his mind, but he readily admitted, ¡°¡­Yes. My sister¡­¡± Chi-Woo could guess what Yohan wanted to say. Yohan must have seen a lot and bottled up a great deal of emotions up to this point, but the fact that he had come to Chi-Woo to ask about his sister indicated that, in a small corner of his heart, he still wanted to trust her. Knowing that, Chi-Woo waited for Yohan to muster enough courage to ask the question. ¡°Did my sister really not betray the heroes?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t answer right away, because he could sense that Yohan had more to say. After a momentary silence, Yohan continued, ¡°My sister was strong. She was special from a young age¡ªthe type of person who learned ten times the amount a normal person would learn at once. And I¡¯ve never seen her cry¡­If only she hadn¡¯t been a woman, she would have been named the heir right away.¡± Yohan made a bitter smile. ¡°She was far superior than everyone around her, to the point that I resented her when I was younger. It also scared me a bit.¡± Yohan had had an inferiority complex about his remarkable sister and dreaded how his sister might think of him, having been deprived of a chance to succeed the throne for a reason as menial as gender. He even feared that she might gather support and work against him. ¡°I began to feel guilty after growing up. Meanwhile, my sister has always stayed the same.¡± As a member of the royal family, she always played the part of an accepting and understanding princess for the Salem Kingdom. ¡°That was why I couldn¡¯t believe it. I didn¡¯t want to believe it.¡± Yohan couldn¡¯t accept the truth that his strong sister could have betrayed the trust placed on her. Chi-Woo lowered his eyes and stared at the boy and his drooping shoulders. ¡°It depends on how you look at it,¡± Chi-Woo said. Yohan looked up at him immediately. From the natives¡¯ perspective, Eshnunna hadn¡¯t betrayed anyone. But of course, this wasn¡¯t what Yohan was asking. ¡°In the perspective of the sixth recruits, Ms. Eshnunna was a traitor.¡± A sharp inhale. Yohan¡¯s eyes turned round. ¡°Did she really¡ª¡± ¡°But in the perspective of the seventh recruits, she didn¡¯t betray anyone,¡± Chi-Woo said firmly. His group might have experienced the same thing as the sixth recruits, but Chi-Woo had stopped the worst from happening. He approached Eshnunna in person, listened to her story, and reached out to her; at the end of the day, Eshnunna had taken his hand. ¡°Perhaps the fifth recruits might have more to say.¡± The fifth recruits had tried to do something even without Eshnunna¡¯s compliance. That at least proved that they had a strong desire to save Liber and had put it into action. ¡°The sixth recruits didn¡¯t even try to save the world. Don¡¯t you know that well?¡± Yohan didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced. ¡°In short, I think it¡¯s just a matter of circumstances.¡± The recruits had made their decisions and suffered the consequences, with Eshnunna being only partly at fault. ¡°If we really get down to every little detail, it would be nobody¡¯s fault but the fault of this World for reaching such a state.¡± Yohan opened his mouth slightly but didn¡¯t speak. Chi-Woo went on. There was a simple answer to the question why Eshnunna had acted the way she did. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna¡­simply treasured her people and her brother, Salem Yohan, far too much,¡± Chi-Woo continued. ¡°She said that she would give up everything if only the heroes let you live. If the fifth recruits had accepted this offer then, she would never have gone this far.¡± Yohan¡¯s eyes widened. It seemed to be his first time hearing this. ¡°As it was, things unfolded differently, which you¡¯ve witnessed yourself.¡± Eshnunna cared for her brother so much that she surrendered to the cursed and broken ones and didn¡¯t resist bewitchment. She walked into an obvious trap with her own two feet and bided her time while enduring everything forced on her with stubborn resolve. ¡°I think the explanation should be enough for you.¡± Chi-Woo could have told Yohan what he wanted to hear, saying, ¡®It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Ms. Eshnunna is a real patriot.¡¯ And the conversation would have ended on a much more comfortable note for the boy. However, Chi-Woo continued, ¡°People tend to expect certain things from others. It happens in any relationship and any situation¡­It¡¯s normal for you to be disappointed when the other party fails to meet your expectations.¡± Chi-Woo smiled. ¡°Mr. Yohan, you know the context in which your sister did what she did, and the reason behind her actions, but you still hate this part about your sister, right?¡± Chi-Woo folded his arms. ¡°Then it¡¯s time for you to be the change you need.¡± Yohan let out an exclamation as he understood Chi-Woo¡¯s unspoken words. Yohan was the reason behind all of Eshnunna¡¯s choices and actions. ¡°Mr. Yohan, if you grow up to be a great man and help Ms. Eshnunna shoulder the heavy burden she¡¯d been carrying by herself, she might return to the sister you expected her to be.¡± If Yohan changed, Eshnunna¡¯s choices and actions might change as well. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Yohan¡¯s face brightened like dark clouds dissipating in the sky. He also looked embarrassed. Even though Chi-Woo had spoken in a way that would soften the blow, he was basically telling Yohan that he was no different from his sister. Moreover, Chi-Woo was also saying, ¡®If you¡¯re so angry at her, why didn¡¯t you say anything? You didn¡¯t even try to do something like your sister. Do you have any right to criticize her when all you¡¯ve been doing is watching from under her wings?¡¯ ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Yohan sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He lowered his head. ¡°I was the coward.¡± Even though he seemed to have fully understood what Chi-Woo meant, Yohan looked relieved rather than hurt. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Ms. Eshnunna cherishes you so much because you¡¯re her little brother, or because you¡¯re the heir of the Salem Kingdom¡­but if you¡¯re curious, why don¡¯t you ask her yourself?¡± ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo smiled brightly and looked outside. Through the crack of the door Yohan had left ajar, a blue skirt could be seen. ¡®Siblings are siblings in the end.¡¯ ¡°Sister?¡± While Chi-Woo snickered inside his mind, Yohan called out to Eshnunna in a daze. Swish. The fluttering skirt quickly disappeared. However, she was already caught. After a couple of seconds, the door slowly opened. Eshnunna carefully walked up to them. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop¡­I had something to tell you¡­¡± Eshnunna and Yohan¡¯s eyes met. Silence fell between them, but their gazes spoke volumes. Chi-Woo quietly laughed while various emotions were being exchanged between Eshnunna and Yohan. The reconciliation was a long time coming. ¡°Would you like some snacks?¡± asked Chi-Woo. Yohan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. But he caught on quickly and made a slight smile. ¡°You told me you didn¡¯t have any left to offer.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s probably more in Ms. Eshnunna¡¯s room.¡± Chi-Woo glanced at Eshnunna, who was blinking in a daze. ¡°Even though I told her to eat it secretly by herself, she didn¡¯t do it. I wonder who she has been saving the snack for?¡± Yohan¡¯s smile deepened at Chi-Woo¡¯s nonchalant words. ¡°Thank you!¡± He politely bowed and immediately turned around. Seemingly embarrassed, he left Chi-Woo¡¯s room like he was running away. ¡®He¡¯s smart.¡¯ Chi-Woo made a pleased smile as he heard Yohan¡¯s footsteps quickly moving away from them. It would be good if Eshnunna and Yohan reconciled. However, Yohan should mend his relationship with his sister on his own rather than relying on Chi-Woo¡¯s help. When Eshnunna went back to her room after finishing her conversation with Chi-Woo, Yohan would probably be waiting for her. If the two of them could resolve their misunderstanding by talking and having snacks together, their relationship would become stronger than before. Chi-Woo had no doubt about that. That was until he heard Eshnunna murmur to herself, ¡°But I finished all the snack¡­¡± ¡°What? When?¡± ¡°A few days ago. I went back to my room, and before I went to sleep¡­It was right there, so¡­¡± She mumbled guiltily even though there was no reason for her to be. ¡°Why did you¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong about that?¡± ¡°If you were going to eat it, you should have done so earlier. Now, I have to take back my words.¡± ¡°You kept telling me to eat it before¡­¡± Eshnunna narrowed her eyes and pouted. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have a comeback because she was right. In the end, he sighed and took out another snack from his bag. Eshnunna stared at it and asked, ¡°Do you have more?¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t give away more.¡± Chi-Woo did bring a lot of snacks. But the amount had gone from ¡®Chi-Hyun will be able to enjoy as much as he wants¡¯ to ¡®Well, this should be¡­enough¡¯. Moreover, Chi-Woo had also taken a couple of snacks out and eaten them when he got hungry, but that was a secret he would take to his grave. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡®What for? For saving her? For giving her the snacks? Or¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at Eshnunna and laughed at her awkward coughs and furtive glances. She looked up at him with puzzlement and asked, ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Just because.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t laugh.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it seems like you¡¯re making fun of me.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged when Eshnunna¡¯s expression turned serious. He waited for her to change the topic while laughing even louder than before on purpose. ¡°I wanted to tell you¡­seriously!¡± ¡°Ah, I got it. I¡¯ll stop. I¡¯ll stop¡± Eshnunna glared at Chi-Woo for laughing nonstop. Only then did she go on to give him the message. There was a hero who wanted to meet him. When he asked her who it was, she said it was the leader of the fifth recruits. ¡°Why does he want to meet me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get the details. But he told me it was extremely important, and that you should bring comrades you can trust with you.¡± Comrades he could trust¡­Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure he could fully trust them, but several people came to mind. ¡°Should I go right now?¡± ¡°Not right now. It¡¯s¡­¡± Eshnunna made a troubled face. ¡°After barely managing to finish a sentence, he fell into a coma.¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback, but then he realized how serious the hero¡¯s condition was. It was pointless to even ask how the man was doing. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this just in case. If he gains consciousness by some miracle, I¡¯ll let you know immediately.¡± Chi-Woo did not know why the hero wanted to meet him, but he was the leader of the fifth recruits; there would be no harm in listening to him. ¡°I¡¯ll go as soon as you tell me.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. After the conversation, Chi-Woo kept on waiting, but the hero¡¯s condition continued to worsen. The next dawn, the man overcame death several times, and over the following three days, he had been struggling in a precarious state. When they were finally going to give up, thinking that there was no hope for the man, the leader of the fifth recruits miraculously gained consciousness. Chi-Woo immediately went to meet him with Zelit and several others. The hero was lying on the bed¡ªwith neither eyes nor any of his limbs. He was helplessly lying in an old bed, and he lifted his head slightly when he heard their footsteps. ¡°¡­Is everyone here?¡± he asked in a raspy voice as soon as Chi-Woo and the others arrived. Zelit glanced at Chi-Woo for a brief moment. When Chi-Woo nodded, Zelit turned back to the leader of the fifth recruits and said, ¡°Are you able to talk?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know my body the best. I¡¯ll get straight to the point.¡± The hero came into Chi-Woo¡¯s focus. If Chi-Woo were in the man¡¯s shoes, recovery would be his top priority, and he would do anything necessary to survive. However, the hero didn¡¯t seem to care about his condition at all, and he spoke like worrying about his health was a waste of their time. ¡°Before that¡ªI heard that the prophecy has gone through a sudden change. Would you be able to tell me what happened?¡± Zelit answered faithfully while the hero steadied his breathing; he had become out of breath after saying only a few words. ¡°Is that so¡­Something about the seventh recruits must have been the key to turning our current situation around.¡± He came to the same conclusion as Zelit without much trouble. Zelit replied, ¡°I believe so. Even though the prophecy is not absolute, that would be the most likely explanation.¡± The hero¡¯s gaze snapped to Chi-Woo. Zelit continued, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the thing you called us here to talk about. What is it that you want to say?¡± The hero fell into silence. An inescapable sense of drowsiness washed over him; he was absolutely certain that if he closed his eyes this time, he would never open them again. ¡°¡­I think it¡¯ll be better to give you my conclusion first.¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°Be prepared to fight or run away. I¡¯ll recommend running away immediately.¡± The atmosphere grew heavy. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zelit asked, his gaze sharp. ¡°Are you suggesting that the broken ones will come to avenge their comrades or something?¡± ¡°Those beings¡­I won¡¯t completely disregard that possibility, but I¡¯ll say it¡¯s unlikely.¡± The hero shook his head after a brief moment of bemusement. ¡°If it¡¯s true that those beings have been defeated, the damage they suffered must be great.¡± ¡°Then what are you talking about? The cursed ones?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for those beings.¡± Confusion began to overtake everyone. If neither the broken ones nor the cursed ones were the problems, what was the man talking about? ¡°What I¡¯m trying to tell you is¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes opened wide at his following words. CH 49 ¡°It¡¯s about the forces behind the two types of beings.¡± Zelit scowled. He didn¡¯t expect to hear this from the leader of the fifth recruits; the words ¡®forces¡¯ and ¡®two types of beings¡¯ in particular piqued his attention. ¡°By two types of beings¡­do you mean the cursed ones who had gone mad and the broken ones?¡± The hero nodded. ¡°There were different forces pulling the strings behind the scene?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the hero said while gasping for air. ¡°What do you think is the reason why the mutation happened in the first place?¡± Zelit paused, stopping himself from calling the hero¡¯s statements nonsensical. ¡°Based on what you said ¡­¡± After organizing his thoughts, Zelit asked, ¡°Are you insinuating that the mutations were artificially fostered rather than a natural occurrence?¡± Someone was purposefully bringing about these mutations, and there was a power overseeing the cursed ones and the broken ones respectively. ¡°Why? For what reason?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± the hero said in a low voice. ¡°To expand their army.¡± ¡°So that they can keep us in check?¡± Ru Hiana asked, and the hero laughed a terribly self-deprecating laugh. ¡°Of course not,¡± he stated firmly. His voice grew weary as he continued, ¡°Why would beings coming to this world with such tremendous power care about weaklings like us? We don¡¯t even have the right to stand on this World¡¯s battle stage, nor do we warrant a lick of their attention. That¡¯s the reality.¡± In other words, even if all the recruits from the Celestial Realm and the natives of Liber came together, anyone would be hard-pressed to call them a formidable force in comparison to the other players here. ¡°How much do you know about the situation on Liber?¡± The fifth recruits were different from the sixth and seventh. They were transmitted to the central base set up by Choi Chi-Hyun. They had traversed far and overcome many difficulties before arriving at this camp, so they must know more about the situation outside. ¡°It¡¯s a complete mess.¡± After Liber¡¯s ruling goddess Elephthalia went mad, the unprotected World fell into ruins, and was soon invaded by a wandering alien force. And that wasn¡¯t all. As the boundaries existing in the World broke down, the demons living on the other side took their chances to ambush the mortal realm. Even the Abyss, which had been expelled underground at the beginning of Liber¡¯s creation according to legends, began to crawl upwards. The situation deteriorated to the point that even different kinds of monsters felt the threat of extinction and formed a coalition. There was no need to detail the events that followed¡ªthe human race that had been ruling over the Middle World of Liber for a long time was rendered powerless and insignificant, and thus the rapid decline of mankind commenced. Four giant powers then aimed for the now vacant spot ruling over the Middle World. There was only one possible way for things to unfold. A war to determine the fates of the different forces took place; they fought for territories they had always wanted as their own. ¡°Those who captured us wanted us to join them.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It would be more accurate to say that they wanted to absorb us.¡± The first thing the broken beings did to the recruits was to corrupt them. The recruits were cast to the large clump of broken beings and exposed to its impurity day and night. However, the heroes were extremely strong-willed and wouldn¡¯t break easily. Thus, the broken beings changed tactics, opting to slowly erode the heroes¡¯ mental fortitude through all kinds of gruesome torture, until there was nothing but anger and hatred left in their minds. Then they could kill and turn heroes into vengeful spirits. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hide his shock. If the hero was telling the truth, the broken beings had attempted to use the recruits for yeomae. Yeomae was a type of enchantment so evil and dark that it had been made illegal during the Joseon dynasty. ¡°During the process¡­I felt their thoughts keenly.¡± While enduring the nonstop torture and corruption, the hero had felt a strong intent. Although he hadn¡¯t heard directly from the broken beings, he was able to sense the reasoning and meaning behind their actions. ¡°I can¡¯t pinpoint exactly which force it is, but¡­those beings¡­they were using the broken beings to block¡­another force from mutating the cursed beings and forming an army through them.¡± Of course, they were also increasing their own numbers by doing that. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ru Amuh opened his mouth after a resounding silence, ¡°The fact that cursed beings appeared after broken beings became powerless shows that the two forces are battling.¡± Similar to how a hellish swarm of flies attracted other bugs, the broken beings had absorbed parts of the cursed beings they infested. Not only did this undermine the power behind the cursed beings, but it simultaneously bolstered their effort in experimentation. It was much easier to take over the cursed beings rather than the heroes since the cursed beings had already lost their minds. At the end of the explanation, Zelit¡¯s face was white as a sheet. Connecting all that he had heard before to this newfound knowledge, it dawned on him just how severe the situation was. To summarize, Force A captured and corrupted individuals into the cursed ones for the purpose of expanding their army. Force B had the same goal and used the broken ones to hinder them. While these two forces fought, an unexpected variable came down to this world from the Celestial Realm. Force B was curious and tried to use this variable to their advantage. However, things didn¡¯t go as they had expected; not only did things unfold in a way they didn¡¯t expect, their plan was also completely ruined. Therefore, both forces were compelled to take measures accordingly. Force A would want to find out why the plan they had put so much time and effort into had derailed, while Force B would take actions that would most likely impact the recruits. The heroes and the natives were completely cornered. While everyone remained silent, Chi-Woo remembered something the White Horse General had told him. [¡­It ran away.] [One of them ran away. There¡¯s a high possibility that¡¯s the culprit.] Everything seemed to be falling into place. Perhaps the being that had escaped was a member of Force B. Zelit turned to Chi-Woo, his gaze silently pleading for Chi-Woo to tell him that this wasn¡¯t the case¡ªthat everything the hero said was nonsense, that he had been spouting lies because he was bewitched. However, Chi-Woo shook his head. Chi-Woo had searched the hero carefully beforehand and made sure that the hero wasn¡¯t bewitched; he couldn¡¯t have been more clear-headed. Zelit dropped his face into his hands and wiped it a couple of times. After a forceful rub, he asked, ¡°Is that why you told us to run away? Why didn¡¯t you guys do so ¡°We didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± the hero replied. ¡°You came here from the central base; you could¡¯ve gone back there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not such a simple task.¡± The hero shook his head. ¡°Leaving the central base was a gamble, and it was a blessing from the heavens that we managed to make our way here.¡± ¡°Gamble and blessing¡­¡± ¡°As soon as we crossed the country¡¯s border, we lost half of our recruits.We lost another half on our way to this base camp.¡± And once they arrived at this camp, they had lost most of the remaining half. The hero looked bitter. ¡°Moreover¡­even if we had returned to the central base¡­all we could do was wait until we died. It¡¯s pointless.¡± ¡°What? Even at the central base?¡± ¡°The central base does fare better than this camp. It¡¯s less dangerous.¡± Rather than ¡®safer¡¯, the hero had described it as ¡®less dangerous¡¯. His intent was clear. ¡°However, the central base suffers from the same fundamental problem as everywhere else.¡± ¡°By fundamental problem, do you mean...¡± ¡°There is no god.¡± Zelit sighed. Without a god, it was difficult for a hero to acquire any sot of backup. ¡°Not even one?¡± ¡°Yes. We searched the east, wandered west, and turned the south upside down, but¡­ All the gods had disappeared or were in hiding so that they couldn¡¯t be found. Thus, we latched onto our last hope and barely managed to cross into the north¡­¡± The hero sighed deeply, and Eshnunna squeezed her eyes shut. Zelit licked his dry lips and said, ¡°Even then, it¡¯s amazing that those in the central camp were able to secure and expand the area.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of Choi Chi-Hyun.¡± The man barely managed to steady his breath. ¡°He¡¯s a great strategist. He¡¯s earned every bit of his reputation, and it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the central base remains standing only because of him.¡± But in other words, if Chi-Hyun fell, the central base would fall with him. ¡°You guys should escape,¡± the fifth recruit leader continued. ¡°Retreat to the central base and plan for the future. I don¡¯t know about us or the sixth recruits, but you, the seventh recruits¡­¡± Even though he didn¡¯t continue, everyone knew what he was trying to say. There was something about the seventh recruits that changed the prophecy, and it would be an enormous loss to lose that in this camp. Zelit thought similarly. If they could bring the Shahnaz shaman and the statue safely to the central base, maybe they would be able to find a solution. However, if what the hero had said was true, that would be an extremely risky endeavor. Even the fifth recruits who had been lucky and had done a great deal of preparations lost three-fourths of their forces during their journey. The central base was not a place they could go without weapons or armors while bringing numerous noncombatants along. ¡°Is there any chance of winning the fight if it comes to that?¡± Zelit asked desperately. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the broken ones, but we can defeat the cursed ones.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it¡¯s difficult.¡± Unexpectedly, it was Eshnunna who answered the question. ¡°The mutated cursed ones are far stronger than their regular counterparts. And among them, even the most common green-level cursed ones possess terrifying power.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Mua Janya said, scratching her head in frustration. ¡°Giant Fist wasn¡¯t defeated for no reason.¡± Zelit asked, ¡°Giant Fist?¡± ¡°Yep. I talked to him a little after he regained consciousness.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been quietly listening, asked in surprise, ¡°He woke up?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. But he fell asleep again soon after.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me¡­¡± ¡°About that.¡± Mua Janya was troubled as she recalled Giant Fist¡¯s request. Even though Chi-Woo had wanted to press further, he gestured at her to continue with her explanation because she was in the middle of talking. ¡°According to Giant Fist, he was on full alert, but even then, he got defeated without being able to resist. Although he succeeded in landing a last-minute attack at the end¡­¡± Giant Fist managed to hit the target, and the figure ran away without looking back. A unique trait about this being was that, unlike the other cursed ones, its whole body was bulging with muscles and completely green. At Mua Janya¡¯s testimony, the tension in the room became even thicker, and it felt as if a large rock was pressing on them. Even though the heroes had lost their powers, they were still heroes. Moreover, Giant Fist was somewhat renowned for his great physical prowess. He had trained his body hard and become a specialist in physical combat, and yet he was easily defeated even though he hadn¡¯t lowered his guard. The implications were concerning, to say the least. ¡°All the cursed ones that appeared after defeating the broken ones are ordinary cursed ones,¡± Ru Amuh calmly said. ¡°Not a single mutated one has emerged in this fashion¡­ I believe it¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t, but they couldn¡¯t.¡± He agreed with Eshnunna and Mua Janya. At the end of the day, none of their options seemed viable, and they were at a loss of what to do. ¡°Rather than certain death¡­won¡¯t it be better to bet your life on a path where you¡¯d have a chance to survive?¡± Seemingly having anticipated Zelit¡¯s thoughts, the leader of the fifth recruits smacked his lips several times before quietly saying, ¡°There is a way if you want to stay here.¡± Zelit looked up and realized what the man was suggesting. ¡°Sacrifice.¡± The word alone was enough to make Eshnunna¡¯s heart sink. ¡°Even restoring the power of one of you would make a difference. In fact, I don¡¯t expect whoever it was to be restored to their full power. Still, if you slowly build up the individual¡¯s strength and establish a foundation¡­¡± Then there would be a possibility for the tide to be turned since every hero was qualified to receive the blessing of a god. Of course, one person alone would not be able to save Liber, but at least there would be the possibility of change. Even though everyone knew what the hero was saying, they hesitated to agree with him. Because¡­ ¡°I¡­won¡¯t apologize to you,¡± the hero said in the direction he had heard Eshnunna¡¯s voice coming from. Eshnunna stood still and stared down at the ground. She softly replied, ¡°¡­I know.¡± She sounded completely different from when she was talking to the sixth recruit insulting her. ¡°On the other hand, I¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize, either.¡± The fifth hero recruit spoke like what had happened between them was merely a conflict resulting from their unaligned goals. Then he turned his head back and said, ¡°This is all I have to say. The choice is yours.¡± They had two options: to fight knowing it would almost certainly lead to their death, or to take a gamble and make a run for it while also risking their lives. Or¡­. ¡°Lady Eshnunna, I have urgent news!¡± The exclamation was accompanied by hurried footsteps, and the door burst open. The villager who came in looked like they had just seen a ghost, and their face was deathly pale. ¡°The Shahnaz¡­.the Shahnaz Camp¡­¡± Everyone, including Eshnunna, stiffened when the word ¡®Shahnaz¡¯ was uttered. ¡°They escaped here!¡± People looked confused by the villager¡¯s words. They had escaped here? Eshnunna asked, ¡°Are you saying that they fled to the main camp?¡± ¡°Yes! They¡¯re here right now, outside¡­!¡± Even before the villager could finish talking, another one came running and shouted, ¡°I have grave news!¡± The second villager¡¯s message was the same as the first. People from another camp had escaped here as well. Disasters seemed to have befallen multiple camps at the same time, as reports from villagers came in one after another. When the ninth villager was about to enter¡ª ¡°What are you doing?¡± a middle-aged woman demanded in a tense voice. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I asked you to send news about us. Why hasn¡¯t there been a response?!¡± The person raising her voice was no other than the Shahnaz Camp¡¯s guard captain, Rawiya. ¡°Since the situation is dire, I¡¯ll disregard the formalities.¡± Rawiya looked around and said with a loud voice, ¡°If you have ears, listen carefully. The cursed ones have begun moving.¡± She spoke simply, but the situation was not simple at all. ¡°It¡¯s not just us. Judging from what I heard from the different camps, it seems that they¡¯re coming in all directions.¡± They were being surrounded. Zelit quickly asked, ¡°Is it only the cursed ones? What about the mutated ones?¡± Rawiya bit her lip and gritted her teeth. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, several people have seen green-level mutated ones as well. We saw one ourselves, but there are camps that saw three.¡± The heroes sighed. According to the leader of the fifth recruits, the broken ones that tried to kill and use the recruits had been suppressing the cursed ones, but Chi-Woo had ruined Force B¡¯s plan by rescuing the fifth and sixth recruits. It had been six days since that happened; it was enough time for both forces to catch on. As a result, Force A had sent out the cursed ones today in order to find out what exactly had transpired in the forest and to sniff out any threats. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± the leader of the fifth recruits deeply sighed and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice, either¡­¡± Favorite CH 50 Many people were gathered outside. News of the current situation had stirred up a commotion in the main base camp, which caused the heroes to burst out of their rooms. In the end, all the surviving members of the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits had gathered together with the natives, not out of their own volition, but out of necessity. After all, they had no way of dealing with this sudden crisis. As more and more heroes appeared, the natives gradually quietened. They looked at the heroes with visible distress and anxiety; many turned to Chi-Woo in particular like he was their last strand of hope. Chi-Woo pretended to not notice their stares. ¡®What do they expect me to do¡­?¡¯ He understood they had high hopes for him due to what he had achieved in the past, but it would be difficult for him to meet their expectations. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t be his decision to make. ¡®I just can¡¯t do it.¡¯ If their opponents had been the broken beings, he might have thought differently. However, the ones coming this time were the cursed beings. Neither talisman nor the club worked on them. Furthermore, there were even several mutated ones among them, the likes of which had managed to critically injure Giant Fist with a single blow. Given the damage they could inflict on a hero, it seemed clear that someone with an ordinary physique like Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything; in fact, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve counted his blessings if his head somehow didn¡¯t explode when a mutated cursed being hit him. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Ru Amuh announced. ¡°Our enemies are coming from all directions. Everyone who can fight should get their weapons and build barricades around the camp even if they end up shabby.¡± That was the best they could do right now. ¡°I concur.¡± Allen Leonard, the hero whose face was covered in as many rough scars as the strands on his beard, agreed. ¡°If we are surrounded, there¡¯s no way out of this. Rather than getting wiped out by doing nothing, we should at least try to fight.¡± ¡°Yeah! I fought them, and they aren¡¯t much of a threat!¡± Ru Hiana shouted. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry even if a hundred of those mindless ghouls are attacking! Let them come whenever they want!¡± She wasn¡¯t saying anything the others didn¡¯t know already, of course, but their concern was with the mutated ones. Even though Ru Hiana was also aware of these beings, she had purposefully shouted confidently, knowing how important it was to boost morale in a war. After the three heroes voiced their opinions, more and more heroes began to echo their sentiments. They all knew what they had gotten themselves into, and they knew there was no way out, but tentatively, they allowed themselves to hope. But then Zelit¡¯s cold voice rang across the room like a bucket of icy water, ¡°For what purpose are we fighting? So that we can get annihilated?¡± Zelit said while pacing in a wide arc. ¡°So that a few of us may survive at the expense of the majority?¡± Zelit¡¯s chilling words quickly doused the fire in the heroes¡¯ hearts. Allen Leonard¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He didn¡¯t like that someone had brought down the mood before the battle even started when the situation warranted every bit of strength from them. He sternly challenged, ¡°What else do you suggest?¡± ¡°First, we should discuss our goals.¡± While Allen and Zelit argued back and forth, Chi-Woo had been standing quietly on the side and fumbling with the die in his pocket. The World¡¯s Milestone was the only thing that could change the situation. ¡®I just have to avoid 1, 2, 3.¡¯ All he needed were 5, 6, or 7. If he rolled a four, he could always reroll. There was a fifty-fifty chance for him to succeed. However, to bet everything on chance would be¡­ ¡®Still, the situation warrants an intervention even more this time.¡¯ His head was in a mess. He had to think quickly, but he couldn¡¯t just roll the die. The two conflicting thoughts engaged in a tug of war in his mind. ¡°Sir Chi-Woo.¡± At that moment, someone called out his name quietly and grabbed both of his shoulders. Chi-Woo turned around in surprise and saw a giant lizard. ¡°Mr. Giant Fist?¡± Giant Fist smiled widely. ¡°You woke up?¡± ¡°Yes. I couldn¡¯t stay asleep because of how loud it was outside¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh. The tangled thoughts in his head loosened a little, and the simple fact that someone he knew was standing by his side gave him a sense of assurance. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the problem had magically resolved itself, but¡­ ¡°Right now¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Giant Fist said, ¡°I heard the gist of it from Mua Janya.¡± From behind Giant Fist¡¯s back, Mua Janya waved her hand with a slight smile on her face. ¡°She told me what happened when I woke up briefly. It seems that you¡¯ve achieved something great while I was unconscious.¡± ¡°That was because¡ª¡± ¡°As expected of his younger brother. I knew I hadn¡¯t made the wrong judgment about you.¡± Giant Fist gave Chi-Woo a thumbs up and winked. Chi-Woo was at a loss for words. Dark eyes, dried lips, and a face that lacked vitality¡ªGiant Fist looked ready to keel over any moment, but his expression was calm. He even looked disinterested even though he knew about the situation they were in. ¡°Um¡­Can we talk in private for a bit?¡± asked Giant Fist. ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t take long.¡± Giant Fist steadied his breathing and let out a deep breath from his nose. ¡°First of all, I think I owe you an apology, sir.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I was the reason why you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°No,¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and said. ¡°I had many chances to back out, but I chose to come here. There¡¯s no need for you to apologize.¡± ¡°That is indeed the case, but you wouldn¡¯t have even learned of all this if not for me. I can¡¯t deny that.¡± He was at fault even if it wasn¡¯t intentional on his part. Giant Fist continued, ¡°You know, sir. While I was asleep¡­I had been thinking a lot, such as the reason I came to Liber.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because of my brother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my goal, but not my reason.¡± Giant Fist had taken the recruitment exam six times and failed every time. And yet he had suddenly been recruited in the seventh one after another failure. What was the reason for that? Giant Fist had been wondering why the prophecy had changed. ¡°I thought¡­and thought¡­And reached a conclusion.¡± Chi-Woo blinked. ¡°Do you remember what I told you about the prophecy orb, sir?¡± Giant Fist had talked to Chi-Woo about its selection process. [The orb judges whether or not you are a necessary existence for saving the World that has fallen into danger.] [Then who will the orb prioritize?] [Let¡¯s say that our goal is to make the toilet perform its function in an hour¡­We need to send those who ate a lot rather than those with an empty stomach. Or someone who drank a lot of water. We may also consider those with enteritis. So that they can poop and pee as fast as possible.] Following Giant Fist¡¯s toilet analogy, if the main character for saving the World had been determined, they would then need people who could send the main character to the toilet as fast as possible. For example, they needed those who would prepare a great amount of food for the main character and pour them water. That was how Giant Fist knew the role he would have to play. ¡°Yes, I remember what you told me.¡± ¡°Good. Then there¡¯s no need for me to say more.¡± Giant Fist dropped his hands from Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I am really glad that I was able to wake up.¡± Giant Fist looked above him. ¡°This is the last chance this World has given me¡­and I will do all I can to fulfill my role.&rdquo Giant Fist had been considered unfit for the mission, but with Chi-Woo¡¯s involvement, many things changed, and Giant Fist was able to join the team. Thus, Giant Fist believed he had to pay the price for the great role he was given, and that it was time for him to do so. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t get what you are saying¡­.¡± Chi-Woo could not understand what Giant Fist was trying to say. Before he could ask him to clarify, though, Giant Fist¡¯s legs buckled suddenly. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Chi-Woo quickly supported Giant Fist, and Giant Fist barely managed to stop himself from falling. He didn¡¯t look in pain. Judging from the dilation of his pupils, Giant Fist seemed to have lost focus for a brief moment. ¡°Ah, right¡­ I¡¯m sorry. My mind blanked out suddenly¡­¡± Having caught his breath, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Sir Chi-Woo.¡± ¡°You should at least lie down.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. Please listen to what I¡¯m about to say.¡± There was a change in the way Giant Fist held himself. ¡°You¡¯ve achieved something great, sir, and I understand why you did it.¡± His words were punctuated by raspy breaths. ¡°However, the world does not follow our desires or expectations.¡± His gaze became sharp. ¡°All heroes go through an enormous amount of pain and trials, but that isn¡¯t limited to fighting enemies.¡± He enunciated each word to emphasize his point. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to, even if you hate it, there are times when you must make the difficult choice.¡± Giant Fist was acting completely different from his usual playful and cheerful self; Chi-Woo had never seen him so serious. Seeing the ineffable spirit in Giant Fist¡¯s gaze, Chi-Woo responded, ¡°I¡¯m¡­not a hero.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Giant First immediately agreed. ¡°But you came here as a hero, so you need to become a hero.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°At least at this moment.¡± The strange energy Giant Fist seemed to be radiating rendered Chi-Woo speechless. He didn¡¯t know exactly why, but it felt like Giant Fist was a teacher giving his final lesson to his pupil before going into retirement. Like a person who was going to leave soon. Giant Fist asked, ¡°Do you understand?¡± Chi-Woo nodded blankly, swept away by the atmosphere around them. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Giant Fist beamed. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen from now on is not your fault at all.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Mua Janya. I¡¯ll play your part this time since you¡¯re not ready yet, so there¡¯s no need for you to feel guilty.¡± ¡®What is he saying?¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself.¡± Before Chi-Woo could reply, Giant Fist turned around and shouted, ¡°Everyone, please listen to me!¡± Zelit and Allen Leonard were still fiercely debating, and several other heroes had joined them. However, Giant Fist managed to silence them with his exclamation, and all their attention was now focused on him. ¡°I¡¯m Gripping Giant Fist and Rising from the seventh recruitment.¡± He introduced himself simply and pulled up the hem of his shirt without warning. Shock gasps could be heard from multiple directions because of the grotesque injury on his abdomen. ¡°Do you see this wound?¡± His injury was so serious that it was amazing that he was still alive. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve lost my powers, I¡¯m still a hero.¡± Once he was sure that everyone had seen his injury, Giant Fist pulled his shirt back down. ¡°I¡¯d always believed that I wouldn¡¯t fall easily as long as I still have the body and fists I¡¯d worked hard to train.¡± Giant Fist raised both of his fists. ¡°But after crossing paths with a mutated cursed one, it dawned on me¡­that my faith in myself was merely overconfidence.¡± Silence weighed heavily on everyone. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. I never lowered my guard down even in the slightest. In fact, I had exerted the greatest of caution as soon as I spotted the cursed one.¡± Giant Fist looked around and continued, ¡°However, its strength went way beyond my expectation. I barely managed to land an attack, but it only made it retreat. If reinforcements hadn¡¯t come right away, I would have been killed on the spot.¡± Giant Fist looked at his body to indicate that the injury was from the attack. ¡°There¡¯s no time to argue. Our enemies are coming closer every minute. At this rate, we¡¯ll all die whether we fight or run away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not arguing because I don¡¯t know that,¡± Zelit said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m arguing because there¡¯s no good option.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way!¡± Giant Fist raised his voice. Zelit¡¯s eyes widened, while a shadow cast on the natives¡¯ faces. ¡°Shahnaz¡¯s seer, listen to me!¡± Giant Fist cut right to the chase without hesitation. ¡°How long does it take to prepare a ritual?¡± That was the natives¡¯ biggest fear. As they expected, Giant Fist suggested holding a ritual. Shakira looked frazzled. However, she soon recovered and said, ¡°If I want to do it properly, it¡¯ll take some time. However, we¡¯ll be able to hold a more streamlined ritual right now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that then. Please make the preparations.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll get to it. Hawa, began preparations.¡± Shakira immediately called Hawa, and the girl did as she was told. While the members of the Shahnaz camp began setting and preparing for the ritual under Shakira¡¯s orders, the natives of the main camp stared at Giant Fist with anxiety. No¡ªanxiety didn¡¯t even begin to describe what they were feeling. Finally, someone couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and demanded, ¡°Who are you going to sacrifice? In the end, you¡¯re still going to sacrifice us, aren¡¯t you?¡± Giant Fist quietly replied, ¡°¡­We¡¯re heroes.¡± ¡°Yeah. You guys are heroes.¡± The native let out an empty laugh. ¡°However, given the way you people have been acting, even an ordinary villager like me is more¡ª¡± The native paused when Giant Fist raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again.¡± Giant Fist put a hand on his chest and pointed at the natives with his other hand. ¡°We are heroes.¡± He was referring to both the natives and himself rather than singling the natives out. The native became speechless; they looked confused. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯ll only be a burden in my current condition, and I won¡¯t be of much help in a fight.¡± Giant Fist spoke softly to the native and sighed. ¡°I¡­wasn¡¯t born on Liber, neither did I grow up here, but I still came.¡± Giant Fist had come here for one reason¡ªto save a World in suffering. ¡°It was my decision and choice to come here, and I have never regretted my decision even once since then. Because even though the situation had turned out like this, we are¡­¡± Giant Fist didn¡¯t finish, but everyone knew he meant to say ¡®heroes¡¯. ¡°And all of you here can become heroes, too.¡± The villagers looked dazed, shocked and taken aback by the words coming out of Giant Fist¡¯s mouth. At this point, they had all realized what Giant Fist was trying to say. ¡°I won¡¯t force any of you to do this. I¡¯ll leave it to you to make a decision. Even though my body is in this state, if you want to fulfill your duty as a hero¡­¡± Giant Fist looked at the place where the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits gathered. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to give up your life to protect your home and become a hero¡­¡± His gaze shifted to the natives as he continued, ¡°I ask you to please join me.¡± The preparations were now over. Giant Fist took a step towards the altar built by the Shahnaz tribe. CH 51 Giant Fist walked towards the altar. ¡°Wai¡ª!¡± Chi-Woo paused. He had to stop Giant Fist, had to pull him back. However, it didn¡¯t seem like Giant Fist would listen to him; he had already made up his mind. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure he would be able to crack Giant Fist¡¯s determination. There was no way for him to change his friend¡¯s mind... ¡®No, there is a way.¡¯ 4. Others -> [World¡¯s Milestone] is currently active. Chi-Woo shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled it out with the die. He felt conflicted as he stared at it, but then Giant Fist had made it on top of the altar. Chi-Woo cast the die, silently chanting, ¡®Please!¡¯ [Rolling the World¡¯s Milestone.] The seven-sided die drew a curved line in the air and fell onto the ground, stopping the moment it landed without rolling at all. [Result: Three stars] [Consuming inherent stat, [Blessed] Luck (85 -> 82)] Chi-Woo¡¯s breath hitched. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. However, the reality didn¡¯t change. There were still three stars on the die¡¯s top face. [The World¡¯s flow is slowly heading to a designated place.] Chi-Woo closed and opened his eyes almost reluctantly. [Fail. An incident has occurred.] His heart sank. [The cursed ones heading to the base camp have stopped moving.] ¡®They¡¯ve stopped moving?¡¯ Chi-Woo grew hopeful reading the message. ¡®Can it be¡ª¡¯. [Several cursed ones are in turmoil. They bare their fangs as their bodies grow in size. Some of the cursed ones heading to base camp are undergoing faster mutations.] Chi-Woo blanched, and his lips trembled. Rather than helping him turn the grave situation around, the die had worsened it further. ¡®Of all the things that could happen. What have I done?¡¯ Chi-Woo was swept by regret and guilt. Chi-Woo stared down at the die blankly and wobbled. He had lost all the strength in his legs. He was picking up the die and considering rolling it again when one of his knees hit the ground. Chi-Woo barely managed to stop himself from toppling over. He stared down at the ground helplessly. It felt like everything was sinking around him. ¡°You¡¯re doing well,¡± Mua Janya walked up to Chi-Woo and said. ¡°I would have pulled you back if you tried to stop him.¡± Chi-Woo scrunched his face. He kept thinking this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. ¡°But get up, sir,¡± Mua Janya said in a hearty voice. ¡°This is his final moment. You should witness it.¡± Chi-Woo flinched. He realized it was already too late when he jerked his head up to look at Giant Fist. The lizard man was already kneeling before a statue on the altar. ¡°¡­Therefore, pray ye.¡± Shahnaz Hawa was wearing a white shaman costume with pink sleeves and a crimson skirt wrapped with an indigo belt. ¡°Oh, great last king residing in the Heavens, hallowed be your name¡­¡± Hawa proclaimed as she placed a holy branch on top of Giant Fist¡¯s head with both hands before sweeping it over both of his shoulders. ¡°Drink this.¡± She picked up a white bowl lying on the altar and gently held it to him. Inside the bowl, there were small black circular bundles that seemed to have been made from crushed and rolled up grass. ¡°Sleep, sir. You will be able to go peacefully.¡± It was clear from Hawa¡¯s words that these were poison. Giant Fist reached out for the bowl without hesitation. When Chi-Woo looked up due to Mua Janya¡¯s prompting, Giant Fist had already gulped one down. The effect was immediate. The poison circulated through his body quickly since he was in a weakened state. Giant Fist tilted as soon as he sat up. Bam. There was a heavy thud, followed by gasps people let out before holding their breath. The noon-time sun cast a blinding ray onto Giant Fist. Giant Fist looked up to the sky with his eyes half-closed. Flashes of images surfaced his mind. He had started his life in the garbage dump, but then a hand reached out to him. Since the moment he grabbed it, every day that followed felt like magic. It was fun. Of course, there were bad days as well, and there were some days that were so difficult to endure or burdened him so much that he couldn¡¯t help but shudder or wish for death. But even those days were precious to him in retrospect. ¡®I have no regrets¡­¡¯ As these memories whizzed past him, Giant Fist closed his eyes. He recalled his first meeting with Choi Chi-Hyun during the lowest point in his life. His now purple lips curved into a smile before he stopped moving altogether. And then there was a different kind of silence. Mua Janya let out a quiet sigh. ¡°Good. You¡¯ve done well.¡± Her calm farewell echoed in the quietness. ¡°I will follow you soon.¡± Staring blankly at Giant Fist, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Why?¡± Mua Janya looked at Chi-Woo like she thought he was being adorable. ¡°That¡¯s how it has to be. Giant Fist and I have been sent here for similar purposes.¡± She shrugged and rolled her eyes with a smirk. ¡°This is the one role I will play in this world.¡± ¡°But¡ª.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before, sir, about the making of a hero?¡± Mua Janya said in a lowered voice. Chi-Woo swallowed his retort and recalled what she had said to him. [A hero doesn¡¯t become a hero due to their greatness alone.] [Do you know why most heroes are the sole survivors of all kinds of adversaries and difficulties?] [It¡¯s because their dear families, companions, subordinates, masters, and even strangers have sacrificed themselves for them.] [Why, there¡¯s even a term for extras that no one even remembers¡ªrandom villager A.] [Who¡¯s to say we won¡¯t turn out like them?] [Especially in a world like this.] That¡¯s what she had told him. [You can¡¯t do my line of work without recognizing that. It wouldn¡¯t be fair otherwise.] She had made up her mind a long time ago. There seemed to be nothing Chi-Woo could do to sway her. All he could do was weakly shake his head at her in disagreement. ¡°Why?¡± Mua Janya asked, ¡°Are you planning to stop me?¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even open his mouth, let alone say anything. ¡°You know, sir.¡± Mua Janya knelt on one knee to face Chi-Woo properly. ¡°Could I make one final request?¡± After meeting his eyes, she murmured quietly, ¡°Even if you are a young master from a prestigious family, I am older than you, and this could be our last meeting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let me talk to you as an older sis once.¡± Mua Janya took Chi-Woo¡¯s silence as agreement and made a circle with her thumb and middle finger. ¡°Hey, kid. It¡¯s a hundred years too early for you to stop me.¡± Then she smiled and muttered, ¡°Like older brother, like younger brother. You two are so much alike.¡± Bam! Mua Janya gave Chi-Woo a finger-flick to the center of his forehead. Then, after flashing him a cheery smile, she rose to her feet and headed towards the altar without looking back. There was no trace of regret in the way she held herself. She soon kneeled down on the altar and prayed before taking the poison Shahnaz Hawa handed her. A couple of seconds passed, and Mua Janya remained praying on her knee. A couple of minutes passed, and yet Mua Janya hadn¡¯t faltered. Only more time had passed did everyone realize that she had died at some point with no one the wiser. Hawa placed the holy branch on Mua Janya¡¯s head, and her head drooped. Even after death, she displayed unbelievable mental fortitude. Just like that, two heroes had offered themselves as sacrifices. The air grew heavy following Mua Janya¡¯s death. Her sacrifice hit differently than Giant Fist¡¯s. Not only were her skills comparable to him, but she was perfectly healthy and well-known as a hero. Nevertheless, she had offered herself as a sacrifice, which had powerful repercussions. Soon after her death was revealed, another person stepped forward. ¡°Yohan!?¡± Eshnunna screamed. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Why?¡± A small boy walked up to the altar; it was Salem Yohan. He paused midway and turned to Eshnunna. ¡°I thought really hard for a couple of days,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve been thinking about how if it wasn¡¯t for me, if I didn¡¯t exist¡­you might have made a different choice.¡± Eshnunna had always been exceptionally smart and strong. ¡°I might have been holding you back this whole time¡­¡± Eshnunna¡¯s mouth slowly widened in shock. In contrast, Yohan had a big smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m the real coward, and I don¡¯t want to be one anymore.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister, and thank you.¡± ¡°No, Yohan. Don¡¯t do this!¡± Eshnunna was about to run towards him, but was stopped by Yohan¡¯s fierce gaze. ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°Yohan, please¡­!¡± ¡°No,¡± Yohan said in a strong voice. Eshnunna flinched. The siblings made exchanges with their fleeting glances, and Eshnunna was able to read her brother¡¯s thoughts. ¡®Are you planning to repeat the same mistake again?¡¯ That was what Yohan was asking her silently, and Eshnunna was keen enough to read it. Giant Fist had set the stage, Mua Janya had sent a message to the recruits, and now, it was time for a message to be sent to the natives. There were only two people who could perform the third task. Realizing what the two heroes had intended, Yohan willingly stepped forward. ¡°Yohan, Yohan¡­¡±Eshnunna looked around despite her shock. Her eyes caught the leader of the fifth recruit, who was left with only his head and his torso. Then her gaze shifted to the altar, where Giant Fist and Mua Janya lay dead. Most of all, her eyes focused on Chi-Woo, who was on one knee and pale as a sheet. Giant Fist, Mua Janya, and Chi-Woo had seemed close, like comrades that had known each other for a long time. Even then, Chi-Woo had endured; he had gritted his teeth and endured while they sacrificed themselves even though it was obvious that he wanted to stop them. Eshnunna felt all energy leave her body. Chi-Woo felt similarly. He hadn¡¯t told Yohan all those things for him to sacrifice himself; he had just wanted Yohan to understand Eshnunna¡¯s perspective and help her. ¡°I know that¡¯s not what you meant.¡± Yohan smiled wryly when he felt Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze. ¡°But¡­we don¡¯t have time for that anymore.¡± This World wasn¡¯t waiting for Yohan to grow up. ¡°So I¡¯m trying to do what I can right now.¡± It was a practical decision, but it wasn¡¯t a decision a child should have to make. ¡°¡­Before¡­¡± Yohan hesitated and suddenly opened his mouth again. ¡°The snacks were tasty.¡± Now he smiled as a child would, and with those parting words, he hurriedly turned around¡ªas if he was afraid that his determination would waver if he took any longer. He dropped to his knees as soon as he climbed onto the altar. Then he prayed and took the poison. Eshnunna¡¯s breathing was rough as she watched everything unfold without moving her eyes away from Yohan even once. It wasn¡¯t long before Yohan¡¯s body fell, and Eshnunna finally burst out crying. She collapsed onto the ground and wailed, baring her heart for all to see. Her sorrow was so great that everyone watching her felt their hearts break in sympathy. A strange atmosphere permeated and enveloped the onlookers amid her gut-wrenching outburst, and the leader of the fifth recruits fell into deep contemplation. Even though he had lost both his eyes, he could still hear, and moreover, he could sense the heavy atmosphere around him. A ritual they had failed to perform had begun. While the fifth recruits hadn¡¯t even managed to set up a ritual, the seventh recruits had been successful in putting things in motion. ¡®Why?¡¯ They had been close to succeeding. In fact, success had been right within their reach, but in the end, the fifth recruits had failed. What was the difference between the fifth and seventh recruits? The only thing he could think of was Giant Fist setting up the stage, and Mua Janya supporting him. There had to be a foundation for a stage to be set up, and the foundation was built by a member of the seventh recruits. Following the thought process, the leader of the fifth recruits came to realize what had made the difference this time. ¡®¡­Is that it?¡¯ There was a deciding factor¡ªhope. The seventh recruit had found a small piece of hope amid the mire and showed it to everyone. The fifth recruit hadn¡¯t been able to do that, and the sixth recruits hadn¡¯t even attempted to do that. That was what had led to the different outcome. ¡®That¡¯s why¡­¡¯ It was simple now that he thought about it, so it was even more difficult to come to terms with their failure. There was only one thing left for him to do. The stage had been set, and the plan set into motion; now he needed to make sure the show went on smoothly. With his mind made up, the man asked a fellow hero next to him, ¡°Please help me up there.¡± ¡°Are you asking m-me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m useless in battles in this state. This is the least I can do.¡± The woman was part of the fifth recruits as well, and she hesitated to do as he said. However, their leader insisted, and she gave in, carrying him and limping her way to the altar. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult for me to pray.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Hawa quietly prayed and passed the poison to him. Without making a sound, the man toppled to the ground. ¡°Is he gone¡­?¡± His sacrifice had been calm and silent. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± After confirming their leader¡¯s death, the female hero looked up with flickering eyes, and was met with Hawa¡¯s emotionless gaze. The female hero wasn¡¯t in a good condition, either. While she had fared better than her leader, she had lost an arm, and one of her legs was paralyzed. ¡°Hah.¡± She had an inkling why her leader had asked her to take him to the altar at the very beginning¡ªhe was telling her to become a sacrifice like him. The hero took a deep breath and looked around before saying, ¡°I guess there¡¯s no other way. Might as well do this while I can given the circumstances.¡± She knelt in front of the statue, and those who had sacrificed themselves before her filled her vision: Giant Fist, Mua Janya, Salem Yohan, and Siegres Reinhardt, who had led the fifth recruits¡­ She accepted the poison with shaking hands and quickly gulped it down. Only then did she let out the breath she had been holding. ¡°Everyone, take care of the rest.¡± Since she was going to die anyway, she wanted to die in style. ¡°Please survive.¡± She wanted to die without hesitating for even a second like Mua Janya. ¡°And save this World¡­Liber¡­ugh!¡± However, a tear fell from her misty eyes. The poison was spreading little by little as her body drooped. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Her body wasn¡¯t cooperating with her plan. ¡°No¡­¡± The fear that she had been ignoring came rushing back to her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± She regretted her decision and wanted to turn back time. ¡°I want to live¡­!¡± Never in her wildest dream would she imagine the last moment of her life as a hero to go like this. She thought that she would save many different Worlds and receive praise and respect, meet someone she loved, start a happy family, spend her old age surrounded by a big family, and finally pass away peacefully. She had never thought for a second that her dream wouldn¡¯t become reality. She began to cry. ¡°But¡­I want to live¡­I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± She begged to live while crying. ¡°I¡­need¡­to live¡­¡± Startled by seeing the hero''s true emotions, the natives looked on with a different expression¡ªanxiety and pity had given way to empathy. [We are heroes.] Giant Fist¡¯s final words finally began to reach them. The hero¡¯s pleading cries joined Eshnunna¡¯s mournful sobs until finally, her voice faded, and she was no longer with them. Two more people had sacrificed themselves. Chi-Woo looked on in a state of shock. He realized how arrogant and foolish he had been. He had promised Eshnunna that he would save her; he had promised her a happy ending where no one had to die and everyone could live. Chi-Woo had acted based on that belief, and this was the result of his decisions. Eshnunna said, ¡°I also, I also¡­¡± ¡°No, you mustn¡¯t,¡± said Hawa. ¡°Why¡­?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ve already been saved. There must be a reason why you were saved. If you want to run away, do that after fulfilling your duty.¡± Eshnunna had gone up to the altar and asked to be sacrificed like she was bewitched, but Hawa turned her away coldly. Chi-Woo lowered his head, too ashamed to even look at Eshnunna. During his time on Liber, Chi-Woo had given up on his desires for an exciting, wondrous adventure or special perks that would make him invincible. Still, he had naively thought that things were looking up. However, the reality of Liber came crashing down on all of them. He felt smothered by the helplessness that plagued his childhood. ¡®How¡­awful is this damn world that¡­¡¯ He wanted to do something, but there wasn¡¯t anything he could do. Without thinking, Chi-Woo dug his fingers deep into the dirt. That was when he felt someone approaching him. RedBird''s Thoughts So much that I''m feeling about this chapter that I can''t even find the words to describe them... CH 52 A shadow enveloped Chi-Woo from behind. ¡°Um¡­Sir hero.¡± It was a familiar voice. Chi-Woo looked up with a sense of relief. A middle-aged man was standing awkwardly in front of him; he was the one who had spied on Chi-Woo, threatened him with his sword, and went to the ranch with him. ¡°Is¡­¡± the middle-aged man asked carefully, ¡°Is there really no other way this time¡­?¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes. He had been expecting this. He knew someone would soon approach him, only to have their hope crushed. ¡®This is why¡­¡¯ It was unfair that he had to feel pressured and guilty by people¡¯s expectations that he had no control over. ¡®I¡­.¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly recalled Giant Fist¡¯s words. [However, you returned as a hero.] [So you have to be a hero, sir.] Chi-Woo sighed. ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡± He hung his head low. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment¡ªsomeone who had their hope shattered often ended up despairing; they gave up on everything and became enraged. Chi-Woo knew this better than anyone else since he had gone through an endless cycle of hope and despair. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the broken ones, but¡­the mutated cursed ones are beyond¡­¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t bear to look at the villager as the man fell into despair and became enraged. He squeezed his eyes shut even harder and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The air between them grew heavy. ¡°I see¡­ I understand,¡± the middle-aged man said with a surprising lack of disappointment or anger in his voice. ¡°If you say so, sir, there must be no other options¡­But.¡± The hero grabbed Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders and clutched them tightly. ¡°Look at yourself right now.¡± The man forcefully brought Chi-Woo to his feet. ¡°How long are you going to stay kneeling for? You are a hero, young man. Don¡¯t look so pitiful.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s reaction caught Chi-Woo completely off guard. He didn¡¯t despair nor become enraged; instead, he had calmly accepted everything. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the hero who saved us from becoming livestock? Stand upright with your chest puffed out. Stand proud and confident.¡± Chi-Woo blinked. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. When the man saw how flustered Chi-Woo looked, he said, ¡°A few days ago¡­after we went to that ranch, I had a dream.¡± That day, the man had spied on Chi-Woo, threatened him with a sword, and followed him to the ranch. When he returned home after the ordeal, all lightheaded and happy, he slept and dreamed. ¡°I had a dream that I was visiting a nearby village to play while holding my wife¡¯s and daughter¡¯s hands¡­ It was a sweet dream that I hadn¡¯t had for a long time. But sir, that dream was too sweet, so sweet that it was the only thing I could think about for a while.¡± Even after he woke up, he was still dazed by it. ¡°And it made me want to make my dream a reality,¡± the man finished. It made him dig deep into his heart and find whatever hope he had left in him. Before, he had never dared to wish for a day when the sun would shine; he was simply an animal who lived day by day only because he couldn¡¯t die. He lived like a soulless ghoul without any will to live. Witnessing Chi-Woo¡¯s feat, however, changed his life completely. An emotional person by nature, the man couldn¡¯t help being moved and impressed by Chi-Woo despite his distrust and anger for the hero in the past. He had become an ardent follower of Chi-Woo who was more passionate than anyone else and lauded Chi-Woo¡¯s achievements wherever he went until his lips dried. He persuaded the remaining skeptics among the natives, saying that this particular hero was different from all the heroes before him. A belief had bloomed inside him. He thought about everything Chi-Woo had done¡ªhow Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t stolen his sword, how Chi-Woo had told him to stay even when Eshnunna had ordered him to leave, and how Chi-Woo had declared that he would act like he had fallen for their ploy. They all meant something. He had considered Chi-Woo some crazy lad who had been hiding some tricks up his sleeves, but the truth couldn¡¯t be further than that. He simply wanted Eshnunna to believe in him and give him a chance. Chi-Woo used the opportunity given to him splendidly, and as a result of that, the middle-aged man began to believe in him. His change in attitude was dramatic¡ªhe felt guilty, but moreover, grateful; and these feelings translated into a desire to help. He wanted to do something for the hero who had changed his life. And now, there was something he could do. ¡°Even though this is where we end up¡­¡± The man trailed off. Of course, he did feel regretful that he had to leave the world when he had just begun to have hope. Still, he believed in Chi-Woo despite everything. ¡°My father told me that the future only opens for those who dream.¡± The middle-aged man wouldn¡¯t have been able to dream if not for Chi-Woo. ¡°I only began to learn the meaning behind his words after meeting you.¡± Thus, the man was now entrusting the dream he couldn¡¯t achieve to someone he believed in. His faith in Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t only founded on the fact that Chi-Woo had saved many in the ranch. Even now, even when Chi-Woo was staring blankly at him with a pale face, his lips cracked from being nibbled on too many times, his presence assured the man. On that destined night, Chi-Woo had apologized passionately for failing to save those who had died. [¡­I am sorry..] With those three words, Chi-Woo had eased him and convinced him that Chi-Woo was someone beyond just a simple hero, that Chi-Woo was a person with a good heart. He believed Chi-Woo would open up a future that everyone dreamed of. He wasn¡¯t planning to simply rely on Chi-Woo alone without doing anything, of course. The man knew he had to do his share so that he could make a request to Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­I have a daughter at the central base.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes became red as he looked far into the distance. ¡°The moment she was born, I knew I would give up my life for her.¡± The tip of his nose reddened. Sniff. The middle-aged man brushed the edges of his eyes with his palms. Then he tightened the belt around his waist and said, ¡°Thank you for making it possible for me to die in a way I can be proud of as a parent. Thank you very much.¡± His sword landed at Chi-Woo¡¯s feet, and the middle-aged man walked to the altar. Following him was a middle-aged woman. She glanced at Chi-Woo before dropping the bag she had been clutching in her hands. It was the last bundle of food she had been saving and holding onto dearly. She followed her husband to the altar. The couple got to their knees and prayed, and they collapsed at the same time after taking the poison. Chi-Woo speechlessly watched the couple fall on top of Giant Fist. He had been frozen in this state while sacrifices piled up; he wanted to say something¡ªhe wanted to shout as hard as he could, but nothing came out of his mouth. It felt as if the words were stuck in his throat and refused to come out. Seven people had sacrificed themselves. Giant Fist first, and Mua Janya second. After that, Salem Yohan had gone next, and then it was Siegres Reinhardt, leader of the fifth recruits, and a fellow hero of his. Now that the middle-aged couple had joined them, the sacrificial ritual had officially begun. ¡°The Shahnaz camp will fulfill the promise made to the fifth recruit before.¡± Everyone in the Shahnaz camp got up. A large number of people, including the Seer, walked up the altar. ¡°Please take care of Hawa. She¡¯s a smart child; she¡¯ll be helpful,¡± Shakira quickly said as she passed by Chi-Woo. ¡°This is a good opportunity.¡± Rawiya stopped for a few moments in front of Chi-Woo. ¡°Rather than being known as Shahnaz¡¯s traitor, this is a chance for me to be known as a righteous person.¡± She dropped her weapon and both of her gloves before confessing, ¡°Honestly¡­I¡¯m tired of constantly moving here and there like migratory birds.¡± Then she winked at Chi-Woo and left. A change was coming¡ªno, it had already come. A native who had been quietly watching stood up. The beginning was always the hardest, but once the process began, everything fell into place. One person joined by another, and then their number grew to four, eight, sixteen, and many more¡­ In an instant, dozens of people had volunteered as sacrifices, and more people were stepping forward. They all left their weapons and precious belongings in front of Chi-Woo before heading to the altar. The change had also spread to the heroes who had been watching in a daze. Members of the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits all looked at each other, and a couple of heroes lowered their heads and exhaled a deep sigh. Soon after, they made their way to the altar, limping or moving with the support of others. Most of the volunteers were heroes with severe injuries that would hinder them in the upcoming battle. As more heroes volunteered, more natives who had been wavering also stepped forward. Without differentiating between themselves, heroes and natives stood in line as equals and waited. When it was their turn, they sacrificed themselves without hesitation, while believing in those who were left behind. As people fell one by one, a mound of dead bodies was formed. The pile grew to the point that people began to discuss how they should move the dead. Even then, the line was still long, and those who were left behind did not move their gazes away. They watched everything unfold so intently that they forgot to even breathe¡ªas if they were going to engrave what happened today into their hearts. When the sacrifices were finally coming to an end, they heard a chorus of piercing shrieks; the sound was distinctly not human. It sounded like howling beasts. Reminded of their reality, the natives and heroes appeared nervous once more. However, neither group reacted the way they had reacted and created a commotion; rather, everyone continued to look up at the altar with one heart. The moment they had all been waiting for had arrived. Shahnaz Hawa, the shaman who had performed the ritual, opened her eyes. She felt something different. No matter how much she had prayed and cried in the past, the statue had always remained unresponsive, but just now, she felt a mysterious sensation swirling inside her body, right after the last native at the end of the line had been sacrificed. At that moment, someone shouted, ¡°The statue¡­!¡± The worn-out stone statue was shining. A halo had emerged, glowing brightly as sparkling dust swirled around the statue. Shahnaz swung the holy tree branch in her hand with force. ¡°We beseech you to save us from evil!¡± she shouted with all her might at the sky. ¡°Since Shahnaz¡¯s eternal glory is with the last King¡­¡± Then she slowly lowered the holy tree branch and quickly chanted, ¡°¡­Shakhnaz, Majad La Nihayat Lah.¡± Whoosh! A circular light formed around the stone statue as if it was responding to Hawa¡¯s prayer. The light quickly grew until it encompassed the whole area before shrinking and converging around the statue again. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The ring of light expanded and constricted, expanded and constricted until there was another wave of beastly growls, but no one was able to hear it this time. A mysterious space had formed around the statue, the magnificent sound it emitted prevented everyone from hearing anything else. Ru Amuh looked at his hands and exclaimed, ¡°This feeling¡­¡± Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t the only one who felt the change; all the heroes had felt it as well. How could they forget it? It was the sensation that they had experienced countless times and had constantly missed and sought after since they arrived at Liber. A wind suddenly blew in the area. It was not just a passing wind, but a fierce torrent that swept by like a storm. The dead expressed their sincere faith, and the god had responded to their faith by coming down to Liber. After expanding and constricting as many times as the number of sacrifices there were, the ring of light finally exploded. Flash! Swiiiiish! The dazzling glow illuminated the air. Some parts of the glow seemed to have scattered from the statue, but they gathered together like dots. Then the dots were connected by lines, and the lines expanded and formed a shape. The shape formed a figure from a past so long ago that legends about her weren¡¯t even being passed down anymore; a figure who had swept across Liber like a storm and unified the whole continent. The goddess of Shahnaz, the queen of conquest, and the first human to become a god after such great achievements, was revived. Favorite NEXT CHAPTER CH 53 Everyone had despaired and given up, thinking everything was now over. However, Giant Fist had lit the first torch, followed by Mua Janya and Salem Yohan; then the fire they ignited grew into blazing flames. One by one, heroes and natives willingly offered themselves to the flames for the bright future they dreamed of. At the end of despair came light, and a figure gradually appeared into view. ¡°Goddess Shahnaz¡­¡± Hawa kneeled in front of the altar and hung her head low. Everyone immediately thought it was dazzling sight. From behind the source of scattering streams of light was a faint halo, making it difficult to see. They couldn¡¯t see the goddess, however, they knew she was there. The Shahnaz tribe called her the Queen of Conquest. With war as her foremost companion, she was the first to succeed in uniting Liber. Acknowledged for her feat, a girl from a small minority group soon became an empress who ruled over the entire continent, and after her death, she was worshiped as a god. That might be the reason why crude effigies made after her liking were often covered in symbols of war. On top of her flowing light indigo hair, she wore a circlet with gold feathers on both sides. She was holding a spear gleaming silverish light with one hand, and a shield engraved with wings with the other. Her plate armor appeared to be made with threaded metal rings and iron wires, and she wore a Valkyrie skirt that went down to her ankles. Goddess Shahnaz had finally descended upon the Middle World! Shahnaz glanced at the group of people looking dazedly at her. Then she looked down at the pile of dead bodies lying near the altar and sighed, seemingly having figured out what had taken place before her arrival. For some reason, she looked relieved. Then her gaze shifted to a young man standing in the back, and she flinched, her half-closed eyes widening in shock. No, she didn¡¯t know whether or not she should even call this being a ¡®man¡¯. As a god who had once been human during her time alive, Shahnaz could sense that Chi-Woo was different. She couldn¡¯t explain his existence perfectly, but she was certain of one thing¡ªthat this existence couldn¡¯t be seen as human. Once a being became a god, they gained the ability to read the inner core of a human. There wasn¡¯t much to a human¡¯s inner core besides their soul or the soul¡¯s color. However, the young man in front of her was different, and it wasn¡¯t simply because of the color of his soul. His inner core was filled to the grim with dazzling light, which was extremely rare for humans. Only saints who had spent decades practicing a life of asceticism and contributed to the World ever reached such a state. Chi-Woo was young, and he wasn¡¯t a saint. There were two possible explanations left: he was either born with such a destiny, or someone else had bestowed such a fate onto him. ¡ªYou are¡­ Shahnaz was about to confront Chi-Woo when she heard a voice ring inside her head. ¡®Shh.¡¯ She flinched. She suddenly felt an immense, unfathomable existence that she hadn¡¯t noticed from behind Chi-Woo, and she hurriedly bowed her head. Simultaneously, a burst of cheers erupted around her. Oblivious to the real situation, people had thought the goddess was showing mere humans like them respect, which surprised even the heroes. Then, a voice suddenly called out. ¡°Goddess Aerys¡­?¡± Ru Amuh stuttered. His usually well-maintained composure cracked. His reaction was understandable considering that Goddess Shahnaz looked identical to Aerys, the Goddess of Wind he had served in his world. In addition to her appearance, the aura of peculiar wind circling around her was also awfully familiar. ¡°What brings you here, goddess Aerys¡­?¡± Zelit spoke up to explain, ¡°It¡¯s rare to meet a god from your own planet in another world, but it¡¯s not completely unheard of.¡± A being ascended to godhood would go on to touch many worlds. That was the case for Shahnaz. Before, she had thought living creatures only existed on Liber, but once she became a god, she realized the existence of the greater universe. ¡°There are several reasons why this might happen. A god might go to other planets to increase their influence, answer to another god¡¯s beckoning, or simply look for entertainment,¡± Zelit continued. Take Earth as an example, the Greek goddess Athena might exist on another planet, either as herself or under a different name. Thus, as a veteran who had been sent to save several worlds, Zelit wasn¡¯t surprised by such an occurrence. On the other hand, Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t privy to the knowledge since he was a new hero; the same was true for Chi-Woo. ¡°So¡­¡± Ru Amuh muttered. He recalled what he had said to Chi-Woo in the past. [I was led here by a god¡¯s call.] [Aerys is the god that we serve on the planet I was born and grew up in.] [But then, I received a new divine command.] [It told me to help. It told me to go to Liber.] ¡°I see¡­¡± He got the answer to one of the big questions he had, but he couldn¡¯t quell his surprise. It was shocking to find out that his goddess Aerys¡¯ birth name was Shahnaz, and that she was originally from Liber. ¡°It¡¯s only natural for you to not know since these are all things that happened long, long before we were born,¡± Zelit said to Ru Amuh before changing the topic, ¡°I don¡¯t want to interrupt your reunion, but we have to make a decision quickly.¡± ¡ª¡­One person. In agreement, Shahnaz said in a low voice. ¡ªAppoint one person among you. Shahnaz¡¯s declaration broke everyone out of their reverie. ¡°G-Goddess Shahnaz!¡± one of the heroes burst out. ¡°Me! Choose me!¡± He ran up to the altar and pounded his chest loudly. Everyone else from the fifth, seventh, and even his fellow sixth recruits looked baffled. Fortunately, there was nothing to worry about since Shahnaz didn¡¯t even bother to respond to the hero; her eyes conveyed the feelings she felt: disdain. Her contempt gave the hero pause, but he soon regained composure and declared with confidence, ¡°Do not worry, dear goddess! If I shall introduce myself, I am¡­¡± The hero blabbered on about himself, but Shahnaz snorted rather than listening to him fully. The hero wasn¡¯t lacking in skills, but Shahnaz simply didn¡¯t like him. It didn¡¯t help that his heart was as black as it could be. Truthfully, even if the hero had met her standards in both skills and character, Shahnaz wouldn¡¯t have been satisfied with him. After all, she had already laid her eyes on Chi-Woo. Although she was a god that transcended worldly emotions, she felt almost greedy for Chi-Woo. Just the thought of molding and shaping the giant mass of dazzling light inside his core brought her bliss. She was sure that she would be able to carve out a name that would be repeated again and again across the whole universe through him. Thus, she blatantly ignored the hero that was appealing to her ardently and even looked past Ru Amuh, whom she had once established a connection with, to stare at Chi-Woo. Her intent was clear, and everyone¡¯s eyes shifted back to Chi-Woo. There was a problem, however. ¡®Hm¡­¡¯ The entity behind Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t let such a thing happen. ¡®The goddess of conquest¡­¡¯ Just like how Shahnaz had ignored the hero that was appealing so passionately to her, the entity did the same. ¡®How subpar.¡¯ ¡®She lacks dignity. I am not fond of her lowly origins either; no wonder she¡¯s so rough and barbaric.¡¯ ¡ª? ¡®There¡¯s nothing for you to take here. Back off.¡¯ The entity pushed her away easily. Shahnaz couldn¡¯t believe it. Many gods had once been humans, but the entity had picked on her for her origins and whatnot? It made Shahnaz wonder, ¡®Was she some matchmaker rather than a guardian god at this point?¡¯ It seemed as if the entity was searching for a deity who was worthy enough for Chi-Woo to commit to for a thousand years. Of course, Shahnaz kept such thoughts to herself and didn¡¯t voice them aloud. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo had deciphered Shahnaz¡¯s intent as well, but he didn¡¯t want to be picked. If he had a knack or even any experience for melee combat like the other heroes, he would have accepted this offer. However, Chi-Woo had never once stabbed someone with a knife. If he received Shahnaz¡¯s offer right now, there was a high possibility that only his innate spiritual powers would be improved, and that would lead to nothing in their current situation. If his opponent was a spirit, and his skills were properly strengthened, he might be able to battle a demigod. However, it was still way too early for him to fight a physical being. Thus, he wasn¡¯t the right candidate, nor did he want to be chosen. Many dreams and hopes had been sacrificed to summon this divinity, so Chi-Woo pushed aside his selfish wants and wished for it to be used in ways that best contributed to their goals. Chi-Woo crouched down and pulled out something from the pile of goods at his feet. It was the sword that the middle-aged man had left behind, asking him to use it well in his stead. Chi-Woo clutched its rusty hilt tightly and looked up. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You said you were good with swords, right?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes widened as Chi-Woo called out for him. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you fight. You really are good.¡± He walked up to Ru Amuh and pushed the sword toward Ru Amuh. ¡°Uh¡­Pardon?¡± Ru Amuh still looked flustered. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shifted from the sword to Shahnaz before he pointed at Ru Amuh. ¡°A-are you pointing at me?¡± Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t the only one puzzled by Chi-Woo¡¯s action. Recruits and natives alike were showing the same reaction. An opportunity had fallen on Chi-Woo¡¯s lap. Even though the chosen hero wouldn¡¯t recover their lost powers fully, Shahnaz would lay down the groundwork for the hero¡¯s eventual full recovery. Everyone desperately wanted to be chosen. However, there were many heroes, and only one of them would gain this opportunity. In reality, most people thought it was going to be Chi-Woo. He was also the only one everyone would accept without complaints as the chosen champion. However, Chi-Woo rejected the offer and passed the opportunity to Ru Amuh. ¡°Please hurry up.¡± Chi-Woo waved the hand holding the sword and ushered Ru Amuh to come forward. Ru Amuh bit his lip. His gentle eyes looked extremely conflicted. If there were heroes who desperately wanted to be chosen, it was only natural that there would be heroes who were the complete opposite. As Raphael said, Ru Amuh was a hero that walked the path of a king. He was the perfect embodiment of a noble, fair, self-sacrificial, and kind-hearted hero. He was used to claiming achievements for himself and sharing with others. At the same time, he wasn¡¯t used to having another person do the work for him or receiving help from others. Thus, he couldn¡¯t immediately accept Chi-Woo¡¯s offer; he had watched the ritual from start to finish and knew that Chi-Woo was the reason why the ritual was possible in the first place. ¡°It¡¯s even better since you already know this god.¡± But regardless of what Ru Amuh felt, Chi-Woo continued to talk with a raspy voice, ¡°Why, do you not want to?¡± Ru Amuh had a feeling that Chi-Woo would turn to other heroes without hesitation if he said no. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡­don¡¯t want to, but¡­¡± Ru Amuh sighed; he didn¡¯t know exactly why, but his face felt hot. He felt embarrassed to the point of frustration. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Chi-Woo forcibly pushed the sword into Ru Amuh¡¯s hand. ¡°Sir, b-but!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later.¡± Chi-Woo furtively glanced at the wall. He could hear noises coming from the other side. The cursed ones were close now, and it was obvious that they were going to come bursting in soon. ¡°I leave it up to you.¡± That was all Chi-Woo said, but his words carried great weight. Even though there was still tension between them, there wasn¡¯t time to hesitate any longer. Others were crying out for Ru Amuh to hurry up or give it up. Ru Amuh turned around and knelt before Shahnaz with his head bowed. Shahnaz had no complaints. Even though she felt regretful that it wasn¡¯t Chi-Woo, she couldn¡¯t make him her vessel, and he had rejected her. In all honesty, if Chi-Woo was out of the picture, a talent like Ru Amuh was as few and far between as a star in the sky. ¡°Goddess Aerys¡­no, Goddess Shahnaz.¡± ¨CIt doesn¡¯t matter what name you address me with. Her voice swept into his mind like a gust of refreshing wind. Ru Amuh was familiar with her voice and the feeling it elicited. It was an interesting experience; just by conversing with a god, his muddled mind became clearer. ¨CI heard you. ¡°¡­¡± ¨CI heard your concerns about your role here. Ru Amuh recalled what he had shared with Chi-Woo. [I thought there must be a reason for Aerys¡¯ command.] [Like how I had saved my world, I thought I would be given a specific role or mission. But¡­] [But why is it?] [Why did the god I believe in brought me to this place?] Ru Amuh had been curious about these matters since he first met Chi-Woo. ¨CHave your questions been answered? ¡°No.¡± Ru Amuh shook his head; he was still questioning his existence here. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Rather than finding an answer, he became even more troubled. ¨CThink carefully. Shahnaz continued. ¨CAbout everything you¡¯ve gone through since your arrival. Ru Amuh had almost died as soon as he came to Liber, and he had gone through various dangerous situations after. However, the hardest part for him had been his inability to do anything in the dire situation. Fortunately, things were now different. ¨CBecause of whom? Upon reflection, he realized that he had been continuously saved by one person. That man was the reason why he had been able to take part in saving everyone, and now, he was going to regain his powers because of the same person. Everything that had happened to him since he came to Liber was connected to the man. However, it only made him even more curious about his role in this world. ¡°¡­Goddess, I don¡¯t have an answer.¡± His response was the same as before. He still wasn''t sure. ¡°But I want to know more,¡± Ru Amuh replied clearly and strongly. ¨CThat¡¯s good enough. Shahnaz accepted Ru Amuh¡¯s reply. ¨CChild of Ru, lift your head. ¨CRu Amuh, you are my chosen boy and my promised child. A hand as white as snow touched Ru Amuh¡¯s head. ¨CAlthough this world has gone to ruins, will you once again¡­? Bamm! With just one shot, the stone wall collapsed. Through the gaps, the cursed ones burst in. They had finally arrived. Some of the natives began screaming, and those who were near the stone walls scattered in all directions. ¡°Everyone, move back!¡± Allen Leonard shouted and rushed past the natives to move to the front. The ordinary cursed ones were definitely weaker than the heroes. Allen Leonard attacked them like a furious beast, and with the help of several heroes, they quickly repelled their enemies. However, they soon saw the green mutants throwing punches at the stone wall. The difference between them and the regular cursed ones was clear. The mutants were two times larger both in height and bulk, and their entire bodies were covered in bulging muscles. Their popping, green veins seemed to carry poison rather than blood. Thud¡ª! A mutant suddenly jumped; it flew tens of meters into the air. ¡°This is nothing!¡± Allen Leonard barely held his ground as the mutant¡¯s first target. A blow was all it took for him to realize that Giant Fist¡¯s description of them was no exaggeration. Bam! In an instant, Allen Leonard slammed into the stone wall on the opposite side, and he sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Cough!¡± He felt his stomach rip, and he vomited blood. His alerted eyes cast forward and stared at the sight in front of him. The mutant that had flung him into the wall wasn¡¯t alone. Behind it were several dozens of green monsters. ¡®It¡¯s over for me¡­¡¯ They could defeat four or five mutants at most even if all of them fought together. If this went on, everyone would end up dead before half a day passed. ¡®Quickly¡­!¡¯ Allen Leonard stared at the altar with fervent eyes. When he heard Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana talk about promises, he had thought, ¡®The Ru Clan are quite calculative.¡¯ In a way, he had not been wrong. Ru Amuh, who had been preoccupied with concerns since getting the sword from Chi-Woo, was no longer conflicted. ¡ª¡­Will you swear? When Ru Amuh first met Aerys at her call, Ru Amuh had sworn that he would defeat evil and rebuild justice as Aerys¡¯ sword. Behind this promise was Ru Amuh¡¯s desire to protect Ru Hiana. However, the situation was different this time. Ru Amuh realized that it was impossible to save Liber by himself, and he was greatly lacking in strength. Even so, he had been given a role and a mission, which were passed to him by Chi-Woo rather than earned by himself. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Ru Amuh was given something beyond his qualifications. He needed to make an appropriate ¡®payment¡¯ in exchange for the opportunity. That was why Ru Amuh swore once more to Shahnaz. ¡°I swear.¡± Whooosh¡ª! Wind swept around Ru Amuh as he stood up, gathering and spinning fiercely with him at the center. In the eye of the swirling wind, Ru Amuh unsheathed the sword with all his might; it felt heavier than ever. With the clear clang of metal, Ru Amuh opened his eyes wide and declared, ¡°With the name of Ru.¡± At the same moment, there was a change to the Miscellaneous section of Chi-Woo¡¯s user information. 4. Miscellaneous ? [¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯ is unactivated. Open the first page.] [Checking the conditions.] [The book has been unlocked.] 4. Miscellaneous ? [7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent] has been activated. CH 54 The moment Ru Amuh swore upon Shahnaz, his user information was updated. Many messages popped up with familiar information. Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t been restored to his full power at his prime. There was now a system in place for his recovery of power. However, that alone was not enough. Ru Amuh breathed in the winds sweeping around him deeply. Repeatedly, he inhaled and exhaled with purpose, and his whole body responded both internally and externally. An energy as refreshing and clear as a mountain breeze circulated within him. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but the energy circled through his body and purified itself until it settled in his heart. His user information was updated again, and another message popped up. Nothing had seemed to work no matter how much he tried since coming to Liber, but as soon as he made a contract with Shahnaz, everything unraveled so easily. Although it was only a fistful of energy, it was more than enough. Ru Amuh glanced around the base. Like bugs that had found a pot of honey, the cursed ones were swarming in; following them were the mutated ones. They took their time and walked in slowly. Ru Amuh awakened the energy inside his heart. The wind responded and grew sharper. Rather than a refreshing breeze, it became a whirlwind of sharp blades. It concentrated around him as he focused his stance. Whirl! He swung his sword like he was wrapping a rope around it. ¡°Everyone, please duck down!¡± Ru Amuh exclaimed and raised his sword simultaneously with all his might. A terrifying gale erupted as he made a powerful slice through the air. A hero who was fighting off the cursed beings ducked. Swish! The sharp winds whipped past the hero¡¯s arched back and sent his skin crawling. He looked up and blinked. The cursed ones were still standing in the same place as before, but they had become still as a statue with their arms raised. Then a slanted line formed from their left shoulders all the way to their stomachs, and their upper torso was cleanly sliced apart from their bodies. The same happened again and again. Wherever the gust of wind swept, the cursed ones collapsed into multiple pieces. Sliced bodies could be heard dropping all over the place. None of the cursed ones hit by Ru Amuh had gotten back up. However, the mutated ones were only pushed backwards a couple of steps by the strong winds. They slowly looked down at their bodies and checked the cuts on their abdomen with rake-like hands. A greenish, poison-like mucus gushed out from the cuts. The eyes of the sluggish mutated ones suddenly turned sharp as they shifted their attention to Ru Amuh. Tong! They propelled themselves forward with a bounce to their leap and, in the blink of an eye, ferociously struck down at Ru Amuh with bare hands. Ru Amuh blocked their attacks with indifference. The mutant couldn¡¯t even make direct contact, kept at bay by the strong currents whirling around Ru Amuh¡¯s sword. Whoooooosh! For the first time, the mutated ones looked visibly astonished. Their surprise was further amplified by the fact that Ru Amuh¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t even a mystical item, but a regular block of iron. ¡°Kurgh?¡± Ru Amuh managed to push them back again. His hands trembled as he attempted to maintain his grip. His trembling fingers were soon forced open. The condensed air currents in his hands twisted more and more like spirals and fluctuated like they were about to explode, and his bumpy palms split in places as evidence of the pressure. With the torrent of wind between them, Ru Amuh made eye contact with one of the mutated ones. He then tilted his sword with all his might. Sensing the danger, the mutant cried out, which prompted the other mutated ones to bounce and flung themselves forward. Simultaneously. Ru Amuh let out a hearty cry and threw a ball of condensed wind at them. Psh,psh,psh,psh,psh! The spiraling wind shot out like bullets following a trajectory, piercing through the mutated ones¡¯ heads. By raising his sword, Ru Amuh lifted all the mutated ones into the air, and when he swung his blade back down, all of them tumbled half a rotation before smashing into the ground. Ru Amuh¡ªthe exceptional hero who had undisputedly saved his planet, Emertle. He had been addressed with various titles attached to his name, including the ¡®Ru¡¯s Child¡¯, ¡®Aerys¡¯ Sword¡¯, ¡®The Promised Boy¡¯, and ¡®Emertle¡¯s Most Valuable Treasure¡¯. But those who knew him best simply called him ¡®The Genius¡¯. Kuaaaaaah! Surprisingly, the mutants kept moving even with a hole in their foreheads. In fact, not even having their heads cut off stopped them from floundering around in an attempt to get up. Ru Amuh watched them struggle and swung his sword again with his eyes open wide. Sharp winds accurately sliced their eyes and robbed them of their vision. They no longer posed any threat to Ru Amuh as they blindly swung their fists around. Their attacks did land on Ru Amuh every now and then by chance but were swiftly knocked away by the wind protecting him. Meanwhile, Ru Amuh continued to weaken them. He severed their arms, ripped their legs, and bisected them like a butcher putting on a show of dismantling an animal. All the natives and recruits stared blankly. Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t projected a powerful aura, nor had he displayed any jaw-dropping techniques. All he did was slicing, swinging, and piercing in the most rudimentary way possible. That was why it shocked them even more that Ru Amuh was able to cut down his enemies with such ease. His fellow heroes could better recognize how exceptional his performance was. Even though he was a hero, and a system had been set in place for him to utilize his skills, he hadn¡¯t been given any time to hone them. He would have access to only a tiny portion of his powers¡ªnot even half, but probably less than one-hundredth of his original powers. Thus, it was all the more astounding that he had been able to wield his sword so freely in this tight, limited space while surrounded by formidable monsters. ¡°How beautiful¡­¡± someone murmured, mystified. Like a breeze sweeping past a willow branch at times and a strong whirlwind ripping everything in its path at other times¡ªRu Amuh moved so freely and fluidly, it was as if he wasn¡¯t constrained by the limited space at all. No other explanation but ¡®natural talent¡¯ came to mind, and it was clear that the reputation he had earned following his clearance of a star-cluster event hadn¡¯t been a lie. The heroes were wondering the same thing as they looked at Ru Amuh: If they had been chosen to recover their power, would they have been able to face their enemies like Ru Amuh? For the majority of them, the answer was ¡®no¡¯. They might not lose, but they would have gone through a ferocious blood bath. They had no choice but to recognize Ru Amuh¡¯s ability, and to accept that Chi-Woo had made the right choice. Thud! The last mutant fell to the ground. The battle was over. Pieces of their bodies were scattered all around Ru Amuh. Everyone stared as Ru Amuh gathered his rough breath, but he didn¡¯t look back at them. Only after he had calmed his breathing did he look at one person with a composed and respectful gaze, as if silently asking, ¡®How was I? Did I fulfill the role you asked me to play to your satisfaction?¡¯ However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t respond to him. He simply glanced at the fallen bodies around him and quietly closed his eyes. * * * They had endured. It had been an impossible choice between dangerous escape and life-and-death battle, but they managed to survive. Coming out of the grim situation alive might have been grounds for celebration, but the atmosphere at the camp remained heavy. They had decided to leave the camp soon during a discussion in the aftermath of the battle. ¡°It would be ideal if our enemy forces had lost their offensive abilities from this battle, but there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case,¡± said Zelit. ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility that they would attack again with a bigger army. An army of mutated ones, perhaps. We have to leave this place as soon as possible before that could happen.¡± The others agreed. The attack of the cursed ones had proven true what the leader of the fifth recruits had said. Unless their enemies were complete fools, there was no way they wouldn''t do anything. Once they learned of the situation, they would send a bigger and more powerful force than before. Rather than fighting their enemies with the wide-open forest before them, the heroes had to find a proper sanctuary¡ª a place that could at least comfortably hold a couple of hundred people and had an advantageous terrain for defense. It had to be a place where a central base could be established to take in more recruits in the future. Preferably, it should also have a source of food, water, and materials that they would use to arm themselves. Eval Sevaru suggested the capital of the Salem Kingdom. Since it was the capital, the walls would be solidly built, and there would probably be a good reserve of food. Moreover, there might be a treasure trove. ¡°All kingdoms have a treasure trove of some form. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s going to be filled with nothing but gold coins. We¡¯ll be in a better place as long as there are some useful artifacts or weapons like a magical sword.¡± Zelit thought Eval¡¯s idea made sense. When he asked Eshnunna, who was still devastated about her brother¡¯s death, she said that there was indeed a treasure trove, but she didn¡¯t know what had happened to it. Their destination had now been decided. The natives and recruits began packing their belongings. There was no time to even take care of the corpses of those who had sacrificed themselves. As Zelit said, they should¡¯ve set out days ago. As they packed only the most necessary items and quickly departed, Ru Hiana looked at Eshnunna with concern. Eshnunna had just lost the brother she dearly loved, and they had to leave without giving her any time to recover and process her emotions. Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t even imagine how Eshnunna must be feeling as Eshnunna tried to focus on leading the natives and precariously walked forward with a pale-stricken face. Ru Hiana stared at Eshnunna for a while and turned back to look to the front. ¡°Senior¡­¡± She became more concerned when she saw Chi-Woo. He was in the same state as Eshnunna. Their journey began then. The surviving recruits and natives set out to find a new refuge. The capital was closer than they had thought. On the fifth day of their non-stop marching, they saw the city from above. To their good fortune, they hadn¡¯t been ambushed, but what awaited them at their destination was despair. ¡°This is¡­¡± Zelit became speechless as he looked down from the mountain top. The city was crowded; the streets filled with cursed ones like a library filled to the brim with books. Hundred and thousand were no longer useful measures for their number. There were countless cursed ones roaming the city. ¡°¡­We have to give up.¡± Allen Leonard, who was eager to do something, also shook his head at the shocking sight. He noticed mutated ones among the swarm, and a large number of the regular ones were in the process of mutating. ¡°It seems we¡¯ve come straight to their home base.¡± ¡°Fuck. Who the hell could foresee this?¡± Eval Sevaru murmured guiltily to himself. It had been his idea to come to the capital. ¡°I¡¯m not blaming you.¡± Even though Zelit had expected something like this to happen, he had secretly hoped for a better outcome. Zelit smacked his lips; it was a crushing blow, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Since they had limited knowledge, they needed to learn and figure out what the outside situation was like for themselves. Zelit looked back at the fatigued people behind him and thought, ¡®I wonder how long they¡¯ll last.¡¯ Two more trips? Or perhaps just one? These people were able to push themselves forward with the hope Chi-Woo had shown them, but that had its limits. Hope didn¡¯t last forever, and Zelit considered such emotions as consumables. Be it hope or willpower, it would run out eventually if one kept using it. Thus, before they ran out of willpower, they needed to find a new place to stay. Zelit looked for Eshnunna while making calculations in his head. Considering the current situation, saving the princess turned out to be a wise decision since there was no one who knew the Salem Kingdom better than a member of the royal family. However, Eshnunna¡¯s condition was troubling. Her face was emaciated and pale, and he could tell that she was pushing herself to her limits. However, she was still persevering; she gritted her teeth and tried her best because she knew that if she wavered, the natives would follow suit. Zelit respected her highly for acknowledging her responsibilities and not giving up on them. Zelit wanted to let her rest and give her some time to mend her heart. However, they didn¡¯t have the luxury now. They had wasted five days coming to the capital, and they had to now figure out their next destination. ¡®Just a bit more¡­¡¯ Disappointment would haunt them for a day or two. Even though this failure wasn¡¯t enough for them to become hopeless, and there were ways for them to recover their faith, the engine that had been driving them forward was currently turned off. Eshnunna was still doing her job even though it looked like she would burn into ashes at any moment. Chi-Woo, on the other hand¡­ Zelit smacked his lips as he watched Chi-Woo standing still among a group of recruits. With a sigh, he said, ¡°We need to set a new destination. Is there a place you would recommend?¡± Eshnunna looked down with weary eyes. After organizing her thoughts, she opened her mouth. * * * The sixth night the heroes and the natives spent outside was terrible even though the same could be said about their previous nights. At the main camp, they at least had some basic necessities here, they truly had nothing. They couldn¡¯t even build beds or put up tents, as they had to be ready to escape with only their belongings at any moment. Even a haystack was too much of a luxury. Sleeping on the ground, they were not much different from a flock of beggars. Chi-Woo carried his bag and found a place to lie down. He looked up at the endless night sky without a star in sight. ¡®This is fucking hell¡­¡¯ The thought came to him, unbidden. Ever since they left the main camp, Chi-Woo¡¯s mood had hit an all-time low. He hadn¡¯t expected much; he just wanted the situation to be better than before. However, could he confidently say that things were turning for the better? The answer was no. They had to leave their shelter, and many people had to be sacrificed. Chi-Woo still couldn¡¯t resolve his feelings about the sacrificial ritual. Most of all, he felt guilty about the way the situation unfolded. [Please help me survive. My brother as well, and all the natives who depend on me. Please don¡¯t tell us to become sacrifices. Will you do that?] In addition, Chi-Woo felt guilty for not being able to keep his promise to Eshnunna. He sometimes had nightmares. The people who became sacrifices came to him and choked him by the throat as they told him if it hadn¡¯t been for him, if he hadn¡¯t ambushed the ranch and driven away the broken ones, the cursed ones wouldn¡¯t have come to attack them. Chi-Woo was too emotionally compromised to talk back and said that he hadn¡¯t known what would happen, that there was no other way, and that he had done the best he could. What his user information said about him was true. [Sharp] Mentality -¡­ he is always on high-alert. At times, he¡¯s more sensitive than necessary. In extreme situations or when he receives intense stress, he can easily crack and break. Unexpected situations had happened one after another, and Chi-Woo, unable to take it mentally, had broken down. He suddenly recalled his mentor¡¯s words. [If you don¡¯t know what to do, you should try taking a few deep breaths. There will always be something that you missed with just your eyes.] ¡®What I missed.¡¯ There were many things he couldn¡¯t see. How could he have expected that there were greater forces controlling the cursed and broken ones? It¡¯s unfair, he suddenly thought. There had barely been any time for him to consider the possibility of outside forces pulling the strings, and even if he had enough time, there was nothing much he could do about them. ¡®What do I do in a situation like this¡­Teacher?¡¯ Even though Chi-Woo knew he wouldn¡¯t get an answer, he asked the question inside his mind. No, he did hear an answer¡ªbut in Mua Janya¡¯s voice. [Liber wouldn¡¯t give us the luxury to linger around and mourn for our companion¡¯s death.] What had been his reply? Had he told her how envious he was that she could think like that? It was only natural for Chi-Woo to wallow in such thoughts; it was the first time he had been directly involved in an incident in which so many people died. Only born murderers and superhumans would be able to get over it easily. An ordinary person like Chi-Woo, on the other hand, would drown in his own emotions. Chi-Woo let out an empty laugh. He felt like a joke. He felt he was being smothered alive, trapped in a cycle he couldn¡¯t escape no matter how hard he tried. Whether I¡¯m on Earth or Liber, everything I touch goes to ruins. The thought ignited a burning trail within him, and a cry escaped his mouth. He tried to suppress it, but his throat constricted, and he couldn¡¯t breathe. He gasped for breath as his vision blurred. It felt as if his insides would explode if he didn¡¯t scream. In the end, he could no longer contain himself, and he was ready to hurl swear words at the night sky. ¡°Fu¡ª¡± ¡°We decided to go to the border,¡± a quiet voice interrupted him; it was raspy and monotonous, but beautiful nonetheless. Favorite CH 55 ¡°There¡¯s a fortress.¡± Chi-Woo recognized this voice. ¡°Past the mountains and a flowing river¡­there¡¯s a place called the Fortress of Heavens.¡± Chi-Woo slowly turned around. He saw a slim back, thin like a willow tree. Her small shoulders were shrunken back like she was shivering from the cold. Salem Eshnunna was lying on the ground next to Chi-Woo. ¡°Truthfully, the defense at the capital is not that sturdy, either,¡± she murmured to herself with her back to Chi-Woo. ¡°My father often said a country is already in ruins if its capital is being threatened. That¡¯s why he tried his best to strengthen the borders.¡± Chi-Woo wondered how long she had been lying next to him. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn¡¯t realize her presence, and he wondered why she was suddenly saying these to him. Chi-Woo shifted his gaze back to the night sky and turned the opposite way so that he had his back to Eshnunna as well. An awkward silence permeated the air between them. ¡°I have a lot of¡­worries,¡± Eshnunna spoke again. ¡®What worries?¡¯ He wondered if she was concerned about the place they were going to. ¡°Worries about you.¡± Chi-Woo faltered at the surprising response. ¡°Other people are concerned too¡­like me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome to curse me out,¡± Chi-Woo replied without realizing what he was doing. ¡°You can blame me for being a liar.¡± Chi-Woo wanted to comfort her, apologize to her if needed. However, he ended up shaking his head. He felt like he didn¡¯t even have the right to say those words. It would relieve him if she just insulted him until she was satisfied. ¡°I¡­¡± Eshnunna trailed off. It would be a lie if she said she wasn¡¯t bitter. There was a time when she wanted to yell at Chi-Woo like a mad person, asking him about the promise he made. However, Eshnunna knew she couldn¡¯t do that. She knew that Chi-Woo had done his best to keep his promise and personally undertaken great danger to save everyone. Eshnunna had witnessed his efforts in person, so she could swear by this even though things ended up going awry. Eshnunna couldn¡¯t cry given the situation. She wasn¡¯t the only one who had lost a loved one. Chi-Woo himself bid farewell to two of his close companions at once. Since then, Chi-Woo had marched on resolutely; he also shed no tears, but his sorrows were apparent. Even when he pretended to be fine, everything else he did displayed his remorse and pain. Eshnunna could understand his feelings better than anyone else since she felt the same. In the beginning, she couldn¡¯t even think of anything. She simply didn¡¯t want to live. She even went to Hawa three times to follow Yohan to death, but was refused each time; and the reason for it was always the same: there must have been a reason why Chi-Woo insisted on keeping her alive, so she shouldn¡¯t think of taking her own life until the reason became apparent. Thus, the very night of the incident, Eshnunna went to visit Chi-Woo just like that time she was bewitched by the broken ones. She wanted to plead to him to convince Hawa to let her die. But when she came face-to-face with Chi-Woo, the words stuck in her throat and wouldn¡¯t come out. She saw herself in his pain and was able to read him just like she did now. ¡°I¡­how could I¡­¡± Thus, Eshnunna could no longer blame Chi-Woo. Her voice sounded strained. She gently rolled to the other side to look at Chi-Woo. His back had looked big and strong while fighting off the broken beings, but today, it looked especially small and weak. The day she went to Chi-Woo to ask for the release of death, she had simply stared at him before returning to her room. Then, she pondered deeply. Time wasn¡¯t a miracle cure that healed all illnesses, but it relieved some of the pain. After a couple of days, her emotions settled down and when they did, she was able to organize some of her thoughts. The decision she reached in the end surprised even herself. She thought deeply about why she had reached upon this particular decision and came up with several reasons; but in the end, one person came to her mind that explained everything. ¡°It was¡­really sweet¡­¡± She whispered while looking at Chi-Woo. ¡°The crackers¡­¡± The day she returned from the ranch, Eshnunna ate the crackers Chi-Woo gave her; munched on each one slowly and swallowed them. They were so sweet, sweet to the point the taste lingered at the tip of her tongue long after she ate them. It was sweet enough for her to desire them again and eat it every day, lamenting, ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have eaten it in the first place.¡¯ If she hadn¡¯t known the taste in the first place, it would have been easy for her to resist. Now that she had tasted its sweetness, however, there was no turning back. In the end, she was only human. All it took was a taste of hope for her to yearn for more. Thus, she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his ears, but she continued, ¡°Thank you for letting us choose.¡± Eshnunna was also aware that there was not much the natives could do but to offer themselves as sacrifices. She realized it when Siegres Reinhardt told them, ¡®You knew in your hearts, but simply couldn¡¯t accept it¡¯. She was miserable, completely heartbroken. If she knew this would happen, she would have died earlier. It filled her with so much regret that they went through so many struggles and pain only for her brother to die like this. However, what Chi-Woo did for them was different. None of his efforts were meaningless, and he showed all of them that they could still hope in this damn hellish world; and thereby changed the natives¡¯ mindset. ¡°Thank you for letting us understand¡­¡± Rather than feeling angry, she was sad, and rather than feeling resentful, she was both apologetic and thankful. ¡°Thank you for letting them die a peaceful death without curses and sorrows¡­¡± Although they couldn¡¯t die smiling, they had volunteered themselves for their own reason. ¡°Thank you for letting them die with hope.¡± The only thing that was certain was that those who offered themselves as sacrifices did so willingly, hoping to bring about a better future¡ªjust like Yohan, who had smiled because he was happy to be of some help to them, who had asked them to take care of the rest in his stead. [No, sister.] [Are you planning to repeat the same mistake?] Eshnunna¡¯s heart tightened at the thought of Yohan, but her memory of him kept her tethered and compelled her to pick herself up, no matter how much she felt like collapsing then and there. She couldn¡¯t fall, not now; there would have been no point to their sacrifices if she died. And that was why Eshnunna decided to not let Yohan¡¯s death go to waste. She needed to make his death meaningful. In order for that to happen, she must persevere as someone who had survived thanks to their sacrifice. Eshnunna sniffled and cleared her throat. After a short silence, she finished her sentence with a slightly trembling voice, ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± She thanked him for letting her brother and the natives meet a meaningful end and giving hope to the people who were left to prove the worth of their sacrifices. But the words that Eshnunna truly wanted to say was, ¡°So¡­live.¡± Tap. Chi-Woo felt a soft touch at the back of his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself¡­¡± Eshnunna¡¯s shaking breath was warm on his neck, and he felt her rough hair. Her whispers were closer than before. ¡°Stop torturing yourself and¡­let¡¯s try surviving together.¡± Chi-Woo was speechless. Was it because he had heard something so unexpected? Chi-Woo¡¯s spinning head blanked all of a sudden; she was telling him to continue living no matter how awful the situation was. The rock weighing heavily on his chest lifted somewhat, and he finally felt like he could breathe. Listening to Eshnunna¡¯s soft breaths, he exhaled deeply like he was letting out the emotions he had been bottling in his heart. When he was able to breathe properly again, his hazy mind became a bit clearer. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna¡­¡± Chi-Woo regained some of his focus and was about to turn around when he suddenly heard footsteps. At the same moment, he felt Eshnunna quickly move away from him. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s time to change shifts.¡± It was nothing out of the ordinary; a person had approached Chi-Woo to exchange night shifts with him. Chi-Woo sat up and looked to his side. He didn¡¯t know how Eshnunna was able to move so fast, but she was now lying a meter away from him, acting as if nothing had happened. ¡°¡­Okay,¡± Chi-Woo quietly stared at her and replied. ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Eshnunna said before whispering in a voice only Chi-Woo could hear, ¡°See you later.¡± * * * There was a saying that commanders who failed in offensive operations could be forgiven, while those who failed to keep up a defense could not. Defense was crucial in any scenario. Heroes who had been leaders on battlefields were well-aware of this fact, so they remained vigilant during marches as well as when they were sleeping. ¡®After getting released from the military, I never imagined that I¡¯ll have to do guard duty again.¡¯ Chi-Woo smiled wryly as he exchanged shifts with another person. His mood seemed to have improved if the trivial thoughts surfacing his mind were anything to go by. He hadn¡¯t realized it, but he might have needed someone to comfort him and tell him that it was okay, that it was not his fault, and he had done his best. ¡®I should have been the one to comfort her, but¡­¡¯ Instead, he had been the one being comforted. Eshnunna¡¯s heart was probably in tatters. He didn¡¯t know how miserable he must have looked for Eshnunna to approach him and comfort him, and how painful it must have been for her to say the words she had just said to him. Chi-Woo had at least the presence of mind to realize that, and he reflected on himself. ¡®I should get a hold of myself.¡¯ Chi-Woo slapped his cheeks with both hands and tapped his left wrist, turning on the device and opening his user information. What he had been through made him realize one thing: he never wanted the same thing to happen again. People might call him naive, they might say that his ideal was nothing but a pipe dream, but he wanted things to end in a way that he wouldn¡¯t feel tortured about, that would allow him to praise himself for a job well done. To that end, he needed power; power to defeat not just spiritual beings but also physical beings. ¡®I need to improve my stats and skills¡­should I learn sword fighting or something?¡¯ However, once he began to think about how to increase his strength, his future seemed bleak. Considering only the disadvantages, he realized how unfavorable his starting point was. ¡®¡­No, they¡¯re not disadvantages.¡¯ It was more accurate to say that he was looking at his true level of strength without considering the special privileges he was granted with. ¡°Sigh¡­.¡± Even though he wanted to get stronger, there was a long way for him to go. If only there was someone to consult with at times like this. He thought of Giant Fist and Mua Janya and sighed deeply. Then he suddenly heard someone approach. When he turned towards the footsteps, he saw a visitor he didn¡¯t expect. The figure who was approaching him was holding a worn-out sword. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± The two men looked at each other. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Are you here for guard duty? No, that can¡¯t be. I just took over.¡± Ru Amuh widened his eyes slightly and sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s not it, sir. There¡¯s some time until it¡¯s my turn.¡± Then he continued, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re¡­finally speaking.¡± Ru Amuh smiled in relief. ¡°I wanted to talk to you at least once. However, I couldn¡¯t possibly do so since¡­¡± Chi-Woo realized again how miserable he must have looked and scratched his head. Regardless, Chi-Woo realized that Ru Amuh was here for a personal reason. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m on guard right now.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, sir. I¡¯m keeping my senses open to our surroundings.¡± With nothing else to say, Chi-Woo turned to face Ru Amuh. ¡°Why me, sir?¡± Ru Amuh got straight to the point. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. It didn¡¯t seem like Ru Amuh was joking. He looked extremely serious, in fact, as if he was about to make an important decision. And there was even a faint trace of resentment in his eyes. ¡®What¡¯s up with this dude now?¡¯ When Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reply, Ru Amuh spoke up again, ¡°Please tell me. Why did you choose me?¡± CH 56 ¡®Why did you choose me?¡¯ It was such an unexpected question that Chi-Woo stared at Ru Amuh blankly without answering. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying my hardest to figure out the reason since that day.¡± Ru Amuh continued without looking away. ¡°I thought hard about how I should use my powers from then on and did everything I could.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. While they were marching, Ru Amuh had been struggling the most. He was the only person who had regained a tiny bit of his original heroic power. Thus, there were many responsibilities for him to shoulder and many roles for him to play, and he busied around all day long to help. He always stood at the forefront and tried to lead everyone. It was then he realized that no matter how long he led the group as a hero, he couldn¡¯t give hope to those behind him like Chi-Woo had. ¡°This power¡­isn¡¯t mine. It¡¯s not a power I should¡¯ve gained,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°Those who died didn¡¯t sacrifice themselves with me in their minds. They were thinking about you.¡± Ru Amuh lifted his sword slowly as he declared, ¡°This sword is too heavy for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The sword you gave me feels so heavy that I just want to let it go.¡± After coming to Liber, Ru Amuh had to come to terms with his helplessness and incapability daily. That was why he envied and admired Chi-Woo in equal measure. Unlike the weakling Ru Amuh considered himself as, Chi-Woo had proven himself in crucial moments, which attested to the importance of his presence on Liber. Above all, he had taught everyone to not lose hope. Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t do that. Rather than proving himself as a hero, he almost died. He had managed to survive this time, but it still felt like there was nothing he could do. ¡°You could¡¯ve gotten this power or chosen another hero. But¡­!¡± Ru Amuh said with a self-deprecating look on his face before asking again, ¡°¡­What is your reason, sir?¡± Chi-Woo blinked. The atmosphere had turned much more serious than he had expected. ¡®I knew he was righteous and sincere, but¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t expect this level of stubborn integrity from Ru Amuh. Chi-Woo was at a loss for words like the time he talked to Eshnunna, but in a different sense. Ru Amuh¡¯s reaction was preferable to someone who just accepted their power greedily and without much thought, but this was too much for Chi-Woo to handle. A part of him felt bothered since he had other matters to worry about. He scratched his head. ¡°Is that important for you to know?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ru Amuh said without hesitation. He seemed resolute, like he wouldn¡¯t back down without hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s response. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo wondered how he should phrase his answer so that a hero with an overactive conscience like Ru Amuh would accept it. ¡°The reason I chose you¡­¡± There wasn¡¯t much that came to his mind. After all, he had chosen Ru Amuh in a moment of crisis. ¡°Before that, let me ask you one question.¡± In the end, Chi-Woo decided to confront him straight-on. ¡°Why did you decide to come to Liber, Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Were you simply following a god¡¯s command? Were you not concerned at all whether this World fell into ruins?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Ru Amuh shook his head. ¡°Then, why are you trying to save a World that doesn¡¯t concern you?¡± Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t answer, and he looked at Chi-Woo with a troubled, blank look. ¡°See? Let¡¯s not overthink this.¡± Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t saying something particularly profound or meaningful. He just spluttered whatever came to his mind, hoping that Ru Amuh would drop the issue. ¡°The answer is simple, really. You might have guessed it already, but I have no experience in melee combat, and I needed a hero who was skilled in that area of expertise at that time.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, there were other heroes, but I was the one who had to make the choice, and I had to do it as quickly as possible without knowing how skilled the other heroes were,¡± Chi-Woo cleared his throat and said matter-of-factly. ¡°I only knew a few heroes well, and you were one of them, Ru Amuh. You are a hero who resolved a star-cluster level event, and I had witnessed your skills in person. At that time, I simply made the judgment that you¡¯ve ticked all the boxes and more.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head like he was inviting Ru Amuh to find faults in his statements. ¡°That¡¯s all. There¡¯s no other reason.¡± Then, when Chi-Woo noticed that Ru Amuh was about to say something, he quickly added, ¡°If you are still wondering¡­Would you tell me why you chose to go through all this suffering on another planet first?¡± ¡®I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll shut him up,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought to himself and smiled. Ru Amuh pursed his lips. He stared at Chi-Woo as the man grumbled about having to answer such silly questions. He still wasn¡¯t satisfied. Even after hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation, he couldn¡¯t understand. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s question for him hit true and struck a deep, incomprehensible resonance in his heart. [Why did you decide to come to Liber, Mr. Ru Amuh?] It felt like someone had hit his head with a hammer. ¡®I¡­¡¯ The reason why he had saved Emertel. ¡®Why¡­¡¯ And the reason why he had come to Liber. Chi-Woo had answered this question himself in the past. [Well, what else but to save a World in danger?] Chi-Woo¡¯s goal was clear. All his choices and actions were based on that singular goal, and choosing Ru Amuh was simply a means to that end. Nothing more, nothing less. Chi-Woo seemed to be reminding him that they were both heroes who had come to Liber for the same purpose, and asking if they needed any other reason. The realization knocked Ru Amuh off balance and filled him with embarrassment. Why did he struggle so much with this question? The truth was that he lacked personal motivation, and he had fallen into a trap like many new heroes before him. He was like those students who succeeded in everything¨Cfrom passing the entrance exam, going to a good college, graduating with astounding grades, and getting the job of their dreams. Once they finally got their dream job, they realized that it wasn¡¯t a good fit for them. Those who were too engrossed in hero plays didn¡¯t even have to concern themselves with such matters. Due to his straightforward personality, however, Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t even thought about his purpose for coming to Liber besides his god sending him here and hadn¡¯t figured out his own motivation for saving this planet. Chi-Woo had hit right on the mark. Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t come to Liber to save it or to play the role of a hero; he had been nothing but a puppet that blindly heeded his god¡¯s command. Ru Amuh¡¯s face flushed red. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t look up. He squeezed his eyes shut and raised his head after a deep breath. When he carefully opened his eyes, he saw a great hero so dazzling that it hurt his eyes. Unlike him, who didn¡¯t know what to do after saving a world, this hero held a firm, unwavering resolution to fulfill his heroic duty above all to save a planet that wasn¡¯t even his. The hero probably had saved plenty more Worlds than him and was a hero among heroes. He could now understand Ru Hiana¡¯s feelings when she struggled to find the words as she said, ¡®This man is, this hero is¡­!¡¯ ¡°But I still don¡¯t get it, sir,¡± Ru Amuh muttered. ¡°I apologize, but I still can¡¯t understand you.¡± Chi-Woo clutched his forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to save Liber at all even with my mind made up.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Thus, please teach me.¡± ¡®What the hell is he saying suddenly?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. ¡°Please tell me what I should do with my power. Please tell me how I can help you and save Liber.¡± ¡°What? Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Please teach me, sir.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s complexion brightened. It was like he had found his savior after falling off a cliff. Chi-Woo wondered what exactly Ru Amuh had misunderstood him about that he would have such a look of determination on his face. ¡°W-Why are you asking me?¡± Chi-Woo spluttered, overwhelmed by Ru Amuh¡¯s eagerness. ¡°Please deal with it by yourself. I am sure you will do well.¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t, sir.¡± However, Ru Amuh refused to budge. ¡°You have to teach and lead me.¡± ¡°Why must I?¡± ¡°Because you chose me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You gave me a power so heavy and laden with all the precious hopes and dreams of many people.¡± Chi-Woo was speechless now. ¡°You are right sir,¡± Ru Amuh confessed. ¡°When I first made an oath to Goddess Aerys, I had no misgivings, so I could pledge myself to her without hesitation.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s goal was perfectly clear to him at that time. Under a definite goal, Ru Amuh was able to hold unwavering beliefs. ¡°However, when I swore to goddess Aerys¡ªShahnaz, I wasn¡¯t able to do so with the same mindset. I didn¡¯t feel confident. In fact, I had many questions.¡± Ru Amuh knew the reason why he felt this way, and he had been willfully ignoring the issue. He wouldn¡¯t continue to deceive himself from now on. Clang! Ru Amuh suddenly unsheathed his sword. If he swore to this man instead of Aerys¡ªShahnaz, Ru Amuh believed that he could give away his full trust and follow without hesitance. No, he would definitely keep his oath to Chi-Woo since he was a hero with strong and unwavering beliefs. Thus, Ru Amuh continued, ¡°I swear that I will defeat evil in this world as your sword.¡± Although he had been wavering up to this point, Ru Amuh was confident about his third pledge. He got on one knee and continued, ¡°I will rebuild justice according to your will.¡± He humbly offered his sword to Chi-Woo with both hands, and his expression seemed more certain than ever before. His bright blue eyes shone so brilliantly that Chi-Woo felt burdened. ¡°I promise to you with this sword¡­and with the name of Ru.¡± Chi-Woo remained silent. To be more exact, he was busy gaping in shock. He questioned if he had lost his mind and was seeing and hearing things. Whooooooosh¡­ The wind persisted without concern, and Chi-Woo managed to come back to his senses when it swept up the strands of loose hair before his forehead. ¡®What have I done?¡¯ he wondered. Had he poured water to save an electrocuted person? Had he thrown a water tank to put out a fire, but it ended up being an oil tank? Those were the analogies that best summed up what he was feeling now. ¡®No.¡¯ There was still time for him to fix this situation. He could say no and turn Ru Amuh away. Chi-Woo was about to do so when¡ª ¡°Hmm?¡± He suddenly heard a notification. Subsequently, numerous messages popped up. [¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯ has been unlocked.] [The amount of trust that Ru Amuh has towards user Choi Chi-Woo will be measured.] [Measuring¡­ Measurement is complete.] [Trust 87.5%: this is the combination of Ru Amuh¡¯s faith and trust in you. As long as his faith is not shaken, he will neither waver to become your sword nor hesitate to put his life on the line for you.] Chi-Woo was beyond shocked, and he only became even more lost for words as he continued to read further. [His trust in you has exceeded the necessary requirements.] [Will you choose Ru Amuh, ¡®the Promised Boy¡¯ as your first star?] ¡®What the hell is this? Fuck.¡¯ Chi-Woo fell into a habit whenever he faced a troublesome situation. It was to first close his eyes and then process the situation and his thoughts one by one. Unexpected messages had popped up; there must be an explanation. Chi-Woo pondered and suddenly recalled something. He hurriedly looked through his user information, and as expected, there was an update to the miscellaneous section. It said that his book had been unlocked¡ªhe didn¡¯t even know when that had happened. Chi-Woo had simply been wondering what nonsense Ru Amuh was spouting; whether Ru Amuh swore or pledged allegiance to him, he had no intention to accept it. However, finding out that the messages were a result of his ¡®special privileges¡¯ made him hesitate. He had no choice but to reconsider. ¡®Special privileges¡­¡¯ First of all, Chi-Woo could now decipher the title of the book to some extent¡ªit probably meant that Chi-Woo should become a ¡®parent¡¯ for Ru Amuh, the ¡®child¡¯ in this equation. Considering the state of Liber, the book was probably telling him to guide Ru Amuh as a parent until he became an amazing hero capable of saving the world. Chi-Woo''s instincts were vehemently against the idea. He didn¡¯t have the ability to raise another person when he couldn¡¯t even take care of himself. However, his sense of reasoning was telling him the opposite. Every special privilege of his proved to be amazing in their own rights. There was no need to talk about how great the World¡¯s Milestone was despite its reliance on luck, and the club and talismans were extremely helpful as well. In particular, the book was one of the special privileges he had obtained at the price of all of Laguel¡¯s previous achievements. She was an angel who knew about Liber¡¯s situation and Chi-Woo¡¯s condition better than anyone else. Since she had warned him to take extreme caution in everything he did, the book was definitely not an ordinary item. In a way, Chi-Woo had a feeling that she might have arranged this situation to help him because she knew about his worries in advance. The one thing his privileges shared was the connection between them. The World¡¯s Milestone had given him the choice to save Ru Amuh, and there must be a reason for that. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent.¡¯Like manure that helped seeds sprout and bloom, parents were those who made sacrifices for their children. However, they weren¡¯t only sacrificial figures. There was no one in the world who was born as a parent. Everyone was born as a child and grew up to become an adult, and eventually a parent. Adults didn¡¯t stop growing. They continued to grow and mature after having children. In this way, it was more accurate to call parenting a mutual learning process for both the child and the parent. ¡®If I raise him well, he might support me later on in the future¡­¡¯ A hero raised well was better than ten mediocre heroes. No one could foresee the future. ¡®Who knows? Maybe he¡¯ll let me retire after working so hard to raise him once he¡¯s all grown up.¡¯ Then Chi-Woo would enjoy his remaining years under Ru Amuh¡¯s care. Chi-Woo chided himself with a wry smile for daydreaming prematurely. The happy ending he couldn¡¯t help but imagine must have meant that he was leaning toward accepting the role. He had been thinking about needing more strength anyway, which further cemented his resolve. Even if he was clutching at straws, it was better than nothing. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity¡ªno, he couldn¡¯t miss it. However, since he didn¡¯t know what the results of his choice and actions would be, he needed to tell Ru Amuh beforehand. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± Chi-Woo finally broke his silence and spoke up. ¡°Have you perhaps heard of the igio-sword?¡± Ru Amuh, who had been anxiously waiting for Chi-Woo¡¯s replies, blinked several times. ¡°Sir, are you talking about an ego-sword?¡± ¡°It¡¯s similar.¡± ¡°Yes, I know what it is¡­¡± Meeting Ru Amuh¡¯s inquisitive gaze, Chi-Woo replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want a sword that listens to me blindly.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes widened in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t want a sword that just swings in whichever direction I swing it.¡± Ru Amuh let out a small exclamation as he finally understood what Chi-Woo was talking about. ¡°I want a sword that can move on its own, refuse to move when it¡¯s necessary, and stop the user from swinging it when the situation calls for it.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t need a sword that just waited for orders; he wanted Ru Amuh to make decisions for himself and move accordingly. In other words, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t looking for a relationship between master and servant, but a mutually respected partnership. He would accept Ru Amuh as long as the man stood beside him proudly rather than blindly following him behind his back. The image Chi-Woo painted coincided with what Ru Amuh truly wanted, and his trust in Chi-Woo increased further. [Ru Amuh¡¯s trust in you has increased by 0.5%.] While Chi-Woo was taken aback by the new message, Ru Amuh answered strongly, ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°¡­Good.¡± Chi-Woo regained his senses and nodded as another message popped up. [You have chosen Ru Amuh, ¡®The Promised Boy¡¯ as your first star.] Countless messages popped up and filled Chi-Woo¡¯s vision, and all he could hear were the notification sounds. CH 57 [Page 1. ? Promises are extremely important in child development. If you make a promise to your child, keep it at all costs. If you fail to keep your promise, it would be the same as lying to them. Rather than making a promise you can''t keep, it''s better to not make it at all.] A collection of maxims popped up as messages before him. [Inherent skill, ''Influence'' amplifies.] [Inherent skill, ''Spirit Eye'' evolves.] [User information regarding ''7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent'' will be updated.] [Special skill ''Sharing'' is created.] [''Mimi Sio Rg'', the exclusive function of ''7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent'', will be updated.] Things were created, evolved, and updated. In surprise, Chi-Woo checked his user information. [Innate] Spirit Eye -Exceptional eyes that can discern spirits. -Influenced by the [destined] Four Tiger Sword, you are born with natural spiritual abilities. -Due to the influence of ''7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent'', you can peek into the inner characters of those involved in your goal. ''Inner characters of those involved in your goal?'' Chi-Woo glance sideways at Ru Amuh. He felt pressure in his eyes as he focused. 1. Name & Rank: Ru Amuh (¡ï¡î¡î¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 22 3. Height & Weight: 178.8cm & 72.4kg 4. Class: Crusader 5. Heavenly Title: The Promised One 6. Disposition: Lawful and Good [Strength C] [Durability C] [Agility C] [Stamina C] [Mental Fortitude A++] [Divinity E] 1. [Basic Swordsmanship A] - form of martial arts that involves fighting with swords. Although he uses only basic swordsmanship techniques, he has fully mastered them. 2. [Basic Hand-to-hand Combat A] - form of martial arts that involves clashing one''s physical body against another. Although he uses only the basic hand-to-hand combat techniques, he has fully mastered them. 1. [Synesthesia S] 2. [New Sword Union A+] Chi-Woo was able to see Ru Amuh''s user information. It was slightly different from what he had seen before. The information provided by the Celestial Realm was complicatedly long and detailed. However, the user information that the ''7 Ways to Become a Respected Parent'' showed him was the opposite; it was short and to the point like it had extracted only the necessary, vital information. Most importantly, Chi-Woo was able to read other people''s user information now. ¡°Thanks to you, a weight has been lifted from my heart. I look forward to working with you, sir.¡± Ru Amuh bowed. ¡°Sorry? Ah, yes.¡± Having been completely focused on the message, Chi-Woo nodded absent-mindedly, still reeling from the shock. As Ru Amuh turned to walk away, he stared hard at the man''s back until the former disappeared into the distance. * * * The next day, they continued their march as soon as dawn broke. Chi-Woo pondered deeply the entire time they walked; even during the short breaks they took, he was preoccupied with thoughts. ''I really don''t get it.'' He had gained a new ability, but he didn''t know how he was supposed to use it. ''I wish I had a helper in moments like this.'' Chi-Woo grumbled as he flopped down to the ground and turned on his device. He thought he might find some hint in his user information, so he reread it carefully. His gaze lingered on the fourth section, ''Miscellaneous''. Now that he thought about it, he remembered that a new function had been added. As soon as he clicked into ''Miscellaneous'', he saw ''Mimi Sio Rg'' waiting to be activated, and next to it were the on and off buttons. ''I should''ve noticed this,'' Chi-Woo chided himself and pressed ''On''. [Welcome.] He had suspected this would happen, but it still surprised him. [I am your assistant for ''7 Ways to Become a Respected Parent'', Mimi Sio Rg.] A beautiful voice spoke in his head. ''Uh¡­Yes. Nice to meet you.'' Since there were people around him, Chi-Woo responded only in his head. [Yes, the pleasure is mine.] The voice seemed almost sentient as she answered him. Chi-Woo felt relieved; he had worried that he would look crazy sporadically muttering to himself. [As I mentioned before, I am an assistant who will assist you to the best of my capabilities. If there''s anything you are curious about from now on, please ask me.] Chi-Woo was delighted. [By the way, I had thought you would activate this function right away, but you took your time.] ''Sorry?'' [It''s not a good habit to think deeply by yourself whenever a problem arises. I won''t say it''s bad, but you need to develop a habit of asking those around you for answers.] Chi-Wo was a bit stunned. He thought the voice would be a simple artificial intelligence without a mind of her own, but that didn''t seem to be the case. The way she was yapping at him right now upon their first meeting reminded him of someone he had met at the Celestial Realm. [Yapping?] Chi-Woo realized his mistake. [You are very rude, sir.] ''I''m sorry. Um. Mimi Sio Rg¡­May I call you Mimi from now on?'' [You can just call me ''Assistant''.] ''Yes, Mimi.'' [¡­] ''I have many things I''m curious about.'' [I''m sure you do.] Chi-Woo tried to organize his thoughts. He had a mountain-full of things to ask. What should he ask first in this situation? [There''s no need for you to think that hard.] ''Please give me a moment of peace. I''m thinking.'' [Okay.] After Mimi became quiet, Chi-Woo decided to ask his questions one by one. His first question was regarding the title of the book. He understood that the ''parent'' part in ''7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent'' meant that he should guide others to save Liber. ''But 7 Ways?'' I mean, why wasn''t it one or two? Why the number seven?''Chi-Woo had already come up with several hypotheses regarding this. ''The message told me that Ru Amuh was my first star. Does that mean there will be seven stars in total?'' [Yes.] Mimi confirmed his hypothesis. [You are correct. This book allows you to have a total of seven stars.] In other words, Chi-Woo could choose six other people besides Ru Amuh. Chi-Woo narrowed his eyes. ''Seven? That sounds way too much.'' If Chi-Woo was ever going to have children, he would have two at most. Raising seven seemed excessive. ''What''s the reason? Why seven?'' [I don''t know.] ''?'' [My role is to simply tell you about the book''s functions and help you understand them. I''m not the author of this book.] This sounded reasonable to Chi-Woo, so he accepted it. [Moreover, didn''t you choose this book of your own accord?] ''That''s true, but¡­'' [Not even I would know everything, so there are questions I can''t answer.] Chi-Woo couldn''t come up with a retort for that. [I know you''re curious, but you can''t find out about everything at once. You''ll get your answer by figuring things out one at a time.] Mimi said in an appeasing voice, and Chi-Woo turned to his next question for now. ''This book told me to become a parent, but right now, I don''t even have the abilities to take care of myself.'' [That isn''t true.] Mimi immediately responded. [Your spiritual prowess exceeds everyone else''s. Furthermore, you have the World''s Milestone in your possession.] ''You know about that, too?'' Chi-Woo was surprised and a little hesitant. ''Even if that''s the case¡­'' [Most importantly is your choice, and how you change the future for those you''ve chosen. In the original timeline, the first star you chose would''ve immediately died upon entering Liber, but thanks to your choices and actions, his future has changed.] As Mimi said, Ru Amuh should have died in the cave but had survived thanks to Chi-Woo. [Considering that instance alone, you''ve fulfilled your duties as a parent.] Chi-Woo nodded. From Mimi''s words, he realized that raising one hero was not enough. He needed to choose seven people to save Liber, and he needed to guide them to the right path so that those seven heroes wouldn''t stray in the middle or die in futility. In short, Chi-Woo had to guide them until they became the seven stars in the sky that would bring light all over Liber. That gave Chi-Woo a rough understanding of the purpose of the book. [Of course, I''m aware that you''re still inexperienced.] ''Yes.'' [However, no one starts out good. You can learn and make up for what you lack. If you''re willing to do this, this book will generously help you become a great parent.] This was what Chi-Woo wanted to hear the most. ''That''s good. If I''m giving something, I should receive something in return. There''s generosity in giving.'' Chi-Woo''s eyes sparkled as he asked Mimi what he would be getting in return this time. [I''m unsure if that''s even the correct term but¡­fine. First of all, one of the things you can give is ''influence''.] He had received a message about ''Influence'' yesterday. By definition, it was the power for an object or effect to inflict change on another person or object. [The star you''ve chosen and the stars you will choose are influenced by your actions and their expectations of you.] ''What? What does that mean?'' [Even if you don''t force your authority on them, your stars will respect your authority and follow you. However, there will still be individual differences based on their trust in you and their dispositions.] ''That''s too difficult to understand. Can you explain it in simpler terms?'' Mimi was quiet for a moment. [To put it simply, they''ll become similar to you.] ''?'' [Children grow up under the influence of their parents. In short, your stars will become more and more like ''Choi Chi-Woo'' as time passes by.] Chi-Woo paused. Mimi seemed to be imparting extremely important information to him, so he paid full attention. [Their speech, behavior, habit, custom, and especially disposition will become more similar to you.] ''¡­'' [Your first star, Ru Amuh''s disposition is ''Lawful Good''. But what will happen overtime?] Chi-Woo fell into deep thought. His own disposition was ''neutral''. Thus, there was a high possibility that Ru Amuh would also lean towards neutral as time passed. [Neutral is still a moderate disposition. However, you must take extreme caution to make sure your disposition doesn''t become ''True Neutral'' or ''Chaotic Evil''.] Chi-Woo closed his eyes and suddenly recalled Giant Fist''s words. ¨CBut sir, you came here as a hero. ¡ªSo you must become a hero. ''¡­This is a heavy subject.'' Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh had shared the same thoughts last night; he finally understood what Mimi was telling him. [It''s enough that you understand the gravity of this subject for the moment. I would like to now talk about what you''ll be receiving next.] Mimi changed the topic, breaking Chi-Woo out of his bemusement. [Have you seen the message about ''sharing''?] Chi-Woo had seen it. [You will be able to get one ability each from the stars you''ve chosen.] Chi-Woo''s eyes widened. ''What did you say?'' If what Mimi had said was true, this would be a cheat-like ability. Like Neo in The Matrix, he would be able to use kungfu just by downloading it from the machine. Moreover, he could gain an ability from each star, which meant he could gain seven abilities in total. [However, there are conditions.] Chi-Woo had expected this; since it was such a strong ability, it was only natural that there would be conditions. [First, you can''t delete or replace the ability you''ve selected, so you have to be very careful with your choice.] ''What''s the second condition?'' [The effectiveness of the ability would depend on the level of trust the star you''re getting it from has in you.] Chi-Woo did not understand what this meant. [Currently, the trust level of your first star is 87.5%. This means the effectiveness of the shared ability of your choice will be adjusted to 87.5%.] For example, if Chi-Woo chose one of Ru Amuh''s basic abilities, basic swordsmanship, he would be able to use 87.5% of its power, and the ability would go down from rank A to rank B. That put a damper on Chi-Woo''s mood. [What''s wrong?] ''I mean¡­it''s a bit disheartening. A is better than B¡­'' Mimi became speechless like she thought he was being ridiculous. [¡­I think I need to first tell you what the ranks mean.] ''Is rank B also high?'' [Yes. It''s high. It''s undebatable.] Mimi continued with a slightly irritated voice. [Whatever the style of swordsmanship, a rank B skill will allow you to easily crush the top military commander of a country.] [The average person wouldn''t be able to reach rank C even after training their whole life.] [Someone with a rank D swordsmanship will be considered skilled.] [Are you getting a better sense of rank B now?] Chi-Woo now understood her. Rank A, B, C, and D were all levels that Chi-Woo was not even close to reaching. ''I didn''t know. Rank B is amazing enough¡­'' [The same is true of physical abilities. Someone with physical strength of rank B will be able to completely crush a rock that is the size of a house. Do you understand now?] Chi-Woo accepted Mimi''s explanation. ''Well, if I want a shared ability to reach its full potential, I just need to increase the trust level. I can pick the ability I want once I''ve reached a trust level of 100%, right?'' [About that¡­] It was the first time Mimi didn''t complete her sentence. She hesitated for a while and said, [I don''t really recommend that.] ''Hmm? Why?'' [Trust levels are just the prerequisite to making someone one of your stars. The condition is met when the selected person''s trust level reaches at least 70%, and it doesn''t necessarily mean that you have to reach 100%.] ''Yes, I got that part already. But why shouldn''t I do it?'' [It''s extremely difficult to reach 100%, and anything becomes poison if there''s too much¡­.] ''Why would it become poison?'' Mimi let out a deep sigh. [If your star''s gender is the same as yours, it might be all right, but with someone of the opposite gender, I recommend you to keep it between 70-80%.] If he surpassed that percentage, his life might be in danger, and there would be chaos, but Mimi refused to elaborate further. At that moment, Chi-Woo heard from far away that they were leaving. ''Seriously, she should just tell me the exact reason.'' Chi-Woo grumbled and got up from his seat. ''Whatever. I''m just going to increase everyone''s trust level as high as possible and share their abilities fully.'' In a way, Chi-Woo was thinking like any ordinary person would. This was his lifeline. If he could only get one ability from each person, who wouldn''t aim for the maximum amount? [Ah, okay.] However, Mimi''s reply was lukewarm. ''What was that? You''re being¡­'' [You have been warned. I can''t take responsibility for what happens after.] ''Ah, okay.'' [¡­Let''s stop talking about this. Open your user information and go to the special privilege section.] ''Why?'' [Aren''t you also curious about the new updates?] Chi-Woo couldn''t deny that. While getting in line, he thought about all the questions he had. Even though he had gotten some answers, there were still many things he was curious about. CH 58 ¡°You know, senior.¡± Ru Hiana paused mid-march and tilted her head to stare at Chi-Woo, who had been following them from behind. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Chi-Woo seemed to be deep in thoughts. He walked with a serious expression and sometimes stopped suddenly to let out a small cry. Then, he would stare at midair and nod. One would liken him to Rodin¡¯s The Thinker, while Ru Hiana saw Chi-Woo as a great sage pondering about the future. ¡°He¡¯s acting strangely. I was worried that he would go crazy like the cursed ones,¡± she muttered aloud. She had been deeply troubled before, but now she was relieved. After all, she hadn¡¯t been able to understand Chi-Woo¡¯s behavior¡ªhow utterly shocked he had been after the recent incident; it would¡¯ve been understandable if newbies like her and Ru Amuh had responded in this manner, but Chi-Woo was supposed to be an experienced hero who was used to things like mass sacrifice. ¡®Is this perhaps his first time?¡¯ If this was his first mission, his reaction would be understandable; she remembered reacting in a similar way in the same situation. However, Ru Hiana dismissed the possibility immediately. Not only was Chi-Woo able to make decisions calmly and coolly, he knew when to push forward more aggressively. There was no way such a skilled leader like Chi-Woo would be a newbie. Anyone would have mocked her for having such thoughts. After thinking deeply about this matter, she reached her own conclusions. ¡®He must have kept people¡¯s sacrifices close to his heart despite all the things he had been through. As expected of him. Or maybe, this could be senior¡¯s first failure. Of course, I don¡¯t think he failed at all, but perhaps he believes he could¡¯ve done better and isn¡¯t satisfied with how things ended up unfolding. Ah, ah! No wonder he is lamenting so much.¡¯ Her image of Chi-Woo soon transformed into one of an exceedingly rare, genius hero who was despairing after tasting failure for the first time. Chi-Woo would have shaken his head vigorously if he heard her thoughts, but Ru Hiana already had a fixed image of him inside her head, and her mind wandered wherever she pleased. In truth, it didn¡¯t really matter what the reason for Chi-Woo¡¯s response was. To Ru Hiana and many others, Chi-Woo was irreplaceable. If he suddenly disappeared, many would be in fright looking for him. She was simply curious about the reason for Chi-Woo¡¯s sudden change in attitude. She looked up and narrowed her eyes. Ru Amuh was smiling. Now that she thought about it, Ru Amuh was also acting strangely. He had been running around the place busily with an urgent look on his face, but for some reason, he seemed at ease today. She poked at Ru Amuh¡¯s sides and asked, ¡°Something¡¯s happened, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s happened between you two, right? Tell me now.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ru Amuh responded with a small smile. ¡°Ah, seriously!¡± Ru Hiana glared at Ru Amuh intently like he couldn¡¯t have been more annoying. On the other hand, Chi-Woo was still deep in thought. ¡®Well, what about the stars next to the names?¡¯ 1. Name & Rank: Ru Amuh (¡ï¡î¡î¡î ) ¡®What do these stars mean?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought as he looked at Ru Amuh¡¯s rank. [It shows the brightness of the star. Not all heroes are the same.] Mimi spoke clearly, but as if she herself knew that this explanation wasn¡¯t satisfactory, she continued. [Some heroes struggle to save one planet, while others work at a galaxy level.] Chi-Woo recalled Laguel¡¯s explanation about the scales of an event¡ª Planet, Stellar System, Star Cluster, Galaxy, Galaxy Cluster ¡ª and nodded. [Of course, you might wonder how one can rank the great deed of saving Worlds, but realistically, we must keep in mind the differences between individuals¡¯ skill levels. Thus, we have to consider how impressive a hero¡¯s potential is and how many Worlds their dazzling light can shine upon.] In other words, the stars ranked how far the hero could progress ¡ª their hidden potential. Hearing that, Chi-Woo scratched his head. ¡®Their potential, huh?...Then, I suppose the more stars one has, the better they are?¡¯ [That¡¯s usually the case.] ¡®Are you saying that there are cases when it is not?¡¯ [There are always exceptions. The number of stars that a hero has is one of the first factors to consider, but their progression rate matters as well.] ¡®Progression rate?¡¯ [See the black stars and white stars?] ¡î The white stars show how much potential a hero has and how much he can grow. ¡ï The black stars show the current stage the hero is at and the potential they have already awakened. Thus, in Ru Amuh¡¯s case, he could grow up to 4 stages, and currently, he had awakened his first one. [Furthermore, even if two heroes have the same number of stars, you have to consider the difference in the amount of experience necessary for them to progress to the next stage.] To illustrate the point, imagine two four-star heroes going through the same experience. Only one ended up progressing to the next stage, while the other remained at their starting stage. The hero who had not entered the next stage actually had more room for growth. ¡®In other words, you¡¯re telling me that I shouldn¡¯t celebrate just because a hero has many stars.¡¯ [Yes. Still, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you should consider a hero¡¯s number of stars first and foremost. Truthfully, if a hero has 4 stars, things like that won¡¯t really matter.] ¡®Is that so? Is 4 stars that impressive?&rsquoHe recalled how he had grumbled about rank B being low for basic swordsmanship. Mimi soon proved him right. A 1-star hero was the most common of all heroes. Once in a while, a useful one came out of this group, but it was very rare. 2-stars heroes were uncommon, but they were still nothing out of the ordinary; nevertheless, they were quite useful. Heroes with more than 3 stars were rare, and the chance of finding one was like expecting beans to grow in a drought. One would be fortunate to encounter a couple in their lifetime, and such heroes almost always became the main force of a group wherever they went. If that was the case for a 3-stars hero, one could only imagine how strong a 4-stars or 5-stars hero would be. The number of 4-star heroes among all existing heroes could be counted on one hand. As for 5-star heroes¡­ [It will be easier to find two black specks of a chick¡¯s eye on a sandy beach as wide as an ocean.] It was then Chi-Woo realized how lucky he had been. After all, a 4-star hero had come to him of his own volition even though there were only a handful of them in the Celestial Realm. Chi-Woo now had a better perspective. Since 4 or 5-stars heroes were basically nonexistent, he had to change the way he thought about heroes below 3 stars accordingly. Depending on their progression rate, a 1-star hero could be better than a 2-star or 3-star hero. [That¡¯s correct. Furthermore, a 1-star hero can become a 2-stars hero, and a 2-stars hero can become a 3-stars hero.] ¡®That can happen?¡¯ [Yes. They can go through a pivotal event, consume an elixir from the heavens, or transform their body to push beyond their limits somehow. It¡¯s not uncommon for a hero to evolve to a higher rank.] Chi-Woo scratched his head. He understood the ranking system well now ¡®I wonder what my rank is?¡¯ Chi-Woo opened up his user information to check.. 1. Name & Rank: Choi Chi-Woo (EX) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 23 3. Height & Weight: 180.5 & 85.5kg 4. Class: - 5. Characteristics: Three Lines 6. Disposition: Neutral [Strength F] [Durability F] [Agility F] [Stamina F] [Mental Fortitude D] 1. [Basic Blunt Attack F]¡ªMartial arts fighting with a blunt weapon. User is at a beginner level; skill level equal to swinging a club only a couple of times. Chi-Woo was severely disappointed as soon as he saw the ranks of his physical attributes. He had expected them to be bad, of course, but they were worse than he had imagined. He couldn¡¯t believe that he had four Fs. And his mental fortitude, which he had high hopes for, turned out to be rank D¡ªno, was D actually somewhat high? But to add insult to injury¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t even have any divinity¡­!¡¯ [Whether it¡¯s qi, mana, or divinity, you haven¡¯t awakened any of them yet.] Mimi¡¯s words didn¡¯t make him feel any better. However, Chi-Woo at least felt consoled by looking at his other abilities besides his basic ones. ¡®¡­Wait, isn¡¯t it a bit much?¡¯ As he read through his abilities, Chi-Woo became dumbfounded. All of his abilities were either ranked S or EX. He knew they were great based on their description, but he couldn¡¯t get a sense of exactly how great they were. ¡®What¡¯s the order of the ranks?¡¯ [F¡úE¡úD¡úC¡úB¡úB+¡úA¡úA+¡úA++¡úA+++¡úAA¡úAAA¡úS¡úEX] Mimi kindly sent a message in chart form to make it easier for Chi-Woo to understand. Chi-Woo stared at the chart in a daze and realized something: From F to C, the ranks went up directly; Meanwhile, there were a lot of sub-ranks to go through before one could go from B to A, and even more so from A to S. [Since physical abilities are restricted by the limits of an individual¡¯s species, they can¡¯t be measured with the same standard as other miscellaneous abilities, but they are the same in one aspect.] [Rank A means that you are an expert. And an expert is still human.] [If you surpass rank A, you¡¯ve surpassed the limits of a human.] [The process of reaching this stage is extremely difficult and exhausting, and even among the chosen ones, who are extremely few in number, only a handful of them are able to reach this rank. You can no longer consider these people human anymore.] [Thus, a person at rank S is a superhuman. Only those who surpassed human limits can reach this stage.] Chi-Woo¡¯s jaw dropped. He didn¡¯t realize how amazing rank S was, and he had so many of them. ¡®But I haven¡¯t really surpassed human limits before¡­¡¯ [It¡¯s because they¡¯re all abilities given to you rather than things you achieved by yourself.] Mimi calmly roasted Chi-Woo. ¡®That¡¯s true, but¡­I guess it doesn¡¯t matter too much right now. Given my current physical ability, any random monster will be able to instantly¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo licked his lips and suddenly realized something strange. He had opened his user information in the beginning because he was curious about his rank. Although he got caught up looking at his abilities momentarily, he soon noticed that there wasn¡¯t a star rank attached to his name, but merely the term ¡®EX¡¯. Since he was curious about this, Chi-Woo expected Mimi, who could read his thoughts, to take the initiative to explain it to him. However, no matter how long he waited, Mimi never spoke up. ¡®Ms. Mimi?¡¯ ¡®Ms. Assistant?¡¯ ¡®Lady Mimi Sio Rg?¡¯ Chi-Woo tilted his head and thought more carefully. ¡®Hey, chatterbox.¡¯ [What?] ¡®Ah, here you are¡­!¡¯ [What did you just call¡­] ¡®Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯re still around.¡¯ Chi-Woo heard Mimi click her tongue and sigh in exasperation. [¡­Extra.] And soon after, Mimi calmed down and continued. [Outside the standard. Special.] Before Chi-Woo could say anything, she continued. [I¡¯ll ask a question in return. Have you ever played a gacha game before?] Chi-Woo was taken aback by Mimi¡¯s abrupt question. Still, he responded with a ¡®yes¡¯. [It¡¯s not difficult to rank a character that you pick from a gacha.] [Even though there are other factors to consider when judging a character¡¯s strength and usefulness, you can always make a rough estimation of their capabilities as long as they are available.] [However, what rank do you give to a character that is not available and can¡¯t be gained from a gacha?] Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t reply to this question. * * * Two days had passed since they changed their destination, and it was now nighttime. When they first departed, Chi-Woo had felt like dying; his talk with Eshnunna made it a little easier for him to breathe. However, it didn¡¯t take long for Chi-Woo to feel like dying again; he was just so hungry and thirsty. With a clearer mind, he was able to focus on the reality again, which had the unfortunate effect of making him see how miserable their situation was. Neither recruits nor natives were given food anymore. They were given water, but just enough to keep people alive. If things went on, Chi-Woo would have to start eating mud. ¡®I¡¯m hungry¡­¡¯ Like the past few days, Chi-Woo clutched his rumbling stomach and stopped himself from reaching towards his bag. He wanted to eat the snacks, but if he ate them, he¡¯d get thirsty. He wanted to drink as much water as he wanted first. ¡®Is there a lake somewhere¡­? Why won¡¯t rain come down¡­¡¯ Things were still manageable at the moment, but if nothing was changed for another one or two days, it would be difficult for everyone to endure. Chi-Woo forced himself to at least get some sleep, but someone shook him awake. It was Ru Hiana. She put a finger to her lips and waved for him to follow her. Did she have some secret stash of water she wanted to share with him? Chi-Woo followed her with hopeful expectations, but he soon realized he was completely wrong. Several heroes, including Zelit, were gathered around a bonfire. Standing still, Chi-Woo saw Ru Amuh and Eshnunna as well, and Allen Leonard from the sixth recruit. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived,¡± Zelit looked up at Chi-Woo and said. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yeah, well.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s begin right away.¡± Chi-Woo stared at Zelit¡¯s emaciated face as he found a suitable place to sit. ¡°We ran out of food.¡± Zelit immediately brought up the main subject. ¡°And drinking water.¡± In this dark night, a heavy silence fell between them. This was what they had all expected, but hearing it spelled out felt like a death sentence. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped. I discussed rationing with Eshnunna, and we tried to save as much as possible, but we reached our limit today.¡± Bemused, Allen Leonard asked, ¡°How long will it take for us to reach our new destination from here?¡± Eshnunna replied, ¡°If we can maintain our current speed, it¡¯ll take us three days.¡± ¡°Three days, hmm three days¡­¡± Allen Leonard smacked his lips and made a realistic estimation. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say for sure, but we should be prepared to lose some people.¡± ¡°No.¡± However, Zelit spoke up again. ¡°This is not the only problem.¡± Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. Running out of food and drinking water was already a bombshell, but there was another problem? ¡°This is merely my own observation, but it seems¡­¡± Zelit hesitated and spoke with a grave expression, ¡°We¡¯re being followed.¡± Everyone froze. CH 59 A sudden silence befell them, so smothering that they couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of breathing. ¡°¡­You think we¡¯re being followed?¡± Allen Leonard broke the silence. ¡°Is it your speculation, or are you sure about that?¡± ¡°We are being followed,¡± Zelit said firmly, bringing about another stretch of silence. ¡°We found traces of them two days ago,¡± he continued. Throughout the march, Zelit had been relying on the entire recruit members for surveilling and scouting purposes. Recently, however, he had taken about half of the surveilling team to scout instead. ¡°One of our scouting teams told me that there is a group chasing after us.¡± Allen Leonard¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°How big is the group?¡± ¡°There are about five hundred of them.¡± ¡°How many mutants?¡± ¡°About one-tenth of their total force.¡± ¡°What is their distance from us?¡± ¡°Roughly 1 km.¡± Allen Leonard quickly looked around and saw only the wilderness covered in darkness. He groaned and shook his head. ¡°Even if we are to fight them, we can¡¯t fight them here.¡± They would be facing three times the number of enemies that had attacked them at the base camp. Additionally, they had no guarantee that the particular group was the only one following them. To make things worse, many of them were still injured, and fighting in a vast open space would be suicidal. Zelit thought the same. If they had to fight, they had to go to a place where they would have the most territorial advantage. They needed a proper defensive architecture; even a castle wall would be helpful right now since that would allow them to limit the possible points of attack. However, the main problem was that there was no guarantee their enemy forces would simply follow them quietly. In fact, they had been tailing them covertly until they made themselves known recently. It was unclear what the change meant. ¡°Eshnunna,¡± Zelit said weakly. ¡°The place we¡¯re going to¡ªcan we go a bit around to get there?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Take half a day''s worth of detour or even half that distance; we just have to make our enemies think that we¡¯re going somewhere else.¡± Eshnunna nodded. ¡°It¡¯s possible, but why¡­¡± They had to get to the fortress as quickly as possible, but instead of taking a shortcut, they were going a roundabout way? ¡°We have to know our enemies¡¯ plan.¡± Zelit sighed. ¡°If they wanted to catch up with us, they would have done that a long time ago.¡± However, their enemies had been purposefully following them from a distance. It was clear that they were up to something, and were simply observing them for now. ¡°Our enemies might respond to our course change. We have to know what their plan is first,¡± Zelit declared in a strained voice before announcing the end of the meeting. Marching commenced right after that. Resting was too much of a luxury after their enemies showed themselves. Everyone realized that Zelit¡¯s theory was spot on after a quarter of the day had passed. ¡°Stop! We have to stop! Spotted an enemy force 500 meter in front of us¡­!¡± Not long after they resumed their marching, a hundred or so cursed ones blocked their path. They would certainly encounter the enemies if they continued forth like this. They changed direction, but things ended up the same way. Their enemies always blocked their paths no matter which direction they took; it seemed that the cursed ones weren¡¯t willing to let them through. The same thing happened a couple more times until they were left with only one option¡ªthe original path that they had planned to take in the first place. With this, it was clear what their enemy¡¯s plan was. It was sunset by this time, and Zelit gathered all the important figures in the group and said in a stern voice, ¡°They¡¯re driving us into one spot, the fortress.¡± Just like how hunting dogs cornered their prey, the enemies were pushing the recruits and the natives to go to the fortress. But what for? There was no way the cursed ones would want them there so that they could better defend themselves. ¡°The master of the hunting dogs in this case seems quite cautious,¡± Zelit said. ¡°But I can understand why they¡¯re behaving like this. After all, we are a group that has not only blown away their enemy faction''s plans but also blocked their own group¡¯s efforts easily.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy though,¡± Ru Hiana said. ¡°Yeah, we had to make many sacrifices,¡± Zelit said with a snort. ¡°But this is about how our enemies see us. I¡¯m sure they have absolutely no information about us.¡± Hearing this, Ru Hiana pursed her lips. Zelit seemed to be warning them to be vigilant no matter the cost, or else there would be serious consequences. ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility that the fortress we are going to has a considerable enemy troop waiting on stand-by.¡± In other words, their enemies wanted a guaranteed victory. This was the only possibility that they could think of at the present, and thus ended the discussion. Everyone in the group had all sorts of thoughts in their heads, but was careful to speak their thoughs. No matter how remarkable Ru Amuh was, he had only reawakened a tiny portion of his original power. Furthermore, he was only one person. It was impossible for him to protect everyone by himself. If they continued towards the fortress like this, nothing would change. They would have no place to run to. They were truly stuck in a dilemma. ¡°¡­We would have to fight.¡± In the end, Zelit let out a deep sigh. To some, it almost sounded like he was saying, ¡®We would have to die.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s too difficult.¡± Ru Amuh shook his head. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped,¡± Zelit said, staring at Ru Amuh with a blank look on his face. ¡°There¡¯s no other option.¡± ¡°I know. I know we have to fight. But we¡¯re in no state to do so.¡± Ru Amuh was certainly right. For the past couple of days, they hadn¡¯t been able to have a proper meal, not even any root vegetable to fill their stomach. They were able to quench their thirsts somewhat because it had rained during the night, but their throats were still quite parched. Furthermore, morale was at an especially low point. Since many of the group had been dispatched to scout the area, most people knew how dire their situation was. Thus, the atmosphere among their teams was like a funeral home, and what kind of incompetent general would lead such a group of weak-willed, disheartened people to war? ¡°Then what do you suggest?¡± asked Zelit. Ru Amuh bit his lip. In the end, they were back to square one. There was no good option. It was then they heard a commotion from behind. After glancing at each other, the participants of the meeting headed to the source of the noises. The place was in a mess when they reached there. ¡°Die! Die, you bastards! Don¡¯t you have a conscience?!¡± One hero was yelling his heart out while being pulled back by several others. In front of him, seriously wounded heroes were hanging their heads low. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any conscience?! It¡¯s all because of you!¡± ¡°Stop! Please stop!¡± Even though those around the hero tried to stop him, the hero didn¡¯t listen to them and continued yelling. His lips were burst open and bleeding like he had already had a scuffle with someone else before. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! If only it wasn¡¯t for you!¡± Any bystander could guess what had taken place. It was a long time coming. People showed their true colors when pushed to a corner in a desperate situation. During the past few days alone, the recruits and the natives had witnessed many similar conflicts. If they had hope, they would be able to stay strong. However, the situation worsened day by day. Even though they had gone through great pains to arrive at their first destination, what awaited them was greater despair rather than hope. Eventually, one of the recruits snapped and vented his grievances once the truth was out of the bag. The anger that he had been suppressing so far had finally burst out. And this anger was first directed to those who were injured. Not only were they unable to stand guard or act as scouts, they also required help from others. Moreover, the group had been forced to take more breaks for these injured heroes, which further slowed down their travel. It was only natural that some would consider the injured a burden when everyone was under tremendous pressure, especially since ¡®that event¡¯ in the forest. ¡°What? What happened?¡± Ru Hiana approached Chi-Woo and asked in an annoyed tone. ¡°If you had sacrificed yourselves back then, I would have at least considered you my comrades! But how are people who only drag us down our comrades!? Do you have no shame!? You got anything to say!?¡± Ru Hiana scowled at the hero. Similar to the natives, not all of the heroes who were injured had sacrificed themselves. Since the ritual had been held on a voluntary basis, no one had any right to criticize them¡ªif the situation had not been like this. ¡°You fucking parasites. There should be a limit to your shamelessness!¡± ¡°What, what the hell?¡± Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and stepped forward. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± The hero who had been spitting out fiery words gazed at her with furious eyes and snorted, ¡°Nope. I¡¯m far from done.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Fuck! Did I say anything wrong!?¡± The hero gritted his teeth. ¡°In the first place, it doesn¡¯t make any sense that we¡¯re bringing along these deadweights!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°The natives, too! It¡¯s hard for me to even take care of myself, but how the hell am I supposed to take care of these bastards as well!? Are they fucking with me!?¡± Ru Hiana gaped, so shocked by his words that she became speechless for a moment. ¡°Are you¡­really a hero?¡± ¡°Fuck, do you think a hero is a saint? Are we supposed to be gods?¡± the hero angrily shouted. ¡°Heroes are still humans! We¡¯re humans! I don¡¯t want to die, either!¡± Ru Hiana was silent at the hero¡¯s desperate exclamation. She could understand his reasoning. If the situation was any different, he might not have acted like this; in fact, he might even comfort the injured heroes and the natives. However, that wasn¡¯t a luxury they enjoyed now. As the hero said, their situation was so dire that they couldn¡¯t even take care of themselves. Many of the hands that were holding the hero back began to loosen. Even though they had restrained him, they all agreed with him. ¡®¡­There¡¯s going to be trouble.¡¯ Chi-Woo, who had been quietly watching, bit his lip. This was the worst. An internal strife occurred at a time when even the best teamwork might not help them overcome the impending crisis. ¡®No.¡¯ They had finally found a way to survive. However, they might all die before they could find their sanctuary. Chi-Woo could not let that happen. He had to find a way to get over this hurdle. ¡®Ms. Mimi? How long does it take to share an ability? Does it take long?¡¯ [I wanted to tell you this before, but please don¡¯t call me Mimi. To answer your question, every ability is different, but most won¡¯t take longer than a few seconds to be shared.] ¡®Got it.¡¯ While Chi-Woo looked carefully at Ru Amuh¡¯s abilities, Ru Amuh stepped forward with Ru Hiana. ¡°Please calm down. We can¡¯t waste our energy here. We don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°What? You¡ªha!¡± When the hero was about to start yelling again, another hero intervened. It was Allen Leonard. ¡°As you said, we don¡¯t have enough time. What do you suggest we do?¡± Ru Amuh met Allen Leonard¡¯s eyes and quietly said, ¡°We need to fight.¡± The seething hero flinched. It was obvious that Allen Leonard was also caught off guard judging from the way his eyes fluttered. After all, Ru Amuh had just told them they weren¡¯t in any condition to fight. ¡­No. Rather¡ª ¡°We can¡¯t just stay still like this.¡± Ru Amuh looked around and continued, ¡°We have to start fighting before it¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°You¡¯re suggesting that we fight?¡± asked Zelit. ¡°Are you going to object again?¡± asked Allen Leonard. ¡°No, I¡¯m just making sure,¡± Zelit calmly replied. ¡°But when, where, and how are we going to fight?¡± Allen Leonard¡¯s eyes shone brightly. ¡°We¡¯ll play it by ear,¡± he spoke clearly before shouting, ¡°I¡¯m all for it. I¡¯ll fight!¡± Their reasons might differ, but the three of them came to a consensus that a fight was inevitable. Ru Amuh, Zelit, and Allen Leonard then turned to Chi-Woo one after another, and their gazes seemed to be asking for Chi-Woo¡¯s input. While Chi-Woo was startled¡ª ¡°Fuck!¡± After a few seconds of silence, the hero who had stirred up trouble earlier aggressively stretched his arms and got to his feet. ¡°Fine!¡± he shouted. ¡°It¡¯s fight or die anyway! Rather than waiting for death like a bunch of sitting ducks, let¡¯s just fight instead!¡± People began murmuring amongst themselves, but they all soon reached a consensus. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no other way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to die fighting than starving to death.¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s fight instead!¡± ¡°Fuck. If only we had our powers, it would¡¯ve been a piece of cake to deal with them!¡± One after another, the heroes nodded in agreement. They were already in a state of extreme hunger. If they waited another day, the strength they could muster as a group would drop sharply. They had to fight while they still had the energy to swing their fists. Opinions among the group began to overwhelmingly shift to one side. ¡®Let¡¯s fight¡¯, ¡®We¡¯ll fight¡¯, ¡®We need to fight¡¯. Similar sentiments were being voiced and echoed. Chi-Woo stared blankly at the heroes who had started to shout among themselves. ¡®I understand what they¡¯re saying, but¡­ Why are they all looking at me?¡¯ With their mind made up, the recruits banded under the same goal for the first time. Everyone gathered their heads together and shared their thoughts in a strategic meeting. ¡°We can¡¯t fight here. Rather than fighting them head-on in an open plain like this, we would have a better chance of winning at a location with places to hide.¡± This was said by Allen Leonard, who became in charge of strategy. There was no time for arguments, and Zelit agreed with him. ¡°I know it may be too much to ask for a valley or some other choke points, but do you know a place where we can easily take cover while fighting?¡± Allen Leonard turned to Eshnunna and asked. Eshnunna thought for a bit before she replied, ¡°Yes, I can think of one place.¡± They began marching immediately. Even after arriving at a mountainous terrain with hills protruding everywhere, the meeting continued. ¡°Even though we can take advantage of the landscape here, this alone is not enough. We¡¯ll have to use everything at our disposal.¡± Under the leadership of Allen Leonard, a strategy was established. However, it was more of a desperate attempt to push everyone to give their all than a strategy. There was no turning back now, and there was nowhere for them to go. They either moved forward, or they died. And now, there was only one thing left for them to do¡ªto wait for the right moment. Since they were pressed for time, they quickly concluded the meeting and finished strategizing. The sun set and dusk arrived. Soon after, the night deepened, and the world turned pitch black without a star in sight. Favorite NEXT CHAPTER CH 60 It was quiet. Although everyone was gathered in one place, no one spoke. They all blankly stared at the empty space ahead or the ground below. Chi-Woo responded similarly. He tried not to show his nervousness, but his lips kept becoming dry. Their meeting was over, and now all they had to do was find their enemy¡¯s location. They planned to move as soon as their scouts returned with the necessary information. Chi-Woo fidgeted with his hands inside his pockets and unconsciously fumbled with his die. He knew they had no other choice but to fight. However, reality was too dreadful for one to be too hopeful. Everyone knew what they were getting into, and their plan had been formulated with the sacrifice of the majority in mind. Even by their most optimistic estimation, their survival rate was at best 30 percent, and the likelihood of all of them surviving was 0 percent. Thus, Chi-Woo was in a dilemma. He wondered if he could raise the pathetic odds a little by rolling the die. ¡®But what if I rolled the wrong number?¡¯ That could mean death for all of them. During the sacrifice ritual, he realized that the World¡¯s Milestone was a double-edged sword. It wasn¡¯t something that he should use in bad situations, but in good situations instead, where they could afford a little accident. But even though Chi-Woo was aware of this fact, he couldn¡¯t help but ponder. ¡®Our situation is already so dire. I don¡¯t think it even matters if I roll the die.¡¯ ¡®No, I can¡¯t rely on it.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s conflicting thoughts warred in his head; it was then he heard a deep voice speak near his ears. ¡°I like the battlefield. The more difficult the situation is, the more excited I feel. My lower stomach jitters, telling me that I am truly alive.¡± Having been deep into his thoughts, Chi-Woo turned to the voice a moment later. Allen Leonard approached the group with a torch and continued, ¡°I know not everyone thinks this way. I bet some of you think I¡¯ve gone insane after living as a hero for so long.¡± Allen tapped his temple and smirked. Chi-Woo wondered why Allen was bringing up the fact that he was an adrenaline junkie suddenly. ¡°Going to war is scary and nerve-wrecking. Being a hero doesn¡¯t change how you feel about it,¡± Allen said and stood besides Chi-Woo. Then he looked upon all the heroes quietly waiting for their turn and said in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s because you all want to live.¡± Yes, that was certainly so. It was the same for Chi-Woo and the reason why he was wondering right now whether or not he should throw his die. While Chi-Woo was preoccupied with his thoughts, Allen reached out to him with what looked to be a cigar. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m good. I don¡¯t smoke.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°What a pity. Missing out on such a fine thing,¡± Allen said and added that it was his last, that Chi-Woo was fortunate to be offered a drag. Chi-Woo stared at him and asked where he had gotten the cigar. ¡°I made it myself,¡± Allen said proudly. ¡°I needed to keep my mouth busy, so I just took whatever leaves I could find and tried drying them. This strong one surprisingly suited my taste buds.¡± Allen lit the cigar in his mouth with the torch he was holding. He inhaled and savored the taste before breathing smoke out of his nose. With a satisfied smile, Allen turned back to Chi-Woo again and said, ¡°You never agreed to our plan to fight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can I ask you for the reason?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s as you said.¡± Chi-Woo hesitated. ¡°I want to live.¡± Allen paused in the process of pulling the cigar back into his mouth with his teeth. He dropped his arms slowly and stared intently at Chi-Woo. ¡°Then, is there another way to live without fighting? If you have an idea, please tell us. If it¡¯s from you, I¡¯m sure everyone, including me, would be willing to listen.¡± Of course, there wasn¡¯t one. Chi-Woo fell into silence. Allen waited for an answer patiently and smacked his lips. Then he asked, ¡°But you didn¡¯t disagree¡­ Does that mean you don¡¯t have any solution other than fighting, either?¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong, but Chi-Woo was also feeling conflicted because of a different problem. ¡°That means you¡¯re fighting when you don¡¯t want to. You must think we have a considerably low chance of winning.¡± Chi-Woo sighed. It seemed Allen wasn¡¯t going to back down any time soon. Reluctantly, Chi-Woo responded, ¡°So, does that bother you, sir? That I didn¡¯t agree to the plan outright?¡± ¡°Yes, it bothers me,¡± Allen shot back immediately. ¡°Your face does.¡± Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback, and seeing this response, Allen smiled slightly and gnawed at his cigar. ¡°I¡¯d show you your reflection if there¡¯s a mirror. It looks like you just ate shit or something.¡± Chi-Woo touched his face in surprise. ¡°Morale is important in any war,¡± Allen said while exhaling deeply. ¡°A skilled general always considers that foremost.¡± Whether they were at an advantage or not, they had to be willing to fight. That was the only way they could fight. ¡°Ru Amuh seems well aware of this,¡± Allen continued. ¡°No matter how scared you are, or how much you think things won¡¯t work out, you can¡¯t show it. Emotions can be infectious, especially if it¡¯s coming from a commander.¡± Chi-Woo snorted. ¡°But I¡¯m not a commander.¡± ¡°If you really think that, you have my respect,¡± Allen said before adding, ¡°But that¡¯s a scary thought in and of itself.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what Allen meant. Nevertheless, Allen didn¡¯t take his eyes off Chi-Woo. No matter if there were ten people or a hundred, ranks always formed within a group, which were based on several factors such as wealth, skills, connections, bloodline, and so on. In the pyramid of hierarchy among the recruits and natives, Allen believed Chi-Woo was at the peak. Although Ru Amuh had regained power, he was still considered inferior to Chi-Woo, as the descent of Shahnaz had shown. It was Chi-Woo who had chosen Ru Amuh. Not anyone else, not even Shahnaz. And the relationship between them further cemented their power dynamics, where Ru Amuh¡¯s attitude towards Chi-Woo went beyond simple benevolence and resembled that of a follower devoted to his leader. And that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Although their current enemy was the cursed ones, they still had to consider the broken ones as potential threats. Chi-Woo had managed to sweep away a whole lot of them. Furthermore, they never knew how strong these spiritual beings could become; while they could at least attempt to fight physical monsters no matter how strong they were, they had no way of tackling a spiritual monster at all. Even if more of them regained powers, it would be incredibly difficult for those who didn¡¯t specialize in fighting off such beings to deal with them. However, it was different for Chi-Woo. Although their situation was still dire, there were some definite improvements from before. For instance, now they didn¡¯t have to worry about the biggest danger that had threatened all the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits, and it was all thanks to one person¡ªChi-Woo. In a situation where they were trying to block a dam with many holes, Chi-Woo had basically blocked a giant hole that would have swept all of them away by himself. If the enemies who were chasing them right now had been the broken ones, and Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been with them¡­it was too frightening to even imagine the possibility. They would have been locked away in ranches, eaten to bits until they themselves became vengeful spirits. Considering all these factors, it was reasonable to think of Chi-Woo as the most valuable position in the group. It wasn¡¯t a position he had attained simply by money, connections, or bloodlines. Many would¡¯ve questioned his position or the role he played if he had gotten where he was through such means. Since he had come this far through skills alone, his position was indisputable. Even those who disliked him would have to admit his unique strength and accept what came with it. Especially in a place like Liber, where heroes were gathered, one had to prove themselves to be special and different from others. If they didn¡¯t have the skills to prove themselves, they had to know their politics. In Allen¡¯s point of view, Chi-Woo fulfilled both criteria. Chi-Woo was an invaluable member of the group, but he was also humble and generous. Thus, it was impossible for people to not like him. People tended to like those with humility more than the show-offs, and when they saw people like Chi-Woo, they flocked to him, hoping that he would show the same level of care to them as he did to others. [But I am not a commander.] If Chi-Woo had been sincere when he uttered those words, he shouldn¡¯t be hailed as a hero, but a saint. On the other hand, if Chi-Woo had spoken tactically rather than from his heart, it meant that he also knew how to play politics. It frightened and displeased Allen that someone influential like Chi-Woo had such a negative outlook for their upcoming battle. Although he hadn¡¯t disagreed with their plan directly, Chi-Woo¡¯s disapproval was clear on his face. Of course, Allen was no idiot and knew that they had a low chance of success. Still, they had to fight because there was no other option. Given the circumstances, the disheartened look on Chi-Woo¡¯s face had been bringing the whole group¡¯s morale down. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you regretted¡­ saving us?¡± Allen stepped on the cigar he had cast on the ground and mumbled. ¡°When you were protecting that princess.¡± Chi-Woo stared at him, and Allen responded, ¡°I am aware that you aren¡¯t pleased with us.¡± By ¡®us¡¯, he was clearly referring to the sixth recruits. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s not as if this is the first time a traditional hero like you dislikes our ways.¡± What did ¡®a traditional hero¡¯ mean anyway? Now that he thought about it, Zelit seemed to have used the same phrase before. ¡°However, there¡¯s something you¡¯re wrong about.¡± Allen Leonard suddenly put more strength into his voice and continued while looking into Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes, ¡°Even though among us are those with unholy and unrighteous goals, those who are self-absorbed with becoming a hero, those who became heroes by coincidence¡ªregardless of their intentions or origins, they are heroes like us who have saved a world.¡± His burning eyes blazed with indescribable spirit. ¡°They are not mindless idiots who jump straight into danger in a dire situation like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, they may fall far short of your standards¡­but the sixth recruits were still heroes. They had resolved to risk their lives saving worlds a long time ago.¡± Chi-Woo felt a considerable number of gazes on him. The heroes who were on standby were all looking at Chi-Woo. Since they had been without shelter for almost two weeks, everyone looked as terrible as they smelled. Their faces were also sunken from not being able to eat and sleep well. However, the spirit in their eyes wasn¡¯t gone, and it grew stronger as the battle neared. As if they had experienced this kind of danger several times, everyone¡¯s eyes glowed brightly. Chi-Woo suddenly recalled what had happened in the Celestial Realm. [Now, those who wish to enter despite all the risks, please move to the portal on the stage.] [¡­We won¡¯t stop you from turning back.] When Laguel explained the situation and gave them all a choice, all the heroes had walked towards the portal at the same time as if they had made the decision long ago. Like the seventh recruits, the sixth recruits must have made the same choice, because they were all heroes. ¡°It¡¯s all-right even if it¡¯s just a little bit¡± Allen Leonard looked fervently at Chi-Woo and spoke in a voice thick with emotions. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a little¡­please¡­trust us.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened, reminded of the way he had asked the middle-aged man and Eshnunna to trust him a couple days ago. He didn¡¯t know why, but his muddled head felt clearer. They had come to Liber to save it, and to save it, they needed to survive first. And to survive, they needed to fight¡ªfight not to the death, but for a chance to live. Expression blank, Chi-Woo took his hands out of his pockets, no longer holding the die. It was surprising. Chi-Woo was simply going to humor Allen Leonard and find an opening to send him back, but unexpectedly, he ended up making a decision because of the man¡¯s words. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s trust them.¡¯ Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡®Let¡¯s trust them.¡¯ ¡°I understand,¡± he finally said with renewed determination on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll try to trust you and the others.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Allen Leonard read Chi-Woo¡¯s expression and smiled. Just in time, the scouting team returned and said that they had verified the enemies¡¯ location. It was now time to carry out their plan. Chi-Woo joined the recruits and started moving quickly. In his heart, he resolved to never roll the die until the battle concluded. * * * It was late at night. They couldn¡¯t even spot a mouse on this quiet hill. It was silent save for the occasional wind rustling the grass. A total of 180 people were going to participate in this battle, including the entirety of those who were injured. Around 135 of them were moving covertly, and the group soon shrunk to 90 strong with 45 of them splintering off and heading towards a different location. Those who were left continued to move forward before coming to a halt. Chi-Woo pressed his body close to the hill and crouched as low as he could manage. Sneaking glances around, he spotted a couple of cursed ones wandering around the hills on top of him. While everyone held their breaths, Allen Leonard, who stood in the front, held up a hand to gesture at people. Then he started a countdown with his fingers. Three, two¡­ When he was about to fold in his thumb, a few heroes swiftly moved as if they were flying. Four or five shadows approached the cursed ones¡¯ backs without making any sound and twisted their necks at the same time. The heroes carefully laid the cursed ones down on the ground before rejoining the troops. ¡°The scouting team¡¯s intel is good,¡± Allen Leonard said quietly. ¡°You should move out as well.¡± Another 45 people left the group. The scouting team¡¯s reports were exact. The enemies were gathered in one area, with the mutants in the center and the cursed ones scattering throughout. In other words, they were approaching the enemies¡¯ main base. The remaining 45 people quietly and carefully moved forward. They reached their destination without a hitch. ¡°Are we starting right away?¡± ¡°No. Not yet. We have to wait until the 4th unit takes their place.¡± Allen Leonard stayed close to the hill and gulped. Their enemies were right in front of them. The ordinary cursed ones were the closest, and the huddled group of mutants were in the center. All the recruits were crouching down with their heads lowered. ¡°It would be great if they were all sleeping.¡± Someone spoke in an anxious voice, but another person silenced them with a ¡®Hush¡¯. None of them knew why their enemies had positioned themselves like this, but an opportunity had presented itself. Their attacks would be more effective the more enemies had gathered together. They had the element of surprise, which was the key to their strategy. When a prey who had only been running away suddenly turned back and attacked their opponent, the hunter would be startled. Of course, if they attacked like this, the hunter might be overjoyed for having a full course meal to enjoy. While properly damaging their enemies, they needed a secret weapon that would catch their enemies off guard. They wanted to give their enemies a real taste of pain that way. [My ancestors weren¡¯t physically strong.] [However, god let our ancestors use a powerful weapon for their survival.] [Many of your ancestors here probably also used the same weapon.] Fire. That was what the weapon was. Allen Leonard rubbed the grass on the hill and nodded. Rain had fallen a few days ago, but since this region received low rainfall, the grass was dry and twisted from the lack of water. It would act as great fuel for their fire. Then an alert from his device told Allen Leonard that the time had come. Currently, a total of four groups had surrounded the enemy. And he just received a message that the 4th unit was ready. Allen Leonard sent a reply before removing the black cloth hanging on his hand to reveal a torch. He took out a clump of dry grass that Eshnunna and the natives had prepared and lit it on fire. Then he lit the clump of grass that the hero next to him took out, and that hero passed the fire to the next hero. It wasn¡¯t long before the hill was cast in the warm light of fire. They could no longer turn back now. ¡°Ask and it will be given. Search and it will be found.¡± After muttering a short adage, Allen Leonard threw the bundle of burning grass down the hill. Everyone followed suit at the same time. Similar to how boiling water steamed and magma bubbled, fire burst into life everywhere and spread quickly, merging into a greater whole. Then¡ª Crackkkle! The land burned. Flames that carried everyone¡¯s wishes and hopes soared into the sky. Fires blazed from the left, right, front, and back of where the enemies gathered, closing in on them at the same time. Simultaneously, a whirlwind came to life; this was Ru Amuh¡¯s work. He had summoned the wind and controlled it like Zhuge Liang, who brought in the eastern wind in the Battle of Chibi. Whooooosh! The timely gust wrapped around the flames, stoking it and pushing it to spread further. They quickly reached the center like a sailboat riding in fair wind. Craccccckle! The fire grew to such a scale that it looked like a forest fire and mercilessly devoured the enemies from all sides. It was so strong that they couldn¡¯t even see the enemies anymore. Many clenched their fists as they looked on, but it was not over yet. There was no way this alone would end the battle. They never expected the fire to burn all their enemies; they just wanted to cause confusion and harm their enemies a little. Honestly, they didn¡¯t know how effective this plan would be, but they needed to do everything they could. ¡°¡­Knock and it may open.¡± Expression grave, Allen Leonard was about to say something when¡ª Kyaaaaaaaaghhh! A scream finally cut through the air. It seemed as if their enemies hadn¡¯t expected the flames to grow so fast, as the disturbance was growing exponentially. Some heroes flinched, but Allen Leonard raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. ¡®It¡¯s too early¡¯, he thought as he tightened his grip around his sword. Soon after, ordinary cursed ones began jumping out from everywhere with their bodies on fire. Even then, Allen Leonard did not move. He kept a close eye to the front as the flames reflected in his eyes. Then, after a while¡ª ¡°Aghh! Ughhh!¡± Allen Leonard narrowed his eyes at the single mutant flailing about to put out the fire burning its body. Clang! He drew his sword like he had been waiting for this moment the whole time. Clangclangclang! What followed was a staccato of heroes unsheathing their swords all around him. ¡°Attaaaaaack!¡± Allen shouted with all his might and leapt forward like a wild beast. Ahhhhhhhhh! Following Allen¡¯s lead, the heroes charged down the hills to attack their enemies in unison. CH 61 Forty-five people rushed forward as the first vanguard group following Allen Leonard¡¯s lead. Just when the mutants were about to swing their fiery fists at these incoming heroes ¡­ ¡°Scatter!¡± Allen shouted and threw himself to the ground, sliding past his enemy from between its legs. Those following him from behind split into two groups. In a state of commotion, the troops dashed forward. Pwi, pwi, pwi, pwish! A clutter of knives struck the mutant¡¯s head, chest, stomach, thighs, and torso. The mutant faltered for a moment before growling ferociously, bending down in preparation to lunge at the heroes, but two more spears struck both of its eyes. ¡°Burrrrrrn!¡± The mutant shrieked as it lost its eyesight without realizing what had happened. ¡°We blinded it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s still not dead!¡± ¡°Slice it! Slice its arms first!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to kill it! Cripple it!¡± The heroes shouted in unison. While those in the forefront blocked their enemy¡¯s movements with all their might, other heroes approached the mutant from behind. They quickly sliced the mutant¡¯s arms, necks, and thighs. Soon, the mutant¡¯s severed remains dropped and rolled all around the floor, and the heroes kicked them as far away as possible. Their experience in the battle at the base camp was now coming in handy. The mutant¡¯s life force was formidable. Even after they sliced their necks or pierced their hearts, they didn¡¯t die. Thus, when he fought them before, Ru Amuh had immobilized the mutants by blinding them before separating their body parts. If they had no limbs, the mutants were nothing more than meat clumps even when they were still alive. And by following this method, Allen¡¯s team was able to successfully defeat their first enemy. Allen kicked the mutant¡¯s head, which was still making clinking noises with its teeth, into a path of fire and stared ahead. Allen knew it was too early to celebrate. They were able to bring one mutant down luckily thanks to a focused surprise attack. As if to confirm his thoughts, big, wavering shadows burst out from the fire, all large frames and dense muscles. The mutants were appearing in masses. This was just the start of this war. Grrrrrrr! The mutants dashed out in confusion and bared their fangs when they saw potential prey. The heroes hesitated. They were no longer able to gang up on a single mutant. At most, they could attack each mutant in a group of three. If they weren¡¯t careful, they would be torn to pieces like the mutant they had just defeated. ¡°Charge!¡± As the mutants focused their attention on the first team, the second team that had been hiding behind the hill on the left rushed out while shouting. Ahhhhhhhhh! Following them, the third team that had been hiding behind the hill on the right came running downwards. The situation improved slightly with the new arrivals, and now they outnumbered the mutants by eight to one. ¡°5 in the first group. 3 in the other!¡± Allen shouted, and the heroes moved stealthily. In groups of fives and threes, they ran towards mutants who were busily looking left and right. Adopting the same strategy as before, each of the teams blocked their target¡¯s movement with the unit of five and attempted to cut off the mutant¡¯s head, arms, and legs with the unit of three. And the remaining heroes who weren¡¯t assigned a mutant fought to block other monsters that were running rampant in all directions. But like all things, wars didn¡¯t go exactly according to plan. ¡°Die! Dieee!¡± ¡°Kuaaah!¡± The heroes and the mutants shouted at each other. One hero thrusted a spear into a mutant¡¯s body before his eyes widened. ¡°Kaaaah!¡± The hero lost his spear and flew away, his back bent in half. The mutant had kicked him as soon as it was pierced by his spear. ¡°One down¡­!¡± ¡°Pierce it! Just pierce it!¡± Amid the shouting, knives were buried into the mutant¡¯s sides. The mutant shrieked and swung its arms around. It chanced upon a hero that had closed in to slice its limb and snatched the hero from the ground, tightening its vice-like grips. Crack! A chilling sound of bones breaking rang across the area, followed by a scream. The hero¡¯s shoulders had been crushed to paste. ¡°Kkuaeeeeeeh!¡± ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± After his three teammates had failed in cutting the mutant up, one of the remaining heroes let go of his dagger and fought with his physical body alone. ¡°Uhahhh!¡± He let out a hearty cry and threw himself against the monster. Seemingly caught off guard, the mutant stopped swinging another hero around like a ragdoll and fell. ¡°Shit! Fuckk!¡± Having pinned the mutant down, the hero threw punches after punches at it. Punch, punch, punch, punch! Every time, the monster¡¯s head was knocked to the side. ¡°Uh, ah¡­?¡± After flinging his fist around crazily, the hero suddenly stopped. He stopped screaming and looked at his hand blankly. It was gone. Half of his hand was ripped away, leaving nothing but broken, bloody bones. He looked downwards and noticed that the mutant was biting a part of his hand in its mouth. The monster¡¯s reptile-like eyes blinked. ¡°Uh¡­uh¡­¡± The hero recoiled in shock, and the mutant sat up with a growl, reaching toward the hero. It dropped back to the ground before it could get up properly. The heroes from the same group had reorganized and struck its two eyes with spears. Two more heroes came running in aid and swung their knives powerfully at the monster¡¯s shoulders. The mutant resisted and shattered one hero¡¯s groin into pieces, but it ended up losing both its arms in the process. In the end, they succeeded in their battle plan with the sacrifice of three people. But of course, they weren¡¯t the only ones suffering casualties. ¡°Kkuaaaah!¡± Another hero was grappling with a mutant. With a lion¡¯s mane flying all over his face, the hero displayed incredible endurance and strength as he locked hands with the mutant in a battle of raw physical power. However, the hero was being pushed back. He managed to resist for a while, but he heard the continuous noise of his bones cracking. ¡°Kuh!¡± The lion mane hero let go momentarily and hurriedly ducked down. Whoosh! A giant mutant¡¯s hand swung at him and grazed the nape of his neck. Seizing the opening, the lion-maned hero sidestepped to the mutant¡¯s back and reached under its armpits, locking his arms around the mutant with all his might, shouting, ¡°Strike it!¡± His team had failed to immobilize their enemy, and five out of the eight people in their team had been shredded apart in an instant. Two other heroes were almost killed afterward, but thanks to the lion-maned hero, they were able to survive by a hair¡¯s breadth. The two heroes coughed while clutching their throats and looked at their companion as he grabbed the mutant by himself. They looked extremely conflicted. ¡°Quickly!¡± The mutant roughly swung its elbow backward, and the lion mane hero¡¯s body twisted. But even as he was falling, the hero scratched the mutant¡¯s thigh roughly, which sent the mutant toppling toward the ground with him. The hero shouted again while clutching the monster¡¯s arms until he felt like his throat would burst, ¡°I told you to pierce it!¡± The two heroes clenched their teeth. With a grunt, they raised their weapons. Psh, psh. The chilling iron penetrated through the mutant''s body into the lion-maned hero. The hero opened his mouth wide, and blood trailed down his sharp canines. Everywhere, different forces were killing one another. After the clean takedown of their first enemy, there was almost no team that had defeated a mutant without any casualties. Most had immobilized their target with sacrifices, and they had to consider themselves lucky for even succeeding in this first step. There were many teams that had dispersed after failing, including Allen Leonard¡¯s team. Although they had managed to defeat their first mutant with four sacrifices, the rest of the surviving members had to disperse and sought to help the other teams. It was then, a swarm of cursed ones rushed in. They didn¡¯t have the chance to scream at the heroes who were supposed to guard them. They had expected their defense line to break since most of their members had gotten killed when fighting the mutant. The only thing they could do at this point in time was to swing their swords as many times as they could. It was fortunate that fighting the non-mutants was much easier than the mutants, and the regular cursed ones were much more susceptible to fire. After fighting off about six or seven of them, Allen soon reached his limit. ¡°!¡± It was already too late when he hurriedly hurled around. Something suddenly swished through the air and struck Allen, making him roll a couple of times on the ground. When he could finally tell up from down and lifted his gaze, there was a cursed being on top of him. Allen quickly pierced its temple with a blade before struggling to get up. From afar, he saw the mutant who had hurled a cursed one at him. The mutant was missing an arm, and it seemed the team that had been in charge of it failed to take it out. Allen didn¡¯t even have the time to think about what had happened to this group, since the monster was already positioning itself. Tong! The mutant jumped off. It shortened the distance between them in an instant and wrapped its hands around Allen¡¯s neck. Suffocated, Allen barely managed to keep his eyes open and meet the mutant one¡¯s gaze. Crack! When the mutant applied more pressure, Allen¡¯s sword fell from his hand. ¡°Kuh! Urgh!¡± Allen pounded on the mutant''s arms in desperation, but it was futile. The mutant was about to twist his neck off when¡ª ¡°Kuuargh!¡± The hands gripping his neck suddenly loosened. ¡°Die! Shit! Please die!¡± A hero had appeared from behind the mutant¡¯s back and was riding on top of the monster¡¯s shoulders while piercing its face repeatedly with a dagger. While the mutant floundered from the sudden attack, Allen grasped the sword he had dropped. As soon as he saw the mutant grab at the hero on top of its shoulders, Allen coughed and ran forward with his sword raised. He ended up rolling off the hill with the mutant before colliding against a boulder, feeling air knocked out of his chest by the heavyweight landing on him. Pressed between the mutant¡¯s head and the rock, he stared as the mutant swung its arm in a wide arc. ¡®Huh¡ª¡¯ Allen stopped breathing, ready to meet his death. But then the mutant halted. It was unclear why it had stopped. Allen instinctually seized the opening and rolled away before the mutant¡¯s fist landed on the ground. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Allen got up while coughing and studied the wiggling mutant. The mutant got up and looked in his direction. It was about to lunge again when it flinched, its body suddenly stiff. ¡®Again? Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ It looked as if the mutant was having trouble controlling themselves, and its movements had become considerably slow. Allen could think of only one reason for this: ¡®fire¡¯. Like before, fire was burning the mutant¡¯s entire body. For some reason, it seemed the flames were harming these creatures¡¯ insides. It didn¡¯t affect them to the point that they couldn¡¯t move at all, but they were stopping randomly from time to time. These small moments were significant for an experienced hero like Allen¡ªhe had survived an attack that could¡¯ve killed him as a result. Allen scowled and kept a wary eye on the mutant as he backed away quickly. The battlefield was almost half a hill and half a seabed of fire. It was just like how they had expected. They were at a disadvantage. Their number had dwindled from three digits to two. Nevertheless, things were better than what he had predicted. Although the heroes were getting noticeably pushed back, they were still putting up a good fight. Most importantly, they were keeping the majority of the mutants occupied. If they continued to endure like this, they could limit the casualties. Kuaaaaaah! Suddenly, Allen heard a roar that cracked all the hope and wishful thoughts he had. It wasn¡¯t the roar of a single mutant, but a chorus of dozens. Allen became speechless after counting the number of mutants emerging from the fire. There were over thirty of them¡ªall mutants. The heroes were already struggling to keep up, but with thirty more mutants in the mix? It seemed obvious what would happen. However, Allen remained composed. The enemy had revealed their entire forces now. It was time for them to return the favor. As he expected, he soon heard a cry reverberating around the hill on the other side. Waaaaaaah! The fourth team that had been observing finally made their move. The newly-emerged mutants froze at the sight of these newcomers, stunned. Then they started to fall one after another. How could such hardy mutants fall like the autumn leaves? There was only one hero among the recruits who could make such a thing happen. ¡°I¡¯m joining before things get more dangerous!¡± A clear voice rang on top of the hill. Ru Amuh had entered the battlefield. His given role was to bring the fourth team in at the right time and penetrate through the center after determining the existence of a commander. Since the enemy¡¯s movements appeared organized, the recruits believed there must be someone manipulating the monsters behind the scenes. Thus, Ru Amuh was supposed to find the commander and kill them while the other teams kept the mutants occupied. Although Ru Amuh had joined the battle prematurely rather than identifying the enemy¡¯s commander first because the situation had turned vastly unfavorable, this wasn¡¯t the time to nitpick about such matters. Ru Amuh had stated that he was confident in fighting twenty mutants by himself¡ªthirty if he had other people supporting him. If that was true, their odds would be even. ¡®What?¡¯ Allen¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Ru Amuh running towards the center. Whooosh! His front bangs flew from the gust of wind, and before Allen could blink, Ru Amuh had dashed past him. ¡°Why¡ª¡± Bodily fluids splattered through the air before Ru Amuh could finish his sentence. A mutant¡¯s head, severed by Ru Amuh¡¯s sword, rolled to the bottom of the hill. ¡°The mutants are clearly getting slower,¡± Ru Amuh said, tilting his head slightly while swinging his sword. ¡°If you all endure a bit more, I think we can win. But let¡¯s not forget that we¡¯re still in the middle of a battle, sir.¡± Allen realized that he had been standing shell-shocked the entire time, and before he could open his mouth, Ru Amuh swooped past him. He whizzed past his companions in the midst of combat and cut off their enemy¡¯s arms and necks. Then he turned around again and decapitated another mutant before the monster could stomp on a hero¡¯s head. Sparks spluttered left and right! Under 30 seconds, Ru Amuh had severed five heads and returned to the center to join the rest of the fourth team. His speed was truly frightening. ¡°Hah!¡± Allen burst into laughter as he saw a headless mutant flounder before him in confusion. He couldn¡¯t believe it, but the tide was turning in favor of the heroes. Ru Amuh was able to spot the groups in danger and lend them his help. Although not all the mutants were immobilized yet, they were in a far better situation than before. Everyone applauded Ru Amuh¡¯s outstanding skills as a hero and Chi-Woo¡¯s keen eye for picking him. Allen picked up the sword he had dropped. Ru Amuh had told him that they could win. Victory had seemed so distant, but it was now within their reach. ¡°Everyone please endure!¡± he shouted. ¡®Perhaps, just perhaps¡­¡¯ Digging into his last reserve of hope, Allen shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t try to immobilize them if you can¡¯t! Just keep them in place so that they can¡¯t go anywhere else! If we endure, victory would be ours!¡± At the same time, something was gathering on top of the burning hill. It wasn¡¯t easy to see under the night sky, but black smoke was approaching them, resembling haze and water vapor. A dark robe fluttered in the wind like a ghost, and from within the robe came the sound of someone clicking their tongue. ¡ª¡­Tch. The mysterious robed figure was displeased. This battle was meant to be a simple experiment, but it had completely backfired. The robed figure hadn¡¯t expected these humans to figure out their intentions and attack at night. Furthermore, the humans were resisting beyond their expectations, and they were still fighting rather than suffering the complete annihilation that should¡¯ve taken place by now. The robed figure¡¯s faction had been confident that they would be victorious. In fact, the idea that they would have to ¡®battle¡¯ such pesky beings was ludicrous to begin with. Like how humans stomped on ants rather than battling with them, the robed figure thought of the heroes as nothing more than bugs. Thus, he was extremely displeased by the current situation, and he scanned the battlefield intently to figure out how this had happened. ¡ªIs it because of that guy? Seeing the blonde hero who was defeating mutants with ease, the robed figure pulled up both of his sleeves. ¨CCan¡¯t let that happen. The robed figure¡¯s main base was getting attacked simultaneously by two enemy forces right now, so he had to save as much manpower as he could. Even losing these mutants that could act as meat shields was undesirable. An unidentifiable incantation seeped out from his pressed-down hood, and soon, a change occurred. ¡°What!?¡± While fighting a headless mutant by himself, Allen gasped. A bubble emerged suddenly from the mutant¡¯s cut neck, and flesh sprouted out before taking shape, seemingly forming a new head. Moreover¡­ ¡°W¡ªwhat?¡± ¡°Uh, uhhhh¡­!¡± The mutants they had sliced apart began to rise one by one. New bodies grew from their severed parts, and limbless torsos began to attach the scattered arms and legs to themselves, returning to the fight as grotesque patchworks of mismatched parts. The situation couldn¡¯t have been more despairing for the heroes¡ªthe mutants they had fought so hard to defeat were getting up again. However, some of them had the presence of mind to look around for the cause of the transformation. ¡°There!¡± One of them pointed to the air. Ru Amuh whirled around, his hair swishing, and saw a robe fluttering in the night sky. ¡°Go!¡± One of the heroes fighting by his side pushed Ru Amuh on his back. ¡°Get him, please! Quickly!¡± They had to kill the one responsible for the mutants¡¯ regeneration if they wanted the battle to turn in their favor again. Knowing this, Ru Amuh decided to focus on the being that looked to be a commander and left the rest to his companions. Swish! With a yell, a fiery gust of wind burst around him. However, before it could form into a whirlwind, the robe disappeared without a trace. Ru Amuh looked around and felt a chilling sensation from behind his back. He quickly turned around and swung his sword, but ended up slicing into nothing but air. His opponent had disappeared like a ghost again. ¡®It was there.¡¯ Ru Amuh saw the black smoke circling in the air and closed his eyes. Then he focused on heightening all his senses. Synesthesia¡ª it was the ability to arouse other senses with one sense. When he detected a foreign substance within his senses¡¯ reach, he quickly pushed forward and hurled a sharp wind towards the area. His attack landed on its target this time, yet the wind blades failed to slice the robe and ended up smoldered by it instead. ¡ªOh. There was a short exclamation. ¡ªHow did you know where I was? Do you know how to manipulate space? Ru Amuh didn¡¯t answer the question and instead gathered his energy again as he raised his sword. Pop! The robe suddenly inflated like a balloon, and black smoke began to pour out of the sleeves and the hood. The smoke spread out like a peacock¡¯s feathers and moved individually like a hydra¡¯s many heads. Smoke flowed out of the robe and began to increase in size. Ru Amuh narrowed his eyes and backed two steps away. Malicious energy swirled around him, so dark that it made him nauseous. It felt as if he was meeting death. ¡ªI don¡¯t know how, but¡­you are a bit dangerous. No, you can be dangerous in the future. A skin-crawling voice spoke, and Ru Amuh desperately swung his sword at the source, but it was in vain. The smoke quickly gathered again after being briefly dispersed by the wind blades. One of the many pillars of smoke bent like a cobra and lunged at Ru Amuh. Ru Amuh tried to defend himself by creating wind, but the smoke seeped into his wind like it was meant to be part of it and wormed its way into his hand. ¡°Kuh!¡± Ru Amuh dropped his sword. His hand had turned black. ¡®This monster¡­!¡¯ Ru Amuh realized it now. The being in front of him was a monster, an alchemist who had died and become a necromancer. In short, this being was a lich. Even in Ru Amuh¡¯s world, a lich was a tricky opponent to handle. He was facing a high-level enemy that was far beyond his ability. ¡®What a mistake.¡¯ They shouldn¡¯t have started this fight if there was a monster of this level, especially when he had only recovered about one-fifth of his original power. The lich wasn¡¯t a being that Ru Amuh could handle at his current level. ¡ªWhat a pity. The lich commanded the remaining smoke and captured Ru Amuh tightly in his grasp. ¡ªBut it¡¯s probably better than letting you live. At least I can use your corpse afterward. The lich¡¯s robe wrapped Ru Amuh¡¯s arms and legs tightly, and the lich murmured while pulling him forward. ¡ªGoodbye. The lich was going to shred Ru Amuh to pieces without giving him a chance to fight back. Bang! They suddenly heard something like a balloon popping. Allen was about to shout in horror, Ru Hiana was a moment away from shrieking, and even Ru Amuh had widened his eyes, but to their surprise, a chunk of the great lump of smoke near the robe was missing. It looked like a large sinkhole popping suddenly into existence on a road. Furthermore, the smoke around the piece of robe that had been supplying energy nonstop began to disperse. Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t been able to scatter any of the smoke permanently no matter how hard he tried, but now it was fading. ¡ªKuahhh¡­ The robe slowly dropped like a balloon shriveling after getting burst by a hammer. ¡ªWhat¡­ Although everyone was surprised, the lich was the most surprised. He had been hit with no prior warning. Not only was his body smashed in a single hit, but there was also a crack on his life vessel that he had carefully protected. ¡ªThe hell¡­ It couldn¡¯t be true, but the lich found his life force draining from him. ¡ªHow¡­ The lich turned around in disbelief. Looking past Ru Amuh, he saw Chi-Woo holding a jet-black club under the silverish moonlight. ¡°Senior¡­!¡± Ru Hiana whimpered. They were saved. ¡ªHow did he¡­! The lich watched as Chi-Woo approached, holding the club with both hands like he was holding a baseball bat. ¡°Goodbye,¡± Chi-Woo repeated the lich¡¯s words back to him and swung his club with all his might. CH 62 Bang! They heard another explosion, followed by the lich¡¯s shriek. It sounded like he was vomiting blood. ¡ªKyaaaaah! ¡°Dieeee!¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t stop even after the lich¡¯s loose robe fell. He didn¡¯t stop to take a breather or shout out lines about unleashing his true skills and whatnot. Chi-Woo simply gritted his teeth and swung his club like mad again and again. ¨CNo! ¡°Die! I said, die!¡± ¨CWait! ¡°Die! Please die!¡± ¨CI am already dead, so s-stop! ¡°Die you bastard!¡± The lich¡¯s robe had turned into flattened laundry since long ago. While watching this unfold, Ru Amuh suddenly realized that he had been freed. He recollected himself and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he looked around. His eyes widened in surprise. The uninjured mutants were still battling the other heroes like before. However, the ones whose body parts had grown back and the ones that had attached severed limbs all over their body were acting strange. They looked deeply pained and ran widely everywhere while pouring out a fountain of blood until they exploded. Some of them even clutched to an unwounded mutated one before their destruction. The situation was progressing in favor of the heroes now. The majority of the reassembled mutants ran rampant without caring whether they were hitting friend or foe, and the uninjured mutated ones soon fell victim to them. ¡°Is it a rejection response?¡± Zelit murmured calmly. ¡°Managing life requires one to meet all the extremely delicate and detailed conditions of creating a habitable environment. Everything could go awry even with the slightest mishap. For this reason, it¡¯s an act limited to the realm of gods and is taboo for everyone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are talking about, sir. Could you enlighten me about this matter? I think right now is a very good time.¡± Ru Amuh soon rushed forward. ¡°Everyone please move towards the able-bodied mutants that are a distance away! We can immobilize them right now!¡± Ru Amuh shouted, and the rest of the surviving members gained a new glint in their eyes. ¡°Yes! Now is the time! Let¡¯s finish them off quickly!¡± Eval Sevaru shouted. He jumped up suddenly and started running with vigor after having stayed on the ground the whole time. He had been avoiding the mutants and only going after the cursed ones. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo continued to pound on the lich like before. ¡°Stop, stop it.¡± Zelit approached Chi-Woo and intervened. ¡°I think you can stop it now.¡± ¡°Please wait.¡± Chi-Woo flicked Zelit¡¯s hand away and took out a talisman. The robe burst into fire at contact. ¨CKuaaah¡­! The lich shrieked in pain from the burn. ¡°See! It¡¯s still alive!¡± Chi-Woo said and began swinging his club again. Zelit quickly spoke up to stop him. ¡°This guy is from a faction we had never met since coming to Liber. Also, I believe he ranks pretty high within his faction.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo stopped swinging. ¡°This is an opportunity for us to gain information.¡± After leaving the base camp, the recruits had been forced to wander listlessly due to a lack of information. ¡®Knowledge is power.¡¯ Knowing how important additional information was, Chi-Woo heeded Zelit¡¯s words. ¡°Hey,¡± Chi-Woo nudged the distorted robe with his feet and said, ¡°Spill out everything you know right now. If I¡¯m satisfied with your answer, I might let you live. Of course, that means there¡¯s still a possibility that I might not let you live.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s way of interrogation left Zelit speechless. ¡ª¡­. It was the same for the lich. ¡ªKuh¡­just kill me¡­ Chi-Woo raised his club and smirked. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get another taste of my club, I suggest you start talking.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s line would¡¯ve been perfect if he had added an evil cackle at the end. ¡ª¡­Crazy bastard¡­ The lich shuddered in horror. His life vessel had already been crushed into dust, but now this guy was blabbering about maybe letting him live. Crazy bastard, his captor was. ¡°Hmm?¡± Zelit flinched suddenly while he was wondering how he should carry out the interrogation. He scanned his surroundings with narrowed eyes. The situation had clearly turned for the better. No, it was basically over now, as shown by the fact that Chi-Woo and Zelit were able to stand here undisturbed. Ru Amuh had almost finished taking care of the able-bodied mutants that were separated from the rest of their group. Now, they simply had to wait for the mutants that had gone haywire to crush the rest. Then it would be easy for them to clean up the battlefield. At least that was what he had thought. Dudududu, dududu¡­ But what was that noise? ¡ªKihihihi¡­! He suddenly heard a cackle. A burst of mocking laughter escaped from the robe. Zelit opened his mouth in shock. Could it be? A possibility struck him. ¡ªWhat a pity¡­a pity¡­ The lich said. ¡ªIf we had gone a bit farther, you guys would have been the lab rats locked in cages. Zelit¡¯s eyes narrowed at the lich¡¯s words. ¡°As expected¡­is there another troop at the fortress?¡± ¡ªKuh. Of course. The one you¡¯re heading to isn¡¯t the only fortress. It seems the ruler of this territory spent a lot of time and energy strengthening his borders, which of course, spared us a lot of trouble in enforcing the frontlines. ¡°Frontlines?¡± ¡ªWe¡¯re not in a good place. That¡¯s why we tried to earn some breathing room with these disposable pawns. Zelit gained pieces of information from the lich¡¯s words. First of all, there were several fortresses along this territory¡¯s border, and each fortress was filled with mutants. ¡®Why?¡¯ The lich said they weren¡¯t in a good place. It seemed the group that the lich was part of was attacked by at least one other force. That could mean this territory¡¯s border currently existed to separate multiple existing factions. It seemed the lich¡¯s group had gathered mutants in fortresses in many different places to attack their enemy from all sides so that their enemy would focus most of their attention on defense and give the lich¡¯s group some leeway. In other words, the destination that the recruits were planning to go to had troops waiting to attack another force¡¯s troops. And now, the lich had called upon the mutants in the fortress to him. The recruits and the natives were completely surrounded. There was no place for them to go. Finally, Zelit began to see a swarm of mutants running towards the burning hill, proving his speculation right. Their numbers were insurmountable. It was a whole army of them, composed of only mutants, crowding to their location like ants on top of a hill. Zelit quickly gestured at Chi-Woo. ¡°Stop this right now.¡± Chi-Woo raised his club threateningly, but the lich snorted. He might have sent the mutants away in exchange for his life. However, it was impossible for the lich to revive himself now. Chi-Woo had crushed his life vessel in one go, guaranteeing his eventual disappearance. Thus, there was no need for him to accept Chi-Woo¡¯s offer. The lich responded by laughing out loud. It was then that the recruits realized the situation they were in. How many were there exactly? Five-hundred? One or two thousand? Perhaps there were more. They all watched the army rush towards them with frightening speed. There were even some heroes who lowered their weapons or dropped them. Feelings of absolute helplessness overcame their entire bodies. ¡°It¡­really¡­ is over¡­¡± Zelit also muttered with complete despair. All they could hear was the lich¡¯s echoing cackle. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Then somebody gasped, and Chi-Woo furrowed his eyebrows. Under the night sky faintly illuminated by soft moonlight, the distant army of mutants gradually turned obscured. As if the mutants were on their last closing act on a stage, a giant curtain came down from the sky and covered everything. Not long afterward, the curtain rose again, and there was no one on the stage. The mutants that had caused the grounds to rumble had all disappeared; only remnants of what seemed to have been the mutants remained. It was like they were witnessing a large-scale vanishing magic show. ¨CWhat? The lich was also surprised. Even though the mutants were single-use disposables, how could so many of them have all disappeared in one go? The only one capable of such a thing was¡­ ¨CIt can¡¯t be! It doesn¡¯t make sense! The lich screamed his heart out. Chi-Woo looked down at him, wondering what the lich¡¯s problem was. The sky darkened again, covering even the stars and the moonlight. It wasn¡¯t a simple darkness that encompassed them. It was like they were staring into a deep, deep pit that didn¡¯t let even a speck of light in. In this pitch blackness, a single whitish form eventually showed itself. ¡°¡­A skull?¡± someone murmured. The skeleton was tied to a long, black pole that hovered in the air. It wasn¡¯t alone but surrounded by mysterious and flowy whisps, which burned and circulated like they were guiding and escorting it. ¨CThe Witch! It¡¯s the Witch¡ªThe Great Abomination of Bably! The lich cried out. ¨CHow could that bitch! Is it¡ª Chilling energy poured down the burning hill. ¡°The fire is¡­¡± The growing fire gradually died down, and in many places, the fire was completely extinguished. The newcomer seemed to be declaring their distaste for the fire, and everyone watched in stunned silence. Complete darkness descended upon the heroes. No one spoke or even let out a breath. Everyone knew instinctively that this was how they were supposed to behave in front of this figure. Chi-Woo was the only one who didn¡¯t find the skeleton particularly threatening and was instead curious about the skeleton¡¯s identity. A strange tension and silence permeated until the skeleton slowly lifted her arm. She raised her skeletal index finger and pointed forward. Then she arched her finger repeatedly as if to beckon them over. All the heroes turned to the direction the finger was pointing at, and saw the smoky figure near Chi-Woo. ¡ªAh¡­! The lich¡¯s body surged up like it was getting forcefully dragged by a mysterious power and flew through the air until it was within the skeleton¡¯s grasp. ¨CUh¡­Uh¡­ The lich trembled speechlessly as the skeleton stared down at it. Soon, a blue light flashed from the skeleton¡¯s eye holes. A lich was quite a high-level necromancer, and he was likely to be an elite among his kind considering that he had been conducting experiments in this area. The skeleton had probably taken the lich to salvage whatever values he might have, only to find to her surprise that he was beyond hopeless. He had been shattered completely. The skeleton was curious who exactly had taken the lich¡¯s life force so easily. She clenched her hands tightly once without hesitance, and the lich dissipated without being able to even let out a scream. Smoke scattered, and the shriveled-up piece of robe floated in the air. Then the skeleton looked up at one person with her empty eye sockets¡ªthe one who had rendered the lich into this state. The skeleton remembered hearing something about another of her enemy¡¯s plans going haywire at the forest due to an unknown variable; that was why she had come all the way here to investigate. Swish. She pointed her index at Chi-Woo and paused. Then she curled her index finger at an exhaustingly slow pace like she was struggling. Furthermore, the tip of her bony finger slightly trembled. After a couple of minutes, a smothering silence followed. ¡ª¡­This could be¡­a bit dangerous. The heroes heard a beautiful voice that could have belonged to a mature and sensual woman. The skeleton¡¯s index finger stretched out halfway and folded again. She had done what she came here to do, but now, she had a new curiosity. That, however, wasn¡¯t a good enough reason for her to risk herself. Although the lich and she were from different groups, they weren¡¯t that different on a fundamental level. Thus, the skeleton crossed her arms and decided to turn back. Shrouded by her wispy followers, she went farther and farther away. Once the skeleton that looked large enough to pierce the sky was out of sight, the darkness faded. Stars and the moon cast their light on the burnt hill again. ¡°Ha¡­Haaaa!¡± Having been standing like a statue the entire time, Ru Hiana finally let out the breath she had been holding. She wasn¡¯t the only one who reacted this way. Many others let out their breaths and collapsed to the ground. The enormous mutant army was annihilated, including the mutants and the cursed ones they had been fighting. A monumental power that was strong enough to completely overwhelm an entire territory peacefully left, leaving only the recruits behind. ¡°Did they spare us¡­?¡± ¡°I think she just backed away. I heard her say something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s both,¡± Zelit said. His face was blank like he had just seen a ghost. ¡°She probably saw value in keeping us alive rather than killing us.¡± It was clear that the lich¡¯s and the skeleton¡¯s factions were at odds, as evident by the fact that the skeleton had destroyed the army of mutants as soon as it appeared. It just seemed too much of a coincidence, and they had a few theories as to why the skeleton had let them live. ¡°They might expect us to undermine the lich¡¯s faction as we did tonight.¡± Using outsiders to fight against their enemies was a common tactic. However, some heroes questioned the validity of the theory. ¡°Us?¡± ¡°The skeleton looked really strong. I feel like she could have easily taken care of a couple fortresses by herself.¡± Zelit shook his head. ¡°She might not want to leave her post, or there are some other reasons we aren¡¯t aware of. We can¡¯t really make any concrete speculations now. And the most important thing is that we survived.¡± That made everyone quiet down. Even though their number had dwindled from a three-digit figure to a two-digit figure, they had succeeded in surviving this battle somehow. Just like how rain might come after a drought, if they kept persevering, perhaps, an opportunity would come by in the future. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± Zelit got to his feet. They had survived the battle, but the ones chasing after them weren¡¯t their only enemy. Coldness and hunger were invisible enemies that were far scarier than any other. It wasn¡¯t time for them to dawdle and converse leisurely. They had to work hard to keep themselves alive exactly because they had survived this time. Immediately, the heroes collected their weapons and left the hill. They were hungry and tired from the intense battle, but they continued marching to the now empty fortress. CH 63 They marched and marched. No one spoke and instead focused all their attention on walking. People feared that they would collapse to the ground once they stopped and continued to march whether it was night or day. Having won a battle didn¡¯t seem to mean that much now. Half of them had survived, and now the question remained whether or not they would be able to survive through thirst and hunger. Chi-Woo in particular had no strength to even talk, and he was in an extremely dire state. His throat was burning like he had swallowed scorching coals. His head felt dizzy, and he came to the realization that his stomach was hurting from prolonged starvation. He could no longer feel his feet. However, he knew he had to endure, and the hope that everything would be better once they arrived at their destination compelled him to continue. Something similar had happened in the Records of the Three Kingdoms. When the Wei soldiers struggled to keep marching due to severe thirst and depleted strength, Cao Cao told his men that if they pushed themselves a bit more, they would soon be able to have as many plum fruits as they wished. The soldiers¡¯ mouths watered at the thought of a plum¡¯s sour taste, and they forgot their thirst temporarily and managed to reach their destination early. It was the same for the recruits and the natives. If they went a bit farther, they would soon enjoy the safety of a fortress, sleep warmly, and find food and drinks. With these hopes, they forced their frigid, heavy feet to move. When the sun rose to the middle of the sky the next day, they finally saw their destination. Everyone stopped walking. ¡°¡­¡± Eshnunna looked up and saw an old, worn-out castle juxtaposed by a completely upright, tall mountain. ¡°¡­We have arrived.¡± When she was leaving the base camp, she had wondered if she would ever be able to arrive at their destination. In the end, she had reached this place alive. Hearing her, everyone pushed their half-dead body to move again and fought to walk forward. Chi-Woo also let out a small cry. The fortress was stationed on a mound, and near the fortress was a running river. Behind it, a rugged mountain stood. It lived up to the name the Fortress of the Heavens. People ran in a flurry. Under the stone bridge that connected the fortress¡¯s entrance, there was a river circling around the exterior like a natural moat. The sight of water put a mad glint in everyone¡¯s eyes. The first heroes to reach the fortress got on their knees before shoving their heads into the river. They gulped down the water like they were possessed, and only raised their head to breathe before dunking their heads back into the water again. ¡°Is it okay for us to drink this water?¡± one person asked grimly, but no one paid attention. ¡°Let them be! At most, their stomach would ache for a bit!¡± Having an aching stomach seemed like a small price to pay in order to quench their thirst, and everyone took big gulps. Chi-Woo also went crazy over the water. At first, he still had the presence of mind to drink from his cupped hands, but soon he was shoving his head underwater like the others, not so much drinking but inhaling water until his throat felt like it would burst. It felt like his dried-up esophagus was finally getting rehydrated. It was refreshing, so refreshing that he wanted to scream and roll on the ground. After drinking until his throat felt sore, Chi-Woo shook his head underwater like a mad man. He hadn¡¯t been able to wash up properly since coming to Liber, and his scalp itched. He felt better just by being in the water. ¡°Haaa!¡± Chi-Woo re-emerged from the water when he couldn¡¯t hold his breath any longer. With cold water dripping down his head, his hazy mind seemed to have returned to its original state. The sunlight shining on him felt warm, and his burning thirst cleared away like they were washed off him. After standing blankly for a while, Chi-Woo turned around. ¡°Ha!¡± Eshnunna looked up, shaking her soaking wet hair with water running down her face. She blinked hard multiple times before turning to Chi-Woo, sensing his eyes on her. Chi-Woo smirked at her. It wasn¡¯t really that funny, but for some reason, he burst into laughter. Eshnunna looked taken aback for a moment, but she soon joined in with carefree laughter as well. It didn¡¯t take long before everyone around them followed suit. Yes, this was it. This was what it meant to be alive. With their thirst sated, the recruits and the natives went inside the fortress. They kept a watchful eye on their surroundings in case there were enemies lurking about, but their hearts weren¡¯t in it. It was understandable. For Chi-Woo¡¯s case¡ªAlthough he hadn¡¯t been starving the entire time since arriving at Liber, he had never eaten his full. In fact, he had always stopped eating far before he was satisfied. On top of that, he had been starving for the last two weeks; in the most recent week, especially, he hadn¡¯t eaten anything. He had been thinking of eating his snacks to make the hunger go away, but he hadn¡¯t been able to since that would make his thirst worse. And now, after quenching his thirst, the water in his stomach made him feel hungrier. His body was crying out for food now, and his stomach wasn¡¯t the only one that rumbled in the vicinity. ¡°The noise might alert others to our location.¡± Zelit smiled wryly. Chi-Woo responded with a self-deprecating smile after looking around. The fortress was¡ªhow should one describe it? It looked like a fortress through and through. A rectangular structure stood in the embrace of stone walls, and there was more than one single layer. Past the fortress¡¯ outskirts was another circle of walls, and between them, there were other stone structures densely built in the shape of ¡®?¡¯, ¡®?¡¯, ¡®?¡¯, and ¡®?¡¯. In short, there were three layers of castle walls; and that wasn¡¯t the end of it. ¡°Why is the path so complicated?¡± There was a maze of some sort past the three layers of walls. The path was so complicated that it would infuriate those who were trespassing for the first time. It was narrow, incredibly bumpy, and meandering. Past another castle wall, they arrived at a place that could make a trespasser shout in exasperation, ¡°What a shitty way to fight a war!¡± The body of water and the area around it looked effective in fighting off an enemy force with small numbers. A fortress was usually structured this way, built mainly for the purpose of defense and provided minimum functions for a civilian to live in. ¡°The lord of this place must have worked really hard to fulfill his role,¡± Zelit remarked. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± Eshnunna replied. She explained that the margrave who built this fortress was called the ¡®Divine Guardian of Salem¡¯, and this figure was one of the main reasons why Salem had been able to maintain a mid-sized kingdom for so long with limited territory. ¡°A thorough man like that would have prepared a sufficient amount of food supplies, right?¡± someone asked hopefully. After going through a narrow path, they arrived at a wide space that appeared to be a square. Zelit stopped momentarily and took a deep breath. After determining that there were no enemies remaining, he suggested for all of them to look for goods, especially food. None of the heroes was paying much attention to him, and as soon as Zelit finished his sentence, they all dispersed like ants without even getting into groups. Eshnunna and the natives she led were the only ones showing any resemblance of order. After around two hours, the heroes reconvened on the square with a disappointed look on their faces. Everyone returned empty-handed. It was hard to believe, but there was no food left in the fortress for them. They found a room that looked to be a storage, but it was completely empty. They also found private facilities, but there wasn¡¯t much in these areas, and definitely no food. Later on, they searched everywhere they went but found nothing they could eat. Although they had found safe shelter, a good amount of armories and gloves, and ensured a sufficient amount of water, they were still missing the most important thing. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± ¡°No, what about you?¡± The question was eagerly repeated to every hero that returned, but the answer was always the same ¡°Do we have to eat grass roots mixed with mud again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we would even have that. Didn¡¯t you see? All around us are cliffs without any green.¡± ¡°Then, are there any fishes in the river¡­?¡± ¡°I looked inside the waters with my eyes open wide, but I couldn¡¯t even see a single pale chub.¡± Their hope dimmed and eventually gave way to hopelessness as all the potential venues for food were eliminated. They didn¡¯t have the strength to move anymore. Everyone lay on the square and stared blankly at the sky. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Someone sighed. ¡°Why did we go through all that trouble to come here¡­.?¡± The hero lamented as if their prospects physically pained him. One had to have a will to even live, and the greater the hope one had, the greater the despair following a disappointment. There was a limit to how much a person could endure by pure grit. Like a candle that burned with the biggest fire had suddenly gone out, when everyone realized that there was nothing for them to eat, their will to live greatly diminished, and everything they had been withholding burst out. After all, their prospects were miserable; in the current situation, it wouldn¡¯t be unthinkable for people to start dying from infected wounds or starvation the next day. Chi-Woo¡¯s situation was at least a bit better than the others. He wondered if he had to clear all the snacks in his bag when he suddenly heard a noise. It sounded like wheels rolling. The heroes who were lying on the ground in despair didn¡¯t respond to the noise. However, as the noise approached, one or two of them rose and turned to the direction of the noise. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you all waiting.¡± Eshnunna appeared with the natives like a goddess. ¡°We found food,¡± she said. The natives and she were carrying several heavily loaded sacks. The heroes looked bewildered; their eyes turned wide as the natives took things out of the sack and prepared to start a fire. ¡°Food? Is it really food?¡± ¡°Where¡­!¡± They asked in disbelief. Eshnunna responded as if what she had done was nothing, ¡°There was a time when the guardian deity of Salem fought against an empire¡¯s army four times the size of his own and won without losing a single soldier. He was able to do this because he burned all the enemy¡¯s food supplies with a troop he had secretly dispatched outside of the fortress. After this battle, the margrave said something of great wisdom, ¡®There is nothing more stupid than leaving all your food supplies in one obvious place at the start of a war.¡¯¡± In short, Eshnunna and the natives had managed to find the food supplies that the margrave had carefully hidden in several places. Well, that didn¡¯t matter now. ¡°Please wait a bit. We will soon prepare the meals.¡± All the recruits erupted into cheers. At the end of the day, no one was exempt from the power of food, and every single one of them looked at the princess with gratitude and affection. Some of them also turned to Chi-Woo, wondering what would have happened if they had declared Eshnunna a traitor and killed her. The recruits wouldn¡¯t have been able to find the food supplies even if they managed to reach the fortress after all the struggle. The natives lit up fire and boiled water. They soon took out the ingredients and started cooking. Once Eshnunna placed the food on the plates, everyone fought to have their share. The food disappeared in the blink of an eye, and some even poured food directly into their mouths from the plates and finished their meals at once. ¡°I told you to stop eating so much!¡± ¡°You just ate!¡± There was even a clamor of people arguing about their meals. ¡°How much food do we have left? I¡¯m glad we found them, but we have to save as much as possible¡­¡± ¡°The food will last us a month even if everyone eats three meals a day. I can¡¯t guarantee it, but I think we can find more,¡± Eshnunna answered like she had expected such a question. ¡°We have that much?¡± ¡°There are much less¡­mouths to feed now.¡± Zelit pursed his lips and quietly pushed his plate forward. As Eshnunna and the natives focused on their cooking, the heroes became quieter. Chomp, chomp, slurp! All one could hear were eating noises. ¡°Yum! It¡¯s tast¡ªchomp!¡± They were so starved that they inhaled the food rather than eat them. Chi-Woo was no exception. The food he ate reminded him of dumpling soup, and he gulped them down without chewing. The taste wasn¡¯t really important. The only thing that concerned them was that they were having edible food for humans and warm broth. After finishing one bowl too quickly, Chi-Woo got up. It felt like he had to have at least five bowls to feel satisfied. Everyone clearly felt the same; a long line had formed in front of the natives serving food. When Eshnunna saw Chi-Woo, she glanced left and right before quickly dropping a big piece of jerky soaked in broth into his bowl. Her skills in sneaking extra food were formidable, and Chi-Woo raised his eyebrow and mouthed, ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®The crackers.¡¯ Eshnunna also mouthed the words instead of saying them aloud. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Crack-ers.¡¯ Chi-Woo looked deep in thought for a moment before moving his lips again. ¡®Oh. I can¡¯t give you more.¡¯ Eshnunna snorted and mouthed, ¡®How stingy.¡¯ She seemed to have understood what he was saying judging from the words Chi-Woo was able to make out, and he was grateful that she didn¡¯t take back what she had given him. With a gleeful feeling in his heart, Chi-Woo returned to his seat and sneakily took a big bite of his meat. ¡°You know.¡± ¡°Urmph!¡± Soup got into the wrong pipe and came out of Chi-Woo¡¯s nose, making him choke. As he coughed intensely, Zelit looked at him with concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Please continue.¡± Chi-Woo sniffled and wiped his tears. ¡°I think this is a test. The journey we¡¯ve been through since coming to Liber was meant as a trial to find out if we¡¯re qualified to serve as heroes on this planet.¡± Zelit said while patting Chi-Woo¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s not as common now, but I heard in the past, there were cases when heroes were summoned to places and forced to prove their qualifications upon arrival.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head in realization and asked, ¡°Are you talking about a tutorial?¡± ¡°Hm, tutorial¡­¡± Zelit smirked before crossing his arm and said, ¡°Given our situation, it seems more accurate to call it a rite of passage rather than a tutorial. Now that we¡¯ve completed the rite of passage, maybe the tutorial will finally begin.¡± Chi-Woo nodded mindlessly. If what Zelit said was true, they would now have to fulfill several conditions in order to establish themselves in this world¡ªand that would be part of the tutorial they would have to pass. ¡°A tutorial, finally.¡± Chi-Woo slowly chewed on a piece of meat and chuckled. ¡°This is really hard for a tutorial.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± Zelit smiled softly and replied before turning to look ahead. Most seemed to have had their fill by now and were talking while eating. ¡°I am going to build an inn here! An inn!¡± Eval Sevaru shouted passionately while spitting. ¡°Who needs things like weapon or potion shops? All living creatures need to sleep and need a place to sleep. People would gather at an inn for sure.¡± While looking for food, Eval had found a private facility and was telling everyone that he called dibs; no one would take it from him. ¡°Yeah, a city has to have an inn.¡± ¡°I want a restaurant instead,¡± Ru Hiana said brightly. ¡°After coming back from an adventure, I want to go to a restaurant and order a whole bunch of meat without washing myself. A nice glass of beer with that would go splendidly¡­Ha!¡± She crouched and smirked at the thought, shaking in repressed laughter. ¡°I want to establish a guild,¡± Allen Leonard said. ¡°Like an adventure guild. I always dreamed of being the master of an adventure guild.¡± ¡°An adventure guild sounds good, but won¡¯t we need a temple?¡± Each person voiced their dreams and opinions. Zelit listened to them quietly before turning to Chi-Woo and asking, ¡°What do you think?¡± Chi-Woo stopped midway from savoring his meat. He thought Zelit was pressing him for an answer because he had seen Eshnunna sneaking meat into his bowl. However, the surroundings had gone quiet as well, and everyone stopped to look at Chi-Woo. ¡®What? Why? Why?¡¯ Chi-Woo almost blurted out to the many eyes staring at him when he just wanted to finish his meal. However, he couldn¡¯t say that with the current atmosphere. ¡®Seriously, it feels like everyone is waiting for me to give a toast at a dinner party.¡¯ Chi-Woo licked his lips and said quietly, ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m sure it would be hard to do right now.¡± After all, building a city was no easy feat. ¡°But first and foremost, we have to increase our survival rate. Then we have to establish a method for us to take in future recruits safely.¡± When people gathered, a collective formed. Then ranks emerged, and a society was created. ¡°The number of people we have is also a problem,¡± Chi-Woo continued. Work didn¡¯t end just because they managed to build a society. Dozens of people would make up at most a village. Thus, population count was important, as it would be a society¡¯s strength. ¡°We could get nomads or captured natives from other territories. There could even be more survivors from the seventh recruits that we don¡¯t know of¡­Maybe we can consider forming an alliance with other intelligent species.¡± Only then, would they be able to have any economic, military, political, and geographic influence in the region. ¡°This fortress would be temporary. We need more space. There might come a time when we need to attack the capital. Rather than urbanize this fortress, we have to use the place as a stepping stone to where we¡¯re going. But besides that, there¡¯s so much else to do¡­Everything seems so daunting right now, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo stirred his spoon in his bowl. Then he looked up and said, ¡°But let¡¯s still try. Let¡¯s try to build inns, restaurants, guilds, temples¡­¡± Chi-Woo turned around and looked at the forest. ¡°Like those who had come and those who had been here dreamed of, let¡¯s make our ideals into reality. I believe our stories and what we¡¯ve been through today will go down as legends in the future.¡± One day, more heroes might arrive on this planet, and they would question if the legends were true. ¡°That¡¯s what we have to do.¡± Chi-Woo ended, and the square became quiet. Nobody talked, but everyone seemed to be in deep thought. They all nodded in agreement. Perhaps the 20th or 30th or maybe even the 50th recruit¡ª it would be embarrassing to call them ¡®recruits¡¯ at that point, but nevertheless¡ªwould find themselves in a completely different place when they came here. The heroes were sure of it; there would be a day when this world was no longer empty and barren, but a place where heroes could perform their duty as usual; a day when somebody claimed that heroes from the Celestial Realm had slept in the elements while curling up, were chased by enemies day after day, and had almost died of starvation, people would brush them off as simply jesting. The picture Chi-Woo painted filled everyone with hope. They engraved the possibility in their hearts, believing that the day would surely come. However, even if such a day did come after a long period of time had passed, no one knew how many of them in this square would live to witness it. CH 64 Once their hunger was sated, they all became sleepy. Everyone was extremely exhausted, and the amount of fatigue they had accumulated since they left the base camp was astounding. Although they had a mountain load of things to do, they decided to rest for the day and unwind. The majority of them slumped down wherever they could and fell asleep as soon as their heads touched the floor, but Chi-Woo waited. There was something more important than sleeping that he needed to do. First of all, Chi-Woo needed to choose a house he would stay in from now on. Although the fortress wasn¡¯t big, everyone could pick a place of their preference since there weren¡¯t many of them. After wandering around for a bit, Chi-Woo picked a small brick house stationed between the central area and the outskirts. The house was quite impressive, as it was surrounded by stone walls, had a hardwood-floored porch, and three rooms. The thought of finally getting a house now that he was on Liber put a wry smile on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. He unloaded his luggage and looked around. He picked out some white clothes that fit his body and luckily found a bar of soap in a place that looked like a hearth. Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t so much soap but solidified oil that smelled like herbs, but it didn¡¯t matter. Chi-Woo almost jumped up and down in joy. Exiting the fortress and following along the stone bridge connecting its entrance, Chi-Woo walked some distance away from the fortress before jumping into the river. ¡°Oh wow!¡± Chi-Woo shuddered from the cold and felt the chill spread through his body. He didn¡¯t know how long it had been since he washed up. Then he scratched his itchy scalp and saw white substances stuck in his nails, which made him feel disgusted with himself. ¡°Ah¡­¡± After whimpering in joy for a couple of minutes, he began to scrub his body in earnest. He rubbed his hair and body with soap, putting special care into soaping his scalp. The soap didn¡¯t foam as easily as he had hoped, but that was fine. Not even noticing the trickles of black and dirty streams of water flowing down his body, he hummed. As someone who was borderline OCD and valued cleanliness, Chi-Woo considered showers to be one of the greatest perks in life. Thus, he enjoyed this opportunity to clean himself greatly. He thoroughly scrubbed every inch of his body and washed his head three times. Then, he wetted the clothes he had been wearing for a long time and did the laundry with the soap. Eventually, Chi-Woo got out of the moat and returned to his house dressed in the white clothes he had prepared beforehand, carrying his soaking wet laundry and leaving a wet trail along the way. Not long after he cleaned the place up a little and lay down on his made bed, he began to feel sleepy. He felt relaxed with his thirst quenched and his stomach filled. Plus, after sleeping on rough dirt for so long, the bed felt like clouds, and this humble bedroom might as well be paradise. Closing his eyes, Chi-Woo saw everything that had happened up to this point flash through his mind like a movie credit. Zelit told him that they had just finished the rite of passage, and they weren¡¯t even standing at the start line. As someone who had seen his own obscure user information, Chi-Woo had to agree. ¡®There¡¯s still a long way to go.¡¯ When Chi-Woo first came to Liber, he didn¡¯t have a strong intention to save this place or anything like that. He simply wanted to find his brother and go back home with him¡ªor even just to talk to him for a bit. However, his thoughts were far different from that now. He hadn¡¯t lost sight of his original goal, but he had already received too much from others to stay in the backdrop and safely watch everything unfold from afar. Thanks to the sacrifices of Giant Fist, Mua Janya, Salem Yohan, the middle-aged couple, and many more heroes and natives he didn¡¯t know the names of, he was able to survive. He wanted to keep paying back what he had received until he could confidently say that he had done enough. To achieve both his original and new goals, he needed more power¡ª a power that would allow him to protect himself wherever he went and to prevent all the misfortunes they had to endure from happening ever again. They had only earned a moment of peace after a vicious struggle, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think the peace would last long. Thus, before danger struck again, he had to use this opportunity to his advantage as much as possible. ¡®Through whatever means.¡¯ Chi-Woo thought to himself, turning off his user information and closing his eyes again. Soon, snoring noises filled the room. The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Chi-Woo opened his eyes. His body felt refreshed. He had slept soundly through the night without dreaming. ¡°Yaaawn.¡± Chi-Woo stretched his arms and headed outside. A couple of heroes he knew passed by him and greeted him. They asked if he had eaten yet and told him that there was food at the square. Chi-Woo immediately started running, and after eating the same meal as yesterday, he wandered around and eventually returned to his room. He sat on the porch and pondered. He had sworn to become stronger, but he struggled to find the way to be so. He knew he had to do something, but didn¡¯t know how. He had never handled anything more dangerous than a toy knife in his childhood, so he couldn¡¯t come up with any ideas. Fortunately, there was somebody who could help him; he decided to call upon his assistant. ¡®Mimi?¡¯ [I see that your situation has improved dramatically over the past few days.] She sounded as sharp as ever. ¡®It¡¯s been a while.¡¯ [Yes. You have gone through a lot. Good work.] Mimi talked as if she had been watching by his side the whole time. Chi-Woo told Mimi all his concerns and how he wanted to quickly gain battling skills. Thus, he wanted to ¡®share¡¯ one of Ru Amuh¡¯s abilities and asked for her advice. Surprisingly, Mimi¡¯s response wasn¡¯t positive. [I wouldn¡¯t recommend that.] ¡®Why?¡¯ [Did you read the explanations of Ru Amuh¡¯s skills?] Chi-Woo brought forth Ru Amuh¡¯s user information that he had saved recently. 1. [Basic Swordsmanship A]¡ª¡­although he uses only basic¡­ 2. [Basic Hand-to-hand Combat A]¡ª¡­although he uses only basic¡­ [¡®Basic Swordsmanship¡¯ means simple moves like slicing, swinging, and piercing, while ¡®Basic Combat¡¯ means things like punching and kicking. So let me ask you this. Do you really have no idea how to do any of those at all?] Chi-Woo frowned. He could swing a knife if he had to. It was the same for hand-to-hand combat; after all, he had been learning taekwondo since he was young. ¡®But¡ª¡¯ [Yes, I know your proficiency in these skills is far below Ru Amuh¡¯s, but please consider the skills on their own. Acquiring them wouldn¡¯t be difficult.] After thinking a bit, he said in his head, ¡®I get what you mean, but the problem is my proficiency in these skills. You told me raising any skill to even B rank was extremely hard.¡¯ [Yes, but the situation changes when the skill ¡®Sharing¡¯ comes into the equation. You can only share one skill from each star, and you can neither change your mind about it nor delete it later on. Do you think those two skills are valuable enough to use this single opportunity on?] That gave Chi-Woo pause, and he came to realize how rashly he had been thinking. ¡®Then what about Synesthesia?¡¯ Mimi didn¡¯t answer right away. [Synesthesia¡­is a very rare skill, and there is a great barrier to acquiring it.] ¡®And Ru Amuh¡¯s rank in this skill is A too.¡¯ [I admit. It is worth considering.] ¡®Then¡­¡¯ [But I don¡¯t recommend it at the moment.] Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned wide. Not this one, either? [Think about it. What and how are you going to use Synesthesia?] This statement quietened Chi-Woo. [You said you wanted to get stronger. How is the skill going to help you do that?] ¡®¡­¡¯ [If you can¡¯t answer that question, the skill is nothing more than a pretty wrapper on a gift.] Yes, even if he received this skill, it would be akin to putting pearls on a swine. [Furthermore, skills may differ even when they have the same name. You may be receiving a completely different skill than what he originally has. Ru Amuh¡¯s synesthesia bloomed through his innate talent and insurmountable efforts. In other words, it is a skill created by Ru Amuh; it belongs to him and only him, and it¡¯s perfectly tailored to his present state. I doubt you would be able to adjust and attune to it.] Mimi was right. Chi-Woo might as well be an infant in this regard. If he attempted to use synesthesia, it would be like a baby who couldn¡¯t even roll himself to the back trying to learn how to fly, skipping jumping and running altogether. [That¡¯s not all. Your sharing ability transfers skill in a way that is similar to transplanting a flower to another plot of land.] Ru Amuh¡¯s basic combat skill was 10, it would drop to 8 when Chi-Woo received it. [The more fertile your land is, the higher the chance of the newly planted flower surviving.] If Chi-Woo would at least train his basic combat skill to a 1, though, the skill he received might be at better than 8. [And there would be nothing better than blooming your own flower through the process.] If he awakened a skill that was similar, but not identical to synesthesia, sharing the skill might yield different results; when a flower was grafted onto an existing plant, a new flower would bloom. [Then you may gain a skill based on your abilities that transcends synesthesia.] In other words, the skill could evolve. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened in realization. Mimi had told him that a S-rank skill embodies a power that transcended human capability. It dawned on him how he had almost wasted a precious ability. ¡®I see. And Ru Amuh is still developing; no one knows what skill he will acquire in the future.¡¯ [Yes. There¡¯s no reason for you to choose now.] Waiting was the answer. If he waited, there would come a day when he could reap the fruit of his patience. He had to wait for that day to come. Chi-Woo nodded. ¡®Thank you. I¡¯m glad I consulted you.¡¯ [My role is to give you advice. You can take them into consideration, but don¡¯t swear by them, either.] An assistant only recommended, and the one who had the final say was Chi-Woo. [The fact that you are aware of your ignorance in physical combat and want to learn is good though. If that¡¯s the case, however, you can get the help and advice of experts. You don¡¯t have to look far. Aren¡¯t there many combat experts around you?] There was one hero who was especially connected to him. When Mimi finished giving her advice, Chi-Woo got up from his seat. Chi-Woo sent a message to Ru Hiana, asking her if she was with Ru Amuh. He got a reply in 10 seconds, which said that Ru Amuh had gone out early in the afternoon but just came back. Chi-Woo asked for their location, and he followed the detailed directions that Ru Hiana gave him to a building that looked like a barrack. Knock. Knock. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Yes, please come in!¡± Chi-Woo opened the door and was met with a wave of warm air. As Ru Hiana said, the one answering the door was Ru Amuh. The blonde, young man was wiping his face with a wet towel with his torso bare. ¡°You¡¯re here already, sir?¡± Ru Amuh smiled brightly while looking at Chi-Woo. ¡°I heard from Ru Hiana that you were looking for me.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Do you have some time to spare?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ah, sorry. I just came in. Please give me a moment.¡± Ru Amuh adjusted his towel and quickly put on his clothes. He guided Chi-Woo to a seat, and they both sat down facing each other. Ru Amuh looked at Chi-Woo with curiosity and expectations that felt almost like a physical weight, but Chi-Woo mustered up his courage and revealed the reason for his visit. ¡°The method to become stronger?¡± Ru Amuh failed to hide his astonishment. ¡°Yes,¡± Chi-Woo said calmly and asked, ¡°How did you become so strong, Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°Uh¡­well, I¡­¡± Ru Amuh stated simply that he had trained and worked hard since his youth. When Chi-Woo asked ¡®since when¡¯, Ru Amuh answered ¡®since six years old¡¯, which made Chi-Woo sigh and continue, ¡°I want to learn from you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ru Amuh exclaimed in the same disbelieving tone as before. ¡°F-From me¡­?¡± He couldn¡¯t even finish his words properly, his finger shifting between Chi-Woo and himself. Chi-Woo quietly nodded. ¡°I-It doesn¡¯t make sense, sir. You are much stronger than me. How would I dare¡­¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how, but it seemed Ru Amuh was deeply misinformed. ¡°I already told you I have no experience in physical fighting.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Ru Amuh had a look of understanding on his face. ¡°That¡¯s right. You did tell me¡­¡± He didn¡¯t seem to find it strange. After all, there was no rule dictating that only warriors could become heroes. Ru Amuh was well aware of this, but he was still curious. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not overstepping my boundaries, but may I ask you why? I¡¯m sure you must have had your reason for not training in close combat until now. Is there a reason for the sudden change in heart¡­?¡± There was nothing of that sort, but Chi-Woo simply humored him by saying, ¡°I thought it would be necessary here in the future.¡± ¡°Hm. Well¡­if that is the case.¡± Ru Amuh interpreted that as Chi-Woo finding it necessary to eliminate any weaknesses in a harsh world like Liber. ¡°You are impressive, sir, but I wonder if I would be able to teach you, sir Chi-Chi¡­Hm, hm, well.¡± Surprisingly, Ru Amuh didn¡¯t appear too confident, and it seemed he felt troubled at the thought of teaching Chi-Woo for some reason. ¡°I do have experience in teaching others, but I¡¯m not good at it. Ru Hiana didn¡¯t really like getting taught by me, either.¡± Ru Amuh smiled shyly. He told Chi-Woo how Ru Hiana had often complained that she didn¡¯t get anything even after he explained with all his heart. That made sense since knowing something and teaching it to someone else were completely different matters. Furthermore, Ru Amuh was a genius. How could a genius know the pains of an ordinary person? It was too much to expect an ordinary person to feel the same things that a genius would. Chi-Woo could understand what Ru Hiana had gone through, but he didn¡¯t take back his request. ¡°I¡¯m not expecting anything amazing. I just want to know the way to move my body, how to fight, use weapons, and so on. I¡¯m fine with learning the basics.¡± Chi-Woo wanted to train properly now that he had the opportunity. That delighted Ru Amuh since swordsmanship and close combat were his expertise. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think I can do it. It¡¯s nothing amazing though.¡± Ru Amuh scratched his head in embarrassment and suggested getting up from their seats. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, but I can teach you if you want.¡± But there was one more thing Ru Amuh wanted to ask. ¡°How deep is your knowledge in fighting?¡± ¡°I learned martial arts for a brief period when I was young. That¡¯s all the experience I had,¡± Chi-Woo said, thinking about his time getting a red and black belt in taekwondo. ¡°I see. If it¡¯s alright with you, could you show me some of your skills?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Please try attacking me with martial arts. You may hit me as hard as you can.¡± Chi-Woo looked at Ru Amuh hesitantly, and Ru Amuh responded with a warm smile. It was a bit embarrassing, but Chi-Woo tried to remember some taekwondo moves from a long time ago. He stretched out his left arm and struck with his fist and repositioned himself to do a back kick. Then he swung his fist and feet back and forth. Ru Amuh stood stiffly and nervously but blinked when none of Chi-Woo¡¯s attacks made contact. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t just pretend to do it, but attack me properly¡­¡± Ru Amuh seemed to be telling Chi-Woo to genuinely show him his skill, but Chi-Woo was already doing that. He was pouring his whole soul and mind into his taekwondo moves. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Why don¡¯t you try again, please?¡± Ru Amuh smiled nicely and asked. Chi-Woo felt miserable, but he gritted his teeth and made his move again. While going through the different techniques, he thought about doing a poomsae[1], but since he didn¡¯t remember it too well, and there was a high possibility that his attempt would become a dark, terrible memory in the future, he decided against it. After some time, Chi-woo began to wonder, ¡®How long do I have to keep doing this?¡¯ Just moving his arms and legs while looking at Ru Amuh exhausted him. He swung his fist, blocked, did a round kick, and then followed that up with a side kick, repeating the same set of moves meaninglessly. The smile on Ru Amuh¡¯s face was long gone now. He was looking at Chi-Woo with a solemn and thoughtful expression. ¡®This should be enough, right?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought he had demonstrated quite a lot ¡ª Slid¡ªwhen Ru Amuh suddenly unsheathed his sword. Chi-Woo came to a halt in surprise. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± Before he did anything, Ru Amuh pierced his own left arm, deep enough that the blade dug into his skin. Blood flowed down his forearm, and Chi-Woo exclaimed, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It will heal in an instant.¡± ¡°But why?¡± ¡°This level of injury is nothing to me, sir.¡± Ru Amuh looked up at Chi-Woo seriously. ¡°I would be fine having such shallow cuts all over my body.¡± ¡®Why is he cutting himself all of a sudden?¡¯ Chi-Woo stared at him in shock. Ru Amuh looked too serious for this to be a joke. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry for surprising you, sir.¡± Ru Amuh wiped the blood off his arm with a towel. ¡°It may be presumptuous of me to do so, but let me ask you two questions.¡± Ru Amuh suddenly aimed his sword at Chi-Woo, showing him the bloodied tip of the blade. ¡°Have you ever pierced someone with a weapon like this sword?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or with anything?¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. 1. Sequence of taekwondo moves that consist of basic stances, punches, kicks, and blocks arranged in a pattern CH 65 They were silent for a while. Chi-Woo stared at Ru Amuh in surprise, shocked that Ru Amuh was able to deduce that much from his movements alone. He couldn¡¯t believe it, but it was a truth he couldn¡¯t deny. Throughout his life, Chi-Woo had never cut anyone with a knife, neither had he harmed anyone or been harmed by anyone. He had grown up in a comparatively safe and low-crime country where he didn¡¯t have to worry about such matters. And now the fact that Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t a hero but an ordinary man who had never even held a knife before was coming to light. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Ru Amuh shook his head with a stunned face. ¡°How¡­¡± He looked at Chi-Woo like he couldn¡¯t believe it, and Chi-Woo sighed while closing his eyes. The truth was revealed in an unexpected way, but his heartfelt lighter. Chi-Woo thought it was time to tell the truth about himself. He thought Ru Amuh would be able to understand. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Chi-Woo began, ¡°To tell you the truth,¡ª¡± ¡°As I thought,¡± Ru Amuh interrupted and said, ¡°You¡¯re a hero of nonviolence.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡ªwhat?¡± Chi-Woo frowned. A hero of what again? ¡°I knew you were different from other heroes, and there was something that sets you apart, but¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°But¡­to think that you really are a hero of nonviolence¡­ I heard the rumors and¡­thought there was no way someone like that could exist.¡± Ru Amuh shook his head sideways multiple times. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°But there really is someone like that¡ªa hero who walks the path of nonviolence¡­¡± Ru Amuh looked at Chi-Woo with even more awe than before. A nonviolent hero was a hero who didn¡¯t kill others. Ru Amuh was a hero who had saved a World and many lives as a result, but that also meant he had to kill from time to time. In the process, Ru Amuh had gone through a serious dilemma. He had originally become a hero to protect Ru Hiana and others like her. In doing so, ironically, he had to kill lives to save lives. The memory of his first kill, which caused many sleepless nights, was still fresh in his mind. However, that was only in the beginning, and he soon got used to it as he killed more and more people. He grew numb as he continued to swing his sword. After saving his World, it dawned on him that he had taken far too many lives. He had killed more than any monster or demon, in fact. His palms reeked of blood. It was such a painful truth that he had killed more than those who threatened his World. The internal conflict never went away and tortured Ru Amuh even now; perhaps that was the reason why he found Chi-Woo so special. At the Shahnaz camp and likewise, the base camp, Chi-Woo had reached the best result where no one died, and everyone could be happy. It was the sort of ending every hero dreamed of, and as someone who had successfully brought this dream into reality, Chi-Woo was Ru Amuh¡¯s ideal for a hero. ¡°Then why¡­Ah! Is it because¡ª¡± Ru Amuh murmured like there was something he didn¡¯t understand before letting out an exclamation. Ru Amuh had been wondering why Chi-Woo seemed to struggle so much internally for days after leaving the base camp. He had thought a veteran hero should be most aware that such sacrifices were unavoidable. At that time, Chi-Woo had seemed like a hero that wasn¡¯t used to such a thing¡ªit was almost like he was a newbie. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s personal beliefs and strong conviction in nonviolence would explain everything. It was like what Ru Hiana had said. [Senior¡­seems to be struggling a lot.] [I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Senior¡¯s fault at all, but it seems this wasn¡¯t the result he had intended. Perhaps this is his first failure. It must be hard for him, and I bet he wants to be alone. Don¡¯t pry into this matter unnecessarily and give him some time. All right?] It made sense. Chi-Woo was a nonviolent hero who had protected everyone without killing a single person up until now. However, because of the sacrifice ritual from a couple of days ago, Chi-Woo had failed to uphold his conviction. Although Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t killed them, he didn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t stop their deaths. Thus, he had blamed himself and struggled. Knowing how painful it was when one broke a strong belief, Ru Amuh could finally understand Chi-Woo¡¯s past behavior now. And although his respect for Chi-Woo went up further because of this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a tiny bit of resentment. ¡°Teacher¡­¡± The title ¡®teacher¡¯ naturally came out of his lips. ¡°You keep putting me in a difficult position¡­¡± Chi-Woo came to him, requesting Ru Amuh to teach him how to fight. In other words, he was telling Ru Amuh to teach him how to take a life, indicating that he was no longer going to keep his conviction. ¡°Nonviolence¡­someone might call it a stupid conviction, but I certainly wouldn¡¯t.¡± Ru Amuh looked at Chi-Woo with feelings that he couldn¡¯t explain. ¡°It might have been different if I wasn¡¯t aware of your past beliefs at all, but I no longer want to help you. Because I¡­I also¡­.¡± Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Nonviolence wasn¡¯t something a person could pursue simply by refusing to do certain things; they had to take the longer and more arduous route when dealing with a problem that could be easily solved by killing. Ru Amuh thought about the harsh and thorny roads Chi-Woo must have taken in order to stay true to his beliefs¡ªthe difficulty he probably went through. The thought of it shook Ru Amuh to his core. If he could, he wanted to help Chi-Woo. He wanted to tell Chi-Woo to hold onto the conviction he had been painstakingly keeping until now. However, Ru Amuh didn¡¯t have the strength to utter such words. The hero of all heroes¡ªan extraordinary hero who had walked the most difficult path for his conviction¡ªhad put his pride and beliefs down to ask Ru Amuh for help. There was only one possible explanation: he wanted to save Liber no matter what it would require from him. Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t even fathom the state Chi-Woo¡¯s mind must be in. Ru Amuh was sure that the calm and indifferent look on Chi-Woo¡¯s face was simply a facade, and that he was battling himself internally. That was why Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t muster the energy to turn him down. ¡°Please¡­give me some time to think¡­¡± Ru Amuh hung his head low and returned to his room. ¡°¡­¡± Left completely alone, Chi-Woo blinked a couple of times hard. He had no idea what mental gymnastics Ru Amuh had been doing. [Ru Amuh¡¯s trust increased 3.7%.] [Trust 91.7%: this is the combination of Ru Amuh¡¯s faith and trust in you. Even if your actions stray away from his personal convictions, he will neither waver to become your sword nor hesitate to put his life on the line for you.] That told Chi-Woo that Ru Amuh had again greatly misunderstood him. ¡®Ms. Mimi?¡¯ Chi-Woo called upon his assistant. [Wow¡­] Mimi didn¡¯t reply. [Wow, what the hell¡­what¡­Wow¡­] Instead, the only thing Mimi could voice were exclamations of shock and exasperation. ¡°I apologize for making you wait.¡± Ru Amuh politely bowed and apologized; he looked calmer than before. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve made my decision. I will teach you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you.¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve made up my mind, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know the exact reason why, but Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes were burning with passion. ¡°My main weapon of choice is a longsword.¡± Ru Amuh looked slightly down at the sword on his waist. ¡°However, I¡¯m planning to teach you hand-to-hand combat first.¡± ¡°Hand-to-hand combat?¡± ¡°Yes. Since there¡¯s more room for you to spare your opponent with a fist than a sword.¡± Swords and fists could both be harmless or deadly depending on how they were used, but swords were inherently more lethal since they were created to kill. Hand-to-hand combat would thus be more useful to Chi-Woo in his pursuit of nonviolence. Even though Ru Amuh still had to consider Chi-Woo¡¯s wishes, this was the compromise that he had come to after lengthy consideration. Of course, since Chi-Woo had no idea what Ru Amuh was thinking, he easily agreed to Ru Amuh¡¯s proposal. Ru Amuh¡¯s face brightened at Chi-Woo¡¯s quick agreement. ¡°I¡¯m doing this partly out of my personal desires, but¡­it¡¯s not the only reason.¡± Ru Amuh went back to the main topic at hand. ¡°I started sword training at six and learned hand-to-hand combat at fourteen. Sir, do you know why I began training in hand-to-hand combat at such a late age?¡± Although Chi-Woo would like to ask how anyone would consider fourteen ¡®a late age¡¯, he didn¡¯t voice his question, but instead fell into deep thought. He didn¡¯t know the answer to Ru Amuh¡¯s question, but he said the first thing that came to his mind, ¡°Because you thought it might be helpful to your swordsmanship?¡± A shadow passed through Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right.¡± He smiled and continued, ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t know any complicated and profound swordsmanship skills. I only know the most basic techniques everyone can do such as piercing, slicing, and swinging. It¡¯s the same for hand-to-hand combat.¡± For that, he had basically been practicing the three most basic moves a hellish number of times. ¡°I did that because I knew a sword as a weapon to kill others and nothing more. I wasn¡¯t able to find any other purpose for it.¡± Since Ru Amuh said ¡®wasn¡¯t¡¯, he must have had a change of mind of sorts. ¡°That belief stayed with me until one day a different thought came to my mind. No, it would be more accurate to say that I felt something.¡± Ru Amuh had been speaking without pause, but he suddenly smacked his lips like he was struggling to find the right words. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it, but¡­I felt the sword become a part of my body, like an extension of my arm.¡± Chi-Woo remembered that as one of Ru Amuh¡¯s skills. ¡°After a great amount of effort and time, I was able to hold onto this feeling, but as a result, I felt regretful.¡± Sword techniques were based on a person¡¯s will and physical capabilities. He had considered a sword as merely a murder tool, so it had been difficult for him to reach this level of mastery. Ru Amuh continued with a wistful voice like he was reminiscing his past, ¡°If I had learned to use my body first before the sword¡­I might have taken way less time to get there¡­¡± He smiled brightly at Chi-Woo. ¡°Isn¡¯t it only right that I try to prevent you from making the same mistakes as me?¡± Chi-Woo smiled back. He felt grateful that Ru Amuh had generously shared his secrets and methods with him. He definitely made the right choice in picking his teacher. ¡°I understand. What should I do first?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s proactiveness ignited Chi-Woo¡¯s enthusiasm. He clenched his fists, motivated. ¡°First of all, thank you for showing me your martial arts before. It seems to be focused on defense. It may be good for protecting yourself, but I¡¯m not sure how effective it would be in a real¡­¡± Ru Amuh trailed off and paused before he continued again, ¡°Sir, may I come closer to you?¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Then.¡± Ru Amuh approached him. He carefully touched Chi-Woo¡¯s body and checked his neck, shoulder, arm, chest, stomach, thigh, and calves. Ru Amuh thoroughly examined Chi-Woo with a serious expression. Then he pulled away and nodded. ¡°Hmm, I got a clear picture of what you should do first for now.¡± ¡°Ohh, what is it?¡± Ru Amuh smiled instead of replying. * * * Ru Amuh took Chi-Woo out of the fort. After passing the entrance and the stone bridge, Ru Amuh took one gulp of the river¡¯s water with a satisfied look on his face. Chi-Woo was confused; even though Ru Amuh had told him that he was going to teach him combat, he had suddenly taken Chi-Woo outside. ¡®Is he planning to have a practice match with me?¡¯ Contrary to what Chi-Woo thought, though, Ru Amuh stretched his arms and said, ¡°It just so happens that my body is feeling stiff as well because I haven¡¯t warmed up. We can warm up together.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, we¡¯re just going to run for now.¡± With a smile, Ru Amuh explained that they would be running along the outer walls of the fortress. ¡°How about it? It¡¯s easy, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes¡­Well¡­¡± Chi-Woo replied hesitantly. It was true that running to warm up his body didn¡¯t sound difficult. ¡°For how long? How many laps are we doing?¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± Ru Amuh tilted his head. ¡°You have to decide for yourself. I don¡¯t know how many laps we¡¯ll be running. We just have to keep running until we¡¯re too tired to run anymore while maintaining the same speed.¡± That caught Chi-Woo completely off guard. Ru Amuh had told him that he¡¯d teach Chi-Woo how to fight, but now, he was suddenly telling him to run? And only run? ¡°It¡¯ll do you good to take one step further when you really, truly don¡¯t have a shred of strength left.¡± Without considering how Chi-Woo was feeling, Ru Amuh twisted his waist and stretched his body. ¡°However, you don¡¯t have to force yourself since you¡¯re not at that level yet. Rather than surpassing your limit, we have to focus first on becoming fit.¡± He looked at the now frozen Chi-Woo and pointed with his thumb. ¡°Let¡¯s start running together. I¡¯ll match my pace to yours, sir, so don¡¯t worry and focus on running.¡± Then Ru Amuh started running for real. He ran along the outer wall like the wind. [You really did meet an expert.] [This is great. You should also start running. Quickly!] Dumbfounded, Chi-Woo stared at Ru Amuh as the man quickly became a dot in his view, but he got moving at Mimi¡¯s encouragement. Just like that, the protagonist¡¯s first step to becoming strong¡ªthe never-ending, hellish running¡ªbegan. Favorite CH 66 Chi-Woo started running after Ru Amuh, and before he could even finish one lap around the fortress, he was completely out of breath. Ru Amuh waited for him to catch up, but he didn¡¯t wait by standing still. He weaved around like a boxer and threw punches at the air while chanting ¡®one, two¡¯. And when Chi-Woo finally caught up to him, he started running again. ¡°Sir, you have to run in proper form.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s breathing was completely stable even though he was running just like Chi-Woo. ¡°Look straight ahead. Imagine staring 10 meters ahead the whole time.¡± ¡°Hm! Ha! Huah! Urgh!¡± ¡°Breathing is important, too. Whether you breathe through your mouth or nose, it¡¯s essential that you find a breathing technique that works for you.¡± ¡°Fuuuu! Huuuugh! Fuuuu! Hieeeh!¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think this is working. Let¡¯s slow down a bit.¡± Because Chi-Woo seemed to be struggling more than Ru Amuh had expected, Ru Amuh suggested slowing down. Chi-Woo felt like he could finally catch a breath. ¡°Okay, why don¡¯t we try talking while running now?¡± ¡°Talk¡­ing¡­.?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no need for you to hold your breath. I think we are at a level where we can converse with the person next to us while we run.¡± That made some sense to Chi-Woo, and he nodded in agreement. However, it soon became impossible after they ran another lap, and their conversation was cut off entirely. ¡°Hm¡­¡± After running another half lap, Ru Amuh looked at Chi-Woo with a troubled face. They had only managed to finish two and a half laps, but Chi-Woo¡¯s condition was already so bad it was almost laughable. His head and arms seemed barely attached to his body and swung like a rag doll as he moved. His body shook like crazy, and drool was streaming down his mouth. He was barely managing to move his legs. ¡®Proper posture, my ass!¡¯ Chi-Woo was a second away from losing his breath. He thought he would be able to run five laps, but he had reached his limit after two. He wanted to collapse to the ground this instant and wondered how comfortable it would be to lie on the soft dirt ground. ¡°I can¡¯t anymore¡­!¡± Chi-Woo shouted with his eyes squeezed shut, but Ru Amuh continued to encourage him. ¡°No! You can run more!¡± Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. He closed his eyes shut and ran like there was no turning back. Eventually, when they passed the stone bridge, he collapsed to the ground. ¡°Kuh! Kuuuuh!¡± Chi-Woo lay with his body curled forward and didn¡¯t move for a while. His heart thumped so hard that it felt like it would burst out of his chest. His entire body seemed to be throbbing. His view was blurry as sweat trickled down and obscured his eyesight. The faint sky was yellow, and by the time he managed to steady his breath, he had a moment of clarity. 2. [Chi-Woo]¡¯s status -> Basic [Weak] Stamina ¡®I really am weak¡­¡¯ The user information didn¡¯t lie. His stamina was so weak that he could be described as a wimp. He had only run three laps around the fortress¡ªno, in Chi-Woo¡¯s perspective, he¡¯d run as far as three laps. After running the course, he almost couldn¡¯t believe he had done it. ¡°Are you able to get up, sir?¡± Chi-Woo nodded while heaving. He pushed himself off the ground with both hands and managed to get up with a lot of effort. As if his body was inflated with water, his limbs kept going limp and wobbling. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stabilize your breathing first? Once you have calmed down, we can do a couple more rounds to cool off.¡± Chi-Woo jerked his head toward him. ¡°There would be no need for you to run.¡± Ru Amuh said while laughing when Chi-Woo looked at him menacingly. ¡°Just quick steps. My original plan was to warm up with a light jog. Next time, we should do some practice exercises before running.¡± ¡°¡­Next time?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be running for a while. We won¡¯t need to do anything else but run at the moment,¡± Ru Amuh said firmly like he didn¡¯t intend to back off from this matter. Chi-Woo hung his head low. He had just wanted to learn some hand-to-hand combat, but what he was going through right now was just hell. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try again. For fast walking, follow me. Try to minimize the time it takes to lift your feet off the floor¡­¡± Unable to resist Ru Amuh¡¯s insistent pushing, Chi-Woo forcefully moved his feet and finished two more laps. In the end, he completed five laps before the training was over for the day. Ever since he went to Ru Amuh for training, Chi-Woo¡¯s daily routine had completely changed. Every day, he followed a simple routine: after getting up at sunrise, he went outside the fortress and ran with Ru Amuh until he was exhausted. Then he crawled back to the square and ate a late breakfast before going home to rest. He moaned while slumping onto the bed, and when his body recuperated by the afternoon, he went back outside. Then he ran until he was exhausted again and returned home after eating dinner. He ran and ran again. When he finally finished his daily routine, he felt keen that it was possible to reach one¡¯s limit simply by running. Since he always ran until he couldn¡¯t take another step, his body always finished the day in a tattered state. There were many days when he had to clutch onto the walls for support. This continued for three days and finally, on the fourth day, Chi-Woo missed his early morning exercise. Well, he almost missed it. He had fainted the night before, and when he regained his senses, someone was shaking him. He opened his eyes to Ru Amuh smiling brightly at him, and he felt a fear he couldn¡¯t put into words. ¡°Uhahhhh.¡± ¡°I waited for you, but you didn¡¯t show up, sir, so I came to find you. You must have been really tired yesterday.¡± ¡°Uhahhhh.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. But you still have to run. If you miss one day, there will be a second time, and then a third and a fourth time. Let¡¯s go together now.¡± Ru Amuh dragged the zombie-like Chi-Woo outside. There was a saying that going to the gym was the hard part, and once you were there, you ended up exercising. Just like that, once Chi-Woo was outside, he somehow ended up running. It was only later that Chi-Woo heard from Ru Hiana that Ru Amuh had been waiting early every day¡ªeven before the day broke¡ªon the off chance that Chi-Woo might decide to come out earlier; he didn¡¯t want to make Chi-Woo wait. After he found this out, Chi-Woo stopped skipping the runs out of guilt¡ªit also helped that he was scared that Ru Amuh would personally come to his house to fetch him. And the one who was most happy about Chi-Woo¡¯s change in lifestyle was none other than Mimi. [Good. Very good.] She sensed recently that Chi-Woo¡¯s bio-rhythms had finally stabilized. Since he went through a cycle of exercising, eating, resting, exercising again, eating, and sleeping every day, his health inevitably improved. Of course, Chi-Woo felt like dying every day. [Running is perfect for you right now.] He understood this part already. [It builds cardiorespiratory function, endurance, overall body strength, and many more. There¡¯s no training more fitting for someone who desperately needs to improve their athletic ability.] Yes, Chi-Woo understood that this exercise was necessary. But Chi-Woo was also human; he was growing sick of looking at the same scenery every day while running. Just like the number of dollar bills one had in their wallet, nobody¡¯s willpower was infinite. As days passed by, Chi-Woo¡¯s patience reached rock bottom. [There¡¯s a saying that a child has to fall down 2000 times before they can get up. I know how difficult and tiring this process is, but later¡­] As Mimi continued to lecture him, Chi-Woo got angry. ¡®I know. I know. Since I can¡¯t fly or run, I am at least trying to walk here.¡¯ [Before walking, you also have to know how to pick yourself back up. So that even if you fall, you will try taking another step again. Do you understand?] ¡®I get it, so could you please shut up?¡¯ Chi-Woo growled angrily inside his mind and moved his legs again while gritting his teeth. Time passed by without a hitch, and soon, it had been ten days since Chi-Woo started running. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± On the eleventh day, Ru Amuh suddenly apologized and said that it would be difficult for them to continue exercising from now on. ¡°I wanted to do at least the morning exercises with you, but given the situation, I would be otherwise occupied¡­¡± Ru Amuh explained that Zelit had found a method to help the other heroes recover their powers through a conversation with Shahnaz, and had made an important request to him. Since it was a dangerous method, he needed Ru Amuh¡¯s full support. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what the method was, but he wasn¡¯t selfish enough to stop Ru Amuh from taking part. Of course, a part of him was excited about the news. ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Only Mr. Ru Amuh can use a little bit of his power.¡¯ Under their current circumstances, Ru Amuh was an extremely valuable member. He was far too important to be helping Chi-Woo exercise every day. After rationalizing his thoughts, Chi-Woo easily nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just running anyway. I can do it by myself.¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re saying that but¡­you¡¯ll still continue even without me, right?¡± Chi-Woo felt a slight prick of conscience at Ru Amuh¡¯s question; he had been thinking that he would wake up a bit later tomorrow. ¡°Well, of course.¡± He laughed awkwardly, and Ru Amuh beamed. ¡°Haha, I got it. I trust you. We¡¯ll be running for about two months. When you¡¯ve built up enough stamina, we¡¯ll begin the next stage.¡± ¡°Ok, ok.¡± Chi-Woo listened half-heartedly and made a happy smile inside his mind. His mood suddenly brightened. After parting ways with Ru Amuh, Chi-Woo ate dinner and hummed while going back home. It had been a while since he fell asleep with a peaceful heart. Then, the next day arrived. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± His eyes opened at the crack of dawn. Even though no one had woken him up, his eyes automatically opened. It seemed that Ru Amuh¡¯s early wake up calls had traumatized him. ¡®I need to sleep more, but¡­¡¯ Even when he closed his eyes, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. He fidgeted around his bed for a while, and then went outside and zoned out while sitting on the verandah. His mind sharpened as he felt the morning¡¯s cold breeze. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. ¡°Sighhhhhh¡­¡± Chi-Woo sighed deeply. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± He smacked his lips and got up from the verandah. In the end, he went outside at dawn without anyone in sight. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Running was still difficult, and negative emotions welled suddenly in his heart. He felt sad, and everything felt meaningless. However, as he continued running, those emotions soon disappeared. As he got closer to his goal, he felt an unknown sense of hope. Chi-Woo ran for a long time, and before he knew it, he had run five laps around the fortress. The sun began to rise after his morning routine. ¡°Ughhh!¡± Even though his whole body groaned in pain, Chi-Woo stretched his arms with a look of satisfaction. ¡®But I still did it.¡¯ He felt accomplished and proud of himself that he went running by himself when everyone was sleeping. ¡®Good, this is enough. I¡¯ve worked hard today.¡¯ He was about to turn back when¡ª ¡°Senior!¡± Chi-Woo heard a high-pitched voice. It was a familiar voice. ¡°Here! I¡¯m here!¡± Chi-Woo turned around and looked up. He saw Ru Hiana swinging both her arms on top of the castle wall. ¡°What are you doing!? Did you finish your morning exercise!?¡± Ru Hiana shouted with her hands around her mouth once Chi-Woo looked up. ¡°If you¡¯re not done yet, can you wait for me a bit!? Let¡¯s eat breakfast together! I just need to run twenty more laps!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Woo blurted out in shock. He couldn¡¯t believe his ears. She just needed to run twenty more laps? Ru Hiana tilted her head as Chi-Woo just quietly stared at her. But she told him she¡¯d finish soon anyway and asked him to wait. Then, she began running on top of the walls again. Chi-Woo stared up at where Ru Hiana had disappeared off to for a long time and walked while being stunned. A weird feeling had suddenly sprouted in his heart. Glancing back briefly, he passed the stone bridge and walked through the entrance. When he was about to go past the second wall, he stopped again. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Chi-Woo saw someone fiercely swinging his sword¡ªit was Allen Leonard. He didn¡¯t know when Allen Leonard began training, but he did know that the man¡¯s shirtless body was positively steaming with heat, and he wasn¡¯t the only one absorbed in training. A group of people flocked out from the entrance of the third wall. All of them were heroes armed with armors and gloves found in the fortress. ¡°Zelit said¡­¡± ¡°Then if we go out¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Ru Amuh returns and¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous¡­but if we want to get stronger as fast as possible¡­¡± Chi-Woo could only catch a few words as the heroes quickly passed him by. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but there was one thing he did catch¡ª¡®if we want to get stronger¡¯. Chi-Woo stood still and looked up at the castle wall once again. Then, he looked at Allen Leonard one more time and stared at the heroes who had already gone far away. While he stood like this, he suddenly recalled what he had thought just before. Accomplished? Proud of himself? He felt himself flush, and he felt so embarrassed that he wanted to hide in a hole. Chi-Woo tightly clenched his fists. He had dared to think that he could soon surpass these heroes if he kept on training like this, but he couldn¡¯t be more wrong. In reality, their starting lines were different in the first place. Chi-Woo was an ordinary person who hadn¡¯t held a sword or even done any harsh exercise for over twenty years. That was why Chi-Woo had to train in ways the others didn¡¯t. They had already gone through the basic training, and their bodies were so fit that they didn¡¯t have to increase their stamina by running. Moreover, there were heroes who never slacked off even though their bodies had been thoroughly trained. Chi-Woo could never catch up to them by exercising like this, and the gap between him and them would only get bigger. He couldn¡¯t stand still; he needed to shape up. There was also a part of him that believed himself to be untalented, and he should at least put in a lot more effort. ¡°¡­¡± Could he really say that he had been working hard with the determination that he might die? This wasn¡¯t Earth. It was a place where he needed to constantly worry about his life. Most importantly, even heroes didn¡¯t laze around like the grasshopper in the fable The Ant and the Grasshopper; and he wasn¡¯t like the ant who had worked hard to prepare for the coming winter. He shouldn¡¯t be filled with a sense of superiority just because he ran a little. If he wanted to catch up at least a little bit, if he wanted to survive¡­ Grit. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth and turned around with a stiff face. He went back to the outer wall and began running again. While running, Ru Amuh had emphasized three factors. The first was proper posture, the second was breathing, and the third was¡ª [While running, don¡¯t decide beforehand how many laps you¡¯re going to run.] [Just run until you can¡¯t run anymore.] [Your body will know how much longer you can run.] [If you stop because you¡¯ve reached your goal and you¡¯re tired, your body will become accustomed to that.] Ru Amuh added that the habit would make it harder for him to surpass his limits later on, and warned him to never set limits for himself. There would be a day when he looked back and realized how much further and longer he was able to run than before, and when that day came¡­ ¡®Would it be okay¡­for me to be proud of myself then?¡¯ Chi-Woo ran; he focused only on running like a crazy man. He was still out of breath, and he still felt like dying, but he endured and continued running. When he thought he really couldn¡¯t continue, he walked, and like Ru Amuh had advised him, he walked like he was running. When he was able to breathe properly again, he went back to running. As he repeated this process continuously, all of his thoughts disappeared. His head felt empty, and he fell into a trance. He even forgot his pain. It was a very strange experience. His body that used to feel heavy as stones grew lighter, his muddled head cleared up, and he felt refreshed. Endorphins were coursing through his body, and he felt like he could run like this forever. Chi-Woo had reached a runner¡¯s high. CH 67 Humans were adaptable animals. They had to fight and adjust to their changing environments as times changed. Liber was extremely different from Earth. To survive in this place, a person had to have superb physical abilities. Of course, having good physical abilities didn¡¯t guarantee one¡¯s survival, but it did increase their chances. Thus, Chi-Woo ran and ran again. A desperate desire to survive was one of the most powerful factors to inspire change in a human. Even though he felt like he was dying every day, he continued to run two times a day nonstop. He wouldn¡¯t have gone this far back on Earth. Phrases like ¡®The more I sweat today, the less blood I will flow at the battlefield¡¯ used to make him snort, but it was different on Liber, where the phrase simply described the reality. To survive here, he needed to know how to fight, and to fight well, his body had to act as a reliable foundation. In other words, he needed to strengthen his body to live. With this belief in mind, Chi-Woo gritted his teeth and dragged his unwilling body outside every day. And when his willpower ran low, he took off his clothes and looked at the lumps of fat attached to parts of his body. Chi-Woo was over 80 kilograms. Considering that his height was 180cm, he wouldn¡¯t be considered fat, but he wasn¡¯t thin, either. And this was in Earth terms; by Liber¡¯s standard, he could be considered overweight. After looking at his own body, Chi-Woo recalled what Ru Amuh and Allen Leonard¡¯s bodies looked like; even areas that were difficult to train were covered in lean, compacted muscles. A bitter smile tugged at his lips as he compared himself to the two heroes; and surprisingly, his willpower became fully charged again. ¡®I have to live,¡¯ Chi-Woo repeated to himself and ran again. * * * After his afternoon run, Chi-Woo collapsed onto the ground. He simply heaved and didn¡¯t move at all. He no longer set a specific number of laps as his goal before running. In fact, he had stopped counting how much he¡¯d run altogether. He simply worked hard to keep up a constant pace and ran until he was exhausted. There were times when he almost tripped and fell, but in those instances, he would question if his body truly was collapsing because he couldn¡¯t run anymore, or if his brain was lying to himself. Unlike his head, his body was always honest. ¡®I can¡¯t do this anymore,¡¯ was a thought the brain made up as a defense mechanism to relieve pain. Chi-Woo got up and started running again. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Then, before he even made it to another 200 meters, Chi-Woo fell again. Once more, he questioned himself if he had fallen because he was simply tired, or because he had really used up all his strength. Chi-Woo decided to just ask his body to get up again, but he ended up twisting his feet and falling before he could even run 5 more meters this time. After he experienced first hand that he didn¡¯t even have the strength to get up, he became certain that he had really exhausted his strength. ¡°Haa¡­Haa¡­¡± Soaked in sweat, Chi-Woo lay down with his arms and legs stretched wide and looked up at the night sky. ¡®I¡¯m¡­dying.¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly recalled a celebrity he saw on a tv program before. The celebrity said that he was addicted to exercising, and even when his company and doctors told him to rest, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from running. ¡®How is that possible?¡¯ It seemed unbelievable that anyone could become addicted to such pain; Chi-Woo thought someone like that couldn¡¯t exist unless they were a serious masochist. However, there was certainly one thing about himself that had improved from before. On the first day of running, Chi-Woo went to sleep the instant he returned home; but now, he washed himself and changed into new clothes before going to bed. It was proof that he was starting to get used to his daily routine. He was now starting to feel refreshed after finishing his run and washing up, and he often returned home with a light heart even though he had to stagger his way there while moaning in pain. On his way back home today, he visited the square and ate dinner as usual. While he was returning his plate, he saw a familiar face. After serving food, Eshnunna was talking with several natives. Feeling Chi-Woo¡¯s stare, Eshnunna turned to meet his eyes. Chi-Woo put down his eating utensils and walked up to her after a moment of deliberation. Eshnunna looked too serious for him to simply ignore. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°It certainly doesn¡¯t look like nothing is going on.¡± ¡°I see that you still love to play with words.¡± Eshnunna sighed. She seemed conflicted whether to tell Chi-Woo about something, but in the end, she told him the truth. ¡°It¡¯s a farming issue.¡± ¡°Farming?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve started to farm since we were asked to do it, but¡­¡± As soon as they arrived at the fortress, Zelit prioritized establishing their own agriculture system in order to become self-sufficient in food. Since they didn¡¯t have any livestock, the only thing they could do was to grow crops by using the land around them. Thus, Zelit had requested the natives¡¯ cooperation in this matter. Chi-Woo nodded in agreement at this explanation. The problem of food supply hadn¡¯t been solved once and for all. Eshnunna had found a lot of food, but the supply was decreasing day by day. They could go search for more food, but that would only lengthen the time they had rather than solve the fundamental problem. Before they completely ran out, they had to quickly figure out a solution, which was to produce their own food. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to farm near this area,¡± a small and thin middle-aged native answered in place of Eshnunna. ¡°Really? Even when there¡¯s a river nearby?¡± Chi-Woo knew that civilizations often prospered near bodies of water. He tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Just because there¡¯s a river nearby, it doesn¡¯t mean we can farm.¡± The native shook his head. ¡°The conditions for farming are more complex than most people think; and among them, the most important condition is the fertility of the soil.¡± It was simple logic. In order to grow crops on the land, the soil had to be fertile with the right nutritional balance. The more fertile the soil was, the more produce they could expect. ¡°But on this land, there¡¯s no way we can do that¡­¡± Crumbs of dried-up dirt scattered away from the native¡¯s hand. Only then did Chi-Woo remember the area around the fortress was a barren wilderness, and the mountain behind it was a bare cliff without any green leaf in sight. ¡°There¡¯s a way that we can change the soil by using the river¡¯s water, but we don¡¯t know how long it will take for the soil to become suitable for farming¡­¡± They didn¡¯t have much time. At the current pace that food was decreasing, they had about one month left. It was impossible for them to farm and produce crops within that time frame. ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± Eshnunna asked Chi-Woo like she was trying to grasp onto the last straw. Chi-Woo thought deeply, but nothing came to mind. He was never an expert in farming, so his knowledge was very limited. After telling them that he would try to find a solution, he turned to leave. * * * Chi-Woo didn¡¯t return to his house immediately. He realized later that he forgot to cool down his body after exercising, and decided to walk around the fortress to do so. As he walked, he thought about the problem with the food supply. Since everyone had their own thing going on, Zelit had asked the natives for a solution, but it was such an essential issue that everyone should be thinking about it in addition to the natives. ¡®I don¡¯t want to starve again.¡¯ Since Chi-Woo had almost reached the point of starvation before, he wondered if there was anything he could do to help. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he had been walking before something gave him pause. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Chi-Woo saw a familiar figure holding a familiar object. Dressed in white shirt and red skirt, a silver-haired girl was sweeping the floor with a long broom at the oval entrance of a stone structure¡ªit was Shahnaz Hawa. ¡®I wonder what this place is?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked around in confusion and let out a small exclamation when he saw the statue behind Hawa. It was more of a temporary shrine than a fully built temple. Hawa stopped sweeping and looked up at Chi-Woo, staring. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Now that he thought about it, it was the first time he saw her since they left the main camp. ¡°Hello?¡± It had really been a while, so Chi-Woo awkwardly smiled and waved. Hawa closed her eyes and pushed her hair back before lowering her head slightly to greet him. Then she tightly clutched the broom and walked towards Chi-Woo with an intense gaze boring into him. ¡°Uh¡­Have you been well?¡± She didn¡¯t say a single word. ¡®Why is she acting like this again?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought before going straight to the point, ¡°Is there anything you would like to tell me?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Hawa finally spoke. ¡°There was something.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°But not anymore.¡± Her voice sounded empty and dull. ¡°Then that means¡­¡± Chi-Woo blinked twice. ¡°You must have had something to tell me before.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Hawa immediately replied. ¡°It¡¯s late, but what was it? I¡¯m curious now.¡± ¡°Just.¡± Hawa paused and continued, ¡°I was curious why you saved the Salem Princess¡¯ life.¡± Her words were completely emotionless; it was chilling how not even a trace of emotion could be heard from her voice. ¡°But after arriving here, I realized that she was necessary for the future.¡± This was true. Eshnunna was needed for finding food and guiding them to different destinations. Even after they arrived at the fortress, Eshnunna had been in charge of many tasks. While her responsibilities were all important, they involved ordinary day-to-day activities, so it was easy to overlook them. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo sighed. Despite the monotone, Hawa¡¯s words sounded a little hostile. He decided to ask just in case, ¡°I¡¯m just asking, but is your relationship with Ms. Eshnunna bad?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Bad doesn¡¯t begin to describe our relationship; we¡¯re closer to being enemies.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Nothing unusual,¡± Hawa said indifferently, ¡°Salem and Shahnaz had been at war for generations.¡± Chi-Woo gaped; he could now understand the source of her animosity. It was nothing unusual. There had been a long war between the Salem kingdom and the Shahnaz tribe on Liber. Moreover, since Eshnunna was the princess of the kingdom, and Hawa the tribe¡¯s heir, it was understandable that their relationship would be particularly strained. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Hawa noticed Chi-Woo¡¯s expression and said matter-of-factly. ¡°I know such emotions are meaningless in a situation like this.¡± Chi-Woo searched through his past memories. Now that he thought about it, both of them had maintained formal cordialities around each other. There was no need for him to be concerned. ¡°There¡¯s someone who wants to talk with you. Please come this way.¡± While Chi-Woo was still deep in thought, Hawa turned around and walked through the entrance. ¡®Who?¡¯ Chi-Woo wanted to ask, but since Hawa had already gone inside, he followed behind her. There was nothing in the 8-square-meter room except for an altar and a statue. ¡°Who wants to¡­¡± While looking around, Chi-Woo found Hawa with her hands together and head bowed in prayer. It was at that moment¡­ ¡ªIt¡¯s been a while. He heard a voice inside his head. ¡®What? Ms. Mimi?¡¯ Startled, Chi-Woo called out to his assistant. [It¡¯s not me. And I¡¯m asking for the second time, but please don¡¯t call me Mimi.] It was not Mimi. ¡ªIt¡¯s me. Right in front of you. Chi-Woo, who had been listening to Mimi, looked at the statue and realized the owner of the voice. ¡ªI saw you passing by and sent my child to bring you here. He had found her voice familiar, and it turned out to be Goddess Shahnaz. ¡®Hello.¡¯ Since he was talking to a god, Chi-Woo bowed. ¡®It¡¯s been a while. Have you enjoyed propitious health and spirit since we last met?¡¯ ¡ªDon¡¯t use such big words. My head hurts. Chi-Woo had expected to be complimented for his politeness, but he was scolded instead. He scratched his head. ¡ªI called you here because I was curious. ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡ªI understand that you have strong abilities, but isn¡¯t it about time for you to choose? Chi-Woo tilted his head in confusion before recalling Ru Amuh¡¯s words, and realization dawned on him. She was probably talking about choosing a god to sponsor him. ¡ªI don¡¯t have any lingering attachment because you¡¯ve already rejected me, but you should at least find another god or build a shrine. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have any holy objects. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s true, but I¡¯m not ready yet.¡¯ ¡ªWhat do you mean by that? What you¡¯re capable of right now¡­ ¡®I¡¯m not talking about my spiritual abilities.¡¯ ¡ª? Shahnaz became quiet for a moment. ¡ªPerhaps¡­ She expressed her surprise. ¡ªAre you trying to reach for both sides? You¡¯re really trying to become a frightening being. It was now Chi-Woo¡¯s turn to be confused. ¡ªWell, to survive in a World like this, that is necessary¡­ Shahnaz murmured to herself and continued. ¡ªIf that¡¯s your wish, you should find a god to sponsor you as soon as possible. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t be able to gain the strength he aimed for even after ten years of constant training. To obtain power beyond human abilities, and to shorten the time required, he needed to choose a god to sponsor him and receive help from the system. ¡ªI¡¯m not telling you to choose me, but the situation is extremely dire right now. Chi-Woo smacked his lips and crossed his arms. ¡®Yes, everything you say is right¡­but even if I want to choose, I can¡¯t do so right now.¡¯ ¡ªWhy. ¡®I don¡¯t have divinity.¡¯ ¡ªHmm? What do you mean? ¡®To wake a god and get sponsored by a god, I heard that I needed divinity.¡¯ ¡ªSo? ¡®I don¡¯t have divinity.¡¯ It was difficult to find a potential sponsor, but even if he found one, he needed divinity to utilize the system. The problem was that Chi-Woo had zero divinity. ¡ªWhat are you talking about? You have a considerable amount of divinity. That surprised Chi-Woo; he almost wanted to ask her what she was talking about. ¡®Me? What, there¡¯s no way¡­ah, about that.¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly recalled the divinity that Laguel gave him and smiled thinly. ¡®Even if I want to use that, I can¡¯t. Its usage has been decided already, so it can only be used at specific times.¡¯ ¡ªNo. However, Shahnaz still refuted Chi-Woo¡¯s statement. ¡ªI also know that ¡®Tanay¡¯ has been placed on that divinity. Shahnaz wasn¡¯t talking about the ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ he¡¯d received from Laguel. ¡ªYou have a considerable amount of divinity accumulated in you outside of the one with a designated purpose. She continued with a slightly frustrated voice. ¡ªYou have enough divinity to get several more people like Ru Amuh to be chosen, and you¡¯ll still be left with more. CH 68 He had a lot of divinity? ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ ¡ªWhat do you think divinity means? ¡®Well¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo was at a loss. He had been hearing this term constantly, but now that he had to put it into words, he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡ªDivinity is a form of belief and a way of proving oneself. A hero has to live and swear by their conviction, and a god selects a hero whose conviction coincides with theirs. In the instance that a god and hero¡¯s convictions align, a relationship is established. In short, a conviction could also be a form of a ¡®promise¡¯. A promise must be kept at all costs, and if a hero breaks the promise, the relationship falls apart. Ru Amuh had sworn to Shahnaz that he would be the goddess¡¯ sword, rid this World of evil, and restore justice to this land. As long as Ru Amuh acted on those convictions, his relationship with Shahnaz would remain strong. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right. Ru Amuh¡¯s class was a crusader.¡¯ Chi-Woo nodded with his mouth agape. ¡ªPeople like priests and crusaders have especially close relationships with their gods. They have more restrictions as a result, but the power they gain is also greater. Of course, the same is true of individuals other than priests and holy crusaders. The connection between gods and heroes applies to all classes. In other words, a hero might be restricted if they used the power they gained for purposes other than the ones they promised their god to serve; and in this way, the contract that they established with a god was binding. For instance, if a hero promised to defeat evil, but ended up corrupted and became a demon lord¡¯s companion, or perhaps even the demon lord, the hero¡¯s god would no longer support them, and the relationship between the god and the hero would end. In other words, gods would stop supporting a hero if they judged that the hero had failed to stay true to their conviction. ¡ªThus, it¡¯s very important for a hero to find a god with a matching conviction. If a hero formed a connection with a god with differing beliefs, they would clash frequently about every matter. In those cases, it would have been better for them to have not established a relationship at all. Chi-Woo listened to Shahnaz with a serious look on his face. ¡®I guess it really is important to pick the right god¡­¡¯ Although Chi-Woo had come to this place with no expectations, he was gaining important information. Then he realized that he still hadn¡¯t heard a proper reply to his original question and asked, ¡®But what did you mean when you said I had a lot of divinity?¡¯ ¡ªDidn¡¯t I tell you? A conviction is a form of belief and a way of proving oneself. Haven¡¯t you proven yourself plenty of times since coming to this World, as well as on your way here? After blinking repeatedly, Chi-Woo let out a small gasp. It seemed Shahnaz was talking about the times he saved Ru Amuh and the recruits, and the enemies he had defeated on his way to the fortress. ¡®Those things count too?¡¯ ¡ªI should be the one asking you about that. Why would you think those things don¡¯t count? Shahnaz chuckled in disbelief. ¡ªThe beings you defeated were evils that brought chaos to Liber. Truthfully, you hadn¡¯t accumulated much merit when I was revived and brought back to the World, but the lich you finished off more recently could be considered a great villain. The greater the influence one¡¯s actions had on the flow of the World, the greater their merits. Following the logic, it made sense that the merit of battering the lich with a club would be valued especially highly. ¡ªIt¡¯s clear that your actions have contributed to the salvation of Liber. A hero is an existence who has to save a World. Since the things you have done are exactly aligned to this goal, for what reason would these actions not add to your divinity? Chi-Woo nodded. That made sense. ¡ªOf course, it would be a leap to call what you possess right now ¡®divinity¡¯. When a hero¡¯s thoughts and actions coincide with the convictions they had sworn by, we call the result ¡®merit¡¯. When a hero returns with merits, a god converts them to divinity and grants it to the hero. Therefore, accumulating merits is basically the same as accumulating divinity. Chi-Woo finally realized why the heroes had gone out at the peak of dawn and why Ru Amuh said that he got a new task he must take on. If a hero wanted to recover their powers, they had to prioritize getting chosen by a god first. But for them to get chosen, they needed divinity, and to gain divinity, they needed to accumulate merits. The quickest way for them to collect merits in this situation was to defeat the evils that were messing up Liber. However, since the heroes would likely die if they went out in their current states, Zelit had requested help from Ru Amuh. ¡ªThus, right now, you have accumulated more merits¡ªwhich can be exchanged for divinity at any point in time¡ªthan anyone else. In summary, if a hero acted in a manner that a hero should, they became stronger as a result. Conversely, if they didn¡¯t produce satisfactory results, their growth became stagnant; if they went a step farther in the wrong direction and failed to act in a heroic manner, they could even be weakened. These conditions were decided by a god, and in this way, the relationship between a hero and a god could be seen as transactional. Of course, collecting merits wasn¡¯t limited to defeating evil. As Chi-Woo¡¯s mentor had repeated to him until his ears bled, if he wanted to go to a good place after he died, he should do a lot of good deeds. Having good thoughts was important, but carrying them into action was far more important, and that was the only way he could accumulate merits. It was the same in the Celestial Realm, as Chi-Woo recalled from his conversation with archangel Raphael. [Just splurge.] [Come on, kid. What do you mean you don¡¯t have any money? You were born with not just a golden spoon, but an anti-matter spoon.] [Yep. Of course. In terms of time alone, the Celestial Realm has been indebted to the Choi Family for the longest out of the families. Do you seriously think your family hasn¡¯t accumulated any wealth?] Like that, Chi-Woo had exchanged the merits the Choi family had accumulated for so long to gain special privileges. ¡®I get it now.¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly felt a new sense of pride that everything he had done since coming here wasn¡¯t meaningless. Every time he did something, it was accumulated for some intangible reward. ¡ªOne more thing, I know you have the ability to cultivate seven stars that will shine on Liber. This ability could be said to be limitless, and as your stars accumulate merits, your contribution to their achievements would also be acknowledged. Chi-Woo let out an impressed scream. ¡®Oh, Oh!¡¯ This meant if he raised a hero well, he would be able to accumulate merits without doing anything later on. And what if he had raised not one, but all seven stars well, and they acted on their heroic duty throughout Liber? He would be sweeping masses of merits just by breathing. ¡®Haha. Wow, what a goodie~ That¡¯s some delicious information.¡¯ ¡ªHm? What¡¯s with the sudden change in your way of speaking? ¡®Ah, sorry. I was just too happy and forgot myself for a moment.¡¯ Chi-Woo smiled brightly at the thought of having such a secure retirement plan. Then a new idea suddenly came to his head. ¡®Wait a moment. Does that mean I can exchange my merits for divinity as long as there is a god?¡¯ ¡ªYes, are you finally getting it now?¡¯ ¡®How much would I get? Take the time Ru Amuh was chosen by you as an example?¡¯ ¡ªIt¡¯s enough for four people to get chosen. ¡®Four people. Four?¡¯ Chi-Woo crossed his arms and thought deeply. ¡ªHow is it? Are you finally ready to make the decision? ¡®Me?¡¯ He wanted to; he really did. But after his conversation with Shahnaz, he realized that choosing a god was a very, very important process. ¡ªWell¡­you know¡­I¡¯m not such a tough god to be with¡­I¡¯m not telling you to go out of your way to choose me, but¡­ Shahnaz murmured. ¡®Thank you for telling me all this. I will come to visit you again.¡¯ Another sudden thought came to Chi-Woo at this moment, and he bowed politely before turning away. As Chi-Woo¡¯s figure became more distant, Shahnaz licked her lips in disappointment. Finally, she burst out in frustration like she couldn¡¯t keep her feelings contained any longer. ¡ªWhy are most heroes so dense?! The next day, Chi-Woo left home to exercise at the break of dawn. After finishing his run, he washed, ate, and walked around the fortress. While he wandered around, he watched other heroes with his spirit eye active. Ever since this ability evolved, Chi-Woo was able to read other people¡¯s user information and access all the details. ¡®This is fun.¡¯ Reading other people¡¯s information was more fun than he had thought it would be, and time flew by as he did so. [It¡¯s not right to abuse the spirit eye.] [But since I know for what reason you¡¯re using it, I¡¯ll stop bothering you. You should be careful to not gain a special characteristic as a peeper, though.] Mimi blabbered on as Chi-Woo watched. And two days later, Chi-Woo found someone befitting his goal. 1. Name & Rank: Allen Leonard (¡î¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 22 3. Height & Weight: 188.2 & 90.2kg 4. Class: - 5. Heavenly Title: Law of Mother Nature 6. Disposition: Lawful Neutral [Strength C] [Durability D] [Agility D] [Stamina C] [Mental Fortitude B] 1. [Savage Fighting D]¡ªMartial arts inspired by seeing a fearsome tiger fight. He used to frequently use this skill, but after losing his power as a druid, he has only been imitating it. 1. [Trees¡¯ and Grasses¡¯ Blessing F]¡ªBlessed by nature. His physical abilities improve in areas where there are grasses and trees, but the effect is almost nonexistent after losing his power as a druid. ¡®Oh!¡¯ It had been worthwhile wandering around the fortress for two days. Luckily, it was someone Chi-Woo had talked to before. ¡®He¡¯s still at 0 stars, and his potential is 2 stars.¡¯ [Since his powers haven¡¯t awakened yet, of course, he is at 0 stars. Furthermore, let me remind you that 2-star heroes are not common¡­I hope you don¡¯t think it¡¯s a low rank.] ¡®Yes, yes, of course.¡¯ Chi-Woo remembered it clearly. Although two stars weren¡¯t particularly rare, there were many heroes in that rank who were quite useful. Additionally, 2-star heroes could rival or even beat 3-star heroes under the right circumstances. [Ru Amuh is the exception of all exceptions, who could be considered top tier even among the 2 stars. Please don¡¯t forget about that.] ¡®I don¡¯t have high standards. Don¡¯t worry,¡¯ Chi-Woo grumbled to Mimi to stop chiding him and sat nearby Allen Leonard. He wanted to talk to Allen right away, but Allen was swinging his sword ardently like he did every day. ¡®He really is a hard worker.¡¯ Chi-Woo was impressed. Allen was always training hard every time he came out to run in the afternoon. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Allen stopped swinging his sword and wiped his sweat with the shirt he had taken off beforehand. Then he saw Chi-Woo sitting quietly in front of him and looked surprised. ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You should have interrupted me.¡± ¡°But you were so focused.¡± Allen smiled slightly with gratitude, and Chi-Woo smiled back. Chi-Woo had thought Allen was a beastly man through and through, but after spending more time with him, Chi-Woo was surprised to find a gentle side to this man. ¡°By the way, I noticed that you¡¯ve been doing nothing but swinging your sword day and night.¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, yes, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not familiar with a sword.¡± Chi-Woo was actually aware of this fact, but since he couldn¡¯t let that on, he pretended to be surprised. ¡°Because of the situation on Liber, I realized the necessity of tools and took up a sword. But I really can¡¯t seem to get used to it.¡± ¡°Are you not going outside with the others?¡± ¡°It would be meaningless for me to leave the fortress in my current state,¡± Allen shrugged and said. ¡°I heard Ru Amuh is taking charge, but he¡¯s only one person. Since he¡¯s apparently been taking turns in helping people, I¡¯m planning to wait until it¡¯s my turn.¡± Allen replied indifferently and took a seat beside Chi-Woo. ¡°So, is that what you wanted to ask me about?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡± Allen pursed his lips slightly in interest. ¡°This is making me nervous. Especially coming from a great hero like you.¡± ¡°I have a task I wish you would lend a helping hand to.¡± ¡°Please go on. Why, did the sixth recruits cause some problems again?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Chi-Woo inhaled deeply and said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for a hero.¡± ¡°Hero? Who?¡± ¡°A hero who has the power of a druid.¡± Something seemed to flick through Allen¡¯s eyes, and Chi-Woo had to put great effort into appearing nonchalant. Allen observed Chi-Woo carefully and replied in a low voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are looking for such a hero¡­but that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a hero who has the power of a druid.¡± To Chi-Woo¡¯s surprise, Allen easily admitted it. ¡°Really?!¡± Chi-Woo acted surprised again and exclaimed in glee. ¡°Wow! I¡¯m so glad! That¡¯s amazing! Can you help me then?¡± ¡°¡­Calm down. Could you explain the situation to me first?¡± ¡°Okay, you know how druids are very connected to nature?¡± ¡°Um¡­I suppose you can say that.¡± ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t they be able to make plants like trees or grasses grow?¡± ¡°That is certainly possible,¡± Allen agreed. ¡°Then,¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Would it be possible to revive the ground?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Allen snorted. ¡°Land is the foundation of nature and the mother of all things. Plants and animals alike can only live and walk in this world if there is land. Druids are not magicians, and they need a source like the land.¡± ¡°Oh, then¡­¡± Chi-Woo began to go into great detail, asking questions such as whether or not a druid could revive a barren land with their powers, and if they did, how long would that take. Although Chi-Woo had bombarded the man with a barrage of questions, Allen replied to each and every one of them sincerely, and most of his answers were positive. ¡°That¡¯s perfect.¡± Chi-Woo clapped, and Allen looked at him like he had no idea what was going on. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡± ¡°A deal?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t you want to become a hero again?¡± Allen frowned, and Chi-Woo quickly added, ¡°I mean that I can help you recover your original powers as a hero.¡± Allen¡¯s eyes turned round, and Chi-Woo explained his plan to introduce him to Goddess Shahnaz. Chi-Woo planned to use a significant portion of his total merits to make up for the divinity necessary for Allen to be chosen. In other words, they were going to establish a contract through a third party. ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡± Allen sounded doubtful. ¡°Yes, it is possible. I came after making sure,¡± Chi-Woo said excitedly. ¡°¡­So I¡¯ll be in a similar situation as Ru Amuh,¡± Allen confirmed. ¡°Yes!¡± Chi-Woo nodded ardently. By forming a contract with a god, a hero could gain a support system to recover their powers; all heroes currently on Liber wanted this to happen for them, but since this was impossible for many, there were plenty of heroes who didn¡¯t even venture outside due to their reluctance to take on the risk. Thus, it was unbelievable that Chi-Woo was letting him skip through the process and regain his power without risks. Chi-Woo had told him that he had a favor to ask, but hearing this, it sounded like Allen was the one receiving a favor. Thus, Allen had to ask. ¡°What do you gain from this?¡± It would be a lie if Allen said this wasn¡¯t exactly what he wanted, but he desperately tried to remain level-headed. In response, Chi-Woo relayed to Allen what he had heard from Eshnunna and the natives. Allen looked stunned by Chi-Woo¡¯s answer. He had expected something big, but to think it was all for the purpose of farming and solving the problem of food supply. ¡°I know that one must be careful when making a contract with a god. Perhaps you wouldn¡¯t get along too well or match with Goddess Shahanaz. I¡¯m not trying to force you, but¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Allen shook his head. If Liber was a normal World, there would have been merit in Chi-Woo¡¯s words. But the situation was severely dire, and he didn¡¯t really have the luxury to be picky with which god to serve. This was the time to grasp onto any straw he could find, and forming a contract with Shahnaz would grant him a sturdy lifeline. ¡°If it¡¯s Goddess Shahnaz¡­it¡¯s fine. It seems the goddess controls the wind¡­and since wind is also part of nature, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll clash,¡± Allen murmured while looking at Chi-Woo. If Chi-Woo had made a personal request, Allen would have accepted it easily. However, Chi-Woo wanted to do this for the public and the benefit of everybody while shouldering most of the burden and giving up his most precious asset. Allen couldn¡¯t understand that. ¡°Are you really going to use your precious divinity for such a simple reason?¡± ¡°What do you mean? We don¡¯t know any other way to ensure our food supply.¡± Allen knew the problem they were facing, but he still didn¡¯t understand why Chi-Woo would go so far. ¡°I don¡¯t want to starve again. Or are you fine with that, Mr. Allen Leonard?¡± ¡°Well, I¡­¡± Allen pursed his lips. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had such a thought, but Chi-Woo sure had a talent for shutting people up. ¡°To tell you the truth¡­ I knew the severity of the imminent food shortage, but I didn¡¯t really have the will to solve it.¡± Allen licked his lips and continued, ¡°It¡¯s probably more accurate to say that I¡¯ve given up, and seeing that there was no way to solve the problem, I prioritized myself. The same probably goes for everyone else.¡± Allen could have accepted Chi-Woo¡¯s offer easily, but his personality didn¡¯t allow it. Then, he confessed his deepest thoughts. ¡°That includes you. You haven¡¯t been chosen by a god yet. You could¡¯ve put yourself before others, but why¡­¡± ¡°Somebody has to do it,¡± Chi-Woo replied clearly and glanced at Allen with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Everything we do is for the sake of filling our stomach and surviving in the end.¡± Allen¡¯s expression blanked, and it was clear from his gaze how taken aback he was. ¡°¡­Ha!¡± He burst out into laughter suddenly. ¡°Ahahahaha!¡± ¡®Did I say something funny?¡¯ Chi-Woo was also surprised. ¡°Ha! You¡¯re right. That¡¯s exactly right!¡± Allen laughed for a while and wiped tears off his eyes before nodding. ¡°Yeah, we can only be heroes if we eat and survive.¡± Allen let out another peel of chuckle and asked, ¡°So tell me, sir. What is your name?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Why? Are you still unwilling to tell me?¡± ¡°No that¡¯s not it.¡± Chi-Woo hesitated. If Chi-Woo had to state what he regretted doing the most since coming to Liber, it would be introducing himself to Ru Amuh as ¡®Chichibbong¡¯. ¡°Have I not met your standards for knowing your name?¡± Allen asked only half-jokingly, hurt that Chi-Woo was still unwilling to tell him his name even after they had gone through many dangers together. ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding. That¡¯s not the case at all. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Chi-Woo explained his reluctance without mentioning the name Chichibbong. ¡°What? Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. If I revealed my name in such a serious atmosphere, it would be ridiculous.¡± ¡°That makes me more curious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m never going to tell you.¡± ¡°Just tell me. I swear to you that I won¡¯t laugh.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. Many had promised the same thing, but they all ended up laughing.¡± ¡°Hah! Seriously?¡± Allen chuckled and shook his head, not expecting such a story behind Chi-Woo¡¯s name at all. ¡°Okay, then I won¡¯t ask anymore. But since it¡¯s weird for me to keep addressing you as ¡®you¡¯, I will call you ¡®teacher¡¯ instead. That¡¯s how I feel about you.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not a teacher.¡± ¡°No, in my perspective, you are certainly worthy of the title.¡± Then Allen recalled the conversation he had with Chi-Woo before coming to the fortress. ¡°You also said you weren¡¯t a commander¡­¡± A soft smile formed on his face, and he muttered, ¡°It was hard to believe you then, but I can certainly believe you now.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I am saying that you are worthy of respect.¡± Chi-Woo looked at Allen in confusion, baffled by Allen¡¯s sudden good mood. ¡°Let me ask you one final question. Granting your request isn¡¯t a difficult thing for me to do at all, and once I become a druid, putting nutrients into the dirt would be a piece of cake. But I want to remind you that the divinity that you offered to pay is very difficult to collect in our current situation. It is very rare and precious. In other words, what I¡¯m giving you in return would be worth much less. Will that be all right with you?¡± ¡°Um¡­Are you sure that you can do what I asked you to do?¡± ¡°I give you my word!¡± Allen exclaimed and finally agreed to the proposal. ¡±I swear to you, Teacher. Whatever my relationship with you or anyone around you becomes, I will take care of this land with all my heart until I die.¡± Allen extended a hand, and Chi-Woo grabbed it. Allen¡¯s hand was rough and tough, but his firm grasp conveyed his steadfast will. ¡°So, when are we doing this?¡± Allen asked. ¡°Let¡¯s strike the iron while it¡¯s hot and go immediately.¡± ¡°I like the sound of that. Let¡¯s go right now.¡± The two got up from their seats and went to where Shahnaz¡¯s statue was. Chi-Woo introduced Allen to the goddess and asked her to choose him. Shahnaz was disappointed by the fact that Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t asking to be chosen himself, but she didn¡¯t have any complaints. Actually, she welcomed it. A god was an existence that lived off of beliefs, so each and every believer was precious in this situation, and someone at Allen¡¯s level was welcomed. After Allen reawakened his power, Chi-Woo and Allen both returned to the fortress. They soon found Eshnunna and the other natives scuffling around an empty plot of land. Chi-Woo pushed Allen on the back, encouraging him to go forward while watching from afar. Allen kneeled on one knee and stayed still for a while before he got up. Noticing a change, the natives scooped up handfuls of dirt in their surroundings, and their eyes widened. Soon, a bright smile bloomed on all their faces. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure what had happened, but it seemed everything had gone well. Like Allen had promised, the atmosphere brightened significantly. The natives crowded up to Allen and asked him a barrage of questions. Eshnunna also looked at him with surprise and approached him. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hear the conversation they were having, but Allen turned to Chi-Woo and smiled. Following this exchange, Eshnunna also turned around and spotted Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo gave her a thumbs-up when their eyes met. Then Allen walked to a different location as a group of natives followed him. Eshnunna trailed after them as well, but she kept glancing back at Chi-Woo. Although she didn¡¯t say it out loud, her eyes shone with deep gratitude. Just like that, another problem had been solved. Well, the problem wasn¡¯t officially solved yet, but Chi-Woo had provided the basis to solve it. ¡®I should go back to running now.¡¯ Chi-Woo stretched and walked out of the fortress. Then he ran with everything he had. ¡®I feel good today.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know if it was because he had solved a pressing problem, but his body felt especially light and energetic today. ¡®Maybe I should raise my speed.¡¯ Like Shahnaz said, proving one¡¯s convictions wasn¡¯t limited to fighting in battles. Even the smallest and most trivial good deeds would be acknowledged, and the act of ensuring a community¡¯s food supply was no small deed. Thus, Chi-Woo had surely lent a great helping hand to the salvation of Liber. In other words, the more people his good deed today had influenced, the more merits he would accumulate in the future. ¡°One, two! One, two!¡± But of course, Chi-Woo had no idea about this as of now. CH 69 Time passed. It had now been a month since they arrived at the fortress. After awakening Allen¡¯s power to solve the food supply problem, Chi-Woo focused on running again. Thus, he hadn¡¯t noticed the commotion that had occurred after another hero other than Ru Amuh was chosen by a god. Many were stunned that Allen had suddenly awakened his powers when they were out looking for monsters every day and battling with their lives on the line for the same purpose. As expected, all the heroes bombarded Allen with all sorts of questions, but Allen didn¡¯t go into details; he knew he would be putting Chi-Woo in trouble if he told the truth, and some heroes might even harm him out of bitterness. Thanks to Allen¡¯s discretion, Chi-Woo was able to avoid other heroes pestering him and demanding, ¡®Why did you help only him? Help me too. Help me!¡¯ Like usual, Chi-Woo got up from his bed like a zombie and stepped out of his porch. The days were getting chilly now, and the air was cold. Chi-Woo shook his legs a couple of times and nodded. ¡®Hm¡­I think they are fine now.¡¯ The past few days, Chi-Woo had suffered from knee problems, which was a result of him running on top of the castle walls with Ru Hiana. Although he had liked it in the beginning¡ªrunning while looking down at the scenery with sunlight shining over him¡ªafter two days of running on top of the castle walls, Chi-Woo felt a piercing pain in his knees that kept him awake at night. It was then he realized why professionals told amateurs to buy the right shoes and practice on soft dirt ground rather than hard asphalt. ¡°Achoo!¡± Chi-Woo sneezed and slouched while hugging his body. ¡®Urgh¡­so cold.¡¯ Chi-Woo punched his knees a couple of times and sniffled while shuddering. His knees weren''t the only part of his body that was hurting. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± He kept coughing and felt chills in his body. Every single joint of his was stiff and aching like his body was screaming at him. As an ordinary person who had never properly exercised before, and was now running every morning and evening without rest, it seemed as if his body was protesting, ¡®Give me a break! You bastard owner!¡¯ But whenever he felt this way, Chi-Woo did what he always did: he took off his shirt and observed his body. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Chi-Woo clutched his belly fat, and a satisfied smile spread across his lips. He hadn¡¯t become all-muscles like Allen. He was far from being fit and toned. However, he had become noticeably more in shape. First of all, his protruding belly was less pronounced now, and there was less fat for his hands to grasp. ¡°Agh¡­I really don¡¯t feel like running today¡­¡¯ There was a part of him that just wanted to rest for the day, but he still forced himself to continue because he didn¡¯t want to break his streak. The first week of running had been really tough, but going into the second week and the third week, he began to feel that it would be a waste to miss a day after keeping a steady schedule so strenuously. It was like replacing one black stone in a full board of white stones in the game of go. ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ Thus, Chi-Woo went to run that day too. ¡®When Ru Hiana comes, I should ask to join her. But I will never¡­¡¯ ¡°Achoo! Achooo!¡± Chi-Woo let out another big sneeze and stopped. His nose prickled, and he felt a warm substance flow down from it. He thought it was his snot and kept trying to sniff it back in. But when he continued to fail, Chi-Woo swiped his nose and gaped in surprise. ¡®Ah.¡¯ His finger was wet with dark blood. It wasn¡¯t just dripping out of his nose, but trailing down his face and staining the ground. ¡®I have been pushing my body too much.¡¯ His blood left only drops of dark stains on the ground at first, but was now spreading across the area where he stood. Furthermore, his blood wasn¡¯t crimson or bright pink, but dark and blackish. ¡°¡­Cough.¡± He coughed again. ¡®¡­Maybe I should rest.¡¯ But then Chi-Woo shook his head hard, and his blood spluttered sideways. ¡°No. I can¡¯t.¡± Nose bleeding wasn¡¯t always bad. ¡®I heard black blood was dead blood.¡¯ Chi-Woo thought he was perhaps getting rid of bad blood, and new and fresh blood would be created in his system to help with his blood circulation. Chi-Woo soon convinced himself this dark blood was sort of a sign of his hard work and looked around him. ¡®Ah damn it. Why isn¡¯t it stopping?¡¯ Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t see any tissue in sight, and Chi-Woo had no desire to stuff his nostrils with a dirty cloth. Thus, he quickly covered his nose with his hands and went to the moat to wash himself when a familiar voice called out for him. ¡°Senior?¡± Ru Hiana was coming through the door and stopped upon seeing Chi-Woo. Her eyes turned round, and her jaw dropped further. She looked completely horrified. ¡°W-What happened?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Chi-Woo answered while covering his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s nothing! Let me check!¡± Ru Hiana rushed up to Chi-Woo and forcefully pulled Chi-Woo¡¯s hands away from his face. Tears brimmed her eyes when she got a good look at him. ¡°Sen¡­ior¡­?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face was a mess. He continued to bleed from his nose, and shaking his head earlier had splattered blood everywhere. His hands were also covered with blood after wiping his nose with it. Thus, even his upper lips and the edges of his mouth were coated thickly with blood; it looked like he had coughed it up. The fact that his blood was dark made him look even more messed up. ¡°How¡­What happened¡­¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s voice shook, and her face looked full of grief. ¡°Cough. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Chi-Woo pulled his hand back and covered his mouth again. ¡°I¡¯m going. I have to wash myself again. Also, I¡¯ll be running below the walls from today on.¡± ¡°S-Senior.¡± ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana. Cough. You can continue running on top of the walls. Cough, cough! Anyways, I¡¯m going first,¡± Chi-Woo muttered and turned around quickly. He felt slightly embarrassed and moreover, he wanted to quickly wash off the sticky blood all over his body. ¡°Senior! Senior!¡± Thus, Chi-Woo increased his pace as Ru Hiana called out to him desperately. Ru Hiana didn¡¯t follow Chi-Woo. She couldn¡¯t when her mind froze at the sight of Chi-Woo running away even while pouring out a significant amount of blood like he was hiding something. All that rushed through her mind were bad thoughts. ¡°What in the world¡­¡± Chi-Woo had bled so much that the ground was soaked with blood. Her worried face turned even more solemn. After standing in the same spot looking anguished, Ru Hiana suddenly began to run. She didn¡¯t run outside the fortress, but returned home and banged on the door. ¡°Hmm? Ru Hiana?¡± Ru Amuh, who was preparing to go out, turned to her in surprise. ¡°What happened? Weren¡¯t you planning to go running with Sir Chichibong again?¡± ¡°Ruahu¡­¡± ¡°Why? Is he still sleeping? Or¡ª?¡± Ru Amuh blinked, the levity in his voice fading. Ru Hiana¡¯s expression could only be described as grave; her breathing was unsteady, and her eyes were misty like she would burst into tears at any moment. ¡°What happened?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s gaze instantly sharpened. ¡°W-what should we do¡­?¡± A tearful sob escaped Ru Hiana¡¯s mouth.¡± Senior¡­Senior has¡­!¡± When Ru Hiana looked ready to collapse, Ru Amuh hurriedly went up to her and held onto her shoulders. ¡°Calm down and take a deep breath. Take your time telling me what happened.¡± Ru Hiana gulped and nodded before slowly going into what just happened. Rumors usually became exaggerated to terrifying proportions, especially when they came directly from a witness. According to Ru Hiana, Chi-Woo¡¯s condition was extremely alarming. He was bleeding from every orifice of his body, and he vomited out a huge gulp of black blood. In short, in Ru Hiana¡¯s telling, he had become a critically ill patient who was liable to die at any moment. On the other hand, since Chi-Woo had overextended himself for the past few days, he really did look sickly like a patient, so it was understandable that Ru Hiana misunderstood him. ¡°What?¡± Ru Amuh was obviously shocked. ¡°Ru Hiana, if this is a joke, then stop. Look at my eyes and say it. Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡­just¡­saw¡­¡± Ru Hiana replied with a tearful voice, ¡°Even when I asked him what happened, he didn¡¯t reply¡­and said let¡¯s run separately today and quickly left¡­¡± Ru Amuh dropped his listless hands from her shoulders. ¡°Why¡­¡± He shook his head in complete confusion. ¡°Why would he suddenly¡­¡± Chi-Woo had looked healthy just a few days ago, and his passion to learn fighting from Ru Amuh was also extraordinarily high. ¡®There¡­must be¡­a reason¡­¡¯ At that moment, a thought came to Ru Amuh¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡± His eyes became big as saucers. Only one thing had changed from when they were making their way through the woods and after they arrived at the fortress¡ª ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.¡± Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t want to believe it, that was the only possibility coming to his mind. Honestly, he had been wondering why such a talented and great hero like Chi-Woo would suddenly come up to him and ask Ru Amuh to teach him how to fight. It wouldn¡¯t have made sense in the first place if there wasn¡¯t some kind of unknown circumstance. Ru Amuh recalled how Chi-Woo had looked like he was going to die of fatigue after running only a few laps. ¡°¡­Damn it!¡± Thud! Unable to contain his emotions, Ru Amuh punched the wall. He had been stupid and thought too simply. Like an empty-headed fool, he had just accepted things as it was because Chi-Woo said so. ¡®If I had paid even a bit more attention¡­¡¯ He should have thought a bit more and realized the truth earlier on. ¡°Where¡­is he right now¡­¡± Ru Amuh asked helplessly. ¡°He told me that he¡¯s going out,¡± Ru Hiana tearfully replied and shook her head. Ru Amuh was about to immediately run out to find Chi-Woo, but stopped himself. There wasn¡¯t anything he could do if he just ran out like this. He couldn¡¯t think of any solution to the problem. ¡®It¡¯s not a matter for me to worry about by myself.¡¯ Ru Amuh bit his lips and quickly opened the door. * * * Meanwhile, Zelit and Eshnunna were deep in conversation. The atmosphere was pleasant. Eshnunna looked to be in good spirits as she relayed the results they had produced so far, and Zelit smiled in relief a couple times while listening to her. ¡°Even though it¡¯s a very small area, the land has changed. People are also optimistic. They informed me that the land is ready for farming with a bit of care.¡± ¡°When do you think they¡¯ll be able to start?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not possible right now. We have to change the soil enough to make farming possible, and for that to happen, we have to manage it in the long run. But it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± ¡°That means we only have to wait. But Allen Leonard would have to work hard for a while.¡± ¡°Yes, he said that he would do his best to help every day.¡± ¡°Good, very good.¡± Zelit expressed his satisfaction, which was rare for him. ¡°Since he had only been focusing on training his body, I wondered what he was up to, but he did it again. As expected of him.¡± Zelit was now talking about Chi-Woo without mentioning his name. The beginning was always the hardest. Ever since they arrived at the fortress, Chi-Woo had been laying low, so Zelit had honestly been worried. However, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been staying still; he had been moving behind the scene. As soon as he stepped forward, the problems concerning food supply had been significantly mitigated. Since there were so many tasks that needed to be addressed, they were grateful that Chi-Woo had relieved them of their biggest burden. Of course, it would be too early to say that all their problems were solved. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait a couple more months¡­it¡¯ll be critical to secure food that will last until then.¡± Even though this was also a problem, it was a trivial matter compared to self-sufficiency in the long term. They had already formulated a plan to secure food; they just needed to carry it out now. It was at that moment¡ª Bam! The door opened with a bang, and a man and a woman burst in. ¡°Ru Amuh? And Ru Hiana?¡± Zelit looked at them with confusion. Usually, he would¡¯ve been annoyed with such rude behavior, but he knew Ru Amuh was a well-mannered man; rather than chastising the hero immediately, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Judging by Ru Amuh¡¯s complexion and attitude alone, he could tell that something extremely grave must have happened to stir up someone as composed as Ru Amuh¡ªand Zelit was right on the mark. ¡°I have grave news. Sir Chichibbong has¡­¡± Ru Amuh relayed to Zelit what he heard from Ru Hiana without missing a single word or making any mistakes. ¡°¡­What?¡± Zelit¡¯s response was not so different from Ru Amuh¡¯s. ¡°What? Is that really true?¡± He immediately got up and stared intently at Ru Amuh. Eshnunna reacted similarly. Her bright expression immediately turned ghostly pale. ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡± Ru Amuh barely managed to get the words out of his mouth. ¡°It seems¡­his body has¡­he is in extremely¡­critical condition¡­¡± Because of one person¡¯s misunderstanding, the situation was slowly getting out of hand. CH 70 The atmosphere grew heavy, and everyone became too stunned to speak. They were shocked by the serious implications of her words. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Eshnunna stood completely still, and her face was pale as she stuttered, ¡°Why suddenly¡­I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°¡­Did you say that he vomited black blood?¡± Zelit also broke away from his stillness and spoke. ¡°Yes. Ru Hiana said she just saw him.¡± Ru Amuh turned to ask Ru Hiana for confirmation. ¡°If the blood is black¡­that means his organs, especially his heart, are not functioning correctly,¡± Zelit said. Both Ru Hiana and Eshnunna held their breaths and turned to Zelit as he continued, ¡°I had my doubts¡­but to think his body is already dying.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ru Hiana was perplexed. ¡°I¡¯m saying I expected something like this to happen,¡± Zelit said sharply and looked at Ru Amuh. ¡°He still¡­ hasn¡¯t awakened his powers yet, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I confirmed this with goddess Shahnaz just in case, and the only heroes who had awakened their powers are me and Allen Leonard.¡± ¡°As I thought...¡± Zelit hung his head low and let out a long sigh. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably why¡­¡± Ru Amuh gritted his teeth. ¡°What are you two saying?¡± Eshnunna looked at the two back and forth and exclaimed tearfully as their responses became more negative. ¡°What are you guys talking about?! Tell me so I¡¯ll understand!¡± ¡°¡­Think about it,¡± Zelit said weakly. ¡°We all lost our powers when we came to Liber. Besides our trained physique and honed basic skills, we are no different from ordinary people.¡± It was laughable to call them heroes since any ordinary person could train their bodies and learn swordsmanship like them. ¡°But you know he was different even after he lost his powers as a hero. He was able to defeat enemies that ordinary people couldn¡¯t handle at all on many occasions, and he¡¯d done the same recently.¡± When he went to save Ru Amuh and later the recruits in the ranch, Chi-Woo had defeated enemies that no ordinary person could ever dream of facing. Furthermore, right before coming to the fortress, Chi-Woo had accomplished the unbelievable feat of breaking a lich in one blow. His condition had worsened after displaying such competence thrice; that couldn¡¯t have been mere coincidences. ¡°So what? He¡¯s still a hero. He can have inherent skills,¡± Ru Hiana said. ¡°Even if he has an innate skill, it doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Zelit cut her off. ¡°Did you forget that Liber is pretty much a dead World?¡± Ru Hiana immediately closed her mouth. ¡°The only way an inherent skill can properly work in another World is through the World¡¯s permission and support.¡± The best example was Allen Leonard. In the World he grew up in, Allen¡¯s inherent ability had been [Nature¡¯s Blessing], and its rank had been A++. Coming to Liber, though, he no longer had the permission and support of a World, and as a result, his ability degraded to a F-rank [Trees¡¯ and Grasses¡¯ Blessing]. Not only did the scope of the blessing decrease, the rank of the ability had seen a drastic drop. ¡°Having an inherent ability doesn¡¯t free someone of this rule. Only gods may be exempted from the law of the World that applies across the planet.¡± That was right. There was no way for even an immortal being to overthrow the rule of the universe, let alone a mortal. Still, everyone in this room knew Chi-Woo as a hero who could be considered top-tier among all mortals. Considering the experiences and knowledge they perceived Chi-Woo to have, even if Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t completely overthrow the laws of this World, he could distort them slightly. Of course, that must have come with a price, and Chi-Woo would have to endure a fitting punishment even if he had made only the slightest change to the natural trajectory of Liber. What could Chi-Woo possibly offer to use a power that wasn¡¯t permitted in this world? There was only one possibility. ¡°Life force.¡± If he didn¡¯t have mana or divinity, that was the only thing he could use to supplement them. That would explain the amazing ability they had all witnessed from Chi-Woo. When Ru Hiana heard the explanation, she realized what Zelit was trying to tell her. ¡°¡­No.¡± But she couldn¡¯t accept it immediately. She wanted to deny it. ¡°There¡¯s no way. Senior couldn¡¯t have been using his life force to¡­¡± Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t finish her sentence, because in her head, she had already understood. ¡°In times of danger, one can exhaust their life force to increase their powers momentarily and overcome their current limits. Even if it¡¯s taboo and much less known, it¡¯s not exactly an uncommon practice in all worlds. Furthermore, not only did Chi-Woo show strong leanings to spiritual abilities, but he also seemed especially knowledgeable in the field.¡± And thus, Zelit concluded that Chi-Woo must also know a spell to use his own life force for specific means. Although he wished for the speculation to be wrong with all his being, Ru Amuh¡¯s heart sank since his and Zelit¡¯s conclusions were exactly aligned. On the other hand, Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t close her gaping mouth and recalled a conversation she had with Chi-Woo. That time, she had asked Chi-Woo what the yellow papers he carried were, how he brought them to this place, and what their purposes were. [A talisman?] [Ugh¡­Yeah, it¡¯s nothing much. They were pre-made.] [Haha. It¡¯s not something anyone can just make.] [The red writing? Ah, this is blood. Blood.] At that time, Ru Hiana had quickly moved on from the topic, disgusted by the fact that the paper¡¯s writings were made with blood. Zelit¡¯s speculation put the conversation in a new light. She hadn¡¯t thought about the possibility that the blood could have been Chi-Woo¡¯s. Talismans written in blood and a taboo spell¡ªeverything fit perfectly. With all these things in mind, Ru Hiana could no longer deny Zelit¡¯s claims. Eshnunna felt the same way. She thought she now knew why Chi-Woo¡¯s shouting had rung through her heart the day they attacked the ranch. It made sense if Chi-Woo had placed his life on the line while battling the broken ones. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Suddenly feeling dizzy, Eshnunna staggered. Ru Hiana also felt weak in her knees and collapsed to the ground. If she had known the truth beforehand, she would¡¯ve stopped him, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t tell them anything. Thus, she felt even more guilty that she had only depended on him in blissful ignorance. She tried to imagine what Chi-Woo must have felt every time he used his powers¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sure he couldn¡¯t have helped it. He must have thought it was the only way,¡± Zelit said in a low voice, ¡°Yet¡­still¡­¡± Zelit continued as his whole face scrunched up like he was in pain. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how good a person can be.¡± Now they realized that those who sacrificed themselves in the ritual weren¡¯t the only ones who had offered themselves; Chi-Woo was doing the same all this time. They believed Chi-Woo must have known his body¡¯s condition even while helping Ru Amuh and Allen Leonard awaken their powers. If they asked him why he had acted in this manner, they were certain that he would give them the same answer he always did. ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s because he¡¯s a hero¡­¡± Zelit clutched his forehead and hung his head low. Everyone fell silent. ¡°We have to cancel our plan.¡± Eshnunna soon broke the heavy silence. ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t cancel it.¡± ¡°Are you saying that we should proceed with it even after finding out about him?¡± ¡°Canceling the plan will mean the death of all of us. We might be able to delay or amend it, but we can¡¯t cancel it.¡± ¡°Then amend it. You have to exclude him from the plan,¡± Eshnunna firmly stated. However, Zelit didn¡¯t answer. He chewed on his lip with his head lowered. Eshnunna¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Eshnunna asked. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no other way,¡± Zelit spoke like the words pained him physically to utter. ¡°He¡­can¡¯t be excluded¡­There¡¯s no hero¡­who can take his¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that with your right mind?¡± Eshnunna raised her voice immediately. ¡°What do you mean by plan?¡± ¡°What? What are you guys talking about now?¡± Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana solemnly asked in unison. However, Zelit and Eshnunna paid them no mind and continued with their conversation. ¡°There¡¯s no more time. And there¡¯s no other way!¡± Zelit also raised his voice. ¡°I''m not planning to force him. I¡¯ll ask him first. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be the one to ask!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem!¡± Just like that, their conversation turned into a shouting match for quite a while. * * * Chi-Woo finished his afternoon run and collapsed onto the ground with a delighted expression. He liked this feeling the best. When he lay down completely still and listened to the sound of his body, it felt like his whole body was beating. As he listened to his pounding heart, he could sense keenly that blood was being vigorously transported throughout his body, and he felt as if he was becoming healthier by the second. He could now understand a little bit why people became addicted to exercise. However, it was still difficult for him. ¡°Ughhhaaaaah.¡± Chi-Woo let out a groan and found an empty spot by the river to wash himself. Then he went to the square in a good mood. While he was enjoying his meal, he suddenly heard a notification. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Chi-Woo read the message before looking up at the sky, chewing the food in his mouth in stunned silence. Ru Amuh¡¯s trust for him had gone up again, and it had skyrocketed to an astounding 97%. Chi-Woo roughly scanned the message; to summarize, Ru Amuh now considered Chi-Woo a peerless hero and respected him, and he¡¯d do almost anything Chi-Woo told him to do. The implications were definitely advantageous to him, but Chi-Woo was surprised it had happened when he wasn¡¯t doing anything but eating alone. It hadn¡¯t happened like this when Ru Amuh¡¯s trust for him deepened the last time. Thus, he asked Mimi, ¡®What just happened? Why did his trust level suddenly go up?¡¯ [?] However, Mimi¡¯s response was not very different from his. ¡®No, don¡¯t just respond with question marks. Please say something.¡¯ [????] Mimi seemed to also be confused and kept sending him question marks. Chi-Woo, who had been waiting for Mimi¡¯s reply, turned off his message and continued to eat. ¡®Didn¡¯t you tell me that it¡¯ll be harder to raise trust level as it goes up?¡¯ [No¡­even I¡­I don¡¯t really¡­this doesn¡¯t make sense¡­] Chi-Woo gulped down soup and wiped his mouth with his hand. ¡®Well, it¡¯s good for me but¡­if his trust for me is already at 97%, won¡¯t I be able to aim for rank A if I share an ability with him?¡¯ [¡­We¡¯ll only know for sure once you do it, but you¡¯ll probably be able to reach A+ easily.] ¡®Wow.¡¯ Chi-Woo was happy with the unexpected news and got up from his seat. * * * After finishing his meal, Chi-Woo took a good rest in his place before going out running again. He ran round and round the fortress until he was exhausted and jumped into the moat. When he saw his face reflected in the water, he let out a self-deprecating laugh. His eyes were rimmed by deep shadows, his lips were dry, and his face looked thin and hollow. ¡®I also got a nosebleed.¡¯ Even though he looked a little sick, Chi-Woo was satisfied with himself. ¡®No pain, no gain.¡¯ Pain was proof of his hard work, and he was confident that this pain would come back to him as a reward. [But I hope you remember that there should be a limit. Please keep in mind that sufficient rest is also important.] ¡®Ah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to rest now~¡¯ Chi-Woo got out of the moat and went to the square to eat dinner before returning back home. When he was almost there, he suddenly heard a loud commotion. Four people were waiting for him in front of his house. ¡°Uh?¡± When Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened in confusion, the four of them turned to him at the same time. ¡°Senior!¡± Ru Hiana came running as soon as she saw Chi-Woo. ¡°Are you alright? How¡¯s your body? Senior?¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback as Ru Hiana clutched both of his arms and bombarded him with questions. ¡°Yes? I¡¯m alright. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Another person approached Chi-Woo while he was still confused. Eshnunna stood right in front of him and looked at him with mournful eyes that were hard to describe. Her gaze was shaking, and she unconsciously raised her hand to gently touch Chi-Woo¡¯s face. Her eyes were hollow, and her dry lips were torn. She was much thinner than when Chi-Woo saw her for the first time at the Shahnaz camp. ¡°Why¡­¡± However, she couldn¡¯t ask him why he didn¡¯t tell them of his sacrifice. She hadn¡¯t known¡ªno, she hadn¡¯t even tried to figure it out. She had accepted Chi-Woo¡¯s accomplishments as a result of his inherent abilities without question. She now regretted not prying deeper into this matter; if she had thought just a little bit more, she would have realized how strange it was¡­ Chi-Woo tilted his head. Eshnunna¡¯s soft, cool hand felt pleasant on his face, so he didn¡¯t move away even though he was startled. At that moment, he heard Zelit sigh. Chi-Woo was shocked when Eshnunna and Ru Hiana looked back at Zelit with fury. Zelit struggled to speak up, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Eshnunna interjected immediately. Ru Amuh also chimed in, ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the right thing to do, either.¡± When Zelit was about to speak again despite their opposition¡ª ¡°Stop!¡± Ru Hiana shouted. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Leave Senior alone!¡± She glared at him and continued, ¡°How long are we going to just depend on him? Is Senior our personal problem-solver that¡¯ll magically make all our issues go away? Do we have the right to ask anything of him? He¡¯s not the only hero here, is he? Aren¡¯t we all heroes?!¡± Ru Hiana could not stop talking once she started. ¡°Especially you! You don¡¯t even do much, but you constantly tell people to do this and that while sitting on your ass..!¡± As Ru Hiana spat out words like a machine gun, Zelit, who had been listening silently, slowly grew angry. ¡°Then what about you?¡± Zelit couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and growled, ¡°You¡¯re fucking talking like you¡¯ve done something.¡± Ru Hiana fell silent. ¡°When Ru Amuh was captured¡­I wondered what you did?¡± Ru Hiana blanched. ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± Zelit spoke in a mocking tone. ¡°You¡¯re not in the position to criticize anyone, either.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes blazed with anger. Her face immediately grew red, and her neck throbbed as she bared her teeth. ¡°Wait, wait! Please stop!¡± Before Ru Hiana could retaliate in kind, Chi-Woo hurriedly stepped forward. He didn¡¯t know why they were acting like this, but it didn¡¯t sit right with him. ¡°First, the two of you¡ªno, the four of you, please all calm down.¡± Chi-Woo looked between Ru Hiana and Zelit and gulped. He needed to first figure out what was going on. He looked at Zelit and said, ¡°Uh¡­didn¡¯t you say that you had something to tell me? Would it be all right if you do that first?¡± Zelit¡¯s expression loosened slightly; he sighed deeply and clutched his head. ¡°If you¡¯d listen¡­I¡¯ll be thankful.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we move this conversation inside?¡± ¡°Senior!¡± When they were about to go in, Ru Hiana quickly turned around and held onto Chi-Woo. ¡°There¡¯s no need to listen to Zelit. Why don¡¯t we just go back? Senior?¡± ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana, I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Senior! That¡¯s not it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Why don¡¯t we try listening to Mr. Zelit first? Yes?¡± Chi-Woo consoled her and gently tapped Ru Hiana¡¯s arms, which were tightly clutching onto him. ¡°But¡­¡± Ru Hiana looked up at him with sad puppy eyes and pouted, but she didn¡¯t stop him further. Chi-Woo smiled and moved toward the door. The four of them followed closely behind Chi-Woo and went into his house. CH 71 Once inside, Chi-Woo and Zelit sat face-to-face on the front porch. ¡°Are you feeling a bit¡­better now?¡± Zelit suddenly asked. ¡°Are you asking about my health?¡± Truthfully, his condition wasn¡¯t great since he had been pushing himself every day for the past month without rest even though he had never exercised before. He did rest and eat well in between, but his body was still in an adjusting period. It had only been a month, so there was room for improvement, and even sitting down right now strained his muscles and made his whole body feel stiff. ¡°My body still hurts, and it¡¯s hard, but¡­¡± Zelit flinched at Chi-Woo¡¯s response, but Chi-Woo continued truthfully and said while laughing, ¡°But it¡¯s better than before. I¡¯m no longer collapsing and lying prone anymore.¡± It was just as Chi-Woo said. On the first day he ran, he had struggled to even lift his spoon to eat afterwards, but now, he had the energy to wash and eat before going to bed. Hearing this, Zelit misunderstood like everyone else and was horrified. ¡®He had been collapsing and lying prone before? That was how severe his condition had been?¡¯ ¡°Is your condition that dire?¡± ¡°What? No. I¡¯m sure it will get better if I rest a couple of days.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°Why¡­!¡± Ru Hiana suddenly let out a loud, tearful cry and was about to shout something when Ru Amuh stopped her by saying, ¡°Ru Hiana!¡± Meeting her disgruntled stare, Ru Amuh quietly shook his head. He could understand her feelings. If they were in any other world, Ru Amuh wouldn¡¯t have stopped her. However, things were different on Liber; any serious injury or deteriorating health simply meant one thing here: death. All the injured or ill could do was to offer themselves as sacrifices. Ru Amuh believed it must be difficult for Chi-Woo to accept his current condition when they were finally making some progress¨C especially considering that he was burdened with the hopes and dreams of those who had sacrificed themselves. Thus, Chi-Woo must think he had to do something before his body broke down. Ru Amuh wanted to respect his wish. He did want to stop Chi-Woo, but if this was what Chi-Woo wanted, he couldn¡¯t stop him. Zelit thought similarly. Chi-Woo¡¯s condition had been exposed by Ru Hiana; he must have guessed why the four of them had suddenly visited him. Chi-Woo himself had admitted that his condition was poor to some degree, but he also said that it had gotten better and that he would recover if he rested for a couple of days. In other words, Chi-Woo was saying he wanted to continue participating in their activities. Zelit licked his dry lips and said, ¡°We have to find additional food supply.¡± He went on to explain that thanks to Chi-Woo¡¯s help, they now had a long-term solution to the food supply problem. However, even though Allen had revitalized the land with his powers and sped up the growth of the crops, it would still take more than one night. They still had to endure a transitional period before the harvest with what food they had left. Thus, before their food ran out, they had to find new food supplies. ¡°Eshnunna told us several likely places.¡± Zelit spread out the map he brought. The map was detailed; Zelit seemed to have drawn additional details onto the old map. ¡°We originally planned to visit all nine points marked on the map, but we narrowed it down to only five points within four days of travel from this fortress. We plan to start from this location here to take the shortest path¡­¡± Zelit pointed at each point on the map and explained. ¡°Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana would be the ones to go this time. Eshnunna would also go as their guide.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fewer people than I thought.¡± ¡°The purpose of this search is exploration. Even if they find food supplies, they don¡¯t have to bring them back. They just have to confirm the supplies are there.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°We still have some food left, and since our purpose is to confirm the supplies¡¯ location, they are to avoid any battle or confrontation to the best of their ability. Even if they encounter monsters, they shouldn¡¯t engage them; Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana are there to protect the others.¡± Chi-Woo suddenly had a strange feeling that Zelit was putting extreme care into his word choice and attitude. ¡°Of course¡­¡± Zelit¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°We know a spirit might show up, too. That¡¯s what we worry about the most.¡± Zelit looked extremely uncomfortable as he continued, ¡°We wish to avoid them, and if we run into them, we would try to escape. However, escape may not be possible depending on the situation¡­¡± After hesitating for a great while, Zelit hung his head low and said, ¡°For those situations¡­we¡¯re hoping you¡¯ll be able to lend us your help¡­¡± Chi-Woo nodded. He understood what they meant. ¡°Um¡­.¡± Chi-Woo thought deeply. He was finally going outside the fortress now, not even nearby, but a location that¡¯d require four days of travel to get to. And that was the most optimistic estimation; even if they managed to forge an efficient path there, it might take longer to check all five locations. Because of all the experiences he had gone through on his way to the fortress, there was a part of him that didn¡¯t want to go. He secretly agreed with Ru Hiana¡¯s complaint, ¡®Why must Senior always step forward?¡¯ ¡®Still¡­¡¯ Since coming to Liber, Chi-Woo knew it was unrealistic to expect safety in this world. Although not much had happened the past month, the danger remained, and he didn¡¯t know what threat would come knocking next time. Zelit was preparing for a pressing danger that would soon be upon them. Thus, Chi-Woo understood and empathized why he needed to go. Additionally, there were other factors that could make this trip worthwhile. ¡®It won¡¯t be all bad¡­¡¯ Shahnaz told him before that a person didn¡¯t accumulate merits just on battlefields. The act of going to find food for heroes whose purpose was to save Liber had a high possibility of being acknowledged, too, and the fact that the situation was especially difficult probably only added to the merit¡¯s value. And that wasn¡¯t the only incentive. Zelit wanted to avoid battle as much as possible, but Chi-Woo thought the contrary. He couldn¡¯t do anything about physical monsters, but in regards to spiritual monsters? Every time he swung his ghost-busting club, he gained experience points. ¡°Hmm.¡± Chi-Woo weighed the advantages and the dangers he would have to face. Zelit was visibly conflicted as he watched Chi-Woo silently contemplate his choices. There was definitely something different about Chi-Woo. The man had moved faster than anyone else and took the initiative when saving Ru Amuh and ambushing the ranch. However, Chi-Woo was pondering about his choices this time, and anyone could tell that he was hesitating. There was no way that Chi-Woo did not know the gravity of the food supply problem. Considering that Chi-Woo helped Allen Leonard awaken his powers to facilitate farming, he must understand it better than anyone. However, the fact that Chi-Woo was not readily stepping forward¡­Zelit could only assume it was because of how serious Chi-Woo¡¯s condition currently was. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you to go,¡± Zelit said. ¡°You may refuse if it¡¯s too tiring for you. We¡¯ll deal with it.¡± ¡°Senior, you don¡¯t have to go,¡± Ru Hiana quickly chimed in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can entrust the task to Ruahu, Ms. Eshnunna, and me. Senior, you should rest and take care of yourself.¡± Chi-Woo was thankful for Ru Hiana¡¯s concerns, but hearing Ru Amuh was going made him lean toward joining them. Ru Amuh was a top hero among the extremely rare 4-star heroes. Most of all, no parent would let their child go on an adventure on their own. However, Chi-Woo did not immediately reply. Zelit had said it was his choice, so he was allowed the leisure to think about various points and weigh his choices. ¡°Will you give me some time to think about this?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Zelit immediately replied. ¡°Just give me three or four days. I¡¯ll have my answer by then.¡± ¡°That is completely fine with me.¡± ¡°Senior! What are you thinking? You really, really don¡¯t have to go!¡± When Ru Hiana intervened again, Zelit glanced at her and smacked his lips. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard your reply yet¡­but are you really alright?¡± ¡°Haha. Honestly, I hesitated because I¡¯m not sure if I can go in this state. My physical condition isn¡¯t too¡­¡± It was not easy to keep running. Similar to how no student would take the SAT test after staying up all night, if Chi-Woo went out in his current condition, he¡¯d only be a hindrance to everyone else. He was so fatigued that he could barely even walk. He needed to rest, eat, and sleep well to recover and make other necessary preparations. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll keep the mission in mind now that I know about it. I need some time to think, but I¡¯ll be thinking about it in a positive¡ª¡± ¡°Ugh, Seniooor!!¡± Chi-Woo, who had been speaking while furtively glancing at Ru Amuh, was startled by Ru Hiana¡¯s sudden outburst. ¡°Did you just hear that?!¡± Ru Hiana angrily turned towards Zelit and growled, her face flushed in anger. ¡°I told you! I knew he would react this way! I told you not to ask him in the first place!¡± ¡°Ms. R-Ru Hiana?¡± Startled, Chi-Woo tried to stop her. ¡°What? You wanted to talk to him first?! Don¡¯t make me laugh! You know full well the kind of person Senior is¡ª!¡± ¡°Ms. Ru. Hiana.¡± Ru Hiana swallowed what she was about to say and stopped. ¡°Uh, uh?¡± She reflexively turned around and flinched. Chi-Woo¡¯s expression looked as cold as his voice. His eyes looked slightly strained as well. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana, I was in the middle of talking.¡± ¡°Ah, no. Senior, I was just¡­¡± ¡°I was talking to Mr. Zelit.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice was low, and Ru Hiana immediately closed her mouth. Ru Hiana¡¯s gaze wavered at the slight anger on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. Her lips trembled. Chi-Woo sighed and shook his head. ¡®I¡¯m grateful that she cares for me, but¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the first time he thought this way, but it was too much at times. Ru Hiana looked like she had swallowed something bad, and her chin trembled. ¡°Fu¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Ru Hiana, what did you just say? Who were you saying that to?¡± Ru Hiana did not reply. She closed her eyes and whirled around before running outside. ¡°Ru Hiana!¡± Even though Ru Amuh called after her, she ran like the wind and disappeared. Ru Amuh looked like he didn¡¯t know what to do and sighed. ¡°You should know when to stop.¡± To make matters worse, Eshnunna also added in her thoughts. When Chi-Woo turned to her in confusion, her eyes narrowed, ¡°You should think about those who care about you.¡± Eshnunna turned around coldly as well, moving so fast that her skirt fluttered before she went out through the door with rougher steps than usual. ¡°¡­I apologize¡­¡± Ru Amuh apologized instead of Ru Hiana. ¡°But¡­¡± Then he also spoke up with an indescribable expression. ¡°If my promise to you breaks like this¡­¡± He gritted his teeth and stared at Chi-Woo. ¡°If it breaks like this¡­I wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it¡­¡± He bowed and turned around. Chi-Woo blanked out as he was suddenly left alone with Zelit. Like a bolt of lightning from a blue sky, their strange behavior came out of nowhere. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m going crazy¡­¡¯ He clutched his forehead because his head hurt. His precious resting time had been disrupted. Chi-Woo would like to lie down now. Before that, though, he needed to finish this conversation. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be thinking about it in a positive light¡­¡± Chi-Woo finished the sentence he wanted to say before. ¡°I understand, and I¡¯m thankful for that alone. You don¡¯t have to strain yourself.¡± Zelit had good sense, so he quickly got up. ¡°And¡­just in case, I¡¯ll look around to see if there¡¯s a hero who used to be a priest.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t expect too much. Even if we do find someone, divinity would still be a problem, and¡­Priests are usually comrades of heroes; it¡¯s not common for them to become heroes themselves,¡± Zelit said bitterly, but he promised to look for someone before getting up to leave the house. Finally, Chi-Woo was left alone. He sat absentmindedly before collapsing on the verandah. While lying down, he blinked several times¡ªit felt like a storm had passed over. * * * After taking a short nap, Chi-Woo began thinking with a clear head. However, he wasn¡¯t thinking by himself. ¡®I don¡¯t understand.¡¯ [Yes?] ¡®Why are they telling me to just go check if there¡¯s food and come back?¡¯ [Because there might not be food.] Mimi replied clearly. ¡®But if we¡¯re going to look for it, won¡¯t it be better if we take all the food we find?¡¯ [That would be correct if there''s a 100% chance we¡¯ll find food in a specific location.] ¡®But even then¡­¡¯ [Considering the number of people here, it would be difficult for four or five people to bring back enough food for everyone to eat for months. You would need a lot more people to move together to retrieve that amount of food supply.] Mimi was right, so Chi-Woo quietly listened to her. [Moreover, the more people are sent out, the slower the group will be, and the higher the probability of getting exposed to danger.] [And this is not the only problem. What would happen if they¡¯re unable to find food after going through all that trouble?] [There would be disappointment. Some people may feel discontent, and in severe cases, there might be a riot.] [They have likely made the decision after considering all those factors. Time and effort are also resources. You need to use the resources you lack more efficiently, especially in situations like this.] Chi-Woo could kind of understand what Mimi was saying, so he nodded. The more he thought about it, the more Mimi¡¯s explanation made sense. What would happen if they ended up finding nothing after investing all their resources? There was nothing more foolish than ¡®high risk and no return¡¯. [In this regard, I would say Zelit¡¯s plan is the safest.] [Who, when, where, what, how, and why. Among these factors, he prioritized the most important ones for this plan to be successful. He has good judgment.] Mimi was right, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think he was completely wrong, either. [You do have a point.] Mimi also agreed with Chi-Woo. [I also thought there was something strange. The plan is to first send out a small crew to look for food and come back. Then, after finding more information, send out more recruits to bring the food supplies back in. Considering both missions should require your abilities, a question comes to mind.] The strange part about this was that Zelit had spoken to Chi-Woo as if they needed his powers for only the first exploration, and they were planning to go by themselves for the second trip. If they were not planning to ask Chi-Woo to help them out with the retrieval of food supplies, it would be better for everyone to go in the first place so that they could at least aim for a high return while taking on high risk. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. I wonder why he said that?¡¯ [I¡¯m not sure. Maybe he''s a very cautious person, or there¡¯s another reason. He might change his decision after he obtains more information during the first trip.] Chi-Woo stretched his body while conversing with Mimi. He rolled around here and there. [Will you be going?] Chi-Woo stopped rolling and quickly organized his thoughts. ¡°Well.¡± Chi-Woo sat up. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure yet. First¡­¡± He got to his feet. It felt too risky to go in his current condition. Just like when he rescued Ru Amuh, Chi-Woo needed to take a minimum of security measures. ¡®Even if I make a contract with a god right now, it¡¯ll be difficult for me to become significantly stronger, right?¡¯ [Yes, that will probably be the case, but it¡¯ll be better than not doing anything.] ¡®Yeah, I expected as much. I understand.¡¯ [Are you, perhaps¡­? With Shahnaz?] ¡®No, no. I¡¯m going to wait and see.¡¯ Chi-Woo wiggled his thumb. ¡®I¡¯m just going to keep that as an option for now. There¡¯s also other things I need to check.¡¯ [What are you thinking?] ¡®It¡¯s too tiring to keep thinking. Why don¡¯t you just read my thoughts yourself?¡¯ After saying this, Chi-Woo immediately imagined Mimi in the most ridiculous image possible and made her fart. [Please stop! How far are you going to pull my leg?] While getting angry, she began to read his thoughts. [Hmm¡­] ¡®What?¡¯ [One¡ªno, it¡¯s nothing.] Mimi was about to say something but stopped. ¡®Ms. Mimi, do you know?¡¯ [Don¡¯t call me Mimi. And what?] ¡®There are two ways to anger a person.¡¯ [Yes, I¡¯m listening.] ¡®The first is to stop mid-sentence.¡¯ [¡­] ¡®¡­¡¯ [¡­Yes. And the second one?] ¡®¡­¡¯ [What¡¯s the second one? I¡¯m curious. Please tell me now.] Chi-Woo smiled with satisfaction. He chuckled inside and secretly thought that his assistant was really fun to tease. [Hey, you punk.] Chi-Woo immediately realized his mistake. CH 72 The first place that Chi-Woo visited was the temple?¡ªAlthough Chi-Woo called the place a temple, it was too humble to be called one, or even a shrine for that matter, so most people agreed to call it ¡®where Hawa was staying¡¯. However, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t here for Hawa, but something else. ¡°Can I borrow the statue?¡± Chi-Woo said when he saw her. ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± Hawa asked succinctly. ¡°Uh¡­Well, doesn¡¯t the statue originally belong to the Shahnaz tribe? And you are the shaman who serves goddess Shahnaz¡­¡± Chi-Woo murmured. ¡°Why are you trying to take it?¡± ¡°Ah, because¡­¡± Since it wasn¡¯t a secret, Chi-Woo told her the reason. Hawa seemed bemused for a moment before she looked to the side and said, ¡°Please take me with you.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned round in surprise. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here sweeping the ground forever.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Not having expected such a request, Chi-Woo thought for some moment. ¡°If it¡¯s just you¡­but it may be dangerous¡­¡± ¡°I can take care of myself.¡± Hawa noticed the hesitation in Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes and quickly added, ¡°I promise you that I won¡¯t be a hindrance. You¡¯re welcome to leave me behind at any time if I ever become one.¡± That swayed Chi-Woo a little. Shakira had told him that Hawa was capable of looking after herself. Chi-Woo had personally received help from Hawa, and she had keen senses and knew when to back away. If she went with them, Chi-Woo believed she would be of help rather than become a hindrance. ¡°Okay.¡± Although Chi-Woo had taken some time to reach a decision, he gave a short answer. ¡°I understand. Let me try talking to the others first.¡± Hawa spoke again, ¡°You said you all were going to the outskirts, right? Even the princess of Salem won¡¯t know that area well. But not only do I know the main road there, I know the less tread paths as well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°The Shahnazs were originally nomadic people. We wandered around the outskirts of Salem mostly.¡± Chi-Woo made a sound of assent and smiled. Hawa¡¯s response made him realize how bright the girl was. After deducing that Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t going to make the decision of joining the search group, she gave him a reason why it would be necessary to take her. ¡°I see. I will relay what you told me without missing a word.¡± Hawa finally closed her eyes and nodded. She pulled her mystical silver hair back like a habit. ¡°Ah, and the statue¡­¡± Chi-Woo spoke up again, and Hawa shook her head, indicating that she didn¡¯t have the authority to make the decision. ¡°I see. I understand. I¡¯ll talk to the others about that too.¡± Chi-Woo turned around then. Hawa looked a bit taken aback as Chi-Woo walked farther away from her. She had meant that Chi-Woo should take the matter up to Shahnaz rather than to her, but it seemed Chi-Woo had misunderstood. Having witnessed the scene unfold, Goddess Shahnaz found it ridiculous that she had been reduced to a mere item. She muttered: ¡ªThat insolent brat¡­ The next person Chi-Woo went to see was Zelit. Zelit had been waiting for Chi-Woo to visit him, so when Chi-Woo came, he immediately got up to greet him. ¡°Have you already made your decision?¡± ¡°Yes, but I have a couple things to confirm.¡± Chi-Woo sat down and told Zelit how he wanted to take the Shahnaz statue as a precautionary measure. ¡°Um¡­The statue is too valuable to just bring with us for precautionary measures, but¡­I am willing to listen to you further about this matter.¡± Zelit looked reluctant, but he didn¡¯t refuse outright, either. And Zelit agreed readily when Chi-Woo asked to let Hawa join. They needed to minimize their travel time as much as possible, so of course they welcomed someone who knew a path they didn¡¯t know. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like to ask about¡­¡± ¡°What is it? You can ask me anything. I¡¯ll think of them with as much goodwill as possible.¡± Zelit sounded like he was willing to put up with anything just to have Chi-Woo on the team. ¡°I know we¡¯re fighting against time right now, but can we delay our departure a little? My condition isn¡¯t great, so it would be hard for me if we set out immediately¡­¡± After a long bemused pause, Zelit asked if a week was enough. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that we would find the food supplies in our first search. And even if we find them, we have to consider the time it would take for us to go retrieve the food¡­Taking into account the amount of food supplies we have left at the moment, it would be difficult to delay the mission by more than a week.¡± Zelit looked apologetic, but Chi-Woo was satisfied. ¡®Let me see. Since muscle pains are strongest on the second day and subside on the fourth day¡­I suppose I¡¯ll be fine in four days.¡¯ Chi-Woo had been worried if they had to depart tomorrow or the day after, but a week was more than enough for his body to heal and rest. In the end, he thought, ¡®I can run at least a few more days before going then!¡¯ Chi-Woo smiled. He was basically addicted to running now. The next day, Zelit gathered all the heroes and announced his plan for a small group of heroes to go search for additional food supplies, and he told them the group would be taking the statue along with them. People weren¡¯t happy to hear that their only god was going to be taken away, but no one resisted. Some heroes had been going outside the fortress, but they didn¡¯t venture further than a couple hours away. Sometimes, they encountered cursed beings, but they didn¡¯t meet any monsters beyond that level thanks to the annihilation of all the enemies within the fortress¡¯ vicinity. It was a completely different matter for the group to go to areas a few days away rather than just a couple of hours away. No one knew what kind of monsters awaited them, and knowing the danger this unknown could pose, everyone accepted that the statue had to be taken away. Thus, everything was settled. On the other hand, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t optimistic about the search. He didn¡¯t know what he would have to face yet, but he couldn¡¯t help but think of the worst-case scenario. He could deal with spirits, but what if some areas were full of physical monsters? What did he have to do to increase his survival chance? Chi-Woo still had a long way to go, and even if he accepted Shahnaz¡¯s offer as the last resort, he needed time to harness his powers. Moreover, he wanted to choose his god carefully. That left him with one option: depend on others for survival. Of course, he wasn¡¯t pleased by the idea of one-sidedly depending on someone else. The basis of trade was equal exchange, and when one wanted something from someone, they needed to offer something of equal value. In consideration of all this, Chi-Woo went to the barrack-looking house he¡¯d visited before and knocked. When the door opened, a blonde and handsome man stepped out. ¡°Uh¡­!¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes turned round as soon as he saw Chi-Woo. ¡°Teacher, why are you here ¡­¡± Ru Amuh had called Chi-Woo ¡®teacher¡¯ without thinking before realizing what he had said. Chi-Woo sometimes wondered how these heroes were seeing him exactly, but since he had a more pressing matter at hand, he asked to be let inside. ¡°I have something to discuss with you.¡± Ru Amuh guided Chi-Woo into his room. Chi-Woo sat on a chair and looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Ah, she is¡­¡± Ru Amuh turned to one of the rooms and smiled dejectedly. He then told Chi-Woo that Ru Hiana had been hiding in her room for the past two days. ¡°Is she throwing a tantrum or something?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­It is childish of her to act like this.¡± Ru Amuh smiled awkwardly as if he was embarrassed of her behavior. ¡°This has been a side of Ruana since she was young.¡± Ru Amuh continued like he didn¡¯t know what else to say. ¡°I suppose I could say that she often sees the world in black and white. She saw people either with prejudice or through rose-tinted glasses; once she has an opinion on someone, she can¡¯t look beyond it easily.¡± Chi-Woo listened carefully. ¡°If she hates someone, she tends to hate the person till the end. And on the opposite spectrum, if she likes someone, she likes them till the end too. That¡¯s the case most of the time, at least.¡± ¡°Really? I thought Ms. Ru Hiana disliked me in the beginning.¡± ¡°But in the end, you saved me,¡± Ru Amuh replied. ¡°If she had tried to save me that time by herself, we would have both died. She at least knows that much.¡± She was able to save Ru Amuh by listening to Chi-Woo. According to Ru Amuh, that must have instantly changed her opinion of Chi-Woo. ¡°Moreover, you saved our lives. If that didn¡¯t change her opinion of you, nothing would,¡± Ru Amuh laughed. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve been taking care of us in several other ways. And Ru Hiana has a tendency of considering those she especially likes as herself.¡± In other words, when Chi-Woo was kind to Ru Amuh, she thought of that as Chi-Woo being kind to her as well. ¡°Then does she dislike me now since I wasn¡¯t too kind to you a couple days ago?¡± ¡°No, rather¡­¡± Ru Amuh smiled wryly. ¡°She probably is thinking along the lines of, ¡®why is Senior telling me off when I took his side because I liked him? Isn¡¯t he on my side? That¡¯s too much.¡¯¡± ¡°Aha.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Anyway, thank you for coming here, sir. I was about to ask you a favor.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, can you do something about Ru Hiana, please?¡± Ru Amuh said, looking embarrassed. Chi-Woo was taken aback. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do that?¡± ¡°Ah, I just can¡¯t do anything about it. I already tried many times, but I can¡¯t seem to¡­¡± Ru Amuh shook his head, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t a boyfriend be better at comforting¡­¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Ru Amuh looked appalled. ¡°Ru Hiana¡¯s boyfriend? Who are you talking about? Are you perhaps talking about me?¡± Chi-Woo was surprised by Ru Amuh¡¯s strong reaction. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± ¡°No, not at all. Never. Ne¡ªver.¡± Ru Amuh fervently denied it and even emphasized his words many times. ¡°Ru Hiana is like a younger sister to me, and we¡¯re not in a romantic relationship at all.¡± ¡°A little sister?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not blood relatives, but anyways, we¡¯re basically siblings, so please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed at Ru Amuh¡¯s repeated protests. ¡°I heard that a strong denial is a strong affirmation¡­¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s really not like that!¡± Chi-Woo immediately apologized because it was rare that Ru Amuh got angry. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I was just joking.¡± ¡°In the first place, the Ru Clan strictly forbids marriage between our people.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. In the past, we could only marry within our clan, but it became one of the strictest taboos after we were almost devastated by genetic defects from generations of inbreeding.¡± Ru Amuh cleared his throat. ¡°After this, it became mandatory for all members to marry outside of our clan. But of course, the outsider has to go through rigorous examinations.¡± ¡®They sound quite insular,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. ¡°Anyway, sir, don¡¯t ever say such a thing ever again. Ru Hiana as my girlfriend¡­.ugh!¡± Ru Amuh rubbed his arms and shuddered. Chi-Woo snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you would hate the idea that much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I dislike Ru Hiana. I trust and respect her as my comrade and something like a younger sister. But thinking of her as my wife¡­¡± Ru Amuh scrunched up his face as if he had bitten on rocks. Chi-Woo could understand Ru Amuh¡¯s feelings. What if he had an older sister instead of an older brother, and someone asked him if she was his girlfriend? ¡®Ugh!¡¯ He hated it. It was abominable. Just the thought of it sent shivers down his back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I made a serious mistake without realizing it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I think it¡¯s understandable that you misunderstand. However, sir, you must pay for your mistake.¡± ¡°And how may I do that?¡± Ru Amuh smiled brightly and said, ¡°Please try to persuade Ru Hiana for me.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°This what you¡¯ve been aiming for?¡± ¡°Of course not. I just got lucky.¡± Chi-Woo had nothing to say to that, so he shrugged and got up from his seat. He could sense something unusual at the entrance of the room Ru Hiana had shut herself in. It felt as if all kinds of negative emotions were coming out through the door. Chi-Woo gulped and knocked first. As expected, there was no reply. He carefully opened the door. ¡®Wow.¡¯ When he went inside, he was surprised by the state Ru Hiana was in. With her back to him, Ru Hiana lay on her bed curled like a shrimp. When the door clicked close, Ru Hiana turned around. ¡°What is it? Ruahu, I told you that I don¡¯t feel good so don¡¯t come in¡­¡± Her eyes became big as saucers when she saw that it was Chi-Woo. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± ¡°Sen¡­!¡± Ru Hiana was about to get up with delight before quickly catching herself. She lay back down again and turned away. ¡®Seriously.¡¯ She was behaving like a child, but since Ru Amuh told him how she was feeling, Chi-Woo moved closer to her. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± There was no reply. Even though she wasn¡¯t pretending to sleep, she closed her eyes. ¡°I know that you¡¯re not sleeping. Why don¡¯t we talk?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you not even want to talk to me anymore? Even to see me?¡± Even then, Ru Hiana did not move at all. Chi-Woo sighed and said, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be leaving for now. Goodbye.¡± Chi-Woo turned around and pretended to turn the doorknob before abruptly whirling around to face her. As expected¡ª ¡°!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes met with Ru Hiana¡¯s, who had raised her head to check if he was really leaving. Ru Hiana was startled and quickly amended her mistake, but she was already exposed. Chi-Woo burst into laughter and approached her again. He sat on the edge of the bed so he could see her face. ¡°Hey, come on, don¡¯t be like that~ Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please open your eyes. I came here to chat. You heard what happened at the square, right? I¡¯ll also be going.¡± Ru Hiana frowned and squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°Are you being like this because of what happened last time? I still don¡¯t understand. Why are you so mad about such a little¡­¡± Then he heard a snort instead of a reply. ¡°Hey, enough with that. I saw you. Should I go for real? I¡¯m really going.¡± Chi-Woo got a reaction this time. Ru Hiana visibly flinched. When Chi-Woo got up from the bed, her tightly shut eyes opened. She slowly moved her gaze to him, and her chin shook a bit; her lower lip also puckered out. ¡°¡­Senior¡­,¡± a raspy voice came out of her mouth, ¡°You got angry last time¡­!¡± Her eyes were teary, and her volume increased. ¡°Nah, not at all.¡± ¡°You did¡­! You got angry¡­! For sure¡­!¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t angry. I¡¯m sorry if I sounded like I was. I apologize.¡± ¡°I did that because I was thinking for you¡­!¡± Ru Hiana felt so dejected that she couldn¡¯t even properly voice her thoughts. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. It was my fault.¡± Chi-Woo began doing his best to console her. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry. Come on, look at me. You must have been sad, right? You must have really gotten hurt, right?¡± Fortunately, Chi-Woo¡¯s consolation seemed to work, as Ru Hiana¡¯s anger gradually died down. She was still pouting, but she had stopped pretending to sleep and was now even looking at him. ¡®Seriously¡­what the hell am I doing.¡¯ Chi-Woo sighed inside his mind. [It¡¯s hard being a parent¡­] Mimi offered reassurance rather than scolded him as usual. ¡°¡­Why did you come¡­?¡± Ru Hiana asked in a melancholy voice. She seemed to be feeling a little better. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana, I told you before. You heard it, right? About what happened at the square.¡± ¡°Senior! I tried so hard to stop you from going!¡± ¡°Hey, hey. Calm down. It¡¯s already all done and settled.¡± Chi-Woo hurriedly added, ¡°You and Mr. Ru Amuh are also going as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about anyone else, but I¡¯m worried about you two. I thought it would be better if I went with you. This is purely my own choice.¡± When Ru Hiana heard that Chi-Woo¡¯s decision was for their sake, the sorrow in her heart melted like snow. She didn¡¯t know how to react to this unexpected revelation. Honestly, she had stopped being mad at him since the first time she saw him come in¡ªno, it might have been way before. ¡°But even then¡­it¡¯s not like we¡¯re children¡­¡± Ru Hiana murmured to herself. ¡®You sure about that? Why don¡¯t you think long and hard about how you¡¯ve been acting?¡¯ Chi-Woo felt an intense desire to say this out loud but managed to suppress it. ¡°I understand. I understand your feelings. But just in case, I wanted to be safe.¡± Ru Hiana let out a deep sigh. It seemed like she would drop the issue despite not fully understanding his decision. Chi-Woo let out a fake cough and extended his hand. ¡°Would you lend me some time?¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go on a date.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes opened wide like those of a rabbit. ¡°Of course, Mr. Ru Amuh won¡¯t know about this. We can¡¯t let your boyfriend find out, right?¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s expression immediately turned sour. ¡°It¡¯s a joke.¡± Chi-Woo quickly amended. It seemed Ru Amuh had been telling the truth. ¡°Seriously¡­Don¡¯t even joke about that. I just got shivers down my back.¡± Ru Hiana made a face as if she was looking at the most disgusting bug in the world before grabbing Chi-Woo¡¯s hand and getting up. ¡°So where are we going, Senior? Don¡¯t tell me you want to go hunt mutants while holding hands?¡± ¡°Of course not. You¡¯ll know once we get there.¡± Chi-Woo winked. Ru Hiana hesitated for a bit and nodded. Then she pushed him on the back. ¡°Huh? Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± ¡°Ah, please give me a moment. Wait for me outside.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just go out now?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s a date by name only, but this is my first date with you. I don¡¯t want to go like this.¡± Chi-Woo was kicked out before he could even process what had happened. The door was already closed. Ru Amuh, who had been anxiously waiting, silently asked Chi-Woo how it went with his eyes. Instead of replying, Chi-Woo gave him a thumbs up. Ru Amuh looked greatly relieved and silently applauded his feat. Soon after, the door burst open. Chi-Woo was startled by Ru Hiana as she stepped out. ¡®How, when barely any time passed?¡¯ The whiny cry-baby just a few minutes ago had transformed into a cleanly dressed and trustworthy looking hero. Ru Amuh smiled brightly as soon as he saw her. ¡°Wow, Ru Hiana.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± When Ru Amuh snickered, Ru Hiana tied up her hair tightly and shot him a glare. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you going somewhere?¡± ¡°Yep. I¡¯m going on a date with Senior.¡± ¡°Really? Where are you two going?¡± ¡°My romantic life is none of your business. Senior! I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go.¡± Ru Hiana swished her ponytail a couple of times and tugged at Chi-Woo¡¯s arm. While being pulled away, the last thing Chi-Woo could see was Ru Amuh waving both his arms with a bright smile while telling them to have fun. ¡°Pweh! I can finally take a breath.¡± Chi-Woo even heard Ru Amuh say those words in relief. ¡°¡­¡± Was he misunderstanding something? Why did Ru Amuh look like a man who was finally enjoying some freedom after entrusting his baby sister to his brother-in-law? CH 73 Chi-Woo took Ru Hiana to where Hawa was. After telling Hawa that the conversation had gone well, he stood in front of the statue with Ru Hiana. Chi-Woo had come to awaken Ru Hiana¡¯s powers. It felt like a waste to use his precious divinity so quickly, but since he had enough divinity to awaken at least three more people, he decided to use it generously. ¡®I guess Senior is trying to help me feel better,¡¯ Ru Hiana thought, still thinking she was really on a date. But when she heard what Chi-Woo was planning to do, her jaw dropped in shock. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine! No need for me to get it.¡± ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong with you getting chosen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. S-Senior, I¡¯m actually not that angry. You don¡¯t have to go that far!¡± Ru Hiana waved her hand rigorously. ¡°Moreover, haven¡¯t you not awakened your power yet, either? Why¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Woo said with a smile. ¡°Even if I get chosen, I won¡¯t be able to do much. I think it would be much better for you to use the opportunity.¡± Like Mimi had said, Chi-Woo was in the dark about heroic matters; even if he awakened his powers, it would take quite a while for him to learn how to use them. The return of investment would be negligible, but it was different for Ru Hiana; since she was a hero before, she would go through a 180-degree change as soon as she was awakened. Even if she could use only a tiny bit of her original powers, she would become incomparably stronger. That was what Chi-Woo intended to say, but Ru Hiana interpreted his words differently. She thought Chi-Woo was telling her, ¡®My body is in such a severe condition that me awakening my powers won¡¯t make a difference, so it would be better to give the opportunity to someone who can at least make use of it like you.¡¯ Some parts of it were her overactive imagination¡¯s doing, but it was understandable why she would think this way. ¡°But¡­¡± Ru Hiana was aware that in the current situation, gathering enough divinity to awaken someone was a near impossibility. Of course she wanted to awaken her power, but she hadn¡¯t done anything to achieve that goal since there was nothing to be done. Knowing how valuable the divinity Chi-Woo had gathered was, she felt great pressure in accepting it. She also couldn¡¯t understand how sacrificial Chi-Woo was. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of divinity,¡± Chi-Woo egged her on. Ru Hiana was completely speechless. ¡®Just a bit of divinity,¡¯ he said. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to...¡± Ru Hiana wanted to end the sentence with, ¡®how good a person can be¡¯, but she shook her head. ¡®No, he had always been like this. This is the kind of hero he is¡­¡¯ It was evident when Ru Amuh was chosen and, as she¡¯d learned about more recently when Allen Leonard awakened with his help to solve the food supply problem. No one would fault him if Chi-Woo put himself before others a bit, but he worked for others¡¯ gain to the point of foolishness; and he pushed his body beyond its limits for others. He was like the archetype of a traditional hero who sacrificed himself and only himself to save the World. That weighed Ru Hiana down with guilt further, and she felt ashamed. She hadn¡¯t been trying to understand Chi-Woo, but instead pushed her frustration on him. Knowing that Chi-Woo was a great hero who had countless experiences under his belt, it seemed obvious what Chi-Woo would have thought of her behavior. Still, he had come to her first to comfort her despite his condition to give her his precious divinity. Ru Hiana believed Chi-Woo¡¯s reason for participating in this exploration must have been from a similar vein. ¡®He¡¯s too¡­great¡­¡¯ She thought. From the way Chi-Woo regarded divinity, it was evident how great of a hero¡ªno, a person he was. Originally, she had thought Chi-Woo was similar to Ru Amuh, but now, she thought Chi-Woo was a person of even greater character. And she was basically a petty criminal compared to him. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Chi-Woo asked again when Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t even open her mouth due to her conflicted emotions. ¡°You can protect me well then.¡± That was the last straw. Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes shook and brimmed with tears as she looked at him. It was like Ru Amuh had said. She was emotional; she got angry and frustrated easily, but she was just as easily moved. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Water overflowed from her eyes. ¡°Ugh¡­Kuh¡­¡± She tried to hold her tears back, but they kept falling. ¡°Urgggh¡ª¡± In the end, she burst into tears. ¡°M-Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback. ¡°Sen¡ª¡± Ru Hiana covered her face with her hands and said in a sorrowful voice. ¡°Sowy¡ª. I didwn¡¯t even realiwze your intewntion¡ª¡± It was hard to understand what she was saying, and Chi-Woo looked around, not knowing what to do. It was then his eyes landed on Hawa, who was leaning against a pole in a corner. Like an audience watching a predictable mainstream movie, she was yawning with a hand covering her mouth. Even when he silently implored her to help with his eyes, Hawa licked her lips like there was nothing she could do. ¡°Waaah¡ª!¡± Ru Hiana collapsed to the ground, bawling, and Chi-Woo tried his best to console her again. Although there was a small hitch, Chi-Woo succeeded in getting Ru Hiana to form a contract with Shahnaz. Since she had served the goddess following Ru Amuh¡¯s footsteps, Ru Hiana had no problem with this arrangement. Likewise, Shahnaz accepted her since she already knew Ru Hiana, and she welcomed another hero who would gather divinity for her. ¡ªHm¡­ Shahnaz felt perplexed as she looked at Chi-Woo. Although Chi-Woo was sometimes rude, she liked him at times like this. Now that Chi-Woo had brought another person to form a contract with her, Shahnaz let go of the previous annoyance she had felt towards him. After awakening her powers, Ru Hiana didn¡¯t move for a while. She stood in the same spot, folding and unfolding her hands repeatedly. Then she turned to Chi-Woo and quickly approached him. ¡°Senior.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°Senior¡­!¡± Slam! Ru Hiana¡¯s palms shot past Chi-Woo¡¯s face and slammed into the wall. Then she pushed her face and body closer to him. Chi-Woo was now pushed against the wall by her, and he hiccupped in surprise. He glanced sideways and saw that parts of the wall had crumbled and were sliding down from the impact. Ru Hiana¡¯s hands seemed to be sinking into the wall slightly. ¡°You can believe in me.¡± Ru Hiana heaved with emotions that hadn¡¯t settled yet. ¡°Whatever happens, there¡¯s no need for you to step out. Just hide behind me at all times. I will protect you at whatever costs.¡± They were so close that their noses were almost touching, and Chi-Woo felt a strange energy emitting from her. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Ru Hiana asked, and Chi-Woo nodded frantically without being able to think of anything. And that was how their date ended. Ru Hiana wanted to stay with Chi-Woo a bit longer like an excited puppy, but Chi-Woo forcefully dragged her back to her barrack house. Then, when he saw Ru Amuh resting in a corner peacefully, he dumped Ru Hiana on him. ¡°Ruahu! I¡¯ve awakened!¡± ¡°W-What. You came back already? What about Teacher?¡± Chi-Woo felt a bit satisfied to see Ru Amuh getting up while looking a bit disappointed. Chi-Woo turned to go. On his way home, Mimi spoke to him. [I am curious. What¡¯s your reason for awakening Ms. Ru Hiana?] ¡®Hmm¡­is there a reason why I shouldn¡¯t? I didn¡¯t use up my divinity, and I still have enough left for me to get chosen.¡¯ [That¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s a very impressive deed to help another hero awaken their powers. But you had the choice of awakening other heroes besides Ru Hiana.] ¡®Ah, that¡¯s what you meant.¡¯ Mimi was probably talking about what was shown in Ru Hiana¡¯s user information, which Chi-Woo was aware of. 1. Name & Rank: Ru Hiana (¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Female & 22 3. Height & Weight: 168.8 & 49.7kg 4. Class: Crusader 5. Title: Romantic Girl 6. Disposition: Lawful Good [Strength D] [Durability D] [Agility D] [Stamina D] [Mental Fortitude C] [Divinity E] 1. [Basic Swordsmanship C] - a form of martial arts that involves fighting with swords. Although she uses only basic swordsmanship techniques, she is quite skilled. 2. [Basic Hand-to-hand Combat D] - a form of martial arts that involves clashing one¡¯s physical body against another. Although she uses only the basic hand-to-hand combat techniques, she is relatively proficient in using them. Ru Hiana¡¯s total potential was one star. Of course, since she was a hero, she was still a formidable fighter, but one couldn¡¯t deny that her potential was at the lowest level. In short, Mimi was asking why Chi-Woo had picked Ru Hiana when there were other heroes with higher potential. ¡®It doesn¡¯t really matter, does it? It¡¯s not as if I¡¯d picked Ru Hiana as my second star. And you told me before to not judge heroes based on their rank.¡¯ [You know that¡¯s not what I meant.] ¡®Yes, yes. There¡¯s nothing much to it really.¡¯ Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡®What¡¯s the point of awakening the other heroes? It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll be coming with me or protecting me.¡¯ Chi-Woo continued his thought, ¡®Moreover, Ms. Ru Hiana and I know each other.¡¯ Since Ru Amuh¡¯s power might not be enough, he had awakened Ru Hiana just in case. And Chi-Woo hoped that she would protect him well. It was for these two reasons only that Chi-Woo had Ru Hiana¡¯s powers restored. In short, regardless of how others viewed his actions, Chi-Woo had acted solely for personal reasons. It was for his own sake, and he got himself an extra safety measure. [I now understand a bit.] Mimi listened to Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts and continued. [About what kind of neutral disposition you are.] ¡®Didn¡¯t you already know that before?¡¯ [No. I¡¯ll categorize you as an ordinary citizen among those with neutral disposition.] ¡®An ordinary citizen? Is that a compliment?¡¯ [No. However, it¡¯s not a criticism either. I¡¯m just saying it as it is.] ¡®Yeah, so I¡¯m an ordinary citizen. I¡¯ve lived as an ordinary citizen all my life. What¡¯s wrong with being an ordinary citizen?¡¯ [¡­You¡¯re not like this with other people, but you¡¯re always trying to play jokes with me.] Mimi complained for a bit and continued. [It¡¯s the same for other dispositions, but the neutral disposition can be separated into different categories. And among them, the ordinary citizens favor the ¡°appropriate¡± action rather than the ¡°right¡± action.] ¡®Appropriate? Right? What¡¯s the difference?¡¯ [Try putting them in the context of ¡®individual¡¯.] What is right for individuals. What is appropriate for individuals. There was a clear difference between the two. In short, Chi-Woo tended to make his choices based on what was suitable for him. Even though Mimi had said she was simply making an observation, he didn¡¯t feel too good about it ¡®Ah, man. Do I really have to hear that after spending my own money? Seriously, what the heck.¡¯ [¡­Yes, yes. I guess so.] Mimi sighed. * * * The news that a small number of people were going to search for food soon spread throughout the fortress. When Eshnunna found out that Chi-Woo would also be going, she became more and more worried each day. Chi-Woo might not be aware of this, but the only reason why Eshnunna had been able to make it to the fortress was because of him. He was the one who had lifted her up when she was about to fall. However, Chi-Woo was now on the verge of collapse. If Chi-Woo disappeared¡­would she be able to endure that intense sense of loss as when she did with Yohan again? Eshnunna was not confident she could endure it. Thus, she couldn¡¯t just stand still like this. When she met him last time, she had turned around and angrily told him to do whatever he wanted, and she wouldn''t get involved anymore, but there was no way she could just wash her hands off this matter. However, what could she do when there wasn¡¯t a priest among them or even access to proper medicine or medicinal herbs? Eshnunna pondered for a long while and quickly went looking for a specific person. ¡°Medicine and medicinal herbs?¡± The person Eshnunna sought out was none other than Allen Leonard. Currently, he was the only hero who had awakened their power in addition to Ru Amuh. ¡°Hmm¡­I understand. We¡¯ve decided to set out soon anyway.¡± Zelit had suggested a plan for heroes who had awakened their powers to work with other heroes to catch monsters and collect divinity together. However, since Ru Amuh was leaving for a few days to search for food, the responsibility had been passed over to Allen Leonard. ¡°But I can¡¯t make any promise,¡± Allen Leonard said bluntly. ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to do something else. My main task is to clear the land and grow crops and try to awaken even one more hero.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I understand the necessity of developing medicine and medicinal herbs. I¡¯ll look for it, but it won¡¯t be my main priority.¡± Allen Leonard¡¯s tone was very business-like, and it was different from when he was talking to Chi-Woo. Even though he didn¡¯t treat her with animosity, he didn¡¯t treat her favorably, either. He was going to keep his promise to Chi-Woo, but his grudge against her hadn¡¯t disappeared. ¡°I trust that you understand me, and I¡¯ll take my leave. I¡¯m extremely busy right now.¡± He was about to turn around when¡ª ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Allen Leonard stopped. ¡°You need to find it. At all costs.¡± Allen Leonard turned to stare at her like she was being ridiculous. He hadn¡¯t thought that she was such an unreasonable person. However, when he saw the desperation in her eyes, he realized there might be a reason behind her insistence. ¡°Is there a reason why I need to prioritize this task?¡± Eshnunna took a few deep breaths and slowly explained the whole situation to him¡ªwithout leaving out a single detail. ¡°W-what?¡± Hardly anything surprised Allen Leonard, but he couldn¡¯t help being shocked by this turn of events. ¡°Is that really true? Is Teacher¡¯s condition really¡­!¡± Eshnunna closed her eyes and nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Even though he¡¯s in such a critical state, why did he¡­¡± Allen Leonard was overwhelmed and clutched his head. ¡°Wait. Is he going outside in that condition?¡± ¡°Yes, we all tried our best to stop him, but Sir Zelit said we needed him, and he said he¡¯d be going¡­¡± Considering the situation, Allen Leonard could understand Zelit¡¯s reasoning, but understanding and empathizing were two very different matters. ¡°¡­He¡¯s out of his mind.¡± Allen Leonard chewed on his lip. ¡°Damn it. Teacher is also crazy. There should be a limit to him acting like a hero¡­¡± He blinked and paced around in a frenzy while clenching his fists. ¡°Tell this to Zelit.¡± He continued after a pause, ¡°I¡¯m planning to leave for a while, and it might take a long time. I¡¯ll push farming and awakening the other heroes¡¯ powers all to a lower priority. And please bring me one or two natives who are familiar with this area and are knowledgeable in medicine and medicinal plants. Quickly!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll look into it right away.¡± ¡°And one more thing please. Keep this a secret between us. If Teacher finds out about this, he¡¯ll again¡­¡± Eshnunna nodded and moved quickly. Allen Leonard sighed deeply. ¡®Of all people¡­!¡¯ Even if everyone died, Chi-Woo must not. They were just starting to make some progress. He was completely indispensable to the group. ¡®I need to keep him alive. At all costs.¡¯ Allen Leonard began moving very quickly. On that very same day, he took only basic equipment and provisions and left the fortress with two natives that Eshnunna found for him. Then a week passed, and Allen Leonard hadn¡¯t returned, but the sun rose still. It was the day Chi-Woo would leave to search for food. CH 74 Chi-Woo came out of the front porch and stretched. After finishing his warm-up, he nodded vigorously. ¡°Hm!¡± Since he had taken it easy in his running and rested well for the past couple of days, his condition was at its peak. Although he felt a little bit of strain in some places, it didn¡¯t hinder him from walking or running at all. ¡®I feel light.¡¯ Chi-Woo jumped up and down and smiled. It was a bit of an exaggeration, but his body felt as light as a feather, like he would be able to fly if he ran. And he wasn¡¯t just imagining it; his weight had dropped from the eighties to the seventies. ¡®Then, perhaps¡­¡¯ With a thumping heart, Chi-Woo checked his physical stats. 1. Name & Rank: Choi Chi-Woo (EX) 2. Height & Weight: 180.5 cm & 79.8kg [Strength F] [Durability F] [Agility F] [Stamina F] [Mental Fortitude D] Chi-Woo had hoped that his stamina would¡¯ve at least increased from rank F to E, but the reality disappointed him. ¡®I ran for a month consistently, but there has been no change¡­¡¯ [Check your user information.] While looking at his stats disappointedly, Chi-Woo flinched as Mimi suddenly spoke up. ¡®You surprised me! Can¡¯t you give me a warning next time¡­? Also, I am looking at my user information.¡¯ [Not the special one, but the basic user information.] ¡®Why?¡¯ [Just look at it, especially your stamina.] Following her advice, Chi-Woo brought forth his user information. 2. [Choi Chi-Woo]¡¯s Stats -> Basic [Suffering] Stamina ¡®Huh?¡¯ The description appending his stamina had changed from ¡®Weak¡¯ to ¡®Suffering¡¯. [The basic user information shows your current state. All the muscles in your body are suffering from muscle pain due to your continuous workout.] ¡®Isn¡¯t it bad that I¡¯m suffering?¡¯ [It¡¯s hard to say it¡¯s bad or good. When a bone breaks cleanly and is reattached again, it will be sturdier than before. It¡¯s the same for muscles. Stimulation from exercising might tear your muscle fibers and cause temporary pain, but they will become stronger and tougher when they heal. And they won¡¯t tear from the same level of strain as before.] Chi-Woo exclaimed in realization. ¡®Then I guess I should rest well to give my muscles time to heal.¡¯ [You should tear them apart again.] ¡®What?¡¯ [Harden your body more so that it would be able to protect itself.] It would be easier for Chi-Woo to run if he waited until his body was fully healed. However, he mustn¡¯t be content with that. He had to continue pushing himself to run and stimulate his body even more. Only then would his body cry out, ¡®Sheesh! What a ruthless owner! I am going to become harder and stronger to show him!¡¯ and move more vigorously. In other words, Mimi was telling Chi-Woo to increase the difficulty level of his exercise as his body¡¯s condition became better. Chi-Woo agreed. ¡®I see. So, because my ranks didn¡¯t go up, you wanted to cheer me on to not lose hope and encourage me to push harder, right? Thank you, Ms. Mimi.¡¯ [No. I just wanted to tell you to not get ahead of yourself. You started your exercise two months ago. I understand how you may be feeling anxious, but there¡¯s no need for you to be so impatient. You have just started to do what others have been doing for years¡­] Nag, nag, nag! Mimi continued to lecture. Of course, Chi-Woo should¡¯ve expected her to nag rather than encourage him. ¡®Yes, yes. I understand. I said I got it.¡¯ But Mimi still didn¡¯t stop, so Chi-Woo tuned her out and walked away to the entrance where everyone was waiting. Ru Amuh, Ru Hiana, Eshnunna, and Hawa were all there. There were also several other heroes including Zelit. Chi-Woo joined the first group of four heroes and walked out of the entrance as the others cheered them on. It was the start of the first new expedition since coming to this fortress. * * * They marched. The guide, Eshnunna, and Ru Amuh walked at the front, Chi-Woo and Hawa stayed in the middle, and Ru Hiana fell back as the rearguard. ¡°Our first destination¡­¡± ¡°The shortest way to get to the place¡­¡± Ru Amuh and Eshnunna discussed the directions continuously, and Ru Hiana ardently surveyed her surroundings with wide eyes; her hand never left her sword. It was like she was prepared to pierce any enemy that popped her way. Chi-Woo acted similarly. Although he had joined the mission on the condition that he would only use his powers if a spiritual monster came out, he wasn¡¯t here on a stroll. He didn¡¯t let his guard down since anything could happen at any moment. ¡°We are heading to the checkpoint located at the border first. Lady Eshnunna said it would probably take us one day to get there¡­¡± Ru Amuh said, and as Chi-Woo listened, he imagined the best-case scenario of them finding the food supplies in the wide-open at their first destination and returning to the fortress right away. That, however, was nothing but a pipe dream. They did find a small checkpoint that was too small to be called a fortress around sunset, as Eshnunna had described. However, no matter how much they searched, they couldn¡¯t find any food supplies, and the interior of the checkpoint was completely empty. It was the same for the second location they went to. The next day, the group arrived at a place that looked like a secret base. Eshnunna explained that this used to be a secret hideout, created for troops assigned to the checkpoint to hide in if they sighted enemies and couldn¡¯t escape. She said there was quite a high possibility that a bit of food would be left in this place. Like she said, there were some goods, but they were all empty sacks with all their important content taken out. ¡°It seems¡­there were others who had stayed here. They must have left when the food ran out.¡± They didn¡¯t know what happened to the people who had been at this place, but Eshnunna spoke disappointedly while looking at the sack pile. Just by the look of it, there could have been at least two weeks¡¯ worth of food at this place. But they all turned away to resume their travel since there was nothing they could do. Even though they still had three places left to check, after coming up empty for the second time, worries that they wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything began to stir up inside them. The next day, the party arrived near the vicinity of their third destination around late afternoon. They still had some time before they arrived at the checkpoint, but Ru Amuh stopped marching and set up camp. He did it because it was getting dark soon, but also because they were going to a fortress this time. After dinner, Ru Amuh gathered everyone and said, ¡°It¡¯s a structure built for the same purpose as the fortress we are currently staying in.¡± ¡°Will there even be food there?¡¯ Ru Hiana asked, sounding pretty negative, but Ru Amuh continued without concern. ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility there will be. Lady Eshnunna said the same.¡± ¡°It will be strange for a fortress to not have food. But what if people had already finished the food like our previous destination¡­?¡± ¡°Well, the food isn¡¯t at a spot where everyone would know of. They are hidden food supplies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t hide the worries that she was already feeling. Chi-Woo looked at them both back and forth and said in a low voice. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s just go there first and search. It would be good if there is food, but even if there isn¡¯t, we still have two spots to check.¡± Hawa nodded in agreement, and Chi-Woo added, ¡°Even if our last two destinations are a bust, we can go to the other destinations we previously had in mind¡ª¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t, sir.¡± ¡°Senior, no. That¡¯s not possible.¡± Before Chi-Woo could even finish his sentence, Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana voiced their disagreement in unison. ¡°We¡¯ve settled on five destinations after careful consideration. We can return home in the middle of our search, but we can¡¯t search through more than five destinations.¡± ¡°Just five destinations, that¡¯s the plan. We have to return after that.¡± In times like this, Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana seemed like one person. ¡°Well, I just thought since we are already outside¡­¡± Chi-Woo said, a bit stunned. Ru Amuh sighed. ¡°If we want to head to another relatively safe path, we have to turn in the opposite direction, and that would take too much time. Of course, we could continue treading forward in our current direction, but that would be too dangerous.¡± Then, Ru Amuh continued to explain that Zelit had charted the most efficient path possible. On a map, it would be a line following along the border before making a turn and going back to the fortress. In other words, they were making a U-turn, and their third destination was the turning point of the curve. It also meant that their next destination was the furthest away from the fortress. The exploration team hadn¡¯t met a single monster on the way. It was safe to say that they were all completely wiped out in their last battle. However, since they were now at a sufficient distance from the fortress, this statement was no longer applicable. But this wasn¡¯t the only thing worthy of notice. Another dangerous aspect about the third location was that it was a fortress rather than a guard post or a shelter. Chi-Woo recalled what the lich that he beat up had said to him. [The one you¡¯re heading to isn¡¯t the only fortress.] [It seems the ruler of this territory spent a lot of time and energy strengthening his borders, which of course spared us a lot of trouble in enforcing the frontlines.] Moreover, they had mutant armies stationed in fortresses all over the border to attack the surrounding forces. Thus, it might be difficult for them to enter their third destination. Regardless of how high the probability of obtaining food was there, it would be better to go to a different place if it was full of mutants. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a chance that the fortress might also be empty? That skeleton hanging on a pole had suddenly appeared and swept away all the monsters; maybe the same has happened at the fortress¡­¡± Ru Hiana shared a rather optimistic prediction. ¡°That would be great, but¡­¡± Since it wasn¡¯t completely baseless, Ru Amuh didn¡¯t refute her words, but he wasn¡¯t too hopeful about it. Chi-Woo also smiled thinly. He knew that expecting such convenient scenarios was a luxury in a place like Liber where the World was dead. He had fully realized this during the ritual. ¡°Since we¡¯ll be departing early in the morning, let¡¯s rest for today. Just keep in mind that you have to be on guard tomorrow.¡± Everyone except Ru Amuh, who was on guard duty, went to bed early. * * * The next day arrived. As scheduled, the exploration team began moving at the crack of dawn. By noon, they were right in front of their third destination¡ªat least distance wise. Even though it was right in front of them, the fortress was at the peak of a mountain, and the mountain was extremely tall. It was called Evalaya, a canyon birthed from volcanic eruptions. In fact, it could also be described as a mountain range connecting multiple mountains. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t contain her awe. As he looked up at the mountain peaks that were covered by thick clouds, Chi-Woo suddenly became concerned. He wondered if he could climb such a steep cliff created by lava and volcanic ash; just the thought of slipping and falling off gave him shivers. ¡°I think¡­even if our enemies did come here, they¡¯ll just skip to the next base rather than trying to launch an attack.¡± As Ru Hiana said, the fortress was so high up that it could even be likened to a fortress in heaven. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why we purposely set up the fortress here.¡± Eshnunna also agreed. The Salem Kingdom¡¯s main defensive method had been to gather and support a large number of troops while the troops stationed at the fortresses and guard posts around the kingdom countered the enemy attacks. ¡°The fortress here has the advantage of being able to withstand most enemy attacks, and even if the enemy simply passes through it, the troops in the fortress can attack the enemy¡¯s rear.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t we come here in the first place?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we didn¡¯t have enough energy to come all the way here, and it¡¯s also a difficult place to enter.¡± Ru Hiana let out an ¡®aha¡¯ at Eshnunna¡¯s explanation. Essentially, there would probably be plenty of food given how safely tucked away the fortress was. Ru Amuh, who had been quietly listening, asked, ¡°Is there a path to climb up? Or?¡± ¡°There is one. It¡¯s very narrow and rough, but there is a path¡­¡± Eshnunna was about to point to the map and explain, but a voice suddenly interjected. ¡°We don¡¯t have to go there¡­¡± Eshnunna suddenly fell silent. She and Chi-Woo simultaneously turned around. Hawa glanced at Eshnunna and looked up at Mount Evalaya. ¡°That¡¯s not the only path.¡± Eshnunna slightly narrowed her eyes before regaining her composure. ¡°Ms. Hawa, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that the path you pointed out might be dangerous.¡± A monotonous voice and an empty voice clashed against each other. Eshnunna immediately folded the map and turned around, while Hawa crossed her arms and looked up. The woman and the girl met each other¡¯s eyes. Hawa was the first one to break the silence. ¡°The path you pointed out is the only one in the area. It may be safe for those coming down from the fortress, but it¡¯s dangerous for those going up from the bottom.¡± Hawa continued, ¡°If there are mutants, they might be scattered along this path, and even if they aren¡¯t there, we¡¯ll definitely be exposed to unknown threats.¡± Hawa had a point. Her concerns were also applicable to the fortress they were currently residing in. If an enemy was to invade, they would try to get in through the stone bridge that led to the entrance first. Eshnunna was also aware of this threat, but she let out a fake laugh. ¡°Are you suggesting we climb this steep cliff without using a path?¡± ¡°Have you ever thought that there might be another path?¡± ¡°A different path?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a canyon between a mountain range. I¡¯m more amazed that you don¡¯t think there¡¯s a different path.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way our kingdom could have missed such a path. And even if there¡¯s a different path, it would be extremely dangerous.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s not as safe as a human-built path, it would be less dangerous than meeting monsters.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s objections were well thought out, but Hawa made just as much sense with her argument. Eshnunna took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. ¡°You speak as if you¡¯ve climbed this mountain a couple times.¡± ¡°I have. When I was a kid, I made several round trips to scout the area. About seven times, I think.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°And by the way, I wasn¡¯t caught even once.¡± Chi-Woo clicked his tongue at Hawa¡¯s speaking skills. Even though she didn¡¯t openly show her hostility, her words must have bruised Eshnunna¡¯s pride. The Ru siblings looked startled by their tense conversation. Chi-Woo, who was the only one that knew that the Shahnaz tribe and the Salem Kingdom had been sworn enemies for generations, smiled bitterly. ¡°Since you¡¯ve been here before, you must know the path very well.¡± Ru Amuh quickly intervened, sensing the tension building between the two. ¡°If we can enter through a hidden path, it would be safer. If it¡¯s alright with you, would you be able to guide us through that path?¡± Hawa replied, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Is there anything we should prepare?¡± ¡°No. Even though it¡¯s a hidden path, it¡¯s not that perilous to climb. Even an eight-year-old can climb it if they want to.¡± ¡°Haha. You¡¯re joking.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not joking. I first climbed this mountain when I was eight.¡± That put an awkward look on Ru Amuh¡¯s face, but the matter was decided. They would enter the fortress through the hidden path rather than the standard path, and naturally, Hawa would be taking the lead. Chi-Woo looked at Eshnunna and mouthed, ¡®Are you all right?¡¯ ¡°¡­I know. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Eshnunna spoke with a slightly lower voice than normal and calmly fell back to the center to stand next to Chi-Woo. After a while, the exploration team gradually disappeared into the fog surrounding Mount Evalaya. CH 75 Hawa didn¡¯t climb the mountain immediately but instead guided the search party into the canyon. After wandering through the maze-like canyon for a while, they reached a dried-up valley and scaled the cliff between it and another valley. Thus commenced the arduous climb. The mountain was very steep and rugged. There was moss all over the rock; they could slip and fall from the slightest misstep. Chi-Woo had to heighten his senses and place great care in every step he took. Although Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t expected to walk through a nice, well-established path, he hadn¡¯t expected the path to be so harsh. As expected of heroes that awakened their powers, the Ru siblings didn¡¯t have much trouble climbing. Hawa also had little trouble since she had been trained since her youth, and she swiftly climbed the wall like a resilient bouncing spring. The only two people having problems were Eshnunna and Chi-Woo. Every time they had to go over a rock on a slope, they tensed up first. Still, the Ru siblings were always there to help them up. Before they knew it, everyone had stopped talking. Although they couldn¡¯t be sure of it yet, they could be infiltrating into an enemy¡¯s camp base, so everyone had been focusing only on climbing the mountain with their mouths firmly shut. A long time passed. Climbing was difficult work, and they soon became fatigued due to their prolonged anxiety. Their hair and entire body were soaked in sweat, and their mouth started to taste sweet. ¡®How much longer do we have to go?¡¯ Chi-Woo cursed inside his mind and grabbed onto Ru Amuh¡¯s hand to climb up a boulder. When the sole of his feet landed on the ground again, he found a comparatively flat surface than before. Although it was still bumpy, the fact that he wasn¡¯t on a steep slope made it feel like he was in heaven. ¡°Why don¡¯t we rest a bit?¡± Ru Amuh said with a smile when he saw Chi-Woo collecting his breath. Chi-Woo instantly sat down like he had been waiting for this moment. Following him, Eshnunna also climbed up to the area while holding onto Ru Hiana¡¯s hand, looking very pale. ¡®Why is this reminding me of my time in the army?¡¯ Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t expected to participate in such an intense rock-climbing session on Liber. He stuck his tongue out and heaved while looking through his backpack. He took a gulp from his water bottle and felt a gaze on him. Hawa, whose complexion appeared the same as ever, was staring at him. Chi-Woo handed his bottle to her, and Hawa immediately grasped it. Chi-Woo smirked as he watched her clean the bottle¡¯s top before drinking from it. ¡®How much longer?¡¯ With his head raised high, he looked up to the faraway clouds above the mountain¡¯s peak. It was fortunate that he had at least done some running exercises before coming to this place. His cardiovascular system had been strengthened over the past month, which allowed him to come this far. If he hadn¡¯t been training, he would¡¯ve collapsed a long time ago. ¡®Maybe I should have tried climbing Mount Everest.¡¯ While those useless thoughts whirling in his mind, Chi-Woo calmed his breathing and got up to look down at the distance he had climbed so far. They had made so much progress that they could no longer see their starting point. The gorge that had looked so big from below looked like a piece of lego from here. Feeling dizzy from the view, Chi-Woo quickly backed away, but then he felt someone tap on his back. He turned around and saw a woman with a blonde ponytail: Ru Hiana. Chi-Woo was about to speak, but stopped himself when Ru Hiana quickly placed her index finger against her lips. For some reason, she looked extremely excited. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Chi-Woo tilted his head and looked to where Ru Hiana was pointing with her index finger. Chi-Woo goggled when he saw the subject of her attention. ¡®What? That¡¯s¡­¡¯ It was a bird, or at least an animal that looked like one. A bird the size of a pigeon was looking around its surroundings on top of a boulder and pecking the ground every now and then. ¡®There¡¯s a bird¡­on Liber.¡¯ Now that he thought about it, Chi-Woo realized that he hadn¡¯t seen a bird or other animals even once since coming to Liber. It was always monsters he ran into. A strange feeling thus rose in his heart when he saw this bird, followed by another carnal desire: hunger. ¡®How will that bird be¡­cooked inside an oven?¡¯ He wanted the meat cooked properly rather than dried jerky; he wanted to taste its juicy flesh as oil dripped down its skin. His mouth salivated at the thought. It seemed Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t the only one who felt this way as Ru Hiana wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. A moment later, Ru Hiana began approaching the bird one step at a time, treading slowly and carefully. When she was within a meter from the bird, she kneeled without making a sound. Silencing even her breath, she reached out with both hands. Chi-Woo cheered her on with an anxious expression, while Eshnunna was already thinking of ways to cook the bird if it was caught. On the other hand, Hawa was watching them disapprovingly, as if she was saying with her face, ¡®That¡¯s not how you do it.¡¯ Finally, Ru Amuh shifted his focus from his map to Ru Hiana with a frown on his face. Perhaps the bird had sensed something off, and it stopped pecking at mosses to look up, quickly darting its gaze sideways before stretching its wings like it was going to fly away. Ru Hiana quickly shot out both hands. ¡°Chirp!¡± The bird chirped and was about to fly when¡ªBam! Sling! There was an explosion, followed closely by a piercing screech. Chi-Woo almost let out a yelp in surprise, but managed to keep his mouth shut, his throat twitching while he reeled from the sudden noises. Ru Hiana was also shocked, frozen with her hands stretched halfway. The pupils of her wide-opened eyes shook vigorously. The bird remained perched on the same spot while pierced by a large awl-shaped drill. The drill not only pierced the bird, but burrowed deeply into the rock below it. Everyone stopped and turned to the thing connected to the drill. The drill didn¡¯t come flying; just like how Ru Hiana had stretched out her hands to catch the bird, somebody else had reached out for the bird. Attached to the drill was a long, rubbery appendage that looked too strange to be called an arm, and yet there seemed to be no other way to describe it. Screech, Screech. It sounded like somebody was winding a knob or scratching lines on the ground. Soon afterward, a figure came sliding down the slope like they were skiing down the mountain. As it came down, its long, stretched-out arms shortened. The figure that came into view was so bizarre looking that it was difficult to describe it with words. It had a face that resembled a sea lion¡¯s, and it had no eyes. No, upon closer inspection, it appeared to have two tiny beady eyes the size of beans that were barely noticeable. Two large canine teeth just like an elephant¡¯s ivory tusks stuck out from its mouth, and its body looked like a slab of skin wrapped around a long vertebra sloping down vertically. Rib bones wrapping around its upper torso twitched nonstop like living tentacles, and at the end of both of its arms, it had drills for hands. Its legs were as thick as tree trunks, large enough to be likened to the thighs of a King Kong. Above all, the monster was enormous; its height alone looked to be over 3 or 4 meters tall. ¡®A mutant? No.¡¯ Chi-Woo frowned. The cursed ones and the mutants still had remnants from their human days, while the monster in front of them didn¡¯t show any identifiable human features. It was simply a monster. As the monster slid towards them like water flowing down, Ru Hiana drew her sword. But Ru Amuh quickly gestured at her to not do anything. ¡®Why?¡¯ Ru Hiana mouthed, confused. Ru Amuh shook his head slowly and warily looked at the monster. Thump, thump, thump, thump. In the meantime, the monster had landed right in front of Ru Hiana. It pulled out the drill stuck in the rock and lifted the bird right to its face. Then it opened its mouth wide to over ten centimeters in diameter. The fangs on the roof of its mouth were clearly visible. The monster pushed the bird deep into its mouth and bit down. Crunch, crunch! The sound of the monster chewing its food echoed. The bird¡¯s blood dripped down on Ru Hiana¡¯s face. Nobody moved even an inch; they all just blankly stared at the monster like a rock. They didn¡¯t know why, but they felt a strong sense of foreboding that if they moved even a little bit, they would end up like the bird. There was certainly something strange about the monster¡¯s movements. Even though the exploration team was right in front of it¡ªthe monster should have seen them while coming down, and Ru Hiana was even kneeling right in front of him¡ªthe monster acted like it couldn¡¯t see them. The monster swallowed the bird and smacked its lips before turning its head around as if it was wondering where its prey was. Chi-Woo met its eyes and flinched. However, the monster turned away like it couldn¡¯t see Chi-Woo. The same happened with Eshnunna, Hawa, and Ru Amuh. The monster glanced past all of them. ¡®Is it not able to see? No, it does have eyes, but its eyesight must be really bad.¡¯ All kinds of thoughts passed Chi-Woo¡¯s mind. But even then, Chi-Woo realized what he needed to do. ¡®Sound.¡¯ Since the monster couldn¡¯t see well, its hearing must be extremely well-developed. Case in point, the monster¡¯s drill had shot out as soon as the bird took flight. Chi-Woo realized that he must stay silent. As soon as he made even the smallest sound, that terrifying drill the monster had for hands might pierce through his body. Chi-Woo breathed extremely quietly and stared anxiously at Ru Hiana. The others were one or two meters away from the monster, but Ru Hiana was way too close to it. If she moved even a little bit, the monster would hear her. Thus, there was no other solution. Chi-Woo thought it would be better if they just started fighting, but he decided to trust Ru Amuh¡¯s judgment. There must have been a reason why Ru Amuh had signaled Ru Hiana to stay still. ¡®Do something¡­please¡­¡¯ Minutes crawled by like hours. The monster stood still for a while and tilted its head. Chi-Woo¡¯s heart fell when he saw that the monster was about to slowly turn around; if it did, its arm would touch Ru Hiana. Ru Hiana clenched her teeth, staring as the monster¡¯s long arm slowly spun around. In that split second, she silently bent backward, holding her body so low it was as if she was doing the limbo. She was able to bend this far thanks to her impressive flexibility, and the monster¡¯s elbow narrowly missed her chest. Thud, thud, thud, thud. The monster walked straight to the cliff and reached out to put its hands on the rock wall above, propelling itself up like Spiderman. As soon as it disappeared beyond the rock, Ru Hiana straightened her back. She had endured for so long that her face became bright red. It was difficult to tell if she was drenched in blood or sweat. However, she didn¡¯t make any movements to wipe her face. Even though the monster had left, she stayed completely still, and she wasn¡¯t alone. No one had moved or even taken an audible breath for a long while. As if they had all agreed to do so beforehand, they kept their mouth shut while exchanging glances. * * * At the same time. Allen Leonard, who had departed earlier than the exploration team, had traveled quite far. Even though he¡¯d dug up some medicinal herbs, he didn¡¯t think it was enough. Eshnunna had told him that Chi-Woo was in a dire condition. Ordinary medicinal herbs wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to help Chi-Woo. To find proper medicine, Allen Leonard pushed the limits of his pre-set boundaries until he reached all the way to the point where he could clearly see the capital of the Salem Kingdom. It was where they had first gone as a group after leaving the main camp and the forest for the first time. He thought he would easily find what he wanted in the capital city, and he half-heartedly hoped that the skeleton on the pole would descend again to sweep away all the monsters here. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Allen Leonard looked down with disbelief. ¡°It¡­doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± He unconsciously shook his head in utter shock. ¡°Why¡­Why is it¡­¡± When they left the main camp, their first destination had been the capital. But they had turned around as soon as they arrived because of the shocking state of the capital. Cursed ones had filled the city completely without leaving any gaps, and many of them were mutating. That had been the last image Allen Leonard remembered of the capital. However, the capital he was seeing now had completely transformed. ¡°What is¡­that¡­?¡± He saw something that looked like a giant snake with a human head crossing the road like it was gliding on water. He also saw something with eight legs like an octopus and a spider with human-head climbing on the walls of a building. There was even a being that was running on top of buildings with four legs. The capital was occupied with these bizarre beings, and some of them were eating the cursed ones as well as the mutants. They also fought amongst themselves while they ate. Whenever a fight broke out, many of them would gather around and join the fight, or clap while jumping up and down in excitement. It looked as if they were enjoying a festival. At that moment, one of the beings jumping on top of the buildings suddenly turned around and looked in the direction Allen Leonard was in. Allen Leonard pulled his attention away from the madness and hurriedly dropped to the ground. ¡®Did¡­¡¯ their eyes meet? At this distance? His heart beat fiercely, and shivers ran all over his body. Allen Leonard didn¡¯t even dare to raise his head. After a while, he began to slowly inch backward like a worm. After putting enough distance between him and the capital, he got up and stared at the sky with his mouth agape. ¡®Just now¡­¡¯ He had no idea of what he had just witnessed, but he was sure of one thing: There were new enemies, and just like how the cursed ones had changed into mutants, the mutants had evolved further into a new breed of mutants. No, it would be more accurate to say they had reached a new stage of evolution. Their new enemy was not as uniform as the previous mutants. The monsters that Allen Leonard saw showed great variations, differing in shapes and sizes. And there were hundreds and thousands of them. He had no idea how this happened, but one thing was clear. ¡®I need to tell the others.¡¯ It was not time for him to stay still. He needed to find a way to relay this information as fast as possible. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Allen Leonard deeply frowned because he hadn¡¯t found any medicine for Chi-Woo yet. After some deliberation, he turned to the natives. ¡°Listen to me carefully.¡± Allen Leonard explained what he had just witnessed and sent the natives back to the fortress ahead of him. ¡°You must tell the others what I just said. You must!¡± Then he set out by himself. ¡®I pray that we won¡¯t be too late¡­¡¯ He silently prayed as he moved away, treading carefully in case the monster that he met eyes with was chasing after him. CH 76 ¡ªDamn it. Looking down at the city¡¯s center from afar, a mysterious figure sighed after Allen Leonard left. ¡ªIt¡¯s ruined, completely ruined. The figure clicked their tongue as they saw the clusters of chaos within the city. The only reason why the figure had come to this place was because of the news that one of the key leaders in the Abyss, ¡®The Dreamer¡¯, or otherwise known as the Abomination of Babyl, had appeared on the outskirts of the former Salem territory; and the lich who had managed the territory as an experiment ground had been extinguished. ¡ªThat stupid fool. But why did she¡­ The mysterious figure lamented the lich¡¯s incompetence. Truthfully, there was nothing the lich could have done if the Abomination of Babyl had really gotten involved. However, the problem was that their plans were completely thwarted with the lich¡¯s death. Not knowing what to do from now on, the mysterious figure rubbed at their temples in frustration. After the dividing lines between different Worlds faded, gates that opened to other Worlds popped up all over this land. Demonic creatures poured out of these gates and together, they formed a coalition and established a giant empire for demons. Thus, the Demon Realm came to be in the Middle World. Although the demons were able to gain control of the area easily, their satisfaction was short-lasting. They soon learned of the reality of the Middle World and were stunned to find out that there were three other formidable powers vying for control over the place. Of course, the demon empire didn¡¯t back down even after learning of this fact, and with their characteristic belligerence, they ran wild to establish their authority over the lands; and the first thing they did was to try to take one of the three powers, the coalition of monsters native to this land, into their grasp. However, the coalition of indigenous monsters resisted fiercely, and they encountered a difficulty that they hadn¡¯t foreseen. Those who had crawled out of a place lower than the underground, ¡®the Abyss¡¯¡ªwho were supposed to be in a war with an extraterrestrial force¡ªhad suddenly taken an offensive position against the demon empire. The demon empire was suddenly put in grave danger where they had to battle with two powerful forces at once. Thus, the demon empire came up with a plan in this crisis for the lichs¡¯ leader to build military reinforcements with his experiments, which involved turning the humans, who used to rule over the Middle World but had been reduced to the cursed ones, into demonic creatures to supplement their troops. The plan was half-successful. Although the cursed ones were too weak to use just as themselves, they evolved and grew at astonishing speed with the slightest nudge. However, the plan didn¡¯t succeed fully because they had failed to find a way to control them, especially when cursed ones grew far too strong. The demons didn¡¯t think humans were weak species. In the first place, it was unbelievable that humans would be so weak when they had ruled over the Middle World for so long. As they had protected their authority over the Middle World from countless dangers, the demons acknowledged humans¡¯ adaptability and astounding potential. But these characteristics ended up coming back to bite them. The adaptability that had enabled humans to survive in any environment by changing themselves was beyond ridiculous, and a few among them displayed enormous potential that surpassed the preconceived limits of their species; and thus, these cursed beings who used to be humans evolved into terrifying monsters. The cursed ones who were reborn again didn¡¯t listen to any command, but simply sought to destroy and eat everything that was alive. It was to the point that they even fought with each other. An ally that didn¡¯t discern enemy from foe was scarier than any enemy. And no matter how strong they were, they served no purpose if they didn¡¯t listen to their commands. Thus, after much consideration, the lich had purposefully stopped the cursed ones from evolving fully. A cursed one that hadn¡¯t evolved fully was much weaker than a fully evolved one, but they were at least still manageable. Thus, the demon empire adjusted their plan. The cursed ones¡¯ evolution was stopped midway, and they gathered as many of these mutants as possible. Even if their enemies caught wind of their plan, the Abyss wouldn¡¯t consider the mutant army as a threat since they appeared lacking in battling power. After they gathered a considerable number of mutants, they would release them to the Abyss and lift the restraint placed on them. Then the mutants would become fully evolved and run havoc, causing the Abyss to stop their advances. However, this whole plan had fallen into shambles right before the D-Day. Thus, the mysterious figure who had come to this place in the aftermath of the lich¡¯s annihilation had received two orders from the demon empire. First was to see if they could still continue the experiment somehow. And secondly, if that proved to be impossible, the mysterious figure was ordered to wrap up the situation in a way that would minimize the harm done to the demon empire. After researching and conducting some trials, the mysterious figure concluded that they, unfortunately, couldn¡¯t revive the experiment. The mutants that had been released from their restraints after the lich¡¯s annihilation began to evolve out of control and no longer listened to their orders. No matter how much they tried, the figure could only slow down their evolution. ¡ªThat damn bastard¡­ The mysterious figure cursed the now gone lich and sighed. Among all their skills, they were confident in their ability to control life, but there seemed to be nothing that could be done about the fully evolved creatures. The two keys to the success of the experiment were the lich¡¯s existence and the giant magic circle big enough to blanket a city. With one of these conditions broken, the experiment was as good as over, and they could no longer control the mutants and the rate of their evolution. Although the giant magic circle was still active, it could only manipulate the rate of the evolution, but couldn¡¯t stop it entirely. It was ineffective to the mutants that were currently evolving. The mysterious figure concluded that it was a hopeless cause. ¡ªIt can¡¯t be helped. According to the lich¡¯s last report, the Abyss was using the broken ones in response to their experiment with the cursed ones. The mysterious figure didn¡¯t know what had happened after that, but seeing how the lich was extinguished, they had a theory; the Abyss might have been trying to set foot into this place and use the broken ones to attack the demon empire. It was very possible. The demon empire could receive a strong blow from the side. ¡ªI can¡¯t let that be. Thus, the mysterious figure reached a decision; they would let the mutants evolve¡ªno, they would speed up their evolution. Bang! The figure had pondered for a long time before making up their mind, but their action was decisive. Immediately, the mysterious figure shot a shapeless ball of energy at the giant magic circle, striking its core to destroy it whole. Suddenly, the mutants that had run rampant in the city froze. Like a fish stuck on a harpoon, they started to scream a bizarre scream. There were no turning things back now. Some of these mutants could tread upon the demons¡¯ territory, but that would be preferable than for the Abyss to occupy this place as their outpost. Just in case, the mysterious figure destroyed the giant magic circles in a couple of more places and quickly fled the area before the rapidly changing mutants completed their evolution. As the figure flew into the air hurriedly, they wished and prayed for at least the mutants in the border fortresses to go after the Abyss. * * * Although the unidentifiable monster had left, the search party remained still for a while. Everyone stood in their spots and didn¡¯t move an inch as Ru Amuh continuously gestured at them to do so. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t understand the point of this when the monster had already left, but he waited quietly. Some time later, Ru Amuh made the first move. He didn¡¯t move from where he was standing but instead arched his back as slowly and quietly as possible to pick up a rather large stone. Then he surveyed the trees surrounding them and cast the stone-hard. Ru Amuh seemed to have used his powers; the stone drew a sharp curve across the air and struck the tree with precision. Bang! There was another explosion. In the blink of an eye, the tree that Ru Amuh had struck crumbled into pieces instantaneously. Between the crumbling tree remains, Chi-Woo saw the monster¡¯s drill slide by. He gulped. The monster was still roaming this place. It had only pretended to leave. It was then Chi-Woo heard a notification in his mind. [To compensate for its poor vision, it seems the monster has developed a remarkably keen sense of hearing.] It was a message from Ru Amuh. Chi-Woo exclaimed inside his mind. They would get caught if they started speaking, but they could still talk to each other by sending messages. Even though this hadn¡¯t been the main reason why he brought his device along, it was very fortunate that they could use it to communicate with each other. [It seems it has heard us climbing at some point and came here.] They had been quiet because they were tired, but it was extremely fortunate that they had also remained silent in case there were enemies nearby. What if they had exchanged a few words while resting? What if a bird hadn¡¯t cried at the right moment? They would have ended up just like that bird. [It even knows how to trick its prey. We can¡¯t lower our guard.] [Then what should we do? We can¡¯t just stay still like this.] The last message was from Ru Hiana. Bemused, Ru Amuh typed in the air. [I¡¯ll start throwing stones in a row from now on. When I throw the last stone, I¡¯ll turn around and start running, so please follow me.] Ru Hiana saw his message and tilted her head. [Run? Where to?] [In the opposite direction.] Ru Hiana shifted her eyes around, and Chi-Woo nodded. One fortunate part about this situation was that there were plenty of stones all around them. Ru Amuh picked up a rock near his feet and threw it with great force. Swish! Propelled by the wind, the rock flew in a plane curve and landed far away. They didn¡¯t hear any loud noises this time. Ru Amuh nodded and quickly threw another stone. It flew farther away than the last one, and when it hit a tree¡ª Bam! They heard a loud explosion. Ru Amuh didn¡¯t stop, but instead continued to pick up more stones and throw them farther and farther away. Hearing the explosion of trees getting more and more distant, Chi-Woo realized what Ru Amuh was trying to do. The monster had a tendency to move towards sounds. However, they didn¡¯t know the extent of its hearing ability. Thus, Ru Amuh had hit trees from the closest to farthest away to put as much distance between them and the monster. Finally, Ru Amuh used his divinity to throw the tenth stone as far as possible, and the stone disappeared from view. He gave it a short moment before whirling around and bolting. At the same time, Chi-Woo grabbed the still stunned Eshnunna and ran after Ru Amuh. As soon as they began running, they heard the tenth explosion from far away. Ru Amuh had perfectly timed his throw. Chi-Woo marveled at Ru Amuh¡¯s ability; if Ru Amuh was a pitcher on Earth, he would go down in history as a star player. Chi-Woo pushed aside the unnecessary thoughts and focused only on running. ¡°Is there a nearby place where we can look down with a clear view?¡± Since they were making noises anyway, Ru Amuh asked Hawa out loud. ¡°One place comes to mind.¡± ¡°How long will it take for us to get there?¡± ¡°At this speed, it¡¯ll take us two minutes.¡± ¡°Please take the lead.¡± Hawa nodded and sped up to lead the group. As Hawa said, a huge peak appeared in front of them two minutes later. When people were pushed to a corner, they sometimes exhibited supernatural strength. Chi-Woo climbed the peak without stopping and was about to gasp for breath, but he quickly shut his mouth because Ru Amuh, who had arrived earlier than him, warned him with a thumb on his mouth. Chi-Woo tried his best to exhale with his mouth closed. Their surroundings had fallen again. The rocks thrown seemed to have effectively drawn the monster away since they hadn¡¯t gotten attacked as they ran. However, they still couldn¡¯t lower their guards; the monster could hear them and come at any moment. [Do you think it¡¯ll come?] Ru Hiana sent a message. Ru Amuh replied without hesitation. [It probably will.] [But we¡¯ve put so much distance between us¡­] [We have to move while expecting it to follow us.] [What do we do? Don¡¯t we have to quickly move out of here as well?] [As long as we don¡¯t make any sound, the monster won¡¯t catch us even if it comes. The problem is what would happen after.] Chi-Woo agreed. The monster seemed to have come here after hearing them climb to the peak, but since they were quietly resting now, the monster couldn¡¯t locate them anymore. They wouldn¡¯t get caught as long as they didn¡¯t make a sound. [Are we going farther ahead?] [No. We need to get down. But¡­] The problem was how they were going to escape. Since the monster had appeared while they were climbing Mount Evalaya, they couldn¡¯t recklessly move out. It would be no exaggeration to say that they had been caught in a spiderweb. Ru Hiana kept her mouth shut and quickly typed. [Why don¡¯t we try digging a trap and making a noise to purposely lure it in? We can kill it.] [Let¡¯s leave that as our last resort. It seemed faster than even me, so I¡¯m not confident that I can fight it while protecting everyone.] Chi-Woo gasped inwardly. ¡®It was faster than Ru Amuh? How strong must the monster be?¡¯ [We can fight it and create an opening for Senior to escape.] [Can we be certain that there¡¯s only one monster?] Ru Hiana fell silent. [We have to first secure an escape route. We can¡¯t go down the path we used to climb up. That¡¯ll make us easy prey whether we make a sound or not.] There was very little space to move between rock walls. The monster could easily make them human skewers by stretching its arms from a long distance. Therefore, they needed to find a path that would allow them to run away while ensuring enough space to fight if necessary. At that moment, Hawa suddenly poked Ru Amuh¡¯s back. Ru Amuh glanced at her and clenched his teeth. His prediction was right on the mark. The monster seemed to have heard them running; they could now see it in the distance. The monster was making a beeline for the exploration team as if it was angrily thinking, ¡®I know everything. You¡¯re there, aren¡¯t you? You dare to trick me?¡¯ While Ru Amuh tried to look for another rock, Hawa moved lightning fast. Tap! She made a sound. Tap, tap! Thud, tap, thud¡­ The stone bounced against the ground and rolled down the cliff. The monster¡¯s head swiveled towards that direction, and it jumped down the cliff like a wild boar on fire. Silence fell upon them again. Hawa, who had her arms stretched towards the cliff, quietly straightened her posture, and Chi-Woo slowly exhaled the breath he had been holding. After a while, they all looked down at the area the monster had jumped towards, and they flinched almost immediately. They had foreseen it to some degree. As expected, there was more than one monster. Even though their appearances were different from the first monster, a good number of monstrous creatures were wandering all over Evalaya. The uphill path that Eshnunna had initially planned to use as an escape route was also crawling with monsters. [What the hell are they?] Ru Hiana asked in surprise as she saw a worm-like monster that was digging a tunnel. Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh both shook their heads. [I have no idea.] In addition, there was a beast-like monster crawling on the ground on all fours and a furry monster disguising itself as bushes. Ru Amuh¡¯s expression darkened. Even if they went in the opposite direction of the monster sensitive to sound, they would have to avoid the other monsters. [What the heck are they doing?] Ru Hiana furiously typed. [Why are they acting like that?] The monsters had suddenly stopped moving and were staying completely still. Time seemed to have come to a halt. However, this didn¡¯t last long, and every single one of them began trembling and erupting into screams. After a while¡­ Splurt! Bones protruded from the worm monster crawling on the ground, which then fluttered like wings and lifted the worm monster into the air. ¨CBeeeeeeeeeep! It flew higher than where the exploration team was located and circled in the air. Ru Amuh, who had been observing it closely, realized his mistake. [Everyone, lower your head.] Ru Amuh tried to quickly send a message, but it was already too late. The worm monster discovered the exploration team and paused. While fluttering its wings, it opened its mouth wide. ¡ªkeeeeeeeahhhhh! It let out a high frequency sound that was painful to hear, and mysterious screams responded to the monster¡¯s call from all over the mountain. Soon after, they heard noises approaching that sounded like someone or something was rushing toward them, followed by the rumble of the ground. ¡°Everyone, run!¡± Ru Amuh shouted with all his might, and everyone jumped off the peak. CH 77 Ru Amuh followed soon after Chi-Woo jumped down the mountain peak. They didn¡¯t have the chance to check how many monsters there were or how they looked. They didn¡¯t even know whether or not they were on the right path. They just started running as fast as they could to escape. With senses that surpassed normal humans, Ru Amuh ran while thinking that they wouldn¡¯t last even half a minute. The speed at which the monsters chased after them was exceedingly fast; and the ones in the back weren¡¯t their only concerns. There were monsters coming from their right, left, and even from above. ¡®We can¡¯t¡­¡¯ It would be a victory if even one out of the five of them made it out alive. ¡®At least Teacher should¡­!¡¯ Before Ru Amuh could finish his thought, he sensed a monster¡¯s presence near him. ¡°Be careful¡­!¡± He shouted as a clump of spider web burst out from a bush on the side. A spider monster cast its web like a net at the search party. Having foreseen it beforehand, Ru Amuh sidestepped the web by an inch. On the other hand, Hawa froze slightly facing the unexpected ambush; if she continued running forward, she would fall into the web, but if she stopped, she would be caught by the monsters chasing after them. Neither was her way out. Thus, with perfect timing, Hawa quickly flung herself towards the bushes and landed where the spider monster had burst out from. Bang! Stunned that Hawa had exchanged positions with it, the spider monster turned around. But it didn¡¯t chase after her and instead focused its attention on its other prey. Hawa was just one person, and there were four people currently in its vicinity. Soon, Chi-Woo was faced with the eight eyes scattered all over the spider monster¡¯s body, which sent a chill down his spine. He didn¡¯t know what had happened to Hawa, but he was certain of one thing: he was the spider monster¡¯s next target. Proving him right, the spider monster ran towards him with its eight legs until it was right in front of Chi-Woo. It then raised one of its legs to pierce Chi-Woo¡¯s back¡ª ¡°How dare you!¡± Punch! ¡ªKiih!? A heavy thump was followed by the spider monster¡¯s short shriek. ¡°Senior! Let¡¯s go!¡± Ru Hiana shouted. Ru Hiana had been running behind Chi-Woo this whole time and jumped to action as soon as he was in danger. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana!¡± Chi-Woo turned instinctively to see Ru Hiana climbing on top of the spider monster¡¯s sloping body before stabbing her sword through the top of its head. And then he saw the monsters coming for them from behind. ¡°Run! Don¡¯t look back!¡± Ru Hiana held onto her deeply inserted sword like a steering wheel as the spider monster floundered madly. When she saw the other monsters rushing to them from behind, she quickly jumped off the spider monster and dived into the side bushes like Hawa did. They had only started running a while ago, and yet two people had already separated from the group. However, there was no time to be concerned about Hawa or Ru Hiana. Their danger was still imminent, and would only get worse onwards. The monster¡¯s cries were getting closer than ever, and dozens of monsters began to peek their heads out from the hills in front of them. Chi-Woo cursed. They had almost run into their enemies blindly. Ru Amuh stopped running. Hurriedly, he twisted around and rushed toward where Hawa and Ru Hiana had gone. Simultaneously, monsters from the front and back lunged. Six or seven of them were about to strike Chi-Woo, but¡ªWhoosh! Strong winds circled around Chi-Woo fiercely before growing into a whirlwind, trapping the monsters caught within. Although the wind only managed to make the monsters stumble, it created an opening for Chi-Woo to escape from the monsters¡¯ view. However, dangers continued to come their way. Clang! ¡°I apologize, Teacher¡­!¡± Ru Amuh shouted while drawing his sword with a sharp shing. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why Ru Amuh was apologizing, but it was clear what Ru Amuh was planning to do now: he would keep the monsters occupied so that Chi-Woo could escape. ¡®Mr. Ru Amuh¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo gritted his teeth, but the situation seemed inevitable. Ru Amuh must have decided when he stopped running that it was too late for him to return now. Even if Chi-Woo turned back to help Ru Amuh, he wouldn¡¯t be of much help, and it would be foolish of him to do so. No, there was one thing that Chi-Woo could still do. Chi-Woo thought of his die and looked conflicted. Given the circumstances, he should roll the die, shouldn¡¯t he? No, not yet¡ªanother part of him thought, and he debated with himself back and forth. He reached into his pocket to grab the die, but in the end, Chi-Woo shook his head to himself. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t.¡¯ No one had died yet, and they were still running. What if he rolled the die and got the wrong number? Chi-Woo recalled the memory of the last failure and removed his hand from his pocket. In the end, he simply gritted his teeth and ran. Without looking back, he ran and ran. Watching Chi-Woo go farther away from him, Ru Amuh lifted his sword. He stood in the path that Chi-Woo had taken and made a firm resolve to die only after giving Chi-Woo as much running start as he could¡ªor at least enough time to escape Mountain Evalaya. But soon, Ru Amuh was taken by surprise. ¡°What?¡± Monsters that were flung away by Ru Amuh¡¯s winds rose again and suddenly dispersed. Most of them circled past Ru Amuh and rushed towards where Chi-Woo had gone. It seemed the monsters were intent on not letting a single prey escape. Despite his shock, Ru Amuh quickly tried to chase after them, but he wasn¡¯t able to. Whirrrrl! Tentacles flew from both sides and wrapped around his arms and legs. Although the majority of the monsters were chasing Chi-Woo, not all of them had gone. Two had remained and surrounded Ru Amuh. ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± Ru Amuh groaned as he fought against the force pulling on his wrist, swinging his sword quickly to cut the tentacles. He tried to follow that up with a couple more consecutive swings, but the tentacles regrew almost instantly after they were severed, and the monster¡¯s strength was truly formidable. He knew he wasn¡¯t going to cut down twenty or thirty of them simultaneously as he had done with the mutants that had yet to fully evolve. Still, he thought he could face them if there were only two. However, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste so much time fighting them. If he wanted to buy Chi-Woo time, fighting one was one too many. ¡®I should get away from them as fast as possible and chase after Teacher again.¡¯ Ru Amuh clenched his fists towards the two monsters that blocked his path and quickly moved. At the same time, Chi-Woo thought while running, ¡®What should I do?¡¯ It would be great if no more monsters came out, but there was little chance of that happening. Hawa had dropped out in the beginning, and Ru Hiana and Ru Amuh, the two people who could protect him, were no longer with him. The only person left was Eshnunna. Moreover, he could tell that the monsters that had been hindered briefly by Ru Amuh¡¯s attacks were now chasing him. ¡®Perhaps it was too late.¡¯ Was Ru Amuh already defeated? He didn¡¯t want to believe it, but the reality was harsh. What should he do? Chi-Woo considered what alternatives there were besides throwing the die, and the first thing that came up was using the ¡®sharing¡¯ ability. Mimi had told him to save this ability as much as possible, but this was not the time to be picky. Death would soon catch up with him, and he needed to do everything he could to survive. Which ability should he choose? Swordsmanship? Combat fighting? No¡ªthese were not it. What could be helpful in this situation was¡­ ¡®Ms. Mimi!¡¯ A notification immediately came up. [User Choi Chi-Woo will share Ru Amuh¡¯s special ability ¡®Synesthesia¡¯.] [Synesthesia rank¡­S. Trust level¡­97%. Adjusted rank¡­A+.] Mimi seemed to have also recognized the severity of the situation as she immediately read Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts and began the sharing process. [Sharing is complete. User Chi-Woo¡¯s special ability ¡®Synesthesia¡¯ will be activated.] Chi-Woo felt a strange sensation sweep through his entire body as soon as the sharing was complete. Even though he was just running while looking to the front, his body seemed to be collecting sensory information from all around him. It felt as if he was looking at a map updating in real-time. Synesthesia was a phenomenon in which stimulation of one sense triggered another sense. Chi-Woo felt a strong sensation coming toward him from one side. When he reflexively turned around, he saw Eshnunna running with difficulty. Then, as soon as she came within his sight, a fierce alarm rang in his head. There wasn¡¯t even time to talk. As soon as he recognized the strange sensation, he ran towards Eshnunna. Eshnunna screamed as she was brought to the ground with Chi-Woo. Bam! Eshnunna was about to shout and ask what he was doing, but she was soon stunned by the ensuing explosion. Something hit hard against the spot Eshnunna had just been in. If she had kept on moving, she would have been completely pulverized. Eshnunna blankly looked at it, belatedly realizing that she was shaking. Chi-Woo helped Eshnunna up as he got to his feet before starting running again. ¡°N-no¡­just leave me and g¡­¡± Eshnunna froze before she could move. There were monsters all around them. In the short amount of time they had stood still, the monsters had caught up with them. Chi-Woo looked at the monster jumping like a grasshopper and clenched his teeth before dashing straight towards it. The monsters had caught up, but they hadn¡¯t been caught yet. They could still run away¡ªif they even have a chance. At the very moment the monsters jumped and were about to rush towards them in unison, Chi-Woo focused on his new senses. ¡®Please!¡¯ ¡®Left!¡¯ Chi-Woo made a swift turn while running. Swish! A sharp sensation passed his side. ¡®Back, left, and right simultaneously! Ankle!¡¯ Chi-Woo jumped with all his might, and something that felt like an elastic rubber brushed him before dropping. ¡®Left, right, diagonal next!¡¯ As soon as his feet touched the ground, he began running again and dashed in a zig-zag line. Huge insect-like monsters charged past him on both sides, leaving deep impressions on the ground. ¡®Back again! Front!¡¯ Chi-Woo immediately turned to the side and spun around. Swish! A monster that appeared behind him flew past Chi-Woo and pierced another monster in his front. The tall monster that had been coming towards him stopped and screamed in pain. Then Chi-Woo slid past between the monster¡¯s legs with all the momentum he could generate. After passing through this small, tunnel-like opening, he saw a bright path. With what little strength he could muster, he got up while carrying Eshnunna before quickly ducking down. Whoosh! A chilling sensation missed his back by a hair. With one misstep, his body would have been cut into two. ¡°Huff!¡± Chi-Woo straightened his back and began running again. He ran straight ahead like the wind. Eshnunna looked completely stunned while being in Chi-Woo¡¯s arms. She had been certain of their doom when all manners of monsters rushed towards them at the same time. She couldn¡¯t believe that they had emerged miraculously unscathed. The monsters seemed just as stunned as they looked at the place where they had all attacked at once and blankly stared at Chi-Woo as he moved farther away. They were so shocked that for a while, they simply stood frozen rather than chasing after Chi-Woo. The monsters had been sure that they would get them; they had surrounded Chi-Woo and Eshnunna and rushed towards them at the same time. There had only been a 1 to 2 seconds time difference between their attacks. However, Chi-Woo seized the short opening and managed to escape every time they tried to catch him. Moving his body like an acrobat, he avoided the monster¡¯s attacks in a matter of seconds. Thus, even the monsters were shocked beyond belief, which thankfully allowed Chi-Woo to run straight ahead, putting more distance between them and the monsters. Only then did the monsters yell in anger and resume their chase. The crisis was not over yet. They had only gone over one hurdle. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how many more they would have to overcome until they left this mountain. And even if they escaped, he didn¡¯t know how many strenuous events awaited them before they could return to their fortress. Various thoughts passed through his mind, but Chi-Woo decided to stop thinking. It was imperative for them to get out of this situation first. At that moment, Chi-Woo suddenly felt his surroundings become dark again. Even though the sun was not setting yet, shadows were growing longer. ¡®What¡¯s happening?¡¯ Chi-Woo was confused and suddenly found a rock slowly rising from a distance. ¡®What?¡¯ What he saw didn¡¯t make sense. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened wide as he tracked the movement of the rocky wall. No, it wasn¡¯t a rock, but huge muscles that were as hard as rocks. It was a monster. A gigantic monster about the same size as a house was in the process of rising. It smirked as it saw Chi-Woo running while holding Eshnunna and raised its hand. An enormous hand that was big enough to cover the sun¡¯s rays soared vertically. At the same time, the monster opened its mouth. Guahhhhhhhhhhhh! The terrible roar shook the entire mountain range. Accompanied by a tremendous burst of wind, the giant monster¡¯s hand quickly dropped down. CH 78 The giant monster¡¯s hand shot up high towards the sky before crashing down. Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth hung open as the hand¡¯s shadow swallow his entire body. ¡®I have to¡ª¡¯ He had to escape. However, the range of the monster¡¯s attack was enormous and extended beyond his senses. In other words, he would be caught by the impact of the attack no matter where he ran. All he could do was to avoid a direct hit and minimize the damage. After all, getting flung by the impact was preferable to being flattened under its palm. Chi-Woo relied on his instincts and twisted his body in the opposite direction after throwing Eshnunna away from danger. At the same time, he propelled himself up with a kick to the ground as the giant hand landed. Baaaam! The ground trembled and let out a thunderous roar. As if an earthquake had occurred, the Evalaya Mountain shook. Bbiii¡ª! A high-pitch ringing pierced Chi-Woo¡¯s ears as a great force hurled him away. Eshnunna shot upward like a fountain, while Chi-Woo flew in the opposite direction while drawing a long parabola in the air. Chi-Woo lost his senses as a violent tremor swept across his entire body, shaking him to the very core. His vision spun like mad for a brief, dizzying moment, making his vision all blurry like a fuzzy and broken TV screen. The next thing he knew, he was rolling uncontrollably. Intense pain shot through his body again and again as the hostile landscape scratched him all over. Only after seeing dirt surge up all around him did Chi-Woo realize that he had fallen onto the ground. Then the pain stopped altogether, abruptly replaced by a strange sensation. It felt different from when he was thrown into the air a moment ago. It felt as if he was flying through the air where nothing existed. ¡°!¡± The sense of foreboding prompted Chi-Woo to reach out, flailing his arms around hoping to grab something, anything. When his fingertips felt something tangible, he clutched onto it hard. Ziiip! ¡°Ugggh!¡± He seemed to have scraped his hand hard against a rough surface, causing heat to be generated by the friction. Burning pain burst in his hand, so excruciating that he felt like his palm was shredding. Then his body jerked to a stop, and a sharp pain shot through his shoulder like it was falling off. His body had felt light as a feather, but now he was feeling its weight. His feet aimlessly moved in the air like he was riding a bicycle in an attempt to find solid ground, but it turned out futile no matter how hard he tried. ¡®Why¡­!¡¯ Glancing down, Chi-Woo finally realized the situation he was in. There was nothing below him but empty space. He looked upwards and saw a cliff; his bloody hands were barely clinging to the protruding edge. No wonder his body was dangling so much. If he hadn¡¯t stretched out his hands at the last moment, he would have fallen just like that. However, even the hand holding onto the cliff¡¯s edge was beginning to slide bit by bit, unable to overcome the gravity pulling him down. He couldn¡¯t stop his gradual fall even though he tried to put more strength into his grasp. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face darkened as he watched his thumb and pinky lose their grip. His three remaining fingers were about to fall off as well when a figure swiftly dashed out from between the trees and landed on the edge of the cliff. Then a hand reached out to Chi-Woo and grabbed him, pulling him up. ¡°Focus!¡± Having given up on all hope, Chi-Woo blinked at the silver-haired girl soaked in sweat, dazed. It was Hawa, who had separated from the group after receiving an attack from a spider monster. ¡°Your right hand!¡± Chi-Woo quickly raised his right hand. After clutching onto the cliff with both hands, his body felt much more stable. Then Hawa pulled him up with all her might, and Chi-Woo pitched in with his own strength to pull himself up to the best of his ability. ¡°Hah!¡± After much trouble, Chi-Woo managed to crawl to the top of the cliff¡¯s edge and sprawled on the ground. He couldn¡¯t believe that he hadn¡¯t fallen off. ¡°Please get up. It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Hawa grabbed Chi-Woo from the back as he heaved and forced him to stand up again. It would have been nice if he could celebrate his survival and cry in joy, but the reality was harsh. After getting onto his feet, Chi-Woo looked ahead in stunned silence. They were already surrounded by the monsters that had been chasing after them. Stuck between the monsters and the edge of the cliff, they were completely cornered. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Chi-Woo let out a humorless laugh. He realized then why there hadn¡¯t been many monsters in this direction. ¡®We got played.¡¯ The monsters knew that there was a cliff and funneled them here. Chi-Woo had no confidence in penetrating through the group of monsters again, but he couldn¡¯t back away either. There was no way out. As soon as he met one of the monster¡¯s eyes, the corner of its lips lifted. Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh and said, ¡°Why¡­did you come for me¡­?¡± There was no reason for Hawa to be here. It would have been better for her to escape when the monsters¡¯ attention was drawn to Chi-Woo. How could she have been so foolish? Yet, Hawa replied calmly, ¡°I wanted to repay the debt I owed you.¡± A debt? Chi-Woo pointed at the cluster of monsters and turned back to Hawa. ¡°Well, if you are going to repay me, can you also do something about those guys?¡± ¡°¡­If you are asking for interest, I¡¯ll repay that later. I was actually hoping to become indebted to you again.¡± Hawa didn¡¯t have a way out, either. Chi-Woo opened his mouth again as he watched the monsters flutter around. ¡°I suppose we will¡­die this time.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± As Chi-Woo helplessly waited for the impending doom while licking his lips, he saw something passing through his vision and sensed a presence. Glancing at it, Chi-Woo recognized the familiar figure: the one who had made a sudden appearance was no one other than Ru Amuh. It seemed he had defeated or escaped the monsters he had been dealing with and chased after Chi-Woo. However, Ru Amuh¡¯s condition didn¡¯t look that great. He seemed to have been hit a couple of times, and blood was pouring down his head. Ru Amuh opened his eyes wide as he saw Chi-Woo and Hawa completely cornered. Watching the man running toward them, Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll survive with Mr. Ru Amuh¡¯s help?¡± ¡°No,¡± Hawa replied immediately, ¡°The fact that they were able to trick and corner their prey means that they possess intelligence.¡± Hawa was right; the monsters in front of them knew how to use their brain. Thus, it seemed impossible for him and Hawa to run past these monsters even if Ru Amuh managed to deal with the majority of them. Moreover, seeing how the monsters had behaved earlier, it looked like they were planning to kill them this time. ¡°There¡¯s probably a better chance for Mr. Ru Amuh to survive if he runs away by himself,¡± Hawa suggested, and Chi-Woo agreed. It was true. The two of them wouldn¡¯t be able to escape even with Ru Amuh¡¯s help. They also had the giant monster to think about. ¡°Then¡ª¡° After collecting his thoughts, Chi-Woo spoke again, ¡°If we do something about the monsters, at least the ones right in front of us, I suppose the possibility of Mr. Ru Amuh and other people surviving would increase further.¡± Hawa turned to look at Chi-Woo; she seemed perplexed. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°We only have two options left. We could wait for Mr. Ru Amuh to come to our aid before charging forward and hoping for a miracle. Or we could walk backward together and fall down the cliff before Mr. Ru Amuh arrives.¡± Hawa tilted her head because it sounded as if Chi-Woo was asking her how she would prefer to die. However, Chi-Woo had mentioned dealing with the monsters in front of them. ¡°If we pick the latter, we might survive.¡± Hawa wasn¡¯t sure if she had heard him properly. ¡°No, we might survive if we¡¯re lucky.¡± Chi-Woo quickly amended. ¡°The probability is 50 percent¡­no, around 42.9 percent? Of course, it¡¯s not a definite estimation.¡± Hawa¡¯s eyes became big as saucers. If they faced the monsters head-on like this, their chance of survival was definitely 0%. However, according to Chi-Woo, if they fell from the cliff, their chance of survival would increase to an astounding 42.9%. Moreover, Chi-Woo said that if they took care of the monsters in front of them, their survival rate would increase even further. Hawa had no idea what Chi-Woo was planning, but she knew he wasn¡¯t making empty promises. His past achievements were sufficient evidence for her to believe him. Anyway, if Hawa had to choose, her choice was clear. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Rather than asking him to explain, Hawa decided to do what she could. ¡°It¡¯s better to fall to my death than get eaten.¡± The decision was thus made. Chi-Woo said, ¡°Hold on tight.¡± Then immediately, he turned on the device and sent a message. Ru Amuh paused when he heard the notification. The message he received confused him. ¡®He¡¯s telling me to stay away?¡¯ As he stared at Chi-Woo, he heard another notification. [Like last time, can you call forth the wind again?] Even though Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t understand why Chi-Woo had suddenly brought that up, Chi-Woo was a great hero who he admired. Ru Amuh thought Chi-Woo must have a plan in mind and immediately replied. [If I use up all the divinity I have left, I think it¡¯ll be possible.] [Good. Please call forth the wind when all the monsters are about to attack me.] [What?] [Please make a wind big enough to at least sweep all the monsters here down the cliff.] Ru Amuh figured out Chi-Woo¡¯s plan. A great number of monsters were gathered around the edge of the cliff to catch Chi-Woo. If his timing was right, Ru Amuh would be able to push all the monsters off the cliff at once. At this height, even the monsters would be completely crushed when they landed. Moreover, even if they survived the fall, it¡¯d take them a long time to recover, and the rest of the party would be able to put some distance between them and the monsters. Ru Amuh could read Chi-Woo¡¯s intentions, but¡­ [But then Teacher, you would also¡­] [Please don¡¯t worry about me or Ms. Hawa.] Chi-Woo sent a message and took out a talisman he had prepared beforehand, showing it to Ru Amuh. Ru Amuh let out a small exclamation as he recalled the strange abilities Chi-Woo had displayed with talismans like that. [I¡¯ll take care of myself, so just focus on bringing forth the biggest wind you can.] Ru Amuh didn¡¯t know exactly what Chi-Woo was planning to do, but it seemed that Chi-Woo was going to use the talisman to break free from the wind. [Will you really be alright?] [We don¡¯t have time to waste. Do it now!] The monsters had stopped eyeing Chi-Woo and Hawa like mice in a trap and started to move. ¡®Trust him. I¡¯m going to trust Teacher.¡¯ Ru Amuh began squeezing out all the divinity he had left. The wind started blowing. Once it got windy enough that the front of Ru Amuh¡¯s hair was swept to one side, Chi-Woo said, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Hawa stood right next to Chi-Woo and hugged him tightly with both arms. Chi-Woo typed with one hand while holding her with the other. ¡°Ms. Hawa.¡± He looked at the incoming monsters with anxious eyes and continued, ¡°You¡¯re single, right?¡± ¡°Yes? Yeah.¡± ¡°Do you want to marry me?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a simple covenant while we¡¯re falling.¡± Hawa looked up at him, silently asking him what nonsense he was spouting. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die single.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hawa¡¯s eyes fluttered. ¡°That¡­¡± She looked down as if she was feeling shy and carefully said, ¡°I know that we¡¯re about to die, but can you stop with the bullshit¡­¡± Chi-Woo felt a little bit more relaxed by Hawa¡¯s blunt reply. He gave her a small smile. ¡°They¡¯re coming. Let¡¯s go!¡± Chi-Woo suddenly let out a cry and acted as if he was going to run straight ahead. The monsters moved simultaneously in response, scattering to both sides to circle them like they were determined to not lose Chi-Woo this time. The next moment, Chi-Woo and Hawa tipped their bodies backward at the same time like they had rehearsed it. Whoooooosh! And as if it had been waiting for this very moment, a gale burst behind the monsters. The monsters¡¯ balance was already skewed towards the front as they were all trying to catch Chi-Woo, so when the gale pushed them from behind, they tumbled forward helplessly. Since even huge monsters were losing their balance, it was impossible for Chi-Woo and Hawa to endure the gale¡¯s force; their already shifted center of gravity was pushed further backward. The world tilted, and their feet left solid ground. Chi-Woo sent out a message he had already typed for Ru Amuh and soon felt a familiar lightness. As the cliff moved quickly away from him, he saw the monsters fall after him while swinging their arms. ¡®I did it.¡¯ Even while falling, Chi-Woo smiled as he saw the monster flail around in the air. There was nothing he could do about the monsters that could fly, but he could at least bring down a large number of monsters with him. But of course, he had no intentions of joining them in their deaths; he was going to try his best to survive till the very end. [The die¡­!] Among the cacophony of wind swishing around him and monsters crying out, he faintly heard Mimi¡¯s voice. ¡®I know.¡¯ Even though his whole world was upside down, Chi-Woo fumbled through his pocket with one hand. He barely managed to put his hand in his pocket and tightly clutched the World¡¯s Milestone. Chi-Woo had never rolled this die even once since leaving the forest. He was terrified of what the results would be if he used it carelessly. After experiencing bitter failure, he resolved to never rely on the die ever again. ¡®But even then¡­¡¯ He had done everything he could this time, and there was no alternative. Luck was truly all he had left to rely on. ¡®Please.¡¯ Chi-Woo tightly clenched his fist. ¡®Please!¡¯ He threw the die as hard as he could below. [You have rolled the World¡¯s Milestone.] The die had been thrown, and the only thing he could do was wait. There were instances where people who fell from high places died of heart attacks due to the extraordinary fear brought about by falling. Chi-Woo was afraid as well, but he decided to close his eyes instead. He felt even his ribs shiver, so he tightly held onto Hawa and buried his face in her silver hair. They seemed to fall endlessly. On the other hand, the die had fallen earlier than them and roughly bounced off the ground. It bounced up and down like a spring and then slowed down until finally it stopped bouncing and began rolling quickly across the ground. At the same time, the volume of clouds around them slowly decreased, and when Chi-Woo¡¯s head was quickly rushing towards a bumpy rock¡ª Ding! He heard a notification. [Result.] The die had finally stopped rolling. CH 79 Slanted to one side from the gust of wind, the trees gradually returned to their original position. The wind stopped blowing, and their plan had ended in success. The cliff which had been crowded with monsters just a moment ago was now wiped clean, and not a single monster remained. Not just the monsters, but no humans remained, either. Ru Amuh looked at the edge of the empty cliff, and his eyes became blank. There was a message hovering in the air. It was a message that Chi-Woo had sent just before he was sucked into the whirlwind. [Sorry for lying. This was Ms. Hawa¡¯s and my decision.] The following messages were short and choppy because Chi-Woo had to quickly type. Still, Ru Amuh fully understood what this message meant: Chi-Woo was apologizing for lying and telling him to not feel guilty since this was a decision that he and Hawa had made of their free will. ¡°Teacher¡­!¡± Unable to accept reality, Ru Amuh shouted in shock once realization caught up with him. He rushed to where Chi-Woo had been standing, hopeful that Chi-Woo would be hanging somewhere below the cliff. [Don¡¯t come for us. Search for the others. Escape.] The next message told him to not bother looking for him and urged Ru Amuh to find Eshnunna and Ru Hiana quickly before escaping the mountain. [Stay alive and meet again.] The message ended with Chi-Woo telling him that they should meet again after surviving. Crack. A sharp sound came out of Ru Amuh¡¯s mouth. ¡°Why¡­¡± Bam. He suddenly heard a heavy thud. Across from him, the giant monster approached and tilted its head towards the cliff. It blinked like it was also confused, seemingly too preoccupied with Chi-Woo¡¯s disappearance to notice Ru Amuh¡¯s existence. The giant monster was truly enormous, but its movements looked doltish. There could be other monsters, but this was an opportunity. Ru Amuh was conflicted, but then he saw Eshnunna lying prone across below a hill and squeezed his eyes shut. Recalling Chi-Woo¡¯s final words, Ru Amuh forcefully moved his heavy feet, not to where Chi-Woo had fallen, but where Eshnunna lay. * * * Some time passed, and as the sun lazily made its way down the sky, a man appeared near the vicinity of a fortress. He looked so terrible that a beggar would have mistaken him as their friend. The man sighed in relief when he saw that the fortress was still intact. Then he clutched onto a paper bag in one of his arms tightly before making his way in. After passing the fortress¡¯ three castle walls in order, the man was a bit taken aback that there was no one walking around when it wasn¡¯t even night or early morning. It was quiet, way too quiet. Perhaps people had moved bases during his time outside. However, the man soon found out that he was wrong, and he saw a cluster of people walking toward him from far away. It seemed this group of people had also sighted him, as they made a small commotion. Then they came to a stop and unsheathed their weapons against him in high alert. The man smirked and raised one of his arms as he stomped toward them. ¡°I¡¯m Allen Leonard from the sixth recruits. I¡¯m not anyone suspicious, so please put your weapons back down.¡± ¡°Who is this bastard? What is the sentry doing¡­?¡± ¡°Who are you¡­oh?¡± Realizing that this beggar-looking man was Allen Leonard, the hero looked stunned. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last saw you. Where have you been?¡± ¡°I wandered a bit outside. I was requested to find something.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Anyways, thank goodness you came back alive¡­¡± The hero trailed off. For some reason, his expression looked dark, and the other heroes¡¯ faces appeared likewise. ¡°What happened? The fortress is too quiet,¡± Allen Leonard asked, and the hero let out a long sigh. He turned around and jerked his chin to indicate the direction for Allen to go. Following the gesture, Allen started walking again, and he heard a faint noise further in. It sounded like people were murmuring or even crying. When he finally reached the square, Allen was able to see the situation for himself. He saw everyone in the fortress gathered at the square, circling around a couple of familiar faces and murmuring. It seemed they had arrived at the same time as he did by coincidence, and their conditions were no laughing matter. Nevertheless, Allen was happy to see that they had come back safely, but then he stopped himself. The atmosphere was strange. Ru Amuh was standing with a sorrowful face, and Eshnunna had collapsed onto the ground spiritlessly. Likewise, Zelit stood looking lost as Ru Hiana shook him by his collars. Then¡­Allen flinched and turned around to look for one more person. The search party that had gone off to look for food had come back, but there was a missing person. No matter how much he looked, Chi-Woo was nowhere to be seen. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you we shouldn¡¯t bring him¡­!¡± He heard an angry and teary outburst. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have brought Senior¡­!¡± As soon as Allen heard these words, his face stiffened. He had his worries, but hearing the words shocked him so much that his mouth hung wide open. ¡°Senior¡­! How can he go like this¡­!¡± Allen¡¯s arms slid down. The medicine and herbs in his paper bag slid to the ground. The goods he had barely managed to salvage were now completely meaningless. Chi-Woo was dead. The thing they had worried about the most came true. Allen didn¡¯t even bend down to pick up the items, but instead stood blankly on the spot. ¡°Do something¡­! Senior, he¡­!¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s cries rang throughout the square with no sign of stopping. * * * Five days ago. Chi-Woo felt a cold sensation, and when he opened his eyes again, he realized two facts. First, his surroundings were pitch black, so he couldn¡¯t see anything. Second, he felt intense pain all over his body. ¡®Where am I¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo tried to lift himself up from the ground, but felt a sharp pain in his wrist and toppled over. ¡°Ow, ow, ow¡­!¡± It wasn¡¯t just his wrist that was in pain. His palm felt like it was burning, and his ankles felt numb. Then he felt the wet and sticky sensation all over his body: it was blood that had drenched him all over. Chi-Woo smiled bitterly. He had been too preoccupied with escaping to be concerned about anything else, but it was only expected that he would be inflicted with many injuries after being surrounded by monsters. ¡®The pain is killing me¡­¡¯ While groaning, Chi-Woo tried to assess the current situation. The last memory he had was falling off the cliff with Hawa. ¡®I think I¡¯m alive.¡¯ And besides that, he didn¡¯t seem to be near the Evalaya Mountain. It would have been very difficult for him to survive after falling from such a high place, so he wondered how he ended up in a dark space without sunlight or moonlight. ¡®Am I not in a mountain, but somewhere completely different?¡¯ Were they suddenly teleported into an unknown place while falling off the cliff? In ordinary cases, he would have dismissed this idea as preposterous, but with the World¡¯s Milestone, it wasn¡¯t impossible. Even though the World¡¯s Milestone was weakened, a miracle could occur with the appearance of a Deus Ex Machina. ¡®A message should have popped up.¡¯ He did see a faint message in front of him. However, since it was so dark, he couldn¡¯t read it. ¡®What the hell. I should at least go to a place with a bit of light¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo took in a deep breath and felt around. Judging by the hard texture, he seemed to be on rocky terrain. However, rather than a rough and uneven surface, what he felt was a smoothly-cut rock wall. Chi-Woo rolled toward the wall and got as close as possible before propping himself up with its support. After struggling to get up, a sharp, metallic smell of blood assaulted his nose. It seemed that he was bleeding heavier than he had thought. His physical condition was awful, and the bag on his back felt like it weighed tons. However, he had to get moving. Since he was able to survive, he needed to at least find a way to continue living. ¡®It¡¯s so difficult because I can¡¯t see an¡­¡¯ Now that he thought about it, he didn''t know where Hawa was. He didn¡¯t know whether Hawa was also transported here, or had fallen to a different place. Maybe she had continued to fall while he was the only one transported? The last scenario was too awful to even think about, and Chi-Woo shook his head. He couldn¡¯t jump to conclusions yet. He needed to first move and read the message to get a general idea of the situation. Every step was a struggle as Chi-Woo moved with the support of the wall. He had to stop only a few minutes after. He couldn¡¯t feel the wall anymore, which had basically acted as his guide. ¡®It stopped?¡¯ No matter how much he waved his hand around, he couldn¡¯t feel anything. It was the same for the floor; the path suddenly stopped here. Even though it wasn¡¯t completely gone like the wall, the floor seemed to have become extremely narrow, approximately 30 centimeters by his estimation. If he wanted to continue further, he would be walking on a tightrope. Or in other words, he would fall again with even one misstep. ¡®This is insane.¡¯ Why was he transported here of all places? Had he actually died, but simply didn¡¯t know this was the afterlife? All kinds of thoughts passed through his mind. He wondered if he should keep going this way, or find a different path. While he was pondering this, Chi-Woo suddenly flinched as he felt shivers run down his back. ¡®What is that?¡¯ With his heightened senses from the shared ability, he felt a foreign substance or figure near him. The foreign figure was precisely moving in his direction as if it knew where Chi-Woo was. ¡®Hawa? No.¡¯ The foreign figure was moving way too fast for it to be Hawa; it was running towards Chi-Woo, moving so fast it might as well be flying. Startled, Chi-Woo glanced over his shoulder before quickly trying to move forward. He didn¡¯t know what that thing was, but he had a bad feeling about it. It was nerve-wracking to move forward like this, but there was no time for him to be hesitant. Even though his pain was getting worse, Chi-Woo endured and continued to move forward. However, it didn¡¯t take long before he realized how futile his efforts were; the being following him was way too fast. ¡®Again¡­!¡¯ Growl. Before Chi-Woo could even finish his thought, he heard an animal¡¯s cry. Even though he knew he shouldn¡¯t, Chi-Woo looked back and froze. ¡®When did it¡­!¡¯ The figure was right behind him. He heard more growling sounds. Even though he couldn¡¯t see well, he knew that the being was at least not human. It was at least four heads taller than he was, and its red eyes beamed at him. Then a violent burst of light shot at him from its left. Swoosh! Chi-Woo instinctively jumped forward at that moment. Splash! He felt a burning sensation on his back. ¡°Aghhhhhh!¡± Chi-Woo screamed and fell, rolling to his side. Thud, thud, thud, thud! He didn¡¯t know how many times he had hit the ground, but as he expected, it was a big drop from the path to its surrounding area. Chi-Woo kept rolling down and colliding against unknown surfaces. Thud! After ten seconds, he finally stopped rolling. ¡°Kyaaaghh¡ª!¡± Chi-Woo gasped for breath. If the mysterious monster came down where he was, Chi-Woo would die without even being able to resist. However, the monster didn¡¯t chase after him for reasons unbeknownst to him; it only lingered in the same place as if it was regretful that its prey had fallen far away. Then Chi-Woo felt it turn to leave through Synesthesia. Maybe the monster couldn¡¯t go down for some reason. However, Chi-Woo was in no condition to think about such matters. ¡°Agh! Kaaugh!¡± His physical condition had already been bad, but it grew even worse. He had been bleeding extensively, but after tumbling down and colliding against unknown structures, his back was severely damaged. While his whole body hurt like he had been violently beaten up, the pain from his back was unimaginably excruciating. It felt as if his back was on fire, or a saw was slicing it open. Chi-Woo writhed and squirmed due to the pain too severe to put into words, but soon, he became too drained to even move. ¡°Ah¡­Agh¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t even let out proper sounds anymore. While he gasped for breath with his stomach on the floor, he recalled Ru Amuh¡¯s words. [Have you ever tried piercing someone with a weapon like this sword?] [Or with anything?] Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t known. He had no idea how painful it was to be pierced. He had expected the worst, but after experiencing it himself, he wanted to immediately die because at least then, he could escape from the pain. The thought did nothing to soothe him; Chi-Woo¡¯s expression became even more agonized. ¡®Fuc¡­¡¯ He had tried everything in his power to survive and fallen off a cliff to avoid monsters. After his close escape from death, he was chased and attacked by an unknown monster before falling again. All his hard work had amounted to this. This whole situation was unbelievably unfair. What kind of shitty luck was this? ¡®Fuck¡­Fuck¡­!¡¯ While Chi-Woo¡¯s saliva dribbled down to his chin with his stomach on the floor, he slowly felt his body grow numb. Is this what dying felt like? Chi-Woo closed his eyes as he gasped for breath. His family was the first thing coming to his mind. ¡°Daa¡­d¡­¡± His dad always told him to never give up no matter how painful and difficult things were. ¡°Mo¡­mm¡­¡± His mom had cried while asking if he really had to go. ¡°¡­Chi¡­Hyunn¡­¡± And his brother. ¡®Why¡­did I¡­¡¯ While calling out to his family, tears began to stream down his face. He didn¡¯t want to die. He didn¡¯t want to die yet, he wanted to continue living. Chi-Woo smacked his lips and was unable to suppress his emotions any longer; he bawled. ¡®Dad, mom, brother.¡¯ The full-grown man cried like a child. CH 80 When Chi-Woo gained consciousness, he found himself in a strange place where he couldn¡¯t see any color. He also saw a river that stretched endlessly and a line of people waiting for their turn in front of it. Like the land of the dead, everything was in ashes. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ His body no longer hurt. Not only did he feel no pain, but he also didn¡¯t feel any sensation. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Chi-Woo glanced back and forth between his two hands and looked towards the long line of people. He didn¡¯t dare to initiate a conversation with these people, who had their heads hung low, expressionless. Thus, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t ask questions like where he was, or why they were waiting in line. Yet for some unknowable reason, Chi-Woo got a strong feeling that he had to stand in line with these people and go to the same place they were heading to. ¡®Huh?¡¯ He was about to walk there thoughtlessly when he felt someone grab onto the hem of his shirt. ¡®Who?¡¯ He turned around and saw a tall woman. She wore a faded gown with her hood pressed down so that half of her face was hidden. The only things visible were the sleek edge of her nose and plump, pretty lips. He was able to tell she was a woman by the soft, wavy, and abundant hair flowing down her protruding bust. ¡®A beam balance?¡¯ Chi-Woo noticed that the woman was carrying a balance with a scale plate on each side in her left hand. When Chi-Woo fully turned around, her slender hand let go of him. Then she walked slowly as if she was telling him to follow her. ¡®But¡­¡¯ He had to quickly stand in the line and was about to turn back when the woman stopped walking. She looked over her shoulder at him and shook her head. ¡®Is she telling me not to look behind?¡¯ Chi-Woo felt a strange sensation. He had felt compelled to join the line of people as quickly as possible and cross the river, but the compulsion weakened when the woman appeared. Now, he felt a stronger will to follow this woman than stand in the line. Turning to face forward, the lady began to walk slowly again. After staring at her back blankly for a while, Chi-Woo made his way not towards the line but the mystical woman. He simply walked, and as he did, he felt an indescribable feeling. He felt colorless just like everything he saw around him. His head felt completely empty, and at the end of the emptiness, it felt as if he would become lost in this world, that he would become part of it. Whenever the feeling hit him, Chi-Woo would be overwhelmed with the urge to turn around and join the line to cross the river. Every time he felt this way, though, the woman would stop walking and turn around to look at him. Chi-Woo felt her gaze under her hoodie and her silent imploration for him to continue following her. Thus, Chi-Woo was able to walk towards the woman again. Like he was bewitched by the silverish energy pouring out of her, he walked. After a while, he completely forgot that he was following her lead, and the passage of time seemed just as meaningless. ¡®Ah.¡¯ He saw a light. A cluster of light emerged in the direction where the woman was going and wrapped around him. The parts of the world where the light touched were regaining colors. ¡®Where¡­?¡¯ Before he realized it, the woman had been obscured by the light, and Chi-Woo hurried to catch up with her. A wave of intense light blanketed him, and a faint voice that was barely audible rang inside his head. [User Choi Chi-Woo!] ¡°!¡± At the sudden ringing in his head, Chi-Woo forced his eyes open. [You can¡¯t leave like this! Did you insist on coming to this place so obstinately to just die here? Quickly regain your senses! Quickly¡­!] ¡°¡­Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a groan. [Are you alright? Did you regain your senses? User Choi Chi-Woo!?] ¡°Stop¡­my head¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s head was muddled since he had just regained his senses. He couldn¡¯t hear clearly, and his head was in a mess from the constant ringing. Mimi fell silent like she had read his mind. Finally, Chi-Woo opened the eyes he had squeezed shut again, and in the hazy view, he saw a wavering silverish and reddish light that looked to be burning. Chi-Woo blinked several times and saw a silver-haired girl look down at him in slight surprise. ¡°Ms¡­Hawa¡­?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice sounded incredibly hoarse. Looking at him calmly, Hawa crouched down by his side and poured something into his mouth. A cool substance flowed into his throat, and Chi-Woo quickly realized it was water. He gulped it down senselessly because his throat felt extremely parched. Gulp, gulp! Hawa watched as Chi-Woo¡¯s Adam''s apple bobbed up and down and took away the water bottle from his lips when it was completely empty. ¡°Haaaa¡­!¡± Chi-Woo exhaled. It sounded like a sigh of relief. ¡°You almost died,¡± seeing that he had regained his senses, Hawa said. ¡°Your injury isn¡¯t as serious as I thought it would be, but you lost a lot of blood. You also had a fever.¡± Chi-Woo checked through his own body. It hurt like he was getting pierced all over him. His back, especially, burned like it wasn¡¯t part of his body anymore. But it seemed time had helped, and his pain was manageable enough for him to endure and talk. ¡°I thought you were done for just an hour ago¡­I didn¡¯t think you would open your eyes again.¡± Chi-Woo agreed. He thought he would really die this time. But how was he still alive? He thought he¡¯d seen the Sanzu River or the Styx River in his dream. ¡°¡­¡± Like most dreams he had, he couldn¡¯t recall it well after he woke up. However, he still recalled clearly the feeling of something very soft and warm embracing him. After groaning for a while, Chi-Woo opened his mouth painfully. ¡°The monsters¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about them. I don¡¯t know why, but they don¡¯t seem able to come down here.¡± ¡°What about you¡­¡± Hawa understood Chi-Woo¡¯s question before he even finished like the clever girl she was, and she answered him without missing a beat. According to her, they had been teleported together, but ended up in different areas. And they would have been moving in different directions, but Hawa found the injured Chi-Woo and took care of him. It was then the surroundings came into Chi-Woo¡¯s view. The first thing he saw was a torch hanging on the wall. They were in a space that looked like the cave he rescued Ru Amuh in. However, rather than a completely natural cave, there were traces left by humans. Even though it seemed like it had been a while since anyone came to this cave, the torch on the wall was evidence that humans used to be here. ¡°I was the one who lit the fire.¡± Hawa raised the flint in her hand and continued, ¡°I also used the torch I brought with me, but the sconce was already there.¡± As Hawa said, there was already a fixture to hang a torch on the wall. In short¡ª ¡°This is just my prediction¡­but I think we might be in a dungeon.¡± ¡°¡­A dungeon¡­¡± Hawa tilted her head at Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction. ¡°I thought you would have known already.¡± In Hawa¡¯s perspective, she thought it was Chi-Woo who had used sorcery to bring them here. She perfectly remembered the last moments before they would fall to their death. Light had suddenly burst out from one part of the ground and covered Chi-Woo and Hawa; when she opened her eyes, she was in a completely different place. However, contrary to Hawa¡¯s expectations, Chi-Woo only knew that they had landed here because of the die, and had no idea where they were. Chi-Woo was about to shake his head, but he subconsciously opened his eyes and quickly sat up. Pain flooded back to his body as he tried to move, but Chi-Woo gritted his teeth and persisted. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be better if you lie down for now.¡± ¡°Wait, wait¡­!¡± When Chi-Woo refused to listen, Hawa supported his back without another word. Thanks to her help, Chi-Woo managed to lean on the wall with difficulty and let out a soft breath. And when he tilted his head back, messages flooded his view as expected. [Result: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï] [Innate Ability [Blessed] Luck has been used (82->75).] Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes became big as saucers. He had rolled 7. No matter how many times he looked at it, it was still 7. Chi-Woo shoved his hand in his pocket without thinking and grabbed the die. He thought he had dropped it, but it seemed to have been teleported with him. Chi-Woo gulped and looked down. [The flow of the world has fluctuated and flowed against the current!] [Huge Success! An incident will occur.] [While he was chased by monsters and fell off the cliff, Chi-Woo, who desperately wanted to live, subconsciously wished, ¡®If I was a little, a little bit stronger¡­¡¯ A forgotten god has responded to Chi-Woo¡¯s desperate cries and reached out to Chi-Woo. Choi Chi-Woo will be transported to the lost paradise of the forgotten god.] Was that what he had wished for? He wasn¡¯t sure even though the message said he had subconsciously wished to get stronger. Anyway, that didn¡¯t really matter. ¡®The lost paradise of a forgotten god.¡¯ Chi-Woo murmured to himself that this place didn¡¯t look like a paradise and turned back to Hawa. ¡°Have you heard about the forgotten god?¡± ¡°Forgotten god¡­¡± Hawa thought for a while and shook her head. ¡°No. I learned a lot about my role, but there are a large number of forgotten gods.¡± ¡°Are there that many?¡± ¡°It would be difficult to count each one if you start from the mythical days.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. A short silence fell between them. ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± Hawa was the one to break the silence. ¡°Let¡¯s first look around,¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t ponder for too long and quickly replied. He just got confirmation that the result of the World¡¯s Milestone was not just an ordinary success, but a huge success; he had rolled 7, which was the highest number he could get from the die. The keywords of the messages were ¡®desire to live¡¯ and ¡®desire to get stronger¡¯. He didn¡¯t know where he was, but he was sure that this place would increase his chance of surviving in the future. Of course, he must not lower his guard even if that was the case. Deus Ex Machina meant intervention from a god, but there was a condition to using Chi-Woo¡¯s die. After throwing the die a couple times, Chi-Woo roughly understood what the condition was. For example, if he wanted to eat food, the World¡¯s Milestone would help him set the table. However, Chi-Woo needed to do the eating himself. Even though he got a 7, he didn¡¯t think the condition would be different this time. ¡®I can¡¯t just stay still.¡¯ As there was a saying that the heavens favored those who helped themselves, he needed to start moving. After a while, Chi-Woo got up to his feet with Hawa¡¯s support. Hawa carried his bag for him and held up the torch as she asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± There were many places to go; there were pockets of caverns with entrances and paths all around them. It looked like a formicary. Chi-Woo became certain of one matter as he stood up: he still didn¡¯t know if this place was a dungeon or cave, but there had definitely been quite a lot of human habitants. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­What do you think, Ms. Hawa?¡± Chi-Woo decided to look around, but he didn¡¯t know where to go, so he decided to get Hawa¡¯s opinion. Honestly, he hadn¡¯t expected a clear answer when he asked her, so he was slightly surprised when Hawa pointed at one place and responded almost immediately. ¡°Let¡¯s first¡ªgo there.¡± ¡°Uh¡­Why?¡± ¡°I can hear sounds of water.¡± ¡°Water?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a bit faint, but you can¡¯t hear it?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. No matter how hard he listened, he couldn¡¯t hear any sounds of water. ¡°I can¡¯t hear it¡­ Your ears must be very keen.¡± ¡°This is normal,¡± Hawa replied as if she thought he was the one who was strange. ¡®The Shahnaz are nomadic people after all.¡¯ Even back on Earth, it was said that Mongolians who grew up on the grasslands had much better eyesight and hearing than those who grew up in the cities. The same was probably true of Hawa. In any case, water was indispensable for survival, so it was a great idea to collect some water first. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chi-Woo began slowly moving towards where Hawa had pointed¡ªwhile leaning on her, taking one step at a time. CH 81 The path was more complicated than Chi-Woo had expected. They had to turn corners often, and it wasn¡¯t uncommon for new paths to suddenly appear; in such cases, they had to choose which direction to go, and it was truly fortunate that Hawa was there with him because she always managed to choose a place where she heard water running. Chi-Woo felt like he was wandering inside a labyrinth. After dozens of minutes, he arrived at an open space that resembled a rotor with multiple paths connected to the center; among these paths was a unique, tunnel-like passageway. Hawa said that she could clearly hear water running from there, and the two of them treaded inside. At the end of the dark passageway was a spacious clearing. While it was only dimly lit, it was bright enough that they didn¡¯t need a torch. ¡®Where is the light coming from¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo tilted his head and noticed stalactites hanging from the ceiling like icicles. Glowing softly, each piece lit up the surroundings like a light bulb, and Chi-Woo¡¯s breath was momentarily taken away from the magical scene. ¡°How amazing. Is this perhaps¡­¡± Chi-Woo was about to ask about the stalactites when Hawa¡¯s expression gave him pause. Her usually expressionless face was twisted with shock, and her eyes were wide open. ¡°What is it?¡± Chi-Woo asked, but Hawa didn¡¯t answer; she simply stared at the scene in front of her. ¡®There isn¡¯t much here.¡¯ The area was spacious, but there wasn¡¯t much except for an unusually large entrance that headed to who-knows-where and a deep pit beside it that stretched outward in all directions like a channel. There was nothing inside the pit, and it seemed that there used to be a lake or other body of water there. ¡°Please give me a moment.¡± Hawa finally spoke. ¡°Please wait.¡± She carefully distanced herself from Chi-Woo¡¯s side and ran frantically to the place that looked like a channel; as soon as she reached the pit, she kneeled. She gathered her hands together and placed them inside the pit before carefully bringing her hands to her lips. It was as if she was drawing water from the lake and drinking from it. ¡°Ah!¡± After making a loud shriek, Hawa repeated the same actions. ¡®What is she doing?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at Hawa with confusion. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t see a drop of water. ¡°What are you doing? There¡¯s no water. Why are you¡­¡± Chi-Woo asked, worried that Hawa had gone crazy from her thirst. But Hawa tipped her head backward and smiled slightly. It was the first time Chi-Woo saw her smile. Hawa placed her hands back into the pit and swung them hard back at Chi-Woo. ¡®Does she want to pretend play with water or something?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, concerned that Hawa¡¯s mind had suddenly regressed into that of an infant, but then, Splash! Chi-Woo recoiled reflexively. ¡°¡­¡± He blinked in astonishment, feeling a burst of coldness hitting his face and liquid dripping down the ends of his hair strands. Although he couldn¡¯t see the water, he could clearly feel it. ¡°Huh¡­Huh¡­?¡± Chi-Woo rubbed his face. His palms were wet with invisible water. ¡°What¡­?¡± Chi-Woo spluttered. His reaction seemed to have amused Hawa. She began to scoop up water and drink again. Chi-Woo crawled towards the area blankly. When he edged closer and looked down, he was surprised to see how deep the pit was. Inside the pit, he saw seaweeds and corals glowing softly as they swayed, seemingly to waves he couldn¡¯t see. There were also small fishes swimming with their tails swishing, and clams breathing with their plump siphons. If only water existed, it would have looked like a lake inside a cave. But Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t see the water, and anyone who saw this place would have been shocked to see fishes swimming in the air. ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no water,¡± Hawa said while continuously drinking from her palms. ¡°It¡¯s just too clear to be seen.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo reached into the pit and felt his hands sinking into something like water. Swishing his hands about, he was hit with a strange sensation. He felt much less resistance than he would have from plain water, and this substance felt several-fold fresher and cooler. Although he had felt it for himself, Chi-Woo still didn¡¯t think it was water. ¡°It¡¯s not just any water,¡± Hawa added when she noticed Chi-Woo¡¯s expression. ¡± According to the teachings, this water has several names.¡± ¡°Names?¡± ¡°¡®Water of Voices¡¯ because it is said to hear your pleas. ¡®Water of Promises¡¯ because it is said to grant wishes. ¡®Water of Infinite Changes¡¯ because it is said to change depending on the situation.¡± Hawa drank another gulp and added, ¡°Our tribe called it ¡®Water of the Gods¡¯.¡± ¡°Water of the Gods?¡± ¡°Yes, it means that the gods had given us the water, since there¡¯s no way a water can possess so many different powers unless it has been honed by the gods.¡± ¡°¡­It sounds like the water is very precious.¡± ¡°Yes, this water has been passed down from generation to generation in our tribe. I¡¯ve seen it before, but only once.¡± ¡°Really? When?¡± ¡°It was when I was chosen to be the shaman that will serve goddess Shahnaz. They dropped a droplet of this water into my mouth then.¡± One droplet for a person¡¯s lifetime¡ªno wonder Hawa was drinking it so passionately. With his tongue sticking out, Chi-Woo gained a new curiosity and edged his head closer to the pit. He felt a substance meet his mouth and was about to suck some in. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Chi-Woo turned to Hawa and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re injured.¡± ¡°Am I not supposed to drink it in an injured state?¡± Hawa tilted her head and shrugged. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s fine since it won¡¯t kill you.¡± It sounded like Hawa was telling him to try if he really wanted to, so Chi-Woo decided to go with it. He swallowed the shapeless substance that he had sucked in with his mouth. ¡°Umph!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s body spasmed. ¡°Urgh! Ahh!¡± He flopped to the ground and rolled like mad. As soon as he drank the water, the throbbing pain across his body suddenly grew exponentially. ¡°Ah! Kaah!¡± The dull pain became sharper and clearer. After suffering for a while, Chi-Woo became used to the pain. He looked up with saliva dripping down the corner of his mouth. ¡°How is it?¡± Hawa asked indifferently. ¡°Can you hear it now?¡± ¡®Hear what?¡¯ Chi-Woo was about to ask what the hell she was talking about, but he was shocked into silence by what he was hearing. Pswhhh, Pswhhh, Pswhh. He heard the sound of water flowing. He hadn¡¯t been able to hear it just a moment ago, but after drinking the water, he could suddenly hear the sound. Moreover, his eyesight seemed to have gotten sharper as well, and each and every one of his five senses seemed to have improved. It felt as if all the cells in his body had been activated. Chi-Woo became speechless for a while. Remarking on the opportune timing of this occurrence with a smirk, Hawa began taking off his clothes. ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± ¡°Just stay still for a bit.¡± ¡°Wait! Aren¡¯t we progressing too fast!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna eat you, and don¡¯t say such weird things.¡± Even though Chi-Woo firmly resisted, she successfully removed all the clothes from his exhausted body and pushed him into the pit. Splash. Chi-Woo fell into the water. ¡°Why did you suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Now, ask for it to cure your body.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I told you. It¡¯s a water that listens and grants your wishes, and it changes according to different situations.¡± Chi-Woo gaped at her. ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t grant everything, but just in case, you should try¡­¡± Hawa was about to tell him that he should ¡®pray reverently with a sincere heart as if dealing with a god¡¯, but she trailed off mid-sentence with a frown. ¡°Uh? What¡¯s happening?¡± Chi-Woo made a loud noise as the fish swimming freely in the pit suddenly flocked to him with vigor. He didn¡¯t know where they had emerged from, but dozens of them were gathering around him. ¡°H-help.¡± Chi-Woo tried to avoid them at first because they looked like a flock of piranhas trying to eat him. However, he couldn¡¯t move. Even though he hadn¡¯t eaten anything poisonous, he was suddenly paralyzed. That wasn¡¯t the end of it, however, and the fish began to move his body around with strong currents, pulling Chi-Woo¡¯s arms and legs to the sides, while he desperately tried to cover his important area from Hawa¡¯s eyes. ¡°S-stop it!¡± In the end, Chi-Woo¡¯s body was spread out by the fish, and he tightly shut his eyes after seeing that the fish were targeting all areas of his body. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chi-Woo clenched his teeth because he thought the fish was going to bite his flesh off, but unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t feel any pain. Instead, their bites were a bit prickly and tickled him in a good way. Chi-Woo slowly opened his eyes and found to his surprise that the fish weren¡¯t nibbling all over his body, but instead gathering around specific body parts of his such as his ankles, palms, and forearms. In particular, he felt countless prickling sensations on his back. The fish were gathered only around his injured areas. And upon closer inspection, he realized that they were not piranhas. ¡®Doctor fish?¡¯ Chi-Woo remembered hearing about the Garra Rufa, a type of healing fish. The fish seemed to be something similar. Soon, his blood began to spread in the transparent water, which had seeped out from his wound whenever his injury was bitten by the fish. However, the transparent water seemed to be cleansing itself, and soon his blood had vanished altogether. The fish¡¯s saliva seemed to also have a hemostatic effect as his bleeding had quickly stopped. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± A groan escaped Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth. It felt nice. To put it into words, it felt like he was cleaning his wounds and applying disinfectant. He almost wanted to roll around in the water, basking in the feeling of being treated. Then the fish that had flocked around Chi-Woo¡¯s injuries turned around. They began trembling as if they were trying to push something out. ¡°?¡± Chi-Woo saw white powder come out from what was possibly the fish¡¯ anus. ¡®Poop?¡¯ He had no idea whether it was poop or not, but Chi-Woo stayed still. Since the water was restraining his body, he couldn¡¯t avoid it anyway, but he was also captivated by such a strange sight. In all the areas that the white powder came in contact with, the bleeding stopped, the injuries healed, and new skin began to form. His pain also subsided significantly. Soon after, he could move freely again. The fish also began swimming away leisurely, as if they had no time for him after their work was done. Chi-Woo slowly raised his hand with a look of disbelief on his face. ¡°Wow¡­¡± he exclaimed almost involuntarily. His completely ripped palms became smooth like a baby¡¯s skin. Was this a dream or reality? Unable to suppress his awe, Chi-Woo quickly stood up. He waved his fists around and even tried jumping. It seemed as if they hadn¡¯t healed his internal injuries, as he still felt a string of pain. However, it was much better than before. He could walk and even run. ¡°Ms. Hawa!¡± Chi-Woo got out of the pit and shouted with a bright expression. ¡°I¡¯m healed! I¡¯m really healed!¡± He expressed his delight without any embarrassment. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Hawa looked shocked. ¡°I begged for 37 days and got only a drop¡­¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly why, but Hawa was murmuring to herself with a slightly disgruntled tone. While jumping up and down in joy, Chi-Woo suddenly realized his nakedness. It was then Hawa recovered from her shock and looked at him head-on. Silence passed between them. Chi-Woo forced his stiff head to turn around robotically. He was able to see clearly what happened next: Hawa¡¯s eyes flicked downwards and widened in surprise. Her jaw dropped a little as well. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hawa made a fake cough and turned away. But she already saw everything. Flushed, Chi-Woo picked up his clothes and put them on. ¡°Darling, I¡¯ve finished washing myself. Why don¡¯t you go in now?¡± Chi-Woo tried his best to make a joke as if he was completely unfazed. Hawa snorted and threw his bag at him. She pointed her chin towards the source of the water. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡± Chi-Woo followed her gaze. He could clearly hear the sound of water flowing from deep inside. ¡°I might become a living witness to a historical moment,¡± Hawa said in a strangely loaded tone that was unusual from her. ¡°A witness to a historical moment?¡± ¡°Yes, just think about it. This is a place overflowing with holy water, a substance so rare that even a drop is hard to obtain.¡± Hawa was saying that if they went deeper inside, there might be something momentous waiting for them. ¡°Now that I think about it, you said something about a forgotten god¡­¡± Hawa glanced sideways at Chi-Woo and continued as if she could now understand what he had meant before. ¡°You never know, we might have really come to the forgotten god¡¯s paradise¡ªa place passed down only in legends.¡± ¡®Uh?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes became big as saucers. He hadn¡¯t even told everything to Hawa, but how did she know the full name of the place? Chi-Woo tilted his head and quickly followed behind her. CH 82 After they passed the entrance, Chi-Woo and Hawa arrived at a long passageway that looked like a tunnel. It wasn¡¯t dark inside because there were stalactites protruding from the ceilings illuminating the space. Chi-Woo walked for a while until he abruptly smelled a faint smoke. ¡®What is that?¡¯ It appeared to be steam or a haze. Like white fog people breathed out on a winter day, the steam-like substance poured out from ahead of them. And Chi-Woo began to see more patches of green mosses and grasses in his surroundings; the farther he went, the more noticeable they became. Furthermore, he felt cool and refreshed just like he would while walking in a forest at early sunrise. When they finally reached the end of the passageway, Chi-Woo and Hawa stopped. It was a dead end, and they couldn¡¯t see any other paths. Yet they weren¡¯t concerned about that in the slightest, too mesmerized by the fantastical sight before them. They saw a vast pasture that blanketed every inch of this space. Although they were inside a cave, the soft grass swayed from a breeze, and they found themselves in a forest made up of large trees. There was a small spring pool that usually would only be found deep inside a mountain, streaming water down in all directions. They had just crossed one passageway, but the scenery had gone through a 180-degree change. It was astonishing and truly unbelievable that a pasture of this size could exist inside a cave. On top of that, there was white smoke flowing across the area like clouds, which made the place look even more mystical. It truly looked like a god¡¯s residence. Splash! A fish jumped out of the pond like it was welcoming Chi-Woo. Huff, huff. Chi-Woo heard someone breathing roughly. It was Hawa, who was staring ahead with eager eyes. She ran to where the spring pool was. Chi-Woo followed her, and as expected, he couldn¡¯t see the water. However, he could clearly hear water running and saw fishes swimming inside; and above all, there was an unmoving marble at the center of the pool that was especially noticeable. Floating on top of the water, the gleaming marble was the size of a fist and looked like a white pearl. Chi-Woo and Hawa simultaneously reached out to the marble. The edges of their fingers were about to touch it, but they ended up meeting each other¡¯s hands first, and Hawa quickly withdrew her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should touch it.¡± Hawa shook her head. ¡°I feel a strong sense of resistance like we shouldn¡¯t touch it thoughtlessly¡­¡± ¡°A resistance?¡± Chi-Woo was confused. He hadn¡¯t felt the slightest of resistance, and instead felt something pull him closer. Drawn by the force, Chi-Woo gently wrapped his hand around the pearl and gingerly took it out of the water. Hawa looked slightly surprised, but nothing else happened. Chi-Woo brought the pearl to his face and carefully observed it. ¡®It¡¯s a godly item.¡¯ He concluded. It felt similar to the club he so treasured. How should he describe it? It was as if an unfathomable amount of beliefs had been transformed into divinity and compressed into an item. He also had a sense that he shouldn¡¯t use the item for the wrong reasons. The resistance that Hawa felt from it was probably something like that. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Hawa asked doubtfully. Chi-Woo shrugged and placed the pearl back into the spring pool again. For some reason, he got the feeling that he had to place it back for now. All the experiences he had gained so far told him that he should act upon his feelings and intuitions in situations such as these. Then, Chi-Woo looked around and finally saw a tall statue standing at the center of this spacious grove. Mesmerized, the pair walked towards the statue. The statue was bigger than they expected it to be, only a little shorter than Chi-Woo. ¡®Huh?¡¯ But for some reason, he had a weird sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. The statue was wearing something resembling a robe with her face almost entirely covered by the hood. Soft, luscious curls flowed down her shoulder. And then there was the balance scale that she was holding in her left hand. They all gave him a sense of familiarity. ¡®In my dream¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo clutched his head and scrunched up his forehead. He couldn¡¯t remember the dream well. He only recalled a soft and warm sensation tugging his clothes and waiting for him to follow so that he wouldn¡¯t go to the other side. ¡°The balance scale¡­¡± Hawa said and took a deep breath. ¡°Maybe, just maybe¡­but it can¡¯t be, can it¡­?¡± For some reason, Hawa had appeared extremely excited ever since they found the translucent water. ¡°The forgotten god¡­¡± After staring at the statue with her mouth hanging open, Hawa looked around her while licking her lips. ¡°The lost paradise¡­ Can it be¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Hawa looked back at him. ¡°La Bella,¡± she said before quickly going into a more detailed explanation. ¡°A god who appeared in mythical times. In modern times, she is a forgotten goddess who is mentioned only briefly in the records¡­¡± Hawa trailed off and frowned. It seemed she had read about the god before, but didn¡¯t remember the content clearly. [La Bella. She is the goddess of scales and is known to be the guardian of balance.] Chi-Woo suddenly heard Mimi¡¯s voice. ¡°The goddess of scales? A guardian of balance?¡± Chi-Woo repeated Mimi¡¯s words exactly. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Hawa looked up at Chi-Woo in surprise. [This goddess is¡­] Chi-Woo was about to tell Hawa the rest of what Mimi was telling him before suddenly shutting his mouth. Then he opened his eyes and tilted his chin while straightening his posture, looking down at Hawa as he continued in a hollow voice. ¡°La Bella isn¡¯t¡­a forgotten god¡­¡± Chi-Woo said, seemingly with difficulty. ¡°But a god that was forced to be forgotten¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°As the one who oversaw balance¡­and kept watch as a neutral party¡­La Bellla ignited anger¡­¡± ¡°What? Why are you suddenly acting like this?¡± ¡°In those days¡­there were those who didn¡¯t want balance¡­without a care for good or evil¡­ They tried to erase La Bella out of people¡¯s minds forcefully¡­¡± Chi-Woo continued as if he was possessed. Although she had looked at him with suspicions and confusion at first, Hawa¡¯s eyes widened as she heard more. The history Chi-Woo spoke of now was that a hero from another world would have no way of knowing. Even Hawa, who was well versed in mythical legends, had read only a couple of lines about La Bella. How could Chi-Woo talk as if he knew everything? Perhaps¡­? ¡°How wonderful.¡± Chi-Woo looked down at Hawa and curled the corners of his mouth slightly upwards. ¡°That there¡¯s a child who still remembers me¡­¡± Hawa¡¯s jaw dropped slowly. She clearly couldn¡¯t believe this was happening. ¡°L-La Bella¡­¡± It was then a short snicker escaped Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth, and he bowed his head low. It wasn¡¯t long before Chi-Woo¡¯s head and shoulders began to shake, and he burst into laughter he could no longer keep down. Hawa looked up at Chi-Woo blankly as he continued to chortle. ¡°What¡­¡± Like she couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, her mouth opened and closed. ¡°Ah.¡± Chi-Woo barely managed to stop laughing and meet her gaze. ¡°I was lying.¡± He smiled and added quite unnecessarily, ¡°You¡¯re quite easy to trick, Ms. Hawa.¡± Confusion gave way to stern disapproval. Hawa stalked up to him while grinding her teeth together and kicked Chi-Woo in his shin as he continued to snicker, hard enough to make an audible thud. ¡°Ack!¡± Chi-Woo screamed and clutched his shin while jumping up and down. Was it a trick of light, or did the goddess¡¯ statue just sigh while looking at them? * * * After that short skit, Chi-Woo and Hawa began wandering around the area. And the conclusion they made was that they wouldn¡¯t have any difficulty surviving for at least a short while. First, they had an abundant source of water, and it was not ordinary water, but holy water. There were even things to eat. The stream alone contained a great number of fish, clams, and seaweed. There were many mushrooms growing in the forest, and the trees bore a great deal of fruit. Of course, they had no intentions to live here. The problem wasn¡¯t how long they would stay here, but how they were going to leave. Even if they found a way out, there were terrifying and mysterious monsters wandering around. ¡°The Lost Paradise is the last refuge created by followers of La Bella.¡± Hawa seemed to have finally recalled some information., ¡°Honestly, it would be more appropriate to call it a hideout rather than a refuge; they had been persecuted and chased out.¡± ¡°Why were they chased out?¡± Hawa still seemed annoyed at Chi-Woo for tricking her, but after shooting him a glare, she continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know too well either since there aren¡¯t detailed records of La Bella and her followers left. However, based on my speculations, since La Bella is the guardian of balance¡­her followers might have been attacked by opposing forces.¡± In simpler terms, since they were always neutral and didn¡¯t take sides, there were more people who didn¡¯t look favorably at them. ¡°Since La Bella held immense power at one point, many people must have felt threatened by her followers.¡± ¡°Then¡­are you saying that the followers of La Bella were unable to endure the persecution and escaped here?¡± Hawa shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but that¡¯s how the records are written.¡± She went on to explain that La Bella¡¯s followers had lost the war and escaped to a deep place underground. Once they were there, La Bella created a paradise for herself. Even though the forces of good and evil both wanted La Bella¡¯s extinction, they couldn¡¯t break into her sanctuary. Thus, to stop La Bella from disturbing their plans, these two forces decided to completely isolate La Bella from the rest of the world. And to carry out their plans, they created the ¡®Monsters of La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary¡¯. These monsters wandered around the sanctuary and killed all living beings without exception or reason. Chi-Woo organized his thoughts as he listened to Hawa. This place was La Bella¡¯s sanctuary, a place only mentioned in legends and a paradise for the goddess. The monster he had run into outside was created by the forces of good and evil who were fearful of La Bella¡¯s powers, and they acted as gatekeepers to stop La Bella¡¯s followers from leaving. However, there was something Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°¡­Good and evil¡­¡± The forces of good and evil, which were sworn enemies, had joined forces to attack La Bella? It didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s strange for sure. I think that the reason why this record is still being passed down even after thousands of years is because this was an unprecedented event in which the gods on both sides had joined hands for the first time.¡± Chi-Woo was still confused after listening to Hawa. He read the message that had popped up after throwing his die again. According to this message, he desired to become stronger, and La Bella, the goddess of scales and the forgotten god, had reached out to help fulfill his wish¡­ The meaning behind this message seemed crystal clear¡ªit was telling him to become a follower of La Bella. Of course, before he made the final decision, he needed to deal with a few matters. Chi-Woo decided to put everything aside and ask for assistance. ¡®What do you think?¡¯ [¡­I don¡¯t recommend it.] Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes slightly widened at Mimi¡¯s reply. It was unexpected, as he thought she would readily agree to it. [Looking at this place and the various aspects of the goddess, she¡¯s an impeccable choice, but her disposition is¡­] ¡®What¡¯s her disposition?¡¯ [La Bella is a god in the ¡®True Neutral¡¯ alignment.] ¡®True Neutral? I¡¯m also in the neutral group. Doesn¡¯t that make us a good match?¡¯ [No. No, not at all.] Mimi fiercely rebutted, which she rarely did. [Your disposition is Neutral, and even among this group, you¡¯re in the category of ordinary citizens.] [Those in this category make their decisions according to their personal safety or desires. In other words, they don¡¯t have clear values or beliefs.] He had heard this before. [However, True Neutral is different.] [True Neutral is absolute and perfect, and it strives for perfect balance at all costs.] Mimi continued. [Gods in the True Neutral alignment don¡¯t differentiate between good and evil. The only thing that interests them is the balance between good and evil.] [If the forces of good get too strong, they crush them, and if the forces of evil get too strong, they destroy them. That¡¯s how they maintain the balance between good and evil.] Chi-Woo let out a small gasp. He finally understood what she meant. The forces of good and evil must have been fighting fiercely since ancient times, and Liber was probably no exception. There were no wars without end. There must have been times when one side had the overwhelming upper hand¡ªmaybe even enough to completely obliterate the other side. However, both of these forces had not gone extinct. The two forces had fought an incredibly long and inconclusive war. That was all because of the gods in the True Neutral alignment. When the forces of good were in danger of losing, the True Neutral gods fought against evil. Likewise, when the forces of evil were in danger of losing, they sided with the gods in the evil alignment and fought against the good. Following the logic, it was understandable why the forces of good and evil would join hands to take gods of the neutral alignment out of the picture. It would be no exaggeration to say the forces of good and evil had gotten sick of the endless war and decided to first defeat those true neutral bastards. ¡®Then, is it possible that Liber has ended up like this right because the gods in the True Neutral alignment were excluded?¡¯ [There are other factors to consider, but fundamentally, it¡¯s not exactly wrong.] Mimi agreed to Chi-Woo¡¯s speculation and sighed. True Neutral was a very dangerous disposition. Although it was powerful enough to control the forces of good and evil, its values and standards were volatile and hard to predict. ¡®If I get chosen by the goddess of scales¡­could I become stronger?¡¯ [You¡¯re definitely bound to get stronger.] Mimi spoke as if she was completely certain. [To achieve balance, there needs to be enough power to control both sides.] [In particular, True Neutral is an alignment that seeks balance through ¡®force¡¯.] [Moreover, this place was built to raise La Bella¡¯s apostles.] Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened; this was different from Hawa¡¯s explanation. [This is not simply a refuge or a hideout.] [This was where those who lost their homes to the forces of good and evil came to regain and rebuild their utopia.] Is that why this place was called the lost paradise? Chi-Woo nodded and fell into deep thought. Reading his mind, Mimi couldn¡¯t help getting conflicted. She wanted to stop him, but she couldn¡¯t. Considering the circumstances here and on Liber at large, there was actually no better choice than La Bella. Liber was currently 99.99% controlled by evil, and the gods in the good alignment were almost completely wiped out. If a god from the true neutral alignment joined them as their allies, they would become a reliable ally for the forces of good¡ªat least until their 0.01% fighting chance reached 50%. Even though what would come afterward was a concern, it would be miraculous to raise the percentage to that level in Liber¡¯s current climate. Considering all those factors, Mimi couldn¡¯t make a good case against the idea. She had to leave it up to Chi-Woo¡¯s decision. Hawa asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Chi-Woo looked around and stared at the stone statue. He had met a new god that couldn¡¯t be met under ordinary circumstances, and he was in a place that raised and trained the apostles of La Bella to become stronger. With all that in mind, Chi-Woo had a hunch¡ªperhaps, here in this lost paradise, a tutorial for Chi-Woo alone had just begun. Favorite CH 83 Chi-Woo and Hawa reached a decision quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s stay here in the meantime.¡± They had to do something about the monster roaming around the lost paradise before they could get out of here. There were several methods, but the best would be to kill it. That, however, was impossible when they were so weak. Chi-Woo believed that in order to beat their tutorial, they had to grow their powers until they were strong enough to defeat the monster outside. ¡°It¡¯s a monster from ancient mythology,¡± Hawa said in response to Chi-Woo¡¯s claim and stared at him like he had lost his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s keep all possibilities in mind. We could also deter the monster or find another exit.¡± Of course, as someone who prioritized safety foremost, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to take on any danger. Should he face an honorary death, or escape cowardly? If he had to choose between the two, he would choose the latter with no hesitation. The problem was that Liber was a damningly challenging world to survive in, and this place was no exception. During this search alone, his party had gone to another fortress thinking that even if there were mutants there, they could at least escape, but they ended up getting chased by monsters that made the mutants look like child¡¯s play. Thus, they always had to consider the worst possible situation on this damn planet. That Hawa seemed to agree with, and she kept her mouth shut. Moreover, the cave they were currently at was a place she had only heard from legends. Even if they didn¡¯t know how they ended up in this place, it seemed likely there would be something to gain if they invested enough time. In the end, they decided to stay. ¡°I¡¯ll walk the parameter.¡± Hawa got up to her feet. If they were going to stay here, for now, she wanted to learn about her surroundings first. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate this area a bit more.¡± Chi-Woo also got up. And the two of them parted ways¡ªHawa went outward, while Chi-Woo headed to the spring pool. After making sure that Hawa was gone, Chi-Woo quickly took off his clothes. They were in a terrible state: ripped and tattered while also being soaked with blood. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Looking like Einstein researching the theory of relativity, Chi-Woo put his clothes inside the spring pool. Even if he couldn¡¯t do anything about the rips and tears, he wanted to at least get rid of the bloodstains. Now that he thought about it, he recalled that this water was also called the ¡®Water of Wishes¡¯, which as its name suggested, granted wishes. ¡®Laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo desperately pleaded. Then his eyes turned wide as the stains that covered the entire clothing faded and soon disappeared. ¡°Wow.¡± His pants, socks, shoes, and even his underwear had all become pristine clean. If they weren¡¯t so tattered, they would have been good as new. After hanging his clothes sloppily onto some tree branches, Chi-Woo went inside the spring pool himself. A refreshing sensation engulfed him. ¡°Um¡­¡± After pondering for a bit, Chi-Woo made a wish again. Although he liked the coldness of the water, he wanted it to be warmer so that he could have a hot bath. Then, blurp, blurp¡­ The water began to stir. ¡°Huh?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned wide. The spring pool turned into a hot tub that let out steam and bubbles in places. The temperature was just warm enough against his skin. ¡°Yesssh¡­¡± His body loosened. He lay his head on the ground and let out a long sigh. ¡°Nice¡­¡± It was heaven. This was truly like a Peach Blossom Spring. After staying like that for a while, Chi-Woo began to feel sleepy. Over the past few days, he had been sleeping out in the elements, climbing mountains, getting chased again and again, and injuring himself; he was exhausted even though his injuries had been healed. As his body grew lethargic, his eyes grew heavy as well. He couldn¡¯t sleep. He had to find a way to be stronger even a moment stronger. ¡®I have to become stronger¡­¡¯ That was Chi-Woo¡¯s last thought before he fully closed his eyes. A moment later, blurp, blurp! A transparent fire boiled even more fiercely. * * * Hawa almost died during her exploration outside. To see how deep the place was, she tried climbing the rock cliff and almost got killed by the monster. If she hadn¡¯t loosened her grip as soon as the chilling feeling hit her, her head would¡¯ve been sliced off from her neck. ¡®I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because of the sanctuary, but the monster can¡¯t come to the lowest floor. If I go even a floor above, though, I¡¯d have entered the monster¡¯s territory,¡¯ Hawa concluded and returned to the sanctuary while rubbing her neck. ¡°¡­¡± She was stunned to see Chi-Woo lying inside the spring pool so comfortably. While she was out scouting their surroundings at the risk of death, Chi-Woo was having the time of his life and taking a warm bath. ¡®¡­Wait, a warm bath?¡¯ Hawa dipped her hand into the spring pool to make sure and realized that the water had changed once again. ¡®How can it change so easily?¡¯ She wondered, aghast. Not only was seeing the pool a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but the holy water wasn¡¯t the answer to all problems. Although the water possessed almost infinite powers, it didn¡¯t lend its powers to others easily; after all, Hawa had prayed without moving for three days in a row to earn a single drop before. Yet this man was able to change this water as easily as breathing. The water seemed to be granting each and every one of Chi-Woo¡¯s wishes even when he hadn¡¯t cast any magic. ¡®Who is this man exactly? Is it because he¡¯s a hero?¡¯ Hawa wondered with a tinge of jealousy. Then she scrunched up her forehead when she looked down at Chi-Woo. The spring pool was changing again, and the clear water turned yellowish. Upon a closer look, she realized that a yellowish substance was seeping out from all over Chi-Woo¡¯s body. As they did, they mixed with the holy water and either became translucent or gathered into small clumps, which the fishes ate up. And above all, it appeared that the giant pearl that was conveniently covering Chi-Woo¡¯s private area was emitting a silverish light. Hawa blinked frantically. ¡°What is happening¡­?¡± * * * Chi-Woo soon woke up from his sleep and opened his eyes. ¡°Um. Hm.¡± He inhaled deeply and wiped his lips. He slept so well that the edges of his mouth were glistening with saliva. ¡®I must have fallen asleep.¡¯ He tilted his head sideways and flinched. Even though he was still inside the spring pool, he felt cold. It seemed his hot bath was over. And there were a bunch of small fish around his body, all of them floating upside down with swollen bellies. ¡®What? Are they dead? Why so suddenly?¡¯ Worried, Chi-Woo poked at a small fish, and it immediately slapped his finger with its fin. The fish wasn¡¯t dead, but it seemed to be telling him to not bother them because they were exhausted. ¡°Wow, but I had a good rest.¡± Nevertheless, Chi-Woo¡¯s whole body felt light from the warm bath he hadn¡¯t been able to have in a long time. He stretched and got up, but suddenly stopped to stare blankly again. He realized that there was a message hovering in the air. [Purification of the body in the works¡­ 23.6%] ¡®Purification process?¡¯ What in the world did that mean? He¡¯d never heard of it, nor had he made a wish for that to happen. The only likely culprit behind this sudden change was the spring pool. Just in case, Chi-Woo submerged his body back into the spring pool again, but no matter how long he waited, the percentage didn¡¯t increase from 23.6%. It seemed the process had halted for some unknowable reason, which might have something to do with the fish currently struggling with their bellies full. ¡°Did you have a good sleep?¡± a prickly voice asked. Chi-Woo quickly turned around and saw Hawa with her arms crossed. ¡°Ah, Ms. Hawa.¡± He was startled. ¡°When did you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s been quite a while, but I don¡¯t know how much time has passed exactly.¡± Hawa continued, ¡°First of all, I think we¡¯re on the lowest level. We can climb up, but monsters are waiting for us. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of the sanctuary¡¯s influence, but the monsters can¡¯t come down here. It seems like this floor and the floor above it are the boundaries.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m certain of it since I almost died getting this piece of information,¡± Hawa said all this really quickly. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips. They had both decided to investigate this area together, but Chi-Woo failed to do so. He needed to say something, but he was at a loss for words. ¡°This water is¡­um¡­really good.¡± Hawa¡¯s head tilted as Chi-Woo barely managed to say something. While she had remained silent, it felt like she was saying, ¡®I even risked my life to find a way out, but you¡¯re just enjoying your time here?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s really interesting. The water, um, gets really hot and¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh, well, Ms. Hawa, do you also want to give it a try?¡± Chi-Woo rambled on and scratched his hand as he suggested Hawa to try the spring pool. Hawa folded her arms and snorted. ¡°¡­You should first put on some clothes.¡± Only then did Chi-Woo realize his current state; no wonder he felt so cool and light. He quickly ran to the tree and put on the clothes he hung on its branches. He seemed to have slept for a long time, and his clothes were almost completely dry. ¡°I¡¯ll go out as well; there might be a different path.¡± Chi-Woo laughed and quickly walked out. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been walking. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh when he was at a sufficient distance away from the sanctuary. Hawa¡¯s eyes had been bitingly sharp; anyone would probably get mad after working hard and seeing someone sleep so leisurely. But anyway¡ª ¡®What happened? Why do I feel so refreshed?¡¯ His body¡¯s condition was at its peak. At first, he thought it was because he had just gotten out of the bath, but his body seemed much lighter than before as he continued walking. The lightness permeated his entire body. Chi-Woo jumped around a few times before he began running. It felt easy, and he was running significantly faster than before. It felt as if he could move as freely as he wished to. Before he realized it, Chi-Woo had forgotten about his mission and focused all his attention on running. He was only going for a light jog, but at some point, he started to run with all he had. He didn¡¯t worry about where to go. There were dozens of paths in sight, so he could easily pick any path and keep running. As he had been doing for the past few days, Chi-Woo only stopped running when he was so tired that he collapsed to the floor. ¡°Huff, huff!¡± He struggled to breathe and was surprised. It felt like he had been running for dozens of minutes, and he had run the whole time without stopping even once. Before, he would have lost his strength and slowed down way earlier. However, after waking up from his nap, his endurance suddenly increased significantly. Chi-Woo pondered about the reason why, sitting up as realization struck him suddenly. ¡®Holy water.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t think of any other explanation other than the spring pool. Even though he should have been gasping for breath right now, he was able to breathe properly not long after. Chi-Woo got up and started running again along the path he had taken to get here. He didn¡¯t know why, but he wanted to keep running. * * * Meanwhile, Hawa had been staring at the spring pool in deep contemplation after Chi-Woo¡¯s departure. She flung off her clothes and went into the spring pool naked. Dropping to her knees, she prayed in a reverent posture. ¡®Please grant my wish as well¡­¡¯ However, the water didn¡¯t change. Whenever Chi-Woo wished for something, the water changed easily, but now, it was completely still, as if it had never changed at all. Even then, Hawa did not budge an inch. Ten minutes passed, then one hour. Only then did Hawa slowly open her eyes. When she saw that the water still hadn¡¯t changed at all, the corners of her mouth twisted, and she whispered, ¡°Fuck.¡± * * * ¡°Welcome back,¡± Hawa greeted him when Chi-Woo returned. She was in the middle of preparing food. Honestly, all she did was pick some fruit and mushrooms, but Chi-Woo was grateful. ¡°I thought you would be hungry by now. Why are you sweating so much?¡± ¡°I went on a run. But can we eat that as well?¡± Chi-Woo said while pointing at the mushroom; he was asking her if the mushroom was poisonous. ¡°Of course we can¡¯t just eat it.¡± However, Hawa seemed to have misinterpreted his words. She carried the fruit and mushrooms to the statue and dropped to her knees. Glancing at Chi-Woo, she beckoned him over to kneel down next to her. ¡°Come here and pray with me.¡± ¡°Pray?¡± ¡°Yes. We have to do it since everything here is Goddess La Bella¡¯s property. We should at least offer our prayers before we eat to avoid her wrath.¡± Convinced, Chi-Woo obediently knelt down next to Hawa. Following her lead, he clasped his hands together and lowered his head. ¡®Do I have to come up with my own prayer?¡¯ Chi-Woo pondered about what to do, but since he was praying to a god, he thought he should show at least some basic courtesy. ¡°Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one¡­¡± Chi-Woo used the Lord¡¯s Prayer and started from Matthews 6:11. ¡°I pray that the nation¡¯s power and glory would eternally be with you, Goddess La Bella. Amen.¡± When he finished his prayer, Hawa looked at him with slight surprise. She seemed startled and taken aback that he had said a proper prayer. ¡°Can we eat now?¡± Hawa nodded. Chi-Woo picked up a fruit that looked like a pear, and when he was about to take a bite¡ª Pat. He suddenly felt someone gently patting the top of his head, but it soon disappeared. Chi-Woo was shocked and instinctively turned towards Hawa. Hawa was holding a fruit with both hands and peeling the skin off. If it was not Hawa, who could it be? Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze shifted upwards. ¡°¡­¡± He looked up at the stone statue and took a bite of the fruit. Then, a message popped up. [You have consumed a sacramental fruit.] ¡®Huh?¡¯ In Christianity, the sacramental bread and wine referred to the bread and wine that symbolized Christ¡¯s flesh and blood, and in Buddhism, it referred to food offered to Buddha. Whichever it was, a sacramental fruit was food related to the gods, and there was only one god here. ¡®¡­Thank you for the food¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo was uncertain as he glanced at the statue and chewed on the mouthful of fruit. It might have been a trick of the light, but the statue¡¯s lips seemed to have curled into a small smile. CH 84 Their lives inside the cave began. Chi-Woo slept in the spring pool every day, and when he woke up, he got dressed and picked fruits, mushrooms, and other food available to them. After eating a meal with Hawa, he ventured outside to scout the area. The path was too complicated for him to remember in detail, so Chi-Woo simply picked a path and ran. Rather than trying to memorize the directions, he thought he would gain muscle memory if he ran enough times. Of course, besides memorizing directions, he also wanted to keep up the habit of running. Thus a daily routine was established: he ate breakfast and ran; then he returned to wash himself and have lunch before going out running again; after that was another round of washing up, having dinner, and running. And after returning from his final run, Chi-Woo fell asleep while taking a warm bath in the spring pool. When he woke up again, there was always a message hovering in the air. Chi-Woo checked the percentage of his purification and started his daily routines anew. One additional thing he did on top of everything was drinking at least three mouthfuls of holy water every day by Mimi¡¯s request. She had told him to do that before he ran, and although he didn¡¯t know the reason for that, Chi-Woo did as he was told. The effect spoke for itself; the more he ran, the more his body was filled with renewed vigor rather than getting tired. Chi-Woo knew something was different now from his daily routines alone. Since he was inside the cave, he didn¡¯t know exactly how much time had passed. However, Chi-Woo trusted his body¡¯s intrinsic circadian rhythm; although he had only been able to run around the fortress two times a day before, he was now able to run three times a day inside the cave. And even when he ran for longer and collapsed from the fatigue, his body quickly recovered. It was a bit scary. For some reason, his body didn¡¯t feel like it belonged to him. Counting each day by the times he slept inside the spring pool and woke up, he estimated that eleven days had passed. Chi-Woo was running hard again after eating a hearty meal when he suddenly saw a message. It was a simple message that said his physique had improved. 1. Name & Rank: Choi Chi-Woo (EX) [Strength E] His strength had reached a higher rank. ¡°¡­What?¡± He was so shocked that he muttered out loud. It was ridiculous; when he was at the fortress, he had run like mad, but it didn¡¯t change anything. Yet here in the sanctuary, he had managed to rank up in only eleven days. ¡®Ms. Mimi?¡¯ He knew to turn to Mimi when something baffled him now. [My name isn¡¯t Mimi. I think it¡¯s my fourth time telling you directly.] Mimi responded as soon as Chi-Woo clicked the button to call upon his assistant. [Anyways, there are four reasons for your rapid growth.] Mimi explained the first three reasons slowly. The first was the three gulps of holy water he had been drinking every day. The second was the purification process in the form of a hot bath. The third was the feasts he was having daily. ¡®What of the holy water?¡¯ [Haven¡¯t you felt that something was different after drinking it?] He had. He had felt like all his bodily senses were heightened, but that was all. [You were originally unable to hear the holy water flowing, right? But you were able to hear it once you drank the water.] That was true. Before he drank the water, he had doubts about what Hawa said, but he could clearly hear the sound of the water after drinking it. [By drinking the holy water, the senses that you hadn¡¯t been able to use were activated. Think of the ¡®Spirit Eye¡¯. That will probably make it easier for you to understand.] Chi-Woo let out a small gasp. Spirit Eye was an uncommon ability, but there were instances where people awakened the ability later in life. For example, possession often opened the victim¡¯s eyes to spirits. Similarly, the holy water had activated his senses and awakened cells that usually remained dormant. [There¡¯s a stark difference between someone with 6% of their senses open and someone with 60% of their senses open. Thanks to the holy water, you are now able to train the senses that you couldn¡¯t tap into before.] In other words, drinking the holy water increased the efficiency with which his body moved to its maximum. Additionally, the purification process that was currently ongoing was just as effective in opening his extra senses. [The purification process awakens dormant senses, too, but it¡¯s also effective in discharging waste that had accumulated in your body over the years. It was only natural for your physical condition to improve.] Chi-Woo nodded in understanding. ¡®Then, what do you mean by having feasts?¡¯ The fruit the trees in the cave bore were sweet and fresh, and the mushrooms were chewy and tasty, but he didn¡¯t feel anything particularly special about them. However, he had been curious why he got a message saying that he was eating a feast whenever he ate them. [Think about it.] Mimi answered cryptically. [After the meals, have you ever felt the need to release yourself?] Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned round. Now that he thought about it, Chi-Woo had never felt the need for a toilet while living in this cave. [You can think of a feast as a form of a supplement. Of course, it¡¯s much more than that. The feast cleanses your blood, supplies nutrients, and more to help purify and strengthen your body.] Chi-Woo was a little surprised. He knew this place would allow him to become stronger, but he didn¡¯t expect each and every little thing here to facilitate his growth. But there was one more thing Mimi hadn¡¯t told him. ¡®You said there were four reasons. What¡¯s the last one?¡¯ [It¡¯s the training you had done until now.] Mimi replied simply. [Your habit of running at the fortress without missing a day contributed to the result.] In other words, everything he had done wasn¡¯t meaningless. This was all he needed to know. Chi-Woo looked around his surroundings, and everything he saw appeared in a new light. This place existed for the purpose of making him stronger. He must become stronger to survive, and he needed to make the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Chi-Woo began to run again. After finishing his run, Chi-Woo spotted something strange while he was picking fruit from a tree. Inside the spring pool, fish were clustered close together in a circle with their heads touching. Their mouths kept opening and closing like they were in a meeting. And as if one of them had sensed Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze, a fish glanced behind to look at him. It then turned back and whispered eagerly again. What were they talking about so secretively? [Who is that human?] He heard a voice inside his mind. [What kind of human purifies so slowly?] [Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying. I thought we¡¯d be done with him in a day since he¡¯s a lowly human, but tch, it¡¯s been several days.] [That bastard¡¯s not human. Only his outer shell is human, but the inside is different. It has to be the case, or it doesn¡¯t make any sense.] [Yep. While working, I felt some kind of unknown power inside his body. It felt like all hell would break loose if it burst¡­] Chi-Woo listened to the fish and blinked in confusion. ¡®Ms. Assistant?¡¯ [They seem to be saying something along those lines.] Mimi quickly changed the topic. ¡®Wait, you can understand what fish are saying? Do fish even talk?¡¯ [It¡¯s more of the general idea of what they are feeling. Moreover, they¡¯re not ordinary fish, but fish living in holy water.] Chi-Woo pondered for a long while whether Mimi was joking. However, his assistant had never told him a joke before. He ended up wondering about the unanswered question as he prayed and had dinner with Hawa afterward. While he was in the middle of eating a fruit, Hawa suddenly asked, ¡°How long are you going to just keep running?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Chi-Woo said while chewing. ¡°Maybe until I can kill all those monsters outside?¡± Hawa looked exasperated by his ridiculous response. Now that Chi-Woo thought about it, Hawa had told him that the beings outside were monsters that appeared in legends. He didn¡¯t know how strong they were, but he knew at least that the mutants stood no chance against them. ¡°It would be great if we can escape without having to confront them,¡± Chi-Woo amended. ¡°But we can¡¯t bet on that. We need to be at least strong enough to avoid their attacks head-on and escape.¡± In other words, Chi-Woo was going to make plans with the presumption that they would have to face the monsters. Hawa didn¡¯t disagree with him in this matter, but she was concerned about what he had been doing. ¡°And you¡¯re planning to reach that level by just running?¡± Chi-Woo was silent. He understood Hawa¡¯s reaction. Improving one¡¯s physical abilities was always a good idea, but being physically strong and being good at fighting were completely different matters. Just as a person didn¡¯t become the best driver after buying a car with the best engine, Chi-Woo needed to be able to utilize his improved physical abilities. ¡®I haven¡¯t¡­learned how to fight yet.¡¯ Chi-Woo smacked his lips. He had learned very well from Ru Amuh how to run, what postures to maintain while running, and how to strengthen his resolve. Chi-Woo kept Ru Amuh¡¯s words to heart and ran every day. Ru Amuh had told him that he¡¯d teach Chi-Woo how to fight in real combat, but unfortunately, before he could do so, they went out to explore the area and got separated. ¡°We need to fight, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo put the fruit he was holding to his mouth and continued as he took a bite, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to fight.¡± Hawa blinked. ¡°How?¡± Chi-Woo replied indifferently, ¡°Is it strange that a hero can¡¯t fight?¡± ¡°No.¡± Hawa shook her head. She knew that there were heroes who didn¡¯t specialize in close combat; this was also the case for the sorcerer from the fifth recruits. She turned to the statue and asked, ¡°Won¡¯t establishing a contract with a god help?¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t change anything.¡± Chi-Woo sighed. ¡°There won¡¯t be much difference unless I¡¯m facing a spiritual monster.¡± Hawa nodded and pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Should I teach you then?¡± Chi-Woo gave her a strange look and met her cold gaze, waving his hands with a suppressed smile. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s all right. How can you¡ª" ¡°You lost your power as a hero, right?¡± Hawa cut him off. ¡°And if you really are a hero who doesn¡¯t know how to fight¡­I don¡¯t think I would lose to you.¡± Chi-Woo was about to avert his gaze but focused on Hawa again. ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Hawa said. ¡°I told you I¡¯ve received various training since I was young.¡± As the Shahnaz tribe¡¯s heir, Hawa had undergone robust and strict training; hand-to-hand fighting was part of it. Shakira had also told them that Hawa was a child who could at least protect herself wherever she went. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo contemplated the matter. Hawa was a young girl who wasn¡¯t even twenty yet; she looked seventeen at most. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel comfortable swinging his fist at a minor. But things were different on Liber compared to Earth, weren¡¯t they? Hawa interrupted his thoughts and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you try fighting me once?¡± ¡°Try fighting you?¡± ¡°If we exchange a few blows, we can roughly judge each other¡¯s skill level.¡± However, Chi-Woo still hesitated to say yes, so Hawa provoked him by saying, ¡°Why? Are you afraid of losing?¡± Chi-Woo narrowed his eyes at her. He was feeling confident since his stamina had gone up to E rank. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Chi-Woo stuffed the last remaining fruit into his mouth and got up. They soon found themselves facing each other with an appropriate distance between them. ¡°Please tell me when you¡¯re ready,¡± Chi-Woo said and got into a boxing posture. He even took a few steps on the spot. Hawa blankly stared at his footwork and let out a small ¡®pfffh¡¯. It was the second time he had seen her smile since he met her. Chi-Woo got embarrassed and asked, ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°No¡ªit¡¯s nothing.¡± Hawa lowered her head and shook with suppressed laughter for a while before schooling her expression into her usual indifference. ¡°Do you want to make a bet?¡± Hawa suggested, saying that it would be no fun without a bet. ¡°The loser has to accept one request from the winner.¡± ¡°Why so suddenly? I don¡¯t want to accept a request that¡¯s too hard to fulfill.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s something you can easily accomplish.¡± As expected, there was a reason why Hawa suddenly suggested a bet. She wanted something from him, and she seemed completely assured of her victory. Chi-Woo pondered for a few moments, and the corners of his lips curled up. He suddenly thought of a good idea. ¡°I can also make a request, right?¡± ¡°If you win.¡± Hawa shrugged and nodded. There was no reason for her to say no. ¡°That¡¯s good. I got it. I¡¯ll also make a request that Ms. Hawa can easily fulfill.¡± A smile tugged at Hawa¡¯s lips. She looked eager to start fighting. She smiled more than she had done in the past during the short exchange alone. ¡°The first one to collapse loses¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start!¡± Chi-Woo rushed towards Hawa even before she finished talking like the terrible sportsman he was. He quickly closed the gap between them and lunged at her slender frame. Then¡­ CH 85 Thump! Clunk! There was a loud thumping on the ground. Chi-Woo was suddenly thrown onto the ground, and after rolling hard several times, he stopped. Lying on his back, he looked stunned. Before he could grab her, Hawa had slightly tilted her body and stuck her feet out, but that was enough to make Chi-Woo fall hard. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Hawa flicked her hair and walked leisurely towards him. ¡°You are more hot-headed than you appear,¡± Hawa said while smirking. ¡°It¡¯s not such a good look.¡± Chi-Woo turned to gaze at her and jerked his head sideways while licking his lips. He propped himself up with both hands and got to his feet. Although he was surprised, he tried not to show it and instead put on a carefree smile. Hawa shrugged and beckoned him over with both hands, taunting him. Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he rushed forward, reaching out to grab her. Slap! Hawa struck Chi-Woo¡¯s elbow strongly with her hands and broke his balance. Seeing that she was about to attack his now exposed front, Chi-Woo raised both arms in fright and backed away. Hawa¡¯s fist swished forward and stopped right in front of Chi-Woo¡¯s face. She had purposefully stopped her attack midway, and a smile tugged at her lips. Then she took two steps back and flicked her hair again. Blinking hard and heaving, Chi-Woo yelled, ¡°Ahhh!¡± as he ran towards her with his hands outstretched. He was hoping to catch her just once, but Hawa was swift. By just tilting slightly sideways or taking a couple of steps away, she avoided all of Chi-Woo¡¯s attacks. Just slightly out of reach every time, Hawa escaped from his clutches like a squirrel and frustrated Chi-Woo greatly. ¡°Kurgh!¡± With a bright red face, Chi-Woo rushed forward again like an angry bull. Hawa clicked her tongue. As Chi-Woo flung his hands all over the place, Hawa threw a punch at Chi-Woo¡¯s side. Thud! ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow!¡± Chi-Woo jumped. Hawa had planned to land a punch on Chi-Woo¡¯s side at just the perfect timing, but Chi-Woo tilted his body unexpectedly and blocked her fist with his arms. ¡®Oh-¡® Hawa pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°As I thought, you do have a natural instinct.¡± Chi-Woo rubbed his forearms and looked at Hawa. If it hadn¡¯t been for his newly opened senses, he would have gotten hit mercilessly. Besides that, Chi-Woo wondered how such a small fist could pack a punch; it felt like he was hit by a rock. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth with a burning want for revenge and glared at Hawa. Simultaneously, Hawa¡¯s expression grew icy, as if she was warning him that she was going to stop playing now. As a result¡­ Chi-Woo fell, rolled, toppled over, tripped, and fell again. It took smashing face-down into the ground a few times until he collapsed for him to stop tackling Hawa. His constant failure proved to him something Mimi had told him. [Let me ask you one thing. Even if you acquire synesthesia, how are you going to use it? You said you wanted to be strong, but how are you going to be stronger with such an ability?] It was thanks to sheer miraculous and godly fortune that Chi-Woo had been able to escape from the monsters. He didn¡¯t even know how to use a rare ability such as synesthesia, as this fight clearly indicated. After he managed to block an attack by luck, Hawa changed up her offense style completely. She mixed in trickery with her attacks and confused his senses. While he was disoriented, Hawa played with him like he was in the palm of her hands. Chi-Woo was frustrated. He knew where the attacks were coming from, but his body failed to keep up. It was like what Ronaldo had said when he retired from playing soccer, ¡®My head is still thinking of ways to defend, but my body doesn¡¯t match up to it.¡¯ And besides all this, Chi-Woo also realized how impressive Hawa¡¯s skills were; he got his ass handed to him after thinking that Hawa would be like any other girl her age. ¡°How did I defeat you?¡± A shadow cast over him, and Chi-Woo saw an upside-down Hawa looking down at him. ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Chi-Woo asked with embarrassment. ¡°Either you¡¯ve purposefully lost to me, or you¡¯ve lost your close combat senses after losing your power as a hero,¡± Hawa answered immediately, like she was certain that it must be one of the two. ¡°If the answer is the former, I will tell you to stop. And if it¡¯s the latter, don¡¯t just rush into the fight. Maintain a good distance from your opponent and focus on evading while waiting for an opening for a counterattack, because it feels like you are able to read my movements, but your body can¡¯t follow through.¡± Chi-Woo covered his face with both arms and asked, ¡°¡­What if the answer is neither?¡± Letting out a deep sigh, Chi-Woo spat out the truth in a moment of anger, ¡°What if I didn¡¯t lose to you on purpose, and I¡¯m just an ordinary person who knows nothing of close combat?¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± Hawa organized her thoughts for a while and spoke again, ¡°Before learning skills, you should be prepared. ¡°Prepared¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, prepared to get hurt,¡± Hawa said calmly. ¡°And prepared to hurt another person.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned round. ¡°You had an opportunity to win at least one time.¡± Chi-Woo recalled the time he had luckily blocked Hawa¡¯s attack. ¡°If you had attacked me when I was off guard, you would¡¯ve beaten me easily,¡± Hawa continued. ¡°That¡¯s what sparring is meant to be. Both sides are often hurt and more uncommonly, even crippled.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But you keep only trying to grab me instead of hitting me.¡± ¡°Grabbing is also a form of attack.¡± ¡°That¡¯s beside the point,¡± Hawa retorted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t rub my elbows and jump up and down after blocking an attack. I would¡¯ve endured the pain somehow and counterattacked.¡± Chi-Woo was silent. He understood what she meant by being prepared to get hurt and hurt others now. He let out a deep sigh, unable to come up with a retort. But since he was upset that he lost, he squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°Let¡¯s go another round next time with the same bet.¡± ¡°Any time. That¡¯s more fun than fighting without anything on the line¡­¡± Hawa agreed easily. Then her face grew curious. ¡°If you won, what were you going to ask me to do?¡± ¡°I was going to tell you to call me oppa.¡± [1] Hawa looked speechless for a moment. ¡°Well you know, I always use your name, but you keep calling me ¡®Mr¡¯ or ¡®Sir¡¯.¡± ¡°But Mister, you don¡¯t like others calling your name.¡± Chi-Woo was about to protest, but then he remembered how his name was supposed to be Chichibbong and closed his eyes again. There was nothing he could say. ¡°Hm¡­Well, okay. That¡¯s no big deal.¡± Hawa snorted and tilted her head while still looking down at him, ¡°Well then, you should call me nuna from now on.¡± [2] Chi-Woo furrowed. ¡°Come on, I won,¡± Hawa said. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°So from now on, I am dropping my formalities too. Understand?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth opened and closed again. He couldn¡¯t even find the words to say. ¡°Well, since I¡¯m your nuna¡­and you don¡¯t like me calling your name or address you any other way, I¡¯m just going to call you by saying ¡®hey¡¯.¡± Hawa chuckled, and Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. * * * After the utter humiliation he faced from Hawa, Chi-Woo focused on his training. Following Mimi¡¯s suggestion, he changed up his daily routine. In addition to running, he made the most of his knowledge in sports and mixed in other exercises as well. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± He sometimes stopped in the middle of running to do some burpees before resuming his run; then he stopped to run in place. That reintroduced him to the feeling of physical exhaustion. He hadn¡¯t been feeling tired these days from running, but with this new change, his heart thumped hard, and he ran out of breath like the time he first ran around the fortress. Chi-Woo welcomed the pain and challenge. Mimi had told him this would happen. When he first started training, he had doubted whether or not he would be able to run five laps around the fortress without resting; as he exercised more and more, there really came a day when he could. In his current state, he was confident in running not only five laps, but even ten laps around the fortress. As long as he kept pushing through, Chi-Woo believed that there would come a day when what he struggled with currently would become easy in the future. ¡®I have to overcome it.¡¯ After doing a 100 situps and 5 squats set 20 times, Chi-Woo climbed on top of hard tree branches and did pull-ups. Sweat poured down his body like rain, and both of his arms felt like they were going to burst. Still, Chi-Woo gritted his teeth and endured. And as if it was rewarding his hard work, he eventually got messages about his improvements as days passed by. 1. Name & Rank: Choi Chi-Woo (EX) [Strength E] [Durability E] [Agility E] [Stamina E] [Mental Fortitude C] His physical skills had been lingering around F rank, but now they had all risen rank E. Chi-Woo realized why Mimi and Ru Amuh had emphasized stamina so much. After his stamina ranked up, his other physical skills followed. ¡®Awesome.¡¯ He had gone through a physical transformation, losing the fat protruding from his body and dropping from mid-80 kilogram to mid-70. His progress filled Chi-Woo with renewed confidence. Not only did his stamina improve, but so did every one of his physical attributes. Bolstered, Chi-Woo challenged Hawa to another battle¡­only to lose brutally. But how? Chi-Woo healed his bruised body parts inside the spring pool and like Mimi suggested to him, checked Hawa¡¯s user information. 1. Name & Rank: Shahnaz Hawa (¡î¡î¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Female & 19 3. Height & Weight: 164.8 & 47.4kg 4. Class: - 5. Heavenly Title: Eve who Didn¡¯t Yet Eat the Forbidden Fruit [3] 6. Disposition: Lawful Evil [Strength D] [Durability E] [Agility C] [Stamina D] [Mental Fortitude B] ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo was surprised to see that Hawa¡¯s dormant potential was 3 stars, and was surprised again to see that her physical stats were comparable to a hero¡¯s. [A diamond in the rough.] Mimi said, equally impressed. ¡®Is this supposed to happen?¡¯ [Of course. It¡¯s actually rare for people to be born heroes.] In other words, there were overwhelmingly more heroes who were born normal but became heroes later on. Chi-Woo¡¯s older brother, Choi Chi-Hyun was the exception that proved the rule. This meant Hawa had all the qualities to become a hero, and if only the circumstances in this world had been different, she might have been able to enter the Celestial Realm. [I am surprised by her potential, but I did expect her physical attributes to be around that level.] After all, Hawa had climbed the Evalaya mountain to spy on her tribe¡¯s enemies since the young age of eight. And she had undergone tough and merciless training as the successor as she grew up. Considering that she had been training every day for over ten years, the level of her physical attributes made sense. [She may be fitting to be your second star.] ¡®It¡¯s too early. I can¡¯t even look after one person, Mr. Ru Amuh well.¡¯ [That¡¯s true. There¡¯s also the trust factor¡­] While Chi-Woo was busily talking with Mimi, he suddenly stopped and uttered in shock. ¡°Huh?¡± Hawa was standing in front of the spring pool with only her underwear. She hadn¡¯t come near the water while Chi-Woo was using the spring pool before, so it was strange. ¡®Is she going to take a bath?¡¯ ¡°W-Wait. I will get out first.¡± Chi-Woo tried to quickly climb out of the pool while covering his body. ¡°Don¡¯t. Just turn away from me,¡± Hawa commanded, so Chi-Woo stopped. ¡°I am using the wish I got from beating you just now.¡± Chi-Woo almost doubted his ears. ¡®She was using her wish to bathe with him? Did this mean¡­?¡¯ ¡°The holy water never listens to my wishes,¡± Hawa said, quickly dousing any possible misunderstandings. ¡°So I¡¯m gonna get some benefits while you are here.¡± By now, Hawa had gotten used to speaking to him like his superior. ¡°Why? You have a problem with that?¡± ¡°¡­No, please come in. Since it¡¯s a request.¡± Chi-Woo spoke like there was nothing he could do since he had lost. But Hawa didn¡¯t come in immediately and continued to look down at him; unable to evade her gaze, Chi-Woo sighed and added bitterly, ¡°¡­Nuna.¡± Only then did Hawa enter the spring pool with satisfaction. Chi-Woo glared at Hawa as she rubbed her body. ¡°What¡¯s up with your face?¡± Hawa said after glancing in his direction. ¡°Do you have a problem calling me nuna?¡± If Chi-Woo said yes, he knew for sure she would tell him to beat her then or more. Unable to make a proper retort, Chi-Woo decided to voice his main complaint. ¡°I just think it¡¯s unfair.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so too, nuna? I am all naked in here, but you have your underwear on.¡± ¡°Then you should have come in here with yours.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would come in. If you had given me the heads up before, I would have worn them,¡± Chi-Woo said and grumbled in a quiet voice, ¡°If you want to see my naked body so much, you should just tell me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I should have known when you forcefully took off my clothing with the excuse of applying medicine on me,¡± Chi-Woo murmured as he curled into himself as much as possible. Hawa¡¯s brows rose slightly, and Chi-Woo continued, knowing that she could hear him, ¡°You pretend otherwise, but you are quite the pervert¡­?¡± Chi-Woo stopped talking, and his eyes widened; Hawa had suddenly thrown off the cloth covering her chest. Shocked, Chi-Woo quickly bowed his head down low. Slid. The cloth that Hawa threw slipped down from Chi-Woo¡¯s head. Chi-Woo took it and put it by the spring pool, all the while avoiding looking at Hawa. ¡°Yapping so much when you won¡¯t even dare to look,¡± Hawa scoffed. ¡°¡­I apolog¡­¡± Chi-Woo mumbled quietly when Hawa interrupted him while crossing her arms. ¡°Hey, are you aware of how excited you look these days?¡± ¡°Did you say excited?¡± ¡°Yeah. You almost look like a completely different person. When I first saw you, you were still¡­¡± Hawa trailed off and shook her head. ¡°How was I when I first met you?¡± Chi-Woo asked, careful not to look forward. Hawa stared at Chi-Woo hard and recalled the time when they first met. Her mind had still been muddled from the possession, but she heard a voice telling her everything was okay now, and she didn¡¯t have to worry anymore. She clearly remembered sleeping peacefully while hearing his voice. ¡°¡­You looked a bit downcast.¡± Hawa answered belatedly after recalling this memory. ¡°Like you had something going on¡­like you were pushing yourself beyond your limits or something like that. But now,¡± Hawa clicked her tongue and raised her head, asking, ¡°You think this world is fun or something?¡± ¡°I certainly don¡¯t think it¡¯s fun. What gave you such an idea?¡± ¡°Sometimes, just sometimes, you look like a childish boy with no worries.¡± Chi-Woo let out a short laugh. ¡°It¡¯s not that I have no worries, but I suppose I don¡¯t feel much anxiety.¡± ¡°But doesn¡¯t our situation make you anxious?¡± ¡°Of course it does, but at least there¡¯s a clear source. It¡¯s different from being anxious for no reason at all.¡± Hawa shut her mouth, swallowing what she had meant to say. Chi-Woo seemed calmer now, and he had even turned to face her. Hawa wanted to ask what he meant, but for some reason, she felt like she shouldn¡¯t, and didn¡¯t prod any further. There seemed to be a story behind his response, and she knew not to inquire too deeply into such matters. An awkward silence flowed between them, and in the meantime, Chi-Woo finished healing, and the bruises on his skin faded away. That was when the water boiled audibly and became warmer. ¡®Let me see. How far have I¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and saw a message. [Purification process in the works¡­98.7%] Chi-Woo tried to get the purification process going every day. During his first bath, the purification rate had jumped to 23.6% , but as days passed by, the progress slowed. Every bath only pushed him 2.6% further now. Still, he was almost there. Chi-Woo closed his eyes, hoping that he would reach 100% by the time he opened his eyes. As the water became warmer, he gradually felt drowsy and sleepy like he always did. 1. Korean term used by women to call their older brother or older man. ? 2. Korean term used by men to call their older sister or older women ? 3. Korean Bible follows the Hebrew name for Eve (Hawa) from the Christian Old Testament. Yet, in this description, the author uses the name ¡®Eve¡¯. ? CH 86 After waking up inside the spring pool, Chi-Woo checked the message he¡¯d been getting every day. [Purification process of the body in the works¡­ 99%] ¡°Ah.¡± He gasped as soon as he saw the number. It wasn¡¯t even 98%, but 99%. He almost felt like the pool was toying with him now, but nevertheless, he got out of the pool a little disappointed. He repeated the same routine today as he did yesterday. He prayed, ate, drank, and exercised. Judging by his biological clock, he believed that morning and lunchtime had passed. And while undertaking his dinnertime exercise, Chi-Woo found a path that he hadn¡¯t seen before until now, which was surprising since he had run at least a hundred times in this place by now. ¡®Should I go this way?¡¯ Without hesitation, Chi-Woo made the turn. It was steep, but the path itself was gentle and smooth, and he felt like he was running on a flat surface. Furthermore, since it was a straight path, it was a good place to do a sprint. While thinking that he should take this path from time to time, he came upon a crossroad. ¡®Where should I go?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. Then he came to a sudden halt, feeling a fearsome presence lighting up his senses. His shuddering body was screaming at him to get out of here at once. Chi-Woo whirled around and looked where he had come from. By running up this steep slope, he had reached the upper floor without even realizing it, lulled into a false sense of security because of how easy the path was to run on. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He froze and heaved heavily, feeling a tingling in the back of his knees like they were going limp. Memories of what had happened before assaulted him¡ªhe¡¯d been chased by a mysterious monster until he fell, rolled down to the bottom floor, and cried. ¡®No.¡¯ Chi-Woo shook his head. Although he had trained hard for many days, he still lacked the abilities to take on this monster. Even though his physical stats had risen from rank F to E, it didn¡¯t really make a difference; he would be shredded to pieces without ever landing a finger on this monster. Chi-Woo sensed the monster approaching. He had to run, but his body didn¡¯t listen to him. Like a deer in headlights, he was paralyzed. The fear he had faced before was now chaining him to the ground and confusing him. [Get a hold of yourself!] If Mimi hadn¡¯t shouted, Chi-Woo would have stood blankly until the monster came. He opened his eyes wide and finally regained enough senses to run back down the path he had taken. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± He dashed forward while screaming, not knowing where he was going. He was so stricken with fear that he ran without thinking until he no longer felt the monster¡¯s presence with his synesthesia. Like Hawa had told him, it seemed the monster was unable to come down to the lower floor. Eventually, Chi-Woo saw a familiar path and managed to stop himself. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± He collapsed to his knees and leaned his head against the wall. His whole body was soaked in sweat, and he couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. It wasn¡¯t just the running. He was as petrified as the first time he ever saw a spirit, knowing that he had barely escaped death again. His hands trembled, and his back burned up from the memory of the pain he had suffered in the past. ¡®The trembling¡­won¡¯t stop.¡¯ Not only were his hands shaking, but his vision was also wavering as well. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. He felt chills spreading through his body as he remembered the sensation of getting his back sliced open. He had been in denial, but he had to admit it now. He was afraid. Afraid of getting cut and hurt again, afraid of dying. Chi-Woo was frightened of this monster. He pretended to be fine, but it was a facade. Chi-Woo was human and thus prone to human emotions, fear being one of them. He tried to convince himself that his encounter with the monster was one of the many out-of-the-world experiences he had gone through, yet the monster that just threatened his life was no spirit, but a monster. It was a monster of a completely different level, bred from the beings his special abilities held an advantage over; it was a monster that could kill a weak human like him any time. ¡®What¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo clenched his hands into fists. ¡®Am¡­I doing this for¡­?¡¯ He wondered while biting down his lower lip. What was the point of running every day, drinking holy water, or going through the purification process? When he was just going to run away at key moments like this? No, he wasn¡¯t even able to run away. If he had at least run away of his own will for the sake of his future, he wouldn¡¯t have felt such a deep shame as he did now. Earlier, he hadn¡¯t been able to escape because he was so stricken by fear. He was too afraid of being hurt or dying. [Have you ever pierced someone with a weapon like this sword?] Ru Amuh¡¯s words suddenly came to his mind. [Or have you ever been pierced?] Chi-Woo opened his eyes wide, his pupils violently contracting. He gritted his teeth and reached out for a sharp rock. Then he lifted it high to strike his own arm. ¡°¡­¡± But he stopped with his arm in the air. He couldn¡¯t bear to strike himself even while knowing that the spring pool would heal him, and he was in no danger of dying. It was as expected. After all, if one gave weapons to people from Earth and told them to hurt themselves, how many people would be able to do that? Most would hesitate to even pierce their thigh with a needle. That was how an ordinary person would react, and Chi-Woo had been just an ordinary man. The problem was ordinary people had almost no way of protecting themself. Chi-Woo trembled for a while, clutching onto the stone in his hand. ¡°Fuck!¡± Eventually, Chi-Woo threw the stone away while cursing. Everything was going wrong. [But you came back as a hero. So, you must become one.] Like how Giant Fist was the first to sacrifice his life, he had to be a hero, too. [If he dies, he dies.] [It was Giant Fist who chose to come to Liber. He has to take responsibility for his choices, and I am sure that he was at least aware of that before coming here.] Mua Janya had walked to the altar without hesitation, saying it was her turn now. Unlike these two, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t take a little pain, much less death. ¡° Shit¡­¡± It felt suffocating, realizing what a pathetic joke he was. In his current condition, it felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from this situation no matter how hard he struggled. ¡®I¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t do anything on Liber. With his head low, Chi-Woo whimpered. Mimi couldn¡¯t find the words to say as she looked at the sorrowful Chi-Woo; she was able to feel his feelings in real time. In retrospect, it had always been like this. Obstacles after obstacles came, and whenever Chi-Woo tried to do something, another obstacle blocked his path like it had been waiting to trip him over. Even though that was the kind of world Liber was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that it was cruel. [You can¡¯t break down. No matter how painful, or how despairing your situation is, don¡¯t give up. Haven¡¯t you come all this way, surviving everything up to this point?] Mimi offered some words of comfort, but Chi-Woo responded by snorting. ¡°It¡¯s so¡­,¡± Chi-Woo wanted to add, ¡®Easy to say¡¯, but forcefully swallowed his words. It was he who had chosen to come to Liber. Even though he had started to regret his decision now, he only had himself to blame. Chi-Woo leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes again, helplessly tightening his fists. For a good while, he simply stayed like that without moving at all. [User Choi Chi-Woo...] Mimi could no longer find the right words. Silence stretched and smothered the area as time slowly passed. After minutes of nothing, Mimi was suddenly hit by a new wave of feeling she hadn¡¯t felt before. It was rage. An immense amount of rage came out of nowhere and overflowed in Chi-Woo¡¯s heart. It was a pure rage without a hint of regret or resentment mixed in, and it wasn¡¯t aimed at the monster or Mimi, but himself. Chi-Woo was mad at himself, enraged that he was such a helpless, stupid idiot. Haa¡ª Chi-Woo took a deep breath, shaking his head and glaring at the wall in front of him with piercing eyes. Then¡ª Bang! Mimi was stunned to see Chi-Woo suddenly knock his head violently against the wall, and he wasn¡¯t satisfied with doing it only once. Thump, thump, thump, thump! Repeatedly, he knocked his head more and more forcefully against the wall. Still not satisfied, Chi-Woo bashed his head hard against the black reddish stain on the wall. Bang! The insides of his head rang, and he almost lost consciousness. When he pulled away, his vision was obscured by his own blood, which streamed down from his ripped forehead and covered his face. It hurt. It felt like he would collapse from the pain. And yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t stop. Not only did he slam his head, he hit the wall roughly with his clenched fist multiple times in a row, tearing and bruising his knuckles. Still not satisfied, he picked up the stone he had thrown earlier. Like how he had acted on the spur of the moment before, he stabbed his arm with the sharp piece of rock. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± He screamed as blood gushed out. ¡°Ah, urghhhh¡ª!¡±Chi-Woo clenched his teeth with his head down. He wanted to roll on the ground in pain, but he knew he shouldn¡¯t; in a real-life situation, if he collapsed to the ground after getting hit by an enemy, he would be killed while getting laughed at. He had to learn how to endure and fight with pain. Thus, Chi-Woo forcefully straightened up despite his dizziness. Both his hands jittered with intense pain, and his forearms felt like they were burning. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo had successfully gotten up while enduring the pain. ¡°Uh¡ªKurgh¡ª¡± Groans escaped his mouth in short bursts, and the smell of blood lingered in his nose. Chi-Woo was bleeding from many parts of his body, and his eyes turned mad after seeing the blood; he was on the edge of losing his sanity. [User¡­] Mimi was about to say something, but she couldn¡¯t finish it; she knew what Chi-Woo was thinking and feeling. While heaving, Chi-Woo turned around; his eyes were burning with passion, but he felt like he still had to do more. This wasn¡¯t enough to erase the humiliation he was feeling. There was only one thing left for him to do; he walked towards the path he had hurriedly escaped from and stomped up the gentle slope. [User Choi Chi-Woo?] Mimi finally spoke up. [What are you doing? Why are you going there again¡­!?] Mimi gasped when she read Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts. Although she planned to remain quiet, she had to stop him right now. [Calm down! This isn¡¯t a good decision! I understand how you feel, but you must differentiate between courage and being brash!] But Chi-Woo didn¡¯t listen. Only when he reached the intersection did he stop walking. There, he saw a monster standing at the center of his view. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been able to see the monster well before because it was too dark, but he was able to see it clearly now, possibly because of the holy water¡¯s influence. A hideous monster that appeared to have been made from lumps of mud was still standing at the area he had run away from. ¡°¡­It¡¯s you.¡± After staring at it for some time, Chi-Woo said in a low voice. He had been too preoccupied with running to get a good look at the monster, and he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to see it after that; no, he didn¡¯t even think of creating an opportunity. Everything he said before was all talk, unwilling to admit that he was too scared to even face the monster. ¡°It was you.¡± But it was different now. To form a proper escape plan out of this cave, he needed to know what manner of monster it was. He had to know what kind of abilities it had, what its special traits were, and what the upper floors of this cave held. Chi-Woo had managed to get a good look at the monster¡¯s appearance now, but it simply wasn¡¯t enough. Like the time he saved Ru Amuh and the time he launched a surprise attack at the greenhouse to save the recruits, he had to collect more information before a solution would come to him. He could do the same this time. Escaping without the monster¡¯s notice wasn¡¯t even an option. Once he went to the upper floor, the monster would certainly chase after him. Thus, Chi-Woo had to come up with a plan with the presumption that he would have to face the monster, no matter how difficult or dangerous that would be. [User Choi Chi-Woo!] Mimi shouted then. [Are you planning to face that monster?] Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t. He knew he wouldn¡¯t last a minute against it. However, perhaps he would be able to evade the monster without facing it and gain information about the upper floors. [Are you out of your mind?] Mimi growled. Chi-Woo laughed humorlessly. Anyone would think he had gone mad. Chi-Woo was still an ordinary person; he hadn¡¯t yet discarded his ordinariness to become a hero, but it was something he couldn¡¯t cut out of himself. Thus, wouldn¡¯t he have to go mad to survive in this crazy world? He inhaled deeply before taking a step, and his breath came out unsteady as his heart pounded loudly. He was afraid, and there were butterflies in his lower stomach. His opponent was a monster said to have appeared in ancient mythologies. Of course, he would be afraid. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t try to deny this fact. He wanted to accept this fear and overcome it head-on¡ªunlike the time he had stood frozen in fear, awaiting his death. He needed to learn how to struggle even while knowing that he might die. [Just for something trivial like that...!] It wasn¡¯t trivial. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why, but he believed if he backed away now, he would never be able to make any more progress. Conversely, if he pushed forward now, he had a feeling that he would be able to keep getting stronger even more rigorously. Thus, Chi-Woo forced his heavy feet to move. Legends weren¡¯t born but created. Myths weren¡¯t made up but shaped into being. And history was the amalgamation of both legends and myths. At this moment, a figure who would make new history on Liber made his first step towards his destiny. Chi-Woo stepped onto the upper floor and faced the mud monster. [Ahhh¡ª!] Mimi screamed. The mud monster didn¡¯t move immediately, seemingly caught off guard by its prey walking towards it of his own free will. But soon after, mud clumps shot out of the monster and morphed into sharp sickles. ¡®It can change parts of its body into weapons.¡¯ This was new information. As soon as his enemy showed aggression, Chi-Woo turned around. He began to run like mad to another path connected to the upper floor. ¡®Should I go straight for now¡­?¡¯ But then Chi-Wo quickly made a sharp turn when he caught with synesthesia a sharp sensation falling from above him. Fortunately, he was able to respond quickly, and the attack missed him by a hair. After a big move like that, the monster was momentarily immobile, and Chi-Woo seized the opening to increase the distance between them. Chi-Woo was surprised to see how fast the monster caught up to him, but he did his best to maintain his composure. If things became too risky, he could simply jump down, knowing that he would only get a bit hurt. But before that, he had to try to extract as much information as he could. Thus, Chi-Woo did his best to remain level-headed and scanned his surroundings. ¡®There are three paths. Here, I should¡­¡¯ Since he was juggling multiple tasks at once, running as hard as he could while avoiding the monster with synesthesia and surveying his surroundings, he failed to notice the following messages. Only Mimi was able to hear them: [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Mental Fortitude increases from rank D -> C] [Sharp] -> [Super] Mental Fortitude -¡­ -He¡¯s sensitive to overt, hostile behaviors and, in an emergency, he knows how to prioritize logic above emotions. -Having lived with anxiety and unexpected happenings for a long time, he is always on high alert. At times, he¡¯s more sensitive than necessary. In extreme situations or when he receives intense stress, he can crack easily and break. The negative aspects that had inhibited his progress before were erased and evolved in a new direction. ¡ªSensitive to hostility, he knows how to prioritize logic over emotions in urgent situations. Even in difficult or dangerous situations where many factors are to his disadvantage, he won¡¯t crack easily and will try to overcome them. With his mind made up and his will carried out, Chi-Woo made substantial progress. Using synesthesia, he succeeded in evading the mud monster¡¯s attack again. There was no training better than real battles. If what Chi-Woo had done until now was exercise, he was really training now. Mimi knew things were finally put into action as she watched Chi-Woo face his fears. Like a resting engine that had been awakened, booming and rumbling as it prepared to run, Chi-Woo¡¯s progress was finally ready to start. CH 87 Hawa was a little anxious. Chi-Woo had always been a man of habit who followed a very strict routine, but today, he had failed to show up even though it was way past his usual time to return; usually, he would have entered the spring pool and fallen asleep by now. The fact that he hadn¡¯t come back yet indicated that something unexpected had happened. After spending some time waiting nervously, Hawa got up to look for Chi-Woo, just in time to see Chi-Woo walk into the sanctuary with blood streaming down his body. Her eyes widened. He looked terrible. His face and arms were covered in wounds, and his clothes were tattered like rags with blood seeping from the rips. Chi-Woo leaned on Hawa and let out the breath he had been holding. With an exhale, he said, ¡°I saw the monster.¡± While dragging him to the spring pool, Hawa came to an abrupt stop. Chi-Woo continued to explain, ¡°The monster is about your height, Ms. Hawa. Its body was covered in a substance that looked like mud.¡± Hawa turned to meet his eyes, and Chi-Woo went on, ¡°I think it¡¯s capable of mimicking the forms of other things. I believe it can transform parts of its body into weapons.¡± ¡°¡­Did you go check on the monster? On purpose?¡± Hawa asked, her lips twitching and her pupils contracting. Although she had been speaking informally to Chi-Woo after beating him in a fight, she reverted back to addressing him politely now, which made it clear how much Chi-Woo¡¯s words had shocked her. There was a hint of disapproval in her tone, and she looked at Chi-Woo like he had gone mad like Mimi had. Truthfully, Chi-Woo also knew that what he had done was mad, and he had only done it in the heat of his anger. However, it was something he had to do sooner or later. ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough information about the monster. We have to learn more about it.¡± ¡°Still.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t stay here forever.¡± Hawa closed her mouth. She didn¡¯t know what had happened outside, but Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes were shining¡­just like the eyes she had seen when she was finally freed from her possession. ¡°We have to get out of here. To do that, we have to learn more about the monster and the layout of this place.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I found a path leading to the upper floor. If we consider this the basement, the path would take us through at least three more floors.¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s heal you first.¡± Hawa pushed Chi-Woo into the spring pool. The fishes that had been waiting in the pool gathered. However, Chi-Woo raised his hand and shook his head. ¡°Give me a moment.¡± The fishes that were hurrying to cure him stopped. They all raised their heads like they were asking him ¡®why?¡¯ ¡°Later¡­I will receive treatment a bit later.¡± The fishes seemed puzzled. ¡°Please.¡± Chi-Woo lowered his head and backed away awkwardly. He was hurting, aching, and in pain. The sensation of water touching his exposed bones where his skin and flesh were split open was fresh in his mind. However, he had to endure and get used to the pain. No matter how painful or torturous it was, he had to learn how to overcome the pain and rise again. Ru Amuh had told him as much. [This level of injury is nothing to me, sir.] [I would be fine having such shallow cuts all over my body.] Chi-Woo had to be prepared for injuries of this level. He must not let them get to him. Only then would he be able to endure greater pain. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Chi-Woo swallowed the groans trying to escape out of his mouth. He arched his body and buried his face between his knees. The blood flowing out of his entire body slowly blotted his vision and painted it red. * * * After that day, Hawa noticed a change in Chi-Woo¡¯s attitude. Before, he only talked of leaving the cave but never actively tried to get out. After yesterday¡¯s fiasco, though, things were different. His routines remained similar, and as he always did, he would wake up inside the spring pool, have a feast, and head outside. But now, whenever he came back, he returned with injuries all over his body. After getting his body healed while groaning inside the spring pool, Chi-Woo would sit with Hawa and share the information he¡¯d gathered. Hawa would then draw a map on the ground according to what he said. And as Chi-Woo changed, Hawa also changed. Instead of leaving Chi-Woo to be in charge on his own, she also began to venture out of their safe haven. She went to double-check the path Chi-Woo had taken and looked for new paths. There were times when they went out together, and in those times, at least one of them was able to find a comparatively safer path. For some unknowable reason, though, the monster seemed intent on chasing Chi-Woo. Over time, the map on the ground expanded more and more as they shared information they had gathered with each other, and their plan to escape became more concrete. Moreover, Chi-Woo had been training more vigorously than ever. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Like now, Chi-Woo had resumed running immediately after completing his scouting run on the upper floor and getting healed. Sweat trickled down his back, and his back radiated heat as he did pushups. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened and gleamed with eagerness, and he appeared almost like a lunatic, which was exactly what he intended; he wanted to become crazy. Chi-Woo had left Earth for Liber. It was impossible for an ordinary person to survive in this world. However, he couldn¡¯t just stop being ordinary overnight, especially when he had lived more than 20 years on Earth as one. And in these moments of doubt, Chi-Woo recalled what his dad told him: ¡®You must try your best once you set your mind on accomplishing something.¡¯ ¡®Have I put all my heart and soul into ensuring my survival?¡¯ Chi-Woo would ask himself, and the thought pushed him to train more rigorously, wasting not even the time to take a proper breath. He was leading his life like a crazy person. Eventually, he came up with a solution to the most pressing problem he was facing: fear. Everyone had a fear of the unknown, but how could they overcome it? Chi-Woo had found the answer to this question¡ªhe had to believe in himself. If he did, he would be able to overcome whatever hardships and adversities that came his way. And to gain faith in himself, he needed to train. The studious one would get rewarded in the end for their efforts, and Chi-Woo decided to build faith in himself by training. It was something Chi-Woo had considered before, but things were different this time. Training was a battle with his old self, and every time he beat his own record, he gained the confidence that he would be able to overcome everything. As a result, his mindset gradually changed. [Purification process of the body in the works¡­99.1%] Although the purification process had gotten noticeably slower, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t concern himself too much about it. In the past, he¡¯d been obsessed with these obvious metrics for progress, but they were no longer his focus. He prioritized the process instead and did his best every moment every day like his dad had told him to. As long as he continued to overcome his own limit, he would have no regrets even if he died the next moment. With that in mind, Chi-Woo scrutinized and pushed himself more and more, lengthening his training in the process. One time, he forewent sleep for several days because he had been so immersed in his training that he forgot about his need. Mimi worried that he was pushing his body too much, but Chi-Woo shook his head. He knew the importance of taking breaks, but this wasn¡¯t the time to be concerned about resting. He had to go crazy. Now, he no longer thought of his training inside the cave as merely a means to escape, but as a test to see whether or not he would be able to survive in this World. ¡®I have to do my best to pass this test.¡¯ The basement was deeper than they had thought. It was connected to the three floors above, but there was another floor above the third one. Chi-Woo managed to gain this information after risking his life on the line. Just like now¡ª ¡°Ah, seriously!¡± Chi-Woo shouted in anger while running like mad. ¡°Why is it only chasing after me!?¡± When he turned the corner, several paths appeared in front of him. He didn¡¯t even have the time to choose which way to go. Although he wanted to take a path he had never taken before, he couldn¡¯t risk it with the monster chasing after him. He thus took a path he was familiar with. After numerous explorations, they had found a buffer zone of sorts where they could put more distance from the monster. The main thing about the monster was that it always doggedly chased after them with no regard for anything else, and it was fast. If Chi-Woo was running along a straight path, he would inevitably be caught by the monster. Of course, he could get further away from the monster if he avoided its attack. However, he couldn¡¯t avoid its attack every time, so it was best to increase his distance from the monster as much as possible. One solution was making sharp turns. Every time Chi-Woo turned a corner, he stuck as close as he could to the wall to minimize the distance he had to move. On the contrary, the monster seemed unable to make such calculations; its movement was almost clumsy when it chased after Chi-Woo through a corner, which allowed Chi-Woo to increase their distance. Therefore, in areas with a lot of corners, Chi-Woo would be able to lead the monster on a merry chase like they were playing tag. ¡°There¡¯s someone else besides me!¡± Chi-Woo pivoted at another corner and looked over his shoulder, sensing the disappearance of the monster. ¡°Why are you only ch¡­?¡± Chi-Woo halted. The monster that had been stubbornly chasing after him like a furious lion was gone. Could it really have gone after Hawa¡ªno, that couldn¡¯t be the case. He didn¡¯t know why, but the mud monster never went after Hawa; Chi-Woo was always its only target. With synesthesia, Chi-Woo could sense that the monster was now waiting for him behind the corner he had just taken. Moreover, It was quickly moving to the opposite side. ¡®What a joke.¡¯ Chi-Woo laughed inwardly once he realized what the monster was trying to do. It turned out the monster wasn¡¯t completely brainless, and actually used its brain to formulate a plan. Realizing that it couldn¡¯t catch Chi-Woo like this no matter how hard it tried, it decided to move back and wait until Chi-Woo turned around to catch him. That was actually a solid plan. If he didn¡¯t have synesthesia, he would have kept on running forward and got caught for sure. ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m not going there. I¡¯m going this way.¡± Chi-Woo gave up on taking turns and ran in the opposite direction of the monster. After a while, the monster realized that it got tricked and screamed. However, by that time, Chi-Woo was already far away from it and jumping down to the lower floor. Furious, the monster rushed toward him while making an indescribable noise, but it couldn¡¯t do anything but watch as Chi-Woo dropped down to the lower floor. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Once he reached the safe zone, Chi-Woo looked up at the monster that was boiling in anger. The mud monster¡¯s fury was obvious from the way it created a sickle and slammed it against the wall. It even conjured a foot to stomp on the ground. ¡°Too bad.¡± Chi-Woo snorted and blinked at the text before him. He hadn¡¯t realized it because he was so focused on running, but there was a new message for him. [A new ability has been derived from a shared ability.] [Special ability ¡®Insight¡¯ has been formed.] Thanks to synesthesia, Chi-Woo had developed another ability¡ªInsight into the Unknown. Chi-Woo had noticed that he could see the path more clearly today, and there had actually been a reason for this. Chi-Woo stared blankly at the message and smiled thinly. It was ironic that an ability like this hadn¡¯t come up when he desperately wanted it, but once he gave up on gaining special abilities, they sprouted one after another. Chi-Woo breathed roughly and turned around to look at the mud monster. ¡°Thanks for helping me run again!¡± he shouted while waving the monster goodbye and turned away. On his way back to the sanctuary, he fell into deep thought. He had just reached one of his goals¡ªto return without suffering a single injury from the monster. It hadn¡¯t been an easy task. It still gave him shivers thinking about the time when his ankle got cut while running away. If there hadn¡¯t been a safety zone right below him, and he hadn¡¯t rolled down, he would have surely been dead. However, what mattered was that he was still alive. Rather than shivering in fear from past memories, it was more constructive to think and plan for the future. ¡®They don¡¯t seem as strong as I thought¡­¡¯ His anxiety never went away while he ran from the mud monster even though he had gotten more used to it. However, he realized it wasn¡¯t as strong as he had thought after facing it head-on. Of course, he knew it was stronger than him, and he wasn¡¯t confident in beating it in a fight. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but question if the monster truly was something out of ancient legends. He had thought such mythical creatures would¡¯ve possessed the ability to teleport or other amazing skills. Mimi had provided him with two explanations. First, the monster could¡¯ve become significantly weaker than it had been. No one could escape the effects of time. It was already astounding that the monster could still move even after thousands of years. Judging by how the monster barely moved when it wasn¡¯t chasing him, Mimi¡¯s first explanation seemed likely. Her second explanation was Chi-Woo¡¯s synesthesia ability. For the past few days, it had become clear and clear to Chi-Woo how much of a cheat synesthesia was. No matter how much the monster had weakened, it was still a monster. If Chi-Woo had faced it without synesthesia, he would probably die in 10 minutes. ¡®Whatever the reason, I got a new ability thanks to synesthesia.¡¯ While Chi-Woo thanked Ru Amuh inside his mind, he reached the sanctuary. Hawa had already returned, and she was busily adding the new paths she discovered to the map she had drawn on the ground. Although she seemed preoccupied with making straight lines with a rock, she got up when she saw Chi-Woo. ¡°You¡¯re not injured today.¡± Chi-Woo raised his thumb instead of replying. ¡°Hey. I scouted the area while its attention was on you, but no luck. I ended up getting to a dead end.¡± She addressed him with honorifics whenever Chi-Woo returned with injury, but now, she was back to speaking informally to him. Chi-Woo resolved to beat her in a fight someday so that she would call him oppa. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Woo said with a nod. ¡°Would you please draw the new paths you¡¯ve discovered so that I would know where not to go?¡± ¡°I already added them.¡± Hawa threw the rock away and glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°Want to spar again today?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it right now. I¡¯m not injured anywhere today.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Want to make another bet? It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°¡­I got it. Hawa nuna,¡± Chi-Woo replied with reluctance and readied his stance. Sparring with Hawa had become part of his daily routines recently. He no longer focused on beating Hawa anymore. Of course, he still wanted to win, but learning how to fight and applying these skills to real-life was more important. For example, a new technique he had recently tried was the trick of minimizing his distance while turning to increase his distance from the mud monster. He also studied ways to move his body as little as possible while avoiding Hawa¡¯s attacks, as well as ways to minimize the pain when getting hit. That was how Chi-Woo had been applying newfound knowledge and skills in a fight, but it was extremely frustrating for Hawa. Chi-Woo rarely attacked. All he focused on were defending and evading her attacks; Hawa usually got tired earlier than him. While she didn¡¯t lose, she couldn¡¯t beat him, either. Chi-Woo had gotten extremely good at evading her attacks; even when she managed to land a hit, his composure didn¡¯t break before. Hawa could understand a little why the mud monster only chased after Chi-Woo. ¡°Are you going to keep blocking?¡± In the end, Hawa couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and complained. ¡°Ah.¡± Chi-Woo stopped and scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It became a habit after I kept running away from the monster.¡± Hawa bit her lower lip in response. Since it was true that she had only been able to scout the upper floor with relative safety thanks to Chi-Woo¡¯s efforts, she couldn¡¯t really criticize his method of fighting. ¡°I¡¯ll attack from now on,¡± added Chi-Woo. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s end it here today.¡± Hawa shook her head. ¡°I was the one who told you to focus on evading, but you should still learn how to retaliate.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Good work. You should take a bath and get at least a little bit of sleep.¡± Chi-Woo listened obediently and took off his clothes. Since he knew Hawa was going to enter the spring pool with him, he left his underwear on. After making sure that Chi-Woo had entered the pool, Hawa also took off her clothes. When she approached the spring pool, she saw that Chi-Woo had lowered his head, and he was snoring. In that short amount of time, he had fallen asleep. Hawa snorted and was about to dip her foot into the pool when¡ª ¡°!¡± She recoiled in shock The water had become burning hot without any warning, and it felt like she was touching magma. Moreover, she felt a strong sense of resistance from the pool she hadn¡¯t been feeling recently; it seemed to be warning her to not enter today. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ At that moment, Chi-Woo got sucked into the pool as if someone had yanked him down from underwater. Hawa¡¯s eyes widened in shock. There was the sound of something boiling, and the white pearl inside the pool began to radiate a white light. CH 88 The holy water was transparent and couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eye. However, those who drank at least one drop of the holy water could hear its sound. Thus, Hawa could hear it clearly, as the spring pool underwent a dramatic transformation when she dragged Chi-Woo into it. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Chi-Woo reacted similarly. His body was submerged inside the spring pool from head to toe, and he could actually feel the pool¡¯s transformation. He had thought it was weird. To see how the purification process worked, he had tried to stay awake without falling asleep, but every time he tried, he would be hit with a a wave of drowsiness soon after entering the spring pool. As if someone shot him with a dose of anesthesia, he was always knocked out cold until he woke up the next day. But for some reason, he was able to keep his eyes open today and maintain some consciousness. And soon, he realized it was because of the pain. ¡°Huh, ugh. Ughhhhhhh!¡± Bubble erupted out of the edges of his screaming mouth, but Chi-Woo was too occupied by the burning sensation all over his body to notice them. He tried to endure the pain, but soon he could do nothing but shake his head like crazy. ¡®I can¡¯t¡ª¡¯ It was a pain that he couldn¡¯t endure. Even though he had become used to pain, there was a limit to it. He felt as if he had been submerged in a cauldron of boiling oil, which not only cooked his flesh, but also penetrated deep inside his body and melted his organs and bones. There was no way he could withstand it. Any hero would have screamed at the top of their lungs from the seething pain. Time crawled. Not only did his body still feel like it was burning, he felt as if a part of it would pop open. Chi-Woo turned to his left shoulder because of the sudden burst of immense pain and saw it swell up in a grotesque way, like it had absorbed a great amount of water and become a large lump. Then like a mole that was digging into the earth, the ballooned area began to move gradually downwards. Slowly, very slowly, it headed towards his elbow, then stopped around his wrist before moving again. When the lump of water moved along his left arm, he felt a sensation of something bursting inside him and becoming hollow. It was almost as if his clotted veins were being forcefully opened. When the water lump reached a bottleneck, each of his five fingers swelled up, and he felt a pleasant tingling feeling, as if his meridians were being forced open. Simultaneously, yellowish substances poured out the ends of his fingers, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t see them because his body was still burning up. The water lump lingering at the ends of his fingers climbed back to his shoulders and headed downwards into the tips of his fingers again. This time, it was able to travel smoothly without any resistance from blockage. As if it was excited that there was no longer anything in its way, it oscillated across Chi-Woo¡¯s arm a couple of times. But only the left arm was cleared at the moment, and the holy water moved to its next destination: his right arm, torso, and legs. In the beginning, it had moved cautiously and slowly like it was carefully placing a needle on each part of Chi-Woo¡¯s body; but once it created a path, it seemed to lose all restraint. The holy water rushed up and down throughout his body like every part was now interconnected, leaving only one part untouched. In the meantime, Chi-Woo was starting to lose consciousness, or at least become used to the pain because the sensation running all over his body was fading. He was pretty certain of one thing: the holy water had gotten weaker after forcing its way through his left arm and the rest of his body. The giant pearl had gotten dimmer while the holy water ran havoc, but now it began to emit a brilliant light once again. Soon, the holy water whirling inside his body regained its vigor and became even stronger. If it had felt like a whirlwind before, it now felt like a hurricane. And the powerful current circulated inside Chi-Woo¡¯s body before stopping near his back. It was then Chi-Woo felt an indescribable fear. He knew where the holy water was going now. Instinctively, he knew that it shouldn¡¯t. ¡®N-No. This is enough now, so please stop.¡¯ Chi-Woo begged. The holy water had granted most of Chi-Woo¡¯s requests at once, but it acted differently this time. Like it wasn¡¯t going to stop from anything today, it moved with even more force. It slid down to the bottom of his feet, and Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. He tried to twist his body around, but failed; it felt like he was tied down by a sturdy chain, which prevented him from moving. As Chi-Woo resisted with all he had, the holy water had finished its preparations, and like a trigger had been pulled, the swirl of water shot up and sideways from the bottom of his feet. ¡°Kuh!¡± Then, it stopped. Confronted by the considerable resistance, the water failed to penetrate his throat. As a result, water dripped out of Chi-Woo¡¯s nose and mouth, and blood burst out of his eyes and ears. Peculiarly, the blackish water looked viscous, like it was sewage water. However, the holy water didn¡¯t stop. It whirled even stronger, intent on penetrating the last part it hadn¡¯t reached, and the volume of blackish blood increased until it poured out like a fountain. ¡°Uh¡­mu¡­¡± Chi-Woo was no longer sane. He was no longer in a state to assess the pain he felt now. It was beyond anything he had experienced before. His eyes rolled into the back of his skull, and he felt suffocated as white foams came out of his mouth. Even so, he could clearly feel the hard substance blocking the holy¡¯s water advance was beginning to crack. Sometime after, his neck which had been barely holding on suddenly popped, and holy water rushed through like a dam had been broken. ¡°Kuahhhhhhhhh!¡¯ If only he could, he would¡¯ve screamed, but his throat seemed too dry to make a sound. Afterward, the water did what it had done before and took over his neck, and finally made it to his brain. He felt his brain burn to nothingness amid an immeasurable pain. When the divine water finally filled up his entire head, Chi-Woo regained peace. The pain hadn¡¯t disappeared, no, but his very existence seemed to have been shattered into pieces. He didn¡¯t even know if he had lost his mind or not. It felt as if he was existing as a spirit, and he was simply going to turn into a pile of ashes like this. Perhaps he was already dead. But unlike Chi-Woo, Hawa was able to witness this scene from an outsider¡¯s point of view. ¡®His body is¡­breaking down!¡¯ When Chi-Woo¡¯s body swelled up in parts, it was still able to maintain its shape. Once the lump of water broke through Chi-Woo¡¯s neck to rush into his head, though, his body started breaking. While pouring out liquid waste mixed with yellowish substances all over, Chi-Woo¡¯s skin was torn apart to the point that his bones and organs were becoming exposed. It seemed his body would soon disappear if left alone like this. But then¡ª A brilliant light shot out as the pearl inside the spring pool floated into the air. Then it gently landed on Chi-Woo¡¯s heart, which was exposed between his ripped flesh, and melted before being absorbed. From that moment on, Chi-Woo¡¯s body started to get reconstructed. His heart pulsed, pumping out vermillion blood through his body as flesh grew anew to fill his cracking skin; like a caterpillar breaking out of its hard cocoon as a beautiful butterfly, Chi-Woo was reborn again. The vitality flowing through him was so strong that it could be felt pulsing throughout the sanctuary. For a good while, Hawa simply watched, her mind blank. * * * Chi-Woo dreamed a strange dream where he was flying all over space. When he regained his senses, he felt a chilly sensation like he had just stepped out of a dry ice storage and let out a sheepish groan. After his body had burned up like a boiling furnace, the cool felt indescribably comforting. Then, when he opened his eyes, his vision was blurry. At first, he thought he wasn¡¯t fully awake yet, but the blurriness didn¡¯t disappear even after a lot of time had passed, as if he was seeing the world underwater. ¡®Wait, water?¡¯ Chi-Woo blinked. He was used to the touch of water and realized that he was inside the spring pool. But how was he able to breathe even when he was completely submerged? Chi-Woo blinked for a while and hurriedly sat up. Splash! He saw water trickle down his body, and his mouth hung open. Just yesterday, he hadn¡¯t been able to see the holy water, but now he could. He clearly saw the waves scintillating softly in the pool. What in the world happened? ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± He heard a familiar voice and turned to Hawa. He almost couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when he saw her. ¡®What?¡¯ After concentrating a bit, he saw some sort of gray light coming from Hawa¡¯s inner core. Her appearance hadn¡¯t changed, but perhaps it was the color of her soul. After relaxing his concentration, Chi-Woo no longer saw the gray light. How bizarre. ¡°I had no idea you were an insect,¡± Hawa said indifferently, unaware of what was going through his mind. ¡°An¡­ insect?¡± Chi-Woo was taken back. ¡°Yeah,¡± Hawa answered nonchalantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would shed your skin.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I also didn¡¯t expect you to get rid of all the waste products from your body that way, either. Well, they¡¯re all gone by now,¡± Hawa said while looking at the spring pool with narrowed eyes. It seemed the thought of his wastes made her feel slightly nauseous. ¡°How long was I out for?¡± Chi-Woo asked with his head tilting. ¡°A couple of days, I think. Around ten days.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s jaw dropped. Not one or two days, but ten? ¡°However¡­¡± Hawa¡¯s forehead creased as she took a close look at Chi-Woo. She looked like someone who had woken up in the middle of the night and was trying to see in the sudden brightness. Confused, Chi-Woo stretched his arms and inhaled deeply while closing his eyes. ¡°¡­¡± They felt different. No, they were different. He could feel the sensation of air touching his arms much more clearly now. Beyond that, his senses extended not only outwards, but inwards as well. He felt his pounding and pulsating heart clearly, without any disturbance, and he felt something rejuvenating as he did when he had first encountered the spring pool. On second thought, the feeling was even stronger this time; it felt like he had gained a new body as Hawa had said. It was as if his soul had been put into a different body. Yes. His body didn¡¯t feel like his. ¡°What in the world happened¡­?¡± Chi-Woo looked around and stopped when he saw a great number of messages hovering in the air. [Purification process of the body completed. 100%] After reading the uppermost message, Chi-Woo gulped and began to read the messages below. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s body reached an awakening.] [Inherent ability ¡®Core of Balance¡¯ formed.] [New ability derived from inherent ability ¡®Core of Balance¡¯.] [Inherent ability ¡®Divine Blood¡¯ formed.] [Influenced by the abilities ¡®Core of Balance¡¯ and ¡®Divine Blood¡¯, the user¡¯s physical body is reconstructed.] [Inherent ability ¡®Golden Ratio¡¯ formed.] [Inherent ability ¡®Extrasensory Perception¡¯ formed.] [Inherent ability ¡®Halo¡¯ formed.] [Inherent ability ¡®Spirit Eye¡¯ evolves.] ¡°You¡­what¡­?¡± Hawa looked up and suddenly asked while covering her face, breaking Chi-Woo out of his reverie. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your back¡­ It¡¯s glowing¡­ Or is it not?¡± Hawa blinked and frowned. There was something different about Chi-Woo, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Chi-Woo felt the same. Clearly, he should check his user information to find out more. But above all, one thing was evident: He had gone through something unbelievable, and for some reason, he had an inkling who had made such an impossibility possible. Chi-Woo turned to the statue at the center of the sanctuary, made after the liking of the one who sought perfect neutrality and balance with a scale in one hand. It was the Goddess of Scales, La Bella. CH 89 1. Name & Rank: Choi Chi-Woo (EX) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 23 3. Height & Weight: 180.5 & 73.5kg 4. Class: -- 5. Heavenly Title: Three Lines 6. Disposition: Neutral [Strength D] [Durability D] [Agility D] [Stamina D] [Mental Fortitude C] 1. [Basic Blunt Attack F] 2. [Basic Hand-to-hand Combat E] - form of martial arts that involves clashing one¡¯s physical body against another. While categorized as a form of martial arts, it¡¯s more accurate to describe it as grappling. 1. [???? ??? EX] 2. [Blessed Luck S] 3. [Spirit Eye S]- Supernatural eyes. With the body¡¯s recent awakening, it now allows the user to observe other people¡¯s mind and body. 4. [Great Four Tiger Sword S] 5. [Deus Ex Machina S] 6. [Core of Balance F] -The backbone of the central circulatory system that serves as an engine for imperishability. It seeks absolute balance. As it develops, it evolves existing abilities or creates new derivatives based on them. 7. [Divine Blood F]- The awakening of the blood thanks to the ¡®Core of Balance¡¯. It protects the mind and body by providing resistance to anything that can interfere with the heart¡¯s functions and the ability to heal oneself. Not yet fully developed, its effect is still very weak. 8. [Golden Ratio AAA] ¨C A temporary vessel reassembled by the ¡®Core of Balance¡¯. It is based on the golden ratio, said to create the most beautiful and balanced harmony since ancient times. After the body achieves perfect balance, all physical attributes increase by one rank, and the same actions become more efficient by several-fold. While the skill creates the best body a mortal could have, if the user¡¯s physical abilities are originally low and lacking, the effects of this ability will be only semi-permanent, and the user will only be able to maintain it through continuous training. 9. [Extrasensory Perception F] ¨C Sixth sense obtained through the mind; Whereas synesthesia evokes sensations through perceived physical stimuli, this ability perceives external and internal events without going through sensory organs. Among the various extrasensory perceptions like telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition, it is closest to telepathy. Unlike synesthesia, it doesn¡¯t come with an automatic increase in rank, and is not yet fully developed, so its effect is still very weak. 10. [Halo F] -An ability that invokes a sense of wonder and trust in those around the user. A nation¡¯s king or a military general may possess the ability, ¡®Charisma¡¯, while ¡®Halo¡¯ takes it a step further; it is religious in nature and often seen in figures such as saints, who are revered for performing miracles. Not yet fully developed, its effect is still very weak. 1. [Sharing S] 2. [Synesthesia A+] 3. [Insight into the Unknown C] Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth dropped wide open after he saw his user information. Inherent abilities were supposedly very difficult to get, but he had ten of them. After he calmed himself from the surprise, he read through each ability carefully. No matter how good these abilities were, there was no point if he didn¡¯t know how to make use of them. First of all, he now knew why he had seen a grayish light around Hawa. It was thanks to his evolved ¡®Spirit Eyes¡¯, which allowed him to not only see people¡¯s physical conditions but also their state of mind. Of course, he still needed to figure out what the colors meant. Continuing on, it seemed ¡®Core of Balance¡¯ played the role of the human heart. The ability itself didn¡¯t do much, but it seemed necessary for other abilities to evolve and newly form. Meanwhile, ¡®Divine Blood¡¯ was a useful, easily applicable ability; it could prevent his whole body from outside interference and allow self-heal. However, since its rank was low, he couldn¡¯t rely on it too much yet. Among his abilities, Chi-Woo liked ¡®Golden Ratio¡¯ in particular. Seriously, it increased each physical attribute by a rank. For someone trying his best to transcend beyond an ordinary human like Chi-Woo, this was an extremely precious gift. [An increase to physical attributes without relying on potential strengths¡­You have hit the jackpot, and that¡¯s not even the only thing the ability does.] Mimi added. The description, ¡®the same actions become more efficient by several-fold¡¯ was also noteworthy. Mimi explained that from now on, when Chi-Woo trained, he would be hitting milestones much faster than other people. On the other hand, Chi-Woo still didn¡¯t really know what ¡®Extrasensory Perception¡¯ was about; its description was hard to understand, and it seemed he would only get the sense of it after putting it to use¡ªThe same went for ¡®Halo¡¯. ¡®I should try them out right away.¡¯ Chi-Woo turned away from Hawa and stepped outside of the spring pool to get dressed. Although his physical attributes had improved, Chi-Woo did what he normally did, going to the upper floor immediately and running until the bottom of his feet burned. While escaping from the mud monster, he experienced first-hand the transformation he had undergone. ¡®It¡¯s different.¡¯ Before, he had been too preoccupied with the monster chasing him to even think while running. He was in a constant state of anxiety since the slightest mishap could lead to his death. He wasn¡¯t less nervous than before, but he now had the effort to spare to choose his paths and sometimes look back. Furthermore, if he focused only on running, he was able to maintain a good distance between the monster and him even on a straight path. The monster was still a bit faster than him, but Chi-Woo was able to increase the distance between them by turning at corners. He also lasted longer. Usually, he would have to run back down after at most ten minutes on the upper floor, but today, he managed to run for dozens of minutes. After running a good amount of time, Chi-Woo returned to the lowest floor and leaned his back against the wall, watching the mud monster go while twitching in anger. He burst into laughter after collecting his breath. It was hilarious that he felt so proud of running away better. After undergoing such a dramatic improvement, he wanted to do something big like beating this monster. However, Mimi told him it was still too early for him to face it head-on. Chi-Woo thought the same. Even if it was weakened, Chi-Woo believed he only stood a chance of winning after his physical attributes reached rank C. It was possible for him to beat the monster now if the conditions were right, but his life was too precious to leave it to pure luck. There was no need for him to make such a big gamble. Still, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel a sense of inferiority as he had last time. He was in a similar boat as the other heroes on Liber. They had been reduced to nothing but a random ¡®Villager A¡¯ with the annihilation of the World; likewise, Chi-Woo had to accept his limit. ¡®So what?¡¯ Even Villager A could come up with their own ways; they could join efforts or survive by running away. If they lacked the power to accomplish something, they could back away for the moment and grow stronger. That was what Chi-Woo planned to do, and compared to when he had first fallen into the storage room on Liber, he had progressed so much. At the same time, there was something Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡®If it was Mr. Ru Amuh, I wonder what kind of decision he would¡¯ve made.¡¯ As he progressed, it became clearer to Chi-Woo how impressive Ru Amuh was. Chi-Woo had barely made it to rank D with all the support and benefits he¡¯d received, while all of Ru Amuh¡¯s physical attributes were C even after he had lost his powers. Of course, D wasn¡¯t a low rank. A hero¡¯s physical attributes were on a whole different ball game compared to an ordinary person¡¯s. According to Mimi, an ordinary human would have to train for more than ten years to raise one physical ability up to C rank. However, as Ru Amuh had, Chi-Woo no longer thought that C rank was out of his reach. He was confident that he could reach the limit of human potential with more time. However, considering what the limits of humans were¡­ ¡®Once I reach C rank¡­should I stop training?¡¯ [No.] Mimi immediately refuted. [If you were human, it would be difficult for you to reach B rank or higher through ordinary training alone.] If he wanted to reach that level, he needed to get help from a god that sponsored him or gain power through other means, such as medicine or chance encounters¡ªbut only if he was ¡®human¡¯. [Do you seriously consider yourself still human?] Pushing aside the thoughts, Chi-Woo raised his hand and firmly pressed it on his left chest. He could feel the strong beats of his heart. [A physical awakening also improves your potential.] [Read your user information, and you¡¯ll be able to see for yourself.] Now that Mimi mentioned it, Chi-Woo recalled his various new special abilities, the Golden Ratio being an example. This ability could only be maintained semi-permanently by endlessly training his body with the aim of reaching perfect balance and harmony. Chi-Woo got up, finding himself in full agreement with Mimi. Even though he had gotten stronger, he was still lacking. There was now a new path for him to get stronger, but nothing had fundamentally changed¡ªhe needed to train again and again. * * * Hawa added the paths she had discovered while Chi-Woo kept the monster occupied to the map on the ground. When she finished drawing, she stared at Chi-Woo, who was eating a fruit with his shirt off. Hawa had never paid any attention to his body before. In the first place, Hawa had lost all interest in romantic relationships since a long time ago, and Chi-Woo¡¯s past physique hadn¡¯t been anything to write home about. However, after that incident in the spring pool, he had gone through a complete physical transformation. Not only had he shed all the extra fat, he had become perfectly fit; not too thin, and not too bulky. Rather, each muscle seemed to have been carefully carved out by the god of art to create a perfect physical beauty. Hawa found herself staring at him in awe without thinking, and she felt a strange urge to go talk to him for no reason. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna make a contract after receiving such a great gift?¡± Hawa was asking if he was going to keep skirting the issue after receiving such a significant blessing from La Bella. ¡°Not yet.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s reply was ambiguous; he didn¡¯t say he wouldn¡¯t make the contract with La Bella, but he didn¡¯t say he would do it, either. Honestly, he hadn¡¯t thought of forming a contract as that big a deal, but he had changed his mind completely. While he knew La Bella thought favorably of him and had even sent a blessing to him, and that it would be difficult to find a god as special as La Bella outside, there was a reason he still hadn¡¯t made a contract with her yet. ¡°I¡¯m not confident yet.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still one thing left for me to finish.¡± Hawa looked at him as if he was saying nonsense, and Chi-Woo smiled brightly. Chi-Woo had a feeling that their life in this cave was coming to an end. While reflecting back on his past experiences, he came to a realization. Chi-Woo had changed a lot in this cave; not only physically, but also mentally, which was because of his first¡ªno, second encounter with the mud monster. At that time, Chi-Woo had felt a deep sense of helplessness, but instead of giving up, he had remained firm and resolute. And then he further cemented his resolve with a crazy idea. But the important part was that this hadn¡¯t been the only time he felt such a strong sense of helplessness. Even though Hawa didn¡¯t seem to remember, Chi-Woo distinctly recalled what he felt when he lost to her. Just like how he had replaced his negative emotions with a positive outcome by facing the mud monster head-on, he wanted to erase his past humiliation the same way to grow one step further. Chi-Woo had been thinking about another spar for the past few days, and decided to do it right now. ¡°Nuna, can we spar again today?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Unexpectedly, Hawa¡¯s response was lukewarm. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no fun. You¡¯re just going to defend and evade.¡± ¡°Well, you just have to break through my defense and grab me.¡± Chi-Woo eloquently continued, ¡°Why? Are you not confident?¡± Hawa¡¯s eyebrow slightly furrowed. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Hawa got up to her feet. ¡°It¡¯s because I feel bad.¡± Hawa raised her lips in disdain. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m hitting a spinning, wooden doll every time I spar with you.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. Even though Chi-Woo had been focusing on defending and evading, he couldn¡¯t avoid every single attack; while he didn¡¯t lose, he did end up becoming a punching bag for her. When they finished sparring, there were always bruises on his face and all over his body. On the bad days, he even got his bones fractured. But soon after, Hawa and Chi-Woo faced each other again for a spar, and Hawa spoke in a mocking tone, ¡°I''ll be fine if you postpone the spar until after you''ve signed a contract.¡± If Chi-Woo made a contract with a god, his mana or divinity would be activated. Thus, Hawa meant she was confident she could still beat him even if he used those powers. Even though Hawa was clearly provoking him, Chi-Woo¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change; he looked like he was taking on a very serious task. ¡°Before we start,¡± Chi-Woo put on a serious expression that was so rare for him and said. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to say to you. From this moment on¡ª¡± His voice softened. ¡°I¡¯m going to think of you as the monster outside.¡± All the while, Chi-Woo had been telling himself the same thing in his mind, picturing her as the mud monster. Hawa stared at him, her gaze befuddled as he raised both arms and got into a fighting stance. Hawa was about to say, ¡®What, you¡¯re suddenly getting serious after all this time? Did that mean you¡¯ve been going easy on me all this time?¡¯ And other questions to the same effect, but she swallowed her words in the end. Chi-Woo¡¯s posture was still awkward, and there were many openings to exploit. However, his spirit was different, especially his eyes. His gleaming eyes seemed to carry actual hostility towards her; it was only then that Hawa realized what he meant by thinking of her as a monster. Chi-Woo wanted to defeat the monster wandering outside. However, realistically, they didn¡¯t stand a chance and had no choice but to run away. Thus, he was telling her that he was going to think of her as the monster instead and vent the frustration in his heart; he was going to treat her as his enemy while they were sparring. Hawa felt tension slowly creep up and pursed her lips into a thin line. ¡°Okay.¡± She took the same stance as him and smirked. ¡°It¡¯s finally starting to get interesting.¡± CH 90 The first move was made by Hawa. ¡®He wants me to have a go?¡¯ she thought as she shot forward, baffled by Chi-Woo¡¯s provocation. She knew that he was a hero who specialized in fighting spirits, but the recruits from the celestial realm had lost their powers. Moreover, Chi-Woo was hopeless in close combat as he had said himself. When she had first fought with him, Hawa thought she was fighting a complete idiot, and knocking him off balance was as easy as subduing a child. And even though she had battled him countless times so far, she never had to go all out even once. She engaged him with moderate effort while thinking it was bothersome that Chi-Woo mostly evaded and defended, but now that he was actively egging her on, it seemed only natural for her to respond to his provocation in kind. Wanting to quickly put Chi-Woo into his rightful place, Hawa quickly shortened the distance between them. Her eyes widened in shock when Chi-Woo rushed toward her as well rather than backing away as he had done before. They were running toward each other. ¡®He really wants to have at it?¡¯ Putting it to test, Hawa threw a light jab at the left side of Chi-Woo¡¯s face. Chi-Woo pushed her hand away with relative ease but ended up exposing the side of his ribs. Hawa aimed a round kick at the opening, and Chi-Woo twisted his body to evade the attack. Hawa scowled and decided to back away for now. Usually, the kick would¡¯ve landed; Chi-Woo would¡¯ve been flung away by a great distance after shouting ¡®Whoa!¡¯ in surprise, and the fight would¡¯ve ended. Even when he hadn¡¯t been hit, Hawa would¡¯ve still maintained her upper hand and pounded him one-sidedly until she ended the fight. But that was all in the past, and Chi-Woo maintained a calmness that indicated he had read her movements and calculated the possible repercussions of his own actions. In other words, he was now able to approach the battle logically and decipher his and his opponent¡¯s movements. ¡®He progressed.¡¯ Well, that was only expected of a hero. Even if Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t an expert in close combat, Hawa had thought Chi-Woo¡¯s fighting style was strange; case in point, he spun slightly every time he attacked. It was like he needed time to break a habit he¡¯d developed while practicing in one spot. ¡®How bothersome.¡¯ Even if Chi-Woo was an easy opponent, he was still a hero. His instincts alone set him apart from regular folks, and there were a couple of times when she had thought her attack would land on him for sure, only for Chi-Woo to evade it. Hawa was sure that it had been his instincts that helped him in those situations, because when she purposefully confused his senses by making feint attack after feint attack, Chi-Woo had failed to dodge out of the way. Confusing Chi-Woo¡¯s senses was her best strategy, which had allowed her to boast a victory rate of 100% when Chi-Woo only blocked and evaded when fighting. Yet today, after hiding like a turtle inside his shells until now, Chi-Woo was coming to the forefront to face her. ¡®Should I check whether his newfound confidence is valid or not?¡¯ Hawa was aware that Chi-Woo had received La Bella¡¯s blessing, and that his physical attributes had noticeably improved. However, he hadn¡¯t been able to surpass a human¡¯s limit yet. No matter how highly she regarded his physical attributes, Chi-Woo was still lagging far behind Ru Amuh, and Hawa was sure that she could match up to him if she really tried. Were their physical attributes on a similar level, what would determine the winner would be combat skills. Even if Chi-Woo had retained all his experiences as a hero, Hawa had undergone rigorous training since she was young and escaped death by a hairbreadth many times. Considering the man¡¯s past and the resulting drawbacks, she was confident in winning. Thus, Hawa dived into a full-on offensive. She kicked her left and right feet fast and irregularly while shortening the distance between them, her relentless kicks keeping Chi-Woo¡¯s hands busy. When there was less than a meter left between them, Hawa suddenly stopped kicking sideways; her leg folded like a crane instead before soaring upwards. Chi-Woo hurriedly tipped his head back, and Hawa¡¯s feet brushed past his jaw, missing by a hair. Chi-Woo quickly lowered his head again, and as if she had expected him to do just that, Hawa dived in with her next attack. Bam! Hawa¡¯s fist struck out like lightning and hit Chi-Woo¡¯s left eye. Hawa felt a heavy thud through her hand and became sure that she had landed an effective blow. ¡®It worked,¡¯ she thought, but then Hawa¡¯s eyes widened. Although she had struck him properly, it was her hand that was hurting. It felt as if she had hit a boulder with her bare fist. The next moment, Chi-Woo gripped the fist Hawa had thrown. Hawa flinched. It was surprising that Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t backed away nor even groaned after getting hit. Unlike the time he had jumped up and down from a light punch, Chi-Woo faced Hawa with strained, bloodshot eyes. Before Hawa could pull her hand back out, he yanked her towards him and butted heads with her with great force. Thud. The impact threw Hawa¡¯s head backward, and blood gushed out of her nose. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Hawa wavered. It was Chi-Woo¡¯s turn to rush forward now. Even as she backed away, Hawa swung her left fist, but Chi-Woo dodged out of the way gracefully by bending his waist. Hawa was then fully exposed, so Chi-Woo rushed towards her. But at that moment, he saw the curved tails of her eyes and the raised edges of her lips. She was smiling like was assured of her victory. Hawa knew Chi-Woo had let the punch land on his eye on purpose. She then predicted his next actions and guided him accordingly; she had purposefully swung her left fist widely to make him bend. Aiming for the same left eye that she had struck before, Hawa swung her right arm. Seeing Chi-Woo flinch as her plan fell into place, Hawa was certain she would secure the victory with this punch, but then¡­her right fist swung wide in the air. ¡®What?¡¯ The punch that didn¡¯t land ended up breaking Hawa¡¯s balance. She gaped slightly to see that Chi-Woo had never straightened his body. He had purposefully broken his balance and toppled over. As a result, Hawa¡¯s fist had only grazed the top of Chi-Woo¡¯s head. ¡®How did he respond to that?¡¯ Her timing had been perfect. Even if Chi-Woo had sensed what she was going to do, his body shouldn¡¯t have been able to keep up. Hawa was especially confident about her agility and quick reflex, so she was boggled by Chi-Woo¡¯s impressive reaction speed even after witnessing it. The wide attack left an opening as her body struggled to regain balance. Chi-Woo bounced off the ground like a spring and didn¡¯t miss this opportunity. After bending his arms, he swung his fist while remembering all the humiliation and pain he had to suffer. Punch! ¡°Ack!¡± Chi-Woo struck Hawa in her stomach, hard, and Hawa doubled over, flying into the air and slamming into the wall. After letting out a gasp that she had been holding in, she quickly spun around because Chi-Woo was throwing another punch. Bam! Chi-Woo¡¯s fist struck the rock wall and left large cracks on it. Hawa¡¯s pupils shook slightly at the sight, but Chi-Woo¡¯s attacks continued. While enduring the pain in her stomach, she tripped Chi-Woo with her leg and climbed on top of him, wrapping and tightening her thighs around his neck while twisting his arms. ¡°Kurghhh!¡± ¡°Kuhhhh! Chi-Woo groaned from the pain, and Hawa yelled as she tried to hold Chi-Woo back. ¡°Ahh!¡± Hawa screamed in agony. All red from the lack of air, Chi-Woo had bitten into Hawa¡¯s thighs and ripped off a piece of her flesh. Shocked, Hawa kicked fervently and tried to escape, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t let her go. Even as he got kicked, he didn¡¯t let go of Hawa¡¯s ankle. After succeeding in throwing her down, Chi-Woo climbed on top of her and attempted to punch her. He struck his fist and elbows down continuously. If the fight turned into a messy brawl instead of a battle of techniques, Chi-Woo was at an advantage with his better durability; and this had been Chi-Woo¡¯s plan all along after seeing Hawa¡¯s user information. Like Chi-Woo had predicted, Hawa could no longer resist. She simply covered her face, alternating the arm she was using to block the attacks. After the barrage of punches, Chi-Woo forcefully pulled Hawa¡¯s arms away, but when he saw her face, he stopped. Hawa was bleeding from her nose, her lips had burst, and her eyes were brown and blue. Her slightly ajar lips trembled, and other parts of her body were shuddering as well. After seeing the look of fear in her eyes, Chi-Woo stopped attacking. In Hawa¡¯s point-of-view, the current Chi-Woo in front of her was the definition of a beast. There was only animosity in his bloodshot eyes. The only thing on Chi-Woo¡¯s mind was to kill his opponent. And Hawa now fully realized what being Chi-Woo¡¯s enemy meant. She had thought of it as a declaration of his change in attitude mixed in with a bluff, indicating that he hadn¡¯t tried his best before. However, that wasn¡¯t it. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t gone easy on her before, but he had also never considered Hawa his enemy. He had always treated her like a roommate or a companion, but once he saw her as an enemy, he acted like an entirely different person. This was how Chi-Woo treated his enemies. ¡®But still, it¡¯s too¡­¡¯ How could someone change this much? Chi-Woo quietly collected his breath and got up after seeing that Hawa seemed to have lost her will to fight. Seeing him do that, Hawa¡¯s blank eyes regained their glint, and while lying down, she kicked Chi-Woo¡¯s private area. ¡°Ugh!¡± Chi-Woo immediately fell. He couldn¡¯t help it when his legs gave out, and he clutched on his hurting bits while screaming, ¡°Eh! Ehhh!¡± ¡°You should have¡­finished properly.¡± Hawa laughed and stood up. ¡°You have to stay vigilant at all times¡­¡± She staggered to Chi-Woo and was about to kick him in the face. Bam! ¡°?¡± Hawa froze mid-kick and slowly looked down. Chi-Woo¡¯s foot was between her thighs and had struck her in the same area she had struck him. ¡°¡­Like¡­this¡­?¡± Chi-Woo smirked as he was still going through an indescribable pain. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Then, ¡°Urgh¡­Ahhhh!¡± The pain came slower than she had expected. It did hurt a lot for a man to be hit in his private part, but it was also painful for a woman. Hawa curled her legs inwards just like Chi-Woo had and rolled on the ground with her body curled up in a ball. Attacking someone in their vital area was truly effective, but Hawa hadn¡¯t realized that Chi-Woo had recently undergone an unimaginable pain that made such an attack pale in comparison. No matter how much it hurt, it couldn¡¯t compare to getting his insides melted in the spring pool. The pain of getting kicked was manageable, and he could still move and retaliate in kind. ¡°Stay vigilant until the end.¡± Chi-Woo staggered to his feet. ¡°Finish properly.¡± Then he aimed at Hawa with a foot and said, ¡°I will engrave that into my mind.¡± He kicked her in the face hard, like he was kicking a soccer ball. A burst of blood shot out from Hawa¡¯s face, and she lay on the ground with her limbs stretched outward like a dead frog. When he saw her wiggle and convulse intermittently, Chi-Woo finally sighed. He thought he had a good chance of winning this time, but he had almost lost. Especially when he butted heads with her and had to bend his waist to evade her left fist, it had been so close. He hadn¡¯t expected Hawa to throw both punches at the same time, and even now, he didn¡¯t know how he had managed to think of toppling over to evade the attack in that split second. Before he could sense it with synesthesia, another mysterious sense had passed through his head. It was so faint that he wouldn¡¯t have noticed without concentrating, but thanks to it, he was able to respond to Hawa¡¯s attack. ¡®Is this the extrasensory perception?¡¯ If that was the case, he had earned quite a treat. But of course, the real treat was something else. He turned around. ¡°Kuh¡­¡± It seemed his eyes had burst, as his vision was bloody and red. In addition, his balls seemed to have broken if the throbbing pain was anything to go by. Still, he had won. Although Hawa was a young woman, she had trained since her youth as the successor of her tribe and had been honed through harsh training and bloody battlefields. Chi-Woo, who had been an ordinary person all his life, managed to beat her. After checking that Hawa had fainted, Chi-Woo placed his hands on his waist and threw both punches into the air, shouting, ¡°I won!¡± Clap, clap, clap. A celebratory applause followed, and Chi-Woo turned around in surprise. Of course, he was all alone except for the statue in the form of a goddess. ¡°Goddess La Bella?¡± La Bella¡¯s statue didn¡¯t answer. She didn¡¯t seem to have heard him. ¡®Did I hear wrong?¡¯ Chi-Woo tilted his head and looked down at Hawa, who still lay unconscious. With a short chuckle, he dragged Hawa by her ankles and went inside the spring pool. As the fishes in the pool healed her injuries, Hawa soon regained consciousness and opened her eyes. She looked up and stared at Chi-Woo. ¡°Did you have a good sleep, nuna?¡± Chi-Woo asked her. As Hawa asked for an explanation, Chi-Woo brightly smiled. It was time for him to reap the benefit of his success. ¡°No, Hawa, did you have a good sleep?¡± Chi-Woo dropped his formalities, and one of Hawa¡¯s eyes twitched upwards. ¡°You didn¡¯t forget our bet, right?¡± Chi-Woo said in an arrogant tone, and Hawa looked speechless. ¡°Hm, let me see~ Let¡¯s hear Hawa call me oppa now~¡±? Hawa seemed enraged by Chi-Woo¡¯s haughtiness, but she had a hard time retorting. ¡°Huh? Hawa~ Say oppa. Do it!¡° ¡°¡­That¡¯s not right.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not right,¡± Hawa disagreed. ¡°I won first, so that¡¯s why you called me nuna.¡± In other words, they had to call each other nuna and oppa right now; or he would have to waste the win and cancel the bet that made him call her nuna in the first place. ¡°What¡­¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hide his astonishment. ¡°If you want to hear the word oppa so much, why don¡¯t you try winning one more time?¡± Hawa said. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Right now!¡± Hawa yelled as Chi-Woo snickered. Her eyes burned with revenge. It seemed Hawa¡¯s competitive spirit was no joke, either. ¡°I was taken off guard, but I acknowledge your skills, and I will fight properly from now on.¡± ¡°So, you want to fight one more time? Right away?¡± ¡°We are done with healing anyways.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose we can.¡± Hawa got out determinedly, while Chi-Woo got out of the pool leisurely. Not long afterward¡ª Bam! The battle ended with a literal bang. Covered in blood from head to toe, Chi-Woo dragged an equally beaten and tattered Hawa into the spring pool. And after she regained consciousness while receiving treatment, she felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. While blankly staring at Chi-Woo smirk, she remembered that she had fainted in the middle of the battle and lost again. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t tell me the great successor of the Shahnaz tribe will break a promise?¡± Chi-Woo chuckled. ¡°When even I kept my promise.¡± Chi-Woo was pressuring Hawa to uphold their bet since he had followed his without complaint. Although Hawa¡¯s body shuddered in humiliation, she couldn¡¯t snap back because of all the things she had done until now. ¡°What are you doing~ Hurry up~ Huh~?¡± In the end, after a long pause, Hawa muttered, ¡°¡­O¡­O¡­¡± Left with no other option, she forcefully moved her heavy lips and muttered barely audibly, ¡°¡­ppa.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t let the matter slide so easily. He had been waiting for this moment too much to do so. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you~?¡± Chi-Woo pushed his ear closer to Hawa¡¯s face and nodded. Hawa inhaled deeply. She would love to grab Chi-Woo¡¯s ear and pull it apart if she could, but she had already promised. ¡°¡­I got it. Oppa¡­¡± Satisfied, Chi-Woo nodded and clapped in satisfaction. Considering their ages, it was only right for Hawa to call Chi-Woo oppa, but Hawa felt an incomprehensible sense of humiliation and shuddered. Then she said, ¡°Let¡¯s fight one more time tomorrow.¡± Instead of answering, Chi-Woo turned his head away while pretending to be occupied with something else. Hawa heaved and while tamping down the rage that was boiling inside her, she added, ¡°Oppa.¡± Finally, Chi-Woo chuckled and responded. Even the fishes inside the spring pool covered their mouths with their fins and laughed at her. ¡°Scram!¡± Hawa splashed the water around and took her anger out on the fishes. CH 91 After bickering for a while, the pair of brother and sister not related by blood fell asleep in the pond before waking up the next day. Unable to forget yesterday¡¯s defeat, Hawa said, ¡°I have been living so thoughtlessly these past weeks. I¡¯m gonna sharpen my rusty battle senses. When I come back, let¡¯s battle properly¡± With that, she went outside. ¡®She first said she lost because she was caught off guard. Now she says it¡¯s because she¡¯s gotten rusty.¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered what Hawa¡¯s third reason would be if she lost to him another time. Today, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t go to the upper floor right away, and after taking a bath, he properly put on his torn and ragged clothes. He had overcome his fear against the mud monster, and with his victory over Hawa in battling, he had washed away yet another painful memory. After accomplishing these two things, Chi-Woo thought he had the qualifications to do what he should¡¯ve done from the beginning. Now was the perfect time since Hawa was gone, so after tidying up his clothes, Chi-Woo went up to the statue with a thumping heart. After pondering about what he should do, Chi-Woo kneeled, bowed his head, and clasped his hands in prayer. ¡®I want to thank you first.¡¯ Thanks to La Bella, Chi-Woo was able to come back alive from the underworld after almost crossing the Styx River. Furthermore, they had been well fed and hydrated in the sanctuary due to the food and water created by the goddess. And above all, Chi-Woo gained the power to survive on Liber thanks to her blessings. Chi-Woo was so grateful that he didn¡¯t know how he was going to pay her back for all those favors. The least he could do was express his gratitude to the goddess. ¡®I¡¯d also like to apologize.¡¯ Chi-Woo knew the reason why La Bella showed only her favor to Chi-Woo. On the first day he arrived at the cave, he had seen a message. Although he didn¡¯t admit it out loud, Chi-Woo wanted the power to survive on Liber, and La Bella was the one who granted this desire. The World Milestone guided Chi-Woo to the now forgotten and lost sanctuary, and now that he was at the sanctuary, Chi-Woo had the obligation to swear by La Bella¡¯s name. Chi-Woo was aware of this, but he had been avoiding this obligation all this time. First of all, he had been afraid that nothing would change even if he swore by the goddess¡¯ name. And secondly, he remembered what Shahnaz had told him. [A hero has to live and swear by their conviction, and a god selects a hero whose conviction coincides with theirs.] [In short, a conviction could also be a form of a ¡®promise¡¯. A promise must be kept at all costs, and if a hero breaks the promise, the relationship falls apart.] [Thus, it¡¯s very important for a hero to find a god with a matching conviction. If a hero formed a connection with a god with differing beliefs, they would clash frequently about every matter. In those cases, it would have been better for them to have not established a relationship at all.] While Chi-Woo no longer worried that the goddess¡¯s blessing would have no effect on him, he was still unsure if he could serve the goddess in the ways that Shahnaz had told him about. He was bothered that there was currently almost no record regarding La Bella, and additionally, he was bothered by how serving her might clash with his own goal for coming to Liber. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m still unsure,¡± Chi-Woo muttered with his eyes closed. ¡°I didn¡¯t come to this world to save it. I came here for a very personal reason.¡± He had come to Liber to solve the mystery of his birth and to return home with his brother; his parents would regain their original liveliness if they both came back, and Chi-Woo¡¯s ultimate goal was to return to his past, comparatively normal lifestyle. ¡°Furthermore, I¡¯m not even a hero.¡± After hesitating for a while, Chi-Woo said, ¡°My life might have been hectic, but there was nothing more to it. I had lived an ordinary life where I never thought of saving a world even once.¡± Chi-Woo confessed what he had never told anyone until now. It felt like he was inside a confessional pouring everything in his heart out. Still, he had gained too much from the goddess, and Chi-Woo always paid back what he had received. One way to return the favors he received was swearing by La Bella¡¯s name. But before that, Chi-Woo wanted to speak candidly. ¡°Of course, things have changed for me.¡± As he talked, Chi-Woo was hit by a strange sensation; it felt as if the atmosphere around him had suddenly changed. He peeked his eyes open and realized that he was no longer at the sanctuary, but a white space. And there stood a tall woman with a pressed-down and faded hood covering half of her face. Chi-Woo instinctively knew who she was. The scale balance she was raising in one hand and the mysterious, warm, and wise air that she radiated were exactly the same as before. While kneeling, Chi-Woo looked up and gaped at her. It was baffling. The woman was slightly shorter than him, but he felt an indescribable pressure coming off from her, so strong that she made the giant monster he encountered at the Evalaya mountain seem as small as a tiny bug. He felt as if he was facing a true giant who could shoulder the weight of the heavens above her. Overwhelmed by her immense, majestic presence, Chi-Woo closed his eyes once again. But he wasn¡¯t afraid. It seemed like the goddess was waiting quietly for him to continue. Gaining strength from her support, Chi-Woo opened his mouth again. ¡°Although not by a lot, my thoughts have changed now¡­¡± Chi-Woo continued in a low voice. ¡°But my ultimate goal for coming here hasn¡¯t changed.¡± He had to save Liber to a certain extent¡ªonly then would he be able to survive, meet his brother more easily, and above all, return home with him. After all, even if he found Choi Chi-Hyun, his brother might refuse to return until he saved Liber. When he said that his mission was to save ¡®the world which had fallen into chaos¡¯, it meant many things. It didn¡¯t mean that Chi-Woo wanted to save the world for some noble sacrifice; he regarded the salvation of Liber as the means to achieve his personal goals. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think, Goddess La Bella, but¡­¡± Yet, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think he was wrong. Even the Celestial Realm didn¡¯t seek Liber¡¯s salvation, but for the heroes to stabilize the situation there to the point that salvation was possible. As Zelit had said before, the recruits were brought to Liber as expendables, and there was no need for them to go as far as saving the world completely. ¡°But if you are still fine with me with all this¡­¡± Chi-Woo trailed off and clasped his mouth shut. He said everything he wanted to say and waited for La Bella to answer. Some time later¡­ ¡ªHow troublesome. An elegant yet clear and calm voice resonated in his ears and brain simultaneously. It was the first time he was hearing La Bella¡¯s voice directly. Chi-Woo focused all his senses on his ears. ¡ªBut there¡¯s one thing you are misunderstanding. La Bella continued. ¡ªYou talked about the normalization of this world so that there is hope of saving it. Do you know how difficult and strenuous it would be to reach this normalization, considering the current state of affairs? If one only considered Chi-Woo¡¯s pursuit of the normalization of Liber, he matched well with La Balla since she was a goddess of perfect neutrality who sought balance. However, even that was extremely difficult considering the mess Liber was in. Were she to categorize all the forces that were messing up Liber as ¡°evil¡±, and all the original inhabitants who used to rule over Liber as ¡°good¡±, the ratio of evil to good was currently 99.99 to 0.01. That was how much the scale was tilted to one side, and it seemed simply impossible to change the ratio to 50:50. ¡ªEvents beyond your and my expectations would block your path. A danger akin to saving most Worlds and incomparably more threatening would be thrown in your way. Knowing all this, do you still swear by what you¡¯ve said? ¡°Yes,¡± Chi-Woo immediately replied. La Bella stared closely at him before lifting her gaze slightly. A strong energy had been emitting from Chi-Woo¡¯s back for a while now. ¡ªHmph. La Bella heard a snort when she stared past Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders. ¡ªLa Bella¡­a lineage of Jupiter and the daughter of a maiden goddess¡­ Princess Saheu, who had mercilessly rejected Shahnaz, began critiquing La Bella. ¡ªWell, she¡¯s not bad. I guess a god at her level is all right. Surprisingly, her evaluation of La Bella wasn¡¯t bad. In her own right, La Bella was a ¡°pure-blood¡± god born from a renowned god with a long history. In Princess Saheu¡¯s perspective, she was much better than Shahnaz, who was born as a human without any proper lineage. ¡ªWhen humans fell into corruption and all gods turned their backs on them, your mother was the only one who stayed behind and called for justice. Of course, she became sick of human¡¯s evil acts and eventually returned to the heavens, but¡­ ¡ªI wonder what you¡¯ll be like? ¡ªYou, the daughter of Astraea, the maiden goddess of Virgo, and the one who inherited the scale of balance of the goddess of justice. Someone of your caliber must have noticed the limitless potential of this child. La Bella fell silent since she understood Princess Saheu¡¯s intentions. ¡ªWill you be able to guide this child without making any mistakes or missteps? La Bella couldn¡¯t answer easily since Chi-Woo¡¯s existence was unbelievable for even an immortal being like herself. ¡ªAre you hesitating now? Princess Saheu mockingly laughed at La Bella¡¯s hesitation, and only then did La Bella begin moving forward. She slowly walked up to Chi-Woo, looking down at the young man who had yet to move even an inch. Even though she had already given him a blessing, she couldn¡¯t help but ask for confirmation. She knew that the events that would unfold in the future would shake even the strongest and hardest conviction. ¡ªWhat if you can go back? ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t expect this question, so he replied a few seconds later. ¡ªThis is a paradise created just for me. I was able to exist for so long because of it. Even though my presence has faded greatly, I was still able to respond to your wishes and help you. In other words, I have enough strength to send one person¡ªyou to where you originally came from. If that¡¯s what you want. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t reply immediately to her unexpected suggestion. He could leave all this behind and return home. it did give him pause, but it did not take him long to reach a decision. ¡°No.¡± Chi-Woo smiled without realizing it. ¡°I won¡¯t go back.¡± ¡ªWhy? Is it because you have to leave your brother behind? ¡°There¡¯s that, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips, and his expression became slightly sentimental. ¡°I received a request.¡± ¡ªA request. ¡°Yes. I got a request to help this world¡­¡± Chi-Woo recalled those who sacrificed themselves in the ritual; they had all given up their lives while trusting that those left behind would save Liber. ¡ªThere¡¯s no reason for you to accept that request. ¡°Yes, if I only received a request.¡± Chi-Woo smiled ruefully. ¡°Thanks to their efforts, I¡¯m still alive.¡± ¡ª¡­ ¡°I¡¯m indebted to them for my life.¡± Chi-Woo needed to repay this debt; he needed to give back as much as he had received, which was applicable to La Bella as well. ¡°But of course¡­that isn¡¯t the only reason why.¡± Chi-Woo let out a small sigh. ¡°If I return, I won¡¯t have to worry about dying, but on the other hand, I¡¯ll have to start worrying about how to live.¡± ¡ª? ¡°I¡¯ll have to worry about how and what I¡¯m going to do with my life.¡± There were many things he had wanted to do. He had wanted to become a chef, a teacher, and a photographer. However, in the end, he couldn¡¯t realize any of his dreams. Even though his efforts paid off somewhat in real life, whenever he was about to be successful, a supernatural force that couldn¡¯t be explained by ordinary means always hindered Chi-Woo¡¯s pursuit. The same thing happened to him when he decided to let go of the secular world and become a pastor, monk, or shaman. Those occurrences always happened at the right time to stop him from committing, and couldn¡¯t be considered as simple bad luck¡ªit was as if someone was telling him he couldn¡¯t chase after those dreams. He was not fated to do those jobs. However, once he arrived at Liber, everything changed. Even though the circumstances here were extremely dire, the ¡®coincidences¡¯ that had only hindered him in real life began to help him out. The extraordinary life he had long considered a disadvantage became valuable to him. He felt like he was finally standing on a stage where he was the main character. ¡°The distinction between life and death here is very clear.¡± He wasn¡¯t just living because he couldn¡¯t die. He strived to survive so he wouldn¡¯t die and worked hard to keep surviving. There was a thick line between life and death, as their difference was informed by the purpose of one¡¯s life and their reason for living. Even though it was temporary, Chi-Woo was able to set a clear goal and motivation to live while he was on Liber. ¡°Rather than returning and living an unfruitful life¡­and rather than living on as if nothing had happened, as if that was the life I was fated to lead, I¡¯m going to take on what this place has to offer.¡± He wanted to discover as much as he could. ¡°Only then would I be able to choose whether to submit to my cursed fate or resist it. Isn¡¯t that right, goddess?¡± La Bella gently tilted her head. His conviction was already firm. ¡ªOn the first day you came here, you were injured to the point of dying. And you cried. La Bella had been watching Chi-Woo the whole time. She had seen him crying pitifully after getting attacked by the monster when he first arrived at the cave. ¡ªI saw you despair in your fear towards the monster. And La Bella had seen him frustrated and angry. But she had also seen him get up despite all the challenges and bravely face his fears head-on to overcome them. She had seen all his bad and good moments. ¡ªThe path you¡¯re walking on would have despairs and fears that are incomparably greater than the ones you¡¯ve experienced here. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªAre you planning to walk that path despite all that? ¡°Yes.¡± Chi-Woo showed no hesitation in his reply. In the first place, he had entered by his own choice. He didn¡¯t regret any of his decisions, and even if he died in the worst case scenario, he wouldn¡¯t regret it if he had done his best. ¡°I¡¯ve already made up my mind.¡± He was now prepared to get hurt and hurt others, and to die or take lives. La Bella stood in front of Chi-Woo and raised the scale balance in her hand above his head. ¡ªIf you are truly sincere, I will always be with you and protect you until your conviction falls. She spoke with a solemn voice and shouted the next words. ¡ªAs the guardian of balance, I swear on this scale. The scale balance that had always maintained its balance began to tilt to one side. La Bella made her promise, and it was now Chi-Woo¡¯s turn to make a pledge. ¡°¡­I swear.¡± As soon as the scale balance touched his head, he opened his eyes and looked up. ¡°That I¡¯ll become your sword and defeat the evils that prevail in this world, returning balance to the world according to your will.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes seemed to be glowing with passion. ¡°I swear on the scale of the Goddess of Balance, La Bella!¡± CH 92 After swearing by the goddess¡¯ name, Chi-Woo felt a strange energy envelop his body. It was as if a whirlwind had formed inside him and was sucking him inwards. ¡°!¡± When he opened his eyes again, Chi-Woo realized that his body was soaked in sweat, and he was running out of breath. ¡°Fuuu¡­¡± While heaving, Chi-Woo delved into the sensations whirling around his whole body. It was the sensation he hadn¡¯t been able to decipher before. When he looked up, there was a message hovering in the air. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s contract with the goddess of scales, La Bella, is established.] [Class is updated.] [La Bella grants her blessing.] [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s potential abilities respond to La Bella¡¯s blessing.] [Physical Attribute ¡®Exorcism¡¯ is created.] 1. Name & Rank: Chi-Woo (EX) 4. Class: Exorcist [Strength D] [Durability D] [Agility D] [Stamina D] [Mental Fortitude C] [Exorcism E] ¡®Exorcism?¡¯ It was a familiar yet unfamiliar term. Chi-Woo thought ¡®Mana¡¯ or ¡®Divinity¡¯ would be created among his physical attributes like other heroes, but he got ¡®Exorcism¡¯ instead. [If you were an ordinary hero, you would have only gotten a message that you had accepted the blessing of the god you are forming a contract with.] Mimi interjected. [But for you, you got an additional message.] The extra line stated that his potential abilities had responded to La Bella¡¯s blessing, which, Mimi proceeded to explain, would usually result in the creation of a ¡®Divinity¡¯ attribute, but it had transformed into a unique attribute called ¡®Exorcism¡¯ instead. ¡®Is that good?¡¯ [Since it is the will of a god, I can¡¯t judge whether it¡¯s good or bad. Coming from a god like La Bella, though, I¡¯m certain it¡¯s a net positive for you. Moreover, she could be granting you what you¡¯ve wished for.] ¡®My Wish?¡¯ Chi-Woo whispered and read the attribute¡¯s explanation in detail. [Exorcism E] ¨C power used purely for vanquishing darkness. The user¡¯s original abilities responded to La Bella¡¯s blessing and formed this new ability with his earnest pleas and wishes. Different from standard mana or divinity, it exercises absolute dominance over forces of the evil or dark type. The user can¡¯t yet tap into the ability¡¯s full capacity at the current level. ¡®The user¡¯s earnest pleas and wishes¡­¡¯ After reading the description, Chi-Woo could understand it a little better. Ever since coming to Liber, Chi-Woo had displayed complete dominance over spirits. Even in his user information, the Four Tiger Sword¡¯s description had stated that no spirit outside of actual gods could escape his spiritual powers. In short, Chi-Woo could inflict effective blows on even a demi-god, as long as his target was a spiritual being. The problem was when he was dealing with non-spiritual beings. If his opponent changed into a material form, Chi-Woo¡¯s attacks would lose their effectiveness dramatically or even hit rock bottom. After all, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been able to do anything about the monsters at the Evalya Mountain, and he had been helpless facing the monster on the upper floor. Thus, Chi-Woo had sometimes wished and wondered how it would be if his physical abilities were on par with his spiritual abilities. La Bella¡¯s blessing had granted him his wish in this regard. By no means could Chi-Woo display the same level of power in both physical and spiritual skills now, but with the creation of this new attribute, it was now made possible. His Exorcism should¡¯ve started at F, but under the influence of Golden Ratio, it had ranked up to E. He didn¡¯t yet surpass his species¡¯ limits, but there was no denying that he had opened up a path to do so. It was a humble beginning to something truly great. ¡®Some day¡­¡¯ He may be able to improve upon it and form a new, matching ability of his desire. Chi-Woo gripped his fist tightly and strengthened his resolve. [¡­What?] Opposite to his response, Mimi gasped, stunned by the description of Exorcism. It could be interpreted as Chi-Woo always having the upper hand when dealing with an evil existence, which wouldn¡¯t be a wrong read, but what specifically stood out to Mimi in this description were the words ¡®full capacity¡¯. ¡ª The user can¡¯t yet tap into the ability¡¯s full capacity at the current level. This attribute was only currently at an E rank, but it already allowed Chi-Woo to have the upper hand when dealing with evil beings. As the attribute ranked up and its capacity grew, his power would dominate not just the evils, but a greater range of beings in order to establish La Bella¡¯s vision of perfect neutrality. However, La Bella established no clear definition for what was good and evil, and anyone could be seen as ¡®evil¡¯ by Chi-Woo¡¯s judgement alone. Even though the situation on Liber was dire, what if there came a day when ¡®the good¡¯ became the dominating force in the world, and thus ruined the perfect balance? Would Chi-Woo point his sword at the natives on Liber and the angels from the Celestial Realm in La Bella¡¯s name? [This was too¡ª] Dangerous. No, it went beyond dangerous and entered the territory of insanity. It wasn¡¯t a power that a single being should possess, let alone permitted to a normal human. Of course, Mimi knew that it would be difficult, extremely difficult for Chi-Woo to reach a stage where he could harness enough power to make such an impact. And raising his exorcism attribute to S rank alone wouldn¡¯t be enough. He would need another ability that could support it for Exorcism to truly shine. Then, however, Mimi realized that Chi-Woo had recently undergone a physical awakening. [Ah, that¡¯s right¡­! That¡¯s why ¡®Core of Balance¡¯ was given to you¡­!] Mimi finally realized that La Bella had already set up a central system inside Chi-Woo¡¯s body that would allow him to evolve pre-existing abilities and form new ones. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Chi-Woo asked Mimi. [¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.] Mimi didn¡¯t voice her thoughts. She decided that it wasn¡¯t a power that he needed to know about yet, and Chi-Woo was too busy focusing on the new energy whirling around him. After observing his external body for a while, he found the source of the energy. ¡®My heart.¡¯ It was where the Core of Balance was located. Every time his heart beat, energy poured out and circulated like blood. It didn¡¯t take long for Chi-Woo to figure out how he should utilize his newfound power. As he focused on his hand, the energy naturally gathered there as if it had read his mind. ¡®It¡¯s my will.¡¯ The energy responded to his will and moved like it was part of his body, as easy as breathing through his nose and lips or moving his feet. ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯ Chi-Woo tentatively threw a punch. Bang! He flinched in response. He¡¯d triggered an explosion even though he had hit nothing but air, and he could feel a strong repelling force against his fist. ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo looked down at his tingling fist and opened his mouth. He just awakened his powers, but they responded to his will as smoothly as water. He soon got the hang of it. Although it had its unique characteristics, the energy essentially amplified his physical abilities. With the experience, Chi-Woo now understood how Ru Amuh had moved in ways that surpassed ordinary humans. However, the effectiveness of physical abilities depended on the person using them. ¡®With this power, I don¡¯t have to be afraid of the mutants anymore. But I¡¯m still not perfectly used to it.¡¯ He had to master this unfamiliar power as fast as possible, and there was only one method to achieve this goal. ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯ Of course, getting real practice was the answer. Chi-Woo was pumped up as he quickly went up to the upper floor. He was going to train again and again. * * * ¡°Yeyeyeye!¡± Chi-Woo shouted in excitement while running. Even though he was just running straight, the monster couldn¡¯t catch up to him. The distance between him and the monster also kept increasing as he put energy on both of his legs while running. ¡°Hat!¡± Every time he stomped his feet hard on the ground, he flew a few meters upwards. He even tried running in zig-zag¡ªsomething he would have never even attempted before. The mud monster was completely flabbergasted. Before, it had already been furious that Chi-Woo kept narrowly avoiding his reach, but now, he was moving even further away by using a special ability. Chi-Woo ran and jumped like a crazy man for a while and suddenly felt fatigued. ¡®It really is great, but¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo overextended himself after exhibiting physical capabilities beyond his normal means. Chi-Woo decided to stop for today and turned around to head down, skipping and leaping continuously in doing so. He suddenly recalled a past memory. [Yes, if we follow your pace. But we¡¯ll arrive there soon with my speed. ] When Chi-Woo had first arrived at the Celestial Realm under Giant Fist¡¯s guidance, he had been shocked by Giant Fist¡¯s speed as he passed through the clouds. ¡®I realized it now. Giant Fist was also using his power to run like¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s good mood sank as he thought of Giant Fist. He became so sullen that he stopped right before the last floor without realizing it. When he realized his mistake, he was a leap away from the safety zone, but the mud monster had caught up to him by pushing itself to the limit in his moment of distraction. ¡°Ah!¡± The mud monster rushed towards Chi-Woo with all its power, and Chi-Woo rushed back at almost the same time. ¡°Woah, that was dangerous.¡± The mud monster had narrowly missed him and crashed to the lower floor. Chi-Woo had spaced out in the middle of a battle, and the moment of carelessness almost cost him his life. [Isn¡¯t it an escape rather than a battle?] ¡®Anyway.¡¯ Chi-Woo dismissed Mimi¡¯s rebuttal and furrowed his brows. ¡°What the heck? What¡¯s happened to it?¡± The monster was in agony; it was frantically rolling and moving as if it was crazy. If his eyes weren¡¯t deceiving him, it seemed the monster was letting out smoke all over as mud melted off its body. Chi-Woo looked down with a perplexed expression and realized something. The lower floor was a safety zone since it was where La Bella¡¯s paradise lay. The mud monster had never crossed into the area. No matter how hard it¡¯d been chasing Chi-Woo, it always stopped and turned around once Chi-Woo reached the lower floor. Chi-Woo had been extremely fortunate this time. ¡®I¡¯ve actually been aiming for this.¡¯ [You got lucky.] Mimi dismissed Chi-Woo¡¯s false claim. [Even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while.] ¡®No. I really planned this.¡¯ [Ha¡­yeah right. Anyway, good job.] Even though Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t planned for this to happen, all was well as long as it ended well. Even though Mimi thought there was a chance that Chi-Woo could beat the monster after making a contract with La Bella, it was better to be safe. [Will you be able to move saf¡­?] Mimi spoke in relief but trailed off with increasing confusion. Chi-Woo, who had been quietly watching the monster scream and slowly die, suddenly walked up to the mud monster, which was melting like ice cream. He grabbed it and lifted it up before heading back up again. [User Choi Chi-Woo?] Without replying to Mimi, Chi-Woo went up and let go of the mud monster. The smoke quickly died down, and its frantic movements slowly stopped. [?] Mimi expressed her confusion. [???????] No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t figure out his intentions; she sent a stronger sense of confusion to him. The mud monster was also confused despite being happy about its unexpected survival. It was so startled that it didn¡¯t even try attacking Chi-Woo when he was standing right in front of it. ¡°Don''t misunderstand me. I didn¡¯t save you because I like you.¡± Chi-Woo looked down at the squirming mud monster. ¡°I don¡¯t want to beat you by luck.¡± Chi-Woo wanted to beat the mud monster by pure skill. ¡°I felt humiliated because of you.¡± When the monster failed to recover, Chi-Woo softly added, ¡°But I¡¯m sure you feel the same way.¡± Despite its lingering confusion, the monster seemed to agree with Chi-Woo, and it vehemently expressed its feeling. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving this place soon.¡± Chi-Woo folded his arms when it seemed like the monster understood him. ¡°Catch me.¡± His expression turned solemn. ¡°Catch me with everything on the line and with everything you have, and kill me if you can!¡± The monster flinched. ¡°I¡¯ll also try my best to run away from you to survive.¡± The monster looked up intently at Chi-Woo. They had faced each other several times, and now that things were coming to an end, Chi-Woo silently challenged it to a duel with his eyes¡ªThey were to fight head-on with their pride on the line. ¡°Go.¡± Chi-Woo pointed at the opposite side with his chin. ¡°Eat well, sleep well, and get a lot of rest. And then fight me in your best condition.¡± The monster remained silent, but soon after, it quietly raised its body. And then surprisingly, it followed Chi-Woo¡¯s words and stumbled away. It looked a bit dazed. On the other hand, Mimi, who had watched the whole incident unfold, was unable to contain her anger. [User¡­Choi Chi-Wooo¡­?] ¡®You know, I¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo watched the monster move far away from him and turned around as it had. ¡®Honestly, I¡¯m not afraid of that monster anymore.¡¯ He jumped down and continued his thought, ¡®I don¡¯t hate or detest it.¡¯ Chi-Woo walked step by step to the sanctuary and looked back once more. He threw a sad glance at the mud monster. ¡®Instead, I feel a little bit grateful¡­¡¯ [You crazy bastard!] Mimi immediately scolded him. [Are you crazy? Are you for real? Answer me. User Choi Chi-Wooooooo!] Mimi¡¯s reaction was understandable. Chi-Woo could have seized this luck and escaped the mud monster without any danger or conflict, but instead, he decided to return the situation to its original state. ¡®Ah, why? Honestly, don¡¯t you also think that I¡¯m strong enough to face it now?¡¯ [Even so!] Mimi felt like she was going to choke while yelling at him, so she decided to read his thoughts first. She needed to figure out his thought process. What she read rendered her speechless. [What, what¡­] Ever since Chi-Woo came to the cave, he had been growing significantly, which was triggered by the first time he faced the monster head-on without getting scared. And since then, Chi-Woo had been receiving daily messages about his growth. And that was the problem. While running away from the monster, Chi-Woo cultivated his mental and physical abilities as well as awakened various abilities, which filled him with delight. After continuously progressing through real fights, it became impossible for ordinary battles without real danger to satisfy him. In other words, Chi-Woo considered the monster of ancient legends as a great training tool for him. Of course, to give him credit, he really had improved significantly since the time the sight of the monster rushing up to him left him paralyzed in fear. [Aghhhh¡­!] Mimi wasn¡¯t sure if she should be delighted or sad that Chi-Woo was willing¡ªno, even happy to face dangerous situations if it meant that he could grow. She didn¡¯t know how to feel anymore. CH 93 After his contract with La Bella, Chi-Woo incorporated using his exorcism attribute in his daily training. Since there was a big difference between imagining it and actually using the ability, he needed to narrow the gap between them and get used to this ability as fast as possible. Fortunately, this task wasn¡¯t as difficult as he expected it to be. Thanks to his evolved physique, Chi-Woo was able to use the mysterious energy well. Yet, it wasn¡¯t like there was no problem at all, which he found out amid training. Today, Chi-Woo went to the upper floor as usual and ran with the mud monster chasing behind him. Brimming with enthusiasm, he ran up and down the walls as he escaped. It was easy for him to maintain balance, which might be thanks to La Bella¡¯s blessing, and he was able to kick off the walls on both sides in a zigzag. Feeling like he was spiderman, Chi-Woo excitedly increased his speed more and more as he kept bouncing between the walls until all that was ahead of him was a cliff behind the corner space. To change direction, Chi-woo jumped to the left side with all he had. ¡°?¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback when he felt his feet sink into the wall. It seemed he had put too much force into his foot. No matter how strong a rock was, it had its weak spots. However, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t expected parts of the rock wall to simply crumble at his energy-filled kick. As the part of the wall crumbled, Chi-Woo failed to change directions and fell toward the cliff. Below him was a dark, empty space, and Chi-Woo was surprised to find himself falling from a good distance. Rather than being careless, he made a mistake because he hadn¡¯t considered such a situation to arise. However, it was also true that before, he had been running for his life, but after he gained La Bella¡¯s support, he had been slightly drunk on his newfound powers and fell into the trap of hubris. Even as he fell, Chi-Woo simply thought he would collide with some rocks, roll on the ground, and stop¡­ That was before his head got closer and closer to a sharp boulder protruding from the ground like a stalactite. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face darkened. Was he going to die like this? So stupidly? Chi-Woo was about to tilt his head and guarded himself with both arms when¡ªthud! He suddenly felt something grab him by the neck. His falling body came to a lurching halt, and when Chi-Woo opened his eyes again, he saw the tip of the rock almost touching the center of his forehead. Cold sweat broke out of him, and Chi-Woo wondered what would have happened if he had fallen a bit more. He felt more chills as his body was pulled back up. Not long afterward, he returned to the narrow path he had fallen from, and whatever was grabbing the back of his neck loosened. After landing on the path safely, Chi-Woo finally let out the breath he had been holding in. He turned around with a blank look on his face and saw the mud monster retracting its long, out-stretched hand that had lengthened like a rope. ¡°You¡­¡± As the mud monster continued to retract its arm back, Chi-Woo was about to say something but thought better of it. The mud monster responded similarly. It stood in its spot and stared quietly at Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what was happening, but he was sure of one thing: the mud monster had saved Chi-Woo¡¯s life just now like how he had saved the mud monster¡¯s life a couple of days ago. A stretch of silence followed. Then a hand shot out of the mud monster¡¯s body and pointed at Chi-Woo once before pointing down at the sanctuary. There was no way they could understand each other, but Chi-Woo felt no antagonism from the mud monster. Moreover, from his actions, Chi-Woo could clearly understand what the monster was saying. [Don¡¯t misunderstand. I just didn¡¯t want to hear you say it was a rock that got you in the end.] [Since the mood is all wrong, we should stop for today. Come back after you have a good meal and a good rest. Then we can have a fair battle again.] Chi-Woo¡¯s face burned up, but he gritted his teeth and tightened his fists. He wanted to shout that he had simply slipped and could battle this instance, but right now, Chi-Woo had to accept the mud monster¡¯s considerations; it was what the mud monster had done when he did the same thing. As of now, Chi-Woo simply needed to reflect on his mistakes and practice so that he could wash this humiliation away the next time they met. Thus, Chi-Woo walked. Pat, pat. When he was passing the mud monster, Chi-Woo stopped briefly and tilted toward the still-standing mud monster, saying in a low voice, ¡°¡­Thanks¡­¡± He resumed his walk down. The mud monster laughed and tucked its hand back into its body, moving in the opposite direction that Chi-Woo was heading. Chi-Woo walked but soon stopped again; he turned around with complicated feelings. The mud monster was already far away from him, but unlike him, it didn¡¯t turn back even once. For some reason, Chi-Woo felt sad that it didn¡¯t but also thought it was a bit cool for it to do so. ¡°¡­¡± * * * ¡°Can I call you hey!? Can I call you mine?¡± [1] While shaking her head to the beat of the rhythm, Hawa continued, ¡°We need our own pet name!¡±. Then, she pointed both thumbs at Chi-Woo and sang, ¡°Honey~! Honey~!¡± She even curled her hands into a fist and shook her shoulders. ¡°So please be mine from today on!¡± She ended the song with a wink. As soon as the song ended, the cute and energetic girl returned to her expressionless self. And Chi-Woo burst into laughter, ¡°Ahahahahahaha!¡± As Hawa hung her head with cheeks flushed red with shame, Chi-Woo laughed so hard that his laughter echoed in the entire cave. ¡°Why in the world are you making me do something like this!?¡± Hawa burst out, her body trembled in utter humiliation. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Why?¡¯ You lost, so you have to listen to my request.¡± Chi-Woo wiped the tears in his eyes and chuckled. Hawa gritted her teeth. She had challenged Chi-Woo to a battle once again, thinking that she could win, but ended up losing. Unfortunately, they had made a bet, and Hawa had to listen to Chi-Woo¡¯s request since she lost. Given the chance to make Hawa do whatever he wanted since he had done the same before, Chi-Woo ended up having her perform the aegyo song Be Mine. And Chi-Woo didn¡¯t let Hawa do a sloppy job, saying that he would not make any more bets from then on if she did so. Thus, Hawa had no choice but to swallow her pride and perform the song perfectly with the right expression, voice, and rhythm. ¡°How cute. I guess if our Hawa wants to call me honey instead of oppa so bad, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Stop with the nonsense,¡± Hawa said firmly with her arms crossed and heaved. Then she glanced at Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Ah, this? It¡¯s nothing,¡± Chi-Woo said while gripping his club. ¡°But why do you have it out like that?¡± ¡°Just cause. I was wondering if it would change under the holy water¡¯s influence,¡± Chi-Woo explained while plunging the club back into the spring pool. Hawa felt something pass her eyes; as a shaman who served a god, she could recognize a godly item. She didn¡¯t know exactly what this blackish club was, but it appeared to be a precious item with a deep history. Hawa shook her head and changed the topic abruptly, ¡°You made a contract with goddess La Bella, right?¡± Chi-Woo felt a prick of guilt at Hawa¡¯s gaze. He waved his hands and said, ¡°I did, but I didn¡¯t use those powers while fighting you. I am telling you the truth.¡± Hawa smacked her lips. She knew Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t lying. If had used his powers, there would be a clear difference in his movements and strength. Moreover, Hawa was curious about a different matter. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start heading out then? What about tomorrow?¡± Chi-Woo paused. ¡°We¡¯re almost out of food¡ªfruits, mushrooms, seafood, and seaweed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The holy water seemed to be decreasing every day as well.¡± Hawa was right. While she could only hear and feel the holy water, Chi-Woo could actually see it. And the spring pool had decreased half in volume since he first saw it. The water surrounding it had already dried up. Moreover, the number of fish treating his injuries had also greatly decreased. To be more exact, things were actually disappearing, and what would be replenished before remained unreplenished. For example, he could clearly see the holy water decrease depending on how much he used it. There was only one explanation¡ªit was because of his contract with La Bella. To be more specific, the ¡®core of balance¡¯ that maintained the paradise had been absorbed into Chi-Woo¡¯s heart, so the things that made up the paradise were gradually disappearing. ¡°Uh..¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback. ¡°But what about staying until we use everything here instead of letting it go to waste¡­" ¡°That would only take a few more days.¡± ¡°We hadn¡¯t completed the map¡­¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be helped.¡± While Chi-Woo was having trouble finding the right thing to say, Hawa replied curtly and rebutted his argument. ¡°We don¡¯t know how far we¡¯d have to climb up. We can only hope that the floor we recently discovered is the highest one. Even then, since we¡¯ve mapped out more than half of the upper floors, and you¡¯ve made a contract with goddess La Bella¡­¡± Hawa stopped talking when she noticed the dark look on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Hawa tilted her head. ¡°Do you want to keep staying here?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Chi-Woo immediately denied it. They needed to go out, but¡­for some reason, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking of the monster¡ªthe mud monster that was probably still waiting for him outside. He didn¡¯t know whether he was bothered or feeling regretful, but he couldn¡¯t change Hawa¡¯s decision; he agreed that he had done everything there was to do here. It was really time for them to get out. Chi-Woo let out a sigh at his complex and confusing feelings. If he slept and woke up, his thoughts might be more organized the next day. Chi-Woo closed his eyes, so he couldn¡¯t catch that the paradise was slowly but steadily decreasing faster than before. Hawa was right about the reason the holy water was decreasing, but it was also because the club he dropped in the spring pool was continuously absorbing it. * * * The next day arrived. When Chi-Woo woke up, he found to his shock that there was very little holy water left. Since the water had decreased dramatically, all the fish had disappeared. ¡®We should leave now.¡¯ Even though Chi-Woo had grown significantly, he was still human. To keep on living, he needed to eat and drink. Considering the amount of water left and the distance they had to travel, they needed to leave today. After making the decision, there was no need for him to hesitate. He woke Hawa up and told her they were leaving today. Then he got ready to head out. Hawa blinked several times and looked at Chi-Woo. Considering his reaction yesterday, Hawa had expected them to stay for at least a few more days, but she soon got ready to head out as well. Chi-Woo first collected as much holy water as he could; he managed to fill seven bottles with all the water without wasting a single drop. He also packed the remaining food like fruits and mushrooms. They were all rare and precious ingredients that couldn¡¯t be easily found, and Chi-Woo had no intentions to leave anything behind. ¡®It feels like it got a bit heavier?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought it was a bit strange as he lifted the club; it had grown heavy like a tree completely soaked in water. After packing their bags and checking the map once more, Chi-Woo and Hawa set out. He had grown comfortable living in the sanctuary, but he felt refreshed that they could finally get out. It would have been a lie if he said he didn¡¯t feel a bit dejected, but he had no trouble following his decision because he¡¯d been counting each day until they had to leave ever since he made a contract with La Bella. There was only one thing left to do: to bait the monster and escape. Chi-Woo and Hawa walked while raising their guard. And soon after, they felt that something was off. The monster should have rushed towards them as soon as they climbed up. However, it was nowhere to be seen even after they climbed up another floor, and another, and another. Even when they reached a floor they had never been to before, there was still no trace of the mud monster. ¡°I can hear the sound of air¡­wind.¡± Hawa closed her eyes and pointed in a specific direction. ¡°This way.¡± Chi-Woo obediently followed Hawa¡¯s lead, but he couldn¡¯t focus; he kept looking around for the mud monster. He had unfinished business with it. Why, for what reason¡­ He didn¡¯t know how long they had been walking for. They reached a wide area where the darkness subsided as light began to seep in. Hawa stopped walking and frowned at the figure in front of her. In contrast, Chi-Woo¡¯s expression brightened up; the mud monster was in front of them, standing in the middle of the clearing waiting for him. ¡°You¡­!¡± Chi-Woo was about to shout in delight but calmed his excitement because the mud monster was radiating with fearsome energy. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ This was where the mud monster and Chi-Woo would have their final battle. Chi-Woo¡¯s opponent had chosen their arena, so it was only right for him to respond appropriately. Hawa glanced at Chi-Woo to see whether he was going to run away or fight it. A hand suddenly sprung from the monster¡¯s body and pointed at Hawa. Then it pointed its thumb towards his back. Hawa, who had been making preparations to fight, was startled. It seemed as if the monster was telling her to go. ¡°¡­What?¡± Her voice even came out raspy because of how surprised she was. However, Chi-Woo calmly said, ¡°He¡¯s letting you go.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hawa, you should go.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Go. If you don¡¯t want to die.¡± Hawa flinched because Chi-Woo¡¯s expression had become serious¡ªan expression he rarely made. Hawa¡¯s gaze shifted between Chi-Woo and the monster, before she gave up on protesting and started moving, still reeling from the shock. ¡°I,¡± Chi-Woo quietly said as he dropped his bag and warmed up, staring at the monster. ¡°Will surpass you today.¡± Hawa turned back. She had no idea why Chi-Woo was acting like this, or what had transpired between them. Still, Chi-Woo¡¯s serious expression as he said those words made him look fucking stupid but also really fucking cool. 1. Lyrics of an aegyo (cutesy) song called Be Mine that was popular in Korea for some time. ? CH 94 Very carefully, Hawa moved past the mud monster. Thinking that it could be a trick, she kept her guard up, but the mud monster didn¡¯t move at all. She looked back afterward, dumbfounded by what had transpired between the monster and Chi-Woo. ¡®How did those two¡­?¡¯ Hawa wondered, but decided to not think too deeply about the matter. Once he was left alone with the monster, Chi-Woo took the first step forward; seeing this, the mud monster followed suit. They met each other¡¯s eyes, and their gazes burned with feelings that neither of them could explain. Both had saved each other¡¯s life once; Chi-Woo did it because he considered the mud monster a worthy opponent the likes of which he would be unlikely to encounter another time, and the mud monster did it because it couldn¡¯t let its opponent die so foolishly. Both wanted to finish their opponents with their own hands! With their hearts aligned, Chi-Woo and the mud monster shared their thoughts without talking. It was a promise made between two free-willing individuals, and there was no need for them to say more. Chi-Woo arched his back and knees to lower his stance. The battleground of the mud monster¡¯s choosing was a wide clearing without corners. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t necessarily think he was at a disadvantage because he had formed a contract with La Bella. The mud monster beckoned Chi-Woo to come forth. Chi-Woo concentrated his energy, determined to give as good as he got. ¡®I will pierce through it.¡¯ His spiritual energy raged and flowed toward his two legs, and with a hearty shout, Chi-Woo flew to the left, propelling himself at an astonishing speed. However, his opponent was a monster that had appeared in ancient mythologies. Even though it had been weakened by the significant passage of time, it still showed remnants of its glory days. It immediately caught onto Chi-Woo¡¯s trajectory and blocked his path. Two arms shot out as if it was saying, ¡®I won¡¯t let you pass. While corners slow me down, I am superior to you on a straight path.¡¯ Chi-Woo smirked. As soon as he was blocked, he pivoted to the opposite direction and kicked off the floor, shooting to the right like a ray of light, but the mud monster intercepted Chi-Woo quite easily. Still, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t panic. He knew it would be no easy task going past this monster anyways, and in fact, he would¡¯ve been disappointed if it had failed to stop him. It would be a battle of speed and endurance from here on out. Thus, Chi-Woo pretended to tilt to the left again before quickly going right. He moved like a soccer player doing feints to go past the defense, and when he added spiritual energy on top of that, it appeared as if there were two Chi-Woos. However, the mud monster was no easy opponent. If Chi-Woo was a swift forward, the mud monster was a steel wall of a defender. Although his speed was a bit lacking, Chi-Woo made up for it by taking efficient routes and minimizing any unnecessary movements. And yet he was intercepted every time. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t the only one making progress; the monster had also gotten better over time while facing him. Left, right, left once more, right once more, then right again. The two changed directions at frightening speed without attacking. That was how much focus this battle of speed required that there was absolutely no room for the monster to make an attack without Chi-Woo whizzing past it. In the meantime, Hawa watched the two from afar quietly and blinked hard in surprise. Chi-Woo and the mud monster looked like the natives when they danced around a campfire, twirling in semi-circles and dancing passionately¡ªbut of course, the two of them were doing it at an inhuman speed. ¡°¡­¡± Hawa had been wondering what the hell these two were doing and why they were doing it, but seeing how serious the atmosphere seemed to be, she couldn¡¯t intervene. Like she had thought before, it seemed Chi-Woo and the mud monster were too engrossed in their own world. After some time¡ªeven Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how long it had been¡ªChi-Woo¡¯s forehead was covered in droplets of sweat. It was the same for the mud monster. Clumps of mud were dripping down its body. ¡°Will you be alright?¡± Chi-Woo said without stopping his movements. ¡°I can sense that you are losing speed.¡± He got a snort in return. It was as if the mud monster was saying to him, ¡®Don¡¯t make me laugh. Aren¡¯t you the one who is breathing too heavily now?¡¯ Chi-Woo laughed but felt a sense of regret since he had a sinking feeling that the intense and passionate fight was coming to its end, which was made evident by the way the mud monster¡¯s body size appeared to have shrunk a little. It must have been putting all the strength it had preserved up to this point, thinking this would be its last battle. ¡°Won¡¯t you stop?¡± Chi-Woo suddenly asked, making the mud monster flinch for a moment. ¡°Do you have any intention of stopping things here and leaving with me?¡± The monster raised its head. ¡°You must also know in your heart,¡± Chi-Woo continued when the monster gave him a questioning look. ¡°That your mission¡­had ended a long time ago.¡± When the good and bad joined hands to destroy perfect neutrality, La Bella made a sanctuary in a deep, hidden place to protect her followers. Fearing La Bella¡¯s second coming, the joined forces of good and evil created an existence¡ªa monster that would stop La Bella¡¯s followers from coming out of their sanctuary. ¡°Thousands of years have passed since then, or is it tens of thousands of years?¡± The monster was the product of all those accumulated years. ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason, but the followers of La Bella from that period didn¡¯t get out of their sanctuary in the end. Thus, you have already completed your mission splendidly.¡± As a result, La Bella had been forgotten for a very long time. ¡°The era you had once known is now over, so long gone that it¡¯s considered ancient myths.¡± Noting the mud monster¡¯s lack of response, Chi-Woo sighed and continued, ¡°What I meant to say is ¡®haven¡¯t you done enough¡¯?¡± [¡­] ¡°All lives are equal. Every being has the right to live their own life after birth.¡± As the French philosopher, Jean-Paul Satre had said, ¡®Existence precedes essence. ¡°It¡¯s not too late. Since you¡¯ve been living for a purpose forced on you until now after going above and beyond the mission, lead the rest of your life however you like.¡± The mud monster made a clear response this time. ¡°If you don¡¯t know what to do from now on, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Chi-Woo said with a slight smile. ¡°If you have nothing else to do, maybe you could follow me¡­?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shone as he looked at the hesitating mud monster. It seemed the mud monster was getting affected by his words, and in a battle going as quickly and intensely as this, the mud monster¡¯s momentary hesitation created a huge opening. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think he was cowardly. The mud monster would have to own up to the fact that it had faltered and revealed its weakness due to its inability to ignore Chi-Woo¡¯s words. Although he had not intended to distract it with the spiel, Chi-Woo had the right to exploit its moment of weakness. Moreover, if Chi-Woo managed to get past it, that would mean the mud monster had failed its duty, which might finally help free it from the chains that had bound it to this place in the first place. Thus, Chi-Woo spurted with no hesitation. Recollecting itself, the mud monster hurriedly chased after him to catch him, but Chi-Woo had already changed directions. Boom! The air exploded, and Chi-Woo shot past the mud monster. The monster turned around reflexively and blankly stared as Chi-Woo drifted far away from it. It was too late for it to chase after him now. [¡­No.] No, it wasn¡¯t over yet. Not yet. Chi-Woo¡¯s words had triggered something inside the mud monster¡¯s core; it had stirred up its rage. Like Chi-Woo said, the mud monster had lived in this cave for tens of thousands of years. At first, its purpose had been to stop La Bella¡¯s followers from leaving their sanctuary, but after all the followers had died, it waited quietly while trying to conserve most of its strength¡ªso patiently and obediently¡­like an idiot. Thus, the mud monster was glad when it found a human with La Bella¡¯s energy. Even though there had been a very long hiatus, its long wait had finally paid off. The mud monster had been absorbed in its sense of duty from then on, filled with only determination to end everything related to La Bella. However, the mud monster¡¯s mindset changed after it was saved by Chi-Woo. It was still shocked when it recalled what had happened. The mud monster had gotten so frustrated at Chi-Woo that it even forgot about its mission and recklessly chased after him, and before it realized it, it had already fallen into an area under the sanctuary¡¯s influence. After waiting for thousands of years, it would meet its demise because of a moment of carelessness. It was too pathetic for it to accept, and the monster had shrieked in resentment and frantically struggled to survive. It had been sure that it was going to die like that until Chi-Woo lifted it up and dragged it back to the upper floor. [Don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t save you because I like you.] [I don¡¯t want to beat you by luck.] The mud monster distinctly remembered Chi-Woo¡¯s words. [But I¡¯m sure you feel the same way.] [Catch me! Catch me with everything on the line and with everything you have. Kill me if you can!] [I¡¯ll also try my best to run away from you to survive.] When it heard those words, the mud monster¡¯s head blanked after being occupied with only thoughts about fulfilling its duty for so long, and it felt an emotion it had never felt in its long life; it couldn¡¯t be described as merely happiness or feeling touched. It was a kind of ecstasy that made it tremble in glee. Now that the mud monster thought about it, its mission was to stop La Bella¡¯s followers from leaving and to kill them. Conversely, La Bella¡¯s followers¡¯ mission was to kill the mud monster and get out. Warmth only existed because there were cold things. There was night because there was day, and there were good things because there were bad things. The mud monster¡¯s mission and purpose only existed if La Bella¡¯s followers existed. The mud monster felt as if it was going to cry. Even though Chi-Woo had merely said a few lines, the mud monster felt acknowledged for carrying out its mission faithfully, and its life hadn¡¯t been meaningless. The only existence that gave meaning to its life had to die by its hand. Thus, it couldn¡¯t let Chi-Woo die in vain or by accident. That was why the mud monster saved Chi-Woo¡¯s life in return. Therefore, it was all the more furious now. An existence that gave meaning to its life and acknowledged its hard work was telling it to give up. It didn¡¯t think that Chi-Woo had said anything wrong. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s words did not sway the mud monster. [I already know thatttttttt!] The mud monster¡¯s screams shook the cave. At the same time¡ª Bang! Its puffed-up body exploded. The shredded lumps shot toward Chi-Woo like countless bombs. It was exhausting its strength and vitality to launch a final attack. The bombs ripped apart the air as if each and every one of them was determined to kill Chi-Woo. When Chi-Woo turned around in surprise, it was already too late. The mud monster had reduced the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Chi-Woo¡¯s pupils lightly shook. The mud monster¡¯s speed and power befit a monster from ancient legends. Synesthesia prompted Chi-Woo to quickly turn his body in mid-air, and he felt a burning sensation in his side. He had narrowly evaded a bomb, but there were more than a dozen left, and they were already upon him, shooting at him with great precision. In the moment of crisis, his Synesthesia and his Insight into the Unknown activated at the same time. However, the bombs were coming from his behind, front, left, and right¡ªthere were no places for him to escape. In the next moment, Chi-Woo followed his instinct and strongly stomped on the ground to jump up. The surroundings rushed past him as lumps of mud were flung at him, and Chi-Woo soared into the air at almost the same time. It was difficult to tell who would end up as the victor. In terms of speed and force, the mud monster certainly surpassed Chi-Woo for at least a short while. If things progressed normally, Chi-Woo should have been ripped into shreds. However, after leaping into the air, Chi-Woo tilted like a scale, somehow finding the exact angle to dodge the bombs coming from all four directions. In the end, the mud monster¡¯s final attack missed Chi-Woo and landed on the ground mercilessly. Chi-Woo made a somersault in the air as a terrifying sound exploded below him. Tap. Chi-Woo finally landed on the ground. The mud monster had gathered back into a single entity and lay collapsed like a pile of clay. [¡­Is this the end¡­] The mud monster stared at Chi-Woo¡¯s back with its blurry vision; Chi-Woo had not gotten a single injury. [Did¡­I¡­lose¡­] The mud monster closed its eyes. It was remorseful about its defeat, but also relieved. It had done its best till the very end to fulfill its mission, and had no regrets. ¡°¡­Really?¡± The mud monster heard footsteps coming towards it. ¡°Are you satisfied with this?¡± Chi-Woo looked down at the mud monster that was slowly decreasing like the paradise they had left behind. He seemed to have gotten a new idea. He opened his backpack and walked up to the monster. After shuffling through his bag, he dropped something in front of it. ¡°Eat this.¡± He dropped a fruit from paradise. ¡°Drink this.¡± Then a bottle of holy water. ¡°And live.¡± The mud monster looked blankly up at Chi-Woo. It soon gained focus and pushed back all the things Chi-Woo offered him. Chi-Woo furrowed his brows at the mud monster¡¯s firm refusal. ¡°It¡¯s not a request, but an order.¡± ¡ª? ¡°You lost. And the loser has a duty to listen to the winner.¡± The mud monster snorted. It had been a fair fight, so the mud monster respected the winner¡¯s rights. However, the loser also had the right to die. If it continued to live like this, it would only lead a sad and pitiful life. ¡°Did you feel pathetic when I saved your life? Did you wish for me to feel humiliated when you saved mine?¡± The mud monster paused at Chi-Woo¡¯s words. ¡°Answer me.¡± The mud monster slowly shook its head. It had felt some humiliation when it was saved by Chi-Woo, but there was a stronger feeling of relief to be alive so that it could complete its mission. ¡°There¡¯s a saying that third time¡¯s the charm,¡± Chi-Woo softly said. ¡°We¡¯ve each saved the other once.¡± He crossed his arm and continued, ¡°In other words, there¡¯s still one chance left for you.¡± There was still a chance for the mud monster to beat Chi-Woo and reach a tie. Chi-Woo saw the mud monster hesitate, and Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes sharpened at the monster¡¯s reaction. The mud monster, which seemed to have accepted its death before, began to shake like crazy. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll come back stronger.¡± Chi-Woo turned around. ¡°You should keep living and get stronger as well. That¡¯s my order as the victor of this battle.¡± With these last words, Chi-Woo started moving out without any hesitation. Gradually, his footsteps grew faint before he disappeared into the distance. Then the mud monster, which had been lying prone in hopelessness, reached out after a great struggle¡ª toward the sacramental fruit and holy water Chi-Woo left behind. CH 95 Chi-Woo stopped walking when he saw Hawa leaning against the wall. ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Let¡¯s go out now.¡± ¡°I hear wind coming from this side,¡± Hawa said and guided him to a path. As they walked, Hawa kept glancing at Chi-Woo from the corner of her eyes. She had many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn¡¯t ask them because of how conflicted Chi-Woo looked. Chi-Woo felt refreshed and regretful at the same time, but overall, he was more relieved to have beaten an opponent that he thought he would never beat. As they walked a bit more, the darkness completely disappeared, and they saw soft balls of light lighting up their surroundings. It seemed the floor they were at had been the highest floor; with their path illuminated, Chi-Woo and Hawa walked a bit faster. Not long afterward, intense light shone onto Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes as he stepped out of the cave. ¡°Ah.¡± The dazzling sun was high up in the sky. It had been a while since he saw the sun, felt the fresh air outside, was caressed by its gentle breezes, and above all, saw a great, wide-open plain. He welcomed the stimuli hitting his five senses, and a smile tugged at his lips. ¡®Humans really must live with the sky above them and the ground below them after all,¡¯ he thought. After dwelling in the scenery for a bit, Chi-Woo looked around. The landscape seemed familiar, like he had been here before. ¡°It¡¯s the Evalaya Mountain,¡± Hawa said. ¡°Seeing that we are at the foot of the mountain, it seems we¡¯ve left through one of its entrances.¡± Proving that she had been traversing the Evalaya mountain since she was young once again, Hawa recognized the area immediately. ¡°How surprising,¡± Hawa expressed her admiration as she looked back at the cave. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the ¡®Lost Sanctuary¡¯ to be underneath this gigantic volcano¡­¡± Chi-Woo agreed. No one would¡¯ve dared to investigate underneath a volcano. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Hawa asked. ¡°Are you going to go back immediately, or¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± After pondering for a bit, Chi-Woo opened his mouth again. ¡°No.¡± He shook his head and looked up to the mountain¡¯s peak. ¡°Let¡¯s try going up to the fortress again.¡± Hawa narrowed one eye. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Why? Won¡¯t it be better to find food supplies while we are already here? We don¡¯t know what the situation would be like there.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know whether or not there would be food supplies, and even if there are, we don¡¯t know where they are hidden. And even if we find them, we will have to come back again anyways.¡± ¡°Yes, if there are actually food supplies there. Even if we can¡¯t take everything, let¡¯s just check whether or not there are anything in the fortress,¡± Chi-Woo said. Hawa was about to argue, but decided against it. Searching around the fortress wasn¡¯t a big deal, but the events leading up to it would be a problem. ¡°Will you be alright?¡± ¡°Do you not like the idea of going? Then we can just return like you said.¡± Hawa studied Chi-Woo¡¯s calm face, and thought, ¡®Well, no wonder his attitude is different. He has eaten countless feasts and drunk holy water like normal water until now. Furthermore, he made a contract with La Bella and regained parts of his original hero powers.¡¯ Thus, she shrugged and took a step back. She was telling him to do whatever he pleased. ¡°Can you guide me to the fortress?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Yes. But just in case, should we go to that path we took before?¡± Hawa aked. ¡°If it¡¯s not too far from here.¡± Thus, their hiking began. It didn¡¯t take them as much time as it had the first time they climbed the mountain. Hawa was always good at climbing mountains, and surprisingly, Chi-Woo had become better at climbing than Hawa now. With the Core of Balance embedded in his heart, it became very easy for him to find his body¡¯s balance. Thanks to it, he was able to move like a gazelle that jumped around cliffs and reached the halfway point of the mountain in an instant. After stationing himself on top of a comparatively flat surface, Chi-Woo recollected his breath, surveyed his surroundings, and smiled wryly. This was the place they had all rested the last time they climbed, and was also the place where they saw the mysterious monster. Chi-Woo sighed at the crushed boulder that had been left untouched. ¡®I wonder how much time has passed¡­?¡¯ Two months? Three months? He had only relied on his circadian rhythm to gauge time and didn¡¯t know exactly how long it had been since he was locked inside the cave. ¡®I¡¯m sure the rest of the group returned safely.¡¯ Yes. If Ru Amuh, the rare four stars hero, was with them, they would be fine. Perhaps they were still desperately waiting for him and Hawa to return. ¡®I should return quickly after checking to see if there are any supplies. Won¡¯t they be doubly delighted and surprised when they see us then?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought as he continued his climb. ¡°!¡± Chi-Woo suddenly flinched and jumped backward. Swish! Followed by the sound of something sharp piercing through the air, a couple shards from a broken boulder struck Chi-Woo¡¯s face. Where Chi-Woo was standing a moment ago, the boulder had broken into pieces in less than a second. Chi-Woo felt a chilly sensation passing his back. Just like when he had trained with Hawa, he felt a sudden warning in his head. It was the manifestation of his extrasensory perceptions, which allowed him to evade these attacks in time. ¡®A nail?¡¯ Chi-Woo confirmed that a gigantic nail-shaped object was on the floor and saw something flick through his vision. He looked to see where the object had come from, and as expected, it was connected to a long, stretched-out, rubbery-like arm on the other side. Creeek! The sound of its arm straining echoed around them, and simultaneously, a monster resembling a sea lion came flying over like spiderman. It was that same monster they had encountered before, which had an outstanding hearing to make up for its lacking eyesight. It was strong and extremely fast. Perhaps it had made its way here after hearing the noises he and Hawa made and sensing their presence, as it had done the last time. Chi-Woo was captivated by a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu for a moment as he looked straight at the flying sea lion monster. He waited for the monster to approach him before he suddenly kicked off the floor and sprinted. With balls of energy gathered in his fists, he swung hard, hitting the monster squarely. Bam! The monster¡¯s water-filled leather skin burst with a loud pop, and it flew backward into the air spinning. Its head exploded in a splatter of blood from direct contact with Chi-Woo¡¯s fist. ¡°Whoah.¡± Chi-Woo was slightly surprised by the result of his own actions. He was now able to split and leave deep impressions on rock walls with pure muscle strength, though; it was no surprise that he could make such a powerful blow when he added spiritual energy into the mix. ¡®What?¡¯ Wiggle! Wiggle! Chi-Woo furrowed his brows as he saw the sea lion twist and turn its body like it was attached to the floor. He thought for sure the sea lion would regenerate and stand up again. However, the monster failed to regenerate its head after it exploded no matter how hard it tried. Tentacle-like legs reached up in an attempt to restore its own head, but they burned into a crisp instead like they were being consumed by an invisible energy. In the end, the sea lion monster stopped moving and lay prone on the ground, seemingly having reached the end of its life. The sea lion monster had been much stronger before¡ªto the extent that even Ru Amuh was nervous about facing it. However, the monster had lowered its guard. After ambushing him, it had flown towards them without any protection as if it was running towards a prey that was already within its grasp. The sea lion¡¯s mistake proved to be fatal. Chi-Woo, who had almost died dozens of times in the cave, knew how important it was to make his enemy lower their guard. In a way, the sea lion monster had paid for its mistake with its life. On the other hand, Chi-Woo was preoccupied with another matter. ¡®This power¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo looked down at the headless sea lion monster and tightly clutched his throbbing fist. ''Exorcism.¡¯ It was a type of power that had complete advantage over beings in the evil alignment. If the monster had become what it was through power from the evil alignment, it was understandable it would explode in one hit without the ability to regenerate itself. Suddenly, Chi-Woo¡¯s surroundings grew dark. As if dark clouds were gathering together, the sun disappeared, and a huge shadow covered the sky. ¡°Be carefu¡­!¡± Thud! The rest of Hawa¡¯s warning was lost in the heavy footsteps. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes became big as saucers when he turned towards the direction of the sound. An enormous monster raised to its full height, knocking down a tree at the same time. Its body was big enough to cover the sky, and its muscular frame resembled rocks. How could Chi-Woo forget this monster? ¡°Giant monster¡­¡± Chi-Woo muttered under his breath. Did the monster also remember him? When they met each other¡¯s eyes, the giant monster smirked¡ªit reached out with its fist as if it was welcoming Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo quickly jumped forward at the same time. Bam! Chi-Woo avoided the attack, but the resulting shockwaves shot out from the point of impact like the last time. However, Chi-Woo had changed. While he had been flung off his feet due to his inability to counter the shockwaves before, this time, he was able to steady his footing and run like he was running on a flat plain even as the ground shook violently as if there were an earthquake. He then jumped and landed on the giant monster¡¯s out-stretched arm, running along it to move up to the monster. The giant monster was startled and tried to dust off Chi-Woo as if it was swatting a fly. However, Chi-Woo managed to jump onto its swinging hand with perfect timing and made another leap, landing on the monster¡¯s shoulder with a full somersault. With great force, he slammed his fist down. Crack. A part of the giant monster¡¯s neck split and cracked. The shocked monster quickly covered its neck with its hand. However, Chi-Woo had already jumped down by that time. When Chi-Woo landed on the ground, he put a great amount of energy into his leg and kicked the muscles connecting the monster¡¯s ankle. Bamm! Bam! Bamm! The giant monster¡¯s rock-like muscles shattered and crumbled. With its ankle losing the strength to hold up its enormous weight, the monster collapsed; rocks the size of a house fell to the ground. The giant monster¡¯s horrible screams rang in the air. Its weakened feet could no longer keep itself upright, and it lost its balance. Bam! In the end, one of its knees gave out, hitting the ground with great impact. Krrreugh!? The giant monster blankly stared at Chi-Woo like it couldn¡¯t believe what happened. It looked as if it was wondering what Chi-Woo had done to it to make it fall like this. In contrast, Chi-Woo¡¯s expression was calm the whole time. He raised both of his arms and got into a fighting stance again. ¡®That¡¯s what happened.¡¯ Chi-Woo nodded and continued his thought. Ru Amuh could probably do what he just did; he could have defeated at least three or four monsters by himself. However, Chi-Woo was fighting under different conditions compared to Ru Amuh. First, the situation was different. He didn¡¯t have dozens of monsters rushing towards at once, and he didn¡¯t have people with zero combat ability like Eshnunna to protect. Second, Chi-Woo could feel while he was fighting that his physical capabilities had significantly changed. ¡®It¡¯s slow.¡¯ Compared to the mud monster, the giant monster almost made him yawn with its slowness. Chi-Woo stared at the giant monster falter, and his eyes lit up. He could finally make sense of what he was feeling. He had had no choice but to run away from monsters like them. He had thought he could never face these terrifying monsters. Now, however, they were nothing but fresh game to him¡­! * * * While Chi-Woo climbed the Evalaya mountain, the mud monster was left by itself and was still pondering Chi-Woo¡¯s words. Even though it originally planned to return to dust, the words that its last opponent said kept lingering in its mind. The mud monster didn¡¯t have much time. Its body had already decreased to less than half of its original size. It needed to make its decision while it still had the energy to move. And the mud monster¡¯s final decision was to¡­ Bite. It was to eat the fruit that Chi-Woo left behind. Gulp, gulp! It also drank the holy water to the very last drop, and when it finished, its whole body began shaking. Gurgle, gurgle. It shook like liquid shaking inside a bottle. The holy water and sacramental fruit contained the blessing of La Bella, the god of neutrality. As a result, after it consumed both of these items, the mud monster¡¯s body began to get cleansed. A being that was formed out of evil and good began to slowly purify through the influence of absolute neutrality. Like ice cream melting, the solid parts of its body were washed away, leaving only a mysterious ball the size of an adult male fist. It shook off everything that had been attached to it and rolled forward, sliding and rolling its way out of the cave. It looked around and saw that there was no one around. Then it heard a loud noise coming from far away. The ball looked up and immediately headed up. ¡°Pyu!¡± Bounce, bounce! It was able to jump very well, and it went up to where Chi-Woo was. The day Chi-Woo finally left the cave, a strange being began following him. CH 96 Bam! The giant monster¡ªor more precisely, what used to be the giant monster¡ªfell, diced into such small pieces that it was difficult to decipher its original shape. The rock-like remnants scattered everywhere like a mountain erupting. Hawa nodded mindlessly as she watched Chi-Woo clap his hands clean. In the beginning of their time together in the sanctuary, Hawa had doubted at times whether Chi-Woo was really a hero. Now, however, all her suspicions and doubts were gone, and she attributed Chi-Woo¡¯s awkwardness in close-quarter combat to the fact that he wasn¡¯t a warrior; there was no doubt he had in spades all the other necessary skills in battle from aggression to an agile and strategic mind. ¡®One or two of them¡­ I can deal with just fine, but it¡¯ll be difficult for me to take on more than three at the same time,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought while looking at the giant monster he had destroyed. He now knew why Ru Amuh had made the judgment to run away before. Even though Chi-Woo had gotten stronger, he wouldn¡¯t survive if he was surrounded by dozens of these monsters. ¡®Should I go down or continue?¡¯ Although he had been worried that the fortress might be crawling with monsters, it seemed unlikely now. No more monsters had appeared after the giant monster despite all the noises he¡¯d made during the fight. Those that had fallen off the cliff with him last time must have died, or there could be some other reason he wasn¡¯t aware of now. Whatever it was, it was more than fine by him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After finishing off the giant monster, Chi-Woo began climbing the mountain with Hawa¡¯s guidance again. Chi-Woo¡¯s guess that the number of monsters at the Evalaya mountain had decreased was soon proven correct, and he met only one more monster while climbing. It was a flying monster that screeched ¡®Biip, Biiip!¡¯ loudly as soon as it saw Hawa and Chi-Woo. But unlike before, they didn¡¯t get surrounded by herds of monsters, and Chi-Woo simply ignored the lone monster. Eventually, the monster grew frustrated and came down itself, only to get its neck severed by Chi-Woo. Peace returned to the mountain yet again. The fortress they arrived at wasn¡¯t that different from the last fortress they went to. There were hardly any civilian areas, but were instead filled with defense mechanisms. As they expected, the storage rooms were completely empty with not even a single grain on the ground. Just in case, Chi-Woo searched every nook and cranny of the fortress, but didn¡¯t find much. Since the fortress was unexpectedly not that large, they were able to look through it by sunset, but Chi-Woo¡¯s hands were still empty. All he could find was a piece of clothing to replace the rags he¡¯d been wearing as clothes. ¡®Should we return¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo smacked his lips thinking he had just wasted his time when Hawa suddenly said that she found food. Chi-Woo followed Hawa to the area skeptically, but when he saw hidden food supplies inside the walls, his mouth dropped open. ¡°How did you find it?¡± ¡°Even the guardian of Salem is just a person, and there¡¯s a limit to a person¡¯s imagination,¡± Hawa spoke as if finding these supplies wasn¡¯t a big deal even though she had been working hard to look for them all day. ¡°I simply put myself in the man¡¯s shoe and thought, where would I hide my food supplies if I were him¡­?¡± Hawa then crossed her arms and muttered, ¡°Well, I did get a clue from what that princess boasted about.¡± Chi-Woo remembered vaguely how Eshnunna had talked about the guardian of Salem dividing supplies and what-not in preparation for something. Thus, he asked curiously, ¡°What was the clue?¡± ¡°Do you want to know?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°I will tell you if you grant me one request,¡± Hawa said matter-of-factly without the slightest change of expression. Chi-Woo smirked. He knew Hawa was trying anything, just anything to get her revenge. ¡°I will ask Eshnunna later then,¡± Chi-Woo responded coolly, and Hawa turned her head while clicking her tongue. ¡°By the way¡­there¡¯s quite a good amount,¡± Chi-Woo remarked while looking at the sacks of food that filled up one part of the wall. No wonder the inside of the room looked small compared to the exterior. ¡°We probably won¡¯t be able to take everything, right?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Hawa hung her head, and Chi-Woo nodded. Then the ball that had been sitting on his shoulders shook its entire body. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± So surprised by the sudden presence he felt on his shoulder, Chi-Woo accidentally cursed. He hadn¡¯t sensed this presence with synesthesia or his ESP. ¡®What is it?¡¯ After calming his heart, he looked down at the being that was still twisting its body all around. First of all, the thing was quite small. It was the size of a bun with fillings that he sometimes bought in the streets. Not only was its size similar, but it also looked like a bun save for the semi-transparent, watery insides. ¡°¡­What are you?¡± ¡°Pyu.¡± Not even a ¡®Kyu¡¯, but ¡®Pyu¡¯. It was a little cute when it chirped like that. ¡°What is that?¡± Hawa asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like a slime, but¡­is there a slime like this?¡± Hawa narrowed her eyes and observed the slime closely. ¡®Do you know what it is?¡¯ Chi-Woo was about to ask Mimi when the mysterious being jumped down from his shoulder. ¡°Byu!¡± It bounced to the pile of food supplies. ¡°Ba¡ªump.¡± It widened its mouth and swallowed a sack of food. It was a shocking and puzzling sight, as the bun-sized thing had somehow swallowed an object several times bigger than it was. Chi-Woo stared at it blankly, but when it swallowed another sack, he hastily tried to stop it. ¡°Nonono! Hey, hey! No! You can¡¯t eat that!¡± Chi-Woo grabbed the bun and lifted it up to shake it so that it would throw the sacks back out. ¡°Blu¡ªrp.¡± Bam! ¡°Urgh.¡± Something dropped on Chi-Woo¡¯s nose with a thud, and Chi-Woo opened his mouth wide open again. The sacks the bun had eaten were dropping out of it now. ¡®How¡­did this guy¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered as the bun repeatedly swallowed the sacks and spat it back out again. ¡°¡­A bag?¡± Hawa said while tilting her head. ¡°You think it¡¯s a bag?¡± ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s trying to show us that it can take these sacks.¡± Then something came out of this bun¡¯s body, which soon took the shape of a hand giving a thumbs-up. After a three-second pause, Chi-Woo let out a deep breath and asked, ¡°Is that perhaps¡­you?¡± ¡°Byu,¡± the bun replied. It was hard to tell what it was saying, but it seemed to be saying ¡®yes¡¯ while raising its thumb even higher. ¡°I see. It is you! It¡¯s you!¡± The bun bounced up and down in agreement. ¡°Hah! So you decided to come out!¡± Hawa looked back and forth between Chi-Woo and the mysterious being vehemently confirming his guesses. Not knowing that Chi-Woo had communicated repeatedly with the mud monster through hand signals, Hawa couldn¡¯t guess the identity of this jelly bun. After their reunion greeting, Chi-Woo waited until the bun finished storing all the sacks inside itself. It surprised him more and more as the bun swallowed things larger than its size one after another. He almost wanted to cut it open with a scalpel to see what there was. After his new ¡®bag¡¯ had stored all the food supplies, Chi-Woo went down the Evalaya mountain while humming. ¡°Okay, so tell me what made you decide to come out in the end? Did you have a change in heart?¡± ¡°Byu, byubyu, byubyubyubyu.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± ¡°Byu¡­byu, byubyubyu byu.¡± ¡°I see. But to tell you the truth, I don¡¯t really know what you are saying.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyways, I think you have made the right decision. You should live your own life now without thinking about your purpose.¡± Chi-Woo laughed and gazed at the bun on his shoulders and asked, ¡°So, are you going to be with me for the time being?¡± ¡°Byu! Byubyubyu byubyubyu¡­. Byubyu?¡± ¡°Well, there will be no problem with that. We have to battle again some time later. Let me see.¡± Chi-Woo licked his lips. ¡°I can¡¯t just call you, ¡®you¡¯, and since you decided to start anew, why don¡¯t we make a new name for you¡­?¡± The steamed bun looked expectantly at Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo contemplated for a moment and knocked his fist against his left palm like he¡¯d suddenly thought of a good idea. ¡°Oh yeah. What about we just use the sound you make and call you pyupyu? How about it, pyupyu? Don¡¯t you like how cute your name is?¡± Slap! Chi-Woo¡¯s face turned to the side. The steamed bun had created a hand and slapped Chi-Woo as soon as it heard its new name. Chi-Woo clutched his sore cheek and angrily yelled, ¡°What the heck? Why did you slap me?¡± The steamed bun angrily yelled back at him, ¡°Pyu!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like your name, you could have just told me!¡± ¡°Pyu, pyu! Pyupyupyupyupyu!¡± ¡°You want to fight or something?¡± They began to have a shouting match. Hawa looked at them and silently shook her head. * * * The moon was illuminating the night sky. A hooded figure made his way to the entrance of the fortress, his nose wrinkling as a sharp, metallic smell of blood hit him. Corpses that were completely shredded apart and disfigured were sprawled around the fortress. Moreover, the sturdy walls were now covered in cracks and showed signs of intense battle. The figure sighed and busily moved towards the bleak and ominous fortress without any sound or presence. He didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯d been walking, but he stopped when he passed the rock bridge across the fortress wall. He saw a person from far away¡ªno, it was something that looked like a human. It stumbled and walked unstably. It sometimes couldn¡¯t control its body and looked around with its mouth wide open. Its unnatural movement made it look like an alien or monster in human flesh. The figure saw this strange being from far away and quickly hid, sticking close to the wall and doing his best to keep his breathing faint while moving away. However, while he was trying to carry out his plan, he felt a foreboding gaze on his body. Swish! As soon as he turned around, something that looked like cloth or fabric disappeared from his view; it disappeared so fast that he almost thought he had imagined it. The figure was about to scan his surrounding with higher caution than before when¡ª Kyaawwwwh! With the sound of someone crying or laughing, something passed the figure. The figure froze; he hadn¡¯t been mistaken. The atmosphere became one level chillier. He clicked his tongue and hid in the darkness, quickly going deeper into the fortress. After he passed the narrow alley and went into the square, he was finally able to hear other people. Even though the Shahnaz shaman had gone missing, this place had once been where the shaman enshrined the statue of the goddess. Dozens of people were gathered around the shrine. Rather than staying inside, quite a few of them were just lying down on the street. There were also many who were groaning in pain from their injuries. The figure smiled bitterly. It felt like just yesterday when they all happily made plans for the future here. However, the figure couldn¡¯t linger outside the square forever, so he quietly moved further inside. Even though he deadened his footsteps as much as possible, numerous gazes snapped to him as soon as he entered. ¡°Ru¡­!¡± A blond woman with a ponytail rushed towards him, but stopped when she saw who it was. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The figure gave her a small smile and pulled down his hood. ¡°That I¡¯m not Ru Amuh.¡± He was no other than Allen Leonard. ¡°No¡­I was also worried about you since you didn¡¯t come back even though it turned dark.¡± ¡°I tried to come back before sunset, but it didn¡¯t work out like that.¡± Ru Hiana responded with a rueful smile. ¡°It¡¯s great that you came back all right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s all right though.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t produced any results even after going through much trouble.¡± Allen Leonard showed his empty hands. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Ru Hiana smacked her lips, but she soon made a soft smile and continued, ¡°Since Ru Amuh also went out, let¡¯s wait a bit longer. Perhaps he might¡­¡± ¡°And that¡¯s not the only thing.¡± Allen Leonard cut her off in a grave tone. ¡°They have become more active.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, they seem to have grown more hostile, and there¡¯s an urgency in the way they move.¡± ¡°Is that really¡­true?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I felt during our trip back. If it hadn¡¯t been for Ru Amuh and the two of us, we would¡¯ve lost another person to the monsters.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s face darkened at the gravity of his words. Allen Leonard looked around and said, ¡°It seems the number of people has decreased¡­¡± ¡°¡­The princess has disappeared,¡± Ru Hiana replied with some hesitance. Allen Leonard furrowed his brows. ¡°Not just the princess. Two more recruits have also¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The princess left while saying that she couldn¡¯t just stay like this, and¡­¡± Ru Hiana trailed off. ¡°First Zelit, and now even that princess¡­ It¡¯s a mess.¡± Allen Leonard could only sigh. Things were quickly deteriorating at the fortress. The recruits and natives were pushed to the corner and had to struggle to live day by day like refugees. ¡°We should have saved Teacher,¡± Allen Leonard said. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No matter what happened, Teacher should have been brought back.¡± Allen Leonard¡¯s words carried a hint of blame towards Ru Hiana and the others for not bringing back Chi-Woo. And of course, Ru Hiana knew that Leonard was referring to Chi-Woo. Allen Leonard continued, ¡°I was right. Those guys hadn¡¯t completely disappeared. They were merely keeping a low profile since they were afraid of Teacher.¡± And they returned as soon as Chi-Woo disappeared. Ru Hiana looked miserable, weighed down by her guilt about Chi-Woo. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to blame you,¡± Allen Leonard apologized. He knew that there was nothing more pointless than allies fighting among themselves in a situation like this. He had cast the blame in frustration. ¡°Since Teacher is no longer here, we will no¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Ru Hiana said firmly. ¡°Senior isn¡¯t dead.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Allen Leonard asked with wide eyes, and Ru Hiana nodded vehemently. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Ru Amuh said,¡± Ru Hiana replied confidently. ¡°He said that Senior is still alive, and he¡¯ll definitely return.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh, he said that¡¯s what he sensed¡­¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s confidence crumbled and gave way to a bitter smile when she saw how taken aback Allen Leonard looked. Since neither Ru Amuh nor Ru Hiana knew about Chi-Woo¡¯s ¡®sharing¡¯ ability, it was understandable that Allen Leonard would think they were just being hopeful. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Allen Leonard smiled thinly. ¡°If that¡¯s really true¡­¡± He suddenly began laughing. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just a bit funny.¡± When Ru Hiana stared at him, he waved his hand and continued laughing. ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny? You and I are both heroes who have saved a World, but we¡¯re so powerless here.¡± ¡°About that¡ª¡± ¡°Moreover, there are so many heroes here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t do anything, and we¡¯re just hoping¡­ I¡¯m starting to understand what the people in the world I¡¯ve saved must have felt like.¡± Allen Leonard softly laughed for a while and continued, ¡°But even then, he¡¯s a really strange guy.¡± He stopped laughing and sighed deeply before looking up and continuing, ¡°It feels like if Teacher comes back, I¡¯ll be able to have hope again.¡± He looked up at the twinkling stars in the night sky and smiled brightly. CH 97 Early evening. ¡°Hawawa.¡± In front of Chi-Woo, Hawa spoke in a squeaky voice with her mouth opened wide. ¡°Hawa iz a school girl-chan~¡± [1] Chi-Woo flipped over at the spot. Clapping, he almost died of laughter. From afar, Hawa glared as Chi-Woo clutched his belly from laughing too hard. She had lost her battle with him again, and after stating that she wouldn¡¯t do a similar cutesy act as before even if it killed her, Chi-woo made her say another set of strange lines. She honestly didn¡¯t know what Chi-Woo found so funny, but for some reason, she felt incredibly shitty. ¡°Ahahaha! As soon as I heard your name, I wanted to make you do this!¡± Chi-Woo wiped tears from his eyes and barely managed to calm himself down before he sat down again. Then he stroked his hand on the bun¡ªwhich they hadn¡¯t figured out the name of yet¡ªand looked to Hawa as she made a displeased face. ¡°What¡¯s with the sorry face? I didn¡¯t even make you act cutesy.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Why do you keep asking to make bets when you know you are going to lose?¡± Hawa was irked by the last part of Chi-Woo¡¯s question, but repressed her anger knowing that it was the truth. Then she said, ¡°It¡¯s because I have something I want to ask you to do.¡± ¡°You want me to call you nuna again?¡± Chi-Woo said teasingly, but Hawa shook her head. ¡°No, I just¡­¡± ¡°Just what?¡± ¡°If I had known our situation would¡¯ve been reversed this fast, I would¡¯ve told you on our first bet.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shifted as he fixed his posture and asked immediately, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Are you going to grant the request?¡± ¡°Let me hear it first.¡± Hawa pursed her lips. Her face was as expressionless as usual, and it was difficult to read her. After Chi-Woo waited patiently for a bit, Hawa opened her mouth again and said, ¡°I want to be a hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want to make a contract with a god and use a similar power as you all and become stronger.¡± ¡°A¡­hero¡­¡± Chi-Woo groaned quietly, taken aback. He was about to ask her ¡®why¡¯, but decided against it. It was a meaningless question. After all, strength and power took precedence over everything on Liber. ¡°I see,¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice and continued, ¡°To which god? Goddess Shahnaz?¡± Hawa seemed to find his response surprising. Eyes glittering, she said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter as long as I can establish a contract with a god.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you a shaman for Shahnaz?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simply the role I was born into,¡± Hawa said quietly, ¡°But in the first place, I am not in the position to choose gods.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know about that.¡± ¡°Of course, nothing would please me more than to get chosen by a god.¡± ¡°Calm down for a moment,¡± Chi-Woo cut her off. While taking his hand off the bun, he continued, ¡°You can¡¯t think about making a contract with a god so rashly. Your character¡­no, should I say your conviction? You have to choose a god who will empathize with your thoughts, understand you, and support your decisions. If you don¡¯t, it would¡¯ve been better for you to not have made a contract at all.¡± Hawa listened carefully, knowing that there was nothing to lose from heeding the advice coming from a hero who was much more of an expert in this matter. But of course, she didn¡¯t know what was going inside Chi-Woo¡¯s head. [If I¡¯m remembering it right, I think someone from somewhere was fretting about establishing a contract with a god as fast as possible not that long ago.] Mimi¡¯s voice rang in Chi-Woo¡¯s mind. Like Mimi said, Chi-Woo was simply passing on what Shahnaz had told him to Hawa. ¡®Ah, but I have to tell her everything that needs to be known.¡¯ [Are you planning to make this girl your second star?] ¡®I have no intention of doing that,¡¯ Chi-Woo said firmly but after some thought, he added, ¡®As of now.¡¯ Accepting a hero as a ¡®star¡¯ meant establishing mutual trust and promises to one another; these promises couldn¡¯t be made simply with words. Perhaps he would be able to do such things if he gained more experience and skills as a parent, but he was struggling right now with Ru Amuh alone. [I respect your judgment. But I recommend you to lead this girl down the right path of becoming a hero.] ¡®Why? Accepting her as one of my stars and her becoming a hero are separate matters.¡¯ [If you make this girl a hero, doesn¡¯t it make her your responsibility?] ¡®My responsibility?¡¯ [Yes, you will have the responsibility to lead her down the right path.] ¡®¡­I¡¯m not sure about that.¡¯ Chi-Woo glanced intently at Hawa. Hawa seemed to have misinterpreted Chi-Woo¡¯s bemusement, and was waiting quietly for Chi-Woo¡¯s response. ¡®Truthfully, I think if it¡¯s Hawa, she will do fine on her own just like Mr. Ru Amuh.¡¯ [That¡¯s why I think it¡¯s a problem.] ¡®?¡¯ [In the current state of matters, we don¡¯t know which way she will go.] Chi-Woo mouth gaped open slightly. With the words, ¡®which way¡¯, he caught onto what Mimi was telling him. [Your first star, Ru Amuh is the ¡®Boy from the Promise¡¯, a knight of conviction, a true genius, and so on. There are countless titles following his name, and considering his character alone, you can say that he¡¯s already a complete hero. Yet the same cannot be said about this girl.] Chi-Woo nodded at Mimi¡¯ last words. [This will be the beginning for her since she will be experiencing everything for the first time.] ¡®Are you worried that she wouldn¡¯t stop at any means to achieve her goals, as desperate as she is?¡¯ [It¡¯s more than that.] Mimi continued. [People of her type of character try to use established order and system for their own means.] ¡®Doesn¡¯t that mean she is close to being evil?¡¯ [It¡¯s not as simple as that since she won¡¯t ignore the already established order. She will prioritize her own gains, but if her actions violate laws or rules, she would most likely back down.] ¡®Then¡­¡¯ [As much as she holds laws and rules in high regard, she will use them to corner her opponents.] Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. He got the essence of what Mimi was trying to tell him. She was saying that Hawa had a high possibility of becoming a mastermind who manipulated the situation from the background. Now that he thought about it, Hawa was ¡®Eve who Didn¡¯t Yet Eat the Fruit of Good and Evil¡¯. [Everyone has a natural inclination that they were born with. Turning this girl into someone like Ru Amuh would be extremely difficult.] Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even imagine Hawa becoming as pure and noble as Ru Amuh, but his eyes opened wider at Mimi¡¯s following remarks. [But there¡¯s a method easier than that. It¡¯s for you to become an existence far stronger and greater than she is.] Mimi whispered. [Become a giant tree that she won¡¯t dare to look up at, much less try to climb.] Chi-Woo understood now. The god he served was ¡®perfectly neutral¡¯, and gods of this disposition didn¡¯t distinguish between good and evil. If one side was gaining on the other, they would forcefully restore the balance without looking into the reasons. Thus, even if Hawa became evil, he could suppress her with greater evil. As power was the law in a world like Liber, he simply needed to become strong enough to squash her if she strayed to another path. In the first place, if Chi-Woo became a formidable, great existence, Hawa would naturally restrain herself and refrained from crossing the lines he had set in place; that was just how she was. [Don¡¯t forget. This girl¡¯s disposition is ¡®Lawful Evil¡¯.] Chi-Woo nodded quietly at her words and looked up again. Hawa was still waiting for his response. ¡°Let¡¯s think about this more seriously,¡± he told her. ¡°It¡¯s not bad to want to be stronger, but I think you should think about things in the long run.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since this decision could change the rest of your life, think about it carefully. And after you make up your mind, tell me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I will help you then.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t turn her down. He only told her to think more carefully and promised to help her when the time came. Hawa was satisfied to hear such an agreeable response. ¡°Thank you, oppa.¡± Hawa bowed in an expression of her gratitude. For her to call him oppa, which she hated to do, indicated her positive feelings for the situation. Then she eventually got up to patrol the area. Sitting down, Chi-Woo felt something soft and squishy in his palms. While it was sleeping, it seemed the bun had felt Chi-Woo¡¯s petting stop and started wiggling into his hands. Chi-Woo pushed down a little harder and soundlessly laughed. * * * While sitting on the streets, Ru Hiana dug her face into her knees. She had no strength in her body, and it had been a week since she last ate. They had run out of food some time ago. Although they were able to secure some water, she was sick of just filling their stomachs with water. And above all, it seemed like a long-ago dream that they had once walked around the fortress freely. ¡®When is he coming back¡­?¡¯ Ru Hiana let out a deep sigh as she thought of Ru Amuh, who still hadn¡¯t returned yet. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ What led up to this? It all began after they came back from the Evalaya mountain. Ru Hiana didn¡¯t even get the time to mourn over the loss of Chi-Woo and Hawa, because after a couple of days, the ambushes began. They were monsters the majority of the heroes had never seen before¡ªmonsters similar to the ones she had seen on the Evalaya mountain, and they emerged all over the place in pairs or even dozens at once. The heroes didn¡¯t back down from the sight of these monsters and trusted in the fortress¡¯ walls and bravely fought. Yet, even as Ru Amuh led the team, and Ru Hiana and Allen Leonard provided their support, they had their limits. No matter how many monsters they killed or how many fights they endured, there seemed to be no end in sight; and following that, heroes began to fall one by one. But that wasn¡¯t all; there were also enemies from the inside. Ru Hiana still couldn¡¯t forget that day. She had hurriedly dashed to the castle walls hearing that dozens of monsters had appeared when she saw something unbelievable: one hero was avidly stuffing himself with what little precious food they had left, and he was using both his hands. [Hey! What are you doing?] Gasping, she ran toward the hero and flinched when she got closer. [Kyaruh?] [What, what¡­] [Kuruhuru¡­!] The hero¡ªor what used to be a hero¡ªsmiled eerily with all his facial muscles stretched beyond their limits. [You¡­] Ru Hiana had no time to investigate the matter, since at that exact moment, the monsters began their offensive on the outside. But the surprising part was the changed hero¡¯s response. Although he had been drooling while looking at Ru Hiana, the changed hero suddenly dashed outside as soon as he heard the noises from monsters. And he wasn¡¯t alone. Several others joined and ran outside and fought, and they fought so well that it was hard to believe they were the heroes who had lost their powers. Until that point, the other heroes had been rejoicing that their companions powered up facing a pressing danger; of course, Ru Hiana had seen the changed hero¡¯s face distort like an evil spirit, and she had an ominous feeling. Rather than a power-up, it seemed the changed heroes had been set off into a craze. And it was too much of a coincidence that some heroes had changed just as an especially large monster ambushed them. It was an impossible occurrence unless someone had intended for it to happen. Soon, the cheering above the castle walls died down, and instead, the number of heroes who ran forward while letting out incomprehensible shrieks began to increase. While watching the scene before her blankly, Ru Hiana felt an evil energy attack her body. Thus, she quickly turned around. She didn¡¯t know why, but at that moment, her only thought was that she had to gather as many people to where Shahnaz was as she could. Heroes with quick senses followed her, and when they reached the spot, everyone realized that Ru Hiana¡¯s hunch had been correct. The evil energy blanketing the fortress couldn¡¯t penetrate Shahnaz¡¯s holy surroundings. As the heroes waited there, the noise from the outside and the evil energy soon faded. The only things that remained were piles of unidentifiable corpses and the heroes who had gone mad and survived the recent intense battle. From then on, their strange cohabitation began. Heroes who were still sane didn¡¯t try to fight the heroes who had gone mad. They didn¡¯t know the reason, but it seemed the changed heroes were leaving them alone for now¡ªno, they were spying on them. But the main drawback was that the heroes could no longer wander in the fortress or outside like before. They didn¡¯t know how many mysterious monsters were roaming around, or when the strange, evil energy would blanket the area. However, they needed to get out, or they would starve. Thus, Ru Amuh and Allen Leonard decided to take on the task of searching for food. Since they had awakened a tiny portion of their original powers, they at least had a better chance of returning alive than the others. And the role that Ru Hiana took was to protect their last sanctuary inside the fortress. Yet, Ru Hiana failed to accomplish her given mission. Some heroes got out of the protective circle saying that they couldn¡¯t stay still like this. The majority of them ended up either missing forever or found wandering in a back alleyway with blank looks on their faces. In short, they had been captured by their enemies¡ªjust like how the fifth and sixth recruits had slowly died in the range. And it was then Ru Hiana realized who was behind this entire incident and their current situation, but alas, there was nothing she could do. All she could do was watch just like that time¡­ As her head was lost in these thoughts, Ru Hiana suddenly looked up at the growing commotion. Two heroes had gotten up and were murmuring. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Ru Hiana quickly got to her feet and looked appalled. ¡®Why are those guys suddenly¡­!¡¯ The changed heroes, who had only been wandering the area they occupied until now, began to gather one by one as if they were being led by something. ¡°I told you.¡± Taking a rest now, Allen Leonard stood next to Ru Hiana¡¯s side and said, ¡°It seems they have gotten a bit strange.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is bad. Ru Amuh isn¡¯t even here right now¡­¡± Allen Leonard¡¯s face creased with concern. Then they heard Shahnaz speak up. ¡ªNo¡­ She sounded strained, like she was barely managing to speak to them. ¡ªSomeone has¡­this¡­.this¡­ Shahnaz¡¯s voice suddenly cut off. Clang! Simultaneously, they felt something break; it was the barrier that Shahnaz had created to protect the heroes. ¡®Who in the World¡­! When, why, and how?¡¯ Ru Hiana thought. She was completely in the dark, and she had to die without knowing anything. Perhaps she would become something like the changed heroes, neither dead nor alive. But of course, she would resist until the end. Although Ru Amuh had told her to endure and wait for now, she had no other option. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Ru Hiana pulled out her sword. Allen Leonard also unleashed his mana, but he couldn¡¯t hide the gloom that shadowed his eyes. * * * Meanwhile, Chi-Woo stood on top of a hill and looked down at their destination, the fortress. ¡°Oh!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡± ¡°Byu!¡± The bun raised the hand it had formed and also cheered. ¡°But by the looks of it¡­it seems they went through some tough fights.¡± Chi-Woo searched the fortress¡¯ surroundings carefully and blinked hard. Hawa did the same. She looked up at the night sky that was filled with dark clouds and eyed the ominous fortress warily. ¡°I think we should hurry,¡± she said. Chi-Woo agreed, moving at a brisk pace with the bun on his shoulders. They had finally returned, only to be greeted by a chilling energy that circled around the fortress. It was a discomforting yet familiar energy. 1. a meme; ¡®Hawawa¡¯ here is an otaku-ish way of expressing one¡¯s surprise and this format of expression is used commonly by male netizens pretending to be girls online (source: namuwiki) ? CH 98 Their surroundings were dead quiet. Crossing the familiar stone bridge and then passing the three crumbling walls of the fortress, Chi-Woo looked around anxiously. Since it was early in the morning, it was understandable that no one was wandering about, but even so, this was a bit¡­ strange. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was so strange about the place, but it appeared as if time inside this fortress had stopped, and everything before him was at a standstill. He didn¡¯t know what had happened during his absence, but it was clear that it was something grave. He had felt this way since he saw the fortress from its outskirts; the outer walls were broken in half, while its entrance was completely crumbled. Moreover¡­ ¡°The smell¡­¡± Even Hawa, who didn¡¯t usually display her emotions, scowled. A foul stench coupled by a disgusting, fishy smell of blood was oozing out of the rotting corpses all over the floor. ¡°Perhaps they¡¯ve left,¡± Hawa murmured while looking at the pile of monsters and heroes stacked on top of one another. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have left the fortress in such a state otherwise¡­¡± Chi-Woo thought the same. This place had been their precious base and living space. If people had stayed here, they would¡¯ve cleaned up the area by burning or burying the corpses, not leaving them as they were. ¡®If they were attacked¡­¡¯ Monsters didn¡¯t only reside in the Evalaya mountain; they also existed in the regions that used to belong to the Salem Empire, and some of them could¡¯ve attacked this fortress. And the recruits could¡¯ve been annihilated, or left the fortress after barely surviving. ¡®That would explain the situation, but¡­¡¯ What hung on his mind was the mysterious, evil energy lingering around this fortress, which felt more like the broken beings than the cursed ones. Yet the corpses of monsters scattered in this area didn¡¯t appear to be the spiritual kinds, and Chi-Woo swiped his face with both hands. ¡®What in the world happened here?¡¯ He thought deeply while passing the narrow crossed-roads and eventually, reached the central path. Hawa suddenly stopped walking then and clutched the hem of Chi-Woo¡¯s shirt hard. Chi-Woo stopped and turned to see Hawa with her index finger on her lips, mouthing ¡®shh¡¯ to shush him. Then she quietly moved her finger away from her lips and pointed to a direction. Chi-Woo followed her finger, and his eyes instantly narrowed. Although it was dark, his night vision had developed during his extended time at the cave, and he was able to see the scene in front of him clearly. A woman was crouching close to the ground and madly scraping the dirt. She had a fistful of dirt in one of her hands and was eating from it. ¡®There¡¯s someone there?¡¯ But besides his surprise to see someone still in the fortress, the woman¡¯s back seemed familiar. ¡°Princess?¡± Hawa said with one of her eyes squinted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the princess?¡± Chi-Woo took several seconds to realize that by ¡®princess¡¯, Hawa meant Salem Eshnunna. Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gaped open. He had thought the woman looked familiar, and sure enough, he now recognized the figure as Eshnunna. ¡°But¡­¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Eshnunna was crouching over the field, stealing food and even ruining the field she valued so dearly. The Eshnunna Chi-Woo knew would never do such a thing. And while Chi-Woo stood still, too stunned to do anything, Eshnunna suddenly scrambled up. Surprised, Chi-Woo and Hawa hurriedly hid and watched her. Teeter, teeter. Eshunna staggered. With her back half-folded in an unnatural manner, she walked precariously across the ground, looking like she was about to topple any moment. Then her walking speed began to increase. ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± As if she was being led somewhere, she began to run with her head and arms dangling behind her. ¡°Let¡¯s chase after her.¡± Hawa suggested following Eshnunna immediately. However, Chi-Woo clutched her small shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s fine if we go,¡± Chi-Woo said, unable to take his eyes off Eshnunna as she quickly moved away from them. ¡°But if something happens, hide. Don¡¯t show yourself.¡± Hawa gave Chi-Woo a standoffish look. Although she lacked strength compared to a hero, she didn¡¯t think she would be a burden. She had the skills to at least preoccupy a monster, but Chi-Woo went on to explain his reasons. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a normal kind of monster,¡± he said. Then he hurriedly chased after Eshnunna before she escaped out of their sight. They quickly realized that there was no need for them to worry about losing Eshnunna, because they soon heard a faint noise that gradually grew in volume until it was revealed to be a cacophony of howling and shrieking. It wasn¡¯t that there was no one in the fortress; people had simply all been gathered in a corner. ¡°This is the way to the temple, where Goddess Shahnaz¡¯ statue was stored¡­¡± Hawa murmured to herself while running. ¡°Didn¡¯t we take that statue when we went out for our exploration?¡± ¡°I left it in someone else¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ru Amuh. Since it¡¯s a holy relic, I couldn¡¯t hold onto it.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s forehead creased from Hawa¡¯s words. The dreadful scenarios that had popped up inside his head surfaced again. Like Hawa said, they soon arrived at the place where Shahnaz¡¯s statue was. It was a mess. ¡°Bloooock!¡± ¡°Please regain your senses!¡± ¡°Just kill them! Kill!¡± ¡°Damn ittt!¡± Heroes screamed out bloody murder, but the monsters screamed louder than them. Surprisingly, the monsters were also heroes, but they were all letting out strange sounds like Eshnunna and attacking the resisting heroes. And the resistance was almost coming to an end. ¡°When I am finally here...¡± Chi-Woo watched the scene in front of him in a daze and muttered in a low voice. Bam! The sudden explosion was followed by the loud noise of a building crumbling. The heroes who were blocking the monsters¡¯ entry had been struck and flung into the air. ¡°Ahhhhh¡­!¡± Someone bounced and fell onto the ground, rolling in intense pain. Eshnunna let out an ear-splitting shriek and rushed toward the hero. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna!¡± There was no time for Chi-Woo to think. He had to settle this chaos first. Dashing forward, he tapped Eshnunna on her back, and when she didn¡¯t respond to his touch, Chi-Woo clutched her shoulders and shook them wildly. Finally, Eshnunna turned around. Red veins were popping out of her pale face. Saliva dripped down her mouth and most noticeably, her eyes were entirely black with no white spots. ¡°What happened? How did you become like this? Regain your senses and tell me. Please.¡± But instead of replying, Eshnunna simply left the groaning hero be and lunged at Chi-Woo. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Chi-Woo gripped Eshnunna back as she recklessly tried to claw him and was surprised to feel her power. From what he knew, Eshnunna was a non-combatant with almost no battle ability, yet her physical abilities had evidently improved several folds. If Chi-Woo had fought her in the days when all his physical attributes were rank F, he would be trampled without being able to block her attacks. However, Chi-Woo was no longer the Chi-Woo from back then. He quickly tapped into his exorcism mana and concentrated it in his hands. Pshhhhhh! As if dry ice had been dropped into a pot of boiling water, white steam began to rise from Eshnunna¡¯s body. ¡°Kyaruh?¡± Eshnunna flinched. Voice filled with pain, she struggled to free herself, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t let her go. Instead, he grabbed her tighter and pushed his exorcism mana into her with all his might. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± There was a long scream, and Eshnunna¡¯s body writhed even more. From an outside point-of-view, it looked as if a woman was expressing with her entire body how much she disliked the man in front of her. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo could clearly see the evil energy possessing Eshnunna¡¯s body being chased away. No, his power was not just chasing it away, but vanquishing it. Soon, Eshnunna¡¯s shrieking stopped, and the dark energy blooming out of her body disappeared like it was getting washed away. The veins popping out of her face also disappeared, restoring her original complexion. Her sclera was also visible again. Eshnunna looked extremely confused as she returned to normal. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Eshnunna turned towards the voice. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± As soon as she saw Chi-Woo¡¯s face, her eyes rolled into the back of her skull and shut close. Chi-Woo caught Eshnunna as she fainted and carefully put her on the ground. He called out to Hawa, and his eyes brightened as he noticed something in front of him. He quickly rushed forward with his gaze fixed to his destination. * * * At the same time, Ru Hiana gasped as she looked at the same area that Chi-Woo was staring at. She couldn¡¯t understand it at first. Even though the heroes had changed into monsters, they hadn¡¯t shown any hostility so far and had never attacked them. Why did they suddenly¡ª ¡°No!¡± Six or seven monsters took advantage of the chaos and fought to enter the building through the collapsed outer wall. The statue of Shahnaz was there; Ru Hiana didn¡¯t know why, but the monsters were targeting Shahnaz¡¯s statue. ¡°Block them!¡± she shouted, but nobody responded. Kyakkkkkkkk! Her shout was muffled by the monsters¡¯ screams, and everyone was too busy with their own tasks and problems. Allen Leonard was protecting those who were injured while fighting the monsters, so he couldn¡¯t move from his position. Ru Hiana gritted her teeth and forcibly pushed away the monsters she was fighting before turning back. They had gone through so many sacrifices and pain to revive Shahnaz; no matter what happened, they must not lose Shahnaz¡¯s statue. Ru Hiana recklessly rushed towards the monsters and brought up all the energy she could muster, hurling it at them. A sudden gust of wind pushed three or four monsters into the wall, but their number barely dwindled. ¡®If there were only three or four of them¡­!¡¯ Ru Hiana was about to rush towards them, but her head was suddenly yanked back. Something had grabbed her by the ponytail and yanked it harshly. Ru Hiana realized her mistake; the monsters that she had left behind had caught up to her. Even though she had pushed them away with her elbows, there were enemies coming from both sides. Moreover, the monsters that she had slammed into the wall began twisting their heads back and forth and crawling out. In an instant, she was surrounded by dozens of monsters, and among them, she saw a long-headed hero who had once been her comrade. Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes darkened as she saw Zelit. ¡°¡­No.¡± Ru Amuh had told them to endure without harming the turned heroes since they had all been comrades at one point. He had told her that when Chi-Woo returned, he¡¯d be able to change them back to normal. Thus, Ru Hiana patiently waited; she waited as if she was holding onto a small fragment of hope in a forest full of despair. She held out for nearly three months with the belief that Chi-Woo would return and revert them to normal. However, the hero they had been waiting for hadn¡¯t come back¡­ Honestly, she knew that he wouldn¡¯t come back. She knew that Ru Amuh had just said that in false hope. ¡®I can¡¯t any longer¡­¡¯ Ru Hiana took out her long sword. Even though this went against what Ru Amuh told her to do, she was at her limit. She had waited long enough and withstood as much as she could. The fragile hope she had clung onto since Chi-Woo had disappeared was completely gone now. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Ru Amuh.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know how much longer she could last. However, she had no intentions to let the monsters easily get to the Shahnaz¡¯s statue or giving up her life. She threw away her false hope and focused on her present. Then the long-headed monster standing in front rushed towards her, and Ru Hiana hardened her heart, about to swing her sword at Zelit¡ª Tap! ¡°Ah?¡± A raspy sound escaped Ru Hiana¡¯s mouth, and she stopped before making a full swing when she saw a hand suddenly grab the monster¡¯s arm. It was not over yet. Sizzle¡ª! When the sound of boiling oil rang out, the monster screamed. However, the hand did not let the monster go, and the monster began shaking as if it was getting electrocuted and transformed. The monster reverted back to the original Zelit that Ru Hiana was familiar with and fell over. ¡°What¡­¡± Ru Hiana turned around instinctively and gaped. Her eyes widened. She saw the hero they had all been waiting for¡ªtheir hope. ¡°Ru¡ª¡°. ¡°Sen¡ªBe careful!¡± Ru Hiana was about to call out ¡®senior¡¯, but she immediately shouted as a couple of monsters surrounding them targeted Chi-Woo and rushed towards him. Ru Hiana swallowed her gasp in the next moment. Chi-Woo bent down and reached out both of his arms to seize the wrists of the two monsters rushing towards him in a vice-like grip. When he twisted his arms, there was a sharp crack, and two heroes turned at the same time. Chi-Woo kicked both away and ran to meet the two heroes rushing towards him. He grabbed both of them by the neck and injected them with his exorcism mana. They began shaking like crazy before returning to normal. Chi-Woo dropped the two heroes who fainted to the ground and straightened his back, dusting his hands before looking around. Ru Hiana was shocked. The monsters who had recklessly rushed towards their opponents were now shockingly hesitating to move. They faltered back and looked clearly frightened by Chi-Woo¡¯s very existence. ¡°Ah¡­¡± But this was not the only surprising fact. It was even more surprising that Chi-Woo had easily suppressed four enemies that were several times stronger than mutants. It was an unbelievable feat considering that Ru Hiana had had to fight to survive while facing four or five monsters. It was also surprising because Chi-Woo used to be almost completely ignorant about close-quarter battles. Why was he showing similarly effective but different movements from Ru Amuh? It had all happened so fast that it was hard to believe what just happened. ¡°Ah!¡± Ru Hiana shifted her attention back to Zelit; he had returned to normal, and he was still alive. From what she knew, there was only one hero who could do this. Ru Hiana finally remembered that Chi-Woo had shown an overwhelming strength against spiritual beings. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± It wasn¡¯t a dream or a hallucination. Chi-Woo walked towards the center and found the statue of Shahnaz and grabbed it. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± He threw the statue at the still shocked Ru Hiana. ¡°Keep it safe.¡± Ru Hiana caught it and stared at Chi-Woo from afar. ¡°S-senior¡­¡± She was amazed that Chi-Woo had taken the statue as if he was taking out an object from his pocket. ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°I came back, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo hummed pensively, looking around and shrugging. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too much as a welcome present?¡± ¡°H-huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve prepared so many experience fodders for me to collect merits.¡± Chi-Woo talked playfully and smirked, and Ru Hiana stared at his smile, blinking sporadically. ¡°What the¡­heck are you saying¡­¡± In the end, she just returned his smile, but even while she was smiling, her eyes became teary. They were tears of happiness. Her whole body was filled with unexpected enthusiasm and joy. This was what she had wanted to see again. Chi-Woo was a hero who knew how to laugh no matter how despairing the situation was. Simply being next to him was enough to reassure her and give her hope that they could get through this. Even though Ru Hiana had felt despair a moment ago, she felt courage rising up from deep within her, and she felt a flicker of hope burn up again. ¡°Then, let¡¯s first beat them up and gain some merit points.¡± After waiting for so long, Chi-Woo had finally come back. CH 99 While fighting ardently with the changed heroes, Allen Leonard suddenly felt something was odd. ¡®Hm? What is it?¡¯ His hands and feet were much more stable now, unlike a moment before when he was busy blocking a flurry of countless attacks. Now that he had some breathing room, he was able to observe his surroundings. Stricken with fear, his enemies were gradually backing away; and in their center, there was a figure he hadn¡¯t expected to see at all, running in a wild spree like fish finally meeting water. Even as Allen Leonard saw with his own eyes, he couldn¡¯t believe it. Every time Chi-Woo swung his fist, the enemies scattered by the lot. He simply had to kick their shin, and they fell to the ground; when he placed his hands on them, they shuddered like mad and returned to normal. Forgetting that he was in the middle of battle, Allen Leonard gaped at what was transpiring before him. ¡°¡­Teacher?¡± Allen¡¯s voice seemed to have reached Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo suddenly stopped moving and turned to Allen. He looked pleased to see him. ¡°Oh, Mr. Allen Leonard.¡± ¡°How did¡­you¡­¡± Allen¡¯s mouth opened and closed. Ru Hiana responded similarly beside him. ¡°You guys prepared quite the party for my return,¡± Chi-Woo said while thrusting away a changed hero he had been gripping by the neck. After shooting a satisfied smile at the heroes who had collapsed to the ground and returned to normal, he said, ¡°I also like my welcome-back gift.¡± Allen Leonard didn¡¯t know what Chi-Woo was talking about at first, but soon understood and burst into laughter. ¡®Ha!¡¯ Then he replied smoothly while smiling, ¡°I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t get the invitation.¡± It was then that their surroundings suddenly became dark. ¡°Huh?¡± Ru Hiana was the first to notice the strangeness of it all. Heavy darkness swallowed the moonlight and shrouded the area. Allen Leonard¡¯s face also stiffened after brightening for a fleeting second. It seemed a mysterious power was binding his surroundings, and a dark, ominous energy spread across the entire fortress. Not long afterward, an indescribable darkness filling the sky began to come down like it was going to swallow the fortress whole. ¡®What¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he recalled what had happened on their way to this fortress¡ªat that time, they had almost given up facing an army made solely of mutants, commanded by a lich. A skeleton hanging on a pole had suddenly appeared then. [Witch! The Witch!] [The Abomination of Bably!] The lich had yelled out in anger seeing the skeleton on the pole, and with a single gesture from the skeleton¡¯s hands, the entire army of mutants was wiped out. Chi-Woo¡¯s complexion darkened immediately. It brought goosebumps onto his skin as he recalled how the army of mutants turned into ashes without a single exception. ¡°Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood¡ª.¡± Without thinking, a verse from the Book of Proverbs escaped his mouth; he hadn¡¯t meant to do so, but the words came out like a habit. [Don¡¯t be afraid.] [It¡¯s fine whatever you do¡ªwhether you curse, sing joyfully, piss, or poop. Don¡¯t restrain yourself from any means to cast your fear away.] Like his master had told him, Chi-Woo murmured the first religious texts¡ªwhether they were Bible verses or the sutras¡ªthat he could think of when he was afraid, which helped him maintain some composure in front of an unknown. ¡°A heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong¡ª¡± Chi-Woo loosened his bag and opened it. ¡°A false witness who pours out lies and a¡ª¡± He quickly rummaged through it and found something. ¡°¡­my son, keep your father¡¯s command and do not forsake your mother¡¯s teaching¡ª¡± He finally found the bundle of yellow papers that he was looking for. ¡°Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck.¡± He muttered Proverbs while clutching the talisman with his hands. ¡°Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck.¡± Then he quickly took out the ones that chased away spirits. ¡°When you sleep, they will watch over you.¡± Chi-Woo looked up. The darkness was already settling down to the rooftops of the building. ¡°When you awake, they will speak to you.¡± Chi-Woo glared sharply at the darkness shrouding the sky and balled up his fist so tightly that he poured exorcism mana into them without realizing. Thus, he didn¡¯t notice that the patterns on the talisman were beginning to emit a red light. ¡°For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life!¡± Chi-Woo scattered the talisman in his hands at the same time he yelled. The talisman fluttered above Chi-Woo¡¯s head like an umbrella. Hwaaaa! They let out a whitish light, and each talisman flew like it was alive before attaching itself to the darkness. Then they started to glow. ¡°It stopped!¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes turned round. She was so surprised that she gasped out the words. Chi-Woo was caught off guard as well. He knew the effects of the talisman were stronger here than when he was on Earth, but he didn¡¯t think it would be this powerful. Yet, the important thing now was that the encroaching darkness had come to a halt, intercepted by the circle the talismans had formed after soaring into the sky. Then began the fierce battle between the darkness that kept trying to descend and the light that pushed it back. They pulled and pushed for a moment until the balance was tipped. The light that the talisman emitted faded, and Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. ¡®It¡¯s lacking.¡¯ The talisman soaked with Chi-Woo¡¯s exorcism mana burned fiercely against the darkness, but its enemy, the darkness, was too formidable of an opponent. The moment it ate away some of the light, more darkness pushed in from their surroundings. Thinking that he couldn¡¯t let things be, Chi-Woo reached inside his bag once more and pulled out a long and large club, the gwibolsemyongsi. ¡®I¡¯m going to strike it when it comes down.¡¯ They were at a disadvantage; it was as if he was coming out as the fourth hitter on his team and aiming to hit a complete home run so that his team could have a comeback. Chi-Woo grasped his club tightly; with the sheer force he had put into his grip, exorcism mana naturally flowed into the club. Chi-Woo looked up to the sky nervously, and again, he missed the way his mana flowed into the object he was holding. Wing, wing, wing, wing! He felt vibrations in both his palms and heard a muffled ring. ¡°?¡± Chi-Woo looked down at his hands in surprise and squinted at the sudden burst of light. Shaaaaaaaa! The light was so intense that even Allen Leonard and Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t bear to see it and had to cover their faces with their hands. The dark energy inside the remaining heroes who had gone mad was cleansed just by the touch of this light, and they returned to normal before fainting on the ground. ¡®What is happening¡­!¡¯ He had only ever submerged the club inside the pool full of holy water for a couple of days; who would¡¯ve thought it would transform into this intense burst of light? Carefully, Chi-Woo lifted his shining club and looked at it. Like iron that had just been pulled out of a burning furnace, it was completely white. From top to bottom, it radiated a tremendous light. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know the exact reason, but he sensed that the club had been awakened by the current situation. With the thought in mind, Chi-Woo raised the club high in the air. An irresistible light spread from the club¡ªbright enough to light up a fortress sunk into darkness. Then, Chi-Woo clearly heard a sound. ¡ªAh..! He heard an elegant voice from heaven that sounded like a sigh or a gasp. At the same time, the darkness around the fortress was lifted like a curtain opening up to reveal a stage right before it could close completely. It was as if a play nearing its end was starting again. The darkness disappeared into the sky at a much faster speed than when it first came down, like it was running away from the light. Just like that, the fortress became calm again as if nothing had happened. The storm had passed, and the atmosphere remained heavy and still. Among the people who were still standing in this strange atmosphere, there was not a person who could say a single word. They all blankly stared at the same figure. Chi-Woo¡¯s radiant club had reverted back to its normal state, but even then, there was still a subtle glow to it that illuminated the fortress. The sun rose from far away. Dawn had approached while they were struggling to deal with the invasion. Ru Hiana seemed to still be in shock. An indescribable emotion filled her heart. She looked up at Chi-Woo with complex emotions and barely managed to say, ¡°Senior¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze shifted to her. He saw Ru Hiana tightly clutch the Shahnaz¡¯s statue and smiled brightly. Was it because the sun was rising? The light behind Chi-Woo seemed to form a halo-like the ones that only heroes who had risen to the ranks of Saints could have. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Chi-Woo happily greeted her in that hazy circle of light. ¡°I¡¯ve returned.¡± He smiled and gave her a wink. * * * A man was climbing a hill. Both of his shoulders were slouched over, and his face was facing the ground. Surprisingly, it was Ru Amuh. Even though he was a hero that was upright and proper at all times, and he maintained a proper posture even while walking and washing and eating, he was now walking with his head tilted towards the ground. Recently, Ru Amuh was feeling intense doubts about himself. He had been feeling this since a certain meeting. [Then, why don¡¯t you show me?] [Prove your worth.] Ru Amuh recalled these words and tightly shut his eyes. Could he say with confidence that he had proven his worth? No, he couldn¡¯t. After escaping the forest, the recruits who had been settling down bit by bit each day had become a mess again; their circumstances might have even turned worse than when they were in the forest. And it all started after one person disappeared. Honestly, Ru Amuh also felt that it was unfair. Even though he was a hero who had solved a crisis at the level of Star Cluster, he was still a hero who had only saved one world. It was too much to ask of him to stabilize and normalize a world at a crisis level several times higher, especially when there were so many unfavorable conditions. ¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯ Despite his best effort, he couldn¡¯t help but wallow in negative thoughts. He hated the circumstances that rendered heroes powerless, and he hated Liber. However, he couldn¡¯t just cry and complain; there was a hero who had made significant achievements even under the same conditions¡ªno, there used to be such a hero. However, Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t a great hero like Chi-Woo and couldn¡¯t be like him, either. The more he lingered on these thoughts, the more useless he felt. After a while, he suddenly thought, ¡®It would have been better if I died instead of him.¡¯ He quickly shook his head to scatter the thought. ¡®No.¡¯ If he kept thinking so negatively, he would be surrendering to his opponent¡¯s tricks. No matter how difficult and painful the situation was, he had to endure it. Ru Amuh opened his eyes. Even though his bag was empty because he couldn¡¯t find any food, he raised his head and forced himself to get into proper posture. Then he turned on his device and looked at one of his stored messages. [Let¡¯s live and meet again.] Ru Amuh read the line and tightly clenched his teeth. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t dead; the message had said as much. He¡¯d definitely come back. Even though there was no basis for this belief, Ru Amuh was convinced of that future. It was as if he was somehow connected to Chi-Woo. Before he knew it, he had surmounted the hill, and the fortress entered his view. He picked up his pace. ¡®I hope I¡¯m not too late.¡¯ Since he couldn¡¯t find food no matter how hard he looked for it, he had returned later than planned. He hoped that nothing much had happened as he headed towards the fortress. When he approached the stone bridge, his eyes widened. Something was strange. The crumbled door and damaged walls were the same as before, but there were no monsters or corpses of their comrades. The area looked empty like someone had cleaned it all up. The rotten smell that had been haunting the fortress had also lessened. ¡®Who¡­¡¯ Ru Amuh stopped and scanned his surroundings. Flinching, he felt something strange; something was approaching him from his left side at a steady pace. Ru Amuh stared in the direction with sharp eyes with his hand on his sword, and then he was finally able to see who it was. ¡°One! Two! One! Two!¡± He saw Chi-Woo running along the walls early in the morning. Ru Amuh¡¯s hand slid from the hilt of his sword. His mouth slightly opened; he was so shocked that no words came out. ¡°Oh?¡± Chi-Woo, who had been running hard, looked at the frozen Ru Amuh in surprise.¡°Mr. Ru Amuh!¡± He smiled brightly and raised his hand before running towards Ru Amuh from a distance, shouting, ¡°It¡¯s been a while! Have you been well?¡± ¡°¡­Uh. Ah, what, what? No, yes! Sir, it¡¯s been a while.¡± It took a couple of seconds for Ru Amuh¡¯s stuttering brain to register Chi-Woo¡¯s greeting. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s great to see you again. Let¡¯s meet up later because I¡¯m training right now.¡± Chi-Woo swooshed past Ru Amuh as he said so, and Ru Amuh continued to stand in the same place, staring blankly at him. ¡°Uh¡­Yes, Yes¡­ Later¡­¡± Ru Amuh replied in shock and furrowed his brows. Something was strange; he knew it was strange. But Chi-Woo had acted so naturally that he was momentarily confused. Ru Amuh scratched and tilted his head, blinking several times before resuming his walk into the fortress. ¡°!¡± But then his brain caught up after blinking thrice, and he came to a sudden halt, his eyes widening in shock as he whirled around to stare at Chi-Woo. ¡°Teacher?¡± he shouted. ¡°Teacher! Teacher!¡± Chi-Woo was already far away. He raised his hand and waved at Ru Amuh. Instead of standing still, though, Ru Amuh immediately ran after Chi-Woo. ¡°Wait! No! Please wait a bit!¡± Ru Amuh called out repeatedly, desperate. He would not miss Chi-Woo ever again. CH 100 Chi-Woo increased his speed the more Ru Amuh chased after him. Ru Amuh was incredibly shocked to find out that he was having difficulty closing the distance between them even though he was running with all his might. Feeling a sudden sense of urgency, he mobilized his holy power to amplify his speed. He thought he would be able to catch up to Chi-Woo easily, yet Chi-Woo responded by speeding up again. Chi-Woo¡¯s speed would only be possible for someone of at least rank C in agility; although it took him longer than he predicted, nevertheless, Ru Amuh was able to catch up to Chi-Woo by using holy power on top of his superb physical abilities. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Chi-Woo collapsed to the ground and heaved. Ru Amuh didn¡¯t look as strained, but he couldn¡¯t hide his obvious tiredness. ¡°You must have made a contract¡­with a god,¡± Ru Amuh gasped after a while. As he stayed lying on the ground, Chi-Woo looked up at Ru Amuh and expressed his admiration. ¡°As expected of you, Mr. Ru Amuh. But I didn¡¯t think I would get caught so fast. I can¡¯t compare you to that guy at all.¡± ¡°That guy?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone like that. Although I left it in the square.¡± Chi-Woo smirked and got up. ¡°What happened, sir?¡± Ru Amuh asked as soon as Chi-Woo got up. Chi-Woo raised both hands to calm Ru Amuh before heading to the fortress. ¡°Let¡¯s walk and talk. You haven¡¯t eaten yet, right?¡± ¡°Sorry? Ah, yes¡­ I haven¡¯t, but the food supply is¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Chi-Woo said, and Ru Amuh hurriedly followed Chi-Woo. As they walked, Chi-Woo answered everything Ru Amuh was curious about except the part about the die. Ru Amuh was amazed after hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation. ¡°Then, at that place, did you¡­!¡± ¡°It was a coincidence. Or maybe it was fate.¡± And eventually, they arrived at the square. Coming to a stop, Ru Amuh slowly looked around his. People were gathering in groups of threes and fives to eat and cleaning up after themselves once they finished. He had never imagined he would see such a scene again. And while looking upon the area where warm sunlight shone, Ru Amuh took in a deep breath, an indescribable feeling rising inside his heart. ¡°Huh? What is it doing?¡± Chi-Woo moved. Heroes who hadn¡¯t eaten yet were gathered in one place. ¡°Sorry. Excuse me.¡± While pushing heroes out of his way, Chi-Woo made it to the center of the group and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Please give us a couple more sacks¡­!¡± ¡°Byu.¡± Chi-Woo murmured under his breath, ¡°Who is this guy kidding?¡± Chi-Woo had left the bun at the square to distribute the food supply as it saw fit, but now, it was monopolizing the supply. It was completely unbelievable how the bun was snorting at the hero who was begging for some food. ¡°Hey.¡± Chi-Woo approached the bun and asked, ¡°What in the world are you doing? Hey?¡± ¡°Byu?¡± The bun was confident; it seemed to be saying ¡®they are my food anyways, so it¡¯s up to me who I give it to.¡¯ ¡°How is that yours? It¡¯s mine. Quickly give it to me. You know how long these people have been starving for?¡± ¡°Byu.¡± The bun snorted like it was telling him there was no chance of that happening, and a vein popped out of Chi-Woo¡¯s forehead. ¡°Give it. Quickly.¡± ¡°Psh!¡± Like it was doing a great favor, the bun threw up one sack of food supplies. That was the end of Chi-Woo¡¯s patience. ¡°You bastard. Give it to me. Give it!¡± ¡°Byu? Byu, byu!?¡± Chi-Woo stuck his fingers into where he thought the bun¡¯s mouth was and stretched it sideways hard. The bun jumped up and down in resistance, and the two fought for a bit. Chi-Woo ended up victorious. Eventually, he pulled out his club and smacked it repeatedly, and the bun poured out a pile of sacks. ¡°You are just a bag. Why are you so greedy?¡± Chi-Woo nudged the bun, telling it to behave from now on, and the bun became much more obedient. Meanwhile, Ru Amuh looked down at the slime that had thrown up sacks while whining with curiosity. ¡°Teacher, is this¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, this is the friend I met in the place I told you about. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re hungry¡± Chi-Woo responded while lifting a sack. ¡°Yes, Teacher,¡± Ru Amuh responded. ¡°To tell you the truth, though...¡± ¡°I know,¡± Chi-Woo cut him off. ¡°I also have a lot of questions I want to ask you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But let¡¯s eat first,¡± Chi-Woo said, noting how rough Ru Amuh looked. Ru Amuh seemed to have gone through many difficulties since the last time they saw each other. ¡°Let¡¯s eat well, wash, sleep, and talk afterward,¡± Chi-Woo continued, knowing that they would only be able to have a proper conversation if both the speaker and the listener were healthy. After staring at him blankly for a while, Ru Amuh laughed. As Chi-Woo expected, the recruits weren¡¯t in a good condition. They had suffered casualties from the recent incident, and their already dwindled number of survivors had further decreased in number. Still, there was nothing that could be done to change the past. Heroes who had returned to their normal states needed to be taken care of, which made the food supplies Chi-Woo had brought back all the more important. Chi-Woo had the still able-bodied members feed and take care of the injured, and of course, he himself didn¡¯t stay idle. ¡°Hm¡­.¡± After regaining some consciousness, Eshnunna¡¯s nose wiggled as she caught a smell that made her stomach growl. She peeked her eyes open, and before she fully regained consciousness, her breath hitched. As her blurry vision came into focus, she saw Chi-Woo looking down at her with a bowl steaming with hot food. ¡°How¡­?¡± After they ran out of food supplies, Eshnunna had ventured outside thinking that she couldn¡¯t sit still and do nothing. She didn¡¯t really remember what happened afterward. She had heard a burst of chilling laughter, and her vision blurred. It almost felt like she had dreamt a long dream¡ªone where a young man had appeared. ¡°¡­A dream.¡± As she tried to remember what happened, Eshnunna gasped without meaning to. ¡°A dream?¡± Chi-Woo repeated with his eyes opened wide. Then his eyes sparkled, and his face turned stern, ¡°Ah, yes, it¡¯s a dream.¡± Then, he continued, ¡°This isn¡¯t reality. I am appearing in your dream.¡± Eshnunna was still in a daze, but she suddenly seemed certain of the situation she was in. Yes, it made more sense that she was in a dream; there was no way Chi-Woo would¡¯ve returned. ¡°Why¡­are you in my dream¡­?¡± she groaned. ¡°When¡­are you coming back¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I waited¡­for so long¡­waiting¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please¡­ just say something¡­please¡­¡± Eshnunna struggled to breathe out each word, pausing to catch her breath in between her utterance. After a stretch of silence, Chi-Woo said in a low voice, ¡°I think it¡¯s about time now.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry¡­?¡± ¡°Time for me to go.¡± ¡°!¡± Eshnunna¡¯s eyes widened. They burst open like she had been splashed with water. ¡®What did he just say?¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re going?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped,¡± Chi-Woo said coldly, his expression indifferent. ¡°No one is coming to save me no matter how much I wait.¡± Eshnunna opened and closed her mouth. ¡°I also waited¡­¡± Chi-Woo put a bowl in front of Eshnunna. ¡°While I was starving in the cold¡­ Ms. Eshnunna, you were here eating warm food.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°It must have been fun. You must have completely forgotten about me and laughed and had fun.¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not true! I never did that!¡± ¡°Is that so? Then why didn¡¯t you come back for me? I was the one who waited for you so much! I saved you! I thought you would also save me! I survived while clutching onto this hope!¡± ¡°That¡­! I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. But there was a reason¡­!¡± Eshnunna sat up in horror. Chi-Woo coldly replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Since we did know each other for a while, I¡¯ve simply come to say my last goodbye.¡± ¡°Please wait¡­!¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± With this, Chi-Woo slid far away from Eshnunna and slid far away, embodying the spirit of Michael Jackson as he moonwalked backward. ¡°Please don¡¯t go! Please just wait a bit! Please¡­!¡± Eshnunna got out of the bed and frantically ran towards Chi-Woo. As soon as Chi-Woo stepped out of the door¡ª He came to a halt as Ru Amuh was about to come inside. Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes widened as he said, ¡°Teacher?¡± Chi-Woo stopped. ¡°Awwwwhhh¡ª!¡± Eshnunna ran towards them while crying, but she also stopped moving when she saw Ru Amuh look at them with surprise. She didn¡¯t fully understand the situation, but she looked between Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh. ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell between the three of them. Then, after a short while¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± When Chi-Woo was about to quickly turn around, Eshnunna shot him a furious glare. * * * Ru Hiana saw Chi-Woo burst out of the building where injured patients were gathered and yelled, ¡°Oh, Senior!¡± But then she saw Chi-Woo running away at full speed, and she tilted her head in confusion. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Exercise!¡± Swoosh! Chi-Woo ran past Ru Hiana; it was so fast that her hair flew in the wind. Ru Hiana blinked at his unexpected answer. ¡°Stop! I told you to stop!¡± Swoosh. Eshnunna also passed her by. Chi-Woo was running away with all his might, and Eshnunna was chasing after him with tremendous momentum. ¡°Stop! Stop there! Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sor¡ª!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you! Kill yooooooou!¡± Ru Hiana stared as Eshnunna and Chi-Woo suddenly began a fierce chase across the fortress. Ru Amuh was also running after Chi-Woo and Eshnunna. They ended up in Chi-Woo¡¯s house. Ru Amuh didn¡¯t know why Eshnunna was chasing Chi-Woo, but he heard her furious voice coming out from Chi-Woo¡¯s house. He also heard loud noises of things falling and breaking and someone rolling on the ground. While this was happening, Ru Amuh quietly waited. Chi-Woo told him to come back after taking a nap, but he didn¡¯t listen. While he was waiting, Allen Leonard also joined him, with Ru Hiana right behind him. The reason why she came was a bit ridiculous; she was worried that Chi-Woo might disappear again while she was sleeping, so she wanted to check up on him. As a result, a total of five people gathered at Chi-Woo¡¯s house. * * * ¡°¡­So.¡± They didn¡¯t know what had happened inside, but Chi-Woo¡¯s hair was completely disheveled when he appeared again. Chi-Woo paid it no mind and looked at the four people around him and asked, ¡°How did this happen?¡± He had asked the question out of pure curiosity, but the four people around him took his words a bit differently. Ru Amuh looked ashamed, and Ru Hiana deeply bowed her head because it sounded like he was scolding them. He seemed to be saying, ¡®Even though I was gone, I didn¡¯t know things would become this bad.¡¯ Of course, not everyone interpreted his words like that, and Eshnunna fixed her clothes while throwing a sharp glare at Chi-Woo. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering how things became like this¡­¡± Allen Leonard spoke up slowly with a bitter smile. To summarize his points, the mutants had evolved again into new monsters and grouped up to attack them. At the same time, the broken ones reappeared as well, and the recruits were stuck in between the two fractions, exploited and used by them. There were two parts that Chi-Woo focused on: the mutants had evolved again, and the recruits were stuck between and used by two factions. The monsters that came out in Evelaya and the monsters that attacked the fortress were both results of the mutants evolving again. ¡°How are you sure of this information?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I saw it firsthand,¡± Allen Leonard replied. ¡°While I was looking for medicine, I went all the way to the capital, and it was full of monsters.¡± ¡°What about the mutants there?¡± ¡°They were being eaten. By the monsters.¡± Chi-Woo sighed; it was not good news. ¡°What do you mean by the recruits being used?¡± ¡°That was Zelit¡¯s guess.¡± ¡°A guess.¡± One faction had used the fifth and sixth recruits to keep another faction in check; it seemed as if Allen Leonard was referring to those incidents. Honestly, Chi-Woo had made a similar guess in the back of his mind. Moreover, he recalled what the White Horse General had said to him when he ambushed the ranch. Even though he couldn¡¯t be completely sure of it yet, the two factions might be involved. ¡®But there¡¯s too little information.¡¯ They needed someone with good reasoning; someone who could use what little information they had to think of possibilities outside of the box. In many ways, it was regrettable that Zelit wasn¡¯t present. ¡°Now that I think about it, what happened to Mr. Zelit¡­¡± Allen Leonard replied, ¡°He didn¡¯t die, but he¡¯s dead asleep.¡± Ru Hiana added, ¡°Even though he wasn¡¯t the first one¡­he went mad pretty early on.¡± ¡°Uh, is that so?¡± Chi-Woo replied with a slight look of surprise. ¡°Yeah. Well, he looked all right¡­but he must have felt really weighed down.¡± Ru Hiana smacked her lips. ¡°We said it was all right, but not everyone was okay¡­¡± Zelit was the one who pushed and planned for the food exploration mission. In the end, his plan had failed, and the recruits lost Chi-Woo, a person who was vital to their group. Thus, Zelit seemed to have received criticism from the other recruits behind their backs, and he also seemed to have struggled emotionally. Ru Hiana explained that must have been the case since Zelit, with his cold personality, wouldn¡¯t have gone mad so easily. ¡°Let¡¯s first wait until he wakes up,¡± Chi-Woo said and looked at Ru Amuh. Allen Leonard and Ru Hiana both talked, but Ru Amuh had been keeping his silence. And even after this, Ru Amuh did not say a single word. * * * They reached a decision. They decided to push all matters aside for now and focus first on taking care of those who survived. Even though it was a minor decision, there was nothing else to do at the moment other than to take care of the recruits. Chi-Woo spent the whole afternoon taking care of those who were injured and organizing the area before returning home late at night. After getting the drowsy bun to lie down and sleep, a person he had expected came to visit him. It was Ru Amuh. ¡°Sir, I apologize for visiting so late. There is something I need to urgently tell you.¡± For the whole day, Chi-Woo could feel that there was something Ru Amuh wanted to say to him, so he had looked at Ru Amuh when they were all gathered together. ¡°Why are you telling it to me now, instead of when everyone was here?¡± ¡°I wanted to tell you when we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because.¡± Ru Amuh paused and continued, ¡°It¡¯s a matter only I know; No one, not even Ru Hiana knows.¡± ¡°¡­It seems that something happened to you too, Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± Ru Amuh didn¡¯t say anything, but he didn¡¯t deny Chi-Woo¡¯s words. ¡°Tell me from the beginning. One thing at a time.¡± Ru Amuh got permission to talk. He took a deep breath and began relaying a story that he couldn¡¯t tell anyone before. ¡°Sir, after you went missing in the Evelaya volcano¡­¡± CH 101 Like how an area overflowed with water when a dam¡¯s hole was left exposed again, many problems had flooded the fortress after Chi-Woo¡¯s disappearance. One such problem was the broken beings running havoc again. Ru Amuh had run around trying to quell the most urgent problems when he encountered an entity by coincidence. ¡°I don¡¯t really know¡­how I ended up meeting her¡­¡± Ru Amuh didn¡¯t remember. Something had led him to her when she appeared. ¡°You could¡¯ve been bewitched,¡± Chi-Woo said quietly. ¡°It could¡¯ve been a vengeful spirit or an evil spirit. Spirits are generally like that. They drive people to them for a purpose.¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you say, sir. Although she was dead, she seemed skilled in controlling and ruling over spirits of the dead.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°Do you remember the skeleton we saw on our way to this fortress?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®Could it be?¡¯ ¡°The skeleton hanging on the pole¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the one who swept away the entire army of mutants.¡± ¡°Why did that skeleton want to meet you, Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°What did she say to you?¡± ¡°She first asked me about you.¡± ¡°About me?¡± ¡°Yes, she asked where you were.¡± Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t answered the skeleton¡¯s question willingly; and rather than giving everything she wished for, he had tried to decipher the skeleton¡¯s reasons for asking such questions. Thus, when she asked him about Chi-Woo, he had mixed in white lies. ¡°I told her that you left for a while to do something¡­¡± [¡­He¡¯s not here.] [He¡¯s dead.] Ru Amuh¡¯s trick didn¡¯t work on her, and as if she had managed to read his mind, the skeleton reached the correct answer and turned her away, like there was nothing more she wanted from Ru Amuh. Yet, Ru Amuh had a feeling that he couldn¡¯t just let her go. He didn¡¯t know why, but when he saw the skull leaving without turning back, he felt a strong sense to do something. Thus, he kept shouting at her that his teacher wasn¡¯t dead, that he was still alive and would surely make his return. His outcries seemed to have some effect, and the skeleton stopped and stared at Ru Amuh for a while. ¡°So, what happened after that?¡± Chi-Woo interjected. ¡°She made me an offer.¡± ¡°An offer? The skeleton did?¡± ¡°Yes, she told me all the remaining recruits, including me, should come under her authority.¡± Not having expected such a response from the skeleton, Chi-Woo looked taken aback. ¡°The skeleton said she would take everyone under her care?¡± ¡°Rather than taking care of us¡­it sounded more like she was saying that she would make use of us.¡± ¡°What happened then?¡± ¡°She said she would take us in and use us. And when you come back, she will talk to us again and return things to how they were.¡± ¡®Use¡¯¡ªthe word made Chi-Woo recall the range and groaned. ¡°Did you accept the offer?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Ru Amuh shook his head immediately. ¡°I refused at that time, but as time passed, and the situation worsened¡­I sometimes wondered if I should¡¯ve accepted the offer. Still¡­¡± Ru Amuh hesitated to say the following sentences, seemingly finding them too embarrassing to say. However, Chi-Woo completely understood what Ru Amuh had gone through. ¡°It was right for you to refuse. At least with the way things turned out,¡± Chi-Woo said, and Ru Amuh managed to respond to Chi-Woo¡¯s encouragement with a faint smile. Although the skeleton had told them to come under her authority, in reality, they would¡¯ve become nothing more than experiments; this was evident by the fifth and sixth recruits. They would¡¯ve gone through tremendous pain until they died and became vengeful spirits; and then they would be used as sacrifices for some evil sorcery. Of course, the skeleton could not have been the one to do such things to the fifth and sixth recruits, but it was clear she was from the same faction as the ones who did. And there was no way they could believe someone who belonged to a group that would commit such heinous acts. ¡°What happened after you turned her down?¡± ¡°She forced me to take a condition.¡± In other words, instead of impeding him, she forced him to take action. ¡°What condition?¡± ¡°We had to block the mutated monsters from coming into her force¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°Ah, so¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a tiny yelp. He was finally now able to understand what had happened in their first encounter when the skeleton hanging on the pole had swept away the army of mutants somewhat. Although the skull could clearly attack them, she had refrained from carrying it out; there were two reasons she had done this. [¡­It could be a bit dangerous.] First, there was Chi-Woo. Secondly, she had expected the recruits to be the shield for whatever bothersome trick the Demon Empire had planned for them. The second reason was only valid to her when the first reason remained true; once Chi-Woo disappeared, she could no longer be certain that the heroes could be a proper shield. Still, the skull decided to give the recruits a chance. [Then show me. Prove me your worth. Give me a good enough reason to spare good ingredients like you all, the Celestial heroes, alone.] Ru Amuh recounted the skeleton¡¯s last words and gritted his teeth. In the end, he had failed to meet the skull¡¯s expectations. He failed to get rid of the monsters wandering everywhere and had difficulty even fighting the monsters trying to invade the fortress. The way some of the heroes became mad was probably a warning from her. Yet, the situation didn¡¯t become any better, and reaching the limit of her patience, the skeleton gathered those under her commands and ordered a full offensive to forcefully fulfill the offer she had made to Ru Amuh before¡ªit was then that Chi-Woo arrived. ¡°I¡­wasn¡¯t able to do anything,¡± Ru Amuh said while clutching both fists. ¡°Nothing at all. Absolutely nothing.¡± His breathing and voice trembled. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Mr. Ru Amuh,¡± Chi-Woo comforted him, but Ru Amuh was already caught in a whirl of emotions. Chi-Woo was able to empathize with him. Just like how he had raged at his inability inside the cave, Ru Amuh was angry at his own powerlessness. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time I felt this way, but¡­ I can¡¯t be like you, Teacher¡­. I couldn¡¯t.¡± It took some time for Ru Amuh to quell his anger. He sighed deeply and said, ¡°Teacher. Will we be able to¡­save Liber in the end?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t¡­even get ourselves out of our current situation¡­¡± Ru Amuh spoke sorrowfully, his empty eyes meeting Chi-Woo¡¯s. * * * After Ru Amuh left, Chi-Woo sat on the floor and didn¡¯t move for a while. There was a lot in his mind, and in the end, he had failed to respond to Ru Amuh¡¯s question. It was because even he didn¡¯t think there was an answer. Of course, he could have simply told Ru Amuh, ¡®Yes, we can do it. So let¡¯s try harder.¡¯ Yet he had remained silent. Because they didn¡¯t need false, empty hope built on platitudes. They needed a kind of hope that everyone could directly see and experience like the time they first arrived at the fortress. ¡®There¡¯s no paradise in the place we escaped to¡­¡¯ Even though they¡¯ve all been full of hopes and dreams when they first arrived at the fortress, their reality hadn¡¯t changed one bit. The hope they had gained while arriving here had all been used up. It was now time to find a new fuel to rekindle a dying fire. Chi-Woo understood this, but recalling how Ru Amuh looked put a bitter smile on his face. Chi-Woo realized how long he had been absent after seeing Ru Amuh. He didn¡¯t know how to exactly phrase it, but Ru Amuh had grown weaker. No matter how hopeless the situation was, Ru Amuh had never shown signs of giving up. Even though he didn¡¯t know how exactly Ru Amuh was feeling on the inside, that was the impression Chi-Woo got from him. ¡®He¡¯s changed.¡¯ However, it was understandable since the situation hadn¡¯t gotten any better no matter how hard Ru Amuh struggled, which was true for not only Ru Amuh, but also all the other recruits. Even though they pretended otherwise, they all felt the same. ¡®The situation¡¯s not good.¡¯ Chi-Woo had promised Ru Amuh that he would lead him to the path to save Liber, so they should walk together. However, Ru Amuh¡¯s trust was wavering. ¡®I need to strengthen his resolve.¡¯ As a parent whose job included guiding his stars to the right path and allowing them to light up the whole world, he needed to keep his promise. Even though the future was bleak, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t afraid. Just like how he managed to successfully crawl out of a cave when everything seemed bleak, he was sure that there was definitely a way out this time as well¡ªa way to rekindle hope in everyone¡¯s heart, including Ru Amuh¡¯s. And this opportunity came earlier than he expected. * * * That night, Chi-Woo fell asleep on the mat and felt a strange sensation. He felt someone¡¯s gaze on him while he was sleeping. When he opened his eyes, he found a strange figure immersed in the darkness by his bedside. ¡°What the fuck.¡± When he sat up in slight surprise, the figure was completely gone, as if it had never existed. However, he could still feel someone watching him. When he blankly turned around, he saw that the front door was wide open. And then he also saw a strange figure staring intently at him. ¡°Ah, shit. What the hell was that?¡± He murmured to himself and frowned, scanning his surroundings. After searching through his bag, he grabbed a fistful of red beans and other beans before throwing them at the figure. When he was about to fall asleep again with his bag as his pillow¡ª Tap! Something that felt like beans hit the back of his head. He even heard them rolling on the floor. ¡°Ah, what the he¡ª¡± Chi-Woo got up again in annoyance. ¡ªCome out for a bit. Chi-Woo heard a voice. ¡ªI want to talk to you. It was an elegant but strangely sensual voice. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s talk in the morning.¡± ¡ªI understand, but it¡¯s not going to take long. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡ªCome out. Quickly. In the end, Chi-Woo had to get up due to the mysterious figure¡¯s constant pestering. ¡ªThis way. When he headed towards the direction that the voice told him to, the dark figure moved further away from him, as if they were guiding him to a specific direction. Chi-Woo made a huge yawn. He smacked his lips and opened his bag, taking out a few talismans and grabbing his club just in case he had to protect himself. He walked out of the entrance of the fortress and passed the second wall before climbing up the outermost wall. Since this was Ru Hiana¡¯s favorite jogging course, he was familiar with this area; everything looked the same¡ªif it wasn''t for the skeleton hanging from a pole above the wall. ¡ªYou came. A sweet voice came out from the skeleton. ¡°Hello.¡± Chi-Woo greeted the skeleton and clutched his talisman. The skeleton¡¯s skull slightly tilted towards him. ¡ªYou¡¯re not very surprised. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been told, ¡° Chi-Woo calmly continued and aimed the club towards the skeleton, ¡°that you¡¯ve been looking for me.¡± ¡ªAha. The skeleton was about to nod, but tilted her skull again. ¡ªWhy? ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªI¡¯m not here to make you my enemy. I¡¯m here to talk to you. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡ªThen why don¡¯t you move that away. The skeleton was referring to his club. ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡ªWhy? ¡°Because I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡ªScared? Who? You? Of me? The skeleton didn¡¯t seem to understand Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction. ¡°Isn¡¯t it only natural?¡± Chi-Woo pointed his club at the skeleton and shook it. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s scary to meet not just a skeleton, but a skeleton hanging from a pole so late at night?¡± ¡ªIt didn¡¯t seem like you were very scared of me¡­ The skeleton moved her skull in confusion. ¡ªAh. But she soon reached a conclusion. ¡ªYou must be talking about feelings that occur physiologically. Like a phobia. ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡± ¡ªYeah, that¡¯s what it is. That¡¯s right. Then¡­Hmm¡­Okay, fine. Give me a moment. As soon as the skeleton said this, the ropes tying her to the pole were slowly released, and she dropped, but not directly to the wall. She accurately landed on her buttocks on the square-shaped wall and maintained her posture without falling or collapsing. The skeleton looked as if she was now sitting on the wall. ¡ªEt veni. Tenebrae et extendent desuper¡­ Her words couldn¡¯t be translated by his device, and her indecipherable chant continued. Chi-Woo tightened his grip on the talisman just in case. Swissssshhhhh¡­. His eyes narrowed as he saw the darkness come down from the sky. The night¡¯s darkness surrounded the skeleton, and change happened slowly. Her round protruding talus was now covered with pale-pink flesh like a peach. Then the skin grew and soon covered the skeleton¡¯s calves and thighs with a gentle line, reaching her pelvis and drawing a smooth curve. When the color of a living passed her waist, it moved sharply in the opposite direction and drew a thin and soft line. By the time it reached her chest, it became a full mountain, and the thick hair that sprouted from her head shimmered like ebony, going past her waist and covering her butt. After a while, a deep light shone upon a face with gentle features. Like a bleeding flower blooming in the dark, the young woman slowly opened her eyes. Bright red eyes that were like gleaming rose quartz stared at Chi-Woo. CH 102 That wasn¡¯t all. The rope also changed shape. Whirrrl! The rope swirled in the air and widened into something like a cape. Flap. The cape landed on the woman¡¯s body and wrapped around her. Chi-Woo stared at the woman blankly. Instead of the skeleton with only bones, a charming, mysterious woman was now standing in front of him. She arched her back and craned her face forward, propping her jaw up with the back of her hand. With the moon as her background, the witch stared at Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°How is it?¡± Her lips, which were as red as her pupils, parted and said, ¡°Is this better?¡± Instead of a resounding, eerie sound, her voice seemed to be coming directly from her vocal cords now. ¡°If it¡¯s fine by you, would you put your weapon away?¡± she asked. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t respond. His eyes were simply fixated on the woman. [Please get a hold of yourself.] Mimi¡¯s voice then rang and awakened Chi-Woo from his dazed state. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Chi-Woo responded half a beat late. He was bewitched by the woman¡¯s beauty; she was so stunning that it made his mind hazy. That was no exaggeration. His head had felt completely empty. [It seems she can charm others with her existence alone.] ¡®Her existence alone?¡¯ [Think of it like the charisma or the halo ability you have.] Charisma was an ability that a king of a country or a general of a high standing possessed. Similarly, halo effect was an ability that a miracle-performing saint who was respected in the religious sphere possessed. [Besides those, there are also abilities in the ¡®charm¡¯ group that can enchant or capture people¡¯s hearts.] It was the power of ¡®attraction¡¯. Chi-Woo understood after falling under its influence. And although it was embarrassing to admit it, he still felt the effects of it. The woman in front of him awakened Chi-Woo to the fact that he was also a regular male, not much different from a beast, and she stirred up in him all the instinctual behaviors of one. [This is more like a curse than anything, not only for you, but all parties involved. Even if she doesn¡¯t show any ill-intention, you should be careful, very careful.] Hearing Mimi¡¯s words, Chi-Woo extracted his exorcism mana. The lady tilted her head after a long stretch of silence. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. Chi-Woo felt better after tapping into his mana, and he began to see his surroundings clearly again. ¡°Nothing,¡± Chi-Woo sighed and answered. ¡°You¡¯re just so beautiful.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The lady opened her delicate lips and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m a bit¡ªno, very beautiful.¡± Chi-Woo became at a loss for words, not because he thought the lady was being ridiculous but because she had spoken the truth. If he could, he wanted to grasp her thin face with his hands and press his lips against hers. No, to be more explicit, he wanted to win her over. Although he resisted, he couldn¡¯t stop the imaginations born out of his primal desires from overflowing. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. While his purified body and exorcism mana allowed him some self-control, it was all he could do to repress his instincts. He wouldn¡¯t say she was simply beautiful. Like Mimi said, the lady¡¯s ability was an extremely harmful curse rather than anything beneficial. ¡°Men¡­ Whether in the past or present, they are all the same.¡± The lady twirled her silky, shining hair with her index finger and asked, ¡°If it¡¯s hard for you, should I turn back to what I was like before?¡± ¡°¡­No. The appearance you had when you were alive is much better.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think it would be a bad idea for you to stay in this form forever, seeing how nice you look.¡± ¡°I get that you are complimenting me, but no.¡± The lady firmly refused. ¡°I know too. That my natural appearance is superior to the average person.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than ¡®superior¡¯.¡± ¡°Yeah, you may be right. And thanks to it, I had to go through all kinds of trouble and die in the end.¡± Chi-Woo closed his mouth. He recalled the words the lich had said before he disappeared while shuddering in fear. ¡°Bably¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Great Whore.¡± The lady finished Chi-Woo¡¯s phrase, and her eyebrows drew a low arch. ¡°They found out that I was a witch simply because of my beauty. And I died under all kinds of false accusations.¡± ¡°Ah¡­What? Did you say ¡®found out¡¯?¡¯ ¡°Yes. It was true that I was a witch.¡± The lady¡ªthe witch agreed easily. ¡°Anyways, even a guy like you has to resist. How would other people react if I maintained this appearance?¡± ¡°There would be a huge commotion wherever you go.¡± There were legendary beauties in history that shook up nations¡¯ fates; for example, there was Greece¡¯s greatest beauty, Helena, who single-handedly triggered the Trojan war. Chi-Woo scratched the top of his head. He didn¡¯t know what to say, but since he didn¡¯t feel antagonism from her, he lowered his club for now. ¡°Thank you.¡± The witch smiled faintly. ¡°Am I right to interpret that as your willingness to communicate with me?¡± ¡°Yes, will the conversation go on for a long time?¡± ¡°Depending on your answer, it could be long or short. I suspect that it will be a long conversation, but personally, I hope to keep it short.¡± ¡°Then I will sit down first.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± The witch offered the seat next to her. Chi-Woo took it. From afar, they looked like a couple looking at the night sky together. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± The witch seemed a bit taken aback by his closeness and moved away slightly before clearing her throat. ¡°Where have you been until now?¡± she asked first. ¡°Is that what you called me over for?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s for my own curiosity,¡± the witch replied. But if that was the case, Chi-Woo thought he had no reason to tell her everything. ¡°I met somebody and came back.¡± The witch¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed. As if she was judging him, she glanced up and down at him slowly a couple of times. Then she muttered, surprising Chi-Woo, ¡°La Bella. The daughter of the Star Maiden and Goddess of Balance¡­¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°The troublesome fellow has come back even more troublesome than before.¡± It was a compliment. She was saying that although Chi-Woo had been a concern, he was now an existence too troublesome that he couldn¡¯t be ignored now. ¡°Do you know Goddess La Bella?¡± ¡°No, she is from mythical times. Not even I know her well.¡± Even though the witch had died a long time ago, La Bella lived in an era long before hers. La Bella was from an era so long ago that even ancient people called it mythical times. To give an analogy in Earth terms, it would be like someone from 3,000 years ago exclaiming in wonder at a pyramid built 4,000 years before their time, wondering how such an architecture was made. ¡°Then how did you know?¡± ¡°Do you want to try dying? You would also be able to learn many things.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I expected as much. But I am surprised. To think the myth about La Bella was true.¡± ¡°Yes, it is the truth. Can I go now?¡± ¡°You seem urgent to leave. Why? Are you still uncomfortable?¡± The witch said with sad eyes. Now that Chi-Woo looked closer, there was a small teardrop below her left eye, which made her look even more pitiful, so much so that it triggered all his protective instincts and a desire to comfort her countless times. ¡°If you let me kiss you once on your cheek, I will stay longer,¡± Chi-Woo said. The witch immediately assumed a straight face in reproof and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get right to the point.¡± Noting her narrowed eyes, Chi-Woo smiled thinly and said before she could continue, ¡°Are you going to ask me to join you?¡± The witch widened her eyes for a moment but quickly replied, ¡°But you¡¯re going to refuse, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, help us.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo was the one widening his eyes this time; he was taken aback. Based on Ru Amuh¡¯s story, he had thought she would force him to help or blackmail him. But she was making a request. ¡°Those demon bastards have cooked up quite a cumbersome scheme.¡± Chi-Woo realized that she was referring to the monsters he saw at the Evelaya volcano. He had wondered why the mutants had evolved again, but there turned out to be a faction behind it. ¡°I¡¯m hoping you would resolve this matter, so that our side won¡¯t have to pay attention to it anymore.¡± Chi-Woo felt a slight sense of danger. The mutants who had changed into monsters were definitely strong, but if someone asked him whether they were strong enough to be a threat to a force like the one the witch was a member of, he would shake his head. Even Chi-Woo could easily beat one or two monsters at a time. Of course, it would be a completely different story if he had to fight tens or hundreds of them. ¡°I have a question.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± The witch coolly accepted Chi-Woo¡¯s request. ¡°From what I heard, there are a total of four factions who could be considered Liber¡¯s major players.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And you must be part of one of the four.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to believe that a faction with someone of your caliber would have a difficult time dealing with monsters at that level, even if there are hundreds or thousands of them.¡± One of the four major factions ruling over this harsh world must have formidable power¡­ ¡°If we¡¯re in a situation where we can just deal with those monsters, you¡¯ll be correct.¡± She affirmed that Chi-Woo was partly right. ¡°However, our faction isn¡¯t in a place to waste our time on such lowly monsters.¡± The witch smiled and continued, ¡°You probably won¡¯t understand. Even if I explain it to you.¡± Her smile was cruel and evil like that of a real witch, unlike the sensual and careless smile she had on her face before. ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I want to show you at this very moment, what¡¯s happening around this world¡­¡± Chi-Woo could grasp a few things from what she was saying. The recruits sent to Liber had gone through all kinds of dangers across quite a small part of this world; Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of problems a faction ruling over a much larger area would have to deal with. ¡°It¡¯s not only the Demon Empire.¡± The witch sighed. ¡°There¡¯s also the Monster Alliance¡­ A couple of months ago, the Sernitas went on the offensive.¡± ¡°The Sernitas?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know them? They¡¯re the alien species that invaded Liber.¡± Chi-Woo gasped in surprise. ¡°They¡¯re an organization renowned in space for their conquest. It¡¯s to the extent that we can no longer consider them as merely a space pirate gang.¡± Chi-Woo learned something new¡ªthe Sernitas group. Chi-Woo decided to commit it to his memory. ¡°They must be very strong.¡± ¡°They are,¡± the witch said flatly. ¡°Even in my life and after death¡­I¡¯ve never seen a species that attacked so strongly and elegantly.¡± ¡°Strongly? Elegantly?¡± ¡°According to my information network, the Sernitas have succeeded in capturing one of Liber¡¯s gods and transforming them to their liking, and they¡¯ll soon send them to our side. Can you now get a feeling of what our situation is like?¡± Chi-Woo clicked his tongue. They captured Liber¡¯s god and transformed them to their liking? He didn¡¯t even know that was possible. ¡®That¡¯s why¡­¡¯ He found out why his brother had such a difficult time finding a god. Anyway, Chi-Woo roughly understood the situation. The faction to which the witch belonged was called ¡®Abyss¡¯ which was known to have crawled up from the very bottom of the world. And currently, the Abyss was feeling overwhelmed by the Sernitas amid a three-sided war. After organizing his thoughts, Chi-Woo decided to make a bold bluff. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°I hope you decide not to.¡± Surprisingly, the witch spoke softly as if she was trying to persuade him. ¡°Even if you¡¯re telling the truth, you¡¯ll be able to destroy all the monsters in one sweep by doing one sweeping pass through Liber.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re gathered in one area. They¡¯re scattered all over Liber. Even going around the border would take me a long time.¡± ¡°Yes, but at most about ten days for you.¡± ¡°And what do you think will happen if someone like me leaves the frontlines for ten days?¡± ¡°But you have enough time to leisurely talk to me like this?¡± Chi-Woo looked at the witch with nervousness as he asked this question. After a short silence, the witch replied, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t invest in worthless matters. I can¡¯t afford to even leave the frontlines for a few moments, but I¡¯ve done so and come all the way to meet you here¡­ That means I found the visit worthwhile.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I gain something much more valuable than the time I invested, then, yeah, I¡¯ll do the same thing again.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± ¡°I hope you think of my offer in a favorable light. This isn¡¯t a bad deal for you and your people.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°The area that the Sernitas will soon be expanding towards is not far from this fortress. If we¡¯re given the leeway to concentrate fully on their forces, it¡¯ll be easier for us to fight them off.¡± That sounded somewhat like a threat. Chi-Woo folded his arms and closed his eyes in contemplation. First of all, he was surprised by the witch¡¯s attitude. She was different from what Ru Amuh had described, and she didn¡¯t force or push him to accept her offer. Instead, the witch was treating him like her equal, and¡ªhe might be mistaken¡ªhe would even describe her attitude as favorable. Even though he had thrown in some provoking words a few times, she didn¡¯t react to it. It was shocking considering the differences in their strengths and the power her group held. ¡®Is their situation that dire¡­?¡¯ It was not a bad decision to accept her request. They needed to settle here anyway. To that end, they must clean up the monsters that were thriving everywhere across Liber sooner or later. However, he was reluctant to just say ¡®yes¡¯. He would be a fool to believe that was enough for him to establish a friendly relationship with the witch, let alone the Abyss Faction. Thus, he needed to use this opportunity to get everything he could get¡ªeven if that meant ripping them off. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t ponder for too long. ¡°First¡­¡± CH 103 Ru Hiana woke up from her sleep, and had trouble falling asleep again. While lying on the bed, she looked around the room and felt a bit overwhelmed. It seemed just yesterday that she had slept out in the open, near where the statue of Shahnaz was. But the last couple of days, she was able to sleep where she wanted and walk freely around the fortress. The memories of her being tormented by hunger or hesitating to even take a couple of steps outside seemed like a dream. Just because of a single person¡¯s return, it seemed everything had changed. Although she felt a sense of her own incompetence as a hero, Ru Hiana felt more joyful than anything else; this was partly because she had the utmost rosy view of Chi-Woo. But soon, these feelings made way for an anxiety that she couldn¡¯t quite put into words. Questions like ¡®What if it was all a dream?¡¯ and ¡®What if he disappeared again?¡¯ rang through her mind. After rolling around this way and that, she abruptly sat up. ¡°I can¡¯t stand it anymore,¡± she murmured before getting off the bed and going outside. What she was planning to do wasn¡¯t illegal trespassing at all. She was doing this simply out of concern for the well-being of a great hero whom she admired. She would just check to see if Chi-Woo was sleeping peacefully and return. Stealthily, Ru Hiana trespassed into Chi-Woo¡¯s house, but soon burst out in distress. No matter how thoroughly she searched, she couldn¡¯t find Chi-Woo anywhere. ¡®Did he go to the bathroom? But isn¡¯t he taking too long? There¡¯s no way it will take so long unless he has constipation? No, he could¡¯ve gone for a morning run¡­or is that not it?¡¯ All kinds of thoughts rushed to her head, and as more time passed, she became more worried. Click, click. She bit her fingernails and looked around worriedly. Even if she went out to search for him, she couldn¡¯t search the whole fortress by herself. In the end, she looked around nearby and hurriedly returned to wake Ru Amuh from his deep slumber. ¡°Ru Hiana? What is it? It¡¯s still dark¡­what?¡± One of Ru Hiana¡¯s greatest perks was her ability to escalate nothing into the greatest emergency. Thus, Ru Amuh asked, ¡°Calm down first. What if he just went to see the injured?¡± ¡°No, I already checked that place, and he wasn¡¯t there.¡± ¡°Really? Then, maybe he had some personal matters to attend to¡­¡± ¡°At this time, really? And gone for this long? For what?¡± Now that Ru Amuh thought about it, although it had been long since the moon rose, there was still a lot of time before the dawn would break. Ru Amuh finally began to think something was a bit strange and got up. ¡°Ru Hiana, you search from the inside. I will go outside to look for him.¡± Thus, the pair went to find Chi-Woo. Ru Amuh didn¡¯t act like he was suffering from PTSD like Ru Hiana, but inside, he had his doubts. It was truly strange that Chi-Woo had left his room for so long. If Chi-Woo really had something important to do, what was the reason why he went outside of his house by himself? As Ru Amuh debated with himself, he quickly passed the three castle walls and was about to exit the entrance when he stopped. He felt not one but two unfamiliar presences with his synesthesia. Following his senses, Ru Amuh looked up to the castle walls. * * * ¡°Please give me some time to think,¡± Chi-Woo said after some thought. ¡°Time to think?¡± ¡°I want to hear other people¡¯s opinions.¡± ¡°Why?¡± the witch asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t come to ask about your entire group¡¯s opinions,¡± the witch said while motioning to Chi-Woo beside her and added, ¡°I came to ask what you think.¡± ¡°But I am an individual inside a group,¡± Chi-Woo replied. He was telling her that there was no guarantee that everyone would simply follow what he said, and she shouldn¡¯t make such a distinction. ¡°How long? I can¡¯t wait too long.¡± The witch spoke like there was no room for argument. ¡°Hm¡ªMaybe about three or four days?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chi-Woo stared at the witch. Hearing that she couldn¡¯t wait long, he had given her a shorter time frame than the one he had in mind, but his suggestion got shot down right away. ¡°One day. I can¡¯t wait longer than that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, tomorrow. When the moon reaches its highest point in the night sky, let¡¯s meet again here.¡± Chi-Woo groaned softly. What the witch told him couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. They were serious matters to consider since it wasn¡¯t just about protecting the fortress, but hunting mutated mutants outside. Even though they didn¡¯t have many options in their current situation, he didn¡¯t want to make any hasty decisions. He wanted to ask several people for their opinions and ensure he had some time to sit on his decision; after all, it was one that would place not only his life but everyone¡¯s life inside the fortress at risk. And of course, he had another goal, and to materialize it, he certainly needed more time. ¡°You are very firm about the time I have.¡± In some ways, it was a surprise. The witch had seemed to respect his wishes until now, but in this regard, she insisted and relayed the conditions one-sidedly. ¡°¡­I told you. I wasn¡¯t supposed to be here in the first place.¡± Still she had risked coming to this fortress. Seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s value, she thought she could use him to her advantage and make things better for her empire. ¡°I want to give you more time¡­ But three or four days is too dangerous. Even two days¡­is going to be difficult.¡± The witch added apologetically. ¡°One day. Just one,¡± the witch emphasized as if she was going above herself to just give him this extra time. ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Chi-Woo raised both hands like he was lifting a white flag. Since it didn¡¯t seem like pleading would change anything, he got to his feet and turned to her. ¡°Thank you.¡± The witch smiled slightly, interpreting Chi-Woo¡¯s sigh as agreement. She was about to get up too when she said, ¡°Onorables Evelyn.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my old name.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I just wanted to tell you my old name since you saw my appearance from the time I was alive.¡± ¡°Onorables Evelyn¡­ That¡¯s a unique name.¡± Chi-Woo stroked his chin. ¡°If it¡¯s fine with you, can you tell me your name?¡± ¡°Yes, well.¡± Chi-Woo clutched his head. He wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew the witch revealed her name first because she wanted to know his. ¡°My name is Choi¡ª.¡± He was about to give his name without any thought when¡ª ¡°Teacher!¡± One person jumped over the castle walls. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned wide seeing the blonde young man. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°Here you are, sir.¡± ¡°How did you¡­¡± ¡°Ru Hiana told me you disappeared, so I was looking for you. But¡­¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes darted toward the witch sitting on the castle stones. He saw her shining red pupils and astounding beauty that would make anyone widen their eyes when they saw her. Yet, Ru Amuh instantly recollected his mind and narrowed his eyes. It was because although her appearance was different, she exuded the same energy as the skeleton on the pole. ¡°You are¡­¡± The witch responded similarly. Her eyes slightly widened seeing Ru Amuh, but then she turned back to Chi-Woo without showing any more interest in the newcomer. Witches tended to be like that. For things they thought had value or had an interest in, they spared no time nor anything else; for things that didn¡¯t interest her, on the other hand, she considered thinking about them for even one second wasteful. ¡°Choi?¡± the witch asked. Chi-Woo flinched. He tried to not make it a big deal, but he furtively glanced at Ru Amuh and chewed his lip. ¡®Shit¡­¡¯ Why did Ru Amuh have to come now, of all times? It was way too coincidental. Since the witch was not a recruit or a hero, he thought he could just reveal his real name. Chi-Woo thought that he should quickly move on and said he¡¯d tell her next time, but¡ª The witch asked, ¡°Choi? Is your name Choi?¡± ¡°¡­Choi?¡± Chi-Woo gritted his teeth as Ru Amuh tilted his head. If there was a god of names in this world, they must really want Chi-Woo to be known here with a shitty name. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry to say but you¡¯ve misheard. It¡¯s not Choi but¡­¡± Chi-Woo ground both of his molars together tightly. There was no more time. He really didn¡¯t want to say it, but rather than revealing the secret and being found out as a liar, he said, ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­Chi-Chi¡­.bbong¡­.¡± Chi-Woo finally managed to say it with an uncomfortable face. Then the witch asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s Chichibbong.¡± When he repeated himself, he heard a ¡®keuk¡¯. Or maybe, it was a ¡®pfffff¡¯. But what he was sure of was that it came from the witch. Moreover, he clearly saw her small lips move up in laughter. ¡°Ah¡ª. Sorry.¡± The witch managed to control her expression and continued, ¡°Well, how should I say it? It¡¯s really a unique name¡ªpfff. Sorry, sorry.¡± She laughed again and apologized without seeming apologetic at all. Her careless tone made it hurt even more. ¡°Are you angry?¡± The witch realized he was glaring at her and tilted her head. ¡°Is it something to get so mad about? For a name?¡± Chi-Woo was also aware of how funny his fake name sounded. Even though there were a lot of different names due to cultural differences, there was normally still a limit to what sounded right. While the witch¡¯s real name, ¡®Onorables Evelyn¡¯, was a little odd, it was still within the range of an acceptable name. If the witch who looked so powerful and elegant and exuded a royal aura said, ¡®Actually, my name is Pop-pop¡¯, he would also laugh in earnest. He knew that. He really did, but he was still hurt. ¡°Hmph. You¡¯re the Bably¡¯s Bewitching Whore after all.¡± Thus, he decided to insult her. When he saw the witch¡¯s face stiffen, Chi-Woo mocked, ¡°Why, are you angry? For an alias?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± The witch finally understood the meaning behind Chi-Woo¡¯s words and quickly made excuses. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t mean to laugh at you.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t mean to do it, you should have acted better in the first place, so that I don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± The witch had nothing to say at Chi-Woo¡¯s firm reply. After a short silence, Chi-Woo continued, ¡°When you were alive, you must have had parents.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. Chichibbong is a precious name that my parents gave me.¡± ¡°Sorry, I just¡ª¡± ¡°By insulting my name, you didn¡¯t just insult me, but also my parents.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not it at all. I won¡¯t¡ª" ¡°You said that hadn¡¯t been your intention, right?¡± The witch stopped talking as the conversation circled around; she tried to find the right words to say. ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed. I thought we would be able to reach an agreement, but I didn¡¯t know that you were such a rude person who can¡¯t follow even the most basic manners,¡± Chi-Woo said coldly and turned around. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to wait for me tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, what?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t trust such a rude person. I¡¯ll pretend I haven¡¯t heard anything today. Please excuse me.¡± With that, Chi-Woo slowly walked away. ¡°W-wait!¡± Not knowing what to do, the witch reflexively called out to Chi-Woo. ¡°Two days!¡± Chi-woo stopped. ¡°I¡¯ll wait one more day.¡± One day had become two. Chi-Woo hid his pleased smile, but he didn¡¯t say anything and continued walking. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting. You¡¯ll come, right? I¡¯ll be waiting here, okay?¡± Chi-Woo turned away from the witch¡¯s fervent cries and descended the fortress¡¯ wall. Ru Amuh, who was confused by the sudden turn of events, decided to follow Chi-Woo for now. But before he could do so, the witch stopped him, ¡°Hey.¡± Even though she had no interest in Ru Amuh, she had a favor to ask him. ¡°Can you tell him this for me?¡± ¡°Tell him¡­.?¡± ¡°Yeah. Tell him I¡¯m very sorry, so he should come here in two days. I sincerely want to apologize to him. And tell him to think of my suggestions in a favorable light.¡± ¡°A¡­suggestion?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyebrows twitched at this word. The witch did not reply. Before he realized it, she had gotten up and turned around like she was going to leave. ¡°I also have something I wanted to ask you.¡± Before the witch left, Ru Amuh quickly continued, ¡°We¡­met before.¡± ¡°Yeah, so?¡± ¡°When we met last time, what you did wasn¡¯t a suggestion, but a threat and extortion.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­But you just used the word ¡®suggestion¡¯ to him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The witch readily agreed, and Ru Amuh ground his teeth together. ¡°May I ask why?¡± As soon as the question was out of his mouth, Ru Amuh bit his lower lip because even he thought it was childish. The witch slowly turned around, but she didn¡¯t look at Ru Amuh. Her gaze was fixed on the direction Chi-Woo had left in. What was the reason why she had threatened Ru Amuh, but didn¡¯t do the same for Chi-Woo? It was an easy question to answer. ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to.¡± It was a very simple and clear reason. ¡°It¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t.¡± The witch distinctly remembered the moment when she saw Chi-Woo for the first time. Among beings that stood on opposing sides of beings like her, Chi-Woo was on the very edge; his very existence was the polar opposite of their existence. In fact, he had proven his powers by destroying the immortal lich, which used to be especially cherished by one of the great bosses of the Demon Empire. Moreover, when she met him again, Chi-Woo had La Bella, one of the top gods in the true neutral alignment, on his side. What if she hadn¡¯t turned around and decided to fight him when she first met him? What would have happened? If she had gotten hit by that transcending godly energy¡­ Just the thought of it gave her chills. She wouldn¡¯t fall to the abyss, but would instead return forever to nothingness with no hope. She could answer Ru Amuh¡¯s question with a single sentence. ¡°Because I¡¯m scared.¡± With that, Onorables Evelyn disappeared into the darkness like a fog. Ru Amuh blankly stared at where the witch used to be. [Because I¡¯m scared.] Her parting words kept ringing inside his mind¡ªuntil Chi-Woo, who had been waiting for him below, called out to him. CH 104 Chi-Woo remained silent on his way back. Ru Amuh also kept his mouth shut since Chi-Woo seemed lost in deep thought. ¡°Haaa¡ª¡± Then, after a while, Chi-Woo let out a long sigh and looked back at Ru Amuh. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± ¡°Yes, sir?¡± ¡°I have a secret to confess.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes turned wide. ¡°It¡¯s not really a big secret. It¡¯s a pretty small one, but very personal,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°You mean that it¡¯s a secret hard for you to tell other people, sir?¡± Ru Amuh nodded like he understood, and Chi-Woo continued bravely. ¡°Can I tell you this secret, Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I am asking you if you can keep a secret.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s face turned serious then, and he shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°How surprising. I thought you would have tight lips.¡± A sharp glint passed over Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Not to Ru Hiana though. We never kept a secret from each other since we were young,¡± Ru Amuh said and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Not even once?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if I tried to keep something a secret, she always found out right away and pestered me until I told her. I suppose I make it obvious if I¡¯m hiding something.¡± ¡°But you can just not tell her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to hold it a secret if she keeps asking me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°For instance, if you keep getting asked the same question night and day without exception for two years and seven months, you¡¯ll have no choice but to reveal the secret,¡± Ru Amuh replied calmly, but his eyes were now shining with fear. Chi-Woo licked his lips and nodded. Ru Amuh had the confidence to not tell anyone about Chi-Woo¡¯s secret except to Ru Hiana. ¡°Then I guess you have to make sure Ru Hiana keeps her mouth shut.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°The possibility of her keeping a secret is lower than 5 percent.¡± ¡°Why 5 percent?¡± ¡°There have been 20 secrets that I had been coerced into sharing and out of them, all except one was leaked.¡± ¡°19 out of 20¡­what¡¯s the secret that¡¯s been kept until now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± Ru Amuh answered, and Chi-Woo let out a burst of lighthearted laughter. ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I am really sorry, but I have no confidence in keeping your secret. So, I suggest that you don¡¯t even share it with me.¡± ¡°¡­I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Chi-Woo smiled wryly. He thought he should at least tell Ru Amuh his real name because Ru Amuh kept suddenly popping out whenever he had to give his name, but that didn¡¯t seem possible now. ¡°But besides that, I heard that you received an offer¡­¡± Ru Amuh finally saw the chance to ask what he was curious about and asked. ¡°I guess you could call it an offer.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged and looked up at the night sky. ¡°She asked me not to stay put inside the fortress but go out and fight their enemies so they wouldn¡¯t have to bother with them.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that more of a command than an offer?¡± ¡°You can say that,¡± Chi-Woo agreed. ¡°Though she did tell me that a group named Sernitas were going to attack them, so they needed to focus all their attention on that.¡± ¡°Senitas?¡± ¡°She told me they were the alien species that invaded Liber.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ru Amuh fell into deep thought. He was deeply troubled by their prospects, and it seemed there were so many factors that could bring a crisis onto this land. Therefore, it was even more important now to make the right decision. Rather than worrying, though, Ru Amuh stared at Chi-Woo with equal parts anticipation and curiosity. He wondered what a great hero who had overcome countless crises would choose to do. ¡°Are you going to accept the offer?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it. But I do have something in mind.¡± Chi-Woo licked his lips. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°First¡­¡± Chi-Woo hesitated but soon continued, ¡°I should take the offer as an offer.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ru Amuh wondered what Chi-Woo meant. ¡°And if possible, I want to switch my role from someone who takes an offer to someone who gives it. I am also keeping in mind the possibility of dealing with other groups.¡± ¡°You mean you want to make an offer with another faction?¡± ¡°Yes, but of course, only if they are willing to listen,¡± Chi-Woo said and looked forward. His slowing steps quickened again as he continued, ¡°There¡¯s a saying that a crisis and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. That might be the case for us now. Well, let¡¯s go for today.¡± Ru Amuh stared as Chi-Woo zig-zagged through the alleyway and hurriedly chased after him in fear that he would lose sight of Chi-Woo. * * * The moon set, and the sun rose again. After finishing his afternoon meal and exercise, Chi-Woo took the food he got from the square and went to look for Zelit. Although Zelit had returned to his normal self after being possessed, he was nowhere to be seen. But according to Ru Hiana, even before he became possessed, Zelit hadn¡¯t been showing himself to the public. And now, he was staying put in some corner of the fortress, not responding to any knocks or voices. Chi-Woo was relieved to see that the problem wasn¡¯t because Zelit hadn¡¯t gotten his entire mind back; Zelit was simply staring at the ceiling while lying inside a dark room when Chi-Woo visited him. ¡°Why is it so dark in the middle of the day?¡± Chi-Woo asked while pulling the curtains and lighting up a candle. ¡°Are you some child of the darkness?¡± Even though his eyes were closed, it was clear that Zelit¡¯s mind was awake based on his quiet breaths. ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t heard those words for a long time,¡± a raspy, low voice replied. ¡°When I was at the academy, my professor always said that to me when he saw me sleeping inside a dark classroom.¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯s the same everywhere you go.¡± Chi-Woo smirked and plopped down at the edge of where Zelit was lying down. He also placed a steaming bowl near him. ¡°Fancy a meal?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t force you to eat. I came here because I wanted to tell you something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Zelit immediately responded. ¡°You participated in the exploration because I asked you to¡­ I know it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Although baffled, Chi-Woo quickly realized what Zelit was talking about and snorted. Then he waved his hands and said, ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say. I have something important to do, and I came to ask for your opinion.¡± Zelit didn¡¯t respond for a while, and after a stretch of silence, his creaking voice spoke up again, ¡°¡­My opinion?¡± He sounded very surprised and a bit distressed as if he was questioning his own worthiness to express his thoughts. Chi-Woo laughed a humorless laugh. ¡°Why are you acting like this? You¡¯re acting like an amateur.¡± Chi-Woo had never expected him to ask someone this question, but he voiced it all the same. ¡°Mr. Zelit, are you really a hero? Why are you so distressed about such a small matter? You¡¯re not a newbie anymore.¡± ¡°¡­How could you call it a small matter?¡± Zelit let out a shrill snort. ¡°I might have agreed with you if we¡¯re facing an event at a dangerous level lower than stellar-system¡­but Liber is under a galaxy-scale event.¡± ¡°¡­It is.¡± ¡°Not even star-cluster, but galaxy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thus, what I did was no small matter in the scheme of things and it led to so much trouble.¡± A long sigh escaped Zelit¡¯s nose and lips. ¡°I¡­think I¡¯m too tired now. No matter how much I try or struggle¡­I can¡¯t see what¡¯s in front of me. I don¡¯t know what to do at all.¡± After that, a silence as heavy as a boulder pressed down upon them. For a moment, Chi-Woo wondered what he should say, but in the end, he decided to comfort Zelit first. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to carry everything on your shoulders. If you think you can¡¯t do it, you can ask someone else to take your place.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s exactly how things ended up like this.¡± Zelit clenched his teeth. ¡°I almost crushed our only hope¡­with my own hand.¡± Chi-Woo felt awkward; Zelit seemed to be more emotionally hurt than he¡¯d expected. As Zelit said, he wasn¡¯t only feeling troubled because he felt guilty about suggesting Chi-Woo to be on the exploration team to find food; ever since he arrived at Liber, Zelit had been feeling stressed. It felt like he was getting tested every second he was here. He had endured in the beginning; he tried to do something to make the situation better and worked hard to do what he could. But they had all been useless. Moreover, he had even brought about the worst result, and they almost lost Chi-Woo. Zelit, who had been continuously enduring and suppressing his frustrations so far, finally broke down at that point. After experiencing firsthand what happened due to Chi-Woo¡¯s absence, he had finally given in to his emotions¡ªeverything felt meaningless. ¡°I¡­know my place,¡± Zelit spoke again after a long pause. ¡°This is the limit. No matter how hard I try to climb up, I feel that the ceiling above my head is too high and sturdy like a rock wall. On Liber, I¡¯m¡ª.¡± ¡°It must be nice.¡± Chi-Woo suddenly interjected. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Mr. Zelit, if your limit is such a big and hard wall¡­,¡± Chi-Woo continued while Zelit looked confused, ¡°When you¡¯re able to break through it, it will be a very reliable ground that will allow you to stand on.¡± ¡­Yes, Chi-Woo was right¡ªif he could break through it. ¡°How?¡± ¡°By holding our hands together.¡± Zelit didn¡¯t respond. He couldn¡¯t grasp if Chi-Woo was being serious or joking. ¡°Let¡¯s do it together. If it¡¯s difficult to do on your own, we can do it together.¡± Zelit wasn¡¯t so dense that he would miss the fact that Chi-Woo was making an offer to him for the second time. Zelit opened his mouth, but it was difficult for him to speak. Hesitation kept hindering him from voicing his reply. ¡°But¡­if I, again¡­¡± Zelit¡¯s words came out trembling and weak like he was squeezing out each syllable from his throat. He was clearly scared. He was scared that in a situation where he was constantly treading on thin ice, he might misstep again. Liber¡¯s World had disappeared; it was a planet where heroes couldn¡¯t be heroes. As a result, he had become weak. Rather than a hero, he was more similar to an ordinary person. ¡°Mosajaein Songsajaechon,[1]¡± Chi-Woo suddenly spoke up. ¡°It means that humans make the plans, but the fulfillment of those plans are dependent on the heavens.¡± ¡°Does it mean that fate has already been decided then?¡± ¡°No.¡± Zelit gave his own interpretation of what the saying meant, but Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°It means that no matter how hard you try, there are some things that can¡¯t be done.¡± He smiled brightly and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s make it work out this time.¡± Zelit¡¯s eyelids slightly trembled. ¡°Ah, but please don''t misunderstand,¡± Chi-Woo said, noting Zelit¡¯s reaction. ¡°Mr. Zelit, you¡¯re just here to state your opinions and make suggestions.¡± After hearing Zelit¡¯s condition from Ru Hiana, there was something that Chi-Woo definitely wanted to say to him. ¡°I¡¯m the one who decides to accept those suggestions. In the first place, I was the one who decided to agree to your plan.¡± Zelit flinched. ¡°I¡¯ll be merely taking your suggestions into consideration, and I¡¯ll be making every decision related to this matter. So, if this doesn¡¯t work out, it¡¯s because I failed. It¡¯s not your fault, Mr. Zelit.¡± It was the first time Zelit opened his eyes since Chi-Woo visited. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be taking most of the credit if it¡¯s a success.¡± Zelit saw a soft smile tugging Chi-Woo¡¯s lips. ¡°Should everything go well, it¡¯ll be troublesome for me if you go around saying that you did everything, okay?¡± Chi-Woo folded his arms and continued, ¡°Well¡­but I¡¯ll still let you brag with me a little bit since you need to recover your honor.¡± Zelit¡¯s pupils shook. Zelit was not too stupid to know what Chi-Woo was hinting at. Sending a food exploration team was something that needed to be done. Zelit had merely suggested it to Chi-Woo, and hadn¡¯t forced his plan on him. Chi-Woo was the one who made the final decision, and he failed because of his own lack of skills, so there was no reason for Zelit to feel guilty for suggesting Chi-Woo to go on the exploration mission. ¡°We talked about it before. About making a restaurant and guild and inn¡­ Things like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What about you, Mr. Zelit?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡¯ ¡°¡­A magic tower,¡± Zelit managed to say. ¡°I wanted to create¡­a magic tower.¡± Zelit had realized his limit after arriving at Liber, but it didn¡¯t mean he could just give up and stop doing everything. If he couldn¡¯t be the main character, he should at least look for ways to provide support to the main character. The answer he came up with was the magic tower. Mages were strong and useful everywhere. As a mage himself, he wanted to provide an environment where he could help other heroes with a high affinity for magic develop and improve their skills. He wanted to help the main hero who would save this World in any way possible. ¡°You wanted to create a magic tower? Or do you still want to do it?¡± ¡°I want to create it.¡± ¡°Then you have to get up,¡± Chi-Woo said cheerfully. ¡°Is it all right for the future owner of the magic tower to be like this right now?¡± ¡°¡­No¡­¡± While Zelit looked at Chi-Woo, the skin around his eyes reddened. When his vision began to grow blurry, he quickly covered his face. ¡°Hm?¡± Chi-Woo blinked and moved closer to Zelit. ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m crying? My eyes hurt because it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen the sun.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a crybaby.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Zelit wiped his eyes and made a serious expression. Chi-Woo silently lifted both of his hands. After a while, Zelit slowly sat up. After letting out a sigh, his foggy mind began to wake up a bit. It felt as if the things weighing his heart had melted away. ¡°Did you say you have something important to tell me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Would you be able to give me a bit more time? Just one day,¡± Zelit continued. ¡°I want to first sleep without being bothered by anything. I also want to wash after not washing for a long time, and then I want to hear your story.¡± It was difficult for Zelit to give his suggestion or even listen to Chi-Woo in this condition, so he wanted to prepare himself first. Then he could give Chi-Woo his full concentration. Even though Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have much time, a smile appeared on his face. Chi-Woo had always had a favorable impression on Zelit because Zelit was fair. There were times when he interrogated people like a police, but on the other hand, he knew how to listen to the other party. Just the fact that he asked Chi-Woo to give him time to properly listen to his story was proof of this character. Anyway, it turned out it had been a good thing for Chi-Woo to get one more day to consider the offer using his fake name as an excuse. Chi-Woo got up from his seat and said, ¡°Just one day is fine.¡± ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t have much time. As soon as the day breaks tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to your place.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re going to sleep, you should at least eat before you sleep. I find it difficult to sleep when I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that. Thank you for bringing this to me.¡± While hearing the utensils move around the bowls, Chi-Woo quietly closed the door. * * * The next day, Chi-Woo had a visitor. As promised, Zelit had come to his place after eating and sleeping well, as well as washing himself thoroughly. He took a few deep breaths in front of the door and knocked. ¡°A moment please.¡± Soon, the door opened. Chi-Woo smiled as he saw a long-headed hero with a thick book on his side, his face clean and his robe neat. The Zelit that Chi-Woo had been familiar with had returned. ¡°You came.¡± Zelit calmly asked, ¡°Hmm. May I go in?¡± ¡°Of course. Please come in. Quickly.¡± Zelit went in agreeably; the door closed behind him. The rising sun lit up the two heroes walking on the mat, as if it was blessing their future paths. 1. ıÊÂÔÚÈË£¬³ÉÊÂÔÚÌì. It¡¯s a commonly known idiom in asian countries. ? CH 105 Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t alone in the house and was accompanied by several guests. Allen Leonard squinted one eye at Zelit. Ru Amuh bowed politely, and Ru Hiana¡¯s mind seemed occupied by something else. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Allen Leonard said with a smile while leaning on a pillar as soon as Zelit came in. ¡°I am ashamed of how I had acted,¡± Zelit replied. ¡°Haha. It¡¯s fine since you came back. Please sit.¡± Like Allen told him to, Zelt sat on the floor and blinked hard at Ru Hiana, as she crouched over the yard and observed something on the ground. ¡°What is¡­that?¡± Zelit saw a fist-sized, translucent slime crawling across the floor. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s a new friend I made,¡± Chi-Woo replied. The slime was moving away from Ru Hiana now as if she was bothering it, and Chi-Woo called out to it, ¡°Hey! Bag!¡± ¡°Bag?¡± Zelit asked. The bun¡¯s name had changed from ¡°Ppyu-ppyu¡± to ¡°Bag¡± somewhere along the way. ¡°I call it that because it¡¯s able to hold a lot of goods. Thanks to it, I was able to bring all the food supplies here at once.¡± While the two conversed, the bun slid between them. ¡°Let me introduce you. This is my companion,¡± Chi-Woo told Zelit. The bun swished around, and although it didn¡¯t have eyes, Zelit felt like the bun was meeting his gaze. Zelit didn¡¯t know what this creature was, but since Chi-Woo introduced it as his friend, Zelit coughed and bowed; then he said, ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Zelit.¡± The bun didn¡¯t say anything but simply looked up at him. ¡°I heard that you have the ability to carry great volumes. I also want to thank you deeply for bringing us the food supplies. Likewise, I think we will be indebted to you in the future too, so I am very pleased to have you here.¡± Zelit greeted the bun seriously. After staring at Zelit intently for a moment, the bun said, ¡°Ppyu.¡± Then the bun formed a small hand from his body and lifted it slightly toward Zelit. Zelit stared at the small hand blankly and extended his own hand, carefully reaching his index finger out to touch the bun¡¯s translucent hand. The bun shook his hand like they were shaking hands, and Ru Hiana squealed, ¡°What!? Why did it ignore me but respond to Zelit!?¡± ¡°You tried to touch it as soon as you saw it, saying it was adorable and all that,¡± Ru Amuh told her the reason. ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Would you like it if a stranger tried to squeeze you while making a fuss? Furthermore, it¡¯s someone our teacher introduced to us as a friend,¡± Ru Amuh further explained. And while Ru Hiana expressed her distress, the bun pulled back. As if he was pleased to be greeted with such courtesy, the slime jumped on top of Zelit¡¯s head and stayed there. ¡°Hey! What the hell!¡± Chi-Woo yelled as the slime wiggled, amused by the length of Zelit¡¯s head. Yet Zelit calmly responded, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Besides that, I want to hear more.¡± Taking his eyes away from the bun that was sliding down Zelit¡¯s head now, Chi-Woo sighed and collected his thoughts. He wasn¡¯t sure where to begin since they had such a huge matter to decide on, yet he couldn¡¯t give up out of fear before anything began. After all, he had learned from his time in the cave that no matter how difficult something was, if he kept trying, he would eventually see a path out¡ªjust like he had been able to escape the cave when he couldn¡¯t think of leaving in the beginning. ¡®We must have faith.¡¯ The future only opened for those who did. Chi-Woo believed this was something he needed and could do. ¡°I realized when I came back to the fortress that we can¡¯t go on like this. It seems like the time has come for us to go to the next level,¡± Chi-Woo finally spoke. The time had ¡®come¡¯ to them, and whether they were prepared or not, they had to move on to the next stage now. If they didn¡¯t do anything in this state, even the future they were heading to would be ruined. As soon as Chi-Woo finished speaking, all attention shot toward him. They all instinctively felt the weight of what Chi-Woo was going to say next. ¡°Are you¡­¡± In surprise, Zelit gasped, ¡°Are you saying that we should expand our forces and build a faction?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too early to say,¡± Chi-Woo replied. Even while aiming for the stars, he needed to differentiate between things he could and couldn¡¯t do just like how a newly born infant couldn¡¯t simply declare to be the president the next day. ¡°But I think we need to create the conditions and environment for us to develop into a faction.¡± ¡°Conditions and environment¡­¡± Zelit quietly murmured. Chi-Woo took one step backwards. He wasn¡¯t saying that they should expand their forces now, but that they should prepare the stage before that. However, even that was difficult in their current situation. Zelit didn¡¯t think Chi-Woo was oblivious to Liber¡¯s and the recruits¡¯ current situation, yet Chi-Woo was saying they needed to reach a higher stage and make the impossible possible. ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡± Zelit shook his head. ¡°In our current situation, there¡¯s no hope for us to create a faction whatever we do. I¡¯m sorry if that¡¯s what you expected, but this is our reality.¡± There were things only a god could do; but this¡ªwhat they were trying to do now was something that even a god couldn¡¯t do. That was how impossibly difficult the situation surrounding Liber was. ¡°I know how the current situation is,¡± Chi-Woo nodded and said while looking at Zelit. ¡°Let me ask you something: what do we lack now that prevents us from expanding our forces?¡± Zelit licked his lips. Many thoughts rushed to his mind because of how poor their situation was. Remembering how Chi-Woo had told him to just give his opinions and leave the decision to him, Zelit decided to share his thoughts after some period of silence. ¡°First, we need to increase our population dramatically,¡± Zelit said. Chi-Woo agreed. Currently, the recruits amounted to a two-digit number: 6-70 people at most, which was small compared to the 200 strong they used to be back when they were in the forest¡ªnot even enough to fill up a village. If they took the natives into consideration, they had a little more than 200 people, but it would be unreasonable to expect much help from them. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to say for sure since I don¡¯t know the other factions¡¯ situations, but I think it would be difficult for us to make deals with our current numbers.¡± ¡°Population, population¡­¡± Chi-Woo tapped the mat with his index floor. ¡°Would we only need to increase the population?¡± ¡°No. If our population increases, we have to prepare an environment to support the increase.¡± For example, they would need a more stable system of food and water supply, and furthermore a system for heroes to progress. ¡°Increasing the population is by far the most important,¡± Zelit said. The power of population was truly formidable, as the world-renown scholar of demography, Paul Morland said. Since people acted as labor in industries, consumers who buy products, and resources that exercise military might, an increase in population served as a driving force for growth in national power. As history showed, the rise and fall of a nation were highly correlated with their population, and all large empires boasted an astounding population count. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°How should we increase our population?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Zelit felt a little awkward. ¡°The simplest and most traditional method is to form a family.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Well, for people who like each other to get married and have kids and¡ª¡± Ru Amuh wondered if he heard correctly, and Allen Leonard, who had been listening seriously so far, laughed. Ru Hiana¡¯s ears also slightly reddened. ¡°I know it¡¯s impossible in our current situation. I¡¯m just saying anything that comes to mind right now.¡± Zelit quickly amended as everyone¡¯s gaze landed on him. ¡°Hmm. Another possible method is to take control of an important area. If we make it known that this area is safe, people who used to live there might come back.¡± Zelit coughed to clear his throat and continued, ¡°We could also form a relationship or solidarity with a small faction we can communicate with, but¡­¡± Zelit trailed off; what they needed right now was not empty hope, but a realistic solution. ¡°I think that realistically, we have to hope for new recruits to arrive.¡± If another group of recruits arrived at Liber, they would be the eighth recruits. However, it was unrealistic to hope that they¡¯d bring much change. And even if they arrived at Liber, there would be around a hundred people at most. Zelit continued, ¡°Or we can go around finding and rescuing those who went missing, or are currently being held captive.¡± Ru Hiana asked, ¡°Missing? Held captive?¡± ¡°The human race here once dominated all of Liber. There might be survivors who had been turned into slaves,¡± Zelit explained. ¡°It¡¯s the same for us. Just think about it. Only 70% of those who arrived at Liber with us ended up gathering at the main camp in the forest.¡± As Zelit said, some were still missing from the seventh recruits. No one knew what happened to the 30 percent of heroes who couldn¡¯t be found. Chi-Woo smacked his lips. Even though this method was more realistic than Zelit¡¯s first suggestion, the problem was time. He didn¡¯t know how long it''d take to gather all those people, and how many more people would die. ¡°¡­Actually.¡± At that moment, Zelit looked around and slowly said, ¡°There¡¯s a slightly better solution.¡± He looked at Chi-Woo and continued, ¡°If we can bring it to reality¡­we won¡¯t have to worry about half the problems we¡¯ll have to face after accepting our new population.¡± Everyone, including Chi-Woo, widened their eyes. Ru Hiana asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Unite.¡± Several people took in a deep breath. Unite¡ªZelit meant to unite with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th recruits. Allen Leonard said, ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± The number of heroes from each recruitment decreased over time. In other words, the earlier recruits were greater in number than the later recruits. [As expected, there are a lot fewer applicants.] [There were a crazy amount of people for even the second round of recruitment. If we made them stand in one line, they would have reached all the way to the Stranger¡¯s Space.] Chi-Woo roughly recalled what Giant Fist had told him. Of course, if they excluded the first recruitment, where only one person was deployed, they needed to consider how many of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th recruits had survived. ¡°But what do you mean that we won¡¯t have to worry about half the problems we¡¯ll have to face after uniting the earlier recruits?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the situation of the early recruits is better than us in some aspects.¡± ¡°In what aspects?¡± ¡°They were able to secure a large number of natives, and they have a basic, functioning economy.¡± ¡°What?¡± Allen Leonard was so surprised that his voice came out raspy. ¡°They do have problems with obtaining food and other necessities, but they¡¯re at least faring better than us.¡± ¡°If they have a basic, functioning economy¡­ How much¡­¡± ¡°Although bartering is rampant, I¡¯ve heard that existing currency hasn¡¯t lost its power yet. Do I have to say more?¡± ¡°Hah, currency¡­¡± Allen Leonard shook his head as if it was difficult for him to even imagine; it seemed so far-fetched that his eyes gleamed with suspicion. ¡°Is that really true?¡± ¡°This is information that I directly heard from a member of the fifth recruits. Since this hero is still alive, you should ask them yourself.¡± ¡°How did they¡­when they don¡¯t even have a god¡­¡± ¡°Even though they don¡¯t have a god, they have him.¡± ¡°Ah, from the Choi family. If it¡¯s that man¡­¡± Then, Allen Leonard expelled his doubts and immediately accepted Zelit¡¯s explanation. Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana also nodded. Chi-Woo got that Allen Leonard was referring to his older brother, Choi Chi-Hyun. He became curious¡ªhow great and amazing his brother must be that they all reacted like this? Chi-Woo could only remember his brother wearing underwear at home and eating chicken while scratching his thigh. ¡°We have a god, while that side has many more people and a proper system.¡± As Zelit said, a union of the two sides would be beneficial to both; definitely a win-win situation¡ªbut that was only if they could unite. ¡°The main problem lies in how we¡¯re going to join them.¡± Even if they managed to send information about their situation to the other group and asked them to come, there would be many problems. It was unrealistic to expect a large group of people to be able to safely come all the way here, especially on Liber, where certain factions had even captured gods and used them as their forces. ¡°Won¡¯t it be better for us to go to them instead?¡± Ru Hiana voiced her opinion. ¡°No. We can¡¯t do that.¡± Ru Amuh immediately refuted her suggestion. ¡°They don¡¯t have a god.¡± ¡°Well, we can bring our god.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. Did you forget what that hero told us?¡± Ru Amuh was referring to the hero that led the fifth recruits, Siegres Reinhardt. [Of course, the situation there is better than here. It¡¯s less dangerous there.] [But the fundamental problems haven¡¯t been solved in the central base, either.] [They don''t have a god.] [Whether they searched all over the East, West, or South¡­] [That¡¯s why with our last hope on the line, we came to the north, and when we thought we finally found a solution¡­] Ru Hiana recalled what Siegres Reinhardt had said and became silent. It was nowhere enough with just Shahnaz. For the heroes that arrived at Liber and the heroes that might come in the future, it was necessary and vital to find as many and as diverse a selection of gods as possible; only then were there hope for a wide range of different classes and divine effects. If the recruits couldn¡¯t find gods around the central base, they needed to come here, since there was still hope for finding more gods in this area, as proven by Shahnaz¡¯s existence. ¡°That¡¯s about it for me.¡± Zelit let out a deep sigh and looked at Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo had told him to just voice his thoughts, so he had tried his best to explain himself. When Zelit finished talking, silence fell upon the entire group; the only thing left was Chi-Woo¡¯s final decision. Everyone stared intently at Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth. What would he say? ¡°Unite¡­¡± Surprisingly, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t contemplate for long. He summarized Zelit¡¯s key points inside his head. First, to expand their forces, they needed to increase their population, and to reach this goal in a short timeframe, they needed to unite with the previous recruits. And to unite with the previous recruits, they needed to guarantee the safety of the recruits while they made their way here. Chi-Woo finished organizing his thoughts and identified one possible solution to meet all the conditions Zelit mapped out. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Chi-Woo beamed. ¡°There might be a way.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. CH 106 That night, when the moon was at its highest point, Chi-Woo headed toward the promised location. As he walked up the castle walls, Chi-Woo saw a woman sitting on top of the wall. Her hair sparkled as if the night sky had dissolved onto her head, and her eyes shone a bright red like rubies; she was the witch, Onorables Evelyn. Evelyn turned around and upon seeing Chi-Woo, she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°You came!¡± ¡°How long have you been waiting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been exactly 47 minutes and 25 seconds since I arrived here.¡± ¡°¡­I am much later than I thought. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, I came early and waited for you. And I¡¯m thankful that you¡¯re even here.¡± Evelyn reached her fist out to him, palm down, and asked, ¡°Can you come closer?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I want to apologize to you for what happened last time we talked.¡± It seemed it still hung on her mind that she had laughed at his name. But just in case, Chi-Woo walked warily toward her. Evelyn opened her small fist and revealed a seed on top of her peerlessly white palm. Outside its deep blood color, it looked like a leftover persimmon seed. ¡°It¡¯s the seed of a spirit,¡± Evelyn answered in response to Chi-Woo¡¯s curious gaze. Chi-Woo tilted his head and asked, ¡°So, if I plant this seed on the ground, does a baby spirit pop out or something?¡± ¡°Of course not. You must not know about the spirits of this world at all.¡± Evelyn smiled faintly and added, ¡°Try growing it. If you¡¯re lucky, you might get something you really need.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you when, where, and how you plant this seed. But you must give it parts of your body as its nutrients.¡± ¡°Sorry? W-What again?¡± ¡°Any part is fine, such as your hair or fingernails. I personally recommend your blood. You can just give it one or two drops whenever you remember it.¡± Chi-Woo hesitated whether he should accept this seed. The instructions she gave reminded him of the steps to prepare for a curse, and it didn¡¯t seem so far-fetched that this witch might be trying to screw with him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s only one left, and I can¡¯t even grow it anymore. You can accept it without feeling burdened.¡± But Evelyn seemed to interpret Chi-Woo¡¯s hesitancy as him being reluctant to accept such a precious gift. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± In the end, Chi-Woo decided to accept it. After all, he didn¡¯t feel dark energy from the seed, and he had a feeling that taking it wouldn¡¯t do him harm. As soon as Chi-Woo took the seed, Evelyn smiled. ¡°Have we made up now?¡± ¡°Um, I think I responded too sensitively last time. After all, there are things like cultural differences.¡± ¡°No. I thought about it, and I would have been disappointed if I was in your position. Even though you didn¡¯t laugh or ridicule me when I told you my name, I did that to you.¡± Chi-Woo began to like the witch more and more, and he swore that he hadn¡¯t had a change of heart just because he received a gift. ¡°Hm. Aren¡¯t you busy?¡± Chi-Woo fake-coughed and changed the topic while putting the seed into his pocket. ¡°Yes. Very,¡± Evelyn answered and straightened her posture. It was time for her to hear Chi-Woo¡¯s reply now. ¡°I accept your offer,¡± Chi-Woo replied coolly. ¡°We reached a consensus to go hunt down the groups of monsters wandering near the former Salem territories.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, we will do our best so your empire could focus all your attention on the incoming war with the Sernitas.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°As soon as we finish our preparations, we will leave the minimum number of people we can at the fortress and make our way across the borders, taking care of the monsters along the way. Our goal is to reach the capital in the end.¡± ¡°Why the capital?¡± ¡°We believe that the monsters originate from the capital. It¡¯s been some time ago, but it¡¯s information that one of our members had personally confirmed.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. That makes sense.¡± Evelyn seemed satisfied with Chi-Woo¡¯s response; he was approaching this matter more forwardly and seemed willing to get to the bottom of it all by going to the capital. ¡°Not bad. Yes, not bad at all.¡± Evelyn got up from her seat. ¡°That¡¯s probably the best you guys can do on your end. I understand. I¡¯ll leave this matter to you.¡± ¡°Are you already planning to go back?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Even though you came all the way here?¡± ¡°Why? Do you want to stay with me longer?¡± Evelyn said indifferently and turned around. ¡°Still¡ªsince you have spent your precious time coming all the way here¡­¡± Chi-Woo stepped forward and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least take something worthwhile for the time spent?¡± Evelyn stopped. She looked curious, ¡°¡­What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Are you just going to go back with a ¡®yes¡¯? Or ask for double the terms?¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t answer immediately. However, Chi-Woo could clearly see the change in her expression; her face had been growing increasingly impassive for reasons unbeknownst to him, but now traces of interest were resurfacing. ¡°Ask and go double¡­¡± Evelyn turned to him. ¡°Could you explain?¡± She sounded calm, but she seemed intrigued if the way she sat back down was anything to go by. ¡°Before I tell you, may I ask you about the current situation?¡± ¡°The situation?¡± ¡°The events that led up to the Abyss empire defending from both ends.¡± ¡°¡­I suppose I don¡¯t have any reason to keep it from you.¡± Evelyn sent on to introduce the four factions vying for control over Liber. There was the Sernitas¡ªthe alien species who invaded Liber, and then the Demon Empire, which had continuously attacked the Middle World since the beginning of times, with the demon lord fighting at their forefront; then there was the Indigenous Monsters Alliance, who had once ruled the Middle World with humans; and finally, there was the Abyss, who had been locked deep below the surface of the world since mythical times. If one had to rank these factions in terms of power, the order would go like this: Sernitas, Abyss, the Demon Empire, and the Indigenous Monsters Alliance. Still, even the faction at the bottom of the pecking order was no pushover; they had their own merits, and thus, Evelyn explained the ranking was based on her own personal opinions and nothing more. Although each faction boasted themselves to be the best, in reality, the Abyss, the Demon Empire, and the Indigenous Monsters Alliance had been wrestling against each other. Yet there was one exception: the Sernitas. They were a giant cosmic federation of several criminal organizations, which was established by a space pirate warlord. There was no disagreement among the other three factions that Sernitas was the most powerful of them all. Thus, whenever the Sernitas attacked, the three factions joined hands and kept them in check. Recently, however, this partnership had been broken. It all began when the Demon empire attacked the Indigenous Monsters Alliance. There was no way the Indigenous Monsters Alliance would sit still and do nothing. The two forces immediately went to war, and naturally, their guard against the Sernitas weakened. Then the Abyss, upon realizing the war between the two factions was largely futile, immediately attacked the Demon Empire. They expected the Demon Empire to stop attacking the Indigenous Monster Alliance. However, contrary to their predictions, the Demon Empire had endured persistently instead and patiently waited for an opportunity to retaliate against the Abyss. It was clear that the Demon Empire couldn¡¯t afford to attack two factions at once. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have used the cursed ones to secure territories instead of their own forces. On the other hand, a problem the Abyss couldn¡¯t ignore burst upon them. Like a sleeping bear that had been hibernating, the Sernitas stretched out its arms and awakened from its slumber. The Sernitas launched a major offensive against the Abyss in not only the disputed lands, but also territories under the influence of the Abyss. ¡°We think that there¡¯s some kind of deal between the Sernitas and the Demon Empire.¡± ¡°Yes, it definitely sounds too coincidental.¡± Chi-Woo nodded and looked at Evelyn. ¡° Lady Witch, the reason why you¡¯ve come here is to¡ª" ¡°Since I¡¯ve told you my name, you may call me Evelyn. And you¡¯re right. I¡¯m here to stop the Sernitas, who will soon take an additional offensive stance here.¡± It didn¡¯t seem to be a lie that a war was breaking out near the border. Or in simpler terms, if the situation developed unchecked, the recruits would become little shrimps caught in a battle between two whales. Thus, they needed to find a way to not only safely escape the crossfire, but also grow in size. ¡°Then.¡± Chi-Woo organized his thoughts and said, ¡°Lady Witch¡ªno, Lady Evelyn, if you stop the Serintas and attack the Demon Empire so that it ceases fire on the Indigenous Monsters Alliance, wouldn¡¯t it be worthwhile for you to invest your precious time on us?¡± Evelyn looked significantly more excited. ¡°How?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Chi-Woo took a deep breath and continued, ¡°You just have to attack the Demon Empire as you¡¯ve previously planned.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°And on your way, it¡¯ll be great if you can get rid of the monsters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Evelyn became silent. Chi-Woo was passing on the task of getting rid of the monsters to her, which was what she had originally requested from him, and he was even telling her to attack the Demon Empire. Even though his words were ridiculous, she didn¡¯t get angry; instead, her face was full of expectations. ¡°Are you telling me to give up on defending against the Sernitas¡¯ attacks?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not telling you to give up,¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and said. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to leave it to us.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fortunate you are talking to me.¡± Chi-Woo pointed at himself. Evelyn closed her mouth; she slightly narrowed her eyes and even gulped. It was only much later did Evelyn speak again, ¡°¡­Are you saying that you¡¯ll fight a god?¡± Her voice sounded hollow. ¡°By yourself?¡± ¡°Well, yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because if I block the Sernitas¡¯ attacks, you¡¯ll have that much leisure to focus on other tasks.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She urged him to quickly explain. Chi-Woo smacked his lips; he wanted to just gloss over the details rather than explain fully, but Evelyn wasn¡¯t stupid¡ªno, she was quite a formidable opponent. Since she had explained her situation to him, he needed to reciprocate it by telling her more about his thoughts. ¡°Honestly, you don¡¯t need to go out of your way to attack them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it can¡¯t be done, you can just pretend to attack them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But you need to do this in a specific area.¡± Evelyn, who had replied to his last few statements with silence, finally spoke again, ¡°Where?¡± Chi-Woo took out the map he had prepared and opened it in front of her, pointing at one area. ¡°Here.¡± It was the road going across the northern part of Liber, adjacent to the border of the Abyss and Demon Empire. Evelyn followed the path with her eyes and stopped at one place¡ªthe center. She looked at the area, and her eyes narrowed. ¡°¡­Now that I think about it¡­¡± It seemed as if she was struggling to recall a previous memory. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­heard something about it before.¡± She continued with a groan, ¡°The Demon Empire tried to forcefully take over a small faction, but they were defeated¡­and I heard that they received near-devastating damage instead¡­¡± She spoke in a dazed voice, ¡°All because of one person.¡± Her eyes gleamed as she turned to look at Chi-Woo. ¡°You were their comrade.¡± She began nodding continuously as if she finally understood what he was getting at. ¡°You¡¯re trying to call them here. Yeah, that¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to do.¡± Chi-Woo gulped. As expected of a witch, she correctly identified his intentions despite him talking in a roundabout way. However, it was the first time he heard this news. He couldn¡¯t believe that his brother was able to overwhelmingly defeat the Demon Empire. [It¡¯s because of Choi Chi-Hyun.] Chi-Woo suddenly recalled what the fifth hero recruit, Siegres Reinhardt, had told him. [He¡¯s a great strategist. He¡¯s earned every bit of his reputation, and it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the central base remains standing only because of him.] Even though Evelyn had described it as ¡®small¡¯, Chi-Hyun had developed a force that could be called a faction. It seemed that Siegres Reinhardt hadn¡¯t been exaggerating back then. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± A gasp came out of Evelyn¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s surprising.¡± She tilted her head back and sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m pondering this matter so much. You surprised me.¡± She looked up at the night sky and murmured to herself. ¡°I thought it was inevitable for all this to end tediously, but¡­ Good. Yeah, it¡¯s good that I came here.¡± Then Evelyn slowly floated down to the wall and lay down as if it was her bed. ¡°Lady Witch?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Taken aback, Chi-Woo tried to approach her, but Evelyn raised one hand to stop him from coming closer. ¡°When I¡¯m contemplating seriously, I need to be in the most comfortable posture possible¡­¡± She dropped the hand she had raised and gazed vacantly at the night sky with her dark hair fanned out on the castle wall. It was definitely a matter to ponder deeply about. If she made the wrong decision, she might be bringing a tiger into her home to keep a wolf in check. However, considering the situation, it was clear that the Sernitas had made a pact with the Demon Empire. It wouldn¡¯t be enough for the Abyss to only have the Indigenous Monsters Alliance on their side. It was certainly not a bad idea to gain a new ally. Was she going to keep to her original plan, or ¡®go double¡¯? She reached her decision after a long time. Evelyn, who had been lying down with a blank expression, looked up at Chi-Woo. Then she finally spoke. CH 107 The meeting was over. Chi-Woo saw the witch off and came down from the castle walls. When he arrived back home, there were six people waiting for him: Ru Amuh, Ru Hiana, Zelit, Allen Leonard, Eshnunna, and Hawa. They were all staying awake, waiting for the results. ¡°You are here!¡± Zelit especially had been waiting impatiently and dashed forward as soon as Chi-Woo came in through the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi-Woo sighed. Hearing this, everyone¡¯s hearts dropped, but they tried not to show it on their faces. ¡°No, what is there for you to be sorry about? They were the ones who had the upper hand anyway.¡± ¡°I only got half of the deal.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She said they would only accept half of our conditions.¡± Then Chi-Woo began to explain what Evelyn told him. She would pretend to attack the demon empire with her troops so that they could safely move the previous recruits to the fortress by drawing attention away from them. But in exchange, Chi-Woo would have to help them fight against the Sernitas. Yet Evelyn didn¡¯t accept Chi-Woo¡¯s request to sweep away the monsters wandering this region; more specifically, she said she would take care of the monsters she saw on her way back, but Chi-Woo¡¯s group needed to take care of the rest by themselves. Thus, the heroes would still have to get to the capital on their own. ¡°How surprising. There are some considerations she had made, but of course, all the little details are at her advantage,¡± Zelit said after hearing about the deal, specifically referring to the way Evelyn said she would only ¡®pretend to attack¡¯ the Demon Empire, or how she would move after seeing that the results were to her side¡¯s advantage. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°I also said I won¡¯t fight the entire Sernitas, but just their god.¡± This was in response to what Evelyn had told him. [According to my information network, the Sernitas have succeeded in capturing one of Liber¡¯s gods and transforming them to their liking, and they¡¯ll soon send the god to our side.] ¡°Still, I wanted to make it so that you guys didn¡¯t have to step out¡­¡± ¡°No, I think it¡¯s better this way,¡± Zelit disagreed. ¡°We can¡¯t keep relying on you forever. We also have to do things on our end.¡± In other words, they couldn¡¯t simply suck on their thumbs while Chi-Woo went out risking his life. ¡°We have to prepare for times when you aren¡¯t here. That¡¯s what I realized keenly from the recent events.¡± Everyone seemed to agree with what Zelit said. ¡°But still, it¡¯s clear that most of us would die by the loads if we went on the mission in this state¡­ We should get our heads together and discuss this matter¡­ Oh that¡¯s right!¡± Chi-Woo took something out of his pocket. It was the blood-colored seed that Evelyn gave him. ¡°Does anyone know what this is? I was told that it was the seed of a spirit,¡± Chi-Woo said and lifted the seed high into the air. There was no way the heroes would know, and even Eshnunna and Hawa, who were knowledgeable about the ancient times, shook their heads. It seemed the item was even older than he had imagined. ¡°Okay then, you hold onto this for now.¡± Chi-Woo flicked the seed at the bun, and the bun jumped up and swallowed it. A period of silence followed. Chi-Woo repeatedly gripped his fists and opened them again; thinking that Chi-Woo must be feeling anxious, Zelit said, ¡°Fighting a god¡­is probably the end battle in most Worlds. But you are going to do that now without having accumulated your powers properly.¡± ¡°Well, if you word it like that....¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know your powers well, so I can¡¯t speak for you, but it would probably be dangerous. If you succeed, though, you will have a huge accomplishment under your belt.¡± Which would of course be followed by a huge reward. Chi-Woo would have a lot to look forward to if he succeeded: they could join forces with the previous recruits, expect collaboration with the Abyss, and accumulate a substantial number of merits. ¡°That¡¯s not all. We would be able to serve a new god,¡± Chi-Woo said. Zelit didn¡¯t understand what Chi-Woo was saying at first, but soon, his mouth gaped open. It was unbelievable that Chi-Woo was suggesting that they could use the Sernitas¡¯ attack to their own advantage and turn a corrupted god into their ally. It was probably the best-case scenario¡ªif only they could succeed. Zelit gulped. ¡®Has he been aiming for this all along¡­?¡¯ ¡°Would you really be able to do that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give any guarantee,¡± Chi-Woo looked down at his fumbling hand. The World¡¯s Milestone was on his palm. ¡°Still...¡± The conversation was over, and there was no turning back. Chi-Woo rolled the die between his fingers two times and gripped it tightly into his fist. ¡°We have to try.¡± The die had already been cast. * * * The next day, Chi-Woo gathered everyone and told them about the current situation. The heroes¡¯ faces turned serious as they listened to Chi-Woo. They knew the circumstances left them with no alternatives, but knowing how strong the evolved mutant monsters were first-hand, they looked hesitant. And when Chi-Woo said that he wanted to hear all their opinions about this matter, one of them bravely raised his hand. ¡°I think it would be difficult in our current situation. Six or seven people had to fight as a team just to deal with one mutant before their evolution. And even then, we couldn¡¯t guarantee victory. Considering the mutants have now evolved¡­ Of course, it would be different for Ru Amuh, Ru Hiana, and Allen Leonard, but¡­¡± ¡°What? Are you seriously saying this when Senior has to go fight a corrupted god¡ª?¡± Ru Hiana immediately flared up at the hero¡¯s statements, but Chi-Woo calmed her down. After all, the hero wasn¡¯t wrong. Thus, Chi-Woo asked what he could do so that the heroes would become more confident in going. Many people gave their suggestions, but they all boiled down to one thing: they needed to make a contract with a god and awaken their powers. Even that had its drawbacks. First, there was the question of where they would gain the merits to make it happen. And even if the heroes established a contract, Shahnaz¡¯s abilities or personality might not be a good match for them. Ru Hiana grumbled again that the heroes were getting too full of themselves, but Chi-Woo thought deeply. It would be meaningless for heroes to make contracts with a god that didn¡¯t suit them. Even if he gave up the book from the White Horse General which he had kept hidden until now, all it would do was diversify their options by a tiny bit rather than solve the fundamental problem. Thus, Chi-Woo asked again, ¡°By making a contract with a god, what would you all gain immediately?¡± The answer was mana and awakening of their powers. There was nothing more than that in their current situation, but these things had their overwhelming benefits. Whether it was mana or holy power, it exponentially increased one¡¯s powers, and a hero could change 180 degrees depending on if they were able to use such energy or not. ¡°Then, are there any methods that would allow all of you to use some energy without making a contract with a god?¡± The heroes went silent at Chi-Woo¡¯s question. Sometime later, much fewer heroes carefully offered their suggestions. The answer was ¡®realization¡¯, which was an awakening of sorts; even if they didn¡¯t make a contract with a god, they would be able to use energy if they realized their place in nature and in this world. That was how humans had originally harnessed energy, unlike the modern heroes that suddenly got summoned and began their journey with all kinds of benefits and special boosts. Reaching an awakening wasn¡¯t too difficult for true heroes who made great achievements through intense effort. However, for this to be possible, there was a condition. ¡°Liber is not a world where there¡¯s a lot of natural energy. In fact, there¡¯s hardly any. It¡¯s basically impossible to absorb energy in this place, and even if it¡¯s possible, I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take.¡± Of course, since they had previous experience, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them to reach an awakening and store the natural energy in their body, but to do this in a short amount of time, they needed to go somewhere with as much energy as possible. In other words, the heroes were telling him they needed a yongmaek. [1] ¡°You need a yongmaek. I got it.¡± Chi-Woo made his final decision. Of course, his decision was not met without objection; there were several heroes who said, ¡®We don¡¯t know how to gather energy. How are we supposed to do it?¡¯ Chi-Woo put an end to their complaints with one sentence, ¡°Then you should use this opportunity to learn.¡± Then he continued, ¡°And those who know how to do it, please teach it to the others.¡± With this, Chi-Woo got up and left the square. Everyone blinked and stared at Chi-Woo. Ru Amuh stared intently at Chi-Woo¡¯s back as he moved further away. This was the first meeting Chi-Woo had led; it left quite a deep impression on him for several reasons. While many different opinions were being passed around, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t get angry even once. Even Ru Amuh had narrowed his eyes a couple of times during the meeting. Comments like ¡®It¡¯s too much to expect us to go out like this were understandable to a certain extent, but when he heard things like ¡®I don¡¯t want to make a contract with Shahnaz¡¯, he frowned in fury. Considering the dire situation, he agreed with Ru Hiana that the heroes were acting too much like spoiled children. However, Chi-Woo had stayed patient. He listened to other heroes and sorted through their thoughts and concerns. Then he asked for new opinions until they could reach a decision that everyone was satisfied with while considering the other party¡¯s feelings and opinions as much as possible. But at the same time, he hadn¡¯t blindly taken in all their suggestions; he had drawn a clear line on what he was responsible for and told them to figure out the rest. Ru Amuh reviewed the meeting inside his mind and fell deep into thought. One of the hidden elements of Chi-Woo¡¯s special ability was that children who were chosen as stars gradually became more like their parents. Neither Ru Amuh or Chi-Woo were aware that this ability was being fully activated and influencing Ru Amuh¡¯s thoughts and personality, even at this moment. * * * After leaving the square, Chi-Woo headed to where Shahnaz¡¯s statue was. ¡ªYongmaek. Shahnaz listened to Chi-Woo and fell into thought. ¡ªYeah¡­there really is a place like that, especially in places where the earth is very active, or where natural disasters happen frequently. However, the possibility of finding a place like that immediately was like catching a falling star. But most of all, it was not a place that anyone could find just because they wanted to. Thus, what Chi-Woo thought of was creating an artificial yongmaek rather than finding a natural one. Since this was impossible for a human to do, Chi-Woo needed to borrow power from a god. Thus, Chi-Woo went to Shahnaz for help. ¡ªIt¡¯s not impossible. Fortunately, Shahnaz gave him a positive response¡ªbut of course, there were caveats. ¡ªBut creating a yongmaek is not an easy task, even if it¡¯s temporary. Energy that can turn into mana or divinity needs to be extremely pure. An ordinary divinity would not be suffi¡­ Before Shahnaz could even finish, Chi-Woo took out a bottle from his bag. It was not just a normal bottle, but a bottle full of holy water from La Bella¡¯s paradise. ¡ªWhere did you get such a large amount of holy water¡­ Ah. ¡°Will this be enough?¡± ¡ªOf course. It¡¯s not a lot, but it¡¯s enough. Shahnaz immediately replied to Chi-Woo¡¯s question. The holy water that Chi-Woo offered was holy water from a true neutral god, who could turn into anything and join any side. Since the holy water contained a god¡¯s own energy, there was no need to explain how pure and potent it was. From that day on, a yongmaek formed in the middle of the fortress. And when Chi-Woo announced this fact, it became crowded in less than 10¡ªno, 5 minutes. ¡°Ah, come on, you stayed for a long time, so get out!¡± ¡°If you have morals, get out when you receive a notification message. This place was not made just for you.¡± Allen Leonard, who had already reached an awakening so didn¡¯t join, smacked his lips and looked back at Chi-Woo, who was quietly watching the scene unfold. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel a little regretful?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Woo smiled thinly at Allen Leonard¡¯s question. ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than saving it and letting it go to waste.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.¡± Allen Leonard became fascinated by Chi-Woo the more he observed him. If Chi-Woo had said, ¡®In exchange for creating this yongmaek, I will hide in a safe place while you go out and fight¡¯, Allen Leonard would have completely understood. Moreover, none of the heroes would have complained, since everyone was extremely hungry for power. But instead, Chi-Woo was still going to shoulder the biggest burden in the upcoming battle, all the while paying attention to the other heroes¡¯ concerns and thoughts to the best of his ability. ¡°You could¡¯ve used the holy water yourself, couldn¡¯t you? They¡¯re yours originally, and since you have a huge battle coming up soon, no one would complain.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head because he couldn¡¯t really understand Allen Leonard¡¯s words. He could always gain more achievement points later on, and he had five bottles of holy water left. ¡°Yes, I would have done that if I could save Liber myself.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°But that¡¯s not the case, right?¡± ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s possible.¡± Considering Chi-Woo¡¯s actions and achievements so far, Allen Leonard had a point, but Chi-Woo disagreed. It might be possible to face only the Abyss and the Demon Empire, but there were also the Indigenous Monster Alliance and Sernitas. Chi-Woo had only decided to step forward because the situation was favorable towards him. It was necessary for him to awaken the heroes that came to Liber with him for the future. When Chi-Woo began strongly shaking his head, Allen Leonard burst into laughter. ¡°Really, this is a problem. It¡¯s also true for me, but you are giving people a bad habit of relying on you.¡± Allen Leonard said words that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand and walked toward him. He spoke with a soft voice, ¡°But, it¡¯s really great that you came back.¡± He reached out and grabbed Chi-Woo¡¯s elbow. ¡°Please come back alive. I¡¯ll leave the door wide open at the capital and wait for you there.¡± Chi-Woo blinked. Then he saw Allen Leonard¡¯s face and smiled. Even though he was startled that Allen Leonard had suddenly grabbed his elbow, he could tell that it was an action to show respect for Leonard¡¯s culture. ¡°Yes.¡± Thus, Chi-Woo also stretched out his hand and grabbed Allen Leonard¡¯s elbow and said, ¡°Let¡¯s survive and meet again.¡± 1. in feng shui theory, yongmaek refers to the air of energy coming from a mountain range, and this energy gathers together in one place. ? CH 108 Chi-Woo offered the entire bottle of divine water, which was said to be difficult to even find, much less gain a drop of it. And after three days, one or two heroes began to awaken their energies. Although there existed the method of awakening one¡¯s energy by establishing a contract with a god, the original way of achieving this was by reaching a ¡®realization¡¯ after great effort, similar to how a mage lived decades near water and learned its nature, or how a martial artist built their inner cores through breathing exercises. And from this event, Chi-Woo learned the difference between a ¡®traditional¡¯ hero and a ¡®modern¡¯ hero. And there came the famous nonsensical question of what came first: the chicken or the egg? There had been a popular debate in the same vein in the Celestial Realm, about whether a person was born a hero, or made one through many external circumstances. With the exception of extremely rare cases like the Twelve Families who lit up the Celestial Realm, the latter seemed to be true. After all, the origin stories of heroes were all quite similar. There were those who only revealed themselves in times of desperation, as humanity was approaching the brink of extinction. And after going through countless trials and tribulations, these people grew in strength; those who survived among them continued to become stronger and stronger until they gained a power that surpassed their species. People called those superior beings who saved their species from extinction, ¡®heroes¡¯. Yet heroes from these days were different. First of all, they were all summoned without much distinction, and above all, they easily gained privileges that would have normally taken a great amount of effort and time to earn. This was the reason why some traditional heroes didn¡¯t look kindly upon the modern heroes. Of course, the ways of the modern hero were much more efficient, but if one assessed these new heroes with standards of what a hero was supposed to be, the heroes would fall short in many ways. Anyways, because of these differences in how they gained their powers, there was a clear difference between traditional and modern heroes. Even Chi-Woo thought the modern heroes who yelled and whined for powers and weapons without any effort needed a good slap as a wake-up call. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t prejudiced against modern heroes like the traditional ones were. After all, he was among these modern heroes who received privileges before coming to this world. Furthermore, he knew that it wasn¡¯t right to generalize a whole group for the actions of the few. [We might not have a pure or noble purpose. And even though some of us might have become heroes by chance and became a little bit obsessed with playing heroes, we have all come to save this world like you. Please¡­believe in us.] As Allen Leonard had once said, there were all types of heroes. Chi-Woo respected the old-timers who believed strongly in hard work, patience, and grit, but that didn¡¯t mean he looked down on the stat systems that modern day heroes used now. If Chi-Woo had to choose, he was more in the middle ground. Wouldn¡¯t it be a win-win situation if he could combine substantial effort with a system that helped him progress? Moreover, as someone who used to live like an ordinary person, he was in no place to be picky. In order for him to survive, he needed to be strong; and to get stronger, he needed to be willing to do anything within reason. And that was Chi-Woo¡¯s hero philosophy. ¡°Make yourself comfortable. Loosen up and try to be as comfortable as possible.¡± Then came Ru Amuh¡¯s voice. ¡°You can lie down, sit, or stand¡ªwhatever suits you. The important part is for you to become one with the energy flowing from the ground. Surrender yourself to the flow.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo lay down. He rolled this way and that to find a comfortable posture. ¡°I felt the flow when I got into my usual sleeping posture,¡± Ru Amuh advised, and Chi-Woo turned to the left side. He used his arm as his pillow and arched his back slightly like a shrimp. If only he had a pillow to snuggle with right now, it would¡¯ve been perfect. ¡°Good. Now breathe slowly and empty your mind,¡± Ru Amuh said. The two were practicing in front of the yongmaek, because Chi-Woo had requested Ru Amuh to teach him after wondering what they should do in the time they had left. Since Chi-Woo would be facing a god this time, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to win this fight with mere physical abilities. He wasn¡¯t sure what he would do when this fight came, but he knew he would have to use his exorcism mana for sure. Thus, Chi-Woo asked Ru Amuh to teach him a way that would help him gain better control of his exorcism mana and increase its amount, and Ru Amuh had offered to teach Chi-Woo the breathing exercises he often used. ¡°Now, try to gradually focus all your senses on the ground¡¯s flow. So focused that you can no longer hear my voice and even forget to breathe¡­¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s voice became fainter. A pleasant silence descended upon Chi-Woo, and the pure and enormous energy flowing from the ground came rushing toward him. Rather than pushing him away, though, it felt as if the current was passing through him, all the while transferring energy into his body. It was as if his body was melting and becoming one with the earth. The sensation was unfamiliar, but it wasn¡¯t unpleasant. While these two men focused on their training, Ru Hiana looked at Ru Amuh with a displeased look on her face. Then, when she looked at Chi-Woo, her gaze turned worried. ¡®I can also teach Senior¡­¡¯ she thought. It wasn¡¯t because she was jealous. As someone who knew first-hand how difficult and exhausting it was to receive Ru Amuh¡¯s teachings, Ru Hiana was simply worried for Chi-Woo. Geniuses had a different way of viewing things from ordinary people, and it was impossible for the two to see eye-to-eye. For example, if one used cooking as an analogy, a genius would give an instruction like, ¡®Season to taste.¡¯ And if one asked if they should put a large or a small scoop of soy sauce, or how many grams of salt they should put in their dish, the genius would reply, ¡®Just trust your gut.¡¯ Such responses would drive the person being taught insane. But the most infuriating thing was that even if the genius didn¡¯t use any measurements and just went with their gut, they always ended up with the best dishes. And thus, it was extremely frustrating and despairing to learn from Ru Amuh, who was a genius among geniuses. Ru Hiana had ended up yelling at him, saying, ¡®I¡¯m never going to ask you to teach me again. I bet you¡¯ll never be able to teach another person!¡¯ And true to her words, Ru Hiana had never turned to him for guidance since then. ¡®Of course, since Senior has the experience, he might be different from me, but¡­¡¯ She wasn¡¯t looking down on Chi-Woo. However, achievements and talent were completely different matters. From Ru Hiana¡¯s perspective, Ru Amuh¡¯s talent was extraordinary, and he had been invited to the Celestial Realm as a special case because of it. It was at that moment, Chi-Woo, who was immersed in the flow of energy, softly said, ¡°It¡¯s good¡­ I can feel it¡­ The energy absorbs into my body and leaves in the opposite direction.¡± ¡°¡­Sir?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes widened. In this short amount of time, Chi-Woo had already felt the yongmaek¡¯s energy and absorbed it? Ru Amuh was shocked when he quickly sensed the energy around Chi-Woo. Ru Amuh¡¯s theory of absorbing energy was like the wind; he didn¡¯t know where the wind originated, but the wind would flow in a certain direction. Since this flow of wind was hard to detect, Ru Amuh was planning to make Chi-Woo identify where the earth¡¯s energy was flowing so that it would be easier for Chi-Woo to sense the energy and accept it. However, Chi-Woo had already skipped over those steps and was even pulling the energy towards him. What Chi-Woo did was no different than calculating geometry and vectors after being taught fundamental arithmetic operations. Ru Amuh had expected a lot from Chi-Woo, but this was way over his expectations¡­.! Sensing that he had met someone of his own kind, Ru Amuh became unusually excited. ¡°Energy naturally tries to find the best path to enter your body. Can you try to sense the energy flowing into your body with more clarity?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can you remember the path the energy takes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you replying too easily¡­ You need to remember that path with perfect precision.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head inside his mind. Thanks to the body purification inside the cave, all of his blood vessels, even the smallest ones, have been opened up. As a result, the flow of energy was not chaotic at all. Even though the path was still complicated, the energy moved without hesitation and in clear lines. It was easy to read the flow of energy like a person¡¯s palm. ¡°It¡¯s not very difficult.¡± ¡°Then¡­would you be able to remember the path and repeatedly draw energy through that path?¡± Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t completely sure if Chi-Woo could also do this. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a small sigh, and Ru Amuh stared intently at Chi-Woo. Then something caught his eye; he saw the smile on Chi-Woo¡¯s face slowly deepening. Chi-Woo was also feeling an unknown source of enjoyment. Energy reacted to will. Since Chi-Woo had already used the power of exorcism before, it was not difficult to lead the energy through a certain path. ¡®It feels like I¡¯m organizing my belongings.¡¯ Like he was completely unraveling a ball of yarn and rolling it back up neatly, Chi-Woo felt a strange sense of satisfaction from circulating his exorcism energy throughout his whole body in the same direction. An unexpected pleasure hit him when he pushed his energy past the vessel on top of his head and let it come down like a waterfall. Then, he suddenly realized that the more he spun his exorcism energy, the more his energy grew. Flash! Soon after, Chi-Woo opened his eyes. Ru Amuh¡¯s mouth slightly gaped open when he saw a strong light coming out of Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes, which was clear evidence that Chi-Woo had successfully removed the impurities in his body and accepted the clean energy of the yongmaek. It could be likened to extracting 100 percent pure metal from a mine. ¡®He even refined the energy from a yongmaek created by divinity before absorbing it¡­ Teacher, what kind of person are you¡­¡¯ Ru Amuh wondered how clear and noble Chi-Woo¡¯s mind and body must be for him to do this so easily. Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t contain his amazement and clapped. ¡°It feels good,¡± Chi-Woo said with a smile. His exorcism mana had definitely increased by at least a little bit. Even though its rank was still E, he felt that it would soon reach rank D. ¡°It feels very good. Like I¡¯ve been reborn.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face also looked very refreshed. ¡°You did an amazing job. I¡¯m really jealous.¡± Ru Amuh raised his thumb. The fact that light came out of his eyes was evidence that Chi-Woo followed at least 100 percent of what Ru Amuh had told him to do. ¡°As expected of Mr. Ru Amuh. I¡¯m glad that I asked you to teach me.¡± ¡°No, you praise me too much. I haven¡¯t really done much. I¡¯m very glad that I could be of help to you.¡± Ru Amuh, who couldn¡¯t believe that a hero of Chi-Woo level would not even know the most basic breathing technique, replied with humility. ¡°You¡¯re the best. Mr. Ru Amuh, you really are the best teacher.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I heard such a compliment¡­but it doesn¡¯t feel bad. Haha.¡± Ru Amuh seemed very happy that finally there was someone who could understand his teaching, so even while scratching his head, he had a very bright smile on his face. Chi-Woo stretched his arms and looked around. The yongmaek was still crowded. There were heroes on their knees in prayer, heroes standing upright like martial artists, and heroes lying down with their limbs sprawled out. Everyone was using the fortress in different ways. Since they were all from different cultures, it seemed as if they had different ways to reach awakening. Chi-Woo spotted one person among the group, and his eyes brightened. ¡°Oh, Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± He raised his hand and called out to her, but she didn¡¯t reply. Even though she was looking this way, she seemed to be in a strange state. Ru Hiana had her mouth opened wide with a blank face. She was thinking, ¡®What¡¯s with Ru Amuh? When he was teaching me, he yelled at me many times that I wasn¡¯t doing it properly! But senior successfully did it his first time? Ru Amuh even clapped for him?¡¯ ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± When Chi-Woo called out to him again, Ru Hiana¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°¡­Ugh¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± She then whirled around so fast that her ponytail swished, and she ran out of the yongmaek. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure he heard her properly, but it sounded like she had shouted, ¡®He¡¯s so annoying¡ª!¡¯ [No. User Choi Chi-Woo was able to easily absorb energy thanks to the influence of his Golden Ratio. He¡¯s definitely not a genius.] Mimi offered words of consolation, but unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t reach Ru Hiana. * * * Time passed, and most of the heroes had reached an awakening thanks to the yongmaek. Even without making a contract with a god, they could use at least a bit of energy, so the recruits felt extremely satisfied. Whenever Chi-Woo came out in the streets, everyone greeted him. There were even heroes who greeted him with extreme politeness. Since Chi-Woo helped them gain a bit of the power they had so desperately craved, it was natural that they would feel so grateful. While they were training, Chi-Woo also didn¡¯t laze around. The witch, Evelyn, had told him that she¡¯d soon pick him up. He didn¡¯t know when she¡¯ll come back, but since he was going to face a god, he needed to make significant preparations. [Why aren¡¯t you going to use your remaining divinity?] Mimi asked. [Your opponent is a god. Even if you give all that you have, it won¡¯t be enough. Won¡¯t it be better to use at least all your remaining divinity to increase your skills?] Mimi only spoke facts, but Chi-Woo¡¯s answer made her completely flabbergasted. ¡®It feels wasteful.¡¯ [What?] ¡®Isn¡¯t that the case? They¡¯re consumables that disappear once you use them, and there¡¯s no way for me to replenish it now.¡¯ Mimi was extremely frustrated again and argued in a sharp tone. [Even if that¡¯s the case, is it more important than your life?] ¡®That¡¯s not the case, but I do have a plan in mind.¡¯ Mimi was planning to hurl disapproving words at Chi-Woo like a downpour of bullets, but Chi-Woo¡¯s response gave her pause. [A plan?] Holy water was also known as the wishing well. He could easily find a way to use it in a fight since he could wish inside his mind. [But even with that.] ¡®I¡¯m not saying I won¡¯t use my divinity. I¡¯m just going to judge the situation first and use it when it¡¯s the perfect time,¡¯ Chi-Woo continued. ¡®And I also have this.¡¯ Chi-Woo had a bunch of yellow paper in his hand, which had clearly decreased in number. [Aren¡¯t those talismans?] ¡®Yes, that¡¯s right. Are you going to get angry that I¡¯ll be merely using talismans like this to fight a god?¡¯ [Yes, you know me very well.] ¡®Fufu. I thought so. Please wait a bit.¡¯ After saying this, Chi-Woo grabbed his bag, and while rummaging through it, he continued his thought, ¡®I understand your concern, but holy water is the same as divinity. And divinity is an omnipotent power. Like this time with the yongmaek, it can help us achieve basically anything, so I can¡¯t waste it.¡¯ Then he added, ¡®That was what Ms. Laguel told me.¡¯ Mimi stayed quiet for a bit. After a short silence, she spoke again. [¡­I don¡¯t know who Laguel is, but I don¡¯t think she was telling you to save it even during such times.] ¡®How do you know that?¡¯ [I¡¯m definitely right about this. If you want, you can go ask her later on. And one more thing, who told you that divinity was omnipotent? She said that it¡¯s a very useful power that could be used in various ways depending on the situation.] ¡®What the. How did you know? Are you perhaps Ms. Laguel?¡¯ [I read your memory, and who is the woman you¡¯re talking about?] ¡®Ah.¡¯ Chi-Woo accepted the explanation and said, ¡®There¡¯s someone like that. I guess, an angel who is a bit of a tsundere?¡¯ [Tsundere?] ¡®Yes, my first impression of her was very bad, but I think that secretly, she cares about me¡­ Anyway, she¡¯s a bit funny.¡¯ [What¡¯s funny about her?] ¡®Will you hear me out? She likes my brother; even though she doesn¡¯t act like it, it¡¯s rea~lly obvious.¡¯ [Ah¡ªso, what¡¯s your plans with the talismans?] Mimi quickly changed the topic. There were so many important matters to discuss, so Mimi was uninterested in pointless conversations. ¡°Ah, this.¡± Chi-Woo took out two talismans from his pile. They were no ordinary talismans, but talismans that even his church mentor thought were too precious to leave behind. His mentor had said that even using one of these every 20 years was too much and told him to never use it if he could. He had two of these extraordinary talismans; there used to be three, but Chi-Woo had used one to summon White Horse General in the forest. And now it was time for him to use another one. ¡®This talisman is¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo lifted a white talisman with black patterns, and his eyes brightened. CH 109 The effect of the yongmaek, which had been created by offering a whole bottle of holy water, was astounding. Although Shahnaz had told Chi-Woo the yongmaek would exist only temporarily since it was artificially created, it seemed they had far different standards about what ¡®temporarily¡¯ meant. Dozens and dozens of recruits went in and out of the place every day, and there were some heroes who never left the place unless they needed to eat. Yet the yongmaek was still flowing with 90% of its original energy. At this rate, they would be able to use it for at least several months more. However, their biggest problem was their lack of time. It would have been ideal if the recruits could leave the fortress after harnessing as much energy from the yongmaek as they could, but they simply didn¡¯t have enough time. Soon, a massive peril would befall them, and they needed to move quickly to survive. The witch said that if Chi-Woo fulfilled his side of the bargain first, she would also complete her end. As repeated many times before, the first part of the bargain was to get rid of as many mutated mutants wandering around the ex-Salem territory as possible. The second part was for Chi-Woo to defeat the god that the Abyss would have to fight. Truthfully, Chi-Woo thought the first part of the bargain could have been better. If only the witch had given him a bit more leeway, they could¡¯ve combined forces with the previous recruits and attacked the capital with comparatively better numbers. Or there was even the option of Chi-Woo joining the rest of the recruits after helping to block Sernitas¡¯ attack. However, the witch hadn¡¯t allowed for such things. Chi-Woo thought this was unfair of her, but Zelit thought differently. Zelit supposed that Onorable Evelyn considered Chi-Woo to be an interesting existence, but one she couldn¡¯t fully put her trust in. Plus, it was likely she wasn¡¯t too pleased by the fact that Chi-Woo had made his plans based on the proposition that he would defeat the god setting out to attack the Abyss. ¡°The witch will probably calculate not only yours, but our value from this event. She wants to see how much we can do apart from you. And after you defeat a god, and we get rid of a sizeable force belonging to the Demon Empire with our few numbers, she will probably see our collaboration with you in a different light,¡± Zelit said and asked self-assuredly, ¡°In your conversation with the witch, did she reprimand you for not abandoning your companions or suggest you do so?¡± Although the witch hadn¡¯t told him so blatantly, she had hinted to him to do as such. It was when Chi-Woo had asked her to give him more time. [Why?] [I am not asking all of your opinions.] Recalling these words, Chi-Woo thought Zelit¡¯s guess held substance. But it was meaningless to fret about it now, and there was too great a gap between their powers for them to complain about the injustice of it all. They needed to do what they were told to do, and Chi-Woo needed to do his best to not trigger the witch¡¯s capricious temperaments¡ªat least for now. After some time, there came the day for them to fulfill the first promise made to the witch. They had made progress beyond their expectations, and a total of 42 people were able to use their energy, albeit only a tiny amount. The biggest factor in this success was the collaboration between the traditional heroes and the modern heroes. The traditional heroes who succeeded in harnessing their energy approached the modern heroes first and offered to teach them at Chi-Woo¡¯s request; and thus, the modern heroes momentarily let down their pride and learned. The majority of their skills were at rank F, but that alone was enormous progress. After all, only four people had been able to use their energy so far, and now, the number had increased by 10.5 times. Crackle! A small fire shot up at the ends of a person¡¯s fingertips. ¡°Although I can only use very basic and simple magic, I think I can be of much more use now,¡± Zelit murmured as he waved the small fire on his fingertips. But this wasn¡¯t all that they had achieved. Before leaving the fortress, all the recruits gathered at the entrance, and each of them had a different look than before. Their eyes were shining. It seemed after harnessing a bit of their energy, their confidence had seen another boost. ¡°See you soon,¡± Ru Amuh said calmly as he always did. ¡°Yes, come back safely. Let¡¯s meet at the capital later,¡± Chi-Woo smiled as he said. ¡°Senior, don¡¯t die, alright? Never ever. Do you understand? You really can¡¯t die this time. It will be the end then, the end!¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t understand what Ru Hiana meant by ¡®the end¡¯, but he also said his farewells. It hadn¡¯t been long since Chi-Woo came back after everyone thought he was dead, so it was understandable why she was so worried. ¡°Don¡¯t forget our promise.¡± Allen Leonard winked at him. ¡°Do you have any plans on cultivating fields at the capital too?¡± ¡°Haha. Are you already making plans for the future? Come back safely first, and seeing how my ranks rose, I will show you a capital made entirely of fields.¡± ¡°Well, that would be too much.¡± Allen Leonard said he was joking, and his laughter grew farther and farther away. The recruits were gone now. As they had discussed before, they would go across the border and gain experience by defeating groups of monsters. Then, in the end, they would try to take over the capital. As the recruits grew farther away and eventually disappeared beyond the hills, Chi-Woo turned around. He felt his body tremble from nervousness. Still, he needed to believe in himself; to do so, he needed to train and train some more. It was as he predicted. Less than ten days after the recruits left, Chi-Woo felt a familiar presence and a voice calling for him. As he followed the voice, he saw a square shrouded in darkness. When he was lying near the yongmaek, the sun had been high in the sky, but time had passed without him noticing. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t surprised, though, since he had been preparing to leave at any moment. He got up, shouldered his bag, and got moving. He was about to head to the square when he stopped. There was a woman blending into the darkness, staring at him from far away in the corner. It was Eshnunna. When he approached her, he saw her oval face and met her eyes. A calm silence circled around the two. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what I should say to you,¡± Eshnunna finally spoke. ¡°I just think¡­I was a frog in a well¡­when I was in the forest.¡± It was a reasonable thing to say. Back in the forest, she had thought she was inside a ditch filled with despair; now that she was outside, however, she was in hell, where every misstep would get her surrounded by hellfire. At this point, Chi-Woo realized that Eshnunna wanted to cheer him on but was hesitant to say something like, ¡®Do your best.¡¯ Words were meaningless, and for them to hold meaning, actions needed to follow. For example, she could accompany Chi-Woo right now and help him by his side, or she could even join the recruits to take over the capital. However, she couldn¡¯t do anything but wait patiently. Of course, staying here was in itself a dangerous ordeal even though they had left with the natives some heroes who had failed to awaken their energy with the yongmaek. But still, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she would be in a comparatively much less dangerous situation than those going to the capital, or Chi-Woo. Thus, Eshnunna hesitated to say anything. Knowing how she felt, Chi-Woo purposefully joked, ¡°Why? Are you worried that I might appear in your dream again?¡± ¡°What?¡± Eshnunna¡¯s gaze immediately turned into a glare. ¡°Try doing that again. I really won¡¯t let it go easily next time.¡± Chi-Woo smirked at her sharp words, which made Eshnunna flinch. She coughed awkwardly and fanned herself. Then Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Do you want to make a bet?¡± Eshnunna¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden offer. ¡°I win if I come back safely. And if I win, please fulfill one of my wishes. Unconditionally.¡± ¡°A bet¡­¡± Eshnunna blinked and tilted her head. ¡°That means I have to bet on the opposite result, and it means that I¡¯ll only win the bet if you don¡¯t come back safely. I don¡¯t want to make this bet with you. I refuse.¡± Chi-Woo was secretly glad that she firmly refused and smiled brightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll lose this bet.¡± Only then did Eshnunna catch Chi-Woo¡¯s intentions. She slightly moved her gaze away and shyly replied, ¡°¡­Then¡­fine.¡± Soon after, she strongly nodded, ¡°You promised.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. I promise.¡± Chi-Woo smiled. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna, since you¡¯re granting one of my wishes, I will definitely come back safely. Ah, don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll ask for a wish that you can easily fulfill.¡± ¡°Yeah, yes. I¡¯ll make my final decision after listening to what you want, but I¡¯ll gladly grant your wish.¡± Eshnunna smiled faintly at Chi-Woo¡¯s nonchalant words. Not knowing what Chi-Woo had made Hawa do after losing a bet, though, Eshnunna made a critical mistake. And like this, Chi-Woo gained the opportunity to officially call the princess of Salem ¡®nunna¡¯. [1] Chi-Woo slightly lowered his head and began moving, going past Eshnunna, who was standing still like a stone statue. But after taking about ten steps, Eshnunna stopped him. ¡°Please wait.¡± Chi-Woo slowly turned around. Eshnunna gathered her hands together and straightened her back while clearly enunciating each word, ¡°I wish you good fortune and success in battle.¡± Suddenly, a large gust of wind blew. Eshnunna¡¯s hair and skirt fluttered upwards, and Chi-Woo replied with a smile and turned back. Thanks to Eshnunna¡¯s support, he firmly walked on with strong steps. * * * Onorables Evelyn was sitting on top of the wall and waiting for Chi-Woo. ¡°You came.¡± She jumped down as soon as she saw him approach. ¡°Sorry. I told you I¡¯ll come back soon, but I kept you waiting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I wished that you would have taken longer.¡± ¡°Is that so? I mean, it¡¯s no surprise since your opponent is a god. You must be nervous.¡± Chi-Woo wanted to reply that it would be stranger if he wasn¡¯t nervous, but instead, he kept the thought to himself. Then Evelyn asked an unexpected question. ¡°By the way, who was that? Your lover?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± It seemed that Evelyn had been watching Chi-Woo since he was at the square. ¡°No, she¡¯s not my lover.¡± ¡°Really? She was looking at you a bit too fondly.¡± ¡°Hmm. She¡¯s nunna.¡± ¡°Nun¡­na?¡± Evelyn tilted her head. Chi-Woo suddenly became curious about how the word ¡®nunna¡¯ was translated to Evelyn. ¡°What does it mean? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of it, so I can¡¯t grasp what it means.¡± ¡°Well, you can just think of a nunna as someone who kills a lot of people.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Anyone who sees a nunna would say they¡¯re dying.¡± ¡°Anyone who sees them dies¡­? Then, am I also a nunna?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. As expected, you¡¯re very smart. So with this in mind, could I also call you nunna, Ms. Evelyn?¡± ¡°Hmm, let me think about it.¡± Evelyn nodded even though she still looked a bit confused. ¡®That woman must also be a very terrifying individual even though she doesn¡¯t look like much.¡¯ Evelyn seemed to have completely misunderstood what type of person Eshnunna was. Chi-Woo wondered how Eshnunna would react if she found out about this and laughed inside his mind. ¡°Shall we get going?¡± Evelyn shrugged and waved towards the pole floating in the sky. Then the pole slowly tilted downwards and moved from vertical to horizontal. ¡°Get on.¡± She pointed her chin towards the pole as it landed right in front of them. Chi-Woo looked slightly taken aback. ¡°We¡¯re going to ride it there?¡± ¡°Yeah, you weren¡¯t planning to walk, were you?¡± Chi-Woo silently climbed on the pole. Even though it was quite long, the width of the pole was thinner than he thought. Chi-Woo was wondering if it would even float when it suddenly flew in the air, catching him off guard; he quickly grabbed the pole with two hands. While paying no consideration to Chi-Woo, Evelyn gracefully sat on the pole with both of her legs gathered to the side and began riding the pole without any warning. Even though Chi-Woo didn¡¯t scream, he felt his body shake a bit. He quickly gained his balance, but felt his head grow light as he saw the fortress get further away. ¡®I feel anxious¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo gulped and stared at Evelyn, who was sitting in front of him, asking, ¡°Can I hug you?¡± ¡°Can I kill you?¡± Getting another question to answer the question he asked, he decided to obediently hold onto the pole instead. ¡°¡­I wonder what¡¯ll happen.¡± After a short silence, Evelyn began talking again. ¡°If I drop you here and you die.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his ears. True to her words, the pole, which was already flying at a high altitude, began flying even higher. Chi-Woo held onto the pole with one hand and grabbed his club with his other hand, hurriedly asking, ¡°Why are you suddenly saying that?¡± ¡°Just because. Maybe curiosity?¡± Evelyn¡¯s tone was nonchalant as if she really was going to throw him off here. ¡°I¡¯ve been curious since I was a kid. I guess it¡¯s understandable that a hero would be weak in the beginning, but I always wondered why the Demon Lord didn¡¯t target the hero while they were still weak¡­¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. He had the same feeling whenever he met her, but the witch had a very unique disposition. They would be talking normally; then out of nowhere, she did something very unexpected. He couldn¡¯t respond to every one of her whims, but he didn¡¯t want to die, either. Thus, Chi-Woo took out his club and pointed it towards her head. ¡°My bad.¡± Evelyn immediately apologized; she followed through with her action, and the pole lowered in altitude significantly. ¡°Sometimes too much curiosity can hurt.¡± ¡°Yeah, that seems to be the case. I won¡¯t do it from now on, so won¡¯t you move that thing away?¡± Chi-Woo growled, ¡°Please take more heed to your actions.¡± ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll do better. Sorry.¡± The witch apologized easily again. Deep into the night, a pole that was too long to be a broomstick flew past the softly glowing moon. 1. nunna is an internet slang for nuna (in this context, refers to an older woman). Used commonly with the phrase, ¡®nunna, I¡¯m dying¡¯, which basically means that someone is pretty or charming enough to kill¡­ ? CH 110 Chi-Woo stared at the constellation threaded onto the night sky and felt the altitude quickly drop. ¡°Here we are.¡± At Evelyn¡¯s words, the pole-like broom landed on the ground. The place was too small to be considered a highland, but not flat enough to be considered a flatland. Valleys and gentle slopes made up the land, and a mountain stood behind it. ¡°You can block the god from here. If it isn¡¯t too much, try not to let the enemy reach the mountain at the back, all right?¡± ¡°Why not the mountain?¡± ¡°Because our troops are camping behind the mountain.¡± By ¡®troops¡¯, it was clear the witch was talking about the Abyss. ¡°It won¡¯t matter if it was just me, but¡­Huk Cheong-Ram is also there.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s just someone really annoying.¡± Evelyn furrowed her forehead slightly. Since it appeared like she didn¡¯t want to explain any further, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t ask more questions. But from the way she talked, there seemed to be another high-ranking figure in Abyss who was on equal footing as the witch. ¡°All you need to know is that those from the deepest below have decided that Huk Cheong-Ram and I have to collaborate to block this attack.¡± And after a period of silence, Evelyn sighed and stared at Chi-Woo straight-on. ¡°¡­We needed to collaborate just to fight against their surplus forces rather than their main force. That¡¯s how dangerous the Sernitas are.¡± Evelyn said the Abyss was at war with the Sernitas. And soon, there would be a large-scale attack against the entire Abyss. Although the Sernitas was a superpower among the established groups on Liber, the Abyss was also a formidable power, evident in how they were able to resist the Sernitas¡¯ attacks until now. Nonetheless, it was clear the Sernitas was the group with power to spare. And they had recently added another force to their fighting power: Liber¡¯s god; a while ago, they had forced the god to attack the border dividing the Demon Empire and the Abyss. The fact that the Sernitas had managed to get the Whore of Bably and Huk Cheong-Ram to one location was already a huge feat. With the two main leaders of the Abyss occupied, there would be openings in other areas; and if the Sernitas attacked these openings, they would be able to take the whole nation. Now that Sernitas had made their move, it was the Abyss¡¯ turn to respond. And thus Chi-Woo¡¯s offer had come at just the perfect timing. If things only went according to plan, they would be able to minimize losses and perhaps even restore the balance that had been distorted by the Demon Empire. There would be huge gains to make. Yet the capricious witch wasn¡¯t so daring. Even while knowing that they should work together to maximize the chances of success, she didn¡¯t plan to fight with Chi-Woo. ¡°I will go over to the back of the mountain now,¡± Evelyn fixed her grip on the pole and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know about Huk Cheong-ram¡­but I know I can fight with you. However, I won¡¯t. I want to preserve my troops¡¯ strength as much as possible.¡± ¡°Well, yes. That¡¯s part of the promise.¡± ¡°Yes. It was a promise made between you and me. You should be very careful when making a promise, especially with a witch. There¡¯s no retracting it once you make one.¡± ¡°Could I trust you to keep your word too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I am different from a human. As soon as I confirm that you have defeated the god, I will fly over next door.¡± ¡°How could you say such things? You used to be a human when you were alive.¡± ¡°No, you are wrong.¡± Evelyn shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t human, but a witch.¡± She lifted her index finger and flicked it at Chi-Woo with a slight curve to her lips. Chi-Woo became captivated by her sweet voice and smile but soon regained his senses to find that he could no longer see the witch. She had disappeared in a blink of an eye, and now, he was really alone. His solitude and the thought of having to do something so unimaginable soon made his heart feel heavy. ¡°Alone on my way home~¡± Chi-Woo sang while looking ahead blankly. ¡°Alone in an empty room and bed~¡± It was suffocating. It felt as if a hot boulder was rolling inside his stomach. And for some time, he heard a constant ringing; he realized it was caused by his nervousness. ¡°Now that I think about it, she just told me the god was coming soon and didn¡¯t tell me exactly when.¡± Chi-Woo took deep breaths and stared beyond the endless hills. ¡°I¡¯m only supposed to battle a god¡­ They won¡¯t come with a whole army, right? If that happens, I should run immediately since that goes against our promise.¡± Chi-Woo began to murmur to calm himself. Then he sighed deeply as he lamented, ¡°How am I supposed to¡­?¡± During the planning stage, he had thought everything would work out well, but now that the reality of the fight was taking form, he was struggling to put the fine pieces together. This was the gap between imagination and reality that he needed to overcome. ¡°No, let¡¯s have faith.¡± His user information also said that an existence lower than the level of a demi-god couldn¡¯t escape the effects of his ¡®Four Tiger Sword¡¯. A god definitely surpassed a ¡®demi-god¡¯, and Chi-Woo would need to drop the god he was fighting to at least a demi-god level for his skills to have any effect. Only then would he be able to make an impact. Thus, he had thought of a way... Although he wasn¡¯t sure if it would actually have an effect. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, I guess I would just die.¡± From his life inside the cave, Chi-Woo had come to terms with the possibility of his own death. But even though he was determined, he couldn¡¯t become completely detached from his prospects, and he wondered if he might regret his decision when he was staring death in the eyes. As tangled thoughts whirled in his head, he opened his bag to prepare. ¡°Huh? Where is it?¡± He didn¡¯t see his talisman. Did he perhaps leave them somewhere? Right before an important battle? That couldn¡¯t be. He had made sure to bring them¡­ Chi-Woo searched in a panic when a hand lifted a clump of talisman toward his face. ¡°¡­What? You.¡± It was Pyu-pyu¡ªthe bun. ¡°You followed me?¡± ¡°Pyu?¡± ¡°What did you come here for? I purposefully left you behind,¡± Chi-Woo said crossly while taking the talisman. Hearing this, the bun formed another limb and crossed its arms. It also raised the top of its head slightly upward as if it was peeved. ¡°Return when you have the chance. It¡¯s dangerous. You could die.¡± But the bun jumped up and collided against Chi-Woo¡¯s chest. Swish, swish! It let out a flurry of punches with its tiny fists, showing its intent to fight. ¡°Are you saying that you want to fight together?¡± ¡°Pyu.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I suppose we can live or die together,¡± Chi-Woo sighed and said disgruntledly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s your life. Do what you want with it.¡± But his heart felt lighter. The fact that he wasn¡¯t alone relieved him slightly. ¡°Well then, should we try our best to survive?¡± Chi-Woo took a talisman and walked forward to where the battle would soon take place. * * * After separating from Chi-Woo, the witch went over to the mountain like she said she would. Once she was at the peak, she looked below, staring curiously at Chi-Woo as he wandered around and planted some things on the ground. How in the world was Chi-Woo planning to fight a god? An immortal was fundamentally different from a mere mortal like him. Despite the circumstances on Liber, gods were not beings that could be looked down on. Even Evelyn, who had long escaped the cycle of mortal life, hadn¡¯t reached ultimate eternity yet. She hadn¡¯t even touched the gates of eternity, and thus couldn¡¯t be certain if she could beat a god. While she was deep in thought, Evelyn let out a sigh. She thought she was alone, but an uninvited guest had approached her. Under the glowing moonlight, she saw a haze rising above the campfire. The haze was strangely black; it was not the color of smoke rising from people¡¯s chimneys, but pure darkness that seemed to have absorbed all the light of the world. The black haze looked down at their surroundings like Evelyn and slowly turned around. It came all the way to face Evelyn. Evelyn tried to ignore it, but eventually clicked her tongue as she felt its piercing gaze. ¡°What.¡± ¡ªHum¡­an¡­ The sound of a kettle boiling came from the haze. It also sounded metallic, so it was grating to the ears. ¡ªHuman¡­ The haze repeated itself when Evelyn didn¡¯t reply and spoke more clearly than before. ¡ªH.U.M.A.N. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªHuman. ¡°¡­Ah, yeah¡ªThat¡¯s right, a human.¡± When the haze spoke for the fourth time, Evelyn couldn¡¯t endure it any longer and interjected with a frown. She went on with a slightly annoyed tone, ¡°So what? Yeah, he¡¯s a human, but he¡¯s not just a normal human. Can¡¯t you also tell by looking at him?¡± Annoyed, she waved her hands as if she was swatting a fly. However, even then, the haze didn¡¯t move away. ¡ªA¡­lowly¡­ Evelyn¡¯s eyes narrowed at the haze¡¯s mocking tone. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop now?¡± Curiosity slowly disappeared from her face, and only a chill was left. ¡°It was decided that you and I would join forces, and I respect the decision of the Joint Thirty-Sixth Meeting.¡± She continued after a pause, ¡°But they only told me to join forces with you. I didn¡¯t hear anything about having to listen to your orders.¡± ¡ªHee¡­Hee¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t laugh. If it¡¯s necessary, I¡¯ll join forces, but don¡¯t hinder my plans. I won¡¯t hinder yours, either.¡± Evelyn spoke firmly and stared straight at the haze. ¡°If you bother me more than this, I¡¯m going to go to the Queen and make a formal complaint against you as soon as this is over, and then she¡¯ll make an official protest to your King. ¡ª¡­ ¡°If you understand me, I sincerely hope you¡¯ll stop ruining my party and kindly fuck off.¡± At her cold and chilling sword-like words, the haze became quiet. Then, after a while, it spoke. ¡ª¡­Fucking¡­bitch¡­ Evelyn laughed in astonishment as his voice tickled her ears. At the end of her patience, she was about to kindly show her powers to the haze, but she suddenly stopped herself and narrowed her eyes. The haze also flinched and quickly looked to the front. They saw a distant light brightening up the whole world and rising to the sky like a sunrise. This would have been normal if it wasn¡¯t the dead of night. ¡°¡­They¡¯re coming,¡± Evelyn softly muttered, and her eyes gleamed as she saw Chi-Woo still wandering around the hills. * * * At the same time, a tall man looked up at the dark sky from a terrace. Even in the dark, his pale skin that made him look like a nobility was noticeable. His eyes staring upwards seemed to have been carved out of the quiet, night sky. Just looking at him gave the impression of someone strong and righteous. But ironically, if someone looked at him a second time, he looked like a burning star in full blaze. His thick eyebrows made him look slightly tense, but his face remained completely expressionless; Hawa would be considered emotional compared to him. However, there was a slight look of melancholy in his eyes. ¡®Nothing.¡¯ He seemed to have gotten fatigued after staring at the sky for long and sat roughly on the chair, tilting his head. ¡®There¡¯s no spark.¡¯ For a fire to start, there needed to be a spark first. However, no matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t see anything that remotely resembled a spark or anything that might become a spark. ¡®The only thing I was hopeful about was the fifth recruits, but there¡¯s no call from them¡­ I guess I didn¡¯t expect much in the first place.¡¯ His neck seemed to hurt, and he massaged his nape with his hand. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here any¡­¡± He sighed and smacked his lips. ¡®¡­Should I have just been crazy and brought him?¡¯ But as soon as he thought this, he smirked wryly. The thought came to him whenever he was having a difficult time, but he had never carried this thought into action. Even if Liber completely collapsed, that was something he should never do. The man opened his eyes again and looked up at the night sky. ¡°Ah, I want to eat snacks¡­ What?¡± A gasp came out of his lips. Among the countless stars in the night sky, an unknown movement caught his eyes. He couldn¡¯t see it just a moment ago. ¡°What is that?¡± He quickly fixed his posture and got up. He flew to the sky to see it just a little closer and saw a small but extremely beautiful shining star. On the contrary, he also saw a big but unstable and shaking star. These two stars were about to collide. ¡®It¡¯s not natural.¡¯ Anyone would think this was a strange sight. A strange phenomenon that could be easily seen by the human eye was a sign that something that should not have happened was going to happen soon. It also meant that someone intervened to forcefully change Liber¡¯s fate. So far, no matter how hard he had worked, he hadn¡¯t been able to do so. The flow of this planet¡¯s fate was like a full-blown locomotive heading straight for destruction. All he could do was slow it down. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­believe it.¡± The man couldn¡¯t believe his eyes as he looked at the northern sky. It was more than the spark he had desperately been searching for. ¡°A tipping point has formed¡­?¡± A forked road had appeared in the sky. Even though it couldn¡¯t be said that Liber¡¯s fate had been turned completely around, there was a path that could lead it away from heading straight to destruction and even shift it to the right track a little. In short, there was a possibility of reprieve. Of course, it was still too premature to discuss the consequences of this sign, but¡­ ¡°What is¡­¡± The man, who could be described with just a single word¡ªlegend¡ªin the esteemed Celestial Realm, widened his mouth in shock. ¡°¡­happening in the north?¡± The man was Choi Chi-Hyun. Chi-Woo¡¯s older brother. CH 111 Light gradually overtook Chi-Woo¡¯s vision until it was all he could see. It was so blindingly white that it made him think the whole world had been dyed the same color. He instinctively covered his eyes and narrowed them. Strange looking things¡ªindescribable shining clumps of rocks¡ªwere approaching him. If he had to describe it, they appeared like clay that had been ripped off and sloppily smashed together again. They shone like luminous stones and flew toward Chi-Woo very, very slowly while filling up the hills in front of him. Seeing these mysterious substances take over the area, Chi-Woo panicked. There were way too many of them. ¡®What in the World? Are they the Sernitas¡¯ army? But I am only supposed to fight their god. Should I run for it?¡¯ All kinds of thoughts passed through his head. Then an enormous figure, far bigger than all the others, appeared over the horizon. The sight of this figure made Chi-Woo realize that all of his expectations had been wrong. It was simply colossal, bigger than most high-rise buildings. As if someone had injected a large amount of air into an ancient mammoth with a bunch of syringes, its body was lumpy. To describe it nicely, it looked like an immensely overgrown, wild tumor and pus, painting an incredibly grotesque picture. It was so swollen that some parts were bursting and spewing liquid that shone like melted, red iron. When this liquid fell to the ground, shining lumps of rock sprouted out from the soil and moved forward with their maker. Evelyn hadn¡¯t lied. Although they grew their numbers like a mother giving birth to her children, this enemy should be considered as one. But how unexpected. Chi-Woo thought he would battle the god one-on-one, but now, he wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to even approach the god¡¯s main body. At that moment, one of the small clumps stopped moving abruptly. A small fire shot up from below it. The clump was above the area where Chi-Woo had planted a talisman. Chi-Woo looked on expectedly, but to his disappointment, the fire was quickly extinguished. Then the small clump shook its whole body¡ªbrrr. Sparkle! It exploded while scattering a fancy array of lights. Bam! Chi-Woo¡¯s vision shook, and the ground quaked and rumbled from the impact. The explosion of one small clump of rock had left a small crater on the ground like someone had exploded a grenade on a sandy beach. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! More explosions and the ground shook again as the small clumps landed where the talismans were planted. One talisman for each clump, which was simply discharged of the main body¡ªit was not a good exchange. Furthermore, Chi-Woo¡¯s plan to guide the enemy to a specific location had already failed. Chi-Woo tried to calm himself, but then he noticed the clumps suddenly acting strangely. The incoming wave came to a sudden halt mid-charge. Was it angry because some of its offspring had been destroyed? The main body swelled up like it was going to burst before contracting again. Like a beating heart, it increased in size and shriveled up a couple of times. Its brilliance intensified each time it did this. It shrunk to a size one wouldn¡¯t have thought possible, and following the change, particles of light gathered to the center of its body. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. Like the string of a bow being pulled taut before releasing, the fully compressed body sprang into a size much greater than before. Simultaneously, the cluster of light particles burst out from the center like a spring that had been pushed down to its limit. Kuaaaaaaah! Flashes of light that could turn everything within hundreds of meters into nothing shot forward. Amid the immense shock, Chi-Woo felt intense pressure. Neither himself nor his surroundings were directly hit, but Chi-Woo lost his balance and staggered. The beam of light hadn¡¯t been aimed at him. It went over him, climbed over the mountain at the back and blasted its peak off. As if an avalanche had been triggered, the intense vibration and noise struck Chi-Woo from his back. He took some time to collect himself and looked over his shoulder when he finally regained his balance. What he saw made his jaw drop low. ¡°Ha¡­¡± When a human saw something they couldn¡¯t wrap their head around, their mind sometimes turn blank. And that was what happened to Chi-Woo. Nothing was left in the path where the beam of light had passed other than a long crevice, like the moat surrounding the fortress. But its impact on the mountain was even more significant. It left a dent that cut off from the middle because nothing could be seen above it¡ªit had all disappeared. Seeing such a surreal scene before him, Chi-Woo let out a burst of humorless laughter. ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­¡± It was just unbelievable. Half of a mountain had been blown away with just one strike. Goosebumps popped up all over his skin. What would have happened if Chi-Woo had been hit by the beam of light? Or been closer to it? Chi-Woo¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down. This god was in a whole other ballpark than the broken beings he had fought before. Seriously, he hadn¡¯t felt this much pressure even when he first saw Evelyn. ¡®Is¡­this an opponent¡­I can beat?¡¯ He needed to approach his opponent somehow and swing his club until it was extinguished. But what could he do about the beam of light, or the explosion which would leave him as clumps of meat if he got too close? No matter how much he thought about it, he could only picture himself dying a meaningless, quick death before he could reach the god¡¯s main body. ¡®This is imposs¡­¡¯ No. He could never. Chi-Woo took several steps backward while shaking his head. Although he had sworn to himself that he would never despair hopelessly again, the display of power before had broken all the determination he had built. His head was in a mess. Slap! Chi-Woo''s head turned. His left cheek felt numb, and when he looked around, he saw the slap had come from the bun sitting on his left shoulder. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Pyu.¡± It was a serious voice, almost angry. It was as if the bun was pissed to see someone who had beaten him head-to-head act so pathetically. ¡°Haaa¡­.¡± Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh and regained composure, nodding twice before looking forward. After letting out a beam of light, the main body had been advancing forward with their offspring again. With his eyes on them, Chi-Woo took out a talisman from his pocket. He had planned to use it as a last resort, but he had to change his plans 180 degrees now. This wasn¡¯t the time to hold anything back. His enemy could squish him like a bug, and he needed to give it his all from the beginning. The bun turned back and forth as if it was looking for a fire. Chi-Woo shook his head at it. He usually needed to attach the talisman somewhere or burn it with a blessing, but this time, he was going to do neither. Chi-Woo stared at the black patterns on the white paper. Then he took out a bottle filled with precious holy water from his bag and carefully poured it onto the talisman. ¡®I beg you.¡¯ The Talisman of Samshin Jae-suk (Indra)¡¯s Divine Retribution¡ªit was a talisman that borrowed power from the Vedic deity Indra to bring down heavenly punishment onto evil beings. In Sanskrit, Samshin Jae-suk¡¯s name translated to Shakradeva Indra¡ªthe king of Svarga (Heaven) and the protector of law and order in Hinduism. As mentioned before, there existed a hierarchy even among gods, and in this hierarchy, those in the bodhisattvas class were among the highest-ranking deities. For example, the Jade Emperor (the supreme God of Taoism and a creator-level deity) was in this class. Like the Jade Emperor, Indra was also the god of heaven and could be seen as being in the same rank as Him. ¡®Please¡­please¡­¡¯ Thus, Chi-Woo prayed more ardently than ever before. Indra was an even higher-ranking deity than the White Horse General, who had responded to his call in the past. That was, of course, a human¡¯s point of view; from the perspective of a god, the difference between each of the ranks could be unfathomable. Thus, Chi-Woo had little confidence. Gods didn¡¯t care about human affairs as much as humans would like to think. Perhaps those in the 5th or 6th celestial rank were different, but from the 7th rank and upwards, the gods tended to be more indifferent. After all, they all did fine and dandy even without listening to people¡¯s prayers. Yet Indra was in the 9th celestial rank. Perhaps a master who had accumulated enough merits to reach the sky might get the chance of being heard, but it was irrational to expect such a god to give any human the time of day. It would be foolish to even expect Indra to spare Chi-Woo a single glance, much less descend to scold Chi-Woo for daring to call him. This meant Chi-Woo would not be able to appeal using his connection with his past master like he had done with the White Horse General, either, since Indra wouldn¡¯t even give Chi-Woo the chance to persuade him. That left him with only one option: to make offerings. Like one could commonly see in ancestral rites, a person could offer rice cakes and fruits to a god, but right now, Chi-Woo needed to offer something a bit more aligned with Indra¡¯s tastes. Thus, Chi-Woo had taken out his bottle of holy water and poured it onto the talisman. It was a holy substance containing the power of a perfect neutral god. He wasn¡¯t too sure how effective it would be, but Chi-Woo thought it was worth a try since La Bella was also a high-ranking god. As Chi-Woo continued his ritual and prayed, though, doubt crept into his heart. What if his prayer didn¡¯t reach Indra? What if nothing happened? He couldn¡¯t get rid of such thoughts, and every time these doubts seeped in, he did what he always did to relieve them. ¡°Long life is in her right hand.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes and spoke whatever Proverbs verses that came to his mind first. ¡°Gain faith and understanding.¡± Chi-Woo was determined to believe in himself. ¡°Do not forget these¡ª" His heart had shaken once again in front of a strong enemy, falling in fear and losing faith; and his resolve had shaken simultaneously. ¡°My son, do not turn your ear from my teachings.¡± The Heavens only helped those who helped themselves and didn¡¯t lend their hand to those who had lost faith in even themselves. Thus, he had to believe. ¡°Don¡¯t forsake your faith.¡± It really was amazing. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know whether it was a reflex of his, but whenever he chanted Buddhist scriptures or the Bible, his heart calmed, and he felt his stiff face muscles loosen. Flicker! ¡°Then, this faith would¡ª¡± Verses from the book of Proverbs flowed out of him like the river and abruptly stopped. There was a sound he hadn¡¯t heard before. And it wasn¡¯t just the noise; a warm air lingered in front of him, and Chi-Woo peeked one of his eyes open. Both eyes fluttered open and widened at the sight of the talisman in his hands. The bottle of holy water was completely empty now, and logically speaking, the talisman should¡¯ve been soaked. Yet the Talisman of Indra¡¯s Devine Retribution wasn¡¯t wet in the slightest. And without a drop of liquid, it was burning up with white fire. ¡°¡­.Protect you.¡± Chi-Woo muttered blankly as the talisman burned, and following his instincts, he gripped the talisman tighter. Spark! There was a sharp electric current. This was a sign that Indra had responded to Chi-Woo¡¯s prayers. Chi-Woo shuddered, and his breathing shook. He felt such joy that he couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. ¡°Love faith.¡± There was another spark, and following it, the barren night sky without a speck of cloud began to fill up with a cluster of dark clouds. ¡°Then faith will protect you.¡± Rumble! Rummmble! The night sky flashed as lightning came down, accompanied by thunderous rumbles. Chi-Woo¡¯s opponent had stopped advancing at this point. Instead of facing the mountain peak, the main body had zeroed in on Chi-Woo. They were hesitating, seemingly caught completely off guard; and they weren¡¯t the only ones reacting this way. Both Evelyn, who was hovering in the air for safety, and Huk Cheong-Ram were flabbergasted. ¡°What¡ª¡± Evelyn looked up at the night sky and saw that it was already filled with dark clouds. She instinctively hunched her shoulders as she felt an immense giant¡ªan existence she dared not even fathom¡ªlook down upon them. Then, after some time, Chi-Woo raised his burning talisman high in the sky. ¡°Let there be¡ª" he shouted. ¡°Light!¡± Fwooosh! The white fire burned the talisman cleanly to its corners. CH 112 The talisman burned until not even its ashes remained. Rumble! Thunderous crackles pierced his ears and simultaneously, Chi-Woo¡¯s vision flashed like a fluorescent light bulb reaching the end of its lifespan; his eyes held the reflections of the world in black and white, and amid all that dazzled him in his vision came a howling¡ªlike those of beasts on a full moon. ¡ªWoooooooooo! Rumble! Rummmble! Soon, the howling was muffled by a series of thunder. When Chi-Woo finally managed to focus his vision, he tilted his head instinctively. In a night sky filled with dark clouds, there was a bright cluster of light. Chi-Woo could see it clearly then: the white thunderbolts that zig-zagged down the sky. Chi-Woo¡¯s jaw dropped as he muttered, ¡°Vajra¡­!¡± According to ancient texts, Vajra was a weapon that the Vedic god Indra used to drive out an asura named Vritra. Crack! Crack! Crack! More explosions. His momentarily settled vision began to waver and shake wildly again. The thunderbolts didn¡¯t simply strike their opponents. After they penetrated through the god¡¯s main body and hit the ground, they scattered everywhere. As countless sparks flew in the air, waves of electric currents flowed over the hills. And there, they called forth more thunderbolts. It was as if the sky and the earth were connected by an ocean of lightning, and Chi-Woo struggled to recover his jaw. The witch, Onorable Evelynn, and the haze, Huk Cheong-Ram, responded similarly. The two leaders of Abyss looked at the overwhelming battlefield of raining thunderbolts with astonishment. After who knows how long, the quaking quelled, and the thunder quietened. Thunderclouds gradually dissipated until there was not a single trace left. The obscured moonlight hesitantly revealed itself to the land below again, and when the battle finally came into full view, Evelyn gasped. The Liber god¡¯s army of children was annihilated whole despite the sheer number it boasted. All that was left were holes scattering across the battlefield, showing that each and every one of them had died without exception. What used to be a pasture was now a barren wasteland, charred black with rising white steam. It was as if hundreds of bombs had dropped and exploded, and the sheer scale of destruction that had taken place seemed unimaginable to have been caused by just a couple of thunderbolts. Finally, Evelyn recovered her senses and gasped. Her eyes widened as she looked down at the center of the area, which had been transformed into a black wilderness. The main body hadn¡¯t been destroyed; unlike its children, it stood rooted to its spot. ¡°No¡­¡± The main body¡¯s size remained the same, but the intensity of the god¡¯s light was visibly weaker than before. Compared to how they had first appeared while illuminating the whole area like the sun, it looked incredibly shabby now. Furthermore, their hard, bumpy outer shell was splitting. A widening gap started from the top of their head and spread all the way through their body like a spider¡¯s web. Then, like a window cracked by a flying baseball ball, broken pieces drooped down and fluttered harmoniously in the wind. ¡°¡­My god¡­¡± Evelyn muttered in disbelief. When she first saw the god¡¯s main body, she had immediately sensed that this would be no easy battle; and it was clear that the Sernitas intended to discard Liber¡¯s god after this one-time use. The witch would have personally never made such a decision, thinking it was a pity to waste a god like that, but the Sernitas were always difficult to figure out. It seemed possible that those guys might have pushed things a bit too far and decided to at least make the most out of the god this way. But whatever the Sernitas¡¯ intention was, it didn¡¯t lessen the danger of the situation. There were too many explosive obstacles blocking the way for one to approach the god¡¯s main body while attacking from afar would allow the main body to attack freely with the beam of light it shot. And even after one went past all these giant hurdles and managed to reach the main body, there was the problem of cracking the god¡¯s hard shell and attacking their core. This god was truly a difficult opponent in many ways. There was no way to endure until the god exhausted all their energy, either, as they would have kept shooting light beams until their main body exploded and erased the whole region from Liber¡¯s map. And thus, Evelyn had wondered at the beginning of the battle, ¡®How is he going to fight this god?¡¯ And somehow, to her utmost shock, Chi-Woo had solved this difficult problem in just one blow. He had basically skipped all the steps that should be necessary. After witnessing what appeared to be a battle of the gods, Evelyn couldn¡¯t hide her amazement. Of course, the battle wasn¡¯t over yet. Although the main body had been critically hit, the core hadn¡¯t been fully destroyed. She didn¡¯t think the core would be intact considering the large-scale attack that had hit the god, and she wondered what would happen now. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Evelyn blinked as she searched for Chi-Woo. She thought he would be staggering from all the energy he had expended, but he wasn¡¯t where he had been. He was gone. * * * Meanwhile, a curled-up mysterious existence was coming into view beyond a grotesque outer skin that had been peeled from the main body. The mysterious existence gradually rose, but when they tried to push themself off the ground, they fell backward. Their entire body shuddered like they were reliving the shock of being electrocuted. As they struggled to get up somehow, they heard a young voice yell at them. ¡°You need help?¡± Boom! At the sound of the explosion, a puff of shining smoke bloomed upward. ¡ªAhwoooooo! The existence screamed as Chi-Woo forced them back down again. As soon as Indra¡¯s thunderstorm ended, Chi-Woo realized that the main body wasn¡¯t destroyed yet, and had run towards it without hesitating. He needed to seize the opportunity given to him and didn¡¯t want the situation to overturn while he was taking his time. Thus, when the main body was still recovering from the shock, Chi-Woo struck them with his club. ¡°Praise the sun!¡± Without resting, Chi-Woo made another swing. As he hit their side, his opponent pushed backward like they were rolling away. Perhaps they had regained their senses from the shudder-inducing pain. A purplish light sparkled from what appeared to be the existence¡¯s front. ¡°For the Horde!¡± Chi-Woo uttered any kind of nonsense to help overcome his fear when the god swung their front leg. Surprised by the sudden attack, Chi-Woo stopped swinging his club and backed away quickly. He was able to react immediately due to Synesthesia, but he had sensed that he actually hadn¡¯t been quick enough. It was thanks to someone or something suddenly yanking him backward by the neck that he was able to get out of the range of attack. The tremendous pressure brushing past his face was enough to cut a few strands of his hair and left a gash¡ªthen he realized the gash was actually bleeding. ¡®What.¡¯ Chi-Woo was shocked. Even though the attack hadn¡¯t hit him, a near miss was enough to split his skin open. The resulting wind also sent him flying into the air. ¡°Ahhburuburuburu!¡± Chi-Woo fell and rolled on the ground. His face was scrunched up in pain. He couldn¡¯t believe that the god had so much power even after getting hit by Indra¡¯s lightning. No¡ªhe knew why it didn¡¯t take the god down. This talisman was originally made to expel evil spirits, and his opponent was a god that could not even be compared to beings like evil spirits. The only reason why the talisman had such a strong effect was that he had poured holy water on it; if he hadn¡¯t, the effect might have been miniscule at best. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Chi-Woo quickly got up. Blood dripped from his face. He was hurt, and it was extremely painful, but he had no time to rest. He had learned from his time at the cave that no matter how much pain he was in, he had to be ready for the right opportunity to strike. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s face went blank when he saw lights gathering around his opponent. ¡®Is that¡­?¡¯ ¡°Wait, that¡¯s a bit¡­ Wait.¡± Contrary to his hope, his opponent immediately made their attack and shot a beam of light at him. This attack was different from the last one that destroyed half of a mountain. It wasn¡¯t very thick, nor was it as fast as before. However, even though the force of the attack had decreased, Chi-Woo knew instinctively that it was strong enough to completely evaporate one person. He thought about what he should do. Should he evade? Could he even evade this attack? Should he take out more holy water? No¡ªhis thoughts came to a sudden halt at that point. There was no time for him to ponder more. His ability, Insight into the Unknown, was telling him that the best way to get out of this situation was not to move left or right, but a head-on confrontation. Chi-Woo¡¯s body moved before he could register the realization. The god¡¯s beam of light pierced straight through the strong currents surrounding them. Chi-Woo¡¯s face was hot, his breathing was rough, and the blood vessels in his entire body pumped more fiercely than ever. The beam of light was now within his reach, and Chi-Woo scraped every bit of exorcism mana he had left and clutched his club. Then he smacked the beam of light with all his might. At that moment, Chi-Woo felt a strange sensation; he couldn¡¯t really describe it, but it was not unlike a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He couldn¡¯t hear any sound, but then he saw it¡ªa storm of light radiating in all directions as if the beam of light was howling in frustration at being stopped. The club, full of exorcism mana, let out a ferocious torrent of wind at almost the same time. Then he felt an indescribable feeling in both his hands. ¡°Ugh¡ª! Ahhahahahhaah¡ª!¡± They seemed to be ripping apart, and he screamed his head off; his whole body felt as if it was going to rip. The energy from Chi-Woo¡¯s club and the beam of light fiercely fought against each other, and surprisingly, Chi-Woo was able to stop the god¡¯s attack for at least a short while. But¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­! Aghhhh¡­!¡± He couldn¡¯t feel his hands; it felt like they were going to break off. He saw the skin on his hands rip apart; his body couldn¡¯t endure the force of the attack any longer. Chi-Woo frowned at his now bloody hands. At this rate, he would drop the club sooner or later. ¡®No¡ª¡¯ His loosening hands tightened their grip around the club again, holding it firm. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his eyes for a second; he gasped when he saw that the bun had wrapped its own body around his hands to force them into a tight clutch. Moreover¡ªChi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure if he was just imagining it¡ªhe didn¡¯t need as much strength to grip the club as before. He suddenly felt a warm hand¡ªit was the same hand that had pulled him back by the neck before, and it was now holding the club together with him. Now that he thought about it, even though there was so much pressure coming from the beam of light, his body was not being pushed back. Only then did Chi-Woo notice a strange but familiar sensation firmly supporting his back. He remembered what La Bella had told him before. ¡ªI promise. ¡ªI promise I will always protect and be with you. La Bella was keeping all her promises and using everything she had to fight with him. Chi-Woo bit his lower lip, which was already dripping with blood. Then he moved one step forward. ¡°Ugh¡ª! Ughhhh!¡± He forced his trembling leg to take another step. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh¡ª!¡± Then, finally, he managed to cut the beam of light and swing the club down. Bam! The beam of light exploded and scattered. ¡°Ack! Aghhh!¡± Chi-Woo panted roughly; he was completely out of breath. The air coming out of his mouth felt hot. It was as if his entire body was boiling. But still¡ªhe had done it. Even though it was only after the god had gotten weaker, Chi-Woo was successful in enduring the attack of a fearful opponent. Of course, the battle was not over yet. Truthfully, he wanted to stop; in the back of his mind, he thought that he did enough and wanted to run away. However, he couldn¡¯t withdraw now. The bun helping him tightly grip the club and the goddess supporting his back were both silently telling him that he could do it; if he continued to try, he could win. And if he came out of this unbelievable battle alive and victorious, he would be much more confident in his ability to survive Liber in the future. Thus, Chi-Woo stopped himself from collapsing and looked up, seeing his enemy jumping into the air and flying toward him in the night sky. Chi-Woo struggled to lift the corners of his mouth to make a smile. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± The shadow lengthened. Chi-Woo infused mana into the club and took his stance. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± He stared at his enemy as they rapidly descended upon him, and his eyes let out a gleam of light. CH 113 Rumble. A faint vibration rode on the wind and spread across their surroundings. Nobody could feel it, but Ru Amuh with his especially keen senses came to a stop and turned around. For a while, he simply stood there. ¡°Huh? Ru Amuh, what is it?¡± Ru Hiana also turned to see what he was looking at. ¡°Is someone following us or something?¡± Seeing nothing, Ru Hiana raised her head and looked up toward the sky. ¡°What did you see¡ª¡± Ru Hiana trailed off because she saw something strange. A part of the sky was bright even though it was nighttime, and that particular spot was brightening and darkening again and again like there was a lightning storm coming down. The two fell into silence upon seeing the strange phenomenon. And as the two people in front of the line abruptly stopped, others also began to turn their heads one by one. Soon, they had all noticed the flickering sky and were staring at it blankly. At once, the same thought passed through everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°Teacher¡­¡± Ru Amuh muttered. Even without finishing his sentence, everyone knew what he was meaning to say. Where was Chi-Woo, and what was he doing right now? And how intense was his battle that they could see its effects from here? ¡°¡­It¡¯s time for us to go,¡± Zelit spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s believe him and do our part. That''s all we can do.¡± Ru Amuh finally regained his senses then. ¡°After all, we have to welcome him back with our arms wide open,¡± Zelit added. Ru Amuh¡¯s heart filled with emotions and determination. His face hardened, and he nodded before turning forward. The capital was in front of him. While Ru Amuh led a group of recruits to take over the capital, Chi-Woo was still in the middle of his ongoing battle with a nameless god. The two had already revealed all their cards to each other, and the first one to run out of energy would be the first to fall. ¡°You bastard!¡± As his opponent dived low, Chi-Woo leaped to the side and swung his club widely. The god was struck hard, and although they tried to counterattack immediately, they faltered slightly from the impact of the recent hit. Thanks to that, Chi-Woo was able to always be two beats ahead of his opponent, and he continued to swing his club, which was shining with exorcism mana. ¡ªKuahhh! The god¡¯s voice became clearer now. Wailing in pain, they twisted their body with a growl and lifted their front legs. Then, they suddenly stopped. After relentlessly making blows at the god, Chi-Woo had escaped to the side, and he was about to aim at what appeared to be the god¡¯s rear-end when¡ª ¡°!¡± As his super-senses heightened, Chi-Woo quickly ran backward. ¡®What?¡¯ His synesthesia didn¡¯t catch anything. Bam! An explosion pierced his ears and shook the ground around him. A cloud of wind and dust raged as if a grenade had gone off in the area where Chi-Woo used to be. Chi-Woo regained his balance after this sudden attack, and he felt goosebumps across his skin. If he hadn¡¯t moved¡­ ¡®Then what would have happened?¡¯ Reminding himself that this would be no easy battle even though the god had been repeatedly struck, Chi-Woo heightened his alertness again. He tilted his head at a pressing question that popped into his mind. The god had creaked like a broken robot after getting struck by Indra¡¯s lightning, but now, they were moving fluidly like water. Like a madman, they had been moving with no rhymes or reason. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The ground rumbled continuously. As if the god was angry that Chi-Woo kept escaping their attacks, they pounded the ground wildly. Yet these attacks didn¡¯t have much of an effect on Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo immediately moved and ran across the ground. He didn¡¯t know why the god was acting in this manner, but he thought he should search for an opening. He circled around the god widely and aimed for a weak spot. He was waiting for the god to miss a beat. ¡®By the way¡­how am I going so fast?¡± Chi-Woo suddenly thought while running. He thought he had become quite familiar with using his exorcism mana, but today, he found his body foreign. It was to the point that he felt like he could surpass even Ru Amuh¡¯s fastest speed, and the god seemed stunned to be unable to follow Chi-Woo¡¯s movements. Perhaps it was thanks to his transformed heart, which thumped like a fiercely rotating motor, so hot that it could almost burn its own body, that he could run like this. While holding that thought, Chi-Woo spotted the god faltering as they pounded the ground. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shone. ¡®Now!¡¯ Chi-Woo quickly backed away and swung his club. ¡°!¡± His flinching opponent swished backward and swung their hind legs. The god had pulled a feint to draw in Chi-Woo, but their feet swept the ground meaninglessly. Chi-Woo had already pushed himself into the air. After experiencing many battles with Hawa, Chi-Woo had gained the ability to predict his opponent¡¯s movements somewhat. Hawa had frequently used feint attacks whether she was on the offensive or defensive that Chi-Woo could easily tell when his opponents were purposefully acting to lure him in. Synesthesia was a good ability, but it wasn¡¯t perfect, and his ESP ability was too sporadic to rely on. Thus, Chi-Woo needed a way to make up for what these abilities lacked, and the answer to this problem was reading his opponent¡¯s intention beforehand. The god continued to hit the ground futilely and then looked around in confusion. Chi-Woo was nowhere to be found. Instincts prompted the god to look up, and they saw Chi-Woo descending and spinning inside a raging whirlwind. And as he fell, Chi-Woo brought his club down on top of the god¡¯s head. ¡°No time to take a breath! Five~ Six!¡± Chi-Woo landed on the ground and continued to swing his club nonstop. ¡°Ah, five, six, seven, eight!¡± Chi-Woo swung his club eight times in a row, and like a rabid dog biting down his prey, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t let his opponent go; soon, he didn¡¯t even utter his usual nonsense because his relentless barrage left him out of breath. Like a soldier drunk on the fever of battle, Chi-Woo had already lost his mind. He swung frantically with the conviction that he would die if he didn¡¯t manage to kill his opponent. Then the god suddenly created an explosion and pushed him back. ¡°Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!¡± After rolling on the ground, Chi-Woo got up and panted like a dog overheating in the summertime. He wasn¡¯t doing too well. He had yet to regain senses in his hands, and he felt as if both his arms would fall off. His heart felt like balls of fire, and he might as well be running a fever. The bun was tightly clutching onto the club so that Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t lose his grip over it, and even La Bella was giving her support. However, his opponent hadn¡¯t completely fallen yet. ¡®How persistent¡­¡¯ As expected of a god, his opponent endured attacks that would have killed a vengeful spirit thousands of times. However, it looked like they had sustained serious injury. They struggled to stand up, and there were holes all over their body. Chi-Woo tried to steady his breath. All he could do was move and force himself to continue moving until he collapsed. Then, his shaking opponent suddenly took a stance and stared intently at Chi-Woo. ¡®¡­What is it?¡¯ Chi-Woo felt something strange from their movement. Previously, his opponent had felt like a ticking bomb ready to explode at any moment, but now, the god¡¯s energy felt strangely more organized. Chi-Woo felt an indescribable sense of pressure and danger like when he first met La Bella. The god seemed to be leaning towards Chi-Woo, but disappeared without a trace the next moment. Flash! A sudden gust of wind whipped through Chi-Woo¡¯s neck. When the realization hit, Chi-Woo felt shivers running down the back of his head and neck. ¡®What¡ª¡¯ When he noticed the imposing sensation on his back, Chi-Woo instinctively turned around. He quickly raised his club but realized he was too late. Even before he could raise the club halfway, he felt a force that was strong enough to split his face into two and found his struggle futile. Just before, Chi-Woo had thought that he had been successfully pushing the god back, but they suddenly disappeared and was now about to make¡ª ¡°?¡± Before his opponent could reach him, they stopped as if time itself had come to a halt. ¡°¡­!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s pupils shook as he saw claws right in front of his eyes. ¡®Wait. Claws?¡¯ While the claws and Chi-Woo stayed completely still, only Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes moved. After a while, his mouth slowly opened. He could see his opponent¡¯s figure much more clearly than before. When he had first seen their form, the god had just been lumps of fat. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s attack had done wonders on his opponent like a diet would, and now, he could clearly see the god¡¯s true form¡ªhe could see their sharp claws and their silver-haired hind legs. Upon closer observation, Chi-Woo saw that their entire body was also covered in fur that fluttered in the wind. ¡®A wo¡­lf?¡¯ Even though there were still areas that swelled up bizarrely and a few spots that looked as if their fur had been forcibly ripped apart, Chi-Woo thought the god looked similar to a wolf¡ªin appearance only, of course. No wolf would be able to rival the enormous presence and power of a god. Most importantly, the wolf god had made a desperate attack at Chi-Woo, but was now staying completely still. ¨CGrowl! The god changed direction and slipped past Chi-Woo¡¯s face, slamming into the ground. Did they purposely miss him? For a moment, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand the situation, but then he saw the wolf¡¯s eye, which looked equal parts dignified and holy. White tears streamed down to display their agony. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Only then did Chi-Woo realize what was happening and what had happened during this fight. When he first met his opponent, he couldn¡¯t find a trace of will in the god¡ªthey were just a machine that followed orders. However, from a certain point during the battle, the god¡¯s condition had changed. After getting hit by Indra¡¯s explosive lightning, the core that the Sernitas implanted in the god surfaced. Moreover, Chi-Woo stopped many of their attacks using his club full of exorcism mana, and both the lightning and his exorcism mana both had purifying effects. The attacks against the god steadily built on top of one another and left serious damage to the Serinitas system; eventually, the god regained a little bit of their consciousness. ¡®Is that why¡­¡¯ The wolf faltered sometimes when they tried to move. This strange behavior was understandable if their mind was confused due to the purification. ¡®Then¡­ So far¡­¡¯ Truthfully, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think he had a high chance of winning¡ª¡¯low¡¯ didn¡¯t even begin to describe his odds. It would be nothing short of a miracle for him to defeat the god. No matter how strong he had gotten, even with his talisman and the support of others, he was still no more than a human who had only started to become a bit like a hero. In other Worlds, it would be virtually impossible to win by skipping to the final boss and facing a corrupted god. If the god had been in their right state, Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t be able to say a single word before meeting his demise. Nevertheless, there was only one reason why their fight had continued. The wolf, who got their mind back, didn¡¯t want to kill Chi-Woo. Instead¡­ ¨CKill¡­me¡­ Chi-Woo¡¯s mind was brought back into reality as he heard a faint cry near his ears. ¨CQuic¡­kly¡­ The wolf god was shaking like crazy as if they were about to lose consciousness again. ¨CI¡­can¡¯t¡­ Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes rolled around. He contemplated what he should do before making his decision. Chi-Woo was not a warrior. To win and survive, he couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity even if it wasn¡¯t fair to the wolf god. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this will comfort you, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I¡¯m planning to restore balance to this world.¡± He gathered all the remaining exorcism mana he had and tightly clutched his club. ¡°And the group that I have to bring balance to includes the faction that turned you into this.¡± Chi-Woo met the wolf¡¯s gaze and saw their eyes curved slightly upwards¡ªas if they were silently imploring him to please carry out his plan. ¡°¡­I hope you find comfort and peace. Please return to Saha and be at peace.¡± Chi-Woo finished his consolation and immediately took action. Rather than earning an honorable victory by fighting fair and square, it was now time to take advantage of an opportunity that would never appear again and end this fight. Chi-Woo went for the fourth swing. He clutched his club as if it was a bat and swung with all his might. Bam! He felt a strong impact as he made contact with the wolf god. Like hitting a bag full of flour, he felt a dim burst of energy from the point of contact. While divinity fluttered all around them, Chi-Woo was able to see the wolf god¡¯s face as they closed their eyes and calmly faced the end of their existence. ¡ªThank you¡­ The large star in the night sky fell to the ground. CH 114 Wing! There came a muffled sound accompanied by vibrations. Wing! Wing! Wing! Tremors spread out in circles like ripples. Flaaaaash! And as they came down, they transformed into a light and covered their surroundings. Like a fire ignited by oil, a giant cluster of light shot forth, and Chi-Woo felt something drop to the ground. It was his club, rolling on the ground; it seemed the bun had reached its limit and dropped the weapon. Chi-Woo¡¯s beating heart also gradually settled, and in turns, the blood circulating through his veins returned to normal. His body that had felt hot enough to explode also cooled, and a sense of exhaustion swept over him. His insides felt completely empty now. Chi-Woo arched his back and reached for the club. When he was just shy of grabbing it, however, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. His hands still felt numb, and his legs no longer listened to him. Chi-Woo barely managed to keep his head up. The brilliant light was still shooting up, and after touching the sky, it poured back down like rain. Chi-Woo let out a small sigh. He had wanted to ensure one more god on their side, but after battling one, he realized how foolish he had been to even consider that. It was simply a miracle that he was still alive¡ªsuch a miracle that he couldn¡¯t ask for anything more. Yes. The important point was that he was alive and well, and he had finished what he promised to do. ¡®Ah, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Chi-Woo lay on the ground, stretched out. As he stared at the night sky, embroidered with lights, a refreshed smile tugged at his lips. He had defeated a god. He must have accumulated an enormous number of merits and more with everything that would come following this success. However, the problem was that there were precious few ways for him to use these merits. Even if he wanted to use the merits for personal causes, there weren¡¯t many options or places to use them. It was like having a lot of money in his bank, but not many places to use it. Of course, he had the option of making another yongmaek and using it for himself, but considering the special privileges he had already gained, he didn¡¯t really want to take this route; should another dangerous and risky battle like this happen again, he wanted to send someone else in his stead to fight. For example, he could send Ru Amuh next time. And to do this, he needed to invest in other people to a certain degree. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ Besides merits, Chi-Woo also hoped for other forms of compensation. After all, he had beaten a god, and Chi-Woo thought a reward would drop for such a deed. ¡®They really need to give me something this time, for real.¡¯ The battle was over, ending in the Sernitas¡¯ complete loss. And above all, the most surprising part about his victory was not that a god had been beaten, but that a ¡®mere human¡¯ had beaten a god in less than half a day. If the witch or Huk Cheong-Ram had fought the god, the battle would have probably dragged on for a couple of weeks, and they would have suffered considerable casualties. It probably never occurred to the Sernitas that their god would be beaten so quickly, either. And since their enemy¡¯s plan was crushed so overwhelmingly, the Abyss would have much more room to act now. However, Evelyn didn¡¯t move or think about that for a while. Things had surpassed her expectations far too much that she felt like she was dreaming¡ªsomething she hadn¡¯t been able to do ever since she fell into Abyss. And it was the same for Huk Cheong-Ram. ¡ªKill him. A hushing whisper rang in Evelyn¡¯s ear more clearly than ever before. ¡ªKill him. Kill him. Although he had looked down on Chi-Woo at first for being human, it seemed Huk Cheong-Ram had realized Chi-Woo¡¯s worth. And knowing that Chi-Woo would be a very tricky and difficult opponent if he became their enemy, Huk Cheong-Ram suggested killing the human now. Despite her knowing this¡­ ¡°No,¡± Evelyn said, ¡°I already struck a deal with him and made a promise. Since he kept his end of the promise, I have to keep mine.¡± ¡ªKill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. ¡°This is my issue. I already told you ¡®no¡¯. Don¡¯t intervene.¡± - Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill. ¡°¡­Huk Cheong-Ram.¡± The witch¡¯s voice became lower and simultaneously, her human-like face gradually crumpled. ¡°Are you telling me¡­¡± Her red pupils shone. ¡ªTelling me to break a witch¡¯s promise? Half of the witch¡¯s face was human while the other had turned into a skull. Huk Cheong-Ram glared to show his displeasure, but the whistling in the wind stopped. Then the black haze slightly backed away before disappearing without a trace. Only then did the witch resume her appearance from the time she was alive. Although her true form had changed after joining the Abyss, since the human seemed to like her appearance from her human days, Evelyn maintained it and fixed her clothing. She walked toward the area where the light still lingered. How much time had passed? Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t have an answer should anyone ask. ¡°¡­Ah¡­?¡± He gasped and got up from his spot, sensing someone coming his way. His condition was still not good. He couldn¡¯t feel many parts of his body, and the areas where he could feel, he felt stinging pain. Above all, his body felt heavy. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m dying¡­¡± Chi-Woo groaned and looked behind him. And soon, one woman walked through the scattering lights. Here came a sensual beauty that would make anyone¡¯s eyes pop wide open: Onorables Evelyn. ¡°Congratulations,¡± Evelyn said as soon as she saw Chi-Woo. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would really win.¡± ¡°¡­Me neither.¡± ¡°You are a child who keeps his promises well. I am very pleased with you,¡± she said. ¡®A child¡¯¡ªconsidering the witch¡¯s age, it was understandable she would address Chi-Woo this way. ¡°Yup I¡¯m a baby, Chichibbong.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and looked around. He quickly changed the topic. ¡°By the way¡­what is going to happen to this place?¡± ¡°Not sure. Perhaps it will become a divine city.¡± ¡°A divine city?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good possibility since so much of a god¡¯s divinity had fallen onto this place. Of course, that will take some time.¡± Chi-Woo licked his lips. He had expected rewards, but it seemed he had only benefited others. Then he felt something chilly pressed to his cheeks. It seemed the bun had regained some of its energy as it was sitting on his shoulder again. ¡°You are also alive¡­¡± ¡°Ppyu-eck!¡± ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± ¡°Pyu¡ªecccck¡ª¡± The bun opened its mouth wide open and made vomiting noises as its body became bumpy. Evelyn stared at it blankly, but soon her eyes opened a fraction wider. ¡°What¡ª?¡± She gasped shrilly. ¡°Blerg! Bleuurgh!¡± The bun wobbled a few times and spit something out of its mouth. It was an object in the shape of a persimmon seed¡ªit was the spirit seed that Evelyn had given to him as an apology. ¡°Pyu!¡± The bun seemed to have recovered after spitting the seed out and was able to make its usual sound. However, the bun still seemed tired, and it seemed as if it didn¡¯t spit the seed out by its own choice. ¡°Why did you suddenly¡­?¡± He was already tired. Chi-Woo complained under his breath and was about to pick up the seed when something caught his eyes. His hand stopped, and his eyes widened at the strange sight in front of him. The streams of light that had been falling in all directions suddenly changed trajectory and headed towards Chi-Woo¡ªor more specifically, towards the seed. Shooooooooo! The seed absorbed the lights like earth absorbing water. It took in not only the lights in the sky, but the lights that had already seeped into the earth. Chi-Woo stared in shock and recalled a piece of memory. [Of course not. You must not know about the spirits of this world at all.] [Try growing it. If you¡¯re lucky, you might get something you really need.] [It¡¯s up to you when, where, and how you plant this seed. But you must give it parts of your body as its nutrients.] [But you must give it parts of your body as its nutrients.] Chi-Woo realized what was happening as he recalled Evelyn¡¯s words. Did the seed use holy energy as its nutrition? But didn¡¯t she tell him that he needed to use parts of his body? On the other hand, holy energy could be used in a myriad of ways, so it wasn¡¯t entirely unthinkable for it to substitute his body parts. Chi-Woo came up with all kinds of theories inside his mind. And while he was thinking, the seed ravenously ate up the wolf god¡¯s holy energy until there was none left. ¡°Bu¡ªrp.¡± The seed even burped at the end of the filling meal. Chi-Woo¡¯s confusion deepened further into flabbergast. ¡®Did a seed just burp? Even though it was just a seed?¡¯ ¡°Hey, you! What did you just do?¡± Chi-Woo tapped the seed several times with his thumb, but it didn¡¯t reply. Instead, it seemed to find Chi-Woo¡¯s pestering bothersome and rolled on the ground by itself, crawling into Chi-Woo¡¯s pocket. It seemed ready for a nap in a safe place after eating to its heart¡¯s content. Chi-Woo was so taken aback that he moved his mouth several times without forming any words. The bun also had its mouth wide open as it looked down at Chi-Woo¡¯s pocket. ¡°Wait, why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°Pyupyu! Pyupyu pyupyu? Pyupyupyupyu!¡± ¡°Hey, you go check it out first. Swallow it and hold onto it for a while.¡± ¡°Pyupyupyu pyupyu. Pyu-pyu-pyu!¡± ¡°Come on, you¡¯re a bag after all.¡± Even though Chi-Woo tried to convince the bun, it strongly opposed Chi-Woo¡¯s suggestion and was firm about not gulping down such a strange and unknown existence. Having no idea what just happened, Chi-Woo turned to the witch for help. However, Evelyn¡¯s reaction was just as, if not more intense than Chi-Woo¡¯s. Unlike her usual self, her eyes and mouth were opened to their widest, and she looked as if she was about to faint. Moreover, she was pointing at Chi-Woo with her index finger. Her intense reaction made Chi-Woo nervous. What was it? Did she want the holy energy for herself, but was shocked that the seed ate it all? What if she wanted it back? However, all of Chi-Woo¡¯s guesses had completely missed the mark. He realized that she hadn¡¯t been staring at the seed; it wasn¡¯t even important to her in the slightest that the seed had absorbed all the holy energy. ¡°Where¡­did¡­you¡­?¡± Evelyn¡¯s thumb was pointing directly at the bun on Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder. Chi-Woo was bewildered as he asked, ¡°This guy? Why?¡± Evelyn made a sound that sounded like a sigh or an admiration. ¡°The original slime¡­¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know too well, either. I¡¯ve only seen it in the records of the mythological era and in writing¡­¡± Then Evelyn shook her head, ¡°No, I can¡¯t believe that there¡¯s still a slime on Liber. If slimes really haven¡¯t gone extinct, the only one left is probably the original slime. It was just something I wondered about, but it really¡­¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand any word coming out of Evelyn¡¯s mouth. He tilted his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t really understand. Is this guy really that great?¡± ¡°¡­It could be anything depending on what it learns,¡± Evelyn quietly muttered with a low voice. ¡°Good and Evil realized its limitless potential and chose the original slime as the ultimate soldier to face the True Neutral¡­¡± As if to affirm Evelyn¡¯s statement, the bun created limbs before folding its arms and crossing its legs. It looked quite arrogant, as if it was showing off how great it was. Chi-Woo gave up on asking any further; he wouldn¡¯t be able to understand anyway. He was also too tired, and he had been feeling extremely drowsy for a while. Even now, he was barely keeping himself upright. He was pretty sure he would fall asleep in 3 seconds if he lay down. The curious look on Evelyn¡¯s face suggested there were a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but she suppressed her curiosity after seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s condition. ¡°Anyway, thanks for keeping your promise. Thanks to you, I was able to keep face.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can be proud of yourself about it. Thanks to you, the Sernitas¡¯ plan got seriously pushed back.¡± ¡°Then, would you now¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll also keep my promise¡ªas soon as I confirm that you keep your other promise.¡± As expected of a witch, Evelyn was very thorough with her calculations. Chi-Woo hoped that the recruits, including Ru Amuh, were successful in taking control over the capital by now. After checking Chi-Woo¡¯s complexion, Evelyn asked with pity, ¡°You¡¯re really tired, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Hop on.¡± The pole moved down between them. Chi-Woo had been anxious that she might just leave him here and go, but fortunately, it seemed she planned to drop him off at the fortress. But even then, he was worried. His hands were also numb, so what if he fell while riding on it? ¡°You can hold onto me.¡± The unexpected reply came when he wondered if he could stay fully awake on the pole. Evelyn sat in the front and turned halfway while adding, ¡°But only my shoulders, and only very slightly. I¡¯ll give you permission to do that much.¡± She had told him that she''d kill him if he held onto her before; after keeping his promise, she now treated him better. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s important to keep promises¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought of Ru Amuh and yawned widely. ¡°Thank you.¡± Then he slammed his face onto Evelyn¡¯s slim back. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean for you to lean on me¡­¡± Evelyn was taken aback and twisted around to stare at Chi-Woo, but fell silent after hearing him snore. Evelyn wondered what she should do. She decided to take flight for now, and while flying the pole, she murmured, ¡°¡­I wonder what¡¯ll happen if I drop you here.¡± It wasn¡¯t so much a grouch; she sounded like she was humming. But of course, she didn¡¯t carry these words into action and instead flew the pole as safely as possible in consideration of the fast asleep Chi-Woo. Was she in a good mood? Evelyn began to hum as if she was singing a lullaby. Chi-Woo moved a bit in his sleep and slowly let out a relaxed breath. It was hard to believe that Evelyn¡¯s soft and warm back belonged to someone who was already dead. CH 115 Ro Yu Jin (???)14-17 minutes 21.07.2022 Around dawn, a woman stood on top of a fortress as the sunlight shone over it. Her usually tied-up jet-black hair was now flowing down to her waist. And instead of the light indigo shift dress she usually wore, she had on a loose one-piece pajama with white lace and frills. It seemed she had come out of her bed after struggling to sleep for a while. Her worried, black eyes had a faraway look. It was Salem Eshnunna. She stood still from her spot for a while. Then she closed her eyes tightly and let out a deep sigh. Not even a day had passed since Chi-Woo left, and he had an incomparably more daunting task than that of the recruits who left before him. Thus, she knew there was no way Chi-Woo would return in just two or three days. Yet she had come out just to make sure¡­ ¡°It¡¯s really not an easy thing to wait without a return date,¡¯ Eshnunna murmured and hung her head low; her eyes naturally followed the motion and cast down as well, and she caught sight of something silverish reflecting the sunlight. Silver hair fluttered back and forth and sideways like fish as a figure moved. After blinking hard a couple of times, Eshnunna realized that the silver haired figure was Hawa, the Shahnaz¡¯s heir. Hawa was running around the fortress while sweating profusely just like how Chi-Woo had done. Hawa seemed to have noticed the gaze upon her and turned to meet Eshnunna¡¯s eyes. But that was all. She didn¡¯t make any provocations like before, but instead shifted her eyes back down and focused on running again. And as Eshnunna watched Hawa¡¯s back become more distant, she began to feel more conflicted. Since Hawa came back with Chi-Woo after everyone thought they were dead, Eshnunna had caught sight of Hawa training herself everywhere she went. Eshnunna didn¡¯t know why, but it seemed Hawa had gained a goal, and that made her almost envious. In normal situations, Eshnunna would have supported the heroes in many ways as a member of the royal family. In today¡¯s Liber, however, her title as the princess had absolutely no meaning, and even the symbolism behind it seemed nonexistent. Thus, she thought she should make herself useful in another way. Eshnunna bit down her bottom lip after she realized that Hawa had become a tiny dot now. ¡°I also¡­¡± One of the fortunate things about their unfortunate situation was that her country had been a garrison state due to their geographical position. Without exception of class, everyone needed to receive basic military training, and as a member of the royal family, Eshnunna had also been trained in basic swordsmanship for some time. Although Eshnunna didn¡¯t especially excel in this field and simply fulfilled the basics of what was expected of her, it was now her time to do something. Eshnunna nodded and turned to change her clothes when¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± She saw a black dot in a clear sky without a speck of cloud, which grew bigger as it flew toward Eshnunna and landed gently onto the castle walls. ¡°Were you already expecting us? How impressive.¡± The witch shifted her arms and carefully hopped down with Chi-Woo sleeping on her back. Eshnunna¡¯s eyes immediately snapped to the mysterious woman; it seemed clear to her this woman was the so-called Witch from the Abyss. Eshnunna¡¯s face suddenly felt hot because of how mature and sensual the woman appeared. ¡°He¡¯s going to have a really hard time when he wakes up. Take care of him well. For you guys, he has done¡­¡± Evelyn lay Chi-Woo on the floor and trailed off when saw Eshnunna stare at her speechlessly. ¡®You¡­¡¯ Evelyn seemed to be silently asking who Eshnunna was with her eyes. Then, with an ¡®Ah¡¯ and a clap, she said, ¡°Nunna.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Yes, he called you Nunna.¡± Eshnunna blinked. Why was this woman leaving out the first part of name, ¡®Esh¡¯? ¡°Hm¡ªI see. You are the one this guy has been talking about,¡± Evelyn nodded and said. ¡°You definitely are pretty, although not as much as me.¡± Eshnunna felt a vein pop in her forehead at these rude words. Although the witch was an exceedingly rare beauty, Eshnunna had never found herself lacking in this department, either. At one point, she gained the nickname as the Treasure of the Salem Kingdom, and there used to be a time when she received endless requests for her hand in marriage. What was this woman saying on their first encounter? ¡°But as expected, there¡¯s not much else to look at. There¡¯s nothing about you that really deserves attention¡­ Why did that guy¡­ Ah? I see, you have some talent in our domain. How interesting. I thought they were all hunted then. Well, makes sense since we tend to self-manifest rather than be born through bloodline. Still, it¡¯s nice to meet a fellow of our kind.¡± The witch asked and answered her own questions. Her words confused Eshnunna, and she didn¡¯t know how she should respond. ¡°How interesting,¡± Evelyn said as she climbed back onto her pole. ¡°If I met you during my time alive, we could¡¯ve been companions. Let¡¯s see each other again soon.¡± Evelyn smiled and took flight, quickly flying far away before disappearing out of view. Eshnunna stood still for a while without doing anything. It almost felt as if someone had popped out all of a sudden and immediately ran away after slapping her cheeks. But when she looked down at the hero lying on the floor, she felt better. She quickly kneeled beside Chi-Woo. ¡®So cold¡­!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s body felt like ice, and his face looked incredibly pale. Because he looked so clearly sick, Eshnunna didn¡¯t even shake him awake to check if he was okay. She immediately supported Chi-Woo down the castle walls. And as she walked, she fell into a deep thought. She didn¡¯t know what had happened, but their hope had returned in less than a day, and the witch¡¯s response seemed positive. This all seemed to mean one thing: that from today onwards, many things would be different for the natives and the recruits for the progress of Liber¡¯s salvation. In the grand scheme of things, it was definitely a good development. However, Eshnunna couldn¡¯t let the urge to celebrate overtake her, as this meant there would be more things to be done, and it wouldn¡¯t be enough for her to just be a guide or help the natives farm. As her community progressed, Eshnunna also needed to progress. Only then would she be able to at least stand by this hero¡¯s side. ¡®I also need to¡­!¡¯ Eshnunna made a new resolution. * * * ¡°You¡¯ll be in charge of the group after we set out. I¡¯m sure someone like you could handle it.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re not leaving with us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be moving separately.¡± ¡°Is there anything else you need to do separately¡­?¡± ¡°There are a lot of things I need to do that I haven¡¯t been able to get to.¡± Even though there were many things that needed to be done, Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t been able to leave this place, but he kept that to himself. After witnessing a strange phenomenon in the sky, Chi-Hyun had made an incredible discovery. ¡®The flow has changed.¡¯ In the beginning, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t know if this event would accelerate Liber¡¯s path towards extinction, or push back the date by a little bit¡ªfortunately, it turned out to be the latter. Chi-Hyun had been unable to change the flow of Liber¡¯s trajectory by even a little no matter what he did. All he could do was delay Liber¡¯s doom. Shockingly, the strange phenomenon had led to an actual shift in the flow of the world, albeit only by a little. Liber was still going into its own destruction, but it was granted a notable reprieve. ¡®I have no idea who did this, but¡­¡¯ They really did a good job. They really, really did a good job. He wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say the future had been turned completely around, but at least they have now given a chance to change Liber¡¯s fate. If it was up to him, Chi-Hyun wanted to immediately go and give the person who caused this a hug, thanking them sincerely and showering them with compliments. However, he couldn¡¯t do this because he finally got the room to act how he wanted so desperately, and he needed to use this time as effectively as possible. In short, he needed to maximize the effect of this event so that this change of flow wouldn¡¯t immediately shift back to extinction, but sustain for a little bit longer. ¡°I¡¯ll be going to a few places. No, I need to go there. After doing that, I¡¯ll join you guys.¡± ¡°Yes, I got it. But where do we need to go?¡± ¡°To the fifth recruits.¡± Chi-Hyun closed his bag and got up, and Noel¡¯s eyes widened. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Towards the north.¡± And with these last words, Chi-Hyun shouldered his backpack and left the room. * * * Those on Liber weren¡¯t the only ones who noticed the strange phenomenon. There was a huge commotion in the Celestial Realm as well. Bam! Raphael was shocked as someone kicked the door open. ¡°Hey, what the hell? Who is it? Who dares¡­?¡± Raphael¡¯s expression grew softer as she saw the angel who kicked the door open steady her rough breathing. ¡°What is it? It¡¯s unexpected of you to¡­¡± ¡°The prophecy, prophecy has¡­ No, wait.¡± The angel who had kicked the door open was no other than Laguel, who had returned to her post as an angel thanks to Raphael¡¯s help. Laguel stopped mid-sentence and took out a piece of paper. ¡°What could it be that you¡¯re in such a hurry?¡± Raphael, who knew it was uncharacteristic for Laguel to act this way, grabbed the paper that Laguel gave her. After a while¡­ ¡°¡­What?!¡± A shrill sound came out of Raphael¡¯s mouth. What was written on the piece of paper was nothing but guidelines for the eight recruitment by the prophecy. Raphael thought this was perfect timing, as she had been thinking that they should start sending the eighth recruits. However, what caught her off guard was the criteria the prophecy set. It was an open secret, but the conditions for the recruits entering Liber had increasingly gotten worse. From the first recruitment to the seventh recruitment, there hadn¡¯t been a single exception. However, for the first time, the conditions had gotten better. ¡°If he managed to change so much¡­!¡± The serious look on Raphael¡¯s face as she read the note brightened once she got to the end. What mattered the most was that the conditions had gotten better than before, which meant there was now a greater chance for Liber to be saved. If they spread this news, they would be able to bring in more skilled heroes who had been hesitating to volunteer. They might even be able to send out a hero from the eleventh hero family out of the twelve hero families to Liber. ¡°As expected, my choice was correct.¡± Raphael didn¡¯t even need to ask why the situation had gotten better on Liber. She smiled with satisfaction as she thought of one particular member of the seventh recruits. ¡°What a clear effect!¡± * * * ¡°Water¡­water¡­¡± Chi-Woo felt as if his neck was burning. Then he felt something cold touch his lips. When he opened his mouth, he felt a cool and clear liquid flow down and wet his throat. Gulp, gulp. He frantically drank the water, and a sour smell hovered around his mouth. When he cracked his eyes open, his gaze came into focus on a woman looking down at him. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna¡­.?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. You¡¯ve finally gained consciousness,¡± Eshnunna said calmly as she carefully wiped his face with a towel. It felt really nice to be wiped with a cold towel. As the dizziness subsided, Chi-Woo regained his clarity and looked around. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Was there a place like this in the fortress? The room was large and clean to the extent that it could be described as extravagant. Even though it was slightly empty, it looked like a room of a medieval European noble. Chi-Woo spoke with a very raspy voice, ¡°This is¡­¡± Eshnunna replied, ¡°This is my bedroom.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the room that I used when I was a princess. Well, let¡¯s talk about this later.¡± She dismissed it like it was trivial before asking, ¡°Would you like more water?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s throat was still burning, so he didn¡¯t refuse. When Eshnunna gave him another bottle full of water, he quickly accepted it and gulped it down in one shot. His eyes widened. He had thought it was just water, but he also tasted a fruit. It was like drinking lemonade. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t imagined that he''d ever be able to drink something like this in this world, so he smacked his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°You can look forward to the meal as well.¡± Eshnunna seemed pleased by Chi-Woo¡¯s dazed expression and made a slight smile. ¡°We¡¯ll show you a variety of flavors with different sauces.¡± Chi-Woo made an exclamation of joy at Eshnunna¡¯s words. ¡°Sauce? There¡¯s sauce in this world?¡± Eshnunna paused. She stiffly turned her head back and frowned. She looked disgruntled, like Chi-Woo had offended her. And she sounded angry when she said, ¡°Do you think we¡¯re some ancient barbarians?¡± Chi-Woo finally realized his mistake and quickly apologized. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s just that we hadn¡¯t eaten anything like that¡­¡± ¡°I know. But even then¡­¡± Eshnunna narrowed her eyes and gave him another water bottle because Chi-Woo¡¯s ripped and torn lips looked pitiful. Chi-Woo coughed awkwardly and while turning the bottle cap, he carefully moved to sit on the edge of Eshnunna¡¯s bed. ¡°I know you just woke up but¡­there¡¯s something I¡¯m really curious about,¡± said Eshnunna. Chi-Woo tilted the water bottle and nodded. Since he was in Eshnunna¡¯s room when she was a princess, he was probably in the capital. In other words, the other recruits had successfully gained control of the capital, and he was probably transferred here while he was unconscious. ¡®Did I faint for that long¡­ ¡® Since his surroundings had suddenly changed so much, there were many things he was curious about. Eshnunna probably had a lot to ask him as well¡ªquestions like how he defeated the god and so on. Thus, Chi-Woo tilted his chin while drinking his water, silently telling her to talk first. Eshnunna immediately asked, ¡°What is nunna?¡± ¡°Ack.¡± It was a tongue-biting question. Chi-Woo was taken aback and coughed after spitting out water. When he finally recovered, his body was covered in water mixed with his spit. He tightly squeezed his eyes shut before opening them to see Eshnunna quietly suppress her anger. Chi-Woo managed to say, ¡°How did you¡­ No, first of all, I apolo¡­¡± Eshnunna took a deep breath and calmly wiped her wet face with a cloth. Even though there was an unexpected mishap, she wasn¡¯t really angry at him; she had received too much from him to get angry about such a little thing. Moreover, except for one minor worry, she had been feeling as if she was in a dream these past days. And when Chi-Woo woke up, that one worry had completely disappeared. Thus, she felt more happiness and joy for seeing him than anger, but it didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t going to at least say a word or two to tell him off. ¡°You really are¡­too much.¡± CH 116 Ro Yu Jin (???)15-18 minutes 22.07.2022 After some time, Eshnunna told everyone that Chi-Woo was awake. Since she didn¡¯t feel comfortable saying Chichibbong, she simply said, ¡®He opened his eyes.¡¯ Fortunately, everyone understood instantly what Eshnunna meant. And not long after Eshnunna left, Zelit came to visit Chi-Woo while he was circling his exorcism mana lying down. ¡°Are you finally awake? We worried about you a lot.¡± ¡°I have caused unnecessary worries. I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. Really thank goodness.¡± Zelit dragged one chair closer and smirked while looking at Chi-Woo. ¡°You look like you have a lot of questions to ask,¡± Chi-Woo said in slight surprise while looking at Zelit. Zelit had once been hopelessly stuck in his room, but it seemed he had regained his full vigor. ¡°What about the others?¡± ¡°If you are talking about Ru Amuh, Ru Hiana, and Allen Leonard¡­unfortunately, they are no longer here.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Woo gasped, thinking that Zelit was saying that they had all died in the process of trying to capture the capital. ¡°Because they left for the South.¡± Zelit winked and calmed Chi-Woo down. Chi-Woo snorted as Zelit chuckled. ¡°So, you can joke too?¡± ¡°Haha. Let me tell you what happened¡­¡± Then, Zelit began to slowly explain everything that had happened until now. The recruits, who had left the fortress before Chi-Woo, circled around the border like they had planned to and defeated a group of evolved mutants. They fought all mutants at sight and, after they judged that they had gained enough experience, they moved to the capital. The heroes who had benefited from the yongmaek gained a huge confidence boost, and even though their ranks were still F, they displayed fighting skills incomparable to that of their previous selves. In fact, they suffered some injuries but no casualty; they wholeheartedly believed that they were ready to capture the capital. ¡°But we didn¡¯t realize how difficult that would be.¡± Zelit licked his lips. ¡°Those guys had more intelligence than we thought.¡± First of all, there were more evolved mutants than they had expected. Even though many of them must have left, there were still over hundreds of them in the capital. And as soon as these mutants sighted the recruits, they had run wildly toward them. However, the fight was still doable because Ru Amuh blocked well from the front, and Allen Leonard displayed fearsome battling skills from behind. Surprised by the strength of the recruits, who they had regarded as tasty treats, the mutants changed their strategy. They ran back behind the castle walls and locked themselves in. It was then the problem arose. The mutants who could attack from a distance continued to attack, and those who couldn¡¯t broke parts off the structures nearby and threw the debris from atop the castle walls. Caught off guard, the recruits had no choice but to retreat. It was common knowledge that when two forces of similar powers fought, the side on the defensive held the advantage. It would have been even preferable if the mutants had fought them head-on instead. Thus, the recruits, who also lacked in numbers, couldn¡¯t hastily approach; if they made even one wrong move, they would be annihilated before they could go past the castle walls. And as they entered a gridlock, Zelit came up with a scheme: to attack an unexpected area while their enemies were distracted. The capital wasn¡¯t as well-protected as a fortress, and it was bigger in size. Even if there were hundreds of them, it was impossible for the mutants to safely protect the wall in all directions. With that as his foundation, Zelit divided the recruits into two groups: one with the majority of the recruits and the other with the rest. As the majority approached one side of the wall and pretended to attack, the smaller group made up of their most skilled members would surmount the castle walls using the darkness of the night as their cover. ¡°The thing was, I happened to find a part of the castle wall that was broken. It still wasn¡¯t an easy height to jump over, but we succeeded in penetrating.¡± Zelit smiled as he reached the part about his achievements. Truthfully, Zelit¡¯s plan was also a dangerous one, and if things turned out wrong, their small numbers could have dwindled into zero. But one hero had shone brighter than the rest. In charge of the smaller infiltration team, Ru Amuh sensed the presence of a group of mutants before they could reach them and dealt with dozens of mutants by himself. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but admire Ru Amuh¡¯s skills. Since he had experience fighting the mutants at the Evalaya mountain, he knew how impossible the task of dealing with dozens of mutants at once was. And while Ru Amuh struggled with these mutants, the infiltration team succeeded in opening the gates and was quickly joined by the main unit. ¡°It really was a bloody battle. So bloody we couldn¡¯t tell foe from friend¡­but of course, I¡¯m sure it couldn¡¯t compare to yours.¡± Zelit smiled wryly. After a long night of battle, victory came to the recruits. It was largely thanks to Ru Amuh¡¯s ardent efforts, which everyone agreed on. ¡°But Ru Amuh simply said that it¡¯s thanks to his teacher that the remaining recruits and him could live and see the sun rise.¡± And this was also true to some degree. No matter how outstanding Ru Amuh was, he had his limitations. After all, it was Chi-Woo who set the foundation that allowed Ru Amuh to really display his skills. Zelit had realized this after experiencing it first-hand. What would have happened if Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t considered everyone¡¯s opinions and didn¡¯t create the yongmaek? Everyone would have been wiped out in this plan to capture the capital. It was because everyone had recovered a bit of their original powers that they were able to stand against the evolved mutants and buy some time. And thus, Ru Amuh gained the support to drag his team to victory. ¡°What happened after that?¡± Truthfully, Chi-Woo was most curious about what happened during the time he was asleep and how he was now transferred to the capital. ¡°Well, I suppose you won¡¯t have any memories of it.¡± Zelit nodded, and Chi-Woo began to feel slightly anxious. ¡°According to the princess, you were in a serious condition several days after your return,¡± Zelit continued. They were all happy that Chi-Woo had returned safely, but when they heard the state he was in, they were distressed. ¡°You were basically in a coma. And your body kept getting warmer and colder hundreds of times over and over again, and each time, you would writhe in pain¡­ It didn¡¯t appear to be a simple fever.¡± Zelit added that Chi-Woo had basically come back from the dead. And since they didn¡¯t really have much to do in the fortress, they decided to move Chi-Woo to the capital. But even after they transferred him, and they did all they could do to search for a remedy that could heal Chi-Woo, they failed to find anything. It was then the witch came. The witch informed them that since the recruits kept their promise, she would complete her side of the promise too and left. This was an opportunity for them to go to the central region. Perhaps there would be a method to heal Chi-Woo there. It would be better than simply praying for Chi-Woo to get better. And thus, Ru Amuh took with him Ru Hiana, Allen Leonard, and several members of the fifth recruits who would be their guide and headed south. ¡°Well, that ended up being pointless now that you are awake,¡± Zelit said. After Ru Amuh¡¯s new team left, Chi-Woo¡¯s condition miraculously improved, and his body looked to be healing itself. ¡®It¡¯s thanks to my Divine Blood,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought after hearing this. He probably had suffered from a serious illness, but his recovery period had been cut short thanks to his ability. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Who knows? If we can trust the witch, she is probably wandering around the demon empire. Since Ru Amuh said they will take the shortest path, they would probably arrive at the central region in a few days.¡± Chi-Woo was a bit disappointed. The central region was where his brother was. ¡®I also want to go¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered what type of expression his brother would make if he went and saw Chi-Hyun. Wouldn¡¯t he be really shocked? ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit late, but we don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen; maybe I can¡­¡± Chi-Woo attempted to persuade Zelit again but soon gave up. Zelit angrily yelled at him by reminding Chi-Woo that he had just woken up, and there was no need for him to go when the others had already left. ¡°No, you can¡¯t go. I¡¯m completely against it. But if you still want to go, it will be over my dead body.¡± Based on his intense reaction, it seemed like Zelit had PTSD about sending Chi-Woo to the Evelaya Mountain. ¡°All right, I got it. I¡¯ll wait patiently here.¡± Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to persuade Zelit in the end and decided to take care of his body instead. He wasn¡¯t too disappointed because he could easily surprise his brother here as well. ¡®Now that I think about it, I wonder how many snacks I have left¡­¡¯ While Chi-Woo looked around for his bag, Zelit made a couple of polite coughs. ¡°It¡¯s now your turn to tell us your story.¡± ¡°My story?¡± ¡°You just faced a god. How did you do it? Honestly, it¡¯s still hard for me to believe that you came back alive.¡± Zelit¡¯s eyes were shining with excitement. Chi-Woo softly smiled. ¡°I just gave them one punch, and they immediately died.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a joke. Haha.¡± Chi-Woo laughed and let out a deep sigh. ¡°I was just¡­¡± He scratched his head. After a stretch of silence, he continued with a thin smile. ¡°Lucky. Nothing really much other than that.¡± He had really been lucky; he couldn¡¯t think of any other explanation. If he didn¡¯t have his talisman, if he wasn¡¯t able to endure the beam of light, or if the god who had regained consciousness for a little bit didn¡¯t want to end its existence¡ªif any one of these factors had gone awry, Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t be alive right now. ¡°¡­Yeah. Is that so.¡± Zelit didn¡¯t push further. With his keen senses, he could make an educated guess of what Chi-Woo had gone through based on the statement that ¡®he was just lucky¡¯. Even though Zelit was a survivor who had gone through his fair share of intense fights, it was probably incomparable to what Chi-Woo had just experienced. However, there was one question he really wanted to hear the answer to. ¡°Then perhaps, the plan to draw that god to our side¡­¡± ¡°Ah, about that.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression was unreadable. All of the wolf god¡¯s holy energy had been absorbed into the spirit seed. However, he wasn¡¯t sure what would come out of it. ¡°Well, first of all¡­it doesn¡¯t seem like that plan worked out well. I¡¯m sorry if you were hopeful about that.¡± ¡°Not at all! Don¡¯t apologize to me. Even if you ran away and returned here, there is no one here who would insult you.¡± As Zelit said, regardless of what happened, Chi-Woo had really accomplished an amazing feat. In a way, he had basically defeated a final boss even before the game tutorial was over. Since he accomplished such an amazing feat, it was natural for Chi-Woo to expect a reward that was way above what was given to beginners. Moreover, Chi-Woo was instrumental in helping them unite with the past hero recruits. It was something that no one could dare hope for, but Chi-Woo had done it. ¡°Do you have any specific plans in mind for the future?¡± After increasing their strength by increasing their number, Zelit was extremely curious about what Chi-Woo was planning to do. Chi-Woo replied without much thought, ¡°To start, I want to rest.¡± He didn¡¯t mean much by this. Since he had just overcome an enormous fight, he wanted to focus on healing until he fully recovered. However, Zelit took Chi-Woo¡¯s words in a slightly different light, and his face darkened. ¡®I mean¡­his body was originally in poor condition.¡¯ Zelit believed that Chi-Woo had used forbidden spells that cut off his lifespan in exchange for power. Even though he heard that Chi-Woo had made a contract with a god, there was a high chance that he had used the same spells again to face a god this time. That might have also been the reason why Chi-Woo had felt uncomfortable about explaining his fight with the god in detail. ¡®I can¡¯t let this continue. Even though he¡¯s been successful, he¡¯s been doing it while cutting his own lifespan. I need to awaken the growth system¡¯s functions as fast as possible¡ªso that at least the burden on this hero¡¯s shoulders will lessen.¡¯ While thinking of matters that Chi-Woo would welcome with open arms, Zelit hid his concerns and said, ¡°Yes, you should rest first. I was in too much of a hurry. You¡¯ve just woken up. I apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. They¡¯re concerns we need to address.¡± A short silence passed between them. Zelit stared at the bemused Chi-Woo. He wondered what the hero in front of him was thinking. What kind of shocking plan was he coming up with again? He was curious but didn¡¯t ask further. When it was time, he was sure that Chi-Woo would tell him. Zelit got up from his seat and walked slowly to the window. He looked back at Chi-Woo, who was still deep in thought, and said, ¡°Do you want to see for yourself?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡®Ah, I¡¯m hungry.¡¯ ¡®When are they going to give me food.¡¯ ¡®I want to eat chicken.¡¯ Chi-Woo replied a few seconds later because he was busy thinking these thoughts. ¡°The results of your achievement.¡± Zelit tilted his head towards the window outside. ¡°It¡¯s not mine, but ours,¡± Chi-Woo replied monotonously and carefully stood up. He didn¡¯t have any strength in his body, but he managed to inch his way to Zelit. ¡°Look at it.¡± Zelit fully opened the window, and cool wind flowed in. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes slightly widened at the sight in front of him. Then, after a while, a happy smile appeared on his face. * * * ¡°How much longer do we have left?¡± ¡°With our current speed, we¡¯ll be able to reach it around¡ªtomorrow!¡± About four or five people were running through the canyon. The fifth recruit who replied to Ru Amuh¡¯s question looked extremely pale and fatigued; judging by the hero¡¯s rough breathing, they seemed extremely tired. However, the fifth recruit felt uncomfortable about suggesting to rest since Ru Amuh seemed to be in a great hurry. Ru Amuh had been running without turning back even once, but raised his eyebrows suddenly. Even though he planned to maintain their current speed as much as possible until they reached their destination, something was making him slow down with his synesthesia. There were more than tens or hundreds of presences; even if he was to make a conservative guess, he would say there were at least thousands of individuals heading in his direction. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Considering their current situation, if thousands of beings were moving at once, one of the four major factions was probably moving their soldiers. The Abyss was going to only pretend to attack, so it was unlikely for them to come all the way here. Then, there was a high possibility that it was the Demon Empire. ¡®No way. Why here of all places¡­¡¯ Since Ru Amuh and his team had almost reached their destination, he naturally thought of the worst-case scenario. In the end, Ru Amuh and his companions stopped. No matter how much of a hurry he was in, Ru Amuh judged that it was best to first check out the situation. He scaled the canyon and mapped out an escape route as he stared at a particular location with his head peeking slightly out. After a moment, he was able to see it¡ªa long procession approaching them from a distance. Ru Amuh tried to gauge their identity as he looked down at them with anxiety. ¡°¡­Uh?¡± When the procession got close enough for him to get a good look, his eyes widened. CH 117 Ro Yu Jin (???)12-16 minutes 23.07.2022 Noel Freya stopped abruptly at the front of the group. She felt several presences approaching her, but she quickly relaxed her guard again when she saw who they were. There were a few people coming down the canyon, and they had their hands raised to show that they had no intention to fight; among the group, she even saw two familiar faces. ¡°You all are¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. I came as part of the fifth recruit. You remember me, right?¡± As the fifth recruit who had been their guide appeared, the procession became disorderly. Noel Freya was surprised, and Ru Amuh was likewise surprised. He thought the previous recruits would only set out after a couple of weeks, but it turned out they were already on their way to the capital. That should be impossible without knowing the situation in the north beforehand. ¡°I see¡­¡± After hearing a simple explanation, Noel Freya nodded. ¡°From what you told us¡­ His predictions had been exact. I¡¯m glad I listened to you.¡± Noel Freya smiled, and Ru Amuh tilted his head in wonder. ¡®He?¡¯ * * * When Chi-Woo saw the capital, the first thing that came to his mind was that it was spacious. It looked like a place where humans could live, and if only they had people bustling in it, it would¡¯ve been perfect. It suddenly dawned on him now that he was in another world, and he was hit with an unfamiliar feeling. When they first got out of the forest, they had been forced to turn away even though the capital was right in front of them. Though it took them quite some time, they eventually succeeded in getting to this place. While thinking this, Chi-Woo went outside, intending on choosing a house for himself while wandering around. ¡®From now on, this place will be where we will design new dreams and futures.¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. The streets were cleaner than he had expected them to be, but in no way exceeded their expectations; corpses of their companions and monsters had simply been removed, and cleaning the place up still seemed like such a daunting task that one wouldn¡¯t know where to even start¡ªespecially the areas that showed signs of a long period of abandonment and lack of human care. Chi-Woo supposed the condition of this place would get better once the previous recruits joined them. From what he heard, the total count of heroes exceeded much more than 2,000, and the natives amounted to around 10,000. These numbers excited Chi-Woo. ¡°How nice.¡± Though it still felt quite empty now, Chi-Woo could sense positive energy from everyone he passed by. Heroes and natives alike were bursting with joy. They were all happy that they had left the fortress, which reminded them of a chicken range and arrived at a place more suitable for human living. ¡®It makes you think people are really fickle creatures.¡¯ When they arrived at the fortress from the forest, they felt like they had the whole world in their hands. But soon, they found the fortress to be too small. Now that they were in the capital, they felt the same feeling they had felt on the first day at the fortress. But Chi-Woo was pleased by this progression¡ªalthough it seemed like an impossible task to fill up this gigantic place, perhaps there would come a time when they began to think the place was too small for them and moved out again. Of course, this scenario was probably far off in the future, but one could dream. Yes, dreaming was more important than everything else. It would give him motivation and hope to live for the future. It was different from the time they were at the fortress. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have a shred of desire to waste all the things he gained on his way to the capital. He would use them as fuel to make a furnace that would not be easily extinguished. A smile stretched his lips outwards as he imagined his future. At that moment, a couple of wandering recruits sighted Chi-Woo. ¡°Huh? Are you better now, sir?¡± ¡°Hello, sir.¡± The recruits bowed politely. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all better now. Hello.¡± Except for heroes like Choi Chi-Hyun, it was rare for heroes to greet other heroes with such politeness. After all, they had strong pride as heroes who had also saved at least a World themselves. Like Allen Leonard had said, Chi-Woo¡¯s rank had been established among the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits. Chi-Woo was so highly respected that even if Chi-Hyun came to claim a leadership position, they might consider Chi-Woo as another possible candidate. This was truly an astonishing feat considering all the legends that were attached to Chi-Hyun¡¯s name; and as Chi-Woo and the recruits continued to exchange greetings, they heard a familiar voice. ¡°Hey, bro!¡± After turning in the direction of the noise, Chi-Woo was taken aback to see Eval Sevaru waving his hand brightly at him. ¡°What? You are still alive?¡± Chi-Woo said, unable to hide his surprise. ¡°How are you feel¡ªhuh? What? Did you think I died or something?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see you for a long time, so¡­¡± ¡°Hey¡­ Come on, man. You are bumming me out. We went through all kinds of ups and downs together.¡± ¡®Ups and downs?¡¯ It would have been more convincing if Ru Amuh had said these words; it didn¡¯t seem to mean much coming from Eval Sevaru. But of course, Chi-Woo was still grateful for the time Eval had stepped forward when they had a conflict with the sixth recruits. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°Me? Well, I have been at the fortress. Unfortunately, the yongmaek you created for us didn¡¯t have much of an effect on me. Hm. Come on, you¡¯re making me a bit embarrassed now.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo scanned Eval from afar. Now that he thought about it, it was strange. Eval was easy to spot when the situation was comparatively safer, but he was nowhere to be found when something dangerous happened. It was the same in the forest, the fortress, and even at the capital. ¡®Perhaps.¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at Eval in sudden realization. Perhaps this hero was sort of a safety indicator. If Chi-Woo could spot him, it meant the situation was good; if Eval was nowhere to be found, the situation would soon turn bad. ¡®Could his existence be some kind of an alarm?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m glad I found you. I was planning to pay you a visit.¡± Eval fake coughed as Chi-Woo simply stared at him, and then he searched his pockets. ¡°You were looking for me? Why?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything and just take this.¡± Eval grasped Chi-Woo¡¯s hand and suddenly placed a pouch on top of it. It felt quite heavy. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What could it be but money? Just in case, I also put in some valuables.¡± Eval scratched his nose and laughed. ¡°I took them while looking around the houses. I emptied them all of valuables.¡± ¡°You just took them?¡± ¡°Yeah. They are ownerless goods anyways. Why? Does it go against your morals?¡± ¡°Not only that¡­ Aren¡¯t they pretty useless?¡± ¡°How can you say that they are useless?¡± Eval said, astounded. ¡°Bro, listen to me. Didn¡¯t you hear what the fifth recruits have been saying? The previous recruits are going to come here.¡± Chi-Woo then recalled how Zelit told him that the economy was still alive in the central region. ¡°Of course, the value of money has exponentially fallen since bartering is rampant. But the important thing is that money hasn¡¯t completely lost its worth.¡± Eval Sevaru seemed to find enjoyment in teaching Chi-Woo as he continued passionately, ¡°Bro, remember this. Since currency is still being used, money can also be a form of power. You know what they say about the power of wealth.¡± ¡°Yes. Well, I guess that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Things are really going to change around here. So much that the times we had to eat hardened mud will be merely an old tale. That¡¯s why we have to prepare for the future like this. You understand?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. While confusing, Eval¡¯s words did seem to make sense. ¡°The capital is really great. There are still a lot of places to raid, so you should take your time looking around, bro. Try going to the expensive places first. Ah, I almost forgot. You didn¡¯t get a house yet, right?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Want me to look around with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. What about you, Mr. Eval Sevaru?¡± ¡°I already got my own place. Honestly, I don¡¯t like my place too much, but the location is pretty good.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from here¡ªto there.¡± Eval Sevaru drew a long line before him with his thumb. Chi-Woo was flabbergasted; Eval Sevaru was not just pointing at one building, but a whole block. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m going to take control of a lot of areas with the inn at its center.¡± Eval Sevaru made a self-satisfied smile as if he felt full just looking at his property. Chi-Woo shook his head. However, he didn¡¯t forget to make a mental note to be watchful of this hero in the future. * * * Chi-Woo¡¯s life didn¡¯t change much since he arrived at the capital. His daily routines were similar to when he was at the fortress. He ate well, slept well, and rested well. His other tasks involved picking a suitable house to stay in and cleaning it. And of course, he didn¡¯t forget to train. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t listen even though Eshnunna was worried and told him to rest since his body was not fully recovered. Now that he thought about it, after making a firm resolve to get stronger, he had never gone a single day without training unless it absolutely couldn¡¯t be helped. Like eating food and breathing, training had become a natural part of his life. While running along the capital¡¯s wall at daybreak, he suddenly heard an alarm. He tapped on his left wrist to turn on his device. He¡¯d received a message. The message asked him if he was awake, and if he saw this message, please reply as fast as possible since they were around Shahnaz¡¯s vicinity. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. Ru Hiana and the others must be really close by if he could receive the message. ¡®Already?¡¯ Zelit had told him that it¡¯d take them at least 1 to 2 weeks to come back and possibly more. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what had happened, but his heart began beating fast. Chi-Hyun¡ªhe would soon see his brother. Chi-Woo became very excited, but he forced his fiercely beating heart to calm down and decided to finish his exercise first. Then he sent a message back to Ru Hiana. Chi-Woo was about to return inside and share the news but soon realized that this was unnecessary. Zelit was running towards him in a hurry from far away. * * * Chi-Woo waited. The sun had fully risen. Chi-Woo had already exchanged several messages with Ru Hiana, and he was too anxious to stand still. He already messaged Ru Hiana if she¡¯d seen Choi Chi-Hyun. The reply he got was, ¡®No. Why?¡¯ Why hadn¡¯t she spotted him? Was his brother such a special and high-ranking hero here that he wouldn¡¯t even meet her? Even though he was a cold person, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think his brother had such an annoying personality. All kinds of thoughts passed his head. He thought about asking one more time but ultimately decided against it. According to Ru Amuh, Ru Hiana had keen senses and was very quick to catch on to things. Rather than making her suspicious, it was better to wait here quietly for his brother since they were already close by. As if to respond to Chi-Woo¡¯s wishes, people gathered at the gate began making a commotion. He even heard people saying that they could see the recruits. Soon, Chi-Woo anxiously climbed up the city wall. Then he saw it¡ªa large group approaching from far away. As the outline of the group gradually became clearer and clearer, he was finally able to get a good look. The procession seemed to span about ten thousand feet. The fact that so many people were moving at once in this world and arriving safely was basically a miracle itself. Chi-Woo thanked the witch inwardly and waited with a thumping heart. Then the procession passed through the city gate. There was a small cheer, and several people clapped. Since there were only about one hundred of them on his side, the welcoming ceremony was too small to be called one, but regardless of their number, the heroes and natives sincerely welcomed the newcomers. Since they had been living like members in a small village, it was both strange and novel to take so many people into their fold at once. Chi-Woo also clapped, all the while scanning the newcomers carefully. However, he didn¡¯t find what he wanted¡ªno matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t see a trace of his brother. ¡®Is he in the far back¡­¡¯ His thought was interrupted when he saw a pair of familiar faces. ¡°Senior!¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± Ru Hiana and Ru Amuh found Chi-Woo first and approached him. Since they had already exchanged multiple messages and made a fuss, he only exchanged a brief greeting with them. Then, after this, Ru Hiana brought up an unexpected topic. ¡°By the way, senior, if it¡¯s alright with you, do you have some time to spare?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s alright with me. What is it?¡± ¡°The guide of the central region wants to see you. She wants to see you and share a short greeting.¡± Guide¡ªChi-Woo¡¯s ears immediately perked up. Since she had been guiding such a large number of people, she was probably high up in status. Perhaps she might even be connected to his brother. ¡°But she¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I should definitely go. I¡¯ll go immediately.¡± Ru Hiana was about to say something, but Chi-Woo had already left. CH 118 Ro Yu Jin (???)14-18 minutes 26.07.2022 Legends were made, not birthed. Myths weren¡¯t created, but fulfilled, and history was written for those who began both legends and myths. The union between the first, second, third, and fourth recruits from the central region and the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits in the northern region was definitely an event worthy of being recorded in history. They had basically achieved what was thought to be impossible¡ªso unthinkable that it made even a legendary hero like Choi Chi-Hyun surprised. Thus, Noel Freya, who always revered Choi Chi-Hyun above all, had been wondering about the person behind these record-worthy events; now that she was finally face to face with this person, she looked very closely. ¡°Hello,¡± Chi-Woo said politely with his head lowered. ¡°Thank you for coming all this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I heard that you wanted to see me. You¡¯re here on behalf of the central region¡¯s leader¡­?¡± Chi-Woo trailed off since Noel had been staring at him blankly. Then she blinked furiously like she was recovering from shock. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Noel realized her mistake a bit too late and quickly shook her head. She still looked flustered, but she regained her composure and spoke again, ¡°Please excuse my behavior just now. I am Noel Freya from the second recruits.¡± She had a pious voice that immediately gave her a holy impression, and Chi-Woo bowed his head to this lady with ivory hair again. Even though Chi-Woo knew it was only right for him to introduce himself too, he held back. He thought if he said, ¡®I am Chichibbong from the seventh recruits¡¯, it would make him seem ridiculous. But soon, Noel Freya continued. ¡°I heard from Ms. Ru Hiana that you are from the seventh recruits, Mr. Chichibbong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s right.¡± Chi-Woo cried inwardly, ¡®Damn it. It has already spread.¡¯ ¡°You have done an enormous deed for Liber. Although I¡¯m only a temporary leader right now, I want to express my deepest gratitude to you, Mr. Chichibbong, as well as your companions,¡± Noel said sincerely. ¡®She is quite the person,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, secretly admiring her for not laughing the slightest while saying the name Chichibbong. ¡°You flattered me. It¡¯s not even as if I did it all by myself.¡± Hearing this, Noel smiled slightly. She already heard about what had happened in the northern region from those she met on her way to the capital. The hero named Ru Hiana, especially, talked about Chi-Woo so profusely that it seemed she had been trying to compete with Noel on how much she could talk about Chi-Hyun. And if there wasn¡¯t an ounce of an exaggeration to what Ru Hiana had told her, it seemed Chi-Woo had basically single-handedly accomplished all the feats achieved in the northern region. ¡°You¡¯re so humble,¡± Noel continued while smiling, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about if everything I heard is true.¡± As Noel emphasized the ¡®truth¡¯ of the news she heard, Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes opened slightly wider. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t doubt your accomplishments. I think it¡¯s fine even if you boast about them. After all, even our leader was very happy to hear about your deeds.¡± ¡°Leader?¡± ¡°Do you not know the legends? I¡¯m talking about Sir Choi Chi-Hyun.¡± There was pride in Noel¡¯s voice. Chi-Woo saw this as an opportunity. He had been wondering how he could naturally bring the topic of his brother up, but thankfully, Noel brought up Chi-Hyun first. ¡°There¡¯s no way I don¡¯t know. Of course, I know of him,¡± Chi-Woo replied and slyly added, ¡°Where is he right now¡­?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t come with us.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Chi-Woo let out a sigh without meaning to. He had thought he would finally meet his brother, but no wonder Chi-Woo didn¡¯t see him anywhere; Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t even come! Chi-Woo squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. By then, Noel was looking at him in confusion. Even though Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reveal his connection with his brother, he looked too regretful for her not to notice. ¡°Ah¡­it¡¯s just that I wanted to meet him at least once as a fellow hero¡­¡± Chi-Woo laughed while scratching his head. His excuse seemed to work, though, and Noel nodded at him while smiling. After all, it wasn¡¯t strange for a hero to admire Chi-Hyun; it was almost expected. ¡°In a way, it¡¯s because of you that he didn¡¯t come,¡± Noel said. ¡°Because of me?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned wide. ¡°Because of your impressive feat, he gained the ease to go out on his own. Right now, he¡¯s probably doing something that we couldn¡¯t even dare to attempt for Liber¡¯s salvation.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a deep meaning behind Sir Chi-Hyun¡¯s words and actions. I understand how you feel, but please have faith and wait. He said he would visit a couple of places by himself and join us. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡± Chi-Woo looked at Noel, a bit taken aback. When Noel talked about his brother, she sounded like she was filled with admiration, awe, and absolute trust. What was her relationship with his brother? Was it similar to that of Giant Fist or Mua Janya? Did she know those two even though they were gone now? Chi-Woo wondered about all that, but thought it wiser to voice the questions next time with the long procession entering the city. ¡°If it¡¯s fine with you, may I leave to complete the mission Sir Chi-Hyun requested me to do? I wish to converse with you a bit longer, but I think I need to lead the procession first.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Do you need any help?¡± ¡°Thank you for offering, but it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll make sure to ask you if I need something.¡± And thus, the conversation ended. Noel bowed slightly to Chi-Woo before going past him and continuing marching. This was Chi-Woo¡¯s first meeting with a hero who was close to his brother. He studied Noel closely as she called forth several heroes and gave orders. * * * That afternoon¨Cafter welcoming the newcomers, a tired but warm atmosphere filled the capital city. The city was quiet even though more than 10,000 new members had joined because most had fallen asleep from the fatigue of their long travel. And on such a monumental day, there were several gathered in Chi-Woo¡¯s new house. ¡°If itz fwine with you, I want two fwinish that mission Sir Chi-Hyun gave me and shit. Gosh. What a load of bullshit.¡± Eval Sevaru mimicked what Noel said to Chi-Woo mockingly and snorted. ¡°Stop,¡± Ru Hiana interjected. ¡°There¡¯s no need to swear.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you hear how ridiculous she sounded?¡± Eval shot back in anger. ¡°What was wrong with what she said?¡± ¡°Are you really asking me that after hearing that Noel or whatever said to our bro?¡± Ru Hiana blinked hard and shook her head sideways. Eval sighed deeply. ¡°She basically said she¡¯s going to take over this place in a roundabout way. She was trying to establish ranks with our bro already. Don¡¯t you realize it? Establishing ranks?¡± ¡°Establishing¡­ranks?¡± ¡°She basically just told our bro, ¡®Hey, I heard you did some big things this time. Okay, you did a good job on that, but don¡¯t rub it in our faces. Our leader is going to come soon anyway, and in the meantime, don¡¯t try to pull anything but keep quiet.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been quietly listening until now, burst into humorless laughter. How could Eval twist someone¡¯s words to this extent? ¡°It¡¯s the same for what she¡¯s done earlier. Who made her the boss here that she could divide the area however she likes and take control?¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized why Eval was so angry at Noel. It seemed the newcomers had entered and filled the building that Eval had picked for himself. Ru Hiana¡¯s expression changed at Eval Sevaru¡¯s words. Chi-Woo expected her to criticize Eval¡¯s ridiculous and baseless words. However, Ru Hiana acted contrary to his expectations. ¡°Now that you say it¡­she¡¯s a bit too much.¡± Chi-Woo was shocked. Ru Hiana, of all people, was agreeing with Eval Sevaru¡¯s accusations? ¡°No, just listen to me. I met her before we reached the capital, and during the travel, she had been talking about Choi Chi-Hyun nonstop. Literally, every time she spoke, she brought up that guy.¡± ¡°I knew it. I¡¯m sure she was trying to keep us in check by using his name. So sis, had you done nothing facing such unfair treatment?¡± ¡°No. I listened quietly to her for several days, but it suddenly annoyed the hell out of me, so I paid her back by talking about senior every time we talked.¡± ¡°You did a good job. She¡¯s like a fox hiding behind a tiger¡¯s strength. What an annoying woman.¡± Eval Sevaru continued gossiping about Noel Freya for a while, and then he sighed deeply and looked at Chi-Hyun. ¡°Usually, I¡¯ll tell you to not back down in a fight¡­but honestly, your opponent is too strong. It¡¯s no other than Choi Chi-Hyun.¡± Chi-Woo suddenly became curious and asked, ¡°Why, what¡¯s so great about Choi Chi-Hyun?¡± ¡°Come on, bro. I understand how you are feeling, but he¡¯s part of the renowned GS3E¡¯s Choi family¡ªeven the Ho Lactea family and the Afrilith family, who are notoriously arrogant, behave respectfully to them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the Choi family, so honestly, I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. After all, they are wrapped around in such a thick veil and are such a secretive and mysterious family.¡± Eval Sevaru smacked his lips and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Since we¡¯re also lacking in numbers¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s give them what they want without enabling their greed, but let¡¯s make sure to get everything we can from them as well. If they don¡¯t agree to this, they¡¯re not heroes, but gangsters.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. They needed to work for Liber¡¯s salvation with one heart, but this guy was only thinking about securing his interest. * * * ¡°Don¡¯t pay too much heed to his words.¡± Zelit, who had been quietly listening, whispered to Chi-Woo. ¡°Noel Freya is a relatively famous hero. She¡¯s known for stubbornly following Choi Chi-Hyun everywhere like Giant Fist and Mua Janya.¡± Chi-Woo was shocked. ¡°So she¡¯s a stalker?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it, but a little far from reality. She made a lot of brilliant achievements as a hero herself. Moreover, while I don¡¯t know about Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s personal affairs, he doesn¡¯t stop her from following him.¡± Zelit continued, ¡°She¡¯s just a hero who admires Choi Chi-Hyun more than the average hero. I don¡¯t think you should think of her in such a bad light and become prejudiced towards her.¡± In a way, Noel could be likened to a stalker fan, but Chi-Woo felt relieved that at least one person was giving him an ordinary suggestion. ¡°I know. And I don¡¯t really mind. I don¡¯t have any intentions to follow Eval¡¯s words, either.¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s also a problem.¡± Chi-Woo immediately turned to him. What did he mean by that? ¡°I don¡¯t entirely agree with Eval Sevaru.¡± Zelit carefully selected his next words. ¡°There will probably be problems though.¡± ¡°Pr¡­oblems?¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s too early to tell, so I won¡¯t say much. However, there are probably more people who think the same as Eval Sevaru, or are concerned like Ru Hiana.¡± Just like how there can¡¯t be two captains on one ship, community life followed the same principles. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the case only in my world, but¡­ Think hard about the process of how revolutions initially succeed and fall.¡± With that cryptic last words, Zelit stood up and left. * * * ¡°Hahahhaahah! His name is Chichibbong! What kind of name is Chichibbong!¡± Boisterous laughter rang out in one of the lodgings. The woman who was laughing her head off while undressing was no other than Noel Freya. Truthfully, she had wanted to laugh as soon as she heard his name. Even after meeting him, she had a hard time suppressing her laughter. There were a few times she actually almost burst out laughing, but she was a famous hero who had followed Chi-Hyun into several missions; she exercised a supernatural composure and successfully suppressed her laughter. ¡°Haha. Fuufuhaha. Ah, fuck it. He¡¯s got one fucking hilarious name. It keeps making me laugh. Really, what the hell is up with his name? He looks so normal.¡± While crying tears of laughter, Noel Freya lay flat on her bed. Everything went pretty smoothly after arriving at the capital¡ªother than the incident in which a beggar with rotten brains named Eval Sevaru kept on arguing that a whole block was his and furiously yelled at them to not enter without his permission. ¡®On the other hand¡­.¡¯ Noel suddenly recalled her meeting with Chi-Woo. As soon as she thought of his face, all the laughs disappeared from her face. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Noel had blanked out when she saw Chi-Woo for the first time. Was it because she fell in love at first sight? That was definitely not the case, since there was only one man for her. ¡®But they look strangely similar.¡¯ Even though the air around Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo was completely different, their faces looked strangely similar. As someone who remembered Chi-Hyun¡¯s exact appearance and facial features, Noel felt a keen sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu after seeing Chi-Woo. She would believe it if he said he was Chi-Hyun¡¯s younger brother. Moreover, her intuition was also telling her that something was off. Even though it was difficult for her to believe, Noel Freiya was feeling an indescribable discomfort after meeting Chi-Woo. It was not the discomfort of meeting someone new, but the discomfort of a daughter-in-law who had to visit her in-laws during the holidays. It felt as if something really bad might happen if she got on Chi-Woo¡¯s bad side. ¡®Well, there¡¯s no way he¡¯s related to Chi-Hyun.¡¯ As Eval Sevaru said, the Choi family was wrapped in a thick veil. Excluding Giant Fist who had coincidentally heard from Chi-Hyun that he had a younger brother, there were very few heroes who knew that Chi-Hyun had a younger sibling. For that reason, it was understandable that Noel Freya dismissed her troubles as nothing but a strange feeling. ¡®He seems pretty prestigious.¡¯ After thinking about trivial thoughts, she began to contemplate more serious matters. ¡®Just by hearing what Ru Hiana said¡­ I should assess his skills myself, but if everything she said is true¡­¡¯ Honestly, Noel Freya hadn¡¯t thought of anything that Eval Sevaru accused her of. Or to be more specific, she didn¡¯t even think it was necessary to go through a power struggle between them and the seventh recruits. Because she had Choi Chi-Hyun on their side¡ªa hero who was admired and respected by all heroes. She had full confidence that he¡¯d beat heroes from even the Ho Lactea or Afrilith family. It would be stranger to consider a power struggle might break out between them and an unknown hero she had never heard about. On the other hand, she knew that there were also many heroes who targeted or envied Chi-Hyun¡¯s fame, and there would be no greater honor than fulfilling a task Chi-Hyun had failed to complete. She thought of various matters, but despite her strange discomfort towards the unknown hero, her first impression of him wasn¡¯t bad. The fact that he showed his respect to Chi-Hyun earned him some bonus points in her book. ¡®I need to keep on watching for now.¡¯ She closed her eyes and thought she should strike up another conversation with him before falling asleep¡ªwhile not imagining that she¡¯d desperately try to earn his favor in the near future. CH 119 Before Chi-Woo arrived at Liber, the angel Laguel had told the seventh recruits after finishing their selection process, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to save that World. We don¡¯t even expect that much.¡± The goal of sending the recruits was to normalize the situation at Liber so that it was possible for one to even wish for the salvation of Liber. But what was the standard for that? It was simple. Just like how the sun set, the moon rose, and water flowed downward, a world could ever only be saved by a single hero. Of course, there were exceptions, but this was usually the case, and one could say that Liber was the exception to all exceptional cases. When the Celestial Realm learned of Liber¡¯s situation first, they laid down their greatest card¡ªChoi Chi-Hyun. But in the end, they judged that it would be difficult to settle the situation on Liber even with Chi-Hyun, and without much choice, they began their attrition warfare. Of course, this tactic of wearing down their enemies by pouring thousands of heroes that could each save a World to just one planet seemed incredibly inefficient. Furthermore, the heroes they sent never showed significant results. It was like they were pouring water over a poisoned well. Nevertheless, they couldn¡¯t simply wash their hands off the matter. The fact that it was a galaxy-level danger meant that the issue could balloon into a force that could later target the Celestial Realm. Thus, simply put, the recruits¡¯ goal was to help Liber reach a point where it could be saved by a single hero. They still had a long way to go to reach this goal. The situation Chi-Woo saw at Liber couldn¡¯t be simply described as a ¡®mess¡¯. They couldn¡¯t go any lower, because there wasn¡¯t even a ground to go under. It was true that things had gotten minuscule better. To continue with the same analogy, they had now fulfilled the condition for soil to be compressed to create ground. Still, they were far from reaching their goal. In their race against the other factions on Liber, in Chi-Woo¡¯s opinion, the recruits had yet to even get to the starting line, while their opponents were already dashing forward. ¡°We need more. Much more.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t be complacent now. He needed to push himself much more than ever before. * * * ¡°According to you, it seems the situation in the central region isn¡¯t too bad.¡± The next day after the earlier recruits arrived at the capital, a meeting was held between both the earlier and the latter recruits by Noel Freya¡¯s request. It was only a meeting by name, and the gathering was more of a process for them to learn each other¡¯s situations. ¡°The capital is better than we expected. It was worth risking our lives to come here,¡± Noel Freya said, and likewise, Zelit was impressed hearing about the central region¡¯s situation. Unlike the fortress which existed for mostly defensive purposes, the capital was a place where the ruler of a country, namely the king, resided, and where cultural and economic progress had been made. In other words, it was well-prepared and geared towards human living; it seemed the economic situation had been considerably thriving in the central region. Surprisingly, the earlier recruits had enough food to last them all half a year without working at all even though they had more than 10,000 people in their group. And now that they had migrated to a new place, they had enough supplies to last them until they got things in order. At the least, they wouldn¡¯t have to risk their lives looking for food outside. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to him,¡± Noel said with her jaw tilted down and her lips curved into a smile. Everyone could tell that she was talking about Choi Chi-Hyun without mentioning his name. ¡°He always emphasized these three things: clothing, food and water, and shelter. He said we needed to have these three fundamental necessities to do anything.¡± Chi-Woo agreed; he remembered how difficult it had been when they didn¡¯t have these three necessities. Only when they had less difficulty securing the necessities had they been able to make any progress. ¡°Not considering the dangers from the outside, the central region is definitely a place fit for human living. If you think about Liber¡¯s situation, you might even consider it a paradise. But we left all that to come here.¡± Creating an environment like they had done was a nearly impossible task, yet Chi-Hyun had ordered everyone to abandon the tavern they had established and go north. There was only one reason for this: there was something in the north that would make it all worth it. ¡°A god.¡± After hesitating for a bit, Noel Freya continued, ¡°I heard that you all secured a god in the North.¡± Then she looked around and asked, sounding slightly excited, ¡°Could you show us?¡± Noel had lost her hero powers after coming to Liber and was living as an ordinary person. Thus, she had been surprised when she met Ru Amuh, Ru Hiana, and Allen Leonard, and saw that they were able to use their divinity, however little they had at their disposal. And as a hero by nature, Noel wanted to recover her divinity as fast as possible. Zelit turned to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo nodded and opened his bag. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Good. Then¡ª¡± A clang stopped Noel from getting up fully. Chi-Woo had placed a statue on the table. ¡°?¡± Noel froze, befuddled by the situation. After asking to meet their god, she thought she would be guided to the god for sure. Considering the situation, it was likely that they didn¡¯t have a temple, but at least they would put the god somewhere most similar to one. That was the sort of respect a god warranted. Thus, she hadn¡¯t imagined that Chi-Woo would just pull out a god from his bag and place them on the table. As a hero with religious roots, the scene she was witnessing was blasphemous. -¡­ Was she imagining it, or did the statue appear detached or completely uncaring of the treatment she was receiving? ¡°Are you going to the bathroom?¡± Chi-Woo asked, confused why Noel had gotten up. ¡°Uh¡­Um¡­¡± Noel murmured, ¡°No. I just¡­¡± In the end, Noel plopped herself back down her chair, quickly pushing aside her astonishment and straightening her posture. Then she faced the statue with bottomless reverence. ¡ª¡­Yes. This is the kind of attitude¡­ It was then Shahnaz¡¯s bitter voice rang out. Noel almost jumped. ¡°A god has given us her revelations?¡± Noel blurted out in shock. ¡ªI wouldn¡¯t go so far to call it revelations. I am just sending you my will so that you all can hear me. ¡°Still¡­¡± Noel¡¯s lips opened and closed. It was very rare for a god to voice their will in person. But this wasn¡¯t the point Noel was surprised by since the degree of divine intervention could vary from planet to planet. She was surprised that Shahnaz could speak at all, since this meant the god could exert enough influence in this world to do so. ¡ªIt¡¯s because I got a good amount of merits from this guy. The statue turned slightly and glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡ªEven though he¡¯s a bit rude, his abilities are reliable. ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m rude?¡± Chi-Woo grumbled like he had been wronged. ¡°I told you before bringing you here, Goddess Shahnaz.¡± ¡ªIs this what you call respectful treatment then? ¡°Why? Is the bag too small for you?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡ªDamn you. This isn¡¯t about the bag¡¯s size. You don¡¯t even have the basic common sense about these matters. As Shahnaz and Chi-Woo bickered, Noel¡¯s mouth hung wide open. She had thought they would be lucky if the recruits at the north had a holy relic, but they had found a god and revived her to the point that she could immediately do something. ¡°Thank you, Goddess Shahnaz. I sincerely give you my thanks.¡± Noel Freya bowed several times and prayed, now looking at Chi-Woo in a new light. As Zelit had said, it was now her turn to say that it was worth it to leave everything behind and come all the way here. ¡°This is good.¡± Noel Freya felt wind, iron, and blood energy come from the Shahnaz¡¯s statue, and while staring at it, she continued with a hopeful voice. ¡°With this, we¡¯ll be able to implement both the growth system and a sacred ground.¡± Zelit replied, ¡°Yes, as long as we have enough divinity.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been verbally fighting with Shahnaz, turned back to look at the two of them. He could roughly guess what the growth system was, but what did they mean by sacred ground? [You can think of sacred ground as a type of sanctuary.] Chi-Woo heard Mimi¡¯s voice inside his head. She had been quiet for a while, but it seemed she was itching to talk. [The land in which a god dwells receives a type of blessing. For example, the land where the god of abundance dwells will see a good harvest every year, and the land where the god of fertility dwells will have a higher fertility rate.] ¡®Something like that exists?¡¯ [Yes, of course. It¡¯s something that happens often in your world as well.] ¡®Oh wow.¡¯ Then what type of blessing will Shahnaz send down? Since she was the god of wind and war, she might give a blessing that would be helpful in battle. While Chi-Woo was wondering about this, Noel Freya and Zelit were deep in conversation. ¡°We can wait for more divinity.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Sir Chi-Hyun will activate the system as soon as he comes back. I think that establishing a sacred ground might be too much though.¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze snapped to Noel Freya as she continued, ¡°Did you really think he hadn¡¯t prepared anything so far?¡± ¡°Then.¡± ¡°He has been making preparations to normalize the situation as soon as we find a god. Moreover, since he defeated the main forces of the Demon Empire by himself, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s collected a lot of merits.¡± ¡°What, what?¡± Zelit was flabbergasted. He was about to ask how one person managed to do that, but his shock subsided when his eyes wandered to Chi-Woo. Chi-Hyun might have single-handedly repelled the Demon Empire¡¯s offensive force, but Chi-Woo, who was on their side, had single-handedly crushed the Sernitas¡¯ special force. Both of these cases were equally unbelievable. ¡°But even then¡­hasn¡¯t he lost his powers as a hero like us?¡± ¡°Sir Chi-Hyun entered Liber as the first recruit, and since he has his family¡¯s backing, I¡¯m sure he entered Liber through a different route than us.¡± Zelit seemed to accept Noel¡¯s explanation and nodded. ¡°Of course, since the World had disappeared, he can¡¯t get any special benefits, but it¡¯s Sir Choi Chi-Hyun. Please have faith and wait.¡± Noel talked like a fan who was extremely proud of Chi-Hyun¡¯s achievements. ¡°Um¡­there is something I want to ask you.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been quietly listening, carefully raised his hand. ¡°Are you saying that if we have enough divinity¡­or in other words, merits, we can immediately activate those two functions?¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± It was possible if there were enough merits to replace it with divinity. However, who other than Choi Chi-Hyun would have obtained so many merit points? ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, I want to be the one to activate the growth system.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I can use the merit I earned this time.¡± Noel Freya couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She quickly recovered from her shock, though, and she looked around, blinking. Zelit was nodding like he had expected this from Chi-Woo, and Ru Amuh looked deeply moved. Ru Hiana had a worried look on her face and seemed like she wanted Chi-Woo to step back. Judging by their reactions, it didn¡¯t seem like Chi-Woo was lying. Noel had heard a thing or two about Chi-Woo¡¯s achievements, but she hadn¡¯t believed all of them¡ªthey were all too unbelievable to just easily accept as true. ¡°Did you really collect that much merit?¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s enough. Shahnaz was the one to reply. ¡ªHe has enough merit to either 100% activate the growth system or create the sacred ground. It¡¯s not enough to do both, but one is possible. His achievements have made enough impact on the world¡¯s flow. That further steered how Noel Freya saw Chi-Woo. If everything she heard about him was true¡­ They might have finally appeared¡ªthe hero that Choi Chi-Hyun had so desperately been waiting for. ¡°Hmm¡­why?¡± But there was still one part that Noel couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Sir Choi Chi-Hyun will soon arrive here. He¡¯ll then activate the growth system immediately. When that happens, you¡¯ll be able to grow significantly stronger than everyone else.¡± In other words, Noel was saying that if he just waited and kept the merit points for himself, he¡¯d be able to make progress leaps and bounds over everyone else. Chi-Woo knew that was a possibility. ¡°I¡¯m aware of that, but¡­I¡¯ve sworn to the god I made a contract with.¡± He softly continued as if it was a small matter, ¡°That I¡¯ll reinstate the balance on Liber.¡± This was the promise he¡¯d made to the goddess of scales, La Bella. ¡°I think reinstating a system that¡¯s nonexistent right now will be part of fulfilling that promise. It¡¯ll be a different story if I can¡¯t do it, but I don¡¯t want to just stand still when I¡¯m able to do something.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± When Chi-Woo mentioned god, Noel Freya, as someone from a priest background, immediately accepted his explanation. Whether or not it was because of pure faith or a vow, fulfilling a god¡¯s will was definitely a compelling reason. ¡°Moreover¡­¡± Chi-Woo glanced around and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t feel too good about using bro...Sir Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s merits. There are many areas where we need divinity.¡± Chi-Woo flinched when he almost said ¡®brother¡¯ before pushing through. ¡°With this, I want to ease the burden on him by at least a little bit.¡± In a way, Chi-Woo thought he should help out Chi-Hyun as a younger brother. ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± Noel Freya¡¯s mouth slightly widened. She became speechless in a good way. She was a little touched; her first impression of Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been bad, and she liked him more the more she saw him. She thought she should tell Chi-Hyun about what Chi-Woo had said as soon as he came back. Bowing her head, she briefly prayed. This was the highest form of respect she could show. ¡°Then, we just need to frame the basic structure of the system.¡± As their conversation progressed, Zelit seemed to be getting excited if the way his shoulders shook was anything to go by. ¡ªThere¡¯s no need for that. The growth system has been made way before. You can just use that growth system, but you¡¯ll have to tweak it a bit. Silence fell upon the room at Shahnaz¡¯s sudden words. Noel Freya slightly narrowed one eye, and Zelit frowned. Ru Hiana and Ru Amuh also looked a bit taken aback. Only Chi-Woo looked around in confusion. ¡®What¡¯s with their reaction? What did Shahnaz¡¯s words mean?¡¯ ¡°That means¡­¡± Zelit suddenly looked extremely fatigued as if a hammer had hit his head, and he took off his glasses. According to Shahnaz, a system had already been made. The growth system was an exclusive product from the Celestial Realm, and there were remnants of it on Liber. In other words¡ª ¡°Liber¡­this world has been saved at least once in the past.¡± CH 120 It wasn¡¯t completely out of their imagination, but it was unexpected. Was Liber a world that had already been saved once before? ¡°¡­It¡¯s not really anything strange. History usually repeats itself,¡± Noel said in a low voice. Although she quickly schooled her expression again, she couldn¡¯t hide the worry in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s true. I suppose it would be even rarer for peace to last forever after a world was saved once,¡± Zelit agreed. Crises were like natural disasters; they periodically occurred on any planet. Yes, it certainly wasn¡¯t strange that a hero growth system was already established in this world, yet Zelit had been unable to hide his worry for a moment because of Liber¡¯s current situation¡ªit was noticeably much more of a giant heap of a mess compared to any other worlds¡ªas the fact that so many heroes had ended their days in this place showed. Usually, heroes didn¡¯t die. They entered Worlds with many special privileges under their belt and miraculous coincidences occurred everywhere they went. It would be no exaggeration to say that Worlds revolved around heroes. Yet on Liber, the ¡®World¡¯ which would make this possible had disappeared. Zelit fell into deep contemplation. He imagined the worst possible scenario. What if the reason why Liber became like this was connected to the salvation it had gone through in some way? For instance, what if the enemy they had defeated last time learned of the Celestial Realm¡¯s existence and returned after assessing the cause of their failure? And that was why they had blown away the World existing on Liber planet from the get-go this time? Zelit felt chills running down his back. There was a saying that if one knew their enemy and themselves, they would not lose a battle even if they fought a hundred times. There was no enemy more fearful than one who knew their opponents well. ¡°Do you perhaps have anything else to share with us? Such as when the system was set in place¡­?¡± ¡ªI can¡¯t say. I simply brought traces of records. Records had turned into a mess with the disappearance of the World, so it¡¯s difficult to know the exact details. The response was disappointing. Zelit hung his head. ¡°It¡¯s meaningless to worry about that now,¡± Noel said. Although she empathized with how Zelit felt, she forcefully strengthened her voice. ¡°We have to do what we can do now.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Zelit agreed. He decided to disregard his worries for now and asked, ¡°If it¡¯s all right, could you tell us how the growth system works?¡± Zelit¡¯s request was justified. There was no way a system for one person was like the one that catered to multiple people. ¡°Even a brief overview is fine. If there¡¯s a concept of rank or level, could you explain those first, please?¡± Zelit asked politely since he was addressing a god. ¡ªThat won¡¯t be difficult. And as if Shahnaz was pleased by the way Zelit addressed her, she quickly started to explain. ¡ªThe basic growth system metric is ¡®Tier¡¯, which is divided into a total of nine tiers. First of all, the lowest tier is Iron, then, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, and finally the highest tier, Challenger. Shahnaz finished explaining. ¡°What?¡¯ Chi-Woo doubted his own ears. He didn¡¯t realize it before, but now that he was hearing these names again, it reminded him of a game he was familiar with. ¡°How interesting,¡± Noel nodded and said. ¡°There are many tiers in the system for each person.¡± ¡°The Celestial Realm measures danger levels, stats, and abilities in ranks and subranks. This growth system is sort of doing the opposite.¡± ¡°By the way, what is the reason ¡®Challenger¡¯ is above ¡®Grandmaster¡¯? It doesn¡¯t seem fitting to be the highest tier.¡± ¡°It depends on how one interprets it. Grandmaster is the highest tier that a mortal can reach. But even a Grandmaster can¡¯t surpass the limits of a human.¡± ¡°Thus, a Challenger is one who challenges the destiny fated for mortals. It doesn¡¯t sound so bad if you think about it like that.¡± And as Chi-Woo watched Noel and Zelit dive deep into this topic, he shook his head. ¡®No,¡¯ he thought, ¡®There¡¯s no need for them to attach such philosophical meanings to these tiers.¡¯ But regardless, there was one thing he could be sure of. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what kind of bastard set up this system, but they were 100% from Earth. And they must have played a particular famous game that Chi-Woo knew very well. ¡°The tiers are more divided than I thought, but¡­will it fit everyone in?¡± ¡°It will be difficult. There are thousands of us, and we will only keep increasing.¡± ¡°Then, how¡­?¡± It was then, Chi-Woo raised his hand and announced, ¡°I have a suggestion to make about this point.¡± * * * Several days later, all the heroes got an alarm on their devices saying that their user information had been updated. First of all, the concept of denominations and tiers was introduced. To use the tier system, one needed to make a contract with a god and fill up the denomination space. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have to worry about this part since he had already made a contract with La Bella. And to summarize the tier system, there were nine basic tiers. The four lowest tiers, namely Iron to Platinum, were divided into four ranks with four being the lowest. For example, the highest rank in the Iron tier was Iron I, while the lowest was Iron IV. And starting from the Master tier, tiers weren¡¯t divided into ranks, but a restriction was placed on the number of people allowed in each rank. Thus, there were 27 possible tier-ranks that one could fall into. Continuing, a hero could go up in ranks by completing missions or accumulating merits; this also meant that the merits they accumulated could decrease in the case they failed. But this was all based on the judgment of the god in their denomination. And once a hero reached the highest rank in their tier and fulfilled specific conditions, they gained the right to take a test to go up a tier. If they passed this test, they would enter a higher tier and could possibly gain a higher class. And as a reward, their physical ability would improve, and a new class ability would be granted. However, in the case they failed the test, they would receive penalties. Of course, since the one overseeing a hero¡¯s growth would be the god in their denomination, little details could be different for each person, but the basic framework was the same for everyone. Chi-Woo had no difficulty understanding all this because he was the one who proposed this last part of the system. He had received good responses from both Noel and Zelit on this idea, and many thought it was reasonable. They especially liked the part where gods would have to hold meetings to restrict the member count in tiers starting from Master tier. And like that, Chi-Woo¡¯s updated user information appeared like this: 1. Name & Rank: Choi Chi-Woo (EX) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 23 3. Height & Weight: 180.5 & 73.5kg 4. Denomination: ¡®The Goddess of Scales¡¯ and ¡®Guardian of Balance¡¯, La Bella 5. Tier: Iron IV 6. Class: Exorcist 7. Heavenly Title: Three Lines 8. Disposition: Neutral [Strength D] [Durability D] [Agility D] [Stamina D] [Mental Fortitude C] [Exorcism E] As soon as the update was implemented, the whole city fell into a commotion; in particular, the Shahnaz temple became extremely crowded. ¡°Senior! I got promoted!¡± Ru Hiana, who had used all the merits she had gained so far and received her rank, approached Chi-Woo and bragged. ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Yep. I got some negative points for failing the Evelaya volcano mission, but after taking into account that I participated in taking control of the capital, the system said that I passed the promotion test.¡± ¡°Oh. Is that so?¡± This also meant that the system considered holistically all the work that a hero had done so far. It was good news. ¡°Yeah, and this isn¡¯t the only thing. The system also promoted me to a higher tier.¡± ¡°So what is your tier?¡± ¡°Fufu, don¡¯t be too surprised¡ªit¡¯s Bronze II!¡± Ru Hiana made a V sign and laughed. She made a fuss saying that she¡¯d soon reach Silver tier. ¡°Growth system really rocks for sure. Thanks to that, I can raise my rank and also gain class ability.¡± Ru Hiana pulled out a long sword. The sword soon rang and let out an ominous aura. ¡°I¡¯m jealous.¡± Zelit, who had been watching quietly, pushed his glasses up. ¡°I haven¡¯t made a contract yet. I hope that I can make a contract with a god that matches me as fast as possible.¡± ¡°Hmm? Goddess Shanaz is also the god of wind. You said you¡¯re a mage. Can¡¯t you use wind magic?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not my area of expertise.¡± While Ru Hiana and Zelit talked, Chi-woo shifted his gaze to one person. Ru Amuh was staring at the air; he seemed to be looking at his user information. He responded with an awkward smile when he felt Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze. ¡°What about you, Mr. Ru Amuh? What tier did you receive?¡± ¡°Sir, it¡¯s Silver IV.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. Ru Amuh already received silver? ¡°Ruahu also got deducted points for the same reason as me, but considering that he battled in the forest and participated in taking control of the capital and made a special achievement, the system counted him as completing three successful promotion missions¡­sir.¡± Ru Hiana, who had been energetically talking in informal speech changed to honorifics at the end. It was because Ru Amuh had glared at her to speak politely to their teacher. ¡°Wait a moment. There are not two, but three promotion missions?¡± ¡°Yep~ Ah, my bad. I¡¯ll speak formally. Senior, you didn¡¯t know? Goddess Shahnaz said that to get from Iron to Bronze, you need to complete one promotion test, but to get from Bronze to Silver, you need to successfully complete two out of three promotion tests.¡± And to get from Silver to Gold, one needed to successfully complete three out of five tests. Chi-Woo nodded as he listened to Ru Hiana¡¯s explanation. The overall authority of the growth system lied with the god of each denomination. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know much about other gods, but he could understand what Shahnaz¡¯s criteria for passing were. Ru Hiana was in a very good mood as she eagerly asked, ¡°By the way, what about you, senior? What¡¯s your tier? You also made a contract with a god.¡± ¡°Iron IV.¡± ¡°Oh~ Iron IV~ As expected of senior~ Wait, what?¡± Ru Hiana let out a gasp and blinked several times; she seemed to be wondering if she had misheard him. Zelit tapped her side with his elbow, and it was only then that Ru Hiana came back to focus. The tier system used merit that a hero collected so far to assign tiers. However, Chi-Woo had used up all his merit to fully activate the system. The growth system functioned in a similar way to a bank. To run a bank, there needed to be initial capital to maintain it for the time being. Since he had paid all of that capital by himself, he was bound to have severe expenditure. ¡°But¡­Senior, don¡¯t you still have a little bit left? With just that amount, you can¡­¡± ¡°There was a bit left, but I gave it all to Goddess Shahnaz.¡± ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°The number of recruits increased after the earlier recruits joined us. If there is a hero who wants to make a contract with Goddess Shahnaz, I told her that she can use the divinity I have left.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s mouth gaped open. Then her expression turned solemn and embarrassed. Now that she thought about it, Chi-Woo had always been an impressive hero who cared about the good of everyone above himself. She hadn¡¯t even realized this and just bragged to him in excitement. Ru Hiana murmured to herself and bit her lips. She had spoken carelessly and put a damper on the mood. ¡°B-but still, it¡¯s really too much. You should have started out with at least platinum.¡± Ru Hiana made a soft laugh and tried desperately to change the topic. Chi-Woo shook his head. He knew that Ru Hiana had spoken out of goodwill, but he could never let this happen. And even if the system told him he could start out with platinum, he would refuse. There was no way he would give up on raising each tier and receiving the rewards with each promotion. But most of all, Chi-Woo had no intention to immediately raise his physical ability even if he raised his tier. He wanted to save it as much as possible. His assistant, Mimi, had asked him if he still believed he was just human. In another way, she was telling him that the limit to how much he could raise his physical ability through training had increased to unimaginable lengths. So rather than jumping several levels at once, he wanted to raise his physical abilities and other abilities to their maximum by training and using the promotion rewards to upgrade them even further. Just thinking about this made Chi-Woo happy, and he made a wide smile that showed his teeth. Patience was the key to success. ¡°Push your tier as high as possible.¡± Chi-Woo continued with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll overtake you soon. We¡¯ll see then.¡± ¡°What? Uh? Yes?¡± Ru Hiana was taken aback by Chi-Woo¡¯s declaration of war. She immediately thought she couldn¡¯t beat him because as a great hero, Chi-Woo could overtake her in no time. However, Ru Hiana accepted his words as him trying to console her, and she brightened up. ¡°Ahhh~ Come on, don¡¯t be like that~ Senior~.¡± She immediately sidled up to Chi-Woo and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to make fun of you, Senior~ It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t know~.¡± Honestly, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have good memories of that game because his mentality was completely shaken up after failing 14 times in the promotion match from Bronze to Silver. ¡®But it¡¯s going to be different this time.¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at Ru Hiana as she continued to fuss over him and secretly made a resolution. He had set a new goal for himself. Even though he was Bronze I on Earth, he was definitely going to reach Challenger on Liber. CH 121 The capital was bustling. The new residents from the central region were busy building their new homes, and as Chi-Woo wandered around the city to watch, he nodded in approval. ¡®It finally looks like a place to live in,¡¯ he thought. The importance of population that Zelit had been emphasizing seemed clearer to him now, as he witnessed a ghost city become a livable place in just a few days. There were more things going on than he had expected. He saw multiple apprentices building forges and others putting up fences for the livestock they had brought. Since coming to Liber, it was his first time¡ªno, he had seen a bird at the Evalaya mountain¡ªit was his second time seeing an animal on this planet. And Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t take his eyes off this particular animal with a sheep¡¯s head and pig¡¯s body. ¡®Will we be able to¡­eat meat?¡¯ Chi-Woo gulped. It had been too long since he tasted meat dripping in oil and meat juices, and seeing this animal filled his head with thoughts of grilled pork belly. He yearned desperately for it. Chi-Woo asked the middle-aged woman building the fences about the animal, and she told him it was a Yapra. According to her, the meat was very soft and made a perfect meal. Additionally, Yapras grew fast and birthed many offspring at once, exciting Chi-Woo further. ¡°I can¡¯t do much since we just moved here, but as soon as the agriculture here is restored, I¡¯m going to increase their numbers.¡± Then the lady continued, saying that she was going to open a restaurant when the time arose and would prepare a lot of good food for the heroes, so he should visit this place again. Chi-Woo answered that he certainly would before turning to leave. As he walked, he spotted a familiar face: Allen Leonard. Allen was murmuring incantations while surrounded by hundreds of people. Not long afterward, the color of the soil around Allen changed, and sprouts and buds emerged all over the ground. Lush bushes, vines, and other greeneries shot up and grew. Allen looked around and lifted his hand high into the air. ¡®Oh, oh¡ª¡¯ They all cheered and requested to shake his hand. Chi-Woo smiled brightly as he saw this scene. Allen was dutifully keeping the promise he had made to Chi-Woo. And it seemed Allen had also raised his skills with the merits he had accumulated in the newly introduced growth system. ¡®He was worth the investment.¡¯ Chi-Woo walked away and whistled from his nose. It felt like things were becoming better like how they were supposed to be. The natives weren¡¯t idiots. They knew they weren¡¯t in a world where things would be handed to them. In order for them to survive, they needed to work for their own livelihood, whether it was by opening inns or restaurants, farming, doing businesses, or something else. That was how they would achieve everything they had dreamed of in the fortress. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t be able to build something comparable to the capital city in its prime, but it would be better than doing nothing at all. Chi-Woo walked for a while and saw another familiar face, Ru Amuh. Like the diligent man he was, Ru Amuh was training today as usual. Chi-Woo was about to greet him, but stopped himself. As he looked closer, Chi-Woo saw white light wrapping around Ru Amuh, and a user information popped out. 1. Name & Rank: Ru Amuh (¡ï¡î¡î¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 22 3. Height & Weight: 178.8cm & 72.4kg 4. Denomination: ¡®Queen of Conquest¡¯ who rages like a storm, Shahnaz 5. Tier: Silver IV 6. Class: Crusader -> Crusader Commander -> Paladin 7. Heavenly Title: The Promised One 8. Disposition: Lawful and Good [Strength C] [Durability C] [Agility B] [Stamina B] [Mental Fortitude A++] [Divinity D] 1. [Basic Swordsmanship A+] 2. [Basic Hand-to-hand Combat A+] 1. [Holy Aura D+] ¨C an ability to solidify and radiate divinity outside. Allows users to use divinity to form sword aura or force shields. The ability used to be at a higher rank, but was downgraded due to the user¡¯s lower physical attributes. 2. [Eudaimonism A++] ¨C a form of protection where thoughts or ideas materialize into reality. The more the user acts out their convictions, the more they will mature and flourish. This ability falls under the growth acceleration abilities category. 1. [Synesthesia S] 2. [New Sword Union A+] Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth slightly dropped. Ru Amuh¡¯s class had jumped to the third stage, his attributes¡ªagility, stamina, and divinity¡ªhad all increased by one rank, all his basic skills rose by a level, and he gained two new class skills. ¡°Teacher?¡± It seemed Ru Amuh had noticed Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze. Ru Amuh wiped his sweat with a towel and turned to Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­Ah. I was just walking around.¡± Chi-Woo responded after a pause. He was surprised by Ru Amuh¡¯s user information, especially the stars next to Ru Amuh¡¯s name. Even though Ru Amuh had made substantial progress and gotten stronger, he was still only at one star. The next star wasn¡¯t even half-filled. In other words, within Ru Amuh lay great untapped potential that hadn¡¯t been awakened yet. ¡°You have become stronger,¡± Chi-Woo noted. ¡°I can¡¯t compare to you though,¡± Ru Amuh said politely and tilted his head curiously; for some reason, Chi-Woo appeared anxious. ¡°I heard that you rose in your Iron rank.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Iron IV now.¡± ¡°Did you use your rewards from passing the promotion test already?¡± ¡°Yes, I used everything to raise my agility and stamina by one rank each and opened up two new class skills.¡± Ru Amuh easily revealed everything that he should¡¯ve kept a secret because the person he was talking to was Chi-Woo. ¡°So, you increased your agility and stamina¡­ But how did you increase your divinity?¡± ¡°I thought there was no need for me to use my rewards on divinity. I have already reached my limits for strength, durability, agility, and stamina, so to increase their rank, I needed to use my rewards. But for divinity, it¡¯s not necessary for me to do so.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s race was human. There was a clear limit to a human¡¯s physical attribute. Even if they trained for decades, they wouldn¡¯t be able to grab a mountain and hurl it with raw strength alone. But it was different for mental fortitude or divinity. Humans didn¡¯t have limits in these areas and could continue to hone them by training. ¡°After training consistently, I was able to increase my divinity to a higher rank. I still have a long way to go though. Haha.¡± Ru Amuh looked a bit regretful as he continued, ¡°Honestly, I wanted to save my rewards a bit, but I thought I had to become stronger on Liber first. I am planning to grow my abilities as fast as possible, at least in the beginning.¡± While listening to him, Chi-Woo inwardly groaned that Ru Amuh¡¯s second class skill was for growth acceleration. He envied Ru Amuh for making remarkable progress every time he saw Ru Amuh. [Wow¡­] Mimi read Chi-Woo¡¯s mind and appeared to also be in disbelief. [Eudaimonism. It¡¯s an amazing skill that materializes thoughts. It¡¯s not a skill one could gain simply through regular conviction or determination.] [But is that something you should be grumbling about?] Mimi asked. She was asking if Chi-Woo should even in good conscience envy anyone after acquiring the best physical body one could possibly possess, which was the Golden Ratio. [Have you forgotten? Golden Ratio also accelerates growth.] ¡®No, but the speed is different. The speed. We both train every day to the death, but only one of us seems to see constant changes to their user information.¡¯ [Ru Amuh is like a Fields Medal-winning mathematician who is studying sequences again. In comparison, you are someone who basically just learned addition and subtraction. Of course, there will be a difference between you and his learning speed.] ¡®I also know that. I¡¯m just envious.¡¯ While Chi-Woo complained inside his mind, Ru Amuh carefully looked at Chi-Woo after he suddenly fell silent. ¡°Teacher? Is there a serious problem¡­?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Chi-Woo quickly tried to find something to say. He decided to use this opportunity to ask about something he had been wondering about. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m wondering about an ability.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. Chi-Woo cleared his throat and tried his best to reiterate the feeling he felt while fighting the wolf god. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that while facing the god, you felt a sensation in which you surpassed your original physical abilities¡­¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s words, Ru Amuh organized his thoughts and continued, ¡°Teacher, I think that the god you serve has temporally shared her powers with you.¡± ¡°I also think the same. I think it¡¯ll be useful if I learn how to do it again, but I can¡¯t think of any method to find out how to do so.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. Well, there is a way to awaken special abilities by yourself through a unique method, but this would be extremely difficult.¡± Chi-Woo was about to say, ¡®Ah, but Mr. Ru Amuh, you already have two special abilities that are extremely difficult to get?¡¯ However, he stopped himself from voicing the thoughts, since he was 100% sure that Mimi would say something along the lines, ¡®Ah, but Mr. Chi-Woo, you already have ten of those special abilities that are extremely difficult to get?¡¯ Mimi had been quiet for a while, but her critiques had been getting a lot worse these days. ¡°But if I may suggest a word of advice, I¡¯m against it,¡± Ru Amuh continued in a firm tone. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re thinking, but I¡ªwe still need you, Teacher.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I wish that Teacher would take care of your body more.¡± Ru Amuh continued with a stiff expression, ¡°From your description, it seems like a type of awakening ability.¡± It was an ability that allowed users to gain an explosive amount of power forcibly by increasing their mana or physical abilities for a short time. ¡°I agree that at times, it¡¯s very useful. However, I heard from those who use such an ability that the side-effects are significant.¡± In short, everyone had their limits. Rather than expanding their limits slowly, someone who repeatedly used powers that surpassed their limits was bound to crack sooner or later. ¡°If the god that you serve temporarily gave their power and took it back, I¡¯m sure there was a reason why she did this.¡± Ru Amuh worked hard to persuade Chi-Woo. [Everything he says is right. Do you think that if you forcibly awaken or go berserk, you¡¯ll get stronger? You can¡¯t be more wrong. It¡¯s basically the same thing as giving a heavy metal bat to a kid. Of course, I get that you¡¯re thinking about using this in consideration of your recent battle, but do you seriously have to¡ª] Chi-Woo turned off Mimi the chatterbox as she began talking non-stop. Ru Amuh continued, ¡°I sincerely ask you, Teacher. I¡¯ll try harder. If you wait just a little longer, I¡¯ll be able to share a bit of your burden. So please¡­¡± It seemed that Ru Amuh had completely misunderstood him. Moreover, unbeknownst to Chi-Woo¡¯s knowledge, Ru Amuh had also been concerned about Chi-Woo¡¯s physical condition ever since Ru Hiana exaggerated his symptoms. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel bad; it was a great thing in life to have at least one person sincerely care about you, and in the end, he gave up. ¡°I understand.¡± In the first place, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t really cared about obtaining an awakening ability or depending on an ability like that; he simply thought it would be a nice ability to have. ¡°If you say so, I¡¯ll push that thought away for now.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s complexion brightened. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll work extremely hard to meet your expectations.¡± It seemed Ru Amuh thought that his sincerity had gotten through Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo believed in him. ¡®I really chose well,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Ru Amuh was hardworking, moral, and extremely talented; plus, he was also handsome. ¡®He¡¯s really a filial son.¡¯ Even though Chi-Woo was tasked to guide Ru Amuh so that he¡¯d grow up well, he didn¡¯t really need to do anything; Ru Amuh did very well for himself. He was the type of kid that didn¡¯t need a lot of care. No parent could ask for a child easier to raise than Ru Amuh. Still, Chi-Woo wanted to do something for his first son. ¡°Ah, Mr. Ru Amuh. Perhaps¡­¡± Chi-Woo asked Ru Amuh if he wanted another bottle of holy water, but he was instantly rejected. Ru Amuh said he already received a lot from Chi-Woo and felt uncomfortable receiving more; he also firmly rejected Chi-Woo¡¯s offer by saying that Chi-Woo should use the remaining holy water for himself. ¡®Hmm¡­.Since he¡¯s already doing good with his user information, there¡¯s nothing I can really help him out with¡­¡¯ Honestly, Chi-Woo still was at a stage where he needed to learn from others rather than teaching others in terms of physical training, and this was especially true in the case of him and Ru Amuh. Chi-Woo pondered what he could do to help Ru Amuh and suddenly noticed an object hanging on Ru Amuh¡¯s waist. It was a normal short sword that could be found anywhere. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ Mr. Ru Amuh, you weren¡¯t able to bring weapons that you usually used, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Since it surpassed the limit I could bring, they told me to leave it all behind.¡± ¡°If you had a good sword, you¡¯ll be able to get stronger.¡± ¡°About that, well¡­yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Ru Amuh responded honestly rather than lie. Chi-Woo looked at Ru Amuh as he laughed awkwardly, eyes gleaming. He had thought of a way to help out Ru Amuh. * * * While returning to his room, Chi-Woo fell into thought. Even though a hero¡¯s growth was based on their training and the system¡¯s functions, these two factors were not the only ways for them to get stronger. Good equipment also made a significant impact on a hero¡¯s strength. If a hero was going into battle with a single rusty sword, while another was equipped with a masterfully crafted sword, tough armor, and equipment with special functions, it was all too obvious who would have a higher chance of surviving. The question was how Chi-Woo would obtain these objects. ¡®Adventure.¡¯ This was the first thought that popped into his head. He wouldn¡¯t have even dared to think of such an option in the past. However, things had changed. Chi-Woo believed it was now possible for him to travel around to a certain extent. Even though they didn¡¯t have a surplus of goods, they weren¡¯t lacking in necessities, and he was no longer afraid of mutants or evolved mutants. The more he thought about it, the more he believed it was time for him to go on an adventure. Then, he suddenly thought of Chi-Hyun. He was told that Chi-Hyun had said they needed to secure necessities before they could get anything else done. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure it was actually something his brother had said, but he vehemently agreed. If his brother hadn¡¯t made all these preparations beforehand, Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t have been able to entertain the possibility. ¡®I wonder what he¡¯s doing right now¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo knew his brother was busy, but he thought Chi-Hyun shouldn¡¯t strain himself too much. Chi-Woo hoped for his brother to come back safely. In his deep contemplation, he had returned home without realizing it. He looked up and stopped, his eyes slightly widened. An unexpected guest was waiting for him in front of the house. CH 122 Eshnunna was waiting in front of his house. Chi-Woo stopped walking and stared at her. She looked like she had come to tell him something important. As soon as Eshnunna met his eyes, she asked, ¡°Can I stay here for a bit?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± ¡°Um¡­did you get chased out of the palace? Did the heroes tell you to leave?¡± The best building in the capital was the palace. With the royal family''s fall, some heroes might have coveted the place. However, Eshnunna shook her head to say that wasn¡¯t it. ¡°Some came to the palace, but they quickly left in disappointment after taking a look around.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°It seemed they had expected to find treasures, but it was empty.¡± Chi-Woo let out a soft ¡®Ah¡¯ in understanding. All royal families had a treasury room to store their treasures, but it seemed this particular one had been emptied. Having hoped to get at least a sword from the treasury, Chi-Woo was disappointed. He scratched his head and opened the door to his house. Eshnunna bowed her head politely and went inside. She quietly sat down once inside and didn¡¯t say a word. Every once in a while, she would squeeze her eyes tightly shut with a bemused look on her face. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why she was acting like this. There was a strange air around her. But Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything either and began doing his own things such as cleaning and looking for the bun. ¡®What has that guy been up to that I can¡¯t see him?¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly wondered, realizing that he rarely saw Pyu-pyu the past few days. Recently, Pyu-pyu had been leaving home early in the morning and coming back home late. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what it¡¯s doing, but it shouldn¡¯t make other people worried,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and promised to scold the bun when it came back. Time passed. After sunset, darkness soon followed and encompassed the capital. ¡®What? Is Eshnunna planning to just go to sleep now? Without saying anything, really?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. It was then Eshnunna finally spoke. ¡°There¡¯s a place I would like to go with you. Could you come with me?¡± Chi-Woo crossed his arms at this sudden suggestion and asked, ¡°Did you make me wait all this time to just tell me that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I was conflicted, and I wanted to go when there would be few people around. It could become bothersome if other people got involved,¡± Eshnunna responded. Chi-Woo squinted one eye. Eshnunna appeared calm, but there was a sense of inner turmoil. It didn¡¯t appear she was lying. ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you as we go. If you will.¡± Chi-Woo sighed at Eshnunna¡¯s cryptic words and shrugged. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go then.¡± Eshnunna arched her head and rose from her seat. She appeared a bit strengthless as Chi-Woo walked behind her. The busy streets were now empty and quiet. ¡°Do you think heroes are born or created?¡± Then Eshnunna suddenly shot a question at Chi-Woo while they were walking. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t answer immediately because the question was thrown at him so suddenly, and Eshnunna turned her head back and continued, ¡°I think it¡¯s the latter. Instead of being born with innate qualities that make them destined to be heroes, I think they are created by acquiring different factors while they are alive.¡± It seemed Eshnunna hadn¡¯t really expected an answer, as she answered her own question. It was strange. The way she talked and behaved¡ªEshnunna was acting very strangely today. Chi-Woo pondered the reason, and an idea popped into his head. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna, do you want to be a hero?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Eshnunna quickly agreed. ¡°A hero who can at least fight would be hundreds and thousands of times better than a useless princess.¡± There was a deep sense of self-deprecation in her words, as well as worries and anxiety for the future. Eshnunna continued to reveal her heart-felt feelings brashly, ¡°I want to become a hero, and I know how.¡± Chi-Woo was surprised to hear this. Eshnunna knew a method to become a hero? How? ¡°Do you remember? The guardian spirit of Salem?¡± Chi-Woo remembered. The guardian spirit was Salem¡¯s hero and the kingdom¡¯s margrave. Salem had been a strong kingdom. Although its territory had been small, it had a strong military. It had to be strong since it was surrounded by enemies, which included the empire, nomadic groups, and other factions. Chi-Woo looked at Eshnunna blankly and asked, ¡°Is Salem¡¯s guardian spirit perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the spirit is created for Salem and their people.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to the vow that had been passed down since the time of our ancestors.¡± Salem Phillip was the founder of the Salem kingdom. He left a promise, saying that he would protect Salem even after his death, and accordingly, his descendants placed Salem Philip¡¯s tomb at a secretive place inside the royal palace and wished for eternal protection for Salem. ¡®So, he¡¯s basically like Munmu of Silla for Salem.¡¯ Even after his death, King Munmu became the dragon king of the East Sea and a guardian spirit who protected Silla from the east coast. It seemed Salem¡¯s founder was a similar case. On the other hand, although this story was simply one of a single country, on Liber, it was a story so famous that there wasn¡¯t a native who hadn¡¯t heard of it. In the past, a hero had come forth whenever a crisis that could cause Liber¡¯s extinction occurred; it was as if it had been decided to be this way. ¡°People think it¡¯s because of the promise our founder left,¡± Eshnunna said while maintaining her walking speed. ¡°They aren¡¯t completely wrong.¡± Before Chi-Woo realized it, they had arrived in front of the palace. ¡°But there aren¡¯t many who know the process.¡± Eshnunna didn¡¯t enter through the front entrance. She opened the back door and then, with more care, the door leading to a mysterious building. A staircase descending to the lower floor came into view, and the only thing that appeared beyond that was pitch-black darkness. Flicker. Eshnunna lit up the lamp she had brought and gestured for Chi-Woo to follow her in. Chi-Woo obliged and murmured ¡®the process¡¯ under his breath. This seemed to mean that there was something more than just a promise. Clack, clack. For a while, they only heard the sound of footsteps. They walked for a while after going down the stairs, and Eshnunna opened a tightly sealed stone door. With a loud scraping noise from the floor, the interior was revealed. There were stone pillars lining both sides of a long hallway, and at the end was an altar and a large statue. The statue wore stylish armor and had a sword at his hip, looking clearly like a mighty hero. How unexpected. Chi-Woo had known that this place was a tomb, but he didn¡¯t expect there to be a stone statue or an altar instead of a royal tomb. This place looked more like a temple for a ritual. ¡°Salem¡¯s heroes are created here.¡± True to Chi-Woo¡¯s prediction, Eshnunna continued, ¡°Those who are chosen by the royal family swear to protect Salem and receive a special ability from our founder. And those who receive a special ability are obligated to act like a guardian spirit of Salem under any circumstances until they die.¡± Only one person was selected at a time, and when that person died, their powers and obligations automatically returned to their origin. Like this, they would wait for a new person to become the next guardian spirit of Salem. And this was the reason why Salem was able to survive for a long time despite being surrounded by great powers. ¡°Honestly, it has become meaningless now since Salem collapsed.¡± As Eshnunna said, Salem as a kingdom had already fallen into obscurity in history. ¡°However, the founder¡¯s will is still in effect,¡± Eshnunna explained that the most recent guardian spirit, the margrave, already died in the chaos. Even though they couldn¡¯t call this place a capital anymore, they had also successfully recaptured the place. And above all, as the only surviving member of the royal family of the Salem Kingdom, Eshnunna could bring about the effect of the founder¡¯s will and give him a special ability. Chi-Woo looked slightly taken aback as he heard Eshnunna¡¯s explanation. He could understand what she was saying. She was telling him to make a vow, even if it was just a formality, and receive a special ability from the founder¡¯s will. This was definitely a good deal for him. It was basically the same as receiving half of the reward of the promotion test for free, and since it was an ability from a great hero, it would probably be impressive. However, a question popped into his head. Since this power was from the founder of Salem, it was only natural that the royal family of the Salem Kingdom should receive the founder¡¯s special ability. Eshnunna agreed to Chi-Woo¡¯s remark. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Only the royal members of the Salem Kingdom could receive this ability for generations. In a way, the past guardian spirit of Salem was an exception among exceptions. And the reason why this happened was that my father was an extremely practical person.¡± The founder, Salem Philip, was a hero. However, there was no guarantee that his descendants would be born with the qualities of a hero. Of course, even if an ordinary person received a special ability, they would become somewhat powerful. However, the late king of Salem did not agree with this thought process as he sought to make Salem a more powerful kingdom. If this ability could make an ordinary person into an extraordinary person, wouldn¡¯t it be much better to give this power to an already extraordinary person who could best utilize this ability? As a result, the late king of Salem keenly watched the margrave who showed amazing military talent at a young age. And after judging that the margrave was a trustworthy person, he made a bold decision to transfer the authority of the founder¡¯s will to the margrave. ¡°Thanks to my father¡¯s decision, Salem was able to withstand 100 years of its most difficult period.¡± They successfully defended against the nomadic groups and empire¡¯s attacks and launched a counterattack as well so that they wouldn''t ever try to attack Salem again. ¡°So I¡¯m trying to do what my father did.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes slightly widened. ¡°But, even then¡ª.¡± ¡°No.¡± Even before Chi-Woo could finish, Eshnunna shook her head. ¡°Please take it.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s eyes looked firmer than ever before. The past guardian spirit wasn¡¯t able to protect Salem from their current situation. No matter how amazing he was, he was still a human in the end; it was impossible for a human to face a god. However, Chi-Woo, who was a human and already a hero, had beat a god. ¡°You don¡¯t have to act as the guardian spirit of Salem.¡± Since Chi-Woo already had a burden too heavy for one person to endure, Eshnunna did not want to burden him even more. ¡°I won¡¯t make you fulfill any obligations whatsoever, so please take it.¡± Chi-Woo felt even more burdened after hearing this. He stared at Eshnunna while feeling extremely conflicted. He realized why she had been acting so strange today. Eshnunna had told him that she wanted to become a hero, and she wanted enough strength to survive in this world. And in reality, she could gain this strength. If Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t existed, she would have rightfully received this special ability without hesitation. However, Eshnunna suppressed her personal desires and passed an opportunity of a lifetime to Chi-Woo. She had already seen his achievements and was sure that he would be able to use this special ability better than any other person. ¡°Please come here.¡± Eshnunna kneeled down in front of the statue, putting her hands together in a prayer and quietly bowed her head. Chi-Woo became speechless. He was going to refuse, but he couldn¡¯t say anything because he felt an irresistible force pulling him. In the end, Chi-Woo began moving. He moved each step forward as if he was being pulled and kneeled down next to Eshnunna with his head lowered. ¡°¡­Founder,¡± Eshnunna spoke up then. ¡°I dare beseech you as the last remaining person to succeed the will of Salem.¡± She begged with an extremely desperate heart. ¡®His body¡¯s condition¡­¡¯ Eshnunna thought that Chi-Woo¡¯s physical condition was poor, and it was getting worse day by day. If Chi-Woo heard her thoughts, he would jump up in a frenzy and deny it fervently; Eshnunna had all the reasons in the world to think this way, though. There was that incident with Ru Hiana when he vomited out blood, and when he came back from fighting a god, his condition had looked so serious that Eshnunna wondered if he was really going to die. Moreover, his physical condition was most likely getting worse since every task he did caused extreme strain on his body. However, Eshnunna could not sit still and watch Chi-Woo¡¯s condition get worse; she believed this hero needed to live a long life and save Liber. The future they had so desperately sought after could only be obtained through him. The ability that the founder gave was not the same for every person. He only gave one ability at a time, and it was different every time. Eshnunna recalled that there was a healing ability before among the different abilities, and she hoped that the founder would give Chi-Woo an ability to heal his broken body, or an ability that would help him stay alive for a long time. They stayed kneeling for a while. This process should not have taken this long; usually, the royal family chose the person to receive the ability and the founder gave an ability to only this person. It was normal for the process to end quickly. However, there was no response. Chi-Woo, who had been working hard to make his vow, tilted his head in confusion. He didn¡¯t hear a message or an alarm. ¡ªHah, this is nuts. Chi-Woo suddenly heard a pleasant but troubled voice in his ears. ¡ªIt¡¯s great that you brought him but¡­this guy already has almost everything. What the heck do I give him? CH 123 Chi-Woo doubted his ears. It was neither Eshnunna¡¯s voice nor Mimi¡¯s voice. What could it be then? ¡ªHis physical attributes are barely passable, but his foundation is no joke. It can outshine pretty much any talent. It was that voice again. Chi-Woo raised his head slightly. ¡ªHa¡­ A semi-transparent arm popped out of the statue. Seemingly troubled, the figure in front of him scratched the helmet he was wearing. Chi-Woo had thought about the possibility¡­ It really was Salem¡¯s founder in front of him. Chi-Woo quickly lowered his head and prayed desperately. ¡®Growth! I wish for an ability that will help me grow!¡¯ Chi-Woo prayed, as he had been really envious of Ru Amuh¡¯s Eudaimonism skill. ¡ªHuh? Growth? You already have something good. So good that what I can give you won¡¯t even be able to compare to it. At first, the founder¡¯s response disappointed Chi-Woo. ¡ªWell¡­if you want it so much, I can give it to you. But I won¡¯t be held responsible even if the ability I give you conflicts with what you already have and chips away from your potential¡­ Ah! I got it, Ma¡¯am! I won¡¯t give it to him! I said I won¡¯t! Then just when the founder seemed to be moving in a desirable direction, his tone became conflicted again. ¡ªI know too! That I shouldn¡¯t hastily mess up this guy¡¯s condition! But it¡¯s he who wants it so much! Salem Philip waved his arms madly and explained. Chi-Woo wondered why Salem¡¯s founder was suddenly acting like this, not knowing that Salem Philip was currently in some hot water. The founder had planned to give Chi-Woo whatever and get the deal done with, but now, the two gods protecting Chi-Woo were furious at Salem Phillip. It was understandable, of course. Chi-Woo was like a being they had perfectly and beautifully decorated, and now some random guy was trying to make changes to him. ¡ªLa Bella and¡­no. Who is this bastard anyway? Salem moaned, as he suddenly felt like a new bride getting scolded by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. ¡ªShit. I have to give him something though because of the promise, but this wasn¡¯t part of the promise, was it¡­? A deep sigh followed. By now, even Eshnunna realized something was off with her ancestor. Normally, Chi-Woo should have gained a new ability already, but the statue showed no response at all. ¡°Dear founder?¡± ¡ªShut up. Shit. As soon as he was called, Salem Philip got angry and cursed; of course, he said this knowing that Eshnunna couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡ªBringing a guy like that out of all people¡­haaaa¡­. Salem Philip grumbled about Eshnunna for no reason and sighed deeply again. Chi-Woo was stunned. After hearing how the founder of Salem protected his kingdom even after his death, Chi-Woo had expected Salem Philip to be a more serious and solemn figure. ¡ªHey, you can see and hear me, right? ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªDon¡¯t fucking ignore me. I know you have Spirit Eye, punk. The way he talked, Salem was like a gangster with blonde hair and purposefully tanned skin. ¡ªOkay, I¡¯m going to get to the point. Listen. Chi-Woo decided to do what he was told to do for now. ¡ªI will tell you the truth. Even if I want to give you an ability, I have nothing to give you. I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re thinking, but abilities don¡¯t work like 1 plus 1 equals 2, understand? It could become 0, or in the long-run, even a negative number, especially for someone like you. It hasn¡¯t shown that much since you¡¯re low level, but you are super well-equipped for growth. I bet you can¡¯t even grasp how well prepared you are. But it¡¯s to the point that even I can¡¯t think of messing with it. Salem Philip talked speedily like a bullet and suddenly stopped. ¡ª¡­Hm. But¡­ Chi-Woo felt as if Salem Philip was looking into his insides. ¡ªYeah, that¡¯s the problem. The balance seems perfect, but oddly not? No, the problem is it doesn¡¯t seem to fit you, like forcefully putting on clothes that are not your size. Chi-Woo flinched slightly. He felt like Salem Philip¡¯s assessment had hit the mark. ¡ªSo, I¡¯ll help you. ¡®?¡¯ ¡ªSpeak properly, you punk. So rude when an adult is talking to you. Anyways, the situation is like this: I have no ability to give you even though I have to because of the promise I made with my own damn mouth. And I suppose I have to keep this promise in another way. Chi-Woo decided to stop thinking for a bit. He couldn¡¯t tell whether Salem Philip was doing something good or bad for him. ¡ªHey! Of course it¡¯s something good! Come on, tell me the truth. Even with all your abilities, you still don¡¯t have a good grasp on how you should use them right? Well, I am telling you that I would guide you through the process. I will teach you well as your master, give you advice, and pass on my experiences and techniques along the way. How does it sound? ¡ªThink carefully. It¡¯s a rare opportunity to be taught by someone like me. Salem Phillip talked just like a scammer, and he didn¡¯t sound convincing at all. But when Chi-Woo actually considered his words, it didn¡¯t sound like a bad offer. Salem Philip was the founder of a kingdom, a king, and a hero. One would be hard-pressed to even compare his experiences and strengths to Chi-Woo¡¯s. Thus, learning and studying under a figure like that certainly seemed like an attractive offer. After all, learning how to fish was better than receiving a fish in most cases. ¡ªThat¡¯s right, punk. Why are you hesitating with such a delicious offer in front of you? Just take what is good and dig in. ¡ªOkay, I¡¯m going to say that you agreed. Don¡¯t say anything else later, got it? Chi-Woo nodded blankly. ¡ªSigh. Good. I was getting sick of resting. I should think of this as my chance to see the world. It was then Eshnunna gasped, ¡°Huh?¡± The statue was starting to disappear from its head to toe until it became crumbs. Shhhhh¡­ It scattered into ashes. Eshnunna¡¯s mouth dropped. ¡°Uh¡­.Uh¡­.¡± She seemed so stunned that she couldn¡¯t speak. But Chi-Woo could see him clearly. ¡ªYo. In place of where the statue was was the spirit of a cheery-looking young and handsome man, waving his hand at Chi-Woo. The man was semi-transparent like normal spirits, but his shape was quite distinct. Divine energy flowed out of him. It didn¡¯t appear to be a recurrent ghost or a mischievous spirit, but the spirit of a war hero. ¡ªWell, since things became like this, let¡¯s get along. The spirit Salem Philip said before transforming into a sparkling white fog and seeping into Chi-Woo¡¯s head. Chi-Woo was startled by the unpleasant sensation hitting his mind and body. He had experienced this sensation many times since he was a kid when spirits of the dead tried to enter him. If things went wrong, it could lead to a possession. ¡ªYeah! Being in a body is awesome. This container is no joke. It will be able to contain me and have space left over. But unaware of Chi-Woo¡¯s feelings, Salem Philip continued to exclaim in excitement. ¡®Ah¡­I was tricked,¡¯ Chi-Woo grumbled inside his mind. He was curious how Salem Philip was planning to teach him, but if he had known the founder would do this, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve reconsidered the offer. ¡®It¡¯s all my fault.¡¯ Chi-Woo had been too careless, just taking anything he was offered. Now, he had to go around with some random ghost inside him. ¡ªWhat was that, you punk? Did you call me a random ghost? A ghossst? Salem Philip burst out. ¡ªAre you just blabbering your mouth because you are a hero from the Celestial Realm? Hey! I used to be a hero too! If it wasn¡¯t this stupid oath I made, I would¡¯ve gone to the heavens long time ago! You hear me? It seemed Salem Philip wanted to highlight the point that he was an altruistic, supreme being who had given up on his godhood on his own will. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo decided to accept the current situation as it was for now. Exorcizing spirits was his specialty after all. He would let the spirit be, but if the spirit tried to steal his body, he could simply chase the spirit away. ¡ªWhat? Chase me away? Are you kidding me, you bastard? And do you really think you can do that? Hah! Salem Philip snorted. ¡ªLet¡¯s see if you can. You seem to be seriously looking down on me, but guys like me have souls on a different level even after we die¡ª ¡°Nama Saddharma Pundarika Sutra.¡± Chi-Woo began to mutter a prayer from the Lotus Sutra. Hearing this, Salem Philip laughed, asking what the hell this punk was doing, but soon, he stopped laughing. ¡ªThe fuck? He felt an indescribable energy that was forcefully trying to pull him out. ¡ªUh? Uh, what? He was taken aback for a moment and soon, he raised a white flag. ¡ªI give up! I give up! I¡¯m sorry, sir! I did wrong! I won¡¯t play around anymore, so please! Chi-Woo stopped before chanting the Lotus Sutra the third time and smirked. ¡®You must have changed your mind, sir,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. ¡ªFuck, I was almost forced to ascend. After having a good taste of Buddhism, Salem Philip seemed to have settled down a bit. Chi-Woo¡¯s mind was still cluttered from Salem Philip making a fuss, but Chi-Woo calmed himself down and looked back to Eshnunna. She was still staring at the pile of ashes like she was frozen into place. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Chi-Woo said, and Eshnunna¡¯s neck seemed to creak toward him. Chi-Woo felt a bit guilty seeing how lost she appeared and said with some difficulty, ¡°Should we¡­get out of here first?¡± The two turned around and went back upstairs. Eshnunna didn¡¯t say anything on their way out, and she seemed to be extremely unsettled. Then, after they closed the door, Eshnunna said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This has never happened before¡­ I didn¡¯t know it was all used up.¡± It seemed Eshnunna had completely misunderstood the situation. ¡ªWoah. Why is this place so empty? Back in my days¡­ On the other hand, the reason for this fiasco, the founder of Salem, was too busy looking around and acting like a boomer that it was difficult for Chi-Woo to focus. ¡°The founder of Salem¡­ What kind of person was he?¡± Eshnunna¡¯s eyes widened at Chi-Woo¡¯s question. She hadn¡¯t expected it. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Eshnunna tried to reach into her memory. ¡ªMy oh my. Are you guys talking about me? Surprisingly, Salem Philip quickly caught on that they were talking about him and swiftly moved back towards them. ¡°I only read about him through records, but¡­I read that he¡¯s fair and wise. ¡ªYou got it! The corner of Salem Philip¡¯s mouth curved upwards. ¡°Just.¡± ¡ªYoyoyoyo~ ¡°And a righteous and noble person who sacrificed himself for his kingdom.¡± ¡ªYep! And that¡¯s me, the founder of Salem! Ppu! Ppu! ¡­It was hard to believe, but the founder of Salem, Salem Philip, was now twerking in front of Eshnunna¡¯s face. By his actions, Chi-Woo realized that on Liber, it was apparently considered noble for a guy to make such a commotion in front of a person old enough to be his granddaughter. ¡ªWhat you looking at, you punk! Kehehehe! When Chi-Woo gave him a look that seemed to say he was pathetic, Salem Philip laughed like crazy. ¡ªWhat? You think a hero is any different? We¡¯re all just humans at the end of the day. Why can¡¯t we also make a scene and play around? Is there a rule that says we need to always be serious? Chi-Woo agreed with these words somewhat, so he stopped shaking his head and shrugged. On the other hand, Eshnunna seemed to have misunderstood Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction and apologized again. ¡°I sincerely apologize. I¡¯ve only wasted your time.¡± ¡ªSigh, it¡¯s all right. You did nothing wrong, my dear child. This weird bastard is the one throwing a wrench into the situation. Chi-Woo gave the beaming Salem Philip an indifferent look before saying to Eshnunna, ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°But even then¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I was going to come and find you soon.¡± ¡°Really? Why?¡± Since he ended up seeing her, Chi-Woo used this opportunity to tell her what had been on his mind. * * * The next day, Chi-Woo sent a message to Ru Amuh as soon as he woke up. Chi-Woo wrote that there was something he wanted to talk to him about and asked if Ru Amuh would lend him some time. He got an immediate reply. [Of course. Since I¡¯m training in my house, please come visit whenever it is most suitable for you.] [Ah, Ru Hiana asked me if she could also join. Would that be all right with you?] Chi-Woo replied that he didn¡¯t mind and would come to visit as soon as he finished his training. He began running like usual. Chi-Woo ran along the city walls while breathing fresh air. ¨CYawn. While running, Chi-Woo stole some glances up in the air. He saw Salem Philip lying down in the sky above him, using the air as his bed. Salem Philip yawned constantly and looked bored. ¨CI¡¯ve had the thought before, but now that I¡¯m looking at it directly, the situation really is serious¡­ Tch. I shouldn¡¯t have come out. Philip murmured to himself, and Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®Excuse me.¡¯ ¨CHmm? What? ¡®You told me you¡¯ll teach me. When are you going to do that?¡¯ ¨CAh¡­ Well, let¡¯s take it easy. There¡¯s no need to be in such a hurry. It¡¯s not like you have to leave immediately. Chi-Woo had asked the question in the hopes that Salem Philip would leave and go somewhere else. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t trust Philip. A person¡¯s speech had a significant impact on whether one could trust them. Philip spoke crudely, and he showed none of the elegance of a hero. Since he acted like a gangster, there was no way Chi-Woo could trust him. ¨CAnd there¡¯s no need for me to intervene when you¡¯re doing well by yourself. Salem Philip yawned and continued. ¨CRunning is gr~eat. Well, your posture isn¡¯t so bad. But in the first place, is there anything for me to teach about running? ¡®Running is the basics. It¡¯s important.¡¯ ¨CI know that too. What I¡¯m saying is that do I have to teach you how to quickly move your two feet? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a baby who just learned how to walk. Chi-Woo had no comeback for that since Salem Philip was right. ¨CThe most important thing about running is persistence and motivation. I don¡¯t know about anything else but¡­ah, even then, there¡¯s something I need to tell you. Salem Philip smacked his lips and pointed his chin at Chi-Woo when he stopped for a moment to swing his fist. ¨CDon¡¯t do that thing in the middle. ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ ¨CYou know, how you suddenly stop running in the middle to twist your body and swing your fist. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¨CWhat do you mean, why? It¡¯s fucking pointless. Why do you do it in the first place? Why? It was because¡­ Chi-Woo wanted to reply, but he had nothing to say. Now that he thought about it, there was no specific reason. He merely saw Ru Amuh do it and copied him; Chi-Woo also saw boxers on Earth do as well. ¨CThere¡¯s nothing more useless than pointless training~. Anyway, is your weapon your fist? I¡¯ll respect that if that¡¯s your style, but you know that it¡¯s much more advantageous to use a weapon than your bare fist, right? Chi-Woo fell into thought again at Salem Philip¡¯s question. ¡®I know that. I¡¯m going to practice with a weapon later on.¡¯ ¨CWhy? Why don¡¯t you want to learn it right now? ¡®I want to first train how to use my body first.¡¯ ¨CSo yeah, why? ¡®Well, let¡¯s say that I use a sword. That¡¯s merely an extension of my physical body, since it¡¯s the same as my arms getting longer.¡¯ ¨C¡­Uh¡­ Chi-Woo repeated exactly what Ru Amuh had told him, and Salem Philip¡¯s face looked blank. ¨CYeah. Your body and your weapon should be one. You¡¯re right in theory, but¡­ Salem Philip tilted his head and looked down at Chi-Woo with an inquisitive look. ¨CBut considering your condition, won¡¯t it be better to learn how to use a weapon a little? Like basic swordsmanship. Or it doesn¡¯t have to be specifically swordsmanship. It¡¯s better than not learning anything. ¡®Do I really need to learn swordsmanship?¡¯ ¨CWhat? ¡®Don¡¯t I have to just learn how to swing and pierce?¡¯ ¨CWhat did you just say? ¡®A sword is just a murder weapon in the end. It¡¯s a tool you use to optimize killing your opponent.¡¯ Chi-Woo had had a fantasy about swordsmanship in the past. However, after talking to Ru Amuh, he completely changed his way of thinking. Chi-Woo recalled what Ru Amuh had told him. [In fact, I don¡¯t know any complicated and profound swordsmanship.] [I only know the most basic techniques everyone can do such as piercing, slicing, and swinging. It¡¯s the same for hand-to-hand combat.] [I did that because I knew a sword as a weapon to kill others and nothing more. I wasn¡¯t able to find any other purpose for it.] Chi-Woo had seen the point in Ru Amuh¡¯s words and witnessed in person the way he fought. ¡®That¡¯s why I want to learn how to fight with my body first and then, learn how to use a weapon.¡¯ Chi-Woo, who had been running for a while, blinked at Salem Philip. The spirit had been talking so much while he was running that it was getting annoying, but now he was quiet. ¡®What¡¯s up with this dude?¡¯ Chi-Woo was starting to wonder what Salem Philip was thinking and slightly glanced up. ¨CAhahahhaahah! Then, he suddenly heard a burst of boisterous laughter. ¨CAhat! Uahahhhhahahhha! Salem Philip rolled around in the air and clutched his stomach while laughing his head off. ¡°What the¡­ Why are you laughing?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at him with confusion. ¨CNo-ahhah! Because! Philip clapped his hands and laughed. He continued laughing for a while and barely managed to calm down to respond to him. ¨CHey, tell me honestly. What you just told me¡ªyou heard that from someone else, right? Chi-Woo was taken aback; Salem Philip hit right on the mark. ¡®Is that important?¡¯ ¨CNot really. But it¡¯s funny. ¡®What¡¯s funny?¡¯ ¨CYou punk! You don¡¯t think it¡¯s funny that a guy who never even properly swung a sword before is talking so much about this and that? Chi-Woo¡¯ face instantly flushed. How did he know? ¡®I just thought¡­it made sense.¡¯ ¨COh my! That¡¯s what you thought? Then why didn¡¯t you keep that in mind, instead of saying it like it was the sole truth? Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t argue with that, because in matters of training, he had completely trusted Ru Amuh¡¯s words. ¨CHey, in the first place, a sword is just one of the many weapons you can use in any place. It¡¯s the same for swordsmanship. Ever since humans started using tools, we¡¯ve been honing techniques and methods to improve swords and our swordsmanship. For tens of thousands of years, humans have been continuously researching ways to make swordsmanship more sophisticated and systematic. If what you said is true, why did people spend so long studying ways to improve a technique that is worthless? Why, because everyone is fucking brainless? While Philip laughed his head off, Chi-Woo was not able to say a single word. Now that he heard it like this, Philip seemed right. ¨CSigh. I guess you¡¯re not at fault. It¡¯s the fault of that punk who told you that. He made you so full of hot air. ¡®¡­Don¡¯t talk about him so rudely. He¡¯s an amazing friend.¡¯ ¨COh my. You mad, punk? Well, I guess you¡¯re entitled to your feelings. But let me tell you something. Philip spun a full circle and landed right in front of Chi-Woo. ¨CThe friend who told you that is either one of two things. He laughed before continuing. ¨CHe¡¯s a damn genius that¡¯s hard to find even if you search throughout this whole universe. Or, he¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime idiot that you¡¯ll never encounter again. CH 124 After finishing his afternoon exercise, Chi-Woo looked for Ru Amuh like he had promised. He found a two-story house surrounded by stone walls and carefully entered. He wanted to knock, but the house¡¯s stone gate had been removed a long time ago. He was going to knock on the relatively intact door to the house instead when he felt a presence and heard the sound of wind cutting. Chi-Woo followed the sound around the house and saw Ru Amuh training in the backyard. With sweat pouring down his body, Ru Amuh was swinging his two swords. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to bother Ru Amuh when he was training, so he quietly watched. He had seen Ru Amuh training multiple times now, and it was nothing special each time: all he did was slice, swing, and pierce. ¡ªIs he the friend you talked to me about? Philip asked as he floated above Chi-Woo¡¯s head and watched with his arms crossed. He looked serious unlike his usually mischievous self. ¡ªAh¡­ ¡®What do you mean, Ah?¡¯ ¡ªHe¡¯s a genius. Not an idiot. Philip said. Chi-Woo glanced up at him, surprised that Philip had read Ru Amuh¡¯s skills just by looking at him. ¡ªI¡¯m not joking. He¡¯s clearly my kind. Basically, Philip was saying that he was also a genius. ¡ªA genius usually recognizes another genius. ¡®That wasn¡¯t what you said a moment ago,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, and Philip waved his hand dismissively. ¡ªOf course. He¡¯s someone who already uses his sword as an extension of his body. I don¡¯t need to look anymore. Regardless of his outstanding talent, he¡¯s already reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Philip smirked at Chi-Woo while looking down at him. ¡ªIf you were at his level, we could¡¯ve had a fun time discussing sword fighting. It was clear that Philip was telling Chi-Woo to know his place. Now he had reverted to a mocking jokester again, and instead of getting angry, Chi-Woo quietly took out a talisman. ¡ªI¡¯m sorry¡­ Philip immediately apologized, and Chi-Woo sighed. ¡®Besides that, it seems you can see quite a bit at a glance.¡¯ ¡ªHuh? Ah, of course. Philip nodded. ¡ªBy the way, did you know that guy never swung his sword the same way twice since we started watching him? ¡®What are you saying? He¡¯s only been slicing, swinging, and piercing since the beginning.¡¯ ¡ªThat¡¯s probably how it looks in your eyes, but that¡¯s not how I see it. Philip looked at Ru Amuh again and expressed his admiration. ¡ªWow¡­his swings are super clean. It¡¯s really natural but also delicate. His slices make me think I¡¯m looking at a piece of art. The universe sure is vast. If you only consider talent, he might have exceeded me. Chi-Woo looked up at Philip in surprise. He thought Philip only knew how to boast. ¡ªThese are just facts that I have to admit. Philip shrugged and continued. ¡ªIt¡¯s clear that he has formed only a standard contract with his god. And I wasn¡¯t as good as him at that age. Then, as if his fighting spirit began to stir up inside him, Philip looked at Chi-Woo anxiously. ¡ªHey, can I make a request? ¡®Like what?¡¯ ¡ªLet me borrow your body. ¡®No,¡¯ Chi-Woo instantly refused. Philip didn¡¯t push further, probably because he had experienced the feeling of almost getting expelled to the other world. He simply muttered. ¡ªAh. What a pity. I feel like I could win in his current state. ¡®Win? Are you talking about beating Ru Amuh? You?¡¯ ¡ªSo, his name is Ru Amuh? Also, I didn¡¯t say I would win, but I feel like I can. Philip licked his lips. ¡ªShould I say¡­a weakness, no. That¡¯s not it. Um, but if I go into your body right now and fight him, I would probably win or lose with the same method. Chi-Woo¡¯s ears perked up hearing the possibility of beating Ru Amuh. ¡ªWhy? Are you interested? ¡®No thank you,¡¯ Chi-Woo finally said. What was the point of using somebody else to beat Ru Amuh? Only when he beat his opponent by his own strength would his victory have any meaning and give him satisfaction. But it did make him curious about something. ¡®What¡¯s the method you may beat him with?¡¯ ¡ªIt¡¯s simple. Ru Amuh¡¯s sword is free just like the wind. Chi-Woo agreed with this point; he had gotten the impression from Ru Amuh¡¯s movements before. ¡ªSometimes it¡¯s strong as a storm; other times, gentle as a breeze. But it swings too much to the extremes for his attacks to be versatile. ¡®Are you saying that he is too upright?¡¯ ¡ªHm. I suppose you¡¯ve heard something like that somewhere. No, that¡¯s not what I mean. He focuses on efficiency so much that there¡¯s a limit in the number of directions where he could exert his strength. Chi-Woo blinked. ¡ªBesides, he knows how to rebound well and is flexible, but he has a tendency to fixate on a direction once he goes in a specific way. You know how a storm doesn¡¯t have only wind? Like how it can combine with lightning or rain, he can also use other factors. It seems this Ru Amuh fellow is really confident about his speed, so he could make up with that¡­ Still, it¡¯s a wasted opportunity. There you have it: my analysis of him. Chi-Woo began to feel the steam rising in his head; he understood less than half of what Philip said. ¡°Huh? Senior!¡± It was then he heard Ru Hiana¡¯s voice. ¡ªOh my. Who is this lady? Philip¡¯s attention quickly jumped to Ru Hiana. ¡°Ah, Teacher!¡± It seemed Ru Amuh had also heard her voice, and he stopped training to look over at Chi-Woo in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you came, Teacher¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You seemed focused on training, so I purposefully didn¡¯t bother you. Hello to you as well, Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± ¡ªGoodness. A blue-eyed lady with blonde hair in a high ponytail¡­ She¡¯s a beauty. Why are you so pretty, lady~ The sight of Philip smirking close by Ru Hiana¡¯s side bothered Chi-Woo, but he simply paid his greeting. ¡°No, I apologize. I had purposefully blocked my senses while training, so I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Ru Amuh smiled awkwardly and scratched his head. Chi-Woo looked curiously at him and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have begun to feel restricted while swinging my sword at some point. It feels as if I¡¯m trapped in a space with limited perimeters. So, I was trying different ways to find a breakthrough. Chi-Woo was reminded of what Philip had told him. He began to wonder if he should tell Ru Amuh what he had heard or not. In the end, he decided to tell him. After all, Ru Amuh was his first star, and he had helped Chi-Woo multiple times before. ¡°Hm¡­ If it doesn¡¯t offend you, could I give you some pointers?¡± ¡°From you, Teacher¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing amazing. They are just personal observations I made.¡± Ru Amuh looked at Chi-Woo like he was all ears, and Chi-Woo started talking. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to put up a soundproof curtain around him. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh, your sword is¡­¡± ¡ªIs this guy kidding with me? Philip chuckled at the absurdity of the situation as Chi-Woo relayed exactly what Philip had said to Ru Amuh. ¡°You tend to fixate on a single direction¡­¡± Chi-Woo said, and Ru Amuh listened to him seriously before responding. ¡°But Teacher. Isn¡¯t it best to maintain the direction my force is applied once I get started? Of course, I could pause or tilt the focus of my swings midway, but considering the side-effects of the repelling force¡­¡± Ru Amuh seemed to understand what Chi-Woo was telling him and posed a fairly high-level question in return. Taken aback, Chi-Woo glanced at the spirit grinning next to Ru Hiana for help. Philip chuckled, but he did tell Chi-Woo what to say rather than leaving him high and dry. After a stretch of silence, Chi-Woo relayed Philip¡¯s answer to Ru Amuh word for word. ¡°When I say that you fixate on one direction to apply your force, think of it in a wider sense,¡± Chi-Woo said, ¡°Yes, a storm is rough, and a breeze is soft. But that¡¯s simply a phenomenon of nature and not your swordsmanship. You can think of a sword as a killing tool, but that¡¯s simply the meaning you have attached to it rather than nature¡¯s way. Even if you move like a storm, you can slice your opponents like a soft breeze. And likewise, even if you move softly as a breeze, you could sweep past your enemies like a storm. At least in your world, Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± When Chi-Woo finished speaking, Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes opened wide. His lips opened slightly and closed again. It seemed he had received quite the shock. ¡°Use of force¡­fixation¡­ah!¡± Ru Amuh exclaimed, and after excusing himself, he closed his eyes, gripping his sword with both hands without moving. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡ªLet him be. It seems he got enlightened. He probably wants to engrave the feeling into his mind and body. And thus, Ru Amuh¡¯s body began to twitch slightly. It appeared he was swinging his sword inside his mind and was a moment away from moving like the wind. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Soon, a small exclamation of admiration followed. Ru Hiana looked at Chi-Woo and stood awkwardly. ¡°I didn¡¯t get what you meant at all, but¡­¡± She smiled with embarrassment when meeting Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. ¡®Me neither,¡¯ Chi-Woo wholeheartedly agreed with Ru Hiana inside his mind. After hesitating a bit, Ru Hiana suddenly asked, ¡°Um¡­ Senior, could you take a look at me too? Of course, I¡¯m not confident that I would be able to understand what you say, but if you could check my swordsmanship once¡­¡± ¡ªIf our lady wishes it, of course, we have to take a look. Philip immediately stepped forward, thinking that the way Ru Hiana kept twisting around to make the request was adorable. ¡ªHey! What are you doing? Quickly tell her that you will! I¡¯m going to finally focus after a long time. If Philip was a dog, he would be wagging his tail right now, so Chi-Woo agreed to give Ru Hiana feedback in the end. Ru Hiana looked very nervous, but she took out her sword and swung it around. ¡ªOh my, is that so? Goodness, that¡¯s a nice swing. Wow, that¡¯s great! Even though he said he¡¯d focus, Philip watched Ru Hiana swing her sword while laughing, unlike the serious way in which he observed Ru Amuh¡¯s training. He spoke up after Ru Hiana stopped swinging her sword. ¡ªIt¡¯s great that she¡¯s swinging her sword smoothly like water, but¡­ ¡°It doesn¡¯t flow like a river.¡± Chi-Woo reiterated Philip¡¯s words so Ru Hiana could hear them. ¡°Your swings are soft, but weak. There¡¯s a saying that softness can beat strength, but this principle isn¡¯t always true. Softness and strength both come from the same source after all. There¡¯s also a saying that strength subdues softness. If you get hit by a strength that goes over a certain limit, your softness will eventually break. When there¡¯s action, there¡¯s naturally a reaction. Rather than forcefully putting power into your swing, I think it¡¯ll be better if you blend these two principles naturally into your sword.¡± As soon as Chi-Woo finished talking, Ru Hiana slightly gaped in surprise. Then she bit her lower lip and made a bitter expression. ¡°Is that so? Senior, you say the same thing as Ruahu.¡± ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh said the same thing?¡± ¡°Yep. I don¡¯t know how to say it, but I¡¯m a bit dumb¡­ Honestly, I don¡¯t really get it. Even if I listen to it, I don¡¯t really understand¡­¡± Ru Hiana made a bitter smile in embarrassment. ¡ªHey. Can¡¯t you let me borrow your body? Just for a moment. For real. Philip began pestering Chi-Woo like a donkey in heat. ¡®Ah come on, again? I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ ¡ªYou punk. Okay, fine. Then you do it. ¡®What do you mean by ¡°do it¡±?¡¯ ¡ªWhatever, it¡¯s fine. Just ask that beautiful girl to show her swordsmanship one more time if it¡¯s okay with her, but tell her to move slowly while barely putting any strength behind her swings. Chi-Woo obliged for now. Ru Hiana looked a bit confused but did as he asked. ¡ªGood. Then stand behind her and softly~ grab her wrist. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªIf you can¡¯t get through to her with words, you can give her direct guidance. Try pulling her along as I tell you to do. ¡®But.¡¯ ¡ªIt¡¯s training, just training. You already told her to do this. Are you going to stop now? Don¡¯t you see how sad she looks? True to his words, Ru Hiana looked dejected. Chi-Woo clenched his teeth and stood behind Ru Hiana, and he felt her flinch. When Chi-Woo stretched out his hand and placed it on her wrist, Ru Hiana whipped around to look at him, clearly startled. ¡°S-senior?¡± ¡ªDon¡¯t worry~ Please don¡¯t be surprised~ I¡¯m not going to eat you~ Philip spoke in a sleazy way. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going to harm you, so please try following where my hand leads you and remember this sensation.¡± ¡°U-uh, yeah¡­¡± Ru Hiana looked taken aback, but soon looked to the front. ¡ªGood. Swing your sword as if you¡¯re cutting through water. Slice, withdraw, hit, withdraw¡­ And while Ru Hiana swung her sword, Chi-Woo slowly pushed his exorcism mana into Ru Hiana¡¯s body as Philip had instructed him to, like he was connecting a line. Ru Hiana didn¡¯t say anything, but she clearly felt his mana. Even though it was embarrassing since it felt as if their body was connected, she calmly accepted his mana. ¡ªTry increasing your speed by a little bit. When A applied force on B, A would be hit with the same force in return. In other words, force A and counterforce B were equal, but in opposite directions. But what if Ru Hiana could synchronize the flow of A and B whenever she wanted? It was with the same principle that Ru Hiana¡¯s sword hit the air. ¡ªGrab and pull! Chi-Woo grabbed Ru Hiana¡¯s hand and pulled. ¡ªPierce now! Chi-Woo guided the force of the sword as they pulled it back, and then, he pushed as hard as possible as they thrust the sword forward. Swish! ¡°Uh!?¡± Ru Hiana almost fell forward to the ground. She managed to regain her balance as Chi-Woo held onto her, but she looked visibly dazed. Her gaze landed on the sword she had thrusted forward. ¡°Just now¡­?¡± Chi-Woo was also surprised because all he had done was follow Philip¡¯s instructions. ¡ªReally, you¡¯re unbelievable. Philip also couldn¡¯t contain his admiration. ¡ªIt¡¯s a high-level skill, but you were able to follow it right away by just listening to me. Philip made a satisfied smile while saying that it¡¯d be fun to teach Chi-Woo. ¡°Se¡­nior.¡± Ru Hiana let out a groan. Chi-Woo finally regained focus and pulled away, dropping Ru Hiana¡¯s hand. Ru Hiana¡¯s neck and ears were bright red; judging by her rough breathing, she also seemed slightly excited. ¡°I¡­I¡­just¡­¡± ¡ªYou felt it, right? Really felt it? Was it just him, or did Philip¡¯s words sound a bit strange? ¡ªHey, I was just talking about learning the sword technique. What kind of lewd imagination do you have? When Chi-Woo glared at him, Philip smirked and pretended to act solemn. Then Ru Hiana struggled to say, ¡°One¡­one more time¡­¡± She looked extremely embarrassed as she shyly asked, ¡°Could you¡­do it like that¡­one more time¡­?¡± ¡ªWhaat? One more time? Philip began to excitedly shout while Ru Hiana continued, ¡°I think I¡¯ll get it¡­ I think if we do it a bit more, I¡¯ll get the feel for it¡­¡± ¡ªOf course! Anytime! It¡¯s a definite yes from me! Fuck yeah! ¡°Please¡­just a bit more¡­¡± ¡ªFufu. Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll use all my techniques to make sure you feel it for sure. Ah, of course, I¡¯m talking about swordsmanship. Hehehehheh! Chi-Woo closed his eyes. * * * Ru Amuh awakened from his thoughts. His head felt clear, and he felt a strange satisfying sense of accomplishment that he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. As soon as his focus was back on his surroundings, he heard people¡¯s voices. ¡ªSenior, do I do it like this? ¡ªYes, that¡¯s right. He heard Ru Hiana and Chi-Woo. He felt warm air reach his face. ¡ªWhat about this? This? ¡ªYes, that¡¯s great. You¡¯re doing extremely well. Huff! Huff! He heard Ru Hiana¡¯s rough breathing as if she was doing intense exercises. Ru Amuh was a bit startled to hear all that with his eyes closed. Of course, Ru Hiana was merely swinging her sword so hard that her whole body was covered in sweat, and Chi-Woo was just nodding and complimenting her. Philip acted frivolously, but when Ru Hiana officially began training, he gave her serious feedback. ¡ªCompliment her a lot. Philip felt pity towards Ru Hiana as she kept wanting reassurance that she was doing a good job. ¡ªThis lady¡¯s talent is actually not bad. She¡¯s actually pretty good in general. I would say she¡¯s gifted. As Philip said, Ru Hiana had talent and could be considered gifted. It was just that¡­ ¡ªThere¡¯s a genius with overwhelming talent by her side. Moreover, Ru Amuh was not just an ordinary genius, but a once-in-a-lifetime genius that stood out even in this whole universe. For that reason, Ru Hiana always felt slightly intimidated. She had a tendency to adopt a self-defeating mentality, thinking that no matter how hard she worked, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. ¡ªIf she does well, compliment her a lot, and even if she doesn¡¯t do a good job, encourage and console her instead of scolding her. It¡¯s more important for this lady to recover her confidence. How can she improve her skills if she always doubts herself first? While Philip seriously gave his suggestions, Chi-Woo thought that even Philip was an okay person when he acted normal. ¡ªHow about it, you trust me a bit more? Philip rubbed his nose and laughed. ¡°How am I doing, Senior? Am I doing well?¡± Philip seemed to be right, as Ru Hiana kept glancing at Chi-Woo while swinging her sword. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re doing very well. It¡¯s really great.¡± Chi-Woo gave a lot of compliments like Philip had told him to do. ¡°Really? Are you being serious?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the best.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°Senior! What about this!¡± Swish! Ru Hiana pierced the air with a lot of confidence. ¡ªAh, it would be better if she strongly shook her sword while extending it, so that the power from the edge of the sword could spread to its surroundings. ¡°Hmm. Why don¡¯t you try strongly shaking it this time?¡± ¡°Shake? Like this?¡± ¡°No. Just the edge of your sword¡­?¡± Chi-Woo stopped mid-sentence when he felt a gaze on him. He turned to see Ru Amuh blinking hard at him with a look of shock on his face. He didn¡¯t know why, but Ru Amuh¡¯s face was a little flushed. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh? Are you done?¡± Chi-Woo asked, tilting his head. Excited, Ru Hiana shouted, ¡°Ruahu! Look at me! How am I doing!?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ Um, uh, yeah.¡± Ru Amuh awkwardly got up in a strange posture. For some reason, he had his hip slightly pushed back. ¨CHmm¡­. Philip, who was quick to catch on to things, looked at Ru Amuh and scratched his head. ¨CDid he get the wrong idea? CH 125 Both Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana looked refreshed. They had sweated a bunch from their exercise and felt a sense of accomplishment. Their skills had been stagnant for a while now, and it had been a long time since they saw any sign of progress; the feat was all the more astonishing considering the fact that it was triggered by only a couple of words of guidance. Thus, the two¡¯s reverence and gratitude for Chi-Woo deepened. They were swordsmen before they were heroes, and they knew how indebted they were to Chi-Woo now. On the other hand, Chi-Woo felt a slightly bitter taste in his mouth. Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana¡¯s improvements were the results of Philip¡¯s guidance, and a part of him was jealous that they had gotten stronger when he desperately wanted to do the same. ¡ªWell, I¡¯m satisfied since it¡¯s an enjoyable experience, and I¡¯m glad that I could be of help. But you shouldn¡¯t be too impatient about becoming stronger. It¡¯s good that you have passion, but what¡¯s the point if only you become stronger? It¡¯s better if you become stronger with other people. I mean, at a glance I can already tell those kids are pretty all right. One of them is way beyond all right, actually. In the end, Chi-Woo nodded. Philip was right, and it was exactly what he had thought in the past. However, it wasn¡¯t easy for Chi-Woo to control his emotions. ¡ªYes, after all, a hero is also human. It¡¯s inevitable that a hero would possess some selfishness and greed. Philip smirked. ¡ªBut whether they can control such feelings according to the situation would differentiate a human from a beast. Chi-Woo thought it was laughable that Philip, above anyone else, had uttered such words. ¡ªBut I¡¯m not human anymore. I just used to be human. Philip retorted, and Chi-Woo decided to just quit talking to him. ¡°Ah, by the way, Teacher¡ª¡± Then finally Ru Amuh recalled that Chi-Woo had visited him for another purpose and quickly guided Chi-Woo to his house. * * * Once everyone sat down around the table, Chi-Woo tested his luck and asked, ¡°What are both of your current plans?¡± Until this point, Chi-Woo had thought things would work out in the end as they had always done. Yet, when he heard Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana¡¯s responses, he realized he had been underthinking things. Both of their schedules were extremely packed, and although he was taken aback to hear this at first, he understood after hearing their explanation. Around 2,000 heroes had joined them in the recent union. Among them, only five percent could use their divinity, and even a lesser number had made a contract with Shahnaz. Zelit placed the matter of increasing the percentage of people in this group as the top priority. As mentioned before, the difference between a hero¡¯s skills before and after they regained the ability to use divinity was tremendous. It would take seven heroes with no power to even have a chance to defeat one mutant, but those who had access to divinity, however little, would be able to face a mutant alone. Thus, the first thing Zelit did was introduce to the newcomers the gift Chi-Woo had provided for everyone: he revealed that there was a yongmaek located in the fortress by the border. Hearing this, heroes fought to head to the fortress. There was no way they would miss out on an opportunity to use divinity without making a contract with a god. And interestingly, many of these heroes were what would be called ¡®traditional heroes¡¯ in the Celestial Realm. Of course, there were also heroes who didn¡¯t head to the fortress and instead stayed in the capital. Their reasons were manyfold. For starters, they didn¡¯t know how to awaken their divinity, and even if they knew the method, they didn¡¯t want to push their way into a small area with hundreds of other people all day. And above all, the danger of going anywhere near the border was a good dissuading factor. And thus, Zelit provided a second method for the heroes who remained in the capital. Heroes who were able to use their divinity already could take other heroes with them to help them accumulate merits. In other words, they would basically do what they had done before at the fortress. Thus, Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana had a very full schedule in the upcoming days. There was no need to explain how important Ru Amuh was, but Ru Hiana had also passed a promotion test and jumped from Iron to Bronze tier, making the pair rare, valuable members for everyone in the capital. ¡°If I could, I wish to focus on my training¡­but I suppose I shouldn¡¯t.¡± Ru Amuh shrugged and laughed. ¡°Me too. I want to push off everything and make what I¡¯ve experienced today completely mine,¡± Ru Hiana agreed. ¡°But duty calls¡­ We can¡¯t only be on the receiving end. Since Senior has done so much for us, we have to do our part.¡± What they said made it harder for Chi-Woo to reveal the reason for his visit. Now, he wondered why he thought they would easily say yes to his request when it should have been clear that they would be too busy to do anything else. It would be the same for Zelit or Allen Leonard. But then, this also made him curious. Everything Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana just told him was news to him. Why hadn¡¯t Zelit told Chi-Woo any of these things? ¡®Is it because of that incident still?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. In reality, Zelit considered Chi-Woo to be outside of his domain and control. To Zelit, Chi-Woo was a hero he couldn¡¯t grasp, and he couldn¡¯t easily make any request to him since Chi-Woo always did well by himself. Thus, Zelit had even talked to Noel Freya beforehand to ensure as much freedom was given to Chi-Woo as possible. But not knowing any of this, Chi-Woo simply thought, ¡®Zelit must still have PTSD from what happened at the Evalya mountain.¡¯ ¡®Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Chi-Woo finally concluded. He couldn¡¯t make them change their plans when they were acting for the greater good. Besides, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been comfortable asking Ru Amuh or Ru Hiana about this matter anyway. In the end, Chi-Woo kept the real reason for his visit a secret and got up. It almost made him feel refreshed that he at least got some answers now. Then, Chi-Woo decided to focus on his own training for a while and spent the rest of the day doing so before going to bed. * * * At dawn, Salem Philip curiously watched a slime creep upward in tandem to Chi-Woo¡¯s snores¡ªat least until he heard the young man groan. ¡ªHm? Is he having a good dream or something? ¡°Goddess L-La Bella¡­!¡± ¡ªWhat? Is he dreaming about the goddess of balance!? This shameless bastard! How dare you see the goddess you serve in such a way! Envious, Philip was going to quickly enter Chi-Woo¡¯s head to see what he was dreaming of when Chi-Woo¡¯s groaning suddenly stopped. ¡ª¡­ And he looked extremely serious. The sweat collecting on his forehead seemed to be an indication for a nightmare, and now that Philip looked more intently, he could see divine energy poured out from Chi-Woo more than ever before. ¡ªIs he¡­having a divine revelation? A divine revelation occurred when a god descended upon a person. Obviously, it was not a common occurrence. ¡°Ugh-ha!¡± At that moment, Chi-Woo gasped and burst his eyes open while sitting up. Philip backed away in shock, and the bun quickly hid. Chi-Woo¡¯s face looked blank as if he had just woken up from a bad dream. He calmed his breaths and looked wildly around before simply staring into space. He stayed like that for a long time. Philip blinked and scratched his head. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but couldn¡¯t. The air around Chi-Woo made him seem untouchable, and Chi-Woo himself appeared to be deeply conflicted. Then Chi-Woo squeezed his eyes shut before shoving a hand into his pocket. Once he took his hand out, he reluctantly cast something out. Thud! Rattle¡­ A die rolled on the floor. ¡ªHuh? Isn¡¯t that¡­ Philip¡¯s eyes chased the die. ¡°Fuck.¡± Chi-Woo cursed harshly. At the crack of dawn, Chi-Woo immediately went to Ru Amuh¡¯s place. However, the house was empty, and when Chi-Woo sent him a message, there was no response. Only after he sent a message to Ru Hiana did he get an update about the situation. After Chi-Woo left their place, Ru Amuh took some heroes with him and left the capital in the afternoon. And they had probably gone too far for a message to reach them. ¡°Ah,¡± Chi-Woo muttered. ¡°If I had known this would happen, I should¡¯ve asked Ru Amuh to cancel all his plans.¡± Then he forcefully moved his heavy feet. On his way home, Chi-Woo was haunted by the desperate need to change his plan. He had originally planned to push off everything and focus only on training, but the dream he had this morning bothered him. Of course, he still wanted to focus on training, and on the back of his mind, he thought that it might not be a big deal after all. ¡ªHmm. Hm. While he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard a few fake coughs. ¡ªMy thoughts are a bit different from yours. Philip continued. ¡ªYeah, training is good. You can never get enough training. ¡®¡­I agree.¡¯ ¡ªBut what¡¯s the point of being locked up and training all day? Chi-Woo tilted his head. He didn¡¯t understand what Philip was trying to tell him. ¡ªHonestly, you¡¯re not a weak one compared to everyone else in the group. In fact, you¡¯re well above average just by looking at your user information. Being strong was multifaceted. Great strength alone did not make one strong, nor did having a great amount of mana. One¡¯s user information and equipment definitely played a part. However, physical strength, mana, and equipment were still far from the only factors that made a person strong. ¡ªHeart. Philip highlighted the importance of a person¡¯s heart. He wasn¡¯t just talking about a person¡¯s mentality, but what made Chi-Woo who he was. ¡ªTo tell you the truth, while you were sleeping, I looked around a bit to find out who you are as a person¡ªby reading your mind. ¡®Without my permission?¡¯ ¡ªHey, you punk. I''m your master. Do I have to get permission from my disciple for every single thing? Philip coughed and continued. ¡ªThe important part is that you¡¯re still a beginner. I admit that you¡¯re no longer an ordinary person. It must not have been easy, so good job. However, whether you¡¯re a hero or not, you haven¡¯t lived in a world like this. Philip wasn¡¯t wrong. Even though he wasn¡¯t an ordinary person anymore, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t yet an experienced hero who had gone through all kinds of trials and tribulations. ¡ªWhat do you think is the most fortunate thing that has happened to you since you came to Liber? Your innate abilities? Special abilities? Your contract with La Bella? The fact that you luckily beat a god? ¡ªNo. From what I saw, your greatest luck is that you were part of the seventh recruits, and the fact that you met Ru Amuh as your friend and made him your first star. Chi-Woo stopped walking. ¡ª¡­But, I also think that you might be too dependent on him. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t just ignore Philip this time because he couldn¡¯t deny the truth of these words. It wasn¡¯t always this way, but somewhere along the way, he started turning to Ru Amuh first whenever something happened. He did it because Ru Amuh was an amazing hero. He was a strong and brave hero Chi-Woo could always trust and depend on no matter how difficult the situation was. ¡ªLet me ask you something. Are you going to raise Ru Amuh only? No, that wasn¡¯t his plan. He didn¡¯t know the exact reason yet, but the ability that he got from the ¡®World¡¯ had seven spots for seven stars. ¡ªAnd do you think all the heroes you¡¯ll meet in the future will be like Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana? Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t say anything in response; he already knew the answer to Philip¡¯s question¡ªthere was no way that would be the case. Finding a perfect and well-rounded hero like Ru Amuh was as difficult as catching a star in the sky. ¡ªYeah, of course not. Not all heroes are saints. You won¡¯t be able to build their trust level so easily either. No matter how good you are to them, no matter how you try your best, there are definitely going to be problems in your relationships. That¡¯s what all human relationships are like. ¡ªBut, when that happens, what will you do? Chi-Woo closed his mouth. ¡ªYou don¡¯t know, right? Yep. There¡¯s no way you would know because you¡¯re just a rookie who doesn¡¯t even know what this world is like, let alone predict how your situation will change in the future. That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to build your experience while you can. Learn about different types of heroes and what your role is, as well as how you should act around them. ¡ªRemember, you¡¯re not going to be just a hero, but also a leader who has to guide other heroes. Philip knew that Chi-Woo was special; he was made that way. However, Chi-Woo was still young. Even though he was fine before, now that the earlier recruits had joined them, he had to grow and mature much more as a person. Leading 1-200 people was completely different than standing on top of thousands of people and guiding them. This was not something that Chi-Woo could learn from others, but something he needed to realize by himself. Even if he got hurt and broken, he needed to stand back up and make his heart as strong as a rock. Only then could he fulfill his proper role in this damned world. Therefore, Philip wanted Chi-Woo to experience this world as much as possible instead of holing up in his room. Chi-Woo stood still like a stone statue. He wasn¡¯t sure if Philip knew enough of the situation or about himself, but he knew that Philip had given very important advice about the future just now. Moreover, Philip was correct in that he couldn¡¯t go looking for Ru Amuh for such a small matter, especially considering his special circumstances. After thinking for a long while and organizing his thoughts, Chi-Woo nodded. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ ¡ªHuh? The death of Giant Fist and Mua Janya was one of the worst things that happened to Chi-Woo on Liber. There was no longer anyone who knew about his circumstances and could help him out. Excluding those two, everyone thought of Chi-Woo as a ¡®great¡¯ hero with a lot of experience, so he couldn¡¯t easily ask around for help. As a result, Chi-Woo desperately needed someone who knew his background and could help him¡ªsomeone like Philip. ¡®Yes, as you say, training isn¡¯t everything.¡¯ Philip smiled without meaning to. He had hesitated to voice his thoughts because Chi-Woo had a feisty personality. To his pleasant surprise, however, Chi-Woo knew when to listen; he quietly considered Philips words and in the end, accepted Philip¡¯s advice on his own terms. As a hero and king who had ruled over a country, Philip felt that Chi-Woo was not a bad candidate to be a ruler; he at least had the qualities of a leader. ¡ªThat¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about~! Gain some experience! Get an amazing weapon on the way! What¡¯s so hard about getting strong? Right? Philip floated down, and after putting his arms around Chi-Woo, he cheerfully shouted. ¡ªGood! Why don¡¯t we start gathering up some teammates? Chi-Woo turned around, making his way not to his house, but towards the square. * * * The first thing that Noel Freya did after reestablishing the temple was to serve Shahnaz. As expected of a former capital city, there was a temple, and after cleaning up the area, Noel placed the holy statue there. Shahnaz was extremely touched by her actions and offered to make a contract with Noel Freya with the holy energy Chi-Woo had given her. However, Noel politely refused. Even though Noel, as an extremely rare priest-type hero, had a very close relationship with gods, Shahnaz was the goddess of war and wind, and wasn¡¯t a good match for Noel¡¯s desired skill development. On the other hand, the temple had been crowded every single day since Noel re-established it; it wasn¡¯t just because of the heroes who wanted to make a contract with Shahnaz. ¡ªDamn! Woah, so diverse. Look at that pointy ear¡­woah! What about her tail¡­! Philip was all smiles as he looked at the female heroes walking around. Chi-Woo scoffed inwardly; Philip had been serious and cool a moment ago, but now, he was back to his usual self. It was certainly difficult to pin him down. Shifting his gaze away from Philip, Chi-Woo looked around to find many heroes roaming the square like they were all waiting for someone. Some of them gathered together in fours or fives and conversed with each other, and those who were by themselves glanced furtively towards those who were in groups. ¡®Hmm¡­let me see.¡¯ Chi-Woo stopped looking around and turned to stare at the shrine. Right at that moment, he saw a person coming out of the shrine as if she was reflecting the sunlight. Her steps were light, and Chi-Woo, who had been staring without much thought, slightly tensed up. CH 126 Noel Freya treaded softly out of the shrine with her ivory hair swaying behind her. Then, when she saw Chi-Woo, she stopped. ¡°Hello,¡± Chi-Woo greeted her first. ¡°Hello to you too,¡± Noel greeted back and bowed, lowering not just her head, but her whole upper body. ¡®What?¡¯ Noel thought. She planned to greet Chi-Woo simply, but she had unintentionally bowed the same way she did only to Choi Chi-Hyun. Like it had its own free will, her body had given Chi-Woo the respectful greeting in her book. And for some reason, she had an incomprehensible urge to call Chi-Woo ¡®young master¡¯. [1] ¡°Did you make a contract with Goddess Shahnaz?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Ah, no.¡± Noel quickly shook her head. ¡°I got an offer, but I turned her down since a priestess must be especially close to a god.¡± In other words, the direction she wanted to progress in didn¡¯t match what Shahnaz wanted. ¡°Hm, Hm.¡± Noel cleared her throat and shook off the uncomfortable feeling she kept having around Chi-Woo. ¡°For what reason have you come here for, Sir Chichibbong¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone who would be my temporary companion.¡± ¡°A temporary companion?¡± ¡°Yes. I am planning to go somewhere for a bit.¡± Noel nodded. She thought Chi-Woo was planning to lead a group of heroes who hadn¡¯t awakened yet so that they could make contracts with a god. She was already made aware of this method by Zelit recently. ¡°Oh, that reminds me, I heard that Goddess Shanaz made new contracts with dozens of heroes recently without even receiving merits from them.¡± Normally, the concept of free gifts didn¡¯t exist between a relationship between a god and a hero. One always needed divinity for things like a contract with a god and a progress system. The idea that a god would make a contract without receiving anything defied common sense, especially in a world like this one. It would only make sense if someone else had donated the huge sum of merits necessary to make this happen, like an altruistic man donating money while leaving the instruction, ¡®Please use this to provide necessities to starving children¡¯. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reveal that it was he who had provided the merits, but Noel was already sure that the anonymous sponsor was Chi-Woo. ¡°Ah, yes¡­haha,¡± Chi-Woo awkwardly responded. ¡°You are amazing, sir,¡± Noel complimented Chi-Woo and sighed. ¡°I suppose it would be too greedy to expect everyone to be like you.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Please excuse me. I have something to attend to¡­¡± Noel looked around and bowed to Chi-Woo again before leaving. She appeared to be displeased about something. ¡®Why did she suddenly act like that?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. Noel didn¡¯t appear to be displeased with him, but with another matter. ¡ªI think I know the reason why she¡¯s upset. It was then Philip leaned toward Chi-Woo¡¯s face. ¡®You surprised me. But what is it?¡¯ ¡ªLook over there. Philiip pointed to a spot where four or more people were gathered. They were talking to each other while smiling. ¡®Why? Is there someone you are interested in again?¡¯ ¡ªOh yeah. Do you see that hafling with her wings folded? She has very sharp¡­ah no, that¡¯s not what I was saying! Philip shouted in embarrassment and coughed. ¡ªLook at those guys. They have all awakened. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªThey¡¯re saying Goddess Shahnaz looked favorably upon them and made contracts with them for free. ¡®Then that means they can use divinity now.¡¯ ¡ªYeah, and from what I heard from them, they are planning to go out by themselves to collect merits when there are still so many heroes who haven''t awakened yet. Philip scanned his surroundings to make his point, and Chi-Woo finally realized the current situation at the square. Now he knew why there were some heroes sitting by themselves, sucking on their thumbs as they looked at other heroes enviously. The number of awakened heroes was abnormally less than the number of heroes who hadn¡¯t awakened. And to fix this imbalance, the heroes in the former group needed to step forward and help others. They were in a situation where everyone needed to unite and work together for the common good, yet many of the awakened heroes were grouping together instead and going outside since it was much safer and more efficient to accumulate merits that way. They were placing their personal gains above all and prioritizing using the growth system. It was selfish of them. Eventually, the awakened heroes began to leave the square with smiles on their faces. ¡ªIs it time for the protectors of justice to step forward? Philip circled around Chi-Woo expectantly. ¡ªPop out in front of them and give them a piece of your mind. If they resist, make sure they learn their lesson. Haha! Philip said excitedly, but Chi-Woo remained indifferent. ¡®I don¡¯t really want to,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, his disinterest giving Philip pause. ¡ªHuh? Why? ¡®Ms. Noel Freya didn¡¯t say much about it, either¡­and I think they¡¯re free to do what they want.¡¯ After all, the method Zelit gave was simply a suggestion, and whether the hero acted upon this method depending on their own will. Thus, even Noel had passed over the matter although she disapproved of those who didn¡¯t follow the suggestion. ¡®Also, I¡¯m not really in the position to say anything.¡¯ When Chi-Woo heard that Ru Amuh¡¯s schedule was packed, the first thing he thought of was training by himself. While he had changed his mind after hearing Philip¡¯s words, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been much different from those heroes before that. ¡ª¡­Oh, I see¡­ Unlike his usual self, Philip listened quietly before his lips curved into a smirk. He liked this about Chi-Woo. ¡ªYes, a king has to hold standards fairly for everyone, or else there will be many complaints coming from below. Philip snickered and placed his interlaced hands on top of his head. ¡ªBut I think you are qualified to speak about this problem. I mean, you¡¯ve accomplished and done so much for others since your time here. ¡®I¡¯m still not interested. I don¡¯t want to go through all the trouble.¡¯ ¡ªThink about it carefully. This could be an opportunity. You could even gain stardom¡­ Well, maybe not stardom per se, but you can gain some fame by taking action. ¡®I really don¡¯t want to. Really.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t express it, but he liked the way the second, third, and fourth recruits treated him, which was with an air of indifference. Before the union, other people would recognize him as soon as stepped outside like he was a celebrity; and whenever something happened, they looked at him with sparkling eyes as if they expected him to do something, which brought immense pressure onto him. Seeing how dismayed Chi-Woo was about the whole idea of gaining fame, Philip chuckled and shook his head. It was said that someone truly talented and skilled would be noticed no matter how much they tried to hide their extraordinary qualities. And Chi-Woo was basically guaranteed to rise to fame. It was inevitable, his will and wishes notwithstanding. Everything on Liber had aligned just right to lead Chi-Woo to his current path¡ªtoo perfectly to be considered coincidences. Of course, Philip understood why Chi-Woo felt this way considering his background, but Chi-Woo should¡¯ve really been more careful if he wanted to hide himself so much. He should¡¯ve calculated each move and paid attention to its repercussions. But it was too late now, and Chi-Woo had exposed himself to everyone else already. That was why Philip said Chi-Woo was still too inexperienced and young. Philip clicked his tongue inside his mind and scanned their surroundings. Chi-Woo seemed unaware of the change of atmosphere, but the heroes scattered around them were not idiots. They were all veterans and professionals who knew what to do to survive. This was also part of human instincts; in situations where people could not grow their own power, they tried to depend on and use others while employing every means possible. For example¡ª ¡°Yo! Bro!¡± A prime example of such a person approached Chi-Woo while waving his hand. ¡°Hmm? Ah, Mr. Eval Sevaru?¡± ¡°Woah, haven¡¯t seen you in a while. What business do you have here?¡± ¡°I came to see someone.¡± ¡°See? Instead of meeting them? Did you come here to watch then?¡± ¡°No, I have somewhere I need to go, and I was trying to form a team.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Eval Sevaru¡¯s eyes widened; he got a great feeling about this. ¡°Do you want to come with me?¡± ¡°For real? Where?¡± Chi-Woo read Eval Sevaru¡¯s excitement and offered him to join, and likewise, Eval Sevaru eagerly urged Chi-Woo to continue. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you yet, but it¡¯ll probably be a bit dangerous.¡± However, after hearing this, Eval quickly took a couple of steps back. ¡°No, no! It¡¯s fine! I¡¯m thankful for the offer, but¡­¡± In Eval¡¯s mind, if someone who had defeated a god like Chi-Woo called a mission dangerous, the risk must be so high that he would likely end up dead. When Chi-Woo stared at him, Eval Sevaru stopped waving his hands like crazy and quickly changed the subject, ¡°Ha, haha, do you want me to introduce you to a few people if that¡¯s what you want? I know some of them might be suitable for the job.¡± ¡°You already know the people here, Mr. Sevaru?¡± ¡°Of course! After the earlier recruits joined us, I got close to some of them!¡± This was not a lie. Like money and wealth, connections could also be a source of power. It was no wonder why there were terms like blood ties, school ties, and local ties in the real world. ¡ªWoah, this punk is kind of funny. Philip surprisingly showed interest in someone of the same sex as him. ¡ªIt won¡¯t be a bad idea to leave this matter up to him. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ ¡ªWhy, isn¡¯t it good for you? He¡¯s doing all the bothersome work. ¡®But you just told me to try gaining experience for myself.¡¯ ¡ªWouldn¡¯t it also be a great experience to assign work to another person and learn from it? Philip replied with a cheerful face. Chi-Woo shot Philip a brief glare and turned back to Eval after schooling his expression into one of seriousness. Eval Sevaru gulped; the only thing in his mind was to get away from this dilemma as fast as possible. ¡°Then¡­¡± Chi-Woo said, ¡°Fine. Can I entrust the matter to you?¡± Eval Sevaru immediately turned away and racked his brain to figure out a way to use this opportunity to his best advantage. ¡°Of course! Bro, just leave it up to me! First of all, how many people do you need?¡± * * * The next day, Eval Sevaru arrived at Chi-Woo¡¯s house and fixed his clothes. Taking a deep breath, he turned around to meet the eyes of the three people behind him. He had tapped into all his connections to carefully select these heroes. ¡°Make sure you leave a good impression,¡± Eval Sevaru said with an extremely serious expression. ¡°This is sacred ground you¡¯re stepping into, and you must show him your best.¡± He continued with a hard and tough voice as if he was someone of great importance, ¡°As you have all heard, it wasn¡¯t easy making space for you guys here. He¡¯s not someone you can just meet because you want to.¡± The three people behind him remained silent. ¡°You might not know since you aren¡¯t an insider like me, but any of the fifth, sixth, or seventh recruits would all be extremely glad to be in your position.¡± Eval Sevaru continued as if he was a principal giving a sermon, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for emphasizing this, but all of you must never, ever make a mistake. He¡¯s like a brother to me, and he entrusted this job to me because he believes in my ability. If any of you make a mistake, you¡¯re going to be disgracing me, and he¡¯ll judge me based on your actions.¡± The woman covering her eyes with a hood smacked her lips. When was this man going to stop talking? It was annoying, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling a little nervous. Then she suddenly recalled the conversation they had yesterday. She had heard Eval Sevaru¡¯s side of the story in the afternoon. He had suddenly approached her and began telling his business without any warning or explanation, asking her if she was up for a job. She refused in the beginning because she was taken aback; she hadn¡¯t awakened her powers yet, after all. However, Eval Sevaru told her that didn¡¯t matter, and it was actually better that she hadn¡¯t awoken her powers yet. That sparked her interest. She was so surprised that she asked for confirmation many times. Eval Sevaru replied with an affirmative, but acted extremely arrogant every time he said so. [Honestly, I should be paid for doing this. I think 100 gold coins will be the appropriate compensation. That¡¯s how much the job is worth. I¡¯m giving you an opportunity right now¡ªan opportunity that you¡¯ll never be able to get in your life.] She had snorted inwardly at the time. Eval Sevaru was making such a fuss about merely introducing her to one hero. He also made it sound like he was introducing her to Choi Chi-Hyun. Of course, she knew that would be impossible. Following a more realistic logic, she asked him if the hero he wanted to introduce her to was the famous hero, Ru Amuh. Ru Amuh was someone she knew even before she came to Liber. A hero who had resolved a star-cluster danger. There had been quite a commotion when words got out that the Celestial Realm had reached out to him as a special talent. From what she heard, he came to Liber as one of the seventh recruits and made quite a lot of achievements. If Eval Sevaru was introducing him to Ru Amuh, she could understand why he was making such a fuss. However, Eval Sevaru¡¯s reaction was perplexing to say the least. [What? Ru Amuh? Ru Amuh? Ahhaha¡­] [Ru Amuh¡­yeah, he¡¯s all right. He¡¯s not bad, and he¡¯s a pretty skilled friend of mine.] [But you need to get one thing straight¡ªhe¡¯s nowhere near my bro.] [What? You think I¡¯m lying? Come on. Ru Amuh calls my bro teacher and follows me. You understand me now?] She didn¡¯t believe what Eval Sevaru told her. After they separated, she went around to find other heroes for more information. However, her effort ended up in vain since most of the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits had left the capital already to use the yongmaek in the fortress. Thus, she came to Chi-Woo¡¯s house as per Eval¡¯s instruction, but she was still unconvinced. ¡°Hmm. Then.¡± Eval Sevaru fake-coughed a couple times and politely knocked on the door. After a while, the door opened with the sound of metal creaking, and a young man walked out. * * * ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve arr¡ª¡± Chi-Woo was about to greet Eval Sevaru, but paused when Eval Sevaru bowed deeply until his back was as low as his waist. ¡°Have you been well, boss?¡± Eval Sevaru straightened his back. ¡°I¡¯ve brought three people as per your order.¡± He even gathered both of his hands together and politely enunciated each word. Chi-Woo blinked. ¡®¡­What the hell is up with this guy?¡¯ 1. ¡®Young master¡¯ here can also mean brother-in-law. ? CH 127 Chi-Woo invited the three guests into his house for now. But as he guided them in, he gave Eval Sevaru an awkward look. ¡°Like you said yesterday, sir¡­¡± Eval Sevaru didn¡¯t talk in his usual casual tone or addressed Chi-Woo with a ¡®Yo! Bro!¡¯. Besides his speech, he also held himself with an uncharacteristic gravitas and dressed more neatly than usual. He looked just like the chief of staff serving an extremely rich family. ¡°¡­I-I see. Thank you. How impressive.¡± ¡°I will take my leave now.¡± Eval didn¡¯t even explain the situation and said only what he wanted. Then he bowed like he had done everything on his end and backed away. He didn¡¯t even turn around immediately and instead walked backward a couple of steps before he turned. Watching Eval quietly head for the door, Chi-Woo wondered what in the world this man was up to. Meanwhile, Philip had deduced the reason for this change in behavior and chuckled in response. The door closed with a soft click, and Chi-Woo shifted his bewildered gaze back to the three guests waiting for him. Although he had offered them seats, they were all still standing. It was a bit strange. He had thought some of them would be more individualistic and relaxed since heroes came from a great variety of cultures, but all of them appeared extremely tense and nervous. They acted like new hires even though they should be heroes with extensive experience. ¡®What happened¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered, but decided to greet them first. ¡°Hello, I am the person who asked Mr. Eval Sevaru to introduce me to some people. Um¡­I came to Liber as part of the seventh recruits.¡± The heroes standing on the left and right of the group began to glance at each other. They seemed surprised by Chi-Woo¡¯s short introduction. Chi-Woo had purposefully not given his name and come up with an excuse to keep it a secret, yet none of them asked about it; they appeared understanding, in fact. They all seemed to be thinking, ¡®His status is so high that he can¡¯t reveal his name.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m Nangnang.¡± Shortly thereafter, the ash-gray cat on the left revealed his name. This hero looked just like a cat, except he stood upright on his two hind legs. He was basically just a cat that walked on two legs. No joke. ¡°I came as part of the second recruits. I heard that you are looking for someone who can act as a guide.¡± The hero had a husky voice and he was a bit bigger than most cats. There was also a noticeable cut across one of his eyes. But rather than resembling a tough street cat boss, he looked quite cute. Chi-Woo wanted to place this hero on his lap and pat his gray fur. But of course, Chi-Woo kept this thought to himself and didn¡¯t show his feelings outwardly, knowing how inexcusable his behavior would be for different species. After the cat¡¯s¡ªno, hero¡¯s introduction, the giant standing in the middle spoke up. ¡°¡­My name is Roar of Quiet Snowy Mountains. I also came to Liber as part of the second recruits. Although I haven¡¯t established a contract with a god yet, I¡¯m confident in tasks that require physical strength.¡± The giant ended his introduction with a tone as heavy as the impression he gave off. His size reminded Chi-Woo of Giant Fist, and this hero was also similarly not a hundred percent human. His whole body was covered with white fur, and although he had eyes, nose, and lips like a human, he was closer to a gorilla than a human in appearance. Each of his fists was as big as a pot lid, and he appeared to be half-human, half-beast. ¡ªOh, a yeti. Philip remarked in surprise as he observed alongside Chi-Woo. ¡ªHow strange. A mere monster has become a hero¡­ Well, he¡¯s from another planet, so maybe it makes perfect sense in his world. Chi-Woo nodded. He became speechless after secretly checking the yeti¡¯s user information with his Spirit Eye. Roar of Quiet Snowy Mountains¡¯ potential was 2 stars, and his strength ranked B while his durability was C. And he hadn¡¯t even awakened; it was self-evident how outstanding his natural physical attributes were. Chi-Woo wondered what would happen if the yeti threw his canon-like fist with all his might. The thought of it made him shudder. Now, the last remaining hero spoke. ¡°Lila Shadia.¡± A slightly low-pitched, charming voice came from under the hood. ¡°I¡¯m part of the fourth recruits. I heard that you are looking for someone with the ability to heal in emergencies, so I came. I also thought I could hear stories I was curious about.¡± Both Chi-Woo and Nangnang looked surprised. ¡°Are you a priest then? Does that also mean you¡¯ve made a contract? Wait, I thought Shahnaz doesn¡¯t match with priests well.¡± After the barrage of questions, Nangnang muttered, ¡®Well, I suppose we are in no place to be picky.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m not a priest, and I didn¡¯t establish a contract with Shahnaz. I couldn¡¯t, actually. Shahnaz turned me down, saying that she and I don¡¯t make a good match, as you¡¯ve said. She seemed to think it would be wasteful to use her divinity on me in the current situation.¡± In other words, Shadia had been rejected by Shahnaz even though she herself was willing. Nangnang and Snowy Mountain nodded in sympathy; they had gone through the same experience. ¡°Then how?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± After hesitating a bit, Shadia raised her hand to her hood. Chi-Woo unconsciously leaned toward her to get a better look. Shadia looked human saved for her unnaturally long bulging head. Chi-Woo had been bothered by this fact since he saw her and wondered if she was of a similar race as Zelit. It was then Shadia pulled her hood back. Brown hair flowed down soil-colored skin as lustrous and glossy as the hair. Her bright complexion made human skin look dull in comparison. Everyone fell silent the moment she revealed herself. Seemingly embarrassed, she raised her softly curved brows and looked up with her thick double lid eyes. There was a human-shaped ginseng on top of her head. ¡°¡­Are you a plant person[1]?¡± Nangnang asked, unable to take his eyes off her head. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t say that¡¯s wrong, but because of the way it sounds, could you call me a plant human[2] instead?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think it was any better, but he kept his thoughts to himself. ¡°You were a Mandaragoran.¡± It was then Snowy Mountain suddenly spoke up after being quiet the entire time. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Shadia shrugged after glancing at him. ¡°As you can see, I can¡¯t pray to the gods to lend me the power to heal you if you get hurt, but I can make medicine that will quickly cure you on my own. But of course, It won¡¯t work on an injury that is too serious.¡± ¡°Are you a witch then?¡± Nangnang asked. ¡°Your name is Nangnang, right? The way you talk has been bothering me. I thought I would look over it because you were cute, but¡­anyways, just call me an alchemist.¡± ¡°It seems I have been rude unintentionally,¡± Nangnang said with a smile. ¡°But an alchemist hero¡­ What a rare sight, even rarer than a priestess hero. Kuhkuh.¡± ¡°I also know how to use magic. Though of course, I don¡¯t have even a tiny drop of mana right now.¡± ¡°I understand. But by the way, I can¡¯t believe you think I¡¯m cute. That makes me really suspicious of your taste, but I suppose it makes sense with you being an alchemist.¡± Nangnang laughed, and the conversation ended there. The three heroes then turned to Chi-Woo without a word. It seemed they were worried they had chatted too much amongst themselves. Of course, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t bothered in the least; instead, he liked it. It was interesting and fun to experience new things. In a way, he was impressed by Eval Sevaru. He hadn¡¯t expected much when he had asked Eval Sevaru to gather people, but the man brought him heroes with useful abilities, especially the yeti and the alchemist who had a mandragora on her head. ¨C Not all heroes are physically strong individuals who are good at swinging swords. Even those who are physically weak are fully capable of becoming heroes. Just think about it, how many people have been praised as heroes simply because of their ability to command? Chi-Woo agreed without much thought. All of the recruits who had been sent to Liber were heroes anyway; since they were all sent out by the Celestial Realm, they must all have a special ability that would be useful. ¡°I asked to meet you because I¡¯d like to request all of your help for a job.¡± Since they had finished greeting each other, Chi-Woo decided to cut to the chase. All three of them looked slightly confused. Even though Eval Sevaru hadn¡¯t explained in detail who Chi-Woo was, they all thought that he probably made a contract with a god or at least knew how to use mana, especially since he was part of the seventh recruit. On the other hand, it was peculiar that he looked for people who hadn¡¯t awakened their powers yet. Thus, they expected Chi-Woo to offer to help them gain merits in exchange for future payback. The fact that such exchanges were already taking place was all the more reason for them to make such an assumption. As a result, they had expected a deal, but Chi-Woo mentioned ¡®request¡¯. ¡°A request¡­request¡­¡± Nangnang softly murmured to himself and licked his mouth. ¡°If it¡¯s a request, will we be able to get an advance payment?¡± His eyes gleamed with hope. ¡°Will we be able to hear more information about it first?¡± Snowy Mountain chimed in. ¡°I can¡¯t explain everything. I¡¯ll explain more after you accept the request.¡± ¡°How much will you be able to tell us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m planning to go on an adventure,¡± Chi-Woo spoke clearly. ¡°It¡¯s not far away. It won¡¯t take us long to get there, and we¡¯ll be exploring.¡± Nangnang¡¯s eyes sparkled; Shadia¡¯s interest was immediately piqued as well. The best part about an adventure was exploring dungeons and finding good equipment. ¡°However, it will be extremely dangerous,¡± Chi-Woo stressed his next words. ¡°I don¡¯t know how dangerous it¡¯ll be. I can¡¯t be certain of the condition inside the dungeons. We might never be able to return.¡± Even though Chi-Woo had said so to make sure they thought long and hard about this, all three of them appeared calm; constantly risking one¡¯s life came naturally with being a hero anyway. However, they still had questions. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m curious about,¡± Snowy Mountain continued. ¡°If it¡¯s such a dangerous place, heroes who have awakened their powers must have already gone in droves to try to obtain items.¡± The yeti was not wrong. Even though it was a dangerous location, they were talking about an opportunity to get high-quality items instead of rusty iron swords. There were probably more than a few heroes who had already rushed towards these dungeons with the help of the growth systems. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll be useful even in my current state, but¡­I know I fall short compared to those who have awakened their powers.¡± Nangnang and Shadia also expressed their agreement solemnly. They didn¡¯t understand why Chi-Woo was asking for heroes who hadn¡¯t awakened their powers like them to join him instead of the already awakened ones. Chi-Woo agreed it was a very important matter he needed to address before he explained any further. ¡°Mr. Nangnang, you asked me before if there¡¯s an advance payment. Yes, there is.¡± Chi-Woo thought this was a good opportunity to bring up this topic. ¡°If all of you accept this request, I¡¯ll make an arrangement so that you can make a contract with Shahnaz. I can do that right now if that¡¯s what you want.¡± Snowy Mountain wiggled his bushy eyebrows. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t do more than helping you activate the growth system, but I¡¯ll cover all the merits it¡¯ll take for you to do that.¡± Nangnang¡¯s drooping tail sprang up, and Shadia¡¯s eyes slightly widened. ¡°Wait, wait. Did I hear correctly?¡± Shadia raised her hand and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not just me; all three of us have been rejected by Goddess Shahnaz. She will not have us. It¡¯s not a matter of having merits or not.¡± It took two to establish a contract; it wasn¡¯t enough for only one party to be willing. Shahnaz had already rejected their requests, and that was the end of the story. One could hardly blame Shahnaz for her rejection. The amount of merit Chi-Woo had given her was limited, so she had been prioritizing heroes who fit her management style and direction of growth as much as possible. It was also possible that the three heroes were completely incompatible with her. However, neither was a problem for Chi-Woo. ¡°Even though making a contract with a god really is important¡­I heard that it¡¯s possible to change it,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Since there¡¯s only one god available at the moment, why don¡¯t you temporarily make a contract with Goddess Shahnaz? If you like it, you can continue your contract with her; If not, won¡¯t you be able to change your contract when we find a new god?¡± ¡°A-and you¡¯re saying that you can do that for us?¡± Shadia voiced her suspicion; the situation was way too favorable towards them. Only an apostle who served their god as an agent or a face could possibly have enough status to influence that god¡¯s decision. Otherwise, there was no way a god would change their decisions because of a mere mortal. ¡°I¡¯ll figure that out myself, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± What was up with his confidence? Shadia had planned to make her decision after listening more, but if what he said was true, she felt that it was necessary to learn much more about this hero. ¡°If there¡¯s advance payment, will there be other payments?¡± Nangnang asked with a slightly excited heaving. ¡°The other payments¡­won¡¯t it be the merits you¡¯ll obtain during the adventure?¡± Chi-Woo replied with a bright smile; it was his way of telling them to not expect any more than this. In a way, the advance payment was already a hefty reward, especially since they could receive it immediately. Moreover, they wouldn¡¯t have to risk their lives. ¡°In exchange¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°None of you can claim any rights over anything we obtain in this adventure. That is my condition.¡± In summary, Chi-Woo was going to help them form a contract, and if they encountered a monster during this adventure, he would let them have the opportunity to obtain merits. In exchange, he was entitled to take everything they found during their expedition. Chi-Woo looked at the three of them in turn, who still looked a bit shocked, and raised both of his hands to signify that he had finished speaking. Then he asked, ¡°How about it?¡± 1. ?? sik-in): Homophone for cannibal ? 2. ???? (sik-mul-in-gan): another word for a person in a vegetative state ? CH 128 All three of them agreed to do what Chi-Woo had asked, but on the condition that he helped them form a contract with Shahnaz. Since this was the advance payment that Chi-Woo had already agreed upon, he immediately headed to Shahnaz temple with the three. There were many people in the temple as usual. It wasn¡¯t as crowded as the first day the growth system was activated, but there were many heroes who still hadn¡¯t given up the chance to awaken. Although Shadia followed Chi-Woo to the temple, she wasn¡¯t feeling optimistic. She recalled how she had been rejected when trying to form the contract she had desperately wanted. She gave all she had to grasp the opportunity and convince the goddess, but Shahnaz didn¡¯t listen; the goddess had given her a one-sided rejection and cut off the communication. That severely bruised Shadia¡¯s pride as a hero, and she wondered if Chi-Woo would be able to convince such a self-serving god. She looked at Chi-Woo doubtfully as he bowed before Shahnaz¡¯s statue. ¡ªHm¡­ Having conversed with Chi-Woo, Shahnaz groaned. She didn¡¯t mind him asking her to form contracts, and his request wasn¡¯t unprecedented. The problem was he was asking her to form contracts with heroes she had already rejected before¡ªand three such heroes at that. In a way, it could be considered a rude request, yet Shahnaz didn¡¯t shoot him down or get angry, but instead considered it seriously. Shahnaz had nothing to lose forming contracts with these heroes. At the end of the day, while a contract might not always be beneficial to the hero, it would always benefit the god due to their superior position over the hero¡¯s growth system. And Shahnaz had only refused the three heroes¡¯ requests because she didn¡¯t have much divinity left after using it to activate the growth system. If she had an overflowing amount of divinity left to use, she would have made contracts with more than 2,000 heroes. Shahnaz knew that she couldn¡¯t be too picky in the current situation, but with her limited reserve of divinity, she wanted to prioritize the heroes who matched her in character and all other factors. Nevertheless, Shahnaz felt gratitude whenever she saw Chi-Woo. There was such a thing as First Mover Advantage. It referred to the gains that a firm obtained by being the first one to introduce a particular product or service to a market. And since there was only one god currently on Liber, the heroes had no choice but to seek contracts with Shahnaz. If there had been another god, she wouldn¡¯t have attracted so many people. In the future, the number of people who sought Shahnaz would decrease every time the heroes secured a god. Thus, before that happened, she needed to make as many contracts as possible. Thanks to the enormous sum of merits Chi-Woo provided to her on several occasions, Shahnaz was able to monopolize the market to great benefit. Thus, Shahnaz felt compelled to consider Chi-Woo¡¯s position rather than simply ignoring his request. It was laughable that a god had to consider a mere human¡¯s circumstances, but Shahnaz found it difficult to see Chi-Woo as a regular man. Furthermore, she had once been human in the past. ¡ªI¡¯m reluctant, but since it was you who made the request¡­I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Things unfolded as Chi-Woo had predicted. While Shahnaz was a god, she had flexibility. ¡ªI wanted to save some divinity just to be on the safe side, but it¡¯s not like I have nothing left¡ª ¡®No, that¡¯s fine.¡¯ ¡ª? ¡®Those are the merits I gave you. You should use that however you like.¡± ¡ªThen? I¡¯m glad you¡¯re trying to keep your word as a man, but right now¡­ Shahnaz was about to say that Chi-Woo had no merits left when Chi-Woo took out a water bottle from his backpack. She shut her mouth then. Chi-Woo smiled brightly and shook the bottle with the divine water inside. ¡®I can also use this to substitute merits, right?¡¯ ¡ª¡­If you are planning to just make contracts, three droplets are enough. Shahnaz watched as Chi-Woo focused all his mind to pour exactly only three droplets. It was quite rude of him to do this, but Shahnaz let it go and considered everything Chi-Woo had done and said, particularly the response he just gave. ¡ªHe is strangely decisive about certain things. ¡®Sorry?¡¯ ¡ªNo, it¡¯s nothing. That¡¯s enough. Shahnaz cleared her throat and said. ¡ªI will make contracts with those three. Shahnaz ordered Hawa to call forth the three waiting outside. And soon, the three heroes walked into the temple looking a bit bewildered. Chi-Woo jerked his head toward where the statue was, and the three got closer a bit doubtfully and bowed. While waiting, Chi-Woo turned to the silver-haired girl, who was neatly dressed in shaman clothes nearby. Hawa was offering prayers while facing the three heroes. Now that he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t seen Hawa since they separated at the fortress. Their time at the cave already felt like a distant dream. ¡°Ms. Hawa.¡± As soon as Chi-Woo called her name, Hawa flicked her head around and looked in his direction. ¡°Have you been doing well these days?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chi-Woo started a small-talk, and Hawa replied instantly. She seemed to have given her response thoughtlessly since her focus was elsewhere. With a small smile, Chi-Woo told her, ¡°I am planning to go somewhere with those three.¡± Hawa looked indifferent; her eyes seemed to be asking, ¡®So what?¡¯ ¡°It could be really dangerous. I can¡¯t guarantee safety.¡± Chi-Woo murmured quietly so that only she could hear him. ¡°But you may come with us if you wish.¡± Hawa¡¯s forehead wrinkled. She had not expected the offer. ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± Chi-Woo cut her off and said. ¡°Rather than ask me what you need to do, shouldn¡¯t you show me what you can do?¡± Hawa¡¯s eyes widened. Chi-Woo¡¯s response indicated that he hadn¡¯t forgotten the promise he had made to her on their way back to the fortress. Chi-Woo was basically telling her, ¡®You wanted to be a hero, right? I¡¯ve set up a path for you to become one. Show me why I should go out of my way to make you a hero.¡¯ Reading between the lines, Hawa nodded more vigorously this time. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± * * * The contract was put in place. ¡°Nangnangnanganangnang!¡± Nangnang jumped down the stairs and screamed in happiness. Shadia looked dazed; she seemed to be wondering whether she was dreaming or awake. Just in case, she put mana into her thumb to form a small light. And when she checked her user information, her denomination was already put into the system. Forming a contract had felt like a faraway dream, but it was brought into reality so easily thanks to one man. ¡°Fufu¡­This cool and heavy feeling¡­it¡¯s been a long time¡­!¡± As if he was advertising to everyone around him that he had made a contract with Shahnaz, Nangnang zigzagged around swiftly with a satisfied smile on his face. Now, he no longer had to wander around the square waiting for some kind-hearted hero to help him. ¡°I was growing sick of the prolonged humiliation and persecution I had to endure. It¡¯s now time for me to go back to being the Swift Nangnang of the Myo people.¡± Then Nangnang stood and raised both of his cute paws toward Chi-Woo. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± Nangnang wagged his tail to show how happy he was. Chi-Woo suppressed the urge to ask if he could grab Nangnang¡¯s tail and swing it in circles since Nangnang was feeling so grateful. ¡°But what do we call you?¡± Snowy Mountain asked after being silent the whole time. ¡°You haven¡¯t yet given us your name.¡± Chi-Woo had been expecting this question sooner or later. ¡°You can call me whatever you want.¡± Even though Chi-Woo had replied casually, they all tilted their heads with solemn understanding. ¡°Are all of you satisfied with the advanced payment?¡± Chi-Woo quickly changed the topic before they could ask more questions about his name. ¡°Yep! This is enough! I wouldn¡¯t mind setting out now! No, I want to head out at once!¡± Nangnang had been jealous of others, but now that he was in a position to show off to others, he jumped around and shouted in excitement. Shadia and the Snowy Mountain also nodded. They could finally utilize the growth system, so they didn¡¯t have any complaints. Chi-Woo was still having trouble tearing his gaze from Nangnang¡¯s tail as he continued, ¡°Going right now is a bit¡­ We have to each make our preparations.¡± Nangnang replied, ¡°But there¡¯s nothing for me to prepare.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s gather tomorrow night. I¡¯ll explain the mission in more detail then.¡± Shadia asked, ¡°Why tomorrow night?¡± ¡°Is there a reason why it must be tomorrow night?¡± Snowy Mountain also asked in puzzlement. It was common knowledge that it was best to go off on an adventure during the day because heading out at night brought unnecessary risk. ¡°It¡¯s not far away.¡± Chi-Woo made a small smile. ¡°And it¡¯s a place we need to go when there¡¯s the least number of people possible.¡± * * * Empires were often associated with emperors. With their sovereign position, emperors ruled over even kings; they were the absolute supreme leader of an empire, second to no one in status. However, this did not always reflect reality. The Demon Empire on Liber did not have an emperor; there was no single, unified ruling entity, but several groups. The same was true of the Abyss Faction, as it was led by two monarchs, a queen and a king, who each controlled nine powers. Together, they were the Two Army Joint Alliance. However, the Demon Empire¡¯s organization structure was even more complicated. A total of 66 high-ranking demons held a varied amount of power and authority. A hierarchy existed in the Demon Empire, and it thoroughly followed the law of survival of the fittest. In short, it was basically a feudal system in which anyone with enough power became lords and ruled over weaker demons. Each of the 66 demons had their own forces, and no one was loyal to another. The strong strived to expand their forces, and those who were comparably weaker relied on the strong for their safety. As a result, infighting was commonplace between demons. However, all demons followed one rule without exception¡ªeven if two groups were fighting to their deaths, as soon as a foreign threat attacked the demon empire, they would immediately stop fighting each other to face the outsider together. A passing onlooker might think of demons as beings obsessed with fighting, who only stopped fighting to fight another war, but this was not the case. They at least knew when they should and should not fight¡­like right now. A hearing was currently underway in the Demon Empire¡¯s main base. Excluding those who were already annihilated by other factions or were at the frontlines, all demons had come together for this meeting. The reason why so many demons had gathered was because the abyss, a faction that even the Demon Empire could not underestimate, had invaded the Demon Empire¡¯s territory. So far, they had only reached the border, but it was of serious concern as the abomination of Babylon, who was one of the strongest individuals even among the Abyss faction, and her queen were personally leading the army. They convened in the darkness without even a glimmer of light. A figure in a loose robe pondered gravely. He was the main subject of attention in this hearing, and one of the leaders who had come up with the use of mutants, which ended up causing the magic suppressing the mutants to explode. He tried desperately to think of a way to get out of this situation. He believed it unfair for him to be put on the spot. None of them had expected the Abyss to attack them; if everything had gone according to plan, the Abyss faction should have been in a dilemma and wouldn¡¯t even be able to pay any attention to them. Who would¡¯ve thought the Serinitas¡¯ special force would be so easily destroyed? All of the demons attending the hearing should know that as well. Even Bael, who ranked number 1 out of all the 66 demon leaders, was in attendance. No matter how much he protested the unfair treatment he received and reminded them that he was merely following orders, the others refused to consider his circumstances and let him off the hook. If he wanted to safely get out of this hearing, he needed to suggest a solution to solve their present conundrum. Fortunately for him, there was a card up his sleeve that would do exactly that. While it would be somewhat of a bluff, it wasn¡¯t a complete lie, either. ¡°If your humble servant may make a suggestion.¡± As soon as he spoke up, he felt chills spread through his body. He gulped as an enormous pressure loomed over him. ¡®The King leading the army in the east¡¯, ¡®First Monarch in Hell¡¯, and ¡®Grand Duke¡¯¡ªBael, the demon who held these titles, was now looking at him. ¡°There¡¯s a way to force the Abyss faction back and return the border back to how it was.¡± Since the Demon Empire was the one who provoked the Abyss first, they needed to at least restore the previous status quo. ¡°While we were conducting an experiment in Salem¡¯s capital, we found a place that looked unusual. I would call it a coincidence, but it was hidden away so well that I also passed it by without noticing it¡­¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°The reason why I hadn¡¯t reported this finding until now was because¡­my master told me not to speak of it, and it was such a strange place that I can¡¯t explain with mere words. I¡¯m speaking of the royal palace of Salem. It looked difficult for me to approach without sufficient preparation, and since I was doing another task at that time, I didn¡¯t find out more about it.¡± Moreover, if they utilized that area well, they could create a clear line of defense against the Abyss faction. He had revealed a secret he shouldn¡¯t have told. His master would be furious if he found out. However, it didn''t matter because his master wasn¡¯t able to protect him from this situation. Thus, he had no reason to maintain his loyalty. His words had a clear effect. The demons began murmuring amongst themselves, and the icy atmosphere broke into disorder. When the commotion died down, he heard someone say, ¡°How do you plan to use a place that is already under the Abyss faction¡¯s sphere of influence?¡± His lips curved into a smile. ¡°You need not concern yourself with that. My master, who first found that place, has already gone inside.¡± His master was Andras, the 63rd ranking demon. * * * When night approached, three heroes and one native gathered in front of Chi-Woo¡¯s house as planned. With Chi-Woo as their leader, the group left for an adventure¡ªnot outside the capital, but towards the royal palace. CH 129 ¡ª[Salem Ophecialis¡¯ Diary] King Seong 2nd year (385) May 17th The king opened an inquiry. ¡°It has been 400 years since our first king founded Salem. Not a decade or a century, but 400 years. But if we compare that period to now, not much has changed. We still only watch our opponents¡¯ every move warily while sitting between our giant neighboring nations,¡± The king grieved. ¡°Does our diplomacy laws state that we must only bend before our neighbors? How long are we going to be satisfied with faring well only for our size and relying on a hero every time a crisis arises?¡± Hearing this, General Duke Nacaste Arrogil answered, ¡°Although we are placing Salem¡¯s defense as our top priority, there exists a clear difference in strengths between our nation and other ones. Even if we pour our entire year¡¯s worth of taxes into our military, it would fall short of even half the amount our neighboring country can invest.¡± The king responded, ¡°You are not wrong, general. But shouldn¡¯t we then find a new method to approach the situation rather than conducting business as usual? It¡¯s not too late even right now. Instead of meaninglessly expanding our military forces that can¡¯t match up to our neighbors, we should learn how to use them more efficiently and harness as much fighting prowess as possible. For nothing if not this nation¡¯s future.¡± And thus, the king declared his firm will to establish the Salem Academy. ¡ª[Salem Ophecialis¡¯ Diary] King Seong 5th year (388) August 29th At sunset, the king returned to his palace. Chancellor La Tart quickly followed him from behind. The king glanced over his shoulder and asked what business had brought the chancellor here. ¡°It seems there¡¯s a problem at the Salem Academy. They have been sending us rescue signals consecutively since two days ago.¡± In great surprise upon hearing this, the king asked, ¡°Could you explain what happened exactly?¡± La Tart answered, ¡°The guard soldiers on stand-by went to the academy as soon as they received the signal, but they still haven¡¯t come back. Furthermore, although several people have gone inside the academy, not a single one of them has re-emerged. Thus, we have to quickly dispatch an official rescue team to investigate the cause and rescue the missing persons as soon as possible.¡± The king heartily agreed with the chancellor¡¯s suggestion. ¡ª[Salem Ophecialis¡¯ Diary] King Seong 5th year (388) September 11th The king was concerned to hear that they had lost contact with the second group of dispatched knights. ¡°Those knights are strong, but even they¡­ What in the world is happening inside? What are we supposed to do in this situation?¡± The king lamented. None of his trustees could raise their heads, and thus, the king spoke again, ¡°Spare nothing to find a solution. Should you fail to do so, you shall be the next to head to the academy.¡± ¡ª[Salem Ophecialis¡¯ Diary] King Seong 5th year (388) September 12th The chancellor requested a private audience with the king, and the king granted the request. La Tart began, ¡°I apologize for being the harbinger of bad news, but circumstances suggest that we wouldn¡¯t be able to solve this case with Salem¡¯s power alone. There¡¯s apparently a sage respected by all nations wandering around the border¡¯s fortress and helping common people. I suggest you invite this sage to the palace and hear his advice about the matter.¡± The king responded, ¡°Seeing how urgent our situation is, we can¡¯t delay this matter one bit. Quickly run to the sage and bring him here.¡± ¡ª[Salem Ophecialis¡¯ Diary] King Seong 5th year (388) September 17th The sage came. When he saw the academy¡¯s silent and chilling atmosphere, the sage shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± Shocked, the king asked the sage, ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s too late?¡± ¡°The academy has been polluted by something outside of Liber¡¯s World¡ªfrom a planet that we don¡¯t know. Salem Academy no longer abides by the logic and laws of the Liber we live in.¡± In shock, the king became speechless for a while. And when he spoke again, he asked, ¡°Is there¡­really no way?¡± ¡°Even the empire, which is most advanced in magic engineering, can¡¯t exert influence over the universe. Perhaps it would be possible for them later on, but not with their current level of technology.¡± The present was their obstacle. ¡°We have to erase the academy from this World now. Like cutting off a rotting part of a body, the only thing we can do now is separate that place from Liber. I think I can do at least that much.¡± ¡°Then, those inside¡­¡± The sage closed his eyes and didn¡¯t say more. (Cut off) After completing a large-scale barrier, the sage said, ¡°This is only a temporary measure. Hundred years from now, the problem will arise anew. I have set a few devices in place to help, so descendants of Salem¡¯s royal blood must not forget this fact. ¡ª[Salem Ophecialis¡¯ Diary] King Ye 1st year (400) March 19 To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the country, the king held a banquet. While everyone was in the midst of enjoying themselves, Chancellor La Tart came forward. The king glanced at him, and so, the chancellor spoke, ¡°It¡¯s a year since King Ye passed over to the next world, and 12 years since that incident.¡± The king scowled and said, ¡°Are you bringing that up again? You are going too far, chancellor, especially on a celebratory day like this. How come you always bring up that story every time you meet me?¡± La Tart answered, ¡°But you must not forget the sage¡¯s words. It¡¯s a problem that will arise again in the future. Even if it¡¯s difficult for us to solve it now, we have to continue to rigorously search for a solution¡ª¡± The king cut off La Tart, ¡°Am I the one who said we should build that academy? Am I the one who caused the problem? If not, why must you push a problem onto me that had been solved twelve years ago and hadn¡¯t arisen since?¡± ¡°But Your Majesty, as a descendent of the Salem¡¯s royal bloodline¡ª¡± ¡°Stop! I don¡¯t want to hear it. Leave now.¡± La Tart requested a private audience with the king again, but the king didn¡¯t grant the request. The officers argued. Twelve years passed since that day, and signals were still coming from the place where the academy used to be(Deleted). * * * Midnight. Chi-Woo led Nangnang, Roar from Quiet Snowy Mountains, Shadia, and Hawa to the palace. Eshnunna was waiting for them there, and she soon took them to an empty place where there was nothing. ¡°Hm¡­I can¡¯t smell anything.¡± Nangnang stuck his nose right onto the floor and sniffed, tilting his head. ¡°A barrier? I did think it was strange that a vast space such as this was left empty in a royal estate.¡± Shadia turned left and right anxiously, and Chi-Woo glanced at her. ¡°Were you here before?¡± ¡°Uh, well¡­I thought I could gain something here, so¡­¡± Shadia struggled to finish her sentence. She seemed to find it embarrassing to admit that she had tried to steal things in front of the princess. Snowy Mountain didn¡¯t say anything, either, but he was fidgeting with his hands. Chi-Woo turned back to Eshnunna. Unlike her usual self, Eshnunna looked extremely tired. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hair was tangled up in a mess. ¡°Have you slept?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry? Ah, no. Why?¡± ¡°I was wondering if you were worried about something¡­ah.¡± Then, Chi-Woo glanced at her from up and down and asked mischievously, ¡°Were you worried about me..?¡± ¡°¡­Haaaa.¡± Eshnunna sighed very deeply and shook her head while mumbling incomprehensibly, ¡°If you were my brother¡­I would¡¯ve hit¡­¡± Then, she told Chi-Woo, ¡°It wasn¡¯t there.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because you suddenly changed your decision, I went and hurriedly searched through the old records and found that there had been attempts to solve this problem since King Seong times.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± ¡°But that was all. There was no passage that really caught my eye¡­ What¡¯s the real reason you changed your mind?¡± Eshnunna suddenly asked. ¡°You acted like you weren¡¯t going to help the whole time, but now you¡¯re saying that you must go¡­ Did something dangerous happen again?¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time Chi-Woo had thought this about her. Eshnunna truly was a sharp princess. She had good intuition. In response, Chi-Woo looked at her like he was touched, ¡°So in short, you really were unable to sleep because of me?¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Eshnunna looked at Chi-Woo with aggravation. As sharp as she was, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to hide his worries from her; Eshnunna could tell that Chi-Woo was in a slightly nervous state, and that Chi-Woo was joking around to relieve his nerves. She supposed that Chi-Woo had his own reasons, and he was now going to solve a problem that only he could solve again. With this in mind, Eshnunna considered offering a few words of encouragement. ¡°Is there really a barrier here? I¡¯m an alchemist and also a mage, but I can¡¯t sense it at all, ¡° Shadia asked while looking around. ¡°There are only two possible explanations: The barrier is fake and doesn¡¯t exist. Or it¡¯s so massive that we can¡¯t even sense it properly. Why it would be just like an ant meeting an elephant.¡± After all, if an ant saw an elephant¡¯s leg, it would think the leg was a pillar instead of belonging to an animal. ¡°Well, let¡¯s say there really is a barrier¡­ Can we even open it?¡± ¡°Yes, there really is one, and we can open it,¡± Eshnunna said. The sage from long ago had told the Salem royals multiple times that the fundamental problem at the academy wasn¡¯t solved and would rear its ugly head again someday; for such a day, he had prepared several devices so that future generations could try to solve the problem after developing greater technology. One of the devices limited the authority to open and close the barrier to someone of Salem¡¯s royal blood. Eshnunna turned back to Chi-Woo, silently asking Chi-Woo if he was really going with her gaze. There was no humor left in Chi-Woo¡¯s expression now. He looked serious as he quietly nodded. ¡°¡­Then.¡± Eshnunna slowly walked up to exactly where the front gate used to be. Then, slid! ¡°Prepare.¡± Eshnunna breathed in deeply and unsheathed a sharp dagger. Staring up at the night sky tensely, she said, ¡°I¡¯m opening the gate now.¡± She pierced the tip of one of her fingers with her dagger. Drip. Drops of blood trickled down between her fingers, and after shaking her blood off her hand, she reached forward and simultaneously said, ¡°Mam sanguinis¡­¡± Incomprehensible words came out of her mouth. ¡°Imperatibi Obice¡­¡± Seeing that their devices didn¡¯t automatically translate the language, it appeared to be a spell from a very old and unknown ancient language. ¡°¡­ostendas.¡± Eshnunna stopped. The world was quiet as usual, and the space was projecting only the night sky. Nothing happened¡­or at least that was how it appeared. ¡°Hm?¡± The first one to notice a change was Nangnang with his keen eyes. ¡°What, nyang?¡± Having focused on Eshnunna¡¯s finger, Nangnang¡¯s tail flicked upward. Everyone¡¯s gaze followed suit, and Chi-Woo strained his eyes to look more closely. The trickling blood had stopped. Before it even dropped to the floor, it hovered still in the air like it was embedded into space. It was as if time had stopped. Moreover¡­ Gurgle¡ª! There were ripples all around them. The air swayed like a flag fluttering in the wind. The phenomenon gradually expanded its sphere of influence, and transparent waves began to circulate across the entire area. Finally, an enormous, fluctuating figure began to take form and reveal itself. ¡°Wow¡­¡± It was a foreign experience for even heroes who had gone through all sorts of difficulties and hardships, and Shadia let out a small gasp. Chi-Woo also lowered his head. The thing that had been hidden for centuries was coming into view bit by bit. ¡°¡­¡± When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with thoughts. CH 130 The day Chi-Woo met Philip in the palace basement, Chi-Woo asked Eshnunna if there was a place where he could find useful pieces of equipment. Eshnunna¡¯s expression turned odd then, and rather than thinking if there was such a place, it seemed that she was wondering whether or not she should tell Chi-Woo what was on her mind. ¡°¡­Well, I think it would be okay to tell you.¡± After thinking about the matter deeply, Eshnunna asked Chi-Woo to wait a bit and went off somewhere. ¡°Honestly, I am hesitant to tell you, but since you defeated a god¡­¡± Then, once they returned upstairs, Eshnunna opened up a book with faded pages and slowly began her explanation. ¡°A¡­Academy?¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard after hearing her out. ¡°It¡¯s an event that happened during King Seong¡¯s time according to Ophecialis¡¯ record, which served as a foundation for Salem¡¯s written history. Although King Seong was revered as a great and esteemed leader, the records show that the king¡¯s reign was marred by a mistake he made.¡± The mistake was ¡®Salem Academy¡¯. ¡°He had good intentions when creating the academy, and he accepted anyone with talent regardless of their age, sex, and class for his country. The royal family also covered all the expenses incurred by the academy.¡± In other words, this was no ordinary government school. Salem Academy was a high-class institution in charge of nurturing talents who would later become pillars of the nation¡¯s future. ¡°Apparently, it cost an astronomical amount to establish and maintain the academy. Besides emptying the treasury, the administration needed to save tenaciously for several years and set aside only the minimum operating costs for the palace. For example, one of the academy¡¯s classrooms was made entirely of magic stones. That should give you a rough idea of how much everything would have cost, right?¡± Eshnunna¡¯s example didn¡¯t mean much to Chi-Woo, but it was truly an astonishing feat. In Earth terms, it would be akin to having a classroom built entirely out of gems. ¡°After putting so much attention and care into establishing the academy, however, they closed it down after only three years for a mysterious reason.¡± They didn¡¯t just close the school. Following the sage¡¯s advice, King Seong erased the academy without leaving a trace. Not only did he give up on all the items inside, he also abandoned all the professors, students, laborers, and the two rescue teams that had been sent to the school, leaving them completely cut off from planet Liber. ¡°Is the rescue signal still coming?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Eshnunna shook her head. ¡°In a deleted record, it says that they continue to receive signals for help even after 30 years had passed. It¡¯s hard to believe though.¡± ¡®For that long?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and then asked, ¡°Can we assume that communication with them has been cut off now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The signals could be still coming. After King Seong passed away, records state that King Ye didn¡¯t let anyone even bring up the topic of the academy. It seems King Jeong, the successor of King Ye, tried to solve the problem again, but¡­they didn¡¯t seem to make any progress.¡± Eshnunna explained that afterward, what the sage had said was only passed down to members of the royal family for generations to come, and everything else was lost in history. Chi-Woo caressed his chin thoughtfully. That prompted Eshnunna to ask, ¡°Why? What¡¯s there for someone who can defeat gods to be scared of?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± Chi-Woo smiled blandly, ¡°I¡¯m wondering if that place would really have the items I want.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t there be?¡± Eshnunna asked. ¡°Think about it. In that time period, what kind of humans would be able to unleash the greatest fighting prowess?¡± Chi-Woo thought it over and answered immediately, ¡°A mage?¡± ¡°Yes, a mage.¡± Eshnunna nodded. ¡°And it seems the country not only supported mages, but also invested in anything related to magic, such as a weapon enhanced with spells, or an item made by an artisan¡­¡± Chi-Woo gasped. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± If what Eshnunna said was true, he would be able to retrieve a couple of useful items. On the other hand, it also made him think the place would be more dangerous than he had thought. This was why he had thought he should talk to Ru Amuh about this matter, only to find out that Ru Amuh¡¯s schedule didn¡¯t fit; in the end, he made up his mind that day to focus on training rather than going on an adventure. * * * ¡®Where is this place¡­?¡¯ Everything was in ruins. Chi-Woo was standing alone in a city devastated, where buildings, castles, and everything else were destroyed. The whole world was colored in ashes, and there was no one around him. ¡®What in the world¡­? Huh?¡¯ Chi-Woo scanned his surroundings and felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°Is this¡­?¡¯ It was Salem¡¯s former capital. Because it was in such ruins, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t recognized it before he spotted a few familiar landmarks. ¡®But why is the city in such a state?¡¯ It was as if the city had fallen. Last he remembered, Salem¡¯s capital was finally turning back into a city that humans could reside in. It was then Chi-Woo noticed someone. He saw a woman slowly walking toward him in a hood and a white robe. And when Chi-Woo noticed the balance scale in her left hand, his eyes turned wide. ¡®Lady La Bella?¡¯ The goddess who guarded balance and scales had appeared. ¡®Lady La Bella! Lady La Bella!¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s body sprang into action as if it had a mind of its own. Rather than thinking about why she was here, Chi-Woo felt a strong urge to chase after her. But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t. Even though La Bella was clearly walking slowly, no matter how fast Chi-Woo ran or chased after her, he couldn¡¯t shorten the distance between them. Then La Bella disappeared to her destination. ¡®I know this place.¡¯ Chi-Woo heaved and stopped running to collect his breath. This place also looked familiar to him. Although it was likewise destroyed, he could tell it was where the royal palace used to be based on its layout. ¡®Lady La Bella¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo shifted his gaze away and blinked hard. There, in the distance, La Bella had stopped walking and was standing alone. ¡®Lady La Bella¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo was about to follow her instinctively when he stopped. It felt different from before. His senses told him that it was dangerous for him to approach her now. And after he stared at her from afar for a good moment, La Bella slowly turned around. She bowed slowly like she was telling him to look at where she was. ¡®I can¡¯t see anything though¡­?¡¯ All Chi-Woo could see was a gray void. Chi-Woo tilted his head, and La Bella raised her left hand slowly. The balance in her hand had been in perfect balance, but as soon as she raised it, the balance tilted to one side. It tilted more and more until the beam was perpendicular to the ground. It was an extreme imbalance that naturally brought discomfort to any viewers. Not long afterward, La Bella pointed to the sky with the index finger of her empty hand. She seemed to be telling Chi-Woo to look up instead of forward. Chi-Woo obliged and looked up, his jaw dropped immediately. ¡®¡­¡¯ Gasp! Chi-Woo panted as he jerked awake and opened his eyes. As soon as he sat up, he looked around and frantically fumbled around the floor. He unconsciously pulled out his club from the bag beside his bed, but stopped when he got a clear look at his surroundings¡­ The capital was just like how he remembered, and his confusion began to settle down. Chi-Woo gave his house another once over before putting down the club he had been clutching with a vise-like grip. Then he sighed deeply and hung his head. ¡®Just now¡­¡¯ It had been a dream, but the dream had felt so real and fresh in his mind. Usually, he forgot dreams as soon as he woke up, but that wasn¡¯t the case for the dream he just had. His memories of it were still clear in his mind, and above all, La Bella had appeared. ¡®It isn¡¯t¡­the first time.¡¯ After Chi-Woo fell off a cliff in the Evalaya mountains, Chi-Woo had dreamt of La Bella. And thanks to her guidance, Chi-Woo had been able to come back to the living world from the underworld. Thus, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t simply dismiss this dream as a nonsensical one, and he was sure there was a reason why La Bella had appeared and tried to show him something. ¡®It seemed like a grim warning for me¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo struggled to make sense of it while clutching his head. He must be missing something. He thought back to everything that had happened. ¡®The capital¡­I recently went to the palace.¡¯ Chi-Woo had gone to the royal palace under Eshnunna¡¯s guidance and met Salem Philip there. ¡®Will that become a problem?¡¯ No, there was no way. La Bella had pointed up instead of down at the basement. ¡®Now that I think about it, that¡¯s not the only thing. There¡¯s another thing she could be warning me about: the adventure.¡¯ After Eshnunna finished her business with him, Chi-Woo had asked her if she knew a place where he could get useful equipment. He expected her to know a lot as a princess, and after thinking deeply over the matter, Eshnunna had told him that there was a place like an ancient ruin. And since it was difficult for her to explain what it was, she offered to show him records of it. Chi-Woo went through the records she found for him, and after learning a considerable amount about the place, he fell into deep contemplation about whether he should go there or not. A part of him thought it was better to not go. ¡®It looked too dangerous.¡¯ That was also the reason why he had given up on it after talking to Ru Amuh. He didn¡¯t feel the need to go there while undertaking that much risk. While he thought it was a shame, he could always get equipment elsewhere. ¡®But¡­is that really connected to this dream?¡¯ Chi-Woo was taken aback. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else that could be connected. He could interpret his dream to mean that La Bella was telling him to go to the place Eshnunna told him¡ªto go there before something serious happened. That seemed to be more of the case considering the text he¡¯d read, which stated the problem could arise again. ¡°Haaaa¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a sigh. After thinking long and hard about it, he covered his face with both hands. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Truthfully, he didn¡¯t want to go. He didn¡¯t want to take another unknown risk again. It was different from the time he had to go deal with a god. He felt a physiological aversion to the idea, but it wasn¡¯t as if he could simply ignore the issue. It bothered him that if he didn¡¯t do anything this time, he would be leaving a potential problem that could arise anytime unchecked. But then again, maybe he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it from happening. From his past experiences, Chi-Woo knew better than anybody else that it was better to take action whenever he felt this way. ¡°It could have been the manifestation of my worries. Or just a nonsense dream¡­damn it!¡± Because he didn¡¯t want to go, he kept coming up with interpretations that would excuse his inaction, but eventually, Chi-Woo shook his head hard and gritted his teeth. He shouldn¡¯t seek to be leisurely and carefree so desperately in a world like this. ¡®But¡­even if I decided to do it, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡¯ Chi-Woo struggled to make up his mind. Closing his eyes, he pushed a hand into his pocket. Although he had promised to never rely on the die again, he felt like he needed to get an answer through it this time so that he wouldn¡¯t make an irreversible mistake. ¡®Please.¡¯ After breathing in deeply, Chi-Woo rolled the die and prayed. ¡®Please¡­!¡¯ [Rolling the World¡¯s Milestone.] The die rolled to a stop on the floor. [Result: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï] [Inherent state [Blessed] Luck consumed (75 ¡ú 69)] [The world¡¯s flow twists and separates.] [Success. An incident occurs.] [Long ago, a calamity that could plunge the world into ruins arose because of one human¡¯s greed. Thanks to a wise sage¡¯s quick thinking, the world was able to avoid mass destruction, but the problem didn¡¯t completely disappear. This problem must now be solved as soon as possible, and part of the stolen world must be returned. To fix the distorted balance, a scale will open a tunnel momentarily and match the balances of the two worlds. ¡¸Temporarily opening a passage connecting the two Worlds and fixing for time differences.¡¹] It was what Chi-Woo had feared. Without even celebrating that his die roll was a success, he muttered, ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± His eyes narrowed as he read the message hovering in the air. * * * A magnificent and majestic building occupied a vast area before them. Even the front door Eshnunna was standing at boasted an overwhelming height and width. But besides its enormous size, what glued their eyes to the building was something else entirely. First of all, the structure was half-transparent; it didn¡¯t seem to be real, like a reflection in fluctuating water. While they could see it with their eyes, it looked intangible. Moreover, none of them could conceal their discomfort as they stared at the building. They didn¡¯t know why, but they felt an instinctual sense of reluctance to get close, similar to the kind of trepidation someone with trypophobia would feel seeing a cluster of holes. ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± Eshnunna touched the door and suddenly began to tremble. She couldn¡¯t put the feeling into words since she wasn¡¯t familiar with this phenomenon. She simply felt a great discomfort coming from her hand. ¡°¡­This is strange,¡± Shadia said after sensing the sudden enormous burst of mana. ¡°I¡¯m no expert in barriers, but didn¡¯t you say this particular one has been maintained for hundreds of years? But for some reason, the flow of mana in a particular spot is especially unstable.¡± ¡°Well¡­perhaps something bad has happened from the inside,¡± Nangnang said, and Shadia shook her head. ¡°No, the other parts of the barrier are too intact for that to be the case. It¡¯s just this one spot...¡± Shadia focused her eyes and glared at a specific point before continuing in a low voice, ¡°In cases like this, it usually means one thing. Someone knew about the existence of this place and had already forced their way in.¡± Silence lingered. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Eshnunna shook her head to emphasize her point. ¡°This barrier can only be lifted by Salem¡¯s royal blood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you think,¡± Shadia replied curtly. ¡°I admit the barrier is well-hidden and differentiates bloodline well, but even I would be able to make enough of a gap to force my way in when I was at my peak; as long as I knew it was here, that is.¡± Eshnunna blanched. Who was she to argue with a hero who already had experience in saving a world? ¡°I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡± Shadia looked reluctant to continue further. ¡°To my ears, it sounds like we have to quickly go in before something happens.¡± Unlike her, Nangnang smirked. He seemed to be the kind to be invigorated by daunting challenges. ¡°Since it looks like the entrance might disappear at any time, let¡¯s quickly prepare. Let¡¯s first decide the order in which we enter. I¡¯ll take a point, followed by the giant, alchemist, boss, and silver hair. People at the back, grab the clothes of the person in front of you.¡± Then, Nangnang stepped forward and quickly said, ¡°Once we go in, everyone should form a circle around the alchemist at my signal. I will of course stand in the front, boss and the giant would take the left and right, and silver hair would take the rear. No one has any complaints, right?¡± ¡°Why are you acting however you please?¡± Shadia protested; it seemed she didn¡¯t like that Nangnang was ordering people around. ¡°Acting however I please?¡± But in response, Nangnang stared at Shadia like she was the strange one. ¡°We¡¯re going on an expedition to fulfill a request. And the boss brought me here as the guide. Of course, he would have the final say on important decisions, but I have the right and responsibility to decide which path we should take and what direction we would go in.¡± Shadia fell silent. Nangnang was right. ¡°Or are you just not planning to go in?¡± Nangnang stared at her, and Shadia looked away. Chi-Woo sighed inwardly. He empathized with her feelings, but they had no choice. They needed to enter the academy to at least correct the distorted balance and prevent the dream he had from becoming a reality. Having hardened his heart, Chi-Woo grabbed Shadia¡¯s robes by its hems. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± The group began to walk toward the swaying door¡ªto the place that used to be part of Liber, but was now part of a completely different World. As they passed through the barrier, their vision shook again like what they had seen outside. It was almost as if they were looking inside a bowl of water. They also felt a different sensation as soon as they crossed the barrier. It was like a black hole was sucking them in or stretching different parts of their bodies. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant sensation in the slightest. Chi-Woo began to feel anxious; it felt like he was really entering another world. Worried, he clutched the hem of Shadia¡¯s robe even tighter. After an unknowable stretch of time, he saw a flashing red light that reminded him of a red-light district. The fluctuating waves seemed to quell and subside until their surroundings came into focus. It was then Shadia suddenly stopped, and Chi-Woo followed suit. CH 131 ¡°In a rhombus formation,¡± Nangnang said. Chi-Woo stood on Shadia¡¯s left, while Snowy Mountain moved to the right. Nangnang then took point with Hawa falling to the back. Chi-Woo looked around his surroundings. It was red. Not exaggerating one bit, the whole world was simply crimson: from the entrance in front of him to the soil that made up the ground, everything in his vision radiated a reddish light, like they had been doused with blood. The only other color was the night sky. It was completely black without a star in sight. And was it just his imagination, or did it look like the bloody insides of a monster¡¯s mouth, stretched wide open to swallow the expedition team? Sniff, sniff. Nangnang pushed his nose to the ground and smelled it. ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± he said, stroking his nose with his cat paw and twisting his face. ¡°The soil here is completely different from that of the outside. It¡¯s not just the makeup of the minerals¡­ It¡¯s most likely soil belonging to a different planet, and it appears that it has gone through considerable erosion.¡± ¡°That would make sense since centuries have passed since that incident. We should consider this place part of an entirely different world one way or another,¡± Shadia responded and then looked behind her anxiously. ¡°Would we even be able to return¡­?¡± They couldn¡¯t see anything from where they had come from. As if obscured by a curtain, the area was cloudy and hazy. ¡°I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this¡­ Sheesh. I suppose that was why the advance payment was so high,¡± Nangnang said. ¡°Exactly what I wanted to say,¡± Shadia replied. ¡± I am the fool who took the offer without thinking more about it. So stupid.¡± The two conversed to relieve some of the hesitancy and nervousness they felt. Eventually, Nangnang walked forward and placed his paw gingerly on the tightly shut entrance door. As if he was doing a cat punch, he tapped on the door with his paws, and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Why? Is something strange? Is there a spell cast on the door?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Nangnang shook his head. ¡°But...I think we¡¯ll have to watch where we go once we¡¯re inside.¡± ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t you just tell us?¡± ¡°A guide has to relay only definite information to his team members. I can¡¯t bring confusion with uncertain information.¡± ¡°How precautious of you.¡± Shadia shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯m planning to go to the entrance for now. What do you think, Captain?¡± Nangnang turned around and asked for Chi-Woo¡¯s opinion. Chi-Woo nodded; he was a complete newbie in these matters, and he planned to follow the judgments of experts as much as possible. After getting his approval, Nangnang turned his gaze onto Snowy Mountain. ¡°Could you open the door for us a bit? Carefully if possible. If you can¡¯t be careful, it¡¯s fine even if you use all of your strength.¡± Snowy Mountain stepped forward and placed both hands on the entrance, leaning his body forward. Creaaak. The steel door gently opened without resistance. Nangnang¡¯s eyebrows twitched, but for now, he quietly entered. Once they were past the door, the interior was revealed to them more clearly. As soon as he saw it, Chi-Woo was reminded of a high-end complex. There weren¡¯t more than a couple of buildings, and the site was huge. It looked like a school where children from rich families attended. ¡®It really looks like they poured a lot of money into this place. It¡¯s clean and¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s thought was interrupted by a strange sensation. Then someone let out a soft click. Nangnang suddenly stopped walking while cautiously making his way across the area. ¡°What is it again?¡± Shadia asked in a disgruntled tone. ¡°Wait.¡± Nangnang wrinkled his eyes slightly. The whiskers on his face stretched out horizontally and trembled. ¡°¡­The smell,¡± Nangnang said. ¡°I can smell something.¡± ¡°What smell?¡± ¡°Smell of blood.¡± Everyone fell silent. ¡°Here,¡± Nangnang turned, and they continued advancing. After they passed below a bridge connecting two twin towers, they came upon a building that was two times bigger than the buildings they had just passed. It was the building that they had been able to see faintly even from the outside. Judging by its towering size over the other structures, it looked to be the main building. Nangnang headed to a stairway that appeared to be connected to the entrance door. Visible blood stains cast a red light on the white staircase, and at the point where the staircase met the floor, they saw the origin of the fishy smell. It was a human¡ªa knight in full plated armor as well as a helmet. Perhaps he had been attacked while running away, or had exhausted all his strength, causing him to collapse at the ends of the staircase. The knight¡¯s entire body was still soaked in blood, and Nangnang quickly approached to study him. He carefully removed the knight¡¯s helmet, revealing a young man with neat, brown hair. Judging by the way his face contorted and hardened, he probably had been in tremendous pain right before his death. ¡°How is he?¡± Shadia asked as Nangnang placed his paw on the young knight¡¯s neck. ¡°He¡¯s already dead.¡± Nangnang checked the knight¡¯s pulse and shook his head slowly. ¡°And¡­¡± Nangnang didn¡¯t immediately continue. He hesitated and studied the corpse carefully again, lifting the knight¡¯s arms and legs before dipping his paw into the collected pool of blood. ¡°You might find it hard to believe¡­¡± Nangnang finally raised his head with a dazed look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s a corpse¡­that has died not too long ago¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Shadia doubted her ears. It was too unbelievable. ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s been only a couple of days since he died.¡± The blood stains were still fresh, and the corpse hadn¡¯t decomposed much. ¡°Well, before we came in, we saw traces of someone who had forced their way in¡­¡± Shadia said and looked at the corpse like she was wondering if this young knight was the trespasser. ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem to be one of the recruits,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought curiously. Of course, he couldn¡¯t remember all the recruits, but he had no memory of seeing a young knight. He would¡¯ve definitely remembered a hero going around in armor like this. It seemed most likely that the man was someone who had come in before they did. But overall, the situation was quite confusing. ¡°We lack information. Could you help a bit?¡± At Nangnang¡¯s request, the group huddled together and searched the corpse. They took off the corpse¡¯s armor and looked through its belongings. Among them, Nangnang found something that looked like a small card. ¡°It¡¯s an identification card.¡± Chi-Woo read the information on the card. ¡°The knight seemed to be the son of an aristocratic family. Let me see¡­ Got it; it says his name is Nobreium here.¡± ¡°Nobreium?¡± Hawa, who had been quietly listening until now, asked in surprise. Nangnang glanced at her and asked, ¡°You know them?¡± ¡°They are one of the noble families who had existed since the foundation of the Salem kingdom.¡± ¡°Um¡­thank you for telling us that, but why were you so surprised?¡± Nangnang asked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­¡± Hawa hesitated, unlike her usual self. ¡°The Nobreium family died off 70 years ago.¡± ¡°What? How do you know that?¡± ¡°Because the one who led the assassination of the Nobreiums was my grandmother.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Salem and the Shahnaz tribe were enemies united through wars. Besides war, there had been many attempts to cause internal divisions and assassinations of each other.¡± Nangnang looked speechless. They had discovered two pieces of information: A recently-deceased young knight and his identification card. If they combined all the information they had, it would seem that a surviving member of the Nobreium family had come here and died. Nangnang¡¯s face suddenly paled in fear. ¡°¡­Captain.¡± He turned back towards Chi-Woo with a shaky voice. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­that¡­record. Did you say you read it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t it say on the record¡­that there was a problem with the academy, and a rescue team was sent there?¡± ¡°Yes, it was sent two times. The first was a security team, and the second was an order of knights¡­?¡± Chi-Woo suddenly closed his mouth. As he relayed the information, he realized that there was something strange about it. ¡°Do you remember when the record was written?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Chi-Woo quickly racked through his brain. ¡°Year 388.¡± ¡°Liber is now¡­ That means 1,200 years must have passed since then, right?¡± Nangnang quickly turned to Hawa. ¡°It¡¯s been much longer than that.¡± ¡°Then.¡± Nangnang gulped at Hawa¡¯s reply. ¡°The Nobreium family must have existed during year 388.¡± Nangnang sounded extremely tense, which confused Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Shadia gasped at that moment. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s a different world! That¡¯s it! I¡¯m such an idiot!¡± Shadia dropped to the floor and clutched her head. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ve been too careless! It wasn¡¯t Liber but a different world! I should¡¯ve been looking at a completely different planet, but¡­ Why did I make such a fucking newb mistake¡­!¡± Nangnang and Snowy Mountain both remained silent, while Chi-Woo and Hawa were left looking confused. Hawa stepped forward and asked, ¡°Why¡­ What¡¯s the matter?¡± While messing up her hair, Shadia glanced at Hawa and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Time and space. The space we exist in is never absolute. The one single thing absolute in this universe is the speed of light.¡± The speed of light is always constant, and there is nothing faster than light. Space changes according to the speed of light. Thus, time and space are both relative to the speed of light, and they can¡¯t act as absolute measures. ¡°¡­It¡¯s actually a simple matter,¡± Shadia got up from the ground and spoke with an exhausted voice. ¡°Year, month, day, and whatever measures of time. Every world with civilizations has a dating system.¡± She continued with a soft voice, ¡°If you carefully observe the universe¡¯s phenomena, you can find these kinds of set rules, like the numerical sequence of 1, 3, 5, and 7.¡± Then Shadia asked Hawa, ¡°How many days is one year on Liber?¡± ¡°¡­366 days.¡± ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s 407 days on my planet.¡± Shadia turned to Nangnang and Snowy Mountain. ¡°What about the rest of you?¡± ¡°241 days.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s 182 days.¡± ¡°You heard it, right?¡± Shadia turned to Hawa again. Hawa¡¯s complexion paled like the other heroes. She was smart enough to grasp their points. ¡°In short, while centuries passed outside¡­¡± Shadia drew a line from the outside to the interior of the path with her index finger. ¡°It¡¯s only been enough time for this young knight here to come to rescue and kick the bucket. How many days did you say it¡¯s been since he died?¡± ¡°About three or four days.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s been three or four days, then, in one day¡­¡± Shadia stopped talking and barked out an empty laugh. ¡°Does that¡­make sense?¡± Hawa still looked taken aback. It seemed that while she understood what they were saying, it was too much to take in at once. ¡°It makes sense in theory.¡± Shadia shook her head and looked up at the night sky. ¡°Moreover, since Liber has been invaded by foreign intruders, Liber¡¯s law of time and space is no longer applicable to this world.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Hawa¡¯s mouth slightly opened wide. ¡°Well, we¡¯re fucked. Ever since we first came here,¡± Shadia answered. A heavy silence fell upon them. After a moment, Shadia purposely raised her voice and asked, ¡°How much time has passed since we came here? Anyway, even if we go back right away¡­ It will have been at least several years.¡± Hawa let out a small sigh and turned to Chi-Woo with a lost look on her face. They might soon see the world after it was destroyed. ¡°This is strange.¡± Snowy Mountain, who had been quiet the entire time, spoke up. ¡°Everyone, call forth your device.¡± ¡°Device? Why our device¡­ What?¡± A stunned look overtook Shadia¡¯s face. The devices that showed their user information were objects exclusive to those who were part of the Celestial Realm. It must be connected to the Celestial Realm for it to be used on a different planet. They had been able to access it with some limitations because Chi-Hyun had forcibly created a transmission between Liber and the Celestial Realm, and the passage of light, while unstable, captured the signal between the recruits and Celestial Realm. However, the world that they were currently in was not Liber and had no connections to the Celestial Realm. They shouldn¡¯t be able to use their devices. However, their devices were working smoothly with no trouble. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry too much.¡± Chi-Woo stepped forward this time. ¡°This world is currently connected to Liber, and through the tunnel, and the passage of time is equally fixed with Liber¡¯s. Of course, this is only temporary.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. Since they saw evidence of his words in their functioning devices, none of them refuted his claim; instead, they looked at him with shock and curiosity. This was not something that a mortal like Chi-Woo could have done. ¡°A god has lent me their powers.¡± ¡°Ah, like that time¡­¡± Shadia recalled Chi-Woo¡¯s dealings with Shahnaz and realized he must have made a deal with Shanaz to synchronize Liber¡¯s and this world¡¯s time. Even though it seemed Shadia had misunderstood what he said, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t correct her since he didn¡¯t want to go out of his way to reveal the World¡¯s Milestone. ¡°That¡¯s what happened.¡± ¡°Thank goodness! It really is fortunate!¡± Nangnang was utterly elated, looking like he had regained the ten years he¡¯d lost. Then he gazed at Chi-Woo with admiration as if he was looking at a god. ¡°You really are an amazing guy. It¡¯s crazy that you knew this would happen and made preparations beforehand.¡± Snowy Mountain nodded in agreement, and Nangnang lay flat on his belly to calm his startled heart. The fact that the tunnel was connected had various implications. The small amount of power they gained on Liber could be used as a backup, and the ¡®Stabilization of the Flow of Space¡¯ would be maintained, which was automatically given to all heroes when they were transported to other planets. ¡°Ah, what the heck~ Why didn¡¯t you tell us beforehand? My heart almost jumped out of my chest~¡± Shadia muttered in complaints, but she was smiling in relief. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°But even then, you¡¯ve shared with us detailed observations, and thanks to you, I received more information.¡± With the great concern lifted from their chest, the heroes returned to their original state. Chi-Woo looked down at the corpse of the young knight and then looked up at the main building. Even if it was not applicable to them right now, it was still true that the time in this world had gone seriously awry from the rest of the universe. ¡°Considering the time axis in this place¡­ There might still be a survivor.¡± A survivor from hundreds of years ago. CH 132 Before they started wandering around, they decided to set a clear goal first. ¡°There¡¯s no problem without a cause,¡± Nangnang continued. He was a more reliable guide than what his teammates expected. ¡°Identifying the cause is the first step to solving any problem.¡± Then, Nangnang proposed the 5W1H method to approach the situation, namely to identify the Where, What, When, Why, Where, and How. Currently, they were able to answer five of the six questions, leaving only the ¡®how¡¯ to be figured out. To find an answer to the question, Nangnang suggested a very simple method. ¡°There¡¯s no getting around it. We have to search the place thoroughly no matter how long that would take us.¡± Even at a first glance, there were already several buildings that they could immediately see, and the campus was quite vast. But for some reason, Nangnang thought they would be able to complete their search quickly. He pointed at the corpse at the bottom of the staircase and said, ¡°That corpse¡¯s face was stricken with fear, and based on the manner in which he died, he seemed to be running for his life before he exhausted his strength and died. In other words, there¡¯s something in this building that killed the knight.¡± Nangnang looked up at the towering main building quietly. Sometime later, the expedition team got into a rhombus formation again. Taking the lead, Nangnang climbed up the staircase and cautiously opened the glass door. They went inside. The interior was no different from a regular school. At the front stood a wide staircase leading upstairs, and a passageway stretched forward each. Stopping in his tracks, Nangnang pondered for a bit before heading to the hallway on the left. As he had suggested before entering the campus proper, it seemed they were going to search the place thoroughly without overlooking a spot. Although he could intervene, Chi-Woo decided to respect the guide¡¯s judgments. The hallway was lined with doors. Nangnang went to the nearest one and pressed his face against it, craning his ears to listen closely. After staying in that position for a while, he gave his companions a pointed look, and Snowy Mountain came forward. ¡°I¡¯m opening the door,¡± Nangnang said quietly before pushing the door open with great care. Snowy Mountain raised both arms, ready to drop into defense; he put his arms back down when nothing happened. The room was a mess. It looked like a classroom, but all the desks and chairs inside were broken and scattered. ¡ªOh my. This is no joke. Philip whistled while looking down from the air. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right.¡¯ Chi-Woo only remembered then there was a spirit following him around. He glanced at Philip, and his tenseness eased a bit. For some reason, Philip¡¯s presence was reassuring. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Nangnang went inside and slowly circled around the classroom, scanning the room at the same time. Then he looked down at the floor and sniffed. ¡°There are traces of escape.¡± Nangnang¡¯s nose twitched. ¡°There are signs of a disorderly, hectic retreat. It seemed about six or seven people had hurriedly escaped after seeing something.¡± ¡°The door was closed,¡± Snowy Mountain added in a low voice. If people were running away so hurriedly, the door should¡¯ve been left open. ¡°That¡¯s why I am still looking at the area. It seems some had run toward the door and¡­¡± With his eyes on the floor, Nangnang returned to the door. ¡°¡­When they were about to reach the door,¡± Nangnang looked back again and continued, ¡°¡­They were dragged off. None of them were left behind, not even one.¡± In other words, there had been a mysterious monster strong enough to overpower several skilled individuals at once. As Nangnang shared his observations, Chi-Woo looked at him in awe. He couldn¡¯t for the life of him figure out what had happened no matter how hard he surveyed the room, but this cat was painting a vivid picture with the traces left in the room, as if he had been at the actual scene. ¡°¡­It really is strange,¡± Nangnang said with confusion, ¡°If they had tried to run away but failed¡­they must have died.¡± Nangnang looked around and tilted his head, ¡°But I can¡¯t find any traces of blood. It¡¯s too clean here.¡± Like the knight they found dead from blood loss outside of the building, there was little evidence for the exact cause of their death. ¡°Perhaps they weren¡¯t dragged away?¡± Shadia made a logical guess, but Nangnang refrained from giving an answer due to his uncertainty. ¡°I think we have to look around a bit more for now,¡± Nangnang said and made his way to the hallway. Afterward, the same thing happened over and over again. The expedition group opened every door in the hallway and searched inside. Sometimes, they found things worth taking, but as their guide, Nangnang asked them to ignore these items for now and continue going forward. ¡°Our captain doesn¡¯t have much time to spare. We have to weigh the things we have to do in terms of importance.¡± They could stop for an artisan-crafted item that would grant them extra power instantly, but for things like gems and other metal goods, they could come back to them at a later time. Although it was a bit of a shame, Chi-Woo decided to focus on the investigation at hand. Unfortunately, they failed to gather more information after the first room; the rooms were all in similar messes, and there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between the traces they found. After not achieving much on the first floor, the group went up to the second floor without pause, but the search turned out to be likewise futile. They were about to go up to the third floor when Nangnang suddenly stopped walking. ¡°What is it?¡± Shadia asked. Dropping to all fours on the staircase with his tail raised high, Nangnang whispered, ¡°I hear a sound,¡± his hair standing on end. Chi-Woo craned his ears to listen. Uh¡­.Uh¡­ He heard it then. It was a faint sound that he could barely make out. ¡ªThey seem to be crying very sorrowfully¡­ Why is it so creepy? Philip hunched his shoulders and shuddered. ¡°We¡¯re going up. Just refrain from making too much noise to the best of your ability.¡± Nangnang began to climb the stairs again, but he was more cautious than before. Trying their best to stay as quiet as possible, the groups climbed up to the third floor, and the sound became clearer. ¡°Uhah¡­Uhahhhh¡­¡± It was a frail, thin voice. It sounded like a baby babbling, or a girl sobbing. No sooner had all of them made it to the third floor that Nangnang swiveled to one side. Chi-Woo also turned around, his eyes narrowed. To the left of the stairs that led to the fourth floor, there was a girl sitting in the middle of the hallway. Because she was back facing them, they couldn¡¯t see her face. She simply made sobbing noises with her head bowed. She wore what looked like a uniform, and it seemed she was one of the Salem Academy¡¯s students. ¡°Uhah¡ªUhahhhh¡ª¡± Alone in the reddish hallway, she cried. It wouldn¡¯t have been suspicious if she was quietly sobbing by herself, but why would she cry out loud in such an open space, given the circumstances? It was strange and extremely suspicious. Nangnang, who was cautiously watching the girl bawl, turned to look over his shoulder. When Chi-Woo gave him a nod, Nangnang cleared his throat and was about to say something. ¡ªHmm. What¡¯s with her? She¡¯s human, but why doesn¡¯t she seem human? Philip murmured to himself as he approached her to get a closer look. ¡°¡­¡± Then, the girl immediately stopped crying. ¡°Hey,¡± Nangnang talked to her at almost the same time. ¡°Can you hear my voice? If you can, say something.¡± Even though he was loud enough for her to clearly hear him, she didn¡¯t reply. However, she did slowly raise her lowered head and turned around, zeroing in on the hovering Philip. ¡ªUh¡­? She can see me? There¡¯s no way she should be able to. When she met his eyes, Philip jumped and moved back. Then the girl¡¯s gaze moved towards Chi-Woo and the others. Her now revealed face was fair and clean. Her eyes looked focused. Nangnang continued, ¡°We are the rescue team here to help you. Who are you? Are you a student here?¡± ¡°Grrrrr¡­.¡± She replied with what sounded like a beastly growl. ¡°What was that? Just now?¡± Shadia wasn¡¯t sure she heard properly. ¡°Answer me if you¡¯re related to this place. If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll consider you our enemy and attack.¡± Nangnang calmly issued an ultimatum, and the girl slowly got up from the ground. ¡°Du Zg Bres¡­¡± Nangnang frowned at her harsh voice. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Uh¡­Eh¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying? Speak clearly.¡± ¡°Nuheu Bresmus¡­Ugh¡­!¡± There was no way of knowing what she was talking about, but there was one thing that was clear. The girl¡ªno, the being that looked like a girl¡ªwas enraged. She looked as if she had experienced a great injustice, and was now showing intense fury. ¡°Zumuru Butchsu zuzueh¡­¡± Something changed. ¡°Thar ughru zumuru su¡­?¡± Dark red veins popped out of her skin and quickly spread to her whole face. ¡°Busuhu thar¡­¡± Her face turned into a muddy color as if it was molding, and the whites of her eyes became black. ¡°Duzudu Bres¡­!¡± Her mouth opened inhumanly wide until her chin reached her chest. Then her tongue rolled out and touched the floor. ¡°Zu-uh-eheheheh-!¡± With a scream, she rushed up to them with reckless abandon, moving so terrifyingly fast that her arms dangled on her sides, along with her long, long tongue. ¡°Be careful!¡± Nangnang quickly shouted and lowered his stance, ready to retaliate. However, the monster who used to be a girl jumped over Nangnang and plunged into their formation, going after Shadia in the middle. Snowy Mountain was already in a defensive stance, and he quickly moved in front of Shadia to block the monster¡¯s path. He swung his fist at the monster¡¯s mouth. Punch! His fist, which was the size of a pot lid, collided with the monster¡¯s face, and yet it was Snowy Mountain who ended up flinching. It didn¡¯t feel like he had hit something hard. There was no impact. It felt as if he had hit an empty bag. ¡°Ugh!¡± Snowy Mountain cried out as he felt a burning sensation from his fist. Even though he was sure he had gotten a solid punch in, he was bitten instead. The monster did not let go. It clamped its teeth together hard and chewed on Snowy Mountain¡¯s fist. Even though Snowy Mountain used his free hand to hit the monster¡¯s stomach once more, its body simply sloshed. It didn¡¯t seem to have received any damage. ¡°Nangnang!¡± At that moment, Nangnang quickly hurled himself toward the monster, his sharp claws piercing the monster¡¯s deer-like neck, and the monster¡¯s head separated from its body. Nangnang narrowed his eyes even after fulfilling his objective. The sensation he felt when slicing into the monster¡¯s neck was strange. He might as well be hitting a hollow snowman. Moreover, not a single drop of blood could be seen, and even though its head had been cut off, it still didn¡¯t let go of Snowy Mountain¡¯s hand. It was at that moment Chi-Woo clearly saw it: the monster¡¯s hair began to move like it had a life of its own, and every strand shot at Snowy Mountain¡¯s hand at once to pierce it. The monster¡¯s darkened face instantly returned to its original color, and the hand in its maw turned black instead as if the monster¡¯s head had injected ink into Snowy Mountain¡¯s hand with a syringe. While everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the monster, Snowy Mountain quickly cut off his wrist with his other hand. Splurge! Blood burst out, and his cut hand fell to the ground. It absorbed all the scattered blood in an instant and started scrambling like an octopus. Crackle! The hand was engulfed in flames. It was a spell from Shadia. She had responded quickly, but it was in vain. The crawling hand sprang like a spider and quickly skittered away like it was trying to escape. With a quick flick of her wrist, Hawa shot a dagger through the air, making a whoosh. The blade pinned the large hand on the floor with great precision. ¡°If fire doesn¡¯t work¡­!¡± While the hand was skewered and prevented from moving, Shadia cast another spell. Wind gathered around the hand and sliced it into pieces. Subsequently, frost appeared on the pieces and froze them completely. The hand, which had been scrambling to flee, finally grew still. ¡°Pwehh¡ª¡± Shadia let out a sigh in relief and threw Snowy Mountain an apologetic glance. ¡°I took care of it just in case. Was it all right?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I was the one who sliced it off in the first place. But¡­¡± Snowy Mountain clutched his bloody arm and let out a small sigh as he looked down. The others followed his gaze and looked taken aback. The corpse had reverted back to that of an ordinary girl, but it was completely hollowed. No organ, no bone, not even a drop of blood¡ªthe only thing left was an empty shell made out of skin. CH 133 After their sudden encounter with a monster in human skin, the expedition team decided to retreat to the second floor for Snowy Mountain¡¯s injury even though the situation was hectic. With one hand amputated, his injury appeared quite serious. Chi-Woo looked worriedly at him, but Snowy Mountain and even Hawa appeared calm about his injury. ¡°Didn¡¯t we see a lab earlier? Why don¡¯t we go there first?¡± Shadia spoke up, superseding the guide¡¯s authority, but Nangnang didn¡¯t disagree and led them to the place. He knew Shadia intended to treat Snowy Mountain there. The role Shadia played in the team was the mage as well as the healer, and for all matters relevant to her role, the guide had to follow her suggestions. Soon afterward, the team returned to what looked like a lab with Nangnang¡¯s guidance. They had already searched the room before, and Shadia quickly began her preparations. Although the whole place was in a mess, she managed to find a cauldron. She took out a tree branch from her bag and started a fire before making a rod to hang the cauldron above it. ¡°It would have been nice if you had prepared beforehand.¡± ¡°I finished the preparations. I just have to do the finishing touches.¡± Shadia responded to Nangnang by pouring a greenish liquid into the cauldron. ¡°The medicine is most effective when I make it on the spot. Then¡­¡± Shadia looked around and asked for a clean cloth. Hawa handed her one. Shadia spoke while rolling it, ¡°I need to use this, or else it will get quite loud.¡± ¡°Thank you for the consideration, but it¡¯s not necessary,¡± Snowy Mountain firmly said. ¡°I¡¯m used to pain.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t mean to have you use it. It¡¯s for me.¡± Snowy Mountain¡¯s eyes widened. True to her words, Shadia crumpled a piece of cloth and stuffed it into her own mouth. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, she rolled the edges of the cloth in so that none of its parts would peek out. Chi-Woo stared blankly while wondering what she was doing. Then his eyes widened as well in shock. After a few deep breaths, Shadia placed both of her hands on top of her head and clutched onto the ginseng in the shape of a human. Then she pulled on it with all her might. ¡°Urgh, buuuuugh!¡± While letting out a repressed scream, Shadia gradually extracted the ginseng from the top of her head. Her eyes widened and became bloodshot. ¡°Muuuuuuugh!¡± Even though she had thoroughly muffled herself, part of her scream still escaped her mouth. It was a trickle at first. Then the scream poured out before coming to a sudden halt, and Shadia¡¯s eyes returned to normal. ¡°Buuugh¡ª¡± Shadia let out the breath she had been holding in and loosened the cloth she had been tightly biting down on. The cloth was soaked in her salvia after she spat it out. ¡°What are you all staring at me for? Is it your first time seeing someone pull out a mandragora?¡± she asked. Then, as if nothing had happened, she dropped the mandragora she extracted into the boiling cauldron. Chi-Woo was still visibly reeling from the severe culture shock. Then he realized his reaction could be disrespectful to Shadia, and her action might not be a big deal to heroes. However, that didn¡¯t seem to solely be the case. Nangnang looked completely speechless, Snowy Mountains¡¯ face hardened, and Hawa was on her toes, seemingly curious about the state of the top of Shadia¡¯s head. ¡°¡­The universe sure is big,¡± Nangnang said in amazement. And while everyone was dazed, Shadia hummed as she stirred the pot. The ingredients she had put inside boiled and create thick steam before turning a light neon green. Then Shadia cooled it off, and the medicine was done. ¡°Although I¡¯m only regenerating a hand, I made a lot since your body is big,¡± Shadia said while pouring a good amount of thick liquid into a large basin. In Snowy Mountain¡¯s large hands, the basin appeared like a normal-sized cup. He fumbled with the cup and hesitated, but when Shadia egged him to quickly drink up, he closed his eyes tightly shut and drank it all in one gulp. ¡°It¡¯s all good now. Just wait a bit. The medicine will take effect soon,¡± Shadia told him. Chi-Woo looked at Snowy Mountain pitifully, as the giant looked like he had an upset stomach. Crunch! Like Shadia said, they soon got a signal in the form of a cracking sound coming from Snowy Mountain¡¯s wrist. His severed bones seemed to be growing like a tree branch. White sprouts emerged and became larger. Soon, it took the form of bones, and boiling foams began to form around the surface. Sometime later, skin and muscle grew and enveloped the bones before taking the shape of a hand, and soon enough a dense layer of white fur grew to cover it. It was a miracle that couldn¡¯t be explained with modern technology. ¡°How is it?¡± Shadia placed both hands on her waist and tipped her chin to prompt a response. Snowy Mountain clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly with an awkward expression and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s much better than a priest¡¯s treatment.¡± ¡°Fu, fu. You should consider yourself lucky,¡± Shadia said proudly while rubbing her now empty head. ¡°I had kept this one for a pretty long time.¡± ¡°Does that grow again?¡± ¡°Of course. Since it grows through the nutrients of my mana, in my current condition, well, it might take a bit of time to regrow it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± It seemed Nangnang had changed his opinion of her after witnessing the effects of the treatment. He looked quite interested. ¡°I¡¯m going to store the remaining liquid in a bottle, but I can¡¯t guarantee that it will have the same medicinal effect as time passes. You all should try not to get injured as much as possible.¡± After cleaning up the area, Shadia asked, ¡°Well then, what are we going to do now?¡± Nangnang crossed his arms. He seemed to be deeply in thought. ¡°A monster in the form of a human¡­ Although I have some guesses¡­¡± At first, they had thought the girl was connected to the Salem Academy. After all, according to Shadia¡¯s theory, it wasn¡¯t unbelievable that there would still be survivors. However, the girl was actually a monster in human skin. They could only guess what the monster was. According to the records, Salem Academy had become the realm of another world. It stood to reason that there would be creatures from that world as well. Perhaps they were the ones who had eaten the Salem Academy¡¯s survivors. That would make sense of everything, but it was too soon to draw conclusions. ¡°Looking from the outside, this building has a total of four floors,¡± Nangnang said while licking his paws where sharp claws had sprouted. ¡°I think more information will help cement our speculations. We already healed Snowy Mountain¡¯s injury and know how to react now. I suggest that we go back to the third floor and recommence our investigation.¡± Nangnang turned to Chi-Woo for his opinion. Chi-Woo quietly nodded, and thus, the expedition team left the lab. ¡ªYou guys are doing well. Let¡¯s just go this time. Philip whispered. ¡ªIt seems that guy, Eval picked your teammates well. And them being heroes might have made them easier to deal with. ¡ªThis is the reason why you recruited companions in the first place. You shouldn¡¯t try to do anything. Since it¡¯s your first time doing something like this, stay your hand and watch and learn until your group needs your power. They would need Chi-Woo in situations where they had to fight an evil entity. Chi-Woo had the ability to exert absolute superiority over all evil. It was obvious that there was no guarantee Chi-Woo¡¯s authority would work on a mysterious creature. Chi-Woo murmured to himself, wondering if his powers would ever become necessary, before looking back up. They began ascending the stairs to return to the third floor. * * * As planned, they started exploring the third floor at a noticeably slower rate than when they investigated the first and second floors. Since they had made first contact with an unknown monster, Nangnang¡¯s guard was at its peak. However, their efforts were in vain, as nothing appeared on the third floor or the fourth floor, which was the top floor. The building was quiet to the point of eeriness. ¡°¡­This is strange.¡± Nangnang didn¡¯t look pleased. They had gained some information while coming to the fourth floor and made several reasonable conjectures with what they had learned so far; however, none of them matched their current situation. If they had discovered a couple of monster corpses, they wouldn¡¯t be as suspicious as they were now. ¡°I think¡­¡± Halfway into the hallway, Nangnang turned to look at Shadia and softly said, ¡°A variable must have appeared.¡± ¡°What? A variable?¡± Shadia looked at Nangnang with a quizzical expression, wondering why he was specifically looking at her. ¡°Ah.¡± Something came to her mind, and she fell deep into thought. She recalled what she had said previously, or to be more precise, when Eshnunna first opened the barrier. ¡°Yeah. There was a part of the barrier with weird mana flow¡­¡± ¡°The current situation may be related to that, or it may not be relevant at all. What we can say for sure is that the variable is something we don¡¯t know about.¡± Nangnang continued, ¡°I have no idea how we can use this variable to our advantage.¡± A variable was not always bad; there were definitely times when a variable turned out beneficial to the person using it. ¡°Hmmm. No matter how I look at it, the current situation doesn¡¯t match the information we have. That means a variable has changed the relationship between these two¡­¡± Nangnang suddenly stopped murmuring, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at the end of the hallway. The structure of the building that they were investigating was very simple. Each floor had a staircase that went to the upper floor in the center, and on each side of the staircase was a passageway. From the outside, there seemed to be a total of four floors in the building, and the floor that the expedition team was on was the fourth. Thus, there should be no going further up, and the staircase indeed stopped on the fourth floor. However, there were steps leading upwards at the end of the hallway. This could mean only one thing. ¡°It¡¯s the rooftop.¡± The fact that there was a path leading to the rooftop wasn¡¯t a problem. However, there was something seriously off-putting about it. Nangnang continued, ¡°¡­The smell.¡± A strong, metallic odor had wafted down from the top of the stairs and settled. In fact, they could smell the change at some point after reaching the fourth floor. ¡°It reeks of blood. It¡¯s much stronger than what I smelled at the entrance.¡± Nangnang twitched his nose and turned back to ask for Chi-Woo¡¯s opinion. There was definitely something ominous on the building¡¯s rooftop. Chi-Woo¡¯s expression stiffened as he curtly replied, ¡°Let¡¯s climb up.¡± Nangnang immediately turned around and climbed up. Ascending the stairs, they made a 90-degree turn and saw an iron gate. Their expressions darkened as an extremely pungent smell that was hard to endure wafted to their nose. ¡°It reached all the way here.¡± The steps were covered in blood, and there was so much blood that it even seeped under the iron gate. ¡°I¡¯m going to open it.¡± Snowy Mountain stood in the front, and Nangnang opened the door. Everyone looked forward with their guards up, visibly tense. It didn¡¯t take long for them to see what was on the other side. ¡°¡­¡± None of them said anything, but their brows were all furrowed into a deep frown. What they saw matched their expectations. The spacious rooftop was bright red against the black, open sky. There were corpses sprawled everywhere, not only of humans, but monsters who used to be in human form as well. They had been eaten by a foreign creature, and only their shells had been left behind. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to call the macabre scene before them a feast of blood. Moreover, the bodies were not scattered randomly, but arranged at set intervals. A geometric pattern had been drawn on the roof floor with the now coagulated blood. It was way too grotesque for it to be a simple act of malice. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Nangnang gaped with a blank expression. Not only were there human corpses, but corpses of the unknown monsters as well. All of them had been horrendously killed. Who in the world did this? For what purpose? The answer to these questions was in the center of the rooftop. There was a creature that looked too bizarre to be a human. He sat on top of an enormous pile of corpses with his chin propped up on one hand, as if he was deep in contemplation like Rodin¡¯s ¡®The Thinker¡¯. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± From the neck down, the naked creature looked definitely human, but he had a tawny owl head, like a man wearing the head of a stuffed animal. Moreover, he had wings like angels. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know.¡± The mysterious owl-headed creature blinked and endlessly muttered. ¡°What I should do¡ª¡± He looked over his shoulder at the entrance, meeting the eyes of those in the expedition team. ¨C¡­What? Chi-Woo heard Philip¡¯s voice. ¨C¡­Why is that bast¡­guy here? Chi-Woo glanced at the now deeply frowning Philip. It sounded like he knew who that owl monster was. A short silence followed their meet of gaze before the monster spoke up again, breaking the silence. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really a unique combination,¡± said the tawny owl monster. ¡°An union between humankind and the indigenous monsters. Did they form an alliance? No. Humankind is already walking towards extinction. But¡­¡± The owl monster tilted his head for a while and sighed. ¡°Whatever happened, it¡¯s pointless to keep thinking about it in this situation.¡± He got up and walked down the pile of corpses. He looked extremely lethargic and bored to the extent that he looked weary. ¡°Given the situation, I¡¯ll put personal matters to the side.¡± Judging by his tone, it sounded as if he was doing a great favor for the expedition team. The owl monster came up to them and asked, ¡°Tell me, how did you get here?¡± The expedition team was silent. They wondered how they should reply. Even though the being before them was certainly a monster, he was trying to talk to them. Should they just start fighting, or should they respond to the offer of a conversation? The decision lay with the leader of this expedition. Thus, Chi-Woo first raised his voice and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± The owl monster blinked. ¡°Hmm¡­now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t introduced myself.¡± He fixed his posture and put one hand on his chest. ¡°Let everything be decided by a fight. I¡¯m the Marquis of the Great Demon Empire, and....¡± He revealed his identity with extreme politeness. ¡°I¡¯m the 63rd demon of the 66 chosen demons, High Demon Andras.¡± CH 134 The demon spoke very grandly, and he continued his self-introduction like he was fixated on keeping a cool appearance. If he had been on Earth, people would have rolled on the ground, clutching their stomachs at the level of cringe. However, they were on Liber. This wasn¡¯t something they could just laugh off here. ¡®Demon Empire.¡¯ They were one of the four main factions currently battling for supremacy over Liber, and this faction had enough power to deal with the Coalition of native monsters and the Abyss from both sides. And in such a faction, this demon had enough skill to be ranked 63. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t be certain, but it seemed clear that this demon was some important figure, incomparable to the lich they had met before at least. ¡®Why is the Demon Empire¡­?¡¯ The expedition team appeared agitated. Chi-Woo forced himself to shake off his thoughts and make guesses later. He needed to weigh the importance of their current problems, and the matter in front of him took priority. Thus, Chi-Woo decided to ask once more. ¡°Did you cause this situation, sir?¡± Andras, the owl demon, looked quite offended. His pride seemed to have been injured, and his face seemed to say, ¡®Even after I revealed my identity, you dare to accuse me of such?¡¯ ¡°¡­You respond to my question with a question of your own? But since you at least have the basic courtesy of addressing me with respect, and we are in a situation such as this, I will think of this as an information exchange.¡± Andras spoke like he was doing Chi-Woo a favor before continuing his speech. ¡°If you are asking about the situation of this mysterious world, I¡¯m not the one who caused it.¡± Andras then stated that he had only found the barrier to this world by mere coincidence. ¡°When I came, this place was already in this state.¡± After Andras ripped through the barrier with some difficulty, he found something that intrigued him. This was a world dictated by strange rules he had never seen before: humans were either hiding or running away while begging for mercy, while alien species ran amok. Since it was something he had never experienced before, the place piqued his curiosity very much. Unfortunately, this satisfaction didn¡¯t last long, and after playing around the area excitedly for some time, he quickly became sick of the place, chiefly because he no longer had any playmates to enjoy the fun with. Thus, he decided to return. It was then he realized¡­ ¡°I couldn¡¯t go back,¡± Andras said calmly, ¡°Unlike when I first entered, I couldn¡¯t make a mark on the barrier no matter how much I tried to get through,¡± Andras spoke like he wasn¡¯t willing to reveal this truth but couldn¡¯t help doing so. ¡°It seems they created this area so that beings inside couldn¡¯t get out, and only those from the outside could open the barrier¡­ I must admit it. Whoever created the barrier is quite skilled.¡± Andras licked his lips with his long tongue. ¡°Even in the Demon Empire, there is unlikely to be many who could create such a meticulous yet long-lasting barrier. I really want to see the face of the person who made this.¡± Andras said. After a short pause, he added, ¡°Well, if only I hadn¡¯t lost most of my powers as soon as I entered, I could have broken it in an instant.¡± It was as if he didn¡¯t really want to admit all this. Anyways, to summarize, it didn¡¯t seem this demon was connected to the current situation at the academy. ¡°But why were you on the roof¡­?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a method that should get me out of here,¡± Andras answered, ¡°I¡¯ve finished analyzing the barrier. All I have to do is solve this problem. But¡­since the barrier is so big, this isn¡¯t enough.¡± Chi-Woo had been listening intently to the demon when the demon¡¯s words suddenly derailed all his thoughts. ¡°Perhaps I need more sacrifices.¡± ¡°¡­What? What did you just say?¡± ¡°Hm? I said sacrifices. Sacrifices.¡± Andras very nicely pointed at the pile of corpses at the center of the roof. ¡°Then, regardless of the situation, the reason why the roof ended up like this¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yeah I did that,¡± Andras immediately admitted, like the fact was entirely trivial. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that look on all of your faces?¡± Andras tilted his head like he couldn¡¯t understand the expedition team¡¯s reaction. ¡°The humans here drew their swords and murmured incantations as soon as they saw me. Even though I¡¯m not the one who caused this situation, they all jumped to the wrong conclusions. Those stupid fools. It¡¯s the same for the aliens. I can¡¯t even attempt to communicate with them at all, and all they do is rush at me and try to take over my body. Thus, I simply defended myself against those who attacked me first. Is that a sin?¡± Andras asked. ¡°Winners have full authority over the losers. What¡¯s the problem with using those who tried to exploit me for my own benefit?¡± After finishing his speech, Andras jerked his chin like he was prompting them to answer. Chi-Woo struggled to come up with a response; there was nothing in Andras¡¯ words he could refute. ¡°¡­Well, there were some who begged for their lives though.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But in the end, I killed them all.¡± The others¡¯ faces hardened again, while Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®Ritual¡¯ was a word he didn¡¯t like very much because of the bad memories he had about it. ¡°So,¡± After listening quietly, Shadia spoke exasperatedly, ¡°You killed all of them to break the barrier?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing more effective than offering sacrifices when you lack power.¡± Andras seemed to suddenly feel tired from repeating the obvious and let out a long sigh. Then, he shrugged at the expedition team. ¡°Hm. I think I have provided you all with enough information on my end now.¡± Since he had answered all their questions, it was now their turn to answer. ¡°Let me ask. How did you all come here?¡± Andras waited patiently at first, but after nobody answered, he seemed to reach the end of his patience and demanded, ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± Anger gave his voice an edge. ¡°For my deal with you, I have faithfully fulfilled what was asked of me. But you all¡­!¡± Seeing signs of an angry outburst, Shadia looked anxiously over her shoulder, meeting Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes once before facing forward again and quickly opening her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t you already know?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you enter through the same method as us?¡± Shadia mixed lies with truth and posed a counter-question to determine why the flow of the outside barrier was strange. ¡°The same method as me¡­? You all managed to rip through this strong barrier like me?¡± Andras¡¯ anger subsided. ¡°You did?¡± His tone dripped with derision before he continued, ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s something I can check. You all should be prepared if it isn¡¯t true.¡± Shadia frowned. ¡°Check? How?¡± And here came her answer. Wing! Simultaneously, there was a muffled sound accompanied by vibrations. The blood painted on the roof began to scatter light. The pile of corpses at the center and others strewn everywhere thumped up and down. As if water was rising from bottom to top and the world was turning upside down, the jet black night sky shimmered, and geometric patterns came into view to fill up the space. Woooo¡ª! Shadia looked blankly at the air like she couldn¡¯t believe it. Meanwhile, Andras screamed in triumph, ¡°Oh! Oh, oh¡ª!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! The passageway is open! Furthermore, it¡¯s being maintained? How! It¡¯s something even I hadn¡¯t managed to do¡­!¡± Both his hands trembled and momentarily stopped. ¡°But¡­why? It¡¯s definitely connected to Liber, but why had the power I lost not come back? Is the passageway so specific that it excludes me from it?¡± Andras muttered while looking at the barrier making up the night sky. ¡°Well, whatever. The important thing is that the passageway is open.¡± Then, after talking to himself for a while, Andras turned back to the expedition team and smiled in acknowledgment. ¡°Good. Very good. I don¡¯t know what you did, but that is impressive considering what you are. I was prepared to disintegrate and forcefully break through the barrier after gathering as many sacrifices as I could no matter what happened to the outside, but¡­¡± ¡°W-What? Are you crazy?¡± Shadia shouted; it seemed she understood exactly what Andras meant by this, and Chi-Woo felt goosebumps for reasons he couldn¡¯t quite explain. For a moment, he wondered if La Bella had led him to this place to stop Andras from doing what he was planning to do. ¡°It definitely is a crazy thing to do. But you don¡¯t have to worry anymore since I no longer have a need to do that.¡± Andras smiled brightly and lowered his hands. The strange energy current he¡¯d gathered dropped instantly, and the geometric patterns in the night sky gradually became fainter until silence returned. ¡°But¡­¡± Andras¡¯ voice dropped lower. With his hands down, he turned to the expedition team and said, ¡°I still need more sacrifices.¡± The expedition team¡¯s faces hardened. ¡°I checked the hole you came out of, but it¡¯s already closed. Although the passageway has formed, only the connection is maintained.¡± Andras glanced at the expedition team and said, ¡°If I want to break the barrier there, I just need a few more sacrifices. A tiny little more¡­¡± As they felt Andras¡¯ gaze fall upon them, everyone tensed and raised their guard. Andras smirked like he could read their wariness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry you all.¡± He made a placating gesture with both hands pushing downward. Then, after clearing his throat, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to make you an offer. Although I took care of most of them, there are still some survivors left¡ªwhether they are humans in hiding, or wandering alien species. Anything is fine.¡± At that point, everyone understood what Andras was trying to tell them. Then, Andras spoke like a king showing great mercy. ¡°If you all spare me the trouble of finding these deeply hidden sacrifices, I will also spare you all the trouble of activating this magic circle.¡± It sounded reasonable at first. The deal would be worth considering if there were only alien creatures who jumped at the chance to steal their bodies. Yet, even after all this mess, there could still be human survivors left, and they might request their help. Chi-Woo hesitated to even use the corpse of the dead knight by the bridge as a sacrifice, how could he catch a living person and offer them as one? It wasn¡¯t something that his conscience would allow. And that wasn¡¯t the only problem. ¡°Even if we did what you told us to do, what if there aren¡¯t enough sacrifices?¡± Shadia got to the point of their concern. ¡°Then¡­¡± Andras scratched his chin and spat out, ¡°You will have to number yourselves.¡± Everyone doubted their ears. ¡°Number ourselves? Are you telling us to decide the order in which we¡¯ll become sacrifices?¡± Andras nodded to Shadia¡¯s question. ¡°And you are going to slip away as a result?¡± Shadia asked. ¡°I am not slipping away. I¡¯m sparing you all.¡± Andras smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t think that I, who is ranked 63 in the Demon Empire, would make a deal like this because I can¡¯t do anything to you all, do you?¡± It was as Andras said; even if he had lost a lot of his strength, he was still a demon¡ªa particularly skilled, talented figure in the empire. He wasn¡¯t someone a hero who had just recovered a tiny bit of their original power could harm. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to use my powers meaninglessly. And it¡¯s true that I was able to find another method of escape thanks to you. Thus, I¡¯m sparing you with all that in mind.¡± Andras waggled his index finger left and right. ¡°Do not misunderstand me. Plus, for the activation of this magic circle, I need to be the last one alive.¡± ¡°¡­I admit that you had worked out the structure of the magic circle. But haven¡¯t you already made it? I can activate it without you.¡± ¡°Hm. You can?¡± Andras raised an eyebrow as Shadia gave as good as she got. ¡°Well, then, you can be the last one standing with me. I suppose we¡¯ll go back to this issue should we become the last two survivors.¡± Andras¡¯ two round eyes radiated a brilliant light. ¡°I¡¯d hash out the details of my deal here. And since I want to leave this place and go outside as soon as possible, I want you all to answer me immediately. Are you going to accept my offer?¡± Chi-Woo thought it was a nonsensical deal; as soon as Andras talked about sacrifices, he had no intention to accept; he thought the rest of his team would agree with him for sure. ¡°Um¡­What do you think?¡± Shadia hesitated and looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be a bad deal to accept for now.¡± ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Chi-Woo furrowed his eyebrows. He thought he misheard her. ¡°Are you telling us to join hands with the devil?¡± Snowy Mountain sounded incredulous. ¡°What choice do we have? It is what it is.¡± ¡°So, are you planning to offer human sacrifices that may or may not be there?¡± ¡°Who said that¡¯s how far we should go! I said ¡®for now¡¯!¡± Shadia raised her voice. ¡°You saw it too¡ªthe alien creature and the dead knight by the staircase. Would it matter to use those as sacrifices?¡± The alien creature was their enemy, while the knight was already dead. Then, with some hesitancy, Shadia continued her shocking spiel. ¡°And¡­even if there are human survivors, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s an alternative, either. They should already be dead. And we have to make the right decision for the greater good. I mean, I¡¯m sure you all know¡­ Sometimes, you have to sacrifice the few for the majority.¡± Snowy Mountain looked like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°Next, you are going to say we should determine the order in which we are sacrificing ourselves.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want things to go that far if possible, but¡­¡± Shadia appeared conflicted, and Snowy Mountain shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t bear to hear you any longer.¡± ¡°Hey, do you think I¡¯m saying this so I can live by myself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it seems.¡± Snowy Mountain seethed like he was going to let out an actual roar. ¡°Was the devil¡¯s offer that enticing? When only two of you are left, do you really think the devil is going to choose who¡¯s going to become the sacrifice first through a fair method? Wake up!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fully awake!¡± Shadia shouted. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what that demon said! If things don¡¯t work out, he will blow up the barrier! Don¡¯t you know what will happen then!¡± No one knew exactly what would happen if somebody distorted and detonated a barrier of this size, but it was clear that there would be a calamity on the same level as a great natural disaster. Perhaps the capital would be blown away, or this foreign world would expand and cover the entire Salem region. ¡°Can¡¯t we kill that demon and offer him as a sacrifice? Why won¡¯t you even consider that method?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Do you really not realize the situation we are in? Think about it rationally. What do you think has the higher possibility: doing what you said, or us all dying while fighting the demon?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re crazy. You¡¯ve completely lost your mind.¡± Snowy Mountain rejected the idea, making it clear that he wouldn¡¯t accept it. Then he stepped away and distanced himself from Shadia. The fact that he left their formation indicated that he no longer considered her a fellow companion he needed to protect. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± Shadia¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°It¡¯s as you saw. I can¡¯t stand listening to you any longer.¡± ¡°Do you want to have a go at it or something?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason not to. Before we came here, you were a reliable companion worth protecting, but now you are just a crazy bitch.¡± ¡°What? Crazy bitch? Are you kidding me?¡± ¡­The atmosphere tensed further. CH 135 Snowy Mountain and Shadia glared at each other. ''Something''s off,'' Chi-Woo thought as he looked at both of them. He couldn''t put his finger on it, but he had a feeling that he was missing something. Shadia seemed on edge, and even the usually silent Snowy Mountain was in a very agitated state. "Stop it, you two!" Nangnang then intervened. "How could you let the demon convince you, alchemist! Can you even call yourself a hero!?" "Why are you only blaming me!" Shadia yelled without backing down. The rooftop soon became noisy. "¡­How pathetic." Even Hawa seemed annoyed watching the three. ''How did things get to this point?'' Chi-Woo wondered as he stayed at the back. ¡ªThe Marquess of Discord. Philip piped up suddenly, breaking Chi-Woo out of his reverie. He then pointed forward with his chin and continued his explanation. ¡ªThat''s his nickname. Chi-Woo turned around and narrowed his eyes. Andras was smiling and watching the scene in front of him with interest, clearly enjoying himself. His mouth was stretched so eerily wide that it almost reached his ears. ¡ªAlways dissatisfied, this demon tries to destroy things. For example, he will try to ruin strong relationships by creating a divide. Chi-Woo''s mouth gaped open as he thought back to the strange feeling he had gotten before. ¡ªThat''s right. You guys have been pulled into his trap the moment you began a conversation with him. Philip licked his lips and continued. ¡ª''The only conversation you should have with a demon is about iron and blood.'' It''s a line that a famous judge from the Iron and Blood denomination said in my time. After blowing away the dust between his thumb and index finger, Philip glanced down at Chi-Woo. ¡ªWhat are you going to do now? The recruits were still fighting. "Ah, is this how it goes? Since you both are from the second recruits, you''re ganging up on me, aren''t you?" "What nonsense are you spewing?" "Stop playing the victim. It''s making me regret shielding you with my body before." "What? I should be the one regretting using my precious mandragora to heal you." Chi-Woo hurriedly got up to them. If this fight was really created by the demon''s spell, things weren''t completely irreversible. "It was wrong for us to listen to that bastard''s story in the first place¡ª" Chi-Woo stomped toward Shadia and clutched her shoulders. "What are you up to again¡­!" Chi-Woo poured a bit of his exorcism mana into her, and Shadia stopped moving, her agitated eyes widening. He quickly did the same for his other teammates. They all fell silent and blinked blankly at one another, like they had finally regained their senses after being bewitched. "Huh¡­ Uh? What did I just say¡­?" Shadia quickly covered her mouth with both hands. Nangnang gasped in realization and looked behind him. Snowy Mountain quickly returned to the magic circle, and Hawa glared menacingly at Andras. "¡­Hm¡­" Andras''s piercing gaze snapped to Chi-Woo, and all the laugh had faded from his face. For some reason, Philip clicked his tongue. ¡ªTch. "Even though I''ve lost most of my powers, I didn''t expect you to break my binding so easily¡­ You possess quite the fearful power, boy. Andras fixed his posture and arched his neck sideways. "I found an opponent I hadn''t expected at all." As a species, demons lived and died for battles. They were an extremely belligerent group, and most of them enjoyed battling with the strong. "Okay, let''s stop our self-introductions here," Andras said in a delighted tone and arched his back. "I am going first." Swish! There was the sound of air slicing. Without another word, Andras shot up to Chi-Woo at a frightening speed. The battle started as soon as the expedition team awakened from their enchantment, and although their faces still appeared blank, they responded immediately. "Nangnang!" As Andras shortened the distance between them, Nangnang jumped. They seemed to clash when¡ª Splaash! A fountain of blood scattered out from Nangnang''s body. Chi-Woo''s eyes widened. He had failed to even see the attack. Surprised by the sudden opening in the formation, Snowy Mountain stepped forward. "Hmph!" Matching the timing the devil came at him, he flung his fists down with all his might. Thump! There was a heavy thud, and Andras stopped advancing. "Kurgh¡­!" Snowy Mountain trembled all over. He was pressing both his hands down so hard that his eyes were turning bloodshot, but Andras simply lifted one forearm and flung himself free. There wasn''t a hint of struggle in his movements. "You''re agile for your size and weight." Andras smirked while looking at Snowy Mountain struggle. "But you lack attention to detail." With a thrust of his arm, he tipped Snowy Mountain to the side and lifted him, hurling him onto a pile of corpses. "Hm." Unimpressed, Andras turned to the mage standing in the center of the rooftop. Shadia was murmuring incantations while stepping back and keeping her eyes on Andras. She seemed to be preparing a strong spell considering the time she was taking. Mages were always beings to be wary of no matter the occasion, so Andras had planned to get rid of her first. "Oh." But then he heard a presence quickly approaching from behind. Shadia also saw Chi-Woo as he returned to the team formation and aimed for Andras with a club. Chi-Woo was about to swing his club when¡ª "I''m feeling dizzy." Whoosh¡ª! The club sliced the air. Andras had arched his back perpendicularly. "It gives off such a dangerous energy that it makes me dizzy just by feeling it¡ª" "Kurgh!" Chi-Woo gasped, and a scream escaped his mouth. "But that''s all. It won''t be a problem if I just don''t get hit," Andras said. Chi-Woo felt an excruciating pain in the center of his abdomen. "Moreover, you aren''t even a hassle to deal with," Andras said while arching his back and raising his feet high into the air. Chi-Woo''s vision blurred before returning to normal. When he regained his senses, he was already flying in the air. He still felt a piercing pain in his stomach, and he realized he had lost consciousness momentarily from getting hit just once. Chi-Woo rolled on the ground roughly before trying to quickly get up, but his head felt dizzy, and his vision swirled. Saliva dripped down from his mouth. It was a fearsome pain he hadn''t felt in a while. But, but¡­! Chi-Woo managed to stand up while staggering and flinching. Alarm blared in his mind, telling him to watch his left, but it was too late for him to evade now. Chi-Woo groaned and swung his club. He simply sliced the air again. ''What?'' Chi-Woo didn''t understand. That was surely where his synesthesia had pointed him to. "I really don''t understand." From his right rather than his left, Chi-Woo heard a voice. "How does a guy who fights like a nobody from a back alley possess powers like these?" Chi-Woo swung his club desperately and missed again. "I was nervous for no reason." This time, Chi-Woo heard Andras'' voice from behind. Chi-Woo'' blanched. His synesthesia was triggered everywhere: front, back, left, and right. Even though there was only one Andras, Chi-Woo felt his presence from all directions. ''What do I¡­do in such situations?'' Chi-Woo thought and was struck again. Hit by a strong blow, Chi-Woo''s head arched downwards. "Ah¡ª" Chi-Woo collapsed and lost his grip over his club. Andras kicked the club that had been bothering him far away and sighed in relief, but he also looked down at Chi-Woo in disappointment. "How very deceptive of you; you betrayed my expectations¡­but you are more than enough for a sacrifice. I might only need you, in fact. Considering that, I will let you have a rather painless death." While he talked, Andras twisted his head to the side, and a sword brushed past his temple. He quickly lifted a foot at the same time because Hawa had targeted his ankle with great speed. "Fuck off¡­" Andras kicked Hawa away and immediately turned around. Kuooooh! Snowy Mountain threw his body towards him with a loud roar. "This bloody rock-head!" Andras blocked Snowy Mountain''s tackle with both hands and was about to rip him apart, but stopped when a shadow lunged at him from behind Snowy Mountain''s back. "Nang!" Nangnang, who had blood gushing from his stomach, poured out liquid from the bottle he was holding in his mouth. Thick green liquid sprayed all over Andras. At the same time, Shadia shouted out a spell. Andras quickly pushed Snowy Mountain away and scanned his body. Crack! Crackkle! Tough tree branches quickly grew from the green fluid. It wrapped around his arms and legs and tried to tie him down. "This is¡­" The tree branches were tough and cumbersome to get rid of. When Andras grabbed onto them and ripped them apart, they regenerated again and again. "¡­It''s the complete opposite of you." Andras clicked his tongue with slight annoyance. "It''s not very dangerous, but¡­" Crunch! He ripped apart the branches trying to restrict his body. "Annoying." He glared at Snowy Mountain as he moved to cover Chi-Woo. In the end, Andras turned away, putting Chi-Woo aside for now to deal with the four heroes surrounding him on all sides. Chi-Woo was still on the ground. Even though he wanted to get up, he couldn''t feel his body. His neck seemed to have gotten hit wrong, and he couldn''t muster any strength. ¡ªTch tch tch¡­ Philip crouched down next to Chi-Woo. ¡ªYou made the wrong move from the very start. You should have made a solid hit while he was distracted and use that to your advantage to destroy him completely. That would have at least given you a higher possibility of winning. ¡ªHow can you show your power even before you get a hit just to get rid of a spell? Well, I''m not blaming you, but if I had been you, I would have never done that. I''m not saying that your method is wrong. Philip laughed as he spoke. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. How could Philip laugh in this situation? ¡ªWhy? You mad? Philip asked while narrowing one eye. ¡ªYou defeated a god before. Are you angry and frustrated because you can''t even catch one devil? The laughter in Philip''s voice completely disappeared. ¡ªYou really shouldn''t have such a mindset. You need to understand the facts. To be honest, you didn''t even fight back then. You survived by luck. The god wanted to die, and you simply helped them out. Am I wrong? Chi-Woo tightly shut his mouth and glared at Philip. ¡ªIt looked easy to you, right? Since you defeated even a god, you thought you could easily defeat a demon, didn''t you? Actually, you''re right. It''s possible to do that, but not for you, but your power. What can you do though? It''s not like that power of yours kills your opponent for you. Chi-Woo tightly clenched his teeth. He could understand what Philip was trying to tell him. ¡ªIn the first place, what do you think demons are? And he''s not just an ordinary demon, but one of the 66 demons. The 66 demons were powerful figures leading the Demon Empire. Each and every one of them was strong enough to lead tens of armies and possessed formidable strength. Moreover, only 66 demons could reach this position among the demons who were naturally obsessed with battle. Even though Andras was 63rd among the 66 demons, there was no doubt that he was strong. ¡ªWhat are you going to do? If things continue at this rate, all of you will simply become sacrifices together. Chi-Woo scowled. When he tried with all his might, his body twitched by a very small fraction. ¡ª¡­Oh. Chi-Woo didn''t stop. He squeezed out every last bit of his strength to move his arm. ¡ªYou punk. At least you have tenacity. Philip smirked and suddenly leaned forward. ¡ªThat¡­ Chi-Woo opened his bag with trembling hands, rummaging around to retrieve a sheet of paper and a bottle of holy water. ¡ªAre you going to use that? Chi-Woo''s hand faltered before he could open the bottle. ¡ªYeah, if you use the energy in that talisman, you''ll be able to extinguish that guy without a trace. But isn''t it a bit of a waste? You told me that there''s only one of that special talisman left. Are you planning to waste such a precious talisman for something this trivial? Chi-Woo stopped moving. He was wavering intensely while trying to gasp for breath. ¡ªWell¡­it''s not like I can''t understand your feelings. Philip smacked his lips. ¡ªYou were dropped here without proper preparation in the first place. Who knew that there would be a demon? You''re left with no option given the reality. As the demon had said himself, though, he has lost most of his powers, and you have enough power to make even him afraid. Chi-Woo barely managed to raise his head and look up at Philip, as if to say, ''so what the heck should I do?'' ¡ªIsn''t it obvious? Philip smirked and raised his chin. ¡ªPass the baton to me, you punk. I wasn''t planning to intervene in a real fight, but I''ll give you a pass this time because your opponent is a demon. Pass the baton over? ''Are you gonna possess me?'' ¡ªWell, it''s going to be pretty similar. Don''t worry. I''ll finish that guy off and return your body to you. However, I can''t guarantee that it''ll be in perfect condition. Before, Chi-Woo would have refused immediately, but now¡­he wasn''t so sure. He turned around. Their current situation was not good¡ªno, worse than that, Andras was toying with them. Moreover, their desperate attempt at retaliation was almost coming to an end. ¡ªAh, I''m telling you to pass it over quickly. What are you dilly-dallying for? If you wait any longer, all of you will really die. Ahhhh! No! The cool silver-haired beauty is about to¡ª! Chi-Woo clenched his teeth. ''Will you be able to beat him?'' ¡ªWhat? Ha! Philip clicked his tongue as if Chi-Woo just said something ridiculous. ¡ªHey. Even though I''m like this¡­no, I''m not even going to bother. Do you know why I was called a hero? You think it was because I founded Salem? No. I did that after I became a hero. I became a hero because I fuck~ing beat the hell out of a crazy number of those demon fuckers. Demons existed in every age. They always greedily eyed the middle world and regularly came and invaded humans. ¡ªDo you know what my nickname was back then? Demon hunter. I was called a demon who wore the mask of a human and hunted demons. For your information, I know Andras over there personally. His mom and younger sister slaved away for me before they died. Hah! Chi-Woo had no idea what Philip was talking about, but he was sure of one thing¡ªhe definitely lacked the experience and skills to face a demon. Even though he was worried, he was in no place to hesitate. Hawa had just retreated after losing an enormous amount of blood. If he waited any longer¡­ Chi-Woo closed his eyes. ¡ªYou gave me permission, right? Okay? Good. Then. Philip''s spirit immediately changed into bright smoke and flowed into the top of Chi-Woo''s head. ¡ªThis is my first lesson as your master. You won''t be able to feel it, but watch carefully. Chi-Woo''s body twitched as if he was being electrified. Then, after a while¡­ "¡­Pwehhh." Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh and quietly got up from the ground. CH 136 ¡ª[Salem Ophecialis¡¯ Diary] King Pae 2nd Year March 24th A young knight from the Nobrieum family asked for an audience with the king. The knight cried out, ¡°Your Majesty, a demon has appeared. The demon had not only killed my family, but they forcefully violated my mother, sister, and fianc¨¦e in front of me and took them away. I want to find the rest of my family and take revenge against the demons, but to my greatest misfortune, I lack the strength to do so.¡± Hearing this, the king, a renowned demon hunter, said, ¡°Oh, is that so! They have been quiet for some decades, but it seems they are crawling back out again. Okay, I got it! I will take revenge in your place, so just wait a bit!¡± Despite his servants¡¯ pleas, the king left the palace without anything but a single sword. After a week, the king returned. Although he had been alone when he left, he came back with a line of demons treading behind him. Then he made all those demons kneel in a line and called the young knight forth again and said, ¡°It took me a while because I caught that demon and everyone related to him, including, of course, his mother and father. I lost sight of their youngest son because of the troubles he stirred up, but I brought as many of the demon¡¯s blood relatives as possible. Now, do as you wish with them.¡± The young knight was stunned because he hadn¡¯t expected the king to go this far; he pledged to follow the king¡¯s orders like they were law. ¡°Give grace like the sea and revenge like a sharp blade. Should we get to the settlement?¡± And thus, taking an eye for an eye, the female demons were taken as slaves, and the male demons were sent to the goblin and orc tribes as settlement fees. The young knight was satisfied to see the demons live miserable lives as slaves or eventually lose their minds, and the incident made him swear utmost loyalty to the king once more. * * * Chi-Woo slowly got to his feet and looked up. Haaaa¡ª As if it was his first breath after a long time, he inhaled deeply and enjoyed the feeling in his mouth. ¡°Hm¡ªthis fresh smell. It¡¯s been so long.¡± After borrowing Chi-Woo¡¯s body, Philip stretched out both arms and looked down at himself. Rotating his arms and patting his legs, he nodded to himself. ¡°Good. Very good.¡± Then, looking satisfied, he continued, ¡°How clean. This body is soo~ clean, I feel like a baby. It¡¯s really not bad.¡± Chi-Woo, who had given up authority over his body, didn¡¯t feel too good about this. Although he shared the same vision as Philip, that was it; he had no access to any other senses. ¡®Quickly! Everyone¡¯s dying right now!¡¯ Chi-Woo hissed at Philip. ¡°Hey disciple, remember these words. Being at ease is a privilege that only the strong can enjoy¡ª¡± Chi-Woo but him off by murmuring, ¡®Nama Sandaruma¡ª¡¯ ¡°Ah! I got it! I got it! Seriously!¡± Philip raised both hands in shock. Fliiiiick! The club that Andras had kicked away zipped through the air on its own and landed on Philip¡¯s hand. ¡°I have to be satisfied with just this club now. Well, it has a nice grip to it because of how thick it is.¡± Philip smacked the palm of his other hand with the club and spotted one figure. Hawa had backed away and was pouring medicine she got from Shadia onto her injuries. As their eyes met, Philip winked and said, ¡°Hello? Beauty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hawa scowled. She thought Chi-Woo should quickly dive back into the fight since he was now awake. But besides wondering why he wasn¡¯t dashing forward, she thought¡­something was a bit off about him. The air around him was different somehow. He no longer seemed like the Chi-Woo she knew. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay there and watch? This old man will soon take care of this.¡± He looked forward and put on a cruel smile Hawa had never seen on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. The Chi-Woo she knew wasn¡¯t someone who could smile so wickedly. ¡°Yaaaaaaah!¡± Soon afterward, Philip raised his club in the air and began to run toward Andras. ¡°Hey, you demooon! Take this!¡± He ran straight while announcing to everyone that he was attacking from behind. Andras was in the process of attacking Snowy Mountain to get to Shadia, and he threw Chi-Woo only a glance over his shoulder before turning back forward. He seemed completely unconcerned with Chi-Woo and did not have his guard up. Since he was already aware of Chi-Woo¡¯s skills, there was no need for him to properly face Chi-Woo¡­ If his opponent had really been Chi-Woo, that was. Philip changed his posture in the middle of running. He lowered and made a half circle with his arms, wielding the club inversely. Then, he arched his back and accelerated little by little. Andras stretched out his hand like he thought the whole thing was bothersome, and Philip¡¯s club was about to hit him when¡­! Philip¡¯s feet twisted slightly to kick off the ground. The next moment, he abruptly shot forward, the subtle curve of his body the only warning. The club only grazed Andras¡¯ stretched-out hand ever-so-slightly before moving past it. ¡°?¡± Andras realized that something was off and turned around, but it was too late. Philip didn¡¯t even swing the club, but pushed it against Andras¡¯ body as he rushed forward. At the contact, Andras quickly twirled his body around. Crack! Andras felt a heavy thud on his body, and his mouth dropped open. Even in the midst of the pain, he tried to chase after Chi-Woo, yet couldn¡¯t even spot him. Chi-Woo seemed to have disappeared without a trace. For a moment, Andras simply stared into empty air, but he quickly recovered when he felt a chilly sensation from behind his neck. ¡°Hey, hey.¡± Philip re-emerged behind Andras and jumped into the air. Like Chi-Woo had tried to do, he aimed for the back of Andras¡¯ head and swung¡ªbefore suddenly changing directions and lowering the club. Thus, Andras got hit in the back while trying to make a backward kick like he had done before and toppled over. ¡°You bastard! Kuh¡ª!¡± ¡°What? Did you just call me a bastard? Huh? You little bastard! Little bastard!¡± Philip chuckled and swung the club rigorously at Andras. ¡°Wait, ah! Wait, ah! No, urgh! Kugh!¡± Eck!¡± Every time Andras tried to raise his arms and lift his head, the club landed on him. Andras floundered his limbs as he was beaten down relentlessly. And only after flurrying around and rolling a couple of times did Andras manage to escape from the ruthless torment of clubbing. ¡°W-What happened! So suddenly¡ª!¡± Andras tried to get up quickly but staggered. ¡°How¡ª!¡± He stumbled again when he attempted to straighten himself. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡±He kept stumbling all over the place like he was too dizzy to have control over his body. ¡°Damn it. Shit. Wait, give me a moment.¡± Eventually, Andras kneeled on one leg and stretched out his hands as if he was pleading for more time. Drip. Black blood dripped down from both of Andras¡¯ nostrils. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Andras looked stunned, and his head continued to bob up and down. In the end, he shook his head furiously and picked himself up. After trying with all his might, he finally managed to get up this time. Andras was in a completely laughable state. The feathers on his owl face were disheveled, and blood soaked the areas around his nose. His two eyes looked empty and bruised. He looked incredibly rumpled and shabby; there was no trace left of the proud demon boasting to be the 63rd ranking demon of the Demon Empire. ¡°What is with this item?¡± Philip raised his club and whistled appreciatively. ¡°All I did was imbue it with a bit of energy while striking the club down, and the impact ended up being so great.¡± Philip appeared astonished by the club¡¯s abilities. ¡°Y-you bastard! What the hell happened!¡± Andras yelled in rage. Unlike before, his voice was laced with fear. Chi-Woo was likewise surprised. Even though he shared the same vision with Philip, he had missed Philip¡¯s movements. Philip managed to change directions abruptly by just moving his feet a tiny bit. ¡®What are you doing? Quickly end it!¡¯ Chi-Woo called out. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s already over.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°As I said, the first blow is most important. The follow-through plays a part as well, but¡­¡± Philip raised the club. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how impressive this thing was.¡± He swung around like he was showing it off, and Andras backed away in fright. ¡°It¡¯s really no joke,¡± said Philip. ¡°It¡¯s better than most famous swords. Even though that guy has lost his powers¡­ Ah, let me take my word back. It¡¯s much better than a sword.¡± ¡°You bastard! What are you mumbling about all this time?!¡± Andras shouted. It seemed he had managed to regain some of his senses. However, Philip completely ignored Andras and continued, ¡°Hey, kid. You should share something this good with others. Don¡¯t hoard it all for yourself. Don¡¯t you know the joy of sharing?¡± ¡®What are you talking about to share?¡¯ ¡°You said your progress system is created from collecting merits. I¡¯m sure you will gain quite a bit by catching this guy.¡± Philip raised his voice after looking around. ¡°Hey¡ªey! He¡¯s almost at his end. He¡¯s going to die soon. Everyone, come and take a bite to finish him off!¡± All the other team members looked taken aback and confused, still reeling from the way Chi-Woo had suddenly turned the tide and beaten up the demon relentlessly. However, Philip continued to wave them over and yelled again, ¡°What are you all doing! Quickly come and take a piece of him! Aren¡¯t you going to get your share!?¡± Their gazes changed then. They didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened, but they knew what they needed to do now. ¡°You bastards¡­!¡± Andras trembled. ¡°How dare you treat me like this¡­!¡± ¡°Just you wait for your turn.¡± Philip glided toward the demon like he was on water. Andras hurriedly moved backward when he got close. ¡°Watch closely.¡± Andras¡¯ figure faded, leaving only shadows, and Philip trailed the movement with his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to evade with minimum effort for now.¡± Philip jumped while rushing forward and slanted his body; something black and sharp brushed past his ribs. ¡°And stop here! One, two!¡± Philip shouted. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he swung the club sideways. Bam! Bam! It sounded like a head was getting cracked. ¡°Agh! Agggh! Andras cried out like he was dying, his screams seemingly swaying sideways with him. ¡°This bastard still has the habit of swaying meaninglessly. Ah, that reminds me. Do you know why I said that friend of yours, Ru Amuh, didn¡¯t need to learn swordsmanship?¡± Twirling the club, Philip answered his own question with a chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s because that guy actually thinks.¡± ¡®Think?¡¯ ¡°Yeah. Look at what just happened before. Your wide wings made it easy for your opponents to evade. If it had been Ru Amuh, he would have thought deeply starting from the first attack.¡± Philip continued, ¡°He would have racked through his head if he should slice, swing, or thrust his sword at his opponent. And he would think about how his opponent would respond depending on which attack he made. And then he would think about how he should respond after that too.¡± ¡®I-Is that even possible? To think all that in the middle of a fight?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s difficult since the thinking must be done at light speed and translated into actions. That¡¯s why I called him a genius; he¡¯s someone who can do such a thing.¡± ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡°But don¡¯t be too dejected. It¡¯s only natural that you can¡¯t do the same; there¡¯s no way out of it. If a regular person wants to do the same, they¡¯d have to accumulate a crazy amount of experiences and¡ª¡± ¡°Urgggh! You are blabbering nonsense again¡­!¡± Andras groaned while clutching his side. ¡°Make it so that your body could react intuitively¡­ Ah, quiet!¡± Philip sounded annoyed that he was interrupted and struck at Andras with the club. Andras desperately tried to block the attack, but the club curved toward him like a snake and evaded his defense, hitting his lips hard. ¡°Ugh, gurr, ugh, umph!¡± Andras covered his mouth and backed away again. As he did so, a small shadow revealed itself on top of the demon¡¯s head. Nangnang had seized the opportunity. ¡°Urmph!¡± Shattered teeth and blood scattered out of his mouth. Andras wavered without knowing what to do as Chi-Woo rushed toward him again. At that moment, light exploded in front of his eyes like a camera flash. This was Shadia¡¯s work. She was taking part in the final attacks at Andras as Philip had encouraged them to do so. As the sudden light burst out, Andras closed his eyes from the brilliance. That was all Nangnang needed. Pwish! Nangnang¡¯s sharp claws pierced deeply into Andras¡¯ face. ¡°Ku¡ªumph!¡± As he covered his face, Andras seemed to double over but straightened again¡ªnot out of his own will, but by another person¡¯s force. A pair of arms reached out from behind Andras¡¯ back and put him in a headlock, pulling his head back to expose his neck. Immediately, a dagger pierced through his skin and sliced his neck vertically. Pwisssh! Blood poured out like a river bursting through a broken dam. Andras closed and opened his mouth, staring at Hawa. He saw her face beyond the silver hair that had fluttered toward him after her ambush. Hawa backed away quickly, as Snowy Mountain brought his clasped fists down with all his might. Thud! The rooftop shook. Andras¡¯ head dangled in the air after having half of his neck sliced, and his body bounced off the floor like a bouncy ball until he landed flat on the ground. ¡°Oh my. I told you guys to have a bite of him each, but you took quite the big share,¡± Philip complained to Snowy Mountain. ¡°It¡¯s because my body is so big,¡± Snowy Mountain answered apologetically, and Philip burst into laughter with his head bowed. Chi-Woo had a completely different presence after lending his body to Philip. Like his companions, Chi-Woo also became speechless. Then he remembered what Philip had told him after gaining control of his body. [You know, being at ease is a privilege that only the strong can enjoy.] Chi-Woo had a good sense of what these words meant now. Philip was able to help the expedition team because he was far stronger than Andras. And because he was stronger, he was able to toy with Andras just like how Andras had toyed with all of them before Philip joined the fight. ¡°Now, let¡¯s finish this~ Finish this!¡± Philip hummed and dragged the club across the floor. Surprisingly, Andras was still alive. However, he was struggling to even breathe, his chest heaving up and down with the effort. Urgh, urgh! As Philip approached him, Andras looked away. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you like this,¡± Philip said in a quiet voice while crouching down next to Andras. ¡°I wanted to tell you at least once. You know the name Andriana, right?¡± Andras flinched. ¡°Of course you remember. She¡¯s a humiliation on your side. Not only was she captured after the demons were defeated in a war against lowly humans, she lived a miserable life as a slave.¡± Then, Philip whispered something else after leaning right next to Andras¡¯ face. Gurgling noises came out of the demon¡¯s mouth. Philip couldn¡¯t tell what exactly Andras was saying, but they didn¡¯t sound pleasant. ¡°Hey bastard. Watch your mouth,¡± Philip said with an exaggeratedly stern face. ¡°Even your mother called me master. How dare you address me that way!¡± Then, after tormenting Andras until the end, Philip got up and continued, ¡°Anyways, good work. You took care of the monsters beforehand for your master¡¯s safety. Furthermore, you made a clean magical circle for me to leave here peacefully. What a good slave you are. As expected, like mother, like son.¡± Andras¡¯ pupils shook as he trailed Philip¡¯s motions, and Philip raised the club high in the air. Appearance-wise, Andras had never seen this man before, but something about him was familiar. No, rather than familiar, it was a memory Andras couldn¡¯t forget. Yes. While he lived as a demon, there were only a few instances where he felt this much fear for a human. He recalled one such man¡ªthe man who was called the demon of demons. ¡®No way¡ª¡¯ Andras looked at Philip in disbelief as Philip brought the club down. Pop! Like the sound of a water balloon popping, Andras¡¯ head exploded. His body twitched wildly once and went limp until it stopped moving. That was the end of the 63rd-ranking demon of the demon empire, Andras. CH 137 It was over. Andras¡¯ life came to an end as his head exploded. And after each of the recruits landed a blow on Andras as they had been encouraged to do, everyone stood looking dazed. Since three of them were heroes, they knew fully how overwhelming Chi-Woo¡¯s victory had been over the demon. It was like he had been playing around with a child. Besides Hawa, the rest of the expedition team had thought Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t a warrior-type hero. They didn¡¯t know his ability well, but they had thought he had access to incredible resources that allowed him to prepare to ridiculous lengths. But after what they just witnessed, they changed their minds. They now thought their team captain was deeply knowledgeable about many matters and possessed excellent close-combat skills. There were occasionally heroes with many talents like him¡ªheroes who had used a sword and moved on to different weapons because they grew tired of it, and later went into magic, then sorcery, and many more. As they accumulated experiences and skills, they became more versatile until they were a near all-rounder. They were basically a one-man army by themself. Of course, such heroes weren¡¯t common, and even if a hero did have interests in many fields, they rarely dived deep into most of them. And it was extremely rare for a hero to be a master in multiple fields. Given their recent experience, however, the expedition team now saw Chi-Woo as this sort of multi-talented hero. ¡°Impressive!¡± Nangnang couldn¡¯t hide his amazement. ¡°I almost can¡¯t believe it even after witnessing it with my own eyes. You showed us sublime movements which were the epitome of efficiency. How did you do it?¡± ¡°Hmph. You have good eyes,¡± Chi-Woo¡ªno, Philip smirked while swiping his nose and said. ¡°But it¡¯s nothing much, really. I¡¯m sure all of you would be able to do this at your prime if you hadn¡¯t lost your powers.¡± In reality, Philip was already aware of Andras¡¯ habits and perks because he had fought the latter several times in the past; furthermore, Philip made full use of the powers inside Chi-Woo¡¯s body. Nevertheless, Philip didn¡¯t think it was necessary for him to mention these things and spoke with fake humility. ¡°No, I would never be able to mimic such movements,¡± Snowy Mountain interjected to praise Chi-Woo as well. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you that I am alive. I didn¡¯t realize you have been hiding so much of your skills.¡± ¡°Well, main characters are always supposed to come out in times of crisis. Haha!¡± Philip chuckled while scratching his head. Then he lifted Andras¡¯ headless corpse and asked, ¡°Anyways, with this guy, there should be enough sacrifice, right?¡± Chi-Woo was about to protest but decided against it. It didn¡¯t matter whether they used demons or alien creatures as sacrifices and like Andras had said, who cared what anyone did to the bodies of those who attacked them first? However, Chi-Woo was reluctant to use corpses of humans like him. It seemed morally wrong somehow, and seemingly catching on Chi-Woo¡¯s feelings, Philip spoke up again, ¡°Since this is the corpse of a high-ranking demon, it would have considerable value as a sacrifice. So, even if it¡¯s a bit bothersome, let¡¯s put aside the human corpses from the pile. Let¡¯s bury our fellow humans somewhere nice later.¡± Then Philip murmured quietly so that only Chi-Woo could hear, ¡°¡­Hey, I understand that your moral compass is super egotistical, but don¡¯t act like this later on. We¡¯re not sacrificing living people. They are already dead. Shouldn¡¯t you be used to these things by now?¡± Chi-Woo was thankful that Philip was acting in consideration of his feelings despite what he said. ¡°Will that be all right, mademoiselle?¡± Philip asked Shadia. ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s fine. If he has as much value as we think he does,¡± Shadia answered. She thought she should answer politely even though Chi-Woo was acting a bit bothersome, for he was a resourceful and skilled hero of whom she would see more. Then, she reached out to him and said, ¡°Here, give it to me. I¡¯ll do it.¡± In response, Philip smiled brightly and gently wrapped his hands around hers. ¡°Huh? What?¡± Shadia spluttered. ¡°It¡¯s okay, milady,¡± Philip said while looking at Shadia with mellow eyes. ¡°Such filthy blood doesn¡¯t suit your beautiful hands. If only you give me the permission to do so, I would like to move it in your stead¡­¡± He pressed his lips to the back of her hand. Meeting Shadia¡¯s widened eyes, he continued with a soft smile, ¡°Would you give me this great honor, milady?¡± Inside, Chi-Woo was shouting fiercely, ¡®What are you doing with my body, you crazy bastard!¡¯ Shadia quickly looked around, not knowing what to do. ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± She looked flustered as she stared back and forth between Nangnang and Snowy Mountain. ¡°Ah, no¡­¡± In the end, she turned back to Chi-Woo and tried to wiggle her hands free, but to no avail. ¡°If you suddenly act like this¡­¡± ¡°Would you give me the opportunity?¡± Philip asked again. ¡°O-Okay. I will let you do it. So, please, let go of my hand¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing, sir.¡± It seemed Shadia was so flustered that she addressed Chi-Woo as ¡®sir¡¯. ¡°Fufu, thank you, milady. I will never forget what happened today.¡± Philip winked and finally let go of her hand. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo was still shrieking, ¡®Stop! Please stop! I beg you! ¡¯ After her hand finally became free, Shadia cleared her throat. Chi-Woo was even more stunned to see that her cheeks were red. He couldn¡¯t believe Philip¡¯s move worked. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to be this frivolous,¡± Nangnang commented after watching quietly. ¡°Me neither. He didn¡¯t seem like the type¡­ Perhaps his personality changes if he sees blood,¡± Snowy Mountain agreed. Soon afterward, Philip separated the human corpses and reorganized the corpses that were going to be used as sacrifices as per Shadia¡¯s instructions. All the while, Hawa stared at Chi-Woo suspiciously as he wandered around. Chi-Woo had been too shy to make eye contact with her while they bathed together even though she had told him that he could look. And at the least, she knew he wasn¡¯t the type of person who would make such vomit-inducing remarks. She had suspected something was wrong ever since he beat Andras with his club. The skill he displayed just then was on a different level from what he had shown while training at the cave, and his attacks had been so fast that she failed to even see the movements. ¡°Good. This much is enough. It seems the demon was quite the expert in this field of knowledge. The work is meticulous.¡± Shadia nodded to emphasize her point. ¡°There doesn¡¯t even seem to be much mana left. Would we really be able to break this huge barrier?¡± Nangnang asked curiously. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re making up for the lack of mana with sacrifices,¡± Shadia replied simply and beamed while glancing at Chi-Woo. Then she quickly looked away in embarrassment and fake-coughed. ¡°Moreover, this is mostly possible thanks to the tunnel connected to Liber that our captain had opened. It basically does 80% of the work.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to start working on cracking the barrier now, so everyone, stay close to me just in case,¡± Shadia said before warning a particular someone to not bother her since she needed to focus. Then she started her incantation. It didn¡¯t take long for muffled noises to ring everywhere, and geometric shapes emerged in the air. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll return the helm to you,¡± Philips murmured softly so that no one else could hear him. He was responding to Chi-Woo¡¯s threats to exorcize him if he didn¡¯t give his body back. ¡°Hey, come on. You don¡¯t have to keep pestering me, but anyway¡­¡± He massaged his shoulder and smacked his lips. ¡°Prepare yourself. Maybe not too much since I didn¡¯t go past your limit, and your physical capabilities are impressive. Actually, it might be nothing at all.¡± Before Chi-Woo could ask what the hell Philip was talking about, he flinched. Other than the sight he had never lost, all his other senses slowly returned to him. When he finally regained control of his body, he felt a strange sensation swirling inside him like crazy. His body was hot; it felt as if an engine was running at max speed. The little amount of exorcism mana he had left was on overdrive. ¡°Ah?¡± He was about to thoughtlessly move his hand, but his arm popped out suddenly; his body didn¡¯t feel like his. ¨CDon¡¯t move carelessly. In the state your body is in, you may end up jumping over a building if you put in even a little strength. Soon after Philip¡¯s warning, the exorcism mana swirling inside him like a storm gradually settled down, and then he felt an extreme amount of pain. His body, which had been barely holding on, gave in at once. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Chi-Woo collapsed to the ground and screamed. ¡°W-what the? What¡¯s happening to you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lose focus!¡± His teammates¡¯ shouts were the last thing he heard before fainting. * * * Eshnunna felt conflicted while keeping her hands stretched. Her concern was simple. ¡®How long do I have to just stand here like this?¡¯ She had been keeping her hand on the barrier since Chi-Woo asked her to send them inside, but now she wondered when they were going to return. ¡®Do I just stand here until they come out?¡¯ But when would that happen? If she¡¯d known they would take so long, she would have agreed upon a specific time with Chi-Woo. Eshnunna murmured to herself in regret. If it were up to her, she would pull her hand out immediately, but she couldn¡¯t do that. The barrier was already unstable; if one thing went wrong, Chi-Woo and the others might get permanently stuck inside. Thus, while Eshnunna was waiting without knowing when it¡¯ll ever end¡ª Ziing! She felt a huge shockwave from the barrier. Looking up, her eyes slowly widened. The academy buildings that had looked blurry like fragments underwater began to get clearer and clearer. Then the ripple subsided, and magnificent buildings abruptly came into view. The vast expanse of once empty land was filled with shapes of different sizes. The barrier had been lifted. As the hidden background was revealed, the unstable air currents brushing past her hand disappeared. How did this happen? Eshnunna blankly stared at the academy that filled her whole view. Slam! The sudden opening of the front door startled her, which was further compounded when a familiar group rushed out with Chi-Woo being carried on the yeti¡¯s back. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Nangnang replied with a pale face. ¡°We met a demon inside.¡± ¡°Demon?¡± ¡°We almost all died, but boss awakened his power and defeated that demon bastard. I had thought he was fine until we were about to get rid of the barrier and go out. He suddenly¡­¡± Still reeling from the shock, Eshnunna first put her hand on Chi-Woo¡¯s forehead; the man was clearly struggling with extreme pain, and his forehead felt like a furnace. The scene gave her a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. She was reminded of something that had happened not long ago. ¡°¡­Did he again¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Shadia hadn¡¯t missed Eshnunna¡¯s soft murmur. Nangnang sharply demanded, ¡°Did something like this happen before?¡± The situation was now crystal clear. Even though Eshnunna had begged Chi-Woo to never do this again, this stubborn hero must have exchanged life force for power with a forbidden technique like he had before. Eshnunna clenched her teeth. * * * Several days before Chi-Woo got out of the barrier, at dawn the silent capital saw a woman sitting on the outer wall, looking down at the sleeping city. She was blindingly beautiful, but for some reason, she was staring at the capital with a cold look on her face. ¡°He¡¯s not here¡­¡± She was the witch known as the abomination of Babylon and a top executive of the Joint Thirty-Six Alliance. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Onorables Evelyn licked her lips. After fulfilling her promise to Chi-Woo, she was on her way back to the camp when she decided to grace the man with her presence and share a few words of warning, but her visit turned out to be in vain. She couldn¡¯t feel his energy anywhere. Evelyn wasn¡¯t the kind of person to stay around after finding out her target wasn¡¯t around. However, she was still sitting on top of the wall because something had caught her interest besides Chi-Woo. She didn¡¯t know what it was, but she sensed a great amount of mana inside the capital. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s happening¡­ What could be happening¡­?¡± The flow of mana faded suddenly until it completely disappeared. Evelyn narrowed her eyes by a fraction, feeling a chilling sensation running down her neck. It wasn¡¯t something like the wind. It was¡­ ¡°An assassin,¡± she spoke with a slightly dazed voice and took flight before she could even think properly. She quickly teleported a considerable distance away and summoned skulls around her. Bam! As soon as she summoned the skulls, they were shattered by a sharp blade spinning in a circle. Evelyn sucked in a breath. ¡°A warrior?¡± She immediately cast a spell. Thick darkness soon obscured the sky, and black clouds descended. ¡°!¡± However, holes appeared in the thick clouds, and they were pushed back up. It was a truly terrifying amount of mana. ¡±N-no way!¡± A gasp escaped her lips. It felt like she was facing an assassin, warrior, and magician all at once. However, she knew there was only one opponent. An intangible presence circled around Evelyn and hurled her directly to the ground. ¡°Ugh!¡± Evelyn tried to look up, but she was slammed onto the ground again. Somebody stepped on her head and pressed down hard. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­a demon.¡± She heard a steely, slightly hoarse voice. Evelyn trembled in humiliation and bit her lower lip. ¡°Pure darkness. You must be part of the Abyss.¡± She twisted her head with difficulty and looked up. She flinched as she met the ice-cold eyes of a man who looked just as cold as he sounded. ¡°So. What is an executive of the Abyss faction doing here?¡± CH 138 ¡°What is an executive of the Abyss faction like you doing here?¡± The mysterious man asked, and Evelyn didn¡¯t answer. She was too flustered to talk. It was too much of a shock that she had been overpowered. Although she was ambushed suddenly, it was still hard for her to accept her defeat. Even the two monarchs who ruled over Abyss couldn¡¯t have cornered her to this degree. In other words, this mysterious man was superior to the Abyss¡¯s two monarchs. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer?¡± Unknowable energy forcefully lifted Evelyn off the ground. ¡°Kugh!¡± The shapeless mana gripped around her neck tightly and made her pupils jitter. This man wasn¡¯t torturing her to make her confess. He was really going to kill her like this if she didn¡¯t answer. Evelyn opened and closed her mouth, and the mana around her neck loosened slightly. ¡°The Demon Empire¡­on the way of returning¡­¡± she muttered in bits and pieces. ¡°Met¡­needed to talk¡­¡± The man¡¯s eyes glinted, and after organizing his thoughts for a bit, he nodded. ¡°Yes, I was wondering about that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How was the Abyss able to restrain the Demon Empire? From what I know, your hands should¡¯ve been too full to deal with the Sernitas.¡± ¡°¡­Kugh!¡± ¡°Well, thanks to that, I was able to move around more freely.¡± The energy gripping her neck disappeared, while the mana that bound her body remained. ¡°Keh! Cough, cough!¡± Evelyn coughed hard while hovering in the air and glared at the man with teary eyes. Once she recovered from the coughing fit, she explained, ¡°All¡­I did was make a deal¡­ Since a hero on your side blocked the Sernitas¡¯ attack, we had more ease¡­¡± ¡°A deal, you said?¡± The man rubbed his chin. ¡°Someone on our side blocked a Sernitas¡¯ attack? Do you really expect me to believe that?¡± ¡°I understand why you can¡¯t believe me. I couldn¡¯t believe it either when I heard that a Demon Empire¡¯s army was annihilated by one person,¡± Evelyn replied while still glaring at the man. That was merely her speculation, but considering how the man had popped up suddenly without her the wiser, she was inclined to think that he was the center of those rumors. Nevertheless, the man¡¯s response held not a hint of emotion. ¡°Hm. A collaboration with the Abyss¡­ I suppose the situation requires one to even go to bed with the enemy¡­¡± ¡°I have never slept with the hero.¡± Evelyn flared up at what the man seemed to be insinuating. But the man shook his head. ¡°Never mind that.¡± ¡°Never mind that? I told you I didn¡¯t sleep with him.¡± ¡°No¡­it¡¯s nothing. Anyways, did you come here to meet that hero?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I had something to tell him.¡± The man jerked his chin toward her, prompting her to keep talking. Evelyn wanted to tell him ¡®it¡¯s none of your business¡¯ very much, but she swallowed the retort. After all, her arms and legs were still completely bound. ¡°Some days ago, the Demon Empire held an official meeting.¡± Hearing this, the man opened one of his eyes more widely. ¡°All who could participate among the 66 demons came, which should tell you how serious they considered the situation to be. I believe the purpose of the meeting was to discuss what the hero and I had done in collaboration,¡± Evelyn continued, ¡°Especially since the Demon Empire thinks that this place is under our authority¡­ Anyways, their movements are suspicious. Since this is the Demon Empire we¡¯re talking about, no one knows what kind of unbelievable things they¡¯re up to. So¡ª¡± ¡°You came to warn him to be careful.¡± The man finished her sentence and added, ¡°How kind of you.¡± Evelyn knew he was being sarcastic. ¡°Some kind of loyalty you have after just one deal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is there any reason why such a high-standing member of the Abyss would go so far? Or did you perhaps really¡ª¡± ¡°I said I didn¡¯t sleep with him!¡± Evelyn shouted. As someone who didn¡¯t like her nickname as Babyly¡¯s Great Whore, it was understandable she would be so angry. ¡°Get this straight. I don¡¯t intend to maintain a friendly relationship with all heroes, but him alone! Are you unable to think in any other way?¡± ¡°¡­Is that what you should be saying?¡± The man shook his head, sounding baffled. Then he changed the topic and murmured, ¡°If it¡¯s the Demon Empire¡­hm¡­if it¡¯s those guys, definitely¡­¡± He looked over at the capital and clicked his tongue. ¡°Just in case, I should check it out. What terrible timing. I¡¯ve only just returned¡­¡± With a flick of his wrist, the man released Evelyn from the binding, and she fell to the ground. ¡°Thanks for the information.¡± Evelyn got up and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re letting me live?¡± ¡°Probably. Ah, let me make a request of you.¡± The man turned to her once more and added, ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Find someone named Noel Freya inside the city and pass on a couple of words for me. You can leave after that.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t believe her ears as she dusted her dress. ¡°What did you say? Are you¡­using me as an errand runner?¡± Evelyn had never received such treatment during her time alive and, of course, after her death. ¡°Aren¡¯t you also here to meet someone? Can¡¯t you do it on your way?¡± ¡°On my way? Do you think I will do as I¡¯m told?¡± ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m not asking you to do it for free.¡± ¡°What? Are you going to give me a tip or something?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure service from someone of your standing will cost a lot, so I¡¯m asking you to do it¡­¡± the man said laxly, ¡°For the price of your head.¡± In other words, the man was telling her to do what he asked of her in exchange for him sparing her life. Evelyn was at a loss for words again. ¡°So, are you not going to do it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t answer. Nonetheless, the man¡ªChoi Chi-Hyun¡ªunderstood her silence to be an expression of agreement and relayed the words she needed to pass on before unceremoniously taking his leave. Once she was left on her own, Evelyn appeared to be lost in time. She had just met a man that left her utterly speechless. No need to mention his talents, but he didn¡¯t seem to respond to her beauty at all even though she had placed special attention to her appearance, presenting her at her prime while she was alive. Once she could no longer sense the man¡¯s presence, Evelyn shouted what she had been suppressing all along, ¡°What a jerk!¡± * * * When Chi-Woo opened his eyes, he felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He was in the same room, lying on the same bed, and Eshnunna was tilting a water bottle toward him while asking if he had a good sleep. It was exactly what had happened after he woke up from his fight with a god. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me to do anything from now on.¡± After Chi-Woo finished his water, Eshnunna blurted out as if she had been waiting to tell him this. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a murderer.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Instead of answering, Eshnunna narrowed her eyes and turned around, her coldness made clear how furious she was. With a loud thud, she slammed the water bottle back onto the table hard. Then she looked over her shoulder at Chi-Woo and said, ¡°Also, you have a guest waiting to see you.¡± Eshnunna jerked her chin at the other side of the room. Chi-Woo looked over to see what she was pointing at, and he was stunned to see another Eshnunna. ¡°There are two Eshnunnas?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Eshnunna asked and turned around. She was also surprised by what she saw. After seeing the response of the Eshnunna on the left, Chi-Woo turned his attention to the Eshnunna on the right. He blinked hard as she changed and morphed into Evelyn, who had her arms wide open. ¡°Surprise~¡± ¡°¡­Lady Evelyn?¡± ¡°Yes. Hello.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Chi-Woo placed his hand on his forehead. Having just woken up, he couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. He tilted his head to the side to think things over¡ª ¡°¡­¡± But then he saw Philip all tied up and hanging from the ceiling, and he promptly forgot what he was going to say. Chi-Woo threw Philip a questioning look, who responded in the same way. Then Chi-Woo heard Evelyn snort. That was enough of an answer for him. Philip was a dead man¡ªa spirit¡ªand in a way, Evelyn was the same. In short, she could also see spirits. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what exactly happened, but it was obvious that Philip must have gotten tied up for acting a little too ¡®friendly¡¯ after seeing Evelyn¡¯s beauty. ¡ªNo, That¡¯s not it. Philip protested like the whole situation was unfair. ¡ªI simply asked her if she wanted to hold a soul wedding since we were both dead. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. In his book, Philip deserved the treatment he got. Then Chi-Woo shifted his attention back to Evelyn. It wasn¡¯t that much of an issue for Evelyn to come to the capital since she took the form of a human, and outside of Eshnunna, very few knew her true form. ¡°What did you come here for?¡± ¡°I just dropped by on my way back to my camp,¡± Evelyn answered. ¡°And I have something to tell you¡­¡± She trailed off suddenly, and Chi-Woo asked while tilting his head, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Evelyn quickly looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t need to worry about it anymore¡­ I don¡¯t even want to think about it. Anyways, compared to my meeting with you, it really was a terrible experience¡­¡± Evelyn murmured with a sulky face. Chi-Woo, who had no idea what had transpired between Chi-Hyun and Evelyn, was confused. ¡°Tch. Anyway¡ªwhat is that?¡± As expected of an extremely capricious witch, Evelyn immediately changed her tune and found something else that piqued her interest. Chi-Woo followed her gaze and realized what she was talking about when he saw the magnificent buildings outside. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna, how long has it been since I passed out?¡± ¡°One day,¡± Eshnunna replied. ¡°You came out at night, and it¡¯s night again. Exactly one day has passed.¡± Chi-Woo got up. Even though he had no strength left in his body, he had no problems walking. ¡°I heard that you killed a demon inside.¡± Evelyn skipped forward and followed Chi-Woo. ¡°And one of the 66 demons at that.¡± She sounded slightly excited. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Can I go in and check it out?¡± Evelyn asked after pulling on her hood to cover her face. Chi-Woo shrugged in reply. * * * It was quiet outside because it was dawn. Chi-Woo went to the main entrance of the academy, and his eyes widened when he saw a patrolling the area. ¡°Mr. Nangnang?¡± Seemingly sensing his presence, the cat turned around with a welcoming expression. ¡°Boss!¡± Nangnang ran towards Chi-Woo on all fours and shook his tail. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yes, I just woke up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great to hear.¡± Nangnang let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I heard that you were fine, but I¡¯m really glad.¡± Chi-Woo took in his reaction and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Hmm? I¡¯ve been protecting this place, of course.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Boss, isn¡¯t this academy a precious achievement that you¡¯ve worked so hard for? Since you have the sole authority over this place, the alchemist, the giant, the silver-haired human, and I have been taking turns guarding it.¡± When the barrier was lifted, the academy, which had been thoroughly hidden, was revealed again. With the cluster of buildings suddenly popping up last night, it was natural that many heroes would be curious. More than one of them had tried to enter since then. Thus, the expedition team had been surveilling the academy to make sure no one snuck inside for loot. Nangnang continued, ¡°The princess also forbade people from entering. Besides, after I told them the passage of time was different inside the academy, no one has even tried to get in. Hehe.¡± Nangnang snickered at how well his threat worked. ¡°All of you are going through a lot because of me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about!? You saved my life, and I¡¯ve got enough as it is.¡± Nangnang laughed with joy. Then he whispered, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you for letting me be part of your group. Boss, you should go to the temple later on. You¡¯ll be shocked.¡± They seemed to have received a lot of merits for this achievement. It was expected; not only had they protected their homebase, it was also a matter related to the Demon Empire. Nangnang glanced at the robed woman standing behind Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°By the way, who is that? She doesn¡¯t seem like Shadia.¡± ¡°I asked her for help.¡± ¡°Help?¡± ¡°Yes. I asked her to check the condition inside.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Nangnang smacked his lips. ¡°Are you going back in?¡± Chi-Woo turned around. Evelyn nodded without saying anything. ¡°Yes, it seems like I have to.¡± ¡°Hmm. Will that be all right? A day has passed.¡± Even though the passage of time had been synced and a tunnel created before they went in, these effects didn¡¯t last forever. They might have faded already. No one knew how much time would pass should they enter again. ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Nangnang heard a beautiful voice say. ¡°The time sync and the tunnel¡ªthey¡¯re both still in effect. They haven¡¯t disappeared yet.¡± Nangnang was shocked by the sensual voice. How could a voice charm him so much? Nangnang unconsciously tilted his head and tried to get a glimpse at the woman¡¯s face as if he was bewitched. Evelyn bowed her head further and hid behind Chi-Woo¡¯s back. She didn¡¯t want to show her face. Chi-Woo heard Evelyn murmur to herself, ¡®He must be a male cat.¡¯ ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Only then did Nangnang regain his senses, and he cleared his throat. ¡°Please excuse me. I apologize.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Come back soon. Be careful, boss. I¡¯ll be patrolling the area just in case.¡± Nangnang slowly withdrew and moved further away from them. He kept turning around to sneak glances at Evelyn, like he still had lingering feelings. ¡°Pweh. It¡¯s so tiring.¡± Evelyn let out a sigh. ¡°Yeah, this is the normal reaction.¡± Even though she didn¡¯t seem tired and instead sounded strangely proud, Chi-Woo decided not to say anything about it. ¡°Shall we go in?¡± ¡°Yes, escort me.¡± The two of them went inside amicably. * * * There were no more ripples when they entered the academy. However, the unpleasant redness that filled the entire academy¡¯s interior remained. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Evelyn was able to recognize it immediately after looking around. ¡°It¡¯s a completely different world. It¡¯s been left behind.¡± Chi-Woo had come here after receiving a revelation from La Bella, and he was able to address her concerns brilliantly. However, the fundamental problem hadn¡¯t been resolved. ¡°This is¡­summoning mana. It seems that someone did something stupid beyond their capabilities. I guess that¡¯s how wizards are normally like.¡± She sounded certain of what had transpired here. With her elbow, she nudged at Chi-Woo¡¯s ribs and asked, ¡°Are you going to just leave it like this?¡± ¡°Yes? Uh¡­¡± Chi-Woo gaped. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t sure what to do and was debating whether he should solve this matter with holy water. ¡®But it might not be worth it.¡¯ Besides farming for items, there was nothing more to do in this place. He couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that it might not be worth it to go out of his way to use his holy water. ¡°Do you want me to deal with it?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback by her unexpected suggestion. ¡°You said I was someone here to help you.¡± Evelyn smiled. ¡°No, that was just¡­but would you really be able to do it?¡± Evelyn tilted her head and asked, ¡°It¡¯s not hard. Why?¡± ¡°According to records from hundreds of years ago, even a greatly respected sage had failed to solve the issue here.¡± ¡°Aha. The sage might come up with a solution after training for 500 more years.¡± ¡°¡­Wait a second. Lady Evelyn, your age is¡­¡± Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence because Evelyn had put her thumb on his lips. ¡°Shh.¡± Her red eyes shone softly. ¡°Be quiet. It¡¯s not polite to ask a lady¡¯s age. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Good boy.¡± Evelyn gave him a charming smile and whistled. A pole appeared beneath them, carrying them into the air. ¡°Uhhhhhhh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We won¡¯t fall off. Stay still.¡± Chi-Woo floundered as he was suddenly lifted off the ground, and Evelyn grabbed him by his nape. From the vantage point, they could take in the academy fully. ¡°It¡¯s dirty.¡± Evelyn frowned as they reached the roof of the main building. ¡°As expected of a demon. They made a feast out of the blood.¡± ¡°Is that the place?¡± ¡°No. That magic circle is created only for escape. I wouldn¡¯t have used such a lowly and crude method in his shoes.¡± Evelyn closed her eyes gently and stopped talking. After a long stretch of silence, Chi-Woo turned around and saw something that made him doubt his eyes. Evelyn¡¯s figure was rippling like water, and then she became translucent as if she had merged with this world. That wasn¡¯t the only strange part. A small sphere of light was hovering on top of her forehead, and it glowed like a light of wisdom. After a while, Evelyn opened her eyes, and the light that seemed as if it would shine eternally disappeared. Evelyn¡¯s translucent figure also returned to normal. ¡°I found it.¡± A look of keen interest appeared on her face. ¡°I was wondering where the perpetual signal for help was coming from. I guess not everything here is a mess.¡± She uttered words that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t make sense of and grabbed the pole. ¡°It¡¯s over there. Let¡¯s go.¡± The pole carrying the two glided across the air, and after a while, they arrived at a tall tower. CH 139 The tower occupied a smaller area than the main building but was greater in height. After landing on the top floor, Evelyn opened the roof door and descended the seemingly endless spiral staircase until they reached somewhere near the floor in the middle. After a bemused moment, she suddenly nodded to herself. ¡°I see,¡± she murmured while placing her palms on the dusty wall. ¡°I was wondering why I didn¡¯t see the core of the summoning magic even though I could sense a strong reaction¡­ The wall was made of magic stones.¡± Chi-Woo recalled that Eshnunna had said something similar. ¡°Does that mean this whole tower was used as a catalyst?¡± ¡°Something like that, but ultimately different.¡± Evelyn looked back to Chi-Woo and knocked on the tower¡¯s wall with a fist. ¡°This tower itself is acting as the core.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°And the buildings within its range are probably its catalyst.¡± Chi-Woo gaped slightly. In other words, the entire academy¡ªor more specifically, places where there were magic stones¡ªwas basically the summoning circle. ¡°¡­That¡¯s massive,¡± Chi-Woo muttered. ¡°So what?¡± Evelyn said indifferently. She seemed strangely confident in this field. ¡°Could you return things to normal?¡± ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡± Evelyn snorted, seemingly telling Chi-Woo not to look down on her with her gaze. Evelyn¡¯s logic was simple. The center of the academy had been opened to another world due to the summoning magic; to turn things back to normal, one had to reverse the process that had brought to bear said magic. That was the safest and the most effective method. The only thing they had to worry about now was whether anyone had the ability to perform an event of such a scale. A mere human couldn¡¯t sustain a magic circle this large, and that was exactly what had brought upon this catastrophe. However, Onorables Evelyn wasn¡¯t human. She was a witch who had died and surpassed human existence. ¡°It makes me curious.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes shone with a dazzling light as she looked up at the ceiling. ¡°I wonder how it will compare to the never-drying spring inside me.¡± Her body gradually became semi-transparent. And a figure of light emerged above her head like before. The seemingly eternal light intensified in brilliance until it scattered. And then, Chi-Woo clearly heard a strange vibration near his ears. Simultaneously, geometric patterns flowed across and filled the empty wall. They flowed just like water, and also like salmons swimming against the currents, they went up from down. Like a giant vacuum had been attached to the ceiling, everything was getting sucked in. The process wasn¡¯t loud at all, but one would be hard-pressed to describe it as silent. Chi-Woo felt like he was standing inside a place filled to the brim with indescribable and strange vibrations. But this feeling didn¡¯t last long, and the speed at which the shapes and symbols flowed increased continuously until they were moving so fast that he could no longer see their patterns. It was like he was inside a theater, standing in front of a giant screen as a hubbub of quiet noises whizzed around him. Then, as if someone had lifted the curtains on both sides of the theater, light poured into his vision and overwhelmed it with pure, blinding white before it started flickering. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo opened the eyes he had closed at some point due to the brightness, and saw the same interior of the tower without substantial changes. The only difference was the lighting. Originally the place had been illuminated with red lights like those of a red-light district, but they were now replaced by familiar colors. Chi-Woo hurriedly peered through the tower¡¯s window. He could see the capital from there. The colors outside were the same as the inside. Then, a message popped up. [Restoring an abandoned part of the World.] [Absorbing restored part of the World.] [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s innate ability, [Blessed Luck] is partially restored.] Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth opened wide in shock. His two abilities, Blessed Luck and Deus ex Machina, were linked, and only by spending his Blessed Luck could he activate the latter. Thus, knowing he couldn¡¯t use these abilities limitlessly, he had been trying to save his Blessed Luck, and yet it had already dropped to 60¡ªwhich was only a bit more than half of the original amount. The absorption ended up restoring his Blessed Luck by a great amount. Even Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t predicted this reward. After all, who would expect a piece of Liber which had separated from the rest of the world to have stayed intact for centuries? Chi-Woo stared at the witch blankly. As the burning light dissipated, Evelyn¡¯s flying hair settled down, and she opened her eyes again. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Evelyn said in a low voice while twirling her hair. ¡°I¡¯ve returned everything back to its rightful place.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°They should¡¯ve driven the parts of the other world out rather than trying to get their world back,¡± Evelyn said. What she said was too difficult for Chi-Woo to understand, but he understood one thing. Thanks to the witch, he had received a reward that would have normally been really difficult to get without doing anything. ¡°How is it?¡± Evelyn asked, pretending to be carefree. ¡°¡­You are so cool. Really amazing,¡± Chi-Woo said with genuine admiration. After all, Evelyn had restored the lost part of the world as easily as taking something out of her pockets. ¡°Ah, please,¡± Evelyn turned around and waved, ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything praiseworthy. It¡¯s nothing, really.¡± But even as Evelyn said this, her head was tipped to the ceiling with her nose high up in the air. Chi-Woo thought Evelyn was acting a bit differently today. She wasn¡¯t usually like this, but for some reason, today she seemed to have been showing off how great she was. It was like something had hurt her pride recently, and she was trying to make up for it now. ¡°But it is a bit wasteful,¡± Evelyn said while stroking the wall. ¡°There are many uses for such a great amount of magic stones.¡± ¡°Are we unable to use them now?¡± ¡°Of course. It had to endure a summoning and a reverse of it. It probably would have broken if I hadn¡¯t maintained it. These stones are now nothing more than rocks that mana could pass through a bit more easily than regular rocks.¡± However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t really feel sorry for the loss since he had gotten something much more valuable than magic stones. ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Chi-Woo said with his head deeply bowed. ¡°I will pay you back for the favor I received today.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Evelyn appeared very satisfied, as if she was thinking this was how things should be. ¡°This is a very trivial matter for me¡­but I look forward to your payment. Especially since it¡¯s coming from a human like you, I¡¯m sure your words hold great weight.¡± Then, Evelyn looked up and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go up to the rooftop again.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°We have to check who sent the signal.¡± ¡®The Survivor.¡¯ The words passed through Chi-Woo¡¯s head. While making her way up, Evelyn said, ¡°The survivor is probably either of the two: the one who caused all this, or one very lucky person.¡± Evelyn shrugged as she continued, ¡°Well, it¡¯d be the most hilarious irony if it¡¯s the former.¡± When the two arrived at the rooftop, there was no one there. However, something was different. The rooftop was divided into several parts, and a corner of the rooftop was crushed. While the other parts appeared normal, the crushed corner looked to him like a broken mirror. ¡°Look closely.¡± Evelyn picked up a rolling debris and flung it toward the broken area. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. As soon as the debris touched the crack, it disappeared without a trace. ¡°A space inside a space. It¡¯s an interesting idea.¡± Evelyn hummed. ¡°It¡¯s quite well done considering how hastily it must have been created. I almost fell for it too.¡± Chi-Woo looked to Evelyn for an explanation, and she obliged by pointing at the crushed corner and saying, ¡°Whoever it was created a standalone space. To put it simply, they exploited the gap existing at the intersection of the two worlds and created a subspace. Now that one of the two worlds has disappeared, there is no intersection, and the subspace is left like this.¡± She reached out with both hands. ¡°Who made this? I¡¯m sure there weren¡¯t many professors, much less students, who would know how to deal with space like this.¡± Evelyn curiously spread out her hands and moved them around like she was carefully taking off a gift wrap. As she did that, the space actually peeled off¡ªthere was no other way to describe the mysterious spectacle. As a result, the warped space returned to one, and the interior was revealed. ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± Evelyn halted with her head down, looking slightly taken aback. Chi-Woo hurriedly walked up to find a person with short white hair. She was lying down as if she was dead. Her body was too small to be an adult, but it was hard to make out her appearance clearly with her face down. Chi-Woo knelt on one knee and carefully checked on her. Her heart was still beating, but even though he kept calling out to her, she didn¡¯t answer. Even shaking didn¡¯t get any reaction out of her. Rather than being fast asleep, she seemed to have fainted out of exhaustion. ¡°As expected,¡± Evelyn spoke up. ¡°Was this person the one who sent out the help signal?¡± ¡°No.¡± Evelyn shook her head. ¡°This isn¡¯t a person.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°And this help signal is¡­¡± Evelyn began moving mid-sentence and pointed her chin towards the collapsed figure. The necklace around the survivor¡¯s neck flickered several times before it started glowing with soft light, blinking every once in a while. * * * A cat and a human were squabbling outside the academy. ¡°No¡ª! You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s you, I can¡¯t let you in.¡± The human causing a racket was none other than Eval Sevaru, and the cat blocking him from entering was Nangnang. In the midst of their verbal duel, the entrance slammed open. Nangnang and Eval Sevaru looked back at the same time, and both of their faces changed to shock. ¡°Mr. Eval Sevaru?¡± ¡°Uh? Who¡¯s¡­¡± Eval Sevaru glanced at the figure Chi-Woo was holding with a princess carry. Since there was a robed figure behind him, it didn¡¯t seem to be the magician Eval Sevaru heard that Chi-Woo had gone to the academy with. ¡°A survivor.¡± Nangnang sharply asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°We found a survivor inside. Since she seems to be in a critical condition, would you please inform Ms. Eshnunna? I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll immediately go and tell her.¡± Nangnang quickly ran through the dark night. * * * The bed that Chi-Woo woke up in after losing his consciousness was occupied by a different person today. No¡ªChi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure if this being was even a person since Evelyn had told him she was not human. The girl still seemed lifeless. A little old to be a child, but too young to be called a woman. She looked like a student who just entered middle school. All that was speculation, of course. The only thing Chi-Woo was sure of was that she came from hundreds of years ago, and that she was the only survivor in the academy. The mysterious girl showed no signs of ever opening her eyes. Moreover, rather than sleeping, it seemed like she was in the middle of slowly dying. ¡°Her hair is very fine.¡± He heard Eshnunna say. Eshnunna held a strand of the girl¡¯s white hair and carefully caressed it. ¡°Her skin is soft too.¡± She touched the girl¡¯s chubby cheeks with her thumb. ¡°And judging by her clothes¡­I don¡¯t think she was of ordinary status.¡± There was a slight crease in the girl¡¯s clothes, but there wasn¡¯t a single blemish on her white coat. Chi-Woo agreed. The girl was white as snow. She looked like a noble or of high birth through and through; nothing about her resembled an ordinary citizen. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°I wonder whose daughter she was.¡± ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s something else¡­¡± Eshnunna didn¡¯t finish her sentence. She was at a loss for words. Chi-Woo understood her sentiment. Even mountains and rivers could shift in mere decades. With such limited information, it would be nigh impossible to guess the identity of a person from centuries ago. Chi-Woo focused more on his eyes as he looked at the girl. He could see light flowing out of her body. Chi-Woo was slightly surprised; it was the first time he saw such a white and pure light from a soul. Then, information about the girl appeared in the air. [Strength F] [Durability F] [Agility F] [Stamina F] [Mental Fortitude D] ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. First of all, she didn¡¯t have a name, and even her age wasn¡¯t revealed. However, her rank was three stars. She was the second person he ever met to have three stars, the first being Hawa. And he had no idea what her class and title meant. ¡°I have so many questions for her,¡± Eshnunna said. ¡°It would be best if I could ask her those questions directly.¡± Then she smacked her lips and continued, ¡°¡­But only if she opens her eyes.¡± ¡°She probably won¡¯t,¡± Evelyn spoke in an almost bored tone. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem skilled enough of a sorcerer to warp space, and her life force is very weak. She must have exchanged her life force for the power to survive a little longer.¡± Evelyn continued, ¡°It¡¯s stupid. No matter how desperately she wanted to live, how could she use her own life force to live? In the end, she didn¡¯t solve anything and got her priorities wrong.¡± Chi-Woo, who was nodding at Evelyn¡¯s words, suddenly felt Eshnunna¡¯s piercing gaze. Chi-Woo mouthed ¡®what?¡¯ at her, but Eshnunna didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she shut her eyes and shook her head. Evelyn continued, ¡°Well, whatever. I¡¯m going to leave now.¡± This visit had taken longer than planned. Now that she had satiated her curiosity, there was no need for her to stay any longer. ¡°Lady Evelyn, I¡¯m very grateful for your help today.¡± ¡°Yeah, thank me as much as you want.¡± Seemingly remembering something, she continued, ¡°Oops, I almost forgot. Be careful of the Demon Empire.¡± ¡°The Demon Empire? Why?¡± ¡°They have been acting suspiciously. I don¡¯t expect something serious to happen, but¡­¡± An annoyed look overtook Evelyn¡¯s face, like she had recalled something unpleasant. ¡°Anyway, the Demon Empire considers this area under our sphere of influence. We don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll act, so be careful.¡± Evelyn opened the window. The cool night breeze rustled her hair. ¡°And don¡¯t forget.¡± Thud. Evelyn sat on the window frame and looked back at Chi-Woo. ¡°What you said to me before.¡± She smiled and tilted her body forward. Rather than falling to the ground, she disappeared as soon as her body touched the air. Evelyn had departed, leaving the three of them in the room. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna, you should go rest,¡± Chi-Woo suggested softly. Eshnunna had already stayed up all night to take care of him, and it would be too harsh to ask her to take care of this girl today as well. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you to take care of her in the afternoon, so you should get some sleep for now.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. Please don¡¯t strain yourself.¡± Eshnunna couldn¡¯t turn Chi-Woo down again. She gave him a fleeting look of concern before taking her leave, gently closing the door behind her. Alone now, Chi-Woo stared at the sickly pale girl in front of him. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Chi-Woo let out a long sigh and opened his bag at the same time. Although he hesitated, he took out a bottle of holy water and opened the girl¡¯s mouth. If he left the girl like this, she wouldn¡¯t survive the night. Still, Chi-Woo had no idea whether or not he should save this girl. Despite feeling conflicted, he tilted the bottle to pour holy water into her mouth in the end. Trickle. He bowed and prayed for the girl¡¯s recovery. He didn¡¯t know how much time passed until¡ª ¡°¡­Ha-ugh!¡± The girl let out a gasp. Color began to return to her pale face, and sweat began to pop up on her forehead. Then, Chi-Woo heard her breathing. He put the water bottle back into his bag and wiped the sweat off her forehead before covering her with a blanket. As he turned to leave the room, he thought to himself, ¡®Saintess, three stars, I hope you show me the value of the holy water I just used.¡¯ CH 140 Chi-Woo and Philip went outside to find dawn approaching its tail end. Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh once he returned home. So many things had happened in the past couple of days, and his head was still in a complete mess. Still, Chi-Woo had no regrets, and he felt like he had safely overcome another difficulty. Now it was time for him to rest. ¡ªSo, how was it?¡± As Chi-Woo lay on his bed, Philip flew over to him. ¡ªIt was your first real expedition. Truthfully, Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t call that an expedition. ¡ªIt¡¯s not over just because you came back. You know that, right? ¡®¡­The experience has gotten me thinking though.¡¯ ¡ªOh, thinking about what? ¡®A method for me to become stronger.¡¯ ¡ªThat¡¯s what you have been thinking about for a long time now. Why are you acting like you¡¯re doing something new? It was true. Chi-Woo had felt the necessity to become stronger a long time ago. The issue was how he was going to become stronger now. For that, Chi-Woo had organized the information in his head. He¡¯d gained a couple of things from the expedition: the discovery of a survivor and an unexpected reward. It was also clear that he would have accumulated a significant number of merits from this incident too. ¡ªWhy? Are you planning to save them again until you need to make big payments? ¡®No,¡¯ Chi-Woo firmly said. ¡®I¡¯m going to use merits for myself from now on.¡¯ He had done enough for the greater good; it was time he did things for himself. That was one of the pivotal things he realized during the expedition: heroes who had joined this mission as recruits didn¡¯t need him to take care of them every step of the way. As long as someone gave them a push once, they would be able to do well for themselves. ¡®I realized my worth.¡¯ The one who needed the most care was Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo had established his foundation for growth in the cave. Now, it was time for him to step on it, jump over it, and go higher, much higher. ¡®I¡¯m going to make full use of the growth system.¡¯ ¡ªOh¡­how? By increasing your ranks? ¡®No, I¡¯ll do that later.¡¯ ¡ªThen, how? Instead of answering the question, Chi-Woo looked up at Philip and said, ¡®Thank you.¡¯ ¡ªHuh? Philip was taken aback by Chi-Woo¡¯s sudden declaration of gratitude. ¡®I think I can understand a bit why...you told me to experience things first-hand.¡¯ At that moment, a faint stream of light shone through the brightening sky of the breaking dawn. Chi-Woo closed his eyes, his lips curled into a small smile. * * * Flap. A page flipped. Raphael had her glasses on today, and midway through reading, she narrowed her eyes. ¡°These guys. Look at these guys.¡± She shook the stack of paper a few times and laughed, baffled. ¡°Their attitude changed immediately because the situation became a bit better. It¡¯s ridiculous considering that they didn¡¯t do anything even when we were gathering the seventh recruits.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a rare opportunity for them.¡± Laguel, who had come to report, said calmly. Raphael chuckled. It truly was rare. Liber was known to be a place that even legendary heroes couldn¡¯t do anything about, so it was even more unbelievable that someone else besides Choi Chi-Hyun had succeeded in saving Liber, albeit only for a little. The hero who had accomplished such a feat would soon gain a reputation that surpassed legends. Half of the twelve families who lit up the Celestial Realm coveted such a title, especially after the prophecy orb changed its oracle. ¡°Well, seeing the list of names, it seems they¡¯re still testing the water.¡± ¡°Three of the twelve families responded to the recruitment and were deemed suitable to enter.¡± ¡°They were¡­but none of them passed.¡± ¡°Sorry? Passed?¡± ¡°Well, one of them passed,¡± Raphael said with a chuckle and searched through her memories. She hadn¡¯t known it at the time, but it seemed the prophecy orb had a specific purpose in mind when choosing the different groups of recruits. The first recruits were meant to be pioneers who would prepare a tavern for those who came after them. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th recruits¡¯ purpose was to simply support and maintain the situation, preventing things from getting worse like diluting poisoned water. The 7th recruits were sent to pave the way with everything bet on one person. Likewise, the 8th recruits had their own special characteristics. But all in all, they were all elites that had gone through a very selective process. ¡°Good, then¡ª¡± Raphael pushed the stack of paper off her desk and got up. But she stopped when she saw Laguel, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with you? Are you sick?¡± Laguel didn¡¯t look too good. Raphael asked again, ¡°Are you worried about something? If you want to say something, spit it out. No need to hold it in.¡± ¡°¡­No,¡± Laguel replied and bit her lips. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± * * * The day was bright, and after waking up, Chi-Woo suddenly thought, ¡®Now that I think about it, Ms. Mimi is quiet these days.¡¯ Then he remembered how he had forgotten to turn her audio back on after muting her. Thus, he quickly called forth his user information and did that. [Haaaaaaa¡­] A very long sigh followed. ¡°Haha, hahaha¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head awkwardly. [You really¡­you really are¡­] Mimi couldn¡¯t even find the words to say because she was so enraged. She just kept sighing like she had suffered for a long time. Then she gulped and said in a calmer voice. [I am your helper. I don¡¯t know how you think of me, but you¡¯ve crossed a line in the way you treated me.] Chi-Woo apologized and begged for her forgiveness. After all, he had turned the audio off because of the annoyance he felt at the moment and not because he was truly bothered by her. ¡ªHuh? Who is this? It was then Philip¡¯s beauty radar activated. ¡ªWow. I only heard her voice¡­and she sounds like an angel from the Celestial Realm. [User Choi Chi-Woo? Who is this person?] ¡®Um¡­ Many things have happened while you weren¡¯t around.¡¯ And thus, Chi-Woo began to explain what had brought Philip here in an apologetic tone. As he did so, Philip smoothed a finger down his nose with a proud look on his face. [A master who will lead you in the right direction¡­ I suppose that¡¯s not a bad thing if true.] ¡ªYes. Let¡¯s get along well, mademoiselle. [Yes, we can do that for now. I will be on the lookout though.] ¡ªOf course. Let¡¯s make sure we raise our son well. [Quit your strange nonsense. I¡¯m not your wife; I haven¡¯t even married yet. Neither do I have the tiniest bit of desire to become a parent with you.] ¡ªOh my! Philip raised both hands into the air. But of course, he wasn¡¯t the type to back down immediately. ¡ªWhat a formidable lady you are. But I like that too. A rose with thorns is what¡¯s truly beautiful. [Why don¡¯t you leave it at that?] And as these two talked, Chi-Woo went outside. He couldn¡¯t miss a day of training. After finishing his noon exercise, Chi-Woo went to the temple. The growth system was pretty basic. It was divided into tiers and ranks, and every time he went up a rank, the system improved his physical attributes and sometimes gave him new class skills. However, the important thing was how the prerequisites changed every time he rose in ranks. The growth system was like a bank. If he earned merits and deposited it, a god would use the deposit to invest in a hero who passed their screening. And for heroes who failed, there existed other methods to strengthen their abilities; these methods included training, modifying body parts, or taking medication. But it was here that Chi-Woo faced a problem. For basic attributes and skills, he knew how to raise their ranks; but for abilities he gained through forming a contract with La Bella, he didn¡¯t know how to begin at all. After all, how did one level up Golden Ratio or Core of Balance? ¡®What do I need to do?¡¯ Chi-Woo had an inkling of what he should do. Like Laguel had told him once, there were many ways to use divinity, and he had someone to consult with¡ªfor instance, a god. But here, there was no temple holding La Bella, nor a relic. There was only a temple where Shahnaz¡¯s relic was, where heroes who made a contract with Shahnaz could visit. ¡®But could I go?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. In the end, he went to meet Shahnaz. ¡ªThat¡¯s a stupid concern. Aren¡¯t you already holding a relic? Shahnaz said sharply. ¡®Sorry?¡¯ ¡ªThe heart. Your heart. Hearing this, Chi-Woo recalled the white pearl he saw inside the cave¡¯s lake. ¡ªYour heart has already assimilated with the Core of Balance. In other words, you already have the relic inside you, and there¡¯s no need for you to find a denomination. In short, Chi-Woo was basically a walking denomination and temple. ¡®Then, does that mean¡­?¡¯ ¡ªYou¡¯re wasting your time here. La Bella and Chi-Woo were one in body and soul. La Bella had decided to make it such when Chi-Woo swore to follow her, and truthfully, Shahnaz had thought Chi-Woo and La Bella¡¯s circumstance quite a special case. But it was also understandable since Chi-Woo was involved. After all, Chi-Woo was earning merits that far surpassed all the other heroes Shahnaz had made contracts with. ¡ªBut I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not the only thing you came to ask me about. Encouraged, Chi-Woo told Shahaz about his other worry. ¡ªHm. Digitalizing merits. So, in other words, you want merits to be represented with numbers in all processes. I get what you¡¯re saying, but do we have to go so far? ¡®But I think I will only be able to make exact calculations then.¡¯ ¡ªYes, I understand that, but it¡¯s dangerous. Shahnaz expressed her concern. The growth system utilized a tier and rank system to show that a hero needed to display a certain level of competence to become stronger. However, if heroes got what Chi-Woo was requesting now, they would learn exactly how much more merit they would need to rank up, and eventually start to wonder why they deposited merit regularly rather than using them in areas they wished to improve upon. In that case, who was going to undertake the risks of a dangerous mission? People would choose to do only safe missions to accumulate the necessary merits. Therefore, Chi-Woo¡¯s request was something that could shake the very foundation of the growth system. Yet, Shahnaz could understand Chi-Woo''s perspective, and she felt hesitant to just flat-out refuse his request. In the end, she said: ¡ªThis doesn¡¯t seem like a conversation you should be having with me. Shahnaz meant that Chi-Woo should talk to La Bella since he had made a contract with La Bella instead of her. ¡ªWhat you want is a very special request. It¡¯s something that can¡¯t be done under normal circumstances¡­but it may be a different story for you. At least a part of it could happen. Chi-Woo, who had been downcast thinking that his request would be rejected, fell into deep thought after hearing Shahnaz¡¯s response. He couldn¡¯t keep pestering her when he was basically asking her to level only him up. But if he hadn¡¯t misheard, she seemed to be saying that he might have a higher chance of getting what he wanted compared to other heroes. ¡®Um¡­why would it be different for me?¡¯ ¡ªWhat do you mean? Didn¡¯t I just tell you? Shahnaz sounded baffled. ¡ªIt¡¯s because you are already different from other heroes¡­ Wait, no way. Do you perhaps¡­ [Do you still think of yourself as a mortal or a human?] Chi-Woo suddenly recalled what somebody had asked him once. And as he walked out of the temple, Chi-Woo pondered deeply. He had Core of Balance, and he was one with La Bella. What were the implications? He wasn¡¯t sure, but he had an inkling ever since he was able to see a particular existence¡¯s soul light. [Your user information has been updated.] Then, Chi-Woo suddenly got an alarm. When he called up his user information, he saw a star marking one of the sections. 1. History 2. Stat 3. Abilities 4. Others ¡ï 5. Fostering ¡®Fostering?¡¯ That was new. Chi-Woo clicked on it. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Merit Count: 24,608] 1. Inherent ¨C [Core of Balance F] (5,277 Up¡ü!) 2. Inherent ¨C [Divine Blood F] (2,352 Up¡ü!) 3. Inherent ¨C [Golden Ratio AAA] (2,178,675 Up¡ü!) 4. Inherent ¨C [Halo F] (1,051 Up¡ü!) Chi-Woo soon realized that La Bella had already fulfilled his request. It wasn¡¯t a lie when she said she would always be with him. And her intention was clear in what the foster system showed: because Chi-Woo''s request would shake the foundation of the system, La Bella didn¡¯t fulfill it completely, but instead displayed only the amount of merits necessary to upgrade the abilities he gained from his contract with La Bella. And of course, the change itself cost him merits as well. ¡®Thank you, Goddess La Bella.¡¯ Chi-Woo placed his hand on his heart and bowed. He was grateful that La Bella fulfilled his wishes and did it in a way that was easy for him to understand. It was clear that the numbers before the upward arrows were the number of merits he needed to upgrade the ability to the next level. But when he saw the numbers, his feelings of gratitude vanished. ¡®No. Why are they so expensive?¡¯ He thought he wouldn¡¯t need many merits to upgrade an ability from F to E. And considering how the number of merits necessary to upgrade would increase exponentially after that, Chi-Woo was dumbstruck by how much things cost already. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. Upgrading basic abilities was akin to upgrading a common iron sword, while Core of Balance would be more like a divine sword made out of divine stones that didn¡¯t exist in the human world. Accordingly, the system required more quantity of quality ingredients. Of course, since Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t privy to any of the details, he was incredibly dissatisfied with what he saw. ¡®Did rank S come after rank triple A¡­.?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered if he could raise the rank of Golden Ratio to S, but when he saw the number of merits required, his mouth dropped. He knew that S rank was one that surpassed humans, but wasn¡¯t this a bit much? He would need not 200,000 merits, but more than 2 million. Even after he had prevented the capital from getting blown away and captured a demon in the 66 demon rank, he got only a bit more than 20k. 2 million seemed unattainable even if he defeated all 66 demons of the Demon Empire. ¡®Does this even make sense?¡¯ he thought. ¡®Ms. La, aren¡¯t you going too far with your joke!?¡¯ Slap! Chi-Woo felt somebody smack him on top of his head. ¡°Ah! Who was that!¡± Chi-Woo teared up from the sudden pain and looked around him. ¡ªW-What? Why are you glaring at me suddenly? It wasn¡¯t me! Philip waved his hand defensively from a distance away. On the other hand, Mimi sighed quietly. She almost said, ¡®You always make me worry for you¡­¡¯ CH 141 ¡°Um¡­¡± Chi-Woo groaned. ¡°Urggh¡­!¡± Chi-Woo had been staring into space since he returned home, or more precisely, he had been staring at his newly updated fostering system projected in the air and wondering which ability he should upgrade. Chi-Woo recalled what Nangnang had said about weighing the gravity of their situation. The same principle applied. He needed to weigh his fostering options to see which would help him overcome his shortcomings or maximize his advantages. Thus, in this same line of thought, what advantage did Chi-Woo have that separated him from the other heroes? The answer was that he had ten inherent special abilities, while others had difficulty getting even one; this meant that Chi-Woo had to place these abilities at the center of his growth. Thanks to La Bella, he had a way to do this, and now, he had to decide how to go about upgrading each ability. ¡®Should I try upgrading each one once first?¡¯ If he excluded Golden Ratio and increased all other abilities by one rank, he would still have about 15,000 merits left. ¡®Come to think of it, I benefited quite a lot from Divine Blood.¡¯ Chi-Woo had collapsed several times in battle but was able to get up eventually thanks to that ability¡¯s healing effects. Since he valued his life, Chi-Woo upgraded Divine Blood without hesitation. [Using 2,352 merits (24,608 -> 22,256)] [Inherent ability Divine Blood increases in rank (F -> E)] Chi-Woo immediately called upon his user information. 7. [Divine Blood E]- The awakening of one¡¯s blood due to Core of Balance. Protects the mind and body. Resists all low-level exterior interferences of the mind and reduces the effects of subliminal messaging. Surface-level injuries will be instantly healed with saliva. ¡°Oh.¡± The description of the ability changed. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure how much better the ability had become, but the description was more concrete than before. And there was no doubt that it was better than when the description blatantly said, ¡®Not yet fully developed, its effect is still very weak.¡¯ ¡®Should I upgrade it one more time?¡¯ He called upon his fostering page again, but when he saw the detail of the ability, he cursed, ¡°What? Shit.¡± 2. Inherent Ability- [Divine Blood E] (11,789 Up ¡ü!) Chi-Woo squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. He tried closing and reopening the page or even looking elsewhere. Unfortunately, the number remained five times higher than before. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much? Sh¡­¡± To make sure, Chi-Woo upgraded his second choice of purchase, Core of Balance, to E. [Using 5,277 merits (22,256 -> 16,979)] [Inherent ability Core of Balance increases in rank. (F -> E).] ¡®Okay,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. When he accessed the page again, the jump in merit requirement was even more ridiculous. 1. Inherent ability ¨C [Core of Balance E] (53,295 ¡ü!) It increased more than ten times! ¡°This is crazy, seriously.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but curse. ¡°Why!? When I raise it to D rank, is it gonna cost me 50,000 merits to reach the next rank then!?¡± Chi-Woo shouted at the empty air before him fruitlessly, glaring at nothing in particular like he was taunting La Bella to hit him again. ¡ªWhat is wrong with him? Did he go crazy? [User Choi Chi-Woo. Calm yourself.] Philip sounded surprised, while Mimi was as composed as ever. ¡°But Mimi-chan. Isn¡¯t this too much? How could it cost so much to raise the skill from F to E?¡± [My name isn¡¯t Mimi-chan. Also, you¡¯re right. This isn¡¯t usually the case. It usually costs between 10 to 100 merits to upgrade an ability to rank E.] ¡°Then why? How much is the goddess planning to haggle for herself?¡± [Mind your manners. You¡¯re speaking about goddess Uphiter¡¯s daughter.] ¡°Besides my manners¡ª¡± Thump. Chi-Woo was interrupted by a heavy thump of his heart. He was going to continue after swallowing his breath when Mimi spoke again. [The fact that the system is requesting more merits means the ability is incomparable to the ones that are commonly known to this world.] ¡°But even if that¡¯s the case¡ªhuh¡ª?¡± Chi-Woo trailed off, and his body tilted. He clutched his heart, and his face distorted as an incessant burning pain rose in his heart. ¡°Ah¡ªah¡ª¡± Chi-Woo rolled around on the veranda in great pain, and both Mimi and Philip looked on helplessly, not knowing what to do. [I told you to be careful in the way you speak! This is divine punishment¡ª!] ¡ªWhy did you suddenly collapse? Hey, are you okay? Hey! Chi-Woo wondered. ¡®Divine punishment? Just for uttering a couple of words?¡¯ Then he couldn¡¯t think anymore because the mana that had lay dormant at the center of his heart began to split into thousands of branches. ¡°Kurgh¡ª!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. He felt as if his heart was going to shatter, and the mana inside him was running amok. ¡®Huh? Wait, no.¡¯ The mana was actually swirling in one direction. He had simply felt like it was moving irregularly because of how fast it was. And in the midst of the indescribable, body-crushing pain that he felt, Chi-Woo instinctively closed his eyes. As he had learned from Ru Amuh, he lied down and focused on the flow of his mana. Instead of guiding the mana with his own will, he tried hard to naturally chase after the flow. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± When he opened his eyes again, the sun was shining on his face. He was sure it had been early morning before; he seemed to have lost time. Chi-Woo blinked. His body felt cool, as if mint had been applied all over its exterior and interior. [A new ability is derived from the inherent ability, ¡®Core of Balance¡¯.] [Inherent ability ¡®Divine Inspiration¡¯ is created.] [Physical ability ¡®Exorcism¡¯ increases in rank. (E -> D)] Chi-Woo looked at the message in front of him in a daze. The exorcism mana, which he had been unable to level up no matter what he did, moved up a rank, and a new ability was created. To check it out, Chi-Woo called his user information forth. [Divine Inspiration F] ¨C The awakening of one¡¯s energy due to Core of Balance. Because the user¡¯s conceptualization ability is still weak, the user can¡¯t control this ability however he wishes. [Exorcism D] ¨C¡­ exercises absolute dominance over forces of the evil and chaos type. 5. Inherent¡ª [Divine Inspiration F] (2,036 Up¡ü!) A new ability had been added to his fostering list, and one of his basic abilities had been strengthened on top of that. [Do you now understand why you needed that many merits to upgrade your abilities?] Mimi sounded exasperated. Truthfully, Chi-Woo still didn¡¯t grasp it completely, but he had thought, ¡®Why is the goddess haggling so much!¡¯, while he now thought, ¡®Hm¡­! She does show me something!¡¯ La Bella tightened her fists after reading Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts, but she suppressed her anger. Since Chi-Woo had no basic knowledge about all things heroes, he didn¡¯t realize how amazing the abilities he¡¯d acquired were. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo could tell that his exorcism mana had noticeably increased. The energy that flowed out of his heart felt stronger than ever before. ¡°Thank you, Goddess La Bella. I will devote myself to your purpose.¡± Chi-Woo quickly changed his attitude and bowed. ¡ªWow, I knew he was a crazy bastard, but wow¡­ Philip muttered. Then the door opened slightly, and a small lump crept in through the gap. ¡°!?¡± As soon as the bun met Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes, it froze. ¡°Hey!¡± Chi-Woo growled seeing the bun. ¡°It has been ages since I last saw you.¡± The bun didn¡¯t move. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s fine for you to wander around since I brought you here so that you can live your own life, but you shouldn¡¯t make other people worried. Do you even know what has happened while you weren¡¯t here?¡± Chi-Woo continued with a stern expression on his face. The bun manifested a hand and scratched its clean top section. It seemed to be laughing awkwardly, ¡®hehehe¡­.¡± [It reminds me of someone else in this room.] Mimi said mockingly. * * * Eval Sevaru came to meet Chi-Woo the next afternoon. After returning from his training, Chi-Woo saw a whole bunch of bundles piled up in front of his house. ¡°Here you are!¡± Eval Sevaru bowed while laying down another bundle. ¡°I¡¯m late since I was emptying the place as per your request. And it was too much to do by myself, so I asked others for help. That¡¯s fine, right sir?¡± As Eval spoke, Chi-Woo saw Nangnang, Snowy Mountain, and Shadia coming toward them, each carrying a large bundle on their backs. ¡°But it¡¯s quite disappointing,¡± Eval said while licking his lips and going through the door. ¡°It looked all fancy outside, but there wasn¡¯t much in actuality.¡± The team did bring a lot of stuff, but that was because they had taken everything they saw. ¡°The weapons are just okay, not much different from the ones we obtained before.¡± Most weapons weren¡¯t too different from each other. ¡°But even then, it wasn¡¯t as if everything was mediocre. I¡¯ve packed the higher-quality items separately.¡± Eval Sevaru unwrapped a bundle as he said so, revealing a long sword and a rapier. ¡°This is a sword I got from the corpse of a knight on the roof. Most of the weapons were actually corroded beyond use, but these two were especially of good quality. Shadia said that they are enchanted with simple magic.¡± Chi-Woo glanced at Philip. ¨CHe¡¯s right. Philip snorted. ¨CThey¡¯re all trash, but at least those two are a bit better. But it¡¯s still not that great. Chi-Woo smiled wryly. Now that he thought about it, it was unreasonable to expect an academy that lasted only 3 years to produce anything amazing. It was already fortunate that he at least got two swords, and he could now help out Ru Amuh. Even though Chi-Woo had decided to focus on getting things for himself and taking care of himself, Ru Amuh was an exception as Chi-Woo¡¯s first star and ¡®eldest son¡¯. Other than the two swords, the only object of value was a compilation of records that appeared to be magical research materials found in places like the dean¡¯s office. Even though the equipment that he had been looking forward to was disappointing, there were a lot of precious metals. Eval Sevaru packed bundles full of gold and silver and had collected every expensive valuable and ornament he could find. ¡°Thank you. All of you did a great job.¡± Chi-Woo first took the two swords Eval Sevaru had separated from the rest of the items. ¡°If any of you want something, you can take it in moderation.¡± Nangnang and Shadia¡¯s eyes widened at his words. ¡°Can I really do that?¡± ¡°Really? For real?¡± Chi-Woo replied, ¡°Yes. Even you, Mr. Eval Sevaru.¡± Eval Sevaru¡¯s anxious expression immediately brightened. At the same time, he seemed to have anticipated it. Nangnang immediately jumped towards the equipment and fiddled with some daggers. ¡°Boss, can¡¯t you let me borrow some of that? I¡¯ll read it and return it in the same state.¡± Shadia asked for the magical research documents with a desperate expression. ¡°Yes, do as you want.¡± ¡°Kyah! Thanks!¡± Shadia jumped up in joy and wrapped her arms around his neck. Startled, Chi-Woo flinched. ¡ªFuck! Philip got angry for reasons he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Bro, would you perhaps want to leave those pieces of equipment to me?¡± Eval Sevaru cleared his throat and continued, ¡°I¡¯m planning to do a little bit of business, but I don¡¯t have enough money. If you would entrust me with those, I promise to do a good job. We¡¯ll go fifty-fifty. So what do you think, Boss?¡± Chi-Woo already felt too lazy to deal with the rest of the equipment, so he easily agreed. Eval Sevary hummed with satisfaction and took back the equipment he brought. Then he said, ¡°Hah. I¡¯m jealous by the way. How does it feel to be the richest man in the capital?¡± Eval Sevaru was so happy that he even spoke words of flattery. Chi-Woo laughed dryly. ¡°I already decided where to use it.¡± ¡°Hmm? Where? Perhaps¡­¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve already decided.¡± Eval Sevaru did not ask anymore. Chi-Woo¡¯s stern tone told him that the man must have decided where to use the money a long time ago. Even though he was curious, Eval decided that he shouldn¡¯t push it too much and immediately backed off. While everyone was joyously talking amongst themselves, one hero had been quiet. Snowy Mountain had been standing wordlessly by the side with his arms folded. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to pick some?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Snowy Mountain answered with a gentle voice. ¡°I raised my rank from iron to bronze, and thanks to you, I was able to recover some of my power. That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. The fact that he raised a rank meant that Snowy Mountain had passed the promotion test. Stopping Andras¡¯ plan and defeating him must have helped him get a favorable evaluation. ¡°Hmm? You didn¡¯t know? I¡¯m not the only one. Both Nangnang and Shadia have ranked up as well.¡± When Snowy Mountain asked why Chi-Woo didn¡¯t go to the temple, Chi-Woo made a bitter smile. That prompted Snowy Mountain to ask, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be able to reach gold with merits alone?¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t reveal that he used most of his merits on upgrading his abilities. Chi-Woo changed the subject and suggested Snowy Mountain pick something. Snowy Mountain¡¯s gaze settled on a pair of gloves that looked to belong to a knight. Chi-Woo said, ¡°You can take it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very grateful, but¡­¡± Snowy Mountain let out a deep sigh and said with a dressed voice, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t fit around my hands.¡± * * * After Eval Sevaru and the other expedition members left, Chi-Woo ordered the bun to swallow all the precious metals and ornaments. Then he went outside and asked around the natives. Chi-Woo thought it would take longer to find a native that could help him out, but a man who he knew before immediately brought him to the person he had been looking for. Shortly after, Chi-Woo found himself standing in front of a native woman. He spoke first, ¡°Hello. I¡¯m one of the heroes from the seventh rec¡­¡± But he didn¡¯t finish because the woman looked uneasy; she was even shaking slightly. He didn¡¯t know how he should introduce himself so that the other person wouldn¡¯t feel so scared. Chi-Woo pondered for a long time and said, ¡°I¡¯ve met your parents before.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened. Chi-Woo closed his mouth when he saw her expression darken. After joining the seventh recruits and the other natives, she must have looked for her parents and heard news about what happened to them. Chi-Woo coughed and managed to say, ¡°¡­I have no words to offer in that regard. I actually have a request for you.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The woman looked at Chi-Woo with round eyes. Chi-Woo stopped talking for a bit and glanced at the bun on top of his shoulder. ¡°¡­Blarf.¡± Bun opened its mouth and vomited out bundles. They were the precious metals and ornaments that Eval Sevaru brought from the academy. The woman¡¯s mouth widened as Chi-Woo opened the bundles one by one. Then she looked at him with confusion like she didn¡¯t know why he was showing her this. ¡°They were both heroes,¡± Chi-Woo slowly continued. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to tell you because I was in a hurry at the time, but¡­¡± His heart raced as he recalled the memories; he could still clearly remember what had happened then as if it was just yesterday. He remembered the middle-aged couple who offered themselves up after Giant Fist and Mua Janya. Even while crying, they gave away their knives and food that they had saved and sacrificed themselves. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chi-Woo bowed. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry.¡± He bent down further. ¡°We were able to stay alive until now because of your parents¡¯ sacrifice.¡± Chi-Woo could clearly recall the middle-aged couple¡¯s parting words even though quite a bit of time had passed. ¡°I know this won¡¯t make up for it, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo straightened up and let out a long breath. It was then that the woman seemed to realize why she was shown this much wealth, but she still looked stunned by the fortune in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s¡­too much¡­¡± Her voice was quiet like a mosquito. Chi-Woo made a small smile. ¡°Your parents weren¡¯t the only ones who came forward.¡± Only then did the woman¡¯s eyes shine. Even though Chi-Hyun had established the main headquarters and made basic living possible, they were definitely not living in surplus. Escaping starvation was a far cry from eating and drinking as much as one wanted. No matter how much money had fallen in value, this amount of precious metals would be of significant help for the time being. ¡°Even though I¡¯m still lacking, I¡¯ll help out as much as I can.¡± Chi-Woo bowed once again at the woman who was too flustered to speak. ¡°¡­Then.¡± Chi-Woo turned away, leaving the bundles behind him. ¡°Thank¡­you.¡± He heard the woman¡¯s trembling voice from behind. ¡°Thank you¡­thank you¡­¡± She repeated herself until Chi-Woo completely disappeared. ¨C¡­ Philip watched as Chi-Woo plodded back home with a solemn face and became solemn himself. He remembered a friend called the iron-blood judge of heretics, who was extremely ruthless and cruel to his enemies, but firmer and more steadfast than anyone else to his friends. ¨CHmm¡­ Philip let out a small sigh as he recalled a line he¡¯d read from Chi-Woo¡¯s memories. What did it say¡ªwas it his heavenly title? ¡ªThree lines¡­ CH 142 Chi-Woo had brought back the sole survivor from the academy stuck centuries ago. It was a mysterious, white-haired girl dressed in all white. Although it had appeared like she wouldn¡¯t be able to survive the night, her condition improved considerably thanks to the holy water Chi-Woo gave her. She even opened her eyes for a brief moment during the night, but she soon fell asleep again; it didn¡¯t seem she had recovered fully. Another day passed after that, and after looking after her the whole night, Eshnunna changed shifts with another person. She then took care of personal business and rested; the sun was already high in the sky by then. She assumed the girl hadn¡¯t woken up yet since she hadn¡¯t been contacted. While wondering when the girl would regain consciousness, Eshnunna gently opened the door to the room the girl was staying in and rubbed her eyes. Swish. A cool breeze brushed past her cheeks. Eshnunna stopped and opened her eyes slightly. ¡°Snooore¡ª¡± The native in charge of watching the girl was sitting by the bed, snoring with her head down. A gust of wind rushed through the open window again; outside, a couple of strands of blanket intertwined like sausages being hung dry. Hesitantly, Eshnunna turned around, her mouth slightly ajar. The bed where the girl should have been lying on¡ª ¡°¡­¡± It was empty. * * * One of Chi-Woo¡¯s traits that Philip evaluated highly was his diligence. Disregarding unavoidable circumstances, Chi-Woo had never skipped training. Even today, after finishing his morning exercise, Chi-Woo immediately went into meditation to try to use the ability he gained yesterday. Because of the nature of the exercise, Chi-Woo needed to focus for a long time, and it wouldn¡¯t be until noon that he finished meditating. Then he would go to the square to get his share of food before recommencing his training again. He was like the model knight or friar devoted to their cause. Even Philip remained silent when Chi-Woo trained. As usual, Chi-Woo opened his eyes again when the sun was in the middle of the sky. ¡°Haaa¡ª¡± Small bits of refined energy flowed into Chi-Woo through his nose and lips. Then a long sigh followed. Chi-Woo appeared refreshed after finishing his meditation. ¡®It¡¯s addictive.¡¯ It was the same feeling he got from sweating through a hard exercise and then taking a warm bath or going to the sauna afterward. He had felt that his body was becoming polluted after remaining pure at all times inside the cave due to his daily bath in holy water, but after using Divine Inspiration, his body seemed to be getting fully cleansed in the same way. Furthermore, he also felt that his exorcism mana had been increasing. He was taking a small step at a time. If he worked hard three times every day, it seemed his dream of reaching C rank for exorcism would be achievable. ¡°Ha! Ha!¡± Chi-Woo got up from his spot and swung both fists into the air. Then, after drawing out a substantial volume of exorcism mana, he struck the ground. Bam! Craack! His fist dug into the dirt, leaving a deep dent. ¡°¡­Whoah.¡± He couldn¡¯t believe it even when he was staring right at it. At this point, it seemed he would be able to shatter most stones, if not boulders. If he had been in this state when he first came to Liber, he would have gone around swinging his fists. It was then he realized from his core that he was gradually becoming less human. ¡ªWhat are you punching the ground for? Are you showing off your strength?¡± Chi-Woo heard a familiar voice. Philip was looking down at him while lying horizontally in the air. With his head arched back, Chi-Woo decided to demand outrightly. ¡®Teach me.¡¯ ¡ªWhat? ¡®Anything.¡¯ ¡ªAh, it¡¯s meaningless. Philip shook his head and snorted. ¡ªBut what do you want to learn? ¡®Uh¡­swordsmanship?¡¯ ¡ªI thought you said you didn¡¯t need that. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how to respond for a moment, but quickly thought to Philip, ¡®Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think it would be bad for me to learn it.¡¯ ¡ªChanging your mind left and right~ Can¡¯t you be firmer in your stance? You are a man. ¡®Are you really gonna act like that? You sound so petty,¡¯ Chi-Woo responded. ¡ªWhat do you mean by petty? Philip said while yawning wide. ¡ªYou have already chosen your path. Even if you decide to change course midway, you should at least stick to it and get a taste first. ¡®You laughed at me when I first said I didn¡¯t need to learn swordsmanship. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you right now. ¡ªYeah, I did laugh at you. But that was for a different reason. I never said that path was the wrong one. Philip said calmly. Chi-Woo was at a loss for words again. He wanted to ask if Philip was playing with him, but by the look on Philip¡¯s face, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡ªThe hardware has been optimized; no need to bother with the software. Chi-Woo wondered what the exact words Philip was using that they would be translated into ¡®hardware¡¯ or ¡®software¡¯. ¡ªI know your judgment skills are lacking, but do you think the gods are complete idiots? That they would give you all sorts of things without thinking? When Chi-Woo looked confused by this statement, Philip hit both sides of his chest in frustration. ¡ªDid you really not feel anything when you taught that blonde lady on my behalf? ¡®Well, that¡¯s¡­¡¯ ¡ªWithout further ado, try to do something and ask about it later. ¡®Can¡¯t you at least tell me what I should do?¡¯ Chi-Woo grumbled. ¡ªWell, if it¡¯s just that¡­ Philip¡¯s pupils turned round. ¡ªDo the real thing. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ ¡ªGet out and find a place where there are enemies. Where you can face one of them at a time. Doubting his ears, Chi-Woo asked, ¡®You¡¯re joking right?¡± ¡ªDo you think I¡¯m joking? Aren¡¯t you swinging your sword to survive? Then go swing your sword at least 10,000 times, defeating one guy at a time. I¡¯m sure that when you¡¯re put in a desperate situation, you would finally start to think and wonder if there¡¯s a method that will let you swing your sword one less time. Chi-Woo was tired of Philip¡¯s nagging, but he got a gist of what Philip was trying to tell him. Philip was asking Chi-Woo what he was doing when he didn¡¯t even fully understand what he had and telling Chi-Woo that he should learn about himself before thinking about doing things. If Chi-Woo understood his assets better, he would naturally know what to do. Chi-Woo picked up a stone rolling on the ground and scratched his arm hard with it. ¡ªWhat are you doing? Drip. Philip clicked his tongue as he saw blood trickle down Chi-Woo¡¯s arm. ¡ªWhy are you suddenly hurting yourself? Are you sick or something? ¡®Be quiet. I am testing my Divine Blood.¡¯ Chi-Woo raised his wrist and checked his user information. Then he coated his thumb with saliva and rubbed it over his injury. The bleeding subsided until his injury disappeared completely. ¡ªWhat, shit. Philip was stunned, same for Chi-Woo. ¡®It really does become more effective with saliva.¡¯ With this, he had proven his ability to heal himself. He also wanted to test the effect on his mouth and wondered if he should go to Shadia for help. Then, his eyes suddenly burst open in realization. Some time later, he heard someone urgently pounding on a door. * * * Chi-Woo hurriedly ran to the palace, and when he opened the door and entered, he saw a man and a woman. One was Eshnunna, and the other was someone he didn¡¯t expect to see. ¡°Mr. Allen Leonard?¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s been a while.¡± Allen Leonard greeted Chi-Woo with a smile on his face. ¡°Yes, hello¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shot towards one spot even while he answered. It was the bed a girl with white hair and dress was bound to with her arms and legs tied. Heave¡ª! The girl looked teary, and she breathed heavily like she was very scared. She looked like a puppy separated from the rest of her siblings and adopted into an unfamiliar home. ¡°¡­Why is she like that?¡± Chi-Woo asked, wondering why the girl he saved was tied up like a prisoner. After letting out a long sigh, Eshnunna explained what had happened earlier in the day. In short, the girl had escaped when a native had fallen asleep. Upon realizing this fact, Eshnunna went outside, and there, she happened upon a cat¡ªno, Nangnang¡ªtaking a noon nap. Feeling the urgency of the matter, she woke up Nangnang and asked him for help. And while chasing after the girl through traces she left behind, they ran into Allen Leonard¡¯s group. ¡°She looked suspicious,¡± Allen Leonard spoke up. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem like a hero or a native, and when I tried to talk to her, she didn¡¯t react at all, so¡­¡± He saw the suspicious girl while returning from his mission with a couple of heroes. Since she didn¡¯t reply to their questions and instead tried to run away, they captured her. On their way back, they ran into Nangnang. They returned to the capital like that, and after checking her identity, he immediately called Chi-Woo. ¡°I felt a bit iffy about capturing a little girl, but it would seem I¡¯ve done the right thing,¡± Allen Leonard said with a laugh, but then he seemed taken aback by the look on the girl¡¯s face; it looked like she was about to cry. It made him feel like he had kidnapped an innocent girl and forced her to come here. ¡°Uh-um. Even though I¡¯m curious, I¡¯ll hear about it later on. Now that I¡¯ve done my part in taking her here, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Allen Leonard left the room as if he was being chased out. ¡°¡­I apologize,¡± Eshnunna replied with a small voice. Chi-Woo shook his head; he didn¡¯t think it was Eshnunna¡¯s fault. ¡°She doesn¡¯t say anything in response to us,¡± Eshnunna continued with traces of exhaustion seeping into her voice. ¡°Even when I simply ask her her name, or explain her current situation, she never says a word in response¡­and she doesn¡¯t even touch her meal.¡± True to her words, the plate on the table was untouched. Eshnunna asked, ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± The girl seemed to be extremely anxious still. Chi-Woo organized his thoughts for a bit and said, ¡°Would you mind waiting for me outside?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯ll be a little less nervous with fewer people.¡± Eshnunna thought he had a point and immediately left. ¡°Mr. Philip, you too.¡± ¡ª¡­Tch. Philip disappeared through the wall. Even though there were only two of them now, the girl¡¯s attitude did not change. Her wariness intensified when Chi-Woo took a step closer. Ignoring her reaction, he got even closer and reached out with both arms. ¡°Ummph! Ummmph!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes widened, and she frantically tried to move. ¡°¡­!¡± She tightly shut her eyes and then¡ª Swish, swish. The tightly tied rope around both her hands was released. ¡°¡­?¡± The girl carefully opened her eyes. While Chi-Woo tried to untie the rope around her ankles, the girl quickly ran away like he was a cockroach as soon as she was freed. She moved to the corner of the room and tried to stay as far away from Chi-Woo as possible. Then, she moved her head from side to side like she was looking for an escape route. In the meantime, Chi-Woo simply observed her quietly. The desperate look on the girl¡¯s face soon gave way to realization as she touched her neck. With widened eyes, she looked down; only then did she look back up at Chi-Woo. Now that he thought about it, she did have a necklace when he first saw her, didn¡¯t she? Chi-Woo looked around to see whether she had dropped it or someone else had taken it and put it aside. Then he saw a necklace with a small crystal hanging on the bedside. Unlike before, it did not shine anymore. However, when Chi-Woo held it in his hand, it began to shine again. Because his eyes were blinded by the dazzling brilliance of the crystal, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t notice that the girl¡¯s wary eyes had turned surprised. ¡°What? It was turned off?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head and turned around. He put the necklace down where the girl could see it well and moved back. As soon as he let go of the necklace, the light went out again. He gestured at the girl, telling her that she could take it back. The girl eyed him for a moment before¡ª Grab! The girl¡¯s white, bobbed hair swished, and she quickly took the necklace before wrapping it with both hands and holding it in her arms like a child holding their new water bottle. Then she moved back to the corner again. Blinking light sipped through the gaps between the girl¡¯s fingers. Chi-Woo decided to try talking to the girl, whose eyes were glued to him. ¡°Do you know how to talk? Miss, can you hear me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eshnunna was right. The girl didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯m the person who saved you at that academy.¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head and sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t talk for long, since I¡¯m told that you¡¯ve already heard what happened to you.¡± Moreover, he could understand her reactions. ¡°¡­You must be confused. I get it.¡± To her, she had gone to school, and a few hours later, centuries had already flown by in the outside world. It was not something that someone could easily accept in a day or two. ¡°However, the current situation is¡­extremely bad. The outside is dangerous, even here.¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I¡¯ll advise you to stay here until you calm down, but¡­if you insist on leaving, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± With that, Chi-Woo walked to the door and opened it. Even though there were many things he was curious about, he couldn¡¯t force her to talk. Chi-Woo decided to leave the final decision to the girl. ¡°You can leave.¡± He reached out with a hand like he was guiding her outside. The girl got up awkwardly but surprisingly did not leave. Even though Chi-Woo stood as far away from the door as possible, she remained where she was, standing awkwardly. The way she looked at him was slightly different too. Of course, the change was minuscule at best, and there was still a keen wariness in her gaze. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Are you not leaving?¡± The girl touched her necklace and moved it around as if there was something she wanted to say. ¡°Then¡­¡± Growl¡ªIt was then the sound of her stomach growling rang in the room. Chi-Woo halted and pointed at the plate with a smile. ¡°Shall we eat first?¡± The girl¡¯s cheeks reddened. * * * As soon as Chi-Woo got out, Eshnunna glanced at the inside of the room and asked, ¡°How were you able to do it?¡± Munch, much¡ªThe girl had her face stuck in the bowl, eating like her life depended on it. Chi-Woo shrugged and said, ¡°Ms. Eshnunna, I have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°No,¡± She immediately refused because she remembered how had come back on the brink of death a few days ago. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s wry laugh only made her narrow her eyes. ¡°I wanted to ask if you could do some research for me.¡± ¡°¡­About what?¡± Eshnunna tilted her chin up as if she was giving him a chance to explain first. ¡°Would you be able to perhaps find out something about Kabala?¡± ¡°Kabala¡­?¡± She frowned, but agreed in the end. After leaving the research up to Eshnunna, Chi-Woo told the girl to relax until she calmed down and went back to his place. Once he opened the door and entered, he realized he hadn¡¯t heard the sound of the door closing behind him. ¡°¡­Hah.¡± Chi-Woo had thought it was strange that the girl had looked startled when he told her while she ate that he was leaving, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to leave the palace with him. ¡°So.¡± Chi-Woo turned around. Did she seriously think she had done a good job of hiding herself? He could see the short-haired girl furtively glancing at him with only her head popping out from between the door. ¡°Why did you follow me??¡± * * * At the same time. ¡°Then, as of now, we hereby announce that the eight recruitment has officially ended.¡± A matter-of-fact yet beautiful voice rang out in the hall high above. CH 143 The selection process for the eighth recruitment came to an end. The atmosphere of the hall was better than ever before. For the first time since the second recruitment, the ever-dwindling pool of recruits finally saw an increase. There was no doubt that the situation at Liber had improved now, and compared to the time the sixth recruit team was sent, the planet had become a livable place. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the only reason for this change. In the eighth selection process, five special heroes, who differentiated themselves from the others, revealed their intention to participate. They were members belonging to the twelve families that lit up the Celestial Realm¡ªthose that battled for the top six spots among the twelve families on top of that. In reality, it was ridiculous that these families even divided themselves into ranks. But like it was in any world, famous people were always people¡¯s favorite subjects for gossip. And the heroes obsessed over stories about these famous families and ranked each one according to their own standards. Thus, if one was to divide the twelve families into the top half and the bottom half, the top half was as followed: There was the ¡®Choi¡¯ family from planet Earth. The ¡®Ho Lactea¡¯ family from planets Aurelia and Blue Moon. The ¡®Nahla¡¯ family from planet Gliese 876 D. The ¡®Afrilith¡¯ family from planet Io. The ¡®Mariaju¡¯ family from planet Clair. Finally, the ¡®Eustitia¡¯ family from planet Banard. Of course, a member of the Choi family who was considered the top in regard to history, tradition, and all other factors, was already on Liber. And members of all the five families who followed after the Choi family¡ªalthough each considered themselves to be the top¡ªhad responded to the eighth selection process and were assessed to be suitable to enter Liber. At first, only three families announced their intention to enter the selection process, but somehow, two more families found out about it and also signed up for the recruitment. Their goal seemed obvious just by the list of names who were participating. They were likely testing the water to see if there was really hope at Liber, and if the planet would really present them with an opportunity. ¡®But will the prophecy really respond to how they wished?¡¯ Laguel snorted and decided to focus on the task at hand. ¡°¡­The seventh recruits had achieved their desired goal. It seemed they had joined the fifth and sixth recruits and succeeded in reaching this place as you all see.¡± The heroes blinked hard at a point on the hologram. Laguel continued, ¡°Furthermore, it seems they had also succeeded in uniting with the previous recruits that had stationed themselves in the central region.¡± Instead of going to the central region, the seventh recruits had called the previous recruits to their location. The fact that a larger group moved to join a small group could only mean one thing: ¡°It appears that the seventh recruit team had succeeded in securing at least one of Liber¡¯s gods.¡± ¡°Wow, amazing.¡± A voice interrupted the peaceful silence of the hall. ¡°How surprising. Who did it, Laguel? Is there anyone that comes to your mind?¡± The tone was polite, charming, and pretty youthful. ¡°Was there anyone among the seventh recruit team who could¡­? Ah, I think there¡¯s a name I recognized from the group. Ru¡­what was it?¡± The six people who sat apart from the other heroes talked among themselves. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s really impressive!¡± another person from the group said with a raised voice. ¡°It¡¯s something even the Choi family couldn¡¯t do. I want to applaud them.¡± Clap, clap. The person clapped their hands hard enough for everyone to hear, and the noise rang across the quiet hall. Laguel¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡®Afrilith¡­¡¯ Laguel was displeased. ¡®If it had been the Ho Lactea or Nahla family, it would be different, but how dare the fourth-ranking family that had only reached their rank by just only the consciousness of their people¡­.¡¯ None of the twelve families were mediocre, of course, but the Choi family was on a different level. The Ho Lacteas were members of a noble race in every way since their birth, and the Nahlas were reborn through eugenics. Unlike the other families, the fact that the Choi family was made up of ¡®pure¡¯ humans attracted the awe and admiration of many. Thus, there were others who also expressed their dissatisfaction like Laguel with the hero¡¯s comment. However, the Afrilith didn¡¯t back down and instead smiled in satisfaction; the hero even had the audacity to look proud. It was as if the hero was telling others that she was allowed and in the position to talk about the legend this way, which made her special. ¡®Yes, it wasn¡¯t Sir Choi Chi-Hyun who did this. But the one who accomplished this amazing feat was also a member of the Choi family, you stupid wench.¡¯ Laguel wanted to put the hero in her place but swallowed the words down in the end. In whatever field, the first place usually didn¡¯t care about those below them, but it was the opposite for the second place and below. Laguel thought there was no need to reveal Chi-Woo¡¯s identity to these people, who were eager to bring the Choi family to ruins. ¡°¡­Now I¡¯ll go into the mission assigned to the eighth recruits by the prophet orb,¡± Laguel said. Although there was no telling what would happen until the situation arose, there was no denying that the eighth recruits consisted of more elites than the previous ones. And the prophet orb assigned a mission matching their prestige. ¡°Please look at the map,¡± Laguel said, and a part of the hologram flashed. It was a different place from the one they had just seen. * * * ¡°You can eat your meal here.¡± After getting food from the square, Chi-Woo handed a plate to the girl. ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t take the plate. Only when Chi-Woo placed the plate on the ground and backed away did she cautiously pull the plate toward herself. But the girl didn¡¯t touch it just yet. Chi-Woo sighed and started eating first. She finally took the plate and dug in after Chi-Woo had a couple of mouthfuls. Munch, munch, munch. She ate eagerly by bringing the plate to her mouth. ¡®Why does she eat like that?¡¯ Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t bothered by the fact that she was eating without utensils; that could be a matter of cultural differences. However, the girl kept glancing at Chi-Woo while she ate. In other words, she still had her guard up against him. It felt like he had brought an abused dog home, and he pitied her. After they finished their meal, she trailed behind him while maintaining a distance. While she didn¡¯t hide as she had done before, she hadn¡¯t gotten into the house properly until Chi-Woo left the door ajar and pretended to be asleep. Only then did she creep in and sat quietly in the corner. ¡°¡­¡± And when Chi-Woo was training or meditating, he would catch her taking naps or praying with her necklace tightly clasped between her hands. ¡ªShe always prays in that direction. Philip murmured quietly. Then he covered the sunlight with his hands and stuck his head outside. ¡ªWill something appear if you keep going that way? ¡®Mister Philip!¡¯ Chi-Woo called out as he sweated like rain doing push-ups with one hand. ¡ªI don¡¯t really want to hear a guy moaning my name, but what is it? ¡®Do you know Kabala? It seems to be a religion?¡¯ ¡ªI don¡¯t. It¡¯s my first time hearing about it. Philip crossed his arms. ¡ªA religion. Since I don¡¯t know about it, I suppose it¡¯s not connected to demons. Then, it could be a secret society or esotericism not yet revealed to the world. ¡®By esotericism, do you mean a cult?¡¯ ¡ªBe careful. Don¡¯t just label things a cult. [Couldn¡¯t it be a religion born after your death?] ¡ªAh, of course, mademoiselle. As expected, you are so smart! The three exchanged opinions and carefully studied the girl. ¡ªBut it sure is suspicious¡­ Hey, do you know? While murmuring to himself, Philip suddenly turned to Chi-Woo. ¡ªThat girl kept walking in circles around you last night. ¡®What?¡¯ Walking around him while he was asleep? Like she was doing a ritual? The thought of it brought chills across his body. ¡ªYup. She looked at you for a while. Then she quietly approached you and tried touching your face or smelling you. Philip glared at Chi-Woo in disgust and said. ¡ªPerverted bastard. ¡®?¡¯ ¡ªEven I don¡¯t touch kids. ¡®What the hell are you talking about? And why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡¯ ¡ªI thought it was weird too and tried to secretly wake you up, but¡­ Philip stole a glance at the girl who was praying. ¡ªShe saw me. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªShe seemed extremely surprised and immediately ran away. Then she covered her eyes with both hands and shivered in a crouched position. It was pretty cute. This meant the girl could see spirits. ¡®Perhaps.¡¯ Chi-Woo felt a strange sense of empathy. They were both people who could see spirits. Did she have to live a peculiar and tiring life like him? ¡®¡­No, it¡¯s too early to jump to conclusions.¡¯ Chi-Woo shook his head. He had too little information to be certain, but one thing that was clear was that the girl no longer tried to run away but instead hovered around him. There was definitely a reason for her actions¡ªa reason that the girl couldn¡¯t say out loud. Knock, knock. Chi-Woo heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. The girl flinched, and her eyes flashed open. Chi-Woo shouted while doing push-ups, ¡°Come in¡ª!¡± The door opened. ¡°Please excuse me¡ª?¡± A lady with ivory hair came in and flinched when she saw him. Her eyes and mouth slightly widened. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Chi-Woo wiped the sweat off his body with a cloth and realized his mistake. Now that he thought about it, he had taken off his shirt to train. * * * Chi-Woo asked for Noel Freya¡¯s understanding, and after excusing himself, he dressed himself properly and asked Noel Freya to come back inside. The girl hid herself, but he wasn¡¯t worried about her; she would probably creep out again after Noel Freya left. Meanwhile, Noel narrowed her eyes bemusedly. Even though she was famous for being a priest, a rare breed among heroes, she was even more famous as a devoted follower and an extreme fan of Choi Chi-Hyun. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t even faze when she saw other men naked, but¡­ ¡®He really has a certain charm.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s naked body was still vivid in her mind. Even though it was only for a brief moment, she had thought that he looked beautiful and wanted to see more. ¡®That¡¯s crazy! I¡¯m going crazy!¡¯ Noel beat herself up ruthlessly in her mind and felt a strong sense of guilt. She felt the urge to confess her sin and ask for forgiveness. Even though she didn¡¯t show any reaction outside, she was screaming internally. In reality, she was merely having an aesthetic appreciation for Chi-Woo¡¯s ability, Golden Ratio. With no knowledge of the ability he possessed, however, Noel Freya continued to feel a strange sense of nervousness around him. Clearing her throat with a couple of fake coughs, Noel Freya said, ¡°I¡¯m here because there is something I need to tell you.¡± She spoke in a very businesslike tone. ¡°Most people are away, but I thought it would be better to first inform those who should be in the loop before others.¡± Chi-Woo felt burdened by her words. Noel Freya was a hero who led and commanded heroes from the central base; thus, she wielded considerable influence in this place. He wasn¡¯t sure how he should react or feel that Noel Freya considered him as one of ¡®those who should be in the loop before others¡¯. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s worries disappeared as soon as he heard her next words. ¡°Sir Chi-Hyun came a while ago.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hyung came?¡± ¡°He left immediately after delivering a message, but¡­ What did you say?¡± Noel Freya stopped talking and narrowed one eye. ¡°Hyung?¡± ¡°Ah, no.¡± He made a mistake. Chi-Woo licked his lip and quickly said, ¡°Truthfully, I respect him so much that he feels like an older brother to look up to. I¡¯m sorry for the slip up¡­¡± He scratched his head and laughed sheepishly. Noel Freya looked at him with a sour expression and snorted like she was thinking, ¡®As expected, no wonder.¡¯ Then she said, ¡°I fully understand your admiration, but don¡¯t you think you went too far by calling him older brother? That crossed a line.¡± She slammed her hand on the desk and rebuked him. ¡°Even I, as a loyal follower, make sure to always call him Sir Chi-Hyun. He isn¡¯t someone who keeps people close.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s not the type of person who enjoys people praising him for being famous, either. If you think he¡¯s like heroes from the Ho Lactea, Afrilith, or Mariaju family, you can¡¯t be more wrong.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What did you say? Who?¡± Chi-Woo vaguely remembered hearing about Ho Lactea a couple of times, but what were the other ones? Noel Freya stared at him. ¡°You¡¯re asking me as if you don¡¯t know those families.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I don¡¯t really know any except for the Choi family¡­ It¡¯s my first time hearing about them.¡± ¡°¡­Pfff!¡± Noel Freya burst out laughing. She covered her mouth and snickered like she thought Chi-Woo was being cute. ¡°If you were making a joke to show your sincere respect towards Sir Chi-Hyun¡ªthat was great. It was a pretty good joke.¡± Chi-Woo blinked; Noel Freya¡¯s mood seemed to have brightened. Noel continued, ¡°But your words have merit. Whether it¡¯s the awfully noble Ho Lactea, the arrogant Afriliths, or the Eustitias who live for the sake of showing off¡ª¡± As she continued, though, Chi-Woo came to think that he might have misread her mood. ¡°Well, I heard that the Nahlas and Mariajus are better, but anyway, no matter how great and famous they are, they¡¯re merely small fries compared to the Choi family. They¡¯re not even competition. Hmph.¡± Chi-Woo smiled thinly as Noel Freya chatted away. It seemed that Chi-Hyun¡¯s name was her trigger. Every time he saw her, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she would react if he revealed that Chi-Hyun was his brother, that they were closely related by blood. Nevertheless, she hadn¡¯t said anything wrong despite her being a stalker fan of Chi-Hyun. The Choi family from Earth had always been veiled in mystery. However, Chi-Hyun was slightly different. He was not a person who tolerated injustice and did not hesitate to take on a challenge that other people might have ignored. In fact, all of the aforementioned families have been destroyed or humiliated in one way or another by Chi-Hyun. In particular, it still made Noel Freya laugh to think about how Chi-Hyun had immediately rejected a thinly veiled proposal for a political marriage from the Ho Lactea family, which had nothing to boast about but its noble pedigree. After excitedly criticizing the other families for a while, Noel Freya finally regained her senses. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve talked too much. I¡¯m not normally like this. Oh, dear.¡± Then, she finally got to the point, ¡°He left because there was something suspicious about the Demon Empire¡¯s movements¡­ He said there was something he needed to do when he came back here, though.¡± Something he needed to do when he returned to the capital? Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°The eight recruits.¡± Chi-Woo narrowed his eyes immediately. It made sense that there would be another wave of recruits since he himself had been part of the seventh recruits. In fact, it was about time for new recruits to come. The important part was that all the recruits so far had been selected by the prophecy. Some of the recruits had also been selected for a specific purpose. After a short pause, Noel Freya continued, ¡°But¡ª¡± CH 144 Clack. The door closed. After guiding Noel Freya out the door, Chi-Woo fell into deep thought. ¡®Prepare¡­I have to make preparations¡­¡¯ According to Noel, Chi-Hyun had an ability of ¡®astrology¡¯. But of course, the ability wasn¡¯t absolute, and his predictions always had room for change¡ªcase in point, a light had lit up the north again contrary to his expectations. But back to the situation at hand, Chi-Hyun had recently read signs of abnormalities in the sky. He didn¡¯t know exactly what the phenomenon was, but it was definite that something would happen soon, and they needed to make preparations for it in advance. Noel said Chi-Hyun must have immediately gone to check out the Demon Empire¡¯s movements for that reason too. However, since Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t be sure that was really the source of the abnormalities he read, he gave a separate warning to Noel. What other explanations could there be, though? Noel thought hard and came to the speculation that it might have something to do with the recruits. It was about time for the eighth recruits to come, and the Celestial Realm must have finished their selection process and transported the new team by now. The prophecy tended to use recruit teams as strategic tools under the name of ¡®missions¡¯, as clearly shown by how it sent the fifth recruit to the north and the sixth and seventh recruit teams respectively to the center and a location far-off from the previous recruits. It was likely going to be the same for eight recruits. But there were still circumstances that made one wonder. For example, although the fifth recruits had received the mission to become pioneers in the north, they were transported to the central region first, seemingly to give them time to adjust to Liber. Thus, it made one more curious why the eighth recruits were dropped straight into a dangerous region when there was a comparatively safe hub like the former Salem capital. [The prophecy must have judged that the eighth recruits have the power to make it viable.] Noel said in a confident voice. [It¡¯s just my guess, but I¡¯m sure at least two or three of the 12 families who light up the Celestial Realm have participated in the eighth selection process.] [You can¡¯t ignore the merits each family has accumulated over the generations.] [Using those merits, they may come to Liber through their own tunnels with special back-ups that would put them at an advantage. Just like Sir Choi Chi-Hyun.] Noel said she was certain of this, and Chi-Woo agreed. He had foiled one of the Demon Empire¡¯s schemes recently, and even if they had something else up their sleeves¡­ ¡®It¡¯s complicated.¡¯ Many possibilities popped into his mind. To put it bluntly, the human race here was in great danger of becoming extinct any time if one of the four major forces on Liber tried to invade them. In the end, the only thing they could do in preparation for a problem that could rear its head any moment was: train and train some more. Noel immediately acted. She gathered all the heroes in the capital and requested them to search for the eighth recruits in addition to their original task when they went outside; she also told them to spread the word by message or in person as soon as possible. Surprisingly, the heroes followed this command without reluctance. It was the result of Noel bringing up Chi-Hyun. ¡°Choi Chi-Hyun? If it¡¯s coming from him, we should follow what he says.¡± ¡°I have to grow more, but¡­finding the eighth recruits takes priority.¡± The heroes weren¡¯t idiots, and they knew how much burden Chi-Hyun was shouldering by himself for the human race. Besides, Chi-Hyun was out uncovering the Demon Empire¡¯s scheme on his own; going around looking for the eighth recruits seemed like nothing in comparison. Chi-Woo also ran in the mountains to look for the new recruits while training. And as the day went on, he received good news: Ru Hiana messaged him that Ru Amuh had returned. Chi-Woo was on his way back when he got the message. He quickly sent a reply, asking to meet up with them at the capital, before walking to Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana¡¯s house. The two¡¯s house was noisy today after being empty for a long time. It seemed Ru Amuh had gotten close to the members he went out with and invited them to his place. Chi-Woo momentarily wondered whether or not he should go in, but then the door opened, and out came Ru Hiana, who was kicking the ground while looking greatly irritated. She bumped into Chi-Woo while walking with her eyes on the ground. ¡°Ah¡­ Huh?¡± Ru Hiana raised her head, and her eyes opened wide. ¡°Senior!¡± ¡°Hello?¡± Chi-Woo smiled brightly. After a brief greeting, Chi-Woo asked cautiously, ¡°Did something bad happen?¡± He had noticed that Ru Hiana¡¯s lower lip was protruding far out as soon as she came out of the door. ¡°Noooo.¡± Ru Hiana drawled in a whiny voice and turned to look over her shoulder. Curious, Chi-Woo approached the door and peeked inside. ¡ªWhat! I¡¯m so jealous of him! Like Philip said, it was a pretty enviable sight. Ru Amuh appeared troubled while surrounded by a group of beautiful heroes. ¡ªHe truly is the living embodiment of what a hero should be. He makes me think of the old times. Philip raised both of his thumbs and shook his head enviously. ¡ªDamn it. That guy is in a flower field, but I am stuck with an idiot who only cares about training¡­ Ah! My fate! Philip plopped to the ground and lamented his fate. Chi-Woo rolled his eyes at Philip and looked back to Ru Hiana, who still had a sour look on her face. ¡°Hmm¡­are you jealous?¡± Chi-Woo asked jokingly, but Ru Hiana appeared disgusted. ¡°That''s not it, senior! But they keep saying nonsense.¡± ¡°Nonsense?¡± ¡°Even though you contributed most among the seventh recruits, they think Ru Amuh is the one who did all the work and keeps fawning all over him¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­But Ru Amuh was one of the top contributors among the seventh recruits.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! But¡ª¡± Ru Hiana trailed off, her eyes widening threateningly. It was still noisy inside, and one hero even wrapped her arms around Ru Amuh. Ru Hiana gritted her teeth. ¡°¡­No matter how much Ru Amuh denies it, they keep pestering him and asking him why he was being so humble¡ªah, I¡¯m going to stop. I don¡¯t care anymore. It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me, and he should take care of it by himself.¡± Ru Hiana turned away with a ¡®hmph¡¯ and appeared to be sulking. Fortunately, Chi-Woo had the perfect weapon to brighten Ru Hiana¡¯s mood¡ªa literal weapon. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s that, senior?¡± Ru Hiana showed interest in what Chi-Woo had when another voice called out. ¡°Teacher!¡± It was Ru Amuh. It seemed he had removed himself from the others¡¯ clutches and ran to Chi-Woo as soon as he saw Chi-Woo. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were here¡­¡± Ru Amuh said, and he looked relieved like he was saved by Chi-Woo¡¯s entrance. Chi-Woo smiled. ¡°It looked like you were having a good time.¡± ¡°N-No,¡± Ru Amuh said while looking back. The women who had been giggling around Ru Amuh were looking at Chi-Woo like they were wondering who he was. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher. I came back today.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. You returned at the perfect time.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Have you not heard the news, Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°If you are talking about the eighth recruits, I did hear something about that.¡± When Chi-Woo nodded, Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes brightened. He didn¡¯t know exactly why, but he felt like Chi-Woo had changed since they last saw each other. ¡°How have you been doing, teacher¡­?¡± Ru Amuh was about to ask out of curiosity but stopped mid-sentence when Chi-Woo raised his hand. He was holding a longsword. ¡°It¡¯s a present from me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Try unsheathing it. Go on.¡± Chi-Woo planned to converse later on. He decided to step back for now because the group of fawning women was staring at him with increasingly sharp gazes. However, their expressions changed when they saw the longsword Ru Amuh drew. Since they were all heroes, they knew immediately that even though it was not legendary or even rare in any regard, it was much better than a common iron sword. Ru Amuh slowly raised the longsword. It was light, and it felt as if he was holding a feather. ¡°It¡¯s imbued with magic to make it light.¡± The enchantment was done by none other than Shadia. When she visited Chi-Woo to return the research materials on magic she had borrowed, Chi-Woo asked her to enchant the sword, and she accepted his request. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I thought it would fit well with your swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± When Ru Amuh swung the sword around, he felt like he was swinging only his arms. ¡°It¡¯s very easy to fuse mana into it as well¡­¡± Ru Amuh stared at Chi-Woo with dazed eyes, and Ru Hiana looked envious. Since swords were also her weapon of choice, she would love to have a decent one as well. The screaming women inside also gulped. Their cold gazes turned surprised, and they began to wonder about Chi-Woo¡¯s identity. Even though it was a weapon they usually wouldn¡¯t have even stopped to look at, it was a difficult find on Liber. ¡°And¡­¡± Chi-Woo raised his other hand and turned to Ru Hiana. Ru Hiana, who had been holding onto the tinies hope in the back of her mind, gasped when she saw the well-polished rapier in front of her. ¡°S-senior¡­¡± ¡°Take it.¡± Ru Hiana drew the rapier, and her eyes became as big as saucers. Swish! The rapier made a sharp sound as it was pulled out of its scabbard. ¡°It¡¯s apparently made for slicing. Not very durable, but pretty great for its sharpness.¡± Ru Hiana gaped; she looked shocked that Chi-Woo had also prepared a weapon for her. A good weapon in a world like this was like a lifeline. Ru Hiana felt grateful that he had given her such a precious item. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± After seeing Chi-Woo generously give out magic weapons, as well as the way Ru Amuh treated him with deep respect and called him teacher, the women seemed to have changed their minds about Chi-Woo and approached him. It was then Ru Hiana shot Ru Amuh a look before turning back to Chi-Woo and screaming out loud. ¡°Kyah! I knew it! As expected of senior! You¡¯re the best! Kyah! Kyaaah!¡± She threw her arms around Chi-Woo¡¯s neck and made a loud commotion, screaming at the top of her lungs to make sure that everyone around could hear her. Chi-Woo snorted; he could guess what she was trying to do. ¨CFuck! For some reason, Philip swore again. * * * The vicinity of the capital had been quite stable recently. After the growth system was activated, many of the heroes had formed teams to earn merits and began moving outside. Thanks to their efforts, not a trace of monsters could be found near the city. Even the natives were able to safely go out and forage edible plants in the wild nearby. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that it was delicious,¡± said a middle-aged woman. ¡°Yes, it was so good that it made me want to live again,¡± the native woman she was talking to replied brightly. ¡°Yeah, at the end of the day, heroes are humans just like us. We all need to eat to live, right?¡± The middle-aged lady looked at the woman with a relieved expression. ¡°You made me so worried¡­ Do you know how surprised I was when you came out of nowhere and asked for a chunk of meat? Even more so when you brought out a bunch of precious metals.¡± The woman¡¯s face slightly reddened. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Sir Hero.¡± She was the native woman who recently received a considerable amount of precious metals from Chi-Woo. Thanks to his gifts, her life had become significantly better. She still had a lot of precious metal left even after giving it out according to his wishes. As a result, she was able to go to the middle-aged woman doing prep work for her restaurant and buy meat with her head held high. ¡°I thought that Choi Chi-Hyun was the only true hero, but I guess that¡¯s not the case after hearing from the others.¡± ¡°Yes, I think so too. Those who were in the forest spoke well of Sir Hero as well.¡± Originally, Sir Hero was a title exclusively used to address Chi-Hyun, but now, they were addressing Chi-Woo in the same way. Even though it was only among the natives, it could be considered a significant change, especially if Noel Freya overheard them. ¡°Do you know which god Sir Hero serves?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°Why would you have to ask? Our living standard has gotten a tiny bit better, so I was planning to make at least a small offering and pray to his god. Isn¡¯t that the most we can do?¡± Gods usually fed on and lived through prayer, and their influence grew bigger depending on the number of followers they had. It went without saying that as the god¡¯s influence increased, the heroes that served them received greater benefits. ¡°Oh, I found a good one. It seems like my luck is better when I come out here with you.¡± The middle-aged lady found mushrooms under a tree mid-conversation and approached it while humming along. However, when she was about to crouch down and dig it up¡ª Push! A shadow suddenly jumped out of the bushes. ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± The middle-aged lady fell backward in shock. The woman¡¯s heart also plummeted, and they held onto each other while trembling. However, their reaction changed when they heard a hoarse voice. ¡°Hu¡­man?¡± It was a man. They had thought the person was a monster, but now that they got a better look, it was a man who had been severely injured. He was missing an arm, and his remaining hand was pressing into his torn abdomen. ¡°Ah¡­finally¡­hu¡­¡± But most of all, he knew how to speak. The person looked relieved to finally find other humans. However, after the tension was released, he stumbled and fell to the ground, splattering blood all around him. The middle-aged lady froze while watching him twitch on the ground, but she quickly regained her senses and shouted, ¡°Hey! Wake up!¡± Then the woman quickly left the middle-aged lady behind and ran to the capital where the heroes were. CH 145 Chi-Woo was searching for the eighth recruits while running outside again when he got a message that prompted him to quickly return to the capital. After getting his bag from his house, he ran to the palace. There, he rushed through the corridors until he saw a familiar room. Clack. The door opened. A couple of people came out with a stretcher. It was covered with a white cloth blotted with blood everywhere. Chi-Woo stopped walking and watched as the stretcher passed by him. A thought came to his mind, but he decided to head to the room for now. When he opened the door, hot air rushed out, and a fishy smell assaulted his nose. Each of the familiar faces appeared downcast. ¡°¡­You are here,¡± Zelit said weakly after seeing Chi-Woo. ¡°The injured hero is¡­¡± ¡°He just passed away.¡± Chi-Woo clenched the water bottle in his hands tightly. If only he had come earlier or been at the capital¡ªsuch thoughts haunted him. A heavy silence followed. ¡°We didn¡¯t gain any information, and there were no records left in his device,¡± Noel said while sighing and plopping down on the nearest seat. ¡°I¡¯m sure that was how dire their situation was,¡± Zelit quietly retorted. ¡°Even the second, third, and fourth recruits didn¡¯t recognize this person,¡± Noel said calmly and looked around her. ¡°It¡¯s the same for the sixth recruits, and although I am not part of the fifth recruits, I¡¯m sure this person is not part of that group, either.¡± ¡°Neither have the seventh recruits seen him,¡± Allen Leonard added. This meant only one thing. Noel spoke, ¡°¡­Then, this person must be from the eighth recruits. He must be a recruit since the device responded to him.¡± The device was an exclusive property of the Celestial Realm, and the fact it responded meant this person was one of the recruits. The event they had feared occurred. Noel licked her lips. ¡°This is perplexing. The natives sighted him from only a few days¡¯ travel from the capital¡­ We have been exploring a wider range than that,¡± Noel said. ¡°I agree. The fact that this hero came here without being seen by us means¡­¡± Allen tilted his head sideways like he was having a headache. Eshnunna spread out a large map on the table. ¡°Could you tell us where this hero was found?¡± ¡°About here.¡± Noel pointed at one spot. Eshnunna¡¯s eyes gradually dragged across the map from there. They couldn¡¯t decipher the exact location the eighth recruits were transmitted to, but they could start from the location the hero was found and move away from the capital to determine the route he had taken¡­ Little by little, Eshnunna¡¯s gaze shifted, and her eyes narrowed. All surviving members of the seventh recruits and before were now at the former Salem¡¯s capital. Each side of the capital bordered the territory of the Abyss and the Demon Empire. However, it seemed the eighth recruits were in neither of these places. They were closer to the Demon Empire, but a little below its land. ¡°It¡¯s between the Demon Empire and the Alliance of Native Monsters.¡± Haa¡ªNoel let out a long sigh. Chi-Woo was also disappointed. If the eight recruits were near the Abyss, he could¡¯ve at least tried to get them through Evelyn. ¡°If they were making their way here from that location¡­I think they might have been attacked.¡± Noel looked up from the map. It was no easy feat to track someone based on the trails they left if one wasn¡¯t apt at sensing presences. The only exceptional cases were those who had species-related specialties like Nangnang, those whose class was an archer or an assassin, or those who had recovered a bit of their power as heroes. Furthermore, the direction where they now supposed the eighth recruits had landed wasn¡¯t an area where the recruits had tread into until now; in other words, it was completely unexplored territory. Since they didn¡¯t know what kind of dangers could be lurking there, heroes had been reluctant to search the area. It seemed like a pointless risk to take for no reason and would put them in grave danger. ¡°There¡¯s one thing that¡¯s definite though,¡± Noel continued. ¡°This eighth recruit had dragged their dying body all the way here¡ª¡± ¡°He must have escaped or come here to request help,¡± Zelit finished the sentence for her. ¡°¡­It could be both,¡± Noel added. ¡°Is that a real possibility? How would they even know that we¡¯re here?¡± ¡°They must have seen a hologram map. Laguel showed us the map before we were transmitted as well.¡± ¡°Ahh,¡± Ru Hiana said with her mouth open. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to dilly dally here,¡± Noel raised her voice and said to alleviate the heavy atmosphere. ¡°Since we have confirmed the eight recruits¡¯ arrival, there are things we must do.¡± They needed to check the eighth recruits¡¯ mission and help them complete it. They also needed to bring the recruits safely to this place. ¡°We don¡¯t know the prophecy¡¯s intention yet¡­but it¡¯s clear they have been brought there for a reason,¡± Noel said. And if they successfully wrapped this situation up, they would be able to gain many benefits like the seventh recruits. For now, there was one thing that was on their immediate to-do list. ¡°Following what Sir Choi Chi-Hyun told us,¡± Noel said while straining her voice, ¡°I suggest we send a rescue team to help the eighth recruits.¡± When she saw the eight recruits, the first thing Noel Freya did was to gather all the recruits who had gone outside, as well as those who had gone to the fortress to use the yongmaek. Nevertheless, the capital was still quiet. They had all felt from the atmosphere that soon a great challenge would befall them, and they would need to overcome it. Thus, Noel had called a couple of people separately, including Chi-Woo, to discuss how large the rescue team that was going to be dispatched should be. There were now about 2,000 to 3,000 recruits. They obviously couldn¡¯t take everyone. They didn¡¯t have the resources to do so, and success wasn¡¯t a guarantee. They needed to prepare themselves for failure, making sure there would be enough forces left in the main base should the entire rescue team end up dead. Considering this, Noel said, ¡°There will be many people who would volunteer themselves.¡± It was a dangerous mission, but their current situation was different from before. They now had an active growth system, and everyone was eager to gain merits. Many heroes would want to seize this opportunity. Additionally, they would be moving together, and everyone was used to risking their lives. ¡°If we gather a group of heroes who are at least bronze level¡­¡± Zelit stated. ¡°Then there will be too few people,¡± Noel disagreed. ¡°Even if we take everyone above iron level, it would be less than 10 percent of the recruits.¡± ¡°Is that why you also called back the people who had gone to the fortress?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if they hadn¡¯t chosen a denomination, they would be a good support if they can use their energy.¡± They narrowed down the criteria for selecting members for the rescue team somewhat. Now, the question was who would lead the team. Noel couldn¡¯t do so because she didn¡¯t even meet the criteria for joining the team; and if possible, they would like to choose one person from this group to do the job. This was extremely crucial. Every member of the rescue team would be a hero with exceptionally high pride in themselves. The leader of such an elite group must have the appropriate ability and reputation. ¡®If Sir Chi-Hyun were here, there would have been nothing to worry about, but¡­¡¯ Noel Freya scanned the three people in front of her one after another. The second, third, and fourth recruits were in a different situation compared to the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits. The former was united under Chi-Hyun, while the latter¡­was a curious case. One hero did stand out from the group¡ª¡®Chichibbong.¡¯ Noel Freya almost burst out laughing, but she managed to suppress it because people would think she was crazy if she suddenly laughed in such a serious atmosphere. In any case, Noel Freya recalled how the fifth recruits had reacted when she sought them out separately a few days ago. Originally, they had been sent to the central base from the Celestial Realm and thus should have seen Chi-Hyun as their leader. However, their stance changed after joining the later recruits. One of the seventh recruits had apparently captured their heart¡ªand that hero was the young man sitting idly in front of her. Despite the fact that the fifth recruits had the fewest survivors, it was certainly noteworthy that Chi-Woo was able to push back the legendary Chi-Hyun by at least a little bit and earn the fifth recruits¡¯ trust and loyalty. Since the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits followed Chi-Woo, and the second, third, and fourth recruits wouldn¡¯t complain as long as she stepped forward, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem if Chi-Woo was tasked to lead the rescue team. But¡­ ¡®What¡¯s with him?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked away from Noel Freya, avoiding her gaze. Noel didn¡¯t know why, but he seemed reluctant to be the leader. ¡®Since he¡¯s a hero, fear must not be the reason¡­ Is he simply wary? Or does he feel too pressured?¡¯ It was hard to wrap her mind around the possibility; no matter what she believed in, he had fought a god one-on-one before. And she heard from someone else that he had also beat up a high-ranking devil and restored a World lost hundreds of years ago recently. There must be a different reason why he was reluctant to lead the rescue team despite the role having the highest potential to gain merits. ¡®I should look more into this.¡¯ A sharp glint appeared in Noel Freya¡¯s eyes, and she said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to decide who¡¯s going to lead the rescue team.¡± As expected, everyone¡¯s gazes moved toward one person. Chi-Woo blinked furiously and immediately replied with a smile, ¡°Well, what about Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°What? Sir¡­you mean, me?¡± Everyone, including Ru Amuh, widened their eyes. ¡°Since Mr. Ru Amuh led the attack at the capital, I think we can trust him to do this job as well.¡± A short silence followed. When Chi-Woo began to sweat, Allen Leonard nodded and spoke with a slight tone of disapproval, ¡°¡­Well, if that¡¯s your opinion...¡± And like this, among the three people that Noel Freya had in mind, two expressed their intentions to give up, leaving only one candidate. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be all right.¡± Noel Freya didn¡¯t like the outcome very much, but she didn¡¯t openly oppose Chi-Woo¡¯s suggestion, either. Ru Amuh was also not a bad choice. She had heard of his fame in the Celestial Realm, and he was the only one who had risen to silver rank among all the recruits. There was enough justification for him to be the leader. Just like that, the leader of the rescue team was chosen. However, Ru Amuh was still looking at Chi-Woo like he couldn¡¯t understand why Chi-Woo had chosen him to be the leader instead of himself. * * * After the meeting was over, Ru Amuh went to the temple. ¨CMy child. You¡¯re getting tested again. Ru Amuh listened carefully to Shahnaz¡¯s words with his head down. ¨CWhen you finish this work and return¡­you¡¯ll probably be qualified to get promoted to gold. Ru Amuh took a deep breath. When conversing with a god, every word uttered was of the utmost importance; since they couldn¡¯t reveal heaven¡¯s secrets, a god had to speak in riddles rather than plainly revealing information. As an example, Shahnaz was telling him in a roundabout way that the task he¡¯d taken on this time wouldn¡¯t be easy. ¨CHowever, you may reach gold rank as a result. Ru Amuh was slightly surprised. To raise one¡¯s rank from silver to gold, one needed to pass three promotion tests. If he successfully finished this task and returned, he had thought he would at most pass one promotion test, since he had already used up all the merits he had collected so far to reach the silver rank. However, Shahnaz suggested a way for him to pass the remaining two tests at once to raise his rank. ¡®Goddess, what should I do?¡¯ ¨CBe acknowledged. Shahnaz spoke clearly and continued. ¨CStay by his side, assist him, and show your skills beyond his expectations. Ru Amuh flinched. ¨CYou must know better who I¡¯m talking about. True to her words, one person immediately came to his mind. He was already feeling conflicted about the conclusion of the meeting. ¨CDon¡¯t forget, my child. Shahnaz¡¯s voice echoed in Ru Amuh¡¯s mind. ¨CThat apart from this matter, you¡¯ve been given another test¡­ * * * At the same time, Chi-Woo was celebrating the fact that he didn¡¯t have to serve as the head of the rescue team. ¡®Phew, what a relief.¡¯ The only leadership experience he had was when he was a squad leader in the military. It was simply absurd for him to take command when a mistake could cost everyone¡¯s lives. ¨CHey, where are you going? Philip showed interest when he saw Chi-Woo packing his bag. ¡®You haven¡¯t heard yet?¡¯ ¨CYeah, I was getting some sleep. ¡®Why do you even need to sleep? You¡¯re a spirit.¡¯ ¨CHey, don¡¯t look down on me. Do I look like just any ordinary spirit? I¡¯m a guardian spirit. It¡¯ll sadden me greatly if you lump me together with those normies. ¡®Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯m going out to rescue people.¡¯ ¨CRescue? Who? ¡®The eight recruits.¡¯ ¨CWhere are you going? ¡®I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re following their traces for now.¡¯ Chi-Woo pointed to one place with his index finger, indicating that he felt it was too bothersome to say more. ¨CHmm. Philip nodded; it was Chi-Woo¡¯s decision to make. ¨CBut what about her? Are you just going to leave her¡­? Philip paused when he saw the short-haired girl quietly praying in the corner of the room. Then, after a while, he spoke again. ¨C¡­Hey, where did you say you were going? ¡®South.¡¯ Philip became quiet. The direction the girl prayed towards every day without fail coincided with the direction that Chi-Woo was heading towards. Of course, Chi-Woo might end up going in a different direction, and sometimes a coincidence was nothing more than a coincidence. ¨C¡­But. Blink, blink. Philip looked at the glowing necklace drooping from the girl¡¯s hand and spoke softly. ¨CI think you need to prepare yourself really well. CH 146 After returning home, Ru Amuh fell into deep thought. What Shahnaz told him lingered in his head, and he kept thinking over what had just happened when the door kicked open, and Ru Hiana barged in. ¡°Ru Amuh! Wow! Listen to me! I just met a cat! And he wasn¡¯t a cat but a hero!¡± Ru Amuh smiled weakly and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t try to touch him, saying he was cute or anything, right? That will be a very rude thing to do, you know.¡± ¡°Even I wouldn¡¯t go that far. I asked for permission first.¡± Ru Hiana giggled. ¡°I also talked to him a bit, and it seems the cat is also going to be part of the rescue team too. He said proudly that he would be able to reach the silver rank when he comes back. It was so cute!¡± ¡°Silver rank?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes turned wide. Among the people in the capital, only Ru Amuh had managed to reach silver. If the cat could reach silver after this event, the cat must be at bronze rank now, and at least level 1 or 2 at that. Only then would he even think about qualifying for the promotion test. ¡°Already? That¡¯s quite fast. How¡­? I¡¯m sure there wasn¡¯t a cat hero among the fifth, sixth, and seventh recruits,¡± Ru Amuh said. Hearing this, Ru Hiana smirked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that building?¡± ¡°What building?¡± ¡°You know, the one that suddenly appeared next to the palace!¡± ¡°Next to the palace?¡± Ru Amuh looked like he had no idea what Ru Hiana was talking about. From what he knew, there was nothing besides the palace. ¡°Hm. Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know. Okay, listen to me. What happened was¡­¡± Ru Hiana proceeded to tell the story of what had happened, which surprised Ru Amuh. It was on a whole other level than what he had experienced in the past weeks¡ªa barrier from centuries ago, a place belonging to another world, a great demon hiding inside, and many more incredible aspects¡ªand in the end, the group had succeeded in returning everything back to how it had been before. ¡°And do you know who their leader was? It was¡ª¡± ¡®Teacher,¡¯ Ru Amuh gulped. He recalled how Chi-Woo had come to see him before he left the capital. It was clear Chi-Woo wanted to say something to him, but after Ru Amuh told him he had already scheduled plans, Chi-Woo returned home quietly. ¡®Did he perhaps¡­¡¯ Ru Amuh thought. ¡°It seems he got the swords he gave us from that Academy. How is it? Isn¡¯t it truly amazing?¡± Ru Hiana asked. Ru Amuh nodded blankly. ¡®He¡¯s in a different league, completely different,¡¯ Ru Amuh thought. Ru Amuh thought he had been working hard, and he had left the capital for quite a long period this time. He also made progress there and helped all the members he took with him to reach the bronze rank. But¡­he still had a long way to go; this was evident in the difference in ranks between the heroes in his team and Chi-Woo¡¯s team. Even besides that, whenever he had achieved something, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve done three or four things at once. Even though Ru Amuh thought he had worked hard by Chi-Woo¡¯s side, it seemed Chi-Woo was always standing so far ahead that he couldn¡¯t see him. [I don¡¯t want a sword that just listens to me well.] [Or one that swings the way I want every time.] This was what Chi-Woo had told him that night. Ru Amuh¡¯s face darkened slightly. Now he understood the ¡®other test¡¯ that Shahnaz had told him about a bit. [I need a sword that can move by itself and resist a swing when necessary. It needs to forcefully block my arm if the time calls for it. I need a sword like that.] In other words, Chi-Woo wanted a fellow companion who could walk alongside him. However, Ru Amuh was lagging behind and failing to even chase after him. ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Ru Hiana asked. It couldn¡¯t be like this. He couldn¡¯t let things be, or else he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the promise he made that day. Thus, this mission was his opportunity to truly show his teacher that it was him, Ru Amuh, who deserved to walk alongside him. ¡°Ru Amuh? Why are you like that? Your face¡­¡± Ru Hiana asked again, but Ru Amuh didn¡¯t listen to her. He held onto the long sword Chi-Woo had gifted him tightly. * * * ¡°Food and water?¡± ¡°Yes, as much as we can take if possible.¡± While preparing to go, Chi-Woo visited Noel and Eshnunna in turns. The capital wasn¡¯t in great danger of running out of food¡ªcompared to before, that was. The natives from the central region knew what they each had to do. And thanks to Allen Leonard¡¯s help, they were able to maintain a considerably large agricultural field. The farmland was managed as a public property, and its produce as well as the food supplies they originally had were all managed and distributed by Noel Freya and the palace. ¡°Hm¡­If you need it, it¡¯s only right for us to give it to you,¡± Eshnunna trailed off and turned to Noel. If she could, she wanted to give away all the supplies Chi-Woo needed, but she also had to get permission from the others, particularly Noel. Noel held great influence over the region with her ties to Chi-Hyun, and Eshnunna had no complaints about the authority Noel held. Noel respected people¡¯s basic freedom and processed all matters in a reasonable and fair manner; no one could find faults in the way she did things. But in situations like this, Eshnunna was left in a difficult position. ¡°Since drinking water is supplied regularly from the fortress, it doesn¡¯t matter¡­but didn¡¯t we already agree on the amount of food that would be given to each individual already?¡± As expected, Noel didn¡¯t easily concede. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°That¡¯s true, but I think it won¡¯t be enough.¡± ¡°I am aware that it might be lacking.¡± ¡°The eighth recruits¡¯ situation might not be good.¡± ¡°We had already taken that point into consideration when deciding the amount to distribute.¡± Noel didn¡¯t back down. It wasn¡¯t like Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand. It would have been a different matter if the supplies at the capital were abundant, but they were barely getting by in the current situation. ¡°¡­You said Sir Chi-Hyun told you to follow this rule, right?¡± Chi-Woo cleared his throat. He didn¡¯t want to mention his brother if possible, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°He said, ¡®before one tries to do anything¡ª¡± ¡°They must make sure to have the basic necessities: food, clothing, and shelter,¡± Noel finished his sentence. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what he said. We¡¯re not taking more than what we need. We just want a little extra for the worst-case scenario,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°For instance?¡± ¡°We might be in a situation where we find them but can¡¯t bring them back immediately.¡± Noel closed her mouth. She knew what kind of situation the seventh recruits had to preserve through. They had to literally start from ¡®0¡¯ to come here; it was a truly miraculous feat, and miracles didn¡¯t tend to happen twice. ¡°Seeing the injury the hero had, the situation doesn¡¯t look too good. It seems dire, actually. I¡¯m sure it will take us quite some time once we get there.¡± Noel understood what Chi-Woo was saying. Chi-Woo was talking about the worst-case scenario, and here on Liber, it had a high possibility of happening. ¡°We¡¯ll bring back what we haven¡¯t consumed to the best of our ability. Although I can¡¯t guarantee that¡­¡± At this point, there was nothing more Noel Freya could say. In all honesty, there was room to give Chi-Woo more supplies, but the amount of resources at the capital would get really tight. Noel said with a deep sigh, ¡°¡­I understand. If you¡¯re planning to take them with the intention to leave some behind, I¡¯ll try my best to get supplies for you.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression brightened. There was a saying that failure was the mother of success. The memory of almost dying of starvation after leaving the forest was still horrifying to him. Since he didn¡¯t know what would happen in the future, he needed to make preparations beforehand. There was nothing more stupid than repeating one¡¯s mistake. ¡°But have you gone over this with the leader of the rescue team?¡± Chi-Woo paused at the unexpected question. He hadn¡¯t talked about this with Ru Amuh first. After being told by Philip to make thorough preparations, he had come straight to Noel to see if she would allow him to bring more supplies. ¡°If Mr. Chichibbong had taken the leadership position, our conversation just now could have gone more smoothly and easily.¡± Fortunately, it seemed she could be flexible in her work, as she didn¡¯t take back her words. ¡°Mr. Chichibbong, why did you refuse to be the leader? Everyone seemed to think it should be your role.¡± Noel seemed very curious about his reason for refusing. ¡°I think acting as an individual and leading a whole group are completely different and require different experiences and skills,¡± Chi-Woo replied eloquently. ¡°Well¡­¡± Noel lifted her shoulders as if she wasn¡¯t satisfied with his reply, but instead of voicing that, she asked, ¡°By the way, how are you going to carry the additional supplies you requested? Even if you divide them¡ª¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t have to divide them.¡± Chi-Woo smiled and pointed at his left shoulder. ¡°I can just leave it to this guy.¡± Noel Freya blinked. A blob that looked like a water balloon was opening its mouth wide and moving its chin up and down. ¡®Food¡ªFood.¡¯ * * * No one knew what the situation was like among the eighth recruits. Perhaps they were dying one after another even now. Since it was an extremely urgent matter, the rescue team was quickly formed and mobilized. The total number of people selected to be part of the rescue team was 252. There were more people who wanted to participate, but only those who would be the most helpful ended up selected. Originally, they had wanted to recruit more people, but it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to simply bring as many people as possible. The heroes still needed to meet the minimum requirements to provide sufficient support. Moreover, they must consider the amount of supplies and resources they could provide the heroes. They had already set aside a significant amount for the rescue team, and at Chi-Woo¡¯s request, the amount was further increased. However, the additional supplies Chi-Woo took were for emergencies, and they needed to limit the number of people they took based on the amount of supplies they were originally going to bring with them; they wouldn¡¯t want to run out of supplies only a few days after they left. The day of their departure arrived. Chi-Woo, who thought that he had made all the preparations he could possibly make, encountered an unexpected problem when he left his house. Heroes were not the only ones who were going to participate in the rescue. One of the natives would be with them, and that person was Shahnaz Hawa. Even though they were going to look for the eighth recruits by following their traces, they needed a guide who knew the geography well and could guide them wherever they went. Hawa thus joined the team, making her case that as a former member of a nomadic tribe and someone who had participated in big expeditions like those at the Evelaya Volcano and the Academy, she would be extremely helpful as a guide. Chi-Woo understood why Hawa was selected, but¡­ ¡°No¡­I told you, you can¡¯t.¡± He hadn¡¯t imagined that the mysterious, white-haired girl would want to follow him. ¡°Miss, I told you. This can be extremely dangerous. It¡¯ll be better for you to stay here!¡± Even when Chi-Woo tried to leave her behind, she followed him closely, and when he tried to push her back into the door, she whined in protest. It was a fruitless struggle. Even though she usually never even tried to come near him, she was basically clutching onto him today. She even hurriedly took off her necklace and forcibly pushed it into Chi-Woo¡¯s hand. The blinking necklace let out a blurry light. Then the girl stared at him with a fervent expression, like she was telling him to look at the light. ¡°What is this¡­ What the heck¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh. He was troubled as he looked at the girl tightly clutching his hand. ¡ªWhy don¡¯t you just bring her? Philip, who had been quietly watching the scene unfold, gave his two cents. ¡®Ah, what do you want again, Mr. Philip?¡¯ ¡ªIt¡¯s not that I want something. Philip put one hand on his chin and said calmly. ¡ªHey, do you know? ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªThat the direction that the rescue team is heading towards, and the direction that the girl prays to every day without fail is the same. ¡®¡­Is that so?¡¯ Chi-Woo frowned, but he soon shook his head. ¡®It could be a coincidence.¡¯ ¡ªYeah, it could be a coincidence, but why did this girl try to run away before? There was something strange about this. The girl had gotten caught while trying to run away, and yet from a certain point, her behavior changed, and she stopped making an attempt to flee. There must be a reason behind the change What was troubling was the change seemed to have happened after she met him. ¡ªDidn¡¯t I mention it before? To get to know yourself well. ¡®Why are you suddenly mentioning that now¡­ Weren¡¯t you talking about training?¡¯ ¡ªI was talking about your ability. ¡®What about my ability? I already know everything, and what does that have to do with this situation?¡¯ ¡ªAh, is that so? Philip snorted. ¡ªThen, try explaining it to me. ¡®?¡¯ ¡ªYour innate ability is number 1. Chi-Woo faltered. His first innate ability was plastered with question marks. [????] ??Mana Originally, the whole name of the ability was concealed with question marks, but after making a contract with La Bella, the last word was revealed. ¡ªYou can¡¯t, right? There¡¯s no way you can explain it to me. ¡®I¡­it can¡¯t be helped. Even when I check the details, it¡¯s all redacted.¡¯ ¡ªYep. But by observing the way your ability develops, I can guess how it fundamentally works. Philip, who had been lying down like a lazy bum, straightened his posture. ¡ªYou¡¯re already ready, and you¡¯re in the process of completion. And that whole process is at least arranged under the influence of transcendental beings. From that point of view, if you think of your ability as an extension of that process¡­ Oh, what? The flowing stream of words stopped, and Philip suddenly let out a shrill cry, his eyes widened. ¡ªNo, hold on. Liber is¡­ [Stop. That¡¯s enough.] At the same time, Mimi intervened. [It¡¯s getting late. Everyone must be waiting for you.] ¡®It has taken me quite long,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. ¡®Everyone must be at the gates by now.¡¯ [Since she wants to go so desperately, why don¡¯t you bring her with you? Ru Amuh would take your situation into consideration and allow her to go with you.] ¡®Sigh¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo scratched his head. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve definitely made it clear that it¡¯ll be dangerous.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t want to, Chi-Woo turned around with a look of resignation. The white-haired girl¡¯s expression brightened. She tightly clutched her necklace and quickly followed Chi-Woo as he hurried his footsteps. Philip stared at Chi-Woo¡¯s back as he quickly moved further and further away. ¡ª¡­ But it seemed he was glaring not at Chi-Woo, but someone else. CH 147 Like Mimi told him, the rescue team was already gathered outside of the castle walls. There were 252 people in total, which was the size of most large companies. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ru Amuh. I have been tasked to rescue and assist the eighth recruits like you all. Pleased to meet you.¡± Ru Amuh ended his self-introduction simply. The response he got was lukewarm, but at least it was on the positive side. After all, Ru Amuh was at least a well-known figure. He had solved a star cluster crisis and made a name for himself in the Celestial Realm before. He was also an active member of the seventh recruits who had made a huge breakthrough on Liber. Thus, the general mood of the team seemed to be in favor of him. ¡°Then, from now on¡­¡± Before he left, Ru Amuh reorganized the team. He first divided people according to their class and formed squads of roughly ten people each. Then the 25 squads were put into three platoons. The first platoon would be at the forefront, while the second would be at the center, and lastly, the third platoon would be at the rear end. Ru Amuh was going to be in charge of the central platoon himself, and he picked the commanders for the first and third platoons; both were people Chi-Woo already knew. ¡°Fufu. Our rescue team leader has a keen eye. You won¡¯t be disappointed!¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve liked to stand at the forefront if possible¡­but I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Nangnang jumped up and down in excitement, while Allen Leonard appeared disappointed. Chi-Woo then moved to where he was assigned, which was the central platoon. He was tasked to lead the first squad. ¡®It makes me think of the old times.¡¯ To think he would also be a squad leader here too. Chi-Woo smiled wryly. ¡ªIt¡¯s nice that he divided the team neatly ¡­ Philip was discontent. They weren¡¯t going out of town or going on an adventure and might clash against a large-scale enemy army. Thus, Philip agreed that they needed a strict order of command in preparation for war. However, this group had a clear weakness: a lack of subordination and loyalty to their superiors that made a hierarchical system. The understanding and mentality that should be guaranteed for a military group were very lacking and almost non-existent. ¡ªWell, I¡¯m sure they will do well since they¡¯re all used to fighting, but¡­ Philip murmured. The phrase ¡®too many cooks in the kitchen¡¯ was an apt description for this situation. ¡ªThis order won¡¯t mean much. Haa¡ª Philip brought forth his hand to his mouth, and Chi-Woo glanced at him. ¡®What¡¯s the problem now?¡¯ Chi-Woo asked. ¡ªNo, no. I was just curious. Philip licked his mouth. Then, while watching Ru Amuh talking to Nangnang and Allen Leonard, he continued. ¡ªOne¡¯s personal skills have nothing to do with their ability to deal with other people, but it¡¯s not really something you need to concern yourself with. The leader of this rescue team had already been decided, and this is a matter for that guy to figure out by himself. Philip glanced down at Chi-Woo. ¡ªYou will know what I mean by this later on~ Chi-Woo was about to ask more questions when he heard a voice coming from the front, telling them to start moving. Chi-Woo turned to face forward and followed Ru Amuh. The marching began. A couple of days passed. Ru Amuh urged the team to move faster and marched during the day, and sometimes even the night. They could do so because they hadn¡¯t encountered any enemy. The effect of the growth system was definite, and it appeared there was no enemy left within the range of a few days¡¯ travel from the capital. And like that, as they walked day by day, their surroundings began to gradually change. The former Salem capital was located on an open plain, while they were now marching through the tall grass that reached their palms. The grasses continued to increase in size, and by the time night fell, they found themselves among thick bushes. With the dim light of the night, the forest looked black rather than green. Ru Amuh ordered the team to stop and prepare to camp. It was the eighth day since they left camp. They were already in unknown territory. Although they had been going as fast as possible for the sake of the eighth recruits, they needed to be warier from now on. Chi-Woo had been gloomy ever since they entered the forest. It reminded him of the one he had stayed in for a while after arriving at Liber. He didn¡¯t feel evil energy like he did at the time, but a different kind of unpleasant silence circled around the forest. It seemed Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t the only one who felt this, and the conversation between the heroes was cut short. Each and every one of their faces looked stiff except for one person: the mysterious girl Chi-Woo brought. For some reason, she appeared excited. From time to time, she would stare at one side desperately and make sounds like, ¡°Mm, mm?¡± She tugged at the hems of his clothes with sparkling eyes, like she was asking why he wasn¡¯t going further. ¡°No,¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and said, ¡°We are going to turn in for the day before going further.¡± The girl looked disappointed as she pulled her hand back. She seemed pretty good-natured, and she went to sleep without complaints. The next day, after the rescue team organized their camping site at sunrise, they began their marching again. They took a short break when the sun was high in the sky before resuming their march. Then in less than ten minutes, the group came to a halt again at Nangnang¡¯s instruction. ¡°There are traces of multiple people,¡± he said. The rescue team was currently following the traces of the eighth recruit who had reached the vicinity of the capital. They had been seeing only traces left by one person, but where Nangnang was pointing at, there were significantly more traces. ¡°One, two, three, four¡­at the very least, there were ten of them.¡± Nangnang very carefully walked around the spot. ¡°Judging from the footsteps, they seemed to be in a great rush. It seemed they were running away from something.¡± After a pause, Nangnang continued, ¡°Then they stopped walking¡­ Did they give up on escaping and stand their ground here? No, it¡¯s faint, but there¡¯s still the smell of blood. Yes, one of them fell here. It seemed like they were shot or something.¡± Nangnang murmured to himself for a while until he raised his head and spoke aloud again, ¡°The traces in this area can be divided into two groups: the group getting chased and the group chasing after them.¡± ¡°The group chasing after them?¡± ¡°Yes. There are traces that suggest they had returned to where they came from after finishing their work.¡± ¡°Are they perhaps the mutants?¡± ¡°No, they must be something completely different. There¡¯s an order to the traces they left. They appear to be a well-trained troop¡ªor more precisely, an experienced team of assassins.¡± Nangnang frowned. ¡°On the other hand, most of the traces left by the ones getting chased end here. It seems they had tried to resist somehow but were all slaughtered¡­except for one person.¡± Nangnang turned to the path they had come from. He walked around the surroundings and carefully surveyed the traces. ¡°Besides one of them, the other members stopped here and turned around¡ªas if they were trying to block those chasing after them.¡± That ruled out them being a group of deserters at least, or else the other members wouldn¡¯t have risked their lives to help one of them escape, and they must have had a reason for acting this way. Nangnang looked up again and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t they make their final stand together, but instead let one of them escape?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why¡­?¡± After listening quietly, Ru Amuh realized what Nangnang was saying. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he had an inkling. ¡°What¡¯s the possibility that the eighth recruits were transmitted near here?¡± ¡°Not sure. If only ten people participated, it could be the case.¡± ¡°¡­We need to gather more information,¡± Ru Amuh said and immediately gave out orders. The three platoons which had been going in a straight line changed into a horizontal formation, letting those skilled in track-finding come to the forefront and work their magic. However, besides the spot Nangnang first found, they didn¡¯t find even the faintest of traces anywhere else. Time passed. Once afternoon came, Ru Amuh ordered them to stop the march again. It was because Nangnang had spotted something strange from the front and requested that they scan their surroundings. It would have been great if they could climb up to a vantage point to do this more efficiently, but there were no mountains around, not even something that could be called a hill. Fortunately, there was a hero among the rescue team who could fly¡ªhe was a birdman with the eyes and beak of an eagle. He flew high in the sky and scanned the horizons before landing and delivering shocking news. ¡°I found a place in the distance that looked like a city.¡± ¡°A city?¡± ¡°Yeah. I couldn¡¯t see it clearly because it was far away, but it looked quite large. There¡¯s smoke rising into the air everywhere.¡± Ru Amuh resumed the march immediately. As they moved in the direction the bird hero pointed them, the terrain gradually changed. Compared to the dense forest that they had been marching through so far, what stretched before them was a wide, open plain. However, there were some gentle slopes in the area, preventing them from taking everything in. And far beyond that, they saw a towering castle. A city surrounded by mountains and forest¡ªeven though it was at a considerable distance away, everything the bird hero said was correct. Flames soaring throughout the city were letting out black smoke. There were also flashes of light that looked like lightning striking down the city. Without even entering, it was clear how dire the situation inside was. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m not doubting the prophecy, but¡­¡± Nangnang, who was quietly watching the city, clicked his tongue. ¡°Even the seventh recruits were better off than the eighth recruits¡ªif we disregard everything other than our circumstances at the beginning.¡± Ru Amuh responded, ¡°So that means¡­¡± ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Nangnang pointed his chin towards the city. ¡°There are similar traces here as well. Of course, we¡¯ll get our answers as we get closer, but it¡¯s pretty clear they are heading toward the city.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s expression turned serious. According to the traces, a group of people had somehow successfully reached the forest but were caught by unknown pursuers. As a result, one person escaped, and the rest blocked the attackers with their life on the line. But what if this group of people was the eighth recruits? That would give them a rough picture of what had happened to them. ¡°The eighth recruits must have been transported to that city.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the most likely conjecture at this moment,¡± Nangnang said calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s organize the information we currently have. The eighth recruits received their mission from the prophecy and entered Liber, but as soon as they arrived, they were sent to a city full of enemies. And while they were in the middle of their mission, they were lacking in strength, so they hoped to get help from us in the capital¡­ Wait.¡± Nangnang trailed off and frowned. ¡°This is a bit¡­strange?¡± The fact that a suicide squad was formed to send a messenger to the capital to get aid meant that the eighth recruits were in an extremely dire situation. And judging by what they could see from afar, it was clear that the eighth recruits were fighting their enemies. That was the strange part for Nangnang. Recruits were weak and not so different from ordinary people when they first got to this world. Moreover, there were probably only a few hundred people at most, and at this moment, humans were at the bottom of the pecking order on Liber. In short, their enemies could have easily killed off all the eighth recruits if they wanted to¡ªjust like how the fifth, sixth, and of course, seventh recruits had to run away at one point of time. Likewise, the eighth recruits were not fools. Even though they had lost their power, their experience as a hero still remained. Therefore, once they realized the difference in their strength between them and their enemies, they should have made the decision to escape or run away. ¡°Mr. Nangnang?¡± Ru Amuh called out to him. ¡°Wait, wait a bit. Let me think for a bit.¡± Nangnang quickly blinked. ¡°Since the city is in such a state, it means that they¡¯re still fighting. And since they¡¯re still fighting, it means that there are at least two opposing sides. Yeah, the crumbling city should¡¯ve turned quiet by now if the situation has already been sorted out, but¡­¡± Nangnang went on and on before muttering suddenly in a daze, ¡°¡­Why?¡± The eighth recruits must have been in a hopeless situation in which they all had a high possibility of dying, and rather than sitting still and accepting their fate, they should have given up on their mission and run away. Or they could work together to forge a path of escape like the seventh recruits had done. However, on their way here, they hadn¡¯t found traces of any other group except the one they were tracking. In other words, the eighth recruits had decided to continue with their mission rather than flee. Even though the power difference between their enemies and them was stark, they didn''t back down. They had decided to send out a small group of people to inform the other recruits of their situation and hold out in the city until the reinforcements arrived. ¡°Why on earth¡­¡± Boom! A loud explosion rang out from far away. Flames erupted into the air, and a building collapsed. A short time later, there was another explosion, and another building collapsed. The two buildings were on opposite sides of the city. Nangnang stared at the city from a thousand miles away and muttered, ¡°¡­Two.¡± Another possibility finally flashed through his mind. ¡°Yeah, it would all make sense if there¡¯s not one but two hostile factions¡­and if there is a confrontation between two major powers in this city¡­!¡± This meant that the eighth recruits were not facing enemies on their own, but were stuck between two opposing forces and hiding in the eye of the storm. It all made sense now. A battle inside a city was far more advantageous for those who occupied it; the buildings scattered around could serve as watchtowers. Therefore, neither side would let the other take over the city. Every time one side tried to enter the city and occupy it, the other side furiously fought back. As a result, the two forces have been fighting a war of attrition both inside and outside the city. ¡°It¡¯s not a siege,¡± said Nangnang. ¡°That means there¡¯s a high chance that the city had been unoccupied in the beginning.¡± Ru Amuh asked, ¡°Ms. Hawa, could you please take a look at the map?¡± Hawa immediately opened up the map. It was a new one they created based on the map Noel Freya had provided, which gave them a rough overview of their current surroundings. Soon, Hawa looked up. ¡°It¡¯s at the border of two territories.¡± Ru Amuh groaned. He didn¡¯t even need to ask which those territories were because there were only two main forces in this area¡ªthe Demon Empire and the Alliance of Indigenous Monsters. ¡°I think that¡­the prophecy is pushing things a little too far this time.¡± Nangnang looked at the city roaring with nonstop explosions with distaste and said, ¡°They might have all died. No, it would make more sense for them to be completely annihilated.¡± But there was a chance that there were still survivors. Nangnang continued, ¡°If some recruits are still alive, there¡¯s a good chance that they¡¯re hiding in the center of the city.¡± If the two forces were about evenly-matched, and they had been fighting in a gridlock every day, there might be a DMZ in the middle. There was a good chance that was where the eighth recruits were hiding¡ªif they were still alive. ¡ªOh~ This is making me curious. Was the city unoccupied at first? Then why are the two factions suddenly fighting each other so fiercely? It¡¯s making me wonder what¡¯s inside. Philip spoke as if he was enjoying a fire show from across the river. Nangnang asked, ¡°What are you going to do, team leader?¡± Ru Amuh tightly shut his eyes. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through them, carrying a mixture of scents. It was a pungent and metallic smell. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo helplessly stared at the city. The heavy energy that he had been feeling since he entered the forest turned out to be the looming war clouds. CH 148 Ru Amuh decided to gather more information for now. Anything was fine, as long as they didn¡¯t overexert themselves. And even if it was something small, it could be an important clue. ¡°Our enemies don¡¯t know we¡¯re here. And it must stay that way,¡± Ru Amuh warned, and the heroes scattered away. Then, like a boomerang, they soon returned to the same spot. ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go left. Unlike where we are, it is full of evil and dark energy.¡± ¡°We found traces in the front that went through the same place several times; it seems to be the enemy forces¡¯ scouting routes.¡± ¡°We also wandered toward the right and found a long burrow that appeared to be a trench. There were also several places that looked like temporary bunkers, but we couldn¡¯t check the interior for fear of getting caught.¡± The more they searched, the more their speculation seemed to be proven right. ¡°We have to get in and check the city out,¡± Nangnang said. ¡°That¡¯s a must if we are to search for the eighth recruits. First we have to find out what¡¯s going on inside the city.¡± To do this, they needed to secure a way in. The best method was to share information with the eighth recruits through their devices. Ru Amuh had brought Shahnaz¡¯s statue just in case, but for them to send messages to another person, they needed to add each other as friends. In the current situation, they didn¡¯t even know who had come to Liber. It seemed the only viable option in the end was for them to go inside the city and check out the situation in person. However, that left the meeting area quiet. It was understandable since they were sandwiched between two giants who were superior to them both in numbers and power. Furthermore, they couldn¡¯t even enter from the side, but had to penetrate through the center. It seemed like an impossible mission. ¡°How about the sky?¡± It was then one person stepped up to the center; it was the hero who had spotted the city by scouting in the sky. ¡°I¡¯m Eckt from the third recruits. I think I can easily find out the situation inside the city.¡± The hero named Eckt then stretched out the wings on his back. Some of the heroes responded positively to this; flying in the air and running on land had enormous differences. However, Nangnang and Ru Amuh didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°You aren¡¯t saying that you will go check the area by yourself, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that. Even if I¡¯m greedy for merits, I won¡¯t throw away my life.¡± Eckt shook his hands. ¡°I¡¯m just going to look down at the city from the air, especially its central area. I¡¯m sure that will be of help.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Nangnang glanced at Ru Amuh. Ru Amuh seemed deep in thought. ¡°Our enemies might find out about us though.¡± ¡°Even if our enemies see me, they won¡¯t know our exact situation. And they will find out about us sooner or later anyway.¡± ¡°Still.¡± ¡°Did you think we won¡¯t get found out though? With these many members?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I think, but it¡¯s still dangerous. You could be attacked in the air.¡± ¡°At most, they will shoot at me with an arrow or magic,¡± Eckt laughed. ¡°Then I can just go higher.¡± Then, Eckt said confidently that even if their enemies were within range, he could simply evade their attacks. ¡°If you go too high, will you be able to see¡­¡± ¡°Ha! Try to find someone who has better eyesight than me.¡± Eckt¡¯s eagle eyes flashed. But as Ru Amuh hesitated, he raised one eyebrow slightly. ¡°What is it? Do you have any other alternatives?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is it? Is our oh-so-great team leader displeased by the fact that I might get some merits for myself?¡± Ru Amuh sighed. With the way Eckt was talking, he couldn¡¯t say anything else; and it was true that there was no alternative. ¡°Hold back your pointless provocations and wait a bit before setting out. You won¡¯t be as noticeable in the nighttime. And I bet you can fly in the dark too with your good eyesight?¡± Nangnang asked. ¡°I was already planning to do that,¡± Eckt answered. ¡°I also suggest you start and return at different points just in case.¡± ¡°I know. I know. Don¡¯t treat me like a kid. I¡¯m also a hero. I have experienced worse situations many times before.¡± Eckt acted like he found Nangnang bothersome, but he did follow the suggestions thoroughly. The sun was already setting slowly, and dusk came and went quickly until night painted the entire area black. ¡°Good. Should I go to collect some merits now?¡± Eckt moved with ease. Chi-Woo was worried, but decided to believe in the hero. After coming back from the Academy, he realized that he was in no position to worry about anyone else. Heroes were far more outstanding than he gave them credit for. Like how Philip said, being at ease was the privilege of the strong, Eckt¡¯s confidence must have come from his experiences as a hero. And soon, the hero flew far away into the night sky. Everyone looked up. There wasn¡¯t a single cloud in sight, and Eckt quickly streaked through the sky. He flew past large landscapes that would have been difficult to cross over on land easily, and surprisingly, the enemies showed no response. Thus, Eckt arrived at the center of the city safely and circled around while looking down. ¡°Good, good¡­. Just like that¡­?¡±Nangnang, who was focusing on Eckt with his clairvoyance, suddenly frowned. After flying straight, Eck suddenly changed trajectories and drew an S in the air, rising sharply heavenward. A foreboding feeling came to Nangnang. Now that he took a closer look, something was flashing around Eckt. ¡°He was discovered. He got caught and is now getting attacked,¡± Nangnang quickly reported. Eckt didn¡¯t get defeated easily though. He zigzagged in an irregular route upward, making the attacks move with him. Soon, he quickly flew away from the city¡¯s vicinity; but in consideration of the rescue team, he escaped to the opposite direction from where they were at. It seemed he was planning to fly as far away as possible and reunite with the rescue team after shaking off his pursuers. Nangnang felt slightly relieved seeing Eckt¡¯s skillful retreat when he suddenly heard a series of explosions. Bam, bam! One after another, the explosions rang. Boom, boom, boom, boom! The flashes embroidered the night sky like a carpet and temporarily illuminated the dark. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Nangnang gasped. There was a spectacular crossfire, and before the sky darkened again, he saw the final result: the remains of a body scattered downwards. Eckt was dead. Nangnang closed his eyes. ¡°¡­A cannon.¡± They were able to gain one piece of information thanks to Eckt¡¯s death. ¡°There¡¯s¡­a canon.¡± Ru Amuh made the order to retreat back into the forest. This new piece of information meant that it was dangerous for them to even stay in this area. Once they reached the forest, the rescue team fell into silence. No one spoke. They had all witnessed what would happen should they enter from the sky, and it was clear that approaching on land would be impossible as well. And now that they found out that their enemy had a cannon, it seemed obvious that they would be annihilated in an instant if they got hit by it. ¡®What should we do?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered to himself, and his die came to his mind. The cooldown had long ended, and he had recovered some of his ¡®blessed luck¡¯ some time ago. The World¡¯s Milestone would definitely pave a path for him in such a despairing situation. If he was lucky and got the number 7, things could become easier to resolve than he thought possible. However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t make himself reach into his pocket. ¡®It¡¯s true it can¡¯t be helped, but¡­¡± The situation was so hopeless he needed to grasp for any straw, but they also couldn¡¯t afford having anything go wrong. The die was a double-edged sword. He could roll as seven, or he could roll a one. If things went wrong, they might all die without even being able to initiate any plans. ¡°¡­I think.¡± Chi-Woo heard Ru Amuh¡¯s voice break the silence. ¡°Some people should return to the capital.¡± They needed to inform the other heroes in the capital of the situation here. Those in the capital would also make a decision. ¡°Is there anyone here who would like to volunteer?¡± Swoosh¡ª Many people raised their hands like moles popping out of the ground. Their attitude was completely different from when they first left the capital; this was how hopeless the heroes who participated in the rescue team thought of the situation here. Ru Amuh smacked his lips. ¡°¡­Not everyone can go back. I¡¯ll only pick a few.¡± Most heroes frowned because that meant Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t going to give up on this mission. Someone said, ¡°Won¡¯t it¡­be better if we all just go back?¡± ¡°Yeah. If we were all diamond rank¡ªno, at least platinum rank, things would have been different, but our current strength is too lacking.¡± Another person chimed in. ¡°It¡¯ll make things difficult for the eighth recruits, but let¡¯s go back first and¡ª¡± Ru Amuh interjected flatly, ¡°Then it would be too late. Even if we return to the capital, I don¡¯t think we would find any other method to build our forces. And by the time we raise our strengths, the situation here would have been all sorted out by then.¡± Ru Amuh was not wrong. However, people still felt disgruntled. ¡°Then, do you have a plan that will work right now?¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s only one method.¡± Ru Amuh looked around and took in a deep breath before softly saying, ¡°We need to break through the city.¡± He repeated himself for those who couldn¡¯t believe their ears. ¡°Break through the city by moving straight ahead.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Ha!¡± A small commotion arose. It was honestly a natural reaction. Even though heroes were used to constantly putting their lives on the line, they didn¡¯t just charge into a battle they couldn¡¯t win. ¡°Uh¡­team leader, I think we need more explanation.¡± Nangnang cautiously voiced his opinion. ¡°I¡¯m not saying we should have an all-out-war,¡± Ru Amuh calmly continued. ¡°In case something unexpected arose, we should take advantage of the darkness and create a disturbance, exploiting the gap between the two forces.¡± ¡°What the heck are you talking about?¡± Those who couldn¡¯t understand Ru Amuh¡¯s words¡ªno, didn¡¯t even try to understand him began murmuring in annoyance. Nangnang clicked his tongue. Everyone knew that the situation was hopeless. Ru Amuh should have at least come up with a proper reason that made people think his plan was worth a try, but as the leader who was responsible for everyone¡¯s life, he suddenly told them to rush straight-ahead without proper reasoning. It was natural that everyone would feel frustrated. ¡°What the hell! I thought you were a hero who saved a planet from a star cluster event!¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re so great because you¡¯re the only one at silver rank?¡± The heroes continued to hurl criticisms at Ru Amuh. ¡°Ha, this is why we can¡¯t let newbies be the leader. If Sir Choi Chi-Hyun were here¡ª" They even began comparing Ru Amuh to Chi-Hyun and insulting his character and skills. ¡°Quiet! Everyone, please be quiet!¡± Allen Leonard tried to get people to calm down, but it was not easy. Ru Hiana looked helpless. The battlefield had frayed everyone¡¯s nerves. However, she didn¡¯t expect their reaction to be this intense. ¡°Senior¡­¡± In the end, they all looked to one person. ¡°Hey, leader. No¡ªex-leader, perhaps¡­¡± Nangnang also tapped on Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder. However, Chi-Woo didn''t react. While the heroes continued to criticize Ru Amuh nonstop, Ru Amuh turned to look at Chi-Woo as well. ¡®¡­.Teacher.¡¯ The hero he respected was quiet. He didn¡¯t show any reaction, and was just watching him while standing still. As Ru Amuh quietly met his gaze without moving, he suddenly recalled what Shahnaz had told him. [Be acknowledged.] [Don¡¯t forget, my child.] [You¡¯ve been given another test¡­] In all honesty, Ru Amuh had wondered how his teacher would act. Since Chi-Woo had successfully completed tasks that people thought were impossible without failing even once, Ru Amuh was sure that Chi-Woo had already thought of a solution even in a difficult and arduous situation like now. He wanted to ask Chi-Woo for help, but he didn¡¯t dare to because Chi-Woo was staying still without saying a single word. If he intended to step forward, he would have spoken up already, yet he remained silent. Unlike the other heroes, his teacher was quietly waiting for him to speak¡ªas if he was testing Ru Amuh¡¯s capabilities. Ru Amuh needed to prove himself and repay his trust. [¡­I¡¯ll work harder. If you wait a bit more, I¡¯ll be able to share at least a bit of the burden on your shoulder¡­] He needed to keep his promise. But how? Ru Amuh closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He didn¡¯t know why, but this situation felt strangely familiar. It felt as if he had experienced the same thing before. Something they had gone through back then had felt equally impossible¡ªno, it had been even worse than now. The clash between the Sernitas and Abyss had been a serious threat to the fortress. Moreover, the number of heroes on their side amounted to only a few dozen, and only three or four people had recovered a bit of their powers. However, his teacher had used whatever they had to turn things around and grow their forces. Of course, the level of difficulty had been hellish¡ªin exchange for the cooperation of the Abyss, Chi-Woo had to face the strongest of the four factions, the Sernitas. They also had to recapture the capital while the growth system was still deactivated. Even though they had succeeded in the end, Ru Amuh clearly remembered the heroes¡¯ reactions. It was similar to how the heroes were reacting right now; most were full of complaints. The way Chi-Woo led the meeting back then had left a deep impression on him. Even when the heroes spoke words that went out of the line, Chi-Woo had listened to them without getting angry. [¡­What is it?] [¡­Then, what do you think?] He remained patient as he listened to their opinions, and even asked about other people¡¯s thoughts and accepted some of their requests. [You should be able to do that much by yourselves.] However, he also knew when to draw the line. In the end, he had been successful in convincing everyone. Ru Amuh tried to recall how Chi-Woo had acted back then. ¡®What would teacher do in this situation?¡¯ Ru Amuh closed his eyes and thought deeply. It was then a notification rang in Chi-Woo¡¯s head, and he looked up. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s first star, Ru Amuh¡¯s disposition has changed from Lawful Good to¡­] [Neutral Good.] ¡®¡­What?¡¯ At the same time, Ru Amuh opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll explain.¡± He began talking with an unwavering voice, his gaze determined. CH 149 ¡°A detachment.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s voice clearly rang. People¡¯s discontented murmurings subsided a bit, as they hadn¡¯t expected this response at all. ¡°We¡¯ll set up a separate unit to infiltrate the city,¡± Ru Amuh continued. After a moment of silence, someone remarked in a baffled tone, ¡°¡­Do you think we will agree to that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you all,¡± Ru Amuh said firmly. ¡°I will only take volunteers for the special unit.¡± Hearing this, the rising uproar settled down slightly again. ¡°Those who are willing to enter the city with me, please step up now.¡± Ru Amuh turned calmly to the heroes. There was a stretch of silence where no one answered his call. ¡°Me.¡± Then one person raised her hand. It was Ru Hiana. She stomped forward, her ponytail swaying behind her head. Truthfully, she had a similar opinion as the others. Rather than forcing themselves through this mission, she thought it would be better for them to head back now. Still, she volunteered herself to be part of the detachment because she had sworn to live and die with Ru Amuh. And thus, Ru Hiana stood beside Ru Amuh with a tense expression. Many looked at her in astonishment, wondering if she had lost her mind. Silence fell again. ¡°Ha.¡± Someone snorted. ¡°There are only two of you. Are you gonna sneak in or something?¡± Someone snorted. ¡°Um¡­captain.¡± Then, Allen Leonard cautiously approached Ru Amuh with a conflicted expression. ¡°I understand your intention to help the eighth recruits¡­but I¡¯d ask you to reconsider the idea of sending a detachment. No matter how much I think about it, I can¡¯t imagine us succeeding in going through the city.¡± Knowing Ru Amuh had the final say, Allen Leonard continued, ¡°Even if we succeed in infiltrating, that won¡¯t be the end. It will be a problem for us to come out again. Don¡¯t you also see our situation¡­doesn¡¯t allow us to consider the prophecy¡¯s mission foremost?¡± From what he had seen so far, Allen Leonard knew Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t a reckless hero. He was brave and reasonable, as the time he successfully led the seventh recruits¡¯ take over of the capital had shown. Thus, Allen was also curious why Ru Amuh was so firm about this plan. It was then the quick-witted Nangnang caught onto what was really going on. Ru Amuh appeared nervous, like he was waiting for someone to step forward and confirm his decision. Then, Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes, which had been fixed in a particular direction, widened. The doubt and nervousness that had lingered on his face even after he put forth his suggestion were replaced by certainty. Ru Hiana¡¯s dark countenance also brightened, while Nangnang turned around and blinked hard. Amid the darkness, they saw one man quietly raise his hand. ¡°Me.¡± Then came his voice, and the man put down his hand before walking out of the crowd. ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°Senior¡­!¡± Ru Amuh clenched his fists, while Ru Hiana looked teary as they watched Chi-Woo step forward. People¡¯s responses clearly split into two upon seeing Chi-Woo. The second, third, and fourth recruits looked at him like they were thinking, ¡®who¡¯s this crazy bastard now?¡¯ On the contrary, the fifth, sixth, and seventh, recruits quietly murmured among themselves. When deciding on the leader of the rescue team, Noel Freya had said Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t a bad option. However, she had also said it would¡¯ve been better if Chi-Woo had taken the position. Her judgments were exactly on point as this situation showed. The foundation of gaining trust was one¡¯s ¡®performance¡¯. The same was true for heroes, or perhaps even more so, as the twelve lights of the Celestial Realm exemplified. Although it was true that Ru Amuh had made an achievement that differentiated him from the others, he had been dealing with only heroes, and many heroes though they would¡¯ve been able to do what Ru Amuh had done should the situation allowed it. What Chi-Woo had done since arriving at Liber was an entirely different story: he saved all the fifth and sixth recruits by storming a ranch by himself. He brought in help from the Abyss and came back alive after battling a god alone. He overwhelmingly beat up an important member of the Demon Empire and resolved the problem of the Academy from centuries ago. Thrice he had won a battle with overwhelmingly disadvantageous odds. In other words, Chi-Woo accomplished what had been thought impossible. The first success could¡¯ve been a fluke. But the same thing happening thrice? It could no longer be attributed to a miracle or pure luck. The fact that some people considered Chi-Woo to be above Choi Chi-Hyun spoke for itself. Of course, only the heroes who were aware of these stories found it difficult to simply turn away or laugh at the plan now, especially if they had personally witnessed Chi-Woo¡¯s feats in person. ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± Nangnang asked blankly. ¡°Ha¡ª¡± Allen also let out a deep sigh. He looked extremely conflicted. ¡®Perhaps. Maybe. This time¡­¡¯ All kinds of thoughts whirled in his mind. ¡°Are you really, really planning to do this?¡¯ Nangnang asked again, and Chi-Woo simply responded with a faint smile. Nangnang glared at him and bared his fangs. ¡°That still only makes three¡ª¡± Someone shouted, but their words were buried under Nangnang¡¯s voice. ¡°Ah¡ª Fine. Fine. I¡¯m just going to bet my life on this. This is also me paying back the favor I received at the academy,¡± Nangnang said with a smirk and moved forth. ¡°Although I am the leader of a platoon, it won¡¯t matter since I¡¯m more like a figurehead, right?¡± Nangnang looked up at Ru Amuh and wandered around Chi-Woo. He wasn¡¯t the only one who had changed their mind. ¡°I agree with you. If teacher is going, I will also give it a try.¡± Allen, who had been shaking his head at the idea nonstop, decided to participate. He approached Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°Okay, what kind of tricks did you come up with this time? Give me a heads-up so I won¡¯t be surprised.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why? Are you going to go back if I say I have nothing?¡± ¡°Haha. I wouldn¡¯t have even refused if you were the leader of the rescue team in the first place.¡± Allen winked and stepped back. After three people joined in a row, the atmosphere began to change slightly. The heroes glanced at each other for a bit, and more began to step forward. ¡°Roar of Quiet Snowy Mountains from the second recruits.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Adali Avery from the seventh recruits. I will also join the detachment.¡± Two more heroes got up. ¡°I¡¯m William from the sixth recruits. I will also participate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Hodamar from the seventh recruits. I will join as well.¡± Two heroes asked to participate following that. Hawa also quietly joined them without saying anything. Now there were ten of them in the unit. Crowd psychology was sure a scary thing¡ªas several changed their attitude, others also wavered Eventually, another rose. ¡°Yeah, let me try to get loooooads of merits. Ah, I don¡¯t care, fuck.¡± One hero came stomping and announced while growling at Ru Amuh, ¡°I¡¯m Dulia from the fifth recruits. I¡¯m telling you all in advance that I haven¡¯t committed to the mission yet.¡± Dulia glanced at Chi-Woo before continuing, ¡°¡ªEven if that guy is also in this team. I¡¯m going to decide after hearing what else you have to say. What you said about using the gap between the two forces¡ªyou better brainstorm that. If it looks like it¡¯s not going to work out, I¡¯m going to escape by myself in the middle. Understand?¡± Dulia turned around after making the threat. ¡°Yes, you can do that.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes shone as he nodded. ¡°Well¡­ if I can turn back in the middle.¡± ¡°Then, me too.¡± And so several more expressed a desire to join. Ru Amuh let out the breath he had been holding in. Even though he hadn¡¯t completely won over his team, the number of people who had come forth was enough to form a special unit. It was all thanks to his teacher. Perhaps, he should call it ¡®teacher¡¯s effect¡¯ that his volunteering gave Ru Amuh¡¯s idea validity and helped move some of the rescue team members¡¯ hearts. Of course, this was still a minority of them. ¡°¡­So, you are going to insist on doing this in the end?¡± one person murmured with discontent. ¡°Okay then, members of the detachment who were blinded by their desire to gain merits, do whatever the hell you want. The rest of us are going back. That works for you?¡± ¡°Yes, you can leave.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave, but as a fellow hero, I feel regretful that you all are going on a suicide mission.¡± ¡°If you feel that way, you can help us out.¡± A hero who was about to get up faltered. ¡°¡­What?¡± They narrowed one eye and asked, ¡°But you said we can return?¡± ¡°Yes, but before you leave¡ª¡± Ru Amuh continued, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t join us, we stand a better chance of infiltrating the city if you offer some help.¡± ¡°Why do we have to do that?¡± A hero snorted. ¡°It¡¯s not like our lives are at stake, and we can safely return to the capital right now.¡± ¡°Yes, but if you help, you¡¯ll be able to return with a bit more honor.¡± ¡°HAH!¡± ¡°And,¡± Ru Amuh continued with a soft voice, ¡°You¡¯ve come all the way here. Won¡¯t it be better for you to collect at least a little bit of merit before leaving?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll be earning merits in a much safer manner than the detachment. I assure you.¡± The hero didn¡¯t say anything, but merely glared at Ru Amuh like he was being ridiculous. ¡°Do you remember what Dulia¡ªthe hero that just spoke up said? I¡¯ll tell you in advance that I feel the same way.¡± In the end, however, the hero sat back down and said, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll hear you out first.¡± * * * Noel Freya had a look of extreme shock on her face, which was very uncharacteristic of her. She saw someone she hadn¡¯t expected at all, but she only faltered for a brief moment before rubbing her face with both hands and squeezing her eyes shut before opening them. Then she asked, ¡°Sir, when did you arrive?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± A cold, indifferent reply came back. Chi-Kyun didn¡¯t even look up from the records Noel Freya had made. ¡°I thought you''d come back later, since you said in the message that you¡¯d be spying on the Demon Empire¡¯s activities.¡± ¡°I did, and I didn¡¯t detect any suspicious behavior,¡± Chi-Hyun said. Then he murmured to himself while flipping to the next page, ¡®I got tricked by that witch. I should kill her when I meet her next time.¡¯ ¡°No, something did come up.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°A high-ranking demon was hidden inside the capital. He was eliminated though.¡± Chi-Hyun stopped flipping through the records and softly asked without moving his eyes away, ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°Sir, about that incident alone? Or from the beginning?¡± ¡°It sounds like you have a lot of things you want to tell me.¡± ¡°You hit right on the mark.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to make useless chit-chat, don¡¯t even bother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s information that you need to know. I have made my own investigation as well.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded. Then he was surprised to hear from Noel Freya what had happened while he was gone. It even put a slight frown on his indifferent face. ¡°¡­Should I believe that? Is it possible for one person to do all that?¡± he asked while keeping his eyes on Noel¡¯s records. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard from other people. I haven¡¯t witnessed his abilities with my own eyes, so I don¡¯t know which parts are true.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Noel paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I think he can be¡­.a bit dangerous.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s gaze finally moved away from the record to glance at her. ¡°I mean¡ªof course he can¡¯t compare to you. Definitely not,¡± Noel Freya hurriedly added. ¡°But¡­even then, it¡¯s hard to say. He seems to greatly respect you as well, but he might become a threat to you in the future¡­¡± She murmured the last part of her words and lowered her gaze. Chi-Hyun, who had been intently staring at her, smiled thinly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter if that hero is just or vile. Good or evil.¡± He began to flip through the pages again and continued with a flat tone, ¡°As long as he has the ability to do something. That¡¯s the only thing that matters on Liber.¡± ¡°But even then¡­¡± ¡°According to you, he found a god and restored their power and even activated a growth system. What do you think I felt when I heard that?¡± That hero had successfully accomplished a task that neither Chi-Hyun nor anyone else had managed to do. Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t only happy, but elated. He felt so grateful that he wanted to give that person a bow. ¡°Since he resolved many of my concerns, I¡¯ll gladly give him my fame and title as a legendary hero if that¡¯s what he wants, as long as he keeps up the good work.¡± Chi-Hyun meant every word he said. He would go so far as to carry the hero on his back and shout to every town and alley that this guy was the truest and best hero at the top of his lungs. ¡°Yes, if that¡¯s what you think.¡± Noel Freya made a bitter smile. ¡°Well, even then¡­¡± Chi-Hyun stretched his neck from side to side. He was quite surprised. He knew better than anyone how much of a crazed fanatic Noel Freya was about him. It was to the extent that she belittled and looked down on all other families of the big twelve outside of the Choi family. Among the twelve families, not a single one of them was anything to scoff at, especially not the top six families. However, Noel Freya considered even the Ho Lactea family, who boasted 1/16 ¡®godly blood¡¯ and had a god as their founder, as dog food compared to Choi Chi-Hyun. Someone like her was now telling him that an unknown hero shrouded in mystery could be somewhat of a threat to him. Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t help but be interested. ¡°The hero that you mentioned, is he still in the capital?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Actually, we recently confirmed that the eighth recruits have entered Liber, and¡­¡± Chi-Hyun nodded. ¡°Ah, the prophecy.¡± He could immediately grasp the situation after hearing only a few words. ¡°It¡¯s a shame, but it can¡¯t be helped. Oh, and one more thing.¡± Chi-Hyun picked up the record he was reading. ¡°Who was the one who created this growth system?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. According to Shahnaz, it was implemented here before our time.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s quite detailed.¡± ¡°¡­Sir?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been separated into four subdivisions, and there¡¯s a promotion test and so on.¡± He seemed to be talking about in a roundabout way, and for reason unbeknownst to Noel, he seemed to find this humorous. Noel Freya stared briefly at Chi-Hyun and said, ¡°Uh. Hmm. That was also the hero¡¯s suggestion.¡± A strange smile appeared on Chi-Hyun¡¯s face. Then he tapped on the paper like he had made a decision and got up from his seat. ¡°Sir, where are you going now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go check my tier. Heh.¡± ¡°What?¡± Noel Freya was shocked by the faint laugh escaping Chi-Hyun¡¯s mouth. ¡°No, I mean¡ªI¡¯m going to where the eighth recruits are.¡± ¡°We already sent a rescue team¡­ You¡¯ve just arrived. Why don¡¯t you take a short rest?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to rest, and there¡¯s an extremely high chance that the rescue team will return without doing anything. It¡¯s happened more than a couple times.¡± Chi-Hyun stretched out his arms. ¡°Still, it¡¯s worth looking forward to their results since that hero also went with them, but just in case, I¡¯ll also go. And judging by the flow of events so far, the mission assigned to the eighth recruits won¡¯t be easy, either.¡± There was a clear reason why the prophecy had assigned a mission to each recruit team. Every mission was absolutely necessary to change Liber¡¯s future trajectory towards its salvation. In a way, the missions were imperative to create a happy ending. However, out of the seven missions assigned, they had only successfully completed two ¡ªChi-Hyun¡¯s and the seventh recruits¡¯. In other words, they had failed five of the prophecy¡¯s missions. ¡°Since there have been so many failures, the mission the prophecy assigned has gotten harder and harder.¡± Failure to complete a mission would become the burden of the next recruits. The reason why the seventh and eighth recruits fell into such extreme situations was because the second to sixth recruits had failed to fulfill their duties. ¡°I thought it was too late, but thanks to that hero, we¡¯re getting back on track. Thanks to him, we were given this chance, so we need to hold onto it.¡± Since he wasn¡¯t someone that could be persuaded to change his mind, Noel Freya sighed. ¡°Please don¡¯t overextend yourself.¡± ¡°I can overextend myself a bit when so much has been accomplished.¡± Chi-Hyun seemed extremely happy about the accomplishments achieved by the unknown hero. He arched his neck from side to side again and started walking away. ¡°Ah, by the way, can you tell me the name of that hero?¡± Soon after, Chi-Hyun flew through the sky. With only one jump, he streaked through the night sky at a formidable speed. He had a rare smirk on his face as he murmured to himself, ¡®Haha, that crazy punk. What kind of fake name is that?¡¯ CH 150 Chapter 150. Jung-suk [1] The meeting which had followed with great discord came to end after a common ground was reached. A small number of heroes would go into the city as a detachment, while the rest would return to the capital. Those returning wouldn¡¯t simply leave but would help relieve about half of the danger the infiltration unit would face by Ru Amuh¡¯s request. It was an unexpected result even though their decision was mainly attributed to their desire to gain merits. Ru Amuh seemed to have convinced some people that his plan was worth a try and that they weren¡¯t going to march right into a meaningless death. At least he had made them think, ¡®It will be worth risking my life for, and it¡¯s a form of investment.¡¯ But of course, the rest of the rescue team had low expectations. It seemed that they were still ridiculing or pitying the detachment for their recklessness. Nevertheless, the conversation was over. They decided to carry out their plans before it was too late, and the rescue team began their preparations. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± After finding Chi-Woo, Shadia apologized to him. ¡°I thought I should raise my hand after seeing you raise yours¡­but in the end, I couldn¡¯t shake off the thought that the task was too difficult.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if you volunteered, you would¡¯ve been rejected.¡± Ru Amuh emphasized swiftness among the detachment and didn¡¯t let those who lacked stealth or were noticeably large participate. This was the reason why Snowy Mountain had been excluded from the team too. Hearing this, Shadia¡¯s gloomy complexion brightened a bit. ¡°That¡¯s true. Since I¡¯m a magician and alchemist, I would be captured sooner rather than later,¡± Shadia said. Then she took out a small pouch and handed it to Chi-Woo. ¡°It¡¯s a health potion. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen the effects of it before.¡± Chi-Woo nodded, a bit taken aback. ¡°I made a couple of new bottles. It¡¯s going to be less effective than the one I used back then, of course, but it will be better than nothing.¡± Now that Chi-Woo took a good look at her, he noticed that the top of Shadia¡¯s head was flat. The mandragora that should¡¯ve grown back by now was nowhere to be found. ¡°Can I really take this?¡± ¡°Of course~ All of this might come back as merits. That¡¯ll be good, won¡¯t it~¡± Thus, Chi-Woo accepted the bottles gratefully. These were potions that could regenerate a severed body part in an instant. Even if they were less effective than the previous one, they could be a lifeline in case of emergencies. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°You too, Ms. Shadia¡­¡± Chi-Woo looked over his shoulder mid-sentence and said, ¡°¡­Be careful just in case.¡± ¡°No need to tell me. And it¡¯s not me you need to worry about.¡± Shadia tapped Chi-Woo with her fist and got up while waving her hand. After watching her leave for a while, Chi-woo sighed and took the pouch he had been rummaging through. ¡ªHey, hey, hey, what were you thinking? Philip, who had been waiting for his turn to speak the whole time, rushed up to Chi-Woo and called Chi-Woo¡¯s name harshly. ¡ªFor what reason did you say you will participate in the detachment? And what are you going to do about her? Chi-Woo looked down at the mysterious girl who had a robe wrapped all around her. As if she was clueless about the situation, the girl had been staring in the same one direction from night to day. Chi-Woo got on one knee and tapped her shoulder carefully with his index finger. Startled, the girl took a couple steps back. Only when she realized it was him did she cautiously approach again. Chi-Woo looked into her wary, innocent eyes and said, ¡°We¡¯re going to enter the city soon.¡± The girl¡¯s mouth gaped open slightly. ¡°But it won¡¯t be easy. It will be very, very dangerous.¡± Seeing her response, Chi-Woo thought there was no need to say more, but he added in a low voice, ¡°We could die. No, at least half of us will surely die.¡± ¡ªI think it¡¯ll be more than that¡­ Philip murmured, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t refute it since it was true. ¡°What are you going to do? Are you still going to follow us?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± the girl said. ¡°Uh, Ah!¡± She smiled brightly and pointed to exactly where the city was. ¡°I understand. But you can¡¯t do whatever you please once we get in.¡± Chi-Woo nodded and got up. This was the girl¡¯s decision. If he was going to be so focused on safety, he wouldn¡¯t have brought her in the first place. Philip¡¯s eyes widened. The girl¡¯s reaction was a hundred times better than crying or regretting that she joined the team, but she was¡­way too calm to a shocking degree. ¡ªHm, I don¡¯t think you volunteered out of loyalty to a friend. Philip murmured with his arms crossed. ¡ªThen why? You must know that entering the city wouldn¡¯t be the end of it. In fact, that would only be the beginning of hell. ¡®I don¡¯t have a great or noble reason.¡± ¡ªYou know, I don¡¯t think you are stupid. Do you remember what I told you at the Academy? Chi-Woo nodded. [Did it all look easy? Since you defeated a god, you thought you could easily defeat a demon?] [You were really lucky then to have come out alive.] ¡­Of course, how could he forget? Chi-Woo knew where he stood. ¡ªI don¡¯t think you would¡¯ve made the same mistake¡­ It makes me more curious. Philip smiled slightly while stroking his chin. ¡ªIt¡¯s not loyalty that compelled you to volunteer, nor are you depending on luck to complete the mission. It would be more understandable if you were greedy for merits, but from what I know of you, you are the risk-averse type. You don¡¯t enjoy earning great profits by undertaking high risks. You prioritize safety and aren¡¯t dying to kill yourself. So, it makes me even more curious about the reason why you joined the detachment. Chi-Woo turned to look behind him again. He saw the path the rescue team had taken to come here. Then he turned back, facing the path the infiltration unit would take from now on. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo suddenly remembered his life in the cave. He had struck his head against the wall a couple times for being unable to do anything in fear of death. To overcome this fear, he escaped a mythical monster again and again; and at that time, he learned one important lesson: it was human nature to run for their life, and it wasn¡¯t the wrong decision in itself, but if one really wanted to live, they needed to carefully choose the ¡®direction¡¯ they would escape in. And this direction wasn¡¯t necessarily one that would immediately distance him from the imminent danger, and when Chi-Woo realized this fact, he got a message that he gained a new ability. ¡®It¡¯s exactly because I want to live,¡¯ Chi-Woo finally answered. ¡ª¡­What? Philip looked taken aback, but Chi-Woo turned to leave without saying another word. There was a saying that fighting with one¡¯s life on the line would lead to survival, while living cowardly would surely lead to death. Chi-Woo had already prepared to die, and he didn¡¯t think that he was going to survive for sure. Nevertheless, there was one reason why Chi-Woo wanted to move forward. His special ability, ¡®Insight into the Unknown¡¯, told him that the path to survival wasn¡¯t behind him, but before him. The operation began, and the detachment began leading the way. The rest were keeping a distance and keeping quiet. Everyone crouched down and moved as quietly as possible in a line, hiding in the shadows of the hills as they slowly made their way to their destination. Before they knew it, the detachment had completely moved out of the forest and stepped into where the hilly areas were joined. As they moved on, the city grew bigger and bigger in sight. The non-stop explosions had lasted till sunset, but now, there was an eerie silence surrounding the city, as if the opposing forces were now in a standstill. The heroes had been moving forward one small step after another, and then, Chi-Woo felt his whole body start to slowly stiffen. His body felt heavy, and he became out of breath; he wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of nervousness. Something had been fraying his nerves since a while ago¡ªthe cause was on his left. Nangnang had told them that the city was surrounded by two forces. The place where the rescue team was crossing was dark, but their path was illuminated somewhat by moonlight. The area on their left, in contrast, was pitch black as if it had been swallowed by darkness. They couldn¡¯t see anything beyond 100 meters. Chi-Woo could understand why Nangnang had told them to stay away from the area as much as possible. ¡®Demon.¡¯ There was probably a high-ranking demon from the top 66 near them. Otherwise, it didn¡¯t make sense that the Demon Empire would be able to cover that big an area in their sphere of influence. Of course, Chi-Woo had beaten a high-ranking devil before, but in reality, that had been purely Philip¡¯s skills, and he didn¡¯t think he could achieve the same thing now. They had been in a different world back then, and now they were on Liber. Since the Demon Empire had opened tunnels all throughout Liber and conquered a great mass of land, they would be able to exert 100 percent of their true power here. Thus, it would be the greatest folly to think he could beat demons easily like before. ¡®It would be best if I don¡¯t run into¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo stopped walking. His synesthesia alerted him to a new presence. As soon as he turned his head, he saw moonlight reflected on a big hill. Swish! The night wind swept up to them out of the blue. At the same time, a torch dropped and rolled down. Ru Amuh had moved it with his skills. After telling everyone to stay still and sending a signal, he crawled up the hill alone. Ru Amuh checked the situation in a hurry and was relieved. He saw groups of two patrolling the area, but they hadn¡¯t been caught yet. Of course, he couldn¡¯t be sure, so he went further up ahead and peeked out his head. The sight in front of him was as expected from the explosive sounds that had been ringing all day¡ªthere were trenches and bunkers everywhere, and lumps of irons protruded out of huge holes in the bunkers. Ru Amuh smacked his lips because Nangnang had been right. There was a large barrier built around the city; it was not as dense as a spider web, but it was still solid and thick. It would be absurd to even think about infiltrating any further. If they passed this point, they would definitely be caught no matter how hard they tried to conceal their presence. Even though they weren¡¯t even halfway through the gate yet, there didn¡¯t seem to be a way forward. Ru Amuh stared intently at the front line and came down cautiously. After typing out the information he had confirmed and sending it out as a message to those below, he began moving again. Ru Amuh didn¡¯t want to go against Nangnang¡¯s warning and move into the area shrouded in darkness on his left, but he thought it would be necessary to walk the tightrope along its border to get to a location where he could make it into the city with a leap. Ru Amuh, who had been moving along the edge without getting any closer to the darkness, lifted his hand. He was signaling everyone to wait where they were. And like this, he reached their first destination; if he went a little further, he would be inside the Demon Empire¡¯s camp. And if he turned to the hill below him, he¡¯d be able to see the front line of the Indigenous Monsters Alliance that he just checked out. Now, the rest of the heroes must have checked the information sent by Ru Amuh, and he had to wait for them to find the best position to take. Since this whole operation depended on speed, it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to situate themselves. However, this also meant that they would have to jump straight into the city soon. That was why everyone was quiet. Their expressions varied, but they all had their mouths shut. Ru Amuh approached Chi-Woo using the short time they had and called out to him in a barely audible voice, ¡°Teacher¡­ Thank you.¡± The simple words were loaded with meanings. Chi-Woo glanced at Ru Amuh. ¡°¡­Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± With a bright smile, he whispered, ¡°I trust your decision.¡± Ru Amuh smiled in reply. There was no need for more words. Chi-Woo got a notification then. It was a message from a member of the detachment, telling them that they had situated themselves and were going to start moving in soon, so they should prepare themselves. Ru Amuh took the lead again. All members of the detachment curled up when they saw Ru Amuh grab the handle of his sword, as if they were getting ready to race. * * * At the same time, one hero looked down from a hill and said with a dismayed look on his face, ¡°¡­So, they¡¯re planning to jump in from there. It¡¯s crazy no matter how many times I think about it.¡± Another person shook their head and murmured, ¡°Damn it, if only I had my original power.¡± If the heroes were at their peak strength, breaking through the barrier below them would be as easy as a short warm-up before their real battle. They would have even made bets to see who could break through first. However, the reality was cruel. It was no wonder that they would feel despondent and have low self-esteem. Those emotions were what triggered their conflicts. ¡°Will this even work¡­¡± As the heroes hesitated to move, one hero asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say they were ready?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, yeah. They did.¡± ¡°Then why are we just standing still instead of getting started?¡± ¡°Should we just go¡ª?¡± At that moment, the yeti, Snowy Mountain, got up without giving others any more time to speak. The hero widened their eyes mid-sentence. The yeti was enormous, and his presence was even more terrifying when he rose to his full height. ¡°Hey, hey! Stay down for now! Sit!¡± Snowy Mountain ignored them and picked up a rolling rock¡ªno, to others, it was basically a boulder. Then, without anyone being able to stop him, he threw it with great strength towards the bunker in the frontline trench. Swoosh¡ª! Bam! And like this, the stage set in the night sky with the moonlight as spotlights began. 1. Sequence of moves in the game of go that results in a balance of both black and white sides ? CH 151 A stone as big as a boulder hit the bunker in the trench. Their enemies completely flipped over in panic from the sudden attack, but they quickly calmed themselves. The front lines were quick to respond, and they soon checked the direction of the attack and pulled out their artillery. ¡°Those damn demon bastards. How dare they do a surprise attack?¡± ¡°Move, move! Quickly!¡± The monsters in the trench sprang into action. ¡°Fire!¡± The artillery made a different noise and took a shot with a prolonged bang. Bam! The hill on the other side shook roughly, and soil soared up like a tidal wave. ¡°Shit!¡± Crack! The heroes cursed as clumps of dirt rained down on them in a formation. The artillery continued to assault the hills in a row, and¡ªPi, pi, pi, ping! One hero peeked his head out slightly, and then he rolled backward down the hill. Chilling metallic sounds rang all around them as sharp iron shards pierced deeply into the dirt. ¡°Damn it! At this rate¡ª!¡± It was then vines began to grow thickly all over the hill, intertwining and interweaving to create a blanket of tight knots. It was Shadia¡¯s work. With the creation of a small jungle over the hill, the heroes were able to take cover. Snowy Mountain lifted another large boulder with both hands again and threw it down with all his might, making an even greater impact than before. It seemed their enemies were surprised by the brute attack, and their offensive slowed slightly. It was all or nothing now. ¡°Shit! Shit! Fuck!¡± The heroes finally got moving. Those with arrows hid in the jungle and took their shots, while the magicians poured out large magic attacks with their cover. The rest picked up rocks or other heavy objects and threw them over like Snowy Mountain; imbued with their mana, their throws were considerably powerful. However, the enemies didn¡¯t hold back either and launched a wild counterattack. The headquarters of the Indigenous Monsters Alliance burst into an uproar. A mixture of wild cries and gunfire reached the detachment hiding nearby. Nobody said anything, but they could physically sense that the battle had officially begun. It was also time for them to start moving on their end too. Ru Amuh got to his feet, and so did Chi-Woo. Tap, tap, tap, tap. With their backs bowed, everyone moved with great speed. They made a turn at a hill, and as soon as a trench came into view, Ru Amuh dashed for it and threw himself inside. He landed on the ground softly like a feather and struck his sword down like thunder. The two enemy soldiers who had their heads out to take shots at the hills were immediately decapitated, their heads flying off with dramatic flair. Thud. Thud. Masses that appeared to be their bodies fell simultaneously. This was the heroes¡¯ first close encounter with members of the Indigenous Monsters Alliance, but they didn¡¯t even have the time to check what these monsters looked like. The heroes at the hills definitely did their part in causing a distraction and drawing all the attention toward them, and this was now the most crucial moment for the detachment to penetrate through the territory. Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes shone when he saw his first target: a bunker with a boulder embedded on top. After he made sure the rest of the detachment had jumped into the trench, he ran straight to it. A handful of monsters stopped shooting at the hill and turned to the long trench leading to the first bunker, perhaps sensing the bloodshed. And as soon as they saw their collapsed companions and Ru Amuh running in their direction like the wind, they quickly turned their arrows and crossbows to him. Whoosh! There was a sudden gust of wind, sweeping over the monsters and making them fall on their bottoms. Ru Amuh flashed past them like a gale, and blood spurted out of a monster that had lost its balance. Ru Amuh pierced his sword into its head before it could recover and was about to take care of the other¡ªthat was when Chi-Woo suddenly heard a noise from behind. Clack. The familiar sound brought an unknowable sense of foreboding. Chi-Woo clearly saw what the monster had been clutching tightly even as it fell from the wind¡¯s force. It had met Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes briefly then. It looked prepared for death as it threw the item in its hand while Ru Amuh¡¯s sword sliced its neck. Thud! Roll! A blackish, dark iron ball rolled and touched the tip of his feet. Chhhhh--! ¡°¡­!¡± Chi-Woo saw the wick burning fast and moved as quickly as his reflex allowed. Coming to a sudden halt, he picked up the iron ball and threw it back with some of his mana; the iron ball flew like a bullet and landed exactly inside the bunker at the front, 50 meters away. ¡°Ah! Why are you suddenly¡ª!¡± Dulia yelled aggressively as Chi-Woo suddenly stopped in his tracks when they needed to move as fast as possible. Kaboom¡ª! But hearing the sudden explosion, Dulia yelled, ¡°What the hell!¡± Then he proceeded to stare at the bunker blankly. The constantly ringing gunfire suddenly quelled. ¡°¡­Teacher?¡± Having rushed forward without stopping until now, Ru Amuh turned back in surprise. He knew his enemy had dropped something on them but didn¡¯t expect Chi-Woo to pick it up and throw it back. It was especially surprising for Ru Amuh since he had never seen gunpowder until he came to Liber. ¡°I did it just in case,¡± Chi-Woo said. If he had been even a little late, they would have all been blown up. Chi-Woo wiped his cold sweat away and breathed out a sigh of relief. He was still feeling a bit dazed. He had no idea the knowledge he gained during his military training would help him like this. ¡°I was lucky. I¡¯ve seen weapons like that where I used to live,¡± Chi-Woo then explained. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it will be a good idea to take some of these for safe keeping,¡± Nangnang said and quickly searched through the monster corpses, finding a couple of more iron balls. After checking their hooks that appeared to be the safety pins, Chi-Woo nodded in approval. These iron balls weren¡¯t exactly the explosives he was familiar with, but they looked pretty similar. And it seemed only expected that their enemies would have grenade-like items when they even had artillery. ¡°We should be more careful from now on.¡± ¡°Yes, and of course, our enemies would have to be careful too.¡± Ru Amuh slightly smiled seeing Chi-Woo clutch onto an iron ball. No presence could be sensed inside the bunker, probably due to the explosive that Chi-Woo had just thrown at it. They still went inside warily just in case and saw the mess; all shredded remains and shattered objects, scattered all over the ground. But like this, they had successfully reached their first pit stop¡ªalthough, of course, they still had more than halfway to go. ¡°Teacher, do you perhaps also know how to use this weapon?¡± Ru Amuh asked while removing a corpse drooping over a cannon. ¡°Uh...¡± Chi-Woo hesitated. He wasn¡¯t too familiar with heavy machinery. Although he had thrown a grenade and shot a gun before, he had never handled artillery. ¡°Let me through.¡± Someone stepped forward: it was Hodamaru from the seventh recruits. ¡°I ran into a similar weapon as this one on the third planet I went to.¡± It seemed Hodamaru wasn¡¯t lying, and he quickly got into action. After studying the cannon for a bit, he released it from its closure and pulled out its barrel. Then, he picked up a large iron ball rolling on the ground that looked like a bomb and skillfully placed it in with gunpowder. A hero from the Celestial Realm didn¡¯t only go to worlds where swords and magic existed; there were also planets with advanced technological innovations. Thus, this hero had naturally become an expert with a diverse range of knowledge after going through different kinds of worlds. Similarly, if a self-propelled artillery was laid in the middle of the road in Korea, and the pedestrians were asked if they could use it, plenty who had specialized in the field during their service would come out professing, ¡®Me, me!¡¯ Thus, it was understandable that this hero would know how to use a weapon he had seen for the first time on Liber as long as it was similar to the one he knew. ¡°Could you aim for the next bunker across the trench?¡± After skillfully assembling the artillery, Hodamaru turned the barrel. Instead of answering Ru Amuh¡¯s question, he stuck an ignition stick into what looked like a vent piece and pulled the string hard. Sparks sputtered from the ignited artillery. Then, Hodamaru made a perfect shot, toppling part of the bunker in the middle. Ru Amuh¡¯s expression brightened. This was the weapon they had been worried about the most. The detachment could be wiped out in a single blow if their enemies landed a shot with this weapon. But this also meant that if such a weapon became theirs, it could be used against their enemies to great effect. ¡°Could I ask you to stay behind and support us from here?¡± ¡°If you leave some members to guard me, I will gladly do it.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send you a message at the appropriate time.¡± Ru Amuh watched Hodamaru release the breeching mechanism and turned around. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± A monster with a pair of deer-like antlers ran towards them on four legs. ¡°Why are you firing at your allies¡ª?¡± It stopped mid-sentence. All of its comrades were dead, and people it had never seen before were gathered together in front of him. The monster¡¯s subsequent moves were made with quite the reflex. It whirled around with frightened eyes, but unfortunately fell before it could run away. A dagger had pierced the back of its head as soon as it turned. Hawa strode towards it and twisted her dagger out. Then she calmly looked at Ru Amuh. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ru Amuh immediately headed towards the entrance, and Chi-Woo hurriedly followed him. The next bunker was to their left in a diagonal. The trench was not in a straight line either. A number of them were connected in a curved S-shape, so the heroes had to turn a corner every couple of steps. When they turned their second corner, Chi-Woo¡¯s synesthesia picked up multiple presences. Even though they hadn¡¯t been caught for sure, Chi-Woo sensed something strange. Without hesitation, Chi-Woo threw the explosive that Nangnang gave him at the next corner, making a parabola in the air. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh! Wait¡­!¡± Chi-Woo tried to warn Ru Amuh in case he got swept into the explosion, but soon realized that this was not necessary. Ru Amuh had already slowed down and plastered himself to the wall as if he had known what Chi-Woo would do. After the great resulting explosion, the group made a turn at the corner at an extremely fast speed. Chi-Woo was met immediately with a violent display of masterful swordsmanship. The sharp and fierce wind that Ru Amuh created pushed down their enemies, and Ru Amuh sliced them up as they groaned in pain. Then with a bright flash of his blade, he bisected all their opponents. The detachment jumped over the pile of bodies in front of them and moved forward again. The bunker in the middle looked like a dead-end as it was crowded with enemies, but Ru Amuh slowed down again knowingly, and Chi-Woo threw the explosive in his hand towards the bunker¡¯s entrance. The effect was immediate. In a few seconds, screams could be heard inside the bunker, and their enemies ran out in a flurry. They fell in the aftermath of the explosion and met their end by Ru Amuh¡¯s blade. After successfully cleaning out the middle bunker, Ru Amuh left the others behind to occupy it properly before heading straight to the third bunker. It was their final destination in this trench. Then the city would be within their reach. ¡ª¡­Woah. Philip widened his mouth as he watched Ru Amuh run ahead of them. In all honesty, Ru Amuh¡¯s strategy wasn¡¯t anything special. It was a standard tactic that anyone could think of¡ªin fact, it could very well be given as an example of a standard infiltration in textbooks. However, this was what surprised Philip the most. Ru Amuh was following the standard procedure and going by the books to a tee, but they had the ability to see it through. In terms of supplies and firepower, the rescue team was greatly lacking in comparison to the two major forces, and that was why most of the heroes fiercely opposed Ru Amuh¡¯s plan. However, once they began their operation, the situation was 180 degree from their expectations, as Ru Amuh made up for their lacking firepower and resources with his individual performance. Philip believed speed would make or break the operation. If the heroes weren¡¯t confident that they could suppress their enemies inside the trenches and bunkers at lightning speed, they shouldn¡¯t even attempt to carry out this plan. However, while this plan sounded impossible to do in real life, Ru Amuh was doing exactly that. He was making good of his words and bringing his plan into reality. Since he quickly skipped through processes that normally took a while to complete, their opponents couldn¡¯t react fast enough. They were probably dumbfounded by now. Even Philip had thought Ru Amuh was a crazy idiot when he first heard Ru Amuh¡¯s plan to infiltrate by barreling straight through the trenches, but now that he thought about it, Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes had been shining with a different light. As expected, the view of a normal person and a genius were bound to be different. There was a reason why Ru Amuh had saved a planet from a star-cluster crisis. Ru Amuh had been confident that he could successfully carry out this plan because he had overcome harsher situations with greater disadvantages than this. And even now, his eyes were brimming with confidence. While he was running towards the third bunker as he got closer and closer, his eyes seemed to be saying, ¡®Why not?¡¯ Nonetheless, their enemies were not complete idiots, and the troops on the front line seemed to have roughly grasped the situation by this point. The enemy¡¯s muzzles quickly turned to members of the detachment, and a great number of soldiers blocked the entrance with bows and crossbows raised at the heroes. However, before they could properly retaliate, they began screaming and falling in all directions. It was because while they were distracted by the detachment, the large number of heroes on the hill rained a great wave of attacks on them. Their enemies also had artillery, of course, but the heroes had more in this location. The first bunker and second bunker that they had occupied simultaneously opened fire. Most of the shots hit their enemies¡¯ bunker accurately, but the enemy did succeed in making a shot at them. ¡°Be careful¡­!¡± A cannonball that looked like a small black sun flew towards them, and Chi-Woo immediately laid flat on his belly, but Ru Amuh jumped into the air instead, swinging his sword and facing the cannonball head-on. ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Even if Ru Amuh succeeded in cutting it, wouldn¡¯t it explode? His breath hitched at the thought, but as soon as Ru Amuh¡¯s blade touched the cannonball, Ru Amuh¡¯s body gently swung in the air. The shell, which had streaked across the night sky without stop, seemed to be fixed at the tip of his sword. Then Ru Amuh made a soft U-turn following his rotation. It was a strange sight to behold¡ªthe power surged from within his body was rough and powerful enough to detonate the cannonball immediately, but the air that flowed around him was like a spring breeze. While he was spinning in the air, Ru Amuh met Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. [Yes, a storm is rough, and a breeze is soft. But that¡¯s simply a phenomenon of nature and not your swordsmanship.] [You can think of a sword as a killing tool, but that¡¯s simply the meaning you have attached to it rather than nature¡¯s way.] Ru Amuh recalled the valuable teaching he had received from his teacher. ¡®Even if you move like a storm, you can slice your opponents like a soft breeze.¡¯ Soon, the air that flowed around the cannonball headed back to the final bunker. ¡®Even if you move softly as a breeze, you could sweep past your enemies like a storm¡­!¡¯ The tip of his sword drooped slightly from the cannonball. Released from his grasp, the cannonball rotated like a gyro ball in the air and flew back toward the barrel it had been shot through like there was a great suction. Baaang! ¡ªHaha. That crazy punk! Philip burst into laughter as he saw the spectacular explosion. He had merely given Ru Amuh a few words of advice through Chi-Woo; he hadn¡¯t imagined that Ru Amuh would be able to use the advice so well in real life. Ru Amuh landed on the ground, giving Chi-Woo a look of gratitude and a smile; if it weren¡¯t for Chi-Woo¡¯s teaching back then, he might have been in trouble just now. On the other hand, Chi-Woo¡¯s face went blank. Ru Amuh¡¯s entire movement had only lasted a few seconds, but it felt surreal. ¡®What the heck did I just see?¡¯ he thought to himself, but he quickly got back to his senses and picked himself up when he saw Ru Amuh enter the final bunker. Even though he had followed Ru Amuh quickly, the bunker was already under control when he reached it. Their enemy probably hadn¡¯t ever imagined that the cannonball they shot would come right back to them. And like this, the enemy¡¯s front line was completely overpowered by the detachment. However, their operation wasn¡¯t over yet. The city was now within their reach, but there was still work to be done. Even though they had successfully occupied the bunkers, more of their enemies would soon arrive. What should they do? What did they need to do so that the detachment could enter the city, and the remaining heroes could safely retreat? The answer to these questions was to create a greater commotion. ¡°Ruana! The message!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Ru Hiana quickly turned on her device, and while Ru Hiana sent a message, Ru Amuh stood in front of the artillery. Even though it was his first time seeing a weapon like this, he had already seen how it worked twice. It was not difficult to prime it for a shot. After getting it ready in an instant, Ru Amuh quickly turned the barrel. The heroes in the first and second bunker that received Ru Hiana¡¯s message followed suit and aimed in the same direction Ru Amuh was aiming at¡ªnot towards where the reinforcements of the Indigenous Monsters Alliance would arrive, but towards the Demon Empire camp shrouded in darkness less than 50 meters away. CH 152 ¡°I like how it reminds me of the old times, but¡­¡± Having stayed behind in the first bunker, Hodamaru murmured. ¡°Shit, please!¡± Dulia from the second bunker chewed on his lips. From the third bunker, Ru Amuh yanked the rope in front of him hard. Bababam! The artillery stationed in each bunker fired simultaneously. Then, after shooting, the heroes reloaded their respective machines with explosives and gunpowder and made another shot. They continued to shoot in the darkness where they couldn¡¯t see much of anything else. On the other hand, the Demon Empire couldn¡¯t have been more stunned by the situation. The Indigenous Monsters Alliance had backed away first after clashing with them fiercely day and night, so they had thought the monsters had been in a lull. To think that they would throw a bomb at them in the middle of the night. It wasn¡¯t even that important whether or not they had been hit. Were this a boxing match, it would be like having the opponent suddenly making a swing after implicitly agreeing to take a break. There was no way the Demon Empire would let that slide, especially considering how belligerent demons were. Their confusion and surprise lasted but a moment, and soon the murmurings in the darkness became a furious roar that shook up the whole area. Kuooooooooh! Bam! After Ru Amuh shot another round at such an opponent, he got up from his spot. The Indigenous Monsters Alliance was also in a frenzy. ¡°What happened?¡± A figure who appeared to be one of the commanders of the alliance came into view, and many rushed to him to report. They had lost contact with the left guard post in charge of spying on the Demon Empire territory. It seemed they had been taken over by the enemy¡¯s surprise attack. Hearing this, the commander hurriedly climbed up the hill and saw demons rushing toward them from the darkness at a distance. ¡°Those damn bastards¡­!¡± Crunch! The commander gritted his teeth and immediately gave out orders. ¡°Inform the headquarters now! And what are you all doing? They¡¯re crawling out from all over the place¡ªshoot them until the canons turn red!¡± In no time the two groups broke into an all-out clash, while the rescue team had already left the battlefield. The remaining members on the hill retreated after making sure that the detachment had reached the forefront of the city. And after drawing attention from the two enemy groups, the detachment escaped out of the trench and ran to the city. Because the response from the demon empire was more intense than they had expected, they could safely make it straight to the entrance of the castle walls. Although the castle walls had long been broken, there were many wooden planks blocking their entry. And while they ventured further in carefully, mindful of traps they might run into, Philip murmured. ¡ªFine, I give you guys credit for reaching all this way¡­ He looked at the noisy scenery behind him and asked. ¡ªBut what are you going to do from here on out? It wasn¡¯t over just because they had passed through their enemy¡¯s campground and entered the city. Instead, it was the beginning and start of a battle in its center. Of course, there were much fewer people here than on the outside, but each building would be guarded by a small number of snipers or other enemies, which was trickier. Furthermore, even if they managed to go further inward, they still had to find the eighth recruits, whose location was unknown. Despite all these disadvantages, though, the detachment continued to venture through the wooden fences and pass the castle gates. They entered a city so in ruins that it would be difficult to spot even one place that was in fine condition. After passing the gates, Ru Amuh ran quickly and suddenly scowled. He looked around and made several sharp turns. ¡°This way!¡± He whizzed across the city and arrived at a building, sticking close to one of its corners with his back arched. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t that tired, but he heaved hard out of nervousness. Ha, ha¡ª Chi-Woo was gathering his breaths when his body suddenly felt tense. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± His synesthesia was ringing madly like a siren. There was bloodlust flowing all around the area. Chi-Woo understood why Ru Amuh had suddenly changed directions, and it was impressive how Ru Amuh had managed to find a blind spot in that short amount of time. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Hodamaru asked. Although he didn¡¯t have synesthesia like Ru Amuh, he was an archer and possessed keen senses. Thus, he could feel the periphery that would allow them safe passage decreasing significantly. A single misstep could now lead to an arrow in their heads. ¡°Nobody can guarantee how much attention the commotion outside could draw. We have to reach the inner parts of the city as fast as possible,¡± Hodamaru said. Ru Amuh nodded in agreement. After a moment of concentration, Ru Amuh opened his eyes and asked his teammates, ¡°Is there anyone among you who can pull off a counter-sniper attack?¡± Two people raised their hands while clutching onto their arrows: Adali Avery and Hodamaru. ¡°There are holes in the second building on the left side of this corner¨Con the fifth floor, the second and fourth windows from the left. I don¡¯t know if the holes had been caused by the breakage of the walls though.¡± Seeing Ru Amuh go on so knowledgeably about the situation, Hodamaru looked a bit dumbfounded. ¡°¡­Really?¡± If Ru Amuh was right, that meant he had zeroed in on their enemy without even looking at them. It was only understandable that Hodamaru would be so doubtful with no knowledge of Ru Amuh¡¯s abilities. Chi-Woo was also surprised. Although he had synesthesia as well thanks to the sharing effect he had, he wasn¡¯t at Ru Amuh¡¯s level. It dawned on him then that a S rank ability was truly one that surpassed human limits. ¡°Even if it¡¯s true...¡± Hodamaru licked his lips, ¡°There must be more snipers besides them.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ru Amuh continued after agreeing. ¡°So I¡¯m planning to go out and draw some attention away.¡± Hodamaru looked instantly reluctant. He understood that it was impossible for them to go in further like this. Their location had already been found out, and their enemy must be looking intently at where they were at. Thus, they needed to wait for their enemies to at least use up the arrow or bullet they had loaded before counterattacking. In other words, they needed a bait to take these shots so that they could move in the gap between the loading times¡ªand Ru Amuh had volunteered to be this bait. ¡°I can evade the attacks,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°Hey, say things that make more sense.¡± ¡°I am confident. Please believe in me.¡± ¡°We should occupy this building as a base instead¡ª¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. We have to move before our enemy troops arrive.¡± Hodamaru looked conflicted at Ru Amuh¡¯s words. The discussion was nevertheless derailed when someone suddenly moved away from the detachment, looking around and making a turn at the corner before anyone could stop her. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± It was too late when Chi-Woo realized what was happening, and he looked dumbfoundedly as the girl dressed in a robe strolled forward leisurely like she was on a nice walk. ¡°No¡ª!¡± ¡°Senior!¡± Chi-Woo instinctively got up, but Ru Hiana hurriedly grabbed him and pulled him back. Chi-Woo clenched his eyes shut. He hadn¡¯t been able to pay attention to the girl because of the hectic situation. She had already made an unexpectedly long distance. It seemed the snipers were taken aback that their enemies would just come out, and were thus made wary. Unfortunately, the unbearable silence didn¡¯t last long. Ping! A sharp sound pierced through the air, and the girl¡¯s body tilted a bit before simply collapsing. Hodamaru looked bewildered, but quickly turned the corner¡ª ¡°!¡± And looped right back. Almost simultaneously, another arrow flew past him. ¡°Shit, shit. There really are two of them,¡± Hodamaru cursed and shuddered. Although one sniper had taken aim at the girl, the other one continued to aim at them. He had almost died. ¡°I shot one.¡± Avery had taken a shot with his arrow lying flat on the ground, raising only his face and arms. He got to his feet again. He had seized the opportunity as soon as he saw the arrows flying toward the girl and Hodamaru. Even though they had taken one enemy down, however, the situation worsened rather than turning for the better. The bloodlust in the air was spreading faster, and it seemed the snipers in the surroundings had begun to move to where they were. ¡°She¡¯s still alive,¡± Nangnang said while looking at the girl. ¡°They aimed for her left thigh.¡± In other words, the sniper had purposefully shot the girl in a place that wouldn¡¯t jeopardize her life. Ping! There was another piercing sound, and they heard the girl shriek. ¡°The right ankle this time! Damn it!¡± Nangnang said nervously. ¡°Just leave her behind,¡± Dulia said in an agitated tone. Ru Amuh tried to maintain his calm and turned to Chi-Woo. There was nothing wrong with what Dulia said. The sniper hadn¡¯t killed the girl yet so that they would come out¡ªcome out and save the girl instead of watching her die. But if they went out like this, they would simply be easy prey. ¡°¡­¡± Ru Amuh didn¡¯t know who this girl was, but he had accepted her joining because his teacher had requested it; he thought there must be a reason for that. ¡°Teacher,¡± Ru Amuh said. They couldn¡¯t afford to wait a moment longer, and Ru Amuh had offered to be bait in the first place. Ru Amuh was about to open his mouth again when Chi-Woo spoke up first. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh, I will take the role as bait.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes widened. Chi-Woo felt a strange sensation wrapping his whole body. He got a strong feeling that he shouldn¡¯t let the girl die like this. He needed to save her as soon as possible, even if it was only a second sooner. It felt as if someone was shouting at him with all their might and pushing him on the back. Moreover, his ¡®Insight into the Unknown¡¯ was pulling him directly towards the girl. Chi-Woo was already getting familiar with this sensation since he had experienced it several times already. And he also knew by now that it was best to follow what ¡®Insight in the Unknown¡¯ suggested and trust his instincts. However, even then, Chi-Woo suppressed this feeling and stopped himself from immediately heading towards the girl since he wasn¡¯t alone right now, and they were still in the middle of a mission. ¡°I¡¯ll go, so everyone, use that gap to defeat the archers and move on.¡± ¡°Teacher¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can get back to you,¡± Chi-Woo spoke quickly and directly, ¡°I might not be able to join you immediately, but I¡¯ll be alright. Please don¡¯t waste time trying to provide me with support. Focus on the mission.¡± Ru Amuh was about to say something, but Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself. Let¡¯s see each other later. Alive.¡± Ru Amuh felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu; he had heard the same words before. He recalled what Chi-Woo had said to him at the Evelaya Volcano. Teacher never broke his promise, and he trusted Ru Amuh. It was time for Ru Amuh to trust him again and repay his trust. Ru Amuh nodded with a stiff expression and responded, ¡°Yes, sir!¡± He didn¡¯t have much time. Chi-Woo did not hesitate anymore. ¡°Senior¡­¡± Chi-Woo left behind Ru Hiana¡¯s mournful cry and ran. As soon as he moved a little further, he felt the murderous gazes zero in on him. Some of them had even taken aim already, while others were about to attack him as well. His instincts sounded the alarm in his head, warning him against danger in all directions. Chi-Woo clenched his teeth. Even though his synesthesia ability was not as good as Ru Amuh¡¯s, it was still A+ rank. Since he knew which direction and when the attacks would come towards him, he could avoid it if he wanted to. And most of all, he was sick of running away and wanted to face his opponents head-on. Chi-Woo was so skilled at evading attacks that Hawa got annoyed at him, and even an ancient mythical monster had acknowledged his skills. Swoosh! ¡®Left, thigh.¡¯ He twisted himself diagonally while moving. Something sharp brushed past his thigh. ¡®Right, ankle.¡¯ He lifted his right foot while running. He heard a dull sound coming from the ground. It was fortunate that the attacks so far had been easy to avoid; it seemed that the enemies were trying to use him for the same purpose as the girl. It wasn¡¯t time to celebrate, of course. ¡®Left, left, right, left, ri¡­damn it.¡¯ Various senses mixed and tangled up with each other, so Chi-Woo suddenly sped up and stomped on the ground in a quick staccato. He ran in an irregular zigzag; the relentless arrows hit the ground and missed him by a second every step of the way. ¡ªGood-! Very good-! Philip chuckled in this tense situation. ¡ªThis is perfect. You¡¯re finally getting real-life experience. Think of it as training! A real-life experience that can be a training for you. Your skills are going to grow exponentially! Chi-Woo wanted to shout, ¡®are you crazy¡¯, but he was so focused on evading the attacks that he didn¡¯t even have time to say anything. If he lost focus on his synesthesia for even a moment, he¡¯d end up like Frankenstein¡¯s monster. The chilling gazes upon him slowly began to grow more piercing and was even becoming more murderous. ¡ªFor your information, your teammates killed two snipers while you were running. Philip said with a smile. ¡ªNow, let¡¯s think about this from the enemy¡¯s point of view: our comrades keep getting killed off, and here this hero is, running around and avoiding all of our attacks like a rat. I¡¯m aiming and shooting, but strangely, I can¡¯t hit my target. What would you do if you were one of the shooters? As soon as Chi-Woo thought, ¡®how would I act?¡¯, he stopped abruptly. Crackkkk! At the same time, fifteen arrows flew and hit the ground in a fan-shape right before Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo felt a chill run down his back. If he had continued running, he would have gotten hit by at least some of the arrows despite sensing them coming. ¡ªLook at you! You stopped moving! Philip cheered, but this was not the end. Chi-Woo, who was about to begin running again, made a wide turn. Swoosh! A chilling sensation scratched his shoulder hard. Chi-Woo took a deep breath while intense pain hit him. ¡®Just now¡ª¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an arrow, but something he couldn¡¯t see nor sense with his synesthesia; it was something transparent that could not be detected normally. It was probably a secret weapon that their enemy had prepared in case their previous attacks failed. Nevertheless, there was one reason why Chi-Woo could feel it at the last minute and avoided getting fatally injured¡ªhis extrasensory perception. Instead of vanishing immediately like before, the sensation awakened each cell in his body. His heart beat fiercely, and his chest became hot; he felt as if his blood was boiling. It was the first time his synesthesia and extrasensory perception were activated at the same time. Chi-Woo began moving again while feeling indescribable stimuli all around him. His target was just around the corner. He glided towards the girl who was groaning in pain on the ground and took her into his arms before resuming his dash immediately. ¡°¡­Amazing,¡± Dulia looked at Chi-Woo and murmured blankly. Every shot had been precisely calculated to hit Chi-Woo. With their enemies aiming properly with the determination to shoot Chi-Woo down, it should have been impossible for him to avoid every attack. Despite a few dangerous moments, however, Chi-Woo managed to save the girl and escape. And thanks to his efforts, they now knew where every archer was. Ru Amuh was also amazed. Since he had S-rank synesthesia and was more talented than anyone else, he knew best that Chi-Woo had achieved something beyond what he could do with synesthesia. What if someone told him to avoid all those attacks while relying only on synesthesia? Ru Amuh shook his head. He didn¡¯t think he could do it, especially not that mysterious attack at the end. And he was right on the mark. [Innate ability ¡®Extrasensory Perception (F)¡¯ awakens¡­!] [Special ability ¡®Synesthesia (A+)¡¯ responds¡­] [Special ability ¡®Insight into the Unknown (C)¡¯ responds¡­] Meanwhile, Chi-Woo continued running with no knowledge of what abilities he was using. However, he did sense¡ªno, felt multiple senses that he hadn¡¯t felt before. It felt as if his body was reading the future by itself and automatically reacting. Whatever the case, his enemies seemed flustered, and their murderous auras wavered. Chi-Woo seized that opportunity to find a blind spot and throw his body over the outer wall of a building. He laid the girl down and took out two bottles of potion that Shadia had given him. ¡°Clench your teeth.¡± Chi-Woo extracted the arrows from her left thigh and right ankle. ¡°Aghhh-!¡± The girl¡¯s half-closed eyes widened in shock. Chi-Woo quickly sprinkled the potion on both injuries. Shadia had told him that it couldn¡¯t restore whole body parts, but could at least immediately heal lesser injuries. True to her words, the girl¡¯s wounds began to react, and new flesh formed on top of it. ¡°Ugh¡ª! Ah¡­?¡± When the piercing pain subsided, the girl let out the breath she had been holding in. ¡°Are you alright? Can you recognize me?¡± The girl, who had been steadying her breath, suddenly sat up. Then she sprang to her feet and began moving again with unsteady steps as if she was a magnetic compass getting pulled by an opposite pole. Then the girl stopped and turned around, meeting Chi-Woo¡¯s complicated gaze. ¡®How did things become like this¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Then he suddenly recalled what Philip had said before. [You¡¯re already ready, and you¡¯re in the process of completion. The whole process is at least arranged under the influence of transcendental beings.] [From that point of view, if you think of your ability as an extension of that process¡­] Chi-Woo said, ¡°I saved you at the academy, right?¡± Their first meeting happened at the academy. He had used up his precious holy water to save her when she was dying, but she had tried to run away immediately after she regained consciousness. Then, she followed him all the way here and fell into danger because of her unexpected behavior. Chi-Woo had saved her once again. As Philip said, if his mysterious innate ability had led to this situation, and if this was part of a transcendental being¡¯s plan, he had to wonder what the purpose of the girl¡¯s actions was. ¡°¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t really understand all this.¡± Chi-Woo had no idea what she was pulling him towards, but he would probably find the answer at the end of this path. ¡°So¡ª¡± He vaguely felt a presence approaching quickly from behind him. Their opponent seemed to have sent troops after him since they realized they couldn¡¯t defeat him with only archers. Chi-Woo stepped closer to the girl, lifting her into a princess carry with his hands supporting her neck and waist. Then, he said, ¡°Please let me know the reason why I saved you.¡± A drop of red blood fell on top of the girl¡¯s eyes, which were blinking in surprise. The girl¡¯s gaze shifted to Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder. Blood was streaming out from his shoulder. Her eyes wavered for a moment, shifting between Chi-Woo¡¯s face and the wound. ¡°¡­Ah¡ª¡± Then she relaxed. Her flailing left hand dropped and gently held onto Chi-Woo¡¯s collar. Then she softly buried her head into his arms before carefully pointing towards a specific direction. Chi-Woo looked over and saw messages popping up in the air. [Innate ability ¡®Extrasensory Perception¡¯ has evolved¡­] [¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯ has been opened¡­] [¡­Measuring trust level¡­] ¡°What the fuck.¡± There was no time for him to leisurely read the messages. Chi-Woo turned it all off and began running while carrying the girl. As he usually did when he got scared, he began uttering scripture. ¡°Hear us, Shephard, you who lead us like a flock¡ª¡± Chi-Woo murmured to the best of his memory and headed towards an unknown location. ¡°Restore us, make your face shine on us¡ªthat we may be saved.¡± Then the necklace on the girl¡¯s neck started glowing. The pure, bright light shone upon Chi-Woo¡¯s face as if by coincidence. CH 153 Chi-Woo ran. All he focused on while carrying the girl was running. He didn¡¯t know where he was going or even where he was. ¡®Something is strange.¡¯ At some point, he had a feeling that he had been going in circles, but he just kept running toward where the girl pointed him to. The one silver lining was the fact that no more arrows or other projectiles were coming their way. Since he kept evading their attacks, it seemed his enemies were now chasing after him in person. It wasn¡¯t like all the danger was gone, but Chi-Woo placed all worries and fears behind him and took a turn. Although the city was in ruins now because of the war, they soon arrived at a place that used to be the downtown area. There, the girl raised her index finger. Chi-Woo looked over, and his eyes widened. There was a sizable building built out of faded white marbles. High rising steeples stood on each of its corners like a lighthouse and were connected by walls to form a square shape. On top, there lay a dome in the shape of an onion, and below it was an arched entrance. Surprisingly, the exterior of the building was intact. It showed signs of weathering, but no effects of the war. There were two possibilities: it was left untouched for some unknowable reason, or it had been protected. It was a curious matter, but Chi-Woo quickly went up the stairs as he was in a hurry. No, he tried to climb up, but gasped when he found no purchase. ¡°Huh?¡± He was sure he was stepping on the stairs, but his feet passed right through the step and landed on the ground instead. He tried multiple times to no avail. ¡°Ugh!¡± The girl pointed with her index finger in frustration again. She pointed left, then right, right again, and then left. Chi-Woo stared down at the girl blankly. ¡ªShe¡¯s telling you to step on the stairs in order. Chi-Woo heard Philip holding in his laughter. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªCome on, look around you. Chi-Woo scanned his surroundings in a daze. Nothing particularly seemed to have changed. No, wait. Now that he thought about it, the city was quiet and way too still. The loud commotion outside, the merciless bloodlust, the snipers, and his pursuers¡ªthey were all gone like they had been wiped out. ¡ªWhy are you even surprised? Philip snickered. ¡ªIt¡¯s not your first time crossing through spaces. Recall the time you saved this kid. Chi-Woo remembered the space warp he saw on the rooftop of the Academy. ¡®Then, like that time on the rooftop¡­!¡¯ ¡ªThe sexy witch dealt with everything that time, but it¡¯s usually not so easy to go through a space warp. ¡®What? Sexy witch?¡¯ ¡ªCome on, you saw her too. She makes you feel things. ¡®Stop your nonsense. Call her Lady Evelyn or Ms. Onorable.¡¯ ¡ªYou are hilarious, man. Is the witch your girlfriend or wife? Why are you aggravated? ¡®I¡¯m just telling you to be careful in the way you speak. ¡ªAh, I got it! I got it! Although there was a short period of confusion, Chi-Woo understood the general situation now. He had stepped through a spatial boundary and entered another space. Entering another space was far more complicated than creating a barrier, since it involved exploiting the inherent gaps between the barriers inside a world¡ªor at least that was what Evelyn had told him. In short, as long as they didn¡¯t have a person with skills comparable to the Abyss¡¯ witch, they were safe for the time being. Thus, Chi-Woo readied himself and took a step in the direction the girl had pointed him to. Thud. His feet touched the stairs, and he began to climb up one step at a time. He soon reached the top and stood in front of the arching entrance. The marble doors were tightly shut, and at their center, there was a symbol that looked like a dolphin or even a Taeguk. The girl in Chi-Woo¡¯s arms began to squirm. Before Chi-Woo could carefully let her down, she hopped off and ran toward the entrance. Without even slowing down to open the door, she ran right at it. ¡®Isn¡¯t she going to collide with the door¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo hurriedly chased after her before he stopped. ¡°Ahnu!¡± At that single word, the doors slid open like an automatic door. * * * Meanwhile, the detachment led by Ru Amuh was running toward the center of the city. They were able to move so quickly and approach the inner part of the city thanks to all the attention Chi-Woo had drawn toward him. But of course, not all of their enemies had gone after Chi-Woo, and the closer they got to the heart of the city, the closer they were to the Demon Empire; thus, the security had been getting tighter. Fulfilling his expectations, Ru Amuh felt the presence of snipers again and quickly found a hiding spot, plastering himself close to the building¡¯s wall. ¡°I think we¡¯re almost there,¡± Hodamaru said while looking around. ¡°But how do we find the eighth recruits?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey captain! Why¡­¡± Hodamaru stopped talking and closed his mouth when he saw Ru Amuh raise his hand. Ru Amuh¡¯s expression was alarming. ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± ¡°Wait. Give me a moment. I need to think¡­¡± Ru Amuh muttered. Like all abilities, one couldn¡¯t become too dependent on it and needed to know when to use it. This rule applied to even rare abilities like synesthesia. Thus, Ru Amuh didn¡¯t just trust it blindly. His synesthesia told him that the place they were currently at was the only hiding spot where the snipers¡¯ vision didn¡¯t reach; there was no doubt about that. But for some reason, synesthesia was also sending him an elusive warning that was difficult for him to grasp. That made him realize something was off. He had suddenly felt a wave of killing intent after running into no threats for a good while, and a hiding place just happened to be near? That was too much of a coincidence¡­ It felt like they had been purposefully led here. Why? There was only one possibility: to sweep them at once¡ª As soon as the thought formed in his mind, he heard something strike his ears. It was already too late when he realized it. ¡°Everyone get down!¡± Bam! The wall exploded. The stillness of the aftermath was broken by bouts of coughs. ¡°Damn it. This is within the range of their cannons too?¡± Hodamaru coughed while gritting his teeth on the ground. They weren¡¯t outside. The fact that the cannons had been shot right in front of the Demon Empire¡¯s territory meant the monsters were prepared for an all-out war. It wasn¡¯t time for them to hang around here like this. ¡°Hey! Is everyone¡ª?¡± However, Hodamaru blinked in puzzlement when he turned around. There were those who fell or fell over, but no one looked dead, or even injured. Ru Amuh was also confused. He scanned their surroundings with a shocked expression and suddenly looked up. A spherical, half-transparent barrier was surrounding them. Ru Amuh softly muttered, ¡°¡­A shield?¡± ¡°What the hell? Was there a magician among us?¡± Dulia got up and fixed her scattered hair. This didn¡¯t make sense at all. To Ru Amuh¡¯s knowledge, there was no hero among the detachment who could make such a large and strong shield to cover all of them. ¡ªHello, can you hear me? A voice rang in Ru Amuh¡¯s ears. ¡ªIf you¡¯re here to help us, identify yourselves. Show us which recruitment you were from with your fingers. Ru Amuh was startled, but even then, he raised his thumb and index finger with his left hand and opened up all his fingers on his right hand. ¡ªFifty-second recruits? Wait, that can¡¯t be right. Ah, it must be twenty-fifth recruits. Is it twenty-fifth? Ru Amuh frowned. He had no idea who, where, and how they were delivering these messages to his ears. However, they must be trying to find out who they were. Ru Amuh shook his head and showed ¡®2¡¯ and ¡®5¡¯ in turn with the same hand. ¡ª¡­I guess you can at least understand me. Seventh recruits. I¡¯ve confirmed it. It seemed Ru Amuh had gotten his point across. ¡ªI¡¯m only going to say this once, so listen carefully. If you run straight from there and turn right, you¡¯ll see a building. It¡¯s the largest building around here. Go in there for now. ¡ªInside, you¡¯ll see stairs, but don¡¯t go up. Instead, take the passage to your left and keep running. You¡¯ll then see a warehouse at the end of the hall. Get in there. Come on, quickly! The speaker spoke extremely fast. They said everything they wanted to say and hurried him on, and then one-sidedly cut off the conversation in a hurry. However, Ru Amuh could clearly feel the shield around them quickly and quietly disappear. ¡°Everyone, this way!¡± With the rough directions in mind, Ru Amuh led the detachment away. When he ran to the right as he was instructed to, he saw a towering building. He immediately went inside and ran through the aisle leading to the left and found a weathered door at the end. When he opened it and went in¡ª ¡°Hurry up, hurry up!¡± One person was holding up the iron door from below and waving towards them. Ru Amuh and the detachment jumped down as quickly as possible. There weren''t any stairs or ladders. Thud! They landed on the ground. Ru Amuh stood still for now and turned around. All his team members had gotten in, but there were others still coming in, and as soon as they came down, they surrounded the detachment members. After a while¡ª Bam! The iron door closed with a thud. A deep darkness filled the aisle. Soon after¡ªTap! Crackkle! They heard the sound of someone flicking their fingers, and at the same, the torches on the walls lit up. Clank-Clank¡ª Someone was walking towards them. One side of the people surrounding them moved back to make way, and the figure stopped before Ru Amuh and his companions, crossing her arms as she looked at them. ¡°Hmm.¡± She tilted her head as if she wasn¡¯t pleased with something, her long platinum blonde hair trickling down her shoulders reflecting the torch light. Then, she said, ¡°This is all?¡± Her thin voice rang in the basement. * * * The door automatically opened. Once inside, Chi-Woo felt something strange about the place. Unlike the outside, the interior was quite neat; it looked as if someone had been taking care of this space. He got the same feeling as entering someone¡¯s home and seeing freshly prepared brunch and steaming coffee on the table, but once he looked around, there was no one at home. ¡ª¡­In the beginning, there was chaos. Philip began murmuring while looking at a plank on the wall of the aisle. ¡ªGood breeds evil, and evil breeds good. Good cannot be purely good, and evil cannot be purely evil. Therefore, good is evil, and evil is good. It¡¯s not good or evil, but both good and evil. That is real chaos¡­ ¡ªHmm, it doesn¡¯t sound completely ancient¡­ Philip, as someone who had beat the crap out of many demons and even pagans who worshiped demons, tilted his head. Chi-Woo was about to ask what kind of nonsense Philip just read out, but decided to first chase after the girl. The girl was moving with great urgency. Tap, tap, tap. She walked briskly before starting running, stopping only once she reached what looked like the center hall of the building. Following her footsteps, Chi-Woo came to a halt as well. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The girl¡¯s lips trembled. Her behavior was quite strange. She had looked very excited a moment ago, but suddenly, she looked extremely shocked. He wondered why she was acting like that and saw a stone statue on the altar. Its posture was strange. It looked as if the statue was raising its upper body and was supposed to be touching someone¡¯s forehead and hands. However, there was no other statue. It was akin to seeing the statue of Virgin Mary embracing Jesus with no Jesus in her arms. Then, the girl knelt down on the altar like a mermaid. She gently pressed both of her palms on the statue¡¯s palms and placed her forehead on the statue¡¯s forehead. ¡°Aww¡­Aw¡­¡± As if she had been reunited with a family member whom she had been separated from for a very long time, she tightly held onto the statue¡¯s hands and cried. Chi-Woo was lost for words. He couldn¡¯t move his eyes away from the girl¡ªno, both the statue and the girl; they fit perfectly together, as if they had finally found their other half. ¡ª¡­Hey. Philip, who was watching the sobbing girl, spoke up in a perplexed voice, which was unusual for him. ¡ªYou¡­it¡­seems like you picked up something unbelievable¡­? CH 154 The city was bustling for a while¡ªfrom the inside and the outside. A large number of snipers from the Indigenous Monsters Alliance chased after one man. The man escaped so swiftly like a squirrel that they had planned to call for troops when he suddenly disappeared. Worst of all, he had disappeared where ¡®that¡¯ was said to be. It was something they must not lose no matter what price they had to pay. ¡°Hm¡­¡± One figure kneeled to study the blood stain on the ground. Then he reached out and twisted one hand in the empty space in front of him and tilted his head. It was then one person ran toward him and quickly made a report. ¡°¡­So, were they caught in the trap?¡± he said in a husky voice while still looking at the empty space. * * * ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Bring it over here.¡± The basement was wider than they had expected. It seemed the place was made with war in mind, and it was large as an air defense shelter. Furthermore, Ru Amuh¡¯s prediction was right. The eighth recruits were still alive and hiding inside the center of the city. With the Demon Empire and the Indigenous Monsters Alliance warring in the region, the eighth recruits were stuck in between and were unable to move around. Ru Amuh wanted to applaud them for having survived until now in this terrible situation. Like the seventh recruits, they must have endured great hardships and adversity. As a result, the eighth recruits looked thin and dreary like starving refugees. But besides that, Ru Hiana wasn¡¯t pleased by the situation, specifically the eighth recruits¡¯ attitude toward the detachment. They had taken great risks to come to the eighth recruits¡¯ rescue. There was no reason for them to be investigated or treated as the lesser ones by the eighth recruits like this. It was unbelievable how the eighth recruits acted¡ªlike an army with stringent ranks, hierarchy and everything else. A selected few were ruling over the others. Such a power dynamic was unimaginable for the recruits who had come to Liber until now. The only explanation was that there must be heroes in the ¡®legendary¡¯ category. Ru Hiana stared at the four people sitting at a separate table with a disgruntled look on their faces. There was a mysterious hero wearing a thin gown and a face veil. Next to them, there was an eye-catchingly handsome young man good-looking enough to give Ru Amuh a run for his money; he looked like a nobleman, but with an intimidating presence. There was also a slender middle-aged man with rainbow-colored hair. The way he was dressed made him look like a free spirit here on a vacation. And lastly, there was the platinum blonde woman who was aggressively bombarding them with all sorts of questions. ¡°This¡ªit doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± the platinum blonde woman said while slamming her fist on the table and getting up. Although she had grown up like a sheltered princess, her temper was no joke. ¡°We accepted you all at the risk of revealing our locations, and there are only ten of you? The rest returned? Are you kidding me?¡± Ru Hiana squinted at her. She didn¡¯t like how they made things seem like her group had done something wrong. Hodamaru fiddled with his hands while standing still. He was writing a message. After staying quiet for a while, Ru Amuh also turned on his device and read Hodamaru¡¯s message. [I think they are part of the twelve families who light up the Celestial Realm.] [The one who is complaining right now as well as the other three watching.] [You saw the barrier, right? It wouldn¡¯t make sense unless they are. I¡¯m sure they got a bit of backup by making a separate tunnel. The only ones who can do that are members of the twelve families.] Ru Amuh nodded. He had been thinking the same thing. ¡°Hey, you there, what are you doing?¡± After her one-sided yelling match, the platinum blonde woman whirled around and demanded. ¡°Ah, I was sending a message,¡± Hodamaru replied calmly. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can still contact the others. We have to tell them that we found the eighth recruits, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think?¡± the platinum blonde woman said, baffled. ¡°Hm? Is there a problem?¡± Hodamaru pretended to be clueless and didn¡¯t address the woman he suspected to be a member of the twelve families formally. ¡°Ha¡ªseriously, so clueless¡­ Whatever. I shouldn¡¯t even expect anything in the first place.¡± she snorted and walked up to the whole detachment like a model doing a catwalk. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°There used to be 511 of us, but only 326 survive.¡± The woman lifted her chin and stood akimbo. ¡°It seems that the plan we¡¯ve barely brought into reality is all going into the gutters now.¡± Ru Hiana quieted her breathing. She had to hold herself back. ¡°It would have been better for you to return with the others. Why did you even come here? Were you all so desperate to die?¡± The platinum blonde woman continued to ask. It was then a companion of hers quietly got up from their seat. It was the hero with their face covered by a veil. They turned around and left the place as if they had seen enough. ¡°What? Where are you going?¡± the woman demanded, but she got no response. The cold-looking, noble young man stood up as well. He turned around and stomped away. ¡°Why are you going¡­?¡± The noble man had the courtesy to stop and respond in a low voice tinged with anger, ¡°Is there anything else to see here?¡± With that, he and the veiled hero both went into their respective rooms and shut the door. ¡°¡­Seriously!¡± Unable to overcome her anger, the platinum blonde woman stomped on the floor hard. ¡°Am I the only one who''s serious? Am I the only one who¡¯s concerned?¡± ¡°Whoah, whoah, calm down. Afu~¡± the remaining middle-aged man said with a grin. The platinum blonde woman shot him a sharp glare and said, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± ¡°Fufu, Afu you get riled up too easily.¡± The middle-aged man smirked and got up. ¡°Please understand, Afu. I understand why Rak¡¯s like that, but Eusu¡­after what happened to Mary, they must have hoped for an army. They must be really disappointed.¡± ¡°I know! Mariaju was also my friend. I wanted to save her too!¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s calm down and think seriously about the matter.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you sputtering?¡± ¡°The situation isn¡¯t that bad.¡± The rainbow-haired middle-aged man got up from his seat. Then he asked the detachment with a smiling face, ¡°Hey, do you guys have some food or water? We managed to endure until now somehow, but truthfully, we are in a dangerous situation.¡± ¡°Food is¡­¡± Ru Amuh licked his lips. He brought a lot of food just in case, but there were more members than he had expected. He thought there would be 100 of them at most, but there turned out to be more than 300. And apparently, there used to be over 500 of recruits in the beginning. Nevertheless, Ru Amuh was about to take out what they had when he found nothing. ¡°Huh?¡± Then a balloon-like object popped out of his pocket. ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± The platinum-haired woman¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Pyu.¡± It was a steam bun. ¡®Why is teacher¡¯s pet with me¡­?¡¯ Ru Amuh wondered, and the bun answered by opening its mouth wide. At Chi-Woo¡¯s suggestion, bun had brought extra supplies in case they needed more. Thus, when the detachment entered the city and saw how things were progressing, bun had decided on its own to move from Chi-Woo to Ru Amuh to fulfill its mission. ¡°Urgh¡ªEck¡ª¡± Food supplies and water bottles poured out of the bun¡¯s mouth. ¡°Oh¡­oh¡­¡± the middle-aged man exclaimed. Ru Amuh also stared at it in a daze. Chi-Woo¡¯s foresight had saved the day once again. ¡°Look at this, Afu. Isn¡¯t this awesome?¡± The middle-aged man gathered the pile of food and hugged them close. No matter how noble his upbringing was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he needed to eat and drink. ¡°¡­I told you not to call me that,¡± the platinum blonde woman said in great annoyance, but her tone sounded a bit softer than before. ¡°And that¡¯s not all,¡± the middle-aged man said. ¡°You said you just sent a message, right? That means they got a god. They could have also brought the god with them, and we might be able to use our devices!¡± The platinum blonde woman crossed her arms. She seemed to be asking silently, ¡®What of it?¡¯ ¡°And the rest of their team had returned. Once they reach the capital, people there will find out about our situation for sure. And if the Choi I know hears about this, he will say something like this for sure,¡± the middle-aged man suddenly affected a serious once like he was imitating someone, ¡°¡­So you all came but ended up in this state. Ha, never mind. I guess I will go to your aid. Let¡¯s hope that you can endure until I arrive, or else it would be wasted effort.¡± The middle-aged man laughed after imitating Choi Chi-Hyun. ¡°I hate that even more,¡± the platinum blonde woman said with a scowl. ¡°Thinking of how arrogant he would act if he comes made my stomach twist!¡± ¡°Hm~ I understand.¡± The middle-aged man nodded. ¡°Since you have been dumped once after trying to hit on him, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t feel comfortable meeting him.¡± ¡°W-what did you say? Got dumped?¡± Her tone immediately grew sharp. The middle-aged man continued in a nonchalant tone, ¡°Am I wrong? From what I know, I heard that most of the families tried at least once, and all of you got dumped~¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me!¡± the platinum blonde woman furiously shot back. ¡°My sister was the one who proposed and got rejected. It¡¯s not related to me in the slightest, not even a little bit!¡± ¡°Uh¡­is that so?¡± The middle-aged man scratched his head and knocked on his palm with his fist. ¡°Ah, yeah. Your family wanted both of you to get married off to the Choi family, right? Hm, how did it go again? You, the youngest daughter of your family, and the youngest son in the Choi family who is shrouded in rumors¡ª¡± The platinum blonde woman scoffed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t like the idea either.¡± She slammed the ground again in annoyance. ¡°So very well protected and hidden from all. Why would I want a guy like that? Did you think I agreed because I wanted to!? I also hated it!¡± Seemingly recalling a bad memory, she shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°What nonsense! For real!¡± She stomped away like her two companions had done. Bam! She slammed her door as an added effect. ¡°Ah, I was finally able to send her off.¡± The middle-aged man let out a long sigh. Members of the detachment had been standing still in the meantime. It seemed that they had heard some insider knowledge they shouldn¡¯t be privy to. It made sense for the twelve families to arrange marriages since they valued bloodline greatly, but as always, the Choi family from Earth was an exception. ¡°Sorry, my bad. It was a bit of a mess, wasn''t it?¡± The middle-aged man put his hands together and winked. ¡° I¡¯m sorry that we¡¯re treating all of you like this when you came all the way here to save us. Everyone is extremely tense because the situation here is far worse than our imagination.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Thank you, and please give her the benefit of the doubt. She¡¯s kind on the inside, but she¡¯s a cutie who can only express her worries or concerns through anger.¡± Ru Hiana snorted without intending to. But the middle-aged man continued, ¡°¡­Well, even then, she¡¯s the kindest among the 12 families, at least among those I know.¡± With a bitter smile, he reached out one hand, his slippers squeaking on the floor. ¡°Shall we first introduce ourselves?¡± Ru Amuh took his hands. ¡°I¡¯m Ru Amuh, part of the seventh recruits.¡± A look of recognition flashed through the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ru Amuh? Are you perhaps the hero that was specially selected by the Celestial Realm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say so myself, but yes.¡± ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing! I was wondering how you got through and came here! So this was the reason!¡± He laughed and continued, ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ismile Shain Hakmart Nahla. My name is a bit complicated, right? I¡¯d appreciate it if you call me Smiley~¡± It was now the detachment¡¯s turn to begin murmuring amongst themselves. The Nahla family was considered inferior only to the Choi and the Ho Lactae family. They were famous for evolving beyond human capabilities through generations of eugenics. Moreover, the name, Ismile, was famous even among the Nahla family. It was the same as the Choi family sending their best player in the field, Chi-Hyun. An even more influential person than they expected had come to Liber. The detachment grew hopeful that they might be able to escape. After organizing his thoughts, Ru Amuh politely asked, ¡°Would you be able to tell us what has happened so far?¡± ¡°Well, that won¡¯t be hard. Shall we sit down first? Everyone come here and sit!¡± Ismile led everyone to the table and made a fuss. Then he suddenly stopped. ¡°¡­Ah. Um. Could I have a meal before that, though?¡± He scratched his rainbow-colored hair and grinned with a tinge of embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯ve been starving for a few days.¡± Growl. An embarrassing sound rang out. * * * At the same time, Chi-Woo was in a daze looking at the white-haired girl shed tears. Philip¡¯s words stuck in his mind¡ªabout how he had picked up something unbelievable. ¡®¡­No way.¡¯ He was utterly confused; he couldn¡¯t get rid of the itching thought in the back of his mind. ¡°Ah.¡± The girl moved away from the statue and turned to look up at Chi-Woo. Her teary eyes seemed to be asking Chi-Woo for help. Chi-Woo moved towards the girl and the statue as if he was bewitched. He couldn¡¯t feel anything from what seemed to be the statue of a god. He was reminded of the time he had first met Shahnaz. There was only one possible conclusion¡ªhe needed to bring it back to life. They had to sacrifice a great number of people to restore Shahnaz, but now, he didn¡¯t have to do that. Chi-Woo took out a large bottle full of holy water. He didn¡¯t want to use it, but he shook off his hesitation and lingering attachment. Since he had come this far, he needed to finish this task. Chi-Woo opened the bottle and did not hesitate to pour the holy water on top of the stone statue. Splash¡ª Chi-Woo poured all of it and bowed as he prayed with all his heart. The girl also looked up at Chi-Woo with sad eyes and hurriedly pressed her forehead to the stone statue¡¯s again. And then, something astounding happened. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to see it because he had his eyes closed, but the water flowing down the stone statue began to flow faintly before going against gravity and getting absorbed into the stone statue. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. After silently repeating, ¡®please listen to the girl¡¯s wishes¡¯ inside his mind, he looked up, feeling a strange but familiar sensation. Like his first meeting with La Bella, Chi-Woo realized he was in a strange and mysterious space. The girl was still praying with her hands clasped together. Then she slipped and suddenly collapsed to the floor, while the statue in front of her slowly rose up. No, she wasn¡¯t a statue anymore, but a human, or a living being moving like a human. ¡°Argh¡ª¡± The newly emerged girl tipped her head as high as possible and opened her eyes. Chi-Woo gaped. She looked identical to the short-haired girl lying prone on the floor like she was dead; they looked like twins. However, there was something noticeably different about them. The girl had the same features, but black, short hair and black eyes. Above all, the air around them was completely different. While the white-haired girl was like light coming from a pure white crystal, the black-haired girl was a mixture of all evil matters like a muddled darkness. ¡°¡­What?¡± Then she began talking. ¡°How did you¡­La Bella?¡± The black-haired girl turned around and tilted her head. ¡°Why would an apostle of true neutral¡­¡± She looked Chi-Woo up and down with her completely black eyes. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± She nodded as if she just realized something. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it was. Yeah. You¡¯re not completely a true neutral apostle. You¡¯re just like us¡ª¡± She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly blinked when her voice wouldn¡¯t come out. ¡°What the?¡± She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly before she went on to express her displeasure. ¡°Why can¡¯t I talk? Is it because of you, La Bella?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly why, but she seemed extremely annoyed; the intense energy she radiated made the whole place vibrate. She angrily shouted, ¡°How dare you interfere in my realm!¡± She let out a murderous aura. ¡ª¡­It seems a bit dangerous. As soon as Philip murmured this, black energy shot out from all over the girl¡¯s body. When black stalks that spread out like peacock feathers were about to pierce Chi-Woo¡¯s back¡ª Bam! ¡°Ack!¡± The black haired girl flattened like a frog on the spot. That seemed to be a huge palmprint around her if he wasn¡¯t mistaken. ¡°You bloody Astraea¡¯s daughter¡ª!¡± She frantically moved and spat out biting insults. ¡°What, what?¡± Chi-Woo looked down at the now sobbing girl in shock. He had no idea what was happening here. However, he knew that it was best to stay quiet during these times. Then the mysterious energy pushing the girl down slowly withdrew. ¡°¡­Is she gone? She¡¯s gone.¡± The black-haired girl cautiously got up, and while looking at the white-haired girl on the floor, she said, ¡°Why did she¡­have to bring someone like him¡­of all people¡­even if¡­¡± Then she sighed and continued, ¡°¡­But he did help.¡± She looked back and forth between Chi-Woo and the girl. Then she walked up to Chi-Woo and expressed her gratitude, ¡°Thanks, oppa.¡± CH 155 Chi-Woo suddenly felt a strong spell of dizziness. He closed his eyes and pressed his temples hard. ¡®Hm.¡¯ After organizing his thoughts for a while, he nodded. ¡®I don¡¯t get anything.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what was happening, or why this girl was calling him oppa. In situations like this, he needed to untangle things one by one. Thus, he opened his eyes again and said, ¡°Why am I your oppa?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The black-haired girl titled her head. ¡°I am the youngest in my family. I never heard of having a younger sister,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Ah¡­that¡¯s true, but I didn¡¯t mean it in a purely biological sense.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡ª¡± Chi-Woo craned his ears for an answer but didn¡¯t get one no matter how long he waited. Taking a closer look, he realized it wasn¡¯t that the girl wasn¡¯t speaking, but she couldn¡¯t. Although she was moving her mouth, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying at all. Seemingly coming to the same realization, the black-haired girl scowled. ¡°Fuck! This shit again?¡± the girl cursed. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t this part be censored instead?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought but decided to drop the issue. And since the girl seemed unable to answer him for some unknowable reason, he decided to move on to the next question. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The black-haired girl glanced at the white-haired girl. ¡°Or us?¡± ¡°Both.¡± ¡°Well, who do you think we are?¡± Chi-Woo furrowed his eyebrows. As if Chi-Woo¡¯s expression pleased her, the black-haired girl snickered like a mischievous child. ¡°Well, fine, there¡¯s no reason to keep it from you. If you¡¯re asking for my name, I¡¯m Kabal. And my future vessel is Balal.¡± ¡°Vessel?¡± ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± The black-haired girl smiled sweetly. It was then Philip spoke up. ¡ªYou are an ancient god, a forgotten one at that. For some reason, the girl named Kabal didn¡¯t agree or deny Philip¡¯s words, but she narrowed her eyes at Philip with a hardened face. ¡°Watch your mouth, kid,¡± she warned after relaxing again. ¡°Addressing me as ¡®you¡¯? Do you not care for anything just because you are dead?¡± Philip looked baffled. ¡ªDamn it, I knew it. Kabal? No denomination kept in the shadows was ever decent. ¡°That¡¯s harsh. I¡¯m at least not a demon worshiper.¡± ¡ªBut you are still evil. ¡°Heh,¡± Kabal simply laughed at Philip¡¯s bold claim. She continued leisurely, ¡°Alive or dead, humans are always the same. So unbelievably arrogant. Not only do they differentiate between what¡¯s good and evil by themselves, but they also make judgments. On what authority? How dare they come up with their own standards?¡± Kabal turned to Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°What do you think about this, oppa?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s vision suddenly turned dark at that moment. ¡°Come on, tell me. Is it dark or bright?¡± He heard a mischievous voice inside the darkness. ¡°¡­It¡¯s dark.¡± ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t it simply less bright?¡± Before Chi-Woo could answer, he felt his body heat up. ¡°Hot? Or cold?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°No, you should say it¡¯s less cold.¡± Chi-Woo looked stunned. His body temperature had returned to normal before he realized it. Then Kabal spoke again, ¡°But that spirit next to you would say that¡¯s all nonsense. He would say that just like how the moon sets when the sun rises, or how water flows from higher to lower levels, there¡¯s darkness because of light. And it¡¯s the same for evil and good. One wouldn¡¯t call kindness the lesser evil or vice versa. While the two are polar opposites, however, they are also relative to each other. And thus, they become complete with their union.¡± Kabal continued after a short pause, ¡°I want to crack the fools who divide what¡¯s good and evil on their own and check what¡¯s inside their heads.¡± She hummed pensively. ¡°That¡¯s why I like neutrality, especially complete neutrality.¡± Philip didn¡¯t say anything; all he did was glare at her. Then he sighed. ¡ªThose stupid later generations¡­ Philip realized then why they had found the white-haired girl named ¡®Balal¡¯ at the academy. In the beginning, Liber was a world close to gods. Gods descended upon the middle world and lived among humans. There was a time like that for Earth, too. Humans from the early days were very weak and needed help to survive. Thus, gods granted the miracles they prayed for and received merits in return. But as time progressed, there came a clear distinction between Liber and Earth: the direction in which they developed. With technological innovations and progress in science, humans on Earth no longer requested help from supernatural beings. They solved most problems by themselves, and thus, besides a few gods, the rest of the gods lost their places on Earth and left. In contrast, Liber developed with the gods¡¯ powers at the center of their progress, and even as time passed, they prayed for and desired powers from supernatural beings. In response to these prayers, countless gods were born. But even on Liber, not all gods were immortal. There were many reasons for this: their existences was no longer necessary, religious wars breaking out, and so on. Thus, there were also many denominations that had been forgotten or erased from history. Kabal was one such denomination. It didn¡¯t completely disappear, but it was barely maintaining its existence through secret teachings. Humans weren¡¯t the only ones who wanted to keep living once they were born. Gods were the same, and thus, Kabal pondered deeply. She wondered what else she needed to prevent herself from disappearing. The fact that she needed something meant that she did indeed lack something, and she must make up for what she was lacking to remain as a god. This was when the Salem Academy came into the picture. The academy was a long-term project intended to make the Salem empire strong enough to fight its powerful neighbors. And in the academy, there were all sorts of research on the dark, mysterious phenomena in the world, including the possibility of weaponizing a god. Thus, a cult with the purpose of helping a god who wanted to be reborn was formed. It was hard to tell who approached whom first, but both the Salem Empire and said god had something to gain from each other. ¡ª¡­.So After a pause, Philip said in a low voice. ¡ªLike it was written outside, are you planning to become ¡®chaos¡¯? Going so far as to create artificial life?¡± As soon as Evelyn saw the white-haired girl, she said the girl wasn¡¯t human. It was true. The white-haired girl wasn¡¯t born but created to help make Kabal into ¡®chaos¡¯. ¡°It bothers me that you say I¡¯m trying to ¡®become¡¯ something.¡± Kabal shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m only trying to return things to how it was before¡ªthe beginning of creation.¡± ¡ªWith this method? How is that possible¡ª ¡°Again with your arrogance.¡± Kabal clicked her tongue. ¡°No one knows what will happen¡ªeven the gods. That¡¯s what chaos is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable,¡± Chi-Woo, who had been quietly listening, spoke up in shock. ¡°How can they bring about the rebirth of a god who already exists through artificial means¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡± He shook his head and repeated himself, ¡°It can¡¯t happen.¡± Philip nodded vehemently in agreement. He had wanted to say the same thing as Chi-Woo. In response, Kabal stared intently at Chi-Woo. ¡°W-what?¡± Chi-Woo mumbled, taken aback. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Kabal snorted like she was very displeased by him. ¡°I can understand such sentiment coming from that spirit¡­but it¡¯s pretty ridiculous when you of all people say that.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Am I wrong? Don¡¯t you see the irony of you saying that can¡¯t happen? In terms of unbelievable occurrences, aren¡¯t you hundreds of millions of times more of an impossible existence?¡± Kabal frowned mid-sentence. Like earlier, she was muted. She looked extremely annoyed by the unexpected interference. Soon after, Kabal said with a crooked smile, ¡°¡­The world really seems to have changed a lot. How dare they step into the divine territory?¡± Chi-Woo looked up at Philip reflexively. He could only think of one faction when it came to uninvited guests. Chi-Woo complained to Philip, ¡®You said it was safe.¡¯ ¡ªI didn¡¯t know this could happen, either. Philip said calmly. ¡ªThey either followed your tracks without making a single misstep, or there¡¯s someone who knows how to break down the spatial boundaries. The former is better than the latter of the two possibilities, but we have to wait and see. ¡ªWhat are you planning to do now? Philip wasn¡¯t saying this to Chi-Woo. ¡°Me?¡± Kabal¡¯s eyes widened. She was a god who had been forgotten until a recent unexpected accident revived her. On top of that, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how far the research to reborn a god had progressed, but the results had remained intact. ¡°Well¡ª¡± Kabal¡¯s gaze lingered on the white-haired girl for a while, and then the corners of her mouth slowly curled into a smile. * * * ¡°!¡± Chi-Woo opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt dizzy like he had come out of a sauna after staying there for a long time. When he looked around, he realized that he was back in the center hall. ¡®Just now¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo tried to recall what just happened and flinched when Balal began squirming. Balal slowly raised her head and moved her gaze. When she saw Chi-Woo, she opened her mouth and smiled brightly. ¡°Ah!¡± She got to her feet and ran over to Chi-Woo, wrapping her arms around his waist. Chi-Woo was flustered and taken aback. She seemed like an innocent girl when she acted like this. The gap between Kabal and Balal was huge. Anyway, he didn¡¯t know what had happened, but she seemed to be Balal rather than Kabal right now. ¨CHey. It was then that Philip called out to Chi-Woo. ¨CI think you should get out. He sounded serious. Chi-Woo quickly opened the door and went outside. As soon as he went down the stairs, he froze. He could tell from a glance that the figure on the other side was a monster from the Indigenous Monster Alliance. Since they were in different spaces, the monster seemed unable to see Chi-Woo even though he was right in front of it. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes snapped to the monster as it passed by. Even though there didn¡¯t seem to be much difference between the space Chi-Woo was in and the outside, he felt as if he was looking at the world outside through a mirror. Anyway, this told him one thing¡ªhe could see the outside from where he was, but those outside couldn¡¯t see him. Moreover, it seemed the different spaces couldn¡¯t exert influence on each other. It was too early to relax, though; there were many beings roaming around the temple. Some of them were moving while cautiously observing the floor. They spun around like Chi-Woo had done when he first came in and moved closer to him. ¡°Wait¡­!¡± Chi-Woo saw a shocking sight from a distance. One monster was pulling a woman¡¯s hair and pushing a knife to her neck. It then looked around and seemed to be yelling something, but he couldn¡¯t hear what the monster was saying. ¡ªCome. On. Out. Philip read the monster¡¯s lips and relayed it to Chi-Woo. ¡ªIt seems like the monster is going to kill her if you don¡¯t come out quickly. Chi-Woo really didn¡¯t want to hear that, but he could make a rough guess about what had happened; after all, the woman who was being threatened was Shadia. Shadia looked extremely disheveled and in serious condition; it also seemed like she had been cut by a sword, and she was missing an arm. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what exactly happened to her, but it was clear that she had gone through something really bad. However, it wasn¡¯t only her that was suffering. Around the place where Chi-Woo had disappeared, dozens of people were forced to kneel and were getting threatened with their lives on the line. ¡®So that¡¯s why. I see¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly realized why his Insight into the Unknown had told him that the way out was the front and not the back. The only future awaiting the rescue team returning to the capital was a bloodbath. Chi-Woo bit into his bottom lip. There was another mountain after surmounting a mountain, and another hurdle after overcoming a hurdle. Chi-Woo thought that he had safely resolved a crisis, but a bigger crisis awaited him. ¡ªWhat are you going to do? Philip asked. ¡®¡­Give me a moment.¡¯ Chi-Woo let out a long sigh. He mustn¡¯t act rashly. He returned to the temple for now and closed the door before slumping down. He turned on the device just in case and saw a notification¡ªit was Ru Amuh¡¯s message. The message contained a concise description of what had happened so far. ¡®So that¡¯s what happened. They too¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo learned what the situation was like over there, and how they had successfully met up with the eighth recruits. ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ Chi-Woo finished reading the message and fell into thought. ¡®Let¡¯s organize the information at hand.¡¯ The rest of the rescue team had failed to escape. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly what happened, but they were all caught. Moreover, the Indigenous Monsters Alliance was tightly surrounding this area. In addition, some of the captured rescue members were being threatened to get him out. These were the facts he knew at the moment. ¡®But why?¡¯ Chi-Woo found the current situation strange. The reaction of the Indigenous Monsters Alliance was a bit too intense, considering that they were trying to catch only one person. It seemed to be overkill¡ªunless they had a different goal in mind. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. He tapped the floor with his index finger and nibbled his lower lip. He didn¡¯t have much time. Chi-Woo quickly opened his eyes and rose from his seat. ¡°Pweh.¡± He took a deep breath in. ¡°Ms. Balal.¡± He looked down at the girl crouching beside him. ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡± CH 156 After getting caught in the middle of their retreat, the rest of the rescue team looked dejected. They were ambushed in almost all directions¡ªfrom the front, left, and right. In other words, their enemies had already been aware of their trespassing. The rescue team struggled, but they had been relying on the element of surprise and were greatly outnumbered. Thus, they thought they would die helplessly at the hands of their enemies. But for some reason, the Indigenous Monster Alliance took them as captives and brought them back to the city. As if they were going to publicly execute all of them, they raised their swords and screeched for others to come out. The rescue team had no idea what was going on. They heard murmurings from around them. Shadia blankly looked up, and her eyes widened. A temple was revealed in the once empty space. She might have seen it wrong, but Shadia felt a strange sensation like the time she had first seen the Academy in the capital. Everyone¡ªthose who were screaming, searching for something, or roaming about¡ªall stopped what they were doing to look at the temple. Some time later, the tightly sealed stone door opened, and a young man walked out leisurely. After descending the stairs, Chi-Woo looked around. Although he appeared calm on the outside, his heart was thumping like mad. He was keeping a calm fa?ade; he couldn¡¯t show any sign of weakness and had to bluff now. Then, he met eyes with Shadia. ¡°¡­Sorry,¡± Chi-Woo said. One-armed, Shadia gave him a weak smile. ¡°Be careful of these guys. They are perverts. They kept looking for something, and when I said I didn¡¯t know what it was, they did this to my arm¡ªuggggh!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Shadia¡¯s face scrunched up. The guy behind her was yanking her hair. ¡°You talk too much,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, they all must be really oblivious to not realize that they have been trapped.¡± The speaker stomped out of the darkness while snickering. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. It was a human¡ªno. ¡®It¡¯s not human.¡¯ Chi-Woo had the same feeling before when he saw a well-preserved spiritual being. But it wasn¡¯t a spirit like Philip. It was alive and moving. There was something about it, though¡ªits age, sex, nothing seemed clear. The only definite parts about this figure were that its hair and eyes were black, and it had long, pointy ears; it was scowling with visible discontent. ¡®Is it an elf?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought it looked scary for a being that supposedly appeared often in other worlds. ¡ªIt¡¯s half demon and half human. Chi-Woo had to hide his surprise after hearing what Philip said. ¡®Half-human, half-demon?¡¯ ¡ªYup. A being born between a human and a demon is welcomed nowhere. ¡®But why is it here when it¡¯s half demon?¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s a wonder. They are beings disowned by both humans and demons. It¡¯s surprising this one is with the Indigenous Monster Alliance. And while Chi-Woo was surprised about the revelation, the half-demon said, ¡°But it¡¯s really surprising.¡± It released its grasp on Shadia¡¯s hair, and Shadia fell to the ground. The half-demon spoke with ease as if it thought they had the advantage with their many hostages. ¡°How were you able to so easily find the thing we and the demons have been looking so desperately for? We should definitely have a chat.¡± The half-demon smirked at the hostages and said, ¡°But before that, you have to kneel first. Like those guys.¡± The half-demon pressed its feet on Shadia¡¯s head, and Chi-Woo¡¯s eyebrow rose. ¡°Why should I?¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Is having no sense a trait of your race?¡± ¡°I thought you wanted to talk?¡± Chi-Woo retorted, unwilling to give his opponent the upper hand. ¡°I can talk while standing well enough¡ª¡± The half-demon¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Then kneel.¡± Simultaneously, a sharp wind whipped past Chi-Woo¡¯s left thigh. ¡°!¡± It was the same attack he had been hit with when saving the white-haired girl, Balal. He hadn¡¯t been able to even hear its sound or sense it, and his thigh would have been pierced through if it hadn¡¯t reacted by itself. ¡°Ho¡­¡± the half-demon exclaimed in admiration. ¡°How surprising. To think you would be able to evade my spirit death blow.¡± Chi-Woo glanced at his left. ¡°Then let¡¯s see¡­¡± A yellowish-green essence was fluttering in the air. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can avoid this.¡± The yellowish-green essence split and hovered before and on both sides of Chi-Woo, ready to strike at him anytime. ¡°¡­¡± Cold sweat streaked down Chi-Woo¡¯s back, and after slowly looking from his left to his right, Chi-Woo gave the half-demon a bland smile. ¡°How amazing.¡± Chi-Woo raised both hands like he was surrendering and shook his head. ¡°To think you would treat your savior like this. I guess ungratefulness is a trait of your race.¡± The half-demon laughed humorlessly at Chi-Woo¡¯s bold attitude. In a mocking tone, it asked, ¡°Savior? Did I hear wrong? Or do you humans call those who make a mess in other people¡¯s war zones ¡®saviors¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I saved you all from dying. I feel so unappreciated.¡± Chi-Woo smiled slightly in response. ¡°What? Saved all of us? Us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. You have been getting beaten up by the Demon Empire not too long ago. Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± Chi-Woo said teasingly. ¡°But thanks to my efforts, you and your people are allowed some reprieve to move away from the border and launch a counterattack. Hasn¡¯t your life been easier since then?¡± There was a slight commotion. The half-demon didn¡¯t respond positively to Chi-Woo talking about their affairs so flippantly, and as the bloodlust in the air deepened, Chi-Woo quickly continued, ¡°If I had known you guys were going to act like this, I wouldn¡¯t have asked the Abyss to help. I regret it now.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± As expected, they took the bait. ¡°Abyss? You are part of the Abyss?¡± another member of the group asked. ¡°Ha! Do you expect us to believe that?¡± The half-demon stomped threateningly toward Chi-Woo like it was ready to unsheath its sword. ¡°I never said I was part of the Abyss. I only worked with them not too long ago.¡± The half-demon looked beyond baffled and enraged. It was an understandable response. A member of a group consisted of nothing but refugees or slaves somewhere claimed to have worked with the Abyss¡ªa faction strong enough to fight the powerful Sernitas. It went beyond the realm of a joke and veered into utter nonsense. The half-demon made an arm in the air with its sword and pressed the blade against Chi-Woo. ¡°This is your last warning,¡± it said in a curt tone. ¡°If you say one more word¡ª¡± ¡°Ah~ Yes, sir. Why don¡¯t you try¡­ But I¡¯m also warning you.¡± When the half-demon began to move its sword, Chi-Woo quickly added, ¡°If you kill me, Lady Witch from the Abyss Faction won¡¯t be pleased.¡± Fortunately, the sword stopped. ¡°The Abomination of Babylon¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, watch your mouth,¡± Chi-Woo said sincerely this time. ¡°You have to call her Onorables Evelyn. How dare you.¡± The half-demon narrowed its eyes. This human knew the witch¡¯s real name? ¡°I think you¡¯re¡­the one who crosses the line by saying her name so casually.¡± For the first time, the half-demon faltered. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been sure if this would work, but it seemed mentioning the Witch, who was one of the top most influential figures in the Abyss Faction, had been the right choice. After a short silence, the half-demon glared at Chi-Woo and said, ¡°¡­You punk, who are you?¡± ¡°Me? Hm¡ª¡± Chi-Woo purposely paused. ¡°If you¡¯re asking about my relationship with the Abyss Faction¡ªwell, first, we crushed the Demon Empire¡¯s plan to expand their border between the Abyss Faction and Demon Empire.¡± Chi-Woo slowly began listing out each point as he recalled them. ¡°I was the one who requested the Witch to keep the Demon Empire at bay, who was attacking the Indigenous Monster Alliance. In exchange, I stopped the Sernitas¡¯ attack.¡± ¡°The Sernitas¡¯ attack?¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know? It was pretty funny what they were doing. You wouldn¡¯t believe it, but they captured and altered a god to how they liked it and used them to fight their opponents.¡± ¡°What?¡± The half-demon¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°God? Which god was it?¡± Chi-Woo purposefully did not reply because it seemed the half-demon was desperate to hear the answer. He could feel his opponent growing more agitated. Moreover, he had only seen the god¡¯s figure faintly, so he wasn¡¯t really sure how they looked. ¡°Answer me. Quickly!¡± Chi-Woo smiled thinly. ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°Which god was it? You better answer exactly.¡± ¡°If you want to hear more, set aside a proper place for us to talk.¡± This was the extent of the information that Chi-Woo was going to give out. Even though he had more, he couldn¡¯t reveal all his cards in the beginning. It should be good enough for now; the half-demon had clearly had a change of mind. Grit. Chi-Woo heard the half-demon grit its teeth. It licked its mouth and after steadying its breath, it said, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you defeated a god for the Abyss Faction?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°And in return, you asked them to keep the Demon Empire in check?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re starting to understand. How smart.¡± The half-demon¡¯s gaze changed after confirming Chi-Woo¡¯s words. On the small chance that what this human said was true, it would mean this human in front of him was capable of mobilizing all the factions controlling Liber. This was especially important information considering that the Indigenous Monster Alliance had only the Abyss Faction as their sole support. The half-demon intently stared at Chi-Woo. ¡°You punk, if anything you¡¯ve been saying is a lie, you won¡¯t be dying a peaceful death.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any line of communication with the Abyss?¡± Chi-Woo nonchalantly asked, ¡°With the alliance you¡¯ve formed, you must have a way to communicate with them. Go and ask them whether or not I lied.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go that far.¡± the half-demon roughly spat and turned around to send a signal. After a moment, a monster approached them with a thumping sound. Chi-Woo almost screamed out loud. ¡®A tree?¡¯ This being was definitely not human. An old tree that seemed to have lived for decades was walking towards them, with roots as its feet while wildly swinging its branches. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again.¡± The half-demon gave the tree monster next to it a look and asked Chi-Woo with its chin lifted pointedly. ¡°Is everything you¡¯ve said to me true?¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Ah, yeah. It¡¯s true.¡± Still reeling from the chok, Chi-Woo took a few seconds to respond. The half-demon quickly turned around. ¡°¡­It is true¡­¡± the tree monster said, moving its big hollow of a mouth. ¡°What this human said¡­is¡­all¡­true¡­¡± Its voice came out in bits and pieces, and it sounded like an old radio close to breaking down. ¡°What? For real?¡± ¡°Whether you believe it or not¡­is your choice¡­but I¡­only speak the truth¡­¡± Chi-Woo heard the half-demon inhale softly. It seemed the tree monster had the ability to differentiate between truth and lie. The half-demon¡¯s gaze moved towards Chi-Woo again. The Indigenous Monster Alliance and the rescue team were all focused on him. A frightening silence passed between them. ¡°Fine.¡± The half-demon finally broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯ll provide a space for us to talk, but you¡¯ll have to tell me everything you know, especially about that god.¡± Chi-Woo was surprised; he had originally planned to appeal to their enemies by highlighting his relationship with the Abyss Faction. However, judging by the half-demon¡¯s reaction, it seemed more interested in the pitiful god that had been captured by the Sernitas. It didn¡¯t matter that he didn¡¯t know the exact details, though. He had achieved his desired effect. ¡°Well, depending on how you act. Anyway, let¡¯s¡­¡± Chi-Woo shrugged and threw the half-demon a cheeky smile. But before he could finish¡ª Bam! Thud! Once they were out of the city, Chi-Woo rolled onto the ground and groaned loudly, all tied up and helpless. ¡°Ack¡ª¡± He hadn¡¯t expected much hospitality, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated that he would be captured and taken prisoner. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the place for us to talk, so you better stay here quietly and wait for me¡ªif you don¡¯t want your comrades to die one by one.¡± The half-demon left the place after giving him one last threat. ¡®¡­Tck.¡¯ Chi-Woo found himself inside a makeshift prison in the middle of the Indigenous Monster Alliance¡¯s camp. ¡ªWell, isn¡¯t it good that you didn¡¯t die? Philip crouched down next to him and said with a shit-eating grin. ¡ªAnyway, you were pretty good at talking. I didn¡¯t expect you to talk so well. Chi-Woo let out a long sigh with a wry smile and nodded. Regardless of his situation, he had been successful in reaching the center of the Indigenous Monster Alliance¡¯s camp. When the half-demon came back, he would be meeting the commander of the Indigenous Monster Alliance. ¡®Well, let me see. Now¡­¡¯ It was time for him to prepare for the next step. ¡®He said we shouldn¡¯t have tried to go back in the first place, right?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought about the message Ru Amuh had sent him and began working towards accomplishing the mission the prophecy had assigned to the eighth recruits. CH 157 ¡°Are you okay?¡± Shadia asked Chi-Woo, who was crawling with both his hands tied up like a caterpillar. ¡®Urgh.¡¯ Chi-Woo barely managed to lift himself up and smiled bitterly at Shadia, whose shoulders were still bleeding. ¡°I should be asking you that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all right,¡± Shadia responded with an equally bitter smile as Chi-Woo looked at her with concern. ¡°I can regenerate my arm by making new medicine. Of course, in order to do that, I need to get out of this place first¡­¡± She let out a short sigh and asked, ¡°What happened though? Why are you alone?¡± ¡°Something unexpected happened,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°We were unable to force our way through, so I split up from the others and acted as bait.¡± ¡°Ah¡­What happened to the rest of the group?¡± ¡°I heard they met up with the eighth recruits.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I got a message. Nangnang¡¯s guesses were right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a silver lining at least. How is it on their side?¡± ¡°Well¡­It doesn¡¯t seem that great.¡± From Ru Amuh¡¯s messages, a few points could be extrapolated: 1. Originally, the total number of the eighth recruits was 511. Among them, 185 people had either died or gotten captured, leaving 326 members now. 2. Five of the twelve families who lit up the Celestial Realm had participated in the eighth recruits. They were Ho Lactea, Nahla, Afrilithl, Mariaju, and Eustitia. 3. The eighth recruits¡¯ mission was to recover the forgotten god in a ruined city and help revive the city so that it could become a godly territory. 4. The eighth recruits were currently locked in the center of the city, but they had no intention to give up their mission. 5. The above point was partly due to pride, but the fact that the hero from the Mariaju family got captured played a part. The heroes from the Afrilithl and Eustitia families insisted that they had to save the Mariaju hero using the prophecy¡¯s mission as justification. Shadia looked dazed. She was stunned above all that the five of the twelve families had come to Liber. ¡°Wow¡­The Celestial Realm is serious. What a crazy line-up¡­¡± Then she looked a bit sad. ¡°If they are members of the twelve families, they must have been raised as heroes from their birth. But it seems like even they can¡¯t do much. Well, that¡¯s how this world is¡­¡± Shadia hung her head low again in helplessness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Chi-Woo said calmly. ¡°We would all be able to live here.¡± ¡°Not get out of here alive, but live here¡­ Are you not planning to escape from this place?¡± Shadia asked in surprise and added, ¡°Why? Are you going to come up with some trick like last time?¡± Instead of answering, Chi-Woo stared at her quietly. ¡°Boss¡­you know what? When you say something is going to happen¡­it really feels like things will turn out that way¡­ Weird, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s no basis at all.¡± It seemed Shadia had many things she wanted to ask, but she didn¡¯t. Her voice became quieter, and she blinked drearily with a small smile, her eyelids growing heavier. Rather than sleepy, it looked like she was about to faint from the blood loss. ¡°¡­Sleep now.¡± Shadia closed her eyes at Chi-Woo¡¯s words. She began to breathe evenly, and Chi-Woo let out a long sigh. ¡®A trick.¡¯ He had no such thing. All he could do was to struggle with all he had for survival; he had to continue clashing with the problem because he knew he would die otherwise. But he thought he understood better now: why heroes risked their lives to act as heroes. * * * Chi-Woo thought he would just spend the rest of the night like this, but then the half-demon returned as it had promised. Thus, Chi-Woo got out of jail by himself with his hands tied and moved under heavy surveillance. He was led to a place where five monsters were waiting for him in their seats. Chi-Woo had to work hard to hold back his surprise. He had trouble calming down as he faced monsters he had only seen in pop culture content before. From the left, there was the walking and talking tree he had met before, and to its left, there was a dark green monster who looked to be about a meter tall. There was also a bright jade-colored spirit in the shape of a tall woman with her eyes closed, and a massive giant with long flowing hair and beard. Lastly, there was a creature that seemed also half human: a centaur with a human torso and a horse¡¯s lower body. With the half-demon behind Chi-Woo, there were six monsters in total. Chi-Woo gulped. Obviously, the atmosphere in the room was far from relaxed. He felt like an unwanted guest, and the monsters seemed wary of him. ¡°Is that the human?¡± the green monster with unfittingly scholarly glasses asked, his eyes sparkling with great curiosity. ¡°I heard about what he did, but it¡¯s surprising. To mobilize the Abyss¡­ Let¡¯s dive in right away. Could you tell us who you are first? And the reason you came here?¡± Chi-Woo answered honestly for now; he told them that he was a hero from the Celestial Realm, and the rescue team had come to save the heroes stranded in the city. He didn¡¯t think he should lie or purposefully misspeak since there was a mysterious tree that could tell lies, especially in a situation where he needed to gain even a little bit more trust. But of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reveal everything. He spoke the truth, but only as little as possible. The monsters were surprised to hear this. ¡°To think heroes from other worlds are coming in rows like this¡­ They used to be sent one by one on a regular basis. What surprising news. It seems this place called the Celestial Realm considers the situation on Liber very seriously.¡± In other words, heroes had been summoned to Liber before. Chi-Woo recalled how the growth system had been implemented before but decided to focus on the current situation for now. ¡°I heard you captured a god,¡± another voice interjected. It was the centaur. ¡°Please tell us the situation in more detail.¡± ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s hard to say that I caught the god.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true I annihilated the god I was fighting, but that was because of the god¡¯s will.¡± ¡°The god¡¯s will.¡± ¡°Yes. I felt that way, because¡­¡± And Chi-Woo began to explain what had happened at that time. He was telling them that the god wanted to be annihilated and that the god resembled a wolf when someone blurted out an exclamation. ¡°Ah! How could that be!?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± There were gasps everywhere. ¡°Is that human really, really telling the truth?¡± The green monster checked with the tree, and the tree answered in a low voice, ¡°¡­It¡¯s the truth.¡± The tree¡¯s heavy voice brought about a sweeping silence. ¡°Then, the reason why the Fenrir tribe was so easily annihilated¡­¡± ¡°With this, it became even more important to secure this place. We need a new power to replace the void created by the Fenrir tribe¡¯s absence. Even if it¡¯s calm right now thanks to the Abyss, we don¡¯t know when¡­¡± The monsters began to discuss among themselves. Although Chi-Woo pricked up his ears to the conversation, he couldn¡¯t understand everything. He needed more information to sway the situation to his favor. ¡°How are you all related to that god?¡± asked Chi-Woo. ¡°Also, in relation to the war surrounding this city¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as the half-demon yanked on the rope tying his hands hard and yelled, ¡°I warned you. Know your place.¡± Its voice was icy cold. ¡°You can only open your mouth when spoken to. And it¡¯s now your turn to tell us about the temple you found.¡± Chi-Woo clenched his teeth. ¡°This is a warning. You¡¯ve made yourself our enemy with what you just said. Even though I want to immediately kill you, I¡¯m only letting you live because there are still things we need to hear from you. If you speak out of turn again, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡®Enemy?¡¯ Chi-Woo was about to refute when another monster intervened. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much? Why did you label the human our enemy?¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you hear him? This human killed the god we made an important allia¡ª¡± ¡°It was because of unforeseeable circumstances,¡± said the green monster. ¡°The god desired to die, and the blame for that is completely on the Demon Empire and the Sernitas. He¡¯s more of a benefactor to us.¡± The half-demon was rendered speechless by the logical remarks. Based on appearance alone, the green monster looked like a dirty goblin that would spend all of his time attacking adventurers in a shady cave. However, the green monster was actually wise and smart. ¡°And we¡¯re all here to talk. Don¡¯t you think we should let this human speak as he wishes?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not even worth listening to!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true.¡± The green monster lifted its spectacles. ¡°What he said was interesting, and most of all, he was telling the truth, wasn¡¯t he?¡± The tree monster expressed its agreement. The green monster continued, ¡°Then it¡¯s definitely worth listening to. This is what I think.¡± However, the half-demon didn¡¯t seem to think the same. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll trust a human¡¯s words?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of trust. Are you questioning the ancient tree?¡± The tree monster called the ancient tree showed its displeasure, and the half-demon realized its mistake. It had spoken out of anger. However, it went on to snarl at the green monster, ¡°¡­Damn it, you¡¯re just a menial laborer.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± The green monster shot up from its seat in anger. Its pride was greatly hurt. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± As the atmosphere quickly became tense, the centaur hurried to stop them. It said to the half-demon, ¡°You should calm down. Let that human go and step back for now, and refrain from making such remarks again.¡± The half-demon gritted its teeth at the centaur¡¯s warning, but in the end, it let go of Chi-Woo and withdrew. The centaur then said to the green monster, ¡°You should calm down as well. You¡¯re right. We¡¯re all gathered here to talk. I¡¯m curious about what you and that human may talk about.¡± The centaur expressed its desire to hand over the dialogue to the green monster in a round-about way. The green monster understood the centaur¡¯s intention, and after steadying its breath, it sat back down. Since many different races of monsters were gathered here, Chi-Woo had a feeling that there wasn¡¯t a strong sense of solidarity among the Indigenous Monster Alliance. Then, the green monster said, ¡°¡­As you may have just heard, the god you defeated is probably the god we originally worshiped¡ªor to be more precise, the god that the Fenrir worshipped.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°Originally, the Cassiubia League kept the Sernitas in check with the cooperation of the Abyss and Demon Empire.¡± ¡°The Cassiubia¡­League?¡± ¡°Cassiubia is the name of the mountain range where our base was situated. It was originally called the Dragon Mountain.¡± ¡®Ah, the mountain has a name.¡¯ Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Well, other groups seem to call us the Indigenous Monster Alliance though.¡± The green monster coughed and continued, ¡°Anyway, the Demon Empire launched a surprise invasion against us. Since we had focused our forces against the Sernitas during that time, we received significant damage.¡± As a result, the Cassiubia League lost nearly half of their vast mountain range, and the Fenrir tribe was completely annihilated. An extremely diverse number of races were part of the Cassiubia League, but there were some that stood out and led the league with exceptional strength. The ¡®Last Dragon¡¯, who created the federation, stood as the center of power. Other races among the leadership were the giant race, ¡®Gigas¡¯, ¡®Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯, who could control spirits, and some other races, the Fenrir being one of them. The Cassiubia League took a heavy blow with the loss of such a powerful ally. But there was more to that. The green monster continued, ¡°The Demon Empire took over the area that the Fenrirs were defending and abducted the god they worshiped.¡± The god was then delivered to the Sernitas, and after being forcibly transformed, it appeared at the Abyss¡¯ border. By this time, there was no doubt that the Demon Empire had suddenly changed sides and joined the Sernitas. Evelyn¡¯s hypothesis was correct. ¡°After losing a brave ally who always stood at the front of battle, our league was left in a difficult position in the war against the Demon Empire¡­but of course, with your help, we were able to take a breather.¡± Most of the territory taken away from them had been recovered thanks to the Abyss Faction. However, even if they recovered their land, they couldn¡¯t make up for their lost power. ¡°The reprieve didn¡¯t last, however. The Abyss soon withdrew, and the League and the Demon Empire warily watched each other with bated breath.¡± They didn¡¯t know when the Demon Empire would attack again. After the Fenrir tribe, who was one of their main pillars on the battlefield was annihilated, the Cassiubia League had an urgent meeting to come up with countermeasures, and the conclusion they came to was to find a new source of power. Thus, even while stretching their resources thin, they had formed an expeditionary force and arrived here. ¡°However, there was a spy among us, and the Demon Empire was right on our tail. They arrived at exactly the same moment as we did.¡± A war thus broke out around the city. In all honesty, the Cassiubia League was having a difficult time here. They couldn¡¯t find what they wanted no matter how much they searched, and it was getting more and more burdensome to deal with the Demon Empire. Just when they were considering whether they should retreat, a third party suddenly appeared. ¡°Our goal is to find the ancient god who is said to be asleep here.¡± The green monster looked intently at Chi-Woo and continued, ¡°I¡¯m curious. How were you able to find what we¡¯ve been so desperately searching for¡­?¡± Even though it didn¡¯t finish its sentence, Chi-Woo felt pressured by the green monster to talk. He felt as if the green monster was saying, ¡®Since I¡¯ve given you so much information, it¡¯s now your turn to talk.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s harder to deal with than the half-demon,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. He wondered how he should reply. He thought about saying, ¡®I don¡¯t really know.¡¯ That wouldn¡¯t be a lie; he could only make speculations about what had happened between Kabal and Balal. However, Chi-Woo recalled the prophecy¡¯s mission that Ru Amuh messaged him about¡ªto find and resurrect the god in this place and establish a godly territory. The former made sense somewhat, but what about the latter? He needed to figure out the prophecy¡¯s intention. Just as the seventh recruits had successfully improved their situation by fulfilling the mission given to them by the prophecy, there must be a reason behind this mission as well. Why did the prophecy tell them to establish a godly territory in this city and not the capital? Chi-Woo did have a guess, but he wasn¡¯t sure if his interpretation was correct. However, the water had already been spilled. He hadn¡¯t thrown the die yet, but it was now time for him to make his move. With bright eyes, Chi-Woo opened his mouth to respond. * * * At the same time, Chi-Hyun was flying across the night sky. ¡°?¡± While looking up, he inadvertently saw that the sky was fluctuating. The same phenomenon that he had observed before was happening again. Chi-Hyun looked straight ahead and blinked quickly. ¡°Shit, what is it again?¡± CH 158 Chi-Woo¡¯s ultimate goal was to forge an alliance with the Cassiubia League. This had been his original intention as soon as he learned a bit more about Liber¡¯s situation. Since it was near impossible to turn against all four factions in Liber at once, he planned to join hands with the Indigenous Monsters Alliance. After all, of all the forces they needed to chase away to bring Liber back to its normalcy, the Cassiubia League was on the lower end of the priority. As their name indicated, the Indigenous Monsters Alliance were originally from the planet. Unlike the demons and the Abyss, they had been the backbone of the Middle World for a long time, and there was no need to wipe them completely to bring Liber back to how it had been. Thus, Chi-Woo interpreted their current mission as forming an alliance between the humans and the Cassiubia League. No matter what the prophecy¡¯s real intention was, accomplishing the diplomatic mission would allow them to turn half of the troops surrounding this city into their ally, and the chances of their survival would increase exponentially. But Chi-Woo also knew it would be no easy feat. He thought about the situation from the Cassiubia League¡¯s perspective. If he had really come to them as a member of the Abyss, they would have responded to him differently, and those who grumbled in opposition to every word out of his mouth would have kept their mouths shut. But instead, Chi-Woo came from a force anyone would be hard pressed to even call a faction. It made sense that the Cassiubia League would think they had nothing to gain by joining forces with them. Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t like Chi-Woo had nothing to offer: his connection with the Abyss and the accomplishments he had made until now, which was made more potent by the one member of the Cassiubia League who could discern them as truths. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true.¡± Thus, Chi-Woo admitted easily for now. ¡°I found a temple and a god and revived the god.¡± Like Caesar, he had come, seen, and conquered. Chi-Woo tipped his chin up to project confidence. When trying to convince an audience, one needed to support their statement with the way they held themselves for synergy. He must not be afraid of crossing lines now. He needed to imprint on these guys¡¯ minds: ¡®See! I am so skilled that I can even work with the Abyss! I accomplished on my own something you all couldn¡¯t do!¡¯ ¡°Is he speaking the truth?¡± The green monster turned to the ancient tree. ¡°¡­It¡¯s the truth¡­¡± the tree monster said, and the others murmured among themselves. ¡°I understand that your League needs a god like us too,¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°And although I don¡¯t know the details, I also know for sure that you all can¡¯t hand a god over to the Demon Empire again. Thus, what I want to say is¡­that our goal is aligned with the League¡¯s.¡± ¡°What goal?¡± ¡°To land a blow against the Demon Empire,¡± Chi-Woo responded. Many creased their forehead hearing this, while others looked doubtful. ¡°Ha! You humans? How?¡± There were even some who laughed. But Chi-Woo continued calmly, ¡°We are going to build a new godly territory here.¡± Unlike the things he said before, these words had a clear effect. Creating a godly territory meant putting an area of land under the influence of a god who ascended there. All sorts of benefits were given to those who followed the god, and the land would inflict their enemies with negative status simply by existing. Furthermore, the city held a great strategic location. While it was on the border, it was closer to the Demon Empire and was a strategic outpost for the Cassiubia League. Accordingly, the Demon Empire would be even more enraged to see the city turn into a godly territory with a fortress. It would be the same as entrenching a nail deep into the ground. They would be disturbed by the proximity of a godly territory belonging to their enemy, but wouldn¡¯t be able to easily take it away. It was basically a checkmate move. But creating a godly territory was so difficult that the centaur said firmly, ¡°Impossible,¡± Chi-Woo thought it would be possible by using a bottle of holy water, but didn¡¯t reveal everything on his mind. He simply said, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you all to believe me this instant. But still¡­¡± He looked around. ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to fight. You know what they say: the enemy of your enemy is your friend.¡± ¡°The enemy of your enemy is your friend¡­¡± The green monster repeated Chi-Woo¡¯s words and stroked his chin. ¡°I get how you think of the Demon Empire, but do you honestly think they would think likewise about you?¡± the half-demon spoke up mockingly. It was questioning if the Demon Empire would see humans as enough of a potential threat to even care about what they did. Chi-Woo answered, ¡°They probably do. I beat up a great demon not so long ago.¡± ¡°¡­W-What?¡± The half-demon was so shocked that it gasped. All the monsters turned to the tree monster again. For a long while, the tree remained silent, like it was baffled beyond belief. Finally, it said, ¡°¡­The¡­truth¡­?¡± ¡°Which high-ranking demon was it?¡± the centaur asked with a slightly raised tone. ¡°He said he was Andras,¡± Chi-Woo answered, and murmurs of admiration and exclamation erupted from everywhere. ¡°The 63rd ranking demon!¡± ¡°The tricky Marquess of Conflict¡­!¡± Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback. He had shown his last card now, and the reception he got was better than he had expected. ¡ªSince they are always going at it, they must know each other well. Philip piped up. ¡ªLook around you. Yeah, for example, look at that giant over there. Do you think you will win if you fight it? Chi-Woo shook his head. He felt a strong sense of power and strength just by looking at the giant. It seemed impossible to fight it in his current state. ¡ªOf course, not all of them might be on the same level of power as this one, but they would struggle to defeat a god within the 66 ranks even with six of these giants. That¡¯s how strong the great demons are. There¡¯s a reason why each great demon commands a dozen armies alone. You got lucky before. You know it would be completely different this time though, right?¡± Philip was right. At the Academy, the great demon was greatly weakened, but this time, the demons would be able to use their full strengths. ¡®Would you be able to defeat them if I lend you my body?¡¯ ¡ªHa, this fellow. You hated the idea so much before. Did you have a chance of mind now that the situation calls for it? Philip chuckled and moved his hand in the air like he was ruffling Chi-Woo¡¯s hair. ¡°Hm¡­so you defeated a demon,¡± said the centaur. ¡°I mean, you did say you were a hero.¡± The centaur nodded repeatedly. Honestly, when Chi-Woo brought up the idea of establishing a godly territory in this city, the centaur had dismissed it as an impossibility, a pipe-dream. In comparison, defeating the high-ranking demon stationed in this city was a more realistic goal, and would produce the best outcome. It would greatly help the Indigenous Monster Alliance in their future war against the Demon Empire, and they could recover the morale that had fallen rock bottom after the Fenrir Tribe¡¯s annihilation. ¡°No, we mustn¡¯t!¡± the half-demon shouted just when the atmosphere was turning favorable towards joining hands with the heroes. ¡°Even if this human was telling the truth, there¡¯s no reason to join forces with them. We can just steal what this guy has and return.¡± ¡°No, I disagree,¡± the green monster immediately refuted. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be good for us to form a closer relationship with this human.¡± ¡°Even if you think it¡¯s a good idea for now, he can stab us in the back any time.¡± ¡°Even so, we¡¯re the ones who are in dire need of help. Regardless of the plausibility of establishing a godly territory, if they take over this place and restore it, we¡¯ll be able to restrict the Demon Empire¡¯s sphere of influence and advance.¡± ¡°Think it over. You must not know about them well, but I do. Humans are not very different from demons.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not humans from Liber. They¡¯re heroes from another planet.¡± ¡°So you think they¡¯ll be different? For your information, those heroes were all defeated and captured by us.¡± ¡°Yes, considering that they are heroes, I admit that their powers are lacking. It seems related to Liber¡¯s current situation¡­how the gods are absent for the most part here.¡± The green monster glanced at Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo flinched when their eyes met. He had purposely hidden that information, but the green monster was no fool; it seemed to have deduced several probabilities. The green monster continued, ¡°Then it makes sense why they would want to find and revive a god. And even if they lack strength right now, we shouldn¡¯t underestimate the experience of heroes.¡± ¡°And they will use that experience to knock us down.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough.¡± The green monster narrowed his eyes from behind his glasses. ¡°I respect the feelings you have against humanity, but this is a meeting for the Cassiubia League, not for your personal vendetta.¡± The green monster hit right on the mark. The half-demon¡¯s face hardened. ¡°I¡¯m speaking for the sake of the league.¡± ¡°In my opinion, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± The centaur stepped forward again when tension surged anew. ¡°Since there seems to be a disagreement.¡± The centaur looked at the green monster and the half-demon before turning back to the others. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a vote?¡± The green monster and the half-demon stepped back. The Cassiubia League was a collection of countless races, so there were many times that discords and conflicts arose. As a result, they established a voting system. 1. In the event that a conflict between two races occurred, one or more representatives from different races must join in to reach an agreement. 2. If more than two races are involved, they could proceed as it is. 3. Voters can exercise their authority in one of three ways: yes, no, and abstention. 4. When there is a disagreement over the implementation of a new plan or rule, the ¡®yes¡¯ side must reach a majority, and the ¡®no¡¯ side must reach a tie or a majority. 5. Regardless of the reason, the result of the vote is absolute. ¡°Murumuru. On behalf of the half-demons, I object!¡± The half-demon revealed its name and immediately raised its hand. ¡°Zel. On behalf of the Cobalos, I agree!¡± The small green monster, Zel, shouted loudly as if he didn¡¯t want to lose to Murumuru. ¡°Ancient monsters¡­abstained¡­¡± Then spoke the tree monster, which was part of the ancient monsters tribe. It seemed to be only interested in revealing truths and lies. ¡°Silfide. On behalf of the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯ of the Wind, I object.¡± The swaying jade-colored spirit spoke with a high-pitched voice and expressed its opposition. Murumuru¡¯s expression brightened. They needed only one more objection vote¡ªjust one more, but¡­ ¡°Magor. On behalf of the centaurs, I agree.¡± With Magor¡¯s declaration, the voting was back to square one. When Murumuru looked at him in bewilderment, Magor shrugged and said, ¡°He beat a god, worked with the Abyss, and also defeated a high-ranking demon¡ªI think it¡¯s worth betting on him at least once.¡± Murumuru gritted its teeth and looked back at the last remaining monster. The voting was now two for, two against, and one abstention. If the last voter voted against¡ªno, just abstained, they would win this vote! Zel and Chi-Woo also looked nervously at the giant, who had the final outcome in its hand. The giant closed its eyes. It seemed to be pondering what choice to make. Then, after a short pause, it said, ¡°¡­Sruthos.¡± The giant, who had not spoken a single word so far, slowly opened its eyes. Its eyes were as fierce and deep as its voice, but there was great wisdom in them. ¡°On behalf of the Gigas¡­I agree.¡± Both joy and sorrow erupted among the monsters. Chi-Woo clenched his fist. ¡°What¡­did you say?¡± Murumuru seemed unable to believe the giant¡¯s words. ¡°Why did you¡­!¡± ¡°The result of the vote is absolute,¡± a booming voice replied. Murumuru clenched its teeth as deep eyes looked down at him. The Gigas Tribe was one of the few tribes leading the Cassiubia League along with the Last Dragon. Murumuru lowered its head. Only then did the giant move its gaze away and looked down at Chi-Woo. ¡°Even though you seem a bit weak¡­for a hero.¡± The giant narrowed one eye and continued, ¡°I think there¡¯s a reason behind it like Zel said.¡± It then got up while breathing heavily and suddenly swung its fist. Swish! Strong gusts swirled around Chi-Woo. While his hair and clothes fluttered, Chi-Woo suddenly felt both of his hands set free. Dumbfounded, Chi-Woo looked down to find the ropes on his hand cut and slipping down; contrary to how the giant looked, its movements were precise and sharp. ¡°As much as your words are true, I hope you will lend us your ability.¡± The giant reached out its hand. ¡°Of course.¡± Chi-Woo soon regained his composure and reached out to the giant¡¯s large hand. Finally! He had finally done it! He had forged a way out when the situation seemed hopeless. However, Chi-Woo had celebrated too early. ¡°I¡¯m Sruthos. Your name is?¡± The bright smile on Chi-Woo¡¯s face immediately dropped. CH 159 It wasn¡¯t easy to gain another being¡¯s trust. The Cassiubia League didn¡¯t trust the humans yet and was only placing their hopes on Chi-Woo. But this was just the start; Chi-Woo thought they could use this chance to build a proper relationship with the monsters. And their alliance was starting on a good note. First of all, the way they treated the rescue team changed. Although the monsters still held them under strict surveillance, they provided the humans with food and drinks and a place to rest that wasn¡¯t a prison. Furthermore, they also offered treatment to the injured. Chi-Woo was curiously observing the roots of several ancient trees that wrapped around the injured heroes when someone called out to him. ¡°The fact that they are prisoners of war doesn¡¯t change.¡± The half-demon, Murumuru, approached Chi-Woo and warned threateningly. ¡°Including you. You, and of course, your companions will not take a step out of this place before you meet our expectations.¡± Chi-Woo was aware of this. He had run off his mouth about all the things he could do, so he needed to follow them through. ¡°You will have to prove the things you blabbered on about.¡± After giving Chi-Woo a firm warning, Murumuru turned away. Since it was already late, they decided to talk about the details tomorrow. They had a lot of things to discuss, so neither of the two wanted to waste time on useless bickering. ¡°Let me just ask you one thing.¡± But as Chi-Woo was walking away, Murumuru posed him a question. ¡°Why¡­didn¡¯t you tell us your name properly?¡± Chi-Woo continued to walk, pretending to not have heard Murumuru. * * * The next day, Chi-Woo was summoned early in the morning to discuss their current situation and strategy for dealing with a great demon. ¡°We identified that the commander is Vepar.¡± Zel, a representative of the Cobalos, said while lifting its glasses. Vepar was a great demon, 42nd in rank, who commanded a total of 29 demon legions. She didn¡¯t have an official title, but others often called her the ruler of the sea. As her nickname suggested, her ability to control water was outstanding, and she was basically omnipotent in the ocean. ¡°There¡¯s no ocean near the city, not even a lake. We are very fortunate in that aspect, but¡­¡± Zel didn¡¯t finish; still, one could easily tell that the situation was bad and would only get worse. It was because Vepar, the commander of the Demon Empire and the Cassiubia League¡¯s opposing force, was planning to turn this whole area into an ocean so that she could exercise greater power. ¡°It¡¯s a safe bet that the area they occupy is now in her hands. Thus, half of the battlefield is Vepar¡¯s territory.¡± Chi-Woo recalled the time they had approached the Demon Empire¡¯s side of the battlefield as the rescue team. The forest had been filled with darkness then; and just like the time he was in a dreary and very humid cave, he felt damp and sticky. His mood worsened just by looking at it, and the great displeasure he had felt was still fresh in his mind. It was fortunate that they had avoided the area thanks to Nangnang¡¯s advice. Who knew what would have happened to them if they had entered? ¡°Vepar is very cautious, a bit unusual for a demon. Rather than just enjoying fighting, she places greater value on winning. Thus, even if it¡¯ll take a bit of time, she is prepping the board to be completely in her favor. We are aware of this too, but¡­¡± Zel trailed off. It wasn¡¯t like the Cassiubia League hadn¡¯t been doing anything until now, but every time they attacked, they suffered great casualties and were forced to retreat. Apart from the fact that their enemy was focused on the defense, they were having serious difficulties fighting in hostile territory. Slowly, by playing it safe, the Demon Empire had been expanding their territory bit by bit. The situation obviously drove the Cassiubia League crazy, and it seemed the whole region would fall under Vepar¡¯s rule sooner or later. ¡°So, if any of you have suggestions, please¡­!¡± Zel¡¯s eyes looked pleading as it asked. Its expectant eyes were pressuring, and Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t admit that he was at a loss as well. His experience with a great demon was almost nonexistent after all. But he did have a secret card: a demon expert and hunter recognized by history was right next to him. ¡ªHm. Vepar. If her rank is in the 40s¡­she¡¯s also known as Separ or Vephar. Fortunately, it seemed like there was no one here who could see spirits. Thus, Chi-Woo opened his mouth and said, ¡°First of all, I¡¯m against going to the opposing side. It will be crazy for us to fight in enemy territory.¡± ¡°Do you take us for idiots? Of course we know that,¡± Murumuru shot back in annoyance. ¡°So, what are you saying we should do now?¡± ¡ªWhat do you think we should do? We have to drag them out, you stupid idiot. Chi-Woo glanced at Philip to confirm what he had just said, but the spirit was preoccupied with pointing and cursing at Murumuru. Miming throwing the half-demon a punch, Philip growled, ¡®I have been restraining myself since yesterday, but this half-demon seriously can¡¯t stop making snide comments and grumbling. Does it want to die?¡¯ ¡°Murumuru.¡± Sruthos spoke up then. ¡°Leave if you are going to be so aggressive.¡± It seemed Sruthos had misunderstood Chi-Woo¡¯s staring intently off to Murumuru¡¯s side as him feeling offended. ¡°Why¡­!¡± Murumuru seemed to think the whole situation was unfair, but pursed its lips and stopped itself when it met Sruthos¡¯ eyes. ¡°We have to drag them out,¡± Chi-Woo then said. ¡°Is there a way to lure Vepar?¡± the centaur, Magor, asked. Chi-Woo pretended to be in thought and glanced up at Philip. But all Philip did was shrug. ¡®Ah, damn it. I shouldn¡¯t have trusted him blindly,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. ¡ªWhat can you do in this situation? Were it me, I wouldn¡¯t have let the situation reach this state. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t pay attention to what Philip said and really fell into thought this time. A way to bring out Vepar¡­a way¡­ ¡®¡­I can¡¯t think of anything. Nothing at all.¡¯ Even the Cassiubia League, who were masters of war, hadn¡¯t been able to do anything. How could he come up with a solution immediately? It couldn¡¯t be helped. He needed to gain more information and buy some time with a likely excuse. ¡°You said it yesterday¡­¡± Chi-Woo turned to Zel, who was most amiable to him among his peers, ¡°That you think inside information had been leaked to the Demon Empire.¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Zel quickly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just my hunch because of how unfortunate the situation turned out.¡± ¡°Then, do you perhaps have a guess about what the Demon Empire¡¯s goal is?¡± ¡°Their¡­goal?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s more than just trying to stop the Alliance?¡± Zel fell into deep thought at Chi-Woo¡¯s words. After a while, he spoke up again. ¡°¡­This is really just my personal opinion, but¡­¡± Zel said in a serious voice, ¡°I did think that¡­the Demon Empire was trying to replicate what the Sernitas had done.¡± ¡°What they have done?¡± ¡°You know, weaponizing a god.¡± Chi-Woo flinched. ¡°Or they could be trying to use the god the humans found as an offering.¡± Zel was talking about the hypothetical, but they were highly possible. The humans and the Cassiubia League wouldn¡¯t be the only ones desperate to secure gods. It was probably the same for the others. ¡°We have to confirm that,¡± Chi-Woo said while slowly nodding. Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted towards him. They all seemed to be thinking, ¡®He¡¯s going to make sure? How?¡¯ ¡°The most definite way would be to¡­make direct contact with them.¡± Their gazes changed again. ¡®Who will?¡¯ As expected, no one was willing to volunteer. It was only natural as there wasn¡¯t a mouse who would volunteer to put a bell around a cat¡¯s neck. ¡°Hmm¡­I guess I¡¯ll have to go, right?¡± Chi-Woo said as he scratched his head. Honestly, he did have a plan in mind. He really didn¡¯t want to use it, but it was the only method that could let him step into enemy territory and survive. And while carrying out this mission, he could rendezvous with the eighth recruits and the detachment on the way as well. ¡°Hm¡­ That¡¯s a bit¡­¡± But surprisingly, Margo¡¯s reaction was not positive. ¡°I told you before.¡± Murumuru, who had its mouth closed, loudly shouted as if it had caught Chi-Woo¡¯s mistake. ¡°That you and your comrades can¡¯t take a step outside this place.¡± Everyone seemed to agree if their silence was anything to go by. Chi-Woo realized then what the monster alliance was afraid of¡ªa double agent. They were all worried that Chi-Woo might play a balance game between them and the Demon Empire. Moreover, even if everything he said was true, they couldn¡¯t trust Chi-Woo. In a place like Liber, no one was an enemy or a foe forever. ¡°I understand your willingness to take risks to prove yourself, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a very good idea. Please reconsider it.¡± Margo spoke in a roundabout way but made his point crystal clear. Chi-Woo bit on his bottom lip. ¡®Should I just tell them to come here?¡¯ He considered the idea but quickly decided against it. ¡®I need to first assess the situation.¡¯ He had no idea what would happen in the near future. Since he didn¡¯t know if the monster alliance knew about the existence of the eighth recruits and the detachment, it might be better to leave them outside the monster alliance¡¯s territory for now. Chi-Woo needed to be extremely careful about each decision. ¡°¡­I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Chi-Woo requested a bit more time to think and turned around. He thought about whether or not he should throw the milestone die or use the last remaining special talisman in his hands. Before he made his final decision, he turned on his device. Then he began busily moving his fingers and writing a message. * * * It had been a considerable period of time since the detachment reached the middle line and met up with the eighth recruits. It might have been a whole day already. And what had the detachment been doing during this time? ¡ªNothing. After struggling so much to come all the way here, all they had done was pass out some supplies. Then they were no different than stone statues. ¡®I¡¯m disappointed.¡¯ Ru Hiana frowned at the four heroes who did nothing but talk around a table. She had heard that they were from the twelve families, which were the twelve lights of the Celestial Realm, so she had been secretly expecting a lot from them. Ru Hiana had thought there would be something special about the members of those prominent families. However, their actions and attitude greatly disappointed her¡ªone of them was angry all the time, one only ever responded when talked to, one seemed completely indifferent, and the last only laughed. She felt her expectations plummet; it seemed as if they would have to keep waiting endlessly until Chi-Hyun came. After quietly watching the four heroes for a while, Ru Hiana whispered to Ru Amuh, ¡°Ruahu, don¡¯t you think that senior might be one of the twelve lights of the Celestial Realm?¡± ¡°What? Why are you saying this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°For example, like the Choi family.¡± ¡°Hmm, why specifically the Choi family?¡± Ru Amuh asked with curiosity. ¡°The Choi family is number one. So if even that family can¡¯t do much¡­I thought the situation here might be a bit hopeless.¡± ¡°A member of the Choi family is already here. I heard that he¡¯s made significant achievements.¡± ¡°I know. I mean, I¡¯m saying that I think it¡¯ll make more sense if senior is really that legendary hero¡¯s brother.¡± Ru Hiana nonchalantly said something that would make Chi-Woo have a seizure if he heard them. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree? Look, how can they be the great twelve lights of the Celestial Realm. Senior is much more¡ª.¡± ¡°Ru Hiana.¡± Ru Amuh quickly cut her off before anyone could hear her. ¡°Everyone¡¯s the same,¡± he calmly continued. ¡°Them. Us. And teacher. We¡¯re all just heroes in the end.¡± ¡°I mean¡ª¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about this situation either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Imagine if we got dropped here on entry. What do you think would have happened?¡± Ru Hiana had nothing to say; Ru Amuh was saying nothing but the truth. ¡°But even then¡­as long as we had senior¡­¡± She pouted and suddenly looked anxious. ¡°Ah, right. Have you not gotten a reply yet?¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± As soon as Ru Hiana asked, Ru Amuh seemed to have gotten a message. He suddenly turned on his device, and the subsequent changes in Ru Amuh¡¯s expressions could be perfectly described as colorful. At first, he looked relieved and glad. Then he looked shocked. And lastly, his expression turned thoughtful. ¡°As expected¡­¡± However, he still had a smile on his face. ¡°Why? What? Did you get a reply? Is it from senior? Can you answer?¡± ¡°¡­Ruana.¡± Ru Amuh finally moved his gaze away from the air and gave her a deep smile. ¡°I think I get what you¡¯ve been saying.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That teacher is special.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± With a smile on his face and his heart pounding, Ru Amuh walked up to the four heroes gathering around the sitting table. Then he said, ¡°I apologize for intervening while you are in the middle of discussion.¡± ¡°I also know! What I¡¯m saying is¡ªwhat did you say!?¡± The platinum blonde girl, who was in the middle of a heated argument with the noble-looking lad, turned around sharply. ¡°What do you want¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, calm down, Apu. What is it?¡± Nahla quickly intervened. ¡°I¡¯ve received a message,¡± Ru Amuh said after he had everyone¡¯s attention and stared at them with firm eyes. ¡°We have a plan.¡± * * * Chi-Woo heard a notification. ¡®Oh, I got a reply?¡¯ Ru Amuh must have been waiting for his message; Chi-Woo got a reply faster than he thought he would. And when he opened his device, Ru Amuh¡¯s message was there as expected. Chi-Woo eagerly read it, and was stunned once he finished. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo had written a brief summary of what happened after he separated from the detachment. He also wrote to Ru Amuh that he wanted to know the intentions of the Demon Empire, and if he had any good ideas, please let him know. However¡­the last line of Ru Amuh¡¯s reply was a bit strange. [¡­Yes, sir. Please don¡¯t worry about that matter and wait a little bit. And if you can¡­] ¡°Perhaps, do you need a bit more time?¡± While Chi-Woo was tilting his head in bemusement, a careful voice interrupted his thoughts. Zel had come to find him since Chi-Woo was taking too long. Zel continued, ¡°It¡¯s all right. We all know it¡¯s a difficult time, so please don¡¯t feel too much pressure.¡± ¡°Is everyone waiting for me?¡± Chi-Woo asked without finishing hearing what Zel had to say. ¡°Huh? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo looked between the message and Zel and quickly began moving out. ¡°It seems like¡­we have a plan.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what exactly happened, but he decided to first trust in Ru Amuh. CH 160 The Demon Empire and the Cassiubia League currently divided up the city into two parts¡ªnot perfectly in half, of course, and the center of the city was vacant, especially its heart. The reason for this was the cluster of high-rises there, each serving as a fortress of sorts in street battles. Shooting in small private houses while hiding was tough, but imagine shooting in buildings with countless windows, a rooftop, and thick walls. Although it was becoming more like a beehive with many holes as the war intensified, the buildings still served their purpose. Neither side let the other reach the heart of the city, but the two groups acted differently. The Demon Empire stuck to the strategy of defense under Vepar¡¯s guidance. They turned to the offense only when the other party tried to force a siege. It was like they were making the area into a ¡®white elephant¡¯: seemingly too precious to let it be, but would cause more headaches once they occupied it. In a situation where they were already suffering great damages, the Cassiubia League would of course wonder if they really needed to take this place at the risk of more damage. Thus, the area naturally became vacant. It was obvious this empty place would soon become occupied, be it the demons or the monsters. Even the eighth recruits were aware of this. The clock was ticking, and they needed to think of a solution before that happened. Thus, that night, one person secretly sneaked out of the central building¡¯s window. Some of the Cassiubia League members spotted him scurrying through the dark, but no one shot him. Ru Amuh successfully crossed over to the opposite side and took out the flag he had prepared beforehand. Then he came out of his hiding spot to plain view, raised the flag high in the air, and waved it. After a while, he felt a presence with his synesthesia. As soon as he sensed it, he lay flat on his stomach and placed both hands on his head; it was a clear display of surrender and peace. Slid. Slidd¡ª He heard something dragging across damp ground, and the sound drew closer until it reached him. ¡°Who are you?¡± He heard a muffled voice asked; it sounded as if the speaker was underwater. ¡°What¡¯s your identity?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me,¡± Ru Amuh quickly said. ¡°I came to ask for your mercy.¡± A short silence followed, and the voice told him, ¡°Raise your head.¡± And Ru Amuh obeyed. He saw two large demons looking down at him in the darkness. They looked like miniature versions of legendary sea dragons¡ªtwo arms and a face like humans, but the long tail of a snake for the lower body. Several tentacles flowed down from their ears and upper lip, and there were spiky fins that began from the top of their heads and connected to the ends of their tails. Their entire bodies were covered with dark blue scales. They looked like a naga. ¡°It¡¯s a human,¡± one of the naga-looking demons murmured. ¡°Are you also a wanderer? If you want to become a slave like the others that had been found, there¡¯s no reason for us to not accept you.¡± They laughed at him, but Ru Amuh looked hopeful to hear this. Although humanity was in ruins on Liber, they were not all gone. Some had been left alive, although pretty much all of them had been captured as slaves. The Demon Empire was one such example of those who had taken humans as slaves. Through many conquests, the empire had greatly expanded its territory, but they couldn¡¯t stop here. Because in the end, the birth of demons and humans was the same in that they were both created beings. As beings who hadn¡¯t yet crossed the realm of immortality, the demons needed to consume resources periodically to live. After coming into the Middle World, the demons made up for their lack of labor with slaves. Humans, who had lost their ability to resist, couldn¡¯t have been a better option. The humans could do menial jobs, make food, or even be food supplies themselves. They could even use humans to replenish their lacking troops. Thus, the Demon Empire tended to turn their prisoners of war into slaves rather than killing them outright. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to be a slave,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I have something important to tell. Please let me meet your commander.¡± The two demons exchanged blank looks and burst into laughter. ¡°What kind of crazy bastard is this? What? He wants to meet our commander, Vepar?¡± ¡°Should we just eat him? Look at how bulky his chest is. He looks quite tasty.¡± The two chuckled and kept up an idle chat. Ru Amuh held his breath. ¡°I came to help you all,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°Kuh. A weak human came to help us?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you both are aware of the incident that happened a couple of nights ago,¡± Ru Amuh quickly continued as one of the demons raised its tail, ¡°I have important information connected to the incident and the League.¡± The thick tail stopped. ¡°If you still have doubts, you can pass on to the commander that the monster alliance is about to reach their goal. I¡¯m sure the commander will listen to me then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, do as you wish. Kill me or let me live, but you are going to regret it if you kill me like this.¡± Ru Amuh closed his eyes, waiting for their response. Even a clearly weaker party could take the strong by surprise if they sounded confident, especially if it was about a serious matter. Both demons were aware of the sudden ambush that had occurred recently¡ªit would have been a bit strange if it had happened just for the purpose of collecting information. Furthermore, they clearly saw mysterious things happening on the monsters¡¯ side, such as the temple-like building that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Now that I think about it, a couple of days ago, there was¡­¡± Since the Demon Empire didn¡¯t know what was happening, they were curious, and their hearts began to waver. Plus, bringing a person to the commander wasn¡¯t such a difficult matter; they simply needed to do what they were told afterward. ¡°Get up.¡± The two nagas soon decided. ¡°Follow us. Quietly.¡± * * * ¡°The monster alliance is about to¡­reach their goal?¡± A languid voice rang. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± replied the naga. ¡°That¡¯s what the human clearly said.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± It was a thin, nasal voice. A pregnant pause. Then water poured out of an artificially made pool. ¡°How interesting.¡± A long figure appeared into view, and the naga bowed even lower. ¡°Guide me to the human.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± The naga turned around with its head bowed. * * * Ru Amuh was dragged into a mysterious building and soon, he heard a commotion. ¡°She¡¯s coming. She¡¯s coming,¡± the nagas guarding him murmured. One of them grabbed Ru Amuh¡¯s head and pushed it down hard. ¡°Bow down, human.¡± Bang. Ru Amuh¡¯s head collided against the floor, and he groaned quietly. A few minutes later, his surroundings became quiet. Slid¡ªSliiiiiid¡ª There was a slithering sound, and the nagas tensed up in nervousness. ¡°Back away.¡± A voice that was more clear than he had expected rang in his ears. The naga clutching his head immediately let go. ¡°Raise your head.¡± Her voice sounded slightly bored but still authoritative. Ru Amuh slowly looked up and blinked. ¡°Oh my.¡± The Demon Empire¡¯s commander, Vepar, was impressed. She came with no expectations, but the man in front of her was extremely good-looking. Ru Amuh also had the same thought. Vepar looked different from the other nagas. Her dark blue hair flowed down her waist, and she exposed her small shoulders and full breast without shame. Her fair and fine skin and charming features immediately attracted people¡¯s attention. Her lower half was the same as other nagas, but her upper body was human¡ªand not just an ordinary human, but a very beautiful one. Vepar continued, ¡°So, I heard that you¡¯ve brought important information about the monster alliance?¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Ru Amuh quickly bowed down again. ¡°You can look. It¡¯s okay, so keep your head up.¡± Vepar spoke softly as if she was soothing a child. ¡°There¡¯s a request I would like to make before I tell you.¡± ¡°¡­A request?¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware that my comrades are being held here.¡± ¡°¡­So?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything I know, so please let me and my comrades¡ª¡± ¡°Go?¡± Vepar cut him off. Ru Amuh gulped as her shadow slowly sidled up to him. ¡°You¡¯re shamelessly brave.¡± She gently rebuked him. ¡°Listen, human male. The only reason why I came all the way to meet you here is that you got my interest a little bit.¡± Then she lifted her arm. ¡°I don¡¯t know your motivation, but I applaud your bravery to come all the way here alone. Still, my respect towards your bravery has ended the very moment you arrived here.¡± Vepar softly grabbed Ru Amuh¡¯s neck with her webbed hands. ¡°And now that you¡¯re here¡ªyou¡¯re worthless.¡± It seemed as if she was going to carefully caress his skin, but she suddenly grabbed him harshly by the neck. ¡°Ugh-!¡± A groan was squeezed out of Ru Amuh¡¯s mouth. ¡°You probably came here prepared to die, but you must actually want to live.¡± Her grip was terrifyingly strong. ¡°Yearning to live. It¡¯s not bad¡­but.¡± She lifted Ru Amuh with one hand, and he hovered helplessly in the air. ¡°If you want to survive, you need to gain my favor first. Second, the information you brought needs to be more valuable than I expected.¡± ¡°Uck-! Ack-!¡± ¡°Even fulfilling those conditions would be difficult, but you dare to even make a request.¡± ¡°Ack! Acck!¡± ¡°I¡ªdon¡¯t like it.¡± Vepar smiled like she was pleased to see Ru Amuh¡¯s pained expression. ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line of bravery and¡ª¡± Even though Ru Amuh felt as if his neck was going to explode soon, he managed to say, ¡°I also¡­know¡­! I¡­! Know¡­my¡­place¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°But¡­despite this¡­the reason¡­why¡­I ack-made a request¡­first¡­is because I¡­thought it¡­was¡­worth that much¡­!¡± Even while choking, Ru Amuh finished his sentence. Vepar lifted one eyebrow. ¡°So you brought information so valuable that a human like you dare ask me for a deal disguised as a request¡­¡± A smile tugged at her lips. ¡°Haha, hahahah.¡± Amid the sound of her laughter, Ru Amuh felt the grip on his neck lessen. Vepar dropped Ru Amuh to the ground. ¡°Cough-! Cough, cough-!¡± ¡°You look good enough to be a concubine, but I guess you have more guts than I thought.¡± She looked down at Ru Amuh, who was coughing intensely with his hands on his neck. In high spirits, she said, ¡°It¡¯s important to have enough guts to not give in even while facing death. It seems your statement is at least not grounded in senseless bravery.¡± She spoke with a lilt in her tone and crossed her arms. ¡°Fine. Take responsibility for your words.¡± She glanced sideways and continued, ¡°Bring them. Every single one of them without fail.¡± The nagas who were on standby began busily moving. By the time his coughing fit subsided, Ru Amuh felt a large number of presences with his synesthesia. Ru Amuh¡¯s expression stiffened when he looked up. He heard that more than 150 recruits had gone missing. However, looking at the number of people who were brought in, there seemed to be only a little over 100. Most of them appeared to have been treated extremely badly as they were all covered in blood and wounds. Ru Amuh carefully searched for one person. [Mariaju will be alive. I¡¯m sure of it!] [You must check if she¡¯s there. You must.] Afrilith and Eustitia had repeatedly asked him to find Mariaju. ¡®Light pink, round wavy bobbed hair¡­¡¯ Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t see well because it was dark, but he carefully looked at every person coming in one after another. He soon found a person closest to the description he heard¡ªa woman who was struggling to even walk as she was dragged and thrown down. ¡°Now, the request you so desperately desire is right in front of you.¡± Vepar spoke with glee and playfulness, as if she was a host saying, ¡®Let¡¯s start the game now.¡¯ Vepar continued, ¡°You said you wanted me to show mercy?¡± Ru Amuh nodded. ¡°Well, I can do that. Yeah, I¡¯ll do it. Only if your information is as valuable as you claimed, of course, and¡ª¡± Verpas¡¯ voice lowered. ¡°In the case I find you lacking, you need to take full responsibility for raising my expectations, right?¡± The corners of Vepar¡¯ mouth went up. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do well. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll make my subordinates assault your comrades for four days and eat them piece by piece.¡± It seemed the eighth recruits had also heard her, and a couple of them began trembling. ¡°My underlings are very hungry because this war has been going on longer than expected.¡± She smiled with her eyes and continued, ¡°Of course, what happens next is completely dependent on what you have to say.¡± She tipped her chin up at the end of her sentence and commanded, ¡°You have one chance. Speak.¡± Ru Amuh unconsciously took a deep breath. He was standing at the edge of a cliff. Just like how a single misstep could drop him dead, a single misspoken word would end his and everyone¡¯s lives. He would not only doom himself and the eighth recruits, but also the route that his teacher managed to set up with great struggle. All that made him nervous, and he felt extremely pressured. But even then, he thought, ¡®I have to do it.¡¯ The Indigenous Monster Alliance had temporarily become their allies. Ru Amuh had only heard the result, but he was sure that it hadn¡¯t been easy. However, his teacher managed to do it, and as he¡¯d done so far, his teacher completely reversed a situation that seemed hopeless. Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t just stand still and leave everything up to his teacher. He needed to also take risks and produce similar results, so that he could be qualified to stand by the man. He needed to keep the promise he made. This was the reason why Ru Amuh had stepped forward without hesitation after seeing his teacher¡¯s message. He took a deep breath and raised his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Ru Amuh began speaking. CH 161 ¡°Before that, there¡¯s one thing that I would like to ask you. Do you perhaps know who we are?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Is there a need for me to know a mere human¡¯s identity?¡± Why would she learn more about those who would just be slaves? Ru Amuh looked at the captives, and some people nodded in confirmation. ¡°Why did you exchange looks with them?¡± ¡°I apologize. But first of all, it only seems right for me to introduce myself.¡± ¡°That should explain the look you just exchanged.¡± ¡°Yes. In short, I am a great warrior of a secret denomination.¡± ¡°¡­A great warrior of a secret denomination?¡± Vepar looked curious. ¡°You are having a good start. All right. Go on, tell me what the doctrine of your denomination is.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Doctrine. I¡¯m sure a denomination will have a doctrine.¡± This was unexpected. He was sure that she would ask about what the denomination was rather than its doctrine. ¡®No way¡­was Vepar already aware of the god that was buried here?¡¯ That would explain the intention behind the demons¡¯ camping grounds. But Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t be sure of it yet, and he couldn¡¯t return like this. He needed to achieve as much as possible, including, of course, getting more information. ¡°Why are you hesitating? If you are a great warrior of said denomination, there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t know, unless you made it up.¡± Ru Amuh looked up at Vepar. While it would be normal for him to not be able to answer despite the identity he had made up, Ru Amuh was the epitome of hard work and a perfectionist in everything he did. Before he revealed his fake identity to Vepar, he had made sure that she didn¡¯t know who the eighth recruits were; and before coming here, he had exchanged many messages with Chi-Woo and asked him about every little thing that had happened in the temple. This was his way of increasing their rate of success no matter how the situation panned out. And thus, Ru Amuh¡¯s personality really came to light and displayed its strength in this situation. ¡°¡­In the beginning, there was chaos. Good breeds evil, and evil breeds good. Good cannot be purely good, and evil cannot be purely evil. Therefore, good is evil, and evil is good¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s not good or evil, but both good and evil. That is real chaos¡­¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes widened. The last words had come out not from his but Vepar¡¯s mouth. How did she know the doctrine of this particular secret denomination? ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°Fufu. If you live a long time like me, you will gain the opportunity to learn of an ancient secret.¡± Vepar chuckled. It seemed she liked Ru Amuh¡¯s response and added, ¡°It¡¯s not really related, but Kabal¡¯s tendency is similar to ours.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°So you do know the doctrine. Tell me more, great warrior.¡± The way she addressed him changed: from a male to a great warrior. And Ru Amuh realized that his guesses had been right. Vepar was aware of the secret denomination in this city. Then¡­ ¡°Did you know that a small-scale battle took place near the castle walls at night a couple of days ago? ¡°I am aware.¡± ¡°The incident wasn¡¯t actually caused by the monster alliance or the Demon Empire.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It was something that happened while some of our members tried to escape.¡± ¡°¡­No wonder.¡± Vepar snorted and gave Ru Amuh a once-over. ¡°I thought there was something that didn¡¯t make sense. Well, that¡¯s that. So what?¡± Thus, Ru Amuh continued. He talked about the group of humans who lived in hiding while worshiping the god in this city after the world fell into ruins. Then, the war broke out. They couldn¡¯t do anything because they were surrounded by enemies, but they were running out of supplies. Thus, some couldn¡¯t endure it any longer and ran out even if death waited for them. ¡°I thought they would be captured and killed easily, but¡­¡± Ru Amuh stopped midway to grit his teeth. Vepar nodded slightly. It seemed she had a guess as to why Ru Amuh was acting this way. ¡°One of your companions must have leaked internal information, an especially important one at that.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Ru Amuh admitted after some struggle and nodded. ¡°The reason why they were alive instead of getting killed or coming back safely! There was¡­a reason for everything¡­!¡± Ru Amuh gripped both hands tightly. But indifferent to his reaction, Vepar asked, ¡°Did that make you come to this place?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± The great warrior of the key to her goal, the secret denomination, had come to her of his own will. After some thought, she continued in a soft voice, ¡°You said you had a request. If I grant your request, what will you do for me?¡± Even though she knew what response she would get, she gave Ru Amuh an expectant smile. Ru Amuh looked conflicted as the words escaped his mouth, ¡°As the price¡­we will give you our god.¡± Ru Amuh had given her the answer she wished for. The smile on Vepar¡¯s face deepened. It was then one of the captured recruits spoke. ¡°What are you talking about? Giving over our god? Why would a great warrior suddenly¡­?¡± Ru Amuh blinked hard. ¡®She is ¡­?¡¯ She was the hero from the Mariaju family, one of the captives he was told to save at all costs. Many heroes turned to him with blank looks as well at her words. Then, after a pause, they began to speak out. ¡°Have you gone mad, great warrior!¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t! That¡¯s the only thing¡­!¡± ¡°You traitor!¡± Ru Amuh realized it then they were trying to help him. It seemed they had caught onto what was going on and was helping him play his part better to convince Vepar. After all, it would be weird for other followers to remain quiet when hearing that their god would be turned over. ¡°I am not a traitor!¡± Ru Amuh shouted ¡°Ruana! That¡¯s the one who betrayed us!¡± If Ru Hiana heard this, she would have been shocked. ¡°That guy has already tried to give up our god! A couple of days ago, the space boundary broke, and the temple was revealed!¡± ¡°W-What!¡± The Mariaju hero gasped. Other heroes also hushed in shock. ¡°Ho, a space boundary.¡± Vepar was impressed. ¡°No wonder we couldn¡¯t find it no matter how much we searched for it¡­I see. That¡¯s why¡­¡± But she decided to go over another point, ¡°How did you learn of the monster alliance¡¯s goal?¡± ¡°Ruana told me.¡± ¡°Is that the name of the traitor?¡± ¡°Yes. Before that, I didn¡¯t even realize the space boundary was broken. But it seems that guy came knowing that the holy relic was missing.¡± This would¡¯ve been a strange thing to say if he was talking about a normal religious group, but this was a secret denomination; they hid their temple, not wanting to be accused as heretics, and only permitted a few people who had gone through the necessary checklists to enter. ¡°The missing relic¡­Does that mean you hid the relic elsewhere?¡± ¡°A holy relic is the symbol of the denomination, the god themself, and the last wall of protection for us. Since the world fell into this state, we had preserved it as our last resort.¡± ¡°And I suppose you are planning to pass this great and valuable relic over?¡± Vepar said with a smile, and Ru Amuh reddened. ¡°¡­There¡¯s a limit to how much loyalty and affection I can show,¡± he said and continued, ¡°That man didn¡¯t care for our captured companions here or the remaining ones in hiding.¡± ¡°Well, I mean he wouldn¡¯t have exposed the temple if he did.¡± ¡°After getting captured, not only did Ruana expose the temple but also demanded that I hand the holy relic over to save the companions captured by the monster alliance. There¡¯s a limit to how brashly one can act.¡± ¡°I see. I suppose the remaining members told you to do as the traitor said, but you couldn¡¯t accept it and come to me instead.¡± ¡°Yes. I couldn¡¯t abandon the companions here, either.¡± ¡°Kuh. I suppose you really are the great warrior of your group.¡± Vepar thought she got the general sense of the situation. She thought Ru Amuh was no different from the traitor named Ruana, but she went along with it. Everything this human male said fit so far¡­ The situation matched his explanation. If it was as he said, the monster alliance might have reached their goal¡ªif it wasn¡¯t for this foolish human male whose greediness had made him blind. ¡°Haha, hahahaha.¡± Vepar¡¯s shoulders shook as she laughed. In a normal world, even a great devil could not face a god, but Liber was different. Liber¡¯s main god, Elephthalia, had gone mad, and Liber¡¯s World had disappeared. As a result, countless gods were weakened and turned into mere ornaments. However, since a god was still a god, the value of their utilization was endless, especially in a world like this. How could she not be glad that such a useful tool had rolled right into her hands? Vepar intuitively felt that depending on how she took advantage of this situation, she could not only win this war but also make the future work in her favor. After laughing for a good while, Vepar said softly, ¡°All right¡­¡± She could never let the monster alliance secure the god, and instead, she needed to secure the god for herself. She needed to accept this deal at all costs. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± But of course, the basis of making a deal was to make sure she didn¡¯t seem too interested. So she threw the first bait, ¡°If you bring me the holy relic, I will open up a path for you and your comrades to safely get out of here.¡± ¡°No.¡± Ru Amuh was firm. ¡°The price is not right.¡± ¡°What did you say? You want to talk about price?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come here while risking my life.¡± Even if this deal fell through, the only loss the Demon Empire would suffer was some humans who were going to be taken in as slaves. Vepar replied, ¡°That¡¯s your position. You can only barter for a better price when you¡¯re on equal footing with the other party.¡± ¡°Please release my comrades first and show me that they had left safely. Only after that will I bring the holy relic to a place that only I know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very greedy. What if I don¡¯t accept your condition?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re all going to die together.¡± Ru Amuh closed his eyes as if he would never back down from his condition. Vepar¡¯s eyes narrowed. Just the fact that he came here alone was proof that he had prepared to die. It seemed that he was also certain she would accept the deal no matter what. However, this didn¡¯t matter, since humans were a foolish race, and she could use this condition against him as well. For example, if she thought about the reason why he was showing so much courage¡­ ¡°You¡­¡± Vepar was about to say something, but stopped and looked over at the captured humans. What if he hadn¡¯t come here because of a power struggle? What if there was a family member or a lover in this group? Then it made sense that he was being so persistent and stubborn. Even if he died, he might want to let them go first. ¡°You leave me in a difficult position. If I put my trust in you, you might not come back.¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± ¡°So let¡¯s do this.¡± Vepar continued as if she was being generous, ¡°I¡¯ll send away half of your comrades first. Of course, I¡¯ll let you check if they have left safely.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Divide them in half.¡± At Vepar¡¯s order, the nagas exactly divided the prisoners in half. ¡°Choose one¡ªthe left, or the right.¡± Looking at Ru Amuh, who was visibly taken aback, Vepar asked, ¡°Which one will you send out first?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes dropped. It was a sudden question. This was probably the final compromise that Vepar set for herself. If he refused even this, the deal that he had barely managed to introduce might fall through. Thus, even if it was disappointing that he could only free half of the eighth recruits, he needed to accept this final compromise. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ru Amuh gulped a few times and said, ¡°All right. Then, please send the right side away first.¡± ¡°Is that so? Vepar smiled inwardly. Ru Amuh¡¯s stubbornness had broken in an instant. There could only be one reason why he immediately took the bait¡ªthe human that he needed to save while risking his life was among the group on the right. Vepar smiled and gave out an order, ¡°Leave the right side group and send out those on the left first.¡± Ru Amuh stared at her, startled. ¡°Why¡­!¡± ¡°I changed my mind.¡± Vepar checked his reaction and chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t I listen to your request anyway? Don¡¯t worry too much, since I¡¯ll make sure to fulfill your condition. Follow me.¡± Vepar showed him that the group of people on the left had left safely. ¡°Is this good enough?¡± When they looked as small as dots, Vepar returned to her original spot and said, ¡°I kept my promise, so it¡¯s now your turn to keep your promise.¡± Ru Amuh was extremely pale. Vepar expected this, since she had let the other group away rather than the group with the human he needed to save while risking his life. And like this, Vepar was sure that Ru Amuh would have no choice but to return with the holy relic. ¡°How long will it take you to bring it?¡± ¡°¡­It won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°Good. If you gave me a different answer, I would have asked you again after killing a couple humans. Go get it and come back at once,¡± Vepar said leisurely. ¡°It would be better for you to bring the holy relic as fast as possible because I really hate waiting. If you make me wait for too long, I¡¯ll have no choice but to get my underlings to help me relieve my boredom.¡± She didn¡¯t forget to append her words with threats. ¡°¡­I understand¡­¡± In the end, Ru Amuh dropped his head low and turned around as if realizing his own helplessness. Upon his return to the basement of the center building where the other recruits were, Ru Amuh was swarmed by the numerous people waiting for him. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°How did it go?¡± He was immediately bombarded with questions. ¡°I saved half of the recruits.¡± ¡°Half?¡± ¡°Yes, more than that would be difficult.¡± ¡°What about Mariaju?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably outside the city about now.¡± Ru Amuh smiled softly. ¡°The demon suddenly split half of the prisoners and told me to choose, so I purposely chose the group that she wasn¡¯t in. And as expected, the demon let the other group go.¡± The one who was tricked wasn¡¯t actually Ru Amuh, but Vepar. At Ru Amuh¡¯s words, Eustitia looked subtly relieved, while Afrilith showed it openly. Afrilith said, ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°I thought it was a little strange that she would make a compromise so easily,¡± Ru Amuh replied humbly as Afrilith seemed to be looking at him in a new light. Then Afrilith said, ¡°But I don¡¯t know if we can trust her. She might have secretly sent out a tracking team¡­¡± ¡°While we¡¯re on that topic, would you be able to perhaps send out a message?¡± ¡°A message? I have Mariaju on my contact list as my friend.¡± ¡°Then, please send her a message, telling them to head towards the alliance. I¡¯ll send a message right away as well.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Ru Amuh did that quickly and looked around. ¡°By the way, did the object arrive?¡± ¡°Well, I retrieved it while Ru was drawing attention.¡± Ismile from the Nahla family stepped forward. There was a statue in his hand¡ªit was the statue found in the chaos temple. ¡°They gave it to me secretly, but I¡¯m not sure if this will work.¡± Ismile shook the statue with a dubious expression. The water inside swished around and made a sound. ¡°Ah, and he told me to relay this message to you. What was it? I already made a wish or something like that? Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­Can we really trust this guy?¡± ¡°Of course. Please pass that to me.¡± Ru Amuh spoke without an ounce of doubt on his face and took the statue. Ismile still seemed confused. Of course, Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t guarantee that everything would go well. No matter how well he prepared, there were times when unexpected or dangerous situations would arise regardless. However, Chi-Woo was someone who could see several steps ahead. Ru Amuh was certain that this statue his teacher had made would work and be extremely useful. Thus, Ru Amuh believed in Chi-Woo; he had no doubts that someone who had somehow overcome seemingly impossible situations would turn things around, and that this situation would also go the way Chi-Woo wanted¡ªas it already did many times. ¡°I can¡¯t be too late, so I¡¯ll leave right now. Please take care of the rest.¡± With these parting words, Ru Amuh moved out of the basement. While making his way to the demon territory, he fell into thought. He was certain that everything would come to an end tonight. And if he successfully finished this task, he would be acknowledged and be able to stand next to his teacher for the first time. He would finally earn the right to wield the longsword that his teacher gave him. Ru Amuh firmed his resolve and tightly clutched the weathered sword among his two swords with all his might. CH 162 The play wasn¡¯t over yet. The eighth recruits were still captured, and the nagas were intently guarding them. There was Vepar, dreaming and assured of a rosy future where she was the main lead. Everything was as it was. ¡°You came.¡± She smiled, welcoming the entrance of an extra who would make her shine brighter. But Vepar didn¡¯t know she couldn¡¯t be the center of this stage. The stage was created to make sure exactly that, and it was the same for Ru Amuh. He wasn¡¯t the main character, either. He wasn¡¯t even one of the main leads, but at most a fake protagonist. The director of this play had drafted his script with a different main character in mind. However, it was now time for Vepar to be released from her expectations and delusions. Thus, Ru Amuh gripped the statue in his hand tightly with a tense expression. ¡°I¡­brought it¡­¡± ¡°You came earlier than I expected you to. As I thought, you must have been quite anxious.¡± Vepar thought her strategy to let the opposite half of the captives go had been right on the mark. She looked completely satisfied with her own wisdom. Now that this dim-witted human male had come back, the matter was basically over¡ªof course, that was if the holy relic that the human brought was the real deal. It was a well-carved but weathered statue that looked lacking in some way. But its appearance was only secondary. Vepar closed her eyes and stretched out her arms, heightening all her senses toward the relic. A holy relic represented a god, and as its name suggested, was holy and gave off a unique feeling. No matter how artistic it appeared, if it didn¡¯t have any divinity, it was nothing more than a pretty craftwork. On the opposite note, if a stone rolling on the street possessed divinity, its value skyrocketed. And after studying it, Vepar noted, ¡°It¡¯s there!¡± She opened her eyes widely as she sensed the divinity from the statue. Although it was very weak and almost insignificant, it made more sense to her. Considering the state of this World and the fact that the item was from a secret religion barely holding on to their existence, it would¡¯ve been more suspicious if it had been overflowing with divinity. The divinity Vepar felt sealed the deal. And although it was only slight, she also felt traces of a god lingering. As divinity was no commonplace thing rolling around, from that point, all suspicions and doubts she had had evaporated. Her careful eyes soon turned red with greed and desire. ¡°I¡­kept the promise. So¡­¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Vepar¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°The promise. Yes, the promise.¡± Her gaze shifted to the rest of the captives. After a short silence, she said, ¡°Go.¡± Turning to the nagas guarding the captives, she continued, ¡°Capture them in half a day. You will bring me every single one of the humans we let go. No exception.¡± The nagas turned around immediately like they had expected this. ¡°W-What!¡± Ru Amuh was appalled. ¡°H¡ªHow could you¡­! You promised!¡± Ru Amuh sounded enraged, like he couldn¡¯t believe it, and Vepar smiled. She needed slaves as sacrifices to make up for the lacking divinity; now that a holy relic had rolled into her hands, and she had the perfect opportunity to get sacrifices, why would she give up on one when she could get both? ¡®The strong deserved to get everything,¡¯ she thought. This was the way of the devil. ¡°Disappointment, realization of how in vain one¡¯s effort is¡­I love despairing feelings like that,¡± Vepar said with amusement as she watched Ru Amuh grit his teeth. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry. I won¡¯t kill you, at least not for now. And I¡¯m not lying this time. I will take you as my slave considering your contribution, and your face is also...¡± Vepar didn¡¯t manage to finish her sentence before bursting into laughter. Ru Amuh was very, very handsome, even to a demon¡¯s eyes. She could only be happy, acquiring a god and a slave that made her look forward to future nights. Although she didn¡¯t hold the holy relic in her hands yet, it was basically hers. Because¡ª ¡°What..?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s face stiffened, looking lost. His eyes darted around, stunned that the nagas had surrounded him without leaving a gap in no time. ¡°You aren¡¯t stupid enough to not know that resistance is futile?¡± Vepar said leisurely. She was telling him to hand the relic over and obediently get captured. Yet, in response¡ªSling! Ru Amuh pulled out his sword and swung it around. He ran away like he couldn¡¯t accept the situation as it was. ¡°¡­Well, I suppose you could do that, you dim-wit.¡± Vepar shrugged and commanded while chuckling. ¡°Don¡¯t kill him, but capture him unharmed.¡± Their opponent was a human at most. The number of nagas who had gone to chase after him was more than a dozen. Demons were fighting machines who had lived their whole lives on the battlefield. It would be weirder if they failed to capture him. That was what Vepar had thought, but what happened next made her eyes widen. ¡°Hm?¡± Splash! When Ru Amuh swung his sword, the heads of the nagas following him fell off while spurting blood. He swiftly sliced through the thick armor and scales and displayed splendid swordsmanship and movements. It was unexpected, but not completely out of expectations. Vepar was aware that not all humans were weak, and some were, admittedly, strong. It was humiliating, but during a time when a man named Salem Philip lived, demons had lived as slaves to humans. ¡°¡­He did say he was a great warrior of a secret religion.¡± Vepar clicked her tongue. ¡°What are you all doing? Bring a troop or two if it¡¯s necessary, but take him back quickly.¡± Her command changed, and the nagas increased their offensive. However, they still failed to capture Ru Amuh. They thought they would be able to capture the human easily, but the nagas were falling one by one, getting swept away with Ru Amuh in the center. ¡°Those pathetic fools.¡± Vepar snorted. She realized that the human male was more skilled than she had thought, but she still had no doubt that she had the situation under control. After all, this was her territory. ¡°That useless lot, seriously¡­¡± She shook her head and extended her energy. Ru Amuh¡¯s surroundings quickly became damp and filled with sticky darkness. She was about to wrap his body around to apply pressure when suddenly a light burst out. Flash! The bright light radiating from the statue enveloped Ru Amuh and pushed back against the pressing darkness. ¡°Ha!¡± The divinity reacted to him? Vepar shouted, ¡°It¡¯s protecting a traitor? What a forgiving god!¡± Her tone was still relaxed, but her smile had faded a little bit. At the same time, Ru Amuh defeated the last naga left and threw it to the ground before bolting again, never once turning back. Vepar¡¯s beam was replaced by a slight frown. Even while considering how desperate the situation was, it was still unexpected that the human would choose to run away, leaving a loved one behind. Vepar began to feel an unknown sense of unease, a type of unease that suggested she might be overlooking a crucial detail, and she let him escape. She sent some of the nagas to recapture the human slaves that had been sent out. The rest of the humans were being held as hostages, some of whom had lost consciousness. Even if she summoned more nagas, she didn¡¯t think that they would be helpful in fixing the situation. The most important matter was that the holy relic she desperately wanted was getting further away from her¡ªfurthermore, in the direction of the Cassiubia League. In terms of importance, everything else paled in comparison. The holy relic was of the highest priority and must be retrieved at all costs. Vepar had already confirmed that the holy relic was real, so she was even more frantic to retrieve it. That left her with only one option. ¡°You dare.¡± Her body shrank back like a pressurized spring before shooting out with extreme force. ¡°Make me step forward!¡± The distance between her and Ru Amuh narrowed in an instance. Ru Amuh ran; he only focused on running. The momentum with which she was chasing him was truly terrifying. As expected of a great demon, even while using all the energy he could possibly squeeze out to run, the distance between him and Vepar was continuously shrinking. Vepar had done nothing but chase him down with a single-minded focus, but this made it even more frightening. Ru Amuh felt her extreme dedication to capture him at all costs; she would not allow him even a little gap to escape. His synesthesia also supported his thoughts. At this rate, she would catch up to him in minutes¡ªno, in a few seconds, let alone a minute. ¡°You rascal.¡± However, Vepar surpassed his expectations and even his synesthesia. When he turned around, he saw her furious face right above his shoulders. ¡°Give me the holy relic-!¡± She cried out and wriggled her body violently. Vepar jumped on him like a ferocious beast, and Ru Amuh pulled back the hand holding the statue at almost the same time. Swiiiish! A sudden gust of wind swept by, and carried the statue far, far away. ¡°What the-!¡± Vepar¡¯s gaze snapped to the statue flying away like a game of shot put. Holy relics were fickle, so a very small crack could make them lose their function. It went without saying that if it broke, it might become completely useless. ¡°You bastard¡ªNo, no¡ª!¡± Vepar cried out, and after hurriedly smacking Ru Amuh to the ground, she turned towards the direction of the statue. At this point, she was already out of her sphere of influence, and while following the statue, she went even deeper into enemy territory. Vepar managed to catch the statue just before it fell to the ground. ¡°Ha!¡± Vepar let out a sigh of relief with the statue in her hand. He really wasn¡¯t a normal human being; things might have gotten very cumbersome if the statue had broken. However, his last desperate effort had ended up in vain. Nothing mattered to her now. Even if she made some losses right now, this alone would be more than enough to make up for it. Her gains would be incomparable to her losses¡ªfor she now had a god in her hand! There was nothing wrong with Vepar¡¯s thought process¡­if the statue in her hand had truly been a holy relic. ¡°Ha¡­what?¡± Vepar, who was about to burst into laughter, paused. Even though she finally had the holy relic in her hand, something felt off. She did feel the traces left by a god, but there was no god in it. How could this be when she had definitely felt divinity inside? ¡°It¡¯s not here anymore?¡± The small amount of divinity was completely gone. Unbeknownst to Vepar, the holy water inside the statue had lost all its function after fulfilling Chi-Woo¡¯s wish to protect Ru Amuh. In fact, the statue had really been a holy relic. However, after Kabal moved into Balal¡¯s body, it became completely empty; in short, it was now nothing more than an empty shell. However, Vepar had no way of knowing the circumstances surrounding the statue and was thoroughly flabbergasted. The reason why she had acted so boldly was that she was sure the holy relic was real. She had clearly felt the traces of a god, felt divinity inside it, and saw it exert its power with her own eyes. She hadn¡¯t even imagined that it could be a fake. How could it be? Vepar quickly looked back as if she¡¯d been bewitched. Ru Amuh, who had been hit by her tail and rolled on the ground several times, slowly got up. He soon met her gaze and smiled. He looked extremely satisfied because his synesthesia was alerting him to the countless presence surrounding Vepar. Among the numerous presence, he also felt his teacher¡¯s extremely powerful and pure energy. Honestly, Ru Amuh had been scared, terrified even. While he was running away, thoughts like, ¡®What if something went wrong, and no one would be there for me?¡¯ flashed by. But his teacher kept his promise like always. And this only meant one thing. ¡°!¡± Vepar finally came to her senses and scanned her surroundings in a daze. ¡°What¡­¡± She gaped slightly when she saw the countless artilleries that filled her view. All of them pointed towards her as if to welcome and salute her. ¡°Atttaaackkkkkkk!¡± Baammmmmm! The new stage was brilliantly lit with fire all at once. CH 163 A thunderous boom shook the earth and sky, and the ground trembled like there was an earthquake. Besides the explosion, the army of monsters charged at Vepar at once with Magor at the center, making clumps of dirt and dust clouds explode in their wake. ¡°We did it!¡± Chi-Woo exclaimed in happiness and clenched his fists while watching everything unfold in hiding. Ru Amuh had really done what he promised to and brought a great demon out of her territory as they had wished for. ¡ªIt was a good idea to use the holy relic as bait. I applaud his success in bringing the demon out too. But. As Chi-Woo shuddered in celebration, Philip rained on his feverish joy. ¡ªYou don¡¯t think it¡¯s all over, do you? You don¡¯t think this is enough, do you? Chi-Woo¡¯s elevated mood quickly cooled. Yes, their opponent was a great demon, one of the top 66 demons in the Demon Empire at that. As Philip said, there was no way things would end like this. It was actually the beginning. Remnants of the gunpowder obscuring his view settled down, and through the widening gaps, Chi-Woo saw Vepar standing in full form. Vepar looked far from unscathed, though. Her body was charred, and her scales were falling off. It was a wonder what trick she had used to survive such an intense attack. A few moments later, violent howls came from all over the opposite side¡ªalong with the presence of numerous troops marching at once. Instinctually sensing the danger their master was in, the nagas rushed in frantically. The Cassiubia League seemed to have expected this response, and the monsters reacted without pause. Rumble. The ground began to shake again. The stone floor cracked, and thick tree roots shot out from the cracks. branches overlapped and intertwined as they wrapped around and broke apart a building, forming a giant wall that divided the city. It was the ancient tree¡¯s doing. The nagas pounded on the tree madly, but the wall didn¡¯t break easily. Instead, thorny thickets emerged suddenly to pierce the nagas, and new branches emerged, intertwining more tightly than before. The monsters didn¡¯t stand watching, either. After seeing that ordinary attacks didn¡¯t work, Magor circled around the wall with its troops. They planned to lead the nagas out of Vepar¡¯s territory and wipe them all out. It would only result in meaningless losses if they stayed where they were at. And to deal with Vepar¡ªbam! The giant landed in front of her with a heavy thud. Another figure landed swiftly next to it¡ªthe hovering jade-colored lights gathered and took the shape of a beautiful woman. Vepar looked beyond the wall and murmured, ¡°Gigas¡­and the Wind¡¯s Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp? And¡­?¡± Vepas looked around slowly, and when she saw the half-demon Murumuru, one of her eyebrows rose. ¡°I even see one mixed blood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, you damn demon!¡± Murumuru yelled vehemently at her like it knew her, but Vepar tilted her head in response. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you though. Why would I, when you¡¯re of an inferior species?¡± Murumuru¡¯s eyes flared up at Vepar¡¯s insult. ¡°Anyways¡­¡± She looked around and shrugged. ¡°You have laid out quite an entertainment for me. I suppose I won¡¯t be bored with you as my opponents.¡± ¡°Not bored?¡± Murumuru¡¯s eyes blazed with anger. ¡°Of course you won¡¯t be bored! That¡¯s right. I am going to make you so overjoyed that you wish you were dead!¡± Murumuru gritted its teeth and pulled out a pair of dark purple katanas with each hand. The battle had begun. As Murumuru crossed its two katanas, four pairs of dark tendrils poured out from Vepar¡¯s back. The energy swayed like water steams and surrounded her in a protective manner. Splaaaash! Water splashed, and Murumuru¡¯s katana slipped, failing to penetrate through the streams protecting Vepar. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me something more impressive?¡± Vepar mocked Murumuru. ¡°As a mixed blood, you won¡¯t be able to inflict even a tiny injury on me in your human form.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Murumuru shouted while grabbing its two katanas tightly and swinging them down hard. Vepar clicked her tongue and turned slightly. Half of the streams pouring from her back were flung away. But flick! It sounded like something had slapped a wet leather. After a single clash, she threw Murumuru off its feet without giving it a chance to resist¡ªso ridiculously easy. The dark streams didn¡¯t stop, but stretched out and grabbed onto Murumuru¡¯s arm as Murumuru twirled in the air. The grip tightened as the streams expanded in size. Soon, Murumuru¡¯s entire arm seemed completely submerged in water. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± An ear-splitting scream escaped Murumuru¡¯s mouth. The pressure of the water streams seemed to be squeezing and twisting its confined arm. Vepar smiled cruelly before a large shadow over 2 meters tall loomed over her, making her flinch. She quickly leapt away from the area, and in the place where she used to be, a gigantic palm smashed down. The strike was so strong that it left a deep handprint on the ground. ¡°Tch.¡± Vepar clicked her tongue. The streams that had bound Murumuru broke off, and Sruthos pushed on. Unbefitting of its large size, it moved agilely and swung its fist. Vepar didn¡¯t evade this time. Bam! Another explosive sound rang, but surprisingly, Vepar held on. She had blocked Sruthos¡¯ fist with one hand only and blocked the other fist at the same time. Thus commenced a battle of raw strength between the giant and the demon. ¡°Umph¡­!¡± As Vepar¡¯s arms began to shake a bit, she groaned softly. ¡°As expected of a Gigas. Their divine power is outstanding!¡± Although Vepar acknowledged Sruthos¡¯ power, Sruthos didn¡¯t appear to be in a good state. Sruthos was feeling nervous as Vepar didn¡¯t seem to be getting pushed back much. And while those two grappled, Murumuru got to its feet from afar. ¡°¡­Kuh!¡± In agony, Murumuru¡¯s eyes shone with reddish light. Then something strange began to happen. Dark reddish blood began to be absorbed back into its abnormally twisted arm. Bones cracked, and in an instant, the arm returned to its original shape. Murumuru picked up its fallen katana again and glared at the demon locked in a battle with the giant. It kicked off from the ground. Pwsh! Murumuru¡¯s two katanas pierced into Vepar¡¯s side in a flash. Even though Vepar¡¯s hands were occupied with Sruthos, Murumuru¡¯s speed had seen a sudden surge. Vepar groaned softly and turned around. Her lips twisted when she saw Murumuru emitting a bright light. ¡°Kuh. So, you used the power you detested so much in the end.¡± ¡°To kill you, I will gladly use anything!¡± Murumuru shouted while twisting the two katanas stuck in Vepar¡¯s side. ¡°I will kill you painfully! With all the rage from that day!¡± Following these words, the scales covering the penetrated area began to glow a purplish light. ¡°You dim-wit.¡± Even as she fought two enemies at once, Vepar appeared calm. ¡°You don¡¯t even realize that I got hit on purpose.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite a fine poison,¡± Vepar said and took a deep breath. ¡°So, I will give it back to you.¡± With one deep breath, the glowing parts of her body quickly climbed up her back and puffed out of her mouth in the form of smoke. In shock, Murumuru pulled out its katana and tried to quickly move away. Then a green gust of wind suddenly swept in between the two, surrounding Murumuru and scattering the purplish light Vepar vomited. Simultaneously, it flashed an irritating light and clung to every part of Vepar¡¯s body. Vepar looked annoyed for the first time since the battle began. Still seizing both of Sruthos¡¯ fists, she turned back to the giant and spewed out a continuous stream of purplish smoke. Sruthos didn¡¯t move away like Murumuru had done. Instead, it quietly took her attacks because it was born with innately high resistance as part of the Gigas Tribe. Vepar seemed to have expected this as she put more strength into her hold. Then she groaned, and a face popped out of her neck. She now had two heads, one at the front and the other at the back. ¡°___. ____. __. ______.¡± As soon as her new face popped out, she quickly chanted an incomprehensible spell. As a result, the smoke that was constantly flowing out of Vepar¡¯s mouth rose into the air and thickened. It turned into a watery dark cloud and sprinkled purple rain. Splash! Wherever the rain fell, the floor melted and let out steam. The jade-colored gust of wind stopped trying to gnaw on Vepar to quickly fly up and protect Murumuru, who was being violently pushed back. Sruthos also shook off its opponent and accelerated its blood flow to prevent its blood from escaping. Vepar was the ruler of the ocean. No matter how high Sruthos¡¯ natural resistance was, it was not a good idea to expose its fluids to Vepar. Vepar was able to successfully push back her opponents and regain her freedom. While her condition didn¡¯t look good, looks were deceiving. Her hands and arms, which had been crumpled by her struggle with Sruthos, quickly returned to their original state. New flesh grew back on her sides as well, and she looked as good as new. Thanks to her unbelievable recovery rate, she might as well have never been injured¡ªexcept for the fact that she had an additional face on the back of her neck. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t have any trouble winning, but¡­¡± Her two faces took turns talking. ¡°It¡¯ll be a bit bothersome with three opponents.¡± A Gigas with great natural resistance and strength, a half-demon with at least half the power of a demon, and a Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp of wind who played a supporting role rather than fought her directly. Even though she had the full confidence in winning like she said, Vepar didn¡¯t think she could quickly finish this battle. Moreover, the environment was extremely disadvantageous to her. If they were in the middle of the ocean, or at least the sphere of influence she had put a lot of effort into making, she could have easily torn them apart. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªHelped.¡± Vepar knew she should finish this as soon as possible and return to her territory. ¡°I need to overexert myself¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªA bit.¡± As soon as her two heads finished talking, another pair of arms sprouted from beneath her neck. With her four arms and two faces on the back and front, she had lost her resemblance to humans and was no longer a beauty, but looked like the very embodiment of an Asura monster. Chi-Woo, who had been watching with nervousness, suddenly felt drained. He had been overflowing with anticipation, but now, he felt himself cool down. His mood began to sink deeper and deeper like he was drowning endlessly. ¡®Why¡­¡¯ Even if they couldn¡¯t immediately defeat the demon, he thought they would have the upper hand. However, the situation wasn¡¯t turning out well for them. Even though the monsters were doing their best, they never gained a clear upper hand. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly why, but he felt as if everything they had done so far had been in vain, which left him cold. ¡ªDon¡¯t fall for it. Then, he heard Philip¡¯s voice inside his head. ¡ªYou remember what happened with Andras, right? ¡ªDo you know what you have to be most careful about when fighting demons? ¡ªIt¡¯s to not fall for the emotions they control and favor. Chi-Woo blinked. His current emotional state was being influenced by Vepar? ¡ªShe¡¯s a crafty one. As soon as she realized she fell into a trap, she slowly began using her powers. ¡ªIt¡¯s a silver lining that the emotions she rules over are disappointment and feelings of futility. Such feelings of deficiency can at least be turned around by changing the situation. But imagine if it¡¯s hunger or lust? It would be a complete shit-show. Chi-Woo shook his head vigorously. If Philip¡¯s words were true, this meant that one of Vepar¡¯s powers had penetrated through his mind and at least partially influenced his emotions. This battle wasn¡¯t over yet; he needed to get a hold of himself. ¡ªWell, if things don¡¯t change, it¡¯ll be hard to win like you thought. ¡®Really?¡¯ ¡ªProbably. Since Philip had faced countless demons when he was alive, he could predict the outcome of the fight simply by watching. The three monsters were on the stronger side among the Indigenous Monsters. The fact that they could keep up with a Great Demon was proof of their skills. However¡­ ¡ªI¡¯ve told you this before. What is leisure? ¡®It¡¯s a privilege of¡­the strong.¡¯ There was nothing resembling ease to the way the three monsters moved. On the contrary, Vepar looked leisurely to the point of being annoying¡ªthis was proof that she had the upper hand even while fighting three opponents. It couldn¡¯t be helped. During Philip¡¯s time, even five sword masters¡ªthose who¡¯ve achieved the highest level with a sword¡ªcould barely achieve a tie while facing a great demon. The three monsters were considered extremely skilled in their respective tribes, but technically, they were at the level of a unit commander. To defeat a high-ranking great demon, at least two out of three of them should be at the level of top commander. ¡ªI can¡¯t keep watching. In the end, Philip judged that the situation was getting too dangerous and spoke up again. ¡ªHey, let¡¯s switch. ¡®So suddenly?¡¯ ¡ªIt¡¯s not sudden. If even one of them gets beaten, the balance will be completely broken. ¡®But maybe I should at least try fighting¡ª¡± ¡ªYou¡¯ll die. Philip said flatly. ¡ªIf you¡¯re unlucky, you could be the first to get killed without even being able to approach her properly. Philip looked more serious than ever, even slightly tense. Chi-Woo realized this was not the time to be stubborn. ¡®We can¡¯t die. ¡ªOkay. You might get a bit hurt. Keep that in mind. When Chi-Woo gave permission for Philip to take over his body, he felt a tingling sensation, and all of his senses slowly faded, leaving him with only his sight. ¡°But¡­I¡¯m glad you¡¯re weak.¡± Philip didn¡¯t immediately run out like the last time he took over Chi-Woo¡¯s body. He breathed slowly in and out like he was preparing something and put down Chi-Woo¡¯s bag, taking out the ghost-busting club. ¡°There¡¯s a good chance that we¡¯ll catch her off guard. Even though it¡¯s only for the first blow.¡± Philip gathered exorcism mana and circulated it throughout Chi-Woo¡¯s body. It was nowhere near enough to deal with a great demon, nor lethal or efficient enough. Therefore, it was crucial to end a fight with such a strong opponent as fast as possible. When it seemed like the fight was going to resume, Philip charged at Vepar and shouted, ¡°Here I come!¡± He narrowed their distance by quickly crossing where the acid rain fell. The three monsters¡¯ dark expression brightened up when they saw Chi-Woo join in. Since Chi-Woo was a human hero who had experience defeating a great demon, they might have a chance of winning this battle with him. As their situation changed, feelings of futility and disappointment began to get pushed back, and courage rejuvenated their spirits. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Vepar was taken aback as Sruthos suddenly began fiercely attacking her again, like it had done when they first began fighting. It was the same for Murumuru. After being beaten down, Murumuru had become more cautious even while getting protected by the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp, but now, it began fiercely attacking Vepar with its life on the line again. ¡®Why?¡¯ thought Vepar. Fighting hard would only make things worse for them. They were not stupid enough to rush in like this without thinking. But most of all, Vepar was sure that they should be drowning in disappointment and futility. There must be a reason why they were acting like this. ¡®That guy.¡¯ A new opponent was running towards her. He was human. From the energy she sensed from him, he seemed nothing special; it was to the point that he seemed like an ordinary human. ¡®But why¡­?¡¯ She didn¡¯t know why the monsters had changed their stance, but there must be a reason; she kept her guard up. ¡®Let¡¯s first¡ª¡¯ ¡®¡ªTake a look at his skill.¡¯ Her two heads shared the same thought. While Vepar¡¯s front head dealt with Sruthos, and her back head chased away Murumuru and the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp, Philip darted towards Vepar¡¯s side. She glanced at him and shot out four streams of water, which flapped out of her back like two pairs of wings. Philip¡¯s eyes brightened. He swung the club at the four streams of water and pushed a great amount of exorcism mana into it, shooting the energy out before the club made contact. Ziing! A faint light burst out of the club from its center. The streams of water that touched the light curled strangely like mosquitoes hit by insecticides, and they melted away. ¡°!¡± Vepar flinched as soon as she felt the exorcism mana. Vepar hadn¡¯t let down her guard like Andras, but she hadn¡¯t tried her best, either. She realized that her lackluster response to test the water first might have been a mistake; her streams of water were withering away like stems. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± The realization came too late. ¡°What-!¡± Vepar¡¯s eyes became big as saucers as the club flew towards her like a meteor as if to pierce her directly through the forehead. CH 164 While the leaders of the Cassiubia League were facing Vepar, there was a great commotion happening beyond the wall created by the ancient tree. Everyone¡ªthe nagas who had leapt into action sensing that their master was in danger, the Cassiubia League under Magor¡¯s command, and the eighth recruits who had secretly come up to the surface¡ªhad expected the mess to arise. The heroes, especially, planned to take advantage of the chaos and save the remaining captives. However, not everyone was rushing outward. ¡°Ruahu!¡± Ru Hiana broke off from the group and called out for Ru Amuh until her throat burned. Of course, she didn¡¯t think Ru Amuh would be easily beaten, but there was no guarantee of his safety considering how dangerous his mission was. And seeing that Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t responded to her no matter how many messages she sent, Ru Hiana went to look for him in the end. After calling out for his name desperately for a while, she felt the presence of another group and darted into a nearby building to hide. Another group of nagas went straight for the wall, their eyes red from their intense emotions, but ended up slipping down futilely all the same. Only once they left did Ru Hiana let out the breath she had been holding. From where she was, she could hear screams and shouts clearly, which meant that she wasn¡¯t far from the center of the battlefield. ¡®Where could Ru Amuh be?¡¯ Ru Hiana wondered as she climbed up to the building¡¯s rooftop instead of going outside. She looked down from there, and as she expected, nagas were fiercely clashing with the Cassiubia League forces 200 meters away around the wall. Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes sparkled when they landed on one spot; several nagas were circling around something rather than swarming up to the wall, and there were more dead nagas in the particular spot than anywhere else. Ru Hiana jumped down from the rooftop. She ran like she was flying and swung the rapier that Chi-Woo had gifted her. As her sword flashed, several nagas fell while spewing blood. With the element of surprise, she was able to forge a path relatively easily. ¡°Ruahu!¡± She soon broke through and reached the center. ¡°Ru Hiana?¡± Ru Amuh pulled back his long sword and looked at her in surprise. ¡°How are you here?¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± But instead of answering, Ru Amuh simply smiled in response. A deep shadow cast over Ru Hiana¡¯s worried face. She knew Ru Amuh didn¡¯t lie, and she could see his condition from looking at his face alone. Ru Amuh was soaked with sweat, and his face was pale. ¡°I thought I could bear one blow.¡± Ru Amuh placed his hand on top of his ribs and groaned softly. ¡°But my sides are hurting after receiving one proper hit. As expected of a great demon.¡± It might have been his bad luck; Ru Amuh felt like his broken bones were piercing into his organs, and he was having difficulty breathing. Since he couldn¡¯t breathe well, he couldn¡¯t move as well as usual. Ru Hiana pursed her lips and gripped her rapier tightly after seeing Ru Amuh break out in cold sweat. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first,¡± Ru Amuh then said, as his synesthesia sharpened after he had barely managed to collect his breath. The nagas who had backed away from the sudden intrusion were rushing toward them from all over now. The two instinctively stood back-to-back and raised their swords¡ªthat was when one figure dropped down from the building¡¯s rooftop. After landing on the ground, he waved both arms softly in a circle. And before the Ru siblings could turn back, the nagas tumbled into the air without a sound and got shredded apart; it was like they had been shoved inside a washing machine running on maximum speed. Not a single one of them survived. The Ru siblings blankly turned to see who had gotten rid of dozens of nagas with just one swing. It was the slender, middle-aged man with bushy hair who dressed like he was on a vacation. ¡°Yo!¡± Ismile from the Nahla family said, ¡°Sorry, seems like I¡¯ve kept you waiting for too long.¡± The Ru siblings were taken aback for two different reasons. Ru Hiana was surprised to see Ismile here, while Ru Amuh was shocked by what he had just witnessed. ¡°Well, I was worried about Ruhu here,¡± Ismile said. ¡°I wanted to keep alive a hero like you who would try something like this.¡± His eyes narrowed at Ru Amuh for a moment before his usual smile took over. ¡°But there are still those who got captured!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Fine. Apu and Yusu both went. The two of them can handle it.¡± Ismile waved both hands dismissively, and when he saw Ru Amuh¡¯s condition, he whistled. ¡°Anyways, we should get to a safe place first to treat his injuries. Ah, don¡¯t worry. I might not look the part, but I have experience dealing with the human body.¡± ¡°Yes, please help him!¡± Ru Hiana immediately exclaimed, but Ru Amuh looked worried. ¡°But¡­I¡¯m still¡­¡± ¡°Come on. It¡¯s fine. You look like you¡¯re having a hard time even breathing. I can fix you in a second.¡± Ismile suddenly looked up to the night sky. ¡°I¡¯m sure he is going to come soon anyways. We just have to rest in a safe place and let him take care of the rest.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡± Ru Amuh, and of course, Ru Hiana had no idea what Ismile was saying. ¡°Huh. Did I not tell you both?¡± Ismile looked back and smirked. ¡°That guy is definitely going to come.¡± * * * Bam! A skull cracked. Chi-Woo¡¯s club ripped through the face that appeared on Vepar¡¯s back like paper. ¡°Kiaaaaaaah!¡± Halfway into casting curses, Vepar got interrupted by the hit and screeched. In shock, she quickly tried to move away, but her opponent didn¡¯t let her. She didn¡¯t know how this happened, but a human hero had succeeded in inflicting great damage on her and created an opportunity for the monsters fighting her. ¡°Hmph!¡± Sruthos swung his fist wildly. Vepar raised both arms and tried to block the attack. Pwssh! But another hit to her side hindered her. ¡°You called my poison ¡®alright¡¯?¡± Murumuru¡¯s red eyes shone as it spoke. ¡°How about this!?¡± Kaaaaaaaah! Murumuru thrust two katanas into Vepar¡¯s sides, and a fierce whirlwind rushed in. Vepar couldn¡¯t maintain her senses from the excruciating pain as her insides felt like they were getting shredded, and Sruthos used the chance to grapple her instead of attacking; he wanted to create an opening for a striker better than it was. ¡°Impressive!¡± Chi-Woo jumped over her head and swung his club down as if he was trying to split the ground in half. He felt the impact traveling along his hands clearly. The next moment, Vepar¡¯s body melted as if it was made up of water. Then a whirlpool formed from the liquid on the ground. ¡°Kyah!¡± Vepar sprang out, accompanied by the sound of something boiling. ¡°Damn it!¡± Philip quickly turned around in surprise. He gritted his teeth and wondered, ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ He had miscalculated. He had thought he would inflict less damage since unlike the time he fought Andras, Vepar could use her full strength. But that wasn¡¯t so. Even though he was aware the club was a holy item, it produced a synergy that surpassed his imagination when combined with Chi-Woo¡¯s special skills. Moreover, Chi-Woo had soaked the ghost-busting club in holy water for days. Chi-Woo¡¯s skill¡ªno, anyone would be hard-pressed to call it a mere skill¡ªhis innate power to exercise absolute dominance over all evil or dark types was clearly at work. The stronger his opponent, the stronger his power. Of course, since Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t fully tap into his ability, there was a limit to his power. Still, what he was capable of was much greater than Philip had expected, and that was where the problem lay. Philip had originally planned to slowly cut down Vepar and finish her in one shot. In game terms, he¡¯d planned to leave about fifty percent of her HP and end the final boss with a lethal move. This way, the boss wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the second or third phases that occurred when their HP fell below a certain level. If the monsters heard, they would dismiss it as ridiculous, but Chi-Woo¡¯s power made it possible. Unfortunately, Philip had underestimated its effectiveness and the level of damage it would inflict, leaving Vepar at only five percent of her HP in an instant. Since Vepar was now in critical condition, she might take drastic measures, and Philip¡¯s concerns soon turned into reality. Vepar, who managed to escape by a hair¡¯s breadth, could clearly judge her situation even while feeling dizzy. The alter ego she had created while consuming quite a lot of energy was destroyed in one shot. Half of her face, including one eye, had been blasted away, and it didn¡¯t regenerate at all. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t stop throwing up blood. Her condition was so severe that she couldn¡¯t believe it. It should be impossible for something like this to happen. Despite her disbelief, Vepar accepted her reality. ¡®It¡¯s¡­over for me.¡¯ If she took another hit, she would die instantly. In fact, it was safe to say her condition was unrecoverable from the moment she received a direct hit. Even though she still felt like it was all a fever dream, the pain spreading through her whole body reminded her that this was reality. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, if it¡¯ll end like this¡ªif I have no choice but to disappear like this¡­!¡¯ ¡°______________________!¡± A long, screeching scream erupted from her mouth as she tipped her chin up. An eardrum ringing, high-frequency noise roared throughout the area. Then darkness suddenly descended all around them. It had been pretty dark because it was early in the morning, but the slowly brightening sky dimmed again as if time was rewinding. ¡°Fuck!¡± Philip cursed. He had been worried that something like this could happen, and his concerns hit right on the mark. Vepar had assessed her situation and made a split-second decision before immediately carrying it out. Now that things had gotten to this point, he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach her anymore; it would be like trying to cross the endless sea. Vepar had given up on her physical body and soul; all that was left of her was her ¡®existence¡¯. Chi-Woo was also started by the sudden turn of events. ¡®What happened? Why does Vepar suddenly feel so far¡­!¡¯ ¡°¡­She¡¯s trying to leave her existence behind.¡± Philip bit on his bottom lip. ¡°She¡¯s offering everything she has to engrave her existence onto this world¡­Damn it!¡± What Vepar was doing was not much different than someone going berserk, but it was an entirely different story when a great demon did it. It also meant that Vepar was imprinting her very existence into this place. Crumble! The walls of the ancient city collapsed at once. The pure darkness that ate up even the night pushed in. ¡°The territory¡­is moving¡­!¡± Murumuru let out a startled cry. As Murumuru said, the darkness that occupied the opposite side had lifted its heavy self up and started moving¡ªtowards where Vepar was. Before they knew it, the whole area turned dark with no visible light. Philip stopped running meaninglessly. This was not the end of the battle. Rather, it was only the beginning. Flash! Faces sprouted all over Vepar¡¯s body, bulging and moving their mouths quickly while blood and tears streamed from their eyes¡ªas if they were all chanting a spell. A terrible chill swept over everyone. It felt like the ocean in the middle of winter. No, this was not merely an illusion in their minds. A wave splashed over and hit the ground. The overlying land turned into a dark sea, causing countless swirls. Some rose like they had been stirred by a paddle and became a tidal wave, hitting Sruthos. It was so powerful that even a huge gigas like Sruthos got overwhelmed in a heartbeat. And this wasn¡¯t the end. ¡ªKehe! Kehehehe! Unknown spirits flew around them while letting out freakish laughs. When one of them scratched Murumuru¡¯s face violently as it streaked by, Murumuru screamed and held onto its face. ¡°What¡­what¡­!¡± Murumuru touched its own face like it couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. Its wounds opened up and quickly began to decay. Moreover, the storm that came with thunder and lightning had engulfed even the flowing wind. All natural disasters that could be experienced in the ocean were occurring at the same time. Only Chi-Woo remained standing. He stood shining like a lighthouse, guiding one in the right direction when they couldn¡¯t see even an inch ahead. However, in reality, Chi-Woo¡¯s situation was not much different from the others. The darkness caused all kinds of abnormalities, and Philip struggled to endure it by blocking the darkness with the glowing club, burning burned the encroaching darkness. However¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± There seemed to be no end to it. The club, full of Chi-Woo¡¯s exorcism mana, was incredibly efficient and could face an army of 10,000 alone. It was no exaggeration to say he was slicing through the darkness and completely destroying it. However, the berserking great demon was not equivalent to an army of 10,000, but way more than 100,000. There was nothing he could do given the sheer enormity of his enemy. Philip ground his molars as he felt the energy of the club draining rapidly. He had planned a short-term showdown, but things went awry and suddenly turned into a long-term battle. At this point, the odds of winning were basically zero. But still, he couldn¡¯t give up like this. What should he do¡­? ¡°Ah¡ª¡± It was then that he heard a familiar sound. The presence wandered around, seemingly looking for someone. How could anyone possibly walk around in this area? Philip turned around and was shocked to see the newcomer. ¡°Fuck, fucking hell. How dare you mess around in my area, you fucking bitch.¡± The girl swearing with an expression of annoyance was not the white-haired Balal, but an identical-looking girl with black hair. Her eyes were also pitch black. ¡°¡­Oppa. It¡¯s getting hard, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kabal crossed the black sea and reached Chi-Woo. Tilting her head, she asked, ¡°Want my help?¡± When Philip¡¯s eyes narrowed, Kabal giggled and raised her hand. She was holding the bag Chi-Woo had left behind. She tapped it with her index finger and licked her upper lip, asking with a smile, ¡°If the answer is yes, can I have one more bottle?¡± CH 165 ¡®Another bottle?¡¯ Philip furrowed his forehead, a little befuddled. Chi-Woo was momentarily confused as well, but soon realized what Kabal meant. ¡®Say that she can!¡¯ ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡®The holy water! Holy water!¡¯ ¡°Ah¡­seriously, are you¡­¡± Philip¡¯s eyes narrowed. How many bottles did they have left? Two bottles, or three? Holy water was like the special talismans made by Chi-Woo¡¯s master. Once used, it couldn¡¯t be replenished again. They had already used one bottle on Kabal, and now she was asking for another one? In Philip¡¯s perspective, it seemed wasteful to use something like that on a god who didn¡¯t even have a good foundation or was worshipped throughout generations; instead, she was an esoteric god who had been pushed far back into history. He couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. However, there were two reasons he couldn¡¯t outrightly object. First, they weren¡¯t in a situation to be picky. Second, using holy water was a method that consumed ¡®relatively¡¯ fewer resources and guaranteed better results than the other options they had. The die, World¡¯s Milestone, was off the table as its effects were uncertain, and the remaining special talismans were more valuable than a bottle of holy water in Philip¡¯s perspective. In the end, Philip yelled, ¡°¡­Damn it! Fine!¡¯¡± ¡°Thank you! You really are the best, oppa!¡± Kabal smiled brightly and pulled out one bottle of holy water, popping off its cap and pouring it straight into her mouth. Gulp, gulp. The amount of holy water in the bottle quickly decreased with every gulp. ¡°Kuh!¡± Kabal finished a bottle in an instant and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°Yes, this is it. This is why I can¡¯t completely pull away from absolute neutrality.¡± Using blood as an analogy, ¡®neutrality¡¯ was akin to type AB when it was the recipient and type O when it was the donor; either way, it was the most inclusive of all alignments. ¡°You better not go back on your word now and claim you can¡¯t do anything,¡± Philip said while glaring at her. ¡°What a brash bastard.¡± Kabal snorted, but seemed to be in a good enough mood that she continued, ¡°What do you see me as? I am a god.¡± She looked slightly drunk as she stretched out both arms to her sides and looked up at the darkness. ¡°A god. God.¡± She closed her eyes. Lightning clapped, and as if she was savoring the stormy tidal waves in front of her, she said with exhilaration, ¡°Ahhh¡­this place is full of evil.¡± ¡°In order to drag this place full of pure evil to chaos¡­¡± Kabal¡¯s eyes burst open. No, she was kabbalah¡ªwhose left eye burst into a brilliant light, while the right eye echoed with deep darkness. She smiled until her lips were stretched flat. Then her drunken expression gradually disappeared and was replaced by one of indifference. She slowly flew into the air as she blankly stared in front of her. ¡°¡ª" Incomprehensible words came out of her mouth. Her lips were moving fast, extremely fast, as if they were sped up by a hundred times. As a great volume of incantations poured out, three large magic circles burst into existence with her in the center¡ªtwo from her hands, and a large one from the necklace on her chest. Even Vepar, who only had her existence left, realized what was going on. The power was tremendous, but also delicate. It felt like her territory was getting destroyed. Her face crumpled when she looked up. ¡°¡ª. ¨C ¡ª!¡± As Kabal chanted, mysterious spirits rushed in while making strange sounds. ¡ªKyaaaah! Spirits whooshed forward and got absorbed into the magic circles without leaving a trace. Meanwhile, Vepar quickly collected herself, and all the numerous faces on her body began to murmur incantations at once. The ocean stirred, and the dark sky shot down thunderbolts mercilessly. As a turbulent storm raged from all sides, the whirling ocean opened its mouth wide and raised a terrible tidal wave like it was going to eat the god alive. ¡°!?¡± However, everything got devoured by Kabal instead. Although she was stunned, Vepar chanted even more furiously than before. New faces popped out of her body until they covered her from head to toe. ¡°¡ª! ¨C ¡ª!¨C ¡ª! ¨C ¡ª!¡± ¡°¨C ¡ª!¡ª!¡ª!¡ª!¡± ¡°¨C ¡ª!¡ª!¡ª!¡ª!¡± ¡°¨C ¡ª!¡ª!¡ª!¡ª!¡± All the faces chanted simultaneously. Syllables combined into phrases, and phrases combined to complete one spell. Nevertheless, it failed to reach Kabal. ¡°¡ª¡± With a single syllable, Kabal cast thousands of compressed spells. It was a form of divine speech that surpassed any high-speed incantation. She gathered already completed spells and formed new, greater ones that left Vepar completely helpless no matter how she exhausted her efforts and power. And as Kabal¡¯s magic ate away the ocean, the magic circle on her right hand began to glow with black. It grew darker and darker and shrank in size; simultaneously, the magic circle on her left emitted a white light. Every time the dark magic circle shrank, the light one increased in size, and once the two magic circles became equal in size, an incomprehensible current passed through the area, making a deep rumble. Wing! Wing! Wing! Wing! Wing! The two magic circles began to expand. ¡°¡­¡ª" The opposing powers edged toward one another with the giant magic circle in front of Kabal¡¯s necklace at the center, and they joined together. Baaaaaaaam! As soon as they clashed, the two powers fluctuated wildly and sputtered white and black sparks. Kabal raised both hands slowly as if she was supporting the two powers. Her bob hair was flowing upward now, and her clothes flapped like they were about to rip apart. The power was so great that ¡®enormous¡¯ didn¡¯t even begin to describe it. The black power became whiter, while the white power became darker; it was as if the sun and the moon were joining, and something unknown was born¡ªchaos. Something that was neither light nor dark encroached on the world, and everything disappeared. The desperately fluctuating ocean waves succumbed under it, the fearsome current whirling around the girl settling. Nobody could see or hear anything in the quiet, mysterious space of her making¡ªuntil Kabal broke the silence. Her eyes flickered with neither light nor dark, but chaos as she looked down. A cold smirk tugged at her lips when she spotted Vepar helplessly standing below her. And in this unsettling silence, the girl spoke like she was giving a death sentence, ¡°Area Declaration.¡± Bambambambam! Unidentifiable streaks extended out of the chaos and fell down like rain, drawing long parabolas in the air and forming a dome around the city. They brought chaos wherever they went, and the smothering darkness cracked; in the places where darkness collapsed, the evil ocean shrank until it disappeared. Everything Vepar had bet on was quickly erased, and even her existence was no exception. Her entire being was swept into the currents of the chaos. It tore apart each of the faces all over her body and penetrated deep into her scales, seizing every single one of them forcefully. They pulled away her multiple faces with pieces of skin attached, and the faces shriveled up in pain. Like a slice of cheese with many holes left by mice, she collapsed helplessly to the ground. ¡°Ugh¡­Ah¡­Ack¡­¡± Vepar groaned in pain, twitching like a bug before slowly fading into nothingness. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of her left. Her very existence was now gone. With Vepar¡¯s demise, the nagas¡¯ powers decreased, and they fell down in agony for trespassing into an area they shouldn¡¯t have entered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them suddenly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s first kill them!¡± Since the nagas were now easy prey, the only thing left to do was to kill them all. As if the fluctuating chaos was melting into the world, light returned to the sky. The complete darkness turned grayish, and the sun slowly rose and revealed itself at a distance. Only then did Kabal crash down from the sky. ¡°Ouch!¡± She fell on her butt next to Chi-Woo and scowled at him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you catch me?¡± Philip, who had been staring blankly as everything unfolded, closed his eyes. ¡®¡­Hey.¡¯ He shook his head and let out a long sigh. ¡®Take your body back.¡¯ Without proper warning, Philip passed over the control, and Chi-Woo took over. Kabal¡¯s eyes turned black again. After Chi-Woo regained his senses, it finally registered in his mind that this long battle was truly over. ¡®So that¡¯s what happened.¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at Kabal as she complained about her butt hurting and inadvertently nodded. He now realized why Balal had wanted to go to the temple so desperately, and why an unknown force had been guiding Chi-Woo there. ¡®In the first place¡ª¡¯ The moment he took Balal to the temple and revived Kabal, he had essentially won the battle. The only thing left was to finish the work and decide how exactly he was going to win. ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°Seniorrr!¡± Chi-Woo heard two familiar voices. He turned around and saw the Ru siblings running towards him, and a strange middle-aged man was following behind in a sluggish posture. ¡°Hey~!¡± The middle-aged man looked like he better belonged on the beach. He greeted Chi-Woo by raising his hand like an old friend. ¡°Heh. How long has it been? Anyway, I thought you¡¯d come. I trusted you¡­?¡± He walked up to Chi-Woo with friendly banter, but his expression turned blank once he got a better look at Chi-Woo¡¯s face. ¡°¡­What?¡± He let out a gasp, and his eyes widened at the same time. He seemed to have mistaken Chi-Woo for someone else. ¡°Uh¡­huh? Hold on. I was sure that you matched 50 percent¡­? I mean, I was wondering why it was only 50 percent, but wait a minute. That means¡­huhhhh?¡± His words were incomprehensible to everyone else. Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana blinked at Ismile¡¯s strange behavior. Ismile, who was always smiling like a creep, was unusually flustered. Moreover, he was intently staring at Chi-Woo with a serious expression. ¡®This old guy can also make a face like that?¡¯ Ru Hiana was quick-witted enough to immediately notice Ismile¡¯s expression, and her eyes gleamed. She had been suspecting Chi-Woo¡¯s identity. Of course, she didn¡¯t doubt Chi-Woo¡¯s ability as a great hero, but he was too unknown for someone as good as he was. No matter how wide the universe was, it was strange that someone of his talent would remain unnoticed. Considering all the reactions of the heroes they had met so far, Chi-Woo was much less known than Ru Amuh. This made absolutely no sense. What if there was something that ordinary heroes didn¡¯t know about? For example, what if senior was a secret agent who had to keep his identity secret for some unknown reason? Then it made sense that he would have such a low profile. On the other hand, heroes from the twelve great families such as the Ho Lactea and Nahla family might have met Chi-Woo before, or even knew about him. ¡°Senior, do you know each other?¡± Ru Hiana asked with curiosity, but Chi-Woo shook his head. At Chi-Woo¡¯s denial, Ismile said, ¡°¡­Sorry, my bad. I must have analy¡­mistaken you for someone else.¡± ¡°Ah¡­anyway, senior! He¡¯s the one who helped Ruahu. When Ruahu got hurt, he fixed him up in no time.¡± ¡°Ahaha. It wasn¡¯t much.¡± Ismile smiled brightly and turned away from Ru Hiana¡¯s inquisitive eyes, taking a step toward Chi-Woo. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ismile. Ismile Shain Hakmart¡­Nahla.¡± Even though he had revealed his real name, Chi-Woo merely looked at him with a puzzled expression. Considering Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction even after Ismile revealed his full name, Ismile¡¯s hunch gradually turned into certainty. ¡°What¡¯s your name¡ª¡± ¡°You were hurt? Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± Chi-Woo purposefully put on a look of surprise and fuss over Ru Amuh, changing the topic the moment the word ¡®name¡¯ was uttered; Chi-Woo inwardly congratulated himself for his great timing. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m all right now.¡± Ru Amuh took a step forward when Chi-Woo stared at him. ¡°I quickly recovered with Sir Ismile¡¯s help.¡± ¡°Aha. That¡¯s why I lost you at some point.¡± ¡°Yes. I sincerely apologize. I tried to rejoin as soon as possible, but the surrounding suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s all right. Everything worked out well.¡± ¡°What about you, Teacher¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m completely fine,¡± Chi-Woo said nonchalantly before thinking for a second and shrugging. ¡°There were some dangerous moments, but¡­it¡¯s over. It¡¯s all good. You know what they say, it¡¯s the end that matters.¡± Ru Amuh fell silent. If even his teacher said it was dangerous, he was sure things must not have been easy to deal with. No, it must have been incredibly difficult, but in the end, his teacher did it again. Ru Amuh was deeply moved. When they had first arrived at this place, everything seemed so hopeless and gloomy with no answer in sight. However, the situation was now resolved. Ru Amuh felt as if he had come out of a long and deep tunnel. Now that he reflected back on what had happened, he should have expected this of his teacher. Chi-Woo awkwardly coughed as Ru Amuh remained silent. Ismile seemed like he was going to ask his name again, so Chi-Woo wanted to continue his conversation with Ru Amuh. ¡°¡­For the first time ever.¡± Then Ru Amuh spoke up. ¡°I lied.¡± And thanks to his effort, he was able to trick Vepar and drag her out. The promised child, Ru Amuh, had broken one of his lifelong convictions during this incident. However, he didn¡¯t regret it; just like how Chi-Woo had broken his conviction to save Liber, Ru Amuh had also contributed at least a little bit to the same goal. He was suddenly reminded of what Shahnaz had requested of him before coming here. Thus, Ru Amuh asked, ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How did I do? Will you acknowledge me now?¡± Chi-Woo blinked. ¡®Has he always been like this? Did his personality change in such a short time?¡¯ While various thoughts passed his mind, Chi-Woo burst into soft laughter. It didn¡¯t really matter, since everything was finally over. ¡°¡­Yes!¡± He gave the man a thumbs-up. ¡°You¡¯re always the best, and you were the best again.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s complexion brightened. ¡°Thank you.¡± He bowed and smiled more brilliantly than ever when he raised his head back up, ¡°Thanks to you, I made some unforgettable memories.¡± CH 166 The battle between the Cassiubia League and the Demon Empire met an unexpected end with the intervention of a suddenly emerging third party¡ªin which the 42nd ranking Marquess of Hell and the ruler of the oceans, Vepar, and the armies she commanded were extinguished, and a semi-permanent godly city was created in the area that used to be the Demon Empire¡¯s territory. It was a serious blow to the Demon Empire; the creation of the godly city would have especially struck the nail in their wound. If the Demon Empire wanted to recapture this land, it would be even harder than the Cassiubia League trying to fight Vepar inside her territory. In other words, it would be crazy of them to attempt it, and the fact that they couldn¡¯t do anything would drive them mad; all in all, the Demon Empire would be in a bind, unable to do many things they would wish to do. Still, not everything was settled yet. The Cassiubia League and humanity would have to decide the future of the godly territory at the center of this city. It was a big issue to settle, but at the moment, the two parties were basking in the relief that they had overcome the recent difficulty. The atmosphere was light. The Cassiubia League was simply happy that they managed to land a serious blow on the Demon Empire. Meanwhile, the heroes were also overflowing with joy. Without even making a proper altar, they pulled out the statue of Shahnaz and gathered around it to see how much they could progress. ¡®I should continue on with this momentum.¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Since the heroes had played a significant role in this battle with Vepar, he thought the monster alliance¡¯s attitude toward humans would have changed now. ¡®Zel from the Cobalos clan. He was receptive to what I said.¡¯ Thinking that he should talk to someone who was most amicable to him, Chi-Woo looked around in search of Zel. ¡°Hey.¡± But then a voice called out to him. Chi-Woo turned to see a humanoid figure walking up to him; it was the half-demon, Murumuru. Although it was one of the commanders of the Cassiubia League, Murumuru wasn¡¯t someone Chi-Woo wanted to talk to¡ªespecially since Murumuru¡¯s hatred for humanity ran deep for some unknowable reason. He was about to get out of here when the half-demon faked a cough. ¡°That, just now¡­was quite amazing.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Chi-Woo stopped walking. He thought he heard wrong. ¡°It was pretty good. And well¡­you fought Vepar well.¡± Murumuru wiped its nose and looked into the distance. ¡°I am surprised. Not just about Vepar, but the fact that you actually built a godly territory.¡± His gaze shifted to Chi-Woo, his genuine surprise on display. Chi-Woo smiled softly. Even though they had a bad start, they felt like comrades now after going through several near-death experiences. ¡°So¡­I thought about it.¡± ¡®Ha. This guy is being shy,¡¯ Chi-Woo laughed inside his mind. He thought Murumuru should quickly apologize if it was sorry. ¡°Yes. No matter how I think about it, this is the better choice,¡± Murumuru said. Chi-Woo thought there was no reason for him to refuse, especially considering the future relationship they would have. Thus, he planned to shake its hand if Murumuru offered it, but instead of a hand, a chilling blade touched Chi-Woo¡¯s adam apple and made him freeze. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Chi-Woo stood still; he hadn¡¯t expected Murumuru to suddenly point its katana at him while pretending to make amends. Chi-Woo slowly lowered his head. ¡°I suggest you stop moving,¡± Murumuru warned. It wasn¡¯t his imagination. The purplish katana Chi-Woo had seen in battle was touching his neck. ¡°You,¡± Murumuru continued, ¡°will have to die.¡± It was no mockery or a joke. The half-demon was being genuine. It thought it had to kill Chi-Woo. The noisy surroundings gradually became quiet. Both the heroes and the monsters were surprised by what they were seeing, which meant Murumuru was acting on its own. And even if Murumuru wasn¡¯t, it was clear it wasn¡¯t acting according to what the monster alliance wanted. ¡°That crazy¡­!¡± While waiting for her turn to pray to Shahnaz¡¯s statue, Ru Hiana saw what was happening and shouted. ¡°Grrhh!¡± She gritted her teeth in anger, and she pulled out her rapier. She was about to rush in when Ru Amuh stopped her. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Ru Hiana was about to burst out in anger, but her rage quickly dwindled when she saw Ru Amuh¡¯s face. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Ru Amuh said, barely managing to repress himself. His hands were already on the hilt of his sword. ¡°Be patient¡­for now¡­¡± His voice shook with suppressed emotion, and Ru Hiana looked away awkwardly. She felt a great wave of rage ringing inside Ru Amuh, and it was the first time she had ever seen the usually peaceful and calm Ru Amuh so enraged. But thanks to it, she now understood why he had stopped her. Their opponent had pressed a sword to Senior¡¯s neck; they couldn¡¯t afford to act rashly. ¡°What are you doing!¡± A small green monster popped out then¡ªit was Zel from the Cobalos clan. It also looked quite stunned as it kept opening and closing its mouth. ¡°Remove your sword, Murumuru.¡± Thud. Sruthos rolled its feet threateningly. It seemed Sruthos was also enraged by Murumuru acting on its own, and it added in warning, ¡°I told you to back away.¡± But Murumuru spoke without taking its eyes off Chi-Woo for even a second, ¡°I¡¯m telling you. This is for the Cassiubia League.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± shouted Zel. ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Murumuru answered without wavering. ¡°Didn¡¯t you all see what this guy did?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we should treat him well! He¡¯s a valuable ally who miraculously came to our doorstep when we needed one! Please think of the Demon Empire!¡± ¡°He¡¯s human.¡± ¡°Damn it! Murumuru!¡± ¡°Even if he weren¡¯t.¡± Murumuru sounded a bit more forceful now. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that he won¡¯t be a danger to us in the future, if not now.¡± In truth, Murumuru wasn¡¯t completely wrong in a broader sense. Chi-Woo had immobilized a great demon like Vepar in just one blow, and he had actually succeeded in establishing a godly territory like he promised. Given his performance, his skills were comparable to their top commander, the dragon. No, what Chi-Woo had accomplished was something even the dragon couldn¡¯t pull off immediately. That was why they needed to kill Chi-Woo now. They might be on good terms now, but who knew what could happen in the future, especially considering Liber¡¯s situation? In this world, no one was forever an ally or an enemy. What would happen if Chi-Woo turned against the monster alliance? They wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. Like one of the Abyss¡¯ leaders, Huk Cheong-Ram, Murumuru had looked down on Chi-Woo for being a human at first, but insisted on killing him after seeing what he could do. Rather than putting its hope on an uncertain future, Murumuru focused on the present and judged that taking Chi-Woo¡¯s head right now was more important than anything else. ¡°Murumuru! Stop your nonsense¡ª!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Murumuru said with a displeased face, ¡°Let¡¯s vote on it then.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°Vote. Isn¡¯t it only right for us to have a vote if there¡¯s a disagreement?¡± Murumuru was right. The voting system was one of the laws that the alliance had set up. Thus, it was right to follow it, but Zel looked extremely frustrated. ¡°You¡¯re really shameless! How can you say that when you¡¯ve already pulled out your sword!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility if my proposal gets rejected.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I lose, I¡¯ll accept whatever fate he decides for me¡ªwhether he kills me, beat me up to his heart¡¯s content, take me as a slave, or feed me to the dogs.¡± Zel became speechless. There was a strange sense of confidence in Murumuru¡¯s voice, as if Murumuru was sure that its proposal would be approved. Murumuru said, ¡°The vote will be held only by those present here. That doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡± Zel quickly scanned the area. Five commanders were present here; the only one missing was Magor, who had matters to take care of postwar as the direct commander of the troops. That meant they would have one less objection. ¡®But even then.¡¯ Zel was sure that the ancient tree would abstain from voting, and it would be fine as long as Sruthos and Zel cast an objection vote. Even if Murumuru and the other commanders voted in favor, the voting would end up as a tie, and the proposal would be rejected. Zel replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this, but¡­all right, let¡¯s do it. I object.¡± ¡°I object.¡± Sruthos immediately expressed its opposition. ¡°I¡¯m in favor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in favor.¡± Murumuru and Silfide voted in favor straight away. Now, there was only one vote left¡ªthe ancient tree standing quietly. It finally began moving its hollow slowly. ¡°Fa..vor¡­¡± Zel and Sruthos were shocked, and Murumuru smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Why, why did you¡­?¡± At Zel¡¯s question, the ancient tree glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°Didn''t¡­say¡­name¡­¡± ¡®What? Just for that?¡¯ Chi-Woo laughed in shock. However, the ancient tree waved its branches, indicating that wasn¡¯t the only reason. ¡°Human¡­hiding something¡­very¡­important¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If we¡­don¡¯t know¡­better to get rid¡­¡± Chi-Woo was startled. The ancient tree was right that he had a lot of secrets. It didn¡¯t know exactly what he was hiding, but it could clearly sense that Chi-Woo was desperately trying to hide something. As it was, the monsters couldn¡¯t trust him, since his secret could be relevant to the monster alliance. In a way, the ancient tree thought it might be better to finish Chi-Woo off while they were here as Murumuru had said. Silence fell; Chi-Woo seriously considered if he should at least reveal his name now. ¡°It¡¯s been decided.¡± However, Murumuru didn¡¯t even give him enough time to think. Without hesitation, it moved to slash Chi-Woo¡¯s neck with its katana. Slam! But Murumuru¡¯s katana wasn¡¯t able to cut Chi-Woo¡¯s neck. It was bounced off by a protective barrier that had popped up out of nowhere. ¡°What?¡± Murumuru was startled by the sudden interference. Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana, who were about to move, also stopped in surprise. ¡°I came here because I thought something fun was happening here, but¡ª¡± A shrill voice spoke up. ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± A platinum blonde woman walked with her hands on her hips. ¡°Damn it! A magician!¡± Murumuru tried to quickly make another move, but failed to achieve its goal because Ru Amuh had quickly stepped between them. He wasn¡¯t the only person that moved. ¡°Aw, I¡¯ve made a move for nothing. Apu!¡± Ismile, who had approached Murumuru and was ready to attack, murmured a complaint as Afrilith¡¯s magic blocked Murumuru¡¯s blade. ¡°Ack!¡± Murumuru quickly moved back and shouted while looking back. ¡°What the hell are you doing! Prepare for battle!¡± Zel exclaimed, ¡°Murumuru¡­!¡± ¡°This is the result of the vote! Don¡¯t tell me you aren¡¯t going to follow our rules now!¡± As Murumuru said, the result of the vote was absolute for the alliance. Once the results were decided, they had to accept and follow through no matter how much they hated it. Some of the alliance members began to look at each other, and after faltering a bit, took up arms. The heroes weren¡¯t going to stand still either. ¡°Teacher, your order please.¡± Ru Amuh gritted his teeth and tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword, radiating an extremely murderous intent. It was as if Ru Amuh would tear Murumuru into pieces as soon as Chi-Woo gave the word. Afrilith snorted and raised her hand, while the other heroes pulled out their weapons and got into a fighting stance. It was at that moment¡ª ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± A girl walked right into this tense situation. ¡°I was going to take a break because I was tired. Why must you start fighting again so impatiently? What the hell?¡±She had short, black hair and black eyes¡ªit was Kabal. Murumuru was startled that a god would come forward. ¡°God Kabal¡­?¡± ¡°You wanna die?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Kabal snorted. ¡°Were you the one who brought me back to life?¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Or were you the one who gave me divine energy to recover my territory?¡± Murumuru remained silent. It didn¡¯t know what to say. It hadn¡¯t expected a god to be so secular. ¡°Hey.¡± Kabal called it out like a gangster and demanded again, ¡°I asked you if you wanna die.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you want to die so desperately, continue.¡± At Kabal¡¯s clear warning, the monster alliance¡¯s fighting spirit was visibly dampened. Kabal now ruled over this area. No guest would insist on fighting after receiving warning from the owner of the land. After all, this was now holy territory under the god¡¯s jurisdiction. Then, Kabal continued, ¡°I¡¯ve warned you. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen after this.¡± She shook her head and turned around, sounding like she wasn¡¯t going to get involved no matter what happened next. It sounded like she was trying to avoid a troublesome situation, whatever it was. Murumuru frowned. It seemed she was going to intervene personally when she first appeared, but now she was suddenly stepping aside? Why? ¡°You guys are in trouble,¡± Ismile said with a laugh. This human had also stepped in earlier, but now he was laughing with his hands behind his head. ¡°A scary guy has shown up. What are you going to do now?¡± Murumuru wanted to ask what he meant, but it couldn¡¯t. There was a sudden commotion behind it. Murumuru turned towards the source. Soon, the monsters in the monster alliance slowly parted to make way, withdrawing slowly without exchanging any words. Then, through the dense group of monsters, a man casually walked out as if he was walking out of his house. CH 167 It was a strange sight. A serious fight hadn¡¯t broken out, but things almost reached that point, and many individuals already had their weapons out. It was so mind-boggling that a man would just leisurely stroll through the path left open by the troops of the Monster Alliance like he was walking in his own backyard, but what was even more startling was the monsters¡¯ reaction. They backed away while stealing furtive glances at him, unable to approach. Most members of the alliance descended from beasts. They were animals that used to live in nature until they coincidentally gained mana, became divine spirits, and established societies. And after a long time, the divine spirits became revered as ancestors and gods of their race; although known to be extinguished now, Fenrir was such an example, who emerged from a group of wandering wolves and became the leader of a region. Back to the point, this meant that the members of the Monster Alliance were acting upon their inherent beastly instincts. And now, their instincts were ringing like mad with alarm¡ªit was telling them that they must not confront this man¡ªthat they needed to step back with their tails between their legs. They hadn¡¯t felt so threatened even when confronting Vepar; although they couldn¡¯t decipher the feeling, and it hurt their pride that they were so intimidated by a single human, every single one of them moved out of the way for him. The man soon arrived at the center of the event. He appeared to be in his early thirties. His eyes were emotionless, his lips tightly parsed, and he appeared very cold and unwelcoming. He looked so unapproachable that it seemed as if one would feel chilling air radiating from the man should they reach out to him. The long robe dropping down from his shoulders barely covered his calves due to his impressive height, and although he looked slender rather than bulky under the fabric, the way he stood gave an impression of firmness. The man looked around him with an indifferent face. Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes turned wide open, caught off guard by the man¡¯s unexpected appearance. Ismile had a toothy grin on his face, and the platinum blonde woman crossed her arms while snorting. Finally, Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gradually dropped open. His head turned blank. He had desperately wanted to see his brother, but didn¡¯t expect to reunite with Chi-Hyun under such circumstances at all. Chi-Woo almost wanted to pinch his cheeks to make sure he wasn¡¯t dreaming. He blinked furiously to make sure, and what he saw didn¡¯t change. It was then he gained some certainty¡­ Yes, it was his older brother, Choi Chi-Hyun. His brother had come to this place. ¡°You came later than we expected,¡± the platinum blonde woman said. ¡°How nice it would¡¯ve been if you had arrived a bit earlier.¡± Her tone was sarcastic, but she was clearly nervous. In fact, she looked like someone who had left a confession letter and was now waiting for a response. However, she didn¡¯t get a single response or a reaction. No, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t even glance at her, and the woman stopped twirling her fingers, her eyes downcast. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes were focused elsewhere. ¡°Are you ignoring me? Even if it¡¯s you, how could you treat me like this?¡± Chi-Hyun turned to the woman as she spoke angrily like he was wondering, ¡®Who are you? Do you know me?¡¯ And the woman heaved. ¡°I¡¯m an Afrilith,¡± she raised her voice and said, enunciating each word clearly. ¡°My name is Apoline Yelodi Afrilith.¡± ¡°¡­Afrilith?¡± Chi-Hyun responded. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know the name?¡± The platinum-blonde woman, Apoline, said while clenching her jaw. ¡°I have heard of it before.¡± Apoline¡¯s nose tipped higher than the Eiffel Tower. ¡°But I don¡¯t know you.¡± And now her face was angled back down. ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the name, but I don¡¯t know a single hero from the family,¡± Chi-Hyun said. Apoline¡¯s mouth puckered, seemingly rendered speechless due to the shock. Even if she ignored everything else, giving him the benefit of doubt since Chi-Hyun was famous for being fiercely independent and mysterious, what about her older sister? The one who asked for his hand in marriage many times, but was turned down each time? All sorts of words boiled up inside her, but Apoline swallowed them down, knowing that voicing those thoughts out loud would only disgrace her family¡¯s name. ¡°¡­Ah, Apoline. Afrilith. I remember it now.¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly changed his tune. ¡°Y-You do?¡± Her tense expression turned hopeful. ¡°Yes, I remember it clearly now.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded and snorted. ¡°You were so persistent. But because things died down after that, I almost thought I had dreamt up the whole thing.¡± Apoline¡¯s face hardened. The truth of the matter was¡­it wasn¡¯t only her older sister who had proposed to a member of the Choi family. At Chi-Hyun¡¯s firm refusals, the Afrilith family changed their strategy and target. They thought they would connect their lovely youngest daughter with the Choi family¡¯s youngest son, who was shrouded in rumors and mysteries. The first and second requests were returned without a response. The third request got a firm refusal, and the fourth request was, for some reason, followed by the intervention of the Celestial Realm¡¯s top administrators, who requested the Afrilith family to stop sending any more requests to Earth. On the fifth attempt, the Afrilith family boldly sent Apoline to Earth to stage a coincidental meeting with the Choi family¡¯s youngest son. That time, Chi-Hyun made a surprise visit to the planet where the Afrilith¡¯s home base was located. And when he did, he famously told them, ¡®If you try to pull another trick like this again, I will make sure the Celestial Realm has eleven lights instead of twelve,¡¯ and then he left. Of course, it was all Apoline¡¯s family¡¯s doing; she was not involved at all. To someone who had grown up with all the love and care her family could offer as the youngest daughter, however, it was a very shameful memory. She couldn¡¯t help but shudder and groan in embarrassment in remembrance. ¡°It seems you¡¯re misunderstanding something¡ª¡± Apoline frowned, her words cut short when the previously frozen Murumuru suddenly swung its katana at Chi-Hyun. It was a sudden ambush that came out of nowhere. Even Murumuru didn¡¯t understand why it had made the attack. Murumuru¡¯s mind had been in chaos as soon as Chi-Hyun approached. Its body refused to move, and when it tried to turn, its body remained low on the ground, contradicting what its brain had instructed it to do. And even as the man talked to a human woman without a single care for it, Murumuru kept feeling fear of death. It didn¡¯t know why, but it felt as if it would die if things continued the way it was. But Murumuru¡¯s ancestor wasn¡¯t a beast. And its will to live forced it to move its arms and seized the opening while the man was conversing. Thud! However, Murumuru¡¯s attack failed. In truth, it had expected the failure, but knowing it was a completely different matter than experiencing it in real life. Murumuru¡¯s breath hitched when it saw its sharp blade caught between Chi-Hyun¡¯s thumb and index finger. ¡°Uhhhh!¡± Murumuru swung its sword madly like a child throwing a tantrum without reason or logic. Chi-Hyun was unfazed. He didn¡¯t tilt or shift away from the attacks or look around at his attacker. He simply moved one arm slightly to block all the slashes. ¡°Yo! Choi!¡± Seeing this, Ismile called out to Chi-Hyun. ¡°It¡¯s been a while~ How long has it been~? Hmm~?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s gaze shifted to Ismile. ¡°You¡¯re surprised, right? Of course! Even though you¡¯re pretending to be calm, I bet you¡¯re at least a little surprised on the inside, thinking I can¡¯t believe Ismile came here!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hehehehe. I came here because I wanted to see you, Choi~¡± Chi-Hyun let out a long breath, ¡°¡­Well, if it¡¯s you, I guess you¡¯ll be a bit of a help.¡± Considering that he replied properly this time, they seem to know each other. ¡°So mean~ How can you say that to a friend you¡¯ve known for a long time~?¡± While Chi-Hyun and Ismile were conversing, Murumuru continued to swing its katana without rest while shouting desperately, ¡°Uahhhhhhhhh!¡± Ru Amuh stared at the scene in front of him as if he was bewitched. ¡®I can¡¯t¡­believe it.¡¯ That was his immediate thought. As someone who always sought to make the most efficient move and had a talent rarely seen in the universe, he could clearly sense that Chi-Hyun¡¯s abilities and skills were far beyond his. Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t blocking Murumuru¡¯s attacks. He was reading the flow of Murumuru¡¯s attacks and making the minimal movement to ¡®pass through¡¯ all of them. Murumuru was probably feeling as if its katana was slicing through empty air. The way Chi-Hyun moved was so mind-chillingly beautiful that Ru Amuh felt a sense of endless despair. Even if he died and reincarnated a hundred times, he would never be able to reach that level of efficiency. ¡°¡­So.¡± Ismile smiled thinly when he saw Murumuru was just about ready to burst into tears. ¡°When are you going to stop playing?¡± As soon as he said that¡ª Bam! With a casual flick of his hand, Chi-Hyun sent Murumuru flying like a bullet. ¡°What¡­?¡± When Murumuru managed to open its eyes, the first thing it saw was the sky quickly whipping by. Then it noticed the wind sweeping past its body. By the time it realized that it was in the air, Murumuru briefly came to a halt midair before feeling another strong push. Chi-Hyun slammed his palm down. Thud! Like it was getting sucked down by an underwater current, Murumuru plummeted to the ground. It collided so hard that it bounced several times like a bouncy ball in the same place. It was only after Chi-Hyun caught Murumuru¡¯s head that it stopped bouncing. Chi-Hyun bent Murumuru¡¯s head back, revealing its now completely blood-stained face and lifeless eyes. In a matter of seconds, the half-demon had lost all will to fight. When it fought Vepar, Murumuru¡¯s attacks had at least land, but it seemed completely futile to fight this human. After checking Murumuru¡¯s condition, Chi-Hyun turned toward the monster alliance. After a short silence, Sruthos stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m Sruthos from the Gigas Tribe.¡± ¡°¡­Gigas Tribe?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s head slightly tilted as he looked at the giant. ¡°You don¡¯t seem very strong for a gigas.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not strong enough to be a striker.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Chi-Hyun spoke indifferently and continued, ¡°I¡¯m Choi Chi-Hyun.¡± The name alone triggered a commotion among the heroes. They had thought he might be Chi-Hyun as soon as he made his entrance, but a real legend had appeared in front of them. The fifth recruits were especially happy. The tension and nervousness on their faces evaporated completely, and they all seemed to be thinking, ¡®you guys are all doomed now.¡¯ On the contrary, Sruthos was extremely cautious. His following words were also incredibly humble and obsequious for a monster from the Gigas Tribe, which was said to be on par with the last dragon. ¡°Would you please not kill Murumuru?¡± It couldn¡¯t be helped; Sruthos could feel an immeasurable power from Chi-Hyun, and even if all their forces rushed to fight him, they wouldn¡¯t be able to beat him. Sruthos continued, ¡°Murumuru has certainly made a great mistake, but it is still a member of the Cassiubian League. If you safely give Murumuru back, we¡¯ll make sure to give it severe punishment.¡± No matter how much they liked or disliked Murumuru, the half-demon was still a member of the alliance and the next chief of the half-demon tribe. If the other monsters found out that Murumuru died at the hands of a human, a good number of races would turn against all humanity. Sruthos, who thought they should join hands with humans after witnessing Chi-Woo¡¯s ability, would like to prevent that. Chi-Hyun, who had been staring at Sruthos silently, said, ¡°Is this an order?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a request.¡± ¡°Request?¡± Chi-Woo looked to his left and right. ¡°You¡¯re asking a request while holding weapons?¡± ¡°If you would allow it, I''d like to talk to you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chi-Hyun added a condition, ¡°If you drop your weapons and kneel on the count of three, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Three, two, one.¡± Chi-Hyun slightly narrowed his eyes after one-sidedly announcing his condition, and a shocking scene unfolded. With a thud, all the members of the alliance dropped their weapons and kneeled. The monsters broke out in groans. They hadn¡¯t done so by their own will, but forced down by an indescribable pressure from a foreign power. Furthermore, even Sruthos, who had an inherently high resistance as a gigas, had fallen to one knee. An entire monster alliance troop was stamped down by one person. Sruthos stared at Chi-Hyun with trembling eyes. It hadn¡¯t expected Chi-Hyun to be so overpowering. His strength was beyond the level of one army; perhaps not even the last dragon, who had the power to destroy a continent, nor the number one ranked great demon, Baal, would be able to defeat him. Chi-Hyun walked forward while clutching Murumuru¡¯s drooping head. As he thought about how he should destroy these monsters¡ª ¡°¡­Don¡¯t do it.¡± He suddenly heard a small whisper. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°?¡± Normally, he wouldn¡¯t have expected such words to be directed at him, and even on the rare occasion that it happened, he would have let it go in one ear and out the other. However, the voice sounded so familiar that he did stop and even turn around. At the same time, Chi-Woo took a step to the side from behind Ru Amuh. The older brother met the eyes of his younger brother. And Ismile saw a clear reaction in Chi-Hyun¡¯s gaze. ¡°Aghhhhhhhh!¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly clutched onto Murumuru¡¯s head to the point of crushing it, and his ever-indifferent eyes violently fluctuated and shook. CH 168 Ro Yu Jin (???)13-17 minutes 24.09.2022 It was the reunion Chi-Woo had waited for so longingly. It felt a bit too awkward for Chi-Woo to say that he missed his brother, and the meeting wasn¡¯t as emotional as he thought it would be. No tears came to his eyes, and his brother seemed unfamiliar and new to him. For some reason, he even felt a bit embarrassed. Looking back, Chi-Woo had no fond memories of sharing any brotherly bond with Chi-Hyun. The few occasions Chi-Woo saw his brother were chances for him to confirm that his brother was alive, and most of the time, he took no news as good news. They never went out to play as brothers even a single time. Of course, the fact that Chi-Woo was ten years younger than Chi-Hyun and that Chi-Hyun officially worked as a hero since the young age of four played a big factor in shaping their current relationship. And since Chi-Woo was unaware of all hero matters, he had naturally misunderstood their relationship. Still, since they were connected by blood, Chi-Woo was glad to see his brother, and incomprehensible emotions surged inside him. Chi-Woo wondered what he should do. Should he lift his hand and wave? No, he shouldn¡¯t. Their relationship would get found out if he did that. Then, since there were many eyes on them, should he smile slightly? While Chi-Woo was wondering how he should respond, Apoline asked, ¡°¡­Why are you suddenly acting like that?¡± As she had been paying great heed to Chi-Hyun since he appeared, she looked quite taken aback. The man she knew to be cold-blooded and heartless looked visibly shocked. ¡®Why?¡¯ Is there something around here that could surprise such a man? Apoline turned to see what Chi-Hyun was looking at. ¡°I am Ru Amuh from the seventh recruits.¡± Before Chi-Hyun could reach Chi-Woo, a quite handsome blonde man talked to him first. ¡°I know I¡¯m stepping out of my boundaries, but please let me make a suggestion,¡± Ru Amuh said carefully, ¡°I know you are here to help us, and we are genuinely grateful for that. But let¡¯s discuss how we should sort out our current situation first.¡± In short, Ru Amuh was telling Chi-Hyun not to act on his own and consider their opinions too. Ru Amuh and the others were glad to have Chi-Hyun here, as he was able to suppress the monster alliance. In consideration of that, they would acknowledge Chi-Hyun¡¯s interference, but only up to a certain limit. After all, Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t the one who led them to their current circumstances; it was thanks to the effort of many people, and most of all, Chi-Woo. And Ru Amuh had clearly heard Chi-Woo mutter ¡®Don¡¯t do that¡¯ and ¡®Stop¡¯. Thus, he naturally came to the conclusion that his teacher didn¡¯t want to turn hostile to the monster alliance, and he acted accordingly. There was nothing wrong with Ru Amuh¡¯s suggestion, but the person he was speaking to was the legend. His words could be interpreted as something as negative as, ¡®So what if you are the legend? Don¡¯t try to reap the benefits of what we did and back off.¡¯ And thus, some heroes were pointing at Ru Amuh, exclaiming, ¡°How dare he¡­!¡± and ¡°T-That impudent¡­!¡± Even Apoline looked at Ru Amuh like he was a madman. How could Ru Amuh say such words to the legendary hero, Choi Chi-Hyun? It was absurd and outrageous. But Ru Amuh felt like something was off. Unexpectedly, Chi-Hyun remained calm, and his face looked blank. Chi-Hyun was looking in his direction, but he didn¡¯t seem to be looking at Ru Amuh. Then¡­what was it? ¡°Hey? What are you doing?¡± Apoline asked. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Hyun flinched slightly. He blinked fast and turned away awkwardly before looking up at the sky and taking a deep breath, like he was trying to calm himself down somehow. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a voice that sounded like he was purposefully keeping from trembling. ¡°So¡­what are you suggesting we do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ru Amuh was about to turn around for Chi-Woo¡¯s opinion when Chi-Hyun cut him off. ¡°No, I¡¯ll stop.¡± Ru Amuh was confused by Chi-Hyun¡¯s sudden change of mind. Meanwhile, white foams were already flowing out of Murumuru¡¯s mouth. ¡°Take it away,¡± Chi-Hyun glanced down at Murmuru before throwing the half-demon to Sruthos. Sruthos caught their companion; it looked greatly relieved that Chi-Hyun had granted their request. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll converse later,¡± Chi-Hyun said in a hollow voice as he stared at an empty space. ¡°And we¡­will return for now.¡± ¡°Return¡­? Then may we protect the godly city in your stead while you¡¯re absent?¡± With Kabbalah¡¯s ascension, the regions surrounding this city became a godly territory. The Demon Empire would soon learn of this fact and thus, they needed to prepare defenses as best as possible before the news got out. Chi-Hyun was well aware of the situation. Although he didn¡¯t know the exact details of what had happened because he arrived late, he sensed a godly presence in this place. If it were the usual him, he would¡¯ve wrecked his head hard to think of several possibilities for the place. For instance, he would¡¯ve helped draw up a future with the alliance using the city as the central focal point. However, everything seemed meaningless to him right now. His head was in such a complete mess that he couldn¡¯t think of anything complicated. To him, something much more important than saving Liber just appeared. ¡°I thought I made my intention clear to talk later,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°Ah, I understand. After reporting to the rest of the alliance about what happened here, we would send an envoy to your side,¡± Sruthos said. Chi-Hyun also heard Sruthos ask a follow-up question about where they should send their envoy, but Chi-Hyun simply closed his eyes tightly. A sense of futility and lament filled him. He suddenly didn¡¯t want to do anything at the moment. * * * The heroes would help protect and restore the city as representatives of humanity. They would also send an envoy to the monster alliance to discuss this matter soon, and they would be taking with them the god ruling over this place, Kabbalah, as insurance. After they settled the matter, the heroes made their way back to the capital. ¡°Super scary,¡± Kabbalah said while trailing behind Chi-Woo. To be more specific, she was Kabbalah, but in the state of Kabal. ¡°There really is a human like that¡­ I heard of them before, but it¡¯s my first time meeting one.¡± She was talking about Chi-Hyun. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Are you really asking me that because you don¡¯t know? He¡¯s a mortal that immortals can¡¯t interfere with. It doesn¡¯t make sense. I can¡¯t do anything about him either. You should be careful of that human, Oppa.¡± Chi-Woo wondered why Kabal called his brother, ¡®that human¡¯ and him, ¡®oppa¡¯, but he asked what he was really curious about. ¡°Can you explain it to me more simply?¡± Kabal glanced up at Chi-Woo and said, ¡°I am saying he¡¯s a god slayer.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°A mortal soul that can even extinguish an immortal¡­¡± Kabal couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. Her face darkened; Chi-Hyun had suddenly approached them as if he¡¯d been summoned by their conversation. All eyes were on them. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk for a bit?¡± Chi-Woo almost nodded as if he had been expecting this all along. However, Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t addressing him¡ªhe was looking directly at Kabal. Kabal seemed extremely surprised, and her short, black hair and eyes became frazzled. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± She returned to being Balal, and Balal looked up at Chi-Hyun with an innocent, oblivious face. ¡°Come out.¡± ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± Her hair and eyes quickly changed back to black at Chi-Hyun¡¯s harsh order, and she immediately scrunched her face. ¡°Ha, what a shocker. Do you take me as an object? I¡¯m an ancient god, an ancient god! How dare you order me around? Huh? You need to show some respect¡­ah, all-right! I¡¯m going!¡± Kabal swallowed down her complaints and immediately followed Chi-Hyun after he took one big breath. Then, Chi-Hyun quickly turned around like he had no other business except talking to Kabal. Chi-Woo watched them go and placed his clasped hands on the back of his head. The silence that had descended due to Chi-Hyun¡¯s presence lifted as the man walked away. People were quite high-spirited as they had all survived a precarious situation. As they say, fruits gained after hard work were much sweeter. Since they had brought Shahnaz¡¯s statue, Chi-Woo heard some people shout in glee that they had successfully raised a rank. But most of all, the heroes¡¯ morale was sky high due to Chi-Hyun¡¯s return. ¡°Heh! You saw it, right? The monsters couldn¡¯t even let out a squeak!¡± ¡°Yeah, it felt so good to see.¡± ¡°Since he¡¯s the first one to come here alone, he must have received the most energy and regained the most power out of all of us. It¡¯s only expected he could at least do this much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. Even if you receive that much energy, you¡¯ll never be able to do that.¡± ¡®Chi-Hyun has such a big effect,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. After listening to people constantly talk about Chi-Hyun, Chi-Woo realized how great his brother¡¯s influence was again. ¡®If he has so many supporters, he must have a lot of haters as well.¡¯ Ru Hiana spoke up then, ¡°Senior, I really don¡¯t know what he was thinking.¡± She sighed repeatedly. It seemed she was still reeling from the earlier event, when Ru Amuh stood up to Chi-Hyun. ¡°Everyone was telling Ru Amuh off for¡­ No, wait a minute. Why the hell is everyone giving shit to Ru Amuh when he didn¡¯t say anything wrong? It¡¯s making my head boil now that I think about it. Uh¡­well, that guy doesn¡¯t look like a good man, but¡­hmm, he¡¯s not a small-hearted loser who¡¯ll want to get revenge against someone for talking back, is he? I mean he¡¯s supposed to be the legend, right? What do you think, Senior?¡± Ru Hiana bit her nails and worried about Ru Amuh¡¯s future while murmuring to herself, her eyes boring holes into Ru Amuh¡¯s back as he walked far ahead of them. She continued, ¡°Really, he did such a pointless thing¡­ He¡¯ll see. I¡¯m going to make sure he never does that again when we return!¡± Ru Hiana gritted her teeth while biting her nails. Not too long ago, Ru Amuh told them that he had learned a lot from watching Chi-Hyun fight and wanted to think more about it, but it seemed he had purposefully stayed in the front because he knew in advance how Ru Hiana would act. Chi-Woo smiled flatly and looked at his older brother, who had returned to the lead position and was walking from a distance. Chi-Hyun had never said a single word to him since they made a fleeting eye contact. Furthermore, his older brother never even glance in his direction. Chi-Woo thought he could understand what his older brother was thinking. ¡®He must not want to talk to me with so many people around.¡¯ Raphael and Laguel, as well as Giant Fist and Mua Janya, had all recommended him to hide his relationship with Chi-Hyun. They all said that many heroes respected his brother, but just as many were jealous of him. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll have the opportunity to talk to him later while we move on¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo smacked his lips. But even then, he hadn¡¯t expected his brother to not look at him even once the entire time they headed back to the capital. And if there was one thing he was sure of, Chi-Woo could tell from the back he had seen from time to time that his brother was extremely angry. * * * They finally reached the capital. The heroes scattered in all directions as soon as they entered. They had been camping outside and rolling in dirt for almost a month, so it was natural that they would want to take a long bath, have a leisurely meal, and sleep in peace. Ru Hiana asked Chi-Woo if he wanted to eat with them, but Chi-Woo quickly excused himself, saying that he had business to finish. Then he chased after Chi-Hyun, who was dragging Kabal along. Of course, Chi-Woo kept his distance while following them. Chi-Woo was sure that Chi-Hyun also wanted to meet and talk to him. So as soon as his brother entered his room, he planned to immediately follow him in. However, there was one part that Chi-Woo failed to consider¡ªhe wasn¡¯t the only person who wanted to meet Chi-Hyun. While Kabal was an unwilling guest, Noel Freya came running to Chi-Hyun as if she was flying. In addition, several heroes, including Ismile and Apoline, also visited Chi-Hyun¡¯s place in a flurry. In an instance, there was already a hubbub around Chi-Hyun. It didn¡¯t feel right for Chi-Woo to suddenly intervene, and he didn¡¯t think that their meeting would end soon. Chi-Woo sneakily walked around the door, wondering what he should do. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Then, suddenly, his eyes met his brother¡¯s while he turned around. At that moment, Chi-Woo clearly saw his brother narrow his eyes and slightly tilted his head towards the outside. Judging from his gesture, it seemed his brother was telling him to stop wandering around his place and leave. ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-Hyun wanted him to go just like this? When he had been waiting for ten days? Chi-Woo, who had been standing still, bit his lower lip slightly and turned around. He understood the situation, but his feelings were hurt. ¡®You come and find me then. Whatever.¡¯ Chi-Woo left in disappointment. Running was the best medicine when he had too many thoughts in his head. It was time to train and train again. * * * Night came. Chi-Woo, who did not skip training even on the day he returned from a long expedition, fell asleep as soon as he got home. While he was deep asleep, he suddenly felt something squishy and cool on his face. Chi-Woo smiled because it felt nice, but his eyes flashed open when he got slapped. ¡°What the¡­bag?¡± ¡°Pyu, pyupyu¡­¡± Steam Bun was right in front of him. ¡°Hey, why did you suddenly slap me when I was sleeping¡­ Wait, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chi-Woo blinked. Steamed Bun was completely shriveled up and shaking in fear. Only then did Chi-Woo gain full consciousness and feel a gaze strong enough to put a hole in his head. When he turned around, he saw a figure in the dark, sitting by the table and quietly staring at him. ¡®Robber? Ghost?¡¯ This happened to him a couple of times when he was young, so Chi-Woo instinctively scanned his surroundings. He grabbed his club from his bag and was about to stand up when¡ª Crackle! A fire lit in the air. It was not from a candle, but a round sphere glowing with a subtle amber color. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo loosened his grip and let his club fall when he saw who it was. CH 169 There, sitting by Chi-Woo¡¯s bed, was the brother he had desperately sought, and he finally accomplished what he wished for. Waking up from a dream, Chi-Woo was caught in a strange feeling that was difficult to explain. For a moment, he simply stood there in disbelief before he lay back down and threw the blanket over himself like he was going back to sleep. Chi-Woo heard Chi-Hyun let out an exasperated scoff. Then his brother asked him in a low voice, ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo asked with his face buried in his pillow. ¡°You told me to go.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You told me to go when I visited you earlier. Isn¡¯t that what you did?¡± Chi-Hyun replied. If Noel Freya had been here, she would have exclaimed, surprised that Chi-Hyun could show his emotions so candidly. Chi-Hyun looked at Chi-Woo like he couldn¡¯t believe it and scoffed again, followed by a stretched-out sigh. After some time¡­ ¡°Ah! Ah! Don¡¯t do that! Hey!¡± Feeling something hit his back, Chi-Woo kicked the blanket off and got up. Chi-Hyun was sitting in the chair like before. Chi-Woo had thought Chi-Hyun must have kicked him, but it seemed his brother had used some special skill. ¡°Sit.¡± It was a cold command. Chi-Woo was bothered by Chi-Hyun¡¯s tone but obediently moved to get out of bed. He finally got his reunion, but for some reason, he kept feeling an urge to laugh. ¡°Umph.¡± Chi-Woo fake coughed and sat in the chair in front of Chi-Hyun. ¡°Well, I guess¡­ I should say hi?¡± Chi-Woo raised his hand with a smile, but his smile dropped when he saw the look on Chi-Hyun¡¯s face. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Hyun was staring at Chi-Woo intently with his head slightly bowed. The light emitting from his eyes crackled like a forest fire that burned up a mountain. Chi-Woo felt trapped and tied up under this burning gaze. It hadn¡¯t been his imagination. His brother had been boiling with anger since their meeting. The little drowsiness that remained in him evaporated in an instant, and Chi-Woo came to his senses. ¡°Uh¡­Brother.¡± Chi-Woo spoke first again in an awkward voice. ¡°Yeah¡­so I know you must be really surprised. I can understand why you could be angry too.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s thick eyebrows wiggled. ¡°But¡­¡± As his throat dried up, Chi-Woo licked his lips. ¡°Hear me out first. I also had my reasons¡ª¡± Bam! Chi-Woo flinched and stopped talking. Chi-Hyun had gotten up abruptly and slammed his fist onto the old table, which split into two and shattered into tiny pieces. Now his hand was trembling. A tremendous rage overflowed from Chi-Hyun¡¯s entire body; it seemed the punch had been a result of him failing to contain his emotions. Face blank, Chi-Woo pressed his lips together. He felt like he shouldn¡¯t speak rashly anymore. A long period of silence followed, and Chi-Hyun sat back in his chair again. ¡°I hoped it wasn¡¯t you,¡± he then said. ¡°Since I saw you and while we were coming to this place, I kept wishing I was mistaken.¡± Chi-Hyun took a deep breath before saying anything else. Chi-Woo blankly stared at the broken pieces on the floor. A chilling voice continued to pierce his ears. ¡°Okay. Let me try hearing your reasons once.¡± By this point, Chi-Woo realized that his brother had absolutely no intention to understand him. Even his declaration to hear Chi-Woo out was in order to learn the process that led Chi-Woo here. It was clear Chi-Hyun wouldn¡¯t accept any of Chi-Woo¡¯s reasons. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if Chi-Woo could keep silent. Thus, he forcefully parted his heavy lips. ¡°¡­.I met Giant Fist. Out of nowhere, he told me he was your underling, and that I came from a family of heroes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chi-Hyun responded sharply even though Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t said much. ¡°That damn bastard, Giant Fist¡­he finally did it¡­wait.¡± Chi-Hyun stopped himself to ask, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there have been one more person?¡± ¡°I stopped Mua Janya from interfering. Giant Fist told me that I was the one with the authority and I should use it.¡± Chi-Hyun breathed out his thousandth sigh and raked through his hair with both hands. ¡°Authority¡­fine. But you shouldn¡¯t have been able to enter the Celestial Realm with that alone.¡± ¡°Yes. Ms. Laguel tried to deport me as soon as she saw me on your orders.¡± ¡°¡­What happened?¡± ¡°After that¡­honestly, I don¡¯t really remember.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s true.¡± Chi-Woo quickly added as Chi-Hyun looked doubtful. ¡°When I opened my eyes again, I was lying down with a high fever, and Ms. Laguel was beside me, looking disheveled. After we conversed a bit, Archangel Raphael came and¡­what was it? She said someone ascended, so there was nothing they could do. At least, that¡¯s what I think I heard.¡± Chi-Hyun fell deep in thought. Then his face scrunched up. ¡®No way.¡¯ After a while, Chi-Hyun spoke up again exasperatedly. ¡°What happened then? Did Giant Fist just drop you here?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t¡­ We came together since we both passed the test.¡± ¡°Giant Fist also passed the test? Then why haven¡¯t I seen him?¡± ¡°He passed away.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze fell to the ground. ¡°To restore goddess Shahnaz¡­he gave himself up as a sacrifice alongside Ms. Mua Janya.¡± Chi-Hyun was speechless; the one who acted on his own and caused all this had just died. In the end, he clenched his eyes shut. He didn¡¯t hear all the details, but he could make out the general situation. ¡°Why?¡± Chi-Hyun looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Why in the world¡­!¡± Worries and exasperations overtook him in turns, evidenced by the way his voice fluctuated. ¡°I wanted to know why you disappeared,¡± Chi-Woo said carefully. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And why Mom and Dad acted so strangely when you were gone.¡± ¡°¡­What about our parents?¡± Chi-Hyun responded nonchalantly. ¡°They never thought about searching for you even when you disappeared. They simply live day by day with little energy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only expected.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Since there¡¯s a blank in their memories.¡± Chi-Woo doubted his ear. ¡°What did you just say? Are you saying that their memories were erased or something?¡± ¡°Rather than getting erased, it¡¯s more accurate to say it was manipulated,¡± Chi-Hyun said calmly. ¡°Memories of their decades of heroic activities were replaced with fabricated memories on Earth. It¡¯s no wonder that they¡¯d feel strange.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Why¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted for them, and our parents accepted my request.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand his brother¡¯s words at all. Thus, he asked again, ¡°But why?¡± ¡°Our parents retired and wanted you¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun was about to say something, but stopped. After a gulp, he said, ¡°They wanted you to live a normal life.¡± ¡°Still¡­was there a need for them to go as far as manipulating their memories?¡± Chi-Woo managed to blurt out. ¡°Think for a bit.¡± Chi-Hyun frowned. ¡°How would both of our parents stay on Earth in peace when both of us are here? They wanted to live a new life after retiring.¡± Chi-Woo licked his lips and said, ¡°That means Mom and Dad were both heroes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I had no idea. Even in my wildest dreams.¡± ¡°Enough about this.¡± Chi-Hyun shook his head like it was too trivial to discuss. ¡°You really are¡ª¡± ¡°Brother.¡± Chi-Woo cut him off. ¡°I heard from a stranger that our family is a family of heroes for generations.¡± The slightly joking tone was now completely gone from Chi-Woo¡¯s voice. ¡°What do you think I felt when I first heard that?¡± Two brothers began glaring at each other. ¡°¡­There were probably more than one or two people who tried to stop you.¡± After a short silence, Chi-Hyun averted his gaze. ¡°If you¡¯ve pondered even for a bit why all those people tried to stop you¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun seemed to be suppressing his fury, his words punctuated by pauses. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have recklessly jumped into this matter like an immature kid.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°You should have never come here.¡± ¡°At least give me a heads up then,¡± Chi-Woo shot back. The pleasantries were all gone for Chi-Woo as well. ¡°I need to first know what¡¯s going on to understand why. I don¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tell me. Why are you like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Borther!¡± No matter how many times he asked, Chi-Hyun remained silent. Chi-Woo grew red in fury; he had been waiting so patiently for so long. ¡°Ah, so you can¡¯t tell me?¡± He continued with a vehement tone. ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to know, and I¡¯m just supposed to live an ignorant and crummy life on Earth?¡± ¡°A crummy life?¡± Chi-Hyun frowned. ¡°Our parents will get better with time, and they¡¯ll get used to their manufactured memories in a few years¡ª¡± ¡°How would I have known that!¡± Chi-Woo likewise raised his voice to match Chi-Hyun¡¯s tone. ¡°Again, you¡¯re¡ª¡± He shouted again before calming down. ¡°And¡ªI...¡± However, he couldn¡¯t fully suppress his frustration, and it leaked into his voice as he continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing things I shouldn¡¯t see since I was born. Whenever I tried to do anything, I got hindered by nonsensical reasons.¡± When he was young, he had wanted to be a taekwondo player. However, the day when he went to the World Taekwondo Headquarters to take the test, he suddenly got a fever. In the end, he couldn¡¯t make it, and his body immediately recovered the next day. Such ridiculous coincidences happened to him three years in a row, and Chi-Woo finally gave up on his dream to become a professional taekwondo player. Then he wanted to become a photographer, but his camera broke down at every important moment; the same thing happened all too frequently. He even tried to become a chef after getting interested in cooking. Even when fresh ingredients suddenly turned bad, he stubbornly clung to his dream of becoming a chef. However, after a fire broke out in the kitchen, and the people around him got hurt, he gave up on becoming a chef as well. Even after all that, he failed to become a shaman as well. It was a pattern that persisted throughout his life. ¡°You think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± Chi-Woo spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°I lived like that for 22 years. But you think I¡¯ll just take it? Like that¡¯s how my life is supposed to be?! And just continue living without any questions?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Do you know?¡± Chi-Woo laughed in vain. ¡°I failed at everything I do on Earth no matter how hard I try, but on Liber, I succeeded every time.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes slightly widened. ¡°It¡¯s like I should have done this in the first place.¡± Chi-Woo suddenly realized he was out of breath after speaking so fast. ¡°¡­But even then.¡± Chi-Hyun, who had been quietly listening, softly said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s a life like that, it would have been better.¡± ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes. How did things turn out like this? ¡®I¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t what Chi-Woo had wanted for their reunion. Of course, he thought that things might not go well since his brother had his own circumstances, but he hadn¡¯t expected this. He had come all the way here after much contemplation, but it felt like Chi-Hyun was denying all his reasons. ¡°¡­¡± That thought drained him of all energy; he suddenly didn¡¯t feel like saying another word. But even then¡­ ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Chi-Woo thought there must be a reason why his brother was being so outrageously stubborn. ¡°Fine, I got it. Ms. Laguel and Ms. Raphael also said they couldn¡¯t tell me much because of a pledge they made. I¡¯ll just assume that¡¯s why you refuse to talk and stop pushing¡ªfor now.¡± Chi-Woo decided to set aside all his questions and focus on their current reality. ¡°First, even if I ask you to return with me, you won¡¯t, right?¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°If we could return this very moment, I wouldn¡¯t even be talking to you like this.¡± This meant that if they could return, Chi-Hyun would have forced Chi-Woo to go back, even if it meant beating the crap out of him. ¡°You¡¯re saying that we can only return after normalizing Liber, right?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me when you know so well?¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do this.¡± Even though Chi-Woo felt intensely angry, he desperately tried to suppress it and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Chi-Hyun scowled. ¡°I¡¯ll help you, so let¡¯s save Liber and return to Earth. Then show your face to our parents and explain to me your reason. I should be entitled to that story by then.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point telling me that I won¡¯t be of help,¡± Chi-Woo firmly responded; this was the one thing he wouldn¡¯t back down from. ¡°I think the work I¡¯ve done here so far has been beyond helpful already.¡± Chi-Hyun met his brother¡¯s glare and suddenly thought of Noel Freya¡¯s report. He had been surprised when he first heard her report, thinking there must be some embellishment. However, if his younger brother was involved, it became a completely different story. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡­¡± He gaped as if he couldn¡¯t believe what Chi-Woo was saying and shook his head again. Chi-Woo began to feel an unknown sense of unease; it seemed that nothing was getting through him. ¡°Choi Chi-Woo. Listen well.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice was soft, but threatening; it sounded like he was giving him an ultimatum he would not repeat. ¡°I know why you came to this world, but I won¡¯t tell you my reasons for keeping all of this hidden. I don¡¯t ever intend to tell you. I will never give you an explanation, and I shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Stop. You¡¯re going to help me? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Stop saying nonsense. The same goes for this matter.¡± Chi-Hyun spoke like a judge making his final ruling. ¡°Regardless of what you did so far, and whether all those stories are true¡ªeven if you might be helpful in the future, it doesn¡¯t matter at all.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s lips trembled. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°The reality is that you recklessly came to Liber on your own, and you can¡¯t go back until it¡¯s all over.¡± That left Chi-Hyun with only one option. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you safe until this whole situation is over, and as soon as it is, I¡¯m going to send you straight back to Earth.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Chi-Hyun flatly cut off Chi-Woo. ¡°I already made my points clear. I have no intentions to get help from you, and I shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Are you really going to be like this?¡± ¡°Yeah. From this point on, you won¡¯t be able to do a single thing on Liber. I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡± After one-sidedly making his intentions clear, Chi-Hyun got up to leave. ¡°If you understand, get up.¡± Chi-Woo did not get up. But that didn¡¯t matter to Chi-Hyun; he could force Chi-Woo to get up and turn around. ¡°¡­Fuck, what the heck.¡± Chi-Hyun flinched. ¡°Did you just¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± There was a limit to how much Chi-Woo could endure his brother¡¯s harsh words. He slowly raised the head he had been keeping low the whole time. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said that¡¯s enough.¡± Sparks sputtered out of Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. CH 170 Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes turned cold as he looked at Chi-Woo; there seemed to be even loathing and repulsion in his gaze. But Chi-Woo didn¡¯t back down. He glared back at his brother, hard, all the while getting a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It felt as if someone had looked at him the same way his brother was looking at him before. [Do you know what that ¡®authority¡¯ even means?] [Don¡¯t just talk rashly without knowing.] [I am speaking as someone who knows things you don¡¯t know. The choice and method you are undertaking right now are definitely wrong.] These were what Laguel had told him when he first entered the Celestial Realm. She had looked at him with an indescribable expression tinged with resentment. From his brother, Chi-Woo even felt a deep sense of emptiness and bitterness. Laguel and his brother¡ªwhat were they so resentful and bitter about? ¡°¡­Follow me,¡± Chi-Hyun simply said. Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. He wished his brother would just get angry at him or insult him. In fact, he wouldn¡¯t have felt so tormented even if his brother beat him up right now. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t bear this suffocating, heavy atmosphere. ¡°Why should I?¡± Chi-Wo gritted his teeth and didn¡¯t plan to move until he heard what he wanted to hear. ¡°Just¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun whirled around and started to raise his voice, but calmed himself down again before continuing, ¡°¡­Follow me while I¡¯m asking nicely.¡± This attitude set fire to Chi-Woo¡¯s heart even more. He resisted stronger. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Am I your puppet or something? Am I supposed to just do whatever you tell me to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask anymore.¡± ¡°Oh? What do you¡ª" Swish! Before Chi-Woo could finish his sentence, invisible energy circled around him and grappled him. Chi-Woo desperately tried to break free, but the energy wound even tighter with fearsome strength. ¡°Hey, you¡ª¡± It also muffled his mouth before dragging him forcefully forward. Chi-Woo continued to resist, but in the end, he was helplessly dragged away. There weren¡¯t any other people on the streets since dawn had just broken. Chi-Hyun headed to the palace. He didn¡¯t go inside through the front entrance, but rather stood still for a while before making his way to the basement. ¡®How does he know about this place?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought nobody but Eshnunna should be privy to it. Chi-Hyun walked down the stairs and threw Chi-Woo to where Philip¡¯s statue used to be. Finally, Chi-Woo¡¯s arms and legs were set free, and the bind around his mouth was released. ¡°Told you that I won¡¯t just use words anymore,¡± Chi-Hyun said while looking around. ¡°What¡ªbut how did you know about this crypt?¡± ¡°I sensed it. This is a crypt?¡± ¡®I see. He found the place by spreading his mana around him¡ªno, that isn¡¯t the important thing right now,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and quickly asked, ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°Because you need a place to stay.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I have a house.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not safe there.¡± For a moment, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand what his brother was saying. ¡°In reality, this whole capital is in danger. It¡¯s located where the Demon Empire, the Abyss, and even the Sernitas could reach. At any point in time, this city could be bombed from above. Considering that, the basement is safer.¡± It seemed Chi-Hyun had thought of the worst-case scenario, which was a fitting one for this world. ¡°Although I have set up the basic defense, think of this place as a temporary shelter and endure it for a while. Since a new city has been established, I will prepare a place for you to stay when negotiation with the monsters is complete.¡± ¡°¡­Wait. Does that mean you¡¯re planning to lock me here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But Chi-Hyun¡ª¡± ¡°Be grateful that this isn¡¯t a prison.¡± At the same time, words that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand flowed out of Chi-Hyun¡¯s mouth and vibrated, filling up the whole room. And that wasn¡¯t the end of the spell. ¡°¡ö.¡± Wing! Wing! Wing! Wing! ¡°¡ö. ¡ö. ¡ö. ¡ö.¡± Every time Chi-Hyun opened his mouth, their surroundings changed. The area twisted and turned before changing back to its original form. ¡ªThis is insane! Philip shouted and came out of hiding. ¡ªHow many times is he going to change the space¡­! W-Who is this guy, seriously? Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what to do. He didn¡¯t know exactly what was happening, but it seemed his brother was making it so that he couldn¡¯t get out of this place. ¡°Ha.¡± Chi-Hyun breathed out and glanced at Philip, who was exclaiming in shock. ¡°I will deliver you food three times a day. If you don¡¯t want to be locked up in an actual prison, stay here obediently.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you being too much?¡± ¡°And.¡± Ignoring Chi-Woo, Chi-Hyun looked up at Philip. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡ª¡­Me? Philip flinched and scratched his head. ¡ªUh¡­I¡¯m just a¡­ ¡°Why are you wandering around with a dead spirit around you?¡± Chi-Hyun turned to Chi-Woo, paying Philip no attention. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a good soul, it belongs to the dead. It¡¯s not right for a living person to carry around a dead spirit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It could be dangerous. Shouldn¡¯t you know this better than I do?¡± ¡°¡­Things happened,¡± Chi-Woo said, knowing that his brother wasn¡¯t wrong. But he also quickly added, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. Don¡¯t touch him.¡± But of course Chi-Hyun snorted and said, ¡°Should I do it for you? Or are you going to do it?¡± ¡°I told you not to.¡± ¡°Okay, then I will.¡± Chi-Hyun raised his hand at Philip. ¡ªUh, uh¡­ And clenched his fist. ¡ªUrgh! Philip shrieked in shock and groaned as pain shot through him. ¡°W-What are you doing? Stop it!¡± Chi-Woo shouted. This almost felt like a bad dream. He even wondered if Chi-Hyun was really his brother. Although his brother had always been cold and unfriendly, it wasn¡¯t to this level. No matter what he expected, however, this was reality and not a dream. Philip¡¯s screams grew louder before coming to an abrupt halt. ¡ªKuh! ¡°I told you to stop and not bother him,¡± Chi-Woo said quickly, looking back and forth between Philip and his brother. ¡°Got it? I will stay here, Hyung, and do as you told me, so¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened as Philip¡¯s head drooped. Then he took a deep breath when he saw that Philip was quickly fading away. ¡°Sto¡ª¡± ¡ªP! There was a loud bang. Chi-Hyun was suddenly flung into the wall, and he got back up coughing. ¡°What¡­¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes turned wide in shock. ¡°What happened just now¡­?¡± He had suddenly felt an incoming surge of mysterious energy. Sensing the attack beforehand, Chi-Hyun had defended against it, yet Chi-Woo¡¯s energy easily pierced through his barrier and hit him. Among the heroes who had entered Liber, no one could ever do the same, not even Ismile from the Nahla family. After recollecting himself, Chi-Hyun looked ahead at his brother. Chi-Woo lifted his head, his slowly revealed face was now adorned with a pair of brilliantly shining eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed as he sensed another presence. Meeting his gaze, Chi-Woo curved his lips into a smile. The younger brother Chi-Hyun knew would never smile like that. That meant only one thing. ¡°¡­Damn it, shaman god,¡± Chi-Hyun growled. ¡ªYou crossed a line. A leisurely voice echoed. ¡ªIsn¡¯t he the younger brother you¡¯ve finally reunited with after a long time? I was hoping you would treat him with more affection and care. Have a heartwarming brotherly moment. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you keep the promise?¡± ¡ªPromise? Ah, yes, that promise. Chi-Woo snorted. ¡ªAbout the tribute¡­ Well, it wasn¡¯t a bad offer. I got what I wanted in return. ¡°Then why¡ª¡± ¡ªI simply waited. This child was the one who made the move. Chi-Woo cut Chi-Hyun off before putting his hands on his chest and continuing firmly. ¡ªHe came here of his own will. Didn¡¯t he tell you already? Chi-Hyun was aware. That was why he couldn¡¯t say much other than denying the things Chi-Woo had asked from him. ¡ªDon¡¯t act so coldly. He came all this way here for his only brother. Why don¡¯t you keep that in mind and be nice for once? ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± ¡ªHaha. Calm down. I want to see some brotherly love, not a fight between two sworn enemies. ¡°¡­You won¡¯t get to see either,¡± Chi-Hyun said with a growl and quietly steadied his breathing. ¡°Get out of my brother¡¯s body and don¡¯t ever come back.¡± ¡ªDon¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t get sick like before. ¡°What?¡± ¡ªThe foundation has already been established. After the mysterious and profound words, the light in Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes gradually subsided. ¡ªBut it¡¯s not perfect yet¡­ After the lingering voice faded, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes returned to normal. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Chi-Woo blinked and looked confused. ¡°Uh¡­wait¡­I¡¯m¡­¡± Philip didn¡¯t disappear. Even though he was on the ground looking clearly distressed, he still existed as a spirit. However, Chi-Hyun was standing quietly with a frighteningly stiff expression. Chi-Woo had no idea what had happened. It felt as if his memories were cut and forcibly reattached. Now that he thought about it, he had lost a lot of his strength. An awkward silence stretched between them. ¡°You don¡¯t know¡­yeah, there¡¯s no way you would know¡­¡± Chi-Hyun only began talking after a few minutes. ¡°There are things that are beyond mortals and can¡¯t be solved by human power. I¡¯ve learned my lesson.¡± He let out a deep sigh. ¡°You may think I¡¯m going overboard.¡± His voice gained strength as he continued, ¡°You may cuss me out and no longer think of me as your older brother. It¡¯s fine with me even if you hate or disown me.¡± Chi-Woo quickly regained his senses. He couldn¡¯t just let Chi-Hyun go like this after finally meeting him. He called out to his brother, ¡°Hyung.¡± However, Chi-Hyun shook his head. Chi-Woo pleaded, ¡°Listen to me. Please.¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to change even if I hear you out.¡± That was a declaration of sorts, a declaration that Chi-Hyun was never going to change his mind. ¡°Hyung. Hyung!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. If I said more¡ª¡± ¡°Wait! Wait! Wait a minute!¡± Chi-Hyun marched toward the door and suddenly stopped to look over his shoulder. ¡°Shut up and stay quiet inside!¡± His angry cry roared in the secret chamber. Chi-Woo, who had been desperately calling out to his brother, shut his mouth while feeling the anger he had been suppressing for a while come back to him. He unconsciously clenched his fists. This was what he hated about his brother. Whenever he asked his brother something, he¡¯d tell him to stop being curious about useless things and go study. Chi-Hyun, who had been panting hard for a while, quietly took a deep breath. ¡°¡­You,¡± he glared at Chi-Woo and spat, ¡°Should have never been born.¡± That was the last thing he said before leaving. Bam! Chi-Woo heard the door slam shut. Chi-Hyun was gone. But even then, Chi-Woo remained motionless. Chi-Hyun¡¯s parting words echoed in his ears, and he stood unmoving with a blank face. On the other side of the door, Chi-Hyun was in a similar state. He leaned against the door and stared up at the ceiling with an indescribable expression. Then he got back to ground level and entered the palace, picking a random room before throwing himself into a seat. Immediately, he turned on his device. A hologram appeared in the air. ¡°Come out.¡± He stared at the empty hologram and growled. ¡°Come out! I said come out! Laguel!¡± Sccck! The hologram crackled, and soon after, the blurry and opaque figure of an angel emerged. * * * The next day arrived. Noel Freya visited Chi-Hyun early in the morning to give him a report. She was going to greet him with a big smile when she saw him walking out of the hallway. However, she quickly hid after seeing Chi-Hyun¡¯s face. ¡®We¡¯re fucked.¡¯ That was the first thought coming to her as soon as she saw his stiff expression. No matter how famous Chi-Hyun was for being cold-blooded, he was still a human with emotions. As an obsessive stalker-fan who had been following Chi-Hyun for a long time, Noel had acquired the ability to read his emotions by analyzing his facial movements to nano units. And after analyzing the look on his face, it was clear that Chi-Hyun¡¯s mood was abysmally bad. She had actually never seen him in a worse mood than now no matter how difficult and dangerous the situation got. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Noel though. Chi-Hyun had been humming before he left, but now, his mood had completely changed. Moreover, his subsequent actions were even more incomprehensible. He went outside before quickly coming back with a package. Then¡­ ¡®What? Whaaaaaaaaat?¡¯ Tatatata. Noel Freya screamed internally when Chi-Hyun started cooking in the kitchen. This was the first time she had ever seen him cook. Chi-Hyun was not a gourmet and did not particularly enjoy eating. He basically ate only to live. Why was he suddenly cooking with so much care? ¡®Is it for a change of mood?¡¯ Noel thought. ¡®Is he concerned about something? Come to think of it, the eighth recruits¡­¡¯ Her prediction was partly correct, but in the wrong direction. Chi-Hyun was thinking of his younger brother. He had been thinking of only Chi-Woo since yesterday. ¡®I can¡¯t let this be.¡¯ He had locked Chi-Woo up in a fit of anger. Regardless of the reprehensibility of his actions, Chi-Hyun knew that locking up Chi-Woo was not a perfect solution. ¡®I can¡¯t just stick by his side the whole time.¡¯ There was no permanent solution. What could he do to increase Chi-Woo¡¯s rate of survival until Liber¡¯s crisis was resolved? ¡®Power.¡¯ He had to gather more power; in this world, power was essentially the law and justice. Thanks to Chi-Woo, he might have to play a role that he had no intention of taking up. Of course, not everything would be solved even after Chi-Woo gained more power; Chi-Hyun knew this better than anyone else. In order to fulfill the most minimum conditions, he needed one more element. Namely¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chi-Hyun turned to the source of the voice that had suddenly interrupted his thinking. ¡°Sir, I-I mean¡­I was just curious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll get going¡­¡± Under Chi-Hyun¡¯s stare, Noel awkwardly laughed and quickly turned around. ¡°A meal?¡± Noel Freya immediately stopped at his sudden question. At first, she thought she had heard him wrong. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°A meal. Have you eaten already?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Noel Freya blinked like crazy and shook her head in surprise. ¡°No! No, I haven¡¯t!¡± ¡°Then, you want some?¡± Noel¡¯s eyes became big as saucers. A dish made by Chi-Hyun himself! Someone who seldom cooked! There was no greater reward than this. ¡°C-Could I?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made quite a lot. It doesn¡¯t matter if you have some.¡± ¡°Really? Is this for real?¡± ¡°Try it first. It might not be to your taste.¡± When Chi-Hyun set aside some of the food for her, Noel Freya almost fainted. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even tried it yet.¡± There was no way it wouldn''t be delicious. Noel was confident that even if he gave her poison, she would enjoy it and die with content. Noel was moved by his unexpected offer and shed tears while pledging her undying loyalty to Chi-Hyun once again. Chi-Hyun looked at Noel and continued his earlier thought before he was interrupted. He had long known about Noel Freya¡¯s over-zealous loyalty, and there was only one reason why he had let her follow him. There was a saying that even dog poop can be used for medicine, and he thought there might come a time when she would prove to be useful. He had let her be in case such a scenario arose. ¡®If necessary¡­¡¯ Just like what Giant Fist and Mua Janya were to Chi-Hyun, Chi-Woo also needed people who would stay by his side to support and help him in whatever situation. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°If you like it, do you want another bowl?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes, yes, yes!¡± ¡°Eat slowly. Tell me if it¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± But if Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t find people like that, Chi-Hyun needed to find people who would die for Chi-Woo for his sake. CH 171 Water tasted fresher when one was thirsty, and fruit sweeter the hungrier the eater was. Likewise, a declaration of victory was the most welcoming when it had been a difficult battle. That was the case for their recent feat: they succeeded in rescuing the eighth recruits, including heroes from several influential families, secured a new god, established a godly territory, and formed an alliance with the Cassiubia League. This achievement brought new vigor to humans. They were amazed that they had managed to deal with two factions out of the four vying for control over Liber and succeeded in their first official mission since coming to the capital. They began to finally feel hope that they could do something even though the world was in ruins. Of course, their forces were still too embarrassingly small to be called formidable, but they were hopeful that their group would continue to grow and progress. This change in thought was evident in the atmosphere surrounding the city. The heroes who had looked at the rescue team with pity at their departure now looked envious. The majority of the rescue team had gone up to bronze rank, and there were several who moved to silver. And above all, one of them became the first to reach gold rank: Ru Amuh. This news became so big that Ru Amuh gained as much attention as the heroes from the Celestial Realm¡¯s twelve lights. Ru Amuh was perfect in every way; he was handsome, had no noticeable faults in his personality, and his skills were evident. Thus, everyone wanted to get acquainted with him, but Ru Amuh¡¯s attention was elsewhere. ¡°Um¡­¡± After finishing his training, Ru Amuh turned on his device and checked his inbox. He was disappointed to see that it was empty, and the message he had sent hadn¡¯t been read yet. With his hand propping his jaw, Ru Amuh stared at his inbox for a while and felt a presence entering the room. He turned to find Ru Hiana looking expectantly at him. ¡°Is he there?¡± Ru Amuh asked, and Ru Hiana shook her head. ¡°Did you get anything in your inbox?¡± Ru Amuh shook his head. ¡°Nothing. My message hasn¡¯t even been read.¡± ¡°Same for me.¡± Ru Hiana sat down on one of the chairs and sighed. She licked her lips for a while and said carefully, ¡°It sure is strange.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s too early to jump to conclusions.¡± ¡°Think about it, Ru Amuh. You know how diligent Senior is,¡± Ru Hiana said after fixing her posture. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Senior skip a day of training before. He always ran in the same place at the same time every day, but now he didn¡¯t show up two days in a row. He¡¯s not in his house either. Does that make sense to you?¡± It seemed that saying her worries aloud made her even more nervous, and Ru Hiana chewed on her lip anxiously. ¡°Could it be¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± Ru Amuh cut her off. ¡°I¡¯m sure he has his reasons. Moreover, you know he isn¡¯t someone who would easily be harmed.¡± Hearing this, Ru Hiana¡¯s complexion brightened. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. He¡¯ll probably come back soon, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry, and let¡¯s wait a bit more. * * * Meanwhile, Chi-Woo was experiencing firsthand how much boredom could torment a person. He had given up on his plans to escape; as expected, his brother had used all kinds of tricks to keep him here. Obviously, the door didn¡¯t open. It was meaningless to try to break the wall or dig through the ground. Everything he did bounce right off, and no matter how much he made a fuss, nothing worked. Chi-Woo had been determined to never give up in most situations, but this was too much. ¡ªThis place is completely blocked both on the inside and the outside. It appears to be barriers created from a mental image, and there are more than a couple. Even I ain¡¯t sure if I would be able to break through this at my peak, much less you. ¡ªYou asked if you could go through it like the spatial barrier we encountered before. To tell you the truth, this one makes that barrier seem like child¡¯s play in comparison. ¡ªFuck. The more I think about it, the more it shocks me. Who in the world is this guy? How did he create something like this in that short period of time? It was through Philip¡¯s words that Chi-Woo realized how serious his situation was. Even if wanted to request help, he couldn¡¯t use his chat. In the end, the only thing he could do was to protest through voluntary fasting. Chi-Woo thought Chi-Hyun would at least check up on him before he died from starvation, and because of that, Chi-Woo had been blankly staring up at the ceiling. ¡®Should I just die¡­?¡¯ ¡ªNo, don¡¯t do that. Philip intervened. It seemed he had regained his vigor after almost getting extinguished. Chi-Woo envied Philip¡¯s fast recovery. ¡ªWhat happened, happened. Why don¡¯t you train now? ¡®¡­Here?¡¯ ¡ªIt doesn¡¯t matter where you are. There are countless pieces of training you can do even in a place like this. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t refute this. ¡ªPlus, don¡¯t you want to pay your brother back? ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡ªThis is you we¡¯re talking about. You may be struggling now, but your potential is unreal. ¡®Still¡­wouldn''t it be difficult?¡± ¡ªI¡¯m not telling you to beat your brother. I¡¯m telling you to escape from this place. It¡¯s impossible to do either right now in your current state, but things could change if you grow stronger. I think you have a chance. Didn¡¯t you do a lot recently and earn merits? ¡®Ah¡­that¡¯s right.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s dull eyes sparkled once again. He hadn¡¯t thought about it as all his attention had been on his brother. With La Bella¡¯s gift inside his heart, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even have to worry about not having a connection with the outside. He instantly got to his feet and leaned against the wall before turning on his device. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Merit Count: 576, 837] 1. Inherent ¨C [Core of Balance F] (53,295 Up¡ü!) 2. Inherent ¨C [Divine Blood F] (11,789 Up¡ü!) 3. Inherent ¨C [Golden Ratio AAA] (2,217,392 Up¡ü!) 4. Inherent ¨C [Halo F] (1,051 Up¡ü!) 5. Inherent¡ª [Divine Inspiration F] (2,036 Up¡ü!) ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡ªIs something wrong? How much did you get? ¡°No, wait.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes and opened them again. Then he shifted his gaze away before looking back at his device. The number of merits he had accumulated remained unchanged. ¡®Is this real¡­?¡¯ A total of almost six hundred thousand merits. He had expected a large number, but not this much. What happened? ¡®Ms. Mimi?¡¯ Chi-Woo called out in his head. [¡­] No response came. Chi-Woo thought it was strange; she used to pop up all the time without him prompting. ¡®Ms. Mimi? Mimi-chan?¡¯ Again, Mimi didn¡¯t answer. Chi-Woo checked to see if he had muted her, but no, she could speak. [¡­Yeeees¡­] It was then he finally heard Mimi¡¯s voice. [Did you call me?...] She sounded like she was dying. ¡®W-What is it? Why do you suddenly sound like that?¡¯ ¡ªM-Mademoiselle? You don¡¯t seem to be in a good condition. Both Chi-Woo and Philip were taken aback. [No¡­I¡¯m fine¡­Haaaa¡­] Mimi sighed deeply. [Yes¡­ You accumulated¡­so many merits because¡­you revived a god and moreover¡­established a godly territory¡­ Thus, it was judged that¡­you made an important impact on the flow of this world¡­] Mimi didn¡¯t seem fine at all even after claiming to be. She sounded like she had gotten a stern rebuke recently. ¡ªUh¡­Mademoiselle? Philip asked with surprise. ¡ªYou sound tired¡­but we need your help right now. This boy is locked here because of his brother. [That¡¯s why I¡ª!] ¡ªSorry? [¡­.No, anyways, go on please¡­] ¡ª¡­Well, since there¡¯s no way he can escape his current situation, he needs to accumulate power somehow. And to increase his possibility of doing so, we need your help. Although Philip could help Chi-Woo in training, he was ignorant about matters relating to the user information. As someone who knew the growth system well, Mimi could guide Chi-Woo to the right path. The problem was Mimi seemed to be in a questionable state. For a moment, Mimi didn¡¯t reply, seemingly deliberating something. [Yes, I understand.] Her voice suddenly became clear, and her tone was firm. [Why don¡¯t I give it a try? Ah, fuck it.] ¡®¡­What?¡¯ [It¡¯s so unbelievably unfair that I can¡¯t take it¡­.Let¡¯s screw that bastard over at least once.] Chi-Woo and Philip glanced at each other. For some reason, Mimi had suddenly fired up. ¡ªYes, that¡¯s exactly what we wanted. It seemed all three of them had resentment to unravel. [He better be prepared. We will show him a completely new version of you.] Chi-Woo nodded with great determination, clenching his fists and getting up. ¡ªHear, hear! Philip raised his arm high and shouted. ¡ªOne! [Ohhhhhh!] Mimi joined in. ¡°Good! What should I do first?¡± ¡ªEat! ¡°What?¡± ¡ªWe can only start things once you get some food in you. While the three of them flared up with passion, united under a common goal, there was a sudden knock on the door. Chi-Woo turned around and was shocked to see a figure he didn¡¯t expect. ¡°This is your meal¡­ Ah, and let me warn you that even if you try to escape, you will be led right back.¡± Chi-Woo, who was about to use this opportunity to make a run for it, stopped. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be that sloppy?¡± Noel Freya spoke with a cold expression. ¡°And¡­this is a message from him.¡± She continued talking while looking at the food Chi-Woo had left untouched on the floor. ¡°Eat while I¡¯m still asking nicely. Unless you want me to shove it down your throat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That was something his brother would do. Noel Freya handed him a reddish soup that seemed to have various ingredients mixed in, and to Chi-Woo¡¯s surprise, there was something that looked like rice in it. ¡°There¡¯s rice on Liber?¡± ¡°You talk like a hero who just came from the Celestial Realm.¡± Noel Freya sounded strangely sarcastic. ¡°There are many who react as you did. Foolish and ignorant people who think that the culture of the planet they were born and raised on is the best. It¡¯s ridiculous they would think like that when the universe is so vast.¡± Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t mistaken about Noel Freya¡¯s hostility. She was being very aggressive. She hadn¡¯t been like this not long ago. ¡°As I¡¯ve told you before, Sir Chi-Hyun considers food, clothing, and shelter extremely important, and he values food the most.¡± Chi-Woo realized he shouldn¡¯t have asked a question, since Noel had a knack for connecting all topics to his brother. Noel continued, ¡°Of course, the food culture here has temporarily declined because of the current situation, but it hasn¡¯t always been like this.¡± Now that he thought about it, he had heard similar words from another person. [Do you think we¡¯re savages?] When he showed how surprised he was to find sauces on Liber, Eshnunna had rebuked him for his ignorance; Chi-Woo had nothing to say this time, either. ¡°Everywhere, people live similarly. Liber is no exception. Thanks to Sir Chi-Hyun¡¯s efforts, Liber is steadily recovering, and this meal is proof of that.¡± Noel Freya held out the bowl she brought. Chi-Woo agreed that compared to eating military ration he couldn¡¯t even begin to describe, the food available to them had significantly improved from before. ¡°¡­I talked for too long for no reason.¡± Anyway, regardless of Chi-Woo¡¯s social faux pas, Noel Freya¡¯s attitude had definitely changed. It was clear that she didn¡¯t think too well of him. She must have thought he was some kind of criminal since his brother had locked him up. Noel continued, ¡°You should do as he says while he¡¯s being nice.¡± Chi-Woo had planned to stop his hunger strike anyway, so he decided to eat the food that Noel handed him. ¡®I¡¯m gonna eat and train hard and kick Hyung¡¯s ass,¡¯ he murmured to himself and took the bowl from Noel before carefully scooping up a spoonful. It seemed to be something like a rice soup. ¡°Let me try¡­what the, sppff!¡± ¡°What are you doing!¡± Noel Freya yelled at him. Chi-Woo had started to obediently eat as per Chi-Hyun¡¯s order, but spat everything out as soon as he stuck the spoon into his mouth. ¡°It tastes downright awful.¡± ¡°What¡ªwhat did you say?¡± ¡°Geez, my appetite is completely gone. Why is there so much of it?¡± It seemed that whoever cooked this had tried to make the soup spicy, but it just tasted sour and bland. ¡°Can¡¯t you hurry up and finish it?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be eating it. Is this even a meal? It¡¯s trash!¡± ¡°Y-You bastard¡­! How dare you insult his cooking¡­!¡± ¡°My bro¡­ He made it?¡± Chi-Woo put on a nonchalant expression as Noel furiously scolded him. ¡®I¡¯m surprised.¡¯ It seemed that Chi-Hyun had put all kinds of different ingredients into the soup, but ended up completely ruining the harmony of the different tastes and even creating a fishy smell. This was the perfect example of a newbie cook getting overly ambitious. Anyway, the end result was an utter failure, but Chi-Woo was still surprised that his brother had cooked for him. ¡°Eat it!¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t stomach this even if you beat me to death. Would you be able to give me the ingredients that were used to make this instead? I think I might be able to salvage it.¡± ¡°How ridiculous! A criminal shouldn¡¯t be complaining about food!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a criminal, and if you don¡¯t want to, why don¡¯t you just take it back? I definitely ate at least a spoonful anyway.¡± Chi-Woo lay down on his back and thought even military ration tasted better. It would be too sad to train after eating such bad food. ¡°Agh!¡± Noel wanted to kick and stomp on him as much as she wanted, but she was here for a special mission¡ªto make this person here eat somehow. Even though she was angry, fulfilling Chi-Hyun¡¯s order was more important. In the end, she gritted her teeth and came back with a handful of ingredients. * * * It had been a while since Chi-Woo showed off his culinary skills. Afterward, Chi-Woo ate as much as he could, and Noel Freya reported to Chi-Hyun with half of the meal left. Chi-Hyun ordered her to tell him every single thing that happened in the secret room. ¡°He did eat.¡± ¡°¡­But he didn¡¯t finish eating everything.¡± ¡°Yes, he said there¡¯s too much, and you should prepare a moderate amount next time. The audacity, sigh!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Hyun carefully observed the bowl that Noel Freya brought back. ¡°It looks a bit different from what I made?¡± ¡°Ah, about that¡­¡± After hearing what had happened, Chi-Hyun showed keen interest. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Pass the bowl to me.¡± Instead of waiting for her to do it, Chi-Hyun reached out and made the bowl float to him. ¡°My lord?¡± Noel was appalled to see Chi-Hyun getting a spoonful of the leftovers. ¡°Why are you eating that? I¡¯ll finish it!¡± Noel shouted, but Chi-Hyun lifted his hand to say that it was okay. ¡°Hm, Hmm.¡± He continued eating rather than stopping after a spoonful. In the end, he finished the whole bowl and finally put down his spoon. ¡°Pweh. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve eaten so well.¡± He was so focused on eating that sweat began dripping down his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Noel Freya frowned. When Chi-Woo ate earlier, he had said this was the best he could do with an extremely disappointed look on his face. ¡°Come to think of it, he did want to be a chef at one point¡­ He didn¡¯t lose his skills.¡± Chi-Hyun muttered to himself with a wry smile. ¡°But why would you eat that dirty food¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not dirty. When we were young, we even fought to eat the gum chewed up by Mom.¡± ¡°?¡± Noel Freya couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t believe he made something so delicious with ingredients he was seeing for the first time¡­¡± Chi-Hyun tapped on his desk and slowly smiled. ¡°When I think about it, it¡¯s always been like this.¡± Noel Freya blinked. ¡°There was this game we played together when we were young.¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly started a random story, but Noel paid keen attention. It was the first time she was hearing about his childhood. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°At first, I won. He got so frustrated after he lost.¡± Chi-Hyun broke into a soft smile as he recalled the memory. ¡°I teased him a bit because I thought it was funny, but¡­¡± Chi-Hyun had actually teased him more than he should because he thought Chi-Woo looked cute. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth and vowed revenge, and Chi-Hyun jokingly told him to give it his all and try harder. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°One day, he asked me to play another round with him. I wasn¡¯t serious at first, but¡­¡± Chi-Hyun lost. He lost so badly that he couldn¡¯t make any excuses or blame it on anything. ¡°Even when I played seriously, I lost.¡± In retrospect, something similar had happened more than once. Another example was when Chi-Woo learned how to perform the tea ceremony. Their mother was an enthusiast, and Chi-Hyun, who had grown up seeing it since he was young, was also interested in the art. It was only natural that Chi-Woo would get into it as well, and after practicing alone for a few days, he presented an astounding tea ceremony not only for himself, but also for their mother. According to her, Chi-Woo had displayed the ideal etiquette when serving tea, and since then, their mother had desperately wanted to see Chi-Woo perform the tea ceremony again, but by that time, Chi-Woo had lost his interest. Yes¡­it had always been like that. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°When he starts to get interested in something¡­he always shows a remarkable achievement. If it weren¡¯t for his damned fate, he would have already made quite a name for himself.¡± And this was the reason why he was so conflicted and concerned. ¡°That¡¯s why¡­I¡¯m genuinely worried.¡± Chi-Hyun wondered if he was doing the right thing. Liber¡¯s condition was at its worst. If they wanted to survive, they needed to grow their power, and to effectively grow their power, he needed to teach his brother. But what if Chi-Woo became interested and found enjoyment in this work? Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t confident he would be able to stop his brother then. No¡ªhe knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to, as had always been the case. Rather than teaching Chi-Woo how to fish, Chi-Hyun wanted to catch fish for him instead. ¡®But I know I shouldn¡¯t do that.¡¯ If things went wrong and Chi-Woo ended up dead, everything would be over. Everything his parents and he had ever done would become meaningless. Chi-Hyun let out a long sigh. He finally took his eyes off the bowl and looked up. ¡°Noel Freya.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Noel Freya, who had been quietly listening with a puzzled expression, immediately snapped to attention. ¡°Can I¡­trust you?¡± At that moment, Noel Freya had a hunch that Chi-Woo was going to say something extremely important. She stood upright and put on the most determined and serious expression she could muster. Chi-Hyun stared at her and finally said, ¡°There¡¯s one person I¡¯d like to introduce to you¡ªjust you, for now.¡± CH 172 Noel was someone who would believe whatever Chi-Hyun said, no matter how nonsensical it sounded. ¡°Someone to introduce?¡± But this time, she couldn¡¯t help but question him. Chi-Hyun had said a bunch of things she couldn¡¯t understand at all, and now he said he had someone to introduce to her. ¡°In a bit,¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°I need to prepare first. Then I will introduce the person to you at the right time.¡± Noel tilted her head in confusion. But in the end, she answered, ¡°I understand.¡± She didn¡¯t know what Chi-Hyun meant, but she didn¡¯t question him further. She believed Chi-Hyun had a reason for everything he did. ¡°Is there anything I could help with your preparation?¡± Chi-Hyun smiled slightly. ¡°I will request it if I need your help later on.¡± * * * Chi-Woo had disappeared after coming back to the capital with the rest of the rescue team; the Ru siblings weren¡¯t the only ones who realized this fact. ¡°Hm¡­¡± After knocking on the door of Chi-Woo¡¯s house, Zelit stood quietly for a while. This was his third time visiting today, and every time, the owner of the house was nowhere to be seen. It couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence. Zelit wondered if something had happened to Chi-Woo when his condition wasn¡¯t good. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Worried, Zelit decided to look inside. The door wasn¡¯t locked, and after inviting himself in, Zelit surveyed his surroundings slowly. He thought nobody would be around, but it wasn¡¯t so. ¡°You are¡­¡± There was a small transparent lump on the porch. Zelit hurriedly approached it. ¡®Bag. No, did he call it a steam bun?¡¯ Zelit didn¡¯t remember the creature¡¯s name well, but he remembered Chi-Woo carrying it with him everywhere. Perhaps this bun would know where Chi-Woo was. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Do you remember me?¡± ¡°Pyu¡­¡± The bun answered with no strength in its voice. It seemed completely down. ¡°I came here many times, but never once saw the owner of this house anywhere. I can¡¯t seem to contact him, either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you know where he is?¡± Zelit asked. In response, the bun made an X over its head. ¡°You don¡¯t know, either¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t the answer he wanted, but Zelit was satisfied that he could communicate with it. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if something happened to him. If you know anything, please tell me,¡± Zelit asked with little hope, but the bun responded strongly. It began to shudder like it was frightened. And Zelit¡¯s eyes widened as the X over the bun¡¯s head turned into an O. ¡°You know something? What happened?¡± * * * ¡®I should find a suitable place first¡­no, more importantly¡­¡¯ Chi-Hyun was again deep in thought when he heard the door open. He thought it was Noel, but the footsteps belonged to someone else. Chi-Hyun looked up, and his forehead creased. The uninvited visitor, Zelit, did the same. When Zelit asked what happened, the bun had made two human figures, miming one dragging away the other. It wasn¡¯t difficult for Zelit to understand what that meant. Chi-Woo had been taken against his will. When Zelit asked who did it, the bun jumped off the porch and slipped forward. Zelit followed it until he was standing in front of someone he hadn¡¯t expected in the slightest: the legend, Choi Chi-Hyun. Zelit had never talked face-to-face with Chi-Hyun and only saw him from a distance. ¡°Who are you?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s cold voice made Zelit regain his senses. ¡°I am¡­Zelit from the seventh recruits, sir.¡± Although Zelit usually addressed most people in their first meeting familiarly, Zelit was extra polite with Chi-Hyun. Chi-Hyun was a hero standing at the peak¡ªsomeone Zelit had regarded as his superior, and the pressuring aura Chi-Hyun radiated naturally inspired respect in those around him. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have made any plans to meet.¡± ¡°Do you know a hero named Chichibbong?¡± Zelit immediately got to the point. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t answer. He seemed to flinch slightly. ¡°This is the friend Hero Chichibbong carried around with him.¡± ¡°¡­Ppyu!¡± The transparent bun brought attention to itself by jumping up and down. Zelit continued, ¡°I went to look for him many times recently, but couldn¡¯t find him. This one was alone in his house.¡± The chills he couldn¡¯t explain compelled Zelit to quickly add, ¡°This one told me that Chichibbong was dragged away against his will.¡± Chi-Hyun glanced toward the floor, and Zelit followed his gaze to the bun. ¡°Pyuuuu¡­!¡± The bun was showing hostility to Chi-Hyun. There was intent behind its action. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ Zelit wondered and thought he knew the reason. Considering Chi-Woo¡¯s achievements, Zelit believed there was almost no hero who could capture and beat Chi-Woo physically. But if the one who had forcefully taken Chi-Woo was the legend, it explained things. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I don¡¯t know about it,¡± Chy-Hyun said and looked away. ¡®He¡¯s pretending not to know,¡¯ Zelit thought. Chi-Hyun could be telling the truth, but if he wasn¡¯t¡­ ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Zelit quietly breathed in. ¡°Well, excuse my rudeness, sir. I will take my leave now.¡± Before he turned fully around, Zelit stopped and asked, ¡°Oh, but now that I am here, may I ask you to introduce me to the heroes from the Celestial Realm¡¯s twelve lights?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Since Chichibbong is gone, I plan to tell them the situation and ask for their help in finding him. This is quite the important matter to me.¡± It was unexpected that Zelit would bring up other families in front of Chi-Hyun, but Zelit had his reasons. He didn¡¯t have evidence, but he thought there was a high chance the culprit was Chi-Hyun. The bun wouldn¡¯t have acted in such a manner otherwise. Chi-Hyun¡¯s motives were unknown, but to Zelit, the important part wasn¡¯t finding out why Chi-Hyun kidnapped Chi-Woo, but whether or not Chi-Woo was alive. However, Zelit was also painfully aware that he was in no position to do anything against Chi-Hyun. Thus, he brought up people completely unrelated to this matter. It was a well-known secret that the rest of the twelve families were desperate to take down the Choi family. This was obvious from the fact that the families had immediately sent their members when the situation on Liber improved. If Liber, which had reached its worst state, recovered under the Choi leadership, the rest of the twelve families knew that the distance between them and the Choi family would only increase; thus, they had sent some of their own. This way, the eighth recruits¡¯ involvement would seem like a turning point for humanity on Liber. Where humans gathered, a hierarchical society formed. And even when there were only seven recruit teams on Liber, Zelit believed humanity would form a strong centralized system around Choi Chi-Hyun and based their future on it. There was Chichibbong, but the man seemed to have a strong aversion to standing out and no desire for authority. However, things changed with the entrance of five heroes from the twelve families of the Celestial Realm: Ho Lactea, Afrilith, Nahla, Mariaju, and Eustitia¡ªeach of them was powerful and formidable in their own right. Zelit was sure these heroes weren¡¯t happy with Chi-Hyun¡¯s reign. They were adjusting to life on this planet currently, but it seemed inevitable that they would start forming their own factions once they were ready. With that in mind, Zelit wondered what would happen if he gave them information that could harm Chi-Hyun¡¯s reputation. After all, this incident concerned a hero who had achieved far from trivial feats; one of the most important heroes in the capital had been kidnapped suddenly. Hearing this news, many would spring to action like rabid dogs. They would try to exaggerate and publicize the incident in any way possible to chip away Chi-Hyun¡¯s reputation. And in the future, whenever Chi-Hyun tried to establish more authority, this incident would come back to haunt him again. Of course, Chi-Hyun might remain unfazed all the same. He was a legend after all. But it would definitely become bothersome for him. In this manner, Zelit was making a very political threat and taking the gamble of his lifetime. He wondered how the legend would react now. Would he continue to feign ignorance, or try to kill him? Zelit focused all his attention on Chi-Hyun¡¯s response. ¡°¡­I¡¯m quite busy these days,¡± Chi-Hyun said after a pause, ¡°I won¡¯t have time to introduce you to anyone right now.¡± Chi-Hyun still insisted on feigning ignorance. ¡®Fine. I suppose you are trying to play with public opinions here,¡¯ Zelit thought. ¡®Let¡¯s go at it. I will show you how persistent I can be.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sure you are, sir. I understand. I will look for them on my own then,¡± Zelit murmured and was about to turn around when Chi-Hyun spoke up to grab his attention again. ¡°And your name is?¡± ¡°My name is Zelit.¡± ¡°The highest danger level you¡¯ve worked on?¡± ¡°Stellar system, sir,¡± Zelit answered hesitantly, wondering why Chi-Hyun was asking him such a question. ¡°Stellar system. You must at least be able to do the basics.¡± Chi-Hyun let out a long breath and pushed the sheet of paper in his hand towards Zelit. ¡°A delegation from the Cassiubia League will be coming here soon.¡± He crossed his arms and continued, ¡°The discussion will probably be centered around the godly territory created recently¡­¡± He looked at Zelit and spoke with a softer tone. ¡°I¡¯ve got my hands on it, but I¡¯m a bit busy. If possible, I¡¯d like a hero like you to help me.¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly made an offer, and Zelit narrowed his eyes. He understood the underlying message¡ªinstead of threatening him with murder or playing ignorant, Chi-Hyun decided to appease him. He was telling Zelit that he¡¯d share some of the spoils, so he should just back down and get over this matter. ¡®He really is the culprit,¡¯ Zelit thought. Chi-Hyun¡¯s offer was not bad. If what he said was true, it would have a significant impact on Liber¡¯s future trajectory. Zelit could probably earn a lot of merits by producing positive results in the meeting. Above all, it was a golden opportunity to work under the legend. However, Zelit didn¡¯t even need to think about the offer. ¡°Thank you, but finding him is more important to me.¡± Zelit wasn¡¯t going to accept any offer Chi-Hyun made. ¡°Why?¡± Chi-Hyun tilted his head. ¡°Is there a specific reason why you want to find him so badly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Hyun added, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be the altruistic type.¡± Chi-Hyun hit right on the mark. Zelit was not a generous or kind hero; he had a strong individualistic tendency and was extremely calculative. However, he also knew when to repay a favor and when to not back down. ¡°¡­After the seventh recruits barely survived and began to settle down in the fortress¡­there was a time when I put everyone in danger.¡± Zelit was talking about the time he sent Chi-Woo to the Evelaya Volcano despite opposition from numerous people. ¡°Even though I¡¯m ashamed to say this as a hero, I felt hopeless and fell into despair. Our circumstances seemed hopeless, and I was scared and frightened by everything.¡± He had gone through extreme situations one after another, and being the cause of something this disastrous was the last straw. The helplessness he felt at that time dominated his already weakened mind and body. ¡°I¡¯ve completely given up and lived with no hope¡­but someone helped me get back up.¡± Chi-Woo had reached out to him, and Zelit found hope again while holding Chi-Woo¡¯s hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten how grateful I was at that time.¡± True to his words, Zelit remembered the help he got from Chi-Woo when he was at his lowest like yesterday, so he would not abandon Chi-Woo no matter how attractive the offer was¡ªjust as Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t given up on him. ¡°I see.¡± Surprisingly, Chi-Hyun showed no signs of anger or annoyance. Instead, he seemed surprised and slightly pleased if Zelit hadn¡¯t seen wrong. ¡°Then, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Zelit began to feel confused. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°Actually, he¡¯s finishing a task I assigned him.¡± ¡°A task?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you about it since it¡¯s top secret.¡± ¡°Are you going to¡ª¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll tell him to message you later on.¡± Zelit, who had no intentions to back down, swallowed his words and shut his mouth after hearing Chi-Hyun¡¯s response. A hero¡¯s device could only be operated by themselves. If he received a message from Chi-Woo, Zelit could take it as proof that he was fine. But just in case, Zelit said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to see him myself at least once.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass that message to him.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded, and Zelit had no more to say since Chi-Hyun was being more agreeable than he expected. In the end, Zelit said, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll trust your reputation.¡± Then he gave Chi-Hyun a small bow before turning to leave the palace. Zelit fell deep into thought, ¡®I can¡¯t figure him out.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know the exact reason why, but he felt as if he was being fooled. However, he couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly was triggering his suspicion. Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t someone he could deal with alone in the first place. He needed help. Since Chi-Hyun had taken a step back¡ªor appeared to, at least¡ªZelit couldn¡¯t use his trump card right away. Then who should he consult with? A person immediately came to mind, and Zelit hurried his steps. * * * On the same day, Chi-Hyun toured the nearby hills outside the capital. He was looking for a place where people didn¡¯t often go and was a sufficient distance away from the city. ¡®This seems good enough.¡¯ Finding a place he liked, Chi-Hyun carefully investigated it, but then he suddenly sighed. Someone had been getting on his nerves since he left the capital by stalking and walking circles around him. Chi-Hyun turned around and glared at the figure. The man finally revealed himself. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± ¡°Is Teacher here?¡± the person replied with another question. ¡°Teacher?¡± Chi-Hyun frowned. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Sir Chichibbong.¡± The young man was no other than Ru Amuh. The Zealot-head hero must have talked. Chi-Hyun clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Someone already came to me for the same matter today. I told him to wait a little bit.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard.¡± Ru Amuh smiled. ¡°But I must see him right now.¡± ¡°¡­Go back,¡± Chi-Hyun said with narrowed eyes. Then his expression stiffened, and he started turning around. Clang! Ru Amuh had unsheathed his sword in response. Chi-Hyun shouted, ¡°Ha! You want to fight me?¡± While Chi-Hyun still had his back towards him, Ru Amuh replied with a calm voice, ¡°Since you won¡¯t answer my question, I have no choice but to get it out of you¡ªwith a different method.¡± Chi-Hyun found Ru Amuh¡¯s confidence ridiculous; he wanted to show off his skills? With him as the opponent? A silence fell between them, and soon, a strong wind blew. Chi-Hyun turned around fully at the same time. A series of clashes erupted; in a matter of seconds, countless attacks were exchanged between them. Then the gale died down just as suddenly as it came, and a sword suddenly spun through the air before burying into the ground¡ªthe sword Chi-Woo gifted Ru Amuh. Chi-Hyun had Ru Amuh by the neck. In an instant, their fight came to a conclusion with Ru Amuh¡¯s defeat. However, Ru Amuh looked calm, and Chi-Hyun looked at Ru Amuh with a slightly surprised expression. ¡°¡­Pretty good,¡± Chi-Hyun said with sincerity. As someone with exceptional talent, Chi-Hyun could tell by exchanging a few blows with Ru Amuh that while the Zealot-head was pretty skilled, Ru Amuh was the real deal. His was not an ordinary talent, but an exceptional one. It was to the extent that Chi-Hyun felt like taking Ru Amuh under his wings and teaching him. ¡°Kill me.¡± But most of all, he was pleased by Ru Amuh¡¯s attitude. He liked that Ru Amuh seemed willing to do anything for his brother. Not only did Ru Amuh express that will with words, but he also proved it in action while risking death. Even though he failed as a hero, he passed as a suitable companion to stay by his brother¡¯s side. ¡°For real¡­there¡¯s that guy, now this¡­¡± Chi-Hyun grumbled, but he was pleased. He had been worried about recruiting people to help and take Chi-Woo¡¯s side, but his concerns were unnecessary. Regardless of his intentions, his younger brother was already doing well on his own. Chi-Hyun thought Chi-Woo would probably be fine with this man alone for the time being. That left him with only one problem to take care of. ¡®Take out the iron while it¡¯s hot. I¡¯ll have to do this right now.¡¯ He needed to properly fix this place to make a space for just him and Chi-Woo. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used so much of my power.¡¯ After organizing his thoughts, Chi-Hyun said, ¡°Go back.¡± He let go of Ru Amuh¡¯s neck. ¡°Wait a day¡ªno, half a day. You¡¯ll see him when you wake up.¡± Chi-Hyun thought Ru Amuh would understand and back down by now. However, there was one aspect he overlooked; Ru Amuh¡¯s trust in Chi-Woo was close to 100 percent. Like how parents saw red when someone harmed their child, a grown-up child would react the same when someone hurt their parents. ¡°I sincerely apologize, but¡­¡± Ru Amuh quickly withdrew, and when he reached out his hand, the sword buried in the ground flew into his hand. ¡°I must absolutely meet Teacher at all costs.¡± Although he knew he would never beat Chi-Hyun even if he died and resurrected a hundred times, Ru Amuh got into fighting position, and his eyes quietly burned with conviction. Meeting Ru Amuh¡¯s gaze, Chi-Hyun laughed and gave him a toothy grin. ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped. I have no choice but to force you to wait.¡± They looked at each other for a moment, and soon after, a stellar new talent and a legendary hero clashed violently. CH 173 ¡®How many days have I been locked here?¡¯ There was no way Chi-Woo could tell the exact number; it was difficult to tell night from day underground. But Chi-Woo could make a general guess, as his caretaker brought him meals without fail. After eating the dinner that Noel handed him while bickering, Chi-Woo focused on today¡¯s training like usual. Not only was he bored with nothing to do, but he had also found something weird in his user information. After discussing it with Mimi, she came up with her own hypothesis. To confirm it, Chi-Woo worked harder in his training than usual. That was when he suddenly heard the door open. ¡®What? I just ate dinner. Is it a late-night snack?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth watered at the thought. But it was his brother who came through the door. ¡®Yes, it didn¡¯t make sense for me to be locked here forever,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. He believed his brother would come to check on him at least once. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes sparkled involuntarily, but he immediately looked away and resumed doing his pushbacks with a nonchalant face. ¡°What are you doing instead of sleeping?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice was low, and he looked especially tired today. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m doing push-ups?¡± Chi-Woo replied snidely. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Choi Chi-Woo.¡± Chi-Hyun looked as his younger brother exercised with sweat trickling down and smiled bitterly. ¡°What? Are you just going to ignore your brother from now on?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say ¡®brother¡¯.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call yourself my brother, Mr. ¡®You should think that you no longer have a sibling¡¯.¡± ¡°Mister what?¡± It was as if Chi-Woo was talking to a stranger. Chi-Hyun crossed his arms. ¡°Choi Chi-Woo.¡± ¡°Ugh, what do you want?¡± ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing and get up.¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°I have something to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t,¡± Chi-Woo said coldly, ¡°Get going. Don¡¯t bother me.¡± ¡°¡­When are you going to finish then?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± ¡°Why are you doing push-ups in the first place?¡± ¡°I want to become stronger and get revenge. What about it?¡± ¡°Against whom? Me?¡± Chi-Hyun snorted and smirked. ¡°You think you would be able to do that by just doing push-ups?¡± Chi-Woo scowled at his brother¡¯s mockery. He clicked his tongue and ignored his brother again, and Chi-Hyun let out a deep sigh. ¡°Are you really going to act like this?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Chi-Woo snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I should say? Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± ¡°When did I ever want that?¡± ¡°Ah¡­It doesn¡¯t even matter. Let¡¯s just stop talking. I¡¯m sorry that I was ever born, and we should go our separate ways without caring for each other.¡± By this point, Chi-Hyun finally realized why his brother was so upset and what his mistake was. [You¡­shouldn¡¯t have been born.] Those words had probably made a deep impression on Chi-Woo and remained as a heavy lump in his chest. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s¡­¡± Chi-Hyun paused. Truthfully, he had said those words in a fit of anger. He knew there were things one should never say, especially not to a family member. Chi-Hyun¡¯s lips twitched, and he licked them before continuing, ¡°By that¡­I didn¡¯t¡­.¡± Chi-Hyun knew he had to apologize. He touched the corners of his mouth for a while and fake coughed. ¡°It¡¯s not like nobody has ever said it before.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well. When I said you shouldn¡¯t have been born, I didn¡¯t mean it literally. You know, you said it yourself quite often when you were trying to become a shaman at one point. That¡¯s what I meant by that.¡± When Chi-Hyun saw that his brother¡¯s face was only creasing even more, he quickly added, ¡°¡­If it¡¯s something that I should apologize for, I would.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°Ha¡­you really are my brother.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You just spit out whatever you want without thinking and never admit your mistakes. You really should fix that way of talking. Please.¡± ¡°When did I¡­? No, what would you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who thinks so. Mom said it too.¡± Chi-Hyun closed his mouth. An awkward silence befell them, and after a moment, Chi-Hyun quietly opened his mouth again. ¡°¡ö.¡± Wing, Wing, Wing, Wing! The ringing noises were accompanied by vibrations. The space twisted and swirled before returning to normal. Chi-Woo stopped his training and got up in surprise. Looking around, the strange sensation surrounding this room seemed to have disappeared completely; he could go now. ¡°You should sleep in your house today.¡± ¡°Are you telling me to stay inside since it¡¯s dangerous?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve set up the basic defense, and I will be staying with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And when you get up, go around meeting people.¡± ¡°People?¡± ¡°There were some who worried about you,¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t meet all of them in person, but at least send them a message that an important matter came up, and you are planning to leave for a while.¡± Chi-Woo opened his eyes a bit wider. ¡°Send me a message after you are finished and come to the place I tell you. We should register our names on each other¡¯s devices first.¡± Chi-Hyun stretched out his wrist, but Chi-Woo stayed still and looked disagreeable. ¡°Why should I? Where are you going to drag me to this time?¡± ¡°You will know when you get there.¡± ¡°Even if I go, aren¡¯t you going to just lock me up again?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I guess I should be grateful. Did you prepare an especially large prison considering that I¡¯m your brother?¡± ¡°Choi Chi-Woo.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice shot down instantly from Chi-Woo¡¯s teasing. Chi-Woo flinched; his brother was squeezing his eyes shut tightly. He prepared for another fight when Chi-Hyun let out a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi-Woo gaped, doubting his own ears. What did his brother say? ¡°I was a little emotional at that time. In my fit of anger, I spoke and acted more harshly than I should. I¡¯m sure you would think I went too far, and it¡¯s understandable why you think everything is unfair.¡± Chi-Hyun continued in a low voice with his eyes closed, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I will apologize to you hundreds or thousands more times sincerely if you need that before you can forgive me.¡± After a short silence, Chi-Hyun opened his eyes again and, unlike before, said carefully in consideration of Chi-Woo¡¯s feelings, ¡°Still¡­ I¡¯m speaking from my perspective, of course, but no matter how positively I try to think about all this, I can¡¯t say you did the right thing.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice was gentle. ¡°I can understand your view a bit, but¡­this problem is way too big for me to just let go, saying that you simply didn¡¯t know, or that we should work hard together since you are here¡­¡± Then Chi-Hyun said in a slightly pleading tone, ¡°I¡¯m sure you must be frustrated not knowing anything right now, or why I have to go this far, but I hope you would think about my perspective a little.¡± Chi-Woo felt the negative emotions he had accumulated about his brother crack slightly. He remained defiant, but said in a slightly less strained tone, ¡°It still doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are forcing this onto me. If I say I won¡¯t go, you are going to drag me away by force, right?¡± ¡°I hope you will follow me before that happens, but I won¡¯t deny that,¡± Chi-Hyun said truthfully. ¡°But I will promise you one thing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a place meant to just imprison and protect you¡­¡± Chi-Hyun said and yawned. As Chi-Woo had noticed as soon as his brother entered, Chi-Hyun¡¯s complexion didn¡¯t look good. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what he had been doing, but Chi-Hyun looked ready to collapse at any moment. ¡°Just come out for now. See it for yourself and hear me out. Then we¡¯ll talk again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you are still unwilling after all that, I won¡¯t force it on you anymore. Promise.¡± Chi-Woo thought there must really be something if his brother was talking like this. And because of his brother¡¯s attitude, Chi-Woo had a hard time saying anything else. He hesitated a bit, but eventually stretched out his left wrist, and a notification sounded, telling him the registration was completed. Chi-Woo put on his clothes and went out of the secret chamber with his brother. He was extremely happy to see the night view of the capital again. ¡°So,¡± Chi-Hyun said while walking, ¡°Are you less angry at me now?¡± ¡°If you just told me nicely from the beginning, our fight wouldn¡¯t have even gone this bad.¡± Chi-Hyun laughed as Chi-Woo responded without backing down an inch. ¡°Geez, when I get back, I¡¯ll have to beg our parents to give me one more brother.¡± ¡°Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°So that you can have a sibling exactly like you. Then you¡¯ll finally understand how I feel.¡± A younger sibling¡­a sibling. Chi-Hyun pondered about this and nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but¡­will you be alright?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only have one younger sibling, but you¡¯ll have one plus one¡ªdouble the younger siblings.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Chi-Hyun became silent. * * * The next day arrived. Chi-Woo got up from his bed and sent a message as Chi-Hyun had told him to do. Then he left home to meet the Ru siblings. Chi-Woo planned to play ignorant when they asked where he had been, but as soon as he stepped into their place, he was shocked to see Ru Amuh lying in bed with an arm bandaged. When Chi-Woo asked him who made him like this, Ru Amuh merely smiled and said he was all right. He wouldn¡¯t tell anyone the culprit. ¡°I¡¯m so mad! What the hell were you doing outside? Seriously?¡± While listening to Ru Hiana¡¯s complaints, Chi-Woo excused himself by saying that he¡¯d be away for a while. After meeting his friends and acquaintances one by one and explaining his absence, Chi-Woo sent a message to his brother. He immediately got a reply, and Chi-Woo quickly packed up before leaving the city. Chi-Hyun was already there, waiting for him. The destination was not as far as he thought. Chi-Woo had been wondering where Chi-Hyun was taking him, but it was merely a nearby hill with a cave that seemed to have been created artificially. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± After such big talk, Chi-Woo was disappointed. Looking around the mountainous vegetation, he said in an exhausted voice, ¡°You want me to become a nature-lover or something?¡± Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t say anything, but approached his grumbling brother suddenly and raised his hand. ¡°What? Why¡­uhhhhh?¡± Chi-Woo screamed in surprise when a barbell suddenly popped out of his brother¡¯s hand. Thud! It was not an illusion. The barbell made a heavy sound as it slammed onto the ground. And this was only the beginning. Chi-Hyun not only created various objects commonplace on Earth, but also knives and shields. ¡°How is it?¡± Chi-Hyun asked while lifting his chin towards Chi-Woo, who was busily watching Chi-Hyun work. Steam bun and Philip were also startled. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°W-What¡­what was that?¡± ¡°Image representation,¡± Chi-Hyun said clearly. ¡°It¡¯s my innate ability.¡± ¨CThis¡­ Philip¡¯s mouth was wide open. Then he recovered enough to murmur. ¨CI don¡¯t know what it is¡­but it seems like an experience barrier? Chi-Woo repeated, ¡°An experience barrier?¡± Chi-Hyun seemed pleasantly surprised. ¡°I heard that you were there when Kabal built her godly territory. This is a bit different, but roughly the same idea.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s ability allowed him to reproduce the experience he acquired through his own senses and express it as reality by imagining it in his mind. Chi-Woo gulped and asked, ¡°Then can you try making a gun?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­I can¡¯t make the latest version, but an older version may be possible, like an archaic firearm.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you make one of the latest models? Can¡¯t you make a tank or something?¡± ¡°Of course not. There¡¯s a limit to this ability.¡± Chi-Hyun shrugged. ¡°First, in order to make something, I need to gain enough experience using it to accurately know its structure, and even if I manage to make something, I can¡¯t take it outside. Also, I can¡¯t make things that defy the common laws of the universe such as causality.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°If I can make anything, I would have infiltrated the enemy¡¯s camp, created this barrier, and hit them with a couple of nuclear bombs.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice dropped into a murmur, ¡°Thousands of bombs would¡¯ve probably annihilated the Sernitas, the Demon Empire, and everything else.¡± ¡°Then this planet will also be destroyed.¡± ¡°I guess so. Anyway.¡± Chi-Hyun cleared his throat and suddenly changed the subject. ¡°Before I explain, let me see your user information first.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened at Chi-Hyun¡¯s unexpected request. ¡°Mine? Why?¡± ¡°Just open it. I need to first check it out.¡± ¡°No,¡± Chi-Woo firmly refused. ¡°Mua Janya told me I shouldn¡¯t disclose my user information to anyone else.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong, but a blood vessel popped out in Chi-Hyun¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯m not just anyone.¡± ¡°You told me that I shouldn¡¯t think of you as my brother anymore.¡± ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Chi-Hyun made an indescribable expression. ¡°Sorry, I told you I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi-Hyun apologized as if he¡¯d die of frustration. ¡°We have a lot of work to do. Since we¡¯ve come this far, let¡¯s not fight unnecessarily, okay?¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head as Chi-Hyun complained. ¡°¡­Then show me yours.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll only be fair.¡± Chi-Hyun sighed. He had been sighing much more since meeting his brother. ¡°Fine¡­I got it.¡± He agreed with visible fatigue and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll show you mine later, so first reveal yours. You think I made this large space and brought you all the way here because I had all the free time in the world?¡± Chi-Woo obediently opened his user information and shared it with Chi-Hyun. He wanted to ask, ¡®What about yours?¡¯ but worked hard to suppress it; his brother looked extremely serious while going through his user information. Even a student preparing to take the final examination would not look that serious. While he was slightly nervous, Chi-Woo was quite confident. His innate abilities alone amounted to double-digit; he was sure that even Chi-Hyun would be surprised. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Hyun sighed after a while. ¡°How is it?¡± Chi-Woo impatiently urged Chi-Hyun to answer. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, right?¡± Chi-Hyun nodded as Chi-Woo asked with pride. ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s amazing.¡± But then Chi-Hyun added, ¡°It¡¯s amazingly messy.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression stiffened. Messy? Was there something wrong with Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyesight? Couldn¡¯t he see his incredible list of abilities?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± He wanted to refute, but at the same time, he didn¡¯t think his brother would say such a thing for no reason. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°This is crazy. I expected as much but¡­there¡¯s more than one thing to correct. And balance is the key driver to your growth? Why that out of everything? What am I supposed to do with this? What the hell were you thinking¡­¡± Chi-Woo became confused because it seemed there was a serious problem with his abilities. Chi-Hyun was also taken aback. Chi-Woo had way too many abilities. While he could admit they were all exceptional, Chi-Woo had lived like an ordinary person all his life, and all of his abilities were much too difficult and versatile for a newbie without any professional expertise to properly use. Chi-Hyun thought of proper growth as constructing an urban city. To build a city, creating a big, towering landmark was far down the priority list. A city could only be called a city when there were other buildings besides the central landmark, and the foundation was more important than anything else in its construction. Only when the ground was firm could buildings be raised stably, and the size of the city was solely dependent on the size of the foundation. In this perspective, Chi-Woo¡¯s city was a complete mess. Having Golden Ratio as his foundation was not a bad idea, but it was merely a temporary measure. Before Chi-Woo could properly expand and hone his foundation, he¡¯d already raised a bunch of buildings that were big enough to become central landmarks. The fact that he had effectively no basic ability and all the attention was concentrated on his innate abilities was clear proof of this. This alone was burdensome, but his special abilities were also adding pressure to his wonky foundation as well. ¡®Why¡­ No, I guess it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Chi-Hyun soon understood the situation. Chi-Woo must have invested so much more into his innate and special abilities because he wanted to grow fast in order to survive in this world. Fortunately, this figurative city was still in the early stages of construction. Further in, course correction would be impossible, but it wasn¡¯t too late for Chi-Woo yet. ¡®It¡¯s not gonna be easy for me, either, but he¡¯s going to have a hard time.¡¯ Various facilities were necessary for a city to function, and the stronger the walls, the stronger the city. Only then could the grandeur and splendor of the central landmark shine through. There was one thing Chi-Woo needed to do right away. ¡°First.¡± Chi-Hyun relaxed his hand and turned his neck from side to side. Since he decided to help out his brother, he had no intentions to do a half-hearted job. It was time for the legend to show his architectural skills. CH 174 From the perspective of a gardener instead of an architect, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve been a very picky seed. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to just plant it in suitable soil and water it like other plants; each and every part of its growth process must be tended with care before it would sprout and bear fruit. In other words, Chi-Woo needed management that perfectly catered to his needs from start to finish in order for him to grow. If even one condition wasn¡¯t met, he would wither without blooming a single flower. Thus, before Chi-Hyun began, he grilled Chi-Woo about everything that had happened since he came to Liber and until Chi-Woo met him. ¡°Tell me that part again in detail. What did you say you drank there?¡± Chi-Hyun specifically asked for more details about Chi-Woo¡¯s life in the cave. And after hearing the story, Chi-Hyun checked Chi-Woo¡¯s body personally, touching a few parts in particular and using a tiny amount of mana to investigate. ¡°Would you give me an answer now?¡± Chi-Woo asked nervously after Chi-Hyun pulled his hands back. ¡°What do you mean that I¡¯m a mess?¡± ¡°Your body is a mess,¡± Chi-Hyun said bluntly. ¡°Your physique is too poor for you to use your skills.¡± Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. He didn¡¯t know about the other aspects of himself, but he had a hard time agreeing with what Chi-Hyun just said. After all, his user information told him that he possessed a perfectly balanced body that most humans couldn¡¯t compare to. ¡°But the Golden Ratio¡ª¡± ¡°Only the ratio is good,¡± Chi-Hyun cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t fool yourself. Golden Ratio is an inherent ability and not the result of your efforts.¡± It wasn¡¯t an ability Chi-Woo achieved through blood and sweat; he was effectively an ordinary person who had suddenly received a tremendous gift. It was only natural that Chi-Woo would have no idea what to really do with it. ¡°And even that ratio is becoming distorted.¡± Chi-Woo flinched and wondered how Chi-Hyun knew. ¡°At this rate, Golden Ratio would regress to rank AA,¡± Chi-Hyun said. While Chi-Woo was locked inside the secret room, Mimi had said something to the effect. It was when he, under Philip¡¯s suggestion, opened his user information to check how many merits he had accumulated. Seeing how many merits he needed to upgrade Golden Ratio, Chi-Woo realized something was off. Before, he had needed 2,178,675 merits, but when he checked it in the secret room, the number had increased to 2,217,392. Chi-Woo knew he hadn¡¯t remembered wrong. There was a discrepancy of 38,717. In that regard, Mimi had also expressed her concerns. To make an analogy, if Chi-Woo was studying a particular subject to level 10, and he was already at level 5, where he knew half of the materials, he would need to study five levels worth of more materials. Should he fail to study properly and forget what he had already learned, causing his level to drop from 5 to 3, he would have to study seven levels worth of materials. That was essentially what had happened to him. ¡°There are several things in this world that don¡¯t lie. Do you know what they are?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head at Chi-Hyun¡¯s question. ¡°Data and statistics.¡± Chi-Hyun tapped the user information displayed in the air. ¡°It¡¯s all in here too.¡± 8. [Golden Ratio AAA] ¨C ¡­ While the skill creates the best body a mortal could have, if the user¡¯s physical abilities are originally low and lacking, the effects of this ability will only be semi-permanent, and the user will only be able to maintain it through continuous training. ¡°See, your physical abilities started out low and lacking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And it¡¯s a semi-permanent ability that can only be maintained through continuous training,¡± Chi-Hyun said, emphasizing one word in particular. To maintain a semi-permanent skill, one must fulfill the conditions to make it permanent, and Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been able to do so the entire time. ¡°But I trained¡­every day¡­¡± ¡°Really? What did you do?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I ran¡­¡± Chi-Woo stopped talking and looked embarrassed. Now that he thought about it, it really didn¡¯t make sense that all he ever did to maintain an AAA ability was running and doing push-ups. Running had been difficult at first. He heaved before he could even finish a single lap, but after coming back from the cave, running dozens of laps no longer tired him. He thus increased the number of laps he ran to raise the intensity of his training. But looking back, this was all meaningless. He had become too complacent, satisfied with the fact that he hadn¡¯t skipped a single day of training. But that only fulfilled his self-satisfaction and couldn¡¯t be considered true training. Without even realizing this fact, he had complained that he made no progress and envied Ru Amuh. ¡°You at least know to be embarrassed.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°The time you spent in the cave was poison to you.¡± ¡°To call it poison might be going too far¡­¡± ¡°No, it was poison,¡± Chi-Hyun said firmly. ¡°You only acquired loads of power you can¡¯t even digest properly. That¡¯s why you are in this current state.¡± ¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t digest it?¡± ¡°If what you told me is true, it doesn¡¯t make sense your exorcism mana level is only D after eating and drinking so much of that good stuff. The things you failed to digest probably seeped into your veins and blood.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that good?¡± ¡°¡­But didn¡¯t you say that you made a contract with La Bella?¡± Chi-Hyun looked baffled. Chi-Woo nodded. He had sworn to La Bella that he would fix everything that harmed the balance on Liber. A vow made to a god wasn¡¯t to be taken lightly in any way, and it was necessary for a hero to progress. The vow didn¡¯t apply only to the outside world, but also to the hero himself. ¡°You said she was the goddess of scales and the guardian of balance, right? You think she¡¯d be pleased to see the power she gave you clumping up throughout your body and harming your internal balance?¡± Chi-Hyun said. Somewhere they couldn¡¯t see, La Bella slapped her lap in agreement and eagerly nodded. ¡°It harms my balance?¡± ¡°Did you not read your user information? Or ever study Core of Balance?¡± Chi-Hyun repeated the phrase ¡®seeks absolute balance¡¯ several times out loud for emphasis. ¡°This is a skill given to you for your growth. Don¡¯t you think then that you should center your progress around it?¡± Chi-Woo pouted slightly as Chi-Hyun kept badgering him. ¡°¡­Then, what should I do?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Chi-Hyun calmed his breathing. Chi-Woo had a remarkably good body and an engine; the problem was the fuel that moved him. His current fuel didn¡¯t match him, and there was too little of it. It was like he was pushing his body to run hundreds of kilometers with enough gas for only one kilometer. It might work out in the end once or twice, but if he continued on like this, his body might fail to endure anymore and end up breaking down; once the engine broke, he wouldn¡¯t be able to run ever again. ¡°First,¡± Chi-Hyun stretched his neck and continued, ¡°Let me just beat you up a bit.¡± ¡°?¡± Chi-Woo looked at his brother like Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t making any sense, but the only response he got was the sound of Chi-Hyun¡¯s knuckles cracking. Chi-Hyun stomped forward, and Chi-Woo instinctively backed away. ¡°You¡¯re going to hit me? Why?¡± ¡°Hearing you out gets on my nerves.¡± Chi-Hyun bared his teeth. ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s only right that you get hit for doing something wrong. This is for your own good, so stay still.¡± Chi-Woo was completely baffled. ¡°Wait¡ªkuh!¡± He couldn¡¯t resist even one bit. And as soon as he realized something was wrong, Chi-Woo doubled over in pain. Chi-Hyun had landed a blow in the center of his stomach. ¡®He hit me? For real?¡¯ Even his mom and dad never hit him before. And things didn¡¯t end with just one blow. When Chi-Woo collapsed, Chi-Hyun began to pound on him mercilessly as if he had been waiting for the moment. He punched and kicked Chi-Woo in several places, spreading his hits throughout Chi-Woo¡¯s body evenly. ¡°Ah! Urgh! Kuh! Kkurgh!¡± Chi-Woo felt like he was dying. Chi-Hyun hit him so hard that sparks burst wherever he got hit. It felt like Chi-Hyun¡¯s blows had passed through his skin and penetrated deep into his muscles and organs. Chi-Woo tried to resist in his own way after a while and cursed, questioning if Chi-Hyun was really his brother. However, it was all futile. Chi-Hyun swung his arms and legs without rest with an extremely intent expression. Thanks to his efforts, Chi-Woo was simultaneously feeling intense pain from the top of his head to his toes. ¡°Kwackkkkkkk-!¡± Chi-Woo even squealed like a pig getting beheaded and collapsed. But even then, Chi-Woo did not stop beating him up. Slam! Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes burst open as he was strongly kicked again. ¡®¡­Ah?¡¯ It hurt. It hurt so much that he felt as if he was going to die. In fact, it would have been normal for him to lose consciousness and faint by this time. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s mind felt clear; no, if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was getting clearer. And he felt another change. ¡®What, what¡ª?¡¯ Chi-Woo felt an inexplicable pleasure despite the immeasurable pain. He was aware that it sounded a bit perverted, but his pain was undeniably sprinkled with intermittent sparks of pleasure. Something hard and stiff in his body softened, and things that felt stuck burst open. It felt as if hot liquid from deep inside his body was flowing out. An unknown and pleasant stimulus made his whole body tingle. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but as Chi-Woo¡¯s pain subsided, Chi-Hyun¡¯s breathing grew harder. Finally, Chi-Hyun stopped kicking and knelt on one knee, struggling to breathe with his head low. ¡°¡­Huff! Huff!¡± Chi-Hyun panted like a person who had just dived into the ocean to their limit. ¡°¡­Why are you¡­having a¡­harder time than me¡­¡± Chi-Woo struggled to speak as intense pain and an unknown stimulus warred in him. ¡°Damn¡­you¡­.¡± Chi-Hyun gasped as if he would collapse at any moment and steadied his breathing. ¡°How much holy sacrament did you fucking eat¡­how much holy water did you drink that¡­you¡¯re still¡­¡± The various foods Chi-Woo ate and the holy water he drank just like ordinary water in La Bella¡¯s paradise hadn¡¯t disappeared. It merely changed shape and got absorbed into Chi-Woo¡¯s body. Chi-Woo lay down and looked up at the sky in a daze. A strange sensation engulfed him, and he felt air currents fluctuate all over his body. This sensation didn¡¯t come from the outside, but from within himself. Same with the energy. He felt as if he was getting hit by a heavy waterfall. ¡°Get up. Even if it¡¯s painful, move your energy through your body. Based on your user information, you should know how to do it, right?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Hurry.¡± At Chi-Hyun¡¯s urging, Chi-Woo closed his eyes. Chi-Hyun frowned when he saw his brother curl up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°You told me to move my energy.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re moving your energy like that?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what I learned.¡± Chi-Hyun quickly observed Chi-Woo¡¯s flow of energy and was flabbergasted. ¡°Who taught you that?¡± ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± Chi-Hyun became speechless. Strictly speaking, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t using the wrong method. He didn¡¯t know who taught Chi-Woo how to move his energy, but he was at least grateful to that person for teaching Chi-Woo the basics. However, there should be a limit to how basic it could be. Chi-Woo¡¯s current method of moving his energy was the basics of the basics¡ªessentially, it was the practice people did so that they would be able to do the basics. ¡°Seriously¡­do you have a middle-ground¡­?¡± Chi-Hyun lamented and asked, ¡°Did that blonde guy teach you how to do that?¡± ¡°Huh? How did you know? You know Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Chi-Hyun got up as if he had expected this. ¡°From now on, let whatever that guy teaches you go in one ear and out the other before you ruin your body.¡± ¡°Why? I like it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s bad. It¡¯s not a matter of good or bad, but a matter of efficiency.¡± To put it simply, Chi-Woo might as well be trying to get into an Ivy League school after learning 1+1=2. This was impossible for even geniuses. In the end, it was a problem with Ru Amuh¡¯s teaching rather than a problem of talent. There was a reason Ru Hiana complained about Ru Amuh¡¯s teaching method. ¡°Sit up and get into a lotus position.¡± Chi-Woo propped himself up while grumbling, but he soon tilted his head. ¡°Lotus position?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in talking.¡± Chi-Hyun sighed and helped Chi-Woo get into the posture, putting his hand on Chi-Woo¡¯s back. ¡°Close your eyes and focus.¡± He carefully sent a bit of mana into Chi-Woo¡¯s body. ¡°Breathing is important for this method. Even a stray dog can do this if communication is possible, so carefully listen and follow what I say.¡± ¡°Breathing?¡± ¡°Take a deep breath and exhale whenever I tell you to. Remember the way your energy moves.¡± Chi-Hyun added that Chi-Woo would be worse than a dog if he couldn¡¯t do even this. Then he stabilized the energy flowing every which way throughout Chi-Woo¡¯s body and began to direct it in a specific direction. ¡°Slowly breathe in.¡± Every time he heard his brother¡¯s voice, Chi-Woo focused on the flow of energy within him and slowly breathed. ¡°Breathe out.¡± The more Chi-Woo breathed in and out, the more his chaotic energy calmed down. It didn¡¯t take long for his energy to stabilize, moving in one direction and swirling through his body. ¡®Uh¡­?¡¯ Then it hit home. Like boiling a leg bone twice to make a deeper flavor or skimming foam from soup until there was only clear broth left, the filtered pure energy was refined once more¡ªresulting in 100% pure energy with not even a fragment of impurity rather than 99.99%. Of course, the total amount of energy Chi-Woo possessed had decreased after the refinement, but the amount he could gather was incomparably greater compared to the previous method. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but admit that his brother was right. It wasn¡¯t time to get distracted though. He focused on his energy flow as his brother had told him to. Chi-Woo was drawn by the strange phenomena happening inside his body and quickly fell into a trance. ¨CYeah, that¡¯s right. Philip watched the two at work bemusedly. ¨CIt should be like this. Chi-Woo had received a considerable amount of energy, and all his acupuncture points had been completely opened up. In ordinary circumstances, Chi-Woo¡¯s exorcism mana should have already broken through S rank and gone up even higher. Or it should be at least A rank. Philip had confidently told Chi-Woo that he¡¯d teach him, but in reality, he hadn¡¯t taught Chi-Woo much of anything. It wasn¡¯t because Philip was lazy or unwilling; he simply couldn¡¯t teach him. As a hero who had left a clear mark in history, Philip could clearly see and sense Chi-Woo¡¯s unstable state the more he understood Chi-Woo¡¯s condition. It was not something to carelessly mess with. Philip thought that the only way to solve Chi-Woo¡¯s problem was to gain real life experience. During life and death situations, there were times when a person¡¯s survival instincts kicked in, and they unconsciously exceeded their limits out of pure desperation. Philip had hoped Chi-Woo would go through something like that, but to his amazement, Chi-Hyun was forcing this reaction out of Chi-Woo. Even though it was a violent, straightforward method, it was extremely effective. Once Chi-Hyun corrected Chi-Woo¡¯s growth and stabilized his condition, Philip would finally be able to teach Chi-Woo his techniques and vision without hesitation. ¡ªLook at the space he created and his teaching method. I guess a brother is always a brother. Philip said with a smile. ¡ªDon¡¯t you think so too? Mademoiselle? [¡­Fucking bastard.] ¡ªExcuse me? [Fucking bastard. Shitty punk. Fucking hell. Fucking evil bastard¡­.] For some reason, Mimi sounded extremely furious. What in the world happened to her? ¡ªAh¡­haha¡­yes¡­ Philip slowly moved away. CH 175 Chi-Woo was caught in a trance, and he forgot everything except for his breathing. He didn¡¯t just breathe through his nose and ears. He was inhaling with each and every cell in his body. It was cooling, and every time he took in a great volume of fresh oxygen, he felt like his whole body was covered in peppermint. And when he exhaled, he felt cleansed. He was letting go of bad energy while only conserving the good, and he made the natural energy flowing in the air his own. It created a scary momentum, the energy flowing out of him overwhelmingly greater than the amount flowing in. The thin stream of energy current soon expanded in size and became a giant river. Then several rivers converged to form an ocean, and the divine energy that had been hiding deep inside him responded to it, overflowing like a spring that would never dry. An enormous amount of energy that Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know existed fell under his control bit by bit. And in this dazed state, Chi-Woo realized what his brother had meant by ¡®digesting¡¯. After an unknown period of time, his brother¡¯s hand left his back. Then spending some time meditating, Chi-Woo felt that he had perfectly digested this swirling flow of energy and slowly opened his eyes again. Flash! A bright light surged from his body and disappeared. Once Chi-Woo completely regained his sight, he saw that his surroundings were dark. He had missed the passage of time because he was so focused. ¡°Haaa¡­.¡± He let out a long, pleased sigh. He couldn¡¯t feel any better. It was as if he had taken a hot bath and sweated it out in the sauna before dipping himself in cold water. His pain was considerably lessened, and all his fatigue was wiped away, leaving him refreshed. After relishing in these senses, Chii-Woo looked up and saw that there were several messages hovering in the air. [User Chi-Woo¡¯s inherent ability, Divine Inspiration¡¯ changes to basic ability, ¡®Purification Breathing¡¯.] [With this change, the ability in question will be deleted from the Fostering List.] [User Chi-Woo¡¯s exorcism mana increases from D -> C] [User Chi-Woo¡¯s innate ability ¡®Halo¡¯ increases from F -> E] Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gaped open. He had only changed his way of breathing, and yet the exorcism mana he had desperately wished to improve already leveled up. There were also other messages detailing his progress. ¡°Did you get the messages?¡± Chi-Hyun asked. Chi-Woo nodded and read each one to his brother. Chi-Hyun nodded when he heard that Chi-Woo¡¯s ability ¡®Divine Inspiration¡¯ had changed, and that he had acquired a new ability from a different category. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve succeeded in moving at least one of the skewed pillars for now. That¡¯s good enough for today.¡± ¡°Is that good?¡± Chi-Woo asked and looked excited as he thought this new ability must be superior to his past one. ¡°It was no joke getting it after doing exactly what you told me to do. And what¡¯s ¡®Purification¡¯? Is it something amazing?¡± Chi-Hyun smirked as Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes sparkled. While he knew what his brother was expecting, he told him the truth. ¡°No. It¡¯s just a really common breathing skill.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a breathing technique that you can get in any martial arts world.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, haven¡¯t you ever heard the saying from the Chinese philosopher, Zhuang Zhou? The secret to longevity and maintaining youth is doing breathing exercises that let out old and bad energy and inhaling the good ones,¡± Chi-Hyun said teasingly, and Chi-Woo looked taken aback. However, the effects were amazing for something that simple. Like his brother had said, data didn¡¯t lie, and currently, it said his exorcism mana had increased tremendously. After giving a snarky response, Chi-Hyun cleared his throat and continued, ¡°What you should focus on now is to first decrease the uselessly great number of inherent abilities you have.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Having an innate ability doesn¡¯t automatically mean it¡¯s good. Likewise, divine inspiration from a master doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s the best.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The most important part is whether or not an ability fits you.¡± Chi-Hyun had also thought like Chi-Woo in the beginning, but his mindset slowly changed after going through several worlds for his hero activities¡ªespecially after encountering someone who had become a god of martial arts with only three sword techniques and breathing exercises alone; it completely changed his way of thinking. ¡°Carve this into your head. Among all the abilities in your user information, only Core of Balance is your crown.¡± ¡°The crown¡­ What about the others?¡± ¡°They are decorations to make the crown look like a proper crown.¡± No one ever saw what a singer had to go through before performing on stage: finding a good song and a good stage, as well as putting up the right hairdo, makeup, and outfit to draw their audience in. Only after going through these processes would they be able to perform as the brilliant singer the audience was familiar with. Similarly, Chi-Woo¡¯s core ability could only do its job with the support of a solid foundation. After listening to his brother, Chi-Woo looked at his user information again. 3. [Purification Breathing F]¡ª Expels the old and bad and inhales the good and new. Although the pace at which it collects energy is very slow, it takes the user¡¯s energy level to another stage. ¡°Do you understand everything I told you?¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Good. Then go to sleep now,¡± Chi-Hyun conjured two sleeping bags and unfolded the beddings. ¡°You¡¯re going to stay here for a while. Don¡¯t worry about food and water.¡± Chi-Hyun then continued while making a bonfire in case Chi-Woo got cold during the night, ¡°I¡¯m also going to stay here as often as I can. I might leave for a bit to get supplies or to do some work, but it won¡¯t take longer than a day or two.¡± ¡°Um¡­does that mean I have to be here alone?¡± ¡°What else do you propose?¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly halted while collecting branches and leaves. ¡°Should we call our friends and make camp? And start a barbecue party while we¡¯re at it?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Chi-Woo pouted at Chi-Hyun¡¯s cold tone. Although his brother¡¯s harsh words made him a little upset, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to not get what his brother was saying. ¡°Then, are you going to help with my training from tomorrow on?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to torment you.¡± Chi-Hyun turned and got back to work again. ¡°It came to my knowledge recently that there¡¯s somebody really out to get me because of you. Hearing that, I can¡¯t stand by and do nothing.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give you hell.¡± Chi-Hyun dusted off his hands. ¡°Beware. I¡¯m going to make you scream and cry from tomorrow on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m letting you off easy today only because it¡¯s your first day. Go to sleep now.¡± Chi-Woo chuckled. ¡°Ha¡­You could¡¯ve just said that you were going to help me. Why do you always have to talk like that¡­?¡± He mumbled as he crawled into the bedding Chi-Hyun had prepared for him, ¡°I don¡¯t know what your deal is. Being a tsundere went out of trend ages ago¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go to sleep?¡± Chi-Woo quickly shut his eyes and obediently went to sleep. Soon, he heard the fire from the bonfire crackle. * * * The burning sunlight ate away the darkness and lit up the world. While birds all over the mountains chirped, a man could be heard wailing. Ahhhhhhh! The owner of the voice was naturally Chi-Woo. As his brother ordered him to, Chi-Woo was lying over a long wooden bench with his arms crossed behind his back. ¡°Ah! Kugh! Kurrrrrgh!¡± Chi-Hyun pressed his elbow down hard, and every time Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders got shifted from left to right, Chi-Woo shrieked. ¡°Waitwaitwaitwait! Ah!¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Does it hurt for you too?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Chi-Hyun smirked seeing his brother in pain. Chi-Hyun was torturing Chi-Woo using stretching as an excuse. When Chi-Hyun finally released his grip, Chi-Woo rolled over the floor. ¡°Kuh! Urgggh!¡± Chi-Woo clutched his shoulders. He thought he was used to most pain now, but it wasn¡¯t so. It hurt like hell. The joints of his arms and pelvis felt as if they were being torn. It was a new type of pain he had never experienced before. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°What¡¯s your problem? How can someone with a perfect golden ratio body whine about such little pain?¡± ¡°Aghhhhhh¡­.!¡± ¡°Do you finally understand why having perfect ratios is not enough?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Chi-Woo frowned and barely managed to lift his head. ¡°Why the heck are we doing this¡­!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chi-Hyun raised his thumb. ¡°It¡¯s to train this part of your body.¡± Chi-Hyun poked the middle part of Chi-Woo¡¯s back and continued, ¡°This is the core muscle that holds the center of the human body. Your shoulders and neck are always slouching because your core is weak.¡± Chi-Woo blinked. Now that he thought about it, his body did seem straighter now. When his shoulders were sorted out, his spine followed, and then his neck and waist were naturally aligned. Even though it was only for a moment, his body seemed to have gotten into a perfect posture under the force. ¡°Only when the core is balanced can the rest of the body stand firm even when shaken up,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°Make sure you do this exercise every day. I¡¯ll also teach you how to train by yourself later.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Stop being a wimp and get up.¡± Chi-Hyun threw something at Chi-Woo. Thud! It made a heavy sound as it hit the ground. It was the barbell from yesterday. Chi-Woo stared at it and asked, ¡°¡­Why did you give me this?¡± ¡°The next area to train after core muscles is the lower body.¡± Chi-Hyun created another barbell, which seemed to suggest he was going to also exercise with Chi-Woo. ¡°It¡¯s simple. What are you using to stand on the ground?¡± ¡°My feet.¡± ¡°And which part is connected to your feet?¡± ¡°¡­Legs.¡± ¡°Yeah. Technically, your whole body is connected, but it is divided into different sections.¡± The head, torso, and core muscles were all supported by the legs. ¡°The more you can stand firm on the ground, the more balanced your body will be, so you have to train your lower body before you train your upper body.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And squats are a key part of lower body exercises. Lift that.¡± Chi-Hyun lifted and rested the barbell on the back of his neck. He got into position to show Chi-Woo how it was done, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t move at all. ¡°What¡¯s your deal?¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± Chi-Woo timidly opened his mouth. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but don¡¯t you have a different training?¡± ¡°What kind of training? We have to do what¡¯s most suitable for you.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a little, how do I say this¡ªtoo normal.¡± Since he¡¯d gained a huge benefit after getting beaten up like crazy yesterday, Chi-Woo was hoping for another special training. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°You know, things like a special training method passed down through generations. Or slicing leaves falling from a tree in the mountains.¡± Chi-Hyun listened to his immature brother and said, ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± He made his thoughts clear as he continued, ¡°Where did you hear such a thing¡­¡± There were training like the ones Chi-Woo mentioned, and they certainly had their own uses. However, those training were only meaningful for people who had reached an advanced stage. Even Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t skip out on basic training every day. How dare this punk complain!? Chi-Hyun replied coldly, ¡°Do you think you can even do that?¡± ¡ªPfff! They heard someone suppressing laughter; Philip hurriedly closed his mouth when the two brothers turned around at the same time. Chi-Hyun looked at his younger brother as if he was pathetic and snarled, ¡°Stop talking nonsense and get ready!¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Chi-Woo grumbled and picked up the barbell, resting it on the back of his neck. ¡°First of all, the posture.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. I¡¯ve done it a~lot when I was working out.¡± ¡°¡­Fine, do it on your own.¡± Chi-Woo squatted with a sour face. ¡°Ugh!¡± He let out a shrill cry at the weight of the barbell. It had been light when he lifted it, but as soon as he lowered his hip, its weight changed. ¡®What, what the? How does this make sense?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s strength was at rank D. He could split a rock into two with pure muscle strength. Why would he feel the barbell weighing his whole body down so keenly? It felt as if hundreds of kilograms worth of discs had been added to each side of the barbell. ¡®No, I-I can¡¯t do this!¡¯ Shaking, Chi-Woo unconsciously brought forth his exorcism mana, and his mouth widened in shock as soon as he did it. ¡°Hickkkkkkkk!?¡± It was hard to believe, but as soon as he used his exorcism mana, the barbell became even heavier. He quickly reeled in his mana, and the barbell returned to its original weight. Chi-Woo realized he couldn¡¯t use any tricks to make it weigh any less. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°By the way, I¡¯m not doing anything now.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Chi-Woo gritted his teeth at Chi-Hyun¡¯s nonchalant tone. ¡°Then we can do this separately, right? Let¡¯s stand on the opposite side.¡± ¡°Yeah, of course. We can do that.¡± Then Chi-Hyun said, ¡°In the first place, I¡¯ve set the space to adjust to the limits of the individual.¡± Thus, no matter where Chi-Woo went, the barbell would measure his condition and change its weight accordingly. ¡°So don¡¯t worry about resolving the problem of Schrodinger¡¯s cat.¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. In short, it was impossible for him to use trickery or a special method to make the barbells lighter in this space. ¡°Why, it¡¯s just a squat. You can¡¯t do it?¡± Chi-Woo scowled. Then he pushed himself up. ¡°That was one down¡­ Two¡­!¡± What really made him angry was his brother¡¯s words. The barbell was definitely heavy, but he could get up if he tried with all his might. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± After doing ten squats, Chi-Woo had to now dig deep into the bottom of his well of strength. It felt as if the blood vessels in his thighs would burst at any moment. His entire body trembled, but he pushed himself like this six more times. ¡°Seventeen¡­¡± And after he got up from his seventeenth squat, the weight on his neck suddenly disappeared. This space judged that Chi-Woo was really at his limit. Clang! Chi-Woo threw down the barbell and collapsed onto the ground, massaging his thighs like crazy. ¡°Take a 30-second break and do two more sets.¡± Chi-Woo quickly turned towards Chi-Woo. He tried to shoot back an insult, but closed his mouth when he saw his brother. He hadn¡¯t realized it, but his brother was also doing the same workout. ¡°If it¡¯s too hard, you can stop.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened wide. He looked at Chi-Hyun for confirmation. ¡°Because I promised,¡± Chi-Hyun spoke calmly and slowly rose to his feet. Chi-Woo watched his brother work out. It hadn¡¯t even been long since he started watching, but Chi-Hyun¡¯s hair was already soaked with sweat. Above all, his brother¡¯s barbell looked incomparably heavier than his. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, don¡¯t. I¡¯m not forcing you.¡± Chi-Hyun slowly talked while exhaling and inhaling. ¡°But.¡± His voice suddenly became firm. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do it, do it properly.¡± Chi-Woo watched as his brother stood up with great effort. ¡°Who says I won¡¯t do it?¡± It might be reverse psychology, but Chi-Woo wanted to start training again after getting told to not train. Before he knew it, thirty seconds had passed. Chi-Woo grabbed the barbell and got up in anger. Clenching his teeth, he lifted it to the nape of his neck again. CH 176 The regression of his Golden Ratio made Chi-Woo realize how much he lacked proper training. But did that mean all the training he had done until now was meaningless? That wasn¡¯t the case, of course. It was because of what he had done that he was able to prevent Golden Ratio from deteriorating further, and above all, he had developed a useful habit. Whenever Chi-Woo ran, he didn¡¯t decide beforehand how many laps he would run, or for how long. He did that at first, but once he started running with Ru Amuh, he changed to running until he was breathless and couldn¡¯t move his legs anymore. He ran and ran until he reached his limit. And the habit he had cultivated stuck with him even now, which was what made Chi-Hyun see Chi-Woo in a new light. Chi-Hyun thought his brother would surely whine about his training and beg to shorten it in no time. But instead of whining, Chi-Woo seriously dived into training his lower body without any complaints. And today, Chi-Woo dropped the barbell and sat down only after he felt that it wasn¡¯t going to get any heavier. ¡°¡­Good work,¡± Chi-Hyun said in a quiet voice and cleared his throat. ¡°Rest. Let your legs recover and catch your breath.¡± ¡°Can I¡­practice my purification breathing¡­?¡± Chi-Woo asked with his face all scrunched up. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± As soon as Chi-Hyun gave his permission, Chi-Woo groaned and pulled himself up to get into a lotus position; it wasn¡¯t an easy task considering that he had lost all senses in his thighs. Seeing this, Chi-Hyun helped Chi-Woo get into a proper stance. Chi-Woo closed his eyes and began inhaling and exhaling. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s scrunched-up face gradually relaxed. ¡®That¡¯s some impressive resilience.¡¯ Chi-Hyun studied Chi-Woo¡¯s condition closely and stroked his chin. As Chi-Woo fervently engaged in his training, Chi-Hyun had not stopped thinking about his brother for a single moment. ¡®His recovery is too fast even if his breathing is helping him,¡¯ Chi-Hyun thought. But the answer to this mystery was inside Chi-Woo¡¯s user information. ¡®It¡¯s probably because of Divine Blood.¡¯ It was a rare ability that facilitated regeneration and fast recovery and even helped the user resist magic spells. Not even Chi-Hyun had it. In the first place, it was very rare for heroes to have such a cheat-like ability, the only exception being the Ho Lactea. This ability was known to be only exclusive to descendants of gods. But even to the Ho Lactea, the ability was a rare asset. Chi-Hyun recalled what his mother had told him one time. ¡®It¡¯s hopeless for those with a blood purity of 1/1,024 or 1/512¡­there¡¯s a possibility for those at 1/256 or 1/128. For double-digits denominator and lower, there¡¯s a higher possibility¡­¡¯ The Ho Lactea¡¯s bloodline could be described in fractions of 1/2¡ª1/1024, 1/512, 1/216, 1/64, 1/32, 1/12, and so on. The lower the denominator, the greater the percentage of divine blood. Most members of the Ho Lactea were born in triple or quadruple digits, and very, very rarely, someone was born in the double digits. Besides their progenitor, Chi-Hyun had only known one of them in the single-digit category, but now that he had witnessed Chi-Woo¡¯s recovery, his brother seemed to be the second person with such a high percentage of divine blood. Although the rank of Chi-Woo¡¯s Divine Blood was still low, Chi-Hyun could tell that Chi-Woo¡¯s blood was incomprehensibly pure. At least a quarter or even half of his blood was divine. Realizing this, Chi-Hyun¡¯s face darkened. ¡®¡­If the Ho Lactea finds out about this, they¡¯re gonna go crazy.¡¯ Chi-Hyun raked his fingers through his hair and smiled bitterly. It was already a done deal. Since they couldn¡¯t turn things back to how it was, he needed to do his best right now. ¡®They might request his hand for marriage even more fervently than the Afrilith did.¡¯ Chi-Hyun sighed and spoke up, ¡°If you¡¯ve recovered properly, get up and recommence training.¡± Soon afterward, Chi-Woo squirmed out of his seat and got up. The pain didn¡¯t all disappear, but it had lessened considerably, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t groan anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the next training,¡± Chi-Hyun said coldly. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­you said you can run pretty well, right?¡± Chi-Woo turned to where his brother was pointing with his index finger. ¡°Go there.¡± It was a tall peak reaching high into the sky, half-covered by clouds. Chi-Woo¡¯s forehead creased¡­ How strange. He wondered how he hadn¡¯t noticed such a big mountain near the capital until now. It was his first time seeing it, in fact. ¡°You can run, walk, or even use your exorcism mana. Go there and come back. One round trip.¡± ¡°Just once? Really?¡± Chi-Woo asked suspiciously. Chi-Hyun nodded. ¡°That much is¡­ No.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°There must be a catch. Do you think I would get fooled again?¡± ¡°You know me well.¡± ¡°Ha¡ª¡± Chi-Woo lowered his head. ¡°Are my senses going to be suddenly restricted with rocks rolling down when I¡¯m climbing the mountain?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what in the world made you think that would happen¡­¡± Chi-Hyun had a bemused look on his face. ¡°Hm¡­actually, that might be a decent idea.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°That way, you will be forced to experience¡­ You could die a thousand times, of course, but if I create an illusion¡­ The issue would be whether or not you can endure it through your mental fortitude¡­¡± As Chi-Hyun seriously considered the idea, Chi-Woo trembled in fright. He felt chills all over his body. Chi-Woo knew his brother always did what he said he would. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go! I¡¯m going right now!¡± Thus, Chi-Woo immediately began to run. He kept his guard up in case of possible dangers. Surprisingly, not much happened. He had expected logs to come flying or arrows to rain down on him, but nothing happened after ten, twenty, and thirty minutes. ¡®What?¡¯ After running without resting, Chi-Woo sensed that something was wrong. Although the mountain looked far away, he had thought he would be able to reach there in no time. No matter how much he ran, however, the distance between them didn¡¯t seem to decrease in the slightest. It might be his imagination, but he felt like the mountain had become even more distant from him. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ Had he been floundering in one spot? Chi-Woo looked back, and was bewildered to find that he could no longer see his starting point or his brother. Thus, it seemed definite he had run quite a distance. ¡®Was it a mirage?¡¯ All sorts of thoughts surfaced in his mind as he experienced the impossible. Chi-Woo decided to keep running for now, and an hour passed like that. The peak, however, remained as distant as ever. Just to try it out, Chi-Woo drew his exorcism mana and increased his speed significantly; the mountain peak drifted far away. ¡®Shit?¡¯ Releasing the energy, he found the peak back to its original position. And when Chi-Woo tried slowing down and walking this time, the peak moved farther away again. ¡®Shit!¡¯ Now the situation was clear. The peak would not come closer until Chi-Woo reached his limit; no, the distance could be reset again once he reached his limit¡ªit all depended on what his brother had decided. It was a done deal whether Chi-Woo ran or used exorcism mana. He ran with all his might while cursing up a storm inside his mind. And his prediction had been right on the mark. When he started to taste something sweet in the back of his throat and ran out of breath, Chi-Woo finally reached the foot of the mountain and was able to climb it. Gasp! Gasp! Exhaustion made Chi-Woo notice things he hadn¡¯t noticed before. Running on a mountainous path was completely different from running on flat land. The path was bumpy, and the terrain rougher than expected; moving each step took double the strength than when he was running on flat land. It was no wonder that Chi-Woo would be having such a hard time. ¡®So tiring¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s heart pounded as if it was going to explode, and his stomach ached every time he took a breath. Even though he did his best to breathe through his nose and mouth, his body kept asking for more oxygen. He couldn¡¯t even tell whether he was running or frantically moving his arms and legs. He would have collapsed by this time in the past. He would have lain down and rested before getting up to wash up and staying at home until his stamina returned. If he could, he wanted to immediately fall to the ground and rest without thinking about anything. However, his body continued running. Only then did Chi-Woo realize the fundamental reason his golden ratio had regressed. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Even though he hadn¡¯t set a goal for how long he should run, he had unconsciously set a limit inside his mind. He would stop running, thinking he had done enough even when his body could go, all because it was getting too hard. In a way, he had fallen into the trap of self-contradiction. On the other hand, his brother had set a clear goal for him¡ªto just reach the top of the mountain once and come back. However, getting to his destination alone was extremely difficult. It felt as if he was being tested to the limits every second. After realizing he had been setting an endpoint for himself, Chi-Woo pushed his trembling legs, which were about to collapse, and got to the peak of the mountain. ¡°Huff! Huff, puff! Ack! Huff!¡± Chi-Woo put his hand on the mountain peak and struggled to breathe. Drool streaked down his mouth as he looked behind him. ¡°¡­¡± It was a long way down from the top. Since he had to go back, he was only halfway finished. Bleak hopelessness overtook his heart as he thought about going through the same torment again. But what could he do? Chi-Hyun told him he could quit anytime, but as someone who was endearingly nicknamed tree-frog [1]by his mother, he wasn¡¯t going to give up. ¡®Let¡¯s die¡­Yeah¡­Let¡¯s just die¡­.¡¯ Chi-Woo stumbled and jumped down. Going down the mountain was twice as hard as going up. He ran with full attention, but lost concentration when he almost reached ground level. In an instant, Chi-Woo lost his footing and tumbled violently down the mountain without even the time to scream. Covered in dirt, he rolled and rolled through the soil, barely managing to come to a halt and lying with his limbs sprawled out. Whether he was far from the finish line or not, he decided to rest for now. He felt like he would really die if he ran any further. ¡®No¡­¡¯ Still, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel comfortable resting, so he got into the lotus position and circulated his energy. Then he suddenly felt a coolness spread from his hip like water. The feeling of his body, which had been boiling like an active volcano, cooling down was indescribably pleasant. However, when the sensation reached his neck, Chi-Woo¡¯s body floated up, and his eyes burst open. He looked around and murmured in a daze, ¡°¡­What the fuck.¡± No wonder he felt cool; he was submerged in water. The mountains had disappeared, and he was in the middle of the ocean. He scanned his surroundings, stunned, as if he couldn¡¯t discern if this was a dream or real life. ¡°Quickly come back if you¡¯ve rested enough.¡± He heard his brother¡¯s voice coming from above his head. Chi-Woo tucked in his chin and poked his head out of the water. ¡°¡­No way, you¡¯re telling me to run there?¡± Chi-Woo looked up at Chi-Hyun with a disgruntled expression, and Chi-Hyun shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°Swim.¡± Chi-Woo blinked at Chi-Hyun¡¯s casual response. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°Are you joking?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Chi-Hyun crossed his arms. ¡°Now that I think about it, the training you mentioned earlier¡ªit seems like a pretty good idea¡ª¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Chi-Woo frantically moved before his brother could continue. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to yell before he started swimming, ¡°You bastard! Are you for real!?¡± Swimming after a marathon. ¡®Is this a triathlon or what!? Damn it!¡¯ He alternated between his arms and moved his legs up and down nonstop. ¨CWow! Philip cackled as he watched Chi-Woo swim with all his might, while also admiring Chi-Hyun¡¯s skill in pushing and pulling. * * * When they left the cave, it was around dawn. But now the sun was setting, coloring the entire world. Chi-Woo, who looked like a wet mouse, stumbled out of the ocean. After taking a few steps¡ª Thud. He fell flat on his face and didn¡¯t move at all. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes automatically closed when the soft soil touched his face. The ground felt like a better bed than anything else in the world to Chi-Woo right now. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to lift a finger. Chi-Hyun stared at his younger brother, who was flattened out like wet cotton. He was surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected his brother to finish the course. It was not a bad achievement for the first day. Of course, they couldn¡¯t just continue like this. One of the fundamental truths that Chi-Hyun learned while working as a hero was that hard work was not always the solution. Chi-Woo needed to work ¡®well¡¯ on the right path. However, this was something that Chi-Woo needed to realize and figure out by himself. Thus, what Chi-Hyun needed to do as his older brother right now was¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t sleep.¡± Chi-Hyun approached Chi-Woo and kicked him. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Chi-Woo opened his eyes with difficulty. He wasn¡¯t even angry anymore; he was just madly desperate for sleep. ¡°What more do I have to do¡­¡± Chi-Woo tried to get up while speaking in a dying voice, but was knocked down by another kick. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°I only told you to not fall asleep. You don¡¯t have to get up.¡± And what followed was Chi-Hyun¡¯s indiscriminate beating. In truth, it was not a beating, but a skill that healed a person with internal injuries, and this method was more dangerous and difficult for the person who used it than the recipient. Chi-Hyun gathered all his mana and hit his brother¡¯s entire body. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t scream like yesterday because he had no energy to even scream. He could only groan as he suffered intense pain. After a while, Chi-Woo was ordered to do purification breathing. Only after forcing the awful dinner prepared by his brother down did Chi-Woo finally return to the cave. Right before he closed his eyes lying on his sleeping bag, a despairing thought came to him. ¡®It¡¯s so hard I want to die, but¡­it¡¯s only been¡­¡¯ One or two days since he¡¯d first arrived here. 1. Often used to describe kids who don¡¯t obey their parents and do the opposite of what they¡¯re told to do (FMI: Korean Tree Frog Folktale) ? CH 177 Chi-Hyun¡¯s torture continued under the guise of training. The routine was the same every day, but the process wasn¡¯t simple by any means. Each day was so tiring that Chi-Woo always felt like dying, and after only four days since he came to this place, Chi-Woo was completely knocked down. He didn¡¯t so much fall asleep but lost consciousness, and when he opened his eyes in the morning, his entire body was screaming for help. What weighed him down wasn¡¯t his lack of energy. When he tried to get up, he felt as if his stomach had been twisted and turned, and his trembling legs barely managed to support his body. He had muscle pains everywhere, and the craziest thing of all was that he couldn''t skip training even though he was in such a state. ¡°You aren¡¯t feeling good? Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s going to become better after some stretching.¡± Chi-Woo looked at his brother in fear as Chi-Hyun approached to help him stretch personally. Soon afterward¡ªAhhhhhhh! A piercing scream rang throughout the hill near the capital. * * * It had been seven days since Chi-Woo came to this place. As they slowly ran out of supplies, Chi-Hyun told his brother that he was paying the capital a short visit and restocking. ¡°It¡¯ll take a couple of days. I can get there in an instant, but I have things to take care of.¡± Kuaaaaaah. A strange sound flowed out from inside the cave. ¡°Even when I¡¯m not here, this space would be maintained. Of course, it¡¯s entirely up to you how you are going to utilize it. Whether or not you continue to train without my supervision will be your decision as well.¡± Kurrrrrgh. Another grotesque, gritting sound answered him. Someone who didn¡¯t know the situation would¡¯ve thought Chi-Hyun was keeping a zombie inside the cave. ¡°Anyways, I will come back,¡± Chi-Hyun said and left just like that. After a long stretch of time, a figure staggered out of the cave. His head drooped, and his arms swung loosely by his sides as he walked exactly like a zombie. After taking a couple of steps outside, Chi-Woo collapsed to the floor. Since nobody was watching, all the tension in his body had evaporated. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo thought he was dying. He wasn¡¯t joking. He really thought he was going to die at this rate. He wished he could just rest without doing anything for four days¡ªno, two¡ªno, even just a single day. ¡®¡­Yeah. I should rest today since Chi-Hyun isn¡¯t here.¡¯ Even training had its limits. His body could be ruined if he pushed it too far, so resting for a day didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea. After justifying himself, Chi-Woo closed his eyes under the warm sunlight peacefully. He felt so good that there was a slight smile on his face. ¡°¡­¡± However, Chi-Woo¡¯s serene expression soon turned troubled. There was someone around. When Chi-Woo opened one of his eyes, he saw Philip looking down at him with his arms crossed. There was also a bun gazing at him silently from his side. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡ªUh¡­well¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing. Philip shrugged. ¡°What about you? Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°Ppyu¡­ppyu, ppyu?¡± The bun also feigned ignorance. Nevertheless, the two didn¡¯t stop staring at Chi-Woo. Unable to bear their gazes any longer, he got up while grumbling, ¡°¡­Ah, damn it. I will do it. I am going to do it. Is that what you both want?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.uggggh¡­¡± Philip and bun only replaced their intense stares with a smile when Chi-Woo finished the training regime Chi-Hyun had set up for him. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Chi-Woo collapsed before he could step into the cave. ¡°Shiiiiit¡­¡± He groaned and closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t even dry the clothes soaked from swimming or have dinner before he fell asleep coughing. * * * Although Chi-Hyun said he would come back in a couple of days, he was taking longer than he promised. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly how many days had passed, but ten seemed to be a good guess. Then another week passed. Since Chi-Hyun left, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t skipped training for even a single day and routinely finished the course Chi-Hyun had designed for him. In the beginning, the training had been endurable. But as days passed, Chi-Woo¡¯s body seemed to waste away. His face thinned and paled, and he walked while only staring at the ground with a dazed look on his face. It was as if he was a machine that kept training in its unconsciousness. However, a human wasn¡¯t a machine, and all that remained in Chi-Woo by this time was grit and guts. Philip looked at Chi-Woo, who was now lifting barbells. ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo hesitated when he was about to do squats with the barbell resting on his neck. After getting back into position again, he blinked his dull eyes hard. For some reason, he didn¡¯t feel the barbell¡¯s weight at all. ¡°What¡­what¡¯s wrong with this¡­?¡± He murmured weakly and frowned. Did his strength increase by that much? Was that why this barbell felt like a cane? To make sure, Chi-Woo opened his user information and saw that his physical attributes were the same as before. ¡°Then why¡­¡± Chi-Woo swung the barbell up and down and felt his body suddenly tilt sideways. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± He staggered, and his hands lost their grips on the barbell. While it was now weightless, his arms had absolutely no strength. In fact, his entire body felt heavier. It was then Chi-Woo realized that he was seriously out of breath even before he started running. ¡ªRest. Philip finally spoke after watching Chi-Woo quietly until now. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Chi-Woo responded after a beat. What was Philip saying when he had always pressured him to train before? ¡ªThe fact that you can¡¯t feel the barbell¡¯s weight anymore means that this space deems you unfit for training. ¡°Why¡­? Suddenly¡­?¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s not sudden. Philip sighed. ¡ªJust rest for now. Don¡¯t think about anything. Chi-Woo sat still and nodded. His eyelids felt like lead, and at some point, it had become impossible for him to get rid of his perpetual fatigue. His body kept trembling from an unknowable chill. Chi-Woo entered the cave and flopped down. Truthfully, Philip knew this was going to happen, but there was one reason he hadn¡¯t told Chi-Woo¡ªhe knew Chi-Woo was in no state to listen, and moreover, he thought Chi-Woo would only come to full realization by experiencing burn-out firsthand rather than listening to him. There was no better master than experience, and Philip was right. That day, Chi-Woo groaned the entire night. His excessive training had finally led to this outcome. ¡°Ugh¡­Ughhh¡­¡± Unable to think about even getting up, it was all Chi-Woo could do to remain prone and groan. No matter how impressive his Divine Blood¡¯s regenerative and healing power was, it was useless against a long-term illness. Similarly, magic could immediately heal surface wounds, but couldn¡¯t fully cure a cold. Perhaps things would have been different if his Divine Blood was higher in rank, but it was impossible in his current state. Recovery turned out to be a longer process, and Chi-Woo remained bedridden for days. He didn¡¯t even have the energy to move his fingers most of the time, so all he did was drink a couple sips of water when he couldn¡¯t bear his thirst at all¡­yet his brother was still nowhere to be found. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Like that, Chi-Woo suffered day and night. ¡°Uh, ah¡­¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Suddenly, he burst out screaming, no longer able to keep his pent-up anger and frustration at bay. ¡°Ah! Uhh! Ahhhhh!¡± While lying down, he yelled at the ceiling until his throat was raw. In this unfamiliar environment, he had continued an arduous training thinking that there would be some meaning to it even without his brother here. He did all he thought he had to do without any complaints. But this was the result of all that? Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t accept it at all. ¡°No! No! Shit! Yeah! I¡¯m going to call it quits!¡± Philip stared as Chi-Woo yelled at the top of his lungs in a sudden burst of madness. ¡ªWhoah, whoah. What is it? Are you okay? The question seemed to calm Chi-Woo down a bit. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes again. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± As pain swept over him anew, he clenched his teeth and said, ¡°If I really should keep doing this¡­if I am to continue with this boring¡­¡± Philip wanted to ask Chi-Woo if he expected training to be fun but stopped himself. He knew Chi-Woo didn¡¯t mean it that way. Chi-Woo was asking out of exasperation after making no clear progress after training in this place for almost a month. Philip understood how Chi-Woo felt. A human¡¯s willpower wasn¡¯t limitless. Like money in a wallet, no matter how strong-willed someone was, a downturn in mood was inevitable. It wasn¡¯t like the time Chi-Woo was in the cave underneath the Evalaya volcano. Here, he saw no promise nor a clear change. He had to repeat the same routine every day all day, and it was impossible to keep himself engaged. He couldn¡¯t help but feel exhausted as a human. He needed to replenish as much as he spent, but from what Philip saw, Chi-Woo had given himself nothing at all so far. ¡ªWhat can you do? Philip sighed. ¡ªYou brought all this to yourself. ¡°¡­What? I brought it to myself?¡± It was a reaction that Philip had expected. ¡ªWhy? Do you think you did nothing wrong? ¡°All I did was do as I was told.¡± ¡ªThen is the person who ordered you to do this in the wrong? There¡¯s a problem with the training itself? Is that what you¡¯re saying? ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± ¡ªNo. Philip said firmly. ¡ªYour brother did nothing wrong. ¡°Then what¡ª ¡ªFurthermore, this training regime is very logical. It¡¯s especially perfect for someone like you. It was the first time that Philip spoke with such firmness and certainty, and Chi-Woo was rendered speechless. ¡ªWhen I read your memories during your time at the cave under Evalya volcano¡­you mentally grew to another level. It seems the progress in mentality you made that time has backfired. It¡¯s now poison to you. At that time, Chi-Woo was desperate to get stronger out of sheer survival instincts. Since he was so intent on getting stronger, his mentality had also gotten stronger. Even poison could be medicine depending on how it was used, but in this case, his past experience at the Evelaya Volcano was deadly. ¡ªYou know, there¡¯s a reason why the word ¡®standard¡¯ exists. Philip meant that it was not a good idea to always try so desperately to reach a goal. Even if he was getting impatient, there were times when he needed to calm down and slowly take one step at a time. ¡ªYou think you¡¯ve been working really hard and doing well this whole time, right? Chi-Woo still looked clueless, so Philip put more strength in his voice. ¡ªFrom my perspective, I don¡¯t think so. Do you know why? He continued without even hearing an answer. ¡ªAll you did was force your way through the course. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡ªThere¡¯s something you¡¯re mistaken about. Philip also spoke sharply. ¡ªRunning through the course isn¡¯t your only training. Resting, eating, and sleeping are all part of it. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes slightly widened. He tried to say something, but quickly shut his mouth; everything Philip said made sense, and he knew this fact himself. ¡ª¡­Think about it. Philip¡¯s tone slightly softened. ¡ªDid your brother tell you to not rest? ¡­No. His brother had told him to stop resting and get up, but he never told him to not rest. Instead, Chi-Hyun made sure he took breaks in between before moving on to his next training. ¡ªOr did he tell you to not eat? Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t said that either. He forced Chi-Woo to eat three meals a day¡ªbreakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even when Chi-Woo collapsed after finishing his training, Chi-Hyun would wake him up and force him to eat. ¡ªIf not, did he tell you to not sleep? It was the same for sleeping. Chi-Hyun dried him and shoved him into a sleeping bag when he was sleeping. Chi-Hyun also started a warm campfire next to him each time he fell asleep. ¡ªCan you still confidently say that you did everything he told you to do? Chi-Woo became speechless. He had nothing to say. Since his brother left, he had skipped meals more than once because he felt lazy. Due to sheer boredom, he also got so focused on finishing the course as fast as possible that he didn¡¯t even take a proper break. Moreover, when he was finished with his course, he slept wherever without drying himself, using his exhaustion as an excuse. It was no wonder that he would get sick. ¡ªIt¡¯s amazing that you didn¡¯t get sicker sooner. Chi-Woo¡¯s face became bright red as Philip clicked his tongue. He was angry, but he didn¡¯t say a word. ¡ª¡­Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo suddenly felt awkward. It was the first time Philip called him by his name, and it felt just like when his brother was talking to him. ¡ªLet me ask you one question. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªIs the training you¡¯re doing¡­really too difficult to handle? Chi-Woo paused for a moment. He smacked his lips a few times and slowly shook his head. His training was definitely hard, but it was not to the extent that it was impossible for him to do it. The problem was he had to dig into the depth of his strength until he felt as if he was almost dying. ¡ªRight? This was one of the reasons why Philip regarded Chi-Hyun¡¯s image representation very highly. ¡ªI¡¯m not denying that you¡¯re having a hard time. Of course it¡¯s exhausting for you. Training shouldn¡¯t be easy. It¡¯s normal for it to be hard. What would happen if a person who could lift 50kg maximum was suddenly told to lift 200kg? Not only would they not be able to lift the weight, but they would get hurt if they forced themselves to do it. Thus, proper training required an accurate estimation of one¡¯s limit. The space that Chi-Hyun created was quite harsh in that it forced Chi-Woo to face his limitations every moment without giving him time to feel a sense of accomplishment for his growth. However, it was the most ideal and reasonable way to train in Philip¡¯s eyes, which was why he saw Chi-Hyun in such high regard. ¡ªThis space might be¡­incomparably better than the cave in the Evelaya Volcano. The place and the training course were tailored for Chi-Woo from start to finish. Most trainers wouldn¡¯t be able to do this even if they wanted to; it was more difficult and tiring for the trainer rather than the trainee. ¡ªThis is an opportunity that will never come again in your life. But above all, it didn¡¯t make sense that a person would be able to create such an enormous space. It must have been a great burden for Chi-Hyun to maintain it. ¡ªIt¡¯s created just for you. Chi-Hyun did this for Chi-Woo, his brother and family. For his one and only brother, Chi-Hyun endured the hardship alone without showing how much of a strain it was to maintain such a big space. ¡ªSo Chi-Woo. Philip continued with the most serious expression he had ever shown to Chi-Woo. ¡ªOnly this once. Even if it¡¯s not fun, endure this once no matter how painful or hard it is. Let¡¯s train properly. Philip cleared his throat. ¡ªDon¡¯t worry. I promise you that the day you get out of here, you¡¯ll be noticeably different from who you were. Philip was certain because he could see it with his own eyes¡ªChi-Woo¡¯s body, which had been a precarious castle built on sand, was visibly stabilizing every day. Philip vaguely understood Chi-Hyun¡¯s grand plan, and as a guardian spirit who had promised Chi-Woo to help him grow, it was a waste to let Chi-Woo give up like this. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo stayed quiet, but he looked much calmer than before. He also knew that Philip wasn¡¯t obligated to say all this to him, and he was looking out for Chi-Woo with the best of intentions. It made Chi-Woo think a little differently. ¡ªUh¡­Did I talk too much? When Chi-Woo continued to stay silent, Philip awkwardly smiled and scratched his head. At that moment, Chi-Woo propped himself up with great difficulty and made his way forward with a hand on the wall. ¡ªW-what? Where are you going? ¡°¡­To eat,¡± Chi-Woo murmured in a small voice. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­it¡¯s been several days since I¡¯ve eaten¡­¡± Philip burst into laughter. ¡ªThat¡¯s right, punk. You should eat first. You have to eat before doing anything. That¡¯s why I told you to eat when you were imprisoned. Philip broke out of his serious fa?ade and immediately returned to his lively self. That day, Chi-Woo ate the porridge that he cooked himself with great care. He dried his sweaty clothes, dressed warmly, and made a campfire. Then he went inside his sleeping bag and felt much more comfortable than before. His whole body was still sore and aching, but he felt stronger. ¡°¡­¡± Honestly, none of these tasks were difficult, and he knew how important it was to take care of himself. But he was so consumed by his circumstances that he couldn¡¯t even follow the basics. ¡®That¡¯s why¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo learned why his brother always emphasized food, clothing, and shelter so much. Soon, Chi-Woo fell so deep asleep that he didn¡¯t even dream. * * * After eating, sleeping, and resting well for several days, Chi-Woo quickly recovered. As soon as his body became lighter, Chi-Woo carefully lifted the barbell and confirmed that its heavy weight had returned. The space deemed him ready to start training again. The rate of his progress returned to normal. Nothing had dramatically changed, and going through the set course was as boring and difficult as before. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo was no longer impatient. This place was like a tutor; depending on how he used it, he could improve far beyond what he could achieve through normal means. After realizing this, Chi-Woo thought about everything he did in this space as training and looked at his situation with new eyes. The only concern he had was that the supplies were finally close to running out. Fortunately, Chi-Hyun returned around this time. ¡°It looks delicious. Give me a bowl.¡± Chi-Woo, who had used up all the leftover ingredients and made a brothy porridge, turned to look at his brother. Chi-Hyun had returned without him noticing. Chi-Woo stirred the porridge with a snort as if to criticize Chi-Hyun¡¯s shamelessness. ¡°You told me you¡¯d return in a few days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been three days.¡± ¡°And not a month?¡± Chi-Hyun replied, ¡°It¡¯s three days. At least on the outside.¡± Then he quickly scanned his surroundings and turned back. After carefully looking at the traces Chi-Woo left behind, he said, ¡°Anyway¡­you seem to have done better than I thought.¡± He smiled and looked at Chi-Woo like he found it unexpected. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be fooling around and complaining about how tired you are, or be sick in bed.¡± Chi-Woo snorted. ¡°I was seriously ill a few days ago.¡± ¡°Really? You look fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m all better now.¡± ¡°But you never know. Don¡¯t worry though. You¡¯ll get better as soon as I beat you up.¡± Chi-Hyun twisted his neck side to side and grinned while saying, ¡°Were you bored after not getting beaten up for so long?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I think my body feels a bit stiff after not getting hit for days.¡± Did he hear his brother wrong? Chi-Hyun quickly blinked. But Chi-Woo continued nonchalantly, ¡°Hitting is great and all, but let¡¯s eat first. Okay?¡± Chi-Woo picked up the ladle and nodded after tasting his cooking. ¡°Come to think of it, can you help me stretch a bit? I tried to replicate the position you taught me, but it¡¯s less effective when I do it by myself than when you help me.¡± Chi-Woo scooped up a full ladle and put it in a bowl. ¡°By the way, did you bring meat?¡± When Chi-Hyun shook his head in a daze, Chi-Woo looked visibly disappointed. Then Chi-Woo said, ¡°Geez, do you know how many calories I consume a day? I need to at least eat well to make up for it.¡± Then he pushed the steaming bowl to Chi-Hyun. ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± ¡°¡­What? Ah, yeah. Okay.¡± Chi-Hyun took the bowl and looked at his brother with surprise. Chi-Woo said, ¡°Eat first. Help me stretch after eating.¡± Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t know exactly why, but his brother seemed to have changed a little. ¡°You just have to help me stretch. I¡¯ll do the rest by myself. You should go back outside and get some meat before dinner. Get a lot, okay? Parts with a lot of protein.¡± Chi-Hyun thought he might have created a new gym-rat. He stole glances at Chi-Woo and put the soupy porridge his brother cooked into his mouth. ¡°¡­Slurp.¡± It looked a bit strange, but steaming hot and delicious. CH 178 ¡°Chi-Hyun,¡± squatting with his barbell like every other day, Chi-Woo asked, ¡°What does it mean for a person¡¯s physical ability level to be rank C?¡± Chi-Hyun, who was training with him, snorted. ¡°¡­A rank C is a rank C,¡± Chi-Hyun answered and let out a long sigh. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking me that?¡± ¡°Just ¡®cause. I was curious.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Chi-Hyun glanced at his brother. Besides mental fortitude, all of Chi-Woo¡¯s physical abilities were rank D on average. It seemed that his brother was simply curious rather than whining about when his abilities were going to increase in rank. Then there was no reason for him to not give Chi-Woo an answer. ¡°A growth system is a form of absolute measure. It¡¯s a standard that¡¯s applied to all without exception, and the one who decided on the standard is, of course, the Celestial Realm.¡± Chi-Hyun sat back down and continued after taking a deep breath, ¡°For example, we can rank a magician according to different standards.¡± ¡°Like what¡­from 1 to 9?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most common ranking system, but let¡¯s say rank F to rank S to match Liber¡¯s system.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Imagine that a magician is trying to go from rank F to E. Thus, they asked the magician council about it and got a response saying that they needed to know at least 15 spells out of the 30 spells an E rank was expected to know.¡± In other words, the magician needed to learn 15 spells to become an E rank. This was no different from Liber¡¯s growth system. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why it¡¯s absolute¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the standard that the growth systems expect you to reach to rise in rank is absolutely fixed.¡± ¡°Does that mean different species would have completely different starting ranks?¡± ¡°Yes. A species especially gifted in strength can be born at rank B.¡± ¡°Then what about us¡­?¡± ¡°We are humans, more specifically earthlings,¡± Chi-Hyun responded, ¡°We can rank up our physical abilities with training, but there¡¯s a limit for us, like all species. Our maximum limit is considerably low.¡± ¡°Maximum limit?¡± Chi-Hyun got up and slowly breathed. Then he put down the barbell and wiped his sweat away. ¡°No matter how much one works or how talented and gifted they are, there¡¯s no changing the fact that they are human, and there¡¯s a bar they cannot exceed. Thus, no matter how many decades an earthling trains, it¡¯s impossible for them to uproot a mountain and throw it. That is the maximum limit of each species.¡± Chi-Hyun brushed his hands and stomped up to Chi-Woo. ¡°And if you ask me how great a C rank is¡­you know, I went to a martial arts world a couple of times. Can you guess how much power an ordinary person would be able to amass after training themselves their whole lives without any sort of miracle or blessing?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°If that person comes to Liber in that state, the growth system would rank their strength C.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gaped open slightly. To think a person could train their whole lives and be stuck at rank C. It really hit him then what he had achieved. It also meant that he should¡¯ve only been able to reach rank C even if he trained all his life normally. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s where the growth system comes into the picture,¡± Chi-Hyun answered Chi-Woo¡¯s question before he voiced it. ¡°The growth system allows users to rise in ranks after meeting certain requirements, and as a result, turns a hero into a superhuman.¡± This was the reason Noel had been so glad to hear that a growth system had been established on Liber; with it, there was a way for each species to surpass their limit. ¡°Of course, there are other methods besides using the growth system.¡± ¡°Natural talent?¡± ¡°Like medicine¡­huh? What did you just say?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t having a natural talent most important?¡± Chi-Hyun slowly stroked his chin and said firmly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Of course, natural talent does affect one¡¯s growth. I admit it. But when a person is trying to surpass the limit of their species, natural talent becomes meaningless.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t seem to understand. Thus, Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°Talent dictates speed.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Say a kid showed exceptional talent in math and learned calculus at the age of five. That kid must be a genius right?¡± ¡°I guess so¡­?¡± ¡°But calculus is something that most ordinary people could learn once they get to high school even if it takes a bit more time.¡± Chi-Woo agreed to this. ¡°Just because the young child learned faster than others, who could guarantee that they would reach a greater height than anyone else?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized what his brother was saying. ¡°You could say natural talent determines the pace of individual growth. But what decides how much a person can progress and how far they can surpass their species¡¯ limit is one¡¯s dormant potential.¡± Chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened further. The term ¡®talent¡¯ was relative. Someone who was a genius in their hometown would meet crowds of students on the same level if they enrolled in Seoul National University. And how would they compare with students from universities all over the world? What about the whole universe? One¡¯s talent became less unique and special the wider the scope of comparison. Of course, there were very few figures who could be called genius when compared to talents across the whole galaxy. Thus, heroes who had worked for a long time soon realized one truth: that with the exception of the very few, natural talent would soon become overshadowed. Thus, when people of similar talents competed, their hidden potential differentiated them from one another. Geniuses quickly progressed, but they soon reached their limits; and when they couldn¡¯t surpass their limits, they despaired and grew stagnant. On the other hand, those born with exceedingly high potential had no limit. Whether they started early or late, they would go further than anyone else without hitting a wall as long as they continued to move forward¡ªlike it was always supposed to be that way. Such individuals weren¡¯t known as ¡®geniuses¡¯, but called ¡®monsters¡¯ or ¡®gods¡¯ with fear and awe. ¡°¡­I went on a tangent.¡± Chi-Hyun lifted his shoulders. He had planned just to teach his brother about rank C and ended up giving a whole lecture. ¡°Well, I think I answered your question well enough¡­¡± He glanced at his brother. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so fixated about only training. Utilizing the growth system is also an option. How about¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Chi-Woo jumped out of his seat and shook his head. ¡° I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well, because it would be a waste, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Chi-Woo smirked and lifted his barbell. ¡°I don¡¯t know how great my potential is, so I want to save as many merits as possible. Maybe I can raise my ability to rank A through training alone and push it further up with the system after that¡­¡± Hearing this, Chi-Hyun realized that his brother had completely understood what he said. He began to wonder if he had revealed something he shouldn¡¯t have. In the end, Chi-Hyun watched as Chi-Woo did squats with the barbell and smiled wryly. Truthfully, regardless of talent, even Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t know the limit of Chi-Woo¡¯s potential. * * * Time passed like an endless stream. One month blurred into two, then three. The entire time, Chi-Woo consistently and earnestly trained, surprising Chi-Hyun further. He thought Chi-Woo would surely whine all the time since his parents always let Chi-Woo get away with anything and showered him with love. At the very least, he thought Chi-Woo would call it quits once. And yet Chi-Woo repeated the same training every day and showed no sign of going astray or doing things sloppily. He didn¡¯t appear anxious, nor did he act out. Like a farmer waiting for harvest, he quietly sowed seeds under the scorching sun. His effort was neither excessive nor lacking, but perfect. Of course, from Chi-Woo¡¯s perspective, the training was still torturous and hard. He would be lying if he said it wasn¡¯t boring. But after talking with his brother and Philip, Chi-Woo had a change of mind. If rank C was something a person could only reach after training all their lives, it seemed preposterous that he would already be rank D right now, and too self-centered of him to expect progress just because he worked hard for a couple of months. Moreover, Philip had sworn to him that the day Chi-Woo walked out of this place, he would be a different person. The harder the trial he faced was, the greater the reward would be. He did keep getting reality checks when seeing that his physical abilities remained at the same rank, but it wasn¡¯t like there was no change at all. In his fostering list, the number of merits he needed to upgrade his inherent abilities was decreasing day by day, especially for Golden Ratio; not only had he reverted the necessary merit count to its original count, but the number was also actually dropping even lower. It was like what his brother had said¡ªdata didn¡¯t lie, and his user information told him that he was progressing. Without realizing it, Chi-Woo was beginning to find joy in this place tailored for him, where he could only focus on training. * * * While Chi-Woo was absorbed in his training, Chi-Hyun left a couple of times to finish unresolved business or replenish their supplies before they ran out. And one day, after finishing his breakfast and warming up, Chi-Woo saw Chi-Hyun come back with a few people. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh? Ms. Ru Hiana¡­and Ms. Hawa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Teacher.¡± ¡°Senior!¡± The Ru siblings were overjoyed to see Chi-Woo, and Hawa nodded at him when she met Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well¡­I was just curious what you were up to these days,¡± she said monotonously. Then she explained that when she sought out Chi-Hyun to ask how Chi-Woo was doing, he brought her and the Ru siblings here to see Chi-Woo for themselves. ¡°I heard how you were doing last time, but I was still worried. I didn¡¯t expect you to be receiving training from Sir Choi Chi-Hyun privately,¡± Ru Amuh said after they exchanged greetings. ¡°As expected of you, Senior. Even the legend acknowledged you,¡± Ru Hiana said. ¡®I see.¡¯ After listening to them, Chi-Woo grasped the general situation. It seemed his brother had come up with a suitable explanation for other people. ¡®I should be careful to not call him hyung.¡¯ ¡°So Senior! What kind of teaching have you been receiving here?¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes sparkled as she asked. It seemed she was particularly interested in hearing about the training Chi-Woo was getting under the legend¡¯s guidance. ¡°It¡¯s just basic training,¡± Chi-Woo said while stretching. ¡°I was about to start before you guys came. Do you want to do it with me?¡± ¡°We can do that?¡± Ru Hiana exclaimed. Chi-Woo turned to his brother. ¡°Um¡­It doesn¡¯t matter, but this space is¡­¡± Chi-Hyun was about to say ¡®This space was made for Chi-Woo, so it won¡¯t fit you all¡¯, but managed to swallow his words. He couldn¡¯t reveal Chi-Woo¡¯s real name, but he didn¡¯t want to address Chi-Woo impolitely as ¡®you¡¯ in front of his close companions, either¡ªmost of all, he couldn¡¯t call Chi-Woo his younger brother. In the end, Chi-Hyun thought he had no choice but to call Chi-Woo by his fake name. ¡°Chichi¡­¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s face stiffened mid-sentence, and he turned away. However, Chi-Woo clearly saw the corners of Chi-Hyun¡¯s mouth twitch as he stared resolutely into the distance. Chi-Woo narrowed his eyes at Chi-Hyun for a while and sighed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. You may train with me or just watch.¡± Chi-Woo was getting trained by the famous legend. Any hero would be interested, so Ru Hiana and Ru Amuh eagerly volunteered. Hawa also joined in. However, the number of trainees soon decreased in half. The first person to drop out was Hawa. She endlessly ran towards the peak of the mountain and in the end, collapsed in fatigue. Her face was soaked in sweat as she looked up at the three figures moving further away with great frustration. Ru Hiana didn¡¯t get that much further. ¡°Huff! Ack! Heeckkk!¡± She lasted longer than Hawa, but was unable to decrease her distance from Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh. She stumbled in the end and finally collapsed. Pressing her hands against the ground, she stared at Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh as they moved further away. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± ¡°Huff! Puff!¡± Ru Amuh and Chi-Woo ran. They ran without taking a break. After reaching the mountain peak, they swam in the ocean that suddenly appeared and returned to the starting point almost at the same time. Chi-Woo sprawled on the ground and frantically gasped for air, while Ru Amuh panted heavily with his hands and knees on the ground. Then he looked at Chi-Woo with shock. ¡®How¡­¡¯ He hadn¡¯t matched his speed to his teacher¡¯s; he didn¡¯t have the leisure to do so. He might be mistaken, but he felt tested every moment he was in this space. Thus, he had run while giving it his all, but Teacher was matching his pace. While he came in slightly ahead, there were times when he was overtaken. ¡®This place is¡­¡¯ By that point, Ru Amuh realized the nature of this space. After experiencing the training course once, he figured out the exact intentions of the person who created it. No tricks or special skills worked here. Instead, it forced the trainee to go through a firm and set path. Thus, by moving along the trajectory set by the space, one would have no choice but to get stronger. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ Ru Amuh was surprised by Chi-Woo¡¯s progress, but he also couldn¡¯t hide his amazement for Chi-Hyun. ¡°How did¡­he create such a space¡­?¡± Ru Amuh asked while gasping for breath, but Chi-Hyun did not respond¡ªno, he wasn¡¯t able to because he was also surprised by Chi-Woo¡¯s progress. Chi-Hyun could roughly gauge Ru Amuh¡¯s physical ability; it was probably above a normal rank C. But his brother followed Ru Amuh without falling behind. This meant only one thing. Chi-Woo¡¯s physical ability was also close to rank C. Chi-Hyun almost laughed. A normal human being would have to train their whole life to reach rank C, but Chi-Woo was already on the verge of reaching it. Of course, Chi-Hyun could guess how this was possible by looking at Chi-Woo¡¯s user information. 8. [Golden Ratio AAA]-¡­all physical attributes increase by one rank, and the same actions become more efficient by several-fold¡­ It was one of the effects of the AAA skill Golden Ratio. Moreover, even though the Golden Ratio¡¯s rank had remained the same, its proficiency had clearly improved. Living in this space had corrected Chi-Woo¡¯s misalignment one by one. When things that had been messy and disorderly got sorted out, the existing ability could finally show its true effect and bring about synergy. The results were truly terrifying. Chi-Hyun was certain that one would be hard-pressed to call his brother human now. Since Chi-Woo was no longer human, everything about him became unknowable¡ªbe it his limit or potential. ¡°¡­¡± His brother suddenly felt like a stranger to him. * * * The surprise guests left on the same day they visited. Hawa disappeared without a word, and Ru Hiana ran away with a look of frustration, saying, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t disturb you.¡± Meanwhile, Ru Amuh felt deeply conflicted. He seemed to want to stay and train together with Chi-Woo, but he was responsible for a lot of tasks as the only one among the heroes who had reached Gold. It was bittersweet to see his comrades go after not seeing them in a long while, but Chi-Woo did not dwell in these emotions. Rather, he resumed training immediately and told Chi-Hyun to quickly hit him now that everyone was gone. Chi-Woo had perfectly adapted to this space. It wasn¡¯t just training. Another reason why he was able to settle down was because he could converse with his brother. Since he came to Liber without knowing anything, there were many things he was curious about. He also had many concerns that he couldn¡¯t tell anyone else, but now, he had a great counselor to confide in. Since his brother knew of his background and circumstances, Chi-Woo could ask for advice without hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with Ms. Hawa and Ms. Eshnunna.¡± While eating dinner, Chi-Woo suddenly thought of Hawa and confessed his worries. ¡°They¡¯re both Liber natives, but they both want to become heroes.¡± ¡°They probably want to use the growth system rather than becoming heroes.¡± Then Chi-Hyun spoke with a reprimanding tone. ¡°And why are you worrying about them?¡± ¡°Because I promised I¡¯d help them become heroes.¡± When Chi-Hyun gave him a pointed look, Chi-Woo scratched his head and said, ¡°Well, other than that, I¡¯ve also received a lot of help from them¡­so I wanted to help them.¡± Even while saying this, Chi-Woo was prepared to get an earful. Considering his brother¡¯s character, there was a high possibility that his brother would tell him to know his place and give him a good scolding. But surprisingly, Chi-Hyun fell into deep thought. ¡°Hmm. Now that I think about it¡­you¡¯ve received a special privilege.¡± Chi-Hyun was referring to ¡°7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡±, and Chi-Woo quickly waved his hand in denial. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t going that far.¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d set a specific criteria.¡± ¡°A criteria?¡± ¡°Yeah, like the criteria of the growth system.¡± The special privilege was unique to Chi-Woo, and how he used it was entirely dependent on himself. Just like how a hero earned merits and passed promotion tests, Chi-Woo also needed to establish his own criteria. If someone met the conditions he set, he would then help them grow by using his special privilege. ¡°Consider why you should help them, and if they¡¯re worth helping.¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Were it me, I would prioritize trust level. You¡¯re only able to activate that function after exceeding a certain percentage in the first place, right?¡± Chi-Woo listened quietly, his eyes suddenly brightening. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re helping me. Did I meet some kind of condition you set?¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. There was no way that would be the case; the only condition Chi-Woo met was that he was his brother. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll quickly grow stronger and help you out.¡± Chi-Woo puffed out his chest and confidently spoke without knowing what his brother was thinking. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice quickly deepened. ¡°I told you before not to do anything.¡± Chi-Woo faltered. The atmosphere had been good until a few seconds ago, but it became scary as Chi-Hyun¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°No¡­ Then why did you do all this?¡± Chi-Woo said while looking at his surroundings. Chi-Hyun, who had been staring at Chi-Woo for a while, slowly said, ¡°I know by commonsense that it¡¯s impossible for you to never encounter danger in a place like Liber.¡± He softly continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to build up enough strength to protect yourself in case of an emergency. I didn¡¯t create this space for you to step forward and do something.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy silence enveloped them, awkward and uncomfortable. Of course, Chi-Woo was disheartened; he had thought his brother¡¯s mind might have changed a little while they stayed together here. ¡®¡­He¡¯s the same.¡¯ His brother hadn¡¯t changed his mind in the least, and he was extremely firm about his decision, as if this was the one thing he could never back down from. Soon after, Chi-Hyun sighed and looked away. ¡°¡­Go to sleep.¡± Chi-Woo quietly stood up; neither of them was in the mood to talk anymore. * * * That night, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t fall asleep. He couldn¡¯t, so he sat on his sleeping bag and stared at the campfire. ¨C¡­You know. Philip, who had been stealing furtive glances towards him, quietly approached and talked to him. ¨CThere¡¯s something I¡¯ve been curious about. Can I ask you a question? Chi-Woo slightly lifted his shoulder. ¨CYou know what your brother said to you before¡­ Philip continued cautiously, keeping a close eye on Chi-Woo¡¯s expression. ¨CAbout¡­how you should have never been born. Chi-woo blinked. ¨CWhat if he didn¡¯t mean it literally, but something entirely different? ¡°¡­¡± ¨CWhat do you think he meant? Chi-Woo finally opened his mouth, ¡°It¡¯s nothing much but...¡± ¨CWhat is it? ¡°Just¡­¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips a few times and buried his face in his knees. He became lost in thought as he stared at the burning flames. He should have never been born¡ªthe first time he heard the same words was when he met his mentor. [It¡¯s my first time seeing a chilseong gongjul like yours. Your strings of fate have been severely twisted and tangled up.] [You weren¡¯t supposed to have been born, but were forced to be born. What kind of family were you born into¡­] Chilseongjul was the fate of a soul born under the spirit of the Big Dipper. As a star¡¯s seed, the soul was planted in a human body and born among humans to help humans. It was one of the most divine fates bestowed to humans. As someone born with divine protection, a person born under a chilseongjul produced superior results compared to a person born under a normal fate. Then was it a good thing? Would such individuals be able to live happily? No, that was not the case. In exchange for the help they received, those born under this fate must pay a price for their birth. The stronger the fate, the heavier and bigger the responsibility the heavens entrusted such individuals with. His mentor had also told him that he¡¯d have to do great things for the world for him to live a peaceful life. At that time, Chi-Woo had thought his mentor was telling him to volunteer for the good of the society; he had no idea that it meant going to a different world to save it. Looking back, there were things that now made sense. After entering Liber, everything he did worked out well in the end, to the point that even he thought it was strange. His success was too frequent and coincidental to simply dismiss as luck. He was not so dense that he wouldn¡¯t realize how strange it was. ¨CHey? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? When Chi-Woo remained silent for a long time, Philip waved his hand in front of Chi-Woo¡¯s face. ¨CCat got your tongue? ¡°¡­I¡¯ve read a book before.¡± Chi-Woo pulled himself out of his thoughts and said in a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°There was¡­a phrase that left a deep impression on me.¡± He fixed his eyes on the campfire and continued in a daze. ¨CA book? What phrase? Chi-Woo nodded. Then quietly said, ¡°Every search begins with beginner¡¯s luck.¡± ¨C¡­ ¡°And¡­¡± Chi-Woo trailed off. Every search ended with¡­ CH 179 It wasn¡¯t like Chi-Woo had gone through anything special or awakened in a risky situation. The message came abruptly without warning while Chi-Woo continued his daily activities¡ªso naturally, like how one climbed the stairs and got to the next floor. [User Chi-Woo¡¯s strength increases in rank.] His strength rose from rank D to C. The physical attribute that hadn¡¯t risen no matter what finally advanced, and he reached the limit of a human. While squatting with a barbell, Chi-Woo stared at the message hovering over him in a daze. It was so sudden that he couldn¡¯t believe it. Chi-Woo finished the set he was doing and quickly checked his user information. ¡°Wow¡­¡± A bright smile bloomed on his face; Chi-Woo looked extremely proud of himself. ¡°Ha!¡± Chi-Woo flicked his hair around excitedly, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t see his brother, Philip, nor bun today of all days. He needed to quickly show off his progress¡ªwhere were they? ¡°Heh¡­it does go up though.¡± All the training he had gone through passed through Chi-Woo¡¯s head, and thinking of each and every one of them gave him a strange feeling. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he became overwhelmed with emotions. ¡°Ah, damn it¡­ Why am I crying?¡± Chi-Woo wiped his tears away with his fist and sniffed before breaking into a wide smile. ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯m so happy.¡± His heart felt ready to jump out of his chest in happiness, but Chi-Woo picked up his barbell again. He could always celebrate later. His muscles might weaken in the time he cried in joy. Then his strength could fall to rank D again. He thus immediately dived back into doing his squats. ¡°Kuh~ It¡¯s nothing.¡± He really felt different now that he was rank C. Lifting the barbell had been incredibly tiring, but it wasn¡¯t as heavy now. That didn¡¯t last long, of course. As if reading his mind, the barbell increased in weight again. It was like this space was telling him, ¡®Huh? So you became rank C? Then you must be able to do this much.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s face scrunched up as he strained himself, but there was still a smile tugging at his lips. The bitter pain felt sweet today. This space, created through image representation, tested the limits of its user every moment. In this sense, it tested Chi-Woo even after he reached his limit as a human, and that meant there was still room for Chi-Woo to progress through pure training. The realization allowed Chi-Woo to continue on joyfully despite how painful it was. * * * The rank up of his strength was only the beginning. With further training, more messages popped up. [User Chi-Woo¡¯s durability increases in rank.] [User Chi-Woo¡¯s agility increases in rank.] [User Chi-Woo¡¯s stamina increases in rank.] Like sausages in a string, his other physical abilities followed suit and increased in ranks. The first one to recognize Chi-Woo¡¯s change was Chi-Hyun. He didn¡¯t even need to check Chi-Woo¡¯s user information; he simply knew because of the time required for Chi-Woo to finish his training. Chi-Woo usually spent half a day finishing his daily course, but now, he returned in a quarter of a day. He had basically shortened his finishing time by half. Of course, this space was adjusting in real time and increasing the difficulty level of the training according to Chi-Woo¡¯s current abilities, but Chi-Woo¡¯s increased efficiency showed how well he had adapted. Chi-Hyun stared intently at his brother for a while. Chi-Woo was fervently swimming across the ocean toward him. ¡°¡­¡± A pleased smile curved his lips. He was proud of his brother. Chi-Hyun felt awkward to admit this, but¡­he was grateful. Chi-Hyun was sure that Chi-Woo must have had days when he didn¡¯t want to train; he might even feel lost as to why he had to train in the first place. Chi-Hyun knew better than anyone else how hard it was to endure pain and difficulties alone, feeling like there was no one around for him. Perhaps Chi-Woo had expected something more special and innovative than this boring, repetitive training, and at times, even Chi-Hyun wanted that for Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo¡¯s progress was so impressive that it made Chi-Hyun wonder things like ¡®what would happen if I taught him something other than the basics?¡¯ Every time he had such thoughts, Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t help but look forward to how explosive Chi-Woo¡¯s progress would be, and he had a great urge to immediately carry his thoughts into action. However, Chi-Hyun always stopped himself. He had to repress these urges because he saw a future for Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo must not get sloppy with his training or take shortcuts. He needed to nail the foundations even harder; as long as Chi-Woo took one step forward at a time, Chi-Hyun knew that his brother would become the best of the best, an existence that could even surpass him in the future. [The ultimate martial arts? The secret to my wins? I wouldn¡¯t know something like that.] [All I did was grip my sword and slice, pierce, and swing without missing a day. That¡¯s all. And as I did that, one day, people began to call me the god of war.] This was the conversation he had had with the god of war in the past, which made Chi-Hyun realize the importance of basics. Thus, Chi-Hyun knew that Chi-Woo shouldn¡¯t skip the stage of building a foundation, nor end it rashly; and Chi-Woo followed his instructions more faithfully than he could wish for. While dwelling on these thoughts, Chi-Hyun smiled bitterly. ¡®What am I doing?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t what he was supposed to do. Even if he helped Chi-Woo develop his skills enough to protect himself, he needed to restrict Chi-Woo¡¯s dormant potential as much as possible. And yet Chi-Hyun was doing the opposite. He was leading Chi-Woo directly to the path of rising to his full potential; it was akin to teaching a succubus a special enchanting skill. It did make him waver at times, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t help it. Firstly, it would be a waste. And secondly, it was something he couldn¡¯t do to Chi-Woo as his brother. In fact, the die had already been cast the moment Chi-Woo entered Liber. Nobody could anticipate the result. The only thing Chi-Hyun could do now was to stop others from bothering or breaking the die before it finished rolling¡­ Yes, that was all there was. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Just in time, Chi-Woo finished swimming and reached land. Chi-Hyun tipped his head up. The sun was still high up in the sky. * * * Chi-Woo breathed in deeply, and when he saw a shadow cast over him, he looked up. ¡°It seems your physical ability has improved.¡± The edge of Chi-Hyun¡¯s lips twitched upwards. ¡°Huh? Ah hah. Uh, well, yeah,¡± Chi-Woo said nonchalantly. ¡°It ranked up as I kept training,¡± Chi-Woo spoke like nothing much had happened, but the corners of his mouth were stretched to the ends of his ears. ¡°Good work.¡± These were the simple words Chi-Woo had yearned to hear. ¡°Good job. You went through a lot.¡± As Chi-Hyun continued to compliment him, Chi-Woo raised his chin, and his nose was high in the sky. ¡°You are only going to talk?¡± In his good mood, Chi-Woo joked. ¡°There¡¯s no congratulation gift?¡± ¡°Of course there is.¡± ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time for a new training?¡± ¡°Ohhhhhhhh!¡± Chi-Woo cheered with his eyes wide open. Hands balling into fists, he yelled, ¡°Finally! New training! Awesome! What is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Yeah? Tell me already. I want to hear it now!¡± Chi-Hyun thought Chi-Woo had really become a training addict now. But regardless, since Chi-Woo had become used to the current training, he needed to give Chi-Woo something new. ¡°Last time I saw your user information, I noticed that you had a blunt attack ability among your basic abilities.¡± ¡°Yeah, since I mostly used a club.¡± ¡°A club¡­¡± ¡°My mentor gave it to me, and it¡¯s super effective.¡± ¡°Anyways, are you going to use the club as your main weapon? Or do you have something else in mind? Was there a kind of weapon you had always wanted to use?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Chi-Woo was about to say something, but he paused and glanced at Chi-Hyun. ¡°What is it? It¡¯s fine. Just tell me.¡± Encouraged by his brother¡¯s words, Chi-Woo carefully opened his mouth. Then he told Chi-Hyun his own thoughts on weapon use¡ªmore exactly, the theory he had developed in his mind under Ru Amuh¡¯s influence. Philip had laughed at his face and mocked him when he told him. ¡°Weapon fighting as an extension of martial arts¡­¡± Surprisingly, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t mock him or get angry. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. If that¡¯s what you want, let¡¯s try it together.¡± ¡°For real!?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t completely wrong anyway. Even though you¡¯re overlooking a significant process.¡± Chi-Hyun told him to grab the club while they were on the topic. ¡°Reach out while holding the club.¡± Chi-Woo extended his right arm while holding the ghost-busting club. Then he frowned and blinked because his brother had created a rope and wrapped it around his right hand in an instant. ¡°Done.¡± Chi-Hyun wrapped it around so tightly that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even stretch his hand. He glanced down at his right hand before staring at his brother. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°You¡¯re going to live in this state from now on. Training is no exception, of course, and you are to hold onto your club while you eat, sleep, wash up, and rest.¡± ¡°¡­Even when I poop?¡± ¡°Of course. When you¡¯re cooking as well.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re telling me to cook in this state?¡± Chi-Woo looked at Chi-Hyun as if he was out of his mind. Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted to use your weapon as an extension of your body?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡ª¡± ¡°Then do it. Don¡¯t just pay lip service, but actually show it with your action. Use the club as your hand.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Quiet. I¡¯m not done talking.¡± Chi-Hyun paused. ¡°One more thing. Use your exorcism mana from now on in this training.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to put exorcism mana into your club rather than keeping it in your body.¡± Chi-Woo immediately drew his mana and slowly redirected it into the club, sending it to the tip of the club before making it take a U-turn to return the mana to his body. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± After creating a nonstop cycle, Chi-Woo felt as if the separate reserve of energy inside his body and the one he pushed into the club had become one. He was so close to getting the hang of it. Then Chi-Woo realized something and asked, ¡°This too¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, you have to maintain this state. If you run out of exorcism mana, move your own energy to create a circuit and make sure to include the club as part of it.¡± ¡°¡­No way.¡± Chi-Woo slightly gaped. He stared at his right hand with a dubious expression on his face, wondering if this really was the right training for him. * * * The next day. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± Chi-Hyun asked while looking at Chi-Woo, who had attached a spoon to the end of his club. Chi-Woo answered, ¡°You told me to hold onto the club even when I¡¯m eating.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing. Since I¡¯m holding onto this club, I can¡¯t even lift the bowl to drink it.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you use your left hand?¡± Chi-Woo paused. ¡°Are you going to make soup?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo stopped what he was doing and quietly switched the spoon to his left hand, but it was still awkward for him to eat. Then he asked, ¡°By the way, why did you leave my left hand alone?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not used to using your left hand as much as your right hand.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that I should be able to freely use both of my hands.¡± ¡°Not just both hands, but both your feet too.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been carefully moving his spoon for every gulp, turned to stare at his brother. ¡°Are you going to do the same thing to my left hand?¡± Chi-Hyun shrugged without replying, and Chi-Woo smacked his lips. Chi-Hyun then said, ¡°When you¡¯re finished eating, start training and don¡¯t forget what I told you yesterday.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Chi-Woo finished his meal and got up. Today was his first day entering a new phase of training. Chi-Woo got to experience firsthand how difficult and ridiculous Ru Amuh¡¯s theory was. First of all, it was very uncomfortable to have his hands tied together with a club. His right hand bothered him whenever he did something and stole all of his attention. Moreover, since only one of his arms was lengthened, his balance was off. What flustered Chi-Woo the most, though, was his brother¡¯s second condition¡ªto maintain a flow of exorcism mana in his club. After Chi-Woo barely managed to finish lifting the barbell, he began running towards the peak of the mountain and suddenly felt intense fatigue less than a few hours in. ¡®Uh¡­?¡¯ He usually ran at full speed during this time, but he was already running out of strength. Chi-Woo only realized the reason when he collapsed before reaching the mountain peak. Chi-Hyun¡¯s second condition had significantly increased the difficulty level of his training. Chi-Woo felt exhausted not only physically, but also in spirit. After assessing his physical condition, he intuitively realized, ¡®This won¡¯t be easy to adjust.¡¯ However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t question his brother¡¯s judgment or fall into despair anymore. His brother had made this place for him and himself; he knew and trusted in the fact. He was sure that his brother had assigned him this training because he could do it, so Chi-Woo was going to meet his expectations. Even if it was hard right now, he was going to endure. The greater the difficulty, the greater the joy of overcoming it. ¡°Huff-!¡± Chi-Woo pushed himself up and stomped on the ground with all his might, moving toward the mountain peak that looked closer than before. * * * Humans were masters of adaptation. A few months after he began his new training, Chi-Woo managed to get used to his new life. He could now fold his sleeping bag and cook with ease after waking up. His left hand could now also write as well as his right hand. Moreover¡­ Chi-Woo gently placed the bowl on the tip of his club and ladled the stew he had been simmering for a day with his left hand. After transferring the stew into his bowl, he slightly rotated the club and lowered it. The bowl spun and accurately landed in front of Chi-Hyun. ¡ªWoahhhhh! ¡°Pyu! Pyuuu!¡± Philip and steamed bun energetically applauded as if they just witnessed a cool stunt. Chi-Woo put his left hand on his chest and bowed at them both. Then he looked back at his brother and spread out his arms. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°I guess you can now get a job at a circus. You can at least be an apprentice.¡± ¡°What do you mean apprentice? I¡¯ll definitely be the star of the circus.¡± Chi-Woo snorted and got a bowl for himself before sitting down. ¡°By the way, how long do I have to stay like this?¡± ¡°You have a long way to go.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but do you have any skills to teach me?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You know, ways to use a club while making two different movements at once. It¡¯s a common trope in martial arts stories.¡± ¡°Martial arts stories, hah.¡± Chi-Hyun smiled flatly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask me to teach you how to beat evil villains with a club ¡­¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly stopped talking and became quiet. ¡°No, I¡¯m serious,¡± Chi-Woo grumbled while eating his stew. ¡°Doing this made me realize how arrogant I was. If I learn how to use the club in a fight, I think I can at least get a rough understanding.¡± He puffed his cheek and waited for his brother¡¯s answer. However, his brother did not reply no matter how long he waited. ¡°Hyung?¡± Chi-Hyun looked away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Chi-Woo. Chi-Hyun was glaring at the air while slightly raising his right wrist. It seemed that he had received a notification; his user information was turned on. Chi-Woo was about to call out to him again, but Chi-Hyun gave him a look that silenced him; he knew that his brother was telling him to wait and not disturb him. Chi-Hyun was staring at the air with an extremely intense face. After a while, Chi-Hyun put down his bowl and immediately stood up. ¡°I have to go out for a bit.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯ll take a day or two. You stay here and train.¡± After saying this, he turned and left without another word. ¡°What the¡ª? Something urgent must have happened.¡± Chi-Woo murmured to himself as he saw his brother¡¯s back quickly getting further and further away. Then he spat out the words, ¡°What do you mean a day or two? You¡¯re going to be late again. It¡¯s so obvious.¡± If there was one thing he realized while staying here, it was that his brother never kept his word about the time he would return. Chi-Hyun had said he would return in a day and only returned after ten days. Chi-Woo hoped it would be different this time in the back of his mind, but it wasn¡¯t. Chi-Hyun returned about three weeks later¡ªwith another person beside him. CH 180 It was neither Ru Amuh nor Ru Hiana. Or Zelit, Eshnunna, or Hawa. The woman who came with Chi-Hyun was Noel Freya. Chi-Woo was surprised to see her. ¡°Huh? Why did you¡­?¡± It seemed Noel was also surprised to see Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo looked to his brother for an explanation, and Noel looked at him from head to toe. Her eyes lingered on the ropes tying the club to his hand. ¡®¡­What is that?¡¯ She wondered, but her curiosity soon faded. This was a matter that Choi Chi-Hyun had personally given special attention to. There must be a reason why Chi-Woo¡¯s hand was in such a weird state. ¡°I was wondering where you were since you¡¯ve been gone for a while. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± After she finished her inspection, Noel crossed her arms and smiled snidely. ¡°I thought you were already dealt with. Well, I¡¯m sure you had your uses to be left alive.¡± She nodded to herself in understanding and turned to Chi-Hyun. ¡°I got it, sir. I just have to guard this man while you are absent, right sir?¡± ¡°¡­Noel.¡± ¡°If you wish, I can teach him in your stead,¡± Noel said. Chi-Hyun¡¯s expression turned serious. He didn¡¯t know how he was going to untangle this very messy, complicated situation. Trust was a scary emotion. Once a person began to trust another person with blind faith, a fanatic was born. To Noel, Chi-Hyun was a god-like entity, who she followed with absolute loyalty no matter what he did. And such blind faith often begot a plethora of misunderstandings, as was in this case. While Chi-Hyun had captured a hero with a good reputation and many accomplishments under his belt, Noel immediately jumped to the conclusion that the hero was in the wrong even though she hadn¡¯t found any faults in the man herself. Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t given Noel any updates or explanation to clear up the situation. Furthermore, Chi-Woo¡¯s current condition was ragged at best. Even though he ate and slept well, the place he was staying was inside a mountain. His hair was shaggy, and his clothes were worn out from the rigorous training. Added to the fact that Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t taken a step inside the capital and was staying inside the cave, it completely made sense that Noel would think Chi-Woo was someone ¡®so dangerous the lord has personally separated from the others and overseen, but kept alive for the uses a prisoner may have.¡¯ It was all a misunderstanding that Chi-Hyun had brought about. After pondering for a while, Chi-Hyun decided to dive directly into the matter. ¡°I told you before.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That I had someone to introduce to you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Let me do that now,¡± he said, ¡°This is my brother.¡± It was so sudden that Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned wide. They needed to hide the fact that Chi-Woo was Chi-Hyun¡¯s brother and the youngest of the Choi family. Chi-Hyun had said again and again that there was nothing they could gain by revealing this truth. Thus, Chi-Woo was surprised that his brother was revealing this secret so unceremoniously now. Surprisingly, Noel maintained a perfect poker face and simply turned to Chi-Hyun before asking, ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother,¡± Chi-Hyun confirmed. It was then Noel¡¯s face finally broke into astonishment. ¡°Huh¡­you knew him? What? Among the heroes, there¡¯s no one you would call a brother¡­¡± Noel glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°I don¡¯t recall anyone like that. It¡¯s my first time seeing him.¡± Noel, who was well aware of Chi-Hyun¡¯s short list of acquaintances, looked befuddled. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve misunderstood, so I¡¯m repeating myself again. I¡¯m not saying he¡¯s my comrade, but my actual brother, to whom I¡¯m connected by blood.¡± Chi-Hyun enunciated each word so that Noel heard him clearly. ¡°He¡¯s my biological brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Noel blinked hard. With her forehead creased, she tilted her head. Then she looked back and forth between Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo. ¡°Ah¡­sorry?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother.¡± ¡°Sorry? Huh?¡± ¡°Do you not understand?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± She blinked even faster, and her face reddened. It seemed her brain had reached full capacity, and she was struggling to accept completely unexpected information. ¡°Choi Chi-Woo,¡± Chi-Hyun said while gesturing to his brother. ¡°Come and show her your name on the user information.¡± Chi-Woo was also baffled, but he did what his brother told him to do. A simple message popped up in front of Noel. 1. Name: Choi Chi-Woo Noel¡¯s eyes shook intensely as soon as she saw the line. ¡°Choi Chi-Hyun. Choi Chi-Woo? Choi Chi, Hyun. Choi Chi, Woo¡­? No, no. Choi, Chi-Hyun. Choi, Chi-Woo¡­?¡± She murmured to herself, looking at the brothers and then the message blankly. After a while, the light in her eyes dimmed like a prisoner who had failed to endure gruesome torture and ended up as a living corpse. She seemed to have short-circuited completely. ¡°Noel?¡± She didn¡¯t even respond to Chi-Hyun¡¯s call. Like a statue, she remained stiff with her arms hanging to her sides. Chi-Woo also sensed Noel¡¯s strange condition. He carefully approached her and waved, but she showed no response. Just in case, he poked her nose. ¡°Hy-Hyun-Hyung,¡± Chi-Woo said in shock. ¡°Ms. Noel¡­is dead¡­!¡± * * * Fortunately, Noel wasn¡¯t dead. She simply stopped breathing in her shock, and her brain forgot how to function temporarily. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Unable to bear it any longer, Chi-Hyun clapped. ¡°!¡± And Noel seemed to be coming to her senses. ¡°Noel.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I will introduce him to you again.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My biological brother. The youngest son of the Choi family, Choi Chi-Woo.¡± ¡°Whaat?¡± It seemed her senses hadn¡¯t fully come back to her yet. But Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t confident that he could explain any better than this. ¡°Yeah, I understand that you must be shocked. There¡¯s a reason I couldn¡¯t tell you until now¡­¡± Noel wasn¡¯t paying attention to him though. She was looking pleadingly at Chi-Woo. ¡°Hello?¡± Chi-Woo greeted her with a pleasant smile. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± She let out a high-pitched scream and collapsed. Bam! Her forehead slammed into the floor. ¡°Ah¡ª! Ahhhhhh!¡± She continued to shriek in anger. ¡°Ah! Ahhhhhh!¡± Her pitch fluctuated wildly as she screamed. ¡°Ah¡ª! Ah ¨K Ahahahah ¨J Ahahah¨K Ahahah¨J Ahahahah¨J Ahahaha¨K Ahahah¨J Ah-! Ah-! Ah-! Ah-! Ah-!¡± ¡°¡­Whoah.¡± Chi-Woo was impressed. He didn¡¯t expect to hear Mozart¡¯s opera piece coming out of her mouth, especially the part said to be the hardest part sung by the Queen of the Night, Aria. Noel¡¯s headspace was a mess, but all the suspicions she had been having fit into place with this new piece of information. Yes. She had thought it was weird, and that Chi-Woo looked a bit similar to Chi-Hyun. Moreover, there was no way a weird name like Chichibbong could exist even across the whole universe. She should¡¯ve realized it was a fake name in the first place! There was even a time when Chi-Woo accidentally said that Chi-Hyun was his brother! To think they were really brothers! ¡°Why!¡± Noel raised her head abruptly and flailed both arms while looking up at Chi-Hyun. ¡°Whyyyyy!¡± Chi-Hyun looked at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t expect Noel to be this surprised. He had thought she would easily settle herself down. But Noel soon got up and began to run with all her might while screaming, ¡°Ahhhh!¡± She disappeared far, far away and escaped. ¡°¡­Did she do something to you?¡± Chi-Hyun asked after a long stretch of silence. ¡°No, well¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head and sighed. ¡°But more importantly, why did you suddenly reveal that we are brothers?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You hid the fact when my companions came.¡± ¡°I thought it would be better to tell someone in advance, especially to Noel.¡± ¡°Why? Is she a subordinate you trust?¡± ¡°There¡¯s that too, but you would need somebody to oversee you while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°While you¡¯re gone?¡± Now that he thought about it, Chi-Woo recalled his brother telling Noel this. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave for some time. It might take a while.¡± Chi-Woo looked at his brother suspiciously. His brother once told him that he would come back in a couple of days and took ten days. Thus, ¡®a while¡¯ could mean several more days or months. ¡°Did something important come up?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°Will you be in danger? Perhaps, a war¡ª" ¡°No,¡± Chi-Hyun cut him off, ¡°It¡¯s about the godly territory that was established before. I¡¯m going to that city.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo nodded. Then it was understandable why it would take so long since his brother would need to leave the capital and go through the agreement process. ¡°Okay. Take care just in case. I hope everything will work out.¡± ¡°Of course it will. I¡¯m sure the other side knows we aren¡¯t complete idiots,¡± Chi-Hyun said calmly and asked Chi-Woo more seriously, ¡°Are you¡­going to keep training in this place?¡± ¡°Uh¡­shouldn¡¯t I? As long as there¡¯s nothing weird going on.¡± ¡°No, even if something happens,¡± Chi-Hyun emphasized, ¡°Stay put here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t you have to train more anyway? You won¡¯t be able to find a place like this outside.¡± Chi-Hyun was right, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t hastily agree with his brother; he wasn¡¯t the type of person to give a promise he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to keep. Chi-Hyun looked at his brother, who stood still without a word, and raised a hand with frustration. ¡°If you want to leave so badly¡ª¡± With a wave, he conjured a rock the size of a house in front of them. Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth widened at the rock¡¯s enormous size. Then Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°You have to break this rock first.¡± ¡°Break this rock?¡± ¡°Yeah, and with only one hit.¡± One hit. Chi-Woo thought it might be possible if he poured all his exorcism mana into the hit. No¡ªthere was no way his brother would miss that. Chi-Hyun added, ¡°This isn¡¯t just a rock.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re purposely saying that because you don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to break it.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Chi-Hyun easily admitted with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ve originally planned this as the training after your next training.¡± Not his next training, but the training after. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°You definitely won¡¯t be able to do it in your current state, but¡­if you really do manage to break it somehow in one shot, I¡¯ll feel at least a bit reassured.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I promise you.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reply. He looked into the distance and whistled. Chi-Hyun glared at him and sighed. Then he said, ¡°And you should start thinking for yourself.¡± Chi-Woo replied, ¡°Think? What do I have to think about?¡± ¡°Ways to get stronger.¡± ¡°Do I even have to think about it? You told me that if I just follow whatever you tell me to do in this space, I¡¯ll get stronger.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about basic training.¡± Chi-Hyun clicked his tongue. ¡°You have a lot of things you can use.¡± ¡°Ah, you mean my special abilities.¡± Chi-Woo finally understood. Chi-Hyun replied, ¡°No, not just your special abilities. Your club, holy water, talismans, and many other things. Ponder about how you can effectively use what you have by yourself.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s nothing much.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also think about it, so let¡¯s talk when I come back.¡± ¡°This feels like homework. You gave me too much to do.¡± ¡°Yeah, so you won¡¯t think about useless thoughts until I come back,¡± Chi-Hyun said nonchalantly and continued, ¡°Anyway, just focus on training. Don¡¯t think about anything else. And while I¡¯m gone, Noel will¡­¡± He shifted his gaze, but Noel still hadn¡¯t returned. ¡°Noel¡­¡± Chi-Hyun smacked his lips. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try talking to her again.¡± * * * On that same day, Chi-Hyun left as soon as he finished talking to Noel. Then Noel came back to the cave the next day. ¡°Um¡­¡± Chi-Woo, who had finished breakfast and was getting started with basic training, turned to see Noel¡¯s approaching figure. To his surprise, her hair was neatly braided, and her face was beautiful and bright with whatever she had put on. She had also dressed up neatly as if she was meeting her in-laws. It was one-eighty from how she usually presented herself, having her hair down and wearing plain, white clothes. However, her eyes were bloodshot, and her expression looked very grave. Judging by the deep dark circles under her eyes, it was clear that she had been unable to sleep all night. Chi-Woo greeted her, ¡°He¡­llo?¡± Noel¡¯s mouth became skewed. It seemed that she was trying to smile but was having a hard time. No, her lips were trembling. ¡°I¡­I¡­received Lord Chi-Hyun¡¯s orders and¡­¡± Then she suddenly shouted, ¡°I brought it!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, I mean! That!¡± Noel, who had been waving with both hands like a maestro, dropped several bags at his feet. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you would like, so here! I brought all kinds of food..!¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Go ahead! Please continue with your training! There¡¯s no need to mind me! You can think of me as a bug!¡± Did she even know what she was saying? Chi-Woo smiled wryly and lifted his barbell. ¡°¡­Um.¡± However, he couldn¡¯t focus. Noel¡¯s restless and anxious gaze might as well be boring a hole into the back of his head, and he put the barbell down. When he turned around and made eye contact, Noel¡¯s mouth became twisted again. It didn¡¯t look like she was smiling at all; instead, it was rather scary. Chi-Woo could easily guess why Noel was acting like this. He thought he should properly talk to her about their situation at least once. After organizing his thoughts, Chi-Woo said, ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± However, Noel dropped to her knees and almost buried her face into the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I made the gravest mistake, worthy of death! Please forgive me! Please!¡± Chi-Woo became lost for words in the truest sense. He wondered if she was the same person who confidently acted as his brother¡¯s representative and led a huge group of heroes. He said, ¡°Please get up.¡± ¡°I apologize for not recognizing you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Chi-Woo put great emphasis on his words. ¡°You didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Would you please keep what I did a secret from him¡­what?¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped because you didn¡¯t know. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Honestly, he didn¡¯t think she was completely innocent. Regardless of her ignorance, he was quite shocked by her complete change in attitude towards him. However, he didn¡¯t want to pick on her or make it an issue. Even though people said ignorance was a sin, there were things that can and cannot be known. After all, Chi-Woo had also gone through a similar experience as Noel. After coming here without knowing anything, he had a huge fight with his brother when they first met. He told her, ¡°It¡¯s all right, really.¡± Slowly, Noel lifted the face she had pressed to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m just his brother. You don¡¯t have to act like that.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Noel¡¯s eyes slowly returned to their original vibrancy. At this moment, Chi-Woo looked absolutely dazzling to her; it really seemed as if a halo was emerging behind Chi-Woo¡¯s back. By her standards, she had committed a crime so horrendous that she couldn¡¯t even atone with her death. She felt a deep sense of awe at his generosity. ¡®Oh my¡­!¡¯ At that moment, Noel became sure that Chi-Woo really was a bloodline of the Choi family; as expected of Chi-Hyun¡¯s brother. After a while, Noel stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­properly introduce myself again.¡± She fixed her posture and got on one knee. ¡°Nice to meet you, sir. I¡¯m Noel Freya, serving Lord Chi-Hyun.¡± Chi-Woo felt burdened by her overly polite and formal behavior. He replied, ¡°I¡¯m Chi-Woo. It¡¯s my first time revealing my real name here. Nice to meet you too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll work hard to make up for my past actions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really all right.¡± Chi-Woo raised a hand. ¡°If you think about it, it¡¯s my brother¡¯s fault for not telling you in advance.¡± When he smiled, the tense look on Noel¡¯s face slightly brightened. Noel replied, ¡°Yeah, he was really too much. My mind completely blanked out when I heard that yesterday¡­¡± ¡°Me too. I thought he would keep it a secret until the very end. I had no idea he''d suddenly reveal it like that.¡± ¡°Oh my, really? Then am I the first person he revealed this to?¡± Noel¡¯s expression instantly changed to delight and joy. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how things turned out. Anyway, you really don¡¯t have to feel sorry. It¡¯s not your fault at all. It¡¯s all because my brother is downright mean.¡± ¡°I apologize for being downright mean!¡± ¡°No, Ms. Noel. I wasn¡¯t talking about you, but my brother.¡± ¡°Lord Chi-Hyun is¡­down-right mean?¡± Her smile faltered. Then she forced her lips to move again and shook her head. ¡°Haha¡­! Mr. Chi-Woo¡­no! Chi-Woo¡­uh¡­No, no! Young master¡­ What a funny joke¡­!¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback by Noel¡¯s intense reaction to his light jibe at his brother. It wasn¡¯t the first time he felt this way; she really was the ¡®real deal¡¯. No wonder his brother would trust her with his real identity. Chi-Woo shook his head, and Noel managed to calm down and cleared her throat. ¡°Lord Chi-Hyun has entrusted you to my care.¡± She put her hand on her chest and said, ¡°Please tell me whatever you need. I¡¯ll do my best to help.¡± It was surprising how being Chi-Hyun¡¯s brother somehow justified him treating Noel, who was influential enough to lead the central region, as one of his vassals. Of course, he had no intention of abusing this privilege. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you for help in the future. All you need to do is bring me food and drinks from time to time. I¡¯m going to stay here quietly and train like my brother told me to.¡± ¡°I understand. If there are any ingredients you would like, please feel free to let me know. I¡¯ll definitely make sure to get them for you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. I¡¯ll be taking my leave since you need to focus hard on your training.¡± Noel bowed politely and even walked backward as she left. Chi-Woo thought she would be gone for good for at least a good while, since it took about a month for the supplies to run out. However, that was not the case. ¡°Young master~¡± Noel came back at noon. He didn¡¯t know why she did, so he talked to her a bit and sent her away. ¡°Are you sleeping? Do you need anything?¡± Then she visited again at night. ¡°M-Ms. Noel? Why do you come again¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you can speak to me comfortably.¡± ¡°No, please sit down. Let¡¯s talk.¡± They began an honest conversation. The main subject was how there was no need for Noel to come so often. Chi-Woo expected his points to finally get through her, but he had underestimated her fiery devotion. Certainly, the number of times she visited had decreased¡ªfrom morning, afternoon, and night each to morning and afternoon. In other words, from three to two visits per day. In the end, when Chi-Woo got close to getting angry, Noel spoke like a dog soaked by the rain, ¡°If I don¡¯t do a proper job, I¡¯ll be rebuked by Lord Chi-Hyun¡­¡± Her devotion to following his brother¡¯s order was far beyond his imagination. * * * At dawn when everyone was deep asleep, a woman was tossing and turning in her bed. ¡ª¡­ Was she dreaming? Her complexion didn¡¯t look very well. ¡ª¡­ She let out a groan, and sweat formed on her forehead. Sporadically, her head swiveled from side to side. ¡ª¡­ Soon, a black and cold current of air reached the woman¡¯s ear. ¡ªQuickly¡­me. Eshnunna¡¯s eyes burst open. CH 181 Early in the morning before the sun rose, Eshnunna woke up. She looked lost¡ªlike someone who had floundered in deep water for long and barely managed to keep her head above water. Her pajamas were soaked, and her entire body was wet with sweat. Rough breaths came out of her nose and mouth, and for some reason, she was trembling regardless of her own will. It was as if she had seen something truly frightening. She thought to herself what she should do. ¡®Should I just close my eyes?¡¯ she wondered. After contemplating a bit, Eshnunna turned to see that she was in her bedroom. Her agitated breathing soon settled, and after double-checking and triple-checking that yes, this was indeed her room, she plopped back down on her pillow. Her eyes still looked weary with sleepiness. There was a sense of relief, but fear hadn¡¯t completely disappeared from them. ¡®It¡¯s been a while, but the nightmares are starting again,¡¯ Eshnunna thought. The problem was that she couldn¡¯t remember what she had dreamed about at all. That was even scarier. If she at least knew the reason, she wouldn¡¯t be feeling this unsettled. An anxiety that couldn¡¯t be explained tormented a person even more. ¡®But on second thought¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t remember it too well, but she faintly recalled hearing a voice. Her eyes drifted closed again. ¡®I hope that this time I will fall deep asleep without dreaming¡­¡¯ she wished and shut her eyes. ¡ª¡­. Not long afterward, Eshnunna¡¯s eyes burst open again. She looked around in confusion. She was relieved to see that she was still in her room when a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu hit her. She felt like she had experienced the exact same thing just before. Was that a dream? Or perhaps she was still in a dream? All sorts of thoughts passed through her head. But at the same time, she still had a strange feeling that somebody had called her from far away. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ Unable to differentiate reality from a dream, Eshnunna lay confused. ¡ª¡­. Then she suddenly heard a noise. Eshnunna stopped turning her head and thought, ¡®Just now¡­¡¯ She heard it just then. It wasn¡¯t clear, but there was a faint echo. She put all her focus on her hearing, but for a long time, there was only silence. She was about to relax again when¡ª ¡ªQuickly¡­me. Eshnunna flinched. She was sure of it this time. It wasn¡¯t her imagination, and when she realized this fact, a strong sense of fear enveloped her. ¡°W-Who are you? Who¡¯s there?¡± she mustered enough courage to ask. ¡ªQuickly¡­me. But only the barely audible echo circled back. Eshnunna sat up and turned sideways. There was no one in the room but her, and she felt her vision slowly darken. No, it was no mere feeling. The room was becoming darker, which was strange despite it being the middle of the night. Eshnunna hunched unconsciously, and her face blanked. She saw a large, dark mass swarming from the ceiling, dyeing it black as it cascaded down like blood trickling from an open wound. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eshnunna¡¯s lips gaped open as she looked above her. ¡°Ah¡­Ah¡­¡± She needed to scream, but her voice remained stuck inside her throat. ¡ªQuickly¡­me. All the while, the voice continued to say things she couldn¡¯t understand. Instinctively, Eshnunna kicked away the sheet and scrambled back. ¡°Ah!¡± Only after her back collided with the wall did she regain her senses. She clutched her lowered head and straightened her back. She shuddered for a moment seeing the sticky black mass fall from the wall to her shoulders, and after a deep breath, she jumped off the bed and ran. The distance between her bed and the door felt so long, and after some fumbling, her hand finally found the door handle. She was about to fling it open and rush outside, but what she saw on the other side stopped her dead and made her eyes widen. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± The bed shook as a piercing scream burst out of her mouth. Eshnunna spasmed like an electrified fish before lying flat on the bed. She barely managed to open her eyes again after such a shock. ¡°Ha¡ª! Haaaa¡ª!¡± Rough heaving noises came out of her mouth, and even after Eshnunna rolled off her bed, she wriggled in place for a while. She only stopped moving after she looked up to find the room bright with light streaming through her windows. Her breathing slowly calmed, and Eshnunna quickly got to her feet. She rushed to open the window, letting the warm sunlight and everyday hubbub outside wash over her. Her stiff expression relaxed a little after seeing people wander around the streets. Eshnunna tried pinching her cheek. It hurt. ¡°Ha...Haaaa¡­¡± She lowered her head and fell into deep contemplation. She tended to not remember her dreams after she woke up, but this time, she clearly remembered what had happened at the end. Darkness swept over her bedroom, and when she opened the door to get out¡­ Eshnunna bit on her lower lip and looked behind her. She saw it then. The door she was sure she had shut was open. ¡°¡­¡± And when she looked down at the threshold of her door, her legs gave out. She sat on the ground¡­ She had thought it was a dream. With a devastated expression, Eshnunna stayed there, unable to take her eyes away from what lay there. * * * ¡°Thank you for the clothes. It was very useful.¡± Noel went to see Eshnunna that afternoon. After Chi-Hyun left, Noel had paid special attention to her clothing when she went to visit Chi-Woo alone. Since it¡¯d be her first official meeting with Chi-Woo after his identity was revealed, and she had done him wrong in the past, she thought it¡¯d be best if she dressed with care. Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t many clothes to choose from in a ruined world. Thus, after much thought, Noel had gone to Eshnunna for help. She thought Eshnunna would have at least one or two decent clothes even in this fallen world considering her status, and she was right. Noel got to borrow some better clothes although she was peeved to find the chest area a little loose for her. But anyways, Noel came to return the clothes after washing them. Then she noticed that Eshnunna didn¡¯t look all that great. ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡± Eshnunna answered her. Worries filled her eyes, and her face looked pale and hollow. Truthfully, Noel didn¡¯t care much about Eshnunna. Nobles and royalties meant nothing given the circumstances. Noel only treated Eshnunna with respect because the princess was surprisingly down-to-earth and quite influential to the natives. Besides, there was no need to antagonize a princess of a fallen kingdom even if she no longer had much use. Thus, Noel asked after her out of courtesy. ¡°Did something happen? You don¡¯t look too well, Lady Eshnunna.¡± Eshnunna slowly nodded. ¡°I¡­¡± Her lips trembled as she hesitated. ¡°Yes? If you wouldn¡¯t mind confiding in me, please tell me what¡¯s wrong,¡± Noel said with a soft smile. Eshnunna began carefully, ¡°Do you perhaps¡­¡± * * * After Chi-Hyun left, Chi-Woo kept his promise to his brother. He trained and trained some more. However, the task his brother left him with proved to be too difficult. It was noon by the time Chi-Woo completed the basic course. And from then on, outside mealtime, he focused on only one task until it was time to sleep: to crush the boulder as big as a house. As he expected, it wasn¡¯t an easy job. First of all, since he used mana every time he swung his club, his body quickly became tired. And the fact that he made no progress day by day made him incredibly frustrated. When Chi-Woo first swung with all his mana, he ended up screaming at the top of his lungs because of the sheer counterforce hitting him at contact. His palm felt like it was splitting, while his whole body rang like a gong. Of course, the boulder didn¡¯t budge, nor did Chi-Woo even manage to make the slightest dent. Chi-Woo wondered if the boulder was a special metal rather than an ordinary rock. He felt gloomy and hopeless, but Chi-Woo continued to swing his club while believing that his efforts would all be worth it someday. ¡ªNo. If you practice like that, you¡¯ll never be successful no matter how hard you try. ¡­Until Philip told him otherwise. Chi-Woo, who had swung his club until the sun set, shifted his gaze to Philip and wiped his sweat. Philip was looking down at him with his arms folded. ¡®Why are you being so pessimistic?¡¯ ¨CI¡¯m not trying to hinder you, but telling you the reality. Philip said calmly. ¨CEven if you swing hundreds or thousands of times like that, you¡¯ll never be able to even leave a scratch on that rock. In fact, the rock was entirely unscathed even though he had swung his club more than 10,000 times. There was not even a nail-sized scratch on it. ¡®Why do you think that?¡¯ Chi-Woo was a little agitated, but he decided to hear Philip out first. ¨CYou remember what I emphasized to you many times before, right? To think. Philip readily continued as if he had been waiting for Chi-Woo to ask. ¡®Is there anything to think about? I just have to do what I¡¯m told.¡¯ ¨CThis training isn¡¯t basic training. Philip continued calmly. ¨CIt¡¯s two steps after the basic training. Can¡¯t call it basic anymore. It was okay for Chi-Woo to just do as he was told for the basics, but the situation changed when he went beyond that. ¨CBut most of all, didn¡¯t your brother tell you the same? That you need to be able to think for yourself from now on. ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t say anything because it was true as well. ¨CLet¡¯s think about the most fundamental aspects first. Philip cleared his throat. ¨CWhy did your brother tell you to break a big rock of all things? ¡®To prevent me from leaving.¡¯ ¨CCorrect. However, he also told you that he¡¯ll feel a little more at ease if you can break this rock. Your brother wants you to be safe in this dangerous world, so he wants to build your strength. Philip was right. Chi-Hyun had told him he should know how to protect himself in case of an unknown danger. ¨CThen what do you think is that unknown danger? In Philip¡¯s perspective, Chi-Woo had made significant achievements while staying here. Just the fact that his physical abilities were now rank C was enough to make him one of the strongest heroes on Liber. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to ensure his survival, since there was no shortage of stronger individuals among the four forces ruling Liber. ¨CIn short, your brother is worried about you, and he wants you to get stronger. What do you do if you encounter an enemy stronger than yourself? There¡¯s no one around. You can¡¯t switch with me, and you can¡¯t run away either. You have to deal with them alone no matter what. Then what¡¯s your only choice? ¡®¡­All I can do is kill my enemy.¡¯ ¨CRight. So how do you kill someone stronger than you? ¡®¡­¡¯ ¨CThink harder. Your brother already told you the answer. Only then did Chi-Woo remember what his brother told him. ¡®A single hit.¡¯ Chi-Hyun had told him to break this rock with a single blow. ¨CYep. A one-hit special attack. Philip affirmed softly. ¨CIt¡¯s the only way to flip the odds when fighting a stronger opponent. Leisure was the privilege of the strong. However, their hubris could lead to carelessness. What if Chi-Woo could use that opportunity to finish his opponent with a single hit? ¡®Yes, you¡¯re right.¡¯ Chi-Woo agreed. When Philip borrowed Chi-Woo¡¯s body in the past, he had lowered his opponent¡¯s guard with deception before landing a single explosive blow to secure the upper hand. He did it when he fought Andras as well as Vepar. ¨CYou couldn¡¯t kill Andras or Vepar with one hit because you didn¡¯t have enough power, but it¡¯s different now. Chi-Woo had grown much stronger, and his exorcism mana was slowly reaching the peak of its current rank, right at the doorstep of rank B. Under the right circumstances, Chi-Woo might now be able to kill enemies like them with one decisive blow. ¨CNow, how does this rock look to you? Chi-Woo looked up. ¡®An enemy stronger and more dangerous than me that I have to beat with one hit.¡¯ ¨CYeah, that¡¯s exactly right. Philip smiled with satisfaction. ¨CThat¡¯s the reason why you have to crush this rock with all your might. The first step of training is to understand exactly why you¡¯re doing it. ¡­It wasn¡¯t the first time Chi-Woo felt this way, but Philip did give surprisingly good advice, which was very unlike his usual self. Chi-Woo committed his words to heart. ¡®But¡­I can¡¯t crush it even with all my strength.¡¯ ¨CIt¡¯s because your method is wrong. Philip smirked and spun around Chi-Woo. ¨CAll right. It¡¯s time to learn through real-life experience. Turn over your body. ¡®?¡¯ ¨CCome on, quickly. You still have your eyesight and hearing when I take over. It¡¯s better to see and hear with your own eyes and ears than hearing about it a hundred times. Chi-Woo felt reluctant, but he trusted Philip and handed over his reign. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s been a while. Wait a minute.¡¯ Philip warmed up and picked up a rock at his feet with his left hand. ¡°Look at this first.¡± Then he threw the rock into the air. Whoosh! He swung the club, which spun in his hand. The rock flew far away with a bang. ¡°One more time.¡± Philip picked up another rock. ¡°Now look at this. Focus.¡± Philip threw the rock in the air and swung the club again. Smack! It made a different sound. The rock not only crumbled, but turned into powder and scattered in the air. ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-Woo was shocked. Philip had swung the club in the same way, but the results were completely different. ¡°How is it?¡± Philip asked with a smile. ¡°Can you tell what¡¯s different?¡± Chi-Woo stared out of the eyesight he shared with Philip. He tried hard to think and then realized, ¡®I get it!¡¯ For the first swing, the club spun after hitting the stone, but for the second swing, the club hit the stone and then stopped. To be more exact, the club stopped as soon as it hit the stone. Chi-Woo thought, ¡®The club stopped. You pulled it back at almost the same time.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Philip whistled. ¡°The answer is timing! And that is what you call a snap punch!¡± ¡®A snap punch?¡¯ ¡°Yeah. Listen. When I swing this club, energy will obviously be generated, right?¡± ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡°And the moment energy collides, friction causes a loss of momentum.¡± ¡®Yeah.¡¯ ¡°If you¡¯re any legit martial artist, a thought would be popping into your head now¡ªthe power that is lost due to friction is so wasteful. How can I deliver my hits with the least amount of momentum lost?¡± If one continued to swing their club even after hitting the target, the collision would be prolonged. But what if one pulled back the club as soon as it hit the target? Philip continued, ¡°Then the amount of energy you generate will be fully transmitted to your opponent, which will then lead to higher damage than the case of the first swing.¡± Suppose one was swinging a bat with the same force. If the first swing took 0.1 seconds to reach the target, and the second swing took 0.5 seconds, the impact of the former would be five times as powerful as that of the latter. ¡°The bottom line is that the shorter the time it takes for you to reach the target, the greater the impact you can get with the same amount of energy.¡± ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo felt like he was kind of grasping the idea, but also not. ¡®¡­It¡¯s hard.¡¯ ¡°What, you¡¯re already having a hard time? What determines impulse is mass, speed, and time. Among them, I¡¯ve only touched on time.¡± Philip chuckled. ¡°Well, I gave you a clue, so try your best. You have to learn how to do this freely so that you can learn about recoil and elasticity.¡± ¡®Is that so?¡¯ ¡°Yeah. You didn¡¯t understand anything that your friend, Ru Amuh, told you before, right?¡± ¡®When was that?¡¯ ¡°When you used my advice to help him train.¡± Philip continued, ¡°If you fully understand this concept and implement it, you can probably grasp about 30% of what I said then¡­¡± Philip, who had been explaining with excitement, suddenly trailed off and turned around; he felt a presence approaching him. ¡°What the? She came here again.¡± It was Noel. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she supposed to visit only once a week?¡± Noel, who used to stop by all the time, decided to come once a week after Chi-Woo got angry. It had only been a day since her last visit. ¡°Uh¡­wait.¡± However, as Noel got closer, Philip¡¯s and Chi-Woo¡¯s annoyance subsided; Noel had not come alone. A woman was following her, and Chi-Woo soon recognized her. ¡°She¡¯s one of your people." ¡®Yes, you¡¯re right.¡¯ A question immediately popped up in Chi-Woo¡¯s head, ¡®Why is Ms. Eshnunna here all of a sudden?¡¯ CH 182 ¡°Upon Lady Salem Eshnunna¡¯s dire request, I came to visit you again, sir,¡± Noel said. Her manner of speech toward Chi-Woo had changed once again. ¡°I know I came without warning, but the request I received was too urgent.¡± Noel maintained a serious and business-like tone since there was someone in their party who didn¡¯t know the full situation. Chi-Woo¡ªno, Philip nodded. Seeing that Chi-Woo seemed to understand, Noel¡¯s agitation subsided somewhat. ¡°I¡¯ll give you space so that you can speak comfortably. Please call me when you¡¯re done.¡± Noel backed away and searched her surroundings. It seemed she cared deeply whether or not Chi-Woo needed anything. As long as Noel was here, Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t have to worry about starving. He was left alone with Eshnunna. Chi-Woo was glad to see her after so long. He was about to greet her when she spoke up first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden apology. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy. I didn¡¯t want to bother you if there was a choice¡­¡± ¡°No! Thanks for coming, milady!¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°No, no, I mean it¡¯s fine, Lady Eshnunna. I¡¯m not really busy.¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you tell all of us that you needed to take care of something on your own?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Philip studied Eshnunna carefully. Her complexion didn¡¯t look good, and instead of asking what Chi-Woo was doing here, she simply stared at the ground. It seemed her mind was elsewhere. ¡®She has a problem,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought as he looked at her. But before that¡­ ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ he asked Philip. ¡°Hmph.¡± Philip coughed. ¡®What do you mean by hmph? Give me my body back already.¡¯ ¡°Hmph¡ª¡± Philip pretended not to hear Chi-Woo again and spoke while trying to mimic Chi-Woo¡¯s speech. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± Eshnunna glanced to her side. By then, Noel had gone inside the cave to check the supplies. ¡°Should we go on a walk?¡± Philip suggested, and Eshnunna nodded. Some time afterward, Philip stopped on the way to the mountain peak. A casual glance over his shoulder caught the moment Eshnunna let out a deep sigh. ¡°I have been¡­having a worry these days.¡± Philip approached Eshnunna and held her hands. ¡°A worry, you say? Your worry is mine, milady. Thus, don¡¯t hesitate to confide in me. Actually, please do so. Even if my body breaks in the process, I will remove what is tormenting you.¡± Philip murmured and got closer to her. Chi-Woo screamed, asking Philip what in the world he was doing. Not minding Chi-Woo, Philip gazed longingly into Eshnunna¡¯s eyes and smiled, but he came to a halt when he saw that Eshnunna¡¯s face was filled with horror¡ªas if she was looking at an icky bug. ¡°L-Lady?¡± ¡°¡­Have you gone mad?¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly acting like this? Are you crazy?¡± Eshnunna flicked his hands away and quickly took a few steps backward like she could no longer trust him. This wasn¡¯t what Philip had expected to happen. ¡®Are you crazy!? You are insaaane!¡¯ Chi-Woo continued to shout. ¡°L-Let¡¯s change spots now,¡± Philip murmured in shock. ¡®Change spots? Whaat? After you make things like this!?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m going to run.¡± ¡®You selfish bastard. Hey, hey!¡¯ Chi-Woo regained control of his body; Philip had run away. ¡®Hey, you bastard!¡¯ Chi-Woo continued to shout at him. Hearing this, Philip paused. ¡®Are you crazy? She¡¯s Salem like you! Isn¡¯t she a great-great-great or more generations apart granddaughter of yours¡­!?¡± ¡ªNo¡­That¡¯s not it. Philip looked behind him a bit and said weakly. ¡ªI just thought you two would go along well together¡­ ¡®What!?¡¯ Philip murmured in response. ¡ªNo¡­Well, you know, I¡¯m an ancestor of the Salems too¡­ Despite the circumstances, I don¡¯t feel too great that my family line has ended up like this¡­ Since there¡¯s at least one of them left¡­I thought it would be okay for her to be your partner¡­ In other words, Philip¡¯s plan had been to continue his family line by pairing Chi-Woo and the last Salem descendant, Eshnunna, together. [Crazy bastard.] Mimi interjected after a long time of silence. Both Noel and Chi-Hyun would¡¯ve been enraged to hear this. ¡ªI was planning to leave you two alone after creating a nice atmosphere¡­ Chi-Woo decided to calm himself for now. No matter how crazy Philip was, there was no way he would commit something close to incest. But that was that, and it didn¡¯t change the fact Philip had brought this terrible situation upon Chi-Woo right now. ¡®You really are freaking crazy!¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. ¡°What is it suddenly? Are you really the same person I knew?¡± Chi-Woo then heard a sharp, icy voice. It was understandable why Eshnunna was acting this way. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t appeared to be that interested in romance before, but he was now acting so cheesy it would make anyone¡¯s skin crawl. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because I was getting¡­a bit lonely these nights.¡± ¡°Lonely? Nights?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s¡­I just had something going on and have been staying here for a long time alone. That¡¯s why I was happy to see someone I knew.¡± Chi-Woo explained desperately, and it seemed his attempts had worked. The suspicion in Eshnunna¡¯s eyes faded somewhat. Then they returned to the main topic at hand. ¡°¡­So, what did you say you came here for?¡± Chi-Woo asked while glaring at Philip, who was walking awkwardly toward them. It wouldn¡¯t be too late to exorcize Philip even after he finished hearing Eshnunna¡¯s story, would it? ¡°There¡¯s something you must see first,¡± Eshnunna said in a low voice and put down the bundle in her hand. She untied it. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face hardened. Inside the bundle, there was a broomstick split into two. It was just a stick, but Chi-Woo was familiar with it. After all, he actually rode on top of it once and knew its owner: the Abyss¡¯ witch, Onorables Evelyn. ¡°Why¡­ Do you¡­?¡± Chi-Woo stammered. ¡°I have been¡­ dreaming these days¡­¡± Eshnunna said with some strain. It was a nightmare she couldn¡¯t remember well. The only thing she could remember was the voice that said the same things again and again; then her surroundings turned dark, and she was about to run away¡­ ¡°¡­I thought it was a dream.¡± Eshnunna shuddered. ¡°But when I woke up, the door was open, and this broom was left on the door¡¯s threshold.¡± ¡°Your door¡¯s threshold, you said? And¡­that voice kept saying, ¡®Quickly¡­ me¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Eshnunna said unconfidently. ¡°I think I heard something important¡­like they were telling me to do something, and it ended with ¡®quickly¡­ me¡¯¡± Eshnunne rubbed at her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I can¡¯t¡­I really can¡¯t remember¡­¡± In the end, she shook her head while apologizing. ¡°Do you recall anything else? It¡¯s fine even if you aren¡¯t sure.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Eshnunna squinted. ¡°To tell you the truth, I didn¡¯t know it inside the dream, but¡­¡± She hesitated for a long while and continued, ¡°After I woke up and thought deeply¡­I think it was my brother.¡± ¡°By brother, do you mean Yohan?¡± ¡°Yes, it almost seemed like he was asking me to save him¡­¡± Eshnunna¡¯s eyes looked teary as she talked about Yohan. ¡°Could it be Yohan¡¯s soul? Maybe he was giving me a warning.¡± ¡°No,¡± Chi-Woo firmly said, ¡°It probably wasn¡¯t Yohan. This broomstick belongs to the witch.¡± He picked up a piece of the broken stick, ¡°You said darkness came down from above, right? That is also one of the witch¡¯s powers.¡± Chi-Woo still couldn¡¯t forget the time when a black curtain fell from the sky and wiped away the army of mutants. ¡°I think all leads point to the witch. She might be trying to deliver a message to you through your dream.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s forehead wrinkled. ¡°But why would she relay a message to me¡­?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know the exact reason, but he had a guess. He crossed his arms and ruminated over what she had said. ¡®Quickly¡­me.¡¯ What could she have meant? ¡°¡­Help me.¡± Or it could have been, ¡°Tell me. Give me.¡± Chi-Woo listed out the possible guesses as they came to mind. ¡°Find me.¡± ¡°Find¡­me?¡± Eshnunna tilted her head. ¡°Lady Witch sometimes visited and suddenly called me out at night.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°She might have tried to find me by putting magic on this broom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But she couldn¡¯t find me, so she asked you to pass this on to me since she¡¯d met you before.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s conjecture seemed believable, so Eshnunna nodded. ¡°¡­Or.¡± Chi-Woo took a deep breath and said, ¡°it could be both.¡± Chi-Woo knew that his brother had used some kind of special ability to protect this space. People who hadn¡¯t come here and memorized the way wouldn¡¯t be able to easily find it. Since his brother of all people took great care to make this training ground, it was reasonable that even Ms. Evelyn wouldn¡¯t be able to find him. After gaining a basic grasp of the situation, Chi-Woo decided to confirm the most important part again with Eshnunna. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna, you said you found this pole at the threshold, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How was it placed?¡± ¡°What? It was just¡­¡± ¡°No, I mean was it facing the outside or the inside? Please tell me exactly how it was placed.¡± ¡°Is that important?¡± ¡°Yes, it could be.¡± Eshnunna fell into thought at Chi-Woo¡¯s firm answer. She did remember how it looked exactly. ¡°It was placed from the hallway to the room, and I remember the broom was halfway across the threshold. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. Half of the broom had crossed the threshold. ¡°Is that¡­bad?¡± Eshnunna cautiously asked at Chi-Woo¡¯s sudden quietness. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reply. He didn¡¯t want to worry her further since she already looked quite anxious. The fact that the threshold she saw in her dream turned out to have become reality could be a bad sign. A threshold was at the bottom of the door, and crossing the threshold could be interpreted in many ways. ¡®Crossing the line¡­¡¯ For example, the threshold could be interpreted as the boundary between this world and the afterlife. In this case, it could be interpreted as crossing the River Styx or the Sanzu River. Fortunately, the broom hadn¡¯t completely crossed the threshold, but only halfway in. Then it could be interpreted as a sign that somebody was crossing the river or was about to cross it. Whatever it might be, there was a good chance that the witch was in serious trouble. Of course, he couldn¡¯t jump to conclusions yet. Dream interpretation was always a fickle and uncertain art. However, Chi-Woo was sure that it wasn¡¯t just a meaningless dream. The broken broom was clear proof of that. Thus, he needed more information to confirm his guesses. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna.¡± Chi-Woo unfolded his arms and stared straight at her. ¡°As I told you before, I can¡¯t get out of this place right now.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°So I¡¯d like to ask you to gather information in my stead.¡± ¡°Gather information?¡± ¡°Would you be able to find out what had happened to the Abyss recently? Even a minor detail would be great.¡± Eshnunna stared at Chi-Woo. She didn¡¯t know why, but simply talking to Chi-Woo like this seemed to have washed away her anxiety. She had been a bit suspicious when Chi-Woo suddenly grabbed her hand without permission, but after talking to him, she was certain that he was the same person as before. No matter how difficult the situation was and how unfair the conditions were, he was the savior who changed their despair into hope. Taking another look, Eshnunna found that he seemed to have become even more reliable than before. His unshakeable eyes glistened with intelligence, and his body looked stronger and bigger. But most of all, the energy he radiated was strong and refreshing. Sensing it was enough to clear her cluttered mind. ¡®What¡¯s with¡­me?¡¯ It was probably an illusion, but there seemed to be a halo shining from behind Chi-Woo¡¯s back. This man was a hero in whom she and her people could put their trust and faith. Eshnunna¡¯s face, which had looked strained and anxious the whole time, became as peaceful and vibrant as before. With her eyes sparkling, she answered vigorously, ¡°¡­Yes, I got it!¡± * * * After Chi-Woo finished his conversation with Eshnunna, he found Noel waiting for him. ¡°Young master~¡± Noel made sure that Eshnunna was waiting for her from a distance before saying quietly, ¡°I¡¯m asking just in case, but you¡¯re not like that, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, come on. You know what I mean.¡± Noel smiled and raised one eyebrow. Chi-Woo gave her a blank look. ¡®What¡¯s up with her?¡¯ Noel chuckled for a while before suddenly straightening her posture. ¡°I do trust your judgment.¡± Then she continued with a straight face, ¡°But since I was given orders to take care of you, I¡¯ll say a word of advice.¡± What was she going on about now? ¡°Young master, you¡¯re a direct descendent of the Choi family, the second son, and above all, Lord Chi-Hyun¡¯s brother.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Your behavior and attitude must match your status and position.¡± Chi-Woo frowned. He really had no idea what she was talking about. ¡°To put it bluntly¡ªyour partner must be someone fitting the Choi family.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his ears, but Noel continued seriously, ¡°Even the Ho Lactea family, known for their haughtiness, show their respect towards the Choi family. How could you consider a native princess of a ruined kingdom, who wasn¡¯t even a hero, as your life partner? It¡¯s simply absurd.¡± ¡­What? ¡°I and of course, Lord Chi-Hyun and all the elders of your family would never allow it. I understand what you may be feeling at the moment, but please don¡¯t get too caught up in it and end it soon.¡± ¡°No, you¡ª¡± ¡°I sincerely apologize for stepping over my boundaries, but I¡¯m telling you in advance just in case.¡± Chi-Woo was so flabbergasted that he became speechless. Noel had completely misjudged their relationship. How could anyone be so wrong? ¡°Since you¡¯re smart, I¡¯m sure you understood my advice¡­ Well, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Noel bowed and quietly left. Chi-Woo placed his hand on his forehead. He was dizzy, and his face felt hot. He felt embarrassed as well. How would Eshnunna react if she had heard them? She would probably question what fucking nonsense all this was. ¨CWhy? What¡¯s wrong with our family? Philip pouted; he seemed to have heard everything. ¡®Geez, this guy¡­¡¯ Philip and Noel¡ªChi-Woo shook his head. He had no idea why they were acting like this. * * * When Eshnunna returned to the capital, she eagerly started her given mission and collected information. However, she couldn¡¯t find as much as she thought she could. Even though she had heard big news about the Abyss, she couldn¡¯t find out much since their territory was quite far away. Eshnunna realized she couldn¡¯t get the information she wanted inside the capital and needed to hear from someone outside the city. Currently, heroes were distributed in three places¡ªthe capital, the fortress where the yongmaek was, and the city that had become a godly territory. Eshnunna heard that some of the heroes from the yongmaek fortress had returned to the capital, so she rushed there to find them. There was only one reason a hero would come here, and it was to visit the Shahnaz temple. Eshnunna found her way there and saw a small crowd. There was a commotion inside. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you!¡± One of them loudly shouted, and the group cried out as well. Someone at the center of the circle was roughly pushed to the ground. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Eshnunna instinctively headed towards the crowd, and her eyes widened when she saw the figure sitting prone. CH 183 The one who had been roughly pushed to the ground was Hawa. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! If only you didn¡¯t¡ª¡± A young man screamed at Hawa like he was going to rush at her any moment now. The only reason he didn¡¯t was because of the large man restricting both his arms behind him. ¡°Hey, stop it. She¡¯s a native. A native. What are you doing in a public space?¡± ¡°Damn it! Let me go! Let go! If it weren¡¯t for that damn wench!¡± ¡°Calm down. She has no responsibility.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The one who made the decision was Abis. She made the move. This girl isn¡¯t responsible.¡± ¡°But brother!¡± It was hard to tell what the two brothers were upset about, but the younger one looked enraged. Eshnunna was about to intervene when a woman with blonde hair stepped forward. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ru Hiana demanded. When she saw Hawa on the ground with her head hanging low, she ran to her and kneeled down. ¡°Oh my! Ms. Hawa? Are you okay? What happened? Let me see your face. Hm?¡± Ru Hiana was about to carefully lift Hawa¡¯s jaw, but Hawa shook her head. While there was no injury on her face, it was clear she had been hit¡ªby a hero, no less. As someone who had grown looking up to Ru Amuh, Ru Hiana strongly detested those who called themselves heroes but preyed on the weak. Furthermore, she knew Hawa on a personal level. ¡°Did you do this?¡± Ru Hiana immediately got up in rage. ¡°What if we did?¡± The young man immediately shot back. ¡°Have you gone mad? How could you hit a native, especially a child? How could someone who calls himself a hero do this?¡± ¡°What?¡± The young man¡¯s face went flushed. ¡°Shit! If you don¡¯t know anything, shut up! It seems you know this girl, but you don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on¡ªAh, stop it, brother!¡± The young man barked as the man behind him continued to hold him back. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Another person intervened then. Everyone¡¯s attention snapped to the newcomer, and Ru Hiana¡¯s sour face brightened. ¡°Ruahu!¡± ¡°What are you up to again¡­huh?¡± Ru Amuh trailed off. The young man swallowed his retort, and the man behind him looked surprised. ¡°¡­Ms. Hawa?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes shot down to Hawa, who was on the ground. ¡°Are you alright? Are you injured anywhere?¡± He bent down to check on her, but Hawa didn¡¯t answer. She simply trembled with her hands balled into fists. After taking some time to confirm her condition, Ru Amuh got up and turned around, marching up to the two heroes and saying, ¡°I¡¯m Ru Amuh from the seventh recruits.¡± There were murmurings, and a small commotion arose. Ru Amuh was famous for being one of the main leads in securing the capital, and he was the only one to have reached the Gold rank among the heroes on Liber. Furthermore, everyone knew of his efforts to lure the great demon, Vepar, to rescue the eighth recruits, and thus, he was even acknowledged by the twelve families of the Celestial realm. In this sense, Ru Amuh¡¯s name alone carried a heavy weight. ¡°Ru¡­Amuh¡­?¡± The young man seemed to have calmed down slightly, but still looked like he had no intention of backing away. ¡°¡­Kuh! It seems you know this girl, but don¡¯t intervene in matters unrelated to you and go on your way¡ªumph!¡± The young man couldn¡¯t continue, because the man behind him had muffled him with his large hands. ¡°Quit it now, man.¡± The man whispered into the young man¡¯s ears. ¡°It¡¯s Ru Amuh. You must have heard the rumors.¡± ¡°Umph¡­!¡± ¡°Furthermore, what¡¯s more important right now? This random guide girl, or Abis?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try talking first. Who knows? They might offer to help us out.¡± Hearing this, the young man stopped. He glared at Hawa and gritted his teeth. ¡°If you understand, back away quietly and don¡¯t act rashly. I am warning you.¡± The young man slouched at the man¡¯s warning, but seemed to have understood. Letting go of his brother after making sure he wasn¡¯t going to act up again, the larger man walked up to Ru Amuh. ¡°Do you know this girl?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ru Amuh nodded. ¡°Well, then I understand why you¡¯re upset¡­¡± The man scratched his head. ¡°But we also have our reasons.¡± He jerked his head to one side. Ru Amuh stared in the direction, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. A woman was lying next to Shahnaz¡¯s statue. She appeared to be the two¡¯s companions, but even as this commotion was going on, she lay still on the floor¡­not moving an inch. Ru Amuh immediately sensed that there was something wrong with her. She didn¡¯t appear to have simply lost consciousness. To be more specific, she seemed like a doll rather than a living person. ¡°May I give you the details elsewhere? It¡¯s hard to explain everything here.¡± Ru Amuh agreed to the man¡¯s request immediately. * * * They moved to Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana¡¯s place. ¡°¡­I mean truthfully, there¡¯s nothing but the yongmaek at the fortress.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°So, we just called it quits and quickly came to the capital.¡± While Ru Hiana took Hawa and cared for her, Ru Amuh and the man talked. Besides them, there was the young man who had pushed Hawa, and Eshnunna; he followed along, quietly listening. ¡°I didn¡¯t think everything would magically get solved once we stepped into the capital. We kept our expectations low, but still, we thought it would be better here than at the fortress.¡± ¡°But when we went to meet that goddess, Shahnaz, she didn¡¯t even respond to us properly¡­¡± ¡°Is that why your brother got so angry?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. When that guide girl introduced herself, she emphasized that she was Shahnaz¡¯s shaman. My brother placed his hopes on that¡­but since nothing came out of it, he became all riled up.¡± It was then the door opened, and Ru Hiana walked out. She spotted the crestfallen young man listening by the side and glared at him. Noticing her accusing look, the older man quickly added, ¡°I apologize for my brother¡¯s rash action though. He shouldn¡¯t have done that. It¡¯s not the girl¡¯s fault.¡± Ru Hiana was about to say her piece, but Ru Amuh interjected. ¡°Your brother can say his apologies to Hawa directly.¡± Ru Amuh didn¡¯t want them to continue bickering about this point. It was true what the young man did was wrong, but his brother admitted the wrong and apologized. Also, based on the story, he could understand why the younger brother got so angry. ¡°Of course he should,¡± the man said. Then he began to chew on his lower lip. After a reluctant pause, he continued. ¡°By the way¡­you saw her condition, right? Abis, I mean.¡± Ru Amuh pursed his lips, and Ru Hiana trembled slightly. While they were laying the woman named Abis on the bed, Ru Hiana had clearly felt the wrongness of her condition. ¡®Is she¡­really a person?¡¯ She seemed like a broken doll with loose threads, and being near such a being filled Ru Hiana with a strange fear. Her body instinctually rejected this creature. ¡°Is there perhaps¡­any way you can help us?¡± At the man¡¯s question, the young brother¡¯s head jerked up to hear the response. ¡°I know it¡¯s shameless of us to ask, but we don¡¯t know what else to do. We can¡¯t just let her be¡­¡± The man trailed off, and the young man looked at Ru Amuh desperately. ¡°Even a simple suggestion would be enough. A word or two would be a great help for us,¡± the man said. Ru Amuh was someone everyone was talking about these days. They put their hopes on him in their dire situation. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± But Ru Amuh didn¡¯t know what could be done. Infiltrating their enemy¡¯s trenches and attacking their enemy¡¯s bunkers would be easier than this. Such a matter had nothing to do with the sword, so there wasn¡¯t much Ru Amuh could think of either. However, the man still didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Then, do you perhaps have any connection with the legend? If you do, could you introduce us to him?¡± ¡°I met him once or twice, but I¡¯m in no position to introduce people to him. Furthermore, he has left the capital for the time being.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± The man smiled bitterly and bit his lower lip. A sigh escaped his mouth. ¡°Kuh¡ª!¡± The young man groaned with his head hanging low. Even though she didn¡¯t like him, Ru Hiana could empathize with him. She knew what it was like to lose sight of everything when a loved one¡¯s life was on the line. She would have fallen into despair if someone hadn¡¯t reached out to help her then. The thought led her to think of the person who might be able to help. Ru Amuh seemed to have come to the same thought. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t help you, but there¡¯s a person who might be able to.¡± ¡°What?¡± The man and the young man instantly raised their heads. Ru Amuh had told them he couldn¡¯t help, and the legend was currently absent. How could there be anyone else who might be of help? ¡°Are you talking about the stars of the Celestial Realm? But, like us, they haven¡¯t been here for long¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Ru Amuh shook his head. ¡°This hero came at the same time as I did as one of the seventh recruits.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± The man blinked. The seventh recruits were famous for completely changing the future of Liber¡¯s fate when Liber¡¯s situation was at its worst. However, no matter how hard he thought, he couldn¡¯t think of another famous hero besides Ru Amuh among them. It was only natural; despite gaining a lot of merits for himself, Chi-Woo had been working hard to hide them, and he hadn¡¯t raised his rank at all. As a result, only those who had been by his side knew about his skills and achievements. ¡°Ruahu! Are you perhaps¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to find Teacher.¡± ¡°Ah! Why? You know about his physical condition! Senior told us he was training, but he might actually be trying to recover¡ª¡± ¡°I know that. I¡¯m not going to request anything. I¡¯m just going to relay this situation to him. If it¡¯s teacher, he might know something, perhaps even a solution.¡± ¡°Even then¡­¡± ¡°But most of all, Teacher won¡¯t just overlook this situation.¡± The difference in perception was a frightening thing. From Chi-Hyun¡¯s perspective, Chi-Woo was just a young, immature, and weak younger brother, but to Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana, he was a great hero who was worthy of the highest respect and trust. Ru Hiana eventually agreed with Ru Amuh and no longer opposed his decision. Then the man realized an important part of their conversation. There was a hero that Ru Amuh, a hero who had resolved a danger at the star-cluster level and proved his abilities even on Liber, respectfully called Teacher. He had no idea who it was, but he was sure this was no ordinary hero. Thus the man asked, ¡°Will you be able to introduce us to him?¡± They were at the last of their wits and had to grasp at straws anyway. He quickly added, ¡°We won¡¯t force anyone to help us. I¡¯ll never forget this favor! Please!¡± * * * Everyone at the temple left the capital and climbed the nearby mountain. Ru Amuh took the lead, while the others remained on high alert to make sure they didn¡¯t let him out of their sight. Before climbing the mountain, Ru Amuh had emphasized many times that they must not lose sight of him even for a second. ¡°What kind of person is he that we have to climb all the way here? Why didn¡¯t he just stay in the capital?¡± The man carrying his comrade, Abis, scanned his surroundings with interest. ¡°There were certain circumstances.¡± Ru Amuh didn¡¯t tell them anything besides this. He had to pay his utmost attention to find the right path. If he hadn¡¯t memorized the way while following Chi-Hyun, or if he hadn¡¯t had synesthesia, he wouldn¡¯t have even attempted to return to the cave where Chi-Woo was. After circling the mountain for a long time, he was finally able to reach their destination. Ru Amuh said, ¡°Please be quiet from now on. We can¡¯t make a commotion.¡± The man quietly followed Ru Amuh with curiosity. Who was the hero for Ru Amuh to be so careful? After a while, they saw a cave. There was a big rock in front of the entrance, and they saw a young man quietly meditating in a lotus position. When he saw Chi-Woo, Ru Amuh turned around and put his index finger on his mouth¡ªhe was telling them to wait quietly and not make a noise. The man and the young man grew anxious with anticipation, but they waited patiently. After what seemed like an eternity, Chi-Woo, who hadn¡¯t made the slightest move, suddenly made a sound. ¡°Pweh¡­¡± The man felt a bit distrustful when he saw how young Chi-Woo looked. But when Chi-Woo let out a long breath, the man suddenly had a strange sensation. He couldn¡¯t clearly describe it, but his first impression of Chi-Woo was a monk seeking the truth and cultivating his energy in the mountains. But at a second glance, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel like a mere monk, but a sage. Chi-Woo¡¯s clear eyes were full of wisdom, and spiritual energy seemed to flow out of him. When the man sniffed the air, he smelled a fresh and thickly sweet scent. His mind and body seemed to calm down just from that. There also seemed to be a faint light coming from Chi-Woo¡¯s back, and before he realized it, he found himself growing loose and relaxed. ¡®¡­What¡¯s this?¡¯ At that moment, the man realized something strange. For some reason, he felt an unknown sense of awe and respect towards the young man in front of him even though he¡¯d never seen this person before and had no reason to feel this way. It felt like looking at a saint. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh? Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna and Ms. Hawa are here too¡­¡± ¡°Have you been well, teacher?¡± Ru Amuh politely bowed. ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes, which looked puzzled, shifted towards the two¡ªno, three people he didn¡¯t know. ¡°Please help us!¡± Then the young man suddenly dropped to his knees and slammed his head against the ground. ¡°I beg of you! Please..!¡± While Chi-Woo was flustered, Ru Amuh quickly approached Chi-Woo and briefly explained the situation. ¡°Sir, I apologize for acting on my own, but they looked so desperate that¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Well¡­¡± It would have been a lie if Chi-Woo said he didn¡¯t find this situation bothersome, but he knew they needed his help, which made it uncomfortable for him to tell them to return. His mentor and several teachers had told him a hundred times to not thank them, but instead listen to people¡¯s cries for help and help people in need when he grew up. Chi-Woo had been able to live a relatively normal life thanks to their generous help. Thus, he needed to at least pay back what he had received. ¡°Please come in.¡± Chi-Woo got up and guided the unexpected guests into the cave. ¡°Would I be able to check her condition first?¡± Originally, he had planned to first hear about how this whole situation occurred, but the young man looked so unbelievably distraught that Chi-Woo thought he should go straight to assessing her condition. At Chi-Woo¡¯s request, the man carrying Abis laid her on the floor. Abis¡¯ condition was very severe. Her eyes were half-open, but they were completely out of focus. And while she was breathing, it was very weak. Even when they called out to her or shook her, she showed no reaction, nor did she let out even the smallest groan. She was alive, but it didn¡¯t seem like it. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo carefully observed the woman¡¯s condition and suddenly put his palm close to her face. He closed his eyes and focused for a while before narrowing his eyes. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡°Is it really¡­bad¡­?¡± the man cautiously asked. Chi-Woo slightly lowered his head. Then he withdrew his hand and remained silent for a while. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Was there water nearby?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Was there water in the place she became like this? Even a little bit?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The man and young man looked at each other and stared at Chi-Woo at the same time. They were surprised and wondered how Chi-Woo knew. The man said, ¡°Y-Yeah. It wasn¡¯t a lake or an ocean, but there was a lot of water on the ground and puddles everywhere.¡± Just by looking at her condition, Chi-Woo was able to make an accurate guess of the kind of environment in which Abis became like this. ¡°How did you know?¡± The man felt hope rising in his heart. ¡®As expected of Senior!¡¯ Ru Hiana thought, but her mood was dampened by the increasingly stiff look on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. Chi-Woo murmured to himself. ¡°How can this¡­be? It¡¯s supposed to happen to dead people. How can a living person¡­ If this is true, whoever did it is a real bastard.¡± The man nervously asked, ¡°What, what is it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my first time seeing something like this, so I¡¯m not sure.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°Do you have any idea what it is? Even a guess is fine. If we can find out why she became like this¡­¡± Chi-Woo deeply sighed at the man¡¯s plea. After a long silence, he said, ¡°It seems like¡­¡± While everyone looked at him with tense expressions, Chi-Woo clicked his tongue like he was facing an extremely troublesome matter. Then he finally said, ¡°...a neokgeori.¡± CH 184 ¡°Neokgeori?¡± ¡°Yes. That seems to be what your companion is afflicted with. I¡¯m sure the word sounds unfamiliar to you, but her condition seems to fit it perfectly.¡± The man was taken aback. The translation device tried to translate the word to best fit his culture, but the concept of Neokgeori was new to him. ¡°Um¡­I still don¡¯t get it. Could you explain a bit more so that we can understand?¡± Chi-Woo nodded at the man¡¯s request and explained. A person¡¯s body was made up of a soul and a physical body, but these weren¡¯t the only components that made up a human being. There were other immaterial things that dwelled inside the soul and governed the body; these were the things that remained even after a person¡¯s body turned to ashes, and their soul left for the next realm. And this thing, which linked the body and soul to create harmony so that a person could have a ¡®life,¡¯ was called neok. ¡°So, neok isn¡¯t just a soul?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much more than that,¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°A neok is very transcendental. A person¡¯s death has no impact on it. Not confined to a person, it can freely reveal itself, but you have to remember that it¡¯s not the person.¡± On the other hand, a person was bound to their neok. ¡°If a person¡¯s neok escapes, they will faint or lose their minds¡ªjust like your companion.¡± Although it was a concept none of them had encountered before, the man and the others in the cave nodded. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°Thus, someone might have used neokgeori on Abis, and because of that, Abis¡¯ neok flew out.¡± The man now understood the hypothesis. ¡°Yes, sir. So¡­¡± However, Chi-Woo looked doubtful. He thought there was little chance that concepts and laws on Liber would be the same as shamanistic teachings on Earth, specifically South Korea. ¡®There must be dissimilarities, but¡­¡¯ Even if Chi-Woo considered these factors, there was a part that bothered him. Thus, he asked, ¡°Could I ask about the situation of when this happened? As detailed as possible.¡± ¡°We will explain to the best of our ability.¡± The man went on to recount how he, his brother, and Abis came to Liber as the eighth recruits. They were able to survive thanks to the rescue team, but they couldn¡¯t find suitable gods when trying to use the growth system. Still, they couldn¡¯t just sit around, so the three left for the fortress on the border where the yongmaek was. They succeeded in awakening their energy, but using the yongmaek wasn¡¯t enough to make them stronger. It was then they heard that the Cassiubia League had sent an envoy for the operation over the godly territory that had been recently established. They also heard that the legend, Choi Chi-Hyun, was going to negotiate the terms, offering to help restore Kabbalah¡¯s godly city on the condition the League brought some of the gods they worshiped there. And if that became reality, the growth environment the heroes could choose from would widen dramatically. Among the new gods that would be brought, there might be one who could match their personalities and characters. Thus, the three decided to collect merits before the day came. Since it took a significant amount of merits just to establish a contract with a god, they wanted to save as much as possible. Thus, they left the fortress with two natives who could act as a guide and a porter. However, all their plans resulted in nothing. Ru Amuh had cleaned the area of mutants with a group of heroes long before. Furthermore, the Abyss troop that Evelyn commanded swept away the rest of the stragglers during their march, so there was nothing left for the three to take care of. But instead of returning to the capital like that, the three ventured further, telling themselves, ¡®little bit more, just a little more,¡¯ and did something crazy¡ªthey ventured beyond the border. Overzealousness often brought calamities. And only after a couple of days of walking, they found traces of monsters¡ªnot just a few of them, but many¡ªwhich they desperately sought for. Tracking the traces soon led them to a region with lush, tall reeds the height of adult men obscuring their view, and the ground was muddy enough to be a swamp. ¡°That place¡­was a nightmare.¡± The man¡¯s voice trembled. It was a very dreary and unpleasant place, but blinded by their desire to gain merits, the three heroes ventured on fearlessly. It was on the second day that the incident happened. After they camped outside overnight and woke up, they saw that one of the natives they had brought was gone. They had night duty, but the native had disappeared without anyone¡¯s notice. Since there were traces suggesting the native had left on their free will, though, they searched for the native. However, they couldn¡¯t find anything; the traces had disappeared abruptly. All they found was a noticeable stain on the ground. After studying the area carefully, Abis screamed. While shaking, she tried to run, and when they asked her what was wrong, all she said was that they had to leave as fast as possible. It was then the man felt strange, lumpy sensations that he couldn''t describe all around him. As soon as he sensed this foreboding energy, the man decided to get out of there. Although none of them could see anything, the man felt as if something of great evil and malice they couldn¡¯t easily escape from was chasing after them. His predictions turned out to be right on the mark. While running senselessly, the man suddenly heard a scream from behind him. It was Hawa¡¯s voice. The first one to respond was Abis. Abis was kind and caring and wasn¡¯t the type to turn away from a native in trouble. She went back for Hawa despite the man¡¯s younger brother telling her to not go. Soon afterward, they heard another scream. It was Abis¡¯ voice this time. Turning around belatedly, the man could see between the reeds that Abis was getting pulled underground by a strange suction. The native girl was groaning on the ground. Although the younger brother jumped back in to save Abis upon seeing her situation, he had no choice but to retreat soon afterward. The one silver lining among the dark clouds of misfortune was that they were able to find Abis quickly again. She was half-buried, lying prone where the traces of the native had been cut off. The two brothers quickly pulled Abis from the ground, dragged Hawa along with them, and made a speedy escape. ¡°Fortunately, we weren¡¯t attacked again, but¡­¡± The man sighed as he looked at Abis, who lay quietly with her eyes wide open. ¡°As you can see, she has been in that condition ever since we brought her back.¡± Chi-Woo fell into deep thought after hearing the whole explanation. ¡®If this happened on Earth¡­¡¯ He would¡¯ve concluded that Abis was attacked by a water ghost¡ªthe ghost of a person who had died by drowning. Of course, that could not have been the case since they were on Liber, but if it were, there were three reasons why a water ghost would attack the living. First, they were lonely and wanted a friend. Second, they could only leave the place they were bound to if they drowned another person there. And the third reason was to strengthen themselves by taking the victim¡¯s neok and using it as bait to call upon their soul, then subjugating it. ¡®Neokgari as a ritual¡­isn¡¯t commonly done on a living person though.¡¯ This was the part that Chi-Woo couldn''t understand. Neokgari was done to prevent the aforementioned situations from happening. And as a ritual done for the sake of relieving a ghost, a shaman commonly did it on someone who was already dead. The opposite had happened in this case. A mysterious person had taken just the neok of a living person. But for what reason? While Chi-Woo thought, the man spoke. ¡°So according to what you said, Abis is missing her neok, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°She breathes, and her body temperature is normal¡­but what will happen if she stays in this state?¡± ¡°She will soon¡­die.¡± The man squeezed his eyes shut, and the younger man gasped. ¡°Is there any way we can help her?¡± ¡°In her current condition¡­let me try something first.¡± Chi-Woo got up because of the man¡¯s desperate pleas. He took out a bottle of holy water from his bag and put a couple of drops into her mouth, making a prayer. ¡°¡­¡± It was useless. Abis appeared the same as before. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t work,¡± Chi-Woo clicked his tongue. It became clear now that holy water wouldn¡¯t bring back her neok. ¡°I don¡¯t know who did this, but it seems they have no intention of letting her go. Her neok isn¡¯t coming back.¡± In other words, a mysterious being had Abis¡¯ neok in a tight clutch, and they were strong enough to resist the holy water. ¡°Who in the world¡­!¡± The man gritted his teeth in anger. After calming down a little, he asked, ¡°Is there nothing that can be done here?¡± ¡°No. There is something to be done if you go back to where the incident happened¡­¡± ¡°Then, could you come with us by any chance?¡± the man asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think my brother and I can do much even if the two of us go there again.¡± For some reason, they believed something different would happen if Chi-Woo went with them. The younger man looked at Chi-Woo pleadingly, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t immediately respond. ¡®It¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯ The fact that they had to go beyond the border was the first problem. This meant they needed to enter either the Abyss¡¯ or the Sernitas¡¯ territory. If his brother heard, he would¡¯ve foamed from his mouth in outrage. Moreover, Chi-Woo had another matter to attend to¡ªthe Abyss¡¯ witch, Onorables Evelyn. He still wasn¡¯t able to decipher her message along with the broken broomstick. Chi-Woo looked up and saw Eshnunna quietly shaking her head. It seemed she hadn¡¯t gathered anything substantial. With such stakes on the line, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t possibly make a long trip without knowing when he was going to come back. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking you to give me a reply immediately. We have enough time for you to decide¡­right?¡± The man backed away, noting Chi-Woo¡¯s hesitance. Chi-Woo nodded in the end. ¡°Yes¡­but I think it will be difficult. I¡¯m in no position to move around right now.¡± ¡°I see. Then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Like the man promised to do, he got up and left. ¡°But thank you for telling us about all this. You¡¯ve done us a great favor.¡± ¡°Brother¡­!¡± The young man cried out as his older brother picked up Abis. ¡°Get up,¡± the man said firmly. ¡°There are things that can¡¯t be done. We promised.¡± ¡°But¡­we can¡¯t just give¡ª" ¡°Who says we¡¯re giving up? We have to find another method. Come on. We don¡¯t have time.¡± The young man dragged himself up with great reluctance. ¡°We¡¯re going to look for a method while staying in the capital. If you have any intention of joining us later, please look for us. We will never forget the favor.¡± That was the last thing the man said before leaving the cave. Seeing how unsettled Chi-Woo appeared, Ru Amuh said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Because of me, you¡­¡± Ru Hiana turned to Ru Amuh and said, ¡°You should¡¯ve listened to me¡­ I¡¯m sorry, senior. We just made you feel uncomfortable.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and smiled. Thus, the Ru sibling quietly left the cave. The only ones remaining were Eshnunna and Hawa. Eshnunna glanced at Hawa. She hadn¡¯t said anything while sitting in the corner. Perhaps she was shaken up or shocked senseless; she had stayed motionless with her head lowered. After pondering for a bit, Eshnunna decided to get up and leave. As soon as Eshnunna turned around, Hawa got to her feet and turned to stagger away as well. ¡°Ms. Hawa¡­¡± Chi-Woo was about to ask if she was all right, but it was clear she wasn¡¯t. It was a meaningless question. Still, Chi-Woo was worried, so he changed his words. ¡°Did you go to the fortress at the border?¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± she replied in a quiet voice. ¡°Why?¡± Hawa flinched. Her body trembled, and Chi-Woo heard her take a deep breath. ¡°Because I wanted to become stronger,¡± Hawa eventually confessed. ¡°I also wanted to accumulate those things called merits.¡± It was as Chi-Woo had guessed. No, he didn¡¯t even need to guess; Hawa had said it herself before. ¡°You should¡¯ve just trained with me here¡­¡± Chi-Woo said regretfully, but he heard her snort. ¡®Ha.¡¯ It sounded like she couldn¡¯t believe what Chi-Woo was saying. ¡°No,¡± she said, ¡°This isn¡¯t a place where I can train.¡± Her faint voice was clearer now. ¡°This is a place where people like you, a very selective number of heroes in particular, could improve their powers.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. When she came with the others under Chi-Hyun¡¯s guidance, she participated in the training with Chi-Woo. But before she could complete the first course, she collapsed. No matter how tough her training had been when she was young, this training was created for Chi-Woo and wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person could complete. Even Ru Hiana gave up in the middle, and Ru Amuh barely managed to finish it. Thus, Chi-Woo soon realized that he had said something careless. After coming out of the cave under the Evalaya volcano, Chi-Woo had promised Hawa that he would help her become a hero. But meeting his brother and all the other things that were happening at the same time made him forget. If he hadn¡¯t forgotten about it, Hawa would never have left for the fortress and ended up in this mess. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡± ¡°No.¡± Hawa shook her head furiously. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to apologize about. If you really had the intention to help me, you would¡¯ve done it long ago.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t fulfill my part of the deal, either.¡± When Chi-Woo said he would help out, he placed a condition on it. He wanted her to prove that she had all the makings of a hero. He also hinted at this when taking her to rescue the eighth recruits. However, Hawa failed to meet these expectations, and instead of achieving something like Ru Amuh, simple survival occupied all her efforts and thoughts. Thus, she hadn¡¯t been able to prove herself even when given the opportunity. ¡°But what you did was really dangerous,¡± Chi-Woo said after listening to her quietly. ¡°Even if you had left, you shouldn¡¯t have gone beyond the border. You should¡¯ve come back by yourself at least¡ª¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that,¡± Hawa cut him off. She sounded like she had had enough of Chi-Woo¡¯s lecture. ¡°Why?¡± Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. ¡°Were you blackmailed?¡± ¡°No.¡± Hawa shook her head and told the truth. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to. I was actually all for it; I told them I knew the path outside the border even better as a member of a nomad tribe.¡± Chi-Woo looked at her for further explanation, and Hawa turned to scoff. On their way back to the capital after rescuing the eighth recruits, Hawa felt keenly that she couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Humanity had changed and was still changing. Before, there was room for Hawa to compete and contribute since there were only a few of them, and heroes weren¡¯t much different from normal people. But after the growth system was established, she could sense how much had changed. Upon return, Hawa clearly sensed that every hero had grown tremendously simply because they were where an important event had happened. Of course, not all stood idly and did nothing, but it was hard for Hawa to accept that just because she wasn¡¯t a hero, she couldn¡¯t reap the same benefits as them even though she had also risked her life. After that incident, the Cassiubia League sent their envoy, and although humanity was progressing in a good way, Hawa felt nervous. It seemed she was going to fall forever behind and be cast away for good any moment now. The fear drove her to action. She didn¡¯t care who it was as long as they gave her another opportunity. That was why she approached any hero she could find and told them that she was confident in helping them. In the process, she realized that a hero like Chi-Woo was rare. Most of them ignored her or laughed at her, telling her that a native should just go tend the farm. And such heroes were actually the nobler ones. Some accepted her into their teams with the malicious intention to take advantage of a young woman with mystical beauty like Hawa. In the end, Hawa left the fortress thinking that nothing could be done and returned to the capital. Since heroes who hadn¡¯t made a contract with any god gathered in the capital, she thought she would be better understood here. That was how she met the brothers and Abis. ¡°It was quite a rare opportunity, and the condition wasn¡¯t bad. They didn¡¯t treat natives badly or lay their hands on them. I was satisfied with just that. But¡­¡± Hawa didn¡¯t finish. She had simply wanted to snatch an opportunity and do something¡ªwho knew things would become so screwed up? Chi-Woo was at a loss for words. He understood what it was like to want to do something so desperately and fail. ¡°Still¡­¡± Chi-Woo murmured. But it was as Hawa said. Even though he forgot, if he really had the full intention of making her a hero, he would¡¯ve made her one a long time ago. However, he hadn¡¯t done that even though he knew how much Hawa yearned to be a hero¡ªand he knew she had great potential as a 3-star. ¡®Why?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought deeply to himself. [But that¡¯s why it¡¯s more of a problem. It¡¯s impossible to know which side she would turn to.] [People who have the same disposition as her usually¡­] Chi-Woo recalled the conversation he had with Mimi before. After a moment of silence, he asked, ¡°Is there a reason why you must gain power at all costs?¡± Hawa had her back to him, but upon Chi-Woo¡¯s question, she suddenly looked over her shoulder at him. ¡°¡­What if I don¡¯t? Should I just sweep the floor every day while wearing shaman clothes and eat what I am given and live the way I am told to live?¡± she snapped. ¡°All the while knowing that danger might befall me any moment and kill me?¡± Hawa had fully turned her body around now, and her eyes shot daggers at Chi-Woo¡¯s. ¡°I want to live.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I said I want to live.¡± She wasn¡¯t telling Chi-Woo to protect her. She wanted to protect herself. Knowing what she meant, Chi-Woo felt his throat dry. ¡°¡­If you gain power, what will you do? How are you going to use it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to use it for myself,¡± she answered without pausing one bit. ¡°For yourself, Ms. Hawa?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Hawa confirmed her answer. ¡°Can¡¯t you explain it in more detail?¡± Hawa¡¯s eyes were blank, but she went on to voice the thoughts she had been suppressing all this time. ¡°I don¡¯t want to rely on other people and be a burden to others.¡± If she had power, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen behind in the rescue mission. And the nice hero who helped her out wouldn¡¯t have gotten her neok stolen away. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to be laughed at or looked down on. Even when I don¡¯t do anything, there are many who provoke me. I am sick of enduring and being patient any longer.¡± If only she had power, none of these things would¡¯ve happened. If only she had power. It was this power she needed. ¡°I want to pay them back a hundred, a thousand times! Why¡­am I not supposed to desire such things?¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t retort. Hawa had no noble purpose or higher cause for wanting power. She simply wanted it for herself, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t bring himself up to tell her no. ¡°¡­¡± It was because he felt like he was looking at himself. Then, Hawa asked sorrowfully, ¡°What else am I supposed to do?¡± Her voice was heavy with desperation. ¡°How can I earn this thing called power and use it?¡± Chi-Woo felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He recalled what he had been told. [You have to tell her. Teach her and lead her to the right path then.] ¡°¡­Please tell me,¡± Hawa whimpered in a strained voice, her head dropping low. Her desperate pleas made Chi-Woo fall into deep silence. Having eavesdropped on the conversation until now outside the cave, Eshnunna reacted the same way. CH 185 As the noonday sun blazed, the sound of hard objects colliding rang periodically in the mountain. Chi-Woo was training ardently as usual. All his recent visitors had returned to their homes, including Hawa and the three people coming to him for help. Chi-Woo was in no position to do anything for them. Thus, he tried to focus on his training, telling himself he had no choice, but his heart felt heavy every time he thought of them. Bam! Chi-Woo slammed the boulder and let out a deep sigh, his shoulders moving up and down in tandem with his breathing. ¡°¡­¡± In the end, he dropped his club; he had found it difficult to focus for the past few weeks. ¡ªYou¡¯re troubled with trivial thoughts. Philip reprimanded him as he watched from a distance. ¡ªI told you before. You can¡¯t just swing senselessly. You have to focus solely on each blow. ¡®¡­Yes, you did.¡¯ Chi-Woo was training to kill an opponent with one swing. Thus, every time he swung, his full intention must be on cracking the whole boulder. Even Chi-Woo knew his blow just now held no blood lust. His mind was elsewhere, and he had been striking meaninglessly. If Chi-Hyun had seen him just now, he would¡¯ve scolded Chi-Woo right away. Instead of laying into Chi-Woo, though, Philip asked him a question. ¡ªWhy? Is it because of what happened recently? Philip knew what Chi-Woo was thinking. ¡ªIs it because of that pretty girl? ¡°There¡¯s Ms. Hawa too¡­ah, thank you.¡± Bun handed Chi-Woo water once he stopped training. He patted it and took a swig. The sensation of cool water going down his throat seemed to clear his mind a bit. ¡°There¡¯s also the matter with Lady Evelyn¡­¡± Chi-Woo wiped his mouth after finishing a bottle. ¡°It¡¯s just all¡­so complicated.¡± ¡ªThen, why don¡¯t you go out? Chi-Woo turned around and saw that Philip¡¯s expression was serious. He wasn¡¯t joking. ¡ªI¡¯m sure doing something will make you feel less frustrated. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Admittedly, Chi-Woo had thought about it before. It was tiring to simply wait, and he could get out of this place if he really wished to. However, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about someone in particular; his brother would surely get furious should he act on his own, and the relationship they had recently restored would crack again. [I believe you. This is a promise.] Chi-Woo knew Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t one to believe someone who had betrayed his trust once. Perhaps Chi-Hyun knew Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t stay put either; that was why he told Chi-Woo he could go after cracking the boulder. At least then Chi-Woo would have the option of putting in the hard work to fulfill the condition and leaving without breaking his promise, and Chi-Hyun would have to accept that. Thus, cracking the boulder was the only way Chi-Woo would be able to see his brother with a smile after he got out. But Chi-Woo also knew that Chi-Hyun would like him to stay in the cave if possible. ¡°I still can¡¯t do it though.¡± Chi-Woo caressed the boulder with a bitter smile. ¡ªYou already know what kind of person your brother is. He placed that condition knowing that you won¡¯t be able to meet it in your current state. ¡°But I still have to try. I think I can do it.¡± Chi-Woo licked his lips and gripped his club. Despite his words, he didn¡¯t sound confident at all. * * * A month passed before somebody visited Chi-Woo again. He was ardently batting the boulder when he saw an uninvited visitor and said in surprise, ¡°Ms. E-Eshnunna? Did you come here alone? How?¡± ¡°I came¡­several times¡­before¡­!¡± Eshnunna barely managed to gasp out as she struggled to breathe. ¡°I memorized the path last time. I¡¯m not stupid enough to forget a path I¡¯ve taken twice.¡± But Chi-Woo knew finding her way here must not have been an easy task, as Eshnunna¡¯s state showed: her clothes were ripped in places, and she was soaked in sweat; it was clear she had a difficult journey. ¡°You¡­should¡¯ve just taken your time.¡± ¡°I thought you needed to hear this as soon as possible.¡± Chi-Woo thought it was a bit strange of her to think like that after all this time, but he guided Eshnunna into the cave for now. Chi-Woo handed a water bottle to her, and Eshnunna emptied it immediately. After taking a deep breath, Eshnunna said, ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Just stay here.¡± Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t expected her to say this at all. ¡°I will tell you what it¡¯s about if you promise to stay here,¡± Eshnunna said, confusing Chi-Woo even further. ¡°I can¡¯t make a promise like that.¡± Chi-Woo immediately shook his head, knowing that he shouldn¡¯t make promises he couldn¡¯t keep. Eshnunna furrowed her eyebrows and lowered her head. ¡°Then I can¡¯t tell you,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, do as you wish,¡± Chi-Woo nodded and said, ¡°I guess I will have to find out for myself.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Eshnunna sprang up as Chi-Woo picked himself up. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Chi-Woo smiled at her, and Eshnunna covered her face with both hands before letting out a long sigh. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± It made Chi-Woo even more curious that Eshnunna was trying her hardest not to tell him. And after hesitating for a long time, Eshnunna said in a quiet voice, ¡°But¡­I¡¯m worried! What if you get swept into something dangerous again¡­!¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized what Eshnunna must be feeling. There were times when Chi-Woo requested information from Eshnunna before, and every time, that led to him risking his life. She must be worried that Chi-Woo would be in danger again. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo said, ¡°Why are you worrying about things that haven''t happened yet? You didn¡¯t even tell me what¡¯s going on right now.¡± Eshnunna found Chi-Woo¡¯s carefree tone aggravating, but then Chi-Woo stated again that he would have to go out and check for himself since she left him with no choice, and Eshnunna hurriedly said, ¡°The Abyss¡¯s witch is currently absent from her position.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what those on the outside think, but she is actually missing.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s joking demeanor immediately fell, and he straightened up as he listened to Eshnunna¡¯s explanation. After the Demon Empire lost their war with the Cassiubia League and learned of the existence of the godly territory, they mobilized their troops immediately. They amassed an enormous army around the godly territory, and the Cassiubia League were ready to give their all to protect the territory at all costs. However, a war erupted at a completely unexpected place. The Demon Empire attacked the Abyss instead of the godly territory. ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo gasped. Even if the Demon Empire were made up of beings who loved battle, it would be difficult for them to fight two groups at once, especially the Abyss and the Cassiubia League. ¡ªIt¡¯s possible since every Great Demon has the freedom to declare and engage in war. Philip thought differently. A demon empire was made up of 66 great demons. Kings and emperors were foreign concepts to them, and they moved independently from one another. Thus, it was possible that a Great Demon would forgo the conquest against the godly territory and attack somewhere else. ¡ªOr they might have been after the Abyss all along under the guise of attacking the godly territory. In other words, their feud with the Cassiubia League was meant to lower the Abyss¡¯ guard. ¡°What happened then?¡± Chi-Woo quickly asked. ¡°The Demon Empire didn¡¯t attack the godly territory in the end, and they clashed with the Abyss.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s words supported Philip¡¯s second theory. She then continued, ¡°The battle resulted in a draw¡ªat least that is what is known.¡± ¡°A draw? The Demon Empire lost two great demons, and another one got critically injured. However, the Abyss lost their witch. She didn¡¯t perish, but her whereabouts are unknown. ¡ªOh my, that¡¯s hardly a draw. ¡°It sounds more like a win for the Demon Empire.¡± ¡ªYes, it does seem like it. There were existences inside a group that garnered respect from their allies and fear from their enemies; effectively, they played the role of generals in their faction. From the Abyss side, there were eleven such figures, and on the Demon Empire¡¯s side, there were sixty-six. Thus, the Abyss had lost one out of eleven, while the Demon Empire still had dozens more. ¡ªAlthough one of the great demons is injured, they are going to recover soon. Two great demons are far from equivalent to the witch. She should¡¯ve taken out at least six or seven great demons to even the numbers. Philip, who had been nodding and talking, suddenly frowned. ¡ªIt¡¯s strange¡­something smells fishy. Chi-Woo was shocked. He couldn¡¯t believe that a strong witch like Evelyn could be dead. ¡®No, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ He must not jump to conclusions yet; Eshnunna had told him she disappeared, not died. ¡®I¡¯m sure she¡¯s still alive.¡¯ He was certain of it since her broom was found at the capital. Chi-Woo barely managed to come back to his senses and gnaw on his lower lip. Then he asked, ¡°Is that why you told me not to go? Because of the war?¡± ¡°No, the war is already over.¡± ¡°Then why¡­?¡± ¡°Do you remember the people who came here recently with Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± Eshnunna was referring to the two heroes who came rushing here to save their friend, Abis. Their visit was hardly recent to Chi-Woo since it had already been over a month, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t correct Eshnunna. ¡°Yes, I remember. What about them?¡± ¡°The place they went to, where the hero named Abis ended up like that¡­¡± Eshnunna continued with a serious expression, ¡°Is the same place where the witch went missing.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s true. I confirmed it recently and quickly came here.¡± There was not a trace of artifice in Eshnunna¡¯s words. ¡°Since they were active outside, I approached them to verify the information I discovered, and the information I had matched their experience.¡± ¡°What¡­no, wait a moment. Did you ask them just now?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, yes. It hasn¡¯t been long. I was surprised, so I came here immediately after hearing their story.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still in the capital?¡± Chi-Woo thought it was strange because it had sounded like they were going to set out after a few days of searching. ¡°Has it been resolved?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Abis¡¯ condition.¡± ¡°No, I think nothing¡¯s changed.¡± Chi-Woo fell into confusion, and then Eshnunna realized there was something off about their conversation. Chi-Woo cried out, ¡°No way. It¡¯s been a month, and her condition is still the same?¡± ¡°A month?¡± Eshnunna looked puzzled. ¡°What do you mean, a month? It¡¯s only been three days since you last met them.¡± The revelation was completely unexpected. While he didn¡¯t know the exact date, he was certain he¡¯d experienced more than three day-night cycles. ¡°A month¡­ Three days?¡± While Eshnunna looked at him strangely, a theory popped into Chi-Woo¡¯s head. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ ¡ªWhy are you so surprised? Philip nonchalantly interjected. ¡ªYou¡¯ve gone through the same thing at the Salem Academy. Compared to that, this place is nothing. Judging by how he was talking, Philip seemed to have already been aware of the different passage of time. Chi-Woo recalled a previous conversation he had with Chi-Hyun. [You said you¡¯d come back in a day or two. Why did you come so late?] [It¡¯s been two days.] [What the hell are you talking about? It¡¯s been three weeks.] [Two days passed.] Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t been arguing for no reason; no¡ªthis wasn¡¯t the important part. Chi-Woo needed to focus on what Eshnunna was telling him. Eshnunna asked, ¡°Anyway, do you now understand why I told you not to go?¡± She continued with a nervous expression. ¡°It¡¯s too weird to be a coincidence. It¡¯s as if you¡¯re getting pushed to go there¡­¡± * * * After Eshnunna left, Chi-Woo did not resume his training. He fell into thought as he sat alone in the cave, conflicted. As Eshnunna said, it was all too coincidental. It was hard to dismiss all recent events as coincidences when they had happened in a row. ¡®Again¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the first time that something like this happened, either. At the Salem Academy, Chi-Woo defeated Andras and saved a girl. The choice that he made to save the girl by using holy water resulted in the revival of Kabal, and consequently led to the creation of a holy territory while he and his fellow heroes saved the eighth recruits. If Kabal hadn¡¯t been there, if he hadn¡¯t saved Balal, and if he had turned a blind eye to the Salem Academy, Chi-Woo might not have survived to this day. The situation he was currently in was reminiscent of that time. Before Kabal was revived, Balal had kept trying to lead Chi-Woo to Kabal. And now, multiple incidents had happened around him to lead him to a certain place again. One native had disappeared, a woman named Abis had gotten her neok taken away, and now, the witch had disappeared at the same place that Abis collapsed. A long sigh escaped his mouth, unbidden. It felt as if all the puzzle pieces were perfectly falling into place. Should he go or not? A part of him wanted to go. Considering the teachings of all his masters and his mentor, he didn¡¯t want to turn a blind eye to those in need. He was also concerned about the witch. Since they had helped each other in time of need, he felt uncomfortable ignoring her call for help. And this wasn¡¯t his only concern. Chi-Woo recalled what Eshnunna had said. [Mr. Ru Amuh is going to leave with a team. He said he¡¯ll depart as soon as he gathers his party members.] Ru Amuh was his first star and one of the closest friends he had in this world. He was taking the lead in this mission, unable to ignore people in need of help. Chi-Woo thought, ¡®I¡¯m a little nervous about sending them out like that¡­¡¯ To Chi-Woo, Ru Amuh was different from the other heroes. As soon as he entered Liber, he saved Ru Amuh with his own hands, and since then, he had been with Ru Amuh from the Shahnaz camp all the way here. If something went wrong with Ru Amuh or Ru Hiana, he would be devastated. What should he do? ¡°Ahhhhh¡ª¡± Chi-Woo let out a groan. ¨CIn my perspective¡­ While Chi-Woo rolled around clutching his head, Philip approached him and spoke up. ¨CI don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea for you to go. ¡°I know. I know that, but¡ª¡± ¨CFor your training as well. Only then did Chi-Woo stop rolling. Meeting Chi-Woo¡¯s questioning gaze, Philip cleared his throat. ¨CYou felt it too, didn¡¯t you? ¡°¡­¡± ¨CThat it¡¯s too much for you to break that rock in one hit right now. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have a comeback for that. Even though he had made progress after hitting the rock thousands of times, he was clearly feeling his limit. With his current user status, it would be difficult for him to obtain the desired result no matter how perfect his technique was. It would be akin to trying to travel 100 kilometers with only fuel for 10 kilometers. Chi-Woo was starting to realize that he couldn¡¯t break this rock until he raised his exorcism mana to at least B rank. Of course, since humans were not machines, there was a method for him to immediately solve this problem. Similar to how someone could unleash a powerful sword attack with less energy, Chi-Woo would be able to break the rock should he reach an awakening to make up for his low exorcism mana. However, that would be no easy feat. [Talent is speed.] His brother was right. Chi-Woo, who had only learned how to walk on a straight path, didn¡¯t dare to take a shortcut; he couldn¡¯t even see a shortcut in the first place. ¨CBut it might be a different story if you go through an actual battle. Come to think of it, Philip had told him that the second most important thing after thinking was a real-life experience. ¨CThere are cases where humans exert superhuman power during times of crisis. Philip wasn¡¯t wrong. Just like a soldier surviving a bullet in the brain, a mother saving her daughter by lifting the remains of a large building that had collapsed in an earthquake, and a firefighter braving through a fire to save a child and immediately collapsing after¡ªif Chi-Woo went through a similar experience and accomplished something that should have been impossible for him, he might be able to reach a breakthrough. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo still looked conflicted. ¨CWell, the choice is yours. Philip shrugged. ¨CBut don¡¯t forget that time is also a resource. Chi-Woo realized his mistake. Time wasn¡¯t on his side, considering Abis¡¯ condition and Evelyn¡¯s unknown fate. He didn¡¯t know when Ru Amuh would leave, either. As time went by, the situation would turn unfavorable for him. He needed to make his decision as fast as possible. ¨CSo what are you going to do? It was time to make a decision. Would he stay here? Or would he move out? ¡®If I succeed¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what exactly he would get, but it¡¯d probably be comparable to the establishment of a new godly territory, or something even grander. However, the risk was too great. On the other hand, if he remained here, he could steadily get stronger with no risk. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chi-Woo struggled for a long time and tightly shut his eyes. Finally, he made up his mind. He immediately got up and searched through his bag. A seven-sided die was on his left hand. He tried not to use the World¡¯s Milestone if possible, but he needed its help this time. Chi-Woo took a deep breath and raised his left hand. ¡®What do I do at times like this? What is the right path? Please show me¡ªthe answer.¡¯ At the same time he made his wish, he shook his left hand and threw the die into the air. Thud! Roll¡­ The die landed on the floor in a smooth curve and rolled. CH 186 [Rolling the World¡¯s Milestone.] The die stopped rolling after a while. With an alarm sound, a message popped up in the air, and Chi-Woo¡¯s stomach dropped. The face of the die was¡­ [Result: ¡ï¡ï] [Inherent Ability [Blessed] Luck consumed. (82 -> 80)] [The World¡¯s flow rushes faster toward the definite future.] [Fail. An event unfolds.] Thanks to the witch, Chi-Woo had restored the amount of Blessed Luck he had during the incident at the Salem Academy. Thus, instead of 69, he had 80 now; that wasn¡¯t the important part at all, however. [After successfully capturing one of the top figures of the Abyss, the Whore of Babylon, the Demon Empire coincidentally learns of the witch¡¯s past and secret.] Chi-Woo stared at the messages in a daze. [With a high-level demon¡¯s long-lasting obsession as the starting point, the demons begin to look into other possibilities with this sudden discovery. The Demon Empire begins their countdown before implementing their grand scheme.] ¡ªHey, what¡¯s wrong? Are you okay? When Chi-Woo regained his senses, his heart was pounding, and his forehead was dripping in cold sweat. He failed. He didn¡¯t even get 3, but 2 stars. It was only fortunate that he didn¡¯t get 1 star. He had sped up the World flow to a future where despair was confirmed. Nothing happened immediately, but that made it even scarier since it was clear that a terrible event would arise in the near future. ¡ªChi-Woo! Hey, hey! Philip shouted in surprise as Chi-Woo abruptly shot to his feet. Chi-Woo untied the ropes binding his hands and packed his bag. Philip asked in astonishment. ¡ªWhat? Are you leaving? Right now? ¡®Shit. Shit.¡¯ But Chi-Woo simply continued what he was doing as his hands trembled. The moment he got the message, Chi-Woo became sure that everything would turn to waste if he just stayed in this place. His sense of foreboding never turned out wrong, and Chi-Woo reprimanded himself for causing all this to happen. He needed to clean up after the mess he had brought about. ¡ªAre you really, really going to go? Philip asked, not knowing what Chi-Woo was feeling. ¡ªHow are you going to take care of the aftermath? Chi-Woo finished packing and stopped for a moment before getting up. After a moment of hesitation, he walked out of the cave and stood in front of the boulder, glaring at it with a viselike grip around his club. To remove it, he needed to know when to pull back and cut his swing off to maximize the energy transferred into his attack. He understood it in his head, but struggled to put it into action. Chi-Woo already knew what he lacked: he needed more mana, and he needed to make up for this shortfall somehow. ¡®Why did Chi-Hyun tell me to pour my mana into the club and maintain the flow in it too?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. It was then he got a clue. The key was to make his swing as quickly as possible and pull back as soon as his energy collided with the boulder. The boulder was bumpy, and when the club touched its surface, the two wouldn¡¯t meet perfectly in unison; there was a very slight gap, and there must be points where the energy wasn¡¯t being transmitted properly. Chi-Woo needed to solve this problem to transmit the most energy with a single strike. ¡®How?¡¯ The answer was to not only minimize time, but the surface area that he struck. Wiing! His mana flowed stronger than before and gathered at the end point of the club. ¡ªOh¡­ Philip¡¯s eyes widened in interest and focused on the club. Nothing had changed on the outside, but that only proved that Chi-Woo was doing the right thing. Instead of lashing out with a burst of uncontrollable energy, Chi-Woo was compressing mana into a single point without spilling anything. At last, Chi-Woo finished gathering energy and gradually raised his club. As if gravity had been reversed, his hair and clothes danced up, and stone pieces and dirt rose from the ground as he moved. Then, Chi-Woo made a down-swing with all his might. ¡ªNow! As soon as his club touched the boulder, Chi-Woo pulled back. It was a perfect, clean blow. Boom! A heavy thud followed a beat later. ¡ªUhhh¡ª? After not budging an inch, the boulder leaned sideways and tilted. Like a drunk person, it wobbled. Bam! But it fell back and landed on its original spot. ¡ªAh! Philip groaned because it had been so close. Although the boulder wasn¡¯t crushed to pieces, it could¡¯ve almost rolled over. But in the end, Chi-Woo failed, and the boulder was in the same state as before. The progress he¡¯d made was significant, though. ¡ªIt really was so close. Chi-Woo heaved roughly. In his concentration, he had exerted an enormous amount of power in that short period of time. ¡ªIt would¡¯ve been really cool if you cracked it right after making up your mind¡­but I suppose that¡¯s too difficult? Philip sighed, and Chi-Woo smiled bitterly. He would¡¯ve been just like a comic book hero then. ¡ªWhat are you going to do now? ¡°Going out.¡± Chi-Woo had already made his decision. This was simply his last attempt before leaving. It was true that Chi-Woo still felt conflicted about the promise he made with his brother, but he didn¡¯t have much time on his hands right now. He needed to act fast. After shouldering his bag, Chi-Woo took Bun and walked down the mountain without turning back even once. He was finally descending after a long period of training. * * * There was a saying that one must take great caution the more urgent they were. Although Chi-Woo was running out of time, he didn¡¯t forget to follow the necessary procedure, such as telling Noel Freya¡ªhis brother¡¯s aide¡ªof his departure. Besides, he needed supplies for his long travel, and Noel managed all the supplies in the capital. He could leave in secret, of course, but Chi-Woo thought this was the least he could do for the trust his brother had put in him. Thus, when Chi-Woo returned to the capital, he searched for Noel. On her way to sleep after another busy day, Noel was stunned to see Chi-Woo. ¡°Y-y-y-young master!? What brings you here!?¡± Noel was shocked, but she soon calmed down and sat in front of her desk. Chi-Woo explained the reason for his visit. ¡°¡­Young master.¡± Noel returned to her usual polite and business-like manner. ¡°First of all, I want to thank you for coming to me instead of going on your own, but¡­as you probably already expected, you can¡¯t go, sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even go to the yongmaek fortress. Are you seriously saying that you are going past the border, sir? Especially a territory where the Abyss and Sernitas reside?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°How would Lord Choi Chi-Hyun react if he heard you?¡± Chi-Woo closed his mouth, unable to come up with a response. Noel jerked her chin like she had expected it. ¡°See. Just imagine it, sir. I also want to do the same, but I am holding myself back because it¡¯s you, young master.¡± It sounded like she might have cracked Chi-Woo¡¯s skull because of the foolishness he was displaying if he were anybody else, and her body trembled like she was repressing her anger. ¡°Lord Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s wishes are also mine, and he asked me to take care of you. Thus, I can only disagree with your plan, sir.¡± ¡°But can¡¯t you give me some leeway?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t,¡± Noel immediately said. ¡°If you really wish to go, make sure you get permission from him instead of trying to convince me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no way that will happen, but even if he gives you permission, I will still be against it for your sake, young master.¡± Noel turned away like she had no intention to hear another word from him. Chi-Woo remained calm. He already knew there was no way Noel would easily give him her permission. ¡°Where is my brother?¡± ¡°Who knows? Wouldn¡¯t he still be negotiating with the Cassiubia League? Since they¡¯re talking about co-managing the territory, I don¡¯t think the matter will conclude anytime soon. And considering the distance, I don¡¯t think he will be able to receive your messages, either. If you are so urgent, why don¡¯t you go look for him in person?¡± ¡°That will take too much time.¡± ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Ms. Noel,¡± Chi-Woo looked at Noel with a disgruntled expression, who simply shrugged. Noel seemed completely firm about this matter. ¡°Human lives are on the line here.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Ms. Noel!¡± Noel remained calm despite Chi-Woo raising his voice. ¡°Even if 10,000 people are to die in front of me, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t blink an eye if it guarantees young master¡¯s safety. I will be fine no matter what kind of resentment and curses are aimed at me.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± It was hopeless. Noel had no intention of understanding his point, and Chi-Woo knew it was meaningless for him to talk further. The two stared at each other without saying anything. ¡°But what if¡­¡± Chi-Woo broke the uncomfortable silence. ¡°I still have to go?¡± ¡°If you really must, then you must.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. This was completely unexpected. ¡°How would I be able to stop you, young master? I haven¡¯t even made a contract with a god yet.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But.¡± Noel took a dagger off her shelf and threw it on the table in clear view. ¡°You will have to go over my dead body.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You can go if you want to see me dead.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way, is there? I will need to repent for the sin of not following my Lord¡¯s commands with my death.¡± Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. But Noel continued carelessly, ¡°Anyways, young master, you¡¯re saying that you must go no matter what I say, right?¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°All right. Then I¡¯ll die.¡± Noel took the dagger with both hands and stabbed it at her neck¡ªwith not even a moment of hesitation. ¡ªFuck! Philip screamed. ¡ªStop her! Quickly! Chi-Woo jumped to action, but stopped when Bun flung out and snatched the dagger away before he could. Blood streamed down Noel¡¯s fair neck. The tip of the dagger gleamed with red. ¡ªThis woman¡­ Philip murmured to himself as if he couldn¡¯t believe what just happened. ¡ªShe really¡­was going to stab¡­her own neck¡­ Noel wasn¡¯t bluffing; she really was willing to sacrifice her life. She continued, ¡°You can¡¯t stop me. Even if you tie me up, I can easily die by holding in my breath.¡± Noel was crazy. The extent her loyalty to his brother reached was insane. Chi-Woo had thought he could convince her somehow if he made his point persistently, like what he had done with Laguel, but Noel was a much greater hurdle to overcome than he had expected. ¡®¡­I guess I have no choice.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t wanted to do this, but he had to. Chi-Woo closed his eyes and reached into his memory, breathing deeply as he recalled his drama club time back in high school. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°¡­I understand. I won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made the right decision.¡± Noel finally smiled. ¡°Even if something happens, Lord Chi-Hyun will be able to resolve it, so please don¡¯t worry too much. If you focus on your training¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll probably be the case.¡± Chi-Woo cut her off. ¡°As you say, I can just stay holed up in the mountain and train, since my brother will do everything.¡± He stared straight at Noel and continued, ¡°Even though I don¡¯t know what will happen to my brother, who¡¯s always on the front lines and taking all the risks by himself. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Noel blinked; the words were sharp enough to pierce her skin¡ªno, through her bones. Noel replied, ¡°Young master, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Whether the Sernitas target humanity next, whether the Demon Empire comes to invade us, or even if they team up and come after us¡­¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just believe in Chi-Hyun. Our legendary hero will solve all our problems. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Chi-Woo suddenly pulled a straight face. ¡°But do you really think that¡¯s the case?¡± He looked at her with eyes more solemn than she¡¯d ever seen on him. He asked her again, ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Noel became speechless as Chi-Woo continued, ¡°Do you know what I found the most ridiculous since I came to Liber?¡± Noel couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°It¡¯s the heroes. The behavior of heroes. From the second to the eighth recruits! All of them!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice gradually rose. ¡°Whenever something happens, they immediately go to Chi-Hyun. It¡¯s always legend this and legend that. Whenever they start to get a little nervous, they go looking for my brother like a child who lost their mother!¡± ¡°Young master.¡± Noel cleared her voice. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re suddenly saying all this, but I understand what you mean. I also partly agree with you, but you have to consider the circumstances.¡± ¡°Circumstances?¡± ¡°You have to consider the special circumstances surrounding Liber. Not long ago, even the growth system¡ª¡± ¡°But hasn¡¯t the growth system now been established?¡± Chi-Woo shouted. ¡°Even though it¡¯s not complete, we even have a god! But nothing changed!¡± Noel became speechless again because everything he said was true. Chi-Woo huffed for a while and said, ¡°¡­Do you know why I want to go?¡± He continued with a weaker voice, ¡°It¡¯s because of him. I¡¯m leaving for his sake.¡± After a pause, he softly spoke, ¡°There are over 3,000 heroes on Liber, and most of them are all dependent on him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In the first place, why did so many people come to this world? Actually, more people will come here as the ninth and tenth recruits. Why are they all coming here?¡± Noel couldn¡¯t easily dismiss Chi-Woo¡¯s words as senseless because it was no other than Chi-Hyun himself who had requested for additional recruits to be sent. Noel was flustered. ¡°¡­Y-Young master, but Lord Chi-Hyun is¡ª¡± ¡°My brother!¡± Noel was taken aback as Chi-Woo shouted at the top of his lungs again. ¡°He might be a great hero and a legend to others, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo gritted his teeth to show his anger. ¡°But to me, he¡¯s my family, my only older brother!¡± He took a step closer to Noel. ¡°While my only brother is facing all kinds of danger and risking his life, are you telling me to just watch him as his younger brother!?¡± He furiously pointed at her with his index finger and shouted as emotionally as he could. Overwhelmed, Noel stared at him with a dumbfounded face. After steadying his breath for a while, Chi-Woo sharply glared at her. ¡°You¡¯re the same as everyone.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re no different. I¡¯d like to ask you, are you really my brother¡¯s subordinate?¡± This was basically heresy to Noel, but Chi-Woo continued, ¡°While your lord is exposed to the harsh wind and rain outside, how can you sit still here and claim to be loyal to him?¡± Noel widened her eyes at his accusation. ¡°Young master!¡± Screech! Noel roughly pushed back her chair and rose from her seat. ¡°How can you say that¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, of course, it¡¯s my personal opinion. It just seems that way from my point of view.¡± Chi-Woo used Noel¡¯s argument against her. ¡°If you really cared about my brother, you wouldn¡¯t do this. If I were you¡ª¡± He stared straight into her eyes and wielded words like the sharpest blade. ¡°I would at least not be leaning on this chair and proudly sitting still.¡± Noel gaped. ¡°And I would at least not stop someone who wants to help him, powerless I may be.¡± Noel was so conflicted that she dropped her head. She needed to retort and reiterate her opposition, but she couldn¡¯t think of any words. Chi-Woo thought Noel wouldn¡¯t listen to anything he said because the basis for her attitude was her undying loyalty to Chi-Hyun. Thus, Chi-Woo decided to convince her by taking a shot at her loyalty and questioning her actions. Lo and behold, Noel was wavering. It was true that Chi-Hyun had cultivated and maintained the central region, and he had prevented multiple crises by himself. She had been worried several times that Chi-Hyun might be handling too much at once. But most of all, Noel recalled how Chi-Hyun had reacted when he found out that someone had revived a god and established the growth system. [According to you, he found a god and restored their power, and he even activated a growth system. What do you think I felt when I heard that?] [Since he resolved many of my concerns, I¡¯ll gladly give him my fame and title as a legendary hero if that¡¯s what he wants, as long as he keeps up the good work.] She clearly remembered how happy Chi-Hyun was, which was a very rare sight from him. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t shake off what Chi-Woo had said¡ªhow he couldn¡¯t see his brother suffer as his family, and how if she were truly loyal to him, she wouldn¡¯t try to stop him. The conflicting thoughts of whether she should listen to her lord unconditionally or do what was truly right out of loyalty clashed inside her mind. Blood was thicker than water. If anyone else had said what Chi-Woo just said to her, she wouldn¡¯t have even blinked, but it was hard to do the same with Chi-Woo, Chi-Hyun¡¯s younger brother. While Noel stayed still with her head down, Chi-Woo snuck a glance at Steam Bun. It quietly approached him and took out a water bottle. Chi-Woo put a few drops in his eyes for the final climax. ¡°Ms. Noel.¡± After Steam Bun had secretly put away the water bottle, Chi-Woo said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you this before¡­but my brother can¡¯t save Liber alone.¡± He spoke with a deep but slightly hoarse voice. ¡°Even if my brother takes the lead with us supporting him from behind, we might still fail to save this world.¡± Chi-Woo emphasized how he was trying to help his brother and did not want to trouble him. ¡°Please try to understand why the Celestial Realm had sent additional recruits, and why the prophecy assigns a mission to each recruitment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just once. Please put yourself in my shoes¡­¡± Chi-Woo softly explained and trailed off suddenly. Noel, who had been listening in a daze, finally looked up. She was shocked to see Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°¡­If on the small chance that something bad happens to my brother¡­I¡¯ll never be able to forgive myself.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll suffer from guilt, go mad, and kill myself by biting my tongue.¡± He tightly shut his eyes. ¡°¡­Please, I beg you.¡± Chi-Woo bowed until his head was almost the same level as his waist at a 90-degree angle. He had never shown such deference before. Noel¡¯s lips trembled. She had to turn down his request, but she couldn¡¯t bear to when she noticed a tear trickle down his cheek. ¡°Young¡­master.¡± Noel smacked her lips for a while and in the end, lowered her arms without being able to say anything. * * * The next day, Chi-Woo got ready to leave as soon as he woke up, having had a good night''s sleep at his home. The result of his hard work yesterday? Success! Chi-Woo¡¯s tears were able to melt even the iron lady, Noel¡¯s, heart. He had managed to move her with his acting. However, his departure was not fully set in stone yet. Noel had taken a step back, but she still set two conditions. First, he had to form a team. [You¡¯re not going alone, right?] [Then you should gather your team members. Of course, it must be a perfect team Lord Chi-Hyun and I will have nothing to say more about.] Upon hearing Noel¡¯s condition, Chi-Woo went outside as soon as the day broke. His first destination had already been decided. Chi-Woo moved towards the Ru sibling¡¯s house, intending to also ask for the whereabouts of the three heroes involved in this case. When he knocked on the door, Ru Hiana answered. ¡°Who¡­ah? Senior?¡± Ru Hiana made a fuss as soon as she saw Chi-Woo. ¡°You¡¯ve come down?¡± ¡°Yes. Is Ru Amuh here?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s here, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo was glad that Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t left yet. He went inside, only to find himself in an unexpected situation. ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°What? Whaaaaat? What happened?¡± Ru Amuh and the man who had come to the cave for help were all here; it seemed they were having an important meeting. Moreover, even though this was definitely Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana¡¯s house, there was a person sitting at the head of the table as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°What is it?¡± The woman with platinum blond hair sat with her arms and legs crossed, looking at him with confident and prideful eyes like a queen. ¡°Who is he?¡± RedBird''s Thoughts Cosy: Bun-bun is the best accomplice xD CH 187 Chapter 187. Love and Obsession (2) Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes met with the arrogant-looking woman¡¯s. His brows furrowed of their own accord when he took a good look. ¡°Hm?¡± The woman reacted similarly. ¡®Huh¡­what? But there¡¯s no way?¡¯ It was the first time they were meeting, but for some reason, she seemed familiar. It was as if he had seen her long ago before he could remember. The two stared at each other, heads tilting as they recollected themselves. ¡°Hmph.¡± The platinum-blonde woman, Apoline, cleared her throat. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Ah, he is¡ª¡± The man hurriedly got up to explain, but Apoline interjected, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡± And the man sat back down. ¡°Tell me your name, including your last name if you have a family,¡± she said in a commanding tone like she was intent on getting the answer out of him. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t speak. [You must not tell her. You must keep your identity a secret at all costs.] Mimi suddenly broke her long-lasting silence to give him a warning. Chi-Woo wondered who this woman was that he needed to do that. Chi-Woo squinted and then widened his eyes again in surprise. After awakening his powers at Evalaya Mountain, he had gained some new abilities, including the Spirit Eye. Thus, he could see a person¡¯s aura if he looked hard enough. For example, Hawa¡¯s was an ashy color. Shimmer! And this woman¡¯s aura was a dazzling, eye-blindingly bright gold. 1. Name & Rank: Apoline Yelodi Afrilith (¡î¡î¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Female & 19 3. Height & Weight: 164.8cm & 48kg 4. Denomination: ¡ª 5. Tier: ¡ª 6. Class: ¡ª 7. Heavenly Title: Princess of Waiting 8. Disposition: Lawful Neutral [Strength E] [Durability E] [Agility D] [Stamina D] [Mental Fortitude C] [Mana B+] 1. [Order of Creation C] ¨C the ability to create by controlling mana. It¡¯s an ability that has bloomed through the user¡¯s blood, sweat, and tears, and she had amassed mana so enormous that it even threatened her life. Besides freely handling mana, the user can create things with imagination. 2. [Disaster Caused by Fire B+] ¨C the ability to induct or blast out fire among the natural elements. It¡¯s a specialized ability the user has awakened while adapting to her surroundings, and with it, the user¡¯s inherently ample mana always radiates heat. If the user wishes to, she can bring a calamity of fire upon her surroundings. 1. [Blood Legacy A] ¡ªThe user is a glorious product of her family, who heavily values bloodlines. Born in a mage family that obsesses over pure bloodlines, descendants of the Afrilith are gifted with the optimal body for magic use generation after generation. The user is judged to have the best bloodline among all members of her family and is born with the greatest amount of mana her species is known to have. Although the user received full back-up when coming to Liber, the destruction of the World caused a slight drop in her rank. 2. [Mana Ring A] ¡ªA unique constitution awakened by the ability, ¡®Order of Creation¡¯. Several rings of energy bring endless mana and circulate it throughout her body continuously. As long as her mana doesn¡¯t disappear, the user always maintains youth and retains her peak physique according to her growth speed. ¡®Wow,¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gaped open. A mana rank at B+? Furthermore, each of her basic and innate abilities was impressive. It was simply crazy, and this was all before she even chose a denomination or went into a contract with a god to use the growth system. ¡®It¡¯s a cheat! A total cheat!¡¯ This was the family perks Chi-Woo had dreamed of, and he felt envious for the first time in a long time. He couldn¡¯t believe someone could be born at rank B, while he had to train rigorously every day to reach rank C. [¡­Do you even have a conscience?] Mimi sounded baffled after reading Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts. On the other hand, Apoline¡¯s eyebrow was rising higher and higher. ¡°Hmph!¡± She fake-coughed and tapped her crossed arms. Although it hurt her pride that the person she addressed didn¡¯t answer her immediately, she looked like she was willing to let it go. ¡°I am Apoline Yelodi Afrilith.¡± Apoline emphasized ¡®Afrilith¡¯ like she was very proud of her family. Then she crossed her arms again. When her addressee didn¡¯t answer no matter how much she waited, however, her patience soon reached its limit. She couldn¡¯t believe someone would be silent after she introduced herself and even revealed that she was an Afrilith. That was beyond rude; this man seemed to look down on her family. Her sharp eyes became even sharper. ¡°Ah.¡± Chi-Woo finally took his eyes off her user information and quickly bowed. ¡°Hello. Sorry, I was just surprised.¡± Apoline seemed to relax after seeing how unsettled Chi-Woo appeared. Chi-Woo had been staring at her with his mouth wide open in a daze. Not knowing that he was actually admiring her user information, Apoline was peeved, but hearing his response, she raised her head arrogantly again. ¡®Hmph.¡¯ It was only natural. Her beauty and her family made most heroes stand in awe, and although she received such a response often, she never got sick of it. Apoline generously excused Chi-Woo. ¡®Yes, there¡¯s no way this ditzy guy can be him. How could I have been so silly?¡¯ Apoline thought, shifting her attention away from Chi-Woo and looking around at the others. ¡°Who is this man that he can barge in like this?¡± Apoline asked. ¡°He¡¯s the one I told you before, Apoline. The one who told us Abis¡¯ exact condition,¡± the man answered. Apoline¡¯s eyes snapped to the man. Taken aback by her sharp gaze, the man scratched his head and asked, ¡°Um¡­what is it?¡± ¡°Can you refrain from talking to me so familiarly?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I thought I told you before. We aren¡¯t on such friendly terms that we can talk informally with each other.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, you did. Sorry, man. I mean, I apologize. Excuse me, it¡¯s a habit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Miss Afrilith for you. Remember that.¡± Apoline scolded the man and turned around while the man clicked his tongue. Then she scanned Chi-Woo from head to toe. Although most felt positive emotions toward Chi-Woo at first sight because of his Halo, it had no effect on Apoline, who was born with a strong resistance to such abilities. Furthermore, she was extremely predisposed to look down on others rather than looking up to them. ¡°What is your rank, sir?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Your rank. Rank. Why don¡¯t you settle your surprise now and answer my questions properly?¡± Apoline said while jerking her head. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t even choose your denomination yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, Miss.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°My rank is Iron IV.¡± Apoline¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­unsettling.¡± She looked disapprovingly at Chi-Woo and let out a long sigh. Then she continued, ¡°I decided to help them out after hearing how pitiful their situation was. Now that I have decided to participate, I have no intention of forming a team with just any members.¡± Ru Hiana looked irked, while the man looked shocked. It seemed he hadn¡¯t expected Chi-Woo to be in the lowest rank, either. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel too good about the reaction he was getting. He came all this way to help them, but was getting treated as some baggage, and now this princess was telling him off without a lick of respect. Chi-Woo wanted to ask her ¡®Haven¡¯t you not even picked a denomination yet?¡¯ but held his tongue; he knew this woman¡¯s user information far surpassed most heroes who had a denomination. ¡ªYes, who can you blame? Philip said. ¡ªThis woman is completely in the right. It¡¯s dangerous to go beyond the border. It¡¯s not wrong for her to want a proper, skilled companion who can do their share. ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡ªOf course, your skills aren¡¯t bad, but there¡¯s no way she will know that. Then Philip continued. ¡ªWhy? Isn¡¯t this the treatment you wanted? You¡¯ve tried hard to remain unknown, and you should accept situations like this willingly. It was true. If Chi-Woo had revealed the number of merits he had collected or increased his rank, the treatment he received would¡¯ve been far different. But knowing that, Chi-Woo hid those facts because the attention he would get would be too burdensome. ¡ªHeh¡­ Nevertheless, Philip¡¯s words still aggravated Chi-Woo. It was then Ru Amuh said in a low voice, ¡°He isn¡¯t just any hero. We must get his help to finish this mission safely.¡± Chi-Woo felt touched by Ru Amuh¡¯s words. He was like the eldest child who helped his father stand with pride. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Surprisingly, Apoline didn¡¯t respond negatively to Ru Amuh¡¯s comment. Although she wasn¡¯t pleased, it seemed she was taking a step back. ¡°What is your class? Are you a priest or something?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± Apoline nodded. That would change things. Even more than a holy knight, a priest was a very rare class among the heroes. After all, a saintess usually acted as a hero¡¯s helper rather than a hero. Furthermore, Apoline knew there wasn¡¯t yet a god established in this world that fit a priest. Thus, the fact that Chi-Woo managed to get a denomination and even reach the lowest rank was an impressive feat; and it meant the god must have placed many great conditions to get the deal with him. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Still, Apoline continued to ponder about the matter when she suddenly noticed a bluish, small lump near Chi-Woo. Unable to overcome its boredom, Steam Bun had leapt out of Chi-Woo¡¯s pocket and fell to the chair. Apoline blinked. Slide¡ª She unconsciously reached out towards Steam Bun, and Steam Bun froze. It crouched down as if it was guarding itself against Apoline. ¡°¡­Pyu?¡± It leaned forward and tapped the end of her index finger. Apoline asked, ¡°W-What is this?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s my bag. Hey. When did you come out?¡± ¡°Your bag?¡± ¡°Yes. Its capacity is quite good.¡± Apoline was no longer listening to Chi-Woo. She carefully rubbed Steam Bun as if she was touching an extremely fragile object. ¡°Can you reconsider? I want this man¡¯s help as well. Please?¡± The man spoke awkwardly and appealed to Apoline for Chi-Woo to join. ¡°You¡¯re really making an effort¡­ah!¡± While she was talking, Steam Bun quickly turned and went back to hiding in Chi-Woo¡¯s pocket. She stared in disappointment for a moment and said, ¡°Fine.¡± She returned to her regal stance and continued, ¡°It feels like I¡¯m volunteering for some reason, but I¡¯ll trust you since Mr. Ru Amuh vouched for you. Even if you don¡¯t meet my expectations, I can more than make up for a couple deadweights.¡± Chi-Woo clicked his tongue. It was truly a talent to talk so irritatingly. ¡°Good. We have five people now, right?¡± The man counted with his fingers and got a stinging look from Apoline for dropping his honorifics again. He quickly shook his head and added, ¡°No! I was talking to myself!¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°Did you say five people?¡± ¡°Yep. Since Abis can¡¯t fight, I excluded her from the count, and there¡¯s Ms. Apoline, Mr. Ru Amuh, uh¡­you, my brother, and me.¡± Chi-Woo turned around to look at Ru Hiana. She put her hands together with a conflicted look on her face. ¡°Sorry, senior. I¡¯m going on a separate mission soon. I¡¯m the captain of the team, so I can¡¯t leave.¡± It seemed there was an expedition or mission she already agreed to participate in. The man said, ¡°Hmm. With these numbers, I think we can immediately go.¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± Apoline shot the man down again. ¡°Since I¡¯m the mage and we have a priest, we¡¯re fine on the magic front. We have a lot of warriors as well, but we don¡¯t have a scout.¡± A scout was essential to detect enemies in advance and guide the team in the right direction when they were lost. ¡°Moreover, if we get a native who knows the geography well, it¡¯ll be even better.¡± Apoline wasn¡¯t wrong, but the man and Ru Amuh looked troubled. Ru Amuh had decided to help the man, but he had run into problems from the very start. It was very difficult to gather people and form a team. Heroes were not idiots. They knew they wouldn¡¯t be part of a large rescue team like last time. No one would be foolish enough to cross the border with such a small party of heroes. No matter how desperate a hero was to earn merits, it was not worth dying for. After getting rejected so many times, Ru Amuh and the man had gone to the lights of the Celestial Realm for help; surprisingly, Apoline, who was the first person they asked, agreed to be part of their team. Thanks to that, they became hopeful. Ru Amuh might not have been enough, but with her reputation, some heroes would want to join them. Apoline was also fully aware of this fact. She knew it so well that a slight smile formed on her face. Apoline had agreed to be part of the team for a specific reason, and to reach her goal, she needed to take the lead in this party. Of course, she could come forward and bring a scout, but Apoline refrained on purpose; the others had to ask her for help first. Then she could fulfill their request. Her authority in the team would be established naturally then. ¡°Uh¡­we tried to talk to the others, but no one wanted to join.¡± The man continued awkwardly, ¡°So even if it¡¯s a bit bothersome, would you be¡ª¡± The man was about to finally say what Apoline had been wanting him to say when¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll try to get us a scout.¡± Apoline, who had been preparing to sigh and say ¡®I guess I have to step in¡¯ and get up from her seat, was startled; she awkwardly sat back down and looked at Chi-Woo, who had gotten to his feet before she did. ¡°You¡¯ll bring us a scout?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think anyone will follow the words of a hero at the lowest tier.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a hero I¡¯m personally acquainted with. I¡¯ll ask him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a half-baked scout.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not half-baked. He¡¯s skilled.¡± Apoline couldn¡¯t argue with that. She closed her mouth, deciding to wait and see who he would bring, but her true feeling was clear in the way her lower lip stuck out. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± said Chi-Woo. True to his words, Chi-Woo came back before a cup of hot drink could cool down. Next to him was a cat. ¡°Sir Nangnang?¡± Ru Amuh rose from his seat with a startled look on his face. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still here.¡± Nangnang raised his hand and waved. ¡°But you told me you didn¡¯t intend to participate¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I told you, but I¡¯m indebted to Boss.¡± Nangnang nonchalantly continued, ¡°And I have to take a promotion test soon. With the help of Boss, I¡¯ll probably pass it this time as well, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Nangnang chuckled and rubbed his body against Chi-Woo¡¯s calves. This was how different heroes who knew about Chi-Woo¡¯s merits and those who didn¡¯t treat him. Even though Nangnang flatly refused Ru Amuh¡¯s offer, he decided that it was worth taking the risk to participate in the mission after finding out Chi-Woo was also joining¡ªbecause he trusted Chi-Woo¡¯s skills. ¡°What¡ªwhat¡¯s this? A cat?¡± Apoline made a shrill sound. Her intentions to nitpick anybody Chi-Woo brought completely evaporated. Nangnang replied, ¡°What do you mean a cat? How rude of you to address me like that when this is our first time meeting. Who are you?¡± ¡°I was the one who asked first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Nangnang from the second recruits. My tier is Silver I.¡± Apoline and the man were surprised. The tier system was the only way to measure a hero¡¯s position and ability. Since there was only one gold tier hero on Liber, Nangnang must have participated in almost every big event to be silver tier. Nangnang asked again, ¡°So who are you?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m Apoline Yelodi Afrilith.¡± ¡°Apoline¡­Afrilith?¡± Nangnang, who had his fur raised, widened his eyes. His long tail also quickly went straight up. ¡°Oh wow, Afrilith. Woah.¡± Nangnang moved towards Apoline and circled around her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing one of the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights here. What an honor!¡± Apoline¡¯s eyes followed his movement. She couldn¡¯t believe that a gray cat was circling around her. Even though he had a scar on his eye and a rough-looking face, his tail was fluttering from side to side! Nangnang continued, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to form a team with one of the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights that I¡¯ve heard so much about. It¡¯ll be fun. As expected of Boss. Haha.¡± Nangnang licked his paw, and his eyes brightened. ¡°Y-You flatter me.¡± Apoline barely managed to answer because she had to try extremely hard to not reach out to pet him. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Apoline was slightly annoyed, but Nangnang¡¯s skills were confirmed, and he perfectly fitted her tastes. ¡°It¡¯s really goo¡­alright.¡± She had no choice but to give in. ¡°Now we depart. We can¡¯t delay it any longer.¡± Everyone nodded at Ru Amuh¡¯s words. ¡°Since we¡¯ve formed a team, there¡¯s no reason for us to linger here any longer. Good, let¡¯s get ready today and meet at the gate early tomorrow morning.¡± After saying this, Apoline rose from her seat and quickly exited the room. Once she left, the man smacked his lips and said, ¡°She¡¯s quite hard to please. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Everyone nodded, much more vehemently than before. * * * As soon as Chi-Woo left Ru Amuh¡¯s house, he went to find Noel. Noel was surprised; he had found a team sooner than she expected. ¡°Nangnang, Ru Amuh¡­¡± Noel listened quietly and was pleasantly surprised by his team members¡ªuntil Chi-Woo mentioned Apoline. Noel frowned and said, ¡°¡­Who did you say? Apoline? From Afrilith¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chi-Woo asked, ¡°What is it? Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case but¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a problem with ability. She was an Afrilith, and one of the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights. Moreover, Apoline was known as the most promising child of the family. The Afrilith¡¯s love for their youngest daughter was so famous that Noel wondered how Apoline managed to get permission to come to Liber. But one thing was clear: they couldn¡¯t have sent her here empty-handed. She must have gotten a massive backup at the cost of almost all the family¡¯s wealth. Noel had to admit she was an extremely rare asset to have at this time. However, Noel said, ¡°At least the Nahlas are skilled. But the Afriliths are fucking idiots whose only strength is their bloodline, yet they¡¯re always arrogantly showing off without realizing how scary the world is. Honestly, they¡¯re lower than fucking dogs. That family got dumped over and over again to hell, but are too fucking stupid to get out of their delusions¡­¡± Chi-Woo spat out the water he had been drinking as he listened. She was being uncharacteristically blunt. ¡°Ms. N-Noel?¡± ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m sorry. But I didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± Chi-Woo replied, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. But the team¡¯s already been decided, so we can¡¯t change the members.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Noel clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, I¡¯m a little curious if she¡¯ll still be able to bark as loudly in this world. Maybe it¡¯s a good thing. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to take this opportunity to put them back in their place again.¡± Noel snorted, twisting her neck left and right and wringing her hands. Chi-Woo shuddered; Noel seemed to be getting ready for a fight. Then she said, ¡°Anyway, I got it. The first condition has been resolved somewhat, but you haven¡¯t forgotten the second condition, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay, when are you leaving?¡± Chi-Woo replied, ¡°Tomorrow. We¡¯re meeting early in the morning at the gate.¡± Noel said, ¡°Then you don¡¯t have much time. Young master, you should rest well for now. I¡¯ll pack for you.¡± Bidding Noel farewell, Chi-Woo left the palace. After making a stop at the Shahnaz temple, he stayed there for a while and returned to his home. For the rest of the day, he didn¡¯t do anything, but moved his energy around and went to bed. Then the next day arrived, and the sun began to rise. CH 188 There was a faint groan. It was soft, like she was afraid of anyone hearing her. ¡°Um¡­Urgh¡­¡± Her eyes rolled underneath her eyelids for a while before she opened them. She looked unsettled for a moment before her gaze gained focus, and she let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s the same¡­dream again¡­¡± The sweat soaking her armpits and back suggested she had suffered from nightmares the entire night. Her body felt heavy, and her head felt dizzy like the worst kind of hangover. Above all, her dream had been very unpleasant. ¡®¡­It¡¯s the worst.¡¯ It was a bad sign. Having the proper state of mind was very important for Apoline. Her ¡®Mana Ring¡¯ adjusted her physical condition to its peak, but it had no influence on her mind. And her mental condition depended on her state of mind. Furthermore, today was the beginning of their mission. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything in her current state and needed to pull herself together. Knock, knock. Apoline forcefully pushed herself up and said, ¡°Come in.¡± The door creaked open, and five native women quietly entered her room with their heads bowed. Four of them were carrying a large wooden tub big enough to fit a person, which was half-filled with water. The remaining one approached Apoline and placed her hand on her shoulder. Slid. Her light gown slipped down and revealed her soft skin. And while supported on both sides, Apoline dipped her small feet into the water and immediately pulled them out. ¡°Fire.¡±The lukewarm water began to boil. One of the native women inhaled deeply in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The temperature was good, but I changed it on my whim today,¡± Apoline said, and the native woman finally looked relieved. Soon, large bubbles popped up from the water, and steam rose into the air. Apoline sighed contentedly when she soaked in the boiling bath. She felt as if everything that was pressing her down was melting away; there was nothing better than a warm bath to wash away one¡¯s worries. Apoline rested her head on the side of the tub, and the native women got a bucket of water and began to wash her hair. After bathing for almost an hour, Apoline got out, letting the native women dry her off with towels. Then they rubbed perfume onto her still warm skin and brought clean clothes for her to wear. After putting every piece of clothing on her, they sat her down in front of the dressing table. As she closed her eyes, they put makeup on her face and brushed her long hair. After donning her with a white hair band, the native women finally finished their task at noon. By then, Apoline¡¯s mood had fully recovered. ¡°Hm. Good work.¡± Apoline nodded and lightly waved her fingers. Hefty pouches that she had prepared beforehand floated and dropped into their hands. ¡°I am going away for a bit,¡± Apoline said while adjusting her hair band. ¡°It might take a while, so consider yourselves on vacation.¡± The native women¡¯s faces darkened. They had been earning precious food supplies by waiting on her. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I will return, so come by every day after two weeks. Knock three times, and if I don¡¯t answer, you can quietly open it to check if I¡¯m here.¡± The native women backed away immediately after hearing her command. After they left, Apoline looked back at the reflection in the mirror, smiling at the lovely woman staring back at her. Her face glistened with makeup accentuating her supple skin, her eyebrows were neatly trimmed, and her pink eyes sparkled like she had trapped sunset inside. Awashed in daylight, her neatly arranged platinum-blonde hair shone like the blazing sun. She was receiving luxury that most people wouldn¡¯t dream of in a ruined world, but Apoline didn¡¯t care for what others thought. She simply had a different mindset. What if Liber was in a dire state? What did that matter to her? She could always make her environment more livable. A hero¡¯s duty was to overcome difficulties and make their surroundings better; in that same line of thought, Apoline could make her private living space better, and she planned to turn the house she had picked upon arrival at Liber into a small palace. Of course, this was still far lacking. Her new servants listened to her orders well, but they were still natives. What she wanted was a subordinate. To create her own division, she needed heroes she could oversee as underlings. Given her personality, Apoline wasn¡¯t going to just take anybody. Their abilities and character had to meet her standards, and in that regard, Ru Amuh was the perfect candidate to be her first subordinate. He was handsome, skilled, and his personality seemed all right too. During this expedition, Apoline planned to build a stronger bond with Ru Amuh; she could always show that she had the ability to make him follow and trust her later. And¡­ She looked at the mirror again and smiled confidently at her reflection. Apoline was well-aware of how beautiful she was. She had a beauty that anyone could fall for, and a human needed to know how to weaponize everything¡ªthis was what her father had always told her. A person¡¯s appearance could also be a weapon. After all, it was impossible to tell what a person was thinking during the first meeting, and people were judged by their outer appearance first. This was the reason why Apoline had cared for her appearance this noon. She thought she would leave a deep impression on everyone she met now, including Ru Amuh. ¡®Hm¡­ Besides Ru Amuh, was there another hero that seemed useful?¡¯ Apoline pondered and thought of one. ¡®What was his name again?¡¯ She could only remember that he looked pale-ish. ¡®Why am I even thinking about that ditzy guy¡­?¡¯ She wondered and recalled the dream she had. Apoline scowled and shook her head. She couldn¡¯t ruin her mood again after she finally felt better. It was the time they had agreed upon anyways, and Apoline got up from her seat. She would be right on time if she went right now. The main character always arrived late, she told herself and leisurely walked. * * * ¡°The Choi family¡¯s youngest son can¡¯t go around in such a state.¡± Slice. Slice. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how important it is to keep appearances?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s hair fell every time there was a cutting sound. ¡°Furthermore, you are Lord Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s biological brother.¡± Since early in the morning, Chi-Woo had been forcibly getting a makeover from Noel. His hair had become a little shaggy while he stayed in the mountain to the point that it almost reached his shoulders. Thus, Noel had taken the matter into her own hands. ¡°Okay, lie down now. I will wash your hair.¡± And after rinsing his hair, she said, ¡°I¡¯m all done! Ta-da! Don¡¯t you look much better and cleaner now?¡± Chi-Woo nodded as Noel brought him a towel. ¡°Of course. Since you¡¯re related to Lord Choi Chi-Hyun, it¡¯s only expected that you are also handsome.¡± It was annoying how she brought up his brother in every sentence. Still, he couldn¡¯t deny her skills and was satisfied with his new haircut. ¡°But it really is a worry,¡± Noel said while drying Chi-Woo¡¯s hair. Chi-Woo glanced at her through the mirror. ¡°The expedition?¡± ¡°There¡¯s that too, but I¡¯m talking about the girl from Afrilith...¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how to respond. For some reason, Noel always turned antagonistic as soon as Afrilith¡¯s name was mentioned. ¡°Young master.¡± Noel cleared her throat. ¡°I told you before, but it can¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°What can¡¯t happen?¡± ¡°You know, with Lady Afrilith. You must not even meet her eyes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If you guys happen to meet eyes and develop feelings for one another, I don¡¯t know how I will face my Lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo stared as Noel worried about this matter with utmost seriousness. ¡°Ms. Noel.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why are you even saying that?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I have nothing going on with her. I only met her once, so I wonder why you are even worrying about something like that. It¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Chi-Woo said, baffled. Noel blinked hard. ¡°Do you perhaps not¡­know¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± Noel was shocked to see that Chi-Woo seemed completely oblivious. She thought Chi-Woo would know how the Afriliths had crossed the line after getting their marriage proposals turned down multiple times, but perhaps his family hadn¡¯t told him¡ªit seemed possible considering the Lord¡¯s personality. In that case, there was no need for her to worry. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. It was pointless for me to even bring it up.¡± Chi-Woo stared suspiciously as Noel smiled. In the end, after Chi-Woo¡¯s preparation was done, they parted ways. When Chi-Woo went to their meeting spot, he saw one person standing there. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°How could¡­!¡± Apoline was about to respond angrily when she stopped. She scanned Chi-Woo from head to toe and looked taken aback. After getting his hair sorted out and putting on some nice clothes, he was quite¡­presentable? ¡°...You look all right today.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°See how much better you look after cleaning yourself up? You should go around like that from now on.¡± Chi-Woo glanced at the clothes he was wearing. Noel had chosen his clothes and shoes. ¡°Anyways, where are the others¡­?¡± Apoline trailed off when she saw another person arriving a bit later than Chi-Woo. It was a woman with ivory hair that cascaded down her shoulders. ¡°Why are you here¡­?¡± Apoline asked. ¡°?¡± ¡°I decided to join you,¡± Noel replied. Apoline¡¯s eyes narrowed as she replied, ¡°I wasn¡¯t informed at all.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so? I thought I had let everyone know by message. That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± Apoline glared. Noel Freya was one of those rare priestly heroes and a saintess who specialized in dealing with heretics. The simple fact that the legend had allowed her to follow him meant Apoline had to take her seriously. But above all, Apoline wondered why Noel had suddenly decided to participate. ¡°This is surprising,¡± Apoline spoke with the intention to find out the reason. ¡°I thought you were just a house-guarding dog. Were you getting bored with your owner¡¯s absence?¡± Even as she was insulted as a dog, Noel simply responded with an unwavering smile, ¡°It won¡¯t be right for me to only guard my house. I am a hunting dog after all.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so? Rather than waiting for my owner and doing nothing, I should go out and catch some prey to earn love as a hunting dog.¡± Apoline¡¯s face stiffened. She wondered, ¡®Is Choi Chi-Hyun also aiming for Ru Amuh? Is that why she is participating in this expedition?¡¯ As rivaling lights of the Celestial Realm, Apoline thought it was possible. Ru Amuh was worth competing for. Apoline flicked her head away after glaring at Noel. Maybe it would¡¯ve been different if Chi-Hyun had come personally, but Noel was someone she could deal with. And apart from all this, Noel was indisputably skilled as someone who had gone through all sorts of hardships. As the two conversed, Chi-Woo pondered. There was only one reason why Noel would join the expedition, and that was her second condition. Even when Chi-Woo was in a well-organized team, it still made her worried. Chi-Woo was reluctant to go with her at first since Noel didn¡¯t even have a denomination yet, but she dismissed his concern with a shake of her head. [Thank you for worrying, but I¡¯m fine. I am confident that I can at least take care of myself.] Although Noel didn¡¯t tell him in detail, it seemed she had some trick up her sleeves. And as they waited, more members came¡ªNangnang, Ru Amuh, the brothers, and Abis, whom the younger man was carrying on his back. And with the arrival of Hawa, whom Chi-Woo had personally recommended, all the members of the expedition team arrived. There was no need for them to wait any longer, and the nine quickly left the capital. The team marched quietly because Apoline was clearly in a bad mood. Unable to bear the atmosphere, the man with all his hair pulled back started a conversation with Chi-Woo. ¡°Well¡­I just want to thank you,¡± the man said. When Chi-Woo turned to look at him, the man smiled and continued, ¡°It sounded like you were in a difficult position, but you still came.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± ¡°No, thank you, really. Whatever happens, I won¡¯t forget that you came out to help us today.¡± Chi-Woo smiled in response to the man¡¯s trusting words. Like Hawa said, it seemed he had a good heart. ¡°On that note, I think I haven¡¯t properly introduced myself.¡± The man extended a hand. ¡°My name is Jin-Cheon.¡± Chi-Woo took his hand and felt the man¡¯s hardened skin. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Mr. Jin-Cheon from now on then.¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you going to tell me your name as well?¡± Chi-Woo quietly smiled. He was used to this situation now and knew not to reveal his true name easily, remembering how Noel had responded when she first heard it. ¡°I¡¯m just from a no-name family.¡± ¡°Really? You don¡¯t look like it at all.¡± ¡°You can call me in whatever way most convenient for you.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you keeping a vow of silence or something that requires you to throw away your name?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t push since it seems to be a secret. Then what should I call you from now on?¡± He wondered and clapped his hand lightly. ¡°Dear sir seems too much. What about bro? Big bro or little bro seems okay too.¡± ¡°Bro is fine.¡± ¡°Okay! Bro it is. Well, nice to finally make your acquaintance officially!¡± Jin-Cheon shouted. Seeing his light and amiable personality, Chi-Woo began to regard Jin-Cheon differently. For some reason, he felt almost an immediate affection for the man, but overall, Chi-Woo mostly thought Jin-Cheon must be a hero from a martial arts world. And while he shared a lively conversation with Jin-Cheon, they walked toward their destination, not knowing what would become of their relationship in the future. * * * Their march continued smoothly for a couple of days. There wasn¡¯t a single being they could call a monster in sight, and thanks to that, they were able to reach the fortress without much trouble. It was nice to come to the fortress after a long time, but the group continued to march the very next day. ¡°If we go past this place, we will arrive at the border area,¡± Hawa said in an emotionless voice in front of a vast meadow. Chi-Woo stopped walking. This was the border line, and once he passed it, he would be passing the line his brother had set for him. It wasn¡¯t too late for him to turn back now. ¡°Teacher? Is there a problem¡­?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± But Chi-Woo collected himself at Ru Amuh¡¯s words. He had long crossed the line by leaving the mountain before he could crack the boulder. He was already at a point of no return. ¡®Please endure for a bit longer, Lady Evelyn,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and moved without hesitation. Stepping onto the meadow, he made his way through the border. CH 189 The expedition continued smoothly. Nothing happened on the first or second day after they passed the border. The marching was also easy since there were very few hills, but as time went by, Chi-Woo began to feel mental fatigue. Everyone was on extremely high alert. Before, they were able to breathe easily whenever they took a break, but as soon as they crossed the border, the atmosphere among the expedition team changed dramatically, and everyone was tense whether they were marching or resting. The chatty Jin-Cheon had also stopped talking and instead put all his attention on surveying his surroundings. He seemed so serious that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even jokingly ask what happened and tell him to lighten up. It was different when he had been in the rescue team; the rescue team was a large group, while this expedition team was small. A single mistake could bring about the death of the whole team. Thus, everyone was careful to not make the slightest misstep. And knowing this, Chi-Woo tried to adjust to the current atmosphere rather than making any attempt to relieve his tiredness. As the sun set and dusk arrived, the wind became chilly. Because it had rained not long ago, the grasses were wet with dew, and the meadow cold to walk on. Some time later, Nangnang picked a spot between the hills and announced, ¡®This place seems good for today.¡¯ While his companions prepared the campsite, Chi-Woo offered to make dinner for the day. Since it was cold, he wanted to make some hot, spicy soup and warm his stomach to help him endure the cold of the night. ¡®I should make broth with the meat first,¡¯ he thought. He felt a bit nervous as he dropped a whole chunk of meat that Noel had given him to eat in secret into the bowl. Ever since coming to this world, the only thing that really captured his interest was cooking. Not only because being a chef had been his dream in the past, but there were also new ingredients he had never seen scattered everywhere in this world. Among Liber¡¯s food supplies, some resembled the ones on Earth, while others were completely alien to him. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t forget how shocked he had been when cutting up a stem stalk-looking plant, and something that tasted like soybean paste flowed out. And because Chi-Hyun had gotten him many different ingredients after seeing how interested he seemed in cooking, Chi-Woo was able to accumulate knowledge about Liber¡¯s food culture quickly. In the end, Chi-Woo succeeded in creating today¡¯s dinner by refreshing his memories: it was Liber¡¯s version of gukbap¡ªhot soup with rice. Hungry, the expedition team looked at Chi-Woo¡¯s home food with interest. ¡°Hm, it seems quite spicy.¡± ¡°Oh, it smells good¡­¡± Nangnang looked at it curiously, while Jin-Cheon salivated with his nostrils widened. However, not everyone reacted favorably to the dish; a particular someone was looking at it with unease. ¡°Urgh.¡± Apoline appeared disgusted by the oil floating on top of the red soup. It seemed Chi-Woo had made the soup by mixing all sorts of ingredients together, and it didn¡¯t look edible to her. ¡°What is that? It looks like dog food.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not dog food,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Ah, never mind. I won¡¯t eat it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good though¡­¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s tasty or not, I can¡¯t eat it because of how unhygienic it looks.¡± ¡°So damn picky,¡± Noel muttered from behind, and Apoline turned to glare at her. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Nothing. I was talking to myself.¡± Noel shrugged and puffed up her cheeks, looking peeved as she ignored Apoline¡¯s glare. She wasn¡¯t the only one who didn¡¯t like Apoline¡¯s attitude. ¡°People who are picky with their food are the worst,¡± Jin-Cheon murmured under his breath, ¡°Don¡¯t you think so too, Ru Amuh?¡± Then, he quickly stopped when he felt a sharp gaze on him. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s important for one to eat different kinds of food to gain a good balance of nutrients,¡± Ru Amuh answered with characteristic sincerity. ¡°Even the light of the Celestial Realm is choosy with their food. Why don¡¯t you try taking just a bite?¡± Nangnang also intervened. ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not made with revolting ingredients, and I think it will be better than you think, Apoline,¡± Nangnang reiterated. Apoline looked around her expedition team in astonishment. ¡°You should eat a bit at least. It seems like we will arrive at our destination tomorrow, and we can¡¯t have our precious mage too hungry to use her powers,¡± Nangnang said in a soothing tone and shoved his face back into his bowl. Apoline¡¯s face reddened as she heaved. ¡®Why¡­!¡¯ She didn¡¯t know why everyone was always taking the side of this nameless hero, but she decided to back away, and Jin-Cheon murmured quietly again, ¡°How come she told me to not address her informally, but she lets the cat be?¡± ¡°Tch, give me some then,¡± Apoline said and reached out with a hand. After getting a bowl of soup, she sat down and glared at it for a while. ¡®Could I really eat this?¡¯ She wondered and carefully took one sip. ¡°?¡± Apoline¡¯s eyebrows rose. Her expression seemed to be asking what this dish was, and she quickly took another spoonful to taste it better. She chewed with the spoon in her mouth and gulped. Then she looked at Chi-Woo, baffled. She was confused. Why was this tasty? It was spicy but savory and smooth like cream¡­! Her hand kept getting another spoonful, which was unbelievable for a picky eater like Apoline, who got sick of most delicacies after a bite. ¡°Does it suit your taste?¡± Apoline stopped moving, and after a pause, responded with a small nod. It was infuriating, but the food was good. Soon afterward, the camping site was filled with the sound of people eating. Jin-Cheon gulped down his meal by lifting the bowl directly to his mouth. ¡°Kuaaah,¡± he said afterward. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± Nangnang also finished his meal and bared his teeth. Even Apoline ate with sweat collecting below her nose. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Boss also had talent in cooking. It¡¯s been so long since I had such a hearty meal.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo once again realized how right his brother had been about clothing, food, and shelter being top priorities. After being on high alert the whole day, Nangnang finally appeared to relax. Besides Nangnang, it seemed everyone had enjoyed their meals, and Chi-Woo smiled in pride. There was nothing more pleasing to a chef than for people to enjoy their dishes. After dinner, the expedition team chose who was going to do night duty and went to sleep. Chi-Woo slept in a sleeping bag until he felt someone shaking him to wake him up. ¡°It¡¯s time to change shifts, sir,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°It¡¯s very quiet. There¡¯s nothing to report.¡± Chi-Woo yawned widely and crawled out of his sleeping bag. When he got out, there was already another person sitting before him. It was Hawa, and she was staring into the distance. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Chi-Woo asked while sitting next to her. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered in a monotonous voice. ¡°How was the meal today?¡± ¡°It was good,¡± she replied tartly again. Chi-Woo smiled awkwardly. He thought he could relieve boredom by talking, but it seemed Hawa didn¡¯t want to, as she did the entire march¡ªshe had been this way ever since her conflict with Jin-Cheon¡¯s companion. Thus, Chi-Woo quietly focused on guarding when he heard a faint groan. He got up and went to where the noise came from to find Apoline. Was she having a nightmare? Urgh, urgh¡ªshe looked tormented and pained to the point that sweat collected on her forehead. Chi-Woo reached out to wipe her sweat away, but stopped. She might hate it if another touched her without permission. After thinking for a bit, Chi-Woo took out Steam Bun from his pocket and left it on her forehead. ¡°¡­Ppyu?¡± Awakened from its sweet dream, Steam Bun wondered what was going on suddenly. But Chi-Woo simply wiped the sweat on Apoline¡¯s forehead with Steam Bun. Apoline¡¯s groans lessened as she felt the bun¡¯s cold touch. Her eyelids fluttered until they opened. Chi-Woo flinched as he met her eyes, and Apoline looked up at the lump on her forehead without saying anything. ¡°Ppyu!?¡± Apoline clutched Steam Bun with both hands and pulled it down. ¡°Mm¡­M¡­¡± ¡°Ppyuppyu!?¡± Then, she wrapped Steam Bun around her cheeks and fell asleep again. Chi-Woo sighed in relief. It seemed she had only woken up temporarily. After giving a thumbs-up to bun, who looked frantic at everything that was happening, Chi-Woo turned away. When he returned, Hawa was sitting in the same spot as before. She hadn¡¯t moved an inch. Her head was slightly arched in bemusement. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°A nickel for your thoughts?¡± Hawa looked up slightly, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about you.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened; had he heard her right? ¡°I¡¯m thinking about why you brought me along.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Chi-Woo almost misunderstood and thought she was interested in him. ¡°It¡¯s because¡ª¡± Chi-Woo was about to answer, but quickly shut his mouth at her following words. ¡°Are you going to give me another chance? To prove myself?¡± Hawa had never forgotten for a moment what he had said to her before¡ªthat he''d help her become a hero if she proved her worth and accomplished achievements. Chi-Woo looked at Hawa¡¯s emotionless face. He hadn¡¯t realized it, but there was intense passion blazing deep inside her eyes. ¡°Ms. Hawa.¡± Chi-Woo thought that he might have spoken too hastily before and cleared his throat. He thought he should use this opportunity to talk to her properly at least once. ¡°This mission is dangerous. No, it¡¯s extremely dangerous.¡± He hoped that she would understand him and softly continued, ¡°We¡¯ve moved past the border, so we can¡¯t expect help or support from anyone else. Moreover, we¡¯re not in a large party like last time, but a small party with few members.¡± Hawa¡¯s eyes slightly shook. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t want to see you break your back because you¡¯re so intent on becoming a hero.¡± Chi-Woo could have just said yes and moved on, and Hawa might have felt better. However, he told her his true thoughts. Making achievements meant Hawa had to be on the front lines. Even though he acknowledged her ability, she had a 9 out of 10 probability of dying if she couldn¡¯t awaken her energy. And Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want her to die. ¡°I asked you to join us because no one knows the way better than you. But even then, I think you¡¯re taking an overwhelmingly high risk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Hawa, you should focus on your task and your survival. Leave the rest for when we go back.¡± In a roundabout way, Chi-Woo was telling her to not put herself in harm¡¯s way as much as possible. Hawa didn¡¯t reply. She stared at Chi-Woo for a while and finally said, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d speak informally to me, but¡­¡± Her lips were crooked. ¡°You reverted back to your old way of talking.¡± After saying this, she turned away and fell silent, her stare no longer on him. Chi-Woo tried to say something, but simply let out a soft sigh in the end. And like this, the night quietly passed. * * * The next day arrived. Apoline looked unusually happy for some reason. She was even humming. It was all because of the dream she had last night. Technically, it was a nightmare, but it didn¡¯t scare her. Apoline thought the dream was probably a real-life event she had experienced as a child that manifested to her as a dream. Even though it was a frightening, almost traumatic event, Apoline didn¡¯t dislike this dream; other than the last part, it was a good memory. In this dream, she stepped into a new world for the first time while holding her father¡¯s hand. Then they reached a playground after passing an alley. A boy around her age stood alone and stared up at the sky blankly. Then her father suddenly disappeared, and the boy slowly turned around. And¡­ Apoline, whose gaze had become sentimental, abruptly stopped walking. They all did. After passing through the meadow, they found themselves in a dense forest. ¡°Bloodlust.¡± Nangnang, who was at the forefront, said while looking at his front and sides. ¡°One in the front. One on the left. One¡­no, two on the left?¡± Then the bush in front of them shook. ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± Nangnang shouted while raising his tail straight-up. A shadow jumped in front of them, and the expedition team immediately got into formation at once. ¡°Kyararall!¡± The monster in front of them shook its head vigorously in the air and plummeted to the ground. Even after its crash, it floundered and tried to move back because Hawa had thrown daggers at it one after another as soon as she saw it. Nangnang clicked his tongue and ran forward. He hit the ground and cut the floundering monster¡¯s neck with his sharp claws. Even before its severed head fell to the ground, another pair of monsters emerged from the bush on each side. Jin-Cheon, who was in charge of the left, raised his foot as he saw a gray figure sliding out like someone riding a slide. Thud! He stepped on the ground and hit the monster with his fist. Pop! The sound of a balloon popping rang out, and a large hole appeared in the monster¡¯s body. When Jin-Cheon raised his foot and was about to kick its neck, the monster made a sharp cry and collapsed. Hawa had lowered her body and stabbed its ankle with a dagger. When the enemy fell, Jin-Cheon hurriedly changed his direction and slammed down his foot. The monster¡¯s head burst before it could even make a sound. Ru Amuh easily killed one monster by himself and turned back at the same time because he sensed another quickly moving towards his back. A sharp stem stretched out through the trees, and the stem, which had a sharp end like a sickle, shot forward like an arrow. Even though Ru Amuh could have blocked it, he didn¡¯t. Tap! The stem aiming straight at the middle of Apoline¡¯s forehead was easily caught by Chi-Woo¡¯s grasp. When Chi-Woo yanked on it, his opponent came flying towards him by force, and Chi-Woo threw a fist full of exorcism mana towards the flying monster, pulling his hand back as soon as he made contact. Bang! The sound of a grenade exploding rang in the air, and the monster scattered like a spray of water. Scraps fell to the earth like rain and disappeared without a trace. ¡°I thought you were a priest, but were you a¡­monk?¡± Apoline, who had been quietly chanting a spell, stopped her incantations and glanced at him. Chi-Woo shrugged and turned around. Panting heavily, Hawa stared intently at Chi-Woo, as if she was asking him to judge her performance. After a brief silence, Ru Amuh moved his gaze from Chi-Woo and Hawa to the ground and said, ¡°They disappeared immediately.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t very strong, but it¡¯s my first time seeing monsters like them.¡± Nangnang agreed and voiced his thoughts. Jin-Cheon also smacked his lips and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them before, but I think we¡¯re almost there. Have you seen their traces?¡± ¡°I was just about to mention that. Unknown traces are showing up little by little. We definitely have to be careful from now on¡­¡± Nangnang stopped mid-sentence, and after looking at Hawa, he coughed and began to move forward. And Apoline, who had been staring at them in turn, raised one of her brows and followed. Nangnang asked, ¡°How long did it take for you to get from here to there?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t take very long. About half a day?¡± ¡°Half a day. Half a day¡­¡± Apoline stared at Nangnang and Jin-Cheon as they conversed and glanced at Chi-Woo. Then she said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± Nangnang looked back. ¡°Huh? So sudden?¡± ¡°Five minutes will do.¡± ¡°¡­Well, if it¡¯s just five minutes.¡± Nangnang roughly guessed Apoline¡¯s intentions and accepted her request with a cough. ¡°Over there.¡± Apoline turned around at once. ¡°Ms. Native?¡± She approached Hawa. ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk for a bit?¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Considering that you¡¯re a native, your skills are quite good.¡± Apoline started with a compliment and then went straight to the point, ¡°But there¡¯s no need for you to step forward.¡± She continued, ¡°You came here as our guide. Not a guide doubled as a fighter. We need someone who can guide us since we aren¡¯t yet familiar with this planet.¡± Hawa¡¯s face stiffened as she looked at Apoline. Apoline said, ¡°You just have to stick to that role. From now on, please stay safe in your lane under our protection.¡± After making her point clear, Apoline turned around¡ªno, she tried to. ¡°Why?¡± Hawa¡¯s question stopped Apoline, and Apoline blinked at Hawa. ¡°¡­Why?¡± Apoline repeated what Hawa had said and gently raised the corners of her mouth¡ªas if she found Hawa¡¯s question humorous. CH 190 Chi-Woo instinctively knew this wasn¡¯t good. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he decided to step in. Not only between the two women; the atmosphere among the whole expedition team was strange. Before he could even step forward, though, two voices in his head spoke up to stop him. ¡ªLet them be. [Don¡¯t intervene.] In addition to Philip, Mimi also told him to hold back. Chi-Woo was surprised since the two rarely agreed on anything. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ ¡ªHm¡­how should I explain this since you were an ordinary person before? ¡®Is it because of merits? Because Hawa stole an opportunity for them to gain merits?¡¯ ¡ªThat¡¯s not it at all. More than that¡­ Philip seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Mimi spoke up instead. [No hero acts on their own. Of course there are some who try to reap all the benefits, but most work in a team.] Tank, mage, priest¡ªthis was the traditional team composition most heroes wanted. A hero¡¯s class wasn¡¯t limited to a warrior, and they needed companions who could fill in their shortcomings. ¡ªIt¡¯s as Ms. Mimi says. Regardless of if you are a hero or not, you need to think of the pros and cons of your class. A hero can¡¯t be good at everything no matter what class they are. ¡®But Chi-Hyun¡ª¡¯ ¡ªCome on, you have to take your brother out of the conversation. He¡¯s not just an exception, but a super rare exception. Philip said in a slightly angry voice. ¡ªIf all the heroes who came to Liber were like your brother, the Demon Empire and Sernitas would have been dealt with a long time ago. Chi-Woo nodded in agreement. ¡ªThink about it. Why did you need the hero named Nangnang? ¡®Because he showed outstanding skills in detecting and sensing during the Salem Academy incident¡­ah.¡¯ It was then Chi-Woo realized what the two were trying to tell him. There was no team made up of only warriors, and there was no team made up of archers. Whenever forming a party, one needed to consider the balance of classes. ¡ªAnd when members join a team, they are expected to fulfill roles that fit their skills and class. But that¡¯s not the only big issue. As I said before, everyone besides Hawa here is a hero. It was like a promise they¡¯d each made¡ªNangnang needed to detect traces and tell them of the enemies¡¯ presence beforehand. And Ru Amuh and Jin-Cheon needed to fight enemies on the frontlines. While being supported by them, Apoline needed to provide firepower. As for Hawa¡­ It was then Hawa spoke up, ¡°Did I make a mistake during the battle just now?¡± Her provoking tone suggested that she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d done anything wrong. Apoline slightly tilted her head at Hawa¡¯s confident attitude. Then she met Hawa¡¯s stubbornly defiant eyes with a stare. ¡°Yes, you did. Your performance just now wasn¡¯t bad, and that¡¯s why I said your skills were quite good. But it seems I must explain more exactly,¡± Apoline said, ¡°You did ¡®pretty well¡¯ battling a mysterious, weak monster.¡± Hawa¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°But if we face another mysterious monster we know nothing about and realize afterward that it¡¯s a strong one, will you act in the same way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident that I won¡¯t be a hindrance,¡± Hawa said while gripping her fists tightly, but Apoline shook her head and asked again. ¡°And what if you die doing that?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t blame anybody else but me for my death. I¡ª¡± Hawa was about to say but closed her mouth again. ¡°I was wondering why our conversation was going nowhere, but it seems we aren¡¯t even talking about the same point,¡± Apoline spoke softly like an easy-going teacher. ¡°Basically, I am telling you that there¡¯s no need for you to participate in battles.¡± ¡°Why is that? Because I¡¯m a native?¡± Apoline¡¯s eyes widened, but she soon recollected herself and said, ¡°Aha.¡± She snorted and murmured like she understood now, ¡°I was wondering why you were talking about opportunity and proving yourself¡­ You said you were from a nomadic tribe, right? I have a rough idea about what kind of environment you must have grown up in. You instinctively search for your opponent¡¯s weaknesses and are skilled at attacking with the element of surprise.¡± Apoline looked at Hawa from head to toe and voiced her assessments. ¡°It seems you were also trained as an assassin¡­¡± Hawa didn¡¯t speak. Her silence suggested that Apoline was right. ¡°But we don¡¯t need an assassin. We need somebody who can act as a guide¡ªsomeone who knows their way around here from long-term life experience and can show us the right path in emergencies. In other words, we don¡¯t need someone who would ruin the strategy developed by those already experienced in battle, nor someone who might create unexpected situations just to fulfill their greed.¡± Apoline thought there was no need for them to even discuss whether what Hawa did was good or bad. It was simply something she shouldn¡¯t have done. ¡°We are a team,¡± she emphasized again, ¡°Do you think we created a team because we were bored? We formed one because we have different expectations for each member.¡± If Hawa acted on her own, it would be harder for the team members to fulfill their individual roles and protect her, thus defeating the purpose of forming a team in the first place. ¡°Haven¡¯t I said enough to make you understand¡­?¡± Apoline sighed after finishing her speech. Hawa didn¡¯t say a word the whole time, but she didn¡¯t appear convinced at all. Instead, it seemed she was repressing her anger. Apoline didn¡¯t know the whole story, but she had a guess why Hawa was this persistent and intent on going her way. Last night, Apoline had woken up in the middle from the sensation of someone wiping away her sweat and heard the conversation between Hawa and Chi-Woo. She didn¡¯t know what they were talking about then, but she could understand it now; she knew why Hawa¡¯s heart was so inflamed with the desire to prove herself. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped,¡¯ Apoline thought. Hawa didn¡¯t understand even after she explained nicely. Then she needed to explain in a way that Hawa must accept. ¡°Are heroes a joke to you? Do you think heroes became heroes because of pure luck? I bet you sometimes think that if you can just use the growth system, you will be able to perform much better than them,¡± Apoline said. Hawa flinched; that was exactly what she had thought. ¡°Well, it is understandable.¡± Apoline shrugged, and as someone who didn¡¯t hide her feelings, she spoke directly, ¡°You seem to have some talent and considerable potential. I¡¯m sure your name will be well-known if you become a hero. I admit that. But you know what?¡± Apoline smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no way that will happen.¡± Irked, Hawa opened her mouth to retort, but closed it again. ¡°Why? Does that make you angry? Why don¡¯t you try becoming a hero then?¡± Apoline said teasingly and cleared her throat. She continued in a cold, low voice, ¡°You can¡¯t be a hero just because you want to be one. They are born and made through all sorts of trials. They bear expectations that make their body shudder and have the life of hundreds of millions in their hands. And they endure and overcome all sorts of burdens and trials to save a world from a crisis.¡± Every single word pierced Hawa¡¯s ears. ¡°You earn the right to be called hero only after achieving this feat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can bet that if you keep up your mindset, you¡¯ll never be able to become a hero no matter how much you try,¡± Apoline spoke coldly and turned around to punctuate the end of her speech. Hawa¡¯s head gradually dropped. She bit her lip and clenched her fists even more tightly. She seemed to be enduring a huge amount of humiliation and shame to the extent that she looked pitiful. However, no one stepped forward in her defense. Neither Nangnang nor Ru Amuh said anything. Even Noel, who disliked Apoline, quietly watched the situation because they all tacitly agreed with Apoline, and thought that Hawa¡¯s actions broke a promise they had to keep as a team. ¡°We need to talk too.¡± Apoline put Hawa behind her and stood in front of Chi-Woo. ¡°Not here. Let¡¯s move to a different place.¡± Then she walked past him, and Chi-Woo smacked his lips while following her. He said, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just said it back there¡­¡± ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s not a suitable topic to talk about with everyone around.¡± Then she turned around and suddenly asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who are you that everyone is so careful around you?¡± ¡°Careful?¡± ¡°Stop pretending. Do you think I¡¯m dumb?¡± She sharply glared at Chi-Woo. Apoline liked the team well enough¡ªat least in terms of skill. After the battle just now, she clearly sensed that everyone got the basic concepts of teamwork down. There were some heroes who liked to stick out and break the rules, but there wasn¡¯t anyone like that in this team. Thus, it was even stranger that not one hero took the initiative to warn the native, who was not even a hero. Moreover, there were some who showed signs of discontent but did nothing in the end. Ru Amuh changed the topic, and Nangnang overlooked it without a single complaint despite looking dissatisfied. They all seemed to have swallowed whatever they wanted to say after glancing at one particular man. And that was the reason why Apoline had to step up and warn Hawa. They were all heroes, but they suppressed their opinions due to another hero. It was even stranger that the person they were so concerned about was not one of the Celestial Lights like her. Something like this would never happen usually¡ªfor heroes of high caliber and skill to tamp down their dissatisfaction after a glance at Chi-Woo, as Apoline had witnessed. Since Chi-Woo was the one who brought Hawa, it was only natural that Apoline would be suspicious of him. And she was right. ¡°You¡­¡± Apoline, who was looking closely at Chi-Woo, suddenly frowned. She didn¡¯t know why, but whenever she looked at him, she kept thinking of the dream she had last night. ¡°Have we met somewhere? In the past?¡± Chi-Woo was slightly surprised because he had also felt that strange sense of familiarity when he first saw her. He hadn¡¯t expected her to feel the same way. However, no matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn¡¯t think of when he had seen her before. Perhaps he¡¯d met her once, but he wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± In the end, he had no choice but to shake his head. * * * Clatter. The sound of solid objects clashing against each other rang in the air. It was the sound of bones moving, but getting blocked by another object. It was not long before a skeleton slowly raised its skull. ¡ªThis place is¡­ The skeleton slowly moved its skull left and right. It could only see darkness. After looking around a few times, Evelyn realized two things. First, her arms and legs were bound, and she was tied up in the air. Clang. Then she heard metal clinking. Clatter. Clatter. The sound of iron hitting the floor gradually came closer to her. Evelyn looked down and couldn¡¯t hide her surprise as she saw a woman look up at her from below. She was so blindingly beautiful that even Evelyn had to acknowledge it. Curvy figure, fair skin, and flaming red hair. Evelyn instantly recognized her. ¡ªAstarte¡­ She was a fallen angel and a great demon famous even in the Demon Empire. Her ability to destroy everything with hellfire was so powerful that even Evelyn, the witch of the Abyss, couldn¡¯t dismiss it. But¡­ ¡ª? Her condition was strange. Evelyn thought there was something off about Astarte. The Astarte she remembered was strong, haughty, and full of confidence. The word ¡®queen¡¯ fit her perfectly. However, Evelyn couldn¡¯t sense any power in Astarte¡¯s eyes. They should have been blazing like an active volcano about to explode, but they were now blank as if she¡¯d lost her will. Moreover, there were chains wrapped around her body like the ones binding Evelyn, and even a leash around her neck. Then Astarte, who had been blankly staring up at her, suddenly turned back. The ensuing scene made Evelyn doubt her own eyes. Astarte suddenly fell flat and stuck out her tongue, panting like a dog greeting her owner. The Astarte she knew would never act like this¡ªnot even to the top-rank demon, Baal. ¡°Hahahaha¡ªIt¡¯s been a while.¡± Clang-! As if to mock her feelings, a figure calmly pulled on Astarte¡¯s leash and appeared into view. ¡°The jewel I was never able to possess¡ªOnorables Evelyn.¡± The figure spoke with a dreary voice, insidious and dangerous. * * * After Apoline raised her objection, the atmosphere of the expedition team grew heavy, but they resumed moving immediately. Hawa still looked emotionless. However, considering that her face, ears, and neck were slightly red, it seemed she was desperately trying to repress her anger. Chi-Woo felt sorry for Hawa, but didn¡¯t approach her or say anything. The timing wasn¡¯t right, and Mimi and Philip had stopped him, saying that this was bound to happen, and it was better to leave her alone for now. Therefore, Chi-Woo also suppressed his feelings and focused on moving. As Jin-Cheon said, it took them less than half a day. Their destination was surrounded by mountain ranges¡ªa swamp hidden by reeds. The expedition team entered it while keeping up their guards, but nothing happened. On the contrary, it was quiet and calm, the atmosphere gloomy. ¡°This is the place,¡± Jin-Cheon said. ¡°This is where the native disappeared, and Abis became like this.¡± And it was also the place where Onorables Evelyn had disappeared. ¡°There are definitely traces left behind here.¡± Nangnang circled around, sniffed, and tilted his head. ¡°Other than the traces, there¡¯s nothing strange¡­¡± Then Jin-Cheon looked back at one person with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. Chi-Woo quietly stepped forward. At first glance, the swamp looked like nothing more than muddy land. However, something about it bothered him; he didn¡¯t know exactly what it was, but he kept sensing something familiar and uncomfortable about it. Chi-Woo headed to where the sensation was strongest and got to one knee. When he put one hand on the ground and closed his eyes to concentrate¡ª ¡°!¡± Chi-Woo opened his eyes wide and stepped back in surprise. ¡°Ugh!¡± He covered his mouth with one hand and began gagging. ¡°Teacher? Teacher!¡± Ru Amuh hurriedly grabbed Chi-Woo, who was about to fall back. ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± Jin-Cheon quickly ran toward him as well. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to say anything for a few moments. ¡°Ugh¡ª¡± Because of the constant nausea he felt, he struggled to even open his mouth. After a while, Chi-Woo managed to move his hand away and straightened himself with Ru Amuh¡¯s help. Then he gasped for breath several times and spat on the ground. Glaring at the place where he just placed his hand, he said, ¡°¡­It¡¯s disgusting.¡± CH 191 Evelyn was baffled. ¡®What? A jewel he couldn¡¯t get?¡¯ ¡°Ah¡­Ah, ah¡­¡± The demon wearing red armor dragged himself closer while groaning. ¡°Oh¡­oh¡­¡± Then he threw away the string in his hands and flew up. He stood right in front of the witch, hanging on the wall with her hands tied to the chain, and couldn¡¯t hide his admiration. ¡°After all this some time, we finally met again¡­¡± As if he was caring for a precious jewel, he caressed her skull carefully. Evelyn immediately tilted her head away, feeling a natural repulsion to this being. ¡ªDon¡¯t touch me. Go away. Whatever she said, the demon continued to caress her all over. ¡°You only have bones left now¡­but my heart still swells in remembrance of your past beauty,¡± the demon said in a choked voice, and even his eyes seemed to water. At this point, Evelyn felt something strange. She didn¡¯t know who this person was, but it sounded like he knew her. He didn¡¯t seem to have only heard her name, but actually had seen her in person, or else there was no way he would say she was beautiful just by looking at her skeleton, all bones and no flesh. ¡ªWho are you? ¡°Huh? Do you not remember me?¡± The demon sounded shocked. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! I know thousands of years have passed, but how!? I have never forgotten you for a moment whether I was dead or alive!¡± Thousands of years? Dead or alive? ¡°L-Look at me carefully and think about it.¡± He clutched onto her skull with both hands. ¡°Do you still not remember me? Are you going to still say you don¡¯t know me? You ended your life upon wishing not to be mine¡­my lovely witch.¡± The demon quietly whispered. Eveyln gasped. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ A figure she had forgotten for long came back to her mind, and inside her skull¡¯s dark, empty eye holes lit two orbs of purple light. They wavered like flames in the face of her opponent. She had wondered why she felt such a deep repulsion toward this figure, and she knew the exact reason now. ¡ªYou! ¡°Yes, it seems you finally remember me.¡± The demon sounded satisfied. Hearing this, the glow in Evelyn¡¯s eye holes became more intense. She gritted her teeth and glared like she wanted to kill him in this instance. How could she forget him? He was the one who tormented her during her time alive and eventually led her to her death. ¡ªZepar¡­! * * * ¡°Disgusting?¡± Apoline asked like she didn¡¯t understand. Ru Amuh tilted his head. He couldn¡¯t detect anything with his synesthesia, and Noel was the only one who felt the same as Chi-Woo. As a hero with a priestly background, her mood had slightly worsened as soon as she stepped into this place. For some reason, she felt an indescribable sense of evil. After collecting his breath, Chi-Woo scowled. He didn¡¯t know how to explain it, but he definitely felt a banquet of disheveled neoks tangled up like yarns at the center of this area. Unable to escape from here, they were running wild and wailing. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what to think after taking a glimpse of such a heinous creation. First of all, it didn¡¯t seem to be something done by a water ghost, but whoever did this had done it with the same goal and in a way a water ghost would. After reaching this conclusion, Chi-Woo looked crestfallen. He thought he would be able to find a solution if he came here in person, but it was hopeless. ¡°How is it? Hm?¡± Jin-Cheon quickly asked as Chi-woo¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not good. The situation is more difficult than I had expected,¡± Chi-Woo replied with a sigh. ¡°Is there really no way?¡± Jin-Cheon asked pleadingly. A method? There was only one, which was to seal this area tightly and back away. They must not touch the circle at any cost. That was the only method. On Earth, Chi-Woo had faced something like this during the time he went around following his mentor. Once, they received a request from a shaman and went to an abandoned factory in the mountains. The factory closed down after a large fire and had been vacant for a long time. It looked ominous even from far away. They went inside and found a door leading to the basement, but his mentor didn¡¯t open the door and instead stared at it for a long time. Then he clicked his tongue quietly and turned around. On their way back, Chi-Woo asked why they were leaving without doing anything. [There¡¯s nothing we can do there.] His mentor said in a low voice. [It¡¯s not because of the fire. Even before the fire, the factory had been a place where vengeful spirits gathered. There are loads of them in the area, and one of them is particularly awful. I don¡¯t know for what reason it is like that, but it¡¯s like a snake, deadly from head to toe.] [What can we do when words won¡¯t go through them other than to back away? If you ever see a place like this, don¡¯t do anything as foolish as entering and trying to solve the problem. This isn¡¯t something two people could deal with. There are at least other options to consider since the place is on the ground; were it underwater, there would be absolutely nothing to be done.] [You are asking what options? Hmm, the best method is to move a large military base to that area. And as yang energy from the soldiers permeated the place for decades, the vengeful energy would fade to some extent. Then we could try going to the basement and clearing the area.] [Of course, many innocent soldiers would die or suffer in the process¡­] At least the factory on Earth had been on the ground, but this place was a swamp full of water. Entering would be the same as covering one¡¯s body in blood and jumping into an ocean full of sharks. Chi-Woo needed to tell the rest of his team to leave as fast as possible, but he couldn¡¯t. There was the matter with the witch, and they had to do something after coming all the way here. Although he felt reluctant, Chi-Woo spoke in the end. ¡°Could you dig a hole in the ground?¡± ¡°Huh? Dig a hole?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be wide, but it has to be deep.¡± ¡°I can do at least that much!¡± Happy to do something, Jin-Cheon and his brother began to dig, and Ru Amuh joined them. While they worked, Chi-Woo opened his bag. He took out a bowl made of organic materials and poured in some rice newly grown this year. ¡°Is this enough?¡± Jin-Cheon asked after digging so hard that his face was covered in dirt. Chi-Woo nodded and moved. The muddy hole was starting to get filled with murky water. Chi-Woo placed both feet into the pool and dropped a bowl wrapped in cloth and thread like he was throwing a fish hook. With a splash, the cloth-covered bowl disappeared into the muddy water. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°A neokgari,¡± Chi-Woo said succinctly as Apoline asked. ¡°Neokgari¡­?¡± Apoline didn¡¯t say anything else; Chi-Woo appeared very focused. ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-Woo chewed on his bottom lip. Usually, he would know the ritual was a success if he retrieved the bowl and found the rice inside replaced with body parts such as fingernails; bodily fluids counted as well. However, only Abis¡¯ neok was taken from her, and her body was still breathing, so there was really no way of knowing if his neokgari was a success. That was why Chi-Woo had thrown the bowl into the water, not expecting much to happen. He had just done the ritual thinking he had to do something. ¡®Was it always this deep?¡¯ The thread he had cast continued downward. It sank and sank until the thread tightened, and Chi-Woo felt someone pulling it. Pip. Chi-Woo instinctively pulled the string back and was shocked to see it break as soon as he felt a resistance. Chi-Woo quickly got out of the hole and looked down at the thread. The rest of the expedition team looked serious; they all knew the bowl wasn¡¯t heavy enough to break the thread. In other words, someone was pulling at it intentionally from the other side. ¡°There really seems to be something,¡± Nangnang murmured carefully. ¡°One more time. Let me try one more time.¡± Chi-Woo opened his bag again in shock. ¡°Be careful. If there¡¯s anything strange, tell us,¡± Apoline said, sounding worried. The second attempt ended in the same way. After reaching a specific depth, the thread broke. Assessing the estimated depth at which the thread broke, Chi-Woo made his third attempt. But this time, he pulled right before he thought the thread would break. ¡°!¡± He suddenly felt someone grab his ankles and yank. ¡°Ah!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s head was thrown back as his body got sucked in. ¡°Teacher!¡± Having been on high alert, Ru Amuh quickly clutched onto Chi-Woo and pulled him back. If Jin-Cheon hadn¡¯t also jumped in, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve been completely sucked in. Chi-Woo barely managed to get out of the hole and collected his breath. ¡°Boss! Are you okay¡­ Uh, uh¡­¡± Nangnang approached him and stammered. Apoline also looked pale. There were deep handprints on Chi-Woo¡¯s ankles, as if someone had clutched them tightly. Chi-Woo clenched his teeth. Where he¡¯d stepped into, the water should only reach his calf at best, but he was soaked up to his thighs. ¡°I should¡¯ve been more careful.¡± There were quite a number of shamans who got into incidents while trying to perform a neokgari, because they had to go inside the water in person. He could¡¯ve been in serious trouble. For now, Chi-Woo pulled back his thread. It didn¡¯t get cut off this time, and the bowl came along with it. The cloth wrapping the bowl had been shredded apart, leaving only small pieces behind, and the rice inside had disappeared without leaving a single grain. All he got back was a bowl plastered in mud. ¡°What happened? Did it work?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head at Jin-Cheon¡¯s question. ¡°Then what happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mocking me,¡± Chi-Woo said bitterly while looking at the empty bowl. ¡°Mocking you?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s saying it has no intention of returning the neok and telling me to eat shit.¡± Jin-Cheon looked at a loss for words, and Nangnang was also speechless. But Nangnang soon flinched, jerking his head up to look around. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Nangnang asked. He suddenly heard the murmuring of hundreds of people coming from their surroundings at once. And even though there was no wind, the thick cluster of reeds began to shake. Chi-Woo soon picked himself up. The expedition team also gathered and stood back-to-back. They all felt in that instant that something evil and ominous was gripping this place. The reeds shook harder as if they were laughing at them, and the chorus of murmurs became more severe. There arose a great tension as if something was about to explode! ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± Ru Amuh shouted while something popped out among the reeds and collided with the whirlwind Ru Amuh had generated with a swing. At the collision, their ¡®attacker¡¯ disassembled and scattered everywhere. Noel wiped her face and scowled. ¡°Mud?¡± She didn¡¯t even have time to inspect it when long shadowy figures began to shoot out from between the reeds. All members of the expedition team became busy fighting them off. Individually, they weren¡¯t strong, but the numbers were the problem. They were popping up non-stop at astonishing speed. To make things worse, it was almost impossible for the heroes to sight their opponents beforehand and react accordingly with their vision obstructed by the reeds. ¡°Urgh! Uggggh!¡± In the end, the young man protecting Abis got hit. Mud blanketed him from the front, and he tried to wipe it off. ¡°Ugh? Ah! Ahhhh!¡± But he suddenly dropped his sword and began to wail like a beast. ¡°Damn it! The reeds are getting in my way!¡± Jin-Cheon cried out, unable to spare a hand to help. It was then Apoline said, ¡°Burn.¡± Hwaaaaaaa! A brilliant flame shot up and quickly spread due to the dense concentration of plants. A ring of fire soon formed around the expedition team and ate away the reeds. ¡°Don¡¯t move! Stay still!¡± The battle entered a temporary stage of reprieve as Noel wiped the mud from the young man¡¯s face. As the reeds burned away, the whole swamp came into view. It was boiling. Large bubbles burst, and mud shot up to form humanoid figures. There were some that didn¡¯t even resemble the human form, but the crucial point was that there were over a thousand of them, and more were emerging. Without resting, Apoline raised both arms into the sky and spread her hands above her head. Then spheres of lights the size of pebbles formed at the end of each of her fingers before scattering in all directions. The moment the spheres touched the flames, there was a loud burst. ¡°Sonata of the Flame.¡± Bambambambambam! A series of fancy explosions with great, individual destructive power occurred. And it happened more than once. A series of explosions and brilliant light blinded their vision. By the time the explosions settled down, and their vision came back to normal, their surroundings were thoroughly cleared. All reeds beside the ones at the farthest edges had been burned, while the unidentifiable mud monsters were all gone. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Jin-Cheon gaped, while Ru Amuh sighed in relief. ¡°Hmm?¡± Then he looked around and blinked. The young man also calmed down, and Noel lifted her head to look around. Then she let out a piercing scream. CH 192 ¡°The native girl disappeared!¡± Hawa had disappeared. At Noel¡¯s cry, Chi-Woo and everyone turned around, startled. Even though Hawa had been inside their formation a few moments ago, she had disappeared without a trace. Noel, who had been looking for Hawa, lowered her gaze after quickly looking around. Then her sharp eyes widened in shock; the injured young man was also nowhere in sight. He¡¯d disappeared in less than ten seconds, and there wasn¡¯t even a trace of him left. It was at that moment¡ª Dududududu! The befuddled expedition team felt the ground shake underneath their feet, up and down and side to side like a concentrated earthquake. The shaking was so intense that a couple of them lost balance and fell. ¡°What is happening¡­!¡± Apoline yelled at the unexpected phenomenon, frustrated. ¡°Damn it! I have no idea either! This didn¡¯t happen the last time I was here!¡± Jin-Cheon also desperately tried to maintain his balance. Even in this unexpected situation, Chi-Woo saw Ru Amuh maintain his balance and lifted Abis into the air. Chi-Woo shouted, ¡°We have to get out of here!¡± Then Chi-Woo, who was about to help those who weren¡¯t able to get up, felt both of his feet sink into the ground. The space around his feet felt suddenly empty, and when he unconsciously moved around, it felt like he was swimming in the air. The expedition members looked down on instinct, and they were all shocked to find the ground moving like a living thing¡ªlike a monster with its own will. The ground opened up wide and swallowed the falling expedition members before immediately closing its mouth. The area where cracks had opened up returned to its original state. Then silence fell upon the land again¡ªas if nothing had happened. * * * Onorables Evelyn. Even though she was reborn with the degrading and unjust title, the great whore of Babylon, and was the subject of intense fear and respect as the witch of the Abyss, she had been an ordinary peasant¡¯s daughter when she was alive. Evelyn was an innocent country girl who was the eldest of six children. Her childhood was the very definition of ordinary, spent helping her farmer parents in the field and gathering medicinal herbs in the mountains to support their livelihood. Even though it wasn¡¯t a privileged life like all tenant farmers in any era, Evelyn had been happy. However, all that would take a left turn when an unforgettable incident completely changed her family¡¯s life and hers. The beginning of the incident came unannounced when Evelyn became an adult at the age of 20. She was quite a celebrity by then. She was not only famous in the village where she lived, but everyone knew her name in the next village as well. It was all due to her stunning natural beauty. She grew up with abundant love and affection from her family as well as the whole village, and she became more attractive as she grew older. Those who saw her for the first time fell into a daze, and the young men in the village blushed and turned into fools whenever they stood in front of her. This happened when she was a young girl, and now that she was a woman, it was needless to say the degree of influence she had on those around her. There were even rumors that a goddess had descended upon her village. Then one day, Evelyn dreamed of meeting a great being. After waking up, she couldn¡¯t remember the contents of her dream well, but she realized that there was an unknown power deep inside her. It was a power that made her whole body feel warm and cozy. She had no idea why she suddenly gained it. Even though Evelyn was curious, she suppressed her curiosity; despite being the daughter of an uneducated peasant, she was intelligent. At that time, the place where she lived was under the control of the Babylon Church, which strictly forbade all forms of heresy. Moreover, they were in the middle of a holy war against the great demons who united to invade the middle world. The church, which did not recognize any except for one god, was already on extremely high alert against heretics. Evelyn knew that she shouldn¡¯t recklessly reveal her mysterious power. Thus, she didn¡¯t tell anyone or even her family about her newfound power and continued living a normal life. However, an event that forced her to use her power occurred. One of her younger brothers went to the mountain with his friends and came back unconscious. He had gone to collect herbs to help his sister, but he picked the wrong place and got bitten by a snake. Its venom was said to be so fatal that those who were even slightly bit by it would only last a few days, and there was no antidote. Evelyn¡¯s parents, as well as the whole family, fell into deep sadness and cried their hearts out as the young boy inched closer and closer to death. When Evelyn heard the news and hurried home, her younger brother was already almost dying. Evelyn only hesitated for a moment before reaching toward him as if she was in a trance. She awakened the power lying dormant inside her¡ªand a miracle happened. Her brother, who was in pain and dying, suddenly looked peaceful. The dark spots on his body quickly disappeared, and his breathing became calm. Evelyn explained to her shocked family about her power and firmly asked them to keep this a secret. However, once revealed, no secret could be kept forever. The youngest¡¯s mouth was the source of trouble and the reason why Evelyn¡¯s power was revealed to the world. Was it because they were not as smart as Evelyn? Or because they were too soft-hearted? The youngest could not turn a blind eye to their friend who was crying every day because of their father¡¯s worsening illness. When a couple of villagers came panting with a dying man on their backs, Evelyn immediately had a hunch that someone had told them about her power. Their family was already receiving a great deal of attention from the fact that her younger brother had survived a bite from a terrible, venomous snake feared by all the villagers. No matter how much she pretended ignorance and tried to avoid them, it was useless. After their repeated requests, appeals, and even threats, Evelyn once again used the power she had vowed to never use again. The father of her youngest¡¯s friend completely recovered that very day. And like this, her secret couldn¡¯t be kept; instead, it spread like wildfire. It started with those who were seriously ill in her village, and soon, those from nearby villages also came to visit her. There were some who came a very long way after hearing rumors about her. Evelyn didn''t discriminate between wounds, poisons, or curses. Since she could fully heal every patient who visited her for free, it was only natural that rumors about her would spread widely. In the end, knights came barging into their house. Evelyn, who knew this day would come at any time, obediently followed their orders and went with them. She knew she¡¯d soon be burned as a witch. She had long resolved herself, but the subsequent events betrayed her expectations. ¡°Oh¡­Ohhh¡­.finally¡­¡± The lord, who ruled over the estate, couldn¡¯t suppress his admiration when he saw Evelyn. He looked almost awed by her. His reverie continued for some time before he made an unexpected offer¡ªwon¡¯t she become his? Caught off guard, Evelyn couldn¡¯t understand his reasoning at all. She had used a power unrecognized by the Babylon Church; that alone was a great enough sin to be punished. The lord should have informed the church immediately after finding out about her power, yet he wanted to protect her and take her in. Even if he was a lord, it should have been a very burdensome task to hide a heretic as he¡¯d be punished as an accomplice. Why would he go out of his way just to save her? Despite all the thoughts popping up in her mind, the most important thing was that there was a way for her to live. If she just said yes, she could obtain the protection of a lord. And she¡¯d probably live a better life than what awaited the daughter of a tenant farmer. However, Evelyn immediately rejected the lord¡¯s offer, surprising herself. First, it was due to the bad rumors surrounding the lord about the occasional disappearance of girls from nearby villages. Second, she didn¡¯t know exactly why, but the mysterious power inside her showed a strong sense of resistance towards the lord. Even though she was basically fated to die, she rejected the lord¡¯s offer and went against his will. Evelyn thought she would really die now without being able to escape, but the lord¡¯s behavior betrayed her expectation once again. ¡°Haha. Was I moving too fast? A man should know how to climb a steep mountain to earn a beautiful flower. I¡¯ll show you how sincere I am.¡± He gave her a cryptic smile and told her to stay in the castle for a few days. Evelyn worried that he might come and assault her at night, but she didn¡¯t need to worry. The lord treated her politely as his guest and released her without touching even an inch of her hair. Moreover, she was sent back with expensive clothes and a handful of gold and silver treasures that a daughter of a tenant farmer could never dream of. He even sent her off in a carriage and made his knights protect her. When Evelyn returned to the village and stepped out of the carriage, she looked like a noble lady to all those who gazed upon her. And rumors spread that day; rumors that were completely groundless and demeaned Evelyn. On the other hand, the lord made good on his promise to show his sincerity to her. Even after she returned to her family, he continuously sent gifts without end. He built a magnificent house for her family and regularly gifted them with money, jewelry, and food. With his authority, he exempted them from taxes and granted land to her father and made him the landlord. Thanks to this, Evelyn¡¯s family was able to enjoy an extravagant life unprecedented for a peasant. However, the villagers gradually grew more and more bitter. They couldn¡¯t stand it that a neighbor who was in the same situation as them not too long ago had completely changed their lives in a few days. Envy and jealousy towards Evelyn and her family grew, and the rumors surrounding Evelyn ballooned to a ginormous size¡ªthat Evelyn had spent her first night with the lord on the day she was taken away, that she was supposed to have died but seduced the lord with her witch power, and that the lord was soon going to send people to the village to take her as his wife. Even though Evelyn had to hear people gossiping about her whenever she went outside the village, she paid no attention to them. She thought it would be fine as long as she stayed true to herself and kept her morals. Then one day, an incident finally broke out. During this time, the long war against the demons had forced poor farmers to live in even greater poverty. Thus, the villagers began to grow even more hostile towards Evelyn and her family for living luxuriously while they were suffering. In addition, the church issued an additional collection order for landlords to follow. Her father, who had forgotten about his hard peasant life with the lord¡¯s money, faithfully followed the church¡¯s order and raised the taxes as a landlord. Despite strong opposition from the villagers, the tax was raised, and a terrible incident happened that night. Or to be exact, the night after her father announced that he would be raising the taxes. One of the village elders knocked on Evelyn¡¯s house in the middle of the night. He said a child was dying of a high fever in his house and wanted Evelyn to come and take a look at them. Since something like this had happened quite a few times before, Evelyn followed without much suspicion. However, the village elder led her to a deserted mountain path and not to his house. It was already too late when Evelyn realized the village elder¡¯s suspicious behavior. By this time, the village elder was no longer the same person who had affectionately cared for her when she was young, but nothing more than a beast. The red-eyed villager violently attacked Evelyn, and she screamed and resisted as she fell. ¡°Uncle¡­Why are you suddenly¡­! Why are you doing this..!¡± ¡°Just stay still. Okay? I¡¯ve been eyeing you since you were young.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this¡­! Please¡­!¡± ¡°Why, what¡¯s the problem? You¡¯re not a virgin anymore. You slept with the lord when you didn¡¯t even get married. Why can¡¯t you do the same with me?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s true¡­! I didn¡¯t¡­! Ugh..!¡± ¡°Stop resisting or lying. What is it? I¡¯m too lowly for you?¡± The village man laughed and mocked her; then he took off her clothes. Evelyn didn¡¯t know how she escaped his grasp, but after fighting him off like hell, she kicked his balls and ran away. She ran away with everything she had but stopped when she reached the entrance to her village. She couldn¡¯t help it because she saw a huge fire lighting up the whole village¡ªher house was in flames. She didn¡¯t know what was going on, so she blankly stared at the house and suddenly felt someone roughly pull back her hair. The village elder had caught up with her. ¡°Haha. It¡¯s over. It¡¯s already all over, so just give up and accept it.¡± Evelyn collapsed after being caught. All the strength in her legs and body left her. As his grimy hands touched her, Evelyn thought everything was really over¡ªuntil a single scream pierced the air, and blood splashed all over her face. ¡°He¡¯s a real dirty bastard.¡± A familiar voice rang in her head and lifted her up. ¡°Are you all right, my dear?¡± It was the lord. She didn¡¯t know when he came, but he showed up with his troops. ¡°I rushed over as soon as I heard the news, but¡­¡± The lord sighed and bitterly stared at the soaring fire. ¡°It seems like I¡¯m too late.¡± Only then did Evelyn come to her senses and ran in a hurry. Her father, mother, younger siblings¡­ She desperately hoped that they would be safe, but the scene that appeared in front of her was reminiscent of hell. Her parents had long been burnt by the fire while hanging from a pole, and all of her younger siblings had turned into horrifying, bloody corpses. Everything had changed in just one day. Evelyn felt like she was in a dream as she saw the terrible scene in front of her. A very bad nightmare. Those who were running around found Evelyn and approached her while drooling. There were no people in her house; only animals with eyes full of bloodlust who plundered and burned their surroundings. However, their shabby and immoral desires were not fulfilled. Soon, the lord¡¯s soldiers came and captured every single one of them. ¡°Humans are¡­foolish and hideous animals,¡± the lord covered Evelyn¡¯s body with his cloak and said. ¡°They¡¯re creatures that get way too much authority for the sole reason that they follow the King of the gods.¡± Then he looked at the villagers being dragged away one by one. ¡°Do you see it?¡± Evelyne, who was enraptured by his words, raised her head. ¡°This is human nature and human¡¯s truest self.¡± The villagers were crying and squirming and praying as if their minds had finally returned to sanity. They were all crying to the lord to forgive them and spare them as if they had completely forgotten what they had just done. ¡°Human beings do not exist to govern other beings.¡± Swish. A chilling sound rang out. ¡°Instead, they¡¯re beings that should be governed.¡± The lord continued, ¡°By the few chosen ones who have the power to cause fear and destruction.¡± He put a sharp sword in Evelyn¡¯s hand and whispered into her trembling ear, ¡°This¡ªthis is not a trivial thing like revenge.¡± He smiled when he saw Evelyn tightly holding onto the sword. ¡°You and I. It¡¯s a legitimate right and privilege that beings like us should exercise. We have the full justification to do so. Now¡­are you ready? To rightfully punish these foolish humans.¡± The lord¡¯s whispers sounded extremely sweet and tempting to Evelyn¡¯s ears¡ªjust like a devil¡¯s. CH 193 Evelyn wanted to kill. She needed to kill them. Words like authority and justification didn¡¯t register in her brain, and her desire to kill and shred to pieces those who had set her house aflame and killed her family possessed her entire being. Yes, she would kill them now. ¡°¡­¡± But for reasons unbeknownst to her, her body refused to carry out her thoughts. Her gripping strength slowly weakened, and she took two steps back. Clang! The sword slid from her grip. ¡°¡­My lady?¡± The lord¡¯s expectant eyes twitched. Evelyn shook her head. She didn¡¯t know why she was behaving this way. Strong loathing soared in her chest even at this moment, but there was this voice she had been hearing inside her head since she first met the lord; it told her that she mustn¡¯t do what the lord told her to do and pulled her back. It rang louder than ever, and Evelyn felt a greater sense of danger from the lord than usual and resisted. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Evelyn looked at her family¡¯s cold corpses. ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡± Then she looked back at the villagers kneeling on the ground. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± She clutched her head with both hands and screamed. It was a desperate, sorrowful cry. ¡®Why? How? For what? I¡¯m sorry, dad and mom. How painful it must have been, my brothers and sisters! The lord? The villagers? Do I kill them? No? Why?¡¯ Thoughts stirred and jumbled together inside her head, and emotions tumbled out of her without a place to go. Quite a bit of time passed as she struggled with great inner turmoil, and Evelyn stopped moving. She was no longer shrieking, and her incomprehensible whimpering didn¡¯t last long. Eventually, she pressed a hand to her mouth. Having been watching from afar, the lord sensed that something was going wrong, but by the time he realized it, Evelyn¡¯s had already swallowed the item in her grasp. Ever since her secret was revealed, Evelyn had been carrying with her a poisonous herb wherever she went. It was incredibly potent; even the snake¡¯s venom that almost killed her younger sibling paled in comparison. Not knowing what to do and unable to accept this chaos, Evelyn had chosen death in the end¡ªnot anyone else¡¯s, but hers. Her view wavered as her body slipped to the ground, and everything seemed to blur together. The lord¡¯s angry and shocked cry didn¡¯t even sound like it belonged to a human. Then her surroundings turned dark. Thus ended the memory from her living days that had stayed with her for thousands of years. * * * ¡°Human beings are truly foolish and filthy.¡± The lord at that time¡ªZepar¡¯s voice rang. He sounded remorseful as he spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to make such a decision at that time. Not in the slightest. I suppose that meant you couldn¡¯t abandon humans in the end.¡± Zepar clicked his tongue and smiled. ¡°But countless years have passed since then, and now, we are meeting once again. You as the Abyss¡¯ witch, and me, a great demon.¡± ¡ª¡­ ¡°This is fate.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t speak. Only the purple glows in her empty eye sockets shook. ¡°I¡¯m sure it is God¡¯s will for me to achieve what I had failed to do at that time.¡± ¡ªBullshit. Evelyn finally spoke then. ¡ªWhen are you going to cut your nonsense? Are you going to go on all night with that talk? ¡°Huh? I thought we could have some heart-to-heart conversation since we are meeting after such a long time.¡± Zepar seemed surprised by Evelyn¡¯s response. ¡ªWe don¡¯t have anything to talk about. ¡°Hm, how unexpected. Do you not care about the past? Well, I¡¯m fine either way.¡± Zepar nodded and backed away a little. ¡°Then let''s fast forward to the present. Have you realized the reason you are here by now? Yes, it is as you think. I made a deal with the Abyss.¡± This meant only one thing: there was a traitor among the Abyss. The faction could be divided largely into two powers: first, the two monarchs, and second, the six and the three who followed the king and queen respectively. There was no way the queen she followed had planned all this. Evelyn was certain this was the king¡¯s faction¡¯s doing; Huk Cheong-Ram was a prime suspect, for example. ¡°The reason why I handed them three great demons and dozens of important bases are of course my unwavering feelings for you,¡± Zepar said and paused to look around. ¡°To be more precise¡­¡± He revealed his teeth in full view. Evelyn had only pretended to listen to Zepar as she tried to figure out a way to escape, but she snapped to attention when he said, ¡°You have become a necessity to me¡­like that time.¡± ¡ªNeed me¡­? Like that time..? Evelyn simply parroted his words. ¡°Hm¡­?¡± Zepar tilted his head. ¡°...Do you not know?¡± Then he asked again, ¡°Do you really not know? I thought the past has become meaningless to you, but perhaps you simply haven¡¯t figured it out yet?¡± ¡ªWhat do you mean? ¡°You and I used to be humans when we were alive,¡± Zepar answered with visible surprise and repeated what he had said many times, ¡°But after death, we are meeting as a witch and a great demon. Do you really not understand what that means?¡± Evelyn contemplated. The process she underwent to become the Abyss¡¯ witch was like this: When a human died, the three things remaining were their physical body, neok, and soul. The physical body rotted and disappeared when a person died, and their neok remained. Then the soul had three choices. They could go up to heaven and pay for their sins according to judgment, thus gaining a new opportunity, or they could keep their resentment and combine with their neok to wander the living realm. Lastly, they could descend to hell. For Evelyn, the third happened, and she fell to hell after death. Rather than choosing it, she had been dragged down there. She couldn¡¯t wash away the sin of ending her own life by whatever means, and she didn¡¯t resist because of the guilt she felt about causing her family¡¯s death. Thus, she let herself get dragged down and was trapped in the darkest pit: the Abyss. This was what should¡¯ve happened to Zepar. His soul should have been presented with one of the three choices, but none of them applied to him. That meant only one thing. ¡°I must tell you what happened after your death,¡± Zepard said. ¡°Getting to the point¡­I also met my end not long after you ended your life.¡± Two months after Evelyn died, the Babylon Church sent an envoy to her residence. It wasn¡¯t to find a witch that could cure people with mysterious powers, but to find a ¡®saintess¡¯ chosen by God. However, Evelyn was already dead by then. ¡°In the process of their search, the truth of the incident and my crimes came to light. Thus, I was killed by the church¡¯s holy knights.¡± ¡ªWhat? ¡°I was charged for slaughtering the saintess.¡± The revelation shocked Evelyn into speechlessness. ¡°Yes, you weren¡¯t just some witch.¡± Zepar smiled widely, liking her reaction. ¡°You weren¡¯t such a lowly being like that¡ªyou were actually a saintess who could save the world.¡± During their time alive, humanity, led by the Babylon Church, had been warring against the Demon Empire. And since ancient times, there was one law that came into effect every time the world fell into danger: a hero appeared. Even the Demon Empire who aimed for the end of humanity was aware of this fact, and because of it, they were greatly troubled. Once a hero appeared, there was a low chance of killing the hero; humanity always tried to protect the hero with all they had, and after the hero grew and progressed well enough, the hero would lead humanity to victory as they always did. Thus, the Demon Empire turned their target from the hero to the saintess. This was because the saintess was often the one who would spot and mark the hero. While a hero would be matched with a saintess, however, there wouldn¡¯t be only one pair of them in the world. If they killed a saintess, there was a high possibility that a new pair of hero and saintess would arise. Thus, the Demon Empire made the decision to prevent the saintess from fulfilling her duties properly; and to do this, they made contact with several humans. ¡ªYou¡­! Evelyn felt like someone had dropped a hammer onto her head. ¡°Fufu, there¡¯s no point hiding it now. Yes, I was one of the humans who made a contract with a demon.¡± The lord of the estate Evelyn once lived in was a demon contractor. And upon making a contract, the demon immediately gave Zepar an order to corrupt the saintess to make her a witch and drag her to the dark side. Unfortunately, the plan failed in the end, and he met his end at the hands of the Babylon Church. When a demon contractor died, their corrupted soul was dragged to the Demon World. There, Zepar went through an immeasurable time suffering as the lowest-ranking slave until he caught the eye of a greater demon who looked well upon his sense of greed. Thus, he was freed from his slave status, and Zepar used all his natural talents to rise in ranks. It was possible for him to reach great heights in the world of demons since power dominated everything. Click-clack. It was then the bones in Evelyn¡¯s body began to shake and clack against each other from the pure rage she felt. Yes, she had thought it was strange. Everything had fallen so perfectly into place as if someone had been pulling the strings behind the scenes, but it was a different story to have her suspicion confirmed. Spreading rumors to ostracize her family, manipulating the villagers¡­ It was all Zepar¡¯s doing. Upon realization, Evelyn twisted around with great desire to crush Zepar¡¯s skull, the chains binding her wrists stretched to the limit. ¡ªZepar! ¡°Oh my, oh my.¡± ¡ªIt was youuuu! ¡°Calm yourself, Lady Evelyn.¡± ¡ªI will kill you, you bastard! I will kill you at all costs! ¡°Unfortunately for you, there¡¯s no way that¡¯ll happen,¡± Zepar said carefreely like he was enjoying this moment. ¡°If you are going to kill me in bed, of course, I will welcome that. I am looking forward to that, actually.¡± Evelyn heaved at Zepar¡¯s verbal harassment. Now that the truth had come to light, the resentment and pain she had forgotten were rising like a fog. She was willing to do anything to twist Zepar¡¯s head off his body. ¡°¡­There¡¯s something I omitted when telling you what happened.¡± Clang! Clang! Clang! While leisurely enjoying the sight of Evelyn resisting the chains, he said, ¡°The Sernitas have been quiet these days. Do you know why that is?¡± ¡ªAhhh! Die! Dieee! ¡°They¡¯re building a celestial castle right now using a god as a medium. And this got me thinking¡ªa way for me to save the Demon Empire that has gotten increasingly harder to maintain and rise as the main player of it all. While the Sernitas build a fortress above¡­¡± Zepar stretched out both arms. ¡°I decided to build a fortress below the earth.¡± Zepar wasn¡¯t talking about a regular underground fortress, but one that resembled the celestial castle the Sernitas was building¡ªa living and moving structure that could be a great weapon in and of itself. If only they could bring the idea into reality, they would have a secret weapon that could be moved anywhere. However, it wasn¡¯t simple to realize his vision. First of all, the Demon Empire lacked resources and materials compared to the Sernitas. This was why Zepar decided to gather neoks after much thought. Without differentiating between species, he gathered neoks of all the dead and poured them onto the ground within his territory. And with all the neoks seeping into the ground, the plot of land began to gain its own will; it became the land of death that tried to strengthen its territories like a water ghost, dragging its prey underground to claim them. In this way, this land had become a monster of sorts, but the monster was beyond his control. The countless neoks were too large and burdensome for Zepar to recklessly manipulate, and there was no meaning to its existence if he couldn¡¯t handle it. In the end, Zepar decided he needed a god like the Sernitas. He needed a core that could act as a medium to control these neoks. Unfortunately, he had no access to such a god. While wondering what to do, Zepar remembered the existence of one particular soul: the one who was the object of fear and terror after death, but the object of reverence and holiness in her lifetime. ¡°Your soul was loved by all, including God Himself! You¡¯ve received His blessing!¡± She had a soul that no one could resist. It seemed only natural the stolen neoks would also be swayed by her. There was no guarantee it would work, but Zepar thought it was well worth a try. ¡ªShut up! But of course, the idea came with its own set of problems. Evelyn¡¯s soul would become the fortress¡¯ core, and Zepar would have to make her listen to him to control it. She would need to accept him as the master and take his words as orders. Otherwise, his plan wouldn¡¯t progress as he wished even if his experiment succeeded. ¡ªYou think I will do as you wish? Evelyn asked angrily while gritting her teeth. Even if Zepar¡¯s experiment succeeded, she had no intention of doing as he said. She would rather get torn up limb by limb and self-detonate in front of the Demon Empire. ¡°It¡¯s certainly not going to be easy,¡± Zepar said, licking his lips. ¡°Well, it would¡¯ve been if you were a living person, but¡­¡± He put his hand on her now skeletal shoulder. ¡ªGet your dirty hands off me! Zepar¡¯s power was dominating a person¡¯s emotions through lust. Everyone he touched, whether they were men or women, became lustful and felt a deep sense of love for him. But his power only applied to a living person and had no effect on a dead being like Evelyn. Moreover, Zepar wanted the untainted soul of a saintess rather than that of a witch, and Evelyn¡¯s soul had become corrupted beyond salvation after falling to hell, and ultimately, the Abyss. Thus, Zepar had two issues to resolve: he had to purify Evelyn¡¯s soul, and he had to make her obey him. Even if Zepar could deal with the first issue, fulfilling the second requirement would be no easy task. After all, Evelyn¡¯s strong character as both a witch and a saintess was nothing to underestimate. But with a stroke of pure luck, Zepar came upon a solution. ¡°Would you take a look at this?¡± Zepar flicked his finger expectantly. There was a small vibration, and the ground split into two. From between the gap emerged a large, angular ice block. Evelyn¡¯s mind became blank when she saw the human locked inside. ¡ªNo way¡­ ¡ªHow could that be¡­ It was no one other than herself from her living days. ¡°Magic is a truly mysterious thing,¡± Zepar hummed. Even after Evelyn¡¯s death, Zepar couldn¡¯t give up his lingering feelings for her. Thus, he took her corpse, hid it in an area where only he knew, and made every effort to maintain it with the intention of reviving her with the power of a demon. Thus, he banged his fist on the floor when he realized that her soul was no longer in the human realm, but elsewhere. It hadn¡¯t occurred to him that he would be reaping the benefit sometime in the far future. ¡°While I¡¯ve preserved your body with a magic container, who would''ve guessed your body would remain intact even a thousand years later?¡± It didn¡¯t make sense. Even Zepar hadn¡¯t expected or entertained the outcome; he had thought there was no way Evelyn¡¯s body would still be as it was, and it shouldn¡¯t have been left in the same spot. Ultimately, it was a miracle caused by Chi-Woo¡¯s failed die roll. Not knowing that, Zepar considered it luck from the heavens, and by securing Evelyn¡¯s physical body from her living days, he could easily solve the problem that had caused him a lot of trouble. The neok remained with the body, and now, he had caught the soul. ¡°I will separate you from what is restraining you.¡± In other words, he would separate Evelyn¡¯s soul from the Abyss that was strongly tied to her. ¡°And of course, I will erase the impurity inside you. And when your soul is purified, I will send it to where your body and neok are.¡± If he successfully separated her soul from impurities, he would succeed in purifying her. Then he could just stand back and watch as things followed their natural progression. Although neok wasn¡¯t attracted to the soul and body, the soul and body were attracted to the neok. And thus, her soul would go to her neok. That wouldn¡¯t change even though Evelyn had died once. ¡°Then I will resurrect you.¡± There were many methods to revive a person, such as necromancy, so that wouldn¡¯t pose a problem. The important part was to revive her after Evelyn¡¯s soul returned to where her body and neok were. ¡°After that, we will share everything that has happened to us in our separation and spend our days in bliss¡­¡± Zepar¡¯s lips curled upward in glee. ¡°Then you will swear subordination to me and become the core of the Demon Empire¡¯s underground fortress.¡± Zepar was basically saying that he would use her whichever way he pleased. ¡ªYou think everything will go according to your plan? ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Zepar responded without care while Evelyn yelled sharply. As soon as Evelyn was resurrected into a human body, everything would be a piece of cake for him. She might be able to resist in some way with the soul of a saintess, but he was a great demon now. Making a mere human obey him was as easy as snapping his fingers. ¡°The infamous Astarte from the Demon World had made the same claim, but look at her now.¡± Zepar didn¡¯t doubt his future success as he had succeeded in making even a great demon his subordinate. While smirking, Zepar placed his hand on her face. ¡°Oh my¡ªI¡¯m already worried that I will enjoy my nights with you so much that I won''t be able to focus on my work¡­Kughh!¡± Zepar¡¯s shoulder curled outward as he laughed his heart out. ¡ªAh¡­ Evelyn felt a sense of despair deeper than any time before. For some reason, she had a foreboding feeling that things would happen as Zepar said; but if they did, she would have to live forever as a slave to her nemesis, who had ruined not only her life, but her family and the villagers. She would have to undergo humiliation and shame that would make the thousands of years of pain she had endured after her death seem like child¡¯s play. And that couldn¡¯t happen. It mustn¡¯t. Evelyn prayed and prayed inside her mind. ¡®Please¡­! Anyone, please¡­¡¯ She desperately prayed for someone to save her. * * * Plop! Meanwhile, Chi-Woo fell and landed hard on his bottom. Scowling, he looked around. ¡®Where am I¡­?¡¯ CH 194 Shalyh. This was the name of the city where the eighth recruits were rescued, and a new title was finally added to the city¡¯s name today. It was now the holy city, Shalyh. Since Kabal had been revived by Chi-Woo, Shalyh rose from a normal city to a holy territory under her governance. Of course, the state of the city did not befit its grand name, but it was in considerably better condition than before due to the Cassiubia League¡¯s post-war recovery efforts. A man and a girl walked out of the city¡¯s magnificent gate, which had been completed a few days ago. The black-haired girl slightly glanced to her side and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you stay for a few more days?¡± Judging by her black hair and black eyes, she was now Kabal instead of Balal. ¡°The conference is over. There¡¯s no reason for me to stay longer,¡± Chi-Hyun replied in a cold tone. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that. Three days¡ªno, even one or two days would be enough. What about it?¡± Chi-Hyun looked down with an empty expression. ¡°It seems you¡¯re trying to make me stay somehow. Am I misunderstanding things?¡± Kabal felt slightly flustered. ¡°Or is there a reason why I must stay here for a few more days?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo snorted as Kabal¡¯s voice softened to almost a whisper and said, ¡°When I get back and announce the results of the conference, a large number of our people will flock to this city. As soon as the temple is renovated, there will be many beings on both sides who will want to be your followers, so you¡¯ll be busy soon. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve walked me far enough. You should head back now.¡± ¡°No, is there a reason for you to be in such a rush? There isn¡¯t. Can¡¯t you just stay one more day?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing urgent, but I have a reason to head back quickly,¡± Chi-Hyun replied indifferently and leapt off the ground without saying more. He flew through the sky and moved far away. His expression was lighthearted as he left the holy city behind. It was because his conference with the Cassiubia League had ended, and he had reaped an unexpected harvest. What did they say again about the little bluish guy who followed Chi-Woo around? ¡®The original slime?¡¯ Chi-Hyun had thought that little bun was way too capable to be a regular slime, but it turned out it was an amazing slime used as an important strategic weapon in the distant past. Pushing aside the question how Chi-Woo was able to obtain such an astounding slime, it was definitely not something Chi-Woo should just use as a bag. ¡®If I tell him that little guy¡¯s true identity, he¡¯ll be shocked beyond belief.¡¯ Chi-Hyun smirked as he imagined his younger brother¡¯s reaction. ¡°¡­He left.¡± On the other hand, Kabal sighed as she watched Chi-Hyun move further away and slowly become a dot. ¡°Sorry, oppa.¡± She murmured to herself and looked up at the sky with her head tilted back. ¡°I tried to give you at least a few more days, but I guess it couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± * * * It was dark. However, Chi-Woo could roughly see the internal layout around him due to his improved night vision from living in a cave for an extended time. Contrary to their speculation, the bottom was not a swamp. Although it was muddy on all sides, there were channels connecting to an unknown place. It was more like an ant¡¯s nest than a cave. Even though he didn¡¯t know where he was, he couldn¡¯t let down his guard; his surroundings were squirming and moving as if something would pop out at any moment. Chi-Woo was brought back to his senses by mud dripping from the ceiling. Then he heard someone let out a groan of pain under him. Chi-Woo looked down and immediately felt guilty. He was sitting on Apoline and squashing her. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You¡­really are¡­¡± Apoline gritted her teeth and got up. ¡°Ugh¡­so dirty¡­¡± Then she looked at all the mud on her clothes and frowned. ¡°Did anyone die?¡± It was Jin-Cheon¡¯s voice. Of course, no one answered¡ª ¡ªMe. Philip calmly raised his hand. ¡°Good. No one died.¡± Jin-Cheon, who couldn¡¯t see Philip, looked satisfied. However, his reaction soon changed when he counted and found out there were only four of them¡ªChi-Woo, Apoline, Hawa, and himself. ¡°My brother and Abis are¡­¡± Jin-Cheon muttered blankly with a tense expression. ¡°Mr. Nangnang, Ms. Noel, and Mr. Ru Amuh are nowhere to be seen,¡± Chi-Woo said, concern thick in his voice. Apoline said, ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. How could they have fallen to a separate place when they were right next to us?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. They might be near, or maybe above or below here.¡± As Jin-Cheon grumbled, Apoline looked around and said, ¡°What¡¯s clear is that this place is probably going to be extremely complicated to navigate.¡± She smacked her lips and slightly bit her nails. ¡°If at least Mr. Cat were here¡­¡± As Apoline said, Nangnang¡¯s absence was truly unfortunate; when they needed a scout the most, he was separated from them. That left them with very few options. Jin-Cheon said, ¡°Hmm¡­Should we go find them? Or do we¡­¡± While Jin-Cheon scratched his head, not knowing what to do, Apoline clearly stated her thoughts, ¡°It¡¯s pointless to argue about each option.¡± They had no idea what had happened to the other team members. They could be together, or they could be further separated. It was possible that they were either wandering around to find them, staying low, or trying to figure out how to get out of this place. However, things could also be worse for them no matter how reluctant Apoline was to entertain the possibility. Moreover, they needed to consider Abis. Currently, she was nothing more than a burden. There was no way to assess the situation and figure out the correct answer right now. In the end, only the results would tell. Apoline couldn¡¯t abandon her other team members and had to consider the companions she was currently with. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside,¡± Apoline said plainly. ¡°Whether we find the other four or leave this place, we need to clean this place up first.¡± She hadn¡¯t sensed it above ground, but now that she was underground, she keenly felt a great evil somewhere deep down¡ªit was an evil so strong that it sent chills down her spine. If they followed that strong energy, they would probably find the source of evil and the one responsible for this situation. They needed to defeat it as fast as possible. Then they¡¯d be able to secure everyone¡¯s safety and find a way to get out of here. Chi-Woo lowered his head. This was the most dangerous method, but if they successfully accomplished it, it would ensure their safety and produce the best possible result. ¡°It¡¯s nice that you make your points clear.¡± Jin-Cheon warmed up his body and suddenly looked back. ¡°Good. Everything you said is good, but¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t the only one who had turned around. All four of them were checking their surroundings and putting their backs together. It was impossible to not notice several presences frantically rushing toward them with such open hostility. Soon, mud bulged out from not only the walls, but also the ceiling and even the floor. They took the shape of humans or monsters, and they floundered their arms and howled with their mouths open. ¡°So we break through them, right?¡± Jin-Cheon cracked his knuckles. ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no need to even ask.¡± Bright flames lit up from both of Apoline¡¯s hands, and Chi-Woo took out his club. ¡°And haven¡¯t I said this to you before?¡± Apoline glared at the monsters making a racket and shouted, ¡°Please stop talking to me so informally!¡± Soon, the earth and the neoks assimilated into the earth rushed out and fiercely confronted the expedition team. * * * At the same time, bright light was flowing from the deepest part of the fortress. The source of the bright light was a chain. It was pure white and glowing from incandescence like it had been left in the furnace for a long time. The chain, which seemed as if it was going to melt, slowly dimmed, and for a moment, it seemed to return to its original color. Then it suddenly turned black and scattered into pieces. At the same time, the skeleton slowly crumbled like the chain from the top of its skull to its toes until it settled into a pile of ashes. ¡°Pweh¡­¡± Only then did Zepar let out the breath he¡¯d been holding. He carried out his plan as soon as he finished his conversation with Evelyn. His long-cherished desire would finally come true at last. Since his eyes were already red with excitement, he had no intention of giving Evelyn a grace period or even a moment of reprieve. He wanted to claim her as soon as possible and complete his experiment. Thus, he got on his first task right away and resolved two major hurdles, releasing Evelyn from the ties that bonded her to the Abyss, and purifying her soul. Even though this should have been no easy feat, Zepar managed to accomplish it without great difficulty; the Abyss had given him a chain that would nullify Evelyn¡¯s contract with the Abyss¡¯ queen. It was an astounding treasure that could turn a pledge toward a supreme being into nothing. Of course, he didn¡¯t receive it for free. Zepar gulped as he looked at the ashes on the ground. Everything that Evelyn had accumulated as a witch in the Abyss was contained in the pile of ashes. It went without saying that it was an incredible treasure that couldn¡¯t be priced. If he absorbed it, he could obtain the vast knowledge and magic of a witch¡ªbut only if he could handle it. It would be a lie if he said he didn¡¯t want it, but Zepar suppressed his greed. The Abyss only allowed him to take Evelyn¡¯s soul. Zepar needed to give the essence back to the Abyss so that they could quickly give birth to a new witch. He could break the promise and take everything for himself, but it was better in the long run to keep his side of the bargain. Zepar scraped up the ashes and put them into a bottle. After sealing it tightly, he handed it over to Astarte, who had been standing quietly. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re desperately waiting for this right now. Give it to them.¡± Astarte took the bottle and bowed before turning around. Zepar, who was now left alone, stared straight ahead. The chains and skeleton were gone, leaving only a mysterious haze with a strange light floating in the air. It was not the witch of the Abyss, but Evelyn¡¯s soul as a saintess during her past life. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Zepar couldn¡¯t hide his amazement inspired by Evelyn¡¯s noble and holy soul; it went far beyond his expectations. Even though he had to use more than half of the neoks he had collected to break her binding and purify her soul, it was more than worth it. He had really put his hopes in the right place. If he just finished the resurrection ceremony, he would already be halfway through actualizing his plan. The remaining process would be a piece of cake; rather, he was looking extremely forward to it. ¡°Heeehehehe. My dear, how are you feeling? How does it feel to lose everything you¡¯ve built over thousands of years?¡± Evelyn stayed silent. Only her soul wavered a little stronger. ¡°Hehe. You must feel stuffy, don¡¯t you? Please wait a little longer.¡± Zepar reached down and sliced vertically. Crack! Cracck! The ice that preserved her body split in half. Zepar carefully lifted Evelyn¡¯s physical body and moved quickly toward the altar for her resurrection. * * * While Chi-Woo and his group were trying to break through the deepest part of the basement, and Zepar was initiating Evelyn¡¯s resurrection ceremony, Ru Amuh, Nangnang, Noel, and the young man carrying Abis were exploring the area. Even though their goal was finding the rest of their teammates, it was a search without much promise. There was a low chance that their other team members would stay in the same place and wait for them, and they had no idea where the others were. Neither Nangnang nor Ru Amuh with his synesthesia ability could sense any presence near them. Nangnang speculated that the others must have been separated or even fallen to a completely different floor according to the distance between them. This was a plausible theory as Noel, who was next to the young man and Abis, had fallen with them, and Hawa, who had been relatively distant, ended up elsewhere. Despite the uncertain situation, one fortunate aspect was that they didn¡¯t see any enemies. They had thought this place would be teeming with the same monsters that had attacked them outside, but they were wrong. Rather, it was eerily quiet and bleak, as if everything had been sucked away. But just in case, they moved around on high alert when¡ª Nangnang, who was walking at the forefront, suddenly stopped and raised his tail. Ru Amuh also caught something with his synesthesia. Clank, clank¡­ They heard metal hitting the ground. The sound gradually grew closer, and a figure appeared in front of the expedition team. It was a woman who seemed like a living flame. Her hair was crimson, and her eyes red. She looked of noble birth from a glance, but her blank stare gave off a sensual decadence. The expedition team and the woman looked at each other for a moment. The woman¡¯s eyes slightly widened before curving upwards, and the expedition team lifted their weapons on instinct. They saw the twin horns on her head, and everyone felt intuitively that the newcomer was in a completely different league than any enemy they had faced so far. It was really a coincidence that the expedition team ran into Astarte, who was carrying out an order issued by Zepar. On the other hand, Astarte had sensed a foreign presence and turned to seek them out. In any case, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the expedition team had fallen into a crisis. ¡°¡­Sir Nangnang.¡± Ru Amuh spoke quietly, never once taking his eyes off the woman standing still in front of him. She was the most powerful enemy he had encountered so far on Liber, even stronger than Vepar. The situation might have been different with Chi-Woo around, but it was a terrible idea to fight this woman given the strength of his current group. ¡°Take the others and run away. I¡¯ll try to¡­¡± Ru Amuh raised his sword to buy some time for the others. Bam! The ceiling suddenly exploded and collapsed. Mud dropped down in lumps and blocked the expedition team¡¯s exit. The message conveyed by the attack was crystal clear¡ªdon¡¯t you dare run away. Nangnang glanced back and said while licking his mouth, ¡°It seems¡­we have no choice but to fight.¡± Thus marked the start of a historical battle. Although no one was aware yet, this battle would significantly change the course of Liber¡¯s far-away future. For better or for worse. CH 195 Jin-Cheon relentlessly stomped the things crawling out of the ground, all the while swinging his fists to crush the ones flying his way. However, there were many that got beyond his reach. Craackle! But those were engulfed by a ring of flames that swallowed them whole. The battle was at a standstill. Although the neoks had seeped into the mud and spawned monsters as soon as the heroes rushed in, their numbers didn¡¯t seem to decrease. There were so many of them that they were still maintaining their momentum, but surprisingly, the expedition team wasn¡¯t being pushed back either. They even began to make gains little by little and tread forward. This was largely thanks to the team¡¯s good balance. Jin-Cheon stood in the front and performed admirably despite not yet having a denomination. He opened the path for the rest of his team and stirred the battle. And Apoline, of course, worked her magic. She protected the team from the rear and supported Jin-Cheon so that he could focus solely on the front. She put on a textbook demonstration of the value of a magician in a team battle in real time. But of course, one couldn¡¯t forget the person who made all this possible and allowed for this process to sail smoothly. Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam! Every time Chi-Woo swung his club, a mass number of enemies burst without a squeak, and his firepower was greater than even Apoline. Although their enemies had gained physical form by joining with this land, they were still neoks originally; furthermore, the fact that they had been influenced by a great demon was detrimental to them when fighting Chi-Woo; Chi-Woo gained enormous boosts when dealing with the non-living and beings in the evil category. In terms of destructive power alone, Chi-Woo could even match up to Chi-Hyun right now. Although the rest of the expedition team didn¡¯t have the time to react as their enemies had been rushing at them like moths to a flame, they were all surprised by Chi-Woo¡¯s performance. Jin-Cheon and Apoline could now understand why Nangnang had changed his mind as soon as he learned of Chi-Woo¡¯s participation, and why Ru Amuh called this man ¡®teacher¡¯ and followed him around. While Chi-Woo swung his club nonstop, he felt fortunate for his training and the space that his brother had made for him to focus on said training. Without it, he might have been able to fight well in the beginning, but would eventually lose steam. He would¡¯ve been heaving for breath by now. With his dramatically improved physical skills and exorcism mana, Chi-Woo could push on and strike down the enemies rushing at him like a machine gun. The fundamental training he had worked his butt off on was finally paying off. However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t remain optimistic. ¡ªYou get why I emphasized real-life experiences so much now, don¡¯t you? It was as Philip said. A single mistake from him or anyone else could lead to the death of the entire team. To survive, Chi-Woo needed to rack through his head. He knew as well as everyone else that it wouldn¡¯t be good if the situation continued like this. Even if they could endure it now, they would eventually reach their limits. Their body would tire, while their mana would run out. Furthermore, they couldn¡¯t use their mana as they pleased since they needed to look for this place¡¯s core. Thus, they had tried their best to preserve as much power as possible, but dozens of minutes later, the battle was tilting to one side¡¯s favor. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. Their progression was slowing down. Their enemies were building up bit by bit, and though it seemed they were gradually getting closer to their destination as the evil energy felt clearer than before, they couldn¡¯t see it yet. Just when he was starting to feel hopeless, their enemies¡¯ sporadic attacks halted. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jin-Cheon raised his sweaty face. ¡ªEckkkk! ¡ªKiah¡­kiahhhh! Their enemies became flustered. They suddenly returned to the place they had come from or rushed past the expedition team without fighting them, like they were running away from something. Actually, most of them were getting sucked away like dust near a vacuum. The expedition stared silently at this sudden turn of events and collected their breath. Then, Apoline spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s follow them.¡± Everyone nodded. They didn¡¯t know what was going on, but something might come up if they kept moving. After reorganizing their formation, the team chased after their enemies. As expected, the path was complicated, twisting and branching out like a maze; furthermore, it was very long. Nonetheless, they were sure that they would reach its end if they simply ran straight. Time continued to pass. They all felt like they were continuously going downward, and a bit less than an hour later, they finally saw the end of the path. They weren¡¯t sure where they were exactly, but they guessed it was the deepest part of this place. After passing a passageway that looked like a tunnel, the expedition team stopped walking. Before them was a cavity that stretched beyond their sight. But other than the sheer size of this place, it looked the same as the place they had passed. Water mixed with mud dropped down from above; the ground was damp and watery like a layer of ice had just melted. Above all, there was a mysterious warmth that filled them with negative emotions. They couldn¡¯t explain the feeling, but it felt as if an evil religious ritual had just taken place. ¡°Who is it?¡± It was then they heard a low voice. ¡°I don¡¯t remember inviting any guests to my land.¡± The expedition team immediately turned to the voice. They saw a figure standing beyond the sticky darkness, in front of a structure that looked like an altar. ¡ªTch. Philip clicked his tongue as soon as he saw the figure. He had had the suspicion, but to think it was really him. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you all are, but you are quite the lucky ones,¡± the figure continued. ¡°Get out of here immediately, and I will let you all live.¡± Without even turning back, the figure talked lazily, like he was shooing away a swarm of mosquitos. The expedition team looked at one another. Did he really say they were going to be spared if they backed away now? ¡ªIt won¡¯t be a bad idea to do as he says. Chi-Woo was startled to hear Philip say that. ¡®Mr. Philip?¡¯ ¡ªYeah, I know how it sounds, but the situation is¡­real bad. You could tell this one was a great demon, right? Chi-Woo nodded. There was a possibility it wasn¡¯t a great demon, but he knew it was rare for other beings to radiate this much evil energy. ¡ªYou¡¯ve fought Andras and Vepar up to this point¡­but this guy is stronger than both of them combined. This great demon ranked at least in the mid-tens. ¡ªThat¡¯s not all. When they fought Andras, Andras was at a great disadvantage; he was effectively fighting with his arms severed, and although their fight with Vepar wasn¡¯t on that level, they had lured her away from her territory and received support from the Cassiubia League. They had none of those advantages this time. This opponent was stronger than the previous two combined, and he was inside his own established territory. It was basically a guaranteed loss. Philip was right. There was a process to everything, and even though Chi-Woo had ardently trained for some time now, he was still not strong enough to deal with this enemy. Even if he reached his peak through training, he still might not be able to win. It was too early, way too early for Chi-Woo to deal with an opponent of this level. Their opponent had offered to spare them if they left the area peacefully. In a way, it was an opportunity. ¡°How generous of you to look out for us,¡± Jin-Cheon said antagonistically, ¡°But we can¡¯t turn around just because you offered to let us go. We came here for our own reasons.¡± ¡°Reasons? What reasons?¡± the demon said as if he couldn¡¯t be more bothered. ¡°My companion¡¯s neok was stolen when she came here.¡± ¡°Neok?¡± ¡°Yes, and we have to get her neok back.¡± ¡°Neok, a neok¡­¡± The demon sighed deeply. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I just used everything I could get my hands on when holding the ritual.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I don¡¯t know whether I used your friend¡¯s neok or not. If you understand now, piss off. If those reasons you have aren''t more important than your own lives, don¡¯t test my patience any more than this.¡± If Abis¡¯ neok had been used for this mysterious ritual, there would be no way to save her. Jin-Cheon¡¯s face hardened. He glared at the demon¡¯s back and turned to the rest of his team. ¡°If you wish to leave, please do so. I won¡¯t blame you. You have done enough coming all the way here,¡± he told them. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh,¡± Apoline replied sharply, ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°Well, I¡­¡± ¡°I know what you mean, but hightailing right now will be insulting my family¡¯s name.¡± Jin-Cheon¡¯s face brightened. The demon seemed to have come to the realization that the expedition team had no intention to return, and he turned to address them. ¡°How foolish. So utterly stupid that it makes me want to vomit.¡± The demon wore hard, iron armor from head to toe, and a red glow shone from inside his helmet. Zepar wasn¡¯t in a good mood. He was annoyed. He had gone over a great obstacle and completed the resurrection ritual that he put great care into. The only thing left for him to do was to wake the witch¡ªno, the saintess, Evelyn. And as he cheered with the thought of playing with her as he wished, these hindrances entered the picture. Fine. He would kill them mercilessly if they wanted it so badly. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± But then Zepar found his anger subsiding a bit. ¡°Humans?¡± He was first stunned by the fact that human beings had managed to come to this place. Then he was surprised by the appearances of two of the four people in this area. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo also expressed his surprise. Although he couldn¡¯t see too well, there was somebody lying on the altar behind Zepar. Seeing the hair flowing down from the structure, he recognized who it was. It was Evelyn¡¯s living form. ¡®Lady Evelyn.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s grip around his club tightened. Now he also had a reason he couldn¡¯t turn around. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Zepar involuntarily expressed his admiration. His eyes were locked on the two women in the group, ignoring the two men entirely. He looked back and forth between Apoline and Hawa and smiled as his mood soared. He hadn¡¯t expected much, but these ladies were beautiful enough to catch a great demon¡¯s attention and melt away his annoyance. Although he had Evelyn, Zepar knew that one could tire of even the greatest delicacy when eaten enough, and he could use side dishes to stimulate his taste buds when necessary. ¡°Oh my¡­we have some precious guests.¡± Zepar¡¯s tone changed as his mood improved. Hawa frowned, and Apoline looked outright appalled and disgusted. They felt as if bugs were crawling all over their skin as Zepar looked at them. ¡°You two.¡± Zepar pointed at Chi-Woo and Jin-Cheon with his index finger. ¡°I¡¯m still willing to let you both go, but¡­¡± ¡°You think we will¡ª!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Jin-Cheon got thrown into the air and smashed into the wall. ¡°Kuh!¡± He collapsed and coughed, staggering as he got back up. He forcefully maintained his composure, but blood was streaking down from the corner of his mouth. It was an astounding display of power on Zepar¡¯s part with just a flick of his finger. ¡°Hm. I was trying to kill you with that. I suppose you aren¡¯t an ordinary human.¡± Zepar shrugged and continued leisurely, ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I have something very important to take care of right now, and I don¡¯t have time to play around with you. So¡ª¡± ¡ªHey, let¡¯s swap places. Philip said. Chi-Woo bit his bottom lip. He knew Philip would be of much more help right now. He was aware of this, but he had been training hard exactly for situations like this. ¡ªI know how you feel. If this weren¡¯t his territory, I would have told you to give it a try. Philip knew what was going through Chi-Woo¡¯s head. After all, he had watched Chi-Woo grit his teeth through training day by day for a better tomorrow. However, this was too dire a situation. They had to fight with too many disadvantages, and even if Ru Amuh had been with them, they would have struggled to put up a fight. Swapping places was imperative to tip the scale for even a little bit. ¡°Haa¡­¡± After exchanging positions with Chi-Woo, Philip appeared a bit anxious, unlike his usual self. ¡°You said your name is Jin-Cheon, right?¡± ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°I know you have quite the skills, but you won¡¯t be of much help against that guy.¡± Having staggered to Chi-Woo¡¯s side, Jin-Cheon blinked hard. The air around Chi-Woo had suddenly changed. ¡°I know, but¡ª¡± ¡°If you must help, stay put for now,¡± Philip said while looking warily at Zepar. ¡°I will deal with him. Don¡¯t try to do anything unnecessary and look for an opening. When you see one, grab his ankle. Even for one second is good.¡± After listening blankly, Jin-Cheon nodded. ¡°Yes. But only one second is fine?¡± ¡°It will be good if you can buy that much time¡­you will have to do it at the risk of your life. And the magician.¡± Philip turned to Apoline. ¡°The same goes for you. Don¡¯t try to test him, but pour everything in one blow. I will try to create at least one opportunity.¡± ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Apoline said, also visibly taken aback. Usually, she would¡¯ve snapped back at him for trying to order her, but there wasn¡¯t a trace of the geeky guy she had been with until now. She suddenly felt the air of a great veteran from Chi-Woo, and she couldn¡¯t help but follow. ¡°Remember. There¡¯s going to be one chance and nothing more,¡± Philip warned them and looked back at Zepar. ¡°Here I come.¡± He lowered his body slightly and shot out like a bullet. Unlike before, Philip was going to give it his all from the beginning. CH 196 Swoosh! Philip quickly approached Zepar and swung the ghost-busting club. Zepar was going to brush it away with a hand but suddenly flinched. He quickly pulled back and kicked the ground, letting the club hit the air. ¡®¡­What¡¯s this?¡¯ Zepar¡¯s eyes narrowed as he withdrew. His opponent was a mere human; if he wanted, he could easily kill him with one hit. The difference in their power was more than crystal clear. Thus, Zepar couldn¡¯t understand why he had stepped back by instinct. Why? For what reason? Even while he questioned his actions, Zepar focused on avoiding Philip¡¯s attacks; the man had rushed toward him like a mad dog. Zepar continuously stepped back following his instincts, but then finally stopped. He hit the wall, and there was no backing further. At the same time, a shadow was cast on top of Zepar¡¯s head. He looked up to see the club coming down with the force to split the earth in half. Zepar¡¯s eyes widened. Facing it closer, he realized that his reaction hadn¡¯t been a mistake. His body was sending resounding alarms that this club must never hit him, and he should do his very best to avoid it. He didn¡¯t know why, but¡ª ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ There was no time for him to think anymore. Zepar chose to raise one arm rather than let the club hit his head. Bam! Crash! A dull explosion rang, and a part of his iron armor cracked and shattered before falling to the ground. Philip glanced at the piece of armor the size of an arm buried in the muddy soil and quickly shifted his gaze back to his opponent. Zepar had already left the corner and increased his distance from him. The forearm guard was now gone. ¡°¡­No wonder. That¡¯s why¡­¡± Rather than blood, a strange darkness flowed out of where his entire elbow was cut off. ¡°This power is La Bella¡¯s¡­no, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the only thing¡­¡± Zepar raised his injured arm and carefully investigated it; then he glanced at Philip. ¡°You were hiding a terrifying power.¡± There was no longer any leisure in his gaze. The carelessness he showed was completely gone. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know who you are, but¡­good. I¡¯m Zepar, ranked 16th in the Demon Empire.¡± The Demon Empire operated solely under the rule of the survival of the fittest. By officially revealing his name, it meant that Zepar recognized Philip as a worthy opponent. Or in other words, he was going to fight using his full strength. The energy that came out from his shattered iron armor split into separate branches, each taking the shape of chains, and when Zepar shook his arm as hard as he could, the chains multiplied into dozens and dropped down from the stump. Philip clicked his tongue and widened his distance from Zepar for now, swinging the club. Bang! Bang! Philip hit all the chains that came at him, but the chains continued to push him back like waves. Moreover, they were whipping left and right and circling around to enclose Philip in several layers. Philip didn¡¯t let them claim him like a sitting duck. He gathered as much exorcism mana as he could, compressed it, and pushed it into the club with all his might. Then he raised the club again. A storm of light erupted, extending from the tip of the club and wrapping around Philip with increasing intensity. The large blinding sphere collided with the chains that were quickly crushing Philip. Wiiiiiiiiiiiing! Light and darkness converged and sparked, sputtering fragments of light. The sight of a fierce, close-knit battle between the opposing forces was spectacular to behold. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Zepar was in awe; in terms of quantity, his chains were far superior. However, their attacks just now were on par with each other. This meant that in terms of quality, his attack was overwhelmingly inferior. It was really surprising, but he had witnessed it with his own eyes. Zepar licked his mouth, and while his eyes shone, he gently retrieved the energy he sent out. As the dark chain¡¯s offense gradually subsided, Philip also slowly withdrew his exorcism mana as well. Even though it wasn¡¯t obvious, his breathing had become rough. Nevertheless, Philip aimed for an opportunity to strike without taking a break, but soon, he couldn¡¯t help but frown as things that looked like black hemispheres emerged in a flurry around Zepar. They aimed for Philip at the same time. Soon, spheres the size of fists protruded out of the hemispheres and began to shoot at Philip like bullets from hell. ¡°Damn, fuck!¡± Philip couldn¡¯t stop himself from swearing. Chi-Woo¡¯s total amount of energy fell far short of a great demon. Thus, Philip needed to save as much as he could and defeat Zepar before he ran out of energy. Judging by what his opponent was doing, it seemed Zepar had noticed this weakness; the demon was trying to overwhelm him with quantity, preventing him from getting closer. ¡°This is how you wanna play this? Let¡¯s see if I can reduce the distance or not.¡± Philip spat and twisted his body. He moved through the swarm of bullets and swung in a circle around Zepar. Crassssssssh! A bright light flashed every time a bullet exploded. Jin-Cheon watched with amazement. Chanting her spell, Apoline couldn¡¯t hide her surprise while sweat poured down her face, either. Zepar¡¯s strength went far beyond their expectations; every attack was so powerful that one hit could take someone¡¯s life. And even while he poured out such strong attacks like water, he didn¡¯t seem tired in the least. This was a testimony to how strong Zepar was. However, the more shocking performance came from their comrade, who still hadn¡¯t revealed his name. He said he¡¯d keep Zepar busy by himself for now, and he was keeping his word. He parried Zepar¡¯s attack with his club and evaded all the bullets with speedy maneuvers that could only be described as spectacular. And even while avoiding the bullets, he was steadily narrowing his distance from the enemy. Jin-Cheon wondered what would happen if he were the one fighting the demon. Would he be able to do the same? Jin-Cheon shook his head. It would be absolutely impossible for him to do so in his current condition, and the same went for Chi-Woo. Since Chi-Woo shared the same view as Philip, he could see Philip¡¯s amazing skills even more clearly and closely than the others. Chi-Woo¡¯s field of vision constantly rotated every second as Philip moved vigorously and quickly. ¡®How¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo subconsciously evaluated his skills. Only their souls had switched places, and the amount of energy produced by his body was the same. However, there was a huge difference between him and Philip. Chi-Woo felt slightly defeated, but the overpowering emotion was relief. He had thought this would be a tough fight with an extremely high chance of failure. However, at this rate, they might really be able to win. Chi-Woo became hopeful as he watched Philip give as good as he got facing a mighty great demon. Soon after, the distance between Zepar and Philip gradually decreased, and Philip was about to enter Zepar¡¯s close range when¡ª The bullets that had been sporadically firing at Philip suddenly stopped. Philip didn¡¯t know the reason, but since he¡¯d come so far, he couldn¡¯t back down. Immediately, Philip extended his arm, attempting to pierce Zepar with the faintly glowing ghost-busting club. However, it was then the hemispheres floating in the air melted and wrapped around Zepar as if they had been waiting for this moment all along. Bamm! A tremendous explosion echoed through the cavern. In the aftermath of the explosion, the ground cracked, and the wind blew relentlessly. Among the scattering mud, Philip saw a flash of red light. Something dark popped out shortly¡ªit was not Zepar. Or to be more exact, Zepar no longer looked the same. He was not wearing iron armor anymore, and he was closer to a spirit than a living being. Before Philip could assess the situation, Zepar rushed towards Philip head-on, almost as if he was trying to join their body together. ¡ªKyaha! Zepar passed straight through Philip and exited from his back. ¡°Ack!¡± Someone gasped for breath. Palms sweaty from watching the fight play out, Jin-Cheon gasped when Chi-Woo dipped his head and collapsed to the ground. Zepar¡¯s spirit overlapped with Chi-Woo¡¯s body for a brief moment before immediately escaping. Then the great demon quickly materialized as his original form. ¡°Huff, puff, ack!¡± However, a significant part of his armor had been melted. ¡°Aghhh¡­! What¡­!¡± Zepar was in a terrible condition after passing through Philip as a spirit. He didn¡¯t know what exactly his opponent was; the brief infiltration had caused significant damage to his whole body. Nevertheless, he was able to accomplish his goal after deliberately letting his opponent get closer, using the man¡¯s intention against him. Despite the pain, Zepar lifted the neok in his hand. This was the reason why he had overextended himself and infiltrated his opponent¡¯s body¡ªit was to get materials for his upcoming experiment. Even though Zepar didn¡¯t know the identity of the human fighting him, it was clear that he was someone with considerable power. Every time he encountered his attack, an unknown force ate up his darkness, and it made him shiver in fear. After facing his opponent head-on, Zepar realized that the purity of his opponent¡¯s energy was unquestionable. In fact, his energy was purity itself, and Zepar had never seen such energy in his life or even after his death. It might be even purer than the saintess¡¯ soul. That was why Zepar got greedy. If he acquired this ingredient and moved to the fortress safely, he wouldn¡¯t even have to use the saintess¡¯ soul. Then he could keep Evelyn as his slave forever. Zepar was willing to risk this much pain for his enjoyment. ¡°Heh¡ªLet me see. Who is this human that¡­¡± Zepar fell into shock once he saw what was in his hand. ¡°What?¡± Zepar thought he had definitely snatched his opponent¡¯s neok, but it was actually a soul. ¡®Why did I get a soul? No, wait. It seems like I don¡¯t have a neok?¡¯ Zepar fell into confusion. Meanwhile, Philip, who had been twisting and thrashing, felt a presence quickly approaching them and cast a sideways glance. He cried out so loudly that everyone would¡¯ve heard him if they could. ¡ªIt¡¯s time! Hurry! Since Zepar was currently connected to his spirit, he could hear Philip loud and clear. He flinched. ¡°I almost forgot!¡± Zepar quickly turned back and shot his darkness at Jin-Cheon. ¡°Ack-!¡± Blood splattered in the air. Zepar was dumbfounded as he saw his chains penetrate Jin-Cheon and push him back. ¡®What¡¯s this? Seriously, this is what they¡¯ve been aiming for?¡¯ But his questions were answered when he suddenly sensed a mana of formidable strength. Crackkkkle! His surroundings instantly became scorching. A platinum blonde girl was floating in the air with a bright sun blazing above her hand. When Zepar lifted his head, Apoline swung her arm down with all her might as if she was throwing a ball. Crack- The sun cracked and split, and a huge burning dragon jumped out. A violent roar shook the space. Zepar scowled when he saw the dragon lunge at his face. This must be the real attack. ¡°This is nothing!¡± Zepar immediately gathered his energy and retaliated. Crasssssh! A huge amount of water vapor formed as fire and darkness collided. The resulting haze made their surroundings look distorted. The dragon was a magic manifestation created by Apoline, who was born with an enormous amount of mana. Moreover, Zepar¡¯s condition had significantly worsened since the beginning of the fight. Thus, despite his claims, it was all Zepar could do to block Apoline¡¯s attack, let alone launch a counterattack. ¡®Just hang in there¡­! I just need to endure a bit more¡­!¡¯ Zepar tried to calm his shaking body and clenched his teeth. This had been a much harder battle than he had imagined, but the end was in sight. Since he had snatched the soul of the most dangerous of his enemies, which was no different from killing him, he no longer needed to pay attention to him. The other man was nothing much, and the platinum-blonde girl didn¡¯t seem capable of making another attack. She must have poured all her energy into the spell, so this would most likely be her first and last offensive. Zepar thought that as long as he endured this, he would win, so he devoted all his strength into defending himself. He grinned as he saw his darkness eat the head of the dragon. Then at that exact moment, he felt a cool sensation sweep through his neck. Zepar turned around by instinct. ¡°¡­What?¡± He shook his head blankly and made a shrill sound without realizing it. A soulless body shouldn¡¯t be able to move; it defied the law of nature. However, the man whose soul Zepar had snatched was alive and kicking. He even leaped into the air and raised his club as far back as possible. This was completely disastrous for Zepar, while it was a chance that Chi-Woo would never be able to obtain ever again. There was no way Zepar could have known that there were two souls in one body. Philip had told Chi-Woo to swap with him from the very beginning of the fight for a reason; as Zepar aimed for his weakness, Philip also had a secret plan¡ªeven before their fight started. As a result, Zepar made a fatal mistake. Zepar had already lost a significant amount of his energy, and he was stuck defending himself from Apoline¡¯s dragon. Jin-Cheon had distracted him for a brief moment, and Apoline created a golden opportunity for Chi-Woo to strike. Thanks to their efforts, Chi-Woo could capitalize on this opportunity to his heart¡¯s content. He scraped off all his exorcism mana without leaving even a grain and fused it into the club, compressing and condensing it to a single dot at the very tip. Then he swung his arm at Zepar as he quickly moved. A snap punch. It was a punch that retracted the moment one¡¯s fist made contact with the target. After hitting the same rock tens of thousands of times and going through hundreds of simulations, Chi-Woo had finally obtained this technique. All the experience he accumulated so far was reproduced at this very moment without a single fault or mistake. It was impeccable. ¡ªKill him! ¡°No-!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s club drew a smooth curve and precisely landed on top of Zepar¡¯s head, whose eyes had turned the size of saucers. CH 197 At the same time, a different battle in Zepar¡¯s territory was also reaching its end¡ªwith the expedition team¡¯s defeat. Ru Amuh kneeled on one knee and tried to prop himself up with his sword, but eventually faltered. Despair overtook his expression as he stared at the weapon in his hand; half of its blade was gone. The sword had melted, unable to endure their enemy¡¯s strong attack, and what was left was also damaged. Since it was impossible to repair it, Ru Amuh unsheathed another longsword from his waist. However, since even the magic sword that Chi-Woo gifted him had turned out like this, it was unlikely that a normal sword would be able to last long. Ru Amuh somehow picked himself back up and looked around. Three out of five of his group were combatants, but two of them had already collapsed. The young man protecting Abis was on the ground and groaning in pain. Nangnang seemed to have received a severe injury, as there were deep scars all over his body, and he lay prone in the muddy puddle without moving. One of Ru Amuh¡¯s arms dropped to his side; his condition didn¡¯t look good, either. His left arm suffered severe burns with patches of skin melted. In comparison, their enemy was still very much alive and well. She looked the same as when she first appeared in front of the expedition team, in fact, and a slight smile played on her lips. Ru Amuh smiled bitterly as he lamented his insufficient skills. The absence of his teacher made too much of a difference. Of course, Ru Amuh had no intention of giving up until the very end, but he needed to also face reality. It was safe to say that this fight was basically over. All that was left was a desperate and frantic struggle. Ru Amuh took a deep breath and stared at Astarte with fierce eyes. There was no stopping that monster. Ru Amuh would die here; this was an undeniable fact. However, if that happened, this monster would probably go and find his teacher¡¯s party. In that case, Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t let Astarte leave in peak condition even if he couldn¡¯t stop her. He needed to at least hurt her a little bit¡ªeven if his next attempt got him killed. Ru Amuh tightly gripped his sword and prepared to attack Astarte with his life on the line. ¡°Stop it.¡± Then he heard a voice behind his back. Noel, who had been protecting Abis, got to her feet. Her eyes were full of resolute determination as she stepped forward. As it happened, Noel had a similar thought as Ru Amuh. She needed to protect the young master. Even if everyone died, she needed to get him safely out of here. Being the composed and rational hero she was, on the other hand, she knew that she couldn¡¯t ensure Chi-Woo¡¯s safety in their current situation. Thus, even if she couldn¡¯t directly ensure Chi-Woo¡¯s safety, she must significantly increase his probability of leaving this place safely by removing their present threat. This was where the difference between Ru Amuh and Noel¡¯s thoughts lay¡ªRu Amuh tried to injure Astarte with his life on the line, while Noel tried to finish off the monster even while sacrificing her life. Noel said, ¡°Just step back and don¡¯t waste your energy. I¡¯ll take care of that monster myself. Find and rejoin the rest of the team members.¡± Ru Amuh looked at Noel, asking for an explanation for her unexpected declaration. However, she simply shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anything and please do as I say.¡± Then she stopped walking forward. Noel Freya was an extremely rare priest hero, but she was more known for following another hero, for constantly following one person like a stalker. However, her behavior was understandable if the subject of her devotion was the legend. There were much more than a couple of heroes who admired and were in awe of Choi Chi-Hyun. It was only natural that a good number would follow him like Giant Fist and Mua Janya. However, Noel was the only one who persisted, which was only possible because Chi-Hyun tolerated it. That made Noel a special one. Chi-Hyun¡¯s implicit permission signified his acknowledgment of her skills, and she should be viewed as his companion, not a stalker. Some people accused her of being an opportunist, saying that she was trying to reap the benefits of the legend¡¯s accomplishment by staying in his shadow. However, those who had followed Chi-Hyun even once and experienced and witnessed the same situations he¡¯d gone through would never say such a thing. Because they all knew how the name of legend was created, and how much weight and burden Chi-Hyun¡¯s followers had to bear just to support him. Noel was the only one who had followed Chi-Hyun to all of his missions since she met him. It was for this reason alone that the Celestial Realm gave her special treatment. ¡°Ramiel.¡± Noel turned on her device and called out a name. Cchik¡ªA hologram popped up, and an angel appeared in a blurry shape. Ru Amuh''s eyes widened. How could Noel connect directly with an angel from the Celestial Realm? It should be impossible unless it was a very special case. Noel said, ¡°I give everything that I have.¡± ¡ª¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay even if it¡¯s for a brief moment. Please connect this planet with my home planet.¡± Noel¡¯s words were concise and clear, and the angel named Ramiel stared at her with melancholy eyes before closing them and nodding silently. Soon after, Noel received a notification that her request was approved, and countless notifications followed. Then she said to Astarte, ¡°Sorry about that. You¡¯ve been waiting for a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Astarte had watched her with slight anticipation at the appearance of a possibly worthy opponent, and Noel gave her a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I guarantee you that you won¡¯t be bored. Rather, I think you¡¯re going to have a lot of fun.¡± Noel had originally been a saintess as well. She wasn¡¯t a saintess who chanted spells or healed people. She was a combat saintess who specialized in heresy interrogation and beating up enemies with an ironclad. Just in time, the messages that flooded her device abruptly stopped. As a passage between her home planet and Liber was formed, Noel¡¯s original powers were revived, and dim light surrounded her. Ru Amuh, as well as Astarte, looked up with slightly startled eyes. Even though they were definitely underground, light was leaking through the ceiling. Noel felt a familiar energy wrap around her body and lifted her necklace up high. She shouted, ¡°Orugangtisia!¡± Brilliant light shot out from her eyes as she tilted her head back. ¡°Let your glory enter my body!¡± Bam! A pillar of light crashed down from the ceiling. * * * The tip of the club touched the top of Zepar¡¯s head. There was no line of contact or surface of contact, but a single point. Chi-Woo retracted his club as soon as he made contact with Zepar. It was a snap hit that didn¡¯t waste even a single ounce of power. As soon as Chi-Woo¡¯s feet touched the floor, he collapsed. Still, he used the last of his strength to turn around while he keeled over. Zepar was still standing in the same place, but that soon changed. The darkness that was eating up the dragon quickly disappeared. The iron armor covering him from head to toe began to crumble and fall one by one. One would be hard-pressed to call what was finally revealed a body; it was more a concentration of darkness that gathered like thick, dark fog. However, it then lost even the appearance of fog as Zepar¡¯s body began to swell up everywhere and grow bigger in size. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± A moan escaped his lips. Zepar tried to keep the swelling in check and endure somehow, but soon after, the top part that looked like his head started bloating unevenly. ¡°Aghhhhhhhhh!¡± It ballooned uncontrollably until his head exploded with a terrible scream. Then the darkness that formed Zepar began to crumble. Bam! Bam! A series of explosions occurred like a tidal wave, spreading indiscriminately across the whole space. Chi-Woo held onto his consciousness and forced himself to watch the situation unfold. Apoline was sitting on the ground, struggling to breathe, but she didn¡¯t move her eyes away from Zepar. Jin-Cheon also glared at Zepar with half-opened eyes. They hadn¡¯t simply exhausted their strength. At Philip¡¯s request, they had used all the energy they could possibly muster and overextended themselves. And Philip himself couldn¡¯t properly recover his consciousness after getting snatched by Zepar and caught up in the aftermath of Chi-Woo¡¯s attack. That proved how risky Philip¡¯s plan was. If the last attack hadn¡¯t been successful, the result would have been reversed. Everyone closed their eyes in relief when they saw the remains of Zepar almost disappear and leave a stain on the ground. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s relief only lasted for a moment. He needed to rest for now. No¡ªhe needed to treat his injuries first. If he fell asleep like this, he might die from excessive blood loss. It was the first time that he felt as if his guts would spill out from breathing, so he opened his mouth to call steam bun over. However¡­ ¡°¡­Whaaat?¡± Jin-Cheon blinked and made a stupid sound. ¡°It¡¯s¡­gathering¡­together¡­?¡± True to his words, pieces of darkness were gathering from all over the place as if they were being sucked in through the walls and floors. They all gathered toward where Zepar was standing, and that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Hawa, who had withdrawn to a considerable distance, also noticed this abnormal phenomenon. Even though the situation seemed a little precarious, she had thought Chi-Woo would be able to pull through. Chi-Woo had always been like that; he was so strong in any crisis that Hawa couldn¡¯t imagine him losing or dying. Thus, Hawa had thought Chi-Woo would be able to do the same this time and had been quietly watching their battle. However, the situation was starting to shift strangely. The muddy and damp space was quickly drying up. The deep darkness that surrounded them also faded, and their surroundings became brighter than before. Then, at last, they saw the results of this strange phenomenon. A darkness that slowly recovered from sucking up all the darkness around it appeared. Zepar, who should have disappeared, was slowly rising up. Chi-Woo, Apoline, and Jin-Cheon gaped in shock. They all had trouble believing this was happening. Chi-Woo tried to grab his club and stand up, but his body didn¡¯t listen to him. The repeated struggles only brought violent pain. It was the same for Apoline and Jin-Cheon. ¡°Aghhhh!¡± In the end, Zepar got up. Of course, he hadn¡¯t completely recovered. It was clear from a glance that Zepar¡¯s condition was extremely dire. He couldn¡¯t even manifest the iron armor which had protected his whole body. Moreover, rather than a solid shape, he looked completely torn up like rags. He really was barely maintaining his ¡®essence¡¯. While he managed to revive himself by a hair, his mind was in full panic mode. With a single misstep, he would have been wiped out of existence. Moreover, he had lost everything in exchange for his incomplete recovery. Even the fortress, which he had carefully constructed in the center of his territory, was gone. Zepar had no other choice. Without sacrificing 90% of the materials he had collected from fighting countless wars, he wouldn¡¯t even have a chance of coming back. This also meant that the Demon Empire¡¯s ambitious plan, which had been on the verge of success, was completely scrapped in a single shot. Of course, since they had secured Evelyn¡¯s soul, they could try again, but this didn¡¯t change the fact that their efforts had all gone up in smoke. It was enough for Zepar to go crazy in anger. A single hit had made him lose everything and become completely broke. Yes, he would have normally been furious, but Zepar wasn¡¯t. Instead, fear overpowered all other emotions. Zepar¡¯s eyes snapped to Chi-Woo, who was trying to get up somehow, his hands pressing hard into the ground. ¡®I need to kill him.¡¯ Zepar thought, ¡®I need to kill him here at any cost.¡¯ Zepar wanted to throw away everything and run away, but he couldn¡¯t. He thought about how strong the human in front of him would become the next time they met. Zepar had a strong hunch that even with ten great demons, they wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him later on. Although their plan to create a fortress to fight the Sernitas¡¯ celestial castle went for naught, it was a cheap price to pay for killing this human. ¡°No¡­¡± Chi-Woo, who had managed to lift his upper body, collapsed again. ¡°Please¡­give me a little bit¡­even a little is okay¡­so anyone¡­¡± Chi-Woo raised his index finger as he realized it was impossible for him to get up. He tapped the air and dropped his hand helplessly. Then his body stopped moving as if he had lost consciousness. Zepar struggled to extend his energy toward Chi-Woo. Darkness slowly gathered together and prepared to fire. He felt a presence suddenly rush towards him, but he paid no attention to it; he could sense it was an ordinary human without much strength. It was Hawa, and as Zepar thought, nothing would change even if a powerless native girl joined the battle. Hawa knew, but she still ran. While running, she thought, ¡®How do I¡­¡¯ While she felt conflicted whether or not she should aim for Zepar or try a different method, Zepar fired a bullet without hesitation at Chi-Woo. ¡°!¡± Hawa¡¯s eyes opened wide. For some reason, her dim memories of her first meeting with Chi-Woo flashed across her mind. [You¡¯ll be able to sleep well from today.] [The things that tortured you is gone forever, so you can finally sleep in peace.] ¡­He really was going to die? That guy was going to die? For real? At the very moment Hawa thought Chi-Woo really might die, she twisted her foot sharply and kicked the ground. If she acted like how she usually did, she would have ambushed Zepar regardless of what happened to Chi-Woo. However, the situation was different this time. She flung herself towards Chi-Woo so hard that her silver hair fluttered high in the air. ¡®Please¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand it well herself, but she fervently wanted and wished for Chi-Woo to not die. ¡®Please¡­! Quickly, more quickly!¡¯ Hawa clenched her teeth. She needed to reach him. She needed to reach him faster than the bullet, but¡­ It was too slow. Everything in her sight began to slow down to the point that it felt frustrating¡ªboth the bullet and her movements. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± Only then did Hawa feel a strange sensation surrounding her. As soon as she realized something was off, she found herself awashed in pure white, and she regained control of her body. Hawa was standing alone in a white space where everything was erased. ¡ªI could have formed a contract with you in my paradise. A strong yet soft voice rang out. ¡ªBut I didn¡¯t like you. Then Hawa heard a rustling sound of footsteps. ¡ªIn the first place, I didn¡¯t intend to accept anyone else besides that child. Her presence was so formidable that even giants would bend down at her feet. ¡ªBut. Hawa unconsciously looked back and saw her. ¡ªYour last choice¡­has moved my heart. The goddess of balance with a scale in one of her hands. CH 198 There stood a lady wearing an ash-colored robe with a pressed-down hood and a balance in one hand. There was an indescribable sense of power behind her words and actions, and she gave off an air of a great giant whose feet stretched over the earth and head looked beyond the sky and space. ¡ªAuthority and power come with great responsibility. La Bella walked toward Hawa. Although it was just a single step, Hawa felt immense pressure, as if her whole body was shrinking. ¡ªIf you covet power that isn¡¯t permitted to you, you would have to pay the appropriate price. Hers was a powerful voice that Hawa couldn¡¯t dare disobey. ¡ªBut all you do is covet, and you have no intention of paying the rightful price for the power. La Bella came to a stop before Hawa. Hawa didn¡¯t even dare raise her head, but she looked up when she heard La Bella¡¯s last sentence. ¡°I¡­!¡± Hawa was about to say something but closed her mouth again. Hidden by the hood, the lady¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t be seen, yet Hawa felt a gaze that seemed to see through her completely; it made her feel transparent as if her insides were revealed to all. ¡ªWhat changed? La Bella asked. ¡ªWhy did you try to block the demon¡¯s attack? The revived demon had tried to shoot a bullet at Chi-Woo, but what was done had been done. Hawa could¡¯ve turned back and run. Since she was told to not get involved, she could¡¯ve watched from afar or even aimed for Zepar¡¯s life at the risk of hers. This was the sort of action Shahnaz Hawa would have chosen to do. Instead, Hawa did something her usual self would¡¯ve never considered. Why was it? She wouldn¡¯t have been able to save Chi-Woo nor block the attack even if she tried. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Hawa shook her head with a confused look on her face. She couldn¡¯t figure it out. She had acted before she could even think, and the only thing clear to her was that she didn¡¯t want Chi-Woo to die. Because¡­ ¡ªLiber is not even in your thoughts. You don¡¯t care what happens to this world, nor do you have some kind of noble purpose. Hawa flinched at La Bella¡¯s reprimanding tone. ¡ªBut if you realize the purpose behind your actions just now¡­it won¡¯t be too bad. Hawa raised her head carefully again as La Bella continued. ¡ªDevotion and sacrifice. These are the two things I will be asking for in exchange. Do you understand the meaning of devotion? And are you prepared to make sacrifices? Hawa¡¯s eyes widened. She finally realized the reason this lady had suddenly appeared in front of her and what she wanted. Yes. Hawa never had any thoughts about devoting and sacrificing herself for Liber one bit. But what if the subject of her devotion wasn¡¯t Liber? What if the subject was someone who would save Liber instead? ¡°I still¡­don¡¯t know.¡± Hawa gained a bit more strength in her voice. ¡°But if you allow me¡­I will find out.¡± Hawa said while kneeling on one leg and bowing her head. ¡ª¡­If that¡¯s really your intention, make a vow. La Bella requested and Hawa answered immediately. As if she had been waiting for it, Hawa spoke without hesitation, ¡°I will use the power you give me only for him. I will devote myself and sacrifice everything I have for him. I swear it upon the balance beam carried by the goddess of balance!¡± * * * The white world collapsed, and darkness settled down bit by bit. As Hawa¡¯s vision returned to normal, other things followed. Her arms and legs were moving like before, and the bullet was still aiming for Chi-Woo. But in the millisecond, Hawa clearly felt a strange sensation wrapping around her body. Before, it would have been impossible for her to even touch the bullet, but it was different now. Hawa unconsciously moved the energy to both her legs and feet. Then she kicked off hard from the ground. Her body shot out like an arrow, but she didn¡¯t have enough time to carry Chi-Woo away from the area. Her only choice was to take the hit for him. However, there wasn¡¯t even a tiny bit of hesitation in her movements; she had already sworn to do so in exchange for this power. ¡°What!?¡± Hawa¡¯s action worked even more successfully than expected. Psh! The bullet swerved suddenly and hit the ground. Zepar had changed the trajectory of his bullet when he saw Hawa intervening. And with this, Zepar had lost his one chance to kill Chi-Woo. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Zepar realized his mistake a second too late. He had acted instinctively upon seeing the silver-haired girl jump forth. Like the platinum-haired girl who used fire magic, Zepar also liked this one. It wasn¡¯t only because of her appearance; Zepar liked Hawa¡¯s soul very much too. She had a quality that was rare among humans, and those who had this quality often shone brilliantly in their respective positions and became heroes or saints who carved their names into history. Zepar especially liked corrupting such people and taming them, and nothing pleased him more than ruining great lives and dyeing them with his color. And thus, it was his desire for Hawa that caused Zepar to make this mistake. He should¡¯ve just killed her without paying attention to such things, but he was used to acting on his greed over reason. ¡°Move aside,¡± Zepar said in a low voice. ¡°I will let you live. If you stay put, I will show you adoration. Why must you resist when everything is over already?¡± Hawa didn¡¯t listen. She simply focused on carrying Chi-Woo. ¡°Fine. I guess it would be fine even if you are a bit hurt.¡± Then Zepar shot another bullet, and simultaneously, Hawa jumped while carrying Chi-Woo. Seeing his bullet barely miss the mark again, Zepar grimaced. She shouldn¡¯t have been able to respond so fast. Furthermore, it didn¡¯t make sense that a young lady could run like this while carrying an adult male. This meant only one thing. ¡°¡­She¡¯s not a normal human.¡± Zepar gritted his teeth. He made a decision in the end. Although he lived solely through his greed, he couldn¡¯t do that this time. He had to prioritize killing Chi-Woo over fulfilling his personal greed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I will kill the two of you in one go since it¡¯s bothersome.¡± Chains shot out of Zepar¡¯s whole body. And with the full intention to kill them this time, he blocked all the routes that Hawa could run to. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Hawa stopped running when she saw the chains coming from all directions. Even though she had made a contract with La Bella, her awakening was recent. She had only escaped Zepar¡¯s first attack due to Zepar¡¯s own mistake, and the second one by taking advantage of Zepar¡¯s underestimation of her. ¡®No.¡¯ But since Zepar had made up his mind to kill her, there wouldn¡¯t be a third escape. She couldn¡¯t escape nor block anymore. Hawa clenched her eyes shut as the chains rushed toward her. She couldn¡¯t do anything but grit her teeth and wrap her arms around Chi-Woo to shield him. It was then she felt a strong whirlwind sweep past her whole body. ¡°¡­¡± She thought she would be ripped to pieces, but her fluttering hair and flapping clothes soon settled, and she didn¡¯t feel any pain. ¡°Who is it this time¡­!¡± Zepar shouted in anger, and Hawa¡¯s mouth widened. She saw a handsome blonde man in front of her. ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, Teacher is saved.¡± Ru Amuh raised his sword and blocked the chains. Although Zepar had the opportunity to kill Chi-Woo two times, he failed because Hawa had risked her life to save him; and these two opportunities brought a bigger one. Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t the only one who came to her aid. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Hawa felt a hand on the top of her head. ¡°Protecting and fighting for someone is the fundamental trait a hero should have.¡± Hawa looked up and saw that Chi-Woo had opened his eyes. More exactly, Philip had returned to Chi-Woo¡¯s body after regaining his senses. ¡°You are awake, sir,¡± Ru Amuh said while keeping an eye on Zepar. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°No¡­I¡¯m dying¡­¡± Philip groaned and smiled bitterly when he noticed that one of Ru Amuh¡¯s arms was dangling. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in a good condition either.¡± Ru Amuh smiled awkwardly. His wounds hadn¡¯t healed yet from his fight with Astarte. ¡°Ppyu.¡± A blue lump climbed to his shoulder and handed him something. ¡°This is...a talisman.¡± It was the talisman that Chi-Woo treasured very much, saying that he only had three left. They would be able to erase all traces of this demon with this talisman for sure. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± But Philip shook his head. ¡°Put it back. The last time I saw him use that, he murmured some kind of incantation. I don¡¯t know how to use it.¡± ¡°Ppyu¡­¡± Steam Bun stretched out a bottle as if it was telling Philip to use the holy water then, but Philip turned that away too. Talisman and holy water were both great items, but they were finite resources, and they were incredibly rare with limited ways to replenish. Of course, no matter how precious an item was, it wasn¡¯t more precious than one¡¯s life, but Philip saw the hovering message that Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t had the time to turn off and knew what his intention was. ¡®This guy wants to rush through head-on without borrowing any other power.¡¯ Philip wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but he knew Chi-Woo must have come up with something. There was no way his heart would be pounding so hard otherwise. Thus, the only thing Philip should do right now was buy time until Chi-Woo was finished with his preparation for whatever he had planned. After spitting on the ground, Philip spoke, ¡°Ru Amuh? Could you buy me some time?¡± ¡°Do you have some ideas?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. Just trust me right now.¡± ¡°I see. You aren¡¯t Teacher.¡± Philip flinched. ¡°Teacher doesn¡¯t speak like that,¡± Ru Amuh continued. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t spit anywhere nor stagger haughtily like you. He is someone who is always full of poise and grace.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I see.¡± Philip scratched his head. ¡°But can we just move on from that right now? Considering the situation.¡± ¡°I understand. If I buy some time, Teacher will return, and we can win this battle, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. You sure are smart.¡± ¡°Then¡­!¡± Ru Amuh quickly moved before he could even finish replying because Zepar, who had been on high alert since Ru Amuh¡¯s appearance, suddenly launched an attack. ¡°And you, the silver-haired kid?¡± Philip turned around as he heard a violent clash and said, ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± Hawa looked at Philip from afar as he grabbed Steam Bun. Philip said, ¡°You see those two, right?¡± Philip pointed at the unconscious Jin-Cheon and Apoline. ¡°Both of them are completely out of it right now, but I guess this is better than nothing. Anyway, I¡¯m sure there are some healing potions in this guy.¡± Philip threw Steam Bun at Hawa and continued, ¡°They¡¯re potions made by a hot mage named Shadia, and their effects are killer. You get what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± Hawa nodded. Grabbing Steam Bun, she quickly ran towards Apoline and Jin-Cheon. ¡°¡­Good.¡± Hawa reached them in an instant and took the healing potions from Steam Bun. Philip then extended a hand toward the blonde man now locked in a fierce battle with Zepar. ¡°Let¡¯s go another round!¡± Swish! The ghost-busting club flew through the air, and Philip caught it. Then¡­ * * * When Chi-Woo regained his senses, he was confused for a moment. He couldn¡¯t feel or sense his body. His vision was also lower than usual by half his height. ¡°¡­You up?¡± Chi-Woo finally understood the situation after hearing Philip¡¯s voice. He realized that Philip had taken control of his body, and he was sitting against the wall with his hands on his abdomen. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ ¡°What do you mean why?¡± Philip groaned and said, ¡°This is the result of us working our asses off and doing whatever the hell we can while you were completely out.¡± The word disastrous could not fully describe the view that Chi-Woo shared with Philip. Everyone¡¯s condition looked extremely critical from a glance. The only one who was still standing on both feet was Ru Amuh, but even his fierce resistance was almost reaching its end. Philip said, ¡°It¡¯s all for you.¡± The reason why Jin-Cheon rushed toward Zepar like a wild dog and got skewered with a chain. The reason why all of Apoline¡¯s fingers got torn and bloody from squeezing out every drop of mana. The reason why both of Hawa¡¯s ankles turned 180 degrees while trying to heal them both¡ª ¡°It was all to protect you.¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. ¡°But¡­it¡¯s good that you¡¯re not too late¡­¡± Philip smiled softly and got up with a groan. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn to feel responsible and show us.¡± He raised his club and said, ¡°Show us the reason why we sacrificed for you.¡± Ru Amuh could no longer hold out and fell, and Zepar turned towards them. ¡°You bastard! You¡¯re still¡­!¡± Chi-Woo had no idea what had transpired between Philip and Zepar while he was out, but Zepar looked aghast and quickly turned to Chi-Woo. Ru Amuh ran towards Zepar again, trying to stop him with everything he had, but Zepar was in a similar mindset. ¡ªAghhh! Zepar changed into a spirit and passed through Ru Amuh, and Ru Amuh¡¯s body collapsed as his soul was taken away. Philip watched Zepar¡¯s spirit rush towards them and said, ¡°Well, before you return to this body, brace yourself.¡± Weakly, Philip continued, ¡°You have one chance.¡± ¡ªPlease just fucking dieeeeee! ¡°This is¡­really the last time.¡± Bam! Zepar¡¯s spirit passed through Philip, and his soul came out. ¡ªUgh¡­! Zepar, who had exited Chi-Woo¡¯s body with Philip¡¯s soul, struggled in pain as his whole body burned in the after effect of interfering with another person¡¯s soul. He hadn¡¯t ever imagined that he would be pushed to a corner to this extent, but now, it was all over. Earlier, he had been caught off guard because he thought the battle had ended, but he wasn¡¯t going to lower his guard this time. Zepar endured the pain and looked back, and as expected, he saw Chi-Woo staggering and trying to balance himself. There was no need to say anything more. Zepar immediately cast aside Ru Amuh and Philip¡¯s soul and prepared to charge again. If he could catch that bastard, if he could deal with that guy, it really would all be over. At that moment, Chi-Woo regained control of his body and heard a familiar sound even as he felt intense pain throughout his body. It was the same notification that rang whenever he was on the verge of dying. [New ability derived from inherent skill, ¡®Core of Balance¡¯] [Inherent skill, ¡®Breakthrough¡¯, has been created.] A lifeline fell in front of him. CH 199 Thanks to La Bella¡¯s grace, Chi-Woo¡¯s merits were numericized, and he was able to open a fostering list. Recalling how he had gained a new skill when he raised Core of Balance¡¯s rank, Chi-Woo used his merits to do it again. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s accumulated merits: 576,837] [Using 53,292 (576,837 -> 523,542)] [Inherent ability ¡®Core of Balance¡¯ increases in rank (E -> D)] It was as Chi-Woo expected. Like how an ability he desperately needed appeared the last time he increased his rank, another ability that would help him overcome this crisis came to him. 10. [Breakthrough F] - ability that allows the user to go beyond their current boundaries of power. It¡¯s a form of awakening ability that activates when the user is in an extreme crisis and receives a shock from the outside that forcibly pushes him closer to his full potential. At the current rank, the user can use 1.5 times his current power and exert greater strength according to the rank of this ability and his potential. However, the user must be careful when using this ability because it can have a negative effect on one¡¯s body and mind, and at worst, may even diminish their potential. Thus, the user must avoid upgrading this ability if possible. Although the description of ¡®Breakthrough¡¯ clearly stated he must not abuse its power, such things didn¡¯t catch Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. As Philip said, he was given this opening thanks to everyone risking their lives. It was now time for him to repay them, and Chi-Woo immediately used Breakthrough. Thud! ¡°Kuh!¡± As soon as Chi-Woo activated the ability, he felt a terrible pain inside his body. It felt as if an iron mace was shredding his muscles and internal organs, crushing his heart to a pulp and breaking his bones and guts. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. He needed to endure it. His companions had endured much greater pain than this. Moreover, this was nothing compared to the pain he had endured in the spring pool inside the Evalya volcano¡¯s cave. Gradually, he felt himself heat up. His breaths were hot, and his skin was so heated that visible steam was rising from his body. Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump! Moreover, his heart was thumping like mad, seemingly three or more times every second. ¡°Cough!¡± He suddenly threw up a spurt of bright red blood. But Chi-Woo didn¡¯t show his concern for it. He didn¡¯t even have time to wipe his mouth as he felt a strong burst of energy shooting up from the bottom of his feet. It was such an astounding amount of energy that he couldn¡¯t control it, and Chi-Wo expelled exorcism mana according to his instincts. Hwaaaaa! His entire body was glowing. ¡°W-What!?¡± It was such a brilliant display that Zepar quickly backed away from trying to pierce through Chi-Woo. The radiance soon covered Chi-Woo until he became a being of light. ¡°¡­¡± Zepar was speechless. Everything had its limit, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case this time. He didn¡¯t know how this happened, but it did. There was no need to think further about what he should do. Zepar quickly turned around and flew to where the altar was. Whatever happened to the experiment, he should at least secure Evelyn¡¯s body and run away. Regardless of how Zepar acted, however, Chi-Woo quietly raised his hand, ignoring the blood streaming down from his nostrils. ¡®This is what it means to be drunk with power¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Power was overflowing from inside him. It made him feel like he could do anything right now if he set his mind to it. Chi-Woo raised his head and looked at the great demon, who was moving farther away from him to the altar. With his hand stretched, he took a single step. ¡°!¡± Zepar was hurriedly flying away when he jolted from the cluster of bright lights rushing at him. Chi-Woo had shortened the distance between them with that one step. His white, incandescent hand snatched Zepar as easily as catching a laundry flying away from the wind. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± As soon as Chi-Woo touched Zepar, his soul form was canceled, and he returned to the darkness he was. Just like that, the great demon was flicked away and slammed hard into the wall. He shuddered while falling uselessly. Before he dropped to the floor, Chi-Woo chased after him with his fist aiming forward. Bam! Crunch! Chi-Woo struck Zepar and even broke through the floor, pinning the great demon down. ¡°Urrgh!¡± Zepar struggled for breath. ¡°Huff¡­huff¡­¡± Even while he was dizzy, Zepar peeked his eyes open. He was losing his senses, and he couldn¡¯t tell up from down. At first, he had thought Chi-Woo was simply La Bella¡¯s follower, but that couldn¡¯t be. This overwhelming power that even a great demon would consider godly shouldn¡¯t be permitted to a mere mortal. It was a display that should only come from an immortal. ¡°If it isn¡¯t my imagination, how could an outer god¡­no.¡± Zepar stopped himself. Gods from other worlds shouldn¡¯t be able to easily intervene in matters on Liber after its World had collapsed. Of course, a god in the top ranks could do so, but that wasn¡¯t the level of power Zepar was feeling from Chi-Woo. At the same time, Chi-Woo was clearly not a god native to Liber. ¡°Then¡­perhaps?¡± While staring at the cluster of light stomping toward him, a memory came to Zepar: regarding the only immortal who could ignore the laws of the universe. After Zepar became a great demon, he learned more about the vast infinite space across the worlds. He heard a few things about the genesis and the end of times that he had laughed off as a silly joke. It had sounded ridiculous then, but he was now witnessing an existence that ignored all rules of a karmic, conditioned existence. * * * ¡°¡­No.¡± At the same time, Chi-Hyun was staring blankly into the sky. ¡°Please¡­Chi-Woo¡­you can¡¯t¡­¡± He shook his head pleadingly as he looked at the bright light spreading across the dome. Meanwhile, Bael, the first ranking demon in the Demon Empire, other great demons in the top ten ranks, the Abyss¡¯ two masters, and even the mysterious creatures belonging to the Sernitas were all looking up at the phenomenon happening in the sky. As if they all had reached an agreement beforehand, they were all gazing at the exact same spot. * * * ¡°Kieeeeeeh!¡± Zepar¡¯s body was full of holes left by beams of light. Chi-Woo reached out with both hands and clutched Zepar on both sides. Crunch! With a chilling sound, a significant portion of Zepar¡¯s darkness fell off. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t stop there. He gripped Zepar tightly and hurled him around. Zepar¡¯s shrieks rang throughout the pathways. ¡ªCrazy bastard. Philip smiled bitterly. ¡ªWho cares about the snap-back move now?...Having a lot of power is the best¡­ It was an astonishing sight. Even though Zepar wasn¡¯t in his best condition, it was still incredulous that a great demon in the upper 10s ranks would be getting pounded without being able to resist. Chi-Woo had pushed beyond human limits already, and part of his original self was being revealed. ¡ªAs I thought¡­ Philip confirmed his hypothesis and tried to distance himself from the fight as much as possible. The current Chi-Woo was too dangerous to even be close to. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­believe it¡­¡± Zepar whimpered in a dying voice. ¡°I cant¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡± He murmured as he stared blankly at the light before him. ¡°The heaven¡¯s¡­¡± Crunch! Before Zepar could finish his sentence, he was stomped out of existence. The light finally faltered and dwindled until it subsided entirely. The radiance that had filled the whole cavity disappeared in an instant, and Chi-Woo collapsed to the ground. ¡°Haaa!¡± Shaaa! Blood poured down like rain. Chi-Woo felt numb. ¡®Just now¡­¡¯ Despite the dizziness, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t suppress his fear. He was conscious when he grabbed Zepar and threw him, but he didn¡¯t remember much after that. All he knew was that he had a violent impulse to destroy until he unconsciously thought things were becoming too dangerous. His power had automatically cut off then. It felt like he had barely managed to stop himself before crossing a line he should never cross. No, it seemed as if somebody else had forcefully intervened and stopped it from happening. Chi-Woo heaved for a while, and his body shuddered. It was cold. His body had cooled completely to the point that he was feeling chills now. He felt as if his insides were empty. ¡®Still...¡¯ Chi-Woo looked up. There was still faint darkness lingering in the air, but it was gradually disappearing. Despite his urge to crush it with his club and mana, he stopped himself. He didn¡¯t know why, but he had a great foreboding feeling that it would be dangerous for him to use any more power. That was how dire his state was. ¡®It hurts¡­¡¯ It felt as if his whole body would break this instance. Chi-Woo carefully got to his feet and looked around. Jin-Cheon, Apoline, and Hawa were all severely injured, but not life-threateningly so. Although Ru Amuh¡¯s soul had been pulled out, that would be taken care of naturally since the body and soul were attracted to one¡¯s neok. But just in case, Chi-Woo called out. ¡°Hey¡­bag¡­?¡± ¡°Ppyu!¡± Steam Bun quickly rushed forward at Chi-Woo¡¯s call and presented him with Shadia¡¯s special medicine. Chi-Woo shook his head. His physical condition wasn¡¯t something that could be fixed with medicine. ¡°Not me¡­but the others first¡­¡± Steam Bun hovered around Chi-Woo for a while, but slipped away in the end. There was only one other person to take care of now. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chi-Woo groaned as he staggered forward. He took each step slowly and stopped when he reached the front of the altar. Onorables Evelyn lay there like a corpse. Drip. A drop of blood landed on her face. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo tried to wipe it away, but ended up falling to his knees. His legs had given away after barely enduring the strain of walking up here. It was then Evelyn¡¯s eyelids trembled, and she opened her eyes. ¡°...Blood?¡± She wiped the blood off her cheeks and darted her eyes around. Her gaze finally met Chi-Woo¡¯s. Evelyn opened her mouth slightly and closed it again. ¡°Oh my, this is really troubling¡­¡± In a daze, Evelyn covered her chest and said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I am naked.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What should I do now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to take responsibility?¡± she joked. Chi-Woo snorted. Relief washed over him when he heard her voice, and all strength drained from his body. He was only prevented from toppling to the ground thanks to Evelyn catching him before he did. Their positions had reversed. Chi-Woo was looking up at her while Evelyn watched him from above. Evelyn¡¯s pupils shook. She swiped Chi-Woo¡¯s face carefully, her palm becoming soaked with blood. Chi-Woo had taken care of his companions first, but Evelyn could clearly see that the one most injured was Chi-Woo. ¡°Thank you,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I thought if it was you¡­you¡¯d come.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes at her whisper and let out the breath he had been holding. He thought he was going to die. Finally, the long battle was over. * * * In the meantime, the battle between Noel and Astarte was reaching a standstill. Astarte stared at the brilliantly shining woman before her. Noticeably, the demon¡¯s eyes were no longer unfocused. Her dazed gaze recovered its light and became clearer. The restraint that had tied her down had weakened considerably, and she was able to regain herself. What in the world happened? ¡°Accept your judgment!¡± Astarte glanced behind her and stroked her neck, but when she saw a shining hammer suddenly fall from above, she had to quickly move back. She wanted to tell her opponent to calm down first, but more lights were flying her way, and she needed to quickly shoot flames to counter them. ¡°Lay down punishment!¡± Her opponent didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to calm down. After hesitating a bit, Astarte made her decision. It was impossible that Zepar, the embodiment of greed, would cancel his contract with her out of goodwill. Thus, the fact that she had recovered her mind signified that Zepar was so critically injured that he was close to becoming extinguished. Zepar was a great demon strong enough to defeat even Astarte, and whoever had triumphed over Zepar must be here as well. Bang! Thus, Astarte made the snap decision to escape through the ceiling. She was in no state to fight after getting her mind back so suddenly. Dealing with this human woman was an ordeal itself, and Astarte certainly didn¡¯t want to fight the one who beat Zepar. Noel looked up as Astarte disappeared, showing no intention to chase after the demon. ¡°¡­¡± The light Noel radiated dimmed. She toppled forward and collapsed. She had also reached her limit. ¡®Young master¡­¡¯ Her last thought was hoping Chi-Woo had safely escaped before she lost consciousness, and her body stopped moving. CH 200 Chi-Woo¡¯s relief that everything was finally over lasted for but a brief moment. He was about to close his eyes in Evelyn¡¯s arms when a strange apprehension crept up to him. He had seen Evelyn¡¯s appearance when she was a human several times before. At the time, she had embodied life only in appearance rather than turning into an actual living person. At the end of the day, her imitation was all artificial no matter how perfect it was. However, it was different this time. The texture of her skin and silky hair were not artificial; they were human, real. But¡­ ¡®What is this?¡¯ She radiated death too strongly for a living person. It felt as if a soul had been forced into a well-preserved body and reanimated, and her body was closer to that of a jiangshi[1]than a living being. Chi-Woo, who had been walking between the boundary of the dead and the living since he was born, was certain of this. The present Evelyn was an unnatural existence. Chi-Woo carefully said, ¡°Lady Witch, your body is too cold.¡± Evelyn looked downcast, and she didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Lady Witch?¡± ¡°¡­I.¡± Evelyn smacked her lips a few times and finally spoke softly, ¡°I was not actually a witch. No, I used to not be one.¡± Chi-Woo blinked. ¡°I feel so regretful.¡± She exhaled a long breath. ¡°If I had known a little earlier¡­¡± Her voice was full of remorse as she spoke with her chin tilted up, her gaze focusing on the ceiling. Then Chi-Woo felt his back gently touch the floor. As soon as she put Chi-Woo down, Evelyn¡¯s arms drooped weakly. She seemed to be having a hard time even keeping herself upright as she slowly lost control of her body¡ªlike a person slowly dying. It was only then that Chi-Woo saw a faint air current flowing out of Evelyn¡¯s body. She looked extremely unstable, like she was going to crumble and disappear at any moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Evelyn¡¯s head tilted softly. ¡°I tried to resist until the end, but¡­there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± A mournful smile tugged at her lips. ¡°You came all the way here for me¡­ I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Chi-Woo tried to say something, but couldn¡¯t; he couldn¡¯t process this unexpected turn of events. At that moment, he heard a laugh coming from behind him. ¡°Ahehehehe¡­¡± It was an unpleasant sound that heralded death. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­You can¡¯t¡­¡± It was Zepar. Chi-Woo rose with difficulty and turned around, enduring the pain rippling throughout his body. Fortunately, Zepar wasn¡¯t revived, and none of his worries came true. The great demon was disappearing; only traces of his existence lingered, and he was merely uttering a few words before he disappeared into nothingness. Zepar said, ¡°Do you know¡­how much effort¡­and heart and soul I put into this¡­heheheheh¡­!¡± Chi-Woo frowned; even Zepar¡¯s dying words annoyed him greatly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who revived her¡­and tethered her to me¡­¡± ¡°Tethered?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­a forced contract¡­so that she would only exist for me¡­¡± Even though Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hear him well because of the sporadic pauses, he could roughly grasp what Zepar was saying¡ªthat bastard did some kind of dirty work to chain Evelyn to himself. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what it was exactly, but he needed to first erase Zepar from existence. ¡°Hah¡­yeah¡­kill me¡­¡± But Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but stop. ¡°Since it turned out like this¡­it won¡¯t be bad to die with her¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Fool¡­ Can¡¯t you guess by seeing her condition¡­?¡± Then Zepar began giggling. ¡°If I disappear¡­she disappears too¡­ Not only her body¡­but also her neok¡­and soul¡­¡± Chi-Woo blanched; he knew all too well what that meant¡ªEvelyn would have no hope for reincarnation or existing in any way in the future. When Chi-Woo faltered, Zepar abruptly stopped laughing. He asked, ¡°¡­You want to save her?¡± His voice suddenly became softer. ¡°Then¡­save me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really simple¡­if I live¡­she¡¯ll also live¡­¡± It was the devil¡¯s temptation. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult¡­ It would be enough if I maintain my existence for a moment¡­ It just so happens that there¡¯s a good offering nearby¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s facial muscles trembled. He managed to turn around. ¡°No.¡± Evelyn firmly shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ Do what you want¡­ She¡¯s mine¡­even if I have to break her myself¡­ I¡¯ll never give her up¡­! Hahahahha¡­!¡± It really seemed that Zepar didn¡¯t mind disappearing as he let out a final burst of laughter. At the same time, Evelyn, who had been barely holding on, collapsed onto the altar. The hazy current flowing from her body also became darker. Chi-Woo¡¯s face looked blank. Suddenly, his legs lost all strength and gave out again. ¡°L-lady Witch.¡± He grabbed onto the altar and barely managed to call out to her. ¡°I told you I¡¯m not a witch anymore¡­¡± Evelyn gave him a bitter smile with great strain. ¡°Then what shall I call¡­no, is there any other way? To release you from the connection!¡± Evelyn shook her head while laying down. ¡°The devil¡¯s contract¡­ It¡¯s not that easy¡­¡± From the moment she was revived through Zepar¡¯s power, everything about her fell under the devil¡¯s control. Moreover, Zepar had used his power to shackle her, so it went without saying how difficult it would be to free her. Evelyn continued, ¡°And even if you nullify the contract¡­nothing will change¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s resurrection hadn¡¯t occurred through a ritual by the church offering an exorbitant amount of divinity and a request for the mediation of providence. It was done by the devil¡¯s power to distort and twist providence. Thus, even if Chi-Woo managed to release Evelyn from Zepar¡¯s clutch, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that Evelyn was going to die. Divine providence that had been distorted would always return to its original state; Onorables Evelyn was already dead. Thus, even if Chi-Woo somehow managed to free Evelyn, she would still die. The only way to hold onto Evelyn and prevent her imminent passing was to revive Zepar. That was out of the question, of course, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t stay still like this either. While contemplating his choices, the light of Evelyn¡¯s gaze dimmed, and her eyes drifted closed. Chi-Woo urgently called Steam Bun over and had it spit out everything. ¡°No¡­not this¡­not this either¡­¡± Chi-Woo rummaged through the scattered objects on the floor and grabbed a water bottle. The wishing well, the divine water. The holy water contained a god¡¯s divine power and granted people¡¯s wishes. ¡®Yeah, maybe this could work.¡¯ But Evelyn said, ¡°Don¡¯t do it¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Evelyn, open your mouth. Quickly!¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work anyway¡­it¡¯s such a waste¡­¡± Chi-Woo ignored her and opened the cap immediately. Then he opened Evelyn¡¯s mouth and poured the holy water in. He made her drink a whole bottle and sprayed the rest of the holy water on her body. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Evelyn asked with half-lidded eyes. In order to resurrect someone, the body, soul, and neok needed to be properly intact. Even if these conditions were met, performing a resurrection ritual was a serious ordeal. A tremendous divinity was required¡ªthousands of priests would have to pray at the same time under the saintess¡¯ lead. Moreover, even with enough divinity accumulated, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that the ritual would turn out successful. In fact, success stories only appeared in ancient myths and legends. In actual written history, very few resurrection rituals had been performed at all, and all of them were recorded as failures without exception. But above all, the amount of divinity from the holy water was far from enough to even warrant the discussion of whether Chi-Woo¡¯s attempt would succeed. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo used up all his precious holy water without care. ¡°We¡¯re not even that close¡­¡± Evelyn spoke in a faint voice. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen your face a few times¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. Even though their relationship was friendly, it was born out of necessity and common interests. Nothing more, nothing less. She wasn¡¯t his blood-related brother or even Ru Amuh. And most of all, there was no way to save her. Despite all that, despite the lack of reason for him to go this far, Chi-Woo was still doing everything in his power to save her. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± While shaking off the rest of the holy water, he said, ¡°But you asked me for help.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes, which were on the verge of closing, widened for a moment. ¡°Just¡­for that reason¡­?¡± A reason. Yeah, a reason. Chi-Woo had done everything he could do. Since he¡¯d done this much, he could quietly let her go. However, he felt an extremely fervent and anxious urge to save her that he couldn¡¯t explain; he had no idea why he thought he must do everything he could to save Evelyn. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why he felt this way, but he didn¡¯t force these emotions down. He had realized since he was young that it was best to do whatever his heart told him to do. ¡°¡­I honestly don¡¯t know too well¡­but I don¡¯t think I should send you off like this.¡± By following his heart, he knew that he would at least feel less regret and other lingering emotions. Evelyn¡¯s dimming gaze landed on Chi-Woo¡¯s face and stayed. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Judging by how her mouth twitched weakly, it seemed she was trying to smile. If she could, she would be beaming¡ªwith an edge of playfulness, but brimming with happiness. ¡°Do you¡­like me¡­?¡± Chi-Woo smiled wryly at her coyness. ¡°No.¡± Evelyn looked a little shocked at his firm denial and giggled. ¡°So mean¡­even though I¡¯m so pretty¡­¡± Then her voice soon softened to a murmur, and she completely closed her eyes. Chi-Woo held Evelyn¡¯s hand and leaned down, pulling it to his forehead. Then he prayed, ¡®God, I beg of you. May you allow a new life for this poor woman who could not enjoy what she deserved. I sincerely hope and wish with all my heart and soul.¡¯ Chi-Woo prayed more sincerely and fervently than ever. Time went by in that state. Before he knew it, both Zepar¡¯s laughter and Evelyn¡¯s voice had faded. Chi-Woo cracked his eyes open. ¡°¡­¡± Then he felt the strength in his hands draining. There was no change. Neither Evelyn nor the holy water showed any reaction. When he unconsciously released his grip on Evelyn¡¯s hand, it fell to her side. ¡­He had known all along that resurrecting the dead went against the providence of the universe. In order to coordinate a resurrection, even the god who received such an exorbitant amount of divinity had to be prepared to suffer a serious loss and use a great deal of their power. Therefore, Chi-Woo knew that the holy water would be nowhere enough. But still, still¡­! Chi-Woo clenched his fists, his head drooped. He had come all the way here, but now a strong sense of helplessness dominated his entire body. It was then he noticed a faint light. ¡®Perhaps.¡¯ Nothing had changed when he looked up. Evelyn still wasn¡¯t moving, and she was still sprinkled with holy water. ¡®What could it be?¡¯ ¡°Pyu!¡± Then Steam Bun jumped at him and knocked him in the thigh. Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze followed the movement and finally saw what it was. Light was leaking out of his pocket. Chi-Woo hurriedly searched through it and found a seed. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ It was a present from Evelyn. [It¡¯s the seed of a spirit.] [Try growing it. If you¡¯re lucky, you might get something you really need.] [It¡¯s up to you when, where, and how you plant this seed. But you must give it parts of your body as its nutrients.] [Any part is fine, such as your hair or fingernails. I personally recommend your blood. You can just give it one or two drops whenever you remember it.] It was the spirit seed he got from Evelyn. Chi-Woo had worked hard to sprout this seed at first. As Evelyn told him, he tried giving it his blood and cut his hair, nails, and toenails to somehow nourish the seed, but it remained unresponsive. Moreover, even after it absorbed all the divinity that flowed out when he defeated the god, it didn¡¯t show any signs of germination. But now, the seed was faintly glowing, and the light surged all of a sudden. ¡°Ah!¡± Chi-Woo lost his grip on it; no¡ªit escaped by itself. The seed fell in a gentle curve and stopped a little short of touching Evelyn. It circled around her a few times before turning to the left side of her chest, in front of her heart. What happened next was even more shocking¡ªthe brilliantly shining seed slowly changed shape, turning from a spiral into a pointed awl at the tip, while the other end transformed into a sword¡¯s handle. In the end, a beautiful and intricate rapier-like dagger that even the most skilled blacksmith wouldn¡¯t be able to make appeared. It tilted slightly to get itself upright, as if it was aiming for Evelyn¡¯s heart. ¡°!¡± Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, it pierced through her chest. Chi-Woo, who had been watching in fascination, flinched. He reached out without thinking and tried to pull it out, but¡ª Hwaaaaaaaaah! A powerful divinity burst out and pushed Chi-Woo¡¯s hand away. Chi-Woo staggered back and fell on his butt, staring at the altar in a daze. The shining dagger was quickly disappearing into Evelyn¡¯s heart as if it was getting sucked in; it was like a seed absorbing nutrients and taking root deeply into the soil to sprout new life. The moment the seed finally disappeared completely and absorbed every drop of the holy water on Evelyn¡ª Wiing! Evelyn¡¯s body floated from the altar. Her head and limbs reclined. Wiing! Wiing! Wiing! Wiing! Wiing! Wiing! Wiing! Wiing! In the meantime, invisible and intangible air currents emerged one after another like wind, so intense that they not only filled this cavity, but spread in all directions. ¡°What¡­What the¡­!¡± Zepar, whom Chi-Woo thought had finally disappeared, called out. ¡°The tether has been severed¡­?¡± The restraint he had put on Evelyn was cut in one shot, and now, there wasn¡¯t even a trace of it left¡ªas if the ¡®cause¡¯ of that restraint hadn¡¯t been there in the first place. Of course, this still didn¡¯t change the fact that Evelyn was dead. Zepar shouted, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you do¡­! She¡¯s doomed to die¡­!¡± He shouted vigorously, but there was an undercurrent of nervousness. Zepar focused his remaining consciousness to assess the situation. Evelyn was rising into the air. She was curled up like a fetus in her mother¡¯s womb. Slowly, she rotated while hovering. Then she stretched out her arms and lifted her head, standing tall in the air with her head tipped backward to the fullest. Chi-Woo and Zepar looked up at the ceiling and couldn¡¯t move their eyes away from Evelyn, who was wrapped in a cocoon of intangible currents, her long hair fluttering in the air. Their reverence made it evident how mystical and wonderous the sight was. Eventually, Evelyn slowly straightened her neck. And a little later¡­ ¡°Gasp¡­!¡± Zepar could not believe his eyes. 1. Chinese zombie ? CH 201 Soon, everything disappeared, including the light so intense that it blinded its viewers¡¯ eyes and the intangible air current that accompanied it. And after the light and wind settled down, silence descended upon the area. There a woman stood. She glittered like the Milky Way and shone like the passing clouds in a bright sky. She looked sacred and clean like there wasn¡¯t a speck of impurity inside her. And beyond her closed eyes, one could feel a sense of holiness and solemnity. Chi-Woo unconsciously fixed his posture and kneeled on one knee. That was how holy and noble she appeared. It was as if he was facing an angel who had come down to earth under God¡¯s orders to save the world. The woman slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Zepar exclaimed. ¡°Oh¡­Evelyn¡­ Oh, oh¡­¡± Yes, this was it. This noble and holy figure was the original Evelyn he had known. Zepar had lived until now to corrupt such a being as her. ¡°Come on¡­come on¡­¡± Even though he knew it would not do anything now, Zepar reached out to her like he was possessed. Evelyn began to slowly descend from the air. ¡°Yes¡­like that¡­¡± Zepar smiled. He stretched out his arms in great effort to reach her, but his hands never did. She wasn¡¯t an angel he could taint with his filthy greed; instead, she was a divine being who would lay down her punishment on him. As soon as her holy energy touched him, darkness melted. ¡°Fu¡­heh¡­.¡± There was a hysterical laugh. The further Evelyn descended, the more Zepar¡¯s laughter died down. The last remnants of his being disappeared. The existence named Zepar was thoroughly erased from this universe, and like that, Evelyn landed gingerly on the ground. She stared at the spot where the darkness used to be for a while before looking up and letting out a sigh. The current of light around her got quickly sucked into her body. She turned and walked up to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo was staring at her in a daze, but he got to his feet when she approached. Evelyn stopped in front of him, and the two looked at each other. She stretched out both hands to him and gently wrapped Chi-Woo¡¯s hand in hers. Then she brought his hand to her left chest. Chi-Woo hesitated, but his eyes widened upon feeling a beat. Thump! He felt the faint, rhythmic jolts from his palms. Thump, thump, thump, thump¡­ Furthermore, she was no longer stiff and cold like a corpse. Her hands were soft and warm, and her cheeks were rosy with color¡­just like a living person. It was then Chi-Woo felt an emotion he couldn¡¯t put into words. ¡°¡­How is it?¡± Evelyn whispered. Chi-Woo finally regained his senses and looked up. Did she even need to ask him? He was happy. So happy that he could cry and so filled with joy he didn¡¯t know what to say. His lips quivered as he opened his mouth. ¡°Lady Witch¡­¡± ¡°Come on, I told you.¡± Evelyn narrowed her eyes jokingly. ¡°I¡¯m no longer a witch.¡± Then she smiled brightly, more brightly than ever before. ¡°I¡¯m a human. A human!¡± * * * They had managed to extinguish the great demon, Zepar, and save Evelyn. Their expedition was successfully completed once again, but Chi-Woo had many questions. For instance, he wondered how Evelyn was kidnapped in the first place, how she came to be resurrected as a human, and what her shining appearance at the end was. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo decided to put off his questions for later. He got clothes for Evelyn from Steam Bun and focused on cleaning up. Because of the strenuous battle they had all undergone, everyone was in a terrible state, including Chi-Woo. After all the tension of battle went away, Chi-Woo collapsed, and he found it difficult to even lift a finger. He had already used up the medicine Shadia gave him and all the divine water he had. There was no way they could return to the capital city in this condition. Even if they forced themselves back, two or three of them would die on their way. As Chi-Woo worried about this matter, Evelyn stepped forward. She placed both her hands on Chi-Woo¡¯s body and closed her eyes. As she focused, faint light shot out of her hands. Chi-Woo watched in surprise while light seeped into him and eased the pain that wreaked havoc throughout his body. Warmth filled him up like water, and he felt his exorcism mana recover, albeit only a little. Beyond being able to move without straining himself, he felt as if he could use exorcism mana again now. ¡°No.¡± But Evelyn advised him against it. ¡°There is a very thin line between awakening and going berserk. Your physical condition is okay considering you had just forcefully awakened your powers, and it was good you stopped before crossing a line. But it still doesn¡¯t change the fact that you went too far.¡± She tapped the top of Chi-Woo¡¯s head lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve boosted the strength of your blood, but you will have to rest for at least two weeks. Don¡¯t do anything and just eat and sleep well. Then your potential won¡¯t be lost.¡± ¡°Two weeks? Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°The estimation already takes the healing abilities in your blood into consideration. If you were a normal person, you would have to rest for at least a couple months,¡± Evelyn explained, and Chi-Woo looked impressed with Evelyn¡¯s expertise. ¡°How do you know so well?¡± he asked. ¡°Idiot. What do you take a witch for? I can tell just by the look of your condition.¡± ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t a witch anymore.¡± Evelyn stopped. Her lips slightly twitched. ¡°I-It¡¯s not like the knowledge I gained while I was a witch would disappear. That¡¯s what I was talking about, idiot.¡± Her cheeks reddened as she hit Chi-Woo¡¯s chest with her fists. ¡°You said you were a saintess¡­right?¡± Chi-Woo asked after her barrage of harmless punches. ¡°Yes, that is what I was told.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°What would a girl from a rural village know? I couldn¡¯t have imagined that my powers were¡­¡± Evelyn raised her glowing hands and looked a bit bittersweet. She hadn¡¯t known the truth behind this power during her time alive, nor did it have anything to do with her after her death. Only after thousands of years did the power finally return to her. ¡°But how were you able to use that power? The majority of the gods on Liber are¡­¡± ¡°Did you feed it?¡± Evelyn asked. Noting Chi-Woo¡¯s confusion, she continued, ¡°I mean the seed. Did you give it your blood or any part of your body?¡± ¡°Yes, I did¡­and nothing happened.¡± Seeing Chi-Woo tilt his head, she smiled slightly. Who knew the gift she gave him at that time would have uses like this? Was Chi-Woo even aware that the Spirit¡¯s seed had already recognized him as its master? And what it meant that a seed that had absorbed a god was now taking root inside her heart? ¡°Well, it¡¯s a hundred times better than Zepar,¡± Evelyn murmured. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Evelyn smirked and turned around. There were still many injured. As expected of a saintess, she fully healed Jin-Cheon, who was dying with holes all over him, and Apoline, who had lost consciousness. Since the two were injured more externally than internally, her treatment seemed to work even better on them. It was then Ru Amuh came in holding Nangnang and the young man. She healed the two and restored Ru Amuh¡¯s arm back to normal. ¡°Could you perhaps also look at these people too?¡± When they brought Abis and Noel over, however, Evelyn looked startled. Evelyn poured more holy power into Noel than she did to any other person and sighed while wiping her sweat. ¡°How is it?¡± Chi-Woo asked in a worried tone. ¡°I managed to barely keep her life on hold.¡± That was even scarier. Evelyn continued, ¡°Her case is similar to yours. She forcefully accepted a power that pushed her beyond her limits.¡± ¡°But compared to her, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Hm¡­how should I explain this?¡± After thinking for a bit, Evelyn drew a horizontal line on the floor. Then she drew a vertical line on the left side of it. ¡°If you stopped at this point,¡± she said and drew a new line perpendicular to the vertical line, ¡°This woman pushed herself to this level. It was truly fortunate that you barely managed to stop yourself before crossing the line, but you also have to consider that you two are fundamentally different.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Unlike you, she¡¯s purely human.¡± Chi-Woo flinched at her words. ¡°It¡¯s a completely different matter for a demi-god to awaken their original power and for a normal human to accept a god¡¯s power.¡± In other words, it couldn¡¯t be helped that Noel¡¯s condition was much more severe than his. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve managed to stabilize her¡­but her insides are a complete mess. Her life force is still oozing out of her. No matter how much holy power I pour into her, it¡¯s meaningless.¡± Chi-Woo hung his head after hearing Evelyn¡¯s explanation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teacher. If only I could¡¯ve been more helpful¡­¡± Ru Amuh said apologetically. Chi-Woo shook his head. It wasn¡¯t Ru Amuh¡¯s fault. ¡®It¡¯s my fault.¡¯ If he had stayed put in the cave like his brother had told him to, Noel wouldn¡¯t have become like this. His concern curdled into a heavy sense of guilt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Evelyn said and placed her hand on Chi-Woo¡¯s back. ¡°She¡¯s still alive. As long as she is breathing, we can help her recover.¡± ¡°¡­Is that really true?¡± ¡°Of course. I mean, you saved me.¡± Evelyn smiled. ¡°Furthermore, I still haven¡¯t developed my powers fully. If I serve a proper god and develop more as a saintess, there could be a way.¡± Evelyn¡¯s voice was firm, and Chi-Woo managed to cheer up. ¡®Yes,¡¯ he thought. He couldn¡¯t waste another second and needed to return Noel to normal as fast as possible; to do that, they must get out of this place first. ¡°I saw a large hole where they were lying prone. It seems the demon we fought escaped through it,¡± Ru Amuh said, telling them all of a way to get out of this place. Chi-Woo helped move their still unconscious companions there. Then the two each tied a companion on their backs tightly with a rope and climbed up by sticking their fingers into the wall with energy. Chi-Woo was able to do this pretty easily thanks to Ru Amuh creating areas for Chi-Woo to hold onto first. ¡°This reminds me of the hiding place we fell into when we first came to this world,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°I was just thinking about the same thing, Teacher.¡± Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh exchanged words while going up and down multiple times to carry their companions. After Chi-Woo brought Evelyn out of the hole last, and they collected their breaths while staring at the sky, their companions began to regain consciousness one by one. ¡°Huh¡­what? Why am I still alive?¡± Jin-Cheon appeared confused and looked at Evelyn. ¡°Who is this person¡­?¡± ¡°Let me introduce myself.¡± Evelyn started and came up with a story that she was Liber¡¯s native, that she used to be a follower of the Babylon church until the Demon Empire captured her and almost used her for experiments. It seemed she didn¡¯t want to reveal to them that she was the Abyss¡¯ witch. Although Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know the exact reason, he played along, and Ru Amuh let it slide without saying much. ¡°Ah¡­so that¡¯s why¡­¡± Jin-Cheon nodded and stared at her in a daze. With a small smile, Evelyn quietly hid behind Chi-Woo¡¯s back, which prompted Jin-Cheon to cough and turn away, looking a bit embarrassed for some reason. It was then Jin-Cheon¡¯s brother spoke up carefully. ¡°If you are a priest, could you also cure this person?¡± He pointed at Abis. She was still lying unconscious on the ground. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do it at my current level.¡± Evelyn shook her head. ¡°The problem with her is neither internal nor external. It¡¯s not even a wound on her soul. There¡¯s no way to cure a person without a neok outside of making it return by itself.¡± The young man bit his lower lip hearing this disappointing news. A soft ¡®Kuh¡¯ escaped his mouth, and his eyes welled up with tears. It was the same for Jin-Cheon. He had guessed that it would be impossible after hearing what Zepar had said, but he still looked bitter. ¡°Well, we at least managed to get revenge¡­huh, what are you doing?¡± Jin-Cheon said when he saw Chi-Woo clip Abis¡¯ hair and fingernails before placing them into an organic bowl. ¡°I¡¯m giving it a try just in case.¡± Chi-Woo wrapped the bowl in cloth. ¡°I¡¯m trying to create a path for the neok to return.¡± ¡°A path? But that guy said¡­¡± ¡°He said most of the neoks were used as ingredients, but not all of them. There could be some left, and if hers is still intact, we have to tell the neok to come this way¡­¡± Chi-Woo dropped the bowl into the hole they climbed out of. The string soon became taut. Everyone looked at Chi-Woo anxiously. Unlike the body and soul, neok wasn¡¯t attracted to the other parts of a human. It didn¡¯t come back naturally like a person¡¯s soul. But it still followed divine providence. There was a fundamental law that governed nature, and like how water flowed downwards and the moon rose when the sun set, neok also had a place where it should be. If Abis¡¯ neok hadn¡¯t been used, it could still come back. It was then the taut string shook vertically three times. ¡°Uh, uh!¡± Noticing it, Jin-Cheon shouted. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and immediately pulled the thread. He placed the bowl that was still wrapped in cloth over Abis¡¯ body and carefully unwrapped it. Then he quietly waited. ¡°What happened?¡± Jin-Cheon asked impatiently. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t answer. The lack of anything happening dampened Jin-Cheon¡¯s expectations a little, and the hopeful look on the young man¡¯s face dimmed. It was then¡ª ¡°¡­Aric¡­?¡± a very hoarse voice called out. It was a woman¡¯s voice that didn¡¯t belong to Apoline or Evelyn. Jin-Cheon and the young man whirled around at the same time. They couldn¡¯t believe it; Abis was looking at the two of them with her eyes half-opened. ¡°Are you¡­really Aric?¡± The young man¡¯s name, which no one had ever asked for, was finally revealed. ¡°Abis¡­!¡± The young man¡ªno, Aric immediately rushed to her. He pulled Abis into his arms and screamed, ¡°Abis! You really are Abis! Abis!¡± ¡°Yes¡­it¡¯s me¡­ I¡­was so¡­scared¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right now! Everything is alright¡­!¡± ¡°I had a dream¡­ I was with a bunch of¡­people¡­? Who I never saw before¡­ There were so many of them¡­ It was so frightening¡­ There was someone who called me many times¡­but I barely managed to escape¡­and hid in a corner¡­¡± Her mind was still a bit frazzled after waking up, but her neok had surely returned to her. While seeing Aric celebrate in joy, Chi-Woo felt someone¡¯s hand on his shoulder. ¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡± When Chi-Woo turned around, Jin-Cheon was looking at him with teary eyes. Chi-Woo smiled awkwardly at him and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to call me bro, not ¡®teacher¡¯?¡± ¡°I did, but¡­¡± Jin-Cheon wiped his nose, glancing at Ru Amuh before looking back at Chi-Woo. Then he gave Chi-Woo a wide, toothy grin. ¡°I¡¯m going to call you teacher from now on.¡± CH 202 The expedition team headed back after Abis¡¯ neok returned to her body. However, their expedition wasn¡¯t over yet. Even though they had reached their goal, the expedition didn¡¯t officially come to an end until they returned safely to the capital. Thus, Hawa, who had been guiding the team at the very front, was now in the middle of the group. The forefront of the expedition team was the most dangerous position. Since they just needed to trace back the same path they used to reach their destination, there was no need for Hawa to put herself in danger again. The expedition team didn¡¯t lower their guard for days, but they allowed themselves to relax once they passed the border. Chi-Woo snuck a glance at Hawa, who was walking next to him. He was slightly surprised every time he saw her. Even though all humans showed their emotions, Hawa had been emotionless for 23 hours and 59 minutes out of a day in earth time, and her expression was always blank. She reminded him of how he used to be when he was young. He softly said, ¡°Ms. Hawa, I heard that you¡¯ve reached an awakening?¡± Hawa threw Chi-Woo a glance before going back to staring ahead. In a quiet voice, she replied, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I also heard that you saved my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And two times and that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± Hawa finally spoke up again. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°Anyways, congratulations on awakening your powers.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At her curt reply, Chi-Woo glanced at Philip to check if what he said about Hawa was accurate. ¨CI¡¯m telling you, I saw it. She flew while carrying you like a bag. I saw it with my own eyes! Philip pointed at his eyes with his thumb and middle finger and reaffirmed Chi-Woo¡¯s statement with a peasant expression from the ancient times. Then Chi-Woo cleared his throat and asked Hawa, ¡°What are you planning to do in the future?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve finally obtained the power you wanted.¡± Hawa¡¯s gaze moved towards Chi-Woo again. She didn¡¯t quickly avert her eyes like last time and instead stared at him. ¡°¡­Ms. Hawa?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to figure it out,¡± she said in a quiet murmur. ¡°Figure it out? What are you trying to figure out?¡± Hawa became quiet again. She just stared at Chi-Woo without replying. What was up with her? Chi-Woo nervously gulped as the silence lengthened. Then Hawa suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m going to try following for now.¡± Following? Who? Chi-Woo thought for a few seconds and pointed at himself, tilting his head questioningly. When Hawa nodded, Chi-Woo asked, ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve reached an awakening.¡± ¡°Could you please explain in less than a thousand words the correlation between your awakening and your decision to follow me?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Hawa¡¯s monotonous expression finally changed into one of annoyance, and she said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. Why don¡¯t you go and ask Goddess La Bella since this is her will?¡± ¡°Goddess La Bella¡­?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to stick around, you can build a temple for me.¡± With that, Hawa quickly turned away. Chi-Woo scratched his cheek, not knowing how to react. ¡ªOh, I see. It seems like she has to pay quite the price. Philip voiced his thoughts after watching Hawa closely. ¡®A price?¡¯ ¡ªI¡¯m talking about the vow. Or pledge. Philip continued calmly. ¡ªSince it was a special case, she must have had to make a vow worthy of the situation. A pledge with a god was extremely important, and the contract could be nulled should the individual fail to keep their vow. For example, if a hero made a pledge to be just, they had to fight against injustice, and if a hero made a pledge to live bravely, they must not behave cowardly. ¡ªIt makes me really curious. What kind of vow did she make that she won¡¯t even tell you¡­ Philip thought for a long while and seemed to have realized something. He gave Chi-Woo a shrewd look. ¡ªHeyheyhey, let me borrow your body for a bit later. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡ªThere¡¯s something I want to test. ¡®Never. Don¡¯t even dream of it.¡¯ Chi-Woo flatly refused because judging by how Philip¡¯s mouth had curved into a huge smile, he was probably concocting a mischievous plan. ¡°Is there a specific reason why you have to build a temple?¡± Someone stepped between Chi-Woo and Hawa. ¡°We can all just move in together. The two of us.¡± It was Evelyn, who had the ability to turn her surroundings into a painting even while wearing a rag. ¡°Lady Wi¡ªpriestess too?¡± Chi-Woo quickly swallowed the word ¡®witch¡¯. ¡°Of course. Why not?¡± Evelyn tilted her head as if this was the obvious course of events. A few nights ago, Chi-Woo and Evelyn had a private conversation. While they were on watch duty, Evelyn shared with him something shocking. [I was betrayed.] An internal friction of the Abyss had been involved with the great demon¡¯s capture of the Abyss¡¯ witch. [The fact that my bond with the queen broke so easily is clear evidence that they betrayed me.] [The bond I had with my queen isn¡¯t something that can be so easily severed. It shouldn¡¯t have been unraveled by Zepar like he was opening a gift. It doesn¡¯t make sense even if he was a great demon¨Cunless the Abyss was involved.] [Huk Cheong-Ram probably led the plan. Then it¡¯s basically set in stone that the King¡¯s faction was involved.] Chi-Woo became furious that Evelyn was betrayed, but Evelyn told him that the King¡¯s faction probably considered her the traitor instead. When he asked her why, Chi-Woo was shocked by the answer he got. [It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t kill you back then.] When Chi-Woo fought the god that the Sernitas transformed to face the Abyss and won, Huk Cheong-Ram had wanted Evelyn to kill Chi-Woo. However, Evelyn kept her promise and firmly refused. Huk Cheong-Ram grew angry and probably returned with a vindictive plan in mind. After listening to her, Chi-Woo felt apologetic that Evelyn went through a terrible experience because of him, but Evelyn told him she didn¡¯t mind it in the least. [I¡¯m fine.] Instead, she looked strangely exuberant. [I ended up gaining a new life thanks to you. My heart is pounding. I¡¯m so excited that I can¡¯t hold it in.] Since Evelyn couldn¡¯t enjoy her life properly when she was alive, it was natural that she would be excited. Of course, the current situation made it impossible for her to enjoy her life as a normal country girl. Moreover, Evelyn planned to return to the Abyss at a later point in time. [The Queen of Abyss who brought me out and took me under her wing is good and fair. Since I¡¯m gone¡­ Of course, the queen still has those two left, but I¡¯m still worried.] Since Evelyn was revived as a human being, she was no longer tied to the Abyss, but she planned to meet the queen she served again and finish her business with Huk Cheong-Ram. However, this wasn¡¯t something she could immediately do. She didn¡¯t have the ability to do so, and her first priority was to develop sufficient strength with her previous experiences and current abilities as the foundation. Therefore, for the time being, Evelyn decided to stay at the human camp under the guise of a Babylon Church priestess, who had been caught by the Demon Empire and forced to live as a slave, but was coincidentally rescued by the expedition team. Evelyn¡¯s presence would be welcomed with open arms by humanity. Unlike the other natives on Liber, Evelyn would probably earn quite the reputation as soon as she began working as the only priest with the ability to heal in this world. Evelyn probably was also well aware of this fact. Chi-Woo had thought Evelyn would be willing to help them to a certain extent, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to continue following him. Then Chi-Woo realized that he still hadn¡¯t heard about Evelyn¡¯s condition. ¡®I wonder what that light was?¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly got curious and was about to look at her user information with his Spirit Eye when¡ª ¡°No.¡± Evelyn held a hand up. ¡°How dare you try to peek into a lady¡¯s secret, you pervert.¡± Tilting her head to press her face against her palm, she gave Chi-Woo a smile. Chi-Woo was startled, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Haha. This is how scary a woman¡¯s intuition is. You should be careful.¡± Evelyn flicked her index finger and moved between Hawa and Chi-Woo. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t we make a pretty picture?¡± She looked left and right and said, ¡°There¡¯s the hero who¡¯s going to save the world.¡± She pointed at Chi-Woo and then pointed at herself. ¡°The saintess who helps the hero.¡± Then she hesitated a little when pointing at Hawa. ¡°And¡­uh¡­the childhood friend¡­who gets jealous of the relationship between the hero and the saintess, and after going through a lot of heartache, she sacrifices for the hero in a time of crisis?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why, you don¡¯t like it? Do you want to be the knight instead?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t talk to me.¡± Hawa didn¡¯t look at Evelyn, but she snorted loud enough so that Evelyn could clearly hear her. * * * Finally, the expedition seemed to almost reach its end. According to Nangnang, they would be stepping through the capital¡¯s gates by tonight. Since they heard this at sunset, they just needed to march for half a day more. And as if to prove Nangnang¡¯s words, Chi-Woo¡¯s device rang like crazy after passing a certain point. Notifications rang in his ear one after another. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even need to look at it; he knew they were messages from Chi-Hyun. While they were returning, Noel¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t improved in the slightest. Evelyn took care of her every day and poured divinity into her body, but she showed no signs of improvement. The only thing Evelyn could do was to prevent Noel¡¯s condition from worsening. Chi-Woo was already concerned about various matters, but his heart grew heavier when he saw his brother¡¯s messages like ¡®Where are you?¡¯, ¡®Come back¡¯, and other ones to the effect. ¡°What are you thinking so deeply about?¡± While Chi-Woo was walking, deep in thought, someone suddenly asked a question. It was Apoline. Chi-Woo was taken aback that she would suddenly strike up a conversation with him, but he shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Despite his denial, Apoline could roughly guess his concerns based on his downcast expression. She said, ¡°Why are you blaming yourself so much? She chose to join this expedition by herself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen? Did you perhaps decide to participate without even this much determination?¡± She wasn¡¯t technically wrong, but Apoline could only say that because she didn¡¯t know the full circumstances behind Noel joining the expedition team. Apoline smacked her lips when the gloom remained on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. That person will probably have a way to recover her.¡± She was referring to Chi-Hyun by ¡®that person.¡¯ Apoline continued, ¡°She¡¯s the only person he allowed to follow him after all. I can¡¯t guarantee it¡­but I think he¡¯ll probably check up on her once.¡± ¡°¡­Check up on her?¡± ¡°Probably. If he thinks she¡¯s worth it. Then, considering his character, won¡¯t he try to recover her at all costs?¡± Chi-Woo was perplexed; it seemed as if they were having two separate conversions. Of course, he knew he shouldn¡¯t hope for it, but he thought his brother would definitely do his best to treat Noel. However, Apoline seemed to be suggesting that Chi-Hyun might not try to cure Noel if he thought she was not worth it. Chi-Woo said, ¡°Why do you think¡­she¡¯s Ms. Noel after all.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Apoline let out a short breath from her nose. ¡°It¡¯s obvious what you¡¯ll think if I say this, but¡­¡± She looked Chi-Woo up and down and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t acknowledge him as a hero.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah, of course I admit he has made significant achievements. He definitely deserves to be called a legend for his achievements, and they¡¯re still ongoing.¡± Apoline tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. ¡°But he¡¯s not a human being like myself.¡± What was she talking about? Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Are you saying that he¡¯s not human?¡± ¡°If he¡¯s human, he would have never been able to do what he¡¯s done.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Apoline clearly explained, ¡°He¡¯s extremely calculative and merciless. He really doesn¡¯t care about using any means to accomplish his goals. He¡¯s the type of person who doesn¡¯t try to minimize sacrifice and instead calculates the sacrifice people have to make in order to accomplish his plan without a second thought.¡± A bitter remark ensued. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t accept a person like that as a hero.¡± After speaking, Apoline looked at Chi-Woo as if she was curious about the latter''s reaction. It was because whenever she said something like this, other heroes usually got angry and shouted at her to not insult Chi-Hyun. However, Chi-Woo simply looked confused. ¡°But¡­he might not be like that.¡± ¡°That guy?¡± Apoline smirked and shook her head. ¡°I really can¡¯t imagine that man risking his life to save someone. He¡¯s the type of person who would use even his family as a mere chess piece if it¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He really¡­doesn¡¯t seem human.¡± A moment of silence. Chi-Woo wanted to refute her statements, but there was nothing he could say because he didn¡¯t know anything about his brother as a hero. ¡°But it¡¯s surprising.¡± When Chi-Woo remained silent, Apoline piped up again like she found his behavior unexpected. ¡°I thought you were one of his fans as well because of your connection with that woman.¡± It was understandable that Apoline would assume he was on Chi-Hyun¡¯s side because of his relationship with Noel. On the other hand, his relationship with his brother might be completely shattered when he returned. He was certain that a second sibling war would soon follow. He had said everything he wanted to say in the first round, but in the second round, he had a huge disadvantage, starting with the justification of his departure. When Chi-Woo remained silent, Apoline cleared her throat as if to lighten the atmosphere. Then she asked, ¡°By the way, do you still have no plans to tell me?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Your name.¡± Chi-Woo became conflicted at her sudden question. ¡°¡­It¡¯s Chichibbong.¡± He finally spit it out with the feeling of defeat. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A short silence fell between them. Apoline narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°Chichibbong.¡± Chi-Woo repeated clearly. ¡°You really¡­ah, forget it.¡± Apoline sighed and clicked her tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me your name if you don¡¯t want to. And don¡¯t regret it later on.¡± She smirked and left. ¡®What did she mean by that?¡¯ Chi-Woo stared intently as Apoline disappeared and suddenly realized that their surroundings had grown dark. Chi-Woo took a deep breath, turned on his device, and wrote a message that he was almost at the capital with details about Noel¡¯s condition. While he was writing and sending the message, he heard Nangnang¡¯s shout from the head of the team. A huge structure covered in darkness slowly emerged over the horizon¡ªit was the capital of the former Salem. CH 203 They finally returned to the capital. Considering how many times they almost died in their recent battle with Zepar, it was a miracle that they all were able to return in one piece. There was no time for Chi-Woo to dwell on his emotions, though, as Noel was still unconscious on his back. For Chi-Woo, the fact that someone was negatively affected by his behavior brought him unendurable distress. It seemed he would only be able to rest in peace once he healed her. Thus, as soon as the team passed the castle walls, he announced, ¡°Thank you all for your hard work.¡± ¡°Ahhh! Finally¡­?¡± Jin-Cheon stretched his arms and was about to say something when he looked back at Chi-Woo. ¡°I will take my leave first since Ms. Noel needs to be treated,¡± Chi-Woo said, but he stopped when he saw everyone looking at him in surprise. He wondered if he had said anything wrong. ¡°Is there a way to treat her immediately?¡± Apoline asked, and Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it, but¡­¡± ¡°Then why are you speaking as if you will figure things out on your own?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Do you not believe in us? Or is there something you are hiding?¡± Apoline said in an accusatory tone, and Chi-Woo fell silent. ¡°We also have responsibility over what happened to this woman,¡± Jin-Cheon then spoke. ¡°We got separated; she helped save my companion. Thus, we can¡¯t stand by and do nothing. It is our turn to return the favor.¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s one of the people who saved me. I think it¡¯s only right for me to pay her back properly,¡± Abis added, and Jin-Cheon smiled in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t know what you are thinking, boss, but the expedition isn''t over yet,¡± Nangnang also walked over and gave his two cents. ¡°Although it was a team we created in a hurry, she was one of us. We won¡¯t be able to call ourselves heroes if we turn away from an injured companion just because our original goal is reached,¡± Apoline said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Jin-Cheon nodded and glanced at Apoline. ¡°You only stated facts, but¡­it¡¯s surprising coming from you.¡± Jin-Cheon laughed and quickly added, ¡°Lady Apoline¡± at the end when one of Apoline¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°I thought you two weren¡¯t on good terms,¡± Jin-Cheon then asked Apoline. ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, but that¡¯s a separate matter.¡± ¡°Oh, I suppose you can separate feelings from reason, um, Lady Apoline.¡± ¡°Yes, we aren¡¯t fond of each other, and I have absolutely no desire to become so, but this hero didn¡¯t run away from the expedition, nor did she betray us. If what Mr. Ru Amuh told us is the truth, she fulfilled more than 100% of her role as a team player. Thus, it will be only right for me to treat her as such,¡± Apoline spoke like there was no other option even if she was unwilling. ¡°And,¡± she sighed while looking at Jin-Cheon. ¡°You don¡¯t have to address me formally from now on.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± ¡°Do as you wish. It¡¯s exhausting to see you struggle every time you talk to me,¡± Apoline said, and Jin-Cheon cheered. ¡°I have been waiting for you to say that. I knew not all Celestial Lights were so up-tight!¡± Apoline eyed Jin-Cheon disapprovingly at his offensive words, but she let it slide and cleared her throat. ¡°You said your name was Jin-Cheon right? Although you are quite lacking in manners, you have skills that live up to your confidence.¡± ¡°Oh my, a compliment from one of the Celestial Lights? I didn¡¯t do much, but I¡¯m flattered.¡± ¡°I am considering the fact that you hadn¡¯t chosen a denomination yet,¡± Apoline said firmly, and like she was doing him a great favor, she extended her hand. ¡°How about it? After everything we went through, why don¡¯t we at least save each other¡¯s contacts?¡± Jin-Cheon¡¯s eyes turned wide at her unexpected offer. ¡°Uh¡­oh, really? That¡¯s great for me!¡± He responded after a beat and reached out. ¡°Ha, I can¡¯t believe I am adding an Afrilith out of the Celestial Lights to my friend list. I really succeeded in life.¡± Apoline raised her head seeing Jin-Cheon make a great fuss about adding her as one of his contacts. This was a normal response considering the fame of her family¡¯s name. After that, Apoline turned to look at one particular person to see if he would regret his actions, yet Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t looking at her. There was a look of astonishment on his face. Chi-Woo had thought everyone would leave since the expedition was over. He expected them to not care what happened to Noel even if they pitied her, but that didn¡¯t happen, and they all agreed the expedition would only end once they helped heal their injured companion. They all accepted this fact like it was only natural. ¡®They are really¡­good people.¡¯ Chi-Woo thought he was witnessing the dignity of a true hero and felt his heavy heart lighten slightly. He thought Noel would truly recover if he got all of their help. And seeing that Chi-Woo didn¡¯t show much response but pure astonishment for his teammates, Apoline snorted and said with her arms crossed, ¡°Since this woman¡¯s condition isn¡¯t that urgent, I think we can rest for the night. Let¡¯s all go back to our respective houses for today. Get some sleep and meet up tomorrow to discuss. Then¡­¡± Apoline was about to say they should part ways when she turned around and suddenly flinched. ¡°!¡± She wasn¡¯t the only one who reacted like that. Thud, thud¡ª The newcomer¡¯s swift footsteps sliced through the silence, and when everyone saw who it was, their faces stiffened. A man stopped in front of the expedition team. ¡°Y-You are¡­¡± Apoline stuttered. She didn¡¯t need to finish her sentence. It was Choi Chi-Hyun. Everyone fell silent at his appearance, and the atmosphere became extremely heavy, as if a boulder as large as a house had fallen on them. His presence alone made their skin sting from the pressure. This hadn¡¯t happened even when they faced the great demon; Chi-Hyun seemed powerful enough to crush Zepar like a small bug. Even Evelyn tensed. It was unbelievable, but she felt more power from this man than the Abyss¡¯ two masters combined. ¡®He is that guy¡­¡¯ If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, he was the guy who toyed around with her easily while she was the Abyss¡¯ witch. The expedition team looked flustered by the legend¡¯s sudden appearance, but Chi-Woo expected it. He supposed Chi-Hyun must have come flying as soon as he saw the message Chi-Woo sent before arriving at the capital. Without saying anything, Chi-Hyun stared intently at one person. Everyone thought he must be looking at Noel, but Chi-Woo thought differently. As soon as Chi-Hyun arrived, he had been staring at Chi-Woo with the same gaze he had the first time they sat in front of each other since their reunion on Liber. Then Chi-Woo felt the weight on his back lifted. He looked up in surprise to see Noel hovering. She drew a long line in the air and landed on Chi-Hyun¡¯s outstretched arms. After grabbing Noel and heaving once, Chi-Hyun turned away without saying anything. And only once Chi-Hyun disappeared into the darkness did everyone let out the breaths they had been holding. ¡°I feel it every time I see him, but¡­his presence is no joke.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s my first time seeing him¡­ He really is¡­¡± ¡°Besides that, didn¡¯t he look angry? His expression seemed so serious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable. According to what I heard, Noel is the only hero the legend acknowledged. Since his only subordinate became like that¡­¡± Nangnang and Jin-Cheon started a discussion. On the other hand, Apoline looked suspiciously at where Chi-Hyun had disappeared into. ¡®He is angry because his subordinate was hurt? No, there¡¯s no way. That man will never waste his feelings for something like that.¡¯ Apoline was sure of that beyond anything else, but it was also the truth that Chi-Hyun appeared to be in a sour mood. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ Apoline glanced at Chi-Woo. But then Jin-Cheon asked while placing his interlocked fingers on top of his head, ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± ¡°¡­That man took her. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any room for us to intervene,¡± Apoline said in an uncomfortable tone. It angered her, but she had to admit that Chi-Hyun would get more outstanding results than the expedition team no matter what they did. Because he was ¡¯the legend¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. Well, this is good news actually,¡± Apoline said to Chi-Woo, but she looked slightly doubtful. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything and looked dazed. There was only one thing definite now. Since Noel was taken from them, the expedition was officially over¡ªthough it left them with an aftertaste of discomfort. * * * Clack. The door opened, and a man emerged gasping. ¡°Wow, so tiring. How many hours has it been¡­?¡± The man was wearing casual clothes and a pair of slippers like he was coming back from a fun trip. ¡°I thought I was going to die since it would mean big trouble even if I slipped a bit.¡± He was a member of one of the Celestial Lights families, Ismile from the Nahla. ¡°On that note, could you give me a glass of water please, Choi? I am so thirsty¡ª¡± Ismile slumped on a chair and sighed. ¡°There¡¯s one on the table. Get it yourself,¡± Chi-Hyun told him. ¡°So mean~ You suddenly called me and made me do back-breaking work for hours. Can¡¯t you at least give me a glass of water~?¡± Ismile complained, but got his own glass in the end. He downed it in one gulp and sighed deeply in pleasure. Chi-Hyun waited for him to finish. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°Why do you even ask? Don¡¯t you already know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about your opinion.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fantastic. If I had to describe it¡­¡± Ismile poured himself another glass of water and gripped the glass. As he applied more pressure with his hand, the glass began to crack. The web spread until the glass broke into pieces, and water seeped out from the cracks. ¡°Noel was in this state,¡± Ismile said, watching the water drain from the glass. ¡°She should have already crossed the river Styx and rowed far away by now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who did it, but someone supplemented her with as much life force as she was losing.¡± Ismile tilted the glass before all the water from the glass escaped. As more water was poured in, the water inside the glass neither increased nor decreased. ¡°And in that state, you did a great, meticulous job.¡± Ismile demonstrated this by picking up the cracked pieces on the table and pieced them back. ¡°And though I did my best in binding the broken pieces¡­¡± Ismile splayed his hands, and something surprising happened. His five fingers stretched and became thin as threads, penetrating into the cups and twirling inside to pull together the broken parts, thus closing the cracks. Even less water was seeping out. When Ismile shook his hand again, the threads escaped and returned to his fingers. ¡°But unfortunately, a human¡¯s body isn¡¯t as simple as this cup. It¡¯s infinitely more complicated.¡± Ismile licked his lips, his expression uncharacteristically sullen. ¡°You know it too. What has cracked once will crack more easily next time.¡± Ismile pushed the glass with his index finger. ¡°Now, even if I put very little pressure on it¡­¡± Craack! The glass, which had looked fully restored, fell apart at the seams. Water splashed out, and without a place to go to, soaked the table. ¡°It really isn¡¯t a world that you can take lightly,¡± Ismile said bitterly as he looked at the water droplets. Drip, drip. ¡°Even the hero known to be a divine punisher has already received her call to retreat from the center stage,¡± Ismile said. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, she will wake up soon, but I¡¯m sure she will be disappointed. You should tell¡­ I guess it won¡¯t be necessary. She must have known this would happen before doing what she did.¡± Ismile glanced at Chi-Hyun. Chi-Hyun was sitting with his back turned, silent. Ismile shrugged and got up. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m going now. I¡¯m tired since I haven¡¯t used my abilities in a long time. I need to rest.¡± ¡°Good work. I will repay this debt later.¡± ¡°I really did good work. Well, there¡¯s no need to keep track of debts between friends.¡± Ismile chuckled and walked toward the door, but stopped for a beat. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± he suddenly recalled. ¡°A strange phenomenon happened in the sky recently¡­Did you perhaps see it?¡± ¡°A strange phenomenon? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± Chi-Hyun responded without a split second of hesitation, and Ismile gave him a knowing smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don''t. Let¡¯s see each other later, Choi.¡± While walking out of the door, Ismile added, ¡°Well, do I call you big Choi now?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Hyun turned around, but Ismile was already gone. Chi-Hyun glared at the closed door and sank back into the chair, looking up at the ceiling with a face full of fatigue. There was a saying about talented people; it was said that no matter how much one tried to keep a low profile, a talented person would always be found out by others. Chi-Hyun thought this saying was especially fitting for Chi-Woo, and Liber was too small to contain someone like his brother. With the way things were going, Chi-Woo¡¯s identity would get found out eventually¡ªnot just his family name, but everything else. That must be prevented at all costs. He needed to stop that from happening¡­but was it possible? Would he be able to maintain this cover-up any longer? ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Hyun closed his eyes looking very conflicted. Even he couldn¡¯t answer the questions with a definite ¡®yes¡¯. CH 204 They saved Abis and even Evelyn after she was revived as a human. Moreover, they extinguished a great demon who stood at the top of the Demon Empire. Based on the results alone, the expedition was a resounding success, so much so that Chi-Woo was shocked when he confirmed the amount of merit points he¡¯d received on his way back. Even though Chi-Woo would have normally fallen asleep in a good mood after making such a big achievement, he had a hard time doing so. He didn¡¯t even know how he finally fell asleep. He turned on his device as soon as he opened his eyes, but he didn¡¯t see any message from his brother. For a brief moment, he thought his brother was acting unfairly, but he soon made a bitter smile. Who was he to insult his brother? His brother probably felt the same way when he found Chi-Woo gone. Chi-Woo lay down with a blank stare and soon got up from his bed and left the room. Then Chi-Woo saw a spirit lying prone on the wooden porch as if he were dead. ¡°¡­Mr. Philip?¡± Chi-Woo doubted his eyes. ¡°What happened? Why are you like that?¡± Philip seemed to be in an extremely bad condition; his spirit was not only faint, but wavering, like he was about to disappear. ¨CUh¡­ Philip spoke with a weak voice. ¨CI almost got exorcized. ¡°What? By who?¡± ¨CBy that lady¡­ There was only one person who could currently be called ¡®lady¡¯ in this house. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Lady Evelyn? Why¡­no. Did you perhaps¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes blinked a few times and then narrowed. Considering Philip¡¯s lustful behavior, he could roughly guess what had happened last night. ¨CNo, I can fully understand why you¡¯re doubting me, but it was truly a misunderstanding this time. Philip furiously protested as if he was greatly wronged. ¨CI really didn¡¯t do anything. I didn¡¯t even touch a strain of her hair. ¡°Really?¡± ¨CYeah. I just lay quietly next to her. All I wanted was to be in the same bed as her like a loving couple. ¡°¡­¡± Even though Philip said it was all a misunderstanding, it awfully didn¡¯t sound like it. ¨CSo that¡¯s the only thing I did, but as soon as she opened her eyes, she looked at me and shot divinity at me¡­ Philip sobbed, saying how cruel she was. [What a crazy bastard.] Chi-Woo agreed with his assistant for the first time in a long while. ¨CDamn it. How did she see me? Since she was resurrected, she¡¯s not the witch of the Abyss anymore. Then shouldn¡¯t it be normal for her to not be able to see me¡­ Philip lamented while hitting the ground before he suddenly stopped moving and raised his head. At the same time, Chi-Woo heard the door open. ¡°Hm¡­why is it so noisy¡­¡± Evelyn walked out while rubbing her sleepy eyes. Philip screamed and ran away. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Have you woken up?¡± ¡°Yuh¡­¡± Evelyn yawned till her small mouth stretched to its limit and leaned her head on Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder as soon as she sat next to him. He asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°About what¡­?¡± ¡°I heard something happened last night.¡¯ ¡°¡­Ah, that pervert?¡± Evelyn smirked after lowering her hand from her mouth. ¡°He must have thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to see him. He sneaked into my room and tried to lie down next to me, how dare he¡­¡± ¡°Are you able to see spirits?¡± ¡°Oh my. You¡¯re stating the obvious.¡± Evelyn smiled brightly. ¡°You also seem able to see spirits, but I¡¯m someone who actually lived as a spirit for a long time. Can you not see the difference?¡± Chi-Woo realized his mistake. Evelyn hadn¡¯t almost died; she literally died and came back to life. Since she had directly experienced the world after death, it would have been stranger if her spirit eye didn¡¯t awaken. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°On second thought, that makes sense.¡± Evelyn, who had been closely watching Chi-Woo with a smile, tilted her head. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good. Were you not able to sleep?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t feel comfortable staying with me?¡± After Chi-Hyun took Noel, Evelyn followed Chi-Woo to his house. She explored the place for a while before she decided she liked it here and picked a room to stay, like it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°Of course not.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°Right? You¡¯re living in the same house with a beautiful woman like me. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to act like you¡¯re not overjoyed. You can look a bit happier than you already are.¡± Chi-Woo made a flat smile at Evelyn¡¯s words. ¡°Huh? Are you smiling? I wasn¡¯t kidding.¡± Evelyn spoke coyly and then shot Chi-Woo a thoughtful gaze when he sighed in response. She asked, ¡°¡­Is it because of that woman yesterday?¡± ¡°Rather than that¡­¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± Evelyn slightly raised her head and said, ¡°Is it because of that man who looked intently at you yesterday?¡± Chi-Woo stared back at her without realizing it. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve guessed correctly.¡± Evelyn smiled. ¡°I¡¯m suddenly curious. What¡¯s your relationship with him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Chi-Woo mumbled. Evelyn softly curved her eyes and said, ¡°Hm, I guess you don¡¯t want to tell me. I understand. It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. Everyone has a secret.¡± Evelyn stretched as hard as she could and took a deep breath. ¡°But still¡ªbe careful.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this just in case.¡± Evelyn¡¯s expression turned downcast like she was recalling yesterday¡¯s events. ¡°His eyes¡­¡± ¡°His eyes?¡± ¡°Yeah. How do I say it? Even I have never seen eyes like his.¡± Words like ¡®frightening¡¯ and ¡®terrifying¡¯ didn¡¯t even begin to describe Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes. Evelyn felt something she had never experienced before when she saw Chi-Hyun. ¡°Even at the edge of hell or the Abyss¡­I¡¯ve never seen anyone with such eyes.¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t know exactly how to put what she felt into words. If she had to make a comparison, she would say Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes looked like those of a serial killer; not even an ordinary one, but an absolute being who could easily control and destroy the lives of millions. Evelyn continued, ¡°You¡­shouldn¡¯t consider him as a human being like you. He¡¯s already a monster who stepped outside of the boundaries of a human¡ªa monster in the shell of a man.¡± ¡°But you also said I wasn¡¯t human.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Evelyln flinched and turned to Chi-Woo. She looked at him for a while before raising a hand to slap his shoulder lightly. ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Evelyn turned away like a sulky girl and lay down on the wooden porch. Chi-Woo said, ¡°You should sleep inside.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to sleep here.¡± She curled up like a cat and closed her eyes. ¡°The fatigue you feel before falling asleep¡­and the refreshing feeling you get when you just wake up¡­ Ah, it¡¯s so thrilling. How long has it been since I felt this¡­¡± Evelyn seemed very pleased to fully enjoy the experiences that only a living human being could experience. The gentle wind seemed to have made her sleepy as her breathing slowly turned rhythmic. Chi-Woo watched Evelyn sleep for a while and suddenly stood up¡ªas if he had made a grim resolve. * * * After leaving his house, Chi-Woo headed to the palace. The capital city was quiet, but bustling with activity. While there weren¡¯t many people in sight, every person he saw was busily moving around, organizing and packing their belongings like they were planning to leave. Chi-Woo became curious about the reason as he reached the palace. He went on to find the room where his brother usually resided. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There was no reply even after waiting for a few moments. In the end, Chi-Woo had no choice but to carefully open the door. He saw his brother inside, sitting at his desk with a look of focus. Chi-Woo was about to enter and carefully close the door behind him when¡ª ¡°I never told you to come in.¡± His brother¡¯s cold voice made Chi-Woo falter. He glanced at Chi-Hyun and said, ¡°Uh¡­I want to talk to you.¡± ¡°Talk?¡± Chi-Hyun smiled thinly without even glancing at Chi-Woo. Instead, he focused only on the documents in his hand. ¡°About what? Didn¡¯t you relay everything you wanted in your message?¡± Chi-Woo replied, ¡°¡­I¡¯m also curious about Ms. Noel¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± Chi-Hyun spoke flatly and continued, ¡°But she¡¯s still in a coma. If she opens her eyes, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you have nothing more to say, get out.¡± Chi-Hyun closed his mouth; he made it clear that he had no intentions to talk more. Chi-Woo sighed inside. Since he had done something wrong, he thought he should apologize first. ¡°Sorry.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s finger stopped while he was flipping over a page. ¡°Because of me, Ms. Noel¡­¡± When Chi-Woo didn¡¯t finish his sentence, Chi-Hyun went to the next page and opened his mouth again. ¡°Not really¡­don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I sent Noel to you anyway.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t comprehend his brother¡¯s words for a moment. What did he mean? Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°The situation must have been dangerous enough for her to bet everything she had and accept a foreign god from a different planet,¡± Chi-Hyun continued calmly. ¡°As a result of Noel¡¯s sacrifice, the threat to you must have been reduced accordingly. Wasn¡¯t it thanks to her sacrifice that you returned safely?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s brows gradually furrowed as he listened. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Noel did an excellent job fulfilling the role I wanted her to fulfill. She will be satisfied by the result as I do.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He thought he was hearing his brother wrong. ¡°Since this is the reason why I introduced you to her in the first place.¡± It sounded like Chi-Hyun was treating Noel as an extra life for him. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Are you insane?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°She¡¯s your subordinate. Someone who followed you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? I¡¯m also disappointed.¡± Chi-Hyun continued while reading the document in front of him, ¡°Noel was a very valuable asset. She was a clear candidate to be one of the seven saintesses needed for Liber¡¯s salvation in the future.¡± ¡°Seven saintesses¡­?¡± ¡°She¡¯s now disqualified, but you¡¯ve found a replacement on your own. The Saintess of the Babylon Church. You¡¯ve found a great substitute.¡± Chi-Woo gaped. He was extremely bothered by how Chi-Hyun used the word asset and substitute. ¡°Are you really¡­my brother?¡± he managed to ask in an incredulous tone after a stunned moment. ¡°What did you expect?¡± Chi-Hyun responded with another question like he thought Chi-Woo was the strange one instead. ¡°Why do you think I introduced you to Noel, going so far as to reveal your identity?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­how can you say that¡­?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head with a shocked face. Chi-Hyun was silent for a moment and then repeated what Chi-Woo said, ¡°How can you say that¡­¡± After a brief pause, he laughed and said, ¡°Are you in any place to ask such a question?¡± Chi-Woo immediately became speechless. ¡°It¡¯s because of you that Noel became like that.¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Noel wouldn¡¯t have ended up this way¡ªdid you want me to tell you that?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s sarcastic voice continued as Chi-Woo looked at the ground. ¡°You don¡¯t even feel apologetic to me, but only to Noel.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Otherwise your first apology wouldn¡¯t have been about her,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°If you had at least a little bit of conscience, shouldn¡¯t you apologize to me first for breaking your promise to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I had no idea that you would ignore my words and disrespect me that much.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t disrespecting you.¡± Chi-Woo managed to open his mouth. ¡°There was¡­a situation.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°Situation. You and your situations.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Chi-Woo.¡± Only then did Chi-Hyun¡¯s gaze land on Chi-Woo again. His emotionless eyes stared at Chi-Woo as he said, ¡°Do you remember the conversation we had at your house?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°You said, and I quote, ¡®How would I have known that? Since I didn¡¯t know, what else should I have done?¡¯¡± Chi-Hyun clasped his hands. ¡°I tried to understand you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course I was extremely angry, but¡­I tried to care and understand you¡ªto the extent that even I thought I wasn¡¯t behaving like myself. It was all because you told me you didn¡¯t know. And yes, I thought you could have acted as you did since you didn¡¯t know anything.¡± Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t empathize with Chi-Woo no matter how hard he thought about it, but he could understand why Chi-Woo had acted like he did. ¡°But that¡¯s not the case this time. You knew. You knew all too well.¡± This situation was completely different from last time. ¡°You still acted like that even though you knew how I would react.¡± Even though Chi-Woo knew his brother would get angry, he still chose to leave. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Do you seriously still expect me to go like oh, I see, I guess it couldn¡¯t be helped after you told me there was a situation?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t even keep the promise that you¡¯d break the rock if you wanted to go out.¡± Chi-Woo had remained silent while Chi-Hyun spoke with an icy-cold voice. Finally, he responded softly, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s totally my fault that I didn¡¯t keep my side of the promise, but still¡­¡± Chi-Woo glanced at his brother and said, ¡°The situation wasn¡¯t an ordinary situation as you think.¡± ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t an ordinary situation?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°No ordinary reason¡­all right, let me hear it.¡± He rested his chin on the back of his hand. Chi-Woo hesitated, but finally told Chi-Hyun about the World¡¯s Milestone. Chi-Hyun looked a bit surprised; it was the first time he heard anything about the item. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°In short, as a result of throwing that die, a favorable event occurred for the Demon Empire, and an unfavorable event occurred for mankind?¡± ¡°Yep. Since I was the one who created that mess, I thought I needed to clean it up¡­¡± ¡°Why did you only tell me about the die now?¡± ¡°¡­I forgot.¡± This was the first time Chi-Hyun heard about the World¡¯s Milestone. He had seen many incomprehensible explanations written in Chi-Woo¡¯s user information and merely thought it was something related to Chi-Woo¡¯s unidentified ability, which was censored with question marks. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Hyun rubbed his chin and suddenly reached out his hand. Chi-Woo blinked a few times and took the World¡¯s Milestone from his pocket. Immediately, the die flew up and landed on Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand. ¡°This is..¡± Chi-Hyun realized that the die was no ordinary object at first glance. It was a seven-sided die, but it was perfectly balanced¡ªsomething that should have been impossible. Chi-Hyun touched it for a while and then suddenly rolled the die on his desk. ¡°Chi-Hyun?¡± However, nothing happened. It seemed only Chi-Woo could use it. Then¡­ Smash! The desk split in half. Chi-Hyun had slammed his fist into the die out of the blue. ¡°¡­W-What are you doing?¡± Shocked, Chi-Woo responded after a beat. He hurriedly looked at the desk and found the die among the rubbles. Only the poor desk was broken, and the World¡¯s Milestone was completely fine. Chi-Hyun picked up the die again and tried to crush it with his thumb and middle finger. It was clear how much force he was using given the way his hand tremored, but¡ª ¡°Chi-Hyun?¡± The die remained intact. Then Chi-Hyun began to exude mana; powerful mana wrapped around the die, and it almost looked as if the space around his hand was distorting. Chi-Woo asked again, ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? What are you doing?¡± However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t need to worry. Despite Chi-Hyun¡¯s efforts, the World¡¯s Milestone was completely fine. There wasn¡¯t even a scratch on its surface. Chi-Hyun clicked his tongue and said, ¡°It won¡¯t break. It certainly doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary object.¡± ¡°Give it back.¡± Chi-Woo reached out and tried to steady his rough breathing. His brother hadn¡¯t been testing out the World¡¯s Milestone; he really was going to crush it. However, Chi-Woo tried to suppress his anger since he did break his promise with his brother. ¡°I told you to give it back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°This die has a high probability of putting you in a dangerous situation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, so just give it back to me!¡± Regardless of Chi-Woo¡¯s emotions or thoughts, Chi-Hyun seemed to have no intention of returning the World¡¯s Milestone to Chi-Woo. ¡°Risks shouldn¡¯t be managed. You need to get rid of it.¡± In short, Chi-Hyun was saying that the die had a high-risk factor, and if Chi-Woo held onto it, he had a high chance of doing something dangerous again. ¡°¡­So.¡± Chi-Woo was incredulous. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you can¡¯t give it back?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re confiscating¡ªno, it¡¯s not confiscation. Are you going to take it away by force? Like last time?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Surprisingly, Chi-Hyun gently lowered the hand holding the die. ¡°I promised you that I wouldn¡¯t use force anymore. I¡¯m going to keep my promise with you, unlike someone else here.¡± Chi-Hyun put down the World¡¯s Milestone on his desk and pushed it toward Chi-Woo as if he was urging Chi-Woo to take it back. Then he said, ¡°Listen carefully from now on.¡± Favorite CH 205 ¡°Is it this die or your older brother, who is trying really hard to hold back in consideration of you?¡± Chi-Woo raised his eyebrows. It wasn¡¯t like he had failed to understand what his brother was saying. ¡°Are you telling me to¡­?¡± Chi-Woo trailed off. ¡°Choose,¡± Chi-Hyun confirmed his worries. There was a short silence, and Chi-Woo was about to ask what the heck his brother was talking about but pursed his lips again. Chi-Woo knew better than anyone else his brother¡¯s personality; Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t the type to blabber nonsense. Chi-Woo was presented with a difficult choice now, and his relationship with his brother would change significantly depending on his decision. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t so dense that he¡¯d fail to realize this, but he needed to confirm it. ¡°What will happen if I choose you?¡± ¡°We will continue to be brothers,¡± Chi-Hyun replied calmly. ¡°If you are willing to let go of this valuable item for me, I have no problem in continuing to think of you as my brother.¡± It was the response Chi-Woo had expected. ¡°¡­And what if I choose the die?¡± ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped,¡± Chi-Hyun said calmly. ¡°If you¡¯re going to act however you like without any consideration of me, why must I keep trying to understand and care for you?¡± In other words, Chi-Woo¡¯s answer would decide whether or not Chi-Hyun would continue to consider Chi-Woo his brother. Chi-Woo closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He had expected things to not be easy, but this was beyond his imagination. Chi-Woo felt his heart constrict further the more he talked to his brother. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too much?¡± ¡°Before you blame me, you should look back on your actions.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been that long since you told me it was fine if I didn¡¯t consider you my brother,¡± Chi-Woo said while roughly swiping up his bangs. ¡°But did that ever stop me from acting as your older brother?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s forehead creased, and his voice became sharp. ¡°I protected you, provided a special training space for you, and personally guided you in your training. These are things I had never done for anyone¡ªnot even for Noel who had followed me for decades.¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Do I really have to spell out how much it strained me to maintain the special training space while I went to the godly territory for you to understand me?¡± Chi-Woo fell at a loss for words. Now that he thought about it, it was true. Even after his brother left, the space created by Image Representation was maintained. He hadn¡¯t thought about how much it would¡¯ve burdened his brother to maintain that space. ¡°But if you still don¡¯t think of me as your brother even after all that I did, take that die and go. This instant.¡± Chi-Hyun flicked his hand at the die. Chi-Woo had even fewer things to say, but he gritted his teeth. ¡°You are so childish,¡± Chi-Woo said, yet there was no point in trying to provoke his brother. ¡°You should be grateful that I am acting childish and nothing more.¡± Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Are you holding back because I¡¯m your brother?¡± His tone became harsh as he asked, ¡°How would you respond if I weren¡¯t?¡± ¡°Are you curious?¡± Unlike Chi-Woo, who was boiling in anger, Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice and gaze were icy cold. The two brothers glared at each other for a bit. ¡°¡­Never mind that.¡± Chi-Hyun was the first to turn away. ¡°Just make your choice. But seeing how much you are talking, it seems you don¡¯t realize the stakes involved.¡± ¡°Stakes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are well aware of Noel¡¯s condition.¡± Chi-Woo frowned at the mention of Noel¡¯s name. He had a bad feeling about this. ¡°There are no threats to her life at this moment, but it¡¯s difficult to know whether she will fully recover.¡± ¡°The treatment¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like she has some cold that will go away in a day or two,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°Noel gave up everything, not just her life. If we had left her be, she would have crumbled into pieces and returned to nothingness, both her body and soul.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Recovering Noel is a very difficult task. It would take at least a couple of years¡­ She might have to live in her current state for the rest of her life.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth clamped shut. He had guessed the situation wasn¡¯t favorable, but not this bad. ¡°But,¡± Chi-Hyun then said, ¡°I can do it.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I would have to devote a considerable amount of time and power, but I¡¯m confident it won¡¯t take more than a year for me to treat her.¡± Saying this, Chi-Hyun tipped his jaw and slumped into his chair before continuing, ¡°But that¡¯s only if you choose me instead of the die.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gaped open. ¡°Why¡­¡± He was speechless hearing what came out of his brother¡¯s mouth. ¡°If you can cure Noel, why¡ª!¡± ¡°Why must I?¡± ¡°What? Are you seriously asking that?¡± Chi-Hyun cut Chi-Woo off. ¡°For me, effort and time are special resources, especially considering my position. With the time and effort I spend on treating Noel, I can do much more and save many more lives.¡± Without wavering one bit, Chi-Hyun said, ¡°Thus, why must I invest myself and my resources solely on Noel?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And who knows what consequences would come as the result of me focusing so much of my attention on Noel?¡± ¡°¡­Kuh!¡± Chi-Woo gritted his teeth so hard that they almost broke. His brother wasn¡¯t wrong. Chi-Hyun had led and organized the team of disorderly recruits. And especially in a time when humanity was still progressing, Chi-Hyun¡¯s existence was indispensable. Still, how could his brother act like this¡­! ¡°So, if I take the die and leave, Noel is going to stay like that forever?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice trembled as he spoke. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t say anything, but his silence was enough of an answer. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to force me. How is this not forcing me? You are threatening me.¡± ¡°The choice is up to you.¡± ¡°Nonsense¡­!¡± Chi-Woo almost called it quits, but held his tongue. He needed to hold back. He needed to endure¡­but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Do you really have to go that far?¡± Chi-Woo lashed out in rage. ¡°Did I really do so much wrong? Ah, yes, I didn¡¯t listen to you and didn¡¯t keep my promise, but¡­was it such a terrible crime that you have to go so far?¡± Then Chi-Woo added, ¡°I came here to see you, brother.¡± ¡°I never told you to come,¡± Chi-Hyun said coldly. ¡°I came here to help you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. I never told you to come help me either¡ª¡± ¡°But can you really say¡ª¡± Chi-Woo burst out. His face twisted in rage as he spoke, ¡°¡­That I was of¡­no help?¡± Chi-Woo stared intently at his brother and asked, ¡°Who was the one who saved the fifth and sixth recruits? Or created a yongmaek and planned the capture of this capital? Or single-handedly took care of the god the Sernitas manipulated and thus gained the cooperation of the Abyss to allow the recruits from the central region to come to this area?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°It was also me who activated the growth system! Who helped capture Andras at the Salem Academy and revive Kabbalah so that a godly territory could be established! And with it, Vepar was extinguished! Not to forget dealing with Zepar!¡± Chi-Woo shouted and let out everything that had been boiling inside him. He huffed and puffed for a while and finally asked in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°¡­Can you still say¡­that I wasn¡¯t of help?¡± Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t say anything. He simply looked at Chi-Woo quietly. ¡°¡­Do,¡± Chi-Hyun began what he had been meaning to say before Chi-Woo cut him off, ¡°you really think you only did ¡®good¡¯?¡± ¡°Did I not?¡± ¡°You did make accomplishments that differentiated you from others,¡± Chi-Woo agreed. ¡°Not results, but accomplishments.¡± Although similar, those two were different. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°But let me ask you one thing. While coming back here, did you notice anything strange?¡± Chi-Woo furrowed his eyebrows. He had noticed. The capital was quieter and busier than usual. There were much fewer people than before, and the ones he saw were all packing like they were going to move soon. ¡°If I must tell you, every recruit and native has decided to move out of the capital, and I mean everyone.¡± ¡°Everyone¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, do you have any idea why?¡± Chi-Hyun asked with his arms crossed. Chi-Woo shook his head in confusion. ¡°There are a total of 66 great demons in the Demon Empire. Although they had lost some members due to excessive wars for conquest, from what I know, they were still able to keep their number over 50 until not so long ago. I was recently informed that their numbers finally dropped below 50.¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°They lost two trying to capture the Abyss¡¯ witch, and three great demons became extinguished in quite a quick succession.¡± Chi-Woo was surprised by his brother¡¯s information-gathering skills. Those were news he had heard from Evelyn, but his brother was already aware of it. ¡°Great demons¡­are formidable creatures.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice settled. ¡°Since you have a natural advantage over evil, you might not feel that way. But even the lowest ranking demon of the 66th rank has power equivalent to an entire nation if they mobilize their troops.¡± A great demon was usually the embodiment of fear itself. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Three such beings were extinguished very recently.¡± And among the three, Vepar was a valuable force who could show power on par with the upper ranks around bodies of water. And Zepar was simply a strong, high-ranking demon. ¡°How do you think the Demon Empire will react? Do you think they will just go like, ¡®They were gone? Oh, I see.¡¯ And let the matter slide?¡± There was no way the Demon Empire would be so stupid. With Andras, the Demon Empire had been too preoccupied with other matters to deal with him, and with Vepar, the Cassiubia League had covered up the humans¡¯ involvement in the matter. But with Zepar, it was unlikely for the Demon Empire to neglect the matter again. They would find out the cause somehow and dig through what happened. And in the process, Chi-Woo¡¯s existence could be revealed to the world. It was something Chi-Hyun wanted to prevent at all costs. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just the Demon Empire.¡± Ch-Hyun placed his hand on his forehead like the implication pained him. ¡°Beings that the world considered strong would follow suit. The Sernitas and the Abyss will also keep a close eye on us.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face paled as he listened to his brother¡¯s fatigue-stricken voice. He now understood why others were fleeing and what was going on. After a momentary silence, Chi-Hyun made a bitter smile. ¡°You asked me, right? If you were of no help,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°Yes, you weren¡¯t helpful. Instead, what you did created more burden on us.¡± Chi-Woo looked shell-shocked. He didn¡¯t want to listen to Chi-Hyun. He thought there was no way. ¡°At a time when we should be growing our size and powers in the dark, you have brought all attention to us.¡± Chi-Hyun revealed the harsh reality. ¡°To tell you the truth, I have no idea what¡¯s going to happen from now on.¡± And there was no force kind enough to simply watch as humanity explosively progressed. They would try to stomp them down before they became even bigger. That was why everyone was fleeing to another city. Since humanity wasn¡¯t strong to fight the enemy forces alone, joining hands with the Cassiubia League was crucial. ¡°Thus, we decided to move as fast as possible,¡± Chi-Hyun said with a long sigh and glanced at Chi-Woo. His brother was standing still like a rock. His face looked blank as if nothing was going through his mind. Chi-Woo shook his head and stuttered, ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± ¡°¡­I know you didn¡¯t know,¡± Chi-Hyun said in a low voice. ¡°You lived like an ordinary person for over 20 years. I know I can¡¯t expect you to think of scenarios like this beforehand and act accordingly. But your lack of understanding isn¡¯t going to make what you have done go away.¡± Thump. It was as if a giant boulder had dropped on his head. Chi-Woo had a strong sense of responsibility. He wasn¡¯t the type to turn away from what he did. If he did something wrong, he felt accountable to fix it. But according to his brother, what he did this time was beyond what he could take responsibility for. Others would have to clean up after his mess. ¡®It¡¯s not just my brother¡­¡¯ They reached a crisis that could put all mankind on Liber at risk. Thinking this, Chi-Woo¡¯s head lowered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m here for times like this. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a way out,¡± Chi-Hyun said. Yet Chi-Hyun¡¯s words provided no consolation to Chi-Woo, because it meant Chi-Hyun would have to undertake more dangers for what he did. Chi-Woo thought he had done more than plenty during his time here, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case after hearing his brother out. A long period of awkward silence soon followed. Then Chi-Woo finally dragged his feet over the floor. Tut, tut. He slowly and weakly walked up to Chi-Hyun¡¯s desk. Putting his hand on the die, he pushed it toward Chi-Hyun rather than taking it. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Chi-Hyun also had a bitter look on his face. He wasn¡¯t in a good mood, either; it felt as if he had forced a child to give up his toy. But this wasn¡¯t something as small as a simple toy. It was something that gambled with not only his brother¡¯s life, but Liber¡¯s fate as well for either the salvation or ruin of this world. ¡°Good thinking,¡± Chi-Hyun said and was about to take the die, but he stopped when Chi-Woo kept his hand over it. ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you,¡± Chi-Woo said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m just leaving it with you temporarily.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Brother,¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice was clearer than before. Drawn by the voice, Chi-Hyun raised his head, and his eyes widened. CH 206 ¡°I¡¯m going to add a condition.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s answer was unexpected. ¡°I want to become stronger.¡± Chi-Hyun furrowed his brows and replied, ¡°If you¡¯re talking about training, I trained you¡ªno, I was in the process of training you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just talking about training.¡± Chi-Woo sighed and continued, ¡°I¡¯m not only talking about improving the stats in my user information. As you said, I¡¯m lacking in every way right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve lived as an ordinary person for most of my life, so it¡¯s natural that I¡¯m lacking. But I¡¯m here anyway. I can¡¯t remain ignorant anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I shouldn¡¯t keep talking about how I didn¡¯t know.¡± Chi-Woo spoke firmly. ¡°I have to know now.¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly realized that his brother was craving something. Chi-Woo had been constantly training, but he hadn¡¯t felt like he had gotten much stronger. First, it was because all the enemies he¡¯d dealt with so far were at least on par with middle-level bosses. Second, Chi-Woo was still inexperienced. Just being good at fighting and having excellent skills were not enough. Chi-Woo wanted to have the perspective and mindset appropriate for the current Liber. He wanted to have the vision to see not just black and white, but gray areas as well. It was not an easy decision to make, since Chi-Woo had to change his perspective and mindset 180 degrees. It would be as much of a struggle as a veteran soldier fighting on the battlefield for years to return to normal society. However, Chi-Woo was right. He had come to Liber anyway, and if he wanted to survive, he had no choice but to adapt further. ¡°¡­So what do you really want to say?¡± Chi-Hyun asked. ¡°Please lead me.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say. If you lock me in the mountain and force me to train like before, I¡¯ll definitely stick to the plan¡­But.¡± Chi-Woo spoke with a stronger voice, ¡°I refuse to only stay under your protection.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you intend to go around Liber in the end.¡± ¡°But at least I won¡¯t go after a great demon without your knowledge.¡± Only then did Chi-Hyun finally realize what his brother was trying to tell him. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to become your manager.¡± He would be responsible for all managerial aspects of Chi-Woo¡¯s pursuit as a recruit; for the first time, Chi-Hyun looked extremely conflicted. Chi-Hyun had also known that his brother wouldn¡¯t listen to him forever¡ªit was just that the timing had come way sooner than he expected. The end was still far away, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t only train endlessly day and night in a mountain. There was a limit to getting stronger through training, and he would eventually have to gain experience out in the real world. On the other hand, Chi-Hyun, as a hero who had experienced many worlds before, could provide the most optimized and efficient guidelines for him. ¡®That¡¯s pretty good.¡¯ Chi-Hyun rubbed his chin. He didn¡¯t really want to do it, but Chi-Woo¡¯s proposal was reasonable; he couldn¡¯t flatly refuse it either. He suddenly became curious and asked, ¡°What made you suddenly think of that?¡± ¡°I felt something in this expedition,¡± Chi-Woo calmly said. ¡°I definitely felt something, but I didn¡¯t really know what it was.¡± Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t only talking about his battle with Zepar; he had felt it from time to time since he first formed a team and right before they got separated. He felt frustrated; he knew that he was lacking, but when he tried to think about what he was lacking, it was hard to clearly define what he specifically needed to improve. After listening to his brother¡¯s words, he was able to get at least a grasp of what he was feeling. ¡°I definitely have to,¡± Chi-Woo spoke quietly, ¡°change.¡± Chi-Hyun took a soft breath. Wanting to be strong and wanting to change in an environment like Liber sounded similar, but meant something slightly different; the latter was much more expansive. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ This was the first thought that came into Chi-Hyun¡¯s mind. While Chi-Hyun was training Chi-Woo, he thought Chi-Woo was mediocre. Since he had so many abilities and tools, Chi-Woo¡¯s growth had been much faster than expected¡ªbut that was all there was to it. Chi-Woo only did as he was told. He was desperate to get stronger because he recognized the necessity to get stronger in a place like Liber, but he didn¡¯t look beyond that. He only trained because it was necessary; it didn¡¯t seem like he wanted anything desperately or passionately. However, the Chi-Woo in front of him was now strongly compelled to change. It was a desire that all humans had. Even though Chi-Woo seemed unable to easily put a finger on what he really wanted, Chi-Hyun could understand his younger brother¡¯s feelings. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been so motivated like now. ¡®It seems like¡­he hasn¡¯t gone on this expedition to just gain merits.¡¯ Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t decide whether he should be happy or sad about this fact. While Chi-Hyun contemplated his choices, Chi-Woo looked at him with nervous eyes. Even though it was too early to jump to conclusions, Chi-Woo thought he was already half-way to success. Considering his brother¡¯s personality, Chi-Hyun would have flatly refused and immediately told him to stop talking nonsense if he didn¡¯t like his proposal. However, the fact that Chi-Hyun was quietly contemplating his choices was evidence that he was wavering. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how much time had passed until Chi-Hyun finally asked, ¡°Is that why you told me you wanted to leave it up to me?¡± ¡°Yeah. When you think that I¡¯m fully capable of doing my own part, you can give the World¡¯s Milestone back to me.¡± ¡°My standards are extremely high.¡± Chi-Hyun bent his neck side to side and glanced at Chi-Woo while continuing, ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re my brother. I¡¯m going to be even more stringent with my judgment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m prepared for that already.¡± Chi-Hyun exhaled a long breath in response to Chi-Woo¡¯s determined answer. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I think it¡¯s only my loss.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m doing what you want, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for me. It¡¯s for you.¡± Chi-Hyun smacked his lips. He felt a bit frazzled; he hadn¡¯t expected to be persuaded by his younger brother. He could now understand how Chi-Woo had gotten Noel on his side. Then he smirked. Besides what Chi-Woo had said, he could feel Chi-Woo¡¯s sincerity. It must not have been an easy decision for Chi-Woo, either, since his brother might become nothing but a puppet if he had to follow whatever Chi-Hyun told him to do. Moreover, he must have heard all kinds of things about him from other people, yet Chi-Woo was the one to bring up the proposal first¡­ ¡®Is he telling me he trusts me?¡¯ Chi-Woo was showing trust towards his only brother¡ªa family bond forged with blood. Like the relationship between parents and children, an older brother will not lead a younger brother to the wrong path, so Chi-Woo was stating that he¡¯d entrust everything to his brother and follow his guide. This was the surest proof that Chi-Woo thought of him as an older brother. Of course, Chi-Hyun was not such an easy person that he would just agree to the proposal with an ¡®okay¡¯. ¡°If you add one more promise to your terms¡­I might consider this deal favorably,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°A promise?¡± ¡°You said this was the World¡¯s Milestone, right?¡± Chi-Hyun tapped the back of Chi-Woo¡¯s hand and said, ¡°This die¡­don¡¯t throw it recklessly ever again.¡± Chi-Woo blinked. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°In gambling terms, you have a 43 percent chance of losing.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°And it doesn¡¯t only involve you. It¡¯s an object that can push us into destruction with nearly half the probability,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°You should never abuse it, especially not during this time. You understand what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± Chi-Woo obediently nodded because he agreed with everything Chi-Hyun said. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°¡­I¡¯m not telling you to never use it at all. There will probably be times when you have no choice but to use it.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s tone grew softer. ¡°Still, no matter how desperate the situation is, I want you to discuss it with me at least once before using it.¡± Chi-Woo understood what his brother was saying: Chi-Hyun would leave the World¡¯s Milestone with him, but he must not use it carelessly. In short, Chi-Hyun was telling Chi-Woo that just as he trusted him, Chi-Hyun was also going to trust his younger brother once more. ¡°I want you to at least keep this promise for sure,¡± Chi-Hyun finished. ¡°¡­All right. I got it.¡± Surprised, Chi-Woo was about to take the die back, but he suddenly felt a strong squeeze on the hand holding the die. ¡°!¡± At the same time, he found himself getting yanked strongly by the arm. ¡°Chi-Woo.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s face came close to him in an instant. ¡°This is the last time.¡± A cold voice rang in his ears. ¡°There¡¯s no second chances.¡± The back of Chi-Woo¡¯s hands felt hot; Chi-Hyun was holding his hand so tightly that Chi-Woo felt his hand might burst. ¡°You¡¯re my younger brother,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to treat you like the other heroes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please help me continue to think of you as my younger brother in the future.¡± An indescribable pressure came from Chi-Hyun¡¯s gaze, and Chi-Woo had no choice but to nod. Then the pressure on his hand gradually subsided. Chi-Hyun pulled away. After a brief silence, Chi-Hyun said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Noel, so don¡¯t worry about her. I¡¯ll let you know once she gets a bit better.¡± ¡°¡­Uh? Ah, yeah.¡± Broken out of his reverie, Chi-Woo put the die in his pocket. ¡°And while we¡¯re at it, I¡¯ll give you your first assignment.¡± ¡°Assignment?¡± ¡°You asked me to be your manager.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re already giving me an assignment?¡± ¡°Since we¡¯ve gotten the gun, might as well pull the trigger.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted and continued, ¡°Once you return home, immediately get ready to move out and leave for Shalyh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my first assignment?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°As soon as you arrive, find a place to stay inside the city first. However, you must resolve all the challenges that would entail by yourself.¡± ¡°Get a place for myself inside the city¡­?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head as he listened to his brother. ¡°I get what you¡¯re telling me to do, but¡­what exactly do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know once you get there,¡± Chi-Hyun said clearly. ¡°And think about that much on your own. Thinking for yourself is part of the assignment.¡± ¡°I got it for now but¡­¡± ¡°Once you think you¡¯re well-established inside the city, send me a message. Then we¡¯ll talk again.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged and said, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re telling me to go to Shalyh first, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also going there as soon as I¡¯m ready.¡± Chi-Hyun waved his hand to dismiss him, and Chi-Woo turned around. And like that, the second sibling war ended with a dramatic settlement between them. Click. Chi-Hyun heard the door close. Now left alone, he remained seated without any signs of movement; he looked extremely thoughtful. But then he suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°When did you wake up?¡± Creak. Chi-Hyun heard a door open¡ªit was not the door Chi-Woo had left through, but the door connected to another room. ¡°About half an hour ago,¡± Noel said, her hair loosely running down her shoulders. She quietly walked out the door. ¡°My Lord, thank you for saving my life again.¡± Noel bowed to him as soon as she stepped out. ¡°Take a rest,¡± Chi-Hyun replied. ¡°For the time being, step away from the front lines and focus on taking care of yourself. You are banned from all duties until you fully recover.¡± Noel looked at him with surprise. She had disobeyed an order; considering the kind of person Chi-Hyun was, Noel had been prepared to be expelled as his subordinate. ¡°¡­Yes, my lord.¡± Noel soon realized the reason for his new order and said, ¡°I¡¯ll concentrate on recovering as soon as possible so that I can play the role that you want me to play.¡± ¡®Play the role that you want me to play.¡¯ It seemed Noel had heard his conversation with Chi-Woo. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, you can leave.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Noel smiled brightly. She got up to Chi-Hyun and dropped to one knee with her head bowed. ¡°You¡¯ve saved my life several times already. If it is your order, I will gladly dedicate my life to the young master.¡± Then she slightly lifted her gaze. ¡°But still¡­¡± Noel hesitated for a moment and continued, ¡°With all due respect, I¡¯d like to ask you a question.¡± ¡°Fire away.¡± ¡°From what I saw and felt in person, the young master has already done more than one person¡¯s share and is fully capable of standing on his own. In fact, there are many heroes following him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why does my lord feel overprotective of the young master?¡± ¡°Overprotective?¡± ¡°Yes. The young master¡¯s feelings for you are so strong and firm that even I became ashamed of my lacking devotion. If you trust him a bit more¡­¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly burst into laughter, and Noel¡¯s expression turned blank. It was the first time she had ever heard him laugh so boisterously. ¡°Overprotective¡­yeah, that must be how it looks like. You can see it like that, but ultimately, that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m trying to protect something, but you got the target wrong.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not the young master, then¡­?¡± Chi-Hyun looked at the now confused Noel and listed, ¡°You, me, humanity¡­¡± Noel blinked; she looked extremely perplexed now. Chi-Hyun had told her that he wasn¡¯t protecting Chi-Woo. She had been on the verge of asking who it was outright, but Chi-Hyun volunteered a shocking answer. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°The Abyss, the Demon Empire, the Cassiubia League, the Sernitas¡­and beyond that.¡± Chi-Hyun paused before asking, ¡°What do you see outside the window?¡± Still befuddled, Noel turned around and said, ¡°I see¡­the sky.¡± ¡°What do you think the sky is?¡± It was an abrupt question, but Noel fell into thought. The sky was an infinite space where incomprehensible beings of all types lived. After careful consideration, Noel replied, ¡°I think it¡¯s the universe.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded and asked again, ¡°Do you know about the legend linked to the sky?¡± ¡°Legend?¡± ¡°The legend of its origin.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Noel exclaimed. ¡°Are you talking about the legend of the Heavenly King?¡± ¡°You must have heard of it somewhere.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s famous. I recall that there¡¯s a prophecy about the new origin of the universe in that legend¡­¡± Then Noel¡¯s eyes spun a full circle, and she lifted her shoulders. ¡°Isn¡¯t that all made-up?¡± Noel had heard of it before, but remembered it as nothing but an interesting tale. ¡°What if it¡¯s not?¡± Noel¡¯s eyes widened, and her expression hardened. She didn¡¯t doubt Chi-Hyun¡¯s words because he never said things for no reason. ¡®Why is he suddenly talking about this¡­?¡¯ Then Noel¡¯s mouth gaped. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ The Heavenly King was the king of the sky. And if one reinterpreted it based on Noel¡¯s answer, the Heavenly King could also be the king of the universe. Since the universe was always trying to maintain balance, it was impossible for an existence to rule and control the entire universe in the first place. But what if, under a bizarre and crazy probability, an existence that might break the balance emerged? ¡°What do you think will happen then?¡± Chi-Hyun asked. ¡°Are you saying that¡­the universe could end?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯ll happen.¡± Chi-Hyun laughed and shook his head. The universe did not allow anyone to rule over it; this was an absolute and immutable truth. If such an existence did emerge by chance, the universe would struggle frantically to protect the balance somehow like what a world would do; whenever a world was in crisis, a hero appeared to save it without fail. When an existence that could break the balance emerged, the universe would likewise invoke this same rule by creating a new existence that could keep the Heavenly King in check. In earth terms, it was like a nuclear weapon development war with no means of defense, in which multiple countries developed nuclear weapons and forcibly kept each other in check. In short, as soon as a Heavenly King emerged that would threaten the balance of the universe¡ª ¡°The universe will fall into great confusion,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°And in that mess, a terrible ¡®chaos¡¯ will be born.¡± And that wouldn¡¯t be the end. If ¡®chaos¡¯ did emerge due to the appearance of a Heavenly King, an unknown ¡®something¡¯ would then emerge to keep the ¡®chaos¡¯ in check. The cycle would repeat over and over again as the universe tried to create a new order of balance. This was the prediction written in the legend of the Heavenly King. The best possible scenario was for the Heavenly King to not emerge in the first place; there would be no reason for the universe to create a new order then. But¡­ ¡°¡­It might already be too late,¡± Chi-Hyun muttered and shifted his gaze to the bright blue sky outside the window. The tide had already begun. At this rate, the time would come soon, and when it did¡­ ¡°We won¡¯t be able to return it to how it was or stop it.¡± No one would be able to stop the Heavenly King from heralding the new orders of the universe. CH 207 When Chi-Woo left the palace and returned home, there was no strength in his footsteps. Even though he had settled a deal with his brother, his heart remained heavy because his brother¡¯s words kept floating around his mind. [User Choi Chi-Woo.] It was at that moment he heard his assistant, Mimi. [I don¡¯t think you did anything wrong.] [There¡¯s nothing wrong with what user Chi-Hyun said. Instead, he is extremely realistic.] [However, being realistic doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you¡¯re right.] [Especially from a long-term perspective.] Mimi continued. [What¡¯s clear is that you have accomplished a very difficult task, prevented a disaster doomed to happen, and reversed the situation.] [No one knows how this event will change things in the future, so I respect and support your decision.] Mimi¡¯s words poured into his mind like water. It felt like she had been holding her thoughts while Chi-Woo was talking with his brother and voiced them as soon as he left. ¨CYeah, that¡¯s right, punk. Philip, who had come back without him noticing, added a few words as well. ¨CYour brother is¡­how do I say it? I¡¯m not saying he¡¯s bad, but he¡¯s a bit too much. Philip continued with his arms folded. ¨CIf I had a daughter, and there was only you and your brother left in this whole world, I would choose you to marry her without hesitation. You get what I''m saying? ¡®What the hell is up with that far-fetched analogy all of a sudden.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s expression turned bewildered, but he knew that Mimi and Philip were both trying to comfort him. ¨CI''m telling you to cheer up. The holy territory has some greater effects. It¡¯s also way safer than an old, run-down city like this. It¡¯s actually better this way, right? ¡®What do you mean by an old, run-down city? Isn¡¯t this your capital?¡¯ ¨CHey, I''m just letting my mouth run. You know what I mean. When Philip chuckled, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but laugh with him. ¨CAnyway, let¡¯s go to that holy city or whatever. We just have to show him what you got, right? ¡®Right.¡¯ Chi-Woo nodded and took a strong step forward. * * * Two days later, Chi-Woo left the capital for his destination. He didn¡¯t go alone because his former party members from the expedition heard the same news the very next day. They all decided to leave for Shalyh together with almost all the former members of the expedition¡ªeveryone except Apoline. Jin-Cheon had sent a message to Apoline just in case, but he didn¡¯t get a reply. Chi-Woo and the others marched for eight days and finally reached their destination. ¡°Wow!¡± Ru Hiana exclaimed when she saw the city from afar. ¡°It makes me wonder if it¡¯s really the same run-down, battered city from last time.¡± Nangnang couldn¡¯t hide his amazement either, and Chi-Woo felt the same way. It no longer looked like the same city war had rendered into complete ruins. The magnificent gates and high walls alone were clear proof of the effort the Cassiubia League had put in to restore the city to its former glory. ¡®That is¡­¡¯ The holy city, Shalyh. A sacred city secured by humans and the monster alliance, and it was also the place that would become the new base for humans. Even though it was bothersome that humans were sharing it with the indigenous monsters, it couldn¡¯t be helped since the situation was so urgent. The closer they got to the city, the more they were impressed by the city¡¯s reconstruction and signs of activity. Even though the city was smaller than the capital, there was a stark difference between the number of people entering and leaving the gate. Moreover, humans weren¡¯t the only ones using the gates; there were monsters they had encountered the last time they were here as well as species they¡¯d never seen before. ¡°Huh? There¡¯s a line over there?¡± Ru Hiana pointed to a spot near the entrance. As she said, dozens of people, both heroes and natives, were waiting in a line¡ªjust like when heroes were waiting to take the recruitment test in the Celestial Realm. When they got closer, a male hero approached them and asked, ¡°Have you come from the capital?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Ru Amuh replied. ¡°You¡¯re quite late moving here.¡± ¡°I was late to hear the news because I was on an expedition. I came here as soon as I heard.¡± ¡°Expedition? Huh, come to think of it¡­¡± The male hero, who had been asking in a fatigue tone, suddenly brightened up. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, would you please stand in this line? There¡¯s a procedure you must go through if it¡¯s your first visit.¡± He seemed to have recognized Ru Amuh, as his voice and attitude completely changed. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Haha. That¡¯s great. I congratulate you in advance. I¡¯m jealous.¡± The man said something incomprehensible before turning around. Chi-Woo lined up behind Ru Amuh. ¡®This feels like waiting to get our tickets checked at the airport.¡¯ The line quickly shrank, and soon it was their turn. Eight people were sitting at their desks, and Chi-Woo walked towards the second man from the left. ¡°Tell me your rank and recruit number,¡± the man said with a slightly tired expression. ¡°Seventh recruitment and Iron IV, sir.¡± ¡°Can you show me your user information?¡± There was no reason for Chi-Woo to refuse, so he revealed only his rank to the man. The man looked at the hologram and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve checked it. Since you¡¯ve made a contract with a god, I guess you can add bonus options even if you¡¯re Iron IV. Do you have any companions?¡± ¡°What? Yes?¡± ¡°How many people are there in total, including yourself? Please tell me the number of people in your professional team rather than your acquaintances.¡± Chi-Woo blinked. He could only think of Evelyn, who planned to live with him, and Hawa, who made it clear that she was going to follow him. ¡°Three¡­?¡± ¡°All right, why don¡¯t you follow her?¡± The man scrawled something on a piece of paper and called for a woman waiting behind him. After checking the paper, the woman stared at Chi-Woo with indifferent eyes and said, ¡°Bring your party members along.¡± Chi-Woo brought along Evelyn and Hawa and followed the woman. The inside of the city looked as he expected. Each street was lined with buildings constructed with practicality in mind, and some places were crowded to the point that there was no room to even walk around. After ten minutes, Chi-Woo found himself gradually moving away from the center of the city to the rear. The woman stopped at a place densely packed with identical wooden buildings. She entered one of them and went up to the fifth floor. ¡°You can stay here from now on,¡± she said while opening the door with 502 written on it. Chi-Woo became speechless when he saw the size of the room. It was about 356 square feet. The interior looked extremely narrow, but what was more astonishing was that there were four beds inside¡ªa double-decker on each side of the room. Other than the beds, there was a window, a hanger, a small round table, and two chairs. Nevertheless, the room was clean since the building was newly built. ¡°You can use this place for free for a month from the day you move in. Breakfast and dinner are also served for free in the morning and evening.¡± Chi-Woo looked at the woman blankly. ¡°After a month, you¡¯ll have to start paying for both food and accommodation.¡± ¡°Pay?¡± ¡°Yes. You have to pay 30 royal a day for this inn.¡± ¡°Royal¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the currency used by the Cassiubia League. For your information, we can¡¯t use the currency we were using before.¡± The woman took out a coin from her pocket. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t see it clearly because of its size, but it looked like a small copper coin with the number 1 on it. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this in advance, but there¡¯s no use complaining to me.¡± When Chi-Woo was about to say something, the woman quickly spoke up first. She continued, ¡°I¡¯m merely following orders from above. You know about the legend, right? The legend. He announced these rules himself.¡± The woman put special emphasis on the word ¡®legend¡¯. ¡° The inn is being run by the natives, so don¡¯t think about trying any meaningless tricks. If you want to conduct any commercial activities inside the city, you must get permission from the embassy.¡± With that, the woman turned and walked away. ¡°Heehee. This is our new house, right? This is so exciting. This is mine.¡± Evelyn chuckled and ran to claim one of the top bunks. Hawa glanced sideways at Chi-Woo before unpacking her luggage on the bottom bunk opposite of Evelyn. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo just stood there blankly. * * * Ru Hiana went through the same procedure and came to visit Chi-Woo. For some reason, Ru Amuh was called to the embassy and could not come with her. Instead, she brought Zelit along; it turned out that Zelt had already moved to Shalyh several days ago. Ru Hiana was shocked as soon as she saw Chi-Woo¡¯s room. ¡°Ah! Come on, this isn¡¯t right!¡± Then she expressed her great indignation, ¡°I got a new house! And Ru Amuh was even assigned an entire zone! But senior, this is your place? You?¡± ¡°Calm down. This is better than other rooms.¡± Zelit tried to calm her down, but Ru Hiana didn¡¯t listen. ¡°What do you mean ¡®better¡¯? Can¡¯t you see the state of this place? It¡¯s one room for four people!¡± ¡°I¡¯m living in a room for eight people.¡± Ru Hiana paused and said, ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped for you. You haven¡¯t even made a contract with a god yet, let alone receive a rank¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with the difference in treatment?¡± Zelit spoke with an annoyed tone and cleared his throat. ¡°Anyway, this is the legend¡¯s decision.¡± ¡°Yeah, and why now! It wasn¡¯t like this when they came from the central base to the capital. We divided up the space fairly!¡± ¡°Then was then. Things have changed now.¡± First of all, the former Salem capital was large; it was more than enough to accommodate everyone from the central base. Shalyh was not much smaller, of course. Befitting a holy city, it boasted a considerable size. However, it was also a city co-ruled by two groups. Humans did not monopolize the place. Moreover, this was once the territory of the Demon Empire, so it had to act as a military city. With the deployment of soldiers from the Cassiubia League and the construction of various institutions and facilities, there was significantly less space for residence. ¡°By placing people in different residences based on their rank,¡± Zelit said while lifting his glasses, ¡°We¡¯re being told that we must work to earn our rights.¡± There was a saying that those who do not work should not eat. Until now, food had been distributed for free even to those who did nothing, and people were given a place to sleep with no strings attached. However, this privilege was now over, and everyone had to take responsibility for their own food, clothing, and shelter. ¡°Actually, I also find it a little unexpected. It was suddenly decided that everyone had to move here. It almost seems like there was a sudden change in plans,¡± Zelit continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s exactly going on, but It seems the situation has changed rapidly that we¡¯re planning to concentrate on outside activities¡­¡± Chi-Woo felt a prick of conscience. ¡°Anyway, I think the legend has done enough already, and it¡¯s not like he¡¯s letting go of his role as a pillar that supports humanity. This is obviously something that we should have taken care of and endured in the first place.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s all so sudden! Do other people not have any complaints?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there are complaints, but it seems like most people accept the situation.¡± ¡°Why? Because it¡¯s from the legend?¡± ¡°There¡¯s that, but also because it¡¯s fair.¡± Zelit continued, ¡°The same standards are applied to the Celestial Realm¡¯s twelve lights as well.¡± Ru Hiana blinked, her anger draining from her. ¡°For your information, the hero from the Eustitia family is sharing a room with me. I heard the hero from the Ho Lactea family is also in a similar situation.¡± ¡°¡­And those arrogant nobles are staying still?¡± ¡°They have no choice but to stay still. Even though they are of the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights like the legend, their reputation is akin to the oort cloud circling the sun compared to the legend¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that ridiculous metaphor?¡± ¡°Ismile from the Nahla family might be able to say a word or two, but his family has always been favorable towards the Choi.¡± Zelit shrugged. ¡°Besides, the one thing they lack now is a contract with a god. As soon as they receive a rank, they¡¯ll grow faster than anyone else. They might think of this as a good opportunity for them instead.¡± ¡°Aha! So in the end, it¡¯s a system for the privileged?¡± ¡°Rather, it should be seen as a system for those who want to be part of the privileged.¡± Zelit corrected her. ¡°The legend¡¯s intentions are very clear indeed. This is the beginning of the competition, and people who want to get ahead in the race are naturally at an advantage.¡± Zelit calmly continued, ¡°The standards are probably looser right now because we¡¯re in the early stages of immigration. However, the resources in this city are finite. As time goes by, the standards will most likely go up.¡± As Zelit said, a hero could receive a house with a silver rank now, but there was no guarantee that the same standard would be maintained. Moreover, there would probably be more privileges granted to those in the higher ranks later on. ¡°No, I get what you mean but¡ª¡± Ru Hiana thumped her chest with frustration, ¡°But still, this isn¡¯t right! You should know! It doesn¡¯t make any sense that senior is receiving this type of treatment!¡± Ru Hiana pointed at Chi-Woo, who was staring into nothing. ¡°Well¡­¡± Zelit couldn¡¯t easily refute. Certainly, the merits that Chi-Woo had accumulated so far was unrivaled. However, only those who were with him and witnessed his actions knew that Chi-Woo had used most of his merits for the greater good. Zelit smacked his lips. ¡°If I were him, I would also think it¡¯s unfair. While it¡¯s fair to use rank as a standard since it¡¯s an objective measure, it isn¡¯t absolute. However, if they give out exemptions, complaints would arise¡­¡± Zelit and Ru Hiana were greatly misunderstanding Chi-Woo¡¯s situation because Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t used most of his merits for the public. Rather, he had a ridiculous amount of merits; enough for him to easily rise to gold rank immediately. ¡®He told me that I¡¯ll know once I get there.¡¯ While Ru Hiana and Zelit fought, Chi-Woo was lost in thought. His brother had told him to settle down and secure a place for himself here. After thinking for a while, he suddenly turned on his device and sent a message. [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): Sir.] Then he received a message soon after. [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): what.] Chi-Woo was shocked that he got a reply from his brother. [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): What the¡ªhow did you reply? Aren¡¯t you at the capital?] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): already at shalyh.] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): ?] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): ?] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): Already? How?] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): came flying.] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): Wow.] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): why?] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): There¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about. Can I ask you a question?] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): ok.] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): It¡¯s not really suitable for me to ask through a message, so I¡¯ll tell you when we meet again.] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): you can call me then.] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): There¡¯s a call function as well?] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): u didn¡¯t know? u can¡¯t do it at the capital, but u can do it here. cause we¡¯re in holy territory.] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): Got it, but I¡¯m not in a situation where I can call right now.] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): come to the embassy alone then.] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): Where is that?] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): go to the center of the city and find the biggest and tallest building. I¡¯ll tell the others in advance so u can go to the top floor.] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): Can I go right now?] [Choi Chi-Hyun<-(received): sure] [Choi Chi-Woo->(sent): lol I¡¯m going] ¡°Ah! I can¡¯t stand this! Senior! Let¡¯s go to the embassy together! Let¡¯s go and meet the legend or whatever and complain!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it. I¡¯ve met him once by chance. He really is a formidable figure.¡± ¡°What do you mean don¡¯t do it? Does he think he can do anything since he¡¯s the legend?¡± ¡°He can, in fact. The Cassiubia League recognized us because of him, and the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights are not staying still for no reason. More than anything, he¡¯s not someone you can meet just because you want to meet him.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not-!¡± While Ru Hiana went back and forth with Zelit, she saw Chi-Woo get up from his seat, and she widened her eyes. ¡°Senior, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m paying someone a short visit,¡± Chi-Woo strutted out leisurely as if he was meeting a neighborhood friend. CH 208 It was as his brother said. When Chi-Woo went to the city''s center, he saw a conspicuous tall building. The inside was vibrant and loud, as expected of a well-established holy city. Chi-Woo looked around for a while and climbed the stairs. When he reached the top floor, he saw guards who looked to be members of the league; they seemed to have been notified beforehand and opened the door for Chi-Woo unprompted. Chi-Woo walked across the corridors and reached for a large door. Before he even knocked, the door slid open. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Whoah.¡± As soon as Chi-Woo stepped inside, he couldn¡¯t hide his awe. Even from an earthling¡¯s point-of-view, the room looked like a gorgeous and cool antique room. Marbles all across the floor glimmered with gloss, and each of the windows where bright sunlight shone through was framed by luxurious red curtains. Sitting in a well-crafted chair, Chi-Hyun looked like a grand duke with enormous power. ¡°What? What¡¯s this outlandish room?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an office the Cassiubia League offered me.¡± ¡°Is this your house?¡± ¡°As if. I wouldn¡¯t live in an embassy unless I want to die under a mountain pile of documents.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I have a separate house. They built an overbearing residence at the center of the city as a gift for me,¡± Chi-Hyun said and grumbled that they had put too much unnecessary care into that house as well; Chi-Woo looked at Chi-Hyun with envy. ¡°There¡¯s so much difference between you and me. All I got was an inn room shared by four people.¡± ¡°Of course, we are playing in different leagues.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted while reading his documents. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Why just an inn room for four people?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Chi-Hyun asked. ¡°I mean, aren¡¯t you the one who decided on the housing assignment system?¡± ¡°Data and statistics don¡¯t lie,¡± Chi-Hyun said as he got up from his chair. ¡°Based on how high a hero raised their ranks, you can measure how much work they have done¡­¡± Chi-Hyun trailed off because Chi-Woo was pointing at himself with his index finger. ¡°¡­Though of course, there are exceptions.¡± ¡°Yes, there could be people like me.¡± ¡°No, that can¡¯t be,¡± Chi-Hyun shook his head. ¡°No other hero can be like you.¡± Chi-Woo was certainly a very unusual and rare case. If there were more people like his brother, Chi-Hyun would have put in more thought before establishing his system. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would think it¡¯s unfair on your end.¡± Chi-Hyun also knew how his brother was feeling, but by establishing an assignment system based on ranks, he quelled all complaints and concerns. Should Chi-Hyun give exceptions to some, people were bound to complain. If Chi-Woo¡¯s reputation and fame had exceeded Ru Amuh¡¯s, people might have understood; however, Chi-Woo kept a disproportionately low profile despite his achievements. Only those who knew him knew what he had done. They understood that Chi-Woo didn¡¯t go around blabbering about his accomplishments because he wanted to keep his privacy; however, his obscurity backfired on him in cases like this. At the end of the day, Chi-Woo¡¯s current situation better fit his personality, and Chi-Hyun believed it was better for his brother to hide his identity and avoid garnering suspicions at the moment. ¡°But if it¡¯s you, can¡¯t you raise your ranks easily?¡± Chi-Hyun tilted his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way you have no merits. Besides, you went on an expedition only recently.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It should be enough for you to rank up several times. It¡¯ll take time since there are promotion tests to go through, but you¡¯ll probably reach gold rank easily.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If La Bella helps you out a bit¡­you can realistically look into platinum rank too,¡± Chi-Hyun said. From somewhere, a goddess nodded in agreement. It was as Chi-Hyun said. Chi-Woo had earned an astoundingly great number of merits through the previous expedition. In fact, he now had way over one million merits in total. He would have plenty left even if he rose to gold rank. ¡°It¡¯s not too late. If you want, you can receive treatment beyond Ru Amuh¡¯s this instant by registering your rank again.¡± Yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t do that. ¡°Um¡­I also thought about that, but¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No matter how much I think about it, it seems like a waste.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well, you know when I raise my ranks¡­while it gives birth to new abilities or improves them, my physical stats would go up unconditionally at that moment.¡± ¡°¡­Are you still going on about that?¡± Chi-Hyun sighed. The surprising thing about the growth system was that it unconditionally raised the user¡¯s physical abilities by one rank. Thus, Chi-Woo was basically saying that he was going to train as much as he could to limit any losses in potential. After all, if he used the growth system after reaching rank B, he would be able to receive two times the gains than when using the growth system at rank D. Chi-Hyun was aware of this, but what Chi-Woo was suggesting was practically impossible. In the first place, it was a very difficult and tiring process for a being to reach their species¡¯ full potential. Furthermore, the being behind this growth system was no fool; there were restrictions in place in case heroes out of the standard appeared, and there was a reason why ranks were divided into three stages starting from rank B. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo shouted with his fist in the air, ¡°The one who persists wins!¡± ¡°But there should be a moderation to things.¡± Chi-Hyun sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a system created to help its users become stronger as fast as possible. Why do you insist on going that route when other heroes are desperate to use it?¡± As Chi-Hyun said, even Ru Amuh was using the growth system properly to progress faster. ¡°How long are you going to live as Iron IV? You are human. Even if you raise your physical abilities with training, you can only reach rank C, and to go beyond that, you will have to borrow the growth system¡¯s power.¡± ¡°But I was told I¡¯m no longer human. I also heard that it was worth it for me to try going beyond rank C with only training.¡± ¡°¡­Who told you that?¡± Chi-Hyun frowned. [You must never say it¡¯s me.] For some reason, Mimi quickly warned Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo feigned ignorance, and Chi-Hyun pressed his palm against his forehead. ¡°Anyways, if that¡¯s what you believe, I won¡¯t force you to do anything right now. But you must take responsibility for your decisions.¡± In other words, Chi-Hyun was telling Chi-Woo to put up with worse treatment if he made decisions that deterred him from getting better ones. ¡°Since you said you wanted to change, I suppose it won¡¯t be bad for you to start learning from the ground up. Do as you wish.¡± Chi-Hyun turned back to his documents. His response discouraged Chi-Woo. ¡°I feel like I just wasted your time.¡± ¡°No, I knew you were going to visit me at least once.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You remember the assignment I gave you, right?¡± Chi-Woo rolled his eyes. Chi-Hyun had given him the task of securing a place and establishing himself in the holy city, Shalyh, without getting out. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this now because it seems like you¡¯re going to come see me again, but if you want to object to any part of the assignment I gave you, improve at least one of your current conditions relating to the task before doing so.¡± ¡°What do you mean by improving at least one condition?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in me giving you an assignment if I guide you every step of the way.¡± ¡°But why is the very first assignment so difficult?¡± ¡°How is it hard? I gave you one so easy that you can complete it while doing nothing but sitting down since it is your first assignment.¡± ¡°Doing nothing but sitting down?¡± ¡°Yes. This is just your first night. Your conditions are all favorable, so just wait for a couple more days,¡± Chi-Hyun said and then added just to be sure, ¡°Of course, your environment would change depending on your choice. I hope you aren¡¯t thinking of going below rock bottom and starting from the basement.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t get what his brother was saying at all. He wished his brother would explain things to him in simple, detailed terms, but Chi-Woo decided to figure out the rest himself since he thought his brother would get angry if he asked. ¡°Okay, okay. I got it. I¡¯m going now.¡± ¡°Are you going to go just like that?¡± Chi-Hyun then asked. Chi-Woo stopped and looked back at his brother. ¡°Why?¡± Chi-Hyun looked at Chi-Woo like he couldn¡¯t believe his brother. ¡°Well, first of all, I admitted that there was something for you to feel unjust about.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just ¡®yes¡¯ me,¡± Chi-Hyun said frustratedly. ¡°Regardless of everything I said, it¡¯s true you alone suffered unfair drawbacks due to the system I established. Doesn¡¯t that make you think you should ask for compensation in return? Hm?¡± Chi-Hyun said and threw something at Chi-Woo. Although flustered, Chi-Woo managed to catch it. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Money. I put in 30,000 royal.¡± ¡°Is that a lot?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a small amount in our current time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking¡­but there was no need for you to do this,¡± Chi-Woo said and turned to Steam Bun, ¡°Hey, open your mouth.¡± Then he stuffed the money into Steam Bun¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­I bet you don¡¯t know why I gave you that money.¡± ¡°I mean, having money can¡¯t be bad. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that much, but I¡¯ll get off your back with this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. You wouldn¡¯t have even brought up compensation if I hadn¡¯t brought it up first.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m dealing with anyone else. How could I ask my brother to compensate me?¡± Chi-Hyun paused. After a fake cough, he replied with a softer voice, ¡°¡­You should still get what is owed to you.¡± ¡°I get it. You¡¯re telling me to get everything I possibly can.¡± ¡°Yes, and one more thing.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s expression suddenly became serious. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this since you are already here but¡­it seems there¡¯s another person who knows your identity besides Noel.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°One person¡­no, it could be two.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be certain yet, but I wanted to tell you beforehand so you won¡¯t be too surprised.¡± Chi-Hyun shook his head and waved a dismissive hand. He was telling Chi-Woo to go if he had nothing more to say. Chi-Woo shrugged and turned around. * * * When Chi-Woo returned to the inn, he didn¡¯t see Ru Hiana or Zelit. Ru Hiana had left to talk to Ru Amuh, and Zelit followed suit saying he would come visit again. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Evelyn turned around from viewing the city through the window and asked. ¡°The embassy.¡± ¡°Did everything get settled?¡± ¡°Hm. How can I word this.¡± Chi-Woo sat at the edge of his bed and looked up at the ceiling. Then he turned to the two in the room. ¡°I have something to ask you both. What do you think it means to settle down in this city?¡± ¡°Settle down?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hm. Doesn¡¯t that mean you should secure a place well enough for yourself that you won¡¯t be swayed by external factors?¡± Evelyn tilted her head with her index finger on her chin. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that hard to understand. Why are you thinking about it so hard?¡± ¡°What should I do so that I can confidently say I have settled down?¡± ¡°What should you do¡­?¡± Evelyn blinked hard and smiled. ¡°Hm. You have a habit of overcomplicating things. You think too hard.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Settling somewhere means you should secure a specific spot for yourself and stay there, right?¡± Evelyn sat next to Chi-Woo and continued, ¡°Then it¡¯s simple. What are the things we need to live in this place?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Food,¡± Hawa suddenly interjected. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Evelyn winked. ¡°For us to lengthen our lives, we need to continuously eat and drink.¡± Chi-Woo finally realized he¡¯d taken the wrong approach for this matter. ¡°That¡¯s not all. We have to think about what to wear and where we should stay. Aspiring for better gears and shelter is what people fundamentally seek.¡± It was as Noel said. There were three things his brother continuously emphasized while working as a hero: clothes, food, and residence. After hearing this, Chi-Woo got a sense of what he should do. Evelyn was right; he had lost grasp of the fundamentals by thinking too hard, and his brother was telling the truth when he said this was a very basic assignment. ¡°So here¡¯s the main question. For us to have those three fundamental things in life in this city, what do we need?¡± ¡°Money,¡± Chi-Woo immediately responded without thinking. ¡°That¡¯s right. We need money to settle in this city.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. He now understood why his brother had given him a substantial sum of 30,000 royal, yet he still had questions. His brother had told him to settle down without getting out of the city, and that Chi-Woo should go back to him after bettering one of his living conditions¡ªwhich he now understood as clothes, food, and shelter. But what did his brother mean by that? Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t figure that part out by sitting still. He needed more information, and to gain it, he thought he should take action. ¡°Should we go outside first? You know, to look around since it¡¯s our first day?¡± ¡°I was waiting for you to say exactly that.¡± Evelyn instantly got up, and Hawa followed. Chi-Woo went outside with the two. * * * Twilight fell upon the city. After walking around the streets all day, Chi-Woo finally stopped. He stared at one building blankly. It looked like a store with a forge attached to its side. There were several weapons and gears he hadn¡¯t seen in the capital displayed in the front. Chi-Woo eyed one of the longswords with a sharp, gleaming edge, but turned away when he saw the ¡®1,700¡¯ on its price tag. He had money, but he couldn¡¯t spend it carelessly. In the end, Chi-Woo regretfully left the area. His expression looked downcast as he returned to the inn. After wandering around the city, Chi-Woo thoroughly felt a great need for money. It was as Evelyn said, money was a necessity for them to eat, sleep, and dress properly as well as to improve these factors or even maintain them. Thus, they needed to earn money somehow, which was where Chi-Woo felt stumped. ¡®What the hell is Chi-Hyun thinking?¡¯ There were ways to earn money, but the best options required him to go outside the city. Only then could he receive requests to gather ingredients or gain sizeable profits by going on expeditions. However, his brother had clearly told him that he must not stray out of the city. In other words, he would need to earn money while staying in, which would limit him to doing menial labor and part-time jobs. It would make a funny picture for a hero to serve at bars, and even if he did that, he wouldn¡¯t be able to gain much at a time. At most, he would only be able to maintain his livelihood. It wasn¡¯t as if he could sign himself up for experiment trials either. ¡®What¡­ What should I do¡­?¡¯ After thinking for a long time, Chi-Woo decided to wait for a couple of days. According to his brother, this assignment could be completed even if he simply waited. ¡®He said my starting conditions were favorable¡­my environment would change depending on my decisions¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what his brother meant, but decided to believe him for the time being. It turned out Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even have to wait for a couple of days. That night, Chi-Woo thought his brother might actually be a prophet because of what happened. CH 209 That night, Chi-Woo heard someone knock right before he fell asleep. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Ru Amuh nervously looking at him. The Ru Amuh Chi-Woo knew was the epitome of diligence and politeness, and wasn¡¯t the type to suddenly visit someone in the middle of the night without any notice. Thus, Chi-Woo thought Ru Amuh must have good reasons. ¡°Teacher,¡± Ru Amuh started, ¡°Please help me.¡± His words took Chi-Woo by surprise even further. Chi-Woo stared blankly into Ru Amuh¡¯s wavering eyes. An awkward silence settled between them. Ru Amuh¡¯s visit was so sudden that Chi-Woo needed some time to organize his thoughts. Feeling uneasy about the long silence, Ru Amuh pleaded once more. ¡°If you haven¡¯t received any offers yet¡ªor even if you did, I hope that you will join me,¡± His expression looked desperate as he said. Although startled, Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Could you explain what¡¯s going on more slowly?¡± Ru Amuh finally let out the sigh he had been holding and began. He talked about how all the humans in the capital had migrated to Shalyh city under Chi-Hyun¡¯s orders. Although the natives went through the same process as before, it was different for the heroes. They received different treatment according to their ranks. For heroes who hadn¡¯t received a rank yet like Zelit, they had to stay in an inn room shared by eight people. Heroes at the iron rank like Chi-Woo shared an inn room with three or two others, and those in the bronze rank had a room to themselves. Those in the silver rank like Ru Hiana were granted permission to take a house for themselves; and Ru Amuh, who was the only gold rank among the heroes, was given access to an entire zone. ¡°How large is one zone?¡± ¡°I received a whole street block, and there are a total of nine buildings.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gaped at Ru Amuh¡¯s response. In Earth terms, Ru Amuh had become rich in real estate. But that didn¡¯t only come with positives. Great power called for equal responsibilities. Although Ru Amuh was authorized to use the buildings in his zone, he wasn¡¯t granted all rights to the land and needed to pay to maintain access and ownership. For Chi-Woo, he needed to pay 30 royals every day after the one-month grace period; that would be 900 royals per month. Chi-Woo asked Ru Amuh how much he needed to pay. ¡°I was told that I have to pay 27,000 royals every month.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor. Ru Amuh¡¯s fees were 30 times his fees and nine-tenths the amount his brother gave him. ¡°Uh¡­wow, that¡¯s huge. Will you be able to handle it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible by myself, but I know it¡¯s possible with you, Teacher.¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized what Ru Amuh was telling him. ¡°I realized after coming back from the last expedition that I¡¯m still far too lacking.¡± Ru Amuh fixed his posture. ¡°I learned that no matter how hard I try, there are things I can¡¯t do by myself. No matter how outstanding Ru Amuh was, he was still one of the numerous heroes in the world and had many limits. He was but one man, and his class came with restrictions. Thus, Ru Amuh came to the conclusion that he needed more people¡ªpeople of diverse skills and classes that could do things he couldn¡¯t. Only then would he be able to assist his teacher more efficiently. ¡°I am planning to build our own zone in this place. If possible, I will also like the two others in the room to join me¡­¡± Ru Amuh said while looking at Evelyn and Hawa. ¡°I will transfer all the rights I received over the zone, so please¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Chi-Woo said firmly. Ru Amuh¡¯s offer was absolutely mad, and Chi-Woo had gone through too much to not realize what sort of repercussions accepting such an offer would lead to. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ It was a tempting offer; he would easily fulfill one of the conditions of the assignment his brother had given him by accepting it. ¡®Was Chi-Hyun talking about something like this?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. His brother told him he would be able to finish the assignment by doing nothing, and that seemed to be very true now. But Chi-Woo didn¡¯t ponder for long and gave his response. ¡°I have absolutely no desire to receive your rights over the zone. It¡¯s quite late. Why don¡¯t you go to sleep now?¡± ¡°Teacher¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet tomorrow afternoon at the square and discuss.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes turned wide, and his face brightened as Chi-Woo continued, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about the details after I move into your place.¡± ¡°I will give you the best house out of the nine I received,¡± Ru Amuh replied. ¡°No, just give me anything suitable.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°As I said before, I don¡¯t want authority over your zone, but I want to fulfill my duty as a tenant.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much!¡± Ru Amuh nodded eagerly, very pleased with Chi-Woo¡¯s response. Chi-Woo also smiled. He could¡¯ve refused, but he didn¡¯t want to miss an opportunity to better his environment and complete one of the key components of his assignment. 27,000 royals a month wasn¡¯t a small amount by any means, but Chi-Woo felt like there was a way if they worked all together as Ru Amuh said. And above all, Ru Amuh was his first star. This was the first thing Ru Amuh had ever asked of him with so much passion, and Chi-Woo wanted to help him. Hopefully, they would be able to help each other out. * * * The next morning, Chi-Woo met up with Ru Amuh at the square as promised. Then they made steps for Chi-Woo to move into his new place. The zone that Ru Amuh received for being gold rank was located in a good area. It wasn¡¯t far from the center of the city, and was thus close to the central square where they could look for work. The zone consisted of a central building and the eight buildings surrounding it. Chi-Woo chose one on the outskirts that had single-family housing because Evelyn liked the large yards on the upper floor. And after all this was decided, the five of them gathered their heads together and discussed. ¡°First of all, I want to increase the number of residents here,¡± Ru Amuh spoke as the head of the meeting. ¡°27,000 royals is the amount we have to gather in two months and every month after that.¡± Of course, that only covered the housing fees; they needed to make more money for equipment and food. Ru Amuh told everyone the information he¡¯d gathered while wandering the city yesterday. There were many ways to earn money, but the most common one was to accept a request. The payments for completing a request varied widely, where some led to a couple hundred royals, and others thousands of royals. Among the requests he saw on the bulletin board on the square, the highest paying one offered 3,500 royals for getting an ingredient. ¡°Isn¡¯t 3,500 royals pretty good?¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Ru Amuh shook his head at Ru Hiana¡¯s question. ¡°After further investigation, I found out that it would take one 20 days to go and come back with the ingredient. It seems the competition is going to be fierce too.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s no good then,¡± Ru Hiana sighed. Doing the math, they would need to make at least 9000 royals in 20 days. ¡°Then what do we do¡­ Do we have to go on an expedition or something¡­?¡± Ru Hiana wasn¡¯t wrong, but the risk of going on an expedition was too high. They could strike gold if they found a dungeon, but the odds would be akin to catching a star in the sky, and they might end up wasting valuable time. Ru Amuh turned to Chi-Woo. ¡°So I¡¯d like to reduce the total amount I have to pay for housing first.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I¡¯m planning to lease parts of the buildings I own.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Chi-Woo exclaimed. He now got why Ru Amuh had suggested gathering people first. Ru Amuh wanted to lease his building and have his tenants bear some of the land tax. Then he would be able to maintain his authority over his land while lowering the amount he needed to personally earn. After all, simply leasing one of the buildings would reduce the amount he had to pay from 27,000 to 24,000. ¡°But who and how many should we gather¡­¡± Chi-Woo murmured to himself and sighed. ¡°Trying to raise money and seek tenants¡ªwe¡¯re going to be really busy in the beginning.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my biggest worry too, sir.¡± Ru Amuh nodded. ¡°If I could, I would like to make official moves after securing some funds, but two months is not a lot of time.¡± They will have to get outside of the city to get such a large amount, but traveling outside would take a few days at the least. ¡°I feel like I will be able to stabilize the area with one more month of grace period, but¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t worry about it too much! If worse comes to worst, I can always sell my house!¡± Ru Hiana said. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to do that no matter how desperate we are. Recruits are going to keep coming in, and the value of my buildings will only keep increasing.¡± While Chi-Woo listened to the two converse, he recalled what his brother told him. [You probably don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m giving you this money.] Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why his brother gave him the money then, but he thought he knew now. His brother must have foreseen all of this and prepared him in advance¡ªor else there was no reason his brother would¡¯ve given him a nearly perfect amount. ¡°I think I can help you extend the time by at least a month,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Give me a moment. Hey, spit it out,¡± Chi-Woo told Steam Bun, and Steam Bun spat out a pouch. Chi-Woo took out 27 gold coins with the number 1,000 engraved on each of them. ¡°With this, we have another month to settle things, right?¡± Ru Amuh looked star-struck, while Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°S-Senior¡­where did you get the money¡­?¡± ¡°I received them,¡± Chi-Wo said and told them a revised story of what had happened. In his version, he barged into the embassy and demanded the legend to compensate him for the injustices he alone faced under the new housing system. ¡°No, we can¡¯t use that,¡± Ru Amuh refused immediately. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for your offer¡­but this is for you alone, Teacher. I can¡¯t take it.¡± Having expected Ru Amuh¡¯s response, Chi-Woo smiled. Adam Grant had written in his book Give and Take that people could be categorized into three types in human interactions. The ¡®Giver¡¯ wanted to give the maximum amount they could give regardless of the amount they received, the ¡®Taker¡¯ wanted to receive more than they gave, and the ¡®Matcher¡¯ returned as much as they received. If Chi-Woo was a Matcher, Ru Amuh was a Giver. Thus, as a Giver, Ru Amuh was extremely burdened by Chi-Woo¡¯s offer and felt the need to reciprocate manifolds. People like Ru Amuh tended to not return exactly as much as they received even when interacting with a Matcher, because they had the firm belief that they would be reciprocated with more than they gave; in a way, a lot of the decisions they made were investments for the future. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh,¡± Chi-Woo said leisurely while leaning against the chair and repeating the exact lines that had been told to him. ¡°One must look out for themselves. It¡¯s the same when receiving help. You must take it when you have the opportunity to do so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s also your responsibility to take opportunities when offered. It won¡¯t just come to you without you doing anything.¡± ¡®Oh¡ª¡¯ Evelyn clapped at Chi-Woo¡¯s seemingly cool lines. Hawa also seemed surprised that Chi-Woo was finally making sense. But of course, Philip and Mimi snickered knowing who Chi-Woo was imitating. ¡ªKuh! This is nuts. Are you seriously going at it again? You know it only seems cool if the right people say it? [How cute.] And while Chi-Woo told the two to shut up inside his mind, Ru Amuh still appeared conflicted. Thus, Chi-Woo continued imitating his brother. ¡°¡­Ehem. In a way, you can think of me lending you this money as an assignment I¡¯m giving you, Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± ¡°Yes, Ruahu. Even Senior says so. Stop being so stubborn. You can just repay him,¡± Ru Hiana also added. And after the people around him pressed him a couple of times more, Ru Amuh finally surrendered. It was hard for him to refuse such a good offer to buy himself more time. ¡°¡­I promise to return your offer with interest,¡± Ru Amuh said. Chi-Woo handed him the 27,000 royals, secretly wondering how much Ru Amuh would give him with hope. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± Chi-Woo then asked. Ru Amuh¡¯s face became red. It seemed he was embarrassed to say anything after receiving such a large sum of money already. ¡°Are you really going to stop here?¡± Chi-Woo talked in a firm, indifferent tone like a certain someone he knew. ¡°If you brought me all the way here, shouldn¡¯t you have at least thought of the ways you could ask for my help?¡± Noting the way Ru Amuh held himself back in hesitation, Chi-Woo channeled his brother once more. ¡°For me, effort and time are special resources, especially considering my position.¡± Those were the pivotal words. Ru Amuh thought it was just as Chi-Woo said: time was like gold. The course of the future would be decided by who moved first and faster. Above all, Ru Amuh was already indebted to Chi-Woo for saving his life; it was something he would need to spend the rest of his life repaying. Thus, it was probably fine for him to become a bit more¡­indebted? Ru Amuh mused and spoke, ¡°Teacher, then please¡­¡± * * * Chi-Woo went outside alone and walked. ¡®¡­Did I go too far?¡¯ He had told Ru Amuh to tell him anything he needed help with and really did receive quite a big task. After looking through the list Ru Amuh gave him, Chi-Woo soon sent a message to one person. He got a response immediately and promised to meet in front of the square¡¯s fountain. ¡°I was thinking about going to see you again. It¡¯s nice that you called me first,¡± Zelit said while sitting next to Chi-Woo. ¡°It seems we both have things to say to each other. Why don¡¯t you go first?¡± Chi-Woo got straight to the point. ¡°You said you were staying at an inn and sharing a room with seven others, right sir?¡± ¡°Hm, yes.¡± ¡°It must be very crowded.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s only expected.¡± ¡°Have you ever thought of staying in a more pleasant environment and improving your standard of living?¡± ¡°¡­Wait a moment,¡± Zelit raised his hand and asked, ¡°By a ¡®more pleasant environment¡¯, are you perhaps talking about Ru Amuh¡¯s zone?¡± ¡°¡­Were you already aware of that, sir?¡± Instead of answering Chi-Woo¡¯s question, Zelit said, ¡°Then let me ask another question. Did you decide to join hands with Ru Amuh?¡± Chi-Woo admitted it with some hesitation. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Zelit burst into laughter. It was loud, unlike his usual calm self, and after the uncharacteristic display, Zelit spoke while smirking. ¡°Ru Amuh¡­oh my. Should I call him smart or cunning? Regardless, I suppose this means he¡¯s planning to do things properly.¡± Zelit looked at Chi-Woo curiously and said, ¡°The big shot of the seventh recruits has joined hands with the only hero to reach gold rank. Ha.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be fun seeing how things play out.¡± Chi-Woo blinked in bewilderment. CH 210 Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand what Zelit was murmuring about even after giving it a few thoughts. Thus, he politely asked Zelit if he could further extrapolate. ¡°Hmm, are you trying to compare notes?¡± Zelit began with a slightly shy tone, ¡°You must have already figured out the legend¡¯s intentions behind this system, but if you want me to tell you what I think, I¡¯ll give it a go. I think rights and responsibilities are inseparable even if you try to separate them.¡± Great power came with great responsibilities¡ªas the common saying went. However, in order for this statement to be true, a certain condition needed to be met¡ªthose who had a lot of responsibility must also be given appropriate power to carry out their responsibilities. ¡°When the legend moved to Shalyh, he delegated some of his responsibilities.¡± This also meant that Chi-Hyun had given up part of his power. In the central base and the former Salem capital, the human race was under a political system that could be best described as authoritarian. Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s words were the law and truth, and he wielded absolute power. However, the situation had completely changed since they came to Shalyh. ¡°Different treatment according to different ranks. I think this system will be the starting point for future changes.¡± Rights were the basis for power, and power was the basis for authority. Considering there was a possibility that even a small number of heroes could obtain the power Chi-Hyun gave up, there was now room for the leadership to change into a slightly more collaborative form. ¡°Then the question is who will be the few heroes who obtain those rights¡­¡± Zelit trailed off and glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°Who do you think they¡¯ll be?¡± ¡°¡­The Celestial Realm¡¯s lights will probably take that position.¡± ¡°As expected, we have the same thought.¡± Zelit nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Ho Lactea, Nahla, Afrilith, Mariaju, Eustitia¡­I don¡¯t know the exact details, but I¡¯m sure each of them came here with huge backup and support.¡± As a metaphor, the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights were essentially using a fast and efficient gigabit LAN by themselves, while everyone else had slow wi-fi that was shared by thousands. ¡°Since they have a different starting point, they have a tremendous advantage. There¡¯s no changing that.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but nod as he thought of Apoline, who performed tremendously even with only a fraction of her power awakened. ¡°That¡¯s probably the reason why the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights are staying quiet despite their current treatment.¡± In short, they were confident that even if they were in the same situation as everyone else, they would get stronger at a greater rate than anyone. Rather, they might be welcoming this system inwardly since Chi-Hyun had given up some of his authority. ¡°Now, they have the opportunity to formally train their own army.¡± ¡°Army?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an exaggeration; it¡¯ll probably take more of a guild-like form in reality.¡± ¡®Oh, guild.¡¯ Chi-Woo finally got a sense of what Zelit was trying to say. The Celestial Realm¡¯s lights would also be given a zone like Ru Amuh if they reached gold rank, and they would try to increase their power by attracting people around the area. ¡°I can¡¯t really understand hyu¡­the legend¡¯s intentions.¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips. The Choi family from Earth reigned supreme even among the twelve Celestial Realm¡¯s lights with a long history and tradition of over 1,000 years. Chi-Woo now roughly knew how the other eleven families thought of his family. From what he just heard from Apoline, it was beyond mere dislike. They were all desperate to put a dent or scratch on the Choi family¡¯s reputation. Considering the rumor that the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights came to Liber to prevent the Choi family from obtaining the achievement of stopping an unprecedented crisis of galaxy level, it was obvious how deep the bad blood ran. Thus, their arrival at Liber could be seen as a continuation of the twelve families¡¯ power struggle in the Celestial Realm. Then why did his brother share some of his power? Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand it from his perspective. ¡°That¡¯s the Choi family¡¯s dignity.¡± However, Zelit had a different thought. ¡°No matter how prideful the Ho Lacteas are and think of themselves as the best, and no matter how much the Afriliths boast of their pure bloodline, the Celestial Realm¡¯s heroes recognize the Choi family as the best.¡± That was because the Choi family was never involved in the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights¡¯ power struggle and focused on showing the true essence of what it meant to be a hero. Those at the second place and below always tried desperately to catch up to the first place, while the first place paid little attention to those below them. ¡°And truthfully, even if they¡¯re all considered the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights, the difference between their strengths and the legend is way too big. Even the heads of the families stand no chance against the legend, so there¡¯s no contest really. If we exclude Ismile¡­¡± Zelit shrugged and continued, ¡°Anyway, they¡¯re all allies on Liber, so the legend might also be showing his consideration towards them in this way.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°However, the legend hasn¡¯t just let them be either,¡± Zelit continued. ¡°Ru Amuh. By empowering and supporting the only gold rank hero at this point, he¡¯s keeping the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights in check. At the same time, he may be trying to show the other heroes that even ordinary heroes can obtain power for themselves.¡± ¡°Why do you think the legend empowered Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gone way too far ahead of the conversation.¡± Zelit continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s too much of a difference in the way silver and gold rank heroes are treated? If the progression of treatment is like climbing a stairs one step at a time right until the silver rank, the gap between silver and gold is akin to jumping several floors at once.¡± Come to think of it, Zelit was right. Under the current system, a silver ranked hero received a house, while a gold ranked hero received an entire zone with as many as nine houses. ¡°Well, Ru Amuh is the perfect person to use from the legend¡¯s point of view. If the legend lowers the standards in a system that allows powerful groups to form, the power of the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights will accelerate at an even faster rate. In other words, he needs to set a reasonable standard for the housing system, and there is a perfect candidate for that ¡ªa gold rank hero not among the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights.¡± This also made sense; while three promotional tests needed to be passed to reach silver rank, reaching gold rank would require six. Chi-Woo felt like steam was coming out of his head from overthinking. Of course, he knew that his brother hadn¡¯t established this housing system just for fun, but he had no idea that such complicated calculations were behind it. ¡°Well, Mr. Ru Amuh is well qualified.¡± Chi-Woo managed to say. ¡°Hmm¡­to be frank, I¡¯ll say that he is the most likely hero to be able to compete on a similar level as the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights among the ordinary heroes.¡± However, Zelit sounded slightly skeptical. ¡°Since Ru Amuh made his name well-known by solving a star-cluster level crisis, and he has made noteworthy achievements on Liber.¡± ¡°It feels like your evaluation of the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights have suddenly gone up.¡± ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t possibly compare the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights to Ru Amuh the way I did with the Choi family.¡± Comparisons were always relative. Zelit couldn''t help but be skeptical. ¡°The twelve families all have a long history of significant achievements. We really can¡¯t ignore their background.¡± The mere fact that they bore one of the twelve families¡¯ names implied that they had a considerable amount of influence. There was a reason why heroes, who were nothing without their pride, would be in awe at the mention of one of those illustrious names. ¡°The members of the twelve families who entered Liber would surely seek to increase their power and influence, and to do so, they¡¯ll definitely try to reach gold rank as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Will they be able to do that so quickly?¡± ¡°It may not be possible right now, but it¡¯s only a matter of time,¡± Zelit calmly said. ¡°The legend has brought three gods of the Cassiubia League to this city. Of course, our side must have given up something to that effect¡­¡± Thanks to his brother¡¯s arrangement, the growth pool of heroes had further expanded. ¡°As soon as they make a contract with a god, they¡¯ll certainly undergo explosive growth.¡± Since those of the twelve lights had an advantage in the first place, it was only natural that they would progress ahead of everyone else. Zelit continued, ¡°The legend is probably well aware of this fact, and that¡¯s why he gave Ru Amuh his own advantage.¡± Chi-Woo knew what the advantage was without asking¡ªit was time. To be more precise, the time until the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights rose to gold rank and received their zones. At least during this time, Ru Amuh was ahead of the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights. As a hero without a background like the twelve families, Ru Amuh had to keep the distance between him and them as much as possible since he was bound to be caught up in the long run. ¡°Ru Amuh isn¡¯t stupid. A hero of that level must have realized the legend¡¯s intention, and he has decided to finally accept it.¡± After saying this, Zelt stared intently at Chi-Woo. ¡°By requesting help from a hero who made him who he was in this world, who should have gone far beyond gold rank.¡± Only then did Chi-Woo understand a little bit why Ru Amuh had looked so nervous and desperate. ¡°So, did I do enough to pass the interview?¡± Zelit asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hmm? I thought I did my best to answer.¡± Chi-Woo stared at Zelit as the hero jested. He didn¡¯t know what exactly happened, but it seemed Zelit had misunderstood the situation. ¡°If I¡¯ve passed, I want to hear about the new benefits that Ru Amuh offered.¡± ¡°Uh? You knew about it?¡± ¡°Did you not know? Ru Amuh already visited me yesterday, and I told him I¡¯d think about it. So I thought Ru Amuh came to give me an offer again with you as his support.¡± In fact, Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t approached Chi-Woo first. His original plan had been to gather a group of people using his past connections before meeting up with Cho-Woo. He knew better than anyone of Chi-Woo¡¯s value, and Ru Amuh was always extremely diligent. He thought he needed to at least prepare that much before he asked Chi-Woo for help. Unaware of Ru Amuh¡¯s thought process, Chi-Woo shared a look with Zelit, and they both tilted their heads in slight confusion. ¡°Anyway, I know my place. I¡¯m grateful that you two are extending me an offer even in my current position, but¡­I still want to hear about your participation and any new benefits.¡± This was about more than an expedition; it was an important benchmark that would decide his future position as a hero on Liber. Of course, joining Ru Amuh was not a bad choice, and Zelit had to admit it was a rare opportunity for him. However, it was definitely not a light matter to form a relationship with Ru Amuh at this point of time. Even if he became more independent later, he needed to maintain a friendly relationship with Ru Amuh; that was only moral. However, he couldn¡¯t easily accept Ru Amuh¡¯s offer as he may have to compete with the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights in the future. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you. Ru Amuh said it¡¯s not necessary for you to move to his zone, and he wanted us to first gather our strengths. Thus, he¡¯ll ensure your freedom to act independently in the future and¡­¡± Zelit, who had been listening carefully, opened his eyes wide when he heard that they¡¯d be paying his share of the land tax for a month after the grace period if he joined them. Moreover, Zelit was shocked that they already had the funds. ¡°What!? You¡¯ve already prepared enough royals?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, you can go and ask him to show them to you.¡± ¡°How in the world¡­¡± ¡°So what about it? Do you want to join now?¡± ¡°¡­Ru Amuh is really determined,¡± Zelit said, swayed. If Ru Amuh paid for his land tax, he would have much more time. Zelit was smart enough to know the value of a month at this stage¡ªrather than simply extending the deadline, it would allow him to gain opportunities that were more advantageous than others. Even though Zelit still had his qualms, he was leaning heavily towards accepting the offer. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one you¡¯re extending this offer to, am I?¡± ¡°Well, I came to see you first, Mr. Zelit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m personally very happy to hear that, but now that I¡¯ve decided, I want to quickly get through the process.¡± Zelit cleared his throat with a cough and continued, ¡°Since we¡¯re all going to be on the same boat, may I give you a word of advice?¡± * * * Chi-Woo successfully recruited Zelit. However, he had to turn on his device immediately without wasting a moment to celebrate because Zelit¡¯s following words had left quite an impression on him. [You must have received a recruitment list from Ru Amuh.] [You should have approached me last on the list because no one has their eyes on me.] [That is not the case for the other heroes.] No matter what anyone said, the most famous hero not among the Celestial Realm¡¯s lights was Ru Amuh. However, this didn¡¯t mean that Ru Amuh was the only one who had earned a reputation. There were heroes who stood out despite not being on the same level as him. [Ru Amuh would also want heroes who can immediately be used to strengthen his group.] [However, he isn¡¯t the only hero who wants someone like that.] [Ru Amuh probably visited and talked to these heroes already, but considering that they¡¯re on the recruitment list, there¡¯s a high possibility that they have turned him down, or are on the fence about it like me.] [If I''m right, they¡¯ll consider the offer one more time just because you visited them. So first of all¡­] Chi-Woo sent a message to Nangnang as Zelit instructed him to. Nangnang was a promising hero who was aiming to reach gold rank after Ru Amuh. Moreover, since he had a strong ability as a scout, there was no way that the others didn¡¯t have their eyes on him. Chi-Woo received a reply, but it wasn¡¯t what he wanted to hear. Nangnang told him that he was currently having an important discussion and asked if it would be all right to meet at a later time. Chi-Woo felt slightly anxious, but he first replied that it was all right. Therefore, Chi-Woo decided to visit the others on the recruitment list until he received another message from Nangnang. ¡°Long time no see,¡± Allen Leonard said when he saw Chi-Woo. ¡°It¡¯s really been a long while. How have you been?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to keep my head high, but of course, I¡¯m back to square-one after coming here.¡± ¡°I can help you keep your head high again.¡± ¡°Haha. I thought you¡¯d come to say that. I put the offer on hold when Ru Amuh came to visit me, but it¡¯s a completely different story if you¡¯re the one asking. Let¡¯s hear it first.¡± Allen Leonard heard Ru Amuh¡¯s offer and said, ¡°Woah, payment of one month¡¯s land tax and guarantee of independent activities¡­ The benefits have become way too good.¡± ¡°Then you just have to join, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know about you, but I don¡¯t like being under anyone. That¡¯s why I turned down Ru Amuh¡¯s offer even if I have to struggle in the beginning¡­¡± ¡°Come on, you¡¯re not going to join?¡± ¡°Ughh. It¡¯s hard to refuse when you¡¯re the one asking. I have a debt to repay and¡­whatever! I don''t know! Okay! Let¡¯s try working hard together!¡± Chi-Woo also successfully recruited Abis and her party. They had put Ru Amuh¡¯s offer on hold, but they showed a favorable attitude when Chi-Woo came to visit and finally changed their decision after hearing about the details of the benefits. Just in time, a message from Nangnang came, asking Chi-Woo to come to a specific address. Chi-Woo made his way there. The building was noisy, and there were quite a lot of people; it seemed like a bar operated by the Cassiubia League. The sign on the door said ¡®The Colt¡¯s Butt¡¯. Thinking what a bizarre name that was, Chi-Woo climbed the stairs. ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± Someone kicked the door open and jumped out in frustration. A girl with platinum blonde hair stomped down and stopped when she saw Chi-Woo. She looked at him with surprise. ¡°Why are you here¡ª¡± Then her eyes narrowed, and she suddenly asked, ¡°Have you come to meet the cat as well?¡± ¡°What? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Apoline gritted her teeth and went down the stairs with a twisted expression. She seemed angry if the way she kept muttering ¡®so annoying¡¯ and ¡®of all people¡¯ was anything to go by. Chi-Woo tilted his head as Apoline disappeared downstairs. ¡°Oh! Boss¡­!¡± When Chi-Woo came inside, he saw Nangnang sitting at a table in the corner. Chi-Woo walked up to him. ¡°Ah¡­about what happened¡­¡± Nangnang awkwardly said. He wasn¡¯t by himself. There was one more person sitting quietly across from him. CH 211 The figure who took up the wooden table by themself appeared suspicious at first glance. Their face was hidden behind a white cotton cloth, they wore a head covering that looked like a hood, and their body was wrapped with a weathered drapery that could be a robe or a cape. For some unknown reason, it seemed the person was very reluctant to expose any part of their body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, boss. What happened was¡­¡± Nangnang whispered in a flustered voice. Hearing what he said, Chi-Woo realized that all of Zelit¡¯s predictions had been perfect. Under the current system, the only one who could officially assert their authority was those starting from gold rank. Even if many people flocked together and moved in groups, no one recognized them as an official organization unless they established a clear and proper goal, environment, and rules. But what if one organized an ¡®unofficial¡¯ group in advance before they reached gold rank? Of course, not many heroes were foolish enough to follow anyone who recruited them before the person reached a high enough rank. However, there were exceptions like the Celestial Lights. All the heroes naturally thought the Celestial Lights would reach gold rank before anyone else and establish their own factions. That was one aspect of it; each of the Celestial Lights also carried great weight and value wherever they went due to the name they bore alone. This was the advantage the Celestial Lights held that Zelit had talked about. And knowing the advantages they had, the Celestial Lights got to work to capture promising talents for their factions. Originally, Ru Amuh was the unrivaled top candidate every Celestial Light wanted. However, once he declared that he was going to form his own group, all the Celestial Lights lost interest in him, and their attention naturally shifted to the next best things: those at the silver rank. Ru Amuh might have been exceedingly talented, but currently, the silver ranks were also a very rare and valuable group of talents. It was no surprise that Nangnang would receive many offers given how close he was to reaching gold rank. Hearing this, Chi-Woo glanced at the silent, mysterious figure in front of him. First of all, Chi-Woo now knew why Apoline had kicked the door on her way out in great fury. Being part of their previous expedition, she must have been eyeing Nangnang¡¯s value and tried to recruit him with her position as a Celestial Light. ¡®She wouldn¡¯t have gotten so angry if she succeeded.¡¯ It seemed the Afrilith family name had proven insufficient this time. That probably meant Nangnang was approached by another Celestial Light. Chi-Woo began to feel more nervous. He recalled Nangnang telling him that the person who gave him an offer told him to give his answer right away. Nangnang received Chi-Woo¡¯s message after the mysterious recruiter made an offer. Thus, he asked for more time to think about the matter, but the recruiter demanded an answer on the spot. This was the reason why Nangnang asked Chi-Woo to meet him in this place; he couldn¡¯t go to Chi-Woo instead. It was such a one-sided demand, but Nangnang didn¡¯t find a problem with this behavior. As Nangnang struggled to come to a decision, the recruiter also seemed worried. ¡°Can I sit down first?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± Nangnang shook his head fervently. It seemed he would turn away and leave if the recruiter didn¡¯t permit this either. The recruiter must have come to the realization, and they remained silent. ¡°You must have already figured out the reason I asked to meet you today. I want to recruit you into our group, Mr. Nangnang.¡± ¡°Hm, then, are you perhaps¡­? ¡°Yes, I¡¯m planning to join hands with Mr. Ru Amuh. Of course, I came with new conditions to offer you too. Will you like to hear them?¡± ¡°Yes, please. I will listen.¡± Seeing Nangnang focus on him, Chi-Woo felt a bit of hope. *** After an hour, Chi-Woo silently inhaled and exhaled while sitting on his chair. He was the only one at the table that had been occupied by three. Both Nangnang and the figure he supposed must be one of the Celestial Lights were gone. Nangnang had seemed tempted when Chi-Woo told him how they managed to extend their time to settle down by a month. He really seemed to be deep in thought and conflicted then. And after pondering about the matter for a long time, Nangnang asked him a question. [Every group has a leader. I get that your group gathered around Ru Amuh, but I want to ask you something just in case.] [Who¡¯s going to be the head of the group? You, boss or¡­] ¡°Of course it¡¯s Mr. Ru Amuh,¡¯ Chi-Woo answered, and it was then Nangnang settled his conflicted feelings. [If that¡¯s the case¡­I won¡¯t accept your offer.] Nangnang was very apologetic. [I¡¯m sorry! Really sorry boss! I know it¡¯s a rare opportunity to work with a hero like you, and my progress is all thanks to you. But¡­I really can¡¯t turn down this person¡¯s offer. I¡¯m really sorry.] Hearing this, the mysterious recruiter left, and Nangnang followed with his head low. Chi-Woo smacked his lips. He didn¡¯t really blame Nangnang. Although Nangnang had benefited from him, it was the same for Chi-Woo. Nangnang had always acted professionally and gave his best more than anyone else. In the end, he made the decision that was best for him; this wasn¡¯t a world that revolved around affection and loyalty alone. It would be a lie if Chi-Woo said he didn¡¯t feel any regret. It also made him curious about what kind of offer Nangnang had received and how good it must be that he would turn down Chi-Woo¡¯s offer. ¡®As I thought, the Celestial Lights¡­are really not easy to deal with,¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered if he should¡¯ve tried flicking the mysterious recruiter¡¯s robe to reveal their identity. ¡®Who could it have been¡­?¡¯ Although they hadn¡¯t spoken a word, Chi-Woo felt the recruiter¡¯s eyes on him so piercingly throughout his conversation with Nangnang; it unsettled him many times. It felt as if the recruiter had been carefully observing his face from behind their face covering. They were clearly not a Nahla or an Afrilith. That meant they were either Mariaju, Estititia, or Ho Lactea. ¡®Uh, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Chi-Woo shook his head. It didn¡¯t work out, but he found consolation in the fact that he had succeeded in recruiting everyone else on the list besides Nangnang. He got up thinking he should update the rest of his group when he heard a familiar voice. ¡°Yo, my boss!¡± It was a cheery exclamation. Chi-Woo turned around and was surprised to see a familiar young man waving at him. ¡°Mr. Eval Sevaru?¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s been a while!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really been a long while.¡± ¡°Well, I finally managed to track you down,¡± Eval said while quickly taking a seat near Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo had no choice but to sit back down. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around for quite a while. When did you come to Shalyh, bro?¡± Eval asked. ¡°Yesterday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s late. But we should really register each other¡¯s names first. Do you know how long I went around looking for you?¡± ¡°Me? Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®why¡¯? I¡¯ve got something to give you.¡± Chi-Woo wondered what it was. ¡°Let¡¯s get to business for now.¡± Eval Sevaru fake-coughed and placed a heavy pouch on the table. Clank! By the sound it made, it seemed the pouch was quite heavy. ¡°Here, take it. It¡¯s your money, boss.¡± Eval knocked on the pouch lightly, and sparkling gold coins spilled out. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. If his eyes weren¡¯t playing tricks, each of the coins had the number 1,000 engraved on it. ¡°I think it amounts to 19,000 royals. I split the earnings in half exactly as we agreed upon, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°What? 19,000 royals?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice rose automatically. ¡°No¡­why and how did you get¡­?¡± ¡°Hm? Do you not remember the deal you made with me?¡± ¡®Oh¡¯. Chi-Woo gasped and finally recalled the weapons, equipment, and other items he scraped up at the Salem Academy. At that time, Eval said that he wanted to try doing business with the items, and Chi-Woo gave him permission to do so. But that didn¡¯t answer everything. A good-quality sword was worth 1,700 royals. And although Chi-Woo had collected dozens of items at the academy, many of them had significantly corroded in quality and value as they were made a very long time ago. Each of them would¡¯ve probably been worth less than half of 1,700 royals. And yet Eval just handed him 19,000 royals, which meant he¡¯d earned at least 38,000 royals before splitting the profits in half. It wasn¡¯t a small amount by any means considering his brother had given him 30,000 royals, especially at the current time. ¡°Ah, you are asking me how I managed to get so much? I suppose I can say that I changed my target customers,¡± Eval answered Chi-Woo¡¯s question. ¡°Did you not sell them to the heroes?¡± ¡°I tried to at first, but when I thought about it, I didn¡¯t think that would earn me much. Every one of them was so busy living their own lives. Yeah sure, there¡¯s the currency, but it was so unreliable. The situation was so dire that I basically had to give stuff away for free.¡± ¡°Yes, it was.¡± ¡°But since I got the goods from you with the intention of selling them, I kept them safe and cared for them. I waited and waited until the right time came¡ªit was when the legend ordered everyone to migrate to Shalyh,¡± Eval continued, ¡°And you know how the Cassiubia League is. It¡¯s one of the four big factions on Liber. Their economic situation is incomparable to ours, and everything moves so fast.¡± Eval made swishing motions with his hands. ¡°So then I went to a blacksmith first. I thought the bloke there was joking when he told me he wouldn¡¯t even pay me the same amount as metal scraps.¡± ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡± ¡°So, you know what I did?¡± Eval slammed the table and continued, ¡°I searched the whole city to find an antique shop.¡± ¡°An antique shop?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you know what¡¯s the easiest way to get money if our lives are infinite?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s simple and so, so easy. You just have to go out, acquire a passable item, and keep it.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°After caring for it well, you can just sell it a couple thousand years later. And you will gain an enormous amount of profit margin~¡± Chi-Woo thought about how various items from video tapes with random figures to Viking swords made in 850 AD were sold for 35,000 to 40,000 dollars, and he nodded in understanding. ¡°So you sold them as antiques.¡± ¡°Yeah. Their conditions were unbelievably good for being several centuries old.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s how¡­¡± As Chi-Woo looked at him, impressed, Eval waved his hand like he was embarrassed. ¡°If you really think about it, I gave them away for nothing. I should¡¯ve gotten ten times more than what I got, but considering the current situation, I couldn¡¯t¡­ah, this damn war.¡± Eval smacked his lips and shrugged. ¡°But well, I did my best¡­ Anyways, how are you doing these days, boss?¡± ¡°Busy. Probably because we¡¯re at the starting stage.¡± ¡°Hm. I heard that you¡¯re working with that Ru Amuh fellow.¡± Chi-Woo looked a bit stunned. ¡®What? Did rumors spread that fast?¡¯ And then he answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow. I know he¡¯s at gold rank, but maintaining a whole zone must not be easy. Wouldn¡¯t he have to pay well over ten to twenty thousand royals every month?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± ¡°I bet you guys need money and are looking around for work that pays a lot,¡± Eval said and glanced at the pouch on the table. ¡°¡­Boss,¡± Eval said in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for a rebate per se, but do you have any plans on returning some of the money I gave you back to me?¡± ¡°Rebate¡­? How much?¡± ¡°Exactly 9,500¡­no, about 10,000 royals. Not for free, but in exchange for a piece of information.¡± ¡°About what¡­?¡± Chi-Woo stared at Eval. ¡°I came to Shalyh earlier than anyone else and wandered around without a day of rest.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A few days ago, I finally got my hands on some proper information.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a request, isn¡¯t it posted on the square¡¯s bulletin board?¡± ¡°What¡ª It¡¯s not like those~ Come one, you know~ Are you pretending not to know?¡± Eval asked teasingly, and Chi-Woo smiled thinly. ¡°Can I decide after hearing it?¡± ¡°Ah~ I was planning to sell this for a really expensive price. But with you, I¡¯m selling it for only 10,000 royals.¡± ¡°I understand. So let me hear it. I want to know what it is that it¡¯s worth 10,000 royals.¡± ¡°Hm. Okay then¡­¡± Eval fixed his posture and looked sideways with a gulp. He gestured at Chi-Woo to crane his head forward. *** Tap, tap. After organizing the documents, Chi-Hyun got up from his seat and left the room with an indifferent look on his face. He trudged across the corridors and reached the stairs. Then his face turned serious when he noticed that the two guards at the door had collapsed. It appeared that they had lost consciousness rather than died. Slid. From behind him, Chi-Hyun heard light footsteps. He turned around slowly and saw a robed figure with a deeply pressed-down hood. The mysterious intruder lifted their hood and revealed their face behind the cotton cloth. Chi-Hyun¡¯s two eyes stirred and leveled her with a cold glare. ¡°¡­¡± Then he turned around and kept walking as if he hadn¡¯t noticed her. ¡°I saw him.¡± Her voice rang so clearly that it sounded abnormal. ¡°I¡¯m on my way after seeing him by coincidence.¡± Still, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t stop walking, and the mysterious woman called out with a small, deep voice. ¡°¡­Big brother. That boy. He¡¯s my younger brother, isn¡¯t he?¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly stopped walking. CH 212 ¡°There was a definite¡­ringing.¡± The woman¡¯s voice turned sentimental like she was reminiscing that moment, ¡°It was such a clear feeling, and I knew that child¡¯s blood was like mine¡­ No, actually¡­¡± The woman was so preoccupied with her emotions that she didn¡¯t notice Chi-Hyun turning around and disappearing. ¡°He surpasses me in¡ª¡± The woman was interrupted when her body was suddenly lifted; she hadn¡¯t realized that Chi-Hyun had gotten close to her. ¡°I really don¡¯t get it.¡± With her now elevated eye level, she heard the chilling voice from below. ¡°Don¡¯t you all know what I think of your kind?¡± ¡°Kuh¡ª¡± ¡°Still, I held myself back and pretended not to notice,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you realize that I¡¯m still the same as before and continue your way quietly? Doesn¡¯t that thought cross your mind?¡± The woman¡¯s mouth closed and opened, but no sound came out. ¡°It¡¯s not as if you don¡¯t know the reason why I¡¯m acting this way.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s grip loosened very slightly as a pained groan escaped the woman¡¯s mouth. ¡°How do you expect me to react when you approach me out of the blue and talk about blood and bloodlines?¡± ¡°Cough¡ªCough¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun waited for her coughing fit to end before continuing, ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what you feel and what you¡¯re thinking.¡± ¡°I just¡ª¡± ¡°Also you should talk properly. He isn¡¯t ¡®your brother¡¯, but ¡®my brother¡¯.¡± Chi-Hyun slowly lowered his arm, not to let go of her, but simply bringing her close to him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him,¡± Chi-Hyun said in a very frigid voice. ¡°Don¡¯t approach him or even look at him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you dare touch even the tip of my brother¡¯s hair, that¡¯ll be the end of you and that damn family of yours.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice was as cold as his eyes. ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t want that to happen, you should keep those noble lips of yours shut.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The thought of you and your family treating my brother like some prized stallion makes me want to puke already.¡± ¡°Brother. I just¡ª¡± ¡°No, you should just approach him so that I have good reason to kill you, and there would be no risk of his existence being exposed to your people.¡± The woman shut her mouth again. ¡°Since it¡¯s a place where the unimaginable is the norm, anything can happen without attracting suspicion. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Chi-Hyun asked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I hope that you will make the wise choice. If I must put what relation we have between us into words, you are at best my very distant relative who¡¯s basically a stranger, and I don¡¯t want to believe you are that stupid.¡± Chi-Hyun dropped her roughly and walked past her while she lay on the ground. He didn¡¯t look back even once. *** To strike the iron while it was hot, Chi-Woo immediately moved after hearing Eval Sevaru¡¯s proposal. He followed Eval to a place with a sign that said ¡®Lake Bori¡¯. ¡®That¡¯s at least better than The Colt¡¯s Butt,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought as he went inside. The inside of the tavern was hectic and loud. Most of the patrons were members of the Cassiubia League. ¡°Let me see. There¡¯s a seat the old man always takes¡­ah!¡± Eval Sevaru looked around and exclaimed. ¡°Sir!¡± Eval waved like he was seeing an acquaintance and strode. Chi-Woo followed him from behind and was surprised to see one person occupying a big table with a pipe in his mouth. The middle-aged-looking being had a shaggy beard with streaks of white that made him look like a mountain bandit. Although it appeared he didn¡¯t even reach 150 cm, his physique was hard and solid. And above all, he had only one eye. There was a large, round pupil at the center of his forehead, above his nose and on top of his head was a cone-shaped horn. He looked like a goblin from old folk tales. ¡°Ah~ You¡¯re here today too, mister.¡± Eval greeted him familiarly. ¡°¡­Hm.¡± The middle-aged being glanced at Eval, and after seeing Chi-Woo behind him, he put down his newspaper. ¡°Okay boss, say hello. He¡¯s the Cassiubia League¡¯s blacksmith, Mr. Mangil from the Buhguhbu tribe.¡± For some reason, Chi-Woo thought the name Mangil sounded familiar to him, but the being was a blacksmith rather than a goblin. ¡°And this is¡ª¡± Eval was about to introduce Chi-Woo when Mangil cut him off. ¡°Are you the human who will accept our request?¡± ¡°Ah, come on, old man. You sure are impatient. Should we get up and talk?¡± Instead of answering, Mangil gestured at the chair across from him with his jaw. While thinking that Mangil appeared quite cold, Chi-Woo took a seat beside Eval, who was smiling gleefully. Chi-Woo soon felt Mangil¡¯s eyes on him and heard his assessment as soon as he sat. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like much of a warrior though,¡± Mangil questioned with a pipe in his mouth, his arms crossed as he looked at Chi-Woo. Before Eval could open his mouth again, Mangil asked, ¡°What is your rank?¡± Chi-Woo was stunned. He wondered how a member of the Cassiubia League knew about ranks. ¡°Are you not aware? We¡¯re one the species accepted by the Shalyh¡¯s god, and the Cassiubia League was granted the growth system, which was originally exclusive to humans.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°Seeing your reactions, it seems you didn¡¯t know.¡± Chi-Woo was deeply shocked. On second thought, Chi-Woo recalled what Zelit had told him¡ªsince the Cassiubia League had given many things to humans, humanity must have made a matching offer in return. ¡°There was a huge uproar on our side because we don¡¯t have exclusive access to the system. Anyways, you must be a hero who doesn¡¯t know much about the world.¡± ¡°Haha. It¡¯s because of how busy boss is. It hasn¡¯t been long since he moved¡­¡± By the way he talked, it seemed Eval had also been aware of the situation. ¡°But besides that, what is your rank again?¡± Mangil returned to the main point. Although Chi-Woo had been shocked by the news, he believed there must be a reason his brother had brought about this situation. Broken out of his reverie, he answered, ¡°I¡¯m at Iron IV.¡± ¡°Iron IV¡­?¡± Mangil¡¯s forehead creased, and he looked to Eval for an explanation. ¡°Um¡­boss, are you still Iron IV?¡± Eval looked shocked to hear this. ¡°There¡¯s no need to discuss then,¡± Mangil snorted and unfolded his newspaper again. ¡°No, please wait, mister.¡± This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I said the conversation is over. I didn¡¯t even ask for a gold rank, but iron? An Iron IV at that? Go back.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you not going to listen then? What if you regret it later?¡± ¡°As if. You are the ones who will regret it if you don¡¯t get out now.¡± ¡°What are you talking about this time?¡± ¡°Look behind me.¡± Eval looked behind Mangil, and his eyes narrowed. Most of the patrons were members of the Cassiubia League, and thus the only humans stood out like a sore thumb. Although most of them quickly turned away, there was still a group who was looking at them warily. ¡°Ah, damn it¡­¡± Eval cursed quietly. ¡°Boss. Let¡¯s go back for now¡­¡± He was about to get up, but it was too late. As soon as he met the group¡¯s eyes, some of them got up and approached them, each wearing a nasty smile on their face. Chi-Woo was hit with a sense of deja vu. They were beings similar yet not similar to humans: half demons. ¡°Don¡¯t think about causing a commotion unnecessarily,¡± Mangil said with a scowl when the group of half-demons approached them. ¡°These humans aren¡¯t humans native to this planet. And they¡¯re my guests.¡± ¡°Ha. Humans are all the same. And¡­guests?¡± One of the half-demons raised its voice. Turning back to its companions for assurance, it said, ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡± ¡°¡­Boss, let¡¯s go.¡± Eval tried to ignore them and leave, but couldn¡¯t because a handful of them were blocking his path. Eval scowled. ¡°What are you doing? Move it.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m curious. For what reason did human bastards come to a place run by our species?¡± ¡°Why? Is there a reason humans can¡¯t enter?¡± ¡°No, but¡ª¡± The half-demon smirked. ¡°I¡¯m just worried. So worried. You guys are poor beggars who wander around the square in search of money. What if you eat the food and run without paying?¡± ¡°What? Beggars?¡± ¡°Ah, did I go too far when we¡¯ve decided to be buddies with the humans? Sorry, sorry. Should I give you this leftover lukewarm beer as an apology? Then we can call it even.¡± A burst of laughter erupted from behind the half-demon¡¯s back. By this time, every patron¡¯s attention was on them. Eval¡¯s face was bright red, but he composed himself. He and Chi-Woo were basically on their enemy¡¯s home ground. And as the atmosphere worsened, Mangil intervened. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. If this situation spirals into a problem with the humans, you all will have to be held responsible.¡± ¡°A problem? Is there anything that could become a problem? We are all trying to be friends here.¡± The half-demon hooked an arm around Chi-Woo, who remained quiet in his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s try to get along, human heroes¡­hm?¡± The half-demon laughed, and its eyes widened slightly when Chi-Woo lifted its arm off his shoulder. ¡°What? Why are you being so cold? I just want to be friends.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but can you keep your hands off me?¡± ¡°What? Why? Do humans not like getting touched by a half-demon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the issue. It¡¯s because you don¡¯t seem to have good intentions.¡± ¡°Oh? Wahaha! Do you guys all hear what this human is saying?¡± The half-demon laughed and placed its hand on Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders again. ¡°What is it? Are you afraid someone is going to eat you alive?¡± There was greater pressure on Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder now. ¡®Second time,¡¯ he thought with a sigh. While he slowly took the half-demon¡¯s hand off him, he said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be able to discern between good and bad intentions?¡± The half-demon looked astonished as a slimy smile formed on its face. ¡°Ha, let¡¯s see if you can discern this then.¡± The half-demon struck the top of Chi-Woo¡¯s head forcefully with its palm. ¡®And this is the third,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and got up. Balling his hands into fists, he pulled his arm back. Punch! His clenched-up fist struck the half-demon¡¯s nose. ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± The half-demon shouted and flew far backward until it crashed to the floor. ¡°A fight¡ª! It¡¯s a fight¡ª!¡± ¡°Ahahaha! Look at him! He¡¯s rolling on the ground like a bug!¡± Cheers erupted all across the establishment, and members of the Cassiubia gathered to spectate. Chi-Woo calmly wiped the blood off his hand. ¡°Uh, hey!¡± ¡°My nose¡ª!¡± ¡°Shit! Look at all that blood!¡± As their companion rolled on the ground grasping its nose, the group of half-demons growled at Chi-Woo. ¡°The human struck first! He started it!¡± The injured half-demon shouted, and the rest of the half-demons gathered their senses. They pulled out their daggers and radiated bloodlust at Chi-Woo. The noisy tavern became even more feverish with emotions. ¡°What¡¯s happening!?¡± Then a figure suddenly jumped between the two humans and the group of half-demons. When the half-demons saw who the newcomer was, their faces all brightened. ¡°Murumuru!¡± Chi-Woo also turned to see the figure. It was the half-demon he knew. ¡°You are¡­¡± Having recognized Chi-Woo, Murumuru stopped and looked around. It saw the half-demon clutching its nose as blood poured out and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Murumuru! That human attacked Lachelache!¡± one of the half-demons shouted, and Murumuru¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Is that true?¡± Murumuru took a couple of steps toward Chi-Woo and asked for confirmation. ¡°Yes,¡± Chi-Woo easily admitted. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I asked them to not touch me many times, but they didn¡¯t listen.¡± Murumuru¡¯s eyes narrowed. It could easily guess what had happened: its companions must have provoked Chi-Woo, thinking he was an easy target. But they had chosen the wrong opponent this time. ¡°Murumuru! There¡¯s no need for you to step out! We will take care of this human¡ª!¡± The half-demon shouted excitedly. ¡°Take Lachelache and go.¡± The half-demon seemed to think it had heard wrong. ¡°Murumuru?¡± ¡°Back off if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°Why¡­!¡± ¡°This human is the one who defeated Vepar.¡± Their surroundings became instantly quiet then. Everyone seemed stunned. ¡°W-What?¡± Even Mangil opened his one eye wide. ¡°I saw him defeat Vepar with my own eyes. You might have doubts, but believe me when I say he¡¯s not an opponent you can handle.¡± Murumuru appeared displeased as it murmured annoyedly, ¡°¡­This sounds as if I¡¯m protecting that human or something.¡± ¡°W-What are you saying¡­? Vepar¡­?¡± The half-demons looked back and forth between Murumuru and Chi-Woo. In the end, they took Lachelache and hurried out. The excitement in the tavern cooled off immediately from the sudden intervention, yet the monsters didn¡¯t return to their seats. Knowing how strong a great demon was, they looked at Chi-Woo in disbelief. ¡°Is it true? Did you really defeat Vepar?¡± Mangil quickly asked. He couldn¡¯t believe it, but it seemed to be the truth. It was a well-known fact that half-demons despised humans as much as they despised demons. Thus, there was no reason for one to lie in favor of a human. To make an analogy, it would be akin to the world federation leaving the task of investigating a problem that had erupted inside a Japanese archeological academic department to a Korean archeological academic department. Since the feat was brought up by Murumuru, who strongly loathed humans, it seemed more credible. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Perhaps they had caught too much attention. Scratching his head, Chi-Woo decided to go now. He hadn¡¯t expected to go through so much trouble after following Eval. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, boss. Because of me¡­¡± Eval bowed, and Chi-Woo rose to march toward the door. ¡°Wait!¡± Mangil shouted from behind. The corners of Eval¡¯s mouth turned upward; his expression seemed to be saying, ¡®You are dead now, man.¡¯ CH 213 Mangil¡¯s attitude immediately changed upon hearing that Chi-Woo had defeated Vepar, while Eval Sevaru acted just as before. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go, boss.¡± It seemed he felt offended by the attitude Mangil had first shown them, and Chi-Woo stood there, not knowing how to react between the two. Although he wasn¡¯t pleased by Mangil¡¯s initial response, he thought it was reasonable for Mangil to have acted in that manner without knowing anything. Furthermore, there were times when one needed to lower their pride. They were the ones who needed money. If it was a good offer, Chi-Woo wanted to at least hear Mangil out since he wouldn¡¯t lose anything in doing so. ¡°Ha, this is unbelievable. Boss, what are you doing? Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± Eval egged Chi-Woo on and walked away. ¡°Double!¡± At Mangil¡¯s shouting, Eval halted momentarily before walking again. ¡°No! Triple the original pay!¡± It was then Eval finally stopped moving. But he didn¡¯t back down immediately. He turned around and said in an angry voice, ¡°You are such a funny man¡ªno, funny buhguhbu. Do you think we¡¯re doing this just for money? Hm? You really think so!?¡± ¡°Calm, calm down. I¡­¡± ¡°How could I be calm!?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I acted too rashly after only hearing your companion¡¯s rank.¡± ¡°Yes, you were way too rash. You talk about ranks, but do you know why boss is still at Iron IV?¡± Eval exclaimed passionately while spitting everywhere. ¡°It¡¯s because of us. For us, he recovered a god and established a yongmaek; that¡¯s not even the beginning. Do you how much this person has sacrificed for humanity¡¯s sake since coming to Liber!?¡± Hearing Eval¡¯s words, Mangil stared at Chi-Woo with wide eyes. Mangil no longer looked at him like a cow or chicken. There was a faint trace of awe in his gaze, which was the effect of the Halo ability. ¡°Is that so? Then I¡­¡± ¡°Yes! If he used merits for himself, he would¡¯ve reached platinum¡ªno, he would¡¯ve reached diamond and had many left over!¡± After his impassioned monologue, Eval still appeared unsatisfied and continued angrily, ¡°You said he''s not even close to the platinum-rank? Even the only gold-rank hero was able to reach his rank thanks to the merits he received from him! You know, that guy actually follows boss around, calling him ¡®Teacher¡¯! I¡¯m sure he would come running if boss called for him.¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me excuses. Old man, you told me to bring the best of my connections, and I kept my end of the promise! Do you know how difficult it was for me to bring boss here?¡± ¡°I got it. I know now, so considering that¡­¡± ¡°Ha! What¡¯s the point now!¡± ¡°F-Five times the original amount!¡± ¡°Ah, this old man! What do you take us for¡­no thanks!¡± Eval shouted and turned around. Then Chi-Woo saw Eval giving him a pointed look while saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, boss. I didn¡¯t think this would happen. I will give you my apologies later, so let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± Chi-Woo was sure that Eval was acting like this on purpose, and seeing the look Eval gave him, Chi-Woo responded accordingly, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Yes, boss?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear him out at least.¡± ¡°No, boss, why¡­¡± Eval appeared reluctant, but Chi-Woo cleared his throat. ¡°This is someone you introduced me to, Mr. Eval. I want to at least hear him out.¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s change locations first! Too many eyes are on us here!¡± Mangil¡¯s face brightened, and he got up immediately. ¡°Ah¡­boss¡­¡± Eval licked his lips and shook his head, but when Chi-Woo moved, he followed. *** Mangil guided Chi-Woo and Eval to a smithy. Topless buhguhbus were swinging their hammers in front of furnaces. Amid the cacophony of clinking metal, Chi-Woo walked in. ¡°First of all, let me apologize for what happened again,¡± Mangil bowed deeply as soon as Chi-Woo sat down. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I think it¡¯s understandable considering that you didn¡¯t know me.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I didn¡¯t think a person of the lowest rank would be the hero who defeated Vepar. Not in my wildest imaginations.¡± Having been eyeing Chi-Woo warily until now, Mangil finally relaxed. Eval interjected, ¡°Ah, seriously. I kept telling you that I would explain, but you kept¡ª¡± ¡°Ehem. I said I was sorry. I was a bit sensitive because of how important this matter was.¡± Mangil coughed, and his eyes sparkled again when shifting to Chi-Woo. ¡°But anyways, is it really true that you defeated Vepar?¡± ¡°No,¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it alone. I fought alongside members of the Cassiubia League and received a lot of their help. Furthermore, the place where the battle took place wasn¡¯t the ocean, but land, so Vepar couldn¡¯t use her full powers.¡± ¡°But it seems you sure did your part, or else Murumuru wouldn¡¯t have spoken like that.¡± Although Chi-Woo qualified the statement, Mangil seemed to think that made him more believable and chuckled. And unlike when they first met, Mangil seemed much more amicable. -It¡¯s only natural. Philip said nonchalantly. -You are the type of guy that great demons fear, so you might not know this. You¡¯ll understand once you truly suffer from them. It¡¯s no wonder some seek out not only gods, but also demons to get rid of a demon. It hadn¡¯t been long since the Cassiubia League engaged in a fierce war against the Demon Empire. There had been many instances when whole species were exterminated, so their hatred against the demons was incredibly high. It was only natural Mangil¡¯s attitude would¡¯ve changed upon hearing that Chi-Woo was the one who defeated a great demon the Cassiubia League loathed so much. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s get into the request¡­¡± They finally got to the main topic. According to Mangil, the buhguhbus served a god called ¡®Mamiya¡¯. ¡°God Mamiya dislikes cowards and favors brave buhguhbus and harmony.¡± Mamiya was one of the many gods that became open to humanity during the great immigration to the holy city Shalyh; in exchange, followers of Mamiya were rewarded with the growth system that used to be exclusive to the Celestial Realm. ¡°There¡¯s a guy named Dalgil,¡± Mangil said. ¡°He¡¯s my grandson, and although it¡¯s a bit embarrassing for me to say this, he is quite a promising warrior.¡± Mangil explained that Dalgil was a brave warrior who cut down many enemies during their war against the Demon Empire. After the growth system was established, Dalgil received merits for all the deeds he had done until now and got offered to immediately jump to gold rank. But now, he needed to pass a test to promote to platinum. ¡°It¡¯s to prove his bravery and sense of harmony.¡± ¡°Prove?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if he can fulfill the requirement of bravery, the condition of harmony is a bit¡­strange.¡± And thus, Mangil explained the details of his request. Dalgil had received Mamiya¡¯s token through the oracle, and he needed to venture into the Demon Empire with the token. The test would begin once he made an altar and offered the token at a specific spot. ¡°If it¡¯s a test¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what the test would be. There¡¯s no way to find out our god¡¯s intentions either. But since Dalgil has to fulfill two conditions God Mamiya places great value in, we don¡¯t expect it to be easy.¡± There was more to the request. Mangil continued after having a cup of water. ¡°And a total of seven people, including Dalgil, are going to complete this divine command.¡± ¡°Why seven?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the number from our tribe¡¯s legend. The one who saved the world was a buhguhbu and his six companions. Fufu,¡± Mangil said with great pride. Chi-Woo wanted to ask how that mattered in this situation but decided not to voice it. ¡°This is where the test¡¯s condition of harmony comes into the picture. Among the seven members of the party, we need a total of four humans.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°And I¡­wish for my precious grandson to fulfill God Mamiya¡¯s divine command and return home safely.¡± Before he was a warrior, Mangil was a grandfather, and he wanted to do all he could to ensure that his grandson had the best party members. That was why he had been so focused on ranks; someone who couldn¡¯t contribute to the party would drag his grandson down rather than being of help. Chi-Woo fell into deep contemplation. He might have an inkling of what Mamiya wanted. Perhaps the god gave such a command to a promising warrior of the tribe that served them so that the Cassiubia League and humanity would be able to coexist. If that was the case, accepting the request wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. ¡°Like I said before, I don¡¯t know what kind of test it would be, nor what would come out of it.¡± Mangil swallowed. ¡°Also, we decided to hand over everything yielded from the test¡ªwhatever comes out of it.¡± ¡°Whatever comes out of it¡­? Does that mean the test could yield nothing?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Mangil flinched. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why we offer a payment fee for completing this request.¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°It used to be¡­8,000 royals.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the designated location?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too far away. I mean, this city was part of the Demon Empire¡¯s territory not too long ago. It will probably take three or four days to reach the location, but of course, you will have to go further inside.¡± A round trip would take about seven days. 8,000 royals for seven days was much preferable to the request that offered 3,500 royals for something that would take 20 days on traveling alone. And that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°That means the payment is now 40,000 royals, old man. You didn¡¯t forget what you said, right?¡± Eval intervened after listening to the conversation quietly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Mangil scratched his head looking conflicted. ¡°Hm¡­I¡¯m sorry to go back on my words after I had already said them, but could you give me some leeway?¡± Although Eval¡¯s eyes turned fiery at Mangil¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t say anything; it was because Chi-Woo had already gestured at Eval to stand back. ¡°40,000 royals is beyond what I can offer on my own. Of course, I may be able to gather the amount by borrowing from others somehow, but my grandson will hear that he¡¯s passed his test with money¡­¡± Money was an issue, but Mangil had another strangely realistic reason. ¡°What is the highest possible payment you can make?¡± ¡°The amount that I can immediately cash out is 25,000 royals. Since we were fighting a war not too long ago, the economy is¡­¡± Mangil stammered, and Chi-Woo mused. After organizing his thoughts, Chi-Woo said, ¡°I would like to receive a payment of 25,000 royals first.¡± Both Mangil and Eval widened their eyes. ¡°Then I¡¯d like to get the rest of the 15,000 royals as a reward after I return successfully.¡± ¡°Uh, um. Are you saying that you are letting me pay in several installments?¡± Mangil asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you pay me back with weapons and pieces of equipment that are worth 15,000 royals too as long as they are usable.¡± Mangil¡¯s mouth gaped open in understanding, and he murmured with a nod, ¡°Hm¡­weapons and armor. Then Dalgil and I won¡¯t look so bad¡­¡± It seemed Mangil agreed with this method, while Eval looked visibly frustrated but opted not to say anything; all he needed to get was the 10,000 royals he was promised for introducing Chi-Woo to a good request, and Chi-Woo essentially got a good offer out of the blue. Although it appeared that Eval wanted to extract the most out of the situation, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to go that far. First impression was critical. Furthermore, he was dealing with one of the leading species of the Cassiubia League, the buhguhbus. They would probably cross paths many more times in the future. Thus, rather than ringing him dry, Chi-Woo wanted to leave a good impression, especially considering the relationship they would have in the future. Mangil curled his lips into a smile after a moment. ¡°Although the fee went up because of me¡­I think there¡¯s no need for me to doubt a hero who defeated Vepar, and I believe that you would make it worthwhile.¡± Mangil extended a hand. ¡°Let me introduce myself again. I¡¯m the leader of the buhguhbus, Mangil.¡± Chi-Woo took his hands while smiling brightly. ¡°I¡¯m Chichibbong from the seventh recruits.¡± ¡°Hm. Please take care of my grandson.¡± Although their first impression wasn¡¯t the best, Chi-Woo looked at the buhguhbu in front of him favorably; it was because he didn¡¯t laugh even after hearing his alias. But of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know that after he left, the buhguhbus that had been rigorously working the whole time would suddenly yell, ¡°Ahahaha! Chichibbong! His name is Chichibbong! Hahaha!¡± *** After parting ways with Eval, Chi-Woo went back to his zone. By the time he got there, Zelit had finished moving his belongings. Ru Amuh was disappointed to hear that they failed to recruit Nangnang, but he was happy with the rest of the news. Chi-Woo had succeeded in recruiting everyone on their list besides Nangnang, and above all, he had gotten an offer that was almost impossible to get at this point in time. ¡°25,000 royals for four-day travel¡­! Thank you, Teacher. Thank you so much!¡± And while Ru Amuh celebrated this news, Chi-Woo turned on his device and sent a message to his brother. Since they decided to leave as fast as possible, Chi-Woo thought he should tell his brother in advance. Now that he¡¯d changed the environment he was in, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t object to Chi-Woo''s claim that he should be able to get out of the city now. But when Chi-Hyun asked, ¡®So, where will you be going?¡¯ and Chi-Woo replied, ¡®A bit further into the Demon Empire from here,¡± he got this response: [Choi Chi-Hyun(sent): Why? It¡¯s not that far from here.] [Chi-Hyun(sent): Ehem. Who is the hero who defeated three great demons?] [Chi-Hyun(sent): Come on.] [Chi-Hyun CH 214 Chi-Hyun pondered for a while. Chi-Woo could swear that he had never seen his brother look so conflicted in his whole life. Chi-Hyun had his hands clasped together with a pensive look on his face. Then he picked up his pen and scribbled something before turning on his device and tapping it a few times. Staring blankly in the air, he even let out a soft groan and finally said, ¡°¡­Do you really have to go?¡± Despite the reluctant tone, his brother must find his reasoning logical and reasonable. Chi-Woo¡¯s evaluation of Zelit greatly soared¡ªhe was able to get recognition from his brother, the legend of all people. Moreover, no matter how stubborn Chi-Hyun was, he could not deny an obvious fact; one plus one was two, not one or three. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I can¡¯t help being worried. It¡¯s the enemy¡¯s camp after all,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Even though I have to go a little further into their territory, it¡¯ll still be near the border.¡± ¡°That blasted Mamiya. I can¡¯t believe they gave such an oracle no matter how bad the current situation is. I guess the god¡¯s adventurous personality is the same as ever.¡± Chi-Hyun clicked his tongue and sighed. ¡°Have you decided who to bring?¡± His brother had essentially given him implicit permission to carry out this plan by moving on to the next topic. Chi-Woo felt assured somewhat that this was the direction his brother wanted him to grow in and why his brother gave him this assignment. ¡°The leader is a buhguhbu called Dalgil. They¡¯re going to bring a guide and a monk, so we have to select the remaining four from our zone.¡± ¡°Four from your zone¡­then I don¡¯t think it will be a big problem.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded and glanced at his younger brother. ¡°I¡¯m asking just in case, but you didn¡¯t accept outside personnel, right?¡± ¡°Outside personnel? Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°For example¡­¡± Chi-Woo flinched as Chi-Hyun narrowed his eyes. ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that? Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°You know, someone like Apoline Yelodi Afrilith.¡± A completely unexpected name popped out of his mouth. Chi-Woo instantly narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why are you suddenly bringing her up?¡± ¡°I heard that you went on an expedition with her before?¡± ¡°So what about it?¡± ¡°Just to be safe. I¡¯m saying this out of concern. Don¡¯t get too close to her. And I¡¯m not just talking about Afrilith, but¡ª¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Annoyance twisted Chi-Woo¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not even close to her. We¡¯ve only seen each other once or twice. What are you even talking about?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and continued, ¡°What¡¯s with you and Ms. Noel? Do you know what Ms. Noel said to me? She told me to not have romantic aff¡ª" ¡°It may be okay because they don¡¯t know who you are yet, but I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen later on.¡± When Chi-Hyun interrupted him, Chi-Woo blinked. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that¡­¡± After organizing his thoughts, Chi-Woo said, ¡°Once they found out who I am, my situation might change?¡± ¡°Do you know how many times I¡¯ve been asked to introduce you so far?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head because this was new information to him. ¡°I know. In your position, you might think these are just silly or absurd words from a doting older brother.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Chi-Woo smacked his mouth. He didn¡¯t believe that his brother would ever dote on him. It was absolutely impossible. The mere thought of it gave him goosebumps, and he was sure that Chi-Hyun would feel the same way. ¡°But.¡± Chi-Hyun brushed back his hair. ¡°I¡¯m not saying this to you for no reason.¡± This was true. He didn¡¯t know Noel too well, but Chi-Woo had never heard his brother say anything for no reason. Not once in his life. ¡°There are probably one or two heroes who have already guessed your identity. And now that you¡¯ve been found out, it¡¯s only a matter of time until the news spreads everywhere.¡± Chi-Hyun leaned back into his chair and stared intently at his confused younger brother. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re forced to stay here now, but¡­¡± He continued in a low voice, ¡°I hope you will eventually return to Earth and live the life you are supposed to enjoy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not as a Celestial Realm¡¯s hero, but as an ordinary person on Earth.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± That would be possible as long as they successfully solved the situation on Liber and returned safely. Chi-Woo could roughly get what his brother was saying, so he nodded. ¡°I got it, and don¡¯t worry too much. I came here to help you, not to pursue a relationship or date.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you got it, but I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll be able to keep that resolution.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of trust¡­ Let¡¯s just end this topic.¡± Chi-Hyun smiled bitterly and picked up the documents again; this was his signal to tell Chi-Woo to leave. Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°Well that¡¯s my problem, but you¡¯re at the age where you should be thinking about marriage.¡± ¡°I want to tell you that¡¯s none of your business, but if I find a person I like, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°By the way, I think Ms. Noel would be a great candidate.¡± ¡°Noel will faint if she hears that. Don¡¯t say such a thing even as a joke, especially to Noel.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a sign that I have to tell her. I¡¯ll be leaving, okay?¡± Chi-Woo chuckled and turned around. He heard his brother click his tongue. * * * When Chi-Woo returned to his zone, he felt excited and joyful for the first time in a long while. ¡®Ah! My heart feels so much more at ease!¡¯ He hadn¡¯t felt like this when he went to catch Zepar. He had been upset and bothered that he was going against his brother¡¯s words the entire time he was on the expedition. However, the situation was now completely different. He had told his brother in advance and proudly obtained his permission. Within a few days, all the people who had been recruited into Ru Amuh¡¯s zone moved in. After they all chose a house for themselves, everyone gathered together; Ru Amuh had asked if anyone was willing to participate in the coming mission and added that Chi-Woo had received a good request. ¡°I¡¯m thankful that you asked us, but we¡¯re fine as we are. We already received enough, and since we¡¯ll have more time, the three of us are going to steadily earn money one step at a time.¡± Jin-Cheon¡¯s team waved their hands and turned the offer down. They clearly wanted independence and considered more help to be burdensome. ¡°It¡¯s quite tempting, but unfortunately, I¡¯ve got another job coming up. I found out that there is a guild-like organization on the side of the Cassiubia League, and I decided to work there for a while and learn from them.¡± Allen Leonard seemed to be pursuing his dream that he¡¯d spoken of back in the fortress¡ªof creating a guild that helped heroes. ¡°Since I don¡¯t have the skills, I won¡¯t join. And I think I¡¯ve already provided a sufficient amount of help.¡± Zelit, who hadn¡¯t signed a contract with a god yet, calmly expressed his rejection. He seemed satisfied with the small amount of merit he received from providing Chi-Woo with information. ¡°Then the remaining members¡­¡± Ru Amuh looked around. There needed to be seven members for the expedition team; three would come from the Cassiubia League, so they could only bring four people from their side. Chi-Woo was a must, and Ru Amuh also needed to participate because Chi-Woo took his participation for granted. Thus, there were only two spots left while there were three people remaining¡ªRu Hiana, Onorables Evelyn, and Shahnaz Hawa. Ru Amuh fell deep into thought because he felt uncomfortable taking out one person. This was a rare opportunity to get 6,250 royals each if they succeeded. On top of that, it was possible to earn a lot of extra income. In fact, Ru Hiana and everyone else looked eager to join. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ru Amuh felt conflicted and glanced at each person. In terms of power, Ru Hiana and Evelyn were the better choice. It seemed Hawa could sense his thoughts; she jumped from her seat and said, ¡°I want to go.¡± After saying this to Ru Amuh, she looked at Chi-Woo and said again, ¡°Take me with you.¡± Ru Amuh instinctively looked back at Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo was rubbing his chin and staring at Hawa. Judging by his reaction, it didn¡¯t seem like Chi-Woo would say no. Then it was an obvious choice who to exclude. ¡®This is hard.¡¯ Ru Amuh laughed bitterly inside his mind, but chastised himself to get a grip. His teacher had recruited heroes and brought an amazing request; he already did so much for him. If he asked his teacher for more in this situation, it would be no different than a guest acting as the master of the house. ¡®I should at least show Teacher how serious I am.¡¯ But above all, he didn¡¯t gather all the heroes to play house. He had been entrusted with the position of leader by Teacher, so he had to live up to that expectation. ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Ru Amuh firmed his resolve and said, ¡°Ru Hiana?¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± Ru Hiana, who had looked concerned after Hawa¡¯s appeal, instantly looked disappointed. It was at that moment someone raised their hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m out.¡± It was Evelyn. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw a lively city. I want to leisurely look around. It¡¯s okay if I don¡¯t go, right?¡± It was basically a made-up reason; anyone could tell that she was being considerate of the situation and volunteered to step back. ¡°Unnie!¡± Ru Hiana ran to Evelyn with teary eyes. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re the best! Ru Amuh, that bastard! How dare he abandon me!¡± ¡°There, there. It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here. Our dear Ruana~¡± Evelyn stroked Ru Hiana¡¯s back and smiled at Ru Amuh. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a priest on their side anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monk, miss. Not a priest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s basically the same thing. There¡¯s no need for any redundancy, right?¡± ¡°¡­Would you really be fine with this?¡± ¡°Of course. My man here will be working hard outside to earn money, so I¡¯ll just lay comfortably at home and laze around like a princess.¡± Chi-Woo flinched at the word ¡®my man¡¯, and Evelyn laughed and said, ¡°Haha. Look at him panicking. How cute. I¡¯m just joking, relax.¡± Evelyn shook her head and smiled brightly. While the discussion was not entirely uneventful, with this, those who were going to participate in the expedition had been decided. All that was left now was to wait for the departure date. * * * Time passed, and the d-day arrived. Chi-Woo, who went to bed early the previous day, received Evelyn¡¯s send-off to make a lot of money before heading to Ru Amuh¡¯s mansion. When he opened the door and entered, two people were already waiting for him in the lobby on the first floor. ¡°Senior! You¡¯ve arrived early.¡± One of them was Ru Hiana. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± And the other was Zelit. Chi-Woo first replied to Ru Hiana and was surprised to see Zelit. ¡°Mr. Zelit, why are you here¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not following the expedition, but I thought I should at least see you off.¡± After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, ¡°Also¡­I thought it would be better to say this before you depart.¡± ¡°To me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡± Come to think of it, Chi-Woo recalled Zelit saying he had something to say to him. ¡°If you can afford it, could I borrow some money from you?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened at Zelit¡¯s unexpected words. The request had come out of the blue; he wanted to ask more about the situation, but shut his mouth after seeing Zelit¡¯s expression. ¡°I¡¯m trying to do something. With you guys away, I¡¯ll have to do it alone. I can¡¯t do anything in my current situation, but it might be worth a try if I had at least some money.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what he was trying to do, but in short, Zelit needed funds. Chi-Woo intently stared at Zelit while he was listening. Even though Zelit asked to borrow money, he didn¡¯t act submissively or use flattery; rather, he sounded confident. Zelit¡¯s eyes seemed deeply contemplative late last night, and his strong conviction was visible. ¡°How much do you need?¡± ¡°About 3,000 royals for the preparation. 5,000 would be better though, since I¡¯ll have some leeway.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± Without much hesitation, Chi-Woo tapped on Steam Bun, which was sitting on his shoulder. He took out six gold coins from the money bag steam bun spit out. ¡°Here¡¯s 6,000 royals.¡± Zelit¡¯s eyes widened briefly. ¡°Uh¡­but 5,000 will do for now.¡± ¡°I added 1,000 more royals just in case. It¡¯s always better to have extra.¡± ¡°Are you sure¡­?¡± Zelit was the one who asked, but he seemed flustered that Chi-Woo so easily accepted his request. ¡°It must be because of that conversation, right?¡¯ ¡°?¡± ¡°You know, the dream you shared with me.¡± ¡°¡­.You remember it.¡± When Chi-Woo winked, Zelit smiled quietly and said, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll use it carefully without wasting a single royal. Take care and come back safely.¡± Then Zelit took the money and turned away immediately like he had no time to waste. ¡°Senior?¡± Thud. When the door closed, Ru Hiana immediately spoke up as if she had been waiting to ask the question. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Why¡­is he acting like he¡¯s getting back the money he left with you? He¡¯s so brazen.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°He came right before we left. That¡¯s proof that he¡¯s been thinking about this over and over again until last night.¡± Ru Hiana exclaimed softly, but she didn¡¯t seem to be convinced. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I¡¯m sure Mr. Zelit asked me to lend him money because he has something in mind.¡± ¡°Even then, 6,000 royals is a lot. What are you going to do if you don¡¯t get it back¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine even if I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No matter the amount, you should always be prepared to not get your money back when you lend it to others.¡± Ru Hiana looked at him like he was the ultimate pushover at his extremely generous words and said, ¡°Come on, Senior! Are you saying that it¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t get repaid?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m not like this to everyone,¡± Chi-Woo said firmly. ¡°But it¡¯s okay with Mr. Zelit.¡± Ru Hiana closed her mouth. Chi-Woo glanced at her and subtly smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll say it¡¯s something like intuition. ¡°Intuition¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, intuition.¡± Intuition was an ability that Chi-Woo could only feel and didn¡¯t even appear in his user information. It always came back to help him whenever he forgot about it. When Chi-Woo was living in the cave and rolled a low number with World¡¯s Milestone, a pressing anxiety had led Chi-Woo out of the cave, and this time, Chi-Woo had a good feeling about letting Zelit borrow his money. It didn¡¯t only happen on Liber; he¡¯d felt the same sometimes on Earth as well, and Chi-Woo knew that it was always better to do what his intuition said. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see how it goes.¡± However, Ru Hiana was frustrated with the way Chi-Woo was smiling with no knowledge of the context. ¡°Ah¡­Senior¡­I can go get it back now¡­¡± They waited a bit more before Ru Amuh and Hawa arrived. The four left the zone as soon as they got together, and Chi-Woo hummed. He felt refreshed and light. Everything he had to do so far had been a desperate struggle to survive, but it was not the case this time. It finally felt like a real adventure. Chi-Woo was encouraged by this fact and vigorously stepped forward. The morning was clear and bright. There was not a cloud in sight, and the city gradually woke up with rising hubbub. It was the start of his first expedition after coming to the holy city, Shalyh. CH 215 They decided to join the members of the Cassiubia League at the north gate. It took no time for them to find their new teammates since there was a lone buhguhbu with a horn on top of his head, and the buhguhbu was easily noticeable with his great height and build. The buhguhbu seemed to have noticed them too, and he stomped up to them with his two companions. ¡°Are you the people Grandpa Mangil recruited?¡± ¡°Yes, I am Ru Amuh.¡± ¡°Hm, Ru Amuh¡­ Aren¡¯t you the only gold rank among the humans?¡± It appeared that Ru Amuh was well-known even among the Cassiubia League. ¡°That¡¯s how I am known, but it doesn¡¯t bear the weight it suggests. There¡¯s someone known as the ¡®legend¡¯ among us humans.¡± Ru Amuh said humbly, and the buhguhbu¡¯s mouth turned slanted. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard about the man so many times that it grows rote. It¡¯s always said that he¡¯s the exception among all exceptions.¡± Dalgil stretched out his hand. ¡°I am the buhguhbu tribe¡¯s warrior Dalgil. I am a gold rank like you, but it will be different once I come back.¡± Although Dalgil sounded provocative and appeared to have a belligerent personality, Ru Amuh took it with grace as his usual self. ¡°I will do my best so that you can go up to platinum rank. Please take care of me.¡± Dalgil gazed at Ru Amuh and shrugged before turning around. ¡°Hey!¡± A raccoon suddenly popped up and raised his hand. ¡°I am Bogle from the Dingo tribe. Welcome, welcome.¡± Was it about 50 cm? Although it had brown fur all over its body, the areas around its eyes were black. And the small and round ears on the sides of his head were just like those of any raccoon. ¡°Ehem. Let me introduce myself. As the monk who serves God Miho, I can foresee the bad and good¡ª¡± While Bogle from the Dingo tribe talked, another voice interjected. ¡°How long are you going to introduce yourself? Move aside, you idiot.¡± ¡°What? Did you call me an idiot?¡± Bogle looked back with anger before turning back forward as something tiny moved past him. ¡°Hello!¡± A creature smaller than Bogle jumped up and down and greeted cheerfully. ¡°I am Airi from the Carbuncle tribe serving God Miho! Nice to meet you all! Are you the human heroes I heard so much about? Hm, hm?¡± Her voice sounded smooth like water as she circled around the area, and the hooks hanging from her waist jingled wildly as they clashed against each other. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Airi.¡± Unable to bear it any longer, even Dalgil piped up, but it appeared that Airi had no intention of listening. ¡°Come on, they say they are humans! Heroes at that!¡± ¡°Although they have become rarer now, it¡¯s not your first or even second time seeing a human.¡± ¡°But they are aliens and not humans from Liber! How could I not be curious?¡± ¡°Airi!¡± Dalgil shouted in a thick, rough voice, and Airi barely managed to stop moving. It was then Chi-Woo finally saw what Airi from the Carbuncle tribe truly looked like. She was smaller than Bogle from the Dingo tribe and much leaner. And she was covered from head to toe in short, sky-blue fur that looked very soft. Her three fluffy tails shook in the air, and long, rabbit-like ears twitched on top of her head. Above all, there was a red ruby-like jewel that reflected the sunlight at the center of her forehead. ¡®Urgh,¡¯ Ru Hiana groaned softly. Chi-Woo empathized with her. The same went for Bogle from the Dingo tribe; Airi was so small and adorable that it was hard to resist reaching out to her. ¡°Airi is our guide. Although Bogle might help us focus in the right direction from time to time, the expedition¡¯s team¡¯s guide will be her.¡± After the introductions, Dalgil looked at the humans who still seemed dazed, and Ru Amuh opened his lips. While Ru Amuh introduced himself, Chi-Woo tried to collect his thoughts. There was Bogle, who introduced himself as a monk, and Airi, who would be the guide. It appeared the two were among the countless tribes and species within the Cassiubia League. But what drew Chi-Woo¡¯s attention the most was the three¡¯s clothing and equipment. First, Dalgil¡¯s whole body was covered in thick armor like Zepar; it would be apt to call him an ironclad warrior. And if he hadn¡¯t seen wrong, Chi-Woo believed there was a long and thick club on Dalgil¡¯s back. It was an iron club as thick as six baseball bats tied together. Bogle was dressed more lightly. His top, bottom, and even shoes were all made from oiled leather, and he wore a clean, white cloth like a cape the way a monk would. Furthermore, he held a staff that looked like the stalks of a very twisted and tangled oak tree. And Airi was¡­ ¡®Huh?¡¯ Chi-Woo turned around in shock. Airi was suddenly gone after staring up at him the whole time. ¡®Where did she go? Huh?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked around this way and that, and when he looked in front of him again, he was shocked. It was because Airi had suddenly appeared again. ¡°Are you surprised? You look surprised! Ahahaha! Look at you!¡± Airi laughed while jumping up and down. ¡°Hihihi! This is my great transparent self! How is it? Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± Airi tapped on the jewel on her forehead and arched her chin upwards. It appeared she was quite the trickster. ¡°Airi.¡± When Dalgil called her, Airi stopped giggling and hid by turning transparent. Ru Amuh also seemed taken aback by her sudden disappearance, but he continued with his introduction while looking at Chi-Woo. ¡°And this person is¡­¡± ¡°Hm, he¡¯s the hero who defeated Vepar.¡± The uninterested look on Dalgil¡¯s face turned attentive for the first time. Bogle clapped while looking at Chi-Woo with an exclamation of ¡®Oho¡¯, and Airi also looked at him with her sparkling eyes, chattering, ¡®Ohmymy! Really? Truly?¡¯ Dalgil stroked his chin and gazed at Chi-Woo intently. ¡°You defeated the ruler of the ocean¡­ I suppose we will know whether those rumors are true or not through this expedition.¡± ¡°Boss, it¡¯s true. It¡¯s what Murumuru said, and you know how much half-demons loathe humans!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not convinced by that. You do what you are supposed to do, Bogle, and take out your staff.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true¡­¡± Bogle grumbled and raised his staff. ¡°God Miho!¡± Then he threw the staff high in the air. ¡°Please guide us to the right path!¡± His staff rotated in the air and hovered. Chi-Woo wondered what they were doing before his eyes widened. As if someone had tapped the staff in the air, it suddenly stopped rotating and fell. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Why is it telling us to return to the city? No, is it towards the south gate? Isn¡¯t that the opposite direction?¡± Dalgil murmured and said, ¡°¡­Airi.¡± Airi popped into appearance again and fell from the air. ¡°Ahahahaha! Sorry, sorry! I just wanted to mess with Bogle a bit!¡± ¡°Y-You really¡­¡± After finally realizing the situation, Bogle trembled in rage. It seemed Airi had made herself transparent and knocked the staff however she saw fit. ¡°How dare you! During a holy ritual!¡± ¡°Airi, if you play tricks one more time¡­¡± Dalgil growled, and Airi quickly raised both hands. ¡°Ah¡ªI got it. I got it. You know how I am. I become serious once we are outside. I just wanted to lighten up the mood before going. Hm?¡± ¡°Damn it! Why did God Miho choose someone like that¡­!¡± Bogle gritted his teeth, took the staff, and threw it back into the air again. It really was different this time. The oak tree staff fell to the ground and began to rotate like a top before toppling to one side. The staff clearly pointed north. ¡°Oho! It¡¯s a blessing! A blessing!¡± Bogle clapped while looking at the map and said in a loud voice, ¡°Seems like God Miho says it¡¯s okay! It¡¯s the same as the direction we were planning to go in!¡± Bogle then glanced behind him. The whole team was calm. Ru Amuh simply nodded, while Hawa appeared expressionless like usual. Ru Hiana had seen Chi-Woo throw knives to find his way when saving Hawa, so she wasn¡¯t too impressed either. Only Chi-Woo looked at what Bogle was doing with interest. ¡°We finished our introductions. There¡¯s no need for us to stay any longer,¡± Dalgil said with his pointy helmet dropped low to obscure his face; it had been altered to accommodate his horn. ¡°Airi and I will be at the front. It will be quite a march, so everyone should do their best to keep up.¡± With that, Dalgil ran like the wind; he was swift and agile unlike what his large physique would suggest. And thus, the march began. *** After going past the north gate, the expedition team focused only on marching for a couple of days. Although not much happened on the first day, the scenery around them began to change on the second day. Even Dalgil slowed down then. Although the ground was still full of greenery so that it could be called nature, its color was darker, changing from green to black, and the air became heavier. Of course, it was nothing compared to the time Chi-Woo and the others were in Vepar¡¯s and Zepar¡¯s territory, but it made them realize that they were edging closer to the Demon Empire¡¯s territory. Chi-Woo looked at the forest in the distance, and his head turned upwards at the rising altitude. ¡®Wow.¡¯ He exclaimed as he saw dark, tall mountains shining dimly from far away. Chi-Woo had been staring at it for a while when a sudden voice explained. ¡°That¡¯s Narchaide Volcano,¡± said Bogle. Chi-Woo looked back down, and Bogle cleared his throat. ¡°It was a natural fortress that provided strong defense for a human kingdom at one point, but now, it belongs to the Demon Empire.¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard. Bogle seemed to interpret Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction as interest and continued, ¡°Whether from the Cassiubia¡¯s mountain range or the holy city, Shalyh, we always have to cross that volcano to attack the Demon Empire. Only then would we be able to reach their mainland.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, it won¡¯t be easy. Since those demons are no fools, I heard that they had stationed their members in many places around the Narchaide Volcano. Among them, there is the one called the young noble¡­¡± Bogle chattered on excitedly as Chi-Woo listened to him with interest. They hadn¡¯t been able to talk because they were so focused on marching, but now that they had slowed down, it seemed Bogle¡¯s mouth was itching for conversations. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Chi-Woo nodded and asked while smiling, ¡°You said you were Mr. Bogle from the Dingo tribe, right?¡± ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Mr. Bogle, you sure know many things.¡± ¡°Haha! I didn¡¯t even say much. It embarrassed me to hear this from a hero who defeated Vepar.¡± Bogle scratched his head, pleased, and cleared his throat. ¡°Although we aren¡¯t a high-ranking species, the Dingos are known to be wise. That¡¯s why you should ask me if you are curious about anything.¡± There were many things Chi-Woo was curious about, and he started, ¡°Is that so? Then¡ª¡± ¡°He says he¡¯s wise, but how come he gets tricked every time so easily like a stupid fool?¡± A high-pitched voice suddenly piped up. ¡°Hm? Tell me.¡± Airi had her tongue hanging out while looking at them. ¡°What? A stupid fool?¡± Bogle said angrily. Chi-Woo was becoming a bit used to this situation; he expected another person to intervene about now. ¡°Airi.¡± ¡°No! Dalgil! I was just telling Bogle off because it seemed he wasn¡¯t focusing on marching!¡± Dalgil glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°Worry about yourself,¡± Dalgil said and turned back forward. ¡°Hmph. Dalgil only scolds me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you keep making problems,¡± Dalgil said as Airi grumbled. ¡°Huh? Problems? How could you say that? This is my way of showing affection!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that kind of affection at all!¡± Bogle heaved and calmed himself down again. Then he turned to Chi-Woo. ¡°Hm, so what did you say you were curious about?¡± Chi-Woo almost wanted to laugh seeing how Bogle tried to resume being solemn. Suppressing his laughter, he asked, ¡°What was that staff from before?¡± ¡°Oho! Are you talking about this?¡± Bogle smirked while stroking the oak tree staff. He seemed to have been waiting for the question. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much! I told you I¡¯m a monk who serves God Miho right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°God Miho has many divine powers, but their most notable one is seeing the future.¡± Airi murmured ¡®What a joke¡¯ from the front, but Bogle paid no heed to it this time and continued, ¡°And a monk like me borrowed God Miho¡¯s power a bit¡­¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s why you said you can foresee the good and bad.¡± ¡°Oh, you remember? That¡¯s right! If the staff had pointed backward without Airi¡¯s intervention, I would¡¯ve stopped Dalgil!¡± ¡°Because that would mean God Miho is telling you to turn around instead of continuing forward, right?¡± ¡°Yes~ That¡¯s right. You are smart! Isn¡¯t it a very amazing and convenient ability?¡± ¡°As you say, it¡¯s a very amazing and convenient ability. It¡¯s the kind of ability that I don¡¯t think one should use carelessly, especially for one¡¯s own selfish reasons.¡± Bogle¡¯s eyes turned wide. ¡°Wow, this human¡¯s insight is no joke. No, no. He has an understanding of this art,¡± Bogle said while clapping and showing his admiration. ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t use this ability however I want, or else God Miho won¡¯t tell me the future and will instead inflict me with divine punishment. This power could even be taken away from me.¡± Bogle trembled as if the thought of that happening alone scared him. Then he puckered his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you realized this beforehand though. Most people make unreasonable requests once they hear of this ability. Especially Airi¡­¡± Bogle shook his head while Chi-Woo smiled blandly. ¡°Anyways, Mr. Bogle, you said you were of a different species from Ms. Airi, right?¡± ¡°Hm, oh yes. If you make a distinction, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How come you both serve the same god though you are of different species?¡± ¡°Ha¡­you¡­¡± Bogle lifted his index finger and pointed at Chi-Woo. ¡°That¡¯s a very good question. Very sharp. It really makes it enjoyable to talk to you!¡± From the way he kept chattering, it seemed Bogle truly enjoyed talking. ¡°Our fundamental departments are different.¡± ¡°Departments?¡± ¡°Should I call it roots? Hm, to properly explain it to you, I will have to tell you the legend about a deva world from one of the six realms of desire¡­¡± It was then the marching suddenly stopped. Bogle stopped his storytelling and looked forward as well. CH 216 The marching stopped. Dalgil and Airi were both staring at the ground. ¡°Huh, what happened? What is it?¡± Bogle asked, and Dalgil answered while turning around. ¡°We found traces.¡± ¡°What kind of traces?¡± ¡°Airi is looking at them,¡± Dalgil said calmly and inspected the ground. Chi-Woo was curious about what these traces were too, but he didn¡¯t move from his position. From the last expedition, he learned that maintaining one¡¯s own position while advancing forward was important. And thus, everyone was standing in their own spot on high alert while waiting for Dalgil to continue. Dalgil looked intently at the hole and tilted his head. ¡°A hole. By the width of it, I have a guess. Isn¡¯t it that snakehead who has influence over this area?¡± ¡°If you are talking about the 17th-rank demon Botis, you are right,¡± Airi said. Dalgil clicked his tongue and said, ¡°If you think about his army of soldiers, it explains why there are holes everywhere on the ground. This isn¡¯t good news for us.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s too early to say that though,¡± Airi said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Although the legions of anguses Botis command move underground, they usually leave more traces¡ªnot just holes, but a particular venomous stench.¡± ¡°I was informed that when Botis¡¯ army tries to move stealthily, they don¡¯t leave any traces besides holes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but this place could be seen as Botis¡¯ territory even though we¡¯re at the very edge of it. For what reason would they need to move so stealthily?¡± Airi asked insightfully. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m sure Dalgil also knows the current situation. It has been quite some time since the Demon Empire troops had been pushed back from this area.¡± In the war between the two forces over the holy city Shalyh, the Demon Empire suffered huge losses. Not only did they lose a great asset in the form of a great demon, but Kabbalah¡¯s territory was also established in a place that had belonged to the Demon Empire. And demons couldn¡¯t recklessly barge into a holy city¡ªa holy territory, or whatever one called it. Thus, it was even more of a crazy thing for humans or members of the Cassiubia League to venture into a great demon¡¯s territory of their own will. When the Demon Empire confirmed the holy territory¡¯s existence, they tried to quickly mobilize their troops, but failed to attack in the end. If they used all their forces, they might be able to stomp one holy territory, but they must consider more than one small holy city. Beyond the Cassiubia League mountain range, the league¡¯s main forces were always aiming their swords at the Demon Empire; and they would be leaving their backs too exposed if they ignored the Abyss and Sernitas. Thus, they must not make a rash move at the current time. But the Cassiubia League didn¡¯t forget the Demon Empire¡¯s belligerent personalities and kept their guards up. As they continued to watch the Demon Empire on high alert, they received surprising news. The Demon Empire¡¯s troops that had encircled the Shalyh city like they were about to swallow it in one fell swoop had suddenly backed away. It all happened overnight. Hearing that the Demon Empire¡¯s troops had retreated hurriedly instead of biding their time, the Cassiubia League supposed that something significant must have happened. The 16th rank Zepar was extinguished. The loss of a high-ranking member of the 66 demons took the Demon Empire by surprise. They quickly conducted an investigation to find out what happened, and the Abyss soon became their number one suspect. Although Zepar acted in secret, he had fought the Abyss with his forces not long before his death; it was only natural that the demons would make the assumption. Perhaps they needed to enter a war again. And even if they didn¡¯t, they couldn¡¯t just let a great demon¡¯s army be without a leader. And while they were trapped in this dilemma, the Demon Empire decided to bite the bullet in the end. Even though they were inherently hungry for war, they judged that they were in no position to fight enemies on both sides after great demons were defeated one after the other. In the end, they withdrew their troops surrounding the Shalyh city, and nearby territories were transformed to act as border states. Since the Demon Empire had given up on the fight and backed away, the area was much less dangerous than before. This was the main reason that Zelit brought up, which Chi-Woo used to persuade Chi-Hyun to let him join this expedition. Chi-Woo had been stunned when he heard this. The Demon Empire moved exactly as his brother said they would. Chi-Woo wondered what would¡¯ve happened if the Demon Empire had found out what really happened with Zepar, and humanity had continued to stay at Salem city¡ªthe thought of it sent chills down his spine. But back to the point, considering all these factors, Airi claimed that it could not be the army of anguses that Botis led. ¡°Personally, I think it could be the digrams.¡± ¡°Their habitats should be farther away from here though.¡± ¡°That was before the emergence of the Demon Empire. Location may not matter since the digrams mostly live below the ground. Did you forget that it is also the anguses¡¯ main specialty to go around by digging through the ground?¡± ¡°Then why did those digrams come all the way here?¡± ¡°Who knows? They could be trying to move their habitat first. Since those guys are calm and peaceful unlike how they look, they were probably good prey to eat for the anguses further inside,¡± Airi shrugged and continued. ¡°Or they could be coming toward this area because they are hungry.¡± Dalgil organized his thoughts for a bit and nodded. Airi had some valid points. ¡°If it really is the digrams, there isn¡¯t much for us to worry about.¡± ¡°Probably? If we don¡¯t bother them first, the digrams will avoid us on their own.¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s recommence our march. Be careful of the floor below you just in case.¡± ¡°Fufu. Don¡¯t worry. I already surveyed the area, and I didn¡¯t feel any presence inside the holes.¡± Airi gripped her fist, which was the size of a tiny cotton ball, and pounded on her chest. They began to march again. ¡ªUm¡­hey, Chi-Woo. Philip spoke up while tilting his head. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªTell them to stop marching for a bit¡­ Ah, wait. Damn it. Y-You know, the carbuncle isn¡¯t wrong, but¡­ Philip scowled like he was struggling to remember something. For some reason, he appeared very hesitant about all this. And they hadn¡¯t walked much before there was a loud explosion. Boom! The ground exploded, and something gigantic surged from below. Swept by the sudden happening, Airi flew into the air without even being able to let out a scream. It happened all so suddenly that everyone looked at Airi for a good second before they did anything. Then she was snatched from the air like prey being hunted and slammed hard onto the ground. ¡°Airi!¡± Bogle shouted. ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s the anguses! They were hibernating!¡± Dalgil shouted while gritting his teeth. The holes that the expedition team spotted were anguses¡¯ tunnels. They had dug holes deep underground and were hibernating. Because they had stopped most physical functions and were doing the minimum to maintain their lives, Airi hadn¡¯t noticed their presence. ¡°Everyone stay put in your place! Protect your spots, but don¡¯t stand still. Keep moving in all directions!¡± In urgent times, it was best to listen to the most experienced member of the team. Thus, as soon as he heard Dalgil¡¯s words, Chi-Woo quickly moved left and right and rolled his feet like he was doing a tap dance. ¡°Don¡¯t attack them below their necks!¡± Dalgil continued to shout as he swung his club. ¡°If possible, aim for their heads! If not, their maws¡ª!¡± Bababam! Dalgil¡¯s last words were muted by the continuous sound of explosions. Dirt sprang out from everywhere, and something that looked like a long, giant mealworm pierced through the sky. Chi-Woo¡¯s heart dropped as he saw that the angus had popped out of the spot he had been standing still on. If he hadn¡¯t listened to Dalgil, the same thing that had happened to Airi would¡¯ve happened to him. The angus was large and long, so it cast huge shadows all around it. After failing to catch Chi-Woo, the angus twisted its body and stretched its mouth wide open. It was about to slam its jaws down when it screeched with pain and shuddered. Bam! Two daggers flew into the air and pierced the angus¡¯ face. Hawa was flinging her arms about and swinging them hard. ¡°Pretty good!¡± Dalgil didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to attack. He sprang up and swung his club. Bam! The gigantic steel club displayed the might of its size, and surprisingly, the angus¡¯ humongous head was smashed into pieces. Yet Dalgil didn¡¯t stop there. He turned around, jumped, and swung the club widely one more time. Two heads exploded one after the other. Then while Dalgil was coming down and swinging his arm downwards¡ªbam! His club not only penetrated an angus¡¯ head, but crushed the head of the one behind it like tofu. It was one¡ªno two kills per hit. Chi-Woo gaped in shock as he watched Dalgil taking care of five anguses in an instant. It appeared that Mangil¡¯s description of Dalgil as a blessed warrior wasn¡¯t a lie. However, Dalgil didn¡¯t look pleased. A total of eight anguses had popped out. He managed to get rid of five by giving it his all, but there were three still remaining. It would¡¯ve been a win if they were fighting most opponents, but that wasn¡¯t the case when fighting anguses. The army of anguses gained notoriety for their poison alone; their poison was so strong that one sniff of it blackened one¡¯s insides and hardened their blood. The moment those monsters appeared above ground, they needed to end the battle in 12 seconds or less. That was the time an angus needed to gasify the poison from the pouch inside their stomach and poured it out. If they failed to pierce their fangs into their victims, they sprayed poisonous gas; so the best way to deal with them was to either get rid of them all within 12 seconds, or run far away within that time frame. Since they chose to do the former, it was too late for them to try the second option now. ¡°Damn it!¡± Dalgil didn¡¯t even have the time to lift his club again. Feeling urgent, he raised both hands and tried to catch one more when¡ª Thump! Dalgil¡¯s eyes widened as he saw an angus¡¯ head fly. Before he realized what was happening, Dalgil turned in the direction of the emerging wind. Ru Amuh was piercing through the air and passing through the angus like flowing water. When he came back down to the ground, the angus stopped moving. It tilted diagonally until its head fell off. It was a very clean attack, but the problem was that there was still one angus left, and 12 seconds had passed. The last remaining angus opened its mouth wide; gas with a deep, greenish light was already coming up its throat and out of its mouth. Seeing Airi lie dead-still in front of the angus, Dalgil gritted his teeth. She wasn¡¯t the only one in danger, but everyone. ¡°Everyone stop breathing and escape!¡± Dalgil knew it was pointless, but couldn¡¯t help but shout a warning. Then he gasped. ¡°What¡­!¡± He was shocked to see one of the humans jump right in front of Airi¡ªit was the human hero said to have defeated Vepar. ¡°That crazy guy¡­!¡± They needed to evade it, but he was jumping in front of the attack? It made no sense, and what happened next felt even more insane. Shaaaa! A faint light poured out all over Chi-Woo¡¯s body. Dalgil doubted his eyes as the cluster of light burst out and ate away the poison. Like poison was meeting poison, the gas melted away as soon as it touched the light. And it didn¡¯t take long for the deadly fog ready to spread everywhere to fully disappear. As it did, Chi-Woo¡¯s light also dimmed. The battle halted then. Dalgil was shocked, and even the angus that sprayed its poison looked confused. ¡°?¡± Then the wind blew again. It was too late when the angus recollected itself. Sharp winds passed through its forehead, and the angus fell weakly onto the ground as its head was diagonally sliced from its body. With this, they succeeded in defeating all eight enemies. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere, sir?¡± Ru Amuh asked while flicking away the fluid on his sword. He had already witnessed so many miracles while traveling with Chi-Woo that he wasn¡¯t even fazed anymore. ¡°Ah, hmph!¡± On the other hand, Dalgil finally managed to regain his senses and turned his head. ¡°Bogle! First¡­!¡± He was about to tell Bogle to check Airi¡¯s condition, but it was unnecessary. Bogle was already running toward her. Then, while looking worriedly at Airi, Dalgil let out the breath he had been holding. ¡°Good work. Your swordsmanship was quite impressive. As expected of a gold rank,¡± Dalgil said to Ru Amuh. ¡°I was able to fight smoothly thanks to you quickly relaying to us the important information,¡± Ru Amuh replied. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Then Dalgil glanced at the person staring intently at him. Chi-Woo was looking at Dalgil full of admiration. It was his first time seeing a being who fought as well as Ru Amuh and with a different style. Chi-Woo particularly liked how explosive Dalgil¡¯s club swings had been. Since they both used clubs to fight, Chi-Woo looked at him with even more awe. Dalgil also looked intently at Chi-Woo, but his gaze was different. He looked at Chi-Woo like he was seeing something unbelievable. Although he had personally witnessed what happened, he still found it hard to believe. The reason why anguses were dangerous wasn¡¯t only because of their poison; there was also the evil energy combined with the poison. Although this evil energy could be purified with holy energy, what happened earlier couldn¡¯t be seen as a purification. It nullified, distorted, crushed, and frantically ate away the evil energy. It was his first time seeing such an overwhelming and destructive power against evil. No, there was only one being that came to his mind who could do this¡ªthe pivotal existence among the Cassiubia League and said to be the only one existence like it between Liber¡¯s earth and heavens: the final dragon. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the person who defeated Vepar would be a priest. No, does that actually make more sense?¡± Dalgil spoke. ¡°I¡¯m more of a warrior than a priest since I use a club from time to time,¡± Chi-Woo replied brightly. Dalgil sighed, ¡°What a pity that I couldn¡¯t really see your skills, but it¡¯s all right. Once we start our test, I bet you won¡¯t even be able to rest.¡± Then he looked around and sighed, ¡°But it really is a big issue. Why are anguses at this place¡­?¡± Dalgil licked his lips but then stopped. ¡°C-Captain!¡± Bogle spoke then. ¡°Airi is¡­!¡± He cried out in a teary voice, not knowing what to do. CH 217 Two days had passed since Chi-Woo left Shalyh. ¡°My Lord, today¡­¡± Noel carefully entered Chi-Hyun¡¯s office. She had been enjoying a very happy life these past few days because Chi-Hyun had been visiting her daily at a set time to treat her. Aside from the fact that her physical condition was in tatters, she was extremely grateful that Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t kicked her out for disobeying his order. Moreover, she had the insolent thought that she was on a date with her revered lord every day, and she enjoyed every second of it, so much so she congratulated herself for making the spectacular decision of following Chi-Woo and screamed in delight constantly. However, Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t come to visit her today. Noel, who knew that Chi-Hyun kept his promise with extreme punctuality, became worried that something might have happened; she thus visited Chi-Hyun¡¯s office. However, Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t there. His desk, which had always been full of documents, was empty today. Noel blinked and turned on her device after thinking for a second. ¡°¡­What?¡± Then her eyes widened. * * * At Bogle¡¯s cries, they all rushed to check Airi¡¯s condition. It didn¡¯t seem good from a glance. While her injury didn¡¯t look serious with only a fang mark on her body that looked like a snake¡¯s bite, and the bleeding had stopped, the wound on her sky blue fur had turned red with blood, and the blood was hardening quickly. The drops of blood dangling at the tip of her hair were freezing like icicles and on the verge of turning into scabs. ¡°Ugh¡­Ugh¡­¡± Airi groaned in pain, and she looked extremely distressed. She hadn¡¯t yet lost her hold on her consciousness, but she looked close to losing herself¡ªnot for just a moment, but for good. ¡°Uh, what do we do, captain? Airi is going to die at this rate!¡± When Bogle nervously bit his nails and shouted, Dalgil flew into a rage, ¡°Save her! Don¡¯t stay still and do something! That¡¯s your role!¡± ¡°Damn it! I know it too! But I¡¯m an expert in spiritual healing, not medical healing!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you prepare medicine or an antidote for these kinds of situations!?¡± ¡°I already used some! But it¡¯s not working!¡± True to Bogle¡¯s words, there were already several empty bottles lying around him. ¡°Disregarding the poison, the evil energy has already infiltrated into her intestines! The fangs pierced her gut! Even I can¡¯t¡­!¡± Bogle couldn¡¯t bear to finish, and Dalgil¡¯s complexion grew deathly pale. ¡°Huff¡­Huff¡­¡± At that moment, Airi barely managed to open her eyes. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Her blinking eyes lost focus. ¡°Captain, as you said¡­I guess I was too¡­rash¡­¡± She continued with a weak voice, ¡°It¡¯s been a while¡­going outside¡­so I was¡­too¡­excited¡­¡± Her faint voice was choppy with pauses. ¡°I should¡­have¡­been more¡­careful¡­ugh!¡± She couldn¡¯t finish and groaned in pain. ¡°Airi! Don¡¯t talk! Save your energy! Your condition will get worse!¡± Bogle shouted while crying, but Airi couldn¡¯t hear him. She was going through intense pain, and Dalgil¡¯s expression crumbled as he felt her life force quickly dwindling. Dalgil shouted, ¡°Save her! Airi can¡¯t die! You need to save her at all costs!¡± ¡°Ca¡ªplease calm down!¡± As the atmosphere intensified, Ru Amuh hurriedly tried to calm Dalgil. ¡°I know¡­I also know that but¡­damn it-ahh! God Miho¡­!¡± Bogle cried out to his god while grabbing onto his oak staff. While Bogle wailed loudly and chanted spells futilely, Chi-Woo quickly ran forward and went down on one knee, putting his hand on Airi¡¯s wound. Dalgil, who had been huffing, stopped moving when he saw what Chi-Woo was doing. Perhaps¡ª Flash! Light burst from Chi-Woo¡¯s hand, and the light flowed into her wound and dyed her body white. Dalgil and Bogle were all intently focused on this scene, and Ru Hiana tightly held her hands together and prayed with an anxious heart. After some time, Airi¡¯s groans gradually died down. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± Her eyes fluttered open. Her whole body trembled, and she began wriggling. ¡°Uh¡­what¡­? Her body¡­?¡± It had seemed as if Airi was going to die at any moment, but she quickly regained her energy after the light surrounded her. Bogle hurriedly checked Airi¡¯s condition and exclaimed in amazement, ¡°The evil energy is gone!¡± The evil energy, which had been eating her insides at a rapid pace, disappeared like it¡¯d been washed away completely. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that her injury had disappeared. Chi-Woo¡¯s exorcism mana only cleansed the evil energy and was not able to heal wounds. Thus, Airi still had external injuries, but her condition had noticeably improved. ¡°Hmm¡­It¡¯s warm¡­feels nice¡­¡± Her voice sounded stronger, and she curled up her body. ¡°Woah¡­Wowww¡­¡± Bogle couldn¡¯t close his mouth when he witnessed Chi-Woo so easily drive out the evil energy, which was renowned for being extremely dreadful. Then he hugged Airi with teary eyes. ¡°Wahhhhhh! Airi! You¡¯re alive! You¡¯re alive!¡± ¡°Ack¡­! You idiot¡­! I¡¯m still injured¡­!¡± Airi also instinctively realized that her condition had improved, so she smiled while furrowing her brows in pain. Dalgil stopped holding his breath and shook his head. ¡°Airi would have died here without you. Thank you. Thanks to you, she lived.¡± Dalgil sighed in relief and bowed to thank Chi-Woo. Then he murmured, ¡°¡­But are you really not a priest?¡± Chi-Woo shrugged, saying it didn¡¯t matter either way. * * * Thanks to Chi-Woo¡¯s exorcism mana, Airi was able to narrowly escape death. However, she had merely survived, and she was no longer able to fulfill her duty. Bogle suggested going back through the same path they took to come here. The poison had been cleansed, and the evil energy had disappeared, but Airi¡¯s injury was still critical. Bogle argued that the medicine allowed Airi to maintain her current condition and live, but she needed to receive proper treatment as soon as possible. However, his argument was met with fierce opposition. ¡°Hey, you idiot¡­! Don¡¯t you know how important this expedition is to Dalgil¡­?¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°If you go back because of me¡­I¡­would feel extremely terrible even if I get better¡­I¡¯d rather die¡­¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t even walk properly now!¡± ¡°Then leave me and go¡­that would be better¡­¡± No matter how hard Bogle tried to persuade her, Airi remained firm in her beliefs; she didn¡¯t back down and insisted on not returning. ¡°This isn¡¯t such a simple issue,¡± Dalgil spoke his mind as well, but he looked clearly conflicted. Given Airi was the one saying this, he felt even more conflicted. ¡°Since the guide could not showcase her full skills, wouldn¡¯t it be hard to continue the expedition?¡± Ru Amuh was correct; there must be a guide in any expedition. With Airi¡¯s condition compromised, it was better to go back. ¡°No¡­! I can still go¡­! We¡¯re almost there¡­!¡± However, as Airi said, there was room for further consideration. ¡°Even though the expedition¡¯s ability to scout for enemies has dropped, and that is a matter of concern, we can reach our destination without issue. Bogle and I both know where it is.¡± After hesitating for a while, Dalgil continued, ¡°The problem is¡­that isn¡¯t the only problem.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ru Amuh asked. ¡°Anguses¡¯ habits,¡± Dalgil continued. ¡°Anguses usually move in one big group, but they sometimes divide themselves into two groups and move together.¡± A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes became sharp at his words, and he scanned their surroundings. ¡°In that case, one would be carrying out the operation, while the other quietly observes in hiding and makes a decision¡ªwhether to stay still, join the former group, or run away.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Yes, if they had split in two, they would¡¯ve missed the timing to intervene because everything ended so quickly.¡± Dalgil clutched his head and looked troubled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­the other group must have already escaped. I¡¯m sure of it. Those guys are extremely sly and cunning. They must have judged that they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance after seeing the capabilities of that combat priest.¡± It was only then did Ru Amuh finally realize Dalgil¡¯s concerns. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if the anguses had simply run away, but this area was under the great demon Botis¡¯ influence. In other words, if the anguses quickly notified their forces about them, Botis¡¯ army could be mobilized. ¡°Then isn¡¯t that all the more reason for us to return to Shalyh?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. But¡­¡± Nothing was certain yet. Airi was no longer able to fight or guide, but she wasn¡¯t immediately at risk of dying. The angus had the tendency to divide into two groups, but it was only a rare occurrence. They might not have done so this time. Unable to contribute to the conversation, Chi-Woo carefully observed Dalgil; first, Dalgil didn¡¯t look like a bad captain. He was very skilled, and based on Bogle and Airi¡¯s reaction, he was someone worth trusting. But most of all, Chi-Woo sensed that Dalgil wanted to go back like Bogle. Why was he so conflicted then? He didn¡¯t know the full circumstances, but it seemed there were unknown circumstances¡ªsomething not related to failing the promotion test. ¡®On second thought, Mr. Mangil also spoke as if we must succeed at all costs¡­¡¯ Otherwise, Mangil wouldn¡¯t have paid several times the original price so easily. Then Chi-Woo heard a long sign from Dalgil. ¡°Bogle,¡± Dalgil said after finally making his decision. ¡°Uh? Yes!¡± ¡°Throw the staff.¡± Bogle was shocked. ¡°C-captain! But!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t accept any more objections. Throw it.¡± Bogle frowned and looked crossed, but he didn¡¯t disobey Dalgil¡¯s order. With trembling hands, he took out the staff and threw it up. The oak staff twirled in the air before falling and spinning on the ground. While everyone was focused on it, the staff came to a stop¡ªpointing not at the holy city of Shalyh, but their destination. ¡°Ah!¡± Bogle clutched his head. On the contrary, Aria looked pleased, ¡°Good¡­Good¡­¡± ¡°We will continue the expedition after clearing the battlefield. Bogle, you take Airi with you.¡± ¡°But¡­Bogle¡¯s bag is too small so it¡¯s uncomfortable¡­ Is there a human who can take me¡­? In dangerous situations, you can just stuff me in your pocket¡­¡± Ru Hiana quickly volunteered. The expedition members cleaned up all of the dead anguses and began moving again. A little later¡­ ¡°I knew it.¡± When the expedition members disappeared, a man suddenly appeared into view. He lifted his leg and lightly tapped the earth with his toes. Quiver! That movement alone rocked the whole area. At the same time, several cries were heard simultaneously in the distance. A group of anguses, which had all been fleeing, let out a painful scream, and every single one of them died. Just like that, the risk of scouts reporting to Botis disappeared; that was why God Miho said it was okay for the expedition to continue. ¡°¡­Geez.¡± Chi-Hyun bent his neck left and right and muttered as he looked at the direction his brother had gone in. Chi-Woo had been a handful ever since he was young. * * * Their destination was not far off. It was a distance that could be reached in a day or two. On the fourth day, the expedition team finally entered new terrain. To the left, a light green field stretched on, and to the right, a forest boasting lush bushes increased in altitude little by little. And there was a river that rose high in the east and low in the west, separating these two areas and nourishing the soil. ¡®What did they say the mountain was? It was called a volcano something.¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at the volcano that had grown closer and stopped when Dalgil came to an abrupt halt at the front. A sense of anxiety spread among the group. After Airi was no longer able to fight, the expedition team moved forward like they were walking on thin ice. Although Hawa had stepped up as the guide since the situation was urgent, her scouting and sensing abilities were significantly lower than those of Airi¡¯s. Thus, it couldn¡¯t be helped that the expedition members would be extremely tense; they had to keep checking the front, back, left, right, and even the ground. Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t met any other enemies after the angus, but the reason why Dalgil had stopped was¡­ ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Everyone instinctively looked around at Dalgil¡¯s words. They couldn¡¯t see any structure; all they could see was a wide field. ¡°Is this the spot identified by the oracle?¡± ¡°Yeah. Rather than a spot, I would say this is the area the oracle specified. It¡¯s roughly around here.¡± Ru Amuh asked for confirmation, and Dalgil stepped on the ground and replied. Then he told them to wait for a while and called out to Bogle. Bogle unpacked his bag as if he had been waiting all along and took out several items. ¡°Senior, what are they doing?¡± Ru Hiana looked at Bogle busily moving about and asked Chi-Woo. ¡°It seems¡­he¡¯s setting up an altar for a ceremony.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been watching in silence, told her his hypothesis. ¡°An altar? That¡¯s an altar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an informal one, since we can¡¯t suddenly build a shrine or a temple here.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s informal, that¡¯s a little¡­¡± Chi-Woo smiled wryly; true to Ru Hiana¡¯s words, it was way too simple. The makeshift altar was worse than a ritual table. ¡°Not all gods like extravagance. Depending on their personality, there are gods who forgive simplicity depending on the situation. It seems like God Mamiya doesn''t care too much about formalities.¡± It was then a short laugh rang in his ears. Chi-Woo was startled and looked back at Ru Hiana in surprise. But she was just nodding. Chi-Woo looked around while tilting his head and stood guard. Soon after, Bogle said the altar was completed. At the front, Dalgil took out something from his arms and placed it in the center of the altar. Then he tipped his head back and roared loudly to the sky. ¡°God Mamiya! I, the descendent of Ulu, Dalbaek¡¯s son, and a buhguhbu warrior¡ªDalgil is here! Your child is here!¡± CH 218 Dalgil¡¯s loud shout rang in the area. However, nothing happened. The sky was calm, and the surroundings remained the same. What would Dalgil¡¯s reaction be if the silence continued? Would he be embarrassed? Chi-Woo suddenly became curious. However, Dalgil¡¯s gaze remained fixated on the sky and didn¡¯t move an inch. At that moment, a glimmer of light came from the edge of the field. It was very faint and kept flickering. However, as the flickering became more and more frequent, its brightness also increased. Soon after, all the expedition members had to narrow their eyes or use their hands as shields. Before they realized it, the light quickly grew in intensity and stopped flickering until it was like the sun. ¡°The token¡­!¡± Bogle shouted in a startled voice. Chi-Woo hurriedly turned to the altar and widened his eyes. The surging dazzling light almost obscured the token completely as it slowly rose, and it suddenly burst and shot light in all directions. Their visions went blank for a moment. It was so intense that they became blind for a few seconds. After a while, everyone opened their tightly shut eyes, and they all looked puzzled. Nothing had changed in their surroundings. ¡°Uh¡ª¡± But Bogle stumbled a little, and the ground suddenly began to shake. A violent vibration passed from the ground to the soles of their feet. Before someone could ask what was going on, the ground suddenly turned upside down from hundreds of meters away, and the same phenomenon occurred in more than one place. Boom, boom, boom! The earth exploded one after another from the left, right, front, and back, and things that looked like giant caterpillars sprang up at the same time. They were the anguses that they saw a while ago. Bang! An unusually loud explosion soon followed. ¡ªKiyaaaaaaaaaaaah! A monster several times larger than an angus burst out of the ground and howled like a fierce beast. It had bright, yellow eyes, and it looked more like a snake than a caterpillar. It reminded Chi-Woo of a legendary basilisk. ¡°Botis¡­!¡± Dalgil gasped as he saw the basilisk. ¡°No way! He¡¯s already here? This fast?¡± Bogle also screamed. Chi-Woo roughly grasped the situation. Botis, the 17th great demon, had personally emerged with his army. They had no idea what had happened. It was a little strange. Even if there had been another group of anguses as Dalgil said, it would have taken them a long time to go back and report the situation. No matter how fast the snake was, it was strange for Botis to arrive in just two days. However, their opponent was not an ordinary snake, but a great demon. Above all, what was most important now was not what led up to this situation. The expedition members looked left and right with flustered expressions and gathered together with their backs together. It was an understatement to say that the situation was not good. There were more than a couple thousand enemies. The sight of Botis rushing from the vanguard with thousands of legions was truly a terrifying sight to behold. The expedition members were quiet. Nobody said a word, so everyone¡¯s rough breathing could be clearly heard. ¡°Ruahu¡­senior¡­¡± Ru Hiana spoke with a trembling voice. Chi-Woo could feel her shaking with his back against hers. He sneaked a glance at Philip, wondering if Philip had a way to overcome this sudden and unexpected situation. There was no one who was more of an expert in dealing with great demons than him. ¡ªIt¡¯s been fun, kid. Chi-Woo was dumbfounded by Philip¡¯s calm statement. ¡®Come on, why are you saying your goodbyes already?¡¯ ¡ªThen what can I do? There are at least 10,000 opponents, but there¡¯s only seven of you. What do you expect when the situation is like this? Philip said flatly. ¡ªIt¡¯s hard to reverse a situation like this unless an existence completely out of normal standards joins in. No matter how strong and brave Dalgil is to face 10,000 enemies alone, they have Botis on the other side. Philip yawned until his mouth drooped, and he smacked his lips. ¡ªWell, but don¡¯t surrender or anything. Since the situation is like this, fighting to the end and dying is also a good¡ª ¡®Then what about a way to live?¡¯ ¡ªWhat? ¡®Not a way to victory, but survival.¡¯ The indifferent look on Philip¡¯s face slowly changed a little. Even when facing an intense crisis that seemed impossible to survive, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t flustered, and instead calmly tried to think of a way to live. ¡®This punk.¡¯ Philip grinned and spoke with a serious expression. ¡ªUnlike the monospecies humankind, the Demon Empire is made up of great demons and demonic creatures. You may consider these two groups as having the same roots, but from different branches; great demons are demonic creatures that grew in strength by absorbing energy and evolving. That raises the question¡ªif this is the case, what are the legions commanded by great demons? Philip continued very quickly. ¡ªShould we consider them great demons, or demonic creatures? Chi-Woo tilted his head. He had never thought about this, and it was quite a complicated question to answer. ¡ªThe answer is great demons. Chi-Woo, who was thinking that they might be demonic creatures, slightly gaped. ¡ªSince each of the soldiers in a great demon¡¯s legion are not born but created by their master, we can consider them to be part of the great demon. Killing a demon¡¯s legion thus diminishes their power by the same margin. What about the reverse then? Chi-Woo finally knew what Philip was trying to say. ¡ªWhat about it? Can you see a path out now? Philip grinned. ¡ªOf course, extinguishing a great demon doesn¡¯t mean that their legion will suddenly disappear. However, it¡¯s structured in a way that the whole army will be severely damaged should its master disappear. The stronger the solidarity and ties between the great demon and their legion, the more likely you can expect the legion to self-destruct. How do you shut down a huge, complicated device that was interconnected in one shot? The answer was simple¡ªall one had to do was break the core of the device. ¡°Captain!¡± Chi-Woo shouted, ¡°I suggest rushing towards Botis!¡± Dalgil looked back. The Cassiubia League had fought numerous wars with the Demon Empire. Dalgil was a brave and experienced warrior who always fought at the forefront against the Demon Empire, and as a warrior who faced the legions of great demons several times, he instantly caught the intention behind Chi-Woo¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t even have the time to ask if Chi-Woo was confident in winning; their enemy was only a couple feet away. ¡°We¡¯re moving forward!¡± Knowing it was the only option, Dalgil grabbed his club and hit the ground with all his might. The other expedition members followed his brave example. ¡ªRemember, you need to do it properly. Philip¡¯s words were carried by the wind. Chi-Woo felt fearful as he saw the angus army rushing towards them like water, but he endured it and increased his exorcism mana. Chi-Woo tightly clutched his ghost-busting club and infused all of his exorcism mana into it. Since Chi-Woo and Botis were both rushing towards each other, their eyes met. Chi-Woo soared high and fell in a long parabolic trajectory. He didn¡¯t do anything special; just like how he¡¯d practiced thousands of times, he pulled back the club as soon as its tip touched Botis¡¯ forehead. Then¡ª ¡®Ah?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t a sound of impact; he couldn¡¯t even feel anything hitting the club and instead felt like he had hit only air. ¡®No way?¡¯ Did he improperly carry out the snapping technique? Chi-Woo hurriedly turned back as soon as he landed on the ground. Then his expression went blank. Botis wasn¡¯t moving; he was paralyzed as if under a spell¡ªno, the entire army was paralyzed. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been mistaken. Dalgil and all the other expedition members, who had been preparing for a fight, stopped in confusion. Even the space seemed flustered as the air began fluctuating. ¡°What¡ª¡± When someone opened their mouth¡ª Shaaaaaaa¡ª Botis and his legions began to disappear from head to toe like a handful of ash flying in the wind. ¡®What is it?¡¯ This was different from what Philip said. He said that it was very rare for a legion to disappear immediately after extinguishing its great demon. But¡­ ¡ªNow I understand. Chi-Woo suddenly heard a voice. ¡ªWhy La Bella, who vowed to never get involved in human affairs, changed her mind. The voice sounded thin and mysterious, and it was hard to tell if the speaker was female or male. ¡ªBut this is going too far. Even though it¡¯s a ¡®clone¡¯ that cannot produce even one-sixth of the great demon¡¯s original power, it still is a great demon. I didn¡¯t think you could make a blow that would extinguish it in one shot¡­ Startled, Chi-Woo turned left and right. However, the speaker was nowhere to be seen; he only heard the voice. ¡ªAt this rate, the test that I prepared for my child won¡¯t be fully established. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®The test that you prepared for your child?¡¯ It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡ªOriginally, I didn¡¯t want anyone to get hurt, but¡­ It can¡¯t be helped. For this test, your existence is basically a cheat. Thus, I¡¯ll change the test even though I don¡¯t want to. With these last words, Mamiya¡¯s voice disappeared. Chi-Woo, who had been blinking with a blank face, suddenly felt the light shining again. Botis and his legion disappeared and gathered to become Mamiya¡¯s token. It shone again and grew in size in a flash. At first, it expanded widely into a round shape to the size of a stadium; then it began to grow like a tree. When the expedition members finally came to their senses, a tower emitting a dazzling light appeared in front of them, seemingly piercing the sky. Dalgil looked up at the tower with a bewildered face and suddenly flinched. ¡°What, what!?¡± It seemed as if someone was telling him something. ¡°I-Is that really true!?¡± He opened his eyes wide and gaped. ¡°Na¡­¡± He exclaimed in a tone of disbelief. ¡°Narsha¡­! Narsha Haram!¡± ¡°W-what-!?¡± Bogle also gasped. ¡°That is Narsha Haram? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah! This tower is the legendary Narsha Haram!¡± ¡°H-how do you know that, Captain? Have you ever seen Narsha Haram?¡± ¡°God Mamiya just told me!¡± Dalgil shouted with a very excited tone. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ve received another oracle?¡± ¡°Yeah! God Mamiya has directly spoken to me to search the first floor of Narsha Haram to find a token!¡± Bogle covered his mouth with both hands. If Dalgil¡¯s words were true, this was truly an astounding event. ¡°God Mamiya! Thank you! I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t regret choosing me!¡± Dalgil spoke enthusiastically and rolled his arms. ¡°We can¡¯t stand still. All march in formation. We¡¯re going to immediately head inside!¡± ¡°Calm down, Captain! Wait, wait a minute!¡± Bogle hurriedly stopped Daligil, who was heading to the door. ¡°If what you said is true¡ª!¡± ¡°Are you doubting me?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it!¡± Bogle fervently denied it. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯d be better if you calm down a little! If this tower is really Narsha Haram, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside!¡± He quickly glanced around and continued, ¡°And even if it¡¯s for a short while, can¡¯t we take a break? We¡¯ve been getting pretty tired while staying guard, and my legs are shaking because of what just happened and¡­¡± ¡°For such measly reasons¡ª¡± ¡°Airi¡¯s condition is bad.¡± Dalgil immediately stopped talking. Bogle continued, ¡°She hasn¡¯t been talking for a while, so I checked up on her¡­ Her whole body is hot. Her fever is extremely serious.¡± Dalgil moved his gaze towards Airi. As Bogle said, Airi was lying in Ru Hiana¡¯s arms as if she was dead, and it seemed difficult for her to even breathe. Her sky-blue fur looked almost red. ¡°I would also like to take a break before going in, if only for a little while.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been quietly watching the situation, supported Bogle. ¡°I used up too much energy at once, and I need time to replenish.¡± Dalgil wasn¡¯t innately bad, but simply got too heated in the moment. After seeing Airi¡¯s condition and hearing Chi-Woo, Dalgil realized his hastiness and nodded. ¡°Come to think of it¡­yeah. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry for getting carried away. Let¡¯s rest here. Bogle, you take care of Airi.¡± Then he told Chi-Woo, ¡°And once you¡¯re ready, please tell me.¡± The way Dalgil talked to Chi-Woo slightly changed. Dalgil knew that the sudden appearance of Botis had been part of Mamiya¡¯s test, but even then, he was extremely impressed by Chi-Woo¡¯s ability to extinguish their enemies with one blow. He judged that the rumor about Chi-Woo beating Vepar was the truth. Chi-Woo winked at Bogle, and Bogle, who was very worried, looked extremely grateful toward him. CH 219 Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes. The day was dark. Caught in the chaos, he had lost track of time, and it seemed a long time had passed since then. Narsha Haram was still standing resolutely in its spot. A faint light from the bonfire fluctuated around the tower and revealed the camping site near it. It seemed the others had decided to sleep for the night and enter the tower tomorrow when he showed no signs of waking up. ¡®The captain of the team must be feeling impatient.¡¯ Chi-Woo bitterly smiled. The breathing exercise his brother taught him was truly good, but it took him way too long to gather his exorcism mana again; it was only understandable. After all, it required him to breathe out the old while breathing in the new, and it didn¡¯t stop until he released all the impurities inside him. But thanks to everyone having waited for him, Chi-Woo estimated he¡¯d recovered his exorcism mana to 70%. Then he felt somebody else¡¯s gaze upon him. He looked to where the bonfire was and saw something flicker around the firelight. It was Bogle. ¡°Huh, you¡¯re up?¡± It seemed Bogle was on guard duty and protecting the bonfire alone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Chi-Woo said while getting up. ¡°We wasted a day because of me.¡± ¡°No! What do you mean waste!¡± Bogle waved his hand frantically. ¡°Well, Captain might¡¯ve been feeling a bit impatient¡­but I was glad about it. Honestly, we couldn¡¯t actually rest because of how focused we¡¯ve been on marching. I think it¡¯s better that we recover properly before entering the Narsha Haram!¡± Bogle talked for a long time about why there was no need for Chi-Woo to feel apologetic before turning sullen again. ¡°And Airi¡¯s fever isn¡¯t dropping¡­¡± Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Is her condition dire?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lot better now. I think she¡¯s overcome the critical period. Ah¡­¡± Bogle looked flustered as he walked toward him. ¡°Everyone is sleeping. You can also go if you¡¯re tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that if my presence makes you uncomfortable.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean!¡± Bogle jumped to emphasize his point, and Chi-Woo slumped down next to him. ¡°That¡¯s good. I just finished my breathing exercise, so my mind is clear.¡± ¡°Heh¡ªIs that what you call a breathing exercise? It was really cool! Beautiful clouds whirled around you, and as soon as you opened your eyes, they all got sucked into your body¡­¡± Bogle¡¯s eyes sparkled as he talked about what he had seen. Chi-Woo smiled and said, ¡°She must be really precious to you.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You know, Ms. Airi.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Chi-Woo thought Bogle would look embarrassed and try to avoid responding, but he smiled and immediately admitted, ¡°Yes! Of course she¡¯s precious to me!¡± Bogle said, ¡°Dingos and carbuncles don¡¯t have a bad relationship as we have similar roots. I¡¯ve also known her since I was young and went through so many ups and downs with her on the battlefield¡­¡± Bogle rattled on without being prompted. Chi-Woo nodded and said, ¡°If Ms. Airi wakes up, I should relay to her what you just told me. I¡¯m sure she will be very glad to hear that.¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t ever tell her,¡± Bogle said in surprise and grabbed the hem of Chi-Woo¡¯s shirt. ¡°If Airi hears that, she will tease me about it for the rest of my life. Please¡­I beg you.¡± Chi-Woo let out a small burst of laughter at Bogle¡¯s desperate tone. It really seemed like Chi-Woo had made the right choice to talk to Bogle. Although Bogle had been keeping his feelings to himself, he must have been anxious about Airi¡¯s condition the whole time, and now all sorts of expressions were passing through his face. ¡°You aren¡¯t joking right? You really won¡¯t tell her right?¡± ¡°Hm~ Let me think about it.¡± ¡°Ugh, why are you suddenly acting like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it for free. If you satisfy one of my curiosities, I will keep this a secret between us.¡± ¡°Curiosity?¡± ¡°Yes. Like what is the Narsha Haram that the captain is so excited about?¡± Hearing this, Bogle stared intently at Chi-Woo. He realized what Chi-Woo was doing. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Bogle scratched his head, looking a bit shy. ¡°You saved Airi, spoke to Captain for me, and are now even looking out for me¡­ You really are a good human.¡± ¡°Eh, what do you mean good human? I¡¯m a sly human who is trying to use one of your weaknesses to fulfill my curiosity.¡± ¡°Haha. Is that so? Then I have no choice. I have revealed to you my weakness by blabbing on, so I must respond to your question.¡± Bogle chuckled like he was finally in a good mood and cleared his throat. ¡°Narsha Haram is a tower where the buhguhbu race¡¯s dreams begin.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the start of the legend of God Mamiya, whom the buhguhbus including Captain serve,¡± Bogle continued. ¡°Looking back, buhguhbus have quite the deep history. It can be traced back beyond the ancient times to the mythical times.¡± ¡°By mythical times¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the time of the gods,¡± Bogle said. ¡°When gods ruled Liber.¡± In Earth terms, it would be during the times of Greek mythology. ¡°You know God Kabbalah from our city, right? There were many gods like God Kabbalah before ancient times. When the mythical times ended, and the world entered the ancient times, most of the gods left the Middle World.¡± Kabbalah was different from other gods in the way she meddled with matters in the Middle World. Gods now kept their intervention to a minimum, but during mythical times, they personally ascended to the human realms and lived among many other species. Thus, naturally, gods often got into arguments or fights with one another; and since gods were involved, the scales of these fights were especially large. One particular battle nicknamed the ¡®The Gods¡¯ Twilight¡¯, or ¡®Ragnar?k¡¯, swept through the entire world. It was a great war that almost caused Liber¡¯s ruin, and the surviving gods from that battle agreed to leave the Middle World so that something like this would never happen again. They gave up on their rule over the Middle World, and humans and other species took over, thus ending the mythical times to begin the ancient times. In other words, Ragnar?k was the pivotal event that divided the two ages. ¡°During the mythical times, buhguhbus weren¡¯t a race with much power. They were on the weaker end because they had no gods.¡± A race that didn¡¯t receive a god¡¯s blessings could only be weak. After all, this was during the times when gods could erode a mountain with just the slightest gesture of their hands and create an ocean. There was a reason why Liber almost fell because of Ragnar?k. ¡°What do you think the buhguhbus¡¯ dreams would¡¯ve been during that time?¡± ¡°Hm¡­survival?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. And if I had to add one more thing, it is to serve their own god since that was synonymous to gaining power during that time.¡± Back then, the buhguhbus were in such a dire state that survival was their only dream. ¡°They were well-regarded by other species because they were good with their hands even during those times though. And after many arduous days, a prominent buhguhbu appeared.¡± This buhguhbu was Mamiya. ¡°According to legends, Mamiya first appeared when there was a dispute between the buhguhbus and another race. Apparently, this other race was quite a powerful force that served a god.¡± Bogle said with a trace of teasing in his expression. ¡°As you can tell from Captain, the buhguhbus have very strong pride. They would rather die than give up.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°The other race¡¯s god must have been astounded. They provoked a fight because they coveted the buhguhbus¡¯ talents. Yet the buhguhbus resisted, determined that they would be wiped out before they would surrender.¡± Thus, after much thought, the other race¡¯s god came up with a trick. Instead of continuing this meaningless war, the god asked to make a bet. ¡°A bet?¡± ¡°Yes. If the buhguhbus lost the bet, they would have to live as slaves to the other race forever. But if they won, the other race wouldn¡¯t bother them ever again and would instead treat them as fellow comrades.¡± In the end, Mamiya accepted the god¡¯s challenge and succeeded. Thanks to that, Mamiya¡¯s fame rose far and wide, and the god admitted their fault and defeat. Afterward, Mamiya was celebrated as his race¡¯s hero and even made a mark at the end of the Ragnar?k that almost caused the end of the world. Even in his last breath, Mamiya swore to guard the buhguhbus after death and joined the ranks of gods. ¡°Then the bet was¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Bogle smirked and said while looking up at the Narsha Haram, ¡°It¡¯s to break through this tower of trials.¡± ¡°This tower is made up of seven floors. At the time of the bet, the other group¡¯s god said that if Mamiya could bring an item from the top floor, they would back away without complaints.¡± ¡°What happened then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too shocked, but Sir Mamiya completed the condition in just a day!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That was how outstanding Sir Mamiya was. According to the legends, the creatures on the top floor didn¡¯t even think of blocking Sir Mamiya because they feared him.¡± ¡®Oh¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo exclaimed in astonishment. ¡°You can understand why Captain was so excited right?¡± Chi-Woo nodded. For the buhguhbus, the tower named Narsha Haram was immensely symbolic. Although the condition that they needed to retrieve an item from only the first floor sounded ominous, Dalgil¡¯s status in his tribe would rise significantly if he accomplished this deed and returned home. ¡°How is it? Did I fulfill your curiosity?¡± ¡°Yes. It was very interesting.¡± ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m glad you liked it. So, does that mean you will keep my secret?¡± ¡°Hm, I think I¡¯ll have to think about that a bit more.¡± ¡°Erm. Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I will have to keep fulfilling your curiosities. Is there anything else that you¡¯re curious about?¡± ¡°There is. When you mentioned the other race¡¯s god, who¡ª¡± ¡°I was wondering when you were going to ask. The god who made the bet with Sir Mamiya was God Miho, whom both Airi and I serve¡­¡± ¡°Ah, really? Then¡­¡± ¡°Yes. After that bet, God Miho acknowledged Sir Mamiya and accepted the buhguhbus as allies. From then on, our three races¡­¡± As the two talked, the night continued to deepen. *** The next day, the camping site was busy early in the morning. It was because Dalgil was intent on entering the Narsha Haram tower today. He didn¡¯t look so good. It appeared he didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep last night. Noting the dark circles under Dalgil¡¯s eyes, Chi-Woo said while smiling, ¡°You must have been too excited to sleep, sir.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep with the sound of people excitedly chattering all morning,¡± Dalgil said in a slightly hoarse voice. It didn¡¯t sound like he was really blaming Chi-Woo. ¡°Thank you.¡± Instead, Dalgil was thankful. ¡°There¡¯s the deal with Airi, but I¡¯m sure Bogle must have been worried sick. He seemed much brighter this morning. I should¡¯ve taken care of him better as the captain¡­ You have my sincere thanks.¡± ¡°Focusing just on the expedition usually keeps a captain¡¯s hands full,¡± Chi-Woo replied kindly and looked around. ¡°By the way, Ms. Airi¡­¡± ¡°I already checked on her. Her fever had gone down significantly.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s only one thing to do.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Make sure you have a good breakfast. Who knows what we will have to deal with if we go inside.¡± Like Dalgil told them to, the expedition team filled up their stomachs. ¡ªI¡¯m a bit worried. While eating, Philip suddenly spoke. ¡ªThe test suddenly changed because of you. Chi-Woo glanced at Philip, and Philip continued. ¡ªI don¡¯t know if we¡¯re doing the right thing. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡ªWell, you know Mamiya admitted that you are a cheat-like existence against the Demon Empire and changed the test. Doesn¡¯t that mean the change would make it so your existence is no longer a cheat? Chi-Woo fell into deep contemplation. Philip was right. ¡ªWell, seeing your user information, I can guess how it would¡¯ve changed. Although Philip¡¯s points were valid, they couldn¡¯t ask the god to change things back now. The expedition team finished their meal, organized the campsite, and stood in front of the tower¡¯s entrance. There was no need to say more. After looking up at the tower for a bit, Dalgil started moving with a stern look on his face. He reached out to open the door when the door made out of light opened wide by itself. Dalgil stopped. Inside the door was pure darkness. No one could tell what there was. It felt as if they were willingly walking into a monster¡¯s mouth, but Dalgil strode confidently inside. One after another, the expedition team entered the Narsha Haram. Bam! The door closed by itself. The expedition team stood still inside the darkness, unable to see anything. ¡°Should we have lit up a torch before going in¡­?¡± Bogle suggested in a trembling voice. It was then their surroundings suddenly lit up like a stage would when the actors got on. Chi-Woo closed his eyes at the sudden brightness then opened them again. His jaw dropped. ¡®A pillar? No, the walls¡­¡¯ The ivory-colored interior looked considerably wide, much wider than what the exterior of the tower would suggest. It was akin to seeing a giant pool when they expected only a bathtub. White walls lined the room, and the curved paths interrupting the walls were so complicated that the place appeared like a maze. It seemed to be how the first floor was structured, and inside this maze, they needed to find Mamiya¡¯s token. Realizing this, Dalgil¡¯s face stiffened, and he said, ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t good. Why now of all times¡­¡± In a maze where they couldn¡¯t make heads or tails, they especially needed a guide. However, Airi hadn¡¯t regained her senses yet. Still, it wasn¡¯t like they were completely helpless. ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. Bogle, can you throw your staff whenever we arrive at a fork¡­?¡± Dalgil trailed off when he saw Bogle floundering around with a stunned look on his face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I-It doesn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t work. I don¡¯t know why, but it¡¯s different from usual. God Miho isn¡¯t giving me directions.¡± Bogle picked up the staff from the ground and threw it again, but nothing changed. The oak tree staff didn¡¯t rotate like a top as it usually did and instead fell limply onto the ground. ¡°Why is it acting this way? Why suddenly? God Miho, please¡­¡± Bogle whimpered. Dalgil¡¯s face grew stiff. He had an inkling as to what was going on. Mamiya and Miho were close. Miho liked Mamiya for taking a god¡¯s bet head-on and passing. Moreover, Miho had offered support to help Mamiya join the rank of gods; the fact alone displayed the kind of relationship the two had. Thus, there was only one reason why Miho¡¯s powers weren¡¯t activating right now. Miho was respecting the test being given and wanted the expedition team to do as Mamiya wished. ¡°They don¡¯t want us to take shortcuts, but go through this obstacle head-on just like God Mamiya.¡± This was what Dalgil wanted anyways. ¡°Good. I will show them,¡± Dalgil murmured and huffed from his nose. Chi-Woo felt someone tap on his shoulders. He turned around to see Hawa looking at him. ¡°What is it?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Hawa jerked her chin without saying anything. She shifted her gaze upwards, and Chi-Woo tilted his head to follow even while looking puzzled. CH 220 Chi-Woo¡¯s eyebrows furrowed when he looked up. The Narsha Haram¡¯s interior was completely clouded in faint white light, yet its marble ceiling shone and reflected the entire first floor just like it was showing a map. Soon, the other members of the expedition team looked at the ceiling and fell into deep silence. The layout reflected on the ceiling looked extremely complicated and convoluted at first glance. Furthermore, the reflection was foggy rather than clear like a mirror, so they couldn¡¯t make out the exact details. Chi-Woo tried to enhance his eyesight with exorcism mana as much as possible, but the reflection was still hazy. ¡°Urgh¡­God Mamiya is being a bit¡­¡± Bogle groaned. Perhaps the god had given the expedition team some advantage for losing their guide, but this was barely better than nothing. ¡°Which way do we have to go?¡± Ru Hiana licked her dry lips and asked. Even the path in front of them was split into two. It was obvious that there would be more crossroads inside, and the thought disheartened everyone on the team. It was then Hawa spoke up. ¡°Left.¡± Everyone instantly turned to her. ¡°There¡¯s no point in going right. There¡¯s no path leading to the next space whichever direction we go from there.¡± Bogle blinked fast in surprise. He didn¡¯t know what Hawa was saying. ¡°What do you mean by the next space?¡± Dalgil quickly asked. ¡°I think this tower¡¯s first floor is made up of a total of eight spaces, or we may call them compartments. We need to go through all of them to escape the maze, and it seems the general direction we have to take is clockwise.¡± Hawa used phrases like ¡®I think¡¯ and ¡®it seems¡¯. They were taboo words for a guide because someone leading a team must always be certain. But considering that Hawa had been following them from the rear the whole time until now, Dalgil asked instead of rebuking her, ¡°What is your reasoning?¡± Instead of answering, Hawa jerked her chin upwards, silently telling Dalgil to look up. ¡°Are you telling me that you read the entire map on the ceiling?¡± Dalgil asked in disbelief. First of all, the image reflected on the marble was hazy and unclear. And because it was so wide, they couldn¡¯t see the opposite side at all. Thus, it was only natural that Dalgil would be doubtful of Hawa. Hawa shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t see everything, only about half of it.¡± But Dalgil couldn¡¯t hide his surprise upon hearing this. After all, he was only able to make out a tiny portion of their surroundings on the map, much less half of it. ¡°The overall layout of the first floor is circular. And the left and right side of the compartment we are standing in gets narrower as we go further in.¡± The members of the expedition team quickly looked around them and confirmed that as Hawa said, the walls on their sides closed in slightly as they went further in. ¡°So the first floor is a circular, fan-shaped structure made up of eight compartments,¡± Dalgil said. Hearing this, Chi-Woo thought of a large pizza divided into eight slices. ¡°Yes, and I see a door for us to pass through at the center of the first floor from where we are standing ,¡± Hawa said without taking her eyes off the ceiling. ¡°And if we continue to the compartment on the left after that, I see a door leading to the next compartment on the farthest opposite arc.¡± Ru Amuh gasped softly. Based on what Hawa said, if they wanted to go around the entire first floor, they needed to travel in S-curves to pass through compartments. ¡°If this space is perfectly symmetrical¡ª¡± ¡°What makes you think the place might be symmetrical?¡± Hawa glanced at Dalgil and answered, ¡°¡­If the place is structured in a way that doors are located alternatively between centers and arcs, I think there must be a door on the right of the arc at the very right compartment.¡± And Hawa explained that her guesses were supported by the image on the ceiling. Dalgil looked back to Chi-Woo with an uncharacteristically shocked expression. It was as if he was asking if they could really believe her. Chi-Woo was also surprised, but explained to him Hawa¡¯s background and how she was born into a nomadic tribe. Dalgil seemed to accept the situation better then. ¡°Hm. The Shahnaz tribe. I¡¯ve heard of them. If it¡¯s a tribe that went through war and conquest daily¡­¡± Since Hawa had lived among vast plains since she was young, it was reasonable that her eyesight would be exceptionally good with a wider area of vision than most. In Earth terms, it was like how Mongolians could catch flag-bearers earlier than anyone else at a race course. Dalgil looked at Hawa curiously and asked, ¡°Could you perhaps walk behind me?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect perfection. I would just like you to give me directions from time to time.¡± The group took a collective breath. Dalgil was basically saying that he wanted to make Hawa their guide. A guide was important for any expedition and was often called a ¡®header¡¯ of the team. Sometimes, they held authority on par with the leader, and there were also many cases when the leader took the role of a guide themselves. Before replying to Dalgil, Hawa turned to Chi-Woo, and she stepped forward after getting a nod from him. Hawa¡¯s new position was decided in an instant. Watching Hawa take the spot right behind Dalgil, Chi-Woo was hit by a complicated feeling. Although it was hard to tell what she was thinking externally, this was a girl zealous for power. And the situation was different from the last expedition when they fought Zepar. This time, Hawa quietly did what was expected of her without getting noticed and seized the opportunity as soon as it was offered to her. It seemed she had reflected back on herself after getting scolded by Apoline. Thinking this, Chi-Woo found Hawa quite admirable. ¡°So we are going left. Since we don¡¯t know when and where we could be attacked, everyone be on your guard,¡± Dalgil said. And thus, the marching with Dalgil on the lead began. The maze consisted of a variety of shapes, including ¡®?¡¯, ¡®?¡¯, ¡®?¡¯, and more; as expected, it was very complicated. It also felt a bit stuffy. And they had to stop often because Hawa needed to check the reflection on the ceiling every few steps. As a result, the speed at which they advanced was slow as a snail¡¯s, but no one said anything. Rather than being suddenly ambushed like what had happened to Airi with the anguses, it was much better for them to go the slower but safer route. As was often the case, though, danger always came at unexpected times. The expedition team stopped again after turning a corner. This time, it wasn¡¯t to look at the ceiling. ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°There are three of them.¡± Bogle and Dalgil spoke up simultaneously. As they said, there were three figures on their knees in front of the team. None of them moved the slightest bit; it was as if they were hardened and attached to the ground. All three were humanoid beings heavily equipped with armor, but none of them looked alive. Instead, they were deathly pale like recently drowned victims. Chi-Woo thought he met eyes with one of them, and soon his ominous feelings came to reality. A bluish light passed through the three soldiers¡¯ eyes and¡ª ¡°They are getting up!¡± Bogle shouted, and as he said, the three soldiers got up and glared at the expedition team. What followed immediately was surprising: the three soldiers stretched out their arms, and the ends of their fingers lengthened and changed into the shape of spears. ¡°Attack first! Haaah!¡± Dalgil rushed forward while clutching his steel club. Seeing this, the three soldiers kicked off the floor wordlessly. They all raised their spears and rushed forward while aiming for Dalgil. ¡°Haaap!¡± Dalgil swung his club wildly. He crushed the head of the soldier running at him, but faltered afterward. ¡°What?¡± The head that had exploded like a water balloon reconverged like water after a splash. The soldiers on both sides took the chance to thrust their spears at Dalgil¡¯s sides. Dalgil quickly twisted his body around, but the soldiers¡¯ spears still touched his armor. While they failed to pierce through it, they melted like water and soaked it. Dalgil felt chills and heat from the fluid seeping through the cracks. The water that had penetrated inside morphed into sharp thorns and pierced his body, rendering the armor that usually shielded him useless. ¡°Water! It¡¯s water!¡± Bogle shouted quickly after seeing Dalgil falter. At that moment, a strong whirlwind swept through the path. It was Ru Amuh. As soon as he heard Bogle, he created wind. It was effective in getting rid of the fluid sticking to Dalgil and the water that made the soldiers. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡°Buy me some time!¡± And while the fluids repeatedly scattered away from the wind and gathered again, Bogle quickly took out a bottle from his bag and threw it with all his might. The bottle broke when it crashed into the ceiling, and liquid scattered everywhere. The yellowish liquid didn¡¯t mix with the fluidly changing bodies of the soldiers and streaked down. ¡°Captain! Back away!¡± Bogle shouted, and Dalgil stepped backward while enduring the pain. Soon, a torch fire flew above his head. Crackle! The soldiers were fighting hard to not get swept by the whirlwind when their entire body caught on fire. It appeared the fluid Bogle had thrown was oil. The soldiers fell into chaos then. They tried to extinguish the fire somehow, but the strong winds only stoked the fire and made it burn stronger. In the end, bubbles gargled up from their bodies, and a gush of steam poured out until they evaporated. It was then Dalgil staggered and collapsed to the ground. ¡°Captain! Are you all right?¡± Boggle hurriedly rushed to Dalgil¡¯s side. Dalgil groaned, ¡°Damn it¡­I have never heard of a soldier made of water.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably not something as fantastical as that. I think they are chimeras.¡± ¡°chimeras?¡± ¡°Yes, I recall reading about them in records. It¡¯s a type of familiar spirit,¡± Dalgil explained while tending to Dalgil¡¯s injuries. ¡°They are soldiers created by putting humans into a boiling special concoction created with magic alive.¡± ¡°So does that mean the guys we just fought were human soldiers?¡± ¡°Probably. Given we¡¯re inside Narsha Haram, those guys might¡¯ve been humans from mythical times.¡± To think those soldiers were created by melting humans alive¡ªDalgil scowled, while Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t overcome her disgust and became nauseous. ¡°Well, those kinds of practices were common during those times, though they are illegal now¡­here, drink this.¡± Bogle put a bottle half-filled with healing potion to Dalgil¡¯s lips. Dalgil drank, and his pain significantly decreased. Some time later, Dalgil nodded and got up. ¡°Let¡¯s get back into formation. We will start again immediately.¡± ¡°Already? Shouldn¡¯t you rest a bit more¡ª¡± ¡°That was only the first battle, nothing more than warm-up probably. Don¡¯t whine, Bogle.¡± Bogle looked pitifully at Dalgil, but seeing how firm Dalgil was, he shut his mouth and obediently backed away. Thus, the marching continued. They hoped that they would be able to reach the door without encountering any enemies, but as expected of a test, that was too much to ask for. The expedition team walked along the swerving path, and not long after they got through about half the maze, they had to stop marching again. The ground suddenly shook like there was an earthquake. ¡°What? Is it a trap?¡± ¡°Did you touch something?!¡± They spoke up one after another. Chi-Woo put all his focus on trying to recover his balance when he suddenly heard something scratch the floor. Drrrr. The expedition looked back to see where the sound came from, and one by one, their gazes shifted downwards. A large, squarish hole formed on the ground, and some kind of giant, angular lump shot up. Seeing that its body was made up of attached pieces of refined rocks, Bogle shouted, ¡°This is crazy! It¡¯s a golem¡­!¡± ¡°Everyone back away!¡± Dalgil didn¡¯t rush forward this time. Unfortunately, they were unable to move as he intended even though his judgment wasn¡¯t bad; another hole had formed behind them. They were thus trapped between enemies on both sides. As golems far exceeding three meters stomped toward them, the expedition team was caught in the middle like helpless prey. ¡°Damn it!¡± Dalgil cursed as he marched toward the golem approaching from their front. ¡°I will take care of the back!¡± Ru Amuh shouted as he turned around and ran like the wind. Dalgil¡¯s steel club sliced through the air fiercely, and when it made contact with the golem¡¯s arm, Chi-Woo could see it clearly: on the surface of the golem¡¯s metallic arm, brightly shining metaphysical symbols hovered into the air and¡ª Wing! Dalgil¡¯s arms were flung upward along with the steel club in his hands, leaving his vital parts exposed. The golem¡¯s fist then struck him. ¡°Kuh-!¡± Although Dalgil didn¡¯t fall or get blown away, it took a couple steps backward for him to regain his balance. But the way he arched his back slightly showed that Dalgil was in bad shape; the problem was compounded by the fact that he was attacked at the same spot where the kimera soldiers injured him. And the golem¡¯s strength was evident given it had crushed Dalgil¡¯s hard, thick armor. ¡°Ahhhh! To think a silver golem will show up!¡± Bogle despaired while looking teary. ¡°What¡¯s a silver golem?¡± Now that Bogle mentioned it, Chi-Woo noticed that the golem had a silverish shine to it. ¡°They are golems considered to be one of the masterpieces created from mythical times! They have magic that deflect all physical attacks! Damn it! It¡¯s my first time seeing one!¡± All the while, Dalgil continued to rush forward and fight. He fought fiercely against a golem much bigger than his size, but the way he swung his club wasn¡¯t as strong as before. He was injured, and as Bogle said, the golem deflected physical attacks. ¡°W-What can we do? We should do something with that magic first¡­!¡± Bogle murmured anxiously. The way he gnawed on his nails showed that he didn¡¯t have a clear solution either. Though Hawa was throwing daggers at what looked to be the golem¡¯s core after hearing what Bogle said, her attacks were completely ineffective. It was the same for Chi-Woo. He knew he had to help, but didn¡¯t know how. It wasn¡¯t as if he had a proper weapon either. If he struck the golem with his ghost-crushing club, it would break right away. Furthermore, if an experienced warrior like Dalgil was struggling to this extent, there didn¡¯t seem to be much Chi-Woo could do. ¡°Urgggh! If only we had a magician or something¡­!¡± Bogle cried, and Chi-Woo began to miss Apoline. If she were here, they might have been able to do something. ¡°Are there any other methods?¡± Chi-Woo quickly asked. ¡°Other methods? Ah¡­t-there is,¡± Bogle said. ¡°We have to find the c-core. Find where the core is and strike a blow that¡¯s stronger than the silver golem¡¯s deflecting ability. But we don¡¯t even know where it could be¡ª!¡± Bogle screeched mid-sentence. Dalgil had collapsed after backing away several times. While Dalgil rolled on the ground, the golem looked to where the scream came from. It saw Bogle scurrying toward Dalgil and moved its feet. There were no more options now. ¡°Senior! No!¡± Ru Hiana shouted, and Chi-Woo ran between the golem and Bogle. CH 221 While running, Chi-Woo thought that he needed to find the core and strike a powerful blow. There was a way he could achieve this¡ª¡¯the snapping technique.¡¯ The main problem was locating the golem¡¯s core. However, once Chi-Woo approached the golem, all of his thoughts blanked out under the tremendous pressure of the powerful fist slamming down. It didn¡¯t even touch his face yet, but his hair fluttered in the wind. ¡®This is¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo immediately realized he had to avoid the golem¡¯s fist at all costs. He ran diagonally. He had fought a giant once at the Evelaya Volcano. At that time, he won by evading all its attacks and accumulating damage before finishing it off with a single blow. Chi-Woo planned to find the golem¡¯s core in the same way as before, but he was completely taken aback in the next second. ¡®What¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s judgment was clearly sound, but there was a factor he had overlooked. The silver golem was on a whole different level than the mutant giant monster, to the point that they were incomparable. The golem was even slightly faster than Chi-Woo at full speed. The golem also changed the trajectory of its attack unbelievably quickly, and Chi-Woo instinctively realized that he couldn¡¯t shake the golem off his back. It was also impossible to lessen the force of the attack without killing himself. Thus, there was only one option left. He tried to muster as much exorcism mana as possible and face the attack head-on, but he changed his mind after seeing a shining pattern on the surface of the golem¡¯s fist. Unfortunately, it was almost at the same time that the golem¡¯s shining fist hit him. ¡°!¡± As soon as he got hit, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even let out a gasp from his wide opened mouth. The hands he¡¯d raised in an attempt to block the golem¡¯s fist were pushed back, and his face was pulverized. Chi-Woo got pushed far back, and only when he slammed into a wall could he let out a harsh cough, ¡°Aaaack!¡± The golem¡¯s fist dropped to its side after Chi-Woo got stuck into the wall, and Chi-Woo¡¯s hands fell lifelessly. His face hurt, and there was no strength in both of his arms. All that was left in his body was shock, like he had been electrocuted. While an intense dizziness made Chi-Woo¡¯s whole head turn, he saw the golem raise its fist again. Even while his body was collapsing, Chi-Woo managed to twist around with great struggle. He felt a hot sensation from his shoulder, and his body flew into the air and hit the ground. However, the golem continued to chase after Chi-Woo and reached him within a few steps. Ru Hiana ran to help Chi-Woo, and Hawa screamed out to him. Dalgil and Bogle, who was treating him, also widened their eyes. And Chi-Woo was hit by a fear he hadn¡¯t felt for a long while as he watched the golem¡¯s feet slowly come down upon him. ¡®Ah, I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ At that very moment, one of Hawa¡¯s daggers, which she had been throwing like crazy, coincidentally hit the inside of the golem¡¯s left knee and bounced off, and the golem came to a sudden halt from its mad dash, faltering like a man who was about to be kicked in the balls. Dalgil, with his numerous battle experiences, wasn¡¯t one to miss this opening, and he threw his iron club like a thunderbolt with all his might. Swoosh! The iron club flew in a straight line and penetrated the inside of the golem¡¯s left knee with precision. There was an ear-piercing roar, and the golem¡¯s enormous body tilted. Soon, a fiery spark shot out from its metal surface, and the golem stopped operating. It toppled backward with its feet up, shaking the ground and sending Chi-Woo flying for a moment. Then he dropped down again. ¡°Aghh¡­!¡± He let out a short moan due to the pain coming from his shoulder and both arms, which registered in his brain belatedly. ¡°Are you okay!? Are you okay!?¡± Bogle rushed over and examined his condition. ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing much! You¡¯re fine! J-Just bleeding a little!¡± Contrary to his words, Bogle took out many healing potions in a frenzy; the sheer number of potions made it clear that his condition must have been quite serious. And yet it wasn¡¯t enough. Steam Bun also crawled out of his pocket and took out a potion on its own before pouring it into Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth. Chi-Woo had told Steam Bun to use all of Shadia¡¯s potions to treat Evelyn during his fight against Zepar, but Steam Bun had kept one just in case. When Steam Bun sprayed the potion on areas with severe injuries, broken bones were rejoined, and new flesh grew. In addition, Bogle¡¯s healing potion quickly reduced Chi-Woo¡¯s pain. ¡°Hey! Wake up!¡± As Bogle grabbed and shook him, Chi-Woo barely managed to open his mouth and spoke with a faint voice, ¡°M-Mr. Ru Amuh¡­¡± Then Bogle realized he had forgotten about Ru Amuh and remembered that there was another golem. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I treated the captain, so he¡¯ll soon¡­¡± He trailed off when he looked back. Dalgil wasn¡¯t helping Ru Amuh out, but instead watching him from far away. Before he could ask what Dalgil was doing, the scene at the back caught his eyes. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. The battle at the rear was one-sided¡ªshockingly, with Ru Amuh¡¯s complete advantage. The silver golem swung its fists in all directions, but not a single one of its attacks landed. As expected of someone with rank B agility, Ru Amuh moved at an astounding speed left and right like a fierce storm. And while moving, he continuously swung his sword, and the sharp mana from his blade hit the golem all over. One of the sharp slashes brushed against the golem¡¯s thigh, and it faltered. Eyes shining, Ru Amuh immediately rushed to the golem. Crunccch! Even before the golem¡¯s fist reached Ru Amuh, the tip of Ru Amuh¡¯s mana-filled sword penetrated the golem¡¯s thigh. It was a clean and amazing blow. When the silver golem fell backwards, Ru Amuh quickly ran toward where Chi-Woo was. ¡°¡­Amazing. You¡¯re really like the wind.¡± Dalgil expressed his admiration openly. He had looked down on Ru Amuh slightly after hearing his rank, but the earlier display made him realize that Ru Amuh was definitely not weaker or less skilled than him. ¡°I was only able to deal with it easily because I had experience fighting them in my home world.¡± Ru Amuh spoke with humility like his usual self before asking with concern, ¡°But most importantly, Teacher¡ª¡± Only then did Dalgil turn around. Chi-Woo barely managed to get up with his support. He looked at Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Thanks. Thanks to you, we were able to overcome this crisis without anyone dying.¡± True to his words, if Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t drawn the golem¡¯s attention, Bogle might have died. Dalgil would have normally ended with a thank you, but he continued, ¡°Still, never do that again from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s crazy for a priest to face a golem head-on. It would be better to let me or Bogle die.¡± Chi-Woo wanted to say he was not a priest, but he couldn¡¯t bear to open his mouth after such a poor performance in the battle. ¡°I know you defeated Vepar, but we¡¯re on an expedition. We¡¯re a team. You can trust me a bit more and leave the fighting to me.¡± Dalgil tapped Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder a couple of times; head lowered, Chi-Woo turned away as Dalgil gave out instructions. ¡°Bogle, you take care of the injured, and the rest of you, let¡¯s search the remains of the golems just in case we find something helpful.¡± Soon after, the passageway where an intense battle had taken place became busy in a different sense as the expedition members searched the golems. Chi-Woo gnawed on his lip the whole time. ¡°Are you okay? You don¡¯t look so good¡­¡± None of Bogle¡¯s words even reached his ears, and Chi-Woo clenched his teeth. He really learned his lesson this time. He had been under a great illusion, and that illusion had just been shattered by this battle. [You¡­the Demon Empire must be a joke to you.] [Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.] He realized why his brother had made a bitter smile after saying this. [Doesn¡¯t this mean the change would make it so your existence is no longer a cheat?] And why Philip had been worried after hearing that the test had changed. God Mamiya recognized that Chi-Woo¡¯s existence was a cheat against the Demon Empire, so the test was changed. And the experience made Chi-Woo feel his limits keenly. Exorcism mana¡ªas its name suggested, was a type of mana that exorcized evil. But in the end, it was just a mana with a different property than other manas. This was true for his other abilities as well. Chi-Woo had the potential to beat even demigods as long as they were in the evil alignment, but his power was significantly diminished against opponents from different alignments. The recent battle simply revealed Chi-Woo¡¯s current reality. Chi-Woo clenched his fist in silence. If he had trained just a little more, or if he had just used a weapon and not his bare fist, he might have been able to retaliate better. Chi-Woo finally began to feel the shortcomings that he hadn¡¯t had the need to acknowledge when dealing with opponents from the Demon Empire one by one. * * * At the same time. ¡ªThey haven¡¯t even opened the first door yet, but they¡¯re struggling a lot. Someone spoke while looking down at the first floor of Narsha Haram. They had a charming and soft voice, suitable for someone with nine tails. ¡ªWell, it¡¯s a tower of trials after all. A light and mysterious voice answered. ¡ªHaha. That¡¯s funny coming from you. You passed the tower in just one day. The owner of the sensual voice laughed and placed their hands on their chin. ¡ªBut will it really be alright? Even if it¡¯s okay right now, from the fourth door¡­wouldn¡¯t it be too hard? ¡ªIt won¡¯t be easy, but it can¡¯t be helped. The mysterious voice was soft, but the tone was firm. ¡ªI also relayed the message to her child; the conditions of the test cannot be fulfilled with the original arrangement. ¡ªI understand what you¡¯re saying, but isn¡¯t your child ov~er there not up to this challenge yet? ¡ªYes, as you say, Dalgil is lacking right now, but I want to use this relationship and¡ª? The mysterious voice suddenly rose. ¡ª! The owner of the sensual voice was also startled; they felt the presence of two other beings in a space that was created only for them. ¡ªShahnaz? The owner of the sensual voice immediately recognized one of the beings, and then they trembled when they sensed the other. ¡ªLa Bella¡­! They immediately got up and prepared to fight, but the owner of the mysterious voice raised his hand and said. ¡ªWhat a surprise. An important guest¡­has arrived here. The owner of the mysterious voice calmly said and straightened his posture. ¡ªIt¡¯s them. These two led your and my child to this rotten place. As soon as Shahnaz appeared, she spoke in a disgruntled and annoyed tone. ¡ªThis is our space. Likewise, the tower of trials is also the place where I earned my rights. It¡¯s entirely up to me what I do here. The owner of the mysterious voice intently kept an eye on La Bella¡¯s hand the whole time he was speaking. Fortunately, the scale on La Bella¡¯s hand showed no signs of moving. However, it showed no signs of withdrawing either. ¡ª¡­But don¡¯t you know as well? Daughter of Astraea. The owner of the mysterious voice sighed. ¡ªIt¡¯s time for your child to realize it. He continued with a bit more strength. ¡ªThe tower of trials is a space for my child, but also for yours. ¡ª¡­ ¡ªI admit that the difficulty level is high, but it¡¯s only the first floor. Moreover, as they say, the harder the trial, the sweeter the reward. ¡ª¡­ ¡ªOf course, this is only the case if they manage to get the reward, but¡­as I trust my child, why don¡¯t you try trusting your child as well? La Bella remained silent. She simply moved the hand holding the scale and stared. An uncomfortable and awkward silence passed between them. After a while, La Bella quietly turned around. Then Shahnaz clicked her tongue and turned away as well with a disappointed expression. The presence of both gods soon vanished, La Bella being the prominent one. ¡ªThat was scary¡­ The sensual voice murmured quietly. ¡ª¡­Same here. The mysterious voice smiled bitterly. And like this, Miho and Mamiya breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. * * * The expedition thoroughly searched the two silver golems, but wasn¡¯t able to find much. The main object of value were the golems¡¯ cores, which were rendered worthless after getting smashed by Dalgil and Ru Amuh. Just in case, they packed the four bluish jewels embedded in the eyes of the two golems, as well as the parts where the mysterious pattern had appeared. Ru Hiana was worried that they might not be able to carry all of it, but she closed her mouth after seeing Bogle stuff all the silver bundles in his bag with no trouble. ¡°It¡¯s a bag with an expansion spell.¡± Bogle grinned and shouldered his bag. ¡°Since the jewels are large, it¡¯ll probably be 4,500 royals each.¡± Dalgil took the jewels separately and passed them over to Ru Amuh. Ru Amuh accepted it easily because they had already decided that Ru Amuh and his group would take everything besides the token during the expedition. After a while, the expedition members resumed their march in formation. They stopped a few times to check the path, but the march was smooth overall. No monsters had appeared since the golems. After going around the maze for a while, the expedition finally reached its first destination. They stopped in front of an ivory door engraved with the pattern of a knife. ¡°If we open this door, we¡¯ll be moving to the next compartment, right?¡± ¡°To be exact, it¡¯s another room,¡± Hawa answered Dalgil¡¯s question and continued, ¡°If we open this door, we¡¯ll go to another room, and we¡¯ll see another door on the opposite end of the room. We¡¯ll be moving onto the next compartment after opening that door.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s in the room?¡± ¡°I can see something in it, but I don''t know what it is.¡± ¡°They¡¯re really not going to let us move on easily,¡± Dalgil said. Hawa¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked up, and Dalgil smacked his lips. ¡°Sigh¡­ We have to open a total of seven doors¡­and we just opened one¡­¡± Bogle sounded teary. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for you to cry already, Bogle?¡± Dalgil clutched his iron club and swung it from side to side. ¡°Get back. I¡¯ll open the door on the count of three, so get ready.¡± Hawa calmly stepped back, and Dalgil stood in front of the door. ¡°One, two, three!¡± Dalgil counted to three and kicked the door. Soon, the door opened wide, and things that looked like stems poured out from the inside. Most of the stems hit Dalgil¡¯s gloves, but one of them dug into his forearm. ¡°Damn it!¡± Dalgil quickly swung his iron club and cut off the stem. Then Ru Amuh brought forth a fierce wind, and the stems quickly moved back inside as if they were feeling threatened. Only then was the interior revealed. There was a bright red lump of a monster lying alone in a room. It was about 50 meters in diameter. The monster looked like flesh piled up together, painting a grotesque picture. They also saw dozens of tentacles protruding from its bumpy flesh. It bulged and wriggled as if it was breathing and threateningly moved its tentacles like a whip. ¡°Bogle, do you know anything about that?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s my first time seeing such a monster! I¡¯ve never even read about it, let alone hear about it!¡± Bogle shook his head at Dalil¡¯s question. ¡°Then we have no choice but to face that thing head on.¡± Dalgil didn¡¯t immediately rush toward the monster, but glanced back first. Ru Amuh nodded in response. Soon after, Dalgil ran towards the monster, and Ru Amuh followed right behind him. The monster shot out its tentacles as if it had been waiting for them all along. Dalgil did not rush towards them recklessly as before. He curled his body and swung his iron club to strike any incoming tentacle and concentrated on defense. While the monster was focused on Dalgil, Ru Amuh exploited the opening and quickly attacked. Of course, the monster didn¡¯t just stand still doing nothing; it moved its remaining tentacles as soon as it saw Ru Amuh move closer. The battle had begun, but Chi-Woo looked at his two comrades with a dazed expression. He looked spaced out. ¨CYou can¡¯t do that. Chi-Woo suddenly heard Philip¡¯s voice. ¨CYour comrades are fighting with their lives on the line. How dare you space out now? Chi-Woo came to his senses. However, his expression looked conflicted and sour. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t know what I should do¡­¡¯ Philip smiled silently at Chi-Woo¡¯s self-deprecative words. If Chi-Woo had said angrily, ¡®Then what do you want me to do? There¡¯s nothing I can do anyway¡¯, he would have been furious. However, since Chi-Woo said he didn¡¯t know, it meant that he was still thinking, and he still had the will to do something. ¡®Mr. Philip, I have a request.¡¯ ¨CNo. Philip refused without fully hearing what Chi-Woo had to say. When Chi-Woo looked at him with a surprised expression, Philip smirked. ¨COf course I¡¯ll fight much better with your body. But no. This isn¡¯t a life-threatening situation. Are you going to ask me to fight for you every time there¡¯s a battle? You might as well give me full control of your body forever then. Chi-Woo lowered his head at Philip¡¯s sharp rebuke. He knew that everything Philip said was right, but this situation was unbelievably frustrating. Philip stared at Chi-Woo and clicked his tongue. ¨CI think you¡¯re sorely mistaken. He sighed and continued. ¨CIt¡¯s true that your fighting power significantly decreases against opponents not in the evil alignment, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve become a complete weak ass. Chi-Woo raised his head. Philip was looking down at him with his arms crossed. He looked more serious than ever without a hint of a smile on his face. ¨CHey, you know what? Philip said suddenly. CH 222 ¡ªYou change so much by the situation. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. What was Philip going on about now? Philip muttered like he was talking to himself. ¡ªIn desperate situations, you pull yourself out of trouble by mustering all you can and more and somehow manage to survive. But in situations that are actually doable, you try to crawl back to safety because one thing you tried doesn¡¯t work. ¡ªI really can¡¯t predict what you will do. Philip shook his head while tsking. ¡ªDon¡¯t I always tell you? Philip pointed at the battle that was ongoing. ¡ªThink. Observe carefully and make your own judgments. What do you think is going on? Chi-Woo wordlessly moved his mouth and thought, ¡®They seem to be even¡­¡¯ ¡ªReally? Look at them more closely, especially that guy named Dalgil. With Philip¡¯s hint, Chi-Woo soon realized what Philip was trying to tell him. Unlike his usual self, Dalgil was swinging his club with one hand, and his left arm seemed to hang loosely by his side. Chi-Woo recalled how Dalgil had been struck by the tentacle when he opened the door. The situation appeared different from then on. Dalgil had stopped advancing and became completely preoccupied with defending. Ru Amuh tried to aim for openings, but the monster played on Dalgil¡¯s weaknesses and strengthened its guard against Ru Amuh. There would only be openings if Dalgil pulled the monster¡¯s attention away; the situation was progressing in the opposite direction. Flick! Simultaneously, a tentacle struck at the team members from the back. ¡°Watch out!¡± Although Ru Hiana managed to hurriedly parry the tentacle away, her face darkened. The hit made it clear that the monster had the ease to attack the other team members while dealing with both Ru Amuh and Dalgil. In other words, they were at a disadvantage, and their situation was worsening by the moment. ¡®I see.¡¯ Chi-Woo nodded after hearing Philip¡¯s explanation. This was what it meant to read the situation. ¡ªOkay, how about you look at your surroundings? In preparation for another attack that could suddenly fly in their direction, Ru Hiana was on high alert. Hawa threw daggers at the monster from time to time, but eventually ran out of them and was left standing while gnawing her lip. Bogle also stood around not knowing what to do and helplessly clutched onto his staff. ¡ªThose two are at a disadvantage. Somebody needs to quickly jump in to help them. The only one among the four who can¡ª Philip twirled around and pointed at Chi-Woo. ¡®But Captain Dalgil told us not to step in rashly¡ª¡± ¡ªAh yes, he did say that rather than doing something as crazy as running at a golem unprepared, you should just stay put. Philip shrugged and continued. ¡ªThen, instead of acting rashly, you should think before you act. ¡®About what¡­?¡¯ ¡ªThink carefully. That buhguhbu already told you the answer before. Remember what he said about how an expedition team was one body? You should trust the team more and rely on them. ¡°!¡± A flash of realization passed through Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. Yes, there was no reason for him to personally kill this monster. Thus, the next moment, Chi-Woo suddenly jumped out. Hawa was about to reluctantly follow him, but stopped when she saw what he was doing, and Ru Hiana swallowed what she was going to shout at him; instead of running straight to the monster, Chi-Woo was running diagonally. The fleshy monster instantly realized that another person had joined the battle and shot the four tentacles it had held back for situations like this. Pop! Then it became shocked when it saw its tentacles burst as Chi-Woo widely swung a shining club. Though the tentacles immediately regenerated, the monster sensed a great amount of mana that it couldn¡¯t ignore. It quickly assessed that this wasn¡¯t an enemy it could underestimate and flung out all its remaining tentacles. And as the number of tentacles flying his way increased to six or seven, Chi-Woo swung his club faster. The tentacles poked, stirred, and moved all over the place. As Chi-Woo fervently fought them, he was filled with admiration for Ru Amuh for dealing with twenty tentacles by himself. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what would happen if he let a tentacle hit him just once, but he didn¡¯t back away. Exorcism mana wasn¡¯t the only weapon under his belt. Synesthesia was another cheat-like skill he¡¯d acquired through sharing, and his senses told him when and where the next tentacles he couldn¡¯t see would attack. Thus, Chi-Woo was able to strike and blow away the monster¡¯s tentacles and advance slightly forward. The monster seemed to be caught off guard. It was getting pushed back even though it had used all the resources and powers it could, and it appeared that its enemies would soon reach its main body at this rate. It could focus all its tentacles on one opponent, but that would create an opening to the others. Its metaphorical hands were tied. Like how Chi-Woo had been forced to act when the golem aimed for Bogle, they were forcing the monster to make a decision this time. A short while after, Chi-Woo felt the senses caught by his synesthesia disappear. The tentacles attacking him were quickly withdrawing, and his path became clear. ¡®It¡¯s giving up on me?¡¯ This was an opportunity. Chi-Woo poured exorcism mana into his ghost-busting club and ran forward. And this time, he felt his extrasensory perception tingle instead of synesthesia. Slick! Tentacles poured out everywhere like a fountain. It was an attack the monster made by withdrawing even the tentacles striking Dalgil and Ru Amuh. Although his brain rang frantically, Chi-Woo remained calm and remembered what Philip had told him. He needed to think. If he had rushed forward at this opportunity, he would¡¯ve been struck by the attack without achieving much. But this time, he had anticipated that this opening might be a trap and immediately backed away. With a one-second difference, the tentacle missed him and meaninglessly struck the ground. Chi-Woo rushed forward again and struck the tentacles that were backing away, destroying a considerable number of them. This was the result of reading his opponent¡¯s actions beforehand. Thus, the monster hesitated for a moment even though its tentacles had regenerated again, and Chi-Woo¡¯s companions didn¡¯t miss their chance. Kieeeeeeh! The monster¡¯s screams rang across the room. Ru Amuh and Dalgil had seized the moment of weakness to strike a blow at the monster. It didn¡¯t die then; its flesh was unexpectedly strong even though Ru Amuh was aiming to rip it to shreds with strong winds. Writhing in pain, the monster was about to quickly flick Ru Amuh away when¡ª! Bam! With a loud explosion, the monster¡¯s main body turned into tiny pieces of remains and scattered everywhere. Dalgil had struck the monster while its focus was on Ru Amuh. The restlessly moving tentacles stiffened and limply fell to the ground. The monster was finally defeated. Dalgil closed his eyes, and Ru Amuh let out the breath he had been holding in. It had indeed been a tricky battle. Chi-Woo looked at the scene a little bit in disbelief. The battle that had been dragging on suddenly met its end, so easily with another person¡¯s participation. This was the result of someone who usually took the role of the main attacker taking a support role. ¡ªHow is it? Philip said while smiling. ¡ªDo you get it now? Philip noticed that Chi-Woo had been the main attacker in many of their battles. When he clashed with great demons, people around him matched his moves and supported him. But in this expedition team, the situation was completely different. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t be the main attacker inside the Narsha Haram unless their enemy was someone from the Demon Empire. This meant he needed to act as a support. Since it was different from everything he had done up until now, Chi-Woo received quite a shock; but with a little push, he was able to show results. And although he was a support, he played a pivotal role for the two main fighters to truly display their powers. In some ways, he was the key to this victory. Philip said proudly. ¡ªSee. Look at you, man. You do well when you think. Philip ruffled Chi-Woo¡¯s hair. Though there was no real contact, Chi-Woo smiled slightly in reaction. For some reason, his head felt clearer now. ¡°You covered my share. Thank you. I was actually reaching my limit, but thanks to you, I was able to take a breather,¡± Dalgil said and added, ¡°By the way, your movements were very swift. How can you evade so well even though you are a priest? It¡¯s surprising.¡± Chi-Woo smiled. Dalgil had firmly made up his mind that Chi-Woo was a priest. There was nothing holding him down anymore. Chi-Woo thought he got a sense of what to do now. The desperation he had felt in the beginning and forgotten after he improved his powers seemed to be coming back to him. While Dalgil clearly wanted to ask more about Chi-Woo¡¯s movements, he couldn¡¯t when Bogle made a fuss about checking his left arm. Like Philip had guessed, the monster had inflicted Dalgil with an internal injury the moment he opened the door. ¡°It seems it took away your muscles.¡± Like Bogle said, the tentacles sucked away the muscles in Dalgil¡¯s left arm so that he could only swing his club with one hand. Bogle was worried since they couldn¡¯t bring back muscles that had once been lost, but Dalgil remained strong. ¡°I can swing my weapon with one hand, and I can always train my muscles again.¡± Everyone got their equipment and got ready to leave again. Although someone mentioned looking through the monster¡¯s corpse, the idea was shot down. It didn¡¯t seem like there would be anything worthwhile, and even if there was, nobody wanted to search inside the mess of flesh. Thus, after the expedition team finished their preparations, they opened the door leading to the second compartment. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. *** The second compartment was a maze filled with traps. When Dalgil passed through one part of the ground, a floor tile suddenly disappeared. Hawa almost fell because of that, but thanks to her swiftness, she succeeded in escaping it. Chi-Woo saw Hawa¡¯s face as she got caught, and surprisingly, it had been emotionless even while falling. Hawa proceeded to explain that she learned about traps during her assassination training in her youth. Next, the walls on both sides suddenly narrowed in. Dalgil quickly swung his club around and halted the walls until everyone escaped. If he hadn¡¯t done that, they would¡¯ve all been crushed to a pulp. And after resuming their march with a heavy heart, the expedition team finally reached the second door. It was a white door as before, but they couldn¡¯t find any symbols on it. The expedition team took a deep breath and opened it. They didn¡¯t see any monsters inside, but a long, rectangular altar. ¡°¡­A long sword?¡± As Dalgil said, they saw a sword on the altar. At a glance, it looked like an ordinary, simple sword. But upon closer inspection, it was clearly not the case. After Bogle checked that there was nothing that could harm them, Dalgil carefully approached it and grabbed the sword. Even Dalgil, a member of the buhguhbu tribe¡ªoften called the masters of blacksmiths¡ªthought it was a formidable and unusual weapon. The swords were clean and fresh like they had just been taken out of a forge, and its blade radiated an indescribable holy energy. When he placed his hand on it, he felt a light breeze flowing out. But Dalgil hadn¡¯t even been an apprentice blacksmith since he had focused on his pursuit as a warrior. He handed the sword to another for inspection. Bogle, with all sorts of miscellaneous knowledge at his disposal, studied the sword carefully and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s a magic sword.¡± ¡°A magic sword?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t feel holy magic, but there seems to be an everlasting magic cast onto it. We will have to seek a mage to get the exact details¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, this is amazing.¡± The expedition team had struck a gold mine. They didn¡¯t know the exact worth of this sword, but the fact that it was a magical weapon raised its value by at least tens of thousands of royals. If there are other good abilities added to it, its price would only rise further. Dalgil took back the sword from Bogle and nodded, but suddenly, a question came to his head. Why were the gods giving them equipment during a test? ¡°I think God Mamiya may have arranged this for us.¡± Bogle gave his opinion. ¡°Although this is the Narsha Haram, it¡¯s different from the one in the mythical times. God Mamiya made a bet with God Miho then, but that¡¯s not the case right now.¡± Since Dalgil came to this place to undergo a test from Mamiya, Bogle claimed that it was only natural for this Narsha Haram to differ from the one in the past. ¡°Even though this is the first floor, it¡¯s the Narsha Haram we are talking about. This sword may be given to us to prepare us for the next room, or to reward us for all the suffering we have faced to come here.¡± Dalgil nodded, but then his face stiffened again. Perhaps this was also a test in itself. For the expedition team that had been working hard to advance together, a treasure dropped out of the blue. It might have been different if seven treasures had dropped so that they could all share, but with one treasure, only one person could get it. It was a great trigger to stir up trouble. Greed existed not only among heroes, but all races. Though all Dalgil needed was a token, others might not feel the same. Thus, Dalgil was a bit anxious about the situation. After organizing his thoughts, he handed the longsword to Ru Amuh. ¡°I think it is best for you to use this sword,¡± Dalgil said while glancing at Chi-Woo. A weapon cast with permanent magic was very rare. It would only be natural if everyone coveted it, and Chi-Woo was someone who had every right to claim ownership of it among the expedition team. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t disagree with Dalgil¡¯s actions. He even clapped to congratulate Ru Amuh. Dalgil thought Chi-Woo was purposefully acting like that for the team, and his liking for Chi-Woo deepened even further. Ru Amuh looked flustered. He didn¡¯t exactly know what the weapon could do yet, but he could sense this was no ordinary sword as soon as he held it. He had been pouring the minimum amount of mana into his old, steel sword that looked as if it would break any moment. With this sword, it seemed that he would be able to fight freely as he wished. ¡°A monster came out of the first room, but a treasure came out of the second,¡± Dalgil then said, ¡°Perhaps after we pass the third room, the fourth room would give us another treasure.¡± The look in the expedition team members¡¯ eyes changed then. There was nothing more encouraging than a tangible reward. ¡°We will earn several treasures and a token from the first floor! And then we will return to Shalyh city victoriously!¡± Dalgil shouted while raising his hand, and the expedition team cheered. Their morale had been steadily declining as they accumulated battle wounds, but it rose again in an instant. It was the same for Chi-Woo. He looked at the door expectantly and thought, ¡®In the room after the next room, I wonder if a weapon for me will come out?¡¯ CH 223 The march resumed. The expedition members entered the third compartment. The tense atmosphere persisted, but the battle was more doable than expected. The first opponent they faced was a group of werewolves. It was a tribe known to have met its end during Ragnar?k and gone extinct during the mythological age. Their numbers were not small, totaling eight, but fortunately, the expedition members were able to notice them first and defeated two of them before the battle officially began. Moreover, Ru Amuh literally ended the battle with a flying performance with his new weapon. The second opponent they faced were spirits of the spectre species. They popped up out of nowhere and attacked first by inflicting curses, but thanks to Bogle¡¯s quick reaction, the expedition members were able to avoid significant damage. Then Ru Amuh¡¯s sharp wind cut them apart, and they scattered like fog without even getting a chance to scream; it seemed Ru Amuh¡¯s newly acquired weapon had the ability to fight spirits. When they finally arrived at the third room, they saw a door with a pattern of two hands clasped in prayer. The expedition team raised their guard and opened the door firmly, and was faced with an unexpected monster¡ªa durahan. The headless knight riding a horse was a foreboding sight, but Chi-Woo and some of the other expedition members looked happy; the durahan was a monster in the evil alignment. While Dalgil and Ru Amuh concentrated on defense and dragged the durahan¡¯s attention, Chi-Woo met everyone¡¯s expectations and dropped the durahan off its horse with a single blow. Then the durahan screamed at Chi-Woo¡¯s merciless blows and turned into a handful of ashes. It was a very miserable end. Bogle commented, ¡°Captain, it¡¯s my first time seeing a durahan in my life, but I feel sorry for it for some reason.¡± ¡°I agree. I think I know now why God Mamiya changed the test.¡± Dalgil immediately opened the door to the fourth compartment because the third had only left them with a few small wounds rather than anything major. Compared to their state after going through the first and second compartment, it was a great development. Their morale had increased, and above all, the expedition members were able to show more of their power and became more used to fighting together with each consecutive battle. Of course, Ru Amuh obtaining a new weapon and Chi-Woo¡¯s advantage over the third room¡¯s monster played a pivotal role. Thanks to all these factors, they were able to move to the fourth compartment more easily than expected, but Dalgil did not let down his guard; he instinctively knew that this feeling of victory would be brief, and a difficult ordeal would come again soon. However, the expedition team was confused after entering the fourth compartment. It had been a while since they resumed marching, and according to Hawa, the next door was just around the corner, but not a single enemy had appeared. Normally, at least one should have shown up by now. Considering what they¡¯ve gone through so far, it was definitely suspicious. In the end, the expedition members stopped moving at Dalgil¡¯s request. He judged that the situation was strange and began a discussion with the guide, Hawa. While Dalgil and Hawa looked up at the ceiling and talked, one person gently approached Chi-Woo and Bogle. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± When they looked back, they saw Ru Hiana holding Airi with both hands. ¡°Would you be able to look at Airi¡¯s condition? I think it¡¯s getting bad again¡­¡± Bogle and Chi-Woo were startled at her tearful words and hurriedly rushed towards Airi. Honestly, Airi¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t really gotten worse again as it had never gotten better in the first place. The poison and evil energy had been thoroughly removed from her body, but the internal injuries she sustained needed attention as soon as possible. However, since they were continuing their expedition with frequent battles, it was only natural that her condition would have continued to deteriorate without any signs of recovery. If this persisted, Airi really might die once they returned to the holy city Shalyh after the expedition ended. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted us to go back¡­¡± Bogle took out a valuable healing potion and fed it to Airi even though he knew it wouldn¡¯t really improve her condition. He sounded remorseful and slightly regretful. ¡°Senior, can¡¯t you use your power one more time? Just to try?¡± Chi-Woo was going to turn down Ru Hiana¡¯s request since exorcism mana was a destructive power to exorcize evil, not a power to heal anyone. However, he couldn¡¯t do so when Bogle fervently requested Chi-Woo to use even a little bit of his power for Airi. When Chi-Woo obliged with the mindset of grasping for straws, something strange happened. Airi reacted a little bit. She let out a faint groan and slightly crouched, and if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, she looked a little more comfortable than before. ¡°Airi likes warm light,¡± Bogle muttered in a bitter voice. ¡°When she got sleepy after lunch, she would always look for a sunny spot to take a nap¡­¡± Then he looked at Dalgil, who was talking to Hawa, and sighed deeply. ¡°When will this end¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost at the fourth door, so we¡¯re more than halfway finished.¡± ¡°Still half¡­even half-way¡­yeah, I should think positively.¡± Bogle clenched his fists as if he was forcing himself to stay strong. Since the team¡¯s morale wasn¡¯t bad, Bogle didn¡¯t want to bring down the atmosphere with his troubles. Chi-Woo read Bogle¡¯s feelings and readily offered to take care of Airi outside of battles; projecting his exorcism mana from time to time might have a positive effect on Airi¡¯s condition. In reality, Chi-Woo¡¯s exorcism mana merely brought about an untested placebo effect, but Bogle looked very relieved and grateful to Chi-Woo. His anxious expression also improved. By the time Chi-Woo took Airi under his care, Dalgil and Hawa¡¯s discussion was over. They didn¡¯t reach any concrete conclusion, but told the others to be wary of the environment and structures around them like in the second compartment. The expedition members moved forward with more caution because there might be traps, but they didn¡¯t encounter any. In the end, they reached the fourth door without fighting once. Like the second room, the oak-colored door did not have any patterns. ¡°This is a bit concerning¡­ Is it okay to go in like this¡­?¡± Bogle smacked his lips. Dalgil glanced sideways at Hawa. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Hawa looked up at the ceiling and frowned. ¡°I see something¡­but it¡¯s not moving. It looks kind of like an altar¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s an altar¡­¡± Dalgil didn¡¯t finish. In the first and third room, monsters had come out. Then treasure came out in the second room. Therefore, a reward should come out in the fourth room if the first floor followed a specific pattern. No¡ªit was only speculation that the first floor of Narsha Haram was symmetrical. Nothing was certain in the first place. However, it was now too late to go back. ¡°Everyone, get ready.¡± Dalgi stood in front of the door with a stiff expression. ¡°Captain, be careful. We don¡¯t have many healing potions left, and Airi¡¯s condition is also¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Dalgil responded to Bogle¡¯s concerns and raised his foot. The door slammed open as soon as he kicked it hard. The expedition members, who immediately prepared for battle, inhaled instinctively as a wind flowed out from the inside. Chi-Woo covered his nose and mouth after realizing his mistake, but his eyes soon widened as he felt his brain become clear after a single breath. The air was very clear and clean. It even felt mystical and holy. There was no such thing as a monster inside, and they could only see an altar like the second room. On the altar was an ingot. A square, straight-cornered ingot measuring 20 centimeters by 10 centimeters, big enough to fill one hand. ¡°Hmm, a metal ingot. It doesn¡¯t seem like ordinary metal.¡± Dalgil moved closer and tilted his head. The ingot was strangely mixed with silver and blue light. It looked as if a piece of the sky had been extracted and put into this ingot. Moreover, a clear and cool energy was flowing out of it, reminiscent of the autumn sky. As Dalgil said, it didn¡¯t look like an ordinary object. ¡°Bogle,¡± Dalgil called out to Bogle just in case, but Bogle didn¡¯t answer. One by one, the expedition members looked back at him with a puzzled expression; Bogle was gaping with his mouth wide open. His eyes became big as saucers, and he looked like he was going to choke. ¡°Bogle! What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± Dalgil shouted and wondered if Bogle was being attacked by an invisible monster. Fortunately, that was not the case. Bogle had simply been so astonished that he stopped breathing. He finally gasped after being hit hard on the back. ¡°Y-You know¡­¡± Bogle calmed his startled heart a little and managed to say, ¡°I-if that is¡­what I think it is..¡± Still, he continued to speak with pauses as he looked at the ingot with wide eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­very precious¡­and really good¡­¡± ¡°What is it exactly that you¡¯re acting like this?¡± Dalgil asked with interest. ¡°A reliquia.¡± Bogle continued, ¡°It¡¯s an ore that¡¯s one of the materials to create a sacred relic.¡± ¡°A sacred relic¡­ Don¡¯t all gods have one? Well, I guess it¡¯s rare.¡± Ru Hiana said and looked around; she was probably thinking about Shahnaz¡¯s sacred statue and other objects like that. ¡°No! That¡¯s not it!¡± However, Bogle furiously shook his head. A sacred relic was a holy object used in religious ceremonies and symbolized the church of a god. This was a concept established throughout the mythological age, in ancient times, the Middle Ages, and up to Liber¡¯s modern era. ¡°This reliquia is from the mythological era! Even in those days, it was extremely, extremely precious!¡± However, a sacred relic held a different meaning in past eras, especially during the mythological age. In the days when gods came down to rule the middle world, the sacred relics held an influence incomparable to the ones in Liber¡¯s modern age. They had been more than objects carrying some of the god¡¯s divinity¡ªbut objects that could contain the full power of a god and act as their representative. In other words, it was a type of equipment that gods carried. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°The reliquia is the most important and main material in creating such holy relics. I don¡¯t know about the other materials, but I heard that this was essential!¡± Obviously, reliquia was impossible to obtain in the middle world as it didn¡¯t exist there. Chi-Woo had an epiphany when he heard this; he had felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when seeing the ingot, and he realized that he had had the exact same feeling when the mysterious girl handed him the seven-sided die before he entered Liber. Thus, the ingot in front of them was an object that couldn¡¯t be created in the middle world, just like the World¡¯s Milestone. When Bogle finished explaining, everyone became silent save for the sound of them gulping, and Dalgil was no exception. The ingot seemed to be beckoning gently toward him, so he reached out and touched the ingot as if in a trance. All misgivings that this object might not be the reliquia disappeared once he touched it; the mere contact with his palm allowed him to feel its powerful energy, and it was enough to convince him that the reliquia was genuine. Greed naturally arose in his heart. This ingot was proof that God Mamiya acknowledged him. If he offered it to Mamiya, he could aim for high priest or beyond this position. And if they succeeded in making this reliquia into a sacred relic, the status of the buhguhbus tribe in the Cassiubia League would soar. It will also significantly help them in future wars. He wanted it; it was only natural he wanted it. Even if he gave up the test, he wanted to at least take this ingot and return. Although such a strong temptation swept through his body¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Dalgil suppressed his desire with great effort. He needed to suppress it. He had promised Ru Amuh and his group to hand over everything except the token in the first place. He had no right over any of the treasures in this tower. Even though he really wanted it, it was obvious that problems would arise if he said so. Above all, it was clear that this was part of the test. After thinking for a bit, he was sure that this was also a trial that Mamiya was testing him with¡ªto give up everything and obtain the ingot, or keep walking on the given path. The thought helped Dalgil regain his self-control and get up. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tell you this in advance.¡± Dalgil restrained himself with superhuman patience and looked back. While he was still hesitant, he said, ¡°The ownership of the reliquia will be¡­passed to you.¡± Dalgil suppressed his desire and made his decision. His eyes were directed at none other than Chi-Woo. Everyone¡¯s gaze snapped to him, and Chi-Woo, who was fiddling with the World¡¯s Milestone, widened his eyes. He had his hopes, but didn¡¯t think he would actually get it. ¡°If any of you have complaints, tell me now.¡± Dalgil looked back at the expedition members with menacing eyes; it looked as if he would immediately shut down anyone who came forward. Everyone slightly shrank back under his blazing gaze. ¡°Ah¡­I envy you¡­a reliquia¡­a reliquia of all things¡­¡± However, Bogle couldn¡¯t help but speak in an envious tone. ¡°For your information, neither you nor Airi should dream of getting anything in the sixth room.¡± Dalgil decided to make their position clear while he was at it. ¡°Tck. That¡¯s the condition Grandpa Mangil set on his own. I don¡¯t know about you, Captain, but why must Airi and I¡­¡± Bogle murmured quietly, and Dalgil didn¡¯t bother rebuking him. Since the object was so precious, it was understandable that Bogle would complain, and his murmur could be easily overlooked. ¡°Sigh. That¡¯s really amazing¡­ I¡¯m so jealous. Anyway, congratulations! As expected, people who live a kind life are blessed.¡± Bogle was envious, but he accepted Dalgil¡¯s words and congratulated Chi-Woo with sincerity. Dalgil¡¯s expression also brightened. He thought that at least one or two people might claim ownership over the reliquia, but everyone easily accepted his decision. ¡°If no one has any more complaints, it¡¯s decided.¡± Chi-Woo looked flustered. He had been envious when Ru Amuh obtained a magic sword, but he had never dreamed that he would receive such a precious item incomparable to the sword. Chi-Woo tried to refuse once out of courtesy, but he couldn¡¯t bear to open his mouth; he felt a strong sense of impatience to obtain it¡ªnot from himself, but from La Bella. ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m really jealous. It might be accurate to say that this expedition is for you and not for me.¡± Dalgil tried to suppress his envy as much as possible, but he ended up voicing his thoughts. And when he was about to finally lift the ingot¡ª ¡°!¡± Hawa, who had been blankly looking at the altar, flinched. She quickly scanned her surroundings and slightly widened her eyes. And when she was about to quickly shout something¡ª CH 224 The moment Dalgil raised the reliquia, Hawa saw the center of the altar hidden by the ingot revealed. The reliquia had been pushing down a button-like shape before Dalgil lifted it, and it was now popping out. Then they heard faint noises like a cogwheel turning, and Hawa looked around to see where the noises came from. It was then she realized the door leading from the fourth compartment to the fifth compartment was¡ª ¡°Missing!¡± Hawa shouted, and several members of the expedition team looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t see a door! The door leading to the next compartment¡­!¡± The expedition team looked behind them with dazed looks on their faces. As Hawa said, they didn¡¯t see a door on any part of the wall. It was unbelievable. The door they had clearly seen from the ceiling before they entered had disappeared without a trace as soon as they entered this room. ¡°Everyone¡ª!¡± Dalgil shouted at the team to quickly return to the door they had entered through, but it was too late then. Bam! The door automatically closed and became absorbed into the wall. The room was now perfectly closed off without a way out. Moreover, the lights suddenly went off, and their surroundings turned dark. Soon, it became pitch black, and they couldn¡¯t see a thing. Chi-Woo tried to remain calm, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel frazzled. He thought his night vision had improved during his stay in the cave under the Evalaya volcano, and his eyesight in general had gotten better, but he was as good as blind at the moment. All he could see was darkness, and all he could feel was his companions¡¯ backs and shoulders pressed against his. Before they could think of what to do, they heard the walls on both sides crumble. It happened everywhere until the room fell still. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel or sense any other presence, and his synesthesia and extrasensory perceptions didn¡¯t catch anything. All he could hear was his companion¡¯s anxious breathing. And after an ominous silence, Chi-Woo felt a chilling sensation graze the back of his neck as he clutched onto his club. It felt as if a sticky jelly soaked in water had flown past him. It was then a scream rang out. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± It was Bogle¡¯s voice. ¡°Bogle!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± Dalgil and Ru Hiana shouted, but Bogle didn¡¯t answer. He simply screamed his head off and floundered around with a deeply distressed voice. ¡°Bogle! Bogle¡­kuh!¡± Dalgil was fumbling around to reach Bogle when he suddenly groaned. Soon, there were screams coming from other places, and the sensation of multiple people struggling. Some even seemed to be rolling on the floor or stomping, and the team formation was completely broken. ¡°Who is it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push! I said don¡¯t push!¡± There was commotion and chaos everywhere. Chi-Woo also struggled. Some yanked at his pants and pushed him so hard that he almost fell over. Though he managed to regain his balance in the end, it was hard for him to gather his senses. He swung his club a couple of times, but stopped after a while. He¡¯d like to swing it around like a great windmill without care for anyone around him if he could, but he didn¡¯t; the possibility that he would injure his companions was high in this tight space if he did that. Furthermore, since he was holding Airi with one hand, he needed to be even more careful. Unable to see and with none of his special senses working, Chi-Woo felt as if his hands and feet were bound. Time continued to tick in his helplessness. ¡°Everyone¡­back away¡­!¡± It was then Chi-Woo heard Dalgil¡¯s voice from the front. It sounded pained. ¡°Scatter¡­! Don¡¯t stick together¡­! And run away for now¡­!¡± Usually, team members shouldn¡¯t move or run away by themselves and break the team formation. Not only was it a cowardly act, but it was also such a taboo action that a god might even cancel their contract with a hero if they did so. Still, there were always exceptions, such as when the expedition team¡¯s leader gave his permission. After assessing that the situation was hopeless, and the whole team could get annihilated at this rate, Dalgil shouted at them to fend for their own lives. As soon as Dalgil gave his command, Chi-Woo felt something hurry past him. A short while afterward, an urgent voice shouted from some distance. ¡°This way!¡± It was Hawa. ¡°A wall! A hole appeared on the wall!¡± Hearing this, all the expedition team members scattered. Chi-Woo instinctively chose a direction and ran straight. He felt like he had stepped on someone or collided with something in the process, but reached a wall in the end. When Chi-Woo stuck his body close to the wall and walked quickly, he felt himself sinking inward. As Hawa said, there were holes. They seemed to have formed after the lights turned off and the walls crumbled. ¡°Ms. Hawa?¡± Chi-Woo called out nervously, still unable to see anything, but no reply came. He had run following Hawa¡¯s voice, but had he picked the wrong direction? Nevertheless, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have the nerve to search anywhere else. He noticed that the voices behind him had quietened, and it seemed everyone else had found their own holes. It was too great of a risk to jump back into the open field when he couldn¡¯t see anything. Above all, Dalgil had told them to scatter and run away. When they couldn¡¯t make sense of anything, they needed to follow the captain¡¯s words. Only then could they survive. And because Chi-Woo felt something looking in his direction from inside the darkness, Chi-Woo went further inside the hole. He ran with Airi in his arms despite how little he could see. He kept running and running straight without stopping to turn back. *** A while later, after running continuously in the dark, Chi-Woo suddenly felt a strong shock. He felt around until his hands found a crevice. Following his instincts, Chi-Woo pushed hard, and the wall opened from side to side, allowing light to scatter in. Chi-Woo got knocked down by inertia, but quickly pushed himself off the floor and raised his head. There was no monster. In fact, there was nothing in the room, but the atmosphere was different from before. The impression Narsha Haram had given Chi-Woo until now was that it was a strange and holy place, all painted in ivory white. But this place was like a prison. Everywhere was dark and dreary-looking, and the light constantly flickered like it was going to go off any moment. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. ¡®A door that I came in from¡­and another door leading outside.¡¯ After checking that there was a door to exit this time, Chi-Woo decided to enter. He glanced behind him and saw that the space past the door he came from was still shrouded in complete darkness, and the light in this room seemed unable to penetrate it. Chi-Woo quietly closed the door and leaned against the wall. Instead of immediately going out, he inhaled and exhaled deeply. Though he had survived, the expedition team was all separated. What should they do now? Chi-Woo glanced at Airi as she limply lay over his hand and thought deeply. Three possible options immediately came to his mind. The first one was for him to go back and check the situation in the fourth room again. The second was to wait patiently in this room. And the third was to leave this room and wander around. Chi-Woo worried his bottom lip between his teeth; he didn¡¯t feel confident in any of the options. Then Chi-Woo searched through his belongings and felt a die in his grip. If he threw the World¡¯s Milestone, it might be of tremendous help in telling him the next course of action to take¡ªthat was if he got at least five stars. Chi-Woo agonized for a long long while, but in the end, he left the die be. He had promised his brother. Chi-Hyun had said that he was going to trust Chi-Woo one last time, and Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to use it. More importantly, there would be no turning things around if he got less than three stars after rolling the die. ¡°Haaa¡­.¡± Chi-Woo slouched. He thought things were going well, but he was now at a complete loss again. Still, he couldn¡¯t stand here in despair forever. ¡®Maybe I should wait a bit and go out¡­¡¯ While wondering between the second and third options, Chi-Woo felt the small being on his palm twitching. ¡°Urm¡­.¡± After groaning softly and wiggling slightly, Airi opened her eyes. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ms. Airi? Are you awake? Ms. Airi!¡± ¡°Huh¡­Uh¡­?¡± Airi¡¯s eyes rolled around, and she looked a bit stunned by the situation. She seemed to be wondering where she was and why she was alone with Chi-Woo. ¡°Ms. Airi, I know you just woke up, but the situation isn¡¯t very good right now. I will explain to you what happened¡­¡± Thus, Chi-Woo explained everything, and Airi¡¯s confusion faded. She was also a warrior who had survived multiple battlefields. No matter how bad her condition was, she placed the most importance on the expedition. ¡°So¡­when you heard the walls crumble in the fourth room¡­it didn¡¯t crumble in only one spot¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, that seems to be the case.¡± Airi mumbled in a very hoarse voice, and Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Dalgil told you all to run¡­and you each went into a hole¡­cough, cough!¡± Airi broke into a coughing fit. ¡°Ms. Airi, don¡¯t talk. Your condition¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not important right now.¡± Airi shook her head and told Chi-Woo to put her down. Then she forcefully got up, but collapsed again after only a couple steps. She needed to do something in such a dire situation, but her body wasn¡¯t listening to her right now. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Airi squeezed her eyes shut at the pain shooting through her body. Chi-Woo hurriedly poured exorcism mana into her, and she looked a bit better. ¡°¡­Sorry¡­¡± ¡°No need to mention it. Don¡¯t push yourself too much.¡± ¡°If only I¡¯d seen the map once¡­no¡­if I¡¯d at least gained my senses before going inside the room¡­¡± Airi mumbled regretfully. Whatever choice she made, she needed to make one based on proper reasoning; but for her to reason, she needed information. She had zero information about Narsha Haram because she had been asleep before they even entered the place. At this point, she was nothing but baggage. ¡°You should just leave me here¡­ That¡¯ll be better¡­¡± Chi-Woo smiled bitterly. Airi probably didn¡¯t really want to be abandoned, but Chi-Woo knew what she was feeling. ¡°Even if it¡¯s tough, please hold on. We will try to find each other as soon as we can. And once we get back together, we will speed run all the rooms in an instant.¡± Although Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure if they could really do that, he said in a forced cheerful voice. Airi trembled quietly. It seemed she was tearing up. ¡°So, don¡¯t talk anymore¡­?¡± Chi-Woo said when his eyes suddenly narrowed. He heard something outside the door, and Airi seemed to have heard it as well judging by the twitch of both her ears. Chi-Woo focused all his senses on his hearing. He was sure of it. It sounded far away, but he was sure he heard it. ¡°Mr. Dalgil?¡± Though he couldn¡¯t be certain, it sounded like Dalgil¡¯s voice. It sounded like he was shouting something and looking for his companions. Chi-Woo¡¯s face brightened, and he was about to respond to it. ¡°!¡± Chi-Woo flinched and closed his mouth again. Airi had propped herself up with great difficulty and raised her tail to his lips, telling him to not speak. ¡°Shh¡­¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± Chi-Woo asked in a hushed voice. ¡°Wait¡­it¡¯s a bit¡­strange.¡± While heaving, Airi glanced across the walls. ¡°To search for his companions¡­he¡¯s wandering around a path where monsters can pop up¡­? While shouting so loudly at that¡­?¡± She squinted and continued, ¡°The captain I know¡­isn¡¯t that dumb¡­though he can be a bit reckless at times¡­¡± Chi-Woo stopped. He realized Airi had a point. ¡°But it could be him.¡± ¡°Even if it is him¡­the problem remains¡­¡± Airi groaned. ¡°You guy¡­didn¡¯t catch the fourth room¡¯s monster, right¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¡­what is the possibility it¡¯s been chasing you¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What if it is leaving Captain be¡­.so that it can lure you all out¡­.because it doesn¡¯t know where you all are hiding¡­?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face stiffened. He hadn¡¯t thought that far. ¡°Then¡­¡± This could be a trap whether it was actually Dalgil or not. At that moment, the shouting stopped. But the silence was soon broken by piercing shrieks. Though it was still unclear, the voice was fiercer and more urgent than before. It sounded as if someone was fighting or screaming. ¡°A monster¡­? Help¡­?¡± With her keen hearing, Airi caught some words from afar. ¡°A monster? Is he telling us to help him? Is it Mr. Dalgil¡¯s voice?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Airi nodded. ¡°What should we do?¡± Airi didn¡¯t immediately answer. Since she didn¡¯t know the situation well either, she couldn¡¯t say much. Chi-Woo glanced at Philip, but he shook his head. ¡ªNo. Did you forget that I can¡¯t go too far from you? Chi-Woo had asked on the off chance that it¡¯d work, but ended up disappointed. The problem was they didn¡¯t have much time left. ¡°¡­¡± It could be a trap as Airi said, but it could also not be, and Dalgil could really be in trouble. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡± Airi said pleadingly as Chi-Woo made up his mind. ¡°Even if it¡¯s Captain¡­you¡¯ll likely die if it¡¯s a trap¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna go check out the situation. Just checking.¡± It wasn¡¯t like Chi-Woo had absolutely no plan either. Philip was a tethered spirit; though he couldn¡¯t stray too far from the person he was tied to, he didn¡¯t need to stay right next to Chi-Woo. Thus, Chi-Woo planned to approach the source of the scream as closely as he could and send Philip to check the situation first before making any decision. Of course, he couldn¡¯t guarantee anything. As Airi said, this all could be a trap. But in the end, Chi-Woo chose to undertake the dangers since doing nothing would bear nothing. ¡°Ms. Airi¡­stay hidden in this room quietly.¡± Chi-Woo carefully placed Airi down. He wasn¡¯t abandoning her, but preparing for the worst-case scenario; it was better for one person to die than two. ¡°If it really is Mr. Dalgil, I will save him and bring him back here with me,¡± Chi-Woo said. He didn¡¯t mention what would happen if it wasn¡¯t Dalgil, or if he failed to save him or got killed because it really was a trap. If Chi-Woo died, and Airi was left alone, she was basically dead; yet there was a possibility that other team members would find and save her. In the end, Airi quietly agreed. She knew she was nothing but baggage in this current battle. ¡°Be careful¡­¡± That was all she could say to him. ¡°I will come back. I promise,¡± Chi-Woo said repeatedly to assure her before moving out. The door opened and closed. Airi was left alone, and she let out a deep sigh. She lamented her current condition. The more she thought about it, the more miserable and pathetic she felt. If only she had been more careful. In some ways, she wanted to knock herself out again. How nice would it be if she closed her eyes and woke up in Shalyh City? Even dying like this would be more helpful for her companions right now. However, her eyes didn¡¯t close easily, nor did she feel sleepy. Perhaps it was because Bogle had cared for her so earnestly that she persisted even after being inflicted with such a serious injury. ¡°So¡­useless¡­¡± Airi thought of Bogle and blinked. Time continued to pass. Without being able to make a sound, Airi waited quietly and felt anxiety rise inside her. What happened? Why didn¡¯t she hear anything? Wasn¡¯t it time for him to come back? Did he¡­? All sorts of thoughts whirled inside her mind, and most of them were negative. Airi craned her ears harder and heard something then. Someone was walking hurriedly across the corridors. The sound grew closer and stopped before the room she was in. Clack! The door suddenly opened wide. CH 225 The person who burst through the iron door was none other than Chi-Woo. Airi was startled when Chi-Woo fell as soon as he came in, and he struggled to get up from the floor. His physical condition looked dire as blood flowed down from his forehead, and his shoulder was torn as if a monster had bitten a chunk off. ¡°M-Ms. Airi¡­¡± Chi-Woo mumbled. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Ms. Airi¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? Was it really a trap?¡± While she was talking, she heard a loud thud¡ªChi-Woo had turned around and shut the iron door with all his might. Then his arms suddenly dropped, and his head slanted to one side. His body also slumped back. Airi, who had been staring at him blankly, was stunned. ¡°Wake up! Wake up!¡± ¡°Ms. Airi¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m here! Don¡¯t close your eyes! Don¡¯t fall asleep!¡± ¡°Ms. Airi¡­hide quietly¡­¡± Chi-Woo tried to say something, but his body started fluttering like a fish. Airi was shocked; it seemed he was in a state of shock from excessive blood loss. His head kept turning from side to side as if he was electrocuted; both arms shook to the point that they bent in irregular angles, and his body curved into a twisted S-shape. In the meantime, Chi-Woo frantically moved both of his legs to get up, but his attempt to push against the floor proved futile. ¡°I told you not to go¡­!¡± Airi tried to get up somehow, but her body didn¡¯t listen to her. Even when she managed to get up, she immediately fell back three or four times. Nevertheless, Airi didn¡¯t give up and kept trying to stand up before she suddenly faltered. It occurred to her that there was something very strange about Chi-Woo. A person usually felt pain from severe injuries, and it should show on their face. No matter how superhuman one¡¯s endurance was, a person couldn¡¯t help but let their pain show. Airi might not have been suspicious if he hadn¡¯t expressed any pain at all, since he could have lost consciousness given its sheer intensity. However, as Chi-Woo convulsed on the floor, his face was¡­calm. He looked extremely serene and at peace. Rather than someone in pain, he looked more like someone watching the quiet sea under the morning sun. It was definitely not a face someone on the verge of death from shock should be making. The contrast between his calm expression and crazily convulsing body was eerie. It was like looking at a person who was acting. ¡°You¡­¡± Airi mumbled. ¡°What¡­are you¡­?¡± At that moment, Chi-Woo¡¯s movement completely stopped; his limbs came to a sudden halt like a machine with its power cut off. He stayed still for a few moments before his head began shaking again, turning like a rusty cogwheel having difficulty moving. Airi, who had barely managed to stand up while leaning against the wall, inadvertently scrambled back and fell again. Then she moved her legs like bicycle pedals because she instinctively felt that the comrade in front of her was not actually her comrade, and she was right. Thud. Airi heard the iron door suddenly open again. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Airi exclaimed as she saw another person walk in; she looked at him as if she was looking at her savior because the person who quickly rushed in and stopped was none other than Chi-Woo. Thus, the Chi-Woo who came first with severe injuries must be a fake. The Chi-Woo who came in later seemed to have realized the situation immediately. He looked down at his doppelganger for a brief moment. When Airi looked at him with a trembling gaze, he quickly walked up to her, hurriedly placing himself between the first Chi-Woo and Airi and carefully raising his club. At the same time, the monster who looked the same as him reached out. ¡°Be careful¡­¡± Airi murmured in a low voice and didn¡¯t lower her guard. Then the first Chi-Woo turned to meet Airi¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t do anything but lay on the floor and widen his eyes to a bizarrely large size, lifting the corners of his mouth. ¡®He¡¯s smiling?¡¯ At that moment, Airi clearly felt it¡ªsomething sticky and cool touching her back. ¡°!¡± Airi flinched. Her mind, which had become frozen due to the sudden turn of events, began to work again. Then another possibility crossed her mind. Come to think of it, the second Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t spoken a single word since he came in. Airi¡¯s mouth slightly opened. ¡®Perhaps¡­ No, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± The back of her neck became cold, and Airi¡¯s breathing grew rough. She tried to look back. She had a strong feeling that she shouldn¡¯t. Before she knew it, she stopped breathing, and fear filled her eyes. Her mouth trembled, and her eyes quickly became teary from an unknown fear. Then the first Chi-Woo, who was smiling widely, opened his mouth. ¡°Ms¡­¡± ¡°¡­Airi?¡± Airi heard the second voice from not her front¡ªbut behind her. * * * The scene that Chi-Woo saw after leaving the room was similar but different from before. It was still a maze, but it was very dark and gloomy. Mysterious red marks appeared intermittently, and the atmosphere was so eerie that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if a ghost suddenly popped out. ¡®Was it this far?¡¯ Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hide his nervousness as he walked along the hallway. He no longer heard Dalgil¡¯s voice, and even though he had walked quite a bit, he didn¡¯t see any traces of his teammates. He thought Dalgil was close, but he was farther away than he expected. Chi-Woo wondered if he should¡¯ve brought Airi along with him. At that moment, he stopped walking with the end of the hallway in sight; Philip, who was flying ahead as far from him as possible, had suddenly halted and raised his hand¡ªhe seemed to be telling Chi-Woo to wait for a moment. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Philip didn¡¯t reply; his expression was dark and extremely serious. Then he sighed and tilted his head as if he didn¡¯t know what was going on either. He beckoned Chi-Woo to come closer. ¡ªBe prepared to swap with me immediately just in case. Philip had told him he was never going to take over his body this time. What the hell did he see? Chi-Woo made a quick turn across the corridor, and the scene that was revealed to him left him speechless. It was a round cavity, like the center of an intersection where several roads converged, including the corridor Chi-Woo had been walking along. He saw three familiar faces there¡ªa stunned, helpless-looking Ru Hiana and a calm Ru Amuh, who had extended his longsword to pierce Dalgil. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. His comrades, who had been fighting together, were now at each other¡¯s throats, and Ru Amuh even severely injured Dalgil. The Ru Amuh he knew would never do such a thing; it was such a shocking sight that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t easily take it all in. ¡ªGet your act together. Chi-Woo heard a low voice. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡ªIf we have to fight him, immediately pass control of your body to me. You¡¯re no match to him right now. It seemed Philip was considering the worst-case scenario. By then, Ru Hiana also noticed Chi-Woo. ¡°Senior¡­!¡± She called out to him in a tearful voice. Then Dalgil, who was barely managing to stand up, and Ru Amuh also looked back. ¡°Teacher! Are you all ri¡­¡± Ru Amuh stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth. He carefully observed Chi-Woo with sharp eyes. ¡°¡­Mr. Ru Amuh,¡± Chi-Woo responded quietly. ¡°Is it because of the reliquia?¡± ¡°¡­Sir, what?¡± ¡°If you need it, I could have given it to you.¡± At first, Ru Amuh looked completely confused, but his expression soon morphed into a frown, and he shook his head. ¡°No, Teacher. It¡¯s absolutely not because of that.¡± ¡°Then why¡­!¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± When Chi-Woo¡¯s voice was about to rise, Ru Amuh calmly spoke like he was asking Chi-Woo to also remain calm. ¡°I completely understand that this is a situation you might misunderstand. I¡¯ll explain everything to you, so please trust me.¡± Chi-Woo would have easily said yes before he witnessed this situation, but there was no turning back now. Ru Amuh¡¯s new sword had already penetrated Dalgil¡¯s stomach and protruded out of his back. Chi-Woo was at a loss. The person in front of him didn¡¯t act like Ru Amuh, but talked like Ru Amuh. Then he heard a pained groan. ¡°Stay¡­back¡­¡± Dalgil spoke faintly like he was trying to endure the pain. ¡°Run¡­first..¡± He sounded weak as he held the sharp blade stuck in his body with his left hand. Dalgil was well aware of Ru Amuh¡¯s skill by now, so he was telling them to escape while he was keeping Ru Amuh here. This made Dalgil more trustworthy than Ru Amuh, but¡­Chi-Woo felt seriously conflicted and glanced at Ru Hiana for help. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Ru Hiana stammered in a trembling voice. ¡°I passed through the darkness with Ruahu¡­then we opened a door and entered a room¡­and we met the expedition captain here¡­Ru Amuh suddenly pierced him while we were conversing together.¡± ¡®¡­Why?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes became cold as he looked at Ru Amuh, and at that moment, Ru Amuh suddenly did something unexpected. He pulled the sword out of Dalgil¡¯s body and dropped it. Clang! Then he kicked the magic sword so that it spun between them and reached Chi-Woo¡¯s feet. He did this to not only his magic sword, but the ordinary iron sword he had. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he knelt down with his hands up in surrender. ¡ª¡­What the fuck? Philip, who had thought Ru Amuh was a traitor inside his heart, cursed. Chi-Woo felt the same way. No matter how much Ru Amuh wanted to prove his innocence, it was no light matter for a swordsman to hand over his weapon. Of course Ru Amuh was also skilled in martial arts, but he was much stronger with a sword. Most of all, there was no reason for Ru Amuh, who regarded Chi-Woo¡¯s skills extremely highly, to do this if he was the traitor. ¡°He is not our expedition captain, Dalgil,¡± Ru Amuh explained with a clear voice. ¡°He is a monster pretending to be Captain Dalgil.¡± What did he mean? Ru Amuh¡¯s words were so unexpected that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t process them right away. ¡°Sir, do you remember when we opened the door to the first room?¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°At that time, Captain Dalgil sacrificed one arm to the tentacle that flew towards him as soon as he opened the door.¡± Ru Amuh was correct. After the battle, Bogle said that the tentacle had taken away Dalgil¡¯s muscles, and Dalgil shouted loudly that he could just get them back through training. In fact, Dalgil had been holding the club with only one hand after that. ¡°It was definitely his left arm.¡± Ru Hiana, who had been intently listening, exclaimed in agreement and furiously nodded. ¡°However, as Ru Hiana first noticed, Dalgil was using both of his arms normally when we saw him here,¡± Ru Amuh continued. ¡°And when we asked him why, he couldn¡¯t answer properly.¡± He glared at Dalgil, who was now standing firm, and said, ¡°As far as I know, there¡¯s no way to rebuild muscles so quickly.¡± After hearing this, Chi-Woo also stared at Dalgil. Come to think of it, Dalgil had held the sword Ru Amuh thrust through his stomach with his left hand. If this being was not Dalgil, and Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t swung his sword at a fellow comrade but a monster, then there was a good way to check without jumping to conclusions. Chi-Woo immediately activated Spirit Eye. As his brother said, data and statistics did not lie. This ability allowed him to see people¡¯s information, so he would be able to tell if this was the real Dalgil or a monster. However, Chi-Woo soon became flustered because no matter how he concentrated, his Spirit Eye didn¡¯t work. It wasn¡¯t just Dalgil; he couldn¡¯t use it on Ru Amuh or Ru Hiana either. Just like how his synesthesia and superhuman senses were suppressed in the fourth room, he couldn¡¯t activate his Spirit Eye here. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this?¡¯ While he was confused, Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze moved like lightning when Daligil, who had been quietly looking around, suddenly twisted his body and lunged forward. It was almost at the same time that Dalgil reached for the magic sword, and Chi-Woo struck him down with his ghost-busting club. Slap! Rather than a dull thud, Chi-Woo felt as if he was hitting water. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± The scream was too cute to have come from Dalgil. Chi-Woo kicked the magic sword to Ru Amuh without hesitation, and Ru Amuh immediately jumped with all his might from his crouching position. He grabbed the magic sword flying towards him and quickly approached Dalgil with great momentum, cutting the being in two. When Ru Amuh passed by, Dalgil was neatly split from the top of his head to his groin. Ru Hiana gasped when Dalgil¡¯s body turned into liquid and spilled in all directions. Ru Amuh and Chi-Woo also stared at the soaking-wet floor. It really had been a monster all along. ¡°Teacher.¡± Ru Amuh smiled with great relief. ¡°I¡¯m very glad you¡¯re safe, and thank you for trusting me.¡± ¡°Senior!¡± Ru Hiana ran towards him to give him a hug. Chi-Woo flinched and looked at Ru Amuh. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s all right. There was nothing particularly strange about Ru Hiana, and she quickly answered a secret that only we knew,¡± Ru Hiana said with a smile. Only then did Chi-Woo finally exhale in relief and pat Ru Hiana on the back. ¡°By the way, I was very surprised. A monster that imitated Mr. Dalgil¡¯s appearance¡­¡± ¡°I was also surprised at first,¡± Ru Amuh felt very reliable as he calmly replied. Just a few moments ago, Chi-Woo had been extremely anxious, but all of his anxiety disappeared once he reunited with his comrades. However, it was too early to be relieved. There were seven expedition members in total, and he had only found four. It was not the time to dawdle. ¡°We need to reorganize the expedition and find the other three at once.¡± ¡°Huh? Not four, but three¡­ Ah, come to think of it, Ms. Airi didn¡¯t come with you?¡± ¡°I left her in the room I came out of. I heard a sound, but just in case it could be a trap, I left her and told her I¡¯d come back after assessing the situation.¡± ¡°As expected, Teacher, you thought it might have been a trap. I also thought it was a bit strange.¡± Ru Amuh nodded at Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation. Ru Amuh came to this place with Ru Hiana after hearing Dalgil¡¯s shout, but it turned out to be a trap. However, it was almost a coincidence that he noticed the monster was not really Dalgil. What if Chi-Woo had arrived here before Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana? And what if he failed to notice Dalgil was actually a monster like Ru Amuh had? No one knew what would have happened. ¡°After securing Ms. Airi, let¡¯s look for the others.¡± The Ru siblings immediately agreed, and the three turned the corner and quickly crossed the corridor. CH 226 ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± While returning to the room where Airi was, a thought suddenly popped into Chi-Woo¡¯s head, and he asked. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Sorry, sir?¡± ¡°When you threw your sword away. What were you thinking when you gave up your weapon¡­?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ru Amuh slightly smiled. ¡°The monster who imitated Sir Dalgil was more cunning than I thought, so I judged that I needed to immediately gain your trust and reacted.¡± ¡°But I could also be a fake.¡± ¡°Even so, that was my only option.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I can harm you with my own hands,¡± Ru Amuh said matter-of-factly. Even though Chi-Woo might not be Chi-Woo, the smallest possibility that he was the real deal prevented Ru Amuh from raising his sword at Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo stared at Ru Amuh intently. Ru Amuh¡¯s response was short, but every word was imbued with his trust and faith in Chi-Woo. It appeared that the trust level his user information showed was accurate, and it would¡¯ve been absurd for two people in basically a parent-and-child relationship to cross blades. For some reason, Chi-Woo felt embarrassed and scratched his head. ¡°Don¡¯t do that next time,¡± Chi-Woo said, and Ru Amuh smiled without saying anything. As they conversed, they eventually reached their destination. Chi-Woo hurriedly opened the iron door and entered. Fortunately, Airi was fine, and she was lying exactly where he¡¯d left her. ¡°Ms. Airi. It was as you said. It was a trap¡­Ms. Airi?¡± Airi didn¡¯t answer. She simply heaved on the floor with her eyes closed. Perhaps she had gotten exhausted from waiting and fallen asleep. ¡°She was awake for a bit¡­¡± ¡°May I take a look?¡± Ru Amuh asked and approached her. He carefully inspected her; it seemed he was checking her identity as he had done with Dalgil. Chi-Woo tried to use Spirit Eye just in case, but again, it didn¡¯t work, similar to how his synesthesia turned useless inside the fourth room. It was unlikely that his ability would suddenly be gone, and it probably was related to Mamiya¡¯s test. In the end, Ru Amuh nodded. The exterior injuries on Airi¡¯s body were as he had remembered. Thus, the four returned to the center. Based on what Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana had said, it seemed they had also come to this area after walking through a long corridor, and if other paths were structured the same way, there must be rooms at the end of the other corridors, and their other companions could be there. Thus, the four decided to search the remaining paths one-by-one in a clockwise direction besides the two they had come from. Although the search would¡¯ve been much faster if they split up and searched individually, they decided to stick together; they didn¡¯t know what could pop up, and if a monster pretending to be them appeared once more, it would be a huge headache to confirm each other¡¯s identities again. They soon reached another metal door after passing through the first path, but there was no one inside the room. The path after that was a bit different from the previous one; instead of a metal door at the end of the corridor, there was a familiar ivory-colored door. ¡°This must be¡­¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard at the door free of symbols. ¡°It seems to be leading to the next compartment,¡± Ru Amuh completed Chi-Woo¡¯s sentence. They¡¯d like to pass through this door immediately if they could, but finding the rest of their companions took priority. Thus, they decided to memorize this path and turned around. They passed through the third path and reached another iron door. They didn¡¯t know if what awaited them inside would be friend or foe, so instead of knocking, they approached the door as quietly as possible. Ru Amuh took the lead and glanced at the two behind him before swinging the door wide open. Sling! As soon as he opened the door, a dagger sharply flew at him. But as expected of Ru Amuh, he flicked it away with ease and restrained his opponent. ¡°Kuh!¡± Seeing the figure in Ru Amuh¡¯s clutch, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned wide. ¡°Ms. Hawa?¡± Chi-Woo was about to ask why she had attacked them, but he shut his mouth when he saw the red marks on Hawa¡¯s rib area. It was soaked with a mysterious fluid, and when Chi-Woo glanced around, he noticed that his surroundings were slightly wet with a red substance. ¡°You must have met the monsters disguised as us,¡± Ru Amuh said, ¡°And got rid of them.¡± When defeating the monster pretending to be Dalgil, a fluid slightly thicker than water had flown out. Hawa calmed slightly hearing Ru Amuh¡¯s words, but she still seemed wary. She must be wondering whether she should trust him after the ambush. It was the same for Chi-Woo. Although there was evidence that she had defeated a monster, there was no way to be sure without witnessing the scene in person. ¡°Now that you mention it, I recall that the monster was unable to respond to questions properly,¡± Chi-Woo said and remembered what Ru Amuh had said about confirming a secret that only those involved would know. He cleared his throat. ¡°Ms. Hawa, do you remember our time in the cave under the Evalaya Volcano?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°What did you say the most often after losing our bets?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Hawa?¡± ¡°¡­Hawawa.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough. Wasn¡¯t there more?¡± ¡°¡­Hawa is a school-girl-chan.¡± Hawa seemed to be repressing tremendous rage. Chi-Woo was satisfied with her response. ¡°She really is Ms. Hawa.¡± Ru Amuh immediately let go and backed away. Hawa got up while glaring viciously at Chi-Woo. Her face seemed to be saying, ¡®And he really is that bastard. There¡¯s no doubt about it. Shit.¡¯ ¡°Ms. Hawa. Your injury¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just a shallow cut.¡± ¡°Was there only one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± Hawa looked at Ru Hiana with her characteristically expressionless face. ¡°Huh? What! I¡¯m really me!¡± Ru Hiana waved her hands looking greatly flustered, and Hawa sighed. ¡°¡­I know. But besides that, can we be sure of all five of us being the real deal?¡± There was no answer. This was what they believed for now, but no one could swear it for sure. And with Hawa joining them, the party grew from four to five. They returned to the center and were about to go to the fourth path when Ru Amuh suddenly stopped. There was a clunking noise, and the group backed away and waited quietly as it approached. Some time later, a figure revealed himself. It was Dalgil. ¡°You guys are alive¡­huh? What are you doing?¡± Dalgil was stunned to see Ru Amuh pull out his sword when he was happy to see them. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I ask for your understanding for the precautions we are taking,¡± Ru Amuh said and calmly explained the situation. Dalgil nodded. ¡°Hm, a monster in the shape of me¡­ I do have an inkling of what that is.¡± ¡°Are you talking about what happened inside the fourth room?¡± ¡°Yes. When I was trying to approach Bogle, I felt some fluid dig into my body, and I suddenly felt hot,¡± Dalgil said and continued, ¡°With no other option, I rolled on the ground and tried to crush it with my weight. Sensing what was happening, it quickly escaped, and I heard a scream coming from another place.¡± It was then Dalgil commanded everyone to run, and hearing Hawa¡¯s shout, he moved to a wall and escaped through the hole there. Then he eventually reached a room, where he collected his thoughts and recovered his strength before going outside. Chi-Woo thought his story matched theirs, but they still needed to confirm his identity. ¡°Could you hand us your weapon? We will also be grateful if you could take off your armor for us.¡± Dalgil hesitated, but in the end, he made a bitter smile and said, ¡°¡­You can kill me yourself, so there¡¯s no point in resisting anyways.¡± Dalgil proceeded to obediently put down his club and slowly took off his armor. Ru Hiana squinted. Dalgil¡¯s injuries were more severe than they had thought. Besides his right arm, Dalgil¡¯s entire body was wounded, and the injuries on his left arm and his sides were especially severe. After finally taking off his gloves, Dalgil shrugged. ¡°Okay, what else should I do to prove myself?¡± While meticulously studying Dalgil¡¯s body, Ru Amuh spoke, ¡°Do you remember the conditions of this expedition?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the conditions grandpa Mangil offered, of course I remember. I also have the reliquia safely in my hands. If you want it, I can give it to you right now.¡± Not only did he show his trust in them first, Dalgil¡¯s wounds seemed to be in all the right places. Furthermore, he had memories that a monster wouldn¡¯t know, and was able to maintain the flow of conversation without any problems. Ru Amuh looked behind him, and besides Airi and Hawa, everyone looked at Dalgil with acceptance. ¡°You may put your armor back on, sir. I will also hand your weapon back to you.¡± ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡± ¡°We are the ones who should be thanking you. Please forgive our rudeness.¡± ¡°No, I understand. There¡¯s no helping it in this situation. But¡­¡± Dalgil stared at each of the five of them intently. Though he hadn¡¯t met a monster himself, he knew how serious the problem was. What if a monster was hiding among this group right now? Dalgil couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡®Damn it, God Mamiya. Must you go this far?¡¯ Dalgil thought. Since entering the Narsha Haram, Dalgil resented Mamiya for the first time ever. He much preferred fighting bloody battles with monsters over this, since no matter how strong the monster was, his companions and he could work together to overcome it. But the way the situation was set up¡­the team couldn¡¯t help but suspect one another. Nevertheless, Dalgil didn¡¯t let his worries show, and he asked simply,¡± By the way, where¡¯s Bogle?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t found him yet.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see him in the room I came out of, so I guess we have to go through two more paths. Let¡¯s move right away.¡± After Dalgil put his gloves back on and clutched his weapon, the group started moving again. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t find Bogle at the end of the fifth path. There was only one more path now. Though everyone hoped that Bogle would be there, reality disappointed them, and they saw a completely empty room after opening the iron door. Since they had heard Bogle¡¯s screams in the fourth room, he could have remained alone there, or perhaps they had crossed paths without knowing; there were many possibilities of Bogle¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± As the team exchanged their opinions, Hawa raised her hand and quietened everyone. In the silence, she focused solely on her hearing, and she heard a very faint groaning¡ªnot from inside the room, but outside. Hawa immediately ran to the door facing the fourth room and pulled. amid the darkness, an oak staff was rolling on the floor, and one figure lay collapsed. ¡°Bogle!¡± Dalgil ran toward Bogle and took him into his arms. His condition wasn¡¯t good. It seemed he had been ambushed from the dark, and his back was coated in red. Dalgil quickly took healing potions out of Bogle¡¯s bag and poured it over Bogle. While his bleeding had stopped, and his injuries had healed a bit, he didn¡¯t wake up. He only groaned slightly like he was going to die soon. It seemed Bogle had run with all he had, but lost strength in front of the door and collapsed. No one spoke even after they healed all his immediate injuries. They needed to check his identity like they did to Dalgil, but they couldn¡¯t ask Bogle any questions in his current condition. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Ru Amuh asked, breaking the silence. ¡°¡­Can the people at the back take care of Bogle?¡± Dalgil asked. Though they couldn¡¯t be sure of it, Dalgil was acknowledging Bogle as their companion for now and expressing his intention to take him with them. Hearing this, Ru Amuh and Chi-Woo exchanged looks. ¡°Then, I will¡ª¡± Ru Hiana raised her hand and volunteered, but Ru Amuh quickly cut her off. ¡°No, I will be in charge of this.¡± ¡°I can entrust him to you without worries,¡± Dalgil said weakly. His words carried multiple meanings. Like that, the expedition team reorganized again. They weren¡¯t in a good state by any means. Not only were they heavily injured, but suspicions had taken root inside them. They couldn¡¯t confirm whether Airi and Bogle were really themselves, and if the two turned out to be fakes, they would have to go back; there might even be a need for them to go through the darkness and trace their steps back to the fourth room. There was no telling what might happen then. Even if they reached the room, they couldn¡¯t go further since the door had disappeared. Thus, there was only one choice left: to continue going forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With Dalgil¡¯s command, the expedition team began to march forward. Before leaving, Ru Amuh offered to take point, but Dalgil firmly refused. He claimed that he must be in the lead since this was his test and refused to back down. And thus, the expedition team went back to the path they had taken special note of and reached the ivory door without any symbols. Had things been different, they might have happily cheered that a treasure could be waiting for them behind the door, but nobody was celebrating now. They knew all of the rules in Narsha Haram seemed to have been completely broken since the fourth room. ¡°Everyone be on your guard.¡± Dalgil inhaled deeply while raising his club. ¡°Three, two¡­¡± When he shouted ¡®one¡¯, he kicked the door wide open. Then the members of the expedition lowered their weapons one by one. There was nothing inside the ivory room¡ªneither monsters nor treasures. ¡°Well, first of all, I see a door.¡± As Dalgil said, they saw a door leading to the next compartment on the other side of the room. But since something could be inside, the team cautiously entered. ¡°Nobody touch anything, and be careful of every step you take. Besides the guide, everyone stay in position.¡± Under Dalgil¡¯s command, the team stayed put and looked around. After surveying her surroundings for some time, Hawa¡¯s eyes landed on one spot. ¡°There¡¯s something¡­¡± Hawa pointed at the door with her index finger, ¡°Written there.¡± ¡°There are writings?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s in a language I can¡¯t read.¡± Hearing what Hawa said, Dalgil cautiously took several steps toward the door. ¡°These are letters¡­my tribe used in the old times¡­?¡± Dalgil said in surprise. Then he read the symbols on the door and spoke up. CH 227 ¡°It¡¯ll open¡­only if there¡¯s at least five¡­?¡± Dalgil slowly read the words on the door. ¡°There¡¯s seven of us, so isn¡¯t it fine?¡± Ru Hiana said. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, but¡­¡± Dalgil tilted his head and put his hand on the door. While he was about to apply strength and push, Chi-Woo felt their surroundings lit up all of a sudden. It was especially bright around the expedition members. ¡°Be careful!¡± Dalgil, who had just gone through a terrifying experience in the fourth room, quickly pulled his hand away from the door. The rest of the expedition members also prepared to withdraw and go into battle formation, but the only thing happening was the light growing in intensity. Silence fell as the expedition members tried to assess the situation. ¡°The door,¡± Hawa called out, and everyone¡¯s eyes shifted back to it. The shining light gradually gathered at the top of the ivory door to form a shape. The shape changed into a number, starting from 1, then 2 and 3 until it finally stopped at 5. The number didn¡¯t go up further, and the door opened automatically. ¡°Hmm¡­is it over?¡± Dalgil lowered his iron club and murmured. It was somewhat of a downer for him after he got so worked up. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for now.¡± The expedition members went through the door with Dalgil¡¯s lead. Just before leaving, Hawa turned around and looked at the door. Succeeded in entering the next compartment safely, the expedition members finally saw the Narsha Haram as it originally was¡ªa maze full of ivory walls in different shapes. The structure of the first floor was again reflected on the smooth ceiling. ¡°Is this now the sixth compartment?¡± ¡°Yes, if we consider the space we came from the fifth compartment.¡± ¡°That seems about right. There really isn¡¯t much left now. We just have to go a little further.¡± Dalgil spoke to comfort himself, but his voice was noticeably weaker than before. He looked at the still unconscious Bogle and Airi. With a sigh, he looked back at Hawa, who was staring at the ceiling. Then he asked, ¡°Would you be able to find a shortcut? Even if it¡¯s a little dangerous, I want to leave as fast as possible.¡± ¡°No. And even if there is, I can¡¯t guarantee it¡¯s a real door anymore.¡± Hawa answered and shook her head. The reflection on the ceiling suggested that there would be a door to exit from the fourth room, but that wasn¡¯t the case when they actually arrived. Dalgil recalled what had happened and smacked his lips. ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. For now, let¡¯s move forward by judging with our own eyes.¡± The expedition resumed with Dalgil¡¯s declaration. Even though they had returned to the Narsha Haram they knew, the team morale was poor. They felt an unknown sense of foreboding, and soon, they were able to identify the threat. A third into the path, they encountered a group of monsters¡ªthree unknown creatures with a bull¡¯s head and a snake¡¯s body. As soon as he saw them, Dalgil bravely rushed forward and bust one of the monsters with his iron club, but the remaining two on the left and right suddenly shot fire from their mouths, and Dalgil was instantly engulfed in flames. While his whole body was burning, Dalgil endured and swung his club. His power was truly terrifying, but things were getting dangerous, and Ru Amuh had to quit keeping an eye on Bogle and quickly rush forward to help Dalgil. Thanks to Ru Amuh¡¯s support, they were able to win, but Dalgil looked like he was reaching his limit. His iron armor was red, and there was smoke coming from all over his body. Nevertheless, Dalgil resumed his march after pouring a couple bottles of water on himself to cool down the heat. Anybody could see he was straining himself, and in the end, the situation turned for the worst. When they were two-thirds of the way to the next door, they heard the roar of animals everywhere. Gray wolves covered entirely in spiky fur like a hedgehog surrounded the expedition members. They had to make an all-out effort facing a total of ten wolves. Everyone except Ru Hiana, who was in charge of protecting Bogle and Airi, picked a side and fought the wolves. As expected, a bloody battle broke out. Chi-Woo, who was struggling against two wolves, suddenly heard a piercing scream. He saw Dalgil fall with blood all over him; he had sustained an injury while trying to fight four wolves at once. Chi-Woo and Hawa joined forces to fight off the group Ru Amuh was fighting, and Ru Amuh, now freed, quickly rushed towards Dalgil and saved him. Soon after, they won the battle thanks to Ru Amuh¡¯s abilities, but it was a victory full of injuries and pain. Dalgil was critically injured, and Ru Amuh had also suffered a deep wound in his left arm due to neglecting his defense while trying to save Dalgil in a hurry. Above all, Ru Amuh had used so much mana just now that he could no longer maintain the magic sword¡¯s effect. Chi-Woo and Hawa weren¡¯t as injured as them, but they were busy pulling out bloody thorns stuck in their bodies. In particular, Hawa had been stabbed in the ankle, and her mobility was seriously compromised. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± Dalgil quietly apologized as he lay on the ground. However, no one said anything or complained because Dalgil had taken the most risks so far by taking the lead. They had gone through numerous fights; it was only natural that they would accumulate many injuries, and it was inevitable that their combat power would decrease as time passed by. The other expedition members wanted to tell him to step back, but couldn¡¯t since this was Dalgil¡¯s test. Ru Amuh was injured himself, but he approached Dalgil with two bottles of healing potion. ¡°Sir, you should receive treatment first.¡± ¡°How many healing potions do we have left?¡± This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°There are three bottles left, including the ones I¡¯m holding.¡± ¡°¡­Then one bottle, no, give me half a bottle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too little. Sir, if you continue like this¡ª¡± ¡°I just need enough to move. We still have to go further, so I can¡¯t use all of it now.¡± Ru Amuh insisted that Dalgil take more potion, but Dalgil stubbornly refused. He didn¡¯t say it out loud, but it seemed he was leaving the healing potions to Bogle and Airi. They might also be the reason he seemed so impatient throughout the battle. As Dalgil requested, Ru Amuh used only half a bottle on him and got up. Although the expedition members looked like they had recovered to some extent, the atmosphere was extremely heavy. Contrary to when they left the second room, the morale was low. Ru Amuh was managing to still hold out, but he was no longer in a good shape. Frankly, it would not be strange at all to discuss giving up the expedition right now. The door to leave had disappeared, so they had no choice but to move on, but if that wasn¡¯t the case, someone would have definitely suggested going back. If there was a mid-level boss in the next room, the expedition members would have to worry about their lives. The only comfort they had was that the end was near. Hawa guided the team while looking up at the ceiling and limping, and they were able to finally reach an ivory door. Unlike the other doors, they saw multiple patterns on this one. On the left, there was a tightly sealed mouth with an X on it. Following the right arrow next to it, there was an open mouth with an O on it. A closed mouth with an X and an opened mouth with an O. ¡°¡­Is it telling us to recite a spell or something?¡± Dalgil shook his head. There were so many possible interpretations that it was hard to say. In the end, there was only one thing left to do¡ªto open the door. Hearing from Hawa that there was something huge and unmoving in the center of the room, Dalgil exhaled a long breath and raised his hand. After a short countdown, he opened the door. The expedition members, who prepared themselves for any upcoming threat, became speechless at the sight in front of them. They did not expect this. The first thing they saw was a broad stone pillar that looked like a monument in the center, and there was a door. The monument was covered in small, mysterious letters. ¡°¡­We¡¯re going in.¡± Dalgil announced that they were going to slowly enter. And as soon as all the expedition members entered the room¡ª Bam! The door that they came through closed automatically and disappeared. The expedition members, who were now suffering from PTSD, looked frantically around. Their expressions became blank again. ¡°The door¡­¡± Dalgil sighed. There was not one, not two, but three doors. They hadn¡¯t realized it from the outside, but the room was enormous. It was more spacious than any room they¡¯d been so far; there were even stairs going up in the left corner. And at the end of the stairs, they saw an iron door the color of dark blood. On the contrary, there was a bluish door with no stairs in the right corner. ¡°A second floor? No way. There should still be one compartment left¡­?¡± Dalgil frowned, alternating between the red door at the top of the stairs on the left and ivory colored door in the front. ¡°Why don¡¯t we read the inscription on the headstone first?¡± Dalgil followed Ru Amuh¡¯s suggestion and began reading the monument. [To those who¡¯ve reached all the way here. First, I want to say you¡¯ve worked extremely hard. It must not have been easy to reach this room. I praise you for going through various hardships and trials and finally being on the verge of reaching the end of the first floor. However, there is one thing I must advise you. Too much is not better than too little. A leader that leads a group should know when it is time to move forward or step back. You¡¯ve already proven enough by just coming here. Courage is not just winning a fight. Knowing when to give up for a bigger cause can also be considered courage. Even if you aren¡¯t able to obtain a token, choosing the blue door for the sake of your comrades and promising to come back at a later time is also an excellent choice. But if you still decide to continue walking the path you¡¯ve decided, I won¡¯t stop you either. However, do not resent me for the despair that will be waiting for you behind the white door. I¡¯ll give you time to think if you¡¯re feeling conflicted, but it won¡¯t be for long; predators on the second floor, which are incomparably stronger than the ones on the first floor, would have caught your scent and are now coming for you. The red door can only be opened from the inside and not the outside, but don¡¯t let that fool you into relaxing your guard. Those who crave your blood and flesh will not give up. They will keep knocking on the door. You¡¯ll have to make a decision before the number of knocks reaches three digits.] An eerie silence fell. Everyone was organizing their respective thoughts. ¡°First,¡± Dalgil was the one to break the silence. ¡°That red door should never be opened.¡± He looked up at the stairs on the left side as he spoke, and everyone agreed. They were already having a difficult time; the mere thought of facing monsters on the second floor that were incomparably stronger than those on the first floor gave them chills. ¡°It seems the blue door would allow us to get out of Narsha Haram,¡± Ru Amuh said. Leaving had been impossible since the door leading back had disappeared, but an unexpected lifeline was now dropped in front of them. If they opened the blue door, they would finally get out of this blasted tower. Of course, Dalgil would have to give up on his token, but considering the condition the expedition members were in, it was a choice to consider carefully. There was nothing much to the white door either; it would only allow them to move to the next compartment. Still, it was a little worrisome that despair was said to be waiting for them there. Dalgil fell into thought. He contemplated if they should keep going or give up. ¡°Too much is no better than too little¡­ Knowing when to give up for a bigger cause can also be considered courage¡­¡± Dalgil muttered to himself for a while and looked up. ¡°To tell you all what I think¡­I want to open the white door. There¡¯s only one compartment left, and I don¡¯t want to quit here.¡± He softly voiced his thoughts while looking at his comrades. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m well aware of our current condition. I know that it¡¯s an underestimate to say we¡¯re having a difficult time.¡± ¡°So I¡¯d like to hear your opinions one by one¡ª¡± Bam! A sudden burst of noises rang out in the room. It was a terrible sound of metals clashing. Startled, the expedition members looked at the red door on the stairs. After a while¡ª Bam! There was another explosive sound. Hawa narrowed her eyes and murmured ¡®two¡¯ under her breath. It was not just a tap, but the sound of something hitting the door with all its strength, as if it was trying to break through and eat all those on the other side at all costs. ¡°Is that from the predators or whatever?¡± Dalgil asked. ¡°Yes, it seems to be the case,¡± Ru Amuh answered. ¡°They must be very impatient. They came so fast.¡± Bam! While Dalgil grumbled, the sound rang in the room again. They banged on the door every seven or eight seconds; the pacing was quite fast. ¡°Three times now. Since it was written that we have to make a decision before it reaches three-digit, 99 times would be the limit.¡± Dalgil snorted at Hawa¡¯s words and said sarcastically, ¡°Then I guess we can rest and talk until the count reaches 90 even though it¡¯s a bit noisy.¡± However, he didn¡¯t sit down to rest. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to go that far. Anyway¡ª¡± At that moment, a husky moan interrupted Dalgil. The small figure in Ru Amuh¡¯s arms trembled and wriggled. ¡°Ca¡­ptain¡­?¡± Bogle called out faintly. CH 228 ¡°Bogle?¡± Dalgil turned around. Bogle shuddered, and when he opened his eyes with great effort, Dalgil came running while shouting, ¡°Bogle! Are you awake? Bogle!¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­where am¡­ugh! Ow, it hurts¡­¡± Bogle frowned and appeared very flustered. Then he looked at Dalgil and jumped up. ¡°C-Captain?¡± ¡°Bogle! How are you¡ª!¡± ¡°Look at the condition you are in! How injured are you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡ª¡± ¡°Wait a bit! Huh? Where is it! Where?¡± Bogle jumped and frantically searched for the bag he always carried around with him. Thus, Ru Hiana handed his bag to him, and Bogle immediately took out two healing potions and said, ¡°Captain! Wait a bit! You have muscle strains, cuts, and burns¡­what happened to you?¡± ¡°Bogle, I¡¯m really fine. It¡¯s you who needs help¡ª¡± ¡°No, the person who needs treatment the most right now is you, Captain. And don¡¯t you know that the use of healing potions during an expedition is entirely decided by the one playing the role of a priest?¡± Bogle said firmly and shut Dalgil up by pouring a bottle of potion into his mouth. Then Bogle carefully poured the remaining healing potion onto Dalgil¡¯s body after forcing him to take off his armor. And while drinking the potion, Dalgil¡¯s expression relaxed. He had been worried that Bogle would turn out to be a fake, but his behavior and speech suggested that he was the real deal. ¡°It seems like two bottles aren¡¯t enough¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really fine now. Won''t we have to leave one bottle for Airi?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Bogle seemed pensive when Dalgil brought up Airi. Bam! In the meantime, the violent knocking persisted. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± Bogle flinched and looked up at the red door. Then he turned back to his surroundings and asked, ¡°I wanted to ask when I woke up, but what¡¯s that noise? I¡¯m not the only one hearing it right?¡± Ru Amuh answered Bogle¡¯s question. He articulately explained everything that had happened after the fourth room, including only the key, important parts. Bogle¡¯s face turned serious and scared after hearing Ru Amuh¡¯s explanation. ¡°Then, doesn¡¯t that mean¡­we have to quickly decide before the count reaches 100? What are we doing? We don¡¯t have time for this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bogle. We still have enough time.¡± Dalgil comforted Bogle and glanced at Hawa, who replied tartly, ¡°Twenty-one.¡± ¡°We were about to make our decision. It¡¯s really fortunate that you woke up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were about to open the white door?¡± Dalgil halted at Bogle¡¯s question. Nothing was set in stone yet. Dalgil was planning to make his decision after listening to everyone¡¯s opinions, but he hadn¡¯t thought Bogle would be the first to disagree with him. ¡°Captain.¡± Bogle straightened up as he spoke. ¡°I think this expedition is enough as it is.¡± He continued in a clear voice. ¡°I know how you feel. We¡¯re one compartment away from the end, and you might feel regretful, but pushing the expedition team further is too much.¡± Chi-Woo suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity from Bogle. The Bogle he knew so far wasn¡¯t so outspoken. He chimed in with his thoughts and went along with what the captain said in the end. In other words, he was usually the type to be led by others. ¡°Take a look at your own condition, Captain. There¡¯s no point in using the rest of the healing potions. You need care from a professional priest and healing spells cast on you. You must know it in your heart too.¡± Bogle continued, ¡°And it¡¯s not just you, Captain. There¡¯s Airi and me¡­no, is there even a single person who¡¯s fine in this team right now?¡± Bogle wasn¡¯t wrong. Everything he said was logical and sound. ¡°Although I¡¯m not the expedition team¡¯s captain or guide, I suggest we end this expedition right now and head to Shalyh City. This is my advice as your companion.¡± While Bogle talked, the knocking count passed thirty. Though they still had quite some time, they couldn¡¯t drag it out much longer. After organizing his thoughts, Dalgil spoke again. ¡°You said the same thing when Airi got ambushed by those anguses.¡± ¡°Yes. Although I relented that time because I didn¡¯t think I had a choice, I¡¯m not going to do that again. The situation had changed far too much.¡± A groan punctuated the end of Dalgil¡¯s appeal. It was Airi. ¡°Cap¡­tain¡­¡± Airi sounded very faint. As if murmuring in her sleep, she talked about how pained she was and pleaded for her life. ¡°Airi¡­!¡± Bogle stomped on the ground in distress and shouted while turning back to Dalgil, ¡°Look, Captain! We don¡¯t know¡­how much longer Airi can last¡­!¡± Everything was somehow fitting perfectly into place. ¡°You said it was written on the door¡ªthat ¡®greater despair¡¯ is waiting inside the white door! It will be a struggle to go through that place even in our best conditions. How bad would it be in our current states?¡± There was a sense of urgency after Bogle saw Airi¡¯s state; he continued pleadingly, ¡°I followed everything you said until now. Can¡¯t you listen to my suggestion this time? I¡¯m not trying to be stubborn. It¡¯s because of how dire the situation is. You must know it too.¡± Dalgil bit his lower lip and fell into deep contemplation. Bogle also closed his lips for a moment, but the persistent knocks made him frantic. And when the number of knocks exceeded forty, Bogle failed to control his anxiety and yelled, ¡°Captain¡­! Please¡­!¡± Dalgil opened his eyes. ¡°I¡­¡± After some hesitation, he revealed what was in his heart, ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up yet.¡± Bogle looked like he was doubting his own ears. He was about to say something when Dalgil continued, ¡°Yet I don¡¯t want to ignore your thoughts and push ahead. So¡­¡± Dalgil said with more force, ¡°Throw your staff, Bogle.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I said, ¡®throw your staff¡¯.¡± Bogle didn¡¯t say anything for a moment and simply stared at Dalgil. Then he slowly shook his head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± Dalgil¡¯s eyebrows wiggled. ¡°This is a command coming from the expedition team¡¯s leader. Throw it, Bogle.¡± ¡°What if the staff points to the white door?¡± ¡°It could point to the blue door.¡± ¡°But whichever door it points to, this whole discussion would¡¯ve been meaningless then. ¡°Is that the reason why you are saying you will disobey my orders?¡± ¡°Captain, this staff moves according to a god¡¯s will, not ours.¡± Bogle sounded angry, but he continued while repressing his emotions, ¡°I mean that we must decide this matter on our own rather than following a god¡¯s will. Only then would we be able to reach a decision we don¡¯t regret. Even if I throw this staff, would we be able to acknowledge its result from the bottom of our hearts?¡± Dalgil stared intently at Bogle. Bogle stared back without backing down. Thud! Despite the situation, the knocks continued. The count had surpassed fifty. Though they still had some time left, they needed to decide now. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Dalgil took his eyes off Bogle and turned around. Then he said, ¡°We will decide by voting.¡± ¡°What? Voting?¡± ¡°They are all members of the expedition team. We also have to listen to their thoughts since they fought with us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I vote for the white door, while you and Airi vote for the blue door. Do you have any objections?¡± Bogle looked like he was harboring many complaints, but didn¡¯t say anything. He simply looked at the rest of the team with his hands clasped in a pleading gesture. ¡°I¡­think the blue door is better,¡± Ru Hiana spoke first. ¡°Honestly, I agreed with Bogle. Not only is the captain heavily injured, but it will also be difficult for Ruahu to fight much more¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Captain, but I also agree that we aren¡¯t in a state to fight any longer.¡± Ru Hiana spoke as she looked very apologetic to Dalgil. Bogle gripped his hands tighter in gratitude, and Dalgil calmly muttered, ¡°That makes it three people for the blue door.¡± Then he turned to the rest of the members and asked, ¡°What about you? It will be good if you can decide as fast as possible.¡± Thud. ¡°The white door,¡± Hawa said at the same time a knock sounded, and she added, ¡°That was the sixtieth knock, by the way.¡± There were two members left now. Ru Amuh glanced at Chi-Woo, but in the end, he collected himself and said, ¡°I will also choose the white door.¡± Ru Amuh agreed with Bogle that they had lost a lot of fighting power, but he believed they could still push on. Above all, he wanted to respect the leader of the team, Dalgil¡¯s stance. It was a line of reasoning that was very him. Thus, the voting reached a tie, and it came to Chi-Woo to make the final call. All eyes shifted to him, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel much pressure this time; he¡¯d already made up his mind. ¡°I will choose the white door,¡± Chi-Woo said calmly. Dalgil nodded while Bogle looked at Chi-Woo in disbelief and sighed, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t waver. ¡°It¡¯s been decided.¡± ¡°Captain!¡± ¡°Stop. Rules are rules. A decision has already been made, so even if you don¡¯t want to, you must follow it. If you refuse to do so, I won¡¯t think of you as my companion any longer,¡± Dalgil said firmly, but Bogle didn¡¯t back off. ¡°What about me and Airi!? Are you saying that you will push us to our deaths in the end? Just because of your goals?¡± Dalgil halted. ¡°¡­If you are so adamant, I will give you one last opportunity,¡± he said coldly while looking down at Bogle. ¡°Throw your staff.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If your staff points to the blue door, the voting will be voided, and we will go through the blue door.¡± Bogle didn¡¯t say anything. He simply glared at Dalgil while gritting his teeth. ¡°If you refuse to do that, I won¡¯t tolerate any further objections beyond this point.¡± Dalgil turned like he had nothing left to discuss and stomped toward the white door. He was about to open it without hesitation when Bogle suddenly lunged, raising the staff upside down to point its sharp tip at Dalgil in an attempt to pierce Dalgil¡¯s back. His great speed was unthinkable for his usual self, but Bogle failed to do what he intended. The moment Bogle approached Dalgil, his staff broke and smashed onto the floor. Bogle was disarmed and trapped between Dalgil and Ru Amuh. Though Bogle tried to launch an ambush, the two reacted quicker like they had expected the attack. Ru Hiana shouted in surprise, but Chi-Woo appeared calm. He had also anticipated the possibility. ¡°I thought the monster could only read short-term memories to impersonate the person, but it seems it can also mimic their speech and behavior,¡± Dalgil said while pressing his feet down on Bogle harder. Then he snorted, ¡°It would¡¯ve been better if you had just thrown the staff and said God Miho wasn¡¯t responding. Before anyone else, Bogle always said that he would throw his staff whenever a problem arose. Considering that, it seemed impossible such a guy would refuse to do so this time. The talk about our own will isn¡¯t terribly convincing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tell me, where is Bogle?¡± Bogle¡ªno, the monster impersonating Bogle didn¡¯t answer. It had a chillingly expressionless face before it smiled so wide that the corners of its mouth almost reached the ends of its ears. Was it laughing at them in this situation? Sensing that something was off, Dalgil looked around and furrowed his brows. Airi, who should¡¯ve been in Ru Hiana¡¯s arms, was gone. ¡°What?¡± Feeling Dalgil¡¯s gaze, Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes also turned wide. She didn¡¯t realize that Airi had disappeared from her arms while she was focusing on Bogle. The expedition team quickly scanned their surroundings and spotted her in the left corner. Airi had already climbed to the top of the stairs and was in front of the red door. How did Airi move so swiftly after struggling to even stand? It was impossible. Seeing Airi smirk in front of the red door, everyone came to the same realization: though the red door opened from the outside once the number of knocks reached a hundred, it could be opened from the inside right away. Airi was about to jump and open the door when¡ªSlid! A dagger suddenly flew across the air and pierced her. In pain, Airi tried to pull the dagger out, but she screamed again. Hawa ran up to her in an instant, grabbed the dagger¡¯s hilt, and pushed the blade deeper into Airi¡¯s body. She responded so skillfully and swiftly, as if she had prepared for this situation beforehand like Dalgil and Ru Amuh had done with Bogle. When Hawa pulled her dagger out and glanced over her shoulder, Dalgil asked with a confounded expression, ¡°How¡­did you know?¡± ¡°It said five.¡± Dalgil looked confused. ¡°When we got out of the room, it said there needed to be at least five people for the door to open,¡± Hawa explained once more, and Dalgil still looked like he didn¡¯t quite get it. After leaving the room, Hawa alone had looked behind her and saw the words on the outside of the door rather than the inside. ¡°The writing outside said five or six were unstable, while seven was the perfect number.¡± ¡°¡­When we found the writings on the inside, didn¡¯t you say you couldn¡¯t read it?¡± Dalgil asked a bit sharply this time after gazing blankly at her. ¡°I lied,¡± Hawa said matter-of-factly. ¡°You could read it?¡± ¡°I was trained in all sorts of knowledge since I was young, including languages of several species and even ancient languages.¡± Though not to Bogle¡¯s level, Hawa¡¯s knowledge about ancient times was abundant, as she had shown during her time in the cave under the Evalaya Volcano. ¡°Then why did you hide this fact?¡± ¡°I wanted to test you,¡± Hawa answered nonchalantly. ¡°If you were the impersonating monster, I thought you would deliberately misinterpret what was written on the door, so I watched you.¡± In other words, Hawa had pretended like she was unable to read the letters and didn¡¯t say anything even when she found writings on the outside of the door. She did this not only to test her team members, but based on the belief that revealing the information would alert the monsters among them. In short, Hawa had suspected everyone on the team since the very beginning. Everyone looked stunned by Hawa¡¯s thoroughness. ¡°Then when did you begin to doubt Airi¡­?¡± Dalgil asked. Chi-Woo was also curious. He had suspected Bogle, but hadn¡¯t considered Airi a suspect at all. ¡°When¡­? Ah.¡± Dalgil realized then. The thought that there could be two monsters impersonating their companions first came to Hawa¡¯s mind when saw the number ¡®5¡¯ on the door. She thought about what the meaning of the number was. Was it the number of people in the room? No, that couldn¡¯t be the case since it should be ¡®7¡¯ then. The suspicions she had deepened when she saw the ominous writing on the outside. What did it mean by ¡®unstable¡¯ with five or six, and ¡®perfect¡¯ with seven? While thinking about this, Hawa connected what had happened in the previous room with the writings and thought, ¡®What if the number wasn¡¯t the number of people in the room, but the number of companions?¡¯ An impersonating monster couldn¡¯t be seen as their companion. Considering this, though the door opened when there were at least five people, things would be unstable with the current number of companions they had. Only if they had seven companions in the team would there be no problems. Everything seemed to fit then. ¡°Those writings on the door hinted that problems would arise in an unstable state.¡± And that was what almost happened. The relationship between Dalgil and Bogle worsened, Dalgil was almost ambushed from behind, and the red door was almost opened. Bogle was on the more obvious side. Though it was unclear in the beginning, he had acted too differently from his usual self after he woke up. Thus, Hawa thought about who the last monster could be. Outside of herself and Chi-Woo, who had brought up exactly what had happened between them when they were at the Evalaya Volcano, she couldn¡¯t be sure who amongst the remaining four could be the last monster. ¡°I suspected one or two of you, but couldn¡¯t figure it out. That made me think in the completely opposite direction,¡± Hawa continued to explain. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I kept my eye on the companion who was the least suspicious,¡± Hawa said. ¡°The way the situation was progressing, I thought we would be completely screwed over¡ªlike getting backstabbed by the person we least suspected.¡± It was the truth of life: in the most important time, one got betrayed by the person that seemed least likely to do so. Thus, Hawa kept her eye on Airi. Nobody suspected her as she had been with Chi-Woo almost the entire time and had been unconscious since they reunited. Hawa might have made a bold guess, but in the end, her deduction was right. Bam! As if the existence beyond the red door felt enraged by this, the impact grew heavier. ¡°That was the eightieth knock just now,¡± Hawa said, craning one ear and squinting. ¡°Then¡­Airi and Bogle¡­¡± Dalgil said with a slightly dazed face. Bam! Hawa frowned and said, ¡°It is time for us to decide.¡± Bam! ¡°The door to turn back has disappeared.¡± Bam! ¡°We have to decide whether to open the blue door or the white door.¡± Bam! ¡°Choose which one¡ªah, so loud!¡± Hawa was encouraging Dalgil to make a decision when she aggressively kicked the bottom of the red door. It really was aggravatingly loud, and Hawa was understandably annoyed. And after the hard kick, the knocking suddenly stopped to their surprise. Yet the next moment¡ª Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam! As if the being behind the door was also enraged by Hawa¡¯s behavior, they began to knock on the door faster. Hawa responded quickly. Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she flew down the stairs. The knocks reached ninety in an instant and grew frantic. ¡°Quickly!¡± Hawa yelled urgently. Dalgil quickly came to his senses and turned. Unable to hesitate any longer, they headed for the white door he had decided upon from the beginning. He opened the ivory-white door leading to the next compartment wide and yelled, ¡°Everyone out!¡± With Dalgil on the lead, everyone hurriedly ran toward the open door. Simultaneously, there were sounds of the iron door crumbling. ¡°Wait¡ª!¡± Though it sounded like somebody was calling them from the second floor, no one looked back. Chi-Woo was the last one to get out. He turned to close the door behind him. Then his face became blank. ¡°?¡± CH 229 The door disappeared. No, it wasn¡¯t just the door; the ivory-colored maze, the walls¡ªeverything disappeared. There was only a vast, empty grassland. The entire Narsha Haram was completely gone as if the expedition members had left the tower. The unexpected situation rendered them speechless. Since they had opened a door in the seventh room, this should¡¯ve been the eighth compartment. However, the scene in front of them looked exactly the same as when they were outside the Narsha Haram. There was also the same altar placed alone on the grass as proof. Dalgil had presented a token there and summoned the Narsha Haram. The token was now on the altar, as if it had never disappeared at all. ¡°¡­What?¡± Ru Hiana mumbled. ¡°¡­It might be a test,¡± Dalgil said in a hoarse voice. ¡°God Mamiya favors brave warriors. I think the room was meant to test my courage.¡± ¡°So if we had opened the blue door¡­¡± ¡°I would have failed the test.¡± The words on the monument that despair would be waiting on the other side of the white door were there to invoke fear. However, Dalgil didn¡¯t back down and decided to push head-on. Thus, by proving his courage, he passed Mamiya¡¯s test. It was a rather plausible interpretation. Considering that the token was back on the altar, everything seemed to fit. ¡°Then¡­it¡¯s over?¡± As Ru Hiana said, it was safe to say that the test was over. All they had to do now was take the token and return to the holy city, Shalyh. Then Dalgil would rise up to platinum rank, and his status within his tribe would increase. His grandfather, Mangil, who must have been anxiously waiting for him, would clap in delight. ¡­Yes, that would be the case¡ªif he decided to go back. Dalgil didn¡¯t look happy at all; he looked bitter. No one had to ask why. ¡®Mr. Bogle¡­ Ms. Airi¡­¡¯ What happened to those two? Were they dead? they might be alive and searching for them right now. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel like celebrating at all. He didn¡¯t even dare to extend his comfort. Instead, he only felt a deep sense of guilt. Before they left that blasted room, Airi had definitely been his comrade; he was sure since he had been holding her the whole time since the fourth room. However, while he left for a short time to check the situation outside, the real Airi had been replaced with a fake one. ¡®It¡¯s my fault.¡¯ If he hadn¡¯t gone out and instead waited there, or at least brought her along, Airi would have still been with them. His action to protect Airi had actually harmed her instead. Chi-Woo clenched his teeth. He didn¡¯t want to return like this. He wanted to at least confirm whether Bogle and Airi were alive. If there was a tower in front of them, he would have immediately suggested going back. However, the test was already over, and the Narsha Haram was gone. While silence weighed on them, Dalgil walked as if he was in a trance. He picked up the token on the altar and stared blankly. Chi-Woo turned away; he couldn¡¯t bear to look at Dalgil. Then he blinked in surprise when he saw Hawa. There was clear emotion on her face, which was an extremely rare occurrence. She was clutching her temples and chewing her lower lip. It was obvious that she was in a state of deep contemplation. ¡°Ms. Hawa¡­¡± Chi-Woo was about to ask what was that about, but Hawa held out her hand to stop him. ¡°You have to open the door and go through the room to enter the next compartment¡­¡± She murmured to herself for a while. Then her eyes widened, and she quickly looked around. She opened her mouth slightly and closed it again, and her face returned to its usual emotionless state. It seemed she had noticed something, but Chi-Woo remained silent; Hawa was staring quietly at Dalgil, waiting to see how Dalgil would act. Dalgil fiddled with the token for a while and turned slowly. ¡°We found the token. The test is over.¡± He looked at the expedition members in turn. ¡°Now we just have to return with this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Suddenly, a voice agreed out of nowhere. Everyone turned to find Airi¡ªAiri who was lying on the grass with a dagger stuck in her body. Or to be more exact, a monster pretending to be Airi. ¡°It¡¯s all over. You can just take the token and dedicate it to your god.¡± Dalgil moved towards her and looked down at the small form lying helplessly on the ground. ¡°Of course, you want to get your comrade back. I understand how you feel, but you don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re alive, right?¡± Airi continued, ¡°Those two probably don¡¯t want you to go back, right?¡± ¡°¡­You speak quite well.¡± Dalgil finally opened his mouth. ¡°Because we¡¯re not in the tower anymore,¡± Airi smiled and answered. ¡°In that damn tower, the things I can say are limited except for when I¡¯m in the sixth room.¡± Chi-Woo recalled the pattern on the sixth door and realized what the X on the closed mouth and the O on the open mouth indicated. The sixth room actually did have boss monsters¡ªthe two monsters who imitated Bogle and Airi. And as the opened mouth indicated, they were able to speak in the sixth room. ¡°They don¡¯t want me to go back¡­yeah, that might be the case,¡± Dalgil replied. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Yeah, then¡ª¡± ¡°But what about it?¡± Dalgil interrupted Airi. ¡°I have no intention of going back like this in the slightest.¡± One of Airi¡¯s eyes slightly opened. ¡°How? The tower is already gone.¡± ¡°I can summon it again.¡± Dalgil lifted the token in his hand; he was going to offer the token again and call forth the Narsha Haram. ¡°Huh,¡± Airi snorted. ¡°Why? You want to get their corpses and return?¡± She asked without blinking an eye. ¡°When everything is already over? Are you going to be a hypocrite now?¡± She chuckled like she was mocking him. ¡°Hypocrite?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hypocrisy, isn¡¯t it?¡± Airi smiled and continued, ¡°If you really cared for your comrades, you should have chosen the blue door instead of the white door. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± It was then Dalgil burst into laughter. He said while wiping his eyes, ¡°I understand now a bit. God Mamiya¡­no, it seems like God Mamiya was the one who imitated Bogle, then you must be God Miho.¡± Airi¡¯s face hardened. She soon replied calmly, ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± But Dalgil continued to smile blandly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The important thing is that part of what you said is true. Bogle and Airi would have definitely wanted me to return to Shalyh like this.¡± He paused and continued, ¡°¡­We are friends who have grown up together since we were young. We¡¯ve been through countless battles side by side even after we grew up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you again¡ªwhat are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I always took the lead as the captain, and they always watched my back and supported me.¡± ¡°What are you¡ª¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve never, ever abandoned those two.¡± Airi closed her mouth as Dalgil continued in a determined tone, ¡°They always trusted and followed me, and I never abandoned them in the face of any danger.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s how we treat each other. That¡¯s the way I prove and repay their trust and faith in me.¡± Airi¡¯s eyes slightly trembled. ¡°¡­The test is already over. If you dedicate the token this time, you won¡¯t be able to hold it again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any regrets, since I¡¯ve already held it in my hands once.¡± ¡°The token is just a medium to summon the Narsha Haram. You would need to pay a suitable price to get what you want in the tower.¡± ¡°As much as I need to. I¡¯m more than willing.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through it already. And you¡¯re going to start over again? In this state? The red door may have opened, and the predators on the second floor may have come down to the first floor by now.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°What if they are already dead? What if they were eaten, and not even their corpses are left?¡± ¡°Then I would at least recover their corpses. If even their corpses are gone, I would find those who ate Bogle and Airi and tear them into pieces, scattering them in the air to comfort my friends¡¯ spirits.¡± With these words, Airi finally closed her mouth. She stared at Dalgil with a curious gaze. ¡°Are you done?¡± Dalgil smirked and raised his feet. ¡°Then please send my greeting to God Mamiya for me.¡± He lowered his feet with all his might. ¡°Hey, wait¡ª¡± Airi tried to say something in a hurry, but Dalgil crushed her with his feet, and she turned into liquid. ¡°Well then.¡± Dalgil shook his foot and looked back at the rest of the expedition members. He made his intentions clear in his conversation with the fake Airi just now. He was going to offer the token again and summon Narsha Haram to find his companions. ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me,¡± Dalgil said in a soft voice. ¡°The request is over. What you do from now on is beyond its scope. Since this is my choice, I can¡¯t force any of you to follow me. Even if you decide to return, I won¡¯t blame you.¡± Then he shrugged and continued, ¡°Of course, if any of you insist on following me, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± However, it was clear that Dalgil hoped that the rest of the expedition members would follow him. When Dalgil looked at Chi-Woo, everyone¡¯s attention shifted to him, and of course, Chi-Woo had already made his decision. ¡°I heard this before in the last expedition I was in.¡± He continued with a low voice, ¡°The expedition is not over until we return.¡± As Chi-Woo said, the expedition didn¡¯t end when the expedition members defeated the monster and got the treasure. They could only say that the expedition was fully over once they safely returned to the city with the treasure, and currently, they weren¡¯t at the holy city, Shalyh yet. ¡°Captain Dalgil, as you said, the request has been completed, but we are still in the middle of the expedition.¡± From now on, they were not fulfilling a request, but starting a new expedition¡ªan expedition to save their two remaining comrades. ¡°Hurry up and summon it, sir. Every second is precious.¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s urging, Dalgil quietly closed his eyes because he felt that Chi-Woo¡¯s willingness to save Bogle and Airi was as strong as his. ¡°To be honest¡­I was a little doubtful when I first saw all of you at the gate.¡± Dalgil spoke quietly like a confession. ¡°I wondered if it was necessary to give you so much money, and I cursed Grandpa Mangil many times inside my mind. But I don¡¯t feel that way anymore.¡± Dalgil smiled and looked at Chi-Woo, Ru Amuh, and Hawa in turn. ¡°When I go back, I¡¯m going to give Grandpa Mangil my respect and a deep bow as soon as I see him.¡± He wanted to thank Grandpa Mangil for giving him such wonderful comrades, and thanks to his efforts, he was able to safely complete the request and return to the city. Of course, in order to do this, he needed to first find Bogle and Airi. Only then would this whole ordeal be meaningful. Dalgil no longer hesitated. He put the token back on the altar and looked up at the sky, shouting, ¡°God Mamiya! Your son beseech you! Please reopen Narsha Haram! I¡¯ll offer you this token, so please give me a chance to save my comrades!¡± A tremendous shout roared through the sky. Chi-Woo took a slow, deep breath. Narsha Haram would soon be regenerated, and they might have to go through it from the beginning. Since their condition was significantly worse off than before, they probably would have an extremely tough time, but still¡­he had no regrets. Rather than returning to the city with guilt and suffering every day, it was a hundred times better to do as much as he could to save his comrades. He had also already prepared to die at the Evelaya Volcano. Chi-Woo hardened his resolve and closed his eyes once before opening them. Then¡ª ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A shrill sound escaped his mouth. The meadow had vanished into thin air, and he could only see ivory walls surrounding them. Before they knew it, the expedition members were back inside the Narsha Haram. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Hawa said. When Dalgil looked at her in confusion, Hawa quickly repeated, ¡°It¡¯s all over.¡± ¡°?¡± When Dalgil continued to look confused, Hawa let out a deep breath and began explaining. The Narsha Haram¡¯s first floor was made up of eight compartments, connected by seven rooms. It was only possible to go to the next compartment by passing through the connecting room. ¡°There wasn¡¯t a door in the fourth room; there was a hole instead.¡± But what if they thought of each of those holes as a door that allowed them to move to the next compartment? Chi-Woo suddenly exclaimed. After leaving the fourth room, they had gone through a long passageway of darkness¡ªthat had been the fifth compartment. What followed was the fifth room, and when they passed it, they reached the sixth compartment, which was the compartment where they had to wander around to find each other. And the sixth room was where there was writing on the door. The seventh compartment was where they fought a tough battle, and the seventh room was where there were three doors to choose from. Thus, the place where the expedition members entered after leaving that place was¡­ ¡°The place where we were just in was the eighth compartment,¡± Hawa said. In other words, the expedition¡¯s prediction had been right. Since they opened the white door inside the seventh room, the eighth compartment should have appeared, and that was what had actually happened. However, they had mistakenly thought they were back outside because of their surroundings. ¡°Battles, traps, finding comrades, and so on. In order to move on to the next compartment, we needed to go through some kind of test each time.¡± Thus, what just happened was also a kind of test, and Dalgil was able to pass the test of choice and thus the eighth compartment. ¡®That¡¯s why it said we¡¯ll fall into a greater despair¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought he could now understand the meaning behind the words written on the monument. In a sense, it was like playing a game with difficult stages where they only had one life each. After passing the stages and reaching the end, they were presented with the choice of leaving their companions behind or starting all over again¡ªwith harsher conditions than before. There was no greater despair than that. Dalgil still seemed a bit perplexed, ¡°But God Mamiya told me to find the token¡­¡± ¡°And what is the token?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Is there a guarantee that the token God Mamiya mentioned is the token you¡¯re thinking of?¡± Hawa boldly called Mamiya a god who likes wordplay and puns. She had felt this way after seeing the writing in the sixth room. ¡°Think of the two words separately.¡± Token. And find. ¡°Ah!¡± Ru Amuh clapped. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®token¡¯ in a physical sense, but symbolic sense.¡± The word token was not just limited to a ticket, badge, note, or bill. It also had the symbolic meaning of expressing and representing a fact or quality. ¡°You said that God Mamiya values courage and harmony.¡± In other words, Mamiya wanted Dalgil to show actions that would prove his courage and harmony¡ªby finding the physical token and his comrades. Dalgil looked astounded. He stared at Hawa as if he couldn¡¯t believe her words. ¡°How¡­how in the world were you able to come up with this?¡± ¡°It was written on the monument.¡± ¡°The monument?¡± ¡°Too much is no better than too little.¡± If one lacked courage, they were a coward, but if one was too brave, they were reckless and foolish. In other words, the courage that Mamiya valued was a harmonious balance that was neither too much nor too little. Only then did Dalgil nod in understanding. In the end, everything had been a trap. What if they had opened the blue door in the seventh room? Or what if they had chosen to return in the eighth compartment? Then the test would have ended in failure. However, Dalgil didn¡¯t give up on getting the token nor leaving behind his comrades. He walked firmly on his given path without abandoning anyone. ¡°Congratulations.¡± After finishing her explanation, Hawa sighed and tipped her chin to point to somewhere behind him. ¡°It seems God Mamiya likes your choice.¡± Dalgil turned around instinctively, and his eyes widened. He didn¡¯t see any maze that should have filled the floor. Instead, the only thing he saw was an open space and an altar in the center, like the room with treasure from before. And on the altar were two of his closest companions. ¡°Bogle! Airi!¡± Dalgil and all the other expedition members rushed toward the altar. They moved closer and saw that Bogle and Airi were both alive. Even though their injuries remained, and they were unconscious, they were both breathing. ¡°Ah¡­ahh¡­.¡± Dalgil reached out with a trembling hand and tried to hug them. However, a bright light suddenly flashed in front of him. ¡ªDalgil, my son. A charming and handsome voice came from the light. ¡ªYou have reached here bravely against numerous hardships and trials that should have been overwhelming for you. I¡¯m proud of you for overcoming so many temptations and finally standing here. Then the voice calmly continued. ¡ªOf course, you still have some shortcomings, but you¡¯ve made promising choices that make me look forward to your future. Thus, in the name of Mamiya, I acknowledge your success in overcoming this test. I hereby promote you to platinum rank and give you the position as warrior commander. ¡ªI hope you will show performance befitting this position and rank. I sincerely hope you don¡¯t lose that harmonious courage you have shown me today. Then the voice disappeared after saying what he had to say. The light also decreased and scattered over Bogle and Airi. Then a short moan broke out, and two of them wiggled at the same time. ¡°Bogle? Airi!¡± Dalgil called out to them. ¡°¡­Uh? Whaat¡­?¡± Bogle shook his head and slowly raised it. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Airi also opened her eyes. A big smile emerged on Dalgil¡¯s face. Soon after, he laughed loudly and lifted them, holding them in his arms. ¡°Booogle! Airiii!¡± He even screamed. Bogle and Airi were shocked to be awakened like this while half-asleep. They struggled to escape. ¡°Captain? No, wait!¡± ¡°My head, my head! I¡¯m dizzzzzy!¡± They protested, but Dalgil couldn¡¯t hear them. He burst into nonstop laughter and danced round and round with both of them in his arms. How could he not be happy when he found his comrades and even completed his test? ¡°Ah, come on, what¡¯s wrong with you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just look at us. Help me!¡± While Airi yelled in irritation and Bogle screamed for help, they all heard the door on the edge snap open. It opened by itself as if telling them the exit was that way. Chi-Woo smiled as he looked at the meadow through the wide open door. At last, the test was finally over. CH 230 The expedition team immediately got out of the tower once the door opened. After everything they had gone through, they didn¡¯t want to spend a second longer in this place; and once they stepped outside, the Narsha Haram disappeared into thin air. Then the expedition team hurriedly put away the altar and got on their way to return home. Though Bogle and Airi had recovered some of their vitality thanks to Mamiya, their injuries still needed tending, and all the expedition team members were hurt in different ways. Thus, they all needed to return as fast as possible. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t encounter any monsters during the several days long trip, including Botis¡¯ army that they had worried so much about, and the expedition team was able to travel without stopping. It was as if they were rewarded for their recent suffering. *** After marching without rest, the expedition team came to a momentary stop. Under the twilight, they saw a structure that cast a great shadow onto the ground. It was the city Shalyh. Like usual, there were a couple of people around the gates. Most of them were heading in since it was near dusk, and the closer they got to the city gates, the more eyes the team attracted because of how ragged their condition was. Even so, the team walked confidently since they were coming back after accomplishing their goal. The team stopped after passing the gates and entering the city¡¯s inner parts. Nobody moved for a while. They simply closed their eyes, inhaled deeply, and enjoyed the moment. They had returned to the city Shalyh. They could say that the expedition was over now. ¡°¡­Good work, you all,¡± Dalgil said while looking behind them. ¡°Good job. It¡¯s really a job well done, everyone.¡± Filled with indescribable emotions, Dalgil repeated the same lines. They had entered Narsha Haram from mythical times and came back alive. Though they weren¡¯t in good shape, the fact that they had all returned alive was most important. Thus, they were overjoyed. ¡°Congratulations,¡± Ru Amuh said while smiling. Chi-Woo also gave his congratulations. If both Bogle and Airi or even one of the pair weren¡¯t with them, they would¡¯ve had to give their condolences instead. But there was no need to worry about that now, and Chi-Woo was especially happy about this fact. ¡°Thank you, everyone¡­¡± Dalgil made a shy smile. Though they had come back from a successful trip, it wasn¡¯t time for them to be standing around here. ¡°I would like to rent a bar and drink all night in celebration if I could¡­but it will be difficult to do that in our current condition.¡± ¡°There will be nothing more regretful than us dying from drinking after coming back from this expedition alive,¡± Ru Amuh joked, and the rest of the expedition team agreed. They needed stamina to even eat, drink, and have a good time. Furthermore, there were many in their team who needed immediate treatment. ¡°Everyone, have a good rest. I will send someone after I get things organized,¡± Dalgil said. He was about to turn around when Chi-Woo stopped him. ¡°Captain Dalgil,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°I was able to learn a lot thanks to this expedition.¡± ¡°Hm? Ah¡­no, it¡¯s me who should say that.¡± ¡°You really were a great captain, Mr. Dalgil.¡± Chi-Woo gave Dalgil a thumbs-up and smiled. Dalgil looked at this gesture blankly before breaking into a wide smile. ¡°Ha. Well, let¡¯s see each other next time!¡± He ran off while clutching Bogle and Airi tightly in his arms. After separating from Dalgil, the rest of the team went to their zone and quickly returned to their respective homes. Chi-Woo¡¯s place was quiet when he got there; it appeared that Evelyn had gone out. One of the merits of Shalyh City was that it was no longer necessary for the residents to go out to wash themselves. The plumbing system was surprisingly well-established, and naturally, there were bathrooms in homes. Thus, after filling a bucket with water, Chi-Woo cleaned his body thoroughly. Dirt and filth that he couldn¡¯t wash away throughout the entire expedition flowed down to the floor; and after thoroughly washing himself, Chi-Woo immediately headed for the bed. His already fatigued body felt even more tired after soaking in water. ¡°I¡­¡± The blankets felt like clouds when Chi-Woo buried his face into it and closed his eyes. ¡°Came back alive¡­¡± In mere seconds, he lost consciousness. *** When Chi-Woo opened his eyes again, he saw a calm and peaceful sky. The sun was slowly setting, and it appeared that after returning to the city, he had slept a whole day. Chi-Woo wondered whether he should sleep more or wake up when he felt a gaze upon him. She was observing and smiling at him with her hand cupping her jaw. ¡°Lady Evelyn?¡± ¡°Did you have a good sleep?¡± Evelyn asked with a cheery expression. ¡°You should¡¯ve woken me up¡­¡± ¡°You were so deeply asleep. Just like a baby. You reminded me of my younger brother in his baby days, so I couldn¡¯t help but stare,¡± Evelyn chuckled and stretched out her arms. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s good to see that you came back alive. It didn¡¯t seem like it would be an easy expedition.¡± ¡°Yes, it certainly wasn¡¯t. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much I missed you, Lady Evelyn.¡± ¡°Of course. Although I¡¯m not officially a priest yet, it¡¯s not an easy task finding a healer like me.¡± Evelyn nodded with self-importance. ¡®Hm, hm.¡¯ ¡°Did anything happen while I was gone?¡± ¡°Hm¡ªmany things happened in your absence.¡± ¡°Really, what happened?¡± ¡°There¡¯s the bothersome issue with people flocking to me whenever I step outside because I¡¯m supposed to be a hero now and¡ª¡± Evelyn placed her index finger on her chin and smiled while glancing at Chi-Woo. ¡°But that¡¯s not even the real problem. Are you curious about what that is?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You really want to hear it?¡± Chi-Woo wondered what in the world happened that Evelyn would be stalling like this, and Evelyn began in a confident voice. ¡°Fufu. Don¡¯t be too surprised when you hear it. I got a disciple¡ª¡± Evelyn¡¯s sentence was cut short because of the abrupt commotion outside. ¡°Hey!¡± A middle-aged man with a thick beard burst through the door. ¡°Sir Mangil?¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± Mangil hugged Chi-Woo as soon as he came in. It seemed he was here to personally pick up Chi-Woo even though Dalgil had said he would send somebody. As Mangil muttered how he had made the right decision in choosing Chi-Woo, and that Dalgil¡¯s fame had grown all over the city thanks to him, he dragged Chi-Woo to Ru Amuh¡¯s residence. Everyone was already gathered on the first floor. Mangil thanked everyone again and placed a large lump of money on the table as a reward for the success, but he didn¡¯t end things there. ¡°Okay! Everyone quickly come out! I rented out a place for you all!¡± Mangil dragged the expedition team to a blacksmith¡¯s workshop. Though everyone else looked confused, Chi-Woo alone smiled. It seemed Mangil was keeping his promise. ¡°So! For whom do I need to prepare equipment for?¡± Mangil shouted, and Chi-Woo silently pushed Ru Amuh on the back. ¡°T-Teacher?¡± Ru Amuh looked stunned, but a couple of buhguhbus approached him. And soon afterward, Ru Amuh was transformed into an impressive knight fully armored with a metal helmet, breastplate, and even a pair of greaves. Though he wasn¡¯t covered in thick steel armor all over his body like Dalgil, Ru Amuh had the look of a formidable adventurer now. The way Ru Amuh¡¯s armor gleamed made it clear that the pieces were made of high quality material. ¡°You look good! Really good!¡± Mangil chuckled and patted Ru Amuh on the back. ¡°Although it¡¯s manufactured, don¡¯t think worse of it because of that! Our buhguhbus¡¯ blacksmith skills are the best on Liber!¡± This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Ru Amuh looked at Chi-Woo in astonishment. ¡°Teacher¡­¡± Though he seemed to be asking Chi-Woo if he could really accept this gift instead of Chi-Woo, Chi-Woo shook his head with a satisfied smile. Chi-Woo always thought it was pitiful that Ru Amuh went around with only leather clothes even though he was a warrior; now that Ru Amuh was all dressed up like this, he appeared like the perfect embodiment of one. Chi-Woo felt just like a parent buying new clothes for his kid. In the meantime, they reached the end of the settlement, Mangil didn¡¯t let the expedition team go easily. While saying that this was just the beginning, he brought the team to a restaurant. ¡°I rented out this restaurant in celebration! You¡¯re not going home on two legs today!¡± Mangil said. The restaurant was already filled with numerous food, alcohol, and buhguhbus who came to join the celebration. Unfortunately, Bogle and Airi were unable to attend because of their condition, but Dalgil was able to come. He appeared heavily bandaged all over his body. ¡°Don¡¯t you also have to be careful, Mr. Dalgil?¡± Chi-Woo asked Dalgil. ¡°That¡¯s why I came after I took my medicine.¡± Dalgil and Chi-Woo laughed while clinking glasses. That was the beginning of the party. Chi-Woo enjoyed the meat and alcohol, which he hadn¡¯t been able to enjoy for a long time, and saw Mangil staggering toward him. ¡°So, a-are you enjoying yourself?¡± Mangil stuttered like he was very drunk. ¡°Thanks to you, sir. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certainly enjoying myself. There are few opportunities to do this considering the circumstances,¡± Mangil laughed and said that Chi-Woo should do the same when he could. ¡°By the way¡­¡± Mangil put a pipe to his lips, lit it up, and said in a soft voice. ¡°I heard from Dalgil that you got yourself a very rare item.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes sparkled. He knew Mangil was talking about the reliquia and had been wanting to ask Mangil about it since the buhguhbus were the greatest blacksmith among the Cassiubia League. ¡°Yes, do you perhaps¡ª¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Mangil cut Chi-Woo off before he could even finish. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Even we can¡¯t handle that metal. If it¡¯s really reliquia, that is,¡± Mangil said while inhaling a heap of smoke. ¡°Reliquia is god¡¯s metal; it¡¯s not something that should be in the Middle World.¡± It was something only mentioned in records, and none of the buhguhbus had seen it personally or touched it. Mangil even expressed his doubts about whether the item was the real deal. ¡°Although I have my pride as a blacksmith¡­reliquia is another matter. Even the greatest blacksmith from Liber wouldn¡¯t dare work with it.¡± ¡°Then¡­what¡­?¡± ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s a god¡¯s metal. Then there¡¯s only one kind of existence that can deal with it,¡± Mangil said and pointed up with his index finger. Chi-Woo took this gesture to mean that only a god could manipulate this metal. Chi-Woo was about to ask in more detail, but Mangil quickly got up from his seat as many voices called him elsewhere. Chi-Woo looked as Mangil left and saw two familiar faces on the way. ¡°You are going to go on a quest again?¡± ¡°Yes, we have to keep making money, and seeing you reach Platinum rank, I also¡­¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s you, I¡¯m sure you will quickly¡­¡± Chi-Woo heard the back and forth between Dalgil and Ru Amuh and thought, ¡®Ranks¡­¡¯ Now that the expedition was over, he needed to analyze what had happened and organize what he had learned from it. From the Zepar expedition, Chi-Woo learned about the fundamentals of an expedition; and from this expedition, Chi-Woo learned a couple of things about fulfilling one¡¯s role in a team. Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts about the direction in which he would progress had therefore changed. Chi-Woo thought deeply about these matters when a presence suddenly made him flinch. He didn¡¯t know when she had appeared, but Hawa was praying on her knees toward him. ¡°Ms. Hawa?¡± Hawa didn¡¯t respond. Chi-Woo thought worriedly that she might be drunk or asleep, but then she raised her head and opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°I rose to Bronze rank.¡± Chi-Woo eyes widened. ¡°You got promoted?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, just now¡­¡± ¡°I was meeting Goddess La Bella,¡± Hawa spoke coolly, but she seemed happy. It was clear she was looking at her stats by the way she stared intently into the space in front of her. But it was surprising that she rose in rank in one-go like this. Passing a promotion test wasn¡¯t an easy task. One needed to overcome great adversaries that even a god would acknowledge. ¡®Well, Ms. Hawa did a lot during this expedition¡­¡¯ For someone who was a native and just began to use the growth system, she displayed splendid skills. As expected of a 3-star, Hawa had outstanding growth potential. ¡®Since she rose in ranks, I¡¯m sure she will become stronger.¡¯ Chi-Woo licked his lips. For some reason, it felt like he alone was stuck in one place. He knew there were methods that could make him stronger, and he was simply not using them because of his obstinacy. But after coming back from this expedition, Chi-Woo thought it was time for him to let go of his stubbornness a bit. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Chi-Woo thought he should think about this later. He was about to take a big bite of his meat skewer when he spotted a figure slowly rising. ¡®Ms. Ru Hiana?¡¯ While everyone was enjoying the party happily, Ru Hiana appeared despondent. She even got up quietly to leave the restaurant. ¡®What? Did something happen to her?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered whether he should go after her when another person stopped him in his tracks. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Evelyn approached him, red-faced and both hands occupied with glasses. ¡°Drink, Drink¡ªIf you came to celebrate, you must driiink¡­¡± ¡°You are very drunk, Lady Evelyn.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not drunk! I! Came to hear your storyyy!¡± ¡°¡­What story?¡± ¡°Your expedition~ When are you going to tell me about it~¡± Evelyn whined, and Chi-Woo had no choice but to take her drinks. *** His return to Shalyh City from the expedition was followed by a whole day of sleeping, and the next day was a blur for Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo remembered drinking a lot, and when he regained his senses, he was on his bed. Since he didn¡¯t remember walking to his room, he supposed someone must have moved him there. Thus, Chi-Woo finally remembered his brother two days after his return. Writhing uncomfortably from a hangover, Chi-Woo struggled to turn on his device and sent a message. A reply came within a second, telling him to quickly bring himself over. Thus, Chi-Woo ran off to see his brother without even washing up. He had many things to consult with and request from his brother this time, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t go empty-handed. He took two bags of chips he had safely stored in his bag all along with him. CH 231 Chi-Hyun told him to come to his official residence. When Chi-Woo went up to the top floor and opened the door, he saw his brother sitting at his desk like usual. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two days,¡± Chi-Hyun twirled the quill pen in his hand and said. ¡°I thought you¡¯d give me a call as soon as you arrived.¡± Chi-Woo was startled. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That I came back two days ago.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t know in this city,¡± Chi-Hyun responded casually, but as he stretched his arms, he looked slightly fatigued. ¡°Are you okay? You look tired.¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Unbeknownst to Chi-Woo, Chi-Hyun had secretly followed the expedition and killed a group of angus scouts that were fleeing. Then he waited endlessly outside Narsha Haram, wondering all night whether he should break the tower. Completely in the dark, Chi-Woo simply thought, ¡®Was he not able to sleep well?¡¯ ¡°So.¡± Chi-Hyun yawned and finally looked at Chi-Woo. ¡°How was it?¡± Chi-Woo was well aware that Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t asking out of pure curiosity or to hear him brag. He let out a deep sigh and said, ¡°It was¡­hard. It made me recognize my place.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± Chi-Woo smiled wryly. His brother didn¡¯t like vague answers. ¡°I think I was too arrogant.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Especially about not raising my rank.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s gaze eased a little. It seemed Chi-Woo had said the correct answer. Originally, Chi-Woo had planned to raise his rank after raising his physical abilities to his satisfaction through pure training. He was right in that this was the best way to efficiently get stronger. However, it was a method that didn¡¯t consider the ¡®time¡¯. Liber¡¯s environment was extremely hostile and dangerous. They were not in a situation where he could slowly grow stronger by catching a lv. 1 slime. If he just stepped one foot outside the city¡ªno, even if he stayed quietly in the city, it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if a boss level monster suddenly appeared and attacked him. Of course, he could lock himself in a remote place and only focus on training. However, there was no point working so hard day and night to raise his abilities to rank S if the world was already destroyed. All his efforts would have been in vain then. Time was not on the side of humankind. Although the situation had improved with the emergence of a holy city, it could not remain peaceful like this forever. Rather, other forces were most likely making plans to find a way to attack and conquer this place. Thus, Chi-Woo had failed to take Liber¡¯s situation into consideration when he refused to raise his rank, and it veered into arrogance; he should have known that they didn¡¯t have the slightest leisure to wait or sit around. ¡°The growth system was created to more effectively and quickly save the world,¡± Chi-Hyun said. In fact, a lot of heroes had probably thought like Chi-Woo at least once, since people thought alike. However, none had been successful with this method because it was impossible. Otherwise, the growth system wouldn¡¯t have even been necessary. ¡°You need to reverse your thoughts.¡± Chi-Hyun meant that Chi-Woo should use the growth system as his foundation to grow stronger instead and only use shortcuts or tricks as an additional way to support his growth. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m not going to be too greedy. I¡¯m planning to raise my tier after raising my rank to C or B.¡± ¡°That¡¯s doable.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded. Rank C was a level that humans could only achieve after devoting their entire lives to training, but Chi-Woo could probably soon reach it. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do that if it doesn¡¯t work out¡­but I¡¯m planning to ask Goddess La Bella first.¡± ¡°Hmm? What request?¡± ¡°Whether I could keep my stat points even if I increase my tier. Then I can use it right away to increase my abilities when I¡¯m in an emergency or when I want to, right?¡± ¡°That would probably be difficult.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s reply was negative. ¡°That¡¯s a special privilege that disturbs the fundamental nature of the growth system. Besides, you¡¯ve already received a special benefit.¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s no harm in asking. It''ll be great if Goddess La Bella says yes, but it can¡¯t be helped if she says no.¡± ¡°Do as you want.¡± Since Chi-Woo nonchalantly shrugged, Chi-Hyun did not stop him further. ¡°By the way, there is something¡­I want to consult with you about.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded for Chi-Woo to continue. ¡°I think I have to decide my path now.¡± ¡°Path?¡± ¡°My class. You know, I think I don¡¯t have a clear identity right now.¡± Originally, Chi-Woo had wanted to walk the path of a warrior. However, after going through this expedition, he clearly felt that it would be hard for him to fight like Dalgil or Ru Amuh even if he became one. It couldn¡¯t be helped since they had such a big difference in experience; unlike Dalgil or Ru Amuh, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t gone through numerous life and death experiences since he was young, and it was impossible to develop fighting prowess like Ru Amuh or Dalgil in a short time. In the end, this was also a problem of limited time. ¡°If you had to pick one, a priest would be better than a warrior, since there are so many warriors anyway,¡± Chi-Hyun replied calmly. ¡°But is there a reason for you to choose one?¡± ¡°As expected, you too¡ªwhat?¡± ¡°You can just do both.¡± Chi-Woo blinked with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to have two classes?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what? Isn¡¯t it better to walk on a single path? There¡¯s a saying that you should dig up only one well, you know.¡± A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Not at all.¡± Chi-Hyun shook his head and crossed his arms. ¡°Just look at me. I have dozens of classes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was then Chi-Woo finally realized that he had chosen the wrong person to consult with. His brother was an exception among exceptions. ¡°Get rid of your assumptions. Warriors can use magic if they want to, and likewise, there¡¯s no law stopping priests from wielding weapons,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°Class is merely a title. It¡¯s entirely up to you to decide in which direction you want to grow.¡± Of course, it also made sense for a regular hero to just focus on one class. However, in Chi-Hyun¡¯s perspective, Chi-Woo was far from regular. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid and continue walking while thinking. You¡¯ll find the way in the process.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t make up your mind, why don¡¯t you try being a priest first? Expedition requests will continue to come, and you¡¯ll make the perfect leader as a priest.¡± As his brother said, there was no safer and more comfortable team than a party led by a high-level priest. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Anything is fine as long as you grow.¡± In the end, everything boiled down to growth, and Chi-Hyun was saying that as Chi-Woo grew stronger, he¡¯d find a way on his own. ¡°So, did you talk about all the things you wanted to consult with me?¡± ¡°No, one more thing.¡± Chi-Hyun chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the only hero who uses me however they want.¡± ¡°Come on, what do you mean by using you? We¡¯re brothers.¡± ¡°Why, am I wrong? I feel like a human encyclopedia just for you.¡± ¡°Fine, fine, I get it. It¡¯s not like I have no sense of shame at all.¡± Chi-Woo coughed and took out a long box of snacks from his pocket. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­What is that?¡± Chi-Hyun was so shocked that he was late to respond. ¡°How about it? Will this be enough to make it up to you?¡± ¡°How did you bring that here?¡± ¡°I dipped into the family savings.¡± ¡°Cra¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun stopped mid-word, but Chi-Woo clearly heard what he was going to say¡ª¡®crazy fucker.¡¯ ¡°I thought you would like it.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­but even then¡­¡± ¡°No one else was going to spend it except for me anyway.¡± Chi-Hyun clutched his head at his brother¡¯s confident answer. He looked as if he was wondering if this was okay. ¡°So you¡¯re not going to eat it?¡± ¡°¡­Give it to me first.¡± Judging by how he was glancing at the snack, it seemed Chi-Hyun wanted to eat it. Chi-Woo giggled and opened the box. ¡°Actually, I brought quite a lot, but there are only two left now. After entering Liber, I ate some because I got really hungry in the beginning¡ª¡± Chi-Woo tore the bag inside vertically while walking towards the desk. Crummmble-! But he stopped walking when he saw crumbs falling out. There was not a single chip intact. Everything was crushed into powder. ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell between them. On second thought, there was no way the snack would have stayed intact when he carried it in his bag throughout all of his tumultuous adventurers. But he had no idea everything would have turned into powder. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine.¡± Chi-Hyun smacked his lips and sighed. ¡°N-No, wait. This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to go.¡± ¡°Forget it. I said it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll clean this up first, and I have another one. That one might be okay.¡± ¡°Just leave it there and continue talking instead,¡± Chi-Hyun spoke with a slight voice of complaint. ¡°How¡­.what on earth¡­sigh¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head and only began moving after Chi-Hyun showed his annoyance. Then he took out another item to show to Chi-Hyun. ¡°This is¡­¡± Chi-Hyun, who had looked slightly dissatisfied, brightened up when he saw an ingot with the color of a cool sky. ¡°It¡¯s called reliquia. So this is a¡ª¡± ¡°I know what it is. I guess that Mamiya punk has a bit of conscience left in him.¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback; even before saying anything, it seemed Chi-Hyun knew the whole situation and how Chi-Woo was able to get the reliquia. ¡°Y-You knew about it? Then you know that it¡¯s something good, right?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not something you can get in this time period.¡± Even Chi-Hyun easily acknowledged the value of the reliquia. Then Chi-Woo glanced at him and said, ¡°Then¡­do you want to use it?¡± Chi-Hyun looked surprised. ¡°Are you saying that because you don¡¯t know the value of this object?¡± ¡°No, I do know. But I don¡¯t know how to use it. It¡¯s basically just a pretty stone to me¡­¡± Chi-Hyun laughed as he saw his brother smile and mumble. It seemed Chi-Woo was offering the reliquia because he felt bad about the crushed chips. If Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t his younger brother, he would have accepted it with glee; it would definitely be an item that would be of great help in the future. Chi-Hyun felt greedy for the first time since he entered Liber, but he held it in because it was his brother¡¯s item. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m fine, so you use it.¡± Above all, a certain goddess was getting really worked up over the reliquia, so Chi-Woo would probably get into big trouble if Chi-Hyun decided to take it. ¡°But I don¡¯t even know how to use it.¡± ¡°Just keep it. You¡¯ll find a use for it sooner or later if you hold onto it.¡± Chi-Hyun smirked and pushed the reliquia back to Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo had no choice but to take it back. Then Chi-Hyun said, ¡°If you¡¯ve asked all your questions, let me ask you one of mine.¡± Chi-Woo straightened his posture at Chi-Hyun¡¯s words¡ªhis brother¡¯s question; just hearing this made him nervous. ¡°You still have your die, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t use it during this expedition. Honest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking about.¡± What Chi-Hyun said after was extremely shocking. ¡°Let¡¯s throw it.¡± Chi-Woo froze. He couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°Let¡¯s throw the World¡¯s Milestone,¡± Chi-Hyun repeated, thinking Chi-Woo must not have understood him. Only then did Chi-Woo stammer, ¡°¡­Right now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So suddenly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not sudden.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chi-Hyun clasped his hands. He looked like he was wondering whether or not he should explain this to Chi-Woo, and then he finally said, ¡°The Demon Empire is too quiet.¡± ¡°The Demon Empire?¡± ¡°Yeah, their movements look suspicious, but¡­they¡¯re not showing any signs of external activity. They¡¯re as quiet as a mouse.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it understandable they¡¯re acting like that around here? Isn¡¯t that why you allowed me to go out for the expedition in the first place?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying it¡¯s even weirder,¡± Chi-Hyun said flatly. ¡°They¡¯re being too rational.¡± Since the Demon Empire wasn¡¯t invincible, they could be laying low for now, and there was a good reason for that as well. However, the reasoning was too rational and a little too sensible; that was why it was suspicious. It felt like they were outrightly saying, ¡®We can¡¯t pay attention to you guys for a while because of this specific reason, got it?¡¯ ¡°One of the things you have to be careful about in life is the word ¡®reasonable¡¯.¡± It felt strange that Chi-Hyun, who was basically the figurehead for reason and logic, was saying this. ¡°You need to always be wary about rationality because people use their own rationality to justify their thoughts and claim it as reasonable.¡± For example, person A might make a reasonable-sounding business proposal to person B. Then naturally, B would consider the proposal reasonable and accept it without question. However, they should have doubted A¡¯s proposal at least once and think about why A wanted to work with them. The moment a person thought something made sense or fit a theory, faith and trust began to arise, and all doubts would fly out the window. it was also much more painful to be stabbed in the back by someone you trusted. ¡°Think about it carefully. Didn¡¯t you notice anything strange about the expedition?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it¡­¡± Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. He recalled the group of angus scouts he encountered. ¡°I don¡¯t have a good feeling about it. I tried to find out by myself, but it was all futile. The Demon Empire has strengthened their vigilance to an unprecedented extent.¡± Now that was extremely suspicious. ¡®It doesn¡¯t make sense that they¡¯re acting like they can¡¯t pay attention to us for a while, yet they¡¯re strengthening their boundaries to the highest level.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying we should throw the die,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll at least know the direction we should be going.¡± Chi-Woo understood what his brother was saying, but even then, he hesitated. ¡°But what if I get less than 3¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you saying that too easily? You told me to not use it carelessly.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t tell you to not use it at all,¡± Chi-Hyun said calmly but firmly. ¡°It¡¯s time to throw it, before it¡¯s too late.¡± Chi-Woo also made up his mind. ¡°I¡¯m throwing it because you told me to. Even if we get a low number, don¡¯t blame me.¡± Chi-Woo reached into his pocket and took out the World¡¯s Milestone. He hesitated for a while and said, ¡°Then¡­I¡¯m really going to throw it, okay?¡± After checking with Chi-Hyun once more, Chi-Woo threw it with all his strength. [Rolling the World¡¯s Milestone.] The World¡¯s Milestone rolled for a long time and finally stopped moving. [Result: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï] [Inherent state [Blessed] Luck consumed (80 ¡ú 73)] Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes became big as saucers. [The world¡¯s flow twists and separates.] [Huge success! An incident occurs.] Chi-Woo had been nervous that he might fail, but he rolled a seven; not five or six, but an astounding seven. He hadn¡¯t expected this at all. [The creation of the holy city has raised the alarm of the Demon Empire. The Demon Empire has been investigating the demise of the Great Demons around the holy city¡¯s establishment and has succeeded in finding a connection between these two events.] [Feeling a great threat, the Demon Empire decided that they could not sit idly by. They identified and acknowledged the mysterious existence who has been hindering their every plan and have decided to get rid of this being at all costs.] [A frightening and meticulous plan is already being carried out slowly in secret at this very moment, and as soon as the conditions are met, a terrible disaster would occur in the not-too-distant future. Before that happens, you must remove the embers of disaster in advance¡­] ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± Chi-Hyun read Chi-Woo¡¯s expression and asked with interest. Chi-Woo was about to say something, but he couldn¡¯t reply because¡ª Flash! His vision suddenly brightened, and he felt a sharp pull in his lower stomach, as if his body was being sucked somewhere. CH 232 Chi-Woo was hit with a sensation he couldn¡¯t put into words. It was as if a rough hale had swept over him and sent him flying all over the place. He felt an urge to vomit when suddenly, the sensation stopped, and he felt his feet touch the ground. Chi-Woo got on one knee with his eyes closed, heaving while the bout of dizziness prevented him from standing properly. When his breathing settled a bit, he felt a wind brush past him. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes burst open. ¡°Urgh!¡± Unable to hold it in any longer, he vomited. An acrid smell swept by. Besides smoke, the smell of rotten flesh and fishy blood assaulted his nose. ¡°Bleurgh! Bleeeck!¡± Chi-Woo threw up for a while and barely managed to open his eyes. [Transportation to the Future (2/3) Completed.] [Roll the die if you want to return to the present.] ¡®Future?¡¯ Chi-Woo blinked hard and slowly raised his head. His face became pale when his eyes soon beheld a scene he couldn¡¯t believe at all. It was a giant pile of ashes¡ªthere was no other way to describe it. The world was dark, the sky was crowded with stormy clouds, and the ground was charred. As if all the colors of the world had mixed together and become black, everything was in one color. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand where he was at first. There was basically nothing remaining that could hint at his location. If he hadn¡¯t intently studied a part of the gate wall that had been crushed into pieces, he wouldn¡¯t have realized that he was standing in the middle of Shalyh. ¡°What¡­¡± His face twitched, and his voice shook. ¡°What¡­what happened¡­¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t finish his thoughts as he shook his head. It was such a shocking sight. Shalyh was destroyed beyond recognition, and the corpses sprawling on piles of ashes all over the place showcased what had happened here¡ªespecially since most of the corpses were ones of humans and members of the Cassiubia League. Thus, Chi-Woo realized he had traveled through time, and that in the near future, there would be a mass massacre in the holy city Shalyh; the city would be completely destroyed. ¡®Why?¡¯ His cast of the die succeeded. He even got the number 7; something positive should¡¯ve happened since that was always the case. But the World¡¯s Milestone didn¡¯t do that this time. It simply transported Chi-Woo to the future and showed him this scene. What was he supposed to do now? Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t figure out the die¡¯s intention at all. As he pondered about this matter, Chi-Woo heard a weak groan carried by the wind again. His synesthesia caught a very faint presence, and Chi-Woo looked back and walked toward the noise, looking slightly dazed. When he found the presence, he couldn¡¯t help but look stunned again. ¡°Ru¡ª!¡± There was a figure whose face barely peeked out from the pile of ashes, and she looked extremely pained. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana!¡± Chi-Woo quickly approached her and dropped to one knee. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana! Are you all right? Open your eyes! Please!¡± Did his desperate cries reach her? After letting out only soft groans, Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes pressed harder. Then she opened her eyes and gasped when she saw Chi-Woo. ¡°Senior¡­?¡± Her inquisitive call was soon followed by a soft, disbelieving chuckle. ¡°I must be imagining things¡­did you come to get me¡­?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not your imagination. It¡¯s me,¡± Chi-Woo said, but it appeared that Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t hear him. Chi-Woo lifted the pile of ashes first to save Ru Hiana, but weakly let go again. ¡°¡­¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s body was in a horrifyingly gruesome state. Both her arms were missing, half her body and her two legs were ripped away or split, and organs were spilling out of her insides. It was incredible how she was still breathing. Chi-Woo had wondered why the ground felt so sticky and wet, but now he saw that all the red marks were blood. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­¡± Ru Hiana murmured. ¡°I¡¯m¡­really sorry¡­¡± As if she was making her last confession before dying, she said to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo shook his head while indescribable emotions warred in him. ¡°What are you sorry about¡­ Ms. Ru Hiana, what in the world happened to you¡­?¡± ¡°As Ru Amuh said¡­if we had thought hard at that time¡­we would¡¯ve been able to predict¡­¡± Even in this sad and chaotic time, Ru Hiana¡¯s whispery voice continued. ¡°We could¡¯ve¡­known what?¡± ¡°The eighth recruits¡­during the Vepar expedition¡­¡± Ru Hiana said between deep breaths. ¡°At the least¡­if we had listened to¡­your words¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± ¡°If only¡­I¡­had been with Ru Amuh and¡­you¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana. Ms. Ru Hiana!¡± ¡°Then¡­Ru Amuh...wouldn¡¯t have become¡­like that¡­because of me¡­you too¡­¡± As she talked, foam mixed with blood flowed out of her mouth. Ru Hiana¡¯s pupils shook maddeningly. ¡°If you¡­you were there¡­¡± Her voice became quieter. ¡°I¡¯m¡­really¡­so¡­rry¡­¡± Then her voice cut off even as her eyes remained open. Her lifeless eyes gazed futilely at the sky, and Ru Hiana stopped breathing. She was dead. ¡°Ru¡­¡± Chi-Woo stopped talking and hung his head. His shoulders also slouched heavily. He needed to think logically, but this was too big and shocking for him to accept at once. Chi-Woo tried hard to gather his senses when he suddenly felt an ominous feeling. The bleak and desolate atmosphere became more frightening, and a foreboding feeling crawled up his spine and sent goosebumps down his skin. Wooooooo¡ª A ringing that sounded as if it had crawled out of a very deep cave flowed out, and that was soon followed by whisperings, too fast for him to understand what they were saying. Chi-Woo concentrated more on his eyes. Though he couldn¡¯t understand, he had heard something like this before; it was the voices of the dead. His synesthesia didn¡¯t catch anything, and Chi-Woo looked around him. He didn¡¯t see anything even though he could hear them clearly. The voices were getting closer to where he was and seemed like they would soon reach him. ¡°!¡± All his extrasensory senses gave him frantic alarms, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t hesitate any longer to throw his die. Shining light enveloped him, and simultaneously, something sharp fiercely scratched across where he had been. *** Chi-Woo saw the ceiling when he opened his eyes and felt his back pressed against a cold surface. Then he heard his brother calling out his name. ¡°Choi Chi-Woo!¡± Chi-Woo glanced at his brother¡¯s palms and felt a stinging pain rise from his cheeks. Chi-Woo gasped out, ¡°Shalyh¡­holy city, Shalyh¡­¡± Chi-Woo tried to speak, but his breathing was too harsh and needed time to settle. ¡°What are you saying? Shalyh? Why did you suddenly collapse¡ª?¡± Chi-Woo stretched out his hand and shared the notification he¡¯d received. Messages popped into the air, and Chi-Hyun quickly read and spoke in a low voice. ¡°So, you came back from the future.¡± Chi-Woo nodded without answering. ¡°You must have seen Shalyh from the future.¡± ¡°Yes, Chi-Hyun¡ª¡± ¡°Calm down first. Collect your breaths.¡± Chi-Hyun supported Chi-Woo from behind and helped him get up before handing him a cup of water. Chi-Woo drank and calmed down a bit, looking around weakly. He checked many times that he was in his brother¡¯s office. He relaxed enough to open his mouth. ¡°Holy city, Shalyh fell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Everyone died. Everyone. The city was devastated to the point that I couldn¡¯t see a single building.¡± Chi-Hyun frowned. He glanced at the messages in the air and fell into deep thought. ¡°Transportation to the future¡­ Three chances¡­ Why?¡± Chi-Hyun muttered to himself. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­¡± Chi-Woo said in a slightly hoarse voice and scowled. ¡°I got the number 7. Why is the result like that when I got 7¡­¡± Chi-Woo murmured like he couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around what happened. ¡°No,¡± Chi-Hyun responded. ¡°The World¡¯s Milestone is giving you opportunities to change a definite future.¡± ¡°Opportunities?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s giving you three opportunities to change what is bound to happen.¡± Chi-Hyun continued as his brother looked confused. ¡°We have to make countless choices while living, and our future changes in infinite ways according to the choices we make. New paths form every moment, and the number of possible paths created is immeasurable.¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°But not every choice and result is like that.¡± There were futures that one couldn¡¯t change no matter what decision one made. For example, humans needed to breathe to live, and if they chose to withhold from breathing, they would certainly die. Such futures were called ¡®definite futures¡¯. ¡°In this current point, I think we can assume that the ruin of the holy city, Shalyh is a definite future.¡± Changing a definite future was an extremely difficult task. It was almost as impossible as telling a human to live a long life without breathing. However, there were always exceptions; in this case, a change happened before the future came¡ªthe World¡¯s Milestone. ¡°It¡¯s as you said. Because you got not 5 or even 6, but 7, the impossible became a possibility. And you are given three opportunities.¡± Chi-Woo basically gained power on par with allowing a human to live without breathing. Yes. There wasn¡¯t an error with the World¡¯s Milestone. Against incredibly low odds, the World¡¯s Milestone had opened up a new path for Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo now understood this, but then asked in wonder. ¡°But why three times?¡± ¡°It probably means that this future isn¡¯t something you can change with just one opportunity. Instead, three times might not even be enough.¡± ¡°I still have two opportunities left¡­¡± Chi-Woo trailed off because of how serious his brother looked. Chi-Hyun sat back down at his desk again after thinking for a while. He stretched out a piece of paper and took a quill. ¡°This is the point we threw the die,¡± Chi-Hun then said and drew the number 7 at the farthest left corner. ¡°And this Is the point where Shalyh falls.¡± He drew an X on the farthest right. ¡°And this is the point when you returned to the present.¡± He drew a small circle between 7 and X, closer to the left side. 7©¥o©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥X He smacked his lips and said, ¡°The conditions don¡¯t seem that great¡­.¡± ¡°Conditions? What conditions?¡¯ Chi-Hyun explained, ¡°The moment you threw the die, you collapsed to the ground. Though you were breathing, it appeared you¡¯d lost consciousness, and you were in the future then.¡± Chi-Hyun tapped the ¡®X¡¯ mark with his quill when talking about the future and lifted his quill again. ¡°And when you returned, you didn¡¯t return to the point you threw the die, but at this point.¡± Chi-Hyun moved the pen past the number ¡®7¡¯ and placed it on the small circle. ¡°In other words, time passed while you were in the future.¡± If Chi-Woo had stayed one day in the future, he would¡¯ve woken up one day later in the present; Two days later if he had stayed two days in the future. ¡°In other words, the World¡¯s Milestone doesn¡¯t prevent the passage of time when you come back from the future.¡± Chi-Woo finally realized what his brother was saying then. He needed to change the future before the ¡®o¡¯ reached ¡®X¡¯. But the important part was that this wasn¡¯t a game, but reality. Once he made a mistake or made the wrong decision, he wouldn¡¯t be able to turn things around. ¡°Chi-Woo.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice became lower. ¡°Your role from now on is very important.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Before the small circle reaches the X, we need to change the definite future. We need to find out what happened that this great holy city became devastated. And after finding out the causes of its fall, we need to erase them.¡± Chi-Woo clenched his fist tightly. He could still clearly picture the city in complete ruins and Ru Hiana dying in a horrifying state while continuing to apologize for unknown reasons. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I need information,¡± Chi-Hyun said firmly. ¡°Tell me everything you saw in the future. It¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s the most menial thing. Don¡¯t leave anything out.¡± Chi-Woo gulped and began, ¡°Okay.¡± He slowly recounted what had happened after he opened his eyes. ¡°¡­But then, Ms. Ru Hiana suddenly said that they would¡¯ve known if they had thought hard about what Ru Amuh said during¡ªI think she said during the Vepar expedition with the eighth recruits, but I had no idea what she was talking about.¡± Chi-Hyun rested his chin on top of his hands and nodded. He was telling Chi-Woo he understood and wanted him to continue. Chi-Woo explained in great detail everything he had felt and seen, and Chi-Hyun focused intently. He raised his quill and began to jot down something. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. There was¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyebrows wiggled suddenly then. ¡°Wait.¡± Having been listening quietly until now, he raised his hand and spoke while his slightly narrowed eyes glinted, ¡°Repeat what you just said to me again.¡± CH 233 Chi-Woo looked a bit taken aback by Chi-Hyun¡¯s sudden question. ¡°Repeat which part?¡± ¡°Describe how the environment looked again.¡± Chi-Woo rummaged through his memories and slowly said, ¡°¡­It was dark.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The city, the sky, and even the ground¡­everything I saw was black, as if all the colors in the world had disappeared¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And¡­ah,¡± Chi-Woo gasped, ¡°I think I heard voices of the dead at the end.¡± ¡°Voices of the dead?¡± ¡°Well, you know the things the dead say.¡± Recalling what just happened sent shivers down Chi-Woo¡¯s spine. ¡°I¡­couldn¡¯t help but turn back. Their voices grew closer to me quickly¡­like they were coming for me¡­¡± Chi-Hyun looked at his frightened brother in disbelief and thought, ¡®If he heard the voices of the dead, it must mean we are dealing with a spiritual monster¡­¡¯ As his brother, Chi-Hyun knew what kind of life Chi-Woo lived on Earth. Since he was born, Chi-Woo had grown up seeing things he shouldn¡¯t have and stayed in churches, temples, and shaman homes to counter that. Thus, Chi-Woo was someone who was hardly fazed by most spirits. And yet he was shaking in fear right now because of a spiritual encounter. It didn¡¯t appear like he was acting either, nor was it a time to crack jokes. ¡®That means a spiritual monster formidable enough to instill fear in my brother appeared.¡¯ When Chi-Hyun connected this fact with the environment that Chi-Woo described, his eyes narrowed. A long silence followed, and Chi-Woo felt a mix of anxiety and relief while looking at Chi-Hyun¡¯s slightly tilted head. Chi-Hyun looked like he had an inkling of what was going on. Perhaps there was a proper way to respond to this situation. After all, this was Chi-Hyun they were talking about. He was a hero called ¡®The Legend¡¯. However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t be completely relieved, because his brother¡¯s expression seemed grim. It was then Chi-Hyun made his decision. ¡°I should go out,¡± Chi-Hyun said and got up from his seat. ¡°Where to? You mean outside the city?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Yes. I need to personally investigate what is happening right now.¡± ¡°Then I can also¡ª¡± ¡°You should stay put,¡± Chi-Hyun cut him off. ¡°Stay in Shalyh quietly for a while.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°From what I can tell, the scale of this event is quite big. It¡¯s not something that can be solved by only working outside the city. We need to work internally too,¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°You should watch Ru Amuh and especially the hero named Ru Hiana carefully. Tell me immediately if something happens. Since we are in a godly territory, I will be able to receive your messages as long as I don¡¯t go too far away.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t insist anymore. He couldn¡¯t be sure if Chi-Hyun would¡¯ve allowed him to follow him in the first place anyways. ¡°I am repeating myself, but don¡¯t think of doing something stupid like following my tracks to find me because you are worried. Do you understand?¡± Chi-Hyun firmly warned Chi-Woo again, making it clear that it was something greatly worrying to him. ¡°¡­Okay. Be careful.¡± Chi-Hyun left after hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s response and closed the door behind him. Left alone, Chi-Woo stood with a mixed expression on his face. But soon afterward, he quickly moved knowing he didn¡¯t have time to sit around. *** Chi-Woo collected his thoughts after coming out of his brother¡¯s office. All he could currently think about was how he could prevent Shalyh¡¯s destruction. How would he act right now if he didn¡¯t know the future? It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®I¡¯ll probably be training.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s original plan was to use up all the merits he had collected and negotiate with La Bella while he was at it. He also thought of requesting his brother to open the training ground of Image Representation again; and if Ru Amuh approached him with another job, he planned to turn it down. Since they had already earned a good amount of money along with equipment, Chi-Woo thought they would be able to take care of things on their own for the time being; and in the meantime, Chi-Woo planned to train until he was satisfied, especially since he had learned many things from the recent expedition. ¡®If I had acted according to these plans¡­¡¯ Then he would¡¯ve separated from Ru Amuh. But now that he knew the future, he couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡®I¡¯m not sure, but there¡¯s a high possibility something would happen during this period¡­¡¯ That was probably why Chi-Hyun told him to watch Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana carefully too. ¡®I should stick close to them whatever happens,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and hurriedly walked toward their zone. What should he say to make them stay inside the city? Should he reveal everything he knew and ask for their collaboration? Chi-Woo pondered endlessly as he entered Ru Amuh¡¯s residence, but the place was quiet. He didn¡¯t see Ru Amuh or Ru Hiana. While feeling anxious, Chi-Woo sent a message, asking where they were and saying that he wanted to meet them. It didn¡¯t take long for him to be notified of a response. [Ru Amuh (Received): I was also looking for you, sir. I didn¡¯t expect you to be at my place. Please wait a moment. I will be there soon.] What a coincidence. Ru Amuh also went to Chi-Woo¡¯s house to find him. ¡®Why?¡¯ Chi-Woo grew more nervous. He waited anxiously and soon heard the door open. ¡°Teacher.¡± It was Ru Amuh. ¡°I heard that you were looking for me.¡± ¡°It seems you were also looking for me, Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, could I tell you my concerns first?¡± Ru Amuh said in an uncharacteristically urgent voice. He looked quite flustered as he spoke, ¡°I woke up later than usual because of a hangover and saw a message from Ru Hiana.¡± Ru Amuh continued, ¡°She told me there was no need for her to get her share of the money, and that I should exclude her from the reward distribution. Furthermore, she said that she plans to act separately for the time being so we shouldn¡¯t look for her.¡± ¡°What?! Why?¡± Chi-Woo said in shock. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, sir.¡± Chi-Woo felt his heart sink as Ru Amuh shook his head. ¡°Does that make sense to you? It hasn¡¯t even been long since we came back. It¡¯s only been two days¡­!¡± Chi-Woo shouted and stopped himself. He raised his voice without intending to when Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t even at fault. ¡°¡­I apologize. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Ru Amuh appeared surprised, but he said calmly, ¡°It seems she¡¯s going out for an adventure. Or she may have already gone out.¡± ¡°An adventure?¡± ¡°Yes, although Ru Hiana can probably join an expedition with her current tier, an official expedition isn¡¯t a common thing.¡± An expedition was similar yet different from an adventure. An expedition relied on records and information, while an adventure expected results from exploring unknown territories. In short, the person who did the former was comparatively more professional, while the person who did the latter lived day to day in uncertainty. There were quite a lot of heroes who gathered in groups and aimlessly wandered outside Shalyh city these days. This was because they needed to earn money. They couldn¡¯t dream of participating in expeditions, and accepting trivial requests earned them too little, so they aimed to hit the jackpot on one of their aimless wanderings. Rather than earning chump change on strict deadlines, they assessed that it was more profitable catching and selling monster corpses; and many hoped to luckily discover a dungeon in the process. Ru Hiana must have joined one of these many adventure teams. ¡°No¡­but an adventure all of a sudden¡­alone at that¡­?¡± Chi-Woo murmured like he couldn¡¯t understand and briefly recalled how dejected Ru Hiana had looked last night while leaving the celebration on her own. ¡°I also called her multiple times, but she isn¡¯t picking up. She won¡¯t answer when I send her a message either.¡± It seemed Ru Amuh had no idea what was going on, and Ru Hiana had made up her mind. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t she answer if you send her a message, sir? Of course, I respect Ru Hiana¡¯s decision¡­but she has never done something like this before. I want to at least hear what she is thinking.¡± When a person was acting completely different from their usual self, there was usually a good reason behind it. ¡°I understand. Please wait a bit,¡± Chi-Woo said. Though Chi-Woo had already sent a message to Ru Hiana, he turned on his device and sent a message to his brother, explaining the current situation. After waiting a bit, he quickly got a reply from Chi-Hyun. [Chi-Hyun (Received): Stop her first. Use any means necessary. It¡¯s fine if you need to kill her. I will cover for you later.] ¡®What the hell is he talking about? Why will I kill Ms. Ru Hiana?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, baffled, and stared at the message sternly. His brother wasn¡¯t the type to joke about such things; in fact, he wasn¡¯t one to joke at all. And it sounded like they would at least be able to prevent the event caused by Ru Hiana if they killed her because it was ¡®necessary¡¯. Of course, Chi-Woo had absolutely no intention to do that. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t gotten a reply from Ru Hiana yet. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ Even if she replied, would anything change? Would Ru Hiana obediently come back because he told her to? [At the least¡­if we had listened to¡­your words¡­] [If only¡­I¡­had been with Ru Amuh and¡­you¡­] [I¡¯m¡­really¡­so¡­rry¡­] With the way things were progressing, she might repeat the exact words he had heard in the future. Chi-Woo gnawed on his lip. Ru Hiana acting on her own¡ªRu Amuh coming to him to ask if Chi-Woo could send her a message¡ªthese two incidents were definite futures according to his brother, or were at least events that had already happened. Then how would he have responded to Ru Amuh¡¯s request if he hadn¡¯t learned of the future? Would he have refused? No, he would¡¯ve easily done what Ru Amuh requested, saying, ¡®Of course, sending a message isn¡¯t a big deal¡¯. Then Ru Hiana might turn them down with a message, and the incident that brought forth Shalyh¡¯s fall could still arise¡­explaining Ru Hiana¡¯s apology in the future. Though these were all still conjectures, everything seemed to fall into place. Thus, Chi-Woo thought there was only one thing he could do right now, which was to personally find Ru Hiana and stop her. Only then would he be able to beg or forcefully drag her back if necessary. This wasn¡¯t something that could be resolved with a message. ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± Chi-Woo finally said. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°To get Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± ¡°N-No¡­It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m also worried, but there¡¯s no need for you to get so deeply involved.¡± ¡°No, we must find her,¡± Chi-Woo said firmly. ¡°We must at all costs.¡± Ru Amuh looked a bit taken aback, but in the end, he agreed after seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s determined face. ¡°I understand. Then I¡¯ll look around the city gates. She couldn¡¯t have gone out of the city yet, and there could be people who¡¯ve seen her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask around the street.¡± Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh went outside and quickly parted ways. *** Now that he was on the streets, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what to do. Finding a person in this big city was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Still, he couldn¡¯t give up. ¡®Where would Ms. Ru Hiana have gone after leaving yesterday?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought he would look around that area first, but soon stopped walking. He saw a familiar face wave at him. ¡°Yo! Boss!¡± ¡°¡­Mr. Eval Sevaru?¡± ¡°I heard the news¡ªthat you all succeeded in the expedition. I should tell that old man, Mangil¡­?¡± Eval was saying cheerily when he flinched, ¡°W-What is it? Are you okay? Your face¡­.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face was stricken pale with cold sweat dripping down his forehead, his gaze wavering. It was as if Chi-Woo was broadcasting to everyone who saw him that he was currently dealing with a very difficult problem. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± ¡°Ah~ That cute lady with the blonde ponytail? Isn¡¯t she usually with you and that Ru Amuh bro? But why¡­?¡± Eval was about to ask, but stopped. His particularly keen senses sounded an alarm that he was going to be screwed the moment he asked. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but the topic oozed danger. ¡°Well, anyways, congratulations. I will be on my way now¡­¡± Eval said his farewells and turned around. ¡°Help me.¡± But then he heard Chi-Woo¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°I need your help, Mr. Eval Sevaru.¡± Chi-Woo sounded desperate. For some reason, Chi-Woo¡¯s intuition was telling him that things would resolve easier than he expected if he got Eval Sevaru involved. ¡°Ah¡­boss. I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m a bit¡ª¡± ¡°A thousand royal.¡± Eval mouth closed. ¡°What? A thousand royal?¡± He laughed in disbelief and said, ¡°Ah~ Boss, what are you saying? This is embarrassing. What do you take me for? Do you think I¡¯ll do anything for money?¡± Eval looked back in astonishment and tilted his head. Then he flashed Chi-Woo a wide smile with a slanted posture and shouted, ¡°Give me ten minutes!¡± *** Holy City Shalyh, had more than one official residence. While Chi-Hyun¡¯s residence was like a base that took care of general administrative affairs, there were other buildings with more specialized functions. For example, there was the Guild Association that Allen Leonard was currently working for. Though the place was managed by the Cassiubia League, heroes often came to the Guild Association because the place continually released official requests that had been certified. The majority of heroes didn¡¯t take on these requests as the compensation for them was very small, but the place was still crowded as a meeting place for heroes. ¡°Looks like everyone is here. Should we go now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still waiting for two more.¡± As usual, the first-floor lobby was busy. A woman and man conversed in the corner. ¡°I have a good feeling this time. Really good.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the groundless confidence suddenly?¡± ¡°What do you mean groundless? A silver tier hero is joining us.¡± The male warrior said, and the female archer glanced at the deadly silent woman near them. It was Ru Hiana. ¡°Yeah, what is with that? Why is a silver tier participating in an event of this scale? Shouldn¡¯t she be able to get a better request?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I was honestly curious about that too.¡± The pair asked simultaneously, and Ru Hiana hung her head. ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± Ru Hiana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She raised her voice a bit more to say, ¡°I¡¯m not silver tier.¡± ¡°No? Then what?¡± ¡°Bronze¡­tier¡­¡± Ru Hiana barely managed to blurt out. Her face looked pained as she spoke. The two blinked in surprise. ¡°Uh¡­ Did I misunderstand? Were you aiming to be a silver tier instead?¡± ¡°Yeah, you must¡¯ve been misinformed.¡± The warrior backed away while the archer shrugged. ¡°Anyways, get ready. We¡¯re going to leave immediately as soon as the rest of our companions arrive.¡± Ru Hiana nodded without replying. Then she closed her eyes and got lost in her thoughts again. When a hero came back from an expedition, they usually had to seek the god of their denomination and report to them. It was so that the god could assess their merits and decide whether to raise their tiers or not. Thus, Ru Hiana had gone to Shahnaz¡¯s temple the following day she came back from the expedition, equal parts expectant and anxious. Unfortunately, only her worries turned out to be right. ¡ªI declare in the name of Shahnaz. At the present time, Ru Hiana¡¯s tier will be demoted from silver to bronze tier. CH 234 Merit. It referred to the effort and work that was put into completing a job or fulfilling an achievement. In other words, it was the embodiment of one¡¯s self-worth. Merit was based on how much positive impact one made in their work. Thus, the reason why Chi-Woo was able to obtain amazing merits every time was obvious. A good example was the Zepar expedition. At that time, Chi-Woo¡¯s achievements went far beyond the original purpose of just rescuing a comrade in need. They extinguished the 16th-ranked great demon, destroyed the fortress plan that the Demon Empire had been ambitiously preparing, and resurrected a new Saintess. Those results went beyond simply completing an expedition and had a considerable impact on the flow of the world; therefore, Chi-Woo obtained millions of merits thanks to his enormous contribution. Of course, not all heroes could act like Chi-Woo. The standards of the growth system weren¡¯t overly tough or rigid. If a hero faithfully worked for the desired purpose in an expedition and gave it their all, they could receive a sufficient amount of merit points as well. However, this wasn¡¯t the case for Ru Hiana. ¡ªYou did nothing. Ru Hiana paled. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if she really had done nothing. First, she had protected Airi and defended against the incoming tentacle attack when they opened the first door. She also battled a thorn wolf by herself in the seventh compartment. But these were the only things she had done. The expedition members were given the task of conquering the first floor of the Narsha Haram. In the process of achieving this goal, did Ru Hiana have a positive influence? The answer was already clear. ¡ªThere¡¯s nothing to see. It¡¯s safe to say that you basically did nothing. Ru Hiana lowered her head as Shanaz continued. Her ears as well as her face were bright red. ¡ªDo you have anything to say for yourself? Ru Hiana didn''t open her mouth. ¡ªYeah, I didn¡¯t think so. You must have already known it as well. Shahnaz was correct; Ru Hiana knew it better than anyone. There was no need to mention the merits that Ruahu and Chi-Woo made, and Dalgil always stood at the forefront as the captain and did his best, while Bogle remained faithful to his duties. Even though Hawa wasn¡¯t of much help in battles, she made up for it by using her skills to make significant contributions that everyone acknowledged. But what about her? Ru Hiana should have participated more actively as a sword fighter even if she had to risk her life. This was especially the case since the god she served was called the conquest queen. However, Ru Hiana couldn¡¯t be of much help¡ªno, it wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t, but she didn¡¯t. To put it bluntly, she was unnecessary to the expedition. It would¡¯ve succeeded anyway without her, which was the difference between her and the other members. ¡ª¡­Poor thing. You should have just lived in a peaceful world back home instead of following him¡­ Shahnaz said in a rather sympathetic voice. Ru Hiana¡¯s experience of becoming a hero was quite special; she was basically a plus one to Ru Amuh, and she became a hero solely because she had supported him as his childhood friend. ¡ªBack home, you were worthy of existence just by being next to that child. Shahnaz¡¯s voice rang. ¡ªBut not now, not here on Liber. Ru Hiana flinched. ¡ªMy child has already found his meaning in this place. As long as that man is alive, the meaning of his existence here won¡¯t be shaken. ¡ªIf you stay like this, I won¡¯t feel like it¡¯s worth supporting you anymore. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªPerhaps it¡¯s too early for you to be at silver tier. Ru Hiana¡¯s head jerked up. She stared at Shahnaz¡¯ statue with eyes as big as saucers. ¡ªI pity you, but I have to practice what I preach. Ru Hiana¡¯s mouth twisted at Shahnaz¡¯s stern voice, but she quickly lowered her head. She had nothing to say. ¡ªIf you want to survive on Liber, prove your worth on your own. I command you in the name of Shahnaz. ¡ªAs of the present time, Ru Hiana¡¯s tier shall be demoted from silver to bronze. * * * Hearing that the team was setting out broke Ru Hiana from her reverie. With an empty smile, she looked at the hastily formed team. Considering her current status, she thought even this team might be too good for her. Her smile turned self-deprecating as she stood up. Then she heard a commotion at the front. ¡°What? Who is it?¡± ¡°Ah, wait a minute. That person is¡­¡± ¡°Ru Hiana!¡± It was a familiar voice. Ru Hiana looked ahead and was shocked to see Ru Amuh approaching her while making her way through her teammates. ¡°You¡¯re still in the city. What a relief,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°Ruahu? How did you¡­¡± ¡°Teacher told me you were here.¡± ¡°Senior? Why would he?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s first go. Teacher is waiting for us.¡± ¡°No. I¡ª¡± Ru Amuh grabbed Ru Hiana¡¯s arm and turned around, but stopped when he found a man standing in his way. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but¡­¡± The man glanced at the flustered Ru Hiana and crossed his arms. ¡°You can¡¯t take her with you. She already decided to work with our team from today. If you have business with her, you can do that after we come back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re sorry.¡± The man shook his head. ¡° She¡¯s silver¡­no, she said she¡¯s bronze tier now but anyway¡ª¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s face became strained. The man continued, ¡°I promoted this adventure and gathered our team members here by using her tier. We¡¯re about to leave, so you¡¯re putting me in a difficult situation by taking her away.¡± If the heroes didn¡¯t want to live in the streets, they needed to make money as quickly as possible; it was no wonder that they were desperate. ¡°I sincerely apologize, but I can¡¯t let you take Ru Hiana.¡± Ru Amuh also knew that the man was in the right; however, Chi-Woo had stressed that he must bring Ru Hiana back at all costs. ¡°Ha! Geez, what kind of rotten situation¡­¡± Dumbfounded, the man stared at Ru Amuh. ¡°Well, if you so insist, why don¡¯t you join us instead of her?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°As the substitute. I need a good enough substitute to convince the others.¡± All the heroes knew who Ru Amuh was. If they had to choose between gold and bronze, they would pick gold without hesitation, and Ru Amuh didn¡¯t think this was a bad idea. Thus, he was going to ask for Teacher¡¯s permission, but he suddenly felt Ru Hiana shake him off forcefully. ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough.¡± Ru Hiana glared at Ru Amuh with an angry expression. Her voice was quiet, but this only made her sound angrier. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Quickly.¡± Eyes still shooting daggers at Ru Amuh, Ru Hiana marched past him to leave with the man. However, a person had barged through the door to stop them again. ¡°Senior?¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes widened as Chi-Woo heaved like he had run all the way here. He looked visibly relieved after seeing her. Eval Sevaru wasn¡¯t boasting when he said he could find Ru Hiana whether she was still inside the city or outside. He utilized all the connections he had made since coming to Shalyh, and a monster from the Dingo Tribe said that they saw a blonde girl with a ponytail heading toward the guild association. As soon as Chi-Woo heard this, he informed Ru Amuh and ran here. ¡°Geez, this is crazy. For real. Are you seriously joking with me? Who¡¯s this guy¡­¡± The man was annoyed as he continued, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you buzz off while I¡¯m still asking nicely? If you keep blocking us, we won¡¯t just stay still anymore. I''m going to formally protest to the guild association and¡ª¡± Thud! Something hit the table. The man flinched, thinking that Chi-Woo was going to hit him, but seeing that he didn¡¯t, his gaze moved down towards the sound. ¡°!¡± Then his eyes widened when they found five shining gold coins. ¡°Is this good enough?¡± Chi-Woo asked. The man raised his head slightly, and when he turned around, he saw his teammates all staring at the table. Five hundred royals¡ªit was definitely not a small amount for them. They now had two choices¡ªtake Ru Hiana on an adventure that may or may not be fruitful by causing a commotion and making a gold tier hero enemy, or take the money in their hands right now. There was no need to even ponder. ¡°Wait! Senior!¡± When he heard Ru Hiana cry out, the man quickly seized the money and put the coins in his pockets. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but¡­I hope everything works out.¡± The man coughed and rushed out of the building with his team members before anyone could tell him to return the money. Ru Hiana¡¯s face was extremely red with fury. For Chi-Woo, 500 royals was cheap to prevent Shalyh¡¯s destruction. However, it was incomprehensible to Ru Hiana why Chi-Woo would go so far as to give away money just to stop her from leaving. ¡°What in the world¡ªwhy are you acting like this!¡± Eventually, she exploded after holding her fury in for so long. ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± Ru Amuh stepped in. ¡°Ru Hiana, calm down.¡± ¡°No, is there any reason why I should be calm? ¡± ¡°I should be the one asking you¡ªwhy are you suddenly acting like this?¡± ¡°Suddenly? Haven¡¯t you seen my message?¡± ¡°Do you think one message is enough to make us understand? You should at least tell us¡ª¡± ¡°I got demoted!¡± Ru Hiana shouted. Ru Amuh slightly gaped. ¡°Demoted¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, are you feeling better now? Have you satisfied your curiosity?¡± ¡°What do you mean by satisfying my curiosity? I didn¡¯t know anything about it. How could you be demoted¡­¡± ¡°Why, I deserved it. You think so too. Don¡¯t deny it, you also think I was useless on the last expedition.¡± Since her demotion was already out in the open, Ru Hiana decided to reveal what she had been bottling inside. ¡°You should be happy that a useless comrade is leaving on their own!¡± ¡°Ru Hiana. You are our comrade.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ru Hiana laughed. ¡°But Dalgil doesn¡¯t seem to think that, does he?¡± Ru Amuh, who was about to ask her what she meant, suddenly shut his mouth when he recalled what had happened during the expedition. Dalgil had thanked each of his comrades throughout the whole expedition and even specifically mentioned their names. While he had thanked Ru Amuh, Chi-Woo, and Hawa, he never called out Ru Hiana¡¯s name. Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t said anything about it, but he could guess Dalgil¡¯s intention¡ªhe regarded Ru Hiana as a member of the expedition, but not as a true comrade. And Ru Hiana, who was always quick to notice things, must have figured out Dalgil¡¯s intention as well. That had left a deep scar in her heart, and the demotion only added to the pain. Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t even guess what Ru Hiana was feeling right now. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­do it like you or senior.¡± However, this didn¡¯t mean that she was giving up either. ¡°So I was just going to do work befitting my level separately for a while until I recover my tier, but was that too much to ask?¡± Ru Hiana had tried to find a way to improve in her own way. ¡°Did you really have to act like this!? If I am really your comrade as you said, couldn¡¯t you have trusted and waited for me?¡± Ru Hiana had planned to suppress her anger and quietly pass by him, but in the end, all of her disgrace and embarrassment was revealed in the open. It was an extremely unpleasant experience, and her eyes started to become teary. She clenched her teeth and was about to brush past the now silent Ru Amuh, but Chi-Woo was in her way. ¡°The same goes for you, senior!¡± Ru Hiana gritted her teeth. She was embarrassed, but she was even more upset that Chi-Woo had spent so much money because of her. ¡°What do you think of me that¡ª!¡± ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± Chi-Woo reached out and held her shoulders. Then he quickly said, ¡°We just changed the future.¡± Ru Hiana, who was about to rapidly fire her complaints, stopped. ¡°¡­What, what did you say?¡± Chi-Woo continued in a low voice, ¡°We may have just prevented Shalyh¡¯s destruction.¡± Ru Hiana looked at him with an indescribable gaze. Chi-Woo sighed. ¡°I know. I sound crazy, right?¡± Ru Hiana nodded with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Please give me a chance. I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s just once. I¡¯ll explain why I¡¯m going so far to stop you. I¡¯ll explain everything.¡± Ru Hiana suddenly frowned. Chi-Woo had tightened his grip on her shoulders as if he was never going to let her go. He asked once more, ¡°¡­Please.¡± Moreover, Ru Hiana felt a strange pressure coming from his gaze. Weighed down by the pressure, Ru Hiana eventually shut her mouth and nodded. * * * After moving to a mansion in their zone, Chi-Woo slowly began to explain. He thought it was better to explain and ask for cooperation than create misunderstandings. Of course, he didn¡¯t reveal everything. He glossed over the existence of World¡¯s Milestone by saying that he had a future-telling ability, and it sometimes came in the form of dreams. After Chi-Woo finished his explanations, Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana looked dumbfounded; they looked like they had a hard time believing his story. ¡°Teacher, if what you said is really true, this is a very serious matter.¡± But Ru Amuh, who would have still believed Chi-Woo if he said a stone was a piece of bread, continued with a serious face, ¡°The fall of Shalyh¡­if it¡¯s an event of this magnitude, have you tried consulting with the legend?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told him about it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hyu¡­hmm. Sir Chi-Hyun has already left the city to investigate. And he told me to investigate the internal affairs of the city. He was the one who told me to stop you from leaving, Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± Chi-Woo was impressed by Chi-Hyun¡¯s influence once again because judging from their expression, the reality of his words seemed to finally sink in for them at the mention of Chi-Hyun¡¯s name. ¡°I see¡­if even the legend is saying that, there must be something suspicious about it.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Ru Hiana still looked somewhat doubtful. ¡°What am I that¡­how could Shalyh collapse because of me¡­¡± ¡°Even if Shalyh doesn¡¯t fall because of you, I think your departure could be the beginning of a chain of events,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°Well, you know the butterfly effect. Something trivial could be connected to many other events to bring about something great.¡± As Ru Amuh said, even a butterfly¡¯s wing could trigger a huge storm, and a small cigarette could cause a forest fire. Ru Hiana quietly nodded. Then Chi-Woo heard a notification; it was not a message, but a call. Chi-Woo excused himself and stepped away. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Yeah, Chi-Hyun.¡± ¡ªHow did it go? As soon as Chi-Woo clicked the receive button, he heard his brother¡¯s voice. Chi-Hyun was right; it was possible to call each other in a holy territory. Chi-Woo answered, ¡°I stopped her, and I just brought her here.¡± ¡ªGood job. Chi-Woo suddenly heard a strange sound during the call. It sounded like Chi-Hyun was moving through the atmosphere at supersonic speed. He even heard the sounds of a thunderstorm and explosions. ¡°What are you doing right now?¡± ¡ªI¡¯ll explain later. Anyway, I¡¯m busy right now. I called you because I don¡¯t even have time to read messages. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡ªAnyway, I¡¯m glad you stopped her, but don¡¯t let your guard down. Amid the cacophony of ambient noises, Chi-Hyun continued. ¡ªI told you before, a set future doesn¡¯t change easily. It usually tries to go back to the way it was. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡ªLet me give an example. Let¡¯s say that Ru Hiana leaves and disappears. Then what will you do? ¡°I¡¯ll go look for her with Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± ¡ªYeah, that¡¯s what you¡¯ll do. But what if you go outside and also get swept into a dangerous incident? Chi-Woo closed his mouth. ¡ªAnd what if something happens to Shalyh while I go out to save you? Chi-Woo¡¯s expression became cold. The chain of events was completely plausible. ¡ªYou successfully stopped that from happening, but sooner or later, a similar event will happen. A situation that will affect your surroundings. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªYou know what you have to do without me telling you, right? Chi-Woo nodded with a stiff expression. He knew that this work was far from over. ¡ªI¡¯ll contact you again soon. Call me right away if something happens. With this, the call immediately ended. Chi-Woo returned to his place, and using his brother¡¯s words, he succeeded in obtaining a pledge from both Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana to never leave the city for the time being. It would have been great if his work was done with this, but as expected, changing a definite future was not easy. In the end, Chi-Hyun¡¯s prediction became reality. A few days after Chi-Woo successfully stopped Ru Hiana, a new incident occurred. CH 235 His visit was sudden, but the news he brought was as expected. ¡°A request to look for a missing hero?¡± ¡°Uh, yes.¡± The man¡¯s hair was neatly tied into a top knot in the front, revealing his big eyes and a look that gave a cheerful first impression. He responded to Chi-Woo¡¯s question with a nod. ¡°One team went for an adventure not long ago, and it seems nobody has heard from them ever since. An investigation team is thus being gathered, and Abis happened to hear the news and got the request.¡± Jin-Cheon looked behind him, and Abis nodded with a smile. Chi-Woo still looked puzzled. ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be that they are just unreachable? They could¡¯ve just gone beyond the area where they could receive messages.¡± ¡°Hm. We considered the possibility, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case here.¡± Jin-Cheon then proceeded to explain that a total of four people went on an adventure not long ago, and the client making this request was close to one of them. The two usually moved together, but this time, they acted separately because of personal issues. Before that, they made a promise to each other for the sake of survival¡ªthey were to continually contact each other when they were apart. They would exchange three greetings every day, and if one of them went beyond the range in which contact was possible, they would warn the other beforehand. And by keeping this promise, they would be able to ensure each other¡¯s safety. The two always kept their promise when they separated without fail. Thus, it seemed reasonable to think that the other person was in trouble with the break of this promise. ¡°The client said it has already been four days since they lost contact. They tried to message their friend dozens of times, but there has been no reply.¡± ¡°We were planning to go with just us three¡­but the more we thought about it, the more worried we became. Though they are low tiers, they are still heroes. It¡¯s weird that a team made up of four heroes would disappear just like that.¡± Jin-Cheon continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I am shamelessly seeking your help again, Teacher¡ªplus the help of the gold tier warrior and the most beautiful and capable saintess. If only the three of you would agree to participate in this mission, I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t have any more worries.¡± Evelyn smiled benevolently at Jin-Cheon¡¯s flattery. But unlike her, Chi-Woo¡¯s expression turned serious. Thinking that Chi-Woo was considering the issue, Jin-Cheon volunteered more information to convince him, ¡°Though this is a request coming from a hero like us, the conditions are great. They said if all six of us participate, they will give us 3,000 royals each.¡± ¡°3,000 royals each?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That means the total reward is 18,000 royals.¡± ¡°Yes! Does that convince you?¡± ¡°Are they even able to pay the sum?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m almost certain our client has the money. They said they will give us 100% of the reward as an advance the moment we accept the request.¡± ¡°No¡­Where did they get that much money¡­? I thought they were low tier.¡± ¡°¡­It seems our client sold themself.¡± Jin-Cheon¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°They talked to the Cassiubia League and basically made a slave contract.¡± ¡°Then the reward is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s basically the price of our client,¡± Jin-Cheon said bitterly, but Chi-Woo still looked like he didn¡¯t get it. ¡°They went that far without even knowing if their friend is dead or alive?¡± ¡°Well¡­apparently, they knew each other from their days in the Celestial Realm¡ªway before coming to Liber,¡± Jin-Cheon said. ¡°I understand why they did it. Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for you, Teacher, I might¡¯ve done the same thing. Though these two here aren¡¯t related to me by blood, they are more precious to me than my family.¡± The situation sounded more believable after hearing what Jin-Cheon had said, but this was a request Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t accept in the first place. Thus, Chi-Woo asked another question for confirmation. ¡°Could I perhaps ask about the identities of the team members who went missing?¡± ¡°Their identities? Yeah, that¡¯s reasonable. Let me see.¡± Jin-Cheon glanced behind him, and Abis spoke up to give him the answer. Ru Hiana blanched when she heard who they were¡ªthe people she had promised to go on an adventure with a couple of days ago. If she had gone with them at that time, her name might¡¯ve been part of the missing person list. Chi-Woo bit his lip. If he didn¡¯t know the future, he would¡¯ve accepted the request since he could help Jin-Cheon and earn a good amount of money and merits while he was at it. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo shivered thinking about what his brother had told him not so long ago. After organizing his thoughts, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Jin-Cheon, but I can¡¯t accept this request.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jin-Cheon¡¯s eyes turned round. ¡°Uh¡­why? We don¡¯t even necessarily have to save them; we just need to check whether they are alive. If that¡¯s not possible, we can simply find their tracks.¡± Jin-Cheon was surprised to hear Chi-Woo refuse a request with such favorable conditions. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to pressure you. If you really don¡¯t want to do it, we can look for other people. But¡ª¡± A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°It¡¯s a request I can¡¯t accept,¡± Chi-Woo said firmly. Jin-Cheon¡¯s expression stiffened, and Chi-Woo continued, ¡°And I implore you to turn it down as well, Mr. Jin-Cheon.¡± Jin-Cheon simply stared at Chi-Woo silently rather than responding. He wasn¡¯t Chi-Woo¡¯s subordinate even though they were on friendly terms. He had no reason to follow Chi-Woo¡¯s advice. Chi-Woo felt conflicted about whether he should explain the situation to Jin-Cheon, but then he wondered if Jin-Cheon would be able to accept his explanation and above all, be able to keep his mouth sealed about it. He was able to talk to Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana since they had built a close relationship, but that wasn¡¯t the case with Jin-Cheon. This matter had to be kept secret at all costs at the present time. The fewer people knew about it, the better it was. If word got out that Chi-Woo and his brother foresee Shalyh¡¯s fall, and the news eventually reached the Demon Empire, the demons would react accordingly. The future that was already difficult to change would become even more difficult. ¡°A request I shouldn¡¯t accept¡­¡± Jin-Cheon murmured. ¡°If you¡¯re saying that because of the money involved, I will give you more myself. So¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not about the money. We already have enough for one more month.¡± Jin-Cheon shook his head and said, ¡°Then I suppose we should look for something else.¡± ¡°Mr. Jin-Cheon¡ªhm?¡± Chi-Woo was getting ready to argue for his position when Jin-Cheon responded. He didn¡¯t expect Jin-Cheon to relent so easily. ¡°You seemed surprised, Teacher,¡± Jin-Cheon said cheerfully, ¡°But I know you must have your reason for telling me not to do this.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°You risked your life to help us without expecting any rewards. Thus, it takes me aback that a person like that is refusing compensation and going as far as to stop me.¡± Jin-Cheon crossed his fingers and said, ¡°You must have your reasons. Though you can¡¯t explain it to us right now, it must be so important that we can¡¯t even imagine it. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Though it was just a feeling, Chi-Woo felt that Jin-Cheon was no ordinary hero at that moment, and Chi-Woo was sure that he would become a strong pillar in saving Liber one day. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but good luck. The only thing we can help you with right now is to not take this request as you told us.¡± ¡°Will you really¡­be fine with that?¡± ¡°Of course! We are already indebted to you with our lives. Do I look like someone who will lie?¡± Jin-Cheon said and shouted to the people behind him, ¡°Does anyone have differing opinions!?¡± The man and woman behind him shook their heads simultaneously. ¡°See?¡± Jin-Cheon smiled and got up. ¡°Give me a call if there¡¯s anything you need our help with. We will run to where you need us immediately.¡± *** The range that the godly territory¡¯s influence reached wasn¡¯t infinite. To be specific, it¡¯s the size of a district in radius. But the range of the Celestial Realm¡¯s device was a couple of times wider. This was a huge improvement compared to the time when the heroes lived in the ex-Salem capital; they used to lose connection after marching for only a quarter of a day. After flying at incredible speed past the holy city, Shalyh, Chi-Hyun discovered an anomaly right at the edge where the connection would be cut off. Beyond a plateau that was about 600m in altitude, there was an area that was especially dark. Chi-Hyun landed and was surprised to see what was there. It was a black flower. Its leaves and stem were all completely black. ¡®Why is there a demon flower at this place¡­?¡¯ A demon flower was grown by the Demon Empire. Wherever its seeds scattered, the land lost its vitality. It sucked up all the nutrients in the earth and greedily absorbed all life. Then it generated evil energy as it sprouted and eventually bloomed. With all the life force it sucked up from its surroundings, it began to corrode the land the way a flower¡¯s scent spread. And when the ground became fully corrupted, its flowers bloomed. In other words, the place where a demon flower bloomed had already gone through a significant portion of the corrupting process. The earth was similar to a human in that it could die if its life force was taken away. A ground that died and revived again with a demon flower¡¯s power became a form of godly territory¡ªnot for humanity of course, but for the Demon Empire. And be it land or body of water, once a place was corrupted by evil energy, it became a playground for the Demon Empire to run wild in. They could do anything. The great demons could easily establish their territories there too. ¡®I thought perhaps¡­¡¯ Chi-Hyun had thought of the demon flower when he heard Chi-Woo¡¯s description of the future. If even the sky had become dark in addition to the land, the pollution must have reached its peak and progressed to the next stage. Chi-Hyun first destroyed the colony of demon flowers and quickly got on the move. He passed the connection range where he could be reached by message and turned around. On that day alone, he found dozens of demon flower colonies. Though Chi-Hyun destroyed the flowers as soon as he saw them, he knew there was no way he had gotten all of them. There must be more. It seemed the Demon Empire¡¯s plan was also in its beginning stage, and they hid all colonies of demon flowers in very secretive places. In the process of locating and destroying these colonies of flowers for several days, Chi-Hyun was able to discern a crucial fact. Though the colonies of flowers were located a considerable distance away, they formed a circle to surround the city. This certainly meant that the Demon Empire was trying to isolate Shalyh from the outside. Though the preparation took a long time, if they succeeded, the Demon Empire would finally be able to do something rather than sitting around sucking their thumbs. A great number of great demons would probably be dispatched, and they would instantly create territories with the colonies of demon flowers in the center. Eventually, they would be able to expand their territories and pressure Shalyh. Of course, all this would take a lot of time, but in the end, even a holy territory would yield facing such great numbers. After all, an army of 5,000 strong would be trampled by a million soldiers no matter how elite and skilled they were. Chi-Hyun clicked his tongue. This was beyond his expectations; he didn¡¯t think the Demon Empire would set up such a wide area as a strategic point. The holy city, Shalyh¡¯s current geographical location was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Similar to the later stage of the Three Kingdoms, the city was ideal for aiming for the Demon Empire¡¯s back, but not for receiving quick support. If the holy territory clashed against the great demons¡¯ territories, the holy territory would be pushed back. The Demon Empire would suffer considerable damage, but while scouting around the past few days, Chi-Hyun realized how strong the Demon Empire¡¯s will and passion was to stomp down the holy territory no matter how much time and troops they would lose. Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t stand by and do nothing. His eyes glinted sharply. *** Demon Empire territory. ¡ªWhat happened? A meeting was ongoing in a place filled with darkness. It was a secret gathering with only the highest-ranking demons. ¡ªDidn¡¯t you assure us that we will get our hands on an enormous fortune if we progress with this plan? A voice said accusingly. ¡ªYou said it was a fortune big enough to easily crush the holy city, Shalyh. Why don¡¯t you start opening that tightly-sealed mouth of yours? ¡ªIt disappeared¡­ An empty and very thin voice said. ¡ªThe future¡­has changed¡­ It wavered violently like it would die down any moment. ¡ªWhat? How could that¡ª! ¡ªStop. Before the accuser¡¯s voice exploded like an active volcano, another demon interjected calmly. ¡ªIt¡¯s simply a prophecy. Calm down. Yet the enraged voice didn¡¯t settle down easily. ¡ªDamn it! Do you know how many demon flower seeds we¡¯ve wasted until now? ¡ªHe must have moved. ¡ªAre we screwed then? The angry voice heaved. ¡ªWe¡¯ve basically advertised to everyone that we are aiming for that city. Has everything we¡¯ve done until now gone to waste? ¡ªIt¡¯s not a waste. That man knows we are aiming for Shalyh already. The calm voice responded. ¡ªBut that¡¯s not the important point. We need to figure out how we can counter that. ¡ª¡­Makes sense. But with the way things are, it seems we have no choice but to go according to plan¡­ The angry voice seemed to calm slightly then. ¡ªI agree! A cheerful voice suddenly piped up from one side. ¡ªYeah! What¡¯s the point of making it through? We have to eat and swallow them whole. It was a high-spirited, lecherous voice that sounded mean. ¡ªThe best part of war is the pillaging. Slaves! Play-things! Shouldn¡¯t we get more to comfort our already weary and drained soldiers? Hehehehe! A burst of excited laughter rang across the darkness. Then the calm voice asked when the laughter died down. ¡ªSo, how is it? Although our great fortune is gone, is the future we are seeking still there? Or did it change? Silence returned to the darkness again, but soon afterward, a faint voice like that of a sick girl murmured in response. ¡ªThe¡­future is¡­ *** Chi-Woo called his brother immediately after talking to Jin-Cheon, but the many attempts ended up futile. Chi-Woo thus sent a message. For several days, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t respond. Chi-Woo worried that something might have happened to his brother, but he waited patiently. His brother had warned him to not leave the city no matter what happened. Fortunately, Chi-Woo was able to enjoy the reward for his patience in the end, and Chi-Hyun called him late in the night several days after. ¡°Chi-Hyun! What were you doing¡ª!¡± As soon as their call connected, Chi-Hyun said something unexpected. ¡ªLet¡¯s try throwing it again. CH 236 Chi-Hyun was telling him to roll the World¡¯s Milestone and go to the future one more time. While Chi-Woo understood what his brother was saying, he hesitated. ¡°Will it be all right?¡± They didn¡¯t have an infinite number of chances to see the future. Thus, they needed to find all the triggers that led to Shalyh¡¯s fall in three tries. If they rolled the die this time, they would be left with only one chance. ¡°I successfully prevented myself and the people around me from leaving the city, and you were able to discover and destroy a dozen colonies of demon flowers.¡± As he said, they had prevented two events that might have developed into a bigger catastrophe. ¡°But¡­¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough to avoid Shalyh¡¯s destruction. I don¡¯t know why, but I have a bad feeling about it.¡± Therefore, Chi-Woo wanted to find more triggers and throw the die only when they were more sure that they had changed the future. ¡ªYou¡¯re right. I also think the same. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t deny the truth of Chi-Woo¡¯s opinion. On the contrary, it was what people should normally do¡ªif they had enough time. ¡ªBut time is against us. ¡°Time? Didn¡¯t you say that the plan to use the demon flowers will take a long time? ¡ªYeah, but that plan was destroyed by me. Chi-Hyun had been moving around non-stop for the past few days. By extensively using his detection magic, Chi-Hyun was able to investigate a wide range of areas, and every time he detected demonic energy, he immediately flew to its source and destroyed it. He even went back to places he¡¯d been before to make sure he had destroyed everything and thoroughly checked the surroundings multiple times. As a result, the number of demon flowers had significantly decreased to the point where it would be safe to say there was now none. All this was good, but the real problem was what would happen after. ¡ªAs you say, will the Demon Empire step back so easily like this? The Demon Empire wasn¡¯t foolish either; it was meaningless for them to continue a war of attrition given the circumstances, especially if the demon flower seeds were precious to them. ¡ªIn my opinion, I think the Demon Empire is extremely determined this time. The holy city, Shalyh, was an eyesore to them; Chi-Hyun was sure that they¡¯d do anything to get rid of it. It was to the extent that a belligerent faction that liked to start a war at the drop of a hat decided to follow a plan with a clear strategy, even if it took a long time. However, now that the particular plan was foiled, he had no idea what the Demon Empire would try to do next. ¡ªThere¡¯s too little information at the moment. A definite future in which Shalyh was destroyed by the Demon Empire would not easily change. And there must be more than one path leading to that future; there could be two, three, or more. There was no way that the Demon Empire would give up just because one of their possible roads got cut off; they¡¯ll surely take a different route then. Or perhaps the Demon Empire¡¯s original plan still remained, and Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo might have just erased a side option. This was more reason for them to find out why Shalyh would fall, and Chi-Woo had to gather as much information as he could in his second chance before they could no longer go to the future. ¡°I see. Because of you and me¡­¡± Chi-Woo groaned as he finally understood his brother¡¯s intentions. Due to their actions, the paths towards the definite future he saw had fluctuated in real life. Considering this point, it was not the time to save his chances for seeing the future. ¡ªAnd one more thing. Try turning on your device as soon as you get to the future this time. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡ªJust think about it. When you used your first chance, I had no idea that you went to the future. ¡°Yeah, so?¡± ¡ªBut it¡¯s not like that anymore. From that point on, I¡¯ve known that you can go to the future. And in the future, I know that we are suffering from a lack of information, and that you¡¯ll soon be moving into the future for the second time. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes gradually widened as he listened to Chi-Hyun. ¡ªGiven my personality, there¡¯s a high chance that the future me would have left a message for you, and after hearing this, your future self might have also left a message, thinking that you should start recording what is happening. Chi-Woo clapped his hands loudly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Then¡­!¡± ¡ªPerhaps this might be the last time we have to go to the future. Chi-Woo was sure that if it was his brother, he would have sent a message recording what was going to happen in the future for him. Then there was no need for him to go around looking for information. All he had to do was carefully read the messages on his device, remember them, and throw the die again. ¡°Okay! Got it, I¡¯ll be right back!¡± While Chi-Woo enthusiastically searched for the die in his pocket, Chi-Hyun suddenly spoke softly. ¡ª¡­Chi-Woo. ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡ªDon¡¯t overdo it. Chi-Woo¡¯s hand paused before he could take the die out. ¡ªLike everything in the world, things may not go the way we think, especially in a world like Liber. Chi-Woo wanted to tell his brother to not worry, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it because his brother¡¯s face looked too serious. Moreover, he didn¡¯t think it was something he should take lightly. ¡ªI¡¯m saying that there¡¯s no need for you to wander around to get more information. Just read the message quickly and come back right away. I¡¯ll never blame you even if you come back without much gain. This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªThere¡¯s still one chance left. You understand what I mean, right? ¡°¡­Yeah, I got it.¡± Chi-Woo also nodded with a serious face. ¡°If I feel uncomfortable, I¡¯ll throw the die right away like last time.¡± ¡ªGood. Take care. ¡°Same for you. You sound like you really need to take a break. I¡¯ll contact you as soon as I get back.¡± ¡ªYeah, I¡¯ll be waiting. The call ended. Chi-Woo flipped his left wrist, where his device was. After taking a deep breath, he threw the die in his right hand. Then white light swept through his body. Soon, Chi-Woo collapsed as if he was falling down. * * * Chi-Woo felt a sensation that he would never get used to no matter how many times he experienced it. His whole body felt like it was getting twisted into braids, and he felt like he was getting sucked in. Still, Chi-Woo prepared to vomit first because he had experienced it once before. However, the next moment, the intense need to vomit disappeared as if it had been washed away. ¡­No, it hadn¡¯t disappeared¡ªit was replaced by a stronger sensation. It was a sensation he had experienced for the first time. His whole head felt empty and lethargic, and he felt like he was sinking endlessly in the ocean. His mind constantly kept coming to a halt, so he had to try all his might to stay focused. It was much harder than he thought. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to pull himself together, let alone gain control of his body. Even though he tried to stay awake, his mind kept getting dizzy, as if someone had forcibly put him in this state. ¡®I¡­can¡¯t¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo bit his tongue hard because at this rate, he might fully lose a hold of his mind that he barely managed to grasp onto. Then he was startled; the pain lasted only for a moment, but it soon turned into intense pleasure and swept through his mouth. Chi-Woo let out a moan without realizing it. Why did he feel so good when he should have felt pain? He couldn¡¯t even think properly because of the sensory overload, and it felt as if sugar powder was melting off his tongue rather than blood. The added stimulus further convoluted his already muddled mind. His eyes loosened, his mouth opened, and his tongue rolled out. ¡°Uh¡­eh¡­¡± A pathetic sound came out of his mouth. He felt like not thinking anymore and was starting to think that he should let his body surrender to these sensations when¡­at the moment he was about to give up, Chi-Woo gathered his exorcism mana by instinct. When exorcism mana circled inside his body once, he finally came back to his senses. It felt like he had jumped into cold water after being on the verge of losing his mind in a hot sauna. It felt like he had woken up from a long nightmare. After barely managing to get his mind back, Chi-Woo took a big breath. The repressed nausea began to come back to him again with an extremely pungent smell assaulting his nose. He wondered if it was the smell of blood or corpses, but it smelled slightly strange. Rather than blood, it smelled fishier and similar to human feces or piss. The smell permeated everywhere around him. After recovering his sense of smell, the next sensory he recovered was his sense of touch. His body was cold. It felt like he was naked in an igloo in the dead of winter. And for some reason, it was hard for him to maintain his balance. Chi-Woo¡¯s head kept dropping from the strain of holding it up, but he managed to open his eyes. The dim view reflected a murky light. Judging by how the light kept wavering, it seemed to be coming from a torch on the wall. ¡°Uu¡­ugh¡­¡± Chi-Woo drooled and tried to put more strength in his eyes. He was able to gain a little focus in his field of vision. The first thing he saw was a dark, sticky, cramped space of about 100 to 150 square feet. The floor was made out of damp earth and wet straw. He felt the sensation of a cold brick against his back. A wooden wall that looked like a partition divided the space into multiple compartments. When Chi-Woo saw an iron door between a wooden fence, he realized where he was. He was in prison¡ªno, it was too shabby to even be called prison. It was more like a ranch where livestock was kept, and it resembled a barn. Moreover, he had been wondering why he was so cold, but he really was naked. He didn¡¯t even have a fragment of cloth to cover himself. When he tried to move his body by instinct, he heard a loud metal sound rang in the air. At the same time, he felt a slight pull around his neck; he was on a leash. A chain was wrapped around his neck and connected to the back wall. Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh. It hadn¡¯t been this bad when he first went to the future. ¡®What the heck happened¡­?¡¯ How did things turn out like this? Chi-Woo and Chi-Hyun had definitely stopped two significant events. Of course, the second future was different from the first future where only ashes remained, but it was hard to say this future was an improvement from the first. Anyway, it was as his brother had said. The situation was extremely awful; even if he wanted to gather information, there was nothing he could do while being locked up like this. One good thing was that there was currently nothing that posed a serious risk to him. ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ It felt slightly wasteful, but he had no choice but to quickly check his messages and go back. Chi-Woo, who was fiddling with the die in his right hand, raised his left hand¡ªno, he tried to. Chi-Woo¡¯s face suddenly became blank. His left forearm was missing. Gone were his hand and wrist like they had been wiped out together. Chi-Woo stared for a while. His left forearm had been cut very neatly, and judging by how there was a faint scar on his arm but the wound had healed cleanly, his forearm must have been cut a while ago. Chi-Woo tapped his remaining left arm like crazy out of desperation, but as expected, a hologram didn¡¯t appear. Since the part where the device was stored was gone, it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo was beyond shock and fell into a state of panic. How could things turn out so badly? There was only one way to leave now¡ªthrowing the die to go back to the present. However, once he thought about this, he felt conflicted. His brother had said that they still had another chance, but the situation might turn out the same way. He felt regretful to throw this opportunity away in vain. ¡®¡­Wait.¡¯ Come to think of it, he wasn¡¯t the only one who knew about the future¡ªthere was his older brother, Ru Amuh, and Ru Hiana. Of course, there was no guarantee that all three would still be alive. However, considering that he was locked up like this, there was still a chance that they could be alive like him. If he could at least find one of them and hear what happened, he might be able to get more information and have a better chance at changing the future. But first, he needed to get out of here, and he needed to look for those three who might be locked up like him. Of course, he was taking a considerable risk, and if something went wrong, he might not ever be able to go back to the present. Or rather than simply dying, he might have to live a miserable life like this forever. ¡®How¡­¡¯ Should he go back right now, or take a risk and find out at least a little more about this future? While he agonized over his options¡ª Creak! Suddenly, a loud, unpleasant sound of metal scraping rang inside the space. It seemed as if someone had opened the iron door. Subsequently, Chi-Woo heard several figures coming in and chatting excitedly. Chi-Woo dropped his head and let his arms fall weakly to his side on the ground. At the same time, he put his right hand behind his back and got ready to throw the die at any time. After a while, he heard footsteps approaching, and three or four shadows cast over the fence. CH 237 ¡°Who~ should I pick today~?¡± One of them said in a sing-song voice. ¡°Did you really come here to give food?¡± A low voice asked. ¡°These guys aren¡¯t the only ones who need food. We need to have our fill too.¡± ¡°Fufu. That¡¯s true.¡± Laughter rang across the room, and Chi-Woo lowered his head even more. He instinctively had a bad feeling about this. He heard footsteps wander here and there until they stopped right in front of him. Then, he heard the door open, and a figure walked toward him. At the farthest corner of his eyes, Chi-Woo caught a faint purplish light roaming around two feet. It wasn¡¯t a human¡¯s feet and probably belonged to a demonic creature. ¡°Hello cutie. Time to eat your feed.¡± Thud! A plate filled with gray liquid that looked like porridge was placed in front of him. Chi-Woo wondered if he should calmly eat the meal or shove his head into the bowl and lick the surface like a dog. After pondering a bit, Chi-Woo decided to remain still for now. ¡°What brings you here today? You didn¡¯t ask for that guy for several days.¡± Beyond the cage, Chi-Woo heard another demonic creature¡¯s voice. The female demonic creature didn¡¯t respond. Chi-Woo hoped that the creatures would leave just like this, but things didn¡¯t go as he wished. Splash! The female demonic creature dipped her feet into the plate and then raised it to shove it against Chi-Woo¡¯s face, toe dripping with a mysterious liquid. Chi-Woo smelled a sweet scent and felt his mind becoming hazy. He instinctively held on his breath, but the female demonic creature ordered: ¡°Lick it.¡± Chi-Woo was about to do as she asked without thinking. It was almost a reflex. Though his mind resisted, his body moved on his own as if he had been conditioned to do so. All sorts of thoughts passed his head, and one, two, three¡­ten seconds that felt like a ticking bomb passed. ¡°¡­Hmph. This is no fun.¡± The female demonic creature laughed mockingly and placed her feet back down. The male demonic creature chuckled. ¡°What happened? You played around with him from morning to evening every day for a while. Did you get bored of him already?¡± ¡°Look at him. He shows no response. It was fun when he used to glare and resist in the beginning.¡± ¡°Yes, he was such a tough guy. Even after consuming loads of medicine three meals a day, he still resisted. It¡¯s rare to see someone endure for so long.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of that though? In the end, he is ruined like all the others.¡± ¡°Of course he will break down eventually. There¡¯s the deal with the medicine, but it was the first time I ever began to pity a human. Every time I saw you with him, you reached the pinnacle of perversion¡­¡± ¡°Are you introducing yourself, dirt-bag?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nowhere near your level though. I at least stop before my toys become tattered rags like him.¡± The male demonic creature shook his head and moved. Chi-Woo heard the door of the cage beside him open. ¡°Let me see. Where are you, my precious¡­?¡± Sometime afterward, the male demonic creature cursed heavily. ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± The female demonic creature asked in surprise and headed outside. Soon, Chi-Woo heard a person getting dragged across the floor and thrown outside the cage. The body rolled on the floor like a broken doll and lay limply in front of Chi-Woo¡¯s cage. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened when he glanced at the figure. The unmoving body had silver hair. Her hair was short, but when he looked at her small physique¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t she pretending to be dead?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s dead.¡± At the female demonic creature¡¯s question, the male one heaved and kicked the girl. The girl¡¯s body turned half a circle and faced Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo¡¯s heart stopped for a moment. He thought it couldn¡¯t be¡­ but alas, it was Hawa. Like him, she was naked. Her mystical long hair was cut raggedly without order and reason, and though this look still quite fitted her, she was dead as the male demonic creature said. With her eyes wide open, Hawa looked incredibly vengeful and angry even in her death. ¡°What happened? I thought she was heavily medicated.¡± ¡°She must¡¯ve been pretending the whole time, or suddenly regained her senses.¡± The male demonic creature responded, and the female demonic creature said in surprise. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t even have the strength to kill herself¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think she held her breath or something.¡± ¡°¡­What a vicious wench,¡± the female demonic creature murmured. ¡°Ha¡­this girl has been the highlight of my days¡­¡± The male demonic creature sighed, and the female demonic creature looked at him nervously. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡°But what are we going to do now!?¡± ¡°Tch. What¡¯s the big deal of one of these dying?¡± The male demonic creature spat out, and the female demonic creature shouted. ¡°Not a big deal!? You think so?¡± While chewing on her fingernails, she continued, ¡°Only the high-quality goods are gathered here¡­even the great demons visit this place from time to time¡­I don¡¯t know about the others, but if you-know-who learns about this¡­.!¡± As if she didn¡¯t even want to imagine what would happen, the female demonic creature shuddered. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about that. Didn¡¯t you hear the rumors? Right now, he¡¯s obsessed with this female who has divine blood running through her despite being human.¡± The male demonic creature spoke calmly unlike her, ¡°And besides, the others already chose the males and females of their liking and took them for themselves. They probably wouldn¡¯t even care for this place anymore.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that one of them visited recently, looking for new faces?...What do we do?¡± ¡°What can we do when she¡¯s already dead?¡± the male demonic creature said and lifted Hawa by her neck. ¡°We have to destroy the evidence.¡± The male demonic creature¡¯s mouth stretched to an unbelievable length until he gulped Hawa¡¯s head entirely. Crunch! Grr! Crunch! Munch! A terrifying sound of bones and skin breaking apart rang across the area. Chi-Woo¡¯s face turned pale. He had to bite his lower lip hard so that he wouldn¡¯t scream. If he could, he wanted to block his ears to prevent himself from hearing anything, and it didn¡¯t take long for Hawa¡¯s head, body, and legs to disappear inside the male demonic creature¡¯s belly. ¡°Fuu¡­¡± The male demonic creature sighed with satisfaction. Then, he looked around when he felt a prickly gaze staring at him. When he saw that Chi-Woo was obediently lying inside his cage, he tilted his head and turned around. ¡°What? Are you leaving?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in no mood to play. You should play by yourself today,¡± the male demonic creature said and opened the entrance door before walking outside like nothing had happened. Left alone, the female demonic creature stared at Chi-Woo for a bit, but eventually turned around and left the room with her companion. Though he overcame the recent hurdle, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t move for a while. No, he couldn¡¯t. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. He had witnessed something so shocking, and if he could, he wanted to dash outside and kill those two demonic creatures. Yet, he couldn¡¯t do that, nor should he. If only he wasn¡¯t in the future and he didn¡¯t need to gather information to bring to the present¡­things would¡¯ve been different¡­! Chi-Woo tried with all his might to repress his burning rage. Sometime later, Chi-Woo exhaled the breath he had been holding in. He pushed out his exorcism mana and gripped the leash around his neck with his one remaining hand. The chains broke off like paper, and Chi-Woo got out of his cage. He glanced at the now empty cage beside him and where Hawa¡¯s corpse had been. He could still clearly remember how Hawa¡¯s face had looked¡ªher eyes widened with pure rage. When he met her eyes, it was as if she was telling him the anger she was feeling and asking him to avenge her. And to do that, Chi-Woo needed to repress his emotions right now. The situation was already terrible. He would only be able to increase the chances of succeeding his goal by acting logically and efficiently. Thus, Chi-Woo decided to look around first. This place appeared to be where they kept prisoners, specifically meant to be potential playthings for great demons. If he was lucky, he might be able to find someone he knew. And after Chi-Woo wandered around for a bit, he was able to find one. Rather than a prison, the place was more like a barn raising livestock. And there weren¡¯t only humans, but also members of the Cassiubia League; male and female, as long as they had great beauty, were imprisoned inside these cages. Among them, there were some Chi-Woo knew¡ªhe quickly approached the woman with dark indigo hair. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna?¡± While naked, she was busily licking her plate clean. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna! Ms. Eshnunna!¡± She didn¡¯t respond no matter how many times he called out for her. She simply focused on licking her plate clean like a dog. Seeing this, Chi-Woo went inside the cage and placed his hand on her neck, pouring exorcism mana into her. Eshnunna suddenly stopped moving and let out a piercing scream. ¡°Hiiiiiiiii¡ª!¡± She floundered both her arms and legs around. Then, she quickly crawled to the walls and scratched it like a cat while heaving. ¡°Esh¡­.Esh¡­¡± ¡°Hii¡ª! Hiiii¡ª!¡± She was in no state for a conversation. Her usual sharp demeanor was nowhere to be found, and Chi-Woo had to give up on trying to talk to her in the end. He saw that she became more pained the more exorcism mana he poured into her. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t know when the guards would come back again, and he couldn¡¯t wait until Eshnunna gained her senses. Thus, after agonizing for some time, Chi-Woo turned around. Fortunately, he was able to find one more person he knew. He couldn¡¯t recognize him at first because his hair was long, but he could recognize the thick beard on his face; it was Allen Leonard. Like the others, he was chained inside his cage, naked. His plate was sparkling clean, and he was leaning against the wall while smirking like an idiot and playing with his fingers. He was missing one eye, and it seemed he had also lost the body part where the Celestial Realm device was implanted. ¡°Do you hear me, sir?¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Allen Leonard. Can you tell who I am?¡± ¡°Heh¡­Heh...hehehehe¡­.¡± As expected, Allen was also under the influence of the mysterious drugs, but Chi-Woo placed his faith on Allen¡¯s strong mentality and poured exorcism mana into him. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Yet, Allen¡¯s response was no different from Eshnunna¡¯s. ¡°Uh! Ughhhhhhh!¡± Allen frantically pushed Chi-Woo away and ran around in circles inside his cage. Then, he thrust his body toward the bars and in the end, fell to the corner while foaming from the corners of his mouth. It was as if he was a fear-stricken baby beast. Seeing Allen¡¯s reaction to the slightest stimulus, Chi-Woo knew there was no hope of conversing with him. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what kind of drug it was, but it was so strong that he almost succumbed to it in his perfect state of mind. There was no way anyone could be sane after consuming a drug like that for long periods of time. From the conversation he heard from the two guards, it seemed he had also lost his mind to it after enduring for some time. It was then Chi-Woo truly realized the dire predicaments he was in. Not only did he no longer have his device, but everyone who could possibly tell him what happened had lost their minds. Furthermore, Philip, who was usually always with him, was nowhere to be found, and he couldn¡¯t expect help from Mimi either without his device. Even if the world flowed beyond what he wished for like his brother had said, this was all a bit too much. ¡®I just need one¡­just one person¡­¡¯ It could be anyone, as long as they had their minds slightly intact and could share information with him, no matter how menial. It was then Chi-Woo stopped walking and hurriedly ran toward another figure. Inside a cage, a naked, blonde woman was lying on the ground with her arms and legs stretched out like a frog. Her usual neat ponytail sprawled on the floor. She was staring blankly into the ceiling with no signs of intelligence in his eyes. And it seemed she had just finished eating her medicine judging by the glistening parts around her mouth. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana¡­¡± Chi-Woo supported her back and helped her sit. ¡®Please, please¡­¡¯ he begged earnestly and poured exorcism mana into her. Ru Hiana flinched, and a glimmer of consciousness flashed through her eyes for a moment. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± But then Chi-Woo had to immediately stop. ¡°Huuuuurgh-!¡± Ru Hiana groaned and raised her arms before bowing deeply and shuddering like she was afraid of being hit. Chi-Woo¡¯s expectations fell, but he didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana, it¡¯s okay. So please¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s desperate cries didn¡¯t reach her, and Ru Hiana tried to distance herself from him by pushing her feet across the floor. ¡°Ugh¡­ugh¡­urggggh¡­¡± She cried, but Chi-Woo poured in more exorcism mana. He felt like he would have no more options if Ru Hiana didn¡¯t regain her senses. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana!¡± Chi-Woo raised his voice and poured in more exorcism mana. ¡°Hiick!¡± Ru Hiana doubled over like she was shocked and shuddered. Shhhhh¡ª A light, yellowish liquid wetted the floor while exuding a terrible stench. Terrified, she had peed then and there. ¡°Ugh¡­eh¡­¡± Ru Hiana still had her head lowered as she cried, and Chi-Woo took his hands off her. He suddenly felt all strength drained from him, and he wondered whether he should just return to the present. With one hand, he fumbled with his die. He didn¡¯t want to stay a second longer and didn¡¯t know if he could endure any more of this. It was too wretched and miserable¡ªto think this was the future that came about after he stopped two incidents. At this point, even the first future was better. After all, even death was preferable than this sickening sight. It wasn¡¯t just Ru Hiana. Everyone¡ªEshnunna and Allen Leonard¡ªhad lost all their higher intellect as human beings and were reduced to beasts and livestock who only relied on their instincts. And Hawa¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Hawa¡¯s face resurfaced Chi-Woo¡¯s mind. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ Chi-Woo raised his head again and thought, ¡®I can¡¯t run away.¡¯ He still couldn¡¯t forget Hawa¡¯s vengeful eyes. For those eyes alone, he needed to find out what had happened. Since all the humans and members of the Cassiubia League were in a state like this, he could catch one of the Demon Empire¡¯s members and beat information out of them. Although this came with enormous risks, Chi-Woo strengthened his resolve. This was a future bound to happen if he didn¡¯t do anything in the present; thus, he needed to get information somehow to thwart the direction of the present by any means possible. ¡°¡­Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± Ru Hiana was still trembling on the floor. Chi-Woo got on one knee and softly hugged her. ¡°I will change it. I promise you¡­I will surely change the future.¡± Ru Hiana tried to wiggle free from him, but Chi-Woo held her harder and strengthened his resolve. It was then a faint voice reached his ear. ¡°S...en¡­ior¡­¡± CH 238 Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He quickly looked at Ru Hiana. Her eyes, which had been blank just a few seconds ago, were now looking directly at him. Even though her pupils still looked hazy, it was slightly trembling, as if she had recognized him. ¡°Ms. Ru Hiana?¡± Then Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes glanced over Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Keuk!¡± Her eyes opened wide, and she suddenly went into a seizure. ¡°Ack! Aggggggh!¡± As if her trauma had been revived, she bowed her head and frantically crawled into a corner. Chi-Woo turned around by reflex, and his expression hardened. The female demonic creature that he saw earlier was leaning against the fence while smiling at him. Since he had been so focused on Ru Hiana, he had failed to sense her presence. ¡°Yeah, I thought it was a little strange.¡± The female demonic creature opened her mouth with a cheery expression. ¡°You used to go into a convulsion when merely smelling the drug, but you didn¡¯t react at all this time even though I put it right under your nose.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°After I saw that the human girl had died, I became suspicious of you, so I purposely went out and came back¡­and as expected, you really regained your senses, didn¡¯t you?¡± Chi-Woo looked at the female demonic creature, who spoke to him in a mocking tone, and got to his feet. He held the World¡¯s Milestone as if he was going to crush it. Since he was caught, he might as well use this opportunity to beat this demonic creature to the verge of death and extract information from her. ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± The female demonic creature chuckled. ¡°Will that be okay? We made a deal, remember?¡± Chi-Woo had been drawing his exorcism mana in lieu of a response but stopped when he heard what she said at the end. ¡®A deal? What did she mean by that?¡¯ ¡°What? You don¡¯t remember? Your mind really must have turned into mush.¡± She chuckled and continued, ¡°You asked me to save your precious comrades, and you told me you¡¯d stay calm if I at least spare their lives. Do you remember now?¡± He was wondering what the deal was, but it was all too predictable. ¡°Do you think you can take everyone here and escape if you just kill me? You¡¯re seriously not that stupid, right?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°If you understand, go back to your cage now. And we can have fun again. I¡¯ll at least spare your friends¡¯ lives. Well, one female has already died, but¡­I¡¯ll pay more attention to my management from now on. Got it?¡± Her voice was gentle, but as she licked her upper lip with a snake-like tongue, her eyes shone with evil and despicable desires. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. The demonic creature in front of him was under a great illusion. Unlike his future self, Chi-Woo had a place to go back to at this point in time. Thus, he had no intention to follow her words. However, there was only one thing he was concerned about¡ªwhether he should seize this opening or pretend to follow through and seek a more definite opportunity. Even though it was easy to subdue one demonic creature, he didn¡¯t know how much information the demonic creature in front of him knew, and he wasn¡¯t sure how much information she would easily spit out. The female demonic creature, thinking that Chi-Woo was agonizing over his choices, smiled and turned around. ¡°!¡± Then she flinched, her smile wiped away from her face, and she gaped in fear. ¡°Uh¡­Uh¡­¡± She was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t even speak properly. It was an opportunity to strike, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t get to seize it before she suddenly fell to the floor and knocked her forehead against it. Chi-Woo furrowed his brows; judging by how she was acting, it seemed a high-ranking demon had appeared. However, he couldn''t sense any presence or detect anything with his synesthesia. ¡°What brings you¡­¡± The female demonic creature asked with a trembling voice, but there was no reply. ¡°I-I was managing these humans! One human suddenly regained his senses and was trying to escape¡­!¡± ¡°¡­It is¡­¡± Then Chi-Woo suddenly heard a voice. ¡°I¡­did¡­it¡­¡± No, rather than a voice, it was closer to sounds escaping from a person¡¯s mouth, or faint noises carried by the wind, and even though he strained to hear it, he could only barely make out the words. ¡°I¡­purposely¡­woke him¡­up¡­¡± ¡°Sorry¡­?¡± Confusion appeared on the female demonic creature¡¯s face. ¡°Are you saying that you purposely brought this male to his senses¡­? For what reason, may I ask¡­?¡± The female demonic creature got a snort as a response. Then the voice said, ¡°You¡­question¡­me¡­?¡± ¡°N-no, not at all! How dare I-!¡± The female demonic creature, who had slightly raised her head, lowered her head back to the floor. ¡°I was in the¡­middle of an¡­important experiment¡­but because of you¡­it¡¯s ruined¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I sincerely apologize! I haven¡¯t been informed of anything like that¡­!¡± The female demonic creature was so terrified that she asked for forgiveness while crying. Then silence fell for a while. While the female demonic creature kept her mouth shut and continued to shiver, an order for her to leave was finally issued. ¡°¡­Get out¡­¡± The female demonic creature fled as if she had barely managed to escape death¡¯s door. Only then did Chi-Woo see a pale calf and small, white feet appear on the other side of the door. Subsequently, a figure appeared in front of Chi-Woo. At first glance, her narrow shoulders and willow-like waist made her look like a girl of a similar age to Hawa. Chi-Woo even mistakenly thought that Hawa had come back to live for a moment. However, closer inspection revealed that her hair was not silver, but white, and it was incredibly long, long enough to reach the ground. Both of her eyes were white, and it felt as if he was looking at a white-haired witch. Even though she looked weak enough for a kick to break her bones, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t let his guard down; he felt intuitively that the being in front of him was a great demon. Her power rivaled that of a high-ranking demon like Zepar; perhaps she was even in the top ten. Remembering that even Chi-Hyun told him to be careful of demons in the single-digit ranks, Chi-Woo pushed his exorcism mana to its peak. ¡°¡­It¡¯s no use¡­that power¡­to destroy evil¡­¡± The white-haired girl continued, ¡°You can give shock¡­for a moment¡­but can¡¯t restore minds¡­that are already lost¡­¡± The white-haired girl was probably referring to Ru Hiana¡¯s condition, saying that no matter how much exorcism mana he put in her, it¡¯ll be nothing more than a waste. In reality, all Ru Hiana managed to utter was ¡®senior¡¯, and her mind succumbed to terror after that. ¡°¡­This was it¡­¡± It was at that moment the white-haired girl gently tilted her head and raised her hand at the same time. A seven-sided die was suddenly between her index finger and thumb. Staring blankly at her, Chi-Woo inadvertently tightened his fist and opened it again. There was nothing in his hand. ¡®When did she¡­?¡¯ ¡°I see¡­World¡­has not yet disappeared¡­no¡­maybe at the end¡­¡± She said some incomprehensible words and looked at Chi-Woo. ¡°As expected¡­it was you¡­¡± Chi-Woo felt perplexed. He didn¡¯t know why, but it seemed this mysterious girl knew who he was. However, this was not the important part¡ªshe had taken the World¡¯s Milestone. Even though he had tightly clenched onto it, she stole it from him without him noticing anything at all. He needed to retrieve it at all costs since it was the only way for him to return to the present. With firm determination, Chi-Woo was about to ambush her when¡ª The white-haired girl suddenly spun around. Why was she showing her back to an enemy? It was completely incomprehensible. ¡°Want to¡­work with me¡­¡± What she said next was even more perplexing. ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­need information¡­?¡± ¡°Wh¡­at¡­?¡± She seemed to be extending her help with gaining more information if her words were to be trusted. On second thought, she had been acting strange. Even when the female demonic creature reported the situation to her, the white-haired girl covered for Chi-Woo, saying that she was doing an experiment, and even chased out the demonic creature. However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of her because even though he didn¡¯t know who she was, it was clear that she was a great demon. And it wasn¡¯t as if they had a common enemy, in which case an enemy of an enemy would become a friend. Why would she support the Demon Empire while also helping him out? And as a high-ranking demon at that? ¡°Follow me¡­quickly¡­there¡¯s not much time¡­¡± The white-haired girl hurried him along. Chi-Woo agonized if he should follow her, but his intuition was shouting at him to do as she said. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± The white-haired girl who looked like Hawa stopped. She slowly turned around and, without a word, held out her hand. ¡°¡­¡± In a blink, the World¡¯s Milestone was right back in Chi-Woo¡¯s grasp. It really was an astonishing ability. Although she didn¡¯t say anything, she was telling him to trust her by giving the die back. After Chi-Woo confirmed that the die was truly the World¡¯s Milestone with his Spirit Eye, he stared at the white-haired girl¡¯s back with conflicted eyes. After a slight hesitation, he followed her out. * * * After they left the barn, he saw a familiar scene. Although many parts had changed, there were still traces of the holy city, Shalyh. After going out, Chi-Woo grew certain that what had once been Shalyh had fallen to the Demon Empire. All they could see on the street were a variety of demonic creatures, and the Cassiubia League and humanity were locked up and raised in places like barns¡ªnot as prisoners, but as livestock and slaves. Wherever the white-haired girl went, a small commotion erupted. Every demonic creature she encountered stopped what they were doing and politely bowed their heads to show their respect to her. Then when she passed by, every single one of them would glance up at Chi-Woo, who was following her. He didn¡¯t know why, but some of the demonic creatures were visibly shocked and dumbfounded. ¡°Lower your head¡­¡± The white-haired whispered so that only Chi-Woo could hear her. ¡°Don¡¯t make eye contact¡­pretend to be drugged¡­¡± Chi-Woo followed her instruction as it seemed she was telling him to not raise any unnecessary suspicion. Chi-Woo was only able to lift his head back up when the white-haired girl entered a house. After they were guided to a room in the corner, they finally faced each other. ¡°Soon¡­we have¡­a meeting¡­¡± The white-haired girl continued, ¡°Few of them¡­will probably¡­bring their toys¡­¡± Her speech was choppy with pauses. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an opportunity¡­so try having a conversation with them¡­there might be a toy¡­that has their¡­mind intact¡­¡± Although she didn¡¯t speak perfectly, Chi-Woo had no problem understanding her. According to her, there was a meeting between great demons today, and some demons would be bringing their toys; those toys would either be monsters in the Cassiubia League or humans. The two guards in the barn had also said that when the city was captured by the Demon Empire, the great demons took the prisoners they liked as their personal toys. Thus, the white-haired girl was telling him that she¡¯d take him to the great demon¡¯s meeting and arrange a separate space for him to meet other people to talk and gain information. Since they were special toys for great demons, they might still have their minds intact. Of course, they might be even worse off than those trapped in cages. Chi-Woo understood what she was saying, but he couldn¡¯t help but grimace at the thought that the great demons were treating humans as toys. ¡°Until then¡­stay quietly here¡­¡± ¡°How can I trust you?¡± Chi-Woo cut her off. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Shersha¡­¡± When asked about her identity, the girl easily revealed her name. ¡°Are you a great demon?¡± ¡°Seventh rank¡­¡± When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. He had expected her to rank high, but the truth was beyond his expectation. Still, he found it strange that she didn¡¯t act like a great demon at all. For example, Zepar was very arrogant when revealing his identity. He showed great pride in being at the top of the demon hierarchy. In comparison, there was no trace of arrogance or even pride in Shersha¡¯s response despite her ranking seventh; she just sounded empty. It was as if he was dealing with air floating in the sky. ¡°It seems like you know my situation to a certain extent,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°¡­A little bit¡­¡± Shersha nodded slightly. ¡°Not all¡­only what I see¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, why are you trying to help me? You¡¯re a great demon.¡± Shersha suddenly closed her mouth, and Chi-Woo, who felt frustrated by her sudden silence, said again, ¡°You helped me just now, and you¡¯re trying to help me again. Is that right?¡± Shersha nodded again. ¡°Then tell me what you know!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a great demon, so you must know better than anyone, right? About what has happened so far! If you want to help me, all you have to do is tell me right now!¡± If Shersha really wanted to help Chi-Woo, she could just tell him everything then and there¡ªtell him when, where, and what happened, and what he should do. However, Shersha only tried to help Chi-Woo get information and didn¡¯t directly relay any to him. ¡°One¡­¡± After a short silence, she said, ¡°Just¡­one¡­¡± Shersha finally spoke up. ¡°Opportunity to¡­say what you want me¡­to say¡­I need to¡­give you¡­the most important information then¡­!¡± Shersha¡¯s tone slightly went up at the end. ¡°No one¡­other than us¡­knows this information¡­¡± Then she narrowed her eyes, and her breathing became laborious. Her empty expression suddenly became filled with pain. ¡°But¡­with this information alone¡­¡± Shersha put her hand on her chest; she tightly clutched her clothes in pain and continued, ¡°So¡­after gaining¡­other information¡­¡± Then her words quieted into a murmur. Chi-Woo furiously blinked; he didn¡¯t know why she was suddenly acting like this, but it didn¡¯t seem like she was acting. Beads of sweat popped up on Shersha¡¯s forehead; for some reason, Chi-Woo felt he shouldn¡¯t ask further, but he still asked, ¡°What do you mean? I have no idea what you¡¯re saying.¡± After barely calming down, Shersha looked conflicted; she looked like she was put in a difficult position and couldn¡¯t explain. She seemed to hesitate for a while and then walked towards Chi-Woo with a look of determination. Standing right in front of him, she raised her hand and held his head. However, Shersha couldn¡¯t carry out her intention because Chi-Woo had taken a step back, and her height barely reached his chest. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Even when she stood on tippy-toes, she still couldn¡¯t reach his face. ¡°Ah.¡± She tried jumping, but it was another futile attempt. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. ¡°Believe me¡­¡± In the end, Shersha asked him in an earnest tone. ¡°Please¡­please believe me¡­¡± Chi-Woo saw Shersha¡¯s teary eyes and fell into intense conflict. Should he believe her or not? He didn¡¯t feel any malice from her. ¡°¡­If you¡¯re trying to trick me, you better think again.¡± After much consideration, Chi-Woo fell on one knee. At the same time, he stretched out his right hand and placed it on Shersha¡¯s head. He planned to use his exorcism mana as soon as she did anything suspicious. Shersha¡¯s expression became slightly brighter when their eyes met at eye level. Soon after, she gently put her hands on Chi-Woo¡¯s temples and slowly moved her face closer to his. As soon as their forehead touched, Shersha closed her eyes. * * * ¡°Heh, is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m certain of it. I¡¯ve immediately come here to report it after witnessing it.¡± ¡°Hmm. How strange. Okay, got it. You can leave now.¡± When the giant woman beckoned for her to leave, the female demonic creature, who was prostrating herself on the ground, carefully got up and withdrew. She was one of the guards who had been guarding the barn. When the female demonic creature left, the woman murmured to herself, ¡°Shersha¡­Shersha took one of the human males¡­¡± In all honesty, this was not unusual in the slightest in the Demon Empire. It was a society that ran solely on the rule of survival of the fittest. The strong took everything; taking someone as a slave frequently happened among low-ranking demonic creatures and even among great demons. One such example was when Zepar, who was now exorcized and gone, defeated a relatively high-ranking demon like Astarte and enslaved her. Thus, it was not even news that a great demon had taken a slave to kill time, but¡­ ¡°Why would¡­Shersha?¡± But there were always exceptions. An insignificant event became significant when Shersha was the one involved; she was a special case within the Demon Empire. Shersha was the seventh-rank great demon, the only Saintess in the Demon Empire, and a prophet endowed with the power of foresight. Unlike other great demons, Shersha did not show off her power and wasn¡¯t interested in looting or spoils either. She had offered Shersha to play together with some good males she picked out, but all her invitations had been ignored so far. It had been like that all this time. So why would a great demon nicknamed the honorable noble suddenly take a human male for herself today? ¡°How fun.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something fishy about it¡­definitely something¡­¡± The woman had a strange glint in her eyes, and she suddenly raised her hand to yank the necklace in her hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? My dear cutie. Haha!¡± She lovingly patted the hair of a human male who had a leash on his neck in the form of a necklace. CH 239 The moment Shersha¡¯s forehead touched Chi-Woo¡¯s, memories flowed into his mind; not his, but Shersha¡¯s. Sometime later, Chi-Woo opened his eyes. Shersha did the same and pulled away, taking a couple steps back. Chi-Woo looked at the white-haired girl in front of him a bit differently from before. Though it was only a small piece of memory rather than the information he wanted, he now understood why Shersha had pursed her lips whenever he asked for information. In martial arts novels, a skill called dongjagong came up from time to time. It was the martial arts skill where one amassed power by abstaining from contact with the other sex. Those who mastered this art were able to quickly amass strong and pure energy, but there was one crucial rule that practitioners had to always keep. If they lost their virginity to the opposite sex, they would lose all the energy they had amassed through this art. The prophecy ability that Shersha had was similar to dongjagong in this sense, or perhaps even stricter. In the first place, prophecies were indefinite since the future was always changing. No matter how menial one¡¯s choice was in the present, there was the possibility of the future splitting into many different paths continuously. Of course, there were things like the ¡®definite future¡¯ that Chi-Hyun spoke about, which were destined to happen and almost impossible to change. And among such futures, there were ones that a human shouldn¡¯t rashly bring up¡ª¡®secrets from the heavens¡¯. Thus, Shersha needed to uphold two conditions every time she prophesied. First, she must only inform those she was prophesying about the general direction they should take and conform to the rules of the secrets of the heavens. Second, all the goals and actions directly linked to the prophecies mustn¡¯t harm the Demon Empire in any way. This current time was Shersha¡¯s present, but Chi-Woo¡¯s future. Thus, telling Chi-Woo everything that had happened until now would be her prophesying to him in a way; and with it, she would be revealing the secrets of the heavens to him and cause great harm to the Demon Empire. In other words, she would be breaking both conditions connected to her prophesying ability, and if she did so, what awaited her wasn¡¯t merely the loss of her power, but a painful death. It was for the very reason that she was in great pain when she tried to force her mouth open. Still, Shersha wanted to tell Chi-Woo the truth. Despite the risk of death, she wanted to tell Chi-Woo information that he would never learn from a member of the Cassiubia League or the humans. However, she had only one chance. The moment she broke the conditions, she would disintegrate while puking out blood. Thus, Shersha would only open her mouth at the very end since the information she told him as the prophet wouldn¡¯t be enough. Chi-Woo needed to gather other pieces of information by himself to change the future. After reading Shersha¡¯s memories, Chi-Woo realized what a difficult predicament he was in. If he had continued alone, he would¡¯ve had to roll his die without gaining proper information. But with the help of one of the highest-ranking great demons, he saw a glimmer of hope. This made Chi-Woo wonder why a great demon in the top seven ranks was trying to help him with the risk of getting extinguished, yet he knew now that Shersha couldn¡¯t answer this question either. ¡®It must also be a part of prophesying,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Shersha could tell him, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear the actually important information then. ¡°Wait. Then the memories just now¡­¡± ¡°I¡­shortened it¡­as much as possible¡­¡± Shersha murmured. She was able to say as much since it didn¡¯t relate to prophesying about the future, but there was the danger of breaking the second condition. ¡°Very close¡­¡± Now understanding Shersha¡¯s position, Chi-Wo cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Uh¡­is there a way you could write everything down and give it to me?¡± His voice softened and became more relaxed. ¡°It won¡¯t be prophesying while you are writing as long as I don¡¯t look. Or you could give me back my left hand where the Celestial device is¡­¡± Chi-Woo asked hopefully. ¡°All the devices¡­had been destroyed¡­¡± Shersha shook her head. ¡°And¡­I can¡¯t do that¡­¡± It was as expected. ¡°No matter how fast I write¡­I will die¡­before I finish writing¡­¡± Writing the prophecy down would be an action directly linked to prophesying and would break one of the conditions. Prophesying covered not only her speech, but a considerably wide range of actions. If she had recorded what happened before Chi-Woo came to the future, she would¡¯ve been decimated into nothing before she even met him. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve arranged some things¡­just in case¡­¡± Shersha heaved with great difficulty, ¡°But¡­I hoped¡­to not use that¡­as much as possible¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I beg you¡­ I will help you¡­to the best of my abilities¡­but you should find information with¡­your own powers¡­¡± Shersha looked afraid. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why, but it appeared the arrangement she had made was something that should be prevented at all costs. Perhaps it was because he was talking to a prophet, but the more he talked to her, the more his curiosity grew, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t ask more questions. In the end, Shersha collapsed into her bed. She heaved with great difficulty, seemingly in great suffering from everything she had done. Though she didn¡¯t cross the line, she was probably undertaking great dangers, and Chi-Woo decided to wait patiently for now. He was still dealing with a great demon after all. It could be a trap. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ If she had wanted to inflict harm onto him, she could¡¯ve done so when she stole his die. But she gave back the World¡¯s Milestone to him and even told him her weakness while knowing that he was going back to the present. Though he still had his suspicions about her, he couldn¡¯t help but trust her a bit now. ¡®But why¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo glanced at Shersha, who was lying in the bed completely soaked in cold sweat. *** The time had come for the meeting to commence. The only participants were a few members of the great demons. Shersha told Chi-Woo beforehand that a few of them would bring their toys to show off to the others. It was a type of behavior that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t wrap his head around at all. Their cultures were vastly different, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t forget that he was in no position to argue about the unrighteousness of it all. Right now, he needed to focus on making the best of the opportunity Shersha provided him. Shersha took Chi-Woo to what had once been a square built for guild meetings. Chi-Woo felt heartbroken that a place that used to bustle with members of the Cassiubia League and humans was now the great demons¡¯ playgrounds, but he tried his best to not let his emotions show. ¡°You have¡­to do well¡­from now on¡­they may notice¡­¡± Shersha said, and Chi-Woo leaned against the wall and sprawled down on the floor. He lowered his head and kept his limbs limp with drool dripping from his face. He needed to act like he was heavily medicated to not attract any suspicions. ¡°Soon¡­¡± Not long after Shersha spoke, they heard a few sets of footsteps approaching. ¡°Shersha?¡± Chi-Woo heard a calm man¡¯s voice over his head. ¡°You are already here?¡± Chi-Woo wanted to lift his head to see who it was, but he suppressed the urge. ¡°I¡¯m¡­waiting¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you waiting inside?¡± ¡°I¡­have¡­something to say¡­before I go in¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°Not¡­to only you¡­¡± The great demon with the calm voice shrugged, but stopped when he saw Chi-Woo. ¡°Who is this guy?¡± ¡°I¡­brought¡­him¡­¡± ¡°Hm. I¡¯m sure if it¡¯s you, you must have your reasons. Anyways, I will wait with you then.¡± The great demon sounded a bit surprised, but didn¡¯t press further. It appeared that he had a very deep trust in Shersha. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± After a moment, a woman¡¯s singsong and smooth voice spoke up from the end of the corridor. ¡°Here you are,¡± the calm voice said. ¡°I¡¯m waiting here because Shersha needed to say something before we went in.¡± ¡°Huh? Shersha? Say what?¡± As the sing-song voice got closer, it sounded as if some people were crawling on the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it yet either. But¡­¡± The calm voice made a low sigh and continued, ¡°You aren¡¯t planning to go inside the room in that state, right?¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± The sing-song voice laughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just the minimum for a proper queen¡¯s march?¡± Wondering what in the world this great demon was doing that others were making such a fuss, Chi-Woo looked up while keeping his head down. It was a quick glance, but his heart skipped a beat. There were at least a dozen males from the Cassiubia League and humans, all nude and crouching on all fours¡ªjust like dogs. And as they orderly gathered like a palanquin, someone was lying above them with her legs crossed. ¡°You seem to be enjoying yourself.¡± ¡°Of course! This one is the joy of my life these days.¡± The great demon with a sing-song voice stretched out her legs, putting her feet on top of the head of the man crouching at the center of the human palanquin. Chi-Woo glanced once more and noticed that he looked familiar. ¡°I think they said he was a Celestial Light or something?¡± the great demon with the sing-song voice said. Oh, that was right. He was the handsome man whose beauty was comparable to even Ru Amuh¡¯s. Who was it again? ¡®I think he was from the Eustitia family.¡¯ ¡°He acted so noble and uppity in the beginning only to surrender in the end. You all should¡¯ve seen him heave like a male dog in heat at me!¡± The great demon burst into a fit of giggles and ruffled the man¡¯s hair with the back of her feet. ¡°Besides that, isn¡¯t he¡­?¡± It was then Chi-Woo suddenly felt a gaze on him. ¡°What? Was that always your preference?¡± the sing-song voice asked. ¡°Stop your unpleasant insinuation,¡± the calm voice answered. ¡°He isn¡¯t my slave. Shersha brought him.¡± ¡°What? Shersha did?¡± the sing-song voice asked in surprise. ¡°But¡­wait¡­isn¡¯t he that guy?¡± Her voice and gaze turned sharper. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°You know, the one we were talking about killing instead of turning into a slave?¡± ¡°¡­He seems to be the one.¡± Chi-Woo felt another gaze on him and instinctively stopped glancing around. ¡°Isn¡¯t he¡­a bit dangerous? Perhaps¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably fine now,¡± the calm voice responded. ¡°Well, I suppose. He was given loads more drugs than the others¡­¡± ¡°Hey!¡± It was then a new voice entered. It sounded mean and cunning. ¡°What are you all doing here¡­oh wow¡­¡± The great demon stopped when he saw the queen¡¯s march. ¡°Fufu, are you jealous?¡± ¡°Not at all. Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s quality over quantity?¡± ¡°I do have one Celestial Light though.¡± ¡°Did you forget? I have two Celestial Lights,¡± the cunning voice snarked. With a click of her tongue, the sing-song voice asked curiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have another one besides that?¡± ¡°Yes, what happened to her?¡± the calm voice also asked. ¡°Ah, you mean the saintess of Babylon?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®The saintess of Babylon?¡¯ He snuck another glance, but didn¡¯t see Evelyn. Though the two women weren¡¯t being used as a mount like the men, they were crawling on their hands and feet with leashes on, like dogs on a walk with their master. ¡°Hm, how should I describe it,¡± the cunning voice stopped getting closer, and Chi-Woo caught sight of one of the two women. It was a face he knew very well. The one with faded platinum hair, Apoline. ¡°But she used to be the Abyss¡¯ witch at one point.¡± Though Chi-Woo was shocked to see Apoline, all his focus shifted to the cunning voice. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably why her will was so strong.¡± It seemed the great demon had tried to also make Evelyn his plaything but failed to crush her mind. ¡°Nothing worked no matter what I did, so¡­.¡± Chi-Woo was thinking he might be able to contact Evelyn with Shersha¡¯s help, but¡ª ¡°I killed her in my fit of rage.¡± We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. Chi-Woo halted. What did he say¡­? ¡°You killed her?¡± the calm voice asked. ¡°What else could I do? She didn¡¯t succumb to me no matter what I did, and appeasing her didn¡¯t work, either,¡± the cunning voice continued, ¡°Furthermore, she dared to injure my face when I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± ¡°Hey, but that wench still had her uses,¡± the sing-song voice said in disbelief. ¡°Stop,¡± the calm voice intervened. ¡°She was already acknowledged as Amon¡¯s spoils. Though I agree that she still had her uses, it was entirely up to Amon what he did with her.¡± In Demon Empire society, spoils of war were a very important matter since it was the symbol of authority and victory. It held such gravity that battles sometimes erupted when distributing spoils, and considering that, there was an unwritten rule that demons shouldn¡¯t meddle in others¡¯ spoils once the ownership was decided. Whatever one did to their spoils, no one else could intervene; doing so would be the same as asking for a fight. ¡°Haha. I like how by the book you are about these matters,¡± the cunning voice said happily after the calm-sounding demon stepped in to prevent a conflict. ¡°But it¡¯s a surprise you killed her. I thought you liked her the best among the three.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m already regretting what I did. I should¡¯ve played around with her a bit more¡­who knew she would die when I split her stomach?¡± ¡°They are all toys in the end. Don¡¯t get too riled up about them.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. And I¡¯m fine actually,¡± the cunning voice turned slightly shriller, ¡°Since these two are comforting me~ They were very, very ferocious in the beginning, but after some education, they all bark obediently.¡± The sneaky voice chuckled and patted Apoline¡¯s butt. ¡°By the way, what are you all doing? Not going in?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s¡­go in now¡­¡± Shersha responded to the cunning voice while warily glancing at Chi-Woo. It was because of the way Chi-Woo¡¯s body was trembling slightly. It appeared he was going to lose control at any moment now, so she quickly added, ¡°Leave¡­all your toys¡­and go in¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­come to this place¡­to hear you¡­show off your toys¡­¡± Shersha said in an uncharacteristically firm voice. ¡°I¡­have to say¡­something very¡­important.¡± Silence followed and stretched for a moment. ¡°Is it perhaps¡­¡± ¡°About that issue, Shersha?¡± the calm voice asked. The cunning voice said awkwardly, ¡°Hey Shersha. I understand how you feel, but that is over. Bael is already¡ª¡± ¡°Stop,¡± the calm voice cut him off again. ¡°This isn¡¯t something we should talk about here.¡± His voice was much lower than before. ¡°Anyways, if that¡¯s what you want¡­it really isn¡¯t a topic to discuss with toys around.¡± The demon seemed to be looking around. ¡°Everyone go in without your toys.¡± The cunning one dropped his leashes with great reluctance, while the one with the singsong voice stepped on the man from the Eustitia family and hopped off. ¡°But anyways, don¡¯t we still have to wait for one more person?¡± ¡°Who¡­ah, her. Just leave her be. She usually doesn¡¯t come anyways, and when she does, she likes to boast the hardest out of any of us. It¡¯s better if she isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± The great demon¡¯s voices grew more and more distant. Some time afterward, Chi-Woo let out the sigh he had been holding in. ¡®Amon¡­¡¯ He raised his head and repeated the name several times in his head. ¡®Amon, Amon¡­¡¯ He gritted his teeth and swore to kill that guy for sure when he returned to the present. And to do so, he needed to take the opportunity Shersha gave him. After finally calming down, Chi-Woo saw dozens of people lying limply on the ground. It was a truly heart-wrenching sight. They didn¡¯t look too different from those locked in the barn, but just in case, Chi-Woo approached the face he knew first. ¡°Ms. Apoline? Ms. Apoline?¡± Chi-Woo called out and poured a bit of exorcism mana in. *** Sometime later, the door opened. Shersha left the room first while moving quickly. As the demon with a calm voice said before, the meeting was about a heavy topic. But like always, they didn¡¯t reach a definite conclusion. In short, it was a waste of time. Shersha knew that was going to happen from the beginning and hadn¡¯t expected anything from the meeting. She only organized this meeting to change the Demon Empire¡¯s present for a better future. To do that, they needed to change the present and the past along with it, and Chi-Woo¡¯s strength was essential. Thus, Shersha didn¡¯t back down from her opinions and dragged on the meeting as long as possible. Her plan was successful, and she used up a lot of time. However, she still wondered if there was anyone whose mind was intact enough to pass along useful information to Chi-Woo. ¡®Should I¡­have moved more quickly¡­?¡¯ Shersha blamed herself. Holy City Shalyh fell because of the great price and efforts the Demon Empire had paid. Their enemies had resisted until the end, and the Demon Empire suffered great casualties in the process, pushing their rage to the maximum. Thus, the moment the Demon Empire succeeded in invading the city, they poured out their wrath onto Shalyh city, leaving no one safe. But who knew all that would lead to this? ¡®Still¡­I have to find him¡­¡¯ There were two main factors that would have allowed the Demon Empire to invade Shalyh. The first was destroyed, so the Demon Empire progressed with a new plan. What Shersha wanted to tell Chi-Woo was the latter, and Chi-Woo needed to figure out the first by himself. That one had shaken up the Cassiubia League members and humanity tremendously when revealed, so there were probably many who remembered it. Chi-Woo only needed to find someone with the knowledge with the capacity to tell him. ¡®Somehow¡­¡¯ Shersha went to the corridor while pondering. She quickly glanced around, and her face stiffened. ¡®¡­Where¡­¡¯ Among the many slaves belonging to the great demons, only Chi-Woo was missing. CH 240 Chi-Woo suddenly disappeared. There were two possibilities¡ªfirst, he went back to the present by himself, or second, he was kidnapped. Whichever it was, it remained unchanged that she needed to address this immediately, but Shersha somehow had a hunch that it would be the latter. She didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. Shersha called someone in a hurry first¡ªit was Astarte. As a great demon like her, Astarte was one of the very few comrades who shared the same goal as her and whom she could trust. ¡°What happened?¡± Astarte asked. ¡°Disappeared¡­suddenly¡­¡± Shersha quickly explained the situation and bit her lower lip. ¡°We might have¡­to prepare ourselves¡­¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s look for him first.¡± Astarte opened her eyes widely and quickly ran out. * * * Thud. Chi-Woo was thrown onto the ground. His eyes filled with shock and nervousness as he looked at the demonic creatures who forcibly dragged him to an unknown place. Before they grabbed him, he had been focusing intently on the opportunity that Shersha created for him. Although Apoline, Eustidia, and Maria-ju gave no reactions, he didn¡¯t give up and poured exorcism mana into each and every one of them. Then suddenly, he heard someone coming, so he quickly stopped what he was doing and pretended to be unconscious. However, a couple of demonic creatures rushed in and dragged him away. He instinctively knew that something had gone seriously wrong. He could resist if he wanted to, but it would be suspicious if he suddenly came to his senses after pretending to be drugged. Thus he decided to stay calm for now. That was how he found himself dragged to¡­ ¡°As expected, it¡¯s you.¡± Chi-Woo heard a voice. It was a very unpleasant voice, like iron scraping against the floor. ¡°Why don¡¯t you raise your head?¡± Then laughter followed. ¡°I know you¡¯ve come to your senses.¡± Chi-Woo flinched. How did she know? The thought that he might be screwed crossed his mind, but since he was already caught, he slowly looked up. A huge figure entered his sight. Her appearance reminded him of dragonite from pokemon. But of course, the real thing was not as cute as a cartoon. The first thing he noted was her human face, but she had snakes as hair, and her pupils were vertical like those of a reptile. Her skin was covered in scales, and she had a long, thick tail. Overall, she reminded Chi-Woo of Medusa, a terrible monster in Greek mythology. ¡°Hmm. As expected, it is you,¡± she said again. Even though Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know her name or rank, it was clear that she was a great demon. The snake woman smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s really been a while since I saw your face.¡± Judging by what she said, it seemed she knew who he was. Chi-Woo stared silently at her with his mouth closed. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need for you to be so nervous,¡± the snake woman said in a gentle tone. ¡°I was just curious. I¡¯m the type who can¡¯t stand to be curious.¡± ¡®What was she curious about?¡¯ ¡°Shersha¡­the honorable noble lady of the Demon Empire¡­¡± the snake lady continued as if she was humming her words. ¡°You know, I think our admirable noble lady has gotten a little strange since we took over this city.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When was it again¡­ah, yeah. Did you know?¡± The snake woman rolled her eyes around and glanced sideways at Chi-Woo. ¡°You were supposed to be dead.¡± ¡­Come to think of it, he might have heard something similar earlier. ¡°There was an almost unanimous consensus that we shouldn¡¯t even keep you as a slave, but kill you then and there. It couldn¡¯t be helped, right? You killed over twenty great demons by yourself.¡± The snake woman stared intently at Chi-Woo. Although she didn¡¯t show it, she was a bit nervous because this human male had an extremely frightening power¡ªit could be called the natural bane of the Demon Empire. ¡°But you didn¡¯t die in the end because one among us desperately opposed it.¡± Chi-Woo had an inkling who it was¡ªShersha. ¡°Our honorable noble lady who never showed even the slightest interest in any spoils suddenly expressed her opposition. For one measly human male. Wouldn¡¯t you also think that¡¯s strange?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But after that, she simply put you in a cage and fed you drugs, so I was wondering what she was planning¡­ Then I heard some interesting news just now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I heard she purposely brought you to your senses for an experiment¡­but is that really true?¡± The snake woman looked at Chi-Woo with her eyes curved into crescent moons as he stayed resolutely silent. ¡°Now, tell me.¡± She crossed her arms and demanded, ¡°What did you talk about with Shersha?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Would you be able to tell me what she said to you?¡± Although Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything even when she repeated herself, the snake woman didn¡¯t get angry or frustrated; her intuition was telling her that this was a golden opportunity. Thus, she needed to coax this human. If she could get what she wanted, it didn¡¯t matter to her what happened to one human male. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry too much,¡± the snake woman softly said. ¡°Although I¡¯m lower in hierarchy than Shersha right now, she only got her rank because of her special power. In reality, I¡¯m stronger than her.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°And if I use this situation well, my rank might become higher than hers. With my protection, Shersha won¡¯t even be able to touch you. I promise.¡± Chi-Woo had been wondering why the snake woman was acting like this, but he finally understood the reason behind the kidnapping. It seemed the snake woman did not acknowledge Shersha¡¯s superior rank and coveted her position. ¡®That means her rank is lower than seven¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo had guessed right. Due to the Demon Empire¡¯s social structure, everyone wanted a position worthy of their power, and this phenomenon intensified as one moved higher in ranks. Moreover, the fact that the snake woman touched the spoils of another great demon was equivalent to challenging their rank. ¡°And that¡¯s not all.¡± The snake woman continued without stopping, ¡°If you spit out valuable information for me, I¡¯ll also give you a corresponding award.¡± Chi-Woo began calculations inside his head; it did not take long for him to come to a decision. It was not a deal he should consider. Although he didn¡¯t know Shersha¡¯s true intentions, she had clearly proved her willingness to help, which wasn¡¯t the case for the snake woman; in the first place, he would never believe her insidious words. Thus, there was only one option left. ¡®First, I¡¯ll pretend to accept her offer¡­¡¯ By now, Shersha must have noticed that he was gone, and he needed to drag things out as much as possible until she came to find him. ¡°A¡­reward?¡± Chi-Woo purposely spoke awkwardly and pretended to be interested in her proposal. This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Yeah! You¡¯re a human male after all! Right?¡± The snake woman clapped as if she thought he had taken the bait. ¡°Of course I can¡¯t promise you freedom, but¡­let¡¯s see. For example¡ª¡± The snake woman suddenly turned around, and Chi-Woo¡¯s expression hardened. He hadn¡¯t realized it, but there were decorations hanging everywhere on the walls. Naturally, they were not ordinary decorations. ¡°Before you go back to your cage, why don¡¯t you have a good time?¡± They were more like taxidermy. ¡°If you want, you can pick one person here right now¡­ Ah, yeah. What about this guy?¡± The snake woman pulled out one of the decorations; it was a man with his hair down. Chi-Woo suddenly felt his heart pound as he got a better look. The person no longer had his arms and legs, and all that was left was his head and torso, but his hair was clearly blonde. ¡°If you do this¡­¡± The snake woman connected a long chain from the sides of his leash and hung it around like a necklace. ¡°Look at him.¡± She said with a slightly flushed face. ¡°I don¡¯t know how he looks to you, but don¡¯t you think he¡¯s quite handsome?¡± Seemingly trying to show his face, the snake woman brushed the man¡¯s bang to the side. Color drained from Chi-Woo¡¯s face as the man¡¯s face was revealed. His soulless eyes stared down at the ground. A once-promising hero of humankind was now reduced to a mere devil¡¯s ornament. It was no other than Ru Amuh. ¡°Ru¡­¡± Chi-Woo had been wondering where Ru Amuh was; he thought Ru Amuh might have already died because he couldn¡¯t find him. However, he was wrong. Ru Amuh was, he was¡­ ¡°It¡¯s my favorite ornament these days. It¡¯s something I cherish.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s already strained mind was about to explode at that moment. ¡°¡­!¡± But he held it in; he had to endure it. Griiiiiiit-! The only thing he could do was grit his teeth. Chi-Woo looked away; he was not confident that he could keep looking while keeping up his act, so he desperately looked elsewhere. The snake woman didn¡¯t seem to notice, and she said in amazement, ¡°Wow¡­you have a better eye than it seems.¡± She began walking to where Chi-Woo was looking. There was a decoration there too. However, it was not hung on the wall like the others, but covered with a white cloth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t play with this.¡± The snake woman reached for the cloth. ¡°Because this is my most cherished item among all my collections.¡± She took off the cloth. ¡°It¡¯s too precious for me to touch, so I just look at it every day.¡± The white cloth slid down; this ornament was the opposite of Ru Amuh. The man¡¯s limbs and torso remained intact, but his head was gone. As if it had been crushed and exploded by enormous pressure, the top of the neck was empty. Strangely enough, however, Chi-Woo knew who it was. ¡°Do you know?¡± Although he couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face, the body looked all too familiar. ¡°How much I had to pay to get this body alone?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head unconsciously. It couldn¡¯t be. This couldn¡¯t be happening. His brain was trying to deny it with all its power. ¡°What did they call him again¡­the legend?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s breath hitched; his action also came to a halt, and his mind blanked out. Then he stopped moving entirely. The snake woman slightly licked Chi-Hyun¡¯s body and looked back in excitement, and was a little taken aback when she saw Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction. ¡°¡­Was it that shocking?¡± The reason why the snake woman had shown off her ornaments one by one was simple: spoils symbolized victory and power in the Demon Empire. The higher the quality of the spoils, the more it displayed a demon¡¯s influence and power. In short, the snake woman had shown off her ornaments to prove her power to Chi-Woo. However, it seemed as if she had gone too far. ¡°You guys are so weird.¡± Chi-Woo could no longer hear her mocking voice any more or hear any sounds. He had come to Liber not to save a world; he didn¡¯t have a noble or grand purpose like that. There was only one reason¡ªit was for his brother. His brother was going to be like this in the upcoming future. He knew very well that he was in the future, and that this future could change. That was the reason why he had been enduring and putting up with all of this¡ªso he could go back and change the future. He knew all this, yet¡­he recalled what his brother had said about a definite future: a future that was impossible rather than improbable to change. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to think about anything anymore. His mentality had been all shaken up and barely holding onto its last lifeline, and it had been cut a while ago. ¡°When I show humans this man, all of you react so similarly¡­¡± Then the snake woman noted the way Chi-Woo¡¯s back and shoulders shifted up and down. ¡°¡­What the¡­¡± His breathing gradually became rough, and something translucent flowed from his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, are you cry¡ª¡± At the very moment the woman was about to say something with a chuckle¡ª ¡°©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥!¡± A tremendous roar rang out. It was an ear-splitting cry from neither a human nor a beast. At the same time, the whole place began to shake with terrifying momentum as if hit by an earthquake. Decorations fell, walls crumbled, and the whole building collapsed. It felt like the world was falling apart¡ªno, it was not an illusion. Not only the earth, but even the sky was fluctuating and vibrating as if it was howling. Flassssssssh! What followed was a vast expanse of light. The radiance emitting from Chi-Woo swallowed his whole body at once and grew rapidly in size. A huge shadow cast over the snake woman as she slowly tilted her head and looked up blankly. Crumbbbbble! At the same time, fierce vibrations spread outside the building and swept throughout the city like violent tsunamis. Shersha and Astarte, who were racing down the street, looked at the same place at the same time. Even while shaking, the two looked up inadvertently, and Shersha¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°No¡­¡± She shook her head without realizing it. A giant made out of light looked down at the sky with both feet firmly planted on the ground. A king who was going to break the balance of the universe and announce a new order in the universe finally stood up. This only meant one thing¡ªthe future that Shersha and Chi-Hyun never wanted had arrived. CH 241 The snake lady couldn¡¯t understand what was happening, but even amid the chaos, she clearly felt one thing: there was nothing she could do facing this mysterious giant. There was no room for the pride of a great demon anymore, and she felt an emotion she had forgotten for a long time¡ªfear. It tightened around her so oppressively that she couldn¡¯t do anything but simply stare at the massive fist falling from above her. Rumble! Thunder crackled again. What was once earth rose to the sky and gathered to form mushroom-shaped clouds. The snake demon was gone. After getting struck by Chi-Woo¡¯s fist, her body was ripped into tiny pieces and fell like an endless rain. The only thing that suggested she had once been in the room was the giant crater on the ground. This wasn¡¯t the end, but only the beginning. The giant made of light, the heavenly king, stretched his arms. With only one move, the debris that had already crumpled flew far away. Every time he stomped, the ground cracked, and every time he waved his hands, the sky split. The sky and earth rang relentlessly and rocked the whole city along with it. Swept into the aftermaths of this shock wave, great demons and demonic creatures alike were decimated into nothingness as if they had been struck by a nuclear bomb. Unable to advance further because of the scattering debris in the air, Shersha barely managed to raise her head. Her gaze wavered as she looked up at the sky. This was the future she had wanted to prevent at all costs, but the heavenly king she had seen before was even more fearsome than this current one. The former had managed to split continents with one punch and flip the sea as easily as an adult twisting a small child¡¯s wrist. The fact that the repercussions of this giant¡¯s movements were still limited to this city meant he had yet to truly awaken all his powers. Thus, it wasn¡¯t over yet. Although it was still a bit too late, there existed a chance to turn things around. While the world was on the verge of breaking, the future could still be changed. Shersha needed to act as quickly as possible. She propelled herself with a strong kick and soared into the air as dark fog wrapped around her body. She had to approach the heavenly king even at the risk of her life. *** Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel empty or dazed. What he felt was impulsive and intense to such overwhelming levels, it was as if his whole body was made of rage and destruction. He didn¡¯t feel fully awake in his mind and merely followed his instincts. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else. And in his completely white vision, Chi-Woo noticed a trickle of blackish smog. Although it was faint, it looked like a wavering shadow. ¡ªNo¡­ A voice flowed into his mind. ¡ªAre you not going to change¡­ As soon as Chi-Woo noticed it, he was already raising his fist. ¡ªThe future¡­? Chi-Woo stopped, and his fist halted right before it made contact with the shadow. Blinking, he found his blurred vision gradually coming into focus. His surroundings became clear, and he finally saw Shersha inside the shadow. For some reason, his mind awakened the moment he heard the word ¡®future¡¯. It felt as if he had barely managed to pop his head out of a very deep quagmire and wake up. The two looked at each other. Chi-Woo groaned, his face contorted. The compulsions that had settled for a moment began to simmer inside his heart again. ¡ªEndure it¡­ Shersha said. ¡ªYou have to repress the urge¡­. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. ¡ªCome back¡­it¡¯s not too late yet¡­ Would he surrender his body to his instincts again, or would he resist? ¡ªTrust me¡­ Shersha desperately pleaded. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes burst open, and he made his best effort. ¡°Urgh¡ª! Ughhhhhhh!¡± Words leaked out of his seemingly locked throat. The more he repressed his urge, the more control he recovered over his body, Chi-Woo felt the senses that had been lost come back to him. The light also dwindled and dimmed. And the giant which had been big enough to bend the sky returned to the size of an adult man. After a great ruckus, silence befell the city again. There were still some who had survived this sudden calamity thanks to Shersha¡¯s gamble. ¡°¡­¡± That was dangerous. If Chi-Woo had continued to rampage, there would¡¯ve only been ashes remaining in this city, and he would¡¯ve never been able to come back. Chi-Woo looked around in a daze. Though it wasn¡¯t as bad as the first future, only half of the city remained, and everything in his vicinity had been annihilated¡ªexcept one being. ¡°You¡­came back¡­¡± Shersha said. ¡°Thank¡­you¡­¡± Her condition seemed dire. She couldn¡¯t even stand properly; she merely lay prone on the ground while looking above. ¡°In the end¡­it came¡­to this¡­¡± She managed to utter as she stared at Chi-Woo. With this, everything was out of her hands, and now she could only trust Chi-Woo to do the rest. It was a truly funny thing. She was collaborating with the enemy, and what she was doing now was basically handing her enemy all the means to destroy them. However, there was nothing else that could be done. Furthermore, Chi-Woo had believed her and done everything she told him to do until now; it was her turn to fulfill her side of the promise. ¡°Listen well¡­¡± There was no need for her to hesitate. Shersha breathed deeply and said, ¡°The future¡­of this city..won¡¯t change¡­¡± ¡­What? ¡°Whatever you do¡­so¡­¡± Shersha¡¯s face squinched. ¡°So as soon as you return¡­tell the legend¡­¡± Chi-Woo frowned. He knew what she meant by ¡®the legend¡¯. ¡°The flowers¡­won¡¯t bloom anymore¡­so he should immediately¡­go to the Cassiubia League mountain range¡­.¡± Chi-Woo wanted to ask what in the world she was talking about, but couldn¡¯t. ¡°Soon¡­the dragon will¡­!¡± Blood spurted out of Shersha¡¯s mouth, followed by a violent cough, and she gasped out, ¡°Be killed¡­¡± Soon, blood began to come out of her eyes, nose, ears, and anywhere that had holes. ¡°But¡­the dragon must not die¡­at that time¡­¡± Shersha vomited the blood that filled her mouth once more and said, ¡°Must hurry¡­the two of you¡­before you lose¡­¡± Her whole body trembled, and her eyes widened to an abnormal extent. ¡°Instead¡ª!¡± Shersha tried to continue somehow, but all of a sudden, her head exploded. Brain fluids and skin colored with purplish light scattered in all directions. It was as she had said: she would meet her death when she broke the two conditions tied to her prophetic powers. Chi-Woo stared in shock at Shersha¡¯s headless corpse. For some reason, his brother¡¯s appearance overlapped with hers. It was then he heard a voice. ¡°In the end, that¡¯s the path she chose.¡± Chi-Woo felt a presence behind him and turned around. It was a female great demon with bright red hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall: Astarte. The two met eyes, and Astarte raised both arms to show that she meant no harm. ¡°I simply came to relay Shersha¡¯s message.¡± It was then Chi-Woo recalled Shersha telling him that she had arranged something for the worst-case scenario. This great demon must be that arrangement. ¡°Of course, I will also die like Shersha if I give you this message.¡± Astarte winked. ¡°The same conditions that she was under began to apply to me the moment she informed me. It really is a bothersome skill. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t answer. Perhaps it was a side-effect of the explosion, but he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to respond. Astarte shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. ¡°Honestly¡­I¡¯m not unsure.¡± She looked at Shersha¡¯s body for some time. ¡°Unsure if this is really the right choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or whether Shersha really had to die¡­¡± Astarte looked slightly bitter, but her voice soon became firmer. ¡°But I am at least certain of one thing¡ªShersha wanted the best for the Demon Empire more than anybody else.¡± Which brought to mind the question Chi-Woo had had from the beginning: if she was really working for the Demon Empire, shouldn¡¯t she have taken the die from him and killed him? And yet neither Sasha nor this great demon did that. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like the current Demon Empire all that much either.¡± Astarte smiled and started moving. ¡°I feel like everything has become weird since we invaded this city. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a sense of hollowness or anxiety¡­but it¡¯s completely different from the time we first came to dominate the Middle World.¡± Astarte stomped forward across the debris and crouched down next to Shersha. ¡°Ha, what am I even saying¡­¡± Astarte carefully caressed Shersha¡¯s corpse and smiled. The commotion around them drew close. It was probably those who came to check up on what had happened. ¡°Then¡­can I request something from you before I die?¡± Astarte turned back to Chi-Woo. She looked even more at peace as she asked, ¡°Could you¡­spare us just once?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyebrows twitched. What was she asking? ¡°I don¡¯t expect much, but if you could just spare Shersha and me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know I may be asking for too much, but it would be nice if you could give it some thoughts,¡± Astarte explained. ¡°I¡¯m not saying this hoping for any rewards. But if you really want to not only change this future, but Liber¡¯s at large, keep my words in mind.¡± Astarte looked relieved as if she had gotten out everything she needed to say. Then she let out a long sigh and started, ¡°¡­Okay, that was a long introduction. Let me get to the point now. You all will learn of an existence soon, but just leave the matter be when you do¡ªat least before the legend is impelled to go to the mountain range.¡± Astarte relaxed somewhat for having gotten this much out. Then she said, ¡°As I said before, I can only guess the meaning behind Shersha¡¯s words. I am only relaying the words that have been passed onto me.¡± Astarte¡¯s lips twisted into a complicated smile as she watched Chi-Woo. She waved her hand while blood streamed down from her eyes, nose, lips, and ears. ¡°And prophecies are usually¡ª¡± The next moment, Astarte¡¯s head exploded with the sound of a balloon popping. Her body fell limply after losing a head and sprawled on Shersha¡¯s corpse. It finally came to this. Chi-Woo had gained information, but he couldn¡¯t judge whether it was something he could trust or not. Soon, the commotion grew really close. It wasn¡¯t time for him to gather more information. Chi-Woo raised his clenched right hand. He looked back and forth between the two fresh corpses on the ground and cast his die. It felt as if everything was in a complete mess. *** Light passed by, and when Chi-Woo opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling. ¡°Ha¡ª!¡± Chi-Woo gasped. He sat up and looked around. His bed and room¡ªit was a familiar sight. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He also heard a familiar voice. Chi-Woo jerked his head toward the source and saw Evelyn flinch. ¡°No¡­well, I saw you¡­collapsed on the ground. But you weren¡¯t injured anywhere, so I moved you to the bed thinking you were asleep¡­¡± It seemed she had been sleeping next to him. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo had no strength in his body. He felt completely weak. Was it the lingering effect of the drugs? Or was he still reeling from the time he almost lost himself? ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Evelyn asked in a worried voice. ¡°What happened? Did you have a nightmare of sorts?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Should I get you cold water or something?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. He still felt dizzy, but at Evelyn¡¯s comforting words, it really hit him that he had come back to the present time. ¡°Please excuse me.¡± Chi-Woo got up. He passed Evelyn and got out of the room, staggering across the dark corridor and stopping when he happened to meet Hawa. ¡°¡­What?¡± Hawa frowned seeing Chi-Woo stare intently at him. ¡°What is it?...Huh?¡± Hawa said in shock, because Chi-Woo had suddenly closed their distance and held her face with both hands. ¡°What are you doing...!¡± Hawa was about to get angry, but stopped when she felt Chi-Woo¡¯s hands slightly trembling as they touched her cheeks. He even felt a bit feverish. And above all, his gaze was so intense that Hawa couldn¡¯t help but lower her eyes. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± After some time, Chi-Woo¡¯s hands dropped from her cheeks, and he walked past her without saying anything. Hawa watched as Chi-woo quickly moved away, wondering what in the world was going on. Chi-Woo went outside and saw the way fire lights illuminated the city at night. How could the same place look so different in the future? Shersha told him that the fate of this city couldn¡¯t be changed. But was that really the case? Could a ¡®definite future¡¯ really not be avoided? Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. He turned on his device and accepted the call that had been trying to reach him since he woke up. ¡°Chi-Hyun.¡± ¡ªWhat took you so long¡­! Chi-Woo had promised to contact him right away. Chi-Hyun was about to yell at him for making him wait, but trailed off when he saw the look on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. ¡ªAre you injured anywhere? ¡°I don¡¯t have any injuries¡­but I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been feeling dazed¡­¡± ¡ªYou could¡¯ve just read the messages on your device and come back. ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡ª? ¡°My left hand was cut off. You know where my device is.¡± ¡ªWhat? Chi-Hyun frowned. ¡ªThen you should¡¯ve just come back. Why¡ª We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡°I couldn¡¯t. There was no way I could¡­¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. Then he inhaled deeply and began explaining, ¡°Listen carefully from now on.¡± All his memories were still fresh, and he could describe everything in detail. Chi-Woo repeated what Shersha and the red-haired great demon had told him verbatim to Chi-Hyun. Chi-Hyun seemed surprised at the end of the explanation. ¡ªShersha¡­the seventh ranking¡­ ¡°Why did she tell me to spare her life?¡± Chi-Woo asked in bafflement. ¡ªYou don¡¯t have to worry about that. Chi-Hyun said and organized his thoughts while stroking his chin. ¡ªI see¡­So that means¡­then, because of force¡­ Chi-Woo looked nervously at his brother¡¯s hologram. It seemed his brother had an inkling to what was going on. ¡°Hyung,¡± Chi-Woo said while Chi-Hyun murmured to himself with a serious look on his face. Chi-Hyun raised his head. ¡ªHm? Ah, I think¡ª ¡°Will we be able to do it?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Chi-Hyun closed his mouth again. Chi-Woo realized then why his heart had been in such a mess. It was because he was concerned about Shersha¡¯s last words. ¡°Will¡­we really be able to change the future?¡± Chi-Woo had believed he would be able to change the future in the beginning. Sure, it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but with enough work, he was sure that everything would work out in the end. But going to the future the second time changed his mind. There seemed to be something that he couldn¡¯t change with effort alone. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t lose hope. It was because he had his brother, and Chi-Hyun had said that they should give it a try even if it was difficult¡­ This time, however, his brother didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Hyung?¡± ¡ª¡­It¡¯s hard. Chi-Hyun finally answered. But unlike before, he didn¡¯t add, ¡®but let¡¯s still give it a try¡¯. He simply said that it was hard. Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t the type to lie or joke. In other words, he was at least half-agreeing to what Shersha had stated. ¡ªBut I think I at least know what kind of choice we should make. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes burst wide open. ¡ªIt¡¯s not a method I prefer¡­but If the information you brought this time is true, you won¡¯t have to throw the die one more time. CH 242 Chi-Hyun was now sure which choice to make after hearing the information Chi-Woo brought. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened at Chi-Hyun¡¯s words. Yes, if it was his brother¡ªif it was the man known as the legend among heroes, he might be able to find a way! ¨CChi-Woo. However, what his brother said next was extremely shocking. ¨CWithdraw from Shalyh. This meant only one thing. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to run away? And give up on this city?¡± Chi-Woo became speechless, and Chi-Hyun¡¯s silence was all the confirmation he needed. Chi-Woo asked again, ¡°Why? You didn¡¯t say that when I came back the first time. You said to try to change the future.¡± ¨CYes, that¡¯s what I said then. But after hearing the information you brought back, I¡¯ve made my decision. ¡°But what I was told might be lies, right? Since the information was from a great demon!¡± ¨CYes, that¡¯s true. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a lie. It sounds plausible after connecting it to what I know. Frankly, Chi-Woo also felt the same way. He sensed that Shersha and the other great demon hadn¡¯t been lying. But even then¡­! ¡°We can¡¯t save it? Is it impossible?¡± ¨CIt¡¯s not impossible, but¡­ ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¨CChi-Woo. Chi-Hyun let out a long sigh. ¨CHave you heard of the Kardashev scale? Chi-Woo shook his head at Chi-Hyun¡¯s sudden question. ¨CIt¡¯s a scale that measures a civilization¡¯s level of technological advancement based on its energy use. When Chi-Woo tilted his head, Chi-Hyun slowly explained the details of the scale. There were three types in the Kardashev scale. Type 1 was a civilization that could harness all the energy of its home planet, Type 2 was a civilization that could harness the energy its own star radiated, and Type 3 was a civilization that could harness the energy of its galaxy. ¨CThe energy in this context can be understood as a kind of ability. From a physics perspective, energy was the ability to do something. ¨CThe measure for risks that heaven utilizes is also based on this scale. Then Chi-Hyun suddenly asked. ¨CNow, tell me. What did Laguel say about Liber¡¯s danger level in the Celestial Realm? ¡°¡­Galaxy level.¡± ¨CYeah, the galaxy level corresponds to Type 3 of the Kardashev scale. In terms of energy, it¡¯s at least 10 to the power of 36 watts. The Celestial Realm has judged that this is the minimum energy needed to save Liber. The reason why they constantly sent recruitment teams was to replenish that energy. ¨CThen let¡¯s think a little deeper about this. Chi-Hyun cleared his throat. ¨CThe future that we are trying to prevent now is directly related to the fall of Liber. Therefore, we can consider that future as part of the 1036 watts required. Thus, since such an exorbitant amount of energy was behind this event, it was inevitable for it to happen; that was why his brother said the future he saw was a ¡°definite¡± future. ¨CSo to change this future, we need to collect and generate even more energy. In other words, the level of energy needed to change this particular future would be¡­ ¨CType 4. We need energy beyond the galaxy level. That¡¯s a minimum of roughly 10 to the power of 46 watts. Therefore, this was technically an impossible feat in the first place. ¨CFor reference, even if we exhausted all the energy from all the components of the universe, including stars, galaxies, and black holes, there¡¯s no reaching 1046 watts. ¡°Then¡­you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s impossible to change the future?¡± Chi-Woo asked with shock. ¨C¡­No, it¡¯s not certain. Chi-Hyun did not give a definite answer. He said it was close to impossible, but never said it was impossible. ¨CIf there is a being who can transcend even the laws of the universe, interfere with the laws of causality, and twist divine providence¡­ Chi-Hyun trailed off and intently stared at his younger brother. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Chi-Woo lowered his head slightly and shook it from side to side. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but¡­your talk about powers and energy and whatnot¡ªit¡¯s not like everything in the world can be explained by math.¡± ¨CYeah, that¡¯s true, but fate can. Chi-Hyun said calmly. ¨CThere are definitely things that are immutable and unchangeable; just like how there¡¯s a rule that says one plus one is two. Fate is like math. Even after saying this, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t look convinced. At this rate, there was a high possibility that he wouldn''t withdraw from Shalyh as Chi-Hyun had suggested. ¨C¡­Fine. Chi-Hyun briefly organized his thoughts and said. ¨CLet¡¯s do this instead. * * * A day passed. Chi-Woo stayed up all night because his brother¡¯s words kept lingering in his mind. His brother told him to give up on Shalyh and withdraw to the Cassiubia Mountains to plan for the future before it was too late. His brother might be right. If they followed his brother¡¯s words, Shalyh¡¯s destruction was inevitable, but they could change other aspects of the future such as preventing everyone from dying or living miserable lives as slaves. It was a choice they could only make because they knew the future, and a choice they could only make at this point in time. However, Chi-Woo did not want to give up on the holy city, Shalyh. In retrospect, they always had to withdraw like this¡ªin the Shahnaz camp, in the main camp at the forest, in the fortress, and in the former Salem capital. Whenever they found a place to settle down, they always had to run away like they were being chased out. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to run away this time. Of course, he knew this was not the time to act stubborn out of foolish emotions; however, he wasn¡¯t just being stubborn or letting anger get the best of him. Just as the Demon Empire was trying to destroy Shalyh at any cost, Chi-Woo also had a strong desire to protect Shalyh by any means. Moreover, he had a strong hunch that he needed to save Shalyh as well. Even his brother felt the same; although he told Chi-Woo to give up Shalyh, his expression didn¡¯t look good as he said this. Chi-Hyun sounded reluctant to give up the city, but had no choice but to do so, and the conditions he gave Chi-Woo were proof of that as well. Chi-Woo recalled what his brother had said yesterday. ¨CI¡¯m setting out for the Cassiubia Mountains as fast as possible. Shersha told Chi-Woo that the demon flowers weren¡¯t going to bloom anymore, which meant the Demon Empire had ceased their efforts to germinate the demon flower seeds, and Chi-Hyun was hurriedly rushing to the Cassiubia Mountains to protect the dragon. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly what would happen, but there was going to be a serious event sooner or later that¡¯d kill the dragon, who stood as the core of the Cassiubia League. Thus, his brother needed to go to the Cassiubia Mountains to prevent the dragon¡¯s death before such a thing happened. Shersha and his brother agreed on this point¡ªthat the Cassiubia League¡¯s last dragon must not die at this time and needed to be saved at all costs. However, a problem arose then, as his brother would be away from Shalyh for a while. Of course, even if Chi-Hyun left, it wasn¡¯t much of a problem at this point because Shalyh was a holy territory and acted as a sanctuary. But what if the holy territory was destroyed, or its protection broke down for some reason? An ordinary city would be nothing more than a delicious prey for the Demon Empire. ¨CIn short, Shersha is forcing us to work on two fronts at once. Since it wasn¡¯t possible to catch both rabbits, his brother was suggesting to catch at least one definitely and reserve as much power as possible. ¨CBut if you really want to give it a try¡­I¡¯ll leave the last chance to you. Chi-Hyun was telling him to throw the die again. ¨CLook at the future at the point of time you want, and if you see a possibility of saving Shalyh, I¡¯ll also be in favor of protecting the holy city. But if even the third future is hopeless, push aside your lingering feelings and get out of Shalyh. ¨CSince Noel is still getting treated, I¡¯ll let Ismile know my plans. If everything goes according to what Shersha says, a big event is going to happen soon, and news of this event will soon reach Shalyh. That¡¯s the extent of my plan for now. If you still can¡¯t find a way then, obediently follow Ismile¡¯s direction. His brother gave him a deadline. Even though Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what the news would be, he needed to find a solution before it reached Shalyh. The problem was that he didn¡¯t have the faintest idea how he should approach this problem. He also felt a great psychological burden that prevented him from thinking properly. He only had one chance left to see the future, and his life wasn¡¯t the only thing depending on it; countless lives were at stake. He didn¡¯t want to die, but living as a demon¡¯s plaything was even worse. Rather than living like that, it would be better to just¡­ Click! He suddenly heard the door open. Chi-Woo looked over reflexively and saw two moles popping up from behind the door¡ªa pretty one and an emotionless one. ¡°May I come in?¡± Evelyn cautiously asked. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Chi-Woo got to his feet and nodded. ¡°Now, speak,¡± Evelyn said. Then Hawa immediately asked, ¡°Why did you act like that yesterday?¡± Chi-Woo looked to his right and then his left. Hawa continued, ¡°If you say it was nothing¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re definitely not going to believe you,¡± Evelyn finished her sentence. ¡°Was it that obvious?¡± Chi-Woo bitterly laughed. ¡°Rather than that¡­it was no joke,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°?¡± ¡°Your face.¡± Chi-Woo touched his face; he hadn¡¯t realized it, but he must look like death. ¡°So what¡¯s wrong? Can you tell me?¡± Hawa added, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak up, I¡¯ll think of you as a pervert who pretended to be having a hard time just to touch my face.¡± With Evelyn¡¯s encouragement and Hawa¡¯s threat, Chi-Woo smacked his lips. Since he already told Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana, there was no reason to keep this information from Evelyn and Hawa. Chi-Woo let out a long sigh and slowly opened his mouth. After a long explanation, their reaction was as expected. ¡°Nooooooooooo!¡± Evelyn screamed. She hugged Chi-Woo and shuddered. ¡°To a devil like that¡­so gross! Just imagining it is disgusting¡­!¡± As a former Saintess, Evelyn seemed to really detest demons. Unlike Evelyn¡¯s intense reaction, Hawa was calm. She looked deep in thought before she suddenly asked, ¡°Do you remember their description?¡± ¡°What description?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the request you turned down recently.¡± Hawa seemed to be referring to the request Jin-Cheon brought up. ¡°Remember the client?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about¡­¡± Their conversation was interrupted by approaching footsteps. Soon, the door opened, and a man and woman entered¡ªthey were the Ru siblings. ¡°I apologize for the sudden intrusion.¡± Ru Amuh politely bowed. ¡°The situation is urgent. You didn¡¯t answer the message I sent, so I¡¯ve come to find you instead.¡± ¡°An urgent matter?¡± ¡°Yes, about the client that made a request to Sir Jin-Cheon.¡± Hawa¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°It was a lie.¡± ¡°A lie?¡± Ru Amuh nodded and continued, ¡°The request Sir Jin-Cheon relayed to us seemed solid, but after listening to your words, I thought there was something a bit strange about it. So I tracked down and secretly followed the client¡­¡± In short, the client said that a comrade they had known for a long time and valued more than their family might have died. The client even risked the rest of their life for their comrade. Thus, it was normal for the heroes to get a little sentimental. No matter how used to death heroes were, they were still humans in the end. Controlling emotions and having no emotions at all were completely different matters. However, the client¡¯s behavior was strange. First, the client was way too relaxed; moreover, they were way too generous considering their low rank. But most of all, if what the client said was true, they should be treated like a slave bounded by a contract, but they moved around freely and acted with ease. Since there were multiple inconsistencies to the client¡¯s story and their actual behavior, Ru Amuh approached the client, questioned them, and finally succeeded in getting them to confess. ¡°Everything they said was a lie, except for one thing.¡± Ru Amuh continued, ¡°They were asked by a member of the Cassiubia League to form a team of famous heroes and send them on an expedition under the guise of a request. In return, the client will receive money.¡± ¡°So it was actually a request from a member of the Cassiubia League?¡± ¡°Yes, the client said it was from a half-demon.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes grew sharp. ¡®This was it.¡¯ The red-haired demon who passed a message on behalf of Shersha told him that he¡¯d find out someone¡¯s identity if he went back to the present; this seemed to be what she was talking about. ¡°Do you know who that half-demon is?¡± ¡°See!¡± Ru Hiana piped up in a reprimanding tone. ¡°I told you that senior would definitely ask for their identity. We should have beaten the hell out of them!¡± Chi-Woo gasped; the red-haired demon had told him he must leave them alone even after finding out their identity. ¡°But we need to report it to Teacher first,¡± Ru Amu said. As soon as Chi-Woo thought they were ruined, he was reassured by Ru Amuh¡¯s response. Chi-Woo breathed a sigh of relief, and he felt as if he had died and come back alive. ¡°Since there are witnesses and confessions, it¡¯ll be easy to find out who they are. Sir, I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°Wait!¡± Chi-Woo jumped up since this was an issue they should approach with extreme care. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that! No!¡± ¡°Sir?¡± Ru Amuh, who was about to leave in a hurry, turned around. When Chi-Woo thought he should explain for the third time to make him understand¡ª Evelyn suddenly spoke up. ¡°Since everyone here seems to be in on it¡­can I talk?¡± After obtaining Chi-Woo¡¯s permission, she said, ¡°Do we really have to change the future?¡± Her words dropped like a literal bombshell. Everyone¡¯s attention instantly snapped to her. ¡°Are you saying that we should just let Shalyh fall?¡± Ru Hiana asked. ¡°I mean, he said it was a definite future,¡± Evelyn continued. ¡°If Shalyh¡¯s fall cannot change no matter what¡­can¡¯t we just leave it at that?¡± Ru Amuh, who was listening quietly, suddenly gaped. It seemed geniuses could easily understand each other. But of course, everyone except the two looked completely confused. ¡°We stopped our Ruhi from leaving and also destroyed the colony of demon flowers. But has the future changed? No, it¡¯s the same.¡± The Ru siblings looked back at Chi-Woo; the two did not yet know about the second future. ¡°It¡¯s the same this time. Will catching that traitor change the future?¡± Evelyn continued. ¡°No, it won¡¯t. The Demon Empire will do something else, using a much more sophisticated and certain method than before.¡± In fact, this was what Chi-Woo was most worried about, and he agreed with her deep inside his heart. ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s no guarantee that our Chippong here will dream of the future again, and even if he does, we don¡¯t know if he can get more information again.¡± Everyone nodded. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°If that happens, we¡¯ll fail without knowing our enemy¡¯s plan in the worst-case scenario.¡± Chi-Woo had one chance left, but it didn¡¯t seem likely that he would be able to change the future with that one chance; rather, it was likely to get worse. ¡°So what I¡¯m saying is¡­¡± Evelyn put more strength in her voice. ¡°Let¡¯s not make things more difficult and just leave it alone.¡± In short, they should not mess with the future and create more variables, but instead head to the definite future. There was one benefit to doing this. ¡°Think about it. What¡¯s the biggest weapon we have now?¡± Evelyn asked. The biggest weapon they had right now was that the Demon Empire thought that humans and the Cassiubia League did not know their plans. ¡°They must be laughing their asses off, thinking we can never anticipate their plans in our wildest dreams.¡± However, that was not the case. Although they didn¡¯t know everything, if they left the situation as it was, they could predict what would happen in the future to some extent. ¡°That means we can stab them in their back¡­without them none the wiser.¡± Evelyn waved her hand like a hammer and said with a smile, ¡°At the very moment when they¡¯re sure of their success.¡± CH 243 The room was instantly swept in silence, and everyone¡¯s attention moved toward Evelyn. ¡°Was my explanation too difficult to understand? Then should we think of it in simple mathematical terms? For example, 1+2=3, right? With this expression, the result is always 3, just like the fact that Shalyh would definitely fall in the future.¡± Evelyn continued, ¡°But when our Chibbong here changed the future for the first time, he basically erased the numbers ¡®1¡¯ and ¡®2¡¯ in the equation.¡± With his first attempt, Chi-Woo managed to prevent Ru Hiana and the people around him from getting involved in the first incident. And he also caused Chi-Hyun to destroy the colonies of demon flowers. ¡°Yet the result didn¡¯t change in the end, as revealed by his second chance to see the future. What do you think that means?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°It means that the result remained the same even while the expression changed.¡± ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Evelyn smiled at Ru Amuh¡¯s answer. The expression of (1 + 2) wasn¡¯t the only one that resulted in 3. Other expressions such as (0 +2), (1.5 +1.5) also yielded the same result. If one used all four arithmetic operations, the expressions that led to 3 were basically infinite. In other words, if the Demon Empire could no longer accomplish their goal using (1+2), they could attempt to use another method such as (5-2). And if the heroes tried to stop the Demon Empire from doing that as well, the Demon Empire could try another expression such as (1.5 x 2) to reach their desired result. At this point, Chi-Woo realized what Evelyn was saying. Given there were an infinite number of ways for the demons to reach their desired result, Chi-Woo might continue what he had been doing and battle to see who could one-up the other more times¡ªif he wasn¡¯t left with only one chance, that was. ¡°In other words, it¡¯s meaningless to do anything about the expression. The fact that we can¡¯t change the result by changing the expression was proven by his second insight into the future. I think that realization was our biggest gain.¡± ¡°Then what do we have to do from now on?¡± Ru Amuh asked. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can change the result. Then isn¡¯t the only solution to escape before that result is derived?¡± Ru Amuh spoke just as Chi-Hyun had. ¡°Oh my, why would we do that?¡± Yet Evelyn thought differently. ¡°Isn¡¯t there still one part of the expression left to change?¡± she asked, and the three exchanged looks. ¡°Think about it,¡± Evelyn said, ¡°What¡¯s the reason the result is 3?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because if you add 1 and 2¡­¡± Ru Amuh said before a gasp escaped his mouth. Evelyn smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no result without a cause.¡± All events and happenings came to be for a reason. That was the rule of causality. Then¡­ ¡°So, what if we change the cause?¡± Chi-Woo gasped, and realization struck him. The result changed once the cause of it changed. It wasn¡¯t a thought he had before. Ru Amuh also couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. When the Demon Empire had 1 and 2, they needed to use addition. And if the heroes knew what the value of each of the incidents that were being added was, they could predict the result when they changed the cause. ¡°That¡¯s why you told us to not bother with it and leave it be.¡± Ru Amuh nodded. ¡°Using the future¡­I think I understand what you mean now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds.¡± Evelyn smiled. ¡°You need to think about the timing well, or else everything can be ruined without us being able to lift a finger.¡± ¡°The cause¡­¡± Hawa murmured to herself. ¡°Then what incidents can be considered ¡®1¡¯ and ¡®2¡¯ from our example?¡± ¡°I think ¡®1¡¯ is the departure of the legend from Shalyh city,¡± Evelyn replied. ¡°We can¡¯t prevent that since it¡¯s basically a checkmate move. The Demon Empire is planning to assassinate the leader of the Cassiubia League, the dragon, and the only one who can prevent it is the legend. Thus, he needs to go.¡± Number ¡®2¡¯ didn¡¯t even need to be said. It was the traitor inside Shalyh city¡ªthe half-demon. And what was the ¡®cause¡¯ the Demon Empire was trying to form by connecting these two incidents? It was obvious as the first future and the second future had shown. ¡°The destruction of the godly territory,¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice. ¡°Correct!¡± Evelyn winked. Hearing this, Ru Hiana said, ¡°I got it! So if we do something about this cause¡ª¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Evelyn wiggled her finger while clicking her tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with things that needn¡¯t be bothered. You can just leave the complete expression be.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°See.¡± Light shone from the ends of Evelyn¡¯s finger, and when she moved her finger, the light remained in the air. 1 +2 = 3 ¡°Even if we don¡¯t bother changing the numbers or the addition operation¡­if we just add one more thing¡­¡± Evelyn drew a short horizontal line across the air. ¡°We can completely change the expression.¡± 1+ (-2) = 3 Everyone¡¯s eyes shone when they saw the new equation in the air. Although it was a mere negative, it was a definite variable that could change the result. *** This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Inside the Demon Empire. ¡ªThis is unexpected. A soft, sing-song voice said. ¡ªWe prepared a path, drew attention away, and basically did all we could, but they still failed to meet their goal? Are you kidding me? Rather than angry, the voice sounded baffled. ¡ªThere¡¯s news that the legend is there. A calm voice responded, and others murmured. ¡ªWe knew the legend would move, but not this fast. It¡¯s almost as if they read our moves beforehand. The commotion settled slightly because of the calm voice. ¡ªBut wait a moment, doesn¡¯t that mean the prophecy is wrong again? You said¡ª The sing-song voice said, but the calm voice cut her off. ¡ªStop. A prophecy is just a prophecy. Why are you speaking as if you don¡¯t know its conditions? That¡¯s enough. The sing-song voice sounded irritated, but she didn¡¯t press further. After a short silence, a vile voice belonging to Amon rang in the air. ¡ªWell, but it¡¯s a pity. I really wanted to kill that wench even if I had to deal with the Sernitas¡­ ¡ªFocus on the important matter. The calm voice said. ¡ªFrom what I heard, it sounds like the Cassiubia¡¯s main forces were fully prepared for us as if they had expected us to arrive there. That¡¯s not all. They didn¡¯t fall for Bael¡¯s diversion tactic and simply pretended to be tricked. And on top of that, the Sernitas received considerable damage from the sudden appearance of Chi-Hyun. ¡ªWait, does that mean¡­? ¡ªIt means the Sernitas might suspect foul play and think we¡¯ve worked with our enemies to backstab them. ¡ªHa. Man, this is seriously messed up. So what do we do now? Do we prepare to battle the Sernitas? Amon sounded like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. The sing-song voice answered. ¡ªWe¡¯re not at that point yet. The calm voice continued. ¡ªOur partnership is still intact¡­They are going to let this incident slide on the condition that we invade the holy city Shalyh, but if something like this happens again, they say we will have to pay the rightful price for it. ¡ªPrice? What price? ¡ªThere¡¯s only one thing the Sernitas want. Think about the reason they accepted our offer this time. ¡ªWhat? Does that mean they want us to offer a sacrifice from our side in place of that dragon? The sing-song voice turned sharp. ¡ªThose crazy bastards. They really are crazy about renovating¡­ Amon clicked his tongue. ¡ªAnyways, we did accomplish a small part of our goal. Bael and the Sernitas won¡¯t retreat immediately. They will be on the offensive and keep the Cassiubia League and the legend occupied. And in the meantime, we must do what we need to do. Though things had gone a bit awry, they still achieved what they wanted. The fact that the legend left the holy city, Shalyh meant they succeeded in at least half of their goal. And for the other half, they needed to wait for their spy to contact them. ¡ªHm¡­still¡­it¡¯s a bit¡­ It seemed Amon wasn¡¯t pleased with how things were turning out. ¡ªWhat are you trying to say? ¡ªI know that a prophecy is not always right, and it can be wrong in small details. Amon spoke carefully, hoping to not hurt Shersha¡¯s pride. ¡ªBut what went wrong this time and last time weren¡¯t small details. The future that should¡¯ve allowed us to easily invade Shalyh city didn¡¯t even come. Colonies of demon flowers were destroyed, and the fact that the legend suddenly appeared in the Cassiubia mountain range is a surprise too. How can I explain this? It feels as if things are all going wrong¡­ Amon trailed off. Though he didn¡¯t finish his thought, it sounded like he was asking his peers to reevaluate their plans. It wasn¡¯t a suggestion the group could just ignore. ¡ªShersha, what do you think about this? The calm voice asked to confirm. ¡ªNo¡­ A faint voice that sounded like it was about to break apart spoke up. ¡ªThe godly territory¡­would disappear¡­but¡­I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡ªYou don¡¯t know? ¡ªThe future¡­it¡¯s constantly shifting¡­ Shersha¡¯s words stirred the room again. The fact that the future was constantly shifting meant that there was a high chance great changes could occur. ¡ªSee. Even Shersha is unsure. Amon said with more certainty this time. The demon with the calm voice organized his thoughts. Usually, he would¡¯ve heeded Amon¡¯s words a bit more, but he couldn¡¯t do that this time. The situation changed with the appearance of the legend in the mountain range. The matter was already done with, and the Demon Empire couldn¡¯t back off anymore. In the end, he could only voice the decision that had been set for them from the start. ¡ªAs said many times before, a prophecy isn¡¯t always right. But if we don¡¯t attack Shalyh, we might have to go to a war with the Sernitas. Their partnership with the Sernitas had been built on the condition that the Demon Empire invaded Shalyh. And if the Demon Empire backed off from the matter now, the Sernitas would suffer great losses, which might enrage them enough to trigger a war. It was a future that the Demon Empire wanted to avoid at all costs when they were already surrounded by enemies. ¡ªAs long as a major problem is not found in our plan, all we have to make sure is that the result doesn¡¯t change. Moreover, it¡¯s over for the city as soon as it loses its status as a godly territory. We should accept all changed variables and push through with our plan just for that. The calm voice said with more force. ¡ªThis is the end of the meeting. Everyone, prepare. *** The news that had arrived at the Demon Empire soon spread all over the holy city, Shalyh. The city buzzed with the shocking news that the Sernitas had ventured into Cassiubia mountain range with the Demon Empire. Above all, Bael from the Demon Empire was the one who made the move. With nicknames like the King of the East and the First Monarch, Bael was the first-ranking great demon in the Demon Empire that was teeming with strong beings. In human terms, it was as if Chi-Hyun had made a move¡ªand with an enormous troop following him. To counter this, the Cassiubia League sent their strongest, the Last Dragon, to counter Bael. It was then the league was almost struck from behind. The Sernitas tried to ambush them from a completely unexpected place. When the Demon Empire and the Cassiubia League warred before, the Demon Empire had annihilated the Penrils¡ªa clan that was considered important even among the league¡ªand succeeded in capturing the territory once ruled by the clan. That was where the Sernitas had suddenly emerged. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to do that unless the Demon Empire had allowed them passage. In other words, it clearly showed that the two forces joined hands. Fortunately, the Cassiubia League was able to respond fantastically and succeeded in overturning the situation with the legend¡¯s appearance. If they failed to do that, even the Last Dragon might¡¯ve been done for. Still, the war was far from over despite the hurdle they had overcome. The Sernitas and the Demon Empire weren¡¯t forces that would back down from losing once. Rather than leaving the border, their intent to launch another invasion persisted. Since they realized that the Cassiubia League was better prepared than they expected, and that the legend was with them, they also better prepared themselves. In response, Shalyh deployed some of its troops to the mountain range. They had a troop of considerable size in the city, and with their stronghold in danger, they naturally had to send support. While the city¡¯s defenses would weaken as a result, it wasn¡¯t to the level that they needed to worry much; they just had to focus solely on defenses, and they still had the benefit of the city being a godly territory¡­if it remained that way, that was. While watching the reinforcement forces leave the city without hesitation, Chi-Woo thought, ¡®This was what they were talking about.¡¯ He didn¡¯t expect the Demon Empire to also drag the Sernitas into this. Who knew they would go that far to stomp down one city? Chi-Woo was reminded of his brother¡¯s warning that the Demon Empire was pulling out all stops for their plan again. It was then a messenger sent by Ismile brought Chi-Woo news: they were going to hold a meeting with a couple of influential heroes. Ru Amuh and Chi-Woo were both invited, but attendance wasn¡¯t mandatory. And Chi-Woo realized the deadline he had talked about with his brother was soon approaching. ¡°So, with this, the situation has been set.¡± Evelyn approached Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°Are you anxious?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Chi-Woo smiled. It would¡¯ve been a lie if he said he wasn¡¯t anxious at all. But after formulating a plan with Evelyn, he had a little bit more hope now¡ªhope that he could protect Shalyh and strike back at the Demon Empire when they least expected it. ¡°What about you, Lady Evelyn?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Surprisingly, Evelyn didn¡¯t answer right away, and after a short silence, she said, ¡°¡­Besides that, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m curious about.¡± After hesitating a bit, Evelyn asked, ¡°What is your relationship with the legend?¡± Chi-Woo was stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected this question at all. ¡°Um¡­why do you ask that?¡± ¡°You said the legend told you to give up on this city and escape.¡± ¡°Yes, he did.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think that man would¡¯ve failed to think of the plan I made.¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard at Evelyn¡¯s words. ¡°Uh¡­maybe it just slipped his mind?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no way. When I clashed with him one time, I felt how high his level was. A man of that caliber¡­¡± Evelyn shook her head. She seemed wholly certain about her assessment. Then she raised her head and looked up at the sky. ¡°It makes me curious. What made him judge that we should meekly back away instead of continuing to fight¡­?¡± Now that Evelyn brought this up, Chi-Woo wondered about the same question too. His brother had said things would be different, but not impossible. Considering the kind of person his brother was, he should¡¯ve been able to come up with the same plan as Evelyn had. Why did he back down without attempting anything? ¡°Anyways, there¡¯s only one thing that¡¯s truly important.¡± In the end, Evelyn shook her head like she couldn¡¯t understand and stared intently at Chi-Woo. Then she asked, ¡°How do you feel now? Are you confident that your name can surpass even the legend¡¯s?¡± CH 244 The day of the meeting arrived. Chi-Woo left the zone with Ru Amuh. The location was on the top floor of the official residence. While going up the stairs, Chi-Woo began to feel the tension rise up little by little. The future of the holy city, Shalyh, was going to be decided here today¡ªwhether they were going to fight back, or give up and withdraw to make future plans. When they arrived, the large room that his brother usually used as his office was completely transformed. Eight chairs were arranged in a circle, and at the center was a round table often found in a meeting room. Two people had already taken their seats, one of whom was an ivory-haired lady¡ªNoel. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes slightly widened; it had been a while since he¡¯d last seen her. And Noel also greeted him with a smile. ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve arrived early?¡± And the other person was Ismile, who was the central figure and the leader of the Nahla family. ¡°Long time no see~ Ru~ It¡¯s the first time we¡¯re seeing each other since the rescue effort, right? How are you doing? Have you been well?¡± Ismile greeted them with a cheery smile. ¡°Yes. What about you, Sir Ismile? Thanks to you, I¡¯ve been doing well,¡± Ru Amuh answered. ¡°Haha. Haven¡¯t you been really busy these days with really important work? News about you is really~ spreading all over. At this rate, we might get a thirteenth Celestial Lights!¡± ¡°You flatter me, sir. How can an insignificant person like me compare to the twelve lights that light up the whole universe?¡± ¡°Kyaah! Look at this kid! My, my! Most of the twelve Celestial Lights got nothing on you, man!¡± Ismile laughed and patted Ru Amuh on the back. ¡°Ah! Sit down, sit down! You can sit anywhere you want!¡± Ismile roughly pushed Ru Amuh¡¯s back and turned around. Then he saw Chi-Woo and slightly narrowed his eyes, as if his real target had been Chi-Woo all along. Ismile¡¯s attitude did a complete one-eighty. The friendly manner he showed Ru Amuh was completely gone as if it had been washed away entirely. Chi-Woo tilted his head to look at Ismile, who was a head taller than him. ¡°I¡¯ve been entrusted with full authority on this matter by Choi,¡± Ismile suddenly murmured so that only Chi-Woo could hear him. ¡°Ah, should I say Big Choi to be specific?¡± It was a surprise attack, and Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze turned nervous. His brother told him that there were probably a couple heroes who already figured out his identity; it seemed Ismile was one of them. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing that matters here,¡± Ismile continued. ¡°I need to make the right choice today. Not only for Liber, but for our future as well.¡± As Ismile said, a single decision here would have irreversible consequences. Therefore, he needed to be extremely careful and pay attention to every detail. ¡°And I think Big Choi¡¯s decision is the best choice,¡± Ismile spoke as if he had already made up his mind. Chi-Woo stared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t think too badly of me. It¡¯s the decision of a hero called the legend after all.¡± ¡°Then why did you invite me?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°To give you a chance,¡± Ismile immediately replied, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. ¡°Big Choi told me to at least listen to you. So, I¡¯ll hear you out first. Only for now, of course¡­¡± Ismile strongly emphasized ¡®for now¡¯; they both knew that he wasn¡¯t going to be easily swayed. ¡°Listen carefully.¡± It sounded like he was getting to the main subject at hand. ¡°I have the top authority to decide this matter, but I won¡¯t personally give my opinions during this meeting. I¡¯m just participating as a stand-in for Big Choi.¡± In short, Ismile was making it clear that he was going to concentrate on moderating the meeting, rather than actively voicing his thoughts. ¡°I bet basically everyone will agree that we should withdraw, but¡­you don¡¯t want that, right?¡± Chi-Woo nodded without hesitation. ¡°Then persuade them,¡± Ismile said clearly. ¡°Excluding me and you, get at least four out of six people here to consent to your plan. Well, since I also invited Ru Amuh, you actually need to get only three people¡¯s support.¡± Ismile glanced at Ru Amuh, who was looking at them with curiosity about their conversation. With a shrug, he Ismile, ¡°With this, I think I provided a sufficient opportunity for you as Big Choi told me to. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± As he said, it was a reasonable condition. Above all, while his brother was absent, Chi-Woo needed to get the consent of the majority of the Celestial Lights to back up his plan. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± When Chi-Woo agreed with him, Ismile whispered, ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it, Little Choi~¡± Then he turned around. Chi-Woo sat next to Ru Amuh and gave a slight bow towards Noel, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m much better. He took really good care of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have visited you earlier¡­¡± Chi-Woo looked apologetic, but in reality, he couldn¡¯t meet Noel even if he wanted to; Chi-Hyun told him he shouldn¡¯t until she fully recovered. ¡°No, not at all. Even if you came, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet me.¡± Noel smiled and shook her head as if she had read his mind. Noel had been sleeping in a special solution concocted by Chi-Hyun, and she only came out because an urgent matter arose. Considering that Noel once led the central region on behalf of Chi-Hyun, she was qualified to also participate in this meeting. While the two conversed after not seeing each other for a long time, people began to enter one by one. ¡°Oh! Eus~! Mari~ too!¡± The newcomers were a black-haired young man as handsome as Ru Amuh, who looked like a picture-perfect prince, and a beauty with her pink hair in a bob cut. They were Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia and Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju, who ranked 6th and 5th respectively among the Celestial Lights. ¡°Hello, Ismile~! Your fucking annoying way of addressing us is the same as usual~ And Noel is here as well¡­Hmm?¡± Mariaju waved towards them with a bright smile and then suddenly stopped walking. Chi-Woo, who made eye contact with her, blinked. She had been greeting everyone with a bright smile, but her greetings were strangely cut short by an intelligible murmur. Her cheerful expression didn¡¯t change even in the slightest, so Chi-Woo became perplexed. Emmanuel from the Eustidia family also saw Chi-Woo and stopped walking. Then he said with his characteristically indifferent expression, ¡°There are people I don¡¯t know here.¡± Ismile replied, ¡°I invited them. Do you have any complaints?¡± ¡°Why did you invite ordinary people?¡± ¡°Eus~ They aren¡¯t ordinary people, but heroes. The same as us.¡± Ismile responded with a cheeky tone. Emmanuel looked displeased, but after seeing Ru Amuh¡¯s face, his eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°¡­Well, I guess the opinions of ordinary heroes can also be useful.¡± He spoke cynically and sat down, but he seemed to respect Nahla¡¯s authority. ¡°I apologize for him. Judging by his behavior, you might think he grew up motherless and fatherless, but in fact, his parents are alive and well¡ªvery shocking, I know.¡± Yeriel clasped her hands together and apologized with a wink. Then she sat down next to Emmanuel, whose face hardened. Chi-Woo felt confused. Even though her words could be considered savage, her tone was perfectly polite and gentle. ¡°Yeriel, apologize,¡± Emmanuel said. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°What you said to me.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry~¡± Before this confusion fully died away, another person walked in. ¡°Oh! Our beautiful Afru~ who is as beautiful as everrrrr~!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Apoline Yelodi Afrilith arrived with an annoyed expression. Yeriel welcomed Apoline with a bright smile, ¡°Apoline, hi!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Apoline looked left and right to find a seat before faltering when she saw Chi-Woo. She looked surprised for a moment, and after seeing that Ru Amuh and Noel were sitting next to him, she sat one chair apart from Yeriel, who was loudly tapping the seat next to her and shouting, ¡°Here! Sit here!¡± ¡°Apoline? You hate me?¡± Yeriel asked with a hurt expression, and Apoline shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you sitting next to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, but my head¡¯s probably going to hurt if I sit next to you.¡± Yeriel puffed her cheeks at Apoline¡¯s cold answer. ¡°Tsk¡­but it¡¯s not like you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean¡­I thought you would say some motherless or fatherless horseshit like Emmanuel after seeing those two and talk about how those who aren¡¯t even among the Celestial Lights don¡¯t deserve to be in this meeting.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, but can you stop making other people¡¯s parents single? And I¡¯m in a foul mood right now.¡± A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Oh my, why did you think I was implying that they¡¯re single? They could have three or five people on the side.¡± Apoline sighed deeply as Yeriel insulted her parents by accusing them of having an affair. Then Apoline looked back at Ismile, who was listening to their conversation with a warm smile, and said, ¡°When is the meeting going to start?¡± ¡°Wait. We¡¯re still waiting for one more person.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ah, here she comes.¡± They heard footsteps, and then the door opened. A woman wearing a white veil entered the conference hall¡ªshe was Alice Ho Lactea. The genius of the Ho Lactea family, a family known for having the blood of a god running through their veins. At her appearance, the meeting room became dead silent. Even Ismile, who cheerfully greeted everyone who came in, stayed silent. He quietly stared as Alice Ho Lactea took the last remaining seat. Then Ismile said, ¡°Since we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s start the meeting. I¡¯m Ismile of the Nahla family, who¡¯ve been delegated full authority of the meeting by GS 3E Choi Chi-Hyun.¡± As soon as he announced the start of the meeting, all the laughter on his face disappeared. The relaxed atmosphere instantly became tense and serious. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all heard the latest news about the Demon Empire and Sernitas¡¯ joint operation against the Cassiubia League. Fortunately, thanks to Choi Chi-Hyun quickly joining the Cassiubia League¡¯s side, the Sernitas and Demon Empire received a fatal blow instead¡­but.¡± Ismile summarized the current situation with a few sentences and said, ¡°The war isn¡¯t over yet. They¡¯re most likely fighting a bloody battle every day in the Cassiubia Mountains. Even now, while we¡¯re all leisurely talking like this.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression darkened. As Ismile said, his brother may be fighting for his life against monsters beyond his wildest imagination. The future remained unchanged even with his cheat-like brother at the frontlines. However, they were only able to come this far because of his older brother¡¯s efforts; it would have taken considerably longer to recognize, discover, and destroy the colony of demon flowers if not for Chi-Hyun. Nevertheless, even his brother was planning to withdraw. ¡°And before he left for the Cassiubia mountain range, the legend relayed a message to me,¡± Ismile said with his eyes shining. ¡° The Demon Empire is not after the Cassiubia mountain range. I¡¯ll say it bluntly. Their real target is the holy city, Shalyh.¡± Everyone reacted in a similar way. ¡°Does that make sense? But I heard that Bael is involved in the invasion of the mountain range?¡± Apoline quickly retorted, ¡°It¡¯s true that Bael is involved, but Bael isn¡¯t the only one in the Demon Empire.¡± As Apoline said, Bael was far from the only strong demon in the Demon Empire despite being their most powerful member. Unlike humanity, which was slowly trying to escape from Chi-Hyun¡¯s shadow, the Demon Empire had a wide range of forces that could rival another faction''s main force even without Bael. This was how big the difference between the Demon Empire and humanity¡¯s powers was. However, Apoline also had her doubts and said in disbelief, ¡°But¡­we have the godly territory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be destroyed,¡± Ismile said simply. The response was even more intense. According to Ismile, the godly territory that had been functioning just fine was going to be destroyed; it was difficult for them to easily accept that they were going to lose their precious sanctuary. Ismile had expected their reaction, so he calmly continued, ¡°In fact, there were already several attempts to destroy it so far. Choi Chi-Hyun has managed to stop them, but he¡¯s away now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°And Choi Chi-Hyun thinks that there is a very high probability that the Demon Empire will destroy the godly territory while he is away.¡± ¡°What is he basing¡ª¡± ¡°He said he read this future¡ªand twice at that.¡± Then Apoline, as well as the others who were trying to ask questions, shut their mouths all at once. Even though everyone had an expression of disbelief on their faces, no one could easily open their mouths. While people would laugh it off if a random person said that an enemy was going to invade soon, no one could easily dismiss the remark of the president. The prediction wasn¡¯t made by a moderately famous hero¡ªit was from a hero called the legend. Moreover, he had recently succeeded in responding quickly after reading the future, so his words naturally carried even more weight. ¡°I heard that it¡¯s basically a definite future¡­¡± When Ismile said it was a definite future, everyone¡¯s expressions darkened. Ismile checked their reactions and continued with a singsong voice, ¡°Anyway, Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s opinion is to withdraw from Shalyh and move to the Cassiubia mountain range before the situation becomes irreversible. Then we plan for the future.¡± After saying this, he glanced at Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo, who caught Ismile¡¯s eyes, clicked his tongue. Although Ismile said he¡¯d be focusing on moderating the meeting, he was openly pushing for one narrative. However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t complain; as promised, Ismile hadn¡¯t pitched in with his personal thoughts. He only conveyed Chi-Hyun¡¯s thoughts as his stand-in. ¡°So what do you think?¡± Ismile moved his eyes away from Chi-Woo and looked back at the attendees. ¡°It¡¯s one of the two¡ªfollow the legend¡¯s choice, or reject it.¡± Chi-Woo felt his mouth dry. He needed four out of the six to agree with him. Since Ru Amuh already agreed to follow him, he actually only needed three people on his side. He checked the responses of those around him with a hopeful heart. Considering that the Celestial Lights were always eager to catch up to the Choi family and knock them down a peg, Chi-Woo hoped that there would be people who immediately opposed his brother¡¯s proposition. However, it didn¡¯t take long for his hope to be crushed. ¡°Lord Chi-Hyun isn¡¯t here, and not long ago, a large number of troops were sent out to support the Cassiubia League¡¯s headquarters. Moreover, if the godly territory disappears in the future¡­as he said, it would be better to withdraw as soon as possible before it¡¯s too late.¡± Starting with Noel, whom Chi-Woo thought might be an ally. Then Emmanuel Eustitia said, ¡°Certainly¡­given the current state of our growth, we can¡¯t endure the Demon Empire¡¯s offensive without the godly territory backing us up¡­¡± Yeriel Mariaju also added, ¡°Well¡­I now recall that the legend also has a knack with astronomy. It¡¯s hard to believe, but¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­just when I thought we were finally starting to settle down¡­¡± Apoline muttered to herself in half-agreement. The corners of Ismile¡¯s mouth went up as he said, ¡°It seems most of us have stated our thoughts. So, everyone agrees with Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s proposal, right?¡± ¡°I fucking hate it, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped,¡± Yeriel answered with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s his words after all. Moving all of us from the former Salem capital was the right choice, so I think he has a good reason for this decision as well.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± After confirming their replies, Ismile looked back at where Chi-Woo sat. ¡°But I¡¯m asking just in case¡­ Is there anyone here who disagrees with Choi Chi-Hyun?¡± ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ll first¡ª¡± Ru Amuh was about to get up from his seat, but faltered when Chi-Woo raised his hand. ¡°Okay, good. Why don¡¯t you get up to speak?¡± Ismile pointed at Chi-Woo as if he had been waiting all along. ¡°Would you tell us why you disagree with Choi Chi-Hyun?¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on him with varying thoughts. There were some who wondered who the hell he was to directly oppose the legend¡¯s opinion, but most of them looked at him with curiosity. Although her face wasn¡¯t visible because of the veil, Alice Ho Lactea also directed her attention towards Chi-Woo. ¡°We need to protect the holy city, Shalyh.¡± Chi-Woo cleared his throat and spoke. Then some heroes narrowed their eyes for some reason, but he didn¡¯t pay attention to them and continued, ¡°The enormous value of this city goes without saying. There¡¯s no guarantee that we¡¯ll be able to create a city like this ever again. No matter how difficult it is, we can¡¯t¡ª¡± Chi-Woo had to stop when Ismile interrupted him, ¡°I know that.¡± He continued with a flat voice, ¡°We all feel the same way. Of course Shalyh is too good to easily give it up. We¡¯re not pea-brained idiots who don¡¯t know the value of this city.¡± Although Noel shot Ismile a sharp glare, Ismile continued, ¡°What we want is a way to prevent the future the legend proclaimed to be definite. I trust that you won¡¯t tell us a ridiculous plan like let¡¯s happily take turns guarding the city to prevent the godly territory¡¯s destruction.¡± Then Ismile clasped his hands together and said, ¡°And¡­one more thing.¡± He suddenly spoke in a low voice, ¡°You know who we are, but we don¡¯t know who you are.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We at least know who Ru is. Well, I invited you so it¡¯s okay for me, but that¡¯s not the case for the other heroes here. Most of them are meeting you for the first time and don¡¯t know who you are.¡± Emmanuel looked at Chi-Woo with his arms folded, his expression stern. Apoline nodded like she thought Ismile had a point. Only Noel gnawed her lip with a nervous expression. ¡°Regardless of whether or not you¡¯re the Celestial Lights, I¡¯m talking about basic courtesy and respect.¡± Ismile blocked Noel¡¯s intervention and continued, ¡°Before you begin, shouldn¡¯t you at least reveal your first and last name?¡± CH 245 Ismile asked Chi-Woo to at least reveal his name. Apoline nodded. Though she had gone on a whole expedition with Chi-Woo, she still didn¡¯t know his name. She did hear him introduce himself as Chichibbong, but she didn¡¯t believe it. There was no way a person could have a name like that even if they considered cultural differences. ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t you at least tell us your name?¡± Apoline asked. But Chi-Woo didn¡¯t open his mouth and simply glared at Ismile, who was smiling at him. People like Apoline might wonder what the big deal was about revealing a name, but it was different for Ismile. Ismile knew Chi-Woo¡¯s situation and who he was. Thus, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why Ismile was putting him in such a tight spot. ¡°Does it even matter?¡± It was then a clear voice spoke up, sounding so bright and pure that it seemed otherworldly. ¡°He already proved himself enough from the fact that he was invited to this meeting. And what does revealing his name have to do with the current situation?¡± Everyone turned to the voice. It was the first time that Alice Ho Lactea spoke up. Alice continued, ¡°I think the important thing is how we would be able to prevent the definite future of the godly territory¡¯s destruction.¡± As Alice spoke, Chi-Woo could clearly see Ismile¡¯s expression falter a bit. And it was more surprising to see how the others¡ªApoline, Yeriel, and Emmanuel, who had been agreeing with Ismile¡ªsuddenly didn¡¯t dare to open their mouths. They simply showed their discomfort through their expressions. ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± Even Ismile dropped the topic despite his visible displeasure of having lost the opportunity to reveal Chi-Woo¡¯s identity. The Ho Lactea was a top family. Though they might be a bit lacking compared to the Choi family from GS3E, they were right below them. Nobody could disagree with the fact that they were the clear second place among the Celestial Lights, and with Chi-Hyun¡¯s absence, Ho Lactae¡¯s influence was currently strongest in the room. Ismile sighed before turning to Chi-Woo and asking, ¡°That¡¯s settled then. Will you now tell us how we can protect this city even while defying the legend¡¯s will?¡± Chi-Woo was relieved that they passed over the topic of his name. He didn¡¯t know if Alice helped him on purpose, but he was grateful all the same. ¡°Yes, then¡­¡± He began explaining the plan. *** After finishing his explanation, Chi-Woo looked around while feeling nervous. In all honesty, there was not much to the plan. It wasn¡¯t complicated; it was actually pretty simple since the central point of the plan was to backstab the Demon Empire. But he was confident they would be able to change the future if they succeeded, and now it was all up to the Celestial Lights to acknowledge that. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Ismile broke the silence with a long sigh and asked, ¡°What do you all think?¡± He didn¡¯t state his own stance, but asked for other people¡¯s opinions as the one moderating the meeting. ¡°Hm~ Sounds like we would definitely be able to take the Demon Empire by surprise if we follow this plan¡­¡± Yeriel¡¯s eyes rolled around once. ¡°I think it will be a good opportunity to gather merits too.¡± Chi-Woo felt hope from the positive response. ¡°Of course, that is if the plan succeeds,¡± Yeriel added. ¡°Yes, only if it succeeds,¡± Emmanuel repeated. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡°So, do you all agree with this plan or disagree? Why don¡¯t you each say that first?¡± Ismile asked while yawning. For some reason, he appeared quite uninterested in the results, and Yeriel and Emmanuel both immediately replied. ¡°I disagree.¡± ¡°I also disagree.¡± Chi-Woo was stunned. ¡°What about the others?¡± Ismile seemed to have already anticipated their responses and looked around. It was then Chi-woo realized that things were going horribly wrong. He looked at Noel, and she appeared flustered. She wanted to help him, but couldn¡¯t; after all, the one who had told her to back off was none other than Choi Chi-Hyun. Apoline showed a similar response. It seemed she had already decided to disagree, while Alice remained silent. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand. ¡®Why¡­!¡¯ He thought it was a plan worth executing. What did the Celestial Lights think was lacking that they all disagreed without any hesitation? ¡°This guy doesn¡¯t seem to understand why we¡¯re shooting him down,¡± Ismile murmured while glancing at Chi-Woo. ¡°I agree that it is a creative tactic, and the rewards we would get for succeeding would be very big. It really is a compelling idea,¡± Yeriel said and gave him a one-sentence explanation, ¡°But its risks are too great.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Before you continue, let me ask you one question,¡± Yeriel cut Chi-Woo off. ¡°Do you think the plan you just proposed has no risks at all?¡± Chi-Woo halted. He knew that was not the case. Instead, like Evelyn said, a single mishap could topple the house of cards of a plan, and they would meet the worst ending without being able to do anything. ¡°You can¡¯t say that, right? That¡¯s how it is. Things don¡¯t always go according to plan,¡± Yeriel continued. ¡°Of course, it will be great if everything goes as we wish. But we have to consider what would happen if it doesn¡¯t. For example, something unexpected might suddenly occur and endanger all of us.¡± Yeriel looked at Chi-Woo carefully as he stood unmoving, at a loss for words. ¡°Your plan would risk thousands of lives. Would you be able to shoulder the burden of such risks as the one coming up with the plan?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders felt heavy, but he clenched his teeth without a comeback. To be honest, he couldn¡¯t swear that he could do as Yeriel said. But the moment he said those words, the conversation would be over, and right now, he needed to do everything he could. ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Chi-Woo answered. Someone snorted at Chi-Woo¡¯s answer. ¡°Anyone can swear about anything,¡± Emmanuel said and murmured, ¡°Not only do we have to use up all the precious merits we gathered, we have to put our lives on the line¡­ There¡¯s no way Choi Chi-Hyun hasn¡¯t thought of this plan, but he still told you to back off. Even the one considered a legend decided to give up rather than undertake the dangers.¡± Then Emmanuel asked with cold eyes, ¡°Are you really telling us that you would accomplish something that even the legend judged to be too difficult? And we are supposed to believe you?¡± Words as cold as his eyes shot down at Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How can we trust you enough to listen to your orders?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an order, but a request¡ª¡± ¡°That makes it even more unreasonable,¡± Emmanuel coldly cut Chi-Woo off. ¡°A planner is basically the same as a commander when moving through a plan. And a commander is someone who is supposed to order¡ªnot request¡ªothers to carry out his plan.¡± Silence permeated the conference room. ¡°¡­Hm, hm.¡± Apoline glanced at Chi-Woo while worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Then, in the end, she scoffed and said in a mocking tone to Emmanuel, ¡°When did you start following the legend so earnestly?¡± It seemed Apoline was trying to defend Chi-Woo a bit considering the experience they had gone through together. ¡°I don¡¯t earnestly follow him. Instead, I dislike him as a person.¡± Yet Emmanuel responded calmly instead of getting angry. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I would deny all the achievements he¡¯s made.¡± Apoline pursed her lips again. Everything Emmanuel said was true. ¡°Whatever my personal feelings are, he is a legendary hero who everyone acknowledges¡ªin comparison to this no-name hero in front of us.¡± Noel scowled after hearing Emmanuel diminish Chi-Woo. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious whose decision we should trust more?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too harsh?¡± Noel jumped from her seat and protested; her face was all red in anger. ¡°¡­This is unexpected.¡± Emmanuel¡¯s eyes turned wide in surprise. ¡°I thought you of all people would agree with me.¡± Noel flinched. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the legend¡¯s most loyal follower? This man is going against the legend, so how could you respond this way? Who is this man exactly?¡± ¡°I¡­can¡¯t¡­¡± Noel trailed off. Emmanuel stared at Chi-Woo full of curiosity. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face looked blank. He realized then what Evelyn had meant. [Are you confident that your name can surpass even the legend¡¯s?] Chi-Woo had thought wrong from the start. The important part wasn¡¯t how good their plan was, but whether the person who proposed the plan had the skills for the others to place their trust in him and follow his orders. Chi-Woo should¡¯ve thought more about the standards the Celestial Lights were going to assess his plan with. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t see the value of discussing this matter any further,¡± Emmanuel clicked his tongue as Chi-Woo remained silent. ¡°I can¡¯t listen to the orders of a hero who won¡¯t even reveal his name. Need I say more?¡± He shook his head and turned to Ismile. Ismile looked intently at Chi-Woo and shrugged. Emmanuel continued, ¡°It seems it would be a waste of my time to stay any longer, so I will be leaving first. I will prepare to move locations the moment I return to my room.¡± Chi-Woo watched Emmanuel get up to leave and clenched his fist. Evelyn had asked him if he trusted this plan, and Chi-Woo told her he did. But honestly, a part of him felt doubtful and wondered if his brother could¡¯ve been right. Rather than for everyone to die if something went wrong, it might be better to just give up. He already did so much. If he continued to keep his mouth shut like this, everything would naturally progress as his brother wished. But Chi-Woo felt a strong premonition burning inside him, telling him that he must not do that. It warned him that he must act now. ¡°I am¡­¡± Chi-Woo spoke. Then his clenched fist loosened, and a die fell from his grip. A flash of light followed. *** A familiar sensation swept his entire body. Dizziness hit him, and Chi-Woo felt his legs give out as soon as he fell to the ground. Soon, Chi-Woo opened his eyes. He was puzzled when he saw his surroundings. He saw a grassland under the night sky. He was outside in a place full of trees and grasses, and he saw figures he had never seen before. He couldn¡¯t see their faces well because they were slouching. They were crying over the earth while their shoulders trembled as if they had just heard some tragic news. ¡°Are you all right, Teacher?¡± It was then someone approached Chi-Woo and supported him. Thanks to it, Chi-Woo was able to stagger upwards, but when he turned to his side, he was stunned. ¡°I understand how you feel, but you must get your spirits up. If you also¡­¡± Chi-Woo was shocked to see that the voice belonged to Emmanuel. Emmanuel¡¯s face was covered in wounds, and his whole body was bleeding, as if he had just barely escaped a warzone. ¡°Shit!¡± Before Chi-Woo could ask what happened, there was a shrill echo. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± Someone collapsed to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s all over! What more can we do from here!?¡± A woman shouted while shaking her head so that hair flowed down and covered her face. ¡°In the end, Ru Amuh also¡­!¡± Chi-Woo doubted his ears. It sounded like something bad had happened to Ru Amuh. What was happening? ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­that Ru Amuh¡­¡± the woman cried out, ¡°How¡­did we¡­come to this¡­?¡± She shouted, ¡°It¡¯s because all we did was run away! We kept escaping¡­!¡± ¡°Be careful of what you say,¡± Emmanuel warned, but the woman didn¡¯t stop. ¡°What? Did I say anything wrong?¡± Instead, her voice got louder as she shouted. ¡°If you think about it, it¡¯s all your fault!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I heard that you went against the decision to resist in Shalyh! Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d always regretted that ever since then?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened wide. He had wondered why he was transported to this point in the future. ¡°If we had managed to protect the godly territory somehow, the Cassiubia mountain range and the league wouldn¡¯t have¡­!¡± ¡°Stop. Everyone stop!¡± The woman prostrating on the ground got up and lifted the other one up. ¡°Emmanuel is right. This isn¡¯t the time for us to fight amongst ourselves¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you cool your head down first¡­ I¡¯m sure Teacher¡¯s the one struggling the most now¡­¡± The crying woman dragged the shouting woman away and disappeared into a corner. The only ones remaining in the area were Chi-Woo and Emmanuel. Silence circled around them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± Emmanuel hung his head and apologized. ¡°That idiot is right.¡± With a bitter smile, he continued, ¡°If only I hadn¡¯t disagreed with your plan then¡­¡± Chi-Woo slowly turned around to look at Emmanuel. He realized why he was here now, but he didn¡¯t have much time. He needed to go back to the present before Emmanuel left the conference room. ¡°Mr. Emmanual,¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice. ¡°If we had stayed behind to protect Shalyh, would we have changed this future?¡± Emmanuel looked sorrowful as he answered, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± His eyes looked very regretful. ¡°Whenever I think about it now¡­I want to kill my past self.¡± With this, Chi-Woo realized that his premonition hadn¡¯t been wrong. ¡°If we had done what you said, we might¡¯ve been holding a celebration inside the Demon Empire¡¯s main castle right now.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes brightened. He asked with more affirmation this time, ¡°Then what could I have said at that time that would stop you from disagreeing with me, Mr. Emmanuel?¡± Emmanuel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Uh¡­Probably¡­¡± *** There was a great commotion inside the conference room. Chi-Woo suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground. Noel and Ru Amuh were of course shocked, but everyone else, even Ismile, was also dumbfounded. ¡°Hey! Can you hear me? Wake up¡­ah!¡± Apoline was hitting Chi-Woo¡¯s cheeks and shaking his shoulders when she suddenly gasped. Chi-Woo was awake. ¡°Are you okay? You suddenly¡ªah!¡± Apoline fell on her bottom as Chi-Woo suddenly shot to his feet, and she was pushed away. Emmanuel also stopped after hearing the sudden commotion. ¡°What in the¡­¡± Emmanuel was saying until Chi-Woo cut him off, ¡°Come right back. I¡¯m not done talking.¡± Chi-Woo spoke in a commanding tone. Emmanuel couldn¡¯t understand Chi-Woo at first. Who was Chi-Woo talking to? Was he talking to him? How dare this man give him an order? ¡°What did you just say¡ª¡± A message suddenly popped up¡ªnot only in front of Emmanuel, but on display for everyone to see. At first, Emmanuel wondered why somebody had suddenly shared their user information with him, but then he read. ¡ªName: Choi Chi-Woo. ¡ªPlanet: G-S-3-E (Earth) ¡°G,S,3,E¡­Earth?¡± ¡ªRecord: The youngest son of the Choi family among the 12 Celestial families lighting up the Celestial Realm. The moment Emmanuel read Chi-Woo¡¯s name, his planet of origin, and his record, he hurriedly looked back. ¡°I order you in the name of the Choi family, come back to your seat.¡± CH 246 The meeting room was suddenly engulfed in silence. Nobody moved as if they were a picture taken on a camera, but their eyes were flickering as they stared at the messages in the air. GS3E¡¯s Choi family was the brightest light among the twelve Celestial Lights that illuminated the whole universe. It wasn¡¯t just Choi Chi-Hyun who was considered a legend. All heroes in the family were legends. During their service, they all made amazing achievements that people still talked about. Chi-Woo¡¯s brother, father, great-grandfather, and many more members of his family¡ªnot a single one of them was an exception to this rule for over 1,000 years, and this was the firm pedestal that allowed them to reign at the top of the 12 Celestial Realm families. Therefore, it was inevitable that Chi-Woo¡¯s birth would draw significant attention. Giant First and Periel weren¡¯t lying when they said that the Celestial Realm held its breath when Chi-Woo was born; it was the moment when the birth of a legendary hero who could be on par or even surpass Chi-Hyun was born. However, this commotion soon died down. Unlike Chi-Hyun, who began his hero activities during his mid-teens, there were no signs of the second son no matter how much time passed. No news about him was heard at all. There were only baseless rumors like the Choi family was working hard to develop their second son into a secret weapon, that they were being careful to not overlap the second son¡¯s activities with Chi-Hyun¡¯s, or that the second son was secretly working as a hero already. The truth was finally revealed here today. The reactions were extremely varied. Noel tightly shut her eyes. She understood why the young master had suddenly revealed his origin, but she wondered if this had been the right decision. Ismile grinned while showing his teeth. He hadn¡¯t heard that Chi-Woo was Chi-Hyun¡¯s younger brother directly like Noel, but had been guessing it since he first saw Chi-Woo. The Nahlas were originally humans. However, as a result of long-term selection based on eugenics, they successfully evolved into a new form that could be considered a new species. Ismile, who was the result of such an experiment, thought that Chi-Woo had to be Chi-Hyun¡¯s family when his eyes revealed to him that their genes had a matching rate of over 50 percent. Of course, not everyone¡¯s response was the same as Noel or Ismile. Ru Amuh looked surprised but also not surprised at the same time. He had never suspected Chi-Woo, but there were times when he couldn¡¯t help but have questions. From Ru Amuh¡¯s perspective, Chi-Woo was a great hero, but his reputation was humble compared to his ability and achievements; no, it was more accurate to say that Chi-Woo was practically unseen. However, after hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s surname, he understood everything. There was great power in the Choi family¡¯s name; it was enough to make sense of all of Chi-Woo¡¯s actions so far. Apoline looked flabbergasted as she sat on the ground. Her mind completely blanked out as if her neok had been taken away from her. Ever since she was young, she had thought of the second son of the Choi family as her fianc¨¦. Moreover, although it had been only a brief moment, she had seen him in person when they were young. She heard nothing about him afterwards since the Choi family had kept him well hidden, but now, he suddenly appeared when she least expected. Even though she couldn¡¯t immediately accept the truth, the message in the air was undeniable proof. ¡®No wonder he bothered me so much¡­!¡¯ Her attention had kept drifting towards him from the very beginning, and she sometimes found herself thinking about him. Apoline gaped and took out a mirror from her pocket. After seeing her reflection, she deeply frowned and left the meeting room, saying she¡¯d come back in five minutes. Yeriel¡¯s reaction was even more intense than Apoline¡¯s. She looked at the message and Chi-Woo back and forth before shaking her head like crazy. Then she tightly closed her eyes and opened them again. This wasn¡¯t enough, so she even slapped herself as hard as she could. Clap! She used so much force that the impact rang in the room. It was only until one of her cheeks turned red that Yeriel muttered, ¡°What the fuck!¡± Although Alice¡¯s face wasn¡¯t visible because of the veil, her hand trembled ever so slightly. As for Emmanuel¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Without saying a word, he stared at Chi-Woo with an indescribable expression. He probably felt like he was hit hard on the head with a hammer. ¡°¡­Please sit down,¡± Chi-Woo said amidst the ringing silence. ¡°I¡¯m not done talking yet.¡± Emmanuel, who had been standing for a while, slightly lowered his eyes. Then he turned quietly and moved¡ªnot outward, but back inside. He meekly sat down, and everyone else glanced at Chi-Woo and followed suit. The sight gave Chi-Woo a strange feeling. Then he recalled his brother had laughed and snorted when he brought up his worry that the other families might interfere or grow stronger than the Choi family. He realized that Noel¡¯s praise about the Choi family, which he considered excessive, had not been an exaggeration. Still, he had never imagined that his family name would carry so much weight. The reveal alone allowed him to immediately seize control of this whole meeting. ¡°Then it seems we¡¯ll have to hear from you again¡­¡± Ismile looked around. One person was missing. Apoline, who said she¡¯d be back in five minutes, returned after thirty minutes. Everyone looked at her with shock. She was wearing a very flashy red dress as if she was going to a ball. Her hair was glossy, and her skin glowed brightly. She always dressed very well, but it was on a different level this time. Seeing that everyone had settled back down, Apoline coughed and moved to her seat. The way she walked to her chair was extremely elegant. Yeriel looked at her with a comical expression and said, ¡°¡­Hey.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your outfit?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I usually dress like this.¡± Apoline answered with her gaze glued to Chi-Woo. ¡°Enough with the chit-chat.¡± Ismile got everyone¡¯s attention by clapping his hands and looking back at Chi-Woo. The atmosphere had changed from before. ¡°After entering Liber as the seventh recruits¡­¡± Chi-Woo continued with a stronger voice, ¡°We always had to run away¡ªat the main camp, the fortress, and the former Salem capital.¡± And they were thinking of running away again. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m well aware of the current situation. I also know that we have a place to retreat to.¡± However, Chi-Woo had seen the future. ¡°The problem is that there¡¯s only one such place.¡± The only place they could escape to was the Cassiubia mountain range, and Chi-Woo had foreseen the Cassiubia League¡¯s collapse. ¡°If we are cornered in one place, we become rats in a trap. Then everything really is over.¡± As was the case in boxing, the more a boxer was forced to be on the defensive, the more they were driven to a corner. Withdrawing wasn¡¯t always beneficial. It could help preserve their current forces, but there was no other benefit. Moreover, being trapped in one place meant that their enemies could fight an all-out war without hesitation, and this was especially dangerous considering that the Demon Empire and Sernitas had joined forces. ¡°We must not step back anymore.¡± In Chi-Woo¡¯s opinion, Shalyh was their last stronghold and the only key to stopping their enemies from reaching the Cassiubia mountain range. There was no guarantee that they''d ever find a place like this again. They needed to protect this city at all costs and support the Cassiubia mountain range. ¡°Of course, the legend¡­my brother has proposed to withdraw.¡± A few people flinched when Chi-Woo called Chi-Hyun brother; they still weren¡¯t used to it yet. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°But he also said this.¡± Everyone intently listened to him. ¡°If I¡¯m sure that I can save Shalyh, I should do it.¡± Of course, an unexpected danger could occur, but Chi-Woo slowly looked at his audience, who was hanging on his every word. ¡°If all of you lend me your strength¡ª¡± After a pause, Chi-Woo said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll have that certainty.¡± * * * After revealing his name, the Celestial Lights didn¡¯t immediately change their stance like flipping a coin. However, the one thing that changed was their attitude. They listened to Chi-Woo more keenly and seriously pondered the advantages and disadvantages of his proposal. The decisive words that changed their opinion was what Chi-Hyun had said to Chi-Woo¡ªif he was sure that he could save Shalyh, he should do it. In a way, if Ismile was delegated the authority to lead everyone to withdraw, Chi-Woo was delegated the authority to lead everyone to fight. Thus, the Celestial Lights raised their hands and asked questions. Most were related to what Chi-Woo had done on Liber. While Chi-Woo talked, they sometimes showed their admiration or exclaimed in amazement. Some even applauded when they heard that he had defeated the god that the Sernitas transformed and beat three great demons. Sometimes, personal questions were asked out of curiosity, but Ismile firmly shot those attempts at prying down. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly why, but after revealing his identity, Ismile¡¯s attitude had changed favorably towards him. Anyway, there was no way a hero from the Choi family would lie, and Ru Amuh also acted as his witness. The Celestial Lights believed Chi-Woo¡¯s words 100 percent. Thus, the results of the meeting also changed. The Celestial Lights were all in favor of the plan. After hearing about Chi-Woo¡¯s journey so far, they judged that he was fully capable of executing this operation, and he was a hero to whom they could entrust their life. That was how the meeting concluded. No one left the room. Even Emmanuel, who had previously stormed off while saying this was a waste of time, found himself having trouble moving his feet. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not because of me that you revealed your identity, right? You have to explain to Big Choi later on, okay? I trust you! Please, Little Choi?¡± Ismile knelt down and begged. He had acted impulsively, but it seemed he was now worried about the aftermath of his actions. While Noel dragged Ismile out, saying that they needed to talk¡ª ¡°Hmph!!¡± They heard a cough. ¡°Hu-hmph!¡± They heard another cough after Chi-Woo didn¡¯t show any reaction. Only then did Chi-Woo turn around and saw Apoline roll her eyes while tightly holding onto her skirt. Then their eyes met, and Apoline suddenly asked, ¡°D-Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± She sounded like she was expecting something. ¡°What do you mean?¡± However, her expression turned into one of disappointment after hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s reply. ¡°Really? Nothing at all?¡± When she asked once more, Chi-Woo nodded in confusion because Apoline looked like a tragic heroine who suddenly experienced heartbreak. ¡°¡­Ah, okay.¡± Then she turned around and ran out at full speed. While Chi-Woo looked at her go with his head tilted, the next person approached him. ¡°I¡¯m Alice.¡± It was the woman with a veil. ¡°I¡¯m Alice Ho Lactea.¡± She spoke once more clearly. ¡°Hello¡­¡± Chi-Woo gave a slight bow. Since he wasn¡¯t aware of their relationship, he thought she had merely come up to greet him, which was why he was befuddled by what she said next. ¡°It¡¯s my first time¡­seeing you in person¡­¡± Then an awkward silence cut off their conversation. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± After wringing her hands in an uncharacteristic manner, she suddenly apologized. ¡°As expected¡­I must have made you uncomfortable¡­¡± ¡°What? No.¡± ¡°I just wanted to say hello. I didn¡¯t mean anything else by it, so I hope you don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Then she quickly turned around and moved away. Her figure looked despondent and sad as she left. ¡®What in the world¡­?¡¯ It was the same for Apoline, but Chi-Woo had no idea why even Ho Lactea, a hero he had met for the first time, was acting like this. Although he wanted to quickly return home, there were unfortunately more mountains to cross. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Yeriel approached Chi-Woo timidly and suddenly reached out her hand. ¡°Can I get a handshake?¡± It wasn¡¯t a difficult request. Her reaction was normal compared to the others, so he shook her hand. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± Then he immediately regretted it. ¡°Oh my gosh! I got a handshake! A handshake! Fucking hell! This is fucking crazyyy!¡± Yeriel made a huge fuss. She jumped up and down in joy while hitting Emmanuel¡¯s back, and naturally, Emmanuel was pushed in front of Chi-Woo. Emmanuel flinched, and Chi-Woo heard him gulp. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Soon, Emmanuel straightened his posture and said in a tense voice. ¡°I apologize for my mistake earlier.¡± He even bowed. He was extremely polite to the point that he could be called Ru Amuh¡¯s twin¡ªalthough his politeness was very conditional. ¡°But¡­I think it would have been better if you¡¯d told me earlier.¡± There was slight resentment in his words; he was saying that he wouldn¡¯t have made a mistake if he had known Chi-Woo was from the Choi family. Although Chi-Woo didn¡¯t like formalities based on status, he understood Emmanuel¡¯s perspective. Also, it didn¡¯t feel bad to be treated with such respect. But most of all, this man, in the future¡­ ¡°I apologize for not telling you in advance.¡± Chi-Woo returned Emmanuel¡¯s bow and smiled slightly. ¡°There was a reason why I couldn¡¯t reveal it earlier. I hope you understand.¡± Emmanuel¡¯s eyes became big as saucers. It seemed he hadn¡¯t expected Chi-Woo to accept his apology. ¡°You¡¯re different from¡­him.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I hadn¡¯t said that to receive an apology. I¡¯m really fine.¡± He quickly shook his head and retracted his previous statement. ¡°Thank you for your understanding. I look forward to working with you in the future.¡± Then he bowed again and left the meeting room with a still giggling Yeriel. Finally, there was peace and quiet. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh left the official residence. While returning home, Chi-Woo was wondering when Ru Amuh would ask questions, but he decided to speak up first. On second thought, he realized that he should apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± Ru Amuh quickly replied as if he had been waiting all along. ¡°Didn¡¯t you try to tell me once before?¡± This was true. Chi-Woo thought of revealing his identity to Ru Amuh on his way back after meeting Evelyn when she was still the witch of the Abyss. However, Ru Amuh had refused, and Chi-Woo ended up not revealing his identity. ¡°I told you it was all right since I wasn¡¯t confident enough to keep it a secret, so please don¡¯t be too concerned.¡± Chi-Woo smiled at Ru Amuh¡¯s words because he could feel Ru Amuh¡¯s thoughtful understanding¡ªas expected of his oldest. ¡°You remembered.¡± ¡°Of course. I try to remember each and every moment with you, Teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo felt overwhelmed by Ru Amuh¡¯s gaze, which brimmed with even deeper admiration than before. ¡°Chibbong!¡± As soon as they arrived home, Evelyn ran to greet them barefoot. ¡°Hey, Chibbong, it¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t be discouraged. You did a great job. You¡¯ve done enough.¡± She gave him a hug and patted him on the back. Ru Hiana also popped up and encouraged him by saying, ¡°That¡¯s right, Senior! They¡¯re too elitist and full of themselves to listen to anyone who¡¯s not one of them!¡± Chi-Woo blinked and frowned after looking around. There was a lot of luggage packed around him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Why, we¡¯re preparing to move,¡± Evelyn answered. ¡°Move? Why?¡± ¡°What? I mean¡­¡± Then she looked at him with a questioning expression; it seemed she¡¯d thought he would fail. It was understandable, since he was competing against the legend¡¯s words after all. Chi-Woo smiled blandly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to pack.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°The plan is approved. They¡¯re going to cooperate.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± Ru Hiana piped up again. ¡°How? No matter¡­but their lives are at stake. Those uptight posh Celestial Lights listened to us?¡± ¡°Yes, they loved it so much.¡± ¡°¡­What, Senior?¡± Ru Hiana looked at him for further explanation. Chi-Woo glanced at Ru Amuh, who shrugged, indicating that Chi-Woo should do whatever he wanted. Since he¡¯d revealed it to everyone at the meeting, Chi-Woo decided to tell the truth to Ru Hiana and Evelyn. ¡°I''m the legend¡¯s brother. I guess that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°What? What are you saying? The legend¡¯s brother?¡± Ru Hiana asked. ¡°The legend, meaning Choi Chi-Hyun.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my older brother.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My brother. I¡¯m his younger brother.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s reaction was not very different from that of the Celestial Lights. However, she was looking at him as if he was saying nonsense because there was no clear evidence. ¡°What in the¡­¡± Then she read the message in the air in a second and froze. Soon after¡ª A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. She fell backwards with a shouted ¡®quack¡¯. Ru Amuh, who had anticipated the reaction, succeeded in catching Ru Hiana. ¡°Legend¡­younger brother¡­?¡± Evelyn tilted her head with a dumbfounded expression as Ru Hiana collapsed while making incomprehensible sounds. ¡°Is it that shocking?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Yes, it is extremely astounding,¡± Ru Amuh held back his laughter and replied. ¡°It¡¯s to the extent that there¡¯s now a definite hope that Liber could be saved. The Choi family has that much influence.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Evelyn, who had a rough idea of what had happened after Ru Amuh¡¯s calm explanation, glanced at Chi-Woo. Then she suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°Lady Evelyn, why are you laughing all of a sudden?¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± She chuckled and put her hand on Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I think I understand now. Why he told you to withdraw without even trying.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You¡¯re that man¡¯s younger brother¡­ I see. Even a scary man who doesn¡¯t seem human like that¡ª¡± Evelyn continued with a smile, ¡°must really care for his younger brother.¡± CH 247 In the Cassiubia mountain range, the earth that had turned red from battle recovered some of its green by sunset. Their enemies¡¯ sporadic attacks had suddenly stopped, and after a lull, the Cassiubia League confirmed that their enemies were backing away. That marked their success in defending their lands, and the mountain range was bustling with celebrations for the Demon Empire¡¯s and the Sernitas¡¯ retreat. They had beaten not only one, but two formidable forces that they usually would¡¯ve struggled to deal with separately. They were overjoyed. However, Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t celebrate the news. When Bael fought in the frontlines and the Sernitas ambushed them using the Demon Empire¡¯s paths, it had been truly dangerous. It was thanks to the information that Chi-Woo unearthed that they were able to safely defend against the attacks. Their enemies didn¡¯t back away even when they failed to accomplish their goal of capturing the final dragon, and the reason for that was obvious: their purpose was to tie down Chi-Hyun and the Cassiubia League¡¯s main forces. With that alone, their enemies had reached a part of their other goals. And the fact that they were retreating now meant¡­ ¡ªSeems like the Demon Empire has finished their preparations to invade Shalyh. A voice rang. It didn¡¯t come from physical vocal cords, but materialized from thoughts. Chi-Hyun glanced below him and saw the great dark shadow cast by a dragon¡¯s body. ¡ªThank you. I am alive thanks to you. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªIf it wasn¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve died. The final dragon thanked Chi-Hyun politely. As a creature that had survived thousands of years, she had the sense to know the relationships she should build. ¡ªI finally have something to celebrate after a long time. The final dragon looked in the same direction Chi-Hyun was looking in and continued. ¡ªSo, I am planning to enjoy it as much as I can and hold a big festival tonight. How about it? Chi-Hyun snorted at the final dragon¡¯s softly-spoken suggestion. The dragon knew that Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t simply turning her invitation down, but suggesting that she had lost her mind. ¡ªThen what else should we do? Should we gather troops and send reinforcements now? But that would be the truly nonsensical thing to do. They didn¡¯t know if and when the two enemy forces would return, and the Cassiubia League¡¯s forces were already exhausted. Furthermore, it was too late to send the troops now; even if they sent elite members who could fly, they might not be able to arrive at their destination on time. ¡ªDidn¡¯t you leave the work to them because you trusted them? The final dragon was telling Chi-Hyun to hold onto that belief until the end. Chi-Hyun sighed deeply. Usually, he would¡¯ve agreed with the final dragon, but right now, there was something preventing him from acting like the legend he was. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t listen to the conversation any longer, and as if he thought standing around like this was a waste of time, he kicked off the ground and flew into the air. The final dragon didn¡¯t stop him and appeared as if she had expected this to happen. She simply watched Chi-Hyun get further and further away. ¡®Chi-Woo¡­¡¯ Chi-Hyun bit his lips. He told Chi-Woo that he could try to fight if he saw a future where he saved Shalyh, but there was no way that Shalyh¡¯s fall could be prevented. That was the judgment Chi-Hyun made in the beginning and still had. Even if they managed to thwart that future somehow this time, the same future would re-emerge later¡ªin a much fiercer and powerful form so that there really was no way to prevent it then. That was how a definite future worked. Thus, Chi-Hyun hoped that Chi-Woo would just give up on Shalyh. And that was why Chi-Hyun had entrusted Ismile with authority over this matter. Chi-Hyun knew Ismile was a formidable hero who wouldn¡¯t be easily swayed by only the title and appearance of the youngest son of the Choi family, who had never shown himself before. Unlike Noel, he was the type to respond nonchalantly, ¡®Oh is that so? What does that have to do with this matter?¡¯ Thus, Chi-Hyun had thought Ismile would¡¯ve led the heroes to evacuate Shalyh by now, yet there was still no news of that happening. That seemed to mean only one thing. ¡®What in the world are you thinking?¡¯ Shaaaa! Chi-Hyun¡¯s figure fiercely pierced through the air. *** Zelit felt nervous after receiving Chi-Woo¡¯s call. Though he had borrowed thousands of royals from Chi-Woo, he still wasn¡¯t making any clear progress. He thought it would be understandable for Chi-Woo to be upset with him. Of course, Zelit didn¡¯t waste any of the money he received. Instead, he used them frugally while even foregoing his food expenses sometimes. He was able to establish the framework of his plan, but it was still too lacking. Considering how involved the plan was, there were many expenses to make, and Zelit wondered if he would have to ask for more money when Chi-Woo happened to call him, saying that they needed to talk. Thus, Zelit readied his heart, knowing that he would have to relay to Chi-Woo disappointing news. But when he actually met up with Chi-Woo, he was stunned to hear something completely unexpected: the Demon Empire was planning to invade Shalyh. Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation was more complicated than he thought, but Zelit was able to understand the situation with his high intelligence. ¡°Then¡­since that traitor must not know about this plan, you are calling each person individually and explaining the situation.¡± A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m only telling people I can trust.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a plan where secrecy is priority. I thank you for trusting me, but it¡¯s more dangerous the more people know about this secret. It would put all of our lives at risk.¡± ¡°The only people I told are you and Mr. Jin-Cheon. I¡¯m sure the Celestial Lights are keeping quiet too. They are probably making preparations under the guise of a large-scale expedition or requests. Then, when that day comes¡­¡± ¡°Hm, if that¡¯s the case, I understand.¡± Zelit nodded. ¡°It makes me anxious that the legend is missing¡­but if Ismile from Nahla also agreed to this plan, he must¡¯ve seen hope in it,¡± Zelit said. Chi-Woo wondered why Zelit mentioned only Ismile among the other Celestial Lights. ¡°Hm¡­why do you specifically mention him?¡± Ismile was a person who Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand at all, and he was curious what Zelit thought of him. ¡°The Invincible Ismile,¡± Zelit answered. ¡°He¡¯s famous for never having lost a single fight. It¡¯d be no exaggeration to say it¡¯s all thanks to that man that the Nahlas are grouped with the Chois and the Ho Lactea.¡± Zelit continued, ¡°Of course anyone among the twelve families is special¡­but how should I say this? Apoline, Yeriel, and Emmanuel are the new generation.¡± They were the newcomers catching up to the original strongest fighters. ¡°That¡¯s how they differ. Ismile Nahla is someone thought to be one step below the legend. If you consider how great the legend is, you must realize how amazing Ismile is to be compared to him like that.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth slightly gaped open. He thought Ismile was special, but not to this level. ¡°Since it¡¯s a plan that a hero with a 100% success rate is taking part in, he must believe there¡¯s a good chance of success,¡± Zelit said and looked to Chi-Woo. ¡°Anyways, thank you for telling me. I will also make my preparations. If you succeed, it will help the heroes grow tremendously, and¡­¡± Zelit trailed off and glanced in another direction. He felt a person¡¯s strong gaze on him and saw that someone was looking at him through the slightly ajar door. It was Ru Hiana, who had an expectant look on her face. ¡°¡­What is Ru Hiana doing there?¡± Zelit asked, and Chi-Woo also stared at the door, meeting eyes with Ru Hiana. ¡°Senior! Senior!¡± Ru Hiana asked with her eyes sparkling. ¡°Did you tell him? Or can I?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo was speechless. Ru Hiana had been acting like this ever since he revealed his identity. Chi-Woo felt as if he had become the most popular animal at a zoo. ¡°¡­I already told him.¡± Ru Hiana shrieked and turned to Zelit. But soon, she was forcefully dragged away. ¡°Ru Hiana. He is in the middle of talking with a guest.¡± ¡°No! Wait!¡± Ru Hiana shouted. Chi-Woo felt a bit conflicted seeing this. Ru Amuh was right. Ru Hiana had been looking all impatient and excited after learning Chi-Woo¡¯s secret. Although Ru Amuh promised to keep Ru Hiana¡¯s mouth sealed, it seemed the secret would spread across the whole city considering her current state. Zelit looked confused because he didn¡¯t realize Ru Hiana was talking about Chi-Woo¡¯s identity rather than the plan. He coughed and asked, ¡°Do you have anything more to say?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head, and Zelit asked again, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Rather than me, it looks like you are the one who has more to say.¡± Zelit squeezed his eyes shut and said, ¡°I wanted to ask if I could borrow some more money.¡± ¡°Money?¡± ¡°Yes. There are a lot of expenses to pay¡­¡± ¡°How much?¡± Zelit replied carefully, ¡°About 10,000 royals¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I have that much.¡± Chi-Woo tapped on the bun on his shoulder and made him spit out a pouch full of money. There were roughly 100 gold coins. ¡°Is this enough?¡± ¡°Wait, are you really alright with this?¡± Zelit asked. ¡°Yes, I have money left from last time. Also, I gained a considerable amount from the expedition not too long ago¡ª¡± Chi-Woo stopped speaking because Zelit was madly shaking his head. ¡°No, I know I¡¯m in no position to say this as the one borrowing from you¡ªbut is it really okay to just give away money like this?¡± There was a limit to how good a person could be. Unable to wrap his head around Chi-Woo¡¯s response, Zelit asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried? Were I in your place, I would¡¯ve set up conditions or something.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chi-Woo rolled his eyes as he thought about how he should explain himself. ¡°Should I call it my intuition?¡± ¡°Intuition?¡± Zelit frowned. ¡°You mean a feeling?¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so¡­ I don¡¯t know exactly, but I¡¯ve always had good intuition since I was young.¡± Chi-Woo crossed his arms. ¡°I can always tell what I should and shouldn¡¯t do pretty well.¡± And in this case, Chi-Woo had a feeling that it was all right¡ªno, that it would be a very good investment to lend Zelit money right now. Zelit¡¯s mouth gaped open. He knew Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t the type to lie, but these words were hard to believe. Still, it would be a truly cheat-like ability if true, especially in a world where one¡¯s every choice and judgment were directly linked to their survival. Zelit wanted to ask more about it, but refrained. It wasn¡¯t polite to dig into other people¡¯s user information. ¡°Well¡­if you are feeling so unsure, would you answer a question for me in exchange?¡± Chi-Woo thought it was a good chance to bring up a problem that had been haunting him. Though thanks to Shersha, Chi-Woo was able to learn about the future and enact a plan, there was still one thing he couldn¡¯t understand: it was what the red-haired great demon had told him before she died. ¡°Sounds good to me. What is it?¡± ¡°Will there be any benefit to helping an enemy in need?¡± It was unexpected. Zelit wondered why Chi-Woo was asking such a question, but decided to focus on answering it. ¡°Do you mean joining hands with an enemy?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pretty deep question,¡± Zelit said while stroking his chin. After gathering his thoughts, he spoke while pointing at the ground, ¡°There are always enemies anywhere, including in this city, Shalyh.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the traitor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not limited to the traitor.¡± Zelit shook his head. ¡°Even if two people are on the same side and have the same goal, they could be enemies.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because whether it¡¯s an animal or human, a living creature is loyal to its own emotions. Everyone¡¯s feelings are bound to be different, and as these feelings clash, problems would arise.¡± These clashes happened countless times, be it in the forms of differing ideologies, interests, or pursuit of power¡­ The possible triggers were endless. There weren¡¯t big clashes among humanity right now because everyone was too preoccupied with their survival. As the desperate need to survive occupied all their minds, there was no room for other emotions. But there was no guarantee this situation would continue to be. ¡°Do you perhaps remember what I told you before?¡± Zelit asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it happened in your world¡¯s history too¡­but think about the process in which a revolution first succeeds and collapses.¡± Even when many gathered for the same goal, the group often dispersed for individual reasons. This was the reason many revolutions failed. But when an environment or situation was so terrible, people didn¡¯t even have the time or luxury to think of anything other than their goal. Chi-Woo could understand what Zelit was telling him by recalling his time in the military. Unlike what people would commonly think, there was less bullying in bases that had harsher training such as the general outpost. People were too tired to do much of anything else, and everyone knew others were already suffering just like them. ¡°And this logic doesn¡¯t only apply to us, but everywhere else including the Cassiubia League, the Demon Empire, the Abyss, and even the Sernitas. It¡¯s the same everywhere. That¡¯s why civil wars happen, and people join hands with their worst enemies to defeat another enemy.¡± There was a reason why there was a saying, ¡®an enemy of your enemy is your friend¡¯. Zelit concluded, ¡°So if it¡¯s for that purpose, I think it is worth a try depending on the situation.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Chi-Woo nodded after listening quietly and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. I just said my thanks. This isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± Zelit waved his hand and looked at the gold coins on the table greedily. ¡°But¡­can I really have this?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Chi-Woo answered easily. After Zelit answered his question, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t completely refreshed, but he felt like he had cleared a lot of thoughts in his head. *** ¡ªThere¡¯s no reason for you to go. A calm voice rang. ¡ªYou already fulfilled your role splendidly. You can just wait here like you usually do, and we will respond to the changes as best as possible. There¡¯s no need for you to step onto the frontlines¡­ The voice sounded uncharacteristically pleading. ¡ªNo¡­ But his addressee firmly refused, unlike her usual self. ¡ªI¡­will¡­go¡­this time¡­ She emphasized again to show that she had made up her mind. ¡ªI¡­hope you¡­will¡­listen to¡­me¡­this time¡­ She said in a faint voice, and the calm voice sighed. ¡ªThis is the first time I¡¯m seeing you being so stubborn. The owner of the calm voice couldn¡¯t understand how Shersha, who was usually so level-headed and meek, would act so firmly like this. What in the world did she see? ¡ªOur¡­empire¡­is at stake¡­ Considering Shersha¡¯s worth, it didn¡¯t make sense to bring her to a dangerous battlefield, but even he could not change her mind this time. ¡ª¡­I believe you, but I can¡¯t promise you that everyone will listen to you. The demon with a calm voice said and went inside the dark space. ¡ªI must see¡­with my own eyes¡­ Shersha whispered to herself. ¡ªI have to meet¡­and listen¡­ That day, the Demon Empire headed for the holy city, Shalyh. Among them was the princess who was said to have never participated in battle before. CH 248 Shalyh had become noticeably quieter than before. First, the legend was absent, and the army that defended the city had departed to support the Cassiubia League¡¯s main base. Moreover, much of humanity, which once filled up the streets, had recently gone out of the city to make money as the settlement payment date approached. Those who haven¡¯t met their quota yet left in a hurry to look for expedition and adventure. The Demon Empire snorted after hearing about the city¡¯s situation from their informant. They got the feeling that their plan was smoothly sailing like a sailboat in a soft breeze. Although it was true that the Demon Empire were carrying out their deeds in secrecy, the holy city showed no signs of retaliation even a few days after they left for Shalyh. However, it was understandable since all the attention was on the Cassiubia mountain range. Moreover, humanity must have been complacent, thinking they would be protected by Shalyh¡¯s godly territory. They probably believed they were perfectly safe inside their holy city, and it was now time to crush their naivety. Even if the humans noticed them now, it would be too late. As soon as the godly territory disappeared with the help of the traitor they had planted, a large army of the great Demon Empire would appear before the humans. And then the demons would mercilessly trample over the barebone, helpless city with all its armor and shield taken off. The Demon Empire did not slow down; in their minds, they could already see the wailing and burning view of the city. Their destination was not far off. * * * The total number of gods secured by humanity was three. However, only two gods have been revealed to the public¡ªShahnaz and Kabbalah, and even among the gods, Kabbalah belonged to a special category on Liber. To be more precise, it would have been more accurate to say she became special considering Liber¡¯s current climate. Gods were an existence that fed on faith. People prayed because they wanted to gain protection and blessing; it could be said that gods were born out of people¡¯s wishes, or in a way, out of necessity. However, what might have once been a necessity was no more. Just as public phone booths gradually disappeared with the advent of mobile phones, and pencils began disappearing with the emergence of ballpoint pens and sharpies, the law of supply and demand dictated that once consumer demands disappeared, so would supply. Of course, a product¡¯s value might remain the same with a small number of dedicated consumers, but that wasn¡¯t applicable to Kabbalah. She was just one of the many ancient gods that had been completely forgotten in the past. When did a person truly die? It was when they were forgotten. That was a quote from a famous manga and anime.[1] In this aspect, gods were not much different from humans. Being forgotten for a god meant extinction, that was, death. No god wanted to return to nothingness after being born with the fate of immorality. They didn¡¯t want to disappear or ¡®die¡¯. Then to prevent that from happening, they needed to not be forgotten. The sole reason why Kabbalah artificially gave birth to Balal, who was her opposite, and became Kabal was so that she could break away from the evil alignment and evolve into a new existence after merging with an existence from a good alignment. However, Kabal failed to achieve her goal in the end. In order to pursue an even more perfect form, she joined hands with the Kingdom of Salem and sent Balal to their academy, but everything went up in smoke due to an unexpected accident. As a result, Kabal was forgotten and disappeared, but was later dramatically revived by Chi-Woo, who brought Balal to her. Still, being resurrected didn¡¯t mean she had gained a perfect form. Balal herself was an artifact made through an experimental procedure. She was man-made, forged by human power in the end. Immortality and mortals were fundamentally different. As a god, Kabal had come together with an incomplete existence like Balal; since they were fundamentally different from each other, Kabal became unstable, which was part of Kabal¡¯s current godly territory. That was the gap the Demon Empire was targeting. The temple of Kabbalah was located in the central square of Shalyh. Since she was the guardian deity protecting the sacred city, the Cassiubia League went well and above for her temple. Although the temple would have normally been bustling with visitors, it was quite empty today. The number of people in Shalyh had decreased a lot, and it was late at night. That didn¡¯t mean there was no one around, however. Someone was climbing the stairs shrouded in shadows. It was hard to make out the face because of the robe covering it, but judging by the body shape, it seemed to be a male figure. After climbing up all the stairs, he paused and looked back. He looked around the quiet city for a moment before turning around and entering the temple. After passing a long and narrow corridor, the main hall came into view. A white-haired girl was sitting in the center of the hall and staring blankly up at the arched ceiling. After checking that the girl was not Kabal, but Balal, the mysterious figure smiled faintly. ¡°¡­?¡± Balal tilted her head and shifted her gaze when she heard footsteps. She looked at him, silently questioning why he had visited at such a late hour. He stopped walking, and after politely greeting her, the figure showed his respect by kneeling on one knee. ¡°God Kabbalah, your humble servant has come here to pray.¡± Balal looked back and pointed at the wall at the front of the main hall, where a stone statue was erected. It was a statue of the twin goddesses, and Balal¡¯s index finger pointed at one of them; she was asking if he had come to see Kabal. ¡°No, I have come to see you. You do not need to wake God Kabal up.¡± He continued in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve received a great offering by chance. Please accept it.¡± Balal¡¯s eyes twinkled at the word ¡®offering¡¯. She immediately got up and walked towards him. When Balal was standing right in front of him, he took a flower from his arms and offered it at the girl¡¯s feet. Then he bowed deeper than before. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Balal¡¯s eyes widened because she could tell it was an extraordinary offering at a glance. Rather than a regular flower, it looked like an ornament made of glass, yet it was not an artifact but an organism. Furthermore, the pistils, petals, and stem all glowed white. It was a special flower made out of light, but above all, Balal felt an enormous divinity from it¡ªa divinity extremely clean and refined with hardly any impurities. Balal didn¡¯t say anything, but she clearly looked impressed. After looking intently at the flower, she bent down and picked it up. She held the flower tightly with both hands, looking at it with disbelief. Then she sniffed it up close and breathed in its scent. A strange thing happened then. The glowing flower dissolved into particles and got sucked into Balal¡¯s nose. As if intoxicated by the power, Balal closed her eyes and savored the offering. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked with his head deeply bowed. Balal replied with a bright smile. She didn¡¯t know where he got it, but it was an offering in which divinity was condensed into a lump; there was no way she wouldn¡¯t like it. ¡°If you are pleased with it, please accept another one.¡± He pulled out another glowing flower and offered it to Balal. ¡°I sincerely ask you to not reject my offering.¡± Balal gaped slightly. She quickly picked up the flower and immediately inhaled it. Then, at the very moment the melted light was about to enter her nose¡ª ¡°!¡± Balal paused and opened her eyes wide. At the same time, her whole body emitted streams of light, or more accurately, light fluctuated all around her. It was flowing out from her like a river running along a bank. Only then did the figure show his true color. ¡°The Demon Empire succeeded in annihilating the Penrils and capturing their god.¡± While Balal was flustered, he finally stood up and said, ¡°Of course, it was only possible with the Sernitas¡¯ help, and they had to hand over the spoils in return, but they didn¡¯t hand over everything.¡± He continued to speak as he looked at Balal, who gradually exerted a stronger glow and was unable to control the light at all. ¡°The two flowers I gave you are the result of intensely condensing the divinity of Penril¡¯s god.¡± Then he raised his hand and chuckled, slightly touching his index finger and thumb. ¡°But it¡¯s been adjusted very slightly. The connection between the two¡­¡± More and more light flowed out, and light was sprinkling like a shower everywhere. Anyone could see that she was extremely unstable. ¡°It¡¯s now time to pay the price for your greed.¡± Then he suddenly asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, God Kabal?¡± Balal¡¯s left eye turned black at once¡ªKabal had manifested along with her which didn¡¯t faze the man at all. He had already carried out his plan, and it was already too late to turn things around. ¡°You bastard! How dare you!¡± Kabal gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m a half-demon.¡± He snorted. ¡°No matter how hard I try, there¡¯s no hope in sight, so I¡¯m going back to my hometown. Do you find that a problem?¡± The way he spoke changed once Kabal appeared. ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t go empty-handed, so I need to bring a gift,¡± He said gleefully, looking at the furious Kabal and the helpless Balal. How did one break the godly territory? It was not that hard once its weakness was identified. One simply had to look at the matter from a different perspective. Opposites attract. That¡¯d been a saying since ancient times. Even poison could become medicine if one used a small amount according to the situation. In contrast, no matter how great a drug was, excessive use could make it toxic. For example, if one was looking for a way to blind people, diminishing their eyesight to the negatives wasn¡¯t the only way; raising it to an insane level would do the trick as well. This was possible because there was a limit to human vision. If one exceeded that limit, their brain wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. The half-demon¡¯s plan followed that same principle. He fed divinity that was beyond the control of an imperfect being. Of course, he purposefully gave a little too much in the process. ¡°But this is such a downer. I was a bit nervous because my opponent is a god.¡± While looking at Kabal, who was lighting up the entire main hall, he mocked her, ¡°As expected of your twin. The fact that she was greedy and tried to achieve an unreasonable dream is just like you.¡± Kabal groaned. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if the offerings were taken separately; the problem arose when the two flowers were combined. As if an agreement had been reached beforehand, the two divinity collided and exploded. As a result, the balance that was maintained by La Bella, who boasted one of the greatest powers even among the true neutral gods, was on the verge of breaking. ¡°How can you keep up the godly territory in that state?¡± he said teasingly. ¡°Ahhh. I¡¯m so upset. How can I get beaten by a punk like this? No, it¡¯s not me. Balal, you great idiot.¡± Kabal, who controlled half of the face, was angry, and the other half of the face was tearful. The half-demon laughed cheerfully at the sight. ¡°Haha! A fight between sisters! What a fascinating sight!¡± ¡°Ah. Ah. What shall I do? At this rate, the balance will be broken. Then the godly territory will go berserk.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use crying over spilled milk. What¡¯s the use of trying?¡± After laughing for a while, he suddenly cleared his throat. ¡°Oh, no. What should I do?¡± ¡°Calm down and listen to me. Is there a reason for you to let the godly territory go berserk?¡± He suggested in a sly tone, ¡°I¡¯ll say it bluntly. Release the godly territory while you can. Then what you most fear won¡¯t happen, and I¡¯ll be able to put in a good word for you to the demons who will be invading.¡± ¡°Oh. Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Also, wasn¡¯t your original alignment more in line with the Demon Empire? If you give up your futile dreams, you will be treated well in the Demon Empire.¡± ¡°Okay. Good.¡± In the next moment, the strange and mystical energy surrounding the whole city suddenly disappeared. It all happened in a flash, and the half-demon flinched. He didn¡¯t know how to describe it exactly, but he had thought she would ponder about her decision for at least a bit longer since she had her pride as a god. But it had happened all too easily. She was way too complacent, and there was another suspicious aspect. Thinking back, things had been odd since the very moment Kabal appeared. Although the plan was definitely going as planned, her reaction was a bit strange. Her tone was way too flat considering how furious she was supposed to be. ¡°Wow. I¡¯m in trouble. Damn it. I can¡¯t believe I fell for such a low trick. Damn. Shit. What the hell. Ahhh.¡± It was the same now. She sounded like she was reading from a textbook. A sudden thought crossed his mind, but he quickly shook it off. Regardless of her reaction, it was undeniable that the godly territory had been lifted, and like this, he perfectly fulfilled his side of the bargain. The only thing left for him to do was to greet and watch the Demon Empire mercilessly invade Shalyh. ¡°Hm¡­that¡¯s good. You¡¯ve made a great choice. Now then¡­¡± However, he wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence because Kabal was in a strange state. He hadn¡¯t been mistaken. The bright lights that had surged in chaotic fluctuations disappeared, as if everything he saw had all been an illusion. ¡°¡­¡± And when he saw Balal¡¯s eyes, he inadvertently gulped. Her flustered look was completely gone, and while showing half of her face, she stared emotionlessly at him. When he met her emotionless eyes, he felt a mysterious fear rear its ugly head. A shudder ran down his spine. ¡°Damn it. We¡¯re damned. Shalyh is now doomed¡­ Ah, wait. I don¡¯t have to put up this show anymore. I acted for no fucking reason.¡± Kabal, who had been murmuring to herself, suddenly frowned and spat on the ground. ¡°¡­What?¡± He asked with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°What did you just¡ª¡± When he was going to ask once more, he made eye contact with the deity before him. Balal smiled softly, and Kabal raised the corner of her side of the mouth. The moment he saw their cold sneer, he looked around in a hurry. 1. From One Piece. ? CH 249 Stomp, stomp. The sound of footsteps came from everywhere¡ªbehind pillars, in front of the doors leading to the yard, and even the entrance of the main hall. Soon, he looked around and found himself surrounded by many figures at once. ¡°Haiaru¡­!¡± Then he heard a familiar voice and turned around. His mouth gaped open. ¡°M-Murumuru?¡±He saw Murumuru, the leader of the half-demons, and four others of their kind. ¡°How are you here¡­!¡± ¡°I had my doubts,¡± Murumuru growled. ¡°When I heard what that guy told me, I thought it couldn¡¯t be! But¡­!¡± The half-demon called Haiaru whirled around when Murumuru said ¡®that guy¡¯. ¡°A human¡­?¡± Haiaru saw a human man in front of him; it was a face he had never seen before. He didn¡¯t know what was happening or why his companions had suddenly appeared like this, but Haiaru quickly racked his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are acting like this, but it¡¯s a misunderstanding, Murumuru. You must not believe that human¡¯s lies¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Murumuru cut Haiaru¡¯s off in an instant, and thus Haiaru realized things were going horribly wrong. But he believed it would still be alright since he had accomplished the most important goal. ¡°Why did you betray us¡­!¡± ¡°How am I the traitor?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s being stupid? Don¡¯t you know the current situation is better than anything else? What¡¯s the point of continuing this hopeless fight!?¡± The one who had done wrong was barking the loudest. Murumuru looked at Haiaru in bafflement, at a loss for words. ¡°I simply wanted to live. Is it a sin to look out for my survival?¡± ¡°¡­Did you finish everything you wanted to say?¡± Murumuru¡¯s voice dropped several octaves, and soon, a sword was drawn. It was clear from Murumuru¡¯s sharp gaze that he intended to slice Haiaru in two this instant. ¡°No, I still have things left to say,¡± Haiaru responded and even boldly suggested, ¡°Murumuru, since things have reached this point, why don¡¯t we join hands? Not just you, but every one of our kind.¡± Murumuru snorted, ¡°You really must have lost your mind. Do you really think we would accept your offer?¡± ¡°Is there any reason not to?¡± Haiaru calmly continued, ¡°You must also know the sort of treatment our kind has received until now. If those guys have at least a conscience, they shouldn¡¯t blame us for betraying them.¡± ¡°Nonsense. The Cassiubia League accepted us. We are fellow companions who bled and fought together!¡± ¡°All they did was accept us into their group. We fought with all we had in wars, but in reality, we were always treated like outsiders. And that¡¯s not all!¡± Haiaru gripped his fists tightly. ¡°Even though we passionately protested against it, the league ignored our complaints and took the humans into their fold!¡± ¡°So, you threw away the league for choosing to collaborate with humans and ran off to the Demon Empire of all places?¡± ¡°They promised me! They genuinely apologized for discriminating against us and said that they would treat us as equals if we fought with the empire now!¡± ¡°Ha! Do you seriously believe the Demon Empire?¡± Murumuru shook its head in astonishment. ¡°Be honest. You just thought we would lose this war, so you wanted to save yourself. That¡¯s all there is to it, Haiaru.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not even the Sernitas or the Abyss, but you dare join hands with the Demon Empire¡­ I suppose they were the only ones who would even pretend to accept you,¡± Murumuru said mockingly. ¡°You sly and vile coward. You should be ashamed of yourself! You are the shame of our kind!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine whatever insults you throw at me. You can blabber all you want.¡± Haiaru snorted. ¡°But as you are also my kind, I am giving you a chance.¡± ¡°A chance?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you found out, but it¡¯s already too late. Everything is over,¡± Haiaru said and glanced toward the entrance. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hearing it?¡± It was faint, but they could hear a mass number of enemies invading the city, and the sound was getting closer. It seemed like they would break through the city gates any time now. ¡°¡­It was true.¡± ¡°Did you think I was lying?¡± Murumuru murmured, and Haiaru made a confident smile. ¡°Do you realize it now? What you should do¡ª¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say a single lie¡­¡± A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Hm?¡± Haiaru blinked hard. What was Murumuru talking about? ¡°You are probably imagining a rosy future, soaking in your fantasies.¡± Murumuru raised its sword and pointed it at Haiaru. ¡°But I won¡¯t kill you immediately.¡± ¡°What are you saying all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It would be a waste to kill a guy like you now. You have to witness everything you¡¯ve caused with your own eyes.¡± ¡°Have you been listening to me? Do you still not realize the situation you are in?¡± ¡°And then, when you are in great despair, I will take special care to kill you slowly while inflicting the greatest amount of pain I can onto you.¡± Haiaru clicked his tongue, but Murumuru looked unbothered. Then Murumuru turned and nodded at Chi-Woo. It was a signal that Chi-Woo could begin now since the confirmation was done. ¡°It¡¯s truly interesting,¡± Kabal said in the state of Kabbalah. ¡°I agreed to it because of the conditions, but I didn¡¯t think everything would unravel so smoothly.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes shot toward the black-haired girl as she murmured. Then Haiaru gasped when he saw what was inside Kabal¡¯s hands. It was the flower of light he had presented as an offering. ¡°Why is that¡­!¡± Haiaru shouted. ¡°What is it?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°It¡¯s an item containing the condensed form of Penrils¡¯ god¡¯s divinity.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°With this much, we won¡¯t have to use your merits.¡± Kabal stroked the flower petals and smiled. ¡°It surprised me no matter how much I thought about it. To think every piece would fall perfectly into place. As expected¡­¡± Kabal looked at Chi-Woo intently and asked, ¡°You remember our promise right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s all I need to ask.¡± Kabal let out a long sigh. For some reason, she appeared a bit bitter and threw two flower petals toward Chi-Woo. Haiaru looked completely perplexed. What in the world were the two talking about? *** Going back to the past¡ªbefore Chi-Woo hashed out a plan with Evelyn. ¡°A godly territory isn¡¯t an almighty asset,¡± Evelyn told him. ¡°There are some who think they can just get any god to establish a godly territory by offering them merits. And they would have an advantage over the Demon Empire within the sanctuary.¡± Evelyn crossed her arms while speaking. ¡°But if a priest who studied ancient history heard this, they would be shaking their head like crazy at such a belief.¡± Then she asked the group, ¡°What do you guys think a godly territory is?¡± ¡°Uh¡­it¡¯s a holy territory,¡± Ru Hiana answered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you explain it in more concrete and specific terms?¡± Evelyn shook her head. Chi-Woo responded, ¡°It¡¯s a place where a god chooses as their territory and graces the land with their blessings and protection.¡± ¡°Correct!¡± Evelyn pointed at Chi-Woo and winked. ¡°It¡¯s as you say. A godly territory is where a god¡¯s influence has been strongly poured into¡ªa god¡¯s influence.¡± Evelyn put special emphasis on the word ¡®influence¡¯ and asked, ¡°Then, what do you think this influence is? What sort of influence does a god have that determines the godly territory¡¯s effects?¡± Evelyn answered her own question as it looked like nobody could answer. ¡°It¡¯s based on how they are formed.¡± She went on to explain that gods came to be based on a specific need. The reason why people talked of faith and prayed was that they wanted something. Like how people prayed to the Greek god Demeter for good harvest and Aphrodite for beauty and love, gods formed as wishes and prayers accumulated. Thus, the areas that gods had influence over were deeply connected to the will that gave them shape in the first place; and this was also related to the effects of the godly territory. ¡°For example, let¡¯s think of a god born from an infertile person¡¯s wish for a child. Once that god established a godly territory, what sort of effects do you think that godly territory would have?¡± ¡°Its effects must be related to child birth¡­?¡± Ru Hiana answered, and Evelyn nodded. ¡°Yes. For a person wanting a child, it would be a perfect location to go to. They can give birth to as many children as they want there. But what perks would that place have for a warrior?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or how helpful would that place be for someone who wishes to defeat the Demon Empire?¡± It would be meaningless to them. Blessings for children didn¡¯t give any direct benefits in a war. ¡°Then Kabbalah¡­.¡± Ru Amuh asked. ¡°She¡¯s an extremely special case,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Kabbalah is a forgotten god. Though she disappeared because she became unnecessary, she was resurrected thanks to a mighty god¡¯s powers.¡± It was thanks to La Bella re-establishing the balance. ¡°If she had established a godly territory in only her Kabal state, it wouldn¡¯t have made much of a difference now. After all, Kabal is originally a god of evil alignment¡­but there are other methods.¡± Like Evelyn said, Kabal was one of the exceptional gods. ¡°Because there¡¯s Balal.¡± Ru Amuh gasped in realization. Balal was an existence created to neutralize Kabal¡¯s evil so that she could evolve into a new being, which perfectly aligned with those who wanted to protect Shalyh against the Demon Empire. In other words, Balal allowed Kabal to have influence that matched the current situation. Thus, a godly territory with Balal in the center was created, but it had a clear weakness: Balal¡¯s fallibility. The Demon Empire would be aiming for that. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that even if we establish a godly territory, we have to secure a god with the right sort of influence first.¡± In other words, their priority was to find a god who would have a meaningful impact on the Demon Empire. Finding such a god wasn¡¯t an easy task. If it was, the Cassiubia League would¡¯ve already found gods from all sorts of places to establish godly territories. After thinking deeply about this matter, Ru Amuh spoke. ¡°What about God Bably? Isn¡¯t that the god who chose you, Lady Evelyn, as the saintess¡­¡± ¡°It will be great if God Bably is still here, especially since they have a long history and tradition of fighting demons¡­but that¡¯s not possible.¡± Evelyn licked her lips. ¡°If God Bably still existed, they would¡¯ve called me as soon as I was resurrected as the saintess again. But I couldn¡¯t sense any sort of revelation at all.¡± This meant only one thing: that the god named Bably was no longer in Liber. There was no way such a famous god could disappear due to a lack of need. It was more likely that God Bably had met an unfortunate end for mysterious reasons. ¡°What about God Shahnaz?¡± Ru Hiana asked. ¡°It¡¯s not really a good choice,¡± Evelyn answered. ¡°While not to Kabbalah¡¯s level, Shahnaz is also in a pretty rare category.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She used to be human, but she became a god because her tribe wished for her to be great after her death. So her foundation is based on native religious beliefs. Furthermore, she¡¯s the Queen of Conquest. We¡¯re trying to put our roots here, not go on conquests.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ru Hiana agreed. ¡°Then God La Bella¡ª¡± Chi-Woo started, but Evelyn immediately cut him off. ¡°No way. I don¡¯t know about other gods, but it can¡¯t be La Bella. Never.¡± ¡°W-Why?¡± Chi-Woo was stunned to have been shot down so severely. ¡°La Bella¡­is a double-edged sword.¡± Evelyn shuddered as if the thought alone made her fearful. ¡°She isn¡¯t just neutral. She seeks perfect neutrality. Don¡¯t you realize how scary that is?¡± La Bella was a god of balance who sought to find a perfect balance between good and evil. When Evelyn brought up this point, Chi-Woo realized what she was talking about. ¡°It might be fine now, but if you think about it in the long run, you have to avoid her at all costs. And if our enemies realize the basis of our godly territory then, they could easily use its effects for their own benefits.¡± Shahnaz was a no-go and La Bella was dangerous. It was the same for other gods like Mamiya or Miho. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything before we solve this problem.¡± Evelyn¡¯s statement was met with resounding silence. Finding a single god was extremely difficult in the current situation¡ªbut they even had to find one with the right kind of influence? Seemingly feeling hopeless about the situation, Evelyn flopped onto the sofa with a big sigh. ¡°Ha¡ªit¡¯s to the point that I want to borrow power from a foreign entity.¡± ¡°A foreign entity?¡± asked Chi-Woo. ¡°I mean gods outside of Liber,¡± Evelyn murmured. ¡°¡­I wonder where I could find one.¡± She spoke like she wished one would just fall from the sky. ¡°A high-status god with fighting prowess and wishes to vanquish evil¡­¡± Silence circled around the room, and most of them looked at her like they thought that would be very difficult¡ªexcept for one person. *** The city gates opened. ¡°Good! Charge forward!¡± ¡°Burn and loot! Indulge in anything you can do!¡± The great demons yelled, and armies rushed into the wide-open city gates. ¡°The godly territory status has been lifted,¡± one great demon said calmly while watching this scene unfold. ¡°The city gates are also open.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nothing happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All there¡¯s left to do is occupy this city,¡± the great demon with the calm voice said and glanced downward. Shersha was scanning her surroundings. ¡°Not yet¡­¡± she said in a faint voice, and the great demon sighed. If he could, he wanted to run into the battlefield. He wanted to stomp and burn down the holy city that had been an absolute eyesore. He had planned to do just that before Shersha insisted that they be careful. Thus, the great demon stood back for a moment and studied the situation, letting the lower-ranking great demons rush in first. They were like mice in experiments. ¡°What worries you so much, Shersha?¡± the calm voice asked like he couldn¡¯t understand. Of course, he respected Shersha¡¯s judgment and thought she must have a good reason for acting as she had never done before. Thus, he repressed his urge and waited. However, not all great demons in the single-digit ranks were like him. ¡°Ah, who cares! I can¡¯t endure it any longer! I¡¯m going!¡± One of them led their army and jumped into the fray. ¡°Damn it! Me too!¡± As one moved, the sentiment spread. Others also began to feel a sense of urgency, and thus another great demon quickly followed. Shersha scowled, but she couldn¡¯t forcefully stop them; she could only suggest to them to act a certain way. Demons were beings who enjoyed war, and moreover, they had a rule that only those who participated in war could claim loot. Many great demons of higher ranks couldn¡¯t bear to watch demons in lower ranks monopolize the spoils of war. It was then a streak of light shot down into the dark city. Silverish moonlight seeped through the cloud-filled sky and focused on one area. It was as if someone was coming down this path. ¡°?¡± When the great demon with a calm voice realized this fact, a mysterious sound rang in his ears. Dum, dum, dum, dum¡­.It was a deep rumble, like someone beating on drums, accompanied by horses clopping on the ground so hard that the earth shook. At first, the great demon thought the sound was coming from inside the city, but that wasn¡¯t the case. The source wasn¡¯t underground, but above them. Realizing that something strange was happening, the great demon raised his head and clearly witnessed a giant bird gracefully fly through the clouds. And a formidable giant descended from the sky riding this bird. The giant wore armor and equipment he had never seen before and held a giant guandao that reflected the moonlight and glowed a bluish light. ¡°What is that¡­?¡± The great demons stared with their mouths gaping at the sight of a being wholly foreign to them. White Horse Heavenly General, who guarded the great Jade Emperor and vanquished evil spirits to protect humans, was descending to Liber. CH 250 An untimely silence fell inside the temple of Kabbalah. A giant appeared, wearing a gong-shaped helmet with a fluttering red feather on top and metal cleats embedded on the sides and back of a padded aventail. Under his thick and bushy eyebrows, his deep-set eyes gave off a subtle glow. The white cloth wrapped around his brigandine shimmered in the wind, and the enormous golden guandao in his hand was big enough to split this temple into two. He looked like the very embodiment of an extraordinary general. He was the great general who guarded the great Jade Emperor and was even acknowledged by the heavens for his greatness. The Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters was the first Buddhist sutra translated into Chinese by two Indian monks Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna under the orders of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei, and the god who advocated and protected this scripture was no other than the White Horse Heavenly General. When the White Horse General first came down to Liber, he made a deal with Princess Sahee and handed over the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo had cherished these precious scriptures, which were as precious as sacred objects, and had planned to take them out when it became necessary. He judged that now was the best time for the White Horse General to garner faith in this world. ¡°¡­¡± Kabal looked up at the giant with her mouth open. She instinctively felt the gap between their strengths. There were clear differences in power even among gods. The White Horse General was a top-ranking god of Taoism and was allowed to escort the Jade Emperor who was in the 9th celestial rank. The gap between the two was too big to be described with mere words. Of course, Kabal wasn¡¯t the only one reacting that way. When Chi-Woo called forth the White Horse General with the talisman, Chi-Woo had been the only one who could see him, but now the general was visible to everyone since he had come down himself. As a result, they were all rendered speechless by the sheer enormity of his overwhelming presence. ¡°Sir White Horse Heavenly General, it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve graced us with your presence.¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I earnestly hope you¡¯ve been doing well.¡± He showed his utmost respect and bowed politely. The White Horse General lowered his eyes and looked at Chi-Woo. ¡ªIt¡¯s late¡­ A heavy voice broke the silence. ¡ªI thought you¡¯d call me sooner. There was a touch of reproach in his voice. Considering that Chi-Woo first summoned the general when he just entered Liber, it had indeed been a long time since they last met. Unfazed, Chi-Woo smiled and said, ¡°It took me a while to prepare a suitable stage, sir.¡± ¡ªA stage? ¡°Yes, after all, it¡¯s a stage to announce the presence of the great White Horse Heavenly General, who serves the Jade Emperor as the Five Heavenly Kings. I thought I needed to prepare a stage befitting your reputation and greatness.¡± ¡ªI see you¡¯re still quite the smooth talker. The White Horse General snorted and looked around. ¡ªThen let¡¯s see¡­ He trailed off and immediately flew into a rage, radiating murderous bloodthirst strong enough to cut through skin. ¡ªHow can there be so much evil energy all over the place¡­! Chi-Woo hid a smile as he saw how enraged the White Horse General was. When dealing with the Demon Empire, the more the god was on the opposite spectrum of evil, the more powerful their influence. Therefore, calling forth the White Horse General through the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters had been the correct choice. ¡°Please do not be too angry.¡± A woman suddenly sidled up to Chi-Woo and bowed her head. A dazzling beauty with long, straight black hair¡ªit was Onorables Evelyn. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this be a great opportunity for you to spread your great reputation on Liber as a foreign god?¡± ¡ªHmm? You are¡­ The White Horse General¡¯s eyes widened. There was a look of astonishment as he instantly saw through her potential and qualities. ¡°Great heavenly general, I beseech you to correct the orders of the universe by punishing the wicked demons who dare disturb the laws of heaven and earth at once.¡± Since Evelyn had experience serving the Queen of the Abyss, she spoke in a reverent and respectful manner. ¡°And if you would allow me,¡± Evelyn raised her head slightly and continued, ¡°I would like to take the lead in making those wicked fiends realize the great power of the White Horse General.¡± In other words, Evelyn was saying that she would be willing to become his first follower and Saintess. A Saintess was someone who acted as a stand-in for a god, entrusted to directly receive and deliver the god¡¯s will. Obviously, it was a very important position, so not everyone could do it. Their qualification as well as numerous factors needed to be considered in a holistic perspective. On the other hand, Evelyn was a talent who had so much potential as a Saintess that one of the main gods of Liber, Babyl, specially eyed and marked her as their Saintess. ¨CHmm¡­. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. However, the White Horse General didn¡¯t seem too keen on Evelyn¡¯s suggestion; he admitted that Evelyn¡¯s qualities and talents were indeed extraordinary. However, as a high-ranking god, he could see that Evelyn was already tied to another master. There was no god who would be pleased that their Saintess, who was supposed to serve them more closely than anyone else, had another being they were devoted to. Originally, he would have refused no matter how exceptional the person was. However¡­ ¡ªEvery time I come down, I end up doing things favorable for him. He glanced at Chi-Woo and muttered in a slightly begrudging tone. ¡ªAh, I know. Since I said I¡¯ll help, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll do this on my own, so princess, please put in a good word for me to the Jade Emperor as you promised. The White Horse General began talking as if he was conversing with another person. Then he clicked his tongue, and while stroking his long beard, he said to Evelyn. ¡ªJudging from your condition, it doesn¡¯t seem like you have to take a vow. ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ve already been saved once. I¡¯ll never betray him.¡± ¡ªAll right. As long as that oath is kept, I will always protect you, and my guandao will always be with you. Chi-Woo stared at Evelyn, who was talking to the White Horse General with a smile. He had a hard time understanding what they were talking about. ¡ªThen I¡¯ll ask. How are you planning to make my name known? ¡°It¡¯s simple, great general. First of all, shouldn¡¯t we let the whole world know that the great White Horse General has descended?¡± ¡ªNot a bad idea. ¡°And if we use this area as the domain of the great White Horse General, would those wicked demons dare to run wild as they do now?¡± After saying this, Evelyn winked at Chi-Woo. They had used one of the sacred flowers to call the White Horse General, and Chi-Woo took out the remaining one. The White Horse General showed his teeth as he detected a considerable amount of divinity. ¡ªWhen you said you worked hard to prepare a stage for me, I guess you weren¡¯t lying. ¡°Great heavenly general, how would I dare lie to you?¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡ªGood, very good. Then go ahead and give the offering to me. I want to quickly show these evil demons that heaven is alive and well. At the White Horse General¡¯s urging, Chi-Woo carefully placed the sacred flower on the scripture. When the White Horse General took a big breath, the flower melted down into the scripture with a bright light. The Demon Empire¡¯s plan didn¡¯t work on a perfect god without any unstableness or gaps. The disturbance outside had now approached the temple, but there was no need to hesitate anymore. When the White Horse General lifted his guandao high into the air, his crane also arched its neck and stretched its legs to get ready to fly. Soon after, the general¡¯s eyes flashed menacingly. ¡ªI¡¯ll show you the power of the White Horse General! With the White Horse General¡¯s loud cry, the crane also cried out, and with one swing, his flashing guandao caused a terrifying storm. * * * While entering the holy city, Botis, the 17th great demon, felt that something was off. He couldn¡¯t place it exactly, but there was something strange going on. When they first broke through the walls and entered Shalyh, he had been full of expectations. But it turned out to be quieter than he¡¯d anticipated, too quiet for it to be normal. He couldn¡¯t even see a single rat on the street. Even though the Demon Empire had arrived during the night, people should already be running out in a frenzy with the great disturbance they made. However, while crossing the street, Botis didn¡¯t see a single soul. He even began wondering if the enemy had escaped. A thought that this might be a trap flashed across his mind, but Botis dismissed it as impossible since it was clearly disproved by the disappearance of the godly territory. He firmly believed that this wasn¡¯t a trap until he saw a big white bird coming down from the moon. After he witnessed this abnormal phenomenon and turned towards the temple shortly after¡ª Bang! He heard an ear-splitting sound. It was a roar that sounded like heavily compressed air bursting out at once. A strong wind swept through the city. Then the air swelled up like a large balloon with a clear milky color. Centering around the temple of Kabbalah, it became bigger and rounder and stretched further and further. The round membrane did not stop growing even after reaching the size of the holy city, Shalyh. While it expanded in all directions without stopping, the milky-color of the layer gradually faded. After covering an expansive area, it completely assimilated into the atmosphere and disappeared. When he passed through the layer, Botis felt like he was passing through a bubble, and since then, a mysterious and heavily sweet scent tickled his nose. ¡°What¡­¡± This scent felt very clear and refreshing to the monsters in the Cassiubia League and humans, but¡ª ¡°Ah¡­?¡± It was unimaginably painful to demons and instinctively brought intense feelings of fear and repulsion. ¡°Aghhhhhhhhh!¡± Botis¡¯ screams rang out, and his stiff neck bent. ¡°What in the world¡­ugh, ahghhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± He couldn¡¯t even speak properly; that was how hard it was to bear it. It wouldn¡¯t have been as painful had he entered Kabbalah¡¯s godly territory. Botis could swear that he had never felt such a powerful and pure energy before. Since a great demon like him was suffering like this, there was no need to explain the condition of his soldiers. They were all crying out in agony. Among them, there were several anguses that rolled on the ground while holding their heads, and in more severe cases, their whole bodies had melted. Moreover, Botis wasn¡¯t alone in this predicament; all the great demons who entered Shalyh were suffering. He had entered Shalyh after seeing the godly territory disappear, but a new god territory had quickly replaced it¡ªand a much stronger one at that. Green saliva began dripping from Botis¡¯ mouth. He didn¡¯t fall down and crumble like his soldiers, but he could only barely manage to stand. ¡®At this rate¡­!¡¯ No, it would be impossible to invade Shalyh at this rate. Unfortunately, he was near the center of the godly territory where its effect was the strongest. It was crazy to fight here, as it was no different than asking his enemies to kill him. It now became a secondary matter to assess the situation and figure out the cause of this unexpected phenomenon; his first priority was to get out alive. Panicked, Botis tried to escape by himself before his strength dwindled further, but even that became a lost cause as monsters from the Cassiubia League and humans appeared one by one. ¡°What¡­is this for real? Really?¡± They were all surprised as they saw anguses roll around the floor and Botis shaking and groaning in pain. ¡°Wow, shit. This is a fucking feast!¡± Some even excitedly huffed and shouted eagerly. Since they were all eager to increase their strengths, they couldn¡¯t contain their excitement at a chance to easily get stronger. Some of them even smacked their lips as they saw Botis. ¡°These fucking¡­bastards¡­¡± Botis gritted his teeth. Who knew that the Demon Empire, which was always in the position of a predator, would become delicious prey instead? ¡°First comes first serve!¡± Eventually, one person couldn¡¯t stand still and pulled out a knife and charged ahead. However, as soon as they were about to swing their sword at an angus, the angus retaliated with everything it had and opened its mouth wide, emitting green smoke. ¡°Poison?!¡± The startled hero faltered. They were in the perfect position to be wholly covered in poison gas, but it completely disappeared as if it was purified as soon as it came out. The hero¡¯s troubled expression changed into one of surprise. ¡°Wow¡­¡± The hero blinked at the shining lights and glanced back at the angus. Slice! When the hero cut through the angus, poison gas burst out from its stomach, but it disappeared after being neutralized. The hero¡¯s mouth opened wide. They were experiencing and confirming the godly territory¡¯s effect firsthand and realized that at least in here, they didn¡¯t have to fear the Demon Empire. Then what was the next course of action? To run wild. ¡°It¡¯s free foooooood!¡± The hero who had cast the first stone shouted with joy. At the hero¡¯s cry, other members of the Cassiubia League and humanity rushed out from all directions and started killing enemies all at the same time. Woaaaaaaaaaah! The sound of cheering and shouting reached even the main hall of the temple. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s begun.¡± Ru Amuh looked back at the entrance while putting his hand on the hilt of the magic sword he obtained from Narsha Haram. ¡°We should also participate in the festival before it¡¯s too late, right?¡± Evelyn also rose from her seat with a bright smile. Ru Hiana and Hawa were already feeling impatient to join the battle; they didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity to grow significantly. Thus, they ran out without another word, and when Chi-Woo was also about to also hurry out¡ª ¡°Wait.¡± He was stopped by a familiar voice. When he looked back, he saw Murumuru keeping Haiaru subdued. ¡°Let me just ask you one question.¡± Murumuru asked bluntly, ¡°Why did you help us?¡± On the day of the operation, Chi-Woo had sought out Murumuru in private with Mangil¡¯s help. Murumuru didn¡¯t believe him at first, but had followed him after Chi-Woo said he¡¯d present sufficient evidence. And after witnessing the truth, Murumuru realized what a dangerous situation the half-demons were faced with. ¡°If you wanted, you could have treated all of us as traitors.¡± Since they were half-demons, they weren¡¯t looked upon kindly by everyone. If Chi-Woo had exposed this treacherous act, the half-demon tribe¡¯s position would fall even lower than before. However, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t done that; he listened to Murumuru¡¯s words that the half-demon tribe was innocent and even gave them a chance to prove their innocence. Moreover, they had a bad relationship since the start. Murumuru was extremely curious why Chi-Woo was helping the half-demons. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to help.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not like the entire half-demon tribe made a mistake.¡± Chi-Woo calmly continued, ¡°Only one of you misstepped.¡± Murumuru slightly flinched and looked at Chi-Woo with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Do you really mean¡­that?¡± When Murumuru mumbled the question, Chi-Woo frowned. He didn¡¯t understand why Murumuru was asking him that when they were so busy. All he had done was reasonably settle the matter. Chi-Woo tilted his head and asked, ¡°Am I wrong then?¡± ¡°¡­No, ¡± Murumuru barely managed to answer. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t turn around and leave yet because it seemed Murumuru had something left to say. After he wanted and wanted until he almost became irritated, Murumuru quietly said, ¡°I won¡¯t¡­forget. I¡¯ll remember this.¡± Then Murumuru turned around and joined the rest of the half-demons detaining Haiaru. Chi-Woo glanced at Murumuru and quickly ran out after a shrug. Although the festival was in full swing as Evelyn had said, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even glance at it. He had something much more important to do. ¡®I need to meet her!¡¯ Chi-Woo carefully looked around and bolted across the alley. CH 251 The great demons waiting outside the city clearly witnessed the appearance of a new godly territory after Kabbalah¡¯s godly territory was destroyed. Though they didn¡¯t feel it as keenly as Botis, who was at the center of the event, they were also stunned and terrified of the new godly territory¡¯s effects; and even though they were merely standing near its border, they felt their powers weaken continuously. The great demon with the calm voice was shocked beyond disbelief. He had been sure that they could burn down Shalyh city. But in just a couple of seconds, the situation had changed 180 degrees. It felt as if he had been struck hard at the back of his head. It was then realization dawned on him: ¡®They knew everything¡­!¡¯ The great demon with the calm voice tried to quickly organize his thoughts. He couldn¡¯t think about continuing the battle anymore. He didn¡¯t know where his enemies had retrieved a god like this, but the influence this godly territory had was even beyond God Babyl, who was famous for their powers against demons. They needed to retreat now. If they continued forward, it was clear all the great demons would be wiped out. That mustn¡¯t happen at all costs. Each one was a precious asset to the Demon Empire, and he must try to save as many as possible by opening up a path to the outside for them. ¡®I can get at most ten out¡­more than that would be too much.¡¯ The great demon with the calm voice coldly assessed the situation and tried to choose the best option for the Demon Empire. In the worst-case scenario¡ªeven if he couldn¡¯t save the other great demons, he needed to keep Shersha alive because she was a very rare existence¡ªalmost an impossibility. ¡°Sher¡­!¡± He looked around and his face became blank. ¡°¡­sha?¡± Shersha had just been beside him, but she was gone. She had suddenly disappeared. Knowing her, there was no way she would have escaped on her own. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ He looked back to Shalyh and yelled in frustration, ¡°Astarte!¡± At his call, Astarte immediately came flying. ¡°I don¡¯t see Shersha! Quickly find her and get out of this place!¡± Astarte scowled. It seemed she had an inkling of where Shersha could be as she quickly flew into the city. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡®Shersha, why in the world¡­!¡¯ The great demon with a calm voice chewed on his lip and quickly raised his arm when an explosion erupted. Bam! He took two steps back and opened his eyes. Before him was a platinum blonde girl. She stretched out her hands at him, followed by a group of her kind. Apoline had pretended to go outside on an expedition and turned around to ambush the demons from behind. With this, the great demon realized that his enemy had known everything and prepared a trap for them. ¡°So annoying,¡± Apoline said. She seemed greatly displeased by something. ¡°How dare he look down on me?¡± She heaved and blasted another ball of fire. The great demon with the calm voice saw white steam rise from the arm he used to block the attack and hurriedly escaped. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t block it. In normal times, he wouldn¡¯t have even been scathed with an attack of this level. But right now, his powers were continuously depleting, and he needed to salvage as much energy as possible. ¡°Just because he is a Choi, does he think he can do anything he wants!?¡± Apoline shouted words that her opponent couldn¡¯t understand at all. Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Then, like she was unleashing her anger, she triggered a flurry of explosions. The great demon gritted his teeth when he saw the explosions coming his way. *** Chi-Woo ran. He passed everything in his surroundings and only ran. When he met Shersha, there was something he wanted to ask her no matter what. And to do so, he needed to find her. But finding a single person in an entire city in chaos wasn¡¯t an easy task. ¡®Should I just¡­participate in battle?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought if he made himself stand out while fighting, Shersha would notice him and approach him first. But Chi-Woo shook his head at this thought. Even if she came to him, there would be a problem. Everyone around him was acting crazy for blood, and it was obvious what they would do if they saw Shersha. After contemplating this matter, Chi-Woo suddenly stopped walking. He realized it wasn¡¯t something to ponder so deeply about. Shersha had the power of prophecy. If she had come, it was probably to meet him. Thus, there was a high chance Shersha would actively try to find him. ¡®Would she be able to predict where I would go?¡¯ What would be a place they could meet and talk for a bit in this situation? It was neither in the main base nor in enemy lines. Places where battles were happening were also out of the question. He needed to get out of Shalyh city but still stay within the godly territory. Chi-Woo immediately moved again. Although he saw people battling from time to time, he passed all of them and eventually went through the city gates. Then he looked around. He was planning to go in a circle from a distance outside the city when he realized that would be unnecessary. There was no need to even wait. Shersha was already waiting there alone, without anyone to guard her in this dangerous situation. Chi-Woo slowly stopped walking. Shersha turned around and stared intently at him. Then she spoke. ¡°¡­It¡¯s you¡­It was you¡­¡± Chi-Woo walked a bit closer to her. It was because her voice was so faint that it seemed to be smothered by the surrounding noises. ¡°You¡­changed the present¡­¡± Shersha said once more. Shersha looked just as Chi-Woo had seen her in the future. Her eyes were blank, and her face was impossible to read. Chi-Woo felt conflicted. They had finally met, but his mouth wouldn¡¯t open easily. There were too many things he wanted to say, and he didn¡¯t know which one to bring up first. Thus, he thought he should speak whatever came to his mind, ¡°¡­You knew I was the one who changed the future and also how I changed it.¡± Shersha nodded in agreement and then shook her head. ¡°To some extent¡­but I don¡¯t know everything¡­¡± She continued in a low voice and stared piercingly at Chi-Woo. ¡°Tell me¡­What did we talk about¡­when I met you¡­in the future¡­?¡± ¡°You helped me,¡± Chi-Woo answered, and Shersha tilted her head slightly. ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°You got me out of prison, helped me collect information, and even personally gave me information while knowing the price would be your life.¡± A look of surprise flashed through Shersha¡¯s face. It seemed she didn¡¯t think she would¡¯ve gone that far in the future. ¡°Then¡­do you know the limit¡­to my prophecy¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If I even told you that¡­then¡­¡± Shersha blinked hard and asked, ¡°What else¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­I think you also asked me if I was going to change the future.¡± ¡°And¡­?¡± Chi-Woo licked his lips at her nonstop questions. Was there anything more? Ah, there was one. ¡°There was something your friend said to me.¡± ¡°A friend¡­?¡± ¡°A great demon with red hair.¡± Shersha let out a small gasp. ¡°What¡­did she say¡­?¡± ¡°She said she knew you would make this choice while looking at your dead body.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She said though she couldn¡¯t understand you, she wasn¡¯t pleased with the present¡ªno, the future Demon Empire.¡± Shersha fell into silence. Although her face was still unreadable, it seemed Chi-Woo¡¯s words had left a deep impression on her. It could be Chi-Woo¡¯s misunderstanding, but she also seemed slightly shocked. Then, after some time, Shersha spoke again. ¡°¡­I see¡­¡± Shersha let out a deep sigh. ¡°Eventually¡­that future....¡± Her eyes narrowed, and her expression turned bitter. After waiting patiently, Chi-Woo spoke again. There was one thing he wanted to confirm the most. It was what Shersha wanted along with him despite being the enemy. ¡°So, how is it? Did our future change?¡± Shersha didn¡¯t reply immediately. She stared at Chi-Woo intently again like she was pondering and hesitating. Then, when she was about to open her mouth, a person suddenly intervened. ¡°Shersha!¡± A woman descended from the sky and staggered backward to block Shersha from the front. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. He recognized her face. She was the great demon with red hair that he spoke to in the future. ¡°What are you doing here? Why did you suddenly act on your own?¡± She asked. ¡°I¡­was talking¡­¡± Shersha said. ¡°¡­What?¡± Astarte turned around, and her face hardened. ¡°Teacher!¡± It was because several others were also catching up to Chi-Woo. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± There wasn¡¯t only Ru Amuh, but also Evelyn and Hawa. Their appearances were unexpected. Chi-Woo had thought they would be too focused on collecting merits to care about anything else right now. ¡°We saw you running, so¡­¡± Ru Amuh trailed off. It seemed he had followed Chi-Woo after sensing his strange absence. Astarte gritted her teeth when she saw those three. ¡°Quickly run! I will take care of things here¡ª¡± She told Shersha. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°S-Shersha?¡± ¡°I¡­came to talk.¡± Shersha pushed away Astarte and took one step forward. Astarte was about to ask what Shersha meant when she heard Chi-Woo echo her sentiment. ¡°Everyone stand by,¡± Chi-Woo said while raising his hand. ¡°If you want merits, go somewhere else. Don¡¯t fight here without my permission.¡± Evelyn stopped joking that Chi-Woo wanted to hoard tasty prey by himself, and Hawa stopped licking her lips while pulling out her daggers. Ru Amuh also looked at Chi-Woo blankly. They had two great demons in front of them. They couldn¡¯t understand why Chi-Woo was telling them to forgo this great opportunity and not fight when their enemies were right in front of them. But fortunately, the three listened to him. Shersha seemed to be of the same mind, and she spoke again. ¡°The future¡­changed to what I wanted¡­But not¡­for you¡­¡± Chi-Woo furrowed. What was she saying? ¡°The future you wanted¡­didn¡¯t change¡­¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°You simply¡­received a postponement¡­¡± Shersha¡¯s voice sounded ready to break. She lowered her gaze like she couldn¡¯t bear to look Chi-Woo straight in the eye and continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­I told you in the future¡­A definite future¡­can never change¡­¡± Yes, that was what she told him. But Chi-Woo looked back and saw the holy city protected by a strong godly territory. Forces from the demon empire were being mercilessly killed there. How could Shersha say that the future hadn¡¯t changed at all then? ¡°But¡­we still bought some time¡­¡± Shersha continued. ¡°So¡­it¡¯s my turn this time¡­if you can help me¡­¡± Chi-Woo chewed on his lower lip. He wanted to ask Shersha what in the world she meant and that she should just tell him everything. But Chi-Woo also knew she couldn¡¯t do that, and she was telling him everything she could tell him within her means. ¡°Before that¡­there¡¯s something. I want to ask you¡­¡± Shersha asked. ¡°What¡­are you¡­going to do to Liber¡­?¡± It was an unexpected question. ¡°And are you going to extinguish us¡­? Or¡­are you going to keep the law of balance¡­and let us live under that law¡­?¡± It seemed Shersha had come to this place to ask Chi-Woo this single question. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Of course, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of what Shersha was saying. Shersha spoke as if he had the authority and ability to make such a decision while he currently had no such power. ¡°Think hard¡­¡± Shersha spoke like she was appeasing him. ¡°In the future you saw¡­remember what happened¡­at the end...¡± What would¡¯ve happened if she had let Chi-Woo be in the future? ¡®Well...¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly recalled the time he broke through his limits and awakened. It had been the most dangerous time among the three futures he went to. If it wasn¡¯t for Shersha, Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t have been able to return to the present. Instead, he would explode just like that and turn Shalyh city into ashes. ¡®Wait.¡¯ As soon as Chi-Woo thought of the ashes, another scene came to his mind. In the first future where nothing remained, he was the only one standing¡­ ¡®No way.¡¯ Chi-Woo thought of one possibility of what could¡¯ve happened. If the one who caused that scene wasn¡¯t the Demon Empire, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo realized that his hands were shaking. When he looked at Shersha, she was staring at him with a hardened look on her face. After confirming Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction, Shersha asked, ¡°So would you¡­let us live¡­?¡± It was a question Chi-Woo had heard before. ¡°Would you¡­let us go¡­safely¡­?¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t answer. The truth he had sensed and been ignoring was rising to the surface now. His head was in a mess. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time¡­¡± Shersha¡¯s faint voice trembled as she felt her powers dwindle bit by bit. She sounded nervous. ¡°Quickly¡­¡± It was then a loud explosion pierced through the air and shook the earth. Bam! Chi-Woo¡¯s body shook, but he soon recollected his senses. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± When Chi-Woo regained his balance, he heard a familiar voice. ¡°I suppose it was bound to happen in the end.¡± Stomp, stomp. As the footsteps became louder, Astarte¡¯s face grew paler, and even Shersha¡¯s eyes looked fearful. Chi-Woo felt a similar feeling. Usually, this man would¡¯ve been the person Chi-Woo would¡¯ve depended on and trusted the most, but that wasn¡¯t the case today. ¡°You took the shortcut¡­but you still did good work.¡± Chi-Woo felt a figure approach him and place a hand on his head. Chi-Woo¡¯s breath hitched, and he looked slightly to the side and saw his brother¡¯s tired face. It was Chi-Hyun. CH 252 The atmosphere froze with the appearance of the legend. Even Shersha, a great demon in the single-digit rank, clearly expressed her fear. It was the same for Chi-Woo. He didn¡¯t want his brother of all people to come to this place right now, because he was the only one who wouldn¡¯t back down under his family name¡¯s authority. Why did he have to appear at this time? ¡°How¡­are you here¡­?¡± ¡°I flew here,¡± Chi-Hyun responded dryly and stopped to look at his surroundings. He checked Ru Amuh¡¯s, Eveyln¡¯s, and Hawa¡¯s responses before looking back at Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­Did you tell them who you are?¡± Chi-Hyun asked, and Chi-Woo instinctively avoided his gaze. Seeing their responses, Chi-Hyun sensed that Chi-Woo had revealed his true identity to his companions. ¡°Why¡­no. Let¡¯s talk about that later,¡± Chi-Hyun said. It was a conversation for a later time. The situation in front of them was more important right now. Chi-Hyun¡¯s response calmed Chi-Woo down a bit, but his heart was still beating rapidly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you at the mountain range?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°I came flying as soon as the situation settled over there.¡± Chi-Woo was about to say that it should¡¯ve still been impossible for Chi-Hyun to arrive so soon, but Chi-Hyun added, ¡°I flew nonstop, day and night, straight through the Demon Empire.¡± Chi-Woo gaped. Instead of taking the safe, winding route, Chi-Hyun had gone straight through the enemy¡¯s territory to minimize the distance he needed to travel¡ªwithout any sleep at that. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even need to ask why Chi-Hyun had overexerted himself to do that because he had a good guess. ¡°I see¡­that you changed the present,¡± Chi-Hyun said, seeing the strong godly territory encompassing the holy city Shalyh. Chi-Hyun was saying the same thing as Shersha: that Chi-Woo changed the present instead of the future. ¡°With this postponement, it¡¯s worrisome what will come in the future¡­¡± Chi-Hyun murmured. What did they mean? Chi-Woo wondered what kind of future both Shersha and Chi-Hyun were talking about. ¡°But if we deal with the princess of the Demon Empire, I suppose we can say it was sort of a good deal. Not a very profitable one though.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s heart sank. This wasn¡¯t the time for him to wonder about other matters. He had his doubts, but it seemed certain that his brother was planning to kill the two great demons. No, it was only natural that his brother would think that way in this situation. He, especially, should¡¯ve known this as the one behind the Demon Empire¡¯s current troubling predicament; even so, Chi-Woo thought Shersha and Astarte were exceptional cases. ¡°You have done a lot, but there are many things I need to ask you. Like how you set all this up and why an exterior god suddenly descended to Liber.¡± Chi-Hyun moved toward Shersha and Astarte. ¡°But there¡¯s no need for you to worry too much since I came¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun stopped talking and walking. It was because Chi-Woo had suddenly approached him and clutched his shoulders. Chi-Hyun saw his brother¡¯s anxious face and smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bother them.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t? Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Did you really think I was going snatch away the merits you could have?¡± After feeling hopeful, Chi-Woo¡¯s heart sank again. His brother was clearly misunderstanding something and was still intent on getting rid of the two great demons in front of them. He didn¡¯t seem to be considering any options other than that. ¡°I¡¯m only going to hold them down just in case¡­¡± Chi-Hyun continued moving with a bland smile. But he couldn¡¯t go farther, because Chi-Woo quickly got right in front of him to block him, as if he was trying to protect the two great demons. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­Chi-Hyun.¡± Chi-Woo felt out of breath from the nervousness. He had desperately wished that his brother would never meet Shersha, but it couldn¡¯t be helped now. He needed to hold his ground. ¡°Can¡¯t you just let me take care of this?¡± Chi-Woo cautiously asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Chi-Hyun appeared confused. ¡°I said I won¡¯t take away your merits. You can take them all yourself. You deserve it.¡± Naturally, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t even have an inkling of what was really going on inside Chi-Woo¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we let these two live? Let them go this time.¡± While shocked, Chi-Hyun also suddenly felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He had felt this same emotion when seeing Chi-Woo for the first time on Liber. He wished to be mistaken; hoped and prayed that he had imagined seeing Chi-Woo. And like that time, Chi-Hyun hoped that he had heard wrong. But in the end, Chi-Hyun knew he had clearly heard his brother and didn¡¯t waste time with meaningless talk. Drip, drip. In the silence, the ground began to be blotted with stains. Little raindrops fell from the sky, and after a short silence, Chi-Hyun lowered his head slightly and inhaled. He stared intently at his brother¡¯s trembling eyes and said, ¡°Tell me your reasons.¡± Chi-Hyun was clearly restraining himself, but it sounded like he was going to make his judgment after hearing his brother out. Chi-Woo quickly spoke, ¡°I told you before. You know how we discussed what it would mean to let them live in the future¡ª¡± ¡°And I told you at that time that it¡¯s not something to even waste your time thinking about.¡± The situation on Liber was simple: it was to eat or be eaten. There weren¡¯t allies or neutral entities. And the demons in front of them were enemies through and through. Thus, when a great opportunity to kill a formidable enemy presented itself, it didn¡¯t make sense to let them live just because they asked for it. Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t understand nor accept such logic. But that wasn¡¯t the case for Chi-Woo. Though the two were brothers, their thoughts and way of thinking were completely different. ¡°You must also know,¡± Chi-Woo started again. Realizing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to change his brother¡¯s mind with that alone, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t give up and continued. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Shersha that this situation became possible.¡± It was a fact that neither could deny. If Shersha hadn¡¯t helped Chi-Woo while risking death, Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t have even been able to come back to the present. ¡°So?¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. It sounded like he was asking Chi-Woo ¡®what about it?¡¯ Then, after a long sigh, Chi-Hyun said in a calmer voice. ¡°Chi-Woo. It seems like you are really misunderstanding something.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± ¡°That great demon isn¡¯t on our side. She¡¯s our enemy.¡± Then Chi-Hyun asked in a more forceful tone, ¡°Why do you think that great demon helped you in the future?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because¡­¡± ¡°To help humanity? That¡¯s utter nonsense. Or she can prove it to us now.¡± Chi-Hyun looked over his brother¡¯s shoulder and quickly said, ¡°Swear that you will change sides to be with humanity. If a full conversion is difficult, you can seek asylum and promise to give information that¡¯s useful in our war against the Demon Empire in the future. Then I will consider your proposal more seriously.¡± Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Chi-Woo looked back at him. Shersha didn¡¯t answer; she simply struggled under the effects of the godly territory. The expression on her face, though, was one of firm refusal. ¡°See?¡± Chi-Hyun seemed to have expected this response. ¡°The great demon didn¡¯t help you for us humans. I¡¯m sure the future of the Demon Empire that she saw was dire too, and that¡¯s why she used you to change their future.¡± In other words, Shersha helped out simply for the Demon Empire. That was true, and even Chi-Woo was aware of Shersha¡¯s aims. However, Chi-Woo knew that whatever her intentions were, in the end, it had resulted in both sides benefitting. ¡°But her actions were beneficial to us in the end. And it can continue to be like that.¡± It was then Chi-Hyun realized what Chi-Woo wanted and why Chi-Woo was making such ridiculous statements. ¡°¡­Yes, it could happen.¡± Surprisingly, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t disagree immediately and acknowledged Chi-Woo¡¯s points. ¡°But no.¡± ¡°Hyung.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done speaking.¡± Chi-Hyun raised his hand. ¡°The value of our opponent is too great for us to do what you suggested.¡± Shersha was one of the top seven great demons in the Demon Empire. In a society that valued strength foremost, she didn¡¯t receive special treatment for her military might, but her ability to prophesize. It was pointless to go on about how special it was. ¡°Her prophecies continuously guide the Demon Empire on the next steps to take. Why would you miss this great opportunity to get rid of something like that?¡± It was a scary ability for an enemy to have, and that was the reason why the Demon Empire protected her like a precious treasure. Normally, Shersha shouldn¡¯t have even come out to the battlefield and exposed herself to danger like this. The Demon Empire had taken an aggressive stance on war and conquest until now with a high probability of success. If they erased Shersha¡¯s existence now, they would be able to make a huge dent on the Demon Empire¡¯s momentum. Of course, this was the case even if they considered that prophecies weren¡¯t an absolute thing and were wrong sometimes¡ªbut ironically, this was the point that Chi-Hyun used to support his point. ¡°Can you guarantee that things will go as you say?¡± Chi-Hyun asked. Chi-Woo closed his mouth. There was no guarantee. ¡°I thought so.¡± This had been a very special case, and there was no guarantee that they would benefit from Shersha¡¯s prophesying power next time. ¡°Even if the present is heading to the future that you want right now, no one knows what will happen at the end. And the future you want isn¡¯t the definite future we know of.¡± The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sarte once said, ¡®Living is a choice between life and death.¡¯ Even the most menial choices changed the future continuously, and in accordance with this sentiment, Chi-Hyun said, ¡°The future can change at any time. That¡¯s why it¡¯s too dangerous. You should know what I mean¡­better than anyone else now.¡± It was as Chi-Hyun said. As someone who had gone to three very different futures, Chi-Woo had no choice but to agree with Chi-Hyun. Thus, instead of letting Shersha go for a future they weren¡¯t sure would come, it seemed more logical to kill her then and there for a great benefit that was certain. Chi-Hyun¡¯s words were so logical that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t refute them easily. ¡°Still¡­¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t back down. ¡°You can at least hear her out¡­!¡± ¡°Hear what?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyebrows lowered again. ¡°Her prophecies are too uncertain to carry out anyways.¡± Knowing the constraints that Shersha was bound by, they couldn¡¯t fully rely on her abilities. Annoyed that Chi-Woo didn¡¯t get it no matter how much he explained, Chi-Hyun said in a slightly harsher tone, ¡°Seriously, what is your reason for acting this way? Aren¡¯t you the one who set up this situation? But you of all people want to let them go alive? How can you be certain that what you want to do is right?¡± Chi-Woo was certain despite not having anything concrete to back it up. The reason for that was¡­. ¡°¡­It¡¯s my intuition.¡± ¡°Intuition?¡± ¡°Yes, my intuition.¡± Chi-Hyun clicked his tongue. He looked baffled and astonished. Chi-Woo also knew that somebody who didn¡¯t know of his situation would have looked at him as a madman. But Chi-Woo felt it when his brother suddenly appeared¡ªhe realized why he kept thinking of Shersha before the Demon Empire came to invade and why Astarte¡¯s words had kept lingering in his head¡ªand why he had hurriedly ran to this place as soon as the godly territory was established. Chi-Woo knew that if he had gone to participate in the battle to gain merits, Chi-Hyun would¡¯ve found Shersha first and killed her, and he needed to prevent that at all costs. This sort of thing didn¡¯t only happen on Liber. It happened many times in his youth, when his intuition shouted at him to act a specific way¡ªand this time, it told him that he needed to protect Shersha from his brother and return her to safety. ¡°Quit it,¡± Chi-Hyun then said. ¡°We should just stop.¡± Chi-Woo felt his anxiety surge. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to change your thoughts,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same for you. So now, I¡¯m going to do my best to kill those two.¡± ¡°No, listen to me¡ª¡± ¡°You can try to stop me using all means possible.¡± A great amount of energy shot out of Chi-Hyun¡¯s body, and Chi-Woo instinctively took a step back. He felt fear that he had never felt before. Chi-Woo could understand why even a great demon would¡¯ve feared his brother now, but that was how determined Chi-Hyun was. There was no way Chi-Woo could stop his brother in such a state. ¡®¡­No,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and pulled out a die. Though it was a gamble, if he used the World¡¯s Milestone¡­! Plop! Before Chi-Woo could finish his thoughts, the die disappeared from his hand. Chi-Woo responded one beat late, and the World¡¯s Milestone was inside his brother¡¯s grip. Chi-Hyun looked at Chi-Woo like he was saying that there was no way he would allow the latter to use the item. ¡®I still have a chance¡­!¡¯ Chi-Woo thought he should never use this if he could, but he pulled out the last remaining special talisman that he got from his master. ¡°¡­¡± But as soon as he pulled it out, it disappeared from his grasp again. He couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of it disappearing, and Chi-Woo looked at the talisman in his brother¡¯s hands blankly. A sharp glint flashed through Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes as he glanced at the talisman. ¡°You were planning to use a godly item of this level for such a small matter¡­you are really serious about this,¡± Chi-Hyun said. But Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t listening to Chi-Hyun. He realized then that if his brother really wanted to, he could kill not only Shersha and Astarte, but everyone here in an instant. Chi-Hyun was giving Chi-Woo an opportunity to stop him as his brother. But this opportunity was gone now, and a fearsome whirlwind began to swirl around them. Chi-Woo flew in circles in the air and was flung to the ground. ¡°Chi-Hyun!¡± Chi-Woo got up after rolling on the ground and saw his brother moving to Shersha. ¡°No¡­.!¡± Astarte wrapped her arms around Shersha and clenched her eyes shut. It was then¡ªbam! There was a great explosion, and Chi-Woo¡¯s breath stopped when he saw the dust settle, revealing the now changed battleground. ¡°You are¡­¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed. Chi-Hyun¡¯s attack was blocked by a sudden wind, and a handsome blonde man raised his trembling sword in front of him. It was Ru Amuh. ¡°¡­How unexpected,¡± Chi-Hyun said while putting more force into his hands, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to step in.¡± ¡°Teacher¡­said you must not harm them,¡± Ru Amuh said. He sounded strained from just blocking one of Chi-Hyun¡¯s attacks. ¡°Did you even hear the conversation we just had?¡± Chi-Hyun asked. ¡°I believe¡­Teacher has his reasons this time too¡­¡± ¡°Like his intuition?¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°His feelings that have no basis at all?¡± ¡°¡­I said ¡®this time too¡¯. There are many times I couldn¡¯t understand Teacher¡¯s words, and it¡¯s not only once,¡± Ru Amuh said with a firm voice. There were many times when Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t comprehend Chi-Woo¡¯s choices at all, yet Chi-Woo was always able to prove to him that his decisions hadn¡¯t been incorrect. ¡°As time passed, I came to realize that Teacher was right all along. So¡­¡± Ru Amuh smiled brightly as he gasped out, ¡°I am trusting his word this time too¡­!¡± His eyes brimmed with determination. CH 253 Chi-Hyun, who seemed like he was going to immediately kill the great demons, stopped. After he heard what Ru Amuh said, the words that the last dragon said to him before he left the mountain range crossed his mind¡ª¡®didn¡¯t you leave the work to them because you trusted them?¡¯ Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Chi-Hyun stared down at the young hero who was risking his life with emotionless eyes. Were Chi-Woo not his younger brother, were they not connected by blood, would he be able to trust him as blindly as this young man? All kinds of thoughts filled his mind in that short instance. When his head began to hurt, Chi-Hyun shook his head. This was a pointless question that could never be answered in the first place; there was no point in even dwelling on it. As always, he should just continue walking on the path he believed to be right and do as he always did. He had survived and rose to this position by doing so. Chi-Hyun moved his hand again. Ru Amuh desperately tried to resist as best as he could, but¡ª Bang! He couldn¡¯t even withstand a light wave from Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand and bounced off. Even Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t last two hits. Clank! Then they heard a sharp sound of metal. As soon as Ru Amuh fell back, Hawa ran after him. Of course, the daggers in Hawa¡¯s two hands couldn¡¯t even reach Chi-Hyun¡¯s back. She was unable to advance further as if she was blocked by an intangible wall. The tip of her daggers shook, and although she used enough force for perspiration to appear on her forehead, there was no sign that it made any impact on the wall. Hawa raised her eyes slightly and looked at the legend. When she was about to let out a groan, she felt a strange pressure all over her body. The next moment, Hawa flew back without even being able to scream. ¡°Stop¡­!¡± After seeing Ru Amuh and Hawa get beaten in an instant, Chi-Woo quickly got up, but ended up rolling on the ground as soon as he did so. With a mere shake of his brother¡¯s hand, he was sent flying again with no control over his body. ¡°Chi-Woo!¡± When he finally got smashed into the ground, Evelyn ran towards him with a shrill cry. She looked down at Chi-Woo, who couldn¡¯t come to his senses, and frowned. ¡°Are you really his brother?¡± Evelyn shouted to Chi-Hyun, who was calmly trying to finish what he was doing. ¡°Seriously, are you brothers!? How can you do that to your younger brother?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only doing this much because I am his brother. Were he a stranger, I would have¡­¡± ¡°Hah! Like that¡¯s any better.¡± Evelyn clenched her teeth at Chi-Hyun¡¯s cold words. ¡°Do you have any right to even interfere like this?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand stopped for a moment. ¡°The one who planned this operation and created this situation is Chi-Woo.¡± Evelyn glared at Chi-Hyun and continued, ¡°But how can you just suddenly appear and act like this? Do you think you can do whatever you want just cause he¡¯s your brother?¡± ¡®The right to interfere like this.¡¯ Chi-Hyun smiled blandly. He thought what Evelyn said was at least a bit funny unlike what other people had said to him so far; it was worth reacting to for a second. Chi-Hyun looked at Chi-Woo, who still couldn¡¯t stand up, and asked, ¡°So is that what you think too?¡± Even while coughing, Chi-Woo managed to lift his head. His brother¡­did have the right to interfere like this. After hearing about the future, his brother had devoted himself to helping out more than anyone else. Moreover, he could understand Chi-Hyun¡¯s actions and words, which made him feel even worse. He hated himself for acting like this even though he understood his brother. However, he was also sure that he wasn¡¯t wrong. Chi-Woo, who believed in his intuition, stood up resolutely, ¡°Just¡­tell me one thing¡­¡± He gasped roughly and asked, ¡°What do I need¡­to do¡­¡± Chi-Woo tried to think while feeling dizzy and asked with great difficulty, ¡°for¡­you to listen to me¡­?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed at the unexpected question. He stared at Chi-Woo for a while and said, ¡°If you were stronger than me.¡± Chi-Woo laughed in vain. ¡°So it¡¯s just¡­because I¡¯m weaker than you¡­?¡± ¡°To be more precise,¡± Chi-Hyun clarified, ¡°If you had the ability to handle and solve whatever arose should things go wrong.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s breath hitched, his face blank. He had asked another person this same question a while ago¡ªduring the third future. At that time, Emmanuel had told him, ¡°Sir, to be honest, when I first met you¡­I thought you seemed too irresponsible.¡± In all honesty, this operation had gone extremely smoothly without a hitch. Everything went successfully. However, not everything in the world turned out like that, and it was much more common for things to not go as planned. If everything went as Chi-Woo said, it would be great, but there was a possibility that his plan wouldn¡¯t work out. Moreover, they were in no position to make mistakes without immense consequences. Thus, Chi-Hyun had asked Chi-Woo if he could solve the issue if things fell through, and if he could take responsibility if his plan caused hundreds or thousands of people to die. The answer was ¡®no¡¯ if Chi-Woo thought about it, and Chi-Woo currently had neither the confidence nor ability to do so. This was also the reason Emmanuel had said he was too irresponsible. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Chi-Woo lowered his head. ¡°I see¡­¡± It was because he was weak. It was because he had no strength to shoulder the full responsibility and failed to consider what would happen if things went awry. He couldn¡¯t say anything to refute his brother. He couldn¡¯t help but agree with Chi-Hyun that it would be a much safer and better choice to kill Shersha and Astarte instead. A bitter expression appeared on Chi-Hyun¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t feel happy about the situation either, and he wanted to listen to Chi-Woo as much as possible. He might have even considered Chi-Woo¡¯s suggestion if the great demons were mid-ranks or lower. However, he couldn¡¯t back down this time; the risk was too great to just blindly follow Chi-Woo¡¯s intuition. Shersha and Astarte were no longer able to even stand properly. Chi-Hyun hardened his resolve and was about to kill them at once when¡ª Flash! There was a sudden flash of light¡ªstrong enough to illuminate the whole area. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes widened as he inadvertently turned towards the source, and then he gaped in shock. ¡°You¡­!¡± Light was shooting out of Chi-Woo¡¯s whole body. The information that Chi-Woo got from Shersha was not only about the future; he didn¡¯t know exactly what it was, but there was something that he found out about himself. He had directly experienced it, so he knew how to bring it out again. ¡°¡­What about this?¡± Chi-Woo said while his body was covered in light, ¡°Can you acknowledge me¡­with this¡­?¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Chi-Hyun frantically shouted. ¡°Stop it now! Do you know what you¡¯re trying to do right now?¡± However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t listen to him. Instead, the light got stronger. Chi-Hyun tightly clenched his fists. He had expected the World¡¯s Milestone, and the talisman hadn¡¯t been difficult to steal despite him not knowing about its existence beforehand. However, he had never imagined that Chi-Woo would use his own body as a threat. Chi-Hyun¡¯s power-based logic was now coming back to bite him. ¡°Choi Chi-Woo¡­!¡± Meanwhile, the light gradually increased in intensity. Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t stop Chi-Woo even if he wanted to. There was nothing he could do. Chi-Woo would soon break though his limit at this rate, and then¡­ ¡°You¡­!¡± Chi-Hyun tried to shout something, but when the light surged again, he had no choice but to close his mouth. ¡®He¡¯s going this far to stop me¡­!¡¯ Chi-Hyun tightly shut his eyes. ¡®Why did I¡­!¡¯ He felt foolish that he had come all the way here without rest to see his brother. Griiit. He ferociously gnashed his teeth. For a while, an indescribable silence fell between the two brothers. It was hard to keep track of the passage of time. Chi-Hyun¡¯s hands gradually stopped shaking, and his arms went limp. * * * The war was over. The war, which had begun with the Demon Empire¡¯s invasion, ended with the Cassiubia League and humanity¡¯s victory. The fact that they won against the main forces of the Demon Empire made it even more noteworthy. Above all, the damage against the Demon Empire was extremely significant. First, they lost six great demons, and among them were two at single-digit ranks. Considering that the Demon Empire had lost only two or three great demons during their all-out war with the Abyss, it was truly a shocking turn of events. Moreover, the death of six great demons meant that hundreds of legions under their command had also disappeared. Naturally, a huge gap in their power formed, and a hole appeared in the front lines that protected the territories the Demon Empire had gained through their conquest. Furthermore, the shock of their defeat shook the Demon Empire to its core; for the time being, the Demon Empire couldn¡¯t even dream of waging wars. It would be overwhelming enough for them to defend the frontlines and reorganize their internal order. But more importantly, there was more than one strong force eagerly waiting to sink their fangs into the Demon Empire¡¯s weakened force and rip them apart. Since Bael was still alive, they were not at risk of extinction yet, but it was undeniable that they were in a dire situation. Contrary to the Demon Empire, which had become a funerary house, humanity and the Cassiubia League were in a festive mood. They had not only won, but earned huge advantages. Thanks to feasting on a well-prepared table with a huge number of delicacies, many of them achieved significant growth. All heroes raised their rank by at least one level. The rarely seen silver hero now numbered a dozen, and there was even news that another hero successfully raised their level to gold rank. Ru Amuh was also now qualified to take the platinum tier promotion test. Moreover, the emergence of a new god played a significant part in raising everyone¡¯s morale. They all clearly witnessed the power of the White Horse General, and his temple was crowded every day. And like this, Chi-Woo succeeded in protecting Shalyh. It was indeed a perfect outcome. The fact that laughter rang across every street was proof of this. However, Chi-Woo, the key figure for their victory, did not laugh or share their delight. He secluded himself in his room for many days in Ru Amuh¡¯s district. ¡°Senior! Senior! I¡¯m back to silver again!¡± ¡°Ru Hiana? Wait.¡± Ru Amuh stopped her. ¡°What? Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything and come here. Quickly.¡± Ru Hiana and several others looked at him with a questioning gaze, but the three people who had been with Chi-Woo on the day of his fight with Chi-Hyun did not dare to disturb him; they could all guess what he was feeling right now. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± While sitting on the mat, Chi-Woo stared up at the sky blankly and let out a deep sigh. Shersha and Astarte eventually walked away alive. Chi-Woo had achieved what he wanted in the end. However, in exchange, his relationship with his brother that he¡¯d barely managed to recover became extremely strained again. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the first time he had a falling-out with his brother. Twice on Liber alone, and countless times on Earth. However, it was different this time. Before, he at least had been able to properly refute his brother and had the justification to keep his head high. No matter how hard he thought about this event, however, he had nothing to say for himself. He couldn¡¯t refute his brother and thought his brother¡¯s reasoning was right. Nevertheless, he forced his brother to step back through what would basically constitute blackmail. His actions were down-right ridiculous when he thought about it from his brother¡¯s perspective. He wished his brother would just cuss him out, but Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t say anything at all. He simply stared at him and quietly turned away. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t forget the way his brother looked at him as if he was a stranger. [Chi-Woo.] [This is the last time.] [You¡¯re my brother.] [I don¡¯t want to treat you like the other heroes.] [Please help me continue to think of you as my younger brother in the future.] [There¡¯s no second chance.] Chi-Woo had a hunch that it would not be as easy as before to restore their relationship this time; it might be impossible now. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± It was when Chi-Woo sighed again that he suddenly heard a voice. ¡°Well, someone looks depressed. What are you thinking about?¡± Evelyn slowly approached him and sat next to him. ¡°Thinking about your brother?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head toward her. ¡°¡­Ms. Evelyn.¡± Chi-Woo spoke in a weak voice, and after hesitating for a long time, he asked, ¡°Was following my brother¡¯s decision¡­the right choice¡­?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Evelyn nodded easily. Chi-Woo flinched. He blinked and looked back at Evelyn. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s just my personal thought. Chi-Hyun made logical statements, but all you talked about was your hunch. That¡¯s a little too much, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop me?¡± He didn¡¯t ask in a tone of resentment or blame. He asked out of pure curiosity. ¡°Because I was curious,¡± Evelyn said plainly. ¡°Because you were curious?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Evelyn said with a shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t you think everything went too smoothly this time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Chi-Woo nodded. It was true. Although Evelyn had said it would be difficult to carry out the operation, Chi-Woo already had a solution. He had also been prepared to use his merits to summon the White Horse General, but the traitor had brought two sacred flowers they could use instead. In the first place, it was extremely lucky that he threw the die and got to see the future. Everything was going extremely smoothly like a sailboat in fair wind¡ªas if it was flowing the way Chi-Woo wanted. ¡°I told you before,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°There are no results without a cause.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± ¡°Then what do you think about an existence that isn¡¯t bound by the laws of causality and could control it however they want?¡± ¡°That would be ridiculous,¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and replied. ¡°Yeah, it would be ridiculous. But what if there¡¯s a person who can do that?¡± Then she suddenly looked at Chi-Woo with a straight face. ¡°I don¡¯t have an ability like that,¡± Chi-Woo replied with a puzzled look, wondering why she was looking at him. ¡°I never said you had such an ability.¡± Evelyn smiled dryly and smacked her lips. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish and became lost in thought. This wasn¡¯t the only time something like this happened. The first time she realized it was when she first made a deal with Chi-Woo. She had accepted his offer just to see how things would go, but Chi-Woo ended up making the extraordinary achievement of defeating a god modified by the Sernitas. He had also revived Kabbalah and her, who should have disappeared. Moreover, Evelyn was sure these weren¡¯t the only seemingly impossible achievements he had made; she could tell just by looking at what Ru Amuh thought of Chi-Woo¡ªa hero who worked miracles no matter how difficult the situation was. Evelyn had once thought the same as Ru Amuh, but not anymore. Once or twice might be a coincidence, but it became difficult to think of such successes as mere miracles from the third time. Therefore, Evelyn thought that Chi-Woo had the actual power to make an impossibility into a possibility. Otherwise, there was no other way to explain his achievements so far. After organizing her thoughts, Evelyn glanced back at Chi-Woo. ¡°You know, I¡¯m just asking because I¡¯m curious, but can¡¯t you show it to me a bit? I¡¯m re~ally good at keeping secrets.¡± She leaned closer to him and asked in a sly tone. ¡°What are you talking about all of the sudden?¡± ¡°You know, I heard that you heroes have something called user information. If you really have an ability like that, it would be listed there, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡± Chi-Woo thought there was no way he would have such an ability, but he turned on his device just in case to see if he missed anything. Of course, his user information hadn¡¯t chan¡ª ¡®Huh?¡¯ When he thought that nothing had changed, he noticed something was different. ¡®This part¡­¡¯ One of his innate abilities that was originally plastered with question marks¡­. Six letters were now revealed. 1. I think it has something to do with his identity and type of power; have to read more to find out! ? CH 254 After the victory at Shalyh, the Cassiubia League and humanity¡¯s situation changed dramatically. First of all, the Demon Empire backed away at the cost of giving up 20% of their territory. Though they suffered huge losses, it had been the best decision to make. The total number of great demons they lost was six, including two in the single-digit ranks, who wouldn¡¯t have been defeated so easily under any other circumstances. And taking into consideration the annihilation of their troops, the damages done were astronomical. As internal strife exacerbated the chaos, the Demon Empire could no longer even dream of fighting on both sides. They would be too busy protecting the territory they already had. The second change was that Shalyh city had some breathing room now. After the Demon Empire was forced to give up large portions of its territory, Shalyh was no longer right next to the Demon Empire. Though the territories beyond the city still couldn¡¯t be considered territories of the Cassiubia League and humanity, the expansion at least guaranteed a safe buffer around the city. The third change was related to the second point, and it was the fact that the Cassiubia League had completely embraced the humans as their own. Humans could now venture to wherever the Cassiubia League governed, including the Cassiubia mountain range, and receive equal treatment as the members of the League. If their relationship could be likened to two people simply joining hands before, now they were like family members who welcomed and hugged one another. Beyond partners who simply worked together, the bond between them was now sturdy like blood ties. The fact that after the Demon Empire¡¯s withdrawal, the path connecting Shalyh city to the mountain range opened up played a factor in this; but the biggest factor was how the humans proved themselves in this recent war. The League had accepted collaborative management of Shalyh because of Chi-Hyun alone, but with this recent event, they judged that the rest of the humans had the fighting capabilities to be their equals. In response, the humans also allowed members of the League to meet the White Horse General and shared the growth system in greater shares. Though the Cassiubia League and humanity were still separate groups, with this, they were now in this world together. Finally, the fourth and last change happened recently, which was something neither the Cassiubia League nor the humans would have expected. From the Celestial Realm, the ninth recruits arrived¡ªnot in some dangerous place, but safely into the holy city, Shalyh. *** The city was still noisy from the arrival of the ninth recruits, but Chi-Woo stayed stuck in his room all day and came out only around dawn. Though he suffered the past couple of days, not much had changed for him personally since then. There was still no call or message from his brother, and the situation was the same as before. Chi-Woo felt frustrated, but knowing that nothing would change if he just moped around in his room, he crawled outside. He went to the veranda and felt the dawn¡¯s cool air when he encountered a person he didn¡¯t expect to see. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna?¡± The woman holding a basin was the fallen nation, Salem¡¯s princess: Eshnunna. ¡°Oh¡­it¡¯s been a while, sir.¡± ¡°Yes, hello.¡± Eshnunna greeted Chi-Woo with a bow. Then she quickly walked past him and went up the veranda. Chi-Woo watched as Eshnunna placed the basin on the veranda and wiped the floor with a squeezed-out cloth. ¡°What are you doing, Ms. Eshnunna?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°I¡¯m cleaning.¡± ¡°Why? And so suddenly?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I do it because I¡¯m told to. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my first or second time doing this either,¡± Eshnunna said nonchalantly as she continued to wipe the floor. ¡°Not the first or second time¡­?¡± Chi-Woo became even more confused. Now that he thought about it, he had been too busy with expeditions and big incidents that came one after another that he didn¡¯t bother to clean up his place, but the house was always clean and sanitary. Still, he didn¡¯t expect Eshnunna to be the reason for it at all. ¡°I never asked you to clean though¡­.¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for you.¡± It was then Chi-Woo felt something was off. ¡°Did you not hear anything?¡± Eshnunna asked. Chi-Woo nodded. He swore that he didn¡¯t hear a word about this. ¡°Well, it has been a long time since we even saw each other,¡± Chi-Woo answered. ¡°Ah¡­that¡¯s true. You were very busy these days, and I only came when you were sleeping. But anyways, why did you come out so early today?¡± Chi-Woo looked even more puzzled. He couldn¡¯t keep up with the conversation at all, so he asked a question that could answer all his curiosities. ¡°Who asked you to do this?¡± ¡°Not asked, but ordered.¡± ¡°So, who was it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± Eshnunna paused and turned around when she heard the door close and footsteps making their way toward them. ¡°What¡¯s all¡­this noise¡­?¡± Evelyn came outside while rubbing her eyes. Then Chi-Woo watched in astonishment as the two women interacted. ¡°You are awake, Lady Evelyn.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ You¡¯re here early today. I¡¯m going to wash and go outside, so please take care of my room too¡­¡± ¡°I will clean it up before you return.¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯m going to be busy these days, so¡­¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± As Evelyn gave orders, she appeared like the princess, while Eshnunna was the servant¡ªthough, of course, statuses didn¡¯t mean much in the current situation. Then Evelyn¡¯s eyes landed on Chi-Woo, who was watching them. ¡°You also woke up early today,¡± Evelyn said and asked, ¡°Did you finish moping around?¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Why is Ms. Eshnunna¡­?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Evelyn gasped in realization. ¡°Oh yeah, did I not tell you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Something big happened right after you came back so¡­I forgot.¡± ¡°Could you tell me now?¡± ¡°Hm~¡± Evelyn tilted her head and smiled sweetly. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t tell me things either.¡± It seemed Evelyn was talking about the mysterious ability Chi-Woo had in his user information that she kept asking about. ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± ¡°No. You are clearly hiding something from me. I¡¯m not going to tell you what¡¯s going on until you tell me first. It¡¯s only fair.¡± Evelyn stuck out her tongue and kept taunting, ¡®I bet you are so curious. Aren¡¯t you curious?¡¯ Then she turned around. It seemed she was returning to her room to get ready to go out. But while walking, she said, ¡°Anyways, don¡¯t worry since it¡¯s nothing bad. Why don¡¯t you also do some activities since you¡¯re already outside?¡± ¡°¡­Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the temple. Don¡¯t you know how busy I¡¯ve been recently?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head, and Evelyn clicked her tongue. ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t. I bet you don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on right now.¡± ¡°I heard about the general details¡­¡± ¡°No one would scold you for resting after a big war. But you aren¡¯t even resting properly. Seriously, what are you doing? Just brooding and looking all miserable. It¡¯s really not a good look,¡± Evelyn said. Chi-Woo blinked hard. It seemed Evelyn had a couple of things to say about his current attitude. He scratched his head and asked, ¡°Was it that bad?¡± ¡°Of course¡ª¡± Evelyn snorted and added, ¡°For my heart, it was¡­?¡± She winked and continued walking. Chi-Woo stared blankly as she left. ¡°!¡± Then he exclaimed in surprise. He didn¡¯t know when she first arrived, but Hawa was standing near him with an expressionless face. ¡°Ms. Hawa?¡± ¡°I have a message from Goddess La Bella,¡± she got to the point immediately after they met eyes. ¡°As soon as you finish organizing your thoughts, come and find me. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡°Goddess La Bella said that?¡± ¡°Yes, she did.¡± Then Hawa got off the veranda, put her shoes back on, and headed outside. It seemed she also had something to do early at dawn. Chi-Woo watched as Hawa quickly grew farther away. The war was over, yet everyone looked busy. ¡°I¡­¡± Chi-Woo gnawed on his lip. A feeling he couldn¡¯t put into words crept back to him. He recalled what Shersha had told him: there was a postponement, but his definite future didn¡¯t change. Chi-Woo felt like he was wasting precious time he couldn¡¯t afford to waste. *** He couldn¡¯t continue like this. He needed to do something, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what to do. After lengthy contemplation, Chi-Woo decided to go talk to his brother in the end. Since he was at fault, Chi-Woo thought it was right for him to seek out his brother first. Chi-Woo thought he wouldn¡¯t get a good welcome since his brother didn¡¯t even reply to his messages, but he headed to the official residence where Chi-Hyun was. Chi-Woo wondered if Chi-Hyun would even open the door for him, but he happened to run into his brother in front of the building¡¯s entrance. It seemed Chi-Hyun was just coming to work since it was still early in the morning. ¡°Oh¡­hey.¡± Chi-Woo murmured when he saw Chi-Hyun. There were many things he wanted to say. First of all, he wanted to talk about what happened pretty recently. And if their conversation went well and their relationship recovered, Chi-Woo planned to ask Chi-Hyun to use his Image Representation ability again. But now that he was standing face-to-face with his brother, his mouth felt stuck. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes and expression didn¡¯t change from the time before. He looked at Chi-Woo like he was staring at a complete stranger. It seemed Chi-Hyun had told the truth when he said he wouldn¡¯t see Chi-Woo as a brother anymore if he crossed the line. ¡°Well¡­the thing is¡­¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed as Chi-Woo failed to continue. Then Chi-Hyun put his hand inside his sleeve before taking it out. Thud! Chi-Woo instinctively closed his eyes as something flew and collided with his face. Then he hesitantly opened his eyes again and saw a seven-sided die rolling on the ground. There was also a talisman flapping down from the air. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the World¡¯s Milestone and the talisman his master gave him. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t come for these things¡ª¡± But Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t listen anymore. He passed by Chi-Woo and opened the entrance door. Bam! Before Chi-Woo could say another word, the door shut roughly, slamming against the frame so hard that Chi-Woo¡¯s bangs was swept away by the resulting wind. He was clearly not welcomed. Chi-Woo felt stunned and after a while, he bit his lip bitterly. His heart seemed to boil like lava, and his face, ears, and neck became all red. Chi-Woo knew that he was at fault, but after being treated the way Chi-Hyun did to him just now, he thought his brother had taken things too far. It was as if Chi-Hyun was telling him, ¡®Shut up and don¡¯t ever come back since I never want to see your face again.¡¯ Chi-Woo clenched his jaw and picked up the World¡¯s Milestone and the talisman with shaking hands. While he did this, his rage didn¡¯t disappear, but only accumulated. ¡°Huh?¡± It was then he heard a familiar voice. ¡°Why are you standing in front of the door?¡± Apoline asked. It seemed she had matters to attend to in this building. And Chi-Woo inhaled deeply and nodded in response. He quietly moved away from the door. He didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone right now and hoped Apoline would just go on her way. Unfortunately, she thought otherwise. ¡°What are you doing? Come in. Didn¡¯t you come here for something?¡± Apoline asked. Then after some hesitation, she reached out to grab Chi-Woo¡¯s arm and pulled him through the door. The silence continued inside the building. Though Apoline had let go of Chi-Woo, she kept rolling her feet on the ground like she had something to say. Then seeing that Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t going to speak up, Apoline fake-coughed and said, ¡°Um¡­Hm, hm! I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was still no answer from Chi-Woo. His breathing had become harsher by now. But not knowing how he was feeling, Apoline licked her dry lips and asked, ¡°Huh¡­Mr. Chi-Woo?¡± Then, with a voice that sounded like she had mustered up great courage, she asked, ¡°D-Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± ¡°¡­What do I have to say to you?¡± Chi-Woo finally spoke, but Apoline was taken aback by how angry he sounded. It was then she realized that Chi-Woo¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look good. ¡°No. I just¡­¡± Apoline looked flustered, but when she saw Chi-Woo sigh, her eyes turned bloodshot. ¡®¡­What? Does he not even want to talk to me now? No, why do I even have to consider how this guy feels? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡¯ And after thinking this, Apoline regained her original demeanor and demanded boldly. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Was it fun for you?¡± Chi-Woo still didn¡¯t answer, enraging Apoline further. ¡°Yes~ I suppose you must have had a really good laugh, covering your identity and all that. Hm?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As a member of the Choi family, you must¡¯ve laughed about how ridiculous and absurd we seemed. Even I would¡¯ve thought it was funny. Ha! I bet you got a real kick out of tricking us.¡± Chi-Woo inhaled and exhaled deeply again. His head was already in a mess, but what was Apoline going on about now? He wanted Apoline to leave this instant, but he tried with all his might to be patient and forced out: ¡°I. Had. My. Circumstances.¡± Chi-Woo enunciated each word clearly. ¡°It was personal, so please stop.¡± His tone wasn¡¯t pleasant as it reflected his current mood. ¡°Please stop?¡± Apoline had the quickwittedness to catch onto what Chi-Woo meant by those two words. Her lips turned twisted as she spoke, ¡°Ah~ your own circumstances~¡± She crossed her arms and glared at him, ¡°And what are those circumstances?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ha, I guess you can¡¯t even tell me that.¡± Apoline snorted. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more I can say when it¡¯s oh so personal. And if the youngest son of the Choi family wants to have his fun, how dare I say otherwise?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face shook, but without noticing it, Apoline continued in a mocking tone, ¡°I¡¯m so envious. It must have been so nice¡ª¡± ¡°Gah, who said I had a nice time!¡± Chi-Woo yelled in a deafening roar. ¡°It wasn¡¯t fun! Not a lick of it!¡± Apoline flinched and hiccupped at the abrupt shouting. Her eyes turned wide in surprise. ¡°You think I do this for fun¡­!¡± But Chi-Woo¡¯s voice settled down because of the serious look on Apoline¡¯s gaping face. Then, sometime later, her eyes brimmed with tears. ¡°Why¡­Why do you have to get so angry though¡­?¡± She managed to blurt out in a trembling voice. ¡°You are¡­the one at fault¡­¡± Chi-Woo clenched his eyes shut and walked away like he couldn¡¯t bear the situation anymore. Bam! And when he was at the door, he suddenly recalled how his brother had slammed the door shut and did the same. Seeing this, Apoline pouted, and one sorrowful teardrop trailed down her cheek. ¡ªCreak¡­ Under the abuse of the two brothers, the building¡¯s entrance door also made muffled cries. *** At the same time, a man was looking through the window from inside the highest-level office in the official residence. It was Chi-Hyun, watching Chi-Woo leave while heaving hard. Unlike how he acted outside, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t look at peace as he watched his brother move further and further away. His expression could be described as concerned, and Chi-Hyun let out a long sigh. ¡°Does it bother you?¡± A voice spoke up from behind him. It was Noel. ¡°If you are worried, you can still go after him.¡± ¡°What did you come here for?¡± Chi-Hyun cut her off and sat back at his desk. ¡°Young master also¡ª¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have any business to discuss with me, you may leave.¡± Thus, Noel didn¡¯t say more about Chi-Woo and handed a bundle of paper to Chi-Hyun. ¡°These are the reports about the ninth recruits.¡± ¡°I was informed that there wasn¡¯t any member to keep my eye on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s natural for you, sir. Unless there¡¯s a hero of Ismile¡¯s level, you wouldn¡¯t blink an eye even if another Celestial Light came. But¡­¡± Noel pulled out a piece of paper from the pile. ¡°I think you should look at this person.¡± Chi-Hyun took the paper from her. He read through it indifferently, but then a look of surprise flickered in his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s coming?¡± Chi-Hyun raised his head and asked. Noel nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I was thinking about her, but¡­how? At the perfect time¡­?¡± ¡°She wishes to meet you. Should I tell her to come here?¡± ¡°Yes¡­no, I should go see her in person. Where is she right now?¡± Unlike his usual self, Chi-Hyun hurriedly got up from his seat. CH 255 ¡°It¡¯s been a while, ma¡¯am.¡± Chi-Hyun said. Onlookers who weren¡¯t aware of their relationship would be shocked that the legend would address someone so politely. Chi-Hyun spoke informally to everyone but spoke in honorifics to the person in front of him. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while,¡± a quiet and tranquil voice replied. ¡°I guess you¡¯re still alive.¡± Her voice was authoritative but also calm. ¡°Since the Celestial Realm was working so frantically to send additional recruits, I thought you might have fucked up and kicked the bucket.¡± It was shocking that the speaker not only spoke so informally to him, but also laughed and made a jab at him. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°The fact that I¡¯m alive must mean I still have work to do here.¡± Chi-Hyun calmly replied and looked at the person sitting comfortably across from him. She appeared extremely relaxed as she rested her head on the top of the sofa. With both of her arms drooping loosely to her sides, she placed her crossed legs on Chi-Hyun¡¯s desk. There was even a long pipe in her mouth. Although she was sitting in an extremely rude manner, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they were making such a huge fuss at the Celestial Realm.¡± ¡°The Celestial Realm?¡± ¡°Yeah, they said that the prophecy was looking for me in a hurry or something. They pestered and begged me to participate in the ninth recruitment until my ears bled.¡± She let out a deep sigh. ¡°That Laguel girl, who¡¯s usually like a wooden doll, implored me so desperately too. I was also curious about how you were doing, and I might as well look for a husband here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I misheard the last part.¡± ¡°No, you heard it right. Isn¡¯t this where all the Celestial Realm¡¯s heroes are gathered in droves? There must be at least one decent guy here.¡± With a pipe in her mouth, she made a soft smile. Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°I guess you still have that impossible dream.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°And please be mindful of your age. If I may ask, do you have a conscience?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Her voice instantly became sharp. ¡°You dare to speak to me like that? I guess you have a death wish today.¡± ¡°Are you confident that you can beat me?¡± ¡°¡­Bastard.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like she had a comeback for that as she huffed in anger. Chi-Hyun let out a soft laugh and continued, ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been pleased with the Celestial Realm¡¯s work. Thanks to you, I feel much more relieved.¡± The woman blinked with slight surprise. ¡°There must be something serious going on if a stuck-up guy like you is saying that¡­¡± When she put the pipe in her mouth, a faint wisp of smoke flowed out like a silhouette. After a short silence, she said, ¡°Tell me. What is it that a hero like you, who is called a legend among legends, is troubled about?¡± Chi-Hyun hesitated for a bit, but soon opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s about my brother.¡± ¡°Brother? There¡¯s a hero you¡¯re close enough to that you¡¯d call him brother?¡± ¡°No, there isn¡¯t.¡± Chi-Hyun shook his head and continued, ¡°I¡¯m talking about my blood-related brother.¡± The woman¡¯s small shoulders slightly flinched. She reflexively raised her head from the sofa and stared intently at him. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Chi-Woo,¡± Chi-Hyun said again with a sharp look. After a brief pause, the woman said, ¡°¡­First of all, sorry for making you repeat yourself.¡± She exhaled the breath she had been holding. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I completely understand.¡± ¡°I simply hadn¡¯t expected this at all.¡± She uncrossed her legs and straightened her posture. ¡°It seems like¡­¡± She brushed her hair back and finished, ¡°We need to have a long chat.¡± * * * As time went by, the sun sank toward the horizon, and dusk fell. Whoosh! The sound of something cutting through wind rang in the air. Chi-Woo was swinging a club nonstop in the yard, and his splattered sweat reflected the sunlight. He didn¡¯t know why he was blindly wielding the ghost-busting club without rest; he couldn¡¯t understand it very well himself, but he just felt like he had to do something after meeting his brother. He felt like he needed to vent his emotions somehow; if he didn¡¯t at least do something, it felt like his heart would explode. Thus, even though he knew it was meaningless, he repeated the snapping technique like crazy for more than a day. ¡ªSigh¡­ Philip sighed as he stared at Chi-Woo. He didn¡¯t stop Chi-Woo at first because as someone who was always by Chi-Woo¡¯s side, he could guess how he must be feeling. However, there was a limit to everything. When Chi-Woo looked like he was about to cross the line, Philip couldn¡¯t just stand back and watch anymore. ¡ªHey, hey. Stop it now. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reply. He didn¡¯t even turn around. ¡®I just have to get stronger¡­!¡¯ He gritted his teeth and continued to vigorously swing his club. ¡ªI told you to stop. Philip repeated himself. ¡ªWhat¡¯s the point of this? I understand how you feel, but¡ª ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of training.¡± Chi-Woo quickly cut Philip off. ¡°You told me to get stronger, so I¡¯m training to get stronger. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡ªNo, it¡¯s good to get stronger, but¡­ Philip was dumbfounded. ¡ªYou consider this training? ¡°What is it if not training?¡± ¡ªYou want me to be honest? You¡¯re just swinging the club like a pissed off kid¡ª ¡°You¡¯re swinging your club like someone mindlessly hitting a sandbag in anger.¡± Chi-Woo, who was about to angrily shout at Philip to mind his own business, faltered because the person who just spoke wasn¡¯t Philip. The voice was physical¡ªone that belonged to a living person. When Philip and Chi-Woo both looked at the speaker, their eyes widened at the same time. It was a woman they had never seen before; a woman who looked to be around her twenties was holding a long pipe. There was a deep glow on her face; a deep, cozy, and tranquil glow like a temple in the mountains on a snowy, winter night. ¡°He didn¡¯t say a single thing wrong.¡± However, her voice was very different from her clean and calm appearance. ¡°Every single word he said is right.¡± She sounded slightly raspy and hoarse as a result of years of drinking and smoking. And she dressed simply, wearing a straight skirt without wrinkles long enough to cover both feet, which gently revealed the soft curve of her hip. Her torso was only wrapped with a cloth around her chest to clearly expose her collarbone, but she wore a baeja[1] with wide sleeves that came all the way down to her knees. Although her clothes were nothing special, her presence and relaxed attitude made one think of a martial arts master who had reached the pinnacle of her art. When Chi-Woo didn¡¯t respond, the woman smacked her lips and pointed with her pipe¡ªnot at him, but at Philip. ¡°I¡¯m talking about what that spirit just said.¡± ¡ª¡­.What? Philip made a shrill noise. ¡ªWhat the¡­perhaps¡­can you see me? Philip asked just in case. ¡°I can see you clearly.¡± ¡ªWow? Wooahhhhh! Philip exclaimed in glee. ¡°¡­Hmph. What¡¯s the big fuss about seeing a spirit?¡± ¡ªWow! It¡¯s nice to meet you, mademoiselle! I can¡¯t believe a pretty lady like you can see me! It¡¯s an honor! Philip breathed heavily and flew straight toward the woman. His bad habit of going crazy for any pretty woman was triggered again. ¡ªSince this is also fate, how about it? Shall we go into a room and share a sincere and deep conversation? ¡°You and me? What would we even talk about?¡± ¡ªIs that really important? We can have a back and forth with our tongues, and then if our hearts connect, maybe we can also¡­! ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s not a bad suggestion, but¡­¡± The woman listened to Philip¡¯s desperate words and continued, ¡°Can you do it?¡± ¡ª¡­Eh? Philip made a stupid sound, and the woman looked him up and down. ¡°Can you even get it up?¡± Philip stiffened at her quite straightforward comment and immediately collapsed to the ground. His body began to fade away; the shock was so great that it manifested as a serious blow. ¡°Tsk, he doesn¡¯t have a backbone. There¡¯s no point meeting him.¡± The woman clicked her tongue and coldly walked past Philip. Then she came up to Chi-Woo and assessed him. ¡°So, you must be Chi-Woo.¡± It was a very sudden remark. ¡°Chi-Hyun¡¯s younger brother and Suho and Elrich¡¯s youngest son.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah. To you¡­is she Okbun? That was my mistake just now. Forget it.¡± Chi-Woo was baffled. Who was she that she would mention his brother, father, and mother by names? ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°More than you¡¯ll ever know.¡± The woman gave him a soft smile. ¡°You sure grew up a lot since you were a wee baby crying for milk in my arms.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Geez¡­I sure feel the passing of time whenever this happens.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head as he looked at the woman muttering to herself with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡­have no idea who you are.¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t,¡± the woman said flatly. ¡°You were only a newborn baby when I carried you around and coaxed you. It¡¯d be stranger if you remembered that.¡± Chi-Woo stared blankly at the woman who smirked at him. Then he thought of the question he should have asked first. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Well¡­you can just call me Byeok. Miss Byeok will be even better.¡± She quickly added a qualification. ¡°For your information, it¡¯s Miss Byeok. If you call me Mrs. Byeok, I¡¯ll kill you cause I¡¯ve never been married.¡± After introducing herself as Byeok, she blinked at Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction. ¡°Perhaps¡­do you not know me?¡± Chi-Woo barely managed to nod. Then Byeok looked taken aback and said, ¡°Ah.¡± She exclaimed and struck her forehead. ¡°That¡¯s right. You grew up as an ordinary person who didn¡¯t know anything. It¡¯s no wonder you don¡¯t know me.¡± Chi-Woo was shocked; Byeok just revealed an extremely well-kept secret. Even Noel didn¡¯t know much about how he grew up. ¡°Anyway.¡± Byeok cleared her throat. ¡°I came all the way here for you as soon as I entered Liber because I received a request.¡± ¡°A request? From whom?¡± Chi-Woo asked in reflex, but on second thought, there was only one person who would make a request to someone who knew his situation so well like Byeok. ¡°Did hyung¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know that.¡± Byeok easily dismissed his question and suddenly looked around. ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay to stay for a while¡­¡± Then she asked, ¡°What were you doing?¡± ¡°Wait, please wait a minute. I still don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve explained enough. I¡¯ll ask the questions, and you just need to answer.¡± She spun the pipe in her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. What were you doing?¡± ¡°¡­Training,¡± Chi-Woo replied a bit timidly. He didn¡¯t know why, but he had a strong gut feeling that he might get hit with her pipe if he didn¡¯t respond properly. ¡°What training?¡± Byeok immediately asked. ¡°Are you practicing the snapping technique?¡± Chi-Woo, who didn¡¯t think that she would reply with another question, nodded. ¡°Why are you practicing that?¡± ¡°Is there a reason I shouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I told you to only answer me.¡± Chi-Woo gaped at her sharp tone. He couldn¡¯t tell her honestly, so he said, ¡°Just¡­to train¡­¡± Byeok frowned at his mumbling reply. ¡°Your words don¡¯t add up.¡± ¡®What did she mean by that?¡¯ ¡°The reason for training is to get stronger.¡± Chi-Woo agreed. However, he couldn¡¯t agree with her following words. ¡°Then why are you practicing that technique?¡± Why was she asking this question? He answered, ¡°The better I get at this technique, the stronger I can be compared to how I am now.¡± Byeok snorted at his reply, and Chi-Woo was slightly offended by her obvious ridicule. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m laughing because it¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°What is so funny?¡± ¡°Every person has a training method that best fits them. But isn¡¯t it funny that a guy like you who can¡¯t even do addition is trying to do multiplication?¡± Byeok folded her arms and shook her head. ¡°Since you lived as an ordinary person, you couldn¡¯t have mastered that on your own. That means someone taught you. What kind of idiot¡­¡± ¡°My brother was the one who taught me.¡± The person who actually trained him was Philip, but Chi-Woo said it was his brother. Since he learned this technique to solve the task that his brother assigned him, he wasn¡¯t technically wrong. ¡°Then I should be insulting him.¡± Although Chi-Woo mentioned his brother, Byeok didn¡¯t even blink an eye. ¡°Why did he teach you such a stupid¡­ah, wait.¡± Then she said after a short pause, ¡°Considering his personality, he wouldn¡¯t have made a mistake like that. Was there a situation that forced¡­¡± She narrowed her eyes and suddenly sighed. ¡°¡­Ah¡­I¡¯m already getting a bad feeling about this¡­¡± She looked slightly worried, as if she thought she got caught up in a troublesome affair. ¡°But¡­I said I¡¯d decide after seeing him¡­¡± Then she murmured to herself as if she had no choice and suddenly approached him. Chi-Woo inadvertently stepped back. ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± ¡°How cute. Do you think I¡¯m going to eat you?¡± Byeok moved behind Chi-Woo, who was stepping back. ¡°You¡¯re overreacting.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s neck shrank when her breath touched his back. ¡°Do it properly or not at all. It¡¯s maddening to see you swing your club so emotionally.¡± Byeok grabbed the back of Chi-Woo¡¯s hand as he held the club. He tried to resist when she manipulated his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t resist.¡± However, he didn¡¯t stop. ¡°¡­I.¡± Byeok¡¯s voice dropped an octave lower. ¡°Told you not to resist.¡± At that moment, Chi-Woo clearly felt murderous intent mixed with annoyance from his back. She wasn¡¯t just threatening him. She really wanted to kill him just now; that was how pure her murderous intent was. As soon as he felt this, he completely stopped putting up a fight. ¡°¡­Since we might have to stay together for a while, I¡¯ll tell you in advance.¡± Byeok¡¯s voice lowered even further. ¡°I absolutely detest repeating myself.¡± She quickly tapped Chi-Woo¡¯s calf and knee with her foot and continued, ¡°I can kindly and perfectly explain it to you the first time since you might not know better, but if you still don¡¯t understand even after all that¡­¡± She twisted his waist and shoulder with her other hand and forcibly adjusted his posture. Then she raised the hand she was holding high into the air. ¡°As someone who¡¯s teaching you, it drives me¡ª¡± Like this, she corrected his posture in an instant, and before it could go awry, she swung his arm down. ¡°Mad!¡± Cracccccck! ¡ªHey, Chi-Woo. Can I borrow your body¡ªwhaaaat?! Both Philip, who realized something and quickly flew towards him, and Chi-Woo were astonished. ¡ªWhat¡­ Philip¡¯s feelings were particularly intense. As someone who had made quite a lot of achievements in his life, Philip realized at a glance how amazing the attack just now had been. In short, he knew how unbelievable it was for a human to have performed that action. ¡°How was it?¡± Byeok asked. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reply¡ªno, he couldn¡¯t. ¡®Just now¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo had clearly swung his club in the air, but instead of the sound of it cutting through air, it made a sound of breaking rocks. It wasn¡¯t an illusion. It felt like his arm had been naturally swept away by a tsunami pouring from top to bottom. The sensation of splitting the air into two still lingered in his arm and hand. ¡°If you didn¡¯t feel any difference¡­it¡¯ll be extremely hopeless. There¡¯s not much point in teaching if you don¡¯t even have the talent of an ordinary person¡­¡± Byeok tilted her head and breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s face. ¡°At least that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Chi-Woo asked with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I don¡¯t like repeating myself?¡± Byeok crossed her arms to show her displeasure. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying, but who in the world are you that you can¡ª!¡± ¡°Goodness.¡± Byeok clicked her tongue. ¡°It¡¯s already becoming bothersome. She scratched her head and said, ¡°Then, let¡¯s do this.¡± She raised her hand and lifted her index finger. ¡°A thousand times.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You can poke or slice. If you¡¯re confident, you can swing your club while dancing around.¡± Byeok pointed to his club with her chin and continued, ¡°Use the feeling just now to swing your club to your heart¡¯s content. Then I¡¯ll answer your question to your heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°Like just now¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m telling you to continue doing what you were doing. Of course, with a different purpose than before.¡± Then she turned around. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re going to ask again, so let me tell you again in advance. It¡¯s exactly a thousand times.¡± She trudged towards the verandah and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see. The deadline is¡­okay, until I finish reading this.¡± She sat down and took out a bundle of paper. Then she lay down as if she was at her own home and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll take naps, go out, meet people, and eat in the process.¡± Then she lay on her side and propped her head up with a hand on her temple. Chi-Woo was shocked by the movement just now, but he was about to ask why he had to obediently follow her words. ¡°Ah.¡± But as if she¡¯d read his mind, she said, ¡°By the way, you don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t want to. Of course, you can give up halfway. I won¡¯t stop you or say anything. I promise I¡¯ll leave immediately while humming instead.¡± She licked her fingertip and flipped to the next page before continuing, ¡°But if you¡¯re planning to do that, tell me in advance. Another thing I really hate is wasting time.¡± Then she said nothing more and focused intently on the documents in her hand. She really seemed like she didn¡¯t care if he chose to do this or not. Chi-Woo looked around in bewilderment at the sudden turn of events, and then he made eye contact with Philip. ¡ª¡­Do it. Philip still had a look of astonishment on his face. ¡ªYou have to do it. At all costs. Do it like it¡¯s your life on the line. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know the exact reason why, but Philip looked more serious and solemn than ever. 1. Baeja is a type of traditional Korean vest. ? CH 256 Time passed. The sun set, and dusk began to settle. As the city started its preparations for the night, people from the area began to return to their homes one by one. But they all soon stood in the yard to stare at a young man swinging his club crazily while being soaked in sweat. Ever since the mysterious woman named Byeok came and instructed him, Chi-Woo had been swinging his ghost-busting club for several hours now. He swung up, down, left, right, and forward, but didn¡¯t appear satisfied with any of his attempts. Hmp! Hmp! He simply sliced through the air meaninglessly and felt nothing but the wind¡¯s resistance against his palms. After that one time, he hadn¡¯t gotten the sensation of splitting the air again. ¡®Why won¡¯t it work?¡¯ He tried to replicate the same stance as before, but it was hopeless. Chi-Woo knew there was surely something else he needed to do, but he didn¡¯t know what that was. ¡®How many times did I swing?¡¯ Chi-Woo had given up on counting since he was told to swing not just a thousand times, but a meaningful thousand times. But he probably passed the thousandth mark on swing count alone. Chi-Woo felt a bit drained. If Byeok had given him a count every time he swung properly, he would¡¯ve at least been encouraged to meet his goal, but Byeok remained silent. She didn¡¯t even glance at him and simply flipped through documents while lying on the porch. He felt lost as if he was struggling in a vast, open sea. ¡®What do I need to do¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo had actually asked Byeok once because he couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter what. And this was what Byeok told him. [Why must I repeat what I said before?] [I told you precisely and even let you experience it yourself.] [Didn¡¯t you understand what I said and felt it?] [So that means you already understood in your head. Do you think anything significant would change just because you hear my explanation and experience the technique once more?] Not a word out of Byeok¡¯s mouth was false. Chi-Woo knew full well what he needed to do, but the problem was he couldn¡¯t carry these thoughts into action. ¡°Hm. When did so much time pass¡­?¡± Byeok moved. She pushed herself up and sat on the edge of the porch. ¡°I¡¯m starting to get hungry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Chi-Woo thought Byeok was going to tell him something now and was at a loss for words. Seeing his response, Byeok tilted her head. ¡°Why do you respond like that? Did I say something I shouldn¡¯t have?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not done yet though.¡± Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡°So?¡± Byeok retorted, and Chi-Woo was stunned. ¡°Did you really plan on continuing without eating anything?¡± ¡°I can eat?¡± Byeok was astounded by Chi-Woo¡¯s question. She asked in bafflement, ¡°Were you planning on going on without eating or sleeping?¡± ¡°But since I¡¯m in the process of¡­¡± ¡°Are you stubborn or stupid? I just told you that you needed to reach the required swing count before I finished reading all these.¡± In other words, it was fine for Chi-Woo to eat, sleep, and meet other people as long as he swung a proper thousand swings before the deadline. ¡°Of course, I like how you¡¯re passionate enough to willingly forgo food and sleep in favor of training, but¡­¡± Byeok got up from her seat and shook her head. ¡°You should know that there were more than one or two people who died from being overzealous.¡± Byeok then asked where she could have a good meal because she was hungry. Chi-Woo slowly put down his club. *** After finishing their meals, Chi-Woo returned to his training again and stared at Byeok as she lay on the porch. After hesitating a bit, he asked, ¡°How many proper swings have I made until now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you already know the answer to that question?¡± Chi-Woo had guessed as much, but knowing it for sure was a different story. ¡°If you have the energy to cling onto your swing count, focus harder on your training,¡± Byeok said. Then she added while tapping on her lips, ¡°If you are having a hard time focusing, why don¡¯t you sleep a bit? I am also starting to feel a bit sleepy after eating.¡± Chi-Woo licked his lips and said, ¡°I will do a bit more.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Byeok shrugged and rested her head on the pillow that the quick-witted Evelyn had laid down for her. ¡°¡­But what if I make a proper swing while you are sleeping?¡± Chi-Woo asked, irked when he saw Byeok ready to turn in. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me, kid.¡± She snorted. ¡°The moment you swing properly, even the sound will be different. Not like those meaningless, soft sounds you¡¯ve been making.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you have any complaints, you should make at least the first proper swing before you say anything.¡± In other words, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t even made one of the thousand he needed to do. With that, she closed her eyes, and Chi-Woo began swinging his club again. As sweat dripped down all over him, he gritted his teeth. *** The next day, the sky was bright. Byeok got up from the edge of her porch and looked around her. She was about to suggest to Chi-Woo to get breakfast when she saw him collapsed on the ground with the club clenched tightly in his grip. It seemed he had lost consciousness after overexerting himself all night. The traces on the ground showed that he couldn¡¯t bear the frustration of it all and let his mana explode from time to time. ¡°Tch, tch¡­to go that far¡­¡± Byeok clicked her tongue and shook her head. Then she passed Chi-Woo and headed outside. She went to the office building where Chi-Hyun resided and got a meal from him. Then she spent her break time after the meal with him. ¡°I came after seeing Chi-Woo,¡± Byeok said. Chi-Hyun¡¯s hands stopped while pouring tea. ¡°You met him this early in the morning?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been with him since yesterday. I went to see him immediately after your request,¡± Byeok said calmly. ¡°¡­Your personality is the same as usual, ma¡¯am,¡± Chi-Hyun said, looking a bit startled. ¡°So, how was he?¡± ¡°He grew up well. It seemed like yesterday when he was just a baby.¡± Chi-Hyun stared intently at her, and Byeok made a bitter smile. They both knew he wasn¡¯t asking about those things. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything else since I haven''t seen his user information yet. But¡­¡± Byeok trailed off and clicked her tongue. ¡°Things are going too slow.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s face darkened. Though she put it in quite a roundabout way, he knew what she was saying. Speed was a talent¡ªit was what he always said. ¡°Is it that severe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a situation where you can talk about whether it¡¯s good, bad, or okay. I read through the reports you gave me yesterday, but I didn¡¯t think it would be this much of a mess.¡± They were involved in a galaxy-scale event right now, and events of this scale had almost never occurred before. ¡°But it¡¯s an environment where speed is very important,¡± Byeok continued. Consider person A who could only run 1 km in an hour but 1,000 km in total; and then consider person B who could run 10 km in an hour but 100 km in total. In this example, speed represented one¡¯s talent, while the total distance a person could traverse was their potential. If time was limitless, person A would naturally outrun person B. They might lag behind in the beginning, but in the end, they would make it ten times farther than person B¡ªbut that was only the case if there was no time constraint. The problem was that time was finite on Liber, and there were other restrictions. Their enemies were also progressing and wouldn¡¯t wait patiently as their opponents grew. Following the same analogy, person A would only make it to the 5 km mark given five hours, while person B would be able to go 50 km. In this case, it was thus more efficient to raise person B rather than person A despite their potential. ¡°But since it was your request, I lowered my standards as much as possible. I was going to order him to swing 10,000 times, but lowered it to 1,000 times. I also gave him plenty of time, but he still couldn¡¯t do that much¡­hmph, hmph,¡± Byeok stopped herself, thinking she had talked Chi-Woo down too much. In consideration of who she was speaking to, she added, ¡°¡­I understand since he has been living as an ordinary person until now. If he started out as a hero, he wouldn¡¯t have been at this level. Why¡­¡± In short, Byeok was saying that Chi-Woo shouldn¡¯t have come to Liber in the first place. Chi-Hyun full-heartedly agreed. But there was no turning back now, and they needed to use all means possible to turn things around. Chi-Hyun knew better than anyone else of Chi-Woo¡¯s condition. He even tried teaching Chi-Woo, but after that experience, Chi-Hyun realized that it was difficult to even figure out what to do. Even he couldn¡¯t rashly try to change his brother¡¯s condition. Thus, he trusted the person in front of him to do the work. ¡°Still¡­¡± Chi-Hyun began, but closed his mouth again. Byeok wasn¡¯t someone he could just plead with. She granted his request yesterday and today considering Chi-Hyun¡¯s position and the attachment she felt for Chi-Woo when he was a baby, but that would be the end of that. Given her disposition to prioritize maximum efficiency and perfection, she would never turn back around once she judged the situation to be hopeless. And there would never be a second chance. ¡°Well¡­since there¡¯s still some time before the deadline, let¡¯s see how things turn out.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Knowing that even those words were spoken in consideration of him, Chi-Hyun had no choice but to accept her response. *** Splash! Chi-Woo felt coldness sweep and soak through his entire body and opened his eyes in shock. He saw Evelyn holding a bucket over him. ¡°Lady E-Evelyn?¡± ¡°We have a guest. How long are you going to stay asleep?¡± Evelyn said in a low voice. As she said, there was someone waiting for him in the yard with a slightly taken aback expression on her face: a lady with ivory-colored hair, Noel Freya. Chi-Woo hurriedly got up and told Noel to come inside. But Noel said she was fine where she was since she needed to leave soon and sat on the porch. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t think you would come¡­¡± Chi-Woo hastily washed his face with the water already there. When he saw Philip look at him pitifully, Chi-Woo realized it was meaningless to try to look presentable now. ¡°By the way, how is your condition¡­?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Perfect.¡± Noel smiled brightly and raised one arm. ¡°I feel like I could fly. I feel even better than before.¡± And she praised to the heavens how it was all thanks to Lord Chi-Hyun¡¯s great care. Hearing this depressed Chi-Woo further. He remembered how his brother had promised to heal Noel, which made him realize that his brother always kept his promises. He didn¡¯t break a single one of them unlike¡­ Noel soon noticed Chi-Woo¡¯s mood. And she cut her praise of Chi-Hyun short, which would¡¯ve normally lasted over 30 more minutes. ¡°I know¡­you¡¯re having a hard time,¡± Noel said cautiously. ¡°I can¡¯t say things are good.¡± Chi-Woo smiled bitterly, and Noel looked more worried. Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo were tied by blood, and this connection was deeper than most realized. They should¡¯ve been existences that could turn to one another no matter what happened. Thus, it was neither in Chi-Hyun¡¯s nor Chi-Woo¡¯s favor that they were drifting farther apart. ¡°Then¡­what are you going to do, young master?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Chi-Woo lowered his head and sighed. He looked worried-sick. Noel thought she knew what Chi-Woo was feeling. Chi-Woo was a good sibling who came to Liber for the sole purpose of helping his older brother out. It was natural that he would feel so conflicted when his relationship with his brother was worsening now. Perhaps he even lost his purpose of coming to Liber. ¡°¡­But,¡± Chi-Woo started and fell into deep thought. [What¡­.can I do¡­ to make you listen to me?] Chi-Woo still couldn¡¯t forget his brother¡¯s answer when he asked this question. His brother¡¯s words kept circling in his mind. Thus, Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I have the desire to become stronger.¡± Noel lowered her chin slightly. She was a little relieved that his condition didn¡¯t appear as severe as she thought. Chi-Woo still had a will that could turn the current situation in a more positive direction. ¡°How are you going to become stronger?¡± Noel asked with hope and added, ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you¡­could I give you some help?¡± ¡°Help?¡± ¡°Yes, did you know that the ninth recruits came to Liber recently?¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a great lady I would like to introduce to you,¡± Noel said. Chi-Woo was surprised to hear her address another person formally when she considered everyone besides his older brother as low-lives. ¡®Who in the world¡­ah,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and said in realization, ¡°Are you perhaps talking about Ms. Byeok?¡± Noel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh my. You already know her?¡± ¡°She already came to see me and left.¡± ¡°What?¡± Noel¡¯s voice rose. It sounded like she couldn¡¯t believe it. Then she murmured to herself, ¡°I see¡­she already came before I requested¡­¡± But seeing her response, Chi-Woo¡¯s curiosity shot up. It definitely seemed like there was something going on. ¡°Who is this hero named Byeok?¡± After thinking about his question for a bit, Noel spoke, ¡°Hm~ Rather than a hero, she is¡­a gardener? Someone who blooms talent. In short, you can consider her someone who fosters people.¡± Chi-Woo looked confused by Noel¡¯s explanation. He asked, ¡°Um¡­aren¡¯t celestial heroes recruited from many planets?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Noel said. ¡°I should have specified that she fosters not ordinary people, but heroes.¡± Then she continued, ¡°She fosters special heroes and cultivates them even further.¡± Noel explained that not all heroes were the same. From an ordinary person¡¯s point-of-view, everyone could be a splendid hero, but there existed differences between heroes. These differences were clearly shown by the scale and danger level of the stages the heroes acted on. Heroes chose where they fulfilled their duties according to their abilities. Some decided to resolve planet-scale events, while others took on those at the stellar-system scale. The greater the heroes¡¯ abilities, the greater the scale of their stages. Evidently, the heroes didn¡¯t choose their own standards and scales. The person who assessed whether a hero could work beyond a planet scale to a stellar system scale was Byeok. Thus, if a hero wanted to work on a greater stage, they needed to seek out Byeok first, receive proper education, and pass a test to receive a certification. Only then could they go on to the next step. In short, Byeok was someone who gave out celestial examinations. ¡°For your information, those who completed her training account for less than 10 percent.¡± A hero could only take the examination once they completed their training, and they could only take the examination within a specific time frame. Should they fail, they would need to go through the training all over again. ¡°Furthermore, less than 3 percent complete the examination and receive a certificate,¡± Noel added. ¡°¡­That¡¯s insane.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gaped open hearing the low success rate. Besides that, he was surprised by how important Byeok was. ¡°She really is an incredible figure. There are many complaints about her, but she shows clear results.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Not all heroes who had made a mark in Celestial Realm¡¯s history were her disciples, but there¡¯s not a single one of her disciples who didn¡¯t spread their names throughout history. That¡¯s why even the Celestial Lights can¡¯t complain given the results she got. And though it was a very special case, there was also a time when she taught Lord Chi-Hyun.¡± In other words, Byeok was Chi-Hyun¡¯s master and the one who had made the current legend. It was then Chi-Woo realized why Philip had told him to follow Byeok¡¯s command the moment he saw her inflict a blow. CH 257 Byeok Ran-Eum was the name of the examiner who trained heroes and judged whether they were worthy to go onto the next stage of their careers in the Celestial Realm. The way she was recruited was also very special, perhaps even more so than Ru Amuh, who distinguished himself from other heroes by achieving a great feat before becoming a Celestial hero. There were countless planets in the universe, and thus countless planets were home to lives as well as developed civilizations and cultures. As these planets aged, the majority of them faced at least one crisis big enough to cause their extinction. But as there were exceptions to every case, there were a selected few that maintained peace without the threat of extinction. And perhaps the fact that one of the Celestial Managers noticed this one planet was a stroke of fate. It didn¡¯t face any significant dangers, but boasted a record number of heroes coming from it. And when the Celestial Manager carefully studied the planet to find out what was special about it, they were astonished. It was a planet just like any other¡ªwith wars and different creatures living together. Except for one thing. When residents of the planet detected danger, they all gathered their forces to defeat the enemy. As if they had made each other a vow that could never be broken, they followed this rule even if they were each other¡¯s worst enemies. But what really shocked the Celestial Manager was this particular planet¡¯s way of extinguishing an enemy or resolving a problem. The common rule was that whatever era a world was in, there was only one hero. When a crisis arose, a person was chosen to be a Saintess, and the Saintess designated one person to be a hero. However, that was not the case for this planet. There were not just a couple nor tens of heroes, but hundreds of heroes ready for service. Thus, if a demon lord suddenly appeared, high-level heroes who were already trained from various countries all swarmed forth like locusts and killed the threat. And given such things happened every time a threat arose, it was difficult for a crisis that threatened the lives of all the creatures on the planet to arise. But how was this possible? Wondering this, the Celestial Manager was able to find out one surprising fact. On the planet in question, the hero-fostering system was already well-established throughout the world to the point that it could basically be called a small Celestial Realm. And it was all thanks to one person who possessed an ability so great that it could even ignore the laws of the universe and create a system that could foster heroes. And that person was¡­ *** [There¡¯s nothing more for me to say if she already came, but¡­I think it would be good for you to be careful.] [Her character is always a bit¡­I should say that she has a very strong conviction. Once she sees that a hero is reaching their limit while she is teaching, she immediately washes her hands of caring for them.] [If you really want to become strong, you should clutch onto even the edges of her pants without sparing any methods or means.] [It¡¯s not like you have no connection to her, and she¡¯s someone who knows how to repay a favor¡­ She might show you some leeway. You should leverage that to your advantage.] After Noel left, Chi-Woo went through what she told him thoroughly. ¡®I want to become stronger,¡¯ he thought. ¡®I have to become stronger. But I don¡¯t know how.¡¯ That was when Chi-Woo realized what he was missing. He needed to become stronger as fast as possible. At first, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know¡ªno, he knew, but pretended otherwise. And without considering the real situation he was in, he talked about saving and preserving his merits for as long as possible to reap the benefits. He now understood why his brother had shaken his head and sighed when hearing about his plan. Yes, he knew what he needed to do. ¡®The progress system.¡¯ Without using this system, would he be able to quickly become as strong as he wished to? Chi-Woo knew he wouldn¡¯t. He needed to accept reality and be harsher on himself. And like Noel said, he needed to use all means possible to become stronger. Thus, in that instance, Chi-Woo tapped on his left wrist. He turned on the Celestial device and called forth his fostering system. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. [Merits that user Choi Chi-Woo possesses: 7,729,316] He had an astonishing amount of merits¡ªalmost 8 million in total. It was because he hadn¡¯t used any since Zepar¡¯s expedition. Furthermore, he was acknowledged for his efforts in the latest war and earned a couple hundred thousand more. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t immediately move. It seemed he was still hesitating as he glared at the air in front of him. Then, after doing that for a while, he slowly raised his index finger like he had made his decision. *** Chi-Woo went outside again after washing himself, and he saw that Byeok had returned to her previous position. She was still lying on the backyard porch and reading, and sometimes she exhaled through her pipe. Byeok raised her head when a shadow suddenly cast over her and saw Chi-Woo looking down at her. ¡°What is it?¡± Byeok asked. ¡°No way you¡¯re going to claim that you met the swing count while I was gone. Or did you give up already?¡± Byeok was about to say, ¡®Okay, it¡¯s good that you realized your limits early on¡¯ when Chi-Woo spoke up. ¡°Give me a hint. Tell me how I can reproduce that swing from yesterday.¡± Chi-Woo felt the way Byeok looked at him changed. Her indifferent eyes changed to ones that gave Chi-Woo an indescribable sense of discomfort. She looked up at Chi-Woo like she was baffled, but let out a long sigh in the end. ¡°I should hold it in¡­¡± Byeok murmured to herself for a while. ¡°I should remember how cute he was when he was young¡­and he also has a connection to the Choi family¡­¡± Usually, she wouldn¡¯t have even responded to a request like Chi-Woo¡¯s, but looking like she was making a special case this time, she said, ¡°Did you even think about why I gave you this mission?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°And why I did the snapping technique?¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard like he had no clue what she was saying. ¡°Even your response to my question is a problem.¡± Byeok chided him with scowling eyes. ¡°Think about why I mentioned the snapping technique just now. If you actually thought for a bit, you should¡¯ve come to a realization.¡± She clicked her tongue with the pipe in her mouth. Chi-Woo thought she looked very irritating as she did this, but remembering what Noel told him, he endured. ¡°Why did you learn the snapping technique?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s to maximize destructive power when hitting an opponent.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°¡­And to minimize any resistance against the energy I expel and exert the most forceful and speedy attack against my opponent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you twerp.¡± It appeared Byeok liked this response better as her voice became more relaxed. ¡°Why would you ask for a clue when you already know everything?¡± Chi-Woo asked her to explain it in more detail, but she shook her head and sighed again. ¡°¡­I get it now. It seems you are a guy who doesn¡¯t think at all. Or is it that you can¡¯t?¡± Philip nodded to these words, but when he met Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes, he waved his hands, looking startled. Now that Chi-Woo thought about it, Philip had constantly asked him to please ¡®think¡¯. But this was something that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t fix. He couldn¡¯t find the answer even though he tried. What more could he do? ¡°¡­You are a human,¡± Byeok said while licking her lips. ¡°Besides your dormant potential, you are a human with no great physical abilities.¡± Chi-Woo felt irked by her tone, but since there was nothing false about what she said, he kept his mouth sealed. She continued, ¡°But even a human experiences once or twice when they are able to display superhuman strength.¡± Those were when humans showed abilities and energy that superseded their species¡¯ limit. ¡°Do you know how that happens?¡± Byeok asked. Then, with the remembrance of one specific memory, she continued with a smile, ¡°If you must know, your brother had such an experience when he was very young and while he was tumbling. He was just jumping up and down excitedly when he suddenly jumped up twice the height than usual.¡± This was news to Chi-Woo. But he had heard and seen events similar to what Byeok mentioned on Earth¡ªincluding stories where a father safely caught his son falling from a high building with only a little scratch, or an old miner survived past two weeks in a collapsed cave and eventually being rescued. People sometimes experienced or witnessed unbelievable things during their lives. It was like how one professional racer claimed that he felt time stop when his opponent was passing him, or a baseball player saw a baseball become as big as a watermelon at one point. And Byeok said the reason why such impossible things became possible was¡­ ¡°The answer is posture.¡± Since it was an important point, she repeated, ¡°Every time you do something, you have to maintain the correct and optimal posture, which was identified through studious research and efforts.¡± For example, runners started their race in a contorted posture called the ¡®Crouching Start¡¯, and as soon as the race began, they sprang out to maximize momentum. ¡°Do I really need to go on? You said it yourself.¡± Having an optimal posture minimized energy loss while maximizing the efficiency of one¡¯s ability. The snapping technique was based on the same logic. After hearing Byeok Ran-Eum¡¯s explanation, Chi-Woo understood why she told him he hadn¡¯t been thinking. Still, Chi-Woo had a lasting question: how come he successfully learned the snapping technique but couldn¡¯t do what she had shown him? Byeok answered, ¡°All you did was learn one technique. But you didn¡¯t complete it.¡± Then she continued in a chirp, ¡°You just did what you were told and followed a set list of instructions. You acted no differently from a machine. But like that, you would only be able to reach 80% mastery of the technique with constant repetition, but never able to master it completely.¡± If one solved a problem continuously like a machine, they would be able to get the hang of it and reach a moderate score, but as soon as a problem tested their thinking process, they would be stuck. They needed to completely understand the concept, or else they would be stagnant. ¡°How is it? Do you think you understand after the explanation?¡± ¡°I still¡­don¡¯t know well.¡± Chi-Woo slowly shook his head. ¡°Hmph, I like that you are honest.¡± Byeok snorted like she¡¯d expected Chi-Woo¡¯s answer. ¡°But don¡¯t be too down. There are just people who can do it and those who can¡¯t. And there are many more in the second category.¡± In other words, she was saying that Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t a special case, but actually the normal one. ¡°Anyways, if you don¡¯t think you can do it, you should give up early on¡ª¡± But Chi-Woo interjected, ¡°Still, I think I can do it if you let me experience the skill one more time.¡± Byeok¡¯s face hardened at Chi-Woo¡¯s unexpected response. ¡°You think you can do it?¡± ¡°I will do it,¡± Chi-Woo said in a firmer voice when he saw her eyebrow rise. But Byeok¡¯s expression didn¡¯t become any better. ¡°You must think you are some main character of a novel.¡± Instead of getting angry, Byeok Ran-Eum said with pitiful eyes. ¡°If you were a guy who could come to a realization after a couple of words, you should¡¯ve succeeded in your first attempt.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t realize it in the beginning, but after conversing with her for a bit, he found out that Byeok was a very realistic person. But that meant he needed to prove himself even more. ¡°Just once. Just one more time.¡± ¡°You really have a hard time understanding. This isn¡¯t something you can whine and insist about like when you were a child.¡± Then she asked like she was tired of the conversation, ¡°In the first place, is there any reason why I should go through the trouble of demonstrating that for you again?¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo gathered his thoughts for a bit and said, ¡°I will make sure that you don''t waste your time.¡± Byeok¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment. It seemed her curiosity had been sparked somewhat. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t look desperate considering he was the one requesting a favor. Instead, he seemed confident that he would be able to accomplish what he set out to do with one more demonstration. But where did this confidence come from? She was curious, and there was the deal with Chi-Hyun¡¯s request and her attachment to him¡ªand above all, she was quite satisfied with Chi-Woo¡¯s response. If he had responded like one more demonstration was no big deal when she already did it, she would¡¯ve immediately turned around. But Chi-Woo didn¡¯t, and he knew very well the value of her time. ¡°Good.¡± Byeok lowered her jaw. ¡°But since I¡¯m demonstrating one more time for you, I will place a condition.¡± Of course, she didn¡¯t accept Chi-Woo¡¯s offer easily. ¡°If you don¡¯t succeed in ten attempts after I demonstrated the technique for you, I will count that as you failing. Fair?¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­too much.¡± ¡°Quit it if you aren¡¯t confident.¡± ¡°¡­I will do it.¡± Chi-Woo gritted his teeth as Byeok flicked her head around. ¡®So this was how she was going to play?¡¯ he thought. ¡°Then I will also place a condition, and if you allow it, I will accept everything.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I manage to succeed within ten attempts, you have to teach me for as long as I want.¡± Byeok blinked hard at Chi-Woo¡¯s firm tone before bursting into laughter. She already came after being requested to teach Chi-Woo, if Chi-Woo did what was expected of him, it wouldn''t be a bad deal. ¡°Okay, fine.¡± Byeok surprisingly accepted the conditions and got up before walking to the backyard. ¡°Relax and loosen up¡­good.¡± After fixing Chi-Woo¡¯s posture, she grabbed onto the hand Chi-Woo was holding the club with and pulled it downward. Spliiiit! The sound of air splitting rang, and Chi-Woo closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t move for a while with his club lowered. It was as if he was slowly savoring a feeling he just tasted. How much time had passed? Chi-Woo slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Try now.¡± After backing away and waiting patiently, Byeok said. The way she crossed her arms and smirked seemed to indicate she already expected a certain result. Not long afterward, Chi-Woo raised his arm. Fwish! Eventually, he swung his ghost-busting club downward. The club cut through the wind, but was a meaningless swing. It was still not over though. He still had nine more chances, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t stop. He fixed his posture little by little and swung his club. Two, four, eight times¡­ On his ninth swing, there was a hint of disappointment on Byeok¡¯s face. She had thought that perhaps things would go differently; he was from his family after all. ¡®¡­But no blame should be placed on this baby. He has been raised and grown accustomed to his life on Earth for over twenty years¡­¡¯ She was about to turn around when she heard the sound of his tenth swing. She thought she had heard wrong for a moment, but then she clearly saw Chi-Woo smirking at her with his club down. CH 258 Chi-Woo didn¡¯t stop after the first success. He began swinging the club again. Swoosh, swoosh. Meaningless wind sounds rang in the air and then¡ª Crackk! Again, Chi-Woo made a sound as if the atmosphere was splitting. The sound was much clearer than before, but above all, it took less than ten attempts this time. Chi-Woo succeeded in exactly eight tries. Chi-Woo swung the club non-stop, and the more he swung, the fewer attempts it took him to make the right sound. After succeeding on the eighth swing, he succeeded on the seventh. Then eighth, sixth, sixth again, and fifth¡­ Crack! Craccck! Then there were times when he succeeded twice in a row, and then three times in a row. A pleasant notification sound also rang. The fact that his basic blunt attack rose was proof that he had fully comprehended this technique. Moreover, Chi-Woo showed signs of exhaustion quicker than before. It was different than when he swung his club mindlessly because he needed a considerable amount of mental energy to pay attention to his every movement to maintain the appropriate balance. As a result, he naturally ran out of breath, and sweat flowed down his body like rain. Although it was extremely strenuous, Chi-Woo endured it. He gritted his teeth hard and swung the ghost-busting club with great care because he also felt like he was properly training. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but when he finally exhausted all the energy in his body, he stopped moving his club. There was no power left in him to swing it. Chi-Woo got down on one knee and gasped for breath. ¡°How¡­is¡­it¡­?¡± he asked while gathering his breath. Byeok didn¡¯t say anything. She merely looked down at him as he panted. However, there was clear surprise in her eyes. Chi-Woo had already fulfilled her requirement of successfully swinging 1,000 times; to be exact, he had swung 1,279 times correctly. There was only one reason why she did not stop him even though he exceeded her condition¡ªshe could tell that he was growing. She didn¡¯t know if he realized it himself, but by the end, Chi-Woo succeeded almost seven or eight times out of ten even while changing his movements, adding stabbing into the mix. Of course, she couldn¡¯t understand this situation at all. It was only yesterday that Chi-Woo had been unable to make even one successful swing out of thousands of times. How could he suddenly swing like this today? On the other hand, he really did succeed, and Byeok sincerely admired his growth in real-time. She quietly raised her hands. Clap, clap, clap, clap. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened at the following sound. He had been curious about her reaction, but he didn¡¯t expect to receive an applause. However, it was natural for Byeok because this was her usual personality; she always said things as it was and criticized people for bad work while praising good work. And Chi-Woo just now did a great job. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. You really proved your words. As expected of a hero from the Choi family.¡± She continued complimenting him. ¡°If you ask me how it was, rather than genius¡­hmm¡­should I say it feels superhuman? Yeah, it feels like I¡¯m looking at a beast who realized his instincts.¡± Chi-Woo flinched after hearing Byeok¡¯s accurate assessment. It seemed she really lived up to her fame. ¡°How did you manage to do it? You didn¡¯t seem like that type at all. How can a person change so much overnight?¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head at Byeok¡¯s question. He had used his merits to fulfill her condition, but he was embarrassed to reveal the truth. Byeok intuitively realized that Chi-Woo must have used some kind of shortcut or help from the way he was hesitating, but she didn¡¯t mind it too much. Even if he got detailed advice from someone, this was not something he could do with only a few words. But above all, it was undeniable that Chi-Woo did this on his own. Since she saw it with her own eyes, she could verify it as well. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Tell me.¡± At Byeok¡¯s urging, Chi-Woo was forced to speak. ¡°I¡­bought it.¡± ¡°What? Bought it?¡± ¡°Yes¡­Should I say I bought talent¡­?¡± After his conversation with Noel, Chi-Woo had opened up his user information and raised his ¡®Golden Ratio¡¯ ability with his merits. There were two reasons why Chi-Woo came up with this idea. First was due to his brother¡¯s words. [It¡¯s amazingly messy.] [This is crazy. I expected as much but¡­there¡¯s more than one thing to correct. And balance is the key driver to your growth? Why that out of everything? What am I supposed to do with this? What the hell were you thinking¡­] Chi-Hyun had severely criticized Chi-Woo¡¯s user information when he first saw it. He even cursed La Bella, questioning how on earth she let him get to this point. Chi-Hyun had also scolded him, saying that the Golden Ratio was also a result of a unique ability and not a product of effort. However, after reading that ¡®the same actions become more efficient by several-fold¡¯ in the description of Golden Ratio, he said La Bella at least had a bit of conscience. The second reason was due to the words of his assistant, Mimi. ¨CF ¡úE ¡úD¡úC ¡úB ¡ú B+ ¡úA ¡ú A+ ¡ú A++ ¡úA+++ ¡úAA ¡ú AAA ¡ú S ¡ú EX. Mimi had told him that the limit of human physical ability was rank C. However, standards for an ordinary person¡¯s ability or skill was different from physical abilities. ¡ªRank A means that you are an expert. And an expert is still human. ¡ªIf you surpass rank A, you¡¯ve surpassed the limits of a human. Thus, a person at rank S is a superhuman. Only those who surpassed human limits can reach this stage. Chi-Woo¡¯s Golden Ratio was originally triple-A grade. Although it exceeded A, it was still within rank A. Of course, even this was a great feat, but the problem lay in Chi-Woo. As Chi-Hyun said, since Chi-Woo basically just picked up this skill and didn¡¯t acquire it through effort, he wasn¡¯t able to utilize it 100 percent. Thus, the solution Chi-Woo thought of was to rank up Golden Ratio to raise its upper and lower limit at the same time. It wasn¡¯t an easy decision. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t even dared to raise Golden Ratio¡¯s rank when it first required 2,178,675 merit points. It even went up to 2,217,392 at one point, but it had decreased considerably after Chi-Woo¡¯s training with his brother. Unfortunately, the amount of merit points required was still huge, nearly 2,000,000 points. Still, Chi-Woo thought this was the only way, so he decided to splurge. [Golden Ratio S] ¨C A temporary vessel reassembled by the ¡®Core of Balance¡¯. It is based on the golden ratio, said to create the most beautiful and balanced harmony since ancient times. After the body achieves perfect balance, all physical attributes increase by one rank. In addition, every action taken under a clear purpose has a tremendous positive effect. The body has achieved the minimum conditions to transcend mortality and challenge for immorality. However, the user''s physical abilities are too low and do not transcend human capabilities, so the effects of this ability will be only semi-permanent, and the user will only be able to maintain it through continuous training. In the end, his prediction hit right on the mark. After raising it to S rank, the Golden Ratio gained a new ability: ¡®Every action taken under a clear purpose has a tremendous positive effect¡¯. When the Golden Ratio was at triple A, he could get a rough grasp of how great this ability was, but it was a totally different ballgame once he reached S rank. As soon as he experienced it, he felt an electrifying sensation that melted gently throughout his body. He couldn¡¯t understand it, but his body instinctively accepted this sensation, and he succeeded in embodying it by fulfilling Byeok¡¯s condition. However, he felt a prick of conscience because he had taken a short-cut rather than coming to the realization on his own. ¡°Hmm¡­you bought a talent¡­ Is it a temporary effect?¡± ¡°No. It applies semi-permanently as long as I try hard to maintain it.¡± ¡°Well, then it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Unexpectedly, Byeok didn¡¯t criticize him or say it was a lowly trick. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it mean that it¡¯s yours now anyway? Then it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± She was not as stringent as he thought. Chi-Woo¡¯s complexion brightened with her generous words. Then Byeok asked, ¡°If you could do that, why didn¡¯t you buy it earlier?¡± Chi-Woo also felt the same way. He never imagined that there would be such a big difference between the level of humans and the level of superhumans. ¡°Let me see¡­ Since you kept your promise, it¡¯s my turn to keep mine.¡± Byeok sat back down on the verandah and said, ¡°Share your user information first.¡± Chi-Woo hesitated at her sudden request, but he remembered what Noel said and turned on his device. For some reason, he had a feeling that he could trust her. Byeok slowly scanned Chi-Woo¡¯s user information. She looked interested for a bit, and then her expression quickly stiffened. ¡°Wow¡­¡± She gaped and said, ¡°Wow¡­fuck¡­wow¡­¡± How bad was it that she was swearing? Seemingly having sensed his gaze, Byeok turned to look at him. She kept licking her lips while glancing at him. ¡°You cowardly punk!¡± Then she suddenly began yelling at him. ¡°Haven¡¯t I clearly told you to fulfill my condition through the standard process!? How dare you use such a cheap trick!¡± ¡®What¡­why is she suddenly acting like this?¡¯ Chi-Woo grumbled, ¡°But you just told me it was okay earlier, and there was no problem¡­¡± ¡°Do you not have pride as a man?¡± Byeok flinched and shouted as if she was trying to find fault with him somehow. ¡°A woman you don¡¯t know suddenly invaded your personal space and is acting so arrogant! If I were you, I would have yelled and tried to chase me out already!¡± For some reason, it sounded like Byeok was begging him to kick her out. She sounded extremely desperate. At that moment, Chi-Woo had an intuition that he had to cling onto her at all costs. Fortunately, he had already set a condition for this. ¡°You promised me already that you¡¯ll teach me until I want to stop¡­¡± Byeok let out a groan. She blamed herself for agreeing and now regretted her words. Chi-Woo felt down because it was so obvious that she didn¡¯t want to teach him. ¡°Is it that bad? To the point where you don¡¯t want to teach¡­¡± ¡°¡­No¡­it¡¯s¡­¡± Byeok didn¡¯t finish as she saw his sullen face. It wasn¡¯t only because of the promise she made with him; his face also kept overlapping with when he was a baby, when he always smiled brightly at her. But above all, considering that Chi-Hyun always went above and beyond for his brother, he wouldn¡¯t leave her alone after finding out about this incident. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± In the end, Byeok realized that she had no other choice and lowered her head. ¡°Ha, seriously. I¡¯ve been preparing myself, but what a guy¡­never thought I would get so shocked even in my old age¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes became big as saucers when he heard this because he suddenly recalled a long-buried memory in his head. It was when he was living with his mentor. [Chi-Woo.] One day, his mentor suddenly called out to him and said. [Do you remember what I told you when I first saw you?] [Yes, of course I remember.] [Really? Then what did I say?] [Ha, damn it. What a guy¡­even in my old age, I¡¯m shocked! That¡¯s what you said.] [What, how do you remember it so accurately?] [Honestly, it was because I was hurt by your words.] [Damn. Why are you getting hurt by such a thing? Are you a snowflake?] [Well, I have a sensitive, young heart. So anyway, why do you ask?] [¡­By any chance, if even in the distant future.] Chi-Woo clearly remembered his mentor¡¯s words. [If there¡¯s someone who says something similar to me, cling to them no matter what.] [What? Why?] [Because that person will help you tremendously. You have to cling onto them no matter how dirty and cheap you have to be. Okay?] [I mean, why? Why do I have to do that just because of a few words? Sir, you have to tell me the reason.] This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. [Don¡¯t ask me why. If they say that after seeing you once, that person is probably an extraordinary person.] [What¡¯s wrong with my condition?] His mentor hadn¡¯t answered his question. He hadn¡¯t known it then, but now he could guess that his mentor probably wanted to answer but couldn¡¯t. Anyway, the important thing was that the person that fit his teacher¡¯s criteria finally appeared. What Byeok just said was almost identical to what his teacher had said when he first saw him. Soon after, Byeok took out the pipe she had been smoking the whole time from her mouth. ¡°You know that blonde guy.¡± ¡°Blonde guy? Do you mean Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know his name, but that guy who sometimes comes and goes after watching you quietly.¡± This was news to Chi-Woo. In addition, he blinked because he didn¡¯t know why she suddenly mentioned Ru Amuh. Byeok drew a perfect circle on the ground and said, ¡°To use a metaphor, that guy¡¯s condition is like this.¡± Then she said, ¡°It¡¯s ideal even in my own eyes both in terms of potential and talent. He even knows exactly what he should do. He¡¯s not lacking in any way. He doesn¡¯t even need a teacher because he¡¯s the type to do well by himself.¡± She tapped the perfect circle on the ground and said, ¡°But you¡­¡± She glanced at Chi-Woo and started drawing on the ground again. Unlike before, the pipe began moving very dramatically, and she wasn¡¯t drawing a circle anymore. She drew spikes, waves, and lines that crossed and tangled up with each other. In short, it was extremely asymmetric. Thus, the result of the drawing could hardly be described as a shape, let alone a circle. It was not even close to a geometric pattern and far worse than a grotesque alien monster. ¡°I need to make this into this.¡± Byeok moved her pipe and pointed to the perfect circle. ¡°Would you be able to do it? Of course you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t answer; he knew it was a metaphor, but he knew intuitively that it was more difficult to teach him than the metaphor would suggest, or at least just as difficult. Would it have been this bad if he had listened to his brother and stayed in the mountain? When he began to regret his decision, Byeok continued, ¡°But if you ask for my opinion¡­there is a way.¡± Chi-Woo opened his eyes wide. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not easy at all. If you¡¯re expecting a standard or normal method, wake up. I really don¡¯t like using extreme measures, but this is not something that can be solved within normal standards.¡± Byeok continued, ¡°Therefore, I need you to trust me. We must see it to the very end once we get started.¡± Since this was not an area that could be approached hastily, Byeok said, ¡°You need to have complete trust in me.¡± ¡°I will.¡± When Chi-Woo answered without any hesitation, Byeok smiled bitterly. ¡°You answer too easily. Aren¡¯t you worried about what I might make you do?¡± ¡°Miss Byeok, what should I do first?¡± Byeok realized that there was no turning back anymore as Chi-Woo sounded extremely determined. She quietly closed her eyes. ¡°¡­Break.¡± She opened her eyes after a moment of silence. ¡°All right, if you trust me completely, why don¡¯t I test your trust first?¡± She looked at Chi-Woo with a sharp gaze. ¡°Listen carefully from now on and carry my words exactly into action.¡± CH 259 An unprecedented tension filled the white space. The goddess holding a scale looked down at the young man kneeling in front of her. In the midst of this heavy silence, La Bella slowly raised her scale. ¡ªYour wish has been granted. Her soft voice rang in his ear. His surroundings changed as soon as he raised his head. The white space was quickly replaced by his house, and against the backdrop, Byeok stood with her arms crossed. She flicked her index finger and said, ¡°You came back sooner than I thought you would.¡± At her words, Chi-Woo slowly rose from his seat. ¡°You did as I told you to, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Chi-Woo replied with a nod; he looked dazed. ¡°Share your user information.¡± At her order, Chi-Woo turned on his device. 1. Name & Rank: Choi Chi-Woo (EX) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 23 3. Height & Weight: 180.5 & 73.5kg 4. Denomination: ¡®The Goddess of Scales¡¯ and ¡®Guardian of Balance¡¯, La Bella 5. Tier: Iron IV 6. Class: Exorcist 7. Heavenly Title: Three Lines 8. Disposition: Neutral [Strength C] [Durability C] [Agility C] [Stamina C] [Mental Fortitude C] [Exorcism C] 1. [Basic Blunt Attack D] 2. [Basic Hand-to-hand Combat D] 3. [Purification Breathing E] 1. [??????te ?????lity EX] 2. [Golden Ratio S] Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. 1. [Insight into the Unknown C] 2. [Release I ¨C II] ¨C Ability to lift a ban. A seal put on by the user is arbitrarily released and returns to its original state. At the user¡¯s request, the ban has been divided into two stages. Byeok¡¯s demand for Chi-Woo was to put a ban on most of his abilities. Thus, Chi-Woo met La Bella and asked her to apply a seal. It would be a lie if he said he didn¡¯t feel hesitation, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t ponder for long. With the sole determination to get stronger, he accepted having his abilities sealed without hesitation. Byeok read through his user information and sharply said, ¡°I told you to seal all your innate abilities except your Golden Ratio.¡± ¡°I asked her, and she said no.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She told me that all the abilities were fine, but that one was beyond her power.¡± ¡°¡­Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Byeok smacked her lips and soon placed both her hands on her waist and raised one corner of her mouth. ¡°Anyway, it looks much better now that it got all cleaned up.¡± Byeok sounded satisfied, but the inside of Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth tasted bitter. His user information, which had been full of amazing abilities and ranks, was now empty. It felt like looking at his bank account that was full of money on payday becoming empty after a few days. ¡°Except for these two innate abilities, this is your current state.¡± Without his mysterious and special powers, Chi-Woo¡¯s current state was that of an ordinary human being. Now that he thought of it like that, he saw his user information in a different light, and he could better understand why Philip and his brother had repeatedly told him that he had a poor foundation. ¡®I¡­What have I been doing so far?¡¯ His low self-esteem began to creep up. Of course, he had his excuses. Every time he tried to do something, an intense event occurred, and they had to quickly escape. However, he knew very well that Liber would not consider his circumstances; it was a waste of time to even feel regretful like this. Although he didn¡¯t think the path he had walked so far was wrong, he realized that he had been way too narrow-minded. Since he realized his faults, it was now time to fix it. He needed to balance out his skills. ¡°How will I be able to release the seals on my abilities?¡± Chi-Woo asked cautiously. ¡°When you have a solid foundation that will stay secure under any structure.¡± Byeok pulled out the pipe in her mouth and continued, ¡°And when you have a strong column that can withstand any load no matter how heavy the top of the main structure is.¡± She spoke in a low tone. ¡°And when a gorgeous and magnificent structure that could be embellished with colorful decorations can be built on top of your foundation.¡± A haze of smoke came out of her mouth and disappeared. Although she spoke in figurative expressions, Chi-Woo understood what she was saying¡ªit was until his natural ability could serve as a support base for the abilities that were given to him. In short, Byeok meant that he should fill his current user information more than the original user information by his own efforts. While his sealed abilities were like casting pearls before a swine right now, he needed to try his best to be worthy of these abilities. If a day like that really came, he would be 180-degree different from his current self. ¡°Of course, things won¡¯t always go your way.¡± Byeok calmly continued, ¡°But keep in mind, unless your life or the lives of those around you are threatened, or you¡¯re in a situation where you have to step up, you should never remove the seal on your abilities. Do you understand?¡± It was not difficult to release the seal. Since he just needed to ask La Bella again, he could basically release it whenever he wanted. Although the seal wasn¡¯t as stringent as he thought it would be, that was all the more reason he had to do his best to keep this promise. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Chi-Woo, who was determined, replied with a firm voice. ¡°We will begin training tomorrow. If you have anything you need to quickly do, finish it by today.¡± With these words, Byeok strode towards his house; judging by the way she went in and out of his place as if it was hers, it seemed she was planning to stay with him. ¡°I can do it right no¡ª¡± ¡°As your master, my words are absolute.¡± Byeok dismissed him with a single sentence, and then opened the door and entered the house. Chi-Woo, who was now left alone, hesitated for a bit and clenched his club. He wanted to etch into his mind the skill he just learned before he forgot the feeling, so he swung the club again. * * * The next day arrived. Chi-Woo opened his eyes with excitement and got rebuked mercilessly as soon as he woke up. The reason for this scolding was that as a disciple, he should have woken his master and greeted her first thing in the morning, but he moved so slowly as if he had all the time in the world. Chi-Woo was sure that Byeok was just hangry because breakfast was not prepared. Chi-Woo cursed her inside his mind, calling her a boomer, but since he decided to learn from her, he tried his best to match her tastes. After they finished their meals, Byeok called Chi-Woo to the yard. ¡°Image representation has been activated in this house.¡± Chi-Woo glanced back at his master at her unexpected words. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your brother¡¯s innate ability.¡± Image representation was an ability that allowed Chi-Hyun to express anything he wanted in a set space. ¡°While you were sleeping your ass off, I went and asked your brother myself.¡± Chi-Woo knew very well what kind of place the image representation space was, but he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡°And he accepted that request?¡± ¡°He made it obvious that he didn¡¯t want to do it, but he reluctantly did it when I said you¡¯d be using it. In many ways, he¡¯s a funny guy.¡± Byeok snorted and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in advance, but from now on, focus only on training all day. I won¡¯t repeat myself, but there¡¯s not going to be any exceptions.¡± ¡°Can I train even while I¡¯m sleeping?¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s a space where you can do anything in matters of experience.¡± In image representation, objects as well as abstract concepts could be imagined and implemented. In other words, it was possible to create a particular situation or environment for him to train. ¡°Now, shall we begin our first monumental training? You¡¯re prepared to die several times, right?¡± Seeing Byeok¡¯s shady smile that revealed her white teeth, Chi-Woo gulped. * * * His training finally began. Although it was a long-awaited training for Chi-Woo, nothing much changed from before. Byeok lay on the verandah and read additional reports she had received this morning. From a glance, anyone could see that she was intently focused on said reports, and she showed no signs of a respected master who was strictly teaching her loving disciple. Byeok, who was leisurely flipping paper for a while, suddenly said, ¡°Why? If you¡¯re going to look, why don¡¯t you just come down and watch comfortably?¡± It was clear from the talk about watching that she wasn¡¯t talking to Chi-Woo. She continued, ¡°Why the hell are you coming through the roof? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a thief.¡± Only then did the person Byeok was addressing appear into view. Byeok asked, ¡°Have you come to cheer on your precious and doting brother who you love so dearly?¡± ¡°Please stop saying nonsense.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°This is my space. I have the right to see what¡¯s going on here.¡± ¡°Well, I guess you aren¡¯t wrong. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re being sincere, but I can¡¯t refute it either.¡± After a short exchange of banters, silence fell between them. Byeok continued to read the reports in her hand, and Chi-Hyun was looking down at the yard¡ªto be more precise, he was looking at his younger brother struggling alone. Chi-Woo¡¯s face looked very perplexed and urgent. His actions were even more desperate; from the way he was swinging his fist and kicking, it looked like he was intensely shadow-boxing. ¡°Aggh!¡± Then Chi-Woo grabbed his left arm as if he had received a heavy blow while fighting an imaginary enemy. Those who didn¡¯t know what was going on would think he was a madman. However, that wasn¡¯t the case for Chi-Hyun. Since this whole space was created by him, he knew exactly why his brother was acting like this and what situation he was in. He slightly narrowed his eyes and thought, ¡®Why¡­¡¯ He could assess Chi-Woo¡¯s condition from a glance. It seemed that most of his abilities had been sealed. Since Chi-Hyun had gone through the same experience, he could quickly realize it. This was all fine and good, but the problem was¡ª As if she read his mind, Byeok got up from her seat and raised her pipe. ¡°Since it was urgent, I¡¯ve fixed up a temporary solution for now. As you can see, I forcibly tried to create a shape.¡± Byeok had relentlessly drawn numerous lines on the strange shape that she drew on the ground to describe Chi-Woo¡¯s condition. Although it was a strange shape that could hardly be described as a shape, after Byeok drew straight lines to cut off the spiky and curly parts, something that could be called a slightly crooked shape was created inside the drawn line. Chi-Hyun understood Byeok¡¯s intention, so he had an even harder time understanding what she was doing. Chi-Woo now finally had an environment to grow normally. Therefore, he just had to grow step by step with formal training. Why did Byeok make him do such an extreme training as his first step? After reading Chi-Hyun¡¯s dissent, Byeok said, ¡°I¡¯m changing his constitution.¡± ¡°Constitution¡­? But Chi-Woo has the Golden Ratio.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about one¡¯s physiology or physical characteristics from birth.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Manners. Habits.¡± Byeok emphasized each word. ¡°A regular tendency that is naturally formed as a result of being born and growing up in a specific culture.¡± She continued with the pipe in her mouth, ¡°I need to first relieve his anxiety before he does anything.¡± ¡°Anxiety¡­?¡± ¡°Stupid punk. He¡¯s still your brother. How can you be so indifferent?¡± Byeok clicked her tongue. ¡°This is why geniuses lack insight. They think that since they did well on their own, everyone else would be the same. The more I think about it, the more I find people like you extremely annoying.¡± Byeok had noticed there was something strange about Chi-Woo since yesterday. It was good that he was ready to learn anything, but he was way too receptive. Even when she tried to purposely provoke him or scare him, his response was always consistent. He didn¡¯t get angry, and he neither asked her what training they were doing nor felt uncomfortable about not knowing what he was going to do. His attitude was that of someone who was willing to accept anything even if he might die soon. Although that was better than him acting like a bad student, his attitude was also on the extreme side of the spectrum. After judging there was a problem with him, Byeok closely observed Chi-Woo and soon identified the cause for his extremely servile attitude; she realized that there was a fundamental anxiety that lay within him. Consider a contestant who won second place in an audition show and was able to debut expressing their uncertainty and anxiety due to not going through a trainee life like other idols. That was the situation Chi-Woo was in. Unlike other heroes, Chi-Woo had lived as an ordinary person for more than 20 years on Earth, which had a completely different culture from Liber. He didn¡¯t even receive a systematic education about heroes from an early age like Chi-Hyun. No matter how resolved he was to make a place for himself here, no one was actually ready to die. ¡®Can I do a good job?¡¯ and ¡®Can I do it like other heroes?¡¯ Those were the kinds of thoughts Chi-Woo had when he went on an expedition to Narsha Haram with Dalgil and Ru Amuh. Moreover, unfortunately for him, the hero who he grew closest to was Ru Amuh. No matter how hard he tried to keep pace with Ru Amuh, he ended up falling back to his given abilities, and Byeok explained that Chi-Woo¡¯s insecure and weak foundation formed as a result. This was also the reason why Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think he was great despite making achievements that most heroes couldn¡¯t even dream of. Considering the fact that Chi-Woo tried so hard to hide himself, Byeok¡¯s observation was quite convincing. ¡°So I have to change that constitution first.¡± Chi-Woo was currently obsessed with getting stronger; he was frantically trying to get stronger at all costs. ¡°But how can a guy who¡¯s not even sure about himself grow?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Although Chi-Hyun thought Byeok was right in every way, he hesitated. ¡°If things go wrong¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s unexpected.¡± Byeok snorted. ¡°Is this the time to carefully consider and weigh every option?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, if you came here to interfere instead of watching, you can go back now.¡± Chi-Woo had already said he would completely trust Byeok, so in return, she needed to take responsibility for his trust. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel irritated. Even if it¡¯s you, I won¡¯t forgive you for telling me to do this and that.¡± Chi-Hyun closed his mouth at her threatening voice. As she said, his brother and Byeok had already established a master and disciple relationship. He had no right to intervene. In the end, Chi-Hyun had no choice but to turn around while hoping that his brother would endure with all his grit. ¡®¡­This is the path you have chosen for yourself.¡¯ * * * ¡°Aghhhhhhhhhhh!¡± An ear-piercing scream rang out. Chi-Woo, who had been struggling on the floor for a while, opened his eyes wide. He looked up at the blue sky with confusion and gasped for breath. He had just gone through Narsha Haram. Of course, he hadn¡¯t actually been there, but he had materialized it with his mind using his previous experience. Chi-Woo had to fight the monsters he encountered there, but he had to do it alone without his comrades while using only his bare hands. At first, he was somewhat confident since he had finally learned how to hit properly. However, his confidence soon came crashing down in the first fight. He realized there was a stark difference between maintaining a correct posture in a safe place and maintaining it in a life and death situation in which he could lose his neck at any moment. Before Chi-Woo could even get into proper posture, he was attacked from all sides. He knew it was all in his mind, and he wouldn¡¯t actually die. However, besides these two points, everything was implemented as if it was real. In other words, the pain he received was also transmitted 100 percent. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Chi-Woo gasped for breath like crazy and rubbed his neck. The sensation of getting his neck crushed by a thorn wolf still felt vivid¡ªand this was the second time he died. The first time, he was inflicted with the immeasurable pain of getting his whole body crushed under the sole of the silver golem¡¯s foot. If he hadn¡¯t increased his resistance by suffering in the cave, he would have gone crazy a long time ago. ¡°Stop fussing around and meditate.¡± He heard his master¡¯s voice. Even though the pain seemed to linger in his body, Chi-Woo immediately got up and sat down with his eyes closed. ¡°What do you feel?¡± It was the second time he was asked this question, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t figure out what to say. The first time, he answered that he could feel exorcism mana, but was told to go back to the image representation space again. He couldn¡¯t give the same answer again. ¡°Don¡¯t rack your brain for an answer and tell me what you can hear from your body.¡± A sound¡­sound from his body¡­ ¡°I can feel¡­my heart beating¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Chi-Woo opened his eyes at her frosty voice. ¡°Start again.¡± He closed his eyes tightly; as expected, he had to repeat the same pattern again. When he entered the space, he had to fight with his bare hands, and when he went out, he was forced to meditate and answer the same question. If he didn¡¯t give a satisfactory answer, he had to repeat the whole process all over again. What was the meaning of all this? Byeok only read her paper without saying a word. Chi-Woo, who was looking resentfully at her, soon stumbled and stood up. Although he wanted to scream and ask what kind of hellish training this was¡­he had told her he¡¯d trust her completely, and he needed to honor his promise. There must be a reason why she was making him do this; a reason why she kept making him do this ridiculous, mind-crushing process. If he wanted to find the reason¡­ Chi-Woo stopped thinking further and recalled his image of Narsha Haram. Soon, the view in front of him changed, and the interior of Narsha Haram unfolded. He saw monsters crawling out of everywhere and clenched his teeth and raised both fists¡ªwhile believing not in himself, but in his master, Byeok Ran-Eum. CH 260 The training of death started. It wasn¡¯t even a metaphorical description but a literal one. Without exaggerating one bit, Chi-Woo had to die at least a hundred times while suffering through excruciating pain on a daily basis. An ordinary person¡¯s mind would¡¯ve broken down by now. But Chi-Woo had already accepted the possibility of death in his time at the cave and experienced greater pain there. Furthermore, he was aware that he wouldn¡¯t truly die, so Chi-Woo managed to endure. However, a person¡¯s patience didn¡¯t run on forever. It soon reached its limit, and after doing such intense training every day, it didn¡¯t seem possible for Chi-Woo to remain completely fine. Fortunately, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t just keep dying meaningless deaths. He tried very hard on his end and made great efforts to get used to striking with the correct posture that his teacher taught him. He was able to succeed seven to eight times out of ten in a safe situation, but when facing a threat, his chance of success dropped dramatically. Because he had to instinctively extend his fists in a hurry, it was difficult for him to succeed even one out of ten times under threat. He needed to fix this so that he could successfully strike his opponent with the correct posture whatever the situation was. And perhaps thanks to the Golden Ratio S rank¡¯s influence, Chi-Woo was able to make some progress. The more he died and the more he tried, his chances of success increased little by little. As a result, Chi-Woo was able to eventually make a proper counterattack one or two times instead of getting beat up one-sidedly. That wasn¡¯t enough though. Even when his opponent backed away after getting hit, more enemies rushed at him from all sides. At this rate, it seemed he would never be able to fend off dozens of enemies at once. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to die. He didn¡¯t want to taste this terrible pain that he could never get used to. And as strong survival instincts kicked in, Chi-Woo finally decided to contemplate harder. He was in a situation that he couldn¡¯t escape and needed to fight at all costs. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ It would be difficult for him to hit all ten opponents with just ten strikes. He needed something else to escape the situation. That was what Chi-Woo came up with after dying 1,200 times. It was as both Philip and Evelyn said; Chi-Woo had the tendency to overcomplicate things. Thus, Chi-Woo decided to think of the simplest and easiest way to change his situation. The first method he thought of was to change his location. As soon as Chi-Woo¡¯s form materialized, he ran until he found a corner and fought there. Surprisingly, this tactic was quite effective. Since instead of getting attacked from all four directions, he needed to only focus on two, he had more ease than before. However, that only extended the time Chi-Woo endured, and the battle¡¯s result didn¡¯t change dramatically in the end. He soon realized that when facing opponents like the silver golem that was much bigger and heavier than him, backing into a corner was the same as committing suicide. Thus, Chi-Woo realized that there was a limit to utilizing the topography of his surroundings. At the end of the day, he had to improve his own skills if he wanted to survive. Realizing this, Chi-Woo thought deeply again. ¡®What should I do now?¡¯ His opponent didn¡¯t die even after a proper hit. These were creatures that even Dalgil and Ru Amuh struggled to beat, and they had a tough life force. If he could, Chi-Woo wanted to pin the golem down and pound at it like crazy, but the situation didn¡¯t allow for it. Thus, Chi-Woo decided that he needed something more that could inflict real damage on his opponents rather than just backing away like this. What did he need? ¡®A sword¡­no, some trick¡­no, the things I can do right now are using the right posture and snapping technique¡­huh?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, and an idea came to his head. Keeping the right posture and the snapping technique were both means to maximize efficient use of energy and damage to his opponents. What if he didn¡¯t use each technique separately but used them simultaneously? What would happen then? Chi-Woo imagined the scene and reenacted it. Bam! ¡°Kaah!¡± Previously, the thorn wolf flinched and backed away a couple of steps after being hit by Chi-Woo¡¯s mana-filled strike; but now, it flew into the air and rolled onto the ground. The wolf staggered upwards, but fell again before it could take more than a couple of steps. It spewed blood from its mouth and shuddered like it was in great pain. It seemed like it couldn¡¯t even regain its senses. Chi-Woo was stunned by the might of his new strike, and the sensation he had felt when making contact with the enemy still lingered in his fist. The effect of combining his two techniques wasn¡¯t even addition, but multiplication. 100 plus 100 was 200, but 100 times 100 was 10,000. The differences between the two were astonishing. Though small, he was able to change the outcome of the battle. For the first time, Chi-Woo was able to take down two to three enemies with him before dying. If he had one-sidedly been beaten down before, it felt as if he was at least resisting till the very end now. Nevertheless, the fact that he kept dying in this training space didn¡¯t change. He was still very lacking. And it was a coincidence that he learned the next clue. While trying to block a fierce attack that came flying from his left mid-battle, Chi-Woo suddenly felt bloodlust from the front. ¡®Oh yeah!¡¯ He responded a bit too late. He didn¡¯t even have time to look back but instinctively stretched out his arm and swung his fist. He was about to execute the snapping technique when he suddenly felt a heavy feeling through his palm. Even in this urgent situation, Chi-Woo felt shocked. How could he have finished his snapping technique when he didn¡¯t retract his fist? After the battle ended, Chi-Woo thought hard and replayed what had happened a moment ago over and over again in his head. ¡®I definitely felt it¡­¡¯ His arm had been extended to the maximum, and the area he was aiming for was the perfect distance away so that his snapping technique succeeded. It was then Chi-Woo realized that he had been trapped in false thinking, and there wasn¡¯t only one way to do the snapping technique. ¡®I just need to strike exactly at the mark,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. If he could, it wouldn¡¯t matter if he retracted or not. But then what was the reason for retracting in the first place? Chi-Woo thought deeply about how even when boxers looked as if they were striking sloppily, the sandbags made great noises; and how even their jabs made fearsome sounds. ¡®That¡¯s it. It¡¯s to make a series of hits. If I could also quickly unleash a string of attacks in a row¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought of a different way to approach this battle again. Combining two techniques was a good idea, but he couldn¡¯t use it as freely as he wanted due to the difficulty of doing both at once. No matter how much he got used to the techniques, there were limits to them with his opponents continuously attempting to break his posture. What if he purposefully created an opportunity to successfully utilize both techniques at once then? For example, he could corner an opponent with snapping jabs, and when his opponent was caught off guard, he could try a combination of the two techniques. Of course, this was not as easy as it sounded. To do this, Chi-Woo needed to solve one essential problem; he was at a numerical disadvantage. ¡®But if I could hit many at once¡­wait a moment.¡¯ ¡®If I can retract as soon as I hit my mark¡­what about just brushing past my target?¡¯ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it with my right fist alone.¡¯ ¡®Of course, then, I would have to be able to use my left fist and my two legs freely¡­¡¯ ¡®No, not just my arms and legs¡­¡¯ He would need to know how to utilize his whole body as a weapon, including even his elbows. The more Chi-Woo thought about it, the more ideas he had. ¡®What will happen if I do this?¡¯ he wondered, ¡®Or what about this?¡¯ Unlike before, when he trusted in one technique to do all the work, ideas stretched out of him and grew branches like a tree. *** A month had passed since Chi-Woo began training under Byeok. And the whole time, Philip didn¡¯t stray from Chi-Woo¡¯s side for even one moment and waited. It wasn¡¯t out of a sense of loyalty. If he had nothing much to do, he would have gone to the streets to watch beautiful women there. But he stayed the first two weeks beside Chi-Woo out of concern for the latter. Philip worried that Chi-Woo would lose his sanity and humanity after dying a hundred times every day. Then, after some time, the number of times Chi-Woo died dropped significantly. In the beginning, Chi-Woo would end up squealing and squirming on the ground within five minutes of the mental space taking form. Then it became 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes¡­and the time he endured within the space increased more and more. It wasn¡¯t only about the time he lasted. Philip could tell just by Chi-Woo¡¯s posture and voice. Instead of floundering about until he died, he now made impactful sounds every time he swerved his arms and legs in the air. Philip saw that Chi-Woo was finally doing a proper battle. And because he enjoyed seeing Chi-Woo continuously progress, he couldn¡¯t leave his spot. ¡ª¡­It¡¯s amazing, mademoiselle. Philip exclaimed after watching for a while. ¡ªI told him to think so many times before, but it made no difference¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not really a surprise.¡± Byeok snorted. ¡°He had been thinking in one direction for 20 years, you can¡¯t expect him to think in a completely different direction suddenly.¡± ¡ªThat¡¯s why you must have created a situation that forced him to think. ¡°That is the nature of living things. In a dire situation where their survival is threatened, their body is bound to push its limits.¡± Byeok snickered. It was then Chi-Woo grimaced after getting hit, and Philip¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡ªOh? He gasped at what happened afterward. *** On a battlefield where his life was threatened every moment, Chi-Woo experienced a very strange anomaly for the first time in his life. It happened after he got hit on his back from the left. He quickly flicked the attack away with his elbow, but the posture he had been barely managing to maintain crumbled. He was about to fall over as three thorn wolves rushed at him simultaneously and a silver golem extended its fist from behind. It was obvious what would happen next; he would fall to the ground, and his body would be chewed on and ripped to pieces¡­ Yes, that was what was supposed to happen, but it didn¡¯t. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. It was then Chi-Woo realized something was different this time. What should have happened to him in a couple seconds wasn¡¯t coming. ¡®Was¡­one second always this long¡­? The thorn wolves were motionless in the air like time had stopped. That wasn¡¯t all. Chi-Woo felt his vision widen. Though his two eyes were facing the front, he could grasp the whole area in one glance even after with his synesthesia and extrasensory perception abilities sealed. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Chi-Woo was confused. ¡®What¡¯s going on¡­?¡¯ Was he dead? But his body responded differently. It seemed to be telling him that it wasn¡¯t over yet. He was still alive, and in his current state, he could still survive. It was loud and clear in his mind. Thump! Not long afterward¡ªin the moment where his heart thumped more clearly than ever¡ªChi-Woo extended his hands and touched the floor. He still couldn¡¯t understand the situation, but he went along with the way his body directed him. Eventually, time unpaused, and the thorn wolves rushed forward again. Using one of his feet as support, Chi-Woo twisted his waist like he was about to do a handstand and drew a large trajectory with his feet. Kehkeh! His feet swung in the shape of a crescent moon and kicked the thorn wolves. It was a magnificent sight, but the battle was still not over. The silver golem¡¯s relentless punches were approaching. Chi-Woo¡¯s body led him again. Instead of returning to his original posture, Chi-Woo maintained his stance and pushed off the floor after filling his hands with mana. He flew into the air as if he was swept by a rough whirlwind until he was above the silver golem. While maintaining the posture he had used to kick away the thorn wolves, Chi-Woo added more speed and spin to his movements. He spun around and struck his feet exactly onto the golem¡¯s neck. Bang! An explosive sound rang out and shook the ground. Then, when Chi-Woo landed, the floor shook widely once more. The silver golem failed to withstand the impact and toppled over. Spark! Blue currents jittered around its neck. The golem seemed to be greatly damaged as it failed to get up again. Chi-Woo stared blankly at the result of his actions. He had just done the perfect kick using rebound power and flexibility, with rotational force added on top of it. *** After the battle ended, Chi-Woo left the Image Representation space and immediately got into a lotus position to meditate. His body felt hot. Heat exuded out from his nostrils, and his body felt like it was dominated by a mysterious sensation. No, this wasn¡¯t something that had been done for him. It was a state he achieved by himself. He was sure of it. ¡®Just now¡­I was able to perfectly control my body¡­!¡¯ As a result, he was able to execute movements that would¡¯ve normally been unimaginable for him. He wasn¡¯t sure how it happened, but he couldn¡¯t forget this sensation right now. He needed to digest it to the best of his ability, and he quickly observed the inner parts of his body to do this. And thus, he soon felt the transformations that had taken place inside. When Byeok first asked him: ¡ªWhat sound do you hear from your body? Chi-Woo responded that it was the sound of his exorcism mana. The second time she asked, he answered that it was the thumping of his chest. But he realized now what kind of answer Byeok had wanted. He felt it now. This wasn¡¯t simply the sound of his heart. They were the sounds of his left ventricle receiving blood filled with oxygen and his right ventricle pumping blood into the lungs, as well as the sound of blood flowing across his entire body. This was energy, and right now, vital energy was overflowing in his body. Like how he maximized the energy he expelled with the snapping technique, one could also control one¡¯s energy more efficiently. This was the key to the movements he had showcased just before in the last battle. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of this earlier?¡¯ This was probably what his master wanted to tell him from the beginning. And he had been frustrated because all he knew was the snapping technique; he didn¡¯t know any of the core foundations of battle. ¡°What sound do you¡ª¡± Byeok was about to ask the same question when Chi-Woo suddenly got up from his spot. He clenched and unclenched his fists, folded and unfolded his arms, and kicked his legs. Byeok lowered her jaw slightly seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s movements. Then, after observing him for a while, a soft smile tugged at her lips. There was no need for her to ask the question anymore. She knew Chi-Woo was probably too focused on checking the types of energy that were expelled when he moved different parts of his body, including his muscles, muscular fibers, bones, and overall skeleton. This wasn¡¯t an ability that Chi-Woo gained after a set process. It didn¡¯t even manifest as an ability in his user information either. Whoever the student was, though, this skill was what Byeok taught foremost, especially for species like humans who had a clear physical limit. ¡®He did it in the end. Thank goodness,¡¯ Byeok thought. This skill would be the very foundation of his learning from now on. Although Chi-Woo still had a long way to go, he had managed to take a great leap forward. In a world teeming with unbelievable monsters like Liber, Chi-Woo gained the power to fight against those in it. And he didn¡¯t gain this power from some imperfect, unstable god, but through his own efforts as an ordinary human. CH 261 After the successful conclusion of the defensive attack against the Demon Empire, a growth frenzy swept through the holy city, Shalyh. The heroes, who upgraded to the next level by defeating various great demons and their countless legions, craved further growth like a thirsty person digging for a well. Their situation was different from when they first entered Liber completely powerless. Now that they had the foundation to exercise some of their old powers, they wandered outside nonstop as if to relieve their previous sorrows. All the requests put up by the Cassiubia League were gone, and there was no space to even step inside the guild association building. It was the same for those in Ru Amuh¡¯s zone, but there were some changes compared to before. Several people declared that they would be acting alone. The first to make that declaration was Chi-Woo. On the day that Byeok gave him to organize everything before training, Chi-Woo went up to Ru Amuh and said he would be devoting himself to training at home for a while. Ru Amuh felt disappointed that Chi-Woo would be gone for the time being, but he couldn¡¯t possibly oppose his teacher¡¯s decision. In a way, Ru Amuh had every right to express his complaints. In order for Ru Amuh to maintain his area, they all needed to pinch in, but Chi-Woo was telling him that he¡¯d pursue individual training instead. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think he should miss this golden opportunity, so he pushed forward with this plan. On the other hand, he handed over all the money he had left to Ru Amuh due to his conscience. Ru Amuh tried to turn the offer down, but Chi-Woo forced it into his hand. In Ru Amuh¡¯s perspective, he knew that Chi-Woo was giving him money with good intentions, but he felt that teacher had already given him more than enough so far. Since Ru Amuh was able to make a contract with a god faster than anyone thanks to Chi-Woo and was able to take the lead among all heroes, he was right in a way. Moreover, platinum tier was within his grasp and quite a few good requests practically fell on his lap because of the rumors spread about him among the Cassiubia League. Of course, finances were still tight, but he had enough to buy necessities and maintain his area. Ru Amuh respected Chi-Woo¡¯s will and thought there was a good reason why Chi-Woo was going off by himself. Ru Amuh sincerely wanted Chi-Woo to be able to focus on his goals and wants, and in order for him to do that, money was necessary¡ªmoney that would allow Chi-Woo to focus on training without paying attention to anything else. After pondering about this for a while, Ru Amuh, who went to Chi-Woo¡¯s house to return his money with some bonus, was able to easily solve this dilemma. It was all thanks to Evelyn. She came out on behalf of Chi-Woo, who was training, and heard the situation from Ru Amuh. ¡°What? He did that without even consulting me? He must be crazy,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how generous he can be. Is he planning to let his wife and children starve?¡± And she quickly took the money. Then she also added, ¡°I will manage the money for him from now on, so please consult with me about money-related issues no matter what.¡± Ru Amuh was able to relax after hearing that Evelyn would take care of Chi-Woo. There was now only one thing left. Ru Amuh believed that his teacher was not the type to lie. Since Chi-Woo declared that he was going to focus on training, Ru Amuh was sure that he would come back much stronger than before. With this thought, Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t stay still anymore. He had to also get stronger in preparation for the day his teacher returned. Thus, he set himself a goal; he would be promoted to platinum tier before his teacher began outside activities again. With this determination, Ru Amuh immediately went to the temple to visit Shahnaz and received a promotion test. Of course, Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t the only person who thought this way. * * * Salem Eshnunna was the princess of a fallen kingdom. After the sudden decision to emigrate from Shalyh under the orders of the legend, Chi-Hyun, Eshnunna fell into deep despondency. Moving out of the kingdom left her with nothing to do. Or to be more exact, her role as an administrator turned obsolete. In the main base in the forest, she had represented the natives. Then she had managed food and supplies and done other administrative tasks in the fortress and the former capital of the Salem Kingdom. However, Shalyh didn¡¯t need her. It was only natural since they were not in a situation where her status as a princess of a fallen kingdom carried any weight or importance. To be frank, she was just like any other native to the Celestial Realm heroes. She became plagued with thoughts like, ¡®Should I just live like this?¡¯ ¡®Should I just start farming with the other residents?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do anyway.¡¯ In fact, she was in a situation where she had very limited choices. However, no matter how many self-justifications she made inside her mind, she couldn¡¯t give in to her circumstances. Every time she tried to give up, she recalled the same scene in her mind¡ªwhen the natives had no choice but to sacrifice themselves. And above all, her younger brother, Yohan, who had left with a bitter smile. Yohan had entrusted Liber¡¯s future to her. He apologized to her for being a bad younger brother and said that, unlike him, she would definitely be able to do it before willingly accepting his death. Eshnunna couldn¡¯t give up when she thought of her younger brother, whom she couldn¡¯t even bury properly in a sunny place. Thus, she resolved herself¡ªnot to restore her fallen kingdom, but to help out the natives. Currently, not all the natives of Liber had been wiped out. There were still displaced people wandering around, and there were some who had been captured and were living as slaves. There would come a day when some of them were liberated, and Eshnunna needed to give them strength and courage. She couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch. She had to give hope to the other natives by showing them that even a powerless native like her could stand side by side with the Celestial Realm heroes and help change Liber¡¯s future. After much consideration, she decided to visit Chi-Woo. Since she had given up the legacy of Salem Kingdom¡¯s founder to him, she thought he might help her at least once. However, she came at a bad time because once she reached his house, Chi-Woo was not there; instead, a woman named Evelyn appeared. Evelyn told her that Chi-Woo was away on an expedition. She was about to turn around in disappointment when¡ª [Hey, wait a minute.] Evelyn stopped her, and Eshnunna received an unexpected offer. [Do you want to be a witch?] It was a question out of the blue. Eshnunna tilted her head. [Oh my, you didn¡¯t know?] After hearing Evelyn¡¯s explanation, Eshnunna finally realized why Evelyn, who was the witch of the Abyss back then, had told her they could¡¯ve been comrades at the fortress. [You have talent in this area.] [How fascinating. I thought everyone was hunted down back then. Well, no wonder. Rather than bloodline, ours come from personal manifestation.] Of course, Eshnunna was still shocked to hear this. As a former princess, she had never imagined that she would have the qualities to become a witch. It was something she had never dreamed of. On a positive note, she would have originally been burned at a stake as a witch, but it was not a problem anymore considering Liber¡¯s situation. [Of course, I¡¯m not a witch now. All my powers as the witch of the Abyss were taken away, and I regained my qualities as a Saintess.] However, the extensive knowledge she accumulated as the witch of the Abyss still remained in her head. [If you¡¯re really desperate to do it, I think I can be a good teacher to you. How about it?] It was a proposal that Eshnunna had no reason to refuse; rather, she wanted to cling to Evelyn¡¯s legs and beg her to teach her. Although it was a little uncomfortable that she¡¯d become a witch, a group that had always been oppressed historically, it didn¡¯t matter to her anymore. If she learned how to control mana, she¡¯d be able to create a better future for Liber. And like this, Eshnunna became Evelyn¡¯s disciple. However, in actuality, Eshnunna¡¯s work was no different than that of a housekeeper doing housework. Eshnunna had to sweep and wipe the floor with a mop and clean the room. She had been cleaning the house like this every day since Chi-Woo went on the Narsha Haram expedition. Of course, she hadn¡¯t done only housework; she also had to regularly participate in Evelyn¡¯s experiments. The problem was Eshnunna couldn¡¯t understand the purpose behind said experiment. A person¡¯s willpower was finite, and Eshnunna¡¯s patience finally reached its limit today. ¡°Have you arrived?¡± Eshnunna asked Evelyn. ¡°Yep. I¡¯m back. Shall we start right away? I have to go out early tomorrow too.¡± Eshnunna greeted her master, who returned from the temple like usual, and sighed inwardly before following her. Evelyn went to the backyard and called out to Eshnunna after she finished her preparation. Soon after, Evelyn tied up Eshnunna to a pole with a rope and lit a stack of straws and plants around her. Crackkkkle! The fire burned quickly by consuming the dry stems and leaves. Eshnunna looked at the blazing fire with empty eyes and finally closed them. She had a completely resigned expression; it felt as if she was experiencing a real witch hunt that she¡¯d only seen in history books. She fervently prayed that it would end even a second earlier, but the fire gradually grew bigger and got closer to her. It didn¡¯t touch her body, but it got close enough for her to feel its heat. Soon, Eshnunna, who was suffering from the heat, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and screamed. Evelyn didn¡¯t even blink while Eshnunna twisted her body like crazy. After watching silently, Evelyn put out the fire when Eshnunna really reached her limit. Although she managed to save her life, she was in complete tatters. Her pale skin was bright red, the edges of her clothes were burnt to a crisp, and her hair was scorched and frazzled. ¡°Well¡­how was it?¡± Eshnunna felt a surge of murderous rage at Evelyn¡¯s question. How was it? She wanted to kill Evelyn. If she could, she wanted to grab her hair and slap her cheek, but of course she couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°For how long¡­¡± Eshnunna spoke while trying to suppress her anger, ¡°...do I have to do this?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you really bring me here as your disciple?¡± Eshnunna finally voiced the thoughts buried deep inside her heart. ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± ¡°Is this really what I have to do to become a witch? Are you seriously telling me to believe that? Even though I almost died just now?¡± Only then did Evelyn realize the seriousness of the situation and raised one eyebrow. ¡°Then what?¡± She tilted her head and asked, ¡°What did you think you were going to do?¡± ¡°I at least didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have to deal with this nonsense!¡± Since Eshnunna already let out her frustrations, she decided to pour out everything she had wanted to say so far. ¡°You say I¡¯m your disciple? Stop lying! I¡¯m just a maid or your lab rat!¡± After becoming Evelyn¡¯s disciple, she never learned any theory or knowledge, but only ever did things like being surrounded by fire like just now, soaking in the water all day, tanning until the sunset, standing alone in a dark room, or digging and burying herself underground. It was only natural for Eshnunna to feel this way after being forced to do all these strange things. ¡°¡­All right.¡± After listening quietly to Eshnunna, Evelyn told her to wait a while and went into her room. ¡°Here. A book.¡± After coming back, she handed her a bundle of papers. ¡°Should I say it¡¯s a witch¡¯s introductory book? Anyway, I was planning to give this to you as a gift as soon as you¡¯re ready. It took some time because I had to write every sentence myself.¡± Eshnunna flinched at Evelyn¡¯s words. She had been wondering why Evelyn went to bed at dawn every day and had no idea it was because she was making a textbook for her. She felt a little apologetic, but her eyes opened wide at Evelyn¡¯s following words. ¡°It¡¯s not finished, but read it. Tell me what you feel. Anything is fine.¡± This was what Eshnunna wanted; this was the teaching that she was used to. If she knew that Evelyn was going to hand her this textbook, Eshnunna thought she should have complained earlier. ¡°I see.¡± Since Eshnunna had been bright in her studies since she was young, she immediately turned the paper over with excitement. She read confidently for a while, but her face soon hardened. ¡°¡­¡± She flipped over the pages, but her gaze gradually wavered, and she chewed on her lower lip. After a while, sweat ran down her forehead as she focused intently, and she stopped flipping through the pages. Eshnunna raised her head blankly. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± In the end, she raised a white flag. ¡°I said anything is fine. What do you feel?¡± ¡°It¡¯s di¡­fficult¡­¡± ¡°Really? What should we do? That¡¯s the basics of the basics.¡± Eshnunna looked extremely stunned. She could read it, and she could understand that it was academic content. However, it was extremely difficult. She couldn¡¯t even understand a single line. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped that you can¡¯t understand it,¡± Evelyn spoke as if she had expected this reaction. ¡°It¡¯s not something you can understand without a realization.¡± ¡°A realization¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about mana. It¡¯s a mysterious power,¡± Evelyn said as she hummed and spread her index, middle, and then ring finger. ¡°There are a total of three groups that mainly study and use mana. The first are magicians.¡± Magicians were those who accurately materialized and controlled mana according to established laws and conditions. ¡°The second are sorcerers.¡± Sorcerers were those who ignored established laws and only sought to freely use pure mana to its limits. ¡°And the third are¡ª¡± Eshnunna thought the third one would be witches. However, she was wrong. ¡°Shamans. Did you not know? Witches are derived from shamans.¡± Eshnunna quickly blinked because this was completely different from the belief that witches made contracts with demons. Shamans were those who exercised mysterious powers based on native faith. ¡°To be more precise, they¡¯re more like shamans who are in charge of rituals. They pray purely to the sky and earth, not to a god, for rain or good harvest.¡± The important part here was that witches did not put their faith in gods. ¡°Then whose power do you think they use to prevent disasters?¡± ¡°That¡­uh¡­¡± ¡°What are you pondering about? I just told you. It¡¯s all around you,¡± Evelyn said and spread her arms wide. Eshnunna also looked around by instinct, and all she could see was¡­ ¡°Nature.¡± As Evelyn said, witches prevented disaster with supernatural powers from nature rather than gods. ¡°Do you know? There¡¯s a very thin line between a witch and a saintess.¡± In fact, the two were very similar. While the saintess used divinity granted by a god, a shaman used mana obtained through nature to help people and listened to their prayers. Since their roles were similar, they became targets of persecution. Gods fed on faith and grew their influence by gaining people¡¯s beliefs, so they didn¡¯t look favorably upon the shamans who got their powers from nature. Therefore, they persecuted and discriminated against the shamans as evil enchantresses, claiming that they used mysterious and dangerous powers. As the persecution continued for a long time, some of the shamans became corrupt and joined hands with demons; that was how witches were born, but if one looked back at history, that hadn¡¯t always been the case. ¡°Then the problem lies here. What are the basic conditions for becoming a shaman?¡± A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. Eshnunna stammered at Evelyn¡¯s question, ¡°Understanding¡­nature¡­?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± However, Evelyn said it wasn¡¯t completely accurate and revealed the answer, ¡°It¡¯s to gain nature¡¯s favor.¡± She looked around and said, ¡°We have to find out which of these many, many different types of natural elements likes you.¡± It finally dawned on Eshnunna what Evelyn had been trying to do. In short, Evelyn had been trying to help her find a natural element that she had a high affinity with. However, Eshnunna was even more befuddled because they had already tried hundreds of times. ¡°But I have¡­!¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Evelyn raised her hand. ¡°Why are you blaming nature?¡± She said bluntly and stared at Eshnunna in the eyes. ¡°You definitely have the makings of a witch. That means you have an affinity with at least one natural element. I can guarantee this.¡± Nevertheless, despite having tried so many different methods, Eshnunna hadn¡¯t awakened her mana yet. ¡°Who do you think is to blame?¡± Evelyn asked sharply, and Eshnunna¡¯s face turned pale at the indication that it was not nature¡¯s problem, but hers. Evelyn continued, ¡°It¡¯s a completely different thing to have the qualities of being a witch and to awaken those qualities that have stayed forgotten and dormant for so long.¡± Evelyn smacked her lips. She had felt a sparkle from Eshnunna and thought that if she raised her well, she could be helpful to Chi-Woo, but Eshnunna wasn¡¯t meeting her expectations. ¡°But¡­I guess you¡¯re not as determined as I expected.¡± Evelyn could help her out with everything, but determination was something Eshnunna had to figure out by herself. ¡°Everything follows the same principle in the end. They¡¯re actually all the same. Summoners and elementalist as well. Who would lend their strength to someone who¡¯s not desperate?¡± Evelyn shook her head and took the bundle of paper from Eshnunna. Even though it was just basic information, it was a record that contained information she obtained as the witch of the Abyss. If it got leaked to someone who recognized its value, it might become troublesome for her. ¡°Come back once you¡¯ve organized your thoughts. If you don¡¯t want to, you can quit anytime. However, if you come back, I will not hear another word of complaint from you.¡± When Evelyn was about to turn around, Eshnunna spoke up to stop her, ¡°Do you not think I¡¯m desperate enough?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think so?¡± Evelyn turned and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go out to the yard.¡± She pointed to one side of the yard with her index finger. ¡°Go and see for yourself. Someone who¡¯s so desperate that he¡¯ll die more than a hundred times a day but still continue to get up to fight like hell.¡± CH 262 Eshnunna went to the yard and spotted Chi-Woo meditating in a lotus position. It was a scene she saw often now, but today, something seemed different from usual. Whooosh¡­ A mysterious current fiercely circled around Chi-Woo; it became stronger and then weaker. Then the current spiraled and gathered to the center and suddenly whirled around each part of his body before expanding again. Eshnunna stared at him in a daze because of how mystical Chi-Woo appeared. It was then Chi-Woo let out a short groan. ¡°Kuh!¡± Soon afterward, one of his arms began to swell in irregular lumps. Ohhhhhh¡ª! The current grew suddenly unstable and seemed to run wild. ¡°Ugh! Urrrgh!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face distorted. It appeared he was trying his best to calm himself, but he looked greatly pained. ¡°Kugh! Kurrgh!¡± In the end, he vomited a clump of crimson blood and collapsed forward. Blood didn¡¯t only pour out from his throat, but also from his nose, ears, and eyes. Watching this, Eshnunna brought her hand to her gaping mouth. Chi-Woo¡¯s face became splattered with blood. It seemed he would die any moment at this rate. ¡°Cough! Damn it! Urgh! Ugggh!¡± But rather than screeching in pain, Chi-Woo cursed in lamentation, and he slammed his fists against the ground hard even while puking blood. It seemed he would die from frustration rather than pain. ¡°It¡¯s the 876th failure,¡± Byeok said while lying on the porch. Eshnunna blinked hard. Did she hear that right? And if she did, did that mean Chi-Woo had done something like this 876 times? Eshnunna was even more stunned when she heard Byeok say, ¡°You¡¯re going to reach 1,000 by today or tomorrow if you continue like this. Endure for a bit longer. I will save my congratulations for then.¡± Anyone could tell by Byeok¡¯s tone that she wasn¡¯t speaking in an encouraging or complimenting manner. She was clearly mocking Chi-Woo. Even Evelyn¡¯s occasional harshness paled in comparison. Chi-Woo seemed to also sense this and glared at Byeok. ¡°¡­It¡¯s too hard¡­¡± Chi-Woo murmured after heaving for a while. ¡°To control every muscular fiber¡­bones¡¯ framework¡­the flow of the blood¡­and each cell that makes up my body to bring out the best posture and maximize efficiency¡­¡± Chi-Woo laughed like he thought the idea of it was absurd in the first place. ¡°Furthermore, to do it every time I move? And in the middle of battle? How could I do something crazy like that? Are you serious? Do you think it makes sense?¡± Eshnunna thought the same. She wondered if the flood of questions from Chi-Woo was actually coming from her. But how should she describe it? Eshnunna could empathize with Chi-Woo because that was how she had felt when Evelyn handed her the introductory book. When she read it, she couldn¡¯t understand what it meant at all or even where to begin. Anyone would¡¯ve thought that, but Byeok snorted. ¡°You¡¯re good at blabbering with your mouth. But you should use that energy to understand this.¡± ¡°I understand¡­!¡± ¡°You only understand it in your head, but not yet your body,¡± Byeok continued, ¡°A brain is an organ that gives out orders, and all the physical parts below it follow them. I¡¯m telling you to transcend this system now.¡± Then she asked, ¡°Do you think when you breathe? What about when you blink?¡± Chi-Woo pursed his lips. ¡°See. How can you expect things to work out when you try to forcefully carry out with your body what you understand only in your head?¡± Byeok clicked her tongue. ¡°Man, you are slow. Your Golden Ratio only activates after you fulfill a certain condition. The fact that you aren¡¯t progressing proves that you haven¡¯t even properly realized your goal.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face darkened at Byeok¡¯s sharp chidings. ¡°But¡­still¡­!¡± ¡°Well, as you say, it¡¯s not a skill that everyone can master,¡± Byeok cut Chi-Woo off before he could go on another rant. Then she continued nonchalantly, ¡°What can we do if you can¡¯t manage to do it in the end? You can be satisfied that you¡¯ve basically dipped your toe into the real thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But don¡¯t forget. I understand how you might want to cry out about the abilities you have, but there are two people around you that accomplished this difficult task. Ah, it¡¯s actually three if I count that one guy who died. And you are in a world so difficult that those who accomplished this are struggling.¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. There was nothing more he could say to refute her. ¡®¡­Okay¡­¡¯ Who could he blame? He was the one who said he wanted to shorten the gap between him and other heroes. All Byeok did was respond to his request. He knew that, but¡­! ¡°Kuh¡ª!¡± In the end, Chi-Woo gripped his fist and clenched his eyes shut. Watching him quietly from the side, Eshnunna was startled. Drip¡ªas Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shuddered, tears trickled down. Byeok shook her head like she thought he was pathetic, but Eshnunna couldn¡¯t bear to do the same. Chi-Woo had endured for a long time with the goal to become stronger. He thought his master was being unfair, as he kept hitting a wall when trying to progress. And while he had gritted his teeth through everything until now, frustration and despair swallowed him up, and he felt like he couldn¡¯t keep going any longer. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t blame anyone but himself. As someone in a similar position as him, she could understand Chi-Woo¡¯s state of mind. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. But what was more surprising was that Chi-Woo persisted even while knowing it wasn¡¯t going to work. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ From his expression, it looked like he was completely sick of this training; even while his face was soaked with blood mixed with the tears he shed, though, Chi-Woo suppressed all his emotions, got into a lotus position, and meditated. Seeing the mysterious current circle around him again, Eshnunna was hit with a strange feeling. ¡®I see¡­he also¡­¡¯ She lowered her head because she remembered what Evelyn told her and felt ashamed. A great hero who was several times stronger than her was working so hard to become stronger. And he was going through a training thousands of times more difficult and painful than hers. Yet she had complained about the work she had to do when it was nothing compared to what Chi-Woo was going through. No wonder Evelyn told her not to fuss. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Eshnunna realized it now. She couldn¡¯t just accept the possibility of death. She needed to approach her training with the mindset that she might die while doing it. And seeing how Chi-Woo, pain-stricken and pale, appeared like he was going to die any moment now, Eshnunna gritted her teeth. Her thoughts changed as her mindset shifted. Yes, even if she might die, she needed to do this. As soon as she made up her mind, Eshnunna turned on her heel. ¡°What is it? Did you forget something?¡± Evelyn appeared surprised to see Eshnunna return so soon. Eshnunna said, ¡°Just leave those be, Lady Evelyn.¡± ¡°Huh? No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just clean them myself.¡± ¡°No.¡± Eshnunna breathed deeply. ¡°I will try again.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°And.¡± Eshnunna wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Please don¡¯t quit on me until I say otherwise.¡± A short silence flowed. Then Evelyn let out a soft ¡®oh~¡¯ seeing how earnest Eshnunna appeared. Evelyn thought Eshnunna must have realized something from the few words she had thrown out in anger. ¡°It¡¯s not my business if you die in the process,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I don¡¯t expect a funeral. If I die, just burn my body and scatter the ashes into a river,¡± Eshnunna replied and stomped toward the rod. Seeing how passionate Eshnunna looked, Evelyn smiled. And behind them, there was another girl quietly watching Eshnunna. *** Her name was Shanaz Hawa¡ªthough she should be called La Hawa now that she followed another god as a shaman. Nevertheless, Hawa was living a dream right now. She was chosen by La Bella and was now able to use the growth system. Her original plan was to follow Chi-Woo around to gain merits, but after Chi-Woo declared that he would be acting independently from now on, that plan came to nothing. That didn¡¯t impact her much since she could just follow Ru Amuh anyways, yet there was one thing that Hawa wasn¡¯t pleased with. ¡®Why must I depend on others for my growth?¡¯ she wondered. It couldn¡¯t be helped that she had to follow Chi-Woo because of the promise she made with La Bella, but Hawa didn¡¯t seriously want to follow Ru Amuh around like a dog. At the same time, she knew that she didn¡¯t have many options in the current situation, and it wasn¡¯t the time to be stubborn; above all, her rank was still low, and it was her first time using a growth system. Though she had been trained as a shaman and an assassin since she was young, there was still a difference between her and the other heroes, who had gone through many more difficult experiences than her. And even after gaining merits and becoming stronger, Hawa felt that she lacked something above those things¡ªan ability that would¡¯ve let her stand side by side with other Celestial heroes. In some ways, she was having a similar worry as Chi-Woo. And while Hawa was wondering about these things, she happened to see Chi-Woo training under some mysterious, arrogant lady. She also saw Eshnunna visiting the place often and later learned that it was because of Evelyn. That made Hawa realize that she needed a hero who would make her more hero-like rather than a mere native. With her mind made up, Hawa thought she should go all out and ask the best hero to teach her. Other people might have called her crazy, but Hawa carried out what she set out to do. *** At dawn, Chi-Hyun was going to work in the official building when he saw a silver-haired girl standing in front of its entrance. He slightly changed course to avoid her, but had to eventually stop because she had moved to block his path. It was then Chi-Hyun looked down at the small silver-haired girl before him. ¡°I want to train under you, sir.¡± In her characteristically stone-faced expression, she went right to the point. But of course, Chi-Hyun responded as he always did. After eyeing her for a bit, Chi-Hyun indifferently turned away and moved, his long coat fluttering past Hawa. She was so thoroughly ignored that it wasn¡¯t even funny. It was as if he didn¡¯t recognize her at all despite the fact that they had seen each other a couple times before. And though Hawa wasn¡¯t out-rightly rejected, his action spoke volume. Chi-Hyun was telling her to remove herself since he had no business with her. ¡°Teaching me will also benefit you,¡± Hawa said. Chi-Hyun stopped walking. Then he turned around halfway and glanced at Hawa. Hawa felt a wave of nervousness swallow her up and gulped hard. Though she had heard that Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo were brothers, Chi-Woo was a completely different type of person. If she had to describe Chi-Hyun, she would say he was a cold, brutal killer. She could just tell by his eyes. He was someone who had killed countless lives and was so heartless that he didn¡¯t feel any sort of guilt for it. Considering that, it was difficult to tell what such a man would judge as valuable or beneficial. ¡°Two sentences,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°Finish your explanation within that limit.¡± ¡°I need at least three sentences though.¡± ¡°Do that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re his brother,¡± Hawa quickly said. ¡°And he¡¯s your younger brother.¡± These were all facts both knew so far. ¡°I¡¯m his believer.¡± ¡°Believer?¡± Hawa thought Chi-Hyun¡¯s response was positive. The fact that he asked a question meant that he allowed her to speak more. Rather than saving it, she revealed her greatest card: ¡°Goddess La Bella personally accepted me as her follower on the condition that I protect your brother with all I have in whatever situation.¡± To further support her point, she added, ¡°I¡¯m sure you must know what it means as the one called the legend.¡± Chi-Hyun had his body fully turned around now and was walking toward Hawa rather than the building. ¡°How can I trust what you say?¡± It was then Hawa felt the need to be mindful of each word she uttered henceforth. She couldn¡¯t give him answers like ¡®How would I dare lie to a legend? Or ¡®Can¡¯t you figure it out yourself?¡¯ ¡°I swear on this spot that if there¡¯s even a hint of a lie to my words, I will lose all my powers, receive divine punishment, and die an excruciating death. I swear this upon Goddess La Bella¡¯s name.¡± After making a contract with a god, the contractor couldn¡¯t rashly swear upon the god¡¯s name. It was because they could receive the exact punishment they said they would receive for breaking it. And since Hawa went so far as to do this, Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t help but believe her. Soon, Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes glinted with curiosity as he looked at Hawa. He looked as if he had discovered a toy that he didn¡¯t mind having, but found it worthwhile to play with. However, the whole situation wasn¡¯t very favorable for Hawa. In the first place, it wasn¡¯t a good idea to reveal the conditions one agreed to while establishing a contract with a god. After all, the more binding the conditions were, the more others might exploit them. And Hawa just revealed that she could never betray Chi-Woo; this was a secret she didn¡¯t even tell Chi-Woo and had to keep hidden at all costs. But if she wanted to be taught by this man and develop her powers to survive, she needed to hold onto Chi-Hyun somehow. Perhaps Chi-Hyun might say, ¡®That¡¯s beneficial for my brother but not for me.¡¯ But Hawa thought she could risk it after seeing how Chi-Hyun treated Chi-Woo in the battle at Shalyh City. ¡°Hm¡­Is that so¡­¡± Chi-Hyun responded just as she thought he would. The existence of a trustworthy companion for Chi-Woo¡¯s survival was indispensable. One¡¯s skills, abilities, or how great the gods they served were secondary. What mattered to Chi-Hyun most was how much one was willing to dedicate themselves to Chi-Woo. This was the same reason why he revealed Chi-Woo¡¯s identity to Noel before; he hoped that she would die in place of Chi-Woo in case of an emergency. Hawa was the perfect fit for his goals. Though it was a bit concerning how quick-witted and bold she was to dare make him an offer like this, she was in a state where she couldn¡¯t betray Chi-Woo even if she wanted to and had to throw herself before Chi-Woo no matter how dangerous the situation was. Thus, Chi-Hyun could instruct her in the hope that she would become a better meat shield. ¡°Fine,¡± Chi-Hyun eventually said. Hawa¡¯s face brightened¡ªto think Chi-Hyun would really accept the deal. With this, she would be instructed under a hero much greater than Eshnunna¡¯s master. She would be taught by the overwhelming presence called the legend, who was at the top among even those arrogant Celestial Lights. Hawa was sure that if she learned under a hero like that, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t gain anything. ¡°I heard that gods of the complete neutrality type like La Bella don¡¯t easily take followers, but¡­¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve got something if you were accepted.¡± Chi-Hyun smirked coldly, and the smile at Hawa¡¯s lips disappeared immediately. She raised her head as anxiety suddenly swept through her. Perhaps she should have thought more about this matter before acting out. ¡°I suppose we should check your skill,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡®What? Already, at this spot?¡¯ Hawa wondered. But before she could ask, her vision turned dark. ¡°!¡± CH 263 When she regained her consciousness, Hawa realized that she was in a completely different place. Dense weeds reached up to her chest, and thick trees surrounded her and covered the sun. She had been in front of the official residence just a few seconds ago, but she was now standing alone in a dark forest. Although Hawa had no idea what happened, she tried to be calm. She looked around and walked cautiously. However, she had to stop walking before even a few minutes passed because she heard a strange sound near her. It sounded like a rustling of something sliding through the weed. But above all, a sticky, unpleasant sensation seemed to stick to her whole body. Hawa instinctively raised her guard and assessed her surroundings, but she couldn¡¯t spot anything. In the meantime, the sound continued to get closer, and she even felt a scratching sensation near her ears. Hawa was flustered by the clear bloodlust coming from all directions and turned her head from side to side as she stepped back. Her breathing became rough, and she looked clearly frightened. Eventually, she couldn''t take it anymore and ran, but a huge shadow suddenly emerged and jumped on her. Hawa tilted her head back, and her eyes widened. ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± An ear-splitting scream rang out in the dark woods. ¡°Kyah! Kyackkk!¡± While Hawa felt as if her whole body was being cut into pieces, she clearly heard an ice-cold voice say, ¡°Again.¡± ¡°Kyah..! Ahh?¡± Hawa had to go through another bizarre experience the next moment. The heavy being that ambushed and crushed her completely disappeared, and her body, which had been split into dozens of pieces, returned to normal. She stood in the exact spot she had arrived at. Hawa couldn¡¯t come to her senses. It was not only because of the sudden change in situation, but also because of the pain that still clearly remained everywhere in her body. It felt like sharp blades were still digging through her organs. While Hawa gasped for breath in extreme pain, she heard the same sound again. The sound approached her like a wildcat, ready to pounce and brutally murder her. Fear twisted Hawa¡¯s face as she sensed it approaching faster than before. * * * ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Hyun looked down at Hawa as she twitched like a worm with dissatisfaction. Through image representation, he had assigned her the same scenario a total of 52 times, and Hawa wasn¡¯t able to survive even once. By the 20th and 30th time, she at least tried with all her might to survive somehow, but after the 40th, her will gradually withered, and she completely gave up after the 50th. Her mind temporarily collapsed. Considering that she got brutally murdered 52 times in a row, it was understandable, but¡­ ¡°As expected, she can¡¯t do it in one try¡­¡± Since Chi-Woo brought her along, Chi-Hyun had high expectations for her, so he was a bit disappointed. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. ¡°For now, I¡¯ve authorized you to use the image representation space.¡± Although Hawa¡¯s condition was a mess, Chi-Hyun continued regardless, ¡°I¡¯ve also set up the barrier where my brother lives, so your authority can be applied there as well. That is if you want it, of course.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you have the confidence to survive the situation just now, come back to find me.¡± Chi-Hyun only said what he wanted to say and turned around without hesitation. It was only after a considerable amount of time that Hawa regained her consciousness. Hawa struggled to get up and stood in the same place for a while. Then she began moving with great endeavor. ¡®Crazy bastard¡­¡¯ While Hawa struggled to return home, she hurled all kinds of insults at Chi-Hyun inside her mind. ¡®Fucking crazy bastard¡­!¡¯ She had trusted him somewhat considering his reputation, but how could he do that to her? Of course, she hadn¡¯t expected things to be easy, but there was a limit to what someone could go through. She had no idea what powers he had used, but Hawa was sure that what he just did now was not teaching. Rather, it was more accurate to say he simply carried out his sadistic hobby as a sick pervert. After it was over, she heard him say a few words to her, but she couldn¡¯t properly register it in her mind. Although she did hear something about coming back to find him, there was no way she was ever going to go seek him out again. Rather than taking part of his perverted hobby with no beneficial aspect in sight, it was much better for her mental health to go on expeditions and increase her merits. While thinking this, Hawa fell many times, bumped here and there, and barely managed to return home. She had to almost crawl back home at the end. She was so tired that she lay sprawled on the yard. While she took a breather, a familiar sight entered her vision. Chi-Woo was shadow-boxing alone, and a woman lay on the verandah while smoking a pipe. Frankly, Hawa hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Chi-Woo. She had merely wondered what he was doing in the beginning and watched for a bit, but after seeing him shadow-boxing by himself every day, she became completely indifferent to him. Above all, she was busy trying to get stronger for her future, so she had no time to think about him. It was the same now. She was only staring at him thoughtlessly because she was still recovering from the pain that remained in her body. After a while, she became slightly curious. She wondered what the hell Chi-Woo was doing that he would be sweating so much and concentrating so hard that his intensely focused eyes became bloodshot. While staring at him blankly like this, Hawa suddenly went through a strange phenomenon. ¡°?¡± Her surroundings changed like when she was at the official residence. Hawa, who had already developed a trauma, immediately got up. She clenched her teeth, but soon slightly frowned. She was not in a dark forest; the environment had changed, but into a place Hawa also remembered¨CNarsha Haram. Moreover, she could see Chi-Woo. He was with her too, and he was fighting countless monsters¡ªno, he was standing still while surrounded by monsters. The monsters also stood frozen. Although it seemed clear from their stances that they were aiming at each other, they looked paralyzed. ¡®Why?¡¯ After thinking this, Hawa noticed another strange aspect. Chi-Woo and the monsters weren¡¯t the only ones frozen. ¡®My body¡­¡¯ Her body was in the same state. She could move, but her movement was so slow that her body might as well be frozen. Even closing her eyes and turning her head happened at a ridiculously slow pace. Hawa was really on the verge of madness. She finally managed to get out of that hellhole, and now she was in another hell¡­! ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Then Hawa heard another voice and felt someone lightly grab her nape and pull her back. ¡°How did you get into this space? Were you authorized to enter?¡± When Hawa turned around, she saw Byeok smoking her pipe. Byeok continued, ¡°Then that means that punk authorized you to enter the mental space here. Who are you?¡± Hawa wasn¡¯t able to answer her question. She stared helplessly at her with a stunned look. Everything had returned to normal once again. The interior of Narsha Haram morphed back into the same yard, and Chi-Woo as well as everything else moved at a normal speed. Hawa barely managed to return to her senses and murmured, ¡°Just now¡­?¡± Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Byeok smiled thinly as she saw Hawa¡¯s reaction, ¡°I guess it¡¯s understandable that you¡¯re freaked out. You entered a space where time has been slowed.¡± ¡°Time has slowed?¡± ¡°Yeah. About a hundred times?¡± Hawa couldn¡¯t believe her ears. How much did she say the time had been slowed? ¡°It takes less than a second for us to see him swing his fist, but¡ª¡± Byeok held her nape as she continued, ¡°for him, it takes 100 seconds.¡± It was a 1 to 100 ratio. Every 1 second was 100 seconds for Chi-Woo. A minute was 100 minutes, and 1 hour was 100 hours, or four days and four hours. It dawned on Hawa what was going on. Chi-Woo was in the midst of fighting, but he was fighting in a flow of time where a day felt like a hundred days. It was unbelievable, but Hawa had no choice but to believe it since she had just experienced it herself. ¡°Agh!¡± There was a sudden groan. Chi-Woo, who had been fighting while looking exhausted, broke out of his posture and fell. ¡°Ack! Ackkkk!¡± He collapsed onto the floor and cried out in pain. While screaming and struggling, he frantically swung his fists, elbows, and legs. Soon afterwards, Chi-Woo¡¯s whole body loosened and drooped like a dead person. If Hawa had seen this sight yesterday, she would have marveled at how realistic his acting was. However, she wasn¡¯t the same as yesterday. Chi-Woo¡¯s current appearance overlapped with her own at the official residence. Hawa understood at least a fraction of the pain that Chi-Woo was now dealing with. It was hard to imagine how it must feel to continuously die at a time speed hundred times slower than normal. How long had he been repeating this same situation? ¡°Ugh¡­ughhh¡­¡± As Hawa expected, Chi-Woo¡¯s condition didn¡¯t seem normal. His eyes were glassy, and he drooled like a madman. However, what was more surprising was that even then, he didn¡¯t give up. It seemed he had also gotten used to this situation; after catching his breath, he immediately conjured up his mental space without anyone telling him to and began fighting again. Even Hawa, who was usually calm and collected, was shocked out of her wits. Although she had only witnessed about ten minutes, it must have been 16 or 17 hours for Chi-Woo. Hawa was sure it must have been reminiscent of hell. After a while, Hawa unconsciously said, ¡°¡­Does he really have to go that far?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different for each person,¡± Byeok answered flatly. ¡°There are people who don''t have to go that far, and people who must.¡± A price needed to be paid to gain great strength. However, the acquired price was not fixed. A person with great potential and talent needed to pay relatively less, and the reverse was also true¡ªa person with limited talent needed to invest more time and had to have a stronger will. However, this was no easy feat. Although it was easy to express in words, it was incredibly difficult for a person to put all their heart and energy into meeting their goal. Likewise, even if one was determined enough to die, they might act differently when facing a life-and-death scenario for real. ¡°That¡¯s how humans are. They only really struggle with everything they have once their survival is threatened.¡± Therefore, an environment in which Chi-Woo¡¯s survival was threatened constantly was created. Although Hawa understood Byeok¡¯s intentions, she couldn¡¯t agree with her method, especially since she had just gone through a similar experience. ¡°Isn¡¯t that all just up to one¡¯s mindset?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not wrong either.¡± Byeok replied quite sharply, but she easily agreed. ¡°The problem is¡ª¡± She smirked while looking down at Hawa. ¡°if you¡¯re at a level where you can match your will and action whenever you want to, wouldn¡¯t it be unnecessary to even talk about this in the first place?¡± Since someone who could do everything they wanted out of their own will would already be at an unbelievably high level, a discussion like this would be futile in the first place. ¡°It¡¯s true for that guy over there, and for you as well.¡± Hawa clenched her teeth at Byeok¡¯s biting remarks. She clearly understood what Byeok was saying¡ªthat Hawa was all talk when she didn¡¯t have the skills to back her words. Hawa didn¡¯t have any comeback for that, so she said nothing for a few seconds. Although her anger had not subsided yet, Hawa then asked, ¡°So, did he get stronger?¡± Then Hawa heard a snort behind her back. Byeok thought this was a silly question. Although methods were important, the most important thing was one¡¯s will. Even Chi-Woo did not fully understand the purpose of this training himself. However, even if other people thought what he was doing was useless, as long as Chi-Woo accurately acknowledged his current status and paid a suitable price, he would surely make progress no matter what. Since Hawa didn¡¯t seem like the type to understand this answer until she saw it for herself, Byeok decided to let her witness it first-hand. Byeok grabbed Hawa¡¯s nape with even more force and said, ¡°If you¡¯re so curious¡ª¡± Then she lifted her up and pushed her as hard as she could. Hawa dangled in the air, gasping in surprise as she got pushed to the front. Then she felt her body stop, and at the same time¡ª Bam! In an instant, her eyes became big as saucers. Byeok caught Hawa again and pulled her back when Chi-Woo¡¯s fist almost hit her in the image representation space. Although the wind didn¡¯t blow, her silver hair spread out like a fan and fluttered wildly. Her brain seemed to rattle inside her skull as well. Hawa¡¯s eyes trembled as she stared at the fist that was about to touch her nose. For a moment, she thought a thunderbolt was going to strike her and her body was going to split and break down. It was a powerful blow that swept away even the aching pain lingering in her body. Cold sweat formed on Hawa¡¯s forehead and streaked down. Then blood came dripping from her nose. How could this happen when his fist hadn¡¯t even reached her¡­ ¡°So.¡± Byeok chuckled and let Hawa go. ¡°How was it after experiencing it yourself?¡± Hawa, who fell to the floor, curled up reflexively. When she fought one-on-one with Chi-Woo on a bet in the cave, it hadn¡¯t been this bad. At that time, his fist was weaker than even that of a local thug, but the punch just now¡­was scary. She felt a far greater fear than when she encountered the unknown monster at the official residence. If Chi-Woo had been in the same situation as Hawa, he would have been able to beat the monster in one shot. ¡®When did he¡­¡¯ A guy who couldn¡¯t even fight became a giant tree that she couldn¡¯t see the top of. Hawa became lost in thought. Byeok tried to instigate a couple more conversations, but lost interest and returned to her place. Meanwhile, Hawa¡¯s confused expression gradually returned to its original state. As she calmed down, her mind began to flow properly again. She thought about the reason why the legend made such an environment for her and threw her there without warning, and his actions finally made sense. In a world like this, there was a high probability that she would face a situation like the one at the official residence. Only then did Hawa realize Chi-Hyun¡¯s intention, and the direction he was trying to make her grow. ¡®To survive in that situation¡­¡¯ Of course, Hawa wasn¡¯t confident in surviving even if she went back to Chi-Hyun. Now that she¡¯d gone through that situation so many times, she knew for sure that she was a hundred percent going to die again. If she had succeeded in one try, she might have caught the eyes of the legend. Despite the failure, though, the opportunity to receive his teaching remained. In order for her to accomplish her goal, she needed to obtain information; information on how to deal with the monster and ways to figure out what it was¡ªas the strategist that would lead the team on the right path to survival in a time of crisis. After thinking this, Hawa immediately closed her eyes and went into the image representation space. After that day, the lights at Chi-Woo¡¯s house never went out. CH 264 Around the time when both Eshnunna and Hawa were setting up their new goals and resolutions, Chi-Woo was experiencing endless pain in eternity. One objective hour in the image representation space was 100 hours for Chi-Woo, and even four hours in that space felt like four days for Chi-Woo. It might have been fine if time only flowed differently from this space and reality, but this difference in time flow applied to his surroundings as well. Though this was a condition that Chi-Woo chose for himself, he felt frustrated that he couldn¡¯t strike a target that disappeared in 0.01 seconds. His original plan was to increase his reaction speed by expanding the rate at which targets disappeared by a hundred or thousand times and get his body used to it, but as expected, things didn¡¯t go according to his plan. What Chi-Woo needed to do was to control his body however he wanted in any situation. Only then would he achieve maximum efficiency in movements as he planned. But this wasn¡¯t something he could accomplish simply by spending a lot of time practicing, and even as his S rank Golden Ratio ability was activated, he showed no progress. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even grasp where to begin yet. Thus, eventually, Chi-Woo felt beyond frustration and soon became enveloped in strong feelings of despair and regret. How many times did he repeat this crazy act? A total of two weeks in real time passed, which meant Chi-Woo had experienced 1,400 days like this. Of course, he hadn¡¯t slowed time by 100 times for every practice, but simple calculations told him that he had essentially gone through about four years. Chi-Woo had been at a standstill for those four years, and upon realizing this, he understood why his brother said speed was talent. He wasn¡¯t only talking about the speed at which people learned things. What Chi-Woo was trying to learn completely depended on one¡¯s talent. It was something a person without talent shouldn¡¯t attempt at all, a task that a person couldn¡¯t accomplish with hard work alone. It was as meaningless as stepping on the pedal of a car that ran at 0 mph. And though his Golden Ratio helped him in things that were necessary, it didn¡¯t activate when it came to things he couldn¡¯t do in the first place. In other words, it couldn¡¯t create talents he didn¡¯t have. Thinking this made Chi-Woo burst into humorless laughter. ¡®¡­I should just quit¡­¡¯ There were things that couldn¡¯t be done no matter how much time he spent on them. His master also told him that he should quit early if he thought he couldn¡¯t do it. Chi-Woo thought he should¡¯ve realized this earlier; if he had, he wouldn¡¯t have suffered and wasted so much time. ¡®No more¡­¡¯ This was the end. Chi-Woo thought he should die first to end this practice session. Then he would tell his master that he couldn¡¯t continue this training anymore. He would quit trying and give up. As soon as he thought this, the concentration that Chi-Woo had been forcefully maintaining on a thin thread broke. He stopped controlling his body and lost his strength. He also stopped paying attention to his surroundings. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ A smile formed on Chi-Woo¡¯s face after a long time. How should he put it? He felt calm now, or should he say free? He felt at peace after giving up. There was only one thing left to do now. Chi-Woo was about to revert the flow of time to normal when suddenly¡­what his mentor told him in the past flashed through his mind. [Amazing.] [You became one with the water.] A long time ago, when he used to live with his mentor, Chi-Woo had stayed in a Buddhist temple. That day, Chi-Woo woke up earlier than usual and got out to sit on the edge of the back porch. Recalling it now, there was nothing really impressive about that day. It was just that the twilight the sky reflected looked especially beautiful. Entranced, Chi-Woo raised his head and stared into the sky. His mentor then spotted Chi-Woo and said that he had become one with the water. Chi-Woo was startled by his mentor¡¯s words. Not only had his mentor spoken to him suddenly, but he noticed that the sun was already at the center of the sky. He hadn¡¯t realized that so much time had passed. His mentor laughed and said that it was what usually happened when a person became one with the water. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t understand what his mentor meant, so his mentor explained: [Confucius'' doctrines state that the sky and humans are one entity.] The sky and humans were one. It was an idea integral to Confucius¡¯ school of thought. [But do you know why I mentioned the sky before humans when saying that they were one entity? After all, I could have said human and sky are one entity.] Chi-Woo replied that it must have just been what the speaker felt like saying at that moment. But his mentor disagreed. [Western philosophy has a tendency to focus on oneself and the individual rather than exterior forces.] [Like how they believe humans to be most central to their natural existence and essence, they prioritize the master of the house rather than the guests.] [Thus, perhaps, the West might have placed humans before the sky in this idea, but that¡¯s not the case in the East. Eastern philosophy defines humans to be finite, while the universe is infinite.] [It is stated in Laozi¡¯s Tao Te Ching that there are four great laws in the universe. Humanity follows the earth. The earth follows the sky. The sky follows the Tao, and the Tao follows only itself.] The Tao in this context meant nature, all things, and the universe. [In short, humans are just a part of the universe in the end.] Humans depended on nature to live. Thanks to nature, humans could eat, wear clothes, and even breathe. They gained everything they needed to survive from nature. After existing in it, they reached the end of their lives and returned to earth in the form of ashes. In this sense, humans, nature, all things, and the universe were one. At that time, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand his mentor¡¯s impromptu teaching and simply stared at the sky. [Of course, I didn¡¯t expect you to understand everything I said at once.] Then his mentor continued. [Why don¡¯t you try one more time? Stare into the sky again.] Hearing this, Chi-Woo looked back up at the sky. The sky was blue, and he tried to focus on the floating clouds. But what was happening? No matter how hard he tried to concentrate, he couldn¡¯t focus as he had done before. Rather than forgetting the flow of time, he felt it so well that he was getting bored. [See? You can¡¯t do it right?] And his mentor nodded and murmured that a guy like Chi-Woo needed to experience things first-hand at least once rather than being told the same thing a hundred times. Chi-Woo tilted his head. Why couldn¡¯t he do it? What was different about what he was doing now? Was it just the difference in my level of concentration? he asked. [That¡¯s both correct and incorrect.] [You need to focus, but not dwell on it.] [Think about the time when you first looked up at the sky. Did you have the intention to stare at the sky without a sense of time beforehand and purposefully acted upon it?] Chi-Woo blankly shook his head. [See? You didn¡¯t. You have to lose yourself like that time. You can¡¯t be aware of what you are doing. If you forcefully try to focus on what you¡¯re doing, you are already differentiating yourself from everything else.] Chi-Woo was not to differentiate or put any boundary between him and all things. He was not to divide the inside from the outside. He needed to naturally mix with nature in harmony. [It is the same for body and soul. The mind and body are basically one. They aren¡¯t separate, but connected. They function organically together so that¡­] ¡®¡­Yes.¡¯ Chi-Woo remembered it now. He didn¡¯t understand it well at that time, but he thought he got it now. ¡®Turn¡­¡¯ He turned again and again. ¡®Turn¡­¡¯ ¡®Turn¡­¡¯ ¡®Return¡­¡¯ At that moment, Chi-Woo regained his senses and looked in front of him. And soon, he saw his surroundings moving faster bit by bit. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Though he hadn¡¯t returned the flow of time to normal, he saw the almost stand-still thorn wolf get closer. It was as if time became faster from a slowdown rate of 1/100 to 1/75. Then it became 1/50, then 1/25, until time finally returned to its original speed. But that wasn¡¯t all. ¡®What¡ª¡¯ 1.5 times, 2 times, 2.5 times¡­! The flow of time began to speed up like he was watching a time-lapse video. What was happening? The thorn wolf which once moved at 0.01 times the speed from normal began to move 3 to 4 times faster. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t act out, but remained baffled. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ His surroundings were moving much faster than normal; thus, it seemed only natural that he wouldn¡¯t even be able to consider things like posture and reacting, but¡ª ¡®Why¡­!¡¯ It felt so slow. The attacks that came 3 or 4 times faster felt so very slow. To the point that Chi-Woo wondered why he had even gotten hit by such attacks. His senses changed. Though his eyes saw that the attacks had sped up, his senses paradoxically felt that everything was slow. And Chi-Woo overflowed with ease. Ting! As a result, sharp claws sliced through the air. They couldn¡¯t reach Chi-Woo and grazed past Chi-Woo¡¯s chest. While it barely missed, Chi-Woo hardly felt threatened. It was because he didn¡¯t avoid the attack through sheer luck. He made it happen. And following that movement, Chi-Woo passed the energy he had expended on ducking to his arms. He threw an uppercut at the thorn wolves who passed by him after failing their attacks. With just that, the thorn wolves¡¯ waists twisted in half, and they flew into the air. Though he hadn¡¯t exerted much strength, Chi-Woo felt his fist break through their bones. And that wasn¡¯t all. One wolf rushed at him from behind, but Chi-Woo bent down and simultaneously kicked his leg backward and up. The thorn wolf spun around from the kick and rolled onto the ground. Chi-Woo was facing forward, but he also saw behind him. It was a phenomenon that he couldn¡¯t understand at all; somehow, he could see all around him, and he felt himself take in his entire surroundings. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Something seemed to have changed, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. [Do you think when you blink?] This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. [A brain is an organ that gives out orders, and all the physical parts below it follow them. But I¡¯m telling you to transcend this system now.] He recalled what Byeok had told him and then what his mentor had said. [The mind and body are basically one.] [If you forcefully try to focus on what you¡¯re doing, you are already differentiating yourself from everything else. Of course, that won¡¯t work.] And the moment he connected Byeok¡¯s and his mentor¡¯s teachings, Chi-Woo realized what had changed. He moved before he thought. He didn¡¯t try on purpose nor dwelled on it. He let his body move like the way water flowed, naturally and confidently. ¡®I see.¡¯ There was no need for him to differentiate them in the first place. ¡®That was it. That was it¡­!¡¯ He just needed to tie them together and ensure maximum efficiency. The moment Chi-Woo realized this, he didn¡¯t feel any danger from the golem¡¯s attacks nor its relentless punches. He deftly evaded the golem¡¯s punches with a few simple side steps, and he no longer feared the tremors of the ground caused by the misses. Before, he might have thought these factors would distract him from maintaining his posture, but that was no longer his concern. There was no need for him to think of the internal and the external separately. As it did from his inside, energy was also generated from the outside. And he simply needed to accept this instead of resisting. He would now go in the direction he desired, and the feeling Chi-Woo had once felt for a brief moment lingered further. It was much fiercer now, and Chi-Woo felt as if he could do anything. This feeling seeped into every part of his body like he would never forget it again. It was truly ironic. The moment he decided to give up everything, what he desired most came to him. His vision brightened, and Chi-Woo smiled. He wanted to burst into laughter if he could. Why didn¡¯t he realize it earlier? It was so easy, and when he felt what had once been difficult for him became easy, all his fear evaporated simultaneously. Now, he was confident that he could do whatever he wanted. It felt as if¡­he was one with the world. *** Meanwhile, Philip was watching the scene play out from the yard. His eyes were clenched shut, and when he opened them again, they looked emotional seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s movements. [Sometimes it¡¯s strong as a storm; other times, gentle as a breeze. But it swings too much to the extremes for his attacks to be versatile.] [You know how a storm doesn¡¯t have only wind? Like how it can combine with lightning or rain, he can also use other factors.] That was what Philip had said about Ru Amuh. It was a standard of movement that the past Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even dream of reaching or understanding, yet it appeared Chi-Woo had now reached the standard to allow discussion of such a level to take place. The way Chi-Woo was moving contained the profundity of nature; it was as if the universe was inside him. ¡°¡­Good!¡± Byeok responded similarly. ¡°Very good.¡± She looked very satisfied by the extraordinary change Chi-Woo managed to accomplish. ¡°I¡¯m becoming grateful to that guy. To think he would change his constitution to this extent¡­¡± Byeok snickered and realized that there was another audience besides Philip. It was the blonde man. ¡®Oh, that guy¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t know when he arrived, but he was staring at Chi-Woo in a daze. Byeok murmured to herself, ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m sure it looks beautiful.¡¯ Byeok knew that Ru Amuh was no ordinary man either. The fact that he looked so astonished seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s movements alone showed that he was a rare talent. ¡®Let me see. He must know how to treat his sword like a part of his body¡­no, maybe beyond that. But it doesn¡¯t seem complete.¡¯ Knowing how to use a sword as one¡¯s body part alone would¡¯ve allowed a fighter to reach a considerable standing. However, that would limit their expertise to when wielding a sword. They wouldn¡¯t be able to exert the same power if they had to use another weapon. That was not the case for Chi-Woo. He was becoming one with all things, and Ru Amuh sensed this; this was the reason for his great shock. He was in awe and shock from seeing something greater. And he became certain that although this was an ability that didn¡¯t manifest in one¡¯s user information, Chi-Woo had gained a great weapon that could be used in all situations only the very few possessed. Byeok took a deep breath and arched her shoulders slightly. Her body shook in unfulfilled expectations. What would happen if she unleashed the bindings limiting Chi-Woo in this state? What change would occur to the abilities he already had then? She was so curious that she was having a physical reaction. But she couldn¡¯t do that yet. She couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just this. Since she had decided to do things properly, she needed to take more time to help mature him. After all, the riper a fruit, the tastier it was. CH 265 Time went by like running water. Four months had passed since Chi-Woo became Byeok¡¯s disciple and devoted himself to training. Although Shalyh had undergone considerable changes during this time, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t aware of anything that happened outside. After declaring that he was going into training, he had never left his house and yard. There was no need for him to ever go out since Evelyn provided everything he needed for his livelihood. However, he didn¡¯t just train day and night. Every morning, lunch, and evening, he also indulged in one of his hobbies as refreshment, and one such hobby was cooking. After he served his master, Byeok, a dish that utilized his old skills, she was so pleased with his cooking that he had to make her every meal afterwards. She claimed it was his duty as her disciple, which Chi-Woo secretly considered nonsense. He still accepted her request though since he really enjoyed cooking and had experience working in a professional kitchen. Exploring Liber¡¯s new ingredients was quite fun and challenging as a cook. If he couldn¡¯t even enjoy a hobby like this, his training would have been much more difficult to endure. Although he originally only made meals for himself and his master, at some point, he became responsible for serving several people. The whole trouble began when Evelyn first brought Eshnunna along and asked him to prepare a few more portions while he was at it. After that, the Ru siblings asked if he could also take care of their meals and said they were willing to pay him for the trouble. Then Hawa also joined sneakily. Before he knew it, Chi-Woo was in charge of cooking for a whole family. As a result, sometimes six or seven people would huddle around the table and cry out for food¡ªlike this morning. ¡°Senior~ What is today¡¯s breakfast~?¡± Looking at Chi-Woo busily moving in the kitchen, Ru Hiana sniffed and asked from the table. ¡°It¡¯s bibimbap,¡± Byeok answered for Chi-Woo while she leisurely sipped her tea. ¡°What? Again? We had bibimbap yesterday.¡± ¡°He¡¯s planning to use a different vegetable today.¡± ¡°Vegetables again¡­what about meat¡­I like sausages¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because master wanted bibimbap,¡± Evelyn said as she cleaned the table. ¡°Let¡¯s have bibimbap today and sausages tomorrow. I¡¯ll tell Chi-Woo, okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ah, I¡¯ll set up the table,¡± Ru Hiana answered. ¡°Will you? Thanks.¡± While Ru Hiana neatly placed a spoon each in front of everyone, Chi-Woo brought the finished dish to the table and said, ¡°Please dig in.¡± According to the age hierarchy, he placed the bibimbap in front of his master first, and Byeok raised her head, ¡°What about fried eggs?¡± ¡°It¡¯s coming right over. Please mix the ingredients first.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Byeok mixed the rice and vegetables and then ate a spoonful with seasoning. ¡°Your skills are getting better day by day.¡± She savored the food in her mouth and put one hand on her cheek, saying with a pleased smile, ¡°This is the taste I¡¯ve been waiting for. I think the same every time I eat your food. It really is a taste that makes me proud that you¡¯re my disciple.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s to your liking.¡± ¡°Of course it is. Ah, but don¡¯t be too conceited. It¡¯s good, but it¡¯s not enough for me to go crazy and start dancing.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen too many cartoons. Does it make sense for someone to react like that after eating in the first place?¡± Chi-Woo calmly replied and went back to the kitchen to make fried eggs to put on top of the bibimbap. While everyone mixed their bowls and started eating, Ru Hiana glanced around her. ¡°I¡¯m going to go in without any clothes today,¡± Eshnunna said. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± Evelyn replied. ¡°Still, I want to try directly interacting with it through my skin as much as I can.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try expanding the area¡­yeah, we have to exhaust the possibilities.¡± Even while mixing their bowls, Evelyn and Eshnunna continued their conversation. Hawa pressed her head to the table while holding her spoon. Upon closer observation, it seemed she was mumbling while staring at a paper with a lot of things written on it. Ru Hiana had no idea what she was doing, but after sensing the gloomy and dark atmosphere around Hawa, she quickly turned away. On the other hand, Ru Amuh didn¡¯t even seem to have any intentions of eating as he simply stared at the kitchen with a dazed face. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Even when Ru Hiana nudged him with her elbow, he didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Beautiful¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect¡­¡± ¡°Ruahu?¡± Ru Amuh looked completely mesmerized. When Ru Hiana followed his gaze, it turned out he was looking at Chi-Woo, who was making fried eggs in the kitchen. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®But he¡¯s just cooking?¡¯ Although this was what Ru Hiana saw, it wasn¡¯t the case for Ru Amuh. ¡®Teacher moves like flowing water without any blockage,¡¯ Ru Amuh thought. There was not a single waste of movement. Soon, Chi-Woo returned to the table with a plate full of fried eggs. After placing one in Ru Hiana¡¯s bowl, Chi-Woo sat down with everyone else. Ru Hiana watched him at work and smacked her lips. She didn¡¯t know what everyone was doing exactly, but she could clearly sense that they were all working extremely hard. But above all, the person who had gone through the most dramatic change was Chi-Woo. She didn¡¯t know how to clearly explain it, but if Chi-Woo used to feel like a mysterious monk, he now seemed like a martial artist who had realized heaven''s way after numerous tribulations and trials. The atmosphere of the meal was quiet and calm. This wasn¡¯t bad, but Ru Hiana suddenly missed the times when it was lively and bustling with conversation. Just as Ru Hiana was about to bring up the rumors of ¡®unknown crazy men and women who scream, weep, and cry nonstop¡¯, Ru Amuh beat her to it. ¡°Excuse me¡­teacher.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Chi-Woo answered. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, may I ask you for a favor?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°After dinner, would you be able to du¡­¡± However, Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t finish because a pipe suddenly intercepted between the two. ¡°Stop.¡± Byeok glanced sharply at Ru Amuh. ¡°¡­He¡¯s been training all day except for when he eats. He doesn¡¯t rest even when he¡¯s sleeping.¡± Then Byeok withdrew her pipe and slowly continued, ¡°I want to at least let him take a breather during this time.¡± Although Byeok spoke in a roundabout way, she essentially rejected Ru Amuh¡¯s request for a duel on behalf of Chi-Woo as his master. Moreover, since this was an important time for Chi-Woo, any unpredictable variables that might have a negative impact were not welcome. Byeok finally managed to set him toward the right direction, but after a duel with Ru Amuh, Chi-Woo might have other thoughts, and his training might go askew. Ru Amuh had enough sense to understand the meaning behind her words. He accepted the rejection with a disappointed heart. Chi-Woo tilted his head at Ru Amuh and looked back at Byeok, ¡°But I¡¯m fine with it.¡± ¡°Be quiet. And after you finish eating, why don¡¯t you pack a lunch box for me?¡± ¡°Why a lunch box?¡± ¡°I¡¯m planning to go somewhere for lunch today.¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯ll give you money. Please buy it outside.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. What was it again? Why don¡¯t you make that dish that keeps stretching?¡± Chi-Woo sighed as Byeok didn¡¯t even pretend to listen to him and said, ¡°Please tell me an hour before your leave. I¡¯ll make it for you then.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why can¡¯t you start making it now?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯ll get cold, and it won¡¯t taste good.¡± ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. I was too short-sighted. I¡¯ll follow your correct opinion.¡± Byeok nodded with a smile. * * * Byeok arrived at the top floor of the official residence at noon. ¡°Is that really true?¡± Chi-Hyun asked in a slightly surprised tone and stared at Byeok, or more accurately, at her hand reaching towards the food on the table. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll talk nonsense while eating something this delicious?¡± What she was holding was a slice of pizza¡ªa slice of scrumptious oven-baked pizza with cheese and toppings. Chi-Hyun was shocked to see pizza on Liber. However, after thinking for a bit, it wasn¡¯t that surprising since he could guess who made it. Chi-Woo probably made something as similar to pizza as possible with Liber¡¯s ingredients. ¡°I feel regretful every time I see him these days. He¡¯s improved so much just by changing his constitution a bit.¡± Byeok picked up a slice of pizza with a happy face and continued, ¡°But if he¡¯d grown up step by step in this world since he was young, he would have made quite a ruckus¡­¡± When she was about to take a bite, her eyes met Chi-Hyun¡¯s. Chi-Hyun was intently staring at the pizza while not really paying attention to what she was saying. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gulp. When she heard him swallow, Byeok offered, ¡°¡­Want one?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Chi-Hyun replied as if he had been waiting for this all along. He reached out towards the remaining two slices without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m planning to send him outside soon.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand stopped abruptly. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t even need to find a suitable job for him. After reading the reports you gave me, it seems like most cases come to Chi-Woo on their own.¡± As Byeok continued, Chi-Hyun¡¯s face gradually hardened. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen exactly, but I think something will happen soon¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m against it.¡± Their eyes met again. However, it was different from before. While Byeok looked at him with a challenging expression, Chi-Hyun looked as if he wouldn''t back down in the slightest. After a brief silence, Byeok said, ¡°¡­You should know that it can¡¯t be helped.¡± She continued in a low tone, ¡°The World¡¯s Milestone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how it happened, but Chi-Woo¡¯s inherited the will of the World.¡± Byeok said that anyone who was aware of Liber¡¯s situation would jump in shock. She continued, ¡°He¡¯s basically Liber¡¯s World right now, and that means he has to act as the World for at least the heroes who come here.¡± However, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t look surprised as he had already speculated as much. ¡°He needs to go back home.¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯re against him going out just for that? You¡¯re really trying to lead Liber to ruin.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone think that anyway?¡± Their eyes gradually became sharp as they looked at each other. ¡°I won¡¯t object to him going out, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for him to put himself in danger and take risks. No¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun said flatly, ¡°I won¡¯t let you do that.¡¯ Anger began to flare on Byeok¡¯s face. ¡°You¡­¡± Chi-Hyun had received her teaching before, so he knew her personality well; however, he was still interfering with her and making demands. ¡°Impudent punk¡­¡± Moreover, Byeok entered Liber as a Celestial Realm hero. Thus, she had the duty to save Liber. She had every right to feel angry at Chi-Hyun, who disregarded his duty by only prioritizing his brother¡¯s safety. Byeok said, ¡°Are you telling me to back off and take my hands off him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± ¡°Of course, I have no intentions to do that.¡± Byeok¡¯s words were firm. Just like Chi-Hyun, she had no intention of backing down. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t failed by not meeting her standard, and he hadn¡¯t given up on his own. Outside of those two scenarios, Byeok never let go of a disciple she taught¡ªthat was her pride as a master. Byeok steadied her rough breathing. After looking back on her old memories, she could understand why Chi-Hyun was acting this way. In the past¡­ After a long silence, Byeok finally said, ¡°¡­Fine. If that¡¯s how you want to do it, I¡¯ll make you an offer.¡± She continued as if she was being generous. After hearing her explanation, Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll impose certain limitations to ensure fairness.¡± ¡°But even then¡­¡± Chi-Hyun laughed hollowly. In short, she was betting on his younger brother, but the conditions were way too favorable to Chi-Hyun; he couldn¡¯t even imagine losing. ¡°Why?¡± Byeok said while tilting her chin, ¡°Are you not confident?¡± ¡°¡­All right, let¡¯s do it.¡± He responded to her provocation. There was no reason for him to reject the bet. ¡°Don¡¯t talk your way out of it later.¡± ¡°The same goes for you, master. Well¡­I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± Chi-Hyun smirked and stood up. ¡°Please let me know when you¡¯ve set the time. Since I¡¯m very busy, you must excuse me first.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Go work.¡± Chi-Hyun hurriedly turned around. After a snort, Byeok let out the breath she had been holding and looked down at the table. She planned to soothe her agitation with the pizza that her cute disciple had made, but somehow, the table was empty, and the pizza had disappeared without a trace. She was sure that she¡¯d definitely saved two slices. Byeok raised her head in disbelief and saw Chi-Hyun walking away at a fast pace while holding the missing slices in one hand. ¡°Hey¡­¡± As soon as she called out to him, he instantly disappeared; it seemed he had used his space manipulation ability. Byeok¡¯s expression changed from bewilderment to fury. ¡°You bastard!¡± * * * Chi-Woo, who was immersed in training today again, was hit with an unexpected situation. As soon as Byeok returned, she suddenly made a great fuss and told him to immediately open his user information. Chi-Woo was taken aback because so far, Byeok had been lying down on the verandah after roughly telling him what to do. Chi-Woo asked her out of curiosity and was surprised by her answer. ¡°I¡¯m releasing your seal.¡± ¡°What? But¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not planning to return everything, only a small fraction.¡± Chi-Woo blinked. ¡°¡­All of a sudden?¡± He might be mistaken, but his master looked very angry. ¡°Honestly, I hadn¡¯t planned to go this far already.¡± Byeok growled and bit her lower lip. ¡°In a way, this ability is very dangerous. Not directly dangerous to you, but because you might abuse it.¡± In other words, it wouldn¡¯t cause harm to his mind and body, but it might become a problem depending on how he used it. To make an analogy, there was nothing more dangerous than giving a nuclear weapon to an innocent child. Chi-Woo became intrigued by Byeok¡¯s words, ¡°What kind of power is it?¡± ¡°Are you curious?¡± Byeok folded her arms and said with her teeth showing, ¡°It¡¯s a power strong enough to even kill the legend.¡± CH 266 The next day, Chi-Woo went to see La Bella as Byeok instructed him. He unlocked the two abilities in his user information that he had sealed: synesthesia and extrasensory perception. At first, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why those two were the abilities he was to unlock. But after returning to reality, he was hit with a strange feeling. It was as if he was wearing clothes that didn¡¯t fit him. No, rather than that, it was as if he was forced to wear a couple layers of mismatching clothes. His extrasensory perception and synesthesia that he shared with Ru Amuh seemed to be interfering with the new senses he¡¯d awakened this time. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Byeok asked. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how to answer and spoke as he felt. ¡°I¡¯m sure it is,¡± Byeok said knowingly and nodded. ¡°Then, do you think you can tie up all your senses into one?¡± Chi-Woo contemplated deeply over this question and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s difficult.¡± ¡°What is difficult?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­I think something is lacking.¡± Chi-Woo chewed on his lip. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what it is. I just need one more puzzle piece, but I think I¡¯m missing that¡­¡± Byeok was a bit surprised to see Chi-Woo struggle. ¡°He did say he had a good intuition¡­¡± Byeok planned to scold Chi-Woo if he had tried to forcibly combine all his senses and didn¡¯t expect him to take a step back by himself. ¡°Then you must fill up what you lack,¡± Byeok smiled at Chi-Woo and said. ¡°This is where your test begins.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I will control the image representation from now on. You must showcase a true battle.¡± It was quite a vague condition. ¡°Let me see¡­yes. Once is too little, so I will acknowledge your success if you manage to make two effective hits.¡± Though he had his objections, Chi-Woo calmly accepted her condition. He was already used to the way his master taught by now. Byeok wasn¡¯t the type to carefully explain everything to him in detail and spoon-feed him new information. She gave him simple guidelines and explanations about the general situation, leaving him to figure out the rest. ¡®I can do it,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. He might have felt fear or hopelessness in the past, but that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. After becoming unified with his surroundings, Chi-Woo changed. He now had the confidence to accomplish anything no matter how difficult and arduous they were. He didn¡¯t have to rely on pure motivation anymore but could trust in himself. Yet reality always surpassed his expectations, and Chi-Woo was stunned to see his opponent. ¡°H-Hyung?¡± Chi-Hyun had suddenly appeared. ¡°No, wait. Are you really telling me to fight my brother?¡± Even though he had made amazing progress recently, his current opponent was someone who had far surpassed such an achievement. He was the world¡¯s best hero. It was obvious someone like Chi-Hyun would¡¯ve accomplished becoming one with the universe ages ago, and it was unimaginable how far he had climbed since then. Thus, it was nonsensical that Chi-Woo would have to fight someone like that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Byeok said leisurely as if she had expected the response. ¡°This is just an image representation of him. And I¡¯ve imposed suitable restrictions for the fight.¡± ¡°Ah, really?¡± ¡°Yes. You both are prohibited from using mana and weapons. You both must only fight each other with pure martial arts alone. This would make it possible for you to deal with him.¡± Chi-Woo thought that did change things. He looked at Chi-Hyun with a perplexed expression. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Chi-Hyun¡¯s haughty eyes stare back at him stirred up the pent-up rage in Chi-Woo¡¯s heart. He could still remember it as clearly as yesterday¡ªthe attitude that Chi-Hyun showed him and the way he slammed the door fiercely in his face. ¡®¡­She said it was a mental image.¡¯ Perhaps this was his chance. ¡°Master,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Is this really an image?¡± ¡°¡­Huh, yeah? Why?¡± Byeok stammered at Chi-Woo¡¯s unexpected question, and Chi-Woo raised his tightly clenched fists. ¡°Then I suppose it won¡¯t matter if I beat that bastard to death,¡± Chi-Woo said confidently, but he gasped when he heard another voice. Looking vexed, Chi-Hyun¡¯s image shouted, ¡°What did you say, you bastard!¡± Byeok laughed at Chi-Woo¡¯s unexpected declaration and glanced at Chi-Hyun. ¡°How dare you¡­to your older brother¡­¡± Chi-Hyun heaved, but when he saw Byeok¡¯s signal, he calmed his breathing. ¡°How is it? Doesn¡¯t he feel just like the real thing? I paid special attention to it,¡± Byeok said. Chi-Woo nodded. Chi-Hyun¡¯s image responded so realistically. For a moment, he thought his master had colluded with his brother to trick him. ¡°Since you¡¯ve cast away your doubts now, start. It¡¯s up to you whether you kill this image or not.¡± Byeok then added, ¡°if you can.¡± But Chi-Woo had already stopped listening to focus all his senses on his brother. The atmosphere changed, and silence circled around the two. A suffocating tension that felt like it would blow up in an instant built, but a small smile soon formed on Chi-Hyun¡¯s face. It looked like he was smirking. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why Chi-Hyun was smiling, and then he suddenly had a feeling that something was wrong. Boom! Chi-Woo hurriedly tilted his head back, and simultaneously, there was an explosive sound in the air. His bangs swayed from the shockwave, and between the hair strands, Chi-Woo saw his brother look slightly surprised. It appeared Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t expected Chi-Woo to evade the attack. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even have the chance to confirm how powerful the hit was when Chi-Hyun suddenly rushed forward. Chi-Hyun¡¯s right foot aimed for his temples. Chi-Woo hastily raised his arm and blocked the kick, but powerful hits quickly aimed for him in succession. Though Chi-Woo arched his torso and evaded the attack, he didn¡¯t have the luxury to catch his breath. As soon as he tried to straighten his back, he felt a fearsome punch fly towards him. ¡®At this rate¡­!¡¯ Chi-Woo extended his fist. He planned to make a counter-strike and change the trajectory of his brother¡¯s punch, but ended up hitting only air. It appeared Chi-Hyun had read his intention and stopped his attack. And when Chi-Hyun saw Chi-Woo miss, he moved his arm again and swung his fist down hard. Chi-Woo hurriedly backed away when he felt the terrible blow coming. ¡°Are you going to keep backing away?¡± Chi-Woo heard his brother¡¯s voice. Simultaneously, he felt his balance crumble. Something struck his legs. Chi-Hyun had spun his body around with his hands on the ground and tripped Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo looked like he had no idea what was happening. ¡®What is he trying to do?¡¯ Though he couldn¡¯t see all his brother¡¯s attacks, he could sense most of them. And yet he was struggling to follow up with them. If he was moving like the flow of water, his brother was moving like¡ª ¡°!¡± It was then Chi-Woo felt Chi-Hyun¡¯s strike from above and below simultaneously. Though it didn¡¯t seem possible, that was what Chi-Woo clearly felt. Chi-Woo arched his body instinctively and felt a strong current sweep past his back. And with his head lowered, Chi-Woo saw Chi-Hyun''s knee move up. Thud! Chi-Woo¡¯s nose stung. He arched his head back from the pain, and in his defenseless state, he felt a strong kick to his chest and ended up slammed to the ground. ¡°Kuh! Cough, cough!¡± Chi-Woo coughed and heaved. Though he tried to get up, his body didn¡¯t listen to him, and all his nerves seemed frazzled. ¡®How¡­¡¯ Even in his dizzy state, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hide his shock. Before, he would¡¯ve easily accepted that his brother wasn¡¯t an opponent he could deal with, but the current Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t do that. He could now see his brother¡¯s attacks clearly and see how unbelievable Chi-Hyun¡¯s moves were¡ªeven if they were just quick punches and kicks. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t allow Chi-Woo to move in a flow. Even when Chi-Woo tried to grasp an opportunity, his brother pierced through the gap and broke his flow; then he forcibly dragged Chi-Woo into his pace. Chi-Woo raised his head in a dazed state. His brother was staring down coldly at him like he always did. Ch-Hyun¡¯s cold eyes seemed to be asking Chi-Woo, ¡®is it already over? Was this all he had?¡¯ Seeing this, Chi-Woo gritted his teeth and pulled himself back up. ¡®Just now¡­¡¯ For some reason, the disharmony he felt after unlocking two of his abilities disappeared when he thought about his brother¡¯s movements. Soon afterward, Chi-Hyun rushed at him in an instant. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t tell which attack Chi-Hyun was going for first¡ªa punch or a kick. But that wasn¡¯t the important part. ¡®Just now¡­!¡¯ Chi-Woo didn¡¯t back away this time. He pushed forward, and Chi-Hyun looked slightly startled. Chi-Hyun extended his fist just in case and saw Chi-Woo turn around to evade it. Though this could be considered progress when battling someone like Chi-Hyun, Chi-Woo was still far below the standard he was trying to reach. Chi-Hyun sighed and was about to strike Chi-Woo¡¯s turning back when¡ª Bam! Suddenly, a heavy thud struck his cheeks. It was an unexpected counterattack. Unbelievably, the legend Choi Chi-Hyun was sent tilting to one side. Though he tried to regain his balance, he couldn¡¯t withstand the force and fell to his bottom. Both Chi-Hyun and Byeok became speechless and blinked hard. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t only attacked. He had abruptly twisted his body around to get into an escaping and attacking posture simultaneously. ¡°You are already¡­¡± Seeing his brother, Chi-Hyun murmured and closed his mouth again. Then his lips curved into a smile. ¡®I see. This must be the effect of the Golden Ratio,¡¯ Chi-Hyun thought. Who would¡¯ve thought Chi-Woo would be able to grasp this so fast? ¡°That¡¯s pretty good,¡± Chi-Hyun smiled and got to his feet. ¡°That attack just now was pretty good.¡± Though Chi-Hyun complimented Chi-Woo two times, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t respond. But it was fine since Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t expect a response anyways. Chi-Woo got back to his stance and looked to be losing himself in focus. In his head, stimulations of the battle were circulating so fast that it was probably catching fire. Though Chi-Woo¡¯s movements were impressive even in Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes, it was still incomplete. Chi-Woo knew this better than anyone else. He had managed to become one with his surroundings, but there was a strange sensation that made him feel like they weren¡¯t truly one. This was probably a result that Byeok had intended, but Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t like this part. Was there really a skill that didn¡¯t appear in one¡¯s user information? It was a complete lie. Whatever one¡¯s ability was, it had to come out in their user information. How could an ability of a mortal not appear on the system when an ability from the gods did? Even if there was an ability that the system couldn¡¯t process or define, it should still manifest as an ability in some way, just like the one censored with question marks in Chi-Woo¡¯s user information. Though Chi-Hyun agreed with Byeok¡¯s belief that ¡®One must only receive a power that they could be held responsible for¡¯, he wanted his brother to be an exception to this rule. And Chi-Hyun hoped that Chi-Woo would achieve complete unification rather than an imperfect one. ¡°Do it again,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°Prove to me that the move just now wasn¡¯t a coincidence.¡± It was then Byeok realized what was going to happen. She contemplated the flow that Chi-Hyun directed just now and the movements Chi-Woo showed. ¡°!¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°You!¡± She immediately jumped from the porch, but it was too late. Chi-Hyun rushed to Chi-Woo like lightning after glancing at her. He pretended to attack but dived deeper, wrapping his arms around Chi-Woo and lifting him up. Though Chi-Hyun attempted to throw Chi-Woo, he lost his balance again when Chi-Woo wrapped his legs around Chi-Hyun¡¯s neck and twisted it. The two brothers fell to the ground. No, it appeared that Chi-Hyun would fall along with his brother, but his neck was released. Instead, Chi-Hyun felt a strong impact on his shoulders like they were being used as step stools. It was too late when Chi-Hyun realized this and looked up. Chi-Woo¡¯s two feet spun in the air and struck Chi-Hyun¡¯s stomach exactly. This whole process was instantaneous. ¡°Stop!¡± Byeok hurriedly intervened, but the situation was over by then. Chi-Woo landed on the ground. Though he¡¯d managed to knock down Chi-Hyun twice, he didn¡¯t appear overjoyed or cheered. Indescribable feelings overwhelmed him as he stood back up. ¡®Flow¡­flow¡­¡¯ There was a gap, space, or interval in his flow. It was the gap between movements and what connected two flows together. Chi-Woo thought he had worked hard until now to narrow the gap between his movements and maximized efficiency. But with his recent battle with his brother, Chi-Woo realized he had been thinking the wrong way the entire time. Though he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, there wasn¡¯t only one path. Combining split thread strings could be seen as creating one string, and one could attach the strands one after another or intertwine them to make one. The latter was a much more efficient process as long as he could do it. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Realizing this, Chi-Woo let out a gasp. He had been stupid, so foolish. Though he turned round and round and emphasized oneness, unconsciously, he was differentiating between his flows. No wonder he was unable to keep up with his brother. ¡®No wonder the flow broke.¡¯ Now that Chi-Woo looked back on his actions, his movements were going on different trajectories. ¡®Chi-Hyun must¡¯ve purposefully aimed for that¡­huh?¡¯ As soon as Chi-Woo thought this, he looked a bit stunned. ¡®But no way. Byeok said this is only an image of my brother¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo turned around and saw Chi-Hyun still on the ground. Surprisingly, Chi-Hyun was smiling with a satisfied expression. Chi-Woo felt perplexed by the smile, but he couldn¡¯t pay more attention to it as alarm bells rang in his ears. [User Chi-Woo¡¯s innate ability, ¡®Extrasensory Perception¡¯ evolves.] [User Chi-Woo¡¯s special ability, ¡®Synesthesia¡¯ evolves.] [User Chi-Woo¡¯s special ability, ¡®Unknown Insight¡¯ evolves.] All the abilities related to his senses were disappearing one by one. They weren¡¯t getting erased, but melting, mixing, and gathering into one¡ªas if they were one from the beginning. Chi-Woo closed his eyes, and his body trembled. He felt it then. The faint disharmony he felt in his movements completely disappeared, and a new world opened up before him. ¡®¡­yes.¡¯ Byeok clenched her teeth and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°I simply created the situation,¡± Chi-Hyun replied. Byeok knew what he meant. Creating an environment for her disciple to figure things out on their own was the method of teaching she favored the most. But this method had been too bold and explicit. She didn¡¯t know why Chi-Hyun had to go this far considering his personality. ¡°This was what you planned to do from the beginning.¡± She was played by Chi-Hyun because he knew people too well. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t go this far, I would¡¯ve taught him this one day!¡± ¡°Master, you would¡¯ve taught him at the time you wanted and in the direction you wanted.¡± Chi-Hyun picked himself up. He smiled blandly and asked, ¡°But is there really a need to wait for that? You are the one who said we had no time.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s applicable to this situation?!¡± Byeok shouted. Though she sounded very angry, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t heed it. ¡°I think my heart is a little bit more at ease now. He¡¯s now at a level where he can escape without dying pretty much in any situation.¡± ¡°You damn bastard¡­You know why I¡¯m so angry, but that¡¯s all you have to say?¡± Byeok gritted her teeth, but Chi-Hyun looked a bit bitter. ¡°¡­I know what you¡¯re worried about, master.¡± Chi-Hyun bowed. ¡°I apologize for acting on my own and going too far.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± Though Chi-Hyun apologized sincerely, Byeok cut him off. ¡°Leave. Don¡¯t think about showing up in front of me for a while.¡± Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. At her icy command, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t protest anymore. He glanced at his brother once. Chi-Woo looked like he was tasting infinite freedom, and then Chi-Hyun disappeared. Byeok glared at the spot where Chi-Hyun used to stand and looked conflicted when her gaze shifted to Chi-Woo. The fact that there was one more ability on Chi-Woo¡¯s user information meant one thing: as a hero, he could raise the ranks of that ability. Although there was, of course, a balance system, he could raise an ability to its peak with the growth system. In other words, depending on the ability, he could even do the unbelievable. As mentioned before, there were two types of Celestial heroes. There were the traditional heroes who underwent considerable hardships and training to reach higher ground. Then there were the modern heroes recruited by the Celestial Realm and given the growth system to become stronger. Byeok didn¡¯t favor one type of hero above the other, nor did she care for their differences. It was because she knew the real deal would naturally set themselves apart. Very rarely, there were people like that. Geniuses who worked hard and knew how to utilize the cheat-like tool known as the growth system. And thus, they reached incredible heights through adept use of the system, and Chi-Hyun was an example of such an unbelievable result. As someone who cultivated heroes, Byeok wasn¡¯t pleased with these happenings. It was because the more such cases emerged, the more risks there were. For instance, what would happen if Chi-Hyun suddenly decided to raise havoc on Liber and go against the Celestial Realm? It was truly terrifying. There had been instances in the past where similar things happened. Byeok recalled one past memory and bit her bottom lip hard. Yet there was nothing she could do. What was done was done. ¡°¡­¡± In the end, she could only stare at Chi-Woo with mixed feelings. CH 267 The notification sounds that kept ringing in his ears finally stopped. Three abilities were combined into one and reborn as a new sensory ability. Although this process was completed, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t move for a long time. He was completely enamored with adjusting to the seemingly changed environment. Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. These were the five senses that humans used to perceive the world around them. His five senses had not changed dramatically. However, the amount, quality, and scope of information he received from his senses had increased significantly, and at a deeper and wider level. His whole surroundings seemed brighter as if he could see through it instantly; it felt like he could grasp his senses in one hand, and for a brief moment, Chi-Woo felt like a god. On the other hand, he became curious. This ability had suddenly gotten registered in his user information. ¡®How strong¡­am I now?¡¯ ¡°Congratulations.¡± Byeok¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts. ¡°In the end, you obtained a strong power for yourself.¡± If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, she didn¡¯t sound pleased. ¡°So, how does it feel to have a power beyond your means? Do you feel like you¡¯re going to fly?¡± Chi-Woo quietly looked down at his hand. He had also been thinking that compared to the past, he had changed 180 degrees, and his level of sensory perception might have changed too dramatically. It felt like entering a new world, and the first thing he felt after experiencing this world was, ¡°It¡¯s a little¡­scary¡­¡± Byeok lifted one eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to use this power well¡­¡± After hearing Chi-Woo speak in a slightly hoarse voice, Byeok¡¯s angry expression subsided a little. Two extremes were two sides of the same coin. It was a problem to have too little confidence, but having too much was also a problem. In a way, power was like a drug. There were many cases when a lucky person who won the lottery failed to control themselves and ended up in ruins. Byeok also saw many heroes become corrupt after gaining great power, and as her disciple, she was more worried about Chi-Woo than others. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s reply just now reassured her a little. Having a thought like that meant that he was less likely to be corrupted. Of course, it was only in the present, and no one knew what the future may hold. Byeok said, ¡°¡­It must have appeared in your user information.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then make a promise with me,¡± Byeok softly continued. ¡°To not recklessly improve that ability by only pursuing strength.¡± It was similar to the condition that he shouldn¡¯t release his sealed abilities whenever he wanted. ¡°Yes, I promise.¡± ¡°Really?¡± When Chi-Woo easily agreed, Byeok asked for confirmation suspiciously. ¡°I was actually thinking about doing that already.¡± Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t lying. He was still struggling to adjust to the sea of information coming from his sensory organs, so he couldn¡¯t even imagine what would happen if he raised its rank. He might consider it after fully preparing himself and getting stronger, but at his current level, he didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. Rather than just relying on the growth system, he needed to be able to utilize it. ¡°¡­Geez. Your attitude makes me wonder if you two really are brothers. I¡¯m sure you came from the same womb, but how can you two be so different¡­¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Anyway, that¡¯s good.¡± Byeok thought Chi-Woo didn¡¯t seem to be lying, and the worry on her face disappeared. Moreover, since the situation turned out like this, she decided to think positively. After entering Liber as part of the ninth recruits, she had endlessly devoured information about Liber¡¯s situation and Chi-Woo. After reading all the reports, Byeok reached a conclusion that Liber¡¯s salvation needed to be centered around Chi-Woo, not Chi-Hyun. No matter how many times she thought about it, she came to the same conclusion. The reason why Byeok was so certain of this was because of the World¡¯s will. Liber¡¯s World chose Chi-Woo over Chi-Hyun, and the fact that Chi-Woo had the seven-sided die was evidence of that. Therefore, Chi-Woo needed to carry out the World¡¯s will. ¡°Then let¡¯s stop training.¡± Chi-Woo quickly lifted his head. This was the end of training? Was he perhaps graduating? ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken. I¡¯m only talking about the internal training.¡± ¡®What did she mean?¡¯ When Chi-Woo tilted her head, Byeok smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the details tomorrow. I think I also need to organize my thoughts. You should rest well for today.¡± * * * The next day arrived. After lunch, Byeok and Chi-Woo convened in a room rather than the yard. They sat face to face, and Byeok got right down to business. ¡°What do you think power is?¡± It was a profound question. He could answer it philosophically, but Chi-Woo decided to not think too hard about it. A simple and clear answer might be closer to the truth. ¡°I think it¡¯s a measure of how strong someone or something is.¡± ¡°Yeah. So what are the factors that determine how strong you are?¡± ¡°Uh¡­well, first of all, there¡¯s the user information.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­one¡¯s natural ability independent of the growth system?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Chi-Woo closed his mouth for a moment. Since she kept asking him more questions, he thought that he should think more deeply about his answer. Noting that Chi-Woo didn¡¯t seem to have a clue, Byeok decided to give him a hint. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try thinking about external factors excluding yourself?¡± Only then did Chi-Woo let out a small exclamation. ¡°Your comrade.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the answer.¡± Byeok nodded. ¡°A reliable comrade or a group of reliable comrades. Factors that count as strength are not limited to yourself.¡± Byeok was correct; words such as alumni, regionalism, and blood ties existed for a reason. Byeok asked, ¡°Why do you think I brought this topic up to you?¡± ¡°So that I¡¯ll gather more reliable comrades?¡± ¡°Then I would have simply told you to do so.¡± Chi-Woo blinked when Byeok closely considered him. After a short pause, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll put it bluntly. This is my guess, but I don¡¯t think Liber¡¯s World is gone.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. The disappearance of Liber¡¯s World was confirmed by the Celestial Realm, but Byeok was saying the opposite. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to know whether Liber¡¯s World disappeared or has been hiding quietly. But one thing is clear.¡± Byeok continued, ¡°There¡¯s a hero here who has inherited the will of the World.¡± ¡°Who¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s in front of me right now.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Think about it carefully.¡± Byeok paid no heed to his reaction and continued, ¡°The World¡¯s Milestone and how you got that die.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth slightly widened. Frankly, he had been curious ever since he came to Liber why he got transported to an unknown space and received a die before his arrival. But as Byeok said, if the girl surrounded by white light was really Liber¡¯s World, everything made sense. ¡°You don¡¯t look that surprised,¡± Byeok continued as she stared at Chi-Woo, who was lost in thought. ¡°I¡¯m sure you felt it too. Why are events always happening with you in the center?¡± That was the last nail in the coffin. This had been true for the Zepar expedition and the rescue mission for the eighth recruits. There were many other notable events as well. As soon as one event was over, another happened around him. Moreover, most of those events were connected. ¡°Since you inherited the will of the World, you have to act as the center. Even if it might not be true for now, you have to do so in the near future. This means that you need to build a force centered around you.¡± In other words, Chi-Woo needed to create an army solely for himself ¡°This is the path that a hero chosen by the World needs to walk.¡± Chi-Woo became speechless; the revelation was too much for him to take in all at once. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me no or deny it.¡± Byeok seemed to have noticed Chi-Woo¡¯s hesitation. ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, there is no reason why you have that special privilege.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes inadvertently. He admitted that Byeok was right. It wasn¡¯t just his die; there was his special privilege: 7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent. He now knew why out of hundreds of people, he was the only one who went into a mysterious library and received a special privilege. In short, he was presented with the direction to Liber¡¯s salvation with a condition¡ªto save Liber with the die and special privilege. If this was the World¡¯s wish, it made sense why he was given these special perks. Therefore, Chi-Woo could not act as a side-kick or bystander; as Byeok said, even if he didn¡¯t like it, he needed to play a central role in key events to save Liber. The more he thought about it, the heavier his shoulders felt. ¡°Will I¡­¡± Chi-Woo wiped his face with a hand. ¡°Will I be able to do it¡­¡± This was completely different from when he was training; training by himself was a far cry from standing at the peak of an enormous force. ¡°It may be easier than you think.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You have a stronger and firmer background than anyone else.¡± Chi-Woo grasped what Byeok was trying to say; she was telling him to reveal his last name to everyone. ¡®Certainly¡­¡¯ His situation had changed a lot from before. There were a few people who knew who he was. His companions as well as all the Celestial Lights knew his true identity. Considering this, his secret was still unexpectedly well maintained. This was because the people around him were keeping their mouth shut for him, and Ru Amuh was keeping a good eye on Ru Hiana. However, this was viable to change. Moreover, the Celestial Lights were keeping his secret because they judged that revealing the truth would only benefit the Choi family. But what would happen if Chi-Woo revealed that he was part of the Choi family and the legend¡¯s blood relative? Things might get easier than he might think since revealing his last name alone would draw attention beyond his imagination. The path that he had walked so far would be re-examined with a completely different perspective. ¡°No.¡± However, Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that yet.¡± ¡°Not yet, you say¡­¡± Byeok tapped the pipe in her hand. ¡°Can I ask you why?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going to do this, I do think it might be better to just reveal it.¡± Then Chi-Woo added, ¡°¡ªif I had lived like my older brother.¡± In other words, if he had been raised as a hero since young like Chi-Hyun. However, Chi-Woo grew up not knowing anything. ¡°I¡¯m definitely part of the Choi family, and I¡¯ve directly seen and heard what the Celestial Realm¡¯s heroes think of the Choi family.¡± He heard from both heroes who liked and disliked the Choi family. They had one thing in common. Regardless of their personal feelings, they all first showed their respect. Even the prideful Celestial Lights failed to act haughtily facing Chi-Hyun¡¯s command. ¡°I¡­¡± Considering all this, Chi-Woo voiced his thoughts, ¡°I think I¡¯m still a long way from meeting that expectation. Byeok looked at Chi-Woo with a strange expression. ¡°Then are you planning to keep it a secret forever?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head again. ¡°I will reveal it eventually, but only when I need to.¡± Byeok slightly tilted her chin. She would actually be the first to stop him if Chi-Woo said he was going to use the Choi family¡¯s name. It was because while there were great advantages to that path, there were clear disadvantages as well. Although it might be the easy way that showed results immediately, it would be hard for him to reach his goal in the end. The reason for this was because Chi-Hyun wouldn¡¯t stay still. Chi-Hyun put his brother¡¯s safety before Liber¡¯s salvation. If Chi-Woo revealed his last name to everyone, Chi-Hyun would immediately come forward and support him publicly. He would acknowledge that Chi-Woo was his younger brother, and he would generously support him under the pretext of family. No one would insult him for this; rather, they would think this was only natural since the Choi family possessed that much power. Therein lay the problem, however; Chi-Woo¡¯s image would be greatly influenced by Chi-Hyun as a result. For example, people might say he was not better than his older brother, or that his older brother had his back. Later, no matter what great achievement Chi-Woo might make, the praise and credit would go to his family instead. In other words, he could get close to the center, but it would be difficult for him to become the center. However, Byeok¡¯s concerns were nothing more than a false alarm. She fully understood Chi-Woo¡¯s will; he had no intention to rely on the power of his family, but he still wanted to thoroughly use it depending on the situation. If necessary, he would no longer hesitate to reveal his last name. In Byeok¡¯s perspective, this was the perfect answer. Moreover, this was a helpful way of thinking for not just this situation, but everything, especially for his personal growth. Still, the fact that this was a difficult path remained unchanged. ¡°I respect and admire your will, but it won¡¯t be easy. Be prepared.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s most likely the case¡­¡± Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t a fool either; he knew what it meant to play a central role. Who was the backbone of humanity now? If he asked anyone, they would all answer Chi-Hyun 100 percent of the time. Therefore, Byeok¡¯s words also meant that he should be prepared to push out Chi-Hyun. Besides the fact that Chi-Hyun was his blood-related brother, Chi-Woo had to supersede Chi-Hyun and the overwhelming and astounding reputation he¡¯d built for decades, which led to him being called the legend. It was a truly formidable task, and in a way, it might be easier for Chi-Woo to get stronger physically than his brother than accomplish this feat. ¡°I understand what you mean¡­but I have no idea what I should do first¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s already been decided.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised? Even a thousand miles starts with one step forward.¡± ¡°Oh, are you perhaps talking about my tier? If that¡¯s the case¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s that, but isn¡¯t there something much more important than that?¡± There was something more urgent than raising his tier? When Chi-Woo stared at her blankly, Byeok sighed and said, ¡°Your name.¡± Chi-Woo flinched. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°What kind of name is Chichibbong anyway? I doubted my eyes when I read it.¡± Chi-Woo was even more flustered when Byeok said it with a tone of rebuke. ¡°How did you...¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you ashamed every time you said it? What kind of poor naming sense do you have?¡± ¡°Please wait a minute, master. About that¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± When Chi-Woo tried to make excuses, Byeok said bluntly, ¡°Besides your last name, you should make sure you reveal your name properly in the future. As much as what is on the inside, it¡¯s important to consider how you present yourself as well.¡± Byeok began to scold him, saying he shouldn¡¯t dream of gaining awe and respect under such a ridiculous name. On second thought, no matter what great achievements a hero made, if their name was something like ¡®Bumblebee Cabbagepatch¡¯, Chi-Woo¡¯s first reaction might be to laugh. ¡°Yes¡­I got it¡­¡± In the end, Chi-Woo answered with his head down while making a firm resolve to live confidently as Chi-Woo rather than Chichibbong. CH 268 His conversation with Byeok gave Chi-Woo a lot to think about, especially what he was going to do from now on. Being strong didn¡¯t only involve physical strength. He also needed to consider others besides himself. There were plenty of people who were working for the same goal and purpose as him, and he needed to work with them. Though training independently was good, he needed to find companions and build connections before it was too late. And to do this, Chi-Woo needed to raise his tier first. Chi-Woo already threw away his plan to save up his merits and use it all for later. After seeing that his physical ranks didn¡¯t go up even after training so hard, Chi-Woo realized how inefficient and wasteful he had been with his time. Furthermore, he could no longer ignore the perks of having abilities in his user information. Tiers not only expressed how strong an ability or person was, but they were also equated to influence in the hero world. Besides Ru Amuh, Chi-Woo needed to gather six more people for his group. He would probably have a hard time gaining the trust of other people by maintaining the lowest tier of Iron IV. Byeok agreed and said that he should reach at least gold tier to increase his influence. Chi-Woo was confident in terms of raising his tier since the number of merits he¡¯d collected so far was enormous, and he had several exemptions for promotion tests. He decided to go to La Bella to raise his tier right away, but Byeok stopped him. She said that would make things too boring and proceeded to say that while she acknowledged his exemptions for promotion tests, he shouldn¡¯t touch his merits yet, and should instead try to amass new ones. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? Your training isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback to hear this. It wasn¡¯t easy to increase a tier. Though he earned a great number of merits thanks to the recent war, the number of heroes at gold tier was still very small. Chi-Woo worried about how long it would take him to reach that tier going forward, but Byeok simply responded with a carefree smile. ¡°Try it first and complain later,¡± Byeok said and even got a request for him to fulfill. No, anyone would be hard-pressed to call it a request since it wasn¡¯t a personal one, nor one officially advertised by the guild association, but an inquiry for help for the natives. Instead of an official request, it was basically just an extra workload. Nevertheless, the request was as followed: like how heroes had to make monthly payments, natives also had work quotas to meet every month. For example, farmers needed to pay a specific amount of crops during harvest time. And recently, a new work opportunity came up for the natives: it was to cultivate the land outside the city. Since Shalyh was densely populated, residents were turning to lands outside the city. This became possible since they were able to ensure more safety after the war. And thus, the Cassiubia League asked the humans to turn the areas in the city¡¯s vicinity into usable lands. The natives understood that it was difficult to get more help in the city, and that they needed to do the work on their own. However, the work was tough and difficult. They had quotas to meet and a considerable size of land to cultivate, which made them worry about all sorts of things. ¡°Go and help them to the best of your abilities,¡± Byeok told him. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why Byeok would hand him a task like this, but he followed the order since it came from his master. He staggered to the area and picked up a shovel. And while he did this, many people stared and whispered around him. Chi-Woo felt a bit embarrassed, but he didn¡¯t concern himself with their attention. After the time he spent with Byeok, he now trusted his master. Doing what she told him to do was what allowed him to become one with his surroundings; Chi-Woo supposed that Byeok must have her reason for ordering him to do this. Thinking this, Chi-Woo dug into the ground. He felt the rough and heavy soil through his shovel, but it wasn¡¯t hard to dig through it. But then Chi-Woo wondered, ¡®What is the best way to dig this soil¡­?¡¯ And he looked intently at his shovel. First of all, he shouldn¡¯t use his exorcism mana and only his physical abilities. Furthermore, he should figure out more efficient ways to do the same work rather than working mindlessly. Thus, Chi-Woo dug at the ground again with the new skills he learned; then the ground began to break apart like soft soil. He didn¡¯t even need to exert much energy. Yes. Rather than overcomplicating things, it was best to think simply. Chi-Woo smiled and lost himself in his work. Some time afterward. ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The natives who had been glancing at Chi-Woo furtively murmured. It was because Chi-Woo was beginning to bulldoze through the field in a straight line while digging through the ground. There was no pause in his movements, and he moved like fish in water. All the natives stopped to stare at Chi-Woo. ¡°Ha!¡± It was then an old man exclaimed. The other natives bowed and backed away when they saw the old man. He had been in charge of managing the land cultivation and was acknowledged by the natives and even the Cassiubia League as a legendary farmer. But even such a man couldn¡¯t hide his astonishment when seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s work. The ditches were just the right width and depth, and as if they were copied and pasted from each other, they were all identical to one another. ¡°Ha¡­how could he move like that¡­?¡± Chi-Woo looked as if he was one with the soil. Seeing that, a feeling that the old man had forgotten for a long time began to stir inside him again. The old man wasn¡¯t a hero. He was nothing more than a country farmer who lived all his life tending the soil. Thus, he was more knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with the ground than anyone else. He was the expert among the experts who had lived as part of the earth all his life. Thus, unable to tamp down his competitive spirit, the old man shouted with great vigor. ¡°Bring me my shovel this instant!¡± ¡°B-But sir?¡± ¡°Quit fussing! How can I stay put when seeing moves like that!¡± The old man yelled and began to dig the ground next to Chi-Woo. Though the old man quickly caught up to Chi-Woo, he couldn¡¯t hide his shock. He had honed his skills and techniques through many decades, yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t fall behind in any aspect compared to him. The first day ended in a tie. Though Chi-Woo had his abilities, the old man¡¯s farming skills, refined over the years, were also formidable. The problem was his stamina. The old man was able to endure through pure grit and passion in the first three days, but after four days, he started to feel the limit of his strength. The winner was decided on the fifth day, and the old man crumbled in the end. ¡°Kuh!¡± ¡°Are you all right, sir!?¡± ¡°Kuhhhh! If only I were 10 years younger¡­ Time is so cruel¡­!¡± As the natives carried him away, the old man lamented why the heavens had birthed him in the first place and created a man like the one currently digging the soil. There was a small commotion, but Chi-Woo was already far from the scene by then. ¡®It¡¯s helping me train better than I expected,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Though he was repeating simple movements, the task was surprisingly hard to carry out. First of all, maintaining oneness with his surroundings consumed a huge amount of his concentration and skills. And continuing that for several days was even more of a strain. Chi-Woo wiped the sweat from his face and clutched his shovel again. ¡®More¡­!¡¯ ¡®A bit more¡­!¡¯ Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®More, more, more!¡¯ And progress usually came unexpectedly. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s durability increases from rank C -> B] Chi-Woo stopped moving. He stared at the message hovering in the air. He had felt that he was at the edge of rank C for his physical ability, but since it didn¡¯t increase in rank no matter how much he tried, Chi-Woo simply thought it wasn¡¯t an easy task to surpass human limits. Nevertheless, it turned out none of his efforts was a waste of time. After everything he had done, he finally succeeded in surpassing the critical point, rank C. All his hard work was finally coming to light now, and Chi-Woo was glad that he trained without missing a day. Still, he didn¡¯t expect the change to suddenly come like this. ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo felt astonished. He had surpassed rank C, which was one that ordinary humans barely managed to reach after training all their lives. It seemed he¡¯d accomplished what should¡¯ve taken him decades. Furthermore, Chi-Woo was especially happy that he was able to save extra merits that he would¡¯ve needed to raise his physical abilities. ¡®But it¡¯s not over yet!¡¯ Only his durability had gone up to rank B. He couldn¡¯t be satisfied with that. With that thought, Chi-Woo raised his arm as he clutched the shovel. *** Shalyh was a city that both humans and the Cassiubia League managed together. Chi-Hyun was in charge of administrative matters in the official residence, but the Cassiubia League also had jurisdiction over this area. And recently, there was something the Cassiubia League was stunned about. After the Demon Empire backed away, they were able to expand their territories and progressed with a plan to cultivate the lands there. Since it was quite a large project, they set the deadline to give it a long period. Yet the speed at which this project progressed was insane¡ªthere was no other way to describe it. The administrators received reports every day and thought the reports were lying considering the number of people they assigned to the project. Unable to believe the numbers, the Cassiubia League administrators checked the site themselves and were shocked to see a vast field of cultivated land with Chi-Woo in the center. Not only were they shocked that a hero was working alongside the natives, but they were also able to confirm the truth of the reports and were impressed by Chi-Woo¡¯s work. Valuing his ability to work highly, the Cassiubia League administrators asked Chi-Woo if he had any desire to do a new line of work. The speed and quality of his work were so outstanding that they wanted to make more job offers for him. Chi-Woo had no reason to turn them down given the good payments the Cassiubia League promised him out of consideration of him being a hero. That day, Chi-Woo went to the construction site of a gateway connecting Shalyh city to a crossroad. The same thing that happened in the field occurred there. ¡°W-What? They already ran out of materials?¡± Mangil, the buhguhbu craftsman, felt like he was going crazy from the workload these days. Since his tribe was called the blacksmiths of the Cassiubia League, he also did work such as providing materials for buildings and construction sites. Several days ago, he had been getting constant requests that they were out of materials and needed more. Just today, he got five requests for more materials. What was this change all of a sudden? He was making the same amount of materials as usual, and he knew the number of people working at the construction site was the same as before. Mangil couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. ¡°It¡¯s only yesterday that I replenished the materials. You bastards, are you secretly taking the materials and selling them somewhere?¡± Mangil finally burst out in annoyance after the constant pressure to meet demand and decided to check out the scene for himself. ¡°¡­¡± Then he became at a loss for words when he saw some crazy bastard carry a dozen of boulder-sized bricks in each hand and hop around like a cricket. ¡°This is¡­mad¡­¡± The bricks in Chi-Woo¡¯s hands didn¡¯t shake in the slightest even when he moved around wildly. It didn¡¯t seem to make sense. Thus, when Mangil returned to his workshop, he gathered everyone there and shouted, ¡°What are you guys all doing!¡± Buhguhbus were both warriors and blacksmiths, and they also had very strong pride as craftsmen. Failing to meet demands was something that hurt their pride. ¡°Are you all going to lose to these bastards? Quickly move!!¡± Mangil rolled up his sleeves and heaved. He would see this competition to the end. And like that, the workshop began to light up with passion and fury. Of course, the person who had caused all this, Chi-Woo, had no idea what was going on. He simply smiled at the new message that popped up in front of him. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s stamina increases from rank C -> B] *** Not long after that, Chi-Woo became jobless. He was chased away from the construction site he was working at. Chi-Woo thought he worked quite hard and had no clue about the cause of his unemployment. Even when he went to the administrators, he simply got a vague response like, ¡®A crow-tit tried to walk like a stork and broke his legs. Because of that, the supply side got cut off, and the construction time ended up prolonged.¡¯ Chi-Woo got a hefty sum that surpassed the amount they promised him as severance pay, and for some reason, the Cassiubia League begged him to not provoke the buhguhbus any more than this. Thus, Chi-Woo quietly backed away. ¡®What should I do now¡­?¡¯ he wondered when a group of heroes approached him. ¡°Are you the hero named Chi-Woo?¡± Chi-Woo asked how they knew him, and they replied that they heard the rumors. The name Chi-Woo was circulating around the Cassiubia League, so it naturally reached the heroes who were sensitive to information. Most of the heroes paid no more attention outside of wondering why in the world a hero would be farming, but there were others who were more curious. A hero who revealed his name to be Piripara told Chi-Woo his purpose for coming to see him. ¡°We are planning to patrol the borders around the Demon Empire.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo was surprised. ¡°The Demon Empire¡¯s borders?¡± ¡°Yes. Though the Demon Empire backed away, nobody knows what¡¯s happening there. So, we¡¯re going to survey their movements, and if there¡¯s anything off going on, we are going to deal with it.¡± ¡°You would have to go pretty deep into the area in that case. You must know the Demon Empire retreated quite far away after the war.¡± ¡°¡­Of course. But it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Piripara responded with a bitter smile. ¡°But aren¡¯t you in the same situation as us? It sounds like you also have good abilities. Rather than earning little bits of merits at a time doing menial work, it would be better for you to work with us.¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized the heroes¡¯ situation. Though most heroes rose a rank after the war, not everyone¡¯s situation had changed dramatically. Almost everyone ranking up meant the standards were raised altogether. Thus, while heroes at bronze tier were treated fairly well before the mass migration to Shalyh city, they now lagged behind in the competition. And this difference was increasing over time since humanity¡¯s progress was centered around the Celestial Lights, who came to Liber after receiving backups from their families. And requests that gave the best rewards such as merits and money were being given to them as priorities. Thus, many people aimed to join the Celestial Lights, and those who did were given good opportunities to grow, while those who weren¡¯t chosen were doomed to fall behind just like the heroes in front of Chi-Woo. Knowing that they had to do something, such heroes were struggling to go up. They even accepted missions that didn¡¯t guarantee money or merits and risked great dangers. And realizing the situation they were in, Chi-Woo accepted their request without much contemplation. The greatest thing Chi-Woo gained from Byeok¡¯s teachings was to think for himself, and Chi-Woo knew he was different from these heroes. Although these heroes had to risk their lives for this mission, that wasn¡¯t the case for him. Even if a great demon appeared, he would be fine. His master said it was fine to lift the seals on his user information if his life was in danger. Furthermore, Chi-Woo was confident that he could easily defeat dozens of demonic creatures or an army of demons with one hand even in his current state. Yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t do that. He knew fighting demonic creatures wouldn¡¯t help him much, while the heroes with him were very desperate for merits. Thus, when they happened to run into any wandering enemy, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t step forward to defeat them, but watched the situation from afar. Like when his teacher manipulated his environment whenever she taught him, Chi-Woo also ran around and swayed the battle so the heroes wouldn¡¯t fall into serious danger. Thanks to that, the heroes were able to focus on the battle without losing their lives. And as such incidents repeated, progress naturally followed. ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, I am able to try for silver tier.¡± Now there were heroes who were given promotion tests, contracts with a god, succeeded in rising in tier, and so on. Each one of them jumped up and down in joy and expressed deep gratitude to Chi-Woo. Then, they said they would look for an activity more fitting of their current tiers and left the group. Some insulted them for being opportunistic, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t blame them. He thought it was only natural and actually good for them to act in this manner. Besides, there were many heroes who fell behind the rest, and it was easy for Chi-Woo to find them and fill up the team. As rumors of his deed spread, there were many who came to seek him. Chi-Woo worked restlessly to help these heroes grow. And the heroes were no fools. Whether they were traditional or modern heroes, they were all given the title ¡®hero¡¯ in the end. They possessed skills and experience more outstanding than Chi-Woo expected, and they quickly caught on that Chi-Woo was doing his best to help them when he had no reason to. Thus, eventually, Chi-Woo gained a nickname; all the heroes Chi-Woo had helped began to feel beyond goodwill but plain admiration for Chi-Woo. Of course, there was the fact that they were saved thanks to him, but Chi-Woo also had an earnest, polite personality. Even when he was on the side granting them a favor, he didn¡¯t exploit their weaknesses, never strayed away from hard work, and led by example. Above all, Chi-Woo respected them as a fellow hero. As Chi-Woo treated them with kindness and respect, others did the same for him. And soon, among the heroes who fell behind, Chi-Woo began to be called the ¡®godfather¡¯. Time passed, and Chi-Woo¡¯s name began to spread from the natives to the Cassiubia League, and finally to the humans. *** Rumors spread inside Shalyh city like wildfire. It was about a hero who used to be in the lowest tier Iron IV, but in just two weeks, he managed to reach silver tier. Those who heard the rumors had a hard time believing it. Even if this was the truth, most said that the hero must¡¯ve saved up a considerable amount of merits beforehand; the speed at which he rose in tiers was way too great. Even Ru Amuh, who was called the Hope among ordinary heroes, wasn¡¯t at such a level. And heroes who succeeded in establishing their factions quickly moved to confirm these rumors. They thought it couldn¡¯t be, but the news would be huge if true. This hero was possibly a bigger star that surpassed Ru Amuh, and they planned to recruit him at all costs. And the center of these rumors, Chi-Woo, currently had one knee on the ground with his head lowered. ¡ªI declare in the name of La Bella. A smooth voice rang in the white space. ¡ªI acknowledge user Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s passing of his promotion test and expect him to perform according to his current tier, gold. CH 269 Chi-Woo was promoted to gold tier. Of course, he didn¡¯t have to take a promotion test for each tier. Instead, he used some of the exemptions he¡¯d saved so far. Even considering that, Chi-Woo¡¯s promotion speed was unprecedented. In fact, he hadn¡¯t ever dreamed that he would be able to move up so fast. It seemed that rescuing the heroes had earned him an unexpectedly great amount of merits. Regardless of what happened, Chi-Woo finally reached the gold tier he had been dreaming of. ¡ªIn honor of your merit, I will give you two blessings in the name of La Bella. It was now time for Chi-Woo to receive compensation. ¡ªWhich physical attribute do you want my blessing for? ¡°Exorcism please.¡± ¡ªDo you want a new blessing? Or do you want to strengthen a blessing you previously received? She was asking him whether he wanted to bloom new class skills or raise the rank of his existing skills. Chi-Woo pondered for a while and said, ¡°I wish for a new blessing.¡± La Bella stretched out her arm. Her fair hand became even brighter as it glowed. Chi-Woo felt a soft touch on the top of his head and at the same time, felt a mysterious force in his body. * * * When Chi-Woo opened his eyes, he was back to the normal world. Chi-Woo got up from his seat, turned on the device, and called up his user information. 1. Name & Rank: Choi Chi-Woo (EX) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 23 3. Height & Weight: 180.5 & 73.5kg 4. Denomination: ¡®The Goddess of Scales¡¯ and ¡®Guardian of Balance¡¯, La Bella 5. Tier: Gold IV 6.Class: Exorcist ¡ú Monk ¡ú Advanced Exorcist ¡ú High-ranking Exorcist 7. Heavenly Title: Three Lines 8. Disposition: Neutral [Strength B] [Durability B] [Agility B] [Stamina B] [Mental Fortitude B] [Exorcism B] 1. [Martial Arts A+] ¨C the fundamental principle of martial arts. Although streams of water flow in different ways, they all end up in the same place. A type of combat philosophy that only those who learned the way of one can pursue. If the user builds up overall experience and knowledge, he can perform martial arts at a master¡¯s level. However, this does not apply to a different category of moves with fundamentally different roots. 2. [Intuition A+] ¨C ability to understand something immediately. The user immediately accepts the phenomenon without need for sensory input, experiences, and reasoning. If the attack is not within a certain level, it cannot escape the user¡¯s perception. Although it has been fully absorbed as part of the user with the unity ability, it has been upgraded and will be maintained as an innate ability due to the synesthesia ability. 3. [Purification Breathing C] 1. [Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Original Exorcism Prayer C] ¨C a prayer to expel evil beings. Originally, it is a ritual that is carried out based on devout faith, but with the power of La Bella, the user can freely use it. This is a new kind of prayer that only Choi Chi-Woo can perform and use. All scriptures and prayers recited by the user were imbued with exorcism mana. 2. [La Bella¡¯s Bible C] ¨C the bible of La Bella, the Liber goddess of balance. An ability to summon her bible, which is linked to all class abilities. Rather than increasing its original effect, it changes it. When this ability is activated, it converts one¡¯s disposition to True Neutral at least temporarily. 3. [La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary D] ¨C it summons the sanctuary of La Bella, the Liber goddess of balance. The resistance capability of the sanctuary is based on exorcism mana, and all powers exerted by the user receive a boost. 1. [??????te ?????lity EX] 2. [Unity A+] - Everything goes round and round and round into one. All flow becomes one. Even if there are different types, if the roots are the same, it will bind into one form. Once the reason for everything has been realized, there is no need to make distinctions. Even if the user meets someone at the same level, if the opponent¡¯s class types are limited, the user will have an upper hand. 3. [Golden Ratio S] 1. [Release I ¨C II] After reading his user information, Chi-Woo smiled proudly. ¡®It changed a lot.¡¯ Before, all his attributes had been rank C outside of his mental fortitude, which had increased from rank C to rank B after he continuously died during his training. His durability and stamina also rose to rank B through training. He rose from iron to bronze to silver to gold. After raising his tier a total of three times, his strength, agility, and exorcism all improved by one rank. But the most significant achievement was his new innate ability¡ªunity. It combined several existing abilities and evolved into one stronger ability. Moreover, he gained three class abilities from La Bella. After reading each of them one by one, it turned out they were all useful abilities he had never imagined having. If he knew he would be able to grow so much, he would have raised his tier much earlier. Then he might not have to work so desperately and could have survived more comfortably. ¡°Hehe¡­hehehehehehe¡­.¡± Whenever he looked at his user information, laughter came out. He couldn¡¯t believe that his physical abilities were now plastered with Bs even though his core of balance was sealed. He realized again the power of the golden ratio, which had risen to S-rank. ¡ªIs it done? Did you get it done? Philip hurriedly asked. ¡°Come on, do you think it¡¯s easy to get to gold tier?¡± ¡ªThen why is your face like that? Stop making me wait in anticipation and just quickly tell me! Is it gold now? ¡°I mean, well. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect anything, but she just handed me the gold tier.¡± ¡ªReally? ¡°Yes, I was so shocked!¡± ¡ªWowwwww! Philip made a huge fuss. ¡°Geez, why are you so happy, Mr. Philip?¡± ¡ªHey, you¡¯re making me upset. Who¡¯s the ghost that¡¯s always been by your side? It¡¯s me! ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Chi-Woo swiped his nose and tried to look dignified. ¡ªAh, you should just look happy too. Express how you feel. You¡¯re actually really happy, right? After Philip said he should fully express his happiness at times like this, Chi-Woo nodded whole-heartedly. Then he smiled brightly and raised his arms before shouting, ¡°Yeahhhhh!¡± ¡®I¡¯m gold tier! Gold tier!¡¯ He cheered and enjoyed his happiness to the fullest. He was overjoyed since he thought it would take him a while. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be this easy! Is it okay for me to have it so easy like this?¡± Philip smiled at Chi-Woo, who was expressing pure joy like a child. ¡®Have it so easy?¡¯¡ªthere was nothing further from the truth. Although it¡¯d only been a few months, the time flow that Chi-Woo actually experienced was well over a few years. The blood and sweat that he had shed so far nourished his rapid growth and allowed him to get to where he was. Philip was proud of Chi-Woo the more he thought about it, and watching Chi-Woo made him excited too. As the saying went, joy doubled when you shared it. ¡ªYesssssss! Philip soon joined in. The two clapped and folded their arms and spun around. Then they even did random dances of no distinguishable style. It was then¡ª ¡°Kyaaak!¡± They heard a piercing scream. At first, Chi-Woo thought that he and Philip had screamed, but that wasn¡¯t the case. A woman with her hair down ran out to the yard with her arms open like a soccer player who just scored the winning goal. Shockingly, it was Eshnunna. ¡°Kyah! Kyahhh! Kiyaaaaack!¡± She screamed and hopped around like a rabbit. By the time Chi-Woo and Philip were so shocked that they stopped dancing, Eshnunna also joined them after running all over the place like a crazy woman. Her long hair was soaking wet. Her face was pale, and her lips were blue. And for some reason, her entire body was radiating a cold chill. Moreover, there were melted ice cubes on her, but that wasn¡¯t the important part. ¡°It was ice!¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Chi-Woo, who didn¡¯t know what to do, was shocked that Eshunna suddenly grabbed his arms tightly. ¡°Ice! It was ice! Fuck it! Finally! Kyahhhh!¡± She shook Chi-Woo and then raised both arms in excitement. They danced together in uncontrollable joy. She even showed off a belly dance by twisting her waist. She seemed extremely happy; it was all good. All very good, but the problem was¡­ ¨CLook away. Just as Chi-Woo was about to glance down instinctively, Philip said in a stern voice. Chi-Woo hurriedly averted his eyes. As soon as he turned around, he saw Evelyn come out a few minutes later. Evelyn smiled wryly and sighed when she saw Eshnunna doing cartwheels. Then she hesitated and opened her mouth, ¡°Uh¡­Eshnunna? I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy but¡­um¡­child! Stop!¡± Eshnunna, who began a techno dance, paused and turned to Evelyn. Evelyn couldn¡¯t even bear to say it out loud and just mouthed the words, ¡®Clothes, clothes!¡¯ and pointed at her with her index finger. Eshnunna lowered her head and soon after, she froze like ice. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration; ice was really coming out all over her body. She was in her completely natural form without a shred of clothes on. After a moment of silence, Eshunna quickly looked up and stared at the back of Chi-Woo¡¯s head, who was looking at a distant mountain that didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Ackyahhhhhhhhhh!¡± A scream of completely different emotions came out, and she immediately bolted. Evelyn followed after her with a deep sigh. ¨CTake responsibility. When they were left by themselves, Philip spoke in a tone stronger than ever before. ¨CIf you¡¯re a man, you should take responsibility. ¡°What, what are you even talking about?¡± ¨CYou saw. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¨CStop lying. ¡°¡­I glanced. Barely glanced. It couldn¡¯t be helped in the first place.¡± Chi-Woo grumbled and then suddenly stared unexpectedly at Philip. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s with you all of the sudden? Considering your personality, I thought you would be smiling from ear to ear and talking about a good view or whatever. ¨CHey, you little shit! I¡¯m her ancestor. ¡°Ah.¡± Philip burst into rage. He huffed in anger and said he wasn¡¯t a dog in heat who couldn¡¯t tell the difference between right and wrong. ¨CAnyway, that¡¯s enough. Since the uninvited guest is gone, shall we forget what just happened? The two began dancing again and continued their celebration. However, their celebration didn¡¯t last long this time either. ¡°You look happy.¡± Someone made a sudden visit. It was the long-headed hero Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t seen in a while¡ªZelit. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you do that before. I didn¡¯t see you as someone who¡¯ll dance alone.¡± When Zelit stared at him with a curious gaze, Chi-Woo¡¯s face became hot. All the while, Philip spun around Zelit and giggled, ¡®You can¡¯t see me.¡¯ It would have been less embarrassing if they were embarrassed together, so Chi-Woo felt annoyed at Philip. Chi-Woo pretended to be nonchalant as much as possible and quickly changed the topic by asking what business Zelit had with him. Zelit got straight to the point, ¡°Please lend me some money.¡± ¡°Money?¡± ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s because of my greed, but the size of my project keeps getting bigger. I can¡¯t stop now, so¡­¡± This would make it the third time Zelit borrowed money from him. Zelit seemed to have a bit of conscience as he turned away and coughed awkwardly. Given Chi-Woo had already decided to lend him money, he nodded without much thought. ¡°Yes, well, as much as you like¡­ Ah, wait a minute.¡± Then he realized that he made a lot of money through his missions but was penniless. It was because Evelyn took it all, saying she would manage the finance of the family. It was usually the role of the wife to manage the money and lift the whole household. Chi-Woo started, ¡°There¡¯s no¡­¡± ¡°Money?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s not that I have no money, but I left it all with Ms. Evelyn. Please wait a moment.¡± Chi-Woo planned to ask Evelyn for some money after explaining the situation. ¡°Then I won¡¯t be able to borrow it,¡± Zelit said calmly. ¡°Actually, I came to see you a few days ago when you were away.¡± It turned out that Zelit had already visited him once and talked with Evelyn instead of Chi-Woo, and Evelyn rejected his request flat-out. Come to think of it, Evelyn had asked him if he had anything he wanted to say to her and told him to make time to talk to her later. That must be because of Zelit. ¡°Well¡­¡± Chi-Woo fell into thought. He wondered what he should do. The moment he brought up this topic to Evelyn, it would be like pouring oil on a burning fuse. Then he suddenly had a good idea, so he clapped and said, ¡°I can introduce you to someone who can lend you money instead of me. What do you think?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Zelit blinked. He was going to borrow 10,000 royals this time after serious contemplation. Was there anyone who could lend him such a large sum when everyone was working so desperately to earn another penny? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me, but¡­who is it?¡± ¡°A hero called Choi Chi-Hyun.¡± Zelit flinched. It was certainly true that Choi Chi-Hyun could easily afford an exorbitant amount of money since he was in charge of managing the city. However, he was way too big of a big shot. Aside from whether Chi-Hyun would lend him money, Zelit wondered if he could even meet him. Although he had met Chi-Hyun at the former capital of Salem when Chi-Hyun just barged in, this was the holy city, Shalyh. It was unthinkable that he would get to randomly meet Chi-Hyun in a city that has already been somewhat systematically organized. ¡°Will the legend meet me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, but if I or my master talk to him, he would probably meet with you once. But it¡¯s up to you, Mr. Zelit, to make him lend you the money.¡± Zelit let out a small exclamation at Chi-Woo¡¯s confidence. Chi-Woo was not the type to lie or act boastfully; he must have the ability to carry it out if he said so. If it turned out as Chi-Woo said, it would be a bigger opportunity than he¡¯d ever imagined. Meeting the legend alone was big enough on its own. Still, Zelit was curious and asked, ¡°That¡¯ll be great for me, but can I ask you a personal question?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What on earth is your relationship with the legend that you can do this much?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t immediately reply; he stared at Zelit for a moment and said, ¡°If it¡¯s you, Mr. Zelit¡­¡± Then he nodded as if he¡¯d made his decision. ¡°It seems you have some kind of connection with him. It was like that both at the former capital of Salem and here.¡± Zelit asked out of pure curiosity. ¡°He¡¯s my older brother.¡± Chi-Woo answered simply. ¡°?¡± A figurative question mark popped up above Zelit¡¯s elongated head. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Older brother. My blood-related brother.¡± ¡°??¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m actually the blood-related brother of the legend, Choi-Chi-Hyun. And my name isn¡¯t Chichibbong. It¡¯s Choi Chi-Woo. I¡¯m really sorry for having deceived you so far, but I had my own reasons for hiding it. Ah, and please keep this a secret as much as possible.¡± Chi-Woo explained all this very quickly. ¡°????¡± Of course, Zelit couldn¡¯t take in this information immediately, and Chi-Woo had no choice but to share a part of his user information; only his name, planet of origin, and proof that he was the youngest son of the Choi family. The next moment, Zelit¡¯s face changed dramatically. A great many expressions appeared and disappeared in quick succession, but in the end, what remained was the calm expression he originally had. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A sudden gust of wind blew, and a heavy silence fell between them. It was difficult to gauge how much time passed. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± All of a sudden, Zelit looked refreshed, and he said with an enlightened tone, ¡°I understand now. I¡¯m in a dream.¡± He smirked while waving his hands in the air where Chi-Woo¡¯s user information was displayed. ¡°I see. It¡¯s a dream. Haha. Geez, look at me. It¡¯s been decades since my mind has been so dysfunctional.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I thought it was strange from the moment I saw you dancing alone. Even though there¡¯s no way that can be true.¡± ¡°Mr. Zelit?¡± Chi-Woo tried to explain that it was not a dream, but Zelit didn¡¯t listen. ¡°Anyway, when on earth did I fall asleep¡­ Since this is a dream, all right, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Zelit grinned from ear to ear like a person who ate a hallucinogenic mushroom and shouted, ¡°Damn this blasted book! Get off me!¡± Suddenly, he threw the big, thick book that he had always carried onto the ground and cried out vigorously, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll dance with you too!¡± Zelit rolled his sleeves and really began dancing. He started doing something reminiscent of popping. ¡°Haha! This is more fun than I thought.¡± He moved his whole body in all directions and beckoned at Chi-Woo. ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s dance together! It doesn¡¯t matter because it¡¯s a dream! Hahahahaha!¡± Philip burst into laughter in front of Chi-Woo, who was staring at Zelit with a blank expression. Then their eyes met, and soon after, Philip raised the corners of his mouth, and Chi-Woo eventually ended up laughing. ¡ªAh, screw it~! In the end, everyone began laughing, talking, and dancing together at once. It was a complete mess. CH 270 Chi-Hyun stared silently at the flustered and nervous hero before him. He didn¡¯t even remember who this person was. If Chi-Hyun must describe this visitor, he would say his head looked exactly like a 100 minerals-worth creature in a simulation game he used to sometimes play on Earth. But besides what this guy looked like, Chi-Hyun was more baffled by the process of how this hero came to his office. He had been focusing on his work when he suddenly heard an alarm; it was a message from his brother. ¡®What?¡¯ When he checked the message, he was astonished to read that his brother was sending someone to talk to him and he should hear the person out. It was like his brother expected him to act like a dog doing his becking. Next time, Chi-Woo was going to ask him to play fetch or something. Even if he could¡¯ve at least let that part slide, though, the message that came after that was even more unbelievable. [Chi-Woo -> (Sent): Just to clarify, I am contacting you, Mr. Choi Chi-Hyun, under my master¡¯s orders. As the disciple, you must know that I cannot defy my master¡¯s orders. I hope that you will keep this in mind to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.] Chi-Woo basically meant, ¡®I would rather die than send a message to you, but I had no choice¡¯; but he said it in a twisted and roundabout way that irked Chi-Hyun. Especially the part where he wrote ¡®Mr. Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯ made him instantly clench his fists in anger. If Chi-Woo had been standing next to him, Chi-Hyun would¡¯ve hit his brother hard on his head a couple of times to knock some sense back into him. ¡®This bastard. I should really¡­¡¯ Chi-Hyun had a strong urge to chase after his brother now and smack his bottoms, asking him how he dare act so insolent to his older brother. But it was Zelit¡¯s words that held him back. ¡ªUm¡­ah¡­are you really Chi-Woo¡¯s¡­no¡­anyways¡­are you really his older brother, sir? This guy knew Chi-Woo¡¯s identity, and currently, there weren¡¯t many who did. The only ones who knew were a couple of close companions and the Celestial Lights. While there were a lot more in the know compared to before, in general, it was still a very small number. Chi-Hyun realized there was one more to that number now. As the older brother, Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t pleased, but it seemed Chi-Woo was the one who revealed his identity to this hero given the circumstances. This changed things since there must be a reason why a guy like Chi-Woo, who didn¡¯t like to receive unnecessary attention and liked privacy, would tell his secret. Thus, Chi-Hyun calmed his anger and decided to hear Zelit out. ¡°Did you come all this way to ask that?¡± ¡°Ah, no,¡± Zelit answered even in his unsettled state. His face was bright red. He wanted to slam his forehead onto the wall hundreds of times when he remembered what had just happened, but he needed to focus on this conversation. ¡°Sorry, I was just a bit taken aback¡­ Anyways, this is my second time seeing you, sir. I am honored that you agreed to meet me once more.¡± ¡°We met before?¡± ¡°Sorry? Ah, yes, we did at the former capital of Salem¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t recall that. I only remember things that have value.¡± With his keen senses, Zelit quickly caught on that Chi-Hyun was telling him to not waste any more of his valuable time and tell him something worthwhile. Thus, Zelit immediately got to the point. ¡°I¡¯m working on a project, but I lack the necessary funds to complete it. Thus, I want to ask if you could lend me some money.¡± ¡°Money¡­? Did Chi-Woo say that I would lend you money if you asked me?¡± ¡°No, sir. He told me that he would help arrange a meeting with you, but it¡¯s up to me whether I can get the money from you or not.¡± Chi-Hyun smirked hearing Zelit¡¯s response. It wasn¡¯t a friendly or welcoming smile. ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, is that enough of a reason to come to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just about borrowing and lending money, I don¡¯t know why you would have to come all the way to my office to ask me.¡± ¡°I already borrowed many times from Chichi¡­no, Choi Chi¡­ah, damn. Anyways, the amount of money I want to ask for is on another scale from before, and he was the one who suggested the arrangement,¡± Zelit explained the situation as it was without embellishing anything. Hearing this, one of Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°That guy just lent you his money?¡± ¡°Yes, a couple of times at that, sir.¡± And instead of chasing away someone who didn¡¯t pay him back and came to borrow more money, Chi-Woo introduced him to Chi-Hyun¡­ This made Chi-Hyun wonder. Chi-Hyun knew his brother¡¯s personality better than anyone else. His brother wasn¡¯t the type to be overly greedy, but he also wasn¡¯t one to risk losses. If something came within his grip, he didn¡¯t let go of it easily. Thus, it was more astonishing that Chi-Woo gave his money away not just once, but two times, which stirred up Chi-Hyun¡¯s curiosity. He wondered what exactly made Chi-Woo open his wallet. ¡°¡­Tell me about your project,¡± Chi-Hyun gave his permission. Thus, Zelit began, and when Chi-Hyun heard the explanation, he looked uncharacteristically taken aback. If everything went according to what this long-headed guy planned, it would be an acceptable investment¡ªno, not just acceptable. ¡®Very good,¡¯ Chi-Hyun thought after hearing the whole explanation. This project wasn¡¯t for one person¡¯s self-gain; it was something that needed to be done in the long run for the general population; moreover, it was quite a refreshing idea. ¡®Divided into classes according to tiers, individuals operating in autonomy¡­even while supporting public institutions, their private jurisdictions aren¡¯t violated. Of course, that runs the risk of extralegal activities increasing, but¡­'' The more Chi-Hyun thought about it, the more the idea impressed him. It combined individual authority, duty, and freedom in a way that worked. ¡®It might not be easy to solidify the system, but since he said that he had experience establishing this system on his planet, it won¡¯t be a problem.¡¯ Chi-Hyun wanted to implement the idea. He had been wanting to do something about the Celestial Lights one of these days since recently, they had gotten overboard. Though they didn¡¯t do anything against the law, they were essentially abusing the system. With the way things were going, it appeared that resources would be excessively concentrated on one side. But if they established Zelit¡¯s new system, they would be able to keep the Celestial Lights in check, and a new organization that they wouldn¡¯t be able to easily do anything against would form. In short, Zelit¡¯s plan would help get rid of all the bothersome things Chi-Hyun had to deal with eventually, and there was no reason for him to turn away from this project. ¡®This was worth my time,¡¯ Chi-Hyun concluded. This plan was beyond his expectations. If he could, he wanted to discuss it all night long. In the end, Chi-Hyun turned to Zelit. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Zelit, sir.¡± ¡®So, it¡¯s Zelit instead of Zealot?¡¯ [1] Chi-Hyun nodded and thought he should remember this name. Then, suddenly, he became curious about another thing. Did Chi-Woo know the exact worth of the dream that Zelit was trying to bring into reality that he kept lending his money? A guy like Chi-Woo, who didn¡¯t know a thing about the way an economy and society worked? ¡°Did that guy also agree with your plan and give you your money?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I just told him that I was trying to do something and needed money for it, and he easily gave me the funds.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even ask about the plan?¡± ¡°Yes, he didn¡¯t. Even I was taken aback then, but he told me he had an intuition that it would be all right¡­¡± Chi-Hyun made a humorless laugh. ¡®It¡¯s that intuition again.¡¯ As someone who abided by the axiom that ¡®data and research never lie¡¯, this was completely foreign territory to him. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Chi-Hyun thought. Even if it was a good idea, it was still all armchair theory at the moment. There were no faults to it on paper, but as they put the idea into reality and got into the details, cracks between the two¡ªidea and reality¡ªwould slowly reveal themselves. Yet Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t ponder for long. Though he had been forced to back away before, he decided to believe his brother¡¯s judgment this time. He could take the risk since nothing catastrophic would happen even if the implementation of the plan ended up lackluster. In the end, Chi-Hyun turned on his celestial device and called somebody. He exchanged a couple of words with them and ended the call. Not long afterward, a woman with long ivory hair opened the door and came inside. ¡°Where should I put this?¡± Noel asked. Chi-Hyun jerked his chin at Zelit¡¯s direction, and Noel placed a bundle before him. Thump! The bundle made a heavy thud as it hit the table. ¡°Here¡¯s 300,000 royals.¡± Zelit coughed roughly before he could even look inside the bag. Not 30,000 royals, but 300,000? He came to Chi-Hyun expecting to borrow about 10,000 to 20,000 royals, and thus, this sum sounded so astronomically high that it shocked him. ¡°I-It¡¯s too much, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are planning to start with a small to medium-sized organization first considering the situation, but there¡¯s no need for that.¡± In other words, Chi-Hyun was telling Zelit to expand the size of his project and act all out on his dream. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°The money includes your living expenses and the taxes you¡¯ll have to pay. And a building¡­no, it¡¯s probably better for you to just set up a new one.¡± Zelit once again caught onto what Chi-Hyun was telling him right away with his quick wits: that he shouldn¡¯t focus on anything but this project. ¡°That¡¯s all the funds I can offer you at the current time. Take care of the most urgent matters with that money for now, and I will tell Noel to make separate preparations for this, so come to me again if you need more.¡± Noel nodded with a smile on her face. Zelit was at a loss for words. He hadn¡¯t imagined getting this level of support. ¡°By the way, what is your tier?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not in a contract yet, sir.¡± Zelit¡¯s head lowered slightly at Chi-Hyun¡¯s question. He was embarrassed that he still hadn¡¯t managed to get a denomination yet. Then, he asked, ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s actually better that way.¡± Zelit looked curious at Chi-Hyun¡¯s response. ¡®It¡¯s better that way? Which way?¡¯ Zelit thought. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect timing too. Luck is also on your side.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are saying, sir. Is something else going on?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with that,¡± Chi-Hyun said, and Zelit didn¡¯t ask anymore. He simply filed it in his head for later. *** Chi-Woo didn¡¯t leave Shalyh for the time being. He stopped doing group activities because of what Zelit told him after meeting his brother. It appeared that something was going to happen soon, so Zelit advised Chi-Woo to halt his activities and wait to see what happened. And as expected, Chi-Woo soon got a secret message from Noel telling him to come to Chi-Hyun''s official residence for a meeting. Ru Amuh also got the same message, so Chi-Woo went to the meeting with him. Instead of the uppermost floor, they went to the third floor of the official residence and saw a large conference room. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°There¡¯s no one here,¡± Ru Amuh said while looking around. As he said, the conference room was empty. It seemed they were the first ones to arrive. They took a seat nearby and waited, and eventually, more people began to gather. The second to arrive was the young noble from the Eustitia family and the carefree lady from the Mariaju family. Emmanuel bowed his head toward Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo responded with a short greeting. For some reason, Mariaju looked embarrassed and waved softly. Chi-Woo did the same, and she turned to Emmanuel looking giddy and hitting his arm. Then entered a pretty lady with platinum blonde hair: Apoline. She came in walking haughtily and model-like as usual, but halted when she saw Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± She quickly flicked her head away and sat on the completely opposite side of him. She didn¡¯t look toward Chi-Woo while sitting next to Mariaju. Her whole demeanor seemed to scream, ¡®I will never acknowledge you or talk to you first.¡¯ But in reality, she took secret glances at him and bit her lower lip when she saw that Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t even looking at her. Finally, the last person to enter was Alice from the Ho Lactea family, who brought an ash-colored cat with her. For some reason, Ismile from the Nahla was nowhere to be found. This was strange since he wasn¡¯t the type of hero to miss meetings like this. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a while, boss.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been so long, Mr. Nangnang. How have you been?¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯ve been doing well. It¡¯s been a while, but did you know I reached gold tier?¡± ¡°Of course. I heard the rumors. This is a long time coming, but congratulations.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you.¡± Abandoning his current companion, Nangnang curled up to Chi-Woo¡¯s shin affectionately. And while he did this, Apoline felt suddenly threatened and wondered, ¡®Don¡¯t tell me that cat is also female?¡¯ And she wondered what criteria the legend had when picking the attendees for this meeting. ¡®There are five Celestial Lights¡­and two ordinary heroes.¡¯ Ru Amuh was understandable, but Nangnang¡¯s attendance was unexpected. The legend was strict. He didn¡¯t consider other people¡¯s circumstances or make exceptions. Alice must be aware of this too, and the fact that she came with Nangnang must mean¡­ ¡°Ah,¡± Apoline let out a small gasp. She realized a commonality of everyone gathered in this place, but soon her forehead crinkled again. ¡®But no? If you consider that¡­¡¯ Apoline glanced at Chi-Woo and chewed on her lip. She was curious, but it hurt her pride to initiate a conversation with him first. Thus, after contemplating for a while, she turned around and poked Yeriel on the side. ¡°¡­Yeriel.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I need to ask you something in secret.¡± And Apoline began to whisper in Yeriel¡¯s ear. ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Yeriel was nodding when she began blinking hard. ¡°¡­Huh? What?!¡± Then she shouted, ¡°You are curious about Chi-Woo¡¯s tier, but you don¡¯t want to ask him yourself? So you want me to ask him instead?!¡± Her voice rang loud and clear inside the conference room. It was certainly loud enough for not only Chi-Woo, but everyone in the room to hear. ¡°Hey!¡± After freezing up from shock for a moment, Apoline quickly regained her senses and tried to stop her, but it was too late. ¡°You are so funny! Can¡¯t you just ask him yourself? Why do you have to ask me!?¡± Yeriel shouted. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°Ah! Did you two fight?! Okay then! I will ask him!¡± As Apoline¡¯s face looked like it would explode in embarrassment, Yeriel got up from her seat. She spun half a circle and plopped herself down on the seat next to Chi-Woo. ¡°Hey~¡± She twisted around and leaned toward him. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me your tier please~?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s gold,¡± Chi-Woo responded with a stunned face. ¡°Aha!¡± Then, with a bright voice and face, Yeriel cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, ¡°Apoline! Chi-Woo oppa¡¯s tier is gold!¡± It was a perfectly clear relay of information. ¡°¡­¡± Apoline didn¡¯t respond. She simply stared at the floor with her head down. There seemed to be little drops of tears collecting in her shaking eyes. In the end, she put her arms on the desk and buried her head into them. ¡°¡­Was I too much? Ah, but can I call you oppa? Hehe?¡± Yeriel scratched her head seeing Apoline despair and smiled brightly back at Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo thought Yeriel didn¡¯t seem normal on their first meeting, but the more he saw her, the more she seemed to surpass his imagination. Nevertheless, he got why Apoline wanted to know his tier. It seemed everyone gathered in this room was at least gold tier. It was then the sound of footsteps approached, and the closed door finally opened again. A man and a woman quickly entered the conference room: it was Chi-Hyun and Noel. The atmosphere inside the room completely changed. All signs of laughter disappeared from Yeriel¡¯s brightly smiling face, and Apoline warily sat back up and fixed her posture. Chi-Hyun scanned the conference room left and right. Then, without any greetings, he announced the start of the meeting and immediately got to the main topic. 1. Name of a character in StarCraft (game that was popular in South Korea) that Zelit looks like. ? CH 271 ¡°The tenth reinforcements.¡± Chi-Hyun said, ¡°It was decided not long ago in the Celestial Realm. I heard they were going to recruit and dispatch heroes as soon as possible.¡± Although it was only a few words, it had a great effect on everyone. Everyone began murmuring amongst themselves in confusion. The first reason for confusion was the timing. Of course, recruits had been continuously sent out since the first deployment, but the ninth recruits had arrived at Liber only a few months ago. Therefore, everyone who was gathered here except Chi-Hyun was wondering, ¡®Why already?¡¯ ¡°Reinforcements?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°They¡¯re not recruits?¡± Chi-Woo entered Liber as part of the seventh recruits, and the most recent arrivals were the ninth recruits. ¡°Why all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°Sir, I think it¡¯s right to change the terminology,¡± Ru Amuh answered Chi-Woo¡¯s question. ¡°In the technical sense alone. In fact, except for Sir Chi-Hyun, who came first, it is more accurate to call the deployed heroes reinforcements.¡± As Ru Amuh said, a more accurate terminology to describe the advance recruits from the second deployment onwards would be reinforcements, since they were being sent to reinforce the previous heroes. However, the Celestial Realm had been using the term advance recruits until the ninth recruits. Why did they suddenly adopt the term ¡®reinforcements¡¯ after all this time, instead of consistently using the same one? ¡°Rather than the Celestial Realm, it¡¯s the prophecy¡¯s will.¡± As Ru Amuh said, the prophecy held the full authority to recruit teams sent to Liber. The Celestial Realm was merely an agent that followed the will of the prophecy. ¡°Thus, we have to figure out the reason why the prophecy has changed the term to reinforcements¡­¡± Chi-Woo understood what Ru Amuh was saying; rather than simply changing the terms, there was meaning behind the prophecy¡¯s choice of words. They needed to focus on the goal without thinking too hard. And what was the reason why they were sending out more heroes in the first place? When Chi-Woo first entered Liber, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the situation surrounding the heroes was simply disastrous. There was nowhere to eat or sleep. The heroes lost all their power and weren''t able to secure a single god, let alone a growth system. It was the same for the central region where Chi-Hyun was. Although they had established a base, they had only met their basic needs for survival, and they were not in a situation to even attempt saving Liber. However, the situation was completely different now. They succeeded in establishing a base in a secure sacred city protected by the White Horse General¡¯s sanctuary. Moreover, they formed a strong alliance with one of the four major forces, the Cassiubia League. Compared to the past, the difference was as big as heaven and earth. It was safe to say that from this point on, the purpose of the recruits to ¡®settle down¡¯ has been achieved. Henceforth, the heroes had to start working towards Liber¡¯s salvation using the base they had established so far. In short, the prophecy¡¯s change of terminology indicated that they had now entered the middle stage in the flow of Liber¡¯s future. ¡°I understand the prophecy¡¯s intention, but I still have questions. How come the tenth reinforcements are coming already¡­and with the clue that they¡¯ll be sent as soon as possible¡­?¡± Ru Amuh tilted his head and caressed his chin, as even he couldn¡¯t guess the prophecy¡¯s intention in this regard. ¡°What do you¡ª?¡± Chi-Woo was about to ask what he meant, but he suddenly felt a strong gaze and flinched. When he turned around, Chi-Hyun was looking in his direction, his gaze icy cold. ¡°So, did you finish talking?¡± Chi-Hyun spoke with a cold voice. ¡°I¡¯ve only said three sentences so far.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t being quiet commonsense in important meetings?¡± When Chi-Woo became flustered, Chi-Hyun smirked and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Mr. Choi Chi-Woo?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± A shrill sound came out. It wasn¡¯t from Chi-Woo, but Nangnang, who had a dumbfounded expression. ¡°What did he say¡­boss is Choi Chi-Woo¡­? The legend is Choi Chi-Hyun¡­huh? Huh? Huhhhhhh?¡± Nangnang looked between Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo and fell into confusion. Come to think of it, Chi-Woo realized he hadn¡¯t revealed his identity to Nangnang yet. It seemed Alice had kept his secret very well. Chi-Woo felt Nangnang¡¯s fervent eyes demanding an explanation, but he couldn¡¯t respond to it because Chi-Hyun was staring at him with an intense glare. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡± Ru Amuh, who was ever so polite, bowed and apologized respectfully to Chi-Hyun, but Chi-Woo had no intention of apologizing. What did Chi-Hyun just say? Mr. Choi Chi-Woo? Well, technically, he had called his brother Mr. Choi Chi-Hyun before too. Even so, Chi-Woo still thought it was ridiculous. While it was true that they were in a meeting, he wasn¡¯t talking loudly enough for the whole neighborhood to hear him. He whispered as quietly as he could. In addition, the others had also looked back at each other and exchanged a few words, but Chi-Hyun singled him out. Chi-Woo thought Chi-Hyun must be taking out his anger for that message he sent recently and was purposely picking on him. ¡®So childish¡­!¡¯ Chi-Woo gritted his teeth and glared. Chi-Hyun snorted and looked away because Yeriel had raised her hand. Chi-Hyun slightly raised his chin for her to talk, and Yeriel carefully said, ¡°Uh¡­sir, you said it was decided by the Celestial Realm just now, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t repeat what we already all heard.¡± He was telling her to not waste his time and quickly speak what was on her mind. Yeriel¡¯s brow twitched at Chi-Hyun¡¯s response, but she instinctively felt that she wouldn¡¯t get what she wanted if she responded according to her usual personality. Sometimes, it was necessary to act accordingly to different people. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just wondering how you were able to hear from the Celestial Realm under the current circumstances.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. Was it a secret that the Celestial Realm communicates with heroes using the devices we all received?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Yeriel blinked. ¡°No, wait. Sir, I know that you¡¯re communicating through the devices, but what I¡¯m asking is¡ª¡± Yeriel was asking how it was possible for Chi-Hyun to communicate with the Celestial Realm when the connection between Liber and the Celestial Realm was so unstable. ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t say the connection is good now, but it¡¯s better than before.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun cut her off, ¡°You people may not be able to, but I can.¡± And just like that, he shut off the conversation, so Yeriel closed her mouth. Since Chi-Hyun came to Liber alone, he must have monopolized the Celestial Realm¡¯s energy when he first entered. Moreover, he would have generously used his family¡¯s merits. It was not strange that his situation would be very different from that of others. ¡°Mariaju comes right after Afrilith, but¡­¡± Chi-Hyun continued flatly, ¡°they must not have supported you as much as I thought¡ªif you¡¯re curious about how much merit another person used.¡± He was mocking Mariaju for making remarks that was not relevant to the meeting. ¡°Sir, Yeriel didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± When Yeriel quietly lowered her head, Emmanuel stepped forward. ¡°Sir, if you can communicate with the Celestial Realm, you¡¯ll be able to ask more about the meaning behind the prophecy¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Who told you that you can intervene whenever you want?¡± Chi-Hyun abruptly cut another person off again. ¡°As the one who initiated this meeting, I don¡¯t remember giving you permission to speak.¡± Emmanuel had no choice but to close his mouth. This meeting was 180 degrees different from when Ismile was the host; Chi-Hyun¡¯s meeting was extremely overbearing and authoritative. ¡°And prophecies are prophecies, while interpretation is up to each person.¡± Chi-Hyun clicked his tongue as if he thought he shouldn¡¯t even be explaining such a basic idea. ¡°In the Eustitia family, do they teach you that if you don¡¯t know something, you can ask the prophecy and they¡¯ll tell you everything?¡± Emmanuel¡¯s face turned purple in rage. He seemed like he had a lot to say, but was holding it all in. ¡°¡­No, sir,¡± Emmanuel barely managed to answer with a strained voice. ¡°Geez, give me a break.¡± Someone spoke as if they thought Chi-Hyun was being preposterous. Who dared to speak like this when the legend was speaking? Noel wondered who had such bravery to show their discontent so openly. She was about to glare at the culprit, but when she saw who it was, her eyes widened¡ªbecause it was no other than the young master, Chi-Woo. Chi-Hyun clearly heard him too. If any other Celestial Light said it, he would have taken this opportunity to establish a clear hierarchy between him and them, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He could guess why his brother was acting like this. He must be angry about what he said earlier, and based on personal experience, it was better to leave his brother alone when he was like this. Chi-Woo really had no limits when he was pushed too far. Thus, Chi-Hyun went back to the main point, ¡°The tenth reinforcements are not going to immediately enter Liber. The Celestial Realm just said they would recruit and send the heroes as fast as possible. Of course, even so, it¡¯s unusual.¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Besides this, I received a request from the Cassiubia League recently.¡± Chi-Hyun glanced at Noel, and Noel moved quickly. She brought out something that looked like a poster and plastered it on the wall so that everyone could see it. It was a huge map of Liber. ¡°Here.¡± Chi-Hyun picked up a stick and pointed at an area on the map. It was a considerable distance away from Shalyh, and the Cassiubia mountain range was the closest to it among the places they had connection to. However, it was also quite far for it to be considered a part of the Cassiubia League¡¯s territory. With a bit of a stretch, it could be deemed as the outermost edge of the Cassiubia League¡¯s territory. However, the importance of this location was irrefutable. In fact, the Demon Empire had secured a direct passage to the deepest part of the Cassiubia League¡¯s territory with the opening of that area and succeeded in safely sending about 70 percent of their army through the rugged Cassiubia mountain range. It was also through this path that the Sernitas was able to storm into the Cassiubia mountain range a few months ago. In short, it was a key area that the Cassiubia League must recover, and the Demon Empire sought to defend. ¡°This place was originally guarded by the Fenrir tribes, one of the Cassiubia League¡¯s leading members. It used to be the front line on the border with the Demon Empire.¡± A key name came out of Chi-Hyun¡¯s mouth. The Fenrir tribe was a tribe with a long and deep history that has been in existence since the mythical period. They were the mad moon wolves that even the gods feared. At one point in time, they were influential enough to be comparable to the Last Dragon, but¡­ They met a pitiful end when their god was stolen and reconstructed by the Sernitas and massacred by the Demon Empire. Although there were very few Fenrirs, the Demon Empire had been unable to recklessly trespass into the Cassiubia League¡¯s territory when they were alive. ¡°After the Fenrir tribe went extinct, this territory actually became part of the Demon Empire, but the ownership is now a bit vague.¡± The Demon Empire was faring poorly at the moment. The Demon Empire¡¯s failure to invade Shalyh had given them a huge scar that they couldn¡¯t easily recover from. Due to this matter, their internal structure also became chaotic, and they were having a difficult time even maintaining their reduced territory. On the other hand, there was no way the Cassiubia League, which suffered a painful memory at the hand of the Demon Empire, would miss this golden opportunity. Or so they thought. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°But it seems like it¡¯s not going as smoothly as they thought.¡± Everyone looked at him with questioning gazes. Chi-Hyun stopped talking for a moment and turned on his device before reading aloud. ¡°The Cassiubia League made several secret attempts, but it all ended in futility. Not a single member of the Cassiubia League who participated in the operation returned. Although it has not been confirmed yet, I heard rumors that the ecosystem in the area has changed significantly. And the Last Dragon says¡­¡± After a short pause, he continued, ¡°we should keep in mind the possibility that a fifth faction has emerged outside the existing four major factions.¡± The meeting room fell into a commotion by the shocking news. ¡°If the Last Dragon¡¯s hypothesis is true, the Sernitas has judged humanity, which joined forces with the Cassiubia League, as a potential threat and might have created a new species to deal with humanity.¡± Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Humanity, which used to be insignificant, was now rising up with the Cassiubia League at its back and by rallying around the Celestial Lights. As a response, the Sernitas created a new species as a countermeasure. ¡°No matter how powerful they are¡­how can they create a new life form comparable to the existing factions¡­¡± Yeriel had a hard time accepting this information. While Yeriel¡¯s response was understandable, Chi-Woo had a different thought because although he had never clashed directly with the Sernitas, he had indirectly faced them through one of their experiments. He didn¡¯t think much back then, but after hearing what his brother said, he thought of a conjecture. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ One thing that was clear was that the Sernitas were beings that could even capture and transform a god. But what if the god he faced wasn¡¯t a failure? What if the Sernitas were merely throwing the god away after experimenting and getting everything they could from them? While everyone was confused, Ru Amuh raised his hand. ¡°Sir, I can roughly guess what the Cassiubia League¡¯s request will be, but before you move to that topic, there is a question I would like to ask.¡± Ru Amuh asked just in case, ¡°Before you mentioned this, you said that the tenth reinforcements would arrive soon¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± It was then that some heroes guessed what he was about to say and exclaimed. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded. ¡°The place where the next tenth reinforcements will arrive will also be¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun pointed with the stick again. ¡°here.¡± He pointed to the same place on the map again. It matched exactly where the Cassiubia League was requesting assistance. Everyone looked slightly taken aback because one thing was now clear¡ªif they did nothing in this state, the tenth reinforcements would be annihilated as soon as they arrived at Liber. They needed to ensure the tenth reinforcement¡¯s safety as much as possible before this happened. Moreover, the prophecy meant that there was something in that area; something that shouldn¡¯t be ignored and was significant beyond just a strategic location. Thus, the prophecy was telling them to not turn a blind eye to this area and actively help the Cassiubia League solve this problem as soon as possible¡­ ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed. He suddenly had an intuition. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ He got an intuition, but how should he describe it? ¡®Why¡­¡¯ Something bothered him about this conversation; he didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like they were forgetting something very important. However, he couldn¡¯t grasp the exact reason and clutched his temples in frustration. Then one person raised her hand quietly. ¡°Why?¡± A clear, transparent voice range through the meeting room. Alice of the Ho Lactea family, who had been listening silently without saying a single word, asked while not taking her eyes from the point that Chi-Hyun pointed at, ¡°Why is it that place?¡± CH 272 It really seemed like a futile question. Why that location? It was obviously because their enemy made their move there. Considering Chi-Hyun¡¯s personality, everyone thought he would scold Alice, sarcastically asking what she had been listening to and where she had been this whole time. Yet Chi-Hyun¡¯s response differed from everyone¡¯s expectations. ¡°It¡¯s something we don¡¯t know yet. We made several guesses, but none of them have solid evidence backing them up.¡± And instead, Chi-Hyun studied the map like he was curious about the question himself. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what was going on. He already had an ominous feeling about this expedition, and now his brother was acting strangely. It was then he realized something after organizing everything he had heard. The Sernitas were passionate about experimenting and restructuring living creatures for their own purposes. They modified all sorts of things to the point that they even experimented with a god. And it was clear that they didn¡¯t do all this out of sheer boredom alone, but for an important purpose¡ªspecifically, their goal to gain dominance over Liber. Now that things weren¡¯t going in their favor after the recent failure of their collaborator, the Demon Empire, they might have finally taken out their secret weapon. That led them to the question: ¡®Why that location?¡¯ Like Chi-Hyun said, perhaps, the Sernitas were counteracting against humanity¡¯s progress, or they could be trying to stop the Cassiubia League from expanding their territories to protect their important bases from getting stolen. But even then, it made them wonder: ¡®Is that the only reason? Did they really have to go so far for that?¡¯ If they were going to reveal their secret weapon, it seemed only natural that they should do it more properly; or perhaps they should only reveal themselves after establishing themselves a bit more in that area. It didn¡¯t seem to make much sense right now. ¡°That means it¡¯s either one of two things,¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°There¡¯s a mysterious trap waiting in that area.¡± ¡°Or there¡¯s a reason, unknown to us, why they had to choose that place,¡± Alice finished for him. Chi-Woo nodded, hearing the two¡¯s responses. Of course, they needed to find out more about the situation, but it seemed his brother was leaning more toward the latter. He seemed to think that there must be a reason why the Sernitas were making their moves up there. After all, besides its strategic location, there wasn¡¯t really anything special about the land. The only particular part about it was that it was the place the Fenrir tribe had once risked their lives to protect. ¡®I see. So that¡¯s why¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Chi-Hyun had already revealed his stance at the beginning of the meeting when he brought up the tenth reinforcement, the Cassiubia League¡¯s request, and the Fenrirs in that order. ¡°That must be why the Cassiubia League asked us to help attack that area,¡± Alice said, and Chi-Hyun nodded. ¡°We have experience landing a huge blow on the Demon Empire. This is something even the League hasn¡¯t been able to do, and they expect us to do the same this time too.¡± ¡°But I still don¡¯t understand. This area isn¡¯t close to the Cassiubia mountain range, but it¡¯s not so far that they can¡¯t reach it either. Even if they are being careful because the Last Dragon almost died in the last war, they should¡¯ve at least sent their regular army from their main base.¡± ¡°Then they might have to do a full-scale expansion.¡± ¡°Is the Cassiubia League afraid of going full-scale?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t fear it, but the problem is that they would have two enemies. Furthermore, they recently suffered significant damages and casualties while fighting the joint forces of the Sernitas and the Demon Empire.¡± Then, Chi-Hyun added, ¡°Moreover, the league hopes to maintain the current situation a bit longer.¡± ¡°By current situation, do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°There is chaos inside the Demon Empire.¡± Chi-Hyun spun the stick in his hand once. ¡°As a society, the demons value war and victory above all else. And such an empire not only lost several great demons in a row, but they were also utterly destroyed by a much smaller and weaker army of humans. Thus, it¡¯s only natural that they are questioning their leaders¡¯ capabilities and leadership skills.¡± This was a world where the phrase survival of the fittest rang truer than anywhere else and only the strong could survive. Thus, would people continue to accept the Demon Empire as ¡®the strong¡¯ after their great losses against a weaker force, the humans? At the least, there must be demonic creatures and demons who began to think differently. Yet the great demons in uppermost positions wouldn¡¯t back down quietly. They probably would try to protect their position while aiming for higher ranks. Thus, in accordance with how the Demon Empire¡¯s society was structured, internal conflict was bound to erupt, and this chaos wouldn¡¯t subside any time soon¡ªat least not until an outside threat arose. The Demon Empire¡¯s citizens were blood-thirsty creatures who fought each other at any chance, yet funnily enough, if a danger that threatened the empire¡¯s existence appeared, even the worst enemies would gather their strengths to fight it. ¡°So, if the Cassiubia League sends out their main army, the Demon Empire may stop tearing each other apart and unite¡­¡± Alice nodded, grasping the situation. ¡°It¡¯s as you think. If we use only a small number of elite forces, we may accomplish our goal without provoking the Demon Empire,¡± Chi-Hyun responded. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡°Furthermore, we would be able to shake the collaboration between the Sernitas and the Demon Empire once more. We would only know when the situation comes to it if the Sernitas are acting on behalf of the Demon Empire right now though.¡± Chi-Woo watched the two talk. They responded to each other smoothly with neither missing any beat. It was as if he was witnessing a real meeting. ¡°That must be why you called only those in gold tiers and above,¡± Alice said. ¡°Although I didn¡¯t plan on placing restrictions¡­ It¡¯s clear anyone below that tier would die meaningless deaths,¡± Chi-Hyun replied. ¡°What¡¯s your reasoning behind setting up this standard?¡± ¡°Ismile.¡± An unexpected name popped up. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened, and Chi-Hyun placed his focus on his device again. Then he finished reading what he¡¯d read only a part of before. ¡°Because I was warned so thoroughly, I made thorough preparations before going. But wow, it¡¯s no joke from the very beginning. I don¡¯t know how to describe it. You should check it out for yourself. If I knew this was going to happen, I would¡¯ve raised my tier beforehand (crying face). I won¡¯t be able to do anything satisfying with my current status. You should take some kids with the right skills. Sorry man that I couldn¡¯t live up to your expectations even though you put your trust in me.¡± It was a bit strange how Chi-Hyun read the message as it was without filtering anything. Still, everyone could understand how serious the situation was. ¡°Could you tell us Ismile¡¯s tier?¡± Alice asked in case. ¡°As far as I know, he is not under any contract yet.¡± Alice slightly nodded. Even so, this wasn¡¯t a situation that she could underestimate. Though Ismile wasn¡¯t in any denomination yet, he belonged to the Nahla family, which was usually assessed to come right after the Choi and Ho Lactea families, and the number of merits he came with as backup must be significant. Thus, it was more shocking that such a hero would be so helpless in this situation. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± It was then someone raised their hand. ¡°Then, does that mean Mr. Ismile already knew about this matter beforehand?¡± Apoline asked in a high-pitched voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that the Cassiubia recently made this request to us again?¡± Chi-Hyun said, peeved. He was annoyed that he had to repeat himself. ¡°Does that mean they made the same request at least once before?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be obvious unless you are an idiot? What¡¯s the point of even asking that?¡± ¡°W-What? An idiot?¡± Apoline wrinkled her forehead. Her mood was already terrible because of what Yeriel did earlier. And her tone turned sharper and colder because of the responses she got, ¡°No¡ªbut then, why didn¡¯t you tell us anything before? Are you asking us to do this now because it didn¡¯t work out with Ismile before?¡± Apoline complained, and one of Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Ask?¡± He snorted and jerked his chin slightly downward. ¡°Yeah, so what?¡± he said confidently, and Apoline looked a bit taken aback. ¡°As you said, Ismile failed to do this task. And I didn¡¯t tell you all before because there was no point in telling some useless guys who couldn¡¯t do anything. But thanks to some little house playing you have been doing, you became a little bit more useful, enough for me to tell you what was happening. Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°What? House playing?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t you know the saying? Even things normally useless are hard to find when there comes a time for them to be of use.¡± Apoline¡¯s face became bright red like the twilight of sunset. As someone who was raised preciously all her life, she was enraged by the comparisons and insults Chi-Hyun was making. ¡°It seems you are really misunderstanding something, so I will make it clear to you all,¡± Chi-Hyun said leisurely as Apoline boiled in wrath. ¡°This isn¡¯t a request. I am giving you all an opportunity.¡± If they thought about it, there was nothing wrong with what he said. This was an opportunity for them to gain the reinforcements they needed. Perhaps even an exemption for a promotion test to rise in tiers. None of the Celestial Lights were pleased to hear that they were thought of as less than a Nahla member, but it was true that Chi-Hyun was giving them an opportunity instead of taking the chance for himself. ¡°Let me make it clear to all of you. I¡¯m not making a request, nor am I forcing you all.¡± Chi-Hyun turned away from Apoline and looked back to the rest of the people in the room. ¡°But I promise you all one thing,¡± Chi-Hyun emphasized, ¡°Anyone who makes progress in a task like this will be given special privileges.¡± Though individual tiers were decided by the growth system, Chi-Hyun held authority in everything else. For example, even if a hero reached gold tier, they wouldn¡¯t be able to gain control over a zone or establish an official faction without Chi-Hyun¡¯s approval. ¡°I advise you all to work hard if you want to make your gold tiers worthwhile.¡± Then he smirked seeing Apoline chewing her lip with a bright red face, ¡°Who knows? If you do well this time, people may think more highly of the Afriliths than the Nahlas.¡± Chi-Hyun spoke like he knew what Apoline was thinking and considered her pathetic. Apoline heaved. Though she had heard the rumors, she didn¡¯t think he would be this rude. But in the end, she couldn¡¯t retort even as her fury shot up. As higher authority called for greater responsibilities, she needed to do necessary work for the right reward. What could she say more when he was telling her to grow her skills if she wanted different treatment? ¡®But still, how could he talk so rudely¡­!¡¯ Chi-Hyun¡¯s attitude angered her the more she thought about it, and unable to quell it, she was about to say a word when she suddenly heard a loud snort. ¡°He¡¯s bringing up families every chance he has¡­¡± It was a mocking tone. Though he murmured to himself, he was clearly talking loud enough for Chi-Hyun to hear him. Chi-Hyun also turned around. Even without seeing who was speaking, Chi-Hyun could tell it was Chi-Woo. He also knew why Chi-Woo was talking in this manner and was about to simply drop the issue when Chi-Woo added another line. ¡°How can anyone speak in fear of him?¡± Chi-Hyun frowned seeing his brother brood annoyedly. In a voice much lower than before, Chi-Hyun asked, ¡°¡­Mr. Choi Chi-Woo? It sounds like you have been harboring a lot of complaints.¡± Chi-Woo stared back at him like he was waiting for this moment. ¡°Yes, I have tons.¡± Chi-Woo spoke clearly with bold eyes. ¡°Why? Can I not even say a word of complaint to you, Mr. Choi Chi-Hyun?¡± ¡°¡­¡± By the way Chi-Woo spoke, it sounded like he was about to charge at Chi-Hyun any moment now. ¡°If you have any complaints¡­¡± Chi-Hyun thought briefly whether or not he should just kill this guy, but in the end, he said, ¡°¡­You should take the issue up to me separately.¡± He repressed his anger and inhaled deeply. ¡°Ah, yes. If that¡¯s what you wish, I guess I¡¯d have to comply,¡± Chi-Woo continued to speak mockingly like he wasn¡¯t scared of how Chi-Hyun would react. ¡°The meeting is over. Since I have relayed all important information to you all, I leave the rest to your individual judgments.¡± Chi-Hyun got down from the pedestal and walked across the conference room. He looked like he was fuming with rage. It was the same for Chi-Woo. Thud! Chi-Woo pushed away his chair hard and got up. ¡°Teacher¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± Ru Amuh called out worriedly, but Chi-Woo glared and quickly followed as Chi-Hyun headed outside. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Apoline said in surprise seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s furious steps. ¡®W-What? Why is he acting like that? I thought he disliked me?¡¯ she thought. Apoline thought like how Emmanuel acted to shield Yeriel, Chi-Woo had gotten angry at his brother in her stead. Not knowing what was really going on, she thought there was no other explanation why Chi-Woo would¡¯ve suddenly gotten so mad. ¡®But they are families¡ªbrothers related by blood¡­? Wait. Is it because¡­.?¡¯ Apoline chewed on her fingernails in confusion and wondered, ¡®Perhaps¡­?¡¯ Her eyes rolled around; considering her age, perhaps, it wasn¡¯t strange that she began to have wild imaginations about what just went on. *** Chi-Woo went to his brother¡¯s office after a long time. But now that he was there, he didn¡¯t know what to do. His brother didn¡¯t say anything after calling him all the way here and simply glared at Chi-Woo while sitting at his desk. But Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t the same as before; he wouldn¡¯t cower before his brother anymore, and he slumped on the sofa chair without hesitation and crossed his legs and arms. Seeing this, Chi-Hyun said coldly, ¡°Did I say you could sit, Chi¡ªno, Mr. Choi Chi-Woo?¡± ¡°Sir, I sat because you didn¡¯t say anything. How could you invite a guest and not even ask them to sit? It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s usually indifferent face turned exasperated. ¡°You¡­ha. But I don¡¯t recall inviting you as my guest.¡± ¡°How strange. I clearly remember you telling me to talk to you separately not long ago. What could that be but an invitation?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Hyun became speechless. He had forgotten that his brother never lost in an argument once he got angry; since they were children, Chi-Hyun never beat his brother in this regard. It was unbelievable how well Chi-Woo could blabber even when he was so young. ¡°Chi-Woo, do you really believe what you are saying?¡± In the end, Chi-Hyun was the first one to back down from this strange way of addressing each other as formal strangers and turned the other direction. ¡°Is that really the attitude of someone who has done wrong?¡± ¡°And it¡¯s okay to ignore your brother who has gathered his courage to apologize and throw a die and a talisman at his face to humiliate him?¡± As soon as Chi-Hyun succeeded in making a point, Chi-Woo retaliated with several counterattacks in a row. And the way Chi-Woo smoothly spouted the lines seemed to indicate that he had a lot of pent-up anger. ¡°¡­Never mind.¡± Chi-Hyun also had more to say, but he decided to give up. It was only going to be tiresome to argue about who was more in the wrong. They were just going to go back and forth. ¡°Ah, is that so? Good. Then I guess I would do you the favor of leaving¡ª¡± ¡°You know the guy you wanted to introduce to me?¡± Chi-Hyun purposefully changed the topic. ¡°I met him recently. Well, he had quite a good plan.¡± Seeing Chi-Woo calm down a bit, Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°I invested 300,000 royals for now.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s response was indifferent since this was information he already knew. ¡°So?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s unexpected. I thought I would at least hear a thank you.¡± Though he could¡¯ve insisted on hearing more about the project and changed the arrangement to his favor as the investor, Chi-Hyun had only lent the money to Zelit since he came from Chi-Woo¡¯s introduction. Thus, Chi-Hyun expected Chi-Woo to be grateful, yet his response was disinterested. ¡°Why should I? Did I ask you to invest in him? I just told you to hear him out. And didn¡¯t you lend him such a huge sum of money because you thought the conditions were good too?¡± Chi-Hyun became speechless again because Chi-Woo was right. He wouldn¡¯t have lent a coin if he thought the project wasn¡¯t good and only invested because he saw the value in it. Thus, Chi-Hyun licked his lips and changed the topic again, ¡°¡­Are you going to go? You know what I talked about in the conference room earlier.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to go. Why? Are you going to prevent me from going again?¡± ¡°No¡ªam I not even allowed to speak anymore?¡± Chi-Hyun burst out in annoyance. He just wanted to talk at this point, but Chi-Woo seemed to want to fight in every sentence. In the end, Chi-Woo let out a humorless laugh. ¡°If you have a conscience, you should think about why I¡¯m acting this way.¡± ¡°What did I do so wrong¡­¡± Chi-Hyun started but he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Now that he recalled his past actions, his brother wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. He had threatened, bound, forcefully dragged Chi-Woo away, imprisoned him, and¡­Chi-Hyun fake coughed. ¡°Hmph. It could be dangerous. Though Ismile doesn¡¯t have a denomination yet, you can¡¯t undermine his skills.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression seemed to say, ¡®so what?¡¯ A little part of him was confident. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not like I was playing the whole time either. Won¡¯t I know for sure once I try?¡± ¡°¡­Sounds like you¡¯ve become quite strong,¡± Chi-Hyun said even though he already knew everything. ¡°Since you are so confident, I want to see your skills once.¡± Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t stop Chi-Woo from going after making a promise to his master. But he was still worried. He admitted that his brother had progressed considerably compared to the past, but it was Liber they were talking about. Though it¡¯d be a lie to say that there were countless enemies stronger than Chi-Woo, there were still quite a good number of them. Furthermore, who knew what would happen where? His brother was still lacking in critical experiences. Thus, Chi-Hyun wanted to squash a little bit of his brother¡¯s arrogance that had reached the sky after gaining a bit of power. ¡°You want to see them? Do you want to have a duel or something?¡± ¡°If you want, I could teach you a thing or two,¡± Chi-Hyun spoke purely out of concern for Chi-Woo, but Chi-Woo¡¯s response was unexpected. ¡°Huh¡­is there really a need? You are not that strong.¡± ¡°?¡± The legend wasn¡¯t ¡®that strong¡¯? This was completely out of the blue. Noel, who had been listening to the two argue warily, doubted her ears. ¡°To tell you the truth, I fought you in the image representation space.¡± Chi-Woo seemed convinced. ¡°I don¡¯t know about your magic skills, but¡­you are really bad at pure physical fighting.¡± It was more aggravating how genuinely Chi-Woo spoke. ¡°What, what?¡± Chi-Hyun was baffled. In the first place, Image Representation was made based on personal experience and abilities. Thus, even if the space recreated him, it was nothing more than a very small part that Chi-Woo knew¡ªthough of course, it was truly him the last time he fought with Chi-Woo in the space; he had simply acted to provoke Chi-Woo¡¯s awakening and obviously didn¡¯t go all out. How dare Chi-Woo talk like that was all he was? ¡°You went down two times¡­¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Chi-Hyun got up. ¡°Let¡¯s fight one more time. Not in the image representation space, but in reality. I will properly fight you.¡± Chi-Hyun clenched his fists like he was intent on showing Chi-Woo his place. ¡°Hm~ No, I won¡¯t do it~¡± Chi-Woo got up from his seat too and said irritatingly. ¡°I¡¯m too busy. I have to prepare for the expedition.¡± And seeing Chi-Woo turn around, Chi-Hyun urgently shouted, ¡°Hold up there. Hold up.¡± ¡°I do not listen to orders coming from those weaker than me.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Chi-Hyun shouted and hurriedly extended his arms as Chi-Woo moved. Swirl! Invisible webs of mana tried to wrap around Chi-Woo, but failed. It failed to move farther as if it had hit a giant wall. ¡®Look at this guy?¡¯ Chi-Hyun forced out more mana, and Chi-Woo raised his hand. Flash! Light burst out, and with the sound of bells, clusters of lights lingered in Chi-Woo¡¯s palms. It was the class ability of a gold tier High-Ranking Exorcist: La Bella¡¯s Bible. ¡°I knew you¡¯d do that.¡± Chi-Woo chuckled seeing the cluster of lights take form. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try harder.¡± Chi-Hyun stared blankly and retrieved his mana. The mana elements his brother used now was¡­? ¡°Oh, you know when to back away. As expected of the legend. How wise¡­¡± As his brother backed away, Chi-Woo exclaimed like he was impressed and laughed. Nearby, Noel heard Chi-Hyun¡¯s blood pressure rise. ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Chi-Hyun pointed at Chi-Woo while clutching the back of his neck. He could push things further if he wanted to, but only stopped because his brother could be seriously injured. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯s you who should stay safely put in this city instead of causing trouble everywhere unnecessarily.¡± What? ¡°You bast¡ª!¡± Chi-Hyun jumped over his desk and simultaneously, Noel grabbed him and pulled him back. ¡°My Lord! Endure it! Please, this is your younger brother!¡± ¡°Release your arms!¡± ¡°Young master, please go quickly! Quickly!¡± As Noel pulled Chi-Hyun back with all her strength, Chi-Woo quickly opened the door and escaped. From behind, he heard his brother shout, and he chuckled as he ran across the corridors. ¡°Ha! That serves him right!¡± Chi-Woo looked more refreshed than ever as if he had shaken off a great burden. CH 273 The sun had been brilliantly shining in the center of the sky when they first came to the official residence, but by the time they went outside, the sun had turned red and was on the verge of falling under the horizon. Chi-Woo chuckled at the exhilaration of giving his brother a good punch. Then soon, he stopped laughing and reflected on the meeting among gold tiers just now. If it was like any other expedition, his brother wouldn¡¯t have gathered them like this. The fact that his brother had personally delivered the news meant that this expedition was extremely important and difficult. It might be far more difficult than the Narsha Haram expedition; Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even fathom just how demanding it might be¡­ ¡°Teacher.¡± While he was deep in thought, Ru Amuh came up to him. It seemed he was worried about Chi-Woo and had been waiting for him outside. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°No, we just finished a match.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As expected, the legend lives up to his name. It wasn¡¯t easy, but I managed to win. What a shame. Mr. Ru Amuh, you should have seen the legend begging for his life after he lost¡­¡± ¡°I-Is that really true? You beat the legend? But isn¡¯t he your older brother¡­.¡± Ru Amuh gaped in genuine surprise. Chi-Woo blinked. He had merely told a joke as he was in a good mood, but how could Ru Amuh so easily believe him? It was only after he explained he was just joking and they talked it out that Ru Amuh¡¯s expression turned into one of clear relief. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡°I see. I¡¯m really glad. But Teacher, I didn¡¯t know that you could also make a joke. It¡¯s my first time realizing it. Haha.¡± Chi-Woo stared at Ru Amuh, who was smiling awkwardly at him. He wondered how Ru Amuh thought of him sometimes. He recalled how his assistant, Mimi, told him that it could be detrimental for trust levels to be too high. ¡°Anyway, Teacher. About today¡¯s meeting¡­what are you planning to do?¡± ¡°I was actually thinking about it.¡± ¡®Hmm¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo was quiet for a while and then said with a shrug, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first and think about it.¡± It was soon dinnertime; by now, there were probably baby birds sitting around the table waiting for their mother to feed them food. ¡°They say even the most enjoyable activities are only fun with a full belly, so let¡¯s talk after eating dinner. All together.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! I agree.¡± ¡°Is there anything you want to eat?¡± ¡°Anything¡¯s fine. Teacher, everything you make is delicious.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never lied in my life.¡± ¡°During Vepar¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± While the two chatted, Chi-Woo had to stop again because someone was waiting for him at the entrance to the main gate¡ªa princess with neatly combed, platinum blonde hair. Apoline, who had been listlessly dragging her feet on the ground with her hands behind her, flinched as soon as she saw Chi-Woo. When their eyes met, she coughed and averted her gaze. Then she looked down at the ground and hesitated for a while. Unlike Chi-Hyun, Chi-Woo did not act rudely and pass by someone who was obviously waiting for him. Ru Amuh was smart enough to notice that Apoline had business with Chi-Woo, and he quickly excused himself after saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± When only the two of them were left, Apoline finally opened her mouth. She let out the deep breath she had been holding the whole time and tilted her chin back. ¡°Why did you do that just now?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°During the meeting.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± It was because he was fighting an invisible battle of nerves with his brother; however, he couldn¡¯t say it out loud because it was embarrassing that they were still fighting like this after becoming adults. ¡°I thought it was too much.¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips and continued, ¡°He showed such aggression when there¡¯s no harm in asking a simple question.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. He really was too much. It was an ungentlemanly action unbefitting of his reputation.¡± Apoline, who mistakenly thought that Chi-Woo had stepped up for her, vehemently nodded and agreed with him. She was excited to think that Chi-Woo had taken her side. However, when Chi-Woo stared at her, she quickly erased the smile off her face and schooled her expression into one of nonchalance. ¡°Well, I just want to say¡­thank you.¡± ¡°You don''t have to thank me. I just did it because that¡¯s what I wanted to do.¡± Chi-Woo said it without any thought, so he didn¡¯t realize that his every word was becoming great manure to nourish the flower bed Apoline was growing inside her head. ¡°?!¡± She coughed and crossed her arms. ¡°B-But even then, I am thankful. Of course, you did something wrong to me¡­but just now¡­you helped me out. I¡¯m telling you this because the Afriliths¡¯ revenge is sharp like a blade, but their grace is deep like the ocean.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡± Chi-Woo nodded since Apoline wanted to express her gratitude even after he said it was all right. Then a silence fell between them. Apoline was silent because she couldn''t find anything else to say. ¡®What should I do? I want to talk to him a bit more.¡¯ It seemed as if he was going to quickly go on his way after saying, ¡®Then I¡¯ll be on my way. Goodbye.¡¯ That anxiety made her speak up again, ¡°D-Do you not have anything to say to me?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head; he was still trying to figure out what she meant by something he did wrong to her. What did he do? After searching through his memories, he recalled one or two incidents. He had shouted angrily at her at the entrance of the official residence because he was angry at his brother; now that he reflected on his past reaction, he felt a little sorry. He had taken his anger out on an innocent person, so from Apoline¡¯s perspective, she must have been dumbfounded. She must have gotten very upset because he reacted like that when she was just trying to take care of him out of concern. ¡°¡­Is there nothing?¡± When Apoline asked once more in a sullen tone, Chi-Woo quietly said, ¡°There is. Have you eaten?¡± Apoline blinked at the unexpected question. She was so taken aback that she almost said ¡®No¡¯, but she shook her head. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Then, are you hungry?¡± Apoline¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Apoline gaped in surprise. ¡°All of a sudden? Without any warning?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head at her flustered reaction. While she looked disgruntled, she didn¡¯t seem to hate the suggestion. He wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to eat with him or not. ¡°You said you haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± ¡°But even then¡ª¡± ¡°Do you not want to?¡± Apoline struggled to maintain her good sense when Chi-Woo ambushed her with another startling question in quick succession. ¡°Uh¡­it¡¯s¡­I mean¡­¡± Her eyes spun in circles, and it might be because of the sunset, but her face was red like ripe persimmon. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not it¡­¡± Apoline barely managed to answer and lowered her eyes and head again. Then she muttered once more in a quiet voice, ¡°Yes, I would like to.¡± * * * Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Apoline tightly clutched her chest so that she could suppress her quickly beating heart and shyly followed Chi-Woo. However, her excitement soon turned into doubt because Chi-Woo was guiding her to his house. She had expected a nice restaurant and was shocked to be led to his place. She followed him inside with half-doubt and was soon faced with reality. She was left devastated when she saw many people huddled around a table, all waiting for Chi-Woo. She didn¡¯t move her gaze away from Chi-Woo, who told her to wait at the table and said he would soon come back with delicious food. It felt like a situation when a boyfriend said ¡®Do you want to come over and sleep at my house tonight?¡¯ in a romantic atmosphere, but once they arrived at his house, he lay down next to where his whole family was sleeping and told her to also quickly go to sleep. ¡°Oh my. You¡¯re that pretty girl I saw before? Chi-Woo must have brought you here. Come on in.¡± Evelyn ushered Apoline in and sat her along with everyone else at the table. She still had a dazed look on her face. Sizzzle-! However, she found herself sniffing the air because a wonderful sound and savory smell that stimulated her appetite wafted from the kitchen. Soon after, Apoline completely forgot about what had happened before and exclaimed joyfully with her mouth rimmed with grease, ¡°Mmm! Mm! Ten more, here!¡± ¡°Ten more of what?¡± ¡°This, this right here. The red, wide circle!¡± ¡°Ah, you mean kimchi pancake. I got it.¡± While Chi-Woo made additional kimchi pancakes, Apoline gracefully finished the remaining ones. Everything about it was delicious, but the edges were the best by far. The crunchiness as she bit into it was heavenly! Everyone stared curiously at Apoline, who was eating the kimchi pancakes with such appreciation. ¡°You eat so well,¡± Byeok said. Although Byeok was also a big-eater and didn¡¯t usually lose to other people, it was the first time she ever saw someone eat as well as Apoline. Without exaggeration, Apoline was already eating her 23rd kimchi pancake. ¡°How is all that food going into that small stomach of yours?¡± Apoline¡¯s lower abdomen popped out; it was to the extent that it stood out even through her clothes. However, her waist was still narrow, so she looked like she was pregnant. ¡°Oh, this?¡± Apoline gulped down a pancake and grinned, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± Then she put her hand on her stomach and closed her eyes, and her rounded belly slowly shrunk and returned to its original state. Ru Hiana exclaimed, ¡°Wow! How did you do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my constitution. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to copy it even if I teach you. It¡¯s a trait that our family has.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so jealous!¡± ¡°Haha. Yeah, you can be as jealous as you want. A certain amount of jealousy is completely fine with me.¡± While Apoline covered her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed, Byeok, who had been tilting her head, exclaimed softly, ¡°Aha.¡± Byeok continued, ¡°I thought you seemed quite familiar. A special bloodline like that¡ªyou must be a child of the Afrilith.¡± Apoline flinched. ¡°Let me see. I got it. Are you Arsillon and Evangeline¡¯s child?¡± Apoline¡¯s mouth widened at Byeok¡¯s remark, and she said, ¡°You must know a bit about my family.¡± ¡°I sure do. I have a connection with them.¡± ¡°Really? Who are you, if I may ask?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m Miss Byeok.¡± Apoline¡¯s reaction was immediate; she even dropped the kimchi pancake she cherished so dearly and said, ¡°No way¡­Byeok Ran-Eum?¡± Byeok¡¯s silence was confirmation enough. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Apoline shook her head from side to side. ¡°Miss Byeok, when did you arrive?¡± ¡°As part of the ninth recruits.¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t heard anything about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural since I don¡¯t like to stand out unless I have to.¡± Even with Byeok¡¯s answer, Apoline looked like she had a hard time believing this. ¡°But even then¡­there must have been at least one or two people who¡¯ve seen you¡­¡± Byeok snorted at her murmuring. ¡°My name is well-known, but there¡¯s not a single person among the ninth recruits who¡¯ve seen my face before.¡± Byeok was such a famous examiner that anyone who caught her eye and received her teaching at the academy became champions. Since only an extremely small number of selected heroes ever had the chance to meet her in person, there were very few people who actually knew what she looked like. Apoline had also planned to enter the academy after gaining more experience, so she had heard Byeok¡¯s name often. However, it was her first time seeing her. ¡°Uh¡­I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know,¡± Apoline said. ¡°No need to apologize. It¡¯s fine, so continue eating,¡± Byeok replied with a generous tone. Byeok was strict only to her disciples and accommodated and acted normally to other people. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you eat so well. Even the way you eat is similar to your mom.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you¡­¡± Apoline slightly smiled, thinking a famous examiner had a good impression of her. Then Chi-Woo arrived with a plate stacked with freshly made Korean pancakes. ¡°I¡¯ve made ten extra for now, but do you want more of any other dishes?¡± Apoline said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Do you think I¡¯m a pig? I had enough, so you should also eat some.¡± Chi-Woo looked at the dozens of plates piled up in front of Apoline for a while, but he sat down without saying a word. Before eating a few bites, Apoline asked as if she had been waiting to ask all along, ¡°By the way, what are you planning to do?¡± She continued, ¡°Anyway I see it, it seems like your brother¡­hm, the legend is trying to induce a competition between the Celestial Lights.¡± Everyone¡¯s attention focused on Apoline as she introduced a new topic. ¡°Of course, I don''t hate competition, but it¡¯s a bit too much this time. He¡¯s making it too obvious.¡± Apoline continued with a smile as if she enjoyed the attention, ¡°I have no intention to play his game as he wants. Mariaju and Eustitia also think the same. As for Ho Lactea¡­I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do well. As always.¡± Of course, she ate more Korean pancakes as she spoke. ¡°Anyway, if you¡¯re also planning to go and share the same thoughts as us, and you are in need of a magician, you can contact me. I¡¯d consider an offer from you in a favorable light.¡± Apoline licked her greasy fingers and held them out toward Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo wondered what she was doing all of a sudden, but he soon realized what she meant and presented his left wrist. After they finished registering each other as contact, Apoline slightly clenched her hand and cheered inside her head, ¡®Yayyy!¡¯ After they finished eating, Apoline said she would wait for his message and thanked him for the delicious meal before standing up. Her words seemed sincere, since her expression seemed extremely benevolent and soft as she left. After her departure, everyone else surrounded Chi-Woo and asked for a more detailed explanation about what they had discussed in the meeting, and Chi-Woo had to relay the information to them. After hearing everything, Byeok said with a serious expression, ¡°It¡¯s not insignificant.¡± A double negative, meaning it was a significant issue. ¡°Ismile Nahla¡­ No way. Although he really loves to play, he¡¯s extremely skilled¡­¡± Byeok rubbed her chin with a tone of disbelief. Chi-Woo suddenly became curious about Ismile Nahla. He had heard his name many times, but didn¡¯t know how strong he was. To be honest, by appearance alone, Ismile seemed like a jobless bum who just liked to play around. So when he asked his master about him, Byeok looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°¡­You must think the Nahlas, and Ismile of all people, as nothing special. Seriously, even if you grew up watching your brother¡­ah.¡± Byeok laughed but soon caught herself. She often forgot that Chi-Woo grew up knowing nothing. ¡°Ismile is like that because he hasn¡¯t raised his tier right now. But if he even recovers half of his original power, it would be difficult to find someone who rivals him among humankind.¡± Of course, Chi-Woo knew that Chi-Hyun was an exception among those opponents, since his master said his brother was always an exception. However, he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised, since it was rare for his master to talk so favorably about someone given her personality. It was a surprisingly high rating. ¡°Then¡­are you saying that he¡¯s almost as strong as Chi-Hyun?¡± ¡°Well, if I consider when Ismile was at his peak¡­ Honestly, even Ismile can¡¯t be compared to the legend. I¡¯ve told you this many times; you shouldn¡¯t use the punk Chi-Hyun as a measure.¡± Nevertheless, Byeok continued, ¡°But if someone straps a bomb to my neck and tells me to pick one hero who can kill Chi-Hyun, I will pick Ismile without hesitation.¡± At this point, Chi-Woo had no choice but to change his assumption. He was a frog who just got out of a well; as expected, there were many strong people in the world. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this. Even though he doesn¡¯t have a tier, he should have received a lot of backups from his family and retain his original skills¡­¡± Byeok¡¯s face remained disgruntled. Then she glanced sideways at him and asked, ¡°Are you planning to go?¡± Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t decided yet, but he was leaning strongly towards it. ¡°Well¡­¡± After getting stronger, he wanted to test his skills properly. Byeok sighed, saying she expected as much. Reluctantly, she continued, ¡°My disciple, whom I¡¯m fond of when he cooks.¡± ¡°Master, if you didn¡¯t add the last part, I would have been moved by you for the first time.¡± ¡°Anyway, I want you to come back safely and cook for me again.¡± Then she quickly added, ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten your promise to me, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Without your permission, I will never lift my seal¡ª¡± ¡°Not that,¡± Byeok cut him off, and Chi-Woo scratched his head. Beside that¡­ah, there was another promise. There was one more scenario where he could release the seals on his abilities without Byeok¡¯s permission¡ªif his life was at stake, and he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that,¡± Byeok sharply said. ¡°Whether it¡¯s an honorable death or noble sacrifice, dying is dying in the end. If you die, that¡¯s it.¡± Her words seemed to reach his very bones and left a deep impression. The image of several heroes sacrificing their lives in the forest passed through his mind, and Chi-Woo naturally became solemn. ¡°You won¡¯t die easily given your current condition, but don¡¯t forget that this world is under a crisis at the galaxy level. The level of Liber¡¯s middle-ranking bosses goes far beyond the final boss and mastermind of most worlds.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since you never know, be extremely careful.¡± Byeok seemed to be very worried about him as she emphasized her words. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll etch your warning into my heart.¡± Chi-Woo would not forget what she said. ¡°Since they¡¯re recruiting the tenth reinforcements now, there must be at least some grace period. If you¡¯re going, be sure to prepare as best as you can. You should think carefully and choose who you want to go with.¡± With these words, Byeok finished everything she wanted to say. However, there was still one more person who had business with Chi-Woo. Evelyn followed Chi-Woo back to the room and gave him a light slap on the back. ¡°It seems like another difficult situation fell into your hands?¡± ¡°Ms. Evelyn, will you be joining me this time?¡± ¡°Before I answer that, there¡¯s something I need to hear about first.¡± Evelyn said her business came first and asked bluntly, ¡°Is Apoline, the girl just now, your third?¡± Although it was a question that was completely out of the blue and asked without any explanation, Chi-Woo decided to calmly respond without getting flustered or feigning ignorance, ¡°¡­First, I¡¯ll tell you no and ask, who¡¯s the second?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask who¡¯s first?¡± ¡°I think I know who it is even without asking.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sharp. Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. The second is Eshnunna.¡± Chi-Woo calmly asked, ¡°Why is that the case?¡± ¡°Because you saw her,¡± Evelyn answered with the same composure. ¡°You have to take responsibility.¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. ¡°For your information, I like both of them. Apoline is really pretty.¡± Evelyn laughed and said that she liked everything that was pretty before shaking her head. Not just two, but three? His parents would faint if that really happened. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s hurtful. Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about my parents, but my brother would risk his life to stop that from happening.¡± ¡°Ha! That¡¯s funny. Family opposition? With just¡­that¡­¡± Evelyn was about to say, ¡®Do you think that can stop me?¡¯ but was momentarily rendered mute when she recalled who Chi-Woo¡¯s brother was. At the same time, she also thought back to how easily she had been overpowered by Chi-Hyun when she was an Abyss witch at the former Salem capital. ¡°¡­¡± It was now Evelyn¡¯s turn to be speechless. CH 274 Adventure, exploration, research, investigating, and scouting¡ªthese were all words with different meanings, but in a wider scope, they could all be lumped together in one category. There was one word that could encapsulate all those different words at once: expedition. The act of going far away to fight for a goal. It was important to differentiate between ¡®going on an exploration¡¯ and ¡®going on an expedition¡¯. Compared to an expedition, an exploration happened frequently and on smaller scales. On the other hand, an expedition was usually done by a specific number of people above a certain tier and happened rarely. In accordance with this, Chi-Hyun had summoned only heroes at gold tier and above since the team wasn¡¯t going on some small exploration in the vicinity of the city, but an expedition, which they had to pour a lot of time and effort into. In short, an expedition was something not anyone could do. But there was one important point to focus on here. Currently, humanity succeeded in establishing itself in the holy city, Shalyh, and was acknowledged by the Cassiubia League. Humanity wasn¡¯t a proper fourth faction on Liber yet, but with the way things were progressing, it appeared they would soon become a force that could exert considerable influence across the planet. While they were still working hard to reach this goal, though, the level of authority a faction wielded wasn¡¯t infinite. Like money and merits, it could also run out. Thus, this expedition could be called a test of sorts for humanity. It was a test to see whether humanity could establish itself as a powerful faction and had the qualifications to wield greater authority than others. After Chi-Hyun blatantly told the attendees of the recent meeting that he would give out special privileges according to their accomplishments, no one could afford to miss this opportunity. Yet Chi-Woo felt a bit wary about the whole thing. Though he had experience being part of an expedition, he was only a participant before. This time, he would have to do everything from one to ten as the leader of the team. And while wondering what to do, Chi-Woo got a message from someone. [Apoline Yelodi Afrilith -> (Received): Hello. Is this Mr. Choi Chi-Woo?] [Apoline Yelodi Afrilith -> (Received): Did you think about the offer I made you last time?] [Apoline Yelodi Afrilith -> (Received): Hello? Are you there?] Chi-Woo thought positively of Apoline¡¯s suggestion to collaborate. Apoline was a magician, and the presence of a member of this class alone changed an expedition team¡¯s strategy completely, and Chi-Woo knew that it was difficult to find a magician at her level. There was the deal with her family, but he had also personally witnessed her skills in the expedition against Zepar. He immediately arranged a meeting with her, during which he heard several new pieces of information. ¡°The Ho Lactea has no desire to participate in this expedition.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know the details, but it seems there¡¯s something else she has been working on separately the whole time. Well, that just means she is certain of securing influence without playing on the stage that the legend set up for us.¡± In other words, Nangnang would not participate in this expedition, either. Chi-Woo was especially disappointed to hear this. If Nangnang joined them, they would¡¯ve automatically gotten a hero to act as the head of the team, and Chi-Woo had been hoping for Nangnang to fulfill such an important role. ¡°Yeriel¡¯s and Emmanuel¡¯s stances are the same as before. Though they, and truthfully, I too, want to create our separate expedition teams...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to play into the legend¡¯s scheme to provoke competition between us?¡± ¡°There¡¯s that too, but I am concerned about some of the members in our team. Though our situation is better than before, I worry that their tiers aren¡¯t high enough.¡± Though their tiers were nothing to scoff at, it sounded inadequate coming from Apoline¡¯s mouth. ¡°I still remember the legend saying that the Nahla couldn¡¯t do a thing, and above all, it was Mr. Ismile, who stands at the top of his family. Even if he doesn¡¯t have a denomination yet, it is startling to hear the news. If we just scrape together a team because of our greed, we will not only fail in our mission, but die too.¡± It seemed Apoline and the other Celestial Lights had received quite the shock hearing about Ismile¡¯s failure. The situation really did seem serious, considering their and his master¡¯s responses. ¡°And you¡¯re right too. That¡¯s why we aim to put our strengths together. It¡¯s only going to weaken us if we compete against each other when there¡¯s so much competition already.¡± ¡°There is more competition besides us?¡± ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you hear that the legend shared the growth system with the Cassiubia League?¡± Chi-Woo realized then that this was similar to opening up a very dangerous treasure box. It was a rare and valuable opportunity to earn merits and promotion exemptions. There was no way the Cassiubia League wouldn¡¯t also be drooling over this opportunity when they were using the same growth system as them. ¡°Anyways, that sounds good. Thank you for working with us. Then I guess we can say we¡¯ve decided on four members: you, me, Yeriel, and that annoying¡ªno, Emmanuel.¡± Apoline cleared her throat and continued, ¡°And Mr. Ru Amuh will naturally join us¡­ If it¡¯s him, I¡¯m sure no one will complain, and¡­¡± Apoline glanced at Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°For the priest role, will that pretty lady be fulfilling that position?¡± ¡°So she¡¯s pretty even in your eyes, Ms. Apoline?¡± ¡°¡­I acknowledge that she doesn¡¯t look half-bad,¡± Apoline said coldly and turned away. ¡°Anyways, if it¡¯s those two, I approve. That leaves us to decide who would take the most important role of a guide or a head. I suppose recruiting a useful warrior or two won¡¯t hurt either.¡± ¡°Is there anyone you¡¯ve been considering?¡± Chi-Woo asked hopefully. ¡°It won¡¯t be hard to find one¡­but honestly, after seeing that cat, everyone else pales in comparison,¡± Apoline said while tapping on the table. ¡°So, I was planning to leave the decision to you.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Yeriel and Emmanuel agree. I already asked them, and they told me they would respect your decision.¡± With this, Chi-Woo realized that Apoline, Yeriel, and Emmanuel had agreed to give Chi-Woo the position of leader. Perhaps it was the value of the Choi family¡¯s name. Chi-Woo was grateful that they cleanly resolved a matter that could¡¯ve been sensitive later on for him, but his shoulders felt heavy. ¡°I understand. I will try to find one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do well, but put special care into choosing a guide. The guide is the one who will lead us into death or survival.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s conversation with Apoline ended there. He promised to contact her when all the members of the expedition team were decided and parted ways with her, yet he didn¡¯t immediately go back home. He stayed in his seat, contemplating what he heard for a while. Like Apoline told him, he needed to very carefully choose the guide for the expedition, but he didn¡¯t know where he would find the right one. ¡°Ah.¡± It was then a good idea popped into his head, and Chi-Woo shot to his feet with a loud stomp. Then he went around searching for one particular man, Eval Sevaru. ¡°Yo! Boss!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while. How have you been?¡± ¡°You know, same as usual. But I heard that you¡¯ve accomplished quite some feats in the meantime.¡± After a short exchange of greetings, the two immediately dived into the main topic. Chi-Woo explained the situation to him. ¡°¡­That¡¯s why I would like you to introduce a guide to us. I will compensate you well.¡± Eval¡¯s eyes brightened hearing that he would be generously compensated, and he rubbed his palms together. ¡°Okay! You¡¯ve come to the right person. I¡¯m an expert in that area. So, what level are we talking about?¡± ¡°Hm. I¡¯m also not exactly certain of that. I suppose I can¡¯t just say that I want the very best. Let me explain the situation to you in more detail.¡± ¡°That suits me just fine,¡± Eval responded. And although he seemed confident in the beginning, he looked more astounded the more he heard Chi-Woo out. ¡°W-What? Three Celestial Lights?¡± He stared at Chi-Woo dumbfoundedly. ¡°Um¡­if that¡¯s the sort of qualifications¡­¡± ¡°Do you think you can find one?¡± Eval¡¯s response changed. He seemed to hesitate and looked reluctant. ¡°I could find some people¡­but how should I say this¡­? Well, I guess I can gather a couple heroes, and you can decide for yourself like last time¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Why don¡¯t we do that?¡± Chi-Woo immediately responded, and Eval flinched. ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you trusting someone else too easily?¡± ¡°I was able to meet Mr. Nangnang thanks to you. And I benefited from you plenty of other times as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­it was different that time¡­¡± ¡°I believe you have a good eye, Mr. Eval Sevaru.¡± Eval fell into silence. His expression seemed conflicted. He contemplated for a long time until he murmured, ¡°Ah damn it. I¡¯m weak to compliments like that.¡± Then he sighed heavily and said in a serious tone he had used only on occasions before, ¡°Listen to me carefully from here on out, boss. To be honest with you, it¡¯s a really good offer for me. I can just bring a couple of ¡®okay¡¯ heroes to you and take the compensation. It won¡¯t affect me whether they are actually good for the team or not.¡± Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback by how serious Eval suddenly became. ¡°But if I were you and heard what I just said, I wouldn''t look for a hero here.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In this city.¡± Eval pointed down at the ground. It seemed he was talking about Shalyh. ¡°The cat isn¡¯t the only guide you know. There¡¯s the Cassiubia League member named Airi you worked with last time, and there are probably more you¡¯ve already met.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even consider them. That was because¡­ ¡°But isn¡¯t the reason why you didn¡¯t bring them up because you want someone even more skilled than them?¡± He hit the bull¡¯s eye. ¡°Then you can¡¯t find what you want here. Never. I¡¯m not kidding.¡± Eval drew an X with his arms and emphasized this point multiple times. Chi-Woo chewed on his bottom lip. In some way, the expedition had begun already and was starting on a difficult footing. Perhaps it was expected at this sort of level. ¡°Then what should I do¡­?¡± ¡°If I were you, I would look elsewhere.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°Where else?¡± ¡°Ah, you said you were going far away. Then I bet you would visit a couple of cities managed by the Cassiubia League or the areas surrounding your destination. The people in those places might understand your situation better.¡± Chi-Woo let out a small exclamation. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡°Whatever the case, it will probably be better than searching for a guide here. If you are lucky, you might find someone as good as or better than Mr. Nangnang.¡± Yes. There was a method like that. According to Apoline, this event was garnering a lot of attention from the Cassiubia side. Thus, there must be those interested lingering around their destination. ¡°Thank you. I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. Anyways, I wish you good luck,¡± Eval said and turned away without any hesitation. Then when he heard Chi-Woo thank him again from behind, he swiped his nose with his fingers. He would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t regret his decision a tiny bit, since he essentially blew an opportunity to gain a good amount of money. ¡®But it really is strange.¡¯ Although there was the option of introducing some semi-suitable candidates to Chi-Woo and collecting the rewards, Eval didn¡¯t do that. It wasn¡¯t because of his sense of morality, or his trust for Chi-Woo. For some reason, he had a strong instinct that he shouldn¡¯t cross the line, especially with Chi-Woo out of all people. *** Chi-Woo needed to find more than just companions. He also needed to gather supplies for the expedition. Though he was able to acquire food and medicine thanks to Evelyn¡¯s help, he needed more than that. It was because of what Byeok told him. ¡°It won¡¯t be a bad idea to use a weapon.¡± A weapon all of a sudden? Using a weapon wasn¡¯t much of a problem since after he learned the unification ability, he was able to use any kind of weapon like a part of his body almost right away. Furthermore, from the beginning, his blunt attack was at the same rank as his basic hand-to-hand combat even though he didn¡¯t particularly train in that area. Still, Chi-Woo wondered if there was really a need for that since he became used to using his body, but Byeok replied, ¡°Of course there¡¯s a need. When fighting an enemy of the same level of strength, the one with the weapon always wins. Using a weapon allows you to attack from a distance, and I know you must be aware of how important distance is when fighting by now.¡± Chi-Woo thought that made sense. ¡°Think of this as part of your training. Try to use as many weapons as you can and find one that suits you the best¡­ Put that burnt wooden club away,¡± Byeok said while seeing Chi-Woo swing his club around. ¡°And find a pair of gloves. Are you really going to lead an expedition team in that state?¡± Listening to this conversation nearby, Evelyn said this was a good idea and dragged Chi-Woo outside. Chi-Woo worried about where they would get the money for a weapon, but she took out quite a heavy pouch from her belongings. It was the money she had saved up little by little by minimizing their living expenses with the earnings, food allowance, and more that Chi-Woo brought home. Evelyn and Chi-Woo went hand in hand to the buhguhbu¡¯s forgery, where Mangil greeted them. After explaining their situation in great detail, Mangil brought out some high-quality goods, saying that he would show special care to his previous benefactor. It started with a combat burgonet-style helmet that didn¡¯t block his vision, but covered most of his neck. ¡°Raise your arm a bit¡­yes, and in that area¡­¡± After receiving shoulder, elbow, and chest plates to protect his torso, his armor set was completed. He could only buy steel greaves for the lower part of the body, but Mangil gave him gloves and leather shoes as bonuses. After that, they bought a variety of weapons following Byeok¡¯s advice. Eventually, they succeeded in spending all their campaign funds. Mangil smiled brightly during the exchange, but in reality, he also suffered great losses. Weapons were valuable items, but armors were especially expensive. There weren¡¯t many who got a whole set of armor at once; usually, people bought parts one by one after saving enough for a full set. ¡®The armor Mr. Dalgil had was actually really expensive,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought while looking at his reflection in the mirror. He looked a bit awkward with all the equipment attached to him. ¡°You have to really succeed in the expedition this time,¡± Evelyn said and sighed seeing her droopy, thin pouch. ¡°But what about you, Ms. Evelyn¡­?¡± ¡°What are you even asking for? Prepping even one person properly is difficult in our current financial situation.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Since I am a healer, I¡¯m sure the warriors will protect me well.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve used a bit less.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. It¡¯s a hundred times better than not having something like gloves. And we can always earn more money later.¡± Evelyn licked her lips, lamenting why they didn¡¯t have more funds. Though they prepared him adequately, something was still lacking. ¡°Hm¡­I wonder if we can do something more?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s skills above equipment in the end. A master calligrapher doesn¡¯t differentiate between the brushes they have.¡± ¡°But what if a master calligrapher also has the best brush?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°Equipment is almost as important as skills. It¡¯s the equipment that decides victory among two people of equal skills,¡± Evelyn said and wiggled a finger. ¡°Oh yeah, is there anything else you earned from the last expedition? I thought you guys struck gold last time.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ Ah, give me a moment.¡± Chi-Woo returned to his house and pulled out the reliquia he had carefully stored inside his room and prayed. After spending a short while talking to La Bella, Chi-Woo came back looking stunned. ¡°Why the look? What did she say?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Mangil had told Chi-Woo that a god would take care of the rest if he offered reliquia to one, but after meeting La Bella, he realized that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°She wants me to gather materials.¡± ¡°What kind of materials?¡± Chi-Woo hesitantly passed on La Bella¡¯s words to her, ¡°A Canine of a Crazy Moon, a Breath of a Dragon, and a Core of Solitude¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± Evelyn said in shock. ¡°Canine of a Crazy Moon?¡± ¡°Do you know what that is?¡± Chi-Woo perked up and asked, but Evelyn¡¯s response immediately doused his hope. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say every single one of the Fenrirs was annihilated?¡± CH 275 While Chi-Woo was busy preparing for the expedition, Hawa was wandering between the crossroads of life and death like usual. After boldly approaching the legend and asking for his teaching, Hawa had been leading a repetitive life of going back and forth between her home and the official residence. Chi-Hyun¡¯s method of training was simple; it closely resembled the method that his and Chi-Woo¡¯s master, Byeok, used. He created a specific situation with his image representation ability and left Hawa there. That was the extent of his involvement, and whether she died or not, he gave no advice. Thus, Hawa had to survive on her own again today. Although she was the epitome of emotionlessness, she was still human, and she felt enormous disappointment and frustration towards this forceful training. At first, she tried to complete this task with all she had without even letting out a groan out of pride, but it wasn¡¯t easy. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was an intentional arrangement of Chi-Hyun¡¯s, but it was hard to make out the different monsters appearing in different situations with the darkness shrouding them. Thus, Hawa tried to identify the monsters by remembering their other characteristics, such as the sound they made, but she soon realized that the attempt was also futile. No matter how much she searched, there was no information that matched the characteristics of the monsters that she¡¯d experienced firsthand; she couldn¡¯t even get a small clue about the monsters outside of the image representation space. It became clear by then that the image representation space was created based on memory and experience, and the mental images that she encountered were created by Chi-Hyun. Moreover, it was clear that the mysterious monsters that appeared every time were monsters that only Chi-Hyun had directly or indirectly faced. It might be alien monsters outside of planet Liber. Hawa felt most discontent about this fact. She could understand if they were monsters she might face on Liber, but she couldn¡¯t understand why she had to risk her life to find ways to kill alien monsters. Hawa, who had been desperately waiting for a chance, eventually set up a meeting and formally protested to Chi-Hyun. Then Chi-Hyun replied like this. [This is Liber¡¯s monster.] [And even if it isn¡¯t, you should know how to deal with alien monsters. You know where the Sernitas are from, right?] Hawa¡¯s rebellion sank with just those two sentences. However, the words he said subsequently left a deeper impression on Hawa. [If you know yourself and your enemy, you won¡¯t be in danger even in a hundred battles. As this expression goes, your chance of winning increases if you know your opponent in advance. It should be a given that everyone should find out more about their enemy in advance. I¡¯m not denying that.] [However, will everything go the way you want it to go? Unless you become a master of all things or a wise sage, there will surely come a time when you encounter an unknown situation or an unknown enemy.] [What are you going to do then? Will you complain like this to your enemy, saying you don¡¯t have any information about them?] [You should be able to find the best way out anytime, under any circumstances. I think this is a basic skill that you must have if you¡¯re a guide.] [Think carefully about why even though there¡¯s an expedition leader, a guide takes the position as head of an expedition and is granted comparable authority to the expedition leader.] Every word hit her in the bones. Technically, he wasn¡¯t wrong. If the head simply meant ¡®a person who responds well to what they already know¡¯, anyone could become a guide. After listening to Chi-Hyun¡¯s advice, Hawa never complained since then. Rather than relying on external information, she tried to analyze the situation as much as possible and think on her own even if she didn¡¯t know what her opponent was. On days when her analysis was wrong, she had to struggle with terrible pain and face death in the end, but everything she gained in exchange became part of Hawa¡¯s blood and flesh. Therefore, Hawa was walking alone in a forest shrouded in black today. She walked quietly for a while to prevent making a sound. Soon after, a forked path appeared in front of her. Hawa looked around carefully, dropped on one knee, and carefully observed the forked path. Then she narrowed both eyes and looked extremely conflicted. How long has it been? Hawa got up and began moving to the middle of the three forked paths. After a while, she heard a scratching noise and stopped walking again. Sasasasak! Hawa¡¯s subsequent actions were very astute. She showered the source of the sound with numerous daggers and ran as hard as she could. Soon, all the daggers she threw bounced away, and something big rushed towards her with impressive speed. However, there was nothing around; even when it looked around, it couldn¡¯t see anybody else because Hawa had already moved back and climbed up one of the surrounding trees. Although she got caught by the monster right away, Hawa had already taken the bow off her back and notched an arrow. As soon as something dark raised its head, a slight glow shone on its forehead. The moment between life and death was decided in less than a second. Hawa let go of the bowstring without hesitation. Twang! The arrow hit the monster¡¯s shining forehead exactly. As expected, it couldn¡¯t pierce through the monster and bounced off, but¡ª Kirrrrrrr? Its reaction was different from before. The monster, which was about to jump, hurriedly stepped back in surprise. And at that moment, the world stopped. Hawa, who was preparing for her next action, looked around after noticing that time had stopped. Then she was surprised to see Chi-Hyun standing behind her. She had no idea how long he had been there when she hadn¡¯t lowered her guard for even a second. ¡°You earned about three seconds.¡± Chi-Hyun rubbed his chin and slightly lowered his head. This was his habit whenever he thought something was ¡®so-so¡¯. In the military, there was a position called the listening post. Their job was to listen carefully to detect enemy movements during the night or in foggy weather. A skilled listening post could even hear moles digging tunnels. Anyway, it was an essential skill to learn as a guide, and Chi-Woo thought what Hawa did just now was ¡®okay¡¯. Although an unknown opponent suddenly made a surprise attack, Hawa accurately attacked the enemy¡¯s weakness and succeeded in withdrawing. She merely bought three seconds, but it was more than enough time for the other expedition members to check and prepare for the appearance of an enemy; that was on the premise that they were all experienced and skilled heroes, of course. ¡°Your response wasn¡¯t bad, but¡­¡± Still, good hearing alone didn¡¯t make someone a good guide. ¡°What did you see at the three-way intersection?¡± ¡°I saw footprints going inwards.¡± ¡°Tell me in detail.¡± He was telling her to describe her entire thought process of how she reached the conclusion to pick the middle path. Hawa gulped and replied, ¡°There were footprints on every path. The middle path had the most, the left had the second most, and the right path had the least footprints.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°There was one thing each path had in common. I saw signs of entry, but no signs of exit.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So¡­I thought it would be better to go to a place with the most footprints.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Hawa paused for a moment at his non-stop questions. Chi-Hyun asked again, ¡°Just because there were more people?¡± ¡°Rather than that¡­¡± Hawa hesitated and continued, ¡°Since there was a higher possibility that the team with a larger number would be a more standard team, I thought it would be better to go there.¡± Chi-Hyun rubbed his chin again, but he didn¡¯t lower his head this time. ¡°Judging by your tone, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You must not be sure of yourself. Did you just go with your gut feeling?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Hawa honestly admitted the truth, and Chi-Hyun slightly tilted his chin. ¡°I won¡¯t say your approach is wrong, but you weren¡¯t able to get the right answer. By your logic, you should have gone to the left.¡± Hawa inadvertently looked back at the intersection she passed. ¡°There is one footprint on the path on the right. The depth of the footprint suggests that they were wearing iron-plated shoes. It doesn¡¯t go along well with guides who generally prefer agile movements and lighten the load on their feet.¡± Chi-Hyun was saying that since only one person went this way and wasn¡¯t a guide, they went to die by themselves. ¡°The middle path has a lot of footprints, but if you look closely, you can gauge their formation. The footprints are not deep like the right path, but all the light footprints are centered around the middle. Since there is no reason to put the guide in the middle, you can take that as a clue that this team was trying to protect a mage or a priest.¡± In other words, the team on the middle path entered without a guide; since there wasn¡¯t a guide, it couldn¡¯t be a proper team. ¡°On the contrary, the team on the left path has a standard composition even though their numbers are smaller compared to the team on the middle path. A guide led the way in the front, and the middle and rear are neatly placed, so the whole formation is solid.¡± Hawa¡¯s expression seemed to be saying, ¡®how the fuck can I analyze all that in such a short time,¡¯ but she just quietly listened. ¡°The role of a guide is the same as a driver. They have to lead their teammates in the right direction so that they won¡¯t die on the ride.¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°In that sense, the guide should always be certain. Instead of saying, ¡®I think so¡¯, they should be saying, ¡®This is what it is.¡¯ To be certain, they need to develop the ability to find even the smallest clue to narrow down the number of possible cases.¡± The surroundings changed completely then. The gloomy black forest disappeared, replaced by the official residence lit under the bright sunlight. Chi-Hyun said, ¡°Good work.¡± Tap. A box wrapped in a cloth fell in front of Hawa¡ªit was a lunch box packed by Chi-Woo. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Hawa sat at the office desk and stared at Chi-Hyun, who also opened his lunch box. Thinking back, it was funny how this whole situation emerged. Chi-Woo originally packed lunch for only his master, but at the request of several people, he made lunch boxes for others as well. Hawa was one of the people he made lunch boxes for. Although Hawa didn¡¯t ask for one, Chi-Woo packed one for her, telling her to take care of herself, and she didn¡¯t turn down his offer. However, when she first went to the official residence with the lunch box, it got stolen immediately. Chi-Hyun, who looked indifferent at first, looked at the contents of the lunch box and took it from her, saying, ¡®This is the tuition, isn¡¯t it? He at least has some manners.¡¯ No matter how many times Hawa said it was for her, all of her efforts were useless because Chi-Hyun shut down all her protests by saying, ¡®I¡¯m using my precious innate ability for you, so I need to get something in exchange. If you have any complaints, pack two lunch boxes next time.¡¯ In the end, Hawa had no choice but to endure and accept this situation. On the other hand, when she asked Chi-Woo to pack two lunch boxes, he easily accepted¡ªalthough Chi-Woo misunderstood and told her, ¡®Ms. Hawa, you eat more than you look. Was my food that good?¡¯ ¡°Listen while you eat.¡± While Hawa cursed Chi-Hyun inside her mind, he continued, ¡°It¡¯s about your next training.¡± ¡°Please wait a minute. I have something to tell you.¡± Hawa looked up while eating. ¡°I can¡¯t come here for a while.¡± ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Hawa was about to say, ¡®Because I¡¯m planning to join an expedition where Chi-Woo is the captain¡ª,¡¯ but Chi-Hyun¡¯s response took her by surprise. ¡®He already knew?¡¯ However, she calmly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but I think we¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ll be leaving soon?¡± ¡°¡­I heard this morning that he¡¯ll finish all the preparations within this week.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°Did he allow you to join?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t said anything yet, but I¡¯m going to bring it up to him soon.¡± ¡°Good. Then we can proceed with the next training.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Join that expedition and be acknowledged.¡± ¡°By whom? Your brother?¡± ¡°Not only him, but everyone in the expedition,¡± Chi-Hyun said calmly, ¡°Take the position of the head in your team.¡± Hawa doubted her ears. Since it was the most important role in a team, being the head was equivalent to winning everyone¡¯s respect and acknowledgment. However, this was incredibly difficult. Hawa was somewhat aware of the present situation as well. It was an expedition in which four of those renowned Celestial Lights were participating, and the other two confirmed members of the expedition were just as formidable as the Celestial Lights. No words were needed to describe Ru Amuh, and it was the same for Onorables Evelyn, who was the Saintess of the White Horse General. Excluding Chi-Hyun, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that this was the best expedition team for humankind at this point. And Chi-Hyun wanted her to play the role of the head in an important expedition like that? She would like to do it if she could, but it was not a position that she could get just because she wanted it. ¡°Well¡­¡± Chi-Hyun read her self-doubt and asked, ¡°Are you not confident?¡± She stared intently at him. ¡°Do you think I can do it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you judged me so highly,¡± Hawa said slightly sarcastically, but Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t show much reaction; he really did seem like he thought she could do it. ¡°Why? Why do you think that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no fun if I tell you in advance.¡± Chi-Hyun flatly spoke while eating vegetables. ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you go.¡± ¡°With such irresponsible words¡ª.¡± ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡± Chi-Hyun interrupted her and said, ¡°Have I ever made a demand that was far beyond your abilities during training?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Hawa had no words to say; that wasn¡¯t the case. She had an incredibly difficult time, but it somehow worked out in the end after a lot of effort on her part. ¡°It¡¯s the same for this time too.¡± Hawa looked at Chi-Hyun with a new perspective. She didn¡¯t know that this man could also give encouragement as well. Come to think of it, he also told her she¡¯d done good work earlier. And he didn¡¯t tell her off for interrupting him or get annoyed at her, telling her to stop asking useless questions. ¡°Of course, you might feel anxious. Then I¡¯ll give you a special lesson. Come every day until the day before your departure. I¡¯ll be extending the training time from now on, so don¡¯t forget to bring your lunch box.¡± Why was he acting so nice all of the sudden? ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ Looking back, Hawa thought Chi-Hyun might have gotten more lenient after she brought the lunch boxes. ¡®No, no way.¡¯ Hawa shook her head. No way this was true. Chi-Hyun was the type to not even blink when a dazzling beauty born only once every thousand years ran into his arms. Hawa admitted that Chi-Woo¡¯s food was delicious, but there was no way that a guy like Chi-Hyun, who didn¡¯t even have an ounce of emotions, would be shaken by such a¡ª ¡°Yeah¡­I think doenjang-guk[1] will be good tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget¡­doenjang-guk¡­¡± Hawa¡¯s eyes became dim as she looked at Chi-Hyun, who was happily thinking, ¡®What should I eat tomorrow?¡¯ * * * There were three additional ingredients that La Bella required for reliquia. Chi-Woo had no idea what they were and where to get them; even Evelyn, who had extensive knowledge as an Abyss witch, did not know everything. [Besides the Core of Solitude, the dragon¡¯s breath is probably related to the last dragon.] [Why don¡¯t you go to her after this expedition ends? Since you¡¯re the legend¡¯s brother, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll reject a meeting with you.] Chi-Woo thought Evelyn was right and decided to focus on the expedition for the present. The preparations were almost done, and they had plenty of supplies and equipment. There was no reason for him to drag things out further. Even if there was a grace period, delaying the expedition further would only be detrimental, so he immediately contacted Apoline, and like this, the departure date was set. Although he was busy preparing for the expedition, Chi-Woo did not forget to take care of the people near him. Since he thought it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to have one more warrior, he asked Ru Hiana to come with them. However, surprisingly, Ru Hiana refused. ¡°Will you really be fine with not going?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course. Honestly, it¡¯s not an expedition for me to join. If I go, I¡¯ll only be a hindrance.¡± ¡°But Ms. Ru Hiana, you¡¯re still a silver rank.¡± ¡°Thank you for thinking of me, but I¡¯m really fine. No¡ªI don¡¯t want to go, actually. I don¡¯t want to die yet, senior.¡± Ru Hiana swore to raise her tier to gold tier without anyone¡¯s help and sternly refused Chi-Woo¡¯s offer. She also knew that this expedition was an opportunity for her, but she realized during the Narsha Haram expedition that at her current level, she would only drag Ru Amuh and Chi-Woo down. Ru Hiana thought she shouldn¡¯t be more of a burden and joined another team, and she left after saying that he should come back alive. Of course, not everyone was like Ru Hiana. While Chi-Woo was busily preparing lunch boxes, a person approached him. ¡°I also want to join.¡± Chi-Woo turned around at the sudden remark and saw Hawa speaking monotonously. ¡°The expedition.¡± While Chi-Woo became speechless at the sudden request, Hawa asked one more time, ¡°Did you get a guide?¡± ¡°What? Ah, no. Not yet.¡± ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m planning to get one over there,¡± Chi-Woo answered despite his surprise and stared at Hawa with suspicion. ¡°I want to give the head position a try.¡± His suspicion was right. Matching Hawa¡¯s manner of speech, Chi-Woo also replied directly, ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± He refused flat-out. ¡°Why can¡¯t I do it?¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to bring Ru Hiana along; she had a relationship with him and Ru Amuh, and at the end of the day, she was a silver tier. As the expedition leader, he could let her join at his discretion. However, Hawa was a bronze tier; it was already a matter of concern for her to join as a regular member, but she wanted to join as the head? She crossed the line way over. It was simply absurd. It was no exaggeration to say that the team might fracture and completely crumble even before they left for the expedition. ¡°Then let me join as a porter like before. But.¡± Hawa expected Chi-Woo to refuse in the first place, so she continued as if it was no big deal, ¡°If I show you that my ability is better than the head over there, would you be able to give me that position?¡± One of Chi-Woo¡¯s eyebrows crept up. She was very confident; he didn¡¯t know why, but she seemed certain that she could get the position. On second thought, she had been training hard alone recently¡­ Chi-Woo shrugged after much thought. ¡°Then it won¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°All right.¡± When Hawa smirked, Chi-Woo smiled wryly and handed her two lunch boxes. ¡°If you want to go with us, I won¡¯t stop you. But please don¡¯t overdo it, all right?¡± Hawa took the lunch boxes but stood still. Normally, she would have bowed her head and turned away without another word, but today, she lingered and hesitated to say something. ¡°What is it?¡± Chi-Woo asked. When Hawa continued to hesitate, Chi-Woo became nervous. Hawa was the type to unceremoniously make a bomb-like declaration as wanting the head position, but she was now hesitating. It must be no ordinary matter. ¡°There¡¯s¡­¡± Chi-Woo took a deep breath when Hawa finally opened her mouth. ¡°No soup.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°If there¡¯s no soup, it¡¯s harder to eat the rice,¡± Hawa continued while desperately looking elsewhere, ¡°So please make some soup to go along with it.¡± ¡°What type of soup would you like?¡± Chi-Woo asked with a blank face. ¡°Doenjang-guk.¡± ¡°¡­Wait. Ms. Hawa, how do you know what doenjang-guk is?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just make it without asking or arguing with me about it? Please.¡± ¡°I just¡ª¡± ¡°Please.¡± Hawa had never looked more desperate. Chi-Woo closed his mouth because Hawa¡¯s face was contorting with so much self-loathing, it was as if she was thinking, ¡®I really hate myself for doing this too.¡¯ In the end, Chi-Woo was pushed back by her indescribable spirit and ended up making doenjang-guk. Little did he know, Chi-Hyun was very satisfied with Chi-Woo¡¯s soup. Chi-Woo put his heart and soul into finishing the expedition preparations. Time busily passed by like this, and the starting day of the expedition finally arrived. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. 1. korean soybean paste soup ? CH 276 D-Day. Chi-Woo woke up when hit by the dawn¡¯s light and made his bed. After having a meal with everyone, he washed thoroughly from head to toe. Now that he was getting ready to leave, his heart thumped nonstop. He worried that he might forget something before leaving. ¡ªHey Chi-Woo, let me ask you one thing. While Chi-Woo was packing his belongings, Philip suddenly talked to him. ¡ªWhy are you packing your goods there? What happened to your handy bag? Chi-Woo asked what Philip was talking about and lifted the bag he was packing with. ¡ªNo, not that bag. It was then Chi-Woo realized what Philip was referring to¡ªSteam Bun. They hadn¡¯t seen Steam Bun for a while now, and it was natural that Philip would be curious about its whereabouts. Chi-Woo¡¯s expression turned to normal again, and he resumed packing his bag and thought: ¡®It went off to live a new life.¡¯ ¡ªHuh? Suddenly? Without saying anything? Philip tilted his head. ¡ªEven though you brought it here so that it could live the rest of its life however it wanted, it had always stayed by your side before. ¡®That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes drooped slightly, and his hands slowed. For some reason, he seemed conflicted. ¡®Do you know what happened to Goddess Kabbalah?¡¯ ¡ªKabbalah? Well, she¡­ Philip looked taken aback by Chi-Woo¡¯s unexpected question. Why was Chi-Woo mentioning an ancient god that had been abandoned and forgotten now? ¡®Did you know that after the last war, Shalyh had been changed from Kabbalah¡¯s temple to the White Horse General¡¯s?¡¯ ¡ªUh, yeah, I knew about that. What happened then? ¡®She disappeared.¡¯ ¡ªWhat? Why? ¡®Since she became unnecessary after the White Horse General¡¯s appearance.¡¯ ¡ªBut still¡­ Philip thought he heard wrong and trailed off. He couldn¡¯t believe it at first, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. What was the importance of a god¡¯s existence right now? It was simple. There were two main reasons for their existence: for establishing a godly territory and acting as a patron for heroes through the growth system. And right now, humanity and the Cassiubia League needed a god with power suitable for their current situation; considering that, they didn¡¯t need a god of something like love or philanthropy. In accordance, it was only inevitable that White Horse General would be popular. Simply by making a contract with him, people would gain powers that gave them advantages over the Demon Empire. Then what was the case for Kabbalah? Besides the White Horse General, what her powers could contribute to the current situation was even more ambiguous than the buhguhbus¡¯s god, Mamiya, or the Carbuncles¡¯s god, Miho. Kabal was originally a god of an evil nature. She almost disappeared when she became unnecessary, but she tried to prevent that by creating Balal, who was of good nature. Her original goal was to become a new twin goddess, but that attempt failed because the Salem Academy separated from Liber before her followers could turn Balal into a god. Chi-Woo managed to revive her somehow, but Balal was still not in her complete form. And, as expected, Kabal became unstable as well after becoming one with the incomplete Balal. The Demon Empire¡¯s invasion clearly brought her weakness to light. Of course, their enemies became helpless after Chi-Woo revealed his secret card, the White Horse General, but not all of his allies could rejoice about it. The fact that all attention was on the White Horse General meant that someone was getting disregarded. It was then Philip realized why Chi-Woo looked so conflicted. Gods were existences who lived on beliefs; those who didn¡¯t receive beliefs faded into oblivion. In a way, Chi-Woo was the one who caused Kabbalah to disappear again even though that wasn¡¯t what he intended. ¡ªSo does that mean¡­Kabbalah is going to be forgotten again? ¡®Rather than that, she chose to back away herself.¡¯ ¡ªHuh? ¡®And for that, I made a promise.¡¯ Chi-Woo tilted his head up and looked at the ceiling. Did Kabal not realize that all these things were going to happen? No, she knew. She easily predicted that after the White Horse General¡¯s emergence, her place on Liber would become very small, so small that she could almost disappear. But in the end, she had no choice. Whatever way she thought about it, it was a situation where she had to back away. Thus, she made leeway for herself in the form of a promise with Chi-Woo. It was then Philip realized that this promise was related to Steam Bun, who had been absent these days. ¡ªI don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on exactly, but I guess that means they aren¡¯t gone forever? Neither that bag nor Kabbalah? ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡ªCan we see those two again someday? Chi-Woo didn¡¯t immediately reply. He stayed silent for a while and looked back at Philip with a very faint smile. ¡®I hope we can. But this is the path they chose out of their own will¡­¡¯ ¡ªOkay. I got it. I¡¯m sure the day will come if we keep waiting. Let¡¯s see them then. Though he still had loads more questions, Philip didn¡¯t press. Chi-Woo would soon leave for an expedition. He had the important role of leading his expedition team this time, and Philip didn¡¯t want to disturb Chi-Woo¡¯s already full head with more things to think about. *** The four of them¡ªChi-Woo, Ru Amuh, Evelyn, and Hawa¡ªleft their zones with Eshnunna and Byeok seeing them off. Chi-Woo was slightly surprised when he arrived at the city gates. He thought he had arrived quite early, but the rest of the team was already there¡ªEmmanuel, Yeriel, and Apoline. ¡°You guys came earlier than I thought you would,¡± Chi-Woo remarked. The seven of them exchanged simple greetings. Though there were some who were meeting for the first time, they had all heard plenty about each other and didn¡¯t need introductions¡ªsave for one person. ¡°By the way, I heard you¡¯re planning to find our guide and perhaps other members on the way to our destination¡­¡± Emmanuel glanced at Apoline and asked Chi-Woo in a serious voice. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s too difficult to find a suitable guide in Shalyh¡­and since the Cassiubia League members are also very interested in this matter, I¡¯m planning to go find one among them.¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­¡± Emmanuel looked more relieved hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s response. Then his eyes shifted to Hawa, who had a bag on her back. ¡°I am La Hawa. I serve God La Bella like the captain and my tier is bronze. I am accompanying the group as a porter for now,¡± Hawa said tartly, revealing only the necessity. ¡°A porter¡­¡± Emmanuel nodded. An expedition team naturally needed someone to carry their load. Usually, they would get a strong native to fulfill this role, so it was more satisfying to have someone under a growth system take up the job. ¡°A bronze-tier luggage carrier. It sounds wasteful,¡± Apoline said and smirked while stroking her hair. ¡°And for now, you said¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter since it¡¯s our captain we are talking about.¡± Yeriel smiled brightly and stared at Hawa curiously. Seeing their responses, Chi-Woo realized that he had made the right choice to let Hawa join as a porter. If he had made her even a temporary guide, they would¡¯ve likely said something. ¡°Time is gold. Since our journey isn¡¯t short, I think it would be a good idea to talk as we go¡­¡± Apoline said while glancing at Chi-Woo. Considering her personality, she would¡¯ve normally said something along the line of ¡®Let¡¯s move instead of wasting more time¡¯, but surprisingly, Apoline was very professional in this sort of setting; she clearly separated her public and private self and didn¡¯t forget that Chi-Woo was the captain of the expedition team right now. ¡°¡­Yes. We should have Mr. Ru Amuh in front for now¡­¡± Chi-Woo sighed inside his mind and decided on the team¡¯s formation using his experience from the Narsha Haram expedition. For a moment, he considered putting Hawa in the front, but he shook his head to himself in the end. One important impression he got during the Narsha Haram expedition was that their captain, Dalgil, was always fair. He didn¡¯t go easy on his friends and was always equally strict with everyone. ¡®I also have to be like that,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. The moment this expedition started, the lives of seven people, including his own, would be in his hands. With so many people¡¯s survival on the line, this wasn¡¯t the time for him to consider factors like loyalty or friendships. If Hawa wanted the role of a guide, she needed to prove her worth. ¡°Ms. Hawa, come here,¡± Chi-Woo said with determination and placed Hawa in the center of the team. They started as soon as the team formation was set in place, and Hawa fixed the bag on her back and quietly followed the group with her usual emotionless face. *** Like Apoline said, their destination wasn¡¯t a short distance away. They had to go far beyond the Cassiubia Mountain Range and march for a while even after Chi-Woo decided on taking the shortest path. Though they could drop by the Cassiubia League¡¯s main base to find a guide, he decided against it because they would have to take a considerable detour; and he reasoned that most of the Cassiubia League¡¯s members who were interested in this expedition would probably be lingering near their destination anyways. Thus, it seemed best for them to take the quickest path of going straight rather than going all around. And even when they passed through lands that were previously the Demon Empire¡¯s territories before the last war, nothing happened contrary to their worries. They didn¡¯t see any army, demonic creatures, or even a monster. It appeared that news of internal conflict in the Demon Empire was true; and thus, the expedition team was able to keep marching and reach their first destination without any hindrances. The Hala outpost base was a quarter of a day¡¯s travel from their final destination. It was a temporary base that the Cassiubia League set up to conquer the ¡®Hala Forest¡¯. The team didn¡¯t expect much since it was supposed to be temporary, but when they actually entered, they were stunned. Perhaps it should be expected of the Cassiubia League. Even this hastily built base was as big as most villages. There was even a business district where people gathered, and there seemed to be everything one needed at a glance. The expedition team hurriedly found an inn upon Apoline¡¯s urgent request. None of them were in a proper state after staying many days outside. Once they unloaded their belongings, the expedition team went to the streets and looked for the largest establishment in the area. Yeriel spotted a tavern named, ¡®Where the Wind Lingers¡¯ and went inside, taking a seat. ¡°Do you all want to eat first?¡± Chi-Woo sat and asked his companions. ¡°It would be nice to have a meal, but isn¡¯t there something we should do before that?¡± Apoline responded. Since they had to start their expedition tomorrow, finding a guide even a second faster was better. Chi-Woo thought she was right and slowly looked around. The place was quite large and filled with people. ¡°What? Is that really true?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth. Rumors are already spreading everywhere. People saw them and said they were going to return.¡± ¡°Ha. I can¡¯t believe it. And I heard they were platinum tiers¡­¡± It appeared that some group had gone on an expedition like them and returned after failing. Chi-Woo craned his ears around the room and discovered that many were talking about the Hala Forest. It was as he had expected. ¡°Keh. It¡¯s been a while since I felt like this.¡± Yeriel chuckled while looking around. Many eyes were watching Chi-Woo¡¯s expedition team¡ªnot even subtly, but blatantly. It was easy to guess why. This place wasn¡¯t like Shalyh city, and it was difficult to spot a single human here. Though the Cassiubia League had opened up their entire city to humanity, there were still hardly any humans who ventured this far. The Cassiubia League members must have only heard the news about the change recently. Though humanity¡¯s reputation had increased with Chi-Hyun¡¯s achievements and the victory in Shalyh, the majority of the Cassiubia League still considered themselves superior. While ordinary league members were following their higher-ups¡¯ orders, there were very few who considered humans to be truly equal to them. The difference between the two factions was still significant, and there were many groups in the league who previously had an antagonistic relationship with humanity. Who knew what would happen if the two groups weren¡¯t in an alliance? ¡®Huh?¡¯ While Chi-Woo was looking around for someone suitable, he suddenly felt a piercing gaze. He spotted one person looking their way from the kitchen. There was a girl wearing a humble outfit contrasting her shining, lustrous blonde hair. She was a plain, nothing-special waitress¡ªjust a country girl with bright eyes and freckles on her nose. It was a bit strange. She looked just like a human in appearance. But why is there another human here? Moreover¡­ ¡®Why is she smiling?¡¯ She was beaming at him, and when Chi-Woo met eyes with her, he was hit with a strange feeling. The hubbub and noises soon faded away. Eventually, even the tavern around him grew distant. He felt as if he and the waitress were alone in a space where nothing else existed. But then the brightly smiling girl suddenly frowned. The pupils in her widened eyes stretched sideways like those of a reptile, and Chi-Woo felt an intangible feeling penetrate his whole body. In shock, he instinctively tried to get up. ¡ªHey, what are you doing? Philip¡¯s question brought his senses back. Chi-Woo looked around and saw that everything had returned to normal. He was back in the tavern and awash in the same bustling noises. It was as if he had been enchanted. ¡®What happened just now¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo turned and saw the waitress again. The girl was smiling brightly like before. Seeing the nervous look on Chi-Woo¡¯s face, she narrowed her eyes and smirked. Then she mouthed something. ¡ªHe, llo¡­? Looking in the same direction as Chi-Woo, Philip interpreted her silent words. ¡ªWhat? Do you know her? There was no way. Chi-Woo shook his head and let out the breath he had been holding. ¡°I think this is a good opportunity since all the attention is already on us. Should I give it a try?¡± Apoline asked. Then, because Chi-Woo was still in a daze about what just happened, she asked again, ¡°Hello captain? Are you listening?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Go ahead¡­¡± Still flustered, Chi-Woo agreed, and Apoline pushed her chair back. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Hear me out!¡± Bam! Apoline struck the table hard and got up. ¡°We are an expedition team from Shalyh city, here to attack Hala Forest by the Cassiubia League¡¯s request.¡± After this short introduction, Apoline said, ¡°If there¡¯s a guide who came here for the same goal, please step forward. If you seem capable, we will include you in our team.¡± She placed both hands on her waist and looked around. The Cassiubia League members exchanged glances, and soon, the tavern was filled with a burst of wild laughter. Wahahahahaha! CH 277 ¡°What, what is it? What¡¯s so funny?¡± Apoline was confused by the sudden burst of laughter that filled the tavern. The Cassiubia League members paid no attention to her and continued to boisterously laugh. Then they soon went back to talking amongst each other as if nothing happened. Of course, there were a few monsters who were still looking at the expedition members. One of them stood up¡ªit was a lizard covered in scales with a physique similar to humans. ¡°What¡­what¡¯s up with everyone¡¯s reaction?¡± ¡°Of course they¡¯ll act like that.¡± While Apoline was dumbfounded, the lizard approached her with staggering steps and said, ¡°How can you not laugh when a group of nobodies suddenly appear and ask for a skilled guide?¡± Judging from the lizard¡¯s slurred voice, they seemed a bit tipsy. ¡°A group of nobodies?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± When Apoline glared at them with sharp eyes, the lizard said, ¡°Whoa,¡± and took a couple steps back and laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not just talking about you guys. I can say that about a lot of us here as well.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re not nobodies.¡± Apoline protested. ¡°Hehe. I understand. I was like that at first too. But if you get taught a harsh lesson and return¡ª¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Then a cold sneer interrupted the lizard. ¡°You sure talk a lot for someone who already failed the expedition and barely managed to save your life.¡± Emmanuel gave the lizard a contemptuous look. It seemed he was just as offended as Apoline. The lizard¡¯s eyes became sharp at Emmanuel¡¯s obvious mockery, but they soon laughed dryly and said, ¡°That¡¯s what everyone says. At first, they all confidently enter the forest, saying they¡¯ll be different, but do you know?¡± The lizard snickered and continued, ¡°None of those who made the same claim ever came back alive.¡± The lizard looked at each and every one of the expedition members and said, ¡°Do you think the temporary entry ban has been imposed for no reason? What do you have to say about that?¡± The expedition members all looked at each other. It was the first time they heard of a temporary entry ban on the Hala Forest. The lizard¡¯s eyes became keen as they saw the expedition member¡¯s puzzled reaction. ¡°Oh my¡­it seems you came all the way here without hearing the news.¡± The lizard snickered and moved closer to the table. ¡°The Hala Forest is literally an unknown jungle. It¡¯s a place where things that we never experienced and go beyond our wildest imagination happen on a daily basis.¡± Then the lizard circled the table. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell how difficult it is seeing how many of us are gathered here, and we still don¡¯t even know how much we¡¯ve progressed, let alone succeed in conquering the area?¡± Then the lizard twisted their mouth and said, ¡°Ah, come to think of it, wasn¡¯t the man hand-picked by the legend you humans admire so much also forced to withdraw?¡± Apoline and Emmanuel didn¡¯t have a comeback for that. The Hala Forest made even Ismile Nahla raise a white flag and say that it was impossible to go further. ¡°Do you get it now? As you said, even if I only managed to return with my life, it¡¯s not a testament against my strength. Rather, it¡¯s a badge of honor that I survived,¡± the lizard said with pride and smiled. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not saying this because I look down on you guys. On the contrary, I¡¯m saying this out of concern. Regardless of everything, you heroes are our precious ally, right?¡± ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you get to the point?¡± Although Apoline didn¡¯t show it, she was suppressing her anger as she asked, ¡°What is it that you want to say to us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Honestly, I¡¯d like to stop you, but if you really must go in, I think the information I have might be helpful.¡± ¡°Information?¡± ¡°Did you forget? I came back from the Hala Forest alive.¡± As the lizard said, there was no more accurate information than direct experience. However, considering the nuances of the lizard¡¯s expression and tone, it didn¡¯t seem like they would reveal what they knew so easily. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not going to give it to you free of charge.¡± As expected, the lizard wanted something in return. ¡°Since it¡¯s valuable information I earned in exchange for risking my life, if you give me an appropriate price¡­¡± Chi-Woo laughed bitterly inside. The lizard was looking for personal gains when they had to raid the forest as fast as possible and even one second was precious. His fantasy of the Cassiubia League shattered. However, on second thought, there was nothing to be disappointed about. The Cassiubia League was a coalition of dozens of species. There would naturally be all sorts of characters and personalities. It was the same for humanity, and in the end, big groups were always similar no matter where he went. Anyway, everything led back to money in the end. Frankly, there was nothing stopping him from paying the lizard, and in a way, information was also a resource they needed. Of course, this was on the premise that the lizard¡¯s information really was valuable. If the lizard had information like ¡®the Demon Empire is targeting Shalyh city by attacking Kabbalah¡¯s weakness¡¯, even hundreds of thousands of royals would be well worth it. However, the problem was that they currently had no money in hand. To prepare for the expedition, Chi-Woo had used up his savings. All he had left was the money Evelyn saved for additional expenses. The situation for the other expedition members was not much different. In preparation for this expedition, most of their savings so far had been invested into their equipment. When the expedition members stayed quiet for a while, the lizard smiled broadly as if they had already guessed their financial situation. Then they said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t pay me in royals.¡± ¡®It doesn¡¯t have to be money?¡¯ The expedition members glanced at the lizard. The lizard continued, ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a human being.¡± The lizard said with anticipation, ¡°It looks like everyone¡¯s finances are tight. Since it¡¯s almost dinner, I¡¯ll give you information and buy you a meal and drink, so one of you can join me in bed and¡ª¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Apoline shouted angrily before the lizard could even finish. The lizard asked, ¡°What¡¯s up with your reaction? Whether male or female, is it wrong to court someone I¡¯m interested in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡ª!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m not talking about you, so mind your business.¡± Apoline faltered. The lizard wasn¡¯t interested in her? Then who was it? After thinking about it, there was only one other possible candidate. When she turned around, she saw Evelyn closing her eyes; Evelyn let out a tiresome sigh as if she had experienced this many times. ¡°And why are you making that expression?¡± the lizard asked sourly. ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s not you either.¡± Evelyn flinched. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°I have eyes. Seriously, why do humans have such overinflated egos when they¡¯re ugly?¡± The lizard clicked their tongue, and Evelyn froze like a stone. It was a relief, but how dare that lizard call her ugly¡­? Then Yeriel looked stumped, thinking, ¡®Is it me?¡¯, but the lizard didn¡¯t even glance at her or Hawa. ¡°Let me see. First of all, you¡¯re not my cup of tea.¡± The lizard passed on Emmanuel and continued, ¡°And you¡¯re a bit too much. You may be shockingly handsome, but it¡¯s actually less tasty if the face is too perfect. I¡¯d rather¡­¡± The lizard smacked their lips at Ru Amuh but passed on him as well. That left only one person. ¡°Yeah. I like a more soft-looking male like you. I have a feeling that when I take your clothes off, you¡¯ll be amazing.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened when the lizard singled him out. He had been thinking it might be him as the lizard kept passing on people, but hadn¡¯t fully expected it. To their surprise, the lizard turned out to be female. ¡°How about it? Aren¡¯t you secretly glad? You can eat and get information and have a good time with me¡­¡± Just imagining it seemed to make the lizard¡¯s mouth water. The lizard stretched out her arm and flicked her tongue. ¡°You bast¡ª!¡± ¡°Die¡ª!¡± The indignant Evelyn and Apoline were about to stand up when¡ª Slash. A sharp blade touched the lizard¡¯s neck before she even realized it, making her freeze. ¡°Withdraw your hand,¡± Ru Amuh said with an uncharacteristically cold gaze. ¡°He¡¯s not the kind of person you can mess with.¡± ¡°Hey, calm down. Calm yourself. Okay?¡± ¡°I told you to withdraw your hands.¡± ¡°I got it, all right!¡± The lizard hurriedly withdrew, and only then did Ru Amuh move his sword away. The lizard seemed to have completely gotten sober, and she caressed her neck with a stunned face. After a moment, she flew into a rage, scowling and shouting, ¡°How dare you lowly humans¡­!¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± A girl crept up between the lizard and the expedition members. ¡°Please don¡¯t make a commotion inside.¡± It was the smiling waitress who had made eye contact with Chi-Woo. ¡°And watch what you say. Humanity is an ally of the Cassiubia League. Don¡¯t you think the word ¡®lowly human¡¯ can stir up trouble?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± The lizard shouted as the waitress tried to calm her down. The lizard was already annoyed, so any attempt to placate her only stoked the fire. However, the waitress¡¯ eyebrow also twitched slightly. She turned around so that the expedition members could only see her back. Then she said to the lizard, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to quickly buzz off? If you don¡¯t want to get hurt¡ª?¡± The lizard, who just shouted angrily, suddenly flinched. Then she widened her eyes as if she¡¯d seen a ghost. Thud! She fell on her butt. ¡°Uh¡­uh¡­¡± The lizard gaped and trembled like a fir tree, and the noisy tavern became quiet. ¡°So~?¡± The waitress girl smiled and tilted her head slightly. ¡°Ick, Icccccck!¡± The lizard turned immediately and ran out of the tavern without looking back. Then the waitress glanced back and met eyes with Chi-Woo, who was staring at her in a daze, and winked. She quietly walked away and went back into the kitchen. There was a moment of silence, but the tavern became noisy again. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect the lizard to be female.¡± Yeriel chuckled as if she¡¯d gotten successfully pranked. Apoline gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re laughing? We just wasted a lot of time.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a complete waste,¡± Emmanuel said calmly. ¡°We got at least one piece of information.¡± * * * As Emmanuel said, the expedition team gained a new task when they arrived at the Hala outpost¡ªto gain access to the Hala Forest. In a way, this was something they needed to solve before they found a guide. No matter how good a guide they recruited, it wouldn¡¯t matter if they couldn¡¯t enter the Hala Forest. Since it was getting late, they decided to go and gather information the next day. After a night¡¯s sleep, the expedition members went around investigating the situation, and fortunately, the information was easy to obtain because it was official news. First, what the lizard said was true, and the Cassiubia League recently banned uncertified entry because the death toll was higher than expected. However, entry wasn¡¯t entirely prohibited, as one could enter the Hala Forest if they obtained a pass. Surprisingly, the method to get the entry pass was not difficult. At noon, the expedition members left for the place where they could get the entry pass. As they walked, they saw a gateway lined with barriers from side to side in a distance. The expedition members passed through the tight security and encountered an unexpected person. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you guys.¡± A man was lying in the middle of the entrance as if he was guarding the gate. ¡°You¡¯re here now. Did you arrive early?¡± Ismile Nahla got up and looked at them with glistening eyes. The expedition members were perplexed by the situation. Letting out an incredulous laugh, Apoline asked bluntly, ¡°¡­What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Me? Should I call it a part-time job? I¡¯m acting as the gatekeeper.¡± ¡°Gatekeeper?¡± ¡°Yep. I think I need to make a contract with a god, so I¡¯m trying to earn merits.¡± Ismile let out a big yawn and continued, ¡°It¡¯s a job in which I stop folks with great potential from dying a pointless death for Liber¡¯s future. Don¡¯t you think the merits I get will be pretty good?¡± Then Ismile tilted his neck from side to side and stretched his arm. The expedition members widened their eyes. ¡°Your arm¡­¡± Yeriel pointed to Ismile while covering her mouth with a hand. His left arm was missing, and there was nothing below his left shoulder. ¡°Ah, this?¡± Ismile, who had been stretching his arm, glanced down, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Then the next moment, his expression became sentimental. ¡°Should I say it¡¯s a price I had to pay for arrogance?¡± He said it like he was in a trance and lowered his gaze, his head tilted down at a 45-degree angle. Silence stretched for a good while. Then Ismile seemed to feel awkward standing like this and protested, ¡°¡­What is it? Why aren¡¯t you asking me about it? Isn¡¯t it human nature to ask what happened?¡± Apoline snorted. ¡°Stop saying nonsense.¡± ¡°Tsk. Apu~ You¡¯re always so cold. I won¡¯t call you pretty next time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even feel happy hearing it from you.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Anyway, all of you came to get the entry pass, right?¡± When Ismile asked while twisting his hip, Apoline nodded. ¡°Yes. What should we do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Ismile said with a flat tone. ¡°You just have to get my approval.¡± ¡°Approval?¡± ¡°Hey, why are you still asking questions? You¡¯re not an amateur.¡± Ismile continued bluntly, ¡°Is there anything else we can do except this?¡± He stretched out his arm and clenched his fist. Simply put, he meant fighting. He was telling them that if they wanted to enter, they needed to beat him first. The expedition members were flustered by the unexpected conditions, but Emmanuel soon stepped forward and said, ¡°Sir, I have a question.¡± ¡°What is it? Eus~?¡± ¡°Are you keeping in touch with the legend from here?¡± ¡°Yeah. So what?¡± ¡°How are you able to do that?¡± Emmanuel¡¯s question was understandable. The Celestial Realm¡¯s device only worked in places with divinity, and in a way similar to how wi-fis operated. Even if one person was in a godly sanctuary, it was impossible for two people to communicate with each other at this distance. Of course, this was by normal standards. Ismile answered, ¡°Ah¡­as you know, I got quite a lot of backup when I came here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for us,¡± Emmanuel said. ¡°But the amount we got is different. If you¡¯re at my level, you¡¯ll also have a separate line to communicate directly with the legend. That¡¯s the case for the Celestial Lights.¡± ¡°This is my first time hearing something like that.¡± ¡°Uh¡­isn¡¯t that a given?¡± Ismile blinked. ¡°Although we¡¯re technically all Celestial Lights¡­isn¡¯t it a bit of a stretch to say you guys are on the same level as the legend and me?¡± Ismile said in an easy tone, but his words were obviously meant as a provocation. However, he wasn¡¯t wrong. Chi-Hyun and Ismile were both heroes who stood at the top in their family; their position was different from that of the other Celestial Lights. It would be absurd to put the legend, who had already proven himself, and the other Celestial Lights, who had yet to do so, on the same level. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡¯ Ismile asked with a grin. Emmanuel and the other Celestial Lights scowled, but they had nothing to say to that. The legend was an extraordinary hero, but the hero in front of them was not to be taken lightly, either. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Ismile moved his arm around and asked. ¡°Are you going to do it or not?¡± Since he was so clearly provoking them, they couldn¡¯t back down easily either. Moreover, the honor of their family was on the line. The angry expedition members put their hands on the hilt of their swords and were about to fight, but they faltered when one person raised his hand and signaled for them to stop. ¡°I also have a question.¡± When Chi-Woo stepped forward, Ismile looked very intrigued. Ismile asked, ¡°Oh, what is it? Choi~ No, should I call you small Choi?¡± ¡°This job.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Are you perhaps doing this because my brother ordered you to?¡± It was natural for Chi-Woo to suspect that Chi-Hyun might have ordered Ismile to act as a gatekeeper to prevent him from entering the Hala Forest. Ismile¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected question and chuckled for a good while. ¡°Ahahaha. I understand what you meant, but unfortunately, that¡¯s not the case. I¡¯m doing gatekeeping duty purely out of my own will.¡± He grinned and waved his hand. ¡°But.¡± Then he wiped the grin off his face and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Your brother told me that if you ever come¡­¡± He looked at Chi-Woo and showed his teeth. ¡°I should beat you up with all my might.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Then there was no reason for Chi-Woo to falter; as Ismile said, he just had to beat Ismile and get an entry pass from him. ¡°I got it.¡± Chi-Woo nodded and raised both hands to get into a fighting stance. ¡°I¡¯ll learn one from you.¡± A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Yeah, yeah, as much as you want. Since you''re Big Choi¡¯s brother, I¡¯ll teach you as much as you want.¡± Ismile nodded and also got into stance. The other expedition members pondered for a while whether they should fight together, but eventually chose to take a step back. No matter how strong Ismile was, his opponent was someone from the Choi family. It would be a fight to behold. ¡°Come at me first. Since you''re Big Choi¡¯s brother, I¡¯ll give you the first move.¡± Ismile spoke as if he was being generous. Chi-Woo was going to say he didn¡¯t need it, but changed his mind. He had been hearing from people around him how strong Ismile Nahla was until his ears hurt, but above all, since his master spoke highly of him, Ismile was not an opponent to be taken lightly¡ªeven though he hadn¡¯t made a contract with a god yet and had only one arm. Ismile was an undeniable powerhouse. He might lose this battle, but Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t afraid because he had fought a stronger opponent than Ismile. Their surroundings became quiet enough that even someone¡¯s expectant gulp was audible. Just as the tension was going to explode¡ª Chi-Woo stomped on the ground in an instant. Ru Amuh and the other Celestial Lights, who were watching in anticipation, were startled. They hadn¡¯t even blinked, but before they knew it, Chi-Woo was already rushing towards Ismile. They had lost sight of Chi-Woo even with their trained eyes. Ismile let out a low whistle; he was also slightly surprised¡ªbut that was all. ¡°This is nothing¡­!¡± Ismile stretched out his arm in a S-shape. ¡°Your form is pretty good, but!¡± Ismile shouted loudly, and at the same time, Chi-Woo¡¯s body turned sharply in the air like a spring. ¡°You¡¯re just a gemstone that hasn¡¯t been cut¡ª!¡± Smack! Ismile wasn¡¯t able to finish his words because a devastating blow hit his temple and whipped past him. His head bent backwards, and he collapsed to the ground. ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked confused. Since it seemed like Ismile was going to do something, Chi-Woo had used his past experience with his brother to attack while evading at the same time, but he hadn¡¯t imagined that Ismile would get knocked down by one hit. ¡®No, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ There¡¯s no way this was the end. A man strong enough to be recognized by his older brother and master could not be this weak. Ismile might have purposely let Chi-Woo land a hit on him. In fact, as soon as Ismile collapsed, he had lifted his arm in a hurry to protect himself. This could be part of his calculation, but Chi-Woo needed to utilize this momentum. He quickly organized his thoughts and was about to kick as hard as he could when¡ª ¡°I surrennnder!¡± Ismile shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°I los¡ªbwerf¡ª! I lost¡ªblarf¡ª!¡± You win!¡± With his face stuck on the ground, he shouted while vomiting. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the entry passssssarggg¡ª! Pleaseeee-blargggh!¡± CH 278 Ismile gagged for a while. Because he was struck right in his temples, it felt like the inside of his head was shaking, and he felt dizzy. He raised his head only once he barely managed to settle himself down and looked at Chi-Woo. Naturally, he didn¡¯t look pleased. It was obvious what Chi-Woo was thinking right now after he went on so long about tiers and whatnot. ¡®What to do now?¡¯ Ismile racked his brain and burst into laughter with his head hanging low. ¡°Did I make it too obvious? I was planning to go easy on you from the beginning. I just wanted to do a little test¡ª¡± While Ismile talked, the gazes on him turned more chilling by the second. ¡°¡­Ahaha! But you are quite good! No wonder you are related to the legend! As expected of a Choi!¡± Still, there was no response. ¡°Uh¡­um¡­¡± Cold sweat flowed down from the back of Ismile¡¯s neck. In the end, Apoline let out a sigh, stomped forward, and extended her hand. ¡°Oh, thank you. I only have you, Apu¡­.¡± Ismile said while looking touched and tried to get up by clutching onto her hand. Slap! ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Apoline struck his hand away and reached out again. ¡°I want the entry pass.¡± Ismile looked dejected. He said, ¡°It was Choi who did the deed. Why are you acting like the boss?¡± ¡°Quit your nonsense and give us the pass already. We don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Ah, really¡ª¡± Ismile grumbled and pouted while dusting his pants. ¡°I can¡¯t give it to you yet though.¡± ¡°What? But you definitely said¡ªumph¡± But before Apoline could continue, Ismile muffled her with his hand. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m just following the guidelines.¡± ¡°Guidelines? What are you talking about? Ptooey!¡± Apoline spat on the ground and wiped her lips madly. ¡°I need to assess individual strength, but I also need to assess the whole team.¡± Then, with a thin smile, Ismile said, ¡°In terms of the importance, the latter comes first. Even if a couple of strong guys are gathered to form a team, they will die without the proper companions supporting them.¡± After all, there was no guarantee that a soccer team would win just because they had Messi or Lionel. ¡°And from what I can see, your team is still incomplete.¡± As expected of a Nahla, he was able to pinpoint the expedition team¡¯s weak point. ¡°You guys should find a suitable guide first. Then I will give you an entry pass right away.¡± ¡®Tch.¡¯ Hearing Ismile¡¯s response, Apoline clicked her tongue and turned away. Though she seemed unsatisfied by the results, she couldn¡¯t say anything because everything Ismile said was true. ¡°Anyways, you are in no state to enter right now, so go back for today,¡± Ismile said and pointed at the path where the expedition team came from. ¡°Are you coming with us? Or are you unable to?¡± Yeriel chuckled and asked if Ismile was just a gatekeeper now. ¡°Hey, it doesn¡¯t matter, Pink Mari. Anyone who knows a little bit about the situation here wouldn¡¯t stay around. You are the only ones to have come here these past couple of days.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a brutal death battle going on inside the Hala Forest.¡± ¡°A death battle¡­?¡± Yeriel tilted her head. ¡°Are you curious?¡± Ismile smirked like he had been waiting for the question. *** In the end, the expedition team returned to the outpost base with Ismile. Ismile made a fuss about how hungry he was as soon as he spotted the restaurant and ordered loads of food and drinks. It hurt Chi-Woo to think about the expenses when he saw the table completely filled with food, but he endured. This was a small price to pay in exchange for the experience of someone who came out of the Hala Forest alive after losing one arm. A part of Chi-Woo also felt worried. Ismile Nahla was the second most famous hero after his brother, and the fact that he lost an arm meant a significant loss in battle power. ¡°Ah, it really is as uncomfortable as I thought,¡± Ismile said while hungrily munching on a meat skewer and glancing at his now empty arm. Clenching his teeth, he exerted his strength, and soon the stump where his arm was severed split, and a new arm popped out. Chi-Woo almost spit out the beer he was drinking. ¡°It really is more comfortable with both arms.¡± Ismile smiled and rotated his left arm. Chi-Woo glanced around him in shock, but besides Ru Amuh, all the Celestial Lights appeared indifferent. They looked like they knew this was going to happen, and some even looked disgruntled to witness the grotesque scene. ¡®This was what they meant when they said he was a new species created with eugenics¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and rolled his tongue. ¡°Little Choi.¡± It was then Ismile raised his beer glass with his left hand and called out to Chi-Woo. ¡°What is the strongest animal in your world¡ªEarth?¡± It was a question asked out of the blue. But Ismile appeared serious unlike his usual self, and Chi-Woo replied, ¡°An elephant.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Uh¡­It¡¯s the biggest land animal¡­and is heavy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ismile clanked his glass with Chi-Woo¡¯s, saying that was the right answer. ¡°In the animal world, the biggest always wins. It can smash anyone with weight alone.¡± After taking a big gulp of his drink, Ismile asked, ¡°But why is that animal called elephant unable to rule Earth?¡± ¡°...because of humans.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ismile shoved the rest of his meat skewer into his mouth. ¡°If you consider the physical body alone, humans are weak. In a pyramid of strengths, humans wouldn¡¯t even be considered mediocre, but instead somewhere on the lower tiers. Nevertheless¡ª¡± Ismile poked his own head with the skewer and continued, ¡°Humans have high intelligence. They use their head to adjust to the environment and survive. With it, they make tools, plans¡­¡± Chi-Woo nodded and wondered why Ismile was suddenly saying all this. As if in response, Ismile explained. ¡°So here comes the question. What would happen if elephants were to acquire the same level of intelligence as humans? Would humans still be able to rule Earth?¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard. He had never thought about this before and had difficulty answering. ¡°The Hala Forest is a place where you have to think about that.¡± Chi-Woo finally realized what Ismile was getting at. ¡°It¡¯s a forest that makes all conditions equal beside one¡¯s natural weight class, and it¡¯s a place where enemies evolve at astonishing speed. The Sernitas and the Demon Empire sure created an interesting space.¡± Ismile gulped down his beer. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®evolving¡¯?¡± Yeriel asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s as I said,¡± Ismile replied. ¡°Animals there evolve day by day. If they used a stone axe yesterday, they will use a bronze spear today, and a steel sword tomorrow.¡± This meant that they were evolving at an astonishing rate, and Yeriel listened to him in disbelief. ¡°How?¡± she asked. ¡°By eating.¡± Everyone looked at Ismile blankly. ¡°They eat and evolve by taking on only their opponents¡¯ good traits,¡± Ismile explained. ¡°Why did the Demon Empire and the Sernitas create a space like that?¡± Emmanuel asked like he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°How do I know? I¡¯m not the one who created that place,¡± Ismile said and leaned into the chair. ¡°But I think I can guess what they are aiming for. A king.¡± Everyone stared more intently hearing this. ¡°Those guys are planning to make the strongest king on Liber.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the one who wins inside the Hala Forest will become the king?¡± Apoline asked. Ismile didn¡¯t answer her immediately, and after hesitating a bit, he said, ¡°Have you heard about godeok?¡± ¡®Ah,¡¯ Chi-Woo gasped. As someone who served many masters of various practices, Chi-Woo was knowledgeable about Asian spells. Godeok, or sometimes called mugo, was a practice so old that it could be traced all the way back to China¡¯s Shang Dynasty. It was also a very dark black magic and was considered the evilest curse along with Yeonmae from the Joseon Dynasty. The ¡®go¡¯ in godeok stood for parasite, and the oracle bone script of the character from the Shang Dynasty was composed of several insects to portray the workings of the spell. In order to begin this practice, one must gather highly poisonous insects and animals into a pot and close the lid without giving them any food. Hungry, the poisonous insects and animals would begin to eat each other until there was only one left. The sole survivor would be in its most evil and poisonous state, and that was called ¡®godeok¡¯. In short, Ismile was saying the Hala Forest was where such a king would be born. Those inside there would eat each other and evolve until there was only one remaining. ¡°Hold up,¡± Emmanuel then said. ¡°If what you say is true, is it necessary for us to act now? Shouldn¡¯t we wait until the king is born¡­?¡± Rather than entering the forest in this messy state, they could wait until a king was born and kill just one enemy. ¡°Are you confident in beating the king though?¡± Ismile asked, and Emmanuel closed his mouth. Even now, Ismile couldn¡¯t do anything. If a king was born later, the situation could truly be beyond salvaging. Considering that, this could be the golden time to intervene, before the king was decided. ¡°¡­You know, I didn¡¯t think much when I came here under Big Choi¡¯s request.¡± Ismile folded his arms like he had had his fill of food and drinks. ¡°You were too arrogant,¡± Apoline said, and Ismile smirked. ¡°I can¡¯t deny that because of what happened, but if I¡¯d come at the same time as you instead of at the beginning of it all, I would¡¯ve thought differently as well.¡± ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Anyways, there¡¯s one definite thing.¡± Ismile¡¯s expression turned solemn, and his voice grew grave. ¡°Though I went there basically naked, I didn¡¯t let down my guard. I passed the entrance and entered the central area like that¡­and met a monster. This is the result of that meeting.¡± Ismile raised his left arm slightly. ¡°But you were able to come back alive.¡± Apoline seemed to think she had spoken too harshly before and said in a soft voice, but Ismile responded with a bitter smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t come back alive. It let me live.¡± The entire expedition team flinched. What exactly was it? ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know what it was. I don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s called. But from what I personally experienced¡­hmm, how should I put it? It was like a pure baby that was just born.¡± Ismile let out a deep sigh like he was recalling the particular memory. ¡°It was very curious. It caught on immediately that I wasn¡¯t at my full potential instinctively.¡± That was why it had let Ismile live. It found fighting with him enjoyable and wanted to battle him again in his best state before eating him. Ismile touched his left arm and said in a low voice, ¡°While there are several more besides that monster, I personally think¡­it is most likely to become the king of the Hala Forest.¡± He shrugged and looked intently at Chi-Woo. ¡°Thus, there¡¯s only one thing that I want to tell you guys.¡± Chi-Woo gulped because of how fiercely Ismile looked at him. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to go in. Bring a suitable guide so that you won¡¯t be pushed back right away. But¡ª¡± Ismile clutched his left arm hard and said, ¡°If you guys happen to run into the one who took my left arm, escape immediately. Don¡¯t dawdle even if it kills a couple of you. You know why I am telling you this, right?¡± Chi-Woo flinched. Ismile said the beings inside the forest evolved by eating their opponents. Then the one who ate Ismile¡¯s left arm must have¡­ It seemed the expedition team had reached the same conclusion if the way their expressions stiffened was anything to go by. ¡°Oh my, did I scare you guys?¡± Ismile smiled awkwardly and scratched his head as the silence continued. ¡°I¡¯m just telling you not to overexert yourselves. Don¡¯t worry too much even if the worst situation comes to be. When that happens, the Cassiubia League and humanity will step up.¡± *** Silence enveloped the table after Ismile left. They sat blankly until Evelyn said that it was time for them to go to sleep, and a couple of them returned to the inn. But Chi-Woo stayed. He found a seat outside the restaurant and dwelled in his thoughts. His head felt full. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡®I see. That¡¯s why¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo realized now what must be the reason Ismile had been acting as the gatekeeper. Because of his carelessness, Ismile ended up giving away a body part to their enemy, and in turn his physical traits. He thus felt responsible for speeding up and contributing to the evolution of the one most likely to become the king of the Hala Forest. Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do at the present, and thus Ismile had acted as the gatekeeper. He thought at the least, he could stop those who couldn¡¯t beat him in his current state from entering the forest. Then he could at least prevent that monster from claiming more lives. It appeared the Cassiubia League had also realized the severity of the situation and hurriedly implemented restrictions. ¡®What should we do¡­?¡¯ The difficulty of this expedition seemed to be increasing over time as more information came to light. There was truth to this concern, as entities surviving in the Hala Forest were continuously evolving and becoming stronger. ¡®We need to get a guide as soon as possible¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. And while thinking this, Chi-Woo felt a strange new gaze upon him. He raised his head and saw a brightly smiling, freckled girl with pigtails. It was the waitress from the tavern. ¡®When did she approach me?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought in shock. Even though he had been focused on his thoughts, he was always aware of his surroundings after awakening his unification ability. How did she elude that and approached him? She was clearly no ordinary person. Chi-Woo recalled what had happened in the tavern and raised his guard against her. But indifferent to his response, the girl strode up to him. Then she bent down and leaned forward. In an instant, their faces were so close that he could count the freckles on the girl¡¯s nose. The girl inspected his face from up close. Chi-Woo was frozen in his spot, and a sense of nervousness paralyzed him while the girl let out a short breath after gathering her lips. ¡®Ha.¡¯ Chi-Woo felt a refreshing scent reach his nostrils and arched his back in surprise. ¡°Who are you?¡± he finally asked. The girl backed away a couple of steps and smirked. ¡°I thought you needed it.¡± Her eyes curved as she smiled. ¡°You know, my breath.¡± CH 279 Chi-Woo felt confused and flustered at the same time. He could swear that he had never wanted the breath of a young girl who hadn¡¯t even lost her baby fat yet. However, when he thought about it carefully, her words felt familiar. After searching through his memory, he soon recalled his conversation with La Bella and the material she had told him to collect for the reliquia. And among them¡­ ¡°Breath of a dragon,¡± Chi-Woo muttered to himself and stared blankly at the girl with pigtails. This freckled waitress really was the central figure of the Cassiubia League, the Last Dragon? For real? He was baffled at a completely different level than before. This situation was equivalent to Chi-Hyun suddenly popping out of nowhere on the human side. Why did she suddenly appear in front of him? ¡°Because I was curious,¡± the girl¡ªno, the Last Dragon in the form of a girl, answered without even being asked. ¡°You¡¯re his family, and not a distant family, but someone from the direct family line.¡± She came to see him because he was the legend¡¯s brother. It was a more realistic reason than he¡¯d expected, but he still couldn¡¯t completely understand it either. She came all the way here for just that reason¡­? ¡°That isn¡¯t the only reason.¡± She shook her head in disagreement and continued, ¡°You must not know much about the blood running through your body, but¡­ah?¡± Then she seemed surprised mid-sentence and stared intently at Chi-Woo. ¡°Oh my. You really grew up as an ordinary person without knowing anything. This is slightly surprising?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes became big as saucers. He hadn¡¯t revealed it to anyone. How did she know information that only Philip and his brother knew? ¡°I want to dive in a little deeper, but¡­then he¡¯ll get angry, right? That¡¯s a little scary, so I¡¯ll stop for now.¡± Chi-Woo was puzzled by what had happened just now; at the same time, he felt an unknown sense of danger. It was hard to describe it, but it felt foreign and increased his wariness. The girl seemed pleased by his reaction as she smiled broadly. ¡°By the way, when are you going to go in?¡± It seemed she really didn¡¯t plan to delve deeper into this matter as she immediately changed the topic. ¡°I was expecting a lot¡­aha, you¡¯re looking for a guide. Yeah, a guide is important.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but be surprised again. Did the Last Dragon know everything? ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± What did she mean by this? ¡°Hmm¡ª¡± Then the girl suddenly looked back toward the direction the expedition members had gone earlier. Was he imagining things that she seemed to be looking beyond the gate and towards the Hala Forest? ¡°Even at the latest, you can probably depart the day after tomorrow. Of course, the choice is up to you.¡± Chi-Woo clutched his forehead with his hand. His head was spinning, and it felt like he was talking to a shaman who had reached the peak of her power. Frankly, he had wanted to meet the Last Dragon at least once to get the dragon¡¯s breath. Currently, there was only one existence on Liber who could be called a dragon; after all, she was called the Last Dragon for a reason. If he could, he wanted to ask her about the dragon¡¯s breath and all kinds of other topics. However, he had never imagined that he would meet her like this. ¡°Okay.¡± Chi-Woo stared at the smiling girl. ¡®Okay?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m talking about the dragon¡¯s breath. But I have one condition. It won¡¯t be fun if I just give it to you.¡± ¡®No. It would be just as fun if you give it to me¡­¡¯ ¡°Even if it¡¯s fun for you, it¡¯s not fun for me.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been protesting inside his mind, was startled. ¡°And also, isn¡¯t it up to the giver to decide what to do?¡± Although it was regretful, he had no choice but to accept her condition since she was right. Then the girl looked at Chi-Woo with a curious gaze for a bit and suddenly chuckled. ¡°I was a bit nervous because he¡¯s Chi-Hyun¡¯s brother, but he¡¯s cute,¡± she murmured to herself and cleared her throat. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s simple. Well, it¡¯s not a simple task, but the condition is to subjugate the Hala Forest. Then I¡¯ll give you a small thing like my breath¡­no, it¡¯s not trivial at all, but anyway, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Chi-Woo received a task to subjugate the Hala Forest. Since she came all the way here herself to set forth this condition, it seemed she was very interested in this matter as well. ¡°By the way, goddess La Bella is too much, really. She¡¯s being too greedy. Why is she trying to take everything good?¡± The girl laughed and shook her head, saying no one could stop the goddess. Chi-Woo recalled that he also had to find the crazy moon¡¯s fang and core of solitude¡­uh? Solitude? [1] ¡°What are you so worried about?¡± The girl grinned. ¡°With that condition just now, you have no choice but to gather my breath as the very last ingredient.¡± Among the various materials for reliquia, the dragon¡¯s breath was the last one he would obtain by conquering the Hala Forest. Thus, this meant only one thing. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s only the case if you conquer the Hala Forest and come back safely.¡± The girl¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Anyway, it would be best for you to not go too late.¡± She said one more incomprehensible sentence and turned around. Then she looked over her shoulder at Chi-Woo. ¡°I think the candidate has already been decided to some extent. If you¡¯re too late¡­it could all be taken away?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed; these weren¡¯t words that he could easily overlook. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be waiting for you here, okay?¡± She quickly left as if she had finished all her business. Chi-Woo did not immediately move. It felt as if he had been bewitched. Then suddenly, he identified the strange and wary feeling he had been having sometimes during the conversation¡ªChi-Woo had never spoken a single word out loud. * * * The next day, Chi-Woo and the other expedition members began to search for a guide as soon as the sun rose. After inquiring here and there, they were able to talk to quite a few people. However, most of them refused, and some even broke out into cold sweat. Of course, ¡®most of them¡¯ didn¡¯t mean ¡®every one¡¯, and there were some Cassiubia League members who gave a favorable response. The problem was that their offer was conditional, and in short, they all asked for money. They asked for advance payment in return for serving as a guide, or they asked for a daily wage. The price they put forth was thousands of royals at the lowest and tens of thousands of royals at the highest. Considering the expedition members¡¯ financial situation, it was a condition that was impossible for them to accept. At first, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand it. It would have been more understandable if they acted like Mangil did at their last expedition and set a special condition that in exchange for royals, they were to relinquish rights over all goods obtained during the expedition. Normally, it was common to participate in expeditions with the expectation that they would receive goods rather than money. Furthermore, subjugating the Hala Forest was for the public good rather than personal gain. They needed to stabilize the area even a second earlier for Liber¡¯s future. However, after looking for a guide all day long, Chi-Woo suddenly realized why everyone was asking for money. Currently, the remaining Cassiubia League members at the Hala outpost were those who had entered the Hala Forest once and barely survived. Most of them had no intentions of ever going back in. Why? It was because they had already tasted hell, and they had no intention of going back there to die. Then why were they still here? It was to remediate the loss caused by this expedition. At first, they invested heavily in the expedition dreaming of gaining money or fame, but dust was the only thing left in their pockets. Thus, they wanted money to make up for the loss even by a little bit. Even if Chi-Woo gave them money, they would never go into the center of the Hala Forest. They would at most go back to the relatively safe entrance area of the Hala Forest as the guide and return after sucking out as much money as they could. Moreover, the guides he met today had to risk their lives to go even that far. The few really talented members had already died in the Hala Forest, or had failed to conquer it and left the outpost immediately because like Ismile, they realized that this was a place they shouldn¡¯t mess with. Given the circumstances, Chi-Woo had no choice but to return to the tavern at sunset. Judging by how the other expedition members returned with crest-fallen faces, they all seemed to have gone through the same experience. Chi-Woo fell into thought. There were only two methods left¡ªto find a competent guide somehow, or wait until new members arrived. He suddenly thought of Hawa, but Chi-Woo shook his head. Even if he had to cancel the expedition, he couldn¡¯t put forward just anyone as a guide. While everyone had their mouths shut and stared at the table, the buzz inside the tavern suddenly intensified. It seemed there was some kind of disturbance outside. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± A couple of members of the Cassiubia League went outside the tavern and returned shortly after. ¡°Ah geez, in the end, that team also¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, why did they go during this period¡­but at least a few of them came back alive¡­¡± They all clicked their tongues with a bitter expression. Chi-Woo tilted his head, but that was the extent of his reaction. In the end, the day ended without much gain. * * * The next day, Chi-Woo decided to call everyone in the morning and have a meeting. Just as he was about to start, the tavern door slammed open. Someone gasped and struggled to breathe while looking around in a hurry. He had a pair of bright yellow feathers sprouting from the top of his head like horns, an elongated beak instead of a mouth, and sharp eyes like those of a hawk. He didn¡¯t have wings, but it seemed he was a birdman. However, the birdman didn¡¯t appear to be in good condition. There were dark, red marks all over his leather jacket and pants, and he looked like he just escaped from a battlefield. The birdman looked around in all directions, and after seeing the expedition members sitting at a table, he widened his eyes. The birdman approached them and immediately asked the blonde human, ¡°Are you Ru Amuh?¡± Ru Amuh looked slightly surprised. When he didn¡¯t reply, the birdman asked again, ¡°Are you the human expedition team from Shalyh that is currently looking for a guide to enter the Hala Forest?¡± Several expedition members nodded this time. ¡°I see.¡± The birdman let out a long breath and quickly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I want you to take me as your guide. As soon as possible, come on!¡± The expedition members, who had been staring at him in bafflement, looked at each other. It was great that someone volunteered to be their guide, but why so suddenly? ¡°Would you sit down first?¡± Evelyn pointed to an empty chair and suggested. The birdman looked extremely urgent, but he sat down with a look of forced patience. Then he hastily began to explain. The expedition members could roughly guess what had happened to him, and their prediction was correct. To summarize, the expedition team led by the birdman went to subjugate the Hala Forest and failed, and during this process, several of his comrades were killed or captured. Still, it was certainly surprising that his team was able to get past the entry and move further inside. The birdman wasn¡¯t able to suppress his anger and cried out while banging on the table, ¡°That fucking bastard! What did they say? We¡¯re no fun? So they need to at least toy with us like this? If I want to save her, I need to bring stronger ones¡­?!¡± By his explanation, it seemed his team had encountered a powerful enemy who had made considerable progress in evolution on their way to the heart of the forest. Apoline, who had been listening silently, asked, ¡°Then what happened to your expedition team?¡± The birdman gritted his teeth and shouted, ¡°Not all of them are dead. However, when I asked them to form a team again to save our comrade, they all refused and ran away. Cowards!¡± Apoline let out a short snort and glanced sideways at Ru Amuh. ¡°That¡¯s why you want to join a new team¡­but how did you know his name?¡± ¡°I heard from Dalgil,¡± the birdman replied in an indignant tone as his anger had yet to subside. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Mr. Dalgil? From the Buhguhbu tribe?¡± ¡°Yeah. And for your information, Dalgil led an expedition team before me to conquer the Hala Forest.¡± ¡®So that¡¯s what happened.¡¯ Chi-Woo had been wondering why he didn¡¯t see Mr. Dalgil. Muttering inside his mind, he was about to ask what had happened, but promptly decided against it. On second thought, he didn¡¯t even need to ask. ¡°Dalgil also barely managed to survive, but half of his expedition team died or were severely injured.¡± As expected, Dalgil also failed. Chi-Woo closed his eyes and thought it was a relief that at least Dalgil hadn¡¯t died. ¡°Dalgil told me that we can¡¯t leave the Hala Forest like this and gave me information.¡± The birdman huffed and said, ¡°But after he said everything¡­he seemed extremely regretful.¡± Then the birdman suddenly continued with a slightly calmer tone, ¡°He told me that if he had gathered an expedition team with the same members as when he went on the Narsha Haram expedition, he wouldn¡¯t have met such a disastrous outcome.¡± His hawk eyes glowed sharply as he looked back at the expedition members. ¡°What he said went over my head back then, but after experiencing the same thing as Dalgil, I recalled what he said. And just in time, I heard that a human expedition team had arrived and ran here to check in case you were the ones he was talking about.¡± The birdman seemed to be running out of breath by just talking. He continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard the name Ru Amuh before with the success of the Narsha Haram expedition but¡­Dalgil mentioned one more person besides him. Let me think¡­ He said there was a person who clearly looked like a priest but claimed that he was a warrior¡­ Is that human here too, perhaps?¡± Chi-Woo smiled dryly and said, ¡°He¡¯s talking about me. I¡¯m Chi-Woo.¡± ¡°Chi-Woo¡­? From what I heard, it was Chichi¡­ Never mind. Whatever is fine.¡± Chi-Woo sighed in relief. ¡°Please let me join you. If you¡¯re the two humans Dalgil acknowledged, I¡¯m sure you must have also picked trustworthy and solid comrades. You¡¯ve even overcome the tower created as a god¡¯s trial¡­!¡± The bird man tightly clenched his fists. ¡°I can¡¯t leave like this. I need to find Laksia no matter what¡­ Damn it!¡± There was an indescribable earnestness in his trembling voice. He seemed to have a very special relationship with Laksia. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give up?¡± One of the Cassiubia League members, who had been listening in on their conversation from afar to see if they could get anything, intervened. ¡°You must already know since you¡¯ve been there once. If she got captured, she¡¯s probably already¡ª" ¡°Shut up!¡± the birdman growled at them and glared with his sharp hawk eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll save her somehow! Or I¡¯ll find the one who ate Laksia and rip them apart!¡± The Cassiubia League member quietly withdrew at the birdman¡¯s terrifying roar. Chi-Woo stared at the birdman as he repeatedly clenched his fist and opened it. The Last Dragon was right. A guide had come to them on his own the day after tomorrow. Although Chi-Woo could just say ¡®okay¡¯, he decided to trust his own judgment rather than blindly follow the last dragon¡¯s words. ¡°I have a question,¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°So what are you trying to do? Are you going to conquer the Hala Forest, or save your comrade?¡± The birdman didn¡¯t immediately reply. It would be ridiculous for him to start talking about a noble cause of saving Liber after all this. However, one thing was clear. ¡°¡­Regardless of my reason, we¡¯re both trying to do the same thing. Isn¡¯t that enough reason for us to act together?¡± ¡°And if there comes a time when we have no choice but to return?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s really an impossible situation, I¡¯ll accept it. I won¡¯t disagree with the expedition leader¡¯s order for no reason. No matter how urgent my situation is, I¡¯m not an amateur who¡¯ll ignore even the most basic rules.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°If I act out of line or act too stubborn, you can just leave me. I won¡¯t blame you.¡± Chi-Woo became a little bit more confident in his decision since the birdman was going this far. He thought it was worth a try. The birdman seemed to have read positive signs from Chi-Woo and shouted impatiently, ¡°Okay. Then is it decided? Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t leave immediately.¡± However, Chi-Woo shook his head. The birdman was about to ask why, but he stood up and stopped. Then he scowled a bit. In fact, the smell of blood had been wafting from him for a while. It seemed he had hurriedly treated his injury, but it must have been quite serious considering it hadn¡¯t healed yet. Soon after, Chi-Woo glanced at Evelyn, and Evelyn quietly got up from her seat and approached the birdman. Then she extended her hand, and a white light came out. ¡°Well, I appreciate the effort, but it probably won¡¯t work. But don¡¯t worry too much. A wound like this is¡­?¡± The birdman¡¯s eyes widened mid-sentence because he felt the pain in his rib completely disappear as a warm energy enveloped him. There was no way someone could heal him this fast unless they were a priest at saintess level. The birdman looked at the expedition members again with a slightly different eye. Despite what he had heard from Dalgil, he was merely grasping at straws with doubt. Perhaps they really can¡­ Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯ll get treated first, rest properly, and reorganize. But even then, I would like to leave at least by the end of the day. Even if it¡¯s a little late.¡± As the pain went away, his seething emotions seemed to have also subsided a bit, and he said in a calmer tone. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. I look forward to having you on our team.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t oppose the suggestion. ¡®There¡¯s no time to sit back and relax.¡¯ Chi-Woo had no intention to blindly trust the Last Dragon, but he was going to put it into careful consideration. ¡°Come to think of it, my introduction is late.¡± The birdman straightened his posture and strode forward. Perhaps because he was a guide, the birdman noticed that Chi-Woo was the expedition leader and extended his hand toward Chi-Woo. ¡°I¡¯m Lakshasha of the Garula Tribe, who serves the great god Garuda. My tier is Gold I. I look forward to working with you as well.¡± Chi-Woo also got up and held Lakshasha¡¯s hands tightly. After finally securing a guide, they received an entry pass from Ismile and left the Hala outpost around afternoon¡ªtowards the Hala Forest, where unknown dangers lurked. 1. Godeok also means solitude in Korean. ? CH 280 After leaving the Hala outpost, the expedition team arrived at the entryway that Ismile had previously guarded. When they showed their entry pass to the guards, they were let in without any problems. ¡°Be careful. Another expedition team entered and returned with only some of their members, and the survivors were half-dead. That happened only yesterday¡­ Ah, I hope I didn¡¯t offend anyone,¡± the guard said, noticing one of their members looking particularly stiff. The guard recognized Lakshasha as one of those who had come back alive. Boom, as soon as the team went through the entrance, the door closed again. Everyone raised their head and saw the natural landscape concealed by the castle walls. It was a bright jade-colored pasture with greeneries like trees scattered all about. It was surprising that the frightening events they heard from the rumors were taking place in such a beautiful forest, and without a word, the team started their march. Because they left the outpost base in the afternoon, the sun in the sky soon began to sink. Aware of this, Lakshasha maintained a brisk pace and pushed the team rigorously. Their surroundings soon turned dark. But it wasn¡¯t because the sun had set. Golden sun rays simply failed to penetrate the thick canopy, and the expedition team was now walking through a dense jungle. The trees they saw from time to time were all clustered tightly together, and as they ventured further inwards, the trees grew bigger and taller, blocking most of the sunlight. Furthermore, the grass beneath their feet grew like heavily tangled vines and made their surroundings denser. ¡°This is basically the entrance of the forest,¡± Lakshasha stopped the march for a moment to explain. ¡°It¡¯s the farthest outskirts of the Hala Forest. From now on, don¡¯t ever let down your guard.¡± Lakshasha clenched his teeth and glared ahead. ¡°Consider everything you see from here on out as your enemy no matter what it is.¡± Chi-Woo quietly inhaled deeply at the severe warning. It seemed there was a need for him to be a bit nervous¡ªthough not too much. ¡°I¡¯m planning to get off this pasture by taking the path I took before. What do you all think?¡± Lakshasha sounded anxious. It seemed he wanted to quickly head to the place he had been forced to leave his comrade behind last time to save them. There was no reason to refuse. Even if they met the enemy Lakshaha¡¯s team encountered before, that was preferable. It was an enemy they had to fight and beat to conquer the Hala Forest safer anyway. It was better the earlier they dealt with them before they could eat someone else and become stronger. Chi-Woo gave his permission, and Lakshasha quietly moved after inhaling a deep breath. They resumed their march at a strikingly slower speed than before. It was because they were taking each step cautiously and carefully. And Lakshasha warily looked around his surroundings with the full intention of not repeating the same mistake as last time. In comparison, Evelyn followed him from the middle of the team with a somewhat relaxed expression and suddenly turned her attention to Hawa. Hawa¡¯s eyebrows were heavily scrunched up. But rather than struggling from the weight of her heavy load, she looked confused. It was very unusual for Hawa to show her emotion so clearly on her face, so Evelyn knew it wasn¡¯t a matter that could be easily dismissed. ¡°What is it?¡± Evelyn asked in a whisper, and Hawa flinched. ¡°No¡­it¡¯s nothing.¡± But even while saying this, Hawa constantly looked left and right. She looked unsure and frazzled; there was clearly a problem, but Evelyn didn¡¯t press. They were truly in expedition territory now¡ªa place where they could lose their lives with just a second of carelessness. It was then they stopped marching. Lakshasha raised his index finger and pressed it against his lips, his movements growing even more cautious with stealth and precision. Then he got down on one knee, lowering his body. The expedition team lightened their footsteps and took the same stance as him, and Lakshasha pointed to one area. ¡°Look¡­nobody talk¡­quietly¡­¡± There was nothing there. They only saw the green jungle they had been seeing the entire time. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t get at all what Lakshasha was telling them to look at. He was thinking that no matter how much he focused, he couldn¡¯t see anything when¡­ ¡®Bzz¡ª¡¯ A faint sound reached his ears. It grew closer and closer until something appeared. ¡®A bee?¡¯ Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. It was a flying insect that had black stripes on a yellow body. Although its size and thickness were twice of the hornets on Earth, they were nearly identical in appearance. Nevertheless, the bee-like insect flew toward them and circled around and around until it softly landed on a common-looking white flower that could be spotted anywhere. The flower was at the exact spot where Lakshasha had pointed at before. The expedition team asked confusedly, ¡®Is that insect the¡ª'' The bee fumbled around the flower¡¯s pistil to gather nectar when the flower petals suddenly opened wide and enveloped it. The flower shook from side to side as the bee struggled wildly inside, but the petals didn¡¯t look like they would open up again. Instead, they closed tighter than before as if the flower was intent on not letting its prey go. Then, eventually, the shaking lessened, and the flower petals repeatedly pushed in and out like it was gobbling up their food. Chi-Woo became speechless at the unbelievable scene before him. Yet it wasn¡¯t over then. ¡®Blegh.¡¯ The flower made a gulping sound, and one of its stems drew a tiny circle before it suddenly started to shudder¡ªrip! Riiip! Its body split into pieces, and a pair of wings popped out. But that wasn¡¯t all. As it flapped its wings ferociously, its roots were pulled out of the ground, and the ends of its roots curled and sharpened like a bee sting. A purplish color spread through the stems and turned the flower¡¯s white petals into a deep blue. In an instant, the pure white flower had turned into a strange poisonous plant that could fly and had a poisonous sting. The expedition team was astonished after witnessing a rapid evolution such as this one. They didn¡¯t know what Ismile had really meant by things evolving constantly in the Hala Forest, but they knew now. Soon, the flower shot upwards and rotated its head in the direction where the expedition team was hiding. Sling! An arrow left a shining trajectory across the air as it penetrated into the center of the flower. With its pistil pierced, the flower fell and slumped onto the ground while making sorrowful ¡®Beep¡ª beep¡ª¡¯ noises. ¡°¡­You guys must have felt it too after witnessing that.¡± Lakshasha pulled with his hand and interestingly, the arrow came back to him like a fish on a fishhook. It seemed the thing that had been shining in the air was a thread. ¡°This is the kind of place Hala Forest is.¡± Though it was just one sentence, everyone understood what Lakshasha meant and why he had told them to consider everything they saw as an enemy from here on out. Apoline, who had been hiding behind large plants, quickly distanced herself from the tree in front of her. ¡°Are there more beings like that the further in we go?¡± Apoline asked warily, and Lakshasha shook his head. ¡°Not those particularly,¡± he said while putting the arrow he retrieved back into his quiver. ¡°There are things far worse than the one you just saw. This is just the beginning.¡± It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. The expedition team¡¯s mood grew heavier. Though they were stunned by the evolution of the flower monster that just ate an insect, it was weak enough to die from just one arrow shot. Yet it was clear that not all monsters in the Hala Forest would be on the same level, or else the forest wouldn¡¯t have received the attention it had. They just happened to luckily witness a plant¡¯s first evolution. But what if that flower monster had eaten more and more monsters until it rapidly evolved and even ate a human or members of the Cassiubia League? Would they have been able to deal with it as easily as before? It wasn¡¯t an absurd thought. There were already loads of monsters like that in the inner parts of the forest. ¡°Throw away any preconceived notions you have about how things would work. This is a place where common logic doesn¡¯t apply. It¡¯s like a completely alien world with different ecological rules and laws that we¡¯ve never encountered before.¡± Lakshasha got up and let out a long sigh. ¡°I went on for too long. Let¡¯s take care of that flower first and leave this area.¡± Hearing this, Yeriel asked curiously, ¡°How would we ¡®take care¡¯ of it?¡± ¡°We can bury it deep into the ground or burn it up,¡± Lakshasha said nonchalantly. ¡°After the flower ate a bee and evolved, you can say that it has a piece of new genetic information. Though it¡¯s nothing much yet, there¡¯s no reason for us to leave it for our enemies.¡± A corpse was also a good food option that a monster could pick up and consume. If they left the corpse of the flower monster be, they would¡¯ve basically done the hard work for their enemy. ¡°Though it''s troublesome, we should rip its corpse into tiny pieces and bury them as deep as we can. Though burning it would be an easy and fast method, I would like to go through the entrance without catching anyone¡¯s eye.¡± Lakshasha picked up the flower monster with both hands. He was about to rip it apart when he flinched. He quickly looked to one side and placed his arrow on his bow. Sling, with a sharp sound, the arrow flew like a streak of light. ¡°Tch!¡± Someone clicked their tongue, and a figure dropped down from a tree. All the expedition members stared with their eyes wide open. The figure that came out this time looked just like a mushroom. It was a mushroom monster that was as large as a koala with sharp fingernails and toenails popping out of its body. Moreover, the mushroom monster talked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put that down? Not the weapon, but that.¡± The mushroom monster stepped back and jerked its jaw just like how a human would move. Then it said in a more solemn voice, ¡°Put that food down.¡± ¡°No need to do what it tells us to do. I will take care of this one,¡± Lakshasha said in a small voice and notched the arrow again. But then he stopped when he heard the mushroom monster say, ¡°This territory belongs to the queen I serve.¡± ¡°Queen?¡± ¡°Yes! Everything that grows and lives here is under the queen¡¯s jurisdiction,¡± the mushroom monster said proudly as if it was honored to serve the queen. Lakshasha¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Tell us,¡± Lakshasha said with his arrow still aimed at the mushroom monster, ¡°Who is this queen that you speak of?¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The moment that the mushroom laughed, Lakshasha pulled the bowstring and let go. ¡°You couldn¡¯t hit me last time either!¡± the mushroom monster said mockingly and evaded the arrow. But then he exclaimed when the arrow circled back in a U-turn after a slight shake of Lakshasha¡¯s hand. ¡°Uh, uh¡ª!¡± The mushroom monster hastily backed away, and the arrow stopped right before the sharp tip touched its forehead. ¡°I won''t miss next time.¡± Lakshasha retrieved his arrow again and growled, ¡°Who is the queen?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The mushroom monster blinked hard and glanced at the expedition team. It seemed to realize that the people on the expedition team weren¡¯t ordinary folks and let out a nervous chuckle. ¡°Hey, calm down you all.¡± ¡°I told you to speak.¡± ¡°Why are you so impatient?¡± ¡°I will definitely kill you if you don¡¯t speak before I finish counting down from three. Three.¡± Lakshasha seemed unwilling to stand around to leisurely talk, and he placed his arrow on his bow again. ¡°Huh? Ah, wait?¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Okay, fine. We will let you have the food so let¡¯s first¡ª¡± ¡°One.¡± ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± In the end, the mushroom monster took off its cap and slammed it on the ground angrily. Pop! Mushroom spores gushed out like a puff of smoke. Lakshasha hurriedly backed away seeing the dark fog spreading outwards and let go of his string, shooting at the mushroom monster that was frantically running away. ¡°Shit! Shit!¡± Though it evaded the arrow once, the mushroom monster sounded frantic, expecting the arrow to come around again. But soon, another shadow emerged, and there was a piercing sound of the wind. Sling! The moment the mushroom monster realized something else was happening, it split into two from head to bottom. Never did it realize what had happened even as it took its last breath. ¡°Good! As expected!¡± Lakshasha said, impressed with Ru Amuh¡¯s skills. But then he licked his lips and said, ¡°But it¡¯s regrettable that we couldn¡¯t get any information about the queen.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. They missed a chance to gain information about one of the king candidates. It could¡¯ve been useful in their fight to clear the Hala Forest of enemies. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. But captain, I think it would be a good idea to escape this area now,¡± Lakshasha quickly said. ¡°Sorry? But what about taking care of the corpses?¡± ¡°We have to leave them. That mushroom head is the first one of its kind that I saw too. I don¡¯t know what will happen.¡± When Chi-Woo saw the mushroom¡¯s smoke scatter across their surroundings and being carried further by the air, he realized there was merit to Lakshasha¡¯s words. The expedition team abandoned the two corpses and quickly left the area. They tried to go as far away from the location as they could, but their speed became strangely slow¡ªno, something was slowing them down, clinging to their feet and dragging them to the ground. ¡°What is this now?¡± Apoline screamed from behind. They weren¡¯t imagining it. Clumps of weeds were rising and wrapping around their ankles. Moreover, trees and branches were also extending outward and blocking their paths. Vines crept in and flew from everywhere. Though taken aback, the expedition team responded calmly. They burned and sliced through the plants, doing their best to clear their way, but they were at a standstill. There was nothing much they could do facing such absurd numbers while they were surrounded by a thick jungle. ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± Lakshasha burst out in anger while stomping on the weeds shooting upward. Chi-Woo also looked around him and let out a big sigh. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡± He raised his head, and his eyes shone. ¡°We have to fight.¡± Soon afterward, three different sounds rang through the forest from three directions: the sound of something sliding across the ground. Sliiid¡­! Thump! A sound as heavy and hard as a boulder. Sha! Shaaa! And the sound of bugs mindlessly crawling through the grass. Then, finally, there was a small exclamation. ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Hawa¡¯s eyes opened wide upon hearing the last sound. CH 281 Soon after, a monster appeared from each direction. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since a new prey came.¡± One had branches and leaves instead of hair. This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I¡¯m telling you beforehand, but these guys are mine. I found them in my domain.¡± One was a giant flower with her face sticking out from the pistil. ¡°¡­¡± And the third one was a big bush covered in spikes like those of a hedgehog. There were three monsters in total. ¡°There are eight of them,¡± the giant flower monster with a strong scent opened her mouth and said. ¡°As promised, four are mine. You don¡¯t have any complaints, right?¡± She said as she pointed at the expedition members with her stem. Stroking his chin with a branch, the tree monster fluttered his leaves and said, ¡°Then two are mine.¡± All three monsters had parts that looked like arms and legs, and they spoke like human beings. ¡°They have eaten people before.¡± As Lakshasha said, the monsters in front of them had killed and eaten at least one human or a Cassiubia League member. ¡°There are many beautiful flowers here.¡± The giant flower monster smiled as she looked back at the expedition members. ¡°I¡¯m curious. What kind of pretty scream will you make when I break you?¡± Evelyn and Apoline, who were stared at the longest, frowned. It was eight against three. The expedition members had superior numbers. This was their first time encountering proper foes since entering the Hala Forest. Moreover, considering that the mushroom monster talked about a queen earlier, they couldn¡¯t let their guards down, but¡­ ¡°I want to take care of that tree,¡± Emmanuel said as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword and showed his eagerness to fight. It seemed he wanted to check the authenticity of the rumors surrounding the Hala Forest. Chi-Woo looked back at Lakshasha for his opinion. ¡°¡­I see no reason why he shouldn¡¯t,¡± Lakshasha stopped pulling his bow and said. ¡°We¡¯re still near the entry. If he struggles here, it¡¯s better for him to go back early.¡± If the expedition members couldn¡¯t even handle monsters of this level, they should forget about the king candidates. After hearing from Dalgil, Lakshasha had quickly joined Chi-Woo¡¯s expedition team, but he thought this was a good opportunity for him to directly check their level of strength. Chi-Woo said to Emmanuel, ¡°I won¡¯t stop you, but please be careful just in case.¡± After Chi-Woo granted his permission, Yeriel Mariaju then stepped forward. ¡°Okay! Then I¡¯ll take that flower. The way that flower looked at me just now made me want to beat it up.¡± She volunteered, seemingly just as curious about the monsters¡¯ power. ¡°Then sir, I¡¯ll take the only one left.¡± Ru Amuh turned to the thornbush monster, and like this, a three-way confrontation was established. ¡°With whose permission?¡± A burst of fire suddenly appeared, splitting into three streams and hitting each of the monsters squarely. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Emmanuel, who couldn¡¯t wait to fight, looked back at Apoline and raised his voice. ¡°Oh my. Why are you getting so angry? Wasn¡¯t it first come, first served?¡± Apoline laughed gracefully, but her laugh didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Hehehe. It¡¯s hot. It¡¯s perfect to warm up.¡± The expedition members doubted their eyes when they saw the tree monster. The burning part turned into solid stone, and the fire was quickly extinguished. ¡°I really hate you people.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the tree monster. ¡°You cut us down whenever you need to, pull us out if we look pretty, and throw us away after getting tired of us¡­¡± The part where the giant flower monster burned turned into sand, and grains fell to the ground. ¡°Now, it¡¯s our turn. You should get a taste of your own medicine.¡± The giant flower moved her petals and dusted off her scorched stem. Then the embers on the burnt area soon died down as if it was extinguished by water. ¡°¡­I see, I guess this is what you meant.¡± Emmanuel laughed dryly at the tree monster, whose whole body was now as hard as stone. It was a long-standing truth that the weakness of plants was fire. However, the Hala Forest was an extraordinary space that did not follow the usual rules. If they thought common sense worked here, they were in for a rude awakening. Four pairs of branches began to grow from the tree monster¡¯s sides. Then he used them as legs to lay horizontally. ¡°Oh, did you also eat a spider?¡± Swish. Emmanuel muttered and pulled out a thin fleuret, which looked like an elongated needle. ¡°I ate everything I could.¡± The tree monster opened his mouth and revealed his sharp teeth. ¡°And I¡¯ll eat you too!¡± The battle between Emmanuel and the tree monster began when the tree monster poured purple sap from his body. ¡°Hmm~¡± Yeriel fiddled with her hands in front of the giant flower monster. Every time she moved her tightly clenched hands, a clattering sound could be heard. ¡°If fire doesn¡¯t work¡­then¡­¡± ¡°Where do you want me to break?¡± ¡°What?¡± While Yeriel was pondering, the giant flower asked with a bright smile, ¡°Shall I break your neck? Your waist? Or¡ª¡± The giant flower¡¯s thick stem slowly rose from what would be considered her waist to form a S-shape like a snake. Then she continued, ¡°Or that skinny calf of yours?¡± The giant flower looked down on Yeriel and urged her to quickly pick a part. ¡°Well~¡± Then Yeriel blinked and looked up at the flower with a bright smile. ¡°Your mom?¡± The giant flower monster¡¯s face became blank for a moment, and soon, a deafening scream broke out, and the battle began for them as well. Chi-Woo was standing still and watching everything play out. The situation turned out so that some of the members were fighting, while others stood aside as mere spectators. There was hardly any point being part of an expedition like this, but Lakshasha¡¯s words made sense. This was a good opportunity to gauge the strength of his enemies as well as his allies. The tree monster¡¯s fighting ability was certainly astonishing. He wielded dozens of branches like sickles, preventing his opponent from getting close while attacking by shooting out a series of nets that seemed to have been woven with sap. In addition, his body was as hard as stone, and he had several legs, so he moved quickly for his size. However, Emmanuel was also a formidable opponent. He didn¡¯t recklessly move closer and instead analyzed the tree monster, but at the same time, he avoided the enemy¡¯s attack with his swift movements and aimed for an opportunity to strike. In the past, Chi-Woo would have just stared in amazement, but after achieving unity, the way he saw people¡¯s movements changed. ¡°Mr. Lakshasha.¡± Watching the battle between the two, Chi-Woo quickly reached a conclusion on who¡¯d win and asked, ¡°There¡¯s no king candidate among those three, right?¡± Lakshasha turned around in surprise and nodded, ¡°Yes, there isn¡¯t.¡± As he looked back at the tree monster fiercely chasing after Emmanuel, Lakshasha continued, ¡°They all seemed like they¡¯ve eaten people, but it¡¯s probably just one or two at most. Or they¡¯ve only eaten weak ones.¡± ¡°How will they rank in the Hala Forest¡¯s food chain?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say they¡¯re at the bottom, but I¡¯ll put them at the top of the lower level at best,¡± Lakshasha spoke clearly. ¡°You can tell just by seeing how they¡¯re acting like local bosses at the entry area. They were probably pushed out of the competition near the center.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Then we don¡¯t need to waste more time on them because they¡¯re nothing special.¡± ¡°I agree. Still¡­they don¡¯t seem like they¡¯re struggling, but¡ª¡± Lakshasha looked at Emmanuel, who wasn¡¯t able to make a single successful attack so far, and smacked his lips. Then¡ª Bam! They heard an explosive noise from one side. Startled, Lakshasha gaped with disbelief. ¡°What¡ªwhat¡ª¡± It was the same for the giant flower. ¡°Just now¡ª?¡± The flower was suffering while twisting her whole body and falling down. Closer inspection revealed that the giant flower¡¯s pistils and petals were wet, and judging by how she kept rubbing her face, her face seemed to hurt the most. ¡°Is it poison?¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± Yeriel snorted. ¡°It¡¯s burning water.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Since fire doesn¡¯t work, I used water. It¡¯s simple, right? Well, I¡¯ve also mixed in various things, but you don¡¯t have to know about that.¡± Even while the giant flower hurriedly withdrew, she looked doubtful. Water? This was not fire, but water? ¡°Let me tell you what sorcery is,¡± Yeriel muttered as she moved towards the giant flower monster. ¡°We pursued the path of using pure mana freely to its limits while ignoring laws and rules. As a metaphor, it¡¯s like a horse running wild.¡± Then she suddenly stopped walking and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think some people are really~ idiotic? Like your father and mother.¡± Yeril smiled brightly at the slowly retreating giant flower monster. ¡°What exists in this world that can¡¯t be controlled?¡± ¡°W-What, what the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°Magic is like that in the first place, isn¡¯t it? To implement mana under certain laws and rules.¡± When Yeriel continued to ignore her, the giant flower monster got angry and shouted, ¡°You¡ª!¡± Then the stem on her neck lengthened and aimed for Yeriel in the air. ¡°Those rule-following magicians always fight among themselves about the correct method and process and whatnot, but¡ª¡± Yeriel took out a metal bead and cast it upward, ¡°It¡¯s all meaningless if you see my family.¡± When the giant flower monster opened her mouth wide and was about to bite Yeriel¡¯s neck, the metal bead radiated light and changed into metallic liquid before covering her neck. Clang! Rather than soft flesh, the giant flower bit into a hard piece of metal. ¡°Do you know why?¡± Yeriel continued with a chilling voice. The giant flower glanced at her while trembling. ¡°They¡¯re all things I can control with science anyways!¡± Faced with a cold sneer, the giant flower monster suddenly felt an unknown chill pass through her body. ¡°Hic¡ªhick¡ª!¡± The giant flower monster hurriedly withdrew and slammed her face into the ground. She tried to run away by digging downward as fast as she could. Then the ashy-gray bead flying towards the giant flower monster let out a bluish glow. A clicking sound immediately followed, and the bead opened up in the middle and dropped into the hole that the giant flower monster made. Soon after. Bzzzzzzz! The sound of a chainsaw turning on rang in the air. Kyaaaah! Kyaaaaackkkk! A blood-curdling howl soon followed. The stems and roots that hadn¡¯t yet entered the hole frantically struggled, and then¡ª ¡°The end,¡± Yeriel said. The giant flower stopped moving, and her screaming stopped. ¡°It¡¯s funny to talk about evolution in front of my family that specializes in mana engineering.¡± She smirked at the drooping stem and turned towards Emmanuel with a bright smile. ¡°How long are you going to continue fighting? I¡¯m already finished.¡± Following her gaze, Lakshasha frowned. Emmanuel, who had been only getting pushed back so far, began to fight back. He replied to Yeriel, ¡°Then I should also finish this.¡± Emmanuel began to strike back against dozens of simultaneous attacks. ¡°You punk! You rascal!¡± The tree monster indiscriminately attacked, but all of his strikes were blocked or parried. The speed at which Emmanuel¡¯s arms moved was so great that they couldn¡¯t even be seen. At the next moment, Emmanuel let out a loud cry and widely swung his sword. Lakshasha was startled when the fleuret¡¯s blade suddenly split into several branches as if it multiplied. The myriad of blades swept the tree monster¡¯s attacking branches all at once. And they crumbled all at the same time. However, this only lasted for a while. The tree monster regenerated his branches in an instant and surrounded Emmanuel again. The tree monster shouted, ¡°Hahaha! More! Do more! Show me more of what you got!¡± He laughed boisterously and was about to shoot poisonous sap again when¡ª ¡°Forehead!¡± Hawa, who had been quietly observing, shouted, ¡°You should aim for the forehead!¡± Emmanuel glanced at Hawa and instinctively scanned the tree monster¡¯s forehead. Then Emmanuel discovered something shiny there, and his eyes narrowed. He pushed his sword back and got into a stance as if he was unsheathing his sword and curled up. Then he kicked the ground as hard as he could and rushed forward with his body spread towards the tree monster, who was trying to cover his forehead in surprise. Pop! With the sound of air bursting, the following scene made even Chi-Woo widen his eyes. As if he was threading a string through a bead, Emmanuel passed through the countless branches and raised his arms in one swift movement. The fleuret failed to penetrate the tree monster¡¯s forehead, but managed to barely touch it. ¡°Hehe¡­he¡­¡± The frightened tree monster laughed and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°Yes,¡± Chi-Woo replied. Ru Amuh and Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. While Emmanuel¡¯s sword hadn¡¯t pierced through the tree monster¡¯s forehead, it managed to touch it. And it was the latter that was important. Thud! ¡°You punk¡­?¡± It was then the tree monster finally felt it. He first felt a crack in his forehead, and then his body began to fracture and crumble into ashes. ¡°No-no!¡± The tree monster opened his mouth wide and frantically tried to reattach his body somehow with his branches, but could not stop it from breaking into pieces from the bottom. ¡°This monster really was nothing. It was a waste for me to even show the power of my family.¡± Emmanuel lowered his fleuret and snorted after seeing the tree monster turning into a pile of firewood. Dazed, Lakshasha suddenly remembered that there was one more monster besides the giant flower and tree monster. Ru Amuh said, ¡°It was an amazing sight. His fighting style follows the standard, but it feels very sophisticated rather than simple and tactless.¡± Then Lakshasha gasped when he saw Ru Amuh openly admiring Emmanuel¡¯s skills without fighting. If he recalled correctly, Ru Amuh had stepped forward to deal with the remaining monster. Lakshasha looked at Ru Amuh and said, ¡°No, wait a minute?¡± ¡°What is it, sir?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Lakshasha was about to ask what had happened, but then he looked back and became speechless. The thornbush monster was nowhere in sight. However, the bent thorns scattered all over the place told him indirectly what had transpired. Ru Amuh said with nonchalance, ¡°It wasn¡¯t an easy fight. It felt like I was cutting water every time I cut the monster.¡± ¡°W-Well, so what did you do?¡± ¡°I scattered him¡ªwith wind.¡± Ru Amuh placed his hand on the hilt of his sword; it was the magic sword he got from the Narsha Haram expedition that generated wind. ¡°After I decomposed him into molecules, he wasn¡¯t able to fight back anymore.¡± Lakshasha clutched his forehead in shock while Ru Amuh laughed. He wanted to tell Ru Amuh to stop lying, but he had no choice but to believe it after seeing the evidence. In the end, Lakshasha shook his head in acceptance.¡°¡­Your team is much better than mine. But¡­¡± Then he sighed with drooping shoulders and turned around. ¡°It seems we¡¯re surrounded.¡± As if in response to Lakshasha¡¯s statement, noises began to come from all directions. The number of monsters who appeared through the bushes were well over a hundred. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Among them, a grassroot-looking monster trudged out and stepped forward. ¡°I didn¡¯t like those three acting like bosses, so I was planning to kill them. You saved us the trouble.¡± ¡°¡­Blasted scoundrels. They¡¯ve been hiding and waiting for an opportunity.¡± When Lakshasha ground his teeth, the grassroot monster grinned. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t want to go too rough on you considering what you¡¯ve done for us.¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± The grassroot monster looked at the corpses of the three monsters and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you to just go on your way. But you have to leave these behind.¡± He wanted them to hand over food in exchange for letting them go. Since this was equivalent to recreating the enemies they¡¯ve already killed, Lakshasha found the grassroot monster¡¯s offer ridiculous. Lakshasha said, ¡°And if we don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The grassroot monster shrugged. ¡°Those who survive the fight with you will get a feast.¡± He spoke with confidence as he looked at his comrades on standby; he seemed to firmly believe that they could win with numbers no matter how strong the expedition members were. Lakshasha clicked his tongue and glanced at Chi-Woo, meaning that the final decision should be left to the expedition leader. ¡°Good. I haven¡¯t properly warmed up yet.¡± Emmanuel showed his willingness to fight by holding his fleuret. ¡°No.¡± However, Chi-Woo shook his head and ordered Emmanuel to sheathe his sword and withdraw. ¡°We¡¯re busy.¡± The expedition members, excluding Lakshasha, doubted their ears. Of course, Lakshasha needed to move as fast as possible for his captured comrade, but was there a need for them to also move quickly? ¡°Then sir, are you going to accept their offer?¡± When Emmanuel asked with a disappointed voice, Chi-Woo shook his head again. ¡°Rather than that¡­I want to save our energy as much as possible.¡± What did Chi-Woo mean by this? If he didn¡¯t accept the grassroot monster¡¯s offer, they were going to fight. But why did Chi-Woo tell him to sheathe his sword and withdraw? Was he planning to fight by himself? That was also incomprehensible. They were able to easily defeat the monsters just now because they were superior in numbers, but this time, they were at a significant disadvantage. Moreover, regardless of how weak the monsters were, there might be some strange, unknown ones in the mix. No matter how hard Emmanuel thought about it, it was only right for them to fight together¡ªunless Chi-Woo knew a way to wipe out all of them in one shot. ¡°Just in case something happens.¡± Chi-Woo finished his sentence and took one step forward. ¡°Yeah, good. Very good. You made a very wise decision¡­?¡± The grassroot monster, who thought his opponent would have no choice but to accept his offer, smiled contently. However, his face soon stiffened when he felt a mysterious sense of foreboding. ¡°What? Why are you approaching me?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reply. He simply stretched out his left arm as if he didn¡¯t want to waste any more time. CH 282 The grassroot monster backed away warily, his eyes glimmering. When he looked up, he saw a cluster of light. The light landed exactly on Chi-Woo¡¯s left hand and glowed brilliantly as it took the form of a book. Shaaaaa¡­! As soon as it came into complete shape, the book opened, and a page flipped over. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shone from behind his wind-swept hair. Simultaneously, he opened his mouth. ¡°Ilseungmobupyeonhwagyeong bojangbosalyakchangae namuhwajangsaegyaehae.¡± [1] The grassroot monster frowned. ¡°Wangsasongjunggisagul sangjubulmyulseokgajeon.¡± ¡°W-What? What are you saying?¡± The monster had wondered what Chi-Woo would do and was stunned to hear strange phrases that he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Shibangsamsaeilchaebul jeongeonginyeonbangpyundo hangjunilseoungmyobeupryun.¡± The rest of the expedition team reacted the same way. Stunned and baffled, they looked at Chi-Woo in bewilderment. But not caring for their gazes, Chi-Woo continued, ¡°Yeobigujungmanichun nujinjajaeahrahan.¡± While murmuring phrases no one could understand, he stepped into the enemy¡¯s ground. ¡°Why are you suddenly acting like this?¡± ¡°Damn it, for now¡­!¡± Emmanuel fixed his grip over his fleuret again, and Lakshasha was about to give his order as the head of the expedition team when one person stepped forward and stopped them. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you both.¡± Ru Amuh looked at Chi-Woo with unwavering eyes. It was a simple line, but each word made clear his deep trust in Chi-Woo. ¡°Ahyagyojindaegasup Rurubinagupgaya jaegasupsaribul.¡± The grassroot monster, who had been sighing in relief that nothing was happening, flinched. ¡°Daemokgunryun Gajunyeon Anurutagupbina.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Uh? What?¡± In confusion, the monster wrapped his hands around his head. ¡°Gyobumpajaeibada Pilreunggaba Bakgura Maha Guchira Nanta.¡± ¡°What¡­what¡¯s happening¡­!¡± As the chanting continued, the monster¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked more stunned. ¡°Sontarayeoh Buruna Suborijayaaran.¡± ¡°Stop¡­stop¡­! Please¡­kieeeeh eeeeh!¡± Then he suddenly erupted into a shrill screech and fell to the ground. ¡°Nahuradeung Daebigu Mahasapajaegupna Nafuramo Yasuda.¡± It wasn¡¯t only the grassroot monster that was responding this way. The various monsters on stand-by also looked at one another and not long afterward, collapsed and began to scream. ¡°Kuh! Kieeeh!¡± ¡°Eh¡­! Ah¡­! Kuaaah!¡± Soon, more monsters fell and erupted into screams. There was no exception. They all clutched the temples of their heads, rolled on the ground, and screamed for their lives while looking like they were in excruciating pain. ¡°Bigunideungichunin.¡± Some tried to block both their ears and even pierced their ear holes to not hear Chi-Woo¡¯s words, but it was useless. ¡°Mahasaljeungpalmanin.¡± This was because of Chi-Woo¡¯s class ability: [Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Original Exorcism Prayer] and [La Bella¡¯s Bible]. The phrases Chi-Woo chanted didn¡¯t just ring in their ears, but inside their heads, and enemies more than a hundred in number all writhed in pain. The mayhem Chi-Woo caused rendered the entire expedition team speechless except for one person. Ru Amuh alone watched in admiration quietly but expectantly. As time passed, the screams that came from everywhere eventually dwindled. Silence returned, and Chi-Woo¡¯s chanting also stopped. After taking a good breath, he quietly flipped another page of his book. As if to mark the end of his prayer, a scent followed; it was a heavy and refreshing scent that cleared one¡¯s head at a whiff. The expedition team¡¯s nostrils twitched as they smelled it, and they regained their senses. They had been standing and staring dumbfoundedly at what just happened. ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it impressive?¡± Ru Amuh asked proudly. The expedition team was at a loss for words again when they saw their surroundings. There was nothing for them, especially the Celestial Lights, to say. Unlike them, Chi-Woo managed to wipe out over a hundred monsters with just a couple of words. It wasn¡¯t unexpected, but who knew the gap between them and Chi-Woo would be so large? This wasn¡¯t even the legend they were talking about, but his younger brother! Perhaps this made evident the true level the Choi family was at. ¡°You humans are not just better than my previous team¡­ It¡¯d be unfair for me to even compare you to them,¡± Lakshasha shook his head and twirled his tongue. He suddenly recalled what Dalgil told him. [The swordsman Ru Amuh is good¡­but make sure you recruit the priest warrior who¡¯s often with him.] [If you want to conquer Hala Forest, he must be there.] Lakshasha didn¡¯t know why Dalgil had so ardently insisted on recruiting Chi-Woo before, but he thought he knew now, and he understood why the buhguhbu¡¯s great warrior regarded Chi-Woo more highly than he did Ru Amuh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doubting you. I heard from Dalgil about you, but I couldn¡¯t fully trust him¡­ This display showed me the rumors were true,¡± Lakshasha sincerely apologized and looked conflicted. He seemed to be seriously contemplating something. ¡°Why do your expressions and words not seem to match~?¡± Yeriel asked him suspiciously. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Lakshasha let out a deep sigh. ¡°I know for sure that you guys are strong. You are skilled fighters recognized among the humans. That¡¯s definitely true, but¡­¡± Lakshasha hesitated and trailed off again. ¡°Is the king candidate that strong?¡± Yeriel tilted her head and asked, and Lakshasha nodded wearily. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t be certain whether or not we will beat him even with a team like this.¡± The way Lakshasha¡¯s voice trembled seemed to display his fear. Yeriel licked her lips. If Lakshasha was this troubled after meeting the enemy just once¡­it seemed that they needed to be really prepared. ¡°We will only know for sure once we battle with the king candidate,¡± Emmanuel said calmly with Chi-Woo in mind. ¡°I mean, we all saw the skills that were shown just now.¡± For sure, their hope and enthusiasm for victory flared up after a performance like that. ¡°Yes¡­I hope that is the case¡­¡± Lakshasha replied weakly and turned around. Yeriel looked curiously at him, but dropped the matter thinking he was simply worried about his comrade. Eventually, the expedition team buried the corpses scattered around them deep underground and recommenced their march toward the center of the Hala Forest, where the king candidate was said to be wandering. *** Though the expedition team had multiple battles as soon as they entered the forest, not much happened after that. Everything progressed more smoothly than their expectations, and the team advanced through the forest freely. Not a single enemy popped out since they left their last battlefield. But it made sense. Who would dare to approach the team after three prominent monsters and a hundred others were annihilated? But it would be different once the team went further in. They would soon encounter monsters who had driven the weaklings to the outer areas, and in the center, they would meet stronger monsters¡ªperhaps even the king candidate that they talked so much about. Thus, the whole team raised their guard and alertness to the maximum. Yet for some reason, their marching continued without stops. Even after quite a lot of time passed since they left the outer areas, they couldn¡¯t spot a single monster. Of course, it was nice that they could go to the center of the forest with all their team members in perfect condition¡­but something seemed off. There was no way that monsters in their surroundings would be wary of them since they had long departed from the entry point. But this wasn¡¯t a matter to really complain about, so the team followed Lakshasha¡¯s lead until three diverging paths appeared before them. Lakshasha stopped for a moment to think and soon chose one path¡ªthe middle one. ¡°Hawa?¡± Evelyn said in a whisper seeing Hawa¡¯s feet slow. ¡°What is it?¡± She thought it was strange. Hawa was someone who walked steadfastly, but for some reason, she kept acting strangely in this expedition. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Tell me honestly if something is going on,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Hawa had said ¡®it was nothing¡¯ before, but now, her answer changed. Evelyn narrowed her eyes. She bit her lower lip and glanced at Lakshasha. In the end, she said, ¡°Excuse me.¡± The marching stopped. ¡°Could we please rest for about five minutes?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°What is it?¡± Lakshasha turned around and asked. ¡°I think I need to treat the injured.¡± ¡°The injured?¡± ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes snapped to Ru Amuh at this unexpected reply. ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± Even Ru Amuh looked dumbfounded. It was quite obvious that he wasn¡¯t injured; he didn¡¯t even have a scratch on him. ¡°Hm? Did you get hurt at the beginning of battle?¡± ¡°No¡­well¡­¡± Ru Amuh was about to deny his injury to Lakshasha, but stopped himself after meeting Evelyn¡¯s gaze. He didn¡¯t know the exact situation, but Evelyn seemed to have her reasons for doing this. In the end, Lakshasha clicked his tongue as Ru Amuh failed to continue. ¡°Why did you hide your injury?¡± Lakshasha asked. ¡°Ah¡­um¡­I didn¡¯t think we would have to care about it much since it¡¯s really light. ¡° ¡°You can¡¯t do that. No matter how small it is, we have to take care of it. Where is it? How deep are your injuries?¡± Chi-Woo stepped forward in shock hearing that Ru Amuh was injured. ¡°It¡¯s as the captain says. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have a priest. You can¡¯t take an injury lightly no matter how small it is on an expedition, especially in a place like this,¡± Lakshasha also added. Ru Amuh smiled wryly and answered, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± This was now the second lie he had ever told in his life. But perhaps it was because he had lied to Vepar once before, he felt less guilty this time. And as if she was apologetic for dragging Ru Amuh into all this, Evelyn piped up, ¡°As Mr. Ru Amuh said, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing big. I just asked because his arm was moving slightly differently than usual.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive. I¡¯m known to have keen eyes, but even I didn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve gone on several expeditions together, so we know each other¡¯s quirks and habits. Also, it¡¯s only natural that the priest would be observing her teammates¡¯ conditions.¡± Evelyn responded adeptly to Lakshasha¡¯s amazement. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± Lakshasha said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you will heal it instantly since it¡¯s a small injury. While you¡¯re doing that, I will be on watch.¡± ¡°It will be over before you know it. Mr. Ru Amuh, why don¡¯t you show me your arm? And Hawa, can you come here and open the bags?¡± Evelyn succeeded in drawing Hawa toward her and turned around. After watching them curiously, Yeriel seemed to have also sensed what was going on and moved accordingly. ¡°Hello~?¡± She sidled up to Lakshasha and asked, ¡°I know you are on watch, but could I use this short interval to discuss some things?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The king candidate,¡± Yeriel continued nonchalantly. ¡°I want to know more about that guy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I might be triggering your trauma right now, but we are going to meet him soon anyways.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°By the way you talked, it sounds like the king candidate isn¡¯t one to underestimate. Wouldn¡¯t it help us if you give us more information before we come face to face with the enemy?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure if it will be helpful.¡± Inwardly, Evelyn thanked Yeriel for the help. While she¡¯d created an opportunity to talk to Hawa, she knew that guides had keen ears. But thanks to Yeriel, Lakshasha¡¯s attention was directed somewhere else. As Hawa approached her and sat down, Evelyn¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Okay, tell me now. What¡¯s the problem? Why are you having such a hard time focusing?¡± Rather than blaming Hawa, she seemed to think that Hawa must have her reasons. Ru Amuh loosened his armor as slowly as possible and also looked at Hawa curiously. Knowing that she didn¡¯t have much time, Hawa quickly spoke, ¡°I think there¡¯s something a bit strange with that guide.¡± ¡°Tell us what¡¯s specifically strange about him. None of us know what¡¯s going on except for you,¡± Evelyn whispered while pretending to look at Ru Amuh¡¯s arm. After a momentary hesitation, Hawa replied in a low voice, ¡°I experienced being in this place before.¡± ¡°What? Being in the Hala Forest? Where?¡± ¡°In an image representation space.¡± ¡°Image representation space? Then¡­?¡± Though Evelyn had never experienced it before, she roughly knew what it was since she had seen Chi-Woo struggle in the front yard for a period in the name of training. ¡°But how could you¡ª?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start from the beginning.¡± Hawa quickly explained and brought up the most important points of her story. Evelyn looked doubtful after hearing Hawa¡¯s whole explanation, but it wasn¡¯t completely unbelievable. From what she heard, an image representation space materialized a place that the creator directly or indirectly experienced. After listening to Ismile¡¯s descriptions of the situation here, the legend could¡¯ve created a similar environment and trained Hawa there. But this was only a hypothesis, and there weren¡¯t any proofs supporting it. ¡°I see,¡± it was then Ru Amuh spoke, ¡°That¡¯s why just before¡­¡± ¡®Just before?¡¯ Evelyn thought curiously and let out a small exclamation. No, there was plausible support for this theory. Evelyn¡¯s face turned more solemn as she asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring this up earlier?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a porter.¡± With this one statement, Evelyn realized why Hawa had been so hesitant. It was her against the head of the expedition, who had the most authority after the team¡¯s captain, while she was just a mere luggage carrier. Even if she wanted to say something, she probably had no choice but to keep it to herself. A similar thing happened in the Zepar expedition where she stepped out of line and Apoline scolded her. It was then Hawa realized the hierarchy of authority in an expedition team, and Hawa wasn¡¯t such a fool that she would repeat the same mistakes. Furthermore, she wasn¡¯t even sure of her suspicion. She could be right, but there was a chance that she was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s your plan, Ms. Evelyn?¡± Ru Amuh asked, pulling Evelyn out of her reverie. She judged that she shouldn¡¯t be the one to make the decision. ¡°Chi-Woo, lend me your ear¡­¡± Glancing at Yeriel, she got up and headed toward Chi-Woo, who was guarding the left area. Though she tried to buy as much time as possible, Yeriel ended up reaching her limit. It was mostly because Lakshasha didn¡¯t want to talk. ¡°Let¡¯s stop this conversation now. I already told you everything I could and don¡¯t want to recall it anymore.¡± In the end, Lakshasha even shook his head aggressively. ¡°But still¡ª¡± Yeriel tried to hold him back somehow, but Lakshasha ignored her and turned around. ¡°Stop. Is the treatment still ongoing?¡± Then Lakshasha blinked hard, because he saw that Chi-Woo was talking to Evelyn with a very serious expression. ¡°What is it? Is the injury that serious?¡± Chi-Woo looked at Lakshasha without saying anything, and Lakshasha said, ¡°If his injury is so serious that he can¡¯t resume the expedition, order for his leave. If you are worried about me¡­it¡¯s fine. Just don¡¯t regret it later.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face turned more solemn as Lakshasha continued. He didn¡¯t understand what was going on. Then Chi-Woo scratched his head furiously for a while and said with a short sigh, ¡°¡­Mr. Lakshasha.¡± ¡°I think we need to talk for a bit.¡±¡¯ The look in Lakshasha¡¯s eyes changed slightly after hearing these words. ¡°Ms. Hawa,¡± Chi-Woo changed his focus and called another name. ¡°Please come here and explain.¡± The silver-haired girl confidently walked forward. She was someone Lakshasha had paid no attention to, thinking she was just a porter. Emmanuel looked surprised, while Apoline looked displeased, yet no one rashly opened their mouths. It was different from before. Hawa didn¡¯t act out due to her ignorance of her place, but because Chi-Woo called on her. In other words, Hawa was speaking at the request of the expedition team¡¯s captain; thereby, Chi-Woo was saying that he would be held responsible for what she would say, and Lakshasha couldn¡¯t help but be slightly nervous as the guide. Hawa stood in front of Lakshasha and said while meeting his eye straight-on, ¡°There¡¯s something I need to ask you.¡± A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. 1. Lines from a song that praises the teachings of the Buddha in the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra is one of the most influential scriptures in East Asian Buddhist schools. ? CH 283 At first, Hawa didn¡¯t know. She had merely thought that since there were thick trees and vines, it was a jungle of sorts. However, before long, Hawa felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Although it was definitely her first time here, this place felt strangely familiar. She felt as if she had been here before, and this feeling became stronger as they went deeper inside. Hawa tried to ignore this feeling, but as time went by, the unknown sense of familiarity became more intense. Then events that she couldn¡¯t ignore occurred. First, when she saw the tree monster that Emmanuel faced, she had doubted herself, but after seeing the three-way intersection, a memory deeply engraved in her brain surfaced. How could she forget it? To her shock, the Hala Forest was similar to the place she had risked her life to train and died hundreds of times in, where everything was covered in darkness. Of course, it wasn¡¯t 100 percent identical, but too many things were the same despite the small differences. A hypothesis took shape in her mind. What if Chi-Hyun had created the image representation space she trained in to be as similar as possible to the Hala Forest based on the information he heard from someone else? Then everything fell into place, and it made sense why he had made a ridiculous request to her out of the blue. [Join that expedition and be acknowledged.] [Take the position of the head in your team.] And why he had said things that were incomprehensible back then. [It¡¯s no fun if I tell you in advance.] [You¡¯ll find out when you go.] Chi-Hyun, who had judged that Chi-Woo would go on the Hala Forest expedition, had trained her while giving her information at the same time¡ªnot for her, but for his brother. ¡®No wonder he accepted me so easily¡­¡¯ Chi-Hyun probably planned this from the very first time they met at the entrance of the official residence. The more she thought about it, the more astonished she was, but she had no choice but to admit that in a way, this was a great opportunity for her. This was an opportunity for her to prove herself, arranged by no other than the legend himself. * * * ¡°Why did you come this way?¡± Lakshasha looked clearly baffled by her question. It was the authority of the guide to decide which way to go. It was an authority and unwritten rule that even the expedition team¡¯s captain couldn¡¯t easily challenge. Of course, if Chi-Woo officially raised an objection, he could question the guide¡¯s decision. However, the one challenging him wasn¡¯t the captain or even another expedition member, but a porter. Lakshasha knew the necessity of a porter, but he had never imagined that he would hear this question from one. ¡°We brought her as a porter, but she¡¯s not an ordinary native.¡± When Lakshasha looked at him with a questioning gaze, Chi-Woo quietly said, ¡°She¡¯s using the same growth system as us and has the knowledge and ability of a guide.¡± That changed the story a bit, but Lakshasha still had his reservations, ¡°But even then¡ª¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯m also curious about one thing.¡± When Lakshasha tried to protest, Emmanuel stepped forward. ¡°At the entry area when I was fighting the tree monster, you immediately told me his weakness. How did you notice something that I and the other expedition members and even the head did not realize?¡± While talking, he glanced at Lakshasha. He was curious about this question, but he was mostly saying this so that Lakshasha would shut up and quietly follow the captain¡¯s decision. Lakshasha made an annoyed sound and snorted. ¡°Do you have a problem with the way we came here?¡± ¡°You told us in the beginning that we¡¯d take the path your previous group had taken to find your comrade.¡± ¡°Yeah. I said I¡¯d go the way I knew. So what?¡± ¡°The three-way intersection that we just passed.¡± Lakshasha frowned. Hawa continued, ¡° There was no sign of exit on any of the paths.¡± ¡°¡­Signs of exit?¡± ¡°There were signs of entry, but no signs of exit.¡± Hawa straightened her neck and continued while staring at Lakshasha, ¡°Your expedition team wasn¡¯t annihilated. A few, including you, have survived. Then shouldn¡¯t we see signs of exit on any of the paths?¡± ¡°Ha! Geez, I was wondering what you were going to say, but¡­¡± Lakshasha said with disbelief and looked at her as if she wasn¡¯t in her right mind. ¡°So you have knowledge of a guide? You seem like you¡¯re at bronze tier at best, but¡­ Want me to give you a piece of advice as your senior?¡± He continued as if he found all of this ridiculous, ¡°What you see isn¡¯t everything. It¡¯s troublesome if you start imagining a fantasy world after reading a few traces.¡± He shook his head and placed his hands on his waist. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll answer you with this one sentence. Is there a rule that says that the path you enter has to be the same as your exit?¡± ¡°¡­No, there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Right? I just said this to the pink-haired lady already, but we couldn¡¯t think properly when we met one of the king candidates. We were all in a desperate hurry to run away, so why would we care about such a small matter like that? Do you think we would have thought about going back the same way we came from?¡± After seeing that a couple people seemed to accept his coherent explanation, Lakshasha lost a bit of his steam. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the king candidate let you go alive, not that you ran away to survive?¡± Lakshasha faltered a bit and said, ¡°¡­Listen properly to the end. We ran away like crazy, but we were caught. After that, it happened as I said.¡± After adding a few more sentences, Lakshasha suddenly showed signs of anger. ¡°Do I even have to talk about such trivial things?¡± Some of the expedition members watching the situation shifted their gazes. They alternately looked between Hawa and Chi-Woo with uneasy expressions. In any case, once an expedition team was formed, disciplines and rules were extremely important, and this also included trust towards other members so that they could trust their lives with each other. This was also the reason why a member who ran away by themselves during an expedition was severely criticized and unable to join another team. In other words, this was not a matter that they could easily turn over like flipping a page in a book. While Hawa was the one who made a mistake, Chi-Woo was the one who needed to take the responsibility. Smacking his beaks, Lakshasha sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s just stop it here. Regardless of what just happened, you guys did listen to my difficult demands.¡± He waved his hand and continued, ¡°Considering that¡­it¡¯s fine for me as long as the suspicion is cleared up. There¡¯s no need to apologize. Although I feel extremely awful to be doubted like this, I¡¯ll just consider this a matter where an amateur guide, too greedy for her own good, acted out by herself.¡± A few of the expedition members¡¯ faces brightened that Lakshasha was going to move on without making a big deal. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Hawa nodded and continued, ¡°You¡¯re sure that you went through this path, but you might not have gone out the same way.¡± ¡°Yeah. This isn¡¯t even a basic knowledge for a guide, but common sense. If you finally understand¡ª¡± ¡°A place where common sense doesn¡¯t work.¡± Lakshasha blinked at Hawa¡¯s unexpected interruption. Then he felt an unknown sense of anxiety; although the situation had changed to his favor, Hawa remained completely expressionless. Then Hawa said, ¡°Why did you lie?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lakshasha doubted his ears. ¡°Your expedition team didn¡¯t use this path.¡± Then his face stiffened. ¡°¡­You want to really fight or something?¡± He outrightly showed his fury and growled, ¡°I tried to let this slide considering your situation! What nonsense are you spouting! On what grounds¡ª!¡± While Lakshasha angrily shouted, Hawa quietly continued, ¡°Your expedition team had a total of six people. A balanced team with Lakshasha of the Garula clan as the captain and head, and a team quite known even in the Cassiubia League. The vice-captain was a member of the same Garula clan and Lakshasha¡¯s younger sister, Laksia, and her class is a priest¡ª¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions instantly turned stupefied, and Hawa continued to recite information about Lakshasha¡¯s past expedition team. She knew more than the number of their members, but also each of their physical description, class, relationship, and even their equipment and weapons. ¡°¡­Kaman played the role of keeper in Lakshasha¡¯s expedition team and wears a heavy armor that is so thick and heavy that he¡¯s called the iron warrior.¡± After this long speech, Hawa exhaled a long breath and asked, ¡°Is that correct?¡± ¡°¡­Y-Yeah? So what?¡± Hawa stared directly at the stuttering Lakshasha. The reason why Hawa had gone out of her way to find this information was simple¡ªshe found him suspicious. [If you want to succeed as a guide, etch this into your heart.] [Our biggest weakness in our lives is thinking that we¡¯re rational.] [The moment we think that we¡¯re rational and accept a piece of information as the truth, we don¡¯t doubt it anymore.] [You should keep doubting and suspecting till the very end. Guides should never withdraw their suspicion.] When Chi-Hyun gave his first lesson, he told her to engrave this into her brain. Lakshasha¡¯s expedition team failed, and his comrade got captured. Since the captured comrade was his blood-relative, he needed to save her at all costs. The process of Lakshasha joining their team was reasonable enough, and there was nothing that was particularly fishy. The fact that everything made perfect sense, though, was what Hawa found suspicious. However, she couldn¡¯t just be suspicious without proof, so she went around collecting information while Lakshasha received treatment and reorganized. It wasn¡¯t hard to find out more about his team. After inquiring about Lakshasha¡¯s colleagues, who had survived the expedition together, Hawa approached Lakshasha¡¯s past teammates directly by saying things along the lines of, ¡®Lakshasha created a new expedition team and wanted me to ask if you can go to the Hala Forest again.¡¯ Thanks to obtaining information like this, Hawa¡¯s endless doubts finally bore fruit inside the Hala Forest. ¡°If Kaman had worn heavy armor, it would have been normal for his footprints to be clearer than the others. Much more than this.¡± Hawa made a deliberate step before lifting her foot, her leather boot leaving a dent on the ground. ¡°But on the way here, I don¡¯t think I have ever seen a footprint that matched a warrior wearing heavily iron-cladded footgear¡ªno.¡± Hawa cleared her throat and said again, ¡°I have not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Panic spread on Lakshasha¡¯s face like watercolor. However, he quickly suppressed his emotions like a skilled head. ¡°What do you know? Do you think all footprints last that long? In a place like this, something like footprints¡ª!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been one or two days. Isn¡¯t it quite far-fetched to claim that all footprints have disappeared?¡± Emmanuel, who had been listening quietly, inadvertently nodded. Lakshasha licked his lower beak and quickly shouted, ¡°Do you think we¡¯re the only ones in the Hala Forest? Besides us¡ª!¡± ¡°Even if those footprints could have been erased by external factors near the entry, it doesn¡¯t make sense after going deeper into the forest, especially at the three-way intersection earlier.¡± Yeriel quietly stepped back three or four steps, and after taking out a bead, covertly aimed at Lakshasha. Hawa continued, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any traces of combat. Moreover, there were very few signs of coming and going. Isn¡¯t it absurd that all those signs disappeared, or were erased in just a day?¡± ¡°I told you before, but what you see isn¡¯t everyth¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only the lack of footprints from metal shoes. Do you want to go back and see? I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find more discrepancies with your statements.¡± ¡°No. So what I¡¯m saying is¡ª¡± ¡°Why?¡± While Lakshasha frantically tried his best to refute her points, Hawa laughed. ¡°Are you perhaps going to say that the heavily-armored warrior named Kaman separated from the expedition team and took a different route by himself, all alone?¡± Lakshasha¡¯s mouth closed at once. There were things in the world that made sense and things that didn¡¯t, and what Hawa just said belonged to the latter. ¡°W-Well, come to think of it, I might have mista¡­¡± Lakshasha realized his mistake because the next moment, he recalled that he had confidently told everyone that he knew this path well several times. Furthermore, Hawa had confirmed this with him one more time, asking if he was sure. He had answered with an affirmation without much thought back then. ¡®No way¡ª¡¯ Lakshasha looked at Hawa with trembling eyes. He had been baffled by the ridiculous question, but it had been a trap. The question was meant to lead him into the coffin and nail him in. It was now much too late for him to change his story. ¡®She got me¡­!¡¯ Hawa wasn¡¯t an amateur guide or anything like that, but a shrewd nine-tailed fox. Who would have imagined that a mere porter could read traces and signs at a level comparable to a gold tier guide? Silence fell between the expedition members in an instant. Apoline, who had been listening with her arms crossed, widened her eyes at Hawa. After thinking that Hawa was acting out like she did during the Zepar expedition, Apoline had all kinds of thoughts like, ¡®She still hasn¡¯t gotten her sense yet¡¯, ¡®Why did Mr. Chi-Woo bring her again?¡¯, ¡®This can¡¯t go on any longer. I should become his wife as fast as possible and do something about her.¡¯ But now she thought, ¡®Now that I see her again, she¡¯s pretty good¡­?¡¯ The silence continued, and the longer Lakshasha remained silent, the more of the expedition members got ready to fight. Ru Amuh and Emmanuel had their hands on the hilt of their swords, and Apoline unfolded her arms and muttered a spell. Yeriel had taken out her bead a while ago and was considering if she should throw it or not. ¡°Did your expedition team really go this way¡­no.¡± Then Hawa, who had been leisurely enjoying Lakshasha¡¯s reaction while coiling her silver hair, said, ¡°Mr. Laksasha?¡± She asked once again with a small smile, ¡°Where were you trying to take us?¡± Lakshasha blanched. CH 284 Lakshasha remembered that day as clearly as yesterday. How could he forget¡ªthe feeling of being reduced to a mere prey waiting to be eaten? He had felt such overwhelming fear then that he couldn¡¯t even think of resisting. Completely helpless, all he could do was stare at his predator and shake on the ground. And when his predator leisurely walked toward him to check his captured prey, he said: [As I thought, it doesn¡¯t fill me with the same feeling as that time.] He said in a regretful and longing voice. [Killing you is easy and eating you is even easier. But¡­] [I don¡¯t even see the value in doing that.] He let out a small chuckle after saying those words. [This is worrisome. Truly worrisome. I didn¡¯t expect to have such thoughts at all. Perhaps something had changed inside me after that time¡­] He lamented and went silent for a period, yet the silence didn¡¯t last long. After thinking of something that Lakshasha couldn¡¯t guess, the predator suddenly asked. [Do you want to live?] It was an unexpected offer. Perhaps the predator might let him live, and he could survive this. Lakshasha nodded instinctively. [Then, you must show me that you are worth keeping alive.] At the predator¡¯s soft voice, Lakshasha nodded crazily. [Stricken by fear, you seem ready to agree with everything I say.] [Though I don¡¯t really blame you, I can¡¯t place my trust in you.] The faint ray of hope Lakshasha felt was quickly overshadowed by despair, and a sense of indescribable humiliation and shame crept inside him as his heartbeat fluctuated wildly at every couple of words coming from the predator¡¯s mouth. [Let me see¡­ah, yes.] Another person popped out in front of Lakshasha. It was his sister, who had the same fear-stricken face devoid of any self-will and mind like him. [Do you want to save her?] The predator said. [You want to return home safely with her, right?] Lakshasha nodded¡ªslowly this time, unlike before. And the predator flashed him a toothy grin. *** A good while after standing alone on the spot, Lakshasha moved his arms around quickly. It was his final desperate effort to do something after all his plans turned awry. The expedition team remained calm. They were already mentally prepared and quickly readied their stance, but they soon stopped moving. It was because Lakshasha had stopped first. With his arms clutching his bow, he didn¡¯t move in the slightest. He seemed to be warring with himself inwardly, and eventually, his grip loosened. His arrow fell to the ground, and he hung his head. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± After a long period of silence, he muttered again, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± With both his eyes tightly clenched shut, Lakshasha looked too ashamed to even lift his head. He was basically admitting the truth with these actions. Emmanuel frowned and dropped the hand that was about to draw his fleuret. ¡°Which parts are the truth, and which parts are the lies?¡± His tone changed. It sounded piercing enough to slash through Lakshasha¡¯s heart. ¡°Rather than that¡­¡± Yeriel let out a small sigh and looked away. ¡°We should see it as one big lie.¡± There was truth mixed in with lies. The goal of this expedition was to save Lakshasha¡¯s captured companion, but how they would save his companion was where the truth ended and the lie began. They weren¡¯t going to fight the king candidate Lakshasha and his team had encountered. The truth was¡­ ¡°It¡¯s an exchange,¡± Yeriel clarified. ¡°It seems he was guaranteed to get his sibling back for the price of bringing us to that guy.¡± In other words, Lakshasha had promised the king candidate to do his bidding. ¡°¡­¡± Lakshasha remained quiet. His silence was enough of a confirmation. ¡°Captain, give us your order,¡± Emmanuel said hastily after getting into his stance. Lakshasha appeared to have no will to resist. As if he had already accepted his fate, both his arms were hanging limply by his sides. But then everyone¡¯s eyes widened seeing Chi-Woo quietly raise his hands. There was a good case to instantly kill Lakshasha, but they had to wait? Why? ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯m curious about.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice sounded an octave lower as he spoke, ¡°Before I get to that, let me make one thing clear. We have no intention of overlooking this matter. I plan to hold you properly responsible for your actions in the future.¡± Other people in the group nodded in agreement as they thought it was only natural. ¡°So please reply to this question bearing that in mind.¡± While staring intently at Lakshasha, Chi-Woo cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Why did you tell Mr. Ru Amuh that he should leave if his injury was too serious?¡± The rest of the expedition team blinked hard at this question. Now that they thought about it, that was strange. ¡°You said we shouldn¡¯t mind it¡­if we are hesitating because of you.¡± Lakshasha had told them that he wouldn¡¯t insist on the matter if something happened to the team members that prevented them from continuing, and he kept that promise. Of course, he might¡¯ve been faking it to keep up the charade, but he had given suggestions that he didn¡¯t need to give. Thus, Chi-Woo was curious about Lakshasha¡¯s intention. ¡°What were you planning to do if I decided to return for Mr. Ru Amuh ?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Lakshasha opened his eyes again. ¡°I know it sounds unbelievable, but¡­¡± He raised his head slowly and opened his mouth after some difficulty. ¡°I was planning to return without resisting¡­really¡­¡± Chi-Woo had already revealed his intention to punish Lakshasha later and thought Lakshasha would tell the whole truth now, believing everything to be over. Considering that, this answer was a bit unexpected. ¡°Why? Why do you say that?¡± Lakshasha¡¯s response was a long sigh. He was a guide spearheading quite a reputable team among the Cassiubia League. The fact that his name was well-known in a huge organization like the Cassiubia League indicated that he had made considerable achievements until now. However, his recent encounter with one of the king candidates had paralyzed his ability to think. As Yeriel said, he was overcome by his sense of fear and committed something he shouldn¡¯t have; yet that didn¡¯t mean the pride and loyalty he had toward the Cassiubia League had all disappeared. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Lakshasha appeared befuddled as he responded. ¡°When we first arrived at the beginning of the entrance, the only thing I could think of was saving Lakshia, and I thought I could risk everything to bring her back safely¡­¡± He had heard the rumors about Chi-Woo, but he didn¡¯t believe them. He thought they were exaggerations, and when he heard about how much the humans had risen in ranks, he simply let the information flow from one ear to the other. ¡°But I think my mind changed¡­after seeing you all fight.¡± The battle at the starting area of the forest gave Lakshasha quite a shock. As an archer who was acknowledged for his skills in a large league and had a superior intellect than most, he also had a keen eye for reading people. And in that battle, he got glimpses of how the whole team fought and how much stronger they would be, as well as how much more they would do for humanity and beyond that, for Liber. And thus, Lakshasha became more conflicted. He wondered whether it was even right for him to let them die here¡ªno, guide them to their deaths. ¡®Even if I save her like this¡­will Lakshia be happy¡­?¡¯ No, there was no way. Considering her personality, his sister would reprimand him, demanding to know why he hadn¡¯t just let her die. Though he wanted to save his sister, he didn¡¯t want to go this far, and Lakshasha felt tormented in this dilemma. A part of him hoped that the team would suddenly have a reason to turn back. Yes, that was what he wanted¡­ Seeing Lakshasha close his eyes again, Chi-Woo asked calmly, ¡°But wasn¡¯t there the option of abandoning your previous plan and fighting alongside us to save your companion?¡± ¡°No.¡± It was an instant reply. Though he had spoken wearily and warily until now, Lakshasha spoke firmly this time while shaking his head. ¡°Although I tried to trick you guys with lies¡­everything I said is true except for my plan on defeating him. I swear that everything I said about the king candidate is especially true.¡± Chi-Woo wondered how traumatized Lakshasha must be. ¡°You guys might now know because you haven¡¯t met that guy yet¡­but no. It¡¯s not possible. Fighting him is¡­¡± As if just recalling that memory revived the fear inside him, Lakshasha shuddered. It was then a different voice suddenly interjected. ¡°You are well aware.¡± Everyone turned to the source of the voice in surprise. ¡°Because you brought several people as promised and were working hard to drag them here, I waited for you.¡± The intruder¡¯s torso was completely bare. He was tall, and he had short, light-blonde hair. While his body was covered in parts in well-shaped muscles, he wasn¡¯t overly brawny. ¡°I was wondering what was happening, but in the end, you¡­¡± the intruder said. If one must make a comparison, he was closest to a human. It was a face they never saw before, yet they somehow felt a sense of familiarity with him. Yes, it was as if they were seeing Ismile in his youth, or his younger brother. And the most alarming fact was that no one realized when he had arrived¡ªneither Ru Amuh¡¯s synesthesia nor even Chi-Woo¡¯s intuition managed to detect his presence. ¡°¡­Well.¡± And the intruder began to stomp towards them. ¡°But it isn¡¯t all bad. I can¡¯t think too negatively of you. In fact, I quite like that stupid honesty of yours.¡± Lakshasha seemed to have forgotten to breathe altogether. The way his beaks pressed together seemed to indicate that his trauma was rekindled again. But indifferent to his reaction, the intruder turned to the expedition team and glanced at them. ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Chi-Woo felt his nervousness rise. Though this intruder looked like a human, there was no way he was. Only his appearance was that of a human, and he was something else pretending to be one. Seeing Lakshasha¡¯s response, it was clear he was one of the king candidates he had been talking about. And the fact that Chi-Woo was suddenly reminded of Ismile made it clear he was that guy. [Don¡¯t think of fighting him.] [You must run away regardless of who dies.] Chi-Woo was sure of it. He was the one who ate Ismile¡¯s arm. He must have received quite the inspiration from Ismile and evolved into his current form. Thus, it became clear to Chi-Woo that he was coming face-to-face with an enemy likely to be the strongest in the Hala Forest. ¡®I can¡¯t let down my guard,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and calmed his breathing to focus on the king candidate¡¯s every move. ¡°?¡± But suddenly, even without taking his eyes off the king candidate for one second, the king candidate disappeared. Chi-Woo flinched and quickly turned around. His opponent suddenly appeared mid-air and swung his arms. ¡°Left!¡± Yeriel shouted instinctively after finally recollecting herself. She was able to sense the opponent before she saw him because she felt a clear sensation of a hand touching her neck. She felt her neck getting sliced open before it even happened. Klang! ¡°Hm?¡± Their king candidate¡¯s eyes turned slightly wider. His attack strayed a little when Ru Amuh simultaneously turned around with Chi-Woo and barely managed to graze his hand. Emmanuel heaved in anger seeing blood scatter out of Yeriel¡¯s neck, and his fleuret shot forward like a ray of light. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Emmanuel couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He was sure that the tip of his fleuret had penetrated his opponent, but it didn¡¯t actually hit. ¡®What¡ª?¡¯ All he could do was exclaim in shock. He couldn¡¯t understand his opponent¡¯s movements and didn¡¯t know what happened. If one must describe it¡ªit was as if he saw the ball roll inside the net and was assured of his goal, but a moment later, he realized that the ball simply hit the side of the net and bounced off. Yet there was no time for him to even think in bewilderment. He saw the claws that had parried his fleuret aim for him now. The moment he gasped, he felt his throat exposed. Though his opponent had evaded his attack, he had a strong feeling that he wouldn''t be able to do the same. Death came in an instant. Thud! It sounded as if something struck a leather bag filled with water hard. ¡°!¡± The king candidate¡¯s eyes filled with surprise, and his mouth gaped open. Someone had managed to clutch his wrist. He turned to see Chi-Woo clenching his teeth and tightening his grip with all his might, refusing to let go. Strangely enough, the king candidate smirked and twisted his arm into an S-shape like the yin-yang symbol. Chi-Woo let go of the wrist he worked so hard to clutch. He didn¡¯t know why, but instinctively felt that he must let go at that moment. ¡°Ho!¡± A cry came from a distance. Before they realized it, the king candidate was already standing in the place where he first appeared. Yeriel was holding her neck, while Evelyn was healing the team. Both of them, along with Chi-Woo, of course, stood frozen like stone statues. How much time had it been? One or two seconds? No, it was about 2.5 seconds. Yet in that very short time frame, this monster had managed to fight three opponents and return to his original position. It was simply unbelievable. ¡°How surprising. It¡¯s unbelievable.¡± It appeared that his opponent felt the same. ¡°To think there would be another creature able to touch my body.¡± The king candidate sounded astounded as he rotated his wrist. ¡°Furthermore, you managed to act half a step ahead of me for a moment there¡­ I almost became serious. You guys are quite good. I was planning to have a little taste of what you could do and thought it would be all right even if I accidentally killed you all.¡± The king candidate relayed his compliments while looking at Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh. The expedition team was hit with a strange feeling. The king candidate talked as if he was talking to beings beneath him. ¡°You guys are alright,¡± he said with a satisfied smile and looked back at Lakshasha. ¡°I don¡¯t get the same feeling as I did that time¡­but it¡¯s fresh and surprising. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t expecting much, but you kept your promise well.¡± Then he pointed in one direction with his index finger. ¡°Go west.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± ¡°If you keep going in that direction, you¡¯ll see a cave. Your companion is there. I just knocked her out, so it¡¯s up to you to bring her back here or return to your place.¡± Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. Lakshasha appeared stunned. ¡°I-Is that really true?¡± he asked again, and the king candidate furrowed his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I am different from you all.¡± He sounded slightly offended as he continued, ¡°Since my birth, I carried a different burden on my shoulders from everyone else. I¡¯m sure you guys can¡¯t help but be ignorant of it, but every word that comes out of my mouth carries a weight that the likes of you can¡¯t imagine.¡± The one carrying the crown had to bear the weight of it, and the responsibility and burden of a king was by no means light. ¡°And since you¡¯ve fulfilled all your duties as a servant, I must also fulfill my obligations.¡± Lakshasha¡¯s throat trembled. He looked back and forth between the king candidate and the expedition team. It looked like he didn¡¯t know what to do, but in the end, he turned to the direction the king had pointed. The king smirked and looked back at the expedition team. Chi-Woo chewed on his lower lip. His hands stung. His fingers shook slightly, and the palms of his hands felt raw. Though he was the one who had clutched the king¡¯s wrist, what would¡¯ve happened had he been a second too late? ¡°Okay, then¡ª¡± The king arched his neck sideways, and Chi-Woo readied himself. He knew a day like this would come sooner or later¡ªthough this was earlier than he¡¯d expected. Perhaps he would have to break the promise he made to his master today. ¡°Everyone¡ª¡± Still, Chi-Woo thought he should give it his best, and he was ready to give his companions an order. ¡°Sit. It¡¯s fine if you make yourself comfortable.¡± The king suddenly sat down. He put one folded leg above the other and rested his elbow on his knee. Then he propped his head up with the hand on his jaw and smiled softly. ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡± CH 285 It wasn¡¯t only Chi-Woo. The other expedition members, who were preparing to fight, were all confused. ¡°I said it¡¯s fine for you to sit,¡± the king repeated. The expedition members glanced at Chi-Woo. The king had said he wanted to talk, but they couldn¡¯t tell whether he was joking or being serious. ¡°Hmm. Are you going to keep standing like that? Then do as you please. You don¡¯t have to show that much reverence already.¡± Mistaking their hesitation as reverence, the king laughed and continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean much. I just wanted to know more about you all.¡± He softly smiled and shrugged. Then he slightly widened his eyes and spoke with a benevolent expression, ¡°Don¡¯t you have questions about me too? I¡¯ll give you my permission, so fire away. Any question is fine.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying; he really seemed to want a sincere conversation. They could tell him to go fuck himself and immediately start fighting, but a hasty decision could lead to death. Chi-Woo decided to organize his thoughts. Their opponent was one of the beings who knew about the Hala Forest the best. In a way, this could be a good opportunity¡ªan opportunity for them to gather accurate and detailed insider information that humanity and the Cassiubia League didn¡¯t know at the moment, especially at a time like this when every piece of information could be useful. Although according to Ismile, the being in front of them was the enemy they needed to be most wary of, it was also true that this problem wouldn¡¯t be resolved even if they successfully beat him. It was worth a shot to try talking to him and get as much information from him as possible. If they could figure out Sernitas¡¯ intentions at the same time, it would be most ideal. After a brief moment of deliberation, Chi-Woo decided to accept the king¡¯s offer. His first question was: ¡°Who are you?¡± It was the most basic and fundamental question. The king seemed to have expected it. ¡°You ask an obvious question.¡± He spoke leisurely with a slight smile. ¡°All of you always look up at me.¡± He talked as if they had met each other before, and very frequently at that. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m also always looking down at all of you.¡± There was no way his words could be true. No one among the expedition had met him before they entered the Hala Forest. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ What if he considered the Hala Forest¡¯s unique state of evolution? Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. When no one seemed to have a clue, the king raised his hand with a slight smile and pointed up with his index finger. Looking up at the sky, the expedition team soon frowned; the mellow twilight had faded and was suddenly shining brightly¡ªlike the sun was at its peak in the middle of the sky. The expedition members faltered at the abnormal phenomenon. The sunlight was so brilliant that it was blinding. An existence that humans always looked up at and likewise, one that always looked down on humans. If limited to the sky, there was only one existence that fit this criteria. No way¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re asking me why I suddenly came down to the ground¡­¡± The king tilted his chin and looked up at the sky. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, either.¡± He closed his eyes gently while receiving the pouring sunlight. ¡°I suddenly heard a sound that seemed to be calling me and was drawn towards it¡­then it felt like I was flowing somewhere¡­and when I opened my eyes, I was here.¡± He continued to talk with pauses as if he was recalling a particular memory. ¡°I don¡¯t know who dared to summon me here or what their intentions are. I have no way of knowing, but¡­¡± The king¡¯s body glowed faintly as if it was absorbing the light around them. It was like Chi-Woo¡¯s halo, which was sealed and gone for now. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter in the first place.¡± The king lowered his head again before suddenly opening his eyes. ¡°From the moment I opened my eyes, I could instinctively know what to do.¡± A reddish golden light shone in both eyes. ¡°It¡¯s to shine and brighten the world in every corner.¡± Then the glow from his body intensified. ¡°As the only Sun King who encompasses the sky and earth!¡± Shaaaaaa! While he made the declaration, beams of blazing light erupted in all directions. Everyone was blinded by the intense light. Although the light soon died down, they were still averting their gazes with their heads turned away¡ªjust like how people couldn¡¯t directly look up at the sky. The king seemed pleased by their responses, and Chi-Woo was completely shocked inside. He found out what the Hala Forest was like after entering here. Things like trees, stones, and flowers evolving was understandable, but he hadn¡¯t imagined that even sunlight could become his opponent. The Sernitas even drew out the light of the sun, the largest and only star in the stellar system. If this was true, the Hala Forest was undergoing more than an ecological upheaval. It was more accurate to say that a microcosm was being created here; a space to cultivate a king to rule the universe. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t thought that far yet. If Chi-Hyun were here, he would have immediately realized what the Sernitas¡¯ intention was in creating this space and what they were doing to face the Heavenly King. While everyone was left speechless, one person quietly stepped forward. ¡°Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion, but¡­¡± Evelyn carefully spoke up. The king¡¯s smile deepened due to her polite manner and words. He gently urged her with a kind expression, ¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s all right. Go ahead and ask me.¡± ¡°From my understanding, the King of the Hala Forest hasn¡¯t been decided yet.¡± Evelyn slightly bowed and continued, ¡°I heard there are other king candidates¡­¡± The king¡¯s face hardened briefly. ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Then he nodded in agreement. ¡° To be exact, there are three remaining candidates, including me.¡± ¡°And by remaining, do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°There used to be five.¡± Chi-Woo held his breath. He couldn¡¯t believe there used to be four other beings similar to this king. ¡°I killed and ate one of them myself. Well, it was quite a delicacy.¡± The king straightened his posture and said proudly. Although their enemies had fought each other and decreased their numbers, it wasn¡¯t something to be happy about; as their numbers decreased, the remaining three got even stronger. ¡®The Last Dragon was right.¡¯ The battle among the kings had already progressed half-way. If they had arrived just a little later, the situation would have spiraled out of control. ¡°And the other one¡­¡± The king continued as Chi-Woo thought, ¡°She probably took care of it.¡± His voice suddenly lowered as if he wasn¡¯t pleased by this. Evelyn didn¡¯t miss his reaction, and her eyes narrowed. It was evident that he didn¡¯t want to comment further about this topic. She wanted to dig for more information, but decided to change the subject rather than pressing further. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m curious as to why you wanted to converse with us when you, as the great Sun King, could have swept us all away with your mighty and overwhelming force.¡± ¡°Hmm. Yeah, since we¡¯ve talked to some extent, I¡¯ll reveal my purpose.¡± As expected, there was a reason why he wanted to talk. ¡°In reality, you¡¯re nothing more than food that I could talk to and understand.¡± The king spoke calmly, as if he was explaining that one plus one was two. ¡°Until not too long ago¡­until I met that human.¡± The human the king was referring to was probably Ismile. The king continued, ¡°It was really amazing. I didn¡¯t know that what I thought of as delicious food could push me to that extent¡­I still can¡¯t get rid of the emotion I experienced then.¡± The king actually trembled a little while he was talking. Ismile had made it sound like he was one-sidedly beaten, but it seemed that hadn''t been the case. Rather, the king seemed to have been deeply impressed by his battle with Ismile. ¡°The more I think about it, the more regretful I feel,¡± he continued to lament. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have just let him go like that, but chased him down even at the risk of death¡­ One arm is not enough¡­ I can¡¯t get rid of this insatiable hunger¡­¡± He seemed to mean every word judging by the way he smacked his lips and swallowed. Their opponent really saw everything but himself as merely food for survival and growth. The king continued, ¡°Anyway, it feels like something in me has changed since then. Should I say it¡¯s my perspective or thoughts¡­?¡± The king tapped his knee with his index finger, ¡°I want to have something valuable next to me.¡± Then he summarized it in a few sentences, ¡°It¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t meet my standards since I can find a way to utilize you properly. Just look. Didn¡¯t that insignificant thing bring you here after listening to me?¡± He looked at each expedition member one by one and folded his arms. After a brief pause, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m also well aware of the situation that all of you are in.¡± Although Chi-Woo wanted to ask how the hell he knew about the current situation when he was just born, it seemed the king had absorbed some of the memories stored in the brains of the Cassiubia League members. ¡°Especially humanity. They jumped head-on to save a world beyond their galaxy. It¡¯s indeed a noble and excellent mission. That spirit alone is worthy of great praise.¡± The king generously praised them and suddenly showed signs of pity. ¡°All of you must have suffered beyond words. You must have felt despair countless times facing the dark reality, but it¡¯s alright now. Everything will be alright, since I have finally descended to this world.¡± The king placed his hand on his chest as if he understood all their struggles and said, ¡°Trust me.¡± Then he spread his arms wide and spoke magnanimously, ¡°I¡¯ll lead all of you. I¡¯ll stand in the vanguard for you, protect you, and defeat all enemies who stand in your way. And I¡¯ll save this world for you.¡± He declared, looking at the expedition team staring blankly at him. With a soft, persuasive voice, he asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Chi-Woo stared at the self-proclaimed king. He said he¡¯d fight their enemies for them and save Liber. It would be a lie if Chi-Woo didn¡¯t find it a little tempting since it was more comfortable to pass on work to others. Perhaps, if everything went well, he could help a bit and go back happily to Earth with his brother. Yes, if there really could be a future like that, that was. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s intuition was shouting at him that this was a trap, which put a bitter smile on his face. As soon as he agreed, he would be dancing to another¡¯s tune. From experience, Chi-Woo knew that following his guts was best in times like this. But above all, his brother had told him to raid and subjugate the Hala Forest, not to cooperate with the enemy. Chi-Woo believed and trusted his brother rather than the king, who he had met for the first time. ¡°¡­I refuse.¡± It was a clean refusal, and surprisingly, the king¡¯s response was calm. ¡°Tell me why,¡± he asked with interest. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve treated any of you badly.¡± Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. Chi-Woo barely managed to suppress his laughter. He wondered why he had felt so uncomfortable throughout the conversation, and he finally got it. The being in front of him said he was a king, but he didn¡¯t seem very much like a king. Rather, he seemed more like a child impersonating an adult after his head got a little bit bigger. It was now time to give the na?ve kid a taste of reality. Chi-Woo said, ¡°There¡¯s an expression like this¡ªknow your place.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get respect just because you ask for it. You need to earn it.¡± Chi-Woo smiled and shot out an insult, ¡°Don''t you think that a servant would want to serve a king who is actually like a king?¡± The king raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you saying that you don¡¯t trust me as a king?¡± ¡°No. Rather than a king¡­¡± Chi-Woo rubbed his chin and fell into thought. If he had to describe what he was feeling¡­ ¡°You¡¯re more like a cult leader who is frantically trying to attract believers due to pre-existing circumstances?¡± The king gave a clear reaction this time; he conspicuously flinched and glared at Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll let this slide once, considering that you pleasantly surprised me. But you¡¯ll have to be careful from now on.¡± Although this could be considered a threat, Chi-Woo smirked. ¡°I¡¯m wondering what¡¯s the point if we¡¯re going to fight a battle to the death soon.¡± ¡°¡­Haha! Your spirit and will is at least worth watching. Yeah, it¡¯s fun like this.¡± The king burst into laughter. Rather than looking over this insult, he seemed to be pretending to do so. ¡°What about the rest of you?¡± He soon moved his gaze from Chi-Woo and looked left and right. ¡°If any of you want to follow me, I¡¯m willing to acc¡ª¡± Evelyn snorted while he was talking and said, ¡°Shut up, you moron.¡± While Chi-Woo agreed with Evelyn, he couldn¡¯t help but flinch at her bluntness. Evelyn¡¯s attitude changed 180 degrees after judging that she had retrieved all the information she wanted from the king. ¡°You liked it so much that I treated you like a king for a bit. How pathetic.¡± Having considered Evelyn a potential servant, the king was shocked speechless by Evelyn¡¯s sudden change when¡ª ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.¡± Yeriel clicked her tongue. ¡°That¡¯s not how you provoke someone. Hmph! Look at how I do it.¡± She whispered and cleared her throat. ¡°Woahhh! Our omniscient and omnipotent sun¡¯s¡ªwow, woahhhhhhhhh!¡± She raised both her arms and fell flat on her stomach. ¡°This humble servant, who has heard the highest truth and gained enlightenment, dare to ask Your Majesty a question!¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± The king, whose face had turned purple and red in no time, schooled his expression into one of indifference, thinking this as an opportunity to save face. Yeriel continued, ¡°Your Majesty, about the two remaining candidates you just mentioned! I wish to know where one of them is!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°That candidate! Her! The candidate who succeeded in killing another king candidate like you, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Why do you want to¡­?¡± The king looked confused. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Then Yeriel raised her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s to meet her as soon as possible to devote my body and heart and pledge my undying loyalty to the true king, instead of a pathetic self-proclaimed king like you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The king¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Ah, please quickly tell me! Come on! Why won¡¯t you tell me? Ah, hurry, hurry up!¡± Seeing Yeriel pound on the ground making a huge fuss, his expression distorted. As soon as he realized he was being mocked, he growled, ¡°You want to die?¡± ¡°Yes! I want to die!¡± ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°But I want to die at the hands of your parents, not you!¡± Then Yeriel quickly said, ¡°Ah!¡± and tilted her head with wide eyes. ¡°Huh? Wait a minute. That means I can never die¡­?¡± The king fell into deep thought, wondering what she meant. However, after realizing that she was insulting him as a motherless, fatherless bastard, he grew furious. Of course, he no longer tried to convince them with words anymore. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Very curious.¡± He hit the ground and said with a trembling voice, ¡°If you can keep jabbering with your blasted mouth like that after seeing my true strength.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! My own mother tells me often that even if I drown, my mouth will still float up and talk! My name is Yeriel Lily Dula Mariaju, nice to meet you!¡± Yeriel shouted refreshingly and shot to her feet, returning to her previous position. Then Chi-Woo opened his mouth as if he had been waiting all along. ¡°Everyone. Get ready for battle.¡± It was earlier than he thought, but the time had come for a decisive battle. CH 286 The moment the expedition team and the king revealed their murderous intent to one another, the Hala Forest came to a standstill. The passing wind, the swaying tree branches, and the shaking grasses all stopped as if they were holding their breath to watch the scene. ¡°You are not moving.¡± The king appeared annoyed, but his eyes looked ice cold with the imminent battle on the horizon. ¡°It¡¯s only expected. There¡¯s no way the rest of your body would be able to keep up with that cocky mouth of yours.¡± Crackle! While the king was smirking at the expedition team, flames shot up. Seeing the ball of fire burning over Apoline¡¯s palms, the king said in astonishment. ¡°You fool. You think a single hair of mine would be affected by that¡ªme, who came from the sun?¡± Uncaring of what he said, Apoline produced another fireball in her other hand and threw it. She didn¡¯t throw them at the king, but at the ground nearby. Boom! With a fiery path of fire and heavy smoke, the dirt on the ground shot up in a flurry. Simultaneously, Ru Amuh and Emmanuel quickly jumped forward. In an instant, Emmanuel checked the king¡¯s sides amid the smoke and dust. He readied his stance and was about to pierce the king with his fleuret when he realized that his form was breaking. Emmanuel¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked down; the king¡¯s fist was in contact with the center of his stomach. ¡®When did he?¡¯ ¡°Kuh¡ª!¡± While thinking this, a pain so strong that he thought his inner organs were bursting came a second later. The king smirked and swung his elbow backward. Tang. With a heavy sound, the sword aiming for his back fell. Ru Amuh staggered a couple of steps back at the enormous collision. Then the next thing he saw was the king¡¯s leg kicking at him like a ray of light. Ru Amuh tried to avoid it, and he thought he could do it with his synesthesia ability. But as soon as he thought this, he felt a strong impact on his chest, chin, and temples all at once. Ru Amuh looked like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was witnessing and weakly fell backward while spraying blood. Though the king managed to instantly beat two guys, he didn¡¯t rest. He quickly turned around and swung his arms. Chi-Woo approached the king without a sound but staggered when struck by the king¡¯s whip-like forearm. As his body spun from the shock, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hide his bewilderment. He had been closely observing the king¡¯s movement. He saw the king turn his body around and swing his arm, but if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it appeared the king had several arms. ¡®What?¡¯ It was like the king was a thousand-hand bodhisattva. Dozens of strikes came at once, so Chi-Woo felt the impact stronger by several fold each time he was hit. He could now understand why Ru Amuh had been defeated without being able to put up a proper fight. There was no time to think. Chi-Woo looked forward blankly and saw a fist aim for him while leaving dozens of afterimages. It was then a memory flashed through Chi-Woo¡¯s mind. When he fought his brother in the image representation space, he had felt as if several kicks were aiming at him simultaneously. It was then Chi-Woo suddenly spun around and lowered his torso, all the while extending an arm. Tap! He clutched the king¡¯s wrist. In that short time period, he succeeded in capturing the center of the afterimage. ¡°Ho! Two times now?¡± the king exclaimed in admiration, and his head suddenly swayed. It was because the moment Chi-Woo clutched his wrist, he tripped the king with his feet. Chi-Woo thought his attack would be effective when he saw the king¡¯s head drop 90 degrees. But then the king swung his feet into the air like he was simply getting up from bed after lying down, thus recovering his posture. Chi-Woo looked stunned as he clutched tightly onto the king¡¯s wrist. But then the king used the axis of his clenched arm to spin in the air like a flying squirrel. Crunch! Drr! Drrr! Chilling sounds rang as Chi-Woo¡¯s bones twisted, and his skin ripped. But the king lightly landed on the ground and twisted his waist. After the king struck his forearm hard, Chi-Woo lost his grip on the king¡¯s wrist. ¡°Teacher¡ªkuh!¡± Ru Amuh hurriedly tried to run up to him seeing Chi-Woo struggle, but without even looking back, the king extended his leg back and did a spin kick. No sooner had Ru Amuh gotten up than the front of his foot got pushed back down. After barely managing to regain his balance, Chi-Woo raised his head. The king stood in the center of the three rushing at him. He looked arrogant and completely at ease. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. Chi-Woo heaved hard, and his countenance fell. He was enduring it for now, but the pain spreading throughout his body refused to subside. Though he had spread out as much of the impact of the king¡¯s attacks as possible, it was still so painful. But besides the king¡¯s enormous strength, it was his movements that were truly unbelievable. How could he do a back spin quickly while his body was facing forward? It didn¡¯t make logical sense, at least not by human standards. The clash made it clear that this place was where common sense didn¡¯t apply, just as Lakshasha had said. The king had absolutely no blind spots. He could attack in any direction he wanted at any time. Even while looking at Chi-Woo, Ru Amuh and Emmanuel felt as if the king was also staring at them. ¡°You have to be careful, especially of the afterimages,¡± Ru Amuh said weakly while picking himself up. As he said, it really felt as if they were battling a thousand-hand bodhisattva. It was difficult to believe that the king had gotten to this point by himself; absorbing Ismile¡¯s physical information must¡¯ve had a big influence on him. And though Ismile had told them to run as soon as they saw the king, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but curse Ismile inside his mind. How could he have helped an already strong enemy evolve even further? ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± The king smiled seeing Emmanuel get up while puking blood. ¡°Look at the condition you are in already,¡± the king said mockingly and wiggled one arm. ¡°The game is just getting started¡­!¡± Both his arms stretched like rubber. Seeing this, Chi-Woo suddenly recalled his master¡¯s teachings that when two opponents of equal skills fought, the one with the weapon was at an advantage. What would happen if an opponent with already higher skills held a weapon then? Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. He felt that the king¡¯s stretched arms were like weapons, and with them, the king would become two times stronger. Chi-Woo hesitated. The current prospects of battle prevented him from approaching. ¡°Chi-Woo!¡± From behind, a long piece of luggage came flying following Evelyn¡¯s call. It was the bag that contained the weapons he bought at the buhguhbu¡¯s blacksmith in Shalyh. As soon as he received the bag, Chi-Woo reached inside and pulled out anything he could grab. It was a longsword. Though it was nothing more than a hammered piece of steel, it was better than nothing. ¡°Oh, you got a weapon?¡± The king chuckled and stretched his neck sideways. ¡°Let me see your skills now!¡± He yelled and swung one arm. It stretched and drew an S as it thrust forward. Chi-Woo tried to block the attack with all his might, but his expression contorted into one of complete shock when the sword made a grating sound and broke into pieces at the collision. Emmanuel took that opportunity to rush at the king again, but he had to quickly twist his body around when the king¡¯s other arm came flying his way and grazed past his chest in an instant. Then the king withdrew his left arm and struck the approaching Ru Amuh, all the while chasing after Emmanuel like a snake with his right arm. Emmanuel scattered the impact of the first attack and blocked the second attack by holding up his foil horizontally, but he couldn¡¯t predict the next attack. The king¡¯s elbow stretched out in strange ways and struck Emmanuel¡¯s stomach like before. As Emmanuel¡¯s form crumpled with a pained scream, the king pushed Ru Amuh back with a hit and swung his arm to the left widely. Chi-Woo threw away his broken sword and changed to a knuckle before rushing forward. Yet the weapon failed to overcome the shock of the king¡¯s attacks and also broke apart. The king clutched Chi-Woo as he staggered about and kicked Chi-Woo¡¯s completely exposed torso. Then he rotated both arms backward and clutched Ru Amuh by the collars and spun. Then, as soon as they met eyes, he jumped and stomped on the center of Ru Amuh¡¯s stomach with both feet, sending him flying. Though Emmanuel and Chi-Woo quickly rose to their feet, they couldn¡¯t rush forward anymore. They simply stood with their backs pressed together in defense against the king. The king continued to ooze an easy confidence. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth while throwing away his knuckle and pulled out a spear. Though he already knew this wouldn¡¯t change much from experience, there were no other options. Besides, if it wasn¡¯t for the weapons, he would¡¯ve already lost a couple of body parts by now. It appeared that the king would no longer give them any opportunities. He seemed intent on not losing the initiative now and stretched his arms forward and backward to attack. Nothing changed dramatically. The king struck Emmanuel¡¯s fleuret hard so that Emmanuel¡¯s weight was shifted to the front. Then the king made an uppercut and struck Emmanuel¡¯s jaws. With his other arm, he grabbed Chi-Woo¡¯s swinging spear and broke it. Then he withdrew the arm he used to attack Emmanuel and struck Chi-Woo on the thigh. Chi-Woo dropped to one knee while heaving heavily, and the king instantly turned around, kicking him down with a foot. After approaching the king with his fastest speed possible, Ru Amuh lost his grip on his magic sword, and his body was shoved into the ground. He quickly tried to pick up his sword again, but the king didn¡¯t let him. Psh! The moment Ru Amuh dropped his sword, his stomach was already penetrated by the king¡¯s hand. The king gently pulled out his fist, and Ru Amuh fell to his knees with his face pale. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh!¡± Chi-Woo ran forward in shock, but the king caught Chi-Woo and threw him like a piece of luggage. Then the king looked around. Emmanuel was unconscious on the ground, sprawling with his arms and legs wide apart. Chi-Woo was rolling on the ground, and Ru Amuh had his head hanging low while kneeling. The king looked satisfied with the three¡¯s condition. Hawa and Yeriel also appeared paralyzed seeing marbles and arrows just pop out of his body. None of Hawa¡¯s attacks even worked on him. He didn¡¯t pay attention to them as if he thought they weren¡¯t worth evading and didn¡¯t care even if he was hit. It was the same for Yeriel. Though she supported her teammates as much as possible, she couldn¡¯t use any large-scale techniques out of worry that her companions fighting in close proximity would get swept into her attack. And Apoline¡¯s elemental expertise made her powers completely useless against the king. Silence flowed across the surroundings. The entire expedition team was at a loss for words. Though three formidable heroes had fought together, they were all pushed back overwhelmingly. The king had yet to display his full power and seemed to have fought them with a similar level of strength. Yet the situation reached this state. Ismile hadn¡¯t exaggerated one bit. It was as he said, and they understood why Lakshasha had trembled so hard with fear before. ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± The king snorted and turned around. Leaving the three, he stomped toward the remaining four. He closed the distance with just a couple of steps. Hawa pulled out her dagger as the last desperate attempt and kicked off the ground. Yeriel also pulled out her beads and cast them. Shaaa¡ª! Chains came out of the beads and surrounded the king. The king looked at the chains with interest. Then he swirled around and led Hawa inside the chains¡¯ reach. He also moved so quickly that he managed to reel Yeriel in while she was pulling out a new bead. Then he turned toward Apoline, who was preparing magic even while knowing it wasn¡¯t going to work, and pushed her to where he¡¯d gathered Hawa and Yeriel. In an instant, the three ladies were standing where the king had been with their arms and legs tightly bound by thick chains. Then the king appeared mid-air and stomped down in the middle of where the chains connected. Pulled by the force, the three clashed against each other and fell. ¡°This was what was going to happen anyways.¡± The king wiped his hands and smiled. ¡°Truthfully, I don¡¯t really care what you humans blabber. I know it¡¯s just cheap nonsense said to provoke me,¡± the king said while looking down at Yeriel, whose whole body was tied up and had a red mark on her face. ¡°¡­But.¡± The king looked toward one side. He walked toward the prone Chi-Woo and said, ¡°It was difficult to hear you talk about the qualifications of a king and whatnot.¡± The king crouched down. ¡°Tell me. Do you think I look like a king now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo barely managed to raise his head and let out a humorless laugh. To think he would be pushed back to this extent even after achieving unification with his surroundings. Truthfully, Chi-Woo knew that when he fought his brother in the image representation space, it wasn¡¯t his brother¡¯s true skills. And Ismile went easy on him considering his circumstances. It was only because he managed to achieve unification that he was able to join the expedition a bit later, and he had to admit the fact that he was still far lacking compared to a monster like the king. A question Chi-Woo had asked himself before came to mind: what kind of beings the Sernitas must be that they could make monsters like this? ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t underestimate you but¡­¡± Chi-Woo managed to continue. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were at this level.¡± The king looked a bit taken aback. It was a strange string of words to accept at face value. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Chi-Woo¡¯s pupils shone with white light. At that moment, the king sensed a grave atmosphere and backed away a couple of steps. ¡°?¡± Then his face stiffened. ¡°What was that just now¡­?¡± The king couldn¡¯t understand it. The only thing he knew was that he backed away feeling fear¡ªhim, who was not just anybody else, but the king. ¡°Why?¡± The king felt a mysterious sense of discomfort while looking down at Chi-Woo. He had originally planned to display the king¡¯s generosity once more so that they would do his bidding. But now, the king felt something like hesitation for the first time in his life. For reasons he couldn¡¯t understand, he felt that he couldn¡¯t let things be. All his instincts yelled at him to take care of this man before everyone else. ¡°¡­Why¡­?¡± Though this man was a bit better than the others in his group, he wasn¡¯t at the level of the human male the king had fought before. It couldn¡¯t be helped. He should kill this male this instant. Deciding that he couldn¡¯t ignore his instincts, the king lifted his foot. He was about to stomp down on Chi-Woo when he suddenly looked around in surprise. It wasn¡¯t only the king. Chi-Woo did the same as a woman walked toward them, step by step. Evelyn was approaching them with her whole body wrapped in bright light. ¡°¡­What?¡± the king exclaimed, sensing the strong holy energy around her. ¡°Isn¡¯t this energy¡­? How could you¡­?¡± The next moment, Evelyn raised her head and stretched out both hands to the sky. CH 287 Light shot up. It was a huge pillar of light like the ancient tower of Babel that desired to reach the sky. The vertex, which kept soaring without end, penetrated the dome. Seeing a big circle open in the flowing clouds, the king quickly turned around, and for some unknown reason, he looked very nervous. Chi-Woo was also puzzled. He couldn¡¯t understand what Evelyn was doing nor the king¡¯s reaction. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ Just as he thought this, something passed him. Something that was as fast as light, couldn¡¯t be seen like sound, and sharp like piercing wind whipped past him for a fraction of a second. Chi-Woo flinched a moment later. ¡®Just now¡­?¡¯ Although Chi-Woo was confident that he could respond to the king¡¯s attack three or four out of ten times, he believed he would fail to react ten out of ten times with the previous attack. ¡°Ughhh!¡± A pained groan ripped through the air, and Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened as the king staggered backward while clutching his abdomen, yellow liquid dripping from his wound. Eventually, he dropped down on one knee. It was a shocking sight. They had been unable to land a proper hit despite their best effort, let alone leave a scratch on the king. ¡®Who the hell¡­¡¯ The king¡¯s face crumbled. He seemed to know who his attacker was. ¡°How the hell did you¡­? You¡¯ve been quiet as a corpse so far¡­! Are you planning to ruin everything!?¡± Chi-Woo blinked as his gaze shifted back to where the king was shouting at angrily. The first thing that came into view were four pairs of white, long legs. Each of the legs were as large as most trees. The body was covered in bright fur that was the color of snow and gave a subtle glow like moonlight. From the back, a soft-looking tail that looked as if it was made out of stacked clouds rose like a crescent moon. A pair of triangular ears were on the head. The being that had just appeared looked too fierce to be a dog, but too noble to be a wolf. Chi-Woo stared at the white wolf¡¯s elegant figure as if he was entranced and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. He was sure that he had seen her before, or something similar to her. When was it? ¡°You should have hidden quietly and waited calmly like usual! I respected you too and protected your territory without even touching it!¡± This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. While the king cried out, Chi-Woo finally connected the dots. It was when Evelyn was still an Abyss witch, and he had agreed to battle a god as part of their deal. Although the wolf-shaped god had been captured and modified by the Sernitas, they had briefly recovered their senses for a bit and revealed their original form. The figure that he saw at that time was similar to the being in front of him. ¡®Wait. Then¡ª¡¯ After thinking this far, Chi-Woo finally guessed the identity of the existence that suddenly appeared. There was no way it could be true, but that was the only explanation. ¡°Withdraw immediately! Or do you really want to fight it out here? You should know it better than anyone. Fighting me now is the same as self-destruction for both of us!¡± The king ferociously shouted. The white wolf paid little attention to him and let out a cold sneer. Then she revealed her sharp fangs and raised her claws, which were dripping with bright yellow liquid. The king¡¯s expression distorted at the white wolf¡¯s obvious declaration of war. ¡°You¡­!¡± However, he stared at the expedition members with an extremely regretful face for a brief moment before quickly turning around and disappearing into the forest. Chi-Woo as well as the expedition members all looked dumbfounded. Chi-Woo was preparing to use all he had and risk everything, but their fight with the king abruptly ended with a sudden intrusion. The white wolf seemed to have no intention of chasing after the king. She huffed to release her held breath and glanced at Chi-Woo. Then she turned around to check on Evelyn, who was on her knees and roughly breathing with sweat dripping down her whole body. The white wolf kicked the ground after seeing her. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Chi-Woo exclaimed, but it was too late. The white wolf picked up the exhausted Evelyn before anyone could say anything and left. She ran in the opposite direction of where the king had fled in and disappeared in an instant¡ªas suddenly as she first appeared. * * * The king stopped running only after he was certain that the white wolf wasn¡¯t following him anymore. After scanning his surroundings, he found a secluded place and headed there. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± As soon as he slumped down, he frowned and groaned. The wound across his abdomen still remained. Although his life wasn¡¯t at risk, it wasn¡¯t a light injury either. Normally, he should have regenerated quickly, but the wounds he suffered at the hand of the white wolf did not heal easily. ¡°Those damn remnants of the moon¡­¡± Grinding his teeth, the king put his hand on his stomach and organized his thoughts. This wasn¡¯t a good situation for him. There were still three candidates left, including himself. Although one of them was a coward, the other one was a candidate that even he, an existence born out of the sun, couldn''t guarantee a victory. It hurt his pride the more he thought about it, but he needed to face the truth. Anyway, it was more urgent for him to recover this wound as soon as possible. To do that, he needed to consume a nutritious meal. If he ate one or two of those blasted humans¡­ The king suddenly shuddered and looked around with trembling eyes. His desperate expression soon morphed into one of despair. ¡°You¡­!¡± The king screamed when he saw the figure emerging quietly through the bushes. ¡°Were you after me¡­!¡± His breathing became rough, and after a while, a short reply came. ¡°No. I saw a light.¡± The voice was that of a young girl. ¡°I¡¯ve been drawn by the energy emitted by that light.¡± It was a voice that sounded hollow and empty. ¡°That¡¯s right! That damn she-wolf came right after that light!¡± The king cried out in desperation, hoping that the being in front of him would turn her attention to something other than himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but I¡¯m sure it must have something to do with that human female!¡± The king quickly explained what had happened and glanced at the figure in front of him. ¡°Is that so?¡± However, his opponent¡¯s reaction was lukewarm. It seemed she hadn¡¯t been very interested. ¡®Damn it! What bad timing¡­!¡¯ Worrying his lips between his teeth, the king hurried to find the next topic. ¡°So, have you reconsidered my proposal?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°To rule the world together as my partner and queen.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Her eyes immediately narrowed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to.¡± She refused flatly and said, ¡°I turned you down then, too.¡± The king clenched his teeth at her consecutive rejections. ¡°Then?¡± Realizing that his efforts were in vain, the king growled and showed his true colors. ¡°Did you refuse at the time because you¡¯ve been waiting for an opportunity like this?¡± She didn¡¯t reply and just tilted her head. After a brief pause, she calmly said, ¡°I was curious. There are three out of five left, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be one of them.¡± It could be considered a compliment in a way, but the king did not look pleased or smug; on the contrary, he looked disgruntled. ¡°You even beat Water¡­ I was genuinely surprised.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The king snorted. ¡°Do you think that I, who came from the sun, would lose to a thing like Water?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She easily nodded, and the king looked taken aback. ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°You were weak. Weaker than Water.¡± The king glared at her and said, ¡°¡­Then you were wrong.¡± He continued to talk with vehement anger, ¡°I certainly beat Water, and I savored each and every bite. I still can¡¯t forget the screams they let out.¡± ¡°Rather than one bite, it was just one gulp. And rather than ate, wouldn¡¯t it be more accurate to say drink? Because wat¡ª¡± ¡°Fuck those small details!¡± Bewildered, the king shouted, ¡°What¡¯s clear is that you were wrong!¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. That¡¯s why I was curious. Because I¡¯ve never been wrong so far.¡± To his surprise, she admitted her mistake easily. The king smacked his lips, taken aback once again. ¡°What a shame. I was going to do the same to you soon.¡± ¡°You?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°To me?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I right?¡± Feeling hopeless of his situation, the king snidely laughed and said everything on his mind, ¡°Didn¡¯t you come here because you¡¯ve been waiting for an opportunity like this, thinking you couldn¡¯t normally beat me one-on-one?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know! Can you even call yourself the same king candidate as me!? You coward!¡± After shouting biting criticisms, the king flinched because she was looking down at him in silence. In any case, he would never be able to beat her no matter what he did in his current state. ¡°Kill me if you¡¯re going to kill me. I won¡¯t go down easily, but even if I do, I won¡¯t think I lost to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just me. If you kill me right now, this Hala Forest will be the witness to your cowardice. Then even if you become the queen, you can¡¯t say that you have the true qualifications to be one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A king must be fair. You must know what I mean if you have even a little awareness as a king, right?¡± The king¡¯s expression suggested that he was ready to die, but his mouth said otherwise. His opponent stared at him as he blabbered away and waited for him to finish talking. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°?¡± Doubt shadowed his face. ¡°Misunderstanding¡­? Then are you going to let me go safely this time?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Then¡ª!¡± ¡°Recover,¡± she cut him off and said just when the king was about to get angry. ¡°I¡¯ll wait until you heal your wound, and we can fight after you recover.¡± ¡°¡­Are you for real?¡± His voice slightly changed to a more hopeful tone, but he still sounded doubtful. ¡°I told you. I just came to see you because I was curious about how you beat Water. You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be meaningful if I fight you as you are now.¡± The king¡¯s complexion brightened up at her words, but he soon calmed down and began making calculations inside his head. He wondered whether it was advantageous for him to fight her now. Honestly, he had no choice but to fight. He might have defeated Water, but his opponent had also successfully killed one of the king¡¯s candidates and evolved. And she designated him as her next target and came to visit. It was an inevitable fight. Although she was an opponent he had wanted to fight at the very end¡­after achieving a dramatic evolution recently, he had a slight change of heart. ¡®Perhaps, maybe.¡¯ The king thought he had a winning chance of 50/50. Although victory wasn¡¯t a guarantee, it was well worth the shot. If he beat her and ate her, he could expect unfathomable evolution. Then the rest of his future would be smooth sailing, and there would be no need to worry about the white wolf, or the last remaining king candidate. ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s just greedy of me to always go the easy way.¡¯ A crisis like this could also be an opportunity. ¡°That¡¯s good with me.¡± the determined king said. ¡°You at least got some guts. As expected of the only queen I acknowledge.¡± ¡°Then go and rest. I¡¯ll wait nearby until you fully recover.¡± She reacted indifferently to the king¡¯s compliment and turned around. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that and help me.¡± She slightly widened her eyes at his request, ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°That way, my recovery will be faster. Don¡¯t you want to fight me soon, too? And since that day is just around the corner, it¡¯s better for us to settle the victor quickly.¡± She fell into thought at his persuasive words and then nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah, right. I got it. Want me to get some food for you?¡± ¡°Then while I¡¯m asking, I¡¯ll request something nutritious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s difficult. Good ones are gone these days.¡± ¡°I just found several on my way here. Just six or seven¡ª¡± He needed that guy, that one human who managed to follow his movements by a hair¡¯s breadth and the same person who dared to question his worth as a king. The king was determined to increase his power as much as possible before the upcoming battle. ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re heading to the place where the moonlight gathers.¡± The king frowned at her words. Why were those damned humans¡­ Although he was curious, he soon shook it off because there was something more important now. He needed to stay focused. ¡°Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± He pointed to one side without any more thought. ¡°If you go this way, you¡¯ll see a cave. It¡¯s a base that I made to kill time.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± She turned around and agreed with him. ¡°Two should be enough. Want them alive? Or dead?¡± The king shrugged at her generous offer. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that up to your preference.¡± As soon as he said this, she disappeared¡ªas if she had evaporated on the spot. * * * At the same time. ¡°Laksia¡­¡± Lakshasha, who had gone down the path that the king pointed at, found a cave and went inside. He had been full of doubts while going there and wondered if he was going the right way and if his little sister was still alive. Although he felt constant guilt and doubt, it was too late to turn back. ¡°Laksia¡­Laksia¡­¡± He called her desperately as if he was possessed, and soon after, he saw a figure sitting helplessly tied to the inner wall of the cave. He grabbed his fiercely beating heart and approached the figure, seeing a face that looked very haggard and gaunt. ¡°Laksia!¡± When he shouted loudly, she raised her head. It was really his younger sister, and the king hadn¡¯t lied to him. He had kept his promise. After confirming this fact, all the guilt and doubt disappeared from Lakshasha¡¯s head. ¡°Laksia! Laksia! It¡¯s me!¡± He ran to her and hugged his sister. ¡°¡­Lakshasha?¡± Laksia asked in surprise. ¡°How did you get here¡­?¡± She hadn¡¯t expected him to come back for her at all. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Everything is alright.¡± Lakshasha felt as if someone had stabbed him in the chest at her question, but fiercely shook his head. He had already betrayed his teammates, and there was no turning back now. ¡°Let¡¯s first release you and leave the Hala Forest. I¡¯ll explain everything as soon as we go back, so for now¡ª¡± While Lakshasha quickly muttered and untied the rope restraining his sister¡ª ¡°Laksia?¡± He felt something strange in the dark. His tearful younger sister¡¯s face became stiff, and his body also suddenly seized up. He didn¡¯t know why, but he couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. ¡°Why¡­¡± Lakshasha stopped breathing like his sister as soon as he turned around. And¡­ CH 288 Laksia¡¯s outstretched arm trembled, and she shook all over, unable to let out a scream. Crunch! Cruuunch! Chap, chap¡­ There were chewing and gulping noises. Though her body shook harder as the chilling sounds continued, her arm eventually calmed. Simultaneously, her shoulders, forearms, and wrists disappeared in that order inside the king¡¯s wide-opened mouth. Lakshasha stared at the macabre scene like he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Oh king!¡± Lakshasha wailed hearing his sister getting eaten. ¡°You promised! That you will let her live and let her go!¡± Ignoring Lakshasha¡¯s pleas, the king took a big bite of Laksia¡¯s body after devouring her head and arm. Lakshasha cried out even louder. ¡°Hey, you bastard! Laksiaaaaaa!¡± His cries grew even more anguished after her death, but they didn¡¯t last. The king reached out to pull Lakshasha in after finishing Laksia¡¯s bones. Immediately, he punched Lakshasha in the temple and made a hole. Lakshasha¡¯s head dangled sideways with an open mouth. It was a miserable end for someone who had thrown away everything he had stacked up until now. ¡°Noisy guy,¡± The king grumbled while licking the substances sticking to the back of his hand. ¡°Talks so much for someone who played his cards all over the place¡­gulp.¡± The king gulped down the hot substance flowing out of the hole in Lakshasha¡¯s head and resumed his meal. On the other side, another figure watched as the king ate his freshly caught meals. She stood emotionlessly, and the king purposefully ate and chewed on his meals so thoroughly that he didn¡¯t even leave a single fingernail. ¡°Haa¡ª¡± The king closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. His body trembled slightly, and he stretched out his hands after opening his eyes again. Seeing the ends of his fingers turn into feathers, the king scowled. ¡°It¡¯s a trash-like ability.¡± Though their bodies weren¡¯t of much help to his evolution, they still had nutritional value, and it was a sufficient amount to heal his injuries. Furthermore, meals of this quality were hard to come by in the Hala Forest beside the other king candidates. The king clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly, looking satisfied. His injuries had healed, and he seemed to have fully recovered. It really was a phenomenal healing ability, which was also thanks to the arm he had consumed from the human male he met before. ¡°Seems like you are done.¡± Then the figure who had been quietly waiting and watching him eat spoke up. ¡°Can you fight now?¡± The king looked taken aback and quickly cleared his throat. ¡°Hm! Though I¡¯ve become considerably better, it¡¯s still not perfect. If you can find me two more nutritious ones¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± The figure¡¯s voice instantly turned cold. The reason why she had shown so much grace to the Sun King was for herself in the end, and she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to be played by him. ¡°Are you not going to fight?¡± She was telling the Sun King to stop playing games since she knew he had fully recovered. She seemed intent on killing him the moment he tried to pull a trick on her. The king clicked his tongue and kicked off the ground. He got up confidently and laughed at his opponent inside his mind. Had their situation been reversed, he would¡¯ve killed her instantly with no regard for her circumstances. He was able to gain an opportunity thanks to his opponent¡¯s arrogance. Though the king admitted that this wasn¡¯t an opponent he really wanted to fight, it would be different now. It was he who had achieved the most evolution among the five; he proved this by beating one of the king candidates, Water. Furthermore, he had a comparative advantage over this opponent when comparing their origins. Of course, doing so after they had evolved to this level seemed meaningless, but that was still within common sense; if his opponent also evolved through the same irregular path of evolution as him, the king was certain that he would have the advantages. However, knowing that he couldn¡¯t be assured of his victory, he didn¡¯t let down his guard. Unlike the time he first played around with the expedition team, the king started with all his might from the beginning. ¡°I¡¯m sure one of us will become king,¡± the king smirked, and bright yellow streams of light flowed out of his body. ¡°It seems a bit early, but¡­that¡¯s not necessarily bad.¡± He flew into the air, and the light around him became so brilliant that it covered his body. Then he shouted, ¡°Good! You¡¯re fit to be my rival!¡± The last one standing would be the sun. The king became wrapped in a light so dazzling that he looked like the sun and lit up the surroundings. ¡°Let¡¯s fight for victory! For ownership over the Hala Forest!¡± With this hearty cry, branches shot out from the queen¡¯s back like angel wings. *** After Evelyn backed away, the expedition team hurriedly took out healing potions, tended to the more urgent injuries, and chased after the white wolf. They left the role of the head to Hawa. With Lakshasha gone, she was the only one who could fulfill the role, and this wasn¡¯t the time for them to be picky about trivial matters. They tracked down traces of the white wolf, and in the middle of their chase, they heard a loud bang. It was too loud for the team to simply ignore it, and they stopped walking. It sounded as if dynamites were going off continuously, or missiles were striking the ground. ¡ªWhat¡­ Philip shot up into the air and opened his mouth while looking at the scene from far away. He saw smoke in the shape of a mushroom and piles of thick trees collapsed to the ground. Even though he was looking from far away, he could clearly sense the intensity of the battle. ¡ªIt looks like we should move farther away from what¡¯s happening over there first. Philip told Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo turned to the head. Hawa read his gaze and quickly ran in one direction after surveying her surroundings. A while later, the expedition team found themselves in an area a bit different from the rest of the Hala Forest. At the center of a steep rocky wall was a waterfall. Only this area was particularly covered in orangish-brown soil, and under the cliff, there were dozens of forked pathways. Hawa looked at the ground intently and led the expedition team to a single path, and the team entered a sizable cave. Enormous explosions continued to rang from behind them, but they became faint the further they ventured into the cave. After going down endlessly for ten minutes, Hawa stopped walking. They saw a giant figure emitting silver light in the center, and there Evelyn was, murmuring something while kneeling on the ground. ¡°Ms. Evelyn?¡± Chi-Woo saw Evelyn press her forehead against the wolf, stunned. ¡°Ah.¡± Evelyn opened her eyes and turned around. The white wolf also looked toward them. The wolf bared her teeth and growled when seeing the expedition team. It sounded like the wolf was telling the team to not approach. ¡°It¡¯s okay. These are my friends. Perhaps they can help you,¡± Evelyn quickly calmed the wolf and got up. It looked like there were a lot of things she wanted to say. It was the same for Chi-Woo. ¡°Is it really¡­?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Evelyn nodded. ¡°Hurodvitniru.¡± After Evelyn looked warily at the expedition team, she looked toward the crouching, white wolf. ¡°The last surviving¡­Moon¡¯s Canine that guards the fenrirs.¡± The expedition team looked back and forth between Chi-Woo and Evelyn and gulped. Taking one¡¯s full strength into consideration, the fenrirs could rival the Last Dragon. Yet they were now a bygone clan, annihilated by the Demon Empire. Well, at least that was what they had heard, but it appeared not all of them had been wiped out since there was a surviving fenrir in front of them. The evidence was right there. ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°I was also really shocked,¡± Evelyn said as Chi-Woo was unable to hide his surprise. And thus, she explained how she tried to find ways to overturn the situation when the expedition team was fighting the Sun King. Seeing the way the battle was progressing, it was clear that the team would have difficulty ensuring victory against the Sun King. Even if both sides took out their secret weapons, there would be great losses. They couldn¡¯t gamble like that when there were still three king candidates left. Thus, there was only one thing left to do; it was to get help from an existence who could chase away the king. Thus, she called the fenrir who had been hiding somewhere in the Hala Forest by spreading her holy energy explosively. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Of course, I knew there was a chance the attempt would fail, but I was pretty sure. There was no way Goddess La Bella would make you do something you can¡¯t do.¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized what she was saying. One of the materials that La Bella requested for reliquia was the Canine of the Mad Moon. The fenrir was a moon clan, and there was no way La Bella would be so out of her mind that she asked for something from a species that was completely extinct. ¡®Now that I think about it, the holy energy Lady Evelyn currently possesses is¡­¡¯ It was the core he took when battling against the fenrir¡¯s god that the Sernitas created. Though she was serving the White Horse General now, there were still remnants of that inside her. And it was inevitable that a fenrir would come running in surprise sensing the energy of the god they once served. In the end, everything Evelyn predicted fell into place perfectly. ¡®I see¡­that¡¯s why¡­¡¯ After organizing his thoughts, Chi-Woo suddenly faltered. There were more things he wanted to ask, but he was worried how the wolf would react to him foremost. Even though he couldn¡¯t help it, it was he who had extinguished the fenrir¡¯s god after all, and Hurodvitniru might think of him as the enemy. ¡°I was already explaining that part. Can you wait?¡± Evelyn read the expression on Chi-Woo¡¯s face and made a bitter smile. Then she sat back down again, pressing her and the fenrir¡¯s foreheads together while Chi-Woo waited quietly. Sometime later, Evelyn sighed and said, ¡°¡­She says she already knows about that. She seems to be grateful to you, actually, saying that you erased their humiliation for them¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a sigh of relief. ¡°But there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡± Emmanuel raised his hand. ¡°If you really are a fenrir, why are you still staying in this place?¡± Chi-Woo also wondered why she wasn¡¯t returning to the Cassiubia League. Was she perhaps hiding here because the Hala Forest had been their territory in the past? However, after the war in Shalyh, the Demon Empire had backed away considerably, and there should¡¯ve been an opportunity for her to escape then. Why was she still here? ¡°She has her reasons,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing that Hurodvitniru wants. It is to revive the fenrirs who are in danger of going extinct.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Chi-Woo thought he misheard. The Fenrirs didn¡¯t even have a god anymore. Knowing how big a difference having a god made, it was hard for Chi-Woo to believe the explanation. ¡°It¡¯s possible. She is bearing a cub.¡± Chi-Woo looked surprised. ¡®She was bearing¡­what?¡¯ Evelyn extended her hand and very carefully stroked Hurodvitniru¡¯s body. Hurodvitniru was heaving hard even when she was crouching on the ground, and Evelyn¡¯s hand softly moved to the wolf¡¯s belly. Though Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t realized it because of how chaotic the situation had been, Hurodvitniru¡¯s lower belly was slightly protruding compared to the rest of her slim body. Seeing the clear curve of her belly, the expedition team looked astonished. They had been wondering why she looked tired even when she first appeared. ¡°Pregnant¡­¡± Apoline murmured blankly. ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason¡ª!¡± Emmanuel was about to shout that she should have gone to the Cassiubia League to give birth in a safer environment. ¡°She isn¡¯t simply giving birth with the intention to proliferate her species.¡± Evelyn shook her head and slowly dropped her hand. ¡°Hurodvitniru is bearing the fenrir¡¯s future and hopes that she can revive her species.¡± In other words, there was an existence that could become the fenrir¡¯s new god inside Hurodvitniru¡¯s belly. That was why she couldn¡¯t follow a normal path, and why she chose to remain in the Hala Forest rather than being forced to. The expedition team became speechless, shocked by hearing something unimaginable. Among them, Chi-Woo was less surprised because he had considerable knowledge on shamanism and knew how Hurodvitniru¡¯s decision to remain was connected to her goals. Booom! Suddenly, enormous sounds began to shake the area. The sounds were piercing, and the area began to shake maddeningly. Some fell as the ground shook, and dust scattered from the top of the cavern. At first, Chi-Woo thought there was an earthquake, or else there would be no way shockwaves would reach an area they had walked ten minutes to reach. But that wasn¡¯t the case. Hot steam soon poured in. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what was happening, but it was clear something great and immense was taking place over the surface. Then, after a great uproar, the disturbance gradually settled down. ¡°¡­It became quiet¡­¡± A sudden silence settled as Hawa said. It was like the calm before a storm. CH 289 The Hala Forest flashed brightly. Since it was far away, nobody at the outpost noticed it¡ªwith one exception. A freckled girl with pigtails, who was stretching her arms while watching the sunset, suddenly glanced to her side towards the Hala Forest. Her gaze lingered for a few seconds before her lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Hmm. In the end¡­¡± She raised her shoulders with a nasal sound. ¡°It¡¯s a little unexpected. This would have been just the right time to¡­ If he wants to fight after making her stronger, I¡¯ll respect his taste, but it¡¯s something he will never do.¡± She tilted her head and smiled again, saying, ¡°It¡¯s making me curious.¡± After stretching, she straightened her posture and continued, ¡°Will the younger brother never be able to beat his older brother, or¡­¡± * * * By the time the expedition team was in the heart of the Hala Forest, the battle had entered a lull. The roar that ripped through the sky and shook the earth suddenly quieted as if it had been washed away. The surroundings were in a similar state. What used to be a jungle with dense trees and lush vines completely disappeared. As if there was a nuclear explosion, not even a single grass could be seen in the hundreds of meters in radius. The only thing left was the blackened ground that emitted great heat and steam. There was one figure standing alone in the empty, black wasteland. She wasn¡¯t in a great state either. Her wings were broken or snapped off, and her body was scorched in places. Some of her body parts had completely melted and were no longer visible. After standing for a while, she suddenly opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± She slightly stumbled before quickly correcting her posture and looking down. A man was lying on his back at her feet. The corpse was burnt beyond recognition and resembled a mummy. A battle to the death eventually ended up with one victor. The Sun King, the one originated from the sun and had evolved more than anyone else and even defeated Ismile, the top figure of the Nahla family, was eventually defeated by another king candidate. ¡°It might have been a little¡­dangerous,¡± she murmured and reached down, taking a part of the black corpse and slowly put it into her mouth before swallowing it. Then she gently closed her eyes. After some time, she opened her eyes and let out a small exclamation, ¡°¡­I see. It¡¯s amazing. What great information. There was a reason why he became so much stronger in such a short time.¡± She slowly savored the meal and nodded like she had come to a great understanding. ¡°Too bad.¡± Then she looked down at his pitiful body. ¡°You must have only gotten a little taste of it. If you had digested this information completely, our position would have been reversed now.¡± She really seemed like she sincerely felt sorry for him. Soon after, the stems attached to her back split into many sections and stretched out. They attached to the burnt body and began to vigorously consume the corpse. She flinched and shivered sometimes as the amount of information was more than she expected. It wasn¡¯t until she finished absorbing the body that she finally let out a long breath. ¡°I need to¡­rest a bit¡­¡± She glanced at the deepest part of the Hala Forest and turned around. * * * At the same time, a suffocating silence descended upon the cave as scorching heat permeated the air. It was quiet enough to hear people anxiously gulp. Although silence had followed the ear-splitting roar, which seemed loud enough to crumble the cave, no one recklessly acted out. At first, they thought that the king had recovered and was chasing after them with vengeance. However, they hadn¡¯t heard a sound since then, let alone felt a presence approaching. ¡°What¡¯s going on out there¡­¡± Apoline muttered in a tense tone. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and check.¡± Hawa stepped up bravely. Chi-Woo also agreed that they needed to check the outside situation for now, but it didn¡¯t seem right to send Hawa alone, so they decided to go out together. When they went outside, hot steam came rushing. The air seemed to be boiling from the heat, but besides the scorching heat, their surroundings were surprisingly fine. It just looked a bit messy. ¡ªThat¡¯s crazy¡­ But Philip, who had been high up in the sky, came down with a shocked expression. ¡ªIt¡¯s gone¡­ Completely gone¡­. Chi-Woo¡¯s complexion darkened after hearing the situation. The area of hundreds of meters in radius had been completely burnt without a trace. He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but it was clear it must¡¯ve been something extremely unusual and serious. After assessing the outside situation, Chi-Woo went back into the cave and relayed what Philip saw to everyone. ¡°Sir, two out of the three remaining candidates might have fought. Since one was injured, the other one must have thought of this as a golden opportunity,¡± Ru Amuh said with a serious expression. Chi-Woo also thought that this was the most likely explanation. If this was true, the situation did not look good for them. Although they couldn¡¯t figure out the result of the fight at the moment, if one won¡­there would only be two king candidates left, and one of them was basically on the verge of taking the throne. The Last Dragon had been right. The competition for king in the Hala Forest was reaching its end¡ªno, it might be accurate to say that it was all over now¡­ ¡®No.¡¯ Chi-Woo vigorously shook his head. Everything he did was like an expedition; it wasn¡¯t over until they returned safely home. If there wasn¡¯t an opportunity left to reverse this situation, they needed to create one by themselves. ¡®What should I do¡­¡¯ While he was pondering, he saw Evelyn interact with Hurodvitniru. ¡°Yeah¡­yes¡­I see¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­I didn¡¯t know your situation well¡­yeah¡­ I understand now¡­¡± Evelyn moved her forehead away from Hurodvitniru and got up with a sigh. Then she quickly approached Chi-Woo and said, ¡°We have to get out.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Her energy was already at its lowest, and I think she used up a lot of the energy she was saving up for childbirth to attack the Sun King earlier. Hurodvitniru is having a really hard time.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What happened just now didn¡¯t help. She¡¯s extremely sensitive because the situation is unstable. Even though we don¡¯t have hostile intentions, she seems nervous about us just being next to her.¡± Chi-Woo hesitated to leave while Hurodvitniru panted heavily with her tongue rolled out, but in the end, he turned reluctantly at Evelyn¡¯s suggestion to leave her alone for now. * * * It was not long before evening came. Once out of the cave, the expedition team first set up a campsite, had a simple meal, and then began a meeting. A variable that couldn¡¯t be ignored appeared in their goal of ¡®stopping the appearance of a king in the Hala Forest¡¯¡ªthe last fenrir was preparing for the birth of a new god. Recalling the words of the Sun King, it seemed clear that there was some kind of connection between the kings and Hurodvitniru. Therefore, it was necessary to set a new course of action in consideration of this new variable. First, the expedition¡¯s first success was reaching the deepest part of the Hala Forest and confirming Hurodvitniru¡¯s survival. If the Cassiubia League found out about this, their attitude would certainly change. Since it was for the fenrirs, they would immediately come to their aid. Honestly, the best method was to get Hurodvitniru out of the Hala Forest. Although it was a plan that strayed from their original purpose, saving Hurodvitniru was well worth abandoning their original goal. However, this wasn¡¯t a plausible plan. Judging from the reaction of the Sun King, it seemed unlikely that the other king candidates would stay still. Above all, Hurodvitniru herself was extremely reluctant to leave; she seemed adamant to stay in the cave even at the risk of her life. Another way was to ask for outside assistance. However, this was also difficult because there was no divinity in the area. If they could somehow connect their devices, they could message Ismile at the outpost and ask for help, but it didn¡¯t seem likely. In the end, the meeting ended with the conclusion that the problem needed to be solved with the current forces they had without any specific solution. By the time the meeting ended, it was deep into the night. ¡°By the way, when is she going to give birth?¡± Apoline asked with a slightly exhausted look. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Evelyn spoke softly and slowly reclined her head. ¡°Personally, I think it¡¯ll happen any moment now. It¡¯s probably when the moon¡ª¡± While Evelyn was speaking, the whole expedition members felt their dim surroundings suddenly brighten up. When they raised their heads and looked up at the sky, everyone¡¯s eyes widened. A round, full moon rose in the night sky. However, it was a little strange. The silver moon turned red and then blue before shifting between the two colors as if it had gone crazy. Furthermore, the expedition members looked up blankly and found the moonlight around them fading and gradually moving to another place. When they tracked the movement, they were led to a fascinating sight. As if water was being poured into a bottle with a funnel, the shining moonlight flowed and gathered on top of a rocky cliff. Then it flowed into the various caves on the cliff and illuminated the landscape. The cliff ended up glowing with brilliant moonlight, creating a stark contrast with its surroundings. The expedition members became momentarily speechless at the amazing scenery. It reminded them of a sanctuary of the moon where moonlight gathered. Aooowooooo¡ª! The sound of a wolf howling came from deep inside the cave. ¡°This is¡­¡± Coming back to his senses, Emmanuel looked around in surprise. ¡°It seems like.¡± Evelyn, who had been distracted by the sight in front of her, quietly said, ¡°it started.¡± A being who would become the god of fenrirs and resurrect their race was about to be born. ¡°Geez, what luck do we have¡­ The timing is crazy. Now, we can¡¯t even go out and ask for help.¡± Yeriel clicked her tongue. They weren¡¯t exactly sure, but it seemed the king candidates had been waiting for a specific time for an unknown purpose. And it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that the time they were waiting for was after Hurodvitniru gave birth. Otherwise, there was no reason why they would be protecting what they considered a nutritious prey. Perhaps, as Sernitas did before, the god of fenrirs might be targeted as soon as they were born. If that was the case, it was an extremely cruel future for the fenrirs. The expedition members needed to stop such a thing from happening at all costs. Their already extremely difficult expedition became even more difficult with the added condition of protecting the surviving fenrir. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Chi-Woo smacked his lips and said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go to bed now.¡± After entering the Hala Forest, Chi-Woo was reminded again of how weak humans were. Besides the difference in their physique, it was a huge disadvantage that they needed to eat, sleep, and defecate to sustain their life and maintain their combat power. [What if an elephant had the same intelligence as a human?] Chi-Woo now understood a little bit why Ismile had asked him such a question. Since they couldn¡¯t let their guard down, they decided to divide into two groups of two and one group of three for night watch. Chi-Woo, who was the first one on guard duty with Hawa, fell into thought. He couldn¡¯t just stay still like this. Chi-Woo tried to figure out a way to overcome this hurdle. After agonizing for a long time, he suddenly burst into laughter. In retrospect, things always turned out this way. Every time something happened, he was always forced to face a life and death crisis with his life on the line. ¡®It¡¯s amazing that I¡¯m still alive.¡¯ Although he had gotten much stronger, his situation wasn¡¯t much different from when he didn¡¯t know anything. It would have been great if things went smoothly for once. Why did he have to risk his life and give his all in everything he did? There was nothing that was easy on Liber¡­ After smiling bitterly, Chi-Woo suddenly felt someone touch his shoulder. Although he had fallen into thought, he hadn¡¯t lowered his defenses. Chi-Woo could detect all movements unless it went beyond a certain range. ¡°What is it? Ms. Hawa¡­¡± Chi-Woo faltered as soon as he turned around because he couldn¡¯t see Hawa. ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face stiffened when he saw Hawa looking back at him from the opposite side of the campsite. He still couldn¡¯t sense anyone besides them. Then did it mean¡­? Tap, tap. An unknown stimulus patted his back carefully once more, and Chi-Woo quickly turned around. It was only then that he saw it¡ªa thing that looked like a tentacle slowly moved away as soon as he turned around. It slowly rolled up towards a figure sitting alone on a large branch of a beautiful tree. When their eyes met, the figure was already coming down like flowing water. She landed without even making the slightest of sound. Hawa and Philip, who always stayed next to Chi-Woo, finally saw her. ¨C¡­Hey. Chi-Woo. Philip widened his eyes and hurriedly said. ¨CRelease your seal. His voice was shaking. Chi-Woo was taken aback by the sudden suggestion, but there was no time to even ask what he meant because after approaching him like a feather, she gently reached out with one hand. ¨CRelease your seal! Right now! Hurry! Philip shouted frantically with all his might. Hawa hurriedly woke everyone up, and Chi-Woo immediately readied his exorcism mana. The figure stopped walking. ¡°Hello.¡± A quiet voice that fit the late night greeted them. Chi-Woo might have been mistaken, but it sounded like it had taken her considerable courage to approach him. Her out-stretched arm stopped in the middle as if she was asking for a friendly handshake. CH 290 Like how the moon rose when the sun set and the flowers wilted once they bloomed, there were natural laws of the universe that never changed. Even trees couldn¡¯t escape from these laws, yet there was an exemption to every rule. Very rarely, there were occasions that made people doubt these rules, and such an example was the Methuselah. It was the oldest tree on earth. 4,853 years old, to be exact¡ªan existence that had witnessed almost 5,000 years of history. Be it animals or plants, existing for a long time was enough to make something special. There was an existence like that also in the Hala Forest; a tree that grew even before the forest formed in this land. No one knew the exact date on which the tree was born or its name. The only definite thing was that it had spent an immeasurable period of time quietly watching everything happening around it. For millennia, perhaps. Then, one day, the old tree received a call from somebody. Following it, the tree¡¯s eyes soon opened, and she realized her existence inside the world in a different sense from before. The identity of the one who called her had been a mystery to her, and it still was, yet she slowly moved her feet according to her instincts. *** Chi-Woo was stunned seeing the figure in front of him offer a handshake. Not only was she¡ªno, he didn¡¯t even know if he should describe the figure as ¡®she¡¯¡ªbut her action was unexpected. She looked like a woman with tangled vines hanging from her head like a reggae hairstyle. Her limbs and torso appeared human, and thin green stems extended from her fingertips like veins. Her torso was covered with stems and tree leaves, while her lower body was wrapped with large and broad leaves like a skirt. And then there was a small laurel wreath on the top of her head. Up to this point, she appeared like a fairy queen sometimes seen in a forest, but her aura made it impossible to consider her as one. She was slightly different from the Sun King in that she wasn¡¯t arrogant or haughty. Instead, she radiated untainted purity like a baby who didn¡¯t know anything. She was infinitely noble, divine, and holy. Chi-Woo felt as if he was seeing a newborn destined to save the world and should immediately get on his knees to worship her. He didn¡¯t feel any sense of foreignness from her. He felt as if she was truly born to be king, and in light of this, he saw a silver light coming from her back¡­ Chi-Woo finally recollected himself and focused on the current situation. ¡°Hm¡­ Is this not right? I thought you greeted others like this when meeting people for the first time.¡± The mysterious figure withdrew her hand. Hawa then finally recovered from her daze as well and quickly stood next to Chi-Woo. ¡°I don¡¯t see Lady Evelyn,¡± Hawa whispered. She seemed to have grasped the number of people in the area in that short period. Evelyn was missing, but they didn¡¯t need to worry much about it since she was the only one Hurodvitniru felt familiar enough to allow her approach. Furthermore, Evelyn had already told them that she was going to keep checking on Hurodvitniru¡¯s condition from time to time to replenish her stamina with holy energy. Thus, she was probably with Hurodvitniru in the cave. Chi-Woo gave Hawa a pointed glance and only shifted his gaze back to the front after she quietly backed away. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t get used to it no matter how many times he saw her. It felt as if he was seeing a scene from a movie just by meeting her eyes. ¡°Who¡­¡± Chi-Woo forcefully calmed his thumping heart and said, ¡°are you¡­?¡± Truthfully, he could already sense who she was: she was one of the king candidates. The one who rivaled the Sun King, to be exact, who was said to be the strongest. ¡®No. She isn¡¯t,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought again. She wasn¡¯t just the Sun King¡¯s equal, but his superior. The Sun King would be laughable compared to her. Though he hadn¡¯t seen them fight each other, he was sure of this. That was the reason why Philip had exclaimed so loudly the moment he saw her. ¡°¡­Me?¡± she answered belatedly. ¡°Hm¡­¡± She looked a bit at a loss for words and lowered her chin slightly. ¡°Who am¡­I¡­?¡± Her eyes looked pitiful as they stared up at the night sky. Chi-Woo¡¯s focus was stolen by the mystical and fantastical scene again. Even though he had been preparing himself mentally, his mind and soul seemed to become instantly drawn to her. Rather than abilities like charisma, she appeared to have something akin to his halo ability, which was within the religious category. He hadn¡¯t been investing in that ability thinking it was useless, but after witnessing her power in person, he realized how amazing and great the ability was. He simply hadn¡¯t witnessed the benefits of it because his ranks were low, but he was sure that the figure in front of him had at least a S-rank in the particular ability. ¡°I came because I had a request. Hm¡ªperhaps I should call it a deal rather than a request,¡± she said and got to her point, ¡°You are trying to protect Hurodvitniru, right? Can I ask something of you?¡± Surprised, Chi-Woo frowned, which prompted her to explain in more detail. ¡°I am planning to leave this area soon. I hope that you will protect her until I return.¡± ¡°¡­Can I ask for your reason?¡± ¡°Hurodvitniru is in a very weakened state, and I plan to go find the last king candidate now,¡± she explained. ¡°I have to go since they have no desire to come to me first. And in the meantime, they could aim for Hurodvitniru in her weakened state.¡± Chi-Woo had been listening quietly, but he heard something he couldn¡¯t just pass over. ¡°There¡¯s one more¡­king candidate left?¡± ¡°Sorry, I said it from my point of view. There are two, including me.¡± That was still strange. It was only this afternoon that he heard there were three of them left. Chi-Woo then thought of one possibility and recalled the great commotion he heard from inside the cave. His eyes gradually widened. ¡°Did you perhaps defeat the Sun King¡­?¡± She nodded like it was nothing, and Chi-Woo thought she must have taken advantage of the Sun King¡¯s injury; he didn¡¯t know that she had shown mercy to the Sun King and fought him on equal grounds. ¡°Do you understand it now? Then¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I¡¯m curious about,¡± Chi-Woo quickly added as she tried to pass over the topic. ¡°Why are you trying to protect Hurodvitniru?¡± She blinked hard and tilted her head. ¡°The Sun King was after Hurodvitniru. Aren¡¯t you in the same position as him?¡± Chi-Woo asked again. ¡°No,¡± she immediately shook her head. ¡°Why would I be after Hurodvitniru? She would die when she accomplishes her mission anyways. I should protect her instead.¡± Chi-Woo thought he heard wrong at first. Did she say Hurodvitniru was destined to die? ¡°The one the king candidates want isn¡¯t Hurodvitniru, but¡­¡± Owoooo¡ª! It was then they heard a wolf howling through the wind. She glanced at the cliff where the cave was and continued, ¡°It¡¯s the one she¡¯s going to soon give birth to.¡± At that moment, Chi-Woo felt as if something strong had struck his head. That must be why the king candidates were circling the Hala Forest, especially its center. He had thought it was strange when he first entered the forest. Since the king candidates were competing with each other, the one who evolved the most would be at an advantage. Thus, it would make more sense if the king candidates lingered around the outer rim of the forest rather than its center, as they would have their first pick of the nutritious meals coming from the outside. However, their true goal wasn¡¯t to become the last one standing among the king candidates. That was simply one of the means to their goal, and they were actually going to capture the one Hurodvitniru would give birth to, the one who would soon be fenrirs¡¯ new god. Thinking this, Chi-Woo recalled what Ismile told him. The king candidates inside the Hala Forest were like godeok. They stayed in a confined area and ate each other until only one remained. And the last one standing would get to eat the newly born holy fenrir¡¯s god. It was probably the Sernitas¡¯ intention to make a perfect being even more perfect. Chi-Woo wondered what kind of creature would form at the end of this process. He couldn¡¯t even imagine it. Just thinking about it gave him the chills, and he finally realized why his brother had been so intent on conquering this place. ¡°You are¡­planning to be a god.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice shook slightly. ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Her response was surprisingly calm. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She sighed with a slightly bitter expression. ¡°But I feel like I would have to. No, I have to.¡± With the way she responded just now, it appeared that the Sernitas must have played some tricks. There was no way these king candidates would just come into existence. It was likely they were programmed in some way, and the moment they achieved their goals, they would get a new mission and act according to it¡ªforever a puppet for the Sernitas¡­ After a momentary silence, her complexion recovered, and she asked, ¡°Can I get your answer now?¡± The answer was already decided. ¡°I won¡¯t accept it,¡± Chi-Woo firmly refused. She didn¡¯t show any particular response, but it seemed she was curious about Chi-Woo¡¯s decision. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We have to protect Hurodvitniru.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same for me¡ª¡± ¡°And the baby she will give birth to.¡± She seemed to have swallowed what she was going to say. ¡°¡­I see. Then we will have no choice but to fight.¡± She nodded and asked, ¡°But can we fight after I take care of the remaining one? I think that would benefit both of us.¡± Though it was a reasonable offer, Chi-Woo shook his head without a second thought. ¡°Why are you against that now?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ll come back stronger than before¡ªso strong that it would be even more difficult for us to do anything.¡± They had missed the golden time. They should¡¯ve finished things when they met the Sun King; then the opponent currently in front of them wouldn¡¯t be as strong as she was now, and things would¡¯ve been different. Still, she would only become a true godeok once she consumed the final king candidate; and if such a thing happened, things would reach such a big scale that his brother or the Last Dragon would have to make a move. Truthfully, Chi-Woo thought it was almost an impossibility now, but this was the last opportunity to fix things before the mess got bigger. It seemed his opponent read his strong intent to not back down, and she looked a bit at a loss for words. ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing I can say,¡± she said with the edges of her lips slightly raised. ¡°I see. I guess this is what it means to be logical.¡± She smiled softly. ¡°You are very good at talking.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo realized that he was still hesitating. She was different from the Sun King, and he had thought that perhaps he could convince her. Maybe he could tell her the truth and ask for help and reach a different result. He felt hopeful, but in his heart, he knew it would be pointless. She was neither kind nor good, and the fact that she would act according to her goal would never change, as long as the Sernitas willed it. ¡°Hm. For some reason, I no longer want to fight you. Can¡¯t you back away?¡± Any more conversation besides this was useless since there was no other choice but for them to clash. And seeing Chi-Woo raise his exorcism mana instead of replying, she let out a long sigh. From then on, Chi-Woo heard several presences behind him move. It seemed Hawa had notified them. ¡°Everyone,¡± Chi-Woo said, ¡°Prepare for battle.¡± Though they had all looked in a daze when they first saw her, their gazes immediately changed upon hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s words. *** While pouring holy energy into Hurodvitniru, Evelyn quickly turned around when she heard noises coming from the outside. It appeared something had happened in her short absence. She quickly ran back up and went outside the cave. ¡°Kuaaaaaah!¡± She saw Emmanuel rolling on the ground until he was lying prone at her feet. ¡°Kuh! Damn it¡­!¡± He got back up immediately after heaving, while the rest of the expedition team was flying across the air. It was the same for Ru Amuh, Hawa, and Yeriel. On the other hand, the figure standing in the center didn¡¯t move the slightest bit. She simply swept away her enemies with the tentacle-like branches spread out from behind her back like wings. In contrast to her surroundings, she appeared incredibly calm. One could tell how unbelievably strong she was. And among the group, Evelyn turned to one person: Chi-Woo. Only he was putting up a proper resistance against the queen. He wasn¡¯t one-sidedly getting pushed back and was fighting back to get closer. Evelyn felt a slight glimmer of hope seeing this and was about to quickly participate in the battle when¨C ¡ªMademoiselle. She suddenly heard a slightly subdued voice. ¡ªPlease escape. Evelyn¡¯s eyes turned wide. When she turned around, she saw some kind of white figure. It was the perverted ghost who followed Chi-Woo everywhere: Salem Philip. But besides that, Evelyn didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡°What are you saying¡­they are in the middle of a fight.¡± ¡ªThey aren¡¯t fighting, but enduring. Their opponent isn¡¯t showing her full powers and¡­ Evelyn closed her lips because Philip appeared so serious, unlike his usual self. ¡ªI knew she was extraordinary, but¡­I didn¡¯t expect her to be at this level¡­ Philip appeared almost scared and stunned, like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was witnessing. But despite his petrified expression, Evelyn pulled herself together. She believed in Chi-Woo. She had kept her eyes on him since their first meeting, and Chi-Woo was someone who had always turned the impossible possible. She believed he would do it again. Philip could empathize with her somewhat, but he knew things were different this time. Because¡­ ¡ªHow¡­ He has lifted his seal¡­ How could he still lag behind so much¡­? Chi-Woo had already removed his restrictions. *** Meanwhile¡ªin this late hour, Byeok was looking at the sky while sitting at the edge of the porch. In the sparkling night sky, a light shone brighter than the others. It was a star with an especially strong brilliance that made its presence known among the others. When Byeok witnessed this scene, her eyes narrowed. ¡°He finally opened it,¡± she said, ¡°¡­Well, it is just one still.¡± CH 291 ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Although Byeok had been talking to herself, someone else heard her. ¡°What do you mean by only opening one?¡± A woman wearing a simple navy blue dress with her hair neatly combed back quietly approached her and sat down. A cup was offered to her, and Byeok accepted it with a smile. ¡°Why are you awake at such a late hour?¡± She lifted the hot steaming cup. ¡°Just,¡± Eshnunna wrapped her hands around the cup and said, ¡°I finished my evening training, but couldn¡¯t fall asleep.¡± ¡°Hmm. You¡¯ve been working pretty hard lately.¡± Byeok lifted the teacup to her mouth and glanced sideways as if she suddenly remembered something, ¡°But don¡¯t you usually fall asleep right after training?¡± ¡°Ms. Byeok, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean no? I can hear your snoring all the way in my room.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eshnunna closed her mouth, and Byeok chuckled like a jokester. ¡°I¡¯m curious. I wonder which man is keeping the future ice witch up at night?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it probably the same man that you¡¯re thinking about at this dawn, Ms. Byeok?¡± Byeok smirked at her counterattack. Although she didn¡¯t confirm or deny Eshnunna¡¯s assumption, her silence was already an answer. ¡°I¡¯m used to it now. It¡¯s not the first time I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was worried,¡± Eshnunna said calmly, ¡°From the very first time I met him in the forest, it¡¯s always been like that. Whenever something serious happens, he always steps forward, and there were times when he went missing and came back unconscious.¡± She looked slightly dazed as she caressed the teacup. ¡°I wonder why it¡¯s like that. Most heroes don¡¯t act like him. Why does he always¡­¡± Byeok was about to say something, but closed her mouth in the end. She tilted her teacup and gulped down her words with the tea. After a short silence, she said with a subtle scent of tea lingering in her mouth, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. He¡¯s at least not dead.¡± ¡°Would he come back safely?¡± Although similar, ¡®not dying¡¯ and ¡®coming back safely¡¯ meant two different things. Byeok became silent at Eshnunna¡¯s question. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Byeok answered after a short silence. ¡°Whether he¡¯ll come back or not¡­¡± Eshnunna slightly frowned at her strange response. According to her words, Byeok was more concerned about whether he was going to come back rather than if he was going to live. Why did she think this? ¡°I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t worried. I¡¯m the one who tied up his powers after all.¡± Byeok let out the breath she had been holding and shrugged. Eshnunna doubted her ears. Chi-Woo¡¯s powers were restricted? She asked, ¡°Why? Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Because I had to.¡± Eshnunna was quick-witted and clever. After hearing Byeok¡¯s suddenly firm tone, she caught on that Byeok had no intention to explain in detail. At the same time, she could roughly guess what Byeok meant by ¡®only one¡¯ earlier on. ¡°If he lifts one seal, would he be able to release the things binding him, at least partially?¡± Byeok gave her an impressed look and snorted. ¡°Well, he might be able to freely use an arm.¡± ¡°Then what if he lifts two seals?¡± Although Eshnunna knew she should not ask further, she couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°¡­¡± Byeok didn¡¯t say anything, but simply lifted the slightly cooled down teacup and stared at the endless night sky. ¡°Then would he be able to take off all his restraints and use his body freely?¡± When Eshnunna asked one more time, Byeok finally opened her mouth. Expecting a reply, Eshnunna was taken aback by Byeok¡¯s following actions. Byeok widened her eyes, and her expression changed into one of shock. ¡°Uh¡­ Why¡­¡± She gaped with a trembling voice, her eyes fixated on the night sky¡ªor to be more precise, while looking at the star that was beginning to emit a strong light that brightened up its surroundings. * * * The center of the Hala Forest became calm again after a disturbance in the night. Although it was crazy to dismiss a battle with their lives on the line as simply a disturbance from the expedition member¡¯s perspective, it really was no more than a mere commotion. It might have been a fierce battle for the expedition members, but it was just a noisy commotion that needed to quiet down in the queen¡¯s perspective. As proof, the queen hadn¡¯t made a single step since the battle started. ¡°Are you going to do more?¡± she looked around and asked. None of the expedition members remained standing in good condition. Most had one knee on the ground or were sprawled on the ground. One of them was even caught in a tree branch. It was the same for Chi-Woo. Perhaps due to the side-effect of digging into the depth of his power, he was extremely dizzy. His whole body felt lethargic and heavy. While lying down and groaning, he clenched his teeth. Chi-Woo knew it would be difficult to fight another king candidate given his experience facing the Sun King. Thus, he lifted the first stage of the ban on his abilities, and most of his original power came back to him. Chi-Woo felt ecstatic after La Bella¡¯s blessings returned with his Core of Balance as the center. An enormous amount of energy that he couldn¡¯t feel before flowed through his body. He had thought this might be enough for him to beat the queen and had never imagined that she would be this strong. Of course, he had thought it wouldn¡¯t be easy since she¡¯d absorbed the king candidate who earned Ismile¡¯s information, but he couldn¡¯t even touch the tip of her toe. Their opponent went easy on them rather than show her full strength, and she was basically playing around. It was an overwhelming defeat. There was only one way left. He still had his last resort, but Chi-Woo hesitated. Since they were about to face death, he needed to utilize all possible methods, but hesitation and doubt messed up his decision because¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not over yet¡­¡± At that moment, Ru Amuh struggled to get up. ¡°I¡­can still fight.¡± Although his face was haggard, he didn¡¯t lose the sharpness in his eyes. Emmanuel, who had fainted for a short time, also got up while stumbling. Their feelings were no different from Chi-Woo¡¯s; it was especially so for Ru Amuh. Ru Amuh had always followed Chi-Woo, but it was the first time he had felt so useless. He personally experienced how Ru Hiana must have felt during the Narsha Haram expedition. Although it was a truly devastating situation, the fight wasn¡¯t over yet. Ru Amuh was the promise child, who had worked with all his might to keep his promise after pledging to walk by Chi-Woo¡¯s side. He had really not wasted a single day, and it was now time to show the results of his hard effort. Ru Amuh took a deep breath and closed his eyes gently. He stayed unmoving for a good while. The queen tilted her head at an indescribably strange feeling. ¡°Huh?¡± She slowly looked around and blinked quickly. ¡°¡­Wind?¡± Flutter. The wind shook the leaves. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, the wind around her was moving all towards one place. Winds from all directions swirled around Ru Amuh. Then it disappeared into his body as if it was seeping inside. While this process endlessly continued, the queen¡¯s eyes were filled with deep curiosity because at some point, she felt Ru Amuh¡¯s body become one with the wind. She wasn¡¯t mistaken. Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes burst open and¡ª Sling! Startled, the queen turned around and inadvertently raised her hand to swipe her neck. She found her hands stained with fluid. She also felt a thin line at the tip of her finger. When she looked back, she couldn¡¯t see Ru Amuh anymore. Sling! The wind blew again, and part of the laurel crown on her head was cut off. As she looked around in a hurry, surprise filled her face for the first time. Gusts of wind continued to blow, swirling around her and turning into a gale. The biting wind came from all sides, but this wasn¡¯t the only thing she needed to pay attention to. Crack! A sudden sound of thunder and a flash of light with countless sparks shot towards her. Even in the midst of this hectic situation, the queen managed to deflect all the attacks. Then the lightning rod that was being bent like a whip multiplied into two when Emmanuel stretched out his arm as hard as he could. ¡°Ah?¡± The two rods turned into four, then eight, then 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, and more¡­ The queen¡¯s eyes slightly shook as she saw streaks of lightning continuously double and shoot towards her. By that time, the gale had grown into a storm, and the Hala Forest was swept by the fierce storm on one side, and on the other side, a thousand and more lighting rods shot towards her in a spectacular sight. Then a windstorm attacked her like a fierce tidal wave, and the queen hurriedly spread her wings of branches to protect herself. Bang! An ear-splitting explosion broke out. Soon after, ¡°Ugh¡ª!¡± Spraying blood all over his body, Ru Amuh was pushed back. Emmanuel also collapsed again after spitting a mouthful of fresh blood. Crumble¡ªdebris fell to the ground. The pair of wings that wrapped around the queen fell into pieces, but she was safe and sound, and her main body was not hurt in the least. Emmanuel¡¯s face was distorted, but he soon spat out blood and shouted, ¡°Now!¡± The queen quickly turned around at his shout. A fiery dragon came into her sight along with Apoline, who was sweating while chanting spells. As soon as their eyes met, Apoline fired a dragon, and the queen was surprised for a moment because the dragon wasn¡¯t moving towards her, but¡ª Craccccckle! Yeriel¡¯s bead opened, and crystal-like ice formed in the air. After the bead swallowed the flying dragon and shut closed, fire and ice pushed and collided against each other inside it. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Yeriel ground her teeth as she controlled the wildly fluctuating bead. Her whole body shook as well as her hands. When the queen detected the energy from the series of eruptions that formed as a result of the ice crystals and fire dragon, the bead reached the queen¡¯s neck and opened up. Baaaaaam! With a deadening sound, everyone¡¯s vision shook wildly. Those who couldn¡¯t endure the pressure were pushed back and thrown far. Chi-Woo closed his eyes tightly as he tried to maintain his balance while clutching the ground. The brilliant explosion covered the area with white and red lights. The series of seemingly never-ending shocks finally showed signs of slowing down. When it completely subsided, Chi-Woo held his breath. He became speechless after seeing the destructive power of Apoline and Yeriel¡¯s collaboration. The smoke mixed with dust came up to the atmosphere and fell like rain, and the jungle of intertwining and tangled vegetation was all burned up. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s hopes were shot down when he saw a faint figure through the smoke. When their surroundings returned to normal brightness, he saw the queen again. Although she wasn¡¯t completely fine, the queen was standing firm with one hand stretched out. Soot smears and scratches scattered across her body, but that was the extent of her injuries. She hadn¡¯t fallen. ¡°¡­Amazing,¡± she muttered with a stunned look. ¡°First¡­no, it might have been a little dangerous if I had only absorbed rock.¡± She sounded slightly angry in her monologue. ¡°Ha¡­haha¡­¡± Yeriel laughed in vain and looked down at her completely burnt hands. ¡°Crazy¡­¡± Apoline cursed with a stunned face and collapsed after turning around. Emmanuel closed his eyes, and Ru Amuh tried to stand up, but his body didn¡¯t listen to him. Since there was such a huge gap in power between them and the queen, they had decided to risk severe injury and use their secret weapon for a showdown. However, it didn¡¯t work. No, it didn¡¯t work in the slightest. The queen still hadn¡¯t moved a single step back, and this was proof that she was still holding back quite a bit. ¡°It¡¯s¡­really¡­over¡­¡± Emannuel muttered in a feeble voice. Even if they wanted to do more, there was nothing they could do both in terms of ability and strength. Although they had brandished their secret weapon while knowing it wouldn''t work, it was now really over. Feelings of hopelessness and defeat quickly spread among the expedition members after their failure. [You want to know the reason why I divided the seal into two stages?] Byeok¡¯s words suddenly flashed through Chi-Woo¡¯s brain. [The first stage contains abilities that come from La Bella, the god that you serve.] [Although it¡¯s true that those are also amazing abilities, they¡¯re still within a certain limit.] [Because it¡¯s also important where the abilities come from.] The first stage sealed most of the abilities that Chi-Woo received from La Bella. La Bella was the daughter of Astrea, the maiden of stars, and the bloodline of Jupiter. While it was true that La Bella was a very strong god, considering her lineage and her alignment as a true neutral god, Byeok said that her powers were still within comprehensible limits. [But Stage 2 is another story.] La Bella¡¯s blessings were not the only abilities that Chi-Woo had. [In Liber¡¯s perspective, stage 2 seals abilities from a foreign god.] [And a god incomparable to even La Bella¡­] While Byeok was telling him this, she told him to think about his past fights, and how it was that this ability had allowed him to defeat a god, albeit reconstructed, when Chi-Woo had no real skills. Then she asked him how much stronger it would be now after his training. [No one knows their intention. I don¡¯t, of course, and neither do you. Only that unknown god knows the truth.] [I did tell you not to hold back if your life is on line, but I hope you use it with extreme caution.] [Make sure you etch this in your mind¡ªthe fact that the more you use that power, the closer you are to fulfilling that god¡¯s unknown intention.] [Try to handle it? Don¡¯t make me laugh. That¡¯s a power that not even your brother, the legend, can handle, let alone you.] [Don¡¯t you already know this as well?] Chi-Woo agreed with her, and he had felt it a little bit. To be exact, he first recognized that he couldn¡¯t handle this power when he went to the future and went crazy once. For the first time¡­ ¡°Can¡¯t you stop now?¡± Chi-Woo pulled himself out of his thoughts. The queen continued, ¡°I know your full strength now.¡± He returned to the present at her words. ¡°If you want to continue even after this, I won¡¯t be able to go easy on all of you anymore.¡± This meant that she had been going easy on them this whole time. Aside from being shocked, Chi-Woo was reminded that he had a chance left. The queen was still extending her first offer. If he said that he fully realized their differences in power and surrendered, she might allow them to live. Chi-Woo smiled bitterly after thinking this. Yeah. If everything went well, they could return alive. However, if they did this, the Sernitas¡¯ plan would be completed, and after devouring the last remaining candidate, the queen would even absorb Hurodvitniru¡¯s cub and evolve into a completely perfect being. Then inevitably, either the Last Dragon or his brother would have to step forward¡­ ¡®No.¡¯ Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t let this happen. ¡®No, I can never let this happen.¡¯ His intuition was ringing harder than ever that he should never let his brother and the queen meet after she awakened as a goddess. The thought prompted him to throw away his lingering hesitation caused by his master¡¯s stern warning. Then he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. The queen¡¯s eyes widened at his sudden apology. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to do this¡­¡± Chi-Woo looked composed unlike before and spoke as if he was in a trance. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to do this, but¡­¡± He let out a long breath and smiled bitterly. ¡°I guess I¡¯m still too lacking.¡± The queen gazed at Chi-Woo, who looked aloof and detached, because she felt a strange sense of foreboding. ¡°Are you planning to go berserk or exponentially increase your power at once?¡± Then she said, ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯ll weaken you in the long run.¡± She sounded concerned, unfitting of the present situation. ¡°No.¡± However, Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°¡­Then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ It¡¯s what I had originally.¡± ¡°What you had originally?¡± Chi-Woo no longer replied to her questions because he now had to save even his energy to breathe. He took a deep breath and relaxed his body. She also did not ask any more questions¡ªno, she couldn¡¯t. [[Release II] Seal will be released.] White light shot out from Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. CH 292 Release of stage two seal. This meant that Chi-Woo would get back everything that had originally been his. And as all the abilities that had been sealed with La Bella¡¯s authority came back to him, Chi-Woo got a strange feeling. There was a famous idiom from an old book called Shui Heng Ji, ¡®to draw the pupils of a dragon¡¯. According to the book, there was a well-known artist who drew two dragons on the wall except for their pupils. When asked why only the pupils were missing, the artist replied that it was because the dragons would fly away if he drew them. People laughed at the artist, asking what sort of nonsense he was saying; and thus, the artist quietly drew the dragons¡¯ pupils. As soon as he did this, there was a loud cry, and the dragons flew out of the walls and soared into the sky. That was how Chi-Woo felt. He felt considerable power after unleashing the first stage, but the feeling of something missing persisted. It was as if he had completed a complicated puzzle while missing a couple of key pieces. When he unleashed the second stage, however, any sense that something had been missing completely evaporated. Instead, he felt like everything fit perfectly inside him, and he was complete. This feeling deepened and expanded to the point that it astounded Chi-Woo. Then Chi-Woo felt a passionate and powerful energy flowing from the bottom of his feet. No matter how much one tried to fill their cup with the ocean¡¯s water, there was a limit to how much they could take. Even a wide desert couldn¡¯t handle the vast ocean. That was how it had been with Chi-Woo when he used to be an ordinary person; but in his current state, the amount of energy that Chi-Woo could take in was on a completely different level¡ªwider than the gap between heaven and earth. ¡°Not¡­!¡± Chi-Woo felt the energy fluctuate inside his body. His heart thumped like mad, and blood flowed through his veins and exploded. His body had never run wildly to this level no matter how vigorous his training had been. All the while, the expedition team and the queen remained quiet. And they weren¡¯t the only ones acting like this; the bugs¡¯ chirping died down, and one couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of passing wind. A sudden silence circled around them. In an instant, the Hala Forest had become an eerily silent space where one couldn¡¯t hear a single sound. It was a suffocating silence, and there was a fearsome energy so strong that it made all bystanders¡¯ bodies vibrate. The energy and power were so strong that it seemed like it could stomp down on any creature. And among this energy, Chi-Woo stood in the center. For the first time since the battle started, the queen moved. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± She hesitated after moving and stepped backward unconsciously. Her eyes shook when she looked down at her feet. ¡°I am¡­afraid¡­?¡± There was fear and panic in her eyes. It was an emotion she had never felt before. The queen raised her head in confusion and saw a lady suddenly float behind Chi-Woo¡¯s back. The lady¡¯s whole body was wrapped in fabric, and she had one hand raised. There was a balance scale in her hand, and the balance that had been leaning overwhelmingly in the direction of the queen very slowly began to tilt the other way toward Chi-Woo. The more it tilted, the higher Chi-Woo raised his head, and his lips parted bit by bit. When the balance scale was finally in perfect balance, Chi-Woo raised his head fully. His body poured out light, and bright white light shot out from his eyes. Simultaneously, Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth opened wide. ¡°©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥!¡± Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. It was a scream that called for obedience from all creatures between heaven and earth. The queen instinctively covered her ears and dropped to one knee, but soon realized what she was doing and straightened her back. Then she saw a fist coming toward her. ¡°?¡± When she caught sight of her surroundings, she realized that she was flying mid-air backward. It seemed she had lost her senses temporarily, and when she looked up, she saw half of a rocky cliff collapsing upon her. She also felt a dull thud in her back for the second time. It seemed the force that had sent her flying even made the cliff behind her crumble; she penetrated through the cliff and finally stopped flying when she hit the third wall, leaving a deep dent in the rock. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± Then, before she could collect her breath, her waist was bent 90 degrees. Chi-Woo¡¯s knees had struck her abdomen as soon as her back collided with the cliff. And as the wall behind her crumpled, and she fell, she felt her body lifted again. ¡°Kkurgh¡­! Kkurgh!¡± She heaved for breath as she felt rough, constricting pressure around her neck. She tried to protect herself and resist with all she had by forming sharp thorns all over her body. Her efforts were effective, and she was able to breathe momentarily¡ªthough it seemed more accurate to say that Chi-Woo had let go of her on purpose after finding her response interesting. Once she fell to the ground, she quickly backed away, creating distance between herself and Chi-Woo and while planting several vines on the ground. Soon, the ground rose and formed into the shape of the queen. Then numerous clones formed everywhere. As a brilliant light shone from his eyes, Chi-Woo smirked. The next moment, barely visible waves gathered around Chi-Woo. Wing! It abruptly drew a circle and spread out. And it didn¡¯t end with just one ringing. As if water drops were falling onto a calm surface and forming ripples, the waves continued to spread out. The queen¡¯s neck stiffened as she created clones and felt herself grow more and more nervous. Her face turned pale, then ashy white, and then returned back to normal. Wing, wing, wing, wing! More ripples spread, and they saw the world¡¯s lights continue to change. That wasn¡¯t all. Shaaaa! The moonlight shining from the sky took the shape of a book and spread open. Following that, Chi-Woo opened his mouth. ¡°¡ª¡± There was a heavy ringing sound, followed by explosive screams. The numerous clones the queen had made with great effort screamed in pain as soon as they formed. It was a meaningless attempt. It didn¡¯t take long for her clones to turn back into dirt while clutching their temples in pain. They were crumbling like houses built on sand, and seeing this sight, she couldn¡¯t hold back her shock. [Chi-Woo¡¯s Original Prayer C] [La Bella¡¯s Bible C] [La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary D] After taking control of the area by summoning a sanctuary, Chi-Woo changed the properties of his surroundings to his desire. He had reversed the queen¡¯s plan to grasp control of the area around her, and in this zone, Chi-Woo was like a god. If he wished for it, he could expel everything that he deemed to be a violation of ¡®perfect neutrality¡¯, and in the blink of an eye, the clones the queen created disappeared in great numbers. Even the few remaining ones began to fade away. She had to do something. The queen regrew the wing that had melted in her fight against the expedition team. She stretched her wings out beyond their original size and bent the edges, reaching for Chi-Woo. Then she blasted them off with the sound of a landmine exploding, shooting thorn missiles with enough force to bring about instant death. The projectiles drew dizzying pathways in the air as they headed for Chi-Woo. Uncaring of the incoming attacks, Chi-Woo smirked with his arms crossed. Masses of light quickly gathered around him, and as the queen had done, he launched them without warning. The results came as soon as these attacks clashed. All the light masses pierced through the thorns and scattered everywhere. The queen fell to the ground hard with a groan. Then she ran in a zigzag and rushed forward to escape the light. When she was backed into a corner with no escape, she jumped into the air without hesitation. However, what waited for her were other streams of lights. As if Chi-Woo had already predicted her reaction, he expanded the light without limitations. Seeing that there was no way for her to escape, the queen shot vines from both her hands. The vines wrapped around a nearby tree, twisting the queen¡¯s body and quickly changing her direction. With the vines extending out of her hands, she flung across the air like Spiderman and escaped death by a hair¡¯s breadth. The streams of light clashed against each other and exploded behind her, and she managed to successfully move to somewhere above Chi-Woo. Like that, she descended and shook both her arms with all her might. Sharp things that looked like boomerangs spun his way, but Chi-Woo easily avoided them with a slight jerk of his head. Boom! In the meantime, the queen managed to land right in front of Chi-Woo and swung her now lengthened arms widely. Chi-Woo uncrossed his arms and jumped forward after bending his back backward. He soon turned to stand behind her, grabbed her head, and smashed her face into the ground. Then, with her back arched in that state, he kicked her in the butt. The queen rolled like a whirlwind and crushed every grass and plant in her way. All this happened in a very short period of time. Soon, the rolling stopped, and after the queen recovered her posture, she turned around and flicked her vine whip while looking enraged. Though her swing was strong enough to crack the ground, Chi-Woo easily clutched the vine and pulled her in. Unable to put up a proper resistance, she was dragged, and Chi-Woo threw another punch at her. The queen tried to block the attack, but couldn¡¯t. She did manage to stop it for a moment, but the immense pressure knocked her off balance. And the hit was followed by Chi-Woo¡¯s head-butt. The queen fell to the ground while spewing liquid substances from her head. She looked completely stunned. ¡®Why?¡¯ On techniques alone, she was superior. But it was meaningless. No matter how many techniques she employed and changes she threw in, she couldn¡¯t do anything against overwhelming destructive power. And as she staggered backward in this state of shock, the queen stared at Chi-Woo. The emotion she felt when she first saw him in this form became clear. ¡®Death¡ª¡¯ Yes, she would die, unable to fulfill her goal. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Her mouth gaped open. ¡°Ah¡­Ah¡­¡± She made intangible noises before she suddenly shrieked, ¡°Ah¡­Ahhhhhhh!¡± And sudden changes began to rip through the queen¡¯s body. Green stems popped out of her skin like blood vessels and intertwined deep into the earth. Her body grew, and her branches continued to extend like a mind map. Eventually, leaves hung down from these branches, and she became a large tree. It was the giant tree that had existed in the Hala Forest for thousands of years; this was probably closest to her original form, and the appearance she had achieved with evolution disappeared. The only thing remaining was the rough shape of her upper torso popping out of the old tree. The old tree continued to grow and extend without limits. When the now countless branches reached other trees, they clung to them like tentacles. Then those trees stretched out to their surroundings rapidly like the old tree as well. It wasn¡¯t only the trees; everything that they touched such as vines and grasses rose and shook the ground threateningly. Soon afterward, the Hala Forest fell into the queen¡¯s palms, and everything inside it turned menacing. Simultaneously, they leaned toward the sole-standing person, Chi-Woo. They plunged back and forth like a tsunami. The entire Hala Forest moved like a wall and blanketed the night sky. It was a magnificent sight. Baam! After pouring everything into her last attack, the queen was left looking stunned. It had been an attack composed of countless strikes. ¡°¡­¡± Yet Chi-Woo managed to deflect all of them without a single exception. The combined attack crumbled, and between the raining debris, she saw Chi-Woo place his arm back down. He had managed to offset her final attack with a light flick of his arm. The queen was at a loss for words. She quietly watched Chi-Woo running toward her from far away, and they met eyes right before Chi-Woo kicked off the ground. When all conditions were equal or similar, there was only one factor that determined victory or defeat: weight class. The queen realized that her opponent was different from her. They had been different since birth, and her opponent was an existence so unbelievable that he didn¡¯t even need to evolve. When she realized this, the queen¡¯s eyes half-closed. She predicted the soon-to-come future and was about to close her eyes before she abruptly opened them again. She raised her head with the full intention to watch everything until the end. ¡°!¡± It was then the queen felt her body jerk. The eyes she had met were close enough to almost touch her nose. She slowly looked down and saw a pale elbow pierce into her chest. Her head fell, and jade-colored liquid flowed down from her mouth. CH 293 The serene moonlight shone on the man and woman. The young man stared silently at the woman with her head down. Her penetrated chest heaved up and down with occasional spasms. ¡°I¡­¡± The queen managed to mutter, ¡°lost¡­¡± Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t sound defeated or negative, but her voice didn¡¯t sound positive either. It was a calm tone of acceptance. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She strained to lift her head. ¡°You were being truthful¡­¡± She stared up at Chi-Woo, whose face was almost touching hers. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a sudden awakening¡­¡± Although her blank, spazzing eyes look like those of an insane person, her gaze was still focused on him. ¡°Or going berserk¡­ You can return¡­ Don¡¯t overdo it¡­ Go back to the way you are¡­¡± The queen continued with difficulty, her eyes fixed on him. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­soon¡­anyway¡­¡± However, before she could finish, her body tilted downwards. The old trees, which were once big enough to cover the Hala Forest, began to collapse one by one. The withered leaves turned yellow and fell, and the branches dried up and twisted before scattering into a handful of ashes. Eventually, the queen, who only had her upper body left, fell to the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is¡­¡± she continued while looking up at the moon in the night sky. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t¡­use that if you can¡­¡± She sounded worried for him. ¡°It looks¡­very tiring¡­¡± It was only then that Chi-Woo¡¯s outstretched arm finally dropped. Slowly, very slowly. And the glow began to fade, including his shining eyes and the light brightly shooting out of his body. It completely disappeared as if he was fading away. When he returned to his original state, the queen gave him a small smile. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Then she let out a long breath. ¡°For making¡­me¡­.understand¡­¡± Then with those last words, she stopped moving. Her eyes were half-closed, and the pupils of her eyes were blurred and faded. Her last words were thanking him for giving her a defeat that she could acknowledge. Chi-Woo¡¯s expression was bitter as he looked down at the queen. He didn¡¯t feel good. Although he had defeated a strong opponent, rather than feeling relieved, he felt uncomfortable. It felt like he had killed a child who was pushed into a war without knowing anything. He wanted to close her eyes for her, but he was not in the position to do so. Thud. Chi-Woo also collapsed. He really didn¡¯t have the strength to even lift a finger. When he had gone to the future, he had gone berserk after being swept away by his surroundings, but he was firmly prepared this time. Of course, after releasing the second stage of his seal, he realized that his resolutions had been useless. Control it? It wasn¡¯t possible. He wouldn¡¯t dare think about it; it was difficult to even not lose control of his consciousness. In fact, it felt like he had lost himself for seven or eight seconds every ten seconds. Still, he tried to suppress the power that controlled his body whenever his consciousness returned. Although the queen was pushed back continuously, this was also the reason why the queen could keep trying new moves against Chi-Woo. On the other hand, Chi-Woo¡¯s hard efforts to stay in control paid off in the end. Chi-Woo, whose mind had been hanging on a tightrope, heard the queen¡¯s voice while his consciousness was gradually fading and was able to recover himself for a while. And he used his last remaining energy to seal his second stage again. Although he was successful, this wasn¡¯t the end; it was now time for him to pay up. ¡°Chi-Woo!¡± Evelyn hurriedly came running to him. The expedition members, who followed behind her, halted after reaching him. They looked around blankly, speechless. The entire Hala Forest was turned over; there was no other way to describe it. It was a devastation caused by two absolute beings fighting against each other. It wasn¡¯t like this even when the Sun King blew himself up. ¡°No¡­¡± Worry filled Evelyn¡¯s face as she quickly tried to heal Chi-Woo. Divinity was not getting through to him. All the holy energy she pushed into him was swept away and disappeared; this was how serious his condition was. However, one fortunate aspect was that his internal structure was not completely shattered; although it felt as if it was about to break, it was still maintaining its basic form. ¡°I¡¯m all right¡­¡± Chi-Woo muttered in a barely audible voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t seal¡­my first stage abilities yet¡­ If I rest a bit¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Save your energy.¡± Evelyn generously poured out divinity while sweating profusely. Should he close his eyes like this? Or hang in there a little longer? When his eyes were almost closed, Chi-Woo suddenly realized something. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡¯ He realized that he couldn¡¯t hear a wolf howling anymore. ¡®No way.¡¯ Something might have gone wrong due to the shock of the battle with the queen. Although there was normally no way Hurodvitniru would be injured by this, she was giving birth. She was greatly debilitated, and her condition couldn¡¯t be guaranteed because she was in an especially sensitive state. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but worry and tried to lift his body. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you getting up?¡± Evelyn was trying to stop him when she heard a presence and turned around. Then her eyes widened. ¡°You¡­¡± A huge shadow emerged through the rubble. Although her luxurious, silver hair had become matted and coarse, and she had lost a lot of weight and became skinny with her sharp claws gone, the figure strolling towards them on all fours was undeniably the last fenrir. ¡°Hurodvitniru?¡± Evelyn called out her name and couldn¡¯t speak anymore because she saw a baby fenrir following her. Although the fenrir was only about the size of a dog, the beautiful silver-white fur that seemed to have absorbed the moonlight and their noble presence marked them as a fenrir. The fenrir cub was finally born. Although they were still just a newborn cub, the new god of fenrir, who would be responsible for the future of their tribe, had been born. Hurodvitniru unsteadily walked towards them and looked around after collecting her breath. She looked between the corpse of the queen, who only had her upper body left, and Chi-Woo, and then she slowly approached him and dropped something from her mouth. Chi-Woo felt something heavy hit his chest. Without even the strength to lift his head, Chi-Woo blinked. Meanwhile, Evelyn looked surprised because she saw a sharp fang containing the moonlight. Evelyn asked, ¡°Why are you¡­?¡± ¡°A day when the lunar eclipse lasted for a long time,¡± Hawa spoke up. She went on to tell a story: the gods who were fearful of the fenrirs¡¯ rough and fierce power gathered and conspired against them to start a war. Although the fenrirs bravely fought against the gods, they were at the crossroads of destruction. At that time, an apostle of a neutral god suddenly appeared and stood by the fenrirs to fight alongside them. The apostle defeated the armies of the gods with terrifying powers and succeeded in repelling their opponents. The apostle¡¯s sudden intervention led to many gods hating their denomination, but in contrast, they earned the fenrirs¡¯ gratitude. The fenrirs, who were famous for their solitude and pride, expressed deep gratitude to the apostle and bowed to ask for future protection. ¡°As a token of gratitude, the head of the fenrirs pulled out their fangs and offered it to the apostle¡­¡± Hawa breathed out and continued, ¡°It¡¯s an ancient story from unofficial records. Although it hasn¡¯t been proven¡­it¡¯s the only record of the fenrirs bowing to anyone.¡± Evelyn now knew why Hurodvitniru dropped her fang; she must have been grateful that Chi-Woo protected and fought for her. And¡­ Thud! Hurodvitniru suddenly fell with a loud impact. Her tongue rolled out, and she breathed so roughly that it felt like she was going to choke. Everyone who was looking at her, including her cub, were startled and quickly ran toward Hurodvitniru. No¡ªthe cub tried to, but Hurodvitniru pushed them away. She pushed the cub away so firmly that it seemed even cold-hearted. The cub kept trying to get closer despite the rejection, but Hurodvitniru pushed them away every time, especially toward Chi-Woo. Later on, she strongly swung her legs while mustering her last remaining strength. When the cub rolled back several times, but stood up and tried to approach their mother again even while groaning, Hurodivituru growled fiercely with her fangs bared. The baby Fenrir flinched at their mother¡¯s ferocious growl. They looked around and glanced back at Hurodivituru, but her intention was clear. ¡°Arf¡­¡± Eventually, the cub lowered their ears and tail and made a whining sound. However, Hurodivituru didn¡¯t even glance at the cub. It was a truly unfortunate situation, and Chi-Woo recalled what the queen had said to him. Hurodvitniru would die after giving birth; after fulfilling her duty, she would go back into nothingness. Recalling that, Chi-Woo could understand why Hurodvitniru was acting this way. ¡®She¡¯s probably¡­¡¯ Hurodvitniru probably felt sorry for her cub. Although they were going to become fenrirs¡¯ new god, the cub was still her own baby that she gave birth to with a lot of pain and effort. She probably felt sorry that she had to leave them without providing them with proper guidance and care as a parent. They would be left alone as soon as they were born with the heavy burden of reviving their species. Chi-Woo could understand a bit why Hurodivituru was purposely withholding affection from the cub, but he decided to speak up instead of staying silent. ¡°Please let them¡­approach you¡­¡± Hurodvitniru, who was looking away, glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°This is their first¡­and last meeting with you¡­¡± He kept talking with involuntary pauses. ¡°Even if they miss you for a long time¡­every time they think of you¡­they¡¯ll remember it¡­as a good memory¡­¡± Hurodvitniru¡¯s face became increasingly conflicted at his words. Then she swiftly turned around when she saw her baby¡¯s mournful eyes. She was more stubborn than he thought, but for some reason, he had a feeling that she wouldn¡¯t push her cub away anymore if they came near her. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡°Arf¡­.¡± The fenrir cub seemed to have also gotten the same feeling as they took a step forward their mother with a whine. Hurodivitu sighed like she thought it couldn¡¯t be helped and looked at them with softer eyes. The baby fenrir¡¯s complexion brightened up. ¡°Woof!¡± The cub barked loudly and ran as if they were flying towards their mother when¡ª Swiish! Suddenly, thorn-like things fell from the sky, and Chi-Woo and the others all witnessed what happened next clearly. Hurodvitniru, whose whole body was penetrated by the thorns from head to toe, wriggled once and then drooped down and stopped moving. She didn¡¯t show any signs of movement with her eyes wide open. Soon after, her whole body radiated moonlight and scattered. The baby fenrir, who had been running excitedly, slowed and eventually stopped¡ªwhile Hurodvitniru returned to the moon with her tongue sticking out. ¡°Hahaha! Hahahahahah!¡± Then a loud, boisterous laugh filled the silence. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened when they turned back towards the direction of the sound. ¡°I ate it! I ate it! Ahhh! This power¡­!¡± The queen, who they had thought was dead, was standing still and cheering with her arms wide open. Chi-Woo was sure he had killed her, but how¡­ No, she wasn¡¯t the queen he just killed. The new queen didn¡¯t have the nobleness that seemed to contain the shining moon or the purity that felt holy to anyone in her presence. She didn¡¯t possess the dreamy aura that felt elegant, either. She didn¡¯t have any of those characteristics. On the contrary, she had the grotesque bizarreness of a being merely imitating another by cramming an array of things together. Her similarity to the queen ended at her appearance, and her true nature was something else entirely. ¡°It¡¯s over! It¡¯s all over! I¡¯m the queen now!¡± Evelyn was stunned to hear the ensuing cry. She quickly looked where the queen¡¯s corpse had been and saw nothing. Without anyone knowing, the body had disappeared. It seemed the new queen had absorbed the queen¡¯s corpse while everyone was focused on Hurodvitniru and her cub. ¡°I, who was the weakest among the candidates, have managed to¡­no! It¡¯s not that the strong survives, but the one who survives is the strong one!¡± There were a total of five king candidates. Four of them had died, so there was still one left. When the tree queen was alive, the other queen was nowhere to be seen, so no one had expected her to be aiming for this opportunity. ¡°I¡¯m the strongest now!¡± Evelyn became despondent as she looked at her opponent jumping in joy. Most of the expedition members were in no condition to fight. Chi-Woo, Ru Amuh, and the other Celestial Lights had already fainted or could barely move. There was at least her and Hawa left, but it was impossible for the two of them to win this fight alone. ¡°Just in case, I also took care of the mother. Now, if I just eat the baby¡­!¡± The queen, who had been laughing madly, smacked her lips when she saw the fenrir cub. Then Evelyn clearly saw what happened next. Chi-Woo, who had been staring at Hurodvitniru with a blank face like the fenrir cub, clutched the fang on his chest and looked back at his opponent. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He had no idea where he got his strength from, but he shouted with all his might and ran towards the queen like a wild animal, ¡°Stop messing around! You fucker!¡± Evelyn called out to him, ¡°Chi-Woo! Chi-Woo!¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t remember what happened for a moment. He just needed to stab, cut, and pierce something to let out the anger wreaking havoc inside him. ¡°Stop! Sir, stop!¡± Chi-Woo could hear several voices behind him and also felt several hands holding him back. He noticed them, but he didn¡¯t want to stop. However, he had no choice but to do so. ¡°Teacher! Teacher! Please¡­!¡± It was because Ru Amuh, who was in great pain, stopped him. When he looked down, the last candidate who mimicked the tree queen was in complete tatters, to the point that her form was unrecognizable. Covered in liquids, the fang inside Chi-Woo¡¯s hand dropped. Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth trembled as he breathed hard and collapsed. ¡®I¡­again¡­¡¯ He had sealed his second stage¡¯s ability for sure, but he couldn¡¯t hold it in. He was driven by emotions and impulse. His body trembled, and he felt like he was becoming less like himself. Maybe it was because he used the ability again before he fully recovered, his already messed up body became even more devastated. Feelings of weakness and fatigue doubled tenfold. Chi-Woo lay down and squeezed out his last remaining energy to turn his head. He saw the fenrir cub, which was still standing frozen like a stone, and Hurodvitniru, who had already disappeared half-way. Her eyes seemed to be telling him to take good care of this child. With this last memory, Chi-Woo closed his eyes under a night sky in which the moon was softly glowing. CH 294 All the five king candidates who had once dominated the Hala Forest died. The final fenrir survivor, Hurodvitniru, also passed away and returned to the moon, leaving one child responsible for the future of her species. With this, one could consider this expedition a success. There was no longer any possibility of a king being born in the Hala Forest, and they also retrieved a being who could start the revival of the fenrirs. Once again, humanity achieved what the Cassiubia League failed to do. It was a truly celebratory event, yet no one looked happy. They didn¡¯t even have the luxury to dwell on their victory. Almost the entire expedition team was critically injured, and there were several who had fainted like Chi-Woo. Those who didn¡¯t lose consciousness yet carried their team members in their injured states and returned home. Survival was the key goal right now, and the team left in a hurry. When they gradually disappeared out of sight, another group soon revealed themselves. The members of this group exchanged looks with one another and stared intently in the direction the expedition team left in. The figure who looked to be the leader of the group nodded, and the rest of the group began to chase after the expedition team. Though they didn¡¯t say a word out loud, there was a vicious air about them that made it clear they didn¡¯t have good intentions. It was then the swiftly running leading figure came to a sudden stop. Following the leader, the rest of the group also stopped. Shuddering, the leader turned around and bolted. It was as if they were running away from something. It was hard to tell why they had suddenly stopped their chase and chose to run away. Where the group had turned away, one figure stepped out of the darkness. It was the pigtail girl with freckles. She walked softly across the ground and murmured in surprise, ¡°¡­You guys have good intuition. You have quick senses and move swiftly too¡­¡± ¡®What should I do~¡¯ She wondered with her finger on her chin. ¡°But I still have to kill you.¡± She smirked and said in a sweet voice while flicking her finger, ¡°I can¡¯t have any witnesses, can I, guys?¡± Not long afterward, eerie screams rang out all over the forest. Though she had planned to let them go in peace, she made them pay the price for seeing something they shouldn¡¯t have. Then the freckled girl clicked her tongue and turned around. ¡°They went so far in that short time,¡± she said and followed the path the expedition team had taken. ¡°But besides that, he really is completely different,¡± she murmured to herself and nodded. ¡°If it was the legend¡­¡± If Chi-Hyun had come to the Hala Forest and encountered the same situation as Chi-Woo, what would he have done? For sure, he would¡¯ve started things off by killing Hurodvitniru first before she even gave birth to her baby, thus preventing the worst-case scenario of the last king candidate achieving godly status right off the bat. He would¡¯ve also utilized the competitive nature of the relationships between the king candidates and defeated them one by one. He would¡¯ve joined hands with the enemy without hesitation and used all means possible to achieve his goal while limiting possible dangers. Prioritizing pragmatism utmost. That was how the hero called the legend operated. The freckled girl had no intention of arguing whether Chi-Hyun¡¯s method was right or wrong, but she was sure of one thing¡ªChi-Hyun¡¯s method limited danger to achieving his goal, but it also resulted in low returns. Chi-Woo¡¯s method was the exact opposite. He risked such great dangers that the expedition team almost failed and died, but they reaped rewards that matched their risks. And he managed to succeed in doing things Chi-Hyun would¡¯ve never even considered doing in the first place, such as saving the baby Fenrir and¡­ ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± The freckled girl stopped walking. It was as if she had suddenly recalled something she forgot. *** Chi-Woo opened his eyes a little bit past noon. His body felt as heavy as soaked cotton, and the effort of pulling himself up was enough to make his arms shudder. ¡ªYou are awake? Philip came in flying first. ¡ªHow is your condition? Chi-Woo scanned his body before letting out a big sigh. He was in no state to even lie that he was fine, but his condition was at least better than the time he collapsed. He had worried if he would ever be able to fight again, but he didn¡¯t need to worry about that. He recovered to the point that he could move around now, and it had been good that he didn¡¯t put back his first-stage restriction. Thanks to his Divine Blood ability, his inner injuries were slowly healing, and eventually, time would help him recover the rest. Yes, time¡­ ¡ªHa, look at this guy. Philip tilted his head, watching Chi-Woo sitting with his head hanging low. ¡ªWhy the long face? ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªYou faced a strong enemy¡ªthe strongest you had ever fought so far. Philips seemed to be insinuating that Chi-Woo should simply be glad of this achievement. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really feel like I won,¡± Chi-Woo turned around and murmured in a low voice. Philip swallowed what he was about to say. He knew how Chi-Woo was feeling. The situation was clearly different from before; Chi-Woo had trained by dying hundreds and thousands of times and got his hands on sizable power. This was the power that he achieved with pure effort and grit; yet such power had failed to work on their enemy. It didn¡¯t even allow him to put up a proper fight, and he got pushed back one-sidedly. In the end, he borrowed the power he had locked away. Perhaps he couldn¡¯t call it ¡®borrowed¡¯ since the power was originally his, but he had tapped into the power he had tried not to use at all costs and achieved an overwhelming victory. Because it didn¡¯t really feel like he had done the deed, though, he felt like he¡¯d lost. Of course, he could say that was just how the circumstances were, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but feel this way. Philip wondered whether he should comfort Chi-Woo, scold him, or crack a joke to lighten up the mood. But in the end, he didn¡¯t choose to do any of those. ¡ªIt¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know how you feel¡­but don¡¯t make it so obvious. He said with a sigh. ¡ªYou are the expedition team¡¯s captain. Everyone already seems dejected. You can¡¯t show this long face to them. ¡°¡­What?¡¯ Chi-Woo asked. ¡ªYou¡­will know what I¡¯m talking about once you see them. Philip shrugged. Chi-Woo licked his lips and forcefully raised his head. This was no time for him to dwell on his feelings. The expedition wasn¡¯t truly over, and they still had some things left to do. ¡°First of all¡­¡± Chi-Woo got up with a stagger and stopped because he saw something that looked like a white fuzzy peach curl up in the corner of the room. It was the baby fenrir. Seemingly having noticed Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze, the baby Fenrir raised their head and stared at Chi-Woo. ¡°You¡­¡± Chi-Woo approached the baby fenrir and extended his hand, but then the fenrir immediately got up and bared their fangs. Their ears and tail were raised stiffly into the air, projecting a clear sense of wariness. ¡ªIt won¡¯t be easy. Philip let out a humorless laugh. ¡ªThey are solitary species by nature, and this one went through so much right after its birth¡­ Hearing this, Chi-Woo quietly dropped his arm back down. *** Chi-Woo thought at most one or two days had passed during his stay in the hospital, yet it had been four whole days since the expedition team returned to the outpost base. Evelyn jokingly told him that she would¡¯ve started to worry a bit if he hadn¡¯t woken up today, either. And thus, the expedition team gathered in a restaurant to have a meal and discuss. Chi-Woo was stunned to see the expression on everyone¡¯s faces. As Philip said, the majority of them looked completely dispirited. ¡°Um¡­everyone, you¡¯ve all done great work,¡± Chi-Woo smiled and tried to lift the mood. ¡°No,¡± Yeriel cut him off and said in a weak voice, ¡°It was you who did the work.¡± Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Chi-Woo felt a bit taken aback by her response and tried to think of ways to lighten up everyone. ¡°Haha. Now that I think about it, since it¡¯s an expedition, we should divide the rewards¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Emmanuel responded this time. ¡°We know we are in no position to even ask for rewards...¡± Though he covered his face with interlocked fingers, the aura that oozed out of him was dark and gloomy. Chi-Woo wondered what was up with him. Even Yeriel didn¡¯t look as depressed. But even more than Emmanuel, Ru Amuh was in the worst condition. His usually neat and clean-shaven face looked unkempt and haggard now. ¡°¡­Stop it.¡± Similarly, Apoline didn¡¯t look good as she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°We know¡­we also¡­¡± Rather than angry, she sounded mad at herself. Chi-Woo became speechless, and all he could do was blink a bunch of times. ¡°T-Then, should we order food first? I bet Chi-Woo is hungry,¡± Evelyn laughed and looked at him awkwardly. Getting her signal, Chi-Woo said that they should do that and quickly looked around. It was then he noticed something strange. The tavern that had been bustling with people before they left was quite empty. He didn¡¯t see a single person besides them. ¡°What? Where is everyone else?¡± ¡°Do you even need to ask? They went to the Hala Forest.¡± Chi-Woo heard the answer from behind him. ¡°Everyone changed jobs to cleaners a couple of days ago, as if they had been waiting for the chance.¡± A freckled girl walked towards them while smirking. ¡®Cleaners¡¯ referred to latecomers going to dungeons that somebody else had found. These cleaners looked for anything that the expedition team might have missed and scraped off any valuables. Since Chi-Woo¡¯s expedition team had removed the biggest dangers of the Hala Forest, they could clean up the remnants of the defeated enemy with relative safety now. But besides what this term meant, everyone looked at the freckled girl curiously. They all seemed to wonder who she was. ¡°Is this the time to try it out?¡± the freckled girl said expectantly with all the attention on her. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, you know, when somebody reveals who they are in a situation like this, and everyone goes ¡°Wow!¡¯ in surprise. I like things like that.¡± The freckled girl chuckled in glee, and Chi-Woo¡¯s companions looked at her in bafflement. Chi-Woo quickly got to the point. ¡°This is the Last Dragon.¡± ¡°Wait¡ª!¡± The dragon in the guise of a freckled girl quickly intervened, but it was too late. She complained to Chi-Woo for taking away the shock factor, but everyone was already shocked as it was. The Last Dragon was the central figure of the Cassiubia League and was comparable to the legend, Chi-Hyun, in status. ¡°Why is the¡­Last Dragon¡­¡± It seemed the Last Dragon was satisfied by their response and cleared her throat. ¡°Hm. Well, I was requested to stay close by in case things went wrong. Of course, I no longer have to wait.¡± Then she flicked her finger at Chi-Woo. ¡°But take this first.¡± Chi-Woo was shocked to see something that looked like a black bowling ball pop out mid-air. ¡°It became complete because the guy you cut to pieces absorbed the queen and became the final king candidate. How could you forget the most important thing after doing all the work?¡± Ah, it was the Core of Solitude. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, you fainted at that time. You couldn¡¯t have helped it then.¡± Chi-Woo was about to thank her, but smiled bitterly in lieu of a response in the end. As usual, she spoke after reading her addressee¡¯s mind. ¡°By the looks of it, you also got the Canine of the Mad Moon. And I gave you my breath that time. With this, I kept my promise.¡± Chi-Woo frowned. He had the canine now, but he was supposed to get the breath after succeeding in conquering the Hala Forest. ¡°What? I gave it to you at that time.¡± Chi-Woo skeptically rummaged through his memories again, and his mouth gaped open. He recalled the time the freckled girl walked up to him and blew into his face. That was it? But that didn¡¯t seem right. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you go ask?¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo immediately visited La Bella for confirmation. ¡°¡­¡± He chuckled in disbelief after the meeting. It was as the Last Dragon said. That was really the breath. Then why had she talked about conditions and whatnot at that time¡ª! ¡°Let¡¯s skip over the menial details,¡± the Last Dragon clapped and changed the topic. Then she shifted her posture and expressed her thanks, ¡°To be frank, I want to thank you all.¡± Chi-Woo lost his chance to complain because she suddenly became serious. ¡°Thanks to you guys, we were able to overcome a great crisis. I¡¯m genuinely grateful for that.¡± For the first time ever, the Last Dragon spoke like an authoritative figure in a soft voice. Then, she was stunned to see the expedition team¡¯s response. Rather than ignoring her, they avoided her eyes in shame and stared intently at the ground. ¡°¡­I am telling the truth, you guys. With this, I have something to say in the meeting with the elders. They won¡¯t be able to say that humanity is useless. After all, you¡¯ve managed to wipe out those who used to bother us¡­¡± Still, the expedition team didn¡¯t respond, and the Last Dragon scratched her head, thinking this wasn¡¯t the reaction she had expected. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t plan to express my thanks with only words,¡± she said in a slightly less confident tone. ¡°We will have to repay you for all the work you guys have done. Let me see¡­¡± She rummaged through the air as if she was looking for something. Then she gave Chi-Woo a sidelong glance. ¡°What are you planning to do from now on?¡± she asked Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­We have to return home.¡± Chi-Woo opened his mouth for the first time since conversing with the Last Dragon. ¡°To holy city, Shalyh? Already?¡± The corners of the Last Dragon¡¯s mouth rose. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look around since you came all the way here?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°With all the hard work done, you guys need time to recharge. There are also some people I¡¯d like to introduce to you all, and¡­oh, here it is.¡± Her hands stopped moving and made a gesture, like she was calling something to her. Then an item flew in the air in a set trajectory and landed on Chi-Woo¡¯s hand. ¡®It¡¯s¡­a gem.¡± It was a bright red ruby that looked like it encapsulated the sunset. It was big enough to fill his palm and appeared quite pricey. This was good. Chi-Woo had been apologetic because it felt as if he had monopolized all the rewards, but he could sell this gem and share the money. Yet the Last Dragon told him, ¡°Just in case you don¡¯t know, don¡¯t even think about selling that in a store.¡± ¡®It wasn¡¯t for selling? Then for what?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, and the Last Dragon read him loud and clear. Unbefitting of the freckled, country-girl appearance she had, the Last Dragon gave him a foreboding smile as she said, ¡°You¡¯ll know once you get there.¡± CH 295 The expedition members left the outpost on that very day, leaving behind the successfully raided Hala Forest. However, they didn¡¯t return immediately to Shalyh. After judging that there must be a reason behind the Last Dragon¡¯s vehement recommendation, they went to the place she suggested they go. Although the morale was still low among the expedition team during the march, it would have been a lie if Chi-Woo said he was not looking forward to the trip. Since it was under the Cassiubia League¡¯s rule, Chi-Woo thought it must be a developed place, and it might be a busy city that made Shalyh pale in comparison. Although Chi-Woo went with such expectations, all they saw were unoccupied plains when they arrived. There wasn¡¯t a single town or village, let alone a city. The only thing they could see was a mountain range that boasted steep and rough slopes. While Chi-Woo was feeling indignant, thinking that the damned dragon had deceived them, Ru Amuh said, ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t we go a little bit further first? Judging by the map, we¡¯re not there yet.¡± Chi-Woo thought Ru Amuh was right, so he decided to go a little further. His anxiety persisted as they entered the mountain and climbed the slope, but when they reached the top, everyone¡¯s eyes widened. There was a single house on top of the mountain. It was more of a thatched house on the verge of collapsing than a proper building, but it looked like someone was living inside. Chi-Woo looked at the house blankly for a moment, and after clearing his throat, he carefully knocked on the door. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± There was no answer, but Chi-Woo could sense someone walking toward them. ¡°Who is it?!¡± Soon, the door cracked open, accompanied by an angry shout, and someone poked their head through the gap. Chi-Woo was slightly surprised to see a familiar face. A face that looked like a raccoon¡­ ¡®Ah, right.¡¯ Bogle from the Dingo tribe also had the face of a raccoon. The dingo in front of him had a monocle on her left eye and looked much older, and she appeared much more irritable than Bogle¡¯s gentle appearance. ¡°Who the hell is coming to such a remote place without¡­ A human?¡± The old dingo was also surprised to see Chi-Woo, and immediately, her expression turned suspicious. ¡°What brings humans here? How did you find out about this place?¡± Chi-Woo replied, ¡°I was told about this place.¡± ¡°Told?¡± The old dingo¡¯s expression turned into a scowl. Flustered, Chi-Woo wondered if he had made a mistake. ¡°You walked all the way here for nothing,¡± the dingo said quickly, ¡°I don¡¯t know who told you about this place, but it¡¯s been more than 20 years since I last received customers. Go back the way you came!¡± ¡°Wait! Please wait a minute!¡± As soon as she tried to close the door, Chi-Woo quickly reached into his pocket. He took out the red ruby that the Last Dragon gave him. The dingo, who had turned around without hesitation, glanced back and paused; her eyes narrowed when she saw the jewel. She accepted the ruby that Chi-Woo held out and inspected it closely with her monocle. After looking at it for a long time, she turned back towards Chi-Woo and the other expedition members. ¡°¡­Did the dragon send you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chi-Woo quickly nodded. Then the old dingo sighed heavily and mumbled something. Listening carefully, Chi-Woo caught snippets like ¡®No, why give this to me?¡¯ and ¡®That blasted girl, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s messing with me¡¯. That led Chi-Woo to think the old dingo must be no ordinary individual. She talked to herself for a while, and after smacking her lips, she asked, ¡°Is it just you?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you were the only one who received this gem, or did everyone including you receive this together?¡± She was asking if this was an individual reward or a group reward to everyone. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have to think about his answer because when he received the ruby, he thought he should sell it and share the money with everyone. He answered, ¡°We got it all together.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± The old dingo cursed and huffed for a long time before she eventually sighed in resignation. ¡°Yeah, I guess I have to clean up my karma properly before I die. Tsk, come on in.¡± ¡°Uh¡­all together?¡± ¡°Do you always need to stick together? Come in one by one!¡± The old dingo opened the door wide and said while pointing at Chi-Woo, ¡°You, who directly received this jewel, come in last.¡± With that, she swiftly went back inside her house. Chi-Woo looked back with a stunned face, and all the other expedition members shared a similar expression. ¡°She said to go in one by one.¡± Apoline looked left and right before she stepped forward. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go in first.¡¯ Chi-Woo felt a little uneasy when he saw Apoline entering confidently with a face that seemed to be saying, ¡®I don¡¯t know what this is, but if it¡¯s something pointless, I won¡¯t let it go easily.¡¯ However, Chi-Woo decided to wait calmly since they had come all this way. Surprisingly, nothing much happened. He didn¡¯t hear shouting or noises of fire magic flying around, and Apoline didn¡¯t storm outside with her face red. Instead, Apoline walked out quietly about ten minutes later. She glanced sideways with her face slightly flushed, and when her eyes met Chi-Woo¡¯s, she flinched and turned away. Several people gathered around her and asked what happened, but Apoline shook her head and refused to answer. She just waved for the next person to go in quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll go in next.¡± Emmanuel tilted his head and strode inside. He reacted similarly to Apoline. Although he had looked gloomy and quiet the whole time on their way here, he looked deep in thought when he came out after some time. It was the same for Ru Amuh, Yerial, and Hawa. Every person re-emerged with a dazed look, as if they had just heard something extremely shocking. Chi-Woo was getting curious. What on earth was happening inside for people to react like this? ¡°She told me to send you in now.¡± After a while, Evelyn opened the door and looked at Chi-Woo with a faint smile. Strangely enough, she didn¡¯t seem to be in a bad mood. She looked slightly elated, actually, which made him even more curious. It was now time for him to find out the secret. Chi-Woo took a deep breath and went inside. After opening and closing the gate and opening the old, wooden door, he saw a small room. ¡°Close the door and sit,¡± a curt voice ordered. The old dingo sat alone with a small table in front of her. He didn¡¯t see anything besides this. Chi-Woo felt his expectations dwindling at the plain sight, but didn¡¯t make it obvious and sat down. ¡°Name,¡± the old dingo asked once he sat down carefully. ¡°It¡¯s Choi Chi-Woo.¡± ¡°Date of birth.¡± While Chi-Woo relayed the information, the old dingo scribbled on a piece of paper and flipped over two pages on an open book. Then she flinched, and her quill stopped moving as if she was suddenly put under a paralysis spell. Judging by how her quill pen slightly quivered, though, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Then the old dingo looked between Chi-Woo and the book and began to flip the pages like crazy. Chi-Woo had no idea why she was doing this, so he patiently waited. He lost track of time for a while. ¡°¡­Ha¡­¡± The old dingo raised her monocle with a look of disbelief. ¡°What a guy¡­in all my years¡­¡± Chi-Woo glanced at the old dingo as she murmured to herself, his mentor¡¯s words crossing his mind again¡ªif there was someone who said something similar along those lines, he had to cling to them no matter what and ask for help. ¡°Yeah, it all had a purpose. But even then¡­¡± She nibbled her lower lip and put her pen down. ¡°Punk, you have two choices now. To stand up quietly and walk out, or sit tight and waste your time listening to the nonsense of a cranky old fart.¡± She looked at Chi-Woo. ¡°Of course, I recommend the former because this is something you shouldn¡¯t tread lightly upon. Mister, I¡¯m sure you know what I mean.¡± She changed the way she addressed Chi-Woo from punk to mister in the span of a few sentences. Chi-Woo racked his head. It seemed she was a fortune teller or a prophet. Chi-Woo had several masters, including his mentor, but he had never done fortune telling or divination. His masters had never told him to try it in the beginning, and when he thought about it, he felt that he shouldn¡¯t do it. However, it was different this time. The old dingo seemed to want him to pick the former option, but Chi-Woo wanted the latter. He didn¡¯t know why, but he fervently wanted to hear her out. ¡°¡­Yeah. There are always people who don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them.¡± The dingo seemed to have read his mind and grumbled to herself, closing the book. ¡°Do you know?¡± She pushed the paper and pen aside. ¡°All those six people who came before you directly or indirectly mentioned you in their previous questions.¡± She continued while rummaging under the table, ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t know why, but¡­now I can see it. It¡¯s unusual, to the point that it¡¯s pitiful.¡± She placed something on the desk and clicked her tongue. She sounded genuinely sorry for him. Chi-Woo suddenly tilted his head while listening. He had felt down the whole time since they finished raiding the Hala Forest, but the few words she uttered gave him comfort. He hadn¡¯t known it at first, but this dingo was very mysterious. He felt a strange power from her words. Yeah, like his past mentor¡­ ¡°Anything is fine.¡± She placed a bunch of cards on the desk. ¡°Ask whatever you want to get an answer. Like I just said, it doesn¡¯t matter to me how trivial it is. For example, you can ask me when will be the next time I poop or pee. However, you only have one chance to ask a question.¡± The old dingo told him any question was fine. Chi-Woo felt conflicted and couldn¡¯t open his mouth easily. He had too many questions to ask, and he didn¡¯t know which one to pick. ¡°If it¡¯s hard to choose one, it¡¯s not a bad idea to say the first thing that comes to you. The bigger the worry, the more likely it will linger in your mind.¡± The first thing he could think of¡­ ¡°What¡­¡± Chi-Woo immediately asked, ¡°What should I do from now on?¡± He laughed dryly after asking the question because he thought it was ridiculous himself. It was the same as someone being asked, ¡®What do you want to eat?¡¯ and replying, ¡®Anything¡¯. Chi-Woo was sure that he would get a scolding, but the old dingo didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she put her hand on the cards and pushed it to one side. ¡°Pick one.¡± She tilted her chin at the cards that were spread out in a parabola. Chi-Woo wriggled his hands and chose one without thinking. ¡°I told you to choose, not to flip it over.¡± When Chi-Woo was about to flip the card, the old dingo stopped him in a reproachful tone. ¡°Just put it in front of you and pick two more.¡± After doing as she said, there were now three cards neatly placed in front of him. However, the old dingo remained silent for quite a while. She looked extremely nervous, as if she was opening Pandora''s box that should never be opened. ¡°First of all, flip over the leftmost card that you chose first.¡± Soon after, the old dingo said, ¡°You may flip from top to bottom or from bottom to top. Or from the left or right. Flip in any direction you want.¡± After thinking hard, Chi-Woo decided to flip the card normally¡ªfrom left to right. There was a picture on the card. A man wearing something like a red turban was standing, and the red turban flowed down to his neck and hung over his shoulders. The surrounding background was bright like it was bathed in sunlight, and vast landscapes with vegetation such as trees and mountain peaks were seen in the distance. The man held his hands together and was holding a gold coin with a pentagonal star over his head. ¡°Hmm.¡± The old dingo mused. ¡°A pentacle on the coin.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Flip the card in the middle. Again, flip it any way you want.¡± Chi-Woo flipped the card from left to right once more. The second card also showed a man. He was sitting on a long wooden chair with a hammer in one hand and seemed to be carving a pentagon star into a gold coin that was identical to the one on the first card. Moreover, there wasn¡¯t only one pentacle. Excluding the one in his hand, there were seven more scattered around him. One of the seven was placed neatly beneath his feet, but the other six were all over the place. ¡°Wow.¡± The old dingo couldn¡¯t help but show her fascination. ¡°Two pentacles in a row¡­hmmm.¡± ¡°Should I flip the last remaining card?¡± Chi-Woo asked as he reached out to the final card. ¡°No.¡± Chi-Woo stopped at her firm reply. ¡°I have a feeling that I don¡¯t want the last card revealed. Not yet at least. I¡¯ll tell you about the two cards first.¡± The old dingo tapped the card on the far left and licked her lip. ¡°What does it mean?¡± Chi-Woo asked, unable to overcome his impatience. ¡°¡­People are often mistaken.¡± The old dingo snorted. ¡°That the future or fate is fixed. Even though that¡¯s not the case at all.¡± She bent down and said something that was seemingly unrelated. ¡°This is the same. Although there is meaning given to the card, it¡¯s only fragmentary information.¡± She tapped the card and stared at Chi-Woo. ¡°The interpretation depends on the ability of the fortune teller, and likewise, it depends on the ability of the listener to accept the interpretation.¡± Chi-Woo stared at the eye behind the shiny monocle, which had an immeasurable depth. At that moment, the image of the old dingo and his mentor seemed to overlap, and Chi-Woo fixed his posture as if he was entranced. He kneeled and raised his head with his fists on the floor. With an expression more serious than ever, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of Liber¡¯s situation.¡± ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± The old dingo nodded. ¡°Although I entered this world without knowing anything, I¡¯m now moving with a determination to save Liber. It¡¯s for myself and no one else. But¡­¡± Chi-Woo talked continuously without stopping, but then hesitated and shut his eyes tightly. ¡°It¡¯s hard.¡± Then he said it once more, ¡°It¡¯s very difficult.¡± He made a confession that he had never revealed to anyone before. ¡°You say that, but I think you¡¯ve done a good job so far.¡± The old dingo spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I think this might be my limit.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°This is the last¡­no, even if I hold out in the future somehow¡ªI have at most one or two tries in me.¡± He continued with an expression of great fatigue. ¡°I tried to solve the matter on my own somehow¡­but the situation¡­the events won¡¯t let that happen.¡± He clenched his teeth and lowered his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I really don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about¡­but I¡¯m certain about one thing.¡± The old dingo listened with deep eyes as Chi-Woo poured out his inner thoughts, ¡°At this rate, I¡¯ll be done sooner or later. I think we¡¯re going to meet a bad ending one way or another.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± asked the old dingo. Chi-Woo answered with difficulty, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll believe me¡­but it¡¯s my intuition.¡± This was the reason why Chi-Woo had been in a gloomy mood like his other teammates even though he succeeded in carrying out the expedition. His intuition told him that he¡¯d done well so far, but it¡¯d be over soon. If he continued to deal with his problems like he had done in the Hala Forest, his success would end sooner or later. He had no basis for this intuition, but he was convinced. If he went berserk again, he really wouldn¡¯t be able to come back then¡­ It was a desperate and anxious situation for Chi-Woo. Although he had tried his best to acquire his own power, he was still too lacking to deal with Liber¡¯s current situation. He needed to draw out an insane amount of power to save Liber, but that also seemed to be pushing his limits. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying.¡± The old dingo paused. ¡°You feel that way yourself. To the point that you¡¯re completely certain of it.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°What¡­should I do now?¡± It was the same question as before, but the meaning had changed because of his confession. The old dingo took off her monocle for a moment and then put one hand on the card on Chi-Woo¡¯s left. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± For the first time, she smiled softly and said soothingly, ¡°A new suitor will appear soon!¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. CH 296 Chi-Woo went in last. The expedition team was quiet. They all looked deep in thought after their conversation with the old dingo except for Ru Amuh, who was staring at the fenrir cub. The white-silver fenrir curled up in the corner, far away from everyone else. This was the child Hurodvitniru had given up her life to give birth to and was the fenrirs¡¯ hope that the team retrieved from the Hala Forest. Though they brought the baby, they had no idea what to do with them. When they tried to take care of them, the fenrir cub raised their guard and warned others to not come closer. But if they did the opposite and let them be, the cub chased after them. The cub didn¡¯t listen to anyone and moved of their own will. The team understood that it wouldn¡¯t be an easy feat raising the cub, but the cub being obstinate with the way they behaved certainly didn¡¯t help. Why was the cub chasing after them when they could go on their way? In the end, the team simply followed Chi-Woo¡¯s command to not treat the fenrir roughly and let them do what they wanted. And as Ru Amuh stared at the cub from far away, he suddenly felt another presence. Somebody moved to stand right beside him. Ru Amuh turned around and saw the noble-looking young man of the expedition team. ¡°I¡¯m Eustitia¡¯s Emmanuel.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m Ru Amuh.¡± Though Ru Amuh was taken aback by Emmanuel¡¯s sudden self-introduction, he was a polite person by nature and replied accordingly. He realized it was his first time talking to Emmanuel alone. ¡°I know your name. I have heard about it from time to time.¡± Emmanuel inhaled deeply. For some reason, he seemed quite stiff. ¡°If it¡¯s alright¡­I would like to discuss something with you in private.¡± It was then Ru Amuh realized that Emmanuel was anxious and nervous. Simultaneously, he looked incredibly determined. ¡°Could you follow me?¡± Emmanuel asked. It was a request made out of the blue, and a couple of the other expedition team members even looked back curiously. Ru Amuh didn¡¯t know why Emmanuel was acting this way, but he felt Emmanuel¡¯s strong determination and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± *** Meanwhile, Chi-Woo had a stunned look on his face. What was this dingo talking about? A suitor? But he wasn¡¯t even at the prime age for marrying yet. ¡°I was planning to quickly go over this issue, but¡­¡± The old dingo continued with a slight smile, ¡°There¡¯s room for wider interpretation. It could mean a helper, for example.¡± The old dingo raised her monocle and looked down at the two flipped cards on the table. ¡°First of all, I can tell that you aren¡¯t lying when you say that you want to save Liber. And it appears that you have done some grueling work to do so.¡± The old dingo tapped the card with the man not interested in the pentacle. Then she said while looking up at Chi-Woo, ¡°But that can¡¯t be the only thing. The current situation on Liber is very special even from the perspective of the whole universe.¡± This was true; an event at a galaxy scale was almost unprecedented. ¡°It has already passed the stage where one person can save it alone.¡± This was evident by the fact that the legend, Chi-Hyun, had requested support, and more than ten recruit teams had come to Liber. It was like they had missed the golden hour when dealing with a patient, and it was now harder to save Liber. ¡°But something¡­is strange.¡± The old dingo¡¯s monocle shone as she looked down at the card again. ¡°Only once you collect these helpers will a future you desire open up. But the relationship between you and the helpers is a bit¡­ How should I put it?¡± The old dingo struggled to come up with the right term. After a pregnant pause, she emphasized, ¡°Extremely, extremely special.¡± Their relationships weren¡¯t simply ones where they helped each other out. ¡°As I said before, they could be your suitors, or they could possibly reach a deeper relationship than that.¡± Chi-Woo listened intently and tried not to miss a word. ¡°One thing is for certain: you and the helpers must meet and build trust between each other. Only then would you and the helpers encounter the opportunity each of you seeks.¡± Then the old dingo crossed her arms while looking at the card and tilted her head from side to side. ¡°Hm¡ªthat could mean that it is your mission to find them first¡­and it seems like you¡¯ve found one already.¡± It was then something occurred to Chi-Woo. ¡°Is there anything that comes to your mind?¡± she asked. ¡­Yes, there was. It wasn¡¯t his own power, but the unique perk that he got from a desperate and earnest wish: it was the book, 7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent. ¡°You seemed to have thought of something.¡± The old dingo smiled, seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s response. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been ignoring that perk completely until now. He helped heroes who stopped progressing and tried to find more stars somehow. Yet no hero really satisfied him. After Ru Amuh, he never met anyone who made him feel they were the one again. It was inevitable since a three-star hero was hard to come by, much less another four-star one. But he hadn¡¯t thought he would have to think about this matter in this place again. If the stars on this card were referring to those like Ru Amuh, then this was an opportunity for him to ask more questions. Thus, Chi-Woo immediately asked: ¡°By any chance, are the helpers decided beforehand?¡± ¡°Hm? What made you think that?¡± ¡°I have seen them.¡± ¡°?¡± The old dingo told him to explain in more detail, and Chi-Woo recounted what had happened when he went to the future and saw the two or three people with Emmanuel. ¡°Oh, the future.¡± The old dingo looked curious, yet she responded negatively to Chi-Woo¡¯s question. ¡°As I said before, the future or destiny isn¡¯t set in stone. The future is a fickle one that changes continuously because of very menial matters. Thus, it¡¯s hard to be sure.¡± The old dingo answered that there was the possibility that his helpers could change and then licked her lips. ¡°But well, if you want to know more specifically¡­¡± She looked toward the table and trailed off. Chi-Woo understood that now was the time for them to check the last remaining card. Chi-Woo flipped it from left to right without hesitation, revealing neither a man nor a pentacle. A hand extending from a cloud was clutching a large staff and, in the background, there was a small castle. ¡°Seizing a momentary opportunity,¡± the old dingo murmured after seeing the picture. ¡°Creativity, bravery, and¡­a new beginning.¡± She said to herself while stroking her chin. ¡°But individualistic¡­no, in this case¡­¡± Like she wasn¡¯t satisfied with her own interpretation, she frowned and clicked her tongue. Chi-Woo looked intently at her and waited for her response. He needed to hear her answer at all costs to properly use the book. Some time later, the old dingo said, ¡°It says that it¡¯s already decided.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Chi-Woo gasped. ¡°But not decided.¡± Chi-Woo thought he heard wrong. Decided but not decided? ¡°Decided and then not decided. Beware of the order since that¡¯s important.¡± Chi-Woo felt more confused hearing her reply. It didn¡¯t appear that the old dingo was pulling some wordplay. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really get what you are saying.¡± In the end, he confessed truthfully. ¡°Please teach me what it means.¡± The old dingo stared intently at Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°Do you like marble games?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I want to play some marble games with you.¡± Chi-Woo was too taken aback to answer, and the old dingo pulled out a pouch. She flipped it from the bottom and emptied it over the table. Pebbles the size of fingernails spilled out. ¡°Could you pick out ones round enough to play a marble game? Seven would be good.¡± Although he didn¡¯t know what was going on, Chi-Woo believed she must have her reason and did what he was told. The marbles needed to be round for them to play, yet the pebbles were all in different shapes. He passed over the sharp and bumpy ones. Eventually, Chi-Woo picked out seven pebbles closest to a spherical shape. ¡°Yes.¡± The old dingo nodded while observing the pebbles that Chi-Woo took out. ¡°With a little touch-up, these will be perfect for marble games.¡± She nodded and picked out a pebble that Chi-Woo didn¡¯t choose. ¡°Why did you not choose this one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too thin. Even if we trim it to make it more circular, it wouldn¡¯t be big enough to play marble games with.¡± The old dingo picked up another pebble and asked, ¡°What about this one?¡± ¡°That one looked like it would take too much effort to trim.¡± ¡°Do you mean that rather than trimming this one, trimming the ones you picked would be more efficient?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± The old dinger fumbled through the pebbles and raised her hand again. ¡°What about this one?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t respond immediately this time. It was because this pebble was fitting to play a marble game, but he had simply not picked it. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice that one¡ªah!¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized what the old dingo was trying to tell him. ¡°I told you to pick seven pebbles, and you did exactly as I told you.¡± The old dingo removed the pebbles knowing that Chi-Woo got it. ¡°Yet as you can see, there are more pebbles similar to the seven you¡¯ve picked. They might be lacking in some ways, but superior in other ways.¡± This meant something simple. To become a helper to save Liber, one needed to fulfill a specific set of conditions. For example, they needed a certain level of potential or talent. But as long they fulfilled these conditions, it didn¡¯t matter who they were; it was up to Chi-Woo to hone and train them. This was why the helpers were and weren¡¯t decided at the same time. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. He recalled the conversation he had had with his master Byeok before leaving for the Hala Forest. She told him that he couldn¡¯t do everything on his own and needed other people¡¯s help too. Besides his brother, there needed to be seven other heroes who could be considered legends. Only then would they be able to seriously think about saving Liber. ¡°So did I answer your question?¡± the old dingo asked. ¡°Even if you aren¡¯t satisfied, it can¡¯t be helped. Didn¡¯t I tell you from the beginning that it¡¯s going to be a waste of time to expect that?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°No, you gave me an answer beyond what I expected.¡± He looked much more relieved and assured of his future than before. The old dingo told him what he needed to do from now on. Now that he thought about it, it seemed he had been too unsettled by what happened at the Hala Forest when all he needed to do was put in more effort when he found himself lacking in any way. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± The old dingo smiled, seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shine. ¡°Then let¡¯s end things here.¡± She pushed off the table and stretched out her arms. ¡°Ah, that was hard. It¡¯s tiring to do this prophesizing business after twenty years¡­ Furthermore, there are seven individuals¡¯ fates mixed in with this¡­¡± When Chi-Woo saw the old dingo tap her own back, he fixed his posture and carefully spoke again. ¡°Um, Miss, I have one more¡ª¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± the old dingo immediately cut him off. It seemed like she knew what he was going to say. ¡°Your time is already up¡­ Stop bothering an old woman who is just counting down her last days on earth.¡± Chi-Woo failed to respond further. ¡°Then, can I at least get your name please¡­?¡± ¡°Why in the world would you need to know the name of someone who is going to die soon?¡± the old dingo snorted. Her soft voice became coarser again. Noting how firm she sounded, Chi-Woo held back his tongue. It appeared that she had her own circumstances preventing her from revealing more, and it didn¡¯t seem polite for him to push any further. Besides, he had gained quite a bit of important information from their conversation already. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Chi-Woo expressed his gratitude with a deep bow and got up. The old dingo watched as Chi-Woo turned around and left the room through the door. Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders still looked too small to bear the weight of the whole world, and her eyes filled with pity as she saw this. Thus, when he was about to leave, she shouted: Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Tenth! I don¡¯t know about the others, but on the tenth time, don¡¯t let go of the first person you meet in the tower.¡± Chi-Woo stopped when he was about to close the door. He thought about what the old dingo just said and looked back in surprise. ¡°Of course, it depends on your decision in the end, but that child is the exception. That Is what my intuition says.¡± Chi-Woo saw the old dingo sitting comfortably on her chair while leaning against the wall. His jaw dropped involuntarily. ¡°If you tell me this, doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ Why would you¡­!¡± ¡°Oh. It seems you¡¯ve heard and seen quite a bit,¡± the old dingo said in slight surprise. ¡°I just told you¡­because you made me remember the old days. Also, you looked a bit pitiful.¡± At that moment, the old dingo looked like a grandma caring for her grandson. She smiled, seeing the look on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Who are you pitying? I was about to die any day now anyways.¡± Then she let out a long sigh. Though her sigh was heavy, she looked relieved. ¡°Anyways, if you happen to meet the dragon, tell her I¡¯m grateful for the meeting she had set up for my last time of prophesying.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me, kid.¡± The old dingo¡¯s voice became sharp as Chi-Woo tried to go back in. ¡°It¡¯s fine, so get out already if you¡¯ve got everything you need. It seems like I would need my rest now,¡± the old dingo shouted and waved him away like she was swatting flies. She had a pained look on her face. ¡°Go on! Are you not even going to let me rest?¡± Egged on by her, Chi-Woo had no choice but to leave. He stood outside the door a bit, but eventually walked forward, step by step. His face looked completely blank. The ¡®tenth time¡¯ and the ¡®first one inside a tower¡¯¡ªsuch specific descriptions for a prophecy. That was not how a prophecy was meant to be; they needed to be so vague that it would be hard to understand the first time. This was because one of the greatest crimes that a mortal could commit was leaking heaven¡¯s secrets, and the punishment for doing so was one¡¯s life. That was what Shersha told him. Therefore, Chi-Woo had a hard time understanding the old dingo¡¯s actions. They had just met today and shared only a little bit of conversation. What did she see in him that she gave up her life to give him this piece of advice? Chi-Woo¡¯s feet slowed. He recalled the people who had willingly given up their lives as sacrifices for the future inside the forest. ¡°Is it over?¡± And as he walked, he eventually heard Evelyn¡¯s voice. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t answer immediately, but since everyone had looked shaken after consulting the old dingo, no one thought his behavior was strange. They simply looked curiously at him. Chi-Woo considered going back to check up on the old dingo now, but he thought he would only get scolded if he did that. Furthermore, her life was basically over the moment she revealed heaven¡¯s secrets¡ªespecially if the old dingo was similar to his old master. Sometime later, Chi-Woo broke out of his reverie and looked around, realizing that one person was missing. ¡°Where is Mr. Emmanuel?¡± ¡°Uh¡­he went somewhere for a bit but he still didn¡¯t come back¡­¡± Yeriel glanced at Ru Amuh, who stood alone, and replied. They had gone somewhere together, but only Ru Amuh came back. ¡°Do you perhaps¡­know where he¡ª¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± It was then Ru Amuh approached Chi-Woo and clutched his arm. ¡°Could you wait for him a bit longer?¡± Ru Amuh spoke in the same tone as he usually did, but for some reason, it held more weight than usual. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he thought Emmanuel must have his own reasons and decided to wait. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take much longer for Emmanuel to come back. Seeing that there wasn¡¯t any serious problem with him, Chi-Woo decided to head down, and when he reached the bottom of the mountain, Hawa sensed something was off and turned around. She gasped when she saw firelight suddenly shoot up from the top of the mountain. The path of fire let out heavy, black smoke and wavered like it was dancing. Everyone looked stunned by the sudden turn of events. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± Only Chi-Woo looked forward. ¡°Let¡¯s return to Shalyh.¡± Though his feet felt heavy, he pushed himself forward while clenching his teeth. He thought that was what he needed to do right now. CH 297 The expedition members left behind the strange and mysterious mission and set out to return to Shalyh. Although they had taken a few more days because they had stopped at the old dingo¡¯s house, they were able to reach a place a day or two away from Shalyh. Thinking that it would be better to go to bed early today and leave early the next morning, Chi-Woo ordered everyone to make camp. Although it could be considered relatively safe because they were around the sanctuary, they couldn¡¯t let their guard down. Chi-Woo, who firmly believed that expeditions were not fully over until one returned safely home, did not forget to establish guard duty. It was a quiet night. While pondering the conversation she had with the old dingo, Evelyn poked at the bonfire. ¡°We¡¯ll arrive at the city around tomorrow.¡± A sudden voice woke Evelyn from her thoughts, and she shifted her gaze. She saw Chi-Woo sitting up and looking at someone. ¡®Who is he talking to?¡¯ After following his gaze, her question was quickly answered. She saw a small figure emitting a subtle moonlight in the darkness¡ªit was the baby fenrir. The cub was also staring at Chi-Woo with their head peeking out. ¡°Once we go back to the city, I¡¯ll be super busy. There are so many things that come to mind. So I¡¯m sorting out my priorities now, and I¡¯m wondering if I should include you as one of my top priorities.¡± Evelyn stared at the two facing each other with interest. Chi-Woo had told them to not bother the fenrir cub and leave them alone for now. Why the sudden change? ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you if you want,¡± Chi-Woo continued quietly. ¡°However, I have no intention to force you. Although I was asked to take care of you by your mother, Hurodvitniru, I intend to value your will higher.¡± The cub did not respond and quietly listened. ¡°You can continue to follow me like this, or leave if you want. If you don¡¯t want to do either, I can find someone else to take care of you. I have a very reliable older brother among my acquaintances.¡± Considering that the cub was looking at him, they seemed to be understanding everything, but they remained silent. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know how you feel¡­ I think I¡¯ve given you as much time as I can to organize your thoughts.¡± Chi-Woo hesitated and suddenly rummaged through his belongings. Then he got out of his sleeping bag and stood up to carefully place something on the floor, keeping a sufficient distance from the fenrir cub. ¡°If you¡¯re following me reluctantly because of this¡­¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes widened. It was a fang. ¡°I¡¯ll give it back to you,¡± Chi-Woo finished. The mad moon¡¯s fang was one of the main materials that La Bella demanded for the reliquia. ¡°You can take it if you want,¡± Chi-Woo repeated himself. Evelyn couldn¡¯t understand his decision. The fang wasn¡¯t just difficult to obtain; it was valuable to the point that he might never get his hands on one again. Given how hard he¡¯d worked for it, the payment was bound to be enormous. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s choice just now was no different than giving up this huge reward. Evelyn wanted to immediately stop him, but she didn¡¯t say a word. Although she thought it was crazy in her mind, she also thought, ¡®Yeah, my man needs to have at least this much guts.¡¯ Then the fenrir cub, who was quietly crouching, finally stood up. The cub slowly approached Chi-Woo as if they really had been chasing him all along for Hurodvitniru¡¯s fang. And then¡ª ¡°Ah.¡± Evelyn softly exclaimed when the cub pushed the fang back towards Chi-Woo. Then the cub tilted their head to the fullest to reveal their teeth. Although it hadn¡¯t been long since they were born, their teeth shone clearly under the moonlight. Evelyn, who had been anxiously watching, burst into laughter without realizing it because of what the cub was clearly trying to convey. The cub was telling Chi-Woo they didn¡¯t need Hurodvitniru¡¯s fang because they had their own fangs. On second thought, Hurodivitu was the one who had handed him the fang herself, so naturally, it was now rightfully Chi-Woo¡¯s. The baby fenrir clearly understood that. ¡°¡­Yeah. I got it.¡± Chi-Woo also seemed to have understood the cub¡¯s intentions as he picked the fang back up. ¡°Anyway, if it¡¯s not because of this¡­why don¡¯t you make a decision before dawn? As I told you before, you can leave if you want. I won¡¯t stop you. But if you¡¯re still here after dawn, I¡¯ll take that as you asking me to take care of you. You got it?¡± ¡°Ruff.¡± At last, the fenrir cub finally opened their mouth. Then they went back to their place and crouched down. The action made their intention clear¡ªthey would stay and follow Chi-Woo rather than taking their leave. Chi-Woo smiled quietly after seeing the fenrir¡¯s answer. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have to give you a name first when I return.¡± Like this, their relationship was established, and Chi-Woo had to act as the cub¡¯s guardian for the time being. Although he now had more work to do, his mood didn¡¯t worsen. He thought he should do a good job since he¡¯d decided to take care of the cub. Chi-Woo said, ¡°It¡¯s cold. Don¡¯t sleep on the ground. Come lie down here.¡± When Chi-Woo pointed at the sleeping bag, the fenrir glanced at it. However, they didn¡¯t move. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to be afraid. You won¡¯t want to come out again once you get in because of how warm It is.¡± The fenrir cub snorted, but didn¡¯t seem to hate Chi-Woo¡¯s suggestion. Even when Chi-Woo reached out to them, they didn¡¯t back away like before. Moreover, they didn¡¯t refuse even when Chi-Woo gently held and lifted their body. ¡°By the way, what should I call you? What do you like? Okay. What about ruffruff?¡± The cub, who was being dragged away as if it couldn¡¯t be helped, bit Chi-Woo¡¯s hand as soon as they heard this. ¡°Ah, it hurts!¡± Chi-Woo jumped and dropped the fenrir cub. Then the cub ran and disappeared into the sleeping bag. Chi-Woo raged and said things like, ¡°You naughty punk, get out of there¡±, ¡°Get out at the count of three¡±, and ¡°You want a spanking?¡± The expedition members frantically got up at the noisy commotion, thinking that an enemy had attacked. Evelyn held onto Chi-Woo to stop him, but thought to herself, ¡®To be honest, Ruffruff¡ªno, the fenrir cub had every right to bite him.¡¯ * * * The next day arrived. Chi-Hyun, who had been working in the morning, went out to the streets around the afternoon. His destination was the city gate, and he came to wait for his younger brother. He had originally planned to tell Chi-Woo to run to him as soon as he arrived, but things had changed. Ever since he saw the strange signs in the sky two weeks ago, he hadn¡¯t been able to sleep. There were so many things he needed to ask his brother as soon as he arrived. Since Chi-Hyun received Chi-Woo¡¯s message yesterday, it was now about time for him to come back. His prediction was exactly right, and soon after, the expedition team, including Chi-Woo, could be seen from afar. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed a little when he saw a few familiar faces following his younger brother. He didn¡¯t look pleased. Considering that the other Celestial Lights saw Chi-Hyun as their number one competition, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t like them either. There was no reason for him to like someone who disliked him, and even though they approached him first, their intentions were all too obvious. In fact, Chi-Hyun had been displeased that his younger brother teamed up with the Celestial Lights. He wanted to take his brother aside and tell him to not play with those kids, but Chi-Hyun stopped himself. If he really did that, he would never hear the end of it from Chi-Woo. ¡®Anyway¡­¡¯ The morale of the expedition team entering the gate didn¡¯t seem good. He heard the news from Ismile already, and regardless of the process, the outcome of the expedition was a perfect success. The merit they achieved was enormous, but above all, they proved humanity¡¯s value once again by accomplishing a feat that the Cassiubia League had failed to achieve. As such, Chi-Hyun thought they would look prideful and enter with confidence, but everyone looked like they suffered a crushing defeat. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but there seemed to be some unknown circumstances. Since the mood was like this, the expedition team quickly disbanded, and Chi-Hyun was about to show his face after he saw the Celestial Lights leave one by one¡ª Tap, tap, tap! He suddenly heard someone running. Chi-Hyun, who was about to step out, looked toward the direction of the sound. ¡®That guy¡­?¡¯ A young man was running back to Chi-Woo with his hair flying back as if he had left something important behind. Chi-Hyun knew who it was¡ªit was no other than Emmanuel of the Eustitia Family. Although he was at the lowest rank in his family, he was still a member of the top six families. Even so, from Chi-Hyun¡¯s point of view, he was nothing but a hero who prided himself on being a pure human blood hero like the Afriliths and identified with the Choi Family¡ªthat was if Chi-Hyun was talking nicely. To speak bluntly without mincing words, they were just punks whose pride reached the heavens with nothing to show for it. Anyway, he wondered why a vain lump who had nothing but pride was running towards Chi-Woo. Chi-Hyun decided to quietly watch the situation. What happened next made him blink quickly. Emmanuel stopped in front of Chi-Woo and breathed heavily. ¡°¡­Teacher.¡± Then he suddenly knelt down on both knees with a determined face. It wasn¡¯t just Chi-Hyun. Chi-Woo also seemed to have been taken off guard. Better to break than to bend¡ªthis was the line that described the Eustitia Family. But a member of a family that could even rival the Choi Family in pride was on his knees? Why? ¡°Please tell me.¡± Emmanuel put his fists on his thighs and looked up at Chi-Woo with trembling eyes. ¡°How¡­how on earth can I be as strong as you, Teacher? I want to be strong. No, I have to get stronger!¡± Emmanuel gave up his pride and everything else and was more desperate than ever. He even lowered his head and said, ¡°Please¡­teach me too¡­¡± Startled, Chi-Woo turned left and right, and everyone¡¯s reactions were similar. Only Ru Amuh stared at Emmanuel with his head slightly lowered. ¡®¡­It¡¯ll be better to wait at home.¡¯ Then Chi-Hyun, who had been watching quietly, turned around. He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but he made a mental note to ask Chi-Woo about this as well once he got back. * * * Chi-Woo¡¯s return home was later than expected because of Emmanuel¡¯s unexpected behavior. He barely managed to send Emmanuel back, saying he¡¯d call him later to talk, but Chi-Woo had been extremely flustered by Emmanuel¡¯s request. He didn¡¯t know another shock would be waiting for him as soon as he returned. ¡°Chi-Hyun?¡± It was because his master and brother were sitting on the verandah and enjoying tea together. ¡°Why are you here¡­¡± Chi-Hyun answered calmly, ¡°I came to see my master. What a coincidence. You came back now?¡± ¡°I sent you a message yesterday. You didn¡¯t see it?¡± ¡°Oh, you did?¡± Byeok looked back at Chi-Hyun with a slightly surprised look, as if she thought him completely ridiculous. Chi-Hyun looked back at her with an expression that seemed to be saying, ¡®what, why?¡¯ Byeok shook her head and stared back at Chi-Woo. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± After looking him up and down, she put down the cup in her hand quietly. ¡°I heard the news. You¡¯ve made a big achievement. Well, considering the result, I want to compliment you, but¡­¡± She trailed off before continuing, ¡°You have something to tell me, right?¡± Judging by her words, it seemed she already knew what had happened, and Chi-Woo had been preparing himself. He quietly lowered his head and took a few more steps forwards. Although it bothered him that his brother was watching, he knelt down in front of his master. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, master.¡± He got right to the point. ¡°I violated your orders and lifted all the seals on my abilities.¡± Byeok closed her eyes at his straightforward confession. She had a rough idea about what had happened from what the others were saying. Moreover, considering the attitude he showed so far, she didn¡¯t think that Chi-Woo would¡¯ve lifted the seals for no good reason. In the first place, many of the Cassiubia League¡¯s top members and Ismile had failed to solve this problem and had no choice but to withdraw. Even before she sent him out, she had considered the possibility that he might have to lift all the seals on his abilities. However, the problem was what happened after that and what Chi-Woo had to face now. ¡°Get¡ª¡± However, she had taken him as a disciple, and since he had just returned from fulfilling a big accomplishment, she felt bad for him. She was about to tell him to get up when someone interrupted her. ¡°Get up,¡± Chi-Hyun said instead of Byeok. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you did well. You definitely did wrong, but don¡¯t kneel down so easily next time, especially considering your situation and position.¡± Byeok¡¯s head turned automatically again; she stared at Chi-Hyun with a look of bafflement and irritation. What the hell was wrong with this punk? Chi-Woo also looked flustered and wondered why his brother was stepping in. Byeok vowed to punish Chi-Hyun later for this and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°¡­Get up.¡± Only then did Chi-Woo carefully get back up. She asked, ¡°Did you seal your abilities?¡± Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I sealed the second stage for now.¡± ¡°What about the first stage?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve left it unsealed to heal my body, but if you tell me to, I can seal it right away.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You should recover.¡± Byeok waved her hands and smacked her lips. After organizing her thoughts for a while, she continued, ¡°Since I gave you a condition, I can¡¯t say that you broke your promise to me. While I didn¡¯t witness everything myself, I believe you didn¡¯t have a choice from what I heard.¡± First, Byeok expressed her opinion on the subject of Chi-Woo breaking his promise to her. Then she tilted her head and asked, ¡°So. How was it?¡± Chi-Woo gulped. He didn¡¯t know why, but he thought he should answer this question well. ¡°Just say exactly what you felt.¡± Although Byeok¡¯s tone was soft, there was a sharpness to it, as if she would cut ties with him in an instant if he gave the wrong reply. ¡°I understood why you sealed my abilities.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already have a rough idea before? If you¡¯re racking your brain to come up with such frivolous things, stop.¡± Byeok was right, so Chi-Woo decided to tell the truth after much consideration. He felt that he would have no regrets then. ¡°¡­Last.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I thought it might be the last time.¡± A glint flashed through Byeok¡¯s eyes. ¡°Say it more clearly.¡± ¡°If I lift the seal next time¡­¡± Chi-Woo breathed in and couldn¡¯t continue speaking for a while. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to return anymore¡­¡± As he barely managed to continue, there seemed to be fear but also slight anger in his expression. His statement was backed up by more than words. Unlike before, Chi-Woo clearly recognized the problem. The fact that he was scared was proof of this. The power that he sealed at the second stage inevitably caused fear, for the people watching and also for the one using it. The important part was that this was the only answer that Byeok wanted to hear from him. ¡°¡­Good.¡± Then she smiled brightly. ¡°This is the strongest seal I can put on you.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Chi-Woo quickly raised his head. What did she mean? ¡°To tell you the truth, the ban on your ability using La Bella¡¯s power cannot be called a proper ban.¡± Byeok lifted her pipe and continued leisurely, ¡°It was unreasonable to completely block it with La Bella¡¯s power in the first place. And if you want to, you can lift the ban whenever you want.¡± As Byeok said, he tried to seal the ability that was plastered with question marks, but he couldn¡¯t because La Bella said it was difficult with her own power. The same was true for the other abilities. Although he had sealed his abilities in two stages, there was not much point to it in the end. This was clearly shown when the final king candidate appeared. Although he definitely put the seal back on, he couldn¡¯t stop his impulse and immediately used the ability at the second stage again. Thus, unlike the first stage abilities, there was hardly any point in sealing his second stage ability. ¡®Then why¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo was about to ask when Byeok answered for him. ¡°That means¡ª¡± Byeok continued, ¡°The reverse is also true: you can suppress it whenever you want.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression turned blank; he hadn¡¯t expected these words at all, but it made sense. If it was an ability that came from his will, he could also suppress it with his will. In retrospect, it was like that with Zepar and Shersha and at the Hala Forest as well. Although it had been extremely dangerous, Chi-Woo succeeded in controlling it in the end. In short, the most powerful way to suppress this power was no other than Chi-Woo¡¯s own will. ¡°Master, then¡ª¡± ¡°But leave the ban on for now. At least for stage two.¡± Byeok took the pipe out of her mouth, and smoke flowed out. ¡°Just in case. No matter how much you suppress it, that seal can act as a fence to hang your feet for at least a moment to prevent your fall.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t let down his guard, he felt his worry lessen after talking with his master, so he nodded with a brighter expression. On the other hand, Chi-Hyun, who had been waiting for an opportunity to talk to Chi-Woo, was about to pitch in as the conversation seemed to be ending, but Byeok beat him to it. ¡°Let¡¯s hear the rest of the story next time. You¡¯ve done well. You must be tired, so go home. Wash up and rest.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. There¡¯s no time to rest¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an order from your master,¡± she said in a firm tone. ¡°I told you before. Rest is part of training.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Are you planning to faint from running nonstop? You also need to properly replenish your energy from time to time. And¡­¡± Chi-Woo was slightly moved by her warm words, while Byeok stifled a giggle. Although she was telling the truth, she also wanted Chi-Hyun to suffer for daring to interfere with her lesson. ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of talking to this guy.¡± Byeok turned to the side and smiled softly. Chi-Hyun snorted, and the corners of his mouth twitched. ¡°Yes. Then¡­¡± Chi-Woo had already gotten up from the verandah and entered his room, though, and he didn¡¯t see Byeok and Chi-Hyun glare at each other with fierce sparks in their eyes. Soon after, words like, ¡®He¡¯s my brother¡¯ and ¡®So what, he¡¯s my disciple¡¯ were fiercely exchanged, but Chi-Woo paid no mind to the verbal duel after closing the door. Although his master had told him to rest, there was one thing left for him to do. CH 298 Evelyn took the baby fenrir saying that the cub needed a good wash, and Hawa left saying that she needed to unload her luggage. Left alone, Chi-Woo took the goods out of his bag one by one. The first item he took out was the silver and blue ingot that shouldn¡¯t exist in the middle world: the reliquia. Then there was the Canine Fang from the Mad Moon that he got from the surviving member of the fenrir species, Hurodvitniru; next was the Core of Solitude made by sacrificing the five king candidates who held the essence of nature, including the tree, water, fire, and so on; and lastly and most unbelievably, the breath of the dragon that was currently inside his body. ¡ªOh! Are you finally going to do it? Philip said enthusiastically. ¡ªHow exciting. I wonder what you¡¯ll get. You needed not just one but four unbelievable materials. That must mean something. It was as Philip said. Each of the materials was a world treasure that would be hard to get even with millions of gold. They expected a weapon of a mythical level to be produced at this rate, or perhaps something even greater. ¡ªI can¡¯t wait any longer. Quickly go see Goddess La Bella! I¡¯m curious. Philip egged Chi-Woo on. Chi-Woo felt the same as Philip and kneeled on one leg. He gathered his hands together, bowed his head, and prayed with his eyes closed. Some time later, he opened his eyes again and saw a completely white world, occupied only by a lady wearing a gown that covered her entire body. ¡°Goddess La Bella,¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice. ¡°As you told me, I brought the materials.¡± La Bell nodded without saying anything and raised the balance forward. The reliquia soon floated into the air and landed on one side of the balance. The balance which had been perfectly leveled soon leaned to one side. La Bella placed the Canine''s Fang of the Mad Moon next on the opposite side of the balance. The balance that had been dramatically leaning toward one side then began to lean in the other direction, but it was still heavily leaning toward the reliquia¡ªthe weight seemed to be in an imbalance of 3:1. La Bella placed the Core of Solitude on the same side as the Canine''s Fang and added the breath that flowed out of Chi-Woo¡¯s nose on top. And thus, the balance scale soon leaned further toward the other side until it reached a perfect balance. Shaaaa! A brilliant light burst out of the center of the balance scale. Inside the festival of colorful lights, Chi-Woo saw the Canine''s Fang break the reliquia¡¯s metal into pieces and come together with the Core of Solitude in the center. In the end, the dragon¡¯s breath was blown into it, and the restructured reliquia began to wiggle like a living creature. That was the limit to what his eyes could see. Soon, the light became so intense that Chi-Woo had to squint and cover his eyes with his hands. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡ªAre you back? When Chi-Woo opened his eyes again, he heard Philip¡¯s voice and saw his world return to normal. ¡ªWhat happened? Hm? What? Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know the result yet either. What could¡¯ve been made? A weapon? An armor? Or perhaps, a d¨¦cor? Both Chi-Woo and Philip glanced down at the same time. They no longer saw any of the goods¡ªthe reliquia, the Canine''s Fang of the Mad Moon, or the Core of Solitude. Instead, they saw an item they had never seen before lying on the floor. It was neither a weapon nor a piece of armor. ¡ª¡­Huh? Philip murmured. Chi-Woo thought the same and activated Spirit Eye. Though Spirit Eye wasn¡¯t an ability he got from La Bella, Byeok said it didn¡¯t pose much danger and placed it among the first-stage restrictions instead of the second-stage. Then, when Chi-Woo saw the information Spirit Eye revealed, his face stiffened. Philip, who kept asking Chi-Woo to share the information, became quiet. ¡ªHey¡­isn¡¯t this¡­? Philip¡¯s voice trembled as he opened and closed his mouth wordlessly. *** That day, Chi-Woo stayed holed up in his room all day long. People around him simply thought he was tired and let him be, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Chi-Woo was struggling and pondering about the new item he acquired all night. He didn¡¯t know what to think no matter how much he agonized over it, so in the end, he jumped out of bed as soon as dawn broke. He met Ru Amuh on the way outside, but he quickly went off to the streets after a short exchange of greetings. He could only think of one person to consult with a problem like this one. He quickly moved his feet and stopped when he arrived at the center of the square. This was because he spotted a building he had never seen before. It didn¡¯t appear like any normal building. ¡®A tower? Is there always a tower? No, I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t there before.¡¯ The tower was taller than most skyscrapers and stood in the vicinity of the square. It was also quite wide and was comparable to the Narsha Haram tower that Chi-Woo visited in a past expedition. He wondered for a bit what kind of place it was, but since he had other urgent matters to attend to, he quickly went on his way. He strode past the official residence¡¯s guards as they cried out he couldn¡¯t just enter. Then he dashed to the upper floor¡¯s office. There, he saw his brother conversing with Noel. ¡°Young Master?¡± Noel asked with wide eyes. Chi-Hyun also looked taken aback. Though he had planned to call Chi-Woo in later in the day, he didn¡¯t expect Chi-Woo to visit him first. ¡°Why are you¡­?¡± Besides that, it was surprising how serious Chi-Woo looked. It didn¡¯t appear that Chi-Woo visited him out of pure boredom, and Chi-Hyun quickly asked, ¡°Why, what is it?¡± ¡°Could you take a look at this¡ª¡± Chi-Woo ran to his brother¡¯s desk and was about to pull out something, but managed to stop himself. ¡°Noel, let¡¯s continue the conversation next time.¡± Chi-Hyun immediately gave this order seeing his brother hesitate, and Noel quickly left. As soon as she was out of the office, she closed the door firmly and looked around to see if anyone was nearby. It seemed like she wasn¡¯t going to let anyone eavesdrop on the two brothers¡¯ conversation. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Chi-Hyun said with his hands clasped. He wondered what kind of trouble his brother had stirred up this time and looked slightly nervous, unlike his usual calm self. ¡°Look at this first.¡± Chi-Woo placed the item in his hand on the desk, and Chi-Hyun glanced at it. ¡°A chain¡­?¡± No, it was too small and thin to be called a chain. It looked more like a bracelet that was made out of a small chain, and its size and length was just perfect to wear on a wrist and carry around. Nevertheless, it was clear how extraordinary it was at first glance. It was a bracelet of silverish gold that glowed a sky-blue light. There weren¡¯t some fancy symbols or gems decorating it, but its simple appearance didn¡¯t obscure the indescribable elegance it possessed; it was pure, beautiful, and graceful, and the more one looked at it, the more it entranced its viewers with its mysterious charm; even Chi-Hyun fell victim to this. ¡°Reliquia.¡± After observing it for some time, Chi-Hyun spoke like he just recalled its existence. ¡°You offered it to a god.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t only offer the reliquia.¡± ¡°Then what else?¡± And thus, Chi-Hyun explained all the events that had led him to the materials for reliquia¡¯s restructuring. Chi-Hyun was surprised to hear Chi-Woo¡¯s story and fixed his posture to listen more intently. ¡°Give me the information about this item,¡± Chi-Hyun requested, and Chi-Woo shared the information he got with his Spirit Eye. [The Power to Rule the World] It was the first relic belonging to the heavenly king. Its possession alone would allow one to own and rule the world. Once certain conditions are fulfilled, the owner of the item could awaken the untapped potential of another person according to the user¡¯s wishes. The description wasn¡¯t long or complicated. It was simply two sentences, but they were so shocking that Chi-Hyun got up from his chair and exclaimed. ¡°This is insane!¡± He rubbed his eyes multiple times, and his mouth gaped open after reading the short description again and again. ¡°How could this be¡­ La Bella must¡¯ve really gone all out¡­!¡± Chi-Hyun said in astonishment and glared at Chi-Woo. ¡°Have you tried using it yet?¡± ¡°I only checked it when I left home today,¡± Chi-Woo answered, but he still couldn¡¯t forget the shock he had felt. When he saw Ru Amuh this morning while going outside, he had used the item a bit, and a window popped up: [Ru Amuh¡ªPage(1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 80% trust (Complete) 2. Use at least 5 and at most 7 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) Chi-Woo relayed what he saw, while Chi-Hyun rubbed at his temples. He murmured that this was unbelievable many times, and Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Why? What is it?¡± Chi-Hyun let out a long sigh and answered after putting both his hands down. ¡°This holy relic allows you to assume the role of a god.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s an item that basically makes you a god.¡± Chi-Woo furrowed. ¡®Make me a god?¡¯ ¡°You know the way heroes use the growth system, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ They offer merits, and in exchange, they get¡­¡± Chi-Woo gasped. ¡°A god raises the ranks and physical abilities of the hero they oversee. They can also strengthen the class abilities the heroes have or create a new one for them.¡± Chi-Hyun tapped on the item and continued, ¡°The Power to Rule the World is like that.¡± Chi-Woo still looked confused. He didn¡¯t know whether this was good or bad. Yet Chi-Hyun¡¯s focus was completely elsewhere. ¡°This isn¡¯t something you judge to be good or bad. The reliquia alone is a holy relic that shouldn¡¯t exist in the middle world¡­¡± Thinking of something else, Chi-Hyun quickly asked, ¡°Is there any other person who knows about this item¡¯s existence?¡± ¡°No one yet,¡± Chi-Woo said and stopped to look above him. Philip stood hovering in the air and warily raised his arms, looking quite intimidated. Chi-Hyun frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯m talking about living people.¡± ¡ªHey¡­ And while Philip was feeling hurt, Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Anyway, hide that thing at all costs. Don¡¯t tell anyone about it no matter how much you trust them.¡± ¡°Not even Mr. Ru Amuh or Lady Evelyn?¡± ¡°No exceptions. If I could, I would also erase my memories.¡± ¡°That bad?¡± Chi-Woo asked if they had to go so far, and Chi-Hyun answered, ¡°It¡¯s not something you can take lightly.¡± This was a power that shouldn¡¯t exist in a mortal¡¯s hands, but the reason why Chi-Woo was able to bring it about was because of his innate ability, ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯. It turned an impossibility into a possibility. One could easily see its effects through the World¡¯s Milestone. Until now, Chi-Woo had shown unbelievable results by rolling this die, and with it, he had saved lives, gone to the future, and accomplished other improbable deeds. Furthermore, he had done things so influential that it could even redirect Liber¡¯s flow multiple times, and every time he did that, he consumed a specific number of Blessed Luck. This item worked on the same logic and consumed the same resource¡ªBlessed Luck¡ªwhich could even change the flow of the world at every use. ¡°The moment people find out about this item, there would be a bloodbath¡ªespecially in a situation like this.¡± The majority of the heroes entered Liber after losing their powers, and they were starving for strength. Once they heard that there was someone who could forcefully drag out their dormant potential, they would run to Chi-Woo crazy-eyed. ¡°Since you already got the item, I won¡¯t tell you not to use it, but¡­you should use it carefully,¡± Chi-Hyun warned, and Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°There are no restrictions besides those two conditions¡­ Ha, this is too crazy,¡± Chi-Hyun murmured. Chi-Woo felt the same. He had wanted a weapon or armor at most, and didn¡¯t imagine getting something like this. It felt like something he couldn¡¯t handle¡­ No, this wasn¡¯t the time for him to dwell on such things. Since it was already in his hands, he needed to use it to the best of his abilities. Besides, there were positives to think about. In the Medieval Ages, nobles bought knights¡¯ loyalty with money. Chi-Woo had only received from Ru Amuh through the sharing effect, but now, there was something he could give Ru Amuh in return. Not only could he lead Ru Amuh to the right path, Chi-Woo could also give him things that he could realistically use. Of course, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t rashly use the item since Blessed Luck wasn¡¯t an infinite resource, and the means available to him to replenish it was limited. Though it wasn¡¯t impossible and it happened once before, it was hard to expect a place like the former Salem Academy to pop out again somewhere. As his brother said, he needed to be very careful and selective about when he used this item. ¡®There¡¯s no rule that I must use this item only on the seven stars. Though one of the conditions is to gain trust, I can meet that without choosing the person as my star. That must mean that I could use it on anyone¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought while stroking the chain. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that it came at the perfect timing.¡± Chi-Woo heard his brother talk to himself. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Hm? Didn¡¯t you see it on your way here?¡± Chi-Hyun looked outside the window. ¡°The newly built tower near the square.¡± CH 299 Chi-Woo blinked. He had been curious and was planning to ask about it later. ¡°I saw it. But why is there suddenly a tower?¡± ¡°What? I thought you already knew about it.¡± Chi-Hyun widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s a project created by your friend. That long-headed guy.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head at ¡®friend¡¯, but exclaimed in realization after Chi-Hyun said ¡®long-headed guy¡¯. ¡°Are you talking about Mr. Zelit?¡± ¡°Yeah. Zealot¡­um, Zelit.¡± ¡°No way, it¡¯s complete now?¡± ¡°Not yet, but it¡¯s almost complete. And we¡¯re hoping to finish it before the tenth reinforcements arrive.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Chi-Woo was startled. Although they had spent a considerable amount of time coming and going for the Hala Forest expedition, Zelit had finally received a proper investment only when he left for the expedition. And now, the tower was almost complete in about a month? ¡°Most things can be accomplished with money.¡± Moreover, considering they had on their side the buhguhbus, a master blacksmith tribe, it was fully plausible that the tower could be constructed in a very short time. ¡°And that Zealot¡­haha, Zelit is better than I expected.¡± Chi-Hyun snickered while speaking, a very rare behavior from him. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t stop his mind from wandering while thinking of the long-headed hero. ¡°Anyway, I think it¡¯ll be okay to maintain a good relationship with that hero.¡± Chi-Woo looked at his brother with a flat smile. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. I think it¡¯s my first time hearing you say something nice about someone.¡± ¡°Well, that hero knows his place well. He¡¯s quick-witted, and he¡¯s good at judging the situation, so he knows what he should do.¡± Chi-Hyun shrugged and continued, ¡°It¡¯s much more useful to have one hero like Zelit than hundreds of heroes who don¡¯t know their place. He¡¯ll definitely have a lot of influence in the distant future even if it doesn¡¯t happen now.¡± Chi-Woo nodded in agreement because he also had a high opinion of Zelit. ¡°Ah, by the way.¡± Then he recalled something and said, ¡°About the tenth reinforcements. No, hear this out first. When I met the Last Dragon after coming out of the Hala Forest¡­¡± Chi-Hyun, who had been quietly listening, suddenly raised his voice when Chi-Woo said, ¡®he met an old dingo through the Last Dragon¡¯s introduction.¡¯ ¡°What did you say?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened when Chi-Hyun reacted much more strongly than usual. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°If the Last Dragon introduced you to her with a red jewel¡­ Is it Boboris? Did you meet her?¡± Chi-Woo stared at his brother as he spoke with a hint of reminiscence. Chi-Hyun was showing an unusually diverse range of reactions today. ¡°Did she look like this?¡± When his younger brother didn¡¯t answer, Chi-Hyun conjured a mental image with his image representation ability. Soon, a dingo appeared in Chi-Woo¡¯s view¡ªnot an old one, but a young dingo, and one with an air of elegant wisdom rather than the sharp irritation Chi-Woo was familiar with. ¡°No¡­she wasn¡¯t that young.¡± ¡°What? Ah, well, no wonder¡­¡± Chi-Hyun muttered something to himself and demanded Chi-Woo to bring up her image. As soon as he saw the mental image of an old dingo Chi-Woo conjured, he smiled. ¡°Hah. She¡¯s still alive¡­ I thought she was already dead.¡± Chi-Hyun looked happy as he lifted his chin and stared at the old dingo. If Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t mistaken, Chi-Hyun seemed to be happily reminiscing about a past event. Regardless of what his brother was feeling, Chi-Woo felt strange. Although his brother had been extremely unfamiliar to him as a hero, he was much more used to his brother acting normally like this. Chi-Woo gulped and asked, ¡°Do you know each other?¡± ¡°Can you tell me where she is now?¡± Chi-Hyun replied with another question. Chi-Woo faltered and quietly said, ¡°¡­She passed away.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s face quickly hardened. ¡°Right after she met me¡­she burst into flames¡­¡± While talking, Chi-Woo felt like a terrible sinner; if he hadn¡¯t gone to meet her through the introduction of the Last Dragon¡­she might have¡­ ¡°¡­Tell me more in detail.¡± As Chi-Hyun wiped away the emotion on his face, Chi-Woo slowly explained. After meeting the old dingo, Chi-Woo had fallen into deep contemplation. She had told him to catch the first person he met on the tenth time at all costs. After thinking about it in consideration of his special privilege, he quickly came to a suitable interpretation. ¡®The tenth¡¯ that she spoke about was probably referring to the tenth reinforcements. Other than that, he couldn¡¯t think of anything else. In other words, the old dingo¡¯s prophecy could mean, ¡®Make the first hero you encounter among the heroes entering as the tenth reinforcements one of your stars like Ru Amuh.¡¯ ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s certainly a prophecy you shouldn¡¯t easily dismiss.¡± Chi-Hyun, who had been listening with a serious expression, continued, ¡°If Boboris sacrificed her life to leak a secret from the heavens, there must have been a good reason.¡± There was a strong conviction to his voice, and he let out a deep sigh. ¡°Yeah, I understand what you mean, but don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± ¡°Uh¡­I don¡¯t know. Even if we encounter each other, will I be able to get them on my side¡­?¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, you just have to make it happen.¡± ¡°Is there a way?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it back then? Different preferential treatment will be given depending on a hero¡¯s performance.¡± Then Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°The timing is just right. I was honestly slightly worried because of Alice, but¡­¡± Alice was the promising hero of the Ho Lactea family. Chi-Woo recalled that she had moved separately without participating in the Hala Forest expedition. ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°She managed to find a pretty useful god and set up a temple,¡± Chi-Hyun said flatly, but honestly speaking, this was important news, especially if it was truly a helpful god. ¡°But you¡¯ve made a contribution just as significant¡ªno, more significant than that. There¡¯s no reason for you to be pushed back,¡± Chi-Hyun tapped the desk with his index finger. Even while talking, the gears in his head seemed to be quickly turning and making plans. Although Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel too comfortable getting his brother¡¯s help, he endured it because this information was something the old dingo had sacrificed her life to give him. He needed to do everything to achieve what she told him to do. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Soon, Chi-Hyun stood up from his seat. ¡°Since we¡¯re on the topic, shall we go together?¡± He tapped his wrist to call forth his device. * * * The exterior of the tower was finished, but the interior was still under construction. Chi-Woo looked around the busy area and saw a signboard hanging on the first floor. The place looked like a lobby. Knock, find, and ask. Then it will open for you. It was only two lines, but these sentences seem to convey a strong pride in the tower. Chi-Woo stopped and stared blankly as one person came up quickly to greet him. The bespectacled hero had a thick book under one arm and gave off a scholarly impression. But rather than that, his pointy head stood out the most¡ªit was Zelit. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the news. I heard you accomplished a great feat once again.¡± When Zelit gave his congratulations, Chi-Woo bitterly smiled. ¡°I was just lucky.¡± ¡°You said that every time. At this point, I should call you the hero of luck.¡± Zelit smirked and glanced at Chi-Hyun, who stood behind Chi-Woo. Then he continued, ¡°By the way, I was surprised to hear that you were coming all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Have I come at a bad time?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case at all. I just wanted to show you after it was fully constructed.¡± ¡°Then I can come again.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. If it¡¯s completed properly, you¡¯ll stop by often even if you don¡¯t like it. Not just you, but everyone.¡± Laughing, Zelit¡¯s attitude was clearly different from before. He now looked substantially more energetic. ¡°Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s not much to see yet, but there¡¯s still some stuff I want to show you.¡± Zelit grabbed Chi-Woo by the arm and led him to the stairs. Chi-Woo got to see various facilities while Zelit guided him and stopped by each floor. When Chi-Woo first saw the tower, he thought it looked like a magic tower out of a cartoon, but the inside was more multifunctional and structured than magical. There was a place that looked like an open-air theater and a place like a library. Among the different places, the more impressive sight by far was a rotary-like space in which rooms were intermittently arranged along circular walls, and each door was connected to the center and entrance. The same layout was repeated floor after floor. ¡°What is this place for?¡± When he asked about it out of curiosity, Zelit answered, ¡°It¡¯s a place for trades.¡± ¡°Trades¡­? Like a store?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s like a store, but instead of physical items, it¡¯s a place to exchange knowledge.¡± When Chi-Woo turned around, Zelit continued with joy, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just knowledge. Whether it be help or people, I¡¯m planning to make it possible to trade anything if necessary.¡± Then he added, ¡°But only if they can pay in money or something valuable that corresponds to what they want.¡± The trade system seemed to focus on equivalent exchange, rather than free services or goods. ¡°Hmm¡­it sounds like a marketplace.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re technically not wrong. The important thing is that no one owns this tower. And arguably, everyone is its owner.¡± In other words, this was a place that not one person could control with their power or authority, but where everyone could participate and work together to create. ¡°How well you employ and use this space depends entirely on yourself.¡± Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that everyone was equal. Depending on how active one was, the level of use and benefit for this tower varied. ¡°In addition to what I just said, this tower is also going to have various other functions. For example, it¡¯s going to have an academic function.¡± ¡°An academy?¡± Chi-Woo showed great interest in Zelit''s unexpected words. ¡°Think about it. The tenth reinforcements are arriving soon, and their initial state won¡¯t be different from ours when we first came here, right?¡± As Zelit said, all heroes started at zero outside of exceptional cases like the Celestial Lights. This was an obvious point, but the heroes who came later were at a disadvantage. Although the situation had improved significantly compared to before, it would be a stretch to say that Liber was a safe environment to grow stronger in the early stages. Thus, they needed proper conditions and support to compensate for the disadvantage they suffered, and this was where the earlier recruits came into play. The tenth reinforcements needed those who would lead them from the front and shorten their early growth time. At an individual level, a hero could probably only handle one or two heroes at a time. Therefore, an organization was needed; a professional organization that could accept, protect, and take care of many promising heroes at once. This was not a bad idea for humanity as a whole, either, since everyone thoroughly understood that Liber could not be saved by one or two people. Heroes were always open to recruiting a talented comrade and would welcome them with open arms. However, the problem was that there was more than one large organization. There were currently about five or six notable organizations right now, and it was clear that there would be more as time went by. Furthermore, the number of heroes that organizations could take in and invest resources to raise was relatively small. It was also inevitable that different organizations would compete with each other for talented heroes, leading to internal conflicts. Since the Celestial Lights already had bad relationships with each other and were constantly competing, this would only add fuel to the fire. Thus, it was necessary to create a neutral organization that could supervise procedures and mediate conflicts that arose between different organizations while allowing free competition. ¡°This tower was created for that purpose.¡± While climbing the stairs, Zelit stretched out his arm. ¡°In the future, this tower will be responsible for coordinating and supervising issues with multiple interests across individuals and organizations.¡± He touched the wall and carefully swept it. ¡°I¡­have no doubt that this tower will serve as a hub to build the foundation for the future of Liber in the direction that we desire.¡± Zelit¡¯s eyes glistened like the starlight in the night sky as he looked up. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Chi-Woo could fully understand him. When the tenth reinforcements arrived, this tower would act as a hot spot for recruiting heroes. ¡®I was wondering what he was talking about, but¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo glanced at his brother, who was quietly following behind them. He now understood why his brother confidently told him not to worry. He didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened, but it seemed as if his brother had already discussed with Zelit about various matters beforehand. After hearing about this tower, Chi-Woo suddenly got curious and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the name of this tower?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet, but¡­¡± Zelit caressed his chin and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of Apertum. That which is open.¡± An open, clear space. Thinking back to the phrase on the signboard that he saw on the first floor, Chi-Woo thought the name must mean an open space for everyone to come in and get what they want. ¡®It¡¯s fitting,¡¯ he thought and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good name.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Zelit brightly smiled. Soon after, the three passed the top floor and reached the rooftop. Zelit took a deep breath and looked back with a smile. ¡°I want to thank you. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t done much¡­¡± Chi-Woo waved his hand in denial, but Zelit firmly shook his head. ¡°This would have all been a pipe dream if it wasn¡¯t for you.¡± In a way, Zelit was right. Chi-Woo was the one who had lent Zelit money when he had nothing, with only a flimsy explanation of ¡®I¡¯m trying to do something¡¯ no less. Chi-Woo had also given him a substantial amount of money multiple times after that, and even introduced him to a proper investor. If Zelit hadn¡¯t met Chi-Woo, he would probably be begging at the bottom of the social ladder by now. But above all, Zelit clearly recalled during his days at the fortress when he fell into despair after a huge mistake. Chi-Woo, who had gone missing and returned alive, had come to him directly and encouraged and comforted him at his lowest moment. Chi-Woo had given him hope and helped his dream come true. Zelit still cherished the immense gratitude he felt at that time. ¡°Even if you flatter me like that, I can¡¯t lend you any more money. I really don¡¯t have much now.¡± Chi-Woo scratched his cheek and groaned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I have enough capital now,¡± Zelit said with a soft smile. ¡°Ah, come to think of it, I should pay my debts.¡± He rummaged through his pockets as if he suddenly remembered something. ¡°Can I pay with an item instead of money?¡± He suddenly asked with a big smile. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no reason not to.¡± ¡°Take it.¡± Zelit held out something as if he had been waiting for this all along. Chi-Woo took it. It was a shiny black card. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no fun if I tell you in advance.¡± Zelit bent his index finger. It seemed like a card he could use in this tower, and Zelit was telling him to find out what it was the next time he came to visit. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo fiddled with it because he didn¡¯t know exactly what it was and then playfully asked, ¡°Okay, this is good for payment, but what about the interest?¡± Although it was obviously a joke, Zelit didn¡¯t laugh. ¡°Take as much as you want whenever you need it.¡± He stretched his arms wide and looked back at the tower. ¡°Anytime, whenever, as much as you want.¡± He spoke with a more confident tone than ever. Chi-Woo stared blankly in surprise at Zelit¡¯s confident attitude and then burst into laughter. He didn¡¯t know exactly what Zelit was referring to, but judging by his confidence, it seemed that there was something substantial waiting for Chi-Woo inside the tower. ¡°It¡¯s really making me curious. I hope it gets completed soon¡­¡± While Chi-Woo inspected his black card, Chi-Hyun subtly approached Zelit and asked, ¡°What about mine? I¡¯m an investor as well¡­¡± Swish! Zelit quickly turned around and raised his glasses before speaking in a businesslike tone, ¡°From my understanding, there are still some days left until my repayment is due.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a joke.¡± Soon after, he took out an additional black card. ¡°Although I shouldn¡¯t easily give out black cards like this¡­since you are the legend¡­and I guess, to quickly begin activities in the tower at the early stage, I should¡­¡± Zelit murmured to himself and clearly showed his reluctance to give the black card to Chi-Hyun. Chi-Hyun felt his anger rise at the completely different attitude Zelit showed to him compared to his brother, but he quickly took the card rather than turning it down. With this card, he now gained the right to become one of the major shareholders of a stock that would only rise in value in the future. CH 300 Chi-Woo had a lot of things to think about when he returned home. After seeing the tower, it really dawned on him that his brother was trying to bring about change for the progress of humanity on Liber. Like the time they first moved to Shalyh city, it was still hard to tell whether these changes were for the best or not, but the definite thing was that the current him had no power to go against these changes. He needed to simply accept them, and his brother was already in the finishing stages of the tower¡¯s development with Zelit as the lead. If Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to be in the dark about what was going on again, he needed to adapt and prepare before the tenth reinforcements came. *** Philip had a new habit. To be more exact, it was a habit that he developed long before the expedition team went to conquer Hala Forest. It was to watch over one particular lady whenever he had the opportunity. Though one might think that Philip would be able to easily spy on people whenever he wished since he was a ghost, this was not as easy as most people thought. There were surprisingly quite a few people who had the ability to see ghosts such as Chi-Woo, Byeok, and Evelyn. Yet it wasn¡¯t like Philip would get in trouble for his new habit since he wasn¡¯t doing anything bad. No matter how lecherous he was, he didn¡¯t desire women to the point of going against heavenly laws by coveting someone of the same bloodline as him. And since Chi-Woo was at home, Philip got an opportunity to see Eshnunna again. ¡°Good work. You can rest for today.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± After greeting Evelyn politely, Eshnunna headed back to her room. Her complexion didn¡¯t appear good as she walked. Her face looked solemn and down, and Evelyn also let out a soundless sigh as she watched Eshnunna from behind. Philip had the sense to not step in. If he could, he wanted to pat Eshnunna on the shoulders and encourage her, but Eshnunna couldn¡¯t hear his voice. In the end, he dropped the hand he was holding up. He stood still for a while and only turned around when Evelyn spoke up. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to chase after her? The training is over for today.¡± Evelyn already knew that this perverted ghost came to watch Eshnunna whenever he had the chance. She simply let him be because he didn¡¯t hinder her with the training. ¡ªUm¡­ Philip cautiously flew toward Evelyn. He scratched his head, looking hesitant. Evelyn tilted her head and met his gaze curiously. It was rare seeing this ghost so serious. ¡ªThat child just now¡­ Is she not making much progress in her training these days? ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± Evelyn smirked. ¡°Do you want me to ask if she is interested in seeing a ghost for you? Since you are someone Chi-Woo trusts to be on his side, I am willing to look crazy for a bit to my disciple.¡± ¡ªNo, that¡¯s not it, mademoiselle! Philip quickly waved his hands and answered. ¡ªThe truth is¡­she is¡­ Philip proceeded to explain his relationship with Eshnunna, and Evelyn looked surprised. Now she understood why Philip had been watching over Eshnunna so intently. Though they were too distant to even be considered grandfather and granddaughter, Eshnunna was still his blood kin with the Salem last name. Furthermore, she was the only remaining member of this family line. It was a situation that he couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to. ¡°It certainly isn¡¯t¡­easy.¡± Evelyn sat on the chair and licked her lips. ¡ªIs the child really lacking? ¡°Um¡­rather than that¡­¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t continue immediately. It seemed she didn¡¯t know how to answer. ¡ªPlease just tell me as it is. ¡°At this rate¡­she will become someone who could be called a witch,¡± Evelyn said, ¡°But the problem is this world.¡± Philip understood everything with this one sentence. From what Evelyn saw, Eshnunna would become quite an impressive witch¡ªat least in a world with a normal level of danger. Yet Liber was in a mess. The level of difficulty was so different that the standard Eshnunna must reach was also different. At level 30, she could beat a stage of normal difficulty, but she would be nowhere near enough to challenge a stage of hell-fire difficulty. ¡°She is passionate to learn and puts in the effort. She seemed to have talent too,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll take this information, but I¡¯m sure there must have been a witch among your close blood relatives¡ªa considerably powerful one at that.¡± Yes, it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t have talent. It was just that¡­ ¡°The bloodline became very diluted.¡± Evelyn sighed after placing her hand on her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s really a pity the more I think about it. It makes me wonder how powerful the pureblood witch must¡¯ve been if Eshnunna still shows so many signs after so much time has passed¡­ Still, the purity of her blood is about 1/512 of the original¡­¡± Philip had listened carefully since he was completely ignorant about witch matters, but here he asked: ¡ªI¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t know well, but is the purity of blood that important for a witch? ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very important,¡± Evelyn replied. ¡°Whether one is a witch or a saintess, I think of them as fundamentally the same things, only with different names.¡± If a saintess listened to a god¡¯s voice, a witch listened to mana¡¯s voice. And like how a saintess needed to get chosen by a god, a witch needed to be chosen by mana. Though he was usually a talkative guy, Philip didn¡¯t say more. He knew he couldn¡¯t even begin to think about refuting someone who had reached her peak as a witch at one point in time and was originally chosen as the saintess. In the end, he realized this was a matter that one couldn¡¯t solve with effort and willpower alone. Philip wondered what he should do and let out the sigh he had been holding in. He went through the wall and sought out one person. ¡ªWhat do you think about our Eshnunna? ¡°Ah what the hell! You surprised me!¡± Chi-Woo exclaimed seeing Philip suddenly pop out in front of him. ¡°What are you saying all of a sudden?¡± Rather than responding to Chi-Woo¡¯s question, Philip simply continued. ¡ªIf you think about it, you and I met thanks to Eshnuuna. Philip said in a thoughtful voice with his arms crossed. ¡ªIn your opinion, do you think I was of help to you? ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Chi-Woo nodded. Philip had saved his life before and taught him a couple of things. Seeing that, Philip spoke like he had been waiting for the chance. ¡ªThen you must repay the favors you owe me. But since I¡¯m in no position to receive anything right now, you have the responsibility to give it to someone else. Philip proclaimed like he had the moral high ground. ¡ªFor example, there¡¯s my blood relative. Chi-Woo stared curiously at Philip, wondering what this ghost was going on about suddenly. ¡ª¡­No. Well¡­ In the end, Philip couldn¡¯t keep up his solemn attitude and turned back to his usual self. He rubbed his hands together and asked with a pleading look on his face. ¡ªI am asking if you could use that¡­ Chi-Woo looked downward and saw the gold-silverish chain in his hands, and his eyes widened. ¡°Are you asking me to use The Power to Rule the World on Ms. Eshnunna?¡± ¡ªCome on, hear me out. Philip hurriedly tried to convince Chi-Woo as Chi-Woo raised his voice. ¡ªYou know how hard Eshnunna trains, right? ¡°I know that, but¡­¡± ¡ªAnd furthermore, she¡¯s Evelyn¡¯s disciple. Do you think Evelyn took her in as a disciple out of boredom? There¡¯s no way. She saw Eshnunna¡¯s potential and decided to teach her. Philip quickly made his point. ¡°But still¡­The Power to Rule the World is¡­¡± Chi-Woo responded hesitantly. He stroked his chin and moved his head sideways like he wasn¡¯t thrilled about the idea. Considering the enormity of the favor he was asking, Philip thought Chi-Woo¡¯s response was understandable. ¡ªOf course, I don¡¯t think what your brother said was wrong. You shouldn¡¯t waste it, but I think you should use it when it¡¯s necessary. Are you just going to keep fumbling it around when you don¡¯t have much time? No matter how valuable something is, it¡¯s going to waste if you keep it unused. ¡ªAnd it¡¯s not like you know everything about this tool. Won¡¯t you be able to learn more about it after you use it? If you consider all that, this isn¡¯t a bad proposal. Philip fired a string of convincing statements like a shotgun. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything in response for a while. He looked deep in thought, and Philip stopped speaking. Philip knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to convince Chi-Woo once he made up his mind about something. Many people thought that Chi-Woo had an easy and soft personality, but these days, Philip was changing his mind about Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo had this firm conviction that made him resolute in many situations, and it was almost impossible to change his mind Philip knew that he couldn¡¯t cross the line that Chi-Woo had drawn for him if he wanted to maintain a good relationship with him. However, Philip believed he had done just that with the request. It was then, after tapping his fingers on the desk, Chi-Woo got up. He left without saying anything. *** Chi-Woo studied Eshnunna for the coming days. He sometimes watched her focus on her training and then looked back up like he was pondering about something. Philip kept glancing expectantly at him, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t do more than that. Then, suddenly one day, when Eshnunna was on her way to visit her master because she got stuck on something while studying late into the night, she saw that her master¡¯s room was occupied by another guest. It was Chi-Woo. He was discussing something with her master while sitting face-to-face. The wavering candle lights lit up their profiles, and their serious expressions suggested that they were discussing something important. Eshnunna got back outside, thinking their conversation would take a while. Though she now had some extra time on her hands, she didn¡¯t waste it. As she always did, she immediately got into training, and soon afterward, ice formed all over Eshnunna¡¯s body. It seemed that she would be locked into a glacier at this rate, but¡ª ¡°¡­Ah.¡± The ice stopped forming, and they didn¡¯t gather more than they already did. Eshnunna raised her head. ¡ªThe root of a witch is a shaman. ¡ªIn terms of the method to control mana, they are closer to a sorcerer than a magician. It¡¯s because they don¡¯t follow a set form of rules and pursue their own path. ¡ªOf course, from a magician¡¯s point of view, what everyone does may seem blasphemous. Those guys try to control mana under set rules, but that¡¯s not for us. I mean there are light magicians and dark magicians, but have you heard the same for a sorceress? Eshnunna thought about what her master told her. ¡ªThe important thing is that you must find a mana that suits you and listen to its voice. That¡¯s the basics you must achieve. Then you must make that mana wholly yours and keep it captive so that it can¡¯t exist without you. ¡ªYou don¡¯t know what I mean by that? The fact that you can¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying means that you are still looking at mana from a magician¡¯s point of view and not a shaman¡¯s. ¡ªDon¡¯t try to wield it forcefully. You know neither man nor woman finds that sort of behavior attractive. ¡ªBeware that you are a witch. That means you are a woman of mana that only a very few could ever be. Speak to it and communicate with it. Then join hands with it and walk the same path together. Eshnunna thought she sort of understood what her master meant. She tried to do her best according to what she heard, but things didn¡¯t go as she wished. After she awakened her powers, she learned how to draw out her mana, yet that was it. No matter how much she tried, she couldn¡¯t make more progress than that. At times when she was frustrated, she tried to forcefully drag out more of her power, but every time she did this, the mana disintegrated into pieces. She didn¡¯t know the exact reason that happened, but she had an inkling. ¡®Something is lacking.¡¯ She wanted to hear the mana¡¯s voice a bit more and converse with it, but she couldn¡¯t hear it well. It was so faint that it was barely audible. It was as if their hands were near, but they kept barely missing each other. Eshnunna felt like her heart was going to explode in frustration, but there was nothing much that she could do. She thought she might be able to progress much more rapidly than now if what was lacking was filled, but she couldn¡¯t fill it. ¡°¡­¡± Eshnunna weakly opened her eyes. As soon as she could see, the scene from earlier kept lingering inside her mind¡ªthe image of Evelyn talking to Chi-Woo. What were the two talking about? They were probably discussing Liber¡¯s future. The more she thought about it, the more bitter and sad Eshnunna felt. In the forest, she had at least been one of the people with whom Chi-Woo could discuss the future and what to do going forward. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ Eshnunna shook her head. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be swayed by emotions like this¡­¡¯ She needed to attempt her training one more time if she had the time to mope around. Thus, she was about to focus again when another voice called out to her. ¡°Lady Eshnunna.¡± Eshnunna jerked her head around. She didn¡¯t know when he had approached her, but Chi-Woo was looking down at her from the porch. ¡°Have you finished talking with my master?¡± Eshnunna hurriedly got up and asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°What were you two talking about at such a late hour?¡± ¡°Well¡­just about this and that.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? Then...¡± Eshnunna lowered her head again and made a bitter smile. She was about to hurriedly run past him before Chi-Woo grabbed her arm. In surprise, Eshnunna looked up, wide-eyed. Chi-Woo had turned around and forced her to turn back to him, and the two looked at each other. ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡± ¡°Sorry? About what?¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been working very hard on your training these days,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°I heard that a hero introduced a new god recently. And it¡¯s a god who will be a great help to those who specialize in mana control.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s eyebrows wiggled slightly. She had heard that a famous hero, one of the Celestial Lights, had brought a new god; it was a god of magic who could be greatly beneficial to the current situation. Of course, Eshnunna went to check out the god once she heard the news. Having a progress system made a world of difference, but she already got her result for this attempt. ¡°I already tried,¡± Eshnunna replied calmly since there was nothing to hide. ¡°Should I congratulate you or comfort you?¡± ¡°Both are fine,¡± Eshnunna replied. ¡°I suppose you were rejected.¡± Eshnunna shrugged. ¡°The god pondered about it a lot. But they said¡­I was¡­a bit lacking¡­¡± Then she looked up at Chi-Woo and tilted her head. ¡°Are you really that curious about that?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and said, ¡°Can I ask you one thing? It¡¯s about Mr. Yohan Salem.¡± Eshnunna flinched hearing a name she didn¡¯t expect. Salem Yohan was Eshnunna¡¯s younger brother. When Giant Fist and Mua Janya sacrificed themselves for Chi-Woo to grow, other natives like the middle-aged couple and Yohan also stepped up to sacrifice themselves. It was thanks to them that the rest of the group could escape from the forest. Thus, Chi-Woo could never forget Yohan Salem and the last words he told him. ¡°Have you been pushing yourself so hard in your training because of your brother?¡± Chi-Woo asked. It was a question bearing many meanings. Eshnunna was a native of Liber. Although she used to be a princess at one point in time, she was now not any different from the rest of the natives in the land, with no background or anything else. Even though the natives had their own work to deal with, they still didn¡¯t compare to the responsibilities of the heroes. Eshnunna could¡¯ve lived like the rest of the natives and led a life where her survival wasn¡¯t guaranteed, where she had so few options that she would have no choice but to succumb to the harsh reality around her. Yet Eshnunna refused to live like that, or at least was resisting it. Even when no one would rebuke her if she gave up, she still undertook the risks to step into danger. Thus, Chi-Woo was curious about what Eshnunna¡¯s purpose and intentions were. Sometime later, Eshnunna finally broke the silence. ¡°I think you are¡­a very consistent person. Of course, I mean this in a positive way.¡± Though Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know where she was going with this, he listened quietly. ¡°You didn¡¯t change. You are still the same as before.¡± Starting from the forest to the border fortress and the ex-Salem capital, and now Shalyh city, Chi-Woo was always the same wherever he was. He was always the first one to jump in when a problem arose and came back after fixing it. Even from the time when he asked her for an opportunity to earn her trust and ran into a greenhouse filled with evil spirits, he had always spoken with actions before words. Thus, others naturally began to place their trust in him, including Eshnunna. Eshunna had so much trust in Chi-Woo that she became angry whenever people around her said that the legend was the best. She thought Chi-Woo had put in the greatest and most genuine effort for Liber¡¯s future and had made the most contribution. She didn¡¯t know what was so great about a hero who spent all day doing administrative work in an office. In her head, the belief that Chi-Woo was the only hero who could truly save Liber had already taken root. That was why she sometimes felt worried when she didn¡¯t see Chi-Woo for a long period of time. She worried if something had happened to him, and it felt as if the hope she had been clutching onto would disappear if he was gone, and everything would return to how it used to be. It was in these situations that made her look back to herself, especially how she stayed up all night in worry whenever Chi-Woo went somewhere dangerous. She thought it was ridiculous and laughable. Eshnunna sighed and said, ¡°I also haven¡¯t¡­changed one bit either. Just recently¡­all I did was talk to Ms. Byeok on the porch.¡± She didn¡¯t speak in a positive tone this time. Instead, she sounded negative and reprimanding when she said she didn¡¯t change. Chi-Woo had always spoken with actions rather than words, while all she seemed to do was blabber. Eshnunna loathed this fact more than anything and couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°Yohan is a big reason I¡¯m training so hard, but now, I¡¯m also doing it for myself.¡± ¡°For yourself?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Yes, because right now¡­above all else¡­.¡± Eshnunna glanced at Chi-Woo before quickly shifting her eyes elsewhere. ¡°¡­There are other things to consider.¡± Unlike her usual self, she hesitated to respond. Chi-Woo blinked fast. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t be able to bear all the burden on your shoulders, but¡­¡± She evaded his eyes, and her gaze suddenly lost focus as she chewed on her lower lip. With her fingers clutched on her dark navy skirt, she continued, ¡°But if you could¡­you should offload some of your burdens to other people¡­ Can¡¯t you do that?¡± Her ears were as red as a river dyed by the sunset. CH 301 The wind blew. The quiet night breeze swept past Chi-Woo and Eshnunna. The hem of Eshnunna¡¯s skirt flapped before falling still. Chi-Woo stared at her with wide eyes. She had talked in a roundabout way, but he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to not catch the meaning behind her words. He had thought she was working hard for her younger brother, but she said that hadn¡¯t been the case. ¡®It was for me¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo was slightly flustered because he hadn¡¯t expected her to mention him. He was thankful, of course, and he thought her hard work was praiseworthy and admirable. On the other hand, this wasn¡¯t just an ordinary event, but a matter related to using his Power to Rule the World. Rather than emotion, he knew he had to use his rationality. However, Chi-Woo was not Chi-Hyun, and he did not judge people solely by their user information and statistics based on efficiency. After listening to Eshnunna¡¯s thoughts, he couldn¡¯t help but feel moved. 1. Name & Rank: Salem Eshnunna (¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Female & 20 3. Height & Weight: 170.2 & 54.6kg 4. Class: - 5. Heavenly Title: - 6. Disposition: Lawful Neutral [Strength E] [Durability E] [Agility E] [Stamina E] [Mental Fortitude C] [Exorcism E] 1. [Woman of Mana E] ¨C Ability to listen to a particular type of mana. This is an ability that only the bloodline of a witch can possess. Although the user is from a lineage of a very powerful witch, the bloodline has been very diluted over time, leaving only 1/1,024 of its original concentration. Although the number of mana¡¯s voices one hears depends on personal talent, specializing in one type of mana can allow the user to exhibit greater power. Chi-Woo first saw her user information. [Salem Eshnunna-Page(1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 60% trust (Complete) 2. Become acknowledged by ¡®Onorables Evelyn¡¯, the White Horse General¡¯s Saintess, and become her disciple (Complete) 3. Awaken ¡®Woman of Mana¡¯ to at least F rank or higher (Complete) 4. Use at least 2 and at most 4 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) These were the conditions to use the Power to Rule the World. Chi-Woo fell into thought after reading these two pieces of information. Besides Philip¡¯s assessment, Evelyn¡¯s assessment of Eshnunna was also excellent. Evelyn said Eshnunna could get better with more time, but it was a little disappointing because if her bloodline was a little thicker, she could have been much stronger. Chi-Woo called forth his user information. He still had 73 points left for his innate ability, ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯. It could be considered a lot, but it certainly wasn¡¯t finite¡­ Chi-Woo soon organized his thoughts. When he reached a conclusion, he saw Eshnunna anxiously waiting for an answer. ¡°Ms. Eshnunna,¡± Chi-Woo said quietly. ¡°Could you close your eyes for a moment?¡± ¡°What? Suddenly?¡± ¡°Quickly. Before I change my mind.¡± Eshnunna closed her eyes in bewilderment, and her eyelids trembled. Her expression looked very confused and complicated as she thought, ¡®Why?¡¯, ¡®Really?¡¯, ¡®No way?¡¯ Chi-Woo lifted the chain in his hand, and as he reached out towards Eshnunna, he thought, ¡®I offer 4 points of my blessed luck to Salem Eshnunna.¡¯ Then the chain moved as if it was alive. Eshnunna, whose eyes were closed, also clearly felt something flow down her neck and wrap around the rest of her body. She flinched from time to time as it felt like it was trying to tie her down, but Eshnunna couldn¡¯t resist¡ªno, she didn¡¯t resist because the gentle stimulation felt incredibly soft and warm. It was to the point that she wanted to succumb to the warmth and let herself be confined. At that moment, a notification rang in Chi-Woo¡¯s ears. [The Power to Rule the World has been used.] [Innate ability [Blessed] Luck consumed (73->69).] Chi-Woo¡¯s Adam''s apple moved up and down. Although he could have offered two or three points of blessed luck, he decided to offer the maximum of 4 points. With the World¡¯s Milestone, a four would give him a 100% success outcome. He wondered what the result would be. Then the next moment, the softly glowing chain suddenly let out a strong light as it wrapped around Eshnunna¡¯s body. Then the message that Chi-Woo had been waiting for popped up. [The Power to Rule the World has ¡®strengthened¡¯ Salem Eshnunna¡¯s innate ability, ¡®Woman of Mana¡¯.] The Power to Rule the World strengthened Eshnunna¡¯s ability. The message was a single line, but the outcome was far from simple. 1. [Woman of Mana A] ¨C Ability to listen to a particular type of mana. This is an ability that only the bloodline of a witch can possess. The user is from the bloodline of Matryoshka, who was renowned as the Glacier Empress. Although the bloodline concentration has become very diluted after a long time, for some reason, the concentration has succeeded in thickening to 1/16. Although the number of mana¡¯s voices one hears depends on personal talent, specializing in one type of mana can allow users to exhibit a more powerful force. Thanks to Chi-Woo¡¯s power, Eshnunna¡¯s ability and potential were substantially strengthened. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes almost popped out when he read her user information. Oh my gosh. Rank A? No matter how many times he read it, her user information still said that her ability had ranked up from E to A in an instant. Moreover, that wasn¡¯t the only change. 1. Name & Rank: Salem Eshnunna (¡î¡î¡î) Eshnunna¡¯s potential has also risen. It was originally 1 star, but had now jumped to 3 stars. Even considering the Celestial Lights, it was very rare to have such high potential. Then the chain was released and flowed down like water. Chi-Woo breathed heavily and said, ¡°You can¡­open your eyes now¡­¡± ¡°?¡± A figurative question mark appeared on top of Eshnunna¡¯s head. She had been thinking that their relationship was kind of progressing(?) fast, but now, he was telling her to open her eyes all of the sudden? Eshnunna slowly opened her eyes, and when she faced the world, her eyes became big as saucers. Chi-Woo still couldn¡¯t forget the feeling he got when he first achieved unity. It was indescribable, and the amount of information that he recognized and felt was at a completely different level than before. It almost felt as if the life that he had lived for more than 20 years had been a hoax; this was how different the world felt to him. Eshnunna was going through the same experience Chi-Woo had had at that time. Her mouth opened wide, and she stopped breathing. Looking around in a daze, Eshnunna instinctively realized what was happening. Her master had told her to pull in the mana. However, Evelyn hadn¡¯t been instructing her to call the mana to her, and in a way, telling the mana to come to her was the same as ordering and controlling the mana. Now, there was no need to even do that when there was so much mana everywhere around her; when so much could be grasped if she just reached out, and when so much of it was already clinging to her. Although it felt strange, Eshnunna didn¡¯t feel confused or bewildered. Instead, the mana felt familiar and friendly. Eshnunnna opened her hand wide, and ice formed on her palm and blossomed into a beautiful flower. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Why had she struggled so much to do such an easy task? She felt stupid all of the sudden. ¡°Ah¡­ah¡­!¡± Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the ice flower. The new world that she tasted for the first time in her life filled her with indescribable emotions. After a while, she couldn¡¯t overcome her passion and reached out her hand. She turned around as if she was dancing and spread her arms wide. Crack! Cracccck! Whenever Eshnunna reached out, crystals formed and quickly turned into solid ice. Icicles emerged in a parabola in the air, the ground turned into solid ice sheets, and even an entire structure froze completely. Soon after, Chi-Woo¡¯s yard and house turned into an ice palace. Considering that she had just awakened her power, it was an astounding feat. Eshnunna, who had been running around like this, stopped walking at some point. She looked up at her creation with her whole body soaked in sweat. Then she collapsed as if she was falling apart. This was the result of wildly unleashing an A-rank ability with a mana rank of E. Chi-Woo ran up to her in a hurry and carefully lifted Eshnunna, who had fainted with a smile on her lips. Perhaps due to the influence of her innate ability, her appearance had also changed considerably. Her hair, which used to be coal black, gained a hint of blue, and her obsidian eyes became the color of pale sky as if she had ice for eyes. And the subtle bluish glow to her skin and the cold air radiating from her body completed the picture; she perfectly exemplified an ice witch. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± While Chi-Woo was left speechless, a voice interrupted his thoughts. ¡°I came out running in shock, but hadn¡¯t expected her to awaken her power.¡± Evelyn walked out and stood on the verandah. ¡°But¡­¡± She looked around and laughed dryly. It seemed that Evelyn had roughly guessed what had happened with her experience and knowledge. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what to do and hesitated, wondering if he should reveal his ability. Evelyn noticed his reaction and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s really amazing.¡± She already had great faith in him. Without asking further, she cautiously stepped onto the ice and changed the subject, ¡°It¡¯s been in the back of my mind, but I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s really the descendant of Matryoshka¡­¡± ¡°Matryoshka? ¡°Yeah. Salem Yvonne. She was a queen so powerful that she was called the Glacier Empress.¡± Evelyn approached him as if she was ice skating and carefully swept Eshnunna¡¯s icy-colored hair back. ¡°Who would have known?¡± She continued in a sing-song voice, ¡°That the Queen Salem Yvonne, who was so powerful that she was given the title Empress, was actually a witch, and her real name was Matryoshka.¡± Chi-Woo lowered his head. He didn¡¯t know too much about this, but after listening to her, he thought he had made the right decision. ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but she must have been an amazing person.¡± ¡°She was amazing. As a witch, she was superior to me.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe that. ¡°No way. No matter how powerful¡­¡± Chi-Woo had seen firsthand how powerful Evelyn had been when she was the moon witch. ¡°It¡¯s not that surprising. I¡¯m a special case because I became a witch after being corrupted, but she¡¯s a pure blood witch. If I¡¯m the apostle of apostles, you can think of her as the royal of the royals.¡± Come to think of it, a vampire who turned a human into a vampire was stronger than their progeny. If what Evelyn said was true, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t just made the right decision. He had basically won the lottery. ¡°By the way¡­¡± Evelyn shrugged and took Eshnunna from Chi-Woo. She scanned their now frozen surroundings and smiled. ¡°The person who''s responsible for causing the mess should also clean it up, right?¡± ¡°What? Ah, yes.¡± Chi-Woo finally grasped the situation and nodded. Then he lifted his leg and stepped hard on the ground once. Thud! Chi-Woo¡¯s yard shook. At the same time, the ice encasing everything shattered and crumbled into pieces. Evelyn looked dazed as she saw the glittering powder falling like sleet. ¡°¡­Yeah. There was a reason I wasn¡¯t as surprised as I thought.¡± She shook her head and turned around with a shrug. ¡°There¡¯s someone of an even more ridiculous bloodline right next to me, so this bloodline is child¡¯s play in comparison.¡± * * * A few days passed since then. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I just went boo, and bam, it worked.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie!¡± Things went on as usual, except Eshnunna made a fuss and wanted to know what Chi-Woo had done. On the other hand, a lot probably changed for Eshnunna. From what he roughly heard, she went back to the god who rejected her once and succeeded in making a contract. Unlike before, the god welcomed her with open arms, and as a result, Eshnunna was now on par with the Celestial Lights. Her power was greatly amplified, and now that she could utilize the growth system, nothing could stop her exponential growth. ¡°It¡¯s really no joke,¡± Evelyn said the same during mealtime. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m pouring water into the sand in the desert when the sun is scorching every time I teach. You really can¡¯t ignore bloodline, especially for a witch.¡± Evelyn looked delighted and said it was enjoyable to teach Eshnunna, who quickly absorbed every lesson she taught. However, there were problems as well. ¡°What? You don¡¯t like sunlight? Because you¡¯re ice. Haha. Yeah, I also like winter more than summer.¡± Eshnunna constantly talked while eating¡ªalone, while looking at the air. Ru Hiana became scared of her, and Hawa looked surprised and twirled her index finger at her temple, indicating that Eshnunna had gone crazy. Evelyn chuckled and waved her hand. ¡°This is an important time for her, so just leave her alone. After all, dating is the most exciting and heart-thumping in the beginning.¡± Although her metaphor was strange, Chi-Woo just glossed over it since Evelyn said Eshnunna was having fun. ¡ªThank you. I¡¯m really grateful. Philp was extremely grateful for Chi-Woo¡¯s decision. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t really expected Chi-Woo to follow his suggestion even after making a request. ¡°No, I should be grateful instead,¡± Chi-Woo answered humbly, but he really meant it. Besides anticipating Eshnunna¡¯s future, he learned something from this event. He learned that not everything was what he saw. His assistant had told him before to take potential into consideration, but not to focus on it blindly. He now knew what she meant. Although he still wasn¡¯t sure whether he should make Eshnunna one of his stars, what was clear was that he took part in making a comrade who would later on become a strong ally. Of course, he had to use his precious blessed luck, but considering the results, it was completely worth it. His perspective also changed. His brother and Philip had been right. He shouldn¡¯t waste precious resources, but when it was time to use his power, he needed to use it. And the one who decided when to use it was no other than himself. Furthermore, one more thing he learned was that he shouldn¡¯t just consider the Celestial Light¡¯s heroes as potential stars. The old dingo had also told him to look more broadly. Of course, he needed to consider the heroes, but looking at Eshnunna and Hawa alone told him there were more than a couple natives with considerable potential. The same went for the Cassiubia League members. The fenrir cub was a great example. [?-Page(1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 90% trust. (Incomplete) 2. Eat the flesh and drink the blood of a great demon at single-digit rank (Incomplete) 3. Awaken ¡®Raw Divinity¡¯ (Incomplete) 4. Manifest ¡®Mad Moon Fangs¡¯ (Incomplete) 5. Use at least 5 and at most 7 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) Chi-Woo saw the astounding possibility of his power with Eshnunna and thought about using his power on the fenrir cub, who he decided to take care of, but was shocked by the conditions. The very first condition was incomplete, and even if he somehow managed to complete it, the other conditions seemed incredibly difficult from a glance. ¡®Come to think of it, how do I increase my trust level with this guy¡­¡¯ The fenrir cub had been laying low after entering the holy city, Shalyh. Judging by how the cub didn¡¯t let anyone near them and went around alone, they seemed to be adjusting to their new environment. The only time this arrogant guy reacted was when Chi-Woo called them Ruffruff. Since the cub rushed towards him with extreme bloodthirst every time he did so, Chi-Woo had been careful these days. ¡®I need to name him already¡­¡¯ He wondered what name would please the cub. While he was contemplating, the cub, who had been lying leisurely, twitched their ears. They quickly raised their head and stared at one place before shooting to their feet. Then they raised their tail and bared their teeth. Chi-Woo was puzzled by the cub¡¯s sudden reaction. ¡°What. What is it?¡± The fenrir cub growled instead of replying; it was definitely not a normal reaction. Chi-Woo stared at the entrance where the cub was looking. Soon after, creak¡­ The door carefully opened. It was a girl with white bobbed hair. Chi-Woo frowned before his jaw dropped. ¡°Uh? You¡¯re¡­?¡± It was Kabal¡¯s twin goddess, Balal. She was an existence who had been too unstable to become a god. Balal flinched after seeing the fenrir cub and smiled brightly at Chi-Woo. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°What happened¡ª¡± Before Chi-Woo could even finish, Balal¡¯s whole body suddenly melted like water. The liquid wriggled and turned into a single lump. ¡°Pyu!¡± Then the round, glowing lump jumped up and quickly hugged Chi-Woo. CH 302 Steam Bun was the one that made the fenrir cub nervous. It had disappeared one day only to suddenly reappear like this. Philip stared at Steam Bun as it lay limply in Chi-Woo¡¯s arms. ¡ªDidn¡¯t you tell me that it had something going on with Kabbalah? ¡°¡­I did, but why did you have to word it like that?¡± Chi-Woo asked, but Philip quickly went on to the next question. ¡ªWhat has this guy been doing with Kabbalah? ¡°I don¡¯t¡­know that either,¡± Chi-Woo answered. ¡ªWhat? Why? ¡°Well, what happened was¡­¡± *** During the time when the Demon Empire was preparing to invade Shalyh, Chi-Woo had gone to Kabbalah¡¯s temple in secret knowing that their enemy was going to utilize the fact that their holy territory was still ¡®incomplete¡¯. Though Kabbalah appeared understanding after Chi-Woo explained the situation to her, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t felt good telling her this unfortunate news. After all, no matter how he worded it, he was essentially telling her the city no longer needed her protection when the White Horse General came. Kabbalah had been a forgotten god and barely managed to hold her position again after thousands of years. And soon, she was going to be forgotten again. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped,¡± Kabbalah said. ¡°If people don¡¯t need me.¡± She sounded surprisingly calm. ¡°Goddess Kabbalah, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t need¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really resent you for it.¡± Kabbalah shook her head. She accepted her fate like someone who had experienced countless heartaches and separations already. ¡°It¡¯s just that whenever things like this happen, it makes me wonder¡­why was I formed from such an inconvenient wish and desire?¡± She sounded a little sorrowful as she lamented, ¡°You know there are many other good desires like love and bravery. Even things like sloth and lust are better. I could¡¯ve been born from a human¡¯s instinctual emotion, but why¡­!¡± Kabbalah stopped speaking and chewed on her bottom lip, her head lowered. ¡°¡­I really disliked the way I was.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to become a new god.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And blinded by that desire, I did something I shouldn¡¯t have¡­ Is this what it means by receiving divine punishment?¡± She let out a self-mocking laugh. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything. He was the one who made her suffer, and he didn¡¯t dare to suggest he could fathom what Kabbalah was feeling. Yet Steam Bun, who was sitting on his shoulder, quietly listened. It was calm unlike its usual self and seemed to empathize with Kabbalah¡¯s story. It crossed its newly formed arms and nodded. After some time, Kabbalah said in a slightly hoarse voice: ¡°Did you already realize that this kid isn¡¯t human?¡± Chi-Woo nodded silently. He already knew this after checking her information through his Spirit Eye. Balal wasn¡¯t born. She was artificially made, and her outer appearance was nothing more than a shell, replicating Kabal¡¯s appearance. ¡°Yes, this child is not human, or anything for that matter.¡± Kabal placed her hand on her chest. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have her own will and can¡¯t do anything by herself. She simply has the instructions programmed into her¡ª¡± She clutched her fist tightly and said, ¡°She¡¯s nothing¡ªsimply an existence that came to being from a no-good, selfish goddess¡¯s pure greed.¡± Kabal clutched onto something and raised it. It was a circular ball that shone inside her hand. It looked like the moon in the night sky, or a nucleus. Chi-Woo instinctively knew that this was Balal¡¯s true self. ¡°Oppa,¡± Kabal said while stroking Balal pitifully. ¡°I will do as you say. But in return¡ªI¡¯m not even sure if I can say that¡ªcan I ask you to do me a favor?¡± ¡°A favor?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought deeply about what you told me, and I am thinking of disappearing momentarily as soon as my preparations are done.¡± Chi-Woo was surprised by this sudden news. Though he had thought she might do that, he didn¡¯t wish for Kabbalah¡¯s disappearance. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯m going to completely extinguish myself. You can think of it as me falling into a very deep sleep. I wouldn¡¯t wake up for a very long time, but¡­¡± Kabbalah made a bitter smile. ¡°But if I hide myself, this child will be left alone.¡± Kabala sighed and lifted Balal. ¡°I don¡¯t want this child to remain like some abandoned doll, not really living a life while awake. Isn¡¯t it terrifying to live like that?¡± The current Balal was incomplete. Since she was not fully formed, it was inevitable that they would clash as they had polar opposite characteristics. At the current time, they were negating each other. There was only one solution to this problem. ¡°Thus, I hope that while I¡¯m asleep, you will complete the experiment that I had put on hold through whatever means possible.¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized that Kabbalah¡ªno, Kabal hadn¡¯t given up on Balal yet. ¡°She¡¯s an existence created because of me. I need to give her an end on my own terms somehow¡­¡± Whether it was her becoming a new god or not, Kabal wanted closure. ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot to ask for, but you are the only one I can trust around me to not use this girl for their own evil purposes. Because you are¡ª¡± Before Kabal could finish her sentences, Steam Bun jumped up and swallowed the core inside Kabal¡¯s hand in one bite. Because it had happened in an instant, Chi-woo stood looking stunned. Kabal¡¯s eyes also widened. ¡°Hey, you bastard!¡± Chi-Woo yelled after realizing what had happened. No wonder it had been keeping quiet¡ª! ¡°How could you suddenly¡ª!¡± Chi-Woo ran to him and shook Steam Bun side to side to make it throw up the core again. Yet Steam Bun kept its mouth firmly sealed with the resolution to not spit it back out. ¡°Are you kidding me¡ª!¡± Chi-Woo had no idea why Steam Bun was acting this way and yelled angrily. ¡°I see!¡± but a hopeful voice¡ªunlike Chi-Woo¡¯s frantic one¡ªexclaimed. ¡°You already thought of everything.¡± As he saw Kabal clap in amazement, Chi-Woo thought to himself that he had no idea what she was talking about. ¡°I see. Now that I think about it, there was this guy. I completely forgot about it. It¡¯s like I received a surprise present.¡± Chi-Woo blankly looked back to Steam Bun. Steam Bun had its legs crossed and stretched out its arms in an exaggerated manner. ¡°But I¡¯m surprised. To think you would consider my position and prepare an answer beforehand¡­¡± Kabal nodded and tilted her head slightly while folding her hands behind her back. ¡°As expected. Is this what it feels like to have an older brother? Ha!¡± Chi-Woo stared at Kabal as she made the brightest smile she had ever made. *** ¡ªWhat? So what in the world did this guy do? After hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation, Philip looked down at Steam Bun curiously and asked. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Chi-Woo frowned. Even when he checked Steam Bun with his Spirit Eye, he didn¡¯t see the same information as he usually did. All he saw was: [Assimilation¡­51.2%] ¡°According to Hawa, Steam Bun was created for a particular purpose during ancient times through Goddess La Bella and several other gods who warred with her¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head and continued, ¡°I think I heard that he was the first¡­ah, what was it again? Anyways, I think we can expect some great things.¡± ¡ªSo did Kabal fall asleep inside Balal, and this bun accepted Balal inside him? ¡°I think so,¡± Chi-Woo answered while touching Steam Bun¡¯s jelly-like body that shone like a fluorescent light. Steam Bun didn¡¯t use to be this color; it was probably the effect of accepting Balal inside it. ¡ªHm. The combination of a mysterious creature that gods made and an artificial saintess that another god made¡­ Philip looked intently at Steam Bun and spoke again. ¡ªI don¡¯t think they would be completely incompatible. How about it? Isn¡¯t this guy also worth cultivating? Chi-Woo didn¡¯t respond right away. As Philip said, Steam Bun wasn¡¯t an existence he could exactly describe yet. But because they didn¡¯t know what it would become, it also meant that it could become anything. And as Chi-Woo looked at Steam Bun yawning widely in his arms, he thought the one who could lead it in the right direction was him. [?¡ªPage (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 90% trust (Incomplete) 2. Reach 100% assimilation with Balal (Incomplete) 3. Become recognized by its clan (Incomplete) 4. Become a saintess of ¡®Asha Dubulola¡¯. 5. Use at least 5 and at most 7 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) After checking Steam Bun¡¯s information, Chi-Woo realized that it was even more difficult to use his power on Steam Bun than on the baby fenrir¡¯s. He wondered what kind of existence Steam Bun was that there would be so many conditions. In the end, Chi-Woo got rid of his thoughts by shaking his head. This was just the beginning. What growth potential Steam Bun had was secondary, and the important point is that Steam Bun had chosen to return to him of his own accord. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chi-Woo stroke Steam Bun as it lay sleeping peacefully in his arms and smiled. ¡°For returning back to me.¡± *** Lunchtime arrived. While constantly putting her spoon in and out of her mouth, Byeok commented, ¡°You seem quite busy these days.¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not skipping my training.¡± ¡°Is that so? But besides training¡­¡± Byeok trailed off. Chi-Woo gulped down what he was chewing and asked, ¡°Did you know that there¡¯s a new tower at the square?¡± ¡°I know. You must have seen it too.¡± ¡°Yes. My brother suggested that I visit it recently. And seeing that made me think I should also make my own preparations.¡± Byeok nodded. ¡°It¡¯s as you say¡­¡± Byeok stroked her chin and spoke like she thought something was a bit off. ¡°Could you tell me what kind of preparations you are making?¡± Chi-Woo suddenly became at a loss for words. He was meant to keep the item that he got recently a secret, so he had trouble telling the truth. And there wasn¡¯t much preparation he was making excluding the item. In the end, it was difficult for him to tell Byeok anything. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? If you are making thorough preparations, can¡¯t you just tell me?¡± Byeok asked, and Chi-Woo licked his lips. After returning from Hala Forest, Chi-Woo had felt the importance of strong companions. And just at the perfect timing, he got his hands on a holy item such as ¡®The Power to Rule the World¡¯. Though he knew he shouldn¡¯t abuse it, there was no reason for him to not use it. Above all, the item¡¯s effects were awesome. Of course, he would need to prepare for new encounters in the future, but he also needed to check his surroundings. There were formidable figures available right under his nose just like Eshnunna. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Byeok asked again. ¡°Ah, yes¡­I guess I should say that I¡¯m strengthening my companions¡­¡± Chi-Woo said with a bitter smile and spoke in a roundabout way. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Byeok said. She frowned like she wasn¡¯t pleased by something. ¡°How come all the guys around me are like this¡­?¡± She asked, looking at the several people around her. ¡°Oh, but that¡¯s right. I have one that might be different.¡± Then Byeok turned to one direction and said, ¡°Where is our Icy? Cold as always, but I know she¡¯s going to come to me in the end.¡± When she saw Eshnunna smirk while poking into the air, her face stiffened. Sometime later, Byeok let out a long sigh and asked Chi-Woo. ¡°Do you remember what I told you a few days ago?¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard. Because he heard so many different things from Byeok, he didn¡¯t know which one she was talking about. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Thud. Byeok placed her spoon down on the table and got up even though she hadn¡¯t finished everything yet. Chi-Woo looked stunned since she had never done this before. ¡°Master.¡± Thus, he was about to stand up when Byeok turned around. ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t tell you what to do even in these matters.¡± Byeok shook her head while walking away. Everyone¡¯s eyes snapped to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo clicked his tongue and simply clenched and unclenched his hands repeatedly. He thought he had been doing well recently, but it felt as if he was missing something very important. *** Chi-Woo knew that he needed to solve things that bothered him as soon as possible. Yet Byeok didn¡¯t seem willing to speak anymore about the topic, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°That¡¯s what master said?¡± In the end, Chi-Woo went to consult the one person he could rely on. ¡°Tell me exactly what you did and say.¡± After listening to Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation, Chi-Hyun¡¯s expression turned very stern. ¡°¡­I thought I told you to not abuse the item¡¯s powers.¡± Chi-Hyun glared at Chi-Woo. ¡°I didn¡¯t abuse it,¡± Chi-Woo retorted, but Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°You have lost sight of what¡¯s important because you were distracted by your new toy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t deny it. Though he hadn¡¯t used the Power to Rule the World that much, he checked its conditions whenever he had the chance. ¡°Why do you think I took you to the tower?¡± ¡°¡­Is it so bad that I¡¯m looking out for my companions?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m telling you not to do that?¡± Tap, tap. Chi-Hyun knocked his fist against the table two times and said with his fingers crossed, ¡°You should still be able to weigh the importance of different matters.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you still staying in Ru Amuh¡¯s zone?¡± Chi-Hyun then asked. ¡°Who¡¯s the boss there?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. Who¡¯s the boss of the place you¡¯re currently residing in?¡± Chi-Woo laughed for a moment because it sounded ridiculous talking about who the boss was suddenly. ¡°Did you find my question funny?¡± Chi-Woo instantly stopped smirking. He looked back at Chi-Hyun in a daze. Chi-Hyun was very intimidating as he stared intently at Chi-Woo with his fingers crossed. His eyes were incredibly solemn. Sometime later, Chi-Hyun said in a low voice, ¡°All societies work under a set order of things in a particular system. It¡¯s where various components correlate with one another and unite under a common purpose.¡± Call it an organization or institution, they all meant the same thing. ¡°Depending on how well and orderly this system is structured, a society succeeds or fails.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A leader¡¯s position is to retain the central balance of this system,¡± Chi-Hyun said. This was what Chi-Hyun did here, and what the Last Dragon did with the Cassiubia League. That was how important a leader was for an organization. ¡°No wonder master acted like that.¡± Chi-Hyun sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve collected all sorts of gems and have the best equipment that anyone can ask for, but all you stick to is some child¡¯s play¡­¡± Chi-Hyun turned his chair around and shook his head just like Byeok had done. Chi-Woo wanted to ask what he should do then, but stopped himself. It was obvious that even if he asked, Chi-Hyun would just tell him to figure things out on his own. In the end, Chi-Woo quietly got up from his seat and turned around. Once Chi-Woo departed, Noel came in after receiving Chi-Hyun¡¯s call. ¡°What did young master come here again for, sir?¡± she asked, and Chi-Hyun flipped through his records without saying anything. He wasn¡¯t just pretending to skim through them, but was actually reading each individual¡¯s dossiers. Then Chi-Hyun¡¯s hands suddenly stopped. There was a different look in his eyes. ¡°This hero also came?¡± ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Then, seeing the name Chi-Hyun pointed at, Noel looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know who this hero is¡­¡± ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s understandable.¡± Noel¡¯s eyes shone. The fact that Chi-Hyun knew this hero probably meant something. She just didn¡¯t know whether it was for a good or bad reason. ¡°This guy plays quite interestingly for a modern hero,¡± Chi-Hyun said. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo was walking back to his place, deeply in thought. ¡°!¡± It was then someone tapped his back, and he looked toward his left. CH 303 ¡°Yo! Boss!¡± Eval Sevaru raised his hand and greeted him brightly. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I heard that you did something big again¡­¡± Eval was saying with a smile when he suddenly trailed off. For some reason, Chi-Woo was staring intently at him, and Eval turned around and ran without warning. He ran as fast as he could, pushing his legs to the limits. He didn¡¯t even know why he was running. He had simply felt chills all over his body the moment his eyes met Chi-Woo¡¯s, as if he wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything off Chi-Woo as he usually did. Instead, he got a foreboding feeling that he would be the one forcefully dragged away to do Chi-Woo¡¯s bidding. That was why Eval had made a quick run for it. He thought even if he ran into Chi-Woo later, he could just say something urgent had come up suddenly. Thus, Eval was running as fast as he could when he heard: ¡°Mr. Eval Sevaru?¡± Eval looked sideways, and his eyes almost popped out to see Chi-Woo running right beside him. Though he was running as hard as he could, Chi-Woo looked as if he was on a light jog. ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you aren¡¯t busy, can we talk for a bit?¡± Chi-Woo asked. In the end, Eval had no choice but to stop running. Sometime later, Eval found himself following Chi-Woo to his house. He gritted his teeth and obediently followed Chi-Woo even while feeling that something horrible was going to happen to him. As long as he kept his mind alert, Eval thought he would find an opportunity to escape the worst dangers. ¡°How important is the matter you want to discuss that you are bringing me all the way to your house?¡± Eval asked in a slightly nervous tone. ¡°Did you see the tower at the square?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Eval was taken aback, but he still answered, ¡°Oh that? Yes, I did. It seemed the legend really went all out to make that.¡± ¡°Not Mr. Zelit?¡± ¡°Come on, who do you think I am?¡± Eval said with a frown. ¡°Does Zelit even have the means and capabilities to build a tower that could affect a whole city by himself? I¡¯m not looking down on him, but just stating facts.¡± While saying that only the legend could establish a structure like that, he shook his head. Chi-Woo also nodded. It sounded like Eval knew considerably about the tower. ¡°What do you think about the tower, Mr. Eval?¡± Eval¡¯s eyes opened slightly wider when hearing this question. ¡°What do you mean... Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to say because the intentions are too obvious.¡± Eval yawned widely and continued, ¡°Whether we like it or not, they are telling us to work in groups and not act out on our own or in cliques.¡± Eval smacked his lips and added, ¡°Well, people around me are saying all sorts of things, but if you are asking me how I personally feel about it, I don¡¯t have any complaints. Everything the legend had implemented so far was very fair. Of course, we will only know for sure once everything unravels, but I don¡¯t think it will be any different this time.¡± Chi-Woo looked curiously at Eval. ¡°Anyways, I don¡¯t know why you are asking me this question¡­ What¡¯s going on on your end these days?¡± Eval asked, unwilling to be the only one answering questions. ¡°You all are residing in a zone. The Ho Lactea¡¯s side seems to be going all out, but this place is quieter than I expected it to be.¡± ¡°¡­We have to start too, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? What¡¯s difficult? Is there some kind of problem?¡± Eval asked like he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Even if the Ho Lactea found and established a new god, I still think you are more amazing considering the merits you earned from the recent expedition.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something I did on my own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I heard. You went with an expedition group, but it sounded like you did everything on your own again.¡± Chi-Woo stared at him. There wasn¡¯t really anything wrong with what Eval said, but it was surprising how certain Eval sounded. How could he be so sure when he hadn¡¯t even witnessed what happened in person? ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve all raised humanity¡¯s name and prestige after conquering Hala Forest. It was an incredible feat that even the Cassiubia League, which is one of the four factions on Liber, failed to achieve. Yet everyone who came back from the expedition is dead quiet. This is strange considering that the Celestial Lights were so hell-bent on expanding their influence before.¡± What was the reason the Celestial Lights were keeping so quiet after their success? ¡°It¡¯s obvious what the reason could be. Gods must be fair according to contracts.¡± In short, the gods who had a contract with the Celestial Lights didn¡¯t acknowledge the results of the expedition at the Hala Forest or rewarded them only a very small amount of merits. ¡°Otherwise, there would¡¯ve been many talks about how they rose in ranks and so on all over the city. But the fact that they are so quiet means that those guys haven¡¯t done jack shit this time,¡± Eval said and leaned into the chair. ¡°But the expedition was a success, so who could¡¯ve done the work and gained the merits? Besides the Celestial Lights, there were four others in the expedition, and among them, the hero with the highest possibility of achieving such a success is¡ª¡± Eval tapped on the table they were sitting at and said, ¡°You. I¡¯m not the only one who would come to this conclusion, boss. Anyone who knows you would say the same.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gaped slightly. He was a little surprised, while Eval looked offended. He looked like he had been mocked because nothing he said was that impressive, but Chi-Woo looked so astonished. Eval wondered how lowly Chi-Woo had been thinking of him that he would be impressed by this. Yet all these grievances evaporated the moment he heard Chi-Woo¡¯s following words. ¡°Mr. Eval Sevaru,¡± Chi-Woo said, ¡°Although we are making preparations on our end too before the completion of the tower, we are having difficulties because I am lacking in many ways. Thus, I want to ask for your help.¡± Eval¡¯s mouth opened and closed in shock. ¡°No¡­but boss, this is so sudden. Besides, is there anything that I can even help you with?¡± ¡°I¡¯m planning to put in place a system,¡± Chi-Woo said as he heard from his brother. ¡°¡­A system?¡± Eval said and settled himself. ¡°You are having difficulty establishing a system¡­doesn¡¯t that mean¡­how does that even make sense? Those who know your secret here¡­ah, hm¡­still...well, since it isn¡¯t your zone¡­¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how Eval had interpreted his words; he kept murmuring to himself in rapid-fire. ¡°But this is too much. He had always acted like a loyal dog¡­ Well, nobody knows what will happen¡­no, no.¡± After a while, Eval shook his head. ¡°Haha, boss. It sure seems like you¡¯ve got some internal conflict on your hands.¡± Eval replied with an awkward smile. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m the right choice for you. It¡¯s not right for you to grab any hero from who-knows-where again and recruit them.¡± Though Eval was speaking with a smile, he was clearly turning Chi-Woo down. But Chi-Woo didn¡¯t give up. ¡°I don¡¯t think of you as any hero,¡± Chi-Woo said, and the smile on Eval¡¯s face dropped slightly. Eval could tell by Chi-Woo¡¯s tone alone that Chi-Woo was being serious. ¡°Hm¡­boss.¡± Sensing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to easily pass over the matter, Eval looked more serious than usual. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I should say this¡­no, I should tell you outrightly. I¡¯m not the type of person to be tied to one place.¡± He fixed his posture and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me why; that¡¯s just how I was born. Maybe you can call me immature, but I can¡¯t serve somebody else, and I¡¯m a hero who acts alone for the most part. I don¡¯t work well in groups, nor do I want to stand above anyone. That¡¯s too bothersome.¡± Then Eval shrugged and said, ¡°That¡¯s how it is. Do you know the reason I came to Liber in the first place?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°I came because I was curious. So, so curious.¡± Eval chuckled. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s a world that even stumped the legend. How could I not come to check it out?¡± It wasn¡¯t for some noble cause, nor had he come to sacrifice himself. Eval crossed his arms after saying what he had to say. It seemed he was asking Chi-Woo if he still wanted to recruit him after all this. Yet Chi-Woo responded, ¡°So? That¡¯s understandable.¡± Eval¡¯s face hardened, but Chi-Woo was serious. He could understand Eval because he had been in the same position, and he could empathize with Eval as someone who used to live an ordinary life most of his life. ¡°¡­Boss,¡± Eval asked Chi-Woo. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I don¡¯t want to do this twice.¡± He sounded a bit exhausted at this point. ¡°I know,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Still, I am asking you again.¡± Eval smirked and leaned his forehead against his palms. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are expecting from me¡­but I¡¯m not such a great hero that you would need to work so hard to recruit me.¡± He shook his head and sighed. ¡°You will surely be disappointed even if I join you as a subordinate. Rather than seeing me work, you¡¯ll see me playing most of the time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine for you?¡± Eval let out a humorless laugh like none of this was making sense. Seeing his response, Chi-Woo went for a different approach. ¡°There¡¯s a famous athlete named Muhammad Ali in my world. Though he was a great blabberer, most people, including me, liked him. Do you know why?¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Even though he¡¯d done all sorts of eccentric things, he always proved his worth once he entered the ring.¡± Eval raised one of his eyebrows. He took Chi-Woo¡¯s words to mean that he wouldn¡¯t meddle in anything Eval did as long as he did what he was supposed to do. ¡°Haa¡­.¡± Eval didn¡¯t know how many times he had sighed during this conversation. He was very conflicted. He had run away because he thought something like this would happen. Eval organized his thoughts after licking his lips. Since Chi-Woo was acting like this, he only had two choices: it was to accept his offer, or clearly reject it even if he had to go a bit far. It wasn¡¯t that hard to come to a decision. After a long stretch of silence, Eval finally answered, ¡°You said it¡¯s fine for me to play. Okay, fine. Let¡¯s play. We can do it together.¡± Chi-Woo looked happy. ¡°Are you saying that you will help?¡± ¡°I want to go all out since I¡¯ve made up my mind,¡± Eval said. ¡°But I hate having to pay attention to what others think while playing.¡± Then he glanced at Chi-Woo and smirked. ¡°And I suppose I might cause some incidents here and there while going all out, but I never like it when parents scold their children for causing trouble and apologize in their stead.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say, Mr. Eval Sevaru?¡± It sounded like Eval was laying down some conditions. ¡°Are you telling me to clean after your mess?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s too straightforward. I don¡¯t mean it in that way.¡± Eval shook his hand. ¡°Rather than going through so much struggle and working from the bottom, I prefer to come out with a bang. It¡¯s more fun that way, but¡­¡± Eval frowned and raised his clenched fist. ¡°In order to do that, I need strength. But I know that¡¯s hard to carry out in reality.¡± Though Eval was talking in a roundabout way, Chi-Woo could generally get what Eval was saying. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that I want someone strong backing me up.¡± Eval cleared his throat. Eval needed a backer who didn¡¯t outrightly step forward but watched him from behind. In other words, Eval wanted steadfast support so that he could do the things he wanted to do. It couldn¡¯t just be Chi-Woo. That wasn¡¯t enough; he needed a stronger backing than that. ¡°Who are you talking about then?¡± ¡°Who else? There are very few heroes who have more influence than you if you put your mind to it,¡± Eval said. And if they needed to pick one among this handful of heroes, there was only one answer. ¡°The legend.¡± The peak of humanity¡ªhe was the king among heroes who all heroes respected and admired. ¡°If you can get the legend¡¯s backing, what is there to be afraid of? I feel like things would get a bit more fun then.¡± If a hero got the Choi¡¯s name backing him, most incidents would be resolved without causing a stir, and he would even get to look down at the Ho Lacteas. Chi-Woo looked baffled, and Eval smiled inside his mind seeing that. He thought there was no way Chi-Woo would be able to accomplish what he asked. The legend wasn¡¯t just a regular Joe in town. Furthermore, there were many rumors that said the legend was a very serious man, bordering on cold-blooded. Even with all the achievements under Chi-Woo¡¯s belt, it seemed impossible the legend would accept his request based on the rumors Eval heard about the legend¡¯s personality. Eval thought Chi-Woo would¡¯ve gotten the message now. Eval smiled faintly seeing Chi-Woo snort. He knew how ridiculous Chi-Woo must¡¯ve found his request. ¡®Who told you to keep going on when I said no?¡¯ Eval murmured to himself. Then he raised his head again and asked, ¡°Can you do that? If you can, I will give your offer another thorough consideration.¡± ¡°¡­Does that mean you¡¯ll do what I ask if I bring Mr. Choi Chi-Hyun here?¡± Eval burst out laughing. Was he really suggesting that he could bring him the legend¡ªwhom so many had a difficult time even meeting in person? Right now, right here? ¡°Ahahaha! You¡¯ll go that far? Fine by me! That¡¯s great! Why don¡¯t you bring him over! Then I swear that I will crawl under your legs and bark like a dog. Are you really¡­¡± And while Eval exclaimed and clapped, Chi-Woo tapped on his left wrist and said, ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Some time later. ¡°Uh, you came immediately.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the lunchbox?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down first?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the special lunchbox?¡± Since coming to Liber, Eval had never made such a stupidly shocked and astonished expression. The man had come in while looking around. Eval¡¯s jaws had dropped to the lowest they could drop as he stared in a daze at the man who soon took a seat next to Chi-Woo. CH 304 Eval Sevaru looked as if his soul had left his body. His mind was watching his soul escape as it shouted, ¡®Hah! Adios, my friend!¡¯ Chi-Hyun stared at Eval Sevaru, whose mouth was wide open, and then glanced at Chi-Woo, asking who this person was. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s someone I¡¯m trying to recruit as my comrade, and he told me that¡­he wanted to meet you, so¡­¡± Chi-Woo trailed off with a smile. ¡°?¡± A question mark appeared on top of Chi-Hyun¡¯s head. Soon after, his face became terrifyingly stiff; judging by Chi-Woo¡¯s grin, he could roughly guess the situation. ¡°You¡­¡± Chi-Hyun clenched his fists. He had received a message that Chi-Woo was going to make a special lunch box, so he should quickly come and eat it while it was still hot. But it was all a lie? How dare his brother call him for a mere recruitment meeting? Chi-Hyun felt used, and he wasn¡¯t going to let it go easily even if it was his brother. ¡°What do you¡ª¡± ¡°This is Mr. Eval Sevaru.¡± Chi-Hyun was about to give him a piece of his mind, but stopped after hearing Eval¡¯s name. He recalled seeing it on the list that Noel handed him today. ¡®This hero is¡­?¡¯ Of course, he had only heard of Eval, and it was his first time seeing Eval in person. Chi-Woo, who had been anxiously staring at Chi-Hyun, became curious due to his brother¡¯s reaction. He had thought his brother would get angry, and in fact, he did look slightly angry a moment ago. Now, however, his gaze was shifting between Eval Saveru and Chi-Woo with a strange look in his eyes. After a brief silence, Chi-Hyun suddenly smirked, ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Choi Chi-Hyun.¡± Then Chi-Hyun reached out his hand towards Eval Sevaru with a suddenly calm expression. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened at Chi-Hyun¡¯s surprisingly seamless change in attitude. ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Yes!¡± Barely managing to come to his senses, Eval Sevaru got up from his seat and held Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand. He bowed with his back bent into a perfect right angle in a display of extreme politeness. ¡°It¡¯s all right. You can sit down.¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes¡­thank you.¡± At Chi-Hyun¡¯s gentle suggestion, Eval Sevaru awkwardly sat back down. Judging from his expression, he seemed to still be wondering if he was dreaming. ¡°So, you said you wanted to meet me,¡± Chi-Hyun clasped his hands and said with a smile. ¡°¡­I¡­¡± Eval Sevaru looked between Chi-Woo and Chi-Hyun and licked his lips. ¡°May I ask¡­what¡¯s the relationship between you two¡­?¡± ¡°This punk?¡± Although Eval asked with an extremely cautious tone, Chi-Hyun easily put his hand on Chi-Woo¡¯s head and messed up his brother¡¯s hair. ¡°He¡¯s my brother.¡± Eval Sevaru looked at them with disbelief. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve heard that you had a follower, but I¡¯ve never heard about a sworn brother.¡± ¡°Ah, he¡¯s not my sworn brother.¡± Chi-Woo frowned because he could feel his brother¡¯s anger from the hand grabbing his head. Chi-Hyun was grabbing and shaking it under the guise of ruffling his hair. But when he glanced sideways, Chi-Hyun was just smiling calmly. His irritating brother continued, ¡°But my blood-related brother.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re seriously expecting me to believe¡ªwhat the fuck?!¡± Eval Sevaru stopped talking and jumped. Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo had shared their user information¡¯s names at the same time. Eval Sevaru thought, ¡®What the heck is this now¡ª¡¯ and stared blankly at the messages in the air before quickly realizing his mistake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Please excuse my language just now!¡± He immediately slammed his head on the table several times. ¡°Haha, you were surprised, right?¡± Chi-Hyun waved his hand to indicate he didn¡¯t mind, and for a moment, his smiling eyes let out a cold glint like usual. ¡°I didn¡¯t bother to disclose it¡­because of circumstances.¡± Quietly lifting his head, Eval Sevaru became mortified. The thought that he was now fucked crossed his mind; he had heard information he shouldn¡¯t have heard. ¡°Ah, yes. Circumstances, I see. I completely understand what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Chi-Hyun looked satisfied with Eval Sevaru¡¯s attitude¡ªhe was basically swearing not to reveal this piece of information with his whole body. After that, they shared a normal conversation. It was mainly Chi-Hyun speaking while Eval Sevaru listened. To be frank, it didn¡¯t really seem like Eval was listening either. He just said ¡®yes, yes¡¯ with a stunned face and had the expression of a man who lost his entire fortune from gambling. ¡°I wish to talk more, but unfortunately, I¡¯m quite busy. I think it¡¯s about time for me to leave.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. No, it¡¯s no problem at all. It¡¯s completely fine. Of course, you¡¯re a very busy man.¡± When Chi-Hyun excused himself, Eval Sevaru nodded like mad. ¡°Then¡­¡± Before leaving, Chi-Hyun placed his hand on Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Please take care of my brother.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Eval¡¯s eyes twitched even though he was smiling. It was obvious he wanted Chi-Hyun gone yesterday. ¡°Ah, by the way,¡± Chi-Hyun stopped after taking a few steps and said. ¡°It¡¯s a shame I have to end this prematurely.¡± He looked back at Eval Sevaru and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal together next time.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Eval Sevaru doubted his ears. ¡°Of course, it¡¯ll be with my brother.¡± Chi-Hyun added one more sentence and left the room. Tap. When he heard the door close, Eval Sevaru could finally breathe. He dropped his head in exhaustion and wiped his face, trying desperately to organize his thoughts. ¡°Yeah¡­I thought it was a little ridiculous¡­¡± Drawing a timeline in his head about what the seventh recruits had gone through since they first entered Liber, Eval Sevaru had noticed one peculiar aspect. All the big and important incidents involved one young man. Thus, he had wondered why a hero of such caliber and ability was so unknown; there was no way Chi-Woo could remain so anonymous. However, the earlier revelation answered all his questions. The Choi Family stood at the apex even among the Celestial Lights. Moreover, the youngest son of the Choi Family was even rumored to be the Choi¡¯s secret weapon. It made complete sense that Chi-Woo would be able to accomplish all those feats and more. ¡®I¡¯ve been thinking wrong since the beginning.¡¯ Although Chi-Hyun had left, Eval Sevaru did not relax. Chi-Woo was someone from the Choi Family of all families; the Choi even crushed the Ho Lactea, who were known as the descendants of gods. He had to take the utmost care when dealing with any members of the family. ¡®But the problem is¡­¡¯ The situation was already over, or to be more precise, it was over since he first heard Chi-Woo¡¯s identity. Chi-Hyun clearly warned him that since he heard secret information, he should obediently comply with Chi-Woo¡¯s request, or it would not fare well for him. If he didn¡¯t follow Chi-Woo, he might really die. The legend was fully capable of such an act. Although he thought it was unfair the more he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t blame anyone but himself. He was the one who had asked Chi-Woo to bring the legend over and asked what their relationship was. On second thought, he had fallen into Chi-Woo¡¯s trap as soon as he stepped into this place. Eval Sevaru smiled bitterly when he saw Chi-Woo smiling. He hadn¡¯t expected Chi-Woo to hide such a terrifying scheme behind such a nice smile. Never in his wildest dream did he imagine that Chi-Woo would formulate such an elaborate plan. As expected of the Choi Family. At last, Eval Sevaru decided to surrender. ¡°¡­Boss.¡± However, even after knowing it was all over, there was one thing he was really curious about. ¡°Let me ask you something. Why me?¡± He asked with a rather serious expression. ¡°Although we know each other, we¡¯re not that close. We¡¯re merely acquaintances who might say hi and ask how the other is doing while walking down the street.¡± They had entered Liber as the same recruit team and helped each other a few times, but this was the extent of their relationship. ¡°Why do you want me to join you so much?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t immediately reply because Eval was technically not wrong. Then he tilted his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s my intuition.¡± ¡°What? Intuition?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chi-Woo pointed at himself. ¡°I have a very good intuition.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± Chi-Woo smiled flatly as he saw Eval Sevaru become speechless. As Eval said, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t built a solid relationship with Eval from the start like he had with Ru Amuh, nor had he seen something special in him. Nevertheless, he felt a strong urge to work with Eval as soon as he ran into Eval after his conversation with his brother. Moreover, Nangnang was a cat hero introduced to him by Eval Sevaru, and a hero Chi-Woo made a connection while investigating the Salem Academy. Nangnang¡¯s abilities as a guide made a deep impression on Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo had thought other guides would be like Nangnang. However, he realized that was far from the truth after gaining a bit more experience. Although Chi-Wo tried to immediately recruit Nangnang after moving to Shalyh, Nangnang had already accepted Ho Lactea¡¯s offer. Chi-Woo had felt extremely disappointed then. In Chi-Woo¡¯s point of view, Eval Sevaru was the same as Nangnang. He didn¡¯t know exactly why, but he strongly felt that he would regret it if he didn¡¯t grab onto Eval Sevaru. Thus, he asked Eval Sevaru to join multiple times and used a critical move by asking his brother to come, despite knowing that Chi-Hyun would get angry at him. It was all because Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to end up feeling disappointed at losing a great catch again. ¡°Intuition¡­you said intuition¡­¡± Leaning so far into the chair that he was basically lying down, Eval laughed dryly and squeezed his eyes shut. He carefully recalled what Chi-Hyun had said to him: let¡¯s have a meal together, with my brother. The weight of one¡¯s word changed depending on one¡¯s position. If a random nobody had said this to him, he would have snorted and let it pass from one ear to the other, but if a jewel that shone brighter than anyone said it, he couldn¡¯t easily gloss over it. ¡®He probably means that he¡¯s willing to overlook small details and leave the matter up to Chi-Woo to some extent. I guess Chi-Woo is his brother after all¡­¡¯ In all honesty, having the legend¡¯s backing was a tremendous advantage. Moreover, this wasn¡¯t the only thing Chi-Woo had among his cards. ¡°¡­¡± Eval Sevaru peeked open his eyes and stared at Chi-Woo. How much time had passed? Eval Sevaru suddenly fixed his posture and held out his hand. ¡°Eval Sevaru.¡± Chi-Woo was a little surprised, but he quickly smiled and reached out his hand. ¡°Yes, I look forward to¡­?¡± He flinched as soon as he held Eval¡¯s hand, taken aback by the strong grip. Eval Sevaru held onto his hand while staring intently at him. Chi-Woo also fixed his posture and cleared his throat before saying, ¡°Choi Chi-Woo.¡± Only then did Eval Sevaru crack a smile. ¡°I look forward to working with you, boss.¡± ¡°Me too. Then you¡¯ll have to move in first, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. All I have is this body.¡± Eval Sevaru withdrew his hand and got up. ¡°It¡¯s okay, so please just show me around since I need to stay here from now on. I also have some questions to ask you.¡± ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s do that.¡± Chi-Woo also quickly stood up and guided Eval Sevaru outside. He didn¡¯t forget to send a message to his brother before leaving the room, writing that he¡¯d go visit soon, and if there was anything he wanted to eat, he should write it down and send it to him. * * * It didn¡¯t take much time for Eval Sevaru to look around the place. After finishing the tour and listening to Chi-Woo¡¯s answers to his questions, Eval Sevaru nodded and fell into thought. ¡°Then what should we do first?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious,¡± Eval Sevaru replied without hesitation. ¡°We have to establish a system, the system you were talking about.¡± ¡°How can we¡­¡± ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry and leave it up to me. I¡¯ll be sure to set it right from the start.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head as he stared at Eval Sevaru, who was cracking his knuckles and bending his head from side to side like someone ready for a fight. However, since Eval Sevaru was stepping forward to help, Chi-Woo gathered everyone at Eval¡¯s request that evening. ¡°Uh! You¡¯re¡­?¡± Coming in while asking what was going on, Ru Hiana paused when she saw Eval Sevaru. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to be comrades from now on,¡± Eval Sevaru said bluntly. ¡°What?¡± Ru Hiana looked back at Chi-Woo, surprised by the sudden turn of events. However, when Chi-Woo nodded, she decided to sit quietly for now. When everyone had arrived, Eval Sevaru looked at the group and said, ¡°Well, since I¡¯m sure most people know who I am already, I¡¯ll skip the introduction. I¡¯m telling you this in advance: you must excuse my manners. After looking around, there¡¯s more than one or two things we need to sort out, but we don¡¯t have much time.¡± He spoke very quickly with his hands in his pocket. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh?¡± Then he pointed at Ru Amuh with his chin. ¡°Am I right to say that this zone is under your name?¡± ¡°Yes¡­but¡­¡± When Ru Amuh affirmed hesitantly, Eval Sevaru cut him off and said bluntly, ¡°Transfer it to boss right away. Within today. No¡ªright now.¡± ¡°Sorry? What are you suddenly saying?¡± Ru Amuh exclaimed in astonishment. He was so surprised that he jumped up from his seat. Eval Sevaru laughed at his reaction. Yes, he had expected this. ¡°You don¡¯t want to. Well, it can¡¯t be helped¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I understand! I¡¯ll immediately change it!¡± ¡°If you refuse, we¡¯re planning to leave. Boss and I¡¯ll leave so¡ªwait, what?¡± Eval Sevaru stopped the spiel he had prepared beforehand. He couldn¡¯t believe his ears. What did Ru Amuh just say? However, Ru Amuh was nowhere to be seen. He had disappeared like the wind and came back like the wind, holding what looked like documents with both hands. ¡°Teacher, you¡¯ve finally made up your mind!¡± Deeply moved, Ru Amuh reached out to Chi-Woo with trembling hands. Eval Sevaru snatched the documents and checked them. ¡°¡­¡± They were perfect, without mistakes. As a result, the ownership of this area has completely been transferred to Chi-Woo. Eval Sevaru had even prepared to leave and start over with a new zone if Ru Amuh was reluctant to give up his ownership, but everything happened all too easily. Eval Sevaru stared blankly at Ru Amuh. ¡°Truthfully, Teacher, I¡¯ve been nervous inside because you haven¡¯t said anything about it¡­but of course, I knew that you must have your reasons. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to ask about it every day. And now, at last! I¡¯m really moved, Teacher.¡± Why on earth was Ru Amuh acting so ecstatic over giving up his zone? Rather, it seemed as if he had been waiting to pass over the ownership all along. Hadn¡¯t Chi-Woo not been able to do anything because he was fighting for control with Ru Amuh? Or was it with another hero? ¡°Ruahu. It¡¯s not Teacher anymore.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Then what should I call him? Boss? Leader?¡± ¡°Geez! I know you¡¯re happy, but calm down!¡± Judging by how Ru Hiana was taking it one step further, it didn¡¯t seem like it was her either. Eval Sevaru looked around with a stunned face. The saintess of the White Horse General was clapping and rejoicing, and Miss Byeok made a pleased smile. The silver-haired girl was tapping her yawning mouth with disinterest, and the crazy woman was laughing alone and talking to the air¡­ ¡°¡­Boss.¡± Eval Sevaru whispered to Chi-Woo and asked because he was getting more and more confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say¡­there was a problem with establishing a system?¡± Internal political battles to gain control were extremely common everywhere, and even the Celestial Lights were no exception. When Chi-Woo said that he had problems, Eval Sevaru had thought along these lines since power struggle was the only thing that could¡¯ve posed such a significant issue. However, on second thought, this was also strange. If they knew about Chi-Woo¡¯s identity, it was unlikely that any of them would go against someone of the Choi Family, a family that even the Celestial Lights were helpless against. No matter how famous Ru Amuh was, it was hard to imagine him going against a Choi. ¡®Then?¡¯ What was the problem? Eval Sevaru sent a questioning gaze toward Chi-Woo. ¡°Yes, I said that,¡± Chi-Woo replied without much thought. He hadn¡¯t lied since he didn¡¯t know exactly what to do as a leader of a large group in a world like this. On the other hand, Eval Sevaru, who had no way of knowing that Chi-Woo had grown up as an ordinary person, didn¡¯t imagine in the slightest that a hero with the surname Choi would be clueless about something so basic. Thus, Eval Sevaru thought, ¡®Was that also all part of his plan¡­!?¡¯ Since Chi-Woo recognized his true worth, he might have bluffed to convince him to join. By giving him the impression ¡®I¡¯m a hero who can compete with Ru Amuh¡¯, what if Chi-Woo was preventing Eval from thinking that he was part of the Choi Family? Sometimes, a small detail like this could make all the difference. ¡®Every single one of his words was a ploy to¡­!¡¯ Eval Sevaru clicked his tongue at Chi-Woo¡¯s speaking abilities, which naturally guided the listener to think in the direction he wanted with just one or two words. ¡®As expected¡­he¡¯s no ordinary hero. I need to stay focused at all times.¡¯ Eval Sevaru took a deep breath and resolved to play hard, but also try his absolute hardest when working. CH 305 Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t felt at ease living in Ru Amuh¡¯s zone until recently. He thought he shouldn¡¯t forget the fact that Ru Amuh was the owner of the building he was living in while he was simply the guest. It had always bothered Chi-Woo that he might be mooching off Ru Amuh and robbing him of a good portion of his property. Thus, Chi-Woo thought he should leave and get a new territory of his own if he noticed any signs of him inconveniencing Ru Amuh. Seeing Ru Amuh¡¯s response, though, Chi-Woo thought there was no need to worry about that anymore and changed his mindset. [Since you inherited the will of the World, you have to act as the center. Even if it might not be true for now, you have to do so in the near future.] [This means that you need to build a force centered around you.] [Don¡¯t tell me no or deny it. If that¡¯s not the case, there is no reason why you have that special privilege.] Chi-Woo recalled what his master had told him before. At that time, he had told her without hesitation that he would do what was expected of him; and considering that, it was understandable she would click her tongue at him now, seeing that he hadn¡¯t been making substantial preparations to that end. Thus, Chi-Woo decided to accept the way things were even though he felt a bit sorry for Ru Amuh. This was for the future he dreamed of. ¡°Anyways, I shouldn¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth¡­ Since we¡¯ve solved the biggest problem, let¡¯s now get on with the next stop¡­¡± Eval still looked flustered with lingering confusion, but he continued, ¡°Boss, before we decide who to prioritize, I would like to talk to each of the members already on our team. Is that alright with you?¡± Chi-Woo told him to do as he saw fit, and Eval immediately went to Ru Amuh first. ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a bit. Could you guide us to a quiet place?¡± Eval asked, and Ru Amuh immediately got up from his seat. He took Eval to one of the rooms. Not long afterward, Ru Amuh came back out alone. ¡°Eval said he would like to talk to Lady Evelyn next,¡± he said. The way Ru Amuh smiled while talking softly showed that he was in a pretty good mood. Evelyn took a slightly longer time in the room than Ru Amuh, but when she came out, she also had a faint smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Ms. Byeok? I think he wants to see you next.¡± Evelyn watched as Byeok quietly got up and entered the room before shooting a mysterious smile at Chi-Woo. ¡°I was worried since he looked like some gangster, but¡­I suppose a hero is a hero.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. He wondered what kind of conversation they shared that she would be acting like this. Then a couple more people entered the room and reemerged. There were some who returned immediately, and some who spent a longer time. Then, after meeting Hawa last, Eval finally got out of the room. Hawa looked slightly pale for some reason. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve talked to everyone here.¡± Eval stretched his jaws sideways and loosened up his lips. ¡°And it seems like we should form a temporary team first.¡± ¡°A team?¡± ¡°Yes, I think we need at least one team to do public activities.¡± Chi-Woo thought over what Eval said and nodded. ¡®Let¡¯s trust Mr. Eval Sevaru and my intuition,¡¯ he thought. Since he had recruited Eval with great difficulty, he thought he should support Eval as much as he could in the beginning. As soon as Chi-Woo gave his order, Eval called upon a couple of people. With Ru Amuh as the head and captain, he chose Ru Hiana, Hawa, Evelyn, and Eshnunna. It was a balanced team with two swordsmen, a guide, a priest, and a magician¡ªno, a witch. ¡°We should get these five to work together for now. Of course, I¡¯m not saying that there¡¯s anyone I don¡¯t like, but this is the best team we can come up with given the few members we have. And boss and I will be so busy from now on. We won¡¯t be able to hang around here like before. Since we still need people to represent us in public activities, though, I will ask this team to fulfill that responsibility.¡± Some looked displeased by this news, but they didn¡¯t say anything. It appeared that Eval had already talked to them about this matter inside the room. ¡°For convenience''s sake, I will call this team, ¡®Team 1¡¯ from now on.¡± ¡°I understand your reasoning for making this team, but what do we do from now on?¡± Ru Amuh suddenly asked after listening quietly for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± Eval said. ¡°You are the captain of this team. Although you¡¯re put together sort of hastily, this is the first monumental team we formed.¡± Though it was on a small scale, it didn¡¯t change the fact that they had created an official group, which meant the members of this group had been acknowledged for their skills, and with that came greater expectations. ¡°A captain isn¡¯t in a position where they should just follow boss¡¯ orders. You have to also prove your worth on your own.¡± As the captain was given enough authority to act independently, he had to shoulder more responsibilities. ¡°Truthfully, I also think it¡¯s too early to implement this system. I¡¯d like to carefully inspect every member equally if possible. Still, I¡¯m entrusting the job to you because boss trusts you so much.¡± Furthermore, Ru Amuh needed to know how to take initiative. Rather than a dog that just chased his owner around, he needed to be a hunting dog that went off and came back with prey caught on his own. ¡°So, you should at least think about what you can do to help our development and carry them out. If there¡¯s a need, you can hold internal team meetings. But since we already have so much to do, don¡¯t give us any extra workload in the process.¡± Ru Amuh appeared happy hearing Eval¡¯s words. He seemed very touched by Chi-Woo¡¯s trust in him above all else. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you should act however you want. Please at least report to us before you do anything.¡± ¡°Of course. I know at least that much,¡± Ru Amuh replied. Byeok nodded, looking satisfied. Someone who didn¡¯t know the situation well would think that Eval was acting on his own and bossing people around, but it was the opposite, really. This was evident by the way Eval informally asked for Chi-Woo¡¯s permission every time he did something and the way he answered Ru Amuh¡¯s question. Furthermore, he was simply distributing the workload. He was telling Ru Amuh that he would respect his authority, so he shouldn¡¯t interfere with his, and everyone should only focus on their own jobs. Of course, it was still too early to make judgments, but Eval seemed to be doing everything right so far. ¡°Okay, good. That¡¯s done then, and¡­¡± After settling the internal matters, Eval rubbed his hands together and looked back to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo realized it was his turn now and nodded. ¡°Boss,¡± Eval said bluntly, ¡°Let me borrow some of your money.¡± Chi-Woo looked curious. ¡°Money? How much?¡± ¡°Enough to renovate this whole zone. It would be nice if you could also give me enough for other miscellaneous expenses too.¡± ¡°Are you planning to renovate the area?¡± Chi-Woo asked. It sounded like Eval was going to break down the building they were living in to set up a whole new one. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Eval blinked in surprise and answered, ¡°Um¡­¡± He stroked his chin and said, ¡°Boss, before I answer that, why don¡¯t we go somewhere first?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Outside, of course. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not asking you on a date.¡± Eval started walking. While they walked, he suggested, ¡°Okay, now let¡¯s imagine that we are one of the tenth reinforcements who doesn¡¯t know anything about you or Liber, boss.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve arrived right at Shalyh and we¡¯re curious how the previous recruits before us set up the city. Thus, we¡¯re going to circle around the city once to gain information and join some activities.¡± Eval then stopped walking and looked in one direction. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that building?¡± Chi-Woo turned around and looked up, and his eyes widened while his jaw dropped. A large building that looked like a Byzantine-style church was being built. ¡°Oh, it makes me curious. I wonder who built such a cool-looking building. Hm~ Doesn¡¯t seem to be the official residence.¡± As if he was really one of the tenth reinforcements who were soon to come, Eval acted really surprised and made a big fuss. ¡°What? It¡¯s where the Ho Lactae¡¯s head is? Ah~ No wonder! They really live up to their name.¡± Chi-Woo stared blankly at the building and glanced at it. ¡°But if they can raise a building like this, won¡¯t they have quite the resources? What can I do to join them? Should I look up the conditions to join?¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized why Eval had suggested they rebuild their building. And instead of returning home right away, they visited several other places¡ªthe other zones the Celestial Lights received after reaching gold ranks. They were all doing the same thing. Although their buildings didn¡¯t have the same dignified look as the Ho Lactae¡¯s, each of them was being renovated to separate them from the rest. ¡°How is it?¡± When they finally returned to their own zone, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but make a bitter smile at how shabby their base looked. After seeing all the other Celestial Lights¡¯ fancy buildings, it really hit him how different his seemed in comparison. This was a factor he never considered before. Given the kind of places he¡¯d been living and wandering in since his arrival at Liber, any proper residence appeared good enough for him. Yet he shouldn¡¯t have thought like that. Although it was true that his current residence was incomparably better than the one he first lived in since coming to this world, he needed to adjust his expectations to the present. ¡°I¡¯m the type of person who thinks the outside is as important as the inside. After all, appearances are what people look at first. And that¡¯s why the visible environment is so important. It gives authority to someone who has none.¡± Authority was the power that a person wielded to influence society, and it didn¡¯t just come out of nothing. It needed to be created. ¡°Think about it. How would it be if an official residence that determined a city¡¯s affairs wasn¡¯t like the buildings we saw, but some old cottage house?¡± Authority often came with formalities and procedures. ¡°Of course, a famous name like the legend crushes the necessity of all that, but that¡¯s only possible if the other party recognizes the name too. But boss, you are¡­¡± Eval didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but Chi-Woo got what he meant. Though he was going around publicly with his original name now, he still hadn¡¯t revealed his family name save for a few exceptions. Furthermore, it was true that he wasn¡¯t as famous as he should be considering all the achievements he had made until now since he had purposefully tried to not stand out. But he couldn¡¯t do that from now on. Even if he didn¡¯t want to, he needed to put himself in the spotlight. Since he didn¡¯t want to reveal his family name, he at least needed to put his achievements in the open to compete against the Celestial Lights. But besides that, Chi-Woo had some other realistic concerns. ¡°But I worry about how much it will cost.¡± It wasn¡¯t like they were buying some pieces of equipment. They needed to completely renovate their residence. Zelit¡¯s project had required 300,000 royal as a starting fund. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t imagine the cost of construction of this scale. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to get estimates. Let¡¯s go, boss.¡± ¡°We are going somewhere again?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have some connections with the buhguhbus thanks to my introductions? You should use them in times like this.¡± Eval led Chi-Woo elsewhere. Chi-Woo was hesitant to go to the buhguhbu¡¯s place, but he was happy to see Grandpa Mangil welcome him with open arms again. ¡°I was wondering when you would seek me out and have been waiting for you. I thought a person of your standing would definitely start renovating his place by now. If you came any later than today, I was thinking about sending one of my people to your place to inquire.¡± This was the power of connections. Mangil was still grateful about what happened with Dalgil, and he told Chi-Woo valuable information that the construction of one of Shalyh¡¯s gateways had come to an end, and that they were having difficulties disposing of the remaining materials from that project. Thanks to that and Eval¡¯s haggling skills, they were able to get a much lower estimate for the renovation of their building than they had expected. Nevertheless, it was still a big sum that made Chi-Woo hesitate. Naturally, they didn¡¯t have enough savings. ¡°That¡¯s why I said we should take loans. And there¡¯s only one person who could lend us such a sum. Even if you don¡¯t want to, could you use your connections again?¡± In the end, Chi-Woo was convinced by Eval to visit that one person, and of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t go empty-handed. ¡°Why are you visiting all the time now¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun was about to really scold Chi-Woo this time for barging into his office when he noticed what Chi-Woo had. Thud. ¡°¡­Hm. Well, come in. Hope the walk here wasn¡¯t too tiring.¡° He immediately changed his tune when he saw the seven-tier lunchbox set that Chi-Woo placed on the table. Then, after feeling the heavy weight of the lunchbox set and feeling pleased with it, he glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°It seems like you didn¡¯t come to just give me this.¡± ¡°Uh¡­the truth is¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head and gave his brother a silly smile. ¡°Could you lend us some money?¡± ¡°Money? How much?¡± When he heard the exact amount, Chi-Hyun looked a bit stunned. ¡°What do you need so much money for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m planning to fix up my place.¡± ¡°Is the place you currently have too small?¡± ¡°Rather than that¡­you know I have to work in a group rather than on my own. I need to set up an environment that matches that. Besides, the tenth reinforcements are going to come soon¡­¡± Chi-Hyun looked a bit surprised by Chi-Woo¡¯s words, but in the end, he smiled. It was obvious Chi-Woo had heard about this from someone else and was simply repeating it. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t say that part aloud though. His brother was still learning how to lead other people and above all, was trying. Thus, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t ask any more questions and made a call. Soon afterward, Noel came in with a heavy bag on her shoulders. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°What¡­you are giving it to me this easily?¡± Chi-Woo looked astonished. ¡°Why?¡± Chi-Hyun asked indifferently while loosening the cloth wrapping his seven-tier lunch box. ¡°Your reason for borrowing the money is valid, and you¡¯ve made achievements worthy of making such a request.¡± Clack. Chi-Hyun looked very satisfied seeing the food on the first tier. ¡°Is there any reason to not hand you that money?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s reasons were logical and reasonable, so it made sense he should oblige. But Chi-Woo asked carefully, ¡°Is there anyone else who borrowed such a large amount beside me?¡± ¡°There were many.¡± Chi-Hyun raised his chopsticks and gulped. ¡°I¡¯m also counting the last time you came with your friend to borrow money, though I didn¡¯t give you the loan as easily as this time¡­¡± Chi-Hyun flicked his hand around while wondering joyfully what he should eat first. And he told Chi-Woo to leave if he had said everything he needed to say. Thus, Chi-Woo shrugged and turned around. ¡°Wow, the legend sure is generous!¡± Eval cheered at the money Chi-Woo brought as soon as he came back home. ¡°And boss, where is the contract? I¡¯m sure the legend set it up nicely considering what you told me last time.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°A contract. Did you not draft a single contract after borrowing a large sum?¡± And when Chi-Woo replied that he didn¡¯t have anything like that and just received the money, Eval let out a humorless laugh. ¡°Seriously? I heard that even the Ho Lactea left the official residence all red-faced and gritting her teeth¡­ Well, this is good. Seems like we would be able to make our construction project bigger than we thought.¡± Eval seemed so pleased that he sang his words. Chi-Woo thus replied, ¡°Really? Then should I ask for a bit more?¡± ¡°No, no! It¡¯s fine! This is good enough!¡± Eval hurriedly stopped Chi-Woo. ¡°There¡¯s no favor done with no strings attached.¡± There was always a limit. They couldn¡¯t expect Chi-Woo¡¯s brother to keep looking out for him just because they were siblings. ¡°We need to repay this sum as fast as we can and even more,¡± Eval said. They needed to use the money for the right purpose and achieve results that surpassed the amount they spent. And thus, they would be able to show the legend how much they managed to achieve with the loan. Only then would they be able to build trust and confidently borrow money from Chi-Hyun again. ¡°Then, there¡¯s only one thing left to do.¡± They had already done many things: Chi-Woo had successfully acquired Ru Amuh¡¯s zone, Eval had helped form an internal hierarchy within their group, and they had prepared to renovate their environment according to their status and authority. While they had established the foundation to set up a proper system, there was still one thing missing. They had been pushing it aside to progress other things forward, but it was something they should¡¯ve done from the beginning. Chi-Woo asked what it was that they needed to do, and Eval pointed to their zone¡¯s ground and said, ¡°Let¡¯s decide the name for this place.¡± CH 306 Education, Transportation, Employment, Environment, and other aspects of a society. Places with well-established systems in these regards were often characterized as good places to move to and settle down. The same was true for the holy city, Shalyh. The more influential an organization was, the more importance it put on its symbol and how it was viewed by others. For example, taking root at a prominent location and demonstrating its power could be seen as one of the ways to showcase an organization¡¯s influence. In fact, all the organizations established by the Celestial Lights were located near the center of the city, where administrative agencies were gathered. In that sense, the location of Chi-Woo¡¯s district, which was located in the vicinity of the central square, was comparable to theirs. No¡ªrather, it could be said that his location was the best among all the organizations. When they first moved to Shalyh, Ru Amuh was the only hero at gold tier, so he was able to gain special privileges faster than anyone else and occupy the best location among all the organizations. As a result, many passed by his zone often as they went around Shalyh. And today, those who usually walked right past it all stopped and did a double take with an expression of curiosity. ¡°Hey, punk! Why aren¡¯t you working properly? Do you know how much it costs per sheet?¡± There was a loud cry amid the cacophony of hammering. Anyone could see that this area was under construction. They all looked up and gaped. The scale of the construction was no less impressive or even more so than Ho Lactea¡¯s zone, and news about this new construction quickly spread to every corner of the city. People¡¯s reactions were on the positive side, since this was the only existing organization not established by one of the Celestial Lights. ¡°It¡¯s really amazing. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s competing with the Celestial Lights on the same level when he doesn¡¯t have any backing.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s making me change my perspective. There¡¯s nothing even us normal heroes can¡¯t do.¡± Ordinary heroes heard the news and got motivated, thinking they might be able to compete with the Celestial Lights as well. ¡°By the way,¡± then someone suddenly became curious and asked, ¡°What was that guy¡¯s name again?¡± * * * The renovation started. It was a large-scale construction project that completely renovated the entire area. As a result, Chi-Woo had to leave and live in an inn. Thanks to Chi-Hyun lending him sufficient funds, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have to live in the streets. Now, everyone was sitting in the same room and were in the midst of a heated discussion. ¡°Thus senior spoke. I say we go with this. Sentence titles are the trend these days! Come on, doesn¡¯t it sound cool and unique?¡± Ru Hiana said enthusiastically. The current meeting¡¯s main topic was to decide on the name of their group that would soon become an official organization. ¡°Ruana. That name is a bit¡­¡± ¡°What? Then Ruahu, why don¡¯t you give your opinion?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have anything in mind!¡± When Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t say anything, Ru Hiana scolded him. ¡°Is there a reason why it has to be unique?¡± Byeok, who had been listening silently, gave her two cents. ¡°Since it¡¯s a group name, shouldn¡¯t it have some dignity? In that sense, a simple name with sufficient gravitas would be good.¡± She exhaled a couple puffs of smoke and quietly continued after a pause, ¡°For example, god of war.¡± ¡°Hahk!¡± ¡°A true hero should respect¡ª¡± Byeok stopped and turned around mid-sentence because she heard someone burst out laughing before quickly swallowing the sound. The fenrir cub swung their head and quickly dropped down in a hurry, looking into the distance while doing their best to hide their face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just use Choi?¡± Evelyn couldn¡¯t stand their ridiculous debate any longer and stepped forward. ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s the best suggestion so far.¡± Eval Sevaru had been praying silently, ¡®God, please save these idiots¡¯, and he replied to Evelyn as if she was the lone ray of hope. ¡°Since all the other organizations just used the name of their families.¡± For example, Alice used Ho Lactea, Emmanuel used Eustitia, and Apoline used Afrilith. Their intention was clear. The Celestial Lights were already so famous that they could gain significant promotional effects for just using their names. ¡°Boss, if you have any intentions to do that, we won¡¯t have to worry about recruiting people in the future, but¡­¡± Eval Sevaru glanced at Chi-Woo and trailed off. It would be a lie if he said he didn¡¯t feel regretful. He had heard there was a special circumstance why Chi-Woo had been keeping his background hidden, and this was a matter that shouldn¡¯t even be brought up, let alone dig further into. ¡°What about you, do you have any opinions?¡± Eval Sevaru immediately changed the subject and shifted the focus to the woman talking to the air. ¡°Hehe. Ice¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Salem Eshnunna?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you come¡­ah, yes?¡± Eshnunna managed to come to her senses and looked around. She was flustered when everyone stared at her, but she answered, ¡°Uh¡­um, what about Salem?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Hawa snorted. ¡°Then let¡¯s go with Shahnaz.¡± She quickly retorted, and her gaze clashed with Eshnunna¡¯s. Overwhelmed with grief, Eval Sevaru lowered his head. Then he saw a white slime-looking fellow tugging at the hem of his pants at his feet. ¡°Pyupyu.¡± ¡°¡­What.¡± ¡°Pyupyu.¡± ¡°What do you want, punk? What? You want our organization to be called PyuPyu?¡± ¡°Pyu!¡± ¡°Stop with the fucking nonsense, for real.¡± Eval Sevaru scowled immediately. ¡°¡­Pyu¡­¡± The sullen Steam Bun crawled back to Chi-Woo and began crying as if it got seriously hurt. ¡°Boss¡­¡± Eval Sevaru called out desperately to Chi-Woo while brushing his hair back. If Chi-Woo gave similar suggestions as the rest, Eval thought he might really fall into despair. After some time, Chi-Woo, who had been lost in thought with his arms crossed, said, ¡°Chilsung¡­¡± He recited briefly and shook his head right away because he suddenly thought of soda. [1]. If his brother heard this, he¡¯d make fun of them, saying they¡¯re a cider organization. Chi-Woo wondered how he should phrase it, and after a short contemplation, he said something that suddenly came to his mind, ¡°Seven Stars.¡± [2] People¡¯s reactions were hard to decipher; it wasn¡¯t good or bad, and they seemed curious about the meaning. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°I got the idea from the Big Dipper. In my home, the Big Dipper is an extremely famous religious figure that people pray to. The Big Dipper consists of seven stars and can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere, and it holds a significant amount of historical, cultural, and religious value to many countries. Of course, you can¡¯t see it on this planet, but¡­¡± Although Chi-Woo added more information to his explanation, he didn¡¯t really have a special reason for suggesting this name. Seven stars made up the Big Dipper, and the number of ¡®stars¡¯ that his special privilege allowed was also seven. When Chi-Woo recalled the message that Ru Amuh had become his first ¡®star¡¯, he thought of using this name. After all, he planned to bring all seven of them under this organization. And the name Seven Stars naturally came to mind. ¡°Ultimately, it¡¯s a message hoping for Liber¡¯s salvation, but it¡¯s still related to a very personal purpose¡­ Is it not suitable?¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head and asked carefully. ¡°No, not at all,¡± Eval Sevaru immediately replied. ¡°That¡¯s great, boss. Seven Stars. Let¡¯s go with that.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t say it was a very good name, it was at least 100 times better than names like Thus Senior Spoke and PyuPyu. ¡°Does everyone agree?¡± He asked out of formality¡¯s sake and glared at everyone as if he was determined to kill any who dared to raise an objection. ¡°I think Thus Senior Spoke is really cool and good, but¡­¡± Ru Hiana mumbled in disappointment, but she didn¡¯t object either. And like this, the name of the organization led by Chi-Woo was decided¡ªSeven Stars. * * * While making various preparations, Chi-Woo obtained a new hobby. To be exact, it was more of a habit than a hobby, and it was trying hard to pay attention to the news circulating in the city. Knowledge was power, and they no longer needed to fight purely for survival. As his brother said, he needed to learn how to read the flow of how things were going. ¡°So boss, you¡¯re saying that the Celestial Lights know your identity?¡± Talking to Eval Sevaru about his relationship with other people was also a part of this process. There wasn¡¯t only one organization in Shalyh. Excluding Ismile, who kept to himself, and Yeriel, who lived as a houseguest in Eustitia¡¯s zone, there were four organizations in total. Currently, the minimum condition for receiving a zone was to be gold tier, so more organizations would probably emerge in the future. After a certain period of time, they might explode in number. So in a way, the present might be a golden opportunity to fully enjoy the preemptive advantage as one of the early organizations, just as the tenth reinforcements were about to arrive. However, the problem was that there were four such organizations even now. Considering the timing, they couldn¡¯t help but be wary of each other. Although they had all entered Liber under the same purpose, political interests were at stake since the different families wanted their family to lead Liber¡¯s salvation. Furthermore, they were in an environment with scarce resources to grow, so just because they had the same purpose didn¡¯t mean that they¡¯d get along all fine and dandy. In other words, there may be a situation in which allies kept each other in check. Of course, it was possible for them to hold hands and aim for a constructive relationship without being antagonistic. Therefore, one of the things Chi-Woo needed to consider as the leader was how he was going to handle the organization¡¯s relationship with other organizations. And this was where the importance of whether the leaders of the other three organizations knew Chi-Woo¡¯s identity came into play. ¡°Normally, we¡¯re supposed to go and suck up to them, but¡­¡± The situation wasn¡¯t cut and dry since Chi-Woo was keeping his identity a secret. The Celestial Lights would have a hard time coming up to him first out of pride, but they couldn¡¯t just sit still and wait considering his identity. ¡°They¡¯re probably having a headache by now. They probably want you to come to them first, but¡­there¡¯s no reason for you to move according to their wishes.¡± Chi-Woo listened to Eval Sevaru and vowed to pay attention to his each and every action in the future. Such was the life of a celebrity. Even their smallest actions and movements were scrutinized and given meaning, and no one knew how their actions would be reinterpreted among those who loved to talk. ¡°If there¡¯s something people want, it¡¯s only right for them to give something first. Let¡¯s wait for now. Besides Ho Lactea and Nahla, the other three¡¯s circumstances are different. If they¡¯re desperate, they¡¯ll come to you, at least because of the Hala Forest matter.¡± Eval Sevaru confidently said they should wait and see, and his prediction was proven true. ¡°Hello.¡± A woman wearing a veil on her face visited the inn where Chi-Woo was staying. ¡°I¡¯m Alice Ho Lactea.¡± The head of the Ho Lactea, who was rapidly increasing the value of her stock price these days, came to visit him in person. ¡°I heard you registered as an organization two days ago.¡± Chi-Woo looked flustered meeting her in such a humble place. Alice continued, ¡°To congratulate the official launch of the Seven Stars and for the sake of Liber, I look forward to your cooperation with Ho Lactea in the future¡­¡± She was being neither negative nor antagonistic, but her attitude and tone were extremely businesslike. She seemed to be emphasizing that she came here purely out of courtesy. Then Alice appropriately finished her pleasantries and held out her arms after some hesitation. ¡°¡­Will you accept it?¡± Her slender hands were holding a bouquet of flowers. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t exactly know why she visited, but since she had gone out of her way to seek him out, he accepted the bouquet without much thought. ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you.¡± At that moment, Chi-Woo was clearly able to see Alice¡¯s lips slightly open and close under her veil¡ªas if she was shocked. ¡°I will treasure the bouquet as a token of our friendship. I look forward to your cooperation as well.¡± Then he heard a sharp intake of breath at his following words. Alice, who opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish, shut her mouth tightly in the end. And this was the end of their meeting. Alice quickly left like a slightly deranged person. Chi-Woo thought, ¡®What¡¯s up with her?¡¯ Eval Sevaru, who had been in a tense state, also had a blank look on his face. He stared at the floor and seemed to be thinking extremely hard. ¡®What just happened?¡¯ Eval Sevaru was also confused. He had expected someone to come, but he had never imagined that person would be Ho Lactea in his wildest dreams. The Ho Lactea were authoritative and unrivaled in their arrogance, and someone from such a family, especially a promising talent like her, would certainly know the meaning of her actions. However, she had come to visit Chi-Woo in person and handed him a bouquet of flowers herself. Flowers were used to signify celebration in many worlds, so her intention was clear. It was further supported by the way she acted. Chi-Woo must have thought she was being businesslike and formal, but Eval Sevaru, who relatively knew the relationship between the Ho Lactea and Choi Family well, could not believe his eyes. She might as well be a peacock spreading feathers and rubbing against Chi-Woo while saying, ¡®Hi? Are you Seven Stars? I¡¯m Ho Lactea. Why don¡¯t we become friends?¡¯ Considering their surnames alone, this was something that could never happen, since it was an open secret that the Ho Lactea¡¯s long-cherished desire was to surpass the Chois and rise to the top. Thus, he was curious about her intentions. Unless there were some complicated circumstances, she must have some other hidden motive. While Eval Sevaru was struggling to figure out what was going on, Alice was trudging back to her zone with one hand on her frantically beating heart. Since she was a member of the two parties involved, she knew better than anyone of the hostile relationship between the Choi and Ho Lactea family. Chi-Hyun hated the Ho Lacteas, and he abhorred anyone who had the last name. It would be a lie if she didn¡¯t think this was cruel, but Alice could understand him; even she thought the elders of her family provided more than enough reason for him to hate them. Anyway, she had thought his younger brother would not be much different. In fact, when she first introduced herself after the meeting they had both been part of, his reaction had been rather closed-off. At that time, she was disappointed, but not surprised. Still, she was curious. She wanted to see him again and talk to him a bit more. Her sister, Elrich, had managed to raise their always second-place family to almost the Choi Family¡¯s level by leading the Ho Lactea to a new golden age, and she¡¯d made various legendary achievements. She was someone Alice deeply admired. And he was the youngest son of Elrich. Alice hadn¡¯t expected much when she visited Chi-Woo today, and she was fully prepared to get the door slam on her face like when she went to visit Chi-Hyun. Even if that happened, she was determined to relay this message: since we¡¯ve all come to Liber, let¡¯s cooperate without fighting each other regardless of the interests of our family. But¡­ ¡®He accepted it.¡¯ He even let her in and accepted her bouquet and thanked her. She had expected him to chase her out but received a polite welcome instead. Alice had been shocked to see his reaction, and his smiling face still lingered in her mind. All kinds of thoughts passed through her head. Did he just accept it out of courtesy? Perhaps? Maybe? Although her face was hidden under a veil, she was daydreaming all sorts of scenarios. ¡®Maybe he¡­he doesn¡¯t hate or detest me that much?¡¯ A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. If that was the case¡­ ¡®Maybe¡­he might be different from oldest oppa.¡¯ By the time she came to this conclusion, Alice¡¯s steps became cheerful and light enough to fly in a gentle breeze. 1. There is a drink in Korea called chilsung cider ? 2. Chilsung can also mean seven stars in Korean or an abbreviation of the Big Dipper. ? CH 307 No one had expected Alice Ho Lactea¡¯s visit, but Eval thought he could use this opportunity. Although he had joined Seven Stars with great reluctance, he wanted to do a proper job now that he was part of the group. His goal was to make Seven Stars the most influential faction among the human factions on Liber. It wasn¡¯t an unreachable dream, but had a good possibility of becoming true. Of course, he didn¡¯t think it would be an easy task since there would be many worthy competitors. Among them, he thought the Ho Lactea would become the greatest obstacle in their pursuit to reach the goal. But contrary to these expectations, the Ho Lactea admitted defeat before they even clashed. Although he had originally planned to form positive relationships with the other Celestial Lights and isolate the Ho Lactea, this changed things. In military terms, it was as if a superior had joined hands with their superior. And with this reunion, they could crush groups like the Afrilith and Eustitia if they wanted to. Now that his strategic plan had been overturned like this, Eval needed to rethink things. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need to formulate a new strategic plan.¡± Eval smirked. Other groups had probably already received news about Alice Ho Lactea¡¯s visit. They were probably anxiously wondering what Chi-Woo¡¯s group would do from now on. And it was up to them whether they would stand resolute by themselves or come seeking an alliance with them like Ho Lactea. *** As Eval expected, there was a great buzz inside the Afrilith headquarters because of the news that Ho Lactea visited the Seven Stars. The Seven Stars were recognized to have led the successful conquest of the Hala Forest, so it was even more startling. Apoline, who had already proclaimed herself as Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s future wife, was enraged to hear the news. She had been wondering whether she should visit Chi-Woo, or if Chi-Woo would visit her first, and was stunned to hear that the fox from the Ho Lacteas had taken the first step. Her subordinates were busy appeasing her. But unlike Afrilith, the Eustitia side was unexpectedly quiet. Rather than a commotion, there seemed to be hushed murmurings as a foreboding atmosphere surrounded the space. Still, the meeting between Ho Lactea and Seven Stars was also a hot topic there. There were rumors that Alice went to Seven Stars¡¯ headquarters in person and came out of the building while jumping up and down in glee. Everything must have gone according to her wishes. Thus, one would think members of Eustitia, especially Emmanuel, would respond passionately to this news too, but for some reason, he remained silent. He showed no response and had been holing up in his room ever since he came back from the Hala Forest expedition. ¡°Tch. What in the world is he doing? He left the job to us, but never shows up anywhere. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s wandering around busily either¡­¡± ¡°These days, I am starting to regret joining this group. I only joined out of trust in Eustitia''s name¡­¡± Thus, the members of Esutitia were raising their complaints more and more, yet there were still some who trusted Emmanuel. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. This is Eustitia we¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m sure he is thinking of something.¡± Contrary to their expectations, though, Emmanuel truly hadn¡¯t been doing anything. He simply stared into space while lying on the bed. Of course, he knew that this wasn¡¯t the right thing to do. Yet¡­ [How pathetic.] Emmanuel could hear his father¡¯s voice ring in his ears. [Don¡¯t go around saying that you are a Eustitia.] [How in the world did such a defective child come from our family?] Even his siblings¡¯ voices trailed behind his father¡¯s. Emmanuel made a bland smile. He recalled a memory he didn¡¯t really want to remember, but he didn¡¯t feel much because he had heard them so many times since his youth. Emmanuel simply stared at the ceiling and turned to his side on his bed. Just staring into space seemed to trigger the memories, and Emmanuel closed his eyes. [You pitiful boy.] Yet this time, the old dingo¡¯s voice also rang in his ears. [You came to this place not knowing it was your deathbed¡­ No, were you pushed into it? Tch!] These were the words he had heard as soon as he entered the room where the old dingo was. He didn¡¯t know who this dingo was, but he was surprised that she knew the truth. It all started with a meeting with his family. They said that the Eustitias also needed to send at least one member for the selection process of recruits to be deployed to Liber. Since all the other families, including the Ho Lacteas, were sending one of their own, they couldn¡¯t stand and do nothing when they were one of the top Celestial Lights. As expected, no one volunteered. Even though the situation had improved a bit, Liber was still a world even the legend failed to fix. What would happen if they were chosen in the selection process and really had to go to Liber as a recruit? There would be no turning back then. There were many other places to go to, and no one wanted to go to a place with the worst survival rate to simply die. It was a very human reason for a family made up of pure human blood. The opinions of the elders were similar. Every one of their family members was precious reinforcement that they didn¡¯t want to waste. Thus, they wanted to do the least while not losing face, and thus, they naturally thought of the one black sheep ¡®they wouldn¡¯t care in the slightest even if he died or disappeared the next day.¡¯ Though there wasn¡¯t much to Emmanuel, he had a thorough lineage and was perfect to use as a throwaway card. And though no one outrightly pressured him, Emmanuel clearly felt that everyone in his family wished for him to enter the selection process for Liber. Thus, he said he would go. That was the first time Emmanuel was treated as a true member of the Eustitia family. Elders had visited him personally, saying that he really was a son of the Eustitia family, and that they would give him ample support. Even his father¡ªthe head of the family, who usually never gave him any attention, spoke to him then. [¡­Since you were born, you are finally doing something useful.] Perhaps it was fine for the head of the family to say this, but these were words that a parent should never say to their child. Nevertheless, that was how Emmanuel joined the selection process and became a recruit. Though he hadn¡¯t expected much, Emmanuel was surprised by the news. A part of him was worried, but when he first arrived at Liber, Emmanuel was full of dreams. It was the first time he received such good treatment from his family, and furthermore, the Celestial Realm¡¯s orb judged that he was suitable to enter Liber. Emmanuel imagined what would happen if he went to Liber like this and helped save it. What would happen if he returned to his family after that? The thought of it made him smile, and his body trembled. He didn¡¯t care if it was childish of him to dream such fantasies. As someone who had been disregarded for so long, he wanted attention more than anyone else, and thus, his entrance into Liber was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him. An opportunity to prove himself and show his family that he wasn¡¯t a useless defect, but someone useful. And things hadn¡¯t been so bad in the beginning. He was able to get ahead of everyone else thanks to the merits he got from his family, and when he revealed that he was a Eustitia, people naturally followed him. It was the first time Emmanuel had felt this level of respect. And as Emmanuel continued forth like that, he began to have hope that his dreams might really come true¡ªat least that was before he participated in the expedition at the Hala Forest. At the Hala Forest, Emmanuel had felt his weakness to the core. But perhaps he could¡¯ve overcome that since there were others who hadn¡¯t been able to do anything like him. And the one who had done all the work wasn¡¯t from any other family, but the youngest of the Chois and the brother of the legend. Though they were both humans, he was able to accept that Chi-Woo was stronger than him since he came from a background that was on a whole different level than him. [You should¡¯ve feigned ignorance and hung on. What did you come here for?] [I can see it. There¡¯s the smell of death all around you.] [I understand why you came¡­but you also know why things are difficult for you.] [It¡¯s so cruel. I don¡¯t really know where the place you came from is, but I can¡¯t believe they pushed a young one like you over. It astonishes me the more I think about it. The other hero at least came for a sibling, but this guy¡­] Emmanuel felt irked hearing the old dingo¡¯s words. He wanted to yell at the dingo asking what she knew, flip his chair over, and walk out of the room. But he knew better than anyone else that the old dingo was speaking the truth. Thus, he asked what he could possibly do to not die and achieve what he dreamed of. The old dingo didn¡¯t speak for a long time. [Ha¡­] After a long sigh, she clicked her tongue. [I feel like you¡¯re bearing a burden you don¡¯t really need to bear, but¡­ Since nothing in the world is definite, I will tell you. Perhaps it would help lessen that load on your shoulders.] The old dingo murmured to herself and cleared her throat. Then she said: [Stick to the one who can save you. An opportunity won¡¯t come rolling your way if you stand still. Even if the person doesn¡¯t want to and looks discomforted, hang onto them with all your might. That¡¯s the only way a guy like you can live.] Emmanuel didn¡¯t know what the old dingo meant exactly. Thus, he asked for clarification, and the old dingo snorted. [Is there even a need to ask when you have witnessed his power in person?] It was then a person came to Emmanuel¡¯s mind. It was the man he had been thinking about on his way here. [The one waiting outside should¡¯ve died a couple times since coming to this world as well, but it was thanks to sticking close to that one man that he lived.] [If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you go talk to him? Have a good conversation between the two of you.] If what Emmanuel thought was right, he knew who this old dingo was talking about. Thus, after going outside, Emmanuel organized his thoughts and sought out Ru Amuh. [I¡¯m Eustitia¡¯s Emmanuel.] [¡­I¡¯m Ru Amuh.] Ru Amuh was the one who clung to Chi-Woo first. [I know your name. I have heard about it from time to time.] Yes, how could he forget? It was the hero he had heard his parents and siblings compare him to many times before. [I heard that a hero named Ru Amuh solved a star-cluster crisis and received privileges¡­] [It¡¯s really incredible considering that he is a hero with an ordinary background. How pitiful. If that guy were my son rather than Emmanuel¡­] Emmanuel planned to hide the fact that he already knew of him, but it couldn¡¯t be helped given the situation, and the old dingo did tell him to share a private conversation with the person he assumed to be Ru Amuh. [I would like to discuss something with you in private. Could you follow me?] That was why he had asked Ru Amuh to move elsewhere for a private duel. Though Ru Amuh had looked taken aback by this request, he accepted it easily. ¡°¡­¡± In the end, Emmanuel lost. Even though he had been called a ¡®defective product¡¯ since his youth, he was raised as one of the members of the Celestial Light. He had made a name for himself, while Ru Amuh was still a hero with an ordinary background; and yet Emmanuel had lost grip of his sword without being able to put up a proper fight. He still couldn¡¯t forget the way Ru Amuh looked down at him after sheathing his sword. ¡°¡­Kuh!¡± Recalling that incident made his insides boil again. He knew that Ru Amuh hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, but every time he recalled the incident, he couldn¡¯t help but shake all over. In the end, Emmanuel couldn¡¯t endure all the thoughts in his head and got up. ¡°Ah!¡± He met eyes with the person who was trying to put a blanket over him. It was one of the members of his group who became his follower after seeing his family name. He must have come to his room without Emmanuel noticing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just worried because you never came out of your room¡­ I didn¡¯t know you were sleeping¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­And¡­¡± The group member hesitated, but tried to carry on given all the group members¡¯ complaints had reached the highest point now. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know this, but¡­not long ago, a group called Seven Stars¡­¡± The group member quickly spoke while glancing at Emmanuel, but stopped when Emmanuel suddenly flinched. ¡°Captain?¡± Then Emmanuel got up and jumped off his bed. He opened the door roughly and went outside with a determined look on his face. *** Chi-Woo looked intently at Emmanuel. Besides the fact that Emmanuel had visited him all of a sudden, his condition didn¡¯t appear good at all. Chi-Woo remembered Emmanuel as a man who could rival Ru Amuh in handsomeness and had a noble air about him. Yet the man before him looked like a complete slob with greasy hair and sunken eyes rimmed with shadows. The reason for that was probably what happened at the Hala Forest. ¡®No...of course you could be sad about that¡­but he¡¯s a hero. How could that put him in such a state¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, not knowing what had happened between Emmanuel and the old dingo and Ru Amuh. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo waited for Emmanuel to reveal his reason for the visit. Emmanuel spoke after a long silence. ¡°Teacher¡­how is your relationship with your family members?¡± Emmanuel said, using the title that brought uncomfortable pressure to Chi-Woo a bit. Chi-Woo was a bit stunned at the unexpected question. Why was Emmanuel suddenly asking about his family relationships? ¡°Mine is not very good.¡± It appeared Emmanuel didn¡¯t really ask the question to get an answer. He raised his hand, and sparks sputtered from his fingertips as bluish electric currents formed. ¡°This is the Heavenly Drum. It¡¯s a power that allowed the Eustitias to join the ranks of the other Celestial Lights as mere humans. I suppose you already know this¡­¡± Chi-Woo recalled Emmanuel using this power at the Hala Forest before. There had been lightning sparks charging at the queen, but in the end, the queen came out the more amazing by withstanding such attacks. ¡°As long as someone has the Eustitia blood running through their veins, they can instinctively use this power from birth. Of course, there are individual differences on how well one can utilize this power, but¡­¡± Emmanuel trailed off and clenched his fist. Then he said, ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say that I can¡¯t wield this power very well. That was the reason why I was treated like a stain on the family.¡± Chi-Woo frowned. He was sorry to hear this, and Emmanuel made a bitter smile seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s response. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­really resent them. My parents, the other adults, and even I didn¡¯t give up on myself in the beginning.¡± He wasn¡¯t ostracized from the very beginning. As someone who had been born from a direct lineage, he received all sorts of attention and expectations at his birth. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t use even half the Heavenly Drum power that has been passed down through the Eustitia bloodline.¡± He didn¡¯t know the reason why. He was able to use 100 percent of the power when he first awakened the Heavenly Drum, but for some reason, the strength that he could harness dropped as he got older. And it wasn¡¯t like his family didn¡¯t do anything as his power lessened. They brought in great masters, collected all sorts of medicine said to help bring out the Heavenly Drum, and even used the family¡¯s secret resources to revive his power. Yet the strength of his Heavenly Drum continued to drop from 100% to 70-80%, and eventually, to below 50%. ¡°It¡¯s under 40% now. Who knows how much lower it would get from now on,¡± Emmanuel said. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In the end, we concluded that the problem was me. After trying all sorts of things, I alone was deemed responsible.¡± After trying possibly everything, it didn¡¯t seem like his condition would get fixed with medicine or discipline alone. He was the problem, it appeared. And when this conclusion was reached, Emmanuel was officially marked as a defective product. Emmanuel looked a bit relieved to spill all this since it was his first time revealing his story to somebody else. He licked his lips for a while and spoke cautiously again, ¡°To tell you the truth, I knew of your existence before, sir. Way before I even came to Liber.¡± ¡°You knew about me?¡± ¡°Yes. Choi Chi-Hyun¡¯s brother. I thought the brother of the legend would¡¯ve had quite a hard time,¡± Emmanuel replied. Yet that wasn¡¯t really the case. The Chi-Hyun he remembered was the older brother lying in front of the TV in a running shirt and scratching his thighs. ¡°I thought perhaps you didn¡¯t reveal yourself because you were afraid of being compared to your brother¡­and there was a time when I sympathized with you.¡± Chi-Woo thought it was interesting how Emmanuel had interpreted his situation. Though that wasn¡¯t what really happened, who knew how other people would interpret a famous person¡¯s behavior in their heads? Chi-Woo recalled Eval making the point repeatedly. ¡°Of course, after I came back from the Hala Forest expedition, I realized that all of that had been simply my delusions.¡± The battle between the queen and Chi-Woo¡¯s divine state had been jaw-dropping. As soon as Chi-Woo revealed his true powers, he crushed an enemy who everyone had been struggling with. It had been an overwhelming victory, and this experience made him realize why people considered the Choi family above the Ho Lacteas, who always proclaimed to be the best. It made him surprised, envious, and a little bit jealous. In some ways, they were in the same positions, but Chi-Woo managed to achieve things comparable to his brother rather than tainting his family¡¯s name. What Chi-Woo displayed was what Emmanuel dreamed to be. ¡°You were probably really surprised when I spoke to you last time. I think I was too desperate at the time when I think about it.¡± That was why he clung to Chi-Woo and begged on his knees for Chi-Woo to teach him how he can be just as strong. ¡°But I was really being genuine, and my heart hasn¡¯t changed since then,¡± Emmanuel said. His eyes were shining with determination. ¡°¡­Please.¡± He got up and placed both his hands on the table. ¡°Help me.¡± Thump. Then he bowed until his head touched the table. Chi-Woo saw clear desperation in Emmanuel¡¯s behavior and looked at him with his arms crossed. He thought about it deeply and realized that something about him had changed. Before, he would¡¯ve empathized with Emmanuel after hearing his story and treated him genuinely. Perhaps he would¡¯ve said a few words of encouragement. But that wasn¡¯t the case now. The first thing he thought was, ¡®¡­So what?¡¯ He wondered why Emmanuel was even telling him all this. And seeing this man, who had exhausted all his options and was coming to him for help, Chi-Woo wondered how he could use Emmanuel to the advantage of Seven Stars. Perhaps spending so much time with Eval Sevaru had influenced his way of thinking. ¡®Is this how one becomes a hero¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Eventually, he shook his head and got rid of unnecessary thoughts. Truthfully, he knew why Emmanuel came to see him from the beginning. He could make Emmanuel¡¯s wish a reality, but nothing was free in this world. Chi-Woo thought he should first check Emmanuel out before making his judgments and opened his Spirit Eye. He also didn¡¯t forget to use The Power to Rule the World either. ¡°?¡± Chi-Woo blinked fast. No matter how much he clenched his chain, there was no response. ¡®What?¡¯ No message popped into the air. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ This had never happened before, so Chi-Woo was stunned by what was happening and put more force into his grip. Then he felt like he was forcefully piercing through something that was blocked. Psssh! Fierce sparks flew out and disappeared. The color was different from the Heavenly Drum that Emmanuel demonstrated before. ¡°Huh?¡± Emmanuel raised his head in surprise at the sudden disturbance. Chi-Woo had instinctively raised his arms and looked away from the sparks before turning back to face Emmanuel. A description box that hadn¡¯t been there just a moment before appeared in the air. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Chi-Woo glanced at the screen, and his eyes narrowed. CH 308 1. Name & Rank: Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia (¡î¡î¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 21 3. Height & Weight: 177.8 & 70.2kg 4. Denomination: One of the ¡®Five Heavenly Kings¡¯ who serves the Jade Emperor and dispels evil: the White Horse General 5. Tier: Gold IV 6.Class: Infantry ¡ú Infantry Officer ¡ú Major¡ú[Commander] 7. Heavenly Title: Lightning that Failed to Strike 8. Disposition: Lawful Neutral [Strength B] [Durability C] [Agility B] [Stamina C] [Mental Fortitude C] [Mana B] 1. [Eustitia¡¯s 12 Special Arts B+] 2. [Proper Breathing A] Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. 1. [Speech that Wards Off Evil Spirits C] 2. [Resistance Against External Magic C] 3. [Divine Soldier D] 1. [Lightning Fire F] [1] Ability to conjure thunder and lightning. The Heavenly Drum artificially creates and utilizes electrostatic discharge, but this ability causes lightning by itself. This is an extremely rare ability, born among those from a powerful bloodline with electric energy. Considering its devastating force, users with this ability must go through two awakenings instead of one as with the Heavenly Drum. However, after the first awakening during the adjustment period, several wrong procedures and methods had a negative effect on the user. As a result, growth has completely stopped, and the ability¡¯s potential has been significantly reduced. [Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia - Page(1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 80% trust (Incomplete) 2. Become acknowledged by ¡®Byeok Ran-Eum¡¯, the Celestial Realm¡¯s examiner, and become her disciple (Incomplete) 3. Awaken ¡®Incomplete Lightning Fire¡¯ above F rank (Incomplete) 4. Use at least 4 and at most 6 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) Chi-Woo became briefly speechless after seeing Emmanuel¡¯s user information and the conditions to use his Power to Rule the World. First of all, there was a reason why his Spirit Eye and power hadn¡¯t worked. Lightning was one of the most common powers used to fight against evil or spiritual power since ancient times. In other words, Emmanuel was able to resist at least a little bit of his power using his innate ability. This was shocking considering that Chi-Woo¡¯s Spirit Eye was S rank, and it was pointless to mention the strength of the Power to Rule the World. The fact that Emmanuel could even put up a struggle against the two abilities was proof that Lightning Fire was just that strong. ¡®I hit the jackpot.¡¯ Chi-Woo struggled to close his mouth even after re-reading the description many times. Lighting Fire was an ability that progressed one level higher than the Heavenly Drum ability that enabled the Eustitias to reach their current level of status. It was an extremely rare ability that very few were born with. Emmanuel was not a defective product; rather, he was a gemstone that could shine brighter than anyone else. However, his value had been greatly damaged by the hasty actions of careless adults. ¡®Wait. So no one knew about this? Not even Emmanuel?¡¯ The information that Chi-Woo saw clearly indicated the name of the ability and the reason for Emmanuel¡¯s current state in plain writing. However, Emmanuel hadn¡¯t revealed the reason why he couldn¡¯t properly use his power, and in the first place, he had explained his power to Chi-Woo as Heavenly Drum instead of Lightning Fire. Perhaps the reason why it had taken a longer time to bring up Emmanuel¡¯s information than usual was that it had taken time to organize the correct information, which was incongruent to what was written in Emmanuel¡¯s user information. Either Emmanuel wasn¡¯t revealing everything about himself, or he really didn¡¯t know. ¡°Mr. Emmanuel.¡± Thus, Chi-Woo decided to check. ¡°Would you mind sharing your user information about that Heavenly Drum ability?¡± There was nothing more certain than seeing the other person¡¯s user information. Emmanuel hesitated for a moment at Chi-Woo¡¯s request, but he eventually revealed it out of pure desperation. After seeing Emmanuel¡¯s user information, it became clear to Chi-Woo that the quantity and quality of the user information provided by the Celestial Realm¡¯s device was lesser and lower than that of the information he could see with his Spirit Eye. On second thought, this was reasonable, as being able to see through the truth with spiritual eyes was leaps above the output calculated based merely on input data. On the other hand, this also meant that Lightning Fire was a power that the Celestial Realm and even the Eustitias hadn¡¯t been able to identify yet. This completely confirmed the superiority of information on Chi-Woo¡¯s side, and considering that he had more information and knowledge, he needed to use it properly. Chi-Woo focused on the part that said the potential of Emmanuel¡¯s ability had been greatly reduced. As was the case with Eshnunna, if everything went well, he could expect the birth of a four-star hero for the first time since Ru Amuh. If that really happened, he needed to make Emmanuel one of his stars at all costs. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be easy. Just using his Power to Rule the World wouldn''t solve everything. Besides the second and fourth condition, there was nothing Chi-Woo could do about the first and third condition. However, he couldn¡¯t just let it go like this. ¡®Lightning that failed to strike¡­ Awakening, adjustment¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo, who had been organizing his thoughts for a while, finally opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s hard. It won¡¯t be easy.¡± Chi-Woo saw Emmanuel¡¯s face turn into despair and continued, ¡°There is a way¡­but¡­¡± Emmanuel quickly raised his head. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright with me,¡± Emmanuel answered, as if it didn¡¯t matter at all to him. Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. You really could die, or end up worse than dead. It might be better to stay as you are.¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± Emmanuel straightened his posture. ¡°After entering and leaving the Hala Forest, I realized that I would die soon anyway at this rate.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. On Liber, what should be considered final bosses from other worlds appeared as mid-level bosses or even lower-level bosses. ¡°If I¡¯m going to die either way¡­I would rather grasp at a low possibility at least.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo could tell Emmanuel was resolute in his decision and assured of his choice. ¡®If that¡¯s the case.¡¯ ¡°¡­When seeds develop, sprout, and grow into plants, we call this process germination.¡± Chi-Woo continued with a slightly reluctant expression. ¡°But not all plants germinate only once. Although rare, there are plants that go through two or more germination processes.¡± Even though he said that apropos of nothing, Emmanuel intently hung onto every word as if he was listening to the greatest lesson on martial arts Chi-Woo continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t know that and mess with the plant¡¯s germination process¡­that plant will die. Before it can even bloom and bear fruit.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his chin slightly and looked at Emmanuel. ¡°Mr. Emmanuel, your situation is exactly like that from my point of view.¡± Emmanuel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Sir, are you saying that there is still¡­room for me to grow?¡± He asked again in disbelief, ¡°Me?¡± Chi-Woo nodded and continued, ¡°Yes, but in order to do so, you must first complete the germination that has stunted. In whatever way we can.¡± ¡°How can I¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s also something I can¡¯t do anything about. It¡¯s entirely up to you, Mr. Emmanuel.¡± Of course, since Emmanuel hadn¡¯t been able to fix his situation so far, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think he would suddenly be able to accomplish this feat. However, the situation might change if a specialist in this field took him under her wing and helped him out. ¡°My master might be able to help, but¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ Are you talking about Miss Byeok?¡± Emmanuel hesitated and continued, ¡°To be truthful, I have already asked her for help once before. As soon as I heard she¡¯d arrived at Liber¡­¡± Given the way he trailed off, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have to listen to the results to know what happened. Byeok Ran-Eum¡¯s personality¡ªno, philosophy of education was famous, as was her statement that she wouldn¡¯t teach someone who couldn¡¯t make it to the end. It was no wonder that receiving her education alone would be treated as a type of certificate. However, Chi-Woo thought he could at least do this much. ¡°Mr. Emmanuel, I¡¯ll ask her in your stead.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Emmanuel was delighted. Getting the help of a Celestial Realm certified examiner who had nurtured many celebrated heroes, including the legend, was the same as gaining thousands of troops and horses in a war. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°If I obtain her permission, when would you be able to start?¡± ¡°I can start right away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Chi-Woo stood up and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard the news, but the tenth reinforcements were found in the Hala Forest today.¡± Judging by Emmanuel¡¯s reaction, it seemed that he hadn¡¯t heard the news. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°The Cassiubia League will guarantee their safety and send them safely to Shalyh. I heard that it¡¯s going to take about three or four weeks¡­¡± Chi-Woo said with a slight smile, ¡°Let¡¯s finish this matter within that time frame.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, sir!¡± Emmanuel shouted in a voice stronger than ever. ¡°Thank you!¡± He also didn¡¯t forget to bow at a right angle. * * * After asking Emmanuel to wait for a while, Chi-Woo looked for his master. As always, she was lying on the verandah while puffing her pipe. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You¡¯ve been looking busy lately. Did you get stuck in the middle of your training or something?¡± Byeok asked with curiosity at his sudden visit. After hearing his explanation, she said bluntly, ¡°No. I already turned him down twice.¡± Chi-Woo had expected her refusal, but he was surprised to hear that she had already done so twice. ¡°Master, have you been asked to train him before?¡± ¡°When he was young, the Eustitias begged me so much that I went and checked on him briefly. But¡­¡± Byeok was about to say something, but suddenly paused, since personal family matters should not be talked about carelessly. ¡°It might have been different if they came to me earlier, but when I went to see him, it was all way too twisted up.¡± Chi-Woo, who had heard Emmanuel¡¯s personal circumstances, understood what she was talking about to a certain extent. ¡°I thought it might have gotten better over time, but when I saw him again, it only got worse than before. I doubt it would have gotten any better in that short time.¡± Byeok pulled the pipe from her mouth and let out a puff of hazy smoke. Chi-Woo waved off the smoke coming up to him and asked, ¡°Is it really not possible? Is there not even the slightest possibility?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s something you never know, since there¡¯s no such thing as never in this world¡­but, my answer is still no.¡± Byeok shook her head. ¡°I have some connections with the Eustitia family, and using my experience teaching a few of them, I was certain that he would never be able to revive his Heavenly Drum.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s something you won¡¯t know without trying.¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, no. He shouldn¡¯t do it.¡± Her tone was firm. ¡°I remember that those damn Eustitias interfered with his energy way too clumsily. He barely managed to keep his life, but if even one thing goes wrong now, I really can¡¯t guarantee he will survive.¡± It was a matter of probability, and not whether or not fixing Emmanuel¡¯s was possible. If there was a 1% chance that it might succeed, there was a 99% chance that it might fail. Chi-Woo looked taken aback. If things went wrong, Emmanuel might really die or become disabled. Chi-Woo had warned Emmanuel earlier as a bluff and hadn¡¯t known that Emmanuel¡¯s state really was so dire. ¡°But master, even then¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s not like you.¡± Byeok looked back at Chi-Woo as if she thought it was unexpected. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you implore someone so desperately. Did something happen?¡± Chi-Woo hesitated for a moment and made up his mind. ¡°¡­Is it not possible even if it¡¯s an incomplete awakening?¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Byeok looked visibly baffled. ¡°I understand that Mr. Emmanuel¡¯s Heavenly Drum has stopped growing.¡± Chi-Woo continued with a slightly nervous expression. ¡°Master, I would like to ask you to solve this problem. All you have to do is help him finish his growth, whatever the outcome may be.¡± ¡°You punk!¡± Byeok jumped up and lifted her pipe as if to strike him, but stopped at the last second. Then she stared at him for a long time. Her eyes narrowed a little, and she looked a bit angry. ¡°¡­Chi-Woo.¡± Then she spoke in a tone as if she was suppressing her anger. ¡°I¡¯ll look over this once because you might not know better, but if you knew what you were saying and still said that¡­I would have crushed your head just now.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°What you just told me is not much different from telling me to kill him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You have just told a master to kill her own disciple.¡± Byeok took a deep breath and calmed herself. ¡°Once I teach someone, they will always be my disciple no matter what happens. It¡¯s the same for you.¡± She pointed at Chi-Woo and continued, ¡°Have I ever wanted you to die? Did I ever push you to your death?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. She had never told him to die. Instead, Byeok had repeatedly told him to take care of himself and not to hesitate to break his promise with her if his life was in danger. ¡°And yet you are still asking me to teach him? When it¡¯s obvious what¡¯s going to happen?¡± Byeok¡¯s voice went beyond disappointment and sounded betrayed. Chi-Woo¡¯s heart became weak, but he clenched his teeth. He respected Byeok¡¯s principles, but if he stepped back, the situation would be over like this. He didn¡¯t want that¡ªit was for Emmanuel¡¯s sake, but also for himself. Thus, he said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to kill him.¡± ¡°What, what did you say?¡± ¡°Only then can we make it right.¡± Byeok¡¯s eyes widened, and she stared at Chi-Woo with disbelief. Chi-Woo cleared his throat and continued, ¡°Master, I¡¯m not trying to kill him. Rather, I¡¯m trying to save him.¡± Byeok became silent, made even more confused by his explanation. Since she had said this much, he should have understood her point by now. However, he wasn¡¯t backing down today and was stubborn as an ox. Why was he acting like this? She asked, ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°I swear on the name of La Bella.¡± Come to think of it, Chi-Woo had signed a contract with La Bella, the goddess of balance. Although Byeok didn¡¯t know what type of oath he had made, she could make a rough guess based on the kind of god La Bella was. It was probably a mission to correct the balance of Liber, and this applied to a vast range of matters, including not only planetary affairs, but trivial matters as well. In other words, Chi-Woo only brought this up after thinking carefully about all sides. ¡®Well, it¡¯s like him¡­¡¯ Byeok roughly knew what type of person Chi-Woo was by teaching him so far. Although people saw him as a problem-solver who could overturn impossible situations, Byeok saw him differently. Using the military as an analogy, he was not the type of general to show off his bravery and rush recklessly into battle. He was more like a general who only went to the battlefield when it was unavoidable and if they had a clear chance of winning in his perspective. Since someone like that was asking her with such conviction, he must have his own reasons. After organizing her thoughts, Byeok let out a long sigh and said, ¡°When I talked to that guy before, he asked me where I was going to stay. Was his name Eva Seba or something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Eval Sevaru.¡± ¡°Anyway, I told him I¡¯d stay here, and that means I have an obligation to obey you.¡± The fact that she was staying in Seven Stars meant that she acknowledged Chi-Woo as the leader. Thus, as long as she stayed here, she also had an obligation to comply with the orders of the leader. Byeok continued, ¡°But as your subordinate, I¡¯ve given you a clear warning. There lies a problem we should never meddle with, but even then, you¡¯re telling me to go on and push ahead with it.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re confident about this, aren¡¯t you?¡± She was asking if he had the capability to solve the problems that were expected to arise as a result of this event. ¡°Yes,¡± Chi-Woo replied without hesitation. Although Byeok still felt unsure, she had to accept his request if he used his authority as the head of Seven Stars. No one knew what the result may be, but if Chi-Woo failed to keep his promise, Byeok would be greatly disappointed in him and leave his group. But if Chi-Woo was willing to risk even this and go ahead with his idea, Byeok was going to comply. ¡°¡­I got it, sir.¡± Byeok changed her manner of speech. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± She straightened her posture and bowed. Then Chi-Woo immediately called in Emmanuel. Byeok formally accepted him as her disciple and began teaching him on that very day. Three weeks passed, and the day the tenth reinforcements arrived at Shalyh was dawning. 1. The ability¡¯s name is fire caused by lightning in Korean ? CH 309 Byeok taught Emmanuel the way she did Chi-Woo. It was a 24-hour close-contact training. After requesting Chi-Hyun to open up his image representation space again, they trained all day outside of eating and sleeping. Three weeks passed like that. Considering that the passage of time could be manipulated inside the image representation space, it wasn¡¯t a short training period. Emmanuel pulled all-nighters repeating piercing and stabbing motions. Byeok sighed as she watched him. Over the past three weeks, she had tried twenty-seven different ways to revive Emmanuel¡¯s Heavenly Drum ability, but there was no fool-proof training method. Some methods completely failed for some while succeeded for others. Knowing that there was a training method suitable for each individual, Byeok amassed all the knowledge she had to train Emmanuel, yet Emmanuel showed no progress. He was the same from the beginning even though he put in the maximum effort he could muster. The fact that he couldn¡¯t improve meant only one of two things. Either Byeok wasn¡¯t a good enough teacher, or there was a problem with Emmanuel. But whatever the reason was, this meant that it was a waste of time to cling to him any longer. She would¡¯ve already given up on him if not for Chi-Woo¡¯s request. Continuing this training was something that wouldn¡¯t do either party any good, so it was time to put an end to it. ¡°Dawn is coming.¡± Byeok looked up at the sky and got up from the porch. ¡°I heard the tenth reinforcements were arriving today.¡± She glanced at Emmanuel, who was making stabbing motions with his body drenched in sweat. ¡°Since you are the head of an organization, shouldn¡¯t you also be making preparations?¡± Emmanuel stopped moving his sword around. ¡°Good work. You can go back and rest now.¡± Even a fool would be able to tell what Byeok meant by that, yet instead of dropping his arm, Emmanuel continued to move like he hadn¡¯t heard her. Byeok furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn.¡± Still Emmanuel didn¡¯t listen, so she said in a stern voice, ¡°I told you to stop already. Stop before I really get mad.¡± Emmanuel didn¡¯t stop even after the stern warning. With his head lowered, his eyes were slightly covered by his bang. His dried, cracked lips parted a fraction, and he murmured something. ¡°¡­Is it?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Byeok squinted and asked. ¡°What is it I am lacking?¡± Emmanuel responded in a slightly louder voice. ¡°Is it effort or talent?¡± Emmanuel asked, seeing Byeok extend her arms. ¡°¡­It¡¯s neither.¡± She licked her lips and crossed her arms. ¡°In general, I suppose it¡¯s talent. And you already know the answer about effort since you experienced it yourself over the past three weeks.¡± ¡°Then why¡­!¡± Emmanuel raised his head. His eyes were brimming with lament and sadness. He had worked his hardest with the thought that this was his last chance after hearing that he did have talent. Then why¡­! ¡°¡­Talent is speed,¡± Byeok said matter-of-factly, like she was telling him that one plus one equaled two. ¡°It allows you to traverse the same path faster than others. But that¡¯s it. It doesn¡¯t put you in a place that you want to go to.¡± Byeok wondered if she should say the following words or not, and in the end, she clicked her tongue and went on. It didn¡¯t seem like Emmanuel would easily give up, so she spilled the hard truth. ¡°At the end of the day, it means this is the extent of your potential.¡± Emmanuel¡¯s eyes lost their shine and became blank. He looked like a criminal who had received a death sentence. ¡°¡­Then I can increase my potential,¡± Emmanuel said in a daze and moved his arms mechanically. He couldn¡¯t let go of his weapon yet. Seeing that Emmanuel wouldn¡¯t stop even after all this, Byeok covered her forehead with a hand. ¡°That makes no sense¡­¡± Byeok said. ¡°How can you be sure of that without trying?¡± Emmanuel asked after raising his fleuret. Byeok snorted. ¡°Occasionally, I see people like you. Fools who won¡¯t give up until they see things to the end.¡± She crossed her arms and put her pipe into her mouth. ¡°Let me ask you something if you are that curious.¡± Emmanuel didn¡¯t reply. He simply kept making the same stabbing movements that he had been doing countless times throughout his life. He looked intent on never stopping whatever he heard. ¡°Can you surpass the legend?¡± Yet this question made Emmanuel momentarily stop. The people he looked up to since his youth were his father and the elders who left great historical records in the Celestial Realm. As soon as he realized that he was the direct line of the Eustitia family, Emmanuel had sworn to be a great hero like them. On the other hand, Chi-Hyun¡ªthe legend¡ªwas a hero that even unreachable heroes like his father and other legends had to look up to. Furthermore, Chi-Hyun was considered an anomaly even in the Choi family, and was thought to be the strongest hero in all of the Celestial Realm. He was the hero among heroes. Even Emmanuel knew that no matter how great he became, he wouldn¡¯t be able to surpass the legend. He gritted his teeth, and before he could reply, Byeok spoke. ¡°I suppose you can say that no one knows what the future will entail even though you can¡¯t do it right now. But when will that happen?¡± she asked. ¡°A decade is too short, and even a century wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± Byeok gave Emmanuel a once-over and tilted her head. ¡°Then¡­what about a thousand years?¡± Emmanuel¡¯s form began to shake at the cold assessment. Unlike his will, his grip was losing strength, and Emmanuel tried his hardest to continue on. He wasn¡¯t even stabbing anymore. What he was doing was nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum. ¡°Do you think you would be able to accomplish something you can¡¯t do now?¡± Byeok asked. Emmanuel wanted to disagree and reject her words. ¡°Or do you want to turn back time and start things from the very beginning?¡± But Emmanuel couldn¡¯t refute it. Even if he turned back time to when they were born as Byeok said, it would be meaningless. To make an analogy, there was no guarantee an ordinary human could enter an Ivy League school or become a country¡¯s president simply because they regressed. There were definitely things one couldn¡¯t achieve. ¡°¡­¡± In the end, Emmanuel stopped swinging his fleuret. He dropped his arm and stood still. ¡°That is the difference between¡­one¡¯s potential,¡± Byeok said, seeing Emmanuel¡¯s arms droop lower. ¡°There are things that one can¡¯t achieve no matter what.¡± Byeok told Emmanuel to acknowledge the truth. She was about to turn around when Emmanuel asked, ¡°Is there really no way?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No way at all? Really?¡± ¡°No matter how many times you ask me, my answer will always be¡­¡± Byeok couldn¡¯t finish because Emmanuel¡¯s arm was completely slumping back now. Then he yelled with all his might and swung his arm, ¡°Are you really! Telling me that there¡¯s absolutely no way!¡± It was then Byeok clearly saw from the swing that Emmanuel made. He had done it unconsciously, but he swung his weapon like his body was one with it; it was the technique she emphasized while teaching Chi-Woo. It was fierce and destructive like a thunderbolt and disappeared in a flash like a fleeting cloud that suddenly emerged and vanished. Rumble! A great streak of lightning illuminated their surroundings. Clouds and air currents passionately crashed and generated sparks. Emmanuel¡¯s fleuret seemed to have become clouds as lightning sparks crackled along. And the sparks didn¡¯t spill out everywhere, but concentrated to the one point that Emmanuel focused on. At least, that was what he managed to do momentarily. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Emmanuel¡¯s face stiffened as he felt what happened. Byeok¡¯s eyes also widened in surprise. ¡°Focus¡ª!¡± She shouted, but it was too late. Everything that happened around Emmanuel stopped in an instant, and like he had lost grip of a water hose, the electric current spilled in all directions and disappeared. Simultaneously, Emmanuel threw up blood and doubled over. ¡°Kugh¡ª!¡± Blood didn¡¯t just come out from his mouth, but every orifice of his body; and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, parts of his skin ripped and gushed out blood. ¡°Ah¡­! Urgggh!¡± He writhed and struggled on the floor like a bug. Byeok clenched her eyes tightly. For a moment, she had hoped things would work out even while knowing it wouldn¡¯t. It was all because she had seen an anomaly like Chi-Woo. Emmanuel had almost reached the next level; he just needed to take one more step, but in the end, he failed to do that. He ended up toppling over after getting halfway there. It was unfortunate, but that was the end for Emmanuel. It was already praiseworthy that he reached the level he did with his current condition, but it didn¡¯t change anything. Thus, Byeok said in a slightly trembling voice, ¡°I¡­acknowledge your efforts..¡± Perhaps things would¡¯ve been different if Emmanuel was in his original world, but Liber¡¯s World was already gone. Thus, events that favored heroes didn¡¯t just happen. ¡°¡­But didn¡¯t I warn you that this was the end¡­?¡± She said while looking at Emmanuel, who was unwilling to let go of his sword even while puking blood with a despairing look on his face. *** Emmanuel groaned loudly the moment he woke up. He opened his eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling an enormous power circle inside him that he didn¡¯t feel before. At the same time, he felt despair. Besides the pain he was in, he instinctively knew that he couldn¡¯t control this power. The moment he tried to forcefully use it, his body would explode and die. That was what Chi-Woo and Byeok had warned him about. Even death was preferable to a state like this¡ªto think that he was a completely useless hero who couldn¡¯t fight in a place like Liber. ¡°Ha¡­¡± He lamented. All his efforts until now became a waste overnight. The sorrow he felt was indescribable, and in his despair, all Emmanuel did was stare up at the ceiling¡ªat least before he heard: ¡°Congratulations. You did it.¡± Emmanuel turned to his side and saw Chi-Woo smiling brightly at him. In a daze, Emmanuel said in a very hoarse voice, ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound too happy though.¡± For a moment, Emmanuel thought Chi-Woo was making fun of him, but in the end, he snorted. Who cared about all that at this point? ¡°Rather than being happy about it¡­with this, I became sure of one thing.¡± He rotated his head and crossed his arms in a X before pressing them to his face. ¡°I suppose a defective product can¡¯t be fixed no matter what¡­¡± Emmanuel didn¡¯t finish his sentence and became silent. Chi-Woo took a seat and rested his face on the back of his hands. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡°Do you regret it?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Emmanuel covered his face with both arms and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t regret it. I feel relieved instead.¡± He had learned the lesson better than he could ever do. ¡°Now, I know that my father, the elders, and my siblings have all been right about me¡­¡± Chi-Woo saw Emmanuel close his mouth again and let out a deep sigh. He looked intently at Emmanuel and asked while leaning in, ¡°Is that really true?¡± Because Emmanuel didn¡¯t answer, he asked once more. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s true?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He finally got a response then. The arms Emmanuel covered his face with trembled slightly. Even though he was pressing his arms tightly to his face, a trail of tears flowed down his cheeks and dropped to the bed mattress. He had no lingering regrets now. ¡°Why¡ª!¡± He burst out. He felt angry and distressed. ¡°Why only me¡ª¡± He coughed out and said in a shaky voice, ¡°I thought a miracle would come to me at least once.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a saying that the heavens would bless those who worked hard. Hard work would never betray you, and one could hope to reap the benefits of their efforts in the end. Nevertheless, it seemed the small amount of fortune that everyone seemed to experience at least once throughout their life didn¡¯t come to him a single time. No, perhaps he had grasped it momentarily, but it slipped his fingers as soon as he caught it. Chi-Woo stared quietly at Emmanuel. He waited until Emmanuel¡¯s crying subsided before saying in a low voice, ¡°Do you want a miracle? I can give it to you if you wish it.¡± Emmanuel flinched. This was what he had hoped and desired for all his life. Sometime later, he dropped his arms to his sides and stared at Chi-Woo with watery eyes. Since it was a member of the Choi family speaking to him, Emmanuel didn¡¯t think Chi-Woo was lying. Still, it made him wonder. ¡°But why¡­?¡± Chi-Woo looked around the room and said, ¡°I¡¯ve officially registered our group now. Its name is Seven Stars.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you know the meaning behind Seven Stars?¡± Emmanuel weakly shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s the number of stars needed to save Liber.¡± Emmanuel blinked hard. ¡°Stars¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, it can¡¯t just be any hero. We need a shining light who can shine in the night sky and bring light to Liber, which is enveloped in darkness. I need at least seven heroes like that. That is the minimum condition that I have to meet to save Liber,¡± Chi-Woo said and smiled. He continued, ¡°But¡­although it has been a while since I came to Liber, I¡¯ve only found one hero like that.¡± Emmanuel could guess who that one hero was, and he also had an idea what Chi-Woo was trying to tell him. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any good candidate despite the effort I put in¡­but I think I found my second star.¡± Emmanuel couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. ¡°Me¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, you, Mr. Emmanuel. I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Chi-Woo said with a smile. ¡°My intuition is quite good.¡± Emmanuel was filled with a feeling that he couldn¡¯t put into words at that moment. After having been treated like a useless, defective product all his life, his heart swelled with emotions upon hearing that someone needed him. It felt as if someone was pulling him out of the dark pit. He had no reason to refuse, and this was what he had wished for. Chi-Woo said he would let him use his power properly and be part of the cause to save Liber. ¡®No, there¡¯s no way.¡¯ Emmanuel had truly understood his condition through this experience. There was no way such luck would be bestowed on him now. Even if Chi-Woo was speaking the truth, he would have to pay the fitting price for it. Emmanuel¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple jerked slightly. ¡°Are you telling me to¡­serve the Choi family¡­?¡± Even if he had to do that, he would be fine with it. If he could rise again after despairing for so long, he was willing to sell his soul to clutch onto this thread of hope. ¡°No,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°What I want isn¡¯t servitude, but trust. And it¡¯s not the Choi family who you should put your trust in.¡± Chi-Woo pointed at himself and said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Choi Chi-Woo.¡± Emmanuel looked dazed. He heard things he hadn¡¯t expected at all. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t telling him to swear allegiance to the Choi family, nor did he want the Eustitia family name. He simply wanted Emmanuel as a person. ¡°How?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Rather than a fake friend, do you have any intention of becoming a real friend with me?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Emmanuel pushed himself up. His whole body screamed in pain, but he staggered out of the bed, collapsing to his knees and looking up at Chi-Woo. He said in a wistful voice and expression, ¡°I want to.¡± That was all Chi-Woo needed to hear. An alarm sound rang, and a deep smile formed on Chi-Woo¡¯s lips. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chi-Woo raised the chain in his grasp, and Emmanuel closed his eyes tightly. Chi-Woo was hit with a strange feeling right before he used The Power to Rule the World. Though this was what he had wanted, it felt strange. It was then he saw the uninvited onlookers in the corner of the room. The baby fenrir cub was gesturing to him that he was evil, while Steam Bun was raising two of its fingers to mimic horns growing out of its head. They seemed to be saying he was more like a demon lord than a hero, and Chi-Woo made a bitter smile. For some reason, he did feel like a demon lord corrupting and manipulating a pure, just hero. CH 310 [Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia- Page(1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 80% trust (Complete) 2. Become acknowledged by ¡®Byeok Ran-Eum¡¯, the Celestial Realm¡¯s examiner, and become her disciple (Complete) 3. Awaken ¡®Incomplete Lightning Fire¡¯ above F rank (Complete) 4. Use at least 4 and at most 6 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Complete) All the conditions have been fulfilled. [The Power to Rule the World has been used.] [Innate ability [Blessed] Luck consumed (69->63).] [The Power to Rule the World has ¡®repaired¡¯ Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia¡¯s innate ability ¡®Lightning Fire¡¯.] The choice made by The Power to Rule the World was none other than restoration; it had judged that restoring Emmanuel¡¯s original ability to normal was enough. Like the time Chi-Woo used this ability on Eshnunna, there was a short flash of light as if a light bulb had been turned on. However, like before, the result was far from simple. 1. Name & Rank: Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia (¡î¡î¡î¡î) 7. Heavenly Title: Incarnation of Thunder and Lightning 1. [Lightning Fire S] ¨C Ability to conjure thunder and lightning¡­ After the first awakening during the adjustment period, several wrong procedures and methods had a negative effect on the user. However, through user Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s blessing, all negative effects have disappeared, and positive effects have been added. The user¡¯s original ability has not only been restored to its original potential, but received significant boosts. After reading Emmanuel¡¯s updated user information, Chi-Woo clenched his fists and cheered inside his mind. His predictions had hit right on the mark. Emmanuel¡¯s unstable Lightning Fire, which had been only F rank, successfully rose to S rank. As a result, Emmanuel¡¯s title changed from ¡®Lightning that Failed to Strike¡¯ to ¡®Incarnation of Thunder and Lightning¡¯, and his potential had also risen. And like this, the second four-star hero born after Ru Amuh fell into Chi-Woo¡¯s hands. Chi-Woo¡¯s gamble had been successful. He hadn¡¯t just affected a small change, but struck big. Emmanuel must be feeling even more amazed than him. A hero of his level should be noticing the change without checking his user information. He must have sensed what had changed inside of him and what had happened to him. To prove his point, Emmanuel looked completely dazed as if his soul had left his body. As light shone brighter in the dark, Emmanuel felt intense emotions pour out from his heart, tasting hope after falling deep into the abyss and being rescued from the edge of a cliff. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Emmanuel made an indescribable expression. ¡°Ah¡­ah¡­!¡± He looked like he had a lot of things to ask and say. However, he suddenly jumped to his feet instead. After finally obtaining what he had long been yearning for, he had no time to waste. He left so urgently that he opened the window instead of the door and jumped out. As soon as he landed, he unsheathed his fleuret and started swinging it around. When Chi-Woo followed after him, thunder and lightning was already running rampant outside. Emmanuel was performing Eustitia''s 12 Special Arts. Lightning patterns, thunderbolt, sound of thunder¡­ Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. Crackle! Cracccckle! The Eustitia¡¯s special forms that Emmanuel knew but haven¡¯t been able to carry into action came flooding out of him like a river bursting through its banks. His ability was definitely different from the Heavenly Drum. Rather than just generating lightning, electricity of ultra-high voltage that seemed hot enough to rip apart and burn the whole world crackled, bringing about powerful tremors. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± Byeok, who had gone out at the sudden disturbance, asked blankly while looking at Emmanuel. She could clearly see with her eyes that Emmanuel¡¯s potential had not only reawakened, but reached a new level. She had no idea what had happened, but one thing was clear¡ªChi-Woo had kept his promise as the leader of Seven Stars. Byeok gave him an incredulous look, but Chi-Woo replied with a mysterious smile. Then when the air coughed up warm currents, and a burnt smell spread, Emmanuel, who had sliced and stabbed like crazy, slumped down to the ground as if he had exhausted all his strength. As he steadied his breath, there was an indescribable expression on his face. Then he looked back at Chi-Woo with visible ecstasy. Chi-Woo felt a little awkward to be stared at so intensely by a man. [¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯ has been opened.] [The amount of trust that Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia has towards user Choi Chi-Woo will be measured.] [Measuring¡­ Measurement is complete.] [Trust 92.6%: Parents are like the whole world to a child. By being able to do things that a child cannot do, the child thinks of their parents as their own gods. Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia has realized the long cherished dreams he hadn¡¯t been able to achieve since he was a child thanks to you. His feelings towards you have become stronger as his endless despair changed into hope. You¡¯re already more than a parent to him.] Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth slightly gaped. Emmanuel¡¯s trust level was way too high from the start. If he remembered correctly, Ru Amuh¡¯s trust level had been 87.5% in the beginning. The result of flipping Emmanuel¡¯s emotion from despair to hope was greater than he thought. [His trust in you has exceeded the necessary requirements.] [Will you choose Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia, ¡®Incarnation of Thunder and Lightning¡¯, as your second star?] Chi-Woo saw the message and nodded. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± [You have chosen Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia, ¡®Incarnation of Thunder and Lightning¡¯, as your second star.¡¯] Just as Chi-Woo finally got rewarded for his success, another message appeared. [Page 2. ?Parents are like wings and roots to their children. Parents should generously support and encourage their children, but shouldn¡¯t expect anything in return. Don¡¯t forget that you shouldn¡¯t use your child as a means to achieve your goals.] Chi-Woo¡¯s elated mood subsided a little. It seemed the method he had chosen this time had not been favorably looked upon by ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯. Chi-Woo stared at the last message and soon closed all the windows to face Emmanuel, who had already come up to him. ¡°Congratulations.¡± Chi-Woo reached out his hand with a smile. Emmanuel, who was about to shake his hand, paused for a moment. ¡°There are many things I want to ask you, but¡­¡± Then he carefully wrapped his hands around Chi-Woo¡¯s as if he was grasping a holy object. ¡°I won¡¯t dare to question you.¡± He dropped to one knee before continuing, ¡°Whatever it may be, you reached out to me and worked hard to help me. You proved your every word.¡± The best way to prove one¡¯s words to a doubtful individual was to show it directly; after experiencing it themselves, they had no choice but to believe. ¡°So I won¡¯t doubt you anymore. From now and ever,¡± Emmanuel said with a quivering voice, as he was still overcome with emotions. Chi-Woo felt Emmanuel¡¯s hands shake severely as he grabbed both of his hands. Then Emmanuel said, ¡°Because miracles are something you accept as they are.¡± He bowed and pressed his forehead to the hands in his grasp like a follower worshiping his god. ¡°I extend you my sincerest admiration and awe in the name of Eustitia, not to the Choi family, but Chi-Woo.¡± Chi-Woo smiled bitterly at the sight because he now knew the meaning of the message: ¡®You¡¯re already more than a parent to him.¡¯ * * * One of the perks of the ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯ was the sharing feature. Chi-Woo could share one of the hero¡¯s abilities that he accepted as his star. He immediately thought of acquiring the Lightning Fire ability that Emmanuel had, but on second thought, there was no reason for him to do so. Although this ability was very powerful by itself and held especially great power over certain natural elements, Chi-Woo already has a similar ability, one that far surpassed Lightning Fire. Above all, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t reverse his decision afterwards. He thus decided to put it on hold for now, thinking he should exercise more discretion, and he might have to absorb the shared ability entirely as his own like he did with Ru Amuh¡¯s synesthesia. Emmanuel was now able to start growing properly, and considering that no one knew what kind of new abilities he might bloom in the future, Chi-Woo thought he should wait with anticipation. Although Chi-Woo wanted to talk to Emmanuel more about various matters, he sent Emmanuel back for now because he heard that the long-awaited tenth reinforcements had entered Shalyh. Moreover, since Emmanuel was also the leader of an organization and had been absent for a long time, Chi-Woo thought he must have a lot of things to prepare as well. ¡°Sir, have you slept well?¡± However, Chi-Woo assumptions were shattered the very next day. Emmanuel came visiting at the break of dawn, and Chi-Woo had to receive his morning greeting in a drowsy state while rubbing his bleary eyes. Then he was asked an unexpected favor. Emmanuel wanted to spar with Ru Amuh, who followed Chi-Woo. Although it was an unexpected request, Chi-Woo said he would ask for Ru Amuh¡¯s opinion. Surprisingly, Ru Amuh agreed, and the result was as expected. Chi-Woo realized the greatness of Ru Amuh once again. Even though he hadn¡¯t won by a mile, Ru Amuh still beat Emmanuel, who used his newly acquired Lightning Fire. However, their expressions looked flipped; the winner looked a little dazed, while the loser looked full of confidence and didn¡¯t seem to care about his loss. ¡°How¡­¡± Ru Amuh roughly breathed and stared at Emmanuel. Emmanuel had changed so much since their last spar, when Ru Amuh easily overpowered him. Although Ru Amuh had fought seriously, he would have lost if his attention had strayed. ¡°I have¡ªa goal now,¡± Emmanuel stood up and said. ¡°I heard that you were Teacher¡¯s first star.¡± When Chi-Woo was mentioned, the pure admiration in Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes changed into a sharp glint. First place, first position, pioneer¡­being someone¡¯s first was generally given great weight. ¡°Of course, I have no intention to change the order that Teacher set, but¡­¡± Emmanuel twirled his fleuret once and put it back into its sheath. ¡°Other people¡¯s evaluations are dependent on their individual opinions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In the first place, stars that shine brighter tend to stand out more, right?¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes sharpened. Emmanuel continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to get stronger in the future. Let¡¯s both work hard.¡± He sounded polite, but what he was actually saying was anything but. Ru Amuh got that it was a declaration of war. Ru Amuh smiled as Emmanuel turned around¡ªnot his normally soft smile, but a cold one. Soon, his eyes became piercing, and he began training on that very spot. As the poster-child for hard work and earnestness, Ru Amuh trained every day without fail, but he started training with a much higher intensity than usual, as if he was never going to let anyone take his position. It was of such intensity that one could mistake him for trying to slice Emmanuel with one slash. Evelyn stared at the fiery sparks between the two men and quickly looked back at Chi-Woo, ¡°You sure are popular.¡± Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback. Although Emmanuel had called him Teacher and treated him with utmost politeness in the future Chi-Woo once experienced, he was still not used to Emmanuel¡¯s change in attitude towards him, or his attitude towards Ru Amuh. Even though Chi-Woo had hoped that they would get along, he couldn¡¯t force them to become friends. Moreover, a competition in good faith was always welcome. Even then, Chi-Woo had not expected Emmanuel to state his intentions in front of everyone like this. On the other hand, the one who was happiest about Emmanuel¡¯s change was neither Byeok nor Chi-Woo¡ªit was Eval Sevaru. Eval had wanted at least one organization to become their subordinate, and was overjoyed that Eustitia would be taking this position. Anyway, the matter with Emmanuel was successfully resolved. Frankly, Chi-Woo had thought this was enough for now. Starting with bringing the fenrir cub, he had awakened Eshnunna¡¯s powers, established the basic frame of Seven Stars, and even accepted Emmanuel as his second star. Steam Bun had also returned to him. Chi-Woo had been having a really hectic time since coming back from the Hala Forest. The end was another beginning. Maintenance was more important than finishing a plan. Chi-Woo had initiated many grand plans, and although he thought they were all necessary, he didn¡¯t want to increase his workload more than he could handle. It was important to strengthen internal stability as much as increasing the size of the organization. Nevertheless, this new event was an exception. It was an event important enough for him to leave everything behind: the tenth reinforcement heroes had entered Shalyh, and notably, they were called reinforcements rather than advance teams. Chi-Hyun did not hesitate to proceed with the onboarding right away. Earlier, he had asked all the organizations in Shalyh for their plan and received their answers. Then they held the drafting event the very next day after the tenth reinforcements arrived. When the sun came up, all the famous heroes from Shalyh gathered in the tower that Zelit built, Apertum. Chi-Hyun summoned the organization leaders separately and held a briefing session for those participating. Having heard how the drafting would proceed, Chi-Woo went on a short restroom break. After taking care of his business, he fell into thought while washing his hands. ¡®Fate has been decided, but it¡¯s not fixed.¡¯ This was what the old dingo named Boboris had told him. She neither affirmed nor denied fate, but even she made one exception: she had told him to recruit the first person he encountered among the tenth reinforcements at all costs. He wondered how crucial this figure was that she would be so certain of her words. However, the important part was that this person was very likely to be essential for Liber¡¯s salvation. Chi-Woo had a lot of worries since he didn¡¯t know when and where he would meet them, but he organized his thoughts to go with the flow and leave it be. That was how fate worked. Although things didn¡¯t automatically go his way if he just stood still, things that were bound to come might get further away if he chased it too hard. Rather than trusting her blindly, he needed to keep her advice in mind. And if it was really fate, Chi-Woo was bound to meet them anyway. At perfect timing, Eval Sevaru contacted him, saying, ''Where are you? They¡¯re about to come in.¡¯ He also sent other messages telling Chi-Woo to quickly come back. After replying that he¡¯d soon be there, Chi-Woo turned around. Then Chi-Woo realized that fate was quite a prankster and loved to play jokes on people. Chi-Woo¡¯s hurried steps stopped as soon as he left the bathroom. ¡°?¡± CH 311 ¡°Hm?¡± As soon as Chi-Woo got out of the bathroom, he met a familiar face. Though they had come to Liber at the same time, it had been a long time since they saw each other. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s been a while,¡± With his hand raised, Allen Leonard greeted Chi-Woo excitedly. Ru Amuh had invited Allen to join his team when they first migrated to Shalyh city, but Allen had already joined the Cassiubia League and turned him down. Thinking this, Chi-Woo vaguely recalled how Allen said during their time at the fortress that his dream was to become the head of an adventure guild to foster heroes. He didn¡¯t know what Allen had been doing since he came to this city, but the bright expression on Allen¡¯s face seemed to indicate that he wasn¡¯t having a bad time. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Allen Leonard.¡± ¡°Fufu. It¡¯s been so long. But I¡¯ve been keeping up with the news about you. I heard about you recently¡­¡± Allen said with a laugh and trailed off. He quickly glanced behind him and cleared his throat. ¡°I was guiding some lost lambs back to their destinations. As enormous as this tower is, it isn¡¯t so complicated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It sounds like we came here with the same goal, so let¡¯s hurry. We are running a bit late.¡± ¡°Ah, I already have someone I planned to go with.¡± ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s meet up later in an official capacity.¡± ¡°Yes. See you later.¡± Allen Leonard immediately moved, and two figures followed him. Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡®Are they Mr. Allen Leonard¡¯s companions?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. Humans weren¡¯t the only ones participating in this draft event. With Chi-Hyun¡¯s permission, there were also groups under the Cassiubia League in attendance, and Allen¡¯s adventure guild was one of them. Perhaps the Cassiubia League¡¯s participation was only natural considering the recent rise in humanity¡¯s reputation. Given that heroes were gems that the Celestial Realm specially picked out, any random hero could at least fulfill the minimum expectations and always strive to become stronger. ¡°Boss! I¡¯m here! Here!¡± As Chi-Woo walked, he eventually heard Eval¡¯s voice. He saw Eval wave his hands around and jump up and down in excitement. ¡°Ah, why are you so slow, boss? I told you many times that this is very important to us.¡± He also heard Ru Hiana retort, ¡°Ha. It¡¯s not even a big deal. We were only a bit late, but he makes such a big deal out of nothing.¡± ¡°I do not!¡± Eval replied in frustration, and Ru Amuh tried to calm both of them down. ¡°Sigh. Why am I the only one trying so hard among our group? I bet all the other groups have their members scanning the area,¡± Eval said. ¡°Sorry, I ran into someone I knew on my way. Let¡¯s go now,¡± Chi-Woo said, and everyone hurried up the stairs. They arrived at an open space on the third floor. When Zelit guided Chi-Woo to this place before, he had said that this floor was going to be used as a multipurpose space. That was probably why there weren¡¯t any visible rooms or compartments, and it was just a wide-open floor where everything could be seen at a glance. Chi-Woo felt as if he was standing alone in a large baseball or soccer field. As expected, there were others. Hundreds of people gathered all around them, and there was quite a stir. This multipurpose floor was being used for a banquet this time. Oil lamps dangled from the walls and ceilings, and there were circular tables covered in white fabric stationed in places, each of which covered in delicious-looking food and drinks. ¡°Boss, come here.¡± Eval guided them to the central stage. There, one could check their surroundings by simply turning their head around. It was the stage Chi-Hyun had prepared for groups to connect. ¡®What do I do now¡­?¡¯ While walking up the stage, Chi-Woo met eyes with a couple of other people. He was supposed to make connections with them, but Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure whether he should simply meet their eyes or have private conversations with them. ¡®I should go in order¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. He was feeling quite nervous, but he still went up the stage while shaking his head. If things didn¡¯t work out, he intended to use his die. He wasn¡¯t using it pointlessly since this was an event that Boboris had strongly emphasized to him, and Chi-Woo thought it was worth a die-throw. Chi-Woo exchanged looks with Apoline, who was already seated, but as soon as he met eyes with Emmanuel, he had to look away. It was because Emmanuel had gotten up from his seat as soon as he saw Chi-Woo. ¡®Sit. There¡¯s no need for you to come over to greet me, please,¡¯ Chi-Woo pleaded desperately with body language, and Emmanuel sat back down, reading his intention clear. For some reason, he looked slightly regretful with the way he licked his lips. ¡°You should¡¯ve let him come to you. It¡¯s important to show your connection in a place like this,¡± Eval murmured regretfully to Chi-Woo after Chi-Woo let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I will think about doing that next time,¡± Chi-Woo smiled dryly and sat at a table that had a plaque that said ¡®Seven Stars¡¯. ¡®This is the meeting place¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Here, new heroes from the Celestial Realm would meet heroes who had come to this world before them. The new heroes would be curious about all sorts of things about Liber, while organizations would be curious about the quality of the new talents. Thus, this was the time for the two groups to ask and answer each other¡¯s questions and appeal to one another. Of course, not everyone would get an equal opportunity. A total of 372 heroes had come as part of the tenth reinforcements. Considering the seventh recruitment that Chi-Woo had been part of consisted of a little more than a hundred heroes, the number of new blood was three times as high. In comparison, there were still very few organizations. Even though the Cassiubia League was participating in this event, the number of organizations participating in the first draft was still within single digit, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle all 372 people on their own. ¡°Hey boss, do you have that with you?¡± Eval asked. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Chi-Woo lifted a hefty pouch. It was what he had received in today¡¯s briefing session. Inside were a total of 100 coins that emitted a soft golden light. These coins could be described as ¡®dibs¡¯ in one word, or in a longer description, ¡®the priority to negotiate with a hero alone after the draft¡¯. For instance, if a hero of Ru Amuh¡¯s caliber and fame entered the floor, all organizations would be eager not to miss their chance of recruiting such a hero. A fight could arise while competing for the hero, and that was why the coin system was set in place for the draft. All the organizations could give the coins they received to the heroes they met depending on how much they wanted to give. And when competition arose for a hero, the side who gave more coins to the hero was given priority to negotiate. Chi-Hyun distributed the coins according to the organization¡¯s recent achievements. For example, the organizations from the Cassiubia League received 30 steel coins, while Afrilith and Eustitia got 50 bronze coins each. Ho Lactea got 70 silver coins, and Seven Stars got 100 gold coins in total. This meant that Seven Stars could get absolute priority on at least one person. Even if Ho Lactea used up all their coins on someone, Seven Stars could beat that amount with 71 of their gold coins and still have 29 left. Search "pawread dot com" for the original. Still, this didn¡¯t mean Seven Stars was guaranteed to get anyone they chose. These coins gave ¡®priority to negotiate¡¯, not ¡®priority to choose¡¯. As Chi-Hyun emphasized, recruits needed to happen based on discussion and negotiation. A hero had the right to choose their organization like how an organization had the right to choose a hero. This meant that a hero had the authority to decide whether they should accept the coins or not. This could be a disadvantage for Seven Stars since the Celestial Lights¡¯ existence alone had a huge advertising effect. Afterwards, they would move to the next step. The heroes who didn¡¯t receive any coins stayed on the floor and waited for a second round of drafts for the smaller teams. Originally, they planned to only open up the drafting event to organizations, but since the number of organizations was still much lacking compared to the number of people coming in, Chi-Hyun made an exception. ¡®What a fierce competition,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought after looking around. The atmosphere was tense from the beginning¡ªnot just on the organization''s side, but for the heroes as well. The majority of them were glancing up and down the central stage. They probably realized the positions they were in as soon as they entered this place and heard about Liber¡¯s situation. Any hero would realize¡ªno, desperately hope that they would have a professional organization backing them up rather than them trying things out independently. ¡°Here you are,¡± someone suddenly said. Chi-Woo turned around and saw a man with a long head. It was Zelit. ¡°The main event will start soon. He¡¯s coming here now,¡± Zelit said, and Chi-Woo could easily guess who he was talking about. ¡°How is it?¡± Zelit turned sideways and asked. Judging from his gaze, he seemed quite moved by the scene before them. Chi-Woo could understand how Zelit was feeling. There used to be a time when they had to live like escapees, eating whatever scraps they found on the ground with nowhere to sleep. [I am going to build an inn here! An inn!] [I want a restaurant instead.] [I want to establish a guild.] [An adventure guild sounds good, but won¡¯t we need a temple?] All these establishments were taken for granted now, but there had been a time when they desperately wished for them to exist. [Okay, let¡¯s try once.] [But let¡¯s still try. Let¡¯s try to build inns, restaurants, guilds, temples¡­] That was what everyone had hoped for. [Like those who had come and those who had been here dreamed of, let¡¯s make our ideals into reality.] [I believe our stories and what we¡¯ve been through today will go down as legends in the future. That¡¯s what we have to do.] And such a day was finally here. ¡°Are you crying?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Zelit chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me.¡± Though Zelit said he wasn¡¯t crying, the edge of his nose was slightly red. Chi-Woo smiled thinking Zelit was surprisingly emotional. ¡°I actually came to you to give information, but¡­¡± Zelit started. Eval¡¯s ears perked up hearing ¡®information¡¯, but Zelit said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can give you any in the end. I¡¯m too scared of the legend. You understand, right?¡± Though this situation couldn¡¯t be seen as absolutely fair, there were rules in place. If something beyond what the rules permitted occurred, Chi-Hyun would not let it slide given his personality. There was a hundred percent chance that he would give a harsh penalty to anyone who broke the rules since Chi-Hyun was someone who hated variables. ¡°Of course. We are already at an advantage. There¡¯s no need for us to shoulder unnecessary risks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Then, I wish you all good luck.¡± Zelit turned around. And Chi-Woo and Eval naturally exchanged looks. Though Zelit told them that he couldn¡¯t give them information because he was afraid of Chi-Hyun, that was a clue in itself. As Apertum¡¯s manager, Zelit probably had checked the list of incoming heroes beforehand. If there wasn¡¯t anyone worth noting, he wouldn¡¯t have even bothered about passing on information. Yet Zelit spoke as if he wanted to give important information but couldn¡¯t because of his position. In other words, there was a hero in the tenth reinforcement Zelit wanted to highlight. They didn¡¯t know who it was, but it was Seven Stars¡¯ responsibility to find the hero. Perhaps it was the hero Boboris had told Chi-Woo about. Fortunately, Chi-Woo was confident about finding the right hero because his Spirit Eye was at S rank. His ability to see user information and hidden potential was cheat-like at times like this. He would use the World¡¯s Milestone as the last resort, and with these two abilities, he would be able to pick the right hero out of the 372 people in the room. Then he would just hand over 71 gold coins to that specific hero, and everything would be solved. It was then the noise around them settled, and the place became quiet. Soon, he heard his brother¡¯s voice from the central stage. ¡°Welcome, everyone, this is Choi Chi-Hyun. I¡¯m sure you all heard yesterday, but Liber¡¯s current situation is difficult to say the least, and even the status quo was only achieved through several overlapping miracles.¡± Chi-Hyun was telling them that even if they were heroes, that didn¡¯t mean much in a world like Liber. ¡°I¡¯m sure this is evident from the fact that the Celestial Realm is continuing to bring in reinforcements. Thus, we judged that newly incoming heroes need systematic help to grow and adjust to this world¡­.¡± He was telling them that they were all just ordinary folks right now, and he and the organizations were all doing this for them. Thus, they should behave and obediently accept the help they were offered. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not forcing you all to abide by this system. If you wish, you can act independently¡­¡± And if they weren¡¯t willing to accept, it didn¡¯t really matter to them. They could die for all they cared. This was how Chi-Woo interpreted his brother¡¯s words, and he fixed his posture as the speech went on to its next portion. ¡°Then, let me now introduce the organizations that had worked harder than anyone else to achieve our current situation.¡± This was what they had been waiting for. As the only group who received gold coins, Chi-Woo had expected Seven Stars to be introduced first. ¡°The first one is Ho Lactea,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-woo blinked hard and turned to his brother. Chi-Hyun was speaking while looking at the Ho Lactea group members sitting at their table. ¡°Ho Lactea is led by Alice Ho Lactea, who entered Liber as part of the eight recruits. They had recently found a new god and¡­¡± There were exclaims from the audience. Some turned their heads to look at the Ho Lactea table. Though they couldn¡¯t compare with the Choi family, the Ho Lactea family name was one that could garner a response of this level. After giving a simple introduction about Ho Lactea, Chi-Hyun brought up Afrilith and Eustitia next. ¡°The two groups participated in the Hala Forest expedition not long ago¡­¡± Seven Star¡¯s introduction didn¡¯t even come up after them, and Chi-Hyun introduced the Cassiubia League next. This meant that they would be the last to be introduced. ¡°¡­What? What about us?¡± Ru Hiana whispered, thinking something was wrong. The order of introductions was important, and the first introduction was especially symbolic. Yet Seven Stars were going to be introduced last at this rate. Chi-Woo also looked stunned, but he waited because he saw that Eval was quietly listening. ¡°And¡­¡± Chi-Hyun, who had been speaking smoothly until now, stopped for the first time. He put down the piece of paper he was holding and took out a new one and unfolded it. ¡°Hm. There sure are a lot. Lastly, I will tell you all about an organization named Seven Stars,¡± he murmured like he wanted the audience to purposefully hear him. ¡°Seven Stars are made up mostly of elite seventh-recruit heroes. Though they are few in numbers, their achievements remain unrivaled¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t a simply ceremonial introduction. The heroes who had only been looking at the Celestial Lights looked toward Chi-Hyun and went ¡®Huh? What did he say just now?¡¯ The weight of Chi-Hyun¡¯s words was different from before. ¡°Seven Star¡¯s current head saved the fifth and sixth recruits and achieved their purpose for coming to Liber. And in the process, they established a god named Shahnaz.¡± If members of Seven Stars had spoken of these achievements themselves, no one would''ve believed them. People would¡¯ve thought those from Seven Stars were bluffing too outrageously, but it was different when the stories were coming from the legend¡¯s mouth. The legend was simply someone who oversaw this event. He had no reason to intervene or lie, so he could pass on the most objective information. ¡°Furthermore, he also joined hands with one of the main four factions on Liber, the Abyss, and stopped the Sernitas¡¯ invasion. Then, with the Abyss¡¯ collaboration, he contributed significantly to the union between the previous recruits in the central region and the latter recruits.¡± The heroes in the audience glanced at one another. They looked a bit astonished by Chi-Hyun¡¯s speech, and in the meantime, Chi-Hyun pulled out another piece of paper. Though all the previous organizations¡¯ introductions had ended in a single piece of paper, he was already on the second page for Seven Stars. ¡°Even after that, his team managed to extinguish the great demon, Indras, who was hiding inside the ex-Salem capital, Vepar during the eight recruits¡¯ rescue mission, Zepar on a separate expedition, and more. Seven Stars¡¯ head has made lasting and deep contributions in small and big affairs¡­¡± The introduction was still not over. The longer Chi-Hyun went on, the more people¡¯s gazes began to gather in one place. ¡°And when the Seven Stars first came to Shalyh city, they had the sole gold-ranking member in their team among all heroes and were the first ones to receive a zone. After they received information that the Demon Empire was preparing to invade Shalyh, they used the situation to their own advantage and called upon a foreign god named White Horse General to achieve an overwhelming victory.¡± Exclaims and cheers that only Ho Lactea had received up until then erupted. ¡°Furthermore, to conquer the Hala Forest where you all entered Liber from, the head of Seven Stars led an expedition there and succeeded, thus bringing stability to the place¡­¡± People weren¡¯t just exclaiming anymore. There were murmurings and quite a stir. Even the exact word choices that Chi-Hyun made for Seven Stars were far different from the ones he used to describe the other organizations. When he mentioned Afrilith and Eustitia, he had simply said they ¡®participated¡¯ in the expedition, while he said the Seven Stars ¡®led¡¯ it. Anyone could tell the difference in the implications. Apoline clearly understood what this difference meant, and her expression soured. The part where she had been injured felt sore again. And a part of her thought Chi-Hyun was showing great favoritism to his brother, but she couldn¡¯t say anything to refute it. This was because everything that Chi-Hyun said was the truth. ¡°¡­That is all.¡± The explanation finally ended. Silence flowed through the floor, and Chi-Woo finally managed to catch his brother¡¯s intention. It was commonly said that the most important information in a presentation came first, but if one had the skills to do so, saying the important thing last could leave an even greater impression. Thus, Chi-Hyun had purposefully left Seven Stars¡¯ introduction for the last. It was very effective, and the majority of the heroes were looking toward Seven Stars¡¯ table. ¡°Then¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun picked up his pen and the sheets of paper and said after tapping on the podium. ¡°I hope you all make good use of your time.¡± It was then Chi-Woo and the rest of Seven Stars¡¯ members were sure that they were the main characters of this drafting event. CH 312 The drafting war began. Looking around the table where he sat, Chi-Woo almost laughed out loud. Every member of Seven Stars had a solemn look on their faces, and they kept their necks and backs completely straight. A prime example was Ru Hiana. Her entire body language was screaming, ¡®I¡¯m nervous right now¡¯, but she was trying her hardest to look as cool as possible with her expression. However, Chi-Woo soon understood why they were acting like this. Everyone was staring at them¡ªnot only the heroes, but the organization members as well. Chi-Woo realized that the leadership of this drafting event was placed in his hands. Everyone was sitting still now, but the moment he moved, he would be sending the signal to start. Chi-Woo wondered what he should do. Should he sit still and wait for them to come? Or should he go look around? He didn¡¯t contemplate for long. He was the one eager to meet and fulfill Boboris¡¯ prophecy. He thought there must be a reason why the meeting place was decorated as a banquet hall. Chi-Woo got up from his seat and went down from the stage. Only then did the Seven Star members and the other organizations begin moving. There were many who were eager to dig for treasures. Some were staying still, but there were also several people like him who quickly went around to find precious talents. Soon after Seven Stars began moving, a considerable number of people rose from all around the banquet room and began moving around. ¡°Excuse me. Are you perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m¡­¡± There were way too many people now; it was to the extent that he needed to stop moving. Expecting a fateful first meeting, Chi-Woo made a bitter smile. He had no idea who he would first encounter. ¡®If I act like usual¡­¡¯ If he hadn¡¯t listened to Boboris and participated in the draft, how would he have acted? The answer was already decided. Chi-Woo activated his Spirit Eye. It was impossible to check all 372 heroes¡¯ user information at once, but there was no need to do that either. There was a way to filter out people without checking their user information: by looking at colors. Spirit Eye not only revealed people¡¯s user information, but showed the unique color of a person¡¯s soul. In an instant, numerous colors filled the banquet hall. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t put much stock in the color itself. Just because a person¡¯s soul was white didn¡¯t mean that they were good, and the opposite was true for a black soul. However, there were sometimes colors that stood out from the rest. If he had to describe it, a color like that was a bit unique. Not all colors were the same, and it couldn¡¯t be defined simply as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple like in the rainbow. The color of lipstick was a perfect example of this. Although a red lipstick could be described as just that, there were hundreds of variations of red, and there were subtle differences between them when applied to the skin. This was the same for the color of a soul. When he looked around¡­ Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze suddenly snapped to a particular spot. He frowned for a moment and stared intently as if he had found something. ¡°For real? Are you really Mr. Ru Amuh? The hero who solved a crisis at star cluster level even before he arrived at the Celestial Realm?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Ru Amuh.¡± ¡°Oh my! I heard your name so many times that it¡¯s amazing to see you in person like this. Honestly, when I heard the achievements made by Seven Stars, I was doubtful, but now I see that it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your kind words, but I¡¯m not as great as you say.¡± ¡°Come on, no need to be so humble. Are you saying the legend lied to us?¡± ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t lied. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not the one who made those achievements.¡± ¡°What? Then¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the person I serve and the leader of Seven Stars¡­?¡± Ru Amuh stopped mid-sentence because he saw Chi-Woo walking somewhere alone. ¡°Please excuse¡ª¡± Ru Amuh was about to follow him, but stopped. He already saw Eval Sevaru running towards Chi-Woo and thought Eval would probably be more helpful than him in this situation. The hero conversing with Ru Amuh asked, ¡°What were you trying to say?¡± ¡°Ah, my apologies. It¡¯s nothing. Seven Stars¡­¡± Ru Amuh decided to stay behind and help let Chi-Woo freely move around. Another person had the same thought as him. ¡°Nice to meet you. If you don¡¯t mind, can we¡­¡± A hero blinked in bafflement when he tried to talk to Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo just passed by him. ¡°Yes! Nice to meet you.¡± However, the hero soon became flustered when a blindingly beautiful woman stopped and turned toward him. ¡°I¡¯m Onorables Evelyn from Seven Stars. Sir Hero, you must be one of the tenth reinforcements, right?¡± ¡°Ahahaha. I feel embarrassed to be called Sir Hero when we¡¯re in the same boat¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not a Celestial Realm hero.¡± ¡°What? Then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a native of Liber.¡± Evelyn continued in a sing-song voice. ¡°And I¡¯m also the saintess of the White Horse General.¡± The hero¡¯s mouth slightly widened as Evelyn gave him a wink. Like this, people came flocking toward them. Thanks to his teammates, Chi-Woo was able to reach where he wanted to go without stopping. He arrived at a table a short distance away from the stage. From the time Chi-Woo first moved, most of the people in the banquet hall had moved by now. Frankly, the tenth reinforcements were more urgent than the recruiting organizations since they had lost their powers, and there were limited opportunities to get proper support. However, not everyone had begun moving. While most heroes were talking to other people and trying to promote themselves, there were a few who were not in a hurry and enjoyed the banquet while sitting at their table. They even looked leisurely as they enjoyed the food and drinks prepared for the banquet. Chi-Wo didn¡¯t know whether it was because they were confident to get an opportunity even if they sat back and relaxed, or they decided to not take advantage of this opportunity. Either way, the table Chi-Woo headed towards was where such heroes sat. There were only two people at the table. Judging by how they were sitting close to each other and laughing while conversing, they seemed close. Although they appeared to have nary a care in their surroundings, they weren¡¯t completely unaware, either. As if they felt his presence, they stopped conversing and looked back at Chi-Woo. Then they averted their eyes to take a quick glance around. It was then Chi-Woo realized that he wasn¡¯t the only one who had approached them. After checking his surroundings, Chi-Woo flinched. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he saw more than five people¡ªincluding Alice, Apoline, Emmanuel, Allen Leonard, to name a few. They were all members of different organizations. Eval Sevaru, who had hurriedly followed Chi-Woo, assessed the situation and clearly saw one of the two people at the table crack a small smile before quickly wiping it off their face. Apoline sidled up to Chi-Woo and whispered, ¡°How did you find out?¡± ¡®And how did you find out?¡¯ This was what Chi-Woo wanted to ask her. Apoline continued, ¡°I¡¯m asking how you knew right away. The list should have been private, and weren¡¯t you the last to come in? You didn¡¯t even have much time to look closely.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t really know what she meant, but one thing was clear. There was a reason all the different organization members were gathered here, and Chi-Woo had struck the jackpot. There was a saying that a person of great ability and talent was bound to stand out even if they didn¡¯t want to. Of course, there was a big difference between knowing their name and also knowing their face. In that sense, Apoline considered herself lucky¡ªuntil a few minutes ago. Apoline had been the first to enter the meeting place today and observed the faces of the tenth reinforcements in close detail. Then one of the reinforcements exclaimed, ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Look at that hero.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Over there, there.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it that hero?¡± Hearing this, Apoline instinctively thought she found a catch. Then she listened in on the conversation further. She was quite surprised and determined to recruit this hero. As soon as the draft began, she wanted to run and keep the hero for herself, but this was something that only Seven Stars could do. Even if she poured out all the bronze coins she received, it was only half of the amount of gold coins that Seven Stars had. And she would only attract unnecessary attention by showing urgency. She couldn¡¯t let the hero of her choice attract the attention of her competitors. Thus, she had gone around leaving a few coins while acting nonchalant. However, her ambitious plan to become the queen of drafting had gone awry from the start. Apoline, who had secretly kept tabs on the organizations ranked first and second in terms of priority, was shocked as she saw both Chi-Woo and Alice walk towards the same place as if they had planned it beforehand. When she ran behind them, it was already too late; all the other leaders had also noticed and were following behind them. And this was how the current situation came to be. Soon after, one of the two heroes sitting at the table slowly rose from their seat. The hero was quite good looking in an objective sense, but it was hard to make out their sex. In a way, they looked like a handsome man from Greek or Roman mythology, but in another way, they could also look like an attractive woman at the peak of her physique. Regardless of a person¡¯s good looks, one should be able to decipher a person¡¯s sex based on their height, body size, and shape, but it was very hard to tell with this hero. The hero coughed and said, ¡°Hello. I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Yunael Tania.¡± Since the situation already unfolded like this, Apoline decided to act first. She also wanted to show that she recognized the hero first. Yunael¡¯s eyes slightly widened. ¡°You know who I am?¡± Yunael¡¯s voice was neither high nor low, thin nor deep. ¡°Of course I knew, especially the surname Tania. It¡¯s a name I¡¯ve been hearing about since I was young.¡± Looking at Apoline talk haughtily with her chin tilted back, Yunael made a furtive smile and lightly replied, ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s an honor to be recognized by the most precious flower in Afrilith.¡± ¡®Look at this punk?¡¯ One of Apoline¡¯s eyebrows crept up. It seemed Yunael knew exactly who she was, but they responded confidently rather than acting servile. Although Apoline liked people who bowed to her on their own accord, she also liked people like this¡ªif they had a solid background. And in her eyes, Yunael was more than qualified. If people were asked to pick out heroes to represent the Celestial Realm, they would usually refer to the twelve Celestial Lights. However, the Celestial Lights weren¡¯t the only well-known ones. Even outside of the twelve families, there were heroes who had earned enough recognition to leave their names on the hall of fame. And Tania was one of the heroes who would be mentioned the most. ¡®Father said if Tania¡¯s progenitor really wanted, the twelve Celestial Lights would have become thirteen, or one of the twelve families wouldn¡¯t have been able to make it to the twelve¡­¡¯ Yunael was the only direct descendant of such a family. Apoline, who valued pedigree very much, would give Yunael a pass for just their background, but Yunael¡¯s background wasn¡¯t the only impressive thing about them. Yunael was already an active hero. In terms of experience, they might have just passed the rookie stage, but even then, Yunael was famous; it was to the point that Yunael¡¯s fame was comparable to Ru Amuh¡¯s. Yunael was someone that would always be mentioned in conversations about heroes who had recently made significant contributions. Frankly, the fact that Yunael was placed on the same pedestal as Ru Amuh spoke for itself. That was why Apoline had tried to get Yunael at all costs, but¡­! ¡°First of all, I want to thank everyone so much for coming to see me first.¡± Yunael continued while looking at everyone, ¡°However, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to ask you all a favor.¡± They spoke clearly in a cheerful voice. ¡°If you came to give me a chance, won¡¯t you give me just a single coin?¡± Apoline, who had been full of despair, raised her head at Yunael¡¯s words. ¡°No more and no less, just one each. I know it¡¯s presumptuous of me, but I want to hear everyone out. And besides me, there are¡­¡± Yunael didn¡¯t finish, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess their intention. The draft had just started. But what would happen if there was competition for just one person? Then the other heroes were bound to lose steam, so Yunael was telling them to pay attention to the other heroes as well. ¡°Certainly¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a real hero, right there.¡± A few nodded their heads in respect. If the opportunities were equal, there was no reason for the Celestial Lights to refuse¡ªexcept for one person. ¡°What if someone gave you more coins by themselves?¡± No¡ªtwo people. Emmanuel raised his voice as if he wasn¡¯t pleased by Yunael¡¯s request. Apoline stared at him, thinking, ¡®What¡¯s up with him?¡¯ ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Yunael spoke quietly with a smile on their face. ¡°I won¡¯t take it then.¡± Yunael officially declared that they wouldn¡¯t accept more than a single coin from any organization. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem since heroes had the right to decide for themselves whether they wanted to accept coins or not. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± After a brief pause, Apoline tapped Chi-Woo on the shoulder and asked. ¡°¡­Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± Surprisingly, Chi-Woo easily answered, but his expression looked a little blank. He seemed distracted. Considering his perspective, this was not a favorable situation for Seven Stars, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since Yunael was the one who made the request themselves. Since it was for the benefit of the other heroes, it would be difficult to criticize or object to it. Although Apoline¡¯s plan had gone awry, she decided to be satisfied that there was still a chance to recruit Yunael and took out a copper coin. Alice, who had been standing silently, also handed over a silver coin. Yeriel had come to them just to look around, and she turned back to Emmanuel and asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be participating.¡± Rather than handing over a coin, Emmanuel turned away. ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t dare to compete with Teacher,¡± Emmanuel replied and left. ¡°What? What happened? When did your relationship with him change so much?¡± Yunael, whose eyes had slightly narrowed after seeing Emmanuel leave without hesitation, caught sight of Yeriel glancing back at Chi-Woo before following Emmanuel. Although Yunael didn¡¯t know who Yeriel was, her position was probably high as well given she could speak out like that. Yunael thought she was probably one of the Celestial Lights and considered what Emmanuel had said, ¡®I won¡¯t dare to compete with Teacher.¡¯ While they were racking their head, they heard a clank. This novel is available on "pawread dot com". Chi-Woo was taking out a coin from his pocket; the reddish golden light caught Yunael¡¯s eyes. Soon after, Yunael¡¯s face was filled with surprise. Yunael had thought he would take out one coin, but he had taken out a handful. However, that handful of coins was not directed to them, but to a thuggish man behind Yunael. Chi-Woo said, ¡°Mr. Eval Sevaru, keep this for me.¡± ¡°What? Ah, yes.¡± Eval Sevaru quickly blinked as he accepted the coins with both hands. ¡®Thirty? Why did he give me only thirty? No¡ªwait.¡¯ Besides Seven Stars, the one with the most coins was Ho Lactea. Since Alice handed one coin to Yunael, the number of coins decreased from 70 to 69. Thus, in order to safely get the advantage, Chi-Woo needed to at least use 70 coins for one person. After handing Eval Sevaru 30 coins, Chi-Woo had exactly 70 coins left. Then Chi-Woo moved forward. ¡°Ah, no¡­you just need to give one¡­¡± Seeing Chi-Woo approaching them, Yunael was taken aback and waved their hands, but they stiffened the next moment. Chi-Woo had walked right past them without any hesitation. After taking a few more steps, Chi-Woo stopped and said, ¡°Hello.¡± He was talking to the one other person sitting at the table with Yunael Tania. ¡°My name is Chi-Woo. I entered Liber as part of the seventh recruits, and I¡¯m currently leading Seven Stars.¡± The person looked back at Chi-Woo while sitting down. He didn¡¯t know why, but her eyes were closed. ¡°¡­Aida.¡± She soon got up from her seat and bowed politely with her hands held together. ¡°I¡¯m Aida Odelia.¡± Her long hair flowed down as she spoke with a soft voice. Unlike Yunael, it was easy to tell her gender. Odelia raised her head again and looked at Chi-Woo; although her eyes remained close, Chi-Woo definitely felt like she was staring at him. Then she soon tilted her head and said with a very faint smile, ¡°We meet again.¡± CH 313 ¡°We meet again,¡± Aida whispered so that only Chi-Woo could hear her. Chi-Woo was perplexed. ¡®Have we ever met before? There¡¯s no way though.¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at her curiously, and Aida responded with a bright smile. Shifting his gaze to the side, Chi-Woo met eyes with Allen Leonard. Allen looked away hastily, and Chi-Woo realized what had happened after seeing Yunael look at him as well. He recalled seeing Yunael following Allen in front of the restroom. ¡®They weren¡¯t Mr. Allen Leonard¡¯s companions.¡¯ It had been a misunderstanding, and Chi-Woo remembered Allen saying that he was guiding lost lambs back to their destination. He realized what Allen had meant now, and he must have run into Aida and Yunael then. Besides that, Chi-Woo was sure that she was the one. He had already seen her soul¡¯s aura and user information. ¡°Will you accept this?¡± Chi-Woo offered her the pouch filled with gold coins. ¡°I would like to talk to you in private, Ms. Aida.¡± Everyone around them seemed a bit stunned. It wasn¡¯t Yunael who Chi-Woo wanted to talk to, but Aida? Aida was quiet, and she still had her eyes closed. With her head bowed, she carefully took the pouch from Chi-Woo¡¯s hands. ¡°Thank you.¡± On the other hand, Yunael¡¯s face stiffened as he watched the scene play out. *** The first round of the draft was over. Some rejoiced, and others remorsed. Those who received coins left the third floor with a sigh of relief, while the rest remained at the banquet with sour faces. Chi-Woo left the floor with Aida. Since no one had made any offer to her besides Seven Stars, the meeting was conducted smoothly. Yet it was different for Yunael. There were four organizations that offered them coins, and Yunael needed to decide whether they would meet all of the organizations at the same time or meet them individually. ¡°What¡¯s the reason behind Mr. Chi-Woo¡¯s decision?¡± Bored during the wait time, Apoline asked Eval Sevaru. Eval didn¡¯t answer. Even he couldn¡¯t read everyone¡¯s intention or thoughts, especially not Chi-Woo¡¯s. He also wanted to ask why Chi-Woo had done what he did, but he remained quiet for one reason: he trusted Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo was someone who brought him to Seven Stars and went to the table where Yunael was without any information given beforehand. Thus, Eval thought that Chi-Woo must have his reasons for choosing Aida Odelia instead of Yunael Tania. Eval decided to focus on his own mission. Chi-Woo had taken 70 gold coins for himself and given the remaining 30 gold coins to him. This clearly meant that Chi-Woo wanted to leave the rest of the recruiting process to Eval while he focused on Aida. Eval personally thought there was one hero among the tenth reinforcements who he needed to bring to their organization at all costs: Yunael Tania. He didn¡¯t recognize the hero by their face, but he gasped out loud when he heard Yunael¡¯s name. The fact that Yunael was compared to Ru Amuh alone meant that he should recruit them using all means possible. Of course, the situation wasn¡¯t favorable to Eval. Chi-Woo had acted completely unconcerned about Yunael during their last encounter and didn¡¯t even come to introduce himself in the next stage of the recruitment process. Even Ho Lactea and Afrilith sent their leaders, but Seven Stars sent one of their lackeys. It was obvious how a hero of Yunael¡¯s level would think about the situation. Yet the edge of Eval¡¯s mouth turned upwards. A crisis was also an opportunity, and this was the time to show his skills. If Seven Stars managed to recruit both Aida Odelia and Yunael Tania, the ultimate winner of this draft would be them. It was then Eval received news that Yunael Tania wanted all the organization representatives to meet in one place. ¡®I will show them,¡¯ Eval thought, and his eyes glinted sharply. He was going to demonstrate the power of a hero who had talked his way into the Celestial Realm. *** Meanwhile, Chi-Woo was sitting in front of Aida in a room designated for introductions. He stared intently at her, specifically at the color of her soul and her user information. A blue ocean seemed to fluctuate around her; it was a very deep blue that made it seem like one would sink, like the deep sea, but her user information was even more surprising. 1. Name & Rank: Aida Odelia (¡î¡î¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Female & 122 3. Height & Weight: 170.2 & 51.5kg 4. Denomination: ¡ª 5. Tier: ¡ª 6. Class: ¡ª 7. Heavenly Title: The One who Searches for a Star that Shines on its Own 8. Disposition: Lawful Good [Strength E] [Durability E] [Agility E] [Stamina E] [Mental Fortitude S] [Mana D] 1. [Crystal Clear and Serene Waters A] ¨C Clear as a bright mirror and serene as unmoving waters, the user possesses a firm resolve that doesn¡¯t shake from external forces and assimilates her surroundings with it. 2. [Eye of the Mind that Looks up to the Sky A+] ¨CThe ability to identify the essence of something after thinking about it deeply. However, the user hasn¡¯t reached the root of the essence because she hadn¡¯t obtained the ¡®wisdom¡¯ to look up at the sky yet. The user¡¯s specialized eyes uncover the truth of things they wish to look at. Aida¡¯s user information surprised Chi-Woo no matter how many times he read it. He was especially astonished when he saw her second innate ability: Eye of the Mind that Looks up to the Sky. It was hard to grasp exactly what it was from the ability¡¯s description, but Chi-Woo had a general idea. It was in her heavenly title: The One who Searches for a Star that Shines on its Own. She was perfectly fitting for his goal of establishing Seven Stars. This was why he had thought she was the hero he was looking for as soon as he saw her. Aida had the ability to recognize stars, and this ability could be strengthened if Chi-Woo used the Power to Rule the World. The time he would need to find the remaining five stars would drastically decrease. Though he hadn¡¯t expected an ability like this, Chi-Woo could instantly understand why Boboris had so strongly emphasized to him to hold onto this hero. He was thinking he should recruit her at all costs when he heard her speak up. ¡°Is admiring pretty artworks your hobby, perhaps?¡± Aida asked. Chi-Woo blinked hard and laughed. She certainly had an appearance that could be described as a work of art. Her hair was deep blue like the color of her soul, and with her eyes closed, she let out a mystical aura. Furthermore, she was very pale. A person¡¯s skin usually had at least a faint tone to it no matter how pale they were, but Aida was all white. Even the palest Irish person wouldn¡¯t be as pale as her, and one wouldn¡¯t be able to spot her on a shining pile of sand and might step on her by mistake. Chi-Woo smiled and shook his head even though he admitted there was truth to her statement. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a hobby like that.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s understandable, considering the person you have by your side,¡± Aida said, and Chi-Woo was visibly confused. Thus, Aida explained, ¡°There was someone who kept staring at this area. When I felt her presence, the word ¡®beautiful¡¯ seemed far too lacking to describe her.¡± Chi-Woo still had no idea who Aida was talking about, but there was a more pressing question to address here. ¡°Weren¡¯t your eyes closed¡ªah,¡± Chi-Woo gasped softly. Was that the reason Aida said she ¡®felt¡¯ the person rather than ¡®saw¡¯ her? ¡°Without vision, my other senses developed much more.¡± Aida continued with her eyes closed. ¡°People with the same energy usually sense each other well and are drawn to one another.¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized that Aida was talking about Evelyn. They had the same energy. ¡°¡­You must be a saintess hero.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing that surprising. I¡¯m not the only priest-class hero in the Celestial Realm or Liber,¡± Aida said nonchalantly. ¡°And didn¡¯t you realize that about me already?¡± She had good intuition. Chi-Woo neither admitted nor denied that and changed the topic of the conversation. ¡°If you are comfortable with answering, could I ask why you are keeping your eyes closed?¡± Hearing this, Aida softly opened her eyes like it was no big deal. Chi-Woo flinched when he met the pair of jade. Her eyes were different from those of other people. They had no focus. ¨CShe¡¯s blind. Philip commented. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± Chi-Woo immediately apologized. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not really a problem.¡± Aida closed her eyes again and smiled faintly. ¡°I should¡¯ve been more cautious¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you were just curious,¡± Aida assured Chi-Woo it really was fine, and Chi-Woo felt a strange feeling. It felt as if he was seeing an ocean that could accept and embrace everything. ¡°But if you feel so bad about what you did, can I ask you to do something?¡± Aida seemed to have sensed the awkwardness in the room and asked. ¡°A request?¡± ¡°I would like to walk outside,¡± Aida said. ¡°And I want to talk while walking through the city.¡± Though it was an easy request to fulfill, Chi-Woo contemplated for a bit. He worried if he could just go out on his own like this when he was participating in a wide-scale event. ¡°Uh¡­I¡¯m not sure if¡­¡± ¡°Does it even matter?¡± Aida said in a sing-song voice. ¡°You were the only one to have chosen me, and this period of time is just meant for us to discuss and get to know each other. Does it matter what we do in the meantime?¡± Chi-Woo realized that she was right and couldn¡¯t find any faults in her argument. Thus, he got up in the end. He was about to extend his hand, but hesitated. After finding out that Aida was blind, there were many things that concerned him. He wanted to help, but knew it wasn¡¯t polite to keep extending his sympathies toward her either. ¨CHey, what are you fumbling about when she already said it was fine? Watch and follow me. I will guide you, mademoiselle. Philip chided him. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go, Ms. Aida,¡± Chi-Woo said, not confident enough to exactly mimic what Philip showed him. He carefully extended his hand, and for some reason, Aida lowered her head and snorted. Contrary to his worries, she didn¡¯t appear upset or offended. Instead, Aida got up a bit embarrassedly and placed her hand on his arm. ¡°It makes me nervous because it¡¯s my first time walking across a street arm in arm with a guy. I will leave you to be the guide,¡± Aida said. Chi-Woo wanted to ask if she had really never dated anyone in her 122 years of life, but he held himself back because he thought even a calm person like Aida would get mad at such a question. Then, they walked down to the first floor and departed from the Apertum Tower. Aida let out the breath she had been holding, followed by a long sigh. ¡°It feels much nicer here.¡± It appeared Aida had felt suffocated inside. Chi-Woo then asked if she would like to visit Seven Stars¡¯ zone. Their building had been completed recently and looked impressive. Yet Aida shook her head and said in a slightly angry voice, ¡°I already told you it¡¯s my first time walking on the streets arm in arm with a man. But now you want to bring me to your house as soon as we come outside? I can¡¯t believe how shameless you are.¡± When Chi-Woo saw the look and smile on her face, though, he knew that Aida was simply joking. Chi-Woo thought she should¡¯ve just said she didn¡¯t want to go there instead, but he simply smiled wryly and walked the streets as she wished. They circled around the square and went downtown. Strangely, it didn¡¯t feel so bad. It felt quite nice like two lovers walking across the beach at a quiet dawn. They only stopped walking once. It was when they were near a restaurant, and Aida looked intently in one direction. One of the natives was fanning meat skewers while rolling them around and around. Chi-Woo asked if she wanted to try some. Aida nodded slightly, and Chi-Woo immediately bought one and brought it over. Aida took a big bite of the meat skewer and munched on it with filled cheeks. She appeared very satisfied with the meal as she swung her head sideways and hummed. ¡°Do you know why the skewer is so tasty?¡± she suddenly asked. Chi-Woo answered, ¡°Is it because the meat is tasty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all to it,¡± Aida said, shaking the skewer that only had one piece of meat left now. ¡°It¡¯s because of the sauce. Ingredients that go along well together combined to create the perfect balance.¡± As she talked, the sauce around her lips looked especially noticeable. ¨CWipe it off for her. Wipe it off. Wipe it off. Wipe it off. Philip egged him on from behind, and Chi-Woo wondered if he should really do that. ¡°It¡¯s the same for this walk. It¡¯s fine to just walk, but it became more enjoyable with the addition of a good conversation.¡± Chi-Woo glanced at her again. He wasn¡¯t so dense that he couldn¡¯t read between the lines. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± he asked. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡°Why are you asking me that? Weren¡¯t you the one who brought some gullible lady outside and gave me this tasty meat skewer that I¡¯m eating right now?¡± ¡°But there¡¯s only one topic that I want to talk about.¡± Aida looked a bit taken aback by Chi-Woo¡¯s response. ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± With her eyes closed as usual, she continued with the meat skewer sauce still on her face. ¡°Then let me ask about that.¡± She cleared her throat and said, ¡°Could you tell me why you immediately chose me to recruit? What is the meaning behind the name Seven Stars? And how do you define a star?¡± Chi-Woo felt a strong intuition that this was a very important moment for him. Thus, he began, ¡°I think I can answer all those questions at once if you don¡¯t mind me taking too long.¡± Aida finally wiped the sauce off her face and licked her fingers before cracking a smile. ¡°It seems our walk is going to be even more interesting.¡± *** Before the draft commenced and right after Allen separated with Chi-Woo, he glanced behind at the two people following him. Yunael was looking at Chi-Woo as he grew farther away. The pair weren¡¯t his companions, nor those connected to his adventure guild. Yunael and Aida had secretly snuck outside because they were feeling stuffy, and they looked around curiously but ended up getting lost. Yunael was rolling their feet in worry that they would be marked as a troublemaker and a rule breaker right before the draft. It was only thanks to Aida spotting Allen passing by that they could ask for help. Allen easily agreed to help them out because he remembered getting lost during his first visit to the tower. He had wandered around helplessly for a long time just like them. ¡°Listen well, you two. On the first floor of Apertum, there¡¯s a staircase on the east, west, and north side of the entrance. They are all connected to the third floor, but the only path I know is¡­¡± Allen trailed off after explaining for a while. It was because when he started to say, ¡®Take the stairs on the west side, then a path separated into eight parts will appear, and after going north, you need to turn left two times. And then¡­¡¯ The two stared at him with a dazed look on their faces. ¡°¡­Yes, it is a bit complicated,¡± Allen admitted. ¡°¡­That¡¯s more than ¡®a bit¡¯,¡± Aida corrected him, and Allen agreed. ¡°It¡¯s not me, but some magician who built this tower. I also passionately argued against building a place in such a manner, but got told I was the weird one who didn¡¯t realize it was the most efficient way to make use of a limited space.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s hard to understand the mind of those who continuously seek the truth. Regardless, is there any possibility that you could just guide us to the location since we are running out of time?¡± Aida asked. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with that, but I hope you will realize that I¡¯m speaking the truth about this tower at the end.¡± ¡°Of course, I will.¡± ¡°Good. Then follow me.¡± That was how the two came to follow Allen and coincidentally ran into Chi-Woo. Yunael was no fool. From the conversation between Chi-Woo and Allen, they could roughly guess Chi-Woo¡¯s position and reason for visiting this ridiculous tower. And knowing that it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to gather more information beforehand, Yunael asked, hopeful that Allen would tell them, ¡°Who was that?¡± Yet Allen quickly cut them off. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Allen was already meeting potential recruits before the official event when he wasn¡¯t allowed to; He couldn¡¯t imagine what the legend would do if he heard that he spilled information on another organization beforehand too¡­ The mere thought of it gave him chills. ¡°Hey, come on~ Can¡¯t you just tell us since we are already here? We will keep it a secret.¡± ¡°I know it might seem harmless to do so, but I can¡¯t tell you. Please don¡¯t make me betray the trust that has been placed on me.¡± Allen shook his head. ¡°If I cause trouble for Teacher because of my carelessness¡­I will have to live the rest of my life in guilt.¡± Yunael didn¡¯t insist anymore upon hearing Allen¡¯s firm tone, but that made Yunael even more curious. Yunael wondered what kind of man would make Allen speak like this. ¡°Aida,¡± Yunael asked after lowering their voice. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°What did you feel from that guy just now?¡± ¡°¡­I will find out.¡± ¡°Hm? What does that mean?¡± Yunael asked, but Aida didn¡¯t respond. Aida simply walked with a smile on her face. ¡®Hmph.¡¯ In the end, Yunael turned their head away. Perhaps it was because of curiosity, but Chi-Woo kept lingering in Yunael¡¯s mind. ¡®Who was he exactly?¡¯ Yunael wondered. That was Yunael¡¯s and Chi-Woo¡¯s first meeting. CH 314 Aida Odelia had two questions. First, why did he pick her? Second, what was the meaning behind ¡®Stars¡¯ in the name Seven Stars? Chi-Woo could have intricately embellished his words with all kinds of fancy adjectives and grand goals, but he decided not to. He delivered his true thoughts and reasons without any artifice because his intuition was telling him to tell her as it was. After Chi-Woo finished explaining, Aida asked, ¡°Would I also get to meet her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. She¡¯s no longer in this world as a result of revealing the prophecy¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Their conversation grew longer than expected because he had to explain Boboris¡¯ prophecy to Aida, but also due to the various unexpected encounters that kept interrupting them. For example, while walking down the street, a woman timidly approached and greeted Chi-Woo. ¡°He, hello!¡± ¡°S-Sir, do¡­you¡­remember me?¡± ¡®Who is she?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at her questioningly before suddenly widening his eyes a fraction. She was the daughter of the middle-aged couple who had sacrificed themselves. At that time, he had handed her considerable wealth at the former capital of Salem, saying he couldn¡¯t forget her parents¡¯ sacrifice. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been well!¡± The woman¡¯s expression brightened when Chi-Woo greeted her. ¡°You remember me!¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± ¡°Me, me too¡­!¡± The woman fidgeted and smiled brightly. She talked about various topics like how thanks to him, she and the villagers were able to make a living, how they heard news about his amazing achievements not long ago, and how she was grateful to him for always working hard for them. After showering him with praises, the woman caught herself and apologized for interrupting him while he was busy working. Then she withdrew while glancing at Aida, who was tightly clutching Chi-Woo¡¯s arm. When she left, Aida smiled brightly and said,¡°Maybe I should have let go of your arm for a while.¡± ¡°Ah, are you feeling uncomfortable?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Aida didn¡¯t finish, and Chi-Woo shrugged as she chuckled. ¡°Where was I? Ah, so that time¡­¡± Chi-Woo tried to resume his explanation, but the native woman turned out not to be the last to approach him. He¡¯d only taken a few steps before several scary-looking people saw Chi-Woo from a distance and came up to him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, sir.¡± ¡°Sir, have you been well?¡± And all of them bowed deeply at a perfect right angle. Chi-Woo answered, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while. How have you been?¡± ¡°Sir, thanks to you, I¡¯ve managed to live like a hero.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still lacking a lot, but I¡¯m working very hard to reach even the tip of your toe.¡± ¡°Sir, I heard the news a while ago. Congratulations on your success. As expected of a great hero.¡± There had been a time when Chi-Woo went around working with struggling heroes to help them grow. He did it in the hope of finding precious pearls in the mud, but regardless of his reason, dozens of heroes had been able to sign a contract with a god and raise their tiers thanks to Chi-Woo. Since Chi-Woo helped them gain the strength to live in a hopeless world like this, they considered him their benefactor. However, the problem was that there were too many heroes like them. As news spread that Chi-Woo had finally shown his face after a long while, people continuously came one or two at a time to greet him. Due to accepting everyone¡¯s greetings, it took him a long time to explain the meaning behind the name Seven Stars. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi-Woo apologized to Aida because their conversation was unintentionally cut off, but she didn¡¯t show even the slightest sign of irritation. She simply smiled quietly whenever people came to visit Chi-Woo. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Aida replied with a smile. ¡°I actually liked it because I was able to see what type of person you are.¡± In general, the evaluation of a person from others was more accurate than self-evaluation. ¡°From what I heard, you seem like a good person.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not a very good person¡­¡± ¡°In a way, you may be right, but you are a good person in the way I want you to be.¡± In the way Aida Odelia wanted him to be? Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°It¡¯s a relief,¡± then Aida continued, ¡°That the one I¡¯m entrusting that child to is a good person.¡± Chi-Woo stopped walking. Who did she mean? ¡°I¡¯m talking about Yunael,¡± Aida said calmly. Yunael Tania. Chi-Woo frowned. He had noticed that Yunael got a lot of attention at the drafting event, and he had also seen their user information. It was better than expected¡ªbut that was the extent of his thoughts. If he remembered correctly, Yunael¡¯s potential was three stars, wasn¡¯t it? It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to recruit them, but having heroes like Ru Amuh and Emmanuel around him, Yunael didn¡¯t leave a big impression on him. That wasn¡¯t the case for Aida Odelia. Although she was also a three-star hero, her innate ability was intrinsically different. In a way, she was like Shersha in the Demon Empire; a precious treasure that was irreplaceable. But¡­ Chi-Woo said, ¡°Come to think of it, you two seem quite close.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a little over 10 years since we met and began working together.¡± Ten years was a significant time, enough for a mountain and landscape to go through tremendous change. ¡°Are you saying that I need to also recruit Yunael if I want to recruit you?¡± Chi-Woo decided to ask directly to be sure. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Aida shook her head. Then she asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you told me that the meaning of Seven Stars was to become a bright star that rises in the night sky and removes the darkness that befell Liber, thus lighting up the world?¡± ¡°Yes, but I want you¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Aida shook her head again. ¡°I¡¯m not the star you¡¯re looking for.¡± She repeated with a more determined tone. Chi-Woo¡¯s expression turned blank. He thought the person he had been looking for was definitely Aida, but she was telling him that wasn¡¯t the case. After a short silence, she continued with a soft voice, ¡°Sun and moon. And also stars. All of them become meaningful only when the sky exists.¡± Aida said apropos of nothing and slightly shook her head. ¡°Do you know?¡± she asked while looking up at the sky. ¡°There are relatively few stars in the universe that can really be called stars.¡± People often said there were many stars while looking at the twinkling lights in the night sky, but technically speaking, this was not a completely accurate statement. ¡°The same is true for this planet.¡± It was the same for Liber and Earth. Aida continued, ¡°I know we call all of them stars colloquially and in literature since we¡¯ve used that term from when the difference between planets and stars was ambiguous, but¡­¡± [1] However, in an astronomical sense, Earth and Liber could not be called stars. ¡°I think that only celestial bodies that can shine on their own deserve to be called stars. That¡¯s what I think of as a star.¡± A planet that receives light was not a star; a celestial body that emitted light and heat on its own like the sun was a star. ¡°If I¡¯m the planet that knows how to distinguish stars,¡± Aida said, placing her hand on her chest. ¡°And if you¡¯re the sky that allows stars to exist as stars¡­¡± Then she pointed at Chi-Woo and finished, ¡°Yunael Tania. That child is a star that knows how to shine on their own.¡± Then she looked back at the looming tower in the distant light. Chi-Woo stared at Aida. He understood what she meant. Initially, he had thought that Aida¡¯s position was the same as his, that Aida was someone trying to find a star like him. However, after listening to her, he realized a subtle difference between them. The word ¡®find¡¯ could have multiple meanings. It could mean looking around to get or discover something after deliberately searching for it, or it could mean recognizing or discovering a certain information or knowledge. Aida¡¯s goal was more toward the latter, and her ability allowed her to perform this task. Chi-Woo¡¯s goal was closer to the former and went beyond just finding certain people. Therefore, while it was true that their goals fell into the same greater category, their roles were different. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo had nothing to say. He was busy organizing his thoughts. Aida seemed to have read his confusion as she quickly added, ¡°Haven¡¯t you told me that Boboris made a prediction like that as well?¡± Boboris had told him to make sure to catch the first person he met from the tenth at all costs. After listening to Aida, Chi-Woo was able to consider the different interpretations of Boboris¡¯ words. ¡®Meet, meet¡­¡¯ To face each other, to run into each other by chance, or to make eye contact. ¡®Meeting someone¡¯ could had all those implications, so Chi-Woo tilted his head and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you run into me too, Ms. Aida?¡± ¡°Did you forget? I can¡¯t see.¡± ¡°Ah. But¡ª¡± ¡°Of course, I also felt your presence in my own way when we first met.¡± With her heightened senses, Aida was able to recognize Chi-Woo by smell and sound. ¡°What do you think it means to meet in general?¡± ¡°Well¡­meeting someone shouldn¡¯t be limited to seeing them.¡± Aida continued softly as if she was comforting a child, ¡°Think about it carefully. In the banquet hall¡­¡± At that time, Aida had said, ¡®We meet again.¡¯ And Chi-Woo had been confused. He looked baffled, wondering where they had met each other before. When Chi-Woo saw Allen Leonard, he had merely wondered, ¡®Why is he averting his gaze and looking so flustered?¡¯ and hadn¡¯t been able to recall ever meeting her. He had only managed to successfully recall their encounter after seeing Yunael Tania. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes became as big as saucers after realizing this fact, ¡®Yeah, she¡¯s right.¡¯ Although all of his attention had been focused on Allen Leonard, he had also taken notice of two other people with him. He had glanced at them and thought they were Allen Leonard¡¯s colleagues or adventure guild members. But above all, the fact that he could only remember their encounter after seeing Yunael Tania was clear proof that Chi-Woo had seen Yunael first. Because Yunael was right before his view, and Aida was to the side. ¡°¡­After we first met, Yunael asked me about how I felt about you while we followed that hero.¡± Yunael had clearly recognized his presence as well. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Chi-Woo could no longer refute her point. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± In the end, he had no choice but to admit and accept her words. The person that Boboris said was his fated encounter and the first person he met among the tenth reinforcements was Yunael Tania, not Aida Odelia. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand it. Even if it was not 100 percent, his intuition was right most of the time. However, it missed at such an important time like this. It was too much of a coincidence unless fate was playing a crude joke on him. Even now, his intuition was leading him to Aida and not to Apertum, where Yunael was. Why did he feel this way? ¡°Fate is really mischievous.¡± It was as Aida said. He had thought he was going to have it easy this time, but looking back, there had never been a time like that. Aida read his confusion again and softly continued, ¡°Fate is essentially a mirage in the desert. Like a fairy with a penchant of playing jokes on people, it disappears when you try to hold it.¡± Aida continued with a sing-song voice, ¡°But an oasis definitely exists in the desert. Therefore¡ª¡± She straightened her posture and faced Chi-Woo. ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to ask sincerely.¡± She was making a request to the one looking for stars, to the sky that allowed stars to exist as stars¡ªto the Heavenly King, Chi-Woo. ¡°Would you scout Yunael Tania for Seven Stars?¡± * * * At the same time. Eval Sevaru believed that the most important factor in determining the success of a deal and negotiation was a good poker face. Despite this belief, Eval felt his belief in this iron law waver in real time. He had known that he was at a disadvantage, but when the competition for recruitment began in earnest over Yunael Tania, Eval Sevaru had to click his tongue. Everyone was going all out, and the conditions and offers that people made was nothing short of generous. Full support for growth was the basics, and the real gunfire was shot by Ho Lactea. She generously announced that she would give them divine blood if Yunael joined Ho Lactea. Then Apoline matched that by saying she¡¯d teach Yunael how to strengthen their bloodline and a special breathing method passed down in her family to train mana. Their competition was so fierce that the adventure guild couldn¡¯t even properly get a word in. Even Eval Sevaru thought that anyone would eagerly jump in at the chance of receiving any of those offers. Of course, Seven Stars had a way to appeal to Yunael, but there was only one way to do this¡ªto reveal that Chi-Woo was from the Choi family. However, Eval Sevaru had no authority to make the decision. And even if he revealed it, there was no guarantee that Yunael would believe him. Even if he was delegated full authority as Chi-Woo¡¯s stand-in, there was a clear difference between the leader and their substitute coming out to negotiate. Eval Sevaru had prepared himself before coming in the first place, but the situation was worse than he thought. Although he had thought the situation couldn¡¯t possibly get worse than this, things suddenly took a strange turn. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Eval Sevaru¡¯s reaction verged on terror as he saw Yunael Tania¡¯s responses constantly shift during the negotiations. ¡®No way¡­was this also part of his plan? He thought of this in that short time?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s actions had been way too precise and calculative to be a coincidence. But how could he have accurately guessed Yunael¡¯s disposition and way of thinking after one glance? ¡®It makes no¡ª¡® Then he thought, ¡®¡­No, It might be possible.¡¯ Chi-Woo had led Eval to think in the direction he wanted with just one word and eventually caught him in his trap. ¡°I¡­want to hear the conditions Seven Stars offer again¡­I was wondering when that person will come again¡­¡± After hearing Yunael Tania anxiously say this, Eval Sevaru clutched his body with both arms. He shuddered and screamed internally. ¡®What the hell¡­! Those Chois¡­What the hell are they made out of¡­!¡¯ 1. In Korea, Earth and other planets are sometimes called stars in certain contexts. For example, ¡®Earth star¡¯ is just Earth. ? CH 315 What was the most important thing to consider when trying to establish a relationship? It was simple. One needed to grant what the other party desired. They couldn¡¯t just lay down their goods on a mat and ask the other party to pick out what they wanted like some garage sale. One needed to deduce the exact answer and respond accordingly. Of course, this was easier said than done. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been simpler if the other party wanted something material like money, yet every individual was different and likewise, wished for different things. Everyone had a secret they couldn¡¯t reveal, and it was common for this secret to be tied to what they desired. With that in mind, Eval thought Yunael wasn¡¯t an easy person to figure out. First of all, Yunael was intelligent. Yunael was well aware of the kind of hero they were and managed to grasp their worth on Liber in a very short frame of time. Furthermore, Yunael was confident, as could be seen by the fact that they boldly made requests even in front of the greatly revered Celestial Lights. Yunael was different from those who often became speechless when facing members of the twelve most famous families in the Celestial Realm, and they had the backing to take on this sort of attitude. Lastly, if Eval had to add one more description, Yunael was¡­calculative. Yunael personally directed the current situation in the name of being considerate of the heroes, which resulted in serving Yunael and increasing their worth. This was noticeably distinct from the way Afrilith commonly behaved, where she expected others to support and consider her highly without any effort. ¡®Yunael desires others to respect them and knows how to make it so¡­¡¯ Eval thought. This wasn¡¯t good news for Eval since that meant Yunael was someone more fitting to lead rather than to serve. However, there couldn¡¯t be multiple leaders in one organization. If Yunael¡¯s character was what he thought it to be, there was a high possibility that an internal conflict would arise. At least this was how Eval Sevaru assessed Yunael. Thus, Eval thought it would be difficult to recruit Yunael. Chi-Woo not only disregarded them, but it was a subordinate from Seven Stars who gave them a coin instead of the leader of the organization. Anyone would think their attitude was uncaring and indifferent. It seemed obvious how a prideful person like Yunael would take this situation. Once the negotiation started, though, the situation began to develop contrary to his expectations. Yunael appeared slightly interested when hearing Ho Lactea¡¯s and Afrilith¡¯s lavish offers, but that was all. And even when offered a super generous promise that Yunael could, potentially later on, create their own unit and act independently from the rest of the adventure guild, Yunael¡¯s response remained lukewarm. They didn¡¯t show much of a response when Eval spoke either. He made ordinary offers that anyone in his position could make at first, and Yunael looked disinterested. Though Yunael seemed to be focusing on what the other party was saying, Eval could easily tell from the expression on their face that their mind was elsewhere. From the responses that they gave from time to time, it seemed Yunael was still very concerned about what Aida and Chi-Woo were doing instead. Perhaps Yunael purely wished to work with Aida out of some sense of camaraderie as they came together to Liber. Or perhaps Yunael was burning with rage at Chi-Woo¡¯s cold shoulder, having never been treated with such indifference and nonchalance. But there was really no way of knowing what was right. The only thing Eval was sure of was that Yunael¡¯s current behavior was somehow connected to the desire currently in their heart, yet Yunael didn¡¯t reveal what was on their mind to the very end. Even when everyone except Alice and Eval looked worried sick by the response they gave, Yunael didn¡¯t choose anyone. Finally, Noel came into the room saying that the meeting time was over. She gave them extra time since no one had gotten up, but there was still no progress. ¡°Why don¡¯t you all return for now? I¡¯m sure the hero needs time to think too,¡± Noel said. But nothing changed even after she spoke to them multiple times, so in anger, Noel used her last resort. She immediately rushed off to bring someone that could immediately put an end to the current situation. ¡°What are you all doing?¡± The door opened, and a cold gust swept in. ¡°The meeting time ended long ago.¡± A person that no one could ignore appeared. Even Yunael, whose mind had drifted elsewhere, was brought back to the present. It was the legend. Despite their great pride and a sense of worth, Yunael was also realistic. With their calculative mind, they knew how to read people and act accordingly. And Chi-Hyun was someone not even their ancestors would dream to rival, let alone Yunael. Furthermore, Chi-Hyun was a hero Yunael had admired since their youth. ¡°But¡ª!¡± ¡°Whether the meeting properly concluded or not, wait for the results after returning,¡± Chi-Hyun cut Apoline off. Apoline looked discontented by this news, but when she saw Alice quietly getting up from her seat, she grunted helplessly. Yunael clicked their tongue. As expected of the legend, heroes from top families such as them couldn¡¯t even say a word against Chi-Hyun. At that moment, Yunael thought it would be nice if they could join Chi-Hyun, and their face filled with awe. Eval didn¡¯t miss this change of expression on Yunael¡¯s face. Eventually, people began to leave one by one under Chi-Hyun¡¯s command. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Somehow it ends up taking this long¡­¡± Allen Leonard apologized to Chi-Hyun on his way out. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t reply nor even looked back. Thus, Allen smiled awkwardly and continued walking. Chi-Hyun gave the same response to Apoline and Alice. He didn¡¯t even glance at them but let out a cold air that seemed to tell them to hurry out of this room. Eval purposefully waited to leave at the same time as Yunael, and when he was about to pass Chi-Hyun, he stopped and turned around. ¡°Thank you, sir. By the way, I look forward to having a meal with you again. Please tell me when you are available¡­.¡± The look in Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes changed. This wasn¡¯t the time to talk about such matters, and Eval¡¯s words were unexpected. When he glanced at Yunael, who was standing behind Eval, he let out a humorless laugh. ¡®Who¡¯s he kidding?¡¯ Of course, Chi-Hyun with all his quick wits caught onto what Eval was doing. He didn¡¯t like the feeling of being used, but...since he was someone his brother had recruited, Chi-Hyun decided to play along. ¡°¡­Sure. Let¡¯s make an arrangement soon,¡± Chi-Hyun said and tapped Eval on the shoulder a couple of times. Yunael clearly witnessed this scene from behind and saw how the cold, charismatic legend softened only when interacting with Eval. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± That was more than enough to show Yunael. Eval responded brightly to Chi-Hyun and stomped forward. He purposefully didn¡¯t look back, but he felt a smile rise from his heart. He wanted to ask out loud, ¡®Did you see that, Yunael? This is the relationship between me and the legend. You could have such a relationship if you join Seven Stars.¡¯ Though it was an unexpected turn of events, it was the greatest perk they had shown so far. ¡®Could you still resist joining us?¡¯ Eval thought, and the corners of his mouth curled upwards. Then he heard Yunael¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°Excuse me¡­!¡± *** Just turning twenty this year, Yunael Tania was a hero with many dreams. Though they were from a remote area, Yunael was raised as a hero from a young age in the Tania family, which boasted a long history. Thus, Yunael couldn¡¯t understand the difference between them and the Celestial Lights. Why was the Tania family not as well-praised and famous as them? Yunael knew the reason was that the progenitor of the Tania family had been completely uninterested in fame. Though the Celestial Realm offered the position to them multiple times, they always refused. They preferred to focus on their own duty rather than being caught up in political battles. The progenitor could be considered the model of a hero. Though Yunael admired their progenitor in this aspect, they thought the times were different now. They weren¡¯t satisfied that this tradition was being maintained even centuries later. Thus, Yunael decided that they would change things once they began acting as a hero, and they would make it so that the Tania family would be acknowledged as equal to the Celestial Lights or even superior to them. With that goal alone, Yunael endured and completed many brutal training and was called forth by the Celestial Realm. Thus they officially began their activities, but things weren''t as easy as they thought. There was the fact that the Celestial Lights had under their belt achievements and experiences comparable to those of the Tania family, but it was also hard for Yunael to free the image their family had built up until now. Everyone took their achievements for granted and never placed them in positions of power or authority. No matter what Yunael did, all they seemed to hear was, ¡®Oh, that family was always like that¡¯, and not much more was offered beyond that. The Celestial Lights were always given priority, while Tania was pushed off to the backseat. They were the constant outsider. At this point, Yunael would need to be satisfied with simply getting good impressions, but no power or perks along with them. Yet Yunael didn¡¯t want that. They wanted fame and privileges befitting their achievements. Knowing that making mild achievements would only help maintain their current status, they decided to take special measures. If they needed to break the image their family had until now, they needed to do something big. Thus, after much thought, Yunael volunteered to join the tenth reinforcements. It was what they had been thinking about doing for some time now because it was an opportunity to stand on the same stage as the legend. The legend was the only one among the Celestial Lights who Yunael acknowledged and admired. Furthermore, if they helped save Liber, they would gain much greater fame than before. There seemed to be no reason not to go. They had only been hesitating until now because the admittance rate was so low before, and they couldn¡¯t risk failing the selection process after applying for it. If they failed, others would have made comments along the lines of: ¡®What? Even a Tania failed?¡¯ ¡®Well, they aren¡¯t even a Celestial Light, so it¡¯s understandable¡­¡¯ Thus, Yunael had been careful. But after the seventh selection process, Yunael gained information that the admittance rate was rising bit by bit. So Yunael applied and was judged as a suitable recruit for Liber in the end. Though Yunael came to Liber with lofty dreams and goals, they were also able to exactly assess the reality of the situation. Liber was a place where the World had died. Heroes would only be able to progress with support in the beginning and go independent if and when they grew stronger. Seven Stars was actually the one Yunael had set their eyes on from the very beginning. The organizations led by the Celestial Lights were good places for receiving support, but Yunael¡¯s biggest purpose was to put Tania¡¯s name on the map. If they joined Ho Lactea or Afrilith, they would only help boost the Celestial Lights¡¯ fame rather than their own. There was no need to do something that only favored others. With these factors in mind, Seven Stars seemed to be the perfect fit for them. The fact that it wasn¡¯t established by a Celestial Light qualified it as an option in their books, and from what they heard, it seemed this organization was more highly-regarded than other organizations too. It seemed to be the perfect place for them. Yunael was sure that this organization was prepared for them by fate. Of course, Yunael thought things wouldn¡¯t be as easy as they seemed. It was clear that there was something going on in Seven Stars if they had made more achievements than all the Celestial Lights combined. Still, Yunael was confident that they would achieve what they came here to do. They also had a plan. The first step was to enter Seven Stars with Aida, but they wouldn¡¯t accept the offer so easily. They planned to make Seven Stars really yearn for them, and that was the reason why Yunael purposefully accepted only one coin from each of the organizations. After making the organizations compete with each other fiercely, they planned to choose Seven Stars in the end, after all their efforts were exhausted. It was to give the impression that Yunael was the one who chose Seven Stars and not the other way around. They would make it so that Seven Stars needed to serve them. After receiving special treatment like that, Yunael planned to create their own faction within Seven Stars. Then they would rise to the top of Seven Stars after expanding their faction and establishing themselves properly. If the situation didn¡¯t allow that, they could simply use Seven Stars as a stepping stool for progress. At least, that was what should¡¯ve happened¡­but things took a strange turn from the beginning. It started with the leader of Seven Stars only taking their friend, Aida, and not sparing a glance in their direction. Even at the negotiation table, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t come in person and instead sent a subordinate. Yunael was shocked because they hadn¡¯t imagined that they would receive such treatment, and no matter how much time they deliberately wasted, the leader of the organization didn¡¯t show himself. Though Yunael had tried to prolong the meeting as much as possible, it simply ended with no conclusion. Was this really the end? But it couldn¡¯t be. [¡­Perhaps!] Before the legend left, Yunael had asked. [Are you not recruiting anyone, sir?] In a way, it was Yunael¡¯s last desperate attempt. The Choi family was different from other Celestial Lights, as was shown by the way Chi-Hyun blatantly put down the Ho Lactea and Afrilith representatives. Furthermore, Chi-Hyun was the legend, who was titled the greatest hero of all time. Becoming his subordinate alone would be meaningful. Thus, Yunael was attempting to overturn things, but Chi-Hyun responded frigidly. [I¡¯m not. I was wondering why you all were taking so long¡­but I know the reason now.] Yunael was still flushed red from what had happened just before. The air around Chi-Hyun had been icy then. It was understandable that Chi-Hyun would give them such a cold shoulder. After spending so much time with the other organizations, Yunael turned out to be aiming for the legend in the end. Everything was a mess, and this wasn¡¯t the scenario Yunael had pictured at all. ¡®Aida¡­¡¯ A part of Yunael felt a bit disgruntled by Aida. But Yunael knew that Aida did no wrong, and Yunael couldn¡¯t really blame someone who had earnestly cared for them since their youth. Thus, all these emotions were soon redirected toward one person. The resentment they had always harbored multiplied and increased in size. It was still clear in Yunael¡¯s mind¡ªthe shock they had felt when their big plans were thwarted, and Chi-Woo indifferently walking past them. Yunael clenched their fists. ¡®Why must I be treated in this manner? How great is he that he didn¡¯t even spare a glance in my direction and ignore me?¡¯ It enraged Yunael the more they thought about it. There were even some parts of them that imagined Chi-Woo had perhaps purposefully pretended to be indifferent when he actually cared a lot. That would¡¯ve been better. Nevertheless, Yunael couldn¡¯t just bide time like this. It seemed they had already started off on the wrong footing with the legend, and if things turned in the wrong direction, they could lose their chance to join any of the organizations. They needed to choose and pick one. With the goal they had, Yunael had no intention to play into other people¡¯s intentions. If Seven Stars¡¯ leader had really acted the way he did for some secret reason, Yunael needed to consider that. ¡®They have chosen the wrong person to mess with.¡¯ Yunael stopped walking. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Yunael heaved like an angry bull and said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡± Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. CH 316 When Chi-Woo returned to the tower, the drafting event was already over. Since Eval Sevaru hadn¡¯t contacted him, he had thought that they might still be in the middle of negotiations, but his hopes were crushed. Chi-Woo left a message to Eval Sevaru, asking him to contact him as soon as he saw this message and began moving with Aida on his arm. After returning to Seven Stars¡¯ zone, Chi-Woo was hit with a stark feeling of unfamiliarity because of how much the zone had changed. It felt strange every time he saw it. Magnificent and sophisticated buildings had replaced the wooden houses, which used to paint an antique and quaint picture. There were a total of eight buildings in the area. Seven were placed neatly around the main hall in the form of a heptagon. But what Chi-Woo liked the most was the outer wall surrounding all the buildings. With the central main hall as its base, the walls met at a vertex and connected the edges of each of the buildings in a triangular shape. From the top, it looked like a star with a pentagon in the middle. Frankly, it also looked like a maple leaf, but Chi-Woo liked it. Although it wasn¡¯t anything fancy, the structure highlighted precision and neatness with an emphasis on proportionality. Above all, Chi-Woo was satisfied because it seemed to capture the meaning of Seven Stars well. Chi-Woo led Aida to the main hall through a stone sidewalk along the axis. Except for Eval Sevaru, all the members of Seven Stars had already returned and had been waiting patiently on the first floor. When they saw Aida following Chi-Woo, they flocked around her like old-timers around a newbie. In particular, Ru Hiana and Evelyn moved Aida¡¯s hand away from Chi-Woo at the same time and welcomed her brightly with a handshake. After spending some time introducing themselves and learning about each other, Chi-Woo took Aida to his office. They decided to have a short tea break, and Chi-Woo asked, ¡°How were they?¡± This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I think I need to correct what I said,¡± Aida softly replied. ¡°I thought Yunael was a star that would shine brighter than anyone else¡­but that meeting just now changed my mind.¡± She shook her head in shock. ¡°As of now, you already have one shining star next to you.¡± Chi-Woo smiled quietly because he knew who she was talking about. There was nothing more pleasing to parents than hearing praises for their children. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a perfect star in my life. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all thanks to you though.¡± ¡°No, honestly, I haven¡¯t done much for Mr. Ru Amuh. As you said, he¡¯s a star that shines brilliantly by himself¡­ Rather, I feel bad I haven¡¯t done enough.¡± A small smile tugged at Aida¡¯s lips because she could sense how much he cared for the people around him from his words alone. Thus, her desire to get Yunael into this group became even stronger. She wished they were here as well. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Is there anyone else that could be a star besides Ru Amuh?¡± ¡°Yes. Everyone is shining beautifully, but most of them are reflecting your light. Unfortunately, I only saw one star shining by themselves.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Chi-Woo nodded, swallowing a faint sense of regret. Just when he thought he should show Emmanuel to her and ask about him, someone knocked on the door. Chi-Woo answered, ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened, and in walked Eval Sevaru. He entered with a calm face but bowed at a right angle as soon as he approached Chi-Woo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll receive any punishment.¡± As soon as he heard this, Chi-Woo thought, ¡®Ah, he failed to recruit Yunael Tania.¡¯ However, what surprised him was that he didn¡¯t feel that agitated even though he had let slip the hero Boboris told him to recruit. Rather, he felt calm without even the slightest bit of uneasiness. Maybe it was because of Aida¡¯s innate ability, he felt like a sailboat sailing smoothly in a favorable wind. Chi-Woo answered, ¡°It¡¯s all right, so please stand straight.¡± ¡°I have no words to defend myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Mr. Sevaru.¡± Chi-Woo sincerely thought this. ¡°No, it is my fault. Sir, I couldn¡¯t take advantage of the opportunity you provided me.¡± Eval Sevaru believed he was truly to blame. ¡°Straighten your back. This is an order.¡± Eval Sevaru had no choice but to straighten his back at Chi-Woo¡¯s command, but his face was full of regrets. Although the chances hadn¡¯t been great, there was still a possibility. No¡ªhe could have recruited Yunael if he really wanted to. It wasn¡¯t that difficult. Even though he was a stand-in for Chi-Woo, he could have shown great interest or look desperate by calling Chi-Woo and badgering him to quickly come. Or at the end of the drafting event, he could have made an appointment with Yunael Tania for a private meeting. Then there would¡¯ve been a high possibility for Yunael Tania to join hands with Seven Stars. Eval Sevaru had felt a strong, positive signal coming from Yunael as well. However, rather than doing any of those, he had stuck with the attitude of ¡®I¡¯m going to participate, but it doesn¡¯t matter to me what happens either way.¡¯ Because he had a strong feeling that he should act like that. ¡°Where did that person choose to go?¡± ¡°¡­They chose Ho Lactea.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Someone laughed. Aida had her hand on her mouth, and her shoulder was shaking. ¡°My apologies.¡± Aida cleared her throat as Chi-Woo and Eval looked at her. ¡°I thought it was very much like that child¡­haha.¡± Chi-Woo sighed. Yunael went to Ho Lactea¡­what should he do? ¡°Boss¡­¡± As Chi-Woo glanced at Aida, Eval Sevaru carefully said, ¡°I personally think this situation isn¡¯t bad¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Rather, this is good, so don¡¯t worry about¡­?¡± Eval Sevaru and Aida looked at each other mid-sentence. The opinion of Eval Sevaru, the best politician that Chi-Woo knew, and the woman, who knew Yunael Tania the best, matched. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Chi-Woo first asked Eval Sevaru curiously. ¡°Drafting is not the only way to recruit new people. It¡¯s also possible with transfers between organizations.¡± That was true. If mutual interests were aligned, transferring was more than possible. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Are you saying that we should wait a little bit and gauge Ho Lactea¡¯s plans?¡± ¡°No.¡± Eval Sevaru shook his head. ¡°Then it will give Yunael Tania the impression that we want to bring them to our side because Ho Lactea wants them. We can¡¯t let that happen.¡± Eval Sevaru continued with a firm voice, ¡°Boss, if you really want to recruit that hero¡ªyou have to make them want to come here on their own.¡± In short, Chi-Woo had to make them want to knock on Seven Stars¡¯ door and not the other way around. ¡°Yunael Tania is a hero like that.¡± Eval Sevaru spoke in a confident tone. Chi-Woo could understand his point to a certain extent. Although Eval Sevaru was being as roundabout as he could out of consideration of Aida, if Chi-Woo was to interpret his words without the sugarcoat, Eval was basically saying that Yunael had a lot of potential to cause trouble, so he needed to bring them into the fold after putting their arrogance down as much as possible. The scenario that Eval Sevaru wanted to create was where Yunael Tania was desperate to join Seven Stars, and Seven Stars would accept them as a gracious favor. ¡®What kind of person is Yunael that¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo clicked his tongue and stared at Aida. He also wanted to hear her thoughts, but Aida looked quite surprised. ¡°¡­It¡¯s my second time being surprised since I came here.¡± Judging by how she spoke in a slightly baffled tone, she seemed more shocked than when she saw Ru Amuh. ¡°It¡¯s been less than a day since you met that child, but you saw through them to that extent¡­ You¡¯re very sharp.¡± Although Aida was definitely praising him, Eval Sevaru¡¯s face was sour. He had also observed Aida as well; she barely revealed any emotions under her closed eyes, and her expression hardly changed. She was the type that Eval Sevaru hated because it was difficult to read their intentions. Of course, it was only in the case of an enemy, and it didn¡¯t matter if they were allies. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve been worried about how to tell you since I¡¯ve spent considerable time with that child, but¡­I''m grateful that he spoke for me instead.¡± Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Then are you agreeing with Mr. Eval Sevaru?¡± ¡°Well¡­Yunael definitely has a bit of a childish side, unbefitting of their age. That child sometimes can¡¯t overcome their temper and act out in anger. I was most worried about that disposition when I brought them¡­¡± ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°We need to hunt.¡± Chi-Woo blinked. For a moment, he thought he heard her wrong. Did Aida tell him to hunt Yunael Tania? ¡°Do you know how a shrewd hunter hunts?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head at her sudden question. A common technique that hunters employed was to track down traces. Then what about a shrewd hunter? ¡°They release their hunting dogs and make them get the prey, hide in advance where they think the prey will go, or¡­¡± ¡°Make the prey come on their own,¡± Eval Sevaru finished for her, and Aida gave him a bright smile. Chi-Woo slowly nodded as he watched them. They got along well with each other, and he thought he could safely leave this matter to them. * * * The anticipated drafting event for the tenth reinforcements ended without hiccups. Seven Stars recruited Aida Odelia, and Ho Lactea recruited Yunael Tania. The two organizations took only one person each into their fold, and they were the exceptions. A moderate number of heroes were taken by Afrilith, Eustitia, and the Adventure Guild. Then the remaining heroes were taken by teams that participated in the second draft. Thus ended the whole event, but there were some complaints. There was a sentiment that considering Seven Stars and Ho Lactea were the top human guilds to exist currently, they should be able to handle more people. However, this protest didn¡¯t receive much support because most heroes knew intrinsically that in a world like this, it was better to raise one strong hero properly than a hundred or even thousands of mediocre heroes. It was too early to conclude who made the right decision. However, one thing for certain was that depending on who performed better as a result of this draft, there would be a big difference in the next one. In that sense, Aida Odelia was an unknown variable, while Yunael Tania was a box office movie that was sure to be a massive hit. After the event concluded, Yunael met up with Aida. ¡°Sorry, Aida. I wanted to be with you, but I couldn¡¯t resist Ho Lactea¡¯s offer¡­¡± Yunael spoke in an apologetic tone as if they really couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± However, Aida¡¯s reaction was dry. She said that Yunael had made sufficient achievements, and she respected their judgment as a now experienced hero. ¡°Y-Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Yunael agreed but tilted their head. This wasn¡¯t the response they¡¯d anticipated. Yunael stared at the calm Aida and smacked their lips for a long time before they finally said, ¡°But still, it¡¯s a bit¡­you know. If you¡¯d at least contacted me once¡­ No, honestly, I didn¡¯t really care where I went before. I just wanted to go where you went since we¡¯ve been working together for a long time!¡± ¡°I actually tried to make it happen as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yunael¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°I mentioned you and asked if you could also join, but¡­¡± Aida didn¡¯t finish, her voice growing quiet. ¡°But what?¡± Gulp. Yunael¡¯s throat moved up and down. In fact, they could already roughly guess what had happened by Aida¡¯s hesitation, but they wanted to hear it themselves. ¡°Come on, tell me. What did he say!?¡± However, when there was still no answer, Yunael¡¯s true emotions showed. Their careful, inquisitive tone was completely gone, and their voice was full of agitation. ¡°Well¡­¡± In the end, Aida succumbed to the pressure and continued with difficulty, ¡°The leader of Seven Stars said it was not you but me they wanted to recruit¡­and flatly refused.¡± A huff came out. Aida clearly heard it. ¡°¡­That person has good sense.¡± Surprisingly, Yunael¡¯s voice was calm. However, Aida had to work hard to hold back the laughter that was on the verge of leaking out. It was because she could easily imagine Yunael¡¯s inner thoughts from that little huff she caught. In fact, while their voice was calm, Yunael was breathing hard in intense fury. Yunael continued, ¡°Well, our Aida is a hero that won¡¯t lose to anyone¡­but I guess he hasn''t heard about me. Has it not been long since he rose to the Celestial Realm?¡± Yunael pretended to care for Aida, but unable to suppress their disappointment, they added a complaint at the end. When Aida went quiet again, Yunael chewed their lower lip for a while and took a deep breath. Phew. ¡°So what do you think? What''s Seven Stars like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad, but I think I need to see more.¡± ¡°No, anything is fine, so just tell me. For example, what are the living conditions like? It¡¯s the place where you¡¯ll be staying after all.¡± Aida smiled wryly inside and felt relieved at the same time that Eval Sevaru wasn¡¯t here. Since Aida was the only one with them, Yunael was freely expressing their interest in Seven Stars and basically shouting, ¡®I¡¯m interested in Seven Stars! Super interested!¡¯ If Eval Sevaru had seen Yunael¡¯s attitude just now¡­any doubts about Yunael¡¯s interest would turn into certainty. Then Yunael would become too pitiful. Considering Eval¡¯s personality, he would relentlessly corner and pressure Yunael to their breaking point. Aida felt loyal to Yunael considering the years they spent together and didn¡¯t want them to be pushed to that extent. ¡°Hmm¡­I don¡¯t find it particularly inconvenient to live there.¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes sparkled at Aida¡¯s words. ¡°Really? Ho Lactea¡¯s place is really great though! Their building is no joke!¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°I was really shocked. I finally understand now why everyone praises Ho Lactea so much.¡± ¡°The Ho Lacteas live up to their name. Congratulations.¡± ¡°Thanks. Anyway, where is Seven Stars¡¯ base? I also want to check it out sometime.¡± Yunael asked proudly. ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡± Aide pointed without looking back, and Yunael flinched. The two of them were meeting at the main square and the center of the holy city, Shalyh, and Seven Stars¡¯ base was somewhere they could immediately see from the main square? It was an even better location than the Ho Lactea¡¯s area, where he had to walk a bit to reach the main square. Then Yunael became speechless after seeing the place Aida pointed to. She had said she didn¡¯t find it particularly inconvenient to live there, but that was a complete, bold-face lie. Of course, it was difficult to determine which place was better when compared with Ho Lactea¡¯s area, but if anyone asked Yunael to choose, they would choose Seven Stars without hesitation. The Ho Lactea building was big and nice, but it was too standard. Everything was too structured and fit right up to the standard. In contrast, the Seven Stars zone felt like artisans had burned their artistic souls freely to construct a piece of artwork. At the same time, it didn¡¯t feel excessive and looked clean and organized. It perfectly matched Yunael¡¯s taste. ¡°Uh¡­yeah¡­ That place isn¡¯t bad either¡­¡± Yunael mumbled in a small voice and cleared their throat. ¡°Anyway, if you don¡¯t like that place¡­just tell me whenever you want. I was a bit nervous because it was a Ho Lactea after all, but we got along better than I thought. If I asked, it would be no problem for me to bring one person with me.¡± ¡°Thank you for your offer, but I¡¯m fine.¡± Aida flatly refused. ¡°No, I¡¯m saying this just in case. Later on, you might¡ª¡± ¡°I want to stay with Seven Stars a little longer.¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes widened a bit. Since they¡¯ve known each other for over ten years, Yunael knew Aida well, and Aida was not pretentious with her words and actions. She always spoke matter-of-factly, and Aida of all people had refused them twice in a row. As of now, she was clearly expressing how she had no intentions to leave Seven Stars. ¡°¡­Ah, really? I see. Sorry, don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s because I want to be with you, Aida, so¡­¡± ¡°Haha. Of course, I feel the same.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­anyway, we¡¯re working at different places, but nothing¡¯s changed between us, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s do our best at our respective places, and I¡¯ll visit often to say hello and check up on how you¡¯re doing.¡± Aida cheered Yunael on until the very end. The problem was that was all she did. ¡°Geez¡­¡± Yunael¡¯s expression looked extremely sour as they went back. Yunael had made all sorts of hints to get Aida to invite them. ¡°But how could she not even ask¡­¡± Even till the very end, Aida hadn¡¯t said, ¡®Then why don¡¯t you come to Seven Stars to join me?¡¯ She didn¡¯t even ask them once for politeness sake. Of course, Yunael was the one who made it clear that they chose Ho Lactea, and Aida expressed that she respected their decision. Yunael did know that, but they still felt a sense of betrayal for no reason. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Why did they feel like an ex abandoned by the person they were dating? Yunael puckered their lips and kicked a rock on the street in annoyance. Then they clenched their teeth and clutched their fists. ¡®I¡¯ll show them.¡¯ So that was how Seven Stars was gonna play. Fine, Yunael gladly accepted their challenge. They didn¡¯t need Seven Stars or Aida. Yunael was going to show them and make Seven Stars punch the ground in regret for not choosing them. Yunael made a firm resolve in their heart and stomped out of the main square. ¡°¡­¡± Then a figure wearing a long hood stood up quietly near the place where Aida and Yunael had been sitting and talking. As if it was uncomfortable, Eval Sevaru immediately took off his hood, and his face became visible. He stretched his neck from side to side when he glanced at Yunael¡¯s quickly departing back. Then he muttered to himself, ¡®You¡¯re dead now.¡¯ CH 317 Many months passed. Though it was a short period of time, it was enough for a division to emerge between those who got proper professional support from an organization and those who didn¡¯t. A flower grew healthier and more safely under a person¡¯s care than by itself, especially if the person was a gardener with expert knowledge. Likewise, one could see Ho Lactea as an adept gardener. The kind who helped seeds properly lay their roots into the earth and gave them nutrients daily without fail. Thus, it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Yunael Tania managed to reach silver rank in just a couple of months. Of course Yunael also worked their hardest, but a large part of their progress was thanks to Ho Lactea¡¯s management. As a result, Yunael¡ªthe hero full of desire to prove themselves, successfully achieved Silver I. At this rate, Yunael would reach gold rank any time now. Yunael walked confidently out of the White Horse General¡¯s temple. Eyes shot toward Yunael wherever they walked. Their fame was only natural considering the amazing speed at which they had progressed since the drafting event. Yunael enjoyed their gazes and found a suitable place to sit. Then they closed their eyes like Aida and heightened their hearing while pretending to be resting. Their surroundings were already in a buzz, and Yunael wondered what those people were saying about them. ¡°Seems like Yunael rose in ranks again.¡± ¡°What? Already?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. I heard Yunael say ¡®thank you and I will work harder¡¯ when I was praying alongside them.¡± ¡°Hold on a second. Last time, they were at Silver II, so that must mean they are already Silver I now¡­¡± Yunael''s chest seemed to swell more and more. Yes, this was the feeling. ¡°That¡¯s insane. Isn¡¯t their progress faster than even Ru Amuh¡¯s?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot. You can¡¯t compare his time and now. It¡¯s just incomparable.¡± ¡°Ah, is that right?¡± ¡°Yeah. You might not know because you came as part of the ninth reinforcements, but the situation on Liber had been brutal even when the seventh recruits arrived. Heroes didn¡¯t get to live in a city like this. They had to scavenge in the forest for scraps to eat and had no place to shield them from the elements¡­¡± Yunael¡¯s eyebrows wiggled. ¡°That¡¯s certainly true. The environment is very important after all.¡± ¡°Not only that, but Yunael also has Ho Lactea backing them.¡± ¡°Yes, you have to consider Ho Lactea. But still, they are impressive. No matter how good an ingredient is, it is still up to the chef¡¯s skills to make it shine.¡± ¡°But maybe it¡¯s not that unexpected considering the amount of attention they put on just one person.¡± Yunael grew angrier the more they listened to the conversation. Who were these heroes calling an ingredient? In a rage, Yunael was about to glare at them when the conversing heroes changed the topic. ¡°By the way, what happened to that other hero?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ah, you know, the only hero among the tenth reinforcements that Seven Stars drafted.¡± ¡°Ah~ I think her name was Aida.¡± Yunael¡¯s senses heightened to their peak when they heard the name, ¡®Aida¡¯. ¡°Now that you mention it, I haven¡¯t been hearing much about her.¡± ¡°Who knows what¡¯s happening? Seven Stars are usually so quiet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so true. Honestly, it¡¯s sometimes annoying how much the Celestial Lights boast about every little thing they do. But Seven Stars keep things to themselves too much.¡± Search "pawread dot com" for the original. ¡°Those guys speak with actions rather than words. For all we know, they might have raised that hero named Aida to gold rank.¡± Yunael snorted at this, but a part of them felt anxious. What if what they said was really true? ¡®No, there¡¯s no way.¡¯ After all, there were three tests that one needed to pass to be promoted from silver to gold rank alone. ¡°But it¡¯s really strange. In Shalyh alone, there are six gods. Three from humanity, and three from the Cassiubia League. But no one has seen that hero in any of the temples.¡± It was then one of the heroes said what Yunael wanted to say all along. ¡°Does that mean she hasn¡¯t even made a contract with a god, much less rise in ranks?¡± Yunael nodded vehemently. ¡°I agree with what you say, but it¡¯s really strange.¡± It was then another hero spoke. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be unable to wield her powers properly without a contract? But apparently, there¡¯s a hero who witnessed her using her powers.¡± ¡°What? How? She isn¡¯t even one of the Celestial Lights.¡± ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t make sense. But I heard another rumor¡­¡± ¡°What rumor? There¡¯s more?¡± Yunael gulped in anticipation. ¡°You know how that hero named Aida is those rare priestess types.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I heard that.¡± ¡°I heard that except for the White Horse General, all five of the other gods were desperate to get their hands on her to make her their saintess. Yet she apparently rejected all of them¡­¡± ¡°What? Really? Why?¡± Yunael got up from their seat. They didn¡¯t want to listen anymore. ¡°In the end, it sounds like Aida made a contract, but she did so in secret, pledging to be some god¡¯s saintess. There¡¯s no way she would keep going outside otherwise¡­¡± As Yunael walked, the voices grew fainter. Their face was downcast. This was why Yunael hadn¡¯t wanted to join Ho Lactea or any of the Celestial Lights. No matter how much they worked, in the end, people would say that it was thanks to Ho Lactea that they achieved anything. Of course, Yunael admitted that Ho Lactea was a great support to them. Yunael received a full set of equipment that they would have otherwise not been able to even dream of and found work to help accumulate merits. Furthermore, they provided Yunael with skilled companions each time to accomplish these works. Yunael admitted that Ho Lactea had provided them with a flawless environment to grow. ¡­Yes, it would¡¯ve been stranger if they hadn¡¯t progressed this much. The fact that Yunael couldn¡¯t deny this enraged them even more. It was as if they had chosen to tie themselves down. But there was something else that further stoked their rage. ¡®Why Aida¡­!¡¯ The heroes¡¯ assessments of Yunael and Aida were drastically different. Though they concluded their thoughts on Yunael in a couple of sentences, they were endlessly curious about Aida. ¡®I also have been trying my best¡­¡¯ Yunael thought. After passing the square, Yunael stopped walking. Whenever they passed by this place, they glanced at the Seven Stars¡¯ zone. Today, they looked at it from farther away than usual; and after staring at it for a while, Yunael called upon their device and sent a message to Aida. Thankfully, they got a response soon, and it didn¡¯t take long for a familiar figure to come walking to the square. ¡°Aida! Here!¡± Yunael purposefully raised their voice and shouted. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Have you been doing well?¡± Aida asked. ¡°Of course! I¡­¡± Yunael couldn¡¯t finish their sentence once Aida got closer with a smile. It was because of the holy energy that was flowing out of her. Yunael was familiar with the energy as Yunael and Aida had wandered across a couple of worlds together. ¡°Have you awakened your powers?¡± Yunael asked. Aida neither admitted nor denied it. ¡°To which god did you make a contract?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to make a contract yet.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t met a god suitable for me.¡± Yunael frowned. That meant Aida wasn¡¯t using her growth system yet, but how was she able to recover her lost powers? ¡°How does that even make sense?¡± Yunael asked, and Aida didn¡¯t answer. Aida didn¡¯t lie, and when there were things she couldn¡¯t say, she simply kept her mouth closed. This meant she was hiding something. ¡°Aida~ Can¡¯t you tell me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to show me your user information or anything. Hm?¡± Yunael continuously pleaded, but Aida remained firm. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you say that you were promised divine blood, Yunael?¡± Aida suddenly asked. ¡°Hm? Oh yeah, that¡¯s right¡­but I haven''t received it yet.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Um, well, I feel a bit reluctant to accept it now that the moment calls for it.¡± ¡°Divine blood isn¡¯t something you can get even if you want to.¡± ¡°I know divine blood is the supreme essence, and not anyone among the Ho Lacteas can give it to others... But this is a matter of accepting someone else¡¯s blood into yours.¡± Aida nodded. ¡°That is certainly true.¡± ¡°But why are you suddenly asking me about divine blood¡ªwait, no way...¡± Yunael looked at Aida in disbelief. ¡°I didn¡¯t achieve my current status with divine blood,¡± Aida responded. ¡°Then what?¡± Yunael asked, but Aida shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything about that, even to you, Yunael.¡± ¡°Aida¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you are worried about me, but there¡¯s no need. It¡¯s true that a great power is giving me the same effects of an awakening, but it doesn¡¯t bind me as divine blood would. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Yunael looked surprised, and Aida added, ¡°Please keep what I just told you a secret. I told you this because I trusted you, but this isn¡¯t something that you can go around telling people.¡± It was understandable. After all, this power that Aida was talking about had no negative effects and only positive ones. It was something all would dream of, and many heroes would seek it out if they knew about it. Even Yunael wanted to immediately get this power. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Yet Yunael knew that there was no way of getting it and agreed in the end. Then they wondered, ¡®¡­Would I have received this power if I had gone to Seven Stars at that time?¡¯ After that, Yunael and Aida talked about all sorts of things. But soon, Aida received a call to return and had to get up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to talk to you more since it¡¯s been a while since we last saw each other, but I¡¯m so busy these days.¡± ¡°But I thought you just returned from work.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always an endless amount of work though.¡± ¡°What work? I thought you hadn''t gotten a contract yet.¡± ¡°Still, there¡¯s a way to accumulate merits and¡ªno, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Aida stopped what she was saying and turned around. Then she left just like that. She seemed really busy. On the other hand, Yunael sat unmoving for a while before getting up. After asking around personally, Yunael confirmed that most of the rumors they had heard at the White Horse General¡¯s temple were true, such as the fact that Aida received multiple offers from gods to become their saintess, or that even though Aida hadn¡¯t reached gold rank yet, she had accumulated enough merits and test exemptions to rise to it if she wished. Yunael wrapped their hands around their head as they staggered back to their room. They didn¡¯t know why, but they were very annoyed. Still, Yunael thought they needed to do something, and as soon as they returned to their zone, they filed a report. ¡°Good work.¡± As usual, the only thing that Yunael got was a short and clear response. ¡°Rest now.¡± Yunael rose to their feet and stared intently at Alice, who had her face covered by a white cotton cloth. ¡°Um¡­!¡± After much contemplation, Yunael spoke up. ¡°I want to go on an expedition now.¡± Alice, who had been stroking a potted plant on the desk caringly, stopped moving. Then she looked back at Yunael¡¯s eager eyes. ¡°I also want to organize my own expedition as fast as possible!¡± Yunael said. ¡°¡­I will keep that in mind.¡± Alice nodded and turned back to her pot. That was all. That was how the conversation between them and the leader of Ho Lactea, Alice, usually ended. Yunael felt as if they were conversing with a doll that only repeated a set string of answers rather than a human. If they could, Yunael wanted to snatch the potted plant from Alice¡¯s hands and shake it to pour everything onto her head, yelling, ¡®Get me an expedition right nooooow!¡¯ Yet Yunael repressed that urge. An expedition was different from an adventure. They couldn¡¯t just set out immediately when they wanted to. Yunael wasn¡¯t such a novice that they didn¡¯t know this and had no choice but to quietly back away. In the end, Yunael returned to their room and slumped onto their bed with their face smashing into the bed sheet. They stayed still on the bed like they were dead for a while. ¡°Ahhhh¡ª!¡± Then they struck their bed with their fists and legs in a fury. They didn¡¯t like how things were going at all¡ªnot just one or two things, but everything that was happening. ¡°So annoying!¡± Yunael yelled. *** ¡°My Lord, I brought what you requested before¡­¡± While clutching onto a couple pieces of documents, Noel hesitated. It was because of the look on Chi-Hyun¡¯s face. He had his head slightly lowered with his fingers crossed like he was deep in thought, and the slight frown on his face seemed to indicate that it was something very serious. Thus, Noel quietly waited. Sometime later, Chi-Hyun let out a big sigh and raised his head. Noel finally spoke then, ¡°What is it? Did you fight with young master again¡­?¡± ¡°The Celestial Realm contacted me.¡± Chi-Hyun shook his head. ¡°The Celestial Realm?¡± ¡°They said the prophecy is hurriedly gathering the twelfth reinforcements.¡± ¡°What?¡± Noel¡¯s voice rose sharply. ¡°And,¡± Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t done, ¡°They say that the twelfth reinforcements would be the most elite force among all the past reinforcements and recruits combined.¡± Noel¡¯s face hardened. That sounded like good news since they could replenish human resources, yet one shouldn¡¯t take prophecies at face value. They needed to always interpret and deduce the intentions. First of all, they needed to figure out why the next reinforcements were coming so quickly. Of course, the Celestial Realm would probably not send the reinforcements immediately as they needed to make the right preparations. They needed to charge the necessary energy for transmission and go through the selection process. Thus, the reinforcements would only come after quite some time¡­but even if they considered that point, it was still very soon. The eleventh reinforcements came not so long ago after the tenth, so it was shocking that the twelfth reinforcements were already being decided. Furthermore, it was astonishing that the twelfth reinforcements were going to be composed of the most elite group of heroes compared to all previous ones. This wasn¡¯t completely unbelievable considering the past deployments. The first was an exemption because of Chi-Hyun, and besides them, there were the seventh recruits, which made the biggest achievements out of all the groups, and the eighth recruits, which got a lot of attention for including members of the Celestial Lights. All the previous recruits attracted interest because of a very selective number of heroes. If one assessed the general quality of the groups, the twelfth reinforcements might turn out to be the most elite. That still left them with one question¡ª¡®what was the reason for all this¡¯? Noel could understand why Chi-Hyun looked so deep in thought. It was as he said. ¡®But there must be a reason the prophecy sped things up,¡¯ Noel thought. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t know what the reason was yet, either, but he thought it must be connected to Liber¡¯s future. The thought of Chi-Woo passed his head momentarily, but Chi-Hyun shook his head. They could gain information beforehand by rolling Chi-Woo¡¯s die like last time, but things were different now. It was quiet, way too quiet. The Demon Empire, the Abyss, and the Sernitas had always fiercely warred with one another, but they had been dead silent as if they were waiting for something. At a single mishap, an event of a scale that they couldn¡¯t withstand might turn in the wrong direction. ¡°I should call¡­Ismile.¡± Chi-Hyun got up after making his decision. This wasn¡¯t the time for him to leisurely sit around. He needed to quickly make his moves and act according to his title of the legend. ¡°I will be away for a while.¡± ¡°How long would you be gone for, my lord¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say. In order to prepare even a little bit, I need to move in advance. No, maybe it¡¯s already too late¡­¡± *** ¡ªShersha, what do we do now¡­? Meanwhile, a worried voice spoke in the darkness. ¡ªPerhaps it¡¯s already irreversible. Astarte said worriedly while looking in one direction. After a momentary silence, a hollow voice rang out. ¡ªYou¡¯ve to make as many preparations as you can before it¡¯s too late¡­! The flow of Liber, which had stopped for a moment until now, began to move again like it was waking from a deep slumber. Then it began to fluctuate more fiercely than ever before. CH 318 Noel stopped Chi-Hyun as he was about to leave the room. ¡°My Lord, please wait a minute.¡± She handed over the documents she brought. ¡°What are you going to do with this?¡± Chi-Hyun took them and furrowed his brows. ¡°We need to leave this to someone we can trust, but¡­you said you¡¯ll be away, and you¡¯re also taking Mr. Ismile.¡± Noel glanced at him and carefully said, ¡°So I was thinking why don¡¯t we request Seven Stars¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Chi-Hyun immediately refused. ¡°Why?¡± One of Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyebrows slowly went up. Noel was¡­ ¡®Talking back to me?¡¯ In the past, she always gave an affirmative no matter what he said, but she¡¯d been talking back a lot lately, especially if it was a matter related to his younger brother. ¡°Is Seven Stars the only large organization in Shalyh?¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°If Ismile and I aren¡¯t here, you always go to Seven Stars. Then what if Seven Stars are gone? Is humanity so incompetent that they can¡¯t do anything?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­not it but¡­¡± Noel became speechless. ¡°Seven Stars recently led a prominent expedition to the Hala Forest. However, if I leave this job to them again, there might be complaints that I¡¯m supporting and giving work to only one organization.¡± Noel thought, ¡®When did you ever care about stuff like that?¡¯ Of course, she kept that to herself. ¡°And even if I leave this matter to them¡­Seven Stars might issue a complaint, asking why they always have to step up for dangerous tasks when there are many other organizations.¡± Although his words were fair, Noel responded with an unimpressed smile because she could read Chi-Hyun¡¯s inner thoughts. This was different from the mission at the Hala Forest. Chi-Hyun was going to be away for a long time, and in case of an emergency, they couldn¡¯t expect help from Ismile or the Cassiubia League. Since they might end up dying if one thing went wrong, Chi-Hyun probably wanted to send someone he wouldn¡¯t care if they died. ¡°Then why don''t you send out an order to Seven Stars and tell young master to outsource it? Isn¡¯t this a good opportunity for another organization to be indebted to Seven Stars?¡± In short, Noel was saying that they should let Seven Stars act generous and show off to the other organizations. Chi-Hyun sighed. Noel was always so eager to give one more thing to Seven Stars. ¡°It¡¯s up to the receiver. Rather than being grateful, they¡¯ll probably dance and announce to everyone that they¡¯re taking work that even Seven Stars find too burdensome.¡± Noel nodded because that was also correct. Of course, there was only one organization comparable to Seven Stars at the moment, and Noel was well aware that Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t want Chi-Woo to get involved with that organization, not even one bit. ¡°This matter¡­yeah, let¡¯s go with this place.¡± After giving out an order, Chi-Hyun returned the documents and left the room. * * * A few days passed after that. Yunael was called in by the leader and heard unexpected news. ¡°It¡¯s an expedition, like what you requested,¡± Alice said briefly and pushed forward the relevant documents for them to read. Yunael¡¯s eyes became big as saucers, and they quickly ran and picked up the documents. Their lips twitched as they read through them¡ªit was the expedition they had been long awaiting for. A successful expedition could allow heroes to raise a tier, and Yunael could even aim for a promotion test exemption. ¡®What¡¯s up with her though?¡¯ Yunael stared curiously at Alice, who was fiddling with her potted flower. Since Alice had been apathetic when they made the request, Yunael hadn¡¯t expected much, but it seemed she had actually kept their words in mind and had taken a few days to find a suitable expedition for them. ¡°I¡¯ll also be going on this expedition with you.¡± However, as soon as they heard those words, Yunael¡¯s elated mood crashed down like bitcoin. ¡°What? No! Why?¡± Yunael looked dumbfounded as they stared at Alice, who was lovingly caressing the potted flower. Alice replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just follow you as an observer. You¡¯ll be the one leading this expedition.¡± Ha. Yunael¡¯s mouth slightly widened. ¡®Man, that¡¯s not the problem. If you follow me, you¡¯ll take all the spotlight even if you really don¡¯t do anything during the expedition.¡¯ Yunael almost said this out loud, but barely managed to suppress their urge. On one hand, having Alice around could act as an insurance when things got dangerous, but Yunael, who was full of desire to succeed and prove themselves, thought that Alice was trying to take the merits for herself after making them do all the dirty work. However, Yunael couldn¡¯t object to Alice¡¯s justification that she needed to evaluate whether they were capable of directing an expedition alone, and Alice was the one who brought this expedition to them in the first place. Yunael had no choice but to follow orders. On top of that, Yunael was the one in a hurry. They needed to raise their tier to gold as soon as possible. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± In the end, they had no choice but to accept the condition and withdraw. However, no matter how bad the situation seemed to be, there was always a bright side to it. When preparing for the expedition the next day, Yunael received an urgent call from their leader and heard unexpected news. ¡°The expedition I told you about yesterday, I think we need to put it on hold for a while.¡± ¡°What?!¡± This was disastrous news to Yunael, who had decided to endure with the hope of gaining merits. However, after listening to Alice, they could understand Alice¡¯s reasoning. She told them a person had come to visit her from the main square this morning, and they specifically assigned a different job to Ho Lactea. The visitor was no other than Noel Freya, the hero who worked under Chi-Hyun and the one the legend implicitly allowed to follow him. Thus, this must be an order from the legend. Yunael instinctively coveted this work, but didn¡¯t make the mistake of embarrassingly stepping out of line. Since the legend was the one who commissioned it, this was probably not going to be an ordinary expedition. Given its importance, Alice Ho Lactea would probably take the lead herself. ¡°Then¡­will I also be participating? Did you call for me¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a matter that our organization would have to put an all-out effort into. For now, we will move first with a small number of elite members and let the second division follow behind to support the first division.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°I want you to join the second division.¡± Yunael shut their eyes. Since Yunael was clever, they accurately understood Alice¡¯s intention right away. She had judged that it would be better to accomplish this mission by quickly moving a few elite heroes rather than a large group. However, that alone was not reassuring. Considering Alice¡¯s thorough personality and her tendency to plan everything to the tee, she probably thought that making preliminary preparations for unforeseen variables was also necessary. In short, she was telling them to participate in this expedition as a backup to prepare for unexpected situations. Naturally, this wasn¡¯t favorable for Yunael. If this expedition ended successfully, the fame would naturally go to Ho Lactea, and the merits would be shared by the first team, including Nangnang. It was highly likely that Yunael would only lose valuable time. The situation got even worse than before. This was the worst ever. Yunael could have at least gotten merits in the expedition they had been preparing for, but for this, they might not get anything. Yunael couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time. [There¡¯s always an endless amount of work though.] ¡®While I dawdle like this, Aida would be¡­!¡¯ Yunael recalled their meeting with Aida a few days ago and clenched their fists; that was why they accidentally let loose, ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± After saying this, they immediately realized their mistake. Since they decided to join Ho Lactea, Alice was their leader, and Yunael was just a mere member. They had a duty and obligation to follow the leader as much as they received. Yunael felt Alice stare intently at them from behind her veil. Yunael bit their lower lip. It was a mistake, but since they already crossed the line, Yunael went all out with the determination that they might be kicked out. ¡°Please exclude me,¡± they continued. ¡°It doesn''t matter if it¡¯s just one person, right? Unless Ho Lactea¡¯s forces are that weak.¡± Alice, who had been constantly touching the potted flower, paused. Yunael said, ¡°The expedition I was preparing for¡­I want to continue it.¡± Besides everything else, Alice was irritated that Yunael used her family name to make their point. Although she was descended from a god, she was also a human being in the end and felt normal emotions. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t stupid and could understand why Yunael was dissatisfied. ¡°You¡¯re still a silver tier,¡± after a brief pause, Alice replied. ¡°And it hasn¡¯t been long since you entered Liber.¡± No matter what a talented new star they were, this was time for them to gain experience. Although there was no way Yunael didn¡¯t catch the meaning behind her words, they didn¡¯t say anything. Yunael was expressing through silence that they had no intentions to back down. On second thought, there were rarely any heroes who were not stubborn. Alice sighed softly. ¡°Since the expeditions overlap, it¡¯ll be hard for me to provide any support to your expedition.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± She sounded like she was testing them. Yunael nodded and shouted, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to be motivated, but¡­ No, it¡¯s fine. Then give it a go.¡± Alice turned around and shifted her gaze to the potted flower. This was the end of their conversation. Yunael quickly stepped outside. Although Yunael felt like they had gone slightly out of line, they got what they wanted in the end. Support from Ho Lactea? They didn¡¯t need it. Just Tania¡¯s name alone and the fact that it was an expedition would attract people like clouds. If Yunael picked a few out of them, they would be able to form a proper team in a jiffy. ¡®Then give it a go?¡¯ Yunael snorted. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ll show you.¡¯ A crisis could also be an opportunity. Yunael had no intention to lick the bottom of Ho Lactea¡¯s foot forever. They planned to use this opportunity to prove themselves and make their name, Yunael Tania, known. * * * Since then, Yunael¡¯s actions were just short of being reckless. Worried that Alice might reverse her decision, Yunael quickly gathered people on that day to form an expedition and left Shalyh. They moved so fast that lightning seemed to have struck and passed by. On the other hand, Ho Lactea¡¯s official expedition departed five days after. It took some time to prepare as this was an extremely important matter that Alice couldn¡¯t afford to fail. Ho Lactea set up a large team of more than 70 people, including outside personnel, and left with everyone¡¯s attention. However, a problem arose less than three days after their departure. When they were passing the gate at the edge of the sanctuary, the expedition had to stop marching because Nangnang hurriedly came to break the news. ¡°Captain! Captain! Now, in Shalyh¡­!¡± Upon hearing the news, Alice quietly fell into thought. Given her thorough and meticulous personality, she didn¡¯t like variables. However, a variable had occurred. On the other hand, it was not an unexpected one; it was a variable that she thought might emerge, but in the end, she decided to trust that person¡ªher faith and trust evaporated just now. The only thing left was to respond to the variable. ¡°What should we do? We can¡¯t turn the expedition around now¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s out of the question,¡± Alice said calmly. This expedition was significantly more important, given it was the result of the organization¡¯s all-out efforts. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that she could completely ignore the unexpected occurrence either¡ªat least for the sake of Ho Lactea¡¯s prestige. Then what should she do? ¡®I can¡¯t handle it on my own under the current circumstances.¡¯ Unless she completely changed the trajectory of the expedition, she needed to get outside help. Was there a reliable party that would help someone from the Ho Lacteas, who rivaled the Chois? After organizing her thoughts, Alice let out a soft exclamation, ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Nangnang.¡± Alice looked down at Nangnang, who had his tail raised straight. ¡°He¡¯s registered on your device, right?¡± ¡°What? Are you talking about¡­the legend? No! Of course not!¡± ¡°No, not¡ªhmm. I¡¯m not talking about him.¡± ¡°Then who are you¡­ah!¡± Nangnang¡¯s eyes widened after realizing who she was talking about. ¡°Uh¡­yes, but¡­¡± * * * Seven Stars had been having a peaceful time in recent months. The first team, led by Ru Amuh, was steadily fulfilling requests with Aida. They were making money and building merits at the same time, shooting two birds with one arrow. There was nothing to worry about with Eustitia either. Based on the news that Eval Sevaru gave him, Emmanuel seemed to be doing well. In particular, Emmanuel¡¯s reputation, which had hit an all-time low, had been completely reversed these days. After gaining confidence by awakening his Lightning Fire ability, he was leading Eustitia with strong leadership. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean there was no problem at all. There was something that concerned Chi-Woo. ¡°What do I do about that guy¡­¡± Chi-Woo stared anxiously at the fenrir cub, who had eaten a lot like usual and was lying down lazily. The cub did the same thing every day; eat, sleep, and poop. Then when someone tried to touch them, they showed their teeth and went crazy. Chi-Woo wondered if the cub might have depression, but with careful observation, that didn¡¯t seem like the case. The fenrir cub¡¯s face was full of satisfaction and content; they were basically enjoying their life to the fullest in paradise. ¡°I wonder what that wolf is thinking,¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head and muttered. And suddenly, a calm voice interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Ah~ So nice~¡± Chi-Woo turned around and blinked. ¡°I¡¯m so full~ My back is warm~¡± Aida seemed to be imitating someone¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­Ms. Aida?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why people scold me for lying down immediately after eating~ Even though it¡¯s so comfortable like this~¡± Chi-Woo stared blankly at Aida and looked back at the fenrir cub. Then he clearly saw the cub stick out their tongue and smack their lips in satisfaction. Maybe it was because today they were given meat, the fenrir cub had gobbled up their meal without any complaints. ¡°This place is so great~ It¡¯s the best~ I hope I can continue to live like this without doing anything~¡± Chi-Woo became speechless as he saw the cub rub their back and flap their tail. Then he looked back at Aida again. She also slowly turned towards him. Aida replied, ¡°It seemed like you were curious about that divine beast¡¯s thoughts.¡± ¡°¡­Really? The cub is really thinking that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I sensed.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Chi-Woo clutched his forehead with his hand. Since the fenrir cub was born with the fate of becoming a god, he had thought they would do well on their own. But that wasn¡¯t the case at all; they were just a baby. The cub had become completely immersed in their safe and peaceful environment. ¡®I can¡¯t leave them like that.¡¯ Feeling like he could hear Hati Hr¨®evitnisson wailing, asking why Chi-Woo was raising his child to be a hikikomori, Chi-Woo felt determined. Chi-Woo thought he needed to make the cub earn their keep soon. Moreover, the cub seemed to have become friends with steam bun these days, and steam bun was a bad influence. ¡®These little punks, I can¡¯t leave them alone.¡¯ Chi-Woo firmly resolved himself and realized Aida was still near him when he heard a chuckle. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re leaving today, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here to say goodbye before I go.¡± Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡°You can just go next time without greeting me.¡± ¡°Haha. Then I¡¯ll be back.¡± She bowed and turned around. After seeing her off, Chi-Woo trained and enjoyed some quiet time. It was going smoothly. Everything was going too smoothly. No unexpected event. No hiccups¡­ Thanks to that, Chi-Woo was enjoying a relaxed afternoon he hadn¡¯t had for a while, but he didn¡¯t completely let down his guard because he was used to staying alert now. ¡®It¡¯s about time¡­¡¯ It was about time for an incident to happen. After hearing that his brother would be away recently, Chi-Woo became certain of it. Events always suddenly increased in scale, swirled like a storm, and suffocated him. What he could do to prepare was¡­Ring! Suddenly, a notification came up. Chi-Woo, who was immersed in his thoughts while drinking tea, instinctively turned on his device. ¡°¡­¡± Staring in the air, his expression darkened. CH 319 Sent by Nangnang, the message was simple, informative, and elegant. At the end of it was a name, Alice Ho Lactea. Chi-Woo carefully read over the message and rested his chin on his clasped fingers. He was organizing his thoughts when he heard a knock on the door. Soon, the door opened, and Eval walked in. ¡°Boss. Just now¡ª¡± ¡°Is it a guest?¡± Eval looked taken aback by Chi-Woo¡¯s response. ¡°What? Did you already know one was coming?¡± ¡°I just received a message.¡± Chi-Woo showed Eval the message he received. ¡°Ho Lactea requested help.¡± Eval quickly scanned the message, and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Seems like our troublemaker stirred up something in the end.¡± ¡°By ¡®troublemaker¡¯, do you mean Yunael Tania?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought it was strange that Ho Lactea was going on an important expedition and leaving Yunael. It seems Yunael had gone on a separate expedition with their own party.¡± As expected of Eval, he knew everything that was going on. Eval continued, ¡°Anyways, a guest came as you said, but they aren¡¯t from Ho Lactea. She was one of the members who went on a separate expedition with Yunael.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Woo thought he heard wrong. Did Eval say their guest was a member of Yunael¡¯s expedition team? ¡°Did Yunael Tania go on another expedition before?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°No. I think the most recent expedition is their first official one. It happened around seven or eight days ago,¡± Eval answered. Chi-Woo looked even more startled after hearing this news. Then it meant this guest used to be a member of the expedition that was causing a stir right now. There were three possible reasons this guest was now coming to talk to him alone: first, it could be that the rest of the expedition team had died, and she was the only survivor. Second, she could¡¯ve escaped in secret. Lastly, she could¡¯ve gotten separated from the team in the middle of the expedition for some unknown reason. Whatever it was, it couldn¡¯t be good news. ¡°Why don¡¯t you meet her and hear her out first?¡± Eval suggested, and Chi-Woo got up from his seat. Their guest was waiting for him in the sitting room. Chi-Woo opened the door and went inside. He flinched when he saw the woman with hair curled into drills tied into twintails. The woman felt his presence and glanced back toward the door. And seeing her sharp demeanor, Chi-Woo became more certain of who she was. Chi-Woo tilted his head and furrowed his brows slightly. ¡°Ms. Dulia¡­from the fifth recruits¡­?¡± ¡°You have a good memory,¡± Dulia replied coldly. She glanced around the well-decorated surroundings and said in a low voice, ¡°As the head of Seven Stars, an organization competing for ranks with Ho Lactea, with a subordinate like Ru Amuh, I thought you would quickly forget about a nobody like me.¡± Though Dulia sounded slightly prickly, Chi-Woo responded amiably, ¡°How could I forget? We risked our lives together when we went to save the eighth recruits. Ah, you may sit.¡± Dulia had gotten up from her seat out of politeness and sat back down again. Eventually, she crossed her legs and arms and let out a deep sigh. ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯m a bit grateful that you remembered me and didn¡¯t reprimand me for my tone unlike somebody else. It¡¯s literally making me teary. I¡¯m not lying. It¡¯s true.¡± It appeared that rather than having ill feelings for Chi-Woo, Dulia was in a very tense and sensitive state. It was easy to tell this just by the condition she was in: even though she had tidied up her hair a bit, her shoes and leather clothes were torn all over. Furthermore, there were still reddish-black marks and dirt on her face and other areas where her skin showed. ¡°It looks like it hasn¡¯t been long since you returned from the expedition,¡± Chi-Woo remarked. ¡°Yes, it probably hasn¡¯t even been thirty minutes.¡± ¡°That must mean you came immediately without taking a rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Whatever happened, I came to at least do my part¡ªnot because of that bastard. I simply don¡¯t want to be left with any sense of discomfort in my heart,¡± Dulia said and continued, ¡°So I came to at least tell Ho Lactea what happened, but there was no one there. That was why I sent Nangnang a message. And he told me to come to this place,¡± Dulia explained. ¡°Then, may I ask you to explain what happened?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°First of all, I was the expedition team¡¯s head.¡± ¡°What? You were the head?¡± Chi-Woo said in surprise. Then Yunael¡¯s expedition team currently had no head. This indicated that even if the team hadn¡¯t been wiped out, there was a 90% chance they had died already. That was how important the role of a head was. ¡°I should tell you before I go further that I didn¡¯t run away, nor did I call it quits,¡± Dulia seemed to have sensed the speculations being formed in the room and said with sharpened eyes, ¡°Instead, I did everything they wanted me to do! Especially for our oh-so-great and holy team captain!¡± It seemed just the thought of Yunael enraged Dulia, and Dulia gritted her teeth and growled. Chi-Woo quickly calmed and appeased Dulia from acting out further. After she calmed her breath slightly, she began to explain. This was how the story went: Dulia got swayed by Yunael¡¯s words and joined their expedition team. As part of the fifth recruits, Dulia was a veteran of sorts, who had gone through all sorts of hardships on Liber and participated in many brutal events. Thus, Yunael thought of Dulia¡¯s experience highly and placed her as the head of the team. Dulia was happy up to this point, but the problems came later¡ªspecifically when they arrived near the vicinity of their destination. Though Dulia had sensed something was slightly off about Yunael while marching, things took a full turn when they arrived there. To put it simply, Yunael¡¯s self-righteous attitude was the problem. An expedition team¡¯s head had authority comparable to the team¡¯s captain; thus, many problems would arise when the team¡¯s head and captain didn¡¯t see eye-to-eye. One of the most important things to a successful expedition was for the captain to respect the head, or be one themselves. ¡°But they didn¡¯t even show a shit-worth of respect!¡± Bam! Dulia struck the table with both hands and shouted. ¡°They didn¡¯t listen to anything I said and only blabbered all they wanted!¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Calm down? Are you kidding me? They even ignored me when I suggested resting after everyone was tired from battle! So I recommended taking the safer route if they insisted¡ªbut then they said we didn¡¯t have enough time, so we had to go straight again! You think I can calm down after all that nonsense they pulled?!¡± Chi-Woo had to shield his face with his hands for a bit because Dulia was spitting so much when she yelled. ¡°And that¡¯s not even the end of it! Even though they were the captain, I thought they were doing the wrong thing and had a private conversation with them, and they gave me such a shitty look! Do you know what they said then?¡± Dulia exclaimed, ¡°They told me to remember my place, and that I was talking to the team captain! They didn¡¯t like my tone and told me to fix the way I talked! Fuck! Can you believe it? Aren¡¯t they seriously insane?!¡± Eval laughed humorlessly. Of course, maintaining authority was important when working in a group setting, but it sounded like Yunael expected too much from an expedition team that had been put together hastily without getting to know any of the members. Moreover, all the heroes on Liber were heroes who had saved at least one world. Thus, it seemed too much for Yunael to expect Dulia to address them strictly as a superior when she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong and had fulfilled all her responsibilities. ¡°No, are you really talking about that Tania?¡± Eval asked. ¡°Yes, I am!¡± Dulia shouted back. But what was really funny was that even with such a shaky team dynamic, the expedition still managed to continue. Even when they faced unexpected dangers, Yunael stood in the lead and destroyed them. ¡°Okay. I do admit that they have skills. But they should¡¯ve done the whole thing themselves then. Why would they ask us to work with them if they were going to treat us like idiots?¡± The rest of the expedition team couldn¡¯t keep up with the captain. Though they mostly played the roles of support, things began to take a toll on them, and they were worn out. Yunael couldn¡¯t understand that. ¡°If we had done what I suggested, we could¡¯ve arrived at our destination in a much better state even if it would be a bit later. Then we could¡¯ve¡­!¡± Yunael grew more obstinate and confident as they led the team. Despite their complaints, the rest of the expedition team had no choice but to follow Yunael¡¯s lead. It was then the incident happened. When the expedition team finally arrived at their destination, they faced great trouble inside. In that chaotic situation, Dulia still managed to find a way out, and the expedition team was able to escape after many ordeals. Yet they suffered great damage. After running with all their lives on the line, Dulia turned around to see that the five teammates she had started with dwindled down to three. Two were missing. And that wasn¡¯t even the end of it. ¡°The path¡­changed then,¡± Dulia frowned as if she was still uncertain. ¡°I was sure that we entered from the entrance and went out from it, but the environment was completely different. It was as if I was in a constantly moving maze.¡± We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. Two people disappeared, and they lost their path. It was the worst-case scenario. The remaining three discussed what to do from then on, and it was then all the anger that had accumulated inside Dulia burst out. Dulia¡¯s suggestion was to return first. There was not much they could do in their current situation, so she wanted the team to reprepare themselves at Shalyh and recruit more companions before trying again. However, Yunael disagreed. Yunael wanted to continue, saying now that they had the experience of failure, they wouldn¡¯t fall for the same tricks again; they also added that they needed to save the two who had disappeared before it was too late. Many opinions were exchanged then. Usually, Dulia would¡¯ve relented to Yunael¡¯s pressure, but it was different this time. It had just been moments ago that they miraculously escaped the latest danger. It seemed clear that they would die if they went back, and she resisted. As the two were unwilling to compromise with each other, Yunael threatened Dulia. ¡°They said if I wouldn¡¯t listen to them, I should keep my mouth shut and fuck off. Well, I did exactly that.¡± Crunch-! There was an audible sound as Dulia clenched her teeth tightly. After listening to her explanation, Chi-Woo looked back at Eval with a stunned expression. How should he describe it? It felt as if he was hearing about the worst expedition team in existence. As Chi-Woo had only participated in impressive expedition teams before such as the one for the Narsha Haram, it was hard for Chi-Woo to fully wrap his head around this story. ¡°Though it seems like an especially serious case, it¡¯s not completely unheard of. It¡¯s pretty common for fights between team members to break out during an expedition,¡± Eval said and smiled dryly. Anyways, Chi-Woo had heard the situation. Now he needed to decide whether he would help Ho Lactea and save Yunael, or refuse their request. But of course, the answer was long decided. There was no reason for Chi-Woo to not go. The person they were asked to save was someone they had already been eyeing, Yunael, and simultaneously Ho Lactea, would be indebted to them after this incident. There was one problem though. Seven Stars¡¯ main force, the first team, was currently absent. Noticing Chi-Woo¡¯s concern, Eval got a map and spread it out on the table. ¡°Where is the general location of that place?¡± Eval asked Dulia. ¡°¡­Here.¡± Dulia pointed at one part of the map, and Eval clicked his tongue. It was the complete opposite direction to where Seven Stars¡¯ first team was. ¡°How long did it take you to get there?¡± ¡°Four days.¡± ¡°What about when you came back?¡± ¡°Four days. If the paths hadn¡¯t changed, I could¡¯ve arrived a day faster.¡± The location was farther than they expected. Eval fell into deep thought. If it had been even a bit closer to where the first team was, they could¡¯ve moved first and met up with the first team along the way. ¡°Boss, you need to call them as soon as possible if you are going to do this. Even though it has only been a day and a half since they left, you have to think about Ru Amuh¡¯s marching speed. Furthermore, since they have been moving through a safe area, they probably traveled through the night too.¡± It was better and safer to go with Ru Amuh¡¯s team, but Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t pleased by the idea. This meant they would have to wait at least a day for Ru Amuh¡¯s team to come back, and he had a feeling that he would be too late then. Perhaps he would barely make it even if they set out right now. He didn¡¯t have time to ponder long about this matter. ¡°Mr. Eval, please prepare for an expedition.¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡± Eval ran off like he had been waiting for Chi-Woo to give this command. Then Chi-Woo quickly said while writing a message, ¡°Ms. Dulia, I need a head who can guide our rescue team.¡± There would be no better guide than someone who had already been at the location, and it seemed Dulia was skilled. ¡°Ah, please.¡± Dulia frowned, but there wasn¡¯t much heat in her voice. It seemed she had also been a bit concerned about the matter. Though she hadn¡¯t escaped, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape rumors accusing her of being irresponsible. Furthermore, she had to consider that Yunael was part of Ho Lactea, and Ho Lactea would probably take things to the worst direction if they heard what happened. But if she brought them up to speed as soon as she returned and participated in the rescue effort, people would say that she had tried her best. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but we aren¡¯t the only ones going, are we?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°It sounds like you hardly have any members left in your group though¡­ Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine. If the rumors are accurate, you must know some trustworthy heroes,¡± Dulia said. As if to prove this point, three heroes arrived at the sitting room not much later. ¡°Hey!¡± A man with slick hair tied into a top knot waved in excitement. It was Jin-Cheon. ¡°It¡¯s been a while~¡± Following him, Abis and a young man entered shyly. ¡°You are¡­¡± Dulia looked a bit surprised to see them. It seemed that she hadn¡¯t expected them at all. ¡°Oh, who¡¯s this? Isn¡¯t it Ms. Dulia?¡± Likewise, Jin-Cheon looked surprised to see Dulia. ¡°Just call me Dulia,¡± Dulia retorted instantly and asked. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I came cause Teacher called me,¡± Jin-Cheon answered and slumped down next to Chi-Woo. ¡°Do you all know each other?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Ah, well,¡± Jin-Cheon replied while resting his arm around the couch, ¡°I met her when I was applying to Yunael¡¯s expedition team, but we knew each other before that.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yup. Yunael seemed satisfied with us, but Abis suddenly said that she didn¡¯t have a good feeling about it, so we dropped out in the middle¡­¡± Jin-Cheon looked back at Dulia. ¡°I thought you said that you were going to play in big waters now. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Big waters my ass.¡± Dulia snorted. ¡°Sounds like Abis has a much better eye than me. I¡¯m the stupid fool who fell for the name of Tania and the idea of going on an expedition.¡± She glanced at Abis and shook her head, letting out a sigh. Jin-Cheon seemed to have guessed the general situation then. He turned back to Chi-Woo with a smirk. ¡°Teacher, I have a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Am I right to think that?¡± he asked. If Jin-Cheon was thinking about the Zepar expedition, he was exactly right, and Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go.¡± Jin-Cheon easily accepted the situation. ¡°What?¡± Dulia was more shocked than Chi-Woo. ¡°Really? You guys?¡± It sounded like Jin-Cheon¡¯s team had made quite a name for themselves among heroes who operated independently. ¡°Well, I have many debts to repay to Teacher. Why? Are we not good enough?¡± Jin-Cheon shrugged, and Dulia looked him up and down. ¡°No, if it¡¯s you guys¡­¡± Dulia didn¡¯t seem to have many complaints. ¡°We will have Dulia as the head.¡± Chi-Woo made it clear before they even began. It was because they had two archers in the team, and Chi-Woo wanted to avoid any chances of conflict. Abis seemed to accept it naturally, and Dulia smiled, grateful that the captain of the team made their roles clear. This was only the basics of what a captain should do, but after going through the worst, crappiest leadership, Dulia felt thankful for the littlest things. ¡°And¡­¡± There were five of them now, but Chi-Woo turned on his device again and typed out a message. ¡°Hm, I think there¡¯s enough of us. Are you planning to call one more person?¡± Jin-Cheon asked, and Chi-Woo nodded while clicking the send button. ¡°Yes¡­I think the group would be much more stable with one more skilled member,¡± Chi-Woo replied. ¡°Certainly. If Mr. Ru Amuh comes, it would be more than perfect!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Mr. Ru Amuh, but¡ª¡± Before Chi-Woo finished his sentence, there was the sound of thunder. ¡°Did you call, sir?¡± A man appeared in front of Chi-Woo. It was a cool-looking young man with a noble air about him. ¡°¡­Mr. Emmanuel?¡± Even Chi-Woo was somewhat dazed seeing Emmanuel getting on one knee before him, let alone the rest of the group. ¡°I came because you called.¡± ¡°How? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s even been three seconds,¡± Chi-Woo said in astonishment. ¡°I happened to be on my way here,¡± Emmanuel said. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°To give you my daily greetings.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s evening right now.¡± ¡°I was taught that daily greetings must be given three times a day¡ªmorning, noon, and evening.¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback by Emmanuel¡¯s responses. But since the situation was so urgent, he thought he should begin with an explanation. ¡°Well, I just wanted to ask¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I will do it.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Just give me your command.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything yet.¡± ¡°What do I need to do? Should I call in more people?¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. He had been touched when Jin-Cheon said he would go without asking anything. But Emmanuel¡¯s response was¡­a bit too much. It was scary. Anyways, with this, they had managed to recruit Eustitia''s leader, who was all the hot topic these days. And now they had all they needed for a team. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure,¡± Dulia sounded skeptical even though they had already decided to go, ¡°If they are even alive.¡± Four days had passed since Dulia last separated from Yunael¡¯s expedition team, and it would be a wonder if the two remaining members¡ªa number too small to be called an expedition team¡ªwere still alive. While that was true, Chi-Woo thought the chance wasn¡¯t zero. There was a concept called Sangsu; according to it, there was fate that couldn¡¯t be changed, and one needed to pay a constant amount for any changed variables. If Yunael¡¯s fate was to become Chi-Woo¡¯s star as Boboris said, Yunael would survive most variables until they met Chi-Woo. Of course, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t be hundred percent certain of this. This was Liber, where heroes with main-character qualities died like flies. It was a world without a World, and thus, Chi-Woo needed to hurry before changing variables that could even destroy the concept of Sangsu occurred and cut this fate short. ¡°I know this is sudden, but considering how urgent the situation is, we will go as soon as we are prepared,¡± Chi-Woo said and got up from his seat. CH 320 Seven Stars accepted Ho Lactea¡¯s request and organized a rescue team to confirm the survival of Yunael Tania¡¯s expedition. There were a total of eight expedition members, and if someone asked why, well, that was because two more beings were added to the team. ¡°It¡¯s time for you two to earn your keep, right?¡± Chi-Woo held Steam Bun with his left hand and the fenrir cub with his right. Steam Bun was calm, but the cub frantically tried to get out and showed their displeasure. Chi-Woo sternly said, ¡°Follow me while I¡¯m being nice. Don¡¯t you know that those who don¡¯t work don¡¯t get to eat? And there¡¯s no one else to make your meals except me anyway.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s threat seemed to have worked, as the fenrir cub¡¯s resistance subsided. ¡°Think for yourself what you can do and carry it out in action. It¡¯s up to you whether you¡¯ll be served meat dishes or just grass. Do you understand?¡± Chi-Woo threatened the cub one more time and quickly moved while carrying them. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to warn the other expedition members that one of them was very fierce, so they shouldn¡¯t touch the cub or risk getting bitten. * * * The Cassiubia League was a coalition of indigenous monsters that once lived on Liber with humans. There were dozens of different monster tribes gathered around the Cassiubia Mountain Range. However, the power of each tribe was not equal. Unlike the Last Dragon, which stood alone at the top of the coalition, there were many monster tribes that were treated as foot soldiers or common laborers. A prime example would be the Kobalos. The Kobalos were a monster tribe cursed by god. Born with green skin, the members of this tribe were short like dwarfs and weak in strength. Their eyes were fierce, their noses were hooked, and their ears were crooked, and overall, their appearance was hideous. Moreover, it was impossible for them to reproduce amongst each other, so if they wanted to continue their race, they needed to mate with other monsters. Of course, the Kobalas were not an attractive partner for mating, so in order to continue their race¡¯s existence, they didn¡¯t hesitate to kidnap monsters from different tribes. As a result, they naturally earned the hatred of other tribes and were often raided by them. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say the Kobalos were an unfortunate monster tribe that was bound to become extinct due to both internal and external reasons. However, as living beings, the Kobalos had an inherent instinct and desire to survive. They led a tribe that could not stay in one place for a long time and wandered from place to place. After decades, they met a god who miraculously accepted the Kobalos. Of course, it wasn¡¯t for free. In exchange for lifting part of their curse, the god demanded an eternal price. The Kobalos, who were tired of their long wandering and wanted to settle down, gladly accepted the god¡¯s demands. Their situation did not change dramatically. The Kobalos were still short and weak. It was still impossible for them to breed with each other. However, one thing changed. The Kobalos were given the power that would be the basis for solving all their problems. It was none other than intelligence. Rather than simple intelligence, they acquired a wisdom that contained the logic of a specific phenomenon. With this wisdom as their foundation, the Kobalos were able to solve a large part of their curse¡ªat least until they made a mistake in fulfilling the price that their god demanded. The Kobalos paid the price by performing a ritual periodically, but one day, they lost an important object that was part of the ritual. Although they tried hard to recover it somehow, the failure of the ritual brought about unknown results, and they lost contact with those who had been sent to recover the object. To make matters worse, a huge incident broke out across Liber. The Kobalos had no idea what to do in their dire situation. Even if they tried to fix the failed ritual, there was no guarantee that they would succeed, and simply waiting while their surroundings got more and more unstable made them anxious. In a desperate situation like this, the Kobalos eventually decided to leave their home for now. They had no choice but to leave as shocking news reached them nonstop, starting from news that humanity was on the verge of going extinct. In a way, joining the Cassiubia League had been a stroke of luck. Although the Kobalos was not originally a race that was welcomed, considering the situation, the Cassiubia League reached out first so that they could join forces and fight together. Moreover, they added that if the Kobalos didn¡¯t join, they would consider the Kobalos their enemies and erase them, as they would most likely get caught by the Demon Empire or the alien forces and become experiments otherwise. The Kobalos had no choice. Since they wouldn¡¯t be given another opportunity to join the Cassiubia League, they left their home and moved to the Cassiubia Mountain Range. Since then, they worked hard to fulfill any tasks they were assigned, so other tribes weren¡¯t openly hostile to them. However, their fundamental problem persisted. As a result of failing their ritual, the Kobalos were starting to show signs of returning to their olden days¡ªtheir barbaric days with no rationality and only instincts, when they kidnapped monsters from different tribes with underhanded and dirty tactics. They could never let this happen. They had managed in the meantime with the medicine they had stocked up, but it was going to run out soon. Before they fully ran out, they needed to solve this problem. Alice Ho Lactea, who happened to hear about their situation, accepted their request. ¡°The mission of the former expedition team was to find a fire pit.¡± Dulia greatly emphasized the word, ¡®former¡¯. Since the situation was so urgent, she was giving the explanation as they marched. ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary fire pit. From what I heard, it¡¯s a holy relic given by the god that the Kobalos served. It seems that the Kobalos¡¯ ritual needs to be carried out through that fire pit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious. What on earth is that ritual?¡± ¡°From what I heard, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an ordinary ritual. It¡¯s a lot more complicated than I thought. The details about that¡­that person probably has it.¡± Dulia frowned. Thinking of Yunael seemed to have put a damper on her mood. ¡°Anyway, I heard it¡¯s a magic fire pit, not a normal one.¡± ¡°A magic fire pit?¡± ¡°Yeah. The source of wisdom that the Kobalos gained from their god was, I think, related to alchemy. The conditions are very particular and difficult to fulfill, but I heard that using the fire pit can bring about a magical effect. Well, it¡¯s none of my business.¡± That made the expedition pretty tempting. Since the fate of a tribe was dependent on this mission, Alice must have been promised a considerable amount of money. And given it was a type of dungeon exploration, they could also expect loots. Moreover, what if the Kobalos allowed him to use that magic fire pit? Above all, they could earn merit and honor for saving a monster tribe. ¡®It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone. The pay-off is going to be great.¡¯ Since this expedition had great trade-offs, Chi-Woo could understand a bit why Yunael couldn¡¯t easily give up. It would be a lie if Chi-Woo said he didn¡¯t want to reap the rewards, but he decided to only focus on his mission for now. There was no need for him to go through extra trouble; he was just going to check if Yunael was alive, and if they were, he was going to bring them back. Chi-Woo wanted to rescue them and return as soon as possible because for some unknown reason, he had been feeling anxious these days. It was such a strong feeling of ominousness that it made him shudder. * * * The expedition arrived at their destination exactly three days later. It was a basin surrounded by mountains on all sides. Since Dulia said they had to go underground, Chi-Woo had imagined a cave, but once they reached it, he saw a long and narrow crack like a crevasse. Although it was big enough for a Kobalos to enter, it seemed a little cramped for humans to come and go through. ¡°If you follow this gap, you¡¯ll find an entrance inside. It was quite deep and wide compared to what the surface would suggest. You¡¯ll find out once you get in.¡± Dulia continued to lead the expedition. Not long after, a doorway appeared before them as she said. It was covered in moss, but there were stairs leading down. ¡°That¡¯s where it starts.¡± Dulia smacked her lips as she stood in front of the stairs. Not expecting to return here, her expression didn¡¯t look good. Her hesitant eyes showed even a hint of fear. ¡°Ms. Dulia, you said it was a place where unknown monsters come out and the surroundings change, right?¡± Dulia nodded quietly and sighed. ¡°First, I¡¯ll lead all of you to where I separated from my former expedition members and track their traces. It won¡¯t be hard to find. I¡¯m sure Yunael made a big mess considering their personality. Of course, that is if they¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± Chi-Woo accepted the head¡¯s suggestion and signaled his readiness. Taking the lead, Dulia smiled bitterly. She recalled having a heated debate before entering not too long ago. Chi-Woo was the complete opposite from Yunael, who interfered with everything and found fault in her for no reason. Perhaps thanks to the trust and faith shown by the current expedition leader, some of the fear that she had felt a while ago subsided a bit. Dulia thought if she was with this team, the outcome might be different. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡± Leading the way, Dulia looked down at the stairs. She took a confident step forward and thought, ¡®Yeah, this is how an expedition should be. Fuck.¡¯ * * * After walking a little bit inside, all the light was completely blocked. Chi-Woo was able to distinguish his surroundings to some extent thanks to his time in the Evelaya Volcano cave but not everyone could, so he had to light a torch. Rather than a maze, it was more accurate to say the interior was like a cave system. Spaces were created all over underground, and they were connected to each other. True to the Kobalos¡¯ statement that they had used this place as a base, there were signs of activities everywhere, but there were no items of any value. Strictly speaking, it couldn¡¯t be said that they had actually arrived at their destination. Although they ran away, Yunael¡¯s expedition team had entered the place where the Kobalos tribe held their ritual in the past. Dulia said it was the deepest and darkest part of this space, which meant they had to go down a long way. After a good while, they stopped marching. Dulia wandered around for a little, but eventually found the spot where she separated from her previous expedition team. ¡°Wow¡­they really went in¡­¡± Chi-Woo fell into deep thought as Dulia walked around and read their traces. He had felt a strange sensation the moment he entered. He couldn¡¯t explain it clearly, but it was a feeling he¡¯d had a few times in his life. During his time following his mentor, he had once seen a gut site on his way back after solving a problem[1]. Chi-Woo had looked at the site in curiosity and was startled when a shaman who had been energetically dancing on a jakdu for a long time suddenly stopped moving and glared at him[2]. Why are they glaring at him? As soon as he thought this, Chi-Woo had felt an indescribable sensation. At the same time, his mentor had grabbed him and dragged him away. Then his mentor raised their hand to the shaman in an apologetic gesture and immediately turned around, and the shaman withdrew their sharp gaze. His mentor walked away in a hurry and deliberately circled far away to get out of there. When Chi-Woo asked why he did this, his mentor had replied like this: [They¡¯re in the middle of a naerim-gut.] [3] [They specially prepared a space for a god to descend with great care, but what if an uninvited guest breaks in without warning? It¡¯s understandable they would be upset.] When Chi-Woo asked why, his mentor said it was a matter of territory dispute. [It¡¯s not limited to naerim-gut. All kinds of ganshin-gut are like that. A full-fledged shaman has to be even more careful.] [4] When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. [Unless you¡¯re invited, you really shouldn¡¯t intrude on another shaman¡¯s territory.] The space where a god had descended became a temporary territory for that god alone. But what if a shaman who had welcomed another god intruded without permission? There was bound to be collision and conflict. Chi-Woo¡¯s mentor had answered Chi-Woo¡¯s question by further explaining that it was the same as one country arbitrarily invading another country. Chi-Woo had felt a similar stimulus to that time when he stepped into this place, as if he was encroaching on someone¡¯s property. But¡­ ¡®It¡¯s not a normal property.¡¯ Just like how a jesa ritual started with choheon and ended with a bunchuk, the end of any ritual was important. [5] If the officiator did not finish the ritual properly, it was the same as the ritual being incomplete. Dulia had said that the Kobalos had failed their ritual. However, the important part was that it was cut short, and the ritual couldn¡¯t be described as over. What if the ritual was still continuing after the failure? ¡®But¡­¡¯ The pieces weren¡¯t fitting together perfectly, though. It was hard to describe it, but it felt like a water bottle had toppled down, and the surrounding area got soaked with a bit of impurity mixed into the liquid. But Chi-Woo could not jump to conclusions yet. He would have to go further inside to find out what exactly happened; aside from the fact that they needed to save Yunael and the others. By then, the head, Dulia, had finished her assessment of the area. ¡°This is one crazy shit-head.¡± She looked around with a dumbfounded expression on her face. ¡°Eight times. That¡¯s the number of times they¡¯ve passed this place. One of them was nine hours ago.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Then you¡¯re saying that they were at least still alive this morning, right?¡± Jin-Cheon clasped his hands behind his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know. Anything could have happened to them inside.¡± Dulia hmphed and turned away. ¡°They deserve it. That punk kept criticizing me for being incompetent, but look at them wandering around and around without a guide.¡± Although she said they deserved it, she didn¡¯t sound like she meant it. Chi-Woo organized his thoughts and said, ¡°Then they might be lost and have been wandering around, unable to reach their destination.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe. They might even want to go back but can¡¯t find their way out. You guys will find out later, but the paths keep changing from time to time.¡± Dulia shrugged and continued, ¡°Anyway, I think there¡¯s a high possibility that they¡¯re lost. We didn¡¯t run into a single monster on our way here, right? What if the reason is the two of them have been walking around defeating monsters nonstop¡­?¡± Then she suddenly raised her voice and turned to one side. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up. Chi-Woo wondered why she had suddenly turned around and soon flinched. When he listened carefully, he heard a strange noise coming from the distance. It sounded like someone frantically screaming at the top of their lungs. 1. Gut or kut means ritual in Korean and are rites performed by Korean shamans. ? 2. Korean shamans often dance on a jakdu, a straw or hay cutter, to show their prowess. Dancing on a jakdu can involve standing on top of knives and dancing or walking on a long, bladed knife. ? 3. A type of initiation gut. During this rite, a person becomes a shaman by being possessed by spirits/gods. ? 4. Ganshin is the phenomenon of a supernatural being entering or possessing a human body or object. So, ganshin-gut is any type of ritual that involves this phenomenon. ? 5. Jesa: memorial ceremony for the dead, which involves making an offering of food and prayers. Choheon (¡°initial offering¡±): ¡°the choheongwan (who is responsible for the first libation) offers the first cup of liquor¡­ After the invocation, the Choheongwan makes two bows for the first libation.¡± Bunchuk: ¡°invocation official burns the written invocation.¡± (Source: National Folk Museum of Korea) ? CH 321 It was as Dulia expected. There was no way an expedition team of five would be able to function normally after losing two members and then even their head. It took only two days for Yunael to realize that they shouldn¡¯t have kicked out the head of the team. No, perhaps it wasn¡¯t even two days; Yunael had lost track of time ever since they came underground and had to wander around in seemingly endless darkness with only one companion. Soon, the torch they had prepared beforehand lost its functionality. Unable to see without the light, Yunael thought they were going crazy, and they couldn¡¯t figure out which way they were going at all. They tried to find their way to the center of this space or even back to the outer areas again, but it felt as if they were going in circles, and it was driving them mad. Yunael had insulted the head for being so slow in advancing, but after experiencing the role of a guide firsthand, they understood the reason behind Dulia¡¯s choices. And like that, Yunael and their sole teammate had to spend the next couple of days wandering listlessly and battling on repeat. What about sleep? Of course, they couldn¡¯t take a proper rest. When they spotted a suitable place to wind down and tried to take turns sleeping, enemies always ambushed them. It was the same for meals. They just shoved whatever they found in their belongings into their mouths and resumed battle while munching on food. Unable to meet their basic needs, it didn¡¯t take long for them to grow weary and exhausted. It seemed they were reaching their end. Their water and food supplies came to an end this afternoon, and there wasn¡¯t any more medicine. Their bodies were also breaking down. It didn¡¯t help that the nonstop battles exhausted their strength. It seemed evident that they would end up wandering around pointlessly until they collapsed. Still, Yunael didn¡¯t give up. Their eyes still shone brightly even though the rest of their body was in absolute shambles. Slice! A prune-colored trajectory sliced through the air. The semi-transparent creature flying toward them split into two. After nullifying their opponent, Yunael didn¡¯t stop moving their blade and instead pierced through their surroundings. Each of their strikes was fierce enough to make a loud swoosh, and every attack was accompanied by the sound of things being split into pieces. Even though they should¡¯ve been exhausted, Yunael showed no indication of falling. Instead, they seemed to press on with more rigor than before. A scream rang from behind them. Yunael quickly turned around and grimaced. The only companion they had left¡ªa male hero¡ªcollapsed while spluttering blood. ¡°You bastard!¡± Yunael fiercely swung their spear around and defeated their enemies. Then they hurriedly ran backward. Making quick work of the enemies intently eyeing their companion¡¯s prone body with their spear, Yunael kicked their last companion roughly. ¡°Get up! Get up, you idiot!¡± Yunael yelled. Though their companion was still conscious, it appeared that he had difficulty moving. Then Yunael looked around to see semi-transparent, mud-like creatures cluster around them. Yunael gasped and gritted their teeth. ¡°Ha, shit.¡± In the end, Yunael narrowed their eyes and clutched their spear with both hands tightly. ¡°Hey, come at me, you bastards! Come here! If you don¡¯t, I will go to you all!¡± Yunael spat out and shouted. Their eyes didn¡¯t look sane. Soon afterward, enemies with hooks for hands reached out toward them. It looked like they were trying to snatch up the lives of anyone breathing. ¡°That idiot¡­!¡± It was at that moment Dulia arrived near the area after hearing a scream and quickly notched an arrow to her bow. She was about to pull on the bowstring when a hand blocked her view. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Dulia turned around with obvious confusion. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit¡­¡± Chi-Woo lowered his gaze. Whoosh! Yunael¡¯s spear made one circle in the air. Like they were roughly swinging a key ring around a finger, the spear spun like fast-going fan blades. It moved so fast that it looked like there was one circle. Then this circle moved according to Yunael¡¯s movement and ground their enemies, keeping them at bay. Yunael didn¡¯t take one step back even while fighting a swarm of formidable enemies, and they did all this while not only protecting themselves, but also their companion. ¡ªOh wow. Philip laughed in admiration seeing Yunael swing their spear around like a windmill. ¡ªIt¡¯s so fierce, but it isn¡¯t just rough. At a glance, it looks as if they¡¯re just doing whatever the hell they want, but there is preciseness and sharpness to their movements. He couldn¡¯t hide his astonishment. ¡ªThey move softly yet strongly. Who is this kid really? It looks like they¡¯ve been swinging their spears ten thousand times a day since they were four or five. Chi-Woo nodded. His past self would¡¯ve asked Philip what he was talking about; but after training with Byeok, the way Chi-Woo viewed things changed. He saw it clearly now. At a glance, Yunael¡¯s movements looked rough and unrefined, but there was intention behind each of their movements¡ªthe intent to crush their enemies in one go. Yet their flow was never cut off, and everything moved naturally like water. The way Yunael fought was completely opposite to Ru Amuh, who focused on balance and led his opponents to act the way he wanted. ¡ªEach move they make is lethal. But how could they achieve such heights at that age¡­ I don¡¯t know who trained them, but the trainer must have been harsher than even Ms. Byeok. It was as Philip said. Those fighting Yunael must have been losing their minds. It was like they were fighting a fluctuating candlelight that refused to go out no matter how hard the winds blew from all directions; instead, this candlelight was growing in size and burned with enough intensity to consume everything around them. In the end, the enemies stopped moving and gathered into one body, growing in size in the hope of defeating Yunael in one blow. Yet Yunael couldn¡¯t have been happier with this development. They continued forward and extended their spear straight. All those witnessing the scene looked surprised. Though Yunael had one spear, as soon as they extended it, it multiplied into dozens in an instant. And they weren¡¯t just mirror images. Each of them was a real spear that shot forward at great speed. Eventually, the sound of balloons popping rang in the air. ¡°Haaa¡ª!¡± Yunael didn¡¯t turn around or evade. They simply ran forward like a predator rushing at its prey. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± With a loud battle cry, their enemy burst into pieces and crumbled. The prune-colored blade of Yunael¡¯s spear pierced through the surviving enemy with precision. That was the end. Their enemy stopped moving and melted. Tap! Their spear struck the floor. ¡°Urgh! Ugggh!¡± Drops of sweat and saliva mixed and blotted the ground. If they could, Yunael wanted to collapse and lay down. But they knew they couldn¡¯t and forcefully raised their head back up. They survived again, but they had no time to celebrate. ¡°Get up.¡± They turned back to their companion, who was still lying on the ground. ¡°Get up! Quickly! How long are you going to stay on the ground?¡± They asked aggressively and pulled their companion¡¯s arm around their neck to help him up. They would die the moment they stopped moving. They had to keep going. And while thinking this, Yunael looked forward and frowned when they saw that their paths had changed again. Must have been while they were too focused on the battle. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± They didn¡¯t hesitate for long, but when they started to move forward, they felt a slight resistance. Even though they were supporting their companion, their companion wouldn¡¯t take a step. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°Stop¡­¡± A weak voice came from his tired face. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I want to stop¡­now¡­¡± Yunael frowned. ¡°Are you serious¡ª¡± They were about to bark when the male hero yelled first. ¡°I know! Those two were my companions! I want to save them too! But¡­!¡± The male hero couldn¡¯t finish his sentence, and tears trickled down his face. Yunael¡¯s outburst was cut short by his response. It seemed as if he had been enduring until he reached his utmost limits now¡­ Yes, it was about time for them to think about getting out of here. Yunael had felt that during the days they were stuck wandering aimlessly. That was exactly why they needed to find their way back to the heart of this place and solve the problem. Only then would they see a path to escape from this dreadful place. ¡°Shut up. If you have the strength to talk, save it,¡± Yunael said in a hoarse voice and was about to forcefully drag the male hero forward when they suddenly heard footsteps. Stomp. Yunael quickly turned around and raised their spear. Then they blinked hard. They saw a face they didn¡¯t expect at all. Though they hadn¡¯t known each other for long, Yunael hadn¡¯t been able to forget him. ¡°Why are you here¡­?¡± Yunael asked, and their mouth widened seeing Dulia also coming toward them. They couldn¡¯t hide their shock when they saw the rest of the rescue team. ¡°Ha.¡± Yunael couldn¡¯t believe it. They sensed what was going on by then. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Aren¡¯t you grateful? Tell us how seriously grateful you are to see us,¡± Dulia smirked mockingly and asked, ¡°But what¡¯s with your response? We came all this way to save you.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± Yunael didn¡¯t back down. ¡°How dare you come back again after running away?¡± ¡°No matter how nasty you are, you shouldn¡¯t lie about such things. I didn¡¯t run away. I just followed your orders to fuck off.¡± ¡°Yes, you did. Then you should¡¯ve stayed like that. What did you come crawling back here for?¡± ¡°What? Crawl back here?¡± Dulia¡¯s voice grew sharp. She was about to retort with blazing eyes when Chi-Woo stepped forward. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Chi-Woo from Seven Stars.¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes trembled. They thought, ¡®Why him of all people?¡¯ It was the man who took Aida away and completely ignored them. No way that they would feel good about this. ¡°¡­Ah, I see~¡± Thus Yunael¡¯s voice gained quite the aggressive edge. ¡°How surprising. I didn¡¯t expect the oh-so-great leader of the Seven Stars to come here with his lackeys like a pack of hyenas.¡± Yunael said mockingly as if Chi-Woo had come here to steal away the reaps of this expedition. There was the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Emmanuel had taken out his fleuret. If Jin-Cheon hadn¡¯t stopped him with all his might telling him to endure, there would¡¯ve been lightning sparks flying Yunael¡¯s way. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s been a misunderstanding,¡± Chi-Woo said calmly. ¡°We are a rescue team here to save you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yunael¡¯s voice turned prickly. ¡°A rescue team? To save me?¡± They snorted. Then they continued with their eyes widened, ¡°Who asked for that?¡± ¡°Ho Lactea.¡± Yunael flinched. ¡°How¡­!¡± Chi-Woo took that chance to show Yunael the message he got from Alice. Yunael quickly skimmed over the message, and their face hardened. They glanced sideways to see Dulia smirking. They had an inkling of what had happened. ¡°¡­That bitch,¡± Yunael murmured and dropped the companion they were holding up. Then they continued nonchalantly, ¡°But you came at the right time. It seems like this guy wants to return, so you can take him.¡± It sounded like Yunael was going to do what they wished after they handed the hero over. But of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t back down. ¡°We can¡¯t leave you behind,¡± Chi-Woo said. A sly smile formed on Yunael¡¯s lips. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to go?¡± ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°I will have to take you by force.¡± There was no other option. Chi-Woo stepped forward and relaxed his shoulders. Yunael¡¯s eyes blazed. ¡°Ah~! Is that how you are going to do it? As expected of the leader of an organization, you go all out. Okay, but that¡¯s preferable for me.¡± Yunael thought this was a good chance after everything they had been holding in. ¡°Did everyone hear that? He¡¯s the one who started it,¡± Yunael said and gripped their spear tighter. What perfect timing. They could get into another fight before their body cooled. They kicked off the ground before they even finished the thought. It was then Yunael clearly witnessed Chi-Woo slide over to them more quickly than them even though they had started moving at the same time. In an instant, Chi-Woo was in their space. Yunael followed their instincts and spun their spear around. Bang! Their vision turned white for a second, and a gasp burst out of their mouth. ¡°Umph!¡± Gr, Grrr¡ª Chi-Woo¡¯s fist and Yunael¡¯s spear collided. Then Chi-Woo gripped Yunael¡¯s spear and twisted it. Yunael narrowed their eyes and glared. They were trying to push Chi-Woo away with all their might, but Chi-Woo¡¯s fist edged closer and closer to their face. There was an astonishing shockwave; so strong that the mysterious monster¡¯s attack from before seemed like child¡¯s play in comparison. ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± In the end, Yunael twisted their arm and moved their spear in several different trajectories. They swung it left and right, sliced through the air, and pierced. They tried five different attacks in the limited space between them, but none landed on Chi-Woo. As if they were magnets of opposite poles, Yunael¡¯s attacks went awry and bounced off. They had a spear, and their opponent was unarmed, but they still couldn¡¯t go through his defense. ¡°Umph!¡± Seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s left hand quickly coming at them, Yunael hurried backward. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± And as soon as they increased the distance between them and Chi-Woo, they thrust their arms forward hard. The spear they had swung with all their energy multiplied to dozens in an instant. ¡®It¡¯s coming.¡¯ Chi-Woo got into a proper fighting stance for the first time. Clang! Clang! Clang! Sparks bounced off Chi-Woo¡¯s surroundings. ¡°!¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes widened. They couldn¡¯t believe that Chi-Woo was parrying all their attacks with their bare hands. They had combined various types of attacks, and Chi-Woo responded accordingly to each of them. Strength cut off softness while softness repressed strength. That wasn¡¯t all. Brutal force overwhelmed weaker forces while soft movements shut down less soft movements. Yunael didn¡¯t know which attacks Chi-Woo was returning or making at this point, and they felt their own movements grew frantic. In contrast, Chi-Woo appeared utterly calm. He didn¡¯t take a single step backward while responding to all of Yunael¡¯s spear attacks. Yunael gritted their teeth after witnessing such an unbelievable scene. They wondered how long Chi-Woo would be able to keep his calmness and was about to increase the strength of their attacks. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± It was then their world tilted. They lost their balance. Their spear had struck the wrong spot while aiming maddeningly at Chi-Woo, and Yunael realized that their waist was twisted, their torso subject to heavy strikes from both sides. ¡®He¡¯s able to attack at the same time¡­!¡¯ Yunael screamed inside their mind. Chi-Woo grabbed their tilting spear and yanked. Then Yunael felt a heavy punch in the center of their stomach from Chi-Woo¡¯s left fist. ¡°Kugh!¡± The impact was so strong that Yunael felt the insides of their head flip over and shake from the pain. Their vision blurred for a bit, and Yunael didn¡¯t know what had hit them. They blinked and realized that they were somersaulting involuntarily in the air. Boom! Then after spinning some more, they slammed onto the ground like a spear buried into the ground. CH 322 Yunael tried to get up, but as soon as they lifted their head, a strong dizziness hit them. They were seeing three or four duplicates of the same thing, and then the numbers of duplicates fluctuated repeatedly. Their temples throbbed, and they were unable to regain their senses. Yunael¡¯s head spun like a top. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Ziing¡ªEven while feeling intense dizziness, Yunael managed to tuck their chin back in and was startled to find Chi-Woo right in front of them, gazing at them silently with downcast eyes. Although Yunael usually never backed down or shrank back in fear, they couldn¡¯t help but flinch this time. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes revealed no emotion; there was no sense of victory or ridicule. It only conveyed one thought¡ªto forcibly bring them back if they didn¡¯t listen. There was nothing else. At this rate, Yunael might really be forced to return. They clenched their teeth and tried to stand up, but a sharp pain shot down their neck. It was a cold, metallic sensation. ¡°Don¡¯t move an inch.¡± Yunael heard a different voice other than Chi-Woo¡¯s; it was Emmanuel. ¡°No, it¡¯s up to you to decide. Please move, so I can stab you without reservation.¡± He spoke in an icy cold tone and put more strength into the hand holding his fleuret. Chi-Woo saw Emmanuel¡¯s cold eyes and withdrew his half-raised foot. He had planned to kick Yunael¡¯s chin and knock them out, but judging by the situation, that seemed unnecessary. Chi-Woo raised his trembling hands; the tingling sensation still lingered. His fight with Yunael hadn¡¯t been as easy as it looked. Still, he had cleared up the situation in a few minutes. His victory was expected as his opponent was already exhausted, and Yunael had just finished a fierce battle. If Yunael had been in perfect condition¡­ ¡®It might have been a pretty good match.¡¯ But even then, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think he would lose. He turned around and said, ¡°Tie them up.¡± Dulia immediately took out a rope and ran to Yunael as if she was flying. She meticulously tied them up and seemed to be enjoying her job. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me too much. I¡¯m just following the orders of the current expedition leader.¡± According to their usual personality, Yunael would have responded sarcastically even if it was the last thing they did, but Yunael couldn¡¯t even think about responding to Dulia. If they stayed still like this, they might really be forced to return. No, that must not happen. They couldn¡¯t let that happen. There was a very important reason they couldn¡¯t return like this. If they did, the shame would weigh them down so much that they would never be able to lift their head. Yunael¡¯s eyes shifted to Chi-Woo, who had turned around without another word. They hesitated for a moment, but in the end, said, ¡°¡­No.¡± They spoke in a slightly discouraged voice. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t go back like this. I can¡¯t go back¡­!¡± Unlike before, they implored in a desperate voice. ¡°Help me¡­!¡± Chi-Woo stopped turning away. As he looked down at Yunael, Chi-Woo couldn''t hide the indisputable contempt in his eyes. Everyone lived while wearing a mask, but in moments of crisis, the mask fell off and revealed one¡¯s true face. And the bare face that Yunael revealed was¡­disgusting. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± His voice rose without him realizing. ¡°Can¡¯t you see him?¡± Chi-Woo raised his index finger and pointed at Yunael¡¯s companion. The male hero had passed out from blood loss. Yunael replied, ¡°It¡¯s not a fatal injury! He can hold out if someone treats him!¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. It was great to be motivated, but there was a limit to everything. Yanael¡¯s desire was way too egotistical, and they were the type who didn¡¯t care about their surroundings in their pursuit of their goal. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how his brother would evaluate a person like Yunael, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t think favorably about Yunael in the slightest. He didn¡¯t understand why Boboris had told him to hold onto such a hero. If Yunael had at least maintained the attitude they first showed till the end, he would have thought they were merely stubborn for their own beliefs. However, it was quite disappointing to see them throw everything out for their own desires. He didn¡¯t expect to even make the comparison, but there really was too much of a contrast between them and Ru Amuh. ¡°Not only did you forcibly continue the expedition with a teammate in that state, but¡ªsigh.¡± Chi-Woo sighed while speaking and shook his head. He didn¡¯t even feel the need to say more. Dulia read the obvious irritation on his face and asked, ¡°Should I cover their mouth too?¡± Yunael looked up blankly at Chi-Woo as he waved his hands as if telling Dulia to do whatever she wanted and completely turned around. Soon, they opened their eyes wide and bit their lower lip hard enough to bleed, their head drooping. ¡°Then¡ª¡± they cried out in a trembling voice. ¡°What are you going to do about the other two!¡± Yunael¡¯s loud voice echoed. Silence fell on everyone, and Chi-Woo stopped moving. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ His eyes widened. ¡°You said¡­you came to rescue¡­¡± Chi-Woo heard a strained voice from behind him. ¡°Then¡­help¡­¡± Suddenly, when he looked down, he saw a hand grabbing his ankle. ¡°Please¡­¡± Chi-Woo instinctively looked back. When he saw Yunael with their face pressed into the ground, he suddenly recalled what Aida had told him. [That child is still lacking in many ways.] [I don¡¯t call them a kid for no reason.] [Although they¡¯re an immature kid who¡¯s hot-tempered, self-centered, and childish¡­] [They have a strong sense of responsibility, as befitting Tania''s name.] [Who¡¯s perfect from the start? Who¡¯s perfect from birth?] [Even a simple tool is made after countless quenching and striking.] [So, please don¡¯t blame them for their shortcomings and also pay attention to their good parts¡­] Chi-Woo felt like he had been hit on the head with a hammer. He had thought Yunael wanted the expedition¡¯s rewards and was scared that their failure might be known, so they were insisting on continuing this expedition while knowing it wouldn¡¯t work out. That was the conclusion he came to after listening to what people said about Yunael. However, judging by what Yunael had just said¡ªthat didn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for it,¡± Dulia quickly said before addressing Yunael. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re making excuses to continue with the expedition.¡± Yunael shook their head and fiercely glared at Dulia, who got up while stepping on them. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Hmph. What do you mean?¡± ¡°Then what do you want me to do!¡± Yunael couldn¡¯t suppress their anger and shouted, ¡°Even if I wanted to go out and go back, I couldn¡¯t find my way!¡± Dulia swallowed what she was about to say. She didn¡¯t have a comeback for that. She had good insight and had developed her ability as a guide, but even she had a hard time finding her way in this place. Anyone other than the most experienced guide would have a hundred percent gotten lost here. Thus, in Yunael¡¯s perspective, it might have been better to go back to the deepest part of this place and eliminate the cause of the problem. Then they could find their way out and find their companions at the same time. Dulia could understand the decision Yunael made after she left, so she turned away. ¡°W-Well, you¡¯re the one who kicked me out, so what did you expect?¡± Yunael wanted to yell a bit more, but decided to raise their eyes again. Likewise, Chi-Woo looked down and met their eyes. Aida had told him that Yunael was a child who had only walked a path of success, and this was their biggest weakness as a hero. Byeok had also told him that there was no correct method for a hero to grow. In other words, while some were more appropriate than others, there were pros and cons to every method. Yunael was a hero who had only walked a single path ever since they ascended to the Celestial Realm. They had saved many worlds in the way they thought was right¡ªeven if the method they found was not a master key that fit everything, and they needed to make appropriate adjustments depending on the situation. Perhaps if Yunael had tasted even a small failure or two, they wouldn¡¯t have become this bad. However, Yunael had never failed even once so far in their life. Thanks to the Tania family¡¯s vision and their natural, brilliant talent, they had been able to easily resolve most crises¡ªbut only in worlds where they could get the World¡¯s support. As Yunael¡¯s achievements accumulated, the method they pursued turned into stubbornness disguised as certainty. By then, the request of the founder, whom Yunael respected, and the advice of a close friend, who they trusted the most, fell on deaf ears. Although what they said made sense at first, the fundamental belief that made them who they were at the moment did not change. No matter what others said, Yunael could just prove they were right by showing great results with the same method they always used. In short, Yunael thought that the whole world revolved around them. It had always been that way, and they believed it always would be even though there must be exceptions. After a long moment of bemusement, Chi-Woo organized his thoughts. Yunael¡¯s true intention had finally come to light, and it wasn¡¯t a desire to reap the expedition¡¯s rewards, but to find the two teammates that had gone missing the first time they entered the deepest part of the underground base. Since their teammates had come here believing in Yunael, it seemed as if Yunael couldn¡¯t abandon them. If this was the case, the story completely changed; Chi-Woo had come to rescue heroes rather than to take over the expedition. This was a different matter from Yunael¡¯s true intention. Chi-Woo was silent for a long time and finally said, ¡°It may be too late.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened to them. They may still be alive.¡± This was true. Dulia had also been doubtful whether or not Yunael was still alive when she departed from Shalyh. But in the end, Yunael and the unknown male hero hadn¡¯t died. ¡°But their situation is different from yours.¡± The two missing expedition members were different from Yunael. Although they were heroes as well, there were stark differences in power and ability between them. Yunael was probably well aware of this. Presented with the two possibilities, Yunael would probably also bet that it was already too late. But even then¡­ ¡°¡­I have to see it with my own eyes,¡± Yunael said with an unshakable gaze. ¡°I need to at least retrieve their corpses.¡± If there was even a 1% chance, they had no intention to give up. This was their duty and responsibility as the captain. Chi-Woo stared at them and let out a long sigh. He could understand why Aida called Yunael a child. Their thinking was immature and childish¡­but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel disgusted by Yunael anymore after realizing their true intention. When he first entered Liber, Chi-Woo had been unable to stop numerous heroes and natives from sacrificing themselves in the forest. The deep pain it caused remained in his heart, so he didn¡¯t want to deny Yunael¡¯s desire to save their teammates. Besides right and wrong, this was an acceptable request for him to accept. After some time, Chi-Woo gave the two surrounding Yunael a pointed look. Emmanuel immediately withdrew his fleuret, and Dulia relented and loosened the rope. Chi-Woo said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± Soon, all but Yunael and their male teammate gathered together. The captain of this rescue team was Chi-Woo. As long as they didn¡¯t deviate from their mission, the captain had the final say. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t immediately make his decision and instead asked for everyone¡¯s opinion. It might be for rescue purposes, but that would still take them to the deepest part of the base. In other words, they would be taking on the same risk as continuing the expedition. ¡°Hmm~ I actually like this better?¡± Surprisingly, Jin-Cheon didn¡¯t seem to care either way. ¡°I thought it would be a bit boring to go back like this. We can do good, and on the way, we can also get treasure¡­ahahhaha! Ah, of course, rescue comes first. Absolutely.¡± Jin-Cheon seemed more interested in the rewards than the mission. ¡°A sword only swings by the will of its owner. Sir, please do as you please.¡± ¡­And Emmanuel was the same as ever. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m not against it either.¡± With her arms folded, Dulia glanced at Yunael, who was looking their way. ¡°I¡¯m okay with going further too, and fine, I can go with those two, but.¡± She raised her shoulders and said, ¡°This is a request I make as the head. You need to make this clear.¡± She continued with her chin slightly raised, ¡°That Yunael shouldn¡¯t expect any help other than rescue. I want you to make that clear before we start¡­¡± In short, she was saying she wanted all of Yunael Tania¡¯s rights to their expedition nullified. Chi-Woo understood what she meant and called out to Yunael when all the opinions had been sorted out. ¡°I¡¯ll agree on one condition,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t disobey me while the rescue is in progress.¡± ¡°¡­I got it. The expedition reward will¡ªwhat?!¡± Yunael, who had been speaking in a resigned tone, raised their head in surprise. ¡°The duration is until you return to Shalyh.¡± ¡°Wait, what? You want me to obey you without question?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chi-Woo titled his head. ¡°You¡¯re not even the head. Is that so difficult?¡± ¡°But¡ª!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, we¡¯ll leave like this never happened.¡± ¡°Stop saying nonsense! Why don¡¯t you put a clear condition like I can¡¯t claim any rights other than rescuing my teammates instead! How do I know what you¡¯ll ask me to do¡ªwait!¡± Yunael¡¯s rapid spiel was cut off, and they floundered their arms as Chi-Woo got up from his seat. ¡°We¡¯re going back. Let¡¯s start packing up.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Yunael tightly shut their eyes as Dulia picked up the rope again. ¡°¡­Fine!¡± In the end, they caved in. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll do as you say!¡± They felt so angry that their eyes were tearing up. Yunael tightly hugged themselves with both arms and glared at Chi-Woo as if he was trash. In a way, Yunael looked like someone who had no choice but to give into Chi-Woo¡¯s threat for the sake of rescuing their poor teammates. Chi-Woo felt like a trashy thug for some reason, but he decided to firmly resolve his heart. Whether he decided to take Yunael under his wing or not, he couldn¡¯t be clumsy about it. Since he decided to hold onto Yunael, he was going to make sure he did it properly. CH 323 Although the team¡¯s goal was still the same, the expedition structure completely changed. Accordingly, Chi-Woo also changed the expedition¡¯s priorities. First of all, their most urgent task was treatment. Yunael¡¯s remaining companion, the male hero, needed to endure until the team confirmed whether the other two heroes were alive. Though the male hero had lost consciousness, fortunately, his internal injuries weren¡¯t critical. Furthermore, when they were about to pour medicine over him, Steam Bun bounced on the male hero¡¯s back and opened its mouth wide. ¡°Blergh¡ª¡± A white, softly-glowing liquid poured out. As soon as this substance touched the male hero¡¯s back, he stopped bleeding, and his injuries gradually healed. Jin-Cheon¡¯s eyes turned wide, and he pointed at Steam Bun, asking for an explanation. ¡°I thought you said this guy was a bag. Is it a healer too?¡± Chi-Woo also looked at Steam Bun curiously. He didn¡¯t know the details, but it appeared that Steam Bun had gained some new abilities after combining with Balal. It made sense. Even though she was an artificial creature, she was a priestess and would have inherited some special abilities. And thanks to Steam Bun, the male hero¡¯s condition became noticeably better. He didn¡¯t struggle to take every breath now, and it seemed things would be all right for a while. Still, the male hero didn¡¯t wake up, and the youngest of Jin Cheon¡¯s team, Aric, decided to carry him around. Chi-Woo got a general sense of this place on his way in, and he became sure of what he needed to do when he saw the cluster of semi-transparent monsters that had attacked Yunael¡¯s expedition team. ¡°Then with this¡ª¡± With everyone¡¯s eyes focused on him, Chi-Woo announced, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Everyone looked confused, so Chi-Woo continued, ¡°Please light up our surroundings with torches. Don¡¯t try to save on items. Make this area as bright as possible.¡± ¡°No, what?¡± Yunael stepped forward. ¡°Is it even time to eat right now?¡± Then Yunael caught themselves when Chi-Woo looked intently at them. ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t really feel hungry right now, either.¡± Fortunately, Jin-Cheon also agreed with them. ¡°No,¡± Chi-Woo said as he shook his head. ¡°We have to eat. As fast as possible while standing.¡± Jin-Cheon looked at Chi-Woo curiously. As someone who had gone on the Zepar expedition with him, Jin-Cheon knew Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t the type to force his thoughts onto other people. Instead, he was the type to listen to everyone on his team and then come to a conclusion; and it was the first time he saw Chi-Woo give out an order without consulting others. But rather than making him rebellious, Chi-Woo¡¯s action simply made Jin-Cheon more curious. He believed Chi-Woo must have a good reason for acting in this manner. ¡°We need to eat to minimize the effects our enemies have on us,¡± Chi-Woo said in a slightly calmer voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all realized what kind of place this was.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Our enemies aren¡¯t living creatures. Ordinary physical attacks don¡¯t work on them unless we use mana. On the contrary, they can rip our flesh apart and drink our blood. Furthermore, they can even eat away at our mentality. In the world that I used to live in, we called such beings ¡®spirits¡¯.¡± Chi-Woo explained in a calm voice. ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re simple spirits or evil ones with a specific purpose, but¡­¡± It seemed clear that they were in a place with strong spiritual energy. And thus, they needed to keep in mind two points. The first was that Kobalos¡¯ ritual was still ongoing even after all this time, and they needed to consider how things could¡¯ve changed over time. The second was the mysterious and ominous feeling Chi-Woo felt as soon as he entered this structure. If he had to describe it, he would say there was something blasphemous about this whole place. That Chi-Woo kept to himself since he wasn¡¯t certain yet. ¡°For us to reach our destination safely, we need to equip our physical body properly. Haven¡¯t you heard that a strong physical body leads to a healthy mental state?¡± Strong mental fortitude was difficult to maintain without being shielded by stamina¡ªit was a quote from some famous drama. ¡°We usually don¡¯t have to be scared of spirits. Some of them seek to take the lives of the living, but the majority of them are indifferent. They know that they can¡¯t rashly bother the living, so they instinctively fear those with great vitality and run away from them.¡± Of course, this rule wasn¡¯t absolute. Even those that feared life would sometimes attack the living, especially at times when a living creature was weakened and losing their vitality. ¡°Think about it. Didn¡¯t you notice the enemies¡¯ attacks growing more frequent at some point?¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Dulia exclaimed. Now that she thought about it, their enemies hadn¡¯t attacked much when they first entered this place, and that was how they had reached the heart of this underground structure more easily than they had expected. It was the same for Yunael. They encountered significantly more enemies after their head, Dulia, left them. Yunael thought that they had screwed something up, and it never occurred to them that they were attracting more spirits because their mind and body were weakening. ¡°Oho, I see.¡± Jin-Cheon clapped. ¡°Then just by eating and sleeping well, we will be able to withstand their attacks like wearing hard armor.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± It might sound clich¨¦, but that was the answer. There was no other method as effective, and it was one that his previous master used frequently. For the vast majority of people who came to seek help, his master didn¡¯t prepare a special solution for them, but simply sent them off after giving them a hot meal and going on a walk with them under a sunlit place. He recalled his master saying many times: [Make sure they eat and sleep well. Then let them run and play under the sunlight. That¡¯s the best way.] None came back with problems after receiving instructions like that. Eventually, all of the expedition team¡¯s members nodded in understanding. It was persuasive, especially coming from the leader of Seven Stars, and Emmanuel was already lighting up the torches one by one. Chi-Woo immediately started his preparations. He decided to make porridge in consideration of the injured. First, he chopped up the meat and vegetables. Then he boiled rice in water and deepened its taste with his own recipe of soy sauce and rice wine. Finally, he seasoned it with salt, and a tasty porridge was complete in an instant. Yunael hesitated when offered the meal. They asked what kind of pig food it was, but quickly changed their mind after taking one spoonful of it. ¡°Umph. Yum, yum. Munch.¡± Slightly salty and easy to swallow, Yunael soon found themselves furiously using their spoons. Though Yunael hadn¡¯t completely starved themselves, they hadn¡¯t had a proper meal since they started this expedition. And now that they were finally having hearty, warm food, their stomach kept crying out for more. ¡°Owww!¡± In the end, they burned their tongue while trying to gulp down their whole bowl like a drink. ¡°It stings¡ª¡± Yunael stretched their tongue out and soon, a water bottle was placed before them. ¡°You should slow down.¡± Yunael raised their head and saw Chi-Woo tilt the water bottle. ¡°Does it suit your taste?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Yunael didn¡¯t answer. They simply accepted the bottle warily and nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you sleep a bit after you are done eating. Even a 15-minute nap would make a huge difference, and I will wake you up before we have to start moving,¡± Chi-Woo said and turned around. Yunael didn¡¯t know what to think. ¡®What? Why is he suddenly¡­?¡¯ They were wondering when a ladle filled with porridge came in their direction. ¡°Do you want more?¡± Dulia asked. She tilted the ladle around and smirked. ¡°It¡¯s nice seeing you eat so well. You should eat more. I¡¯m sure you missed it terribly.¡± And before Yunael could answer, Dulia poured more porridge into Yunael¡¯s bowl and chuckled. Yunael¡¯s eyes narrowed. They didn¡¯t get what Dulia was going on about, but seeing the way she cackled, Yunael could tell that she was making fun of them. ¡°Not really,¡± Yunael replied tartly and placed their bowl down, and Dulia smirked. ¡°Really? It looks like you still want more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Fufu. You don¡¯t have to deny it. Eat some more,¡± Dulia said while tapping on the bowl that Yunael placed down. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for your concern, but there¡¯s no need. I will take care of myself.¡± ¡°I was going to, but my heart hurts seeing you go so hungry,¡± Dulia casually responded to Yunael¡¯s sharp retort and placed her hand on her chest with dramatic pity. ¡°I mean look at you. You left Shalyh so confidently like a leader, and now, you are gulping down food like some beggar¡­.¡± Yunael laughed humorlessly inside their mind. It was clear that Dulia was still peeved by their previous comment that ¡®she came crawling back¡¯. This could be their second round of battle, and Yunael welcomed it. ¡°¡­But would I be able to compare to you? You were struggling to survive before, but now that you are next to a bigger guy, you are acting all cocky and confident.¡± Dulia¡¯s face turned stiff. Yunael continued, ¡°You should¡¯ve acted like that from the beginning. If you had, we might have been able to return to Shalyh victorious many times over.¡± Yunael pointed out brazenly that Dulia had gone against them when they were a team, but they were listening to everything Chi-Woo said and now showing a completely different attitude. ¡°Isn¡¯t it only natural that I¡¯m behaving this way?¡± Dulia soon regained her composure and responded to Yunael¡¯s provocation with a smile. ¡°How can you even compare yourself to Mr. Chi-Woo? Can¡¯t you just tell after seeing him in person?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He respects the head of the team and listens to everyone¡¯s opinions. Furthermore, whenever he decides to do something, he tries to convince his team with explanations and sound persuasions¡ªunlike some other idiot. Can¡¯t believe you even brought this up.¡± Seeing Dulia chuckle in response, Yunael felt a blood vessel pop out of their forehead. ¡°What did you say?¡± It was then Chi-Woo intervened. ¡°I get that the two of you don¡¯t have good feelings for each other, but we are on the same team,¡± he said in a soft voice. ¡°I want to only focus on the rescue, so would you both set your feelings aside until we return to Shalyh? I won¡¯t ask you to act friendly with one another, so please.¡± Chi-Woo spoke as if he was appeasing children in an argument. ¡°No! She¡¯s the one who started it!¡± Yunael pointed at Dulia and looked as if they thought the whole situation was unfair. ¡°Please, Ms. Dulia,¡± Chi-Woo smiled bitterly. ¡°In the world that I used to live in, there¡¯s a saying that ¡®you shouldn¡¯t bother even a dog when they are eating¡¯.¡± Dulia tucked her hair behind her ears and lowered her head quietly. And after confirming that the two had settled down, Chi-Woo took his eyes off them. But as soon as he turned away, the two glared at each other with metaphorical sparks sputtering between them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Dulia smirked while twirling her rolled-up hair. ¡°Yes, it will be my loss to bother a mad dog. My loss.¡± Thud! Yunael placed their spoon audibly on the ground. ¡°¡­Hey,¡± they lowered their voice threateningly, ¡°Do you really want to die?¡± ¡°Can you even kill¡ª¡± Dulia was about to retort, but stopped. Then she quickly looked in one direction; Yunael also became quiet after seeing who she was looking at. Chi-Woo, who they thought had lost interest in them, was looking intently at them. He looked a bit downcast unlike before. After a brief pause, he spoke again. ¡°You two, just now, you definitely began¡ª¡± It seemed he was about to say something decisively, but closed his mouth again. Then he inhaled deeply and murmured to himself, ¡°¡­That¡¯s the second time.¡± That was all. Chi-Woo again turned his back to them and focused on pouring porridge into the male hero¡¯s mouth. The male hero didn¡¯t say anything, but simply groaned. Dulia and Yunael didn¡¯t say a word during all that. An awkward silence flowed between them. Soon afterward, Dulia moved away from Yunael¡¯s side like she was running away. Her instincts as a guide warned her that if she got mixed up with Yunael any more than this, she would truly be in trouble. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± On the other hand, Abis called out to Jin-Cheon. She had finished her bowl while Jin-Cheon was still gulping down his food. ¡°You should lay low from now on.¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act out like before and keep your mouth shut for a while.¡± Jin-Cheon looked at Abis for explanations, but Abis had already sealed her own lips. She glanced at Chi-Woo warily. She didn¡¯t know why, but she felt all her senses heighten. *** ¡°You punks! How dare you mess with us!¡± Meanwhile, Ru Hiana was pointing at a group of people running away. The commission work of Seven Stars¡¯ first team was going smoothly as usual. As they continued to take on jobs, they accumulated a good amount of money, battle experiences, and merits. Yet this didn¡¯t mean that they faced no problems. Like how tasty fruits attracted more bugs, they sometimes attracted attention that they didn¡¯t want. For example, there were those who sneakily trailed after them like a pack of hyenas, trying to snatch up whatever was left behind; or there were those who deliberately tried to overlap the territories they worked in with the first team. Of course, Seven Stars didn¡¯t simply let this be. Though they were able to resolve most issues without many problems, there were occasions when they had to showcase their abilities. ¡°How can they even compare? How dare¡­¡± Ru Hiana heaved, and Evelyn tried to calm her. ¡°Don¡¯t get so upset about it. I¡¯m sure those people were desperate.¡± ¡°But they crossed the line this time!¡± Ru Hiana shouted. ¡°That¡¯s not all. There¡¯s someone from the group who has benefitted from Senior.¡± ¡°Oh my, is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! You know how kind Senior is. It seems they came to take advantage of that fact, but too bad for them that Senior isn¡¯t here right now.¡± Ru Hiana snorted and then smacked her lips. ¡°It¡¯s good that he isn¡¯t here. If he were, he would¡¯ve helped them out again.¡± Evelyn smiled faintly as Ru Hiana complained. Then there was a ¡®keh¡¯ coming from elsewhere. Hawa was chuckling while covering her mouth with a hand. Since Hawa rarely showed her emotions, Ru Hiana looked at her with surprise. ¡°Are you laughing?¡± Ru Hiana asked. ¡°¡­Not really.¡± Hawa stopped laughing and raised her head. She said, ¡°But I don¡¯t think he would.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not as kind as you think he is,¡± Hawa said. Because Ru Hiana looked like she didn¡¯t really understand, Hawa explained, ¡°The one you call Senior.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s expression immediately soured. She finally got who Hawa was talking about. Though Ru Hiana could endure other people insulting her if she tried her best, she couldn¡¯t hold back when Chi-Woo was subject to such comments. ¡°What do you know?¡± Though Ru Hiana¡¯s voice turned aggressive, Hawa didn¡¯t change her attitude. ¡°It¡¯s not from me,¡± Hawa said. ¡°Then who? Who dares to blabber something like that?¡± Ru Hiana clenched her fists tightly, and Hawa replied indifferently. ¡°The legend.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s fist unclenched in an instant. Her eyes turned wide. ¡°Did Brother-in-law really say that?¡± Evelyn also looked interested in the conversation then. Soon, Hawa found herself under the scrutiny of two pairs of keen eyes. ¡°Well¡­¡± There was a saying that even if you knew the depths of a thirty feet deep lake, you wouldn¡¯t know the inside of a six-foot human. Every human lived with a mask on their face. The personality that a person showed when interacting with another person was nothing more than acting, and only the person in question knew their true, hidden character. At least this was what Hawa thought. And in Hawa¡¯s perspective, Chi-Woo was a bit¡­strange. In a positive light, he was consistent, and in a bad light, he was someone hard to decipher. It was hard to describe him. Though it didn¡¯t seem like it, it felt like he put up a wall around others. Most people wouldn¡¯t have sensed this wall, but Hawa occasionally felt it with her keen senses. In her entire life, she had never met someone who distanced themselves from others more severely than herself until she met Chi-Woo. She was sure of this from her observation of him and based on one particular thing Chi-Woo did. It was his manner of speech. Besides his family, he always used formal and polite speech when talking to other people. He didn¡¯t differentiate between genders and spoke to everyone the same way. He had only temporarily dropped it with Hawa because of a bet he made with her, but he quickly resumed his normal way of talking after that. [You don¡¯t have to talk to me so politely. I thought you decided not to.] She even told him that one time, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t change. He insisted on addressing her politely till the end. And Hawa felt that this was his way of putting a barrier around others. But what was the reason? One might think he would talk casually to at least one person, but even Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t an exception. Thus, Hawa became curious about what kind of person Chi-Woo was behind those walls. What was he hiding? This was the reason why she had asked the sole person with whom Chi-Woo didn¡¯t maintain a polite demeanor as he did with the others. It was his brother, who knew Chi-Woo better than anyone else. [My brother?] She hadn¡¯t expected much from Chi-Hyun¡¯s response. It was just a question that resurfaced her mind while they were unpacking their lunchboxes on break from training. [He has a strong sense of responsibility. And thus, he dislikes having to pay attention to things that he doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be responsible for.] Hawa had half-expected Chi-Hyun to tell her to eat her meal quietly instead of asking useless questions, yet Chi-Hyun continued. [More than things being unjust, he can¡¯t take personal losses. He seems to really hate getting stressed over useless things too. There¡¯s this and that¡­but who knows? I can¡¯t be sure. In some ways, he¡¯s experienced more things than me.] Hawa thought even this man called the legend was strange. Even though he was disinterested about everything else, he showed enormous interest whenever the topic of his brother came up. But it was also the same for Chi-Woo. In this way, they made it apparent that they really were brothers. [And I don¡¯t know how all those experiences would¡¯ve shaped his character. It¡¯s not something that I can guess. So, I can¡¯t even be certain that he¡¯s someone who acts however he sees fit¡­ but I will give you a useful tip to survive while working under him.] At this, Hawa craned her ears toward Chi-Hyun. She had hardly been listening to Chi-Hyun until then. What did he say? To survive? [If you do something that leads to that guy¡¯s losses, don¡¯t do it more than twice.] The legend emphasized this point. [Keep that in mind. There are only two chances.] Hawa still looked at Chi-Hyun perplexedly, and Chi-Hyun explained. [One time is okay. He¡¯s human, so he would politely ask you to change your ways.] [The second time¡­you should not do that if you can help it, but it will probably be alright. The mood might become a bit tense though.] Then the third time? [I¡¯m not certain. I only got to the second time and never to the third. I don¡¯t really want to think about it though.] [Why, you asked?] [It¡¯s because I was scared.] Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at "pawread dot com" The legend didn¡¯t sound like he was joking at all then. CH 324 Near the end of the meal, the male hero regained consciousness. After seeing him open his eyes and listening to their explanation and then asking for food, Yunael was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. With the one heavy burden lifted, Yunael closed their eyes. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Yunael hadn¡¯t felt this cozy in a long while. It felt like when they were on their dad¡¯s endlessly spacious and warm back. Feeling reassured and protected, a smile naturally appeared on their lips. Even the slight shaking felt like lying on a soft hammock in a warm breeze, so Yunael smiled brightly. Wouldn¡¯t it be refreshing to get up and stretch like this? But even then, Yunael didn¡¯t want to open their eyes yet; if only this moment would last forever¡ª ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Yes, over there¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Several voices interrupted their pleasant sleep, but it didn¡¯t matter. Yunael could just ignore it. ¡°Yes, but before we go in¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, Yunael? Yunael!¡± Shake, shake. Yunael woke to the sensation of someone shaking them up and down. ¡°Ugh¡ª¡± But they soon buried their face back into the warmth with a slightly disgruntled groan. ¡°You need to wake up¡ªIt¡¯s time to wake up¡ª¡± Yunael finally opened their eyes as a voice continuously called out to them. As soon as their blurred vision regained focus, Yunael returned to reality. ¡°¡­What?¡± Why were they seeing the back of a man¡¯s head? No, why were they on Chi-Woo¡¯s back? Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Have you slept well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com" ¡°I¡¯ll let you down first.¡± Yunael¡¯s expression was blank as their feet touched the floor. When they sat down, they felt something squishy under their butt. ¡°Pyu!¡± Steam Bun, who had been flattened into a pancake by Yunael, wriggled wildly. ¡°What the fuck!¡± Shocked by Steam Bun¡¯s frantic movements, Yunael jumped up. Turning around, Chi-Woo saw Yunael soar into the air just in time and held out his arms to catch them in a princess carry. Although they were now in the front, Yunael, who was back into Chi-Woo¡¯s arms, clutched their hands and slouched their shoulders. Then they looked up at Chi-Woo with wide eyes and yelled, ¡°Let me go!¡± When Chi-Woo put them nicely down again, Yunael was finally able to assess their surroundings. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ Then Yunael couldn¡¯t hide their amazement. Seeing the lone door in the dark cavity, they became sure that they had reached their destination¡ªthe deepest part of this underground structure, which they had been desperately searching for. Yunael was shocked to arrive at this place at the blink of an eye. No matter how hard they thought about it, they couldn¡¯t understand what had happened, so they asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Pyupyu!¡± Yunael easily ignored the white lump that kept protesting and yelling at them. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡¯ Yunael remembered closing their eyes in relief after seeing their teammate regain his consciousness. And they had been hit by a bout of drowsiness. ¡°¡­¡± Did they fall asleep immediately after? Were they asleep this whole time? ¡°You told me that I can sleep!¡± Yunael shouted before Chi-Woo could reprimand them. ¡°And you told me you¡¯d wake me up when we¡¯re leaving!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chi-Woo readily agreed. ¡°I did, and you slept well.¡± Yunael furiously blinked. Fortunately, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t seem to be blaming them¡­ Then why? Was he teasing them? ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± ¡°From what I heard, you barely slept properly while you were here.¡± As Chi-Woo said, Yunael had roughly stuffed food into their mouth during battle, but they would get attacked as soon as they tried to sleep. ¡°And Ms. Dulia said it would take at least three or four hours to find her way here, so I thought it would be good for you to at least sleep during that time.¡± In short, Chi-Woo was being considerate. No matter how superhuman a hero was, all heroes needed to eat and sleep to work. Yunael could understand what Chi-Woo was saying, but still felt uncomfortable. ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case¡­you should have woken me up. How many times were we attac¡­?¡± Yunael realized something strange mid-sentence. Although they hadn¡¯t wanted to admit it, they must have fallen asleep from all the fatigue that had accumulated so far. The rest was a long time coming, but it was strange that they hadn¡¯t woken up even once. Did not a single enemy attack them the whole time on their way here? The senses that they had meticulously honed should have sounded an alarm if there were any threats. ¡®Does that make any sense?¡¯ Yunael, who had fought many battles so far, looked around with suspicious eyes. ¡°What Teacher said is true. We didn¡¯t run into a single enemy.¡± The others nodded at Jin-Cheon¡¯s testimony except for one person. Dulia stared at Chi-Woo with a slightly tense face. Others might not have seen it, but she, who led the way, saw it clearly. On the way down here, she saw a group of enemies letting out smoke from a distance and approaching them. Or to be more precise, she saw the group suddenly flinch instead of continuing their approach before quickly turning around and disappearing, as if they were frantically running away to save themselves. Dulia was dumbfounded by the completely unexpected sight. Still, she turned around thinking she should report this situation¡ªbut then she saw something no one else did. Chi-Woo was looking exactly at where the enemies were gathered, and he had been about to take something out of his bag, but put it back in after they disappeared. It looked like something long and dark, but she couldn¡¯t see it properly. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ ¡®What¡­¡¯ At that moment, Yunael and Dulia shared the same thought. Anyhow, the quick nap certainly worked wonders for Yunael. Their physical condition was far superior compared to before meeting Chi-Woo¡¯s rescue team. Perhaps due to eating and sleeping well, the throbbing in their head subsided, and strength returned to their body, which used to be like an engine that was about to burst. Moreover, since they had gained many more reliable teammates, positive and optimistic feelings about this rescue mission soared inside them. ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡± Chi-Woo pointed at the tightly closed door. Yunael frowned as they recalled having to leave their teammates behind and run away. ¡°I heard from Ms. Dulia that you received very important information related to what¡¯s inside there. Would you share it with us?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I have it. Wait a minute.¡± Yunael immediately called forth their device. ¡°Pyupyupyupyu!¡± While Yunael was doing this, Steam Bun continuously protested, telling Yunael to apologize for making a butt imprint on its body. ¡°Stay still! I can¡¯t focus¡­here.¡± Yunael got angry instead of apologizing and shared the information with Chi-Woo. A long message was printed in the air, and Chi-Woo quickly scanned through it. [In the name of Kajolksh, the record keeper for this ritual execution team and the proud son of Jeolhemeder, I¡¯ll leave the following information for my friend Ohakchwi, who will be part of the next ritual execution.] [Ohakchwi, my dearest friend. The day we dread has finally arrived.] [We wondered who between us would enter the ritual first. Or thought that maybe we¡¯d go in together.] [It felt like just yesterday when we made that bet with each other.] [In the end, I got to go first.] [As a record keeper with tremendous responsibility, I need to always keep cool and observe, protecting the record with my life no matter what happens.] [But my admirable father, Jeolhemeder, told me that it¡¯s okay for me to be afraid, but I should never evade my duty.] [I did as he said. I¡¯m not going to run away, Ohakchwi. I¡¯m going to record everything that happens here in detail for you.] [So if I come back safely, get ready to buy tons of drinks for me. I¡¯ll make sure all your pockets are emptied.] [I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll ever see this record, but if it¡¯s delivered properly, I¡¯m sure you will, right? You might scold me, saying I should just focus on recording and stop writing useless stuff like this.] [But you have to understand. While I¡¯ve prepared myself, I can¡¯t help feeling nervous. After all, it¡¯s the fifth time we¡¯re going in after we failed our ritual.] [If we fail this time, you could be the sixth. Of course, this is just a joke¡ªah, we¡¯re going in.] [I¡¯m going to start recording now.] Chi-Woo hurriedly scanned through the text and threw a questioning gaze at Yunael. ¡°The Kobalos leader said that there are conditions that must be fulfilled when they go inside.¡± ¡°Conditions to fulfill?¡± ¡°From the moment they take the first step inside until the moment they finish the ritual and come back outside.¡± Yunael continued, ¡°But the conditions aren¡¯t fixed, and they change a little every time. He said most of them remain the same, but sometimes an event may pan out differently, or something completely new occurs.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. So every time they go in, they form a group, and I guess they pick one of them to record everything that happens inside in real time. That way, the next ritual execution team can refer to the record.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°For your information, the person who wrote this was a Kobalos named Kajolksh, who was confirmed dead after going in most recently. The Kobalos didn¡¯t hear from his group long past the time they should return, so they sent out a new group. And this was the record they found then.¡± Yunael looked down with a frown while speaking. ¡°I told them to give me the original record without a single adjustment and¡­according to the Kobalos named Ohakchwi, who discovered this record, Kajolksh was found dead, clutching this record in his hand.¡± ¡°Pyupyupyupyupyupyu!¡± ¡°Even while having only one arm left¡ªah, fine! I¡¯m sorry! I said I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t know you were there!¡± While Yunael and Steam Bun were arguing, Chi-Woo focused on the message. It was longer than he expected. [We finally entered. It¡¯s darker than I expected. We¡¯re in the first space now.] [As you know, there are a total of six events that occur before entering the ritual site.] [I heard that at least this part has never changed.] [Geez, it just started, but why does it feel so far away¡­] [Damn it, we already hit the jackpot. A space that¡¯s not in the original record appeared.] [It¡¯s a long passage. There are dozens of paintings hung haphazardly on both walls.] [It¡¯s hard to see from afar, but they¡¯re all portraits. I don¡¯t think there are any landscape paintings.] [After discussion, we decided to pass through this place by looking down with the torch lit.] [I think we¡¯re around the midpoint, but not much has happened yet.] [¡­But why do I feel gazes from all over the place?] [I guess it wasn¡¯t all in my head. The guy walking next to me just whispered, ¡®Don¡¯t you think the eyes of the portraits just moved?¡¯] [Was this guy not listening when the leader told us to not make eye contact?] [Fuck, he just disappeared.] [He was definitely walking next to me, and I even heard him bluffing, saying this was nothing when we were almost at the end, but he completely disappeared as soon as we exited the passage! What happened?] [The space with pictures hanging. Keep your head down and look at the ground. Try not to say anything and never make eye contact.] [We already lost one person in the first space, but we went straight to the next.] [We¡¯re currently walking through a dark passage. I don¡¯t know what it is. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re experiencing a new event two times in a row. How unlucky are we?] [Wait a minute¡­I can see something whitish from a distance in the front?] [If I¡¯m seeing it right, I think he¡¯s the guy that disappeared from the first space. Huh? I think he¡¯s getting closer.] [Shit, no matter how hard I¡¯m trying to stay calm, I don¡¯t think anything good would come out of this.] [The leader gave orders this time to never look away from that thing for even a second. To not even blink. I need to stop recording for a bit.] [Long live the leader! Hurray, hurray! We made it through a space that wasn¡¯t even on the record!] [Never look away. It¡¯s dangerous for even one member to blink. If your eyes hurt, close one of your eyes and take turns between your left and right eyes.] [Yeah, it would be ridiculous for a new event to occur the third time.] [This is the passage of the torch thief mentioned in the original record. I guess I won¡¯t have much to write for this one. But just in case¡­] [Fortunately, we heard only two screams before exiting. Thanks to that, everyone passed safely with the torch before it completely went out.] [Anyway, the screams were frightening. Ugh. I still feel creeped out.] [Fortunately for us, the second scream was the last, but¡­Ohakchwi, you know what to do when you hear a scream the third time, right?] [Ohakchwi, we just passed the fourth space.] [If you asked me why I didn¡¯t record it in real time, I couldn¡¯t.] [My hands are still shaking. It may sound like gibberish, but it¡¯s because I¡¯m trying to write as much as I can remember.] [Listen well. They talk to you when you go through this area. Not only to you, but to everyone.] [Then listen. You can¡¯t stop it. Even if you close your eyes and cover your ears, you can¡¯t help but hear them.] [Those things will try to communicate in whatever form.] [But don¡¯t reply to them. No matter who it is or what it may be. You got it? It¡¯s an obvious trap.] [No, honestly¡ªI don¡¯t know. We made it through without answering anything according to the leader¡¯s order.] [But I think the leader was wrong this time.] [As soon as we went past that place, I heard something crash open behind me.] [Then the sound of howling and frantic running came out everywhere.] [This is the important part.] [If you encounter this event when it¡¯s your turn, and you can¡¯t find the right conditions like us.] [Run away. Just look ahead and run.] [Don¡¯t look back. Don¡¯t ever look back, okay?] [Why? The two who looked back were taken first. What happened after that¡­I don¡¯t want to think about it.] [Passing condition unknown. However, in the event of an incident, never look back and run away as fast as possible.] [We reached the fifth space, but¡­why do I see a strange stone statue with its eyes closed? This isn¡¯t even in the original record.] [All I can see is the stone statue. Nothing else. Not even a path to exit.] [We¡¯re all discussing it together for now. I¡¯m the only one looking at the statue as the record keeper.] [Maybe it¡¯s because we lost two more members just now or because new events kept happening, but no one is really talking much. The atmosphere is not very good.] [Wait, an argument broke out between the leader and another member. I think I need to stop them.] [Shit! Shit! That guy just bit the leader¡¯s neck! Oh my god! He¡¯s ripping and eating the leader¡¯s stomach!] [I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what the hell happened. I¡¯ll just write down everything I remember first.] [The fight spread like an epidemic. The rest of us started fighting like we were meant to kill each other.] [The winner ate the flesh and drank the blood of their comrades, and the losers became food.] [There was nothing I could do in this situation. I just lay on the floor and clutched my head.] [¡­It was then I saw it. The word ¡®worship¡¯ written on the floor.] [I unintentionally worshiped the statue. As a result, the stone statue split from side to side, and the door opened.] [I left my teammates, who were frantically eating each other, and got out of there. I had no choice but to¡­] [I ran for a long time like that and¡ª] [Sorry. I was so surprised that I stopped recording.] [I arrived at the sixth space alone. The last one.] [This isn¡¯t a passage like the other ones we passed by. Except for the entrance and exit doors, it¡¯s a completely enclosed room.] [And as far as I know, there¡¯s never been a room like this in the original record.] [It¡¯s another new event! It¡¯s the first time a new event has appeared at such a frequency.] [I wonder what the hell is the reason? I¡¯m all alone. Should I go back to where the statue was, just in case?] [What the? What the heck? The door¡­won¡¯t open¡­] [Then there¡¯s only one door left¡­] [Fucking hell, what was that noise?] [It was a knock. I definitely heard a knock at the exit.] [Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. The knocks aren¡¯t stopping. I think it¡¯s getting faster. What should I do? Should I open it? Or? Ohakchwi! What do you think I should do? What should I do? I think I¡¯m going crazy. I wish someone could tell me what to do. Please, please, ple] The sentence was left unfinished. The record was completely cut off from here. Yunael had told him that they received this record without a single adjustment and that really seemed to have been the case. The message wasn¡¯t over. He had almost finished reading it, but there were a few lines left at the end. Chi-Woo lowered his gaze. It was written: [Dear sirs! Oh, I speak as the son of Jeolhemeder. No need to fear more, as our great work has succeeded! Today is the day you have been desperately waiting for. Open the sixth door and greet her! Please her and accept her welcome. Eagerly embrace her teachings. Never doubt her and follow her to complete the last ritual!] CH 325 After reading the whole message, Chi-Woo spoke. ¡°It¡¯s an acrostic.¡± ¡°An acro¡­bat?¡± There was a slight error in the translation, and Yunael tilted their head, confused. ¡°Look at the first letters of each sentence, connect them, and read it aloud.¡± ¡°D¡­O¡­N¡­T¡­ O¡­P¡­E¡­N?¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why!¡± They clutched their head in realization and scowled. ¡°Besides this, is there nothing else about the ritual?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Yunael¡¯s eyes rolled around once before they answered. ¡°Ah¡­yes. The mission of this expedition was just to get the fire pit. I was also curious about that and asked, but I didn¡¯t pay that much attention.¡± ¡°Could you at least tell me what you recall? I¡¯m curious what kind of ritual it is.¡± ¡°Hm, how should I describe it? It was simpler than I expected it to be. Ah, it starts when a person arrives at the destination and burns incense. Then you have to put the preparations you brought upside down on the center of the altar, put a stake on top, rotate it three times to the right, and chant three times, ¡®I am a sacrifice for you.¡¯ Then you rotate the stake three times to the right again¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s brows furrowed deeper the longer he heard Yunael¡¯s explanation. ¡°¡­Then you push the stake hard onto the ground, clap three times, bow three times, declare yourself an offering, and pluck out the incense you burned in the beginning and stick it to the ground upside down¡ª¡± ¡°What are the preparations?¡± Chi-Woo mentioned. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You said one of the steps was to ¡®put the preparations you brought upside down¡¯.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Yunael pursed their lips. They sounded a little anxious when they spoke up again because of Chi-Woo¡¯s narrowed eyes. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Hm¡­I just thought it was a bit strange.¡± ¡°W-What is strange?¡± ¡°It might be menial¡­but the steps of this ritual are strange¡ªat least according to the standard from my world,¡± Chi-Woo replied. In ceremonies for paying respects to gods or dead ancestors, alcohol and incense held great significance. Alcohol signified the earth¡¯s energy, while incense or scent signified the sky¡¯s energy. There existed an order to things as determined by the heavens. The four seasons were one such example¡ªwinter came after autumn, and summer came after spring. And if one designated the different seasons to the four cardinal directions, the left side was spring. Thus, when one conducted a ceremony of this kind, one had to rotate the drinking glass clockwise. It was believed that only then would the one holding the ritual be able to call upon their ancestor¡¯s energy from the heavens and cleanse the alcohol. But according to what Yunael said, everything was the opposite. It was as if the ritual was meant to defy the heavens and turn the earth upside down. There was no way something like that would be done without a sinister purpose. ¡°What if perhaps¡­the Kobalos tribe has some other motive and is trying to make us their sacrifices¡­?¡± Yunael asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. They told us that they would take care of finishing the ritual, and we only need to retrieve the fire pit,¡± Chi-Woo said. Given strange things had been happening one after another since they entered this place, it was understandable that Yunael would have such doubts; but Chi-Woo disagreed. Nevertheless, he did feel bothered by the messages and the steps of the ritual. He thought something had been off from the very beginning, which was why he was more sensitive than usual. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t come to any hasty conclusions yet since this was Liber and not Earth. Still, Chi-Woo got an inkling of what he should do from here on out. ¡°Then¡­what are we going to do?¡± Yunael asked warily. ¡°Let¡¯s try¡ª¡± Chi-Woo arched his neck and interlocked his fingers to stretch his shoulders. ¡°¡ªGoing in first.¡± ¡°What? I mean, of course we should go in, but¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then. There¡¯s no need to waste any more time,¡± Chi-Woo said. Yunael stared intently at him as Chi-Woo stomped towards the door. They thought Chi-Woo would¡¯ve at least shared the messages with everyone and given a warning or two. How could he just go in so brashly? It was as if he was acting like¡­them? Yunael turned to look back at one person instinctively and saw Dulia also looking at Chi-Woo in surprise and turning to them. The two¡¯s eyes met then. They were about to say something, but quickly closed their mouths to follow Chi-Woo when they heard Chi-Woo open the door. ¡°Captain, shouldn¡¯t I be at the front?¡± Dulia asked Chi-Woo. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°But still, I¡¯m the head.¡± ¡°You must know from experience that this is no ordinary space. Thus, I will take the lead.¡± Dulia looked slightly dissatisfied by Chi-Woo¡¯s decision, but heeded it in the end. As Chi-Woo said, this was the strangest place in the basement. Though they felt worried, they decided to believe in the leader of Seven Stars and what Chi-Woo had shown until now. Thus, the expedition team entered the deepest part of the basement. There was a passageway as soon as they entered. Not long afterwards, they found paintings on both sides. ¡°Don¡¯t meet any of their eyes,¡± Yunael said to Chi-Woo when he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Keep your head down and only look at the ground. Don¡¯t look up at the paintings.¡± After a while, Yunael came to a halt when their head collided with something. They looked up to see Chi-Woo standing still before them. ¡°Why¡ª¡± Yunael asked in a whisper and looked horrified. Chi-Woo was examining a painting he had taken off the wall. ¡°W-W-W-What!?¡± ¡°Hm, ah, you¡¯re talking about this?¡± As Yunael failed to finish their sentence while pointing at the painting, Chi-Woo turned the painting to them. ¡°It¡¯s a portrait.¡± As Chi-Woo said, it was a realistic portrait that looked like it was drawn with pastels, and in the picture, there was a graceful-looking lady with ocean-blue hair and a faint smile. ¡°The eyes!¡± Yunael gasped in shock. ¡°I just saw the eyes¡­! The eyes¡­!¡± They couldn¡¯t even speak properly. They had clearly witnessed the lady glance up at Chi-Woo and look down again. ¡°Did they move?¡± Chi-Woo turned the painting back to his direction and stared at it. Yunael couldn¡¯t understand his carefree attitude. ¡°Hmph.¡± Chi-Woo raised his thumb and middle finger in a v-shape and pierced through the portrait lady¡¯s eyes. Yunael became speechless. ¡°How about this? Now you wouldn¡¯t care whether you meet eyes with her.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Yunael. All the expedition team members looked too stunned to speak at Chi-Woo¡¯s bright smile. For some reason, Chi-Woo felt like a whole other person. It didn¡¯t seem completely far-fetched to suspect that Chi-Woo was perhaps possessed. ¡°W-Wait,¡± Yunael stammered. ¡°There¡¯s blood¡­!¡± Tears of blood were flowing down the portrait lady¡¯s pierced eye holes; besides that, her faint smile was stretching wider and becoming distorted. With these changes, the lady¡¯s demeanor changed 180 degrees, and she now looked furious. ¡°Look at this,¡± Chi-Woo snorted and said in an amiable voice, ¡°A pretty face became ugly. Why? Should I paint you a new one?¡± Bam! Chi-Woo smashed the painting and began to push it harshly across the wall. Kkeck¡­kek¡­ Perhaps they were imagining it, but Yunael thought they heard strange groans coming out of the painting. The expedition team watched frozen as Chi-Woo continued his abuse. Even Emmanuel looked baffled. But indifferent to their reactions, Chi-Woo kept at it and flipped the painting over again. The portrait lady¡¯s face was a complete mess then. There were gashes and scratches everywhere after being rubbed all over. ¡°How is it? Do you like it better now?¡± Chi-Woo smirked at Yunael, and Yunael felt chills running down their spine. ¡°W-Why are you acting like this?¡± Yunael gathered the courage to ask. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chi-Woo asked after slapping the lady in the portrait. ¡°You are acting differently all of a sudden. Your attitude¡­.¡± ¡°¡­My attitude?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened slightly wider. Then he spoke while tapping on the portrait with his index finger, ¡°You should only consider that when dealing with people who are alive. Is there really a need to have the right attitude when dealing with things like these?¡± Rip! Chi-Woo ripped the portrait in two. At that moment, Yunael felt a pressure they couldn¡¯t put into words. For people who didn¡¯t know what Chi-Woo had seen and experienced since birth, or what feelings he had harbored because of such beings, Chi-Woo might suddenly feel very unfamiliar to them. ¡°By the way, it seems like the spiritual energy is really strong here because it¡¯s so deep underground,¡± Chi-Woo said after shredding the portrait into tiny pieces. Then he picked up his charred club. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t worry about your surroundings.¡± Chi-Woo moved without any hesitation while stepping over the small pieces of canvas. Despite the tense atmosphere, the expedition team followed Chi-Woo wordlessly. Yunael also sighed and decided to just go with the flow of things. While following Chi-Woo, they looked around and wondered what had happened. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ It was then Yunael realized that all the portraits were looking in the same direction. It was as if they were all trying their hardest to not meet eyes with a particular man by looking far off into the distance. And in the end, the team safely went through the first passageway. Though they had definitely met eyes with the portraits, nothing happened, and no one disappeared. It was the same for the second and third passageways, and none of the things the messages mentioned happened. For example, the messages stated that something whitish appeared in the second passageway. There, Chi-Woo said, ¡®Did they say we mustn¡¯t keep our eyes off them? Then maybe they will come to us if I close my eyes¡¯. He proceeded to walk with his eyes closed. Astonishingly, the whitish figures quickly ran away and disappeared rather than approaching them. The situation was similar in the third passageway. Before they entered, Chi-Woo declared loudly that he would crush everyone inside to death the moment he heard a single cry, and they didn¡¯t hear even the tiniest yelp while walking through the passageway. It was only at the fourth passageway that the expedition team had to stop momentarily. The structure of the passageway was different from the others. Though they saw a door leading to the front, there were several tightly sealed iron doors on the sides. Chi-Woo looked at the doors on the sides and moved without hesitation. Yunael followed, but soon came to a stop. ¡ªHelp¡­ It was because they heard a faint voice from inside one of the doors. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you all right?¡± Abis asked. Yunael looked pale. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡ªSave me¡­ ¡ªOpen¡­ Covering their ears didn¡¯t muffle the voices at all. Their head seemed to be ringing from the inside. Yunael opened their eyes wide and clenched their fists. Then they closed their eyes and let out the breath they had been holding. After inhaling and exhaling deeply, they looked back and forth between Dulia and the male hero who used to be part of their expedition team. ¡°Am I the only one hearing their voices?¡± Yunael asked. The two stared blankly at them and nodded. ¡®That was what I thought,¡¯ Yunael murmured to themselves and chewed on their lower lip. Noting their hesitance, Chi-Woo walked back to Yunael and asked. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I heard voices,¡± Yunael said while trying to maintain their utmost calm, ¡°Voices belonging to my two missing companions.¡± Yunael¡¯s voice shook slightly for a moment. ¡°They asked me to save them. Help them and open the door to let them out¡­¡± ¡°You know it¡¯s a trap, right?¡± Chi-Woo said. Yunael sighed instead of answering. They knew that there was a high possibility of this being a trap. ¡°But it looks like you still want to try your chances.¡± Yunael flinched. ¡°Can you tell me your reason?¡± Chi-Woo asked for the reason Yunael must open the door even while knowing that it was likely a trap. ¡°¡­This is the place.¡± ¡°I need more than that.¡± ¡°This is the place where the two disappeared.¡± Chi-Woo looked a bit surprised then. This meant that Yunael¡¯s team had managed to reach this far. ¡°How did they disappear?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Yunael hesitated, and Dulia snorted. This was what happened: after reaching this passageway, Yunael got angry that there was so much noise coming from the doors on the side. So in a fit of anger, they kicked the door like kicking a ball and opened it. ¡°Then what happened?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°You know from the messages that this passageway isn¡¯t one you can just go past.¡± This was true. The record said that before travelers could finish crossing the passageway, the door automatically opened, and they heard mysterious screams. ¡°Thus, I thought it could be a¡­strategy to open each door beforehand and check what¡¯s inside,¡± Yunael quickly explained because Chi-Woo was smirking at them. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± Yunael asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Yunael was no idiot. They must have also realized after passing the third passageway that they wouldn¡¯t encounter much trouble if they just went through it. Yet Yunael was hesitating to do that here for one reason: their two missing companions. ¡ªWhat are you going to do about the remaining two! If Yunael didn¡¯t care about their companions at all, they would¡¯ve quietly gone to the next passageway; yet they didn¡¯t do that. Chi-Woo was happy to realize that Yunael had been sincere before when they said they were continuing the expedition to look for their missing companions. ¡°Which door is it?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Which one is the door you are hearing the voices from?¡± Chi-Woo asked again. After a pause, Yunael was about to point at a door, but stopped. ¡°No, I will open it. Please support me from behind.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I know that there¡¯s something special about you,¡± Yunael said while raising their spear. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you should take all the risks by yourself. I¡¯m also a hero and a member of this rescue team. Moreover, it¡¯s right for me to take responsibility for this matter since it was my fault these two disappeared.¡± ¡®Oh, I guess they have pride matching their attitude,¡¯ Chi-Woo murmured to himself and took a step back. After receiving his permission, Yunael boldly walked up to the iron door. They inhaled deeply and opened the door wide without hesitation. CH 326 Clank! The heavy iron door opened slightly. Shaaa¡­! A mysterious current flowed through the gap that was the width of only half a finger. It was a very thick and chilly gust of air that unconsciously provoked a sense of revulsion. Screech! Screeeech! Although only one door was opened, they could hear the sound of other doors opening one by one. Fear-stricken, Yunael blanched and had to firm their resolve once again as they looked at the opened door. They had stepped forward, pretending to be cool, but¡ª ¡°Ick!¡± They turned away and immediately ran back to where their comrades were. There was something very ominous on the other side of the door. Yunael would rather fight monsters than spirits and hated things like this. ¡°I-It opened¡ª?¡± Yunael bolted in a hurry before coming to a sudden stop. They heard someone stepping on mud from behind them. ¡°Gi, GiGit¡­Gigit¡­Gigiggigissst¡­!¡± Creepy and incomprehensible noises followed. However, these noises weren¡¯t what stopped Yunael¡¯s steps¡ªit was the vicious malice that Yunael could feel right on their skin, which made them think they should never look back. It was an evil and terrifying malice that made them question why anyone would hate them so much. However, they couldn¡¯t stand still like this. Yunael struggled to turn their head and was able to clearly see who the enemy was. ¡®That¡¯s¡­!¡¯ It was the portrait lady they had seen in the first passageway. Yunael almost didn¡¯t recognize her because her face was different from the painting. Her naked body was dark as most of it had rotten off, and her face was even more grotesque. Bloody tears streaked down from her two hollow eye sockets, and her face was covered with wounds and scratches. Yunael didn¡¯t even have to ask the reason for her intense hatred as it probably stemmed from her resentment to Chi-Woo for making her face like this. As if to prove their thoughts, the portrait lady pulled out a rusty dagger with a red glow. Yunael faltered and turned around. Then their expression turned incredulous. ¡°What¡­?¡± Chi-Woo, who was the subject of that terrible malice, looked up and down at the portrait lady with a leisurely expression. Then he said, ¡°Oh, you look sexy without anything on. At least your body does.¡± The portrait lady¡¯s eyes widened at Chi-Woo¡¯s mockery. The hand holding the dagger shook, and she opened her mouth wide as if to let out a terrifying scream. However, she failed to do so because¡ª Bam! Her chin was broken by Chi-Woo¡¯s scorched club. And it didn¡¯t end with just one hit. ¡°Well, well.¡± The center of her skull was crushed by the second blow, and the portrait lady collapsed. ¡°You can open your eyes as wide as you want, but what are you going to do about it?¡± The portrait lady tried to frantically get up somehow, but consecutive blows from the club mercilessly struck down. ¡°Gi, gugh, gughhhk!¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t show even a bit of mercy and beat the portrait lady like beating down a poor animal. Were they projecting, or was she actually shouting, ¡®Ah, fuck, wait, wait a minute!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Yunael became speechless. Would they have been able to do the same if they were in the same position? Yunael shook their head to themselves. The portrait lady had let out such intense malice that it made them shrink back in fear momentarily. It wouldn¡¯t have been easy to fight an opponent like that. But that hero was¡­who was he? Watching him from afar, Yunael suddenly realized that there was more than one open door. Yunael quickly scanned their surroundings and was able to clearly witness what happened next. All the doors that were opening slowly paused and¡ª Thud! They all quickly closed. Unlike when they opened, they were shut very quickly. Chi-Woo seemed to have come to his senses after hearing this sound, and he stopped swinging his club. His opponent had completely stopped resisting. Or to be more precise, no response could possibly be detected from the portrait lady. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chi-Woo looked from side to side and grabbed the hair of the limp portrait lady. He dragged her and threw her in front of the tightly closed door. Then he said, ¡°Open.¡± Naturally, the door didn¡¯t open. ¡°Open the door.¡± On the contrary, there was a clank as if the door was being firmly locked. ¡°Ha, you¡¯re locking the door now?¡± Chi-Woo raised his ghost-busting club and began brutally beating the portrait lady, who was intermittently convulsing. Blood and rotten flesh spattered along with the sound of impact. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really not opening.¡± Chi-Woo stopped swinging the club when it became hard to even make out the portrait lady¡¯s form. ¡°These bastards, they don¡¯t have an ounce of comradeship.¡± Chi-Woo spat on the mushy mess on the ground and turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He strode out as if he had no business left here and headed towards the next passage. * * * After going through four passages, the rescue team was no longer surprised. In a way, they had adjusted a bit. For example¡ª Bam! Even when Chi-Woo kicked and broke the statue as soon as he saw it in the fifth passage and walked into the passage that appeared next, all of them followed right behind him without saying a word. The same was true for the last space. As written on the record, the sixth space was a room and not a passage. The record said they should never open the door, but Chi-Woo immediately opened the door and entered the room. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no one here,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Maybe the answer was to open the door before you hear any knocks.¡± Seeing Chi-Woo talking calmly, Yunael gave up on thinking. Not even the most vicious ghosts would approach him after seeing the mysterious black club on his shoulder. As a result, after leaving the room and going through the last passage, the rescue team finally reached their destination and stood in front of the final door. The door was no different from any of the other doors they had passed through so far. The only difference was what looked like pieces of gold ropes were scattered beneath the door. A golden rope usually signified a sacred place since ancient times. If it had become like this¡­ ¡°Ah¡ªI¡¯m a bit bored,¡± Jin-Cheon said in a languid voice with his hand clasped behind his head. ¡°I thought I would get to fight to my heart¡¯s content again since Teacher brought this work, but I¡¯m just standing in the sideli¡ª¡± ¡°Stop,¡± Chi-Woo immediately turned around and said, ¡°Don¡¯t raise death flags.¡± ¡°What? Flags?¡± ¡°Jin-Cheon? Shut up.¡± Abis reminded him to watch his tongue again and glanced at him. ¡°Ah, yeah. You told me that,¡± Jin-Cheon replied despite being a bit taken aback and took a step back with an awkward smile. Chi-Woo sighed and stared at the black door in front of him with slightly melancholy eyes. All of a sudden, an event crossed his mind. From the time he fell into the forest near Shahnaz¡¯s camp to the time they raided the Hala Forest, nothing had been easy so far. Even events that seemed nothing special blew up in scale like wildfire, so he had to risk his life every time. If the path to this place had been a series of hardships like the Narsha Haram Expedition, he would have felt more at ease, since at least the last part had gone easy then. However, this place was¡­ Of course, it perfectly matched his skillset, but everything had gone too smoothly. It could be luck, but why did it feel like he was continuously building up karma? ¡®Honestly, it¡¯s okay for things to go easily at least once, right?¡¯ It would be a lie if he said he didn¡¯t wish for this, but Chi-Woo gave up on his false hope. There were things that lingered on his mind, and he wouldn¡¯t feel disappointed if he didn¡¯t expect anything in the first place. ¡°We¡¯re going to enter now,¡± Chi-Woo said. Then he murmured to himself, ¡®I¡¯m not going to expect anything. Anything at all.¡¯ And he opened the door. A rush of indescribably foul smell hit them, and everyone scowled. The smell of blood and rotten flesh pricked their nose. Chi-Woo went inside with a bitter smile. Before them was a place that screamed danger even at a first glance. ¡°Ugh! Gasp!¡± The rescue team, starting with Yunael, began to gag as soon as they went inside. Even Chi-Woo pinched his nose for a while. Although it was possible to endure a psychological blow, it was hard to endure physiological disgust. It was dark inside. There was a bit of light, but it was dim as before dawn. Their first impression of this place was that it looked like a butcher shop that went through an earthquake. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been all kinds of meat and bone fragments scattered everywhere. Moreover, the pieces of meat were heavily seasoned with blood. It looked like a place where an unclean ritual was being held. The problem was that this really was the place where the Kobalos executed their rituals. ¡®The important part is finding out what mechanism¡­¡¯ ¡°Was it you?¡± Suddenly, an old voice broke the silence. The rescue team turned to the source with great vigilance. What they saw was a mountain of corpses. Then the pile automatically collapsed, and the speaker was revealed. An elderly man was sitting in the corner of this corrupt place. Relying on a candle to see, he was writing with a quill pen at an old wooden desk. The rescue team became speechless for a moment to see a scholarly looking, skinny old man wearing a robe in a disgusting place like this. He stuck out like a sore thumb. However, at least one thing was clear¡ªhe wasn¡¯t human. ¡°The area that I managed to stabilize after hard work suddenly became unstable.¡± When there was no answer, the mysterious being wearing the mask of an old man furiously moved his quill pen and continued, ¡°You tried to forcefully end the ritual¡ªno, no. Destroying it would be more accurate.¡± He stopped his pen for a moment and began writing again. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s more astounding is that you almost succeeded.¡± He muttered to himself, and all the rescue members stared blankly at Chi-Woo. The old man continued, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, you would have definitely succeeded. You must have been quite disappointed.¡± The rescue members had thought that Chi-Woo was rushing forward without thinking, but there was a purpose behind his action? They looked at Chi-Woo with new eyes. ¨CHey, Chi-Woo. It was at that moment Philip called out to him. He sounded a bit conflicted. ¨CThat guy is¡ª ¡®I know.¡¯ Chi-Woo slightly bowed his head. ¡®He¡¯s a great demon.¡¯ Philip nodded. Considering that strong demonic energy was coming from him, it would have been stranger if Chi-Woo didn¡¯t catch onto it. That said, Philip was troubled whether to give Chi-Woo a warning considering that Chi-Woo had a perfect advantage against this opponent. ¡°Seriously, again¡­¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips and snorted. ¡°Well, no wonder. How can a sparrow just pass by a mill?¡± The old man asked, ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I right?¡± Chi-Woo continued calmly. ¡°You guys are crazy about expanding territories, and you chanced upon a godly territory in the middle of a ritual. How can you just pass by?¡± Contrary to Philip¡¯s concerns, Chi-Woo did not judge the situation lightly. His opponent was a great demon; in fact, great demons were one of the enemies he encountered the most. At this point, he should be used to them now. However, most of Chi-Woo¡¯s battles with great demons were advantageous to him. Even if it was an unfavorable situation, there were factors that helped tip the balance. For example, he received help from the Cassiubia League against Vepar. Of course, he also had experience defeating a great demon without significant support like the Cassiubia League. He had beaten Zepar, but the situation was different now. This place was not built by the power of a great demon; it was where a god had resided for quite a long time. Chi-Woo had wondered why the spiritual energy had felt so faint outside, but he realized what was going on as soon as he stepped in. The density was at a different level. It felt as if everything that could be mobilized had been compressed and condensed into this space. If he considered only the output, Zepar¡¯s place was no match for this. ¡°¡­Are you a priest? Or sorcerer?¡± The old man stopped his quill. Then he turned to look back at the rescue team. ¡°You look very knowledgeable. I feel that from you. If possible, I would like to discuss my ongoing research with you.¡± Chi-Woo snorted at the suggestion. ¡°Well, if this was a suitable place to enjoy tea time, I might have seriously considered it.¡± The old man laughed blandly and continued, ¡°Haha. But if I am to tell you one thing, that¡¯s not the only reason.¡± Chi-Woo looked at him questioningly. There was another reason? He didn¡¯t really want to hear more because he didn''t have a good feeling about this. ¡°That¡¯s the key to this research.¡± The old man pointed at the center of the room. Blood flowed like a river everywhere, but there was a place with no visible debris. They saw a fire pit that looked like a large pot. Filled with mucus-like solutions, it occasionally bubbled and let out steam. ¡°The Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a holy relic wasted in their hands,¡± the old man said flatly, like there was no room for disagreement. ¡°If they knew the true value of that.¡± There was a hint of pride in his voice as a researcher. Then he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know?¡± ¡°Where are my teammates?¡± Yunael interjected with a slightly trembling voice. ¡°Where are my two teammates?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The old man seemed displeased by the interruption and said, ¡°Ah, come to think of it. I recently obtained additional sacrifices.¡± Then he continued as if he suddenly remembered. ¡°They weren¡¯t bad. I thought they were insignificant humans, but their souls must be pretty high level, considering that the fire pit hasn¡¯t spit them back out yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± The old man waved his hand in lieu of a response. Then the solution in the firepit began to boil intensely and spit something out¡ªa bloodshot eyeball that appeared in pain and a piece of crumpled looking skin. ¡°As expected. I guess it hasn¡¯t fully digested them yet.¡± The old man spoke plainly, and at the same time, he heard a sharp intake of breath; someone¡¯s breathing had turned rough. Feeling the rise of hostility against him, the old man turned away as if he had lost interest. Then he said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve received any guests, but I¡¯ll stop extending my favor now.¡± When he began to write with his quill pen again, Yunael demanded like they were squeezing the word out of their throat, ¡°Fa¡­vor?¡± ¡°There must be tons of questions you want to ask me, but the answer you seek shouldn¡¯t be easy to find. The more desperate you are, the harder it should be to find the answer.¡± ¡°Stop with the bull¡ª!¡± ¡°If you want to find the truth, you have to pay an equivalent price.¡± The old man only said what he wanted to say without consideration of others. ¡°Yeah, I was planning to do a midpoint check. Will you help me?¡± Clang! Yunael couldn¡¯t suppress their anger in the end and hit the ground with their spear with all their might. They looked anxiously at Chi-Woo with slightly red eyes. Chi-Woo shook his head. Besides everything, he became quite curious if this demon would continue to talk about equivalent exchange even while his head was about to shatter. Although he could start fighting like this, Chi-Woo just wanted to check on one thing. ¡®Mr. Philip, just tell me this. What¡¯s his rank?¡¯ Find the original at "pawread dot com". ¡ªThings may have changed, but during my time, he was in the single-digit. After much consideration, Philip decided to give Chi-Woo a warning. ¡ªAnd while I was alive, he was the opponent I hated fighting the most. Chi-Woo heeded Philip¡¯s warning because he could sense that this old man was different from the other great demons he faced. He could just tell by the fact that the old man didn¡¯t proudly talk about his rank. Although the road of hardship that he had expected finally began, Chi-Woo¡¯s mood wasn¡¯t bad as he lifted his club. ¡°Everyone¡ª¡± ¡®Eat a great demon at a single-digit rank¡­was it?¡¯ Chi-Woo recalled one of the evolutionary conditions of the fenrir cub and said, ¡°Get ready for battle.¡± He wasn¡¯t going to leave this place empty-handed. CH 327 Samigina was the great demon of the fifth rank from the Demon Empire. According to Philip, that was the identity of the old man. A creature born into the demon world was destined for only either of two fates: to conquer or to be conquered. A great demon was one who conquered. They were at the very top of the pecking order, yet this didn¡¯t necessarily mean that they could maintain their position forever. In the demon world, a great demon could be eaten and conquered at any point in time. In other words, even if a demon moved up to the ranks of the 66 great demons, their position wouldn¡¯t be guaranteed forever. In this sense, Samigina was a very impressive great demon. He had risen to the top 66 ranks before Philip was even born and maintained a single-digit status¡ªthe peak even among the upper ranks¡ªfor hundreds of years. This was the reason for Philip¡¯s warning. Though Chi-Woo had the upper hand against demons and demonic creatures, Samigina was a force with unimaginable experience and history. Philip did hunt down demons daily during his time alive, but even he had never succeeded in defeating Samigina even once. And right now, Samigina was carefreely stroking his quill pen and moving his fingers. It was then the light around the room disappeared, and their surroundings turned dark. It didn¡¯t make sense. Though the candle on Samigina¡¯s desk wavered and danced, it failed to light up the darkness. This was the power of a great demon, who had special authority over their territory; and soon, the darkness gradually settled down and covered the stage. Simultaneously, the rescue team gasped. They felt a fearsome pressure pushing them down from above. Their whole bodies felt incredibly heavy, and their ears began to ring, which messed up their minds. They endured it by tapping into their mana, but more energy seeped out of them than usual. The rescue team felt as if their vitality was being pulled out of them, and their faces darkened. Even though their minds had been clear for a second, their eyelids grew heavy. It felt as if they were hit by several high-level curses at once. Perhaps they should have expected this, as Samigina¡¯s territory had been established on the basis of a godly territory. At this rate, they would be sucked dry before they even began fighting. Chi-Woo opened his eyes wide and drew out his exorcism mana. [La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary] Shaaa! Light burst out. In the pitch-black darkness, a brilliant cluster of lights circled around Chi-Woo. ¡°Hah! Huff!¡± ¡°Huff! Kuaah! Phew!¡± As the cluster of lights pushed away the darkness and surrounded them, the rescue team let out the breath they had been holding. Everyone looked around thinking that they were saved, but Chi-Woo¡¯s forehead wrinkled. ¡®It¡¯s blocked?¡¯ After spreading out, the light stopped advancing. They were battling to move further, but couldn¡¯t. His exorcism mana was still very effective, but compared to the time he fought Zepar, its effectiveness seemed to have fallen to only one-tenth of its full power. And even though Chi-Woo succeeded in shielding his companions with it, he couldn¡¯t do more than that. This couldn¡¯t be. He needed to secure more space. If Chi-Woo had known this was going to happen, he would¡¯ve raised the ranks of La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary a bit more. After lamenting about this fact, Chi-Woo raised his hand. [La Bella¡¯s Bible] Shashashashasha! A shining book formed out of thin air and opened. It changed the nature of the cluster of light, and the lights began to move and push away the darkness again. The small illuminated space soon widened bit by bit until it covered half of the area. At that point, Samigina¡¯s indifference broke, and he stopped moving his quill pen. He turned to Chi-Woo and his team with slight surprise. This place wasn¡¯t just a godly territory made by borrowing a god¡¯s powers. Samigina had polluted a place where a god had directly descended and turned it into his own territory, thus making it very difficult for a mere human to survive inside. Of course, it wasn¡¯t impossible, but the problem was how this human in front of him had gone about it. The group of humans didn¡¯t muster up all their strength to endure the effects of this territory. Instead, one man resisted it simply and very easily as if he thought it was no big deal. The territory into which Samigina had put so much care and effort was decreased by half in an instant. That was impossible to do unless his opponent¡¯s power also came from a god. A look of curiosity appeared on Samigina¡¯s wrinkled face. ¡®Isn¡¯t this power¡­?¡¯ Samigina glanced at Chi-Woo, nodded, and smirked. It was as if he found this situation entertaining. Seeing Samigina¡¯s reaction, Chi-Woo¡¯s relief was quickly replaced by hesitance. Soon, the darkness became fainter, and Samigina¡¯s territory gradually weakened. Accordingly, La Bella¡¯s sanctuary also began to dwindle. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®How?¡¯ The effects of La Bella¡¯s Bible wasn¡¯t a buff; it simply changed the nature of the ability he was using to ¡®perfect neutral¡¯. Thus, it always sought absolute balance, and its true effect was making the situation favorable to him and the other party in equal measure. In other words, he wouldn¡¯t be seeing huge effects from this ability when his or his allies¡¯ power was superior to the enemy. It seemed Samigina had made the exact deduction and lessened the power he was pouring into his territory. He knew that if Chi-Woo¡¯s ability forced a perfectly balanced situation, Chi-Woo would have to match his side if he weakened his own territory. Soon afterward, Chi-Woo¡¯s book disappeared. After quickly canceling La Bella¡¯s Bible, Chi-Woo glared at Samigina. Of course, Chi-Woo could pull out more exorcism mana again, but that would lead to a standstill since Samigina could pour more power into his territory to match. Though they had equally suffered losses, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel pleased; because it felt as if he was pushed to act one way. The two looked at one another for a bit. But eventually, Samigina raised his hand and flicked his fingers. Woooo¡ªA strange and eerie cry echoed all around them. Wiggle, wiggle¡ªThe meat clumps and bones on the ground gathered and rose, emerging as skeletons created out of a sloppy combination of bones and messily assembled clumps of meat. They formed a sloppy array of different figures, but none of them were in good shape. In a place where there should be a neck, a thigh was stuck on, and there were several faces attached to the torso, while arms and legs were hanging from their pelvis. They were grotesque, and they popped out all over the place and filled up the room. They couldn¡¯t be compared to zombies. Their intelligence and strength were incomparably better, making them a vicious demon army. And these creatures were beginning to rush and stomp their way toward Chi-Woo. Of course, they couldn¡¯t easily trespass into Chi-Woo¡¯s sanctuary and were bounced off or burned as soon as they approached, but replacement readily emerged as soon as one got destroyed. ¡°Uwaaaah! Waaaah!¡± Seeing the group of monsters stick to the outer layer of his sanctuary and push against it, Chi-Woo clicked his tongue. He could tell what Samigina¡¯s intentions were. There was no need to worry even though there were more monsters than expected, though. The great demon wasn¡¯t the only one with military might, and in the end, headcount wasn¡¯t the sole factor in determining the outcome of the battle, but the combined power of the individuals. Sha! Prune-colored trajectory drew a line across the air and sliced the monsters coming their way into two. ¡°Haaaaaaaa!¡± Yunael clenched their spear tightly and rushed toward their enemies. Then they kicked the ground hard. They readied their stance and pushed both their feet fiercely into a cluster of monsters. Boom! The floor shook widely at the center of their landing point. Then Yunael raised their spear and spun their body like a skater. The monsters staggered out of balance and died as soon as Yunael¡¯s spear grazed them. And after successfully securing space for them to move, Yunael rushed forward. With expert control of their spear, they sliced and pierced through monsters. They kicked and stomped down on new ones rising from the ground and rampaged all over the place. The way they thrust their spear around and let out their fury made them appear like an enraged lion. Yet there were too many monsters. Even while they fiercely poured out attacks and toppled over one, two more popped out from below. Their effort seemed futile. Pip! Pip! It was then a chorus of shrill screams resounded, and two horrifying monsters that just popped out from the ground stopped. Yunael didn¡¯t miss this chance to slice through their legs and looked back. They saw an archer with drill curls aiming her bow toward their direction. Yunael shook their head automatically. After working alone for so long, they naturally thought they should take care of things on their end no matter what. Thus, they shouted, ¡°I¡¯m fine, so why don¡¯t you help out on the other side¡ª!¡± Yunael stopped when they turned to see what was happening. ¡°Hahaha!¡± There was a hearty laughter. ¡°Yes! This is it! Yes! This is how it should be!¡± A man with top-knot hair shouted brightly and stretched out both arms. Jin-Cheon gave a cheer every time he flung out his fist and sent his target flying as if hit by a whirlwind. Aric followed after him while Abis shot from behind and supported the two. The same was happening on the opposite side. Emmanuel was dealing with his enemies alone. He had his body half-turned, knee bent, and one leg out. Sparks flew out of Emmanuel¡¯s eyes, and his eyes widened. Flash! In a blink of an eye, Emmanuel had pierced his fleuret into the monster. It was so fast that Yunael missed it, and even the lightning¡¯s afterimage came a moment later than Emmanuel¡¯s movement. Soon afterward, seven or eight monsters stopped howling in an instant because all their heads exploded. Even Yunael, who prided themselves a skilled fighter, was surprised. They didn¡¯t dwell on it though, and they soon recovered and turned forward, back into their own battle. ¡°Hm?¡± Yunael scanned around and realized that something changed. The monsters that had rushed at them roughly were tottering all of a sudden. They were swaying from left to right like a group of drunkards. Some even toppled over on their own. What happened? ¡°¡ª. ¡ª. ¡ª. ¡ª.¡± It was then Yunael heard a voice. It sounded sacred, like a holy prayer recited by a saint. [Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Original Exorcism Prayer] It wasn¡¯t only around them. All the monsters from the area became quiet. ¡®I thought he was a warrior¡ª¡¯ Yunael thought in surprise. ¡®But he¡¯s a priest?¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter either way. As a hero, Yunael recognized the importance of taking advantage of the flow of battle. Thus, they lunged without hesitation. And while swinging their spear widely, Yunael felt something they had never felt before. How could they describe it? It used to be that they had to sprint and take matters into their own hands. But now, it felt as if they had several Aidas by their side. It was very comfortable. Chi-Woo and the rest of the heroes made them more comfortable and allowed them to really brandish their entire repertoire of skills without worrying about their surroundings. Even if they made mistakes, it felt as if the rest of the team would take care of the aftermath. It was reassuring, and while Yunael focused only on their own battle and swung their spear, their eyes shone. ¡°¡­Hm.¡± On the other hand, Samigina realized that he could no longer simply watch the battle from the side. This was beyond his expectations. He thought he would be able to easily swallow up Chi-Woo¡¯s team, but instead, his team was getting swallowed up. ¡®This situation isn¡¯t good for me¡­¡¯ First of all, he could no longer rely on the effects of his territory. As long as Chi-Woo maintained his sanctuary, none of his curses would work on them. And though Samigina tried to wear down his opponent by summoning his immortal army, they were gradually being annihilated. It was still early to declare the winner, but Samigina was sure that maintaining the current situation any longer would be a waste of time and highly inefficient. Thus, he needed to change things up. As someone who spent the longest years as a great demon, Samigina always had a couple of tricks to defeat his enemies at hand. Going over these methods, though, none of them were satisfactory to him. His instincts, which had been honed by long years of experience, rang in warning that all of them were lacking against the human male at the center of the sanctuary. Thus, Samigina thought there was only one method left. Since Samigina usually preferred safe and stable methods, he was reluctant to do this; still, he needed to bring about change by pulling in other factors. Thus, Samigina got up from his seat. Find the original at "pawread dot com". ¡°Ha!¡± Yunael swung their spear boldly, but then their eyes widened. It was because they no longer felt like they were slicing through a rotten piece of log, but a lump of water. And soon, the monster they were fighting liquified and flowed down like a waterfall, seeping into the ground and leaving wet patches. ¡°Everyone, get back!¡± Chi-Woo shouted from behind. CH 328 All the monsters that filled the hall liquefied and merged. Then it fell to the floor and immediately started to flow in one direction like it was being sucked into a pump. Its final stop was the fire pit in the middle of the room. Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit sucked up the blood, flesh, and bones like a beggar devouring a bowl of soup. If the fire pit was a vacuum cleaner, Chi-Woo would have bought it for a hefty sum because in just a few seconds, it swallowed up the mess of debris and liquid without leaving even a nail-sized blood stain. The floor that was finally revealed was covered in symbols. A collection of unrecognizable geometric patterns arranged in the shape of a hexagonal star. It was large enough to cover the entire floor of the room. As soon as Chi-Woo recognized the shape, the hexagonal star glowed an ominous blood-red, and then the fire from the fire pit began to burn brightly. Gurggle! The molten solution inside the fire pit swirled intensely and rose like a tidal wave before tumbling out. The solution overflowed and looked as if it would fill the whole room. Soon it converged and began to take form. This whole process took place in a matter of seconds. All the rescue team members slowly tilted their heads and looked speechless. A tzompantli emerged in front of them. It was one of the most famous monuments symbolizing the brutality of the Aztec civilization¡ªa wooden rack made by threading human skulls on a pole. And that was what the solution spit out by the fire pit formed. Various skulls of all types with pieces of loosely hanging skin were stacked up in several layers, and bones and flesh oozing with thick blood were densely packed in between. It was a human meat sandwich cannibalistic giants would go crazy for. The hall, which had been quiet for a while, became noisy again. ¡°The monster just got bigger!¡± Jin-Cheon shouted as if this was no big deal. ¡°It just changed from a small lump to a big lump!¡± Emmanuel also added in affirmation, ¡°It¡¯s better this way.¡± He pulled his fleuret back and readied his stance. ¡°Since our target has gotten bigger!¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than he flung out his fleuret. [Eustitia¡¯s 12 Special Arts¡ªLightning Patterns] A lightning bolt struck the top of the grotesque monster. Soon, it split into various shapes and tumbled down the skull rack. Arghhghghhghgh! In an instant, the faces got enveloped by zig-zag lightning and screamed in unison. Jin-Cheon whistled when he saw them twist and shake in great pain. ¡°Look at that destructive power! Mister, that¡¯s insane!¡± Chi-Woo nodded in agreement. As expected of Lighting Fire. Lightning and fire were both effective against evil energy, and the effects doubled when combined. Moreover, it was especially effective against something of their current opponent¡¯s attributes. Chi-Woo was again glad he chose Emmanuel as his second star. He barely felt the absence of Ru Amuh. ¡®Good. If we continue like this¡­¡¯ Then suddenly, Abis exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Hey! Are you okay?¡± When Chi-woo turned around, he saw¡ª Thud! Emmanuel fell on one knee. ¡°Ack! Gasp!¡± Chi-Woo was flustered for a moment when Emmanuel sounded like he was suffocating and couldn¡¯t get his act together. The monster that came out of the firepit was still suffering from Lighting Fire, and Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t feel any kind of external mana invading his sanctuary. However, Emmanuel was suffering. He was gasping for breath and trembling even though there was no visible sign of trauma. What the hell was happening? ¡ªIt¡¯s pain sharing. Philip gave him the answer. ¡ªIt¡¯s a type of curse you put on yourself, and you return the same pain that the other person inflicted on you and those under your power. In short, every time they attacked, the pain they inflicted on their enemy would return to them like a boomerang. Chi-Woo realized his mistake. He hadn¡¯t thought that their enemy might put a curse on himself. ¡®Then that monster¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo frowned when he turned back and saw the monster burned and melted by Lightning Fire gradually regenerating. The monster not only could share its pain, but its regenerative ability seemed extremely high. The speed of regeneration was relatively slow due to the sheer power of Lightning Fire, but it could probably immediately sprout new flesh if it got hit by normal attacks. After learning these two pieces of information, Chi-Woo realized that the monster that just got bigger was a much more troublesome opponent. To kill it, they needed to take its pain, and the monster constantly regenerated itself. Would they be able to endure until that monster died? ¡®Wait, what if we kill it before we can even feel pain¡­¡¯ ¡ªI know it works in theory, but it¡¯s probably not possible. Philip sighed. ¡ªThat thing has as many lives as the number of beings that had been sacrificed to make it. It won¡¯t die unless you finish off all of them. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªBut above all, considering Samigina¡¯s personality, he probably made it so that it can even regenerate its life. In short, even with a powerful ability, there was a greater possibility that their side would fall first. Chi-Woo¡¯s assessment of the monster changed. It wasn¡¯t just troublesome, but nigh impossible to beat. ¡®Then how do we¡­?¡¯ Search "pawread dot com" for the original. ¡ª¡­I told you. Philip smacked his lips. ¡ªI hated having to deal with him the most. Since Samigiya was still alive even though Philip had run into him a few times before his death, Philip probably hadn¡¯t found a way to defeat him. Chi-Woo was at a loss, but decided to share with everyone the information he got. Although they had more or less guessed the monster¡¯s abilities, they were still shocked. They couldn¡¯t think of a concrete plan either. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s a battle of who can hold out the longest.¡± Yunael shook off the blood and flesh on their spear and murmured. ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. We have no choice but to endure and beat it up until it dies.¡± ¡°Oh, I like how simple it is.¡± Jin-Cheon also nodded in approval. It was easier said than done. Emmanuel was a prime example. He had finally come to his senses after Abis poured the potion she had prepared on him, but his limbs were still shaking intermittently. ¡®¡­Yeah.¡¯ As Yunael said, it couldn¡¯t be helped. In any way, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t think of any plans other than a war of attrition. ¡®There¡¯s no good in dragging this out.¡¯ The chimera of a monster wasn¡¯t their only enemy; Samigina was still alive and well. In short, they had to pick from two choices¡ªa short and fast sprint with tremendous power, or a long and continuous marathon. Of course, Chi-Woo¡¯s choice was the former. Rather than consuming more power than necessary as Samigina intended, it would be better to defeat the monster in an all-out showdown even with considerable risk and damage. Chi-Woo was about to step forward while holding his club, but suddenly stopped walking. A spear was raised to block his path. ¡°Don¡¯t come forward yet.¡± Yunael stretched out their arm and glared at the old man behind the monster. ¡°I hate to admit this but¡­I don¡¯t have the confidence to deal with that bastard.¡± Chi-Woo immediately caught the meaning behind Yunael¡¯s words. It was simple. Their enemy leader was still alive and well and hadn¡¯t stepped forward yet. Therefore, they should also preserve their best force, Chi-Woo, as much as possible in case of an emergency. All the rescue team members nodded in agreement. In fact, Chi-Woo was the only one who not only fought on equal footing with Samigina earlier, but managed to push him back by a little bit. Chi-Woo swallowed what he was about to say. What if it¡¯d been Ru Amuh who said that to him instead? He would have trusted him without another word, since Ru Amuh was his most reliable first star. But Yunael was someone that both the old dingo, who his brother specially regarded, and Aida, who was a star-seeker, vouched for. ¡°¡­All right.¡± Considering the situation, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t ponder for long. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you did.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll see.¡± Yunael snorted, but they didn¡¯t seem to be in a bad mood. ¡°Watch carefully with both eyes and don¡¯t tell me later that you missed it, okay?¡± They pointed their spear straight ahead again and grinned. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not planning to take everything by yourself, are you?¡± Jin-Cheon stretched as hard as he could and chuckled. ¡°Let me get a share too.¡± Then he turned back towards Emmanuel, who was struggling to get up. ¡°Hey, mister. I¡¯m sorry to ask this of you as soon as you got up, but can you do the same thing again?¡± Emmanuel scowled. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get angry. It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s too hard.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t look down on me,¡± Emmanuel said in a slightly husky voice and lifted the fleuret roughly. ¡°You guys¡­¡± The fleuret flashed with electric current. ¡°Just watch!¡± At the same time as he let out a strained cry¡ª Rumble! Cracckkle! Thunder suddenly struck and shook the whole room. It was twice as powerful as before, and the thunderstorm fell on top of the monster that had just finished regenerating. [Eustitia¡¯s 12 Special Arts¡ªThe Sound of Thunder + Lightning Patterns.] This time, not one, but several lightning bolts incomparable to the one a moment ago distorted their visions. Arghuguhugwek! ¡°Aghhhhhhhhh!¡± The monster and Emmanuel burst into screams at the same time. ¡°Geez, seriously! You didn¡¯t have to overdo it!¡± Jin-Cheon clicked his tongue and lunged. ¡°Hey, healing potion.¡± ¡°Pyu?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± Yunael grabbed Steam Bun with one hand and kicked the ground. The monster was in the same position as Emmanuel. When it barely managed to pull itself up, it got beaten down into mush again. However, it reacted differently from before. Although it was in pain, it didn¡¯t flounder in agony. If Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t mistaken, its regenerative ability seemed to have increased. ¡®It can even adapt?¡¯ It would have been a disaster if they had dragged things out even more. They needed to finish this monster right now. As soon as Jin-Cheon went up to it, he stretched his arms sideways as much as possible, and he was hit with all kinds of unpleasant sensations as soon as his hands touched the monster¡ªthere was a sting like he was bitten, and the feeling of thick liquid flowing across his fingers and arms was equally dreadful. However, Jin-Cheon paid no heed to them. He felt as if he was holding a rock the size of a house. ¡°Arghhhhh!¡± Jin-Cheon put so much strength into his biceps that veins popped out. As a result of emptying all his remaining mana and infusing it into his arms, the monster and the floor separated little by little. When Jin-Cheon succeeded in lifting it up, he shouted, ¡°Hereee!¡± and threw the monster as hard as he could. Bam! The monster slammed into the wall roughly and toppled to the floor. It had been in the middle of regenerating and was about to stand up with difficulty, but ended up flustered when its whole body got turned upside down. While the monster floundered like an overturned insect, one person soared into the air. Yunael let go of the spear for a moment. They put Steam Bun on top of their head with one hand and took out a healing potion with the other hand. Pop! Yunael quickly opened the cap and held the potion in their mouth before raising their spear firmly with both hands. Then they spread their legs in an O and thrust the spear down vertically. Bamm! The force, added with the momentum generated from the jump, violently spread through the lower half of the monster. ¡°Ugh-!¡± Yunael bit hard onto the potion bottle, and a shrill scream escaped. They threw their head back as soon as they landed, and tears welled up for a moment. But thanks to their quick action, the bottle tilted upward, and the potion poured down their throat. However, they didn¡¯t even have a moment to rest. Although Yunael felt the pain of being pierced from the top of the head to their bottom, and the splitting pain swept throughout their whole body, Yunael immediately opened their eyes and pulled out their spear after gulping down the potion. Then they began to give their all again. ¡°Ughh!¡± Yunael screamed with all their might and pierced the monster again and again. Steam Bun caught on to what they were doing by then and hurriedly vomited out whitish liquid, which ran down from the top of Yunael¡¯s head and dripped all over their body. ¡°Haaggh¡ª! Heuuuagh¡ª!¡± Before long, Yunael¡¯s battle cries turned into painful screams that were hard to even listen to. Yunael¡¯s vision was getting hazy. Their body was screaming in intense pain, but they didn¡¯t stop. Like shooting an enemy with a machine gun until there was not even a trace of them left, Yunael bombarded the enemy with countless thrusts and indiscriminately pierced the monster everywhere. Of course, the more they harmed the monster, the higher the price they had to pay. ¡°¡­! ¡­!¡± At some point, they couldn¡¯t even let out a sound. Their vision went blank; their senses gradually faded, and they couldn¡¯t feel anything. Nevertheless, Tap! Yunael finally stopped moving fiercely like an engine that just started and suddenly stumbled. They almost collapsed, but managed to pull themselves back up by using their spear as a staff. Their soaked hair tumbled down, and they let out a deep, rumbling sound like raging lava. ¡°Ru¡­rugh¡­¡± Breathing heavily, Yunael leaned against the spear and tried hard to recover their senses. Then the floor came into focus. They saw not the monster¡¯s body, but blood and shredded and torn debris covering the ground. The enormous monster was nowhere to be seen, and the only thing left after the bombardment was ashes. Yunael opened their mouth and spat out the empty bottle. They rolled their eyes from side to side and raised the corners of their mouth slightly. ¡°You s-saw¡­¡± They were about to fall, but stopped after seeing the wet stains. ¡°Ah, ah¡­fuck¡­wait¡­¡± With the resolve to not fall down even if they were going to die, Yunael managed to jump while faltering. As soon as they were out of the range, their head hit the floor. Even though they lost all sensory feelings in their body as if they had suffered a severe burn, they managed to win. The rescue team achieved their desired goal by uniting their forces, and they succeeded in overcoming this crisis while maintaining their strongest force. ¡°¡­Haha.¡± Samigina laughed dryly after witnessing what just happened with his very own eyes. Without using any strategy, the rescue team simply pushed on recklessly and poured out attacks, but as simple as it was, their method was also the most effective. As a result, his trump card was defeated, and at this point, even he, an experienced great demon, had no choice but to admit that he was in danger. Despite the realization, Samigina was calm. In the first place, he had no fear of disappearing and had no special attachment to life. However, there was only one thing that lingered in the back of his mind¡ªa memory surfaced suddenly. [If you stay here¡­the end is¡­] The seventh rank great demon had visited relatively recently. [Soon¡­The Demon Empire¡¯s future¡­will be decided¡­] [Before that¡­request¡­help¡­] He remembered her prophecy and earnest request. Samigina fell into thought for a while, but he soon stopped rubbing his chin. ¡°¡­Aha.¡± He let out a small exclamation and opened his mouth with a hint of excitement in his voice. CH 329 ¡°I see.¡± In the silence, Samigina stood up from his seat. ¡°You are the future that child talked about.¡± Chi-Woo had no idea what Samigina was on about, but Samigina talked as if he had just come upon a great realization that perked his interest. ¡°I don¡¯t put blind faith in prophecies. I just think one should simply take note of it.¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized who the ¡®child¡¯ that Samigina was talking about was. It was the seventh-rank great demon, the princess of the Demon Empire, Shersha. It appeared that it was Shersha who had visited Samigina recently. ¡°That¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t too keen on listening to her plea.¡± ¡°A plea?¡± Chi-Woo asked. He became curious after hearing that Shersha had personally come to visit Samigina and talk. ¡°In the upcoming future, the place that drives the light away among the four nests will be met with great calamity and crumble,¡± Samigina said calmly, like he was repeating the words as they were spoken to him, ¡°Yet the total number of nests will not change, as a new nest would form where the light shines.¡± Chi-Woo was slightly surprised. Shersha¡¯s prophecies were protected with utmost secrecy even inside the Demon Empire, yet Samigina was passing on such important information to Chi-Woo easily. ¡°I¡¯m thanking you for allowing a conversation to take place while we were in the middle of trying to kill each other.¡± Samigina smiled brightly and continued, ¡°Anyways, the prophecy was quite straightforward for a prophecy, and that child had to lie down for quite some time after revealing it.¡± Considering Liber¡¯s current situation, Chi-Woo could guess what the prophecy meant. There were four main factions on Liber right now: the Sernitas, the Abyss, the Demon Empire, and the Cassiubia League. If the prophecy had stated ¡®a place where light doesn¡¯t shine¡¯, he would¡¯ve thought it was talking about the Abyss. Yet there was only one place that actively resisted the light and spread darkness. ¡°I won¡¯t jump to conclusions, but the calamity must be something that surpasses the capabilities of the Demon Empire. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way that they would be able to penetrate through the natural fortress that protects the center of the Demon Empire, the Nakhaide Volcano.¡± A nest signified home. For the Cassiubia League, it was their Cassiubia Mountain Range, while for humanity, it was Shalyh City. If a place like that crumbled, it would mean the faction that called it home had fallen to ruins even if its members weren''t completely wiped out of existence. ¡°Currently, the majority of those in the Demon Empire think that they should get rid of the root of the calamity before it comes to them. But I¡¯m curious. What is the calamity that the Demon Empire wouldn¡¯t be able to fend off?¡± As Samigina walked, his eyes lingered on Chi-Woo for a bit, and he continued, ¡°It seems like that child is having a difficult time proposing a different countermeasure, seeing that she even went out of her way to visit me¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. It sounded like the majority of the great demons had a different opinion from Shersha, and she was in the minority. Chi-Woo contemplated for a bit. If he were a great demon, how would he have interpreted this prophecy? The most alarming thing would be the calamity that would destroy the Demon Empire. And when thinking about what this calamity could be, it was most likely humanity; and even among the humans, it was probably Chi-Woo who would bring about this calamity. The Demon Empire had suffered many losses ever since Chi-Woo entered Liber. The number of great demons had dwindled from 66 to 40-50. And even now, Chi-Woo was facing a single-digit ranking great demon, Samigina, and winning. Usually, Samigina would have the overwhelming advantage against humans and would have easily taken care of several heroes with just a couple flick of his hands, yet he couldn¡¯t do that because of one hero: Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo was already this strong at gold rank. What if he grew stronger after taking out more great demons? What would happen in the future then? At his peak, perhaps, he would be able to fight the Demon Empire on his own. Considering that, it was understandable why the majority of the great demons disagreed with Shersha. Unlike the others, Shersha was seeing many perspectives and far into the future. Meanwhile, while Samigina and Chi-Woo were talking, the rest of the rescue team looked blankly at one another. It sounded like the two were talking about something important, but they didn¡¯t understand what it meant. ¡°What¡­are they saying¡­!¡± Yunael groaned and raised their head. ¡°What are you going on about¡­yapping like that¡­why¡­are you scared¡­?¡± Yunael then raised their body with the support of their spear and heaved. ¡°Are you¡­surrendering¡­after all that¡­?¡± ¡°As if,¡± Samigina said with a slight smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it before that child didn¡¯t move my heart?¡± Samigina had said Shersha¡¯s opinion was in the minority. Thus, she had sought out Samigina to gain one more great demon on her side. Yet in the end, Samigina didn¡¯t act according to her wishes. ¡°I¡¯m not on either side,¡± Samigina declared. ¡°I¡¯m neither the minority nor the majority.¡± ¡®Then, what?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked at him. ¡°If I must say, I am on the neutral side.¡± It was then Chi-Woo realized one truth: Samigina had refused Shersha¡¯s request and still didn¡¯t regret this fact. And he didn¡¯t choose any side not because he couldn¡¯t make up his mind, but because he was following his own will. This meant that Samigina had his own very personal reasons that made him act independently like how Chi-Woo entered Liber despite all the objections made against him. ¡°Because I believe that everything that exists should live according to how they were meant to live,¡± Samigina said. Every existence was born with an essence and gained temperaments according to the way they were raised in their environment. As the saying went: a human should live like a human, while a beast should live like a beast. A human couldn¡¯t act like a beast while a beast couldn¡¯t be like a human. Likewise, Liber also needed to be like Liber. ¡°That is why I didn¡¯t follow the majority.¡± And that was why Samigina didn¡¯t agree with the Demon Empire¡¯s decision to collaborate with the foreign existences, the Sernitas. ¡°But I also couldn¡¯t understand the minority.¡± Samigina didn¡¯t think humanity and the Demon Empire could coexist in peace as that child said after their long history of conflict. That was something unlike them too. Yet it wasn¡¯t as if Samigina didn¡¯t see the reality. ¡°It¡¯s truly difficult. No matter how much I think about it, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s right or what¡¯s the truth¡­¡± Thus, according to his convictions, Samigina didn¡¯t choose either side. Still, he was curious how Chi-Woo would answer. ¡°...So, can¡¯t you show me?¡± After strolling a bit, Samigina stopped in front of the fire pit in the center. ¡°If you are the one that child talked about, you can give me the answer to my questions.¡± Then Samigina said with a soft smile, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking you to speak up for free. I¡¯m planning to pay the rightful price.¡± And before Chi-Woo could reply, Samigina was sucked into the fire pit like water. Chi-Woo realized the price Samigina was willing to pay was his existence. Soon afterward, the fire pit that had been losing its light burned fiercely, and black things poured out. Simultaneously, Chi-Woo¡¯s vision turned dark. *** When Chi-Woo opened his eyes again, he realized that he was in a different space. It was completely white, like the place he usually met gods in. Despite the similarity, though, it was not the same. He soon heard a sound coming from somewhere. It was faint; it sounded like someone was crying. Chi-Woo turned in that direction and flinched. He saw a child crouching on the ground with his head bowed while clutching his knees. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± the child whimpered. Chi-Woo stared at the child blankly. ¡°Stop¡­¡± The child lowered his head further and sank into his shoulders even more. It was Chi-Woo when he was young. How long ago was it? The child looked very young. Perhaps it was the time when he realized he saw things that others normally didn¡¯t, and when these mysterious creatures began to torment him. All he could do during this time of suffering was to cry. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Then the child suddenly stopped crying and raised his head. ¡°Fuck.¡± A curse unbefitting of a child burst out of his mouth. The child glared into the space in front of him and cried out, ¡°Why? Why only me?¡± The child seemed exhausted and sick of crying then. He seemed enraged at being one-sidedly affected by the things no one else could see. He wondered why he had to go through such a terrible experience out of everyone else in the world. That feeling filled the child with rage and resentment. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to kill them,¡± the child declared and got up by himself. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill them all.¡± His eyes looked bloodthirsty and vicious as he stomped forward. Every time he took a step, the child grew up, into a teenager and then an adult. Then everything that happened during his life flowed past him like a panorama. He once cursed the world and strayed to the wrong path, but he was able to regain his senses with his parents and brother¡¯s care. He served under several teachers, came face-to-face with destiny while wandering from here to there, despaired when things continued to fail, and finally met his fateful master. He followed this master until he died, enlisted in the military, and then heard that his brother went missing. It was during that time he met Giant Fist and entered Liber¡­. ¡ªHow surprising. I see. That¡¯s what happened. It was then Chi-Woo heard an old man¡¯s voice from behind. ¡ªYou are a liar. Chi-Woo flinched and looked back. ¡ªWhy? Are you going to say that you aren¡¯t? Samigina asked. ¡°¡ªWe won¡¯t stop you from turning back.¡± Before he could reply, Chi-Woo winced while looking at the progressing panorama. ¡°Now, those who wish to enter despite all the risks, please move to the portal on the stage.¡± There was Laguel standing on the stage, and hearing her announcement, many heroes¡ªthe seventh recruits moved. ¡°And the rest of you, please exit through the portal at the end of the stairs.¡± As soon as she finished, everyone in the hall began moving at the same time as if they had all planned it beforehand. Every single hero, without fail, moved towards the portal at the center of the stage. It was just as Chi-Woo remembered. ¡ªThere are true heroes. Then he heard Samigina¡¯s voice again. ¡ªThey don¡¯t turn away from sacrificing themselves for a cause and are willing to give up their lives for a planet they have no connection with. But you are different. Samigina¡¯s whispery voice grew closer to him. ¡ªYou wouldn¡¯t have been interested in going if it weren¡¯t for your brother. No, would you have even known about Liber without him? In the first place, didn¡¯t you come to Liber for a very personal reason? Like how it is right now? Every line that Samigina said seemed to pierce Chi-Woo¡¯s heart. These were all truths that he couldn¡¯t deny except for one thing. ¡°Is that really true?¡± Chi-Woo was about to say something when he heard a familiar voice. Under the panoramic night sky, he saw Ru Amuh. He was kneeling on one leg toward not the Chi-Woo from the panorama, but Chi-Woo inside the space. And he said in disbelief, ¡°Were you really an ordinary person instead of a hero, Teacher?¡± ¡°Then why¡­?¡± Before he could finish speaking, Ru Amuh morphed into Ru Hiana. ¡°You didn¡¯t know anything?¡± Ru Hiana eventually changed to Eshnunna. She asked, baffled, ¡°Why would an ordinary person come here?¡± Then she changed to Evelyn. ¡°Ha, for a reason like that¡­?¡± To Zelit. ¡°If I had known that¡­¡± Then Emmanuel continued to display the same deep disappointment and disbelief. ¡ªOf course, I¡¯m sure you have a lot of things to say too. Meanwhile, Samigina continued to whisper into Chi-Woo¡¯s ears. ¡ªI am not denying all the accomplishments you¡¯ve made until now. ¡ªYes, you are special. No one can deny that. That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more contradictory. Honestly, don¡¯t you know too? Samigina paused. ¡ªThat right now, Liber needs a hero more than at any other time. And not just any hero, but a very special hero who can surpass even the legend. This isn¡¯t a place that an ordinary person could do anything about. The panorama changed again and showed Chi-Woo glaring at a wall with a stream of blood dripping down his forehead. ¡ªIt seems that you realized it a bit there. Bam! Bam! The Chi-Woo inside the panorama struck his head hard against the wall. It was when Chi-Woo was inside the cave under the Evalaya Volcano. He had been prepared to die then. ¡ªBut you didn¡¯t change dramatically. What changed was simply your way of fulfilling your goal. ¡°¡­So what?¡± Chi-Woo finally opened his mouth after keeping it tightly sealed. ¡°What exactly are you saying? After putting your existence on the line, all you are attempting to do is¡­¡± Samigina had jumped into the fire pit, ready to be extinguished, yet he didn¡¯t seem injured, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel any murderous intent from him. If Chi-Woo wanted it, he could crack through this mental space even if it took a bit of time. Thus, he was even more confused about Samigina¡¯s goal. ¡ªWhen I see you, it¡¯s as if I¡¯m looking at myself. You are wearing a mask on the outside, but at the core, you can¡¯t let go of yourself from your ordinary days. ¡ªIt can¡¯t be helped. Even a great demon like me, who has lived centuries, is swept away by the flow of this world. Yet that¡¯s not the case for you. There was more force in Samigina¡¯s voice now. ¡ªYou can distort the flow, turn it around, and even create a new one. In other words, you can become even greater and more special than now. But to do that, you must ¡®decide¡¯ whether you would remain under the false disguise of a hero, fooling everyone; or you could meet everyone¡¯s expectations and bring back order to this chaotic Liber and become a true hero who will save this galaxy¡¯s future. Chi-Woo saw Samigina¡¯s wrinkled forefinger point in one direction. ¡ªIt is now time for you to decide. Chi-Woo looked in the direction and frowned slightly. Beyond the three lines that seemed to signify that he must not trespass, there were sturdy walls surrounding the space as if they were hiding a secret. CH 330 While Chi-Woo looked into the distance, he suddenly felt someone grabbing and pulling his arm. ¡°Come on. I¡¯m curious too.¡± Hawa pulled on his forearm and looked back at the wall. ¡°About what¡¯s inside.¡± Soon after, Chi-Woo¡¯s feet lift off the floor. He crossed the first line, then the second, and finally the third. When he was about to reach the wall, his foot got caught by something. He looked down and saw a fence¡ªa small, thin fence that he could easily cross just by lifting his legs. While he was staring at the fence and standing still, he suddenly recalled what Byeok had told him. [This is the strongest seal I can put on you.] [It was unreasonable to completely block it with La Bella¡¯s power in the first place. And if you want to, you can lift the ban whenever.] [The reverse is also true: you can suppress it whenever you want.] [¡­No matter how much you suppress it, that seal can act as a fence to hang your feet for at least a moment.] Chi-Woo eventually crossed the fence. Hawa, who was urging him to go on, had completely disappeared. Instead, he heard Samigina¡¯s voice. ¡ªOnly you can open that wall. Chi-Woo reached out without hesitation. As Samigina said, he felt as if he could do whatever he wanted with this wall despite how strong it seemed. Chi-Woo touched the wall for a while and soon took a few steps back. Thud, the wall collapsed. One by one, the other walls enclosing this small space followed. And when the hidden space was finally revealed, a white light filled his vision, and he felt the sensation of being sucked somewhere else around his navel area. ¨CI see. You can open it, but you don¡¯t have the right to face it yet. By the time Chi-Woo heard Samigina¡¯s voice, he realized that he was standing in a strange but familiar place. ¨CThen you can earn those rights. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ A familiar elevator, a familiar apartment door¡­yeah, how could he forget? It was the house he''d been dreaming of. In front of the wide open door, he saw a young man. Standing tall, Chi-Woo stared blankly inside the house that let out cold air, and he fell into thought while staring at the young man¡¯s back. This was¡­probably that time. When he was about to leave home, his brother¡¯s words had come to mind; that was why he stopped. What did his brother say? Did he say that whenever he felt too tired and wanted to give up, he''d gain strength by thinking about the snacks he left back home? Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why, but he had also wanted something like that. Chi-Woo passed by his other self standing like a stone statue and entered the house. As soon as he went inside, he saw a black bag in the corner of the wooden table. On the day he left, he had bought chicken because he felt envious of the family who was eating chicken at a pub on his way back home. Of course, he hadn¡¯t opened the box then. Chi-Woo approached the box as if he was possessed, hurriedly opened it, and took out a cold chicken leg. He was about to take a big bite without thinking when¡ª ¨CIs this your last lingering attachment? Chi-Woo paused. ¨CCut it off. Only then can you gain the right. He heard Samigina¡¯s voice ringing in his ears. ¨CThe right to transcend and become greater. Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth closed. He turned to his other self, who was looking at him from outside the front door. Soon after, a snort came out of Chi-Woo¡¯s nose, and the corners of his mouth went up uncontrollably. Then his mouth opened wide, and he tilted his head full back while his shoulders shook. Chi-Woo laughed silently for a long time as if he couldn¡¯t suppress it anymore. ¨C¡­What is it? Samigina sounded slightly dumbfounded. ¨CWhy are you laughing? What¡¯s so funny? ¡°No¡ªIt¡¯s just¡ª¡± Chi-Woo managed to stop laughing and breathed heavily. ¡°I was wondering what you were going to say.¡± He continued while wiping his tears, ¡°You¡¯ve risked your existence just to say that?¡± ¨C¡­I told you. Samigina¡¯s voice sounded a bit heavier. ¨CIt¡¯s something I can¡¯t do. But that¡¯s not the case for you. ¡°Ah, really?¡± ¨COnly those who are chosen, and those who can choose¡ª. ¡°Stop.¡± Chi-Woo cut him off. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough. I didn¡¯t expect to hear Machiavelli¡¯s The Prince here, but it¡¯s really too bad.¡± He smirked and continued, ¡°I have no intention to do as you want.¡± ¨CWhat? ¡°I¡¯m saying it won¡¯t work out the way you wish.¡± There was a moment of silence. ¨CIt¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know. Why does it seem like you don''t understand? Soon, he heard Samigina¡¯s voice again. ¨CDo you think I¡¯m trying to trick you right now? This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¨CDo you think this whole process is merely a great demon trying to entice and tempt a human with sweet words? ¨CI also know it¡¯s not going to work against you, and you know that¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to do, right? He sounded slightly offended. ¨CIt¡¯s because I feel so regretful. It¡¯s such a pity. Chi-Woo snorted at his truly lamenting tone and said, ¡°I¡¯m the one who pities you instead. You know one thing but not the other.¡± ¨C? ¡°Well, it¡¯s no wonder. How can you know that there¡¯s something greater than what you¡¯re talking about now when you¡¯re just stuck in a small room and researching all day?¡± ¨C¡­Ha. Sagimina let out a small exclamation as if he thought Chi-Woo¡¯s response was unexpected. ¨CWhat is it? Since you of all people are saying that, it¡¯s making me curious. He asked in a deeply curious voice. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s¡ª¡± Chi-Woo lifted what was in his hand and spoke nonchalantly, ¡°Chicken.¡± ¨C? ¡°Chicken is truly great. Savory and crispy fried chicken is great, but spicy and sweet seasoned chicken is equally amazing. And again¡ª¡± While Chi-Woo sang the praises of chicken, his opponent didn¡¯t respond; Samigina seemed a little lost. ¡°It seems like you still don¡¯t understand. How about it? It¡¯s a little cold now, but want a bite?¡± Chi-Woo held out the chicken leg in his hand and shook it. ¨CI really¡­don¡¯t understand¡­ After a while, he heard a completely baffled voice. ¨CIt¡¯s the easy way out. It¡¯s a path that has been prepared for you since a long time ago. ¨CIt¡¯s not even that hard. You just have to walk on that path. Samigina¡¯s voice lost its steam like he¡¯d given up. ¨CIt¡¯s also a way to meet everyone¡¯s expectations. There¡¯s no reason not to walk on it in every way. ¨CHow can you refuse to take the path to become the greatest who can even put the legend far below you¡­ Chi-Woo frowned while listening, ¡°Seriously, hero this, hero that.¡± He covered both ears, indicating he didn¡¯t want to hear anymore. ¨CYou¡¯re the one who thought you had to be a hero to survive. Samigina spoke as if he was trying to teach and persuade Chi-Woo, but Chi-Woo shrugged. He admitted the last part. He couldn¡¯t survive as an ordinary person on Liber, so he decided to abandon his way of thinking on Earth. At the Evelaya Volcano, he had prepared himself to die¡ªso that he could survive. The important point here was that this process was merely a means and a method, and it wasn¡¯t his ultimate goal. The real goal that he desired and wanted was completely different. It was this contradiction that Samigina pointed out. Liber was now in need of a more powerful leader than ever. They needed a hero unprecedented in history to bring everyone together and return Liber to how it originally was, and in order to do that, everything needed to be adjusted and molded for Liber. All judgments and decisions needed to be made only for Liber¡¯s present and future. Chi-Woo needed to have an iron will with which he could easily throw away personal and trivial matters. As Samigina said, he needed to be a hero like Giant Fist and Mua Janya and other heroes, who could sacrifice their lives like burning candles for the cause, for the better future of Liber. However, the current Chi-Woo did not meet this standard. He wasn¡¯t completely white or black and was more gray, more in the middle. Chi-Woo was also well aware of this. ¡°¡­So what?¡± He countered with an air of indifference. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± He smiled brightly and said, ¡°I like chicken.¡± ¡ªThat blasted chicken¡­! ¡°Oh, but I agree with one thing.¡± There was one part that Chi-Woo agreed with. ¡°I agree that everything that exists should live according to their essence.¡± ¡ªThen why are you¡­! ¡°But.¡± However, there were always exceptions. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that essence should surpass existence. You think I¡¯m a door? Or this table? To just live according to how I¡¯m made?¡± His parents, teachers, and mentor had all repeatedly told him to live how he wanted. He had lived like that so far, and he planned to continue living that way. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as I reach the goal in the end.¡± Since he was born a human, Chi-Woo was satisfied with living like a normal human. He was fine if people insulted him for having a small dream. He didn¡¯t care what other people said, since everyone had different goals. He wanted to give strength to his parents who lost their memories and thought his brother had just gone missing. He wanted to help his parents regain their lost memories and bring them out of their helplessness. He wanted to repay his family¡¯s dedication for helping him when he was straying to the wrong path. In order to do that, he needed to get his brother and return to Earth after balancing this chaotic world as soon as possible. And the direction he took was not going to be according to anyone¡¯s wishes or arrangements, but in the way he wanted and was most like himself. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡± Chi-Woo gulped while looking at the chicken leg in his hand. ¡°I wonder what it would feel like when everyone gets together and takes a bite of the chicken leg after everything is finished. How delicious would it be?¡± Just imagining it made his mouth water. He wanted to taste it, but Chi-Woo endured and left it untouched. He shouldn¡¯t eat it now. That way, his desire to return to Earth would persist for a long time. He now understood why his brother hadn¡¯t shared his snacks when he was young. Moreover, Chi-Woo felt like he could understand why the prophecy had said he was a ¡®successful¡¯ candidate and not just a ¡®suitable¡¯ candidate. Thanks to this event, Chi-Woo was able to organize various thoughts, and he felt much more refreshed. It was now time to finalize his decision. Chi-Woo dropped the chicken leg he had been holding back into the box. ¡°¡­So.¡± There was one thing he wanted to say. ¡°A hero?¡± Samigina talked about becoming great by being reborn as a true hero and correcting Liber¡¯s balance. However, Chi-Woo had no desire to be one. Something like that¡ª ¡°To hell with it.¡± Chi-Woo spoke with his eyes shining brightly. Then he made a refreshing smile and raised his middle finger for Samigina to clearly see. Crashhhh! The mental space broke into pieces. * * * Right after Samigina entered the fire pit and popped out, the rescue team, who had been on high alert, all looked puzzled. Nothing happened¡ªexcept for the fact that Chi-Woo suddenly collapsed. Everyone hurriedly gathered in surprise, but Chi-Woo was unresponsive. He was breathing, but no matter how hard they tried to wake him up, he didn¡¯t. He just lay on the ground as if he was sleeping. ¡°W-What? What happened?¡± Yunael looked around and asked. ¡ªI think he got dragged into Samigina¡¯s mental space¡­ Philip glanced sideways at the furnace and smacked his lips because he wasn¡¯t sure. It felt like Chi-Woo easily let himself get dragged. Although his opponent had risked his existence and used the magic fire pit, it was Chi-Woo of all people. If Chi-Woo really wanted, he could have resisted, but judging by what happened, it seemed as if he allowed Samigina to drag him in. ¡ª¡­What on earth are you thinking? ¡°What the hell happened!¡± Yunael¡¯s cry rang out again. Everyone became mute. Since everything happened so fast, they all had no idea what happened. ¡°I saw something pour out¡­¡± Abis murmured, dumbfounded. As she said, everyone clearly saw darkness erupt out of the fire pit. Then Chi-Woo alone collapsed, while everyone was safe and sound. Although they didn¡¯t know what exactly happened, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess. What was clear was that Chi-Woo was currently handling Samiginia¡¯s final blow by himself. Yunael¡¯s face turned pale. They were the ones who had stubbornly insisted on staying and asked for help to find their teammates. In the end, Chi-Woo had been right. Their two teammates had already crossed the river of no return, and in addition, Chi-Woo had¡­because of them¡­ The train of thought made this situation unbearable for Yunael. ¡°¡­Wake up. Don¡¯t mess around with me,¡± Yunael said with a dazed expression. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, w-wake up. You said you were great. You¡¯re the leader of Seven Stars.¡± Stuttering, they grabbed Chi-Woo, but he still didn¡¯t respond. This was the end? For real? Yunael soon took in a deep, trembling breath and shouted, ¡°Wakeeeeeee upppppp!¡± Yunael shook Chi-Woo like crazy. ¡ªHey, stop! Philip tried to stop them even though he knew he couldn¡¯t. Crash! Suddenly, they heard the sound of space crashing. Chi-Woo¡¯s tightly shut eyes fluttered open, and he immediately sat up. ¡°Ahompf!¡± And thus bumping heads with Yunael, who was shaking him wildly. They looked at each other with wide eyes. Chi-Woo calmly tilted his head back and turned away. After wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he spat calmly. ¡°W-What¡ª¡± Yunael pointed at Chi-Woo in shock. Then they looked back after hearing something crash from behind. Samigina was sprawled on the floor; there were cracks all over his body as if he was going to turn into a handful of ashes at any moment. ¡°Pwef¡ª¡± When everyone saw Chi-Woo turn his neck from side to side and got to his feet, they could all clearly guess who won in the collision between the two. Chi-Woo walked towards Samigina and looked down at him. The great demon¡¯s entire body was twitching. Samigina had become so weak that he looked like he would crumble if Chi-Woo just squeezed him with his hands. It was the natural result of using his existence as the price. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you got the answer you wanted, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo saw Samigina move his mouth desperately and softly said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I got enough.¡± He stretched as hard as he could and smiled. ¡°So you have to pay for the rest, okay?¡± All his teammates blinked quickly. They didn¡¯t know why, but Chi-Woo seemed a bit¡­different from before he collapsed. CH 331 Samigina couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but his lips simply opened and closed again. His body was cracking all over as if he was going to crumble and disappear soon. Chi-Woo looked down and contemplated deeply while Samigina was disappearing. Samigina was a great demon who Shersha had gone out of her way to personally visit. Perhaps he could be useful in the future. Yet Chi-Woo could neither keep him alive nor wanted to at this point. Samigina had remained neutral according to his own will and chose to watch the upcoming future from the sidelines. Chi-Woo acknowledged that Samigina showed characters different from most of the great demons he had encountered until now, but that was about it. In the end, Samigina was simply a great demon belonging to the Demon Empire. Thus, Chi-Woo decided to focus on the present for now. Samigina should pay the price for meddling in his past and trying to awaken him further. And conveniently, there was the perfect use for him right now¡ªa way to utilize him much better than just letting him turn to nothingness. ¡°Hey, the parasite over there,¡± Chi-Woo suddenly called out, and everyone else looked confused. What parasite? ¡°I¡¯m talking about you. You.¡± Chi-Woo turned around and stared at the small animal wagging their tail. The fenrir cub ran to Chi-Woo and barked at him fiercely, as if they were protesting being called a parasite. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything but watch. That makes you a parasite,¡± Chi-Woo snorted and looked forward again. He jerked his chin at Samigina, who was writhing on the ground like a bug. ¡°What are you waiting for? It¡¯s a special meal for you. Quickly finish him off.¡± ¡°Ruff!¡± The fenrir cub stopped its incessant fierce barking and cheered like they were saying Chi-Woo was the best. Those belonging to the Mad Moon ate demonic creatures as food; among them, a great demon was a rare and special source of nutrients. And perhaps because of the species¡¯ natural instinct, the fenrir cub hurriedly dashed towards Samigina. Soon, the space was filled with the sound of bone and flesh being chewed and devoured. [?- Page (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 90% trust (Incomplete) 2. Eat the flesh and drink the blood of a great demon at a single-digit rank (Complete) 3. Awaken ¡®Raw Divinity¡¯ (Incomplete) 4. Manifest ¡®Mad Moon Fangs¡¯ (Incomplete) 5. Use at least 5 and at most 7 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) Chi-Woo was glad to see that the second condition was completed. There was still a long way to go, but it felt as if he had made his first step, and the day the fenrir cub would be freed of their title as ¡®parasite¡¯ was coming soon. Anyways, with Samigina¡¯s fall, the rescue team¡¯s work was done. Though their mission could be considered an expedition, it was preferable to think of it as a rescue because there was nothing in this place, and they had no rewards to reap. Just in case, Chi-Woo searched through the floor for anything notable, but there was nothing. And though Chi-Woo was at least able to fulfill one of the conditions to parent the fenrir cub, everyone else couldn¡¯t hide their disappointment. ¡°Sigh. I know Teacher did most of the work, but how could there not be a single gold coin or silver?¡± Jin-Cheon complained. ¡°But hey, you still gained merits. And I told you to be quiet,¡± Abis chided him and turned around. Yunael was standing at the center of the room with a dazed look on their face. In the end, they were unable to save their two missing companions. Those two met pitiful ends as sacrifices for the great demon¡¯s research, and it seemed Yunael was greatly bothered by this fact. Jin-Cheon noticed their reaction and fell silent. He understood how Yunael felt and couldn¡¯t fault them. If it hadn¡¯t been for Chi-Woo, he might have been living as a hopeless bum somewhere right now. ¡®There¡¯s really nothing¡­¡¯ After going through the room, Chi-Woo judged that they wouldn¡¯t find anything and was about to exit the room with only the magic fire pit when he heard Philip¡¯s voice. ¡ªChi-Woo, wait. While floating in the air, Philip had been staring at the magic circle on the ground until now. ¡ªShouldn¡¯t you try using it once before going? ¡®What are you talking about?¡± ¡ªI am talking about this. This. Philip pointed at the fire pit that was shaped like a cauldron and sat in the center of the geometric circle. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ ¡ªThink carefully about what Samigina told you. Now that Chi-Woo thought about it, he vaguely recalled Samigina talking about ¡®true worth¡¯ and the fire pit being wasted in the hands of the Kobalos tribe. And he went on about paying the right price for things. ¡ªSamigina summoned monsters to fight you all by offering sacrifices. He also succeeded in going inside your mind by sacrificing himself. ¡®Hm¡­but Samigina became extinguished.¡¯ More exactly, he became blood and flesh in the fenrir cub¡¯s belly. ¡ªWhat does that matter? Philip countered. ¡ªThe one who started this ritual was the Kobalos tribe and it¡¯s still going on. Doesn¡¯t that mean Samigina was also someone who simply used the ritual? Though of course, he used this mysterious magic circle with it. Chi-Woo nodded. That did make sense. The fire pit¡¯s fire was still burning, and the magic circle below it was glowing a mysterious red light. ¡ªMoreover, it¡¯s a relic that can alter the fate of an entire tribe. That means it can borrow the power of a god¡­ Philip lifted one eyebrow while talking and smirked. ¡ªIt seems we don''t have to go empty-handed after all. Though we would need to be careful since this is all conjecture. Chi-Woo thought Philip¡¯s words held merit, yet he needed to carefully think about the way he would approach this issue. Since the fire pit held mystical powers, there was a high chance that they would suffer great setbacks if they did something wrong to it. Thus, before he did something on his own, he gathered everyone together and asked for their opinions. ¡°It makes sense,¡± Abis clapped and turned to Yunael. ¡°On that note, wasn¡¯t Yunael supposed to get magic equipment as a reward for this expedition through this fire pit?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m not sure if it will work.¡± Yunael didn¡¯t deny it, but they replied in a lower voice, ¡°The Kobolas¡¯ elder said that the only one who can use the fire pit among them was their sorcerer.¡± Thus, he had told them that they should never use the fire pit for their own gains even if it was tempting and just bring it over to them. ¡°But just now, that great demon used it however he wanted.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Yunael squinted at Abis¡¯ counterargument. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just relaying to you guys what I was told.¡± ¡°Perhaps it has something to do with the magic circle.¡± Abis¡¯ eyes shone as she looked at the glowing red magic circle on the ground. Even if the Kobolas¡¯ elder was telling the truth, their deduction told them that they could also use the fire pit. ¡°Then how do we use this?¡± Jin-Cheon snickered and asked curiously. Abis couldn¡¯t give him a ready answer. She simply looked back at Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­From what you described, it sounded like we need to hold a ritual to make offerings to spirits or a god,¡± Chi-Woo said after organizing his thoughts, ¡°There are many reasons why someone would hold a ritual. It could be for rain, stable business, bountiful harvest, and so on, just like how the Kobalos¡¯ tribe asked for their well-being.¡± And just like how Samigina used it for his own goal. ¡°Since the ritual is still ongoing, does that mean we can each ask for something?¡± Dulia¡¯s eyes shone as she asked. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo trailed off. In theory, the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit was a relic that produced infinite possibilities, but it wouldn¡¯t simply grant all wishes just because one earnestly prayed for them. That would be too good to be true. ¡°You must pay a fitting price,¡± Chi-Woo said. In other words, they needed an offering. Samigina offered several lives to summon powerful monsters and even offered himself to investigate Chi-Woo¡¯s core. It was the same for the Kobalos. Perhaps their process of conducting the ritual was a way for them to fulfill this condition¡ªas some of their members went through great tribulations and hardships and eventually made some kind of offering, they were able to suspend their curse temporarily. Everything made sense then. ¡°The key is paying the right price,¡± Chi-Woo summarized simply for the rest of the team. ¡°If you want to earn something, you have to prove your sincerity by offering something. You could get rewards based on how you use the fire pit, but if used wrongly, it could lead to disastrous results. Of course, we will only be sure of the details after trying it though.¡± To gain something, one needed to lose something. As soon as Chi-Woo finished speaking, the surroundings became deadly silent. Everyone had sensed then that this was an opportunity for them to gain a reward they had only dreamed of, but they couldn¡¯t rejoice yet since this was all still speculation. Besides, things could go wrong with a single mishap, and everyone just lingered around the firepit while glancing at one another. ¡°Ppyu!¡± It was then Steam Bun slid out and jumped to the top of the fire pit. ¡°Bag?¡± Chi-Woo called out, but Steam Bun didn¡¯t move away. Instead, it opened its mouth wide, tilted its body, and dropped a whitish liquid substance into the fire pit. It was the substance that had healing abilities. ¡°That definitely has some value¡­¡± Abis said with a curious glint in her eyes. Everyone looked toward the fire pit as its fire wavered and the substance inside boiled. Soon afterward, the fire pit spat out something. Dulia¡¯s forehead creased. ¡°¡­Meat?¡± It appeared to be a piece of well-cooked steak. ¡°Ppyu!¡± Steam Bun looked overjoyed and immediately went down and snatched the piece of meat. Then it ate it joyfully while savoring each bite. After finishing the steak, it jumped back to the top of the fire pit before anyone could stop it and excitedly dropped its white saliva down into the pit again. This time, it even separated a piece of its own body and dropped it in. The fire burned brightly, and another being that looked exactly like Steam Bun popped out. ¡°Pyo?¡± Its color and size were similar. The only difference between them was that this new one had a small yellow ribbon on top of its head. ¡°Ppyu?¡± The original steam bun hesitated like it was slightly nervous. The ribbon-wearing steam bun born from the fire pit looked around and spotted its own kind. It immediately jumped and rubbed its body against the original steam bun. ¡°Pyo~¡± ¡°Ppyu, ppyu¡­¡± As the ribbon steam bun expressed its affection for it, the original steam bun looked like it had no idea what to do. Still, it didn¡¯t seem to dislike the companionship. Soon, the two lumps joined hands, circled around, and slid across the floor. The way they laughed and bounced around made them look like a young couple. ¡°What? A friend? It can even produce something like that?¡± Dulia said in astonishment. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. ¡°Rather than a friend¡­it seems like a girlfriend,¡± Abis carefully expressed her opinion. ¡°Look at that guy. I understand. It¡¯s nice to see,¡± Jin-Cheon swiped his nose and looked pleased by the two. The first one to try out the fire pit showed clear and significant results. ¡°I will go next.¡± Abis stepped forward with her quiver. ¡°But let me experiment with it first.¡± She took a deep breath in front of the fire pit and dropped a coin inside before praying. What came out was a single rudimentary arrow. ¡°Hm, I see.¡± Abis smiled like she gained some certainty about something and took out all her equipment. She even took off her clothes. ¡°What? You¡¯re getting so bold,¡± Jin-Cheon whistled seeing Abis in only her underwear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll all do the same,¡± Abis said, dropping even her arrows and bow. ¡°What, Abis? What do you mean?¡± ¡°What else can it be? You guys should also take off your clothes.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you joking?¡± ¡°You can just get new clothes when you return to the city. Stop complaining and strip.¡± ¡°No, but still.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you have to give away the fire pit once we return? Do you think an opportunity like this is going to come again?¡± ¡°But¡­I¡­¡± Jin-Cheon looked unwilling, but in the end, he stripped down to only his underwear like Abis. His brother Aric desperately tried to remain unnoticeable, but Abis soon called him out. ¡°Aric! You too!¡± Eventually, Aric had to tearfully take off all his clothes except his underwear under Abis¡¯ orders. It wasn¡¯t only their equipment and clothes. After they dropped all the money and everything they had brought into it, Abis got on her knees and prayed fervently. Hwaaaa! Soon, the fire pit¡¯s fire rose. ¡°A bow?¡± Dulia said. As she said, the fire pit spat out one new longbow. Abis quickly took the bow. Her expression looked a bit mixed while she carefully studied it. ¡°Hm, it¡¯s a bow intended for battle,¡± Abis concluded after stroking it for a long time. ¡°Why? Is it not good?¡± Dulia asked, and Abis slowly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s quite sturdy and delicate. It¡¯s what upper-ranking officers will use in the military, but¡­¡± Abis sounded greatly disappointed. Though it was better than the bow she originally used, it appeared that it failed to meet her expectations. It seemed she had wanted magic equipment. ¡°Hm! It¡¯s my turn now!¡± As Abis moved away, Jin-Cheon rushed forward with only his underwear on. ¡°Um¡­¡± Though he had stepped forward, he realized he had nothing much to offer once he was in front of the fire pit. ¡°Hm¡­¡± He looked around for any possible offering, but of course, there was nothing. The loads of sacrifice he saw when he first came to the room had already been offered to summon monsters, and as time continued to pass without him doing anything, people began to voice their complaints. ¡°Hurry up. Can¡¯t you see that people are waiting?¡± Dulia asked in annoyance while twirling her hair, and others agreed with her. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing you can offer, come back for now.¡± ¡°Ah please! Wait a bit! Let me think!¡± Jin-Cheon shouted. Yet he couldn¡¯t think of anything, and it was futile in the end. ¡°Hey!¡± Unable to bear it any longer, Dulia shouted in anger. ¡°Ah, I got it!¡± Jin-Cheon scratched the ground with his feet and took a fistful of rock pieces and dirt before putting it inside the fire pit. ¡°What is he doing¡­?¡± Dulia frowned, wondering what else he could possibly add. Then her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Ptew!¡± Jin-Cheon spat into the fire pit. Then he bowed his head and shook some of his hair into it. ¡®Since this is a body part and fluid belonging to a hero, you can¡¯t say it¡¯s worthless. Perhaps it could be valued highly,¡¯ Jin-Cheon murmured to himself, and Dulia couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Even if they could offer anything as a price, what Jin-Cheon did just now was close to blasphemy. No, it was blasphemous. ¡°Hey, wait¡­¡± Dulia was about to stop Jin-Cheon after getting a foreboding feeling, but it was too late then. Jin-Cheon had already flicked his hair and bowed in front of the fire pit. Then the fire pit burned up. Craaaaaackle! Soon, looking all bright red, the fire pit let out explosive steam. There was no other way to describe it: it looked seriously pissed. CH 332 This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Soon, the space above the fire pit split vertically and began to spread apart from both sides. The scene revealed to them was none other than the universe. Like seeing a Hubble Ultra-Deep Field, they saw a small fraction of a dark space with countless glittering stars. Soon after, the edge of the open space shone brightly as if it was a channel to a different universe an immeasurable distance away. A deep, resonating sound came from this infinite space, like someone sobbing but paradoxically resembling the sound of someone dancing in happiness as well. It was also quickly getting close. The hall, which had grown noisy after the rediscovery of the fire pit, suddenly became as quiet as death. The rescue members all felt it implicitly that something strange and sinister was gradually approaching them. Not a single person could open their mouths properly. As it approached, indescribable pressure seemed to tie them down. ¡ªSt¡­sto¡­ Philip was barely able to regain his senses as a spirit and shouted. ¡ªStop it! No! Flip it over! When Chi-Woo heard Philip¡¯s frantic screams, his body moved of its own accord. He instinctively ran and kicked the fire pit hard, and the fire pit overturned and spilled the solution inside. Then the mysterious red light that the magic circle had been emitting suddenly went out. ¡ªAh¡­ At the same time, they heard a regretful sigh from across the split space. Then the space closed as if it was being zipped up, and the air became normal again. Only then did the mysterious pressure weighing down the room disappeared, and everyone exhaled the breath they had been holding. ¡ªJust¡­just now¡­ Philip was so stunned that he couldn¡¯t even speak properly. Then he turned to Chi-Woo and asked in a trembling voice. ¡ªIs that what I think it is? Chi-Woo struggled to nod; his body kept shaking. He felt like he had just met a giant that a mortal could not even dare to measure or comprehend. He hadn¡¯t even felt like that when La Bella was standing right in front of him. He had only experienced this once¡ªwhen he participated in a proxy war for a deal with Evelyn. At that time, he had borrowed the power of Indra to fight Sernitas¡¯ modified god, and he had just experienced the same feeling he had gotten then. In short, the being that just appeared was a foreign god in the ninth celestial rank. ¡°You¡­what did you do?¡± Abis asked as she looked at Jin-Cheon, who was stricken pale. Chi-Woo was also curious. What on earth did he wish for that he almost called forth a foreign god? Things could¡¯ve gone horribly wrong and brought about an unprecedented situation that couldn¡¯t be resolved even if the Sernitas, Abyss, Demon Empire, Cassiubia League, and humanity all joined hands. ¡°What, what?¡± After Abis interrogated Jin-Cheon, she stammered in shock. ¡°You wished for a powerful ability that could beat whatever opponent you faced with one blow?¡± Jin-Cheon nodded silently. ¡°With the trash you offered?¡± Jin-Cheon¡¯s offering consisted of pieces of stone debris, dandruff-filled hair, and his thick saliva. ¡ªHe¡¯s one crazy bastard. Philip murmured matter-of-factly. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Abis screamed with her face flushed. ¡°You fucking bastard.¡± Dulia also growled at him. She spat out harsh criticism, accusing him of trying to get everyone killed. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Even Yunael, who was known for being reckless, was at a loss for words. ¡°Whoa, shit, wow¡­¡± At Yunael¡¯s amazement, Jin-Cheon lowered his head as if he wanted to hide in a mouse hole. ¡°No¡­it was an experiment, an experiment¡­I thought it would just give me trash even if it didn¡¯t work¡­of course, I didn¡¯t expect this to happen¡­ ¡° He murmured in a wimpy voice. Although his wish hadn¡¯t come true, it did show them a possibility. If the god had descended, everything, including the Sernitas, would have met their demise in one fell swoop. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, captain. I¡¯m sorry, everyone. He¡¯s a nice kid, but a bit stupid¡­¡± While Abis groveled and apologized to everyone, Aric returned the fire pit to its original position and place. When he put it back into the center, the red light from the magic circle reappeared. Abis asked, ¡°What? What are you doing?¡± Aric answered, ¡°I¡¯m going to try it too.¡± When Abis looked at him nervously, Aric smiled wryly and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m not going to make a ridiculous wish like Jin-Cheon.¡± Then he cleared his throat and asked carefully for everyone to turn around until his turn was over, or at least the women if they felt uncomfortable. When people asked why, Aric pointed at his underwear; he was only dressed in underwear like Jin-Cheon. Abis asked, ¡°You¡¯re going to offer your underwear¡­ Can I really trust you?¡± ¡°Ah, please. Trust me.¡± Considering that they had just gone through a ridiculous event, Abis warned him again and finally turned around. Chi-Woo also looked away out of courtesy. Soon, he heard the fire burn up in the fire pit. When he turned around, Aric was no longer in underwear. He was wearing shoddy clothes made out of rags. ¡°I can¡¯t return to the city in my underwear, so¡­¡± Although no one asked, Aric explained with a sigh. ¡°Yeah, at least you¡¯re better than that moron.¡± Dulia still hadn¡¯t shaken off the fright from Jin-Cheon¡¯s turn and glared at him. Thanks to Aric, the chaotic atmosphere subsided a bit. The next to come forward was the male hero who was in Yunael¡¯s expedition. Like Abis, he stuffed all kinds of equipment into the fire pit, but the fire pit vomited a monster¡ªto be exact, they vomited out a dwarf with a giant hammer. ¡°Huh? Huhhh?¡± As he had given away all his weapons, the male hero wasn¡¯t able to even retaliate properly when the dwarf monster began to beat him up. Shocked, the rescue team went after the dwarf monster to no avail because all their attacks passed straight through the dwarf monster. ¡°Help me¡ª!¡± At the now bloody male hero¡¯s desperate plea, Yunael quickly kicked the fire pit as Chi-Woo previously did. When the fire pit left the center of the magic circle, the dwarf wielding the hammer instantly disappeared. The male hero struggled to recover his senses after the beating. It was only after they fed him two bottles of healing potion that he managed to move his mouth. Dulia asked, ¡°What the? What did you wish for?¡± ¡°I just¡­wished for a magic weapon¡­¡± he answered with great difficulty. He was saved, but he had almost died. ¡°It¡¯s tricky¡­¡± Abis muttered to herself with a grim look. It was hard to describe it, but the results were inconsistent. It sometimes spat out equipment, but also spat out monsters instead. Moreover, unlike the monster that Samigina summoned, no attacks worked against the dwarf monster that appeared just now. Even though the number of samples was small, the results were unpredictable. It would have been great if there were set rules. Then Dulia¡¯s eyes shone, and she suddenly broke her silence, ¡°I want to try now.¡± She moved towards the fire pit without hesitation and took off her leather jacket, putting it in the fire pit and praying. Soon after, fire burned up, and the fire pit spat out a new jacket. Dulia carefully put it on and smiled as she scanned her body. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened because Dulia¡¯s body disappeared every time she moved. Rather than becoming invisible, it seemed as if she was camouflaging like a chameleon that changed color depending on the surrounding environment. The most notable part was that her new jacket was a piece of magical equipment; she had somehow earned it after offering only her leather jacket. ¡°What did you do? How¡­¡± Abis asked in shock, but flinched when she took a good look at Dulia¡¯s beaming face. Her once youthful face had changed. She lost her baby fat and had become more mature; it felt like she got older all of the sudden. ¡°¡­No way,¡± Abis said blankly as if she had been hit by a hammer. ¡°Hehe. You sure catch on quick.¡± Dulia snorted and shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, right? Whatever I offer.¡± ¡°But even then¡­your life span¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the only thing I offered.¡± ¡°What?¡± Abis asked again, but Dulia did not answer any more questions. She kept moving her body and seemed very satisfied with her new equipment. Due to Dulia¡¯s success, the atmosphere became energetic again. ¡°Abis. What were you talking about?¡± ¡°Wait. Wait a minute. Let me think.¡± While Jin-Cheon¡¯s group were talking, Chi-Woo, who was standing at a distance, suddenly felt someone tap his back. When he looked back , he saw Dulia with only her head floating in the air. ¡°Shh.¡± Dulia glanced sideways at Jin-Cheon¡¯s group as they fiercely debated among themselves and put an index finger to her lips, beckoning Chi-Woo over. ¡°I roughly got how it works.¡± Once they were close enough, she whispered to Chi-Woo as he tilted his head with curiosity, ¡°First of all, it¡¯s clear that the fire pit receives a fixed price in exchange for fulfilling the user¡¯s wish.¡± ¡°A fixed price?¡± ¡°Yeah. For example, if an individual enters a wish worth 10 points, the fire pit will input 10 as it is.¡± The output for this input required an equal cost of 10. If the wish and price were equal to each other, or the price they paid was greater than their wishes, the fire pit produced results corresponding to the individual¡¯s wish. Problems arose when the price they paid was less than their wish. For example, what if someone entered a wish worth 10 points, but paid a price only worth 5 points? Then what did the fire pit do? It tried to forcefully take the remaining 5 points from the user. ¡°In the form of giving an ordeal to that individual.¡± Chi-Woo softly exclaimed at Dulia¡¯s whisper. Dulia continued, ¡°That quick-witted archer probably prayed for a bow that was equal to the sum of the price she offered.¡± As a result, Abis did not have to go through an ordeal since she put a limit so that the worth of what she obtained would not surpass the price she offered. ¡°But that stupid top-knot hero and that male hero made a wish greater than the price they offered.¡± Thus, the fire pit gave them an ordeal to make up for the cost they lacked. In the case of the male hero, his wish would have been fulfilled if he had beaten the dwarf monster. ¡°Since it was an ordeal limited to the person who made the wish, our attacks didn¡¯t work. The fire pit probably judged that he had to win alone for it to count.¡± Chi-Woo nodded and suddenly stared at Dulia. ¡°Then Ms. Dulia, you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only physical things you can offer.¡± Dulia smirked and revealed her teeth. ¡°You can also offer intangible assets. For your information, I gave three years of my life span and all the merits I had. I actually thought about going down a tier, but that was a bit too much.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± That didn¡¯t come from Chi-Woo. The same person continued, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right! We can also offer merits! Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡± ¡°What the?¡± Looking back reflexively, Dulia frowned because Abis, Jin-Cheon, and all the others were secretly eavesdropping on their conversation. Dulia continued, ¡°Are you kidding me? Hey, who told you that you can eavesdrop?¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s all share useful information,¡± Jin-Cheon said with a friendly tone. Abis also added, ¡°Why are you leaving us out? It¡¯s information that we all gained by trial and error.¡± ¡°Did anyone force you to step forward first? You guys all eagerly volunteered to go first and use the fire pit to get items.¡± Dulia turned away with a hmph and continued to talk while looking at Chi-Woo, ¡°Anyway, since the rules have been specified to some extent, you should try using it, captain. You must have a lot of merits.¡± Chi-Woo fell into thought at Dulia¡¯s suggestion. ¡ªIs there anything you want? Philip also asked. ¡®Well, there is something.¡¯ ¡ªWhat is it? ¡®Blessed Luck.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s Blessed Luck was currently 57. It used to be 63, but to awaken Aida¡¯s power, he had used 6 points. Anyway, although the amount he had wasn¡¯t extremely low, it was clear that he would run out before he could collect all Seven Stars, especially considering that both the Power to Rule the World and the World¡¯s Milestone used Blessed Luck. Increasing his Blessed Luck was his top priority, but he had just been biting on his fingers, not knowing what to do. It would be perfect if he could restore some using the fire pit. ¡ªYeah, that''s a good idea too. Philip seemed to agree. However, it wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded. Blessed Luck was a tremendous power that could even twist the flow of the world. Chi-Woo called forth his fostering information. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Merit Count: 80,025,371] He currently had about 80 million merits. Since his Zepar expedition, Chi-Woo had been earnestly saving merits and barely used any. Moreover, he hit the jackpot by successfully subjugating the Hala Forest and seemed to have gotten a favorable evaluation from the rescue mission just now. Although he had quite a lot, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure if he could possibly replace Blessed Luck with only merits. ¡ªWhy don¡¯t you try? You can always get more. ¡®That¡¯s not the issue.¡¯ There was a high possibility that a huge problem might arise if the price was insufficient. ¡ªIf you¡¯re so worried, you can also set a limit and test it out. You¡¯ll be wasting some merits, but if something goes wrong, you can just kick the fire pit again. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly wondered why Phlip kept urging him, but Philip wasn¡¯t wrong. If he returned the fire pit to the Kobalos, there was no guarantee if he could ever use it again. It would be too great a shame to not take advantage of this opportunity. Chi-Woo decided that it was worth a shot and stood in front of the fire pit. ¡®I wish to add 1 point to one of my user information¡¯s abilities, Blessed Luck. In exchange, I offer as many merits as needed.¡¯ When the fire burned up, Chi-Woo had gotten ready to kick the fire pit over. Fortunately, what he feared did not happen. When nothing unusual arose, Chi-Woo checked his user information and saw that Blessed Luck had increased to 58, and his merits were reduced to 75,025,371. ¨CThat means 1 Blessed Luck is worth 5 million merits. Although it was definitely expensive, Chi-Woo¡¯s expression became noticeably brighter. Considering how difficult it was to replenish Blessed luck, the price was nothing to worry about. Without hesitation, Chi-Woo gave 75 million merits in return for 15 points of Blessed Luck. With this, he succeeded in recovering his Blessed Luck to 73. Although he was left with only about 25 thousand merits, Chi-Woo decided to be satisfied with this. It was a great harvest already that he found a way to recover Blessed Luck to the 70s. ¡ªHmm, it¡¯s a bit regretful. However, Philip seemed to think differently. ¡ªHey, don¡¯t you need a weapon? ¡®What? A weapon?¡¯ ¡ªEven if it¡¯s not necessarily a weapon. Shouldn¡¯t you have one good piece of equipment for combat? Equipment. It would be great if he had one. ¡®I already used up most of my merits, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get anything good from using the rest.¡¯ Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡®I have nothing more to offer.¡¯ ¡ª Of course you do. It¡¯s right in front of you. ¡®?¡¯ ¡ªLook. Right there. Chi-Woo lowered his gaze to where Philip was pointing at. CH 333 Philip pointed at Chi-Woo¡¯s charred club. Chi-Woo raised it and thought. ¡®Offer this ghost-busting club as a sacrifice? But this is from my mentor.¡¯ ¡®No,¡¯ Chi-Woo answered firmly. There was no need for him to even consider it. ¡®It can be anything else but this club.¡¯ Chi-Woo would be willing to offer most things, but he couldn¡¯t give up this club no matter how great a piece of equipment came out from the fire pit. This club was a natural treasure that had been handed down from one generation to the next for at least a thousand years. It wasn¡¯t something that he could give away for an exchange. ¡ªAh, why? ¡®No, stop insisting. I already told you that I won¡¯t.¡¯ And because Chi-Woo refused so firmly, Philip backed off temporarily. Chi-Woo snorted but soon turned to Abis when she spoke up. ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t the magic circle become dimmer?¡± It was as she said. The red light emitted seemed to have lost half of its brilliance right after he used the fire pit. ¡°What if we can¡¯t use the fire pit anymore when all the light goes out?¡± Dulia asked. She had a point. Samigina might have created the magic circle on the ground to receive authority to use the firepit¡¯s exchange system. It appeared that they couldn¡¯t use the fire pit without limit. ¡°It seems it consumes more energy the higher the cost of exchange,¡± Chi-Woo said and turned around. ¡°I think everyone should have a go before the magic circle loses all its energy. Then¡­¡± There were two people who still hadn¡¯t used the fire pit even once yet: Emmanuel and Yunael¡ªthree if they included animals, the fenrir cub. The fenrir cub glanced at the fire pit, but they didn¡¯t move out of their spot and simply wagged their tail. It seemed they were already satisfied with their first taste of a great demon and didn¡¯t show much interest in the fire pit. ¡°I¡¯m fine, sir.¡± Emmanuel was the same. ¡°It will be crazy of me to yearn for more than what I have. I¡¯ve already earned a power that surpasses all my earnest wishes and expecting more than that will be too much.¡± It would be a lie if Emmanuel said that a chance with the fire pit wasn¡¯t tempting, but he wanted to focus on training his new powers for now. ¡°So please, I will give my chance to you, Teacher,¡± Emmanuel stated and backed away. Since that was what he said, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t push the matter any further. That left one person. Yunael stared at the fire pit intently and chewed on their lower lip. Their expression had been troubled ever since steam bun first used the fire pit. It seemed that unlike Emmanuel, they did want to give the fire pit a try, but something made them hesitate. ¡°¡­Will it work?¡± Yunael seemed to have noticed the gaze on them and asked cautiously. Chi-Woo realized what Yunael wanted then. ¡°No, it won¡¯t.¡± Unlike his usual self, Chi-Woo sounded firm and cold. ¡°Even though it is a fire pit imbued with a god¡¯s power, it won¡¯t be able to transcend life and death.¡± No matter what Yunael offered, they wouldn¡¯t be able to bring the two dead heroes back alive. ¡°Even if it does grant your wish, they won¡¯t return in the form that you are hoping for. You can tell by the strange monsters that Samigina summoned.¡± ¡°But that thing¡­!¡± Yunael pointed at Steam Bun, who had successfully summoned its same kind, but trailed off. They recalled Steam Bun¡¯s companion gradually melting away while they were in the middle of playing. ¡°Perhaps you could summon their spirits and talk to them for a bit, but that will also require a considerable offering,¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice; Steam Bun looked very disappointed. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really recommend that either.¡± Yunael closed their eyes tightly. They let out a deep sigh with a wary nod. ¡°¡­I understand¡­¡± Chi-Woo thought Yunael might insist on trying and finding out, but it seemed like they understood in the end. ¡°Then I don¡¯t need my turn either. You or someone else can use my chance.¡± And surprisingly, Yunael gave up their chance to someone else. ¡°Captain, I know I¡¯m being shameless, but can I have one more go? Just one more time. Please?¡± Abis gathered her hands and pleaded desperately. ¡°Yes, yes. You can, but Mr. Jin-Cheon is¡­a bit¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that! I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything!¡± Abis jumped up and down in glee and turned around. ¡ªHey, Chi-Woo. And while Abis was blackmailing Jin-Cheon and Aric to give her their merits, Philip struck up another conversation with Chi-Woo. ¡ªDo you have anything else? You know, something that you can offer. Chi-Woo wondered why Philip was so hung up about this but thought deeply. There were two things he could immediately think of: first of all, there was ¡®The Power to Rule the World¡¯, which he always wore on his right hand. ¡®I can¡¯t give this up.¡¯ This was a godly item made with reliquia at its core and materials that were nearly impossible to get the second time. It could be seen as his first own holy relic, and no one would be crazy enough to offer their relic on the gambling board. And if he had to pick one more besides that, there was the talisman. It wasn¡¯t just any ordinary talisman, but a very special one that his master gave him along with the club. There used to be three of them, but after using two, he now only had one left. Its worth was immeasurable, and even if he had no immediate use for it¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no way I can give this up. No way.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s face hardened, and he shook his head. This was because as soon as he thought he should give it a try, his intuition gave him a clear warning that he shouldn¡¯t, and that he needed to keep it at all costs. ¡®Ah damn it. That means I might have to use it soon¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. These were talismans that could even summon the White Horse General and Indra¡¯s Vajra. It worried him that he would soon encounter a situation where he would need a power like that again. Thus, Chi-Woo wondered whether he should consult his brother about rolling the World¡¯s Milestone as soon as he returned to the city, but then Philip spoke again. ¡ªOkay, those two are out of the picture. But I still think offering that club will be the best option. ¡®¡­Mr. Philip?¡¯ ¡ªNo, calm down and hear me out. Philip cleared his throat. ¡ªI know that burnt club is an amazing item, but isn¡¯t it severely limited in that you can only use it against spirits like me? There was truth to that. Though the club was sturdier than he thought, it was still made out of mere wood. If he swung it against a well-equipped soldier, it would easily be sliced into two like a log. ¡ªSo, let¡¯s use this opportunity to make it useful in any situation. You must also know the importance of having a weapon by now. ¡®That¡¯s true, but¡­¡¯ ¡ªFurthermore, didn¡¯t you say that club drank a whole load of holy water at the cave under the Evalaya volcano? I¡¯m sure of it since there was no way that pond would become dry in just one day. ¡ªThink about it. It drank holy water on top of being an outstanding godly item. Wow! I bet you can really expect something huge in return. Philip got more excited as Chi-Woo looked like he was getting more convinced. ¡ªJust believe in me this once and try it. I¡¯m sure whatever comes out of it will be crazy good. Chi-Woo smacked his lips and looked down at the club he was holding. This club was a precious object that his mentor used to carry around with him everywhere. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even count the number of times he was smacked with it. Though it had hurt every time it hit his head, Chi-Woo never felt bad about it. He had always done something that warranted a beating during those times, and he knew that his mentor was taking care of him out of love and affection. His mentor wouldn¡¯t have even paid any attention to him, much less swing his club, if he hadn¡¯t been interested in Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo recalled those memories, and a smile formed on his face. Then he froze. He thought he had lived a life far different from others, but it hadn¡¯t always been like that. There were times when he managed to live the life he wanted, albeit momentarily, and his time with his mentor was one of the few happy memories he treasured. This club reminded him of such memories. Thus, Chi-Woo hesitated. He knew Philip had a point, and he also didn¡¯t get a foreboding feeling about giving away this club as he did with the talisman. Instead, his intuition seemed to align with Philip¡¯s. Chi-Woo knew at times like this, it was best to go along with what his intuition said, but he couldn¡¯t let go of this past. He was only human, and he couldn¡¯t exchange an item filled with so many memories. Still, there were parts of his mind that kept asking, ¡®Who cares about that when your intuition is telling you something else? You know better than anyone else that your mentor wouldn¡¯t mind. Instead, he would want you to use it.¡¯ ¡°Bag!¡± In the end, Chi-Woo hardened his resolve and called for Steam Bun. Steam Bun was looking around for things to offer, but jumped over when he heard Chi-Woo¡¯s call. ¡°Keep hold of this for a bit,¡± Chi-Woo told it while holding up his club. ¡°Never give it back to me even if I ask for it until we return this fire pit back to its original owners. Do you understand?¡± Steam Bun looked like he wasn¡¯t really paying attention but swallowed up the club and departed. ¡ªSigh. Seriously, how are you so stubborn? Philip raised both hands and shook his head. ¡ªYou should¡¯ve given it a try¡­ Philip murmured, sounding really disappointed, but Chi-Woo ignored him. He knew he might¡¯ve missed a great opportunity, but this was the kind of person he was. One time, he kept the allowance he got from his parents inside his wallet for nearly a year because he wanted to save it. Though he ended up using it in the end, Chi-Woo had the kind of personality that was very stubborn about such matters. It was then he heard Abis¡¯ cheering from behind. She was jumping and walking around while wearing new boots. It seemed she had gotten a new item by offering merits. ¡ªAh, seriously¡­I have only felt this much certainty once or twice in my whole life¡­ Philip was still murmuring. Chi-Woo smiled bitterly. He had wondered why Philip was being so persistent, and it seemed he had gotten the same intuition as he did. ¡ªIf you really can¡¯t give that up, why don¡¯t you at least try offering your blood? ¡®What? Do you want me to do the same thing as Mr. Jin-Cheon?¡¯ ¡ªNo. Who told you to spit on top of some rock dust? I¡¯m talking about blood. And if you think about it, isn¡¯t your blood quite costly? That was true. It was even in his user information; he had ¡®Divine Blood¡¯. Chi-Woo let out a humorless laugh. They were both trying so hard to come up with more options, but Chi-Woo thought it was worth a try. ¡®Okay, all right. I will try.¡¯ ¡ªOh. ¡®But you can¡¯t nag anymore after this.¡¯ ¡ªHey, do you think I do this for fun? I am saying all this for you. Philip nagged, but when he saw Chi-Woo move, he smirked and sneakily backed away after checking his surroundings. Chi-Woo made a scratch on his thumb and dropped a couple drops of blood into the fire pit. Then he wondered what he should ask for. In the end, he closed his eyes and prayed. ¡®I pray that I will get a piece of equipment matching the worth of my offering¡­¡¯ Clunk. ¡®It will be preferable if it¡¯s a weapon, but¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo stopped because he heard the sound of something heavy falling. He immediately opened his eyes and saw Steam Bun on top of the fire pit. If he hadn¡¯t seen wrong, it looked as if Steam Bun had sliced a good part of its body and dropped it in. ¡°Why are you¡­.?¡± Chi-Woo was saying this when he realized something. Would there be such a heavy metallic thud if the jelly-like substance was the only thing dropped? In that instant, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened wide, and he quickly checked the inside of the fire pit. ¡°No!¡± His club was lying prettily inside the fire pit, Chi-Woo reached out instinctively at it. Craaaaaaaaaaackle! A gigantic trail of fire they had never seen before rose and pushed Chi-Woo away with its immense force. ¡°My club!¡± Chi-Woo stretched out his hand, but it was too late by the time he raised his head. When he looked up, he realized that he was no longer in an empty room, but a workshop¡ªlike the one that the buhguhbu¡¯s leader worked in. ¡°W-What? Where is this place?¡± Chi-Woo asked with utter shock. ¡°What is it again?¡± ¡ªThis is¡­really surprising! Soon, a low and majestic voice boomed inside the workshop. ¡ªIt surprises me no matter how many times I look at it. The voice shook in admiration. ¡ªTo think it held onto such deep, deep energy of thunder for so long¡­ The beliefs endowed upon it are immense. Hmmmm? Furthermore, there¡¯s blood from the heavens¡­and isn¡¯t this the first¡­.! The voice rambled in amazement for a while. ¡ªThis is an honor. A great honor! Then in high spirits, the voice exclaimed. ¡ªI can¡¯t believe there will come a day when I get to work with materials of this level. This is truly shocking¡­ With this much¡­It seems like I¡¯ll have to pay the price for it on my side. Chi-Woo thought he saw a wide toothy grin. But soon the voice became gravely serious. ¡ªAll right. I will give it my all in the name of Vulcanus! Clang! Clear metallic sounds vibrated inside the workshop. At that moment, Chi-Woo was presented with a clear view of the scene and saw a shining giant thrust his hammer toward the fire pit. The hammer clanged down nonstop, but strangely, Chi-Woo never thought it was noisy. Instead, he became immersed in it, and every time he heard a clang, it felt like his body and soul were vibrating along with it. He was too enamored by the sight of a great master pouring his whole heart and soul into his creation to think of anything else. Sometime later, the giant gave a satisfying laugh that shook the whole workshop. It lingered around Chi-Woo¡¯s ears and eventually settled down and disappeared. And when Chi-Woo regained his senses, he opened his mouth wide. The first things he saw were the magic circle without its light and the fire pit without its fire. The inside of the fire pit was completely empty, and there was something lying on the ground. It wasn¡¯t a club, but what looked like a white glove. Not a pair, but a single glove. ¡°Ppyu!¡± Steam Bun picked up the glove with its mouth and jumped up. It then panted like a dog that had just brought its toy back. Chi-Woo took the glove. It felt strange. Though he was holding onto it, he didn¡¯t feel any sensation on its palm, and it felt as if he was touching light¡­ No, that wasn¡¯t the important part. Chi-Woo checked the inside of the fire pit again and screamed. ¡°Uhahhhhhhh!¡± It was so loud that the rescue team who had gathered around to check what came out all jolted in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I will kill it¡­¡± ¡°T-Teacher? Are you¡­all right?¡± ¡°I will kill it¡­for sure¡­!¡± Chi-Woo gasped out, and everyone stopped approaching and began to walk backward. There was a crazy look in Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes, like he¡¯d turned absolutely mad. It was the club from his mentor! His treasure that held precious memories and happiness was now gone! ¡°Why! Why!¡± Chi-Woo shouted. His eyes blazed, and his body trembled in fury. Steam Bun also looked shocked by Chi-Woo¡¯s response and moved away, not knowing what to do. ¡°My cluuuuub!¡± Chi-Woo gripped the glove he got and poured out his exorcism mana. Shaaa! The glove then shone and burned in pure, white light. Chi-Woo grabbed Steam Bun and shook it, but soon stopped when he saw the club that had disappeared appear inside his hand. There was his club, letting out a glorious ringing sound and casting brilliant light all over its surroundings. Wing! Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com" CH 334 Though there was an unexpected happening at the end, the rescue team got out with the fire pit. The magic circle under the fire pit went dim after Chi-Woo used it for the last time and stopped responding, so there was nothing more they could do with it. Overall, the expedition could be seen as a success. Even though they hadn¡¯t expected anything, Dulia and Abis each got a piece of magic equipment as they wished. And above all, they survived. All this seemed to be grounds for a celebration, but the team¡¯s mood was quite grim as they made their way back to the city. This was because Chi-Woo was pouring out murderous intent from all over his body as he stomped forward. The team thought Chi-Woo had received a great final reward and didn¡¯t know why he was acting this way, but they kept their mouths sealed. It was their first time seeing Chi-Woo this angry. ¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. Philip had been apologizing with clasped hands ever since they came out of the ritual site. ¡ªIt¡¯s not Steam Bun¡¯s fault. It¡¯s mine. I secretly changed your order when you weren¡¯t looking. ¡®Don¡¯t lie,¡¯ Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. ¡®Can that guy even see you in the first place?¡¯ ¡ªIt can and even hear me. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªIt''s carrying Balal, who has Kabal sleeping inside her. Did you not notice its changes after that? Chi-Woo became speechless. After hearing Philip¡¯s explanation, he realized that Steam Bun could¡¯ve really not acted on its own. Still, that didn¡¯t mean his anger had subsided; it simply changed directions. ¡®Then is it you who I should blame?¡¯ ¡ªHm. I get that I was in the wrong¡­but is this something for you to get so upset about? ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªNo, I mean, think about it. ¡®Ah, is it that you want to return to nothingness? You should¡¯ve told me that sooner. That¡¯s my area of expertise.¡¯ ¡ªNo, no! Hear me out! Find the original at "pawread dot com". Philip quickly changed his attitude seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes flicker. ¡ªNo matter how precious an item is, the owner has to be alive in the end. This is Liber we¡¯re talking about. You must know what kind of world it is. ¡ªWhy wouldn¡¯t you increase your chance of survival when such a good opportunity comes by? Are you going to hug your club and celebrate that you are able to salvage your memories when death comes knocking at your door? ¡ªMemories are important in the end only because you are alive. Philip desperately tried to convince Chi-Woo. ¡ªFurthermore, it¡¯s not as if the club has completely disappeared. And see what happened at the end. Like I said you would, you hit the jackpot! A foreign god, a god of blacksmiths personally made that item for you. ¡ªI understand that you are mad right now, but I¡¯m sure you will be thankful to me in the future. I swear! I bet this glove would be much more helpful to you than that club in returning home with your brother. Chi-Woo was wondering how he could extinguish Philip with the utmost pain possible when the mention of his brother stopped his train of thought. He knew that Philip wasn¡¯t wrong. In fact, he knew Philip was exactly right in that this glove would be helpful to him in accomplishing his goal on Liber. But he still couldn¡¯t calm down because the club had been passed down to him by his precious mentor. What would his mentor have said if he was with them right now? Based on his personality, there was a high chance he would side with Philip. Furthermore, he would probably curse at Chi-Woo for being an idiot. ¡ªWhy don¡¯t you look at what it is first? If you still don¡¯t like it then, you can yell at me. Philip pleaded as Chi-Woo smacked his lips. Chi-Woo fumbled around with his white glove. It really was an interesting item. He could see that he was touching it, but he didn¡¯t feel anything. It was as if the glove was made of something between a material and a nonmaterial. In other words, it seemed like a godly item that didn¡¯t belong to this world like the World¡¯s Milestone. Chi-Woo sighed deeply and activated his Spirit Eye. [Armed with the Sixth Element¡ªIt is a masterpiece that Vulcanus betted his own name in creating. It creates and materializes a mental image based on what the user is thinking, and this whole process is conducted using the user¡¯s mana.] The explanation was short, but not simple at all. In Buddhism, the essence of all living things could be divided into eighteen building blocks of the physical body, which combined the six channels of perception with the twelve sense spheres. The six channels of perception was the way one could understand oneself and the world and included the following: the eye element, ear element, nose element, tongue element, body element, and mind element. The mind element was the sixth element that this item¡¯s description referred to. In short, this glove allowed him to discern and perceive any item and bring it into reality. He could conjure a club then change it to bow and arrow, then to a sword and then to a spear. All at a mere thought. Chi-Woo stared at the light that kept changing shape according to his will and gulped. At this point, Chi-Woo had to admit the item was perfect. After training under Byeok, Chi-Woo realized the importance of weapons and developed a skill called ¡®Martial Arts¡¯. It allowed him to show masterful skills with whatever weapon he held as long as he got a good sense of using it. With an ability like that, this glove was truly a perfect fit for him since he could form a weapon appropriate for the situation. Furthermore, he had control beyond just the choice of the weapon. The reach of his mind element was quite far, and he could also change the length, intensity, and weight of the weapon. In other words, he could wield the weapon like the Staff that Obeys One¡¯s Will that the Monkey King used in the legends. Its flexibility and adaptability had basically no competition, but Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t say the item was omnipotent. One could tell that just by the conditions it came with. The item would match the level of his mana, and he had to be able to wield the weapon he conjured. That meant its versatility was still limited in some ways. Yet as someone who had wanted a weapon, it appeared that he hit the jackpot as Philip said. As long as he used his exorcism mana and armed himself with the glove, he could pull out a weapon at will. ¡°Um, Captain¡­¡± And while Chi-Woo was experimenting with his new item, he heard Abis¡¯ voice. She was cautiously extending out both hands. ¡°It has been in this state¡­after what happened¡­¡± On her palms was Steam Bun, who was trembling fervently and weeping without a sound. It seemed it was shocked after seeing Chi-Woo get so enraged for the first time. And seeing it cry so pitifully, Chi-Woo began to feel a little bit bad. If what Philip said was true, Steam Bun did nothing wrong. It just did what it was told to do, and it was understandable that it would feel so wronged. Chi-Woo reached out to it, and Steam Bun hesitated while sniffling. ¡°Come here,¡± Chi-Woo said again, and Steam Bun jumped over this time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought you got excited and just did that on your own.¡± Chi-Woo stroked and whispered to Steam Bun as it stayed put in his hands. ¡°But you didn¡¯t listen to me properly that time, right? That¡¯s how it looked.¡± ¡°Ppyu¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that next time. You don¡¯t have to listen to other people, but you have to listen to me. Alright?¡± ¡°¡­Ppyu!¡± It sounded more energetic than before; Steam Bun seemed to be saying yes. Chi-Woo made a bitter smile. Steam Bun didn¡¯t used to be like this. It was hard to say the current Steam Bun was exactly the same as the being that just came out of the cave under the Evelaya Volcano. Perhaps, as Philip had said, it was because it was holding Balal, within whom Kabal lay in slumber. Thinking this, Chi-Woo felt sorry to continue calling it ¡®bag¡¯ or ¡®steam bun¡¯. ¡®I should give it a new name when I return. And the fenrir cub too..¡¯ Seeing that Chi-Woo seemed to have calmed down, Philip secretly approached Chi-Woo. ¡ªHeheh. How is it? Are you not angry at me anymore? ¡®Shut up,¡¯ Chi-Woo replied coldly. Though Philip was able to avoid extinguishing, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t plan on forgiving him just yet. *** After leaving the basement and arriving back to the surface, the rescue team immediately went on their way to return home. Their path to Shalyh went smoothly, and they marched nonstop. Surprisingly, Yunael didn¡¯t say a single word throughout the entire march, and they looked a bit down. ¡°That is the fate of a genius,¡± Jin-Cheon said, spotting Abis comforting Yunael while he was surveying the area. ¡°A genius?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head and asked. Yunael was a genius? ¡°Yes. If you don¡¯t consider their personality, you have to admit that they have skills. When they were acting on their own¡­ah,¡± Jin-Cheon caught himself and quickly added, ¡°Hm. Well, how should I describe it? Just because we are all heroes, we aren¡¯t all the same. Not everyone can be like you, or that guy named Ru Amuh. Otherwise, we would¡¯ve already sorted out Liber by now and returned to the Celestial Realm,¡± Jin-Cheon made a bitter smile and cleared his throat. ¡°Anyways, just because a person is a genius, it doesn¡¯t mean that they can resolve all situations. There will eventually come a time when they hit a wall. I bet you can¡¯t even count the number of heroes in the universe who can¡¯t move on after hitting that wall.¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable considering it''s Yunael we¡¯re talking about,¡± Jin-Cheon¡¯s brother, Aric, also pitched in. ¡°Although Tania isn¡¯t part of the twelve Celestial Lights, they are a prestigious family¡­ Furthermore, Yunael has only achieved great success ever since they came here from the Celestial Realm. I¡¯m sure they feel shocked and disappointed.¡± Thus, Aric explained that Yunael was having difficulty accepting defeat after a series of successes. ¡°Good for them,¡± Dulia said in a mocking tone. ¡°They acted like they were all that because of their family, but they got a sweet taste of reality. They thought they were superior to everyone else, but they were smacked to their senses. I¡¯m sure it hit them hard.¡± Though Dulia spoke harshly, it appeared as if everyone agreed with her. The skills Chi-Woo showed in this expedition were on another level. No one could compare or even attempt to replicate what he did. If Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been on this expedition, they wouldn¡¯t all be returning home peacefully like this. ¡°There¡¯s that too, but¡­I¡¯m sure they are also suffering from guilt,¡± the male hero who had been part of Yunael¡¯s expedition team said in a low voice. ¡°You sure are nice,¡± Dulia said scornfully. ¡°After suffering through all that, you still want to shield them?¡± ¡°Those two were also my companions. I knew one of them before I even came to Liber,¡± the male hero retorted with distaste. ¡°Yunael wanted to save the two more than anybody else. Even I, who was close to them, wanted to give up in the end, but Yunael alone didn¡¯t give up till the end.¡± He wasn¡¯t saying that Yunael was good. Yunael definitely had problems with their leadership. Yet Yunael never ran away from their responsibilities even when the situation turned for the worst. They pushed their whole body beyond their limits and endured as the expedition team¡¯s leader. The male hero valued that highly. Not everyone had the same mind, and a hero might focus on points different from other people. ¡°And who knows? Perhaps¡­if we had done a better job, the results might have been different,¡± the male hero said. This was what he had thought after seeing Chi-Woo. Perhaps if they had provided Yunael with the perfect environment for them to show their skills, they wouldn¡¯t have lost their companions. And the male hero felt as if he had been the one to hold Yunael back, and thus, rather than feeling resentful, the male hero only felt regret and sadness. In the end, it was an expedition they shouldn¡¯t have joined in the first place. Of course, Dulia didn¡¯t agree with any of his points, but she turned away without arguing any further. It was because she thought it hadn¡¯t been right for her to leave in the middle of the expedition, either. And as this conversation went on between the heroes, Chi-Woo suddenly got a weird feeling. There was Dulia¡­but the remaining three heroes were all in only their underwear. That was the price of their greed in front of the fire pit. And now, the three were discussing serious topics with solemn expressions while basically naked. Aric on one hand had the rags he got as an exchange for his underwear taken by Abis, so he walked around with their bedding tied around his waist. It was truly a tear-jerking sight. *** Yunael finally broke their silence the day before they arrived at Shalyh. While Chi-Woo was on night-watch duty, he got a long text that Yunael forwarded to him, which described everything that had happened in their expedition without missing a thing. No exaggeration, nothing conveniently left out. Every event was described as it happened. ¡°Did you read it all?¡± He heard Yunael¡¯s voice from the other side of the camp. ¡°Yes,¡± Chi-Woo replied, and the message disappeared. ¡°I just sent it to Ho Lactea¡¯s leader too,¡± Yunael said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the message reached her yet, but she will probably read it as soon as we arrive at Shalyh. And I¡¯m sure she will dispose of me then.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how to respond. Yunael talked nonchalantly about their future as if they were talking about someone else¡¯s. But besides that, Chi-Woo wondered why they were telling him all this. ¡°If you want¡­you can be the one to return the fire pit,¡± Yunael said, and Chi-Woo realized their intention. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Woo replied without thinking much. ¡°The only mission I was assigned was to rescue you.¡± Yunael didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. Then, after a moment of silence, they said with a slight chuckle in their voice, ¡°You think I¡¯m pathetic right? You can laugh. I bet you think I got what I deserved.¡± Though Yunael was saying these words lightly, it was clear they were beating themselves down. Chi-Woo then wondered how they would respond if he really replied, ¡®Ah, is that so? Then I will laugh my heart out. Ehehehehe.¡¯ But in the end, he didn¡¯t do that and said, ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Then, what?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why Yunael was telling him all this, but he spoke after organizing his thoughts. ¡°Well¡­I think there¡¯s a side to you that can be a bit too much, but I don¡¯t think you are bad.¡± ¡°How am I not bad?¡± ¡°I think you aren¡¯t a giver, but at least a matcher.¡± ¡°A giver and a¡­matcher¡­?¡± Yunael tilted their head in confusion. Giver, matcher, and taker were the three categories of people Chi-Woo saw on the internet. ¡°Do you feel conflicted to be only on the receiving side?¡± Chi-Woo then asked. ¡°What? What are you suddenly asking¡ª¡± Yunael was even more confused by Chi-Woo¡¯s question, but he continued. ¡°Are you the type of person who must return a favor even if it¡¯s something like receiving a sheet of toilet paper?¡± Yunael flinched. This was true. No matter how small it was, Yunael didn¡¯t like feeling indebted to others, as evident by what they did just now. Thanks to the rescue team, they were able to succeed in an expedition that almost failed. If they wanted to, they could¡¯ve asked Chi-Woo to not reveal what happened and wrapped up the expedition as a success for a price. Yet they didn¡¯t do that. The moment Yunael sent the message they forwarded to Chi-Woo to Ho Lactea¡¯s leader, their future was decided. First of all, Ho Lactea would lose all faith in Yunael since the expedition Yunael started after much protest met such an end; and their status and authority inside the organization would be diminished significantly. Furthermore, if rumors of their actions spread, their reputation would be knocked down greatly. They would be tainting the name of Tania that they had strived so hard to uplift. Nevertheless, Yunael still decided to bear all these consequences. ¡°Whether it¡¯s a gift or a loss, you return everything you receive¡­ You treat others like how they treat you¡­¡± Chi-Woo continued his analysis. Yunael had accepted that since they didn¡¯t properly support their teammates with their own power, they couldn¡¯t get their teammates¡¯ support. Likewise, with Chi-Woo, they thought they needed to pay back Chi-Woo somehow for saving their life. ¡°I can¡¯t say that¡¯s the right way to think, but¡­I can¡¯t laugh at or reprimand you for that,¡± Chi-Woo said. He felt Yunael stare at him from behind, but Chi-Woo continued to face forward. ¡°Because my personality is a bit similar to yours.¡± Then he murmured to himself that laughing at Yunael for this trait would be like insulting himself. Yunael didn¡¯t respond immediately. There was a period of silence longer than before, and when Chi-Woo felt the gaze on him lift, Yunael spoke. ¡°¡­Whatever,¡± Yunael said in a very quiet voice. Chi-Woo smirked and turned around. Yunael had turned away then and was busily trying to occupy themselves by looking at the night sky. Though Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t see their face, he thought Yunael would be biting their lower lip by now. Chi-Woo smiled warily and shrugged. ¡°If I¡¯m wrong, it¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Woo said and also looked up at the night sky. The stars seemed to shine brighter than usual. CH 335 The next day, Shalyh City came into view after their continuous march. Walking awkwardly with a disgruntled face, Jin-Cheon complained about how he couldn¡¯t enter the city with just his underwear, but his eyes soon widened when he saw Eval Sevaru waiting for them near the city. ¡°You¡¯ve returned, Boss.¡± Eval Sevaru greeted Chi-Woo politely and handed over a bag. There were clothes for several people inside. Chi-Woo, who had considered the members¡¯ lack of clothing, contacted Eval in advance and told him to bring changes of clothes on the way. Although it was a small favor, Jin-Cheon, Aric, and the male hero were very grateful and touched. ¡°Wahhhh¡­¡± Even to the point of tears. * * * After returning to Shalyh, the rescue team only shared a brief goodbye and went their separate ways. When Chi-Woo returned to Seven Stars, he only saw Aida Odelia and not Ru Amuh. From what he heard, Aida suffered an internal injury while carrying out the previous request, so she hurriedly returned to the city to recover, and the remaining members of the first team went back out to finish the request. Although it seemed like their only team was pushing themselves too much, Eval Sevaru said it couldn¡¯t be helped, since they needed to pay rent for this zone and pay off the debts owed to the official residence from building this base. There were many areas where they needed money. ¡°But Boss, I¡¯m glad you at least succeeded in the rescue mission. Since Ho Lactea really values their reputation, they would probably pay up well. We should rip as much money off them as possible when they return.¡± Eval Sevaru sighed, saying that the finances will be all right for a while after getting compensated by Ho Lactea. Chi-Woo decided to wait until Ho Lactea returned for now and began training. Although he did the same training as he always did, he focused on exploring the abilities of his newly acquired equipment. Although it was an item armed with the sixth element as its name indicated, there were still restrictions. It seemed as if he could utilize it better only if he knew exactly how to wield the type of weapon. Thus, he tried to research more about it with his master, Byeok, but¡ª ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± An uninvited guest interrupted him. ¡°Where¡¯s Aida?¡± Chi-Woo looked around and stared at Yunael as they approached. Recently, Yunael had been visiting Seven Stars whenever they were bored. Thinking back, Chi-Woo thought it all started when he prepared a proper meal for them once. Yunael came to visit Aida after hearing she was injured, and Chi-Woo had offered them a meal out of gratitude. Yunael ate very well when he cooked a dish for them, so he served various dishes out of favor as a chef. Ever since then, Yunael had been going in and out of this place as if it were their home, with the excuse of seeing Aida. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Where¡¯s Aida? I messaged her, but she¡¯s not replying.¡± ¡°Aida is resting in her room.¡± ¡°Then what about food?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Aida, I already cooked for her.¡± ¡°No, for me.¡± Yunael tilted their head back. ¡°I haven''t eaten yet. Can you hurry up and give me food?¡± Chi-Woo gaped. There was a limit to a person¡¯s shamelessness. He became speechless at how brazen they were. He asked with a groan, ¡°Does Ho Lactea not give you food?¡± ¡°They do, but I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Then you can go to a restaurant.¡± ¡°I dislike that even more. It isn¡¯t bad, but how should I put it¡­it doesn¡¯t suit my taste?¡± Liber¡¯s food had strong seasoning, and Yunael said it sometimes made them feel bloated after eating it. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s food was not like that at all; the seasoning was just right, and the food went down easily. Yunael liked how his food made them feel full and healthy. ¡°What was it last time? Ah, right. It was gukbap[1]. I liked that one. Please make it a bit spicy this time.¡± ¡°Am I your personal chef?¡± When Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and complained, Yunael lifted one brow. ¡°Seriously, are you going to be like this? Why are you being so stingy with just food?¡± ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m going to be like this? I¡¯m not someone who cooks for you.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll pay for it. How much do you want?¡± ¡°Excuse me? That¡¯s not the problem.¡± ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t act like that to me. Do you have any idea how much trouble I¡¯ve been in lately because of you?¡± This was news to Chi-Woo. ¡°Do you know what I had to go through a few days ago when I went to return the fire pit?¡± Yunael folded their arms. ¡°The leader of the Kobalos grabbed me by the collar and shook me, shouting what the hell I did to the fire pit.¡± ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°Let me think. I think he said something about someone using so~ much of the divinity in the fire pit that it now became a useless tin can instead of a holy relic?¡± Yunael shook their collar and snorted with a hmph. ¡°They furiously shouted at me and lamented about what the hell was going to happen to their tribe while they tried to return the fire pit to its original state. Seriously, I¡¯ve never seen someone look so devastated.¡± ¡°So what happened?¡± ¡°What do you mean what happened? I had a hard time covering it up by saying it was all because of that bastard Samigina. Of course, I couldn¡¯t get the reward I was promised.¡± Chi-Woo became speechless. If what Yunael said was true, there was a very high possibility that he was the reason the Kobalos¡¯ magic pit had become a tin can. Restoring Blessed Luck would have consumed considerable divinity, and in addition, a foreign god had been summoned to establish an equivalent exchange for the objects he offered. ¡°Well¡­but don¡¯t worry about it too much. Although it takes some time and labor, he said there¡¯s still a way to recover it.¡± Yunael whined about how even then, they were in such a tricky spot and had been beyond flustered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go easy on them and make them a meal? They¡¯re a guest who¡¯ve visited for the sake of their friend, and it¡¯s against courtesy to let a guest go on an empty stomach.¡± Byeok, who had been quietly watching, added her two cents. ¡°And while making them a meal, it would be great if you make one for me as well.¡± Of course, Byeok didn¡¯t forget to smack her lips and get up because it was true that Chi-Woo¡¯s food was delicious. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t go against his master¡¯s words and replied without choice, ¡°¡­Come in.¡± Yunael jumped in like they were flying. After deliciously finishing off one bowl of gukbap, they went to see Aida, and after chatting for a while, they sat down at the table and said they¡¯d go after having dinner. Chi-Woo thought while looking at Yunael¡¯s bulging cheeks that it would be better to put another spoon on the table starting from tomorrow. However, the next day, even though he prepared a feast specially for them, Yunael didn¡¯t come. They didn¡¯t show up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Chi-Woo found out why the very next day. Ho Lactea had returned. After issuing a general mobilization order, Ho Lactea proudly returned to Shalyh despite the state they were in making it clear that they had been through a struggle. From what he heard, it seemed that they had succeeded in completing a difficult request entrusted by the legend himself. Rumors spread in an instant, and everyone¡¯s attention was on them. And Ho Lactea¡¯s next move was, surprisingly, to visit the leader of Seven Stars. Alice visited as soon as she returned, and Chi-Woo, who could guess the reason for Alice¡¯s visit, gladly welcomed her. After exchanging brief greetings, Alice brought up the topic they both expected. There wasn¡¯t much to talk about since Yunael had sent her messages about what happened beforehand. All that remained was to discuss the compensation, but Chi-Woo decided to leave that matter to Eval Sevaru, who was much more skilled in the art of diplomacy. ¡°As Yunael¡¯s message stated, it seems like rumors about what happened during the expedition haven''t spread.¡± As Alice said, people only knew that with the support of Seven Stars, Yunael succeeded in the expedition by defeating a great demon. Dulia had been itching to talk about what truly went down in the expedition, but she suppressed it because if everything got revealed, her reputation would also get damaged. Although it was a bit irritating, it was better for her if people thought she returned to the city alone, risking her life to bring reinforcements after getting Yunael¡¯s agreement. ¡°You saved the future of the Kobalos tribe and defeated a single-digit ranked great demon. It¡¯s an accomplishment that you must have wanted to reveal to everyone.¡± ¡°Yes, that is true, but Boss told me that we¡¯re not strangers but allies who promised to work together for a bright future. As he says, what¡¯s the point of revealing the flaws of our ally?¡± Eval Sevaru responded eloquently with a smiling face. Of course, the underlying meaning was, ¡®We¡¯ve done this much for you, so it¡¯s now your turn to pay back. If you have a conscience.¡¯ ¡°Really? Is that true?¡± However, Alice showed an extraordinary reaction. ¡°Did you really say that?¡± Although Alice must have gotten the meaning behind Eval¡¯s words, she leaned towards Chi-Woo and asked again, as if she sincerely believed his words. ¡°Well, yes¡­¡± Chi-Woo nodded awkwardly. ¡°Oh, my.¡± Alice clasped her hands together. Exposed under the veil, her pretty lips broadly smiled like a blooming bud. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Eval Sevaru was taken aback when it seemed that Alice was in a very good mood. The Ho Lacteas were descendants of gods who claimed to be the best even though Chois reigned supreme. They were a family so renowned for being authoritative that there were rumors that all the Celestial Realm¡¯s formalities towards the twelve Celestial Lights were created because of them. On top of that, Alice was a shining talent that the world hadn¡¯t seen in a long while since Elrich. ¡®Is she telling us to just get over this topic since she¡¯s showing such a big reaction?¡¯ However, Eval Sevaru couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of her intentions as her reaction was so different from the rumors. However, his worry had been a false alarm. ¡°Since you¡¯ve considered us to that extent, I should also repay that favor. Is there anything that you want in particular?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing that comes immediately to mind. Since we received a request to fulfill a rescue mission, it would be enough to just receive compensation for that.¡± ¡°Hmm. A compensation.¡± Alice nodded and suddenly turned her head left and right. ¡°Come to think of it¡­every time I visit Seven Stars, I¡¯m filled with admiration. This building is a sight to behold.¡± ¡°Haha. Yes, we spent a lot of money on it, but thanks to that, we¡¯re dying these days. Our future looks bleak thinking about repaying all that debt to build this space.¡± ¡°I see.¡± A soft smile formed on her lips, and she said, ¡°Then Ho Lactea will handle that debt.¡± Eval Sevaru flinched; he was so shocked he couldn¡¯t even reply properly. ¡°¡­What?¡± He asked a few seconds later with a blank expression. ¡°If you built a building of this level, you must have borrowed a considerable amount of money from the official residence, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°You have the documents, don¡¯t you? Then let¡¯s go to the official residence and proceed with the transfer of debt.¡± ¡°Wait, but it¡¯s hundreds of thousands of royals at the least.¡± ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°A-Are you serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a minor favor compared to Sir Chi-Woo¡¯s efforts to save our face. I¡¯ll send someone as soon as I get back.¡± Alice answered in a relaxed manner, and Eval Sevaru¡¯s jaw dropped. He looked between Chi-Woo and Alice as if a gold nugget had rolled into his hand. ¡°Will you be fine with that, Sir Chi-Woo?¡± Chi-Woo gave an affirmative with a slightly blank face because Eval Sevaru was desperately telling him to say yes with all his might. Eval Sevaru had planned to get enough compensation so that they could rest easy for a bit, but she was willing to pay all their debt off on her own. There wasn¡¯t a bigger pushover than her. However, Chi-Woo had a different opinion. He didn¡¯t think that Alice Ho Lactea was such a kind-hearted person to the point of being foolish. Rather than that¡­ ¡°Haha.¡± Chi-Woo felt strange as she smiled at him as if he was a cute boy. For some reason, this situation felt like an older sister paying the credit card debt for her immature brother. ¡°Ah, by the way,¡± Alice turned around and said before leaving, ¡°I¡¯m cherishing the gift you sent me last time. I should¡¯ve thanked you earlier, but because of work, I had to push it off until now.¡± When the establishment of Seven Stars was officially announced, Alice had visited him in person and congratulated him by handing him a flower pot. Following the advice of Eval Sevaru, Chi-Woo had returned the favor. She was probably referring to that potted plant he sent. ¡°Likewise, I¡¯m cherishing the flower you gave me by watering it every day.¡± To be honest, Eval Sevaru was the one tending to it every day, but Chi-Woo made up an answer. It was for courtesy¡¯s sake, but Alice¡¯s composure broke again, and she gave a strange reaction. ¡°Really? Is that really true?¡± Seeing Alice squirm like a shy but happy girl, Chi-Woo had no idea why she was acting like this, but he made a firm resolve inside his mind to ask about her when his brother returned. * * * It was a few days after that when Yunael visited Seven Stars again. Unlike their usual self, Yunael picked at their food; when Yunael stormed into Aida¡¯s room, Aida grabbed them and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°¡­Probation.¡± Yunael answered briefly. ¡°And?¡± ¡°She just told me to keep a low profile for the time being.¡± ¡°Really, just probation?¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know¡ª¡± Yunael lay down on the bed and continued, ¡°I went in, prepared to get scolded like crazy, but she was in a surprisingly good mood that day.¡± Aida tilted her head as she listened to Yunael grumble. ¡°But considering her personality, I don¡¯t think she would have dropped this easily.¡± ¡°I know, right? What did she say again? I can make one mistake, but she won¡¯t tolerate two mistakes? And she kept touching that blasted potted plant again while talking the whole time¡­ Seriously, what¡¯s up with that?¡± Yunael snorted and puckered their lips. They seemed displeased by Alice¡¯s decision. Yunael had not only acted on their own but almost discredited the organization¡¯s reputation. However, considering that they only got probation, Alice¡¯s punishment was very lenient. It seemed as if Yunael wanted to be kicked out. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± ¡°What do you mean good?¡± Yunael said bluntly. ¡°The atmosphere in Ho Lactea is no joke. One guy just outrightly glared at me while walking past me. Ha! Like he can do anything besides glaring at me!¡± Despite their words, Yunael seemed bothered about this. ¡°I think they want me to get out on my own¡­ It¡¯s funny. I guess they think they can take my place if I¡¯m gone.¡± Aida could roughly guess Yunael¡¯s situation from listening to them. Although rumors about their behavior hadn¡¯t spread in Shalyh, it was different inside Ho Lactea because they knew everything about what happened. They probably despised Yunael as much as they suffered in the recent expedition. Once lost, trust took twice as much or more to regain. Moreover, this was only true if they had already built a relationship and there was an existing foundation of trust, but there was no way Yunael, a maverick, would have formed connections with the heroes around them. It would now be difficult for Yunael to gain permission to act independently, a privilege they had gotten before based on Tania¡¯s reputation. For a while, it was clear that they would be treated like the black sheep by everyone inside Ho Lactea. Although it was unfortunate, it couldn¡¯t be helped since Yunael brought it on themselves. Since Yunael knew this the best, they sighed. Then they suddenly turned around and asked furtively, ¡°¡­What about Seven Stars?¡¯ They were being pretty vague, but Aida knew what Yunael meant. Aida almost burst into laughter for a moment, but held it back. She didn¡¯t know what Yunael saw and experienced during the rescue mission, but it was about time for them to ask. Considering that Yunael was the one to mention this first, Aida decided to tell Yunael what they had been wanting to hear during their many conversations. ¡°Yunael, do you want to leave Ho Lactea?¡± ¡°I mean¡­well.¡± Yunael spoke in a slightly round-about way. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­it¡¯s not bad, but I don¡¯t think it fits well with me¡­¡± Although it hadn¡¯t been so long when they highly praised Ho Lactea, Yunael complained while trying to look far into the distance. Aida smiled inwardly and cleared her throat. ¡°If you want, I can put in a word for you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yunael pricked up their ears and quickly glanced back at Aida. ¡°You can do that for me?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be hard to ask, but I can¡¯t guarantee the results.¡± This was not a matter between teams, but between organizations; furthermore, it was a matter between two organizations that represented humanity. It was not a place someone could enter just because they wanted to. An agreement must be reached between the two leaders of both groups. In other words, Chi-Woo needed to make a move on his end. ¡°Anyway, put in a good word for me. That guy knows my skills, so he probably won¡¯t say no.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a meeting soon.¡± After Yunael went back, Aida ran to the office right away and reiterated what happened in detail. Eval Sevaru danced; he had been anticipating this since Yunael started going in and out of this place recently. He seemed to have been waiting for this very moment to finally repay the humiliation he suffered from Yunael. The two immediately began to plot to make sure they got Yunael. They butted their heads together and conversed for a long time. ¡°What? We¡¯re going that far?¡± Eval Sevaru shouted in shock. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong with it?¡± Aida asked calmly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say¡­you¡¯ve been friends for ten years? And didn¡¯t you tell me to not be too harsh?¡± ¡°That was before the fish went inside the net. Since they seem to have been caught in the net already, why don¡¯t we do whatever we want?¡± Eval Sevaru looked at Aida in disbelief. ¡°Well, if you feel uncomfortable about that, let¡¯s just make them cry moderately.¡± Aida smacked her lips and offered a compromise as if it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°I mean, even then, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been missing Yunael¡¯s crying face for a while. This is a very rare opportunity. You¡¯ll know once you see it, but it¡¯s fun to make Yunael cry. It¡¯s pretty cute.¡± ¡°Ha, geez. Then¡­¡± Then they began conversing again. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo looked at them with a slightly shocked face. ¡®¡­Fun to make them cry?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t ever expected to think this, but he felt a bit sorry for Yunael. 1. Hot soup with rice. ? CH 336 Yunael didn¡¯t feel a huge sense of affection or loyalty toward Ho Lactea. In the first place, they had only enrolled there in a fit of anger. But they had to admit that Ho Lactea wasn¡¯t a bad place to be; there were many advantages to being a member, and Yunael was able to rise in ranks faster than anybody else thanks to the environment the organization provided. Because of it, there was a time when Yunael was determined to become greater than anyone else while staying in Ho Lactea. Yet, at some point, Yunael felt the limits of being tied to an organization like Ho Lactea. Whenever their name became known, the Ho Lactea¡¯s fame jumped beyond that. No matter how well Yunael performed, Ho Lactea¡¯s name seemed to follow them everywhere, and at this rate, it seemed they would never be able to run away from the shadow of Ho Lactea. It was during this time of great internal struggle that they committed a critical mistake. As a result, Yunael¡¯s position inside the organization drastically diminished, and their reputation was tarnished. The way Alice dealt with Yunael could be seen as generous from an outsider¡¯s point of view, but Yunael didn¡¯t think that. They had lost all authority to act independently, and from now on, they would be a puppet, following whatever orders Alice gave them. One would wonder if all these things even mattered at this point, but Yunael hoped to transfer to Seven Stars. They felt a greater desire to do this after hearing what the name ¡®Seven Stars¡¯ meant from Aida. Ho Lactea was governed by a centralized system, while Seven Stars could be seen as a feudal system. Though it might look as if subordinates had to simply swear loyalty to their king, members could gain considerable authority and higher status through their work. This was evident with the first team¡¯s leader, Ru Amuh, and the fact that the organization not only supported but encouraged Ru Amuh to act independently further highlighted this point. Of course, Yunael knew that rising from the bottom to the top wouldn¡¯t be easy when entering a new organization, but they were confident that they could do it. They wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve the future they wanted in Ho Lactea. Yunael wanted to quickly transfer to Seven Stars if possible and use it as a foothold to make a comeback. Thus, they begged Aida for help, and that was how they came to this meeting place and confidently demonstrated their skills in front of members of Seven Stars. Their reaction didn¡¯t seem bad¡ªat least that was the impression Yunael got. And Chi-Woo nodded after hearing what Yunael said. Chi-Woo had not even spared them a glance during the hero recruitment event; thus, Yunael supposed that Chi-Woo¡¯s mind must have changed after seeing their skills in person, and they felt slightly relieved that their transfer seemed more likely than before. ¡°No,¡± At least that was how they felt before a man among the attendees intervened. ¡°Boss, you can¡¯t accept Yunael Tania.¡± With a solemn expression, Eval declared his opposition boldly. Yunael¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why? I will drop out of the other place and come here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not so simple. You can¡¯t just do that if you want to, especially since this can affect our relationship with Ho Lactea.¡± ¡°Ah, why can¡¯t I just do that? Isn¡¯t it all up to me?¡± ¡°Do you really not understand? Think about it, and you¡¯ll get why,¡± Eval said a bit bitingly. ¡°You leaving Ho Lactea would be like Ru Amuh leaving Seven Stars. And if Ru Amuh left Seven Stars and joined Ho Lactea, what do you think we would think?¡± Yunael hesitated after hearing Eval¡¯s explanation. If that happened, Seven Stars would think badly of Ho Lactea and assume they must have pulled some kind of trick. ¡°But my situation is different from that hero¡¯s. Not long ago¡ª¡± Yunael said. ¡°I know that too. That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more of a problem,¡± Eval continued with a frown on his face. ¡°Not only did you act independently, you failed in your expedition and needed our help. In Ho Lactea¡¯s perspective, you¡¯ve committed a grave mistake.¡± It was so grave that Yunael would have no room for complaining even if they were kicked out of the organization. Yet all Yunael received as punishment was probation. In other words, it meant that Alice was planning to still keep Yunael as part of her group. ¡°The leader of Ho Lactea risked angering her group members to protect you even after you committed a huge mistake. Thus, what would she think if you throw all the grace she showed you and leave the organization? And the place you go to is Seven Stars?¡± In short, Ho Lactea might suspect that Seven Stars had done something behind the scenes to ensure that Yunael failed their expedition. Yunael became pale. They hadn¡¯t considered that at all. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! I did my best on the expedition!¡± ¡°We know that too since it¡¯s Seven Stars who went to help. But the problem is that regardless of the truth, there¡¯s room for us to be framed in such a way.¡± They couldn¡¯t underestimate the imagination of busybodies. They would somehow exaggerate the story in their head and come to their own assumptions before blabbering their false theories all over the place. ¡°Anyways, I am dead set against it,¡± Eval said and turned to Chi-Woo. ¡°Boss, I know that you treasure Ms. Aida, but you mustn¡¯t accept Yunael into the group. Ho Lactea extended great favor toward us not long ago. If you make the wrong decision now, the relationship you had built up with them until now could crumble.¡± ¡°S-Seven Stars must be very afraid of Ho Lactea,¡± Yunael said in shock and looked worried that Chi-Woo¡¯s expression had changed after hearing what Eval said. ¡°Of course, we fear them,¡± Eval responded carefreely to Yunael¡¯s provocation. ¡°Though we don¡¯t really fear Ho Lactea, we are afraid of destroying the connection we¡¯ve built with them.¡± If they had to choose between Ho Lacte and Yunael Tania, they would certainly choose the former. There was no need to even think about it. Yunael¡¯s face turned flushed. Though they felt angry, they couldn¡¯t retort. Everything Eval said made sense, and Yunael stared at Chi-Woo pleadingly. Chi-Woo also stared back at Yunael blankly, but actually, he was looking at Yunael¡¯s user information rather than paying attention to the conversation. 1. Name & Rank: Yunael Tania (¡î¡î¡î) 2. Sex & Age: - & 20 3. Height & Weight: 168.6cm & 52.2kg 4. Denomination The Jade Emperor¡¯s Admiral, The White Horse General 5. Tier: Silver I 6. Class: Foot Soldier -> Infantry Officer -> Major 7. Heavenly Title: The General Who Possesses Courage from Head to Toe and the Might of the Tiger 8. Disposition: Neutral Good Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. [Strength C] [Durability C] [Agility B] [Stamina B] [Mental Fortitude B] [Mana B] 1. [The Three Basic Skills of Spearmanship A+++] 2. [Straight Prune-Colored Streaks A] 1. [Mantra that Chases Away the Darkness C] 2. [Resistance Against External Magic C] 1. [Accumulated Bravery] ¨C The ability to instinctively overcome fear. The user doesn¡¯t become afraid, and even if they panic from fear, they know how to get themselves back up and push themselves forward. They would not bend even when facing death and would maintain their bravery. This ability would provide a great boost toward combat abilities and survival rate even when they are cornered. Through their user information, Chi-Woo got that Yunael was outstanding. They were in silver rank, their physical attributes were high, and their list of abilities was impressive too. Yet Chi-Woo still felt unsure if Yunael should be one of his seven stars. ¡®Their potential is three stars¡­¡¯ Though there was no doubt that Yunael had great potential, he wondered if Yunael was really a hero he must hold onto and make a star at all costs. Of course, Chi-Woo knew that like Eshnunna and Emmanuel, the potential he simply saw with his eyes wasn¡¯t everything. Just in case, Chi-Woo studied them using the ¡®The Power to Rule the World¡¯ and found two odd points. [Yunael Tania- Page (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 90% in trust (Incomplete) 2. Become acknowledged by ¡®Byeok Ran-Eum¡¯, the Celestial Realm¡¯s examiner, and become her disciple (Incomplete) 3. Break the contract with the White Horse General and form a new contract with the goddess of Balance, La Bella (Incomplete) 4. Use at least 6 and at most 8 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) Through his experience using The Power to Rule the World, Chi-Woo had concluded a few rules such as that the conditions became harder to fulfill the higher a person¡¯s potential was. Furthermore, the trust and blessed luck required would be higher as well. This was the point that surprised him. Though he couldn¡¯t look down on three stars by any means, it was still lacking in comparison to four stars or five stars¡ªwhich he hadn¡¯t seen yet. However, even though Yunael¡¯s potential was only three stars, their conditions required a percentage of trust one would expect to see for a four-star. Furthermore, the conditions required a higher number of Blessed Luck than they would for a four-star. For Ru Amuh, the Blessed Luck required was 5 to 7, but Yunael¡¯s condition required at least 6 and at most 8. This was the first time he had seen a requirement greater than 7. Though Chi-Woo didn¡¯t intend to use The Power to Rule the World brashly, a part of him wondered what the deal with Yunael was that their conditions would be so stringent. And while Chi-Woo was wondering about this, he felt three pairs of eyes on him. Yunael especially looked very intently at him. ¡°There¡¯s no choice¡­¡± Chi-Woo sighed to himself because he knew there was only one type of answer he could give right now and said, ¡°It seems¡­your transfer to our group will be difficult.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Yunael gasped. ¡°My Lord, can¡¯t we do anything?¡± Aida sounded desperate for Yunael. ¡°I can attest to Yunael¡¯s skills. They will definitely be a hero who will help the Seven Stars.¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t a problem of whether or not they will be of help,¡± Eval interjected, but Aida continued. ¡°Yunael is a close companion who I¡¯ve known for over a decade. I understand Seven Stars¡¯ situation, but I can¡¯t look away when they are having such a difficult time. In consideration of me, can¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Ah, he already said no. We already organized this meeting because you pleaded so hard. Are you going to keep insisting despite all that?¡± ¡°My Lord!¡± Aida cried out. Then Yunael gasped, because Aida had suddenly dropped to her knees. ¡°Ah, what are you doing! Quickly get up. Can¡¯t you see that the boss is having a difficult time?¡± Eval yelled, but Aida stayed put. Yet Chi-Woo was looking away. He was simply touching the flower pot on his desk and looked far into the distance. Yunael was stunned because Chi-Woo acted exactly like someone they knew. What was the deal with these flower pots? When Yunael saw Aida bowing her head, they felt their heart crack into thousands of pieces. Aida was a noble hero who should be treated with respect and care wherever she went. But because of them, she had to face such humiliation! ¡°Aida, stop.¡± Yunael immediately got up and wrapped their arms around Aida. Then they turned and said, ¡°I understand Seven Stars¡¯ perspective.¡± Yunael looked intently at Chi-Woo then glared and gritted their teeth as Eval continued on calmly. ¡°Well¡­we don¡¯t really have any negative feelings about you either, but we also have our positions to consider¡ª¡± ¡°I got it. I can come here after solving all the issues that could pose problems.¡± ¡°You should neither solve the issues nor come back. You can¡¯t avoid problems in this situation,¡± Eval refused firmly, and Yunael gritted their teeth harder. ¡°But if you insist on doing what you want, we will also reveal Seven Stars¡¯ own stance about this matter. I am telling you this now so that you remember.¡± With these words, the meeting ended. *** Yunael¡¯s face looked dazed as they returned to Ho Lactea¡¯s headquarters. It felt as if they were struck by a hammer in the head, hard. They hadn¡¯t dreamed of something like this happening. Yet even after all this, Yunael still had the intention to leave Ho Lactea. Yunael¡¯s personality didn¡¯t allow them to keep doing something that didn¡¯t fit them. But they really needed to do something about the problems that were brought to light in their meeting with Seven Stars. Though they had left the meeting talking big, Yunael didn¡¯t know where to begin. At this rate, they would have no place to go even if they left Ho Lactea. But for now, Yunael received a call to meet Alice and went to see her when they arrived back at the headquarters. ¡°Could you explain this?¡± As soon as Yunael entered the room, Alice shared a long message. It was a message that explained what had happened at Seven Stars just now. It was obvious who it came from. Yunael was sure it was the gangster-looking guy named Ever Sever or whatever his name was. He had warned Yunael that they didn¡¯t want unnecessary misunderstandings and would let their stance be known. ¡°Is the message true?¡± Alice asked, and Yunael clenched their eyes shut. They were screwed. ¡°Were you unable to accept your sentence?¡± Alice asked in a slightly angry voice. She was a hero who usually didn¡¯t show many emotions. The fact that she even let a bit of her emotion known hinted that she was incredibly angry. Yunael wondered what they should do now, and after biting down their lower lip for some time, Yunael said in a weak voice. ¡°I am telling you beforehand, but I didn¡¯t conspire with Seven Stars.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Alice said sharply. ¡°Otherwise, Seven Stars wouldn¡¯t have sent me that message. I also confirmed from several others that you have tried your best to succeed in the recent expedition. That¡¯s why I had simply given you a light probation.¡± It seemed Alice had checked the same story with several people to confirm the truth. Though Yunael was happy that they were freed from one suspicion, that still didn¡¯t solve the other problems, nor brought them closer to their goal of leaving Ho Lactea. ¡°I¡­¡± After some silence, Yunael had no choice but to speak up. ¡°I just thought that there was no place for me to stand here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And there¡¯s the point that Aida is in Seven Stars too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Alice didn¡¯t respond; it appeared that she couldn¡¯t understand Yunael¡¯s point at all. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t really understand either.¡± In the end, Yunael thought they were lost as well and said, ¡°I just like that place and want to go there. I had wanted to go there since I came to Liber and learned about all the organizations. I feel like that place would fit me the best and that I must go there. It¡¯s like the string of destiny is connecting me to that place.¡± Yunael spoke nonstop and finally took a deep breath in. In the end, their true feelings were revealed. When trying to solve a problem, it was important for one to show their genuineness, but that wasn¡¯t the solution to everything. Alice didn¡¯t respond for a while, and Yunael felt nervous waiting for a reply. Yunael also thought that it would be understandable if Alice was enraged by them. After all, Yunael had gone to join another competitor¡¯s group after Alice overlooked their mistake. As someone who belonged to a high-status, renowned family, Alice must¡¯ve felt insulted, and Yunael wouldn¡¯t blame Alice even if she cursed at them. Yet Alice didn¡¯t do that. After a long silence, she asked, ¡°¡­What about that child?¡± ¡°What?¡± Alice cleared her throat and answered, ¡°No, the leader of the group, Sir Chi-Woo. What did he say?¡± ¡°¡­He refused too.¡± ¡°Could you explain it in more detail? Without missing a thing.¡± Yunael didn¡¯t know why Alice was asking this, but they noticed Alice stroking her flower pot again. Alice¡¯s gestures seemed rougher than usual as she touched the plant¡¯s leaves. Yunael let out a humorless laugh. Chi-Woo and Alice were so similar. And Yunael decided to just do whatever the hell they wanted at this point and ask the question they had always wanted to ask. ¡°Before I tell you that, can I ask a question?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the flower pot?¡± ¡°¡­Why are you suddenly asking me that?¡± Alice asked warily while wrapping her hands around the flower pot. ¡°I was just curious,¡± Yunael shrugged. They really were just curious. ¡°Well, to explain¡­it seems Seven Stars¡¯ leader was quite pleased with me too and showed a positive response to me. But he was very worried about what Ho Lactea would think.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Yunael tilted their head, ¡°Even when Aida pleaded to him to accept me with her knees on the ground, he turned away. He said it would be difficult while fumbling around with his flower pot as you do.¡± Yunael explained the reason for their question while they were at it. ¡°¡­Oh my, really?¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes widened slightly because Alice¡¯s tone seemed to significantly soften then. It wasn¡¯t their imagination. The way she stroked her plant was becoming softer too. ¡®What is the deal with the plant really?¡¯ Yunael thought. Was it a plant that could effectively calm people¡¯s moods? But it seemed Alice had no intention of answering Yunael¡¯s question and remained quiet. It seemed she was contemplating the matter deeply. As Yunael thought, Alice felt displeased after receiving Seven Star¡¯s message. She knew Yunael¡¯s personality, but there was a limit to how much she could overlook and forgive. And in this recent meeting Yunael had with the Seven Stars, Yunael had crossed the line. Since this organization was named Ho Lactea, this was a matter concerning her family¡¯s honor, and she had no intention of forgiving Yunael...at least until she heard what Yunael said, and her thoughts changed slightly. If Chi-Hyun had been Seven Star¡¯s leader, he wouldn¡¯t have considered her position at all. If he thought Yunael was useful, he would¡¯ve recruited them immediately and one-sidedly reported the news to Ho Lactea. That was how the members of the Choi family usually acted toward the Ho Lacteas; Chi-Hyun was especially like this. Yet that wasn¡¯t the case for Chi-Woo. Yunael had potential that was rare to find among heroes. Their future looked bright, and that was the reason Alice had recruited them in the first place. If Chi-Woo had recognized Yunael¡¯s potential, he probably would¡¯ve wanted to take them in as well. Furthermore, he had the power to do so since Seven Star¡¯s position was currently higher than Ho Lactea¡¯s, and above all, they had the legend supporting them. If they really wanted to, they could¡¯ve forcefully taken one or two heroes from even Ho Lactea. Yet that wasn¡¯t what Chi-Woo did. ¡®Even though he was tempted, he refused in the end in consideration of me,¡¯ Alice thought. Yunael said he rejected them while stroking the flower pot she gifted him. This was a clear sign that the child thought of her as his older sister. There was no other explanation why a member of the Choi family would¡¯ve backed away so easily; thinking this, Alice¡¯s heart weakened. If this matter involved anyone else, Alice wouldn¡¯t have felt this way at all; but it was different when it came to her precious younger brother. Furthermore, Chi-Woo was Elrich¡¯s son and the youngest at that. ¡°That child is really¡­¡± An older sister couldn¡¯t help but care for her younger brother like how an older brother couldn¡¯t win over their younger sister. Eventually, Alice¡¯s wavering heart made a firm decision. ¡°I called you here to talk about the message, but there¡¯s another reason,¡± Alice said after a long pause. ¡°I think we need to retract the probation I placed on you recently.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°There are many who are displeased by your light sentence.¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes blinked fast. What did this mean all of a sudden? ¡°I tried to convince them, but it¡¯s difficult,¡± Alice continued while stroking her flower pot. Yunael thought they even saw a slight smile on her face. ¡°Personally, I want to spend more time with you, but¡­even I can¡¯t deal with all the opposition from the inside.¡± Alice finally took her hands off the flower pot and stared at Yunael with her fingers crossed. Then, she said, ¡°So, very unfortunately, I will like you to leave Ho Lactea today.¡± Yunael stared blankly as Alice talked and gradually, their mouth widened. This had to be a lie. Ho Lactea ran by a centralized power system, and Alice was basically a queen in this place. Who would dare to go against the queen¡¯s opinions? ¡°My heart also doesn¡¯t feel at ease to let this happen. But considering all the contributions you have made to the organization until now, I will acknowledge your ownership of the equipment you have right now.¡± There must only be one reason why she was acting this way. ¡°Furthermore, I could write you a recommendation letter for any organization you want to go to. And I mean any.¡± With this, the miraculous transfer from Ho Lactea to Seven Stars was made possible. CH 337 A few days later, Chi-Woo was visibly stunned when Yunael confidently visited Seven Stars with a letter of introduction from Ho Lactea in one hand. In short, the letter said that Yunael didn¡¯t fit with the organization and was dismissed, but since Yunael wanted to enter Seven Stars, Chi-Woo could accept them if he wanted. Aida and Eval Sevaru were both flustered because they thought there was no way Alice would write that ¡®they would raise no objections if Seven Stars recruit Yunael Tania¡¯ unless she got shot with an arrow. However, this unbelievable situation came into reality. ¡°It¡¯s fine, right? Since I solved everything, you have no complaints, right?¡± Aida and Eval Sevaru fell silent seeing Yunael brandish the letter of introduction with their other arm akimbo. Their original plan had been to file a complaint to Ho Lactea about Yunael and completely eliminate any status or position that Yunael had inside the organization. Then they planned to turn a blind eye when Yunael had a hard time and was eventually pushed out, and they hoped that for the time being, Yunael would live daily in despair like an outcast! Aida and Eval smacked their lips as they planned to reach out to Yunael only once they reached their limits. In a way, it was their mistake that they could not guess the relationship between Chi-Woo and Alice, but who could have known that the shining talent of the haughty and refined Ho Lacteas would have a brother complex? Since Chi-Woo, who was the person involved, had no idea either, there was no way these two could have known. Yunael enjoyed seeing Eval Sevaru¡¯s pathetic face to the fullest. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Come on, don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t accept me now?¡± Aida and Eval Sevaru, who were left speechless, eventually looked back at Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo laughed in shock and smiled brightly. * * * ¡°I¡¯ll set up a couple conditions,¡± Chi-Woo said after bringing Yunael to the office and sitting them down. ¡°If you can meet those two conditions, I¡¯ll approve of you joining.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Although Yunael¡¯s expression seemed to be saying, ¡®What the heck, why another condition¡¯, they suppressed their impatience, albeit a little obvious with it. Even though they succeeded in defeating Eval Sevaru, they knew that the final decision was up to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°You¡¯ve probably heard the name Byeok Ran-Eum.¡± ¡°Ah, Miss Byeok. She¡¯s the Celestial Realm¡¯s examiner, right? Of course I know. Are there any heroes who don¡¯t know her?¡± ¡°The first condition is to be acknowledged by her, become her disciple, and receive her teaching.¡± ¡°Oh, sounds good.¡± Chi-Woo thought they would show reluctance, but Yunael looked rather happy; they seemed to welcome it instead. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to receive her teaching for a long time since becoming her disciple alone earned you acknowledgment. If I get her approval, I can¡¯t imagine the acclaim.¡± It was a reason befitting Yunael¡¯s personality. ¡°But my dad told me to stop thinking about useless things and just focus on doing my job well, so I¡¯ve been only keeping that in the back of my mind.¡± Yunael shrugged. Chi-Woo also shrugged and continued, ¡°The second condition is to change the god that sponsors you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yunael expressed their opposition right away, as they thought this condition was downright ridiculous. ¡°I mean, why do I have to change the god¡­ There¡¯s not even a god that I like other than the White Horse General.¡± ¡°I think you would also like the god I serve.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Goddess La Bella.¡± ¡°La Bella¡­?¡± Yunael tilted their head. Since there wasn¡¯t a temple dedicated to La Bella in Shalyh, it was understandable that they wouldn¡¯t know who La Bella was. ¡°The Goddess Libra protecting balance¡­¡± After hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation, Yunael clicked their tongue. ¡°Does she not even need followers?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s interested in gaining followers. She doesn¡¯t usually make contracts either.¡± ¡°She¡¯s an interesting god¡­¡± Yunael said with fascination and then frowned. ¡°Anyway, do I really have to go that far? I like the White Horse General. He likes me too.¡± ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t like it¡ª¡± ¡°Nooo,¡± Yunael quickly said. ¡°Since you¡¯re also a hero, you must know how heavy a contract with a god is. Of course, I know you can change the god who¡¯s sponsoring you, but you have to also consider the context.¡± It might have been different if they were only in the starting stage of their contract, but Yunael had already reached almost gold tier under the support of the White Horse General. If things went badly, they might have to donate all the merits they had made so far and reset to the first tier. It would be too disappointing to start from the beginning all over again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, since I¡¯ll do the talking.¡± ¡°No¡­what¡­¡± Yunael stared at Chi-Woo with suspicion but couldn¡¯t find a way to refuse. In the end, Chi-Woo and Yunael went to the White Horse General¡¯s temple together. With blind faith, Yunael revealed the purpose of their visit and had to be subject to the White General¡¯s menacing stare. ¡®See. I knew this would happen.¡¯ Yunael had to prepare themselves because they expected to be fiercely scolded at any moment. However, the scolding did not happen. The White Horse General just silently looked down at them. Yunael looked up at him and tilted their head. ¡ªSigh¡­ Then the White Horse General sighed. ¡ªI feel displeased. Even if it¡¯s your request¡­this is a problem related to my dignity. ¡°Yes, I understand. Nevertheless, even at the risk of sounding shameless, I implore you to please accept my request. It¡¯s a necessary process. ¡ªHmm. I can roughly guess why you¡¯re asking this. But even then, I can¡¯t just¡ª A quiet and tranquil voice suddenly interjected. ¡ªWhy don¡¯t you just quickly accept his request instead of taking your time? The White Horse General took a sharp breath in. ¡ªPrincess Sahee¡­! ¡ªWhy are you trying to impose another condition? You can just do as he wants. ¡ª¡­I can do that, but I also have to save my face. ¡ªI guess you¡¯re a man after all who can¡¯t live without saving face. Aren¡¯t you benefitting a lot from the stage this child prepared for you? ¡ªI won¡¯t deny that, but I think I paid sufficiently for that. The White Horse General grumbled softly. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡ªIf it were any other hero, I wouldn¡¯t be like this, but it¡¯s different this time. I like this kid. Two giants looked down at Yunael. Although Yunael couldn¡¯t see Princess Sahee, they felt an indescribable pressure and slightly flinched. ¡ªHmm¡­ Princess Sahee scanned Yunael and let out a slight nasal sound. ¡ªNarrow-sighted, so narrow-sighted. ¡ªWhat do you mean? ¡ªYour child and my child¡¯s request. You really don¡¯t know which one is more valuable? ¡ª¡­ The White Horse General became silent again at her words. Then he sighed deeply. Soon after, Yunael walked out of the temple in a dream-like daze. Although the White General Horse looked reluctant, he still terminated the contract. Moreover, he returned all the merits he had received so far; the White Horse General made a big concession. ¡°What just happened¡­?¡± Yunael stared at Chi-Woo, who was walking next to them. They clearly couldn¡¯t believe what had happened. A powerful god who protected Shalyh listened to a mere mortal and quietly withdrew; this was something that usually never happened. ¡°The White Horse General is not a god originally from Liber. He came from a different world.¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°And I¡¯m the one who established him here.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. That means he¡¯s a foreign god. How could you do that?¡± Chi-Woo briefly organized his thoughts. If he began talking about the talisman, he thought their conversation would get too long. On second thought, it was about time to reveal his identity, and judging by their personality, it seemed that Yunael would be good at keeping secrets. Thus, Chi-Woo said, ¡°My last name is actually Choi.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°The Choi family. Choi. Do you not know about them?¡± ¡°Choi? That Choi?¡± Yunael immediately frowned. ¡°Ah, stop joking with me. Just quickly tell me the truth.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s for real.¡± ¡°Stop playing! If you don¡¯t want to tell me, don¡¯t bother. Don¡¯t think you can keep toying with me.¡± Yunael didn¡¯t believe him. * * * When Yunael returned to Seven Stars, they met La Bella through Chi-Woo¡¯s introduction and was able to form a contract. Only their god and ability changed, and everything else remained the same. There was now only one condition left to fulfill for them to join¡ªto be acknowledged by the Celestial Realm¡¯s examiner, Byeok, and become her disciple. Surprisingly, Byeok easily accepted the request. ¡°Tania¡­if it¡¯s Tania¡­¡± Byeok, who had been lost in thought, raised her head. ¡°Show me your spear stances.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Yunael shouted with a hint of nervousness in their expression and lifted their spear. They showed chalchang, nachang, and lanchang in order. Chi-Woo had felt this before, but Yunael seemed to be attacking and defending at the same time when they performed the movements consecutively. After seeing Yunael fiercely move their spear, Byeok nodded and said, ¡°Good, you passed.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Yunael raised both arms and cheered. Chi-Woo shot a slightly bitter glance at Byeok, and Byeok asked, ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± ¡°I mean¡­it seems like you¡¯re a bit¡ªno, very different with me or Mr. Emmanuel.¡± In Chi-Woo¡¯s case, he had to swing his club day and night to pass her test, and in Emmanuel¡¯s case, Byeok adamantly refused to teach him. ¡°You were a beginner at that time, so I wasn¡¯t sure about your talent. As for Emmanuel, he had a problem that couldn¡¯t be fixed with my power.¡± However, this wasn¡¯t the case for Yunael. There was no need to even mention their talent, and they didn¡¯t have a problem that Byeok couldn¡¯t do anything about. There was no reason not to accept Yunael as a disciple. ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no problem at all.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve only trained in the basics,¡± Byeok said flatly while putting the pipe in her mouth. ¡°They¡¯ve probably only been swinging their spear since they were very young. I don¡¯t know who their teacher was, but that child¡¯s childhood must have been quite harsh.¡± Chi-Woo stared at Yunael, who was still jumping in joy, with a new gaze. Since his master was saying this, he understood a bit why Yunael immediately passed. And like this, Yunael satisfied the two conditions. He now had to steadily increase their trust level. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t in a hurry because he wanted to wait and see if Yunael was really suitable to be one of his seven stars. Anyway, given Yunael had gone this far, there was no way Chi-Woo could go back on his words now. He finally decided to let them join after they showed their strong will. Yunael said they wanted a huge welcoming party considering how hard they worked to join, and Chi-Woo understood that as them asking him to make food because they were hungry. Coincidentally, the first team had just returned from fulfilling a commission. Although it hadn¡¯t been an easy mission, and everyone else had collapsed without washing up, Ru Amuh, the epitome of a model student, went to greet his teacher he dearly respected. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s been a while¡­¡± Ru Amuh went to the dining room after hearing that Chi-Woo was in the kitchen and paused when he saw a hero sitting at the table with a feast in front of them. ¡°Oh, Mr. Ru Amuh. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Just coming out of the kitchen, Chi-Woo smiled and greeted him. Then he looked between Ru Amuh and Yunael and said, ¡°Ah, this is Yunael Tania, a new member joining today. They¡¯re also very close with Ms. Aida.¡± Then Yunael and Ru Amuh¡¯s gazes clashed for a moment, and recognition crept into his eyes. ¡°Yunael Tania¡­I see.¡± A faint smile soon appeared on his face. ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Ru Amuh.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m Yunael Tania.¡± At his polite greeting, Yunael responded in a slightly coy tone. Chi-Woo said, ¡°If you haven¡¯t eaten yet, would you like to have the meal with us? Since we¡¯ll all be working together, we can get to know each other.¡± ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t turn your offer down.¡± When Chi-Woo grabbed his arm and pulled him to the table, Ru Amuh sat down while smiling. ¡°I¡¯m sure you must be tired. You should eat first and take a rest. I¡¯ll do a proper introduction at dinnertime.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration. I¡¯ll tell the other teammates in advance.¡± Then they began eating. Ru Amuh ate moderately from various food groups like always, but Yunael was picking at their food for some reason. Rather than happily stuffing their face like usual, they were eating like they were at a funeral. They ate only three pieces with an elegant movement before putting down their chopsticks. ¡°Do you not have an appetite?¡± While an awkward silence passed between them, Ru Amuh, who had already emptied a bowl, asked curiously. ¡°This is enough for me.¡± Yunael softly smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t usually eat a lot.¡± They spoke in a clear voice, maintaining a straight posture and looking at him with half-closed coquettish eyes. ¡®Aha.¡¯ Ru Amuh nodded. Then he stood up while saying, ¡°I¡¯ll have a proper meeting with you in the evening.¡± As soon as the sound of his footsteps went far away, Yunael exhaled the breath they had been holding. ¡°Pweh! I can finally eat now.¡± Then they picked up their chopsticks and started digging in and stuffing their mouth. In an instant, the food on the table was cleared up. ¡°Yum! Yeah, this is it! Yummm!¡± Chi-Woo stared at Yunael as they stuffed their mouth full of food and cheered in joy. ¡°¡­What? Have you never seen a person eat?¡± Yunael felt his gaze and asked with their cheeks bulging. However, Chi-Woo continued to stare at them in silence, so Yunael gulped and said irritably, ¡°He¡¯s my rival. My rival.¡± ¡°Rival?¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know? The rising supernovas in recent years.¡± Yunael pointed at themselves with their chopsticks and pointed at the door Ru Amuh left through. ¡°That hero must have heard my name a few times. Of course, I also heard his name a bit, and judging by his attitude just now, it seems like he has been conscious of me.¡± They continued while scooping up rice with a spoon. ¡°What does that have to do with your behavior just now?¡± ¡°Geez, seriously. Can¡¯t you think for a bit?¡± Chi-Woo was shocked. He couldn¡¯t believe that Yunael of all people was telling him to think. ¡°Although we never met each other, he and I are both talked about frequently by other heroes. Then even if we don¡¯t like it, we have no choice but to feel a sense of competition towards the other.¡± Yunael continued while chewing, ¡°I¡¯m sure he must hold some kind of image of me as his rival, but if he sees me eat like my usual self, he¡¯ll make fun of me inside, thinking, ¡®They always talk about this and that about Yunael, but the hero in question sure is good at stuffing themselves like a pig.¡¯¡± In short, Yunael was conscious of Ru Amuh and ate little. Chi-Woo smiled dryly and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s no wonder. Mr. Ru Amuh is very handsome.¡± ¡°What the heck? What are you talking about?¡± Yunael looked at him with displeasure. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but he¡¯s not really my type.¡± Chi-Woo snorted at Yunael¡¯s confident words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not Mr. Ru Amuh¡¯s type either.¡± ¡°When did I say I was?¡± Yunael hmphed and snorted. ¡°Also, I¡¯m a Tania. You might think I sound arrogant, but even most Celestial Lights can¡¯t treat us however they want.¡± Yunael proudly talked about their family and went back to eating. ¡°Seriously, talking about me being conscious of him. It needs to at least be a Choi for me to suck up to them. Only someone at that level would be worth acting shy or coy for. I¡¯m not interested in anyone besides that.¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so? They need to at least be a Choi.¡± ¡°Yeah. By the way, what is Seven Stars¡¯ relationship with the legend? It seems like there¡¯s some kind of connection from what I saw at the drafting event.¡± Chi-Woo decided to save his words for now while seeing Yunael fervently concentrate on eating¡ªin case they got an upset stomach. CH 338 As promised, Chi-Woo gathered everyone during dinner time and introduced Yunael to them. Their response was favorable, especially considering the Tania name and Yunael¡¯s close companionship with Aida. No one was unhappy that they were going to gain another skilled companion. It was the same for Yunael. They had worried that there were going to be some disagreements when they first joined, but there had been nothing to worry about. Ho Lactea¡¯s atmosphere was stiff and cold just like the army. In comparison, Seven Stars was warm, free, and felt less robotic. Though Ho Lactea wasn¡¯t bad, Yunael liked Seven Stars¡¯ atmosphere much better. ¡°Are you going to wash with us too, Ms. Yunael?¡± Evelyn asked with a soft smile. ¡°There¡¯s a newly built bathhouse in the main building. It¡¯s quite nice, so I use it at least once a day.¡± The first team returned to Shalyh and had been too overwhelmed with exhaustion to do anything but sleep. Thus, Evelyn tried to get Yunael to join her in the bathhouse now to relieve the fatigue and bond with the rest of the women. ¡°A bath¡­? I like it too, but¡­¡± Then Yunael asked, ¡°Will that really be alright with you? Even if I go with you?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a woman. So you should also refrain from calling me miss.¡± Evelyn¡¯s eyes turned wide. It wasn¡¯t only her. Everyone looked shocked. Yunael wasn¡¯t a woman? Now that they really studied them, they noticed that Yunael¡¯s chest area was flat after taking off their armor and putting on comfortable clothes. It wasn¡¯t that their chest was small, but they had no curves like a man. ¡°I never said I was a man or a woman,¡± Yunael seemed to have expected their responses and tilted their head. Chi-Woo looked back at Yunael, a bit stunned. He had thought when he first saw Yunael that they looked pretty and feminine, but it was hard to tell whether they were a man or a woman. To think that they were actually a man! It was shocking, but Chi-Woo regained his composure. It didn¡¯t really matter anyway, and the important point was whether Yunael was fit to be the third star of his team. ¡°Well, then we can take Mr. Yunael with us,¡± Eval said. Likewise, he didn¡¯t seem too concerned about the matter and said, ¡°Let us men go together. There¡¯s boys¡¯ talk just like girls¡¯ talk.¡± ¡°No, I¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t try to sneak out of it. Even Boss and the first team¡¯s captain are coming. It¡¯s rare for everyone to gather like this.¡± ¡°Just listen to me for a bit¡ª¡± For some reason, Yunael looked disgruntled by this too, but Eval forcefully pulled them up. Chi-Woo thought it wasn¡¯t a bad idea and trailed after them, and Ru Amuh soon followed. Aida chuckled as she watched Yunael being carried farther away from the rest of the group. ¡°I understand if you don¡¯t feel comfortable around me. But you should also think about my position,¡± Eval said after they arrived at the men-only bathhouse and took off his clothes. ¡°That¡¯s just my responsibility. I must always consider Seven Stars¡¯ security foremost.¡± Then Eval turned around after getting completely naked. ¡°But now that we are on the same team, let¡¯s forget about what happened in the past. We will be seeing each other often now, so there¡¯s no point in us fighting anymore.¡± Seeing that Yunael was still not undressing themselves, Eval asked, ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yunael sighed. Then they aggressively threw off their clothes and revealed their flat chest. ¡°Hm, that¡¯s the way.¡± Eval nodded, and Yunael nonchalantly also took off their bottom, including their underwear. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s soak ourselves inside the hot water and¡­¡± Eval suddenly stopped. Then he blinked very fast. Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh, who were also making their preparations to enter the bathhouse, also stopped and showed the same response. They were all staring at the area between Yunael¡¯s long legs and not looking away from it. There was nothing; no feature of a man¡ªno elephant, baguette, or anything else. But there was no feature of a woman¡ªah, what could it be called¡ªum, anyways, there was none of that either. In scholarly terms, Yunael didn¡¯t have any sexual organs that could differentiate their sex. ¡°Are you all satisfied?¡± Yunael asked. It sounded like they were asking if seeing their body was enough for them. Eval soon regained his senses, but he couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from Yunael yet. ¡°Uh¡­¡± he asked in astonishment. ¡°Where do you pee from?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Yunael¡¯s face immediately scrunched up. *** Meanwhile, at the women-only bathhouse, Aida was revealing the truth about Yunael¡¯s sex to the women. ¡°Yunael is neither female nor male. To be exact, they have no sex. It¡¯s a special trait of the Tania family. They have no sex when they are born into this world.¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s face filled with curiosity as she asked, ¡°What? Does that mean Yunael is hermaphrodite?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case at all. Yunael is born from the love of two parents,¡± Aida replied with a smile, ¡°All members of the Tania experience a special puberty where they choose their own sex.¡± ¡°Hm¡­didn¡¯t you say that Yunael was twenty years old?¡± Evelyn suddenly asked. ¡°Do they have to fulfill some strict conditions or go through difficulties in going through puberty?¡± Evelyn was curious how Yunael could go through twenty years of their lives without their sex getting chosen. ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case at all,¡± Aida explained. ¡°Usually, members of the Tania family experience puberty at eight or nine years old on the fast side and, on average, fourteen years old. At the latest, it is usually seventeen or eighteen.¡± ¡°Then what happened to Yunael?¡± ¡°The reason Yunael has no sex even at twenty years old¡­isn¡¯t exactly clear, but I think it has to do with the environment they grew up in. It was a very restricted one.¡± ¡°In what ways?¡± ¡°Yunael¡¯s parents decided on their child¡¯s fate the moment they were born and only focused on making them a hero. Thus, their training began when they were very, very young¡­¡± Evelyn said in a bitter voice, and Evelyn looked like she understood a bit. Eshnunna and Hawa also looked sympathetic. They knew what it was like to be raised for a purpose. But it really was surprising. How severe was their environment that it could push off one deciding their sex for so long? ¡°Anyways, it isn¡¯t a difficult matter for a Tania to go through puberty. Instead, it¡¯s very easy. They just need a very slight trigger.¡± ¡°A trigger?¡± ¡°Yes, as I said before, they can choose their own sex,¡± Aida continued. ¡°They just need to have a slight feeling. Just a very slight interest in a specific sex or want themselves to become a man or a woman.¡± They simply needed to unconsciously want to become one sex, and the moment their sex hormones leaned one way, their sex would be decided. ¡°Yunael¡¯s parents only realized their mistake when it was already too late.¡± Evelyn smiled at this and said, ¡°I can guess why. I bet the two wanted Yunael to be a man.¡± It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Exactly, but it was way too late then.¡± Aida and Yunael had been together for a decade. There could have been something between the two, but Yunael didn¡¯t see Aida as a potential love interest but simply a trustworthy companion. Though Aida was a charming woman, Yunael showed no interest in her that way, as is evidenced by their unchanged body. ¡°Though it might be a bit funny for me to hope for it in this situation¡­¡± After a momentary pause, Aida said, ¡°I still hope that child can decide their sex even in this world.¡± Evelyn also seemed regretful. ¡°I hope the same, but I wonder if they¡¯ll be able to¡­¡± ¡°Yunael doesn¡¯t consider it a priority, but it¡¯s not like they don¡¯t have any interest at all. But as high as their confidence is, their standards are also high.¡± Then Aida added that there was at least something hopeful in Liber. ¡°I suppose you meant that they have a very particular taste. But what¡¯s hopeful about here?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the legend here?¡± ¡°Ah, the legend.¡± ¡°Even a prideful and self-centered person like Yunael showed slight interest when the legend was mentioned.¡± ¡°Hm, for brother-in-law¡­then are they going to become my sister-in-law?¡± Evelyn murmured to herself, and Aida didn¡¯t catch onto what she said. ¡°They don¡¯t even need to hang around the legend. Even a short interaction could influence them in big ways,¡± Aida said, filled with assurance and hope. *** After finishing their bath, Chi-Woo showed Yunael around the building and guided them to their room. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much the entire building, and you can stay in this place for now,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°This room is usually reserved for guests, but it doesn¡¯t mean you are a guest. We still need to decide on the little details, but I will have a separate conversation with you soon. Until then, you should stay here. And¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, I got it. I got it,¡± Yunael finally blurted out, unwilling to take it any longer. ¡°Why are you trying to take care of me from A to Z? Are you my dad or something?¡± Chi-Woo thought for a bit and nodded in understanding. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. You are not a kid.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sleep well. You did a lot of work today.¡± Chi-Woo turned around and walked away while waving his hands, and Yunael laughed humorlessly. ¡°¡­Unbelievable. It was just like yesterday when he used to ignore me.¡± But it wasn¡¯t bad that Chi-Woo was taking care of them now. Yunael soon went back to their room and slumped onto their bed. Perhaps it was because of their fatigue, but their body felt heavy and sleepy. They lay unmoving with their arms and legs wide apart and looked up at the ceiling. ¡®¡­It took so long.¡¯ Yunael had told the truth when talking to Alice. They had wanted to go to Seven Stars from the beginning and thought it was fate. And though many things had happened since then, they were finally part of Seven Stars now. It felt like they were finally wearing clothes that fit them. Perhaps because this was where Aida was, their heart felt at ease; and for some reason, they kept feeling the urge to laugh. Everything that happened until now passed through their head like a panorama. Among them, there were some memories that stood out to her more clearly than others. Their first meeting with Chi-Woo had been truly terrible. At that time, Yunael thought Chi-Woo was a cold, heartless person; but after interacting with him, they realized that wasn¡¯t the case. His back had felt surprisingly warm when they were being carried. It was wide and firm and reminded them of their youth, when they used to be carried by their dad. ¡®There¡¯s something about him¡­¡¯ Yunael admitted to themselves. The strength and prowess Chi-Woo displayed at the heart of the underground area were truly astonishing. He crushed everything with his club alone and bulldozed forward. He accomplished something even they couldn¡¯t do. And that was only the start. It was the same when they met Samigina. He was able to easily beat a great demon like it was nothing¡­ ¡°Ugh.¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes widened suddenly. [Wake uuuup!] [Umph!] At the time he¡¯d accidentally slammed his face against theirs because he¡¯d gotten up so suddenly. Though it had happened for just a moment, the sensation they had felt still seemed to linger in their mind. Yunael unconsciously touched their lips and realized what they were doing. ¡°¡­Ah, damn it!¡± Yunael¡¯s face reddened, and they tried with all their might to think of something else. ¡®Let me see. What did I do today¡­¡¯ Then they suddenly thought of Evelyn¡¯s face. She really was pretty, including when she sometimes glanced at Chi-Woo affectionately. Even a girl would fall in love with her at first sight¡­? ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Yunael was stunned. Why were they having such thoughts? ¡°Ah, seriously!¡± Yunael floundered around their bed for a while and smashed their face into the pillow. Thankfully, the drowsiness they felt before returned in full force. ¡°It really is¡­strange,¡± Yunael quickly closed their eyes. They thought such things to themselves, unable to tell anyone else. That night, Yunael groaned in pain all night long on their bed like they were suffering from a severe fever. CH 339 Warm sunlight shone on the corner of Yunael¡¯s eyes. Their eyelids and eyelashes slightly fluttered, and soon, their eyes slowly opened. Yunael stared into the air for a long time with blurry vision and soon twisted their body with a groan. Their body suddenly felt strange¡ªnot heavy, but new, and on second thought, they had been burning up throughout the night. Yunael, who had never caught even a common cold in their whole life, was surprised. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Yunael struggled to lift their upper body and complained, ¡®Did I not sleep properly last night?¡¯ The scene around them was new and different. The reality that they had joined Seven Stars sunk in once again. When they looked out at the window, the sun was already in the sky. It seemed to be a good night''s sleep that they hadn¡¯t had for a long while. That, however, confused Yunael. How did it feel like they hadn¡¯t slept properly but slept well at the same time? What kind of paradox was this? Yunael tilted their head and carefully stepped out of the bed. After taking a few steps, they were sure that their body wasn¡¯t in good condition¡ªno, rather than bad, it felt unfamiliar. Even walking felt different from usual, like their body was not their own. ¡®Maybe my body¡¯s still half asleep,¡¯ Yunael thought and murmured to themselves. ¡®It may get better after I wash up and get something into my empty stomach.¡¯ Yunael roughly took off their clothes, turned on cold water in the sink, and immediately splashed water all over their face. ¡®Gurgggle!¡¯ Yunael shook their head once and turned back forward. Thanks to the cold water, their senses seemed clearer. However, at the same time, the queer and peculiar sensation they¡¯ve been feeling since they woke up became sharper. ¡°What the heck,¡± Yunael said irritatedly and suddenly paused. They¡¯d caught a glance of their reflection in the mirror. As they looked at the mirror, they frowned, and their eyebrows gradually went up. Of course, their body hadn¡¯t been completely rectangular before, but it looked especially like an S-shape today. It wasn¡¯t just their body. Their face looked small and delicate like an egg. Their neck looked slimmer than before, and the line from their neck to their shoulder looked more gentle like a sloping orchid. Their waist was more narrow, and their hips curved outwards and fell into a firm but smooth line. Yunael stared blankly at their body, which looked like a white porcelain vase made by a craftsman, and lowered their head. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Yunael saw a pair of bulges on her chest that she had never seen before. Yunael blinked quickly and sharply inhaled. It was clear from her expression that she couldn¡¯t believe what had happened to them. Before Yunael could fully process it, she looked further down, and her eyes immediately widened when she saw her groin. * * * ¡°Yunael is late today?¡± Ru Hiana murmured with a spoon in her mouth. ¡°They skipped breakfast, but are they also skipping lunch? I think they¡¯ll be hungry.¡± ¡°I think they¡¯ll be fine. When I ate with them last time, I realized that they had a very small appetite.¡± Ru Amuh, who believed the act Yunael put up in their first meeting, replied without doubt. ¡°Oh really? How do you know that?¡± ¡°We ate together with Teacher¡¯s introduction before. They only ate three pieces and said that was enough for them.¡± ¡°Ah, really? That¡¯s amazing.¡± Of course, Chi-Woo and Aida knew that was complete bullshit, and they thought Ru Hiana¡¯s concerns were valid. ¡°It seems like something has happened. I don¡¯t know about breakfast, but that child is not the type to skip lunch¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go check.¡± Chi-Woo, who had again cooked for everyone today, served the last plate and took off his apron. Aida said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll go. You should eat while I check on them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I can eat with Yunael after coming back.¡± Chi-Woo made Aida sit back down and went up the stairs. ¡°Kyahhhhhhhhhh!¡± When Chi-Woo was about to knock, he heard a piercing scream, shrill enough to break glass. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± Chi-Woo hurriedly opened the door in shock. ¡°What happ¡ªack?!¡± As soon as he entered, all kinds of items, including toiletries, flew at him like how everyone at an all-girls high school indiscriminately threw mechanical pencils and pens at a large cockroach that appeared in the classroom. ¡°No¡ªWait¡ªWhy¡ª!¡± Thud. A pillow hit Chi-Woo¡¯s face squarely. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s up with¡­!¡± Angry, Chi-Woo rushed forward with determination. He succeeded in forcibly holding both of Yunael¡¯s arms and pushing them down the bed as they screamed continuously. ¡°Seriously, stop!¡± Chi-Woo shouted as Yunael kicked at his abdomen like crazy. Only then did Chi-Woo realize Yunael was naked. Of course, it was against courtesy, but he had only entered the room without permission because he heard a scream. Moreover, what was so bad about seeing Yunael¡¯s naked body? Yunael was neither a male nor female anyway, and they had both already seen everything in the bath house in the first place. ¡°What¡¯s up with¡­?¡± Chi-Woo was about to get angry, but suddenly faltered when he saw Yunael look up at him with teary eyes. Then when he looked down, he saw two rising¡­ ¡°¡­What?¡± Those weren¡¯t there yesterday. * * * In the end, Yunael did not leave the room that day. According to Aida, her psychology was very unstable right now, so they should wait for her until she was ready. Aida¡¯s face was full of smiles as she relayed this information; she looked like a parent who was happy to see her child grow up. As a result, she no longer called Yunael a child, but a woman. Yunael showed up around the afternoon the next day. No matter how shocked she was, it seemed as if she was still hungry, so she ate fiercely and made all kinds of complaints to Aida while waiting for Chi-Woo. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so annoying! Why do I have to go through this shit once a month!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way it is, Yunael. If you¡¯re a human female, a fairy comes and visits you once a month.¡± ¡°Ah, really? That¡¯s great. Please let me know when that fairy comes, so that I can punch and rip her into shreds as soon as I see her!¡± ¡°Yunael?¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s absolute fuckery!¡± Her loud shout rumbled through the office. ¡°Shit, I have no plans to get pregnant, but the fairy makes a house by herself, and what? She gets disappointed and destroys the house, all by herself again? So I need to be in pain once a month? Isn¡¯t it only right that I beat up a psychopath fairy like that?!¡± Yunael complained nonstop, but soon became quiet when Chi-Woo entered the office. An awkward silence fell. Chi-Woo looked flustered. It had only been a day, but Yunael¡¯s image had changed dramatically. He had been unable to tell if Yunael was a man or woman before, but now it was clear to him. Even when she was just sitting, she let out a feminine air. But for some unknown reason, Yunael was glaring at him with an angry face. It was understandable that Yunael would feel frustrated; she had lived with no sex for twenty years but suddenly became a female overnight. No matter how much she thought about it, it was all because of the man in front of her. Considering that she thought about him the most, she couldn¡¯t think of any other explanation. Did her subconscious yearn to be a woman because Chi-Woo was a man? Yunael¡¯s heart shouted that couldn¡¯t be true, but what made her angry was that her body admitted this. Find the original at "pawread dot com". ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi-Woo, who only knew that she was neither male nor female but didn¡¯t know the exact circumstances, apologized. Although he was still in the dark, he felt that he had made a grave mistake. ¡°I had no idea your sex would be so fluid.¡± Yunael shouted, ¡°What? Fluid?¡± ¡°Haha. That¡¯s not the case.¡± As soon as Yunael was about to vehemently get angry, Aida quickly intervened as if she had been waiting for this moment. ¡°Actually, Yunael is¡ª¡± However, she couldn¡¯t finish because Yunael shot to her feet and muffled her. ¡°Don¡¯t say it!¡± ¡°Then please stay calm.¡± ¡°Really, don¡¯t say it¡­¡± Chi-Woo sighed as he saw Yunael¡¯s voice tearfully crack. It didn¡¯t matter if Yunael was a man or woman. The important part was her prospect as a star. ¡°I heard from Mr. Eval Sevaru that you want to create a third team.¡± Yunael raised her lowered head as soon as Chi-Woo got to the main topic. Aida also suppressed her laughter and focused on the conversation at hand. Yunael answered, ¡°¡­Yes. But why is it the third team and not the second?¡± ¡°There¡¯s already a second team. Mr. Emmanuel¡¯s.¡± ¡°Ah¡­but isn¡¯t he not part of Seven Stars?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a partnership.¡± Emmanuel¡¯s trust and faith in Chi-Woo were beyond doubt, since he came in three seconds whenever Chi-Woo called him. Yunael looked a little disappointed, but soon shrugged and said, ¡°Well, anyway. Okay. In Seven Stars, the team leaders are guaranteed independent authority, right?¡± Team leaders could choose their own team members however they wanted and organize their own expedition. In short, they could build their independent power within Seven Stars, and this was the type of system that Yunael wanted the most. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the meaning of Seven Stars from Ms. Aida.¡± Chi-Woo clasped his hands and stared at Yunael. The third star was not a position that anyone could take. If Chi-Woo planned to make anyone his star, he would have already gotten all seven. There were many suitable heroes such as Evelyn, Eshnunna, Hawa, and others. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t do this because being ¡®suitable¡¯ was not enough¡ªit was far from enough. Chi-Woo had his own firm standard. Yunael cleared her throat under his gaze. ¡°I know. But considering that Mr. Ru Amuh and Mr. Emmanuel are leading a team, I think I¡¯m just as capable of leading one as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not considering your reputation at the Celestial Realm at all,¡± Chi-Woo answered quietly. ¡°However, this is Liber. But above all, I only believe what I see with my own eyes.¡± There was nothing more to say for Ru Amuh. Emmanuel had also shown his potential somewhat. However, this was not true for Yunael. Chi-Woo was not satisfied by what she had shown during the rescue mission; he thought he needed more verification even if she was the hero Boboris mentioned in her prophecy. Yunael smacked her lips. She wanted to start with the title of team leader, but after talking with Chi-Woo, it didn¡¯t seem like he would easily give her his permission. Aida also thought, ¡®Well¡­I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Since a team leader was given great authority, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to obtain the title. On the other hand, all Yunael had to do was to prove herself to him. Yunael asked, ¡°Then what should I do?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡®What? Why is she so agreeable?¡¯ He was sure that Yunael would complain and whine that she wanted to be a team leader; thus, he had prepared a condition in advance. ¡°Hmm¡­let¡¯s set up a temporary term.¡± ¡°Temporary?¡± ¡°Yes, why don¡¯t we give you a trial period?¡± Yunael could make a team and go on an expedition. However, it was only temporary, and Yunael couldn¡¯t act however she wanted. She would be given some rights, but wouldn¡¯t be able to fully exercise the authority of a team leader. In other words, Chi-Woo could intervene whenever he wanted. Yunael seemed unsure whether she should be happy or sad. Although she had gotten what she wanted, it was merely a test given by someone else. Yunael organized her thoughts for a while and then nodded. ¡°I got it. Although it¡¯s temporary, I can set up a team I want as a team leader, right?¡± ¡°For now, but please keep in mind that it can be disbanded at any time.¡± ¡°Fine, I got it. But that won¡¯t happen. You¡ªno, you¡¯re boss now. Boss, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to like the team I set up.¡± At her confidence, Chi-Woo looked at her with curiosity. ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be surprised to hear who I picked.¡± At that moment, a notification from his device rang out of the blue. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°So I picked¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, please wait a minute.¡± ¡°What? Hey, come on. I was in the middle of talking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but wait, please wait.¡± * * * ¡°How unusual.¡± A lethargic voice was accompanied by a slow yawn. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Big Choi¡¯s intuition was off. Isn¡¯t this the first time it has happened before?¡± The speaker was none other than Ismile, who shrugged and shifted his gaze. He looked at the bemused Chi-Hyun and was hit by an ominous feeling. ¡°Well, it hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet¡­¡± Ismile let out a long sigh. It has been a while since he began wandering outside at Chi-Hyun¡¯s request. However, they haven¡¯t made any proper progress so far. There were no movements at all from the various forces even though normally they should have caught a few suspicious trails by now, no matter how trivial they were. It was quiet as if they had all gone into a long hibernation¡ªthe Demon Empire, the Abyss, and the Sernitas. They had been fighting each other nonstop all these years, but why did they suddenly all become quiet? It was strange to say the least, especially considering that the Demon Empire was reorganizing their internal faction. Besides the Sernitas, it was all too suspicious that the Abyss were also quiet as a mouse. However, the problem was that they couldn¡¯t detect any suspicious activity either. Everyone stopped making a move as if they had promised each other beforehand. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s about time to make a decision. It¡¯s not good to leave the city for too long.¡± Chi-Hyun agreed with Ismile, but couldn¡¯t easily make a decision. If they went back like this and made the usual preparation, it wouldn¡¯t be any different from fighting back blindfolded. If they knew even a bit of what was happening, he could make plans towards the right direction. But at this rate¡­ No, there was still a way. ¡°Let¡¯s go back for now.¡± ¡°What? Really? I was just saying that.¡± Ismile asked in surprise. Chi-Hyun shook his head. ¡°Not to Shalyh, but to the gateway.¡± The gateway was a fortress at the edge of the sanctuary, guarding the road to Shalyh. Moreover, it was also the place where the device¡¯s connection barely reached. ¡ªChi-Hyun? ¡°Chi-Woo.¡± ¡ªWhat¡¯s going on? I looked for you when I came back, but I couldn¡¯t find you. Where are you, and what are you doing right now? ¡°Listen to me closely from now on.¡± Chi-Woo straightened his posture at his brother¡¯s words because Chi-Hyun sounded deathly serious. ¡ªWhat is it? Tell me. ¡°Let¡¯s throw the die.¡± ¡ª? ¡°I¡¯m talking about the World¡¯s Milestone. Like when you went to the future before.¡± ¡ªWhy all of a sudden? ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the reason later, quickly.¡± ¡ª¡­Fine, I got it. In the video, Chi-Woo took out the die and held it in his hand. Even while hesitating, he was about to throw the die, but faltered again. Chi-Woo quickly grasped the die just before it could fall from his palm. Chi-Hyun furrowed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± CH 340 Chi-Woo didn¡¯t answer and simply fumbled with the die in his hands. ¡ª¡­Chi-Hyun. After a long pause, Chi-Woo cautiously opened his mouth again. ¡ªDo I really have to throw this? ¡°What?¡± ¡ªI don¡¯t¡­really want to throw this right now. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face scrunched up strangely. ¡ªI don¡¯t know. How should I say it? If I throw this right now¡­I think something very bad is going to happen. It feels as if we would lose even the smallest opportunity we have¡­ah, even I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m saying. Chi-Woo looked frustrated because even he didn¡¯t know what he was feeling, while Chi-Hyun looked solemn. Chi-Hyun also got a foreboding feeling when Chi-Woo said, ¡®we would lose even the smallest opportunity we have¡¯. What if their current period of peace was the calm before the storm? And what if Chi-Woo¡¯s die-rolling would bring about the storm much earlier than it would have? Then they would be throwing away their chance to reverse the situation and make preparations beforehand. They weren¡¯t fretting over nothing. If Chi-Woo rolled the number ¡®1¡¯ in a one out of seven chance, that could really happen. The World¡¯s Milestone was a godly item that was more than capable of causing such a change. The only reason they were worrying about such a possibility was because of Chi-Woo¡¯s intuition, but that was even more worrisome. After all, Chi-Woo¡¯s intuition had been right one hundred percent so far. ¡ªI will throw it if you want me to, but¡­don¡¯t blame me if you get a result you don¡¯t want. ¡°No, don¡¯t do it,¡± Chi-Hyun quickly said. ¡°If you really felt that way, don¡¯t ever throw the die and forget what I just told you.¡± Then Chi-Hyun warned Chi-Woo not to roll the die many times before he finally hung up. It was only then Chi-Hyun realized that his whole body had broken out in cold sweat. It felt as if he had stepped into a trap and barely managed to pull his feet out. Chi-Hyun closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t even want to think what would¡¯ve happened if his brother hadn¡¯t grabbed the die. He had acted uncharacteristically and did something he never would¡¯ve done in a normal situation. It was because he was feeling anxious in the stagnant situation, and his own intuition dulled. It was different from the time Chi-Woo went to the future through the World¡¯s Milestone. At that time, Chi-Hyun had been able to read the general situation and had the capability to take matters into his own hands even if a bad situation arose. ¡®Is it not going to be like last time?¡¯ Chi-Hyun sighed and opened his eyes again. But with this, it became clear now. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t return to Shalyh yet. He needed to find out what was going on; even the most trivial information would prove to be useful. Of course, he couldn¡¯t simply resume what he had been doing, or he would find nothing. ¡®It seems like I would have to take a risk¡­¡¯ Chi-Hyun thought. He would prefer not to do things that way, but he knew the more he risked, the greater the returns. *** After his conversation with his brother, Chi-Woo was caught in a state of confusion and uneasiness. Chi-Woo had gone to meet Chi-Hyun as soon as he returned to Shalyh from his rescue mission. He wanted to talk to his brother about the strange feeling he got on his mission, but couldn¡¯t because his brother was temporarily absent. But coincidentally, it seemed his brother had the same thoughts as him. ¡®Chi-Hyun is different from me,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. If Chi-Woo relied on his intuition, his brother used the senses he had honed through countless experiences that one couldn¡¯t even dare to imagine. Thus, Chi-Woo felt all the more anxious after seeing his always reliable brother act so hesitant. But soon, Chi-Woo hardened his resolve. Before, he would¡¯ve struggled alone and helplessly agonized over what to do, but after meeting Samigina, he was able to face his internal self, and his mindset changed. ¡®I need to do the things I can do right now.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t sit still. He needed to foster their power. Now, he needed to decide whether he should strengthen himself foremost, or help the rest of the group become stronger. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡¯ Before his brother hung up, he had told Chi-Woo something out of the blue. He asked Chi-Woo to find Yeriel and pass on a message. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what had been going on with her after coming back from the Hala Forest expedition. But even though he didn¡¯t know the reasons behind it, it wasn¡¯t a difficult request to fulfill, and Chi-Woo sent a message to Emmanuel. The two were close friends, and since Yeriel was a guest of Emmanuel¡¯s guild, Chi-Woo thought he could ask Emmanuel about Yeriel¡¯s whereabouts. Then, after sending a message explaining that he needed to ask him something, Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh. For now, while he waited for a reply¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard. What? Why was Emmanuel kneeling and bowing in front of him right now? He wasn¡¯t there a second ago? ¡°Did you call for me, sir?¡± ¡°¡­Mr. Emmanuel?¡± ¡°Yes, give me your order, sir.¡± ¡°When did you come?¡± ¡°I arrived here exactly 5.75 seconds ago.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the 0.75 seconds?¡± ¡°It was about 6 seconds ago, but I thought that made me sound a bit too late¡­¡± Emmanuel hung his head as if he was very apologetic about this matter, and Chi-Woo was speechless. This wasn¡¯t a matter he could just laugh about. How did Emmanuel appear within seconds of his call? ¡°You¡¯re not planning to assassinate me or anything, right?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Chi-Woo thought there was no good explanation other than that Emmanuel had been lingering around him for a chance to assassinate him. ¡°How could you ask such a question! It¡¯s a misunderstanding. I was just passing the square when, by coincidence, I received your message. I immediately ran here using Lightning Fire.¡± It was even more suspicious how Emmanuel explained in such detail instantly, but Chi-Woo decided to get to his point first. ¡°You mean Yeriel? That¡¯s not a very difficult matter. I will bring her to you immediately, sir,¡± Emmanuel said. Chi-Woo wondered if it was all right to treat Yeriel as if she was some kind of object to carry over, but Emmanuel was already contacting her. And as soon as his call was answered, he said, ¡°Run over here immediately. Right now,¡± and hung up. Chi-Woo was shocked. Emmanuel didn¡¯t even tell her where to go. As expected, Emmanuel¡¯s device rang again. ¡°I told you to come here this instant! What are you calling me again for¡­!¡± Emmanuel heaved. ¡ªFuck off, you shit. Beep. And the call was cut off instantly. Emmanuel looked shocked by the response he got, but soon became enraged and tried calling Yeriel again. Yet it appeared that his call was no longer getting through to her. ¡°¡­I will go look for her,¡± Chi-Woo finally got up and said. Emmanuel looked greatly taken aback as he turned around. ¡°N-No, sir. How could you¡­! Please give me some more time!¡± ¡°No, I think it will be faster for me to go see her.¡± ¡°Give me one more chance, sir. I will bring her over here even if I have to use Lightning Fire.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t such a grave matter. And why would you use that kind of ability on an innocent person?¡± Then Chi-Woo explained that he wanted to go on a walk anyway and pushed Emmanuel¡¯s back lightly. Soon, Chi-Woo arrived at Eustitia¡¯s headquarters, and Emmanuel guided him to the basement. They knocked on a door with a sign that said, ¡®Don¡¯t Enter??¡¯. ¡°Yeriel! Yeriel! Come out already!¡± ¡°Seriously, Emmanuel, how rude can you be? Why are you suddenly calling me like this?¡± Yeriel opened the door roughly and staggered out. ¡°I know your parents are both alive and well, but the more you act like this, I can¡¯t help but think you are some parentless bastard child who received no proper upbringing or education¡­¡± Yeriel yawned widely and stopped when she noticed Chi-Woo standing behind Emmanuel. Yeriel¡¯s appearance was quite astonishing. Her pink hair was all greasy, while her face was blotchy and dirty behind her glasses like she hadn¡¯t washed it for at least a week. Yeriel looked at Chi-Woo and looked back at Emmanuel. Then, after looking at Chi-Woo again, she said, ¡°Umph! Just give me 7.26 seconds!¡± Bang! Yeriel dashed back into her room and closed the door. There was a great ruckus following that and weird shouting such as, ¡°Urrck blergh!¡± And exactly 7.27 seconds later, Chi-Woo heard a bright voice call out, ¡°Come in!¡± When Chi-Woo came inside, he saw Yeriel¡¯s pink bob smoothly brushed and her face glowing. ¡°I was 0.01 second slower than the time I promised you. My head was a mess because I didn¡¯t expect Sir Chi-Woo at all. But I¡¯m sure you gentlemen can just look over this lady¡¯s small mistake. Ho ho.¡± Yeriel giggled while covering her mouth with her hands. And seeing her, Chi-Woo thought he now knew why Emmanuel acted so bizarrely from time to time. ¡°So, for what reason did a member of the Choi family visit my humble self?¡± Yeriel asked while elegantly tilting a wine glass to her lips under the lamp lights. ¡°That¡¯s some bullshit you are pulling,¡± Emmanuel calmly expressed his opinions. It was understandable. Yeriel was acting all graceful now while they were in a messy studio filled with a wide array of things. Chi-Woo agreed with Emmanuel inside his heart but revealed the reason for his visit first. ¡°My brother told me to pass on his message to you.¡± ¡°Umph!¡± Yeriel spat out the wine she was drinking and raised her head again. Then she said, ¡°Please spare me.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t tell you to die.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry then.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°Can I not hear it?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Then Chi-Woo quickly told her what his brother said before Yeriel could cover both her ears. ¡°Hm¡­that¡¯s unexpected,¡± Yeriel said in surprise. ¡°I thought he was going to tell me I was useless so I should go and tap dance naked in front of the demon lord or something¡­but he just wants me to grow stronger faster? That must mean he wants Mariaju''s power¡­but why? Is there going to be a large-scale war soon?¡± Anyone could tell someone to progress faster, but it was different when the legend specifically pointed out Yeriel Lily Dula Mariaju to hasten her growth. Even among the Celestial Lights, the Mariaju family was treated like a special case. This was because the way the Mariaju family went about saving the world was a bit¡ªno, very different from the ¡®normal¡¯ way. When people imagined a hero saving a world, they usually imagined a person going through all sorts of difficulties and piercing a demon lord¡¯s heart in the end. Yet that wasn¡¯t the case for the Mariaju. Yeriel came from a planet called Clair, which was a very rare case where both science and magic developed. Mariaju was originally a group that relied solely on science, but as time passed, they recognized the potential of magic and used it to open a new horizon. And thanks to that, the Mariajus were able to raise their planet to its peak and raise their family to the Celestial Realm. This was the reason why they were also called the Magic Engineering family. And the Mariaju family displayed unusual accomplishments from the beginning when they came up to the Celestial Realm. For example, they would go to a world with all sorts of back-ups and immediately head to the enemy¡¯s campsite and simultaneously drop tens of thousands of bombs there. There was a famous tale of them completely blowing up a demon lord along with his castle in just half a day. Standbys or those affected by them often thought they played their games very cheaply. On the other hand, the higher-ranking members of the Celestial Realm thought highly of the Mariajus¡¯ innovation and efficiency, which allowed them to be one of the twelve Celestial Lights. The problem was that a lot of their tactics relied on bringing backups. They were almost invincible if they could bring the items they made from their planet, Clair. And even if they couldn¡¯t, they could establish a studio or workshop on a new planet and create items there. However, there were limits to this as they needed an environment with at least the minimum support. Even a Mariaju wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if they were thrown to the prehistoric ages butt naked. Of course, Liber wasn¡¯t at that level, but it was close to it. In some ways, it was worse than some primitive civilizations. ¡°I also want to progress, but to harness my original powers, I need to develop a higher-quality skill. It¡¯s impossible with just a gold rank.¡± Yeriel licked her lips, ¡°And that¡¯s not all. Look around me.¡± She stretched her arms wide and said, ¡°It would be delusional of me to think I can make anything here. What can I possibly do in such a pitiful environment?¡± It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Chi-Woo thought the place did look too crude to be called a workshop. It looked more like a storage room instead. ¡°And I actually worked hard on this.¡± Yeriel sighed deeply and shook her head. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s difficult in this instance. Given the condition, things won¡¯t change much even if I gain a better environment and better skills. There¡¯s a limit to how much I can do alone. I need the help of a master artisan¡­¡± ¡°If you are looking for artisans, isn¡¯t there the buhguhbu tribe?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Yeriel frowned. ¡°I went to them to borrow their workshop, but they didn¡¯t give me the slightest attention.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Those who pride themselves as master artisans are usually like that. So, I felt dirty and got out after returning the favor with a spit.¡± Yeriel really was Apoline¡¯s friend considering her temper. Chi-Woo contemplated deeply. To summarize, there were three problems that Yeriel highlighted as hampering her progress: lack of suitable skills, poor environment, and the skilled natives¡¯ low willingness to cooperate. Though he couldn¡¯t make promises, Chi-Woo thought he could probably help her solve all three of these problems. ¡°Then¡­¡± Chi-Woo asked, ¡°If I solve all the problems you mentioned just now, could you meet my brother¡¯s expectations?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say so, but¡­¡± Yeriel¡¯s eyes rolled around, ¡°Why? Is someone going to solve them for me?¡± ¡°I think I can help you with that.¡± ¡°Ha! I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Yeriel snorted. These weren¡¯t problems that one person could fix. Did he take her as a fool? Just on the topic of her skills alone, she would need to at least rise by three ranks and pass each promotion test to unlock a skill that she was looking for. It was impossible. ¡°Who utters such nonsense? This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯m experiencing something like this. Only those who want to get tied with the Mariaju¡¯s name somehow blabber about what they can do¡­ah,¡± Yeriel stopped herself midway. Though there had been countless people who had approached her with ulterior motives, her current addressee was someone from the Choi family. This was a family that didn¡¯t really need to get on the Mariaju¡¯s good side. Yeriel blinked fast and racked her head hard. ¡°Well, then there¡¯s no need for me to say more.¡± She clutched both hands and threw herself at Chi-Woo. ¡°I will be in your hand. The day you do all that, I will be yours. I can just sever my ties with Apoline then,¡± Yeriel chirped while burying her face into Chi-Woo¡¯s arms. It was astonishing how fast her attitude changed. ¡°Remove your dirty head,¡± Emmanuel grabbed her hair and growled. ¡°Oh my, are you getting jealous? How cute,¡± Yeriel said. ¡°You¡¯re tainting Teacher.¡± ¡°Let me go. I told you to let go!¡± The two were bickering when Chi-Woo¡¯s device suddenly rang. It was a message from Eval. For some reason, he had been contacting him more than usual these days. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I need to take this call.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! Take your time!¡± Yeriel waved her hands with a bright smile even as her hair was getting pulled. Chi-Woo went outside and accepted the call. ¡°Mr. Eval Sevaru?¡± ¡ªBoss, are you outside right now? I thought you were in your room not long ago. ¡°Yes, something came up.¡± ¡ªAh well, it¡¯s just that¡­ ¡°The buhguhbus came?¡± Chi-Woo asked after hearing from Eval that the buhguhbus had sent a person to Seven Stars. ¡ªYes, Old Man Mangil personally visited. It looks like he came after hearing that you solved the Kobalos¡¯ problem¡­ ¡°¡­I understand. Since it¡¯s difficult for me to go there right now, please tell him that I will visit him soon.¡± Chi-Woo then stopped the call and stood in his spot rather than moving immediately. It was because he had a weird sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. When was it? It was like the time he met Kabal after saving Balal and went on a rescue mission to save the eighth recruits. Right after Chi-Woo heard about the buhguhbus from Yeriel, a person from the buhguhbu tribe came. Everything was happening smoothly by coincidence. Though this matter could be menial, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t dismiss it as nothing. Like how the events at that time led up to the Demon Empire¡¯s invasion of Shalyh, the events at this time could be leading to something else. CH 341 Upon returning to the warehouse¡ªno, workshop, Chi-Woo secretly looked at Yeriel¡¯s user information while she and Emmanuel continued to bicker with each other. 1. Name & Rank: Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju (¡î¡î¡î) 2. Sex & Age: Female & 21 3. Height & Weight: 160.2 cm & 46.7kg 4. Denomination: Mamiya of ¡®Harmony¡¯, who sings of adventure and courage 5. Tier: Gold II 6. Class: Technician -> Engineer -> Beginner Professional Engineer -> [Intermediate Professional Engineer] 7. Heavenly Title: The Midpoint of a Master at the Pinnacle of Their Field 8. Disposition: True Neutral [Strength D] [Durability D] [Agility D] [Stamina D] [Mental Fortitude B] [Mana A] 1. [Mariaju¡¯s Magic Engineering B] - A new type of engineering unique to the Mariaju family that combines Clair¡¯s magic and industrial theory. Extremely advanced technology is no different from magic. 2. [Brilliant Dexterity A+] - A talent for making or performing any tasks well with hands. At this point, the user can make objects in her own way without following the standard format. 1. [Forging Technique A] - The ability to make anything with fire by hands alone. With the proper materials and environment, the user can embody imagination into reality. Among things that exist in the human realm, there is nothing that the user cannot make other than divine objects. It¡¯s just a matter of time and budget. After checking her user information, Chi-Woo¡¯s expression brightened because he could now understand why his brother had specifically pointed out Yeriel among all the other heroes. Yeriel¡¯s ability followed a completely different trajectory than normal heroes. Rather than a combat class, it was more accurate to call her an artisan. Or in other words, she was a hero who specialized in supporting and assisting others from behind the scenes rather than going out on the bloody battlefield. Moreover, Seven Stars wasn¡¯t the only one Yeriel would be helpful to. If they used her abilities properly, they could further boost the strength of humanity and even the Cassiubia League overall. [Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju - Page (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 75% in trust (Incomplete) 2. Become acknowledged by the ¡®buhguhbu¡¯ tribe and gain their cooperation (Incomplete) 3. Construct a specialized workshop centered around ¡®tohari¡¯ (Incomplete) 4. Be promoted to ¡®Platinum¡¯ Tier and obtain ¡®Advanced Professional Engineer¡¯ (Incomplete) 5. Use at least 4 and at most 6 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) Chi-Woo became more assured of this after seeing the conditions provided by Power to Rule the World. Yeriel¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t able to shine because of the current environment, but she was already a talent. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know if she had the potential to become a star, but she was at least worth investing his Blessed Luck in. ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± Yeriel sat still prettily, and her eyes sparkled. She was delighted to gain a strong and trustworthy patron. Chi-Woo read the conditions of Power to Rule the World again. The first was something they needed to solve together, and it seemed as if it would be most efficient for Yeriel to accomplish the fourth task herself. Since the fifth one needed to be considered after the whole process was complete, the only ones that he could help immediately were the second and third one¡ªalthough he didn¡¯t know what a tohari was. Chi-Woo said, ¡°However, there are conditions.¡± ¡°Conditions? What, you need a condition on top of this? If you just solve all the things I told you before, I already told you that my body and heart are all yours?¡± ¡°¡­Please raise your tier to platinum and accept Advanced Professional Engineer as your class.¡± ¡°Advanced Professional Engineer? Well, I would have¡­¡± Yeriel, who had been smiling brightly, trailed off. Knowing her tier was somewhat understandable, but how did he know her class? Although Yeriel suddenly became suspicious, she came to her own answer after thinking of Chi-Woo¡¯s last name. He was the legend¡¯s younger brother; he must have greater insights than normal heroes. ¡°And let¡¯s go talk to the buhguhbus.¡± ¡°Right now? Hmm¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me, but it¡¯ll be hard.¡± Yeriel showed her blatant dislike because she remembered how she was completely ignored the last time she went to visit them. ¡°I¡¯ll be going with you. Then it¡¯ll be hard for them to ignore you. I have a connection with them, and they have something to request from me as well.¡± ¡°Hmm. This is the best timing then.¡± Yeriel nodded reluctantly. ¡°All right. I wanted to talk to them at least once. I¡¯m all for it if you set up a meeting.¡± * * * When they visited the buhguhbus¡¯ area, a buhguhbu ran barefoot and welcomed Chi-Woo. ¡°Oh my! What honor for the leader of Seven Stars to come see me in person!¡± Mangil held Chi-Woo¡¯s hands tightly, looking like he was moved. Witnessing this scene, Yeriel snorted loud enough that Mangil would hear her; his reaction was completely different when she had visited. From Chi-Woo¡¯s point of view, Mangil¡¯s attitude had also changed significantly compared to their first meeting. This was evidence that Seven Star¡¯s reputation had grown significantly among the Cassiubia League. ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s go in, sir. It¡¯s so noisy here, but it¡¯ll be quieter inside. Come to think of it, you¡¯ve been here before, right, sir?¡± ¡°Yes, and you can speak to me comfortably.¡± ¡°Ah, is that ok? I¡¯ve actually been waiting for you to say that. I sound awkward even to myself. Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re the same as ever!¡± Mangil chuckled and led Chi-Woo inside. After sitting him down and asking how he was doing, Mangil immediately got to the point, ¡°Have you ever heard of tohari?¡± Chi-Woo had his doubts, but Mangil was the one to bring up this topic first. Chi-Woo leaned forward. ¡°No, I don¡¯t really know. Is it perhaps a secret method passed down among the buhguhbus?¡± This was his guess after hearing Eval Sevaru say that the buhguhbus had been showing great interest in the Kobalos¡¯ recovery of their magic fire pit. ¡°No, not a secret method or anything like that. It¡¯s just something good to have, but it¡¯s not really necessary.¡± Mangil scratched and shook his head. Then he sighed and continued, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s supposed to be like that¡­but recently, an occasion arose in which we really need it. Hmmm, I received a call from Cassiubia Mountain Range the other day.¡± The Cassiubia Mountain Range was considered the League¡¯s headquarters. If he got a call directly from there, it should be regarded as the opinion of the central figure of the Cassiubia League, the Last Dragon. ¡°They told me to improve the quality of the equipment we supply.¡± Mangil smacked his lips. ¡°Even though the current situation doesn¡¯t call for it. Since they¡¯re telling us to do it without question, I can¡¯t help but feel flustered.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. In addition to his brother¡¯s behavior, it seems like something was also going on in the Cassiubia League. This could be useful information. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not very satisfied with the items we are currently producing, either. At best, it¡¯s only a little better than basic supplies that are given out.¡± ¡°All members of Seven Stars, including me, are using them well though.¡± ¡°Haha, thanks for your kind words, but it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not a fool who covers their ears and turns a blind eye to the fact that our products have significantly worsened compared to before.¡± Mangil let out a deep sigh once again. ¡°The Cassiubia Mountain Range isn¡¯t just playing hardball either. They said they¡¯ll pay more attention to the supply of materials. But¡­¡± Mangil didn¡¯t finish his sentence, and Chi-Woo finished it for him, ¡°The problem is with that tohari.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a problem now. Or to be exact, we¡¯re at the point where it has become necessary.¡± ¡°What is tohari that you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Well, do you happen to know what a blacksmith¡¯s friend and enemy is?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head slowly at Mangil¡¯s sudden question. ¡°It¡¯s fire. Those who call themselves blacksmiths must fight with fire and continue to hammer in a hot environment. For the rest of their life. So isn¡¯t it only right to call fire a lifelong friend and enemy?¡± Mangil laughed with an artisan¡¯s pride deeply imbued in his voice. ¡°Fire is the most important thing for blacksmiths as well. Tools, skills, and materials are all important, but! How should I describe fire? It¡¯s like the foundation that allows me to deal with everything I just mentioned.¡± Yeriel nodded as if she could relate to his words. After listening to Mangil continuously laud fire, Chi-Woo showed signs of realization. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Tohari is none other than fire.¡± Mangil grinned and revealed his teeth. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just any fire. It¡¯s a living, moving fire with its own will!¡± Yeriel took a sharp breath. She didn¡¯t show it, but it seemed she was quite surprised inside. ¡°If we can just get tohari, we will be able to communicate directly with the fire and do a finer process. There¡¯s nothing as good as tohari in a job that treats fire like life.¡± Yeriel¡¯s expression looked dazed as she listened; it seemed as if just imagining it made her mouth water. It was an emotion difficult for Chi-Woo to understand; he just accepted it as fact. ¡°I would have requested for the workshop we used in our hometown to be moved here if it were possible. With those facilities, we would have been able to supply good quality equipment without tohari. However, our workshop has already fallen into the hands of enemy forces, and everything has been destroyed.¡± Mangil sounded a bit bitter. ¡°There was nothing I could do, so I eventually went to the Kobalos and asked them for a favor in the hope that we would be able to get tohari using the fire pit. But when I went there, I only found a useless tin pot rolling around instead of a magic fire pit. The Kobalos¡¯ leader grabbed me and lamented nonstop.¡± Chi-Woo flinched, recalling what Yunael had told him. ¡°So while we were trying to figure out what to do, your name came up. I was wondering if we could get your help again this time. Of course, I¡¯m not asking for free. As long as you get tohari for us, I assure you that the rewards will be well worth it.¡± Currently, there were limitations to the quality of equipment that could be manufactured with their facilities. Thus, they were trying to improve the quality by leaps and bounds by taking other measures. ¡°I¡¯ll accept the request,¡± Chi-Woo answered immediately. He needed to get tohari anyway, and there was no harm in accepting a request in the process, especially since he needed to get the buhguhbus to cooperate with them. ¡°I also have a favor to ask, so it¡¯s perfect timing.¡± ¡°Yeah, tell me. I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill it.¡± After hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation, Mangil showed a positive reaction for the first time. ¡°A professional workshop? Of course, we¡¯ll set it up. Since tohari is a special fire, you need to have special facilities to handle it properly. Cooperation? Sounds good! It¡¯ll probably be done if Dalgil comes and says a few words.¡± However, Mangil showed slight reluctance when Chi-Woo pointed at Yeriel. ¡°Hmm¡­.she¡¯s a bit¡­what? You look familiar?¡± Chi-Woo became nervous. Fortunately, Mangil didn¡¯t seem to remember that Mariaju had spat at them in anger. ¡°Anyway, even if it¡¯s your request, this is a bit too much. Letting her inside the workshop is one thing, but you¡¯re asking us to work together¡­ It¡¯s unimaginable for us. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Yeah, there is. It might sound unexpected, but we don¡¯t pursue money. Instead, we have an uncompromising pride in creating objects rather than money. That¡¯s our pride as a working artisan. You can say it¡¯s our last stronghold to not forget our duty even in a situation like this.¡± ¡®Then why did your hands shake when you were paying the advance payment during your last request?¡¯ Chi-Woo suppressed his urge to say that. ¡°I understand what you mean, but I don¡¯t think there will be any problem in that regard. Of course, compared to the many master artisans in the buhguhbus, she¡¯s still very young, but she has the skills to be called a professional.¡± Yeriel looked moved by Chi-Woo¡¯s backing. ¡°Haha, master artisans. You praise us too much.¡± Mangil also grinned at Chi-Woo¡¯s subtle flattery, but his expression soon stiffened. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I don¡¯t believe you, but there is a more fundamental problem.¡± ¡°A fundamental problem?¡± ¡°I can sense a strong magical scent from her.¡± Mangil pointed at Yeriel. At that moment, there was a sudden low laugh. Yeriel was chuckling with her hand covering her mouth. Mangil¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yeriel, who soon stopped laughing, smiled and tilted her chin. ¡°It felt like I¡¯m looking at what my family used to be.¡± Mangil glared at Yeriel¡¯s seemingly dismissive tone. ¡°Are you looking down on me¡ªus, the buhguhbus?¡± ¡°Not at all. Rather, I sympathize with and understand your tribe¡¯s perspective more than anyone else.¡± ¡°But your words and actions don¡¯t seem to match,¡± Mangil said in a sarcastic tone; he was asking if this was the case, why was the scent of magic so strong from her then. ¡°Of course, I think a little differently from your tribe because I recognize the utility of magic and accept a part of it.¡± Yeriel shrugged. ¡°I knew it! I knew that was the case! Wait. Now that I look carefully, last time you¡­!¡± ¡°But!¡± Before Mangil could continue, Yeriel quickly cut him off and continued, ¡°Before that, as a proud engineer, I don¡¯t feel too good being treated like a mere spell caster.¡± ¡°¡­Aha.¡± Mangil¡¯s expression eased a little at her following words. ¡°As a proud engineer. You know how to get my attention.¡± Mangil looked at her with new eyes, his nose twitching. ¡°On second thought, I can also smell the scent of fire from you as well. A deep scent of fire mixed with iron and steel.¡± ¡°Fire is a friend and enemy. It was a rather impressive remark.¡± ¡°Hmph. Anyone can talk. As I said before, the scent of magic is also quite strong on you. That¡¯s why I find it even more difficult to understand. If you¡¯re really a proud engineer, why do you smell like magic?¡± Although Mangil sounded like he was dealing with a traitor, Yeriel was calm. She waggled her index finger and clicked her tongue. ¡°There¡¯s an old saying that advanced science is no different from magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a statement I find difficult to agree with.¡± Mangil immediately denied it. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m denying the utility of magic. I¡¯m sure it has its uses as well, but not here at least.¡± ¡°Science is science and magic is magic. I also agree with you completely on this. But.¡± Yeriel continued, ¡°Have you ever heard this proposition before¡ªthat advanced magic is no different from science?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Mangil couldn¡¯t answer. Chi-Woo had never heard this theory flipped before, either. ¡°Although it should be true in theory, it has not been established.¡± Advanced science is no different from magic, but advanced magic could not be science. ¡°So what does this mean!¡±? Yeriel hit the table with her hand. ¡°Science can include magic, but the reverse is impossible!¡± In other words, science could be science and magic, but magic could only be magic. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder! How can mere magic that comes out with a snap of your finger and an utterance from your mouth ever encompass science! Science, a systematic study of the structure and behavior of the natural world and human social phenomena through observation! And plays a critical part in discovering and developing universal laws and principles! It¡¯s simply absurd!¡± Pushed by the strange pressure coming from her whole body, Mangil nodded unconsciously. ¡°That¡­that¡¯s right! The depth of science is in a completely different league! Yes! Absolutely!¡± ¡°In the end, magic is just part of science!¡± It was a declaration that would have made Apoline throw a fit. However, the one in front of her was Mangil, and he easily sympathized and agreed with Yeriel¡¯s argument. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡°Magic is just a convenient intermediate tool like a blacksmith¡¯s hammer that can prove the excellence of science! It¡¯s nothing more and nothing less than that!¡± ¡°Wow¡­wowwwwww!¡± Then Mangil stood up and applauded like crazy, giving her his enthusiastic cheer and support. ¡°Pass! You passsss!¡± Tears streamed down his face, and he even asked for a handshake. ¡°It was a wonderful speech indeed! I don¡¯t agree with everything, but you¡¯re making this old, cold heart beat with fire again!¡± ¡°Haha. You¡¯re making me embarrassed.¡± ¡°No, Seven Star¡¯s leader is right. Age has nothing to do with learning! Also, isn¡¯t there a saying that what a child says is the truth? Magic is just a tool of science. I¡¯m deeply ashamed that I never thought of it like that.¡± Mangil shook hands with Yeriel, and while wiping his eyes, he couldn¡¯t suppress his amazement. ¡°As expected! It is indeed a master¡¯s hand! How beautiful!¡± ¡°Haha. I think your hands are not bad either.¡± The two looked at each other¡¯s hands and praised each other. And Chi-Woo was just staring at them. ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know what exactly to say. He had felt this before, but their way of bonding was hard for a normal person to follow. The two talked for a long while and concluded their conversation by making an oath to become sworn brother and sister. ¡°Good! If you can obtain tohari, I will fully cooperate with my sister with my name on the line!¡± ¡®Hmm, she¡¯s already his sister,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Then I¡¯ll try to get tohari for you.¡± Chi-Woo decided to accept the situation as it was without thinking further; that would be easier than trying to understand them. CH 342 Chapter 342. Trusting Heart Shalyh¡¯s current situation wasn¡¯t ideal, mainly because Chi-Hyun¡¯s absence was getting prolonged. Of course, Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t the only human on Liber. Although they couldn¡¯t compare to the legend, there were other skilled heroes such as Noel Freya, who was working hard to make up for Chi-Hyun¡¯s absence. But these days, Noel felt a sense of anxiety that she couldn¡¯t explain creep up inside her. Perhaps it was inevitable considering that their top player was gone; to use sports as an analogy, it was as if their ace player or superstar who they could rely on to get the team out of an unfavorable situation was missing. And now, all Noel could do was believe in Chi-Hyun and wait. Thus, Noel tried to remain patient and did her best to clear the work Chi-Hyun left her. ¡°This is driving me mad¡­¡± But for some reason today, Noel was struggling with one hand on her forehead. She was looking at the sheets of paper on her desk with a solemn expression. And after contemplating it for a while, Noel finally let out a long sigh. In the end, she was just an assistant; she couldn¡¯t be a game changer like Chi-Hyun. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Noel got up from her seat. *** They reached an agreement with the buhguhbus and fulfilled the second condition. [Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju- Page (1/1)] 2. Become acknowledged by the ¡®buhguhbus¡¯ tribe and gain their cooperation (Complete) It was easier than Chi-Woo had expected, but he couldn¡¯t celebrate yet as there were still four other conditions to fulfill. Among them, the most urgent condition was to find a tohari. Chi-Woo asked where he could get one and was astonished by the answer he got. [I don¡¯t know either.] This was Mangil¡¯s answer. But even he seemed apologetic for the unhelpful response and hurriedly added a couple of words. To sum things up, it appeared that tohari was like a very rare ginseng in that one couldn¡¯t find it easily even if they wanted to. Furthermore, since tohari moved around of its own will, it was even more difficult to find. Thus, when blacksmiths happened to find it, they all celebrated in joy. Furthermore, it¡¯d been decades since one was last seen because of how rare it was. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t find any more useful information besides that, and right now, the task of finding a tohari seemed like looking for a needle in a haystack. ¡°I will try my best for now. Meanwhile, Ms. Yeriel¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I know. You¡¯re telling me to rise to Platinum rank and become an Advanced Professional Engineer, right? I got it.¡± ¡°But considering the situation¡­I¡¯m not sure if I can do my part. Don¡¯t expect too much,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°No, I will be brimming with expectations and hope. So much so that I wouldn¡¯t be able to get a wink of sleep from the excitement. So, you must find it at all costs. For me and our children, okay?¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t even have any children between us.¡± ¡°Not yet, but don¡¯t worry. As soon as you get that tohari for us, I will give birth to two kids. One son and one daughter.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh my, do you want to have more than that? What a beast. But that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine with having ten kids or a hundred. It¡¯s all fine as long as you get that tohari.¡± Chi-Woo thought Yeriel would tell him to not feel too pressured out of etiquette, but she did the opposite. She pressured him even more and made him promise to get it; and even when they were parting ways, she cheered him on, saying, ¡°Have a safe trip! And don¡¯t forget to bring back a lot of toharis when you come back!¡± Chi-Woo left feeling like a dad with the great burden of feeding his large family. And on his way back, he met Eval Sevaru. Chi-Woo explained the situation to him, and Eval told him, ¡°Boss, why don¡¯t you ask around at the Apertum?¡± ¡°Apertum?¡± ¡°You know, the tower that long-head guy set up. The tower has the biggest moving population in this city, and you can take advantage of the collective intelligence there.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea. It won¡¯t hurt to try, but what do I do?¡± ¡°First of all, you should clearly lay out the details of your request, and you should think of the compensation fee.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®compensation fee¡¯?¡± ¡°The money you will give to a person for giving the information you need. When a client is looking for information at Apertum, they are supposed to write down the sum they are willing to pay. Whether you like the information you end up getting or not, you would need to pay the price you promise.¡± Chi-Woo looked a bit taken aback by Eval¡¯s explanation. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound favorable to the one making the request.¡± ¡°It depends on how you set up the request. If you just write down that you want information about tohari, you might attract any random guy looking for some extra cash; but if you write down that you are looking for a place to find a tohari, you could weed out some people. Also, you can set up the minimum and maximum price you are willing to offer, so there¡¯s sort of a safety net you can fall back to.¡± ¡°Ah, that sounds more reasonable.¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, selling information depends largely on how the seller feels. It¡¯s important to consider what minimum price would make them feel assured and what maximum price would make them want to spill out all they know. In the end, so much of it is a psychological battle¡­but you can leave that part to me.¡± And Eval explained that Seven Stars had a lot of extra savings thanks to Ho Lactea taking a large brunt of their construction fee. ¡°Let me see. We first need a card to prove our identities¡­¡± A card? Seeing Eval fumble through his pockets, Chi-Woo also looked through his belongings just in case. ¡°Are you talking about this card?¡± Chi-Woo took out the black card he had. It was the card Zelit gave to him when he visited Apertum with his brother last time. [Besides the principle, what about the interest?] [Here. Take it whenever you need it. Whenever and how much you want.] Zelit told him while handing over the card. ¡®Ah found it!¡¯ Eval finally took out an ashy copper-colored card and raised his head. When he saw the black card in Chi-Woo¡¯s hand, his eyes widened, and his mouth gaped open. ¡°B-B-B-B¡­.!¡± His whole body trembled, and he couldn¡¯t finish his thought. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is this not the right card?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head and extended the card. ¡°Oh shit! This is the black card! Blaaack!¡± Eval shouted and seized the card from Chi-Woo¡¯s hands. Then he rolled his feet and rejoiced loudly. Chi-Woo was greatly taken aback because Eval usually didn¡¯t act like this. ¡°Boss! How did you get this? I thought you had never used the Apertum before.¡± ¡°Mr. Zelit gave it to me.¡± ¡°Ha! That man. I thought he kept to himself, but he also knows which line to ride on. Fufu. Anyways, everything changes with a black card. I worried for nothing.¡± ¡°Could you explain a bit¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. The most important thing in Apertum is this card. It shows how much others can trust the card owner.¡± The more times a client paid the payments they promised and satisfied the seller¡¯s expectations, the more their trust ranks went up. After fulfilling a specific number of requirements, they gained a new card, and the card was basically a way to signify the person¡¯s trust rank. An ashy copper-colored card was basically Steel tier in terms of the growth system, and Chi-Woo¡¯s black card was akin to a Challenger rank. ¡°In short, it¡¯s like having a gold key since the Apertum is vouching for your credibility.¡± Black was the highest rank a person could reach in the Apertum, and in this way, the card was saying, ¡®The owner of this card can be trusted 200%¡¯. As a result, they would be freed from all sorts of complicated rules involved in the exchange. ¡°With this, we will guarantee trust from the other party. Furthermore, possessing a black card shows that you have an incredible amount of influence, so I doubt anyone would dare to try to con you.¡± Eval stroked the black card like he yearned for it. ¡°Anyways, with this, unless there¡¯s no one in Shalyh who knows the information you seek, there would be nothing you can¡¯t find with this card.¡± It appeared Eval felt impatient to try the card out and hurriedly went to fill out a request form. *** Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know too well, but the power of a black card was clearly great. As soon as they placed the request, Apertum publicly advertised it and searched for a seller. Many Apertum users talked amongst themselves since it was their first time seeing someone possess a black card. And the next day, Eval sought Chi-Woo out early in the morning. Perhaps it was the advertising effect of the Apertum, but a potential seller had appeared in just a day. ¡°The seller at least knew that tohari was a fire that moved on its own will,¡± Eval said. ¡°Then it must mean the seller isn¡¯t lying about the whole thing,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Yes Boss, but the price she is asking for is quite high.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°She heard about a place where one could find a tohari, but she can¡¯t be a hundred percent sure of its whereabouts since it¡¯s been a long time since she heard it. But for revealing the place, she is asking for 50,000 royals.¡± ¡°That much?¡± Chi-Woo asked in shock. That was a high price for some uncertain information. ¡°But she added that on the account that you found some success, she won¡¯t claim any ownership of it. And she promised to keep her mouth sealed for just 50,000 royals.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be obvious?¡± ¡°Yes, but why did she even bother to bring that up?¡± Eval questioned, and Chi-Woo contemplated. He soon came to a realization since he wasn¡¯t a complete idiot. ¡°That must mean there¡¯s something else besides tohari.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s ¡®there could be something¡¯ rather than ¡®there is¡¯. That¡¯s what I got based on what she said¡­so what should I do, Boss?¡± Chi-Woo pondered and asked after a sudden thought, ¡°Could I perhaps ask about the identity of the seller?¡± ¡°Yes, the seller is¡­¡± Chi-Woo was slightly surprised to hear who the person was, but soon he said determinedly, ¡°Please arrange a meeting with her. I want to hear her out too.¡± *** ¡°Wow, this building is really cool,¡± the seller visited Seven Stars on that very day. ¡°Hello, hello. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve seen each other since we went to rescue the eighth recruits,¡± Chi-Woo replied to the woman waving at him. ¡°Yes, probably. But I thought I would be meeting the legend after hearing that the client possess the black card. I didn¡¯t think it would be you at all,¡± Shadia said, and Chi-Woo smiled. Chi-Woo had been in a team with her at the Salem Academy exploration and also received her help during the eighth recruit rescue mission. Chi-Woo thought he would be able to get some extra help from her again this time and decided to meet her in person. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, it¡¯s been pretty good. I¡¯m not doing amazing, but I have a house and can take care of myself. I¡¯m currently at the silver tier too.¡± And after a short exchange of greetings, the two got to the main topic. ¡°It feels uncomfortable to tell my former boss this, but you know that you have to pay me 50,000 royals if I give you the information I have, right?¡± ¡°I will decide after hearing you out. I could give you less or more depending on your answer.¡± That was the privilege of the black card. The owner of the card didn¡¯t need to follow the rules of Apertum exactly. ¡°Fufu, as I thought, you aren¡¯t easy. But it¡¯s fine since I¡¯m also confident in my information. I just have to hope that you aren¡¯t planning to underpay me.¡± It seemed Shadia was confident since she didn¡¯t insist on getting that 50,000 royals right away. Chi-Woo felt his expectations rise as he craned his ears. ¡°Let me see. Where should I begin¡­? Ah, yes. Since you are my former boss, you must know a bit about me¡ªthat I am a magician but also have knowledge in alchemy.¡± ¡°Yes, I do know. I¡¯m still grateful for the potions you gave me before.¡± ¡°Tee-hee. Anyways, I continued to make potions even after coming to Shalyh. Since I could produce ingredients myself as long as I had mana, I was able to make a good amount of money,¡± Shadia said while pointing at the top of her head, which was looking lumpy under her hoodie. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t always sell everything I had. I sometimes gave some leftover potions away for charity''s sake. For example, I looked after sick natives and distributed some for free.¡± When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°How nice of you.¡± ¡°Not really? I did it to gain merits,¡± Shadia shrugged and continued, ¡°Anyways, once I began to do that, I did it routinely. It didn¡¯t take me long to build relationships and get to know people. Then, one day, an old native who lived by himself told me a story from long ago.¡± To summarize Shadia¡¯s story, it went like this: during the time when humans were still thriving on Liber, there was a legendary thief. The thief mainly robbed tombs and looked through all the tombs in the world. Yet the thief had one great ambition and wish: it was to find and rob the tomb of the great emperor who had united an entire continent in ancient times. But this wasn¡¯t an easy task. Even after searching for it his whole life, he couldn¡¯t even pinpoint the location of the tomb. Not only was the tomb built a long time ago, but the descendants of the emperor had also thoroughly kept the location of the tomb a secret. They were so secretive about it that they killed everyone who worked on its construction. Historians only wrote down their general guesses of where the tomb could be, but there were no details recorded anywhere. A great length of time had passed since then so that stories of the tomb were only passed down as legends, but the thief didn¡¯t give up. They carefully studied the few records about the possible locations and continued to investigate and search. In the end, they were rewarded for their hard work; on one cold winter, the thief experienced something strange. Inside a mountain where a snowstorm was raging, there was one area where the temperature was different from the rest of the land. While all other parts of the region were frozen and buried under piles of snow, that territory alone was free of the slippery layer of ice. It was a very subtle difference, but the thief¡¯s sensitive senses didn¡¯t miss it, and they wandered around looking for the area with the greatest temperature difference and dug there. They then found the reason for the difference. ¡°With an empire where the sun never set, he made it so that he could always see the world he created in a bright place,¡± Shadia sang the words, ¡°It¡¯s one of the few records that historians wrote about the tomb. And the next lines go like this:¡± Shadia cleared her throat and continued, ¡°Thus, they caught several fires moving alive and lit up the insides of the area to make it bright as day¡­.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes lit up at those words. The heat from the mysterious beings crawling deep underneath the earth was seeping outside and making the area a different temperature from the rest of the mountain. ¡°How is it?¡± Shadia smirked seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s response and asked, ¡°When they are talking about a fire moving alive¡­they are talking about a tohari right?¡± CH 343 Tohari was a fire that moved by itself with its own will. If Shadia¡¯s account was factual, the fire that moved like a living thing perfectly matched Mangil¡¯s explanation; there was a high possibility that it really was a tohari. ¡°Then Ms. Shadia, you must know the location of the tomb.¡± ¡°No, I don''t.¡± Shadia moved her index finger from side to side. ¡°I told you. The thief finally found the tomb. Does a hungry sparrow just pass by a mill?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Of course, he probably robbed it of all kinds of rare treasures, including the tohari. It¡¯s at least certain that he took the tohari because after the tomb was raided, the empire sent a large-scale tracking team to catch just one thief.¡± ¡°The thief must have been caught stealing.¡± ¡°Probably? I think the descendants of the empire¡¯s emperor knew of a way to locate the royal tomb, and if the thief had taken the tohari with him, the temperature in that area would have returned to normal. So even if they paid little attention to it, it wouldn''t have been difficult to notice the change.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. Since not everything was recorded, it was not exactly clear what had happened. But one thing was certain¡ªthe thief found the tomb and succeeded in robbing it, and the empire, who was managing the royal tomb, sent a large-scale tracking team to catch him. ¡°So what happened in the end?¡± ¡°Well, the empire did manage to catch the thief.¡± ¡°By that, do you mean¡­¡± ¡°They caught the thief, but I guess they couldn¡¯t recover the stolen treasures. It might be a lie, but the thief said before he was executed that he hid the stolen treasures in a warehouse that only he knew, so they should look for it on their own.¡± ¡°He sure had a lot of guts for a tomb robber.¡± ¡°Right? I guess they had no lingering feelings after achieving his long-cherished wish.¡± Chi-Woo fell into thought while seeing Shadia smile. He believed he got what she was trying to say. The tohari was not in the tomb, but in a place that only the thief knew, and Shadia seemed to know where that was. ¡°Then I guess the treasure hidden by the thief must have never been found since then?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know about that, but it¡¯s certain that the empire wasn¡¯t able to find it. And I don¡¯t think anyone has found it in the hundreds of years since then. From what I heard, loads of treasure-mad explorers had looked for it, and various kingdoms had launched national searching operations, but none had been successful.¡± Even on Earth, if someone recovered the burial goods of a famous emperor who had been robbed, it would make international headlines, especially if they discovered it after hundreds of years. Even if they only found a fraction of it, a few lines about their discovery would have been written in history books. However, considering that there were no records of treasures anywhere, it was highly likely that the treasures were still buried in the location where the thief hid them. ¡°What¡¯s the possibility that someone secretly took it?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t rule that possibility out, but I think it¡¯s unlikely. If someone did, some of the stolen goods should have made their way out, but it doesn¡¯t make sense that none of them have been seen in centuries, right?¡± It seemed unlikely unless someone found it and secretly buried it again in a different place that only they knew. Chi-Woo nodded and suddenly became curious. How did Shadia know the location of an ancient treasure that no one had found for a long time, including the empire? ¡°Now back to the main topic.¡± Shadia reached into her pocket. ¡°Guess what this is.¡± Then she carefully took out a faded piece of yellow paper and smiled. ¡°I told you before that an old man had told me a funny story.¡± ¡°Yeah, you told me.¡± ¡°He gave this to me for taking care of an old man whose death was just around the corner. And he said¡ª¡± Shadia put the paper on the desk and rested her chin on the back of her hand. ¡°That he¡¯s a descendant of that legendary thief.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°And this is a treasure map that has been handed down in his family for generations.¡± In short, it was a map indicating the location where the thief hid the stolen treasures. Chi-Woo tilted his head. It was hard to believe all this was true. Maybe this whole story was merely a concoction of a crazy old man who was at death¡¯s door. ¡°Does this old man usually bluff or brag a lot?¡± ¡°Not at all. Rather, it¡¯s the opposite. Usually, he¡¯s so quiet that he doesn¡¯t say a single word, but he suddenly brought this out and gave it to me. For your information, his mind was completely sane.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­it¡¯s a bit hard to believe. Since it¡¯s a map that¡¯s been handed down from generation to generation, if I were a member of that family, I¡¯d have gone out myself to find the treasures a long time ago.¡± ¡°Well, I agree with you on that. I think I would have done the same, but that¡¯s the way heroes like us think.¡± In other words, the general public¡¯s way of thinking may be different. Shadia continued, ¡°He told me that even though a significant amount of time had passed, there were still many factions that were fervently searching for the stolen treasures. How would his family have dared to look for it? It¡¯d be fortunate if they don¡¯t get caught up in the struggle and die.¡± A pine caterpillar should eat pine needles, and if it ate brown leaves, it would die. The thief¡¯s family was not a powerful family that could protect the treasures. It also made sense that members of a powerless family would bury the secret deep inside their hearts. After all, their whole family could have been destroyed with a single mistake. When Chi-Woo still seemed doubtful, Shadia¡¯s expression turned into one of bruised pride. She continued, ¡°Of course, I still can¡¯t be sure if this treasure site exists, but I think it¡¯s pretty credible. I cross-examined the historical records several times by asking other natives. And after checking this map in my own way, I can assure you that it was made hundreds of years ago.¡± In other words, Shadia met up with Chi-Woo because she was confident in her information after a detailed, multi-step verification process. Moreover, unless Shadia came here with the intention to cut off her relationship with him, she wouldn¡¯t have brought up a completely absurd story. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Ms. Shadia, you could have gone yourself to find the treasures.¡± ¡°I thought about that, but I¡¯ve been saving it. I was planning to go when I¡¯ve gained reliable teammates. I didn¡¯t know about this myself, but it turns out I put more importance on safety than I thought.¡± Shadia stuck out her tongue and softly laughed. Chi-Woo pondered for a while and finally said, ¡°We¡¯d like to go through some confirmation procedures as well on our side. Will that be all right with you?¡± ¡°Of course. You can check the map if you want, but only the back side, and please do it in front of me.¡± ¡°I got it. Please wait a minute.¡± Chi-Woo glanced sideways into the air. It just happened that there was, in a sense, a living witness of Liber¡¯s history next to him. ¡®Mr. Philip?¡¯ ¡ªYeah, yeah. I was listening. However, he wasn¡¯t much help in the end. ¡ªA legendary thief¡¯s treasure¡­I don¡¯t know. I think it happened way before my time. I wasn¡¯t interested in anything besides hunting demons, so¡­ However, it sounded like Philip had heard about this before. It was the same for Eshnunna and Hawa. Eshnunna said, ¡°Of course I know about the Ehiru Empire, which unified Liber for the first time. The story of the first emperor¡¯s tomb getting robbed is also famous.¡± Hawa also said, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve heard of it. As far as I know, there¡¯s no record of the treasure being recovered after that.¡± When Eshnunna and Hawa added credibility to her words, Shadia¡¯s chin became higher and higher. She looked like she was saying, ¡®See, I told you.¡¯ And the following examination of the map further supported her claim. ¡°Hmm¡­yes, I think it¡¯s the real deal, Boss.¡± Eval Sevaru continued, looking closely at the back of the map with a single lens that Chi-Woo had no idea where he got it from. ¡°It¡¯s not a fake, and I don''t think she''s scamming us. It¡¯s also true that it was made a while ago.¡± ¡°Hey, hey. Be careful. It¡¯s going to crumble if you squeeze it even a little too hard. Anyway, you saw for yourself, right?¡± Shadia straightened her back and puffed out her chest. She looked at Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°So how about it? According to records, the thief didn¡¯t just get one tohari, but several. It¡¯s also a treasure trove where all kinds of precious treasures may be piled up.¡± After her skillful pitch, Shadia put on a small smile. ¡°I said I¡¯d step out of this after getting 50,000 royals. Honestly, isn¡¯t that a steal?¡± At this point, Chi-Woo had nothing more to say. His brother had told him to be constantly doubtful, but he would never reach an answer if there was no end to his suspicion. Moreover, Seven Stars no longer had to repay their debt. They could afford to invest 50,000 royals. ¡®We don¡¯t have a clue right now except for this anyway¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo made his decision after much consideration. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s make a deal.¡± ¡°Yay! Great! Don¡¯t forget me if everything goes well, okay?¡± Shadia smiled and handed over the map, and Chi-Woo paid her for it. She left Seven Stars after saying, ¡®Let¡¯s give each other good reviews.¡¯ There was only one thing left to do¡ªto identify the location shown on the map. ¡°Ah, leave this up to me, Boss.¡± Eval Sevaru was already turning the map upside down and observing it carefully. ¡°I think I can figure it out.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a map created hundreds of years ago¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter since it¡¯s a topographic map. Once firmly established on the earth¡¯s surface, the characteristic landscapes do not change over time. Well, unless a natural disaster has occurred.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, trust me. The surrounding features are also drawn in detail. If I find and compare the current maps that match the area this map represents, I think I will be able to identify the location sooner than I think.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by Eval Sevaru¡¯s calm breakdown of his process. On one hand, he became curious. He had no idea what kind of hero Eval Severu had been, but the man really possessed all kinds of knowledge and information. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s take a break. I¡¯ll report back to you as soon as I check this, Boss.¡± * * * Eval Sevaru came back in less than a day. After hearing a knock, Chi-Woo answered the door and blinked when he saw how serious Eval Sevaru looked as he walked in. ¡°¡­Boss.¡± With a tired face, Eval Sevaru sounded slightly husky. ¡°We¡¯re fucked.¡± ¡°What? Why? Is it hard to locate?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve already identified the location, but¡­I didn¡¯t want it to be true¡­so I¡¯ve checked and rechecked it many times¡­¡± Eval Sevaru swiped his face many times and unfolded the map on the table first. Chi-Woo¡¯s expression also slightly changed because the point where Eval Sevaru had marked with an X was quite far from Shalyh. Chi-Woo said, ¡°At least it¡¯s not completely on the opposite side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem at all.¡± ¡°What then? What about this place is making you¡­¡± Then Eval Sevaru rubbed his eyes and, with a deep sigh, he said, ¡°It¡¯s the Sernitas.¡± Chi-Woo paused for a moment, shocked into speechlessness. ¡°If we want to go and check out treasures that may or may not exist¡­¡± They needed to cross the areas near the border as well as a whole territory. ¡°We must enter Sernitas'' territory.¡± Chi-Woo instinctively closed his eyes. * * * Chi-Woo stayed up all night. With the map in front of him, he went through an endless cycle of worry and conflict. ¡®Geez, of all the places¡­¡¯ It was already a huge problem that they needed to first infiltrate enemy territory, but on top of that, it was the Sernitas of all factions. It was considered the strongest among the four major ones. ¡®This is crazy.¡¯ Should he go or not? It would be nice if his intuition could give him the answer, but it was quiet this time. To put it into words, he didn¡¯t feel anything, so it was even harder to make a decision. ¡®Should I spread this information instead and organize a large expedition¡­¡¯ This thought suddenly occurred to him, but Chi-Woo shook his head. The more people moved, the greater the likelihood their opponent would notice. It was impossible that the Sernitas would just stand still when a huge hoard of heroes flocked to their border. There would be a 100 percent chance that war would break out. If he wanted to carry out this plan, they needed to move in a small group. They needed to infiltrate Sernitas¡¯ territory as quietly as possible and quickly sneak out after taking only what they needed; only then would they have a chance of succeeding. By the time dawn broke, Chi-Woo had made his decision. He would call everyone, including the team leaders, and discuss the matter with them. He was going to ask for everyone¡¯s opinions, but the results were expected to some extent. Ru Amuh would say that he¡¯d follow Chi-Woo¡¯s decision, and Yunael would be anxious to go no matter what. In the first place, heroes were used to taking risks. Chi-Woo had not yet reached a conclusion, but his mind was already tilted to one side. Of course, his brother would be furious if he found out about this later. ¡®I can just succeed and pay him back.¡¯ Chi-Hyun probably wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything if Chi-Woo made the excuse that he was only doing what he was told. ¡®I would be able to team up with Mr. Ru Amuh after so long. And Mr. Emmanuel too.¡¯ While Chi-Woo, racked his brain to form the best expedition team possible, he suddenly received an unexpected guest. Noel visited Seven Stars without any notice. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± After reading the document she handed him, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°This is¡­?¡± Then he looked up at Noel with a slightly confused look on his face. ¡°And¡­they asked me to deliver this as well.¡± Noel cleared her throat and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the way to Asha Dubulola?¡± CH 344 Chi-Woo was surprised when Noel mentioned Asha Dubulola. [?¡ª Page (1/1)] 4. Become a saintess of ¡®Asha Dubulola¡¯ (Incomplete) Asha Dubulola was mentioned in Steam Bun¡¯s fourth condition to evolve. Considering the way the condition was written, Chi-Woo had thought Asha Dubulola was likely to be a god, but didn¡¯t know any other information besides that. Chi-Woo read the documents Noel handed him carefully again. It said that Cassiubia League didn¡¯t want to cower in fear any longer and aimed to stretch out their wings; and to do this, they wished for Seven Stars¡¯ support. ¡°The Cassiubia League had only been on the defensive, but they finally want to be on the offensive. It¡¯s probably their first time attacking beyond the Demon Empire¡¯s territory. It appears that they are intent on seizing this opportunity to establish their superiority.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes. It seems they think highly of the Seven Stars that had brought about the current situation. Thus, they had specifically named you in their request.¡± Demon Empire was still suffering from their catastrophic attempt to invade Shalyh¡ªat least, that was how it appeared on the surface. Furthermore, with Chi-Woo¡¯s successful expedition at the Hala Forest last time, Seven Stars¡¯ reputation in the Cassiubia League had risen even higher than before. This wasn¡¯t bad news, but Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t simply be happy about it either. At this rate, he would need to complete several different missions at once. Chi-Woo wanted to focus on the one his brother gave him; if he also accepted the Cassiubia League¡¯s request on top of that, it would have an effect on the expedition. ¡°Hm¡­do I have to accept their request?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Seeing how conflicted Chi-Woo looked, Noel realized that there were underlying circumstances that he couldn¡¯t tell her about. She carefully chose her words. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to¡­but if you can, I think it will be better to accept it. There¡¯s humanity¡¯s position to consider, and in the future, humanity would probably need the League¡¯s collaboration.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think humanity¡¯s position is that low right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the case right now. But the Cassiubia League is an alliance made up of very diverse species and tribes. Not all have a positive view of humans.¡± Noel smacked her lips and continued, ¡°Because Young Master has solved several serious problems, the side that supports coexistence between humanity and the League strengthened¡­but since before, there are many who are against collaborating with humanity. Those in that group are probably waiting for the smallest excuse to break that union.¡± Chi-Woo had a hard time accepting this fact. He thought it was baffling for the opposition to exist after all the things humanity had done for the Cassiubia League. ¡°But¡­we all need to unite under the same goal at a time like this¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying that an incompetent ally is scarier than a competent enemy.¡± Noel made a bitter smile. ¡°Not everything goes according to how we wish it to be.¡± If it did, the world would already be a perfect utopia. After a moment of contemplation, Chi-Woo picked up the documents. *** In the end, Chi-Woo decided to accept the Cassiubia League¡¯s request. There was no other choice. Originally, he planned to refuse even if it hurt Seven Stars¡¯ standing with the League. He thought about suggesting other organizations to take on the task, but Noel soon told him Afrilith and Eustitia had both accepted some other requests and were busy making preparations. Even Ho Lactea, the members of which came back from an all-out war only several days ago, had to take care of three to four tasks as soon as they returned. In comparison, Seven Stars didn¡¯t have much going on. This was probably because of his brother¡¯s command. Noel had also tried to not give Seven Stars dangerous missions if she could help it, but after exhausting all other options, she had no choice but to bring this up to Seven Stars. There was the fact that the Cassiubia League specifically named Seven Stars, too. Shalyh City looked much busier to Chi-Woo after Noel left. Many groups seemed preoccupied with their own matters, and it appeared what Noel told him about the other groups was true. Just to experiment, Chi-Woo called Emmanuel¡¯s name out loud, but he didn¡¯t come. Usually, he would¡¯ve popped out in three seconds and asked, ¡°Did you call for me, sir?¡± But he was nowhere to be found now. Chi-Woo thought about calling him with his device, but decided against it; if it was Emmanuel, he would abandon his own tasks to answer Chi-Woo¡¯s call. In the end, this meant that Seven Stars needed to solve this issue on their own. And given their existing members, Chi-Woo had to think for a long time. ¡®Why of all time¡­?¡¯ As events overlapped, the problem with Seven Stars came to light. Chi-Woo thought his group had been doing well, but he realized that they were not as competent as he wished them to be. This was the first time he was feeling this way. They were always able to pour all their effort and mind into whatever problem came by, but Chi-Woo realized that they had been able to do that thanks to his brother helping each of the groups manage their workload and dealing with the most difficult problems. And without Chi-Hyun, each group was burdened with significantly more work than before. It wasn¡¯t until he was gone that Chi-Woo realized the weight of his brother¡¯s absence, and Chi-Woo felt a bit sorry for always insulting his brother for carefreely working inside his office all day. Finally, after much contemplation, Chi-Woo decided to only call forth Ru Amuh and Yunael instead of the whole team. After explaining the situation to them, he shared his opinion. ¡°The first team¡¯s leader would have to go meet the Cassiubia League. I would¡¯ve gone with you if possible, but the situation doesn¡¯t allow me to do that.¡± Ru Amuh was one of the top and most well-known humans in the Cassiubia League. If Ru Amuh explained to them that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t come because he was dealing with a task that the legend left him, the Cassiubia League would think that Seven Stars had tried their best in their current circumstances. Ru Amuh looked a bit awkward to be called the first team¡¯s leader, but he soon accepted the order. Chi-Woo felt relieved that he had at least one person he could trust in a situation like this. Then he turned to Yunael. ¡°And Ms. Yunael¡­I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to come with me.¡± ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s fine,¡± Yunael said, sounding a bit sour. ¡°I¡¯m not pleased that I have to go looking through some thief¡¯s property while someone else is coolly going to war, but it can¡¯t be helped. I have to do what my superior says.¡± Then she asked just to make sure, ¡°But we aren¡¯t the only two going, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Chi-Woo turned his attention back to Ru Amuh and said, ¡°I apologize to you because we will have to change up the team members a bit for this event.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to apologize, sir. It¡¯s fine,¡± Ru Amuh easily accepted this fact too. But seeing him respond like that, Chi-Woo came to a realization. Ru Amuh tilted his head in confusion, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything as his face hardened. *** After Chi-Woo relayed to the two about the current situation, Seven Stars became busy. ¡°After this event is over, are you going to consider my position in the group more seriously?¡± Yunael asked. She looked more enthusiastic than Chi-Woo expected her to be. It seemed she wanted to ensure personal rewards since she was taking risks for something that didn¡¯t seem that worthwhile. Chi-Woo sighed thinking that Yunael was more concerned about menial details than the main point. ¡°I will think about it after we succeed in this mission,¡± Chi-Woo replied. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that a leader should motivate his subordinates?¡± Yunael asked. ¡°I know, but I also like the idea of giving rewards and punishments only when they are due.¡± Yunael didn¡¯t push further after Chi-Woo¡¯s firm response. She understood that she would only be rewarded once she did something worthy of it, and after realizing this, she focused on contemplating the current issues with Chi-Woo. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know this as well, but we can¡¯t divide into two teams with our current members at all,¡± Yunael said. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I want to hear about the temporary team members you talked about before.¡± Seven Stars currently had ten members, including the fenrir cub and Steam Bun. They could divide into two teams of five if the number of members was their only concern, but it wasn¡¯t as simple as that. Since they were going on an expedition¡ªnot an adventure¡ªthey needed to think about the right balance of classes. This meant that they needed to get help from outside of the organization. ¡°I thought that¡¯s how you would respond. Wait a bit, and I will call them here immediately,¡± Yunael said. ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see. Why don¡¯t you give me your opinions after having a look at them? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be pretty satisfied.¡± Yunael appeared confident like she had already thought well of the matter. Then, not long afterward, three people appeared. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing them. ¡°Mr. Jin-Cheon?¡± ¡°Oh teacher, we see each other again. This must be destiny,¡± Jin-Cheon smiled awkwardly and collapsed on a nearby seat. He looked quite dispirited if the deep sigh he let out was anything to go by. Chi-Woo turned to Yunael for an explanation, and she smirked. Then she explained that on their way back after the recent rescue mission, she and Jin-Cheon got each other¡¯s contact information and saved each other as friends. Yunael wanted a trustworthy companion when making her own team, and Jin-Cheon thought it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to know another promising hero, so the two kept in touch. Chi-Woo had tried to recruit Jin-Cheon¡¯s team before, but they wanted to establish their own team and acted independently unless a special occasion came up. ¡°Mr. Jin-Cheon, you are going to join Seven Stars at this rate,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°I am seriously thinking about that now. Of course, that is if you would accept us.¡± Chi-Woo had been joking, but surprisingly, Jin-Cheon looked serious in his response. ¡°Wait, do you mean it? But why all of a sudden?¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard, and Jin-Cheon smacked his lips and answered. ¡°We went broke.¡± Search "pawread dot com" for the original. ¡°?¡± ¡°Look at us.¡± Jin-Cheon spread his arms apart. Chi-Woo looked at Abis and then Aric, and he understood the situation. They didn¡¯t have any proper equipment, much less a weapon. And they were still wearing the clothes that Eval got them when they returned. ¡°You must know¡­the reason we look like this,¡± Jin-Cheon said, and simultaneously, Aric flicked his head around and looked piercingly at Abis. Abis¡¯ face reddened as she fake-coughed. ¡°You might not know this, but most of the heroes in Shalyh live day by day. Paying our monthly rent is a huge deal for us, and we have to really give up all we have to get any pieces of equipment,¡± Jin-Cheon continued. ¡°That¡¯s not all. We have to think about getting food and other necessities. In the end, we have to save every cent to buy a piece of equipment unless we suddenly strike gold. We can¡¯t dream of buying a complete armor set at once and have to buy each part one by one, but¡­¡± They had recently thrown into Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit all the equipment they had saved up to buy with their blood, sweat, and tears; and all they got in return was one pair of magic leather shoes. ¡°You might think we can just start earning money again, but that isn¡¯t as easy as it sounds. It¡¯s hard to start over from nothing, and we can only gain a little bit by doing menial tasks here and there,¡± Jin-Cheon complained mournfully. ¡°Who would entrust anything to us when we look like this? There are many other teams competing for the same tasks, and I can¡¯t really blame people for not choosing us. Were I in their shoes, I would choose the team that looks best as well.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have sold the magic equipment?¡± ¡°Wow, thank you for bringing that up! Of course, I tried to do that, but the person who put our team in this current situation won¡¯t give it up at any cost, saying that there might not be another chance to get our hands on an artifact again. It¡¯s unbelievable!¡± Abis wasn¡¯t wrong, but it seemed she was being too stubborn considering the situation. Chi-Woo stared at Abis, and she averted her gaze. At the least, it seemed she had enough self-awareness to be embarrassed. Meanwhile, Aric was still staring at her intently. ¡°Anyways, now that the situation has come to this, it made me think that I might want to join an organization after all. Then I won¡¯t have to worry about where my next meal would come from and so on and only have to focus on doing the tasks given to me.¡± Jin-Cheon smiled awkwardly while scratching his head. ¡°So¡­I was wondering if we could get a bit of your help. The only thing we can offer you is our bodies though,¡± Jin-Cheon said. ¡°No, that¡¯s perfect. I will accept that gladly.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chi-Woo explained the situation then, and the three were shocked. ¡°B-But the Sernitas are too dangerous¡ª¡± Abis was saying, but when Jin-Cheon turned to her and Aric continued to stare intently at her, she lowered her head again and said, ¡°¡­Nevermind. Just ignore me. I will be quiet.¡± ¡°The three of you might not be able to move together. Some may have to go meet the Cassiubia League with Mr. Ru Amuh,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°The Cassiubia League¡¯s issue is fine, but trespassing into Sernitas¡¯ territory is something I wouldn¡¯t have ever considered doing¡­¡± Jin-Cheon said while stroking his chin. ¡°But it will be different if I¡¯m going with you, Teacher. And I¡¯m in no position to be picky. Okay. Everything is fine. Just tell us what to do.¡± In the end, Jin-Cheon raised both hands and easily accepted the offer. With this, they gained an archer and two warriors in their team. ¡°Is there even a reason for us to fight? Can¡¯t we just sneak into the area and quickly find the stolen goods? I think we should prioritize swiftness and speed.¡± ¡°Look at the location. It¡¯s sort of on the outskirts of Sernitas¡¯ territory, but not completely. We don¡¯t know what situation would arise. How can we leave out a magician with their diverse skill sets and a priest that could save our lives? Are we just going to rely on potions that will only heal surface-level injuries?¡± The five of them discussed and reached a conclusion in the end. The teams were decided: Chi-Woo would lead Yunael, Evelyn, Hawa, Jin-Cheon, Eshnunna, and Steam Bun to the Sernitas. Ru Amuh would lead Ru Hiana, Aida, Abis, Aric, and the fenrir cub to the Cassiubia League. CH 345 It is impossible to talk about the buhguhbu tribe¡¯s history without mentioning Mamiya. Currently, the buhguhbus possess a craftsmanship comparable to the dwarf tribe that¡¯s only passed down in legends. When the dwarf tribe went extinct after failing to accept their fate to become slaves subordinate to the gods in the Age of Gods, it was only natural that the gods¡¯ attention would have shifted toward the buhguhbus. Then how did the buhguhbu tribe survive to the present day without getting any protection from a god while various gods competed for them? When asked, the buhguhbus all reply with the same answers¡ªMamiya, and Narsha Haram. The Narsha Haram is a tower created by a bet between Miho, who loved the dingos and carbuncles, and the buhguhbus. The Narsha Tower is meaningful in that it is where the lasting relationship between Mamiya and Miho began, when Mamiya proved his worth by climbing to the top floor of the tower. Several records wrote that Mamiya overcame countless adversity in the Narsha Haram, but what the ordeal entails is not written in detail. There are only a few lines at most, and it is safe to say that basically nothing is written about the second floor. No related records can be found at all, and the only information about it is passed down orally, without clear credibility. After going to the buhguhbus first hand and checking in person, I was able to hear the story of the second floor from an old buhguhbus. The hardest part of Mamiya¡¯s trial is the second floor, and the reason for that is because he had to make a ¡®choice¡¯ on that floor¡­ [An unofficial account of an ancient story during the Age of Gods from an anonymous historian.] * * * After the team selection was announced, Seven Stars became bustling with activity. Although Ru Amuh¡¯s team was busily preparing to leave, Chi-Woo¡¯s team wasn¡¯t able to do the same. Their goal was clear, and the number of people was set, but the problem was coming up with a concrete plan. When they tried to materialize their vague thoughts into reality, several gaps that could not be overlooked were revealed. Among the many issues, the most glaring one by far was the path to get to their destination. For now, the shortest path, straight towards their goal, was completely taken out of the discussion. If they wanted to use that path, they needed to cross the Demon Empire¡¯s mainland, and that was no different from suicide. In the end, they had no choice but to go around. Then which detour would take them less time? And which way would be safer? Since it was not a simple task like taking an item out of someone¡¯s pocket, there were numerous things to consider. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Geez, let¡¯s just go! If we leave the sanctuary, it¡¯s the same wherever we go anyway!¡± Yunael yelled in frustration after having meaningless meetings every day with no progress. In fact, she wasn¡¯t completely wrong either. Although there was some difference, it was dangerous everywhere as soon as they left the sanctuary, whether they crossed the border or another faction¡¯s territory or not. In the end, the head¡¯s opinion was the most important. Chi-Woo selected Hawa as the head of this expedition after considerable thought. Although he didn¡¯t doubt Abis¡¯ ability as a hero, Chi-Woo thought Hawa was more suitable as someone from a nomadic tribe who had traveled extensively around Liber, since fighting was not a priority in this expedition. However, for some reason, Hawa did not appear at the meeting. She appeared only once or twice at first, but had not participated at all since then. It would have usually been a matter of great frustration, but Hawa had asked Chi-Woo in private to give her some time, and Chi-Woo waited patiently. After hearing his explanation, Yunael endured for a few days, but that was about it. Five days later, Yunael finally exploded. ¡°Where¡¯s the head now? No, I just want to talk. Where is she so busily going around that I can¡¯t even get a glimpse of her face? What the hell is she doing¡ª!¡± Chi-Woo replied, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s also feeling a lot of pressure.¡± Considering that Ru Amuh¡¯s team had already finished their preparation and was almost ready to leave, while they hadn¡¯t made any preparation, it was understandable that Yunael would be angry. Although Chi-Woo could sympathize with her, he consoled Yunael and quietly waited. They were going to travel a long distance; it would be ridiculous to go there recklessly, and he wanted to give Hawa time. At the end of the day, she was the driver in charge of leading this trip, and was putting in great effort to keep her passengers alive. * * * Hawa showed up after two days. ¡°¡­So.¡± Yunael said with an unfriendly gaze at Hawa as she sat down. ¡°You haven¡¯t shown your face at all for the past seven days. Can I trust that you brought us something big, befitting the time you¡¯ve taken?¡± Yunael¡¯s tone was not as harsh as expected because Hawa¡¯s eyes were dull and listless as she looked down at the map. The deep dark circles underneath her eyes suggested that she must have stayed up all night for days. This was at least proof that she hadn¡¯t gone out to play hooky, but instead had been pondering deeply for days. After a long silence, Hawa closed her eyes and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think there will be a problem whichever path we take.¡± Hawa continued as soon as Yunael was about to have a fit, ¡°The paths to our destination can be categorized into three types.¡± Through the land, the sea, and the air. Going by land was too old-fashioned. Since the distance we¡¯re traveling is great, it was also too naive to expect not to get caught even once during their trip. There would definitely be a problem, and there was a high possibility of dying whether they failed or succeeded in running away in that event. There was no need to even mention the problems with going by sea or air. Their destination was inland, far from the coast and surrounded by land, and they could not dream of flying unless they could use magic freely like Chi-Hyun or have wings. ¡°No matter how I think about it, it¡¯s almost impossible for us to go on a path that people normally use. It will be hard unless we borrow the power of a god.¡± ¡°So what do you want us to do? You asked for more time, and all you¡¯re telling us is that we can¡¯t go?¡± ¡°No, I never said it wasn¡¯t possible.¡± ¡°Really? Then tell us quickly instead of making us wait in anticipation.¡± ¡°I just told you.¡± At Hawa¡¯s flat tone, Yunael blinked as if she was asking, ¡®When?¡¯ Hawa said, ¡°That it will be hard unless we borrow the power of a god.¡± Silence fell. ¡°What¡­does that mean?¡± When Yunael asked again, Hawa turned her gaze nonchalantly to Chi-Woo. ¡°I heard that you had a pretty interesting experience during your last expedition not too long ago.¡± Chi-Woo answered, ¡°Yes, but it was a rescue mission rather than an expedition.¡± ¡°Anyhow, I heard that the magic fire pit created a dimensional door connected to a different world.¡± Jin-Cheon made a loud cough after listening quietly. Chi-Woo smirked and refocused on Hawa. Then he said, ¡°Yes, that happened, but from my understanding, the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit can no longer be used. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be suffering like this.¡± ¡°I know. What I want to tell you is that there is a similar door like that on Liber.¡± ¡°¡­Please tell us in more detail.¡± ¡°For example, what if we had access to a door that could move anywhere we wanted at once, no matter how far?¡± Chi-Woo stared at Hawa. Her hollow eyes looked back at him without shaking an inch. Although it was hard to believe, it didn¡¯t seem like she was lying. To sum up, Hawa was suggesting that they go through a door that can go anywhere with the help of a god and come back quickly. This was the best possible method if it could be carried out. They could drastically reduce the time the mission took, and they didn¡¯t have to take any risks while moving back and forth. Although there was no better method¡­the problem was with the implementation. ¡°Where can we find that door?¡± ¡°On Narsha Haram¡¯s second floor,¡± Hawa said without hesitation, and Chi-Woo looked a little surprised. ¡°If it¡¯s Narsha Haram¡­¡± ¡°According to the buhguhbus¡¯ leader, Mamiya had to stand at a major crossroad on the second floor after passing the first floor. There, he chose to go up the third floor after much thought.¡± ¡°What does that story have to do with the door you were talking about?¡± ¡°The tribe¡¯s leader said that the second floor was Mamiya¡¯s biggest struggle. If he had made another choice, he would have given up climbing further and exited the tower, using a door that could lead him anywhere he wanted.¡± A door that let anyone go wherever they wanted. Yunael, who was listening to the conversation between the two, quietly turned around. Then she looked towards Evelyn, who was listening with interest. When Yunael asked what Narsha Haram was, Evelyn answered with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a legendary tower that existed during the Age of Gods.¡± Yunael looked flabbergasted by her explanation, ¡°No, wait a minute. Before we go look for stolen treasures, you want us to look for a tower from thousands of years ago that may or may not exist?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you earlier.¡± Since Hawa also had a fierce personality, she responded sharply in an irritated tone. ¡°It¡¯s not that it may or may not exist. It exists.¡± The guide always needed to be certain; this was one of the fundamentals of being a guide that Chi-Hyun taught her. Chi-Woo added, ¡°Narsha Haram exists for real. Ms. Yunael, you might not know, but we went there on an expedition before. It was only the first floor though.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so? I didn¡¯t know. Sorry about that.¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s testimony, Yunael politely apologized and shut her mouth. Chi-Woo smiled at Hawa as she let out a snort. ¡°You must have asked me for more time¡­to figure this out.¡± ¡°Yes. I had to do work that took seven days just to get this answer, but I couldn¡¯t see a way to reach our goal other than this.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve checked it yourself, there¡¯s no doubt it¡¯s the truth, but there¡¯s still a problem left.¡± Anyone could see that it would be no easy task to go to the second floor of the Narsha Haram, ask Mamiya to open the door, reach their destination right away, pack up the stolen treasures, and sing on their way back home. Going through the first floor again was a hurdle alone. At that time, the expedition team had to go through seven compartments and all kinds of trials and hardships. The second floor would probably present them with more challenges rather than fewer. There were no consequences without a cause. If they wanted access to the door that could go anywhere on the second floor, they needed to produce the appropriate cause. And if their target was a god, there was a high possibility that it would be in the form of paying some kind of price. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll have to go and see what kind of payment Mamiya wants,¡± Hawa replied matter-of-factly. Considering that Hawa found a path much more realistic than through the land, sea, or sky, it could be said that she had already done her job as the head, and the other problems were the expedition leader¡¯s responsibility. There was no reason to hesitate longer after thinking this was worth a try. Chi-Woo called Eval Sevaru. ¡°Please make an appointment with Mr. Dalgil. As soon as possible.¡± * * * They made an appointment in the evening the very same day. Eval Sevaru, who had a lot of exchanges with the buhguhbus, worked hard to make the appropriate preparations for guests according to their culture. With the buhguhbus, it was tradition to prepare enough food for the guest¡¯s stomachs to burst the more important they were. Thanks to this, Dalgil, who visited Seven Stars, got to feast on an enormous amount of food and alcohol, and their talk began in a relatively good atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you after a long time, but you¡¯ve even prepared such a feast. My heart feels full.¡± Dalgil cleaned his teeth with a toothpick and revealed his good mood. ¡°So what¡¯s your request?¡± ¡°Haha, you knew already.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know the situation in the city these days. Anyway, what do you want me to do? If you want, I will stand as your vanguard even while putting aside what I¡¯m doing right now.¡± Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t seen him for a long time, but Dalgil¡¯s personality was the same as ever. Chi-Woo smiled and shook his head. ¡°I need your help, but there¡¯s no need for you to go that far.¡± ¡°Then?¡± When Chi-Woo asked him to open the second floor of Narsha Haram, Dalgil¡¯s expression stiffened. Dalgil said, ¡°After coming back from conquering the first floor of the Narsha Haram, I¡¯ve gained significantly more influence in my tribe, but it¡¯s not an easy task to receive a divine command.¡± All tribes treated their gods sacredly, but the buhguhbus were more severe in this regard. Since they had a strong tendency to sanctify Mamiya, the buhguhbus needed to go through complicated steps to meet Mamiya, unless it was for the growth system. This was the case for the buhguhbus, so there was no need to even mention the difficulty of getting a divine command for an outsider. Yunael, who had been listening to the conversation, got an ominous feeling about this. She felt as if Dalgil was going to make a difficult request in exchange for this favor. In an urgent time like this, Yunael felt anxious as their work seemed to keep getting pushed back. ¡°¡­But if it¡¯s a request from my benefactor and friend, it¡¯s a different matter.¡± However, Yunael¡¯s prediction was well off. ¡°Can you perhaps tell me a little more about the situation? It would be easier to persuade the others if it¡¯s for a greater cause. Of course, we will make sure to keep it a secret.¡± When Chi-Woo told him about their search for tohari, Dalgil exclaimed, ¡°Then it¡¯s a matter for us buhguhbus as well! Furthermore, it¡¯s for the benefit of the whole League. There¡¯s no need for more explanation.¡± He immediately raised his huge body and turned around. ¡°Wait a little longer. I¡¯ll come right back with the divine command. Even if I have to break the head of anybody in opposition.¡± Dalgil returned to Seven Stars exactly two hours later. ¡°I¡¯ve received a divine command. God Mamiya has accepted your request.¡± With a token in one hand, he continued, ¡°Do you remember when we last activated Narsha Haram?¡± CH 346 After Dalgil handed Chi-Woo Mamiya¡¯s token, Chi-Woo fell into deep thought. Dalgil had asked Chi-Woo if he remembered the time when they first went to Narsha Haram. Of course he remembered, and it was going to be the same as that time. After they went to the place of Mamiya¡¯s choice, they needed to set up an altar. The location wasn¡¯t close to the Shalyh City or within the Cassiubia League¡¯s territory, but in the Demon Empire. Fortunately, it was on the outskirts rather than right at its center. ¡°That¡¯s still hundreds of thousands of times better than going to the Sernitas though. It¡¯s much closer too,¡± Yunael said, and Chi-Woo agreed. The fact that they now needed to go to the Demon Empire instead of the Sernitas significantly lowered the task¡¯s difficulty. And though they had to go in the completely opposite directions from Ru Amuh¡¯s team before, their travel paths overlapped with theirs now; furthermore, the distance they needed to travel decreased dramatically. As a result, they could consider getting extra support from the other team¡ªof course, on the condition that one side finished their work first. ¡°I hope that we will be able to pay the price the god demands,¡± Chi-Woo said. Thus, their routes were decided. *** ¡°This is too much,¡± Ru Hiana said after the first team¡¯s meeting ended, and everyone had already left their seats. Ru Amuh asked, ¡°What is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Senior.¡± Ru Amuh stopped what he was doing and looked at her in surprise. ¡°Are you talking about Teacher? Why?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s just¡­a bit.¡± Ru Amuh looked greatly taken aback. The reason he always called Chi-Woo ¡®Teacher¡¯ was simple. There was the fact that he was greatly indebted to Chi-Woo for saving his life, but he also thought Chi-Woo was an admirable hero who he had a lot to learn from. Ru Hiana thought the same. As someone who valued the same traits as he did, she admired Chi-Woo as much as him, if not more. Thus, it really was surprising that Ru Hiana would express even a little bit of displeasure about Teacher. ¡°What happened? Did something happen between you and Teacher?¡± Ru Amuh asked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m talking about this expedition,¡± Ru Hiana answered like she had been waiting for him to ask the question. ¡°Our team was disbanded.¡± Ru Amuh¡¯s face hardened at the mention of team adjustments. ¡°We went out and accepted every request that could bring us money without resting, but what is this?¡± ¡°Ru Hiana. How could you speak that way?¡± Ru Amuh said sternly. ¡°Teams can easily change whenever. Besides, Teacher¡¯s team has to go to the Sernitas¡¯ territory this time, while we will have the Cassiubia League¡¯s support.¡± With only his teammates on his side, Chi-Woo would have to trespass into the enemy¡¯s base and come back. ¡°I know that at least, and it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand the reasoning.¡± She knew Ru Amuh was explaining why key players of their team had to leave to join Chi-Woo¡¯s, but she still appeared disgruntled. ¡°Then, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Ru Amuh asked. He looked like he couldn¡¯t understand, and Ru Hiana turned around with her lips tightly pursed. After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a while since we traveled with Senior.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cause¡ª¡± ¡°Ru Amuh, haven¡¯t you been moving separately from Senior since the Hala Forest incident? There¡¯s Emmanuel, and now Yunael. These days, he only moves around with those two.¡± Ru Hiana wanted to add, ¡®Just like we used to be¡¯, but forcefully kept those words down. ¡°I know it¡¯s childish of me to complain about this¡­but¡­anyways¡­¡± Ru Hiana trailed off with a conflicted expression before burying her face into the table. Ru Amuh was about to say something, but ended up keeping quiet. Was it anxiety or fear? He didn¡¯t know exactly, but he saw such emotions on her face and decided against saying anything. He simply finished his work and went outside. He needed to report the results of the meeting and thus, went to look for Chi-Woo. But when Ru Amuh spotted Chi-Woo, Ru Amuh didn¡¯t move further. It was because Chi-Woo looked very busy. He was conversing with the others, too busy to even clean up the plates on the dining table. He was talking intently as if he was pouring all his mind and energy into the matter. And in that place¡­there was no spot for him to sit. ¡°¡­¡± As soon as he realized this fact, Ru Amuh was able to understand a bit of what Ru Hiana had just told him. Though he understood the situation with his head, he was hit with a strange feeling in his heart. Ru Amuh stared at Yunael, who sat next to Chi-Woo; she was nodding and inputting her thoughts from time to time. Then, he quietly turned on his heels. *** Finally, the D-Day came. Seven Stars finished all their preparations and left Shalyh together¨Cnot in separate teams. Of course, since their destinations differed, they couldn¡¯t travel together till the end. And the day before they had to part ways, Ru Amuh was on night-watch duty. He was the last one to fulfill this duty, which was rare considering his sacrificial personality, but this time, Chi-Woo had asked Ru Amuh to be on night-watch duty on the last day with him before they separated. Ru Amuh was wondering why Chi-Woo had done that when he felt another presence. ¡°You came out so early¡­¡± Ru Amuh heard a yawn along with a sleepy voice. ¡°Hello, sir,¡± Ru Amuh bowed and greeted Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo slumped down near the bonfire and tapped his lips. Ru Amuh stood with his back straight with a slightly tensed face, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t look like he was going to talk no matter how long he waited. Chi-Woo simply stretched his neck sideways and continued tapping his lips. In the end, curiosity won out, and Ru Amuh broke the silence. ¡°Teacher¡­for what reason did you ask to be on night-watch duty with me¡­?¡± ¡°Sorry? Ah well¡­just because.¡± Ru Amuh was taken aback by Chi-Woo¡¯s simple answer. And seeing how wide his eyes got, Chi-Woo muffled his laughter and patted the floor next to him. ¡°I¡¯m just joking. Why don¡¯t you sit down first? I don¡¯t really have anything to ask you. I just wanted to talk to you face-to-face since it¡¯s been a while since we did that.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ru Amuh cautiously sat down. A slightly awkward silence passed through the area, and Chi-Woo looked up at the night sky. ¡°This makes me think of the old times. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± A faint smile formed on Ru Amuh¡¯s lips. Yes, that was how it had been before. They wandered from place to place like nomads and slept out in the open daily. ¡°I remember what we talked about all together at the border fortress,¡± Chi-Woo said and smiled. It hadn¡¯t been that long since then, but it felt like an old story now. ¡°Can¡¯t believe we came all this way since then,¡± Chi-Woo said. Compared to the time when he had nothing and couldn¡¯t do anything as people sacrificed their lives one after the other, they had made great progress. They couldn¡¯t say that humanity was on equal grounds with the four main factions on Liber yet, but they were almost there. And after thinking about all that, Chi-Woo let out a long sigh. ¡°The problem is that there¡¯s still a long way to go¡­¡± Things were better now, but there was still so much to do. The Demon Empire still had the potential to make a comeback, there was no need to go on about the Abyss, and they hadn¡¯t even confronted the Sernitas head-on yet. The future where he would save Liber and return to Earth with his brother suddenly felt like a distant dream. ¡°I¡¯m sure we will quickly get there,¡± Ru Amuh said. ¡°You really think so?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Ru Amuh turned away. Then Chi-Woo continued while looking at the dancing bonfire, ¡°To tell you the truth, I haven¡¯t been having a good feeling these days. Of course, I¡¯m not scared enough to shake in fear, but¡­ah, how should I say this?¡± Humanity was currently progressing. If they continued at this pace, they would gain quite the influence and establish themselves as one of the main factions of Liber. There were just a couple of more steps left, yet they were tough to make because it appeared that those around them wouldn¡¯t let them be. Chi-Woo felt that only once they overcame a very formidable hurdle would they be able to reach that position. Ru Amuh saw hints of uneasiness on Chi-Woo¡¯s face. He simply chewed on his lip not knowing what to say. Then Chi-Woo smiled brightly and stretched his arms. ¡°Thank goodness I have Mr. Ru Amuh with me,¡± Chi-Woo said. Ru Amuh stopped still. It felt like his head was instantly cleansed after being a mess for quite a while. ¡°If you weren¡¯t here¡­it wouldn¡¯t have been enough even if there were several of me. The same goes for this mission,¡± Chi-Woo said. The more Chi-Woo spoke, the more speechless Ru Amuh found himself. It was like he was struck hard in the head. He realized that Teacher must have had his own concerns, and that he was someone who saw the world from a completely different perspective than him. The fact that he didn¡¯t think about lessening the burden that Teacher had and instead empathized with Ru Hiana¡¯s complaints before made him incredibly ashamed. ¡°And¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± Chi-Woo apologized. Ru Amuh instantly got up from his seat. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, sir. I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s absolutely no need for you¡ª¡± Ru Amuh said, shaking his head and swinging his hands while feeling flustered. He stopped when he saw Chi-Woo¡¯s face. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡°No.¡± Chi-Woo cleared his throat and got to his feet. ¡°I thought about it hard. I realized I should have looked after you first, Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± Ru Amuh was still stunned. He didn¡¯t exactly understand what Chi-Woo was saying, but there was no need to put it into exact terms. [Ru Amuh ¨C Page (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 80% trust (Complete) 2. Use at least 5 and at most 7 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) Chi-Woo smiled after checking Ru Amuh¡¯s growth conditions. In the first place, there was no need to fulfill any conditions for Ru Amuh because he was already a perfect hero. Thus, Chi-Woo slowly raised his left hand. Clank! The metallic chains on his arms shone inside the darkness, and soon after, they flew and wrapped around Ru Amuh¡¯s body like a living creature. [The Power to Rule the World has been used.] [Innate ability [Blessed Luck] consumed (73->66).] Light burst out. [The Power to Rule the World has ¡®repaired¡¯ Ru Amuh¡¯s innate ability, ¡®New Sword Union¡¯, into ¡®Perfection Beyond Repair¡¯] 1. Name & Rank: Ru Amuh (¡ï¡ï¡î¡î¡î) 1. [Synesthesia S] 2. [Perfection Beyond Repair S]¡ªThe user reaches a state so perfect that there¡¯s nothing left to fix, and the ability erases any minor shortcomings. The user¡¯s near-flawless senses rose to complete perfection upon achieving new enlightenment. His new state is like a paradox¡ªhis attack is like a spear that can pierce anything, while his defense is like a shield that can block anything. He¡¯s at a level that can¡¯t be reached without receiving power from the heavens. Chi-Woo clenched his fist tightly after confirming Ru Amuh¡¯s user information. He had considered the possibility, but finally, a five-star hero! He nodded in approval seeing what Ru Amuh¡¯s New Sword Union ability had evolved into. ¡ªLook at him. Seems like he deeply contemplated the teachings I gave him. You have to acknowledge my contribution to this too. Philip also looked satisfied and swiped his nose. Meanwhile, Ru Amuh appeared beyond shocked and dazed by what happened. ¡°¡­Teacher?¡± ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°No, but is this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Power to Rule the World,¡± Chi-Woo said while looking at Ru Amuh. Then, once he calmed Ru Amuh down, he whispered the explanation, ¡°After gaining reliquia from the Narsha Haram¡¯s first floor¡­¡± Ru Amuh still looked like he was in a state of shock and quickly looked around him. Fortunately, nobody seemed to be eavesdropping on them, and everyone appeared fast asleep. ¡°I should¡¯ve used it on you way before. I¡¯m sorry for being late,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Teacher! Why¡ª!¡± Ru Amuh was about to ask why Chi-Woo would use such an important item on him and even share its information with him. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Woo shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if it is you.¡± Hearing this, Ru Amuh became overwhelmed by a powerful feeling and closed his eyes. Soon, his face was filled with an emotion he couldn¡¯t put into words. It was because Chi-Woo¡¯s every word was imbued with great trust and faith in him. ¡°You were always a huge support to me. You might feel burdened by this gift, but I always believe in you.¡± Chi-Woo offered his hand. Ru Amuh didn¡¯t even dare open his mouth. He simply raised his shaking hand and carefully clutched Chi-Woo¡¯s, more tightly than ever before. *** The next day, Seven Stars resumed their march early in the morning, and the two teams separated. Ru Amuh¡¯s feet felt much lighter than before as he headed to the Cassiubia League¡¯s main base. And his heart was just as cheery. It was because he had felt Chi-Woo¡¯s sincerity last night. Emmanuel? Yunael? They were fine. He was sure they must have their assets to catch his teacher¡¯s eye, but his teacher didn¡¯t trust them 100% yet. And because he didn¡¯t trust them fully, he needed to follow them like a parent and look after them. Ru Amuh, on the other hand, was different from them. Perhaps he had gone through a similar period, but that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. He was the one Chi-Woo trusted the most, and the only one Chi-Woo could rely on for special tasks. It was as Teacher had said before. He didn¡¯t just want a sword to wield, but a sword that could swing on its own. And on his way to his destination, Ru Amuh thought about the meaning behind Seven Stars and engraved it into his mind many times. Then, he made a firm decision in his heart. [I have¡ªa goal now.] [I heard that you were Teacher¡¯s first star.] [Of course, I have no intention to change the order that Teacher set, but Teacher¡¯s evaluations are dependent on individual achievements.] [In the first place, stars that shine brighter tend to stand out more, right?] It didn¡¯t matter what Emmanuel blabbered about and what that inexperienced, clueless Yunael did. The one shining brightest among the jewels his teacher possessed weren¡¯t those two, or the heroes who would come after them. It was him and him alone. And for that to continue to be so, he needed to meet expectations and let this fact be known to everyone. ¡®I will make it so.¡¯ He would show everyone that he was the first star among the seven stars. ¡®I will do it.¡¯ Ru Amuh¡¯s eyes shone radiantly as he looked toward the Cassiubia League¡¯s main base. CH 347 Chi-Woo felt someone¡¯s gaze on him while walking. Yunael was glancing at him sideways; it seemed that she had something to say. She would have usually asked the question without hesitation, but she was clearly holding it in because they were marching. Although she had a fiery and energetic personality, she surprisingly made a clear distinction between professional and nonprofessional life¡ªthat was probably why she was a hero. Chi-Woo muttered to himself and widened his distance from the other expedition team members with the excuse of scouting the area during the break. Then, as expected, Yunael quietly followed him. ¡°Hey, you know. Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± ¡°What happened this morning?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Stop playing dumb. I¡¯m talking about that hero¡ªRu Amuh.¡± ¡°Why? Do you want me to arrange a separate meeting between you two? Since you two are getting so cozy.¡± ¡°Ah, seriously. I¡¯m not interested. Although my body changed into that of a woman, my heart is still the same.¡± When Yunael sharply glared at him, Chi-Woo smirked. ¡°Then what is it? I can only give you a proper reply if you tell me exactly what you¡¯re asking.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness. Look at you keeping up the act even though you know what I want to know.¡± Yunael crossed her arms and grumbled at his attitude. Although she looked displeased, she sighed and continued, ¡°How can someone change so much overnight?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened slightly. He had been somewhat doubtful that Yunael would notice Ru Amuh¡¯s change. ¡°Frankly, I thought I might be able to challenge him if I rose to gold tier just before I went to sleep yesterday, but when I woke up, that thought completely disappeared. The energy flowing out of him completely changed as well. Ru Amuh might be even stronger than Alice Ho Lactea right now.¡± Yunael¡¯s pride seemed to have suffered a blow, but she clearly expressed her thoughts straight away, and Chi-Woo was slightly surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected anyone to find out. No¡ªother people might have also found out, but they might be keeping it to themselves. Like Evelyn, who had been snooping near them for a while. Stroking his chin, Chi-Woo suddenly smiled and asked, ¡°Then what about me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said that Mr. Ru Amuh might be stronger than Ms. Alice. Then what about compared to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s.¡± Yunael blinked at his unexpected question. ¡°Well¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± She thought about it a little bit and continued with a serious expression. ¡°You know how you get a sense of intuition whenever you meet someone? Take Ru Amuh as an example; I think it¡¯ll be a bit hard for me to beat him. And for the legend, I think I¡¯ll get killed immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°But Captain is¡­hmm, what should I say? I feel like you might be able to destroy everything if you really decide to?¡± Chi-Woo flinched. Yunael¡­had surprisingly sharp instincts. ¡°It feels like something that can never be overcome¡­a fundamental difference from birth that cannot be surpassed¡­no¡ªwait, why do I have to talk about this?¡± Yunael got angry while she talked. ¡°Anyway, what is it? I answered your question, so quickly answer mine as well.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± When Yunael looked at him with a baffled expression, Chi-Woo chuckled. He wanted to ask if she had stayed awake last night, but then he would be admitting to her speculation, so he changed the subject. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re asking me this. What does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Yunael murmured and continued in an uncharacteristically careful manner, ¡°I was wondering if I could also get it.¡± ¡°Get what?¡± ¡°Ah, seriously. I¡¯m not stupid, okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re very greedy. Didn¡¯t you get something already? Wasn¡¯t it called divine blood?¡± When Chi-Woo brought up information that Eval Sevaru told him, Yunael shook her head. ¡°That? She said she¡¯d give it to me, but I didn¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I want the effect, but then I¡¯ll be subjugated to Ho Lactea. As a member of Tania, I can¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°Then what if mine also has the same restriction?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie. Aida already told me it¡¯s not like that¡ªah.¡± Yunael realized her mistake mid-sentence, but it was already too late. ¡°Aha. Ms. Aida.¡± The corners of Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth went up. ¡°Oh, my. I told her to keep it a secret, but haha. Ms. Aida has¡­¡± ¡°No! Aida only told me this! I swear I never told anyone else! That¡¯s the truth! Honest!¡± Yunael jumped up and down. Considering that Yunael hated being indebted to others, she was also extremely wary of situations in which others had to take responsibility for her mistakes. It went without saying that this feeling was amplified when Aida was involved. Although Yunael didn¡¯t seem to be lying, Chi-Woo deliberately overreacted. ¡°I won¡¯t say it¡¯s your fault, since this is Ms. Aida¡¯s mistake. Anyway, I¡¯ll make sure to hold her accountable.¡± ¡°Ah, why! It doesn¡¯t even matter! Since I¡¯m your subordinate now!¡± ¡°This is information not everyone in Seven Stars is privy to. It¡¯s a top secret that only a few members know¡­ Just watch when I go back. I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhh~!¡± Yunael was so desperate that she quickly grabbed his arm and pulled. ¡°No.¡± At that moment, the one person who had been hovering around quickly stepped between them. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Evelyn grabbed Yunael¡¯s hand and pulled her away from Chi-Woo. Yunael asked, ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t you see that we¡¯re in the middle of a conversation?¡± ¡°Then you can just talk. Why do you have to make unnecessary physical contact? While making a whiny sound.¡± ¡°When did I¡ªno, it doesn¡¯t matter if I did. Why do you care?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have cared if you¡¯re a man. But that¡¯s not the case. Who told you to change into a woman? You¡¯re making me feel anxious for no reason.¡± Evelyn said it quietly as if she was gently persuading her. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t get close at all, but you have to wait for your turn. Let¡¯s sort out the ranks first. Come here.¡± As Evelyn dragged her away, Yunael looked back at Chi-Woo with a completely dumbfounded expression, and Chi-Woo shrugged. * * * Chi-Woo thought of Ru Amuh¡¯s team on the way. They should have arrived by now. He wondered what the situation was like over there and whether they were doing well. However, these thoughts grew less frequent as he moved forward because they were almost at their destination. This was no time to worry about others; he needed to concentrate. After a few more days of marching, the expedition finally reached their destination, or to be exact, they had no choice but to stop somewhere close. ¡°¡­Ms. Hawa.¡± Chi-Woo asked, staring blankly forward. ¡°Is this the right place?¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Hawa answered half a beat later. Even though Hawa rarely showed emotions, she seemed dumbfounded by the sight in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s the right place. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± To activate the Narsha Haram, they needed to go to the location designated by Mamiya and make an altar to offer the token. Yunael grumbled about why they had to go all the way there, but Chi-Woo thought there must be a reason why Mamiya specified the location. However, he became at a loss when they reached their destination. Because¡­ ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡± There was a fortress where Hawa was pointing at. It was quite large, and it appeared to be a military fortress considering the thick walls and various defense facilities. It seemed to still be under construction, and quite a few individuals were busily moving about. ¡°I think it¡¯s under careful watch¡­and it looks like they¡¯re monitoring the construction site. Many seem to be workers¡­I see demons as well as humans.¡± Yunael asked, ¡°Even humans?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not very strange,¡± Evelyn replied calmly. ¡°Although human civilization has been destroyed, not all humans have died. The Demon Empire captured the survivors and enslaved them. It¡¯s a common occurrence.¡± According to her, it was not unusual to see humans in the Demon Empire¡¯s territory, but that was not the important matter. ¡°¡­This is crazy.¡± Chi-Woo bit his lower lip. A fortress was being built exactly where they needed to go; it was way too coincidental. ¡°Perhaps God Mamiya is a sicko?¡± Yunael also muttered, feeling dejected. They couldn¡¯t do anything for now. The expedition team held a meeting after stepping back out of clear view of the fortress. Simply put, they could follow Mamiya¡¯s order if they just attacked the fortress and wiped out everything. However, could they attack the fortress with only seven people? And a siege at that? Although it was a ridiculous proposition, Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts were slightly different as he looked at the glove he was wearing. For some reason, he thought he would be able to do it in his current state. If only Ru Amuh were here, he would have thought it was worth a try. Of course, even if they succeeded, not everything would be solved. This was still the Demon Empire¡¯s territory, albeit at the border. Since their territory had significantly decreased compared to before, the distance between this place and the great demons monitoring the area must have gotten closer as well. The current Demon Empire was like a honeycomb. There would naturally be a big commotion if they attacked one of their fortresses, and in the worst-case scenario, all the demons might gather here, and they would be surrounded, especially considering that demons constantly fought with each other but immediately united against foreign invasion. Then, even if they encountered no problem when they left, trouble would come knocking as they headed back home. They tried to come up with a better solution, but to no avail. If they didn¡¯t subjugate the fortress, the only method was to quietly return, but that would be wasting their time even further. ¡°Why don¡¯t we join the Cassiubia League with Ru Amuh¡¯s team? After offering our help, we can explain our situation and get help to attack this place. If a large army from the League is sent, even the Demon Empire won¡¯t be able to move recklessly.¡± Evelyn came up with a compromise. Although it was a viable method, it remained uncertain that the League would move as they wished. They were at an impasse, not knowing what to do. ¡°Wait.¡± Hawa, who had been continuously watching the fortress, said, ¡°An individual is approaching.¡± ¡°Just one?¡± ¡°Yes, just one. They¡¯re slowly coming this way.¡± Hawa bent down. She seemed to think she would get caught if she stared any longer. She turned around and asked, ¡°What should we do?¡± It was now time to make a decision. Chi-Woo thought about it for a while and ordered everyone to prepare for battle. The expedition team waited with bated breath while staying hidden as the footsteps gradually approached. Soon after, the footsteps quieted after getting close. ¡®What the? Why aren¡¯t they coming closer? Do they know we are here?¡¯ While all kinds of thoughts passed through his head, Chi-Woo was about to infuse exorcism mana into his glove when¡ª ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± They heard a feminine and slightly cautious voice from above the rock. ¡°¡­I understand that you¡¯re going to run out and subdue me if I walk a little further from here and go past you. Then there¡¯s a high chance that the soldiers on guard at the fortress might see it. To be frank, I came out here after receiving a report that they have detected signs of suspicious activity¡­¡± The speaker spoke in a calm and serene tone. On the contrary, Chi-Woo was shocked. They¡¯ve already been caught? Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Then there might be quite a fuss, and that¡¯s something that I don¡¯t want. But I think if I go behind that rock, I would be well covered. No one inside the fortress would know what happened if I hid behind it.¡± This was true, but¡­ ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll move there slowly. Would you please capture and interrogate me after I¡¯m no longer visible?¡± At her very polite request, the expedition members all looked at each other. There was a figurative question mark on top of everyone¡¯s heads. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Chi-Woo gaped. He was flustered because it was the first time something like this had ever happened to him. ¡°I-Is that so? Then¡­shall we do that?¡± Although Chi-Woo was not usually respectful to an enemy, he unconsciously adopted a polite manner of speech; he somehow felt like he should. ¡°Yes! Thank you for listening to my request. Then I¡¯ll move towards that direction, so please don¡¯t kill me instantly.¡± Her response was followed by the sound of grass being stepped on. Soon after, a figure wearing a hood appeared from behind the rock. As soon as she turned the corner, she pulled down her hood and revealed her dark brown face and long hair. Both of her ears were pointed, and she was wearing a monocle. Judging by her appearance, she was definitely not human but a member of the Demon Empire. ¡°Pweh. It¡¯s done.¡± The slender and academic-looking female demon exhaled and turned around. Then she knelt down and held her hands behind her head. ¡°Now! You can do as you please. Let¡¯s begin talking when all of you feel assured of your safety.¡± The expedition team stared at their opponent, who was in a perfect surrender position. They all stared at her as if she was insane. Then she tilted her head at their silence. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tie me up? If you don¡¯t have a rope, you can step down on me or point a weapon at me.¡± Chi-Woo wondered if there was any need to go so far, but Yunael didn¡¯t seem to agree. She said, ¡°I¡¯m not the captain, but let me just ask one question.¡± She pointed her spear at the demon and asked, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­no. I¡¯m completely sane. And just so you know, my hobbies and tastes are perfectly healthy and normal.¡± She continued in a calm tone, ¡°However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s unreasonable for all of you to think that I¡¯m acting like a crazy idiot or assume that I have an ulterior motive. Yes, of course. I would probably think the same if I were in your position.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Thus, may I be given the chance to resolve this unfortunate misunderstanding with a question and a couple sentences? That¡¯s all I ask. Then you¡¯ll understand why I¡¯m acting like this.¡± Yunael looked back at Chi-Woo with an expression suggesting that she had no idea what to do. Although Chi-Woo was also confused, he decided to allow it based on the opponent¡¯s sincerity. ¡°Yes, go on.¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you. Then first, are all of you from Shalyh?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± Chi-Woo answered calmly. That was one question asked. ¡°As expected!¡± And now one sentence said, leaving her only one more to explain herself. Chi-Woo prepared to infuse exorcism mana into his glove. Although he didn''t know her intention, he sensed a dark energy as powerful as that of a great demon from her. ¡°My prediction was right!¡± With this, two sentences were completed, and Chi-Woo turned his head from side to side. ¡°We¡¯ve heard a question and two sentences from you, But I still didn¡¯t understand.¡± Then the demon¡¯s eyes widened in apparent puzzlement. ¡°Huh? No, I said, ¡®As expected, my prediction was right!¡¯ That was the first sentence.¡± ¡°But you paused and split the sentence into two.¡± Yunael agreed with Chi-Woo¡¯s argument and immediately clutched her spear. ¡°No! Wait!¡± Stunned, the demon hurriedly turned halfway and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s a message from Lady Shersha!¡± CH 348 As soon as he heard what she said, Chi-Woo came to a realization. He should¡¯ve thought of this sooner. Everything had fallen into place too perfectly to be called a coincidence, but it all made sense if Shersha had been the one to arrange everything. After all, Shersha was a prophet who could see the future. The rest of the team didn¡¯t know that and looked confused by the situation, while the demon started to look more baffled. ¡°Eh? Huh? This isn¡¯t how it¡¯s supposed to be. Today was surely the day¡­ah! No way! Was it a mistake?¡± The demon¡¯s eyes widened. Then she did a one-eighty and strode toward them threateningly, but it was already too late. ¡°Damn, you humans! How dare you trespass into our territory¡ª!¡± ¡°Ehem,¡± Yunael raised her spear, and the demon raised her hands back up in shock. ¡°¡­Sob.¡± The demon teared up nervously and saw Chi-Woo walking toward her. Then her eyes widened again when Chi-Woo pushed Yunael¡¯s spear away with his hand. Yunael looked a bit taken aback, but she withdrew her spear. ¡°You said you have a message from Ms. Shersha, right?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± The demon looked greatly relieved. ¡°She said a guest from Shalyh would come today! That¡¯s why she sent me here when I was about to go somewhere else! It¡¯s true! I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± The demon yelled desperately, unwilling to die at this spot. Chi-Woo tended to show no mercy toward creatures with dark energy. It was a tendency he gained from his youth, and this tendency applied to not only spirits, but also demons. But it was different when Shersha was involved. He had received help from her in the future, and to let her go alive, he even fought his brother, who had run day and night to save him. If the message came from her, it was worth giving it a listen. ¡°Please get up,¡± Chi-Woo said, and the demon instantly got up. The demon wiped her forehead in great relief a couple of times and regained her composure. Then she looked at Chi-Woo. ¡°Can you tell us now?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she replied and continued, ¡°Ah, but before that, would you allow me to guide you somewhere else? It¡¯s not for some official reason, but because of Lady Shersha.¡± ¡°Is Ms. Shersha inside?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°No. But she made me swear many times to be careful.¡± ¡°Careful in what way?¡± ¡°Uh¡­To treat you all as well as I could, and I should behave if I wanted to avoid getting extinguished¡­¡± Considering that many great demons had disappeared at Chi-Woo¡¯s hands, it was understandable. Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°Can all of us go inside?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. I will take the lead, and if you follow me from behind, everyone will know that you are my guests¡ªof course, as long as you don¡¯t have your weapon pointing at me from behind.¡± ¡°I understand. Then we will follow you while doing our best to pretend we are your guests.¡± ¡°No¡­but you guys¡­really are guests¡­¡± The demon chuckled awkwardly and turned around. And the expedition team headed to the fortress following her. Yunael also calmly followed, but she still appeared a bit doubtful. ¡°Can we really trust her?¡± Yunael asked. ¡°We will have to see,¡± Chi-Woo answered. ¡°No, but what if it¡¯s a trap?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. But this will allow us to go inside without having to go over the castle walls.¡± Chi-Woo indicated that even if it was a trap, they could just overcome it with brute force, and Yunael nodded in understanding. She could definitely imagine that happening, and she went forward. On the other hand, the demon¡¯s confidence faltered suddenly, and her legs shuddered at every step. Chi-Woo and Yunael thought they were whispering, but it seemed the demon had overheard their conversation. ¡°So scary¡­scary¡­to think each of them is strong as an army¡­I thought it was a lie or an exaggeration¡­what if everyone dies because of me¡­ Ah, no. I can¡¯t doubt Lady Shersha¡­I have to believe her,¡± the demon murmured. Yunael couldn¡¯t hear what the demon was going on about, but she appeared very frightened. And seeing this, Yunael looked at Chi-Woo with a bit of astonishment. She wondered what Chi-Woo had been doing until now that a demon was acting like this. ¡®Seems like he¡¯s really planning to go all out if something goes wrong,¡¯ Yunael thought when she saw that Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t let down his guard and had been repeatedly clenching and unclenching the hand cladded in the white glove. Chi-Woo had already made up his mind that he would use brute force if the worst came to worst. And he looked warily for any signs of trickery, but his heart calmed a bit after he passed the entrance and entered the fortress. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been different if they went to a demon world, but they were still in the middle world. And what he saw was nothing beyond an ordinary fortress, but what surprised him wasn¡¯t the interior of the structure. The future he saw in Shalyh was beyond sickening and terrible. There were collared heroes crawling on all fours in cages. Above all, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t forget the way his brother¡¯s headless corpse was hung on the wall like a chandelier. At that place, humans were seen as livestock or ornaments for demons to show off their status. Yet the inside of this fortress showed a completely different scene. It was just like Shalyh. Both humans and demonic creatures worked in union for construction work. There were humans talking with a smile on their faces with demons who appeared to be legionaries. When Chi-Woo turned to the streets, he saw human children playing with demonic creatures. They were chuckling cheerfully while running around with a ball. Humans and demons were coexisting peacefully. The unexpected scene shocked and dazed Chi-Woo and the entire expedition team. It was then the ball a group of kids had been kicking around rolled to the demon who was guiding them from the front. The whole group ran after the ball and stopped when they saw the demon. She said, ¡°You can¡¯t do this here because there¡¯s an ongoing construction. What will you do if the ball ends up near the work zones? Hm?¡± The children soon picked up the ball and looked at Chi-Woo¡¯s team with curiosity. Then they bowed their heads toward her and turned around. Though they weren¡¯t completely at ease with the demon, they didn¡¯t fear her either. The demon smiled happily seeing the children chatter away as they moved further. Then, when she noticed Chi-Woo intently looking at her, she coughed and cleared her throat. ¡®Ehem,¡¯ she said and schooled her expression back into one of solemn seriousness. After guiding the expedition team to a sitting room, the great demon began, ¡°I will officially introduce myself. I am the 34th-ranking great demon, Purupuru.¡± Purupuru looked up expectantly after saying her name, but was taken aback by how calm her audience appeared. No one was surprised by her identity because of the great demonic energy she exuded, but seeing how disappointed she appeared, some wondered if they should¡¯ve shown a bit of a reaction. ¡°There are many things I want to tell you, but I¡¯m sure you all are wondering about many things too, so I will get to the point.¡± Purupuru cleared her throat again and began, ¡°Lady Shersha told me to help you all as much as possible, so you all can do what needs to be done.¡± ¡°¡­Can you do that?¡± Though this was a pleasant surprise, Yunael said doubtfully, ¡°But you and I¡­we are enemies.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Purupuru immediately responded. ¡°I own this territory, and it is up to me to do whatever I want here.¡± That was how the culture in the Demon Empire was. Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Then could you provide us access to a place?¡± ¡°Access to a place?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need any other help, and we don¡¯t intend to cause any harm to this fortress either. Please just lend us a place for us to set up an altar.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a difficult request to fulfill. It¡¯s possible anytime,¡± Purupuru said, and Chi-Woo hoped that meant they could get on with their work as soon as possible. If this great demon Purupuru was telling the truth, they could save energy and time. ¡°This is a request Lady Shersha made to me in private. If you wish, I can help you in more ways¡ªas long as the requests are within our powers, of course.¡± ¡°That reminds me, is Ms. Shersha doing well?¡± ¡°No, she is in confinement,¡± Purupuru said nonchalantly, and Chi-Woo exclaimed in shock. Shersha was locked up? ¡°It¡¯s not really surprising. She usually receives special treatment.¡± A quick look at "pawread dot com" will leave you more fulfilled. That was in line with what his brother had told him. He said they could let Astarte live, but they needed to kill Shersha at all costs because such an opportunity would never come by again. As specially as she was treated, the Demon Empire hid her thoroughly and tried to protect her at all costs. Thus, it was difficult for Shersha to even leave the Demon Empire¡¯s central base. But there was a reason why Purupuru mentioned Shersha¡¯s confinement as a negative. ¡°But¡­it¡¯s true that she isn¡¯t able to wield as much influence as before. This is evident by how the few great demons who follow her, including me, are forced to move to different locations. I was chased away to this place recently and wasn¡¯t summoned to the recent grand meeting, so I don¡¯t have the exact details of what is going on.¡± This was important news. As expected, the Demon Empire was suffering from internal conflict. Chi-Woo leaned forward and asked, ¡°Could you tell us about the situation in more detail?¡± ¡°I have no reason not to, but the story might get a bit long¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Chi-Woo was already curious about what was going on inside the Demon Empire, and with Purupuru¡¯s collaboration, he might be able to find out the truth with much less time than he expected. The time he would spend listening to her was nothing in comparison. ¡°Then, let me see¡­I should tell you what happened after the great invasion of Shalyh ended up a huge failure.¡± After their ambitious attempt to invade Shalyh, the Demon Empire had to come to terms with their shocking defeat. Not only had they lost when the Cassiubia League members were gone from the city, but many great demons from first-digit ranks had also participated in the invasion. It was a result that the Demon Empire, which valued strength and power foremost, found hard to swallow, and all sorts of criticisms poured in. Numerous questions and complaints were made against the commanding forces, and some came forth to take advantage of the chaos. All this naturally led to a civil war and put the Demon Empire into a terrible bind. The situation didn¡¯t continue forever, but they couldn¡¯t avoid powers shifting from great demons in the single-digit ranks to the creatures in the lowest ranks. And after this situation settled, there were now only a total of 36 great demons. Purupuru laughed that instead of the 66 great demons, they would have to call themselves the 36 great demons now. ¡°Given the circumstances, it seems the great demons are trying to overturn the situation somehow. Single-digit ranking demons gathered and held meetings every day. It¡¯s really not common to have so many meetings one after the other, so I guessed that they must be talking about something very important.¡± Perhaps they were talking about something that could change the entire Demon Empire¡¯s fate. ¡°And the fact that the meetings went on for such long periods meant that the great demons didn¡¯t reach a common ground. And as that went on, I suddenly lost all contact with Lady Shersha. Then I was given the order to move territories because of a shift in my rank.¡± What happened sounded very suspicious. The only explanation was that Shersha disagreed with someone¡¯s opinion and was pushed away. However, Shersha¡¯s rank was all the way up to 7, and considering that she was a prophet, it was no exaggeration to say that her words held as much weight as Bael in the great demons¡¯ meetings. How could Shersha, who was called the princess of the Demon Empire and their treasure, be confined for opposing someone else in a meeting? ¡°Who did she go against?¡± ¡°Rather than pinpointing an individual, I would say the cause was an incident.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the incident?¡± ¡°Not long ago, we confirmed Sir Samigina¡¯s extinguishment.¡± Chi-Woo and Yunael flinched at the sudden mention of Samigina¡¯s name. ¡°Given he was the fourth-ranking great demon in the Demon Empire, we can say that we lost a truly great force. So¡­¡± Samigina was a great demon who wasn¡¯t interested in wars and held neutral ground in the Demon Empire. After hearing that such an influential figure was extinguished, the Demon Empire was awakened to the reality that they couldn¡¯t let things progress as they were. ¡°With Sir Samigina¡¯s extinguishment, all the great demons who had been neutral chose a side. Before, Lady Shersha had been barely maintaining her position, but as all these great demons took the other side, the balance was tilted in an instant.¡± And because of that, Shersha lost her authority within the Demon Empire and had to retreat in defeat. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. This was the butterfly effect of his actions. Who knew his decision at that time would come back to bite him like this? Yunael lowered her eyes like she was at a loss for words. ¡°¡­But what did you think?¡± sensing that the atmosphere had become heavier, Purupuru suddenly asked. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°What do you think about our place? I¡¯m curious about your opinions.¡± ¡°¡­I was surprised.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s solemn expression was replaced by a faint smile. ¡°I thought you brought the humans to use as slaves.¡± ¡°Yes, they are officially slaves.¡± That was what they were considered on paper, but not what they really were. Here, humans and demons coexisted in peace. What Chi-Woo had seen on his way to this room couldn¡¯t be realized overnight. And it was too natural to be considered a facade. ¡°Are other places the same?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Of course not,¡± Purupuru made a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s none, but¡­it¡¯s probably very rare.¡± This meant that the Demon Empire usually treated humans like how Chi-Woo expected them to. Purupuru¡¯s territory was an exception. ¡°Then, why are you¡­¡± Purupuru¡¯s eyes turned dark then. ¡°It¡¯s¡­really funny.¡± After a slight pause, she continued, ¡°You might think it¡¯s strange. We fight and then stop. It¡¯s really a mess.¡± She lowered her head and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s probably fair to say the world of demons is usually what you imagine it to be, but¡­that doesn¡¯t mean everyone is like that.¡± Then Purupuru looked at them with a smile. ¡°Even in the Demon Empire, there¡¯s an oddball like me.¡± True to her words, there was always an exception in every group. ¡°I know you might not believe it because of what I said before, but¡­this is where I grew up. I can¡¯t help but feel an attachment toward it, and I believe that it can always improve,¡± Purupuru said while resting her chin on the back of her crossed hands. ¡°That¡¯s why I empathize with Lady Shersha¡¯s cause and support her. She¡¯s someone who can make a dream others would call foolish into reality, and she actually made a small part of it true.¡± Purupuru beamed with pride as she spoke these words. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to thank you all again.¡± Purupuru faced the expedition team and bowed. She bowed deeper this time. ¡°Like how you all have difficulty understanding me, I also find it hard to understand you all,¡± she said with a joking smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you all were thinking when you let Lady Shersha go without a scratch last time, but¡­¡± Like how humans thought of Purupuru as an oddball, the Demon Empire probably thought Chi-Woo was odd too. They had wondered why he let Shersha go alive. ¡°I can tell you one thing for sure. You didn¡¯t just save Lady Shersha¡¯s life that time, but also our dreams,¡± Purupuru said. Her eyes shone brighter than ever before while looking at Chi-Woo. CH 349 Chi-Woo conversed with Purupuru about various topics even after that. To sum up their conversation, the Demon Empire was currently reorganizing their ranks and settling their internal strife to recover and bounce back from their tremendous loss. The important part was that Purupuru received a relocation notice. Even though it was the decision of the General Assembly of Great Demons, she was also a great demon. Semi-forcing Purupuru to relocate was inconsistent with the culture of the Demon Empire, which advocated a feudal system. Thus, this could mean that the Demon Empire was preparing something momentous that they would even break the rules they had been upholding for. Considering Shersha¡¯s fall and the fact that the few great demons who supported her hadn¡¯t been called to the General Assembly recently, it would be naive to believe that it would benefit humanity. Moreover, Chi-Woo got a bit of information about the Abyss as well. Purupuru said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how they¡¯re doing these days. But during the last General Assembly I was called to, I heard that the King¡¯s faction had succeeded in gaining control of the Abyss. Since this information came from the higher-ups, I¡¯m sure of its legitimacy.¡± Chi-Woo clearly saw Evelyn''s left hand clench on her thigh. Although she still had her usual calm smile on, her gaze was intense. Since it was obvious that she wanted to ask more about the situation but was holding it in, Chi-Woo asked for her instead, ¡°That¡¯s surprising. May I ask for more details about how this occurred?¡± ¡°I only heard it from others, so I don¡¯t know the exact details, but it¡¯s something that¡¯s been predetermined to a certain extent. Since the Moon Witch went missing after a war against us, the balance of power had been disrupted.¡± The Abyss had a joint alliance, the Two Monarchs Three-Six Alliance. While the Demon Empire led their faction with 66 demons, the Abyss led their faction with the Two Monarchs Three-Six Alliance, which consisted of the queen and king, as well as the three and six figureheads who followed them respectively. Evelyn was originally on the Queen¡¯s side, but her disappearance had decreased the Queen¡¯s followers from three to two. With the King¡¯s side retaining all six of his subordinates, it was only natural that the power would lean further toward his side. Evelyn sighed quietly and gave Chi-Woo a look of appreciation, like she was content with this much information. Chi-Woo nodded. He was able to get much more than expected, and if he relayed this to his brother, he might be able to get a sense of where they should go. However, his thoughts became more conflicted after gaining a few pieces of information; in the end, he and his brother had been right. Something was about to happen¡ªsomething terrible that they couldn¡¯t even imagine at the moment. All the forces fighting for Liber¡¯s hegemony were quiet as mice and reorganizing their internal structures as if they had all met up and come to an agreement beforehand. The reason why they were reorganizing was to enact a certain plan. Given that the different factions were dealing with serious opposition internally, the scale of the plan must be considerable; actually, it would be more likely to be monumental. Therefore, they needed to prepare before this unidentified crisis came to reality¡ªwhatever it was. ¡®But it¡¯s not the worst case scenario yet.¡¯ It would be a lie if Chi-Woo said he wasn¡¯t anxious, but he saw a silver lining. Moreover, these weren¡¯t the only pieces of information that Chi-Woo obtained tonight. Chi-Woo saw the Demon Empire with a slightly different perspective today, or to be more exact, the great demon Purupuru. It was the same as Earth. Even those who harbored hatred for a country couldn¡¯t possibly say that all its citizens were bad. It was a great achievement just to confirm that there was a great demon with whom they could communicate and cooperate among the Demon Empire. Chi-Woo decided to get up for now. Could he really trust her? He still didn¡¯t have complete faith, but there was no other choice. But above all, the fact that Purupuru said ¡°we¡± intermittently made a deep impression on him. All the great demons he met so far only sought personal gain, but she wasn¡¯t like them. It was the first time he saw a great demon who emphasized a sense of community. It was worth putting his expectation on her for just being different. Chi-Woo said, ¡°Then, may I¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes! I¡¯ve been holding all of you for too long.¡± * * * After receiving permission to move freely in Purupuru¡¯s fortress, the expedition members headed to their destination as soon as they left the citadel. ¡°It¡¯s here. It should be around here.¡± They set up an altar in the area Hawa pointed out, and a ritual was held. Soon, mysterious light particles fluttered wildly, revealing a huge mirage-like tower. It was now the second time Chi-Woo saw the Narsha Haram. ¡°We¡¯re going in.¡± Led by Hawa, the expedition team opened the door and entered the tower. The first floor was the same as last time, but one difference was that there were no enemies attacking them at every opportunity. In the back of their mind, they hoped a little bit that the rewards would be reset, but naturally, there was nothing of the sort either. Thanks to this, Hawa passed through the maze easily while looking at the ceiling, and Yunael expressed her admiration, ¡°It¡¯s an interesting place, but why is it so quiet?¡± ¡°We swept the place clean the last time we visited, and we should be happy that it¡¯s so quiet.¡± ¡°Ah, why? I wanted to warm up before we move on.¡± ¡°They¡¯re difficult to handle once they start showing up. Remembering how everyone was forced to go on with serious injuries¡­¡± When Chi-Woo visibly shivered, Yunael¡¯s expression also changed. If Chi-Woo was showing such a visible reaction, she thought she shouldn¡¯t judge this place lightly. After some time, the expedition team arrived at the seventh room. This was the end of the previous expedition. Chi-Woo paused for a moment in front of the stairs leading to the upper floor. Then he stared at the slightly dented iron door. The last time he was here, he thought he heard it open just before they left, but now that he saw it again, it was firmly shut. Chi-Woo remembered how he had felt an unknown sense of foreboding and had quickly escaped. However, he wasn¡¯t afraid this time, since he was different from back then. With his current team members and as he was now, Chi-Woo was confident that they would be able to get through the first floor relatively safer than before. Of course, he shouldn¡¯t let down his guard even so. After all, his destination was also different this time. He needed to go to the second floor, not the first floor, and the difficulty must have increased accordingly. ¡°Everyone, be prepared.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s tone changed, and all members of the team tensed up in response. Yunael, who had gotten good gloves during her time in Ho Lactea, took the lead. She inhaled and exhaled deeply while glancing sideways. When Chi-Woo nodded, she exhaled again and opened the door. Just as when she was about to lift her spear¡ª ¡°Uh?¡± She blinked, a shrill sound escaping from her lips. The surrounding environment changed rapidly as soon as the door was opened, like when meeting a god alone in their divine space whenever they raised a tier. They thought they would be entering a maze-like space like the first floor, but the place had transformed into an indescribable metaphysical space where everything was white. Chi-Woo was also taken aback, but he tried to remain calm and quickly looked around. ¡ªYou¡¯re here. Then a soft and mysterious voice rang in everyone¡¯s ears; it was a familiar voice¡ªMamiya¡¯s voice. ¡ªThis is not the second floor. Although it¡¯s inside the tower, it¡¯s just a space I created temporarily. Chi-Woo understood the situation after hearing Mamiya¡¯s explanation; at the same time, a question arose. Dalgil had to go through numerous hardships and trials to get what he wanted here; naturally, Chi-Woo also thought he needed to go through the same process, like when he used the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit. Since Mamiya valued courage, adventure, and harmony, Chi-Woo thought he needed to show these values by overcoming corresponding ordeals. However, his prediction seemed wrong judging by how Mamiya created a space temporarily and invited them. But he couldn¡¯t be happy about it because no matter what, he needed to pay the price in some way. ¡°Thank you for listening to my request, God Mamiya.¡± Chi-Woo organized his thoughts and bowed. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a door somewhere on the second floor of Narsha Haram that lets one go anywhere. We wish to use that door to go to our destination and come back.¡± ¡ªI¡¯ve heard your story. Mamiya answered calmly, and then a long silence followed. Chi-Woo tilted his head as the silence continued. First, there was no doubt that the door existed. There must be a reason Mamiya sent a divine command and called them here; no god would be bored enough to pull such a prank on them. However, Mamiya remained quiet as if he was feeling conflicted and troubled. ¡°We wish to use that door. No, we have to use it. No matter what the ordeal is, at any cost¡­¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t wait any longer and opened his mouth first. ¡ªI understand. Your justification is excellent, and I¡¯m not against it either¡­ Chi-Woo didn¡¯t miss the way Mamiya trailed off. It felt like he was going to add ¡®but¡¯ or ¡®however¡¯ at the end. But Mamiya did not. After a brief pause, he continued. ¡ªYou don¡¯t have to overcome trials like on the first floor. Chi-Woo, who had been secretly nervous, widened his eyes. ¡ªYou don¡¯t need to pay a price either. He doubted his ears and then¡ª Whoooosh! There was a loud noise and a brilliant light. The dazzling light formed an oval shape in the air, and the interior of the space was colored with a brilliant luster. The wavering glow of light looked like the dimension portal that had appeared when they used Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit. Chi-Woo closed his eyes tightly and opened them. Only then did reality hit him. Mamiya really opened the door for them. ¡ªBy crossing the door, your hardships and trials will be substituted. Mamiya¡¯s voice continued. ¡ªIn addition, you will pay a suitable price. They weren¡¯t words that Chi-Woo could easily forget. Mamiya had just delivered a very important piece of information. To summarize, their reward and trial had merely switched places, and Mamiya was indirectly telling them that their journey to get what they wanted wouldn¡¯t be easy. Therefore, nothing really changed in the end. ¡ªYou must understand what I mean. Mamiya confirmed Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts. Chi-Woo was about to ask for more details, but he swallowed his words after recalling his time with Shersha. Leaking a cause and effect that would determine the fate of the world was one of the highest sins; even Mamiya probably couldn¡¯t tell him more even if he wanted. However, this was unexpected. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t think this event would be that important. ¡ªMake your choice. Would he endure the hardships and trials that were bound to come and run towards his goal, or calmly withdraw? Although his answer was already decided, Chi-Woo closed his eyes and focused on his intuition in case he sensed anything. However, it was quiet again. He just felt that he needed to do this for the future. Chi-Woo soon opened his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡ª¡­You¡¯ve made a choice, but you¡¯ll have to choose again in the future. ¡ªIn a sense, that will be the real ordeal for you. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. Mamiya said a few sentences with ambiguous meanings. ¡ªI¡¯ll allow it. ¡ªHowever, I have two conditions. ¡ªFirst, I¡¯ll allow you to go and come back using that door, but I can¡¯t wait long. ¡ªI¡¯ll give you a signal with the token. As soon as you receive the signal, you must get back without delay. The door was not going to be there forever, and this meant that there would be a time limit. They needed to come back after achieving their goal while the door still existed. Otherwise they would be left stranded. Chi-Woo swallowed the question he was about to ask. Mamiya had told him he had two conditions; it wouldn¡¯t be too late to ask his question after Mamiya finished talking. ¡ªThe second is¡­there are seven in total. Chi-Woo belatedly realized that Mamiya was referring to the number of expedition members. ¡ªThis door is for the seven of you. ¡ªTherefore, there should also be seven of you when you return. ¡ªEvery single one of you will have to safely get back without a single person missing. ¡ªOnly then will the door open. Chi-Woo could understand the reason behind the first condition, but the second condition was puzzling. ¡°May I ask why? Anything is fine, so would you give me a little more detail?¡± Chi-Woo asked politely, but no matter how long he waited, silence was Mamiya¡¯s only answer; it meant that he couldn¡¯t say anything about this. Chi-Woo had asked on the off chance that he could get more information, but as expected, he couldn¡¯t. He was about to give up on hope when he heard Mamiya¡¯s voice again. ¡ªOriginally, I didn¡¯t want to suggest it. ¡ªI didn¡¯t want to issue a divine command either. But¡­ ¡ªIf¡­if you can succeed. ¡ªAlthough it should be impossible, if you can really bring about a result that everyone wants¡­ ¡ªAfter looking at the future that will open up¡­I can¡¯t bring myself to stop you. Flash, a glow appeared in front of Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. ¡ªWith respect, I¡¯ll put my hope in you and make this request. The glow fell into the palm of his hand, and Chi-Woo grasped the token tight. Mamiya¡¯s words were enough to erase his doubts; his brother¡¯s request hadn¡¯t been wrong. This was definitely something that must be done¡ªfor the future that he desired and wanted. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll do my best to meet your expectations.¡± After saying his greetings, he stood in front of the wavering cluster of lights for a moment. There was no need to falter anymore. Chi-Woo stepped forward without hesitation. * * * For a while, the feeling of being sucked into another place swept over them. Although Chi-Woo felt nauseous, he endured and waited, and this sensation soon came to an end. Once he got out of the light, someone hit him on the back. ¡°Ouch! I almost threw up. Hey, move out of the way. Ah, I feel so dizzy¡­¡± Yunael stumbled and took a few breaths before smirking. ¡°Anyway, there are really all sorts of gods.¡± ¡°What? Are you talking about God Mamiya?¡± ¡°Yeah. He told us to come back without a single person missing. He¡¯s telling us all to come back alive without anyone dyi¡ªpwef.¡± Yunael stopped mid-sentence and took a sharp breath. With a frown, she hunched her shoulders. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a bit cold, isn¡¯t it? Where are we¡­?¡± She looked around after finally coming to her senses. And soon enough, Chi-Woo and all the other expedition members became flustered. CH 350 Emmanuel felt a strange awkwardness whenever he looked at Yeriel these days. He didn¡¯t know exactly what it was, but he sensed that something big was going to occur soon. Otherwise, there was no reason that the legend, Nahla, Teacher, Ho Lactea, and Afrilith would all be so busy at the same time. It was the same for him and Yeriel. Just today, Yeriel went outside to complete a relatively simple task and came back to Shalyh late in the afternoon. Since she needed to raise her tiers, she would have to go out almost immediately again, but she didn¡¯t rest at all. Usually, she would¡¯ve taken some time to prepare herself for another outing, but she didn¡¯t do that anymore. She moved quickly as soon as she returned. Instead of staying inside her workshop, she was always off somewhere that Emmanuel rarely even caught a glimpse of her. After asking around, Emmanuel found out that Yeriel had been frequenting the buhguhbu¡¯s forge and visiting Seven Stars¡¯ construction site. And Yeriel returned to Eustitia¡¯s headquarters way past midnight. After waiting for her all this time, Emmanuel saw her stagger back into her workshop. ¡®Should I just let her sleep?¡¯ Emmanuel thought, but then noticed the light in her room did not go off. Emmanuel opened the door cautiously and saw Yeriel¡¯s back as she sat at her desk. She had swept up her front bangs and was propping her head up with a hand on her face while glaring piercingly at the blueprint spread over her desk. ¡°Why¡­does it keep having bugs¡­I did everything it wanted me to do¡­hm¡­.? You fucking bastard¡­¡± She murmured to herself, and her face had a look of madness under the flickering candle light. After watching her quietly for a while, Emmanuel called out to her, ¡°Yeriel.¡± Flinch. Yeriel turned around, and her piercing eyes zeroed in on him. Emmanuel gulped nervously. After a prolonged moment of silence, Yeriel said in a very hoarse voice. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°We will leave in five days.¡± Emmanuel wanted to add, ¡®So don¡¯t overexert yourself and have some sleep¡­¡¯ but he couldn¡¯t get the words out of his throat. It didn¡¯t feel like the time to say such words, and in the end, Emmanuel turned away. Yeriel heard the door close. After staying still for a while, she closed her eyes. Since Chi-Woo¡¯s departure, Yeriel had cut her sleeping time by half and hadn¡¯t been getting more than two hours of sleep every day. Even before that, she rarely slept more than four hours since her return from the Hala Forest expedition. That expedition had been a huge shock for Yeriel. She couldn¡¯t do anything then, and realistically, she was no different than a luggage carrier. She still remembered what she heard when she went to Miho¡¯s temple after coming back to Shalyh. She had never shuddered so hard even when she had jumped inside an icy cold lake during wintertime naked. And the humiliation and shame she felt then tormented her every day. But working more did not give Yeriel hope that things would get better; she only felt more despair. Yeriel was different from other heroes. She could only raise her strength and powers if her environment allowed for it, or she needed at least all of her original powers to make something of the barren ground below her. Yet Liber was a world that didn¡¯t provide her with anything. She basically had no abilities when she entered Liber, and humanity was in ruins. The fact that she could only wander outside after rising in tiers highlighted this point. Usually, she would¡¯ve gained merits by starting an industrial revolution and advancing the world¡¯s technology level. However, there wasn¡¯t much she could do in her current situation. It was like pouring water into a poisoned well. And as time passed by with no progress in sight, Yeriel¡¯s sturdy mental fortitude began to gradually crack. It was then Chi-Woo came to visit her. Thus, she hung onto him no matter the cost as she was fully aware that there were no other options. This was her last opportunity. Though she pressured him when he was leaving, it was she who had felt the most pressure. But she really didn¡¯t want to miss this chance to make a rebound. She didn¡¯t want to be subject to the same feeling of helplessness that she had gotten at the Hala Forest expedition. And for this to happen, she needed to show that she could fulfill her promise on her end. She needed to finish all her preparations and tell Chi-Woo about it as soon as he came back; this was what she needed to do for Chi-Woo, who was probably going through all sorts of dangers and risks right now. And then she would prove that she was a hero worth risking one¡¯s life for. Yeriel opened her eyes again. With bloodshot eyes, she looked intently at the blueprint once again. *** The Sernitas. Chi-Woo had heard the name before, but if someone asked him to explain what kind of faction they were, he would be at a loss. They fought alongside the Demon Empire several times and had clashed with the Abyss on occasions. In a way, Chi-Woo had also indirectly fought them too. Yet the one he fought against was simply their throwaway card, and it hadn¡¯t even been at their main base. While it had been a while since he came to Liber, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t clashed head-to-head with the Sernitas even once. The Sernitas was an alien species that suddenly invaded Liber. Chi-Woo heard that they were warlords or pirates who wandered across space, and he was curious about the great force that could stand above even powerful forces such as the Cassiubia League, the Demon Empire, and the Abyss. Thus, Chi-Woo had thoroughly readied his mind before entering their territory, but now that he was there, he couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. There was a strong scent of leaves and plants and a colorful festival of blue and greens. There were countless trees and bushes, and even a huge mountain range consisting of a series of peaks. It was a beautiful scenery of nature. If this had been Earth instead of Liber, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve immediately gone up to the summit and enjoyed the view there. However, Chi-Woo knew that the ground he was stepping onto didn¡¯t belong to the planet. Everything around him was bright blue and filled with floating white fog and clouds. Chi-Woo had seen a sight like this once: when he was on the airplane. Right now, he got the same feeling he had when looking out of the airplane¡¯s windows and saw that they were flying above the clouds. A sudden cold air swept past them as clouds continued to drift. ¡­Yes, it was hard to believe and accept, but this massive land with no end in sight was flying across the sky. Chi-Woo looked around and met his companions¡¯ eyes. They had come to find a great thief¡¯s treasures. They thought it would be hidden deep inside the ground and didn¡¯t expect it to be floating in the air at all. ¡°That thief must¡¯ve also known how to fly or something,¡± Yunael said, stunned by what she was seeing. ¡°No wonder they couldn¡¯t find it for centuries. Who would¡¯ve guessed that the thief would¡¯ve hidden his treasures in the sky instead of the ground?¡± Chi-Woo found it hard to believe all this, but he couldn¡¯t deny what he was seeing with his own eyes. The rest of the expedition team seemed to feel the same except for one person. Onorables Evelyn alone shook her head. ¡°The Sky Castle.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes shifted to her. ¡°It¡¯s not something I¡¯ve seen in person, but¡­do you all remember Zepar?¡± Chi-Woo nodded. How could he forget? He was the one who tried to do all sorts of weird things to Evelyn. ¡°It¡¯s what I heard when he kidnapped me. That guy was planning to expand his territory and create one below the surface. It was to counter the Sky Castle the Sernitas were building on a massive scale¡­¡± Evelyn trailed off. She didn¡¯t seem to know more than that. ¡°The Sky Castle¡­¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°Even if something like that exists, I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s connected to the tohari.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they aren¡¯t completely separate.¡± Evelyn shook her head. ¡°Tohari is a fire that burns for eternity. It has its own will so it can move on its own too. People like us may only see them as portable bonfires or lighters, but not everyone thinks of them in the same way.¡± It was as she said. Tohari was like an ultimate treasure for those who knew its true worth, as evidenced by how dreamy the blacksmith Mangil looked when talking about it and how the engineer, Yeriel, drooled while listening to what it was. Its uses were limitless once the user set their mind to it. It really was a costless treasure. ¡°And what if the Sernitas managed to find tohari?¡± Evelyn asked. Again, the Sernitas was an alien species. They might be able to easily find things that a human¡¯s senses wouldn¡¯t be able to. They could¡¯ve immediately suspected something was strange when noticing the change in temperature across lands or simply chanced upon it. And after finding treasures like toharis, there was no way the Sernitas would¡¯ve simply passed by. ¡°They are crazy enough to remodel gods. I think they may have used toharis as a material for the Sky Castle.¡± Then, Evelyn explained that they could¡¯ve used toharis as the core of the structure. We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. ¡°Aren¡¯t you making too many leaps now?¡± Yunael interjected, and Evelyn easily conceded. ¡°It¡¯s true. I connected a lot of things together when they might be unrelated. But we already know our answer.¡± In an equation of 2 _ _ = 10, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what the blank spaces could be. It could be +8 or *5, or even ¨C(-8). Chi-Woo had asked Mamiya to send him to a place where he could get a tohari, and this was the destination Mamiya set for him. Thus, it was definite that there was a tohari here. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s clear that a tohari must be around somewhere. We just need to find that and return home with it.¡± *** Agreeing with Evelyn¡¯s speculation, Chi-Woo immediately got moving. The expedition team began their march. They didn¡¯t know exactly where to go, but it was clear that a tohari would be nearby. Fortunately, this Sky Castle had many bumps and peaks, so there were many places to hide. They would fight if necessary, but they wanted to avoid it as much as possible. Though Mamiya warned them that they would face great ordeals, like all prophecies, they should simply bear it in mind instead of dwelling on it. They moved between hiding spots, but didn¡¯t notice anything extraordinary. All they found out as they moved further was how vast this place was. They had been moving ahead for some time, but the edge of the flying land was still nowhere in sight. While they had moved slowly while warily scanning their surroundings, the place looked to be at least dozens of kilometers in diameter. Furthermore, it would make sense for them to run into a couple Sernitas¡¯ soldiers if this was really the Sky Castle, yet they hadn¡¯t spotted a single building or wandering creature. In the end, Hawa changed directions so that she could climb to the top of a mountain and look down at their surroundings. And when they reached the summit, they realized that all their efforts until now had been meaningless. There was no castle, or anything for that matter. All they saw was nature scenery. ¡°Since the Sernitas¡­are an alien species,¡± Hawa quietly said, ¡°Their idea of a castle might be different from ours.¡± Chi-Woo looked at her in confusion. He didn¡¯t get what she meant. ¡°I just had a thought,¡± Hawa said while tapping the ground with her feet, ¡°That this entire place could be the Sky Castle.¡± It was a sound interpretation. The expedition team¡¯s guide was Hawa. She was no longer just a passionate native, and Chi-Woo decided to trust her after bringing her as part of the team. Hawa didn¡¯t let any of her uneasiness show and calmly and confidently walked down the mountain. Then they slowly marched. She took each step very slowly like she was looking for something. The pace they were moving at frustrated Yunael, but she knew there was nothing much that could be done and quietly followed. They continued for one hour, and then another hour after that. Hawa even stopped walking and closed her eyes. There was a limit to one¡¯s patience. Unable to bear it any longer, Yunael was about to burst out when Hawa opened her eyes and quickly ran backward before returning. Then she immediately kneeled down and dug into the ground with her dagger. She then put her hand into the deep hole and nodded. ¡°What are you doing? Huh? Ah, no,¡± Yunael asked, and instead of answering, Hawa grabbed Yunael¡¯s hand and led her to the hole. ¡°H-Hey, what are you¡­¡± Yunael was taken aback. Her body shuddered, and her hands felt cold because of the chilling air current. But then she suddenly felt the coldness ease. There was warmth when she reached deep into the ground. Like the heat from a fire. ¡°Does this mean the tohari is inside?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t pinpoint the exact location. I simply narrowed down the area where they could be,¡± Hawa answered. She had tracked down the tohari using the same method as the thief. But with this, she only confirmed a change in temperature, and there could be other areas with bigger differences. ¡°Anyways, this must mean it¡¯s somewhere around here¡­¡± Hawa dusted off her hands and looked around. Yunael¡¯s face looked much brighter then. Their wandering hadn¡¯t been a complete waste of time, but still, the next step felt like a huge hurdle. They didn¡¯t have enough time to look around this entire place. In the end, everyone¡¯s eyes gathered on one person. ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped,¡± Chi-Woo shrugged and said, ¡°Let¡¯s dig.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s dig into the ground.¡± They needed to go underground to get the tohari anyway. Even if they found an entrance to a structure, there could be guards. Thus, rather than going through that, Chi-Woo decided it was better to trespass inside by digging through the ground. ¡°If Ms. Evelyn¡¯s speculation is right, I¡¯m sure we will find something if we dig down.¡± ¡°No¡­that¡¯s true, but¡­how will we dig? Should I dig with my spear?¡± Yunael asked. Though that was the most effective and simple method, Yunael had questions. She was about to ask whether she should dig with her hands instead when light emitted out of Chi-Woo¡¯s hands. Yunael closed her mouth when she saw the light take the form of a shovel. The item that Chi-Woo earned from the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit was finally being put into use. But rather than a fearsome weapon, it was being made into a shovel¡­ It might be her imagination, but the light looked a bit sad. But nevertheless, there was no need for Yunael to worry. As if she had been waiting for Chi-Woo to give the words, Hawa pulled out two shovels from her bag. ¡°How did you know to bring them?¡± Yunael asked. ¡°I brought them just in case. A guide has to prepare for every situation,¡± Hawa answered. ¡°I like how prepared you are, but why are you giving this to me?¡± ¡°Who else should I give it to?¡± Seeing Jin-Cheon, who was a warrior like her, take a shovel without complaint, Yunael also took hers. And thus began their excavation. Since they were heroes who could use mana, it wasn¡¯t such a hard task for them; but among them, Chi-Woo¡¯s efficiency was especially impressive. ¡°Ohhhhhh!¡± He did have special equipment, but Chi-Woo moved as if he was one with his shovel, and no one could take their eyes off the spectacular sight. Even Yunael, who was digging through the ground while muttering a string of curses, stopped to look at Chi-Woo in disbelief. He was disappearing into the ground like a drill. ¡°What¡­was that guy locked somewhere and forced to dig for a year or two¡­?¡± Surprisingly, Yunael guessed exactly what had happened to Chi-Woo. CH 351 After digging for a while, the expedition members were finally able to see results. A tunnel was discovered when they dug down tens of meters. Obviously, it was dug by not the expedition members but someone else, and now, they had to use this tunnel as the entrance. They had to climb down the rock wall before going up, but it wasn¡¯t a problem since they had been making holes while they dug. As the expedition members went down one by one, they all nodded in realization. Compared to the cold outside, the inside was as hot as if someone had turned on a boiler. To be exact, the temperature was just lukewarm, but the warm air flow was proof that a tohari was close by. In addition, the tunnel was wider than they expected. Over two meters in diameter. And it was hard to judge the length of the tunnel. All things considered, the tunnel was unlikely to have formed naturally, and Hawa was right. The castle was not somewhere above; the entire flying land was Sernitas¡¯ Sky Castle. There was no time to look around and explore. The expedition team immediately drew up an operation plan and carried it into action. Since they didn¡¯t know the exact location of the tohari, the plan wasn¡¯t terribly fleshed out, but it did give them a sense of direction. ¡°Let¡¯s first go to a place where the temperature feels higher.¡± The marching began with Hawa taking the lead. Everyone walked as quietly as possible, but a few made disgruntled expressions and looked clearly uncomfortable. It was understandable. Not only was the air wet, humid, and hot, but the tunnel was also dark. ¡°Ugh, Ms. Magician, can¡¯t you turn on some light?¡± ¡°My focus is on ice.¡± ¡°I mean, can¡¯t you do something like light magic?¡± ¡°Are you asking me to betray ice? For a pathetic thing like light?¡± ¡°¡­What? What¡¯s up with you?¡± However, when Hawa sharply looked at them, the two immediately stopped whispering and shut their mouths. Soon after, Hawa stopped. She extended one hand behind her back and put her other hand on her eyebrows as if she was covering her face from dazzling sunlight. This was her signal to stop and indicate that she found something. When Chi-Woo moved forward and looked at where Hawa was pointing at, he saw a half-open stone door. The stone door gave off an unknown sense of incongruity. Rather than a sense of foreboding, the stone door and its nearest surroundings didn¡¯t seem to fit with the rest of their environment. The tunnel they had been walking along so far seemed like they''d been dug randomly by animals, while the area around the stone door seemed manmade. ¡®The fact that there is a door in the first place is strange by itself though.¡¯ Chi-Woo peeked inside the half-open door before turning to Hawa. Hawa softly shook her head and quietly said, ¡°I can¡¯t feel any presence. There¡¯s no one.¡± ¡°¡­But just in case.¡± Hawa immediately withdrew, and Yunael took the lead. Yunael carefully opened the dark stone door and immediately raised her spear. Fortunately, as Hawa said, there was no one inside, and the rest of the expedition team entered. It was a room about 250 to 285 square feet in size. No, rather than a room, it looked more like a warehouse. Long, rectangular shelves lined each wall. When Hawa closed the stone door and lit the torch, they could see the surroundings in more detail. Most of the shelves were empty. It seemed as if someone had already swept clean most of the items, but there were still things left. Some items were still in place, and several were scattered on the floor. The expedition team went around to investigate. ¡°Umph!¡± Thud. When Yunael put down a large box that looked heavy from a glance, they finally finished gathering all the items in one place. There was nothing much to see. Only a few pieces of ornaments that could be displayed in a museum and a large, old box. Yunael asked, ¡°Is this magic equipment?¡± When Yunael picked up a ring, Eshnunna shook her head and replied, ¡°I can¡¯t feel any mana. It¡¯s just a pretty ring.¡± Yunael looked disappointed, but when she opened the box, her expression changed. Bright and colorful lights flowed out, and a pile of reddish gold coins were mixed with uncut, fist-sized gemstones. Moreover, there were pearls, rubies, diamonds, and gems of all colors and shapes. There were also a copious amount of colorful jewels that shone brightly. ¡°We¡¯re rich now.¡± Yunael sounded mostly composed, but slightly flushed. ¡°Well¡­to some extent. It¡¯ll be hard to sell them at their original price, but they¡¯ll sell.¡± Hawa said as she looked between the ornaments and gold and silver treasures. Although they were items that would have originally been national treasures worth millions, they were not worth much in the current situation. However, they would still earn some money. Since Eval Sevaru had been able to sell antiques to junk shops, there was some demand for jewels and gems like this. Putting aside why these treasures were in this place, Chi-Woo ordered everyone to pack them. It was better to take them since they found them, and these would be of considerable help to the Seven Stars¡¯ finances. While the team members scooped the treasures into Steam Bun¡¯s open mouth, Evelyn tilted her head. ¡°Maybe this is the thief¡¯s secret vault.¡± When Chi-Woo asked her what her reasoning was, Evelyn said, ¡°The Sernitas and we have different views. Maybe they found this place first and took only what they thought was worth something.¡± True to her words, humans would have taken away everything without leaving even a single gem behind. On the other hand, the precious jewels and coins were nothing but scrap metals and stones for the Sernitas. Chi-Woo nodded at her speculation. If this was true, Evelyn¡¯s hypothesis would gain more strength. ¡®Then as expected, the tohari has been¡­¡¯ If the Sernitas hadn¡¯t found this place, the expedition members could have gotten the tohari here and quickly escaped. However, nothing he did was ever so easy. Chi-Woo sighed as the memories of how he overcame every trial and expedition with great difficulty passed through his mind like nightmares coming back to life. At that moment, the light went out. Hawa had suddenly extinguished the torch. ¡°What? Why did you suddenly put out the¡ª¡± Yunael couldn¡¯t continue because Hawa quickly shushed her by putting her thumb on Yunael¡¯s mouth. The atmosphere grew heavy as everyone unconsciously became tense. A quiet and strange atmosphere flowed between them. Chi-Woo stared down at Hawa, who was kneeling. Although he couldn¡¯t sense any presence, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case for Hawa. She put her ear to the ground and concentrated on her hearing with her eyes closed. ¡°!¡± Then her eyes fluttered open. She hurriedly got up and said, ¡°We have to get out. Now.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Someone is coming here. About 600 meters away on the right.¡± ¡°The right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the direction we came from.¡± Everyone¡¯s expression changed. It was possible the hole they had dug was found. However, they hadn¡¯t seen anyone when they traversed the surface all over¡­ No, this wasn¡¯t the time to think about such things. Just in time, they heard Steam Bun let out a burp. Chi-Woo said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out. Quickly.¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s command, everyone quickly moved out. What should they do now? Should they fight or not? Chi-Woo didn¡¯t ponder for long. ¡°Let¡¯s widen our distance for now. So we don¡¯t get caught.¡± Hawa immediately began moving as soon as she heard his order. Chi-Woo also glanced back and moved as quietly as possible. It was still too early to fight when they hadn¡¯t found the tohari. If they were to fight, it had to be after they secured the tohari and were fighting their way to escape. If they fought before that, it would become difficult to complete the mission. The path became increasingly more complicated as they moved on. There were paths that did not only go in a straight line but separated into several branches. However, even then, Hawa remained calm. Or to be precise, she was working hard to be calm. Since she knew that securing the tohari was their top priority, she took the route where the heat was the strongest. ¡°Wait,¡± Hawa called out to Chi-Woo and said, ¡°The distance has shortened. Now they¡¯re about 500 meters away from us.¡± Hawa quickly added, ¡°By now, they must have already passed the secret vault, but our distance is still decreasing. They¡¯re coming towards us.¡± Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Did we get caught?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a half and half chance. I can¡¯t be sure yet whether they¡¯re reading our traces and tracking us, or they know we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s pick up the pace.¡± Hawa nodded and moved even faster, but before long, her expression gradually darkened. ¡°It¡¯s 400 meters now. At the rate they¡¯re going, they¡¯re basically running. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Hawa trailed off, but there was no need for her to finish. The being chasing after them was certain of their location. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be coming after them at a speed faster than running. ¡®How did they know? No¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s thought process went off the rail when they came to an intersection. Hawa scanned the perimeter and quickly moved straight to one side¡ªno, she tried to. Hawa stopped suddenly with visible signs of frustration. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°T-This way¡­¡± She said in a trembling voice and tightly clenched her teeth. Then she cleared her throat and spoke as matter-of-factly as possible. ¡°Another one is coming this way as well. They¡¯re about 500 meters away.¡± There were pursuers from not only behind them, but ahead of them as well. The one silver lining was that there was more than one path. ¡°What about other sides?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Hawa turned around. ¡®This way, this way too¡­!¡¯ She quickly moved past several paths and stopped at the last remaining one before looking back at the expedition members and making a signal. ¡°Let¡¯s run.¡± Everyone rushed in in a stampede. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. Chi-Woo let them all go first just in case and took the rear guard. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, there seemed to be a thumping sound coming from behind his back. How long has it been? Chi-Woo, who had been running for a while, had to stop again soon because those at the front had come to a sudden halt. Why did Hawa stop again? Perhaps there were pursuers on that side as well? ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­!¡± Chi-Woo rushed to the front and turned the corner, but soon stopped just like the others. The path was completely blocked. They couldn¡¯t see any tunnel to move further. ¡°¡­Fuck. A dead end?¡± Yunael smacked her lips as she looked at Hawa, who was standing still like a stone statue. ¡°We¡¯re fucked.¡± Yunael didn¡¯t sound like she was blaming Hawa; she was aware that they were in a very difficult situation in the first place. But above all, she was not a fool who didn¡¯t know how stupid it was to start a blaming game while they were in a critical situation with their lives on the line. Yunael asked, ¡°What are we going to do now? Considering that we¡¯re in enemy camp, fighting here has its own strengths and weaknesses.¡± Although there were some advantages, the disadvantages were much greater. In fact, fighting without a plan when they were getting pushed into a corner was tantamount to suicide. Still, Yunael stared at Chi-Woo as if she already thought they had no choice but to fight. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo stared silently at Hawa. An expedition was a small community. Once accepted as a team member, they needed to trust each other until the very end unless there was a serious reason for doubt. Chi-Woo had learned that was how an expedition should be. The driver of this expedition was Hawa, someone that Chi-Woo chose himself. As long as she didn¡¯t give up, Chi-Woo was going to trust and wait for her decision. And Hawa, who was tasked with guiding her passengers to a path of survival, hadn¡¯t given up yet. She touched the blocked wall a couple of times and then suddenly lifted her feet and stomped the ground as hard as she could. Thud, thud, thud!¡ªnot once or twice, but three times in a row. Hawa flinched. Her sensitive senses as a guide detected something from the impact and from the sound waves her stomps sent out. After a moment of silence, Hawa turned around. ¡°¡­The ground.¡± She stepped on a specific spot a few times and said, ¡°Please dig this spot like before. Here.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been waiting, immediately stepped forward. There was no time to use a sharp shovel and dig like when they were above. Light came from the glove and wrapped around his hand. Chi-Woo pulled his arms back as far as he could before shooting them forward. Shake. The ground shook with a groan. Combined with his strong exorcism mana and the power of his glove, Chi-Woo let out a tremendous amount of force. His fists left a hole on the ground, and from there, a crack widened and opened up in all directions. ¡°200 meters¡­!¡± He heard Hawa¡¯s anxious cry. Chi-Woo pulled out his fists and slammed into the ground again. At that moment¡­. Bam! The crack split like a spider¡¯s web, and the whole floor collapsed. Soon after, Chi-Woo felt his body suddenly pull down and at the same time, he felt a heat so strong that his whole body felt like it would be cooked from all sides. While falling, he heard someone¡¯s loud voice and shrill scream. Then his feet hit the ground and the shock shot up his legs. Chi-Woo rolled forward to break the fall and waved his hand wildly as debris and dust came pouring down on him. Even in the midst of the chaos, he forced himself to stand up, and hot steam hit his face. It felt like he was in a sauna set at the highest temperature, and the heat was strong enough to almost burn him alive. Moreover, there were fluttering fire lights shining everywhere in a space that should be dark. ¡®No way.¡¯ They said a blind squirrel could find a nut once in a while. The tohari was here? By the time all the debris was spilled and the dust had settled down, Chi-Woo looked back to where the intense light came from. Then he suddenly paused, and his expression soon became stiff. It was the same for Yunael. ¡°What¡­¡± She fell on her butt and looked around with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°What the¡­¡± CH 352 Intense heat blazed, and it felt as if the air was boiling. The heat seemed to choke the breaths out of them and stood as proof that the toharis they had been searching for were here. Yet the whole team, including Chi-Woo, was too distracted by the scene around them to think of retrieving one. That was how shocking the space lit by the dancing firelight was. Glass containers hung down from the sky with dozens of tentacles attached to them. The containers were filled to the brim with semi-transparent bluish liquid, and each had a humanoid figure floating in the center. They stayed locked inside, unmoving with their eyes closed. And there were more than a couple such glass containers; there were hundreds and thousands of them¡­! Like a fierce waterfall that had suddenly stopped in time, the containers filled up the space from corner to corner. It was so packed that some of the tentacles intertwined in complicated patterns. The sight was so shocking and vivid that everyone stood frozen for some time. ¡°Not all of them are humans¡­¡± Yunael murmured to herself in a daze. As she said, there were creatures besides humans in these glass containers. Some looked to be part of the Cassiubia League, others were demonic creatures and even creatures they had never seen before. ¡°What is¡­that?¡± Yunael felt an instinctive repulsion and frowned. Chi-Woo shook his head. There was no way he would know what these creatures were. But for some reason, Chi-Woo felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He¡¯d seen this before. ¡®Was it the time I went to the future? No, not that time¡­¡¯ After humanity fell to ruins, they became livestock and slaves in the Demon Empire. Thus, they had been kept in a place that looked like a ranch. What he was seeing now was more like a large-scale experiment site. Chi-Woo soon regained his senses. He was curious about the purpose of this place, and he thought he could learn more about the Sernitas if he investigated further. However, there was a more pressing matter for him to address in this instance. ¡°Ms. Hawa?¡± Chi-Woo called out, and instead of answering, Hawa pointed at one spot. There was a sun¡ªat least that was what it looked like as it radiated brightly in a clear sky without a speck. Tremendous light poured from the fire pot so gigantic that it looked as if it was going to swallow up this entire space. The expedition team hurriedly headed there. The closer they got, the clearer they saw the toharis. The blinding fire light obscured their view, but they could make out the outline of the toharis, and they looked like the marbles Chi-Woo used to play often in his youth. The heat and light they poured out were so intense that it was mind-numbing, and there weren¡¯t just one or two of these marbles. Five gathered together and burned in unison. Good. Now it was simple. The expedition members thought they could just take these and find the exit to return home, but they had to quickly back away when they were a couple steps from reaching the pot of toharis. ¡°The fire is¡­!¡± ¡°Ow, hot¡­!¡± The heat felt more intense than before, like beasts locked in a cage warning passersby to not get any closer. ¡°What? How are we supposed to take these things with us?¡± Yunael asked the question everyone was wondering. ¡°How arrogant.¡± Eshnunna stepped forward, looking determined. ¡°The way to deal with an arrogant fire is ice. Don¡¯t worry, everyone. Put your trust in me.¡± ¡°Ohh! That¡¯s right. As expected of the ice witch¡­!¡± Yunael quickly forgot how she had bickered with Eshnunna just before and cheered her on. But she stopped clapping when Eshnunna¡¯s ice melted as soon as they were formed. Then the toharis burned brighter as if they were saying, ¡®Is that all you can manage? Kuhahahaha!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Eshnunna hung her head and retreated while looking ashamed. Chi-Woo thought he could use his item, Armed with the Sixth Element, to take the toharis, and he changed his weapon to a hook-shaped item and pushed it inside the fire pot. It seemed to work in the beginning, but as soon as the hook touched the center of the fire pot, it disappeared with a trace. Chi-Woo was shocked. He didn¡¯t think the toharis would be able to destroy what he had mentally conjured. At this point, the toharis seemed like a great weapon in and of themselves. Chi-Woo looked around nervously and turned to Steam Bun. Steam Bun noticed the gaze and madly shook its head. With its entire body, it exclaimed that it would melt immediately before even reaching one of the toharis. Boom! It was then they heard something drop from above. Chi-Woo clenched his eyes shut. He knew that they were being chased, yet he had wanted to secure at least one tohari before meeting the other party. He didn¡¯t expect such a hurdle when the tohari was right in front of him. Chi-Woo turned around and saw a human¡ªno, it was something in the form of a human. The being looked like a human, but they didn¡¯t give the feeling of one. Again, Chi-Woo felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It was a different feeling from last time because he was now also uneasy and nervous. Nevertheless, the figure gradually raised their head while kneeling on one leg. They spotted the expedition team and got to their feet. Chi-Woo gulped. There was just one guy, but for some reason, Chi-Woo felt the eyes of hundreds and thousands watching him. Countless emotions¡ªhappiness, rage, fear, curiosity, antagonism, fear, and more¡ªflowed out from just one pair of eyes. Then the figure shuddered after raising themselves up. ¡°I-It¡­I-I-I¡­.Itt¡­¡± Their body cracked all over like a rusty machine. ¡ª¡­Why? A powerful voice boomed then. ¡ªFor what reason? Kill. Their story. Not yet. Already. Disjointed words and sounds tumbled out of their lips. The expedition team flinched when they were already on high alert. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t imagined it; it sounded as if dozens of voices were coming from the figure at once and interrupting each other. Their opponent shuddered once more, stronger than last time. Then, he seemed to calm down a bit and looked toward Chi-Woo. ¡ªState the reason for trespassing. They spoke like they were reading out loud a report without any filler words or embellishments. ¡ªRecommend giving a precise answer. The discomfort of hearing them talk lessened significantly. Many voices were still speaking at once, but it sounded like one person was relaying everyone¡¯s opinions. Chi-Woo wondered whether he should give them an answer, but in the end, he decided to do so. For some reason, Chi-Woo felt a strong urge to talk to them at least once. ¡°It¡¯s nothing major¡­we just want to get this,¡± Chi-Woo pointed behind him with his thumb. ¡°They belonged to someone else.¡± We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. Of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t expect the other party to simply go, ¡®Ah, is that so? Sorry we didn¡¯t know. We¡¯ll give it back to you.¡¯ The Sernitas would probably refuse since the toharis were an important core of this unbelievable castle. Yet the figure didn¡¯t respond immediately. They stared intently at Chi-Woo and maintained their silence; judging by the way they kept shuddering with their joints clacking, it seemed there were many opinions clashing inside them. Seeing this, Chi-Woo was sure that the figure in the shape of a human was nothing more than a doll. The real body that was passing on their opinions was somewhere else. In the end, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t wait any longer and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Then, the figure¡¯s shuddering suddenly stopped, and they opened their mouth again. ¡ªGive time to organize thoughts. ¡ªReplying. Giving away the fire that doesn¡¯t go off¡­about 55% agree. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. It sounded like the response he got was favorable. Though 55% won by only a small margin, the response wasn¡¯t negative. ¡ªTo force the movement into action, at least 70% are required to agree. ¡ª If you accept our extra conditions, 27% of the 32% undecided ones will agree. If that happened, 82% of the Sernitas would be for Chi-Woo taking a tohari¡ªthat was way over the 70% needed for the action to be taken. ¡°What are the extra conditions?¡± Chi-Woo wondered if the Sernitas wanted to make an alliance or something ¡ªAsking you to leave this ground immediately upon receiving the fire that doesn¡¯t go out. There must be no conflict in the process. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Chi-Woo eyes shifted. That was exactly what he wanted. He wanted to accept the deal with open arms, but he didn¡¯t know what they were thinking. There was no way that the Sernitas were just a bunch of pushovers who would let the other party do whatever they wanted. Chi-Woo looked around, and his companions had the same reaction. Everyone looked taken aback by the Sernitas¡¯ proposal. Chi-Woo spoke after organizing his thoughts. ¡°I 100% agree to do that. I can act upon it immediately if that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡ªAg¡­ The figure was about to say ¡®agree¡¯, but stopped. After a bit of a pause, they continued. ¡ª¡­Furthermore, we hope to establish a more cooperative relationship with this deal. ¡°A cooperative relationship?¡± ¡ªYou must ignore us and stand by. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡ªEnd date is until we leave this planet. Regardless of each party¡¯s length of stay, we request to not interfere in each other¡¯s matters for at least three years. Chi-Woo had to rack his head to interpret the Sernitas¡¯ words. Rather than an alliance, it appeared that the Sernitas were asking Chi-Woo to remain neutral. They wanted him to not care about whatever they did on this planet, and likewise, they wouldn¡¯t bother him. Since they had given an exact end date of 3 years, they were most likely to have their own goal. This proposal was too dangerous for Chi-Woo to simply accept. He needed to hear more. ¡°What do you mean? I know you are trying hard on your end, but the communication is not exactly going through. I would like for you to explain in more detail.¡± The figure looked intently at Chi-Woo for a bit, and after a brief pause, they continued. ¡ªWe think it¡¯s too early for us to clash with you. We are not complete yet. ¡ªIt is our judgment that it is the same for you. Chi-Woo flinched. ¡ªIt is our conclusion that if we clash right now, it will end in irreversible mutual ruins. The expedition team looked confused. They couldn¡¯t really understand what the Sernitas were saying. Did they mean it was too early for them to stand on the same stage yet, and each side should back away for now? In the end, everyone turned to look at Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Chi-Woo asked and glared at the figure. His gaze looked fiercer than before. *** The universe was infinite. There were numerous galaxies, countless star systems, and an unimaginable number of planets¡­ And among them, there were many planets that teemed with life. Flowers bloomed and wilted, while their roots stretched out until they formed a sanctuary like a flower bouquet. And like that, living creatures came into being on many planets and blossomed their own civilizations. Some civilizations flourished for a long time, while others fell into ruins after a short period. The Sernitas was one of the former. Among the flourishing civilizations, they could be considered the very peak. They didn¡¯t see any fall or decline and only thrived and prospered. Their economic and state power only became stronger, and every leader was recognized as the best and wisest superior anyone could hope for. From the past to the present, bright talents bloomed in great numbers; and everyone acknowledged each other¡¯s differences, made up for what the other lacked, and didn¡¯t fight but gathered their strengths to work for an ideal future in a singular mind. It was a civilization belonging to the dreams. And such days continued without a stop, for centuries and millennia. Eventually, they stood at the top of the Middle World with no rival. They faced no risks or dangers as a result. The last demon lord was subjugated in five minutes, and no beings from other words dared invade them afterwards. Instead, the reverse happened. They went across the Middle World to get to the Demon World and successfully captured the demon lord. They stomped down the Demon World¡¯s order and erased all potential threats there. After they finally achieved an ideal situation with no cause for worry, however, they felt an unexpected thirst. They were all amazing, and each of them was outstanding without a doubt. Furthermore, they knew how to collaborate and yield to one another. And instead of despairing that they couldn¡¯t progress beyond their current states, they turned their eyes elsewhere¡ªnot to the Middle World or the Demon World, but to a higher dimension. They challenged the god ruling over their planet and succeeded in the end. And after making the god kneel, they planned to make themselves gods. Without any interference, they tried to establish their own order, but they couldn¡¯t become gods in the end. Perhaps it was decided at birth¡ªthe difference between a mortal and an immortal. There was something fundamental in this gap that they couldn¡¯t bridge. Yet, again, they didn¡¯t despair. Instead, they rejoiced that they still had room for progress and celebrated. And after gathering their minds together, they thought about what they could do to overcome this hurdle and identified the reason they couldn¡¯t become gods. After much discussion, they concluded that it was because the individual was lacking. They were able to rise to their current position because they collaborated with one another; it was something they wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve alone. They were perfect as one, but lacking as an individual. Thus, they gained a new goal to become perfect and complete beyond any room for improvement together. They decided to become one not just in their words and actions, but in body, heart, and mind. They threw away individual shortcomings and only kept each of their strengths as they merged. But even that wasn¡¯t enough. They still felt something was lacking and realized that they needed much more information than they had. Thus, they decided to go on a journey and visit places all over the universe to find something that would make up for what they were missing. They were multiple and one at the same time; singular and plural; I and we. And they hoped that at the end of this continuous journey, they would become an existence that transcended not just gods, but one who could establish a new order in this entire universe. That was who the Sernitas were. CH 353 Back in the days when Chi-Woo lived with his mentor to follow his mentor¡¯s teachings, Chi-Woo begged his teacher to do a spirit possession ritual for him because he had an unfounded conviction that if he received a god and became a shaman, he would be able to escape this cursed fate by even a little. He had failed several times before, but he hadn¡¯t completely given up on hope yet. And his mentor always gave the same answer, ¡°Stop pestering me. You think it¡¯s easy to receive a god?¡± ¡°Ah, come on. You know you can do it for me.¡± ¡°This punk? Even if you receive a god, that¡¯s a problem by itself. Who the hell are you going to take in?¡± ¡°Well, you know, someone like ganglim doryeong[1] or maiden bodhisattva.¡± ¡°Geez, what are you going to do after accepting them?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head at his mentor¡¯s reprimanding tone because it felt somewhat like his mentor was belittling his choice of gods. Why? When he pointed this out, his mentor snorted. ¡°In our society, we divide humans into different ranks. Do you think gods would be any different?¡± ¡°There are ranks for even gods?¡± ¡°Of course. The gods you just mentioned are at the 4th or 5th celestial rank at best. Well, it¡¯s no wonder those gods are famous because out of 100 shamans, 99.9 percent are only capable of receiving gods at those level.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up with 99.9 percent instead of just 99 percent?¡± ¡°Because exceptions are very rare. I¡¯ve only seen one shaman in life who received a god higher than 5th celestial rank, and that was a very long time ago.¡± How could there be only one case in the history of shamanism that someone received a 6th celestial rank god? Even that was only possible because the shaman originated from Jeju, and the god she received was Seolmundaehalmang, who was linked to the myth of the birth of Jeju Island.[2] ¡°Wow, there must be a big difference between 5th and 6th celestial rank then?¡± ¡°What do you mean wow, you punk. You can¡¯t even compare them. You need to at least be King Munmu, who became the Dragon King after firmly pledging to protect the sea even after he dies.¡±[3] ¡°Oh¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s curiosity was piqued by a story he had never heard before. ¡°Then what about Jesus or Buddha?¡± ¡°Why do you ask so many questions?¡± his mentor asked sharply. ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± Chi-Woo responded with a grumble and continued, ¡°If there¡¯s 6th rank, there must be 7th, and 8th celestial rank as well. Then 9th¡­uh? Gucheon?¡±[4] Chi-Woo blinked mid-sentence. Anyone involved with shamanism would have heard the word gucheon before. ¡°Since the King of the Underworld is King Yama¡­is he perhaps at the 9th celestial rank?¡± The Jade Emperor was the supreme god of Taoism, and since King Yama was a Buddhist god at a similar level as him, Chi-Woo thought this theory might be plausible. However, his mentor didn¡¯t answer and just sighed deeply; it seemed he didn¡¯t want to discuss this topic in detail. However, Chi-Woo could not withhold his curiosity. ¡°Then is there a 10th celestial rank?¡± His mentor flinched, and after a long while, he finally said, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Then he asked apropos of nothing, ¡°What do you think a god is?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s¡­¡± However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t find the right words once he tried to answer. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± How could a mere human being accurately define a god? ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. Gods probably see humans the way humans view ants.¡± Likewise, ants probably viewed humans the same way humans viewed gods, since gods had achieved an unimaginable level of development and civilization. ¡°And¡­the 10th celestial rank¡­¡± His mentor hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe they¡¯re an existence who look down on other gods as ants. That¡¯s what I think.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s jaw dropped. An existence that looked down on gods like ants? Wouldn¡¯t they be the god of the gods then? ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡± Chi-Woo clenched his fist. ¡°I want to accept a god at the 10th celestial rank.¡± As soon as he said this, he was ready to dash because he was sure that his mentor would hit him with a club and chastise him for his foolishness. To his surprise, however, he didn¡¯t get clubbed or even hear a scolding. The only thing he saw was his mentor¡¯s stiff expression. ¡°¡­Teacher?¡± Only then did his mentor¡¯s face return to its original state. ¡°Haha, what a funny punk,¡± he said with a smirk. Chi-Woo looked conflicted as he watched his mentor. Even after so many years, he still clearly remembered his teacher¡¯s face. Unlike his mouth which was slightly smiling, his eyes were not smiling at all. * * * Information about the Sernitas flowed into Chi-Woo¡¯s head as a form of consciousness. Although it was impossible to completely understand their mind and spirit from this extremely brief snippet of their history and beliefs, Chi-Woo could clearly understand who the Sernitas were and why they were wandering around the universe. When he opened his eyes, he couldn¡¯t hide his surprise because of how idealistic and immense the Sernitas¡¯ goal was. They traveled endlessly for only one reason: to surpass time and become an immortal that even transcended god. It was an impossible task. Anyone would think so¡ªif they were an ordinary being. A normal being could not understand an extraordinary being. Startling examples of this could be found throughout human history. [What? How can you beat 133 warships with only 13 ships? Are you kidding me?] [5] People would wave their hands and shame an extraordinary individual for their ridiculous remarks. However, an extraordinary person would look at them and think, ¡®Why not?¡¯ ¡®Why is it not possible? I think I can do it.¡¯ And when they accomplished a task that everyone deemed impossible, they changed the way everyone looked at them into one of shock and fear. In contrast, the way these extraordinary individuals look at the world also changes. As they realized that they were special, they also became curious just how different they were from others. They wondered how far they could go and how much higher they could reach than others. Then eventually, they reached their limitations and fell into despair. To this day, stories like these were as common as the stars in the universe. The same was true for the Sernitas¡ªno, it almost turned out true for the Sernitas, but they managed to overcome their inherent limitations by becoming one, a feat that some might call madness. Chi-Woo became speechless. He couldn¡¯t even think about how no matter what their intentions were, no matter how noble and sacred it was, it was absolutely unacceptable to invade and colonize other planets against the citizens¡¯ will. There was only one thought in his mind: a paradox; they were a paradox that could almost be described as pure. Their gaze was filled with countless emotions, but they only had eyes for one ideal. Chi-Woo even got goosebumps as he got a glimpse of the pure madness in their gaze. When Chi-Woo stood still for a while, Yunael tapped him and asked what he was doing. Only then did he come to his senses. His opponent was staring at him silently with their mouth closed. All kinds of thoughts crossed his mind, but Chi-Woo tried to focus on the present reality. First, he understood what the Sernitas were trying to do. To paraphrase, they were trying to become the god of gods¡ªthe 10th celestial rank, and Chi-Woo was born with the destiny to become the heavenly king. An existence that tried to rule the entire universe, and a wish to establish a new order in the universe. In the end, the two were bound to clash. However, the Sernitas judged themselves to be incomplete, and the same went for Chi-Woo. Therefore, it was way too early for them to get up on this stage called Liber. If they collided while they were both incomplete, all that would come about in the end was mutual destruction. ¡®They fear the worst-case scenario.¡¯ Or to be exact, the Sernitas were probably worried that he would go berserk like he did back then. The Sernitas¡¯ prediction was correct; in fact, two of the three futures that Chi-Woo saw ended up like that¡ªall that was left was ashes¡­if he thought about it like this, their proposal didn¡¯t sound so bad. They said they¡¯d take care of the Demon Empire and the Abyss and leave on their own. Then it was possible to achieve Liber¡¯s salvation at least in the Middle World. Since there were still humans and monsters that survived, they would one day restore Liber to normal even if it would take some time. The Sernitas might come to him again in the future, but that was a story of the distant future; it might happen only after hundreds of years, no, tens of thousands of years. At that time, Chi-Woo wouldn''t exist anywhere, and his body would rot and return to the soil because he wanted to live and die as a human being and not a heavenly king. In short, he didn¡¯t care what happened in tens of thousand years, and the present was infinitely more important to him because he was a human, not a hero. ¡°I accept your proposal,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°We¡¯ll take the toharis and withdraw quietly, and I won¡¯t get involved with you in the future, so keep your side of the agreement as well.¡± He felt numerous gazes on his back, but Chi-Woo endured it. ¡®I feel bad for Ms. Shersha but¡­¡¯ It was okay even if Shersha cursed at him and was disappointed in him. He was willing to bear any criticism, and all he had to do was hang in there for three years. Then he could go back home with his brother. Of course, the Sernitas could cause problems on other planets after they left Liber, and his brother might be dragged into their mess again. If that happened, he was going to stop it as if his life depended on it. If he needed to, he could blackmail them by saying he¡¯d go berserk again. Yeah. That would solve everything. ¨CAgree. Fortunately, their opponent seemed to accept his answer. ¨CWise. Thinking it¡¯s not necessary to take a risk of five out of ten chances. ¡­What was that supposed to mean? But it didn¡¯t matter. It was more important to retrieve the toharis first and return safely. ¨CThen¡­ Their opponent raised their arm and pointed at each expedition member while scanning them. By the time Chi-Woo felt some sort of ominous feeling from their behavior, the opponent¡¯s index finger had already stopped twice. ¨CAs a sign of mutual trust¡­ Once pointing at Evelyn, and once at Yunael. ¨CTwo. Taking these two. Evelyn and Yunael were shocked. It was like a bolt of lightning striking out of the blue. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s tone also became sharp. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree not to lay a finger on each other?¡± Their opponent stared at him blankly as if they couldn¡¯t understand the problem. ¨CAs agreed upon. On this planet, we won¡¯t get involved. Then they continued with a pause. ¨CWith you. At that moment, Chi-Woo realized that there was a serious misunderstanding between him and them. By not getting involved, they didn¡¯t mean humanity or the Cassiubian League, but¡­ ¡°¡­Just me? You meant that you won¡¯t lay a finger on only me?¡± When Chi-Woo asked while pointing at himself. The opponent nodded as if this was obvious, and Chi-Woo let out a hollow laugh. If this was the case, he couldn¡¯t accept the proposal. He really didn¡¯t care at all about the future tens of thousands of years after he died and disappeared, but this was a completely different story when the future he wanted was for his expedition members and everyone around them to survive. ¡°No way, right? Captain, you¡¯re not seriously thinking¡ªah.¡± Yunael was about to jump in fright, but relief washed over her when she saw Chi-Woo¡¯s face; his expression had completely changed. ¡°¡­There seems to be a mistake with the scope to which we¡¯ve agreed.¡± With a stiff expression, Chi-Woo continued in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll clarify my terms.¡± ¨C¡­Listening. The opponent tilted their chin as if they would decide after hearing him out. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who you shouldn¡¯t lay a finger on. It¡¯s us.¡± ¨CAsking for more clarification on the exact scope it covers. ¡°Humanity and the League. By humanity, I mean not just the Liber natives, but all the heroes from the Celestial Realm, and for the League, I mean all the tribes that live in the Cassiubian Mountain Range.¡± The opponent¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¨CReject. An immediate answer came. Chi-Woo expected it; he now understood why they were willing to easily pass over the toharis. The most important thing for the Sernitas was their purpose. As long as it didn¡¯t hinder their purpose, they were willing to back down and give in. Considering that they could also rule out the threat that posed the greatest danger to their purpose, they were more than willing to hand over the toharis. In that sense, Chi-Woo¡¯s request should have been a very minor one; when it came to the whole universe, his condition amounted to but a speck of dust. However, the Sernitas had no intention to accept it. They left their hometown and were wandering in space for one single purpose. Their belief was far beyond an ordinary conviction, and Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even guess the extent of their determination to carry out their purpose. Normally, under any circumstances, they wouldn¡¯t have considered introducing an exception. However, as there was no such thing as absolute, they must have offered this non-aggression proposal after great deliberation in their own logic, but¡­that didn¡¯t matter to Chi-Woo. Was he going to stand back on the sidelines and watch the whole house burn down? Chi-Woo had no intentions of doing so. ¡°Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped,¡± Chi-Woo said with a slightly tense tone. If they weren¡¯t willing to hand over the toharis peacefully¡­ ¡°We have no choice but to take them by force.¡± ¡°Uh¡­I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on because that guy keeps talking in snippets, but¡ª¡± Jin-Cheon took a step forward; he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no deal, right?¡± ¨C¡­Incomprehensible. While Jin-Cheon spoke, their opponent glared at Chi-Woo and couldn¡¯t hide their irritation. ¨CEven in the worst case scenario¡­our winning rate is about 53 percent. In other words, Chi-Woo¡¯s chance of winning this fight was about 47 percent. Of course, this was assuming a scenario in which he went berserk and not as he currently was. On the other hand, this was entirely a probability calculated by only the Sernitas. ¨CAre you sure? Their opponent asked again. Only then did Chi-Woo realize what his opponent had meant earlier. It wouldn¡¯t be a favorable decision for him to take a chance of four or five out of ten. However, this didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t going to fight. He was just going to make the best possible choice and judgment at this very moment. There was no concession or compromise for his goal. ¡°Everyone.¡± There was no need for Chi-Woo to hesitate anymore. ¡°Get ready for combat.¡± Whoosh! The glove on his hand changed into light and transformed into a club. Then the opponent¡¯s neutral gaze turned hostile at once. There was only one opponent, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t let his guard down. Hawa had said she felt more than one presence while they were wandering upstairs; that meant the possibility of additional reinforcements. Above all, he felt a foreboding and powerful energy rising from this opponent. ¨CPreparing for full-scale defense¡­ Time required¡­ Their opponent began rattling while muttering to themselves. Their body trembled all over before their chin suddenly jerked up. They looked up into the air with wide eyes and opened their mouth wide. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C! Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at "pawread dot com" An unintelligible, high-frequency sound echoed in the cavity. The expedition members scowled in pain as the piercing sound gave them serious tinnitus. Then the next moment they could clearly see¡ªCracccck, cracks appeared on the surface of every glass tube hanging in the air. Crassssssh! Then the glass broke into pieces, and what was inside poured down like a shower. The unknown solution soaked the dry floor and went up to their ankles. And the figures falling in quick succession began to twitch intermittently as soon as they hit the ground. They wriggled for a while, and then beings from humanity, the Cassiubia League, the Demon Empire, and Abyss¡ªeven beings outside of these four factions¡ªall rose simultaneously. Innumerable lifeforms of different origins filled the whole cavity and more. Even before Chi-Woo shouted, everyone was already stepping back and getting into a formation around Evelyn and Eshnunna, and the different lifeforms looked at the expedition members with eyes so wide that all the whites were showing. Soon, they all opened their mouths and roared with all their might. Chi-Woo felt the whole space shake and suddenly recalled Mamiya¡¯s warning. He clenched his teeth. ¡®This is¡ª¡¯ Their ordeal had begun. 1. The most famous grim reaper in Korean mythology. ? 2. A giant goddess who is said to have created Jeju Island in Jeju Island mythology. ? 3. King Munmu was the 30th king of the Korean kingdom of Silla. ? 4. The word for 9th celestial rank is gucheon (gu means nine and cheon means celestial/heaven). Gucheon can also mean a place where people die and their neoks go (like the underworld). ? 5. Reference to Admiral Yi Sun-Shin¡¯s victory at the Battle of Myeongnyang. ? CH 354 Jin-Cheon raised both of his fists, and Yunael twirled her spear in a circle. Everyone gathered around Evelyn and Eshnunna with their backs pressed together. ¡°Come!¡± Yunael shouted. Fierce winds whirled in, and what appeared to be aerial creatures came flying from all sides. Their enemy¡¯s plan seemed to be to overwhelm the expedition team with sheer numbers and collide against them. At that moment, a faint light poured out of Evelyn¡¯s body and created several semi-transparent barriers. The creature flying toward them bounced off the sparkling barriers and splattered into pieces. The expedition team¡¯s celebration was short-lived. The first wave of aerial creatures was nothing more than the tip of an iceberg, and soon countless footsteps echoed throughout the cavity as more creatures rushed in. ¡°There are too many¡­!¡± Evelyn continued to maintain her barrier, but she appeared to be struggling. ¡°Everyone, duck down!¡± Chi-Woo yelled, and simultaneously, a stream of light shot across the space, covering a great distance. The expedition team didn¡¯t have the time to check what it was. They simply bent down hurriedly and felt something sharp sweep by their backs. When they straightened up, they saw that the stream of light had shot far enough to cover the entire cavity. Chi-Woo was wielding the stream of light inside the enclosed space. Wherever the light hit, their enemies¡¯ head, torso, legs, and more body parts burst open. They crumbled in rows and collapsed to the floor; even the body that tried to communicate with Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t an exception. The expedition team couldn¡¯t help but cheer this time. Their bleak situation had been overturned in an instant, and they were overjoyed. ¡°What about the toharis¡­!¡± Chi-Woo turned around and looked conflicted. They might have to go empty-handed after coming all the way to this place. No, perhaps there was a way, but he needed more time to come up with a solution. And not knowing how long that would take, they didn¡¯t have time to leisurely contemplate. ¡®There¡¯s no way this is all the Sernitas have got.¡¯ The Sernitas was one of the four main factions on Liber. The ones he had just dealt with were unlikely to be the main force. They were probably just experiments or resources used as fuels. It seemed best to escape this place before the Sernitas¡¯ main forces arrived. It was unfortunate, but if they had to choose between their lives and a tohari, the choice was obvious. ¡°We will give up the toharis!¡± Chi-Woo commanded them to escape and was about to move when he heard a low voice. ¡ª¡­Analysis complete. ¡ªConfirmed energy that displays powerful advantages over affiliations with evil and chaos¡­ ¡ªResearching the most effective countermeasure among existing information¡­ ¡ª¡­Search result: 0. ¡ªAccepting requests to enlarge research scope. Rerunning common search exempting special conditions¡­ While the robotic voice rambled on, Chi-Woo instinctively activated his abilities. [La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary] [La Bella¡¯s Bible] It was because he suddenly felt a foreboding feeling swell from inside him. ¡ªConfirmed new energy. Rerunning search with extra conditions¡­ Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com" ¡ª¡­Analysis complete. In the meantime, the voice continued nonstop. ¡ªAmong existing information, concluding it is difficult to gain upper hand using whatever method. ¡ªJudging that the best option is to reach a tie if gaining the upper hand is close to impossible. ¡ªRequesting the acquisition of samples and prioritizing the destruction of the enemy''s barrier while considering its current danger level¡­ ¡ªMetamorphosis. The body that had snapped in half began to wiggle roughly on the ground; then the others began to writhe as if they were connected to that body by a thread. Flaaaaaaash! Blinding lights flooded out from all sides, and those that had collapsed regenerated their injured or missing parts and raised themselves up again. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Yunael murmured in shock. As someone who had experienced Chi-Woo¡¯s powers in person, this came as a great shock. Chi-Woo looked taken aback too. He had wanted to quickly resolve the situation and escape, but he had simply supplied his enemy with more information instead. At this point, he couldn¡¯t even insult Ismile anymore. Chi-Woo thought he should swing his Armed with the Sixth Element again, but restrained himself. Doing that consumed a significant amount of exorcism mana, and there was no guarantee that something similar wouldn¡¯t happen again. To experiment, he changed his weapon to bow and arrow and made a shot. The arrow of light flew across the air and pierced one of the enemy¡¯s foreheads. Yet that body simply wavered, and its head didn¡¯t burst into pieces like before. Instead, it glared and ran straight at him while screaming with increased fighting spirit. ¡°¡­Damn it,¡± Chi-Woo cursed under his breath. He didn¡¯t know how exactly, but the advantage he had over his enemy had disappeared completely. This time, he couldn¡¯t overpower his enemies like he had with the Demon Empire. Now there was no other choice but to meet them head-on. Enemies rushed forward fiercely and clashed against the barrier surrounding the expedition team. Kuaaaaah! They let out fearsome cries and began to smash and push against the barrier. ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± Evelyn groaned. She curled her shoulders inward to hold onto her trembling body. The shockwaves she felt as a gigantic number of enemies collided simultaneously against her barrier were massive. And she didn¡¯t even manage to block them all. As the saintess of the White Horse General, Evelyn¡¯s power was similar to Chi-Woo¡¯s in a way. Now that their enemy had changed the nature of their powers to match Chi-Woo¡¯s energy, her power had also become less effective. Their enemies bounced off the barrier with less force than before, and they recovered much faster. Furthermore, some even managed to crawl between the gaps and crept inside completely unscathed. Because of how many there were, they continued to enter without stopping. In the end, Yunael, Jin-Cheon, and of course Chi-Woo had to hurriedly block their advance. Chi-Woo changed his weapon to the ghost-busting club and swung it toward several enemies running their way. With exorcism mana empowering his swing, he was able to crack his enemies¡¯ skulls in one hit, but the headless bodies continued to rush forward with their arms stretched. It appeared that their bodies had changed as well. Chi-Woo kicked away those approaching him and clenched his teeth hard. He could deal with the current enemies, but even if they managed to overcome this situation somehow, it seemed they would be at a disadvantage as time went by. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and unconsciously put more focus on his eyes. Among the countless enemies, he suddenly sensed a being on a whole other level making its way toward him. ¡®That one.¡¯ It was the body that tried to initiate a conversation with him. Chi-Woo realized this instinctively, and after dealing with the enemies pouring over him with his club, he quickly raised his head. As he thought, the Sernitas¡¯ body had jumped high into the air and was staring at the scene from above. It then changed their arms into pick-like shapes and dropped to the ground. Their movements weren¡¯t fierce and rough, but elegant like a panther. Chi-Woo gritted his teeth and was about to react immediately before the Sernitas¡¯ body landed. Yet before he did that, one woman kicked off the floor and fiercely attacked the figure midair. It was like seeing a tiger pounce on its target. After being hit by the sudden attack, the Sernitas¡¯ body rolled to the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Yunael landed near her target and raised her hand. She seemed intent on not letting the body approach the team¡¯s leader without going through her. ¡°Yunael¡ª!¡± ¡°Leave this to me and adjust!¡± Yunael shouted. Chi-Woo looked a bit dazed for a moment, but he understood what she meant. Chi-Woo backed away while looking around him, and Yunael raised her spear. She thought she had landed a good hit, but the Sernitas¡¯ body had already healed themselves and was getting up. Though there were screams and wailings coming from everywhere, the body was completely calm. Yunael gulped. She had instinctively sensed that this enemy was different from the others, but there was no other option but to fight. Normally, Chi-Woo should¡¯ve been the one to fight this one, but there were Mamiya¡¯s conditions to think about. For them to enter the door again, all seven had to be completely safe. Not even one of them could be missing even if they somehow managed to reach the door. This meant no one could fall behind. Unfortunately, Yunael didn¡¯t have the ability to look after everyone, but Chi-Woo was different. He had abilities of both a warrior and a priest and would be able to deal with the current situation as best as one possibly could. Accordingly, Chi-Woo needed to take the central role while Yunael did the next most important task of opening the path for them to escape. And while looking at the enemy before her, Yunael felt a strange feeling of nervousness and familiarity. Perhaps she was imagining it, but her opponent seemed similar to Ru Amuh, in both appearance and movements. The next moment, her opponent disappeared. Yunael¡¯s breath hitched momentarily, and she quickly raised her head. Pip. A sharp line was drawn on her cheeks. Yunael instinctively extended her spear. Yet instead of feeling something collide against the tip of her spear, she felt a sharp wind on the other side. ¡®It¡¯s quick¡­!¡¯ Yunael whirled around, sensing something swirling and changing direction. A heavy impact collided with her spear, and she realized that she had been pushed back. Yunael frowned in dismay. Not only was her opponent so quick that they seemed to disappear at every blink of her eyes, they were also strong. ¡®Going back and forth, so annoying¡­!¡¯ Yunael was already too occupied with blocking and parrying all the senseless attacks flying her away to think of doing anything else. She endured for a while, but soon she found it difficult to keep up with the attacks. She was still avoiding getting seriously hurt, but surface-level injuries continued to accumulate one by one. Rather than opening a path for her team, she was simply prolonging their stay. Something needed to be done to finish this fight. After having only been backing away until now, Yunael stretched out her arm. ¡°Haaaaaaaaa!¡± After she parried her opponent¡¯s attack, the number of spears that she swung increased at an exponential rate. Dozens of spears simultaneously struck her opponent, yet Yunael continued to feel that she was only hitting air. ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± As even the attack that she had poured all her efforts into ended up in vain, Yunael flew into a rage. Yet she didn¡¯t even have the luxury to get angry. She needed to pay the price of the offensive she had forcefully taken just now and was pushed back again. ¡®Shit, shit, shit,¡¯ Yunael cursed inside her mind as a relentless series of hits rained on her. ¡®Ah, seriously¡­!¡¯ Yunael couldn¡¯t read her opponent¡¯s movements at all. Her opponent was always a beat faster than her. They were already in her space before she could respond. ¡®What the hell¡­!¡¯ If this were a game, it was as if her opponent was the only one given turns to take actions and had been continuously attacking. She should also get her turn now and then, but the fight was completely one-sided. It felt as if all the battle logic she had built up until now was crumbling. Like now, something sharp sliced past her thigh the moment she lost focus. She thought she had barely evaded the attack, but her opponent¡¯s sharp talons had taken a bit of her flesh. The consequence of overexerting herself to make an attack and losing her balance seemed to be death. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± She gasped, but it was too late then. Her opponent¡¯s blades were at her throat, and Yunael¡¯s eyes widened. But then her opponent¡¯s momentum suddenly broke, and they brought their talons back down. Yunael barely managed to regain her balance, dazed. Her opponent moved away like a broken machine, and there was an arrow made out of light stuck in their throat. Yunael turned around and saw Chi-Woo aiming another brilliant shining arrow at her opponent. It appeared he had been keeping an eye on her in addition to his immediate surroundings. ¡®How?¡¯ Yunael¡¯s eyes filled with surprise. Rather than the fact that she almost died, Yunael was more shocked that Chi-Woo¡¯s attack had hit her opponent. It wasn¡¯t as if her opponent had failed to notice Chi-Woo¡¯s attack; they noticed it midway and tried to evade, but still got struck in the end. Chi-Woo easily accomplished something she couldn¡¯t do no matter how hard she tried. As if he was telling her how this happened, Chi-Wo shot another arrow. Then another one after that, making two shots in total. The first arrow flew straight, while the second arrow surprisingly drew a curve and flew toward her opponent¡¯s back. Her opponent easily dodged the first shot and immediately turned around to strike away the second arrow aiming for their back. But at that moment, as the side of their twisted torso came into view, an arrow of light struck them. Yunael gaped slightly seeing her opponent totter backward again. There were three arrows? No. As soon as he shot the two arrows, Chi-Woo had immediately changed his weapon to a club to support other teammates. Thus, there were only ever two arrows. The reason her opponent got hit after blocking those two arrows was simple¡ªricochet. The first arrow that was deflected bounced off the ground and hit her opponent again. It wasn¡¯t some genius technique or a high-level martial art skill honed with experience, but simply thinking outside the box. [Now that I¡¯ve trained you myself, I get why your parents have sent you into the world after teaching you only the fundamentals.] [If I had to classify you, you are close to the instinctual type. Even if you don¡¯t like it, your body and mind are ruled by your instincts] [That¡¯s how people like you operate. Whether you are in a battle or have a one-sided love for someone, you move your body first and think of what happened afterward.] [Your sudden transformation into your current sex probably happened in the same way.] Yunael blabbed on and on that there was no way that was possible, but Byeok simply gave her a faint smile. [You have a very strong foundation. I like that since the ground you stand on is hard and firm.] [But you don¡¯t run as well as I expect you to once you begin. You¡¯re too focused on the basics. And it¡¯s as if your feet are buried deep into the ground.] The basics were important, but in the end, they were nothing more than what they were: the basics. [So, you¡¯re wondering how you can pull your feet out? Of course I can tell you. Listen to your heart and body instead of just your mind.] [For your information, Ru Amuh accomplished this before I even taught him, and Chi-Woo also mastered it faster than I expected him to. But I wonder¡­will you be able to do it?] In the end, Yunael failed. Byeok told her that she must have complete control over not just her muscles, but also the entirety of her nervous system in her body. Yunael had no idea what that meant. Yet Byeok simply told her: [Just don¡¯t think. Clear your head completely and pay full allegiance to your instincts.] Soon, the pain in Yunael¡¯s thigh subsided. Steam Bun had attached itself to her injured leg without her noticing and was spitting medicinal liquid onto her. Thanks to it, Yunael secured her life and gained another opportunity to fight. She reaffirmed the resolution she had set when first entering Liber. Yunael had no intention of dying in this place without achieving anything and making a name for herself. She would become famous. She would gain more and more fame until everyone took a second look at her. And to make this happen, she would do it her way¡ªthe Yunael Tania way. Yunael clutched her spear and recalled Byeok¡¯s words again. [Yes.] Although she didn¡¯t understand it then, Yunael thought she could understand a bit now. [That fits you better.] CH 355 The confrontation persisted in the same matchup for a while. Unlike before, the opponent did not move hastily; it seemed they were conscious of Chi-Woo, but Yunael paid no heed to them. [Don¡¯t try to force yourself to do something.] [You don¡¯t have to strive for a dramatic awakening. You¡¯re still very strong as you are.] [If only you can use it properly.] Yunael engraved Byeok¡¯s words into her heart and tried her best to carry that out into reality. There was no need for her to copy those who were strong because they became strong using their own methods. They were them, and Yunael was herself. [Look back on the path you¡¯ve walked.] [Look and listen carefully.] [Your body already knows the answer.] The opponent and Yunael just stared at each other. For a while, a quiet and bizarre silence stretched between them, seemingly about to go off at any moment. And in the middle of this silence, the opponent jumped and began rushing towards Yunael with lightning speed, while Yunael did nothing. Originally, she would have pulled her spear back in frantic desperation and tried to read their movement somehow. However, she did not do that this time. She just asked her body, ¡®What do you want to do?¡¯ Her body moved. It waited for the opponent to get closer and made a single precise thrust, piercing the part that Yunael had instinctively perceived as where the opponent¡¯s body was subtly centered around. Then something shocking happened. The opponent suddenly stopped as if they had run into an unexpected obstacle while traveling at high speed. Yunael¡¯s spear danced one more time. When she stepped forward and swung wide, the opponent stepped back in bemusement. They had been attacking nonstop this whole time, but for once they chose to pass their turn to Yunael. ¡ª¡­ Of course, the opponent didn¡¯t sit still either. They immediately went back on the offensive, and with their eyes wide open, they spun even faster than before around her. Yunael stopped again as she could now only see afterimages of them. Once more, she listened to her body. [My eyes can¡¯t follow them.] She completely closed her eyes. Others would call her crazy, but Yunael believed the instincts of her body that have been honed through years of training. Swoosh! For a moment, a horrific sensation that gave her goosebumps passed through her, but even then, Yunael didn¡¯t open her eyes. She shielded the parts of her body that were shouting, ¡®I¡¯m in danger¡¯ with her spear and successfully blocked her opponent¡¯s attacks. And if there were parts she couldn¡¯t shield, she opted to avoid the attacks. Although she focused on only these two processes, she managed to not get hit even once. Furthermore, the enemy¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t even get close to hitting her, let alone missing her by a hair. Rather, she looked more relaxed than before. Byeok¡¯s words were the answer. To see, accept, control, and then carry that into action¡ªaccomplishing this process instantaneously didn¡¯t match Yunael¡¯s disposition or skillset. Therefore, by removing the unnecessary steps, she dramatically streamlined this process by half. That allowed her to respond one beat faster to attacks she couldn¡¯t respond to before, when she had always been a half-beat late. Although Yunael didn¡¯t notice it herself, and her teammates were also fighting so hard that they couldn¡¯t see her, Yunael was the only calm and composed one while her opponent frantically attacked her by cutting, slicing, and piercing. She was like a lone small boat sailing calmly in a stormy sea. Most importantly, this new experience was going to act as the best nourishment for her; just like how a fertilizer poured on good-quality soil sprouted a seed that was already well-prepared. [User Yunael Tania¡¯s Special Ability ¡®Sixth Sense¡¯ has been formed.] Sixth Sense did not rely on analytical thinking, and it was the ability to grasp the truth of the matter with intuition rather than intellectual judgment such as experience or logic. However, Yunael didn¡¯t even hear the notification because of how immersed she was in her conversation with her body. At this point, her opponent was the one getting desperate. Yunael had not only suddenly changed, but was changing further in real time; the opponent felt like the more they attacked, the more they were losing their turn to attack. At this rate, their situations would be completely flipped. In the end, the opponent couldn¡¯t stay still any longer and decided to end the fight now, and they immediately acted on their thought. They came to a sudden halt before rushing at her. Yunael clearly heard it. Her body was shouting at the top of its lungs that the time had come; a critical opportunity for her to chase after and catch the opponent¡¯s movements as they made a big move. She pulled together all the power from the very soles of her feet and extended her spear where her body told her to. The result was¡ªnothing. Even though the spear¡¯s blade had penetrated the opponent, Yunael couldn¡¯t feel a sense of impact from the palm of her hand. At that moment, Yunael neither felt flustered nor angry because she already knew that the attack wouldn¡¯t land. She realized it after seeing how Chi-Woo utilized a ricochet. If she couldn¡¯t hit it, she could make it hit; not in the way Chi-Woo did it, but by following her body¡¯s voices. In the first place, she didn¡¯t even intend to properly hit the part she first sensed. As soon as she made the thrust, Yunael twisted her waist without hesitation. At the same time, she unleashed all the power she had condensed so far with all her past frustrations. Like a swiveling swallow, the inverted spear blade pierced the air where there was nothing and¡ªslam! She felt a thrilling impact greater than she had ever felt. Her opponent¡¯s eyes widened when they got pierced as soon as they tried to aim for her back. Yunael, who finally opened her eyes, couldn¡¯t hide her surprise either because from the part of her opponent¡¯s body she had pierced through came a large spiral of currents. Just one hit. Although it had been just one hit, this blow was twice as powerful as the dozens of all-out attacks Yunael had made. As if they were caught in a whirlwind, her opponent¡¯s body twisted and got ripped apart in an instant before collapsing. Even after falling down, their whole body writhed like someone suffering from epilepsy. Yunael still looked stunned as she stayed unmoving with her arms outstretched. She felt a new and unfamiliar sensation engulf her whole body, but it didn¡¯t feel bad. Rather, it felt nice like she was finally wearing pretty clothes that fit her perfectly. On one hand, she couldn¡¯t understand it. Why hadn¡¯t she realized this sooner when it wasn¡¯t even that hard? As of right now, Yunael believed she wouldn¡¯t easily lose to even Ru Amuh. With the right circumstances, she might even win. Yunael blinked for a while and then realized that the battle wasn¡¯t over yet. Yunael hurriedly withdrew her spear and let out a sigh of relief when she turned around. Her teammates were still holding out¡ªno, that would be selling it short. ¡°Is this all you got! I guess the Sernitas being the strongest was all just talk!¡± Seeing Jin-Cheon sending one enemy flying with his fist and laughing out loud, Yunael concluded that her teammates seemed to be doing better than she had thought. Evelyn was maintaining her barrier, and Hawa was steadily shooting arrows. Of course, the reason why they could all fight like that was thanks to one man. Since the captain was controlling the battle in the center, they could all run wild and show their full skills. ¡®All right. I should also get¡­¡¯ Yunael had a good feeling about this. In her current condition, she felt like she could clear the way no matter who her opponent was. Everyone returning safely might not be a pipe dream after all. With the firm belief in mind, Yunael turned around to join the rest of her teammates¡ª ¡ªAnalysis complete. This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Until she heard a calm voice from behind her. ¡ªSearching for the most effective response and solution available¡­ ¡ª¡­Search results 127. Yunael quickly turned around. However, the voices weren¡¯t only coming from the one body on the ground. ¡ª¡­Search results 255. They spoke near Evelyn. ¡ª¡­Search results 2,793. And Jin-Cheon. ¡ª¡­Search results 12,372. And Hawa. Voices were coming from everywhere. ¡ªMetamorphosis. ¡°W-What?¡± Yunael was shocked. She had completely ripped her opponents to shreds, but the flesh and blood mixed with the solution on the floor and began to flow and converge. It wasn¡¯t just her opponent; all the remains of the enemies her teammates had fought also began to flow, and the separate pieces were being united once again. ¡°You bastard! Bastard!¡± No matter how hard Yunael stabbed with her spear, it was no use. Instead, even the parts she had pierced were absorbed, and her opponent instantly recovered. Gurgle. Gurgle. In an instant, the flesh and blood took a new form and got up. Yunael slowly tilted her head. There stood a giant big enough to touch the ceiling. They looked similar to the balrog that she had faced in a different world. But most importantly, unlike before, her opponent gave off an energy that exceeded Ru Amuh¡¯s level. Then she heard a scream from behind. ¡°Aghhhhhh!¡± Jin-Cheon collapsed, blood spraying out from all over his body. In front of him, she saw what looked like an elemental spirit of the wind with air currents as body. Hawa was in a similar position. While Evelyn looked like she was barely holding out, her face was distorted to the maximum, and she looked like she was about to collapse. ¡°Someone just¡­!¡± Although the number of enemies had decreased significantly, the quality had changed dramatically because the Sernitas had analyzed all the expedition team members and made customized transformations to gain an advantage over each member. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Then Evelyn exclaimed. Her barrier broke in the end. The shield that had been preventing the enemy from reaching them to its best ability disappeared; those who were eagerly waiting for this moment jumped at the opportunity and rushed in. When they were about to overwhelm those who had fallen like Jin-Cheon and Hawa, a light shot up. The soaring ray of light divided into dozens of branches and struck everywhere like a whip. Every enemy it hit burst into pieces and stopped moving forward, but that was the extent of the light¡¯s power. Their enemies immediately regenerated and began preparing for the next wave of attacks¡ªin an even more powerful form. At that moment, Chi-Woo realized what the mysterious d¨¦j¨¤ vu he had been feeling since entering this place was. ¡®Samigina¡­no, that¡¯s not it.¡¯ The extent of Samigina¡¯s experiment was to mix and match various life forms using the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit to make a chimera. However, the enemies in front of them were different. They accurately analyzed their opponent¡¯s information and changed accordingly. After remembering this fact, a thought crossed his mind, and Chi-Woo¡¯s breath stopped. He had in fact met the Sernitas before; he simply didn¡¯t know it was them. They had crossed paths at least once¡ªinside the Hala Forest. Chi-Woo recalled those who ate other creatures and evolved on their own. It was the same for the Sernitas; they became one with other creatures and only took the best parts to transcend their previous selves. In this way, the Hala Forest had been a miniature version of the Sernitas. If his theory was really true¡­this situation was no different from being surrounded by numerous king candidates rather than only five, like when they were in the Hala Forest. Chi-Woo¡¯s expression hardened. He couldn¡¯t beat the Sun King, let alone the Queen; he could only barely win after releasing all his seals. If they had struggled like that there, then here¡­ Chi-Woo was at a loss for words. While he was thinking, a noise he couldn¡¯t ignore struck his ear; it was the sound of Yunael flying away and slamming into the wall. It wasn¡¯t that she failed to respond; she responded with her sixth sense and even avoided her opponent¡¯s attack. However, a slight touch of the shockwave generated by her opponent¡¯s attack was enough to send her flying. ¡°Ugh¡­gurgle¡­¡± Yunael barely managed to raise her head and tried to spit out a curse word, but a bubble of blood poured out instead. The Sernitas had finished regenerating and began to rise one by one with the balrog at the center. Chi-Woo¡¯s vision became blurry as he watched the scene unfold; there was a limit to how hard he could try. At this state, they couldn¡¯t win even if hell froze over. ¡­Yeah, at this current state. They did have a way out, but the problem was that there was only one way. ¡®I need to hold on. I have no choice but to hold on.¡¯ Chi-Woo let out a long sigh and quietly said, ¡°Everyone¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± While all his teammates were groaning in pain, Chi-Woo turned around. He didn¡¯t sound like he had given up; rather, his team members sensed a solemn determination from his tone as if he was opting for the last resort. However, Yunael was hit with a strong, unknown sense of foreboding; she had no idea what it was, but she felt as if she shouldn¡¯t let him do it... ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re sorry?¡± Yunael stood up after spitting and wiped her bloody mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not even over yet.¡± She held her spear and burned up with renewed fighting spirit. Chi-Woo smiled bitterly. At the same time, Eshnunna was pouring out sweat. ¡°What the¡­what is happening¡­what on earth¡­¡± Thanks to Chi-Woo, Salem Eshnunna had evolved and trained her powers with Evelyn as her master. After hard work, she was proudly acknowledged as a magician. As such, when she was selected for this expedition, she had a small desire to show her worth and be acknowledged by Chi-Woo. However, reality was nothing but despair. When the battle finally started, Eshnunna couldn¡¯t do anything. While her teammates struggled to protect her and her master, she wasn¡¯t able to properly support them even once. Magicians were usually the stars in a battle of multiple opponents, since they could attack numerous enemies with one shot. Of course, there was a reason for her inability¡ªthe toharis. Since the blazing toharis were right behind them, her ice melted as soon as she summoned it. The reality could not be more hopeless. Eshnunna, feeling frantic, wasted mana meaninglessly and eventually collapsed. ¡°Eshnunna?¡± Evelyn, who was breathing and recovering her divine energy, turned around in surprise. ¡°Master¡­¡± Eshnunna cried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­because of the toharis¡­¡± Eshnunna whined and lamented her helplessness. Only then did Evelyn realize why Eshnunna had been so quiet. Normally, she would have hugged her and said it was okay, but this was no time for consolation. ¡°It¡¯s not because of the toharis,¡± Evelyn said in a stern voice. ¡°It¡¯s your own fault.¡± Witches were not magicians or sorcerers. If one had to put them in a category, they shared the same root as shamans. Shamans borrowed power from a guardian deity in exchange for a strong faith as a medium between humans, animals, and society. It was the same for witches. The medium through which Eshnunna communicated was ice. Although she received a penalty that she couldn¡¯t use other elemental properties, she could unleash great power using ice¡ªas long as she had unwavering faith. ¡°Why do you think you can¡¯t freeze it?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Matryoshka froze even lava from a volcano that erupted. You don¡¯t think you can do it as her descendant?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No wonder. You don¡¯t even believe it yourself. Why the hell would it let you borrow its power?¡± Eshnunna almost responded angrily. Since she understood the situation, she wanted to ask, ¡®Even if I use my powers, what difference would it make?¡¯ Heroes much greater than her were struggling. However, she couldn¡¯t say this out loud. She knew that even if she couldn¡¯t do anything about this situation, she needed to do something. If she was going to die, she had to fight back with everything she got even if she had to scramble for it. This was the least courtesy she could pay for those who had protected her with their strength and were trying their hardest to fight back. Eshnunna got up indignantly. She looked at Chi-Woo¡¯s back and bit her lower lip. There was no room for hesitation. She stretched out her trembling arms and uttered carefully, ¡°Freeze¡­¡± There was no response; ice didn¡¯t respond at all to her. ¡°Freeze.¡± She commanded again, but the response was the same. Eshnunna cleared her throat and shouted, ¡°Freeze!¡± Ice formed for a moment and then disappeared. She heard a short chuckle; an indescribable emotion twisted her face. ¡°Freeze. Freeze. Freeze. Freeze. Freeze.¡± Ice repeatedly formed and then melted. The more she did this, the less strength she had in her whole body, and she felt intense dizziness return. If she went on like this, she might die, but Eshnunna clenched her teeth and persisted. ¡°Come on¡­!¡± While Chi-Woo, who made up his mind, was about to release his seals¡ª ¡°I¡¯m telling you to freezeeeeee! You fucking shitttttttttt!¡± Suddenly, a sharp explosion broke out from behind and shook the whole cavity. Shocked, Chi-Woo widened his eyes as a cold gust of wind from the dead of winter swept past him. Everything had happened very suddenly. Swoooosh¡ª! A swirling chill swept the whole place, and the cold wind soon turned into a powerful gust. A sub-zero temperature descended in an instant and took control of the cavity. The temperature that had risen due to the toharis dropped sharply. Wherever the frost storm hit, transparent crystals formed and froze quickly, and the end result was a glacier. Before long, the cavity turned into a quiet space covered in ice. The balrog, who radiated the same level of energy as a king candidate, also froze and turned into ice. Like a strong snow storm had ravaged the place, everything froze in the blink of an eye. Chi-Woo was dumbfounded by this turn of events; because of the sudden drop in temperature, his hot head also cooled down. Of course, the moment of stillness lasted but a moment. ¡ª¡­Analysis complete. With the sound of this voice, the ice all around them began to crack. ¡°Huff¡­¡± Eshnunna collapsed, and she laughed in vain while falling. She finally managed to use all her strength, but she couldn¡¯t believe this was all she could achieve. While she had only earned them a few seconds, though, those few seconds¡­ Thud! ¡°What the? What is it now?¡± Thud! ¡°The ceiling?¡± Thud! ¡­Changed not only Chi-Woo¡¯s and the expedition members¡¯ fates, but also the fate of this world. Crumble! Crummmble! The roughly-shaking ceiling collapsed and crumbled down. Crassssssh¡ª! The person who fell from the ceiling broke the ice and shattered the head of the balrog, who was about to break free. It wasn¡¯t just the balrog. The frozen Sernitas all over the space shattered into pieces while they were still encased in ice¡ªjust from the impact of the person falling from above. While copious amounts of scattered ice shards flew everywhere, Chi-Woo was able to clearly see who the uninvited newcomer was. ¡°¡­!¡± Chi-Woo shouted a word without realizing it. He couldn¡¯t help it because the man slowly lifting his head and standing up while stepping on the broken pieces of balrog was no other than¡ª ¡°¡­Hyung!¡± It was his brother, Choi Chi-Hyun. CH 356 Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t alone in his reaction. All the expedition team members widened their eyes with their jaws dropped. That was how unexpected Chi-Hyun¡¯s sudden appearance was. The same went for Chi-Hyun. Chi-Hyun looked shocked as soon as he saw Chi-Woo and clenched his eyes shut like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Chi-Hyun stomped toward Chi-Woo and shouted menacingly. Chi-Woo began by breathing a sigh of relief. Though he hadn¡¯t let it show much, he knew how terrible the situation was. He was about to release all his seals, and if Eshnunna hadn¡¯t interrupted him, he might¡¯ve met his brother in his rampaging state. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but everything changed with his brother¡¯s appearance. That was how reassuring Chi-Hyun¡¯s presence was. And now that his heart had calmed down to some extent, Chi-Woo wondered and asked, ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you. Why are you here?¡± ¡°What do you mean why? You know that I have been working outside,¡± Chi-Hyun replied. In their last call, Chi-Hyun had said he needed to go somewhere else, so Chi-Woo supposed that there must be something urgent for his brother to take care of. ¡°But still, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to say to you. How¡ªno, before that, how did you get here? The Sky Castle is in Sernitas¡¯ territory.¡± It appeared that Chi-Hyun had also secretly trespassed into Sernitas¡¯ territory for some purpose. Instead of answering his question, Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Besides that, where¡¯s Mr. Ismile? Didn¡¯t you leave with him?¡± ¡°I have separated from him for quite some time now because it was better to move independently. But no¡ªthat¡¯s not even the important part,¡± Chi-Hyun answered all of Chi-Woo¡¯s questions even while expressing his anger. ¡°So, why are you here!¡± ¡°I-I came for the toharis¡­¡± Chi-Woo hastily said because Chi-Hyun looked ready to shake the answer out of him. ¡°Toharis?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s glaring eyes shifted to the blazing firelight. ¡°Why that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not sudden¡­ You know how you told Ms. Yeriel to become stronger, so¡­¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s expression turned menacing. ¡°Did that stupid girl order you to get a tohari?¡± Chi-Hyun sounded like he would¡¯ve beaten up Yeriel on the spot if she were here. Chi-Woo quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°No! No! That¡¯s not it at all!¡± And seeing the chains hanging around Chi-Woo¡¯s wrist dangle, Chi-Hyun realized what had happened. Though there were a lot of missing explanations, Chi-Hyun¡¯s quick wits allowed him to connect the dots and figure out what had led Chi-Woo to the current situation. Though Chi-Hyun had told Chi-Woo to help Yeriel progress, he only meant helping her rise in tiers. But it appeared his stupid younger brother had looked to do beyond that and tried to help Yeriel awaken new powers instead of just progressing. Of course, Chi-Hyun knew that a Mariaju hero followed a different trajectory from ordinary heroes, and that they would become a considerable asset once they were able to properly use their powers, especially in a world like Liber. And in the perspective of a legend like Chi-Hyun, ¡®considerable asset¡¯ meant something much grander and more enormous for ordinary heroes. ¡°Still¡­¡± Chi-Hyun clutched his forehead. He hadn¡¯t imagined that he would see his brother in the middle of Sernitas¡¯ territory, and on their Sky Castle at that. It was a mistake to not take away that damn Power to Rule the World from Chi-Woo earlier. ¡°¡­It would¡¯ve been better if you had gone to the Demon Empire instead,¡± Chi-Hyun said. This was true. Against the Demon Empire, Chi-Woo¡¯s destructive power was comparable to Chi-Hyun¡¯s; and if he had moved with the Cassiubia League, there would¡¯ve been more room for him to prove himself and take an active role. Perhaps things would¡¯ve been different if Chi-Woo had already hit at least the Master tier, but right now, it was still too early for Chi-Woo to battle against the Sernitas. ¡°I did nothing wrong. I just did what you told me to do. Don¡¯t yell at me,¡± Chi-Woo retorted. Chi-Hyun closed his eyes exasperatedly as his brother blabbered on. ¡°Also, God Mamiya told me that he would look forward to the future if this mission succeeds!¡± Chi-Hyun had a strong urge to punch his brother. Just one good punch. That was all he genuinely wanted. And while Chi-Hyun wrote down the characters for patience exactly 3,742 times at hyper speed in his mind, Yunael looked on with confusion. Considering the legend¡¯s personality, she thought the legend would definitely go, ¡®Hm, what are all these pieces of trash doing here?¡¯ and not show much interest in the expedition team. Instead, the legend was helping them and seriously worrying about them. Those who knew the relationship between Chi-Woo and Chi-Hyun remained calm, but the two who didn¡¯t know were surprised. Perhaps unbelievably, the thought that Chi-Woo and Chi-Hyun could be blood-related never crossed their minds. They simply thought that Chi-Woo and the legend were close companions. And while Chi-Hyun was despairing about the situation, Hawa gasped. She realized that the Sernitas had been inactive until then. They should¡¯ve completed their analysis by now and initiated some transformation again. While they seemed to be attempting to do just that, something strange was happening. Those that had shattered into pieces of ice tried to reassemble, but kept falling apart as if they were obstructed by something. ¡ªError. Error. Error. Error. Error. Those were the words they ended up spouting, and Chi-Hyun simply turned his head halfway and swung his elbow. Boom! The air trembled. Dozens of Sernitas crumbled. Chi-Hyun¡¯s expression was bloodthirsty as he looked at the debris falling onto the floor. It felt as if he was telling them to shut up after being so loud. Thus, the Sernitas were forcefully silenced, and Chi-Woo looked at them with his mouth slightly agape. How could his brother do that so easily? Then Chi-Woo suddenly gasped. He felt something hot inside his pocket. Chi-Hyun turned to him in surprise. ¡°What is it? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Instead of answering, Chi-Woo fumbled through his pocket. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Chi-Hyun asked when he saw the token. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± After hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation, Chi-Hyun¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Ah, is that so? You can go in and out like that?¡± His worried face looked completely different now. ¡°Good. I was wondering how the hell I was going to get you out of this place, but that changes things.¡± Then, Chi-Hyun declared, ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s take the toharis first.¡± ¡°Huh? Hyung?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well¡­I think it would be difficult to take them.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted and didn¡¯t even pretend to listen to Chi-Woo. He walked up to and stood in front of the brilliantly shining toharis. ¡°Be careful¡­¡± Chi-Woo swallowed his warning. As soon as Chi-Hyun approached them, the toharis¡¯ fire seemed to calm slightly. ¡°I see¡­no wonder¡­you suffered for a long time¡­¡± Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t grab the toharis right away. Instead, he talked to them and carefully stretched out his hand and stoke them. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot¡­don¡¯t worry so much¡­you¡¯ll be going to a place where you¡¯ll be much more treasured. It¡¯ll at least be better than this castle¡­¡± The more Chi-Hyun talked, the more the toharis¡¯ heat and light dimmed. Eventually, their firelight went off entirely. Chi-Woo blinked fast in astonishment. What? Was Chi-Hyun an all-powerful magician? Chi-Hyun was easily doing things that Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t do after much effort. ¡°A tohari is a fire that moves on its own will,¡± Chi-Hyun said and turned around while taking the toharis. ¡°They are already so exhausted. You should¡¯ve thought about appeasing them through conversation first. It was no wonder they wouldn¡¯t respond well when you tried to grab them right away,¡± Chi-Hyun said in a scolding tone and looked to the ceiling. Then, he tapped into his mana. ¡°Prepare for some shock,¡± Chi-Hyun said. The next moment, Chi-Woo and the rest of the expedition team felt the air become heavy. There was pressure coming from all around them so that it became harder to breathe, and it felt as if their bodies were being tightly clutched. Now that Chi-Woo thought about it, he had felt the space tilt the moment the toharis turned off their lights. The areas behind his joints began to ache now, and he felt a force pulling him downwards around his belly button. Soon, he realized the reason behind this. Boom! There was an ear-splitting bang coming from outside. An enormous shockwave swept across the cavity, and Chi-Woo¡¯s vision shook up and down like he was standing in the middle of an erupting volcano or amid an earthquake. Yet the shaking subsided and passed in an instant. Furthermore, the area that the expedition team was standing in was relatively fine. Considering the power of the shockwave just now, this entire cavity should¡¯ve completely crumbled while everything inside bounced around like a bouncy ball. However, the expedition team had only felt a tremor and stood completely fine. The walls were hardly chipped or dented, as if this place alone operated on its own gravity and laws of physics. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Chi-Hyun said. And the strong pressure that had been constricting their throats disappeared in an instant. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chi-Hyun said indifferently. ¡°The whole internal fuel system broke down. What else do you think happened?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth gaped open. It was as if an airplane¡¯s engine had gone off in the middle of a flight. In other words, the Sky Castle fell. ¡°Are you crazy? Are you planning to kill everyone!?¡± ¡°Do you think this piece of land is some meteorite in space?¡± Chi-Hyun retorted with a frown. It was more akin to them having fallen from the peak of a mountain. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what his brother did exactly, but it was impressive. ¡°Anyways, we have to go before the door disappears.¡± Chi-Hyun pointed out their limited time and urged the team. ¡°Where¡¯s the door that Mamiya opened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s above, sir. At the top of the Sky Castle,¡± Hawa quickly answered and pointed to the ceiling. Chi-Hyun swung his arms around instead of answering, and as a result, cracks appeared on the ceiling like spider webs, and the ceiling came tumbling down. Chi-Woo tried to find an opening between the debris and felt something intangible wrap around his body. It was a familiar feeling, and before Chi-Woo could say anything, Chi-Hyun kicked off the floor. Simultaneously, Chi-Woo felt himself getting pulled upwards¡ªhe wasn¡¯t alone. Everyone was dangling in the air getting pulled by an invisible rope. Another ceiling appeared after that, but Chi-Hyun blew it away with a single punch. Just like that, they passed through the wide-open hole, reached the surface, and flew into the air. ¡°Brother-in-law sure is straightforward,¡± Evelyn commented while swaying like a piece of laundry fluttering in the air. Chi-Woo was too flustered to respond. He looked down in a daze and saw the huge mess below. The Sky Castle had come down from the clouds and created a massive crater on the ground. And that wasn¡¯t all. Though they hadn¡¯t been able to see anything when wandering the Sky Castle before, all sorts of different shapes and forms began to pop out. It was as if they had struck a packed bee hive. Chi-Woo wondered what would¡¯ve happened if that entire group had rushed into the cavity space to fight the expedition team. It gave him the chills. But it was fine now. His brother¡¯s method was rough and simple, but just as effective. Because Chi-Hyun had forcibly dragged everyone with him across the air, the expedition team was able to reach the escape point before their enemies reached them. As soon as Chi-Hyun spotted a dim light, he dived down. Fortunately, instead of simply throwing them to the ground, he placed them down carefully. The portal looked much fainter than when they first came out of it, and it seemed like it would disappear any moment now. Judging by the commotion approaching all around them, the Swernitas seemed to be chasing after them. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk later and go in first. Quickly!¡± Just in case, Chi-Woo pushed the team members into the portal one by one. ¡°Hyung, hurry up too.¡± Chi-Woo grabbed Chi-Hyun¡¯s arm and was about to go through the portal with his brother, but¡ª ¡°¡­Huh?¡± There was a resistance halfway through. He tried to go farther, but it didn¡¯t work. It was as if he was blocked by some invisible wall. This novel is available on "pawread dot com". ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong with this?¡± ¡ªHe can¡¯t go in. A soft voice answered Chi-Woo¡¯s question. It was Mamiya¡¯s voice. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mamiya spoke slowly. ¡ªThe other person can¡¯t pass through this door. I told you clearly before. When opening this portal, Mamiya¡¯s condition was that all of them had to come back without a single one missing. But that also meant that they couldn¡¯t have one additional person. Chi-Woo came to the realization belatedly, but he found it hard to accept. ¡°No¡ª¡± They were able to come all this way thanks to his brother, but they had to go without him? ¡°How does that make sense?¡± Chi-Woo yelled in rage. ¡°Then what about the toharis!? They¡¯re also living and moving!¡± ¡ªThough a tohari is a living and moving fire, they¡¯re far from complete lifeforms. Furthermore, since the toharis were your team¡¯s reason for going on this expedition, the entry restrictions don¡¯t apply to them. Mamiya¡¯s voice was soft but firm. It sounded like he wasn¡¯t going to allow any exceptions. ¡°Ah damn it¡ªit¡¯s fine, sir!¡± Chi-Woo cried out. It didn¡¯t seem like anything would change Mamiya¡¯s mind, and he would simply be wasting time by trying anything else. But there was no way he would leave his brother alone here and return¡ªnot even on his deathbed would he abandon his brother. They lived and died together. Mamiya read Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts and reiterated his condition. ¡ªIf you stay, then the rest of your companions also have to stay. Chi-Woo stopped. He was completely trapped. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t be the only one staying among the seven. If he stayed behind, everyone had to do the same. That was the condition. Chi-Woo became speechless for a moment. If he was the only one staying behind, there would be no need to hesitate. But if the rest of the team also had to stay behind? All the expedition team members were already injured all over from the recent battle. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± It was then Chi-Woo heard his brother¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯s how Mamiya is. I didn¡¯t expect much.¡± It sounded like Chi-Hyun had expected this to happen. ¡°Hyung¡­!¡± ¡°Take this first.¡± Chi-Hyun forcibly opened Chi-Woo¡¯s hands and stuffed the toharis into his grasp. ¡°Wait¡­!¡± Before Chi-Hyun could pull away, Chi-Woo clutched his brother¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Chi-Woo.¡± Chi-Hyun took a step forward and leaned toward Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo flinched. They were so close that their noses were almost touching. With their eyes locked, Chi-Hyun continued to speak. ¡°Listen carefully from now on,¡± Chi-Hyun said seriously, and Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. After everything that happened, those guys won¡¯t sit still.¡± Yes. They were probably going to rush forward to kill them. And right now, they were in the middle of Sernitas¡¯ territory. The moment their enemy got prepared, they would also deploy large-scale troops from the main base. ¡°If it¡¯s just me, I would have no problem returning alive. Yeah, but¡­I¡¯m not sure if I will make it in time,¡± Chi-Hyun said quickly. ¡°So endure with all you have. You must stay alive at all costs and endure until I return. At worst, abandon Shalyh and escape to the Cassiubia League. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Chi-Woo looked confused. What was his brother going on about? He should stay alive until his brother returned? It should be the reverse. It was he who should be the one saying these words to his brother. What exactly did Chi-Hyun see in this place that he would be saying such words¡­? ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but no. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Chi-Hyun said, knowing what Chi-Woo was thinking. ¡°I was already planning to destroy this castle and escape anyway. It¡¯s just that I did it a bit earlier than I planned to. In other words, the result would¡¯ve been the same whether you came to this place or not.¡± The edge of Chi-Woo¡¯s eyelids trembled. He didn¡¯t know whether his brother was telling him the truth or lying to ease his guilt. The only definite thing was that their enemy was approaching, and Chi-Hyun needed to find an escape route even a second faster. Either way, he had to decide fast: would all of them stay, or would they leave without his brother? ¡°Hyung¡­¡± There were countless words he wanted to say, and they lingered at the tip of his tongue. Since there wasn¡¯t much time left, however, Chi-Woo asked only one question. ¡°You won¡¯t die, right?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Hyun raised one of his eyebrows. ¡°Die? Who will?¡± He asked in a baffled tone. They began to hear loud commotions. Creatures of all sizes were coming down the mountain and thumping across the ground. And reinforcements came from not just the land, but also from above; dots in the air were gathering and coloring the sky black. Chi-Woo gasped in horror, and Chi-Hyun looked behind him. He raised his index finger and drew a straight line in the air. Then the black things in the sky divided into two from the middle and fell. Dozens of magic circles floated all around Chi-Hyun, spinning and shining. Bababababam! From top to bottom, the towering mountain plummeted like it was being bombarded by missiles, and both the mountain¡¯s entrance and peak exploded. The explosions were so strong that the mountain even shifted by a great distance. The blackish ground and sky became clear in an instant. It was such an earth-shatteringly great power. Chi-Hyun lightly shook his hands and turned to Chi-Woo again. With his head tilted, he asked, ¡°Me?¡± When Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reply, Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°Know your place, little brother. Just because I went easy on you last time, you think I¡¯m at your level? Do you think I got the title of the legend by just fooling around? It seems you are misunderstanding something. Do you think I¡¯ll be happy because you and your companions stay behind?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course not. I will get angry. I will run away with only you, not caring what happened to the others. Then, for sure, you will try to resist again, and I will have to forcibly knock you out and escape.¡± Chi-Hyun then asked how their relationship would become after that, and Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°If you want that to happen, I guess you can crawl out of that portal again,¡± Chi-Hyun said. Although he spoke harshly, Chi-Woo understood what his brother was saying¡ªthat Chi-Woo would just be a hindrance if he stayed, so he should quickly return to Shalyh. Soon, Chi-Woo let out the breath he had been holding. He clenched his eyes shut tightly and opened them again. ¡°You aren¡¯t lying, are you?¡± Chi-Hyun smirked. ¡°Have I ever lied to you before?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. No, there was never a time. His brother kept all the promises he made, and because of that, Chi-Woo decided to believe his brother this time too. His brother would surely come back alive. ¡°Good.¡± Chi-Woo cleared his throat. ¡°Hyung, you should listen carefully too,¡± Chi-Woo said clearly while clutching his brother¡¯s hands. ¡°If you come back safely without a single injury and if you¡¯re on time, I will give you a prize.¡± ¡°A prize,¡± Chi-Hyun tilted his head and laughed humorlessly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s probably that special lunchbox or something. I won¡¯t fall for it again¡ª¡± ¡°I have snacks.¡± Chi-Hyun stopped. ¡°I actually have one more box of crackers. It¡¯s not crushed like the last one, but completely intact.¡± Chi-Hyun gulped. ¡°How is it? I bet you want to eat it. Don¡¯t you want to come back to Shalyh as fast as you can to eat it?¡± The brothers felt too embarrassed to speak openly or say everything that was in their hearts, yet they understood each other well. Chi-Hyun laughed with his mouth open wide and nodded in the end. ¡°¡­Okay, I got it.¡± Chi-Hyun shook off Chi-Woo¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Now, go.¡± Their tightly clasped hands separated, and as Chi-Woo was sucked into the portal, he saw his brother¡¯s back as Chi-Hyun faced the hordes of Sernitas rushing towards him. ¡°As soon as you return, tell Ismile¡­!¡± CH 357 The expedition members exited the door. As soon as they left, the Narsha Harm disappeared like a mirage. They had successfully accomplished their mission; they obtained toharis, and there were five at that. However, no one was celebrating. Instead, a dark and heavy atmosphere permeated and weighed them down because they had been forced to leave Chi-Hyun behind. The legend¡¯s prestige had great implications for the heroes. He was a kind of symbol, a central point that maintained the balance of humanity. To make an analogy of a modern time nation, the legend¡¯s disappearance was akin to a nuclear weapon disappearing overnight. Since a weapon that had been deterring other countries¡¯ invasion by sheer power had disappeared, it was impossible for them to not feel anxious. And if they were feeling despondent, what must Chi-Woo be feeling? The man hadn¡¯t spoken a word since getting out of the door. He just stood unmoving and fiddled with the warm beads in his hand. The warmth from the beads made him feel like he could still feel his brother¡¯s hand. He wondered what his brother¡¯s situation was like now. Was he fighting the Sernitas? Rather than fighting, Chi-Woo wanted him to quickly run away¡­ ¡°Hey~ You¡¯re finally back.¡± While all kinds of feelings and thoughts passed through his mind, Chi-Woo heard a familiar voice. ¡°Were you guys successful? Judging by your expressions, it didn¡¯t seem like it went well.¡± Chi-Woo turned around unconsciously, and his eyes widened. A swashbuckling gait, a dress style perfectly suitable for a vacation¡ªa man that looked like a vagabond was walking towards them with a cheery smile on his face. ¡°Mr. Ismile?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up, it¡¯s been a while~¡± Ismile raised his hand with a bright expression. On the other hand, Chi-Woo looked perplexed. Before he left, his brother had told him to find Ismile, but he hadn¡¯t expected Ismile to come to him on his own. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Mr. Ismile, how did you¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I separated from Big Choi,¡± Ismile replied flatly. ¡°I accompanied him for a short while after his call with you, but he suddenly told me that it¡¯d be better to move separately from then on. So I took care of my duties and returned to Shalyh to do the favor Big Choi requested of me¡­but to my surprise, you weren¡¯t there.¡± Ismile went on to explain that he had asked around for Chi-Woo¡¯s location and come all the way here. Chi-Woo quickly asked, ¡°What did Chi-Hyun tell you to do?¡± ¡°What? Ah, it¡¯s nothing much. He just asked me to take good care of you and keep an eye on you so that you don¡¯t get into trouble.¡± Ismile¡¯s smile slipped, replaced by a look of curiosity. Chi-Woo and everyone¡¯s expressions were dismally gloomy, as if they were at a funeral. ¡°Something definitely is going on¡­¡± Ismile noticed the atmosphere and suddenly grinned, as if he had landed on a good opportunity. ¡°Why do you guys look so grave? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve been heroes for only a day or two! It¡¯s only natural for some hardships to appear here and there!¡± He shouted energetically and said, ¡°And there¡¯s another law that applies at times like this. During times of difficulty, an unexpected person suddenly appears and helps the heroes overcome their dilemmas!¡± He lifted his chin and thumped his chest. ¡°Everyone, raise your heads, okay? Just tell me! Since Big Choi also asked me to help out, I¡¯ll take responsibility and solve all your worries!¡± Chi-Woo immediately raised his head. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Sure thing! Don¡¯t you know who I am? I¡¯m Nahla, Ismile Nahla! I¡¯m usually smiling non-stop like a comic relief, but if I make up my mind properly, even the legend can¡¯t be dismissive of me! Don¡¯t you know that?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Chi-Woo explained the situation right away. ¡°I sincerely apologize.¡± Ismile quickly prostrated himself and slammed his forehead onto the ground. ¡°My words just now were a slip of the tongue. I was wrong. You can point me to anywhere else, but please don¡¯t ask me to go there. I don¡¯t want to die yet. This measly servant is just a lowly dog compared to the great legend.¡± Ismile was so desperate not to go that he abandoned all his pride as a Nahla and begged for his life. Yunael looked at him as if he was a lunatic, and Chi-Woo sighed; he had no expectations anyway. On the contrary, he felt annoyed that he couldn¡¯t solve this problem on his own and had to put his hope on another person¡¯s power. He had become stronger, and he definitely felt stronger while facing the Demon Empire. After getting on a new stage, however, he realized again that he was weak. He was still lacking. He needed to be much, much stronger. His desire to get stronger was renewed after being stagnant for a while, but there was nothing he could do immediately. ¡°Hyung will be¡­okay, right?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Ismile slowly raised his hand. After confirming that Chi-Woo didn¡¯t sound accusatory, Ismile slowly picked himself up. Then he coughed and asked, ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know. What did Big Choi say?¡± ¡°He said he was confident in returning alive, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he could make it back in time¡­so I should be careful¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine then. If that¡¯s what he said, then he at least won¡¯t die.¡± Ismile spoke as if he was stating the obvious. When Chi-Woo looked at him with a questioning gaze, he snorted. ¡°I understand your concern¡­but isn¡¯t it too late for that now?¡± ¡°Sorry, what?¡± ¡°You know, how many times do you think Big Choi has been through a similar¡ªno, an even more difficult situation than this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Not in different worlds, but on Liber alone.¡± Ismile pointed to the ground with his index finger. ¡°Who was the reason humanity was able to survive relatively intact in a crazy, god-forsaken world like this in the first place?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to him, the legend. Of course, I won¡¯t say it¡¯s 100 percent because of him, but it¡¯s at least 50 percent.¡± In the past, Chi-Woo would have disagreed and retorted, ¡®All he does is sit at the official residence and look at documents. How can it be at least 50 percent?¡¯ However, after experiencing it himself, he clearly felt his brother¡¯s absence. Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t revealed it until now, but he had done more work than anyone else¡ªall alone. It was not until he was absent that Chi-Woo could feel such a big hole. Chi-Woo said, ¡°But even then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you in advance, but don¡¯t even dream about going back there with an expedition team. If you¡¯re thinking of that, I¡¯m going to stop you at all costs, even with my family¡¯s name, Nahla, on the line.¡± Although Nahla''s name was already in the gutters, Chi-Woo gave him a questioning look, silently asking him why. Ismile answered, ¡°The legend is someone that all of humanity won¡¯t stand a chance of defeating even if we gather and fight together. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to help even if you go? Instead, he¡¯ll get angry at you for going out of your way to make more work for him.¡± Yeah, that was what his brother had said¡ªthat he would only be a hindrance by staying behind. ¡°And to correct one misunderstanding first, Big Choi was planning to break that anyway. In other words, it wasn¡¯t because of you, and it was a situation that would have happened regardless.¡± ¡°That?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the sky castle. The huge island flying in the sky.¡± According to Ismile, Chi-Hyun had headed straight to the enemy camp after talking to Chi-Woo through the call. He said he¡¯d have to infiltrate the enemy''s camp and find out what was going on. And while they were flying day and night, the two stumbled upon a huge piece of land wandering over the clouds. Ismile continued, ¡°You think Big Choi would go, look how cool that is, and pass by doing nothing? Of course he¡¯d chase after it.¡± Chi-Hyun chased after it while maintaining an appropriate distance, and then he suddenly sharply descended. He landed in a wilderness with nothing. ¡°So I was curious. Why did he land where there was nothing? But don¡¯t be shocked to hear what I have to say next. Do you know what we saw there?¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°It was a very, very long procession,¡± Ismile continued. ¡°The Demon Empire was leading a long line of Liber natives, and they were handing over slaves to the Sernitas as if they were offering tributes to a god.¡± The Sernitas weren¡¯t seeking tributes, slaves, or ingredients; instead, they were seeking information. However, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t known that the supplier was the Demon Empire. He hadn¡¯t imagined that they would be in charge of the supply, but he wasn¡¯t that surprised since it was an open secret that the Sernitas and the Demon Empire were in cahoots. Of course, it was still surprising that they were not on an equal footing, but were more like an employer and employee. ¡°And that¡¯s not all.¡± However, Ismile didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°The Abyss was also there.¡± The moment Ismile said this, everyone¡¯s expression, including Chi-Woo¡¯s, changed. The Abyss also teamed up with the Sernitas and the Demon Empire? ¡°I don¡¯t know the situation exactly, but I think one of the members from Two Monarchs Three-Six Alliance was there. I saw them from quite a distance, but their energy was no joke.¡± If true, this was not something to be taken lightly. ¡°That was when Big Choi thought of the worst case scenario,¡± Ismile continued. ¡°That the Sernitas, the Demon Empire, and the Abyss¡ªthe three may be joining forces to target humanity¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face paled; just one was too much to handle, but the three united? There was no way they could hold out. ¡°Humanity has been quietly growing while the three forces are fighting each other to the deaths. Should I say that we¡¯ve managed to roughly survive in the middle of this gap? But that¡¯s not the case anymore.¡± The baskets that were fiercely pushing against each other finally noticed that there was a small basket between their gap, and it had grown way too troublesome for them to ignore. ¡°Well, there¡¯s Big Choi too, but now they¡¯re thinking, ¡®Look at this? This small fry is now sticking with one of the big ones now?¡± The alliance between the Cassiubia League and humanity had been the starting point, and the siege of the holy city, Shalyh, had been the deciding factor. The Demon Empire, which had been one of the four pillars responsible for the balance between the powers at the time, had been smashed into pieces. As a result, humanity¡¯s growth had substantially risen, and likewise, their ties with the Caissubia League had become stronger. Thus, the other three factions also entered a temporary truce, since there was nothing to gain by continuing fighting each other. ¡°Do you think we can just stand by and watch? No, we have to do something. Yeah¡­he said he¡¯d come back alive, but it¡¯s a big deal if he said that he might not come back in time.¡± Only then did Chi-Woo realize the meaning behind his brother¡¯s words. While their main force was gone, what would happen if the three factions invaded at the same time? Shalyh would be swept clean without a trace. Despite grasping the gist of the situation, however, Chi-Woo couldn''t help but worry about his brother. ¡°But those three could also target Hyung while he¡¯s all alone¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, they certainly could do so,¡± Ismile affirmed calmly. ¡°But that¡¯s only looking at it from a narrow point of view. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate the reputation of the legend. Big Choi is the irregular out of all irregulars. I told you before, right? Big Choi has enough power to deal with a whole country by himself.¡± If one faction wanted to kill Chi-Hyun for sure, it needed to not only risk enormous damage, but put its fate on the line. Such was the power of the legend. Of course, if there was only Chi-Hyun to consider, it wouldn¡¯t be a matter of much concern. No matter how far a salmon could go up the waterfall, the waterfall itself could not be changed. However, if there was a foundation that supported the legend, it would be a completely different story. If humanity grew a little more, the other factions would have to pay attention to the entire humanity and not just Chi-Hyun. One could tell just by looking at Chi-Woo. Just having one figure like Chi-Hyun was annoying, but what if powerful humans that were at his level or even a bit weaker kept popping up? That would mean that the number of forces competing for Liber¡¯s hegemony would increase from four to five, and this was an undesirable future for all of them. ¡°I¡¯m sure that the three had been planning to invade Shalyh. Since they couldn¡¯t sit still and wait anymore, they were planning to crush us even if they had to use all their forces. However, the recent development has thrown a wrench into the works.¡± A variable was suddenly introduced when Chi-Hyun jumped straight into the middle of the Sernitas¡¯ camp. ¡°If Big Choi had to fight one and not three enemy forces, it would be fair to worry about him, but that¡¯s not the case, right?¡± Even though the three factions had joined hands, it was only a temporary truce. The three factions originally fought each other like mad dogs. After they achieved their goals, they¡¯d likely go back to their old days and ferociously growl at each other, eager to kill each other once again. In other words, the three factions had to keep a wary eye on each other for their future. If a faction sent out all their forces and successfully killed Chi-Hyun, this would most likely make them a delicious prey for the other two factions In the future. Therefore, they needed to move in a direction that was in line with all of their goals while allowing them to reap clear benefits without much risk. And what would it be? To take Chi-Hyun? The Cassiubian League? No, the only appropriate target was Shalyh. This was a golden opportunity for them to maintain the precarious balance of the four factions engaged in fierce competition, while also eliminating the thorn-like existence, Chi-Hyun¡¯s base. ¡°And the Sernitas just got a good excuse. They could tell the others that since they need to tie down the legend, they can¡¯t send out a lot of troops.¡± As Ismile said, there would be no need for the factions to hide their swords as long as their target was Shalyh, since it was a goal they could achieve without using their full force like their original plan. Rather than a 99 percent chance of success, attacking Shalyh was a more advantageous choice in that they didn¡¯t need to worry about the aftermath. ¡°Anyway, the die has already been thrown. Now we can¡¯t choose anymore, and we have to wait and see how our enemies react.¡± What would happen if all the three factions chose to fight Chi-Hyun? Then in addition to humanity, the League would also jump into the fray immediately. Even if they had to mobilize all their power, at least one faction would surely be destroyed to make the legend¡¯s sacrifice worthwhile. On the other hand, what if the target was the holy city, Shalyh? Then the possibility that the enemies would send out their full force dropped sharply; each of the factions would keep an eye on each other and deploy only the minimum or the appropriate amount of troops. As such, the danger towards Shalyh would be reduced accordingly. ¡°But¡­while two factions attack Chi-Hyun, the remaining faction can block us and the Cassiubia League.¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s worried words, Ismile looked at him with a quizzical expression and then burst into laughter. ¡°Ahahhahahah! Seriously, get real. You have way too romantic a view about alliances.¡± Ismile wiped away his tears and chuckled. ¡°You think those three will trust each other and leave their backs exposed? You¡¯re joking, right? Even if such a thing happens¡ªthe faction that is supposed to be stopping us and the League will most likely send messengers to us. And they¡¯ll suggest secretly stabbing the back of the two factions while they¡¯re busy dealing with the legend, and that target would probably be the Sernitas.¡± A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. Alliance was anything but romantic; it was established only because of necessity. In the first place, even those within the same group argued and got into conflict; the three factions had no loyalty to each other and had no incentive to trust and fight for each other with all their powers on the line. They were likely to stab each other whenever it became advantageous again. ¡°This is the world we live in. That¡¯s how this world works.¡± It was a place where only those who didn¡¯t care about the means and did whatever necessary to achieve their own goals gathered together; that was what Liber was. ¡°Of course, things may not go as we expected but¡­that¡¯s something that can¡¯t be helped. I just want you to keep in mind one thing¡ªwith what determination Chi-Hyun decided to step in.¡± If everything went according to their enemy¡¯s plans, humanity would have definitely lost Shalyh. Even if they ran away to the Cassiubian League, it was questionable if the League would accept humans, since it was better for the League to also turn a blind eye to humanity than to deal with the other three factions at the same time. Thus, his brother had stepped up. In order to shake the situation somehow, he used his own life as a collateral and put himself on the gambling table. ¡°Given the situation, there¡¯s only one thing that we can do. To get stronger¡­¡± Then Ismile continued with a pause, ¡°I¡¯d like to say that, but unfortunately, we no longer have time on our side.¡± ¡®What did he mean by this?¡¯ ¡°Hmm~ I think¡­it''d be better for you to hear the rest from that cute lady over there than me.¡± Ismile turned around. Chi-Woo followed his gaze and saw a great demon with a monocle he hadn¡¯t noticed until now. Purupuru was standing there awkwardly. ¡°Everyone¡­¡± She looked extremely anxious. CH 358 Purupuru hesitated for a while before she spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I should tell you the news, but¡­¡± After hearing what Purupuru said, Chi-Woo lost his grip, and the toharis in his clutches tumbled down. ¡°The Cassiubia League lost their war against the Demon Empire?¡± Chi-Woo asked again. This was what Purupuru said: In the beginning, the Cassiubia League successfully dealt with the Demon Empire¡¯s counterattacks, but they soon got caught in a trap. They would¡¯ve suffered damages big enough to result in complete destruction, yet thanks to the human who came from Shalyh City, they were able to retreat while salvaging considerable numbers. This human was Ru Amuh. As soon as he realized that they were caught in a trap, Ru Amuh attacked the core of the Demon Empire, thus drawing away enough attention for the Cassiubia League to retreat while suffering less than one-fourth of the casualties they should¡¯ve suffered. And now that Ru Amuh was stuck inside the Demon Empire, it seemed evident that he would¡¯ve been killed or captured. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Chi-Woo looked stunned. He knew Ru Amuh¡¯s skills better than anyone else. Before they separated, Chi-Woo had awakened his potential with The Power to Rule the World. And other than Chi-Hyun, there was no one else among humanity who could beat Ru Amuh right now. ¡°How could Mr. Ru Amuh¡­¡± Thus, Chi-Woo found it hard to believe that Ru Amuh had gone missing in the middle of a war. No matter how dire or difficult the situation was, he should¡¯ve had the ability to escape by himself. Chi-Woo looked at Purupuru for a more detailed explanation, yet Purupuru couldn¡¯t say anything. She had just heard the news herself and didn¡¯t have any more information. Chi-Woo squeezed his eyes shut. Bad things were happening one after the other; his brother, and now Ru Amuh? Too many unfortunate events were overlapping. Like his brother, losing Ru Amuh was a huge blow to humanity. ¡°I¡¯m sure he isn¡¯t dead.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head roughly and opened his eyes again. ¡°If he failed to escape, he¡¯d probably be captured as a prisoner of war. Didn¡¯t you say that the Demon Empire provided slaves to the Sernitas? If they receive some kind of compensation for their deals, I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore the value that Mr. Ru Amuh holds. Considering the Demon Empire¡¯s character, I¡¯m sure they will do that.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s as you say. Although there are those like Lady Shersha who are on the fence about collaborating with the Sernitas, there are many more great demons who favor it.¡± Purupuru supported Chi-Woo¡¯s theory. ¡°There are also many great demons who collect high-quality slaves to show off their status or to gain favor with the Sernitas. Thus, there¡¯s a high possibility that they would¡¯ve kept Mr. Ru Amuh alive for future deals rather than killing him.¡± ¡°That could definitely be the case ¡­¡± Ismile stroked his chin and nodded. ¡°We have to go save him,¡± Chi-Woo said decisively as if there was no need to think more about this matter. ¡°Yes, of course we have to save him, but¡ª¡± Ismile retorted, ¡°Are you going to go just like this?¡± Chi-Woo was about to ask Ismile what he meant, but swallowed his words when he checked his surroundings. ¡°If you guys go in your current states, you would be giving the Demon Empire a one plus one deal and get captured together.¡± Like Ismile said, the expedition team members were in terrible conditions. Blood was drying around Yunael¡¯s mouth, while Jin-Cheon¡¯s entire body was coated in blood. Eshnunna was still unconscious, while Evelyn and Hawa looked like they were struggling to stand. They had suffered critical injuries with the Sernitas¡¯ continuous metamorphosis. Though all their surface-level injuries had been healed, their internal wounds remained, and because they had overexerted themselves in their fight against the Sernitas, they would have to rest for a while. In other words, going to battle immediately would be no different than suicide. Chi-Woo stopped to think. Though everyone looked ready to follow him without complaints if he made the order, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to make a nonsensical decision like that. ¡°¡­All of you, return to Shalyh.¡± It couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°I will go alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense,¡± Yunael immediately disagreed. Not only she, but all the expedition team members stared at Chi-Woo like he had gone mad. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I will do everything on my own. There¡¯s the Cassiubia League there. I can borrow their strength.¡± ¡°Still¡ª!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other choice. There isn¡¯t enough time to wait for all of you to recover or ask for reinforcements from Shalyh.¡± While Yunael was struggling to come up with a counterargument, Chi-Woo picked up the toharis rolling on the ground and said, ¡°Also, you need to deliver these as fast as possible.¡± Yunael tried to resist, but had to accept the toharis when Chi-Woo pushed them into her hands. She had to. She could see something blazing Inside Chi-Woo¡¯s seemingly calm eyes. From Chi-Woo¡¯s back radiated an intense pressure that she didn¡¯t dare to go against. And after watching this scene with interest, Ismile smiled. ¡°Yes. If you must go, it¡¯s better for just one person to go,¡± Ismile said. Then, wings made out of skin sprang out of Ismile¡¯s back and unfolded. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± Yunael asked. ¡°Hm? Didn¡¯t I tell you that I traveled with Big Choi?¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°How do you think I was able to tag along with a guy who always goes around flying? You didn¡¯t think he carried me everywhere, did you?¡± Yunael looked shocked, but Chi-Woo remained calm. He had seen Ismile regenerate a missing limb at the Hala Forest before, and flying wasn¡¯t a difficult task for the Nahla. ¡°Anyways, there¡¯s no point in dragging this out. Trust me, carrying one person isn¡¯t a big deal to me,¡± Ismile said, and Chi-Woo looked at him intently. Seeing Chi-Woo''s gaze, Ismile laughed and scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°Go easy on me for acting out just now. Even I can¡¯t do anything about things that are out of my control. If I could do everything, I would¡¯ve saved Liber ages ago.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to complain¡­I was wondering if this means you¡¯re going with me.¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s Big Choi¡¯s request and¡­ah, but don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Ismile continued while waving his hands. ¡°I¡¯m going to just act as a brake for you if you try to go berserk. I won¡¯t intervene in every little thing you do like a certain somebody.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Ismile seemed to mean that he wouldn''t intervene unless Chi-Woo did something absolutely crazy. Furthermore, he had some intention to help. That was all Chi-Woo needed, and Ismile looked happy to hear Chi-Woo¡¯s expression of gratitude and swiped his nose with a grin. ¡°Fufu, fine. I will give you extra service because of your attitude. If you don¡¯t want to be held by a man the whole time we are flying, I can change my sex.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Then, everyone, I will get going now. Please take care of the toharis.¡± They had no more time to dawdle, and after saying that he would return with Mr. Ru Amuh, Chi-Woo took flight with Ismile. ¡°Be careful¡­!¡± And the expedition team members and Purupuru saw them off. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. *** Thanks to Ismile, Chi-Woo was able to arrive at their destination faster than he expected. He saw the Cassiubia League¡¯s encampment. The area was lit up with faint lights and stood far away from the Demon Empire¡¯s pitch-black lands. Chi-Woo would like to go straight to the Demon Empire if he could, but knowing that was unwise, he headed to the Cassiubia League instead. They first landed at the outskirts of the encampment and quickly moved. The atmosphere didn¡¯t look good at first glance, and morale appeared low and grim. It appeared that the news about Cassiubia League¡¯s retreat after suffering great losses was true. Chi-Woo got closer and saw guards guarding the entrance. ¡°¡­Humans?¡± A Cassiubia League member who looked like a lizard raised his spear after seeing Chi-Woo and Ismile. ¡°Stop and reveal your identities.¡± Ismile snorted and said, ¡°Go and call your boss.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We came from Shalyh. We have no time to deal with¡ªno, just go and tell your boss that Ismile from the Nahla family came,¡± Ismile said with great airs. The lizard didn¡¯t look fully convinced, but did turn around after hearing that the two came from Shalyh. Soon, he came rushing back. He hurriedly opened the door and came running with a whole group of soldiers. ¡°They¡¯re suspicious! Get them!¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Wait?¡± Ismile said in shock. ¡°I¡¯m Ismile. You don¡¯t know Ismile Nahla?¡± ¡°Boss says she¡¯s never heard such a name. Catch them immediately!¡± ¡°Wait, wait! There¡¯s no way?! Then, what about Seven Stars! He¡¯s the leader of Seven Stars!¡± Ismile quickly pointed at Chi-Woo, and the Cassiubia League members stopped. ¡°The leader of Seven Stars¡­?¡± The mention of Seven Stars was definitely effective. After rushing to grab them, the lizard immediately stopped. Then he asked incredulously, ¡°You should¡¯ve said that from the beginning. Why did you give some random name that no one heard of?¡± ¡°¡­No¡­¡± Ismile looked at a loss for words. It seemed he had never received this sort of treatment before. ¡°I attest that he is Seven Stars¡¯ leader.¡± It was then they heard a voice from behind the troops. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him a couple of times at Shalyh. It¡¯s him.¡± The slightly cold and low voice sounded familiar. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the figure walk slowly toward them; it was Murumuru, who had clashed a couple of times with Chi-Woo at Shalyh. It appeared that even half-demons were participating in this war. ¡°Seems like they came after hearing the news¡­ Why don¡¯t you open up the path? I will take responsibility,¡± Murumuru said. ¡°Hm. If a half demon like you says that¡­ I understand. But you must keep your word,¡± The lizard conceded and took a step back to make way. ¡°¡­Follow me,¡± Murumuru told Chi-Woo. And as Chi-Wo followed Murumuru, he heard groans coming from place to place. ¡°Ah, seriously¡­I¡¯m not a hero who¡¯s usually treated like this¡­ Do I really have to properly establish myself or something¡­ah¡­¡± Ismile murmured, but Chi-Woo paid no heed to Ismile. His mind had been occupied with thoughts about Ru Amuh ever since he heard from Purupuru what had happened. For some reason, Chi-Woo had a strong feeling that he must not lose Ru Amuh no matter the cost. And although he hadn¡¯t acted rashly yet, he thought he would even go as far as throwing the die if it was necessary. Eventually, Chi-Woo arrived at the front of a large barrack. ¡°Wait here for a bit.¡± Murumuru went inside and came back out not much later. ¡°She wants to see you at once. Come inside.¡± Murumuru gestured toward the barrack and suddenly looked a bit hesitant. ¡°And¡­I understand how you are feeling but¡­don¡¯t get too agitated.¡± There seemed to be a lot Murumuru had left unsaid, and it was surprising because it sounded like a piece of advice. Chi-Woo wanted to ask what Murumuru meant, but seeing Murumuru go first, Chi-Woo soon followed. And once he went inside, he saw a jade-colored spirit floating across the air like a haze. Shhhhh¡ª Soon, the spirit wavered and took the form of a semi-transparent, green woman with a beautiful face and long eyelashes. ¡°Welcome.¡± Her voice seemed to flow out of her rather than being spoken verbally. ¡°I am the commander-in-chief of this war, Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s first Sylpheed, Ariel.¡± Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp was one of the biggest groups leading the Cassiubia League; and if this person was really the first Sylpheed, it appeared that a figure with more authority than he¡¯d expected was making the calls here. ¡°I am Chi-Woo from Seven Stars.¡± And realizing this, Chi-Woo suppressed his feelings of urgency and maintained his etiquette. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve heard about you a couple of times¡­somewhat,¡± Ariel said and looked at Chi-Woo from top to bottom. ¡°I heard that you have quite the experience against the Demon Empire. That¡¯s why I asked for your help in particular, and I wanted to confirm the truth too¡­¡± The way Ariel trailed off didn¡¯t seem positive. ¡°I had some other matters to attend to,¡± Chi-Woo replied. ¡°I¡¯m not casting blame. You showed your sincerity by sending one of your strongest men, and we benefited greatly from the person you sent us. But¡­it¡¯s a pity how the events came to be.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyebrows wiggled. What? It was simply a pity? Chi-Woo was bothered by Ariel''s detached tone, as if she was talking about a stranger, but Chi-Woo gulped his words down. His addressee was the commander-of-chief of this expedition. He needed to show respect. ¡°I want to hear your future plans,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°We don¡¯t have any¡­concrete plans as of now,¡± Ariel replied. ¡°We picked a fight against them and had to retreat after a defeat. Now that we know our enemies are thoroughly prepared, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. He came to the Cassiubia League to save Ru Amuh with them. He didn¡¯t travel day and night to hear such words. ¡°Since the Demon Empire is only staying on the defensive, we are also protecting our grounds. If they decide to take the offensive suddenly, we will have to retreat again.¡± Perhaps Chi-Woo was misunderstanding, but Ariel seemed to have little interest in going to save the captured troops. She acted like she had been forcibly assigned the role of commander in a war that she wanted no part in. It seemed she wanted to return home as soon as possible, unbefitting a commander leading an entire army. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve relayed the news to the Cassiubia League for now. I¡¯m planning to decide the next course of action after hearing their response,¡± Ariel replied. ¡°On behalf of the Cassiubia League, I am deeply grateful that you came to aid us even at a later time. I will let you know as soon as I hear back from them, so please rest for now.¡± Ismile also appeared baffled by Ariel¡¯s response and chuckled humorlessly. It was then they heard teeth grinding. ¡°Hey, Commander-in-chief,¡± Murumuru growled and took a step forward. CH 359 Murumuru fiercely glared at Ariel. ¡°Among the members of the League captured in the previous battle, a significant number of them are from my tribe. I stepped up to answer the call and stood at the frontlines, and in exchange, had to lose half of my subordinates.¡± It appeared Murumuru was also quite dissatisfied with Ariel¡¯s conduct. ¡°Leaving aside the fact that we were blindsided and got caught in a trap, I won¡¯t criticize you for the casualties we suffered since we¡¯re in a war. But do you really think it¡¯s the best decision for us to sit around like this, not thinking of a way to turn the situation around?¡± Ariel didn¡¯t respond. She just sighed as if she was sick of hearing the same spiel from Murumuru. ¡°Are you staying still because you don¡¯t know the Demon Empire¡¯s habits? It¡¯s not just my kind! Are you acting like this because you don¡¯t know what might be happening to our captured allies and League members at this very moment!?¡± When Murumuru raised their voice and refused to step down, Ariel replied with finality, ¡°¡­I also feel apologetic for having to withdraw after we suffered great damage from my mistake.¡± Then she continued calmly, ¡°So let¡¯s be more careful. While our opponent¡¯s power is still intact, our forces suffered a significant loss that cannot be ignored¡ª¡± ¡°Our loss hasn¡¯t been that great!¡± Murumuru shouted. ¡°Thanks to the human male from Shalyh, we were able to find a way out! If the Commander-in-chief comes forward and boosts morale, we can fight again with our current¡ª¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± Ariel opened her eyes sharply. ¡°You must be forgetting that two great demons had come to stop us. Two. Both of them are at the top of the hierarchy, and they were waiting for us with their territories fully established. Don¡¯t you understand what that means?¡± She continued with a slightly displeased voice, ¡°We should¡¯ve attacked earlier if we were going to attack¡ªwhen the Demon Empire was in chaos after they failed to invade Shalyh.¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t just staying still.¡± ¡°Yes, but we were passive. Of course, there was the problem with the Hala Forest, but it was because we didn¡¯t want to stop the chaos of the Demon Empire short by attacking them too hastily.¡± Murumuru fiercely attacked her, but Ariel¡¯s response was also formidable. ¡°I¡¯m not criticizing the decision at that time. The reasoning was rather sound and above all, the will of the League is absolute. However, the Demon Empire overcame their struggle and has become even stronger. We ended up giving them more time.¡± Although it was a coherent explanation, Murumuru looked extremely frustrated. It seemed as if her explanation was merely a good excuse, and there was another real reason behind her action. ¡°If territorialization is the problem, I can solve it.¡± Chi-Woo stepped up. ¡°Solve it? You¡¯re planning to neutralize a great demon¡¯s territory? Not just one, but two great demons at the top rank?¡± Ariel retorted in disbelief. Even Murumuru looked back at him with shock. Chi-Woo cleared his throat and said, ¡°I can¡¯t be sure, but I think it¡¯s worth a try. I¡¯m confident that I can at least create a situation in which we won¡¯t be one-sidedly defeated.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t allow it.¡± Ariel shook her head, way too readily. ¡°I¡¯m not ignoring your reputation, but I can¡¯t risk the lives of the League members in a battlefield where victory is not certain, especially in a situation like this.¡± ¡°Commander!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Ariel finally shouted back when Murumuru yelled again. She continued, ¡°Just wait for now. I¡¯ll act as soon as I receive a reply from the Cassiubia League. If they tell us to fight even in a situation like this, we¡¯ll have to fight even if we don¡¯t want to. To our fullest!¡± Chi-Woo felt an unknown sense of ominousness as he heard her shout. It seemed quite clear that she was sick of Murumuru¡¯s protest. He asked, ¡°Then if they tell you to retreat¡­¡± ¡°The will of the League is absolute.¡± Ariel turned away. Considering her reluctance to talk further, it was a clear order for them to leave. Murumuru angrily shouted a few more times after that, but she remained firm. In the end, Chi-Woo had no choice but to return without making any progress. * * * After Chi-Woo left, the rest of the expedition members were able to reach Shalyh sooner than expected. Purupuru had lent them a mount in consideration of their condition. Upon arriving at Shalyh, the expedition members returned to Seven Stars. Surprisingly, their base had changed while they were gone. One of the seven buildings circling the main one had completely transformed into a workshop. ¡°You¡¯re here? Have you arrived? Where¡¯s Chi-Woo? No, what about the toharis?¡± Yeriel rushed over as soon as she heard that the expedition team had returned. ¡°¡­What, what did you say?¡± When she heard their explanation, she asked in shock. ¡°We risked our lives. We even had to leave the legend behind and run away¡ªall for these five beads.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. Mr. Ru Amuh, who had gone to do what we could have done with our full strength, is missing, and the captain had to leave for the battlefront as soon as we returned. All by himself.¡± Yunael spoke flatly and squeezed the beads in her hand. ¡°Frankly¡ªI still don¡¯t understand. I wonder if these¡­and you are worth all that.¡± She gnawed on her lip for a while and said, ¡°So I sincerely implore you from the bottom of my heart.¡± She held out her hand slowly. ¡°Please show us that you¡¯re worth doing this much for.¡± Yeriel fell silent. She stared at the toharis in Yunael¡¯s hand and then¡ª ¡°What the?¡± Yeriel snatched the toharis all of the sudden and immediately turned around; then she ran with all her might as if she was running away and disappeared into the newly built workshop. A quick look at "pawread dot com" will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Geez¡­¡± Yunael smacked her lips and turned around. Most of her teammates were silent. Actually, they had been silent the whole way back. Among them, Evelyn looked especially wrecked. Yunael said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I told her that to make her feel pressured, but I¡¯m sure she left like that because she knew the weight of the task already. And she¡¯s a Mariaju after all. If their reputation isn¡¯t all a sham, she¡¯s going to show us something.¡± ¡°No¡­it¡¯s not that¡­¡± Evelyn shook her head. She was a native of Liber. She didn¡¯t know much about the Celestial Realm and wasn¡¯t really interested in it either. There was something much more important than that. Evelyn had only one thought since she separated from Chi-Woo. ¡°I wonder if he¡¯ll be okay¡­?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Chi-Woo¡­¡± Yunael paused when Chi-Woo was mentioned; she could roughly grasp how he was feeling, but he seemed rather calm for someone put in his situation. Not knowing the full story, she thought Chi-Woo would probably be fine. ¡°Why, is there something wrong?¡± At Yunael¡¯s question, Evelyn bit her lower lip with a pensive expression. She didn¡¯t know why, but her heart felt heavy, and she couldn¡¯t forget Chi-Woo¡¯s face as they separated. The more she recalled it, the more anxious she got. ¡°¡­Just¡­¡± She wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulders. Lowering her head slightly, she struggled to say, ¡°He looked like he was really¡­really forcing himself to endure¡­¡± Like a bubbling, active volcano that was about to erupt. * * * That night, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t sleep. All kinds of thoughts crossed his mind and made it impossible to fall asleep. Ariel had a plausible, believable reason for opposing military action. However, there was something fishy and questionable about it that prevented him from taking her justification at face-value. The information Murumuru gave him further cemented his suspicion. [Since I¡¯m not part of the commanding tribes, I don¡¯t know the exact circumstances.] [But one thing is for sure¡ªthere¡¯s definitely something strange about the Cassiubia League¡¯s movements.] [In the first place, I heard that this expedition only took place because the Last Dragon pushed for it.] [I don¡¯t know what it is, but¡­there are more than one or two tribes who are skeptical about fighting the Demon Empire now. There¡¯s even a considerable number of tribes arguing that we should end our alliance with humanity.] In other words, it hadn¡¯t been an illusion that Ariel seemed to have no intention of mobilizing or even fighting at all after their earlier loss, which perturbed Chi-Woo; he thought they had done a lot for the League so far. As a result, he knew that the public opinion in favor of humanity had gradually increased within the Cassiubia League. However, just recently, the opinion had suddenly changed again. Unless there was something that only a few members of the League knew and humanity did not, there was no way the tide could be so quickly overturned like this. On the other hand, Chi-Woo also had his suspicions as to why the League might have suddenly changed their tune¡ªit was his brother¡¯s absence. [Ahahhahahah! Seriously, get real.] [You have way too romantic a view about alliances.] What was the reason for forming an alliance? There was only one: necessity. It was safe to say that the value of humanity had fallen to less than half its original value since his brother disappeared. [This is the world we live in. That¡¯s how this world works.] It was a place where factions could hold hands if necessary but stab one another in the back at any time. This was Liber. Thus, there was nothing and nobody he could trust; he could only believe in himself. ¡®If they don¡¯t believe me¡­¡¯ Then there was only one method left: make them believe even if he had to use force. That was where Chi-Woo ended his thought. He didn¡¯t know how long his musing had taken, but after emptying his head, he opened his eyes and could keenly sense his physical condition. His heart was pounding; it felt hot, as if his blood was boiling. Did he become like this after meeting Ariel? No, it had been like this since he left Narsha Haram¡ªthis whole time, all this time. His heart didn¡¯t show any signs of cooling down; it seemed to burn the more he tried to calm it down. The fire grew so fierce that it could no longer be contained. In the end, Chi-Woo got up and strode out, without looking for anyone¡¯s help and simply moving where his instincts led him. Alone, he headed to the enemy camp. * * * At late dawn. The Demon Empire¡¯s camp was quiet, and the atmosphere was favorable because they had shown the League a hellish time after they attacked without knowing their place. The fruit of victory, which they finally tasted after their continuous defeats despite the advantageous situations, felt even sweeter than usual. Moreover, how could they not be happy after capturing and acquiring a large number of slaves? The demon soldiers standing guard could not suppress their smiles and laughter. They eagerly chatted among themselves and seemed ready to quickly change shifts so that they could check out the new slaves. But then¡­ Booom! One soldier suddenly heard a shockwave. Bang! Then his head was penetrated by an arrow of light and exploded. The guards froze in shock, and while they were in a daze, another soldier was smashed in the head and fell. Everything happened without warning, and they hadn¡¯t felt any presence nearby. It was so out of the blue that the last remaining sentry looked around with blank eyes. Soon after, his face was filled with shock. He thought the League might have taken advantage of the dawn to ambush them, and the infiltration team would be made up of half-demons. However, he could only see one person on the dusky plain. No matter how many times he looked around and rubbed his eyes, there was only one lone figure. In addition, that one person was waiting for him to react. Even while three soldiers were on guard, only two were knocked down and one was left standing¡ªas if the person watching them precisely let him live so that he could go and alert the others and make everyone come out. As if he was challenging a whole army by himself. No way, did this human seriously come out by himself to face two legions of the Demon Empire? In a place where two great demons had finished their territorialization, making their defensive capabilities far above a regular fortress? It was an unbelievable situation. It was so hard to wrap his head around that the sentry stood frozen like a stone statue and didn¡¯t know what to do. The person standing alone sighed softly, and then the sentry clearly witnessed what happened next. [La Bella¡¯s Bible] A book that glowed brilliantly fell from the sky. [La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary] At the same time, brilliant light spread out around the human, and the light violently shot through the darkness surrounding him and¡ª Bamm! It hit the outskirts of the camp solidified by the great demon¡¯s territorialization and collapsed the barriers instantly. ¡°What¡­¡± Even while the watchtower crumbled and fell, the sentry could not take his eyes off the person, who walked through the scattered darkness alone without a word. ¡°What is that¡­¡± And that was the last thing he saw. The sentry was soon engulfed in light and burned without even being able to scream, turning into a handful of ashes. Soon after, one man walked past the ashes scattered on the floor. Light shone on the place where darkness had faded as the moon set and the dawn broke. In the distant future, in the long chronicle of Liber¡¯s war, the dawn of the day that would be recorded as the starting point of the new legend rose. CH 360 The disaster came completely out of the blue. There was no way the great demon, Aym, who had decided to go to bed early for the next day, could¡¯ve expected it. The Cassiubia League had desperately scurried away to escape not long ago, and it would simply be mad for anyone to even attempt an attack considering how well-built the defenses were. Thus, Aym thought their enemies couldn¡¯t possibly rush in to recklessly attack them. At least, that was how it should¡¯ve been. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Aym wondered. The commotion didn¡¯t settle down and became louder instead. At that moment, there was an urgent cry for his presence, and Aym hurriedly got up. Was it really an ambush? That seemed to be the case considering the situation, and Aym quickly went outside. ¡®There¡¯s no way the Cassiubia League are such morons,¡¯ he thought. The other great demon, Saleos, had been spending a heated night with the special slaves he picked out among the prisoners of war, and he thought the same. No, the two great demons weren¡¯t the only ones broken from their peaceful rest. There was a loud explosion, and the walls of the encampment crumbled down and drew everyone¡¯s attention to the area. The two great demons¡¯ troops stopped surveilling and all rushed to gather at the source of the chaos. There was such a big commotion that even those outside the Demon Empire¡¯s territory could clearly see it, including those with the Cassiubia League. Flash! An intense light lit up the darkness. It didn¡¯t end with just one flash. Light continued to erupt and illuminated the night sky explosively as if it was venting all its past frustrations. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Ismile watched the scene from afar and said in a low voice, ¡°Were you actually not fine?¡± Even though no one was near him, he spoke like he was talking to someone. ¡°It¡¯s like that time with your brother¡ªcould you not let it be this time either?¡± *** After enjoying peace the whole night, the Demon Empire fell into chaos when dawn broke. The scene was so strange that even those witnessing it couldn¡¯t explain what was going on. It was a brutal fight where the two parties in the battle weren¡¯t on similar footings at all. It was a completely one-sided annihilation, and the one committing the destruction wasn¡¯t an army with greater numbers, but a single person. ¡°W-Whaaaaaat!¡± The first soldier to have rushed forward and noticed Chi-Woo stopped and opened his mouth wide in disbelief. Then, he yelled when Chi-Woo spotted him and immediately charged at him like a thunderbolt. His scream died down as suddenly as it rang when Chi-Woo¡¯s hands pierced into his mouth; this was followed by the chilling sounds of something breaking or getting smashed into tiny pieces. A group of soldiers later reached the area and witnessed their companion rolling across the ground, limp. Wiggle, wiggle. The soldier spazzed intermittently as a fountain of blood shot out from his mouth. The troop watched in a daze and gradually raised their heads. At once, bulbs of firelight bloomed like flower buds in the darkness. Alarm bells rang in all their heads, and they instinctively took a step back. The freshly bloomed light went straight toward them and drew a brilliant curve across the front-line soldiers¡¯ necks. Slice. Like sickles cutting through the wheat, four to five necks dropped in an instant. It was such a clean cut that the bodies that lost their heads stood straight for a couple of seconds before toppling down. The troops behind the fallen soldiers gasped in horror and tried to back away. But before they could, the light lengthened like the grim reaper¡¯s scythe and swung wide. Another four to five heads rolled off. Even the armor that had been strengthened with territory benefits couldn¡¯t endure the attacks, and Chi-Woo¡¯s weapon sliced through steel like butter. The demon soldiers left standing felt like they were in a dream. How should they put it? It felt as if they should naturally accept death, and that the God of Death from the Abyss had descended. They knew there was no way that was the case, which only made everything even more confusing. ¡°Y-You damn¡ª¡± One soldier regained his senses and yelled in rage as he rushed forward. Chi-Woo moved then. He flowed like water, slipping past the troops coming his way. A glowing afterimage scratched the soldier¡¯s face and grazed past his sides. Soon, the soldier stopped moving, and at once, his face was split into five parts while blood burst out. Chi-Woo looked at his glowing hands, now dirtied by black blood, and indifferently turned elsewhere. When soldiers from another troop met Chi-Woo¡¯s cold pair of eyes, they immediately froze. They couldn¡¯t do anything as Chi-Woo wiped his hands before kicking off the floor. He flew into the air and raised his shining five fingers. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. He gripped the throat of a soldier who was about to shout something. The soldier couldn¡¯t make a sound as his flesh was torn apart and his warm blood oozed out. Eventually, small clusters of light came from Chi-Woo¡¯s fingers and gathered into one before changing shape. Chi-Woo kicked the fallen soldier away, dropping his arms. The soldier¡¯s body snapped into pieces like styrofoam straws and exploded. Black blood splattered everywhere and dampened the ground. In an instant, dozens of soldiers¡¯ lives were taken. It was then the screams that had been forced down burst out. Chi-Woo remained indifferent to these screams and continued what he was doing. He didn¡¯t consider his enemy¡¯s situation at all as he moved straight on and killed every enemy on sight. There was not a sign of emotion on his face, and he only focused on killing. Chi-Woo¡¯s cold, emotionless face incited even more fear among the scared Demon Empire soldiers, and the soldiers scattered like ants. Even though they were part of the great demons¡¯ legions and were usually willing to give up their lives as meat shields, Chi-Woo was like calamity itself. He leapt around their territories with no restrictions and moved in the open. And while he brought about all this disaster, he maintained a calm demeanor like the eye of a hurricane. Chi-Woo had no thoughts. If he had, he wouldn¡¯t have done something as crazy as jumping into the battlefield alone. But was he fine? Not at all. Chi-Woo had already been feeling restless after leaving his brother behind and felt even more so after hearing what happened to Ru Amuh. His conversation with Ariel only added salt to his injury. And Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t stand watching on the sidelines like the time he came out of Narsha Haram. He didn¡¯t want to do that anymore; he couldn¡¯t, and he didn¡¯t have to. Perhaps he was just venting his anger right now, but all that didn¡¯t really matter to him. If he continued to do nothing, he thought his heart would burn up and turn to black ashes. Before that happened, he needed to let out some of his emotions. Soft light poured out of Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. It was then soldiers from the main corps began to appear. They saw Chi-Woo venture deeper inside from the back and became speechless. Some random human male was jumping around their territory crazy-eyed. Every time he swung his shining club, their comrades burst like balloons. They were just hit once in the stomach, but their bodies split in half and flew into the air. It was a mouth-dropping display of power. Still, after gathering the numbers, they didn¡¯t back away for a hurried retreat. Facing Chi-Woo¡¯s mighty powers, they quickly surrounded him and wielded their weapons. They planned to defend and bide time until the great demons they served arrived. At first, it seemed to be working. Chi-Woo did stop moving for the first time after rampaging around nonstop. He saw the soldiers surrounding him and momentarily gathered his breath. If his weapon had been a regular sword, spear, or something of the same vein, he would¡¯ve needed to take a lot more time to defeat his enemies. However, the light in Chi-Woo¡¯s hand was no ordinary weapon; it was Armed with the Sixth Element, a weapon that took Chi-Woo¡¯s exorcism mana as its base and changed forms according to Chi-Woo¡¯s will. It was incomparable to ordinary weapons made out of metal. The light in the shape of a club disappeared, morphing into a sword shape and radiating even greater white light. The next moment, the sword multiplied to a couple of dozens in an instant and dove through the soldiers surrounding Chi-Woo like the wind. They appeared and disappeared like flickering light. Claclaclaclang! Metallic sounds followed suit. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, so the soldiers had a difficult time grasping what was happening. All they saw was flickering light. And before they realized it, streaks of light trailed down their companions¡¯ armors. The same thing happened to their bodies, but it was already far too late when they noticed. Soldiers split into many parts like they were cut by scissors. Corpses piled up, and blood gathered to form puddles. The demon soldiers thought they were putting up a good defense, but in just a couple of blinks, their formation collapsed. It was then the two great demons, Aym and Saleos, hurriedly arrived at the scene. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± Saleos looked confused by everything that was happening, and his face stiffened seeing Chi-Woo quietly walk out. ¡°What? One guy? Just one guy?!¡± It was completely unbelievable. Saleos was astonished by the situation and yelled in rage. ¡°I-I apologize, sir!¡± The soldier standing next to Saleos prostrated on the ground and apologized. ¡°Reinforcements are expected to come soon. So, if you wait a bit more¡­¡± As the soldier said, waves of reinforcements were arriving from the east, west, north, and south and crowding the outskirts of their territory. With them, the demons established their front lines again and marched straight on. The cluster of lights surrounding Chi-Woo became brighter then, and after letting out an inaudible cry, he faced the demons head-on. Not long afterward, the two sides fiercely clashed. The two great demons saw their subordinates scatter and fly away like popcorn pieces. They did fight back and try to stop Chi-Woo with all they had, but¡­ ¡°Y-Your Excellency¡­¡± The soldier prostrating on the ground stuttered. ¡°I-It¡¯s hard to believe, but¡­¡± Saleos didn¡¯t even need to hear the rest of his subordinate¡¯s words. He could clearly see what was happening before him and saw that his forces were getting destroyed. They poured all their military might and resources into fighting this one human, but the man devoured everything like a black hole. Some of them hastily backed away and tried to shoot arrows from a distance, but it was all useless. Their shots disappeared midway before even reaching the human. Eventually, the two great demons stood speechless. They were standing on territories they had placed great effort into establishing, but their enemy didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all. Instead, it felt as if they were the ones in the human¡¯s territory. More demons fell without a chance to even use their strengths. The two great demons didn¡¯t realize what was happening, but there was a reason Samigina had given up the effects of territorialization when fighting Chi-Woo. ¡°Oh wow¡­ He doesn¡¯t seem to be the legend. Who is he?¡± Even in such an urgent situation, Saleos couldn¡¯t hide his admiration. The Demon Empire enjoyed war and thus liked fighting with the strong. Furthermore, Saleos especially enjoyed collecting slaves and showing them off; he had felt especially regretful and sad when Aym took the human he had been keeping his eyes on during the recent clash. Perhaps this was an opportunity for him to make up for that loss. ¡°All right, order the troops to withdraw. I¡¯ll deal with that guy myself,¡± Saleos said. And before Aym could do the same, Saleos quickly stepped forward. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t have any complaints¡­hm?¡± Saleos turned around in worry that Aym might follow him, but blinked hard when he got a look at his fellow great demon. Although Aym usually looked calm and solemn, he now looked pale and nervous. There were droplets of sweat collecting on his forehead. Yes, that man was strong for a human, yet he wasn¡¯t the legend. Since there was no one among humanity to be wary of besides the legend, perhaps it was only reasonable for Saleos to think that a great demon would have a good chance of defeating the human. However, what came to Aym¡¯s mind was one of the Demon Empire¡¯s official documents he had read before. When did it begin? Starting from Andras, great demons had suddenly been extinguished one after another. As they lost their greatest forces in rows, the Demon Empire launched many investigations to find the culprit behind these incidents. Though they weren¡¯t able to pinpoint one culprit after much searching, the investigation reached sort of a conclusion in the end. This was what was written on the documents: ¡ª¡­Confirmed that Vepar and Zepar were extinguished without being able to put up a proper resistance against the culprit in question. ¡ªThe enemy is presumed to possess a power that gives them an advantage over the Demon Empire beyond holy light. It is estimated that this enemy would be able to handle at least an army of 10,000 soldiers alone. ¡ª Before exact information is confirmed, we warn members of the Demon Empire to be extremely vigilant against this enemy even if there is a hundred percent certainty of victory. And if one meets an enemy that fits any of the descriptions above, we strongly advise them to withdraw as quickly as possible; those under rank 3 are strongly advised to avoid making any contact. ¡®Could it be¡­him?¡¯ This man was a mysterious enemy who could sweep away hundreds of soldiers alone. Aym felt cold sweat trickle down his back as he watched Chi-Woo. CH 361 Aym recalled the contents of the documents only sent out to the great demons by the General Assembly, and his Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. The first thought that came to mind was to run away. Their enemy made even the Demon Empire, which openly encouraged war, strongly recommended those under the third rank to withdraw should they run into him, and whatever their ranks, the great demons were advised to avoid making contact with the human to their best abilities. Unfortunately, they had already encountered the enemy and clashed with him. It might have been possible to withdraw if they had gotten up as soon as they heard the commotion and ran away while leaving everything behind. However, now that they were out here, they were within the enemy¡¯s range. Even if they tried to retreat now, their enemy wouldn¡¯t easily let them go. Aym knew what would happen with complete certainty. Thus, they needed to fight whether they wanted to or not, but it was highly likely that they would all end up dead. What should they do? For a moment, Aym found himself on the verge of a mental breakdown, but he tried hard to keep his head straight. There was a saying that one could survive even in a tiger¡¯s den if they kept a cool mind. He needed to find a way to survive somehow. Soon, a single thread of hope came to Aym. Saleos enjoyed fighting the strong and thought it was a virtue to win after a fierce and desperate struggle, but Aym put more emphasis on winning itself. He had no interest in fair play and employed every possible method to win and make his enemies subdue. When they almost fell in danger due to the unexpected intervention of a human male, wasn¡¯t it his sudden spark of wit that allowed them to overcome that crisis? And recalling that event led Aym to one possibility. ¡®That guy¡ªhe¡¯s a human.¡¯ His opponent was a human. Although human beings had potential, they were born with an inherent weakness, and Aym had to utilize that to his advantage. What was his enemy¡¯s intention in invading this place alone? Aym quickly organized his thoughts and said, ¡°Never face him head-on.¡± ¡°What? What did you say?¡± ¡°Just buy me time. I just need a little bit of time. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± With these words, Aym turned around in a hurry. ¡°¡­What¡¯s up with him?¡± Saleos shrugged as he saw Aym quickly moving away. He looked back at the enemy shortly, and his eyes shone. His competitor had just left right on cue, and there was no better opportunity than now to fight a worthy opponent. * * * After a while, Aym returned panting and realized that the situation he had feared had turned into reality. If the document was factual, the enemy was someone that a great demon would have a low chance of defeating even while risking death. However, that stupid Saleos would have probably fought with the intention of capturing the enemy alive and showing him off as a prisoner. The result of the battle was obvious without the need to check. In fact, Saleos was already on the ground in front of the enemy and seconds away from getting his head smashed. What the hell had happened during the short time he was away? Even while Aym felt sweat pour down his face, he quickly shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± However, the enemy did not stop. He didn¡¯t know if his enemy couldn¡¯t hear him, or if he had no desire to listen. Without even a single second of hesitation, the enemy slammed his club down. Aym drew a sword and quickly stabbed one of the prisoners he had dragged out in a hurry. ¡°Aghhhhhh!¡± A piercing scream erupted. Chi-Woo had no intention to pay attention to anything that his opponent was doing, but he couldn¡¯t ignore the sound this time. ¡°?¡± It was too familiar for him to ignore. Chi-Woo stopped swinging his club, which was about to end a great demon, and his expression stiffened when he looked up. He saw five humans and one demon in front of him. All of the humans were gagged and forced to kneel down with their whole bodies tied. He recognized them at a glance. ¡°Senior¡ªumph! Umphhhh!¡± With one arm in complete tatters, Ru Hiana tried to shout something, but was immediately gagged again. Then Aym carefully observed Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction. This was the only way left. If this method failed as well, death would be the only fate awaiting him, and he didn¡¯t want to waste his breath saying anything meaningless. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s complexion darkened. There was Ru Hiana, whose arm was just stabbed, along with Ru Amuh, Aida, Abis, Aric, and the fenrir cub. As expected, they were all alive, and it didn¡¯t seem like they had been through too rough a time. Aym was a little relieved to see that his opponent seemed to have calmed down; he had expected this. No matter how strong his enemy was, he was only human after all; a human that had no choice but to be bound by frivolous emotions like loyalty and affection. ¡°Judging by your reaction, it seems like they¡¯re your comrades. Am I right, human?¡± Aym asked as he pressed the sword to Ru Hiana¡¯s neck, whose eyes had become red. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. The sword in Aym¡¯s hand was Ru Amuh¡¯s; it was the magic sword Ru Amuh had acquired from the Narsha Haram. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t believe that Ru Amuh would be beaten by such a pathetic opponent¡­ No, Ru Amuh might have been forced to lay down his sword because his comrades were captured. No matter what happened, the current situation didn¡¯t look good. Aym said, ¡°I advise you to stay calm unless you want to see your precious comrade¡¯s head fly off.¡± The situation might have been better if there were only one or two of them, but Chi-Woo needed to consider a whopping number of six captives. Moreover, Aym seemed ready to move his sword if Chi-Woo even moved a finger. ¡°Consider this a warning. If I see any suspicious signs from you, I¡¯ll cut her neck right away. I¡¯m gonna inflict even a little bit of pain on you before my death since it¡¯ll be a real shame to go just like that. If you think I¡¯m lying, you can test my resolve right now.¡± Aym pressed the sword further to Ru Hiana¡¯s neck as he spoke. In other words, if he was going to die, he wouldn''t die quietly. Aym continued, ¡°That''s not all. My soldiers are pointing their swords at the neck of the prisoners we¡¯ve captured at this very moment. I ordered them to kill the prisoners as soon as anything strange came up. You understand what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± He was also going to drag the League members with him. Aym was at the end of his wits; if Chi-Woo showed even the slightest signs of attacking, he was going to make an example of at least one or two people. That would stop his opponent from acting rashly no matter how strong he was. Of course, everyone¡¯s eyes, including Ru Amuh¡¯s, were expressing gratitude to Chi-Woo for coming to save them, saying that they had known he would come to save them, but they were all right, so he shouldn¡¯t worry about them. Their soundless message was clearly conveyed to him, but Chi-Woo could not live up to their expectations. He had committed this act of madness to rescue them. He had to save them this time¡ªthat was the only thing on his mind. ¡°Good¡­good¡­¡± Although Chi-Woo showed no response, Aym took the fact that the human had calmed down and stopped running wild as a positive. Due to his fast thinking, Aym was starting to see hope. After taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Move away from Saleos for now. If you don¡¯t withdraw in three seconds, I¡¯ll kill one of your friends here.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes glanced down and took a few steps back when Aym tightened his grip around the hilt of the sword. Aym, who had been nervously waiting, clenched his fist and said, ¡°Get up, Saleos. Don¡¯t do anything and come here for now. Come on!¡± Saleos, who was on the ground, barely managed to raise his head. He was so beaten up that his face was a mess. Saleos staggered to get up. He glared murderously at Chi-Woo, but quietly moved away. ¡°Fucking¡­ack¡­¡± He felt bile rise up to his mouth, and his mood was wretched. His life was saved by Aym pulling the same trick they had used on the other human male earlier. In any case, since losers had no say, he followed Aym¡¯s order without complaint, but it remained to be seen whether they would succeed like this. ¡°Get rid of your weapon. I¡¯ll give you three seconds for this too,¡± Aym said and began a countdown. ¡°Three, two¡ª¡± He clenched his hand and uttered, ¡°One.¡± The glowing club in Chi-Woo¡¯s hand dimmed. Aym responded with a wolfish grin, ¡°Heh. You¡¯re a good listener. Good, very good. Just do what I said, and I¡¯ll guarantee you and your comrade¡¯s lives. And I promise to treat you well. I¡¯ll definitely keep my word.¡± It seemed clear from the way Aym kept talking that he was still afraid. However, this wasn¡¯t important. He didn¡¯t care if his enemies cursed at him for being cowardly and criticized him for being cruel; rather, these were compliments for a demon. The only important thing for him was to win and survive. ¡°Then next¡­kneel,¡± Aym continued. ¡°Keep your head down and stay still. If you move even a little¡­I don¡¯t have to tell you what will happen, right?¡± A glint appeared in Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes for a moment and quickly disappeared. Then he tightly closed his eyes. Aym laughed, making assumptions in his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t the right time for you to act prideful. By the way, I¡¯ll give you three seconds for this. If you really want to see one of your precious comrades die, well, do as you want.¡± Chi-Woo sighed deeply, and after breathing in and out a few times, he kneeled down slowly. Joy or sorrow reflected on the faces of those who were witnessing this scene. Aym smiled from ear to ear, and in contrast, the Seven Star¡¯s members were filled with an indescribable, complex combination of emotions¡ªguilt, self-loathing, anger, despair¡­all kinds of negative emotions swirled inside them. Ru Hiana eventually couldn¡¯t hold back and shed a single tear, and Ru Amuh couldn¡¯t bear to see it anymore and bam!¡ªslammed his head against the floor. He hit his head on the floor so hard that blood dripped down from his forehead. The moment Chi-Woo finally bowed and kneeled, Aym couldn¡¯t resist and burst into laughter. An indescribable sense of joy contorted his face. Although he had almost died, this feeling of making the strong submit¡ªthe feeling of controlling a much stronger being than himself however he wanted! It was sweeter and more delicious than anything else in the world. So much so that he became sexually aroused and felt his lower body react. ¡°Hehe, hahahehehehe! Good. I¡¯ll keep my promise as I said. If you stay calm, I promise that it won¡¯t be so bad!¡± Aym jutted his chin towards Chi-Woo with joy, ordering his soldiers to hurry up and grab him. However, no one came forward. Even those of his legion hesitated. Chi-Woo had demonstrated such a ridiculous level of power that their fear of him still hadn¡¯t subsided yet. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Hurry up and grab him!¡± When Aym angrily yelled, several soldiers finally stepped forward and carefully surrounded Chi-Woo. ¡®Hehehehe. It¡¯s almost done now¡­¡¯ Even then, Aym didn¡¯t lower his guard for a moment since one never knew what would happen. He needed to concentrate till the very end. Aym focused all his attention on Chi-Woo¡¯s every move. * * * At the same time, Ismile tilted his head as he looked at Chi-Woo, who was surrounded by an army of soldiers. ¡®Hmm¡­what is this?¡¯ If anyone asked him how he was able to watch this scene play out, Ismile would answer that he had secretly infiltrated the corps. After seeing a bright light flash in the distance, Ismile followed Chi-Woo straight to the enemy camp because he was curious, and he also wanted to fulfill Chi-Hyun¡¯s request to take care of his younger brother. Thus, he transformed his body to blend in with the demon soldiers and took the armor of one of the soldiers¡¯ corpses scattered everywhere. In addition, since the whole camp was in a state of great confusion due to Chi-Woo¡¯s appearance, it hadn¡¯t been difficult for Ismile to sneak in. Since then, he had been keeping an eye on Chi-Woo just in case. ¡®Did he just recklessly jump in?¡¯ Well, considering that he had to save not just one or two captives, but five or six at the same time, this was no easy task. Ismile smacked his lips and suddenly raised the corners of his mouth. He was rather pleased by the turn of events. The time he had been waiting for finally arrived; this was the golden opportunity to clear up the dirt on his family name and prove his worth. Ismile Nahla was one of the most prestigious names in the Celestial Realm, but he was treated like a passing side character on Liber. Recently, he had even been treated like a random nobody. However, this was no longer going to be the case. What would happen if he made a surprise appearance at a critical moment like this and coolly solved this dilemma? He could clearly picture what would happen next. ¡®Hehehhehe.¡¯ Chi-Woo would cry streams of tears, praising the great Nahla and saying he was the very best, even better than Chi-Hyun. The timing was perfect. Everyone¡¯s eyes, including the great demon¡¯s, were all on Chi-Woo. ¡®The! Grand! Entrance! Of! A! Hero!¡¯ Ismile inwardly shouted and was about to move with a bright smile when¡ª Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. Bam! There was a sudden explosion, and Ismile turned around without thinking. He soon came to a sudden halt with his eyes widened. Several soldiers who had flocked around Chi-Woo were flying in the air. Aym had been keenly observing Chi-Woo and clearly witnessed this as well. The legion soldiers had fallen to the ground and were roughly tumbling toward him. When he saw Chi-Woo standing up, Aym intuitively realized that the situation had turned for the worst. ¡®Damn it! Did I push him too far? Should I have treated him more gentlemanly?¡¯ Anyway, it couldn¡¯t be helped now. They were all going to die, but he wasn¡¯t going to make it easy for his opponent. He was going to die like a demon until the very end. Even if it was the last thing he did, he was going to make his enemy feel a shred of regret. When he saw his soldiers roll over and stand up in a hurry, he shouted, ¡°Kill them allllll!¡± Then he immediately swung the sword in his hand towards the neck of the blond pony-tail woman when¡ª Pierce. ¡°¡­.!¡± Aym¡¯s eyes became big as saucers when he suddenly felt the cold sensation of metal, wrapped with sharp wind, penetrate his abdomen. ¡°¡­What¡­¡± It really happened all of a sudden. The soldiers who fell to the ground after being thrown off by Chi-Woo got up as soon as he gave an order to kill the prisoners. However, instead of rushing towards the prisoners to kill them as he thought they would, they charged at him and grabbed the arm that was about to stab the woman. Then they immediately pierced him. At that moment, all kinds of thoughts crossed his mind. His soldiers betrayed him? Come to think of it, he couldn¡¯t feel the connection that normally existed between a great demon and their legions. He didn¡¯t think too deeply about it since Saleos¡¯ soldiers were here as well. Were they enemies that disguised themselves as his soldiers? That could be the case, but he could sense from them a dark energy, albeit faint. This meant that they were demons. Therefore, the only answer was an internal betrayal. However, legion soldiers were born to offer unwavering and blind loyalty to their master, and there was no one here but two great demons and their legions. ¡®Then¡­?¡¯ ¡°Seriously.¡± At that moment, Aym clearly saw under the helmet the eyes of the soldier who had just turned around and stabbed him. They were glinting purple. The same figure continued, ¡°You demons talk too much.¡± They sneered at him with a cold, husky voice. Realization dawned on Aym, and his expression became murderous. He had been wondering why the dark energy had been so light, and it was because his enemies weren¡¯t demons or demonic creatures. ¡°You inferior pieces of trashhhh!¡± Aym furiously raised his foot and kicked the half-demon with all his might. However, Murumuru had already twisted his hand and taken his sword away before quickly moving back. After seeing the light rise from the Demon Empire¡¯s camp, Ismile hadn¡¯t been the only one to make a move. The half-demons had infiltrated the enemy''s camp as soon as they grasped the situation. Aym realized the truth, but it was already too late by then. All the soldiers who had approached Chi-Woo and surrounded him were half-demons. They each defeated a soldier that came at them and released the prisoners. ¡°Take it!¡± Murumuru threw the magic sword at Ru Amuh, who was the first to be released. Ru Amuh quickly got up and caught the sword. Swoooooosh! As soon as Ru Amuh caught it, a terrifying wind flowed out. It was so intense that every wind blade seemed sharp enough to cut flesh. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡± A chilling voice came out of Ru Amuh; he couldn¡¯t forget the scene of his esteemed teacher kneeling down and bowing his head. He had seen a sight worse than his own death, and it was all because he had been too soft. However, it was okay. As long as there were no witnesses, it would be the same as the event had never happened at all. In other words, he was going to kill and destroy all the demons here without leaving a single survivor. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll definitely kill you for sure¡­!¡± Very much unlike himself, Ru Amuh roared like a wounded beast, and an extraordinary storm of blades swirled violently around him. And¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Ismile, who had been full of joy at the thought of becoming a hero to save the day¡­ ¡°¡­Uh?¡± He faltered and blinked with a grim expression. CH 362 With Ru Amuh¡¯s liberation, more prisoners were freed and stirred up commotions all over the place. The half-demons attacked the Demon Empire¡¯s military camps while most of the attention was on Chi-Woo and freed the Cassiubia League members captured there. And as the Cassiubia League penetrated through the weakened surveillance, the Demon Empire side fell into more chaos and confusion. However, Aym didn¡¯t have the luxury to shift his focus anywhere else because he quickly realized that his plan had derailed into a mess in the blink of an eye. ¡°Everyone, do a hit and run!¡± Murumuru yelled with all they had. ¡°Endure a bit longer! Once the great demons die, the remaining legions of demons are nothing!¡± The half-demons attacked the demon soldiers who were catching onto what was happening one by one. Then as Murumuru continued to take a step or two backward, their back touched someone else¡¯s. Murumuru glanced behind and saw Chi-Woo. They met each other''s eyes, and Chi-Woo said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Though their first meeting hadn¡¯t been the most pleasant, Chi-Woo had no trouble thanking Murumuru. When Aym first dragged Ru Amuh out, Chi-Woo had been conflicted about what to do and was at a loss. It was then the half-demons came to his aid. He still couldn¡¯t forget how he had felt when he first saw the pair of purple pupils unique to half demons. Thanks to them, Chi-Woo would be able to save his companions without any casualties. Murumuru blinked hard. ¡°Don¡¯t take it the wrong way,¡± Murumuru said while turning away, ¡°I am simply repaying the debt you forced me into last time.¡± It seemed Murumuru was bringing up the time when the Demon Empire invaded Shalyh. Chi-Woo had informed Murumuru that a half-demon was working with their enemy before the event took place. ¡°With this, there¡¯s no debt between us. In other words, there¡¯s nothing stopping me from disliking you humans again!¡± Murumuru shouted while continuously shooting arrows. ¡°Also, don¡¯t think I came to help you out. I came to save my companions and the Cassiubia League members! I¡¯m actually using you for my own goal!¡± Seeing Murumuru work so hard to explain themselves, Chi-Woo let out a small chuckle. It sounded like Murumuru was embarrassed by all the excuses they were making. Nevertheless, this was good. The situation was much better than before, and nothing was holding him back. Furthermore, Ru Amuh was really pulling his weight now. In fact, he was running around and doing more damage than what Chi-Woo had done when he first came to the Demon Empire¡¯s campgrounds; Ru Amuh moved more fiercely than ever for the purpose of killing one demon. Legions of demons gathered to protect Aym, but all of them were ripped apart and hurled away as if a fierce whirlwind had passed through them. Seeing Ru Amuh cut through the waves of demon soldiers like parting the Red Sea, the great demon Aym was horrified. Not only did the situation turn dramatically for the worse in an instant, but Ru Amuh was also rushing at him in full bloodlust. Aym¡¯s body screamed at him to run as all of Ru Amuh¡¯s bloodlust focused on him. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Throwing dignity and whatever shred of decorum he had left out of the window, Aym bolted. Yet Ru Amuh caught up to him in no time. The documents said that there was only one human to watch out for outside the legend. This human male was strong, but he wasn¡¯t at the level of the one described in the documents. Thus, Aym thought that while Saleos dealt with the real monster and bought him time, he could give his all to defeat this human and escape. ¡°This bastard?!¡± But as soon as he thought this, Aym realized he was greatly mistaken. His hand clashed against Ru Amuh¡¯s, and although he had poured in a great amount of demonic energy, his hand ended up bursting at contact, obliterated in the blink of an eye as wind swept away his energy. All he saw was his severed wrist spluttering black blood. Aym was aghast. He knew his opponent was strong, but this man shouldn¡¯t have been at this level. Yet Aym didn¡¯t have any time to think about this matter. Amid the flowing gust of wind, a longsword tilted to the side. Then the sword moved so fast that it created dozens of afterimages like motion blur caught on camera. Movements that he couldn¡¯t even see clearly came one after the other. They weren¡¯t just illusions, and each attack was real. They were simply so fast that it appeared as if there were multiple swords at once, and Aym was soon hit by a series of blows, each of which landed a critical injury. ¡°You bastard! Youuuu!¡± Aym shouted as he struggled inside the whirling wind. But it was all futile. Lines appeared all over his body, and blood spurted out. Aym seemed to have failed to register what was happening. Ru Amuh was also surprised, but soon realized what was going on when he spotted a faint light reflected on his blade. It was his teacher. Teacher had imbued his sword with mana that could dispel dark energy. That wasn¡¯t all. Ru Amuh¡¯s body had felt extremely heavy the last time he attacked the Demon Empire with the Cassiubia League. Since he was fighting in an area two great demons had made into their territories, all sorts of unfavorable conditions had been imposed on him. But that was not the case this time. He didn¡¯t feel any negative influence from being in a great demon¡¯s territory today, and instead felt boosted up with extra strength. His surroundings were filled with light instead of darkness to reflect this change, and the Demon Empire¡¯s territorialization failed to make a difference. A faint smile tugged at Ru Amuh¡¯s lips before quickly sliding off. This was the difference between Chi-Woo¡¯s absence and presence. There was nothing for him to fear when he was with Teacher¡ªlike now! Ru Amuh clenched the guard of his sword harder. As Ru Amuh¡¯s attacks became fiercer, Aym shouted, unable to bear it any longer, ¡°Saleooooooos!¡± In his despair, he was yelling at Saleos to question why he wasn¡¯t coming to his aid, but unfortunately for Aym, Saleos¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t any better than his. In fact, it was much, much worse. Because his opponent was none other than Chi-Woo. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Whoosh. The light club in his hands lengthened again. Saleos didn¡¯t answer. When Chi-Woo began walking toward him, Saleos collapsed to the ground. His legs gave out because he felt an indescribable pressure so intense that he couldn¡¯t resist. ¡°You should be risking your existence now. What are you doing?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Saleos regained his senses. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do it? Then, you are just going to die like this.¡± Saleos doubted his ears. ¡°Y-You¡­bastard¡­¡± He opened his mouth with much difficulty. ¡°Do you even realize¡­what it means for us to put our existence on the line¡­?¡± ¡°What it means?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°I don¡¯t really know¡­is it important?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hm, how many great demons have I seen putting their lives on the line? Vepar, Zepar, Samigina¡­are there more?¡± Hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s murmurings, Saleos¡¯ mouth gaped open in utter shock. Saleos was one of those who had benefited from the recent reshuffling of ranks inside the Demon Empire. He had climbed up the ladder due to the natural progression of events. Thus, it hadn¡¯t been long ago when he was still in the lower ranks and heard endless praises about the greatness of those Chi-Woo had just mentioned. Samigina, especially, was a historical figure. News of Samigina¡¯s extinguishment was so shocking that Saleos hadn¡¯t believed it when he first heard it. Furthermore, since Samigina was a fourth-ranking great demon, the Demon Empire fell into a great shock again after finally settling down. To think such great demons were defeated by the man in front of him¡­ ¡°Anyway, there seemed to be nothing much to it. Do I really have to know?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Saleos wanted to yell at Chi-Woo to stop lying, but it didn¡¯t appear to be a lie. He could no longer question Chi-Woo after witnessing his power in person. And it was then Saleos experienced complete despair. This was a wall he could never overcome, and resisting was futile. Even though Saleos enjoyed fighting with the strong, there was a limit to it. After all, it wasn¡¯t like he could pride himself on being the stronger one or fight with his opponent on near-even grounds facing Chi-Woo. The other party was too overwhelming, and Saleos knew he had no chance of winning whatever he did. In the end, Saleos lowered his head, unable to make himself get to his feet. He simply closed his eyes. It was a very surprising turn of events. A great authoritative figure like a great demon was tasting complete helplessness and giving up his own life. Meanwhile, Ismile screamed inwardly as he watched this scene from afar. ¡®No! What are you doing!¡¯ Though he had missed the crucial timing, Ismile still didn¡¯t let go of his thread of hope. He thought there would definitely be time for him to make his entrance. For instance, Chi-Woo could be caught off guard by his enemy¡¯s desperate attack, and the tide could be turned. Then, Ismile could coolly enter the scene with a smile and say something like, ¡®Hm. You are still lacking in some ways. You have to be on your guard at all times.¡¯ However, everything happening right now was the complete opposite of that. ¡®Get up even if you think you have no chance! No matter how scared you are, aren¡¯t you still a great demon!?¡¯ Ismile cheered for the great demon rigorously, but Saleos didn¡¯t even raise his head. Ismile clicked his tongue. It was over. It appeared that Saleos had lost all his will to fight. But Ismile couldn¡¯t simply leave; although it was late, he needed to do something. He needed to defeat at least one great demon to live up to the Nahla name, so he hurriedly looked for the remaining one. ¡°¡­¡± All he saw was a pathetic great demon who squealed like a pig as his body got torn apart by Ru Amuh¡¯s wind blades. Ismile chewed on his lips nervously. ¡®Should I still make my entrance now¡­?¡¯ Ismile shook his head to himself. Since the two great demons were in such states, there was nothing more he could do. The result of the fight had been determined the moment the Demon Empire lost the sole method to keep Chi-Woo in check. There was no room for Ismile to step in now. Even if he did, he would only be rebuked for making the entrance after the situation was settled to steal merits. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Ismile¡¯s shoulders dropped. ¡°Seriously¡­¡± In the end, he disappeared from the scene with a sad look on his face. *** The darkness passed, and the morning sun rose. There had been a stir inside Cassiubia League¡¯s camp since dawn. It wasn¡¯t hard for them to grasp what had happened after noticing that Chi-Woo and all the half-demons were missing. The members of the camp thought they should go help since things had gotten to that point, but Ariel commanded them to stay, and they had to stop their preparations. No one dared to disobey an order that came directly from the commander-in-chief. The only thing they could do was to stay alert and wait anxiously. After a while, the chaos they heard from far away quelled. Silence reached the plains, and after a while, the Cassiubia League¡¯s camp began to buzz. It was because they saw a group approaching from a distance. They were the companions who had failed to escape from the recent war. Complete silence descended on the Cassiubia League¡¯s campgrounds. They couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing, but their companions¡¯ return seemed to mean only one thing: the great demons were defeated. News of their return also reached Ariel¡¯s ears. ¡°What?¡± Her response was like theirs. It was unbelievable that the Demon Empire¡¯s encampment had turned to ashes overnight. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Ariel said in utter shock and shook her head. When she first heard about Chi-Woo¡¯s disappearance, she had laughed at his foolishness. She wondered what one person could possibly do, and even though she had heard the rumors, she thought most of them were exaggerated. Even if there was a shred of truth to them, there was no way Chi-Woo would be nearly strong enough to make a change. Two beings alone would be able to overturn their current predicaments and overcome the defenses that their enemy had set up: the legend from humanity, and the Last Dragon from the Cassiubia League. No one else could possibly do anything. Yet the impossible happened. It really was surprising, but Ariel soon realized that wasn¡¯t the important part and hurriedly got out. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo was leading the group he had saved to the Cassiubia League¡¯s encampment. He came to a sudden halt when he saw someone waiting for them. The man was leaning against the wooden fences at the camp¡¯s entrance with his arms crossed. ¡°Hey.¡± Ismile raised an arm and waved when he saw Chi-Woo. ¡°I stayed awake the whole time. You really couldn¡¯t let a person sleep in peace, could you?¡± Ismile yawned in an exaggerated manner and smirked. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve done quite the feat the whole night.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chi-Woo smiled awkwardly. He thought he should apologize for acting on his own when they had come together. ¡°No need. I am the one who is sorry. If you gave me a heads up, I would¡¯ve chipped in too. But I must¡¯ve been tired from flying for too long. I fell fast asleep and woke up too late.¡± Ismile explained himself when no one asked, and Chi-Woo spotted the discrepancy in his story. ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that you couldn¡¯t sleep the whole night?¡± ¡°No, I meant I was half-asleep the whole time.¡± Of course, this was a lie. Ismile had realized what was going on faster than anyone else and acted, yet he continued lying without a crack on his mask of calmness. ¡°Anyways, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as the result is good. Good job.¡± Ismile continued while shrugging, ¡°But it is a bit regretful. If you had asked for my strength, we could¡¯ve been inside our tents by now sleeping. But of course, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m saying you did a bad job. You should just keep in mind that it could¡¯ve been that way. Anyway, good work again.¡± Chi-Woo looked curiously at Ismile. Ismile was clearly trying to appear calm and speak in a carefree voice, and it seemed that he was desperately highlighting a particular point. ¡°Are you perhaps¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go in now. You should rest after accomplishing something this big.¡± Ismile wiped his nose and turned around. He even opened the door for them. Chi-Woo had a feeling that Ismile was trying to gloss over something, but he assumed he was overthinking and walked forward. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. It was at that moment he noticed a jade-color haze across the wooden fence. The spirit reflected the sunlight as she approached them: it was the commander-in-chief of the Cassiubia League¡¯s army, Ariel. As soon as she spotted Chi-Woo, she immediately descended to the ground and flew toward them. Judging by how high the ends of her eyebrows were raised, she seemed enraged. CH 363 Ariel stopped within two meters of Chi-Woo. She stared at him while floating in the air, without saying a word. Chi-Woo did not shy away from her gaze and stared back with a calm expression. The chaos around them instantly died down as a chill like the cold wind of early winter permeated between them. Chi-Woo showed no signs of fear or surprise as he looked up. He hadn¡¯t instigated or dragged the League¡¯s troops out. In the first place, he had left by himself without any hope that the half demons would come to his aid. They did that of their own volition, and moreover, they had succeeded. As a result of beating two great demons, they had smashed the Demon Empire camp and safely rescued all the prisoners. What he did should not be considered reprehensible, but worthy of praise. However, Ariel looked extremely sour and offended. She glared at him silently for a while and finally said, ¡°You really¡ªmade your point.¡± She spat out her words like a fierce dance. ¡°What are you trying to do? Do you want to fight me?¡± Her sharp tone sounded antagonist, so Chi-Woo snorted and said, ¡°Why should we fight? Unlike the Demon Empire, the League and humanity are alliances in name.¡± When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°In name?¡± Being an alliance in name alone could mean that this alliance was yet incomplete, and it had a negative connotation depending on the situation. Ariel sensed a hint of mockery from Chi-Woo¡¯s tone just now. She continued, ¡°I can¡¯t just overlook what you just said. Are you looking down on the League?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not looking down on anyone¡­and I¡¯m just telling you the truth,¡± Chi-Woo replied flatly, and his attitude further fueled Ariel¡¯s anger. ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you to wait since I was going to make my move as soon as I received an answer from the League. Did you not hear me?¡± ¡°Well, you did tell me that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to represent the will of the Cassiubia League. If you ignore me and act on your own, I can only think of that as you looking down on the League.¡± Chi-Woo snorted. He couldn¡¯t figure out her intention, but she was desperately trying to tie this situation to the entire Cassiubia League and making it bigger than it was. ¡°I think you¡¯re completely mistaken.¡± Chi-Woo was about to call it a misunderstanding, but decided to go stronger instead; he wasn¡¯t going to fall for her trick. ¡°I¡¯m not a member of the Cassiubia League,¡± Chi-Woo continued. ¡°The League is just an alliance to me. I respect them as an ally, but there is no reason for me to follow the League¡¯s decision.¡± In other words, since Chi-Woo belonged to humanity, he had no obligation to follow the orders of the League. And strictly speaking, he wasn¡¯t wrong. However, considering the difference in size and strength between humanity and the Cassiubia League, Ariel could not easily accept his argument. ¡°W-Who told you to follow the League¡¯s order? Still, I showed my respect to you considering your reputation! Then you should at least respond with an attitude worthy of my respect!¡± ¡°Respect. Was that your idea of showing respect? I¡¯m surprised to hear that. To me, it sounded like you were one-sidedly notifying me to shut up and stay quiet.¡± Murumuru, who was standing behind him, nodded with a smile. Ariel ground her teeth and looked at him sharply with her chin tilted back. ¡°So, you interpreted my words as such and took the half-demon tribe on your own to the enemy camp?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not the case, Commander-in-chief.¡± Murumuru, who had been smiling brightly, answered as if they had been waiting for this question. ¡°The Seven Star leader acted alone, and it was my independent decision to support him.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Ariel sputtered. ¡°How dare you act¡ª!¡± ¡°I think we talked about it a while ago. If you had no intentions to move, we¡¯ll act separately.¡± ¡°I never gave you permission to do that.¡± ¡°But you never told us not to either. Didn¡¯t you just shut your mouth and turn away? Wasn¡¯t that a go-ahead for me to do as I see fit?¡± Murumuru said in a sly tone. Ariel took a deep breath; if Murumuru had no intention to help her, they should just stay still. She was already annoyed, but Murumuru only added oil to the fire. Her expression stiffened as she said, ¡°¡­We¡¯ll talk about your treatment later.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Murumuru shrugged as if they had nothing more to lose now. The half-demons belonged to the League, but it was no exaggeration to say they were treated like the ugly ducklings. Despite the circumstances, the long-running discrimination against them hadn¡¯t disappeared. In the first place, Ariel would not have cared whether the half-demon tribe all got annihilated or not. Of course, Murumuru detested humans, but they were in the same boat. An external ally that supported each other in times of necessity was way better than allies on the same side who always looked down on them. Therefore, it was only natural for Murumuru to side with Chi-Woo. Above all, Ariel really reacted as Murumuru had expected. It was not the half-demons that mattered. Ariel needed to somehow resolve the ¡°responsibility¡± of this victory. The situation was too ambiguous to just push her opinion, but she couldn¡¯t back down like this. ¡°War is not a child¡¯s play.¡± Ariel firmly resolved herself and cleared her throat. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t understand right now, there¡¯s meaning in all our decisions. From a long-term perspective.¡± That sounded more truthful, but what exactly was the League looking at from a long-term perspective? Ariel continued, ¡°It was the League who started this war. Thus, it¡¯s also the League that would determine in detail which direction we¡¯d take.¡± Chi-Woo realized what Ariel was trying to say¡ªhe had interfered with the League¡¯s plan. Then suddenly, he became curious. ¡°And what is that?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You said that the League is looking at it from a long-term perspective. I¡¯m asking what they are looking at? Shouldn¡¯t I know the basic information to understand what you¡¯re talking about?¡± If it really was a reasonable explanation on a grand scale, Chi-Woo was willing to accept it. However, Ariel, who had been talking nonstop, suddenly became silent. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think there¡¯s a specific reason I have to tell you.¡± Chi-Woo let out a hollow laugh. She talked about showing respect as an ally, but when he hit a nerve, she immediately closed her mouth. ¡°Anyway, since the situation became like this, you have to go with me.¡± ¡°Me? Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°To the Cassiubia Mountain Range. We¡¯ll go and¡ª¡± ¡°Why would I go there?¡± Chi-Woo cut her off as he thought she was being ridiculous. ¡°Have you not been listening to me so far? Your actions have led to the League¡ª¡± ¡°Seriously, League this and League that.¡± Chi-Woo purposely cut her off again. ¡°No matter how important the will of the League is, aren¡¯t you the commander-in-chief here?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re the commander-in-chief, don''t you have the authority to act independently to some extent? But you¡¯re¡­¡± When Chi-Woo purposely trailed off, Ariel¡¯s expression instantly became menacing; Chi-Woo was clearly insinuating that she was a puppet who only moved according to the League¡¯s will. ¡°You¡­!¡± Ariel almost got angry, but soon calmed her expression. She gulped and let out a soft laugh. ¡°¡­How funny? Isn¡¯t it the same for you? I didn¡¯t expect to hear that from humanity who is receiving protection from the League.¡± ¡°Receiving protection¡­I won¡¯t deny it completely, but that¡¯s not the case for me.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Hala Forest prove my point?¡± Ariel realized her mistake. The Hala Forest was a case in which humanity had stepped forward and solved a problem that the League hadn¡¯t been able to solve. In fact, it was from this point on that many more members of the League recognized the value of humanity and argued for active cooperation. And the human male in front of her was the one who brought about the success. ¡°The same goes for this instance. As such, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve only received protection.¡± Chi-Woo made his point dead-clear and proved that he wasn¡¯t just taking big. The jade-colored Ariel¡¯s face turned bright red. Chi-Woo added, ¡°I don¡¯t feel too good. I risked my life to defeat the enemy and save my friends as well as my allies. I didn¡¯t expect to be treated like a criminal.¡± ¡°W-When did I treat you like a criminal?¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s fine. If the League has business with me, tell them to get out of the Cassiubia Mountain Range. Come to Shalyh, in person.¡± Ariel looked as if she was about to froth and faint. Paying no heed to her, Chi-Woo was about to move when Ariel rushed to block his path. ¡°No! You can¡¯t go!¡± Chi-Woo looked flabbergasted. She was acting like a five-year-old throwing a tantrum; he knew she was desperate, but there was a need for moderation. ¡°Get out of my way.¡± However, Ariel blocked his path again; she looked like she was going to take him to the Cassiubia Mountain Range no matter what. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. How many times had he held it in? ¡°¡­Two times.¡± Chi-Woo muttered to himself and moved slowly, as if he was challenging her to block him again. Ariel was about to move again but stopped. She didn¡¯t know why, but she had a strong feeling that she shouldn¡¯t get in his way the third time. The alarm in her head fiercely rang in warning, and in the end, she couldn¡¯t stop him. Chi-Woo passed her by, and Ariel looked back in a daze. The Seven Stars member also walked past her. ¡°W-What are you doing? Quickly get him!¡± Ariel shouted at the League members gathering around them like clouds; since she couldn¡¯t bring herself to stop him, she was telling the others to do so in her stead. Ru Amuh and the other Seven Star members put their hands on the handle of their swords. If the League continued to get into their captain¡¯s way, they were determined to throw away the alliance and immediately fight. However, their concerns turned out to be unfounded. ¡°What are you doing! Can¡¯t you hear me!¡± No one moved even when Ariel shouted again. No, rather, they were faltering and moving away to make a path. How could they possibly dare to stop the expedition members who were able to fulfill a task they couldn¡¯t complete and return safely intact? However, it wasn¡¯t just fear. There was also appreciation and awe. Chi-Woo was a benefactor who saved their tribe members and comrades who had gotten caught and might have been lost to them forever. Moreover, the power that Chi-Woo demonstrated this time was more than enough to earn their respect. As a result, some of them made gestures of respect unique to their tribe even while withdrawing. Some of the rescued members of the League even followed him. Although they didn¡¯t know what plans or arguments were being exchanged at the top for Ariel to act like this, not all the members of the League were in agreement. Those who came here under orders and fought through harsh adversity acknowledged and supported Chi-Woo. They at least found out that the rumors about him were true. In the end, there was nothing Ariel could do in this situation. She could only stare helplessly at Chi-Woo as he left. * * * The camp of the two great demons of the Demon Empire was destroyed by a single human being. The news soon spread across the continent; not only to the Demon Empire, but to the League. ¡°Ahahhahahahhaah!¡± An untimely laugh rang out in the center of the Cassiubia Mountain Range. The person responsible for the cheerful laughter was none other than a freckled girl with pigtails. Although she looked like a common country girl from the outside, she was the Last Dragon acting as the League¡¯s heart. She laughed for a long time until her belly hurt. ¡°This is¡ªcrazy¡ª¡± After some time, she finally calmed down. Hearing the news, the Last Dragon was shell-shocked because the information that Ariel delivered was extremely biased. It was clearly evident from the fact that in the report, Ariel¡¯s remarks were well-polished and elegantly phrased, while Chi-Woo¡¯s remarks against the League were extremely direct and rough. However, the Last Dragon did not take Ariel¡¯s report at face value, since her insight, which had been honed for thousands of years, led her to investigate the truth on her own. ¡°As expected¡ªI was right¡ª¡± She wiped her eyes and chuckled again. If the legend had acted like this, it wouldn¡¯t have been controversial or a problem in the first place. She wouldn¡¯t have even worried about it. Chi-Hyun only acted after thorough and meticulous calculations, so she would have just thought there was some kind of meaning behind his actions; that was the weight of the legend¡¯s reputation. However, this was not the case for Chi-Woo. Although Chi-Woo¡¯s name was well-known in its own way, it was still far below his brother¡¯s. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo achieved what he wanted in the end, and the results fell perfectly in line with the current situation of the League. Not long ago, the League received messengers sent by other factions. Not only the nearby Demon Empire, but the Abyss and Sernitas expressed the same will. Their messages could be summarized in one sentence: step away from Shalyh. In other words, they should cut their ties with humanity. Around that time, Chi-Hyun had also secretly asked her for a favor to look for any suspicious activities from the enemy¡¯s side. If that was difficult, he had asked whether or not she could draw the enemy''s attention away from him, even by attacking the Demon Empire if necessary. In response, countless arguments arose within the League. There were sides that said they shouldn¡¯t throw away humanity, sides that fiercely argued that if they went against the ultimatum, they didn¡¯t know how their enemies would react. And others argued that they should continue cooperating with humanity but hand over Shalyh for now. As there were so many pros and cons for each side, the public opinion landed somewhere in the middle. Of course, since Shalyh was a jointly governed city, the League couldn¡¯t one-sidedly push for their decision, so they decided to create a situation in which humanity had no choice but to give up Shalyh. While fulfilling Chi-Hyun¡¯s favor, they planned to bring humanity from Shalyh to the Cassiubian Mountain Range under the pretext of the war that had been going on anyway. Chi-Hyun would have never accepted that development, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since this was the internal consensus of the League. Chi-Hyun happened to be away as well, so there was no alternative. Thus, even if it was regretful, the Last Dragon was planning to make a decision in the direction of giving up Shalyh. However, things changed dramatically overnight. Chi-Woo appeared out of the blue on a battlefield with an implicitly decided outcome and completely turned the tide. Whether it was from the Cassiubia Mountain Range or Shalyh, there was a place that they must pass to invade the Demon Empire¡¯s mainland¡ªthe Narchaide Volcano. Originally, it was a natural fortress that a past kingdom once boasted of, but it was now part of the Demon Empire¡¯s territory. The Demon Empire also noticed its geographical advantages and had established an iron defense there early on. There were always exceptions. Even if they didn¡¯t go through the Narchaide Volcano, there were other ways to get into the mainland of the Demon Empire. The Demon Empire had already established a firm defense in these places as well, however, and that was where the war between the two factions had taken place recently. It was a place where the Demon Empire must protect at all costs, and the League had to subjugate to attack the Demon Empire. The League thought it wouldn¡¯t be an easy task, and they hadn¡¯t sent an expeditionary force in the first place expecting to win. However, this unbelievable event turned out to be true. Even the Demon Empire probably never thought in their wildest dream that their iron defense would be shattered by a single person. It was clear how the Demon Empire would take this crisis. They had finally re-launched their forces and went on the offense after barely managing to settle their internal chaos by taking a dramatic approach to streamline their hierarchy. As such, they would have tried to take another ambitious step forward. However, before they could do that, their plans had completely gone awry. The Demon Empire would feel intense fury and insecurity at the same time. Regardless of recent events, the League was still an ally of humanity, and occupying a critical strategic area was the same as the League securing a bridge to the Demon Empire¡¯s mainland. The Demon Empire was probably feeling as if someone was sticking a knife into their neck now. However, the League couldn¡¯t simply celebrate the development either; this incident made it clear to the other two factions, including the Demon Empire, that they had no intentions to let go of humanity¡¯s hand and were going to keep fighting alongside them. Regardless of the internal situation, that was how their enemies would interpret what had happened. It was hard to believe that a strategic location of the Demon Empire was destroyed by a single person, and that there was even a force within the League that independently supported Chi-Woo. The Last Dragon had asked Seven Stars for help just in case, but she hadn¡¯t expected the result to turn out like this. When she heard that Ru Amuh was sent out to help, not Chi-Woo, she had thought there really was no turning things around now. ¡°What is this¡ªeven though we want to break up, he¡¯s not letting us.¡± The situation was funny no matter how many times she thought about it. Furthermore, there was something she had no choice but to admit at this point. She could tell just by looking at this event. This young man had not just swim in the opposite direction of the water flow but twisted it completely¡ªtowards the direction he wanted. If he had been aiming for this result, he would be a terrifying human being comparable to the legend. However, if things turned out this way without him intending to make it so¡­the mere thought of it gave her goosebumps. It would be way too much of a coincidence, and he could hardly be considered a mere human being. ¡°Is the World still alive¡­?¡± The Last Dragon muttered to herself and made a mysterious smile. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what happened. I didn¡¯t think you would easily accept it considering your personality¡­but you couldn¡¯t help it because he was your own brother.¡± Then she got up from her seat and prepared to leave immediately. According to Ariel¡¯s report, Chi-Woo had told her if the League had business with him, they should visit him in person. So what could she do if not exactly that? The heart of the League, the Last Dragon, began moving. It was not something to be taken lightly. However, she showed no qualms and moved without hesitation because she had already made her decision. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him later when he comes back in one piece.¡± The Last Dragon smiled while spreading her wings wide. ¡°How does it feel to be in a supporting role for the first time after always playing the lead?¡± CH 364 The way back home felt strange. It felt like quite some time had passed since he left Shalyh to find the toharis. At that time, he hadn¡¯t expected so many things to happen one after another. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rest in peace after his return. After all the recent troubles, Chi-Woo was more convinced that he needed to prepare for the upcoming unknown danger that would soon rear its ugly head. And on his way back, Chi-Woo shared many conversations with his teammates. ¡°I see. That¡¯s why the legend¡­¡± Ru Amuh sounded regretful to hear that Chi-Hyun had remained alone in the Sernitas¡¯ territory, but he didn¡¯t appear worried. Chi-Woo thought Ru Amuh was just resolute and unwavering in any situation, yet he thought wrong. If it had been Chi-Woo instead of Chi-Hyun staying behind in the Sernitas¡¯ territory, Ru Amuh would¡¯ve raised hell and immediately rushed there. It wasn¡¯t that Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t worried about Chi-Hyun at all, but that he realized once again due to this experience that he had nothing to fear if he was with Teacher. That was how much Ru Amuh trusted Chi-Woo. If he knew what was going through Ru Amuh¡¯s head, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve been a bit horrified; his device¡¯s helper, Mimi, had advised him to maintain a trust level over 90% but below 100% for his stars. ¡°I will visit Goddess Shahnaz as soon as I arrive at the city. If I lack merits, I will go on a mission right away. I need to raise my strengths as much as possible.¡± Chi-Woo strongly agreed with Ru Amuh¡¯s resolution. This wasn¡¯t the time for them to be picky. They needed to do everything they could, whether small or big, to push their progress. ¡®It¡¯s time for me to raise my tiers and focus on my fostering list,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. ¡®Let me see. My merits are¡­¡¯ *** As soon as Chi-Woo returned to Shalyh and arrived at the Seven Stars, he was shocked. One of the buildings surrounding the main one was completed. Its general shape was slightly altered, and it looked as if the buhguhbus had converted the building into a professional workshop. ¡°Good to see you again, Boss. I heard about what happened from the temporary team 3 leader. Good work.¡± Perhaps it was because Chi-Woo had contacted him before he arrived at Shalyh, Eval was already outside the building to welcome him back. Then, after they moved to his office, Chi-Woo listened to reports on everything that had happened during his absence. ¡°The renovation began before the expedition team even came back. The buhguhbus firmly believed that you will succeed, and thanks to that, they were able to get to work as soon as they received the toharis.¡± Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. It was decided that Yeriel would lead the production, and in exchange for providing materials and labor, the buhguhbus were granted monopoly over distributing and selling the goods. ¡°Truthfully, I was worried about the miscellaneous expenses, but your team brought back a considerable amount of precious metals and gems. So, it appears that we won¡¯t have to worry about expenses for the time being.¡± Furthermore, Seven Stars and the buhguhbus were going to split the profit in a ratio of 6 to 4. Seven Stars would get 60% of the profits. In other words, if all things went well, they would barely have to worry about money from then on. Eval smiled while explaining this. ¡°So, how is the production going?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s quiet now. They haven¡¯t left the workshop at all, so we¡¯ll have to wait a bit longer.¡± Considering the Mariaju¡¯s reputation, no one had any doubt that they would make substantial progress, but the problem was when they would finish. Then, after they talked about a couple of more things, Eval said Chi-Woo should rest now and left after bowing. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t disagree. He didn¡¯t plan to rest, but there were a couple of matters that he needed to take care of at Seven Stars. One of them was¡ª Chi-Woo heard a sudden scream from outside the office as soon as Eval closed the door and left. Immediately afterward, the door was kicked open, and a pink bob-haired woman rushed in. ¡°Ms. Yeriel?!¡± ¡°Awaaaaaaaken!¡± She ran and jumped onto the desk, leaning her upper body and face forward. ¡°Abilitiiiiiies!¡± Her face was so close to Chi-Woo¡¯s that their noses were touching, and Chi-Woo smiled. Besides whatever the hell Yeriel was doing, she was in a complete mess. Her hair was greasy, her face was smeared with dirt, and there were deep dark lines under her bloodshot eyes. Furthermore, she let out a pungent smell like she hadn¡¯t washed for days. Her condition was so bad that Chi-Woo thought even he was cleaner than her after having wandered listlessly outside for a while. ¡°W-What is it? Are you okay?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Yeriel didn¡¯t answer, but simply repeated ¡®Awaken!¡¯ and ¡®Abilities!¡¯ like a parrot stuck in a loop. She looked like a scientist who had gone mad. Chi-Woo became worried about her condition and hurriedly used Spirit Eye. 11. Name & Rank: Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju (¡î¡î¡î) 5. Tier: Platinum IV 6. Class: Technician -> Engineer -> Beginner Professional Engineer -> Intermediate Professional Engineer -> [Advanced Professional Engineer] After reading Yeriel¡¯s user information, Chi-Woo realized why she was acting this way. [Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju - Page (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 75% in trust (Incomplete) 2. Become acknowledged by the ¡®buhguhbu¡¯ tribe and gain their cooperation (Complete) 3. Construct a specialized workshop centered around ¡®tohari¡¯ (Complete) 4. Be promoted to ¡®Platinum¡¯ Tier and obtain ¡®Advanced Professional Engineer¡¯ (Complete) 5. Use at least 4 and at most 6 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) Conditions 2 to 4 were all completed, yet Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but sigh. The condition for her to reach at least 75% trust in Chi-Woo was not yet complete. This was one condition among the others that he couldn¡¯t do anything about because it all depended on how Yeriel felt. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot¡­but I think it will be difficult.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°No, I want to help you too. It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t, but can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why!?¡± Yeriel said angrily. ¡°I told you. You have to trust me.¡± ¡°I trust you, so give me my abilities. Quickly!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How much more do I have to trust you! Should I take you to my bedroom right now?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°Then what! Tell me the exact percentage I have to trust in you!¡± ¡°A-About 75%....?¡± Taken aback by her question, Chi-Woo brought up the exact numbers. ¡°Ah damn it. I never trusted anyone more than 50% before. Give me a moment,¡± Yeriel said. Then, she closed her eyes and focused as if she was going to perform mind-control on herself. Chi-Woo watched her, wondering what she was going to do. [Opening up the 7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent] [Measuring Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju¡¯s trust level toward user Chi-Woo] [Measurement¡­complete.] [Trust-level 75%: Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju manipulated her own mind and raised her trust level toward Chi-Woo. Unless she wills it so, this trust level will be maintained and will not waver.] ¡°?!¡± Chi-Woo exclaimed in shock. What? Something like this could happen? ¡°This will be enough right? Now quickly awaken me!¡± Chi-Woo thought he would be eaten alive if he hesitated any longer. He raised his chains, which sparkled in the air. [The Power to Rule the World has been used.] [Innate ability [Blessed Luck] consumed (66 -> 60).] [The Power to Rule the World recovers Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju¡¯s innate ability, ¡®Magic Refinement¡¯] ¡®Oh,¡¯ Yeriel¡¯s eyes opened wide, and she exclaimed, ¡°Holy shit! This is it! Everyone is screwed!¡± She clenched her fists tightly and ran outside. She was like a gambling addict rushing to a casino after finally getting their hands on some money, and Chi-Woo became visibly worried. And after Yeriel left, Chi-Woo heard a knock on his door. ¡°B-Boss, are you all-right?¡± Eval carefully peeked his head in. Chi-Woo looked back at him in a daze. It felt as if some kind of storm had passed by him. Chi-Woo then finally regained his senses and asked, ¡°Do you know why she was acting like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because of what Ms. Yunael told her,¡± Eval said. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why¡­¡± Chi-Woo was able to understand Yeriel¡¯s behavior somewhat after hearing the explanation. He didn¡¯t know the exact details, but it appeared that Yeriel felt responsible for the great danger that humanity was facing right now, which was Chi-Hyun¡¯s absence, and wanted to fill the gap until the legend returned. With that thought, she focused on her research while foregoing eating and sleep. Chi-Woo wanted to tell her that there was no need for her to feel responsible, but decided to save his words for the moment. The more desperation a person felt and the more they were cornered in a crisis, the more likely they would display superhuman strengths. And right now, he needed to bring forth any strength he could get. On this note, this wasn¡¯t the time for him to sit around. Chi-Woo got to his feet. *** Chi-Woo went to meet the master he found on Liber: Byeok Ran-Eum. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve made some major achievements before coming back here. Why aren¡¯t you resting?¡± As the master, Byeok worried for her disciple¡¯s wellbeing, but she didn¡¯t turn down Chi-Woo¡¯s request for counseling. ¡°¡­You¡¯re asking for the release of your restrictions?¡± Byeok lowered her head slightly and closed her eyes. She had the habit of doing this whenever she was thinking. After some time, she said, ¡°I want to just say that I trust you but¡­I can¡¯t help but be worried.¡± They had sealed a large portion of the abilities in Chi-Woo¡¯s original user information. Over 80% of his abilities had been locked, but after going to the Hala Forest, Chi-Woo released the first stage of the seal and was maintaining the second stage. However, upon his return from the recent expedition¡ªno, he had been thinking about it ever since he came back from the expedition during which he ran into Samigina. As his brother and his master said, they didn¡¯t have time. Liber wouldn¡¯t wait for him to finish his training until he was satisfied. But thanks to Byeok, he was able to rise to higher levels and utilize what power his body could take. Thus, Chi-Woo told Byeok that he was confident that he could control his power somewhat, but Byeok wasn¡¯t pleased. ¡°Right now, I can say that you are almost complete against a specific type of enemy. But even that¡¯s not flawless, and you are still too lacking to widen the types of enemies you can confront. I¡¯m sure you know what I¡¯m saying even better than I do.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. He realized this thoroughly when battling against the Sernitas. ¡°So I want to say¡ªno, it is definitely too early for you,¡± Byeok said firmly. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you¡¯re also aware of that.¡± She rested her chin on her palms and asked, ¡°You did the calculations, didn¡¯t you? Tell me. What are you scheming?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really scheming anything, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo hesitated, but decided to lay out his point briefly. ¡°I¡¯m planning to delete my ¡®Breakthrough¡¯ ability.¡± Byeok¡¯s eyes opened slightly wider. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to delete that ability a long time ago?¡± ¡°Yes. But just in case, I stopped at sealing the ability. But I¡¯m planning to delete it now.¡± Breakthrough was an ability Chi-Woo acquired as a benefit of a promotion. Usually, heroes gained a new ability every time they got promoted to a new tier, but it was a bit different for Chi-Woo. Every time he raised the rank of his Core of Balance, he gained a new ability; and Breakthrough was one he acquired when he raised Core of Balance from rank E to D. It was an ability he desperately needed when fighting Zepar and saving Evelyn, but he didn¡¯t necessarily need it now. Depending on how he used it, it could end up being a double-edged sword. Now that Chi-Woo thought about it, it had become easier for him to draw out the mysterious power he had in him somewhere after the acquisition of Breakthrough; or to be exact, the power he had displayed in his unconscious state. Byeok contemplated these points. ¡®Deleting Breakthrough¡­¡¯ Byeok thought about what would happen if Chi-Woo kept the ability. In a way, Breakthrough was special, and giving up an ability would come with its losses. In the case that they kept the ability, they also had to think about whether keeping it would be worth it despite the disadvantages. Considering Chi-Woo¡¯s current condition, keeping the ability might have tiny amounts of benefits. In the end, Byeok shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think I will reach a conclusion no matter how long I think about it.¡± The problem with Chi-Woo was so difficult that even a god like La Bella couldn¡¯t approach it easily. Thus, there was no way that a mere human could reach a clear answer. In the end, they could only consider their current situation. ¡®That guy is dealing with the Sernitas alone¡­¡¯ Byeok thought. She had heard about what happened to Chi-Hyun, and she knew that a major crisis was encroaching on Shalyh soon. This was a time when they needed to draw out all the strength they could. Byeok licked her lips. She wasn¡¯t pleased by the decision, but her grounds for disagreeing weren''t enough. ¡®It really is so complicated. It¡¯s almost making my head hurt.¡¯ Disturbing one thing could influence another. They would only know the end result after it happened. Thus, there was only one answer that Byeok could give, which was to trust Chi-Woo. ¡°If you¡¯re already on the fence about that power, you will be abstaining from it anyways.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face brightened as Byeok gave him a half-approval. ¡°You could leave it as the last measure for unexpected situations, but¡­it seems like you already made up your mind, so do as you said and delete the Breakthrough ability.¡± ¡°Yes, I will do that. Don¡¯t worry too much. I will really be careful,¡± Chi-Woo replied with a smile, but Byeok didn¡¯t smile in the slightest. ¡°There¡¯s no way I won¡¯t worry,¡± Byeok snorted and breathed out a puff of white smoke. Then, she said, ¡°Reach Master tier.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Before you reach a tier where you are capable of fully controlling yourself, don¡¯t dream of touching that mysterious power inside you. You must only use it in the worst situations,¡± Byeok warned Chi-Woo again and again. As the name indicated, ¡®Master¡¯ wasn¡¯t an easy tier to reach. The highest tier that most heroes could reach normally was Diamond. Though there were three more tiers after that, to reach those tiers, one needed to follow a different trajectory one had ever taken before. In other words, it wasn¡¯t a tier one could get to just by passing a promotion test. For example, one of its conditions was to not only get acknowledged by the god one served, but by other gods too. And the first step of working toward that goal was getting one¡¯s worth as a challenger tested, which hinted at how tough the rest of the process would be. One would need to prove themselves through actions rather than words. ¡°Yes, I understand. I will bear that in mind,¡± Chi-Woo nodded. He moved away and headed to his lodging place. After confirming that no one was there, he kneeled down and bowed. No matter how big a task was, he needed to start with taking small steps. And now, it was time for him to meet La Bella. CH 365 La Bella was alone in a white space like always while holding a scale in her hand. Their conversation went smoothly. Since Breakthrough was derived from La Bella¡¯s the Core of Balance, it was an easy task for her to retrieve it. This was true for the tier as well. To go from gold to platinum, a hero needed to get through a total of four promotion tests. It was quite obvious that there was no need for Chi-Woo to take a promotion test. Although he had used most of his merits on the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit, he still had his test exemptions. Starting from when he successfully raided the Hala Forest, he had more than enough exemptions to bypass four tests. ¨CLiber is currently full of heretics that are disturbing and disrupting the balance of the world. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. A voice rang in the white space. ¨CAlthough they were born with the fate of mortals. Her voice was low and clear. ¨COn the basis of being relatively more gifted than others. Soft yet strong. ¨CThey have broken the order of numerous worlds and are attempting to fulfill their desires using immoral means and methods. ¨CAnd sooner or later, their hands will reach here. ¨CEven in this last sanctuary that you and the others have managed to create¡­ La Bella trailed off, and she sounded bitter. She might be recalling the time when she was ousted from Liber. La Bella was able to protect her last sanctuary at the expense of her faithful followers. No, was it even accurate to say that they were able to protect it? ¨C¡­My child. La Bella touched Chi-Woo¡¯s head as he lowered it further. ¨CLet them know. Suddenly, the voice in his ears became more intense. ¨CShow them and enlighten those arrogant beings. ¨CThe order of the universe has been decided on its own, and it is by no means something that should be artificially constructed. Chi-Woo followed her hand¡¯s movement and slowly raised his head. ¨CAs of this time, you will be promoted to platinum tier, and your class will upgrade to Inquisitor. La Bella raised her scale high up. ¨CCarry out judgment to those arrogant heretics with your own hands and correct the world¡¯s balance! Chi-Woo¡¯s vision went blank. * * * When Chi-Woo returned from the white space, he turned on the device and called forth his user information. 1. Name & Rank: Choi Chi-Woo (EX) 2. Sex & Age: Male & 23 3. Height & Weight: 180.5 & 73.5kg 4. Denomination: ¡®The Goddess of Scales¡¯ and ¡®Guardian of Balance¡¯, La Bella 5. Tier: Platinum IV6 6.Class: Exorcist ¡ú Monk ¡ú Advanced Exorcist ¡ú High-ranking Exorcist ¡úInquisitor 7. Heavenly Title: Three Lines 8. Disposition: Neutral He was finally promoted to platinum tier, and his class changed as well to one suitable for his present situation. [Strength B] [Durability B] [Agility B] [Stamina B] [Mental Fortitude B] [Exorcism A] As a perk for raising his tier, he could choose one of his physical attributes to raise; he thought hard between stamina and exorcism, but eventually chose exorcism. Originally, he would have chosen stamina since his brother emphasized over and over again the importance of stamina as the basis and foundation for strength. However, after acquiring Armed with the Sixth Element as his weapon, Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts changed. Considering that this weapon used exorcism mana as its nutrient, it would unleash greater power the higher his exorcism rank was. Thus, he chose to rank up his exorcism mana. However, one surprising part was that the exorcism mana immediately jumped to rank A. According to his assistant¡¯s words, it should have normally gone up to B+, but after considerable thought, he guessed that this might be the result of his training. Except when he really couldn¡¯t help it, Chi-Woo had been training every single day until now. He had also been practicing purification breathing continuously every morning, noon, and evening. The training and experience he had piled up so far might have combined with his promotion perk and allowed him to skip a rank. Anyway, he finally got a rank A in his physical attributes. His assistant had told him that in order for humans to achieve rank A, they needed to reach diamond tier at the least, but Chi-Woo was able to do it at platinum tier, the tier right before diamond. Although his progress could be considered rapid, he still felt that he was way too lacking. He needed to get much, much stronger than this. He needed to grow enough to look down on rank A. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an easy task to move on to the next rank. To go from B to A, he needed to only go through B+, but it was different from rank A onwards. [A ¡ú A+ ¡ú A++ ¡ú A+++ ¡úAA ¡ú AAA ¡ú S ¡ú EX.] [Since physical abilities are restricted by the limits of an individual¡¯s species, they can¡¯t be measured with the same standard as other miscellaneous abilities. Still, they are the same in one aspect.] [Rank A means that you are an expert. And an expert is still human.] [If you surpass rank A, you¡¯ve surpassed the limits of a human.] [The process of reaching this stage is extremely difficult and exhausting, and even among the chosen ones, who are extremely few in number, only a handful of them are able to reach this rank. You can no longer consider these people human anymore.] [Thus, a person at rank S is a superhuman. Only those who surpassed human limits can reach this stage.] To get from A to S, he needed to go over five ranks. Then he became curious. His exorcism mana became much more powerful after reaching rank A, so he wondered how it would feel when he finally reached rank S. Of course, raising one of his physical attributes wasn¡¯t the only benefit of raising his tier. His class ability also changed. Although there were options to strengthen his existing abilities, he chose to acquire a new one because he thought he needed different power to fight a new enemy. 1. [Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Original Exorcism Prayer C] 2. [La Bella¡¯s Bible C] 3. [La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary D] 4. [Executioner B] ¨C the ability to carry out judgment as executors of religious trials. The prerequisite for this ability is to first designate a target as a heretic, and this ability can only be used in the space where ¡®La Bella¡¯s Bible¡¯ and ¡®La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary¡¯ have been activated. The opponent defined as a heretic in the space will be randomly executed, burned at the stake, or given other forms of divine punishment. While the class abilities he had so far could be categorized as buffs that supported and lent strength to his allies, the ability that he gained this time was different. Although Original Exorcism Prayer and La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary could be used to attack his enemy, it was only an indirect effect. Executioner, on the other hand, directly attacked his enemy as its name suggested; although he would only know the exact effect after using it in the real world. ¡®All right. I¡¯m done with the tier, so next.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t done upgrading yet, and Chi-Woo brought up his fostering information next. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Merit Count: 12,542,567] When he arrived at Shalyh, the amount of merits he had was 12,642,567. He offered 100 merits when he was promoted from steel to bronze, and the amount he had to offer increased 10 fold after that. Therefore, his merits had decreased by 100,000 points after being promoted to platinum tier. So far, so good. ¡®Wait, then does that mean if I want to reach diamond tier, I¡¯ll have to give 1 million, and then 10 million for master, 100 million for grandmaster, and 1 billion for challenger¡­?¡¯ Up to master was possibly doable, but if he wanted to aim for grandmaster and upwards, he needed a truly astronomical amount of merits if the math applied. Just thinking about it made his head hurt. ¡®Come to think of it, I shouldn¡¯t recklessly use merits anymore.¡¯ What were the most valuable assets for heroes currently active on Liber? Was it power? Money? No, it was merit. All they needed was merit. The more merit they earned and offered, the more everything fell into place. Of course, heroes normally didn¡¯t know exactly how many merits they had earned and could only guess roughly. However, it was different for Chi-Woo. La Bella had accepted his request before and displayed everything in exact numbers. Using merits any way he wanted was okay until gold tier, the common peak that any hero could reach. If a hero wanted to aim for a higher tier, they needed to consider the appropriate way to use their merits. However, it was still too early for Chi-Woo to be overly concerned about this. Since a new enemy had appeared, he could gain even more merits than before. Anyway, the amount of merits he had at his disposal was about 10 million; it was not a lot, but nothing to sneeze at either. It was a pretty fair amount for catching two great demons who didn¡¯t seem to be very high up on the hierarchy. However, considering the fact that he had just raided a strategic location for the Demon Empire, the amount seemed roughly correct. ¡®Still, it¡¯s a bit strange?¡¯ The calculation seemed off because he should have also gotten merits for acquiring the toharis. If he included that in the calculation, it felt as if he had gotten too little merit. The only explanation would be that the toharis didn¡¯t have much impact on Liber¡¯s main flow. However, that seemed unlikely considering what his brother and Mamiya had said. ¡®What?¡¯ At that moment, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened when he looked at the text in the air again. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Merit Count: 12,543,567] ¡®What happened?¡¯ His merit increased. It had definitely been 12,542,567 a moment ago, but it went up by 1,000 in a very short time. It was not much, but it definitely went up. Chi-Woo tilted his head, thinking he might have been mistaken. Then he closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. Once more, he couldn¡¯t help but stare at the number in the air. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Merit Count: 12,545,567] ¡­Huh? It went up by 2,000 this time? In seconds? In real time? Something like this had happened before, of course, but the rise hadn¡¯t been this significant, and it stopped before he could confirm it. ¡°What, what is happening?¡± Chi-Woo was flustered. He was so shocked that he asked out loud. The mysterious increase in merits was still continuing even now. Every time he blinked, his merit jumped up. What the hell was going on? Chi-Woo soon found out. * * * Before Chi-Woo came back, the buhguhbus had lived each day in fear. Or to be more precise, the buhguhbus sent to Seven Stars as assistants to help Yeriel had been under constant terror. If asked why, they¡¯d all say that it was because of the crazy bitch¡¯s temperament that they had to work with. From the outside, she looked all right. She had a cute and pretty face, and although she spoke roughly sometimes, she was overall well-mannered. ¡°Hello? Have you slept well? Did you find anything inconvenient? If you haven¡¯t eaten, would you like to join us?¡± She would smile while talking softly like this, but as soon as they entered the workshop¡ª ¡°Shit¡ªfucking hell!¡± She would kick equipment and tools like a soccer ball and became hysterical. ¡°What¡¯s the point of having materials and fire!¡± ¡°What the fuck? I have to prove my worth? You fucking bitch! I¡¯ll only be able to do something after I get my powers back!¡± Sometimes she banged on the desk in anger and cried, ¡°My alloy! My configuration memories! My sorcery anvil! When is he coming baaaaaack!¡± However, Yeriel, who had been throwing a tantrum today as well, rushed out after receiving a call. The buhguhbus huddling together in the corner and trembling in fear were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. However, before they could fully calm their hearts, they got startled again by Yeriel¡¯s speedy return. The buhguhbus hurriedly rushed back to the corner and looked at her with a questioning gaze; they thought she would struggle with the toharis for a long time and explode in anger again. But no¡ª ¡°Oh¡­?¡± One of the buhguhbus slowly opened his mouth and exclaimed because he saw magic appear in Yeriel¡¯s hands after her sudden exit and reentrance. What she was doing was so strange and fascinating that there was no other way to describe it other than magic. The buhguhbus huddling in the corner took two steps forward in a trance. Soon, they surrounded Yeriel and looked at what she was doing with dazed expressions. They lost track of time. The buhguhbus glanced sideways at Yeriel, who was sweating heavily. ¡°What¡­is that?¡± Yeriel did not reply; instead, she made a big smile for the first time since she entered the workshop. * * * The next morning, all the members living in Seven Stars gathered in the conference room after breakfast; even an outside member, Emmanuel, was present in the meeting. The reason why such a large number of people had gathered early in the morning was simple¡ªYeriel had requested it. The conference room was moderately noisy. Everyone wondered why Yeriel had called them and waited for her while talking to each other. Soon after, Chi-Woo entered and sat in the top seat, followed by Yeriel and the buhguhbus. Yeriel looked as tired as yesterday, but it was hard to read any emotions from her monotonous expression. In contrast, the buhguhbus looked like they were wondering if they were in a dream. ¡°I was briefed on what happened but¡­¡± Chi-Woo glanced at Eval Sevaru, who was standing next to him, and continued, ¡°I heard you had something to show us.¡± Yeriel let out a long sigh. Then she raised her hands and clapped. ¡®What is she doing?¡¯ Chi-Woo gave her a questionable look, but what the buhguhbus did afterward was even stranger. As soon as Yeriel gave her signal, they moved in perfect synchronization as if they were her loyal subordinates. The buhguhbus placed what they had in their hands one by one in front of the participants of the meeting, including Chi-Woo. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was a marble. On second thought, Chi-Woo recalled seeing Yeriel use something similar to this in the Hala Forest. While the marble he saw at the time was the size of a pebble suitable for playing marble games, the ones presented now were bigger, about the size of a bouncy ball. All the marbles were the same in shape and color¡ªdark like metal had been mixed and compressed into a sphere. Yunael asked, ¡°What is this?¡± She held up the marble and carefully observed it from every angle. Her head slightly lowered, Yeriel lifted her eyes at Yunael¡¯s question. Then she said, ¡°¡­Before I explain, there¡¯s something I want you all to do.¡± CH 366 ¡°Everyone, touch the marble with your hands and draw out your mana,¡± Yeriel told them. Everyone looked puzzled by her command, but since it was an easy order to fulfill, they did as they were told. Chi-Woo felt his mana get automatically absorbed by the marble he was touching, yet the marble didn¡¯t show any change besides that. ¡°It automatically sucks in mana, but¡­nothing else is happening.¡± Yunael tilted her head in confusion. Suddenly, Yeriel grinned, and everything happened in an instant¡ªshe pulled out a dagger and threw it hard at Yunael. As expected, it never even reached Yunael since she quickly unsheathed her sword to parry it off. After Yunael awakened a new ability called the Sixth Sense, there was no way she would be struck by an attack at this level. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Although she blocked the attack, Yunael got up from her seat and shouted in anger. Instead of answering, though, Yeriel narrowed her eyes and wordlessly looked around her. Then she made a sudden swing at Aida. Aida easily evaded the attack by slightly tilting her head. ¡°Ah, sorry, I did it without thinking,¡± Aida said with a slightly surprised face and put her hands together in the shape of a V. ¡°Though I might not look it, I¡¯ve been a hero for quite a while too.¡± ¡°Ah, seriously!¡± Yeriel shouted angrily as things weren¡¯t going her way. ¡°Ms. Yeriel. Why don¡¯t you aim at me? I will stay put.¡± Thinking that there was a reason behind Yeriel¡¯s actions, Chi-Woo volunteered himself and quickly added, ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh, please don¡¯t do anything.¡± Ru Amuh stopped short. He had gotten up and rushed forward to guard Chi-Woo. ¡°Ha¡­seriously¡­¡± Yeriel picked up her dagger again while sighing that it couldn¡¯t be helped. Chi-Woo crossed his arms and waited; when the dagger was about to make contact, the marble he was holding began to change shape. Like a raindrop morphing into a circle when hitting the ground, it stretched out. Clang! The metallic marble shielded Chi-Woo and took the dagger in his stead. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned wide. Even Yunael, who had lifted the table over her head to make a great fuss, stopped. Chi-Woo looked at the dagger that had fallen onto the ground in a daze. Then, he looked at the substance covering the body part the dagger had aimed for. After a couple of seconds, the metal warped and returned to its original form. Chi-Woo looked at the circular, blackish marble in his hands, and his mouth gaped slightly. ¡°That¡¯s surprising,¡± Aida murmured in a low voice. Though she couldn¡¯t see what had happened with her eyes, it seemed she had figured out the situation with just her senses. It was then Hawa shot an arrow at Yunael¡¯s back while Yunael was off-guard. Her arrow flew at an incomparably faster speed than the dagger, but the result was the same. The marble that Yunael held liquified and shielded her back. ¡°What?¡± Yunael turned around and blinked hard. She was too fixated on what just happened to respond to this attack properly. She stared at the perpetrator who had just attacked her, Hawa. ¡°It was just a test,¡± Hawa said calmly while putting her bow down. Yunael looked at her dumbfoundedly. ¡®Did you think I would just go, ¡®Ah~ I see?¡¯ her face seemed to say. ¡°I get that, but why me?¡± Yunael asked. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m asking why you chose me to shoot at!¡± Yunael cried out. But her outburst was cut short when Yeriel said, ¡°It¡¯s an AI Armor,¡± and got everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Is it like an Ego Amor[1]?¡± ¡°You can say that they¡¯re similar. This item can¡¯t talk though,¡± Yeriel shrugged at Aida¡¯s question. ¡°This is pretty good. Even a priest-type like me can carry this around. It¡¯s perfect for emergencies too.¡± Evelyn seemed to have tried attacking herself and looked impressed by the metallic liquid surrounding her. Yeriel snorted, suggesting that the marble¡¯s convenience wasn¡¯t even one of its main strengths. ¡°The AI Armor¡¯s core ability is its defense system.¡± ¡°Does that mean it will sense attacks and shield the user by itself, just like what has happened?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°That¡¯s not all. That would be nothing more than an automatic transforming shield.¡± Yeriel shook her head. ¡°First of all, I must say that this AI Armor doesn¡¯t ensure the user¡¯s survival a hundred percent of the time. It simply lowers the chance of death.¡± No matter how well a person armored themselves before entering battle, there was no guarantee that the person would survive. There was always a stronger weapon that could pierce through the hardest armor, and even something as tough as the AI Armor would crumble after getting struck by a catapult projectile. ¡°Still, it will increase your chance of survival more than regular armor.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more efficient,¡± Yeriel replied after clearing her throat. ¡°As I told you before, AI Armor detects an enemy¡¯s attack beforehand and protects its user. More exactly, it focuses specifically on the point that an enemy is aiming for and puts up a concentrated defense. Thus, it boasts a more outstanding defensive power than even armors made of the same material.¡± There was a temporary silence. Then a couple of them exclaimed when realizing the implications. For example, if 100 units of materials were each used to make a regular armor and an AI Armor, the former would provide an equal balance of protection to all parts of the body it covered, while the AI Armor would concentrate all the materials used to specific points. Naturally, the common armor would provide a lower level of defense in individual body parts than an AI Armor that could move on its own and manipulate defense powers from 0 to 100 throughout the body. ¡°I have a question. Then, what happens when we are attacked in many places at once?¡± Ru Amuh raised his hand and asked. ¡°The AI Armor would then be no different from regular armor, but that is only if you¡¯re hit from head to toe without a gap in between. Otherwise, the AI Armor would be much more efficient no matter how short the gap is,¡± Yeriel answered. The AI Armor used 100% of its materials at once if the user was attacked by a single attack. If the user was attacked by five attacks at once, it would use 20% of its defense to protect the user against each hit. In other words, the armor protected its user from all attacks in the most strategic manner. After hearing Yeriel¡¯s explanation, Hawa¡¯s hands moved like a flash of lightning. Five daggers flew toward Yunael, and simultaneously, the metal marble protected the latter from all five attacks with precision. ¡°Are you kidding me!¡± Yunael jumped up and down. But before she could complain, Jin-Cheon stepped forward. ¡°That must mean it can block an attack that an armor made out of the same material wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand.¡± With this, Jin-Cheon swung his fist at Yunael hard. The metal marble gathered into one place and blocked the punch. ¡°¡­¡± Yunael felt like the neighborhood¡¯s drum and quietly turned around. Then, after some time, her eyes brimmed with tears while her lower lip protruded. ¡°Am¡­ I being ostracized? Does everyone hate me?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course not, Yunael. Come here,¡± Aida said. ¡°Thank you. I can only count on you, Aida¡­but why are you picking up a dagger?¡± ¡°Just stay put for a moment. I need to try something.¡± In the end, Yunael burst into tears and left the conference room. ¡°This is surprising.¡± But indifferent to what was going on, Chi-Woo inspected the marble thoroughly and exclaimed in admiration. ¡ªYes, it¡¯s revolutionary. Philip added. With this item, they could ignore any attacks that couldn¡¯t pierce through the armor, which meant that they could focus more on the offensive when fighting. Every breath was precious in a battle between superb fighters, and with this, it would be much easier to gain the upper hand. It was really revolutionary, as Philip had said. Yes. Yeriel¡¯s invention would bring about a radical change on Liber. Then, Yeriel stretched out her arms and said indifferently, ¡°If everyone is finished looking at the items, return them now.¡± ¡°Hm? You aren¡¯t giving it to us?¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes sparkled as she clutched her marble tightly. It seemed she really liked hers. Yeriel snorted. ¡°What are you going to use that for right now? What I showed you guys is just the prototype. It¡¯s something rough I¡¯ve put together with shoddy materials.¡± Then, Yeriel said that she would give them better AI Armors when the Cassiubia League gave them better quality materials, and Ru Hiana quickly returned her marble. ¡°So, now that I¡¯ve shown you the general design of the product¡­let¡¯s talk business,¡± Yeriel said. ¡°Sounds good. Let¡¯s get to it.¡± Noticing Yeriel¡¯s gaze, Chi-Woo got up. *** After moving locations to the office, Yeriel surprised Chi-Woo with her business plan. ¡°Are you really saying that you will provide us with all the equipment we need for free?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°At least temporarily, and I¡¯m only providing the others in Shalyh with lower quality AI Armors.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t get it. He couldn¡¯t understand why she would provide items of such value for free. It was a guarantee that the AI Armor would sell by the truckloads. It had so many strengths and positives that most people would buy it no matter how high its prices were, as evidenced by the way Seven Stars¡¯ members had reacted earlier. Of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to look a gift horse in the mouth when a mysterious danger was encroaching upon them, and they needed to maximize their strengths. But he didn¡¯t think Yeriel would be thinking along the same vein. She looked like she would always be greedy for some extra cash. ¡°That¡¯s for sure a fine plan.¡± But Eval seemed to think differently and made a satisfied smile. It was as if he had anticipated Yeriel¡¯s response exactly. ¡°There are three things Ms. Yeriel is aiming for,¡± Eval explained, noticing Chi-Woo¡¯s confused gaze. ¡°First is maximizing the number of merits that will come with this action. If the AI Armor is widely distributed and proves to be useful, everyone involved with its creation, including Ms. Yeriel, would reap many merits as a result. And rather than selling and receiving money for these goods, she would continuously gain merits this way.¡± In other words, doing good work without receiving monetary compensation resulted in more merits. Yeriel nodded in agreement. ¡°The second is fame. What will people think when they hear that not only does Ms. Yeriel work with the buhguhbus to create a fantastic item like the AI Armors, but she¡¯s also giving them away for free? In a world where a person couldn¡¯t even hope for a free lunch, this is huge. Furthermore, this piece of equipment could save their lives. What would you think if you are on the receiving end, boss?¡± Of course, they would be grateful. Beyond grateful, they would sing praises to Yeriel¡¯s name; and Yeriel would earn higher priority in the next drafting event. ¡°The third goal is¡­boosting publicity, right?¡± Chi-Woo answered. Eval smirked. Right now, there were two potential markets for the AI Armor: Shalyh and the Cassiubia League. There was not much to gain even if they tried their hardest to sell in Shalyh because the market was too small. Thus, rather than vying for small profits, it was better to focus on the first and second goals. And after AI Armors¡¯ effectiveness was sufficiently proven at Shalyh, the Cassiubia League would naturally gain interest in the item too. Then, they could control the production and supply system and sell the products at a premium price there. ¡°Thank you for saying what I wanted to say. How smart of you,¡± Yeriel said. ¡°Haha. You flatter me, Ms. Yeriel,¡± Eval responded very politely, unlike his usual self. In his eyes, Yeriel was like a gold mine. She was someone who could help Seven Stars surpass Ho Lactea by a couple more leaps, so he had to pay special attention to how he treated her. ¡°Thus, for the time being, I plan to focus on the production and distribution of lower-end AI Armors. I¡¯m almost done with preparing for mass production. Since I¡¯m doing this for all our benefits in the end, don¡¯t complain later that I didn¡¯t look out for you guys first and whatnot, all right?¡± ¡°That will never happen, Ms. Yeriel. But can I ask you one question? You say that you are going to produce lower-end AI Armors. Does this mean there are middle and high-end ones too?¡± ¡°Of course. AI Armor is made by compounding alloys and smelting them. What determines their quality is the alloy forming process, when different metals mix together and change so that they can accept mana.¡± This meant that whatever its process was, the AI Armor¡¯s quality was determined by the metal¡¯s quality. ¡°So, the quality is better the better the materials are?¡± Chi-Woo confirmed. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Then, what about this?¡± Chi-Woo put down both the white glove and chains he was wearing. ¡°What the fuck? Hold up?!¡± Yeriel heaved when she saw the items. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± But her gaze soon turned dejected. ¡°Seriously? These won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me. I could take these items to my home planet, go to the biggest research center there, and have all the elders pour their efforts into it, but no one would be able to do a thing,¡± Yeriel said with disappointment. ¡°I¡¯m interested in the kind of metals they are, but¡­this is no time for me to leisurely engage in some research,¡± Yeriel grumbled and crossed her arms with a sigh. ¡°Anyway, just wait a bit for good materials to come in, and I can make special ones for you. It looks like you have no need for a weapon though.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that matter to you,¡± Chi-Woo said and promised maximum support. *** Chi-Woo saw the result of his trust not long after. Under the collaboration between Yeriel and the buhguhbus, production began inside Seven Stars¡¯ workshop. And about five days after the AI Armors were distributed throughout Shalyh, Chi-Woo checked his fostering information and was stunned by what he saw. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. [User Chi-Woo¡¯s accumulated merits: 15,354,7620] ¡°¡­Whoa.¡± His merit count had increased by about 3 million only five days after the goods were distributed. ¡®600,000 in just a day? This is insane. If it¡¯s this much already¡­¡¯ Yet this was only the beginning. 1. A gaming term that refers to sentient equipment with their own will. ? CH 367 The Seven Stars¡¯ base was bustling with activities for the past few days. People clamored to obtain the widely-acclaimed AI Armor, which was being distributed every morning. The value of Mariaju¡¯s name was truly astounding as heroes flocked to Seven Stars after hearing that she made this item herself. Since the heroes had been frantically trying to procure an AI Armor for themselves, the League members in Shalyh also naturally became interested. Thus, although it had only been five days since the AI Armors began official distribution, they sold out in only a couple of hours every day. Today was no exception. When the AI Armor in stock ran out, those who had been waiting since dawn had to leave with disappointed expressions. Although they grumbled a little, there weren¡¯t major complaints because people thought that the way Seven Stars distributed the goods was fair and reasonable; the rule was one AI Armor for every person, and first come, first serve. For those who had failed to buy one after several days of waiting, they could get a waiting number. The daily supply fluctuated depending on Yeriel¡¯s condition, but the heroes were satisfied by the fact that they could get it earlier the next day the longer they waited. Above all, no one had the heart to complain after hearing that not a single member of Seven Stars had received an AI Armor yet. Those who didn¡¯t have insider knowledge praised Seven Stars for their generosity and consideration for ordinary heroes like them, but that wasn¡¯t really the case. Yeriel had already set aside a part of the daily production and given it to specific groups or tribes. First, there was no need to even mention the buhguhbus, who had provided significant aid in producing the AI Armors. She also didn¡¯t forget to give AI Armors to surrounding organizations to promote friendship. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Lady Apoline, Seven Stars has set aside AI Armors specifically for us. They told me that since you were surely busy, they wanted you to get your hands on a set without having to wait¡­¡± ¡°Oh my, there was no need for them to go out of their way.¡± The Afrilith member delivering Seven Stars¡¯ gift blinked. Contrary to her words, Apoline¡¯s expression was basically saying, ¡®Of course! They should obviously take care of me first!¡¯ Search "pawread dot com" for the original. ¡°But is this it?¡± Apoline then asked. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Did they send anything else?¡± ¡°No¡­since they¡¯re lacking in supplies, even this much is¡­¡± When a trace of disappointment appeared on Apoline¡¯s face, the Afrilith member realized they had forgotten to relay another message and continued, ¡°Ah, come to think of it, I was told to deliver another message. They told me that the quality of the product is lacking due to the current material limitations. If their process improves later on, they said they¡¯d take special care to provide some better products to Afrilith¡­¡± ¡°Aha!¡± Apoline¡¯s slightly disappointed face immediately reverted back to her normal expression; her nose was raised high as well, as if she knew this was going to happen. ¡°Oh my¡­he didn¡¯t have to¡­but I guess he wanted to take care of me somehow again¡­¡± ¡®What?¡¯ The Afrilith member tilted their head in utter befuddlement. The same situation unfolded at Ho Lactea¡¯s place. Although Alice¡¯s reaction was calm when she heard the report that the AI Armor sent from Seven Stars had arrived, as soon as the Ho Lactea member withdrew, a soft smile appeared on her face. ¡°He really didn¡¯t have to.¡± Alice had already heard the news. There was so much talk about the insufficient supplies of AI Armors, but even amidst this scarcity, Seven Stars had set aside supplies for Ho Lactea. As expected, no one took care of their older sister like a younger sibling. ¡°How can I not love you when you¡¯re like this? Right, my sweet child?¡± Alice asked while patting the potted plant on her desk. Of course, she wasn¡¯t talking about romantic love, but familial love. She began to imagine little Chi-Woo following his older sister around and saying he wanted to marry her when he grew up. ¡®But what if that really happens?¡¯ Alice, who had been full of smiles, suddenly became very serious. Now that she thought about this possibility, it didn¡¯t seem impossible. She was a descendant of a god, and as Greek and Roman mythology had shown, the gods didn¡¯t seem to concern themselves with biological ties when it came to relationships. While Alice agonized over the issue of her own imagination, Chi-Woo personally visited a place with an AI Armor in tow. It was the territory of the half demons. ¡°Why are you here, human?¡± Although Murumuru¡¯s tone was the same as always, they didn¡¯t raise their guard like before. ¡°I have business with you,¡± Chi-Woo also answered in a cold, matter-of-fact tone. ¡°Business?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver this.¡± Chi-Woo put down the AI Armor set. Murumuru looked at him with surprise at first and then looked flustered, as if they were wondering why Chi-Woo was giving this to them. Murumuru probably had heard about the AI Armors by now and must have wanted it for the half-demon tribe as well. However, Murumuru hadn¡¯t been able to reach out because of the attitude they had shown so far. Thus, Chi-Woo decided to help out the hesitant half-demon. Chi-Woo said, ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here to pay off my previous debt.¡± Murumuru¡¯s complexion brightened instantly; Chi-Woo seemed to be talking about the support half-demons had given him not too long ago. Murumuru replied, ¡°Hmm, I haven¡¯t even been thinking about getting repaid, but if it bothers you so much, I guess I¡¯ll accept this.¡± Chi-Woo provided a justification for the other party to receive the armor without feeling burdened. The half-demons were a minority group ostracized by everyone and united by a singular devotion to their own kind. There was no way Murumuru would turn down a precious object that would save the lives of their tribe. ¡°With this, there¡¯s no debt between us.¡± Chi-Woo immediately turned around as if he had finished his business. ¡°Haha. He must be embarrassed. These humans.¡± Chi-Woo heard Murumuru chuckling behind his back, and his lips curled into a soft smile. ¡®You should say that to yourself,¡¯ he thought. Like this, Seven Stars had just about provided AI Armors to all the organizations they had connections with, but it wasn¡¯t over yet. Chi-Woo clearly defined those around him as friend or foe, but he didn¡¯t bound himself to only these binary categories. And this was the reason Eval Sevaru visited the Kobalos tribe under Chi-Woo¡¯s special order. ¡°This is a gift from my boss to you.¡± Eval Sevaru delivered the AI Armor set and carefully observed the elderly leader of the Kobalos tribe, and then his eyes glinted. Eval Sevaru hadn¡¯t understood Chi-Woo¡¯s order at first. Setting aside goods and taking care of specific groups was all good and dandy to him. It was natural to do that for the buhguhbus tribe, and there was no need to even explain the benefits of aiding the organizations around them. Since they had received help from the half-demon tribe recently, giving a set to them was also understandable. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t understand why Chi-Woo would extend his grace to the Kobalos¡¯ tribe. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that he was going to go against Chi-Woo¡¯s order. He could have asked why, but Eval Sevaru stopped himself from doing so. In order to be loved, hunting dogs needed to run before their owner and corner the prey in advance instead of blindly following their owner. Likewise, Eval Sevaru thought he needed to realize the meaning behind Chi-Woo¡¯s order by himself and move one step ahead. Eval Sevaru was convinced that there was a special reason Chi-Woo was giving the AI Armor to the Kobalos tribe, who had nothing special to offer and didn¡¯t have much of a voice in the League. Normally, any tribe would welcome the idea of accepting an item like this before anyone else with open arms. However, the Kobalos leader looked conflicted, and he seemed worried whether he should accept the AI Armor set or not. He must know as well that there was no goodwill without a price. Maybe the Kobalos leader could guess that Chi-Woo wanted something from them. ¡°Thank you for your gift, but I¡¯m sure there must be many who need it more than us¡­¡± ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t have to feel pressured. This is just a small gesture of friendship from my boss to kindle our cooperation.¡± When the Kobalos leader subtly tried to fish for more information, Eval Sevaru made his intentions clear, which was no different from saying, ¡®Hey, so are you going to take it or not?¡¯ The Kobalos leader hesitated for a long time and finally sighed. ¡°¡­Thank you. Please tell him that I¡¯ll visit him soon and greet him.¡± In the end, he couldn¡¯t refuse. The corner of Eval Sevaru¡¯s mouth slightly rose. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be very happy to hear your response.¡± Their work with the Kobalos was completed, and a few more days passed like this. * * * [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s merits: 20,453,982] Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t hide his joy as he had accumulated 20 million merits in a short amount of time. Considering that the distribution of the AI Armor was still at its early stages, this was quite the generous reward. As Yeriel and Eval Sevaru said, giving out supplies for free must have raised a lot of merits, and Chi-Woo opened his fostering information without hesitation. His innate ability ¡®Divine Inspiration¡¯ had changed into basic ability ¡®Purification Breathing¡¯ with his brother¡¯s help, and was thus removed from his fostering information. Excluding Golden Ratio and Halo, he was able to raise Core of Balance, Divine Blood, and the rest of his innate abilities to rank B. He still didn¡¯t know whether Halo was useful, and Golden Ratio required too many merits to rank up. If he remembered correctly, it took about 2 million merits for him to raise it to rank S, and when he tried to raise it to rank EX¡­ 3. Innate¡ª [Golden Ratio S] (200,000,000 Up ¡ü!) After seeing this, he completely gave up on raising Golden Ratio¡¯s rank to EX. The amount of merits he needed increased 100 fold rather than ten times. It was so astronomical that the system was basically telling him to not raise it to rank EX. On the other hand, it was viable to rank up Core of Balance and Diving Blood. It took 53,295 merits to raise Core of Balance from rank E to D, about 500,000 from D to C, and about 5 million from C to B. For Divine Blood, it was about 50,000 from E to D, 250,000 from D to C, and a little more than 1.25 million from C to B. The system at least seemed to have a conscience as the merits acquired only increased fivefold, and he still had some merits left. Chi-Woo wondered if he should raise Divine Blood to rank A while he was at it, but decided to save his merits for later rather than spending them recklessly. Then Chi-Woo suddenly burst into laughter. It seemed just like yesterday when he trembled to use as little as a couple of thousand merits and cursed after seeing that he needed more than 50,000 merits to raise a rank. Before he knew it, he had already used millions of merits. Still, this was not just a laughing matter. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Merit Count: 11,347,565] 1. Innate ¨C [Core of Balance B] (51, 376,427 Up¡ü!) 2. Innate ¨C [Divine Blood B] (6,257,285 Up¡ü!) 3. Innate ¨C [Golden Ratio S] (200,000,000 Up¡ü!) 4. Innate ¨C [Halo F] (500 Up¡ü!) ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo became speechless after confirming his newly updated fostering information. Raising his tier alone had taken him a lot of merits, and then there was his fostering information to worry about. It was questionable whether he could raise any of these abilities to rank EX. However, considering what the AI Armor had brought him, it didn¡¯t seem impossible. ¡®Is there an ability that allows me to multiply the merits I earn?¡¯ Such frivolous thoughts passed through his mind as Chi-Woo leaned back into his desk chair in the office. As had always happened after he ranked up Core of Balance, he soon felt sleepy. Since he had upgraded two ranks at once this time, he would probably gain not just one ability, but two. True to his thought, sleep began to overcome him after a moment of waiting. ¡®Please give me a useful ability¡­not something like Breakthrough¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo desperately prayed and closed his eyes. * * * How long has it been? Chi-Woo felt intense dizziness when he opened his eyes. He didn¡¯t know how exactly to describe it, but it felt as if he''d been dead asleep for days. Moreover, when his blurry vision finally gained focus, he saw the ceiling of his lodging. Although he had fallen asleep in the office, he was now lying in bed. And it was dark outside the window. ¡®Did someone move me while I¡¯m asleep?¡¯ When he ranked up Core of Balance in the past, he had fainted for a while but opened his eyes right away. Chi-Woo rubbed his eyes and looked into the air. As expected, it was full of messages. [A new ability has been derived from the innate ability ¡®Core of Balance¡¯.] [Special Ability ¡®Imprinting: Core of Union¡¯ has been created.] [Special Ability ¡®El Dorado¡¯s Treasure¡¯ has been created.] 1. [Sharing S] 2. [Imprinting: Core of Union - ] - As a result of increasing its rank, Core of Balance¡¯s reach has widened to accommodate external devices. A device bound to the Core of Balance can receive the user¡¯s energy and exert external influence in addition to its original function. 3. [El Dorado¡¯s Treasure - ] - A golden palace where all kinds of goods and treasures are believed to be. Ironically, it¡¯s a palace of ideals only those who have lived their whole lives without greed and have done good deeds can reach. An additional amount of merits will be added to the amount of merits accumulated by the user¡¯s good deed. However, if the user acts against the vow made to the god he serves or acts with immoral intentions, all the bonus given to the user so far would be retrieved, and in some cases, all the merits will be confiscated. Keep in mind that other abilities may also fall in rank. As expected, he gained two new abilities. Chi-Woo fell into thought after reading the abilities¡¯ description. Although the description itself wasn¡¯t readily understandable, he could roughly grasp what the abilities did by connecting it with recent events. Imprinting seemed to be an ability that emerged in consideration of the recent revolution that Yeriel had caused. He would only know for sure if he used it himself, but it was probably related to the AI Armor. Chi-Woo was surprised by the El Dorado¡¯s Treasure; he had hoped for an ability that increased his merit, but hadn¡¯t really expected one to come out. Although the exact bonus it would provide wasn¡¯t listed, he was happy about the skill; there were many areas he needed merits for, and now there was a way for him to earn more. Of course, considering that it was an ability that could significantly shake the foundation of the growth system, there was a penalty befitting its benefits. ¡®In short, the system is telling me to not abuse my ability.¡¯ Chi-Woo rubbed his eyes while nodding and called forth his fostering information again. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Merit: 21,629,791] Then his eyes widened; he was so surprised that he sprang up. ¡®What?¡¯ Just before he went to sleep, he only had 11 million merits, but when he woke up, there was an additional 10 million. ¡®How long have I been asleep¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo exhaled and stretched his shoulders, touching the bed with both hands. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Then he felt something warm, soft, and mushy against his palm; he hadn¡¯t realized it until now, but there was a warmth on his side. Chi-Woo sighed with his eyes closed. It was obvious what had happened; someone probably sneaked in and slept next to him while he was unconscious. For example, Steam Bun frequently did this. He had experienced this once or twice before; he wasn¡¯t even surprised now. Chi-Woo shook his head and turned to his side. Then¡­ ¡°Aghhhhhhhh¡ª¡± A scream erupted from Chi-Woo¡¯s room and reached far, far away¡ªso far that even Evelyn, who was drinking tea with a worried face while stroking Steam Bun, who was hoping to munch on some snacks, could hear it. CH 368 After some time, a couple of people rushed into Chi-Woo¡¯s room hearing his scream. Sitting on his bed, Chi-Woo hung his head. He didn¡¯t dare to raise his head because Evelyn was staring intently at him with her arms crossed. Her mouth was smiling, but the smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes at all. It was scary. Chi-Woo knew he didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but for some reason, it felt like he had become a sinner. It was all because of one person. Chi-Woo looked warily at the figure wiggling in one corner of his bed. It was the girl with pigtails with a splash of freckles on her nose. An outsider would¡¯ve thought she was some innocent country bumpkin, and they would be shocked to hear her true identity¡ªthe central figure of the Cassiubia League, the Last Dragon. Besides wondering why a figure of such standing would show up at Shalyh, Chi-Woo wondered why she was lying next to him when he woke up. In the first place, he was confused about why he was in his room instead of his office when he opened his eyes. Everything was all over the place. ¡°¡­So,¡± after a long silence, Evelyn said, ¡°I remember guiding you to your own room. Can I ask why you are sleeping here, of all places?¡± ¡°Hm. Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯m quite busy,¡± the Last Dragon said with a long sigh. ¡°I thought I would need to wait only a day or two, but he stayed asleep for longer than I thought. Thus, I came to check his condition¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°There didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with him. Then I got bored while just looking at him, so I got onto the bed to rest. And while I was observing his face, I fell asleep without even realizing it.¡± Was it her imagination that there was a part in the Last Dragon¡¯s explanation that she should¡¯ve explained? No, it wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding. The ends of Evelyn¡¯s eyes arched, and her lips trembled. Things were looking dangerous. Chi-Woo gulped, but after listening to the two¡¯s conversation, it seemed clear that he had been sleeping longer than he thought. In the end, Evelyn let out a long sigh and peeled her eyes away from the smiling girl. ¡°I know it¡¯s not your fault,¡± she said to Chi-Woo. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s¡­the case?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± As Chi-Woo nodded, the corners of Evelyn¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°It still makes me angry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Because of Brother-in-law, even I didn¡¯t dare do this, but what? Some stray cat crawls in here and¡­!¡± Though a mighty dragon had been demeaned as a small animal, the Last Dragon didn¡¯t appear even the slightest bit annoyed. Instead, she chuckled and mimicked a cat by bringing her clenched fists to her cheeks and meowing. Chi-Woo heard Evelyn heaving and quickly opened his mouth, ¡°How long did I sleep for?¡± Evelyn collected her breath and spread out her hand instead of answering. All five fingers were up. ¡°F-Five months?¡± ¡°¡­Of course not.¡± That seemed to mean he had slept for five days. It was surprising. He thought it had been a couple of minutes at most. Perhaps this was the effect of raising two tiers at once. ¡°Do you know how surprised we were? We couldn¡¯t find you at your lodging place and saw you just sitting inside the office. And you didn¡¯t wake up no matter what we tried¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head. If he had known he would be knocked out for so long, he would¡¯ve told them beforehand. ¡°At first, we thought there was some problem. So I called Aida, Steam Bun, and even Ms. Noel for help¡­¡± But since there was no problem with Chi-Woo, there was no way to heal him. And while they all paced around in panic not knowing what to do, an unexpected guest came to Shalyh. The Seven Stars¡¯ members asked the Last Dragon to take a look at Chi-Woo. She recognized what condition Chi-Woo was in immediately and told them that Chi-Woo was manipulating his own body so he would naturally wake up given enough time. After hearing this explanation, Chi-Woo turned to the freckled girl. The Last Dragon was the only existence who could rival his brother in the Cassiubia League. Knowing how valuable the time of such a being was, Chi-Woo felt a bit sorry for keeping her here for so long. ¡°I would¡¯ve waited a bit longer if I knew you were coming,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s my fault for not telling you first and popping in without warning. I wanted to give you a surprise.¡± The Last Dragon shrugged, and her eyes sparkled. ¡°Besides, I was quite amazed. It seems like it was worth coming here.¡± The Last Dragon suddenly leaned forward. ¡°You know that thing called AI Armor? When can you supply it to the Cassiubia League?¡± Chi-Woo flinched in surprise but managed to answer when Evelyn made a barrier between the two. ¡°Well¡ªI¡¯ll have to talk to Ms. Yeriel about that.¡± ¡°I already did, but it didn¡¯t lead to anything constructive. That child told me to talk to you.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ What did you two talk about?¡± ¡°She said she didn¡¯t care whether I was the Last Dragon and whatnot, so I should stop being a hindrance and go throw a firework festival with my breath or something and called me a damn lizard bitch.¡± Chi-Woo doubted his ears. ¡°¡­Did she really say that?¡± ¡°I neither added nor exaggerated anything.¡± Chi-Woo was speechless seeing how serious she appeared. ¡°First of all, I apologize from the bottom of my heart on Ms. Yeriel¡¯s behalf.¡± Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Masters crazed in one area are usually like that.¡± The Last Dragon laughed aloud like she didn¡¯t care too much about it. ¡°Anyways, it really is mystical. Nothing can explain it except that it''s some alien technology.¡± She glanced at Chi-Woo and said, ¡°Truthfully, I came to Shalyh for another purpose, but I can¡¯t not do something after seeing an item like that. I wish to procure supplies at whatever costs¡­¡± It seemed the Last Dragon had really taken a liking to the AI Armor to go so far. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped if it¡¯s difficult in this instance. But even if it¡¯s at a later time, I want your word that I will be able to get the supplies,¡± the Last Dragon egged him on, and Chi-Woo had a difficult time turning her down further. He sent a message and soon afterward, Yeriel arrived. ¡°You are awake? There was an uproar a couple of days ago that you suddenly collapsed¡­¡± Yeriel said while walking in when she noticed the Last Dragon. ¡®Ugh,¡¯ she blurted out and looked displeased. ¡°As you already know, she took a great liking to the AI Armor,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°Of course, I will make the final decision, but I want to ask for your opinions too, Ms. Yeriel.¡± ¡°¡­Who knows,¡± Yeriel said with disinterest. ¡°I already gave her my answer. It¡¯s possible at a later time, but right now, it¡¯s tough. There isn¡¯t enough for our family members. Are you really gonna look out for your housemates too?¡± Housemates were those who weren¡¯t family members but shared the same living space. In a way, this was a perfect way to describe humanity¡¯s relationship with the Cassiubia League. Before, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve denied what Yeriel was saying, but he neither agreed nor disagreed this time. It was because he was disappointed by the Cassiubia League¡¯s recent attitude. If they hadn¡¯t been allies, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve fought the commander-in-chief of the last Cassiubia League¡¯s army, Ariel, or whatever she was called. ¡°Oh, it seems we¡¯ve made quite a bad impression on you.¡± The Last Dragon smiled awkwardly. It seemed she had heard about what happened too. ¡°Even the Cassiubia League isn¡¯t a perfect organization. In some ways, it is more disorganized and chaotic than most, because it is a coalition of dozens of tribes and species.¡± The Last Dragon cleared her throat. ¡°Thus, I know there are several tribes who might show an unfavorable attitude toward humanity. But I hope you realize that the same is true of the opposite, and that there are tribes who look favorably at humanity. That includes me, and the numbers are only increasing.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­Also, the materials for the AI Armor are being supplied from the Cassiubia League¡¯s Mountain range. In this manner, we have legitimate rights to claim ownership over some parts of the production.¡± ¡°If you are going to use that as an excuse to meddle in, you can stop doing that from now on,¡± Yeriel immediately responded. She looked uncaring of whatever the Last Dragon said. Her mood hadn¡¯t been good since she met the Last Dragon. The Last Dragon had continued to pester and bother her when she was already busy with research and production, so she was still annoyed. But it seemed she had still come to this meeting since Chi-Woo called her. ¡°This puts me in a difficult position.¡± The Last Dragon sounded troubled by Yeriel¡¯s firm attitude. She realized that Yeriel wasn¡¯t someone she could convince with just a couple of words. ¡°It seems I should get on your good side first to make any progress on this conversation,¡± the Last Dragon said, and Chi-Woo was astonished by how well she maintained her calm toward Yeriel. He wondered what would¡¯ve happened if his brother had been in this spot instead of the Last Dragon¡­ It was then the Last Dragon clapped. ¡°All right, I would like to sign a contract to get a guarantee of the next available supply.¡± A contract? Yeriel¡¯s eyebrow rose, and she snorted. ¡°You must have a lot of money?¡± ¡°Yes, certainly. Loads of it.¡± The Last Dragon flicked her fingers. And to everyone¡¯s surprise, they suddenly found themselves in a deep cave that looked like a hidden storage. ¡°Welcome to my lair,¡± the Last Dragon said carefreely, but everyone was left speechless. It felt as if the room they had been in had warped into another space; and wherever they turned, they saw sparkling gold and gems. ¡°It appears that you aren¡¯t that interested in common currency,¡± the Last Dragon said, and their scenery changed again. ¡°So, to get your interest¡ª¡± Their constantly changing scenery suddenly stopped shifting. ¡°Yes, this looks all right.¡± It was a place filled with piles of stone. Of course, these stones weren¡¯t just any ordinary ones, and each emitted a mystical glow. Furthermore, there was a huge pile of ingots that let out an array of colorful lights. Every piece looked special and unique. ¡°This is where I gathered the stones that looked quite valuable throughout my lifetime¡­how is it?¡± Yeriel didn¡¯t answer. Though she was standing still, her eyes were moving nonstop. It moved sideways, then around until it spun in circles. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± She seemed to have been caught in a spell of dizziness as she staggered. This room was full of stones and gems that she couldn¡¯t obtain even if she wanted to, and as someone who knew how valuable these materials were, her eyes wouldn¡¯t stop fluttering. ¡°If you promise to supply the goods at a suitable time, you can use everything in this room as much as you want.¡± ¡°Oh good¡ªwait , but h-how much¡­?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you?¡± A relaxed smile hung on the Last Dragon¡¯s lips, ¡°As much as you want.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Yeriel¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Take it all. No need to hold back.¡± That was basically a blank check. Yeriel had struck a gold mine, and she shuddered in joy. ¡°Do you like the terms of our contract?¡± the Last Dragon asked, and Yeriel turned to Chi-Woo. Her eyes brimmed with all sorts of emotions and seemed to be pleading, saying that she could make an AI Armor far surpassing even a high-quality one with these materials. Chi-Woo shrugged and told her to do as she wished, and Yeriel turned back to the Last Dragon with blazing eyes. ¡°From this point on, you and I are one body.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Any attack made against you will be the same as attacking me! Here, you can just take me now! What are you doing? Just take me away!¡± Yeriel clutched the Last Dragon¡¯s hands and collapsed into her clutches. ¡°¡­¡± The Last Dragon became speechless at Yeriel¡¯s abrupt change of attitude. Then, she calmly turned back to Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°That¡¯s what she said. So, can I take her with me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s already mine. That¡¯s the price she promised me for getting the toharis.¡± ¡°Hm. What to do? If that¡¯s true, we both have equal authority over this child¡­¡± The Last Dragon pondered about this and talked as if she had a good idea. ¡°All right then, we can make this child our foster daughter. We won¡¯t have any problems then.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Ah, for your information, I¡¯m fine with being the second. It¡¯s okay even if I¡¯m not the first,¡± she said not to Chi-Woo, but to Evelyn. Evelyn was about to protest, but nodded after organizing her thoughts. ¡°That changes things. It¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± ¡°Then I will take that as you giving me permission. I will call you sister from now on.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s work together.¡± The two conversed and carried on without a care for the person they were actually talking about. Yeriel, who had just been made their daughter, dived into the ocean of gems, and Evelyn watched her like a great mother would. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. He suddenly had a great desire to see his brother. ¡°I don¡¯t need it right at this moment, but could you also tell me the technology you used to set up the defense system in the AI Armor?¡± The Last Dragon made a sly attempt to exploit Yeriel¡¯s moment of extreme joy. ¡°No.¡± Thankfully, Yeriel hadn¡¯t completely lost her mind. ¡°Even if I want to tell you in detail, I can¡¯t because even I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Hm, how should I put it? It was a bit out of luck that the low-end AI Armor came out so nicely.¡± The most Yeriel could do was manipulate the alloy; after changing the composition of the alloy, she made it accept mana and refined it. Yet when she opened the lid of the furnace and saw the final product, she was surprised to see a result that exceeded her expectations. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact reason, but it¡¯s probably because of the toharis.¡± Toharis were a fire that moved of their own will. They were used to produce all AI Armors. And in the process of making the product, it seemed the toharis¡¯ will to protect their users was passed on to it. Yeriel said that was the only explanation and focused on the gems around her again. ¡°I see.¡± After confirming that Yeriel wasn¡¯t lying, the Last Dragon accepted her answer. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time I had this thought¡­but there¡¯s always a reason behind your actions. No, should I say that things always fall perfectly in place? It really is amazing.¡± The toharis that Chi-Woo got after much hardship superseded his expectations. It was then Chi-Woo became caught in a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. As soon as he got an ability that would allow him to connect with the AI Armor, the Last Dragon came to him and provided materials for the item. It was too coincidental. Something like this had happened before. Whatever he did, everything fit together perfectly. It wasn¡¯t something he could simply be happy about because a difficult test always followed a fortune like this. It was then Chi-Woo suddenly got an ominous feeling. Now that he thought about it, there was no way the Last Dragon would have come all the way to Shalyh for any reason. ¡°Hm¡­it¡¯s not like I¡¯m giving these away for free, but why do I feel a bit sad?¡± The Last Dragon commented while watching Yeriel humming and shoveling one bucketful of precious gems after another into her belongings. ¡°Just endure it, sister. She¡¯s our daughter,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Fufu. I suppose such is the way a mother thinks. How great is motherly love.¡± After hearing Evelyn and the Last Dragon talk back and forth for a bit, Chi-Woo interjected. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The Last Dragon said without even turning around. Her eyes were fixed on Yeriel, who was cleaning away the entire area. ¡°Did you come all the way here for the AI Armor?¡± The Last Dragon glanced at Chi-Woo from the corner of her eyes. Then, her eyes widened, and her mouth gaped slightly open. ¡°¡­Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± CH 369 Chi-Woo felt a slight awkwardness from the way the Last Dragon talked. It was as if she had just realized her main objective. Rather than having forgotten about it, it felt more like she had been thinking about it the whole time but was hesitating for some unknown reason. Chi-Woo wondered what it was that such a powerful existence like her was hesitating¡­ It felt ominous. ¡°Yeah, I have to tell you. Since I came here to finish this for good¡­ But, before that.¡± The Last Dragon sighed and raised her head to glance at Chi-Woo. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else. Considering the issue at hand, I want to talk to you alone¡­no, there¡¯s no need to move, since I can just change the space.¡± Before Chi-Woo could even say, ¡®Then let¡¯s move to the drawing room¡¯, the Last Dragon made her suggestion first. Come to think of it, the same thing had happened when he first met her at the outpost near the Hala Forest. As someone who could read others¡¯ thoughts, it wasn¡¯t hard for the Last Dragon to continue the conversation all on her own. ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing him for a while. I hope that¡¯s okay with you?¡± the Last Dragon smiled and asked Evelyn. Evelyn took a few steps back without a word. There had been a bit of playfulness before in the Last Dragon¡¯s tone, but not anymore. It was almost jarring how serious the atmosphere between Chi-Woo and the Last Dragon had suddenly become. The Last Dragon flicked her fingers, and the space changed. It was a stone room with nothing but a sofa. ¡°Sit down. Let¡¯s start talking after you sit down. I ask for your understanding in advance, since the conversation is going to get a bit long.¡± When Chi-Woo found a suitable seat, the Last Dragon sat opposite of him. Although she said the conversation would start after sitting down, she didn¡¯t open her mouth. She sat with her legs crossed and moved her thumbs for a while without a word. Rather than rushing her, Chi-Woo decided to wait patiently because it looked as if the Last Dragon was trying to organize her thoughts and wondering how to relay this information to him. ¡°¡­Currently.¡± About ten minutes had passed when the Last Dragon finally began talking. ¡°I believe that you¡¯re aware of some of the threats we¡¯re about to face to a certain extent. I have so much to say that I don¡¯t know where to begin¡­but I¡¯ll get straight to the topic.¡± The Last Dragon raised her head and faced Chi-Woo. Then she said, ¡°Give up Shalyh.¡± We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. Chi-Woo unconsciously focused on his sight. ¡°It¡¯s not too late. Get ready to withdraw now and come to the mountain range. I¡¯ll set up a base for humanity.¡± To withdraw from Shalyh¡ªChi-Woo had nary a clue whether this was a threat, an order, or a suggestion. Whatever it was, he wasn¡¯t going to follow her words. ¡°Of course, if I talk about it like this, you won¡¯t be able to accept it.¡± Chi-Woo stopped thinking and gazed at the Last Dragon while exhaling the breath he was holding. ¡°¡­This comes as a surprise.¡± Although his mind was in chaos, his voice was calm. ¡°I thought you came here to tell me about Asha Dubulola.¡± The issue was too serious to easily gloss over. The Last Dragon smiled brightly and said, ¡°If that were the only thing I have to tell you, there would be no need for me to come all the way here in person.¡± Chi-Woo inwardly agreed. The Last Dragon let out a long sigh. ¡°Just to make it clear. This isn¡¯t a threat, and it¡¯s definitely not an order. It¡¯s also too ambiguous to call it a request.¡± Chi-Woo looked at her with a questioning gaze, and the Last Dragon continued, ¡°If I have to specify, it¡¯s more like I¡¯m passing this problem onto you.¡± She clasped her hands. ¡°Currently, humanity is put at a disadvantage with the legend¡¯s absence. Some are saying that humanity is nothing without the legend, but I don¡¯t think so.¡± Although the legend was absent, it was too early to say that humanity was over. There was still a figure in humanity who could fill the gap the legend left, at least that was what the Last Dragon thought. She said, ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to think of you at the same level as your brother and continue this conversation. Will that be okay with you?¡± In other words, she was asking if he could bear all responsibility for future decisions as the leader of humanity. It would be a lie if Chi-Woo said he didn¡¯t feel pressured, but he couldn¡¯t back down now. He nodded with determination. ¡°I¡¯m sure you must have felt very resentful.¡± The Last Dragon began. ¡°You stepped up for the League several times, but this is the treatment you received in the end. You must have felt upset and disappointed.¡± If the Last Dragon was referring to his meeting with Ariel, who was the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, he couldn¡¯t deny her words. The Last Dragon continued, ¡°On one hand, it¡¯ll be hard for you to understand what the League, one of the four major factions, is so afraid of, and you¡¯re probably wondering whether we¡¯re just trying to retreat and crouch in fear.¡± This was true. Other than subjugating the Hala Forest, Chi-Woo had fulfilled numerous tasks besides successfully defended Shalyh and destroying the outpost defended by two great demons. Since entering as the seventh recruit team, Chi-Woo had been active on the stage called Liber. Looking back, nothing had ever come easy; he had felt extremely grieved and wondered why he had to intensely suffer on the brink of death every single damn time. On the contrary, this meant that the path Chi-Woo had walked so far had been nothing short of amazing; he had successfully accomplished tasks that everyone deemed impossible. Not once or twice, but numerous times. The League must have at least known some, if not all, of his accomplishments; then they should have some faith in him by now. Even though his brother was absent, they should trust and support humanity for Chi-Woo¡¯s sake. However, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case when he faced one of the top League members in person. ¡°It¡¯s not that we¡¯re unaware of the merits you¡¯ve made so far. Even though there are those who don¡¯t know your face, your reputation has spread somewhat in the League. If there is someone who doesn¡¯t know you at all, they¡¯re not one of us.¡± It was as the Last Dragon had said. Ariel was a prime example. Although her attitude was awful, she hadn¡¯t openly looked down on Chi-Woo, and she seemed to acknowledge him to a certain extent. ¡®Then why?¡¯ There must be a reason why the League was so nervous and scared. ¡°Nevertheless.¡± The Last Dragon spoke up the next moment as if to answer his question. ¡°This matter is different.¡± She emphasized it once more and continued, ¡°Frankly, our side has not yet reached a complete conclusion. Every time a meeting is held, there is a heated debate. Whether we should help humanity to protect Shalyh or¡ª¡± ¡°Abandon humanity and Shalyh,¡± Chi-Woo, who had only been thinking and listening quietly, suddenly opened his mouth and finished her sentence. ¡°¡­If I add more to that.¡± The Last Dragon didn¡¯t deny his words and added, ¡°They argue that Boboris¡¯ prophecy cannot be ignored.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected remark. Boboris was the dingo he had met after successfully subjugating the Hala Forest through the Last Dragon¡¯s introduction. However, hadn¡¯t she died after committing the forbidden sin of revealing heaven¡¯s secret? ¡°Boboris is clever. She avoided heaven¡¯s punishment by sacrificing her body. Thanks to that, she could save her soul.¡± A thought crossed his mind when Chi-Woo heard that. If the soul was not extinguished, they could call forth the soul through an evocation even if the physical body was gone. ¡°I feel bad for forcing her to come back when she¡¯s finally resting, but¡­we usually follow Boboris¡¯ opinion for big decisions like this.¡± Chi-Woo asked, ¡°What did she say? Did she tell the League to abandon humanity?¡± ¡°If that was the case, I wouldn¡¯t have even come here. I would have forcibly summoned the League members living in Shalyh and strictly controlled humanity¡¯s access to the Cassiubia Mountain Range.¡± However, the Last Dragon had not done this; instead, she just told him to abandon Shalyh and withdraw. By offering a place for them in the Cassiubia Mountain Range, she already showed her willingness to continue the alliance. ¡°Then what did she say that¡­¡± The Last Dragon did not say anything for a moment. She looked up in the air as if she was reminiscing a memory and recited the prophecy. [Right before the three moons are about to cover the sun rising from the last stronghold.] [The windstorm remaining alone will fly and bury two choices in the sky where the will of the World lies.] [Don¡¯t ask for answers. And don¡¯t worry either.] [No matter what choice you make, you can¡¯t stop the total solar eclipse at the present.] [There is always one conclusion, and the end will always be the same.] [If you can¡¯t take back the water that the glory of the past has already spilled.] ¡°This is Boboris¡¯ full prophecy. I¡¯m sure you can roughly grasp what it means. It doesn¡¯t bode well.¡± Chi-Woo nodded unconsciously; he couldn¡¯t fully grasp the meaning, but he could understand one thing. Three moons were trying to cover up the sun, and currently, there was nothing that could stop the total solar eclipse. Boboris had predicted the fall of humanity in Shalyh. Chi-Woo gnawed on his lower lip. ¡°Is Boboris¡¯ prophecy credible?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say that she has never been wrong even once from a macroscopic perspective.¡± That didn¡¯t seem to always be the case for how Boboris had told him to hold onto Yunael at all cost, but Chi-Woo answered, ¡°Even so, a prophecy is just a prophecy. We should refer to it, but we shouldn¡¯t trust it blindly.¡± Chi-Woo thought that there was no such thing as absolute certainty. ¡°Well, if you say so, I guess you can think like that. I respect your opinion.¡± Chi-Woo said, ¡°My brother has jumped into the enemy camp alone to overcome this difficulty and protect Shalyh by all means. Humanity cannot abandon Shalyh and step down while he is still struggling and fighting to protect the city.¡± ¡°To protect Shalyh by all means¡­¡± The Last Dragon said blankly; she didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°I¡¯d like to correct at least that part.¡± She smiled furtively and continued, ¡°Isn¡¯t it more accurate to say it¡¯s for his one and only precious younger brother, and not for Shalyh?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Think about it carefully,¡± the Last Dragon suddenly said in a sharp tone. ¡°Did your brother really tell you to protect Shalyh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Did he tell you to defend the last stronghold of humanity by all means, at all costs?¡± Chi-Woo gaped. [If it¡¯s just me, I would have no problem returning alive. Yeah, but¡­I¡¯m not sure if I will make it in time.] [So endure with all you have. You must stay alive at all costs and endure until I return. At worst, abandon Shalyh and escape to the Cassiubia League. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?] No, Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t. His brother had just told him to stay alive by any means necessary, even if he had to abandon Shalyh and escape to the League. ¡°N-No way, I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Then why did he¡­¡± ¡°When I first heard the news, I doubted my ears because it didn¡¯t sound like him.¡± Chi-Hyun was not the type to enjoy adventure. Instead, he was calculative and cold-hearted and made his move only after formulating thorough plans. But a guy like that had put himself up for a gamble? After thinking carefully, the Last Dragon was able to come to one plausible reason. ¡°Humanity has been too active.¡± The human race had originally been a group that had very low presence and significance. It was a group that had been reduced to livestock or slaves, let alone considered a force to reckon with. Although Chi-Hyun had barely managed to keep humanity going, all he could do was maintain its status quo. However, from a certain point of time, they showed signs of rapid change. Those who were just a herd of ants began to rally together and get stronger, but even so, ants were just ants in the end. However, as if to mock the assumption, the ants began to disturb the grassland little by little. They began to hunt down carnivores who were confidently strolling in their territories. By that time, it became difficult to think of humanity as merely a herd of ants anymore. The Demon Empire was a prime example of this. Were demons hunted down easily because they were idiots? No, that was not the case. The fact that the Demon Empire was one of the major four factions in a chaotic and crazy world like Liber meant that it had a sizable force, but they were one-sidedly beaten into shreds. Then the other factions had no choice but to think like this¡ªah, humanity was not just a swarm of fire ants. It was a pride of lions with sharp fangs. The others had no choice but to become nervous. With fire ignited in their gaze, they would find the one responsible for leading the pack¡¯s advance. And they were going to kill him before he became the king of beasts. In fact, it was safe to say that Chi-Woo was already attracting some attention. It was not just the Sernitas. The Demon Empire and the Abyss would also try to identify the human who had disturbed the original balance. However, Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t let that be, so he had thrown himself onto the gambling table. By becoming an appetizing bait on his own, Chi-Hyun successfully attracted a lot of the attention that was steadily encroaching on his younger brother. ¡°That guy¡­he cares about you so dearly.¡± The Last Dragon went on calmly. ¡°To the extent that he felt anxious just by the mere fact that extremely dangerous beings were looking at his brother.¡± Chi-Woo squeezed his eyes shut. If he could, he would have called her a liar, but it was not a lie. His brother really intended to destroy the Sky Castle, and his action hadn¡¯t originated from a grand cause, but a very personal reason. Chi-Woo barely managed to open his eyes. ¡°If we withdraw from Shalyh¡­¡± ¡°The other factions will be quiet for a while since they achieved the desired goal of breaking the unknown lion¡¯s spirit. Then they¡¯ll probably work together to deal with the legend that went wild, and that¡¯s what Chi-Hyun was probably hoping for.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t step down from Shalyh¡­¡± ¡°Then they¡¯ll leave the legend alone for a while and focus on Shalyh. They¡¯ll probably come all fired up, wondering who the hell has been stirring up so much trouble in their territories.¡± Chi-Woo bit his lower lip. He could see that at least one of the prophecies was correct. There was only one conclusion, and he needed to use Shalyh as bait for his brother. However, the situation was different from what his brother had done. His brother only risked his own life, but using Shalyh as bait meant putting thousands of lives at risk. Chi-Woo struggled to ask, ¡°Is there a¡­way out of this situation?¡± ¡°There is a way.¡± His eyes opened wide at her answer. ¡°There is always one conclusion, and the end will always be the same¡­there lies a clue to a way to reverse this prophecy.¡± As the Last Dragon said, the last line of the prophecy stated, ¡®If you can¡¯t take back the water that the glory of the past has already spilled.¡¯ By spilled water¡­ ¡°I have a hunch.¡± The Last Dragon straightened her back. ¡°From now on¡ª¡± She looked at him with an extremely solemn expression and a stern look. ¡°On behalf of the League, I¡¯ll make a very unreasonable request to you.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°It¡¯s truly a ridiculous request. After hearing it, I¡¯ll quietly accept it even if you mock and spit at my face.¡± What was she going to say that she was going so far? ¡°In the face of the looming threat, the League will help humanity defend Shalyh with all its might if¡ª¡± Chi-Woo took a deep breath. He asked while tightly clenching his fist, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Asha Dubulola,¡± the Last Dragon replied plainly. ¡°You must revive the god that the glory of the past has eliminated.¡± CH 370 After everything that happened one after another, they were finally back to the topic of Asha Dubulola. It was unexpected. At most, Chi-Woo thought he would have to restore a god whose influence had weakened and didn¡¯t expect the god to be connected to a huge event like this. Chi-Woo organized his thoughts. ¡°That means in order to mitigate the concerns related to Boboris¡¯ prophecy, we need to revive this god named Asha Dubulola.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the bottom line, but¡­there¡¯s a problem.¡± In the first place, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t expect this task to be easy. If even the Last Dragon was talking about it like this, he would probably have to go through unimaginable difficulty and hardships to accomplish the task. But if he could first secure Asha Dubulola¡¯s location, reviving the god would be the easy part. ¡°Currently, it¡¯s considered impossible to revive Asha Dubulola,¡± the Last Dragon said, and her following words surpassed even Chi-Woo¡¯s expectations. ¡°Because it¡¯s not possible to revive a god that doesn¡¯t exist in the present time.¡± Chi-Woo doubted his own ears. What did she just say¡­? ¡°Asha Dubulola¡­isn¡¯t an existing god?¡± ¡°Currently,¡± the Last Dragon replied. ¡°A god¡¯s disappearance isn¡¯t such a strange thing. A countless number of gods have disappeared and emerged since the Age of Gods.¡± Just like how Kabbalah came into existence from a wish and disappeared after being forgotten, it was understandable that a god that existed in the past would cease to exist in the present. But under their current circumstances, they couldn¡¯t merely accept this fact. They needed to revive Asha Dubulola somehow, and only then would they be able to protect Shalyh. Chi-Woo would only be able to revive the god by offering merits and whatnot if said god was alive, yet Asha Dubulola had already disappeared. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you.¡± The Last Dragon smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s a prophecy that makes no sense.¡± Yes, it was as the Last Dragon said. They couldn¡¯t create something out of anything. It was nonsensical. ¡°¡­What happened to the god?¡± after a long pause, Chi-Woo asked. ¡°¡­It was a long time ago.¡± The Last Dragon raised her head and looked up at the sky as if she was recalling the old times. ¡°A very long time ago. Since this is the twenty-sixth time¡­yes, it was when Liber met its twenty-fifth crisis.¡± ¡°Twenty-fifth crisis?¡± ¡°What? Did you think this is the first time this planet has faced a crisis since its creation?¡± Like how a defeated demon lord could be resurrected centuries later to threaten humanity again, a crisis was never a one-time thing. Overcoming a crisis simply granted them a temporary postponement and time to continue their civilization for a bit longer. The Sernitas was the exception among exceptions, and that wasn¡¯t the case for Liber. Like most other planets, they encountered crises and solved them again and again. ¡°Well, it might not be comparable to the twenty-sixth crisis, but things were no joke during that time either. I thought the planet was going to be ruined once and for all, and there could be nothing worse than what was happening then.¡± The situation was so dire that the unimaginable happened and humanity, the Cassiubia League, and even the Demon Empire joined hands. ¡°It was then¡­when Liber was being saved from its twenty-fifth crisis, that Asha Dubulola ceased to exist,¡± the Last Dragon said bitterly and continued slowly, ¡°Because of one hero.¡± *** ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter?¡± Though the girl was pretending to be calm, her voice couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°I did as you told me.¡± She teared up as she looked up from her seated position. ¡°I did everything you told me until now.¡± She asked again. ¡°You said that you¡¯d save me then.¡± She received no answer. ¡°You said you¡¯d save me! You hooked your pinky with mine and promised!¡± No matter how long she talked, her addressee showed no response. He simply looked down at her with solemn eyes. ¡°¡­Spare me.¡± In the end, she begged for his life. ¡°I have to live.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t die like this. I want to live.¡± No matter how long she talked, nothing changed. Her addressee showed not the slightest change in expression and remained extremely calm. ¡°Why¡­!¡± Yet she didn¡¯t give up, nor did she despair. She continued to plead for her life. Perhaps all of this was a lie or a joke, she hoped, as she longed desperately to stay alive. In the back, a freckled girl with pigtails stood quietly. She extended her hand but stopped because she knew how many miracles and coincidences they had gone through to reach this point. They finally got here after going through experiences they could never replicate. And above all, the back of the figure standing before the girl was telling her that he was tired; he was sick of it all. He wanted to end it now and was telling her to not to step forward no matter what. As if he was reaffirming the freckled girl¡¯s thoughts, the wordless figure before them finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go painlessly.¡± It was a calm voice without a hint of hesitation. The girl on the ground opened her eyes wider as she looked up. The sliver of hope in her gaze was soon clouded with darkness: confusion, rage, shame, fear, sorrow¡­ All sorts of negative emotions whirled inside, and at the end of it, a curse burst out. It wasn¡¯t simply a curse intended to kill her target, but pure venom, filled with all the vengeance and resentment that existed in the world. The girl shrieked out this terrible and foul curse, yet it failed to reach the figure looking down at her. And the figure simply moved his hands with unwavering eyes. *** ¡°¡­That was the seed and source of the twenty-fifth crisis and Asha Dubulola¡¯s fall,¡± the Last Dragon said calmly. ¡°It happened because of him. Asha Dubulola poured out all sorts of poison and broke into many pieces¡­¡± She had been the freckled girl with pigtails who simply watched the situation unfold. Recalling what had happened always left a bitter taste in her mouth. If she hadn¡¯t turned away and instead had reached out at the time¡­what would¡¯ve happened then? ¡°If Asha Dubulola was broken to pieces, can¡¯t we just collect the pieces and revive the god?¡± The Last Dragon smiled sadly in response. ¡°Pieces of her resentment probably remain.[1] After all, she poured out a curse deep enough to swallow up a whole world and put it in a crisis. But it¡¯s not such a simple matter.¡± The Last Dragon sighed. ¡°Asha Dubulola was broken very thoroughly at that time. So thoroughly that their godly existence was completely wiped out.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Chi-Woo was speechless. That meant there was really nothing they could do in the present. ¡°Yes, in the present,¡± the Last Dragon said after reading Chi-Woo¡¯s mind. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to revive Asha Dubulola. It¡¯s to return to the past.¡± In other words, they needed to change the cause of the result. He needed to stop the events leading to Asha Dubulola¡¯s fall before they happened. The Last Dragon smiled. ¡°Do you think you can do it?¡± *** As the Last Dragon had warned him, the story surrounding Asha Dubulola was long, but there was a conclusion in the end. When the Last Dragon warped them back to the Seven Stars office, Yeriel threw a tantrum that she hadn¡¯t finished getting everything she needed. But when Evelyn pointed out that Yeriel had taken everything from the room and had even been crushing the minerals, Yeriel suppressed herself again. ¡°Remember, the Cassiubia League¡¯s mountain range is always open to you all,¡± the Last Dragon said. Since she had attended to all the matters she came here for, the Last Dragon got ready to leave. But right before she did, Chi-Woo said, ¡°I have one more¡­question to ask you.¡± ¡°Before we went to retrieve the toharis, you said that you¡¯d tell me the path leading to Asha Dubulola,¡± Chi-Woo said. That was what was said in the document Noel got from the Cassiubia League. The past and present were opposites of one another, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what the Last Dragon was truly thinking in her heart. The Last Dragon stopped when she was about to take flight. ¡°I came here as a representative of the Cassiubia League. And¡­¡± The Last Dragon turned around and smiled at Chi-Woo. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? That I¡¯m relaying a prophecy to you and not a request.¡± With those cryptic parting words, the Last Dragon flew up into the night sky. When Shalyh became a small dot in her view, the Last Dragon muttered to herself, ¡°It¡¯s surprising.¡± She had placed an unbelievable condition: it was for Chi-Woo to go back to the past and undo an event, making it so that it had never happened before. She had told Chi-Woo while being fully aware that she could be treated like a lunatic or a mad person, yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say he couldn¡¯t do it; instead, he didn¡¯t appear to oppose the idea. He didn¡¯t necessarily say he would do it, but he didn¡¯t say no either. It was as if he knew a way to surpass time and space and change the past. ¡°Should I have just told him everything?¡± The Last Dragon hadn¡¯t actually told Chi-Woo all of Boboris¡¯ prophecy. There was more at the end that she left out. The remaining section was something that nobody else from even the Cassiubia League knew because of how shocking it was. [If you fail to overturn what has already been turned, wait for your time patiently.] [You might be able to get the postponement you wished for, but in the end, one that has become complete would swallow everything.] [But if you manage to overturn what has already been turned, the current four would become three.] [And not long after, the three would become four again.] ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it. To us from the past,¡± the Last Dragon let out a short burst of laughter. *** After being chased for several weeks in a row, Chi-Hyun stopped flying for the first time and landed on the ground. He scanned his surroundings and let out a long sigh. ¡®They aren¡¯t following me around anymore.¡¯ When he ruined the Sky Castle and left, the Sernitas had fiercely pursued him. But as days passed, their pursuit slowed down and became less noticeable. It seemed they had a different goal than capturing him or killing him. Regardless, it was impossible for him to run away forever like this. In the very beginning, the Sernitas had mobilized a giant army and launched a siege from the sky to the earth and the waters. If he was captured like this, even Chi-Hyun wouldn¡¯t be able to escape unscathed. And he already made up his mind to battle in this state. However, his enemy was neither venturing further nor letting him get away. It seemed they were surveilling him so that he wouldn¡¯t escape, which would suggest that they wanted him to calmly stay put instead of going anywhere for a while. This behavior seemed to mean only one thing, and Chi-Hyun thought his aim was fulfilled to some extent. With this, the choice was passed onto Shalyh. They had to decide whether they would endure with all they had or obediently back away. ¡®Please¡­¡¯ Chi-Hyun looked anxiously in the direction where Shalyh stood. *** Meanwhile, the Demon Empire was peaceful. The air was chilly and quiet like the calm before the storm. The Demon Empire¡¯s General Assembly finally came to an end. And today, after everything was decided, one great demon walked across the castle alone. She walked down and down until she reached the entrance to a very deep basement. Inside the wide room where there was only one small window, a woman was sitting alone. The woman sat where the moonlight shone through the window and lit her white hair in mystical lights. She turned around when she heard the door open, and seeing the figure walking inside, Shersha¡¯s mouth opened slightly. ¡°Bael,¡± she said. ¡°Today, the General Assembly came to an end,¡± Bael said as soon as she came in. Shersha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No.¡± She shook her head rapidly. ¡°It was decided that we will respond as soon as the matter is settled. You have to accept it,¡± Bael said firmly. ¡°No, Bael. No, please.¡± ¡°The legend has jumped inside Sernitas¡¯ territory alone.¡± ¡°We¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no better time than this.¡± Shersha was about to say something, but Bael cut her off immediately every time. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but you don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore.¡± Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That will no longer be enough to shake us.¡± Shersha¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°We¡¯ll soon find the last piece of resentment. Then we will grasp the surest catalyst for our goal,¡± Bael said calmly and hesitated a bit. ¡°Truthfully, I can¡¯t believe it either, but¡­I know that guy will come to regret his decision.¡± ¡°Regret? Goal?¡± Shersha said sharply. ¡°All. We Can. Earn. Is postponement.¡± Bael¡¯s eyes narrowed. Shersha said, ¡°We. Can. still. Revert things.¡± ¡°¡­You said it yourself. A prophecy is simply something to bear in mind. You can¡¯t swear upon it,¡± Bael said coldly and turned away. ¡°So, that¡¯s what I plan to do.¡± ¡°Bael!¡± Shersha cried out pleadingly and shot to her feet, but Bael left and closed the door. She heard Shersha knocking on the door, but she walked up the stairs without hesitation. Even after she passed the basement and reached the first floor, she could still hear the bangs. It was as if Shersha was trying to pull her back somehow. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s trying to hide or protect¡­¡± Bael murmured to herself while walking across the corridor. She stopped and looked toward one place. Then she muttered while thinking of one person supposedly with the Sernitas. ¡°These are the words I need to pass onto you: ¡®You should feel the same feeling as we did¡¯.¡± Today, Bael made a decision that would decide the fate of the Demon Empire. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it. To us from the past,¡± Bael said. The Last Dragon had told them a path forward after Chi-Hyun jumped in to shake up the existing system. The thoughts, joys, and sorrows of three great existences crossed. *** Clack. Deep into the night, clacking sounds continued to come out of Chi-Woo¡¯s palm as he contemplated deeply inside his room alone. Every time he moved his hand, something collided against his fingers. Sometime later, the sound stopped, and Chi-Woo gradually opened his hand. The next moment, the die dropped from his palm and fell without stopping. 1. The Last Dragon uses the word sa-nyum here. Rooted in Buddhist theology, when someone thinks something hard enough, it is said that they leave their thoughts and feelings in that location called sa-nyum. It tends to be a negative emotion like vengeance or obsession. ? CH 371 After the Last Dragon left, Chi-Woo returned to his office and sat down, pondering the whole night. He needed to revive Asha Dubulola, and in order to do that, he needed to go back to the past. There was a way to do this: by using the World¡¯s Milestone. He had gone through a similar experience in the past. Thanks to rolling the die and going to the future, he was able to prevent Shalyh¡¯s destruction. However, that destruction had only been delayed at the time and was about to arrive again¡ªmany times more threatening than before. Their current situation differed from that time in two ways. First, he needed to go back to the past, not the future. Second, the scale of the mission was different. If the work he had done was like playing with fire, now he needed to burn down an entire mountain. Nevertheless, his heart was already leaning toward using the die. Since he wasn¡¯t certain, though, he found it hard to loosen his grip to let the die go. There wasn¡¯t a guarantee that rolling the die would allow him to go back to the past, and it would be a disaster if he rolled 1 to 3, since the resulting unfavorable conditions could also affect his brother. Having to take on at least 43 percent of the risk was tantamount to gambling. His brother had also told him to not carelessly use the World¡¯s Milestone, and if he really wanted to use it, he should discuss the matter with him. Although Chi-Woo had kept his promise well so far, he was not in the position to do so anymore. Of course, he had no intention to hesitate because of a promise even in a situation like this. It was just that he had to keep asking himself if there was really no other way. Although he didn¡¯t want to depend on luck from the very first try¡­Chi-Woo closed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t think of any other way. In the end, he threw the die, and the result was¡­. [Result: ¡ï¡ï¡ï] [Innate ability [Blessed] Luck consumed (60 ¡ú 57)] [The world¡¯s flow steadily flows towards a designated place.] [Failed. An incident occurs.] ¡°Fuck,¡± He cursed without intending to. As soon as the following message popped up, Chi-Woo closed his eyes tightly because he was afraid to read it. About a dozen seconds later, he suddenly heard a piercing scream in the distance. It was so loud that it even reached his quiet office. Chi-Woo burst open his eyes and hurried outside. The intermittent screams were cut off at some point. Chi-Woo, who had run out in a hurry, stood in front of the door where he heard the sound; it was Aida¡¯s place. Then he heard another flustered voice inside. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chi-Woo slammed open the door and went in, and he saw Yunael hugging and soothing Aida, who was groaning in pain. Aida¡¯s hair and pajamas were soaked in sweat. Her fair face became even paler, and she was trembling like an aspen tree as if she was extremely scared. He had never seen her look so terrified. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. She was sleeping well and suddenly¡­¡± Yunael shook her head while looking at Chi-Woo. Aida wasn¡¯t able to come to her senses for a while. Then a couple other members also heard the sound and gathered around. ¡°Captain¡­¡± Aida managed to say, ¡°Captain¡­in the darkness that fell on Shalyh¡­filled with thoughts of hatred and poison¡­¡± Judging by the gibberish coming out of her mouth, she seemed to still be struggling to regain her senses. Yunael said, ¡°Aida, it¡¯s okay. Nothing will happen.¡± ¡°No!¡± When Yunael tried to comfort her while patting her back, Aida screamed sharply, ¡°How come the World¡­!¡± She shook her head madly to the point where her long hair fluttered. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be! The World¡¯s will was definitely up to the heavens! But! Why¡­!¡± Aida cried out in a loud voice and eventually burst into tears; she seemed to have had a terrifying nightmare. However, considering her situation, it couldn¡¯t have been a simple nightmare. It was probably a type of foresight that emerged as a dream. The Last Dragon¡¯s warning hadn¡¯t just been empty words. ¡°What in the world is happening¡­to Shalyh¡­¡± Aida cried out tearfully. It was clear that even Yunael had never seen Aida react so intensely, and she stared at Chi-Woo blankly, urging him to do something. Then Chi-Woo finally read the message in the air that he had been ignoring. [The darkness has discovered the last piece of resentment that they had been searching for at a quicker pace and completed their grand scheme. With this, the darkness, which has been quiet for a long time, is stretching its arms and ready to roar with a more definite causality than ever before.] Although he didn¡¯t know exactly what it meant, he could understand that this was very bad news, which seemed to have made a big impact on Aida. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s going on?¡± Waking up belatedly, Eval Sevaru rubbed his bleary eyes and asked. ¡°Did someone ambush us?¡± ¡°¡­No,¡± Chi-Woo replied with a despondent face. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Eval Sevaru was flustered. Yunael also looked at him with a questioning gaze. However, it was true. Chi-Woo had failed to roll a successful number. He had lost the gamble and was robbed of their short grace period. Chi-Woo clenched his teeth and said, ¡°Mr. Eval Sevaru.¡± ¡°Yes, please go ahead.¡± ¡°I might go somewhere for a while. Do you remember that I fainted not too long ago?¡± ¡°Yes, well. That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I might do that again. I¡¯m telling you this in advance so you won¡¯t panic. I will wake up on my own when the time comes.¡± Eval Sevaru looked confused. He might go somewhere but he might faint? The words didn¡¯t add up. ¡°What are you saying? Why are you being like this? What happened?¡± Although Yunael asked, Chi-Woo turned away instead of responding. He threw the die, and an incident occurred; there was no turning back. He needed to make up for this somehow. ¡°That guy¡­¡± When Chi-Woo left without a word, Yunael chewed her lips with a face full of discontent. He was acting strange no matter how hard she thought about it. She felt uneasy like he might disappear alone and never come back. Although she had no idea why she felt this way, she was not the type of person to stay still like this. She didn¡¯t know the circumstances, but thought that she should try to hold him back, and she acted immediately. Of course, since she couldn¡¯t go in her pajamas, she needed to change first. Chi-Woo returned to his office and inhaled. Now that the situation had come to this, there was no other way. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he threw the World¡¯s Milestone again, and the die rolled on the desk. [Result: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï] [Innate ability [Blessed] Luck consumed (57 ¡ú 51)] [The world¡¯s flow clearly changes.] [Success. An incident occurs!] Fortunately, it was a success this time. However, the number was six, not seven. Chi-Woo decided to read the message first. [A blessing falls on the Kobalos tribe. Divinity gathers back into the magic fire pit, which had been broken due to extreme overuse. Depending on how you use it, you can delay the intended future for a while.] Knock, knock. ¡°Ah, come on!¡± Chi-Woo angrily yelled. It was not a bad outcome per se. It was one of the results he wanted, but it was not something he needed immediately, even more so when he had a finite amount of Blessed Luck. Chi-Woo threw the World¡¯s Milestone without delay again. The die flew over the air and rolled over the desk once more. ¡®Please, please¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo stared at the die with bloodshot eyes. It didn¡¯t take long for the World¡¯s Milestone to come to a stop. [Result: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï] [Innate ability [Blessed] Luck consumed (51 ¡ú 44)] [The flow of the world fluctuates and flows back against the current!] [Huge success! An incident occurs.] Knock, knock. Chi-Woo clenched his fist. This was it. However, it wasn¡¯t over yet. It remained to be seen what would emerge. [A long time ago. A time so long ago that what happened then was passed down only as a legend, one hero made a decision to save a world with frequent cycles of crises for good. At that time, there was no way to know whether the choice was right or wrong. The only thing that was clear was that the choice was leading to a distant future. At this rate, more than half of the World¡¯s grudges that have been waiting for the right time would erupt completely.] [To change this result, you need to change the cause. You need to change the choice at the time and correct the past. However, you only have one chance to do it.] At that moment, Chi-Woo, who was focusing all his attention on the message, heard another knock. ¡°Geez, why aren¡¯t you answering me?!¡± Yunael burst through the door angrily. Search "pawread dot com" for the original. [The current time axis will stop. The flow of time and space will be fixed only around the user.] Everything around him stopped, as if they had become frozen. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± Yunael also stopped in front of the desk; nothing but her voice came out of her open mouth. It was the same for Chi-Woo; his body didn¡¯t move even an inch. They could only exchange gazes with each other; Yunael looked at him, asking what the hell he was doing, and Chi-Woo asked her with his eyes why she had come. [Rewind begins.] The moment the following message appeared in the air, everything started to move except the frozen area. Chi-Woo and Yunael held their breaths as the desk, the door, the window, and the walls began to disappear one by one. It looked like a time-lapse video of a construction being played backward. At first, things disappeared slowly, but then the process gradually accelerated. In the blink of an eye, all the buildings were demolished. Then a little later, the city turned into ruins, and they could see the Demon Empire confronting the League. It was when they fought with Vepar. They went further back in time, and the scene of Shalyh in ruins continued for a while, but at some point, the destroyed city began to rise up again. When Chi-Woo came to his senses, countless people were busily moving about. Considering that he couldn¡¯t recognize anyone, it seemed to be during the past when Shalyh had been a flourishing city. The end was not yet in sight. No, this was merely the beginning. The rewind accelerated, and Yunael made a shrill sound. ¡°What the hell¡­!¡± It rewinded to the point where they didn¡¯t know how far they''d gone back. * * * Chi-Hyun punched in the password and opened the front door. Then the interior of the house he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time appeared before his eyes. ¡°Chi-Hyun, you came back?¡± When he went in after taking off his shoes, his mother came out and warmly greeted him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but you came back sooner than I thought this time. In 1 year and 2 months¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 52 years.¡± Elrich paused. ¡°It was pretty difficult,¡± Chi-Hyun calmly continued with a slightly tired voice. ¡°I needed to regress about ten times so¡­¡± His mother looked at him with pity; soon, she smiled and hurriedly put on her apron. ¡°You should rest for now. I¡¯ll cook for you. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Mother, your food is not go¡ª¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Chi-Woo?¡± Chi-Hyun immediately changed the subject. Then his mother¡¯s expression noticeably darkened. Rather than asking further, he looked around the house. He saw something small sitting alone in the living room; his brother turned around, seemingly having felt his gaze. When Chi-Hyun met his brother¡¯s empty eyes, he looked away unconsciously because there was something indescribably chilling about them. ¡°I¡¯ll take a break. I think I need to get some sleep.¡± ¡°Yeah, you should. Mr. Suho will be back around tomorrow evening, so let¡¯s have a family meal we haven¡¯t had for a long while.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded and was about to enter his room. ¡°You can quit.¡± Hearing a murmur, Chi-Hyun paused. His brother spoke with his head turned towards him and continued with an empty voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case,¡± Chi-Hyun answered in a nonchalant manner. ¡°I¡¯m dying to do it.¡± His brother didn¡¯t respond, and as soon as Chi-Hyun entered his room, he opened his closet. He picked up a snack that he had carefully left behind and turned on the TV while lying down on the sofa. From the corners of his eye, he saw his brother sitting absent-mindedly on one side. ¡°¡­You want one?¡± He offered a piece, and his brother shook his head. The snack that he offered went into Chi-Hyun¡¯s mouth. Nothing that was going on in the TV registered in his head. Everything felt different. Chi-Hyun looked at the screen with hollow eyes for a while and then closed his eyes. He had finally returned home after enduring 52 years. He needed to get some sleep first. When he woke up, he thought he should eat a bowl of gukbap. However, his wish did not come true because he heard an alarm rang relentlessly in his head at the crack of dawn. Chi-Hyun prepared to go out immediately because it was definitely an emergency. ¡°No, what¡­!¡± His mother got angry, saying it was ridiculous considering that it¡¯d been less than a day since he came back. ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this, Chi-Hyun. Just rest. I¡¯ll go this time so¡ª¡± ¡°Mother, it¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Hyun answered flatly and tied his shoelaces tightly before standing up. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± He opened the front door and left. His mother reached out to grab him but faltered. When he gradually moved further away, she could only stare at his back until he disappeared into the elevator while the morning breeze swept him by. In the end, she couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°¡­¡± Because she knew about the ¡®karma¡¯ Chi-Hyun had decided to carry on his shoulders as the eldest son and the older brother. CH 372 There was a boat waiting at the dock. ¡°It¡¯s not even the next day, but I¡¯m seeing you again,¡± a middle-aged man with a full beard said, looking at Chi-Hyun pitifully as he quietly got onto the boat. ¡°You look tired. Why don¡¯t you sleep a bit on the way? I will wake you when we arrive.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded and closed his eyes. After some time, the boat arrived at an island, and Chi-Hyun got off. He walked up a mountain and down to the crater. On his way into the cave, his face looked lifeless. He looked extremely tired and worn out. Yet the moment he passed through the portal, he showed no sign of any of that. His eyes emitted a frigid chill while his lips were firmly pressed together. Chi-Hyun was entering the Celestial Realm as a hero. ¡ªPraise the light! Angels lined up on both sides and exclaimed, but Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t even spare them a glance. He didn¡¯t seem to feel any emotions or feelings. He entered his family¡¯s private lounge and buried himself into a sofa, waiting quietly. Soon afterward, there was a commotion outside. The door opened, and an angel with a cold impression and cascading blonde hair walked inside. It was Laguel. ¡°Thank you for coming, sir.¡± Laguel bowed politely and gulped. ¡°I apologize. An incident we failed to account for has occurred, and we sincerely regret having to call for you¡ª¡± But Laguel couldn¡¯t finish her sentence when she saw Chi-Hyun¡¯s dazed, empty eyes. After all the time they had spent together, she could recognize two truths from this look. First of all, Chi-Hyun¡¯s mood was terrible. Second, she would only be fueling his anger further if she didn¡¯t dive into the main topic right away. ¡°It¡¯s that world again?¡± Fortunately, Chi-Hyun asked first. Laguel nodded. There were many things she wanted to say, but she swallowed them down. At times like this, she simply needed to immediately answer the questions asked. ¡°How many times has it been?¡± ¡°This is the 25th time.¡± ¡°How far apart were the last five crises?¡± Laguel replied faithfully. The 21st crisis happened 255 years after the 20th crisis. Then the 22nd happened after 209 years, the 23rd after 152 years, the 24th after 106 years, and the 25th after¡­ ¡°71 years,¡± Laguel said. ¡°71 years is¡­too short,¡± Chi-Hyun murmured to himself. ¡°The cycle is getting more frequent too,¡± Chi-Hyun rubbed at his temples and said, ¡°It¡¯s not normal.¡± How could a world face a crisis big enough to cause its entire ruin three times in one era? There had been no such case anywhere. Even a century was too short for such an occurrence. It was normal for a world to remain peaceful for a couple of centuries before it faced another crisis. That was the law of this universe. If a crisis occurred after only 71 years, there was clearly a problem with the world. ¡°When I saved it from its 19th crisis, there wasn¡¯t any unresolved problem,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°Well¡­¡± Laguel hesitated and carefully continued, ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed cracks inside its world.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyebrow rose. ¡°We are still investigating, but our speculation is that the cracks have formed after the 20th crisis.¡± As a warrior, a hero was so strong that it was difficult for them to find a worthy opponent, let alone die at someone¡¯s hands. Even while facing dangers that would¡¯ve killed most, they miraculously survived and pushed through. That was all thanks to the World¡¯s backup. In other words, a hero needed the World¡¯s powers. One had to remember that even this power wasn¡¯t infinite. Compared to the vast universe, one planet¡¯s energy was very limited, and there was a limit to how much one could take from it. Naturally, problems arose when too much of this energy was taken away. It wasn¡¯t such an abnormal thing for a problem like this to arise. Like how the ozone layer gradually recovered after the use of CFC was banned, one crisis wouldn¡¯t escalate into a greater problem if the world was saved. The world would naturally heal itself. Yet the planet in question wasn¡¯t doing that. After its 20th crisis, it wasn¡¯t given enough time to restore its cracks, and at the same time, the period between each crisis was becoming shorter. Thus, these cracks were getting bigger and bigger until they became noticeable from the surface. In such an unstable world, it wasn¡¯t strange that all sorts of abnormalities would be taking place. Chi-Hyun stroked the edge of his nose. ¡°This is a huge headache. How did this happen¡­?¡± What kind of complete idiots crawled inside the planet after its 20th crisis that things of this sort were happening? It was obvious. The Celestial Realm had drastically widened the scope of heroes they recruited instead of handpicking a selective number of individuals who had been thoroughly assessed. This caused all sorts of problems. Though they were able to save many more worlds thanks to this change, events that could¡¯ve been prevented before began to arise¡ªjust like now. There was no way a planet that had undergone only an event at stellar system scale for its 19th time would reach a state like this. ¡°I have no excuses¡­¡± Laguel said apologetically. ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest a bit for now? As soon as I get more detailed information, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Laguel had to stop when Chi-Hyun waved his hand with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go immediately, so get prepared.¡± There was no need to wait. He would figure out the details once he was there and solve the problem himself. ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡± Laguel bowed at 90 degrees and backed away. Chi-Hyun was left alone inside the room again, and he sank deeper into the sofa. He closed his eyes and became lost in his thoughts¡­ Now that he thought about it, he recalled saying that he would have gukbap when he woke up this morning. It seemed he needed to push that off for a bit. He was craving many other dishes besides gukbap, and he wondered how long it would take for him to return this time. ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard,¡± Chi-Hyun murmured to himself and suddenly opened his eyes. Then, he got up, opened the door, and headed to the transmission waiting room. He was setting out for NS21, Liber. *** The transmission began and ended. As soon as Chi-Hyun got out of the pillar of lights, he saw a thick cluster of people. ¡°Oh! Finally, a hero¡­!¡± An old man wearing a crown stepped forward to greet him. ¡°Welcome, oh hero. I¡¯m the emperor ruling over this empire¡ª¡± ¡°Where?¡± Chi-Hyun had already brushed past the emperor. He looked over his shoulder at the man as he staggered with his hands extended. ¡°What, yes? No, give me a moment!¡± Chi-Hyun stopped walking. ¡°Since about seven to eight hundred years have passed, Hailo and Aila must have already died.¡± A look of great surprise flashed through the emperor¡¯s face. The names Chi-Hyun just mentioned were the first emperor and empress who had founded the current empire. ¡°Besides those two, there should be a blockhead lizard who thinks she¡¯s cute and a dingo whose fart smells so bad that it''s basically poisonous gas.¡± The emperor was astonished. A few visitors had come to this place and had been waiting for the hero to arrive. But they weren¡¯t someone one would dare to call a lizard or a blockhead. This meant either this hero was a completely impudent bastard whose character didn¡¯t befit a hero, or he was an existence so legendary that he could call the dragon¡¯s successor and the wise sage dingo such names. While thinking this, the emperor recalled the great tales of the hero who had helped save the world when this current empire was first established. According to the legends, this hero surpassed all others, and he was a hero who other heroes admired¡ªthe Celestial Realm¡¯s legend. Soon, the emperor¡¯s expression of discontent changed to one of awe and trust. ¡°Yes, they are waiting at the temple of the gods.¡± ¡°Is the location the same as before?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve only repaired it. It has never moved locations since it was first built, sir.¡± Chi-Hyun whirled around without responding. He didn¡¯t have time to linger around the place he had visited centuries ago. When he entered the temple, he saw a couple of people waiting for him as he expected. Their faces looked a bit different from what he remembered. ¡°As I thought!¡± The girl with freckles and pigtails looked overjoyed to see Chi-Hyun stomp toward them. ¡°See? I was right. I told you he was definitely going to come this time.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, certainly.¡± A small raccoon-like creature glanced at him. She averted her eyes in embarrassment the moment their eyes met. ¡°It¡¯s been¡­a while.¡± ¡°Yes, it''s been a while. Dingo,¡± Chi-Hyun responded indifferently, and the dingo pouted in disappointment. ¡°You are as rude as ever. You could¡¯ve at least called us by our names since it¡¯s our reunion.¡± ¡°I got it, Bangboris.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± The dingo jumped up. ¡°It¡¯s not Bangboris, but Boboris!¡± ¡°Is that so? There¡¯s something I remember more deeply than your name, so intense that I still can¡¯t erase it from my mind,¡± Chi-Hyun said in the same tone throughout and took a seat at the round table. ¡°Besides that, this is a surprise¡­¡± Chi-Hyun continued while ignoring Boboris as she jumped up and down in anger. He looked at the remaining person sitting in front of him. The figure was staring far off into the distance when nothing existed there. ¡°What?¡± the figure asked in a slightly agitated voice. ¡°Are you surprised that a dirty and vile demon is here?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­Then what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised that a runny-nose crybaby who had cried about revenge is still alive and sitting with me.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± The great demon, Bael, slammed the round table and got up. ¡°Do you think I am the same as before?¡± ¡°Looks like it.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, stop.¡± As Bael trembled in fury, the freckled girl intervened. ¡°It¡¯s nice to share your greetings, but don¡¯t we have more important matters to take care of?¡± Bael gritted her teeth, but seeing that she calmly sat back down, it seemed the situation was truly urgent. There was the emperor¡¯s attitude too, but the fact that a great demon like Bael was also attending the meeting made the situation at Liber more than clear to Chi-Hyun. ¡°What do the people from above think about this place¡¯s situation?¡± the freckled girl asked. ¡°They think a problem formed in this world because of some idiot¡ªquite some time ago.¡± ¡°As expected, that¡¯s the case.¡± The girl nodded. ¡°In some ways, it¡¯s because of you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯d numbed our senses because of how great you were. It made us trust all the heroes who came from the Celestial Realm too much.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to spout more nonsense, get out of this meeting.¡± ¡°Haha, it was a joke. A joke.¡± The girl waved her hands and sighed. Then her face turned solemn. ¡°But I¡¯m not lying. The hero who came after you was¡­considerably lacking. It¡¯s only natural that he couldn¡¯t compare to you, of course, but how should I say this? Even with that taken into consideration¡­the hero was so lacking it made me question his qualifications.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He kept wandering aimlessly after receiving all sorts of buffs and privileges. Because of that, we suffered big losses, and it also strained the World. It¡¯s not even an exaggeration to say that we saved Liber half by luck and half by force.¡± Chi-Hyun listened quietly. He didn¡¯t seem particularly surprised by the news. ¡°The heroes who came after that for¡­the 21st, 22nd, and the 23rd crises were all the same. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like none of them were decent heroes, but the World had gotten strained after the 20th crisis and never recovered from that.¡± The girl licked her lips. ¡°To tell the truth¡­¡± the girl said, looking at Chi-Hyun while he listened quietly, ¡°I wished that you would¡¯ve come a bit earlier.¡± Before it was too late and things couldn¡¯t be turned around. ¡°There¡¯s no point blaming what happened in the past,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°How is the current situation on Liber?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mess,¡± the girl said. There was no other way to describe it other than a ¡®mess¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s not all. Some mysterious foreign creatures have appeared, plagues are prevalent all around, there¡¯s extreme climate change¡­ Crises that could doom us all on its own are happening simultaneously.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a collection of many apocalypses.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted and shook his head. If it was a matter of dealing with a demon lord who had reached deity status, it would¡¯ve been easier. But Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t know where to begin with a crisis of this level. ¡°First of all, we¡¯ve gathered our heads and tried to think of a solution, but¡­to tell you the truth, nothing seems viable.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Thus, we¡¯re asking for your opinion¡­¡± In addition to the freckled girl, Boboris and Bael also looked at Chi-Hyun a bit warily. If their last thread of hope had no solution, Liber would have to meet its end. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t respond immediately. The way his head was slightly tilted seemed to indicate that he was deeply in thought. It would be normal for him to solve each of the issues one by one. There was a proper sequence of procedures to take when treating a patient suffering from many illnesses. First, porridge or thin rice gruel was fed to the patient so they could gain strength and given mild medicine to stabilize their condition. Then, the patient was fed meat to rejuvenate their lowered energy before they were given strong medicine. Only then could the treatment of the illness begin. That was the proper path to recovery, but they could only follow it if the patient displayed enough stamina to endure. From Chi-Hyun¡¯s perspective, Liber¡¯s World was already backed to the farthest corner. It was gasping for its breath as if it was going to breathe its last any moment now. Considering the situation, Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t simply tell them to endure, nor was there a guarantee that the current situation could be maintained. The World was probably burdened further with his entrance, and they needed to consider the possibility that the situation could get even worse. They didn¡¯t have any more time. Extreme prescriptions were required even if they had to risk the side effects. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. ¡°It¡¯s difficult,¡± Chi-Hyun said after organizing everything that had happened. ¡°We need to solve this matter as fast as possible, but also limit the burden put on Liber¡­¡± These were conditions incompatible with one another. ¡°As I thought¡­it¡¯s hard for you too?¡± the girl said disappointedly. Liber¡¯s fall seemed to be confirmed the moment Chi-Hyun agreed to this point. It was then Chi-Hyun said, ¡°Gordian Knot.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We have to follow the way of Alexander the Great. There¡¯s no other way.¡± The girl didn¡¯t know what in the world Chi-Hyun was talking about, but her eyes sparkled. It sounded like there was a way in the end. The other three also understood this and straightened their postures. ¡°What are you going to do then?¡± ¡°Since I can¡¯t do anything about what has already happened, I will tackle the cause.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°This World,¡± Chi-Hyun tapped the round table with his index finger, ¡°I¡¯ll reset Liber¡¯s World.¡± CH 373 Silence fell in the hall the moment Chi-Hyun finished speaking. Boboris, Bael, and the Last Dragon all became speechless and could only blink. ¡°Uh¡­um¡­¡± The Last Dragon gaped and finally managed to say, ¡°You¡¯re not seriously telling us that to return Liber¡¯s civilization to the primitive era, right?¡± Chi-Hyun snorted; judging by his response, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t speaking in the figurative sense. He really meant that they should reset the World itself to its initial stage. ¡°¡­Is that even possible?¡± the Last Dragon asked carefully. Resetting Liber¡ªit was a different matter from saving a world. Before discussing whether they should do it or not, they wondered if it was possible in the first place. Chi-Hyun¡¯s answer was ¡®yes¡¯. He nodded and said, ¡°Although rare, it has happened a few times in other worlds.¡± Since the universe was infinite, it wasn¡¯t strange that all sorts of things had happened. If there was a precedent, the story completely changed. The Last Dragon asked, ¡°What exactly does it mean to reset the World? I¡¯m curious about the method.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. We kill Liber¡¯s current World.¡± Chi-Hyun continued clearly, ¡°And have a new World born.¡± The three¡¯s expressions stiffened. Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at "pawread dot com" ¡°This is the only way.¡± Everyone looked deeply conflicted. They couldn¡¯t readily agree because they felt uneasy about the option. They did understand Chi-Hyun¡¯s logic. Currently, the crisis faced by Liber was caused by the World going berserk; considering the gravity of the situation, there was no way to return the World to normal at the moment. Chi-Hyun was suggesting they get rid of the source of the problem and create a new World in its place. Using a car as an analogy, he was saying that they should just replace a car with a severely damaged engine instead of trying to fix the engine. It was the simplest and most efficient solution. However, the World could not be compared to a mere car. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Boboris was the first to object. ¡°The death and birth of a World is not something to be taken lightly. Even if this is possible, Liber has to endure without a World until the new World begins to function properly!¡± A world without a World was a sentence that should never be reality. Without a World, there was no way to enforce balance and correct and contain a world that had gone completely off kilter. Boboris made her point by asking if it would be possible to overcome the problems that would occur during that period of time without a World. Although it was a fair point of concern, Chi-Hyun countered in a nonchalant tone, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Until the new World can function properly, Liber will be under the Celestial Realm¡¯s protection. I told you that there has been a case like this before. Since they¡¯ve gained more experience and know-how since then, they¡¯ll manage it properly.¡± ¡°I understand what you mean, but¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± When Boboris wavered, the Last Dragon quietly added, ¡°I don¡¯t feel too good about this either.¡± It was the same for Bael. ¡°No matter how dire the circumstances are, your method is too extreme. It makes me wonder if we really have to go that far.¡± Boboris added, ¡°Yeah, I feel the same way as Bael. Your suggestion is no different from arbitrarily interfering with the laws of the universe.¡± Chi-Hyun was suggesting they mess with an area that they had no knowledge of, and they feared the unknown. Chi-Hyun sighed. ¡°¡­To repeat myself, the problems that Liber currently faces stem from the World.¡± He continued as if even repeating himself like this was wasting his precious time. ¡°In other words, the World, which is supposed to protect Liber¡¯s order, is causing countless problems. Do you still have no idea what that means?¡± No, they did know what he meant. The World couldn¡¯t hold out. In fact, it had already failed to hold out, and what they faced now were the results. Originally, the World should have overcome these problems on its own, but it couldn¡¯t bear the pressure anymore and ended up letting it all out. It was clear that if the World forced itself to endure any longer, it''d burst like a balloon over its limit. Thus, at this point of time, Liber¡¯s World was already finished. ¡°But¡­the World is causing trouble because of the previous heroes.¡± ¡°So?¡± Although Boboris meekly refuted, Chi-Hyun answered indifferently, ¡°Shall I drag all the previous heroes out? Tell them to quickly kneel down and apologize because they were the cause of this problem?¡± He spoke in an icy cold voice, cold enough to make his listener¡¯s ears feel a chill. Boboris closed her mouth because she knew doing that wouldn¡¯t change anything. Since there were no reversing things that had already happened, she understood that they needed to focus on the situation at hand, but even then¡­ ¡°We can go with the standard solution if you want. Although it¡¯s doubtful if we can even find a solution or if the World will be able to hold out until then.¡± They could give it a try, but there was another problem at hand. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Did you know? Liber¡¯s cycle of crisis is becoming noticeably more frequent.¡± Even if they succeeded right now, it would only prevent the immediate crisis. Liber¡¯s World had already become unstable. If there was no way of returning it to normal, they needed to end it. Even if they forced it to hold out for a little longer, it was obvious that another problem would arise sooner or later. ¡°The next crisis will happen in 20 or 30 years. That¡¯s probably its limit.¡± And the crisis would occur in a much more terrifying and horrifying form than before. If nothing was done to change the status quo, the World would deteriorate to the point that there would no longer be anything they could do but wait for another 100 years. They had to make the decision before things got to that point. ¡°If you still don¡¯t understand after all this, it can¡¯t be helped,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°I¡¯m all ears if anyone has a better solution.¡± Silence fell between them. A better solution? There was no such thing. No, even if there was, they wouldn¡¯t dare to even consider it because it was an area that they couldn¡¯t easily mess with. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the World will¡­agree.¡± In the end, the Last Dragon struggled to voice her thoughts; since no proper counterargument came to mind, she was half-forced to agree. ¡°The will of the World doesn¡¯t matter.¡± With this, Chi-Hyun¡¯s intention was clearly conveyed. Now that they had made up their mind to extinguish the present World, it wasn¡¯t even worth considering its will since it was going to die anyway. ¡°But there¡¯s an easier way for the World to go, relatively speaking.¡± ¡°Will it really work out the way we expect?¡± The Last Dragon was still skeptical. ¡°Who knows.¡± Chi-Hyun shrugged and glanced sideways at the magnificent stone statue standing alone. ¡°We have to first talk to Elephthalia.¡± * * * Elephthalia. She was the one and only god representing the will of the World; this meant that she was the main god of Liber. After unifying all four of their opinions, Chi-Hyun met with Elephtalia and conversed with her. Once she heard about their decision, she expressed her disapproval as expected. ¡ªDo you really¡­have to do that? Elephthalia gaped with a stunned expression. The scale of the plan that Chi-Hyun suggested was difficult to easily accept, even for a main god. ¡ªYou¡¯re telling me to become the new World of Liber? I can¡¯t handle it. It¡¯s a task that¡¯s impossible for me to accept¡­ ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you don¡¯t have to become the new World. You can give birth to a new World with the help of the Celestial Realm if you find the idea bothersome. That part can be adjusted.¡± Elephthalia shook her head. Even though she was the main god of Liber, she was no different from any other god in the end. Just like how Gaia was born from Earth in Greek and Roman mythology, Elephtalia was a god born from Liber¡¯s will. Moreover, she was not born as a result of the World accepting people¡¯s requests, but out of the World¡¯s will as an entirely independent being at the beginning of its existence. As a result, she had a very close and special relationship with the World. In human terms, their plan was akin to asking a faithful eldest daughter to take part in extinguishing her own mother. Thus, it was only natural that she would show her opposition, and Boboris nodded instinctively; she didn¡¯t know why, but she didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. She wanted Chi-Hyun to change his mind even now. ¡°Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped,¡± Chi-Hyun said. ¡°We have no choice but to do as you want this time.¡± He said this as if he had really changed his mind. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that,¡± the Last Dragon readily agreed. ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure yet. Let¡¯s go with the standard method for now, and if it doesn¡¯t work, next time¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no next time,¡± Chi-Hyun cut her off and said bluntly. The Last Dragon was startled. ¡°What do you mean? There¡¯s no next time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it as it is. I¡¯m not the type to make promises I can¡¯t keep,¡± Chi-Hyun answered in a nonchalant manner. ¡°I don¡¯t enter a world that cannot be saved. I don¡¯t know about other heroes, but that¡¯s the case for me.¡± Everyone became speechless at his cold words. What he said was equivalent to giving up on Liber on a personal level. ¡°It would be great if it works out the way you all want it to be. Of course, it may not work, but we can still suspend the doom of the world for 20 or 30 years. Anyway, I¡¯ll try my best for now.¡± In other words, Chi-Hyun was saying that when another crisis occurred at a later time, he would leave the matter to them, and they needed to solve this crisis on their own¡ªwhether they gathered their heads together or partnered up with the hero who would enter for the next crisis. Regardless of what happened, Chi-Hyun was never going to come back to Liber; it might have been different if there was still a 0.1 percent chance of successfully saving it, but it was his personal creed to not enter a world with a 0 percent chance of salvation. Everyone¡¯s faces turned sour because it sounded like he was threatening them. They all knew that not all heroes were made equal. It was no easy task to find a hero on the same level as Chi-Hyun; if he considered Liber irredeemable, it basically meant that its destruction was set in stone. After a brief silence, Bael, who had been standing silently, narrowed her eyes, ¡°Are you threatening us?¡± ¡°In which part did it sound like a threat?¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°All I did was tell you about the current problems caused by the past and what will occur in the future. And I even told you the only solution we have as of now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I also said I¡¯d listen if you had a different solution.¡± Bael tried to say something, but Chi-Hyun cut her off and continued, ¡°And I even said if you didn¡¯t want to do it, I¡¯d do as you all want right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How much nicer do I have to be?¡± Bael shut her mouth. ¡°Or is this it? You don¡¯t like my method, but you¡¯re also worried about the future. So if a problem arises at a later time, you want me to take care of it again?¡± It wasn¡¯t only Bael. Everyone became speechless as Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°I think you are the ones threatening me by using the current crisis as your weapon. It¡¯s not my world, but yours. Thus, I¡¯ll consider your opinions, but I hope you don¡¯t put the blame on me later.¡± Chi-Hyun looked around as if he was asking everyone what they were going to do¡ªwhether they were going to calm down the World that had gone berserk and simply hope for everything to be resolved on its own, or extinguish the current World and bring forth a new one to solve the fundamental cause of the crisis. ¡°You decide, Elephthalia.¡± While no one could easily open their mouths, Chi-Hyun turned around. ¡°As the representative of the World¡¯s will and the main god of Liber.¡± Elephthalia closed her eyes. This plan involved killing the World, the mother of all things that made up Liber. It was something that should never be done. However, she was well aware of the current situation; in fact, she knew it better than anyone else. If she rejected the offer, this extraordinary hero would mitigate the current crisis at all costs, but he¡¯d never visit Liber again. Maybe this might be the last chance to make this right¡ªno, she was sure this was the last chance. What choice should she make here? ¡ªIt¡¯s too¡­cruel¡­ Elephthalia muttered to herself, but after hesitating for a long time, she continued with great difficulty. ¡ª¡­But¡­I have a condition¡­ ¡°What is it?¡± ¡ªPlease¡­receive her¡­permission¡­ ¡°Permission?¡± ¡ªIf Mother¡­also agrees¡­ Elephthalia finally managed to finish her words, and Chi-Hyun laughed humorlessly, but did not say no. ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯ll mention it at least.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t say yes either. Watching everything unfold, Boboris felt an unknown uneasiness because she remembered how Chi-Hyun had said he¡¯d end the World as easily as possible. * * * After Elephthalia agreed to the idea with a caveat, Chi-Hyun met a girl through her arrangement. In a white space with nothing, he came face to face with a girl whose whole body was covered with wounds and whose face was full of tear marks¡ªshe was the World of Liber. ¡°You¡¯re going to reset the World?¡± the girl asked after listening to Chi-Hyun¡¯s plan while lying down. ¡°¡­.You¡¯re going to destroy me?¡± Chi-Hyun neither confirmed nor denied it. ¡°There is an object called a computer in the world that I live in.¡± He continued explaining, ¡°Problems sometimes come up while using it, and the solution is surprisingly simple. Most problems are solved by turning the computer off and then back on.¡± ¡°Turn it off and on¡­?¡± ¡°And if that doesn¡¯t work, you can just reset the hard drive and restore it to its original clean state. That¡¯s what it meant to reset the system.¡± The girl looked confused, but she couldn¡¯t afford to think deeply in the first place because she was in extreme pain and causing instability across Liber. ¡°Will I¡­¡± While suffering in great everlasting pain, the World struggled to say, ¡°be able to live¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. It¡¯ll live,¡± Chi-Hyun answered a beat later. ¡°Liber will.¡± His words could be interpreted in another way. ¡°Then¡­I see.¡± The girl closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say¡­¡± She left the World¡¯s, Liber¡¯s, and her fate entirely in Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand. And like this, the d-day finally arrived¡ªthe day everything was decided. CH 374 The cause of Liber¡¯s numerous problems was the World going berserk. Since it happened because of the World, it was only right for the subject in question to tackle the problem. ¡°It¡¯s the seed you sowed. Can you take it back?¡± ¡°No¡­it¡¯s too difficult¡­right now¡­¡± Yet currently, the World didn¡¯t have the power to do so. Liber wouldn¡¯t have reached this state in the first place if she could. Instability was the biggest issue. The virus that had spread outside mutated by itself and became stronger and more potent. Because the World couldn¡¯t endure it anymore, she spouted out seeds of problems, and these seeds were strengthened by her instability and were evolving in real time. Thus, Chi-Hyun¡¯s plan went like this: there must be a place of origin where each of Liber¡¯s plethora of calamities laid its roots and bloomed. He would find and erase every one of them to weaken these problems. Once the fire settled down somewhat, the World would absorb the remaining sparks. Of course, this plan came with its problems too. Even if he managed to turn off a gigantic furnace, any spark was a ball of energy that could start a fire depending on the environment. And in Liber¡¯s current situation, an explosion could break out any time. It would be akin to gathering bombs on top of an oozing and shaking volcano that looked ready to erupt. Nevertheless, there was no other way. Before they could collect all the seeds, the World had to endure. The journey turned out harder than they had expected. It was extremely arduous and painful. One calamity alone was as difficult to resolve as saving most planets. Furthermore, things strayed off course, and the World failed to endure. Even though they were mitigating the problems one by one, these were what the World had poured out because she couldn¡¯t hold them in any longer. Thus, the more seeds of problems the World absorbed, the more she struggled to endure and ended up throwing them back out. Problems that were discharged again transformed into an even more powerful calamity and endangered Liber further. Every time this happened, the World went through great turmoil. It wasn¡¯t just the pressure of it all, but she felt great sorrow that she was making the planet she should guard a mess. She needed to endure at all costs, and putting her faith in the hero who said he would solve the issue if she did so, the World held on. Not long after, she even reached the limits of her endurance and lost consciousness, but still, she didn¡¯t lose her last thread of hope. And Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t stop either. He carried the unconscious World on his back and continued on his journey. *** As the long darkness began to lift, and dawn was about to break, Boboris looked at the wounded girl lying limply on the ground and turned to Chi-Hyun. ¡°She¡¯s anxious.¡± ¡°The World was already unstable.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. Perhaps the World ¡­¡± ¡®Perhaps she already knows,¡¯ Boboris barely managed to swallow the last part of her thought. Even so, Chi-Hyun knew what she was talking about. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if the World already knows.¡± There was only one thing left to do now. The end was in sight, and they were beginning to see the finish line of this exhausting journey. ¡°Is she going along when she already knows¡ªwho knows? Maybe it means she realizes her duty somewhat.¡± The World¡¯s duty was to guard Liber. Chi-Hyun could be right, of course, but¡­ ¡°What if that¡¯s not the case?¡± Boboris asked. ¡°What if she simply trusts you?¡± Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t answer, but his silence was enough of an answer. None of that changed anything. Boboris didn¡¯t say push further. They were too far into the plan to turn back now¡­ No, perhaps they could still turn things around, yet Boboris didn¡¯t say anything in the end and simply closed her eyes. Finally, the day they had to decide everything arrived. *** Everything was over. After the World took in all the seeds of problems across Liber, she was extinguished. Chi-Hyun thoroughly destroyed all traces of the wailing girl, and as a result, there was no remnant of the World left. All that was left were vengeful pieces of the World¡¯s resentment and curse that scattered on the planet like bloody water. Liber, which had stirred like it was going to burst any moment, became unbelievably peaceful. The price for that peace was the disappearance of its World. After that, everything progressed smoothly. Elephthalia promised to fill the void during the World¡¯s absence, but refused to officially become the World; and with Chi-Hyun¡¯s arrangement, Liber became a special case that the Celestial Realm managed. They went through a purification process to clear the cracked World¡¯s residual resentment and focused on birthing a new god to make it Liber¡¯s new World. ¡ªMother¡­wanted every existence on this planet to live the life they wanted. She wanted them to enjoy freedom and liberty. ¡ªThat is why this planet came to be named Liber. It seemed Elephthalia was still bothered by the fact that they had tricked the World. Furthermore, she wished that something like this would never happen again. Thus, she wanted to establish a firm order that would never shake and would endure for eternity. ¡ª¡­Asha. I will call this child Asha Dubulola. If everything continued to progress naturally like that, perhaps they would¡¯ve reached the future that Chi-Hyun had envisioned. If Asha had developed and settled down as Liber¡¯s World, things might have been different. But who knew what the future would bring? At that time, Elephthalia was very busy filling in for the World. Nonstop wars wreaked havoc across Liber. Of course, wars always existed throughout history, but things were too severe this time and were only getting worse. People were killing each other more than necessary. The fights were chaotic, and nations were warring against each other with no end goal in sight. ¡ªIt¡¯s strange¡­ Elephthalia tilted her head and carefully observed the flow of the world. And in the flow that would¡¯ve otherwise been normal, she found something suspicious. It was a sign of such subtle manipulation that it evaded the Celestial Realm¡¯s oversight. It appeared that someone or some being had purposefully manipulated the world¡¯s flow for an unknown reason. Who was it, and for what purpose? When Elephthalia realized the truth, she was stunned. She realized that some unknown figure had prepared and set up Liber for a specific purpose for a very long time and with great care. And as soon as Elephthalia learned the truth, her opponent immediately took action. But she didn¡¯t stand still and let the other party shake up Liber¡¯s flow either. Before things got out of hand, she needed to put a halt to it. Elephthalia acted swiftly and smartly. She requested the Celestial Realm for help and rushed to accept the World that wasn¡¯t complete yet. ¡ªMother, help me¡­ She had wanted to prevent that no matter what, but this wasn¡¯t the time for her to be picky, and she knew she would only be able to stabilize the flow by acting as the World. Yet that was her fatal mistake; more exactly, it was what her opponent had been aiming for. As soon as Elephthalia accepted the World, a whirl of curses of those who had been buried alive poured into her in overwhelming volume. The clear vengeance they held reawakened the residual resentment left by the previous World. ¡ªAh¡­! It was too late when she realized it. The resentment left by the World responded to the evil energy and rage from the ground, which had been fabricated by the other party and was now swallowing her up. Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com" ¡ªNo¡­! Before she was completely tainted by it and went insane, all she could do was detach a part of the World that was still safe and hid it somewhere else. Afterward, it was as if the owner of a wide-open house had disappeared. Thus, the Sernitas immediately entered Liber, and the World went mad and began to go berserk again by using its main god as a host. That was what led to the current situation on Liber. *** Time rewind again to right after Chi-Hyun¡¯s team nullified the final calamity, and the World absorbed the last seed. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter?¡± Though the girl was pretending to be calm, her voice couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°I did as you told me.¡± The girl was covered in wounds. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked up from her seated position. ¡°I did everything you told me to do until now.¡± She repeated, ¡°You said that you¡¯d save me then.¡± Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t answer. ¡°You said you¡¯d save me! You hooked your pinky with mine and promised!¡± No matter how much she talked, Chi-Hyun showed no response. He simply looked down at her with solemn eyes. The girl¡ªthe World¡ªheld her breath for a moment. Perhaps she had known inside her heart what awaited her at the end of this journey. The World fluctuated fiercely a couple of times because she felt an unknown sense of dread. And even though she knew what would happen, she obediently followed and did what was asked of her. She purposefully turned a blind eye to the source of her anxiety and insecurity. Though she knew why Chi-Hyun was acting like this, the girl couldn¡¯t accept it in the end. It was because she wanted to live. She didn¡¯t want to be extinguished and disappear forever. Her sense of duty to guard Liber and her own ambition led her to this point. Though she had pictured what could happen and readied herself dozens of times before coming here, she realized her true feelings when the moment arrived. ¡°¡­Spare me.¡± In the end, she begged for her life with all her heart. ¡°I have to live.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t die like this. I want to live.¡± Nothing changed no matter what she said. Chi-Hyun showed not the slightest change in expression and remained extremely calm. ¡°Why¡­!¡± Yet she didn¡¯t give up, nor did she despair. She continued to plead for her life. Perhaps all of this was a lie or a joke, she hoped, as she longed desperately to stay alive. Standing in the back, the Last Dragon extended her hand but stopped because she knew how many miracles and coincidences they had gone through to reach this point. After going through experiences they could never replicate, they finally get here. And above all, Chi-Hyun¡¯s back was telling her that he was tired; he was sick of it all. He wanted to end it now and was telling her that she must not step forward no matter what. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot.¡± As if he was reaffirming the Last Dragon¡¯s thoughts, the wordless man before them finally spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll let you go painlessly.¡± It was a calm voice without a hint of hesitation. The girl¡¯s eyes widened as she looked up at Chi-Hyun. The sliver of hope in her eyes soon became clouded with darkness: confusion, rage, shame, fear, sorrow¡­ All sorts of negative emotions whirled inside, and at the end of it, a curse burst out. It wasn¡¯t simply a curse intended to kill her target, but pure venom, filled with all the vengeance and resentment that existed in the world. The girl shrieked out this terrible and foul curse until her throat felt like it would burst. Then¡­ *** ¡°What happened?¡± Having watched the situation unfold until now, Yunael turned around and asked Chi-Woo. The scene that had been continuously rewinding was now going forward at its original speed. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t answer. He watched everything unfold with his head slightly lowered and his expression bemused. Yunael was stunned at first, but soon calmed down. As someone who had been a hero for some time, she understood what had happened. She thought they had suddenly regressed, but that wasn¡¯t the case. They had returned to a very distant past in Liber¡¯s time flow. And it appeared that this past had a very deep connection with Yunael¡¯s perception of the present time. Seeing everything that had happened until now, Yunael realized what Chi-Woo was trying to do. ¡®Ah, he¡¯s trying to meddle in the past,¡¯ she thought and changed her question, ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Chi-Woo answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­who¡¯s right. I can¡¯t¡­¡± Chi-Woo shook his head in confusion. He understood the intentions behind his brother¡¯s actions, but he also understood why the World had acted the way she did. He couldn¡¯t pick one person to side with or oppose. At least this was what Chi-Woo felt, but what was important wasn¡¯t who was in the wrong. The issue at hand was how he could change the past to accomplish his goal. He needed to decide if he would stand by his brother¡¯s side and let everything unfold. He could tell his brother in detail what would happen in the future so that his brother could prepare for it better, or he could go against his brother¡¯s decision and save the World. ¡®If I take the former choice, the Celestial Realm could pay better attention¡­no, they said the Celestial Realm was overseeing Liber as a special case. But the fact that the other party managed to go through the Celestial Realm¡¯s surveillance¡­¡¯ In that case, he needed to consider the Sernitas¡¯ invasion a definite future. In other words, unless Chi-Woo went back to a much more distant past and stopped the Sernitas from evolving, this wasn¡¯t a future that he could stop. It would happen sooner or later. However, Chi-Woo hesitated to go against his brother. Like how the girl¡¯s whole body was covered in wounds, this World was full of problems. As his brother said, it looked as if they had no choice but to reset the hard drive or install a completely new operating system. In the end, it was up to Chi-Woo to make the decision. ¡°Why don¡¯t you hurry up and just choose one of them?¡± Yunael asked brashly. ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll be here all day.¡± Chi-Woo looked at Yunael, baffled. She must have also seen everything that had unfolded before them. How could she still be so careless despite that? ¡°Why?¡± Yunael jerked her jaw and smirked. ¡°If you can¡¯t figure it out no matter how long you think about it¡ªshould I tell you?¡± Chi-Woo opened his eyes wide. ¡°You know the answer?¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± Yunael snorted and crossed her arms. ¡°But I know who you are more sympathetic towards. ¡°Sympathetic¡­?¡± ¡°Personally, I would¡¯ve taken the legend¡¯s side. You know why?¡± Yunael pointed at the crying wounded girl. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. If she had accepted her fate and gone away peacefully, I would¡¯ve praised her for being responsible. But what the hell? She is the World, but she cries about having to die like some child.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she must feel wronged because it wasn¡¯t even her fault that the situation reached this state in the first place, but those at higher places must shoulder greater responsibilities. And considering that, she doesn¡¯t have the qualifications to be the World. The legend made the better choice.¡± Yunael continued to rebuke the World. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Yunael asked for Chi-Woo¡¯s agreement. ¡°¡­That¡¯s too cruel,¡± Chi-Woo said in a small voice. ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with wanting to live?¡± Chi-Woo looked straight at Yunael. ¡°Whether one is a person, animal, god, or the World, being born and living is one of the fundamental truths of the universe,¡± Chi-Woo said in a slightly angry tone. ¡°Wanting to live because she was born. Is that such a wrong thing that she needs to be rebuked for it?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Yunael shrugged. It seemed she had a difficult time agreeing. ¡°Hm, who knows? It doesn¡¯t really sound fitting for a hero though.¡± ¡°Then, can a hero force another being to make sacrifices?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Yunael nodded like it was only natural. ¡°As long as it is for the greater good, shouldn¡¯t heroes expect others to do the same when we¡¯re sacrificing ourselves with no reward in sight?¡± Chi-Woo fell silent. ¡°You aren¡¯t responding. Why? Are you angry?¡± Yunael said a bit teasingly, and Chi-Woo narrowed his eyes. He had had the same thought a couple of times before¡ªhis personality really clashed with Yunael¡¯s. He didn¡¯t know why Boboris had told him to recruit her at all costs. ¡°Well, there you go. That¡¯s your answer,¡± Yunael said. ¡°You sympathize with the World a bit more than the legend.¡± Yunael glanced at Chi-Woo as he glared at her. Then she said, ¡°You can just do that then.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. It was as she said. He understood both sides, but he didn¡¯t sympathize with his brother. On the other hand, he both understood and sympathized with the World. He didn¡¯t think it was a sin for one to yearn for survival while they were alive. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not so simple.¡± ¡°Seriously, man. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d say this about you, but you¡¯re sort of frustrating.¡± Yunael scowled and frowned like she was really frustrated with Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo also felt anger rise inside him. This wasn¡¯t a matter he could simply decide on. His future wasn¡¯t the only one at stake, but also everyone¡¯s and the world¡¯s future. That was what it meant to change the past. ¡°What if I made the wrong choice?¡± ¡°What of it?!¡± Yunael shouted back as Chi-Woo raised his voice. ¡°How would we know the consequences of what hadn¡¯t happened yet?¡± Chi-Woo thought he would really lose it if Yunael said that it couldn¡¯t be helped even if his choice was wrong. But Yunael¡¯s response caught him off guard. She said, ¡°So what if it¡¯s wrong? Even if it is, you should just make it right.¡± It exceeded his expectations. ¡°Are you taking some exam here? Who told you to choose the right answer? You¡¯re a hero for goodness sake! Whatever your choice is, you should push through and have the guts to personally make that the right answer!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth slightly gaped open. Suddenly, he recalled the heated discussion he had had with Eshnunna in the forest. She had said it was fine for him to not believe her immediately. She simply wanted an opportunity to make him believe. What Yunael said just now was the same. There was no way for them to know what the right answer was now, but there was no need to worry about that prematurely. The important thing was to seize this chance, and what happened after that would depend on them. As the leader of Seven Stars with many heroes who followed him, he needed to push through with what he believed was right. Yunael was a bit startled when Chi-Woo stared at her in a daze. ¡°What are you looking at me so intently for?¡± ¡°¡­I thought all you knew was whine and say stupid stuff, but¡­¡± ¡°W-What did you say?¡± ¡°You know how to say sensible things too.¡± The mess in Chi-Woo¡¯s mind cleared up in an instant. Yes, he needed to go with his heart. It was fine for him to be wrong. He could make the wrong choice into the right one with his own hands. ¡°¡­What the hell,¡± Yunael grumbled and turned around when Chi-Woo lost the look of confusion on his face. The situation had settled somewhat then, and Chi-Hyun was standing in front of the girl. He was swinging his hand down hard at her. ¡°Uh¡ª!¡± Yunael turned around in surprise. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t¡­.?¡± She blinked hard. Chi-Woo had been standing next to her, but now he was already gone. CH 375 Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand swung down, and the wounded girl tightly shut her eyes. That was why she didn¡¯t witness what happened next, but all the others did¡ªbefore Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand could crack the top of the girl¡¯s head, a white figure suddenly entered like a ray of light and stood between the two. Thud! The earth and sky shook. The mere clash of Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand with the figure¡¯s leg was enough to crack open the land and make the shards thrust heavenward, and even the sky tremored. It was truly a formidable force. The aftermath of the collision swept through the surroundings. The girl clenching her teeth flinched and trembled. She opened her eyes automatically at the sudden strange phenomenon. When she raised her head without thinking, she saw the back of a young man blocking Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand by raising his leg. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Chi-Woo turned around and smiled. The girl couldn¡¯t say anything and looked up blankly with her eyes shaking relentlessly. She wasn¡¯t the only one staring at Chi-Woo¡ªthe same went for Bael, Boboris, the Last Dragon, and Chi-Hyun. They had thought everything was over and hadn¡¯t expected the intervention of a third-party. The man really popped out of the blue, and there was no other way to explain his appearance except that he fell from the sky. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes briefly moved toward the leg that blocked his hand. He had attacked with what was close to his full strength, but his opponent had blocked it without much difficulty. This newcomer was no ordinary person. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Chi-Woo slowly dropped his leg. Chi-Hyun then asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chi-Woo turned back to him and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m your younger brother.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Hyun, who had been calm this whole time, immediately scowled. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember having a younger brother who looks older than me.¡± When Chi-Hyun snorted like he found the idea preposterous, Chi-Woo blinked in realization. Chi-Woo was meeting his brother when he was working as a hero in the distant past with no knowledge of the future. Chi-Woo had thought Chi-Hyun might be a bit startled at his younger brother¡¯s sudden grown-up appearance and hadn¡¯t expected Chi-Hyun to completely fail to recognize him. Judging by Chi-Hyun¡¯s reaction, it didn¡¯t seem like his brother was faking it either; he really hadn¡¯t recognized him. Chi-Woo wondered how this could be, and after pondering for a bit, he got an answer while considering his brother¡¯s face. Chi-Hyun looked much younger than when Chi-Woo last saw him on Liber. He seemed to be around his late teens; in other words, Chi-Woo was about six or seven years old on Earth at this point. Thus, it made sense that his brother couldn¡¯t recognize him, since a person could change a lot between childhood and adulthood. ¡°I¡¯m asking again. Who are you?¡± It was fine even if his brother couldn¡¯t recognize him. Chi-Woo could explain the situation and reveal his identity. Although it would be difficult for his brother to accept everything immediately, he would have no choice but to believe Chi-Woo after Chi-Woo showed him his user information. However, before turning on his device, Chi-Woo fell into thought. ¡®Is it okay for me to reveal it like this?¡¯ Interfering with the past needed to be handled with extreme care. If he revealed who he was, his brother in Chi-Woo¡¯s original time period would remember that Chi-Woo had appeared in front of him at this time. Chi-Woo had no idea what his brother would do when he returned to Earth after this. His brother might say, ¡®It¡¯s better for you to stay here than come to Liber,¡¯ and forcibly lock him up. If things went really wrong, Chi-Woo might end up on Earth instead of Liber when he returned to his original timeline. Thus, it didn¡¯t seem like a good idea to just reveal his identity. Chi-Hyun asked, ¡°Are you not going to answer?¡± ¡°¡­I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Chi-Woo decided to test the water for a bit and said, ¡°I¡¯m an inspector from the Celestial Realm.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll consider you my enemy¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun stopped mid-sentence and slightly narrowed his eyes at Chi-Woo¡¯s unexpected answer. ¡°¡­Inspector?¡± Chi-Hyun asked again with suspicion, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of an inspector from the Celestial Realm.¡± ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t. We have to move in secret.¡± Chi-Hyun looked dubious. Although Chi-Woo had mentioned the Celestial Realm, it didn¡¯t seem like Chi-Hyun believed him. There was an easy way to confirm that though. ¡°Can you really prove that you came from the Celestial Realm?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. You¡¯re talking about this, right?¡± Chi-Woo immediately raised his left wrist and called forth his device. Chi-Hyun¡¯s face became sullen as he stared at the hologram in the air. ¡°How about it? Do you believe me now?¡± Chi-Woo said with a cheery smile. With a stiff expression, Chi-Hyun took a few steps back after putting his hands together. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he asked with slight confusion. ¡°What happened all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much,¡± Chi-Woo shrugged and replied. ¡°I merely came here to correct a wrong choice.¡± Then Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re here to correct a wrong choice?¡± Chi-Hyun stared at Chi-Woo for a while and called forth his device, ¡°Laguel.¡± As soon as he called, numerous sparks shot up and soon, the translucent figure of an angel appeared. Laguel was an angel that Chi-Woo had met in the Celestial Realm. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡ªSir, what are you talking about? ¡°I¡¯m talking about that guy.¡± When Chi-Hyun quickly relayed what Chi-Woo told him, Laguel frowned. ¡ªIt¡¯s my first time hearing about such a position. Although there is a department in charge of monitoring in the Celestial Realm, it¡¯s not operated in secret, and there is no record of a Celestial Realm personnel being dispatched to Liber except you recently. Chi-Woo¡¯s appearance was very sudden for Laguel as well; at her testimony, Chi-Hyun¡¯s gaze on Chi-Woo became even more intense. ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t heard of me,¡± Chi-Woo quickly said. ¡°I told you. I¡¯ve been sent here in top secret. It¡¯s natural that Ms. Laguel doesn¡¯t know and that there¡¯s no record of me.¡± ¡ªWhat¡­! ¡°And my duty doesn¡¯t fall under Ms. Laguel¡¯s jurisdiction.¡± Chi-Woo quickly made up an excuse, but it worked unexpectedly. Although it was true that Laguel held a high position in the Celestial Realm, there were angels above her as well. It was not a far-fetched story if one of the angels above her had colluded with other families to keep the Choi Family in check. Of course, it didn¡¯t change the fact that this turn of events greatly angered both Chi-Hyun and Laguel. ¡°That¡¯s what he says. What do you think?¡± At Chi-Hyun¡¯s question, Laguel was left briefly speechless, and that alone was enough of an answer. When Chi-Hyun let out a deep sign, she was at a complete loss. ¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t recall getting a heads-up in any way¡­ If you just give me a bit more time, I can quickly¡­ Chi-Hyun waved his hand in annoyance, so Laguel quickly disappeared, saying she¡¯d find out the truth as soon as possible. Then a moment of silence fell between them. Chi-Hyun flicked his index finger with his head slightly lowered and then suddenly said, ¡°¡­So.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°What are you going to do after suddenly stepping in? O great, self-proclaimed secret inspector.¡± His sarcasm made it clear that his attitude toward Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t favorable. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Chi-Woo smiled bitterly and took a step back. He gently put his hand on the wounded girl, who was still shaking while sitting down. ¡°I¡¯m here to save Liber¡¯s World.¡± The girl¡¯s pitiful eyes stared up at Chi-Woo. ¡°You have the same goal as me.¡± Paying no attention to the wounded girl, Chi-Hyun continued flatly, ¡°Then I¡¯d appreciate it if you could just step back and cheer me on quietly.¡± He was telling Chi-Woo to quietly back away without intervening further. However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t do that because¡ª ¡°No, it¡¯s different.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re about to kill this World.¡± ¡°That is the only way to save Liber.¡± ¡°It may seem like that right now, but not in the long run. You won¡¯t be able to save Liber later on no matter how hard you try.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about a definite future. How funny.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°You speak as if you¡¯re from the distant future.¡± ¡°And what if that is the case?¡± ¡°Seriously¡ªI don¡¯t know how far you want to go.¡± Chi-Hyun sighed deeply and turned around. ¡°But since we¡¯re in the same boat, I don¡¯t want to kill you¡ª¡± There was no need for him to hear further. Chi-Hyun raised his hand and continued, ¡°So move back. If you don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to wait for Laguel¡¯s answer?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re lying or not.¡± Strong dark energy began to rise from his hand. ¡°This is the last warning. Get out of my way.¡± A glint appeared in Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t you just go back to the Celestial Realm? And leave this matter to me?¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Chi-Hyun retorted like he was done with Chi-Woo and said, ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to save Liber.¡± His tone was more intense than before. Chi-Woo smacked his lips with regret. He had thought he might be able to solve this problem through conversation, but his brother was more determined than he¡¯d expected. It was as if his brother believed he must save Liber, that he had no choice but to save Liber. As soon as he made the decision to oppose his brother¡¯s decision, Chi-Woo had expected resistance to some extent. His enemy this time was neither the Demon Empire nor the Sernitas¡ªit was his older brother. He needed to surpass Chi-Hyun, who was revered as the legend. Although Chi-Woo had fought Chi-Hyun a few times before, he wasn¡¯t so stupid that he wouldn¡¯t notice that his brother had gone relatively easy on him because he was his younger brother. Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t get beaten one-sidedly like before, but it would probably still be difficult for him to beat Chi-Hyun if he fought for real. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t know that the opponent in front of him was his younger brother. Thus, he would show his full strength without hesitation, and Chi-Woo¡¯s prediction hit right on the mark. When Chi-Hyun began to gather his energy, Chi-Woo felt cold sweat run down his back. The pressure was no joke even though they were just facing each other; it was even more intense than when he faced the queen in the Hala Forest and the aggregated Sernitas at the Sky Castle. ¡®Rather¡­¡¯ Should he just reveal the truth now? Although this thought came to mind momentarily, Chi-Woo vigorously shook his head. When he first entered Liber, his brother had been extremely displeased to say the least. To the point that their brotherhood almost broke, and ever since then, Chi-Hyun had been desperately trying to send Chi-Woo back. He didn¡¯t think Chi-Hyun would be much different now. On the contrary, he didn¡¯t know what Chi-Hyun would do in the future to prevent Chi-Woo¡¯s entry into Liber. Rather than skewing the situation by revealing his identity, he needed to win this fight to earn the outcome he wanted. Chi-Woo raised both hands and got into a stance. This was the end of their conversation, and their fight began¡ªone side was trying to save Liber by killing the old World, and the other side was trying to stop him. The darkness rising from Chi-Hyun split into dozens of pieces and shot out, and Chi-Woo¡¯s whole body was awash in light. The two men who had been watching each other kicked the ground at the same time as if they had rehearsed it beforehand. They narrowed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, and the moment light and darkness intersected, the sky and ground shook with an explosive sound once again. Before long, Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes widened. Since Chi-Hyun had intended to finish this fight with a single blow, he wasn¡¯t able to immediately comprehend the following situation. His vision began to tilt to his confusion. He felt as if his whole body was hit by a huge iron hammer. By the time he managed to come to his senses, Chi-Hyun realized that their collision had sent him rolling across the ground like he was riding on a slide, leaving a long trail¡ªnot his opponent, but him. Having slammed into the ground with a loud noise, Chi-Hyun quickly got to his feet and fixed his stance. Although he looked calm, his subtly trembling eyes betrayed how shocked he was. It was shocking that in matters of power, quantity, and strength, there was no aspect where his opponent was inferior to him. Normally, his opponent should have been immediately crushed the moment the battle started. However, once they actually fought, the result was the opposite. His opponent crushed him and pushed him back instead. Although it was a ridiculous outcome, this was the reality of the situation. ¡®¡­I was pushed back?¡¯ He, the eldest son of the Choi Family who was moving towards the peak in the Celestial Realm and unrivaled to all heroes? Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes grew cold; he couldn¡¯t admit his defeat. Bam! Chi-Hyun stomped with his foot so hard that it made a loud noise. The ground split, and fierce winds blew in all directions. Then Chi-Hyun quickly reduced their distance in a zigzag pattern with precise and complicated footwork. As he moved closer, one, two, four, eight, sixteen¡­ Chi-Hyun¡¯s afterimages began to increase until there were dozens of him pressuring Chi-Woo from all directions, lunging at him like a gust of wind. At that moment, light emanated from Chi-Woo¡¯s hand. The beam lengthened like a magic staff and spun in a circle, smashing all of Chi-Hyun¡¯s afterimages. When most of the afterimages had disappeared like this, Chi-Woo flinched because he suddenly felt a strong wind behind his back. The move had merely been a feint. The real Chi-Hyun was aiming for Chi-Woo¡¯s blindspot, and he had been waiting for the right moment to strike. It was a perfectly planned attack. If everything went normally, Chi-Woo would have died from getting his neck pierced. Unbeknownst to Chi-Hyun, however, this was a trick he¡¯d already pulled when teaching Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo had experienced the same attack and had even gained a decisive clue to grow stronger and reach a new level because of it. As a result, although his conscious mind had failed to catch Chi-Hyun¡¯s attack, Chi-Woo¡¯s body remembered and automatically reacted. He attacked and defended at the same time, and his body shook as if it was twisting. His fingertips shot out like an awl and stabbed Chi-Hyun¡¯s afterimages nonstop. Then Chi-Woo propped himself up with his hand on the ground as the axis and immediately spun around. Rotating like a windmill, his heel immediately hit Chi-Hyun¡¯s temple, forcing a groan out of him. Chi-Hyun had sensed an abnormal airflow near him and managed to barely block the attack in the end, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from stumbling and falling to one side while being pushed back. Dropping to one knee, he grabbed his left forearm. It had gotten numb. He couldn¡¯t even feel the part where he was hit. Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com" In the end, Chi-Hyun looked up at Chi-Woo with one arm lying limp by his side. Staring blankly as the fight unfolded, Bael, Boboris, and the Last Dragon gulped at the same time; they all looked at the scene in disbelief. However, they had no choice but to believe it. The best hero they knew¡ªthe legend had been pushed back, and even more unbelievably, the other party was overwhelmingly stronger. CH 376 Though he had been pushed back with quite a strength difference, there was no way Chi-Hyun would give up. He immediately dove back into the battle and quickly moved both hands. Dozens of magic circles popped out around him, spinning and soaring upwards. He moved his ten fingers continuously and launched attacks that would each be a critical hit. Yet none of that worked. No matter how strong the attacks were, they were meaningless if they failed to reach his opponent. Chi-Woo conjured his treasured ghost-busting club through Armed with the Sixth Element, and every time he swung his club, the magic attacks burst like fireworks. Despite being at a disadvantage, Chi-Hyun tried to overturn the situation by territorializing the space, but that was also ineffective. [La Bella¡¯s Bible] [La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary] Chi-Woo clutched a shining book in his hand and offset Chi-Hyun¡¯s energy by more than half its original amount, rendering Chi-Hyun¡¯s attempt to establish his own territory pointless. ¡°No way you would die from this much,¡± Chi-Woo murmured. [Executioner] Crackle! A white fire burned all over Chi-Hyun¡¯s body. He felt a terrible pain like his whole body was being eaten alive. With his mouth wide open, Chi-Hyun let out an inaudible scream. His inhumane level of endurance and grit prevented him from screaming out loud, but it didn¡¯t stop him from dropping to one knee. ¡°Kuh! Kuuuuh!¡± Chi-Hyun let out the gasp he had been holding in and mustered a great amount of energy. The flames that had been eating away at him gradually dissipated, but Chi-Hyun¡¯s expression remained grim. He had used his remaining energy to put out the flame, but it had been a bad exchange. He was only able to extinguish a very tiny amount of the other party¡¯s energy by using a whole lump of his. It was then Chi-Hyun realized why he was getting overwhelmingly pushed back. His opponent was an especially bad match for him. If they were playing a game of rock, paper, and scissors, it would be as if he could only use scissors while his opponent could only use rock. It was the battle of polar opposites and a fight he was bound to lose. After barely managing to extinguish the fire on him, Chi-Hyun glared at his opponent. The three behind him looked at Chi-Hyun in shock. Who could¡¯ve imagined that the legend would be beaten up so one-sidedly? Chi-Woo was equally surprised. Since the World¡¯s fate was on the line, Chi-Woo had been determined to even draw out the mysterious power inside him; thus, he hadn¡¯t dreamed of a situation where he would hold an overwhelming advantage against his brother. Of course, there was a significant level of strength difference between the brother he was battling right now and the brother he originally knew. After all, his brother in the future had firmly established himself as worthy of the title of legend. But even taking that into consideration, Chi-Woo still couldn¡¯t help but think that something was wrong. ¡®Why is he only using energy of the dark element?¡¯ Was there a reason why Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t use anything else? Chi-Woo¡¯s guess was pretty much on the mark. More precisely, Chi-Hyun was limited by the problems surrounding Liber. Of course, things weren¡¯t as bad as when Chi-Woo first came to Liber, when the World didn¡¯t even respond, but the situation was so unstable that Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t been able to depend on the usual backups. Because excessively demanding backups had led to the current situation, Chi-Hyun knew he couldn¡¯t add to the burden on top of that. It was thus difficult for him to keep all his original powers, and he ended up having to enter Liber with the bare minimum and accumulate his strength in his own ways. Fortunately, in such an unfortunate situation, he was able to join hands with the Demon Empire. And before Chi-Hyun embarked on his journey, he went to where demonic energy was the thickest in the Demon Empire and amassed his strength with the dark elements there. His past experience of learning dark martial arts in a Martial Arts World turned out useful. While the level of strength he had amassed was lower than what he could gain from standard training, he was able to progress at unparalleled speed. And after Chi-Hyun judged that he had accumulated enough strength, he quickly set out on his journey to save the World. But he had overlooked two things when he chose the method. First, he hadn¡¯t foreseen that someone else would step in to intervene. Second, he hadn¡¯t expected that the uninvited newcomer would happen to use light energy, which had an advantage over the dark energy that he had decided to use temporarily. If he had known that this would happen, he would¡¯ve made a different decision. But it was too late to change things now. Still, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t give up. Even if he lost this battle, it was fine as long as he fulfilled his goal. He raised himself up and rushed forward, and Chi-Woo immediately responded. Even though Chi-Woo was at an advantage, he was facing his brother. He couldn¡¯t get careless and accidentally kill Chi-Hyun. Though Chi-Woo¡¯s goal was to modify his past, he didn¡¯t want a future where his brother didn¡¯t exist. It didn¡¯t take long for Chi-Hyun to realize his opponent didn¡¯t want to take his life for some reason, and his movements grew bolder. Chi-Hyun rushed forward while ignoring the possibility of death, and Chi-Woo was forced to pay more attention to dealing with his brother, thus leading to an opening. An invisible rope wrapped around him, and a fearsome energy fell from above. Chi-Woo freed himself from the rope and shot exorcism mana upward. The energy aiming at Chi-Woo changed trajectory midway and flew past him even without him evading it. It was then Chi-Woo realized what had happened and turned around. The dark energy writhed and blanketed the girl sitting on the ground in a daze. It wasn¡¯t falling towards her, but had already surrounded her. Everything happened in an instant. Shhhhhh! As if a potent acidic substance was poured onto the ground by the truckloads, smoke rose from the ground. Chi-Woo gasped. His main goal was to protect the World, but it was his mistake to focus all his attention on his brother. ¡°You¡­!¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face twisted with anger as he turned back to his brother. Uncaring about how Chi-Woo felt, Chi-Hyun smirked. He had mustered up his remaining energy to make this attack, and he believed that there was no trace of the World left now. With this, he would have accomplished his goal. But soon, Chi-Hyun¡¯s expression soured, while Chi-Woo¡¯s face brightened. It was because he saw from a distance Yunael sighing with relief while holding a girl. He didn¡¯t know when she had followed him, but it seemed Yunael had stepped in right before the girl was attacked and saved her. ¡°Leave this to me¡ª!¡± Yunael shouted while holding the girl tightly. Chi-Hyun murmured, ¡°He had a companion.¡± He gritted his teeth hard and soon moved his hands. The energy that had dissolved the ground didn¡¯t disappear, but instead rose and morphed into a dark blade in an instant, aiming at Yunael while she held the World in her arms. ¡°You¡¯ll go that far¡­!¡± Chi-Woo shouted in astonishment and tried to block the attack while Yunael dodged out of the way, but there was no need to do that; several figures jumped in to block the dark blades flying toward Yunael. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed as he saw both Boboris and the Last Dragon stretch out their hands to make a barrier. Chi-Woo clenched his fists hard. In the original past, none of them had intervened. Even the Last Dragon, who would later recall the incident regretfully, didn¡¯t do anything but watch. With this, everything was different. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what had caused their change of heart, but two out of the three individuals supporting Chi-Hyun had changed their stance. It would¡¯ve been unimaginable before. ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m not betraying you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I simply think you¡¯re being too hasty,¡± the Last Dragon said while smiling and dusting off her hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t that pretty angel say that she¡¯d check what was going on and get back to you? I think we can afford to wait and hear what¡¯s going on¡­¡± the Last Dragon trailed off and looked intently at Chi-Hyun. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com". Seeing the Last Dragon fall silent, Boboris put down her staff and said, ¡°¡­When you first came to our world¡­it was really¡­nice.¡± There was no other way to describe it. It was simply nice. ¡°Of course, you are the worst kind of elitist, self-righteous hero who thinks nothing will work if you¡¯re not the one doing it. You don¡¯t smile often, have no consideration for others, the jokes you make from time to time are crude, and you emphasize efficiency so much that you even weigh people¡¯s lives as mere numbers. But still¡­it was nice. Because you were trustworthy.¡± He was reliable and dependable. Even though his personality left much to be desired, they could trust that if it was this hero, he would be able to save their World. Thus, they didn¡¯t hesitate to follow him. ¡°No matter how difficult the journey was, I felt reassured just by looking at your back. But now¡­¡± Boboris trailed off just like the Last Dragon had, unable to finish her sentence. Still, the Last Dragon understood and nodded in agreement; she felt the same as Boboris. She was well aware that Chi-Hyun had the abilities to accomplish tasks better than anyone else. But for some reason, she couldn¡¯t trust his decision this time. Unlike before, the Last Dragon felt a sense of worry that something was going terribly wrong. But she had silently followed Chi-Hyun because she wondered who else would go so far to save a world that wasn¡¯t even theirs. And like Chi-Hyun had said, she couldn¡¯t come up with an alternative either. Furthermore, Chi-Hyun had told them that if they insisted further, he would do as they wished. However, he wouldn¡¯t enter Liber again even if another problem arose, and they shouldn¡¯t resent him for it. Thus, she followed Chi-Hyun obediently out of fear, yet the sudden appearance of one man had made it so that she no longer had to hold back. Boboris and the Last Dragon had thought this man bore a strange similarity with Chi-Hyun as soon as they saw him. Although they had never met before, they also felt a startling level of trust towards this young man as they had felt with Chi-Hyun. Boboris and the Last Dragon appeared resolute. And though Bael hadn¡¯t stepped forward to block Chi-Hyun¡¯s attack like the other two, she was also feeling indecisive. The companions who had accompanied Chi-Hyun to this point were turning their back on him now, yet Chi-Hyun remained calm and indifferent like always. He had expected them to act this way since the beginning when they didn¡¯t step forward to help him. The fact that they didn¡¯t support him while he was getting pushed back in a fight showed that their hearts had been wavering since a long time ago. It didn¡¯t matter to Chi-Hyun. He was used to being alone. The pressing issue for him was how he would overcome this current hurdle and accomplish his original goal, which was to extinguish the World. There was no way of winning in these current circumstances. It was then the hologram he had turned off popped up automatically, and the semi-transparent image of an angel with blonde hair came to view. ¡ªI-It¡¯s an urgent message. Chi-Hyun glanced at the hologram. Unlike her usual self, Laguel looked greatly shaken. ¡ªIt¡¯s a message from the prophecy¡­ ¡°The prophecy?¡± Chi-Hyun frowned. It seemed he didn¡¯t expect this turn of events either. ¡ªYes¡­Well¡­ Laguel¡¯s lips quivered as she glanced at Chi-Woo. She looked like she was hesitating to continue. ¡°What did it say?¡± Yet she had to answer when Chi-Hyun urged her. ¡ªIt says that¡­Sir Choi Chi-Hyun¡­should leave Liber now¡­ ¡°¡­What?¡± Chi-Hyun responded a beat later. He doubted his own ears. ¡°What?¡± It wasn¡¯t like he had failed to hear her. He did hear what Laguel said clearly, but he asked again because he couldn¡¯t believe it. Laguel seemed to have expected Chi-Hyun¡¯s response and closed her eyes. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Seeing her response, Chi-Hyun stammered uncharacteristically. ¡°Why did the prophecy¡­no. There¡¯s no way.¡± He shook his head in denial. What would be a wide array of emotions by his standards flashed through his expression before quickly disappearing. ¡°Why? Is it because of that guy? What¡¯s the deal with him?¡± Chi-Hyun asked swiftly, but Laguel didn¡¯t answer. All she received from her superiors was a one-sided order that she was to relay the prophecy¡¯s message to Chi-Hyun. Though Chi-Hyun was greatly disturbed, he soon calmed down and announced firmly. ¡°I can¡¯t accept that.¡± ¡ªSir Choi Chi-Hyun. ¡°Is it really telling me to leave obediently? Tell it to screw itself. Those crazy bastards. After everything that happened, they must know it.¡± ¡ªBut¡­! ¡°That includes you, Laguel,¡± Chi-Hyun said sharply, and Laguel flinched. ¡°I won¡¯t return. No, I can¡¯t go like this¡­!¡± Because of the fierce determination that Chi-Hyun expressed, Laguel pursed her lips again. ¡°It seems like¡­¡± the Last Dragon said after listening in on their conversation. ¡°The decision has been made.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The Last Dragon flinched when Chi-Hyun poured out pure bloodlust at her. She had never seen him react so aggressively before. It felt as if he would burst at the slightest touch. ¡°I¡¯m the one who will be saving this World. It has to be me,¡± Chi-Hyun said and turned to Chi-Woo. ¡°Leave.¡± It was just one word, but because of the great force behind it, it sounded like an ultimatum. As if Chi-Hyun would use all means possible to reach his goal. ¡°¡­What¡¯s your reason?¡± Chi-Woo asked in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s not just me, but your companions and those from the Celestial Realm¡ªthey are all telling you to back away. What¡¯s your reason for acting so stubborn?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Chi-Hyun said coldly. Yes, Chi-Woo knew his older brother would respond like that. Chi-Woo looked a bit bitter and asked again hopefully. ¡°Can¡¯t you just back down please?¡± He asked just in case. At the same time, he was letting Chi-Hyun know that he had no plans to give up either. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± But it was the same for Chi-Hyun. ¡°Just promise me that you won¡¯t kill the World. Then I¡¯ll back away.¡± ¡°We¡¯re back to square one.¡± Chi-Hyun was the same as ever. Even till his deathbed, he would maintain the same attitude¡­but was it simply Chi-Woo¡¯s imagination, or did it seem like his brother was unable rather than simply unwilling to back down? It felt as if his brother was cornered to the edge of the cliff so that he couldn¡¯t take one single step backward. After standing quietly the whole time, the Last Dragon took a step forward. ¡°Is the reason you can¡¯t back down¡­perhaps due to what humans often talk about? You know, the thing called karma?¡± CH 377 ¡°You spoke aggressively to us at the temple¡±, the Last Dragon cautiously began. ¡°It sounded like a threat at that time, but I wasn¡¯t disappointed. Because¡­even if a problem broke out as you predicted, I had faith that you would come back.¡± She continued slowly as if she was trying hard to have a conversation with Chi-Hyun. ¡°That was what I had thought, but after seeing your attitude just now¡­I think it had only been wishful thinking on my part.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the most talented hero I¡¯ve ever seen, but you¡¯re also the most awful one. In the process of saving a world, you don¡¯t consider the noble spirit of sacrifice or the greater good at all. Nevertheless, you desperately try to save the world with all you have.¡± Like someone forced to do so obsessively¡­ Chi-Hyun bit his lower lip when the Last Dragon murmured the last part. ¡°Tell me,¡± the Last Dragon asked, ¡°Why on earth are you going so far? What karma is making you act like this?¡± Although she asked in a fervent voice, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t respond, as if he didn¡¯t want to answer and found no reason to. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo, who had been listening silently, tilted his head. Their conversation was too important to let it pass from one ear to another. ¡®Karma¡­?¡¯ If he considered it in the sense of a task, it meant an action or deed that must be fulfilled. In other words, some level of coercion was involved. Come to think of it, it was strange. Considering his brother¡¯s personality, it would be normal for him to step back now. He should have said, ¡®Is that so? Then I won¡¯t stop you, so do whatever you want¡¯, and leave without turning back even once¡ªif it was the brother he knew. However, as the Last Dragon said, his brother was giving it his all to not step back. He was pushing forward with determination like he was fighting with his back to the sea, as if he was going to die if he took a single step back. Did he want to go back but wasn¡¯t able to? Then there must be a reason; a reason why his brother was hanging on with all his might. ¡°As expected¡­you don¡¯t trust me enough to tell me yet.¡± When the Last Dragon smiled bitterly, Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Does that karma¡­perhaps have something to do with your younger brother?¡± At that moment, Chi-Hyun¡¯s mask of nonchalance broke, and his expression changed noticeably into one of shock. He opened his eyes wide and looked at Chi-Woo with surprise for a brief moment. Although he immediately put his straight face back on, he couldn¡¯t hide the tremors in his facial muscles, perhaps due to his young age. In the end, Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t resist and asked, ¡°¡­Seriously¡­ Who¡­are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo inferred the truth from his brother¡¯s reaction. He now understood why Chi-Hyun was acting like this. Although he didn¡¯t know the exact circumstances yet, it seemed clear that his current action was deeply intertwined with Chi-Woo. ¡°How the hell¡ªno, that¡¯s not what I should focus on. Laguel!¡± Chi-Hyun, who had been chewing his lips, suddenly shouted as hard as he could as if to shake something off. ¡°To 37th WI5H¡ª.¡± ¡ªSorry, what? But the 37th is¡­!¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s go with 39th.¡± When Laugel freaked out, Chi-Hyun quickly corrected himself. Although she wasn¡¯t as startled as before, she still looked at him with concern. ¡ªBut the 39th is also¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no other way. Although 37th is a bit too much, I need at least 39th. I can¡¯t beat him as of right now.¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s not going to last considering the current state of the World here. Even if it¡¯s possible, another problem will definitely arise. We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s a World I¡¯m going to get rid of anyway,¡± Chi-Hyun firmly cut her off. When Laguel hesitated even then, he glared at her angrily, ¡°¡­Why?¡± At the same time, he let out a hollow laugh. ¡°Are you going to betray me too¡­?¡± Laguel¡¯s face turned pale; she looked conflicted for a bit and then tightly closed her eyes and lowered her head. ¨C¡­37.2 seconds. After a while, a small but quiet voice said. ¨CYou have to finish it by that time. If you exceed that time¡­ ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If it¡¯s the 39th WI5H, 30 seconds will be enough.¡± ¨CThen your request has been accepted. The 39th WI5H¡¯s user information will be invoked in accordance with user Chi-Hyun¡¯s will. Laguel raised her head, and soon, a translucent light emitted from her whole body. Chi-Woo, who had been watching their conversation play out, sensed the grave atmosphere and said, ¡°If your brother is the problem¡ª!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Chi-Hyun roared before Chi-Woo could even finish the sentence. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you know for you to go yapping your mouth, but my brother is never the problem.¡± He glared at him murderously and retorted, ¡°He¡¯s just someone who¡¯s a little special!¡± He reacted like Chi-Woo had touched his greatest weakness. The next moment, before Chi-Woo could even reply, streams of lights began to stretch out around Laguel. ¨CAttempting to connect with WI5H¡­Approved. ¨CRetrieving information from the 39th WI5H¡­Approved. ¨COverlapping NS2L with information¡­Approved. A mechanical voice quickly continued; as she spoke, the glow around Laguel began to turn green one by one like a green signal light. ¨CRequesting final approval¡­Rejected. Although one of them turned red¡ª ¡ªI order you to enforce it in the name of Laguel. The red light turned green again. Meanwhile, the streams of light flowed toward Chi-Hyun and became even more intense. ¡ª¡­Approved. ¡ªAll connections are green. As soon as he heard that¡ª Duduududuuduu! A tremendous tremor emerged out of the blue and swept through their surroundings, and it didn¡¯t end after just one time, but instead continued to occur relentlessly. ¡°Aghhhhhhhh!¡± Then Chi-Woo heard a piercing scream. ¡°Captain!¡± Yunael cried out hastily. Chi-Woo¡¯s face stiffened when he looked back. The World was suffering; the girl in Yunael¡¯s arms was struggling as if she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Her pale face became even paler, and the wounds on her body began to gradually widen. At the same time, the light accompanied by the terrifying tremor was intense enough to obscure Chi-Hyun. Laguel, who used to be translucent, was now completely covered in light. The Last Dragon hurriedly shouted something, but Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to hear her because before he realized it, the area around them had already turned into a strange space where he couldn¡¯t hear or see anything but light and vibrations. Furthermore, ever since Laguel began to make mechanical sounds, an indescribable pressure had been weighing on his whole body. It was hard to even take a step forward. Instead, he was getting slowly pushed back; that was how truly astounding the energy was. Amid the radiance that shook even the whole space, the group of lights dancing fiercely like a whirlwind began to transfer from Laguel to Chi-Hyun. ¡ªAll processes have been completed. ¡ªLoading complete. The light wrapping around him from the bottom of his foot came up one by one and gathered in one circle. ¡ªExecuting ¡®The Legend¡¯s Second-Coming!¡¯ Soon afterward, Chi-Hyun opened the eyes that had been closed throughout the process. Flashhhhhhhh! The light surged in brilliance like the sun. At that moment, Chi-Woo could clearly see a huge structure quickly rise into the air behind his brother¡¯s back. Thuud! That alone made the sensation of the sky and earth shaking swept over him. The grand Sky Castle that the Sernitas boasted of looked lackluster in comparison to the structure, which looked like a strong, majestic fortress in one way and the Tower of Babel reaching to the sky in another way. Moreover, rather than simply seeing the structure with his visible eyes, Chi-Woo¡¯s senses were picking up its presence as well. Regardless of what the structure was, one thing was clear; Chi-Woo felt an energy so vast that he couldn¡¯t describe or measure it just by looking at it like this. He felt a stuffy feeling as if something had forcibly entered an already tightly packed space. In the space where it was difficult to even breathe, Chi-Woo finally realized that he had misjudged Chi-Hyun as a hero so far. Whether it was now or in the future, his brother hadn¡¯t been able to fully show his real skills on Liber. Chi-Woo finally realized how powerful his brother truly was when all the conditions were met, and why heroes praised him as the legend. The strange space returned to its original state. However, no one could properly open their mouths because a stronger metaphysical pressure was weighing on their chests. ¡ªStarting countdown. The moment Chi-Woo heard Laguel¡¯s voice, Chi-Hyun looked down indifferently. ¡ª37.2 seconds. ¡°Damn it!¡± The Last Dragon flinched. Soon, the girl with pigtails radiated a whitish light from all over her body and began to grow exponentially. She transformed into a giant dragon that was more than a dozen meters in length and then hurriedly flapped her wings to take flight. She rushed towards Chi-Hyun, opening her mouth to shoot a fiery breath at him. And Chi-Hyun quietly reached out his hand. ¡°¡­¡± It was just a simple movement, but the result was astounding. Flash¡ª! The moment the golden light slightly swept her by, the Last Dragon was dissected¡ªthe breath she shot out and the pair of wings on her back. Her wings were cut in half and snapped off. An explosive fountain of blood burst from the Last Dragon¡¯s back. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The Last Dragon fell without being able to properly display her power. ¡ª32 seconds. It took only five seconds for all this to happen. The next challenger was Bael. As soon as their eyes met, Bael spread her wings reflexively. Although she was still at a loss of what to do, her body moved instinctively when her eyes met Chi-Hyun¡¯s. She roared and flew, swinging her sword like crazy. However, Chi-Hyun remained steadfast. No matter how much Bael swung her sword, none of the attacks reached him; they all were blocked by an intangible barrier that bounced everything off. Soon, countless weapons formed around Chi-Hyun; more than that, the countless doors of the structure behind him opened, and warrior angels walked out. The summoned warrior angels rushed towards Bael with weapons of every shape and size. Bael swung her sword and desperately tried to fight them all off, but her attempt was fruitless facing the overpowering number of enemies. Soon after, she was swept down and fell. ¡ª27 seconds. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes glanced down. Boboris was putting on many layers of barrier while pouring out sweat, as if she was trying to hold out with sheer grit. Then dark clouds gathered from all directions. In an instant, the sky darkened, and thunder and lightning struck down. Crackkkkkle¡ª! The structure behind Chi-Hyun, which absorbed all the lightning that came down, began to emit yellow electric currents. Boboris had a foreboding feeling and raised her head, but it was already too late by then. Zzzzzzzing. The beam of light from the structure penetrated through her layers of barriers diagonally, grazing past Boboris and striking the ground. Then the ground rose up in shambles. Boboris¡¯ expression went blank as dust and dirt poured down from behind her back. However, it wasn¡¯t over yet. The structure behind Chi-Hyun¡¯s back shone once more and began to indiscriminately shoot out laser beams. They tore apart the barriers made by Boboris like sheets of paper. Then Boboris couldn¡¯t even let out a scream at the following electric explosion. The sky and earth were overturned once again as a huge crater formed and let out smoke. All that was left was a burnt dingo falling to the ground while steam rose from all over her body. The three strongest fighters representing Liber in their own way did not even last 20 seconds against Chi-Hyun. ¡ª21 seconds. Only then did Chi-Hyun finally look down at Chi-Woo. He collected all the energy he had used to attack the three and combined them, and the final result was the sun. Shining like the sun in a clear, blue sky, it began to descend. The moment the blazing heat touched him, Chi-Woo had a hunch that this sun was unstoppable. However, he couldn¡¯t avoid it either; at this distance, no matter where he went, he would be within the range of attack. So even though he knew he couldn¡¯t beat it, Chi-Woo raised his hands according to his instincts. ¡°!¡± His eyes widened when the devastating energy seemed to burn and destroy his hands. Without exaggerating, it felt like he was literally pushing against the sun. On the other hand, he held out a little longer compared to the other three. ¡ª15 seconds. It was only a matter of seconds, however. He didn¡¯t even groan; he was simply appalled by this situation. Chi-Woo was now experiencing firsthand how the great demons he faced had felt. His exorcism mana, which he had scraped out as much as he could, was already reaching its limit. It was quickly depleting as if he was pouring water into a bottomless jar; however, the sun showed no signs of weakening in the least. On the contrary, it seemed to get fiercer as time passed. ¡®At this rate-!¡¯ No, he would get devoured by the sun as soon as his exorcism mana ran out. ¡°Why¡­! Why are you trying so hard to kill me!?¡± Sensing that her end was really near, the World let out a despairing, pained cry from behind Chi-Woo¡¯s back. ¡°You can save me!¡± The girl screamed in spite of being in Yunael¡¯s arms. ¡°You can save me!¡± The girl shouted again. ¡°I want to live too¡­!¡± Yunael held the struggling girl and curled up. Chi-Woo was already unable to stop the attack; the sun had pierced through his exorcism mana. He saw Yunael¡¯s back burning from the heat and turned forward again while clenching his teeth, but Yunael wasn¡¯t the only one suffering. His hands were also gradually breaking and turning into light. His expression grew distorted. ¡®No¡­!¡¯ ¡ª10 seconds. Laguel, who was counting nervously, showed a relieved expression because she could guess how things would go in the next five seconds. Although it didn¡¯t work out as the prophecy wanted, it didn¡¯t matter because Chi-Hyun¡¯s wish was her priority. However, did Laguel know this? ¡ª9 seconds. The future that would arrive in five seconds¡­ ¡ª8 seconds. Was not that the sun would burn the mysterious man, woman, and the World without leaving a trace¡­ ¡ª7 seconds. It was showing signs of flowing in a completely different and unimaginable direction. ¡ª6 seconds. Chi-Woo raised his trembling head with great difficulty. ¡ª5¡­ Then his two eyes emitted a bright light. CH 378 Boom! Laguel saw an enormous fist pierce through the sun and fracture it into pieces. In reality, the hand that had cracked the sun wasn¡¯t very big; at most, it was the size of an adult male¡¯s hand. Yet to Laguel, that hand felt immense and gigantic, enough to pick up a planet of Liber¡¯s size like one would pick up a small bean. Even the first giant of history would be dwarfed in comparison. But how? How could a mere human¡¯s hand feel so massive? It wasn¡¯t only Laguel who felt this way. Chi-Hyun thought the same. Though it was certainly beyond his expectations that his opponent had blocked the sun and even counterattacked, it was still within the scope of what he could deal with. He could simply make an even more powerful attack. Chi-Hyun had the power and chance to do so. While his opponent¡¯s hand approached him, however, Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t think of attacking again. Laguel also forgot to continue her countdown. It was because when their opponent¡¯s energy suddenly changed, they realized that they had felt it exactly once before¡ªwhen a ritual was held so that Chi-Hyun¡¯s younger brother could escape his heavenly calling. It had been just a moment, but the memory still lingered freshly in their minds because of how memorable it was. That was the memory that surfaced their mind when they looked at the young man they were facing. Chi-Woo grabbed Chi-Hyun by the collar and slammed him down. As he fell, the countdown for ¡®Legend¡¯s Second-Coming¡¯ reached 0. Chi-Hyun fell to the ground head-first and simultaneously, the structure behind him shattered. Though he had failed to reach his goal even while using his last resort, Chi-Hyun remained speechless. He simply stared at his opponent wide-eyed. His pupils shook relentlessly as he looked at the young man with glowing eyes. Eventually, after the display of great might, the glow in Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes gradually faded until the blackness returned. Chi-Woo let out the breath he had been holding, panting roughly like he was struggling a bit. ¡°Ha¡­Ha¡­¡± Only when he saw the dazed look on his brother¡¯s face did Chi-Woo regain his senses. It was as his master Byeok said. There was no point in deleting Breakthrough. He had pulled out an extremely tiny portion of the mysterious power inside him, but it had been dangerous. It was difficult to force the power back inside again, and even more so to control his compulsion. At a single mishap, he might¡¯ve reenacted the first future he saw with the World¡¯s Milestone here. Chi-Woo was able to return to his original state somehow, but he didn¡¯t feel completely relieved. He felt a fierce foreboding that he was soon reaching his limits. At the Hala Forest, he thought he would have one or two chances left at most, but now, he really was left with only one chance. The next time would be his last. ¡°Ha¡­¡± After barely managing to calm himself down, Chi-Woo looked down to meet Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes, and a peel of laughter escaped his mouth, unbidden. By contrast, Chi-Hyun appeared completely baffled and at his wit¡¯s end. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Chi-Hyun stuttered with no certainty in his voice. It appeared he still had a hard time believing what he just witnessed. ¡°Who¡­are you¡­?¡± Even though he was saying this, Chi-Woo knew his brother must¡¯ve realized who he was by now. He should¡¯ve sensed it. ¡°I told you.¡± That was why Chi-Woo decided to answer truthfully. ¡°I¡¯m your brother.¡± Seeing that his brother was still confused, Chi-Woo turned on his device. Soon, a message popped up before Chi-Hyun, followed closely by a loud gasp. Even across the universe, there was no power greater and singular than his! All the puzzle pieces fit together now. ¡°Why¡­¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s face fell. ¡°Why are you here¡­!¡± A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Do you need to ask?¡± Chi-Woo replied carefreely. ¡°It¡¯s all because I have a shitty brother. You shit-head.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Like how you¡¯re acting now, you¡¯re the same in the future. Why do you always have to make a huge mess everywhere?¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°One¡¯s shitting and another¡¯s cleaning up that shit. It¡¯s so tiring to clean up after your mess, so stop leaving your shit everywhere you go. Please, I beg you.¡± Uncaring about how Chi-Hyun responded, Chi-Woo went on with a chuckle. ¡°How surprising.¡± It was then the Last Dragon got to her feet and spoke up. When her wings were torn off, she had fallen off and transformed back into a freckled girl, only her hair was now all tangled up. She laughed in shock and continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would ever witness someone speaking to the legend so crudely.¡± It wasn¡¯t only her. Bael and Boboris also staggered up while groaning. They weren¡¯t alive because they had put up a good fight. Chi-Hyun had adjusted his powers appropriately to not kill them. ¡°It seems he still thought of us as his companions somewhat. Hm?¡± the Last Dragon asked with a smile. She was brutally beaten, but she didn¡¯t seem to feel bad about it. Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t answer. Not only did he feel all his strength leave him when ¡®Second Coming¡¯ came to an end, but he was still reeling from the shocking truth he had just confirmed. It was then a loud explosion rang, and a volcano in the distance erupted. That wasn¡¯t all. The day darkened and brightened repeatedly. Rain and snow fell while the sunlight shone. Furthermore, parts of their space were getting warped, and metaphysical objects were wiggling around them. In other words, it appeared that Liber was getting distorted. Finally, Yunael let out a sharp cry. ¡°T-This child¡­!¡± Chi-Woo turned around then and saw the girl in Yunael¡¯s arms. She was convulsing hard while all her limbs were twisting in strange ways. It was because Chi-Hyun had used his last resort: the Second-Coming. The World was barely holding on and could no longer bear the additional burden. Thankfully, Laguel had put a stop to it before it was too late. If she had gone even a bit further, the World might¡¯ve just gone berserk. ¡°Ahurghhhhh!¡± Every time the World struggled, the strange phenomenon around them became more severe. ¡°The seeds of calamity¡­!¡± Boboris¡¯ face became pale, seeing the seeds of instability being expelled again. ¡°We have to collect them again!¡± Bael shouted. ¡°Endure it! Keep strong and hold on!¡± the Last Dragon cried out. But none of their voices reached her. ¡°How¡­!¡± The World gritted her teeth in great pain. ¡°What more do you want me to do¡­!¡± She wailed exasperatedly. ¡°Is this all my fault too? It¡¯s all because of him¡­!¡± It was as she said. The World simply did what she was told, and things wouldn¡¯t have gotten this bad if the legend hadn¡¯t used his Second Coming. ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore¡­!¡± The World could¡¯ve almost stabilized herself with just one more push, but everything was going back to square one now. ¡°What do we do now?¡± the Last Dragon asked anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Surprisingly, Chi-Woo sounded calm. It was because he recalled what had happened before and thought if he did the same as then, he might be able to solve the current problem easily. ¡°The World¡¯s condition is like this rock.¡± Chi-Woo picked up a rock rolling on the ground. ¡°It can¡¯t endure the burden that¡¯s being put on it continuously.¡± In Chi-Woo¡¯s grip, the rock cracked as more pressure was applied. ¡°That¡¯s why it is breaking like this.¡± The rock was crushed, and its pieces slipped from Chi-Woo¡¯s grip. ¡°The problem is with these falling pieces. They escaped the World¡¯s control and are running wild on their own.¡± Chi-Hyun had tried to split and weaken these pieces as much as possible and gather them into their original form. Then, he planned to remove it altogether and create a completely new stone. ¡°Can¡¯t you stick the pieces back together again?¡± the Last Dragon asked, and Chi-Woo shook his head. That had been a difficult task to begin with, but it was made even harder when his brother smashed the pieces into even tinier bits. Moreover, this was simply an analogy. Restoring the World would be much harder than simply sticking rock pieces together. ¡°We can¡¯t afford it. We are already dealing with a severely ill patient suffering from many grave diseases. She can¡¯t endure it any longer.¡± ¡°I get what you are saying, but what can we do then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Chi-Woo shook the stone pieces in his hand. ¡°Since the World doesn¡¯t have the strength to recover or even control the pieces that fell from her, she shouldn¡¯t forcefully hold onto them. That will only worsen the problem, so she should release them as fast as possible.¡± Just like how the original World did. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that we should return to square one,¡± Chi-Woo said as the Last Dragon was about to point out that nothing would change then. ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying we should just leave the broken pieces be. We need to detach only the problematic pieces and pass them over to someone who can handle them.¡± When the Last Dragon heard what Chi-Woo said, she thought she heard wrong. She tilted her head and wondered for a moment if this man was completely out of his mind. That was how unrealistic his proposal was. ¡°Who will?¡± The World thought the same. ¡°Who will take care of them on my behalf?¡± She had been listening to the conversation intently because Chi-Woo had saved her, but this was a huge disappointment. How could she just pass on a task that most gods and other Worlds wouldn¡¯t be able to bear? It was unbelievable. The others voiced their doubts as well, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say another word. He simply extended his hand with a smile. The World realized what he was trying to do then and looked completely baffled. ¡°You are going to bear it? A mere human?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Even if you¡¯re a hero who surpassed your race, you are still human in the end. How could someone born with the fate of a mortal bear the fate of an immortal? It¡¯s impossible no matter how outstanding you are. What do you think will happen?¡± ¡°Ah, stop whining!¡± Yunael yelled, unable to bear it any longer. ¡°W-What did you say?¡± ¡°Ah, just quit it and do as he says. I¡¯m dying from anxiety here!¡± As Yunael pointed out, the World was still as unstable as ever. If an earthquake broke where they were at, there would be a great mess. Whether they changed the past or not, there was a pressing problem at hand to consider. The World raised her head and glared at Chi-Woo vehemently. Chi-Woo was still wordlessly looking down at her with a slight smile. The World had already lost her mind. It was because of everything she had to bear until now and all the rage she had amassed from the recent events. ¡°Fine¡ª¡± The World gritted her teeth and grabbed Chi-Woo¡¯s hand. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you try to endure it!¡± She expelled the problems that were going berserk inside her. [Absorbing the problematic parts of the World.] [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s innate ability, [Blessed Luck] is partially restored.] Chi-Woo made a toothy grin. In the past, when he extinguished the great demon Andras, he recalled he¡¯d recovered his blessed luck by restoring a world from another dimension that existed centuries ago and absorbing it. Though this situation wasn¡¯t exactly the same as that time, there were many similarities. Thus, Chi-Woo attempted to do the same, and it seemed to be the right choice. Since Chi-Woo¡¯s innate ability was meant to carry out the World¡¯s will, it could absorb the problematic pieces that had been part of the World. With this, the rampaging World¡¯s problems disappeared, and Chi-Woo recovered some of the blessed luck he had used to come back to the past. It was a great solution with many benefits. No, he should actually go further. ¡°Give me¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°More!¡± The World was astonished. How could a human bear pieces of a World? He should¡¯ve exploded and disappeared without a trace by now. This wasn¡¯t something that should¡¯ve happened. But instead of disappearing into nothing, the human was shouting for more. This meant that this man wasn¡¯t a mere human. Instead, the way he was accepting these pieces without reservation seemed to indicate¡­it was as if he¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t think I will ever witness anything more surprising no matter how much longer I live,¡± the Last Dragon said while looking around her. Her reaction was understandable. The World had looked as if she would go berserk any moment, but she now regained her calm. The girl¡¯s venomous eyes gradually softened, and the wounds covering her body disappeared. She no longer had to feel pained or tormented. And after the World recovered her peace, the Last Dragon clicked her tongue. This mysterious young man easily solved a problem that they, including the legend, went through so much suffering and trouble to attempt to solve. ¡°Is everything alright now?¡± the Last Dragon asked. ¡°For now,¡± Chi-Woo replied. ¡°By ¡®for now¡¯¡­.¡± the Last Dragon started. They overcame their most urgent crisis. At the least, they could say that the twenty-fifth crisis was resolved. But had all their problems come to an end? No. The current crisis was solved, but they had only gained a temporary postponement. There was still a possibility that problems would arise in the future because all Chi-Woo did was simply detach the ailment from the World instead of fully healing her. When another crisis came to them, the problems that existed before would definitely arise again. ¡°There¡¯s still a void.¡± It was then someone spoke up. It was Chi-Hyun. ¡°Though the immediate problems disappeared, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the World isn¡¯t her whole self.¡± While still lying on the ground, Chi-Hyun pinpointed their remaining problem in an empty voice. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault¡ª!¡± The World was about to shout something in enragement, and Chi-Hyun nodded. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You did your best to protect Liber. Yes. I¡¯m sure you must feel wronged. I acknowledge that.¡± Surprisingly, Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice was very calm and serene. ¡°But if you¡¯re going to stick to that attitude, I¡¯ll also stick to mine and say that it¡¯s not my fault either.¡± And that wouldn¡¯t be wrong of him to say. Chi-Hyun continued slowly, ¡°I also simply did my best.¡± Whether it was the World or Chi-Hyun, both of them did their best in their own ways under their own circumstances. ¡°You probably¡­know that well too.¡± Chi-Hyun raised himself up with great effort and looked intently at the World. ¡°What kind of state you are in.¡± The World flinched. Now that she had regained her senses after all the problems tormenting her disappeared, she did understand Chi-Hyun¡¯s intention. No, she knew it all along, but still¡­! ¡°You must also know which choice is safer and much more efficient. Whether it is to maintain the World in your current state or disappear so that a new World could be created in the complete void.¡± ¡°I¡­know that too...!¡± The World sounded greatly strained. ¡°Then, you have to decide,¡± Chi-Hyun replied. He spoke softly like he was appeasing her so that she would make the decision. ¡°If you truly wish the children you birthed to live in a safe environment where they can enjoy liberty¡ªif you really consider yourself as the parent of every being that resides on Liber, decide if you want to save Liber despite disappearing from existence.¡± ¡°You can trust us and leave what will happen to us. We will create a perfect World to replace you for Liber.¡± The World didn¡¯t say anything. She appeared very conflicted. She didn¡¯t want to acknowledge what Chi-Hyun said. Even though she was the World, she wanted to keep living like everyone else. Rather, she had an even more intense urge to live on because she was the World. Yes, she was born to such a fate, but it didn¡¯t take just anybody to take care of one garden for such a long time, so long that it was unfathomable to a mortal. It would be impossible to do unless the gardener had great affection and care for her garden. In the first place, not many parents would just leave and disappear when a stranger came and said that they would take care of their children from now on. Thus, the World wanted to look over Liber with its remaining lifespan of a few billion years. Ironically, her feelings for the planet were holding her back. Because she loved and cared for Liber, it was right for her to disappear for its own good. Yet the World didn¡¯t want to do that. In the end, the World didn¡¯t know what to do and looked up at Chi-Woo. When Chi-Woo saw her pleading eyes, he smiled and walked up to her. ¡°Hm, Ms. World?¡± Chi-Woo got on one knee before the collapsed World and carefully wrapped his arms around her small body. ¡°There¡¯s a phrase you must say¡­¡± He raised her trembling arm and clutched her thin hand tightly before continuing, ¡°At times like this.¡± Then, he made her raise her middle finger and turned to Chi-Hyun. ¡°Fuck off.¡± CH 379 He felt the World flinching. Flustered, she looked over her shoulder at Chi-Woo. ¡°It¡¯s all right, so please go ahead and repeat after me. Fuck off.¡± At Chi-Woo¡¯s urging, the World stared ahead, at a loss of words. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t joke with me,¡± Chi-Hyun said with a long sigh. ¡°Anyway, if what you say is really true¡ª¡± At the next moment, he stopped talking and waved his hand fast like a thunderbolt. Chi-Woo had been on his guard, and he widened his eyes when Bael, who had just managed to lift her body, fell again without even being able to scream. It didn¡¯t seem like Bael was dead, but had merely lost consciousness. ¡°I joined hands with her this time because I didn¡¯t have much of a choice, but demons are an untrustworthy race by nature.¡± Chi-Woo understood his brother¡¯s intention after hearing this explanation. They were about to start a very important conversation, but they had no idea what would happen in the future if Bael had heard it. Boboris and the Last Dragon were trustworthy to a certain extent, while this was the very first time Chi-Hyun had worked with a demon. Therefore, he knocked Bael unconscious. Chi-Woo clicked his tongue at his brother¡¯s thoroughness. Chi-Hyun dusted his hands and exhaled the breath he had been holding. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the choice I made at this point of time had a negative effect on Liber¡¯s future, and that¡¯s why you went back in time to change my choice.¡± Chi-Woo nodded silently. ¡°Then let me tell you my conclusion first. I don¡¯t think I made the wrong choice.¡± Chi-Hyun cleared his throat. ¡°If a problem arose, it must have been due to an unavoidable outside event rather than something internal, is it not?¡± As expected of his brother; Chi-Hyun seemed to have grasped the basic situation from the few words Chi-Woo had said about it. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Chi-Hyun continued in a low voice. ¡°Now we already know a problem would arise in the event of the World¡¯s disappearance. Thus, we can respond sufficiently according to the situation with appropriate policies.¡± He spoke clearly and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll erase the World, and you¡¯ll tell me the future you know. If your purpose is to change the present and the future by modifying the past, doing as I say would have a higher probability of success.¡± Doing as his brother said could be a solution, but Chi-Woo retorted, ¡°The appropriate response you¡¯re talking about,¡± he continued with a smile, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t interfere at this point and the situation went as you wanted¡ªwouldn¡¯t you have implemented those policies?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°You would have definitely done it. I know the kind of person you are. You would have made thorough preparations to address an expected problem to the extent that you would consider every possibility and not tolerate a single variable.¡± Chi-Hyun was about to respond, but had to shut his mouth at Chi-Woo¡¯s following words, ¡°Even though Liber would be designated as a special case under the Celestial Realm¡¯s supervision, things fell through.¡± Chi-Woo quietly repeated himself once more, ¡°Despite all your efforts, it fell through.¡± Chi-Hyun looked shocked, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was ever going to back down. ¡°It¡¯s different preparing for problems that can be predicted and those beyond expectations. If I know what¡¯ll happen in the future, I can better prepare¡ª¡± ¡°Is that enough to change a definite future?¡± Chi-Hyun faltered for a bit when Chi-Woo mentioned a definite future, but he insisted, ¡°¡­I won¡¯t know until then. However, I think it''s possible.¡± ¡°Wow¡­look at you lying without even blinking an eye.¡± Of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t believe his brother¡¯s words in the least. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m lying?¡± ¡°Someone once told me that it¡¯s basically impossible to change a definite future.¡± Chi-Hyun seemed to have guessed who had told Chi-Woo that. Chi-Woo continued, ¡°A similar thing happened in my timeline. During that time, I had to revise the present for the upcoming future, and I had a total of three chances.¡± Chi-Woo smiled bitterly, recalling what had happened. ¡°The result? It wasn¡¯t bad. As you said, I¡¯ve got important information from the future and was able to properly prepare. So¡ª¡± As Chi-Woo said, thanks to that event, he was able to make a critical blow against the Demon Empire that invaded Shalyh. ¡°Do you think the future changed?¡± However, if anyone asked him if the future had changed dramatically, he¡¯d answer no. He wouldn¡¯t say that there was no positive effect, but technically, the negative effect was greater. In fact, it was from that point on that the three factions except the League stopped their constant wars against each other and began secretly working together to target humanity. ¡°No, it didn¡¯t change at all.¡± The only thing he earned was a brief respite. ¡°On the contrary, the problem came back bigger, in a more dangerous form.¡± Now that he looked back on it, his brother must have already known everything. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have jumped into the gambling table as soon as an incident broke out. As if he had known this would happen, his brother had jumped straight in without any hesitation. Chi-Woo even thought that his brother might be trying to sacrifice not only himself but humanity and the League to prevent Chi-Woo¡¯s death, which Boboris had prophesied. Although this was only a guess, Chi-Woo was most infuriated about that. ¡°While we¡¯re on this topic, let me say one more thing. I couldn¡¯t say this in my original timeline, but at this point of time, I¡¯m older than you, right? As your senior, I¡¯ll give you a word of advice.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you fix that rotten temper of yours?¡± Chi-Woo raised his chin at Chi-Hyun, who looked bewildered. ¡°I¡¯m talking about that fucking annoying superiority complex of yours, always thinking you¡¯re the only one who can get the job done.¡± The Last Dragon, who had been listening seriously, let out a ¡®pfff¡¯ without intending to and quickly covered her mouth. ¡°Please stop trying to carry every burden on your own. You¡¯re not even doing a good job. You think I called you a shithead for no reason?¡± Boboris turned away; judging by her flushed face, she must have also found his words funny. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°How dare you say that to me?¡± He spoke in a growling voice and continued, ¡°If you know the circumstances somewhat and that¡¯s why you¡¯re here, then¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun, who was gritting his teeth, couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. The words, ¡®then you shouldn¡¯t act like that to me¡¯ came up right to his throat, but he couldn¡¯t say it out loud. Chi-Woo had never asked him to do any of this; he had told him to quit instead. However, Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t back down. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. There¡¯s no reason for you to go this far.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s tone changed. ¡°Just once. Just trust me this once. Even if we can¡¯t avoid a definite future, we¡¯ll be able to improve the situation a bit.¡± His voice was earnest and desperate, unlike his usual self. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. Maybe the future his brother spoke of could become reality. A future where they didn¡¯t have to send heroes from the Celestial Realm in droves to Liber. However¡­ Chi-Hyun said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to enter Liber¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Even if it was a future where only his brother had to enter, Chi-Woo¡¯s will did not change. Since the very beginning, Chi-Woo had entered Liber with one firm determination¡ªfor his brother and him to survive and return to Earth together. Moreover, his relationship with Liber had deepened too much for him to just abandon ship. Chi-Woo reaffirmed, ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself again. No.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s expression noticeably hardened at Chi-Woo¡¯s clear refusal. ¡°In the end¡­you¡¯re going to really have it your way?¡± He asked again in a slightly tired voice, ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re doing the right thing?¡± ¡°Well¡­we don¡¯t know yet.¡± In the past, Chi-Woo might have wavered after hearing what his brother said. However, what his brother was after differed too much from Chi-Woo¡¯s wish; The discrepancy was too great for them to come to an agreement. His brother¡¯s mind hadn¡¯t changed even a bit from when he first entered Liber. Since they were at odds, they couldn¡¯t go the same way. There was no changing that. Although Chi-Woo tried to be a younger brother who listened well to his older brother, he wasn¡¯t going to do that anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Chi-Woo continued with a smile on his face. ¡°Whether it¡¯s right or wrong, I¡¯ll make it the answer.¡± He wasn¡¯t going to borrow anyone¡¯s power, and his brother was no exception. He was going to accomplish his goal with his own hands. Yunael looked at him with a coy knowing look. And Chi-Hyun, who realized that there was no point conversing further, clenched his fist. ¡°¡­Laguel.¡± He called out to Laguel and said, ¡°Call forth the 37th WI5H.¡± Although he spoke in a solemn voice with determination¡ªLaguel didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Laguel?¡± Laguel had been staring at Chi-Woo the whole time since the Legend¡¯s Second-Coming ended. ¡ªThe fact that you¡¯re here right now. Her calm voice continued. ¡ªMeans that you and I must have met at least once in the distant future. Chi-Woo answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ªDid I try to stop you? ¡°You didn¡¯t just try to stop me. You tried to deport me as soon as you saw me.¡± ¡ªBut seeing that you¡¯re here¡­ Although Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything else, Laguel seemed to know the answer. ¡ª¡­I see. She inhaled deeply with a wry smile. ¡ªThat future is also a definite future for me¡­so that¡¯s how it is. ¡°Laguel!¡± ¡ªI¡¯ll ask you one last question. Although Chi-Hyun kept shouting her name, Laguel didn¡¯t answer and only stared at Chi-Woo. ¡ªWhat is your goal? ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Chi-Woo said calmly. ¡°To fulfill what you asked of me.¡± ¡ª? ¡°Before I entered Liber, you asked me to bring back a down-right mean bastard who always does what he wants.¡± Laguel¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and soon, a faint smile tugged at her lips. ¡ªI understand. Then she finally looked back at Chi-Hyun. ¡ªI¡¯ll use my authority to forcibly repatriate Sir Chi-Hyun. Please take care of the rest. Although Chi-Hyun shouted fiercely in protest, Laguel didn¡¯t listen to him. She bowed and carried out forced repatriation as she had said. Chi-Hyun resisted the best he could with terrifying intensity till the very end, but eventually, light enveloped his entire body, and he went up into the sky. The area where the sky and earth shook and trembled to the point that the whole world would self-destruct calmed immediately, as if everything had been a dream. ¡°Well¡­I think the matter¡¯s settled for now.¡± The Last Dragon looked around with bewilderment, but her expression soon grew solemn. ¡°¡­But it¡¯s still scary that an inevitable and enormous crisis will come in the future.¡± She smacked her lips and glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°Will we¡­meet again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only know once we go back but¡­probably.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be soon for you, but it¡¯ll be a long time for us.¡± When the Last Dragon shrugged, Chi-Woo nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡± Then he stretched his arms as hard as he could. Like this, his interference of past events ended. Looking back, it wasn¡¯t all that easy. He had to make a series of choices, and there was a time when he wavered. However, he was able to stay true to his will in the end. Chi-Woo said to Boboris, ¡°Now I understand.¡± When Chi-Woo suddenly talked to her, Boboris asked in surprise, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why you told me such a thing, Ms. Boboris.¡± Boboris tilted her head. It was impossible for her to understand what he meant by this in the current timeline. ¡°If Ms. Yunael hadn¡¯t been here, I¡¯m not sure what kind of choice I would have made.¡± ¡°No¡­I haven¡¯t done much¡­¡± Yunael turned away and scratched her cheek, embarrassed by his sudden compliment. However, Yunael had played her part. She had helped Chi-Woo strengthen his resolve when he was wavering, risked her life to take the World away from his brother¡¯s surprise attack, and did it again when she shielded the convulsing World and protected her. They wouldn¡¯t have gotten here if any of those three things hadn¡¯t been true. Moreover, Chi-Woo was most impressed by how she acted after they were transported together. Although she was dragged into this mess with no warning, she quickly adapted to the situation and trusted him and followed his decision, even in life-threatening situations. Although Chi-Woo had not considered this possibility, he suddenly thought it wouldn¡¯t be bad to accept her as his third star. ¡°Could you perhaps tell us about the upcoming threat?¡± the Last Dragon asked. Chi-Woo, who had been smiling brightly at Yunael, turned to the Last Dragon. The Last Dragon continued, ¡°A little is fine. Since you said it was a definite future, making preparations would hardly work, but it¡¯s still better than not knowing.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true but¡­¡± Chi-Woo glanced down and lifted his shoulders. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m out of time.¡± As he said, dots of dim lights were gathering beneath Chi-Woo and Yunael¡¯s feet. He could feel it in his gut; the time the World¡¯s Milestone allowed them here was over the moment his brother was forced to return. Time will soon begin to flow again. But right before he went back, Chi-Woo looked back at one being. ¡°But even then¡­¡± He stared at the girl who was still looking up at him blankly from the ground, ¡°It¡¯s going to be very hard. As Liber¡¯s World, extremely difficult and despairing days will arrive.¡± Even so, he continued, ¡°I know it¡¯s hard¡­but I beg of you, please hang in there.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t let go of the string of hope¡ª¡± Chi-Woo smiled brightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll come save you again.¡± A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. At that moment, the girl¡¯s eyes, which had hardened like stone, gradually widened. All the anxiety and worry twisting her face disappeared like it had all been washed away. The World looked at Chi-Woo with indescribable fervor¡ªand then jumped up. When she was about to run towards Chi-Woo with her arms outstretched¡ª Light enveloped Chi-Woo and Yunael. And then¡­ * * * At the same time, the Celestial Realm was in a frenzy because a significant change had been confirmed on Liber, which was being closely monitored. The cause was soon discovered. ¡°Past interference has been confirmed!¡± Modifying the past was by no means a trivial event. Just like how the wings of a butterfly could cause a storm, it didn¡¯t influence only the present. The angels gathered in haste and watched the prophecy. Soon after, the transparent crystal shone. The angels, who were murmuring amongst themselves while staring at the shaking light, fell silent instantly, gaping at the crystal without a word. After a long silence¡­ ¡°The fut¡­¡± One blond angel managed to speak in a quivering, trembling voice, ¡°Future¡­¡± Their reaction was only natural because no matter how hard they tried, all they had seen was the same outcome. The future had never changed no matter what they did, but now¡ª ¡°The future has¡­!¡± It has divided and split. The path to the future of salvation that everyone wanted was finally open. CH 380 From way back in the past, time began to fast forward to its original point. While watching their ever-changing scenery, Yunael suddenly realized something. ¡°Ah, ah,¡± she was now able to speak as she wished and even move her arms and legs. ¡°It¡¯s different from when time was rewinding,¡± she said in a slightly astonished tone. ¡°It¡¯s because this is the natural progression of things while the other one was the unnatural one,¡± Chi-Woo replied calmly, and Yunael gasped in understanding, ¡®Aha.¡¯ Of course, she didn¡¯t truly understand what Chi-Woo said and just accepted it as fact. But truthfully, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what was happening either and just said whatever was on his mind. He found Yunael quite simple-minded to have accepted his explanation just like that. Silence passed between the two. Though time was fastforwarding, they had gone so far into the past and didn¡¯t know how long it would take for them to return to their original time. ¡°¡­I think I get it now,¡± Yunael suddenly said after waiting quietly. ¡°Sometimes, I couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind your actions¡­but I didn¡¯t imagine you would do something like this at all.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Things like this. Who would dare go back to the past and change what happened? No wonder there¡¯s a difference in our growth.¡± Not all heroes were built the same; there were things one could do while another could not. Most heroes would have laughed at the idea of changing the future by intervening in the past, yet the man Yunael acknowledged as her boss was able to accomplish this unbelievable task and get favorable results. And thanks to being by his side, she was able to experience what most wouldn¡¯t have even dreamed of. ¡°You really are amazing. Thank you. I¡¯ll end up getting some merits thanks to you.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± The two fell silent again. In the end, Yunael couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, and after her lips twitched a bit, she broke the silence once more. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to say to me?¡± ¡°?¡± We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. ¡°Hm, for example, your relationship with the legend? Isn¡¯t it about time for you to tell me?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother. What of it?¡± ¡°No, well. I was just curious,¡± Yunael said. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad and hear me out. I¡¯ve been a hero for quite some time and experienced a good deal, but I¡¯ve never heard of a hero named Woo.¡± ¡°Woo?¡± ¡°Yes, as a name and not the family name.¡± It seemed that this idiot thought Chi-Woo¡¯s family name was Chi while his name was Woo. ¡°Anyways, wouldn¡¯t anyone be surprised if some hero no one had heard of popped out of who-knows-where and became one of the main pillars of this ruined world, all the while acting so close to the legend? Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Yunael asked and suddenly looked a bit serious. ¡°Wait. Since the legend didn¡¯t recognize you, you guys must¡¯ve met at a later time¡­¡± It seemed Yunael still didn¡¯t think Chi-Woo and Chi-Hyun were blood-related. After all, the situation still left room for misunderstanding to arise. Chi-Woo and Chi-Hyun had simply called each other brothers when conversing and never officially mentioned their blood ties.[1] This was because Chi-Woo had been acting cautiously just in case, and Chi-Hyun appeared to have also been minding his words, as the way he knocked Bael unconscious would indicate. Chi-Woo thought about saying, ¡®Why don¡¯t you add Choi in front of Chi-Woo?¡¯ but ended up dropping it with a smile. ¡°Well¡­he¡¯s just someone I¡¯m close to.¡± ¡°Yeah sure. I thought that¡¯s how you¡¯ll answer. I suppose you don¡¯t want to tell me,¡± Yunael grunted and turned away. Chi-Woo swallowed his laughter and looked back at Yunael as she grumbled. Then, he said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Yunael glanced at him. Their eyes met, and she tucked her hair behind her ears, not once, but twice. ¡®Ha! Seriously!¡¯ she murmured to herself. ¡°Ms. Yunael,¡± Chi-Woo called out to her with a smirk. ¡°¡­What?¡± Yunael seemed to not like the smile on Chi-Woo¡¯s face, and her eyes narrowed. ¡°Do you know the meaning behind Seven Stars?¡± Yunael blinked hard because she hadn¡¯t expected the question. ¡°What are you suddenly saying?¡± she asked, and Chi-Woo cleared his throat. ¡°When we return, we¡¯ll be facing a modified present. Then, we¡¯ll have to prepare for a future that¡¯s on the horizon.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Yes, although they had managed to change the past as they wished, it was still too early to guess what would happen. They hadn¡¯t done much but sprinkled a few drops of oil into the dying fire. ¡°And if we manage to overcome the approaching future, don¡¯t think everything is over then.¡± Of course, they could see it as a huge achievement that they had opened up a new path forward, but there still existed far more paths to destruction and doom. While listening to Chi-Woo speak, Yunael was hit with a strange feeling. The Seven Stars leader she had seen until now was an oddball or an enigma. He was a mystical being who knew secrets others didn¡¯t know and stopped their world from falling into ruins behind the scenes. Thus, it was a little puzzling for her to be thanked by a hero like that, but it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. It felt as if she had finally found her place in the center of this messy World. ¡°No matter how much I struggle with it¡­I think it would be difficult by myself,¡± Chi-Woo told Yunael. ¡°Thus, I need stars.¡± Yunael didn¡¯t avert her gaze this time. Given his tone, she knew what Chi-Woo was trying to say and what the meaning of Seven Stars was. ¡°So, would you be my third star?¡± Chi-Woo asked without beating around the bush. ¡°Yes, that sounds good.¡± As if she had been waiting to be asked a long time ago, Yunael responded immediately. Chi-Woo smiled softly at her instant response, which bothered Yunael and made her glare at him. ¡°What? Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m happy.¡± Yunael flinched. ¡°H-Happy about what?¡± ¡°To see you jump up and down at the chance of accepting my offer.¡± ¡°When did I¡­!¡± Yunael felt irked, but she soon calmed down by letting out a deep breath and crossing her arms. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m eager to accept it, and I¡¯m glad I got the same offer that Aida got.¡± It appeared that Yunael was more interested in the menial details than the main deals. ¡°But¡ª¡± Yunael was about to ask something when their surroundings brightened. Now that she looked around her, the environment had been changing while they were conversing. The Milky Way was flowing like a river with pitch-black darkness as the background. Chi-Woo was traveling across the universe before he realized it, and then he found himself facing a familiar planet while Yunael was nowhere in sight. Surprisingly, the planet was no longer an ashy color. Soon, his whole view became white, and Chi-Woo felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It was then the space around him stretched out sideways and swallowed him whole. *** Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what had happened. He suddenly separated from Yunael and was sucked into another space. He was inside a library¡ªthe same library where he received his privileges. After making his way across the library, Chi-Woo found himself in a white place. It was a space of nothingness, and he was alone. No, he wasn¡¯t actually alone, and after a slight disturbance in his view, he saw something waver in the air in front of him. The wavering soon gained shape and morphed into a young girl. ¡°You¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. He immediately recognized her because they had met and conversed just before. The girl who appeared in full form was the World¡ªLiber¡¯s World who was almost extinguished by Chi-Hyun and had cried and pleaded for her life. Chi-Woo remembered this space. After looking around him for a while, Chi-Woo put his hands inside his pockets. Then, he pulled out a seven-sided die. Yes, this was where he had received the World¡¯s Milestone. ¡°I see¡­¡± It was then Chi-Woo understood everything. The girl he had met here when he first came to Liber was the World, but something had changed. At that time, the girl¡¯s body was covered in so many wounds that he couldn¡¯t even bear to look at her. That part was still the same. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what had happened to her until now, but her whole body was littered with injuries. Yet she wasn¡¯t crying. She didn¡¯t cry like a child who had lost her parents in the battleground like before, and instead showed a firm determination that wouldn¡¯t waver amid the strongest storms. Furthermore, the girl looked a bit shy, like she was reuniting with her first love. The girl hesitated and walked up to Chi-Woo. She took one step at a time until she was right in front of him. ¡ªI¡¯m sorry. The girl apologized first. ¡ªI tried to fight back, but¡­as expected, there¡¯s a problem. She sounded bitter. ¡ªIn the end, I couldn¡¯t stop them. Chi-Woo could grasp the situation somewhat. It appeared that the definite future where Sernitas targeted the problem-filled Liber and invaded it hadn¡¯t changed. ¡ªHonestly, it was hard. The girl continued like a young child complaining. ¡ªIt was so painful and tiring. There were many times when I was brought down to my knees. But Chi-Woo was fine with all this because he realized that there was another difference between the girl he saw in the past and now¡ªhe could hear the girl¡¯s voice. That seemed to mean one thing. ¡ªStill¡­I endured. It was so tiring that I almost resented everything. Sometimes, I even had the scary thoughts that it would be better if everything just fell to ruins¡­ The World was different from how she had been in the past, when she left only negative influences like her resentment on Liber. This World had protected Liber as best as she could and successfully endured, not forgetting her original duty. ¡ªBut I gritted my teeth and held on. Because I had hoped that you''d come before everything was over. The girl leaned forward. Then, she stretched her arms wide and hugged Chi-Woo. ¡ªThank you for keeping your promise and coming back. Chi-Woo was speechless for a moment. Though it hadn¡¯t been long for him since he last separated from the World, it must have felt like a very long time for her. When one was having an enjoyable time, one hour would feel like a minute; when one suffered, one minute would feel like hundreds and thousands of hours. The World probably felt like it¡¯d been an eternity while she waited for Chi-Woo, yet she still endured because she simply believed his promise. Realizing this, Chi-Woo felt an emotion he couldn¡¯t describe. He placed his hand on the girl¡¯s head. The girl looked up at Chi-Woo half-expectantly and half-worriedly. It seemed like she was asking if she had done a good job. ¡°I should be the one thanking you,¡± Chi-Woo said in a trembling voice and slowly patted the girl¡¯s hair. ¡°Thank you for believing in me and waiting for me.¡± Hearing this, a bright smile formed on the girl¡¯s lips. She felt as if she was being rewarded for everything she had suffered until now. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I¡¯m really grateful,¡± Chi-Woo said. The girl¡¯s smile was so bright that it was as if spring had come early and was melting the snow piling on the ground. ¡°But¡­isn¡¯t it too early to thank me?¡± Chi-Woo said while patting her head. ¡°There¡¯s still a promise I¡¯ve yet to keep.¡± Though Chi-Woo kept his promise to come visit her again, that wasn¡¯t the only promise he had made. Hearing this, the girl extended her thin hands and clutched Chi-Woo¡¯s hand which was holding the die. ¡ªThough there isn¡¯t much power left¡­ The World¡¯s Milestone glowed with a white light. It seemed that something was flowing into it and getting absorbed. ¡ªI¡¯m glad I¡¯ve worked so hard to preserve it. With this, the girl¡¯s will was clearly passed onto Chi-Woo. Soon after, distance formed between Chi-Woo and the girl naturally, and they grew further apart. ¡ªI¡¯ll wait for you, my hero. Then, unlike the time she disappeared as soon as she handed the die, he saw her bid him farewell by waving her hands. Time passed again, and Chi-Woo returned to his original time. His surroundings were just as he remembered. He was sitting on the chair while Yunael had both of her hands on the desk. Chi-Woo felt time gradually slowing down and inhaled deeply. He would soon face the modified Liber, and he wondered how much had changed. He closed his eyes as he fell out of the flow of time and combined with the Chi-Woo of the original timeline. As the series of processes finally reached their end, the past finished reflecting the revisions that had been made. ¡°!¡± While sitting on his chair, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes flashed open. 1. They¡¯ve been calling each other ¡®hyung¡¯ and ¡®dongsaeng¡¯ which can be used by any man addressing an older or younger man even if they aren¡¯t blood-related. ? CH 381 Starting from the moment Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened, the current world was revised. Chi-Woo¡¯s prediction was almost right. The original time point had not changed dramatically, and most of the main events remained the same. In other words, the main flow of the world that took place before his intervention mostly continued unchanged. However, this didn¡¯t mean that there was no change at all; if one considered the whole flow and took a closer look, there were minute details that were now different. In fact, 99.9 percent of the beings currently active on Liber didn¡¯t feel any abnormalities after the modification; this also meant that there were very few exceptions who did sense it¡ªthose who had realized the fundamental logic of the World and observed the flow of the World. And while Chi-Woo was interfering with the past, those who had taken a step back from the time flow detected abnormalities as soon as Chi-Woo returned to his original timeline. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Chi-Hyun, who had been trapped in Sernitas'' territory, suddenly let out a violent groan. He clutched his head and felt intense pain because memories that didn¡¯t used to exist in his head were coming to him one by one. Chi-Hyun groaned in pain for a long while and finally opened his eyes with difficulty. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± After he looked through each new memory one by one, he was completely dumbfounded. With an incredulous tone, he shouted, ¡°Chi-Woo, you crazy punk¡­!¡± At the same time. ¡°Ahahahhaaha!¡± The Last Dragon, who had experienced a moment of disorientation like Chi-Hyun, burst into laughter after organizing the dizzying memories floating in her mind. ¡°Crazy, how crazy! He¡¯s so much more insane than his brother! Don¡¯t tell me, he really¡­!¡± And it was the same for the Sernitas. ¡ªError. Error. ¡ªFine-tuning detected in the flow of time and space. ¡ªConfirming extinguishment of the now extinct World¡¯s resentment. The World¡¯s probability of survival has exponentially increased. ¡ª¡­.Notifying that a major revision in future plans is inevitable. Signs of Chi-Woo¡¯s interference with the past showed up everywhere, and this was no exception to the individuals who had caused this change. * * * Rubbing at his forehead, Chi-Woo slowly looked up. He saw Yunael likewise clutching her temples and groaning in pain. There were numerous messages in the air. [¡®Seven Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯ has been opened.] [The amount of trust that user Yunael Tania has towards user Choi Chi-Woo will be measured.] [Measuring¡­ Measurement is completed.] He turned the notification off for now. After checking his user information first, he saw that his Blessed Luck, which had dropped to 43, had now recovered back to the maximum 100. This was a result of absorbing many of the World¡¯s problematic pieces. And that wasn¡¯t the only success he reaped. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s Merits: 120,963,279] He had earned an astounding number of merits, and it easily exceeded 100 million. He gaped at the insane number. On second thought, it was understandable because Chi-Woo had directly interfered with the World¡¯s flow. However, he couldn¡¯t be satisfied yet. Blessed Luck and merits were merely a bonus, and there was a separate reward he wanted for his efforts¡ªthe changed present and the future that would change as a result. Of course, these were things he couldn¡¯t hope for right now, and he couldn¡¯t be sure that his actions would bring forth these results. However, the most important part was that the future could change depending on how he acted from now on. The situation was now different, and the future would follow suit. Chi-Woo rose to his feet, and Yunael also struggled to get up. Then they went out at the same time as if they had planned it beforehand. While they quickly crossed the corridor, the two ran into one of the Seven Star members. ¡°Boss,¡± Eval Sevaru, who had been on his way to Chi-Woo¡¯s office, called out to him. ¡°You haven¡¯t left yet. Sir, you told me that you¡¯ll be working independently for the time being, so I came to ask you approximately how long you¡¯ll be¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I just came back. It¡¯s going to be alright now.¡± Eval Sevaru looked blankly at Chi-Woo as he winked at him and passed him by. From Eval Sevaru¡¯s perspective, it had only been a few minutes since Chi-Woo told him to not worry too much if he lost consciousness again, so it was understandable for him to be flustered. Trailing after Chi-Woo, Yunae gave Eval Sevaru a knowing, sympathetic look, and Eval became even more confused. Yunael and Chi-Woo went outside and wandered around Shalyh; there was no substantial change, but if they had to identify one difference, the population did seem to have increased compared to before. Chi-Woo could guess why. Since the World had been modified, the events that had happened so far had changed little by little. When Chi-Woo first entered Liber as part of the 7th recruits, humanity had almost disappeared from Liber. Despite Chi-Hyun¡¯s best effort, the number of survivors amounted to a few thousand at most. Compared to the time when humanity once reigned supreme in the Middle World and the population reached billions, it was truly a minuscule number. On the other hand, humanity hadn¡¯t gone extinct per se because there were quite a few humans captured and enslaved by other factions, but it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that humanity had lost the vitality and numbers to reign the Middle World ever again. Even if they saved Liber as it currently was, humanity would just become one of the countless minority tribes living quietly in the corner of Liber in the future. The outcome hadn¡¯t changed much even in this modified world. It was safe to say that humanity¡¯s power and force was still incomparable to the past, but thanks to Chi-Woo¡¯s intervention, the results have changed a little. That alone could be considered progress. ¡°Hmm¡­I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t really feel much of a difference.¡± Yunael still looked unsure. ¡°The population has increased. That¡¯s a good thing, but does it really matter if the current situation hasn¡¯t changed much? To be blunt, even if there are more natives, it¡¯s just more mouths to feed. It¡¯s not like they help much in terms of power.¡± On the surface, Yunael¡¯s argument was reasonable, but it was too shortsighted. ¡°Oh, come to think of it, you must not know about this.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°How things got to this point in the first place¡­¡± When Chi-Woo came into contact with a group of nomads, Shakira had told him that the reason why humanity fell so easily was because the main god, Elephthalia, had gone crazy. Due to Elephthalia¡¯s curse, humans began to lose their mind and suddenly changed. They started viciously killing each other, and in the midst of this chaos, the Demon Empire invaded, the Abyss struck, and an alien race came bursting in, leaving humanity with no chance of surviving. Shakira¡¯s explanation was half right and half wrong. Elephthalia hadn¡¯t suddenly gone crazy. The starting point was the excessive demand for backup during the series of crises, which burdened the World. The direct cause was Chi-Hyun¡¯s complete extinguishment of the problematic World, leaving only deep resentment. When the foreseen repercussions occurred on Liber, things were set in motion according to the unknown figure¡¯s intention, and the situation ended up like this. However, at their current point of time, one part of the problem had been fixed. Chi-Hyun had failed to exterminate the World, and by protecting the World, Chi-Woo had prevented the World from cursing Liber with her resentment. Of course, since the fundamental cause of the problem hasn¡¯t been solved, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t stop the chain reactions that would occur as a result. The Sernitas invaded Liber like before and greatly contributed to the emergence of the Demon Empire and Abyss by disrupting and weakening the World. However, even in that mess, the World tried desperately to protect Liber, and Elephthalia didn¡¯t go crazy. Although it was true that they failed to prevent the Sernitas from squeezing through the gaps, that humanity was still too weak to handle all the calamities befalling them despite their improved situation, and that they were walking on a foreseen path of destruction, humanity wouldn¡¯t be as easily swept by their surroundings as before. In times of crisis, humanity resisted with all their might and sought a way to survive as much as possible even after human civilization collapsed. This was a huge difference indeed. When the World cursed Liber with deep resentment, humanity did not really want to continue living; this was evident from the displaced people who lived in the forest day by day only because they couldn¡¯t bear to die. However, the current World had not forgotten her duty, and as a result of her enduring will, more humans had survived than before. Therefore, humans were living persistently without giving up hope that someday they¡¯d be able to regain Liber and go back to their old days. Hope for Liber to one day become normal again proved the existence of the World. Such changes may not be seen immediately, but the future might go differently this time. After circling Shalyh once, Chi-Woo and Yunael returned to Seven Stars and conversed. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be significant changes in the near future¡ªwhether we know of it or not. In fact, there might have already been a change.¡± ¡°Would that be the case? I sure hope so¡­¡± They headed to the main building after passing the main gate. Just when they were about to open the door and enter, the door opened first. The person who was about to go outside paused for a moment and tilted her head, her eyes softly closed. Aida smiled brightly, ¡°Are you two coming back from a date?¡± ¡°What do you mean by a date!?¡± Yunael fervently denied it. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s a joke, a joke. So please don¡¯t get so angry; that only makes you more suspicious.¡± Aida waved her hands and laughed at Yunael, who was jumping up and down. Then she suddenly looked back at Chi-Woo and said, ¡°By the way, my lord. May I ask what happened about the matter I told you before?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°About the star.¡± Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Yunael, who had been angry, flinched. ¡°The lonely star¡¯s energy is getting stronger day by day. I know you¡¯re busy with official duties, but I recommend that you take some time to look around Shalyh if you can.¡± Yunael quickly turned around and looked at Chi-Woo; Chi-Woo was just as surprised as her. There was a new star around Shalyh? He could swear that Aida had never mentioned such a thing before¡ªbefore the past had been modified, that was. However, since the modification, this matter was definitely present in his memory. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ There was only one explanation. An individual that should have died before the modification was alive after the modification, and this individual had the potential to be a star, to the point that Aida confidently recommended them to Chi-Woo. This could also be considered one of the changes of the World. However, this wasn¡¯t the only change. He heard someone running to him from afar. Hawa rushed over and stood in front of Chi-Woo. ¡°Goddess La Bella¡­has sent a message¡­ She told you to come quickly¡­right now¡­¡± She was in such a rush that she relayed the message while catching her breath. Chi-Woo¡¯s lips curled into a smile. * * * The Demon Empire was silent. An unknown sense of ominousness lingered¡ªlike the calm before a storm. Deep underground in a castle, a girl sat alone in a large cavity with only one small window. Her white hair shimmered under the moonlight streaming through the window. She immediately turned around when she heard the door open. Shersha slightly opened her mouth at the figure walking towards her, ¡°Bael.¡± ¡°Today,¡± the great demon, Bael, said as soon as she entered, ¡°The General Assembly has made a decision.¡± Shersha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No.¡± She quickly shook her head. But Bael firmly replied, ¡°I can¡¯t overturn the decision now. We decided to give our answer¡ªto accept it.¡± ¡°No. Bael. No. Please.¡± ¡°The legend has jumped straight into Sernitas¡¯ territory. By himself.¡± ¡°We¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no better time than this.¡± Shersha tried to say something, but Bael cut her off every time, ¡°I know what you¡¯re concerned about. But¡­¡± Bael trailed off. Then she chewed on her lower lip. Shersha¡¯s eyebrow trembled slightly because for some unbeknownst reason, she was getting a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, as if they had had this conversation before. However, Bael was different then; Bael had seemed much more convinced. If this was a feeling that Shersha got from a dream, it could be a type of prophecy. And if the reality was different from the prophecy, it meant only one thing¡ªthe future had changed. ¡°No,¡± Shersha repeated in a stronger tone. ¡°Even if. Everything goes well. All we can get. Is a grace period. If not. We¡¯re jumping straight. Into the fire by ourselves.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nothing will. Be left. Not even ashes.¡± Bael¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Not yet. We have to turn back. We must.¡± ¡°¡­You told me that prophecy should only be used as reference and not to be followed blindly.¡± ¡°Bael.¡± ¡°You said that the future is always changing.¡± ¡°No. This is not.¡± ¡°What do you mean no?¡± Bael¡¯s voice was filled with anger. ¡°Why can¡¯t we fight for the future we want? Why does the Celestial Realm have to always manage everything in the name of maintaining the order of the world?¡± Bael asked again and again. Shersha was left speechless momentarily. ¡°Rather than living like livestock like that¡ª¡± Bael spoke in a shuddering voice, full of anger, ¡°Let it all go to hell. A world like this.¡± Bael turned away with those parting words. ¡°Bael!¡± Bael heard Shersha get up in a hurry with a desperate cry. However, she shut the door without looking back. Although she heard Shersha banging on the door, Bael climbed the stairs without hesitation. Even when she went out of the basement and came up to the first floor, the knocking still didn¡¯t cease. Bael walked alone in the corridor and stopped shortly after. Her slightly lowered head revealed an anxious expression. ¡°¡­I also know.¡± Bael sighed and muttered to herself. ¡°That it could go wrong¡­¡± To be more precise, Bael couldn¡¯t erase the anxiety that something was going wrong. ¡°But¡­¡± Bael took a deep breath and raised her head. As she stared into the distance, a firm determination formed in her eyes. A conclusion had already been reached; it was all or nothing. Fight, or let all be doomed without leaving even ashes, as Shersha had predicted. Although the results couldn¡¯t be known yet, one thing was for certain¡ªthere was no turning back now. While Bael was determined to do just that, a weak groan leaked from her mouth. She felt like she was being caught blindsided and swept away by a sudden torrent. CH 382 After hearing what Hawa said, Chi-Woo went to see La Bella right away. As usual, La Bella was standing alone while holding a balance scale in one hand. ¡ªYou¡¯ve accomplished quite the feat. La Bella didn¡¯t sound pleased, but a little like she was reprimanding him. After all, interfering with the past was nothing to take lightly, and with a single mishap, the present could¡¯ve turned into a mess. Considering how dangerous what Chi-Woo did was, it was reasonable that she would want to chide Chi-Woo a bit. This novel is available on "pawread dot com". ¡ªBut¡­you did well. In the end, however, she gave Chi-Woo a compliment. Using stocks or coin market as an analogy, the higher the risks he undertook, the greater the rewards would be, and this time, Chi-Woo struck gold. It was enough to pay back all the principles he had been pushing off and even accumulate savings. But to do this, Chi-Woo had to overcome another great hurdle. ¡ªThose who¡¯ve been warily surveilling your movements are on their utmost guard now. ¡ªThey had sensed that their plans were getting thwarted and pinpointed Shalyh as the source of this interference. Thus, their plan had been to collect the World¡¯s residual resentment left on Liber before upending your plan and killing you. This was aligned with what Boboris had told him. Usually, revealing what his enemies planned to do would¡¯ve been a grave sin equivalent to revealing the secrets of the heavens. But La Bella could now reveal it calmly because this action was no longer possible to carry out. After all, the World wasn¡¯t extinguished, and thus no resentment remained on Liber. ¡ªThat still doesn¡¯t change the fact that the current World¡¯s presence is so faint that it¡¯s almost nonexistent. ¡ªBut it¡¯s certain that the World isn¡¯t dead yet. Her will lives on, and it¡¯s perfectly aligned with ours. The World was alive, and that fact alone provided room for them to change many things. Chi-Woo understood what La Bella was saying in general. Before he modified the past, his enemies had tried to kill him with an absolute weapon in their hands; and beyond that, they tried to destroy Shalyh and exterminate humanity. After he modified the past, their goal remained the same, but they were missing a vital tool. With this, everything was much more doable since the result wasn¡¯t predetermined, but depended on what he did from here on out. Of course, the situation was still as dangerous as ever. Even if humanity and the Cassiubia League joined forces, their enemies¡¯ forces were much greater and stronger. Thus, they couldn¡¯t let down their guard. ¡ªWe can expect some support from her, which will be better than nothing. La Bella continued. ¡ªThat is, as long as you can make the World functional. Chi-Woo tilted his head. How could he make the World a bit more functional? If he could, he would¡¯ve done that already. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have even needed to go to the past in the first place, and his older brother would have attempted the method before him. From the beginning, the situation reached this point because they didn¡¯t know how to make the World functional. La Bella must also know that too. ¡ªWhat are you so worried about? Yet it appeared that La Bella thought differently. She sounded like he could accomplish this task now despite not being able to before; that there was a way for the World to recover. ¡ªDon¡¯t you already have the method by your side? Hearing this, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened in realization. *** As soon as he returned from his meeting with La Bella, Chi-Woo went on a search for Steam Bun. Steam Bun was rolling leisurely with the fenrir cub just like any other day when Chi-Woo suddenly grabbed it. The fenrir cub chased after Chi-Woo and barked, asking where he was taking their friend, but Chi-Woo paid no mind to them. ¡°I know you might be startled, but listen to me carefully since this is very important,¡± Chi-Woo said. Though it was surprised, Steam Bun flattened its body a couple times in a gesture similar to nodding. Chi-Woo went on to calmly explain everything that had happened without skipping any information. After all that, he asked, ¡°Do you perhaps¡­have any intention of becoming part of the World?¡± It was such a sudden question, asking not if it would assume the role of the World, but be part of it. ¡ªThe current World is suffering from a void inside her. Though it was unexpected, Chi-Woo thought La Bella had a point. According to her, they would have to fulfill very difficult and nearly impossible conditions to solve their issue¡ªwhether it was to fix the World¡¯s problematic parts or create a new World. Both would take a great length of time, and this was a premise that couldn¡¯t be changed. While they still didn¡¯t have many options, however, there was now the possibility of speeding up the process a bit. ¡ªDo you know what kind of existence that child is? And hearing this, Chi-Woo realized Steam Bun¡¯s potential and possible connection with the World. ¡ªThat child was born at the beginning of time. Moreover, that child can become anything. The beginning of time was when the sky and earth first formed and when time came into being with the formation of the universe. Since it started at the creation of the sky and earth, it could be considered the absolute point of origin that surpassed time. When there was a hole in a person¡¯s body, the quickest and safest way to fill the hole would be transplantation. Rather than attaching a foreign organ from someone else, there was a much higher possibility for successful transplantation if one used a part of their own body. Thus, to fill up the void in the World, there was no better candidate than an existence that also existed at the beginning of time. As they both existed during the birth of the World, one could say that Steam Bun was closer to Liber than anyone else. But of course, just because something existed at the beginning of time didn¡¯t necessarily mean that it could be part of the World. Thus, they had to consider how Steam Bun came into being. Since the Age of the Gods and until relatively recently, Steam Bun had been a gatekeeper to La Bella¡¯s sanctuary. As a being who sought perfect balance, La Bella was chased away by both gods of evil and good alignment. And not satisfied by just doing that, they tried to permanently cut La Bella off from the World completely. Thus, they gathered their strength and rebirthed Steam Bun into something else¡ªan existence that could become anything. The gods wanted La Bella to never come out to the world ever again, and they achieved their goal temporarily. It was only ten thousand years later that Steam Bun discarded its monstrous appearance and followed Chi-Woo out of its own will after its mission ended. But back to the original point, this meant that steam could turn into anything it wished, even the World. Of course, that wasn¡¯t all to it, and one couldn¡¯t become the World simply because they wished for it. An existence born with the fate of a mortal couldn¡¯t become the World. Since their life had to surpass everyone else¡¯s, such beings had to be born with the fate of an immortal. Though Steam Bun had lived incomparably longer than a human¡¯s average lifespan, it wasn¡¯t that long by the standard of the universe. Steam Bun¡¯s age was nothing compared to a planet that could live at least ten billion years. And considering that Steam Bun had been gradually weakening while guarding La Bella¡¯s sanctuary, one could see that it was touched by gods but born with the fate of a mortal. At least that was the case until not long ago, when Kabbalah came into the picture. Kabbalah was the combined form of the twin goddesses who had struggled to escape extinguishment and failed. And when Steam Bun embraced the goddesses, it achieved a divine status of sorts. Furthermore, the two goddesses also got what they hoped for. Everything fitted together too perfectly to be considered a miracle or a mere coincidence, and as if all that had been put in place for this exact moment, all pieces fit perfectly into the figurative box. Chi-Woo wondered then if his brother would¡¯ve attempted this method if he had been aware of it. The answer was no. His brother wouldn¡¯t have opted for it even if he¡¯d known of the possibility. After all, it didn¡¯t guarantee that the World would recover as surely as replacing it, and it did nothing more than increase the World¡¯s influence a little bit. Given his brother¡¯s personality, Chi-Hyun would choose a clearer and more sure-fire solution over something with uncertain results and many unpredictable variables. But that didn¡¯t matter now. Chi-Woo no longer thought his brother was always right in whatever he did. He planned to follow the path he believed in. Still, something was giving him pause. ¡°What do you think?¡± There was one reason Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t insist on this method even when he thought it was the right one; he had told Steam Bun when he first brought it out of the cave that it should live the life it wished, not tied down by a mission or anything else. It didn¡¯t seem right for Chi-Woo to now talk about responsibilities and duty. Furthermore, this wasn¡¯t a matter he could get done just by forcing the other party. Steam Bun also needed to want to be part of the World, and things would fall apart if it resisted. Steam Bun didn¡¯t respond. It remained quiet while Chi-Woo waited. In the moment of silence, Chi-Woo thought to himself, ¡®As I thought, it doesn¡¯t want to. Can¡¯t be helped then. Even though we are in a desperate situation, I can¡¯t force it.¡¯ He was about to give up when Steam Bun began to change shape. It wiggled and grew until it took the form of a human¡ªa girl with bob hair. ¡ªHaa~ It was Kabal. She yawned widely like a hippo and opened her eyes with her usual fare of irreverence. She could¡¯ve been Balal, but Chi-Woo was sure that it was her. ¡ªI was annoyed that my sweet sleep was getting disturbed, but¡­who would have imagined that something like this would happen to me? ¡ªAnd so soon? Kabal grinned at Chi-Woo. ¡ªI was shocked when I heard the general situation. I thought it¡¯d be fine to be some sort of useful god, but my goodness! Become a part of the broken world? That¡¯s wonderful! Kabal smiled widely. Her response was expected since becoming part of the World meant that she would remain until the end of Liber. She would be around even if she wanted to disappear, which was all she had ever wished for. ¡ªI¡¯m on Liber¡¯s side. Kabal continued. ¡ªThey ask her for help when necessary but as soon as a problem arrives, they want to throw her away? It¡¯s preposterous! Now that she mentioned it, there was a similarity between Kabal¡¯s and the World¡¯s situation. There was Kabal, who was forgotten because she was no longer necessary. Then there was Liber, who was thrown away when problems arose. Because of that, it seemed Kabal could easily empathize with Liber. ¡°Does Ms. Balal also¡­¡± ¡ªOf course she agrees! Don¡¯t you know her? Kabal said confidently. ¡ªAnyways, this is great. It¡¯s just the perfect timing too. I¡¯m sure Liber is lonely by herself. We can play with her and divide the work among us four. Oh, it seems so fun just thinking about it. Kabal said joyfully and sounded very excited about the news. She then read the worry on Chi-Woo¡¯s face and continued. ¡ªAlso¡­this little guy agrees to it too. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡ªYou know, our friend here. Kabal pointed at her own body. ¡ªTo be honest, this little guy hesitated a bit in the beginning and wondered if they could bear such a heavy responsibility. That¡¯s why Balal and I told them not to worry. After all, we and the World will be with them. ¡ªAnd no matter how hard and difficult things get, we can strive to move forward together. That¡¯s how I convinced them. In the end, they said they¡¯d be fine if both of us were fine with it. Chi-Woo inhaled slightly. What moved Steam Bun¡¯s heart wasn''t a call to its sense of duty or a plea for it to do something more worthwhile than protecting La Bella¡¯s sanctuary. It was a promise that they would all be together forever. As a being who had lived in solitude for thousands and thousands of years, the promise had moved Steam Bun to accept the request. ¡ªBut they have one condition. ¡°What condition?¡± ¡ªHm. Should I call it a request instead? Anyways¡­ Kabal shrugged and continued. ¡ªThey want a name. ¡°But they already have one.¡± ¡ªNo, not names like ¡®bag¡¯ or ¡®Steam Bun¡¯. A proper name. Now that she mentioned it, Chi-Woo remembered thinking he should give Steam Bun a proper name after retrieving Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pot. Steam Bun had looked at him expectantly then, but Chi-Woo was so busy with other matters that he forgot about it. ¡ªYou are the one who pulled this little guy into a new world. They said they wanted a name from you even if only one person called them by it. Yes, certainly. After Steam Bun made such a big decision like this, Chi-Woo should grant a request of this level. Furthermore, it was quite a cute condition to add to a grave matter like this. After pondering a bit, a soft smile formed on Chi-Woo¡¯s lips, and he said, ¡°¡­Roundy.¡± ¡°Yes, since Steam Bun is round, ¡®Roundy¡¯ sounds good.¡± ¡ªRoundy¡­? They say¡­ Kabbal tilted her head and responded with a soft smile as well. ¡ªFuck you. ¡°What?¡± ¡ªI¡¯m not the one who said it. Kabal quickly waved her hands in denial. ¡ªThey also ask what¡¯s the difference between bag, Steam Bun, and Roundy. She cleared her throat and voiced her opinion. ¡ªThey¡¯re going to become part of the World. Shouldn¡¯t you at least give them a proper and meaningful name like Liber? ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s hard for me to suddenly think of one¡­¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head sideways for a while and licked his lips. Then, he suddenly recalled a scene he had witnessed in the past. ¡°Then¡ª¡± Though it wasn¡¯t a name he thought of himself, he found it fitting. ¡°How about Asha?¡± It was the name that Liber¡¯s main god, Elephthalia, thought of for the about-to-be-born World that would replace the previous one. ¡°If all four of you are together, Liber would establish a new order with Liber¡¯s freedom as the foundation. In this sense, how does Asha sound? ¡ªAsha, Asha¡­ Kabal looked down at her body. Then, she raised her head back up and nodded. ¡ªHm! They like the name! Chi-Woo let out a sigh of relief. With this, everything was settled. The being that had existed since the beginning of time and could become anything and the twin goddess who wished to exist forever¡ªthey would fill the void within the World with proper guidance. Of course, all this would only properly settle into place after hundreds and thousands of years later, but it was a great feat that they were able to take the first steps that would lead to that future now. Furthermore, there would be immediate benefits to their union too. ¡ªI also want to thank you. Kabal said. ¡ªHonestly, I didn¡¯t hope for this much. It really surprised me. As expected of you, you work on another scale. So different. Her visible happiness lifted some of the weight off Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders. ¡ªIf everything works out later, don¡¯t forget about our world and visit us! We¡¯ll treat you like a true VIP! Chi-Woo thought she sounded like one of his countrymen then, but before he could tell her this, Kabal disappeared, and Steam Bun returned to its original form. Chi-Woo felt the bun¡¯s intent gaze and guessed what it wanted. ¡°Hm¡­Asha?¡± It sounded a bit awkward after calling it bag or Steam Bun the whole time. Hearing this, Steam Bun¡ªno, Asha, trembled. Asha seemed to feel a bit shy. ¡°Thank you for making the decision,¡± Chi-Woo smiled and patted Asha on the head. ¡°Then¡­I¡¯ll leave the task to you.¡± There was no need to say more. Chi-Woo put his hands in his pocket. Before Chi-Woo returned to his original time point, he had met the World again, and the World had wrapped her hand around his while he was holding the die to pass over a shining light. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t known what that light was at that time, but he knew now. He placed the die carefully down next to Asha. After some time, the World¡¯s Milestone turned whiter and let out a brilliant light. CH 383 The light coming out from the World¡¯s Milestone flowed into Asha. Then Chi-Woo grasped and lifted the chain wrapped around his wrist. Before the world was modified, the conditions to awaken Steam Bun¡¯s power had been as followed: [?¡ªPage (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 90% trust (Incomplete) 2. Reach 100% assimilation with Balal (Incomplete) 3. Become recognized by its clan (Incomplete) 4. Become a saintess of ¡®Asha Dubulola¡¯. 5. Use at least 5 and at most 7 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete)] These had been the conditions when the World didn¡¯t exist. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t be sure, but at that point of time, Those had probably been the best conditions to maximize the potential of Steam Bun. However, after modifying the past, the World managed to barely survive and keep her will, and Steam Bun received a new name: Asha. The conditions have therefore changed to match the current situation. [Asha¡ªPage (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 90% trust (Complete) 2. Reach 100% assimilation with ¡®Balal¡¯ (Complete) 3. Inherit ¡®Liber¡¯s¡¯ will (Complete) 4. Receive a new ¡®name¡¯. (Complete) 5. Use 10 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete)] It was the first time something like this had happened, so his heart pounded in exhilaration. He had no idea what the results would be that the system was asking for 10 points of Blessed Luck. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t hesitate. [The Power to Rule the World has been used.] [Innate ability [Blessed Luck] consumed (100->90).] [The Power to Rule the World awakens Asha¡¯s innate ability, ¡®Deterrence¡¯.] After checking the message, a glint appeared in Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Asha.¡± Frankly, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t thought this far. However, as soon as Asha inherited the will of the World, he got a strong feeling that he should accept Asha as his star. ¡°Will you be my star?¡± He didn¡¯t even need to hear an answer because Asha had already agreed to his suggestion. [¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯ has been opened.] [The amount of trust that user Asha has towards user Choi Chi-Woo will be measured.] [Measuring¡­ Measurement is complete.] [Trust 95.7%: Parents are the mirror of their child. Children grow up watching their parents and dream of the future, and parents should not force their dream on their children. Asha had endured solitude and loneliness for a long time, but after coming out to the world and following one person, Asha had gained a new dream¡ªto never be left alone again. Asha hopes that their time living with everyone will last forever, and that this World will not collapse. Thus, Asha has decided to help protect this World.] [Asha¡¯s trust in you has exceeded the necessary requirements.] [You have chosen Asha, ¡®The World¡¯s Will¡¯ as your third star.] While the messages popped up in the air in a row, Asha emitted a dazzling glow again as if they were using all the will of the World handed to them. Soon, the light cast on Chi-Woo, and new messages appeared in the air. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s special ability ¡®Sharing¡¯ changes from unidirectional to bidirectional.] Chi-Woo was shocked. Until now, he had only been able to gain the ability of those he¡¯d accepted as his stars, but now, he could share his ability with his stars as well. This wasn¡¯t the only change. [User Asha wants to share user Chi-Woo¡¯s innate ability [Blessed Luck].] When Chi-Woo nodded blankly, a message immediately appeared. [[Blessed Luck] has been consumed by the will of user Asha (90 -> 80).] [¡®Deterrence¡¯ has been applied on the World¡¯s Milestone.] [The chance of success has been increased significantly when you roll the World¡¯s Milestone!] [Although an event will occur when the die rolls a number below 4, [Blessed Luck] will not be consumed, and in cases of failure, the event can be nullified through ¡®Deterrence¡¯ by using [Blessed Luck] equivalent to the opposite number of the die face (17/ 26/ 35).] Chi-Woo¡¯s breath hitched. He read the message again and again in disbelief. Although it was a stretch to say that there would be no negative effects to rolling the World¡¯s Milestone from then on, the risk had almost fully disappeared as long as his Blessed Luck hadn¡¯t run out. Although he had to use Blessed Luck to nullify an event, he could at least save an amount equal to the number he rolled as a failed event wouldn¡¯t consume any Blessed Luck. In the first place, his probability of success had substantially increased. ¡®This is too¡ª¡¯ Good. It was all too great to be true, as if Deus Ex Machina had been activated just for him. He now understood why the heroes wanted backup from the World so much. Just a taste of the World¡¯s support made him feel like he could finally breathe easily again. Above all, besides the effect of ¡®Deterrence¡¯, it was also noteworthy that Sharing now went both ways. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shone after reading the description of his changed ability carefully. * * * After inheriting the will of the World and awakening ¡®Deterrence¡¯, Chi-Woo immediately went to Ru Amuh to use Sharing. ¡°Damn it!¡± Then he fell into despair because his ability couldn¡¯t be activated. Although his Sharing ability was definitely bidirectional now, there were two reasons he couldn¡¯t use it. First, although it was true that the ability would now allow him to either give or receive an ability, he couldn¡¯t do both. If he gave an ability, he couldn¡¯t receive one, and vice versa. And secondly¡ª [Intuition A+] ¨C¡­although it has been fully absorbed as part of the user with the unity ability, it has been upgraded and will maintain as an innate ability due to the Synesthesia. It was because the synesthesia ability was still being maintained. Although not shown in his user information, the ability that he had received from Ru Amuh still existed as part of Intuition. As expected, things didn¡¯t always go the way he wanted despite the improved situation. Although Chi-Woo understood the reason, he was still disappointed. This was not anyone else, but Ru Amuh; if he could share any of his abilities with him, Ru Amuh could probably utilize it much better. It was so disappointing that he couldn¡¯t do that because of the choice he¡¯d made way back. While lamenting his past choice, Chi-Woo suddenly felt someone tap his back. Asha had made a hand and was flicking their index finger, telling him it was too soon to give up. Chi-Woo stared at them and suddenly came to a realization. ¡°Perhaps¡­are you talking about Deterrence?¡± ¡°Pyu.¡± ¡°Yeah, I see. You¡¯re telling me to use Blessed Luck through your Deterrence and revert the shared ability back to its original form. Then I can use Sharing again. That can be done!¡± Asha clasped their hands and nodded. ¡°How amazing!¡± When Chi-Woo reached out and stroked their head, Asha shuddered with joy. Watching the scene unfold, Ru Amuh quickly blinked. He didn¡¯t know what to say. All he heard was ¡®pyu¡¯, so he had no idea how Chi-Woo was able to understand Asha. ¡°Mr. Ru Amuh.¡± Chi-Woo glanced back at Ru Amuh. ¡°Fortunately, I think there is a way.¡± ¡°No, Teacher.¡± However, Ru Amuh turned him down. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all right, Teacher.¡± Ru Amuh smiled and shook his head slowly. ¡°You asked me if there was a skill I needed. Of course I can¡¯t tell you there¡¯s none. There are a lot of skills I need, but I¡¯m planning to grow and obtain them by myself.¡± ¡°No, but¡ª¡± ¡°And Teacher, you have already given me an ability.¡± Ru Amuh was talking about ¡®Perfection Beyond Repair¡¯. It was the ability Ru Amuh had acquired from Chi-Woo through the Power to Rule the World. Stating that too much was just as bad as too little, Ru Amuh insisted that he had received more than enough from Chi-Woo. ¡°But¡­even then¡­¡± When Chi-Woo seemed unable to give up his lingering feelings, Ru Amuh straightened his expression, ¡°Sir, then let me ask you one question. If I ask you for an ability I need, will it not affect you negatively at all?¡± Chi-Woo paused because that wasn¡¯t the case. He needed to first activate Deterrence to nullify the shared ability, which would consume his Blessed Luck, a limited resource. Although he had recovered it to 100, it already decreased to 80 in a short span of time. If he continued to splurge carelessly, he¡¯d soon run out of it again. Considering that there were still many stars for him to find, he should use it more carefully. Moreover, if he reversed the ability he had shared from Ru Amuh, the boost he got from Synesthesia would also disappear. As a result, his Intuition might drop by a rank, or in the worst case, his ability might become a lower grade one. ¡°Then it¡¯s fine,¡± Ru Amuh said when Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to answer. ¡°Teacher, you¡¯ve already given me a lot. I can¡¯t pay back what I owe you even if I¡¯m reincarnated many times, let alone in this lifetime. It would be shameless of me to ask for more.¡± He continued in a calm tone, ¡°So please have some faith in me. I want to show you that I can live up to your expectations without receiving more.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t say anything else after hearing that. How could a parent stop their child from wanting to succeed on their own without borrowing the power of their parent? Chi-Woo had no choice but to return to his place with great respect for Ru Amuh. At the end of the day, Ru Amuh wasn¡¯t his only star. * * * Emmanuel was taken aback by Chi-Woo¡¯s sudden visit and showed an even more surprised expression after hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s question. ¡°¡­Sir, what? An ability that I need. Hmm¡­I don¡¯t know. If there¡¯s an ability that I need right now¡­¡± After a moment of bemusement, Emmanuel, who trusted and admired Chi-Woo as much as Ru Amuh, said with a serious expression, ¡°Sir, I wish for a sensing ability.¡± ¡°A sensing ability?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you know, Teacher, but my main skill is Lightning Fire. It¡¯s very powerful and destructive, able to easily defeat any opponent, but¡­¡± Chi-Woo wanted to ask, ¡®Even my brother?¡¯, but he could easily guess the kind of look Emmanuel would give him in response, so he kept it to himself. Emmanuel continued, ¡°My perspective changed after meeting and dueling with another hero. My ability didn¡¯t work on him at all.¡± Emmanuel smacked his lips. ¡°The difference between him and me was obvious. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that his swordsmanship could be considered an art. No, it wasn¡¯t just his swordsmanship. He knew how to use his senses to precisely control his every skill and ability.¡± Chi-Woo could guess who Emmanuel was talking about. ¡°Since I¡¯m the type to push aggressively once I gain momentum, maybe it¡¯s no wonder I can¡¯t beat him at the moment. But when I consulted with Master Byeok to reduce the difference between him and me somehow¡­¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She told me that except for really rare cases, one¡¯s sensing ability is deeply related to innate, natural born talent, and she told me that it¡¯ll be difficult for me to learn it, so I shouldn¡¯t waste my time¡­¡± Emmanuel smiled bitterly and let out a deep sigh. Chi-Woo could understand how Emmanuel felt. ¡°That¡¯s why you want an ability related to improving your senses.¡± ¡°Yes, that is the case. Frankly, I don¡¯t expect much, but I¡¯m going to try persistently.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll have to. Since you¡¯ll have a hard time adjusting to this ability at first.¡± ¡°Yes¡­wait, what?¡± ¡°A moment, please.¡± Chi-Woo immediately opened his user information and picked ¡®Intuition¡¯ among his abilities to share with Emmanuel. ¡°Sir, what do you mean¡ªhuherugbaeeghhhh?!¡± Emmanuel¡¯s eyes became wide as saucers, and he suddenly screamed and staggered back. Chi-Woo laughed. His Intuition¡¯s rank was A+. Although Emmanuel¡¯s trust towards him wasn¡¯t 100%, so it went down to rank A, which should be enough. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Can you become a bit stronger now?¡± Emmanuel didn¡¯t answer. He simply gaped and heaved like he was hyperventilating. ¡°Become as strong as possible since a big crisis is on the horizon. Everyone will play an important part.¡± ¡°Teacher¡ªWhat is this¡ª¡± Emmanuel gasped for breath. Chi-Woo could understand Emmanuel¡¯s reaction because there had been a time when he was just like Emmanuel. He still couldn¡¯t forget the memory of when he first learned Intuition. Information flowed into him from all directions even when he wasn¡¯t focused, and it felt as if he was experiencing a completely new world. Chi-Woo turned away from Emmanuel, who was overwhelmed by the new information he was getting, and took his leave. He felt pretty good about this. If his brother was around, he would rebuke him for giving out too much. Still, it was all right with Chi-Woo. He had already trusted and accepted them as his comrades. He was sure that they¡¯d give back more than what they received. And Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts were proven correct as soon as he returned to Seven Stars. Yeriel, who hardly came out of her workshop, visited him in the office. She had finished Chi-Woo¡¯s personalized AI armor. However¡­ ¡°Please kill me.¡± It was a little strange that she lay flat on the floor and confessed her sin. ¡°Why do I have to kill you, Ms. Yeriel?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a rotten, bottom of the shit scum who can¡¯t even do what I was tasked with.¡± It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡­What was wrong with her now? Her self-degradation was way too severe. ¡°This is¡­¡± Before Chi-Woo could ask more questions, he scanned each of the items that Yeriel had placed on his desk. They were AI armors. The ones Yeriel made in the past had been shaped like marbles, but the new models could be worn as rings or other accessories. Chi-Woo nodded as he saw the AI armors let out kaleidoscopic light. ¡°They look extraordinary even at a glance. It seems good to me?¡± ¡°¡­Well, of course it looks good. Since I only used good materials. It shouldn¡¯t even be compared to the ones I showed you before.¡± Yeriel¡¯s looked extremely crest-fallen as she said the quality of the items was a given. She looked sullen and angry at the same time. ¡°Hmm¡­what¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look so good.¡± When Chi-Woo asked carefully, Yeriel raised her head slightly and chewed her lip. ¡°No¡­it¡¯s¡­I mean¡­how should I say it¡­sigh¡­¡± Unlike her usual self, she hesitated to give a clear answer. When Chi-Woo gently urged her to continue, saying it was all right, Yeriel finally responded, ¡°Back then¡­you remember that lizard came and gave me materials, right?¡± ¡°Lizard¡­? Ah, yes. Of course I remember.¡± ¡°I guess since they were from a dragon¡¯s lair, there were quite a few ridiculously good materials mixed in. Given how hard you worked, I picked out the best ones with extreme care and put my heart and soul into the work but¡­¡± When Yeriel trailed off, Chi-Woo nodded and finished for her, ¡°It must not have worked, and you wasted the materials.¡± ¡°No¡­I did succeed but¡­¡± Yeriel roughly scratched her scalp in frustration while lying down. ¡°Ah, seriously, how should I say it? Anyway, something must have gone wrong because something ridiculously amazing came out.¡± ¡°Uh¡­isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely the best masterpiece I¡¯ve ever made in my life so far considering the performance alone,¡± Yeriel emphasized the latter part and made a tsk sound. ¡°But what¡¯s the point when no one can use it?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°What I made in the end is in a completely different category than an ordinary Armor AI. Even the operation method is different.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that an ordinary person can¡¯t even use at all. A hero is no exception¡­fuck! I shouldn¡¯t have added that mysterious, nail-sized sky-blue metal!¡± Yeriel asked for death because she had made pretty trash with ridiculously good materials, but Chi-Woo felt his interest surge. A sky-blue metal? ¡®Could it be reliquia?¡¯ Chi-Woo hurriedly stood up from his seat and pushed the high-end AI armor from his desk to one side. ¡°By any chance, may I see that item you made?¡± CH 384 George Bernard Dantzig was a mathematician, who was also known as the father of linear programming. One day, when he went to a class late, he saw two problems on the corner of the blackboard and mistook them as assignments. He copied them onto his notebook and solved them when he got back home. It was only later he found out that the problems he solved weren¡¯t homework, but ones that his teacher had brought up as unsolved problems in statistics. Hearing this, he said his famous lines, ¡®No wonder the problems seemed to be a little harder than usual¡¯. This mathematician came to Chi-Woo¡¯s mind when he heard Yeriel¡¯s story. There was a high possibility that the sky-blue metal Yeriel was talking about was reliquia. Reliquia was a top-tier metal that a mere human wouldn¡¯t dare try to manipulate with their abilities. That was why Chi-Woo had offered it to La Bella; he couldn¡¯t do anything with it himself. Yet Yeriel had managed to use a metal Chi-Woo presumed to be reliquia to make the AI Armor. And when Chi-Woo expressed his astonishment that she had managed such a great feat, Yeriel responded carefreely, ¡°Ah, is that so? No wonder it was a bit more difficult to manage than other metals.¡± Then, when the two arrived at the workshop, Yeriel showed Chi-Woo a metallic ball the size of a fist. It was shaped like the AI Armor prototype that Yeriel had shown the other Seven Stars¡¯ members. But instead of a rusty color, it was a shiny marble with white streaks that looked like clouds. It didn¡¯t look like a discolored steel ball but a carefully crafted, beautiful artwork. ¡°It at least responds,¡± Yeriel said. It appeared she had already tried pouring her mana into it. Unusually, it didn¡¯t emit light like the other AI Armors, and an enigmatic, geometric shape simply floated on its surface. ¡°What is this?¡± asked Chi-Woo. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Yeriel scratched her head. ¡°I assume it to be an ego or a consciousness that somehow formed and surpassed the AI system that I programmed into the item. But since I can¡¯t decipher the symbols, I can¡¯t be sure of it¡­ The only thing I¡¯m certain about is that it can react. But I can¡¯t activate it because I don¡¯t know what the next step is.¡± Yeriel observed that mana being poured into it simply passed through the ball without getting absorbed. However, she didn¡¯t know the reason behind it and struggled to find out. And as expected, there was no way Chi-Woo would know what even Yeriel didn¡¯t know. However, Chi-Woo got a strange feeling of attraction as soon as Yeriel brought this AI Armor out. It wasn¡¯t an illusion. His heartbeat sounded clearer and heavier than usual. Then, his heart, which was imbued with the Core of Balance, began to thump harder than ever, as if it was responding to the item. ¡°Can I touch it?¡± Chi-Woo asked. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Sure,¡± Yeriel handed the AI Armor over. Chi-Woo carefully held the item and felt a slight tremor. It was so slight that Yeriel didn¡¯t notice it even though she was looking at the object intently. ¡ªConfirming user. Chi-Woo flinched. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°No. Just now¡ª" Chi-Woo was about to say that a voice was ringing in his head, but stopped when the voice continued to speak. ¡ªConfirming a vessel¡¯s existence. ¡ª100% drive rate confirmed. ¡°W-What? Why are numbers suddenly coming up? The symbols changed too? This has never happened before,¡± Yeriel said confusedly, but in actuality, it was only to be expected. To give an analogy, there was no way that a GTX 3090 Ti would run on an early model of computer as soon as it was plugged in. Only after a programmer installed the right software and hardware to the computer would it begin to operate properly. In other words, it was as if the AI Armor finally found a user that could perfectly provide it with an environment to run on. ¡ªCompleted preparations to install the Aegis System. ¡ªDo you agree to continue the process? Chi-Woo nodded but he was a bit baffled, and Yeriel screamed. The AI Armor in Chi-Woo¡¯s hand gradually melted until it disappeared into his body. Chi-Woo felt a cool substance get absorbed into his palm, entering his body. Then, it circled one lap around his body, drew a spiral around his heart, and gathered together. Not long afterward, Chi-Woo felt something seep into his heart and disappear. ¡ªInstallment completed. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s special ability is activated [Imprinting: Core of Union]] Chi-Woo heard and saw the message almost simultaneously. ¡°W-W-W-hat the hell? What happened? Don¡¯t just stand there and tell me! Quickly!¡± Only after Yeriel asked the same questions five times did Chi-Woo regain his senses. He didn¡¯t get what was going on either. If he were to make a rough guess, he would say it was connected to the ability he had acquired after ranking up Core of Balance. Still, Chi-Woo thought it would be easiest to understand what was going on by trying it out himself, and he drew out his exorcism mana. ¡°Hm¡­¡± There was no change, at least not on the outside. Chi-Woo tilted his head and turned to Yeriel, who was biting her fingers anxiously. ¡°Ms. Yeriel.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Would you mind attacking me? It¡¯s alright to put more force into it.¡± ¡°Really? Okay, don¡¯t blame me if you get hurt,¡± she said. She had been desperate to find out what had happened anyways and immediately got into a stance. She took out a bunch of marbles the size of a pebble and began to throw as many of them at Chi-Woo as possible. The first marble morphed into a long spear as it flew across the air. It closed their distance in an instant but pop! It failed to reach Chi-Woo as a semitransparent, hexagon-shaped barrier blocked it within 20 to 30 centimeters of its target. The spear was no ordinary weapon and continued to try to pierce through the barrier with renewed momentum, yet it only created ripples in the air while trembling futilely, failing to move the shield. The marbles that followed afterward changed shape into a hammer and struck the barrier. As expected, the barrier didn¡¯t even budge. The next marble shot out poisonous gas, and the shield transformed in response. It wavered and became the wind, scattering the poisonous gas all around. Then, it absorbed attacks in liquid form by becoming a flowing cloud. It even responded to magic attacks by changing into a symbol. Yeriel¡¯s mouth gaped open seeing the whole process. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe it.¡± She shook her head, stunned. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­never¡­made such a piece of equipment¡­¡± She stammered and staggered backward. It really was shocking, because the AI Armors that Yeriel had created until now operated only through its shape memory; in other words, there was a limit to the forms it could take. It was the first time she was seeing an AI Armor show such diverse forms to respond to the situation most efficiently and perfectly. If she had to explain it, it was as if the AI Armor utilized Chi-Woo¡¯s user information directly to create its own defense system. ¡°What? Why¡­wait. It¡¯s not from the outside but the inside¡­Then, why¡­¡± Yeriel murmured to herself for a while. ¡°No matter how long I think about it, I don¡¯t get it.¡± In the end, she raised both arms and sighed. She couldn¡¯t understand the process leading to this event, the end result, or what this all meant for future inventions. If the result she was seeing wasn¡¯t a miracle or a coincidence, there was a high chance that this invention was on a whole other level, exceeding her current skill level and understanding. ¡°Still¡­I know one thing,¡± Yeriel licked her lips and said, ¡°I thought I wasted a precious material, but in the end, I made an AI Armor perfectly suited for you¡ªthough of course, that wasn¡¯t my intention at all and it happened out of pure luck.¡± The mistake was a blessing in disguise. Yeriel added, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nice,¡± Chi-Woo replied instantly because that was how much he liked the AI Armor. If the Demon Empire heard what he just got his hands on, they would be grieving bitterly. Their most threatening opponent was now equipped with great defense that could rival his offense. ¡°It was worth getting the toharis at the risk of my life for.¡± ¡°You¡¯re satisfied with this?¡± Yeriel snorted. ¡°Keep your hopes up. There¡¯s still plenty more for me to show you.¡± Yes, as Yeriel said, he couldn¡¯t be satisfied just by this. They needed to prepare much more for the upcoming danger and pull together everything they could. *** Bael walked. As if she was going on a journey without a destination in mind, she walked mindlessly. After a while, she suddenly stopped because there was someone blocking her path. The figure bowed his head deeply, and Bael looked at the being kneeling on one leg before her. ¡°The Chairman arrived with his army just now.¡± ¡°If Marbas came¡­¡± Bael said, ¡°That means almost all the single-digit ranking demons have gathered.¡± ¡°With one exception¡­¡± The figure talked back, but quickly closed his mouth when he saw Bael¡¯s mouth quiver slightly. He quickly changed the topic. ¡°Among the total of 34 great demons, 20 had responded.¡± There were originally 66 great demons, but half of them were extinguished during the prolonged war. Though they tried to quickly settle the internal conflict and reorganize the ranks, two great demons had died as soon as they settled down. Then, among those left alive, five great demons declared that they wouldn''t respond to the call if Shersha wasn¡¯t released from her imprisonment. And excluding the nine great demons who went to defend the Demon Empire¡¯s borders in case of an emergency, they had amassed the greatest number of forces that they could: which was 20 out of the 34 remaining great demons. Bael made a bitter smile. A myriad of trivial matters was tearing them down and leading them to this point. She needed to stop things from progressing the way they were and make her move. She had to do something decisive. ¡°What¡¯s the situation like?¡± ¡°We made all the confirmations. It¡¯s as we expected.¡± ¡°Then, we should act accordingly.¡± Bael waved her hands, and the figure immediately backed away. Bael let out the sigh she had been holding in, but she didn¡¯t hesitate for long and eventually turned to look behind her. The path she took was lined from corner to corner with twenty great demons and their legions standing in order. It was quite the sight. What Shersha had said suddenly came to her mind, but it was too late to turn back now. They had crossed the line ages ago and could only look forward. Only then would they feel no regret or lingering feelings. Bael turned around again speechlessly and kept walking. The troops behind her followed her and began to march. They were making their way to one particular place: Shalyh. A fire that was about to die down gradually began to burn up again. *** There was quite a buzz in Shalyh recently. It was because of the rumor circling around the city that there would be a great war in Shalyh soon. Considering that they were on Liber, where wars were commonplace, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for a battle to suddenly break out. Yet the situation had changed a bit compared to before. After the Demon Empire failed to invade Shalyh, there had hardly been any wars. There were some conflicts here and there, but none of the four factions¡ªthe Cassiubia League, the Sernitas, the Demon Empire, and even the Abyss¡ªfought as desperately and mercilessly as before. Even while knowing that their hardships were far from over, they had become accustomed to the peace in the meantime, and the sound of war felt unfamiliar to residents in Shalyh. But then, finally, the d-day arrived. In the middle of the night, a messenger sent by Ismile visited Seven Stars. Hearing what the messenger said, Chi-Woo quickly got changed and went to the official residence with Ru Amuh. He entered the office that his brother had often used before and saw a couple of familiar faces: Alice Ho Lactea, Emmanuel, Apoline¡­ Most of the Celestial Lights who had made a name for themselves were here, and it wasn¡¯t just the heroes from humanity''s side. There was Dalgil from the buhguhbu tribe, Murumuru from the half demon tribe, representatives from the Dingo and Carbuncle tribe, an elder from the Kobalos tribe, and more. All the influential members of Shalyh had gathered here. Chi-Woo quietly took his seat; Ru Amuh sat beside him and waited quietly. There was a heavy silence the moment they entered. The fact that such great figures were attending the same meeting was no light matter. Furthermore, the person who had called them was none other than Ismile. Though Nahla¡¯s name wasn¡¯t lacking in any way to amass a group of people of this level, Ismile was a hero who liked to work independently and hadn¡¯t even created an official faction. Thus, it was surprising that such a hero would go out of his way to gather everyone in one place. The same had happened only once before when there was a grave event; moreover, Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t here. Everyone sensed the tense atmosphere and kept their mouths sealed. The silence didn¡¯t last as the person who called on them appeared. ¡°Huh? Everyone¡¯s here so early. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m late. I was hearing a new report that just came in,¡± Ismile walked in with light footsteps wearing comfy clothes like he always did. Instead of walking in leisurely as he usually did, though, he quickly marched through the office and looked around him. ¡°Let me see. Pretty much everyone¡¯s here¡­where¡¯s our little Mari?¡± ¡°She¡¯s busy with production at the workshop and says it¡¯ll be difficult to participate,¡± Ru Amuh quickly answered for Yeriel. What he actually heard from her was: ¡®I¡¯m focusing so don¡¯t fucking bother me and piss off,¡¯ but he relayed the message as mannerly as possible. ¡°Ah, is that so? Well, it¡¯s understandable why Mari is acting like that. She needs every single second.¡± Ismile nodded. ¡°Then, there¡¯s that.¡± Apoline tilted her head curiously because the two looked like they already knew what was going on. ¡°Yes¡­honestly, we don¡¯t even have time to do this, so let me get right to the reason I called you here.¡± Ismile rubbed his palms and sat on the edge of the desk. Then he said while looking around the room. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re fucked.¡± CH 385 The room stirred from Ismile¡¯s declaration. Though it sounded like a joke, it didn¡¯t seem like Ismile was joking around. With an uncharacteristically serious look on his face, he said, ¡°You may or may not be aware of the situation, but¡­I¡¯m sure everyone heard that the legend and I left Shalyh for quite some time recently.¡± Then Ismile summarized everything that has happened since then. He and Chi-Hyun had gone outside the city to assess the other factions¡¯ situations since they had suddenly stopped warring against each other. It was then that they discovered the discrete dealings between the Demon Empire and the Sernitas. Thus, Chi-Hyun secretly trespassed into the Sernitas¡¯ Sky Castle, and Ismile left. Everything up to this point was what Chi-Woo already knew. ¡°Before I separated with the legend, the legend assumed the worst-case scenario. Thus, he handed his secret information network over to me and told me to monitor our enemies¡¯ movements closely.¡± And Ismile did just as Chi-Hyun instructed him to do. Before he went to see Chi-Woo, he contacted the information network and passed the legend¡¯s message to them. ¡°Not long after that, I got some startling news.¡± Ismile cleared his throat, indicating that he was going to dive into the main topic now. ¡°It was news that the Demon Empire had assembled a sizable army and dispatched them.¡± It wasn¡¯t strange for a faction to amass forces in preparation for war on Liber, yet it was a different story when the faction in question was the Demon Empire. The Demon Empire operated on a feudal system where the strong ruled over the weak. Any resistance against this system would turn into civil wars. Though they united if the empire¡¯s survival was at stake, it was very rare for them to join forces for a conquest. It was all the more surprising that a sizable army had been assembled. ¡°What¡¯s the estimate on the Demon Empire¡¯s army?¡± A clear voice rang. It was from the lady with a white cloth covering her face, Alice. Ismile shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly. They are going to contact me when they get a general estimate¡­but for some reason, they are taking longer than I thought. I¡¯m also telling you all this as soon as I return because it seems our enemies have already made up their minds.¡± ¡°What direction is the army heading towards?¡± It was a thick, rough voice this time. Dalgil¡¯s hollow eyes snapped to Ismile. ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to tell.¡± Ismile smiled wryly. ¡°They seem to be heading towards Shalyh, but¡­let¡¯s talk while looking at this.¡± There was a large map hanging behind the desk. Ismile stood in front of it and made a mark with a quill pen. It was where the Demon Empire¡¯s base was. ¡°If you look at the detailed path that they are following according to reports¡­¡± Ismile said while moving his quill pen, and Chi-Woo realized why Ismile had said it was hard to tell. In the path that the Demon Empire¡¯s army was taking, there was really no other possible destination beside Shalyh. They could simply be passing through the area, but there was no really good reason for them to do this. At the same time, it would be hasty to conclude that the Demon Empire¡¯s army was heading toward Shalyh for sure. Again, there would be no legitimate reason for the army to follow the route they did. What was the reason the Demon Empire¡¯s army was taking a roundabout path when there was a path that could get them to Shalyh faster? Last time they invaded Shalyh, they took the fastest route possible. What changed? ¡°Maybe they are wary of the bridgehead that the leader of the Seven Stars has secured recently. Isn¡¯t an Cassiubia League army stationed around that area?¡± Dalgil said while glancing at Chi-Woo. Since the bridgehead that humanity and the Cassiubia League had secured wasn¡¯t far from Shalyh, the Demon Empire might be trying to prevent the scenario where they were surrounded by enemies on both sides. ¡°You have a point, but¡­I still don¡¯t understand,¡± said Ismile. ¡°There are many other paths. Do they really have to make that much of a detour?¡± Dalgil seemed to have no answer and simply licked his lips. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­that must mean they have another goal¡­¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it too early to say things like we are screwed and spout other profanities like that, which would only heighten people¡¯s sense of worry?¡± It was then a high-pitched voice of a soprano spoke up. ¡°I mean, even though the Demon Empire has started moving, their destination is still unclear.¡± Apoline tilted her head while crossing her arms and continued, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a high possibility that they are after Shalyh considering their marching route, but they could also be planning to change directions and head toward the Abyss or the Sernitas.¡± Although that seemed highly unlikely, Ismile didn¡¯t say anything because the Demon Empire could really be heading towards the Sernitas on their way to help exterminate Chi-Hyun, who was now trapped in the Sernitas¡¯ Sky Castle. Of course, if things really went that way, humanity and the Cassiubia League wouldn¡¯t stay still, but¡­Ismile wasn¡¯t completely sure what would happen. ¡°And even if they¡¯re coming towards Shalyh, I think it¡¯ll be alright. Shalyh is a holy city protected by the White Horse General, and we¡¯ve already given the main forces of the Demon Empire a crushing defeat once. Moreover, our situation is much better now than back then.¡± Apoline continued in a bright voice, ¡°Although it would be great if they didn¡¯t come here, it doesn¡¯t matter either way. If those demons are crawling into a holy sanctuary on their own to become easy prey for us, is there any reason for us to stop them?¡± A couple of participants seemed to agree with her resolute attitude. Ismile stared at Apoline, brimming with confidence, and made a bitter smile. One of Apoline¡¯s eyebrows went up seeing that. ¡°What is it? Why are you smiling like that?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s just,¡± Ismile said in a more subdued voice. ¡°I agree it would be great if that were the extent of our problems.¡± ¡°If that were the extent¡­?¡± Apoline frowned. ¡°What do you mea¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s here.¡± Apoline¡¯s question was interrupted by Ismile¡¯s exclaim that the call he¡¯d been waiting for had finally come. ¡°Now, let¡¯s listen to it together.¡± As soon as he put the call on speaker mode, a desperate cry rang through the office. ¨CSir, I-I have urgent news to report! ¡°Calm down first,¡± Ismile said calmly. ¡°You said you¡¯d call me soon. Why are you so late? You simply had to estimate the size of the Demon Empire¡¯s army.¡± ¨CSir, it¡¯s immeasurable! ¡°¡­What?¡± Ismile¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¨CThere are so many! There are way too many! The ringing voice shouted in what was closer to screaming. ¨CThe number of great demons identified so far has exceeded 10 and is close to 20! Most of the single-digit ranking great demons appear to have come out, and at the forefront, the first-rank Bael has¡­! Sharp intake of breath could be heard all around the office. Everyone in attendance looked shocked. They had heard that the Demon Empire had gathered their forces on an unusually large scale, but never imagined it would be to such an extent. If this information was true, it was safe to say that a great army had been gathered at an unprecedented level. ¡°Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll get back to you later.¡± Ismile ended the call with a sigh and put on a smile. ¡°So how about it?¡± He looked at Apoline, whose eyes had widened in shock. ¡°The number of great demons alone amounts to twenty; it¡¯s also led by Bael, who is the first-rank great demon. This means there are at least tens of thousands of soldiers under Bael¡¯s command¡­¡± If what the caller said was true, the Demon Empire had bared their fangs with all they had. They were determined to end everything here. Before, they seemed to be thinking, ¡®It¡¯s time to step on humanity once¡¯, but now, they were declaring their clear intention to ¡®exterminate them at all costs¡¯. ¡°S-so what about it?¡± Apoline stammered. ¡°Even so, don¡¯t we have a good chance if we fight them inside the sanctuary? Of course, since the forces at Shalyh might not be enough, we need to get help from the League.¡± Although she sounded slightly flustered compared to before, she didn¡¯t back down from her main argument. ¡°Well, that could be the case¡­ Hmm? Apu, wait a moment. I just got another call.¡± ¡°Another call right after? Don¡¯t tell me that the Demon Empire got additional troops¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not a call about the Demon Empire. This caller is not in charge of that area.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± While Ismile turned on the device, saying they should wait for now, several participants were nodding and agreeing with what Apoline had said. Although they were appalled by the size of the Demon Empire¡¯s army, they thought it was worth a shot if they fought inside the sanctuary. As Apoilne said, that was if they could expect reinforcement from the Cassiubian Mountain Range. ¡°What happ¡ª¡± ¡ªUrgent news! Sir, urgent news to report!¡± ¡ªThe Abyss has launched a military attack! All thoughts vanished from the attendees¡¯ minds when they heard that. ¡ªThe Abyss is leading a large army and advancing at an alarming speed towards Shalyh! ¡ªAmong the Two Monarchs Two-Six Alliance, the King of the Abyss and the Seven Chasms¡­! Everyone froze; there was no other way to describe their reaction. As soon as news of the Abyss¡¯ deployment was revealed, all movements in the office stopped. No one even made a sound. ¡°W-What¡­why would the Abyss all of a sudden¡­?¡± Apoline couldn¡¯t even speak properly at the unexpected news. ¡°Uh¡­perhaps, are they planning to go to war against the Demon Empire¡­?¡± With a haggard face, Emmanuel also seemed lost. A dire possibility came to mind, but it would be too much to accept as reality. Judging by how Dalgil closed his eyes and breathed deeply, it seemed as if he was trying hard to calm down. The others were also frozen in shock and could only gape. Their reactions were only natural, given the Abyss had sent out their forces in addition to the Demon Empire. The Demon Empire alone would be fine. Although they were surprised to hear about the scale of their army, it wasn¡¯t enough to put them in despair. If the League came to help them out, they thought it would be worthwhile to put up a fight with their fate on the line. However, the story changed if the Abyss was joining the Demon Empire. It would be overwhelming enough to deal with one single force even if they put in all their effort, but now they had to fight two forces at once? The mere thought of it was completely ridiculous. Even more so considering the Abyss was the second-largest faction after the Sernitas and had always maintained an upper hand against the Demon Empire. ¡°Calm down. Did you confirm their route?¡± While everyone was speechless, Ismile listened to the call further and marked the Abyss¡¯ route on the map. ¡°Pweh, all right. So according to the news that just came in¡ª¡± As soon as he was about to say something while looking at the map, he paused again. Another call came in. ¡°This is¡­?¡± Ismile frowned and hurriedly accepted the call. Find the original at "pawread dot com". ¡ªReporting! ¡ªFrom the Sernitas side, an unknown floating island big enough to cover the sky is moving towards Shalyh¡­! Ismile¡¯s expression stiffened. The news seemed to have made even him lose his composure. There was a moment of silence. As everyone clearly heard the call, Apoline cried out, ¡°W-What the hell is happening¡­!¡± However, no one blamed her¡ªno, they couldn¡¯t because even Alice, who had remained calm until now, jumped up from her seat. The Sernitas had made their move after the Demon Empire and the Abyss. The Senitas was the most powerful faction that once stood firm against attacks from the other three factions. Chi-Woo showed the same reaction. Since he had somewhat anticipated such a situation, he remained calm until the news of Abyss¡¯ deployment, but he couldn¡¯t hide his dismay after hearing about the Sernitas. The unknown floating island was clearly the Sky Castle. Chi-Hyun had definitely dropped the Sky Castle from the sky before, and they had even taken all the toharis, which were acting as an internal combustion engine. But above all, Chi-Hyun had said he would stay behind and break the Sky Castle apart. The re-emergence of the Sky Castle despite all that could only mean¡­the Sernitas had succeeded in reactivating the engine. In other words, his older brother had failed to destroy the Sky Castle. ¡®Then Chi-Hyun has¡­¡¯ Was he alive or dead? Maybe he had escaped before it was too late¡­ Chi-Woo clenched his teeth. He felt like his head would explode if he dwelled on the possibility further, so he forced it aside and shook off his concerns; for now, he had to focus on the present. ¡°The route is¡­well, I see.¡± After marking the Sernitas¡¯ route, Ismile looked up at the map blankly. ¡°¡­Yes, I see it now.¡± He murmured to himself and slowly moved his quill pen. ¡°If you connect these three routes¡­¡± Then as Ismile said, they were able to see a connection. If one drew a straight line along each of the routes the three factions were taking, there was a point where the three lines met, which was ¡®coincidentally¡¯ not far from Shalyh. ¡°So let me pose a question.¡± Ismile made a hollow laugh and pressed the quill pen into the intersection. ¡°Are the Demon Empire, the Abyss, and Sernitas meeting at this point because they have agreed to gather here for a battle¡ª¡± He continued in a low tone while looking at the map, ¡°Or because the three armies planned to use this place as a halfway point to gather their forces and¡ª¡± He suddenly drew a vertical line with the quill pen. ¡°To go south so that they can destroy everything in one fell swoop?¡± The line fell straight through Shalyh, as if it was splitting the top of a person¡¯s head in half. They heard a loud thud. It was the sound of Mangil, who came with Dalgil, falling on his butt. His legs gave out, and he gaped with a stunned face. Nobody wanted to believe it. While everyone was speechless, Ru Amuh managed to open his mouth and conclude, ¡°It¡¯s a¡­coalition.¡± It sounded like he was forcing his emotions down with great difficulty. ¡°Why¡­? Why on earth¡­?¡± Apoline, who had been shouting for battle, became pale. She repeated the same lines while looking white as a sheet. ¡°¡­I told you,¡± Ismile said in a slightly hollow voice. ¡°I think we might be fu¡­no, that¡¯s not it.¡± With the news they got, he could say it for sure, ¡°We¡¯re fucked. Without a doubt.¡± CH 386 A heavy silence fell over the room. No one opened their mouths, and everyone looked dazed. What could they possibly say? There was a limit to how bad a situation could get, but what they were facing now far surpassed that. All three factions¡ªDemon Empire, the Abyss, and the Sernitas¡ªwere heading toward Shalyh. It almost felt like a dream rather than reality. Perhaps they were in a really bad nightmare. After some time, a voice broke through the suffocating silence. ¡°We¡­have¡­to escape¡­¡± The voice was so faint that it sounded like it would break at any moment. ¡°We can¡¯t¡­win¡­ever¡­¡± Mangil murmured listlessly while he lay prone on the ground. He was saying what the majority of the attendees were thinking. This ordeal was too great to face. It was such an immense and enormous tsunami of dangers that they couldn¡¯t imagine fighting against it; it seemed evident that they would all be swept away without a trace. ¡°T-There isn¡¯t any time to waste!¡± Breaking out of the daze, Mangil quickly got up. ¡°What are you all doing? We need to spread this news as fast as possible and flee! Thankfully, we still have some time to pack our goods and escape! Let¡¯s quickly move!¡± Mangil was encouraging everyone to abandon Shalyh and retreat to the Cassiubia Mountain Range. It was the most logical course of action to take right now. All the Cassiubia League members thoughtlessly nodded in agreement. Yet the heroes hesitated. They could empathize with Mangil¡¯s sentiments, but the legend hung on their minds. If they abandoned the holy city and retreated far away, what would happen to the legend? He would be left alone forever. ¡°Are we really going to abandon Shalyh like this¡­?¡± Apoline asked in a disgruntled voice. ¡°What?! Are you saying that we should fight then?!¡± Mangil immediately retorted in anger. ¡°Are you out of your mind?! Do you want all of us to die together?! Huh?!¡± He pointed at her and shouted so fiercely that his spit scattered in the air. He had already lost all sense of calm and composure. ¡°¡­What?¡± But that was the same for Apoline. ¡°Hey! Watch the way you talk. Also, don¡¯t you know that the legend is alone in Sernitas¡¯ territory right now?¡± ¡°Yeah, so what! Who told him to go running there in the first place?!¡± ¡°W-What? Do you hear yourself talk?¡± ¡°Ah, what about our lives? Should everyone die because there might be a chance to save one person?!¡± ¡°Both of you, please calm down.¡± Unable to stand watching, Ru Amuh finally got up and intervened. Or he tried to, but neither of them could calm down. Their voices gradually grew louder and louder until there was a shouting match. Other people besides Ru Amuh tried to break them off as well, but then they also joined the shouting match. The mood became terribly foul in an instant. The rest didn¡¯t even seem to have any desire to settle the situation. Alice stared relentlessly at the darkness outside the window, the Kobalos¡¯ elder stood with his eyes closed, and Emmanuel buried his head into his arms. ¡°You should also say something! Do you think this could be a proper fight or not!¡±Mangil shouted at Dalgil, but Dalgil simply swiped his face anxiously. ¡°¡­¡± Then, after watching the mess quietly, Ismile raised one foot and brought it down to make a loud bang. A vibration swept the ground as if there was a small-scale earthquake. An empty chair almost tilted over, but barely managed to regain its balance in the end. ¡°I know how all of you are feeling, but¡­calm yourselves.¡± Ismile bared his teeth, and everyone faltered when they saw him. This was the first time they saw Ismile show any sort of aggression. There was no trace of his usual carefree, leisurely self, and Ismile¡¯s eyes were filled with a deep bloodlust. He seemed ready to kill any of them if they uttered one more word. Perhaps his usual joking demeanor was just a mask, and this was the true face of Ismile Nahla. That was how unfamiliar this sudden change was, and because of it, the yelling instantly stopped. It was only then that Ismile¡¯s face softened somewhat. ¡°It seems we have a difference in opinions¡­¡± And after inhaling slightly, Ismile glanced in one direction. ¡°What do you think?¡± Everyone turned to Chi-Woo, who was sitting quietly. ¡°We have to fight,¡± Chi-Woo declared. ¡°W-What?!¡± Mangil said in complete bafflement. ¡°How could you¡­!¡± Considering who he was talking to, Mangil couldn¡¯t speak as bluntly as before, but his thoughts remained the same. ¡°I know that our strength is lacking in Shalyh with humanity alone. That is why we have to receive help from the Cassiubia League members too.¡± Chi-Woo sounded firm. Everything he had done was for this moment. He had even gone back to the past and fought his brother at the risk of his life to revive the World. He wouldn¡¯t let all that effort go to waste. Furthermore, he had to keep the promise he had made to the World with a pinky swear. Of course, Mangil, who was unaware of all that, couldn¡¯t help but bemoan the reality of the situation. ¡°Do you think the Cassiubia League will even send their troops from the mountain range?¡± Mangil asked. ¡°They will.¡± ¡°What if they don¡¯t?¡± ¡°We¡­will only know what will happen then, but I¡¯m sure they will send us reinforcement,¡± Chi-Woo said with certainty, and there was a new glint in Ismile¡¯s eyes. ¡°Please¡­! Come to your senses! Even if the Cassiubia League somehow sends reinforcements from the mountain range, it won¡¯t solve anything! How will we face three factions when dealing with just one is such a strain? Even though it¡¯s you of all people¡­!¡± Mangil sounded pleading and desperate now because knowing the authority the Seven Stars leader possessed, he began to worry that they might have to fight at this rate. ¡°¡­It really is a concern that the three factions have joined hands, but you can¡¯t simply see it as a battle of 1 against 3.¡± Mangil looked at Chi-Woo for clarification. ¡°After reorganizing their ranks, the number of the Demon Empire¡¯s great demons dwindled from 66 to 36. Then to 34 recently.¡± And according to the information he just heard, only about 20 great demons were making their way toward Shalyh. ¡°Though most of the single-digit ranking great demons including Bael are participating in this war, they aren¡¯t fighting us with their full force.¡± Chi-Woo continued, ¡°It¡¯s the same for the Abyss. After the Witch¡¯s disappearance, their alliance of two armies and the respective three and six commanders dwindled to two and six commanders.¡± The most powerful leaders leading Abyss were the king and the queen who ruled over the remaining eight, now seven, commanders. ¡°Current reports say that the Abyss¡¯ main force is the king and his seven subordinates. The queen is nowhere in sight¡­ It¡¯s suspicious that there¡¯s seven of them instead of six¡­but anyways, it¡¯s hard to say that the Abyss is bringing their entire force.¡± Then, Chi-Woo proceeded to say it was the same for the Sernitas. ¡°The only force that the Sernitas are sending is from their Sky Castle. Of course, it¡¯s a threatening power, but compared to their main force, it¡¯s incomparably smaller.¡± Every point that Chi-Woo made was valid. No one in the room knew it, but the Sernitas hadn¡¯t sent the majority of the troops they promised to deploy since they had to keep the legend in their territory in check. ¡°Still¡­!¡± ¡°Unlike the three factions who are still wary of each other in preparation for what would happen after their alliance, we can put all our minds and efforts together as one force. No, that is what we must do. If we lean onto our home ground advantage and the effects the holy sanctuary grants us, this would be a war worth fighting.¡± Mangil looked very frustrated. He got what Chi-Woo was saying, but still seemed unconvinced. ¡°If the legend had kept his position in this situation, maybe I would¡¯ve thought differently. But look at where he is!¡± ¡°It¡¯s pointless to think that. If the legend were here with us right now, the Sernitas would¡¯ve brought forth a force matching that change.¡± ¡°Fine! Then let¡¯s say we fight as you say. What if we lose?!¡± Mangil cried out while waving both of his arms. ¡°That won¡¯t just be the end of Shalyh! The Cassiubia League, the Cassiubia Mountain Range, and humanity! We would all be over!¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. That could happen, and there was definitely a future where exactly that happened. But Chi-Woo retorted in a low voice, ¡°¡­Then, what do you think will happen if we retreat?¡± ¡°Can you guarantee that even if we retreat from Shalyh and flee, the League would be able to preserve enough forces to protect the Cassiubia Mountain Range?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say that we retreat from Shalyh. Do you think the three factions that have gone so far to form a coalition would be satisfied with conquering one city?¡± That could be the case, but one of the main goals of the three-faction alliance was to destroy Chi-Hyun¡¯s foundation. That would serve as the basis for crushing humanity, which they had pinpointed as the cause for their plans failing. Moreover, nothing was ever certain, especially in a world like Liber. Thus, Chi-Woo pointed out, ¡°For example, what if the coalition coerces the Cassiubia League into not accepting humanity?¡± Mangil was about to say something, but ended up shutting his mouth. It sounded too plausible to reject right away. There was no way their enemies would be satisfied with conquering only one city after going so far as to join hands. They would definitely try to take more. ¡°Let¡¯s say that the Cassiubia League abandons humanity then. But what if the coalition doesn¡¯t keep their promise and invades the Cassiubia Mountain Range too?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Mangil¡¯s face paled. If that really happened, they would have only earned a temporary reprieve, and the fact that they were doomed would remain unchanged in the end. In that situation, they would regret not having joined hands with humanity and fought back. Eventually, Mangil became quiet. He seemed to have come to agree with Chi-Woo to some extent, but he still looked conflicted. The situation seemed too dire for them to choose to fight. We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. ¡°But¡­the legend¡­¡± ¡°Ah, stop going on about the legend! The legend!¡± Mangil flinched when Chi-Woo suddenly shouted; it was Chi-Woo¡¯s first time raising his voice. ¡°Let me ask you all one question.¡± After letting out a deep sigh, Chi-Woo crossed his fingers and looked around. ¡°Do you think the legend needs to be here right now?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned wide at Chi-Woo¡¯s unexpected question. ¡°Is this room full of people who can¡¯t do anything without the legend leading the way?¡± It looked as if Chi-Woo¡¯s words struck many of them to the core. ¡°Is that really it? Are you all puppets who either fight or retreat when he tells you to?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡± Mangil couldn¡¯t continue. He seemed a bit ashamed at Chi-Woo¡¯s reproach. After a short silence, Chi-Woo quelled his frustrations and spoke up in a calmer voice. ¡°¡­Of course, I understand that all of you might feel anxious, but you should realize one thing.¡± Chi-Woo looked around and carefully scanned everything that made up the space. Then, he said, ¡°We aren¡¯t the only ones observing this situation right now. It¡¯s not just humanity and the Cassiubia League either.¡± The earth and sky, the air and wind, all of nature, and everything that existed to make up this planet¡ªthey were all watching over them. ¡°Liber¡ªthe whole World is focusing on Shalyh right now.¡± The World didn¡¯t die. She survived. She went through a time so difficult that it couldn¡¯t be properly put into words. Everyone in this world had lived through lives of despair, fearing that they would die at any moment. They had lived lives without hopes and dreams. Yet there was room for change now, and for them to bring out real change, they needed to revive their dying determination and hope and cling to them firmly. ¡°We need to give them strength and bravery. We need to prove that there¡¯s hope. We shouldn¡¯t just tell people to endure and endure some more until they reach the end, but tell them that we can do something. That there¡¯s hope for us to return to the past¡ªto how things used to be.¡± Chi-Woo momentarily collected his breath. Then he addressed the dazed Mangil. ¡°¡­Please remember this one thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you keep running backward, you¡¯ll one day realize that there¡¯s no more room to back into.¡± There was no sanctuary to run away to. If they backed away here, they would have to keep doing that until they ran out of places to run to and had no companions to fight with. Speechless, Mangil simply looked down at the floor blankly. Then, he gradually raised his head and looked up at Chi-Woo. Others responded similarly. The atmosphere changed in an instant, and everyone was mesmerized by Chi-Woo''s speech. After listening to what he said, they all began to think that they had to fight for some reason. An unknown emotion boiled from the bottom of their hearts and shot upwards. It was as if they had all become determined to fight after realizing that was their only option. ¡°Is there¡­a way?¡± Mangil¡¯s voice sounded slightly hoarse, and his words indicated his change in attitude. Meanwhile, Ismile was impressed. ¡®Look at him¡­¡¯ he thought as he watched Chi-Woo. He was quite surprised. Currently, there was nobody and nothing that could replace Chi-Hyun. This was an irrefutable fact. Yet Chi-Woo managed to shift the mood of the room. If any other hero had said the same things, there would be dissents. Yet everyone understood and aligned with Chi-Woo because even though they did so unconsciously, they had trust and faith in him. Those factors made them think that maybe, maybe they really needed to fight; maybe it really was doable in this situation. Was it because he was the legend¡¯s younger brother? No. It was due to the path that Chi-Woo had taken until now and all the achievements he had made so far to prove himself. Each and every one of his actions and words carried weight one couldn¡¯t dare ignore. ¡°Seems like¡­we¡¯ve reached an agreement.¡± Ismile clapped twice and turned back to Chi-Woo with a polite smile. ¡°Then, does that mean we will fight depending on whether or not the Cassiubia League follows?¡± The Cassiubia League¡¯s help was essential. If the Cassiubia League didn¡¯t send their reinforcements and instead recalled their forces in Shalyh, there would really be no way out of this situation. But Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t worried about that. ¡°They will come.¡± ¡°But they might not?¡± Ismile remarked. Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°No, I can swear it. The Cassiubia League would send us their reinforcements.¡± Chi-Woo was 100% certain. It was a promise made to him after all. CH 387 The next morning, the news of the Demon Empire, Abyss, and the Sernitas¡¯ coalition finally hit the Cassiubia Mountain Range. Although Chi-Hyun had already warned them before, it was mostly thanks to Ismile quickly dispatching a messenger to the Cassiubia Mountain Range in advance that they got wind of the invasion so soon. The Last Dragon held a meeting as soon as she heard the news; it was an obligatory meeting for all tribes. Usually, the tribes that were considered the top leaders would decide the direction the Cassiubia League would take, but this time, all tribe leaders in the League were forced to attend. Considering the severity of the situation, no exception was made for any tribe. Since it was probably¡ªno, certainly an incident that could determine the fate of the League, it was necessary to hear everyone¡¯s opinion, and naturally, the meeting was chaotic. A small commotion had occurred in Shalyh when news of the coalition arrived, and this meeting was no different. Rather, since there were so many more participants and a diverse range of opinions, the meeting¡¯s end seemed nowhere in sight. Of course, if one was to categorize the opinions presented in the meeting, it could be roughly divided into two. One side argued that even if they had to face extinction, they must respond to humanity¡¯s call for help and fight alongside them, while the other side argued that they must accept the three factions¡¯ suggestion and step back for now. ¡°We must immediately order the members of the League residing in Shalyh to withdraw! Before it¡¯s too late!¡± Simply put, the opposition was arguing that the League should abandon humanity. The Last Dragon, who played the role of chairperson, couldn¡¯t suppress her surprise. She was one of the very few beings who knew about the world before it was modified and after it was modified. And before the world was modified, the Last Dragon had lied to Chi-Woo about one matter. She had told him that the League wouldn¡¯t be able to help if he failed to modify the past, but it wasn¡¯t true. That had merely been a bluff, and she had planned to help humanity at all cost even if an incident really broke out. No matter how much opposition she faced, she had thought it would all work out if she pushed forward her opinion as the center of the League. Then something unexpected happened while she resolved herself¡ªChi-Woo had successfully changed the past. As a result, Boboris¡¯ prophecy had changed, and the greatest justification for those who were fiercely opposed to aiding humanity had disappeared. Thus, she had expected that the opposition, which had lost its main argument, would naturally lose strength as well after the modification. However, the opposition had not become as weak as she thought. Although they had become a little less vocal, it was not by a very noticeable amount. Many were still opposed to helping humanity. It was then the Last Dragon realized that Boboris¡¯ prophecy, which was the main basis used for the opposition before the modification, had merely been an excuse and shield for their argument. ¡®This¡­if this meeting happened before the world was modified, it would have been disastrous.¡¯ Since the opposition was so fierce even now, what would it have been like before the modification? The positions of those opposed and in favor of aiding humanity would have probably been reversed. Just like how the opposition was now fiercely shouting their point to reverse the atmosphere tilting towards helping humanity, the Last Dragon would have had to passionately push her opinion ahead, and she would face strong opposition. The opposition would not even snort with Boboris¡¯ prophecy on their side, since Boboris¡¯ prophecy held such significant influence. Thus, it was a huge relief that Boboris¡¯ prophecy had changed; the Last Dragon swiped her chest several times. The pivotal change was that although the opposition¡¯s momentum had decreased by only a little bit, those in favor have changed significantly. Before the modification, they were unable to even get a word in properly due to the pushback, but after the modification, their voices became loud enough to pressure the opposing side back. There were also a few who changed sides out of sincere belief and devotion to Boboris¡¯ prophecy, while the majority of those who had taken a neutral stance and withheld their decisions out of cautiousness were now supporting those in favor of helping humanity. Moreover, it was of considerable help that one of the top leader tribes, the Gigas Tribe had initially been skeptical of a war against the three factions, but had changed their opinion and now supported aiding humanity. The Last Dragon thought it was now well worth trying to push ahead with her original plan. This was all thanks to Chi-Woo. She was able to keep her promise thanks to Chi-Woo successfully accomplishing a ridiculously difficult task. While inwardly expressing her respect for him, the Last Dragon stared at the conference hall where shouting matches were still ongoing. The atmosphere was already fully ripe. At this rate, it didn¡¯t seem like a conclusion would be reached, and letting it go on would only be wasting precious time. The Last Dragon was not the type to just sit back and watch; it was now time for her to keep her promise. At that moment, her black pupils split vertically, and the whites of her eyes glowed a bright, yellow light. The freckled girl¡¯s innocent and good-natured eyes transformed in an instant and flashed menacingly. ¡°Stop.¡± With a single word, the conference hall immediately fell silent. Every member shut their mouth and looked back at the Last Dragon with nervous gazes. They all had a hunch that the League¡¯s fate would depend on her following word. The Last Dragon didn¡¯t immediately speak. She briefly glanced around and suddenly began to recite in a low voice. [Right before the three moons are about to cover the sun rising from the last stronghold.] When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. [The sky responds to the wish of the World that has survived a long time ago.] [The remnants will disappear, and only prayers will remain.] [Inside a torrent where one cannot even see an inch ahead, a huge mountain range is forced to choose between two options.] [To come out of the mountain in hopes of sunlight.] [Or stay deep in the mountain to escape the moonlight coming from three directions.] [If the mountain range turns a blind eye to the prayer, they¡¯ll all take a set path, and soon after, six or seven out of ten will arrive at a predetermined destination.] [However, if it answers the prayer, a new path that should have not originally been there will open.] [But be careful.] [The new path is extremely narrow, full of sharp thorns that will leave the body covered in blood.] This was Boboris¡¯ new prophecy. Compared to the original prophecy, there was certainly a big change. In the past, it said that there would only ever be one result no matter what they chose, but now there was room for change depending on their choices and how they acted. ¡°This is the prophecy of Boboris that you guys have so much faith in.¡± The Last Dragon rested her chin on the back of her hand and spoke relaxedly, ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee or confirmation. It¡¯s more of an interpretation than a dream, but we can interpret it as our fate depending on what we do in the end. Then, isn¡¯t it right for us to aid the sun and fight the three rising moons?¡± A cryptic smile formed on her mouth as she posed this question; it was funny how she was confidently using Boboris¡¯ prophecy to make her point, which was the same tactic the opposition had used before the world was modified. ¡°¡­Prophecy is just a prophecy. You always say that like a habit.¡± After a while, there was finally a response. Prophecy should always be used as a reference rather than be trusted blindly; this was what the Last Dragon had said many times. The member from the opposition continued, ¡°If there¡¯s no guarantee or confirmation of the outcome, it means that the situation is so cloudy and uncertain that even Lady Boboris does not know the final results. Is there a reason why we should dip our feet into such murky waters?¡± ¡°A reason? Of course there¡¯s a reason.¡± The Last Dragon smiled widely. ¡°Actually¡ªI¡¯ve forgotten to tell all of you so far, but there¡¯s more to the prophecy.¡± It had also been like that before the modification. The Last Dragon couldn¡¯t reveal it because she thought the opposition would gain too much strength if she revealed the latter parts. However, the situation had changed now. ¡°W-What? What do you mean¡­¡± While everyone was shocked and murmuring amongst themselves, the Last Dragon recited the remaining part of the prophecy. [The one who hears the prayer takes a step back briefly and watches the stage, wearing a mask.] [So, if you want to walk the same path, wait silently for the right time.] [Although you would gain the grace period you sought, everyone would be swallowed by the one that has become complete without exception.] [But if you risk walking down the thorny path, craving for the sun.] [When the moon sets and the sun rises, only then will the masked one come up to the stage.] [And as a result, the current four will become three and soon, become four again.] ¡°I¡¯m very curious.¡± The Last Dragon smiled dryly, ¡°Six or seven out of ten will arrive at their predetermined destination. Then it means that three or four may reach another place.¡± A predetermined destination signified destruction for the League. However, a part of the League won¡¯t share the same fate as the rest of the League. ¡°If you¡¯re not running away¡ªI wonder which tribe secretly contacted which faction.¡± She scanned the audience with her sharp eyes. ¡°And was guaranteed a specific future for them to keep repeating ¡®no¡¯ like a parrot even after hearing such a clear prophecy.¡± A few flinched and shrank back. ¡°Shall I sit in front of you and read your minds so that you will finally tell me your true feelings?¡± The expression of many of those on the opposing side stiffened. They tried to argue by reflex, but hurriedly closed their mouths after looking to their right. All the members in favor were glaring fiercely at them, since the Last Dragon¡¯s words were tantamount to saying that there were traitors who fell for their enemy¡¯s sweet enticement. ¡°If I could, I¡¯d like to hunt them all down right now but¡­¡± The Last Dragon trailed off and sighed. ¡°We need all the help we can get, and above all, you should have heard the prophecy just now and realized the truth if you have a brain.¡± She clicked her tongue and continued, ¡°Regardless of what you think or do in this important time, Boboris¡¯ prophecy states that the end will be the same for all.¡± ¡®Although you would gain the grace period you sought, in the end, everyone would be swallowed by the one that has become complete without exception¡¯¡ªthe Last Dragon was referring to this line. Although they could avoid immediate destruction for now, in the end, they wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid getting devoured by the Sernitas. Those who grasped the meaning of this line became pale. They must help humanity; if they didn¡¯t, they¡¯d end up being swallowed all together. It wasn¡¯t that difficult for them to come to this conclusion. After a brief pause, the Last Dragon looked back at everyone. ¡°Does anyone have anything else to say?¡± she clasped her hands together and asked. ¡°If not¡ªlet¡¯s conclude this meeting.¡± Then she spoke like a judge giving the final sentence. ¡°As of this time, the Cassiubia League has resolved to help humanity and defend Shalyh with all their might.¡± Then she said, ¡°Each tribe should get ready to go to war as soon as they return.¡± A stream of light shone on the bleak future of humanity. * * * A few days after that, Ismile¡¯s prediction was proven right. The Demon Empire and the Abyss gathered at the point where their paths crossed. As two large armies joined forces, the area became densely packed with troops from both armies. Although it was a historic meeting that would never happen again, neither of the army soldiers gave a shout or cheer. Far from being happy, the different factions looked at each other with intense wariness. They had fought each other to death until just a while ago. Even now, they only joined hands temporarily out of necessity and would soon be at each other¡¯s throats again. However, at least for the time being, they were allies who shared the same goal, and they weren¡¯t going to raise their swords at each other. Moreover, they could trust the other¡¯s strength. Amidst the dead silence and bone-chilling atmosphere, the heads of the two factions met briefly. ¡ªThere are many I¡¯ve only heard the names of. A murky and dark voice that seemed to have come from a deep, deep hole flowed out. ¡ªThe Demon Empire must be really determined this time. The figure, cladded in iron armor and radiating an ominous darkness all over his body, was the Abyss King. He was talking about the twenty great demons lining up behind Bael. Bael¡¯s eyes narrowed as she watched the Abyss King talk so freely at their first meeting; it sounded like he was mocking them for mobilizing such a large force after not being able to deal with a small fry like humanity. ¡°The same goes for you,¡± Bael replied as she scanned the seven beings standing behind the Abyss King. ¡°Today¡¯s my first time seeing the Two Monarchs Three-Six Al¡ªno, Two Monarchs Two-Six Alliance in person.¡± ¡ªI guess your intel must be lacking. ¡°What?¡± ¡ªThe Abyss¡¯ Two Monarchs Two-Six Alliance does not exist anymore. Bael hadn¡¯t expected the following words at all. ¡ªThe Two Monarchs have become One Monarch, and the Two-Six Alliance is now the Seven Chasms. In other words, the Abyss was now a One Monarch Seven Alliance. Come to think of it, it was strange that Bael didn¡¯t see the queen, who should be leading the Abyss alongside the king. Of course, she may not be participating in this war. Then it would be normal for them to have only six members following the king, though, and Bael counted seven in total. It was unlikely that the queen would¡¯ve sent only one commander in her stead. ¡®The Two Monarchs have changed to one?¡¯ Since this was vital information, Bael was about to lower her pride and ask for more information, but someone from the Abyss quickly approached the Abyss King and whispered something to him. Bael was curious about what was said and was soon able to find out when one of her subordinates also quickly rushed up to her and relayed the same news. The Abyss King reacted to the news similarly to Bael. ¨C¡­Hmm. The Abyss King sighed, and Bael frowned slightly. ¡ªThe participation of the League. The Abyss King¡¯s calm voice rang out. ¡°I didn¡¯t think they would go out of their way to join the losing team,¡± Bael murmured to herself too. ¡ªWell¡­I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter. The Abyss King spoke in a dismissive tone and looked away. ¡ªSince our last guest has also arrived. The King tilted his head and looked up into the air. There was a dot in the spotless, clear sky without a cloud in sight. The dot gradually grew bigger and bigger, and before they knew it, it got close enough to cast shadows that covered both armies. It was a huge island floating in the sky. The Abyss King looked up at the Sky Castle and soon turned around. They had met each other in person only out of formality¡¯s sake. ¨CThen we¡¯ll take charge of the League as planned, and we¡¯ll leave the rest to your masterful expertise. He left after speaking in a businesslike tone. Rather than keeping him, Bael also turned around without saying a word. And like this, the encounter of the century ended. They only had one goal in mind. Soon after, the enormous army of joined forces began their journey southward, towards its destination. CH 388 Though the sky was clear without a speck of cloud in sight, Shalyh had been bustling with activity for the past couple of days. It was because of the announcement that Ismile made not long ago. Three factions¡ªthe Demon Empire, Abyss, and the Sernitas had formed a coalition and were marching toward Shalyh. Shalyh fell into a great commotion upon receiving this news, but surprisingly, the heroes quickly took decisive actions. Perhaps it was because they had faced crises multiple times before; many of them responded as if only the expected was happening. Of course, everyone knew that the situation was dire, and the heroes seemed more resigned than excited; but they knew that they had no other choice but to fight. Like how all of them walked onto the stage without hesitation regardless of Laguel¡¯s warning, they had been prepared to die when they first entered Liber. Of course, Ismile¡¯s eloquence and haste helped settle the situation more quickly too. First, he made an appropriate explanation for the absence of the legend, whom everyone admired. He said that the Sernitas were originally planning to send an enormous army to Shalyh, but Chi-Hyun learned of the situation beforehand and jumped into the battlefield alone to stop them. That was the reason the Sernitas could only send a single troop. And with a little grandiose and extra details here and there, he raised all the heroes¡¯ will to fight. Furthermore, he also told the heroes that the Cassiubia League had promised to help humanity with all the strength that they could muster. Rather than dying alone, it would be much less lonely and bitter to have someone else to die with. And with news of the legend¡¯s fighting and the Cassiubia League putting their fate on the line, Shalyh quickly regained its calm. Though they all felt nervous at the thought of participating in a war where they were at a clear strategic disadvantage, they readied their hearts and prepared for war. This was the same for Chi-Woo. He was basically the one who made into reality the current situation. And although Chi-Woo had brought about the best scenario that one could possibly bring, the situation was starkly different from the last time their enemy tried to invade Shalyh. The scale of the last invasion attempt didn¡¯t even begin to compare to the enemy coalition this time. Furthermore, in the last war, they had basically entered the battle after having already won it. Yet it was the opposite this time, and they would¡¯ve entered a losing battle if it hadn¡¯t been for Chi-Woo¡¯s intervention. Even now, anyone could tell that the three-faction coalition had the upper hand, while humanity and the Cassiubia League had the lower hand. If people had to bet money on who would win, eight or all ten out of ten would bet on the coalition. If they had to bet on their lives instead of money, ten out of ten would choose the coalition. Even Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel certain of their victory. Yet he felt a bit expectant. The greater their ordeal, the greater joy they would feel after overcoming it. Even if they ended up wounded or shedding a lot of blood, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but look forward to what would happen after they overcame this hurdle. The more his enemies put on the line, the higher their returns would be. If Chi-Hyun had been by him, he would¡¯ve told Chi-Woo to not count his eggs before they hatch. But Chi-Woo thought after all his suffering, he had to win this war no matter what. And with that determination in mind, he spent many busy days making preparations. It was during this time, one person came to visit the Seven Stars. *** The Kobalos¡¯ elder visited the Seven Stars. He was a long-awaited guest, and Chi-Woo welcomed the guest with open arms. Yet the elder didn¡¯t look as joyful. Instead, he looked a bit anxious and worried. Before, Chi-Woo had tried hard to get on the Kobolas tribe¡¯s good side, which was the reason he had given the Kobalos first priority in getting the AI Armor when their supplies were still insufficient. Eval didn¡¯t know his reason, but he followed Chi-Woo¡¯s orders obediently thinking there must be a good cause. And thanks to it, the Kobolas tribe was able to enjoy several privileges the Seven Stars provided them, but they didn¡¯t feel too good about it. They knew that there were no favors given without strings attached. Thus, they tried to avoid a meeting with Seven Stars¡¯ leader as much as possible, but in the end, they could no longer keep turning away and ended up put in this spot. ¡°Thank you for looking after insignificant beings like us. As the representative of the Kobalos¡¯ tribe, I express to you our sincere gratitude.¡± And after finishing his formal greeting, the elder continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to speak bluntly.¡± The elder spoke very carefully because of how uncomfortable the situation was. ¡°Is it our treasure, the magic fire pit, that you want, sir?¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fire pit, there was no way that they would attract the interest of an influential figure like the Seven Stars leader. Chi-Woo was a bit surprised by the elder¡¯s forwardness, but in the end, he nodded. It seemed like the Kobalos had already guessed what was going on, and he had no need to hide his intention. He didn¡¯t want to keep hiding it either. ¡°Yes, it is as you say, sir. If that makes you uncomfortable, I apologize in advance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re just curious about the reason you would want our fire pit.¡± ¡°It has a function that I desperately need, but it¡¯s mainly because I think it would prove to be quite useful in the upcoming war.¡± ¡°Useful¡­in the upcoming war¡­¡± The Kobalos¡¯ elder carefully repeated Chi-Woo¡¯s words. He stroked his beard for a while wordlessly and asked in a low voice, ¡°So that must mean you want to rent it for some time instead of using it only once or twice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly the case¡­ To be honest, I can¡¯t promise you that we¡¯ll be able to return it to you in one piece.¡± The Kobalos¡¯ elder closed his eyes. Chi-Woo made a bitter smile. He had expected the Kobalos to be baffled to hear what he wanted. Not only was he asking for his tribe¡¯s lifeline, Chi-Woo just admitted that they might not be able to return the item fully functional. Chi-Woo would have no room to protest even if the elder called him tyrannical or selfish. Still, Chi-Woo believed there were no other options. They needed the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit in preparation for the upcoming war. They had to have it. But Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t the kind of person to forcefully take the item either, and he knew that would only lead to further troubles down the road. ¡°¡­There¡¯s one thing I¡¯m curious about.¡± After some time, the Kobalos¡¯ elder opened his eyes. ¡°I am going to ask you a question. Can I expect you to answer with complete honesty?¡± ¡°Of course. I swear on Goddess La Bella¡¯s name that I''ll only tell the truth.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to go that far, but that¡¯s fine. It happened some time ago. We were unable to secure our fire pit while moving from the Cassiubia Mountain Range to this city. After coming to Shalyh, we managed to find it again after requesting a hero for help, but the fire pit returned to us was not in good shape.¡± Chi-Woo flinched. The fire pit had lost its functions because of the rescue team who went to save Yunael. They didn¡¯t expect to consume so much of its energy in the exchange process. ¡°Because it was so thoroughly damaged, my tribe and I thought there would be no way to restore it¡­yet it was suddenly returned to its original state one day, completely out of the blue.¡± A glint passed through Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes. ¡°So, let me ask you this. Is it you who is behind the recovery of the fire pit?¡± ¡°Before I answer your question, can you tell me why you think it¡¯s me?¡± ¡°I never said we were certain you were behind it. It¡¯s just that I thought it could be you after hearing what you said.¡± ¡°And if it was me¡­¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t something I can¡¯t understand, there¡¯s no other explanation than a god¡¯s will was carried out.¡± Though the elder gave a vague answer, Chi-Woo nodded readily. ¡°Yes, it was me, although I didn¡¯t intend for it to happen.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. Before he went to the past, Chi-Woo had thrown the World¡¯s Milestone multiple times and, in that process, the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit was suddenly restored as one of the results. He had quickly dropped the matter to throw the die again at that time; he didn¡¯t realize it would come up again like this. The Kobalos¡¯ elder looked intently at Chi-Woo for a bit and let out a deep sigh. He confirmed that his addressee was speaking the truth. An oath a hero made in the name of their god was not to be taken lightly. Thus, if this man had been lying, his god would have already laid down her punishment against the hero. Yet Chi-Woo was completely fine, meaning that he was speaking the truth. ¡°To think you didn¡¯t even intend it¡­ I have nothing more to say,¡± the Kobalos ¡¯elder lamented and hung his head. It was too much of a coincidence. Though Chi-Woo didn¡¯t intend it, it was strange that everything fit perfectly into place. It was such an astonishing series of events that it made him wonder if the fire pit was trying to leave and come to Seven Stars of its own accord so that it could be used for a greater purpose. Chi-Woo chewed on his lip as he watched the Kobalos¡¯ elder sigh. Considering the mood, it seemed the elder was planning to hand over the fire pit. Yet it left a bitter taste in Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth because it felt as if the elder was giving away the pot not willingly, but because he had no other choice. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t feel good about that. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that we want it for free. If I could, I would pay the maximum price for it.¡± ¡°¡­I thank you for that thought, but the price we want will probably surpass the maximum you can afford.¡± ¡°Who knows? It could be within our limit,¡± Chi-Woo encouraged the elder to at least name the price, and the elder laughed humorlessly. Then he pulled up his sleeve and extended his arm. There was a deep purplish symbol on his tree branch-like forearm. ¡°Do you know about the misfortunate tribe whose fate was to be hated since birth?¡± Chi-Woo nodded in response to the unexpected question. ¡°I heard a little about it.¡± He remembered what Dulia had told him when they went to save Yunael. It was the Kobalos tribe¡¯s open secret. Some god cast a powerful curse on the Kobalos¡¯ tribe, and the tribe had to go through all sorts of suffering and humiliation until they were destined for extinction. After wandering across the world listlessly, they were able to make a contract with a god and escape complete doom; yet the powerful curse remained and was still ongoing. ¡°I wish for our success in this war more than anyone else. It¡¯s because I know we will only survive if we win,¡± the elder continued, ¡°But if we hand over the fire pit, our survival will be threatened again. Then, we will be doomed whether we win this war or not. That truth makes me despair more than anything.¡± Chi-Woo understood what the elder was saying, and a solution came to mind. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a very difficult task to do. ¡°Then, you can find a new god and serve them,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°If only we could do that¡­¡± the elder trailed off. Chi-Woo then excused himself and closed his eyes. It was so that he could visit La Bella. After some time, Chi-Woo opened his eyes, a little taken aback. He had asked La Bella if she could take in the Kobalos tribe, but she refused immediately. She said it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to do it, but she couldn¡¯t. The curse that the ancient god had placed on the Kobalos tribe was too powerful and ancient that even she couldn¡¯t do anything about it at the moment. ¡°It¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t try to make things right this whole time either,¡± the Kobalos elder smiled sadly as if he hadn¡¯t expected anything to change anyways. ¡°When we moved to the Cassiubia Mountain Range, we sought every god we could find, and we did the same at Shalyh. Every time a new god was found, we went to them and asked for help¡­but not one of them could take us in.¡± If the Kobalos tribe¡¯s problem could be fixed with a solution that anyone could think of, the tribe wouldn¡¯t have suffered for so long. But it was still surprising that even La Bella couldn¡¯t do anything about it. ¡°I will give you the fire pit if you want it. I don¡¯t think we can prevent it in the current situation.¡± The elder¡¯s voice sounded half-resigned. The only choice he had right now was to depend on Chi-Woo¡¯s mercy. Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh. He didn¡¯t think he would have to go so far, but it seemed he had to. ¡°I was planning to introduce you to a new god¡­but that doesn¡¯t really seem to be an option,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°So, how about this?¡± The elder¡¯s body flinched. ¡°How about erasing the curse on the Kobalos tribe altogether?¡± The elder thought he heard wrong. If it had been possible to remove the curse, he would¡¯ve done that ages ago. But even a god couldn¡¯t do anything about the curse but tweak a small part of it. Thus, how could Chi-Woo propose to erase a curse that has been passed down since the Age of the Gods? Something that no god could do? ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± the elder asked, and Chi-Woo shook his head. There was no need to explain everything since he could just demonstrate it. ¡°Asha!¡± Chi-Woo called out, and soon afterward, the door burst open. A jelly-like thing bounced into the room. ¡°Could you perhaps activate Deterrence and erase this curse?¡± Chi-Woo pointed at the symbol on the elder¡¯s forearm and asked. Asha tilted their head, and what happened after that was very simple. [With user Asha¡¯s will, Innate ability [Blessed Luck] 5 points consumed (80 ¡ú 75)] [Activating ¡®Deterrence¡¯ against Kobalos tribe¡¯s curse.] Not long after this message floated into the sky, the Kobalos tribe¡¯s elder¡¯s eyes opened so wide that the corners looked ready to rip. ¡°W-w-w-wha¡­.!¡± The purplish symbol on his forearm faded until it was completely wiped away. ¡°Haaaaa!¡± When Chi-Woo confirmed that the mark was gone, his lips curved into a satisfied smile. Usually, he would¡¯ve had to suffer all sorts of hardships to solve this problem, but he needn¡¯t worry about that after awakening Asha as part of the World. The Kobalos¡¯ elder looked shocked beyond belief and didn¡¯t move for a while. Then, he rubbed his forearm madly and looked back and forth between his and Chi-Woo¡¯s arm. The symbol that the Kobalos had been unable to erase no matter what they did disappeared without a trace. The curse that tormented the Kobalos for so long was gone. ¡°Uh¡­uh¡­¡± The elder was too stunned to speak. Then he collapsed onto the ground like his legs had given out. ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Chi-Woo smiled brightly as the elder looked at him speechlessly. ¡°Even though a god was behind your curse, they are still nothing more than an existence that had been created through the World¡¯s will and a part of Liber. Even Liber¡¯s main god, Elephthalia, would be no exception.¡± Elephthalia called the World mother. In other words, the World was above a god. ¡°No matter how powerful a god¡¯s curse is, they are all equal in the face of the World¡¯s will.¡± Though the elder got what Chi-Woo was saying, he couldn¡¯t accept it easily. ¡°Then¡­what are you¡­?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Who could you be¡­you who controls the World¡¯s will however you want, when the World¡¯s will is above all gods on Liber?¡± The elder asked in a trembling voice, and Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Uh¡­well¡­you can just call me Chi-Woo,¡± Chi-Woo responded while scratching his head, and the Kobalos¡¯ elder looked even more astounded. What he was asking for wasn¡¯t Chi-Woo¡¯s name, but Chi-Woo simply shrugged and crossed his fingers. ¡°Anyway, how about it now?¡± Chi-Woo glanced at the elder¡¯s now mark-free forearm and asked, ¡°Do you think you can lend us the fire pit?¡± It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com". The elder didn¡¯t answer and simply sat in a daze for a while. Then, he suddenly got up and whirled around. Chi-Woo blinked rapidly seeing the elder kick the door open and run out. The elder came back not long later. He still looked bedazzled and stunned, and his eyes were all red like he had cried a good deal. It seemed that he had gone to see his tribemates. Of course, he didn¡¯t return empty-handed and was holding the magic firepot with both hands. ¡°We will never forget the miracle you¡¯ve shown us today, nor the mercy and grace you granted us,¡± The elder sounded extremely grateful. ¡°You saved our tribe¡¯s future. Since our future has been promised to us, we no longer have any reason to hesitate or fear.¡± Then, the elder said that they would offer their lives to Chi-Woo with a deferential bow and handed the fire pit over. As soon as he received the fire pit, Chi-Woo felt the burden of preparing for the war lessened a little bit. The upcoming war wouldn¡¯t be easy by any means, and they would certainly face many crises and hardships one after another. But for some unknown reason, Chi-Woo got a strong feeling that this fire pit would surely mitigate at least one of these many hardships that would come their way. And because Chi-Woo was too focused on the fire pit, he didn¡¯t realize that the Kobalos tribe¡¯s elder had gotten a bit taller after the disappearance of his curse. Furthermore, his face no longer looked like that of a hideous monster, but more like a human¡¯s. Little did Chi-Woo realize that he had received something greater than even this firepit today. CH 389 While everyone was busy preparing, Ismile watched the situation outside. The coalition¡¯s advance was being reported to him every couple of minutes, and he was on full alert, monitoring for any signs of enemy¡¯s movements. Internally, everyone was probably still hoping in the back of their minds that their enemies might suddenly begin fighting with each other or change course, but that didn¡¯t happen, of course, and what they feared finally arrived. When it became certain that the coalition was advancing towards Shalyh, Ismile gathered everyone. ¡°An hour ago, news arrived that the enemy coalition attacked the front gate at the forefront of Shalyh.¡± Ismile marked a spot on the map and continued, ¡°According to the reports, they aren¡¯t merely subjugating it, but completely destroying it and burning it to the ground.¡± ¡°I wonder what¡¯s the reason? There aren¡¯t even troops stationed at the gate¡­¡± Apoline tilted her head. As she said, there were many gates surrounding Shalyh, but Ismile hadn¡¯t dispatched troops to guard them. To protect all the gates, they would have to divide their forces, but in a situation where their numbers were already greatly lacking compared to their enemies, they¡¯d only become easy targets for picking if they divide their numbers. ¡°They must be looking for blood,¡± Ismile answered clearly. ¡°They were probably sharpening their swords this whole time, waiting for an opportunity to get rid of us completely.¡± He tapped the spot marked on the map as Shalyh and continued, ¡°Their intentions are clear. They don¡¯t want to leave anything here that might bother them in the future ever again. Not even the smallest remnant.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s just one city¡­¡± Apoline still sounded like she had a difficult time understanding. ¡°It¡¯s not just one city.¡± Ismile smiled. ¡°Well, I actually thought the same as you at first. I didn¡¯t understand why Big Choi so carefully set up gates around Shalyh. When I asked him, he simply answered with one sentence: to reinforce Shalyh.¡± Ismile shrugged and continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t understand what he meant by ¡®reinforce¡¯, so I turned off the automatic translation device and listened to him again. Do you know what I heard then?¡± Ismile glanced sideways at Chi-Woo and said, ¡°Shalyh is a place that a gailsoo must be set up.¡± Gailsoo. Adding one more stone to protect an unstable territory. It was one of the strategies used in Baduk, and it meant putting another stone down to compensate for the weakness in one¡¯s territory [1]. In other words, Chi-Hyun¡¯s words could be interpreted as reinforcing and stabilizing Shalyh¡¯s territory, but gailsoo had greater implications. Gailsoo could also be a strategy a player employed when they wanted to guarantee the capture of their opponent¡¯s territory¡ªthey would expand their territory on the basis of the enemy¡¯s land they had successfully claimed. Chi-Woo let out a small groan because he could roughly guess his brother¡¯s intention after listening to Ismile¡¯s explanation. As Apoline said, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t known that Chi-Hyun had drawn such grand aspirations from just one city. Shalyh was a city that emerged as a result of humanity jumping in between the League and the Demon Empire. The Demon Empire, which was defeated at Shalyh and forced to withdraw, were facing enemies on both fronts. In addition, the appearance of the White Horse General turned Shalyh into a sanctuary and even more of a bother for the Demon Empire. Still, the Demon Empire had thought it was fine and considered it a place they could easily subjugate if they really wanted to. Thus, they had waited for the right opportunity and invaded with a large force, but tasted defeat once again¡ªand a disastrous defeat at that. The Demon Empire, which had lost a considerable number of great demons due to their constant losses, decided that it was no longer possible for them to maintain their current vast frontline and withdrew on their own, thus reducing their territory. As a result, Shalyh was able to take a breather. The holy city had evolved from a mere thorn in the Demon Empire¡¯s side to a strategic base that would allow them to conquer the surrounding areas and expand their territory. And it was from then on that the legend began to put down his stones. Installing gates around Shalyh could be interpreted as a declaration of his will to protect this holy city at all costs. Were the gates there to merely protect Shalyh? The answer was no. The meaning of gailsoo was to utilize the territory claimed by taking the opponent¡¯s stone and to expand one¡¯s territory. Or in other words, humanity was going to destroy the Demon Empire and emerge as a new faction with this very holy city, Shalyh, at the center. This was Chi-Hyun¡¯s true intention. If it really turned out as Chi-Hyun intended, saving Liber would no longer be a pipe dream. The foundation would be established so that no one could dismiss it as nonsense. As such, it was possible that Chi-Hyun had hoped the construction of the gates would be seen as nothing but the manifestation of his desire to firmly defend Shalyh, but unfortunately, his wish did not come true. They didn¡¯t know the exact details, but a faction had seen through Chi-Hyun¡¯s intentions before it was too late for them by forming a coalition and raising their swords. ¡°Actually, not long ago, Little Choi secured a bridgehead that led directly to the Demon Empire, right?¡± As Ismile said, although it was done unintentionally, Chi-Woo¡¯s achievements were exactly in line with Chi-Hyun¡¯s plan. It was no wonder that the Demon Empire would be so infuriated and jump at the chance to destroy humanity. The Demon Empire hadn¡¯t brought out twenty great demons for nothing. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why they¡¯re acting like that. From a certain point, things that they weren¡¯t certain of are slowly becoming reality one by one, so it¡¯s understandable that they¡¯re making such a commotion.¡± Silence fell on the office. It was only after they learned the legend¡¯s reasoning that they fully realized the importance of this period of time. If only their enemies hadn¡¯t advanced at this time¡ªno, if only their timing had been delayed a little¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a shame. The gates that were built for a far future have¡­¡± When Apoline, who had finally understood the coalition¡¯s actions, murmured in a tone of regret, Ismile nodded in agreement. ¡°I also think it¡¯s a shame, but what can we do? On the other hand, gates can be rebuilt, and their construction hasn¡¯t been completely meaningless.¡± He made a few dots on the map and then continued, ¡°Looking at the movement of the enemies, it seems like they¡¯ll only come to Shalyh after destroying all the surrounding gates. In fact, if they had marched day and night along the fastest path, the coalition should have arrived near Shalyh by now. There¡¯s a reason why they have been moving slower than expected. That further cemented Ismile¡¯s speculation that their enemies were trying to completely destroy the foundation for humanity¡¯s growth without leaving a single grain. Ismile continued, ¡°Given they¡¯re not trying to surround us, it seems like they¡¯ll easily let us go if we run away, but¡­¡± Whether that was true or not, it was meaningless to contemplate the question. Fighting was an issue, but running away was also an issue; humanity couldn¡¯t guarantee that they¡¯d be able to gain a foothold to exert their influence in such a strategic position like this ever again. ¡°Then are they going to pass through all the gates and take over Shalyh?¡± asked Emmanuel. Ismile immediately replied, ¡°I also thought of that possibility, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea no matter how much I think about it. The place where we¡¯re going to fight the enemy coalition is¡ª¡± Ismile tapped on a point on the map again and said, ¡°Right here.¡± Then everyone¡¯s eyes widened because Ismile wasn¡¯t pointing at Shalyh, but the canyon closest to the city. He asked, ¡°Does anyone know this place? Has anyone been here?¡± Chi-Woo raised his hand because he had participated in the gate construction as training in the past. Ismile was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Oh, really? How was it?¡± ¡°I don''t remember exactly¡­but I remember that the size of the construction was substantial.¡± Chi-Woo had clicked his tongue at the rough terrain then; it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to call it a natural fortress. ¡°That¡¯s right. For your information, that¡¯s the first place the legend has picked for a gate to be constructed, and it¡¯s also the gate that took the longest and most effort to build. He said that even if we don¡¯t build gates in any other places, we must build a gate there.¡± Just by looking at the map, that seemed true because it was a central area that separated Shalyh from the outside. If the coalition passed through there safely, the rest of their route would be a smooth going. Since Shalyh was all wastelands and plains beyond that point, they could advance in a straight line without encountering any obstacles. Thus, the place that Ismile marked was the same as the front door that guarded the front yard of Shalyh. ¡°But why? Of course, the effects of the sanctuary also reach there, but isn¡¯t it still better to fight in Shalyh?¡± Considering that the effects of the sanctuary worked best the closer to the White Horse General¡¯s temple they were, Apoline had a point. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. The sanctuary effects of the White Horse General are certainly powerful, especially against the Demon Empire.¡± Its effectiveness had already been proven in the last defensive war at Shalyh. Moreover, it would also be effective against the Abyss; even though not as much as the Demon Empire, the Abyss members were also born from chaos. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s even worse.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Although the Sernitas have sent strategic weapons that cannot be underestimated, the main axis of the coalition¡¯s powers are made up by the Demon Empire and the Abyss.¡± Ismile spun around and continued, ¡°Will the Demon Empire, which has already tasted utter defeat, be easily beaten by the same tactic again?¡± He looked back at the attendees of the meeting. ¡°There¡¯s also the Abyss. Did they come all the way here with their most elite troops without proper countermeasures?¡± When everyone stayed silent, he asked one more time. ¡°What do you say? Do you really think so?¡± Apoline became mute. This was not a neighborhood gang fight where a bunch of people gathered and beat each other up, and it wasn¡¯t a small local skirmish, either. It was a large-scale war in which countless lives were at risk. Considering that the fate of three or four factions were on the line, the enemies must have prepared their own countermeasures based on information they already had. That should be the case unless they were utter idiots. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve been keeping in mind that we may have to fight without the protection of the sanctuary. If it really comes down to that, fighting at Shalyh would be an extremely bad idea.¡± Everyone nodded instinctively without exception. Shalyh was an open plain. Above all, while it was rebuilt as a military city, it could not be considered 100% suitable for military affairs since there were numerous residents. Therefore, it was a hundred times better to fight at a military camp at the canyon than to fight in the city while surrounded on all sides. Even if a problem arose where they couldn¡¯t rely on the sanctuary effects anymore, they could take advantage of the geographical terrain. In other words, they would at least not have to deal with a situation in which they had to handle their enemy¡¯s all-out effort at once. Of course, they¡¯d have to deal with a constant wave of attacks instead. ¡°Even if they are to pass the other gates, we must not let them go through this one. Otherwise, I believe Shalyh is as good as doomed.¡± Ismile continued in a completely determined tone, ¡°We¡¯ll stop the enemy coalition at the gate in this canyon.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shone as he nodded. The final meeting ended with Ismile¡¯s resolute declaration. And a few days later, when news broke that the majority of the gates had fallen, a considerable number of troops set out from Shalyh and began their march¡ªtowards the last gate. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. * * * Chi-Woo exclaimed after arriving at the gate at the end of the march. First of all, the scenery had remained the same over the days. Even though it wasn¡¯t to the extent of the Jianmen Pass, which might as well be a cliff, the surrounding mountain range was over 100 kilometers long, and there was only one way to enter. The mountains on the left and right were not only long, but its steep elevation and sharp, closely spaced ridges that continued endlessly were reminiscent of an endless staircase; the terrain was extremely rugged to say the least. Their enemies would have to traverse at least dozens of kilometers if they were to go around the terrain. And the last gate protecting this canyon was built with the purpose of blocking the only passage that led up to the mountain. The topography was a sight to behold, but what surprised Chi-Woo the most was the gate. It was bigger than most castles. The wall alone seemed to be several times thicker than an ordinary castle¡¯s walls, and even when he tilted his head far back, he could only barely see the top of the gate. Considering the gate hadn¡¯t been this big when he saw it last time, they must have been gradually reinforcing it over time. Even more surprisingly, the construction was still not finished. It seemed to have resumed recently, as there were signs of activities everywhere. Chi-Woo had wondered where Yeriel was these days, and he realized she had arrived earlier and was working on reinforcement with the buhguhbus. When Chi-Woo saw Yeriel shout at the buhguhbus at the top of her lungs, he also started moving. It was time to raise the wall by even one more level. He immediately jumped into the construction work. When Chi-Woo stepped forward, the rest of Seven Stars followed suit. Then the other heroes and groups also rolled up their sleeves and jumped in. Everyone worked together to reinforce the last gate. Then a messenger arrived during this busy time; it was good news that the League¡¯s reinforcements had arrived. After hearing the situation, the League had come straight to the last gate rather than stopping by Shalyh. However, it was not the main force, but an advance team made up of the fastest members, handpicked by the Last Dragon. The rest of the message stated that the main force was on its way, and the backup force would immediately depart from the Cassiubia Mountain Range as soon as its formation was complete. Since humanity needed as many forces as possible, they welcomed the advance team with open arms. While they felt reassured by the appearance of their allies, however, an unknown sense of anxiety ballooned because it felt as if the war that they had always talked about in words was finally just around the corner. Lying down after another hard day of work, Chi-Woo found it difficult to close his eyes. Unable to sleep, he went outside and looked up at the night sky full of stars. Although he had been conscious of the gazes around him and had put up the front of calmness, he was only human in the end. And he had never experienced a war of this magnitude before. It would be a lie if he said he had not even an inkling of anxiety. ¡®¡­Will we be able to win?¡¯ While looking at the night sky, he suddenly thought of his father and mother. He laughed at himself for thinking about them out of nowhere, but he really did miss his parents. He wanted to see them. However, he was now on Liber. He couldn¡¯t blame anyone for his choices. Chi-Woo went back to bed and forcibly shut his eyes. Finally, the d-day came. A messenger arrived in a hurry at dawn with the news that the coalition, which had already trampled and crushed all the other few remaining gates, would soon reach the last gate. The war was getting really close now. 1. Baduk is the Korean word for the game Go. ? CH 390 Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. Chi-Woo managed to go to sleep, but not long after, he had to open his eyes again. It was because Ru Amuh suddenly woke him up with the news that their enemies were almost here. Chi-Woo hurriedly got up when he heard that the coalition was going to reach the last gate soon. It was already busy outside, and people were running everywhere he looked. Chi-Woo led the Seven Stars members up to the walls and looked over the gate. The Cassiubia League members guarding the walls were already notching arrows onto their bows even though their enemy couldn¡¯t be sighted yet. Veins popped out of the back of their hands as they gripped their bows with full strength. Below the gate, the troops stationed near the entrance were also holding their breath while clutching onto their weapons. Everyone defending the mountain range on the left and right sides of the gate looked incredibly tense as they stared forward. Nobody spoke. It was hard for them to even stand properly. Everyone¡¯s breathing was harsh, and even their skin seemed to sting a bit. Under the silver light of the setting moon, a very deep silence and stillness stretched. Then, suddenly, quiet murmurs could be heard on top of the gate. Starting from members of the Garula tribe, who were known to have superb eyesight and archery skills, a stir erupted and spread. Chi-Woo soon realized what was happening when someone declared tartly, ¡°They are coming.¡± He began to see a dot under the distant light. The faint black dot moved across the horizon and stretched until it began to flow toward them like a giant mass of black river. It came at them with tremendous force like it was going to swallow up the gate whole. Their enemies were finally here. They had broken and burned up all the gates except this one, and they came with the intention to erase everything related to Shalyh. They finally revealed themselves in front of the gate, and black masses of waves continued to flow without signs of stopping. Their troops were made up of very diverse groups. Some creatures didn¡¯t even seem to belong to Liber, such as the Abyss¡¯ eerie monsters who boasted sizes comparable to the giant Gigas tribe. The grotesque processions of monsters marched on, painting quite the spectacle. Yet the Demon Empire and the Abyss weren¡¯t alone. A gigantic shadow enough to encompass the gate cast over them. Everyone¡¯s mouth dropped open with the entrance of the mighty-looking Sky Castle. It was so large and massive that some wondered if it was supposed to be a meteor aiming at crushing the entire gate at once. And while humanity and the Cassiubia League¡¯s attention was stolen away by the Sky Castle, the Demon Empire¡¯s and the Abyss¡¯ troops stopped marching some distance away from the last gate. With this, all the main characters battling for dominance over Liber had gathered in one area. *** The three faction coalition¡ªthe Demon Empire, the Abyss, and the Sernitas all reached the last gate. Usually, as they had always done, they would¡¯ve crushed the gate so that not even its dust remained and headed straight into Shalyh. Yet they couldn¡¯t do that this time because there were troops resolutely holding their ground on top of the gate, as well as troops lining the pathway leading into the mountain ranges hugging the gate on both sides. But of course, they were greatly outnumbered by the coalition army. After stopping the troops, Bael looked up at the last gate standing firmly and pridefully in its spot and said, ¡°It¡¯s tall.¡± Then, she looked at the mountain ranges between which the gate stood and said, ¡°And the terrain is rough.¡± She bared her teeth. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been easy.¡± She said ¡®it wouldn¡¯t have been easy¡¯ instead of ¡®it won¡¯t be easy¡¯. She wasn¡¯t speaking about the present. Originally, it certainly wouldn¡¯t have been an easy battle if the Demon Empire had fought with a similar number of forces as humanity and the Cassiubia League. Fighting in an area under the effects of a holy sanctuary would be like smothering themselves in oil and jumping into a pit of fire. However, that wasn¡¯t the case now. ¡°I like how they got out instead of hiding inside Shalyh, but¡­hm, who knows what they will do?¡± Bael said calmly. There was a reason for Bael¡¯s confidence. With the coalition, their strengths were multiplied, and she could expect other factions to fill up their gaps. In other words¡­ ¡°?¡± Bael suddenly glanced beside her. There was a wavering dark haze. ¡ªHis Majesty¡­ It was a gloomy voice carried by the wind. Bael¡¯s eyes narrowed. This unpleasant current was Huk Cheong-Ram, the top member of the newly reorganized Seven Chasms following the Abyss King. Bael remembered Huk Cheong-Ram¡¯s name not only because he was one of the big names in the Abyss, but also because he was responsible for the extinguishment of at least three or four great demons. ¡ªWants us to go¡­this way¡­as planned¡­secure both sides of the mountain¡­ The Demon Empire¡­sieges the gate¡­ Bael didn¡¯t even look at Huk Cheong-Ram properly and simply nodded to show that she understood. But instead of turning around after getting an answer, Huk Cheong-Ram didn¡¯t back down. ¡ªDo you¡­perhaps¡­ Bael closed her eyes tightly. ¡ªHis Majesty¡­says¡­ ¡°Hey.¡± In the end, she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. ¡°Do you always talk like that?¡± Huk Cheong-Ram flinched. ¡°Can¡¯t you talk more clearly? I know I shouldn¡¯t fault someone for their manner of speech, but even Shersha doesn¡¯t talk like you.¡± Though he had good reason to be offended, Huk Cheong-Ram remained quiet under Bael¡¯s intense glare. Huk Cheong-Ram would¡¯ve laughed at most great demons for daring to act antagonistic toward him, but Bael was an exception. She was a true monster who stood at the top of dozens and dozens of great demons. It seemed tales about her weren¡¯t exaggerations either because Huk Cheong-Ram could feel from her a power equal to that of the Abyss King he served. The destructive force embedded in her bloodlust was simply astonishing. Thus, Huk Cheong-Ram unconsciously fixed his posture and quickly spoke again. ¡ªIf you plan on going up the stage. We¡¯ll wait. He says. ¡®Should¡¯ve done that from the beginning,¡¯ Bael¡¯s face seemed to say, and she snorted. When going to war under an alliance, it was common for leaders of two armies to discuss who would take the central stage. And considering the larger size of Bael¡¯s army and the past humiliation the Demon Empire had suffered, it seemed the Abyss King was telling her that she could take the first action. Perhaps there were great demons who wanted to do that, and it could raise her soldiers¡¯ morale, but Bael wasn¡¯t the type to indulge in such desire, nor was she interested in petty glory. The fact that she had brought an army of this size already proved the Demon Empire¡¯s will. Furthermore, she was planning to prove herself through action rather than talk. But above all, she didn¡¯t like how the Abyss King was acting like he was doing her a favor as her superior. ¡°Tell the Abyss King I¡¯m grateful for the offer, but it¡¯s fine. If his side wants to do it, we will wait.¡± ¡ª¡­It¡¯s fine. Hearing Bael¡¯s cold tone, Huk Cheong-Ram also responded stiffly. ¡°Then that matter is settled. We will move as planned before, so you can return now,¡± Bael said. ¡ªThen¡­ Huk Cheong-Ram was about to say something, but closed his mouth again when Bael turned around and waved her hands at him like she was shooing away a fly. She was telling him to piss off since there was nothing else to settle. Though it was an order filled with disregard, Huk Cheong-Ram had to swallow his anger and leave; and as soon as the black haze disappeared without a trace, Bael let out the sigh she had been holding in. Then, she asked, ¡°How much more time is left?¡± The question came out of nowhere, but an answer immediately came from behind her. ¡°The first round will come to an end this afternoon.¡± Bael nodded. Because dawn hadn¡¯t broken yet, the sky was still dark. There would only be a couple of hours left before the sun shot up to the middle of the sky. It was one way for them to wait here and watch until the right time arrived, but¡­ ¡°But they went so far with their preparations. We should play with them a bit,¡± Bael said and murmured to herself, ¡®Plus, I have something to confirm,¡¯ and glanced around her. ¡°With Naverius in the center, Bune and Balaam will take charge of each side,¡± she gave the orders without hesitation. ¡°Also, tell them this: I will let them take the forefront of what will go down in history as a glorious war.¡± The messengers prostrating before her quickly got up, and when they passed on Bael¡¯s message, the troops in question burst into a loud cheer. Seeing parts of the Demon Empire¡¯s army move, the Abyss also split their army in half and dispatched them. Meanwhile, the single-digit ranking great demons quietly waited. As beings with strong warlike spirits, they usually would¡¯ve been displeased that they couldn¡¯t take the forefront position of battle, but no one did that this time. They simply smiled to themselves. ¡°Everyone, look forward to it.¡± It was the same for Bael. ¡°Before this day is over, you¡¯ll not see even a speck of dust left from that gate over there.¡± She made a meaningful smile and looked up at the tall gate. ¡ªFuck¡­..ing¡­¡­. When Huk Cheong-Ram returned to the Abyss¡¯ side, he heaved. He went to talk to Bael in consideration of her, but got treated poorly. Furthermore, he talked faster than usual and was insulted for it. The more he thought about it, the sadder he felt, and soon, he was sniffing and tearing up. ¡ªBitch¡­¡­. Unlike how he looked, Huk Cheong-Ram had a very fragile heart. *** Though the commotion at the gate stopped momentarily with their enemy¡¯s appearance, murmurings could soon be heard from everywhere. This was because they saw the coalition army dividing and dispatching their troops as soon as they reached the gate, as if they were planning to attack soon. This seemed to showcase their enemy¡¯s fierce fighting spirit and made humanity and the Cassiubia League chew their lips anxiously. Chi-Woo studied the coalition army¡¯s arrangement carefully. Honestly, he had little knowledge about war. He only knew how to go out and fight and was a complete novice in anything regarding war strategy or tactics. He was such a newb that when he heard that they were putting up a defense from the gate, he thought everyone would gather on top of the walls to block the enemy together. Yet that wasn¡¯t what they did. Ismile stationed troops not only on top of the gate, but also below it near the entrance and on both sides where the mountains were. When asked about his reason, Ismile replied that there was nothing more stupid than putting all the troops only at the gate. First of all, even though the mountains were tough terrain, it wasn¡¯t as if there were no byways or gaps. If their enemies really wanted to, they could climb up the mountains on both sides and attack them from three fronts, which would be catastrophic to them. Second, weapons like spears and swords weren¡¯t the only means of attack on Liber. Magic and flying creatures also existed in this world, and they needed to be taken into consideration. Third, they still didn¡¯t know what exactly their enemy had prepared. Ismile especially emphasized the third point. For example, there was the Sky Castle. Compared to the Demon Empire or the Abyss, it was as if the Sernitas had sent their leftovers. Yet there would definitely be something formidable about it¡ªa secret weapon great enough to land a decisive blow in this war. ¡®If the Sky Castle attacks the gate from above or passes over us and heads to Shalyh, Ismile said it would become a difficult fight,¡¯ Chi-Woo recalled what Ismile had told him. Everything Ismile had said seemed to be generally right. It appeared that the Demon Empire was attempting to have the fight at the gate. And seeing the Abyss divide the army in half and move to both sides of the Demon Empire¡¯s army, it seemed they were planning to send their troops to the mountain ranges. And then, there was perhaps the most important force to consider, the Sernitas¡¯ Sky Castle. It remained to be seen whether the Sky Castle would remain in this place and attack the gate with the others, or if it would float higher and head toward Shalyh. It was then the Sky Castle in the air tilted. Then, it gradually and slowly moved. Chi-Woo eyed it anxiously. ¡®What?¡¯ His eyebrows furrowed, and he wasn¡¯t the only one reacting that way. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± Ismile looked a bit taken aback too like he hadn¡¯t expected this turn of events. The Sky Castle was descending to the ground. They weren¡¯t going to fight from the sky, but on the ground. Furthermore, they were trailing behind the Demon Empire¡¯s army, the main body of the coalition army, and the Abyss, which was the wings. The Sernitas were going to fight as the tail of the army. CH 391 Thud! The ground shook as if there was an earthquake. The Sky Castle descended and landed; it was an act that didn¡¯t go along with its name. It was even more surprising that it landed behind the Demon Empire¡¯s and the Abyss¡¯ armies. Ismile couldn¡¯t figure out what the reason was. While everyone¡¯s attention was fixated on it, the Sky Castle activated its program as soon as it finished landing. ¡ªAnalysis complete. ¡ªIdentification of an energy that exerts strong power against evil alignment. ¡ªSearching for the most effective response and solution within available information to ¡®offset¡¯ identified energy. ¡ªSearch Results¡­11. ¡ªRequiring the exercise of influence equivalent to a large-scale unit using the Sky Castle as a catalyst¡­Registering. ¡ªMetamorphosis. As soon as the exchange of thoughts was completed, hundreds of tentacles shot out from the lower half of the Sky Castle. They wriggled like living beings and pierced through the earth, digging deep into the earth endlessly like tree roots and settling themselves firmly below. That was all they did, and no other activities could be observed. ¡®Are they trying to dig a tunnel and not fight in the air?¡¯ Anxious, Ismile felt the change not long after. It wasn¡¯t only him; humanity and the League also began to feel the changes little by little. They felt the spiritual energy flowing throughout the area gradually fade. It was not an illusion. Except for some, the great demons who had looked a bit burdened began to stretch their arms. The movement of the legions, which had seemed heavy, also became more rapid and sharper. That only meant one thing. ¡°The sanctuary has¡­disappeared¡­?¡± someone murmured in a dazed voice. Ismile smacked his lips. Although there was a small stir, they had prepared for this. Since they had anticipated the possibility, they had made plans with the sanctuary¡¯s disappearance as a fixed condition. Ismile had even considered that in the worst case scenario, the territorial effect could be reversed 180 degrees, and they might have to fight with various harmful effects comparable to fighting in an area that the Demon Empire had successfully territorialized. Therefore, if the Sernitas¡¯ influence on this battlefield was merely offsetting the sanctuary effects through the Sky Castle, he would consider it their luck. However, there was no way that would be the case. If the Sernitas¡¯ contribution to the war really ended at this point, and they neither went after Shalyh nor took control of the aerial space, the Demon Empire and the Abyss wouldn¡¯t stand still. Even if they had the justification that they needed to keep the legend, who had invaded their territory, in check, they needed to do more than just nullify the sanctuary¡¯s effects. If not, the other two factions would immediately doubt Sernitas¡¯ intention and show an uncooperative attitude. However, the Demon Empire and Abyss currently had their backs towards the Sernitas; rather than trust, it was probably because of a promise the Sernitas had made to the other factions¡ªthe promise to fulfill their mission in a manner that both factions would be satisfied with. Ismile needed to figure out what this mission was. However, even if he found out, it remained to be seen whether they¡¯d be able to prevent or counter it. Although the Sky Castle had descended to the Earth, they needed to make it past the Demon Empire¡¯s army and the main camp of the Abyss to reach it. ¡®The fact that the Sky Castle landed at the rear means that they¡¯re trying to prevent us from approaching it¡­¡¯ Ismile racked his head as hard as he could, but he didn¡¯t have the leisure to ponder for long because as soon as the sanctuary disappeared, the dynamics of the enemy coalition changed dramatically. ¡°Chargeeeee!¡± As the great demon, Naverius, cried out, the soldiers stormed out in unison. Bune and Balaam also issued the same orders from the left and right wings respectively. The legions led by the three great demons begin to rush toward the gate. Although the sound of the ground shaking was truly overpowering, the troops defending the gate forcibly raised their fighting spirits. The sanctuary effects had disappeared, but the gate in the middle of the natural fortress remained standing. The archers aimed at the enemy soldiers rushing toward them. ¡°Run, run! Destroy! Crush! Burn it all!¡± Bune, who led the left wing, advanced and riled up his soldiers. He was on cloud nine because as Bael said, he would be heralding the beginning of a glorious battle that would go down in history. The morale of his legion soldiers also became a hundred times more charged as the commander¡¯s feelings were directly conveyed to them. Humanity should have just holed up quietly in Shalyh. Although he didn¡¯t know why they suddenly decided to come out, it didn¡¯t matter. The coalition had already destroyed dozens of gates so far, and the result would be the same this time as well. The time had finally come to pay off their past sorrows. ¡®Huh?¡¯ However, this thought began to change little by little as they approached the gate. ¡®What is this?¡¯ After the incessant shouting, Bune shit his mouth for the first time. Although the gate hadn¡¯t looked like much from a distance, it grew bigger and bigger as they approached and was now looking down at him from way high up. It wasn¡¯t just a wall. ¡®It was this tall?¡¯ Bune¡¯s head slowly tilted upwards as he unconsciously slowed down. The exhalation he felt before the war quickly subsided. Now that his head had cooled, Bune was able to see a myriad of bows and arrows aiming down from the edge of the wall, which had been very hard to spot. ¡°Shoot! Pour out as many arrows as you can until your strings break!¡± With their enemy¡¯s cry, countless arrows showered down on them. No, it wasn¡¯t just a shower; it was more accurate to call it a downpour. The arrows struck down like rain, and mournful, shrill screams rang out in the battlefield. Although everyone put on ironclad armors and hurriedly raised their shield, there were way too many arrows. Bune clenched his teeth when he saw soldiers fall under arrows that pierced through the gaps. Although they had run here with great momentum, it felt as if they were suddenly blocked by an iron curtain. Naverius and Balaam were in the same situation as Bune. However, they weren¡¯t going to take the attack without a proper fight. They quickly got into a defensive formation and resumed their advance by lifting the shields diagonally. As soon as they managed to reach the wall, they tried to climb the wall by putting up the ladders they had prepared. However, they couldn¡¯t stop the incredulous laugh from escaping their mouths when they saw that the long ladders they were finally able to place reached only half the wall at best. At this rate, even if they began climbing, they would be left high and dry in the middle. Moreover, the gate was so sturdy that no matter how hard they hit and attacked, it didn¡¯t budge an inch. If nothing changed, they would be skewered by arrows without being able to do anything. And even all that couldn¡¯t have prepared them for what would happen next. Whaaaaa! Troops suddenly appeared from the pathway leading to the mountain ranges. Hybrid beasts that boasted of enormous sizes and swaying lion manes jumped in rows and lunged at the Demon Empire¡¯s soldiers. ¡°Our enemies are dirty demons! Chew on and relish their flesh!¡± The leader of the hybrid beasts commanded loudly, and Bune couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. They were coming out? For real? Bune thought they must be out of their minds. The demons were struggling with the arrows that came down relentlessly like rain. It would be good for them if less arrows were shot in their direction as a result of these beasts¡¯ appearance. Yet Bune¡¯s expectation missed the mark again, and something far out of his imagination happened. Even though the Cassiubia League troops were within their attack range, the arrows didn¡¯t decrease in number at all and continued to madly pour over them. Tatatang! Yet all the arrows bounced off the Cassiubia League¡¯s troop. They neither raised their shields nor took a defensive position. It looked as if the arrows were bouncing off on their own while the Cassiubia League¡¯s troop rushed over; they had something that could immediately deflect the arrows. The demon soldiers tried their best to defend against the League¡¯s troops as they fiercely pierced and pushed from their sides, but in the end, their hands were tied. If they moved to respond even a little bit, rain of arrows would pour over them. But if they stayed unmoving, they would become easy prey for the Cassiubia League. It was then Bune noticed the mysterious steel-colored light flowing around the rampaging League¡¯s soldiers. The steel light moved according to the direction the arrows were coming from and blocked the attacks for them. ¡°W-What¡­!¡± Bune had never seen or heard of armor like this in his lifetime. After all, how could he have? AI Armor was an item invented from a culture that had reached the peak of technological development. And thanks to the AI Armor, the League¡¯s troop could hunt down the demon troop with no concern of friendly fire. Thus, the troop that Bune led began to enter into a great frenzy. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. The Demon Empire¡¯s main force watched this scene intently. Though her forces were falling without being able to put up a proper resistance, Bael remained calm. Instead, she watched the arrows bounce off the league¡¯s members curiously. ¡°What is that? I don¡¯t recall seeing something like that in my lifetime.¡± ¡°It seems to be a divine item of sorts, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°Will a divine item be so common?¡± Bael responded and tilted her head. ¡°So common that they could give it out to an entire unit?¡± She snorted when she didn¡¯t get an answer this time. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. She didn''t know what this invention was exactly, but it was clear that it was a bothersome defensive device. As long as each one was a divine item on the level of a sacred relic, though, she didn¡¯t need to worry about it too hard. Usually, the greater an item¡¯s ability was, the greater burden it would cause the user. Moreover, all it seemed capable of so far was blocking arrows. There were matters more important than this. Seeing the League¡¯s troops run wild, Bael ordered, ¡°Explain the situation.¡± ¡°The Cassiubia League¡¯s lion tribe are taking the lead. With their natural gift in physique and agility, they have taken the leadership role among the hybrid beasts.¡± ¡°How do they compare in the entire League?¡± ¡°They are one of the candidates proposed to fill in the gap caused by the fenrir tribe¡¯s extinction. But the general consensus is that they are still lacking to become one of the top leader tribes.¡± ¡°That certainly¡­seems to be the case. Though they are quite good, they are far lacking compared to those Mad Moon Canines. It would be laughable to even compare them. The fenrirs were truly frightening.¡± Bael described a member of the league as frightening without any embarrassment, and those around her listened calmly. The Demon Empire knew when to recognize the strong, and they knew the fenrir was a tribe that was worthy of respect. After observing the situation curiously for a while, Bael made a hand gesture. ¡°Tell Gremory to go to Bune¡¯s side and combine forces with him.¡± ¡°Should I also pass on a warning to be wary of the archers at the castle walls?¡± ¡°No. She should strike those lion head beasts from the back,¡± Bael ordered. Soon, a great demon spread out her bat wings and flew out from the Demon Empire¡¯s main base. A great herd of bats followed behind her and soon afterward, Gremory¡¯s troop swooped across the battlefield and struck the lion tribe from behind. The lion tribe¡¯s fierce attacks diminished somewhat, while Bune¡¯s troop was allowed a breather. Though things were still hectic, they could at least reorganize their formation and front lines. On the other hand, the lion tribe had to take a step back. Not only were they stuck between enemies on both fronts, each of the bats at their rear was covered in protective armor and was wildly flying about to steal their attention. Furthermore, Bael¡¯s prediction was exact. Though the AI Armor displayed great abilities, it took its user¡¯s energy as fuel to maintain its function. Thus, it tired its user faster and made it disadvantageous for them the longer the fight went on. Though the lion tribe was aware of that, no one backed down. ¡°Everyone endure! Secure this space with all you have!¡± The hybrid beast who seemed to be the chief of the lion tribe yelled while straining his neck. Gremory frowned hearing this shout. ¡®Endure? Secure this space?¡¯ Shouldn¡¯t they be trying to find a way out of this situation? Gremory felt a sense of foreboding and spun around in the air. Then suddenly, her eyes widened. She hadn¡¯t noticed when she was flying low given how much of a mess the battleground was, but at higher altitude, she could now take in the whole battle at one glance. The lion tribe was piercing through and dividing the enemies as if they were making a pathway for someone. Gremory¡¯s eyes followed the pathway and looked up, and when she saw what was at the end of it, her breath hitched. Bune was at the end of the pathway. ¡®No way.¡¯ She quickly looked down in realization and saw a light. When she looked back up unconsciously, she saw that a young man had already reached the other end of the path and was jumping up. ¡°Bune¡­!¡± Gremory instinctively yelled, but it was too late. The young man had an intangible barrier that bounced off all the downpour of arrows and swallowed up all the spears and weapons heading his way; and with it, he was shooting through the air. Bune noticed the man too, and his face filled with disbelief seeing the young man move straight toward him. No matter what the situation was, how could one dare to start a one-on-one battle with a great demon like himself? ¡°This is nothing!¡± Bune shouted and raised his large, spiked mace to swing it. Yet it was then a light extended out of the young man¡¯s hand and took the shape of a club. Light and darkness clashed, and simultaneously, Gremory saw Bune¡¯s giant body burst into tiny pieces. CH 392 A heavy thud. Bune collapsed with only his head and lower body left and fell apart. His whole torso had burst, along with the thick armor he was wearing. Gremory, who had tried to warn Bune belatedly, could only gape. She was so shocked that she was rendered speechless. Bune was not a high-ranking demon, but he was still a great demon; a great demon brought to the expedition led by Bael herself. She had never imagined that he would explode from one shot without even letting out a squeak. However, the most important part was that Gremory¡¯s situation was not much different from Bune¡¯s. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± It was already too late when she flinched. She was about to soar higher in a hurry when her instincts screamed at her to flee, but¡ª [La Bella¡¯s Bible] [La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary] [Executioner] Out of nowhere, a single bolt of lighting struck down from the sky. A shrill scream escaped Gremory¡¯s mouth as the lightning hit the top of her head. Then a white light elongated and shot through the air, swirling around Gremory¡¯s neck like a whip. As soon as she felt the holy energy it emitted burn her flesh burn at mere contact¡ª Crack! With an eerie noise, Gremory¡¯s neck twisted by not 90 degrees, but 180 degrees. It completely cracked, and her head fell after getting separated from the rest of the body. After her instant death, Gremory¡¯s head rolled endlessly onto the ground with her eyes big as saucers. Her end was way too miserable and futile for a moment of carelessness. A truly astounding feat happened not once but twice in a row, and the reality reflected what had happened. The swarm of bats that were relentlessly flying in the air suddenly fell simultaneously. And the same happened to not only Gremory¡¯s legions. One by one, Bune¡¯s soldiers dropped their shields. Their dense formation began to break down and fall into chaos once the main source of their power was suddenly cut off, and the order of the system was greatly disturbed. The two great demons didn¡¯t show the slightest sign of movement, and countless soldiers were left wriggling like bugs. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The lion tribe¡¯s chief witnessed all that unfold and couldn¡¯t suppress his admiration. He had heard that there was a human male who had managed to defeat the Demon Empire every single time without fail. While he¡¯d only ever heard the tales, he now realized that they hadn¡¯t been exaggerated rumors. Rather, he found out that the rumors had been understating the facts. There was no easier prey than an enemy who had no will to fight and no strength to resist. The lion tribe¡¯s chief shouted, ¡°What are you all doing! A feast has been prepared!¡± The lion tribe members responded with a roar and began to rush toward their enemies like fish in the water. It was the same for Chi-Woo. A total of four great demons had been sent out as the vanguards; he had only caught two, so it wasn¡¯t over yet. Chi-Woo quickly scanned the battlefield and kicked the ground as hard as he could toward the army in the middle, where his next prey was. What was the most efficient and quickest way to defeat the corps commanded by a great demon? The answer was simple: deal with the great demon first. A legionnaire was a demonic creature born from a great demon, and they were completely controlled and ruled by the commander of the legion. Therefore, it was only natural that the legionnaires would be unable to exert their power properly without their commander. Although the solution was simple, in reality, taking out the commander first was easier said than done. First of all, it was extremely difficult to attack only the great demon protected by their numerous legionnaires. And even if it was possible, it was almost impossible to turn the situation around quickly because the great demon had considerable power. Thus, it was the most common strategy to deal with the legionnaires to reduce their strength as much as possible before going after the weakened great demon. However, this common strategy was overturned in this battle. Chi-Woo had completely reversed what was deemed common knowledge. By that time, Naverius, who was in charge of the central army, also became aware of the left wing¡¯s situation, and the fact that two great demons had met their ends in a matter of seconds. He also witnessed the legionnaires collapsing like scarecrows after losing their commanders, and one man was crossing the hectic battlefield with complete ease. While watching this scene unfold, Naverius felt an instinctive surge of emotion¡ªfear. As the commander¡¯s feelings were shared with his legion, the soldiers unconsciously turned around one by one and rushed toward their commander to protect him. However, their effort turned out to be futile. The rain of arrows and the desperate resistance Naverius¡¯ legion put up were all in vain because nothing reached Chi-Woo. He made his way past droves of enemies to reach Naverius as easily as taking something out of his pocket. Naverius¡¯ breathing became rough with anxiety and fear. The light, which was getting closer and closer every moment, was reflected more clearly in his field of view. The next moment, Naverius unconsciously extended his arm. He gathered all his strength and concentrated it on one hand. The intense darkness that gathered soon took the shape of an enormous sickle. Naverius clutched the pitch-black sickle and swung it as hard as he could toward the human straight ahead. It was an all-out attack short of betting on his existence, which was the last resort of a great demon. The attack he had spent a lifetime honing succeeded in pushing back the light coming toward him. Naverius¡¯ eyes widened, and he exhaled sharply. Good. From the very moment he managed to counter his opponent¡¯s attack, he realized that he could seize this opportunity. It didn¡¯t matter if it was just for a moment. Since the sickle was so long, he needed only a split second to swing it through the light to cut his opponent. Indeed, Naverius wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªif his sickle¡¯s power had remained intact. Naverius only realized that 80% of his sickle¡¯s power was lost compared to his first swing when his now weakened sickle, which barely maintained its shape, had already reached his opponent. And even that was blocked by a translucent barrier and being broken down. As if he was pouring a cup of water into lava flowing fast like a river, his sickle disappeared without a trace. Immediately after, the revived light flashed diagonally from his vision. He also felt the sensation of something swishing past him. At that very moment, Naverius remembered an official announcement from the General Assembly of the Demon Empire: of an unidentified enemy who was not the legend, but if possible, direct engagement was to be avoided, and those below the 3rd rank was to never confront them. ¡°I remembered¡­it too late¡­.¡± Naverius struggled to say his last words, and his body twisted. The part of his body above his chest slid diagonally and fell to the ground. At the same time, all of his soldiers, who were shouting desperately, came to a sudden halt. That only meant one thing¡ªBune, then Gremory, and finally, Naverius¡ªall three great demons famous for their strength in their own right in the Demon Empire had met their almost instantaneous end at the hand of a single person. However, it wasn¡¯t over. There was still one great demon left. Holding his breath, Chi-Woo raised his head. His eyes let out a brilliant light as he looked forward. * * * Woahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Cheers broke out on top of the gate walls. The shouts of humanity and the League roared throughout the battlefield and deadened all other noise. The Demon Empire army, which had been vigorously rushing toward them, had collapsed without being able to put up a fight. It hadn¡¯t even been long since the war had started. Everyone cheered until their lungs burst and shook their arms wildly at the astounding feat Chi-Woo had brought about. The low morale that had been overwhelmed by the emergence of the coalition was instantly raised. Humanity and the League weren¡¯t the only ones bearing witness to the feat. The Abyss, which hadn¡¯t sent out any forces yet and had been on standby, clearly saw everything unfold as well. Considering the number of forces they had in the coalition, the situation wasn¡¯t disastrous yet, but the Abyss King was taken aback. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± He slowly shook his head while looking at the human who had been running wild since the start of the battle. ¡°Didn¡¯t the reports say that the Sernitas were keeping the legend in check? And that the Last Dragon has yet to arrive?¡± No matter how strained the Demon Empire¡¯s power was currently, there were only a handful of beings on Liber who could so easily defeat three great demons¡ªon their side, there were he and Bael, and on the side of humanity and the League, there were the Last Dragon and the legend. Considering that was the extent of his knowledge, it was only natural that he didn¡¯t know Chi-Hyun had once said that in terms of destructive power against the Demon Empire, Chi-Woo was already superior to him. Therefore, it was understandable that the Abyss King would assume the one running wild on the battlefield had to be Chi-Hyun or the Last Dragon. Considering that it couldn¡¯t be those two, of course, he quickly accepted the reality of the situation. He could now understand a bit why the Sernitas, who had always remained silent, had reached out to them first. ¡°Given how far the Demon Empire has fallen and the fact that we may become like them in the future, the Sernitas plan to get rid of the sprout before it matures.¡± Their opponent probably hadn¡¯t shown this much power from the beginning. However, at some point, the powerful Demon Empire began to be treated as easy prey. There wasn¡¯t any guarantee that in the distant future, the same wouldn¡¯t happen to the Abyss and Sernitas if that unknown human grew further from here on out. ¡°I understand the situation, but even then, losing three great demons is a bit of a waste.¡± The Abyss King smacked his lips and glanced at the Demon Empire¡¯s main camp. In fact, it was a little strange that Bael had made the great demons rush forward recklessly at first. Although it was called a gate, the structure was built in a way that it surpassed most regular-sized castles. Thus, a siege was the most reasonable strategy, but instead, Bael had sent out her forces like one would in an open warfare. Nevertheless, the Abyss King hadn¡¯t said much because he thought, ¡®No way. There¡¯s no way the Demon Empire is that stupid.¡¯ And judging by the atmosphere of their camp, his assumption seemed correct. Despite the defeat of three great demons, the Demon Empire didn¡¯t seem very agitated or affected. Of course, some seemed a bit surprised, but they looked more excited instead, as if they had finally found the treasure they had been long searching for. ¡®They must have a secret plan,¡¯ the Abyss King muttered to himself before calling out, ¡°Huk Cheong-Ram.¡± ¡ªYes, your majesty¡­ ¡°Tell both troops on the sides to get ready. Let¡¯s launch an offensive in line with the Demon Empire¡¯s next move.¡± Huk Cheong-Ram bowed and suddenly disappeared. * * * The Abyss King¡¯s prediction was accurate. The Demon Empire¡¯s camp was quiet, and no one was flustered or shocked. However, it didn¡¯t mean that they were happily smiling. Everyone was attentively looking at one single point with not a single exception. It was the same for Bael. She sharply glared at Chi-Woo with a straight expression and spoke quietly, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± She observed Chi-Woo as he headed to the right side of the Demon Empire¡¯s army and repeated, ¡°It was you.¡± Then she smiled. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s time for you to crawl out. I didn¡¯t just throw one or two, but four baits to catch you,¡± she said while grinding her teeth as if she had expected this development. Then she continued while flicking her index finger. ¡°Tell the Sernitas to set the target coordinates on that human.¡± Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. The messenger turned quickly at her stern command. Bael stroked her chin without taking her eyes off Chi-Woo. ¡°And¡­call the Professor.¡± After a while. ¡°Hahahahaha.¡± A great demon who sounded a bit like a treacherous retainer by the way he was laughing appeared. He was tall, slender, and wore a thick robe. And he looked extremely strange as only the brain area of his head was greatly swollen in a misshapen manner. ¡°Glaysa-Labolas. At your service, Your Excellency.¡± Glaysa-Labolas was ranked 20th after the hierarchy was reorganized. However, unlike the other great demons that prided themselves for their strength, like Shersha, he was one of the great demons that was valued highly for his special ability. Of course, he wasn¡¯t in a league of his own like Shersha was, but his ability was recognized for its special value. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared enough ingredients as you said.¡± By ingredients, Bael was referring to the four great demons¡¯ legions that had charged earlier and become skewers under the countless arrows and were still dying like flies. As a matter of fact, the great demons that Bael sent out first were at the lowest ranks among the Demon Empire. ¡°You¡¯re confident, aren¡¯t you?¡± Bael finally took her eyes off of Chi-Woo and glanced sideways at Glaysa-Labolas. ¡°Hehehehhehe!¡± Glaysa-Labolas laughed out loud at Bael¡¯s questions. ¡°Your Excellency, I don¡¯t know if I should say this, but¡­¡± Then he smiled slightly and moved his eyebrows. ¡°May I dare ask a question?¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m overwhelmed with happiness that you¡¯ve entrusted such an important task to me, I was wondering if I may really capture that gate alone¡­¡± He giggled while glancing from side to side. ¡°I¡¯m a bit worried what the other commanders hungry for war and merits might think¡­¡± Bael snorted at his concerned tone. ¡°Are you still that confident even after seeing what just happened?¡± ¡°Well¡­I did see that, but¡­¡± Glaysa-Labolas tilted his head and shrugged. ¡°Isn¡¯t he just one human in the end?¡± He said confidently with a meaningful smile. Bael snorted again; although she hated false bravado, she didn¡¯t rebuke anyone for showing their confidence¡ªas long as they could keep their word. ¡°Well, fine. Do as you please.¡± ¡°Then¡­!¡± ¡°If you can make good on your words, the greatest merit will obviously go to you, Professor.¡± As soon as he heard this, Glaysa-Labolas finally stopped his creepy laugh. ¡°Your wish is my command.¡± He replied as if he had been waiting to hear this all along and raised his head. His eyes glinted with madness as he stared at the solid gate. * * * At the same time, Chi-Woo was about to head toward Balaam, the last remaining great demon in charge of the left wing. ¡°Wait!¡± But someone grabbed his shoulder in a hurry. CH 393 Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know much about war, and he was completely ignorant about war tactics and strategies. Yet he knew one thing, which was that keeping high morale was very important in a war. Having a high morale meant brimming with determination and confidence, and it was an unstoppable force. All the famed and praised generals in history considered their soldiers¡¯ morale a great priority. Of course, an army¡¯s morale wasn¡¯t everything in a war, but it was one of the most influential factors in determining the victor. When the coalition army first appeared, humanity and the Cassiubia League¡¯s morale had dropped to the gutters. It had already been low before, where nine out of ten people fighting didn¡¯t expect to win. They joined the battle all the same because they couldn¡¯t go down with a fight, but they didn¡¯t have high hopes. These feelings were clearly portrayed through many of the members¡¯ words and actions, and this dread reached their peak at the appearance of the coalition army. People¡¯s morale really hit rock bottom then. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t like the loser mentality many of them had. They had to fight with all they had, but they were already predicting their defeat before the battle started. That would increase their chance of losing, and Chi-Woo wanted to give his comrades strength. He wanted to instill bravery in them and pull them out of their despair. He wanted to show them hope that they could put up a proper fight and win. That was why Chi-Woo had jumped into the battlefield from the beginning of this war. He wanted to crush his enemy¡¯s morale while lifting his allies¡¯. And in the end, he achieved the results he wanted and defeated three great demons in a row. Humanity and the Cassiubia League cheered and celebrated when they witnessed his amazing feat. They began to think differently. Their despair lessened while hope bloomed. Chi-Woo, on the other hand, still felt like something was lacking despite having achieved his goal. He still hungered for more. And like striking the iron while it was hot, he wanted to push the current momentum further. Thus, he was going to get Balaam while he was at it when someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder and told him to wait. Chi-Woo turned around and saw a large hybrid beast with a flowing mane. Given how much larger and sturdier looking his physique was, he appeared to be the lion tribe¡¯s chief. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to let that one go for now,¡± the lion tribe¡¯s chief said. Chi-Woo frowned. It was true that Chi-Woo was planning to go after the remaining enemy. Balaam seemed to have also realized the situation and was pulling his army back quickly. Chi-Woo could still chase after and catch him. ¡°There¡¯s something strange about the Demon Empire¡¯s movements,¡± the lion tribe¡¯s chief explained. ¡°They aren¡¯t showing much response even after suffering such a great blow.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo glanced toward the head of the Demon Empire¡¯s army. ¡°They are way too quiet.¡± Now that the chief of the lion tribe mentioned it, this was certainly the case. It was as if his enemy had expected this to happen, and they looked like guests watching a show play out. The demons from the Demon Empire¡¯s main camp seemed to be looking in his direction. It appeared something big was going to happen, and Chi-Woo had to admit that the lion tribe¡¯s chief was right. On a battlefield, a single judgment could decide one¡¯s survival. Thus, Chi-Woo nodded and turned around. After Chi-Woo and the lion tribe¡¯s chief retreated back to the mountain range again, strange signs began to appear near the gate¡¯s entrance. The first to realize what was happening was a member of the Garula tribe, which made up the archery unit. One garula who had been excitedly shooting their arrow flinched and turned around. ¡°Huh? Why aren¡¯t they disappearing¡­?¡± They said, watching a fallen demon soldier on the ground. Since the great demon that commanded them was extinguished, they should have also disappeared. Yet the soldier¡¯s body remained, which was unusual. It was then the soldiers of the demon legions gradually lost shape and began to scatter into pieces. ¡®Ah, they are disappearing now.¡¯ The garula nodded in relief, but their relief was short-lived. They noticed that demon soldiers who shouldn¡¯t have died yet were turning into ashes as well. Their armor and figure crumbled, and their dust swayed in the air until they became skeletons like an undead. ¡°Are they trying to salvage the survivors?¡± someone murmured. Legions who lost their commander could be taken over by another great demon. That speculation was only half right. Though another entity had taken control of these legions of demons, it wasn¡¯t to take them under their wing. All the demon soldiers who had turned into skeletons began to move. No, it was more accurate to say that they were being dragged away or quickly sucked in. They didn¡¯t walk with their own feet, but were instead swept to a particular place as if an invisible hand was organizing a messy pile of lego pieces. The same happened in a total of three places, specifically the three areas where legions had lost their commanders. The archers watching the scene looked a bit dazed. The skeletons continued to gather in one place. Everywhere legions used to be, demon soldiers turned to skeletons and piled up into a tower. A total of three legions had lost their previous leaders, so the number of skeletons surpassed tens of thousands and combined to create three separate towers. The garulas gradually raised their heads. Considering how tall the gate was, it was unbelievable that they had to look up, but soon the towers of skeletons became high enough to loom over the gate walls. If one only considered their sizes, they were more like mountains rather than towers. And these towers made up of corpses gradually got closer to the gate. They were crawling forward so they were slow, but they had an overwhelming presence with their immense sizes. ¡°S-Shoot! Shoot your fire arrows!¡± The garulas barely managed to regain their senses and pulled their bowstrings. Soon, arrows simultaneously flew across the air and covered the battlefield with a rain of fire. Yet the fire immediately went out after hitting their targets. The arrows had no effect on the towers of corpses, let alone creating a path of fire. What little damage the enemies received was akin to a human getting bitten by a small mosquito. ¡°Fufu. You can¡¯t think of these as any ordinary siege towers,¡± Glasya-Labolas said with a chuckle. ¡°Even if you kill them again and again, the towers of the dead would regenerate ceaselessly. No matter how high the castle walls are, they would have no trouble occupying them!¡± As the great demon said, the towers of the dead resisted the fire arrows and continued to slowly advance until one of them reached the castle walls. When Chi-Woo hurriedly returned to the gate and climbed up, he saw the peak of the tower crumble down and blanket the top of the walls. A great mass of them poured down, and the garulas had to stop shooting to make their retreat. Chi-Woo hurriedly ran. A white ghost-busting club formed in his outstretched hands. The skeletons burst away every time he struck them, but there were way too many of them. It felt as if more skeletons were falling on top of the walls than the ones they were destroying. Furthermore, the biggest problem was that there was not just one of these towers, but three. If they were in a mess when only one tower had reached the walls, what would happen if the other two followed? The gate walls would be taken down in an instant. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t let that be, and he looked up at the towers, thinking he should destroy them before that could happen. Bababam! Explosions suddenly rang out as bombs struck the skeleton tower. ¡°Ha. Cannons!¡± Glasya-Labolas still looked overflowing with ease. ¡°Ha, they think they can bring me down with just that? That tower of the dead is¡­¡± He spoke confidently, yet the black orbs the size of a basketball that had burrowed into the tower of the dead didn¡¯t explode. It was because they weren¡¯t actually explosives. They dove further into the tower as it clacked and opened up. Claclaclaaaang! Chains shot out from the exterior and spread in all directions, piercing through the pile of skeletons and spinning before wrapping around the tower of the dead like one would tie a rope around a watermelon. The chains then tightened and constricted with great force so that gaps gradually formed inside the tower. Not long afterward, parts broke off from the tower, and the base began to shake a bit with painful screeches. What followed was a great spectacle as parts of the tower twisted, overlapped, and finally crumbled down. Chi-Woo gripped his fist hard while Glasya-Labolas gaped. ¡°Stop playing around.¡± And the one who had toppled the tower of the dead, Yeriel Dulia Mariaju, snorted. ¡°You can make all sorts of stupid things, but I will tackle it with my canon ball!¡± she yelled, and the buhguhbus moved at her cry. *** ¡°¡­Remind me again what you said,¡± Bael said, seeing that one of the three towers of the dead had crumbled to pieces. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were worried about igniting jealousy in other army¡¯s commanders if you captured the gate by yourself¡­?¡± Glasya-Labolas was speechless. His face was sour, and he appeared a bit resentful. His tower was broken down by neither arrows nor explosives. It wasn¡¯t even a ballista. Who would¡¯ve imagined that cannonballs shooting out chains would come flying their way? Although Bael reprimanded Glasya-Labolas a little bit, she didn¡¯t push further. It was also her first time seeing a weapon like that. Now, they were certain that their enemies had come fully prepared. They made thorough preparations, and there seemed to be someone capable of making strange and unbelievable weapons among them. Perhaps the person was also behind the mysterious armor. ¡®This could get a bit bothersome,¡¯ Bael murmured to herself and glanced at Glasya-Labolas. ¡°I will give you an opportunity, Professor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can decide to change your answer, or you can correct what you said before.¡± Glasya-Labolas had enough sense to understand what Bael was saying. He knew that Bael was telling him to be satisfied with what he had done so far and back off. The situation was different from before. He and his opponents had simply thrown baits at each other, but now, he really had to push. Of course, Glasya-Labolas still had some tricks up his sleeves, and the tower of the dead was only a little taste of what he was capable of. Seeing his opponent, however, it seemed that it would be difficult for Glasya-Labolas to overtake the gate by himself. Thus, he needed to borrow strength from other forces and progress this plan more efficiently. Glasya-Labolas calculated all that inside his head and bowed. A quick look at "pawread dot com" will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°¡­As you wish, I will follow your order.¡± ¡°As you should,¡± Bael said and heaved slightly. Then, she proceeded to make commands to the troops on standby. A commotion rose in the Demon Empire¡¯s main camp, but soon, the troops in the front separated sideways to make path. The Abyss did the same. ¡°Looks like they are going to finally get serious.¡± The Abyss King jerked his chin with a smirk seeing the change of atmosphere among the Demon Empire¡¯s army. Dawn soon broke, and bright light began to shine on their surroundings. ¡°Go!¡± Bael raised her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to wait till noon! Let¡¯s show them the might of the Demon Empire!¡± Following her order, the three newly deployed legions separated from the main body of the Demon Empire¡¯s army. Heavily armored soldiers stood in the front while troops holding strange siege weapons followed from behind. The Abyss also stopped being bystanders and marched alongside the Demon Empire. Thump¡­thump¡­. The Abyss¡¯ monsters shook the ground with every step and marched toward the mountain range. After a temporary stop, the dark flood of enemies began to move again. Their target was the gate that blocked the pathway leading to Shalyh. Sensing the change of atmosphere in the air, humanity and the Cassiubia League stared at the black waves of enemies coming toward them. In the future, this moment would be known as the most pivotal point throughout Liber¡¯s history: The Great War at the Last Gate. Finally, a full-fledged war broke out. CH 394 Three new armies were dispatched from the Demon Empire. Morax took command at the forefront. Although he wasn¡¯t a great demon of single-digit rank, he led an army that was among the top of the tenth ranks. It wasn¡¯t just Morax¡¯s army. Another legion followed, and yet another soared into the air from the main camp. Then the garulas, who had had to step down from the gate walls due to the assault of the tower of the dead, hurriedly returned to their post. They all inhaled sharply when they saw countless Demon Empire and the Abyss soldiers rush toward them without an end in sight. It was different from the Demon Empire¡¯s first assault, which was made clear enough by the vanguards of the corps. A giant siege tower with a triangular roof came pushing forward; it was a movable tower that easily dwarfed the helepolis, which was known as the strongest siege tower in the ancient world and called the Greek¡¯s land battleship. Moreover, there were other siege carts that were covered by shields on all sides like a jeonhopicha[1]. The legions that followed Morax¡¯s army suddenly stopped their march. They stopped even before reaching the gate, and humanity and Cassiubia League soon found out why. The ballistae brought by the following corps were arranged in a row. Moreover, they weren¡¯t just ordinary ballistae. They were reminiscent of a palintonon from Rome, and each was as big as a field gun. Then when they finished arranging and loading the ballistae, they aimed at the gate and fired all at once. The few priests among humanity and Cassiubia League hurriedly made barriers around the walls. However, the ballistae weren¡¯t meant to simply gun down the archers. Huge bolts the size of iron pillars with a sharp end pierced through the air. There was something tied to the back sides. Crackkkk! The bolts didn¡¯t pierce the top of the wall, but slightly above the middle. ¡®What? Are they trying to create stepping stones with the ballistae?¡¯ The puzzled garulas heard an unidentifiable loud sound with their sensitive ears. There was a loud bang like an explosion. Then they immediately looked down and were hit by a mysterious nasty smell from below that made their noses twitch. ¡°Umph!¡± One of the garulas hurriedly covered his mouth after getting a whiff. ¡°Don¡¯t smell it! It could be poison gas¡­?¡± However, he stopped talking before he could finish because a myriad of shadows were swimming at the bottom of the gate. The garula unconsciously tilted his head and widened his eyes. A legion was flying through the air over the gate. Every one of them dropped what they were holding with both feet when they were right above, and what looked like bombs fell like rain. Soon, the projectiles made contact with the mysterious rising smoke Baaaaaaaaaaaaam! A tremendous explosion enveloped the entire wall. It was so sudden that the majority of the archers died. Those who were supplied with the AI armors barely managed to scrape by, but they weren¡¯t in good condition either. It was truly a terrifying explosion, to the extent that the garulas who weren¡¯t able to receive any protection from a priest were erased without a trace. However, what was even more terrifying was that it had only been the first attack. After the successful assault, the legions immediately began to reload as if they were going to annihilate every single one of their enemies. Meanwhile, Yeriel writhed after getting thrown to the ground by the shockwaves of the explosion. ¡°Those¡­fucking bastards¡­¡± She struggled to raise her head and ground her teeth together while looking beyond the wall, where the disaster had occurred. ¡°What the hell are you doing! Are we just going to get beaten like this?!¡± Shouting angrily, she quickly got up and ordered the soldiers to replace the cannon balls. ¡°Artillery unit! Fire!¡± The cannons fired at her sharp command. ¡°What? Where are they shooting at?¡± While loading the ballistae, the legion soldiers chuckled at the sight of numerous bombs flying over their heads and soaring high above the sky. Then the cannon balls suddenly opened up from top to bottom, and sharp metal blades popped out in all directions. The blades spun around and passed by the legion soldiers before returning like a boomerang. They rotated fiercely as they rapidly dropped toward the enormous ballistae placed behind the legion soldiers. All laughter was erased from their faces. Clankkkkkkkk! The blade boomerangs attacked them in all directions, smashing and crushing more than half of the supersized ballistae. In addition, they swept through the ground and relentlessly ripped and sliced through the legion soldiers. Those who had been hit screamed and scattered left and right. The legions circling in the air to wait for the second wave of attack saw what was happening and tried to pull back for the moment. Search "pawread dot com" for the original. ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡± However, by that time, the cannons had already been reloaded and redirected under Yeriel¡¯s orders. ¡°Fire!¡± She shook her arm as hard as she could. The cannon balls shot up vertically. The rising cannon balls opened up again and shot out a myriad of small but sharp blades in all directions. The legion soldiers in the air fell after getting hit. In the meantime, the walls were fully repaired, and those who had guarded the walls with their lives began to attack as if they were avenging the comrades they had lost to the first wave of enemy assault. Yeriel tried to take a breather after succeeding in dealing a serious blow against the coalition army. Bam! But her body shook at the sudden vibration. ¡°What, what is it now?¡± The answer came from the battering ram as it hit the gate. Morax¡¯s legions had reached the gate. The garulas, who had finally calmed themselves, hurriedly fired arrows at them, but the legion soldiers entered with shield carts at the front and blocked most of the damage. And soon after, the garulas became unable to shoot properly from the top of the walls as the giant siege tower brought by Morax¡¯s legion arrived and settled down, and the two remaining towers of the dead also advanced again and reached the gate. Yeriel¡¯s sarcastic self would say she wanted to die of happiness. It was to the extent that she almost screamed out loud. No matter how many different cannon balls she had made, the amount of artillery they had was limited. However, since there were so many places that she needed to fire at, she couldn¡¯t help but want to die. Meanwhile, the walls were becoming a complete mess. Not only were there skulls falling in heaps from the tower of the dead, but Morax¡¯s soldiers, armed with shield carts, were gathering below the two towers. One by one, they jumped out of the carts and climbed the towers to go up the wall. While the gate was important, the gate¡¯s walls might be captured by their enemies at this rate. As the situation turned for the worst, humanity and the Cassiubia League became more urgent. ¡°Block them! Drop them from the wall!¡± Soldiers from humanity and the Cassiubia League rushed out all at once. At the same time. ¡ªAnalyzing warfare situation¡­ ¡ª¡­Analysis complete. A notification rang in the Sky Castle. ¡ªProbability of capturing the gate¡­97% Followed by another message. ¡ªConfirming the existence of a large number of nutrients¡­ Buffering is imminent¡­ It was an incomprehensible notification. * * * The siege, which had begun around dawn, was going on full swing. The Demon Empire had really sharpened their swords and were determined to win. They attacked without a break as if to demonstrate their intentions to fully destroy every last trace of humanity. Their determination was so strong that even the lives of their own troops were merely used as tools. Whenever humanity and the Cassiubia League were gathered in one place, they did not hesitate to make a shot even if their allies were in the mix. However, what was even more astounding was that even then, their numbers weren¡¯t decreasing. As soon as humanity and the Cassiubia League felt like their enemies were dwindling, Bael would send out new troops. As a result, humanity and the Cassiubia League had to endure and fight nonstop against what seemed like a never-ending number of enemies. It felt like water that never dried out was being poured and poured again into a bottomless well. The battering ram relentlessly hit the gate from below, skeletons constantly poured down from above, and Morax¡¯s legion soldiers in heavy armors were always climbing up the wall. But above all, whenever soldiers from humanity or the Cassiubia League tried to surround them and kick them off the wall, a ballista would shoot out a bolt. As bombs continued to drop from above the rising gas, those defending the gate with their lives at stake were almost losing their sanity. They had feared the worst, but they never imagined that the fight would be this terrible and intense from the very first day. It was to the extent that the members felt like their enemies were just trying to make as many corpses as possible without caring if they were friend or foe. Even if they could give as good as they take, the enemy coalition would be at a significant advantage if it became a numbers game. If they could, they would have requested backup from personnels stationed in the mountain ranges on both sides. However, this was impossible as both groups were also busy blocking the Abyss. They were so occupied with defending against the enemies countlessly pouring out that they couldn¡¯t even find out what their situation was like. They just fought back with the thought and determination that everything would be over if they were pushed back. If the Demon Empire had maintained their initial firepower so far, the gate would have fallen already, but surprisingly, the gate was still holding on. Humanity and the Cassiubia League and the Demon Empire continued to fight without either side giving an inch. The reason why humanity and the Cassiubia League were able to hold out until now was because Chi-Woo had been moving all over the place to cover the whole frontline. Moreover, Yeriel could also be considered the number one contributor in a way. Thanks to her AI armors and the various weapons she had prepared, humanity and the Cassiubia League could avoid getting beaten up one-sidedly. In fact, the enemy¡¯s firepower had been significantly reduced partly due to her continuous efforts to target the Demon Empire¡¯s ballista units and air units. It wasn¡¯t only Yeriel who made significant contributions. Thanks to several other heroes besides her, the gate wall was still holding out. Case in point, Apoline was shooting flames like flowing water from both hands. And Eshnunna, while she couldn¡¯t unleash extreme attacks like that, had made one big accomplishment¡ªshe completely froze one of the towers of the dead. Thanks to her, they got to witness the comedic scene of Morax¡¯s legion soldiers tumbling down from the tower mid-climb. It was the same for Hawa. She wasn¡¯t able to produce outcomes equivalent to magicians, who were known as stars of the battlefield, but she was shooting arrows so relentlessly that her hands burned. While picking off enemy soldiers one by one from the watchtower, she suddenly turned around in surprise. Tap, tap, tap. As soon as she took cover, she heard something hit the wall of the watchtower in quick succession. Hawa clenched her teeth. It was probably shot from the siege tower facing the gate. Enemy soldiers have been shooting at her whenever they had the chance, and it was extremely bothersome. Even though she tried to shoot at them from her side, it was hard to hit them because they shot through a small hole by sticking out only their crossbow. It was then a cry broke out under the watchtower. The roar grew louder and louder and was accompanied by a scream, disrupting her hearing. Hawa looked down, and she scowled when she saw their ally protecting the nearby wall getting pushed back. On the contrary, the number of undead and legionnaires were growing rapidly. Judging by the situation, it seemed that at least one place was going to fall under their enemy¡¯s attack. Hawa turned around, thinking they should first escape. ¡°We have to get out. The enemies below¡­¡± Then she paused and trailed off. The garula archer, who was watching the opposite direction for her, was half leaning against the window and not moving anymore. There was an arrow through their temple. Hawa had seen them shoot arrows without a break just a few minutes ago. ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± She heaved and was about to escape by herself when something unbelievable caught her eyes. She saw a familiar person walking towards her. She couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face because it was covered by a veil, but Hawa believed she had seen her before. ¡®Her name was Al¡ªsomething.¡¯ Hawa blinked a couple of times and soon widened her mouth in realization. ¡®Whatever it was, she¡¯s Ho Lactea.¡¯ Hawa remembered seeing her a couple of times at Seven Stars and thought ¡®What¡¯s with her?¡¯ when she saw Alice casually strolling across the gate¡¯s wall. While a bloody and fierce battle was in full swing, Alice strolled along as if she was on a leisurely walk. When Hawa became suspicious that Alice might have gone crazy for a moment, she noticed a translucent haze swirling around Alice, and her eyes twitched. By that time, the enemy soldiers climbing the wall also discovered Alice and were flocking toward her. However, she continued to walk calmly. Hawa wondered if she should go help Alice or not. And while she warred with herself in her mind, she witnessed something unbelievable. The army soldiers rushing fiercely towards Alice had disappeared. To be more precise, they scattered away as soon as they reached the glow hovering around Alice, as if they were split into nano units in an ultra-precise mincer. Shocked to see their comrades disappear, the enemy soldiers hurriedly withdrew. They were confused for a moment, but soon each raised their hand and threw their weapons as hard as they could at Alice. The ax flew and slammed into a target¡ªnot Alice, but the air around her. It wasn¡¯t just the ax. Knives, spears, arrows, even a ballista bolt and a bomb¡ªeverything directed at her stopped as soon as it was within a certain range, as if time had stopped only around her. Then Alice stopped walking. ¡°¡­¡± She glanced around her, and her hand moved slightly. ¡°!¡± Hawa was shell-shocked. The very moment Alice moved her hand, all the weapons aimed at her changed direction and were ejected at once. The soldiers got hit by their own weapons and let out blood-curdling screams. The same was true for the ballista, and the bomb also reversed direction in the air and exploded. That wasn¡¯t the end of it. Alice turned to the distant siege tower. She stared at it for a moment before pointing at it with her index finger. Then she said, ¡°Re¡­¡± She swirled her finger slowly while she muttered. ¡°Re¡­re¡­re¡­¡± Round and round. She kept turning her fingers in a counterclockwise circle. Then an extraordinary event unfolded. The more she rotated her index finger, the more the siege tower, which stood firm¡ª Shaaaaaaa¡­. Began to fade away from the top. When she turned her index finger ten times and said, ¡°¡­Gress¡±, the siege tower, which boasted of grandeur and an enormous size, disappeared without a trace like a mirage in the desert. Hawa rubbed her eyes several times, staring at the now wide open view beyond the wall in disbelief. The siege tower that had been causing them grief since its appearance had regressed¡ªnot as an artificial object, but to its origin in nature. Of course, the only thing that disappeared was the siege tower. The soldiers hiding inside fell down in heaps and were shocked by the sudden disappearance of the structure protecting them. Hawa gulped after seeing such an unbelievable sight. Although she wasn¡¯t sure what had happened, the woman named Alice or A-something was the one who had brought it about. With only a few steps and some hand gestures, she reclaimed the gate¡¯s walls that were on the verge of getting captured and removed the entire siege tower. Although it was truly an astounding feat, enough to shock anyone senseless, Hawa was able to recollect herself quickly; she had been through something more amazing and ridiculous than what just happened. ¡®¡­Thanks to someone,¡¯ Hawa muttered to herself and settled back into the watchtower. Now that the situation has become like this, there was no reason for her to leave. Therefore, she stuck her head out the window and was about to take aim with her bow. When she looked down, however, she immediately frowned. ¡°¡­Uh?¡± She lowered her bow and furrowed her brows like she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. 1. A type of cart with shields, usually made out of leather, on all sides to enhance the survival rate of soldiers. ? CH 395 Hawa inspected her surroundings from corner to corner. Her eyes looked serious, but also confused by what was happening around her. She seemed a bit astonished as she turned around slowly. There was still a whole cluster of garula corpses hanging from the watchtower walls. Though she hesitated a bit, she approached one corpse and apologized in a solemn voice. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then, she carefully pushed off the corpse. It tumbled over the top arches and fell from the gate. Hawa peeked from beyond the walls and looked below her. Because of how tall the gate was, the corpse was still free falling and hadn¡¯t reached the ground. It soon became small as a dot, but Hawa was an archer. She focused all her energy on her eyes and didn¡¯t take her gaze off the corpse. The corpse continued to drop endlessly until it reached the ground. When she saw what happened, Hawa¡¯s eyes opened wide. She blinked hard in shock and chewed on her lower lip. After standing like a stone statue for a bit, she backed away from the watchtower and hurriedly looked around her as if she was searching for someone. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have a hard time finding who she was looking for. It was because the place where he was standing was more chaotic and spectacular than anywhere else. Lightning fell from a clear sky, and after checking the spot it struck, Hawa quickly passed through the busy battlefield to relay the news before it was too late. *** Since the siege officially began, Chi-Woo had been busily running around on top of the gate walls. Because of the sheer numbers their enemies had, they were attacking from everywhere. He wanted to jump outside and swing his club around as he wished if possible, like he had done in the beginning. Yet he couldn¡¯t do that. It was because humanity and the Cassiubia League needed to hold off their enemies at this last gate to protect the pathway to Shalyh. Furthermore, their enemies were no idiots. This was evident by how the commanders were no longer fighting at the frontlines anymore. Great demons were staying at the back while giving orders and sending out heaps of soldiers. And since the entire coalition army was putting special attention on this area, a moment of recklessness could be the death of him. Thus, he and his allies needed to hold on until reinforcements from the Cassiubia League came. Yet for some reason, Chi-Woo felt anxious. The more urgently he moved, the more he felt he was running out of time. He got a foreboding feeling that if they continued to endure like this, the frontlines that they were barely maintaining would be destroyed in an instant. Considering all his past experiences, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t take his intuition lightly, and he knew there was a reason behind this feeling. He ran around the castle walls to find the reason, but he was too busy blocking the mass number of enemies pouring in to do any investigation. Fortunately, in this unfortunate situation, he still saw signs of progress. Just a second ago, he even saw one part of the top of the wall be swiped clean of enemies. This meant that some of his allies were showing great prowess in this war like he was. For now, Chi-Woo thought their priority was holding on until reinforcements came, and he was about to kick off the floor when he suddenly felt someone clutch his shoulder. Chi-Woo, who had been on high alert, swung his club as soon as he turned around, and he barely managed to stop his swing before hitting his target¡¯s head. Hawa inhaled deeply and sighed in relief when the club stopped before it hit her temple. Chi-Woo and Hawa exchanged looks. ¡°¡­I thought you were an enemy,¡± Chi-Woo said in a slightly hoarse voice after pulling back Armed with the Sixth Element. ¡°Listen to me carefully,¡± Hawa said in an assertive tone. After hearing her brief explanation, Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. He understood that she had discovered a strange phenomenon. ¡°Could you perhaps be mistaken?¡± ¡°Look around you,¡± Hawa quickly said. He did, and a look of surprise soon overtook his face. War was no child¡¯s play, and even in this very instance, people were dying one after the other. Thus, though it might be different for demons who disappeared after their extinguishment, their allies¡¯ corpses should remain scattered around them. Yet there weren¡¯t as many corpses as there should be. Chi-Woo looked around and saw that there were almost none. What happened? Was it because they were taking so many more lives than losing their own? No, certainly not. As someone who had been fighting at the frontlines of this battle since the very beginning, Chi-Woo knew that their situation wasn¡¯t that favorable. ¡®Then¡­. What?¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when something caught his eye. The enemy soldiers who had newly arrived on top of the gate were lifting the dead garulas and throwing them over the walls. ¡®Why are they doing that?¡¯ Chi-Woo naturally wondered. Why would they take care of enemy corpses in the middle of battle? Was it to clean the battlefield? Unless the soldiers were mad drunk, it didn¡¯t make any logical sense. It made Chi-Woo think that there must be another reason behind their actions that humanity and the Cassiubia League did not know about. Chi-Woo ran, almost flew in the direction, and after dealing with the troops there, he looked down from the gate. At that moment, a falling corpse hit the ground and¡ª ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ It didn¡¯t slam into the ground. As soon as the garula corpse landed, it got sucked in from below and disappeared¡ªjust as Hawa told him she had witnessed. Chi-Woo¡¯s face stiffened. For the first time since he started the battle, Chi-Woo forgot about the situation around him. It wasn¡¯t because he was confused, but because something came to his mind as soon as he witnessed this scene. When the Sernitas¡¯ Sky Castle suddenly landed contrary to their expectations, it laid its roots deep into the ground and extended thousands of branches. Because the White Horse General¡¯s protection disappeared, Chi-Woo had thought the roots were only meant to offset the territorialization effect on the land. But what if they had another goal in mind? What if that was simply a distraction to conceal their true intention? For example, it could¡¯ve been a step in their preparation to siege the gate, which was to gather the fallen Cassiubia League and humanity members as nutrients. If someone heard Chi-Woo¡¯s hypothesis, perhaps they would¡¯ve said that his imagination was running too wild and called him a conspiracy theorist, yet Chi-Woo was one of the very few members of humanity who had trespassed into the Sky Castle; there, he had clearly witnessed how the slaves that the Demon Empire handed over to the Sernitas were being used. The Sernitas treated everything besides themselves as a form of information. They simply judged whether or not the information was helpful to their goal or not. Moreover, they only took the best traits of these resources and used the rest as fuel and ingredients through a special process. When the thought came to his mind, Chi-Woo realized his hard work on top of the gate had all been useless. The source of his anxiety didn¡¯t exist here; it all came from the Sky Castle standing at the rear of the Demon Empire¡¯s and the Abyss¡¯ armies. They had basically wasted all their efforts on something meaningless, ignoring the actual root of the problem. ¡®Mr. Ismile was right.¡¯ There was no way the Sky Castle¡¯s role ended with just the erasure of territorialization of the land. They were actively participating in the siege of the gate. He should¡¯ve realized this truth earlier. This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®Perhaps¡­it was their intention to pour mass numbers of the coalition army from the beginning in order to draw humanity and the Cassiubia League¡¯s attention away from the Sky Castle.¡¯ Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t let things be. He needed to destroy the Sky Castle at all costs. But the thought left him at a loss. ¡®How?¡¯ His hands were already occupied with holding down their positions. Even if he somehow managed to venture beyond the gate, he would still need to penetrate through the Demon Empire¡¯s and the Abyss¡¯ main camps. And even if he managed to reach Bael or the Abyss¡¯ King, there was no guarantee that he would reach the Sky Castle. Going through such a large army seemed like an impossible task. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ The more Chi-Woo thought about it, the more lost he felt. ¡®I need to talk to Mr. Ismile first¡­!¡¯ Chi-Woo quickly turned to spread the news, but something gave him pause. He just realized that his surroundings were too quiet. He didn¡¯t hear any clamoring or explosions. Instead, he heard his allies cheering and saw that the enemies swarming toward them were now suddenly backing away. They were receding like water in a drain. His allies must be rejoicing because they thought that their enemies were retreating. Only Chi-Woo didn¡¯t appear happy. If his guesses were right, this was no time to celebrate at all. The fact that the Demon Empire and the Abyss were retreating meant that the Sernitas had secured enough resources for them to carry out their plan. Chi-Woo looked intently at the Sky Castle under the distant light. *** ¡ªCharging finished. An alarm rang from the Sky Castle. The news was relayed to the Demon Empire and the Abyss, and two forces ordered their troops to retreat immediately. ¡°It¡¯s a bit regretful. I thought we would be able to bring them down before the Sernitas does,¡± Bael said pitifully. ¡°It¡¯s commendable how well they resisted until now, but it¡¯s all over,¡± the Abyss¡¯ King said nonchalantly. ¡ªCarrying out prepared project. Drrrrrrrrr! The Sky Castle suddenly began to shake intensely. It felt as if there was an earthquake going on. A giant pillar stretched out from the center of the island, so large and massive that it looked as if it would pierce through the sky. Then, it began to tilt bit by bit like the barrel of a canon. The circular hole at the end of the pillar pointed toward the gate. ¡ªIdentifying coordinate of target¡­ Setting aim to target¡­complete. ¡ªLaunching Particle Beam Weapon. Chi-Woo watched the giant pillar point perfectly toward him. ¡ª1%...7%...15%...23%...30%.... A cluster of light particles began to gather inside the pillar¡¯s giant, black hole-like opening. The ground shook, and even the air around the Sky Castle began to waver. Not long afterward, small masses of energy bloomed from the center of the pillar, and as its opening spun, the light particles got sucked along. Then, the spin grew faster and faster. ¡ª52%... When it was charged past 50%, the cluster of light particles that was about the size of a fist wiggled and moved until it expanded quickly in size. It became so big that it covered the whole front part of the island without any room to spare. And because of the compressed energy it contained, space began to distort around it. Bael looked at the sight in surprise, and even the Abyss King let out a short gasp. Though they were expecting this, they couldn¡¯t hide their surprise because of the massive power they felt from this mass of energy. ¡ª100%. Starting countdown. ¡ª10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­ Chi-Woo, humanity, and the Cassiubia League all stared blankly at the scene. They needed to block this attack at all costs or evade it. Many thoughts passed through their heads, but nobody opened their mouths or began moving. They instinctively felt from their bodies that they couldn¡¯t block this attack, and there would be little point in escaping from it. Thus, there was nothing they could do when the countdown reached 0. ¡ªBlasting Particle Beam Weapon. ¡ªFire. The white clumps of light that had been coloring the sky blew up in an instant. Booooom! A spectacular explosion occurred in front of the Sky Castle as it shot out a single beam of light. The beam ripped through the air and left a long afterimage as it shot upwards. Then, after reaching its highest point, it changed directions. It drew a steep arc like an eagle spotting and accelerating towards its prey¡ªthe one person standing on top of the gate wall. At that moment, Chi-Woo clearly felt what was to come. The AI Armor inside his body sucked out all the exorcism mana it could from him and created a barrier. It managed to block the beam for a very slight moment, but in the end, the beam tore down the AI Armor and pushed through in just a couple of seconds. In that short period, Chi-Woo witnessed the semi-transparent barrier in front of him crack as numerous spider webs spread, and the beam passed through. There was no warning or signal beforehand. As if this was meant to happen, his barrier broke like thin glass, and Chi-Woo gaped seeing the huge mass of energy fall toward his face. He couldn¡¯t block this attack no matter what. It was greater than the all-out attack his brother had launched at him in the distant past. No, he did have one option. Like that time, Chi-Woo was about to follow his instinct, but stopped himself. If he pulled out the mysterious power inside him, everything would be over. He wouldn¡¯t be able to come back this time, and everything would be destroyed. He had a foreboding feeling as he recalled the scene in the future where he stood alone on top of piles of ashes. That brief hesitation determined the result. In that decisive moment when the beam stopped right in front of his eyes, Chi-Woo¡¯s vision became completely white. ¡°No¡ª!¡± Then, with someone¡¯s yell, he felt a strong pull from his belly button. CH 396 When the ray of falling light penetrated the gate in a straight line, the light of the world blinked off and on. ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥! Then with a tremendous roar, a spectacular explosion swept away everything in the area like a nuclear weapon. It wasn¡¯t just the target area. The sight of the entire gate shaking and crumbling down in the aftermath of the shot was astounding to say the least. It was over. Bael and the Abyss King shared the same thought as they saw the gate collapse in one blow. Waves of air currents spread out from the bombing site in the shape of a ring. The light that colored the world changed, and for a moment, it felt as if they were transported to a strange space where no sound could be heard. Time crawled until all the frantic shouts and clamor ceased, and a calm stillness returned. The world also recovered its original color. Hooooooooowl¡­ A desolate gust swept past the wilderness with nothing left. Having been swept away and slammed into the ground, Chi-Woo¡¯s body twitched. He opened his eyes reflexively and spat out the breath he had been holding. ¡®I¡¯m¡­alive¡­?¡¯ This was his first thought as soon as he opened his eyes. His mind went blank, and he was nauseous. It felt like he was going to vomit at any moment. Chi-Woo struggled to raise his body and finally tilted his head back. However, as soon as he looked up, he sank back down. ¡°What¡­¡± He was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t even speak properly. It was empty. There was no other way to describe it. The gate which had stood firm despite the Demon Empire¡¯s waves of offense had been destroyed completely in an instant. Of course, there were still some parts left, but it was safe to say that almost all of the structure had disappeared. The colossal walls were nowhere to be found, and only a few cracked pieces remained. It could hardly be called a fence, let alone a gate. It felt like he was looking at an ancient site built thousands of years ago that hadn¡¯t been properly managed. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a hollow laugh. ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­¡± Then a question suddenly popped into his head. The beam shot by the Sky Castle had been aiming at him; he should have died for sure after being directly hit by this level of destructive power. However, he was still alive¡ªeven more so, he was in a relatively normal condition. What happened? On second thought, Chi-Woo thought he had heard a familiar cry at the last moment. Without thinking, he looked around. Soon, his eyes widened when they landed on a familiar face among the countless people and beings scattered everywhere. The woman lying prone on the ground in a slightly deformed form was none other than Alice Ho Lactea. ¡°Alice¡­¡± Chi-Woo hurried towards her, but stopped after taking a few steps. From her right shoulder to her right thigh¡ªhalf of her body was completely gone. It looked as if an ice cream scoop had been carved into her. However, surprisingly, there was no bright, red blood coming out of her body. What flowed out of her instead was a white light that seemed to be divinity in liquid form. Chi-Woo felt it intuitively that it had been her. She was the one who had cried out to him at the last moment. He didn¡¯t know exactly how she did it, but Alice had risked her life to save him. Chi-Woo staggered towards her with his mouth wide open. With Alice at his feet, his legs gave out, and he fell on his knees. Surprisingly, Alice wasn¡¯t dead yet. She was gasping and breathing hard. Her veil had been torn in half, and Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes met with the one eye that was revealed. Her eye, which had originally been like a calm, still lake, was blurry. ¡°Al¡­Alic¡­¡± When Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t even bear to say her name, Alice slightly opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s¡­all¡­right¡­¡± Her voice sounded strained as if it was going to disappear at any moment, ¡°Fortunately¡­there¡¯s¡­still¡­one¡­left¡­so¡­nuna¡­will be all..rig¡­.ht¡­¡± She spoke in pauses and then groaned in pain. ¡°But more¡­import¡­antly¡­the gat¡­e¡­¡± Even while groaning, she moved her remaining arm and desperately tried to lift it. Chi-Woo put his ear close to her because he heard her mumbling something. After hearing ¡°arm¡­¡± in a quiet voice, Chi-Woo carefully raised her arm. Alice, who barely managed to extend her index finger, moved it in a circle. ¡°Re¡­¡± She spoke with a barely audible voice. ¡°Re¡­re¡­re¡­re¡­re¡­¡± Chi-Woo blinked at Alice as she twirled her index finger and repeated herself. He had lifted her arm at her request, but couldn¡¯t understand her following actions. Then a huge shadow began to cast around Chi-Woo while he was on his knees. When he lifted his chin instinctively, his eyes widened in complete shock. Where the pieces of bricks too embarrassing to even be called a fence had been, the gate returned to its original glory and was in the process of being rebuilt. It was being quickly rebuilt from the bottom. ¡°¡­Gress.¡± As soon as she finished, the last gate, which had disappeared, reappeared in its original state. The Demon Empire and the Abyss clearly witnessed this ridiculous sight, including Bael, who was about to shout an order for the entire army to advance, and the Abyss King, who was going to seize this opportunity to take the next step and end the war. Everyone faltered and stared at the bizarre phenomenon that went beyond imagination. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Bael¡¯s calm tone cracked and showed a slight irritation. ¡°This is¡­beyond my expectations.¡± The Abyss King also rubbed his chin and smacked his lips. They had thought they could finish everything before night fell. By afternoon, they would definitely get through this post with the Sky Castle¡¯s power; a gate of this level could be blasted in one shot by the Sernitas who had been constantly charging their power on their way here. Their thoughts really did come true, but they had not predicted this unexpected variable. The Abyss and Demon Empire had purposely driven the war into a numbers game to provide as many nutrients as possible, and they even accelerated the time it would take the Sernitas to complete charging their particle beam. However, with this turn of events, everything they had done to this point was rendered meaningless. Thanks to Alice¡¯s ability, the enemy coalition¡¯s first ploy returned to square one. They needed to start all over again. As for the Sernitas¡­ ¨CConfirming new energy generation. ¨CSpeculating information in the space-time retrograde category. ¨CWishing to collect more relevant specimens to obtain more detailed and accurate analysis. The Sernitas were discussing among themselves the phenomenon that had just occurred. They had been beaten once since they weren¡¯t aware that their enemy possessed such an ability, but now they could speculate what type of ability it was and prepare for it. The Sernitas were not a group that could be beaten in the same way more than once with the immeasurable amount of information that they¡¯d collected throughout the universe. ¨CDeactivating Light Particle Beam. ¨CPerforming a new charging operation. ¨C0%¡­ * * * The siege continued afterward as the Demon Empire and Abyss, which had briefly withdrawn, soon rushed out. Humanity and the Cassiubia League had lost their senses facing the Sky Castle¡¯s destructive power, but under Ismile¡¯s command, they reorganized and returned to the heat of battle. Everything proceeded in the same way as before. Their enemies continued to attack like flowing water, and the defending side had to block and hold out until the sun in the middle of the sky began to wither and fall. In the end, the offensive finally came to a halt when dusk fell. Besides everything that had happened, it could be said that they had accomplished their goal and endured well since their last gate hadn¡¯t fallen. However, no one among the humanity and Cassiubia League was laughing. It felt like they¡¯d been fighting for about ten days, but it¡¯d only been a day; that was how fierce the battle had been. While the enemies were stepping back for the moment, humanity and the Cassiubia League began to recover by cooking food, getting some sleep, and treating injuries. Groans and moans could be heard everywhere. The atmosphere was grave. The morale that Chi-Woo had worked hard to lift crashed to the bottom once again. If the Sky Castle hadn¡¯t made the attack in the middle of the battle, the atmosphere in the camp would¡¯ve been somewhat alright. However, everyone became speechless after witnessing the enormous power displayed by the Sky Castle. Although they had managed to get through the hurdle thanks to Alice¡¯s sacrifice, would they be able to prevent the same attack next time? Even if one was to ask 100 random people the question, all 100 of them would give a skeptical answer. It was the same for Chi-Woo, but he forced himself to not show it. It was late at night. Given he had fought the hardest today, Chi-Woo should be resting even a little, but instead, he was pacing around the temporary barracks. Waiting anxiously, Chi-Woo rushed over as soon as Ismile came out of the barracks. ¡°Mr. Ismile!¡± Walking out with a slightly fatigued expression, Ismile looked back at Chi-Woo. ¡°What?¡± ¡°How is Ms. Alice¡­¡± Ismile let out a long sigh at Chi-Woo¡¯s worried question. ¡°Ah¡­don¡¯t worry about her too much. Although I can¡¯t say it¡¯s going smoothly, she¡¯s recovering little by little.¡± ¡°Is it true that it¡¯s not life-threatening?¡± When Chi-Woo asked again, Ismile looked surprised. ¡°What? You don¡¯t know anything?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Ho Lactea is your mother¡¯s family. If you think about it, you¡¯re also¡­¡± Seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s bewildered reaction, Ismile stopped talking and realized his mistake. He stared at Chi-Woo with incredulous eyes. ¡°No, seriously? For real?¡± When Chi-Woo continued to blink silently, Ismile smacked his forehead with his hand so hard that it made a loud slapping sound. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ah, shit! I should really control this blabbering mouth of mine. I didn¡¯t tell you on purpose, okay? Is Big Choi going to kill me if he finds out later? No, if the Sernitas kills Big Choi for me¡­¡± Ismile murmured and shook violently for a while before his shoulders drooped. Soon after, he continued in a defeated tone, ¡°Ho Lacteas are descendants of a god.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that but¡­¡± ¡°Those who have a god¡¯s blood flowing in them don¡¯t die easily because they¡¯re born with an immortal destiny.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Of course, they¡¯re distant descendants, and in the case of Alice, she¡¯s not descended from a direct line.¡± Ismile shrugged and continued, ¡°Anyway, as a result of the founder of the family passing through 12 trials, the Ho Lacteas are born with as many as 12 lives. Well, I think she used up most of them today though.¡± Although Chi-Woo was hearing this for the first time, he thought he could now understand at least one part of what Alice told him. When she said it was okay because she still had one left, she meant the number of lives she had. ¡°Anyway, I heard that Alice has quite a high concentration of godly blood among those not in the direct line. Of course, it¡¯s incomparable to Elrich, but she wouldn¡¯t die as long as she has a life left.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. Although he had a hard time understanding some parts of Ismile¡¯s words, it was fortunate that Alice was not going to die. However, his discomfort did not completely disappear because Ismile didn¡¯t say that she would be getting up and moving anytime soon. It seemed like she had received a fatal injury and would take a while to recover. ¡°More importantly¡­¡± Ismile changed the subject as if this wasn¡¯t an important matter and continued, ¡°With this, they made their plan clear.¡± Chi-Woo could guess what he was going to say. ¡°The Sky Castle wasn¡¯t just there to remove the sanctuary¡¯s effects.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Sernitas planned to build their territory on the ground from the beginning to prepare for the attack we saw earlier.¡± The Sernitas sucked up only the dead. It was difficult to tell if they were unable to use living creatures as of yet, but it was clear that under the current circumstances, they needed to go through a certain process and fulfill specific conditions to make this special attack. Killing living beings was probably one part of the process. ¡°It¡¯s a checkmate,¡± Ismile said clearly. ¡°We have no choice but to fight since the enemies are gathered here. But the more we fight, the stronger we¡¯re making our enemies.¡± Chi-Woo nodded silently. He wanted to say something, but there was nothing to say. It was a ridiculously difficult dilemma. The more they fought, the more powerful their enemy¡¯s weapon became. On the other hand, they had no choice but to continue fighting. In the end, he clutched his head and muttered, ¡°If it were Chi-Hyun¡­¡± He knew he was being weak, but he couldn¡¯t help but think what his brother would have done if he were here. ¡°Even he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything about that attack¡ªno, if it were him, he would have destroyed the Sky Castle before it could make the shot,¡± Ismile said flatly and closed his mouth. Judging by his long silence, it didn¡¯t seem like he had a concrete plan to deal with this situation either. He sighed for a long time, scratched his head, and finally opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s first¡­¡± We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. Bam! Before Ismile could even finish talking, the sound of explosion rang from above the wall, followed by loud battle cries. Both Ismile¡¯s and Chi-Woo¡¯s expressions turned sour. Their enemies had attacked again. ¡°¡­Damn it,¡± Ismile cursed and turned around right away. Chi-Woo was about to quickly follow him, but was stopped. ¡°Choi Chi-Woo.¡± Chi-Woo was a bit surprised because it was the very first time Ismile called him by his name properly. ¡°Find a way,¡± Ismile continued with his back to Chi-Woo. ¡°Find a solution at all costs. Do something about the Sky Castle, or if you can¡¯t, find a way to prevent its next attack.¡± Chi-Woo wanted to retort, ¡®What the hell do you want me to do?¡¯ But he swallowed the words because he was the one who had said he wanted to fight this battle. ¡°That shot will definitely come again.¡± Chi-Woo shared the same opinion as Ismile. It was obvious by how their enemies continued to attack without rest. The shot that blew the whole gate would come again soon. Until then, they needed to devise an effective solution to counter it. ¡°Keep this in mind. If you can¡¯t come up with a solution until I see a harbinger of the next attack¡­I¡¯ll order everyone to retreat without hesitation.¡± With these last words, Ismile hurried to the gate. Left alone, Chi-Woo closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists. ¡°¡­¡± CH 397 After almost blowing away the last gate and even Chi-Woo, the Sernitas¡¯ first attack resulted in nothing in the end. However, the enemy coalition remained unfazed. Though they hadn¡¯t expected humanity and the Cassiubia League to counter the first attack, their current situation hadn¡¯t changed significantly. Humanity and the Cassiubia League had managed to block only one single large blow, but it had minimal impact on the battlefield. It was because humanity and the Cassiubia League didn¡¯t have more strength to do anything beyond that. Nothing changed besides the fact that their enemy¡¯s lifeline was extended by a tiny little bit. Even if humanity planned to respond to the second attack with the same method, it would be fine for the coalition. The Sernitas might fall for a trick once, but never twice. They would analyze what had gone wrong with the first attack and make appropriate adjustments when launching the second attack. Knowing this trait about the Sernitas better than anybody else, the Demon Empire and the Abyss remained unconcerned. They continued to do what they¡¯d been doing. The main camps only sent out their reserve forces with the great demons staying in the back and their legions making the charge. They planned to cut down their enemy¡¯s numbers as much as possible while helping the Sernitas charge their energy for the second attack as fast as possible. Perhaps the method was causing greater losses to the coalition, but Bael and the Abyss King were unbothered. The power gap between them and their enemies was so big that they could easily overlook their terrible exchange rate. But this made the situation all the more frustrating for humanity and the Cassiubia League. They were able to take a breather thanks to Alice¡¯s great sacrifice and skills, but the only thing they gained was a momentary reprieve. How much more time did they have left before the Sky Castle¡¯s next attack? They wondered. Seven days? Ten days? They didn¡¯t know exactly, but they needed to take some precautions during this grace period. Yet they were stumped. Even though they knew the method to tackle the problem, they didn¡¯t know how to carry it out. The answer was simple, really¡ªto destroy the Sky Castle. However, the reality of the situation was that they were too occupied with the enemies swarming toward them to focus on anything else. They were holding on thanks to the heroes who had made progress in Shalyh and the spectacular feats they were now demonstrating, yet there was a limit to their power. Since the start of the war, the coalition army had been pouring in their soldiers relentlessly and chipping away at humanity and the Cassiubia League¡¯s strength day by day. And every time the day brightened, humanity and the League¡¯s already limited numbers looked noticeably smaller than before. Though reinforcements from the Cassiubia League were coming in, that provided them little comfort. As long as the Sky Castle remained standing, it was hard to expect a significant change in the situation even if reinforcements came. Furthermore, that wasn¡¯t their only concern. ¡°Shit!¡± On the second day, Yeriel finally let out a frustrated scream. She had made brilliant achievements even though it had only been two days. Whenever the Demon Empire tried to siege the gate, she focused her attacks on Glasya-Labolas so that he couldn¡¯t properly showcase his powers, and she crushed many large-scale attacks such as the tower of the dead, the giant ballista, and more. And with the numerous bullets she shot, she couldn¡¯t even count the number of siege troops she had crushed with both hands. If it hadn¡¯t been for Yeriel, humanity and the League would¡¯ve suffered several times more damage. While all that was true, however, she had still only managed to push away the enemies for some time until they came back again. For instance, she would crush enemy soldiers on top of the siege tower, only for them to come back fully recovered, and the tower of the dead that started with three had expanded to six in a short matter of time. That was simply the result of killing enemies day and night nonstop. It was simply baffling. Their allies¡¯ deaths were becoming nutrients for the Sky Castle, while their enemy¡¯s deaths were becoming the foundation for the tower of the dead. Meanwhile, their side was running low on soldiers and resources. It was as Ismile said. While they could put up a fight, there were so many problems for them to consider when fighting. It was a perfect checkmate. ¡°They really go all fucking out!¡± Yeriel shouted in exasperation, and the problems they had been expecting began to surface. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Shrill screams and explosions rang from everywhere when one voice pierced through. It belonged to Apoline, who had been shooting fire balls at her enemies senselessly until now. She staggered backward and stumbled to the ground, pressing her hand into her shoulder instinctively and realizing that her hand was coated thickly with blood. She didn¡¯t know where the attack had come from, but there was an arrow deep in her shoulder joint. Apoline grimaced in pain. The AI Armor should¡¯ve¡­ah. It was then she realized that her mana had depleted to the point that the AI Armor no longer activated. As someone who was born with an abnormally high amount of mana, this situation was new to her. Yet it was understandable considering how relentlessly she had been shooting down their enemies with mana. And if Apoline was in such a situation, it was apparent what was happening in other places. An AI Armor was nothing but baggage without mana to support it. There were even some who took off their AI Armor before resuming fighting since they no longer had mana to use it. Then, the third day of war passed, and the fourth day came. Humanity and the Cassiubia League were becoming weaker and weaker, and a heavy foreboding feeling of defeat began to weigh them down at the last gate. *** As the moon rose when the sun set, the night visited them again like any other day. Chi-Woo lowered his head while leaning against the castle walls. He was resting in the short period when his enemy had slightly backed off. The coalition army had been pouring in without rest the last two days, and Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t eat or sleep a wink. But rather than taking a nap, he stood in the spot wide awake, looking at the floor smeared with spots of red and black through his half-lidded eyes. He wanted to sleep for even ten minutes, but he couldn¡¯t. It was because of what Ismile had told him to do some time ago, which was to find a way to take care of the Sky Castle. His head was in a mess thinking about it. He even agonized over the problem while fighting, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t think of a viable method. He thought he had one thing to fall back to: Asha¡ªwho used to be Steam Bun¡ªand their Deterrence ability. He thought if he used this ability, perhaps he could do something with the Sky Castle. Thus, he asked them hopefully, wishing for a miracle, but Asha¡¯s response doused his hope. Asha simply shook their head as if nothing could be done. Chi-Woo had nowhere enough Blessed Luck to overturn the situation. Chi-Woo¡¯s heart sank, but he couldn¡¯t deny that he had known the answer all along. During his time on Liber, Chi-Woo had gone to the past and to the future and gotten his hands on powers like the World¡¯s Milestone, the Power to Rule the World, Deterrence, and so on. And all those helped turn the impossible possible and brought about unbelievable changes. Nevertheless, even those powers weren¡¯t omnipotent. That was what Chi-Woo realized after rolling the die a couple of times, and his realization was supported by all the incidents that had happened until now. When he rolled a failing number with the World¡¯s Milestone, an event that directly influenced the present occurred. On the contrary, when he rolled a successful number, very few events that directly influenced the present occurred. It wasn¡¯t like there was none, but most were limited to the individual and their decisions, and they only indirectly influenced the situation so that things became a bit more favorable to the user. Like how The Power to Rule the World could only affect an individual at a time, Deterrence was the same. In other words, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t surpass the laws in place on Liber. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess why. He knew this before he even arrived here that the World¡¯s will had a very faint presence on Liber right now. Thus, the influence that he could have on the Liber¡¯s flow was also small. Of course, there were probably other reasons at play too, since there would be no reason for heroes to exist if one could simply wish, ¡®Please destroy the Sky Castle,¡¯ and it happened. Yes, there was nothing he could do about something that couldn¡¯t be changed. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡°Haaa¡­¡± Chi-Woo let out a deep sigh. He was wondering what he should do from now on when he heard someone approach and sit beside him. Chi-Woo glanced to his side with his head arched and saw a flutter of long silver hair. It was Hawa. She was still alive. Now that he thought about it, Chi-Woo realized that he hadn¡¯t even checked up on the well-being of his group. Chi-Woo made a bitter smile in realization and saw a water bottle pushed into his narrow vision. It seemed Hawa was telling to at least drink water since he couldn¡¯t eat properly. Though Chi-Woo was thankful for this gesture, he didn¡¯t move. He simply pretended to sleep with his head lowered. He didn¡¯t want to do anything right now. Some more minutes passed just like that. But instead of getting embarrassed and taking back the water bottle, Hawa showed no intention of moving her hand. Thus, in the end, Chi-Woo said, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping.¡± ¡°Stop joking around.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I just heard you sigh,¡± Hawa said coldly, and Chi-Woo forcefully took the water bottle. He craned his head backward and drank the water sip by sip. All the while, he could sense Hawa¡¯s strong gaze on him. Hawa looked at him like he was so pathetic she couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°¡­Ms. Hawa,¡± Chi-Woo took his mouth off the water bottle and said in a weak voice. ¡°Please tell me the way to deal with the Sky Castle.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know things like that,¡± Hawa answered his pleading with an obvious response. ¡°We¡¯ll all die if we don¡¯t solve the problem.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we will.¡± After a pause, Chi-Woo asked, ¡°¡­Will we be able to win?¡± Unlike him, Hawa replied without any hesitation, ¡°No.¡± It was short and clear without any feelings. Chi-Woo laughed soundlessly. He should¡¯ve expected her answer. There was no point to his question. And after letting out empty laughter, he suddenly became curious about what Hawa thought of him right now. There was really no need to ask her since the answer for this question seemed obvious too. She would naturally be disappointed. Chi-Woo had led everyone to the battlefield and encouraged them to fight only to show how incapable he was. But foremost, Chi-Woo was disappointed in himself. He thought he had firmly resolved himself, but now that he was really in the thick of things, he couldn¡¯t bear it and was only looking for his brother. It was no surprise that Hawa would think he was pathetic. Like this, in the end¡ª ¡°¡­Ms. Hawa¡­¡± Chi-Woo said in a resigned tone, ¡°Do you want to live?¡± He didn¡¯t hear an immediate answer this time. With her sharp senses, Hawa realized the underlying intentions behind Chi-Woo¡¯s question; he was thinking about giving up and retreating. ¡°Not really,¡± Hawa replied. ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡± Her response was quite unexpected. And she continued to ask an equally unexpected question. ¡°Do you know when the happiest moment in my life was?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head in confusion, but craned his ears to listen to her. ¡°It¡¯s when I became La Hawa.¡± In other words, it was when she freed herself from under Shahnaz¡¯s shadows. ¡°I was sick of living in obedience where somebody else gave meaning to my life. I didn¡¯t want to continue leading a life like that.¡± Chi-Woo was no fool, and he soon realized what she was saying. Thus, he asked, ¡°Does it even matter? If the result is the same, who cares what we do now?¡± In short, if they were all going to die in the end whether they continued to fight or escape, wouldn¡¯t it be better to lengthen their life for a bit and taste a dose of fake hope for a moment? ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Hawa disagreed. ¡°If we retreat now, we will be accepting death in exchange for a short postponement. Then we¡¯ll die by our enemies¡¯ decision.¡± In other words, they would be doing what their enemies wanted. ¡°But if we continue to fight here, we will be rejecting our enemies¡¯ conditions and showing our enduring will to fight them.¡± Hawa said in a clear, flat, and low voice, ¡°Thus, if you ask me to choose a side, I will choose to stay in this place. That way, I won¡¯t be playing into my enemy¡¯s hands and instead be acting on my own decision.¡± There was no sanctuary to run to. If they ran away from Shalyh right now, they would all die in the end. Not long after that, humanity and the Cassiubia League would be hunted down and cornered until meeting their end on Liber. Considering that, it was better for them to choose to die here. Even if they died futilely, Hawa thought there would be more meaning and purpose to that. ¡°Of course¡­¡± Then, Hawa looked up at the night sky and turned back to Chi-Woo. ¡°It would be better if we didn¡¯t die and continued to live.¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard and looked slightly dazed. He didn¡¯t know since when, but the mess in his head had cleared up somewhat. The boiling whirl of emotions in his heart seemed to settle then. He didn¡¯t know what had suddenly happened. Hawa never gave him any words of encouragement, telling him he could do it or so on. She had simply spoken what was in her heart, but strangely, he felt comforted by her words. ¡®I see, so this is what Hawa thinks.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s head gradually rose. Then, he asked in a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°If we survive here¡­what do you want to do, Ms. Hawa?¡± ¡°Who knows? There¡¯s nothing I want to do in this instance.¡± Hawa shrugged. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing I want to do at least once before I die.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If we both survive in this war¡­¡± Hawa hesitated for a moment and smirked. ¡°Can you fulfill one request of mine?¡± A request? Chi-Woo stared intently at Hawa for some time. She was smiling. Even in such a despairing time in war, she knew how to smile. It was the smile he saw from time to time while they lived together in the cave. After staring for some time, Chi-Woo felt his throat become dry, and so he put the water bottle to his mouth. He didn¡¯t drink sip by sip like last time, but downed the whole bottle at once. Cool liquid poured down his dry throat and moistened it. It felt as if the fury of emotions he had been feeling was cooling, and Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth no longer felt dry. Then, he said, ¡°No.¡± Hawa looked a bit taken aback. It had seemed like Chi-Woo would grant her request considering the atmosphere. ¡°How can I just make promises without knowing what it¡¯s about? I¡¯m not saying I would never grant your request, but if I must, I want you to grant mine too. That¡¯ll be only fair.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the request?¡± ¡°Are you going to grant it if I tell you now?¡± ¡°No, we haven¡¯t even won the war yet.¡± ¡°Then, why don¡¯t I receive the payment in advance, and you grant my request first? Like right now?¡± ¡°What kind of thing are you planning to ask me¡ª¡± Hawa stopped. She recalled the silly phrases he used to make her say after losing their bets and was about to tell him to piss off. ¡°Pray,¡± Chi-Woo said while getting up. ¡°What¡­suddenly?¡± Hawa looked up with a slightly surprised expression. ¡°Yes, pray while looking at me, and very sincerely too.¡± Hawa eyed Chi-Woo suspiciously, but she did consider his request. It was easy enough to fulfill, and moreover, there was suddenly something different about Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Hawa got swept by the flow of things and fixed her posture. Then, she kneeled, gathered her hands together, and bowed. Chi-Woo stretched his neck by moving his head in one big circle and looked satisfied. In addition to his physical state, Chi-Woo felt his broken-down mentality creep back upwards. It wasn¡¯t as if he had done nothing. He had done everything in his ability for this very moment, so he needed to have faith, at least for the World, who was probably watching this war eagerly. He had endured and gone through so much to reach this point. Chi-Woo inhaled deeply. It was fine if it was nothing grand or something menial as long as he could reach his goal. If only the situation could change a little bit for the better¡­! Chi-Woo placed his hand inside his pocket. ¡°What!¡± Hawa flinched in the middle of praying when Chi-Woo screamed. All she had heard was a small stone piece rolling on the ground. What had made him scream so hard? Chi-Woo soon calmed down, and Hawa felt her vein pop in her forehead. She wondered how long she had to wait for Chi-Woo to finish what he was doing. She opened her eyes when she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. ¡°With this¡­¡± Chi-Woo was saying. He no longer looked pathetic and hopeless like she had seen him be. ¡°I would at least have one chance¡­¡± he said. It was the expression she had seen on him many times, right before he overturned everything and did what everyone thought to have been impossible. CH 398 After asking Hawa to pray, Chi-Woo shoved his hand into his pocket without hesitation. The seven-sided die fell in a gentle parabola. [Rolling the World¡¯s Milestone.] [Stronger Luck will be applied due to the will of the World!] [Result: ¡ï¡ï] [Innate Ability [Blessed Luck] will be consumed (80 -> 78).] [The flow of the world has further accelerated.] [Fail. An event will occur.] [An unexpected good news has occurred for the Sernitas, who are preparing for their next attack. The Sky Castle¡¯s charging speed accelerates rapidly.] ¡°No!¡± Chi-Woo screamed in shock. How did he get such a terrible result when he had been blessed with stronger luck thanks to awakening Asha¡¯s power? The system said he wouldn¡¯t fail in most cases when he threw the die. Before he could complain more, messages continued to appear. [Deterrence has been activated.] [Using 6 points of Innate Ability [Blessed Luck] to nullify the recent event (78 -> 72).] Fortunately, he could at least cancel out the failed events with Deterrence. Chi-Woo rubbed at his chest. They were almost fucked. Seriously fucked. Although he had gained a bit of mistrust towards the will of the World, he needed to finish what he started. Chi-Woo threw the die again. [Rolling the World¡¯s Milestone.] [Stronger Luck will be applied due to the will of the World!] [Result: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï] [Innate Ability [Blessed Luck] will be consumed (72 -> 66).] [The flow of the world has twisted and split.] [Success. An event will occur.] He succeeded this time. Although it wasn¡¯t a huge success, it was at least a success. [The last gate is blocking the final road leading to Shalyh. This gate was built for a single purpose from the very beginning of its creation. Every brick piled up is imbued with earnest hope and wishes to fulfill this purpose.] [However, the last gate, which has stood firm and tall following everyone¡¯s wishes, is facing a huge crisis. Although it was revived, the last gate has already collapsed once.] [To change the fate of destruction that is just around the corner, the hopes and wishes contained in this place have transformed into a living will and awakened the last gate. The gate struggles to fulfill its given responsibilities.] [The gate expresses its will. A large-scale dimensional distortion magic occurs around the last gate.] ¡®Dimension distortion magic?¡¯ Chi-Woo tilted his head. Something seemed to have appeared around the last gate, but he wasn¡¯t sure what it was. Looking at the incident alone, it seemed like it would help maintain the gate. However, if anyone asked him if he could just rely on this alone, Chi-Woo would reply ¡®no¡¯ without hesitation since they needed to deal with not just the Demon Empire, but also the Sky Castle, especially considering the Sernitas¡¯ constantly adaptive characteristics. ¡®Even with 80 Blessed Luck, I couldn¡¯t touch the Sky Castle.¡¯ Thus, it would be naive of him to hope that 6 points of Blessed Luck would grant them an impenetrable defense. The message also explicitly made it clear that the gate was struggling. If they now had a lot of leisure and ease, there would be no reason for the gate to struggle. ¡®Wait.¡¯ At that moment, the muscles around Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes suddenly tightened as he read the message carefully again. Then after a while, an idea flashed through his mind. ¡°If I do this¡­¡± Deep in thought, Chi-Woo muttered to himself. ¡°Once¡­at least once more¡­¡± * * * It was the fifth day after the siege began. The enemy¡¯s coalition launched an attack as soon as the sun rose, but they didn¡¯t attack as fiercely as before. Both sides only ended up causing the other a notable number of casualties. Moreover, the result of throwing the die last night also showed its effect. Although it was just limited to the gate, the effectiveness of the dimension distortion magic was amazing. All the attacks the enemy coalition launched at the gate with their offensive weaponry were nullified. Of course, the magic couldn¡¯t do anything about the soldiers that climbed the tower of the dead or the attacks aimed at their allies, but they gained a bit of breathing room just by the fact that the gate was intact and standing firm. Thanks to that, humanity and the Cassiubia League were able to concentrate on the battle and keep their fighting will somewhat intact, but no one was ready to celebrate yet. The coalition seemed to have noticed the gate¡¯s change, but wasn¡¯t taking any action. Rather, as time went by, they were gradually decreasing the intensity of their offensive, which only indicated one thing¡ªthe Sky Castle¡¯s Light Particle Beam was almost fully charged. Since everyone had clearly witnessed the power of the Light Particle Beam that destroyed the gate in one blow not long ago, the atmosphere was grim. Opinions that they shouldn¡¯t keep fighting like this or they¡¯d all die, and that they should give up on protecting the gate and withdraw as fast as possible gained strength. It was also around this time that Ismile visited Chi-Woo, or to be more precise, he visited him late at night, when the coalition forces had withdrawn. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that you tried your best in your own way,¡± Ismile said as soon as he saw Chi-Woo. ¡°You implemented a large-scale dimension distortion magic around the gate¡­I get your intention. You¡¯re trying to send the Sky Castle¡¯s attack to another place, right?¡± He kept talking on his own. ¡°It makes sense. The reasoning is pretty solid.¡± However, Ismile¡¯s words took a turn as he added ¡®but¡¯ and continued, ¡°It would be better if you hadn¡¯t immediately implemented the dimension distortion magic after the Sernitas¡¯ attack.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have known better than me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you entered the Sky Castle before? Then you should have seen it all.¡± Ismile¡¯s tone took on a hint of reprimand. He was essentially asking why Chi-Woo had implemented the dimension magic immediately while knowing the Sernitas¡¯ special trait. The scariest characteristic about the Sernitas was their insane reserve of information. The vastness of the information they¡¯d collected while wandering around the universe was impossible to measure. If they searched through their information, there must be information about a countermeasure against dimension distortion magic. However, Chi-Woo had revealed their card too hastily, and Ismile was criticizing him for that. ¡°To be frank¡­the atmosphere on our side isn¡¯t very good either,¡± Ismile spoke in a roundabout way, but Chi-Woo clearly understood what he meant. The Cassiubia League and humanity also knew that a dimension distortion magic had been placed around the gate, but they couldn¡¯t really trust it. The sheer power of the Sky Castle¡¯s beam had left such a deep impact that they were still reeling from the shock from the first day. Thus, they firmly believed that a magic of this level could not stop the Sernitas. ¡°We have to make the decision now. Before it¡¯s too late.¡± Ismile raised his shoulder again, as if there was nothing he could do now. ¡°If you want to say anything, say it. For the last time.¡± Ismile sounded like he had already made his decision; if he had asked this question last night, Chi-Woo would not have been able to say anything. He would have accepted the reality that there was no other way and reluctantly agreed to withdraw. However, that was not the case anymore. Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com" ¡°I know,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°The Sernitas will probably attack using information that will allow them to pierce through the dimension distortion magic.¡± Ismile looked taken aback by Chi-Woo¡¯s words. ¡°Aha¡­ Would I be mistaken if I said it sounded like you were merely using the dimension distortion magic as bait?¡± ¡°I would say that¡¯s half true,¡± Chi-Woo continued calmly, ¡°It could be considered a bait and a trap at the same time¡ªa trap that the Sernitas will willingly step into.¡± Ismile¡¯s eyes slightly widened. In short, Chi-Woo was saying that the Sernitas¡¯ countermeasure to address the dimension distortion magic would be a critical blunder for them. ¡°Before I ask you what the hell you¡¯re talking about¡ªwait.¡± His eyes sharpened. ¡°Let me just ask you one thing.¡± He continued to talk while staring intently at Chi-Woo. ¡°You¡¯re one of the commanders of this war, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. I¡¯m well aware of your importance here, and no one thinks that the leader of Seven Stars will be anything short of a commander.¡± Ismile grinned. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke.¡± He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the weight of the words coming out of your mouth. At least hundreds of thousands and at most hundreds of millions of lives will all depend on what you say next.¡± The fate of countless lives would be determined by Chi-Woo¡¯s words; that was what the position of commander entailed. Ismile asked again, ¡°You¡¯re proposing this plan with full understanding of that, right?¡± Chi-Woo knew this. Although some may think like Hawa, there were surely people who didn¡¯t think the same and wanted to live instead. Nevertheless, Chi-Woo was attempting to push forward. Yunael had told him to not be afraid of a problem that he didn¡¯t know the answer to. If he was confident, he should make his answer the right answer. Chi-Woo stared at Ismile and replied without hesitation, ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m¡­looking forward to it.¡± Ismile exhaled a long snort. ¡°All right. Tell me.¡± ¡°The Sernitas are probably¡­¡± Chi-Woo spoke quietly. By the time he finished his explanation, Ismile blinked and stared blankly at him with a bewildered expression. ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Chi-Woo. ¡°Well¡­um¡­¡± Ismile gaped for a while. ¡°How do I say it¡­ Well, first of all, I think it¡¯s a very interesting strategy, even though I don¡¯t know if the word ¡®interesting¡¯ is the right one to describe a strategy that decides whether we all die or live.¡± He scratched his head like he really had no idea how this would turn out. ¡°By any chance¡­what you just said.¡± He glanced at Chi-Woo and asked, ¡°Is it simply your prediction? Or is it based on empirical evidence?¡± He was asking if it could really happen in real life. Chi-Woo could understand why Ismile had such a hard time believing his words, but he smiled brightly and replied, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m saying it because I¡¯ve experienced it once before.¡± * * * As Ismile predicted, the Demon Empire and the Abyss were already aware of the dimension distortion magic at the gate. ¡°They¡¯ve played a pretty trick.¡± Of course, Bael and the Abyss King didn¡¯t care in the least. ¡°But it¡¯ll all be in vain.¡± Bael made a bland smile and glanced behind her. ¡°How much longer?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told that they¡¯ve secured enough nutrients, and the charging will be completed in the morning.¡± Bael received an immediate answer and fell into thought. She had commanded the troops to withdraw around dawn. It was not long before the sunrise, and that big gate would be finished in just a few hours. Bael wanted to immediately go and destroy that gate even now¡­but she suppressed this feeling. No matter how determined they were to push through, she had had to deploy more troops than she had expected, and she was keeping a close eye on the Abyss¡¯ movements. In her view, the Abyss could have easily subjugated and swept the mountain ranges on both sides by now, but they weren¡¯t going out of their way to capture these areas. In other words, they were purposely not showing their full strength. Bael had no intention in the least to protest because the Demon Empire was not showing their full strength, either. In the first place, they were merely in a temporary alliance where they briefly joined hands out of necessity. After the war was over, they¡¯d go back to the way they used to be. Thus, she needed to be extremely careful and on the highest alert until the coalition achieved their objective. As soon as the war was over, the other factions might suddenly try to twist the hand they were holding. In the first place, Bael didn¡¯t expect them to peacefully part ways after the war. Therefore, she needed to keep their main force intact as much as possible in preparation for that time. Bael, who was already concerned about the events following the war, did not care in the least about the fate of humanity and the Cassiubia League that would disappear when the day broke. At the same time, the Sernitas, who had succeeded in securing enough nutrients, was steadily preparing for their next attack. Moreover, as everyone expected, they had finished making preparations for all possible scenarios that could occur by analyzing the current situation thoroughly, including Alice¡¯s ability to reverse time and space. ¨CAnalysis complete. ¨CIdentifying a large-scale energy in the dimension distortion category. ¨CSearching for the most effective response and solution among existing information¡­ ¨C¡­Search results: 169. The same was true for the large-scale dimension distortion magic activated through Chi-Woo¡¯s World¡¯s milestone. The Sernitas pulled their most certain card with the highest possibility of success from the information they had found. They adjusted the attack information so that even if the gate was divided into hundreds and thousands of dimensions, the attack would unconditionally hit it. Things progressed without a hitch. In the meantime, the Sernitas warily watched out for any new information, but no additional abnormalities were detected. ¡ªCharging completed. The sun finally began to rise. ¡ªImplementing prepared task. Fully charged, the Sky Castle bared its fang again. Ddddddddddd! The ground shook. From the Sky Castle, a huge cannon reminiscent of the Tower of Babel extended and targeted the sky at an angle. ¡ªChecking target coordinates¡­AI¡­ At that moment, the monotonous notification paused for a moment because they detected that their target had climbed on top of the gate, as if he was openly advertising his location. A few raised their doubts at this sight, but the notification went on. ¡ª¡­Setting aim. Complete. The Sernitas hadn¡¯t let their guard down and instead made preparations for numerous scenarios; if their target was acting out of overconfidence in the dimension distortion magic around the last gate, they were going to make sure he realized how very wrong he was. ¡ªOperating augmented Particle Beam Weapon. ¡ª1%...7%...15%...23%...30%... ¡ª¡­100%. Starting countdown. The countdown has begun. ¡ª10¡­ CH 399 After a period of inaction, the Sky Castle awakened again. The last gate was dead silent, and in the end, humanity and the Cassiubia League didn¡¯t retreat. There were many who fiercely protested and insisted on leaving, but Ismile shut them down with one single sentence: it was too early for them to retreat when the Cassiubia League¡¯s reinforcements were still coming, and there was a way for them to block the Sky Castle¡¯s attack. Of course, he couldn¡¯t quell the doubt of every single hero and League member with those words alone, but the effect that Chi-Woo¡¯s name had on humanity and the League far surpassed Ismile¡¯s expectations. When he told them that the Seven Star leader had found a method to stop the Sky Castle¡¯s attack, people decided to believe Chi-Woo once again. And thanks to Ismile, Chi-Woo gained an opportunity to prove himself. This was the time. The sun was rising, and the day was getting brighter. While letting out a terrible roar, a giant cannon came to view from the Sky Castle. It went through the same process as before. It shot up as if it would pierce the clouds and tilted downward gradually. Everyone from humanity and the League pursed their lips seeing the giant cannon aimed for the sky. And as everyone exchanged looks silently, unable to find the words to describe their terror, Chi-Woo alone stood tall. ¡°We carried out everything as you told us to,¡± an old voice said from behind Chi-Woo, and Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll leave this here¡­¡± Chi-Woo heard the sound of something being put down and felt a presence move farther away. With this, the preparation was done. Chi-Woo looked piercingly at the Sky Castle. He clenched his teeth hard, and his mouth shook slightly. It would be a lie for him to say he wasn¡¯t nervous. If he could, he wanted to act immediately, yet the timing was the most important aspect of this operation. He needed to wait until the Sky Castle was prepared. Soon, Chi-Woo saw giant beam particles blooming inside the cannon; they were so big it made the Sky Castle waver, and then the cluster of light bloomed like flowers. It was a sign that the Sky Castle was almost ready to make the shot. There was really not much time left now. As seconds passed, the light particles inside the canon became bigger and bigger. ¡°That attack is¡­¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice, ¡°Aiming at you and me.¡± He spoke as if he was conversing with somebody even though there was no one around him. It was like he was monologuing. ¡°If the message I saw yesterday is true¡ª¡± Chi-Woo looked below him while speaking. Of course, nothing was near his feet either. ¡°My wish and yours will align.¡± The light particles that had been expanding in size now filled up the canon. It was then Chi-Woo turned around and looked behind him. On the gate walls¡¯ floor were drawings of large circles with all sorts of geometric symbols. And in the middle of the magic circles, there was one dark, blackish fire pit. Chi-Woo inhaled deeply. ¡°Please...make the same wish as me,¡± Chi-Woo said and got on one knee. He took a fistful of broken debris on the ground and placed it inside the fire pit. Simultaneously, the Sky Castle finally made its last count. ¡ªBlasting Particle Beam Weapon. ¡ªFire. An enormous beam of light poured out from the canon, illuminating the surroundings while it pierced through the sky. After seeing the canon blast off, Ismile looked below him. To counter this blast, it was the time for Chi-Woo to act now. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t doing anything. He was simply praying with his head bowed down toward the fire pit. Then his eyes reflected a faint reddish light as the magic circles around the fire pit began to shine. What followed was a vibration strong enough to make his balance falter. At the same time, the cannon¡¯s beam of light was now falling while leaving a long tail in the sky like a meteorite. At that moment, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes flashed open. The fire pit was now shaking like it was furious, and Chi-Woo looked up at the sky. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Ismile then saw Chi-Woo extend his hand, clutch the fire pit, and raise himself up. Then he threw the fire pit with all his might toward where the light beam was falling from. Ismile flinched in surprise and clearly witnessed the opening of the fire pit split sideways in the air. And¡­ *** In the vast universe, there was one great god who was in a sour mood these days. It hadn¡¯t been long since one wish reached them; it was a wish asking for a powerful weapon that could destroy anything. Things were fine until that point. It was common for mere mortals made up of clumps of blood and flesh to make such wishes, and listening to those wishes was a form of entertainment for immortal beings like them. Thus, the god thought that they would take a look at the mortal behind the wish, and if things seemed interesting, they could play with the mortal a little. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t do this all for free, but if this mortal succeeded in attracting even a little bit of this great existence¡¯s interest, perhaps they would even grant this wish¡ªas long as the price was proper. If one wanted something, one needed to offer something in return after all. ¡ªLet me see¡­ The god fake coughed, but when they saw what was offered to them, they felt their mind go slightly numb. It was because the offerings were substances belonging to a mere mortal; more specifically, it was a mortal¡¯s fingernails, hair strands, saliva, and so on. The god even saw some dandruff mixed in. Perhaps things would¡¯ve been different if they belonged to another great being, but that was clearly not the case. No matter how long they looked at it, these things simply belonged to a lowly mortal¡¯s physical body. It was inevitable as the one who made that offering was no one other than Jin-Cheon. The great god stayed still, silently in shock at what they saw, but soon afterward, they became infuriated. It was an intense rage they had never felt before. ¡ªHow could a lowly clump of blood and flesh daaaare!!!!!!!! How dare this man insult this great self? How dare he treat them, who had destroyed numerous planets and taken so many lives that it was almost impossible to count, dare to insult them in this manner? They, who stood with great authority over an entire galaxy? This was unacceptable! ¡®Fine. I will go and grant your wish¡ªas long as you can withstand my rage, that is!¡¯ the god thought. And as they made up their mind, the god headed toward where the wish came from. But when they were about to reach the place, the dimension door shut. No matter how hard they waved their hands in the air or cried out, the disappeared portal never appeared again. In the end, the great being had to return to where they had been and shudder in pure humiliation and anger from what they had been put through. And as they continued to writhe in agony over what happened, another wish suddenly reached them. The wish was simple; it was asking for the god¡¯s protection. As a being who considered slaughter and destruction a part of their everyday life, the god didn¡¯t like the wish from the very beginning. Thus, they were going to ignore the wish until they saw what was offered, and their attitude changed 180 degrees. It was just crushed-up debris. What¡­was this perhaps that guy from before? Even if it wasn¡¯t the same mortal, it didn¡¯t matter. They needed to release this anger that was boiling inside them somehow. This was the perfect timing. The god quickly moved across the passageway created by the wish that had reached them. To avoid arriving before the dimension door closed like last time, they moved hurriedly and eventually arrived. The dimension door didn¡¯t close. ¡ªKuuuuh¡­.! The god laughed. Yes, they caught this guy, and it was finally time for revenge. They would thoroughly make this mortal suffer. Feeling glee at the thought of bringing destruction after a long time, the god clutched the shining dimension door and pushed their head out. ¡ªYou damn mortals! *** Back to what was happening on Liber. Right after Chi-Woo threw the fire pit at the beam of light shot from the Sky Castle, an unidentified portal opened on top of the fire pit, and something popped out, clashing with the falling beam of light. ¡ªListen mortals! ¡ªI will kill¡ªughbrughurgheh! Kuaaaaaaah! Heaven and earth shook relentlessly. Light and darkness mixed and scattered everywhere, turning the sky a monochrome hue. Ismile couldn¡¯t comprehend what was happening before his eyes even a little bit, yet he was certain of one thing: the beam of light wasn¡¯t falling anymore, and the thing that suddenly popped out of the fire pit could no longer get out. The two forces warred, offset, and even vaporized one another. Humanity, the Cassiubia League, and even the coalition army couldn¡¯t peel their eyes from the clash. It was such a shocking scene that no one could¡¯ve expected it. After some time, the light and darkness that had been pushing each other began to fade. The light beam that the Sky Castle shot out gradually dissipated, shrinking from the width of the tower to the width of one pillar before vanishing without a trace, having not reached Chi-Woo or even the last gate. A grave silence circled the battlefield. Bael and the Abyss King had thought everything would be over by now, and they could only stare blankly with their mouths agape. They couldn¡¯t believe what had happened even after witnessing it in person. What in the world¡­? Yet no one was more baffled than the foreign god who suddenly popped out of nowhere. Beyond being shocked, the god felt that the situation was terribly unfair. They had come out of the dimension door excitedly at the thought of getting revenge, but were attacked by a fearsome blow instead. ¡ªT-This¡­bastard¡­ The god was so stunned that they stuttered. At this point, they realized what had happened somewhat. ¡ªHow dare¡­they use me¡­as a shield¡­! As the god said, Chi-Woo¡¯s main plan had been to block the Sky Castle¡¯s beam with the fire pit. It would¡¯ve been impossible to accomplish this task through the normal method as the fire pit required its user to go through a trial matching their wishes, and he would not be able to pay the fitting price in exchange for a powerful enough protection. Thus, Chi-Woo changed his way of thinking. If it was difficult to hope for a power to protect the gate, perhaps he could summon an existence who could withstand the Sky Castle¡¯s attack for them. Chi-Woo remembered the catastrophe that had almost happened when Jin-Cheon offered an unbelievably low price for a grand wish, and he came up with a plan around it. Of course, this plan also had its problems. First of all, there was the nature of the trials that the fire pit gave. The fire pit¡¯s trial was limited to the person who made their wish, and no one else could intervene. Thus, in normal situations, the Sky Castle¡¯s attack should¡¯ve just passed through the god. Yet the foreign god and the beam clashed because of one reason: the World¡¯s Milestone that Chi-Woo rolled last night. When the last gate expressed its will to survive and cast dimension warping magic, it changed everything. The Sky Castle had recognized this change beforehand, analyzed the situation, and altered their attack accordingly. They had added new information so that the beam would be able to hit anything no matter what dimension the target was in. As a result, the beam was able to penetrate through the dimension space that should¡¯ve been restricted to Chi-Woo and struck the god. As Chi-Woo had told Ismile, the way he revealed his dimension warping magic beforehand to the Sernitas was both a bait and a trap. The fact that the Sernitas prepared everything beforehand thoroughly backfired on them this time. After all, who could¡¯ve guessed that an item like the fire pit would come out of nowhere? The second concern was the existence that would¡¯ve popped out of the fire pit. Who knew what kind of unimaginable being would emerge? If an existence that even the light beam couldn¡¯t deal with popped out, Chi-Woo planned to use Armed with the Sixth Element to throw the fire pit into the middle of the enemy base camp. Then, while the coalition army was in a mess dealing with an unknown enemy, he planned to run away. He even thought further ahead that later on, he would reach a temporary truce with the Sernitas in exchange for passing over information of the foreign god he had summoned and betray them later on. ¡ªI will remember this¡­this grudge will never¡­ Fortunately or unfortunately, there was no need for Chi-Woo to worry about that. The foreign god quickly escaped from the scene. They did manage to withstand the Sky Castle¡¯s attack, but not in a completely fine state. Even though the attack had been meant for a human, it consisted of information about other-worldly dimensions and all the power the Sernitas could amass. Sernitas was a group who had gone through countless evolutions so that they were halfway to immortality. Considering that the Sky Castle was a weapon that such beings had made with great effort, not even a foreign god would be able to take the attack completely unscathed. If they could, the great being wanted to run wild in anger, but they had already suffered great damages. If they received a couple more of those attacks, they might not be able to turn things around. ¡ªSomeday¡­I will for sure¡­ Thus, the god quickly disappeared inside the dimension door. They gritted their teeth while hurling empty threats, and they swore to focus all their attention on recovering for the time being. Thus, a great being who shook up an entire galaxy entered a long slumber. Many planets were saved for thousands of years from the torment of the evil god as a result, but that was a story for much later. Then, one stream of light extended from the last gate, shooting down and wrapping around the black fire pit. Chi-Woo pulled on it, and the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit safely returned to his arms. The coalition army showed no response. They were silent as if they were shocked speechless. Chi-Woo held the fire pit with one arm and clenched his fist. With this, they could be sure of one thing, which was that they had blocked the enemy¡¯s key attack once again; they successfully carried out the plan titled ¡®Friend Shield¡¯. CH 400 The battlefield began to get noisy little by little, and the long silence sweeping the warzone was broken. The commotion came from humanity and the Cassiubia League. From murmurings of admiration to loud cheers, then a shout that rang throughout the whole area. Everyone raised their arms and exclaimed, shaking their hands wildly. When the Sky Castle first attacked, humanity and the League had fallen into despair. They couldn¡¯t find a reason to fight while risking their lives when one blow was all it took to shatter them even if they fought with everything they had. That was when Chi-Woo said he had found a way, and he actually succeeded. As he promised, he perfectly stopped the Sky Castle¡¯s Particle Beam Weapon. This completely changed the story. There was now meaning behind risking their lives, and they were now motivated to continue fighting this war. To be more exact, the hope that they would live if they endured and stood firm had been revived. The exhilarating shouts and cheers from humanity and the Cassiubia League showed no signs of stopping. It was as if the whole world was clapping and jumping in happiness. In contrast, the enemy coalition might as well be attending a funeral. The morales of the two sides had been reversed once again. ¡°¡­What the?¡± Bael, who had been staring with wide eyes for a while, managed to open her mouth. ¡°What just¡­happened?¡± She asked again, but no one replied. ¡°What the hell just happened!¡± She couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and yelled, but everyone remained silent. No one knew what had happened because what Chi-Wo did went far beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. The Abyss King was silent, but he was also surprised. Just the fact that he had jumped up from his seat and was silently glaring at the last gate was proof that he was completely baffled. Bael and the Abyss King were especially taken aback because they had been certain that this attack would finally mark the end of the war at the last gate. However, their prediction went wrong twice. The Sernitas were in the same boat. Inside the Sky Castle, opinions were being exchanged more intensely than ever. If they had allowed a hundred openings, it was understandable that their attack could be blocked. Then they could just analyze the situation thoroughly like when the first attack was blocked, make appropriate adjustments, and start preparing again. However, two new problems prevented them from carrying out their usual method. ¨CError. Error. First, they failed to analyze the problem. They knew that it was an ability that fell under the summoning category, but they had no idea what had been summoned. Chi-Woo had dared to summon a great god as he pleased and merely used them as a shield. This was unimaginable for the Sernitas. The Sernitas managed to damage the being, but they had no idea what information to consider so that they could pierce through the obstacle with certainty. The second problem was time. After the Sky Castle¡¯s first attack, it took about five days for them to make the second attack, and even that was the result of the Demon Empire and the Abyss continuously supplying nutrients by pushing ahead with the siege at the expense of their own troops. Now that the second attack was over, the Sky Castle¡¯s main body was more overloaded than before. What if their opponent set up the same shield during their third attack? Then even with simple calculations, they concluded that they needed to increase their output. In short, they needed to collect more nutrients than for the first and second attacks, but they also needed to wait until the Sky Castle cooled down. The preparation time would thus be longer, and there was no guarantee that they could pierce through the enemy¡¯s shield since they had failed to conduct a thorough evaluation. This all meant only one thing. The coalition¡¯s efforts to secretly keep each other in check and keep their main forces intact as much as possible had all become meaningless. Since they weren¡¯t able to pierce through the last gate, they all ended up wasting their reserve troops. Moreover, the Cassiubia League¡¯s main troops would soon arrive. Originally, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered whether the League¡¯s main forces joined the battles. In a way, the coalition had hoped they would come in a hurry, since this was a great opportunity to wipe out troublesome opponents in one go. However, the situation had changed, and they were the ones now in a hurry to resolve the situation. ¡°¡­¡± Bael¡¯s face hardened as she stared at the gate without saying a word for a long time. Her mood was foul; instead of going smoothly, their plans seemed to go awry one by one at every important moment. She had been certain that it¡¯d take only a day for them to break through the last gate when she first arrived, but it¡¯d been six days, and nothing had changed. They had been in the same place since day one. Perhaps they would never get through the gate even after going this far. As soon as this thought flashed across her mind, Bael shook her head vigorously to disperse it. She couldn¡¯t bear thinking about the possibility. No, it was too early to fall into despair. She knew their side had suffered greater losses, but they still had the advantage in numbers and power. In this regard, their side far surpassed humanity and the Cassiubia League. Moreover, humanity and the League were just barely holding out. They were also very tired due to the losses they had accumulated from the non-stop fighting. Thus, there was still an opportunity to break through the gate. Right now was the time. Bael¡¯s expression turned into a scowl. It was irritating to keep hearing humanity and the League cheering as if they had already won. Bael made her move at that moment. She roughly grasped the handle of the giant sword behind her back. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaat! She let out a loud roar that overwhelmed the shouts and cheers and drew the sword high up into the sky. In an instant, the Demon Empire troops behind her became high-spirited. The Abyss King did not stay still, either. His thoughts were the same as Bael¡¯s. An ominous premonition that if they didn¡¯t do it now, they¡¯d never be able to capture the gate pervaded his mind. Capturing the gate was no longer a matter of unconditional certainty. In other words, they were no longer in a position to save their troops and plan what to do after cleaning up humanity and the League. ¡°¡­Just this once, I¡¯ll follow you,¡± the Abyss King inhaled deeply and muttered. * * * After immediately recovering the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit with Armed with the Sixth Element, Chi-Woo hurriedly searched his pockets. Before going back to the past, he had once restored the completely ruined fire pit as a result of the World¡¯s Milestone¡¯s effect. Since the Sernitas could make adjustments again and attack the third time, Chi-Woo tried to hurriedly recover the fire pit. Suddenly, a tremendous roar struck his ears; it was a terrible cry of intense wrath. ¡ªOhhhhhhh...! In addition, a heavy and imposing sound that seemed to come from a deep, deep hole vibrated all over the area. Soon after, enemies who had been watching from afar began to make their move. Not only the Demon Empire, but the Abyss as well. The main forces the Demon Empire and the Abyss had been saving up so far finally moved out. It wasn¡¯t just the ground. Countless enemies also covered the sky. It was clear from a glance that the coalition was launching an all-out attack. The last gate became instantly quiet as humanity and the Cassiubia League watched their enemies rush toward them like a black tsunami. Ismile immediately realized that the enemy coalition was furious. It was unexpected in a way; he hadn¡¯t expected them to immediately strike through this gap without hesitation. Ismile thought they would remain guarded against each other while precariously holding each other¡¯s hands till the very end of this war. ¡®Did we rejoice too much?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t expected the enemies to suddenly grasp each other¡¯s hand tightly like dear lovers. On the other hand, it wasn¡¯t completely surprising since after seeing Chi-Woo block the Sky Castle¡¯s attack without letting their side suffer any damage, they would have realized that this event could have a considerable effect on the future tide of the war. Frankly, humanity¡¯s situation was still not very good. Humanity and the League have lost a lot of their strength due to the constant brutal fighting, and if they had to face an all-out war here, they wouldn¡¯t last even half a day. Thus, although the Demon Empire and Abyss were in a crisis, this could also be an opportunity for them. A golden opportunity to make their dreams of absolute victory at the last gate into a reality. This novel is available on "pawread dot com". ¡°Block them! Hang in there at all costs!¡± At the same time Ismile shouted, two camps entered the battle. Standing in the stronghold, Chi-Woo furrowed his brows. He saw enemy soldiers he was seeing for the first time take the lead and rush towards them. Even though it was a siege battle and not a field battle, they were riding horses and charging like crazy. They didn¡¯t care whether or not they were hit by arrows. Several cavaliers braved through the rain of arrows and reached the last gate before throwing themselves into the wall. ¡®What?¡¯ The moment Chi-Woo doubted his eyes, a series of explosions ravaged the bottom of the walls. Only then did Chi-Woo realize what those enemy soldiers were. ¡®They¡¯re suicide bombers!¡¯ Although the fires and explosions from the bombs were huge, fortunately, the gate didn¡¯t even budge thanks to the dimension distortion magic. Chi-Woo sighed in relief. Even though their enemy¡¯s momentum was extremely fierce, they would be able to hold out as long as the gate was intact. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± However, this thought disappeared as soon as Chi-Woo heard someone scream and tilted his head. It looked as if someone had sprayed black paint all over the clear sky without a single cloud in sight. Black smoke that looked like a swarm of mosquitoes was crowding the air. Then a sudden wind swept by, and the black smoke swept down riding the wind and settled safely on the wall. Soon after, the black smoke took concrete shapes and morphed into a figure. ¡°Kyhaaaa!¡± Then the figure soon showed her teeth and rushed forward like an agile tiger. Screams broke out everywhere. There was no time to think further. Light automatically extended from Chi-Woo¡¯s hand and transformed into a club. Just as he was about to swing the ghost-busting club toward the figure causing havoc, his intuition rang out a fierce alarm. Startled, Chi-Woo ran back quickly. A giant sword slammed into the exact spot where he had just been and destroyed the ground. Then, to Chi-Woo¡¯s shock, the gate cracked vertically where the huge sword was buried as easily as tearing a sheet of paper in half. Despite its height, despite the dimensional distortion magic protecting it, the enormous wall was split straight across in a single stroke. After a while, a figure slowly emerged through the rising dust smoke. The moment he met the figure¡¯s eyes, blazing with anger, Chi-Woo felt a chill run down his spine. He¡¯d only met eyes with her, yet the pressure he felt was at a completely different level than any other great demon he had faced. It was to the extent that his AI armor automatically reacted to the dark energy swirling around her. ¡°I was wondering who it was¡ª¡± His opponent soon twisted the giant sword on the ground and said, ¡°But it was you.¡± She looked at Chi-Woo with piercing eyes. ¡°It¡¯s you from that time, right?¡± Surprisingly, the figure, Bael, brought up memories from a long time ago. Since Chi-Hyun had ambushed her and knocked her out, her memory of Chi-Woo was in fragments. However, Chi-Woo left such a strong impression that she didn¡¯t forget about him even though it had been a short meeting. It was the first and last time she saw a being that could overwhelm the legend. Although she wondered why this mysterious human she had had a brief encounter with was standing in front of her in this space and time¡ªit didn¡¯t matter. She was different from back then. Bael was extremely worked up, and she only had one goal; there was nothing in her mind except for the thought of fulfilling this goal. The amount of struggle and trial she had to endure and overcome to achieve this age-old wish was immeasurable. In order to realize that dream, she needed to make it through this gate without fail, at any price. Bael revealed her teeth, and Chi-Woo clenched his. Since reaching a certain level, Chi-Woo had never felt his life threatened while facing a great demon. However, it was different this time. Alarms rang in his mind that if he made one mistake, he could really die. Looking back, Bael was a great demon with whom even his brother temporarily formed an alliance and kept as his comrade in the past. Although obvious, Bael was on a completely different level than all the other great demons he¡¯d met so far. Moreover, this was not the only problem. ¡°Watch carefully in real time while fighting me,¡± growled Bael as she drew her giant sword. ¡°How the things you desperately sought to protect get trampled on.¡± If one lined up those who had played the biggest part in keeping the gate intact so far, Chi-Woo would be put at the front as the number 1 contributor by everyone on the battlefield. Even the Abyss King became curious as he watched Chi-Woo and thought, ¡®Who the hell is that guy running around like a grasshopper?¡¯ However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t run around and help cover the other parts of the battlefield anymore. Bael alone was too much for him to handle, so he couldn¡¯t go around controlling the flow of the whole battlefield going forward. In fact, with Chi-Woo¡¯s absence, the gate was collapsing helplessly as a black wave led by a great demon at the single-digit rank hit it. The sky was black. Things were flying all over the place and disrupting his vision. The tower of the dead was still being built, reaching the walls and pouring out countless skeletons. The various legions of soldiers who followed behind arrived and climbed up the tower to reach the gate¡¯s wall. At the same time, a huge army also flocked to the gate¡¯s door with siege weapons. ¡°A tunnel! It¡¯s a tunnel!¡± ¡°Arghhh!¡± From the back of the gate, the earth suddenly soared upwards, and legion soldiers rushed out. Humanity and the Cassiubia League, who had been desperately defending the gate, fell into chaos. Screams and explosions erupted everywhere. Everything was a complete mess. The Demon Empire finally revealed their full force and was pushing ahead recklessly with sheer volume and numbers. Although their strategy could be seen as simple and brutish to the extreme, it was the most effective tactic considering their power difference. ¡°Blo¡­!¡± Chi-Woo tried to shout something but couldn¡¯t finish. He was going to tell his allies to block the attacks, but there was no one to listen to him. ¡®Our forces¡­¡¯ Were gone. He wasn¡¯t exaggerating. He couldn¡¯t see any allies in sight, and only enemies filled his vision. The only allies he could see were the dead bodies that were being swept away by the pouring torrent of enemies. The wall was abound with all kinds of darkness. In the end, the gate couldn¡¯t hold out any longer. It was safe to say that except for the few places where some heroes were fighting back, they had crumbled under the enemies¡¯ relentless attacks, and even those parts looked ready to collapse as soon as great demons flocked. Bael smiled when she saw Chi-Woo¡¯s expression change instantly. Although it was unexpected that the Sky Castle¡¯s attack was blocked again, that was all there was to it. It wasn¡¯t even work to capture a mere gate like this in the first place. Bael had merely put too much faith in the Sernitas and had prolonged the fight to keep the Abyss in check. By pushing aside everything and putting in their all-out effort, she intended to clearly let everyone know who she was. She would announce a spectacular finale by taking down the gate and cutting down the human in front of her. At that moment, a huge fire suddenly erupted behind Bael¡¯s back as she lunged at Chi-Woo. Bael turned around without thinking and narrowed her eyes; she saw a pillar of fire that suddenly descended diagonally from above the clouds, and all the towers of the dead arranged in a row collapsed one by one after getting hit. Something descended from the cloud then, and a large shadow covered the wall. Bael, who was about to tilt her head and look up, paused. She saw small embers flow in all directions. The pellet-like embers fluttered and disappeared beneath the walls. Bael stared blankly and sharply narrowed her eyes. ¡°This is¡­!¡± Baaaaambambammm! Before she could even finish, a tremendous explosion rang out from under the wall. Fire columns and embers billowed everywhere like a volcanic eruption. It was so powerful that the soldiers, who were shouting around the gate, were wiped out. Chi-Woo was also surprised. Then he saw who it was. Flap¡­Flap¡­ It was an enormous dragon twirling in the air with her wings¡ªthe Last Dragon. Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth slowly widened. The fact that she was here meant one thing. His face trembled slightly when he hurriedly turned around. From a distance, he saw an enormous army that he couldn¡¯t even see the end of. Their size was comparable to the enemy¡¯s coalition. An indescribable emotion came bubbling up from his heart. Memories of six days worth of suffering and pain passed quickly through his mind. However, it was alright now. Everything was now alright. ¡°They¡¯re here¡­¡± A husky voice came out of his trembling mouth. In a desperate moment when all hope seemed lost, the main army of the Cassiubia Mountain Range, led by the Last Dragon, finally reached the last gate. CH 401 The result of three main factions on Liber¡ªthe Demon Empire, the Abyss, and the Sernitas¡ªjoining hands brought into creation the coalition of the ages. At least, that was how it appeared on the surface. From the outside, they looked like a very powerful force that had nothing to fear, but if one pried deeper, they would find several problems lying underneath. The main problem was that the coalition didn¡¯t trust each other. Once they achieved their goal, they would be at each other¡¯s throats again. In other words, all three factions were fully aware that this alliance was only temporary. Thus, the Demon Empire and the Abyss were behaving in a ¡®relatively¡¯ passive manner during the invasion of the last gate. The coalition army thought crushing Shalyh would be a very easy task and what happened afterward was more important. It was not a common occurrence for the three factions¡¯ key figures to gather in one spot like this. Thus, not knowing how the situation would play out after the war, the factions tried to preserve their strengths as much as possible. Of course, they could afford to act in this manner because the coalition trusted the Sernitas¡¯ prowess very deeply. The Sernitas was the worst foe to face, but the best friend when they were on the same side. Thus, the Demon Empire and the Abyss leisurely poured in their reserve troops while waiting for an opportunity to arise and prepared for the many scenarios that could play out after Shalyh¡¯s fall. Yet everything changed today. The Sky Castle attacked with all their current power not once but twice and failed to destroy the last gate. Considering the kind of faction the Sernitas was, it was something that should¡¯ve never happened, and what this result signified was clear. The coalition had to realistically consider the possibility of defeat¡ªsomething they had deemed impossible. And if the Sernitas¡¯ attacks continued to fail, the Demon Empire and the Abyss would have to overthrow the last gate with their strengths alone. But in a situation where they were wary of each other, each of the factions was hesitant to go all out. They would fumble in this war if even one of them pulled their punches and didn¡¯t do their best. Thus, right after the Sky Castle failed its second attack, Bael acted decisively and quickly. Since humanity and the League had been on the verge of collapse from the sheer number of enemy troops pouring in until now, Bael thought only one faction needed to use their full strength to invade the last gate without suffering too great of a loss. Bael made an order with this thought in mind. She deployed the main forces she treasured very much to the front lines. Then, she personally led the troops toward the mountain range and rushed forward. For the first time, she planned to make a proper alliance with the Abyss, and the power they formed with their cooperation was unbelievably formidable. They instantly pushed humanity and the Cassiubia League into a corner. They were so close to taking over the last gate that in only half a day¡ªnot even an hour later, the gate would fall into their hands, and they would reach their goal. At least that was what Bael had thought, not aware of how someone¡¯s wish had bloomed beyond her expectations. *** The situation at the mountain ranges was not any better than the gate sitting in between them. The troops that had guarded the entrances had already been annihilated. The Abyss¡¯ evil beasts penetrated through the mountain ranges¡¯ pathways and were fiercely climbing toward its peak. They were going up without rest when bamboo shoots began to grow all over suddenly. Tree branches shot out like vines and wrapped around the Abyss¡¯ evil beasts; and between the beasts struggling to free themselves, giant shadows emerged. The writhing demonic beasts raised their heads one by one. Bam! Immediately after, their heads were blown away in just one blow. Search "pawread dot com" for the original. ¡°I command you in the name of Surutos!¡± a giant yelled while lifting their blood-drenched fist. ¡°Kill these bastards!¡± At this order, giants who boasted of sizes much larger than even the Abyss¡¯ evil beasts rushed out from behind and roared. One of the main tribes of the Cassiubia League, the Gigas tribe, entered the war. Similar scenes were playing out at the last gate. Rain of arrows showered down on the enemies heading toward the gate. Dududududu! A troop from the Cassiubia League led by a member of the centaur tribe rushed forward and pushed forth from the last gate. The thin barrier between the last gate and their enemy quickly thickened again. It was a sudden turn of events, and seeing the Cassiubia League¡¯s unexpected entrance, Bael was at a loss for words. ¡°How have you been enjoying this massive party?¡± Then, she heard a voice from above and looked up. ¡°You invited me too, but almost ended the party without me. I would¡¯ve been very disappointed then. Don¡¯t you know the phrase, ¡®the more the merrier?¡¯¡± Seeing the jeering dragon circling in the air, Bael gritted her teeth. ¡°Isn¡¯t it your fault for being late to the party?¡± ¡°I did try my best to hurry though. Well, it¡¯s fine. The star of the show is usually the last to arrive,¡± the Last Dragon sneered coldly, and Bael did the same. ¡°Hm, if you say so. But since this party is almost over, I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s anything left for you to enjoy. Well, if you¡¯re fine with it, why don¡¯t you make the best of what little time you have left and dance your heart out?¡± ¡°Bael, you¡¯re misunderstanding something. The party has just begun.¡± ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s true?¡± It was then a gloomy wail burst out near the summit of one mountain range. Bael smirked in response, while the Last Dragon¡¯s face stiffened. The Last Dragon immediately caught onto what was going on. The mountain range where the Gigas tribe was at was recovering its stability. But that was not the case for the other mountain range. Although they had also sent troops there, it seemed the situation wasn¡¯t progressing. The Last Dragon quickly realized it was because the Abyss King had personally led the attack there. To match the strength of the enemy¡¯s forces, the Cassiubia League needed to send one of their best too. Only then would they be able to reach a balance. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not the time to leisurely crack jokes.¡± The Last Dragon smacked her lips and immediately changed directions. Usually, Bael would¡¯ve just let the Last Dragon go with the excuse of having to focus on sieging the gate, as this would mean that the Abyss would suffer greater losses. Yet she couldn¡¯t do that this time. The Demon Empire and the Abyss were no longer simply on guard against one another, and the Abyss King was actively supporting her decisions. Thus, she also needed to do her part. Then, if the Abyss took over one mountain range and attacked the gate from the side, it would be much easier to take over the gate. ¡°Do you think I will let you go as you please?¡± Bael thought things over and spread out her wings. Then, she kicked off the floor and took flight¡ªthat was when she suddenly flinched. A light had swung above her head, missing her by a hair. She turned to see one young man with his arm out. It was clear what his intention was. He was saying that he would handle Bael, so the Last Dragon should go take care of the Abyss King. ¡°Seems like you would have to let me leave,¡± the Last Dragon mocked and left the scene. Bael snorted. She acknowledged that Chi-Woo was strong, but she didn¡¯t think he would be a match for her in a one-on-one battle. Of course, killing Chi-Woo with her own hands was all Bael had wanted, but she needed to weigh the importance of certain matters. Bael let out a loud cry, and several great demons who had been making their way toward her after the appearance of the Last Dragon immediately responded. Agares, Belial, and Gamagin¡ªthe second, third, and fifth ranking great demons in the Demon Empire rushed toward Chi-Woo from all sides. Thinking Agares would be good enough to handle Chi-Woo, Bael turned around to give chase. But then suddenly, she felt the wind blow. The soft flowing current circled around Belial and grazed the great demon. Sensing the sharp spirit imbuing this wind, Belial hurriedly backed away, and there, a figure who looked like a prince on white horse revealed himself. ¡°I apologize¡­for my tardiness,¡± Ru Amuh calmed his breathing and raised his sword. Similarly, a bright lightning flickered on Agares¡¯ side, while a purple trajectory shot down to Gamagin. A man and a woman blocked the great demons as they hurried away. ¡°You¡¯ll have to step over my dead body to get through,¡± Emmanuel said. ¡°What are you looking at, idiot? If it pisses you off, fight,¡± Yunael said. The Demon Empire hadn¡¯t been the only one watching this scene. After dealing with their individual battle, the Seven Stars members also rushed to the scene with the luxury Cassiubia League¡¯s reinforcements earned them. Though they appeared to be in quite a terrible condition, their bloodlust was palpable because they had just disengaged from a fight. And they all had the feeling that perhaps this moment would be the decisive factor for victory. Bael gritted her teeth hard. Because of the unexpected turn of events, she summoned another great demon, Marbas, but even he was stopped. He soon flew away from a sudden fist coming his way. ¡°Whew. I finally did something worthwhile,¡± Ismile said while stroking his chest and landing on the ground. ¡°We can switch opponents if you want.¡± He glanced behind him and smirked. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Chi-Woo replied calmly and grabbed Armed With the Sixth Element. He would have almost been surrounded by a group of great demons, but thanks to his companions¡¯ intervention, he gained the opportunity to duel the number one ranking great demon in the Demon Empire. If he could take care of Bael, the Demon Empire would fall into chaos, and winning this war would no longer be a pipe dream. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes shone, and in contrast, Bael grunted. Meanwhile, the Last Dragon had already arrived at the mountain range where the Abyss King was and was attacking with her breath. In the end, Bael failed to hold the Last Dragon down. She hadn¡¯t made the wrong judgment call; there simply were way more enemies than she had anticipated or could realistically handle. However, Bael couldn¡¯t accept that fact yet. ¡®I could just beat him,¡¯ she thought. Perhaps this would be better for the Demon Empire. She could defeat this damn human and take over the last gate, using her victory to drive their momentum and support the Abyss afterward. Bael raised her giant sword. Leaping into the air, she then swung her sword while dropping down. Added with the force of falling, the giant sword¡¯s swing looked powerful enough to slice through the entire gate. Chi-Woo had witnessed the attack before and found it impossible to block. Usually, he would¡¯ve evaded it without a second thought. Yet he didn¡¯t move a single step away this time. It wasn¡¯t because he was terrified. No, he looked intently at Bael as she flew downward and raised his ghost-busting club high in the air. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤! A thunderous roar rang across the area. Light clashed with darkness where their attacks collided, and great shockwaves burst in all directions. Chi-Woo squinched his eyes shut at the impact sweeping through his whole body and opened them again. He looked a bit taken aback, while Bael looked shocked. Her giant sword had seemed ready to slice the entire gate, yet it was blocked. Blocked by Chi-Woo¡¯s club of light, it was stopped and couldn¡¯t push ahead. Chi-Woo was also surprised, but in a different way. He had thought Bael¡¯s attack would be almost impossible to block; it was true that a powerful force he had never felt before was coming from Bael¡¯s blade and choking the breath out of him even now, but still, he had blocked her. ¡°Ick¡­.! Iiiiiiick¡­.!¡± Bael poured in more strength. Chi-Woo felt like all the bones in his body would break, but he was enduring and not collapsing. In fact, he felt like he could endure forever. In the end, Bael faltered first. Even though the first attack she had poured all her power into was flawlessly blocked, she still couldn¡¯t accept reality. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± she cried out and swung her giant sword. Every time she did, her blade made a sharp, splitting sound, her attacks so fearsome that she even made the winds cry in pain. Yet all of them were nullified by one being called Chi-Woo. ¡°Why!¡± Bael yelled in rage and relentlessly swung her sword, but no attack managed to bring down her opponent. ¡°Whyyyyy!¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t move. He hadn¡¯t taken a single step back since the beginning of their fight. Then, in the midst of attacking, Bael suddenly felt a strange sensation. Her opponent didn¡¯t seem like a mere human, but the embodiment of the last gate itself; it would never crumble no matter how hard or for how long she banged on its doors. A sense of foreboding suddenly hit her. It was the same feeling she had gotten when the Sky Castle failed its second attack. The premonition that they would never overcome this last gate seemed to be turning into reality. Chi-Woo was almost as stunned as Bael. With Bael swinging her giant blade in all directions, though, he didn¡¯t have the chance to think of much of anything else but block her attack. The strength imbued into Bael¡¯s sword surpassed his imaginations, and each of her attacks was like a critical attack. One so strong that most would die the moment they made contact with it. She had grown so much stronger than how she had been in the distant past he had visited that it didn¡¯t even make sense to make the comparison. In fact, she had become so strong that she could face his brother as long as he didn¡¯t use his Second Coming. That was how great and mighty she was. ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-Woo managed to block Bael¡¯s attack somehow again and blinked hard. ¡®But why¡­?¡¯ For some reason, it didn¡¯t feel like he would lose as long as he was near the last gate. Not just to Bael, but anyone aiming at the gate. CH 402 One side was trying to defend and block their enemies with everything they had, while the other side was trying to pierce through by all means necessary. ¡°What are you doing? Come on. I told you to come fight me, you hear me?¡± Gamagin¡¯s expression darkened as she watched Yunael swing her spear. Bael¡¯s situation didn¡¯t seem good, so she needed to go and assist her as soon as possible. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna fight? You little fucker?¡± Gamagin thought it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to rip this rude human female to pieces before she left. Dark energy gushed out of her hands, thickening gradually before morphing into a dagger. Dark energy dripped down the blade like droplets of blood. Seeing the ominous daggers in Gamagin¡¯s hands, Yunael stopped her provocation and got into stance. Gamagin suddenly spun in place and turned around and around like a whirlwind, recklessly swinging her double daggers. Yunael, who had been tense and waiting for an attack to come flying at her, blinked when nothing happened. ¡°¡­What the hell are you doing?¡± When she asked with a hollow laugh, Gamagin instantly stopped spinning. At the same time, her eyes glowed red as she gazed at Yunael. Yunael, who had been standing still, immediately flinched and quickly retreated. Swissssh! Sharp blades swirled in all directions. The attacks Gamagin had been making without moving suddenly burst out all at once¡ªfrom the front, back, and both sides. Thanks to her sixth sense, Yunael was able to move away in advance. She felt as if she had narrowly escaped a storm created out of nowhere by a second¡ªno, she hadn¡¯t been able to escape completely unscathed. Tadadadang! A loud and constant staccato of scratching noises came from the protective barrier automatically generated by the AI armor. Yunael had no time to recollect her thoughts. Before she could even process what just happened, Gamagin had arrived one step ahead where Yunael was trying to withdraw to and swung her daggers. In the end, Yunael had no choice but to borrow the power of the AI¡¯s armor once more. Feeling chunks of her mana used up, she gritted her teeth and widened the distance between them. By the time she managed to get into stance again, Gamagin had already finished spinning once more while slicing and stabbing with her double daggers. Yunael clenched her teeth. As expected, her foe was no easy opponent. Although Yunael had kept her distance from Gamagin, sharp blades came flying toward her, and even when she tried to evade them, Gamagin would simply move ahead of her and immediately attack again. Although Yunael knew that at this rate, she would just become a mere puppet playing right into her enemy¡¯s hands, she had no choice but to run with all her might. ¡°You fucking bitch!¡± However, Yunael didn¡¯t run back, but forward this time. As she thought, Gamagin had expected Yunael to continue evading her attacks. Thus, she predicted Yunael¡¯s movement again and arrived a beat earlier; then she was about to make another stab when¡ªGamagin suddenly lost her composure and withdrew. Yunael¡¯s spear was furiously pouring out purple slashes at Gamigin. Bambambam! A huge explosion erupted at where the two were about to move to. Yunael had attacked at the same time as she ran away, knowing that Gamagin would move in this direction. In a way, she had made a prediction of a prediction. Gamagin muttered, ¡°¡­How brutish.¡± She had lost her composure. She swiped her mouth with the back of her hand, took a couple of steps back, and grunted. She had a feeling that she wouldn''t be able to finish this fight as fast as she thought. * * * While Yunael was cursing nonstop in her fight against Gamagin, Emmanuel and Agares were also in the midst of a fierce battle. The dark energy flowing around Agares gradually gathered and took the form of black spheres; then they changed into various weapons of all shapes and sizes and fired at Emmanuel, indiscriminately bombing him. Of course, Emmanuel did not just stand still and take Agares¡¯ attacks. [Eustitia¡¯s 12 Special Arts¡ªThunderbolt] Crackle, with the sound of thunder, lightning destroyed the bombs of weapons and burst forth. It wasn¡¯t just the thunderbolt; Emmanuel had used Lightning Patterns and Sound of Thunder, and the other Eustitia¡¯s family¡¯s twelve special arts burst forth one after another. As a series of attacks based on Emmanuel¡¯s destructive Lightning Fire continuously flew towards Agares, an opening formed in Agares¡¯ dense array of weapons. Emmanuel did not miss this opportunity. Crackle! A red light flashed. Emmanuel pierced through the opening in an instant and charged. Looking at his opponent rush towards him like lightning, Agares calmly stretched out his arm. He held the handle of a black sword that was created from the black sphere and sliced in a horizontal direction¡ªat the exact moment, Emmanuel pushed himself off the ground to advance explosively. If Emmanuel had charged straight ahead, he would have been cut with absolute certainty. However, he did not counter the attack with his fleuret. Just before his opponent¡¯s blade could slice him in the trajectory of a half moon, he had hit the ground once more to propel himself backward. As a result, the tip of Agares¡¯ black sword stopped right in front of his eyes; it was a perfect range calculation, to the point where it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that there was only a paper-thin distance between them. Then Emmanuel moved in the direction of the black sword¡¯s swing and stabbed with his fleuret, his eyes fixed on his sword-wielding enemy. Agares showed a moment of admiration, but that was all. As with the black sword, the fleuret also narrowly missed the enemy¡¯s neck as a result of Agareth tilting his chin and twisting his body. And like this, the two exchanged attacks and changed positions. Agares stretched out his other arm and grabbed another weapon created in the air. As he turned around, he cut Emmanuel¡¯s back in an instant. Shortly after, Emmanuel jumped a couple times backward and stopped rushing towards his opponent. He hesitated before turning right back because a long wound had been left from his left shoulder to his elbow. Agares had attacked so fast that even his AI armor couldn¡¯t respond in time. Agares¡¯ eyes narrowed as he saw blood bursting out of Emmanuel¡¯s shoulder. But he soon fixed his expression and said with a soft smile, ¡°It seems that my skills are superior to yours. How about it? If you withdraw now, I won¡¯t go out of my way to chase after you.¡± In a way, it was a generous offer. After exchanging a few moves, Agares was assured of his superior skills. Although Emmanuel felt the same, he didn¡¯t care in the least. ¡°¡­I told you already. You¡¯ll have to step over my dead body.¡± He rolled his shoulders as if nothing had happened and spun around. Agares sighed when he saw Emmanuel bend down and clutch his fleuret. Although the mix of lightning and fire was definitely threatening, that was all there was to it. Agares had been certain that his earlier attack would¡¯ve won him the fight, that his opponent wouldn¡¯t be able to evade it, but in the end, Emmanuel was still standing. He had twisted his body with perfect precision without even looking back in an instant. As a result, what should¡¯ve been a fatal attack ended up inflicting a shallow cut. Contrary to Emmanuel¡¯s appearance, he was like a beast. He was fierce and had astounding intuition, and he was the type of opponent that Agares had the most difficulty with. Sparks flew out of Agares eyes as he got an uneasy feeling watching Emmanuel shoot out a thunderbolt. Although he didn''t feel like he would lose, he didn¡¯t think the fight would be settled any time soon. * * * As in the case with Yunael, the battle for Emmanuel seemed precarious as they were both fighting great demons at single-digit ranks. However, not all great demons were at an advantage, and a case in point was Marbas, who was dealing with a gangster-like human who suddenly popped up out of nowhere. ¡°You punk!¡± The moment he cried out, Marbas¡¯ spine split from side to side, and blood poured out. The flowing blood soon hardened into strands and shot like stems towards Ismile. The number of stems surpassed a few dozen, but none of them reached Ismile as he ran toward Marbas. ¡°Too slow.¡± Ismile pinpointed the gaps in the midst of Marbas¡¯ dizzying attack. He moved nimbly and ran through the narrow gaps between the blood stems. ¡°You fucking rat!¡± Marbas immediately moved the stems of blood accordingly when he saw Ismile running in zigzag while leaving afterimages behind. The blood stems that stretched out in all directions converged one by one to form multiple lumps. Then the lumps quickly came together. When he saw Ismile between two blood clumps, Marbas internally smiled. No matter how swift and nimble his opponent was, what could he do when he was stuck in the middle? Marbas was determined to squish and pop the human like an ant and didn¡¯t hesitate to combine two blood clumps into one. But what happened next left him appalled. ¡°W-what?¡± His opponent should have been trapped between two blood lumps and burst; instead, Ismile had become abnormally thin as he was pressed from both sides. However, his body wasn¡¯t crushed. No matter how much strength Marbas put into his blood lumps, his opponent continued to run toward him. Marbas couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. The sight of his opponent joyously coming towards him in a flattened form from his head to feet was nothing short of horror. Soon, Ismile came out of the blood lumps and¡ª Bam! ¡°Kuhaack!¡± Marbas opened his mouth wide and vomited a mouthful of blood. A tremendous shock shot up from his abdomen; the force was so great that he flew into the air, and right before he flew far, far away, the last thing he saw was Ismile. Ismile was winking with his fist in the air. ¡°Why, are you surprised?¡± Marbas¡¯ expression filled with astonishment. The same was true for Belial. Belial, who had been fighting a fierce battle for a while, fell on one knee with a loud thud. He unconsciously touched his shoulder with his trembling hand, and it slid without making contact; he couldn¡¯t see the arm where it should be, and the only thing he could feel was a neatly cut section of his shoulder. Trembling, Belial looked up and stared incredulously at the blond young man standing in front of him. When he first faced the man, he had planned to quickly take care of the lowly human and go support Bael. However, after exchanging a couple of attacks, this thought completely vanished. This human in front of him wasn¡¯t the legend, nor the mysterious enemy they had recently identified after coming here. Nevertheless, he was overpowering him. Belial couldn¡¯t see a single fault in the man¡¯s movements and was constantly pushed back by his opponent¡¯s flawless attacks and defenses, and in the end, he even lost an arm. No matter how careless he was, he had never imagined that there was another human so skilled and talented. He finally understood Bael¡¯s argument that they needed to use this opportunity to completely erase all possible sprouts and prevent humanity from growing further. However, the situation didn¡¯t seem favorable no matter how he looked at it. Their positions were now reversed. Rather than clearing a bothersome problem, he was the one who had to cling onto the edge of his opponent¡¯s pants and prevent them from moving forward. If he lost, and this powerful enemy joined forces with his companion to fight Bael, then¡­ ¡°¡­No!¡± Belial shook his head vigorously and rose to his feet, indignant. Explore the extended edition on pawread dot com. Pure strength and the sheer destructive power that came from her strength. With those alone, Bael had beat all her prominent and powerful great demon competitors. There was no way she would lose. If it was Bael, she''d definitely win no matter who her opponent was. Thus, all he needed to do was hold out until then. Belial resolved himself and burned up in fighting spirit again, while forcibly turning a blind eye to the inkling of uneasiness that began to wriggle in the corner of his heart. * * * While various fights were going on, there was one battle that was the loudest and most destructive by far. Bael¡¯s giant sword came striking down in a straight line. At that moment, Chi-Woo, who had remained where he was until now, finally moved. Instead of continuously defending like before, he finally decided to attack. After moving to the left and evading the giant sword, he rushed toward Bael with a forward roll. Bael withdrew her arm instantly and swung her sword wide again. However, Chi-Woo momentarily pulled himself back, and the giant sword cut the air in vain. A glint of uncertainty appeared in Bael¡¯s eyes; Chi-Woo had moved with such admirable flexibility that he looked like water flowing freely. Then after a brief moment of retreat, Chi-Woo stepped on the ground again and ran towards her. Gritting her teeth, Bael moved her head slightly to evade the ghost-busting club and then focused on her eyes. Bamm! With a loud explosion, the floor Chi-Woo was stepping on collapsed. She had destroyed a part of the gate where the dimension distortion magic was applied to only with her eyes. Receiving an unexpected attack, Chi-Woo fell. Of course, Bael knew very well that he wouldn¡¯t die under an attack of this level; she immediately approached him and was about to swing her sword again when¡ª She saw a hand over the edge of the collapsed wall. Climbing up like he was parkouring, Chi-Woo soared back into the air. After a couple of somersaults through the thick dust, he dropped and struck her down with his heels. Bael hurriedly lifted her sword and blocked his kick, pushing him back with great strength. Then she raised the sword she was holding in reverse at a diagonal angle. However, she ended up cutting the air once again because Chi-Woo had landed on the floor and crouched down. Then he jumped like a frog and poured out exorcism energy from his club. Bael moved back on reflex and scowled. Her opponent hadn¡¯t retreated when she took the offensive; on the other hand, she was getting pushed back when her opponent started attacking. This fact inflicted an unbearable wound on Bael¡¯s pride. It couldn¡¯t be. There was no way that the pinnacle of the Demon Empire and the greatest of her kind would be pushed back like this. It was simply absurd. An animal-like growl came out of Bael¡¯s mouth, and she stretched out her hands. Then the giant sword¡¯s terrifying strike followed; its power was the same as before. It was strong enough to tear a body to shreds with the slightest graze. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t simply strong. As an analogy, the giant sword¡¯s attack was akin to shooting a bomb with a machine gun. In fact, wherever Bael¡¯s sword touched, the gate shook up and down as if a bomb had landed. If Chi-Woo had been his usual self, he would have felt so pressured that he wouldn¡¯t be able to move properly. He wouldn¡¯t have even dreamed of defending any of her attacks, and while desperately trying to evade, he would have eventually got hit and got torn into pieces. However, Chi-Woo¡¯s expression was calm for some reason. He did not allow a single attack from Bael to land with his mirage-like movements, and instead, he was looking for an opportunity to strike. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t understand it well himself. He didn¡¯t know why, but he could see and feel her movements; above all, his body automatically moved as he wanted. After using the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit, an unknown and strange energy seemed to burn inside his body. Although the sanctuary had been erased for sure, it felt as if he was fighting inside the sanctuary, right next to the temple of the White Horse General where the sanctuary¡¯s effects were the strongest. He felt like he wouldn¡¯t lose right now. At that moment, after rolling on top of the wall that had broken and exploded everywhere, Chi-Woo slightly widened his eyes. He stopped rolling, raised his upper body, and extended his arms. Then the light that had maintained a club shape divided into several branches and flew towards Bael. Most of them were parried, but a few light beams that turned left and right succeeded in reaching her. They wrapped around both of her arms while she constantly moved. ¡°Arghh!¡± A suppressed groan escaped from her mouth. As soon as the light wrapped around her arms, she felt an intense pain as if piping-hot iron was burning through her skin. Chi-Woo took advantage of this opportunity to pull both strands of light down hard while leaping into the air. Bael¡¯s sword fell to the floor as her body tilted. ¡®He¡¯s battling me with brute force? How dare he?¡¯ Furious, Bael endured the pain and tried to lift her giant sword. However, before she could sense it, an intense shock hit both her arms, and the sword buried deeper into the ground. Before she could process what was happening, she looked to the front and saw Chi-Woo run, jump on top of her sword, and rush toward her. A terrifying force rose from below her face as she stared blankly at him. Before she could even look down, bam! Chi-Woo¡¯s foot, full of exorcism mana, collided with Bael¡¯s jaw. Bael¡¯s head was knocked backward to the limit, and all she could see was the vast sky. ¡°¡­¡± As she gradually fell back, an empty light flashed in Bael¡¯s two eyes for a moment. CH 403 It was just a single kick. Of course, the attack was imbued with exorcism mana, which was dark energy¡¯s worst bane. And it wasn¡¯t as if Bael was critically wounded from the attack. But Bael was the King of the East, the Lord of Destruction! What had just happened? ¡°¡­¡± Bael couldn¡¯t easily accept reality. The sting she felt on her jaw was a new sensation for her, and after almost falling over, she had to fix her posture again. It was then she got a faint metallic taste in her mouth. She soon realized the warm substance collecting inside was blood, and her eyes gradually widened. She was the first-ranking great demon and the strongest by far with no equal in the Demon Empire. After rising to her rank, she only knew how to destroy her enemies and never the other way around. Her enemies never even managed to reach the tips of her toes. ¡°¡­You¡ª¡± She couldn¡¯t accept what just happened. After all the blows her pride had suffered, this was a wound deeper than any other. As if it was reflecting her anger and the rage of emotions she felt, the thick dark energy flowing from Bael¡¯s body became even darker; it became so dark that it dyed her surroundings black. ¡°You¡­!¡± Her dark energy fluctuated and wavered crazily. ¡°You damn baaaaaastard!¡± She shouted in pure venom, and her reddish black dark energy shot upwards. It was rough, fierce, and ferocious. The ground that Bael stomped on split and broke with a loud thud, cracking and shooting debris upward into the air as if attracted by the great energy she poured out. The gate wasn¡¯t the only one reacting; the earth wailed, and the sky seemed to shake. It was an unbelievable level of power. Everyone¡ªhumanity, the Cassiubia League, and even the Abyss momentarily stopped what they were doing to watch. They couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the scene, and Bael¡¯s ominous energy ran wild in all directions and gave everyone the chills. As if their bodies were petrified, it became hard to move, and even Chi-Woo found himself affected by the pressure given off by Bael¡¯s mass energy. Its weight was like none he had ever felt before, and it locked his body in place. ¡ªHey. It was then he heard a familiar voice from behind him. ¡ªChi-Woo, I¡¯m sorry to bother you when you¡¯re trying to focus, but have you heard about the qualification to be a king? ¡ªThough kings are a product of the past now, it was said that whatever the king was¡ªwhether they were the King of the Pastures or the King of the Peasants, they never cried whatever situation they were in. Find the original at "pawread dot com". It was Philip, who was once the king of Salem. He suddenly brought up the qualification of a king. Though it was unexpected, Chi-Woo understood what Philip was trying to tell him. In the Demon Empire, the strong became the king, and those with real power didn¡¯t need to persuade others for their place. They didn¡¯t even need to speak or hope for others to recognize them. They didn¡¯t need to purposefully show how strong they were because they already had unwavering confidence in their strengths. It was like how Bael had been when she first arrived in front of the last gate. At the time, Bael wouldn¡¯t have wavered in any situation. ¡ªBut what about now? ¡ªDo you think she still looks like the king of the Demon Empire? Not anymore. As soon as Chi-Woo realized what Philip was getting at, Chi-Woo¡¯s heart calmed. His trembling ceased, and he felt at peace. He stood straight and stared intently as Bael poured out dark energy all around her. Why was it? Chi-Woo thought of the strongest person he knew¡ªChi-Hyun, and one side of his mouth curled up. Were Bael confident, there would be no need for her to threaten Chi-Woo as she was doing right now. She would simply snort and carefreely think that she could easily kill him. Yet right now, she was making a great fuss and spectacle as if she didn¡¯t want her opponent to approach. In other words, her actions could be seen as ones made out of fear. Thinking this, Chi-Woo was free of the fear he had felt when first facing Bael. ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡ªThen? ¡°She looks like a scared baby beast.¡± As soon as he put these feelings into words, Bael began to look like a cornered tiny beast barking madly in fear. ¡ªGood. Philip smiled widely hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s response. ¡ªRemember what I just told you. It¡¯s the number one rule I held when working as a demon hunter. To catch a tiger, one must enter the tiger den. Likewise, to hunt down a demon, the hunter mustn¡¯t be scared of demons. ¡ªWhat are you doing? Philip pointed at Bael. ¡ªJust go and kill your prey! The temporary halt came to an end, and Chi-Woo rushed forward in a flash. Seeing Chi-Woo coming at her head-on rather than wavering, Bael growled. The overflowing dark energy around her gathered and colored her surroundings black. It wiggled around and wrapped around Bael, as if there were two large wings behind her. Furthermore, Bael¡¯s eyes were pitch black now, making her look like some fallen angel. Eventually, she soared into the air and threw down her sword with all her might. Right before it reached Chi-Woo, though, the giant sword stopped. It was because his AI Armor¡¯s defense system was activated. Though the giant sword was blocked, it didn¡¯t bounce off. Imbued with Bael¡¯s strong will, the sword continued to press inwards, and the tip of the blade trembled from the effort. It seemed intent on piercing through the AI Armor, but Chi-Woo¡¯s armor resisted. Imprinting: Core of Union was activated. It used Chi-Woo¡¯s exorcism mana and entered a neck-and-neck race against Bael¡¯s fluctuating mana. Seeing what was happening, Bael stretched out both arms and moved the sword according to her commands. Simultaneously, her fingers scratched the dark air. Scriiiiitch. As if she was clawing off dirt from the air, the thickly scattered dark energy broke off and gathered into her hands. Then, she threw the lump at Chi-Woo as she had done with her sword. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t sit still at the sudden strike. Considering his opponent, he couldn¡¯t rely on the AI Armor to do all the work. He swung his ghost-busting club and struck away the lump of dark energy. But things didn¡¯t end there. When he struck the one lump of dark energy, it became two. When he struck two, it became four; four to eight, and eight to sixteen. Every time he struck the balls of dark energy, it multiplied by two. And every time Chi-Woo swung his club, Bael moved her arms senselessly. She grabbed every lump of dark energy around her and threw it toward Chi-Woo. She looked just like an angry child throwing a tantrum and hurling everything in her immediate vicinity, yet the force of each attack was anything other than childlike. Bael¡¯s specialty was destruction. Thus, anything that her dark energy touched broke and crumbled to pieces, and now that she had gathered such energy into a whole lump, the power her attacks held was astonishing. To make a comparison, each lump of dark energy possessed as much destructive power as a natural disaster like an avalanche, typhoon, or tornado. Such fearsome attacks lashed out at Chi-Woo and whirled around him. Normally, he should¡¯ve been broken to pieces without a single trace remaining. After all, even other great demons were distancing themselves from the scene to not get swept into Bael¡¯s attacks. And the gate walls around them were becoming devastated even with the dimension spells cast onto them. Yes, it was normal that no one dared to even get close to her attacks, yet in the eye of complete destruction, one person stood completely fine. He didn¡¯t collapse nor get swept away. Chi-Woo endured resolutely, and beyond just enduring, he took a step forward into the whirling masses of dark energy. He even pushed away Bael¡¯s giant demonic sword that was advancing toward him. Bael flinched, and her expression crumbled even further. Then, she moved both of her hands faster so that the number of flying lumps of dark energy became uncountable with the naked eye. Yet the result remained the same. As if the dark energy was shot at a mirror, all of the attacks were reflected, and the lumps of dark energy bounced off after losing most of their power. ¡°Why!¡± Bael gritted her teeth. ¡°Why in the world!¡± She had never revealed so much of her strength or power before. Even when she was fighting Agares for the first rank position in the Demon Empire, she didn¡¯t go this far. She even used a part of her existence as a great demon, but failed to inflict significant damage on Chi-Woo. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo was steadily advancing forward. He pierced through the whirlwind of dark energy and successfully reached within Bael¡¯s range. Bael was on the verge of losing her mind. She moved back instinctively when Chi-Woo got closer and barely stopped her feet from going back even further. She felt that if she backed off now, she would never be able to step forward again. The fear that she would never go past this last gate seemed to be turning into reality. Bael reached out to grab another lump of dark energy, but stopped. Then she fumbled in the air like a blind person. Nothing came into contact with her palms. Turning around to check, Bael¡¯s mind blanked. The masses of dark energy that had been so numerous that she could grab a bunch simply by reaching out had noticeably decreased. She had been too focused on the matter at hand to care for the little details. And thus, after being like calamity itself, Bael came to an involuntary stop. Chi-Woo sensed that it was time for him to show all the cards he had been hiding. He acted on his thoughts immediately, and white light poured out of his body. Bael quickly collected the remaining dark energy and turned around. [La Bella¡¯s Bible] A book formed above Chi-Woo¡¯s head, and a blinding, dazzling cluster of light scattered. [La Bella¡¯s Sanctuary.] A brilliantly shining sword pushed away any dark energy it touched. Before Bael realized it, the majority of her already lessened dark energy disappeared. When the light reached her, Bael felt a great pressure push her down. Her storming dark energy dropped sharply and was pushed to the minimum. It was then she realized that she was in this human¡¯s territory. The death she had dreaded before was right in front of her. Things like pride or other emotions no longer restricted her, and after clutching onto the giant sword that had bounced off from the man, she hastily spread her wings. She took flight, trying to make a speedy escape from Chi-Woo¡¯s territory. [Executioner] Yet the sky thundered, and a white streak of light struck the top of her head. From the sudden attack, Bael lost her balance mid-flight, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t miss his chance. Like a beast lunging at his prey, he kicked off the ground and rose to the air. Bael swung her sword frantically at Chi-Woo, who was shooting up toward her. Then she felt something touch her palm and disappear. The giant sword she had in her hand split into pieces like a dried-up field during a drought. Then, it broke to pieces like a glass window struck by a baseball. Between the scattering shards, a shining pair of eyes rushed forward. Bael¡¯s mouth gaped open. ¡°©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± She let out an incomprehensible scream, and then the shriek was suddenly cut short. Simultaneously, Bael¡¯s whole body wavered in the air like water. Everyone on the battlefield¡ªhumanity, the Cassiubia League, Abyss, and the Demon Empire all witnessed the scene. Light chased the floating darkness, and the two forces intersected. All sorts of thoughts passed through their heads, but the result of the clash was decided soon. After a sudden spark that blinded all viewers¡¯ eyes, the light passed through the darkness. The darkness stopped momentarily, then it wavered once. In the end, it could no longer continue flying and fell from the sky. It was obvious what the result of the battle was. Boom! Bael fell on top of the gate and rolled on the ground. She couldn¡¯t let out even a groan and heaved for breath as reddish-black blood poured out of her mouth. Her body spazzed, showing the terrible state she was in, and there was a huge hole in her abdomen. Seeing this, members of the Cassiubia League and humanity widened their eyes to the limit. In contrast, all the great demons stood like stone statues, seemingly shocked speechless. The opposite emotions of joy and sorrow intersected, and everyone seemed to be reeling from disbelief. That was how shocking the event they witnessed was. The chaotic battlefield came to a sharp stop, and silence swallowed the whole area¡ªsilence loaded with different meanings depending on the side one was on. But amid this solemn silence, one thing was clear. The King of the East, the Lord of Destruction, the first-ranking great demon, and the great empress often hailed as the peak of the Demon Empire¡¯s strength was defeated by Chi-Woo. CH 404 A huge incident broke out in the end. It was great news for humanity and the Cassiubia League, but disastrous news for the Demon Empire. To make an analogy, it would be akin to Chi-Hyun getting defeated by a great demon below the second rank rather than Bael. If this really happened to humanity, the majority of heroes would lose their fighting spirit since it would be soul crushing to see a great being that they admired fall right in front of their very eyes. The Demon Empire¡¯s reaction was not much different. Regardless of the Demon Empire¡¯s strong independent tendency, they also had their own standards and rules. They fought like crazy if things went wrong, but they knew when to put aside their grudges for the time being and unite as one in the face of crisis. In that sense, it was no exaggeration to say that Bael¡¯s defeat today was a pivotal event that would determine the fate of the Demon Empire. Bael was a great demon who had maintained the first rank for the longest time in all of demon history. Moreover, after she reached the peak of the Demon Empire, she hadn¡¯t received a single challenge; in other words, all the other great demons recognized her as the number one demon. However, Bael had just fallen in front of everyone. The impact was quickly apparent. The great demons all turned pale. Although they had all seen it with their own eyes, it was hard to believe that Bael had lost. They were so shocked that they had a hard time pulling themselves together even though they were in front of their enemies. ¡°No¡­way¡­?¡± Marbas, who had only held out with the belief that Bael would soon come and help him out, suddenly screamed. He got hit by a series of heavy blows all over his body and collapsed after faltering. ¡°Hey, hey, hey.¡± Ismile landed right on top of his body and crushed him. ¡°Where are you looking at? How dare you look the other way when I¡¯m right in front of you?¡± He shook his head and clicked his tongue. It was the same for Belial. ¡°No¡­!¡± As soon as he saw Bael fal, Belial ignored everything and tried to run toward her but¡ª ¡°Aghhh!¡± Ru Amuh seized this chance and struck; a sharp wind chased Belial like a gale and landed a heavy blow. Ru Amuh turned Belial into minced meat in seconds as blood sprayed everywhere. It was truly a pitiful end for a great demon; however, even a great demon at a single-digit rank became an easy prey when they were panic-stricken. Of course, not everyone acted the same. Although flustered, there were also great demons who calmly assessed the situation and made their next move; that was the case for Agares and Gamigin. Although it took some time, Gamigin finally succeeded in landing a blow on Yunael. When Gamigin was about to shove a dagger into Yunael¡¯s irritating mouth, an unexpected situation occurred and made Gamigin pause. That brief opening saved Yunael¡¯s life. A wind suddenly blew and bounced off Gamigin¡¯s dagger as she was about to quickly end Yunael¡¯s life and go to Bael. It was Ru Amuh. After dealing with Belial, he came to Yunael¡¯s rescue as soon as he saw her slam into the wall. ¡°Oh? There was no need for me to have come?¡± Ismile arrived a beat later and blinked. Gamigin frowned at the intervention of new enemies. Judging by their presence, it seemed that Belial and Marbas had been defeated. Gamigin sensed a sudden change in the situation and stepped back while keeping guard. ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± Yunael wheezed as she saw Gamigin retreated little by little; she was embarrassed that she needed to be saved. On one hand, she felt a little resentful towards Chi-Woo. If he had really given her the power of the stars instead of only his words, she wouldn¡¯t have lost. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo descended shortly after dropping Bael, and during his seemingly endless descent, Chi-Woo looked refreshed. He had really landed a good blow; it was a blow that he had put all his strength into. Chi-Woo landed safely on the wall and raised his upper body on one knee. From a distance, he saw Bael sprawled on the floor. She wasn¡¯t dead. Given the way she wiggled like a worm, shouting something fiercely, she was clearly alive. However, she wasn¡¯t able to get up. It looked as if she was trying desperately to get up but couldn¡¯t lift her upper body. It was safe to say that her body was virtually broken after receiving a fatal injury in the air. Chi-Woo had definitely felt that he had landed a solid hit. At that moment, a great demon landed urgently next to the struggling Bael¡ªit was Agares. He had neutralized Emmanuel much faster than Gamigin. Although he could have taken care of Emmanuel right away, he left the latter alone. Rather than letting him live, Agares had no choice but to do as he watched Bael¡¯s battle with Chi-Woo take a strange turn while fighting Emmanuel. If Emmanuel hadn¡¯t persistently rushed towards him with the determination to die, he would have run to Bael¡¯s side long ago. Anyway, thanks to his quick decision, he was able to reach Bael faster than any other great demon, but he was a step too late as by that time, Bael had already been falling from the air after getting hit by Chi-Woo. Agares¡¯ expression became instantly serious as he confirmed Bael¡¯s condition. He would only know the exact details after a more thorough inspection, but her visible wounds alone were way too big and serious. Her physical condition was much more shocking than he had expected. If it were not Bael but any other great demon, they would have been extinguished instantly. ¡°Agares agh¡­! Lift me¡­! I¡¯m going to immediately¡­!¡± Even in this condition, Bael shouted in anger, but her words weren¡¯t realistic. She couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, let alone raise her body. Frankly, Bael¡¯s contribution to this battle was already over. However, he couldn¡¯t just leave her like this, so he hurriedly held and lifted the screaming Bael and slightly glanced back. When he met eyes with Chi-Woo, who was raising his head with one knee on the ground, Agares felt a shiver run down his spine. Agares had a history of being defeated by Bael before. Since Chi-Woo was able to beat Bael, he was obviously stronger than him. The strong opponent whose power Agares couldn¡¯t even guess the extent of had a bright glint in his eyes. His opponent probably also knew that he had just cut off the lifeline of his prey, but even then, he was trying to completely end Bael with his own two hands. Agares¡¯ head went blank under Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze. He didn¡¯t even have the will to fight back; he needed to run away even a second faster. Only this thought pervaded his mind, and Agares flew away in a hurry according to his instinct. The thought of capturing the last gate had completely disappeared from his mind. Explore the extended edition on pawread dot com. ¡®I¡¯m not going to let them go.¡¯ As Agares expected, Chi-Woo was about to get up and quickly chase after them, but¡ª ¡°¡­Ah?¡± A shrill sound came out of his gaping mouth. He tried to get up, but ended up tilting and falling back onto the floor. Suddenly, his body didn¡¯t listen to him. That wasn¡¯t all. His whole body became soaked as sweat poured out from head to toe. Then he felt a strong sense of weakness, and it felt as if the mysterious power that was rising from the bottom was seeping out of him, like a furiously spinning motor that was switched off just before it overloaded and broke down. ¡°Teacher!¡± Ru Amuh, who was going to target another great demon, ran straight to Chi-Woo as soon as he saw something was wrong with him. ¡°What the? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ismile was also taken aback. After fighting shockingly well, Chi-Woo was suddenly on the verge of collapsing. He wondered what he should do and stared over the wall. Agares was quickly running away with Bael, who had become immobile. It wasn¡¯t just him. As soon as Bael was defeated, the great demons attacking the gate in all directions ran out from everywhere like a swarm of bees once their queen was attacked. Everyone abandoned their respective positions and gathered around Agares. Their intention was clear. At this point, the Demon Empire no longer cared about capturing the gate. Their only thought was to protect Bael in any way possible, and Ismile soon made up his mind. It was safe to say that the Demon Empire¡¯s front had collapsed the moment the great demons left their positions in a hurry. Although he was worried about Chi-Woo¡¯s condition, he couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity. ¡°Chase after them! And kill them all!¡± He shouted at the top of his lungs and took the lead in chasing the demons. Soon after, the gate, which had been tightly closed, opened wide. With Ismile at the forefront, troops flocked from all over the place in order to vent out the anger they had accumulated so far. It was the moment humanity and the Cassiubia League began their massive counterattack. Seeing all this, the Abyss King, who was leading the attack on the mountain range, stopped marching. His eyes were fixed on the withdrawing band of demons quickly running away with Bael. In the end, disaster struck. It was a catastrophe incomparable to the two failed attacks from the Sky Castle. The Abyss King¡¯s mood plummeted. He had thought they had a rather useful teammate on their side, but once they actually got to work together, the demons were more like trolls who frequently dragged their teammates down. Anger soared to the top of his head, but he quickly calmed himself down. ¡°¡­Huk Cheong-Ram, tell the whole army.¡± With cold calculation, the Abyss King made an appropriate judgment befitting the current situation. ¡°We¡¯re retreating.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t expect that they would be able to withdraw easily, since the Last Dragon was looking down at them with glistening eyes. The Abyss King sighed for the first time since the war began. No matter how he looked at it, he would need to make huge changes to their future plans. * * * Chi-Woo came back to his senses and groaned. When his eyes regained focus, he saw light from an oil lamp. Chi-Woo unconsciously moved around, and his eyes slightly widened when he turned right and then left. He saw a woman lying as if she was dead on the bed on his left. It was Alice. She was breathing evenly from her nose with her eyes closed. Given that she didn¡¯t move at all, it seemed that she was still in a coma. Still, thanks to her divine blood, most of her body had recovered compared to before. She really must be a descendant of a god as Ismile had said. ¡®Thank goodness¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo thought, and only then did he realize where he was. He was at a makeshift infirmary for the injured. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡¯ The last thing he remembered was seeing a great demon taking Bael away and trying to chase after them, but he suddenly felt his whole body drained of energy. He didn¡¯t remember anything after that. It seemed that he had lost consciousness at some point. Chi-Woo checked his body first. There was nothing wrong except that he felt a little weak. After warming up somewhat, he carefully stepped out so as to not wake Alice up. It was dark outside. The moon rising in the night sky shone gently on the gate. The whole area was still. It was so quiet that it felt like the days they spent fighting ferociously had been a lifetime ago. Chi-Woo wondered what had happened to their enemy. He had let Bael slip in the end, but considering the fatal wound he had inflicted on her, she must have retreated by now. ¡°Hey.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s pensive stroll was interrupted. ¡°Did you sleep well, superstar?¡± Chi-Woo saw Ismile leaning against the tent and raising one hand. ¡°I was going to smoke a joint and then check up on you, but you came out on your own.¡± ¡°Mr. Ismile.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s as expected. You really have an amazing healing ability.¡± ¡°By any chance¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, you want to know how long you slept? It hasn¡¯t been two days, but it¡¯s been over a day.¡± Chi-Woo was slightly surprised; he¡¯d been out of it for a whole day? ¡°And also¡ªsome of the Seven Stars members wailed and caused a huge commotion. But I know you¡¯re Elrich¡¯s son, so I wasn¡¯t really worried about you. Although I¡¯m curious how concentrated your divine blood is that you recovered faster than Alice, but I¡¯ll save that for another day.¡± He folded his fingers while quickly answering before he looked up at Chi-Woo. ¡°Now, if all your questions are answered, can I ask you a question now?¡± ¡°No, I still have more to ask.¡± ¡°¡­How many more?¡± ¡°Well, one for now?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just one¡­¡± Ismile smacked his lips. ¡°Alright. What is it? You want me to tell you who shed tears for you? For your information, there were three.¡± ¡°No. What happened to our enemies?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Ismile cleared his throat and answered, ¡°Should I say it¡¯s the same¡­they¡¯ve been quiet since withdrawing back to their main camp. Well, it feels like it¡¯s only for now though.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. Their enemies hadn¡¯t packed up and left, but weren¡¯t doing anything either¡­for now. ¡°The Last Dragon is keeping an eye in all directions, and she¡¯ll let us know as soon as she finds out anything. So it¡¯s my turn now, right?¡± He didn¡¯t know why Ismile was so excited, but Chi-Woo nodded, and Ismile asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Chi-Woo blinked in puzzlement. ¡°It¡¯s not just us. I can sense our enemies¡¯ complete bafflement for the past day or two all the way from here.¡± The enemy coalition was currently at a loss and didn¡¯t know what to do¡ªthat was what Ismile felt. This meant one thing: even though Bael had survived, she wasn¡¯t in a normal condition. Or the probability that she would return to the battlefield in a short period of time was basically zero percent. Perhaps she might even leave for good. ¡°That¡¯s probably the case. In fact, I overextended myself so that I could kill Bael for certain when I got the chance but¡­I had never imagined that she would survive after receiving a direct blow.¡± Ismile clicked his tongue and asked, ¡°How on earth were you able to overpower Bael by that much?¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t think I overpower¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head. ¡°No, you overwhelmingly beat her,¡± Ismile said flatly. ¡°Bael even revealed her existence at the end of the battle with you.¡± The usual playfulness on his face was completely gone. ¡°For your information¡ª¡± His eyes spun once, and he continued, ¡°Even Big Choi can¡¯t overwhelmingly beat Bael 100 percent when she¡¯s in that state¡­ That¡¯s my personal judgment.¡± Bael had bet her existence as a great demon when she fought Chi-Woo. Even Chi-Hyun could not fight Bael in that state as if he was playing with a child; she was a worthy opponent that he needed to fight earnestly without lowering his guard. However, in Ismile¡¯s eyes, Chi-Woo had completely crushed Bael in battle, and this only meant one thing. At least in that moment¡ªChi-Woo had surpassed the Celestial Realm¡¯s legend. CH 405 Ismile said he surpassed the legend. Chi-Woo looked taken aback, but it didn¡¯t seem like Ismile was joking. Was he really at that level? ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not talking about the legend who can use all his original powers at 100%, but Chi-Hyun on Liber,¡± Ismiled explained. Everyone knew that it was difficult for a hero to wield their full strength when they entered Liber due to a lack of backups from the World, and Chi-Hyun was no exception to this rule. He was able to receive certain privileges using his family¡¯s merits, but he couldn¡¯t use even up to 50 to 60% of his maximum strength. Yet the startling fact was that there hadn¡¯t been any hero stronger than Chi-Hyun even considering that. Of course, everyone was suffering in the same stifling environment, but that made it even more surprising that Chi-Woo managed to display powers that overshadowed the legend, albeit momentarily. Chi-Woo was most startled to hear this. ¡°Aren¡¯t you only in Platinum tier?¡± Ismile asked. If a talented hero wanted to properly battle against Bael, they needed to reach at least Grand Master tier in normal conditions. And if Bael revealed her full potential and bet on her existence, one had to be at least in the Challenger tier to have a viable chance of putting up a fight. Even though Chi-Woo was from the Choi family, it was unbelievable and almost abnormal for him to overwhelm Bael as a mere Platinum tier hero. It wasn¡¯t possible unless he had surpassed Chi-Hyun, an existence whose powers normal humans couldn¡¯t wrap their heads around. After hearing what Ismile said, more questions popped into Chi-Woo¡¯s head. He had encountered the final boss too early in the stage levels. Perhaps it was understandable considering that this planet was one that could bring about the ruin of an entire galaxy, but the situation was clearly strange. Truthfully, Chi-Woo thought it had been strange since he first met Bael; to be exact, it was right after he used the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit. Chi-Woo thought about the fire pit and gasped in realization. ¡®Ah.¡¯ His mouth gaped slightly open. ¡°Perhaps¡­it¡¯s because of the fire pit¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± The Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit granted the user¡¯s desire, but for their wish to be granted, vital conditions needed to be fulfilled. The user needed to make an offering suitable for their wish or go through a trial to make up for the lacking amount. Chi-Woo had wished for protection when facing the Sernitas¡¯ second attack, yet the offering he made in comparison to his wish was laughably shabby. Thus, the lack of payment for his wish was transformed into the form of a trial. As soon as that trial was set in place, though, it was struck by the Sky Castle¡¯s attack and returned to where it came from. In other words, Chi-Woo had endured the fire pit¡¯s trial in a way, and as a result, his wish was fulfilled. ¡°What wish did you make? Didn¡¯t you pray for the Sky Castle¡¯s attack to be blocked?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I made my wish more general and inclusive. I asked to be able to protect the last gate using whatever means possible.¡± ¡°Whatever means possible¡­¡± Ismile fell into deep thought after hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation. What if the ¡®whatever means possible¡¯ part of the wish had been turned into the mysterious strength that Chi-Woo was able to show? For example, it could¡¯ve given a powerful buff to Chi-Woo, who was trying to protect the last gate, and a serious debuff to all enemies trying to attack the gate. Then, everything made sense. Chi-Woo¡¯s strength increased exponentially, while Bael¡¯s strength declined sharply. It also explained why Chi-Woo had suddenly gotten weak and powerless when their enemies ran away. When the Demon Empire retreated, there was no need to protect that gate anymore. Since Bael¡¯s defeat, one could say that Chi-Woo had successfully protected the structure. Thus, it was decided that his wish had been granted, and the mysterious power given to Chi-Woo disappeared. Of course, considering how unstable and unclear the whole process of the fire pit¡¯s trial was, one couldn¡¯t be a hundred percent sure that this was what had happened. Nevertheless, in comparison to Chi-Woo pulling out the secret power inside him that Byeok kept warning him about, this was a very fair trade. After all, the fire pit granted his wish once he withstood its trials, and he only needed to sleep for a day or two to fully recover. ¡°Ah, what? That was it? I thought you possessed some secret power you had been deeply hiding.¡± Ismile looked a bit disappointed by Chi-Woo¡¯s explanation. As said many times before, humanity wasn¡¯t in a good situation, and their presence was embarrassingly weak compared to the Cassiubia League. If Chi-Woo was able to show the strength and prowess that he had shown when facing Bael at any time, their situation would change completely. It would shake up the whole power dynamic among the factions currently established on Liber. Thus, Ismile was disappointed to hear that it was all false hope. ¡°Who knows? If an enemy attacks the gate once more, the power may be activated again.¡± ¡°You really think so? I think you¡¯re thinking too positively about this damned, fallen World.¡± ¡°How could you say this World was damned and fallen? Don¡¯t insult Liber. You don¡¯t know how kind she is.¡± ¡°¡­What are you saying all of a sudden? Have you gone crazy?¡± Ismile looked baffled, but while this conversation was happening, the World was watching and feeling extremely touched by Chi-Woo¡¯s words. ¡°Anyways, even if that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t rely on it so much. You said it was a holy relic, right? Even though it uses a god¡¯s power, there¡¯s a limit to it. You know how fickle gods are.¡± Ismile¡¯s tone was calm, but Chi-Woo could hear the worry in his voice. It didn¡¯t matter whether his wish was still in effect, or if it ended with just one use. He had already used up all of it and more during the single incident. It would¡¯ve been ideal if he had managed to uproot the main threat, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to have done that. And though his enemy was inflicted with considerable damage, they hadn¡¯t backed away yet. ¡°What is going to happen from now on?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°¡­Who knows?¡± Ismile answered and looked past the gate¡¯s walls to where the coalition was. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see what they will do.¡± *** The coalition army was dead silent as if everyone was in mourning at a funeral. The atmosphere was heavy, and the uplifted, charged mood they had been in when they first arrived was nowhere to be found. The unimaginable had happened. Agares managed to bring Bael back, but the price he had paid to do that wasn¡¯t small. There used to be twenty great demons in the beginning, but now there were only eleven left. All nine great demons they had lost were considered mid to upper ranking in strength, and they lost all of them in a single battle. The extinguishment of single-digit ranking great demons like Belial and Marbas was especially painful. After going through all that fuss to reorganize their ranks, everything was rendered futile. The Demon Empire lost half of its original strength, perhaps even more with Bael¡¯s fall. As they feared, Bael wasn¡¯t in a good condition. They had expected this somewhat, but they didn¡¯t think her condition would be this severe. It was because she had put part of her existence on the line and was struck with a great blow from her enemy. Her enemy had truly done a number on her, and realistically, she was in no condition to recover under regular treatment. In other words, she was so deeply injured that it could lead to permanent death. Any other great demon might have been extinguished the moment they were struck by the last attack. It was because she was Bael that she was still hanging on, but she was basically dead. All her veins were damaged, and she was barely maintaining her breathing. It looked as if all her lifeline was used up, and seeing Bael suffer in great pain, Agares quietly turned around. He passed through the curtains and walked outside the tent before letting out the sigh he had been holding in. They couldn¡¯t hope for Bael to step onto the battlefield again. No¡ªeven her recovery seemed too much to hope for, and it appeared that they had to worry about her immediate survival. Even if Bael survived by some great fortune, she would never be able to wield the same level of power as before. She wouldn¡¯t be able to even dream of rising to the top again, and she would be living like an ordinary demon, unbefitting the title of a great demon. And apart from this war, how would the factions within the Demon Empire react to this news? First of all, it seemed inevitable that Bael would have to step down from her first-ranking position. And because of several great demons aiming for the newly opened position, the Demon Empire would face another civil unrest¡ªperhaps that was an understatement of what would take place. In the first place, Agares wondered if they would be able to return to their base camp even after accepting defeat and retreating. There was no way the Abyss, their current ally but potential foe, would let them go in peace. The Demon Empire had no excuses to make since the Abyss had followed all their decisions until now. They even let the Last Dragon go to the mountain range, yet they failed to siege the gate. This was wholly the Demon Empire¡¯s responsibility to bear. ¡®This is driving me mad. Seriously¡­¡¯ This was the worst situation possible. Everything was in a mess, and Agares wondered how the situation got to this point and where this sudden monster of a human who defeated Bael had popped out from. Agares wiped his face as his head remained in a clutter. He couldn¡¯t even laugh humorlessly or in bafflement anymore. It was then one demon suddenly came to mind: Shersha. She had told them fervently that they must not go to this war and warned that they wouldn¡¯t be able to turn things around if they did. At that time, she had said that they needed to free all their slaves and join hands with humanity and the Cassiubia League. If it was hard to get humanity on their side, they needed to convince the Cassiubia League before it was too late. She said that was the only way for the Demon Empire to continue surviving. Agares and other great demons had thought Shersha¡¯s claim was crazy at that time, but now that they had gotten to this point, Agare thought differently. If they had listened to Shersha at the time or even genuinely contemplated her warning¡­what would¡¯ve happened? It was then Agare heard murmurings from around him. The legions were flustered. They looked at a loss of what to do. Agares looked up and narrowed his eyes. The troops parted to the sides to make way for one person. It was the Abyss King. ¡°For what reason are you coming¡ª¡± Agares said and stopped. The Abyss King had passed by him without a word. Paying no heed to him as Agares stood with his teeth and fist clenched, the Abyss King entered the tent. He met eyes with Bael as soon as he was inside. Bael was still shuddering quietly in rage and pain, but seeing the king, she stopped moving. The Abyss¡¯ King looked down at Bael quietly. Though they stared at each other without saying anything, a strange tension flowed between them. Then, after a while, the Abyss King spoke. ¡°This is a message from the Sernitas.¡± It didn¡¯t ask for Bael¡¯s well-being or the Demon Empire¡¯s responsibility over the failure to siege the last gate. ¡°The Sernitas expressed their desire to take back the Sky Castle now.¡± The Abyss King relayed the message as it was told without any false statements, which made it all the more shocking. ¡°What?¡± Taking back the Sky Castle would mean that Sernitas was withdrawing from this war. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Are you kidding¡ª!¡± ¡°97%,¡± The Abyss King cut Bael off before she could finish shouting. He continued calmly, ¡°That was the percentage of success that the Sernitas had calculated when we first arrived at this place. But the result of yesterday¡¯s analysis¡­said that our chance of success has dropped to 16%.¡± That was an 81% drop. The victory they had felt assured of slipped from their fingers in just a couple of days. ¡°Of course, they added that it wasn¡¯t a definite percentage. Several phenomena outside the information they currently possessed occurred, and that is the percentage they calculated while considering all the hidden possibilities. If they disregard the probability of the unknown occurring, the result they came to is about 56%....¡± 56% wasn¡¯t as bad as Bael had expected even though it had fallen significantly from the original figure. It was a number that made it seem like they still had a good chance of winning this war. Sensing the meaning behind her gaze, the Abyss King shrugged. ¡°The Sernitas think they won¡¯t be able to completely discount the possibility that unknown events will continue to happen. If they consider how they failed when they were assured of a 97% chance of victory, they consider the risks too high at 56%.¡± Bael¡¯s face fell. Realistically, the Sernitas were in the best position among all the factions right now. Even if they threw all the cards they had onto the table, they would simply be losing one Sky Castle. Then what about the Abyss? ¡°Knowing how resolute the Sernitas are, we can¡¯t do much on our end either.¡± The Abyss King looked piercingly at Bael and continued, ¡°If the Sernitas are going to withdraw their Sky Castle, the Abyss is also planning to withdraw¡­¡± In other words, they would no longer be maintaining the coalition, and hearing this, Bael filled with rage. ¡°Calm down.¡± The Abyss King raised his hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished.¡± It seemed that he still had something to say. ¡°There¡¯s nothing set in stone yet.¡± The Abyss King swallowed back the words, ¡®¡­yes, at least for now¡¯, and he had to try hard to keep down the laughter that was ready to escape from his mouth. CH 406 The Sernitas expressed their intention to withdraw. The same was true for the Abyss, but nothing had been decided yet. Bael¡¯s face turned sour when she heard the Abyss King¡¯s words. The greatest threat to the current Demon Empire was not humanity, the Cassiubia League, nor the Sernitas¡ªit was the Abyss. The Demon Empire had suffered a great loss due to the battle a few days ago. It was no exaggeration to say that they already had one foot in the grave. The Abyss had also received quite a hit, but it was relatively small compared to the Demon Empire as the King and the Seven Chasms were still holding out strong. They had been keeping a wary eye on each other and waiting for an opportunity to strike. If the situation had been reversed, Bael would have sincerely considered targeting the Abyss instead, since it was extremely rare for the main forces of each faction to gather like this. As such, there was nothing stopping the Abyss from coming to the same conclusion. Bael was certain that they had probably discussed something along these lines already. On the other hand, the Abyss King¡¯s words and actions were certainly surprising with that taken into consideration. First of all, it was surprising that he had come alone all the way to their main camp, which had raised their guard to the highest level. ¡®Nothing has been decided yet¡­¡¯ Bael repeated his words to herself, and a hint of suspicion appeared on her face. Although she couldn¡¯t erase her doubts and wondered what his true intentions were, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± the Abyss King continued. ¡°You must be feeling anxious. Judging by your condition right now, I think I can kill you with one finger.¡± Bael shuddered with fury, but she didn¡¯t have a comeback for that. Apart from how weak she was feeling, she was in fact in a position where she had to worry about her immediate survival. ¡°If I kill you here and attack your army, the Demon Empire will crumble and fall into chaos¡­ Even if you had left defensive forces on the mainland, the Demon Empire will still be weaker than the Cassiubia League and even humanity by then.¡± ¡°What did you say? You¡ª!¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Bael was about to shout something, but in response to the Abyss King¡¯s blunt words and questions, she could only gape. Still, she was clearly burning up with the urge to fight if the way she steadied her breath while glaring at him murderously was anything to go by; it was as if she was planning to make her last blow even if she died. Her fighting spirit was truly admirable, but the Abyss King snorted. He didn¡¯t come here to simply swing a knife at her. Of course, he had to admit that the Demon Empire was a delicious prey, but his eyes were focused on something greater than that. He said, ¡°Now that the situation has come to this point, it¡¯s an open secret¡­but.¡± He paused for a moment and raised one corner of his mouth slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not very pleasant.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Should I say that it leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth?¡± the Abyss King continued calmly. ¡°From the very beginning we gathered in one place, we all secretly knew that we wouldn¡¯t let each other go in peace. No matter when it¡¯ll be.¡± Whether it was after crushing Shalyh, or after the conquest of the Cassiubia Mountain Range in the far future, it was obvious from the beginning that the three factions would turn against each other before disbanding the coalition. He continued, ¡°However, the prerequisites that must be achieved to reach that stage has gone awry from the first step.¡± Far from occupying Shalyh, which was considered an obvious order of events, they weren¡¯t able to even break through the gate leading to Shalyh and were at a complete loss for what to do. ¡°We were going to point our swords at each other only after we crushed humanity and the Cassiubia League. But what would happen if we go after each other now? Humanity and Cassiubia League will happily clap like they are watching a fire across the river.¡± This was not a favorable outcome for either the Demon Empire or Abyss, especially after seeing Bael like this in person. Although it was true that the Demon Empire did far less than expected in this war, the Abyss knew that Bael¡¯s fame and prestige were no lies from all their previous wars with the Demon Empire. Nevertheless, the fact that the situation had gotten to this point meant only one thing¡ªoutside of the legend, another strong hero who they could not underestimate had appeared among humanity. Triggering an internal strife in front of such a strong opponent was tantamount to cutting off one¡¯s own flesh. If this strong hero and the Last Dragon joined forces and aimed for the back of their head, there was no guarantee that the Abyss King would not end up like Bael. While the Abyss King continued to talk, the burning fury in Bael¡¯s eyes eased a bit. He seemed to be suggesting that he had no intention to turn their backs on the Demon Empire just yet. ¡°Therefore, my proposal is quite simple,¡± the Abyss King said. ¡°The Sernitas are going to pull back with the Sky Castle because they judged that the odds of winning are too low in the current situation. Therefore, we need to increase the odds to change the Sernitas¡¯ mind, at least for them to think it¡¯s worth a try.¡± Bael blinked. How could they increase the odds of winning in this situation? ¡°If you agree with anything I¡¯ve said so far¡ª¡± Then the Abyss King finally brought up the main subject at hand. ¡°As the king of the Abyss, I propose two conditions to you.¡± Bael¡¯s expression hardened; she had expected this. There was no way the Abyss King would come all the way here on his own for no reason. Bael pushed her chin slightly back and paid her full attention to him as if to signal she would hear him out first, but frankly, she was in a place where she had to grasp at straws. ¡°The first is to hand over the operational level of command to us.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s as I say. In all future military operations, the Demon Empire has to follow our orders.¡± ¡°You want the great demons to wait on your hands and feet?¡± ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t planning to treat them like that, and I was going to show my respect to a certain extent but¡­I¡¯ll say you¡¯re not completely wrong.¡± ¡°Ah, by the way,¡± the Abyss King continued in a blunt tone, ¡°You¡¯re included among the great demons.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Bael shouted with an angry expression. Frankly speaking, the Abyss King was suggesting that the Demon Empire join the Abyss as their subordinates, and this was a proposal that Bael couldn¡¯t accept. However, the Abyss King tilted his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do you think it¡¯s bullshit?¡± ¡°Then would you have accepted it if you were in my position?¡± ¡°But I already did.¡± Bael paused. He hadn¡¯t said he could have; instead, he said he had already accepted it before. On second thought, he wasn¡¯t wrong. After the three factions joined forces, the Abyss had mostly given in and followed the Demon Empire¡¯s lead. This siege was proof of that. The Abyss had even divided their army into two to attack both mountain ranges so that the Demon Empire could focus entirely on capturing the last gate, which was the most important mission. In fact, when Bael led her entire army out, the Abyss King had responded accordingly to her lead. Considering that the Demon Empire had failed to capture the gate even while the Abyss King faced the Last Dragon by himself, the Demon Empire had no one to blame for their failure but themselves. Even if Bael hadn¡¯t ordered them to do so, it was undeniable that the Abyss had acted according to the Demon Empire¡¯s plan so far. ¡°If the Demon Empire had produced results as much as the trust we put in you, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything either. But if you want us to follow the Demon Empire again after this¡­I would also be skeptical about continuing this war.¡± Bael became mute at the Abyss King¡¯s logical argument. Even though she wanted to counter his point, she couldn¡¯t think of anything because everything he said was true. After a long pause, she finally broke her silence. With her teeth ground together, she asked, ¡°What about the second condition?¡± ¡°To accept the offer.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Bael narrowed her eyes. She wondered what he meant. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about my offer.¡± The Abyss King waved his hand and clarified himself. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Sernitas¡¯ offer.¡± Bael¡¯s expression noticeably stiffened. He added, ¡°You must have received the same offer as me, right?¡± Eyes narrowed, she glared at the Abyss King for a while, who had been talking sleekly so far. ¡°¡­I finally got it.¡± She twisted her mouth and growled. ¡°The Sernitas must have told you this, right? If you want to keep this coalition for even a bit longer, go and change my mind.¡± ¡°To repeat myself, I¡¯ve also received the same offer. I turned it down in the end, but it was an interesting proposition. There were definitely parts that piqued my interest.¡± Bael glared at him as if saying he should do it instead if he thought the proposal was so great. However, the Abyss King wasn¡¯t worried because Bael had no choice but to accept these conditions in the end. He felt certain after seeing her in person. Moreover, Bael must know better than anyone else about her current physical condition. ¡°You look like you have a lot to say but¡­¡± the Abyss King continued leisurely, ¡°Before that, let me ask you the most important question.¡± A sneer came from the darkness inside his helmet. ¡°Do you have a choice?¡± Bael¡¯s face contorted with rage. * * * After the enemy¡¯s coalition retreated in tears once again, the atmosphere on humanity and the League¡¯s side was pretty decent. The main forces of the Cassiubia League had arrived and driven out their enemies in an all-out war, the Sky Castle¡¯s attack was no longer a threat, and most of all, they had succeeded in dropping Bael, one of the enemy¡¯s most terrifying monsters. For the first time since the war began, everything was going favorably for them. Victory was no longer a pipe dream but a possibility within reach. Thanks to this, the morale that had hit rock bottom peaked again, but the Last Dragon did not let down her guard. Frankly, the Last Dragon had hoped a little bit that the war would end when Bael retreated in a terrible, near-death state. However, the enemy coalition had shown no response since then. They didn¡¯t attack, but they weren¡¯t withdrawing either. Since that day, a lull had continued, and the Last Dragon fell into thought. The enemy coalition had two options to choose from: to retreat like this, or resume invasion. In the former case, it would be quite difficult for the Demon Empire. They would of course want the latter option, but it was doubtful whether the Sernitas or the Abyss would comply. As of a few days ago, the tense balance between the enemy coalition had been completely shaken up. The Last Dragon decided to wait for now. With these thoughts, the Last Dragon kept a close eye on the enemy coalition. It wasn¡¯t until the next day that she learned of the coalition¡¯s decision, which left her slightly taken aback. There were two beings the Last Dragon was the most wary about: needless to say, it was Bael and the Abyss King. The reason why she arrived at the gate one step ahead of the League¡¯s main forces was because she had felt their strong energies running wild at the time. However, Bael¡¯s energy became very weak right after being defeated by Chi-Woo; considering that it was faint and on the verge of disappearing, it seemed as if Bael wouldn''t last long, and her prediction was proven right this morning. Bael¡¯s extremely faint energy disappeared without a trace. No matter how hard she searched, she couldn''t detect it anymore. This phenomenon only meant one thing¡ªBael had been extinguished. On second thought, Chi-Woo had told her that even though he missed her, he had basically ended her; unless Bael was half-god, it would be difficult for her to recover and get back to the battlefield. Although this was great news that should make her jump up in joy, the Last Dragon smacked her lips. She felt uneasy inside. The Abyss¡¯ action was too suspicious to just accept Chi-Woo¡¯s words as it was. The Demon Empire without Bael would be like humanity without Chi-Hyun. It might have been different if the original 66 great demons at the peak of the Demon Empire were still standing strong, but including those defending the mainland, there were only about 20 or so great demons now. In short, the price wasn¡¯t right. For the Sernitas and the Abyss, there was no reason for them to work so hard to break through the last gate that humanity and the League were defending with all their forces, since if the three factions were going to become enemies anyway, it would be easier to destroy the main forces of the Demon Empire here and then annihilate their remaining forces on the mainland. Of course, the Last Dragon knew that this was the best possible scenario for them. She was also well aware that there was a possibility that the three factions would maintain their coalition and attack humanity and the League. As such, the Last Dragon increased her vigilance for any suspicious movement from the enemy¡¯s side. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ However, the more she observed, the more confused she became. She couldn¡¯t figure out what the enemy was thinking. She even carefully scouted not only the sky, but also around the mountain ranges just in case, since the enemy could form a detachment unit and bypass the mountain range to aim for Shalyh. However, no matter where she looked, she couldn¡¯t spot signs of their enemy. The enemy coalition simply stayed in their camps. Not knowing the enemy¡¯s intention, the Last Dragon continued to stare at them, and the large island positioned on the ground caught her eye. ¡®With those possibilities eliminated, what¡¯s left is¡­¡¯ Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at "pawread dot com" While the Last Dragon stared at the Sky Castle and slowly lowered her gaze, her eyes unconsciously narrowed for a moment. ¡°!¡± Then she spotted something at the bottom of the island, and her eyes widened. ¡®No way.¡¯ A possibility crossed her mind, and the Last Dragon quickly turned around. * * * Night came. After paying the still unconscious Alice a late visit, Chi-Woo had to quickly get back up after a short sleep. He hurried out of the tent after hearing the Last Dragon¡¯s emergency call. CH 407 After following the messenger¡¯s guide, Chi-Woo arrived at a place where many people were already gathered. He saw a girl with pigtails standing at the center of the group and immediately walked up to her. The Last Dragon didn¡¯t even move when he got closer. She simply looked at the ground with her arms crossed and head bowed. Chi-Woo followed her gaze and saw a circular hole on the ground. He couldn¡¯t see the end of it, and it looked like a hole drilled into the ground for underground investigation purposes. The Last Dragon stared intently at the hole with a solemn look on her face. ¡°What is it?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and the Last Dragon raised her head. ¡°Ah¡­you¡¯ve come.¡± There was no strength in her voice. She even sounded a bit remorseful. ¡°How should I explain this¡­?¡± The Last Dragon clutched her forehead like she was getting a headache. Then she explained how Bael¡¯s energy, which was becoming fainter as time passed, had completely disappeared a couple of days ago. The Last Dragon supposed that Bael must have been extinguished and their enemy coalition would undergo some change as a result. Yet contrary to her expectations, their enemies were staying quiet. They weren¡¯t attacking the last gate nor backing away. They weren¡¯t fighting each other either. They were just maintaining their silence and inaction. While contemplating what was happening, the Last Dragon thought of the possibility that their enemy might be targeting something besides the last gate: Shalyh City. What if their enemy was planning to create a bypass around the last gate and aim directly for the holy city? Thus, the Last Dragon immediately gave the order to monitor the sky and heighten surveillance around the mountain ranges on both sides of the gate. They set up a barrier that reached from the sky to the ground and stayed on high alert. Yet they couldn¡¯t spot a single enemy no matter how hard they searched. Perhaps there were some who escaped their eyes, but they couldn¡¯t find any trace of that either. The Last Dragon couldn¡¯t understand what her enemies were thinking no matter how hard she tried, and she ended up staring intently at the Sky Castle for a long time. It was then she realized that she had overlooked one vital aspect when she saw what was flowing bountifully from the bottom part of the Sky Castle. ¡°Roots,¡± the Last Dragon said in a low voice. ¡°Before the war even began, the Sernitas¡¯ Sky Castle landed on the ground and lay down its roots.¡± After hearing what the Last Dragon said, Chi-Woo looked at the hole again and realized why they had dug into the ground. ¡°Are you talking about a tunnel?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I should¡¯ve thought about it earlier¡­¡± The Last Dragon sighed. She had kept her senses on the sky and even parts of the underground. If an enemy tried to secretly pass through the last gate through an underground tunnel, she would¡¯ve normally detected it instantly¡­unless her enemy really went all out and made a tunnel extremely deep into the ground. ¡®A tunnel¡­.¡¯ Chi-Woo fell into deep contemplation. He was already aware of his enemy¡¯s capabilities with using underground tunnels. During the height of the siege, he had witnessed soldiers piercing through the ground and jumping out to the inside of the gate. Yet that was still within the last gate¡¯s vicinity. He didn¡¯t think they would try to reach all the way to Shalyh in that manner; well, it was more like he hadn¡¯t had the luxury to think that deeply not long ago because humanity and the Cassiubia League had been too busy holding off their enemies to do anything else. ¡®Wait. Had the Sky Castle been aiming for Shalyh since they first came down and set up a tunnel¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought and shook his head. There was no way. If the Sky Castle got to work as soon as it laid down its roots, it would¡¯ve completed a long tunnel that could reach Shalyh by now. Yet the coalition army had been full of confidence before the war officially began. It didn¡¯t make sense that they would dig a tunnel aiming for Shalyh from the very beginning if it wasn¡¯t connected to taking over the last gate. Thus, it seemed most likely that they began their tunnel construction after Bael was defeated. Chi-Woo frowned at the thought. There were too many factors to consider when trying to figure out what happened. ¡°If it really is a tunnel¡­their target must be Shalyh City, right?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Probably. I¡¯m pretty sure it is.¡± The Last Dragon nodded. ¡°What is their intention then? Even if they invade Shalyh right now¡­¡± ¡°They will be changing their order of plans. Instead of penetrating through the last gate to invade Shalyh, they will destroy Shalyh to siege the last gate.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head. He didn¡¯t understand what the Last Dragon was saying. The coalition army should have sensed that they were in a much worse situation than at the start of the war. Why were they trying to destroy Shalyh to turn things around? ¡°Shalyh has a temple for its holy territory.¡± The moment the Last Dragon said these words, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. He got an inkling of what his enemy¡¯s goal was now. The effects of White Horse General¡¯s holy territory were still in effect even though it had been neutralized by the Sky Castle¡¯s territorialization. Thus, if their enemy destroyed the White Horse General¡¯s holy relic, which was the core of the holy territory in this land¡­the Sky Castle would immediately be able to territorialize their surroundings and use its effects on the battlefield. The territory would wield tremendous influence, incomparable to territories that most great demons ruled over. And if that really happened, the coalition army would gain an enormous advantage and upper hand, and they would be able to fill the gap created after Bael¡¯s fall and possibly more. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we quickly head to Shalyh then?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°I agree that we should act as fast as possible, but it¡¯s not like there are no troops in Shalyh.¡± The Last Dragon spoke calmly. ¡°I already ordered the troops that departed late to hold their ground at Shalyh instead of coming to the last gate just in case¡­ I¡¯m sure they will be able to withstand the coalition¡¯s incoming special forces for some time.¡± This was one of the few fortunate news, yet the Last Dragon chewed on her lips. She looked anxious, unlike her usual self. ¡°And¡­there¡¯s one question that remains unsolved.¡± At this point, the coalition army was making a big gamble by sending a special force. Even though the League¡¯s forces in Shalyh were made up of latecomers, they were still a formidable force, and the coalition army could end up losing valuable troops without achieving anything. Thus, it seemed likely they would¡¯ve dispatched a special force made up of only elite members, and this was the part that the Last Dragon was most confused about. In order to crush Shalyh for certain, a great demon or one of the Abyss¡¯ chasms needed to take the lead. Yet according to her senses, none of their presences had disappeared, be it the great demons, the Abyss King, or the chasms underneath him. They were all patiently waiting on the other side of the gate. The only energy she sensed had disappeared was Bael. As they were deeply contemplating these matters, they heard sudden murmurings. Chi-Woo and the Last Dragon looked at the hole in the ground again. Not long afterward, a cat popped out. ¡°Cough, cough! Huh¡­former boss?¡± A cat smeared with dirt all over his body looked up in surprise. Chi-Woo was glad to see Nangnang after a long time, but there was a more important task at hand than paying greetings to an old friend. Nangnang also realized this and immediately got to the point. ¡°I apologize for being late. It¡¯s complicated as a maze down there, so it took me a long time to investigate.¡± Nangnang was one of the participants in the underground investigation. Since the League was working so hard to find out what was going on, humanity couldn¡¯t sit still and watch either, so some volunteered in the tunnel search. Though there was no doubt that Nangnang was a very skilled guide, even he was baffled by the situation underground. He saw numerous tunnels at first glance, and he was astonished by how deep and far the Sky Castle had reached. However, none of the tunnels his team and he had found strayed far from the last gate¡¯s vicinity. Most of them seemed to have been made when the Sky Castle first landed on the ground and before the siege of the gate started. They searched night and day, and they found no exception. At this point, some were ready to give up looking for anything else, yet Nangnang continued on and separated from the League members he had been moving with. He dug through the ground without resting. All his keen senses as a guide and scout rang alarm bells that there was surely something underneath, and in the end, he was rewarded with the fruits of his labor. He discovered a tunnel created way below the other tunnels, and it was incomparably longer. ¡°I turned back in the middle because the tunnel was so long, but I¡¯m sure our enemy has passed the last gate and the mountain ranges. I found traces of someone going through the tunnel recently.¡± Nangnang confirmed that the coalition had sent a force in secret to Shalyh. ¡°How many of them are there?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Nangnang hesitated at the Last Dragon¡¯s question. He licked his lips and replied in a low voice, ¡°One.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I also found it hard to believe that only one passed through the tunnel. Still, I couldn¡¯t find any other trace indicating otherwise¡± Nangnang had always said that an archer needed to be accurate at all times; thus, it seemed very unlikely that he would be joking now. But it was shocking that the secret card that their enemy had prepared to overturn the situation was just one being. Most people would¡¯ve told Nangnang to stop kidding around, but the Last Dragon didn¡¯t do that but simply scowled. It was because Nangnang had confirmed the scenario that she had feared the most. ¡°¡­I think I can talk with full certainty now,¡± The Last Dragon let out a sigh as she turned back to Chi-Woo. ¡°This is no time for us to stroll around here. We have to move immediately.¡± *** The Last Dragon immediately gave an order on the spot. All the notable figures from the Cassiubia League and humanity gathered. The Last Dragon quickly relayed the information that Nangnang had found out and threw a bombshell at the end. ¡°I presume that the one infiltrator is Bael.¡± A slight commotion arose inside the tent. It was inevitable since everyone had clearly witnessed Bael fall to ruins at Chi-Woo¡¯s hands. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t make sense. But considering the situation, there seems to be no other possibility than Bael.¡± All the other great demons and the Abyss¡¯ main forces remained in this place. The coalition army wasn¡¯t stupid enough to send a single member to invade Shalyh and hope for success; yet the story changed if that single member was Bael. If she had recovered her full strength through some unknown methods, she possessed enough military might to crush a city and more. Of course, they couldn¡¯t be completely certain of this fact. It might not be the case, and they would only know if they actually went to the city in question and confirmed it themselves¡ªand they needed to do this as soon as possible. However, humanity and the Cassiubia League faced a dilemma. Right now, they were able to reach a lull. A great portion of the Demon Empire¡¯s strength was crushed, but there were still a significant number of great demons left. Furthermore, the Abyss¡¯ main force was still very much intact. While humanity and the League didn¡¯t have a great enough force to take the offensive and defeat their enemies, they could put up a decent fight by playing defense and maintaining homeground advantage. However, if they divert some troops to block Bael, a gap would form in their defensive line. Thus, the best method was to send the minimum number of forces to stop Bael. In the end, people agreed that either Chi-Woo or the Last Dragon had to go. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you¡­I would like to request you to take on that task,¡± the Last Dragon said in an apologetic voice. ¡°If my calculations are correct, I¡¯m not confident that I would be able to deal with Bael as well as you.¡± Find the original at "pawread dot com". Chi-Woo easily agreed to the Last Dragon¡¯s request. Bael was an opponent he had already beat. It didn¡¯t seem unreasonable to think that he would win the second time¡ªif the person in question was really Bael, of course. ¡°Since this is such an urgent matter, it would be preferable for you to depart this instance. Will that be fine for you?¡± ¡°Yes, I will prepare to leave immediately. But I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to arrive on time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go by walking. I will send a member of the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind with you. You won¡¯t be late if you travel by flying.¡± The Last Dragon then got up and left like the wind, but Chi-Woo remained where he was. He sat looking a bit dazed and stroked his lips bemusedly. One person approached Chi-Woo then. ¡°Are you alright?¡± It was Yunael. Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you really are all right. Your expression doesn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Chi-Woo touched his face in surprise. Truthfully, he was a bit anxious about the situation. It was because he got a foreboding feeling as soon as it was decided that he was the one who would leave for Shalyh. ¡°Don¡¯t overexert yourself. Just in case, should I go with¡ª¡± Yunael stopped in the middle of speaking and smacked her lips. Chi-Woo had raised his head and was staring intently at her. ¡°W-What are you looking at me like that for?¡± Yunael said, startled. Then she flinched when Chi-Woo suddenly got up. ¡°Let me talk to you for a bit.¡± Chi-Woo grabbed Yunael¡¯s arm and dragged her outside. ¡°What, no, my arm.¡± Yunael was only released after they got out of the tent. Yunael grumbled while massaging her forearm. ¡°Ms. Yunael.¡± Chi-Woo looked over his shoulders to both sides before turning back to Yunael. ¡°Listen to me carefully from now on,¡± he said in a low voice, and Yunael instinctively fixed her posture and craned her ears. ¡°What?!¡± Yunael shouted after hearing what he said. ¡°Will you be able to do it?¡± ¡°Not that I can¡¯t, but it¡¯s a bit too much pressure¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to force you¡ª¡± Seeing Yunael shake her head, Chi-Woo was about to add, ¡®Don¡¯t push yourself too much. It depends on how things play out,¡¯ but he changed his tone in the end. ¡°No. You should feel pressured. You have to accept the pressure and accomplish the task.¡± Yunael gulped. It was the first time she saw Chi-Woo being so firm and determined. Yunael didn¡¯t hesitate for long. Though she was stubborn and hasty at times, she knew when to be serious. Furthermore, she never backed down from important tasks. ¡°I understand,¡± Yunael said, looking determined. ¡°Just leave it to me. I will give it a try since it¡¯s coming to this. No, I will do it.¡± She went along with the situation but chewed on her lower lip after speaking the words. She glanced at Chi-Woo as he let out a long sigh and asked carefully, ¡°But¡­what¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°Ah, I need to have some insurance before leaving just in case,¡± Chi-Woo replied nonchalantly, and Yunael frowned. ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking about that. Why me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It sounds like a very important matter. Why aren¡¯t you asking Ru Amuh, who you dote on so much?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chi-Woo opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. Now that he thought about it, why was he asking Yunael instead of Ru Amuh? He didn¡¯t know the reason, but had simply been following his gut feeling. ¡®Hm¡ª¡¯ Chi-Woo scratched his head and shrugged. ¡°I was able to save the World once because you helped me. It¡¯s one of the reasons why we were able to reach this point.¡± Then, he smiled and continued, ¡°And I had a hunch that the same thing might happen this time too.¡± Chi-Woo turned around after saying those words because he heard the Last Dragon calling out to him from far away. Yunael watched as Chi-Woo¡¯s back quickly grew more and more distant. Eventually, a great pressure along with a sense of responsibility lodged itself firmly in her heart. For some reason, she had a feeling she wouldn¡¯t be able to see that back for another time if she didn¡¯t accomplish the task entrusted to her. CH 408 Swwwwish! Something flew across the night sky at an astounding speed. It was Chi-Woo and the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind. As ordered by the Last Dragon, the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind was flying at the fastest speed. It was so fast that Chi-Woo felt like he was on a jet plane. Thanks to the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind, it did not take long for him to arrive at Shalyh, and a lot of thoughts crossed his mind on the way. He wondered who the enemy heading to Shalyh was, and if it really was Bael as the Last Dragon said, he wondered what would happen then. It would be a lie if he said he wasn¡¯t nervous. However, Chi-Woo was not alone. The Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind was taking him to Shalyh with all their strength and energy, and Asha was also with him. He didn¡¯t mean to bring Asha, but Asha had secretly hidden inside his pocket. Moreover, he heard that the League¡¯s late reinforcements were stationed in Shalyh. Even though they were latecomers, they must be of a sizable force and possess sufficient strength. Chi-Woo hoped with all his heart that they would be able to hold out till he got there. He prayed while keeping his gaze forward. How long had it been? There was still some time left until dawn. It was dark all around, but he could see the outline of a city in the distant light. Chi-Woo looked at the gradually approaching Shalyh, and his eyes opened wide when he saw the rising smoke. * * * Chaos had fallen upon Shalyh. As the Last Dragon said, the latecomers had arrived and were stationed in the city, but they weren¡¯t able to beat one single enemy. It was because the advance team was organized mainly for mobility and speed, and the main army was where the heavy-hitters were. Although it was said that there was power in numbers, there were always exceptions. Their enemy was way beyond their pay grade, and the League¡¯s army was in a state of disarray and scattered apart as no one could deal with this one individual. That was when Chi-Woo arrived at Shalyh. He checked the situation inside the city and clicked his tongue. Judging by how it looked, the city¡¯s gate had fallen a long time ago, and there were obvious signs of damage everywhere. In short, the city had been thoroughly destroyed. One fortunate part was that the temple of the White Horse General remained relatively intact, but even that seemed precarious as the League forces were near the end of their desperate resistance. ¡°Over there!¡± Chi-Woo identified where the great commotion came from and pointed down. ¡°That way!¡± The Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind turned immediately and flew towards the direction. When he was right above the place where the fight broke out, he felt the wind covering his whole body gradually move away; at the same time, his body slowly descended to the ground. Then the enemy, who had been walking as if she was coming out for a drink in the neighborhood, stopped. Her head, which had been tilted towards the night sky, began to slowly tilt down as her gaze followed Chi-Woo¡¯s descent. Soon after, Chi-Woo landed on the ground on one knee. As soon as he looked up, his eyes met with his enemy¡¯s, and his expression hardened. He hadn¡¯t want to believe it, but¡ª ¡°Here you are.¡± The enemy greeting him with faux friendliness was none other than Bael. The Last Dragon had been right. Bael was still alive, and in a relatively good condition at that. Bael continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been playing since I was so bored¡­¡± Bael seemed extremely relaxed and comfortable as she looked around. ¡°Originally, I would have destroyed everything as fast as possible¡­but that would have been too boring, right?¡± Then she smiled at Chi-Woo and said, ¡°While I¡¯m at it, I think it¡¯ll be more fun to destroy everything along with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just, I had a strong feeling that you¡¯ll definitely come here. So thanks for coming.¡± Although Chi-Woo could hear Bael loud and clear, he didn¡¯t reply because of how confused he was. Now that he looked at her again, the hole in her abdomen was completely patched up, and that wasn¡¯t the only change. The great demons that Chi-Woo had seen so far generally had darker skin. It wasn¡¯t true for all of them, but their skin tended to have a dark-bluish undertone due to the influence of dark energy. This had also been true for Bael. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t realized it since it was still dark at night, but up-close, he could clearly see that Bael¡¯s complexion was no longer black and blue like before. It wasn¡¯t just her face. Her skin was now as fair as white jade. As a result, her features had become clearer and more visible, and she looked like a beautiful human woman. It was to the extent that he wouldn¡¯t have recognized her if he passed her by on the streets. He wondered what in the world happened. Seemingly feeling his stare, Bael covered her mouth with a hand and laughed silently. ¡°Why?¡± she asked a little teasingly. ¡°Are you surprised?¡± Although her crescent-like eyes were seductive, Chi-Woo stayed focused and alert. He slowly rose from the ground, keeping a close eye on Bael. How on earth was she able to recover to this state, and what had changed from before? It was a mystery at the moment, but there was one thing he needed to do right now¡ªdefend Shalyh and defeat Bael. Chi-Woo stretched out his arm. As soon as Armed with the Sixth Element emitted a white light and transformed into a club, Chi-Woo rushed towards Bael without hesitation. Once their distance was narrowed, Chi-Woo clearly saw Bael dropping her hand from her mouth, and she started shaking like her body was lagging the way computers would. An unknown sense of ominousness came over him, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t stop. He stretched out his arm and swung the ghost-busting club with all his might. Then¡ª To access the premium content, go to [ pawread dot com ]. ¡°!¡± Chi-Woo felt his eyes tense without even realizing it when his club was blocked. Of course, considering the strength of his opponent, it was fully within the realm of possibility that this could happen. However, Bael blocked it way too easily¡ªshe had simply lifted her arm a little. She didn¡¯t bring out her giant sword like before and hadn¡¯t even wrapped dark energy around her. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡¯ Only then did Chi-Woo realize there was another reason why he thought Bael felt unfamiliar. Her appearance wasn¡¯t the only thing that had changed. When he met her at the last gate, the dark energy she emitted had been so thick and heavy that it was hard to even breathe, but now he couldn¡¯t sense a lick of dark energy from her. He could also tell the difference by the effects the ghost-busting club had on her, or the lack thereof. The club¡¯s exorcism power should have absolute advantage against dark energy, yet it was quiet today. It wasn¡¯t the same as before. Then Bael¡¯s head twisted from side to side, and her body shook like crazy once again. Alarm bells rang in his head, and Chi-Woo hurriedly withdrew. Soon, the tremor subsided, and Bael caught her breath. She glanced at the forearm blocking the club and let out a long sigh. ¡°As expected¡­it really is great. Even among all this countless information¡­the best is fifty-fifty¡­¡± She muttered incomprehensible words and then smiled at Chi-Woo, who had gotten out of range. ¡°But it¡¯s all right. Fifty-fifty is well worth a try. No, I¡¯ll win because I was stronger than you in the first place.¡± Chi-Woo looked at her questioningly. Bael smirked and asked, ¡°¡­Are you curious?¡± Of course, she had no intention of telling him the truth even if he said he was curious since there was a much more important task she needed to accomplish. The queen of the Demon Empire, who had returned from the crossroads of life and death, had been waiting for this very moment¡ªthe moment to remove the stigma this human had inflicted on her body and soul. ¡°If you¡¯re curious¡ªfind it out yourself!¡± With a shout, Bael explosively rushed towards him. * * * At the same time, the second-rank great demon, Agares, was conversing with the Abyss King. Frankly, Agares might as well be talking to himself since the Abyss King wasn¡¯t even looking at him. Just like how the Last Dragon was sensing and watching their movement, the coalition was also closely monitoring humanity and the League, and Agares had just received a report that humanity and the League had made a move a few hours ago: the human who had defeated countless great demons had left the last gate in a hurry. After receiving this report, Agares visited the Abyss King and insisted on resuming their siege. Bael was absent, but their opponent had also lost a force at a similar level of power. Now that the terrifying human was elsewhere, they could try capturing the last gate again. Moreover, if things went wrong, Bael could be attacked from the front and back, so they needed to keep the enemy troops at the last gate occupied as much as possible. As such, Agares had thought the Abyss would naturally make their move, but that didn¡¯t turn out to be the case. The Abyss King did not budge and seemed to be barely listening to him. His reasoning was also ridiculous: that they needed to be more careful since it could be a trap. Agares couldn¡¯t understand the Abyss King at all, and it felt as if he¡¯d been hit in the head with a hammer after going out of his way to visit the Abyss King. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it seemed as if the Abyss King wasn¡¯t very interested in capturing the last gate, and his attitude was detached and passive. ¡°This is the perfect time to capture the gate, but sir, why aren¡¯t you moving the army?¡± No matter how many times Agares made the suggestion, the Abyss King didn¡¯t budge. ¡°What are you going to do if our enemies learn that we¡¯re going to stay still? Not even considering the Last Dragon, if one of the top leading tribes join Shalyh¡¯s side¡­!¡± He received the same reaction even when he showed his anger. ¡°That won¡¯t happen, but it won¡¯t be too late to think of appropriate measures then,¡± the Abyss King answered calmly. Agares repressed his frustration and was about to continue when¡ª ¡°Stop.¡± The Abyss King cut him off. ¡°It¡¯s an order.¡± Agares became speechless. He was well aware that the Abyss held operational command currently. Although he would have never accepted this usually, he had no choice but to since it had been a direct order from Bael only a few hours ago. Agares gnawed on his lips when he recalled what had happened back then. He didn¡¯t know what Bael and the Abyss King had talked about, but he did know that not long after the Abyss King visited Bael alone, he walked out with Bael in his arms. Bael left with only the words that she was going to recover and that they should follow the Abyss¡¯ lead until she came back. Since then, Bael had been absent. From what he heard, Bael had succeeded in recovering, and then he heard from the Abyss King that she had gone past the gate through a tunnel to capture Shalyh. Agares was perplexed. He wondered how Bael was able to recover so quickly, and why she had gone to Shalyh alone without saying a word. He didn¡¯t know anything. But even then, he trusted Bael and tried to do something. On the other hand, he was burning up in frustration as all they were doing was waiting day and night. Then a memory suddenly came to his mind. [Sernitas. Can¡¯t meet them.] The day before he was dispatched, Shersha had secretly called him aside and fervently made a request. [Bael. Don¡¯t leave her alone.] [Never.] He hadn¡¯t thought much of it then. ¡®Perhaps.¡¯ However, he recalled this memory belatedly and stared at the Abyss King. ¡°I will not allow any further protests.¡± However, Agares wasn¡¯t able to ask any questions. ¡°We¡¯ll move when the time comes, so go back now and wait quietly.¡± Agares had no choice but to close his mouth because he felt an intense and terrifying pressure coming from the Abyss King¡¯s whole body. It was a decree and a warning; if he disobeyed, he would be taken care of. In a way, maybe the Abyss King hoped for this outcome, since the Abyss had all the authority to do so currently. In the end, Agares had no choice but to turn away while gritting his teeth, lamenting that things might already be too late. The Abyss King folded his arms as he watched Agares move slowly away. He had already obtained one of the things he wanted, but this wasn¡¯t the end. He planned to take advantage of this situation to get the best result possible. And in order to accomplish this task, he needed to wait; at least until the results came out. In that sense, Agares¡¯ argument was not completely wrong; they needed to keep the enemy troops at the last gate. Thus, he had stayed behind here. His presence was enough to keep the Last Dragon in check. ¡®I don¡¯t know how things will go, but¡­it¡¯s not a bad situation for them right now.¡¯ The Abyss King fell into thought and suddenly snorted. It was funnier the more he thought about it. What an ironic turn of fate. Yesterday¡¯s enemy became today¡¯s friend, and yesterday¡¯s friend became today¡¯s enemy. Or to be more precise, ¡®it could be¡¯. Anyway, he would only come to the full picture of the rest of his plan once the results came out. Not much time was left until then. Meanwhile, humanity and the Cassiubia League would try to protect the last gate to the best of their abilities. Unless they went completely off their rockers, they wouldn¡¯t crawl out and attack them first. If they just waited a little longer¡­ At that moment, the Abyss King saw something so unbelievable that he doubted his eyes. Where the moonlight rested, the gate opened wide, and troops marched out. It wasn¡¯t just the gate. From the mountain ranges on the left and the right, soldiers poured out and began to attack them. It was an ambush in the dead of night. Woahhhhhhhhh! The Abyss King jumped up from his seat after hearing the war cry. He stared blankly at the forces of humanity and the League that were rushing towards them from all directions. ¡°¡­What?¡± A shrill cry escaped his lips. The plan that he had worked hard to implement to match the sudden change in situation went completely awry. CH 409 This was what happened right after Chi-Woo left the last gate for Shalyh. Yunael returned to the tent after her conversation with Chi-Woo, and the notable figures among the Cassiubia League and humanity sat back down after getting up to leave. ¡°Give me a moment, please. The meeting isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Yunael told them she had a very important announcement to make. Once the Last Dragon returned, she began her speech. Though she mostly spat out whatever came to her mind instead of minding each word, the core message was simple: they couldn¡¯t sit still, waiting for their enemies to act first, and they needed to eliminate the possibility of unexpected events happening before they did. Thus, they had to target the Sky Castle, which had the greatest possibility of bringing about unexpected happenings. ¡°To nullify the Sernitas¡¯ Sky Castle¡­¡± the Last Dragon repeated Yunael¡¯s words in a low voice. If they could accomplish that, they wouldn¡¯t just change the direction of this war, but put an end to it by countering their enemy¡¯s plan. The problem was that their enemies weren¡¯t stupid enough to just let them approach the Sky Castle. It was clear they fully intended to protect it; the archers stationed at its rear were enough proof. ¡°How?¡± The Last Dragon agreed with Yunael¡¯s points, but thought there was no way to carry them out in action. In a sarcastic tone, she asked, ¡°Do we have to also form a detachment unit and send them?¡± Yet Yunael immediately replied, ¡°We¡¯ll have to, but that won¡¯t be enough. If we only do that, we¡¯ll just be wasting precious forces.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad and relieved that you pointed that out first. Then, what else?¡± ¡°We need to create an opening for the detachment force to approach the Sky Castle.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s the part I¡¯m asking about. Care to share your plan with us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Our main force has to get out of the last gate and fight. Then, our enemies will have no choice but to face us head-on, and the defense line around the Sky Castle will naturally thin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± the Last Dragon cut her off. She had heard Yunael out because she was supposedly close to Chi-Woo. ¡°I admit that the imbalance of power between us and our enemy has tilted significantly in our favor thanks to the leader of Seven Stars. And I know the situation makes things easier for us now.¡± Yet that all hinged on one condition. ¡°But that is as long as we put our focus on defense.¡± Everyone knew that the side on defense was much more advantageous than the side on the offense. There was a saying that when an army was attempting a siege, it needed to have three times the number of troops than the side on defense; and if the defense was well-prepared, the offense would have to be even five or ten times stronger. ¡°Of course, if we go along with what you said, we could create a momentary opening. But it won¡¯t last long, and the detachment team will soon face our enemy¡¯s main forces and meet a dreadful end.¡± Why would they throw away the advantage of being in the defensive position and make the situation more disadvantageous for themselves? At this point, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for people to doubt if Yunael was a spy from their enemy instead of an ally. If they really carried out the plan she suggested, perhaps even the enemy would despair, lamenting the fact that they had fought so hard against such simpletons. That was how nonsensical the plan she proposed was. Thus, the Last Dragon couldn¡¯t give her permission. ¡°What if accomplishing this mission would result in benefits that surpass the damages we¡¯ll suffer from it?¡± Yunael asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°And with those benefits, what if we can fix this war permanently to our favor?¡± The Last Dragon stared blankly at Yunael. She soon understood what Yunael was saying and asked, ¡°Are you saying all this while knowing how large the Sky Castle is?¡± It was called a ¡®castle¡¯, but it was so enormous that it was more like an island. ¡°Even if we make an opening somehow, it would be very short. At most, the detachment force would only be able to approach the Sky Castle and nothing more.¡± The mission wouldn¡¯t be over just because the detachment force reached the Sky Castle, they would need more time to destroy it. After all, the Sky Castle wasn¡¯t a sand castle that would break from a kick. How long would they last after trespassing into its territory? They would have a hard time surviving a couple of minutes, much less hours. It seemed impossible that they would be able to thoroughly nullify the Sky Castle in such a short time; at least that was what everyone thought. ¡°What if it¡¯s possible? And that momentary opening is enough?¡± The Last Dragon stared at Yunael. In fact, all the members of humanity and the League were staring piercingly at Yunael. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t sound like you are joking around,¡± the Last Dragon said. Considering the situation, it seemed Yunael was serious and had some kind of method in mind. ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case,¡± the Last Dragon¡¯s eyes turned cold as she glanced at Yunael. ¡°Why should we listen to you? Not just us, why should all our forces that are protecting this place at the risk of their lives agree to face such danger?¡± The Last Dragon wasn¡¯t wrong. Depending on who said it, words carried different weights. Even though Yunael was a nameworthy hero in the Celestial Realm, that wasn¡¯t the case at all on Liber. Among the Cassiubia League members, no one knew about the Tania family or was interested in it. She didn¡¯t have any big accomplishment under her belt that would make her name known far and wide since she came to this planet, and she hadn¡¯t made any noticeable achievements in this war either. If one ranked all the existences on Liber in the form of a pyramid, Yunael was very far down in comparison to the Last Dragon¡ªso low that one wouldn¡¯t be able to see her if they looked down from where the Last Dragon stood. In short, the Last Dragon was basically saying in a roundabout way that Yunael was acting out of line, yet her sharp glare faltered a bit when she saw Yunael snort. ¡°I get what you are saying¡­so let me say this first.¡± Yunael cleared her throat. ¡°This isn¡¯t my idea.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just relaying the message I have been told to give you all. He¡¯s the one who told me to do this and informed me of the way to go about it.¡± ¡°And who is this person you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Who else could it be?¡± Yunael replied. ¡°The guy heading to Shalyh right now.¡± Loud gasps poured out from everywhere. Even the Last Dragon was surprised to hear this. ¡°When?¡± ¡°While you were gone.¡± Yunael shrugged. ¡°He suddenly dragged me someplace else and told me to feel pressured because there¡¯s something I must do¡­if he hadn¡¯t told me to do that, I wouldn¡¯t have made the suggestion I just made. Do you think I¡¯m crazy enough to do something that could kill us all if there¡¯s a single mishap?¡± The Last Dragon quickly read Yunael¡¯s thoughts. Once she confirmed that Yunael wasn¡¯t lying, she said, ¡°In other words, you¡¯re nothing more than a messenger, and everything you said until now comes directly from the leader of Seven Stars? Not a word is from your own mind? Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. But is there a need to word it like that?¡± Yunael grumbled. The Last Dragon slapped her knees hard. ¡°Oh, damn it. You should¡¯ve told us that from the very beginning!¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yeah.¡± Yunael was a bit taken aback to hear the Last Dragon speak in a completely different tone. Besides her, everyone was looking at her differently now. The disapproving look they had shot her only a moment ago turned hopeful and expectant as they waited for Yunael to continue. It was only expected. In this war, Chi-Woo had extinguished many great demons, blocked the Sky Castle¡¯s attack, and even defeated Bael in a one-on-one battle. Thus, currently, Chi-Woo had a great influence on the members of humanity and the Cassiubia League, and each of his words held significant weight. ¡°So, what is the method?¡± The Last Dragon rubbed both hands together and leaned forward. Yunael let out a short sigh and smacked her lips. She had only mentioned Chi-Woo¡¯s name, but their treatment of her changed so dramatically that it made her head spin. *** As the Abyss King watched humanity and the Cassiubia League¡¯s troops rushed toward them with a loud roar, he noticed a large shadow cast over him. Discover the complete story on pawread dot com. ¡°¡­No matter how hard I think about it, I don¡¯t understand,¡± the Abyss King murmured while slowly raising his head. ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t find it a bad idea to keep on waiting for the situation to unfold.¡± The Abyss King looked up at the dragon flying above him. The two exchanged glances. ¡°If you plan to retreat now, I won¡¯t chase after you all,¡± the Abyss King declared. ¡°It¡¯s us who¡¯ll think about letting you all go if you decide to return to your respective territories,¡± the Last Dragon retorted. Under the helmet, the Abyss King¡¯s face turned solemn. Of course, the Last Dragon also noticed the change, because she felt the strong darkness around the Abyss King fluctuate wildly. ¡°Blame your folly, you foolish Last Dragon.¡± The Last Dragon simply smirked at the Abyss King¡¯s growling and opened her mouth. It was time for her to announce the start of the finale of this great festival. Not long afterward, giant pillars of fire shot out from her mouth and struck the ground. *** Meanwhile, Chi-Woo and Bael¡¯s second round of fighting began. Once Bael rushed toward him, Chi-Woo found it difficult to follow what he was seeing. It looked as if Bael¡¯s body was wavering left and right. As lightning flashed, the left side seemed to spark. Then the moment he lost track of her movements, Chi-Woo quickly bent backward and felt something sweep past his chest. Chi-Woo straightened his back and saw Bael with her left arm twisted backward. There was a loud bang, and his activated AI Armor shook relentlessly. Chi-Woo¡¯s lips slightly parted. All he did was block her punch, but he felt a great amount of exorcism mana seep out of him. It was shocking how much mana he had lost from blocking just one attack. Bael continued to move past him and raised her fist with her head tilted. Her body shuddered once, and she nodded with a smile. Soon, she turned around and kicked off the ground. Her body flew like a butterfly while her fist stung like a bee. Chi-Woo tried to counterattack while using the AI Armor as his defense, but he soon lost his balance from the shockwaves spreading through his entire body. Chi-Woo was flustered. Even while he was backing away instinctively, he couldn¡¯t hide his confusion. He managed to stop the blow, but couldn¡¯t offset all the damage. Furthermore, parts of his AI Armor were broken through. ¡°I told you,¡± Bael said in delight while seeing Chi-Woo back away. ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you now!¡± Chi-Woo regained his balance and collected his breath. He didn¡¯t know how, but Bael was evolving continuously just like the king candidates at the Hala Forest. A possibility came to his mind then, but he couldn''t dwell on it with Bael rushing at him. ¡®A spear?¡¯ Bael¡¯s hands were empty, but she held herself as if she was holding a weapon and was planning to pierce him once she got in range. Thus, Chi-Woo assumed that Bael had something like a spear, and he was right. Bael rushed forward and reached out, and her arm extended the way Ismile¡¯s body parts had done. Like rubber, her arm twisted into the shape of a sharp awl and thrust at him. Chi-Woo was ready for a long-range attack, so he immediately slammed his ghost-busting club down to propel himself; and the awl-like arm struck the ground meaninglessly. Chi-Woo wanted to jump up and kick Bael¡¯s chin as he had done in the last fight, but he could no longer do that. Because in the next moment, Bael¡¯s arms returned to their original size, and her hand changed back to an awl form and swung at him again. Because of that, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t back away. What followed was a loud cracking noise¡ªit sounded like glass breaking. Chi-Woo was startled by what he saw. A good portion of his AI Armor was broken. Chi-Woo turned away to minimize the damage as much as possible and gritted his teeth. He instantly twisted his waist in the opposite direction and swung his club fiercely. Since it was a sudden attack, and they were close to one another, Chi-Woo thought his attack would surely land on Bael. Yet the ghost-busting club hit only air when Bael bent down by more than 90 degrees, her upper body sinking so low that it was eerie. Then, she bounced back and swung her arms down with great force. Her arms flew out like two whips, and Chi-Woo quickly jumped off the ground. The ground shook tremendously with just one crack of the whip, and Chi-Woo groaned. Since he had the Armed with the Sixth Element within his possession, there was no reason for him to fight with his club alone. Chi-Woo landed on the shaking ground and extended his arms while running in a particular direction. Light shot out straight ahead at Bael¡¯s face, but Bael raised one arm and easily deflected the attack. Simultaneously, she used her other arm to aim for Chi-Woo. After taking a step back, Chi-Woo blocked the attack with his left arm, and from his right ear, he heard something flying across the air. Whoosh. Before he realized it, Bael had approached from the right and was swinging her deathly fist at him. Chi-Woo hastily bent down and felt sharp winds sweep past him. He quickly moved away and straightened up; but as soon as he did, he had to turn around with full force as another whirlwind brushed past his cheeks. Bael stopped moving for a moment and fixed her posture because while Chi-Woo was getting pushed back, he was enduring better than she expected him to. Then, she resumed the fight. ¡®Damn it, damn it!¡¯ Chi-Woo felt the whirling sharp wind around him and cursed under his breath. It felt as if he was being one-sidedly beaten up. CH 410 Chi-Woo could now understand a bit how Bael must have felt when she struggled so desperately in their fight last time. After exchanging attacks, one thing that Chi-Woo was able to clearly feel was that Bael had certainly changed. At the last gate, her attack had been a brutish display of power with her giant sword, but here at Shalyh, her attacks were varied and free. The problem was that while her attacks had become more varied, they remained just as powerful. This was clearly evident from the fact that although he had restored his AI Armor with exorcism mana, Bael was able to partially break through it. Even now, he found himself surrounded by clattering noises. Then his protective barrier was broken again, and extending like a whip, Bael¡¯s arm reached his ribs. At that moment, Chi-Woo lowered his elbows. He put his arm next to his body as if he was rubbing it and squeezed Bael¡¯s forearm as hard as he could. Since it was so hard to defend himself, he planned to at least take control of one of her arms. However, Bael snorted, and her arm bent and wrapped around Chi-Woo¡¯s waist. Then she pulled vigorously while charging at him. Their bodies collided, and Chi-Woo was thrown off his feet. Chi-Woo floundered awkwardly and was soon dragged back by Bael. At that moment, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes flashed open. With his right hand, he clenched and burst the arm wrapping around his waist, and with his left hand, he parried an attack flying toward his face. He hit Bael¡¯s arm with a kick and cut it right off, all the while drawing a diagonal trail of light from bottom to top. Bael¡¯s eyes widened, and she backed away instinctively. The light grazed her throat. Then Chi-Woo took a step forward and swung his ghost-busting club down once again. Bael deflected the attack coming down at her vertically and whirled around, swinging her arm. The ghost-busting club and Bael¡¯s arm collided in precisely the middle. Only then did the non-stop, intense battle come to a halt¡ªno, it kept continuing. A suppressed groan escaped Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth as he felt an intense pressure transmitted from Bael¡¯s arm, which was in contact with his club. In the end, the club was being gradually pushed back. Bael snorted, and she swung her arm upward before bringing it down from the side. Chi-Woo evaded it by kneeling on one knee, but as soon as he got up, he had to quickly bend down again because Bael started swinging her arm in the opposite direction as soon as her attack missed. ¡°You sly rat¡ª!¡± Her loud cry was cut short. Bael suddenly trembled, her posture collapsed because Chi-Woo had bent down and hit Bael¡¯s shin roughly. He intended to seize this opening to take the offensive, but Bael pushed Chi-Woo back even while she was knocked off balance. Then she attacked with her awl-like arm, forcing Chi-Woo to take a step back while grinding his teeth. Bael regained her balance and rose from the ground, and Chi-Woo also pulled himself up. In the meantime, explosions rang between the two and¡ªthat was Chi-Woo¡¯s limit. Although he fought as hard as he could against Bael, who had become an even more terrifying monster, he failed to defend against Bael¡¯s attack when she fixed her posture and rushed forward. Bam! At the very moment Chi-Woo realized his mistake, his vision grew dark. When he regained consciousness, Chi-Woo was already in the air. He was flying backward as if he had been hit by a battering ram and was penetrating through street buildings one by one. It was only after dozens of buildings collapsed one after another that Chi-Woo finally slammed into a wall and stopped flying. Then he bounced right off and rolled on the ground. Only after he started coughing did pain slowly awaken throughout his body. Besides the pain, the bigger problem was internal injuries. He had thought the AI Armor would have blocked at least a little bit of Bael¡¯s attack, but there was a reason it couldn¡¯t protect him¡ªhe had already run out of exorcism mana. In other words, he had already exchanged that many attacks while fighting Bael. He was astounded by how the fight was progressing. He had tried to avoid her attacks, but he didn¡¯t realize he was getting pushed to this extent. ¡°Get up. Hurry.¡± Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. When he let out a hollow laugh, he suddenly heard a quiet voice. ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s enough to kill you, right?¡± A figure gradually appeared beyond the smoke that had arisen around him. As she said, he wasn¡¯t at the point of dying; however, he had almost no energy to fight further. Still, he couldn¡¯t lay down like this, and he forced himself to stand up. Soon, Bael trudged towards him and stopped in front of him. Unexpectedly, she didn¡¯t seem pleased. Frankly, it had been a very one-sided battle, so she should have been smug or snidely mock him , but her pride looked hurt instead. It was because Bael thought Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t fought her sincerely. If Chi-Woo knew what she was thinking, he would have told her that it was absolute bullshit and fervently denied it, but it was only natural that Bael would feel this way. The Chi-Woo that Bael had faced at the last gate was way above this level. He had been much stronger than this; to the point where he felt like a wall that she couldn¡¯t ever surmount. There was no way this was his limit. Bael was sure that he had simply been caught off guard because he assumed she would be the same as before. Bael truly believed that, and thus, she had deliberately pulled her punches; beating an opponent who was caught off guard wouldn¡¯t erase the deep wound on her pride. Only when she beat her opponent at his full strength would her victory and sacrifice be meaningful. This was Bael¡¯s last remaining pride. ¡°How about it? Have you come to your senses after the first round?¡± Therefore, Bael wanted Chi-Woo to acknowledge her changed self. ¡°I told you so.¡± She wanted him to be surprised, amazed, and taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you now.¡± Bael smiled and looked at Chi-Woo with anticipation. ¡°So you¡¯d better get serious. If you don¡¯t want to die.¡± Chi-Woo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared at Bael. Her power was at a completely different level than when they were fighting at the last gate. There must be many reasons, but he knew at least one of them. At that time, he had faced an ordeal caused by the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit. As a result, his wish came true, and he was able to gain the power to deal with Bael, who was trying to destroy the gate. However, he was now at Shalyh, not the last gate. With the stage changed, the conditions he¡¯d set no longer applied, and thus the strange power didn¡¯t kick in. On the other hand, this didn¡¯t seem like the only reason; there was one more. While fighting Bael, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t detect any dark energy from her. Rather, it felt like she was evolving in real time to adapt to his attacks. He felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, and when he saw Bael regenerate her crushed body parts in an instant, a thought crossed his mind. ¡°Sernitas.¡± Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Is it the Sernitas?¡± Bael¡¯s eyes widened and curved into a pair of crescent moons. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When she nodded and easily admitted it, Chi-Woo scowled. In battles, the Sernitas analyzed their opponent based on the vast amount of information they had collected while wandering around the universe and found the best countermeasure. That was exactly how it felt like facing Bael now. It seemed as if the Sernitas had not only treated her, but also given her their strength¡ªor in other words, information. Since she had abandoned her weaknesses and was reborn with only her strengths, she naturally became stronger by many folds. The situation had flipped. At the last gate, Chi-Woo had become stronger and fought Bael in her weakened state, but at Shalyh, Chi-Woo had become weaker than before and fought Bael in a stronger state. Chi-Woo instinctively sensed that this would be a difficult battle, and something that the Last Dragon had said suddenly came to his mind. What was four became three¡­ He hadn¡¯t understood what it meant back then, but he could understand it now. ¡°What a surprising turn of events.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°Regardless of the situation, I can¡¯t believe you became part of the Sernitas.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± However, Bael denied it. Chi-Woo narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re denying it?¡± ¡°I admit that I received help from the Sernitas,¡± Bael continued in a relaxed manner. ¡°But I didn¡¯t become one with them.¡± * * * That night, Bael left with the Abyss King¡¯s help and entered the Sky Castle, the deepest part of it. In the deep cavity, Bael faced the gazes of countless eyes filled with curiosity. All those eyes were waiting for an answer; the answer to an offer they had made before: ¡®We¡¯ll allow you to maintain your consciousness, so become one with us and let¡¯s become the greatest being in the universe.¡¯ ¡°I¡­¡± And Bael clearly expressed her will with great strain. ¡°I can¡¯t become one with you¡­I don¡¯t want to¡­ But I don¡¯t want things to end like this¡­¡± She continued despite it being difficult for her to even stand properly. ¡°Heal me¡­and give me information¡­the power to beat him¡­!¡± Squeezing out all her last energy, Bael¡¯s shout echoed in the cavity. However, an answer didn¡¯t come. There was no response. ¡°Ha¡­haha¡­¡± In the end, she failed. It was really over now. Resigned, Bael lowered her head and slowly fell forward. When her curved arm was about to touch the floor, the Abyss King, who was watching with his arms crossed from behind, could clearly see what happened next. A stem of tentacles shot out from who-knows-where and wrapped around Bael¡¯s arm, forcing her to get up. Soon after, a thin needle at the tip of the stem glowed and was inserted into Bael¡¯s neck without notice. Bael¡¯s half-closed eyes opened wide. She tilted her chin to the fullest, and her drooping body stiffened and shook. But that was only the beginning. Soon, countless tentacles flew from all directions and pierced into Bael without leaving even a single gap. They seemed to be injecting her with something if the way they bulged was anything to go by. Bael couldn¡¯t even scream out loud. She opened and closed her mouth with silent screams. ¡ªSerious damage¡­Unrecoverable¡­ ¡ªThrough transcendence¡­Reconfiguring operation¡­ Even then, Bael heard a faint sound, and she could feel it clearly that the things that made up her body were drained out and replaced by something new¡­ * * * ¡°The feeling at that time¡­it¡¯s horrifying even when I recall it now. I don¡¯t want to ever experience it again.¡± Bael tucked her shoulders inwards and slightly shivered. Then she soon exhaled and showed a relaxed expression. ¡°But¡ªI endured it, I held out with my teeth clenched and a single goal in mind.¡± She looked at her body as if she was checking out her new clothes and continued while staring at Chi-Woo, ¡°That was how I was born anew. It was not to destroy everything in my path, but only to have my revenge against you.¡± She declared her intention proudly, as if asking how he felt about it. ¡°¡­Revenge?¡± And Chi-Woo, who had been listening quietly, tilted his head. ¡°Revenge¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right.¡± Bael frowned at his unexpected words. ¡°Why? Why is it not revenge?¡± ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t it the case? If what you say is true, isn¡¯t it hard to say you¡¯re still Bael?¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Bael cried out with an expression of incomprehension. ¡°I¡¯m Bael! The same as before! Even now!¡± However, Chi-Woo disagreed with her. ¡°Your name and appearance might not have changed much, but it¡¯s hard to say you¡¯re the great demon Bael anymore.¡± Bael faltered. ¡°Aren¡¯t I right?¡± Before she could reply, Chi-Woo continued, ¡°Can you confidently say that you are the great demon Bael even in front of your subordinates?¡± Bael could not say that; she knew better than anyone else that everything she had built up as a great demon had disappeared. ¡°You know it¡¯s not true. Bael, the first-ranking great demon of the Demon Empire, has disappeared that day.¡± Every word out of Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth pierced Bael directly in the core. ¡°If you were the great demon Bael, I would have acknowledged your revenge as you said¡­but that isn¡¯t the case.¡± Chi-Woo nodded and slightly tilted his chin. ¡°Yeah, in every way, you¡¯re no longer Bael. So don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to get revenge. You may look like Bael, but I¡¯m fighting what the Sernitas reconstructed with new information.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Bael shouted angrily at his matter-of-fact tone. ¡°Why did I¡­! Do you know why I went this far¡­!¡± She had thrown everything away for the sole purpose of revenge. As such, it was only through revenge that she could infuse meaning into all of her actions that day, and the significance of her existence would be complete. However, her existence was denied by the target of her revenge. In this way, even if she beat him, it would be hard to say that she had exerted her revenge. What was more frustrating was that Bael couldn¡¯t refute his words. Chi-Woo smirked when Bael was rendered speechless. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything else, but I know one thing¡­ Why you were the only one my brother knocked unconscious to keep you from hearing us.¡± The confusion on Bael¡¯s face instantly changed into a stiff expression. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°That day, don¡¯t you remember?¡± When Chi-Woo went back to the past and met everyone, the first thing that Chi-Hyun did when he realized that Chi-Woo had come from the future was to immediately hit Bael in the head and make her faint. It was to prevent Bael from hearing about the future because he didn¡¯t know what she would do with the information afterward. Other than Bael, Boboris and the Last Dragon had been there as well, but Chi-Hyun had only knocked out Bael and let the other two listen. This could only mean one thing. Bael also knew very well why Chi-Hyun had done it. When she woke up afterward and opened her eyes, she had been furious at Chi-Hyun¡¯s betrayal. The fact that she reacted to what Chi-Woo said proved that she still had the memory of that day. Thus, Chi-Woo¡¯s following words hit her gut directly. ¡°I think I know exactly why you were the only one the legend has never thought of as his comrade until the very end.¡± ¡°©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Bael screamed like she had lost her sanity. It was a fierce and completely unintelligible roar. CH 411 With a loud clamor, the buildings in the distance all crumbled down, and in between the soaring hazy smoke, one figure jumped out. It was Chi-Woo. He fell to the ground and rolled unseemly over a great distance. He tried to warily get up while coughing, but Bael rushed toward him before he could and caught one of his arms. She lifted him just like that, and Chi-Woo found himself getting dragged upwards. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me!¡± Bael yelled and slammed Chi-Woo onto the ground, which cracked like a dried-up field at the collision; and that was far from the end. ¡°Fiiiiight!¡± Bael raised Chi-Woo and flung him down again violently, leaving a crater covered in cracks on the ground. Bright pink blood burst out of his mouth, and Chi-Woo was entirely disoriented. Bael was one-sidedly flinging him around, slamming him down to the surface and throwing him as she wished. When he lost consciousness and regained it, he found his body taking the brunt of the impact again. It appeared that he was thrown onto the ground once more. ¡°Fight me properlllly!¡± He heard yells from time to time. Bael was attacking him with all her might. She could¡¯ve ended this fight a long time ago. There had been many opportunities, but she didn¡¯t do that. She simply couldn¡¯t when she had thrown away everything she had built up until now to have this fight for the sole sake of revenge¡ªto pay back what she suffered at the last gate. Yet now, her opponent was denying her very existence, and what angered her the most was that she couldn¡¯t counter what he said. Thus, there was only one thing that she could do, which was to make her opponent acknowledge her even if it was through brute force. However, no matter how fiercely she was pushing and pressuring him, Chi-Woo showed no signs of relenting. No matter how hard she attacked him, he didn¡¯t show the strength he had displayed at the last gate. Of course, she didn¡¯t know that the power Chi-Woo showed at that time was connected to Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit, and Chi-Woo was actually giving it his all right now. Thus, Bael was misunderstanding the whole situation, but she was right in some ways too. From the very beginning of their fight, Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t let his guard down with Bael and had utilized all his strengths. Yet he was still pushed back until he used up all his exorcism mana, and his AI Armor didn¡¯t even activate anymore. As a result, the battle from then on became truly devastating for him, and he couldn¡¯t put up a proper resistance as he was beaten up. It was crisis after crisis, but it wasn¡¯t like Chi-Woo had absolutely no way out of this situation. In the majority of the crises that Chi-Woo had faced, he overcame them using the same method: by tapping into the mysterious power that existed deep inside him. Nevertheless, this was a method no longer permitted to him. He could do it, but he shouldn¡¯t. He had felt his limits at the Hala Forest, and he became certain of it when he briefly drew out the power to fight his brother in the past. After almost reaching it a couple of times, he was finally at the breaking point. He would surely cross the line with thoughts like, ¡®Just one more time¡¯. Even his current state was very shaky, and it felt as if he would explode and erupt the moment he pulled out even the tiniest amount of this power inside him. His body was unconsciously reaching for the mysterious power out of some survival instinct, but every time he felt it doing so, he forcefully pushed it down. This matter brought another burden to him. It wouldn¡¯t even be enough right now with all his senses focused on Bael, so it drove him crazy that he had to face another problem inside his body. But alas, it wasn¡¯t as if he could give up on doing that either. And with all her experience and knowledge, of course, Bael noticed that there was something off with Chi-Woo¡¯s behavior. But not knowing the exact reasons for it, she naturally misunderstood Chi-Woo¡¯s actions and yelled at him to fight seriously. Bam! Another building crumbled. After running at light speed for a while, she bit her lower lip nervously. She thought Chi-Woo would get serious after getting pushed this far, but he seemed intent on not succumbing even at the price of death. Considering the Demon Empire¡¯s unique cultural traits, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to find existences with such characteristics: the determined, iron-willed ones whose beliefs never wavered even with swords pressed to their throats. It wasn¡¯t too hard to understand Chi-Woo if he was the type; yet she was still at a loss for what to do in a situation like this. Perhaps her opponent was still waiting for her to return to her great demon self and recommence proper revenge, or something equally foolish as that. Just in case, she tried requesting the Sernitas to revert her information back into that of a great demon momentarily. Yet the Sernitas didn¡¯t answer. Normally, their voices would¡¯ve been ringing inside her head, but they remained silent. She understood what their silence meant: she had already lost completely as a great demon, so she shouldn¡¯t bite off more than she could chew; furthermore, she should stop wasting time and kill her opponent already. However, Bael had no intention of giving this one thing up no matter what, and the frustration was almost driving her mad. In the end, her rage found one outlet. Her eyes glared resentfully at the shadow getting up between the clouds of dust. The moment she saw Chi-Woo stagger forward, Bael felt her sanity falter. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die¡­!¡± Bael yelled fiercely and extended her arm. Psh! She flinched when she felt her arm bury into something. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Bael gasped. Her fist had pierced into Chi-Woo¡¯s stomach and penetrated through it. Bael pulled out her arm in shock, but her fist was drenched with blood and pieces of intestine. Chi-Woo was inflicted with a critical injury, serious enough to kill him instantly. ¡°What¡­why¡­.?¡± Bael¡¯s mouth gaped open seeing Chi-Woo lose his balance and fall to his knees. This wasn¡¯t her intention. She thought Chi-Woo would finally put up a proper fight, and she didn¡¯t mean to kill him at all. Shocked, Bael was hit by an unfamiliar and eerie feeling. It happened too suddenly for her to believe she had simply lost herself to her rage; it was almost as if her body had been controlled by someone else. ¡°Ah¡­no¡­.I¡­¡± Bael mouthed, not knowing what to do. Chi-Woo breathed slowly. He could feel that a hole had been put into his stomach, and he didn¡¯t have to look down to know it. He felt a breeze passing through his body, and it hurt, it hurt so much that he wanted to roll on the ground and scream this instance. Through his twisted lips, he let out a humorless laugh. While the situation was completely different now, who knew the difference in their power levels would be this great? He thought he would be able to put up a good fight if he was fighting the great demon Bael. But the Sernitas¡¯ Bael was a fearsome monster beyond his imagination. ¡®This is why¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo suddenly recalled the moment he separated from Chi-Hyun at the Sky Castle. At that time, Chi-Woo had asked Chi-Hyun how he could leave his brother behind. They had to die and live together. Yet Chi-Hyun shot him down instantly, saying that Chi-Woo was too weak to be of any help to him. Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t agree with his brother then and thought his brother was being harsh to him on purpose out of concern. Yet after experiencing what happened just now, Chi-Woo realized that fighting the Sernitas was much too early for him. It was the same now as that time at the Sky Castle. He needed to be at least Grandmaster tier to have a chance of facing the Bael and Sernitas union. Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com" In the end, it was just as Chi-Hyun said. In his current Platinum tier, he was nowhere strong enough to fight this enemy. No, he already knew this beforehand. ¡®So what?¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Should he whine about it now? Or tell Bael all this and complain about it¡ªafter all this time? Chi-Woo groaned and gritted his teeth. If he thought about everything that had happened since he entered Liber, it was always like this. Ever since he dropped into that nameless forest, nothing had been easy. The situation was always stacked against humanity, and they were always facing the worst-case scenario. Moreover, his opponents were always miles ahead of him. That was the kind of world Liber was. Still, he was determined to save a world like that. He made a pinky promise to a girl, and he couldn¡¯t crumble now if he was to keep that promise. He couldn¡¯t back down. And surprisingly, Chi-Woo really felt like he could do it then. Maybe some people would¡¯ve laughed at him and asked where his confidence was coming from because right now, his body was screaming in pain after getting thoroughly beaten. The pain was greatest from his stomach area, and while his Divine Blood could heal him, the wound he got from Bael was too critical. His life force and vitality were getting depleted the more blood he spewed out from his lips and stomach. Thus, his body didn¡¯t properly listen to him anymore, and his internal organs cooled rapidly. Despite all that, he somehow felt like he wouldn¡¯t lose. He wasn¡¯t necessarily certain that he would win, but it would be a shame to fall down just like this. He didn¡¯t want to lose. He needed to think that he was encountering a hurdle only a bit bigger than usual and needed to overcome it as he had done in the past. And if he just got through this hurdle¡ªslow and steady as long as he could overcome it¡ªthen, he would see something he had been missing the whole time. ¡°¡­¡± Thus, Chi-Woo forcefully held onto the body that no longer listened to him and got up. Bael stared at him with wide eyes, dazed. ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­die?¡± Happiness and shock warred on her face. She had critically wounded Chi-Woo despite her true intentions, and it had appeared inevitable that he would die. The injury she had just inflicted was similar to the injury she had received from Chi-Woo at the last gate; no, it could be seen as worse since Chi-Woo¡¯s physical body was nothing more than a human¡¯s. She had thought the fight would end meaninglessly and insignificantly like this, yet her opponent didn¡¯t die and instead pushed himself off the ground. His action was in stark contrast to hers; she had waited for death while shuddering in rage and ended up getting carried by the Abyss King to borrow Sernitas'' strength. Bael felt a strange and slight sense of inferiority when she came to the realization. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Bael suddenly flinched. She didn¡¯t realize it, but her head gradually tipped toward the sky of its own volition. Why was it? Her opponent didn¡¯t become any bigger, but Bael was looking up above Chi-Woo¡¯s head. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ For some reason, Chi-Woo looked much bigger than before. *** Meanwhile, a fight comparable to the one taking place at Shalyh was happening at the last gate. Humanity and the Cassiubia League had opened the castle door and jumped outside. The Demon Empire and the Abyss didn¡¯t respond properly in the beginning because the situation was too baffling for them, yet the situation quickly took a turn as they dove into battle. The Abyss King immediately took the lead, and Agares, who had been itching all over to fight, personally led the Demon Empire¡¯s troops to counter their enemies. Thus, humanity and the League soon found themselves surrounded in a blood bath. Yunael watched everything play out from the top of the castle walls. Now that they were surrounded by enemies, there was no turning back. Yunael gulped once while observing the war. Dozens of lives were disappearing by the second because of what she said. She began to feel regretful that she had spoken at all because she felt an enormous pressure now that everything was becoming too real. Yunael shook her head hard and stopped the train of thoughts. Then, she closed her eyes and savored the pressure she was feeling at the moment so hard that she couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. This was what Chi-woo had told her to do¡ªto feel pressured and dwell on it so that she would complete the task given to her at all costs. Yunael had wondered if this was really the right thing to do, but it didn¡¯t matter. Chi-Woo was a hero who went on a completely different trajectory than heroes like her. Everything he had done up to this point was proof of that, so she thought it would be the same this time. Thus, there was one thing she needed to do right now, which was to carry out this man¡¯s plan into reality. The results would naturally follow. Yunael didn¡¯t doubt that it would be the case. She had told him that she could do it. ¡°The Sky Castle¡¯s barrier is weakened!¡± She heard the declaration she had been waiting for and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s make this decision the right answer.¡± With those words, she felt her body enveloped by winds and soon, Yunael leaped up into the night sky with a few companions trailing behind her. CH 412 They went higher and higher still, towards the sky beyond the clouds. Led by Yunael, the detachment unit quickly soared. The frantic battlefield where soldiers fervently killed each other began to look like a herd of ants, and even this scene became obscured by clouds as they went higher. Only when the flowing clouds appeared to be white glaciers floating in the deep blue sea did the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind stop rising in a straight line through the air. No one said a word on the way; they all stared straight ahead with a hardened expression. Soon after, the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind reached the target point and stopped flying the detachment members one by one. Then Yunael, taking the lead, reorganized the team so that the other members surrounded her in a spherical formation. Meanwhile, Yunael exhaled and inhaled to steady her breath. Their destination was right below them. ¡°Location confirmed. The formation has also been completed.¡± With the preparation done, the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind wrapped around Yunael¡¯s body and said, ¡°Please let me know when you¡¯re ready.¡± It was now time. Yunael looked around her before answering. The Celestial Lights, her Seven Star team members, and the League members all shone with the same light. Yunael looked at each of them in the eyes and sucked in a deep breath. What else did she need to say? Today, right at this very moment, they were going to put an end to this war. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Yunael nodded vigorously. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When the order came, the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind spread their power. The air current flowing around gradually gathered in a spiral. Then it accelerated, and the atmosphere began to fluctuate violently. Amidst the fiercely roaring currents, Yunael heard the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind shout something sharply; at that exact moment, their power went off suddenly. Swiiiiiishhhhh! Currents seemingly sharp enough to cut through skin at the slightest touch dove down in unison. In the dark sky, the clouds caught in the sudden gusts of wind scattered, and a hole formed straight through. Soon after, the ground that had been obscured came into their view. What looked like a swarm of ants returned to their original size in an instant, and they descended like a bolt of lightning flashing in the blue sky and striking the earth without mercy. It all happened in a flash¡ªfor the Demon Empire and Abyss, whose attention were all focused on humanity and the Cassiubia League charging at them head-on. Involuntarily, they looked up to see a group descending perpendicular upon the Sernitas¡¯ Sky Castle. Soon after, a strong air current spread around the drop point like a ripple. Thanks to the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp¡¯s Wind, who had accelerated to the maximum and applied a sudden brake at the end with all their might, everyone, including Yunael, was able to land with pinpoint accuracy. However, their mission wasn¡¯t over yet just because they had landed safely. The detachment unit landing on the Sky Castle consisted of only about a dozen members. If their enemy attacked with great strength, they would all be swept away at once. Of course, since there were the Seven Star members, they would be able to hold out a little, but it would only be for a short time. They were literally in the middle of enemy camp, where they were surrounded by enemies on all sides. Therefore, they needed to finish this mission as soon as possible, and everything unfolded as they had predicted. The great demons from the Demon Empire and the Seven Chasms stared blankly at them for a moment, but quickly regained their senses. The great demons shouted, ¡°How dare they sneak up on us like this¡­!¡± The Seven Chasms also shouted, ¡°They¡¯re trying to pull a trick. Kill them!¡± Then they all quickly turned around and charged at the detachment unit. With enemies coming from all directions, the detachment unit hurriedly raised their weapons. They had gotten into a spherical formation with Yunael at the center the moment they landed. The others had only one mission: fight the incoming enemies to buy time until the task was completed. While those outside the formation got into place, the rest of the League members also sprang into action. The Kobalos tribe were among the League members that formed the detachment unit; they willingly complied with Yunael¡¯s request for Chi-Woo¡¯s sake. The Kobalos¡¯ elder had made a vow quite recently to serve Chi-Woo as their lifelong benefactor. They were ready to sacrifice their lives like a candle at any time if it was for Chi-Woo, who had freed their tribe from the cycle of eternal torment. ¡°Hurry, hurry¡­!¡± Yunael urged the Kobalos¡¯ elder, who was sweating like pouring rain, and then she suddenly inhaled and turned around because she heard a sound. When she looked toward her back, left, and right in turn, her expression distorted. ¡°They¡¯re already¡­!¡± Their enemy had arrived faster than expected. ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± Ru Amuh shouted at the top of his lungs as he saw a group of enemy soldiers rush towards them like a herd of angry buffalos. The next moment, the detachment unit and the enemy soldiers violently collided. Yunael watched as they were pushing and getting pushed back, and she raised her spear. ¡®Please¡­!¡¯ All the while, she was praying inside her mind. * * * Once revived from the ruins and allowed to prosper, Shalyh was returning to its pre-transformed state. It was now faster to count the standing buildings than the collapsed and broken ones. The battle, which had briefly entered a lull, started anew after Chi-Woo got up. For Bael, she still wanted her opponent to fight her sincerely, but after the battle restarted, she no longer controlled her powers since from the moment Chi-Woo stood up, Bael had sensed an unknown threat. She hoped that her opponent was finally going to face her properly now, but that wasn¡¯t it. Chi-Woo just stood in place as if he had used up all his energy; no matter how she looked at it, he looked like he was barely holding on. Nevertheless, Bael was captivated by an indescribable emotion; it was a primitive feeling, like what a dwarf would feel when facing a giant for the first time in their life. By then, Bael was also going out of her mind. In fact, Bael no longer had any choice but to kill Chi-Woo since the Sernitas didn¡¯t respond to her, and she simply hoped that her opponent would show his power in earnest before he really died. Determined, Bael attacked fiercely with the intent to kill¡ªall the while harboring the two conflicting desires for her opponent to show his real skills and for him to quickly collapse. However, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t live up to any of her hopes. He didn¡¯t fight properly, but neither did he collapse. No matter how hard she hit him and sent him flying back, he crawled back up like a roly poly that stood up no matter how many times it was toppled. Frankly, Chi-Woo should have collapsed much earlier. While he possessed La Bella¡¯s holy relic, the Core of Balance, the base of his body was that of a human. This meant that there was bound to be a limit. In fact, it was safe to say that he had reached his limit the moment he received a fatal injury from Bael. He should¡¯ve died a hundred times already. There was only one reason Chi-Woo had survived so far. [By the will of user Asha¡¯s will, 1 [Blessed Luck] will be consumed (62->61).] [¡®Deterrence¡¯ will be activated on user Choi Chi-Woo.] It was all thanks to Asha. Steam Bun, who was created in the beginning with Liber, gained immortality by accepting Kabal. Later, Steam Bun received a new name from Chi-Woo and became part of Liber by becoming his third star. And Asha was now invoking the will of the World that they had inherited through Blessed Luck, an ability that they shared through Chi-Woo¡¯s sharing ability. A hero was basically invincible in a world where the World was alive and well. They demonstrated stronger combat power than anyone else, did not die easily, and miraculously found an opportunity to turn the table in the midst of a crisis. Liber¡¯s World was so fragile right now that all she could do was prevent Chi-Woo from dying and allow him to hold on. Moreover, Deterrence couldn¡¯t go on indefinitely. As it was triggered only through Blessed Luck, there was a limit to how much it could be used. However, Bael did not know any of these internal circumstances and was approaching the verge of madness. ¡°Why¡­!¡± She kicked Chi-Woo hard as he was rising up again and cried out, ¡°Why on earth¡­!¡± She shouted with all her might as she watched Chi-Woo fall while scattering blood all over his body. She had to give up on revenge and kill him, but even that wasn¡¯t working out the way she wanted it to. Nothing was going her way. Bael couldn¡¯t comprehend it with her common sense. At this point, she had no idea what was going on anymore¡ªif something was wrong with her, or if it was something about this world. Bael¡¯s terrifying scream slowly stopped. She became hopeful when she saw Chi-Woo remain buried under a pile of rubbles with no signs of movement. Perhaps, finally¡­! ¡°Ha¡­haha¡­.¡± The corners of Bael¡¯s mouth began to twitch. However, it soon twisted into a grimace when Chi-Woo¡¯s body wriggled, and he stood back up again. Bael didn¡¯t even know how many times it¡¯d been. ¡°Please¡­stop now..!¡± Bael trailed off mid sentence and gritted her teeth. She was one-sidedly beating him up, yet it sounded like she was begging him, and she didn¡¯t like that. Instead, she changed her mind. ¡®All right. Show me what you¡¯ve got and get up again. I¡¯ll pull your neck out this time, and let¡¯s see if you can get up then.¡¯ Bael now completely abandoned her pride and conflict about her existence. Overcome with frustration, she screamed and rushed toward Chi-Woo like an evil spirit. Bang! Her eyes became big as saucers. After slowly lowering her head and looking around, she blinked blankly. Before she knew it, she was stuck in a relatively intact wall with her body sprawled out. Even before she could blink, she was attacked without her knowing¡­? ¡°What¡­¡± Bael let out a shrill yell, but soon calmed down. Chi-Woo came up to her again and stared at her with a dark expression. He cracked his neck from side to side and turned it slowly. As she watched him, she felt a strange sense of disharmony between the man from before and the man she was staring at now. Honestly, she had found it impossible to understand him since she first fought him at the last gate; it was difficult for her to admit defeat when she should be superior to him in strength and skills. However, she was pushed back by his attack just now. She didn¡¯t know what had happened, but her opponent had taken advantage of her attack and counterattacked. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± She glared at him for a long time and quietly said, ¡°Are you going to sincerely fight now? After all this time?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reply. He stopped stretching his neck and smiled blandly at her. * * * Chi-Woo realized that he was standing. He knew that Bael had attacked him, and that he had flown far away, but he had no memory of anything after that. He seemed to have lost consciousness for a brief moment, and it was amazing that he was still standing. ¡ªDid you sleep well? He heard a familiar voice. ¡ªIf you¡¯re awake, open your eyes, punk. It¡¯s not over yet. Chi-Woo tried to look around, but groaned; his body wasn¡¯t listening to him. ¡ªWell¡­you¡¯re in really bad shape. Still, his hearing seemed to be fine, as he could faintly hear someone¡¯s voice. ¡ªHow about it? Can you do it? Chi-Woo nodded slowly, but without hesitation. ¡ªGood. We don¡¯t have time, so listen carefully. Your opponent is stronger than you. You can¡¯t defeat her by strength. So in short, you can¡¯t rely on brute force. That left countering strength with softness¡­ As the speaker continued, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened little by little; his hazy mind gradually became clear. Only then could Chi-Woo figure out who had been talking constantly to him. ¡ªIn order to implement this logic in practice, you need to know how to control movement with stillness, but¡­ It was Philip. Yes, it was Philip. ¡ªBut you don¡¯t understand a thing I said, right?¡± Philip looked at Chi-Woo as he stood still and smiled; Chi-Woo was in complete tatters, but even in this state, his eyes were still burning with fighting spirit. It was not the eyes of a man with defeat in his mind. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t being overconfident. Philip finally found out the reason for his confidence after taking control of his body for a short while when Chi-Woo was unconscious. ¡ªThen, it¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s just this once. Do what I tell you to. If it¡¯s you right now, I¡¯m sure you can do it. ¡®If it¡¯s me¡­right now¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo barely managed to tilt his head. He wanted to ask what Philip was suddenly talking about. ¡ªWhat are you doing? However, he wasn¡¯t able to do so. ¡ªGo. Now. As soon as Philip¡¯s words came, Chi-Woo¡¯s body ran automatically. It hadn¡¯t been listening to him, but it was now moving as if someone was pulling him along. ¡ªStab the opponent¡¯s shoulder once. The ghost-busting club that stretched out from his glove thrust toward Bael. Already on high alert, Bael evaded his attack and tried to close their distance to attack. ¡ªSwing in the direction of her movement. Don¡¯t try to follow her, and if she comes within your range, swing your club. Chi-Woo¡¯s stab immediately changed into a horizontal cut. He swung exactly in the direction Bael was coming from. Bael clicked her tongue and was forced to withdraw. ¡ªFollow her right away and swing from bottom to top. When Chi-Woo rushed towards her and swung his club upwards, Bael leaned back and narrowly evaded his attack. To access the premium content, go to [ pawread dot com ]. ¡ªPretend to go in one more time and take a step back to defend your head. Diagonally. Chi-Woo kicked the ground but quickly stepped back and raised the club at an angle over his head. He felt a sudden shock from his club; Bael had jumped forward and attacked him. This was an opportunity. ¡ªGood. Now put some weight into it like you¡¯re going to swing right. Chi-Woo was about to swing the club after deflecting Bael¡¯s attack, but¡ª ¡ªWhen the opponent attacks, move your arm 360 degrees in the opposite direction and raise it as much as you can. He stopped mid-direction. ¡ªNow! Almost at the exact moment that Bael flung her body to one side and hit the ghost-busting club with her other arm, Chi-Woo suddenly turned in the opposite direction. Bael¡¯s mouth dropped. She was swept into the opponent¡¯s movement in an instant and had unintentionally accelerated Chi-Woo¡¯s rotation. While rapidly spinning, Chi-Woo raised the club with all his might. Bammm! He felt a heavy impact from his grip. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Bael¡¯s eyes slowly rolled back as she screamed, and her severed forearm soared into the air. Watching the scene play out, Philip folded his arms and grinned. All he had done was give Chi-Woo a few words of advice. Save for the moment Chi-Woo lost his consciousness, Philip hadn¡¯t interfered with Chi-Woo¡¯s body at all. CH 413 Flames shot up from the left, and a blizzard fell from the right. A myriad of noises rang at the clash of the troops, and screams erupted continuously without stopping. The detachment unit that had trespassed into the Sky Castle was putting up a better fight against the incoming enemy than expected. They weren¡¯t getting swept in an instant and were somehow holding on. But that was all. They were barely maintaining their defensive line and couldn¡¯t hold their enemies off completely, so a couple of them kept slipping through the defense from time to time. Though Yunael could easily take care of them individually, the issue was that they were coming from all around her. Even though only one or two enemies were breaking through one part of the defense, their number grew many folds when the same thing was happening all over the place. Furthermore, more enemies were coming from the outskirts overtime. Yunael moved left and right from the center and did her best to take care of them, but she soon found it difficult to keep up with what was going on. It was then what they feared happened, and one side of the defensive line completely broke down, allowing enemy troops to push inwards. That caught Yunael off guard, but what alerted her more was what was happening at the center. The Kobalos, who should be busy drawing a magic circle, were being chased by the troops who had penetrated through. Yunael hastily ran over to them and killed every enemy in sight. ¡°Circle! Quickly!¡± Yunael shouted after barely saving the Kobalos¡¯ elder from a group of enemy soldiers. ¡°It¡¯s¡­finished!¡± The Kobalos¡¯ elder gasped in pain while coughing. ¡°We¡¯ll block the enemies from coming from that side, so please proceed with the ritual! Quickly!¡± Since their enemies had penetrated into the center of defense, there was no room for even a second of hesitation. The Kobalos¡¯s elder got up and led his tribe members with a loud battle cry. Rather than fighting, it was more accurate to say that they were throwing themselves at their enemies, and Yunael didn¡¯t waste the time the Kobalos¡¯ tribe had won for her by sacrificing their lives. She soon made her way to the very center and stood in front of the Kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit. Chi-Woo had told her to use this fire pit to target the Sky Castle. In the beginning, Yunael had planned to make an offering lacking in comparison to her wish, yet after a good amount of consideration, she realized that the plan wouldn¡¯t work. The fire pit¡¯s trial only applied to the person who made the wish. Thus, even if she made a wish and threw the fire pit at the Sky Castle, there was a high possibility that it would have no effect on it, and their efforts would become meaningless. And it wasn¡¯t as if they could cast large-scale dimension distortion magic around the Sky Castle as they had done at the last gate. Thus, Yunael changed her way of thinking. She thought she should use the fire pit properly, like how it was meant to be used this time. Then, she would need to get an offering. It was surprisingly easy to do with all the riches the Last Dragon had collected in her lair over the past thousands of years. After hearing that Chi-Woo was the one who proposed to take down the Sky Castle, the Last Dragon offered her storage without hesitation and picked out the most valuable items among her possessions. Yunael took off the bag she had on her back and flipped it over, emptying it. She even dropped the bag into the fire pit after that and gathered her hands to pray. ¡®Please¡ª¡¯ Yunael was about to pray to the fire pit to crush the Sky Castle to pieces, but she paused when she recalled the warning Chi-Woo had given her. ¡ªDon¡¯t try to destroy the Sky Castle at once. ¡ªI tried to do it through my abilities somehow, but it was impossible. ¡ªThe fire pit¡¯s effects may apply for only a moment. Be moderate with your wish. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying? And just one more thing. The Sernitas are probably¡­ Beads of sweat gathered on Yunael¡¯s forehead. She had thought she understood him then, but she began second-guessing herself now that she was put on the spot. ¡®Moderate¡¯ was as vague a word as they came, and how should she make her wish so that it would be right for the situation? ¡®How many hours? One hour? No, no. Maybe thirty minutes¡­¡¯ If she made a mistake, she could bring forth a trial due to her offering being lacking. Then she would get crushed rather than crushing the Sky Castle. Even if she was fine with dying, humanity and the Cassiubia League would die with her. Yunael began to feel a little resentful toward Chi-Woo. He should¡¯ve at least given her more concrete information and suggestions, but Yunael didn¡¯t have time to even dwell on the matter. She heard enemies rushing toward her from all directions and clenched her teeth. She couldn¡¯t come up with a perfect wish to make no matter how hard she thought about it. In the end, she made the safest and most definite wish she could and prayed. ¡°Please do something about the Sky Castle in accordance with the offerings I made just now.¡± The magic circle drawn in the center of the fire pit glowed with an eerie light. ¡ª¡­Analysis complete. Having been on full alert until now, the Sernitas immediately responded. They had already been taken down once by this method; they wouldn¡¯t allow a second time. However, Chi-Woo knew the Sernitas would be prepared for them to use the fire pit from the gate again. They would¡¯ve had not much of a choice in using the same method against the Sernitas. This was the reason why they had changed their method slightly and, instead of holding the ritual at the gate, came all the way to the center of the Sky Castle instead. Yunael prayed so hard that the veins on the back of her hands popped out. ¡ªHohohohohohoho¡­. She heard a soft chuckle that sounded as if it would belong to a lovely lady. Yunael looked up in surprise. ¡ªHow interesting¡­it¡¯s a tough request to fulfill¡­but I can¡¯t turn a blind eye to such passionate feelings for one man¡­ ¡ªYes¡­if it¡¯s five minutes¡­ Yunael heard another chuckle that she couldn¡¯t understand, but soon, fire rose from the fire pit and let out a sparkling pink smoke. The pink light shot up and quickly descended before seeping into the Sky Castle¡¯s ground. If the Sernitas had a bit more time, they might have been able to respond properly. Unfortunately for them, searching for information and carrying it out took a longer time than praying and activating the fire pit. ¡ªActivating the most effective method among the searched methods¡­error. Err¡­ The Sky Castle was about to find a solution and carry it out, but suddenly shut down. Then, it became silent like a computer with its plug pulled out. *** ¡ªWhat can I do to become strong? This was the question that Chi-Woo had asked Philip a long time ago. Philip answered then that Chi-Woo should go and fight enemies. A battle that put him in and out of the realms of life and death would be more effective than training hundreds and thousands of times. Though it was easier said than done, there was nothing wrong with Philip¡¯s answer. This was the day that advice would be put to use. ¡ªThat¡¯s why you should¡¯ve done this from the beginning. Philip chuckled. ¡ªYou must¡¯ve gotten anxious because he looked like he was really going to die. If Bael had heard him, she would¡¯ve asked Philip what kind of nonsense he was spouting. But Philip wasn¡¯t talking to Bael, but to Chi-Woo; more specifically, he was talking to the mysterious power hiding inside him. Philip didn¡¯t know exactly what this power was either. It sometimes popped out and showcased unbelievable strength, but it was also dangerous in the way that it tried to dominate and take over Chi-Woo. And the moment this power gained full control of Chi-Woo, Philip knew that the unimaginable would happen¡ªsomething so big and great that it would change everything; or else Byeok wouldn¡¯t have advised Chi-Woo so strongly against using the power. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. That was why Philip had been wary of the power coming out the whole time Chi-Woo was fighting Bael since Chi-Woo had always done that whenever he was in a pinch. Yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t do that this time. Instead, he seemed to be trying his best to suppress it while fighting Bael, and he continued to do so even after he lost consciousness. He showed a strong resolution to rather die than pull out the power again. Then what in the world was he going to do now? Philip wondered anxiously, and in the short time period when Chi-Woo lost consciousness, he entered Chi-Woo¡¯s body and possessed him. It was then he realized the gradual change that had happened inside Chi-Woo¡¯s body. In short, the unknown power inside Chi-Woo was yielding. It probably had been waiting and counting down expectantly, wondering when Chi-Woo would let it out again. Yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t do as the power wished and showed a firm resolution that he wouldn¡¯t ever use the power again. Thus, the unknown power was astounded. It thought it would be able to completely take over Chi-Woo¡¯s body and run havoc for sure this time. However, if Chi-Woo died like this, it was evident that it would also disappear meaninglessly. It couldn¡¯t let that happen and needed to stop that from happening at all costs. The unknown power ran wild to convince Chi-Woo to quickly use it, but in the end, it failed to break Chi-Woo¡¯s will. Thus, it couldn¡¯t endure any longer and admitted defeat. And because it seemed like Chi-Woo would really die at this rate, it hastily tried to fix the situation. As a result, the unknown power didn¡¯t try to rule over Chi-Woo anymore and didn¡¯t reveal its true form like it usually did. It changed to a new form and spread throughout Chi-Woo¡¯s body. Then it forcibly tapped into Chi-Woo¡¯s potential. If this unknown power was defined as fate, Chi-Woo had basically resisted fate and made it surrender. Of course, both Philip and Chi-Woo were unaware of this, but it truly was unbelievable. It was so shocking that even Chi-Hyun would¡¯ve been stunned if he knew what had happened. Thus, in a situation where Chi-Woo could only accept defeat or use his unknown power, a new possibility was presented to him. There was nothing much Philip needed to do. He only had to guide Chi-Woo to the right path. He realized something unimaginable had happened and he could leave the rest to Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo gradually raised his head. His face looked blank like he was slightly drunk. While surrounded by strange and unfamiliar sensations, Chi-Woo suddenly recalled a memory from his childhood: he was roughhousing with his brother, having fun jumping up and down when he suddenly jumped much higher than normal and surprised himself. After that, he couldn¡¯t reach the same height no matter how many more times he jumped. The same thing was happening now. He was hit with the same feeling he got when he somehow jumped the highest he had ever jumped and looked down. Thinking this, the continuously fluctuating power inside him gradually calmed. What had been too overwhelming to handle became a bit more digestible now, and with Philip¡¯s help, he came to realize the reason for his unexplainable confidence. He got a grasp on how he should deal with Bael and thought even further ahead. It seemed he would be able to carry out what he had only pictured in his head before. After clearing his mind, he began to see things he hadn¡¯t noticed before even in his peak state. ¡°How long are you going to stay standing there? I thought you were going to get serious now.¡± He heard Bael¡¯s voice then. Chi-Woo loosened up his tensed body and emptied his head. Then, he accepted nature as it was. Bael frowned, and she instantly regenerated the arm that was cut off. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any intention to fight, keep getting beaten up!¡± Bael rushed forward and extended her arm. She was determined to kill Chi-Woo this time, and her hand sliced through the air sharply. It barely missed the edge of Chi-Woo¡¯s nose as Chi-Woo slightly turned away. Bael snorted at first. She had already gotten into his space, and though her first attack missed, she thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the next sequence of attacks. Soon, Bael¡¯s face twisted in shock. None of her attacks landed on him¡ªno punches or kicks even made contact, and Chi-Woo swerved around them. Moreover, Chi-Woo no longer dodged with obvious movements like he had done earlier. He moved by the slightest amount so that all her attacks missed him by a hair. Unlike Bael, who began to clench her teeth harder, a faint smile formed on Chi-Woo¡¯s lips. To her surprise, Chi-Woo even closed his eyes mid-battle, as if he was savoring an afternoon tea on a lazy day. ¡®I see.¡¯ Amid the flurry of attacks, Chi-Woo nodded. ¡®This is what they meant.¡¯ It was the efficiency that Chi-Hyun and Byeok had emphasized to him time and time again. The fundamental principle of battle was to create the maximum effect with the minimum movements. Chi-Woo understood the theory with his head, but hadn¡¯t been able to carry it out in action. Rather than understanding its essence, it was easier to mimic it by upgrading his Golden Ratio. He had only been grazing at the surface of this technique and didn¡¯t get to its core. But now, he was making it wholly his. ¡®Then¡­how about this?¡¯ Chi-Woo recalled the movements Philip had taught him and opened his eyes. He saw a fist flying his way and slightly raised his arm. ¡°!¡± Bael flinched. All her attacks had been missing Chi-Woo by the width of a paper, but now the gap was slightly larger. It was the same for her kicks. A distance greater than a couple of layers of paper now formed between the two, and she soon realized the reason behind this change. Right before she hit, her opponent had already reacted. He lightly put his hand or arm on the body part she was attacking with and altered its direction. She was certain that Chi-Woo was pulling some kind of trick. Thus, Bael thought she shouldn¡¯t let Chi-Woo even touch her. She gritted her teeth and exerted more energy and force to make each attack more powerful, but in the end, that was the wrong decision to make. ¡°What?¡± She raised her speed and power, but the gap between her and her opponent increased instead. Chi-Woo moved only his arms and legs softly on the same spot, yet now, it seemed she was only making useless gestures and kicks; and whenever she tried to land an attack, it felt as if someone was slightly pushing her off. ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± In the end, Bael couldn¡¯t endure it any longer and shouted in rage. She gathered all her strength into one point. Then, she clearly saw Chi-Woo suddenly reach out and wrap his hand around her attack. His fist stopped as soon as it touched her face. It was the snapping technique. Boom! A loud, powerful explosion broke out in Bael¡¯s face, and she was thrown far backward. As it had happened with Chi-Woo, she bounced off only after crushing several buildings and rolled on the ground roughly. Bael couldn¡¯t get up immediately because her consciousness was cut off for a moment. She was able to quickly recover since she had accepted the Sernitas, but the close-range explosion had still done a job on her face. Bael was stunned. It was possible for her opponent to have superior techniques as she had risen to her current position with pure, raw power. Yet right now, she was also getting pushed back in terms of brute strength. That could only be the case since Chi-Woo had used the snapping technique with his original strength and added Bael¡¯s power on top of that. Thus, the destructive power of his attack was amplified. Even if she could understand what had happened, she couldn¡¯t erase the shock of being defeated in the area she thought she was best at. Bael had difficulty getting up, and the smile on Chi-Woo¡¯s face deepened. He was having so much fun that it was driving him crazy. Who knew it would be so enjoyable to do anything he wanted? He couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and stretched out his arm. The ghost-busting club formed in his hand, but it was different from how it usually looked. It didn¡¯t just stop after coming into form. Clusters of light gathered and let out an even stronger brilliance. The energy pouring out from the club of light was so powerful yet refined that Philip couldn¡¯t hide his admiration for it. By contrast, Bael¡¯s face hardened. CH 414 As soon as the Sky Castle came to a sudden halt, signs of change started to emerge in Shalyh. Or to be more precise, at the temple of the White Horse General. Currently, the White Horse General was in a bad mood. Tentacles that looked like tree trunks had appeared one by one from who-knows-where and gone after the temple in droves while multiplying. Shaking in wrath, the White Horse General had tried to drive them away with his guandao, but there were too many of them. He couldn¡¯t handle the waves of tentacles that were increasing exponentially in numbers, and he ended up getting thoroughly tied up. And that was only the start. The tentacles dared to initialize territorialization at his temple and forcibly neutralized the sanctuary. As if that was not enough, they began to steal the White Horse General¡¯s power little by little like a mosquito sucking out blood. The White Horse General was furious, but couldn¡¯t do anything about it; all he could do was resist by pulling back the strength that was getting sucked out. He endured as much as he could like this, but eventually reached his limit. After even his last power to resist was taken away, the White Horse General¡¯s head and limbs drooped; he only barely managed to maintain a faint consciousness. Then the tentacles, which had been sucking the White Horse General¡¯s power greedily as if they were going to take every last drop, suddenly stopped. It was as if they had all suddenly broken down, and they even vomited back out the nutrients that they had devoured so far. The White Horse General felt some of his power return, and he opened his eyes with difficulty. With a clearer consciousness, he felt the tentacles restraining his whole body loosen somewhat. He wasn¡¯t mistaken. When he put more strength into his body, the tentacles that had been so persistent and tough burst into shreds. He had no idea what was going on, but he didn¡¯t even want to know right now. There was only one thought in his mind. The White Horse General went down on one knee and raised his head slightly. Although he looked like he was under great strain, his eyes were blazing. ¡ªYou parasites¡­ He growled and quickly searched the ground. ¡ªHow dare you¡­! He found the guangdao he had dropped and lifted his head. Then he rose up indignantly and let out a lion¡¯s roar as if he was unleashing all his wrath. Flasssssssh! A tremendous light burst out of Shalyh from the temple of the White Horse General. With the revival of the guard general of the Jade Emperor who protected humans by eradicating evil, the White Horse General¡¯s sanctuary was restored. * * * The moment Yunael made a wish, she felt a wide range of feelings surge inside her. She also thought she heard a giggling and slightly teasing voice and wondered what the result would be. Come to think of it, all the chaos and clamor around her seemed to have quieted. Yunael, who had been praying with both hands tightly clasped together, looked around, and then her eyes opened wide. Less than two meters away, she saw a legion soldier. Originally, the soldier should have already rushed up to her and swung their weapon, but for some reason, they stopped mid-run. The soldier wasn¡¯t completely still. Judging by how they kept twitching and wriggling, it seemed like they were trying to move¡ªno, they looked like they were desperately trying to move. After some struggle, the soldier collapsed as if pressed down by a heavy weight. And this wasn¡¯t happening to only the legion soldier Yunael was staring at. The enemy troops had seemed ready to destroy their formation and lunge at them at any moment, yet their momentum was suddenly extinguished. On the contrary, humanity and the Cassiubia League felt a familiar and welcoming energy that they had felt before the Sky Castle landed. ¡°This energy¡­¡± Sensing the strong holy energy pouring out like rising water, the Last Dragon began to slowly smile. By contrast, the Abyss King faltered. There was no need to even mention the Demon Empire, and the same was happening to the Abyss. Since the Abyss originated from endless darkness and also stood in the opposite of light, they were likewise affected by the White Horse General¡¯s sanctuary, which eradicated evil. The Abyss King sighed in deep contemplation. He had no idea what had happened, but the sanctuary had been revived, and its effect seemed to be even more powerful than before. As a result, his strength was weakened much more than he expected, and the Last Dragon was not the type to miss such an opportunity. The Abyss King suddenly heard a strong flap of wings and stepped back for now. It seemed that they would have to concentrate on defense until they finished assessing the situation. However, a great shadow cast over him and lengthened, prompting him to look up at the source. The Last Dragon, who he had subdued with great effort, was flying back into the air. It was too late by the time he noticed her. The Last Dragon soared to the top and became fat like a pig in an instant before immediately opening her mouth. Baaaaaaaaam! Her body reverted back to its original size, and the breath that came out of her mouth shot down at an angle and penetrated the center of the Sky Castle with such force that it tilted. Then countless magic circles were created all over the Sky Castle¡¯s walls and started indiscriminately bombing the structure. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The Abyss King clenched his teeth as various magical attacks pierced through the Sky Castle, turning it into a slice of swiss cheese full of holes. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t break and crumble like crackers, but none of the systems that usually put up an ironclad defense were working. Seeing that it was only staying still while getting pierced all over, there seemed to be some kind of problem with the Sky Castle. The restoration of the sanctuary was also proof of this. Of course, the Sernitas were probably in the midst of restoring the Sky Castle. As soon as their restoration was completed, the sanctuary would disappear again. However, it would be meaningless at this rate since the restoration would take longer the more damage the Sky Castle took. And more importantly, they were in no position to worry about anyone right now. At the shocking turn of events, the Abyss King got flustered and couldn¡¯t hide his hostility. ¡°The sanctuary¡­! The sanctuary has returned¡­!¡± ¡°Our enemies haven¡¯t gotten used to it yet! This is the time! Kill them!¡± Flying in the air, the Last Dragon looked down and exclaimed briefly in admiration. The humanity and the Cassiubia League, which had been surrounded by enemies on all sides and driven back with no place to retreat¡ª Woahhhhhhhh! Were finally beginning to push back all across the battlefield with a loud shout. At last, their great counterattack had begun. The Sky Castle was in the same boat as the rest of the coalition. After almost getting pierced¡ªno, after their formation was pierced, the detachment unit immediately reorganized and launched a counterattack. At the center of it all, Yunael slumped to the ground. Her trembling legs gave out once she saw the results. It was a mission equivalent to holding all of her allies¡¯ lives in her hands; she couldn¡¯t help but feel the enormous pressure of it all. As someone said, she had carried out the operation with intense pressure on her shoulders¡ªand she did it. No, it was not time to lie on the ground like this. She needed to cut down one more enemy before they could adapt to the sanctuary. Yunael staggered up by using her spear as her cane. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Suddenly, Yunael heard a familiar voice. A woman who was usually all white¡ªnow stained with spots of dark red in various parts of her body¡ªcame up to her and put her hand on Yunael¡¯s shoulder. It was Aida. ¡°It¡¯s all right now, Yunael.¡± She spoke in a calm voice and tilted her head to look up. ¡°The sky is becoming his color.¡± Yunael lifted her chin and blinked; darkness was slowly being cleared from the sky, and at last, the sun was rising and recovering its light. Frankly, Yunael couldn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary, but she didn¡¯t say anything because Aida often said mysterious words out of the blue. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but ask out of concern, ¡°Well, this side is going well, but¡­I wonder if that guy is all right?¡± Aida immediately caught on to who Yunael was talking about and gave her a meaningful smile. ¡°Do you know this?¡± She looked at Yunael for a moment and continued, ¡°It is said that heaven builds a bridge of chance for those who work hard.¡± To access the premium content, go to [ pawread dot com ]. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We all put in a lot of effort. We worked hard. Yunael.¡± Aida shrugged and tilted her head back again. ¡°So I¡¯m sure a bridge will be built for us too.¡± She looked up at the sky and continued, ¡°A sky bridge that will lead us to a miraculous fate.¡± * * * When Chi-Woo was about to rush in with his club raised high¡ª ¡ª¡­Uh? Philip, who had been watching excitedly, suddenly gasped. It felt like he was watching a train that had been going well suddenly creak and show signs of derailment. He wasn¡¯t mistaken. Chi-Woo stopped running and shook his head once before collapsing. ¡ªWhat? What¡¯s wrong? The reason was simple. Chi-Woo had only been moving with Asha invoking the will of the World. However, he had used up all of his Blessed Luck just now. Not knowing that Deterrence required Blessed Luck, Philip was flabbergasted. On the contrary, Bael¡¯s eyes shone; perhaps this would be her opportunity. Bael immediately rose from the ground and flung herself toward Chi-Woo. At the very moment she was about to crush Chi-Woo¡¯s head as he lay flat on the ground like he was dead¡ª ¡°Uh?¡± Her body, which had been dropping with great velocity, suddenly came to a halt in the air; it creaked as if it had broken down, and she fell headlong onto the ground, rolling helplessly. ¡°What¡­why¡­¡± Bael shivered, lying face down like a frog. Her whole body had stopped listening to her. The information that made up her body seemed to have been completely disrupted. Bael soon realized why. ¡ªError. Error. Er¡­ The Sernitas had been silent no matter how many times she called them, but their voice now rang more intensely than ever in her mind. Bael had asked the Sernitas to give her strength but also told them she didn¡¯t want to become one with them. That hadn¡¯t been a lie, and the Sernitas had accepted her request. Bael had thrown away everything after a thorough analysis and got filled up with new information. In short, she had undergone some sort of programming, and programs could run only when the computer was turned on. Since the Sky Castle, the main body of the Sernitas, was not working properly, Bael naturally broke down. Coincidentally, a problem had occurred with the Sky Castle the very moment Bael was going to seize her golden opportunity to kill Chi-Woo. If she had even one more second, she could have fulfilled her objective. But the opportunity that might never come again was now lost in vain. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Bael clenched her teeth. It wasn¡¯t over yet. Although it was true that the Sky Castle had been indirectly affected, its power remained somewhat intact. Thanks to this, the Sernitas within Bael managed to execute the recovery program before it was too late. Basic information that was previously discarded replaced the current broken-down system. Then Bael¡¯s skin began to turn dark again. The destructive dark energy she once possessed gathered like water accumulating and gradually overflowing. Shaking just a moment ago, Bael¡¯s eyes widened. Now? After all this time? They hadn¡¯t even pretended to hear her when she had shouted so fiercely before. It was a bit sudden, but Bael had returned as a great demon. She didn¡¯t care either way as long as she could kill her opponent in this state. Bael checked that her body was moving again and jumped to her feet. Just in time, a huge light exploded in Shalyh. It was right after the Sky Castle broke down and the White Horse General raised himself with an angry lion¡¯s roar. The burst of light swept past Bael. ¡°Aghhhhhh!¡± Bael fell to her knees with a scream. A powerful energy completely opposite of her element as a great demon began to push her down and inflict her with all sorts of harmful effects. ¡°The sanctuary¡­is back¡­?¡± Bael shook like an aspen tree and barely managed to spit out the words, ¡°What the hell is hap¡­?¡± However, she couldn¡¯t finish because she saw Chi-Woo, who had been immobile for a while, tightened his fists on the ground. The closer they were to the sanctuary¡¯s center, the more powerful its effect was, and the temple of the White Horse General was right beside them. Gurgle, gurgle. In the seething, fluctuating feast of light, Bael clearly saw Chi-Woo slowly rise up inside the boiling glow. Before they knew it, dawn had broken out. The dark sky had cleared up, and the sun shone upon Shalyh. ¡°What¡­¡± Bael stared at the pouring light, speechless; she saw a general standing near Chi-Woo with a huge guandao in his hand. It wasn¡¯t just the White Horse General. He saw a girl who was all white with her hands clasped, a twin hugging each other tightly, and a woman holding a scale. And covering her mouth and sneering coldly, there was even a great being that Bael didn¡¯t even dare to measure. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Just how many gods were attached to this one human being? However, this thought was erased as soon as Chi-Woo got to his feet. Bael¡¯s head tilted back to the fullest extent that it couldn¡¯t go further. Her eyes gazed up at the sky, and what Bael saw was not a mere human being that many gods were looking after, but a being that commanded countless gods¡ªa giant at whom even the sky dropped to their knees and looked up at. CH 415 While fighting and throwing attacks at her opponent, Bael felt that Chi-Woo was gradually looking bigger and bigger. She hadn¡¯t known the reason for this change and still didn¡¯t. But one thought did come to her mind as soon as she noticed. ¡®Fuck. Fucking fuck, fuck. Really fuck,¡¯ she cursed inside her mind. A sense of despair that she couldn¡¯t put into words came to her. What in the world was that? How could she beat something like that? As the saying went, ¡®There was a heaven above heaven.¡¯ Bael was an existence who could reach the sky, but what if there was an existence whom even that sky looked up at? What would she call such a being? Bael had a difficult time wrapping her head around what was happening before her. Thus, she watched blankly as Chi-Woo charged at her with a kick. It seemed accurate to say that there was nothing she could possibly do. Just like how an ant couldn¡¯t escape an elephant¡¯s foot no matter how fast it ran, she couldn¡¯t escape. This was an existence she couldn¡¯t dare or even attempt to comprehend, and such a being soon struck her abdomen with his fist. ¡°¡­.!¡± Bael gasped, and she ran out of breath. It felt as if all her internal organs were threatening to come out of her mouth, only to be stopped by the constriction of her throat. When she regained her senses, her surroundings were quickly flowing past her. The pain came a beat later, and she felt like her whole body was shredding and disintegrating to pieces. As she screamed belatedly, Bael saw Chi-Woo approach her and raise one foot high. Bael felt like she was getting ripped from her head to her bottom, and her body stopped flying straight ahead and instead shot upwards. Now, she was put in a strange state where she wasn¡¯t even sure if she was alive or dead. She looked sideways and was rendered speechless. She was in the sky above the clouds. When she blankly looked down, she saw that she was far from the surface of the planet, and because she was too focused on what she was seeing, she didn¡¯t notice the heel rising above her and striking her down hard from the top of her head. What was more shocking was that all this happened in just three seconds. A dark figure dropped from the sky and landed hard, leaving a giant crater on the ground and shaking the surroundings. Chi-Woo landed near her and looked down. As he stared at the center of the crater, his eyes flashed at the being wiggling like a bug. ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t die,¡± Chi-Woo calmly murmured. ¡°I attacked you seriously three times to finish you.¡± He sounded like he was almost congratulating her. While she had probably heard him, Bael didn¡¯t say anything. She was in no condition to respond, much less speak. Her body was in taters, her limbs were falling apart, and it felt as if she was a wrung-out rag ripped into pieces. But despite all this, Bael staggered and pushed herself up. She felt many things fall or flow off her as she got up, but she didn¡¯t pay attention to them. Perhaps she had already known what would happen. No, she realized it the moment the sanctuary was revived and she felt that Chi-Woo had grown larger. The foreboding feeling had become reality. Yet Bael still pushed herself up. It was because of the resolution she had made when she first decided to walk the path that betrayed Liber. Thus, she couldn¡¯t fall like this. With a face covered thickly in blood, she looked up. Chi-Woo jumped with ease after watching her from the side the whole time. An intense cluster of light shot out from his hand, so bright that it seemed to blind her. ¡°¡­¡± She recalled a memory, and at that moment, Bael closed her eyes halfway. There was a hint of reminiscence to her expression, and she looked almost pitiful, but only momentarily. It had looked like she would close her eyes and peacefully enter an eternal slumber, but then her eyes widened again. ¡°------!¡± Her face distorted like that of an evil spirit, and she reached out with her fist while screeching. With a loud bang, Bael wavered widely. Her body seemed to fluctuate like waves, and the arm she had extended twisted downward, seemingly endlessly. Chi-Woo moved past her, and almost at the same time, her headless body slowly crumpled while spewing a fountain of dark red blood. Boom, Bael¡¯s body hit the ground and didn¡¯t move again. Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at "pawread dot com" *** Rumble! Boom! The ground rang and shook with tremendous roars and noises. A part of the island-like structure had broken off, triggering what looked like a giant landslide. Seeing the Sky Castle lose a part, the Abyss King turned solemn and contemplative. The fate of the Sky Castle gave him a general idea how the situation in Shalyh had panned out. They would only be certain of it by checking the scene in person, but they didn¡¯t have the luxury to wait until then. They needed to make the decision now¡ªjust like the Last Dragon had done when she decided to leave him alone in favor of attacking the Sky Castle. Should he try to overturn the disadvantageous situation somehow, or¡­? It was then the Abyss King wondered, ¡®But for whom?¡¯ If he acted now, what would the Abyss gain? Basically nothing. Maybe it would be different if the Sernitas could miraculously restore the Sky Castle, but that didn¡¯t seem possible now. If the current situation kept on unfolding, he had no confidence in winning this war. Of course, the Abyss could inflict great damage on humanity and the League if they went all in now at the risk of total annihilation, but who would benefit the most from that? The answer was simple: the Sernitas. Going over the situation again, he realized that all factions except for one had amassed all their forces. The Sernitas only sent one Sky Castle. They had a good excuse for it, which was that they had to keep their main forces on guard against the legend. The legend was formidable enough for the Sernitas to act in this manner, but even with the justification, the Abyss King couldn¡¯t help but suspect foul play. If humanity, the Cassiubia League, the Demon Empire, and the Abyss all fought each other to the deaths, it would be the Sernitas who would have a heyday. This was just a projection, but what if¡ªand he did mean if¡ªthe Sernitas were¡­ The Abyss King felt as if someone had the back of his head with a hammer. He stiffened for a moment before bursting into loud laughter. To think that could be the case¡­ ¡°¡­Yes, that was it.¡± The Abyss King eventually stopped laughing and shook his head. ¡°That was his plan from the beginning. The man called the legend sure is one crazy bastard.¡± When the Abyss King heard that the legend had broken into the Sernitas¡¯ territory alone, he had thought the man had gone mad. But now that they reached this situation, he understood what had happened. In short, it could be said that the legend and the Sernitas had made a secret alliance of sorts. Naturally, the two wouldn¡¯t have met one-on-one for a negotiation. By entering their territory alone, the legend had sent a kind of message to the Sernitas, and the Sernitas had interpreted this message on their side and accepted the deal. In other words, just like how the Sernitas had sought collaboration with the Abyss and the Demon Empire, the legend had also extended his hand toward the Sernitas. The legend made an offer that the Sernitas had no reason to refuse. At the price of only the Sky Castle, they were given the choice to either use a portion of the power or go all-out depending on how things played out. In short, the legend had given them a good excuse to reap great benefits with less work. Of course, the Abyss King couldn¡¯t be completely certain that this was the whole picture, or if the Sernitas had really tried their best. But one thing was for certain: while victory was always nice, it didn¡¯t really matter to the Sernitas whether they won this war or not. They would be able to go back home with great rewards regardless of the result. They sure had it good. It was at this point that the Abyss King realized that the legend had also extended a hand to the Abyss to some extent. The Last Dragon was the one passing on the message, as evidenced by the way she left him to only crush the Sky Castle. They were telling him to either give up on gaining more here and minimize the losses, or they could continue to strangle each other to their deaths and allow the Sernitas to be the only one laughing. Considering how sprawling this whole event turned out to be, the coalition army wouldn¡¯t be able to leave completely intact. At least one of their main leads would have to die, and the one to suffer the fate had already been decided: Bael, who was defeated by Chi-Woo. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no reason for me to play into their hands.¡± The Abyss King organized his thoughts and made his decision. It wasn¡¯t something he had to agonize over in the first place. Rather than holding onto loyalty to someone who was already gone and exacerbating losses to both of their armies, they needed to get out and escape when their enemies¡¯ attention wasn¡¯t on them. ¡°I will admit defeat this time,¡± the Abyss King said indifferently, but couldn¡¯t hide his regret. If the Demon Empire had done their job properly, perhaps the Sernitas wouldn¡¯t be at such an advantage. But it couldn¡¯t be helped now. Rather than being a fool who lost everything, it was better to admit defeat and retreat now. Thus, the Abyss King was about to turn around when something suddenly caught his eye. Perhaps the Last Dragon had sensed what was happening, and in the midst of attacking the Sky Castle, she stopped to look in his direction. ¡°I like how fast you are in admitting defeat, but wanting to retreat without suffering losses after coming all this way¡­ Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re expecting too much?¡± The Last Dragon smirked. ¡°You should leave at least half of your army behind.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say that you are being too greedy, but don¡¯t disappoint me, Last Dragon,¡± the Abyss King said calmly. ¡°Who knows what will happen in the future? We might find ourselves allies with the same goal. You are a dragon for goodness sake; I don¡¯t want to think that your brain has already turned into one of a lizard.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that joining hands with a stupid ally once is more than enough.¡± ¡°I was wondering what you were suddenly going on about¡­but you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± The Last Dragon looked a bit baffled by the Abyss King¡¯s claims. ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll join hands with you.¡± ¡°Well¡­.I¡¯ll respect your opinions. I understand how you feel, but you will have no choice but to let us go in peace.¡± The next moment, the Last Dragon almost doubted her eyes. Mid-conversation, the Abyss King noticeably became fainter as if he had transported his body to another dimension. She quickly swung her claws, but the sharp winds she made simply passed through the Abyss King and sliced the ground. ¡°¡­You.¡± The Last Dragon¡¯s eyes narrowed. She had considered the possibility, but it was still surprising. ¡°Ate the queen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the expression that I ¡®ate¡¯ her, but there was no reason for me not to.¡± The Abyss King bared his teeth, and the Last Dragon¡¯s face hardened. In other words, the Abyss had reorganized their ranks just like the Demon Empire had. From a Two Monarchs Three-Six Alliance, they now had one monarch with Seven Chasms serving him. The change had happened so secretively that no other faction could confirm this news. Perhaps it was to be expected as soon as the Abyss¡¯ Witch went missing in their war against the Demon Empire. Nevertheless, it was surprising what had happened to the Abyss Queen. ¡°This is advice coming from a victor, but you should put your focus on the Demon Empire if you don¡¯t want to pass over the little information you have left.¡± ¡°What?¡± the Last Dragon asked, but didn¡¯t hear a reply. The Abyss King had concealed his presence by now and disappeared without a trace. The Last Dragon stared ahead in a daze. Then, she soon turned around to see Abyss troops hurrying to retreat after realizing that their leader had left. The Last Dragon didn¡¯t know what the Abyss King¡¯s last words meant exactly, but in the end, she flapped her wings widely and flew upwards. Though the result of the battle was almost decided, it wasn¡¯t over yet. After losing all they had, humanity and the Cassiubia League needed to salvage as much as they could. *** While the conversation took place and humanity and the Cassiubia were launching a fierce counterattack at their enemies at the last gate, Shalyh was quiet. The invader had been stopped, and though there were still some surviving Cassiubia League members, none of them said anything. They were all quiet as a mouse. They had witnessed a battle so unbelievable and insane that they were stunned speechless. Seeing all the ruins and destruction left in the aftermath of the battle, it seemed like two gods had clashed rather than two mortals. And at the center of the giant crater, two people were lying across from each other. One of them soon disintegrated into dark ash and scattered into the sky, while the other didn¡¯t disappear, but nor did he move. He simply lay still on the ground as if he was fast asleep. The crater was still warm from the fiery clash earlier, and it seemed like a nice bed. Several beings gathered around to look at the figure lying in the center of the crater. The greatest among them looked sentimental. Her gaze was happy, admiring, and even expectant. Then, she suddenly furrowed her eyebrows, because suddenly, some small thing walked up to Chi-Woo and stuck close to his side. Like all great beings, she didn¡¯t like others touching what she already designated as hers. Irked by the sight of that small thing rubbing her cheeks against what was hers, she smacked the girl away like a fly. Smack! The girl rolled on the ground and looked up at the great being. Surprised by what happened, the goddess holding a scale quickly blinked, while the general holding the guandao clicked his tongue. ¡ª¡­Your temper is the same as ever. How could you get jealous of such a young thing¡­ But the general stopped and fake-coughed when the great being glared piercingly at him. Looking far off into the distance, the general swung his guandao meaninglessly in the air. After a while, the great being crossed her arms and flicked her head to the side. Then, the girl who had been warily looking at her carefully moved again. She approached the center of the crater and looked below her. There Chi-Woo lay. The man had kept his promise to her. He had a faint smile on his face as bright sunlight shone on him. CH 416 The coming dawn lit up the sky. Chi-Hyun¡¯s face was haggard as he looked up at the slowly rising sun. It had been over a month since he trespassed into Sernitas territory and got trapped. During this time, he hadn¡¯t been able to eat or drink, and he barely slept. Of course, Chi-Hyun was a hero who had transcended the limits of a human body. Unlike ordinary humans, he didn¡¯t need to eat, drink, or sleep. Nevertheless, there was one reason he looked so down; he was worried about his brother. There have been many times when he wanted to immediately rush out and go to Chi-Woo¡¯s side. Each time, Chi-Hyun suppressed the urge with superhuman patience. Since he was the one who designed this stage, he couldn¡¯t hastily leave his position. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t in the position to move freely. Countless gazes bored into him from all sides at all times; monitoring his every move, the numerous eyes seemed to be saying, ¡®We¡¯ll go along with your plan for now, so stay quiet. If you act recklessly, we¡¯ll overturn the stage first.¡¯ Thus, Chi-Hyun had no choice but to wait and hope that those in Shalyh was doing well, and that things were going according to his design. However, since he couldn¡¯t wait forever, he gave himself a deadline. Past that, it would be safe to say that Shalyh had fallen at their enemy¡¯s hands. If that happened, he was going to scratch the whole plan and move out in earnest. And that deadline was today. When Chi-Hyun looked up at the sun and made a firm decision, the long-awaited change finally came. The countless eyes that have been monitoring him without a break began to move in another direction. Then in another. He didn¡¯t know exactly what they were looking at, but it was at least not humanity¡¯s refuge, Shalyh. Just in case, Chi-Hyun took a few steps as a test. Before, he would have felt enormous pressure before he could take a single step, but this wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Only a small fraction of the eyes were keeping watch on him. The rest were only looking at one place as if their interest had shifted. Only then did Chi-Hyun understand the Sernitas¡¯ message. ¡®Did the Abyss eventually choose to retreat quietly?¡¯ It seemed as if things went even better than he had expected. If not, the Sernitas wouldn¡¯t have let him go so easily. If the Abyss had resisted till the very end, things would have gotten complicated. Humanity, Cassiubia League, Demon Empire, and the Abyss would have come to mutual destruction, and then Chi-Hyun could guarantee a 100 percent that the Sernitas would have attacked him right now. Even if they would suffer a severe blow by fighting him, the rest of the factions would have suffered even more damage. However, as long as humanity and the League were well and alive, and the Abyss had withdrawn relatively intact, the Sernitas would not attack recklessly. In the first place, the Sernitas were averse to tactics with high risks and high return. Rather than taking unnecessary risks, they moved in a way that would ensure benefits as safely as possible. Of course, he would only know for sure after going back to Shalyh. Chi-Hyun rose into the air. He flew like an arrow toward the path the Sernitas had left open, where their gazes were gone. * * * When Chi-Woo opened his eyes, he saw a familiar looking ceiling. He blinked three or four times and soon let out a hollow laugh. It was obvious what had happened. He must have fainted again after the battle was over. He was used to it now. Still, judging by how was lying on his bed, in his room, it seemed that everything had worked out well afterward. Chi-Woo checked his body first. Except for his lack of strength, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything off. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like he had slightly changed from before; he needed to take time to slowly find out what it was. As he twisted his body while lying down, Crackkkk!, his spine let out a good crack. ¡°Ughhh-!¡± ¨COh. When he raised his upper body with a groan, a spirit popped out in front of him¡ªit was Philip. ¨COur little legend has finally woken up? Philip talked to him with a laugh. Chi-Woo stretched his neck from side to side and said, ¡°Yes¡­how many days has it been this time?¡± ¨CWell¡­about five years. By the way, Liber got destroyed. ¡°Stop with the bullshit.¡± ¨CTsk. It hasn¡¯t been that long. About 7 days? ¡°If it¡¯s seven days¡­it really hasn¡¯t been that long.¡± Although it could be considered long, he considered it rather short given how fierce the battle had been. His injury must have been very serious. ¨CWell, it really was no joke. You could have died if you pushed yourself a little further. However, Philip wasn¡¯t very worried because he believed that the unknown power would not let Chi-Woo die. Moreover, when all the priests, including Onarbles Evelyn, stabilized him, the power of his divine blood began to activate. Thanks to Chi-Woo increasing its rank after returning from the past, his condition noticeably improved day by day. It was a healing ability that would make anyone¡¯s mouth drop if they didn¡¯t know his circumstances. ¨CSo, how does it feel to defeat Bael, the great demon who was once the archenemy of humankind? When Philip asked playfully, Chi-Woo tilted his head. His thoughts, his thoughts¡­ Actually, he wasn¡¯t thinking or feeling much. After getting beaten up like crazy, he didn¡¯t remember well what happened because he had fought almost in a trance. It still didn¡¯t feel real to him. ¨CCome on, tell me? Little legend who has just taken his first step~ Chi-Woo stared coldly at Philip¡¯s wide smile. ¨CWhat, why are you staring at me like that? ¡°No¡­why do you keep saying that?¡± ¨CWhat do you mean? ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that since I woke up. Calling me little legend.¡± ¨CAh¡­what¡¯s the problem with calling the little legend little legend? Philip also added that he wasn¡¯t the one who gave him that nickname. ¨CEveryone who came to visit called you little legend. ¡°Yeah, so what¡¯s up with that? It¡¯s not legend, but little legend? What the heck is that?¡± ¨CAs you know, the title of the legend is already taken. But that¡¯s how great your performance this time was~ To the point that you¡¯re comparable to your brother! Philip chuckled, saying wasn¡¯t it right in the end since Chi-Hyun was his older brother. The brothers would be the big legend and the little legend respectively. Chi-Woo found it so ridiculous that he simply snorted. Then the door suddenly burst open, and a woman with a blond ponytail rushed in¡ªit was Ru Hiana. ¡°Oh, Ms. Ru Hiana.¡± Chi-Woo raised his hand and greeted her like usual, but Ru Hiana failed to do the same. Half-expectantly, she had come in after hearing a voice. ¡°Senior¡­¡± Ru Hiana¡¯s eyes instantly reddened, and her voice broke. She sounded like she was holding back tears when she asked, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Yes, just now. Please don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I won¡¯t. I¡¯m just so happy.¡± Ru Hiana wiped her eyes and took a quick step toward the bed. She asked about his physical condition and answered Chi-Woo¡¯s question about what had happened that day. ¡°I was honestly very surprised. When I came back to Shalyh, the city was in ruins and you were¡­¡± ¡°What happened to the enemy?¡± ¡°You¡¯re curious, aren¡¯t you? About what has happened since you left for Shalyh.¡± When Chi-Woo nodded, Ru Hiana gave him a small smile. ¡°I have a lot to tell you¡­but I need to say this first. Senior, do you know what the League and humanity call you these days?¡± ¡°Little legend.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be surprised to hear this. It¡¯s¡ªuh?¡± Ru Hiana was about to speak proudly, but got so taken aback that she stopped. She blinked quickly. ¡°Uh, how did you know? Didn¡¯t you wake up just now?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± Chi-Woo fell into a predicament because it felt kind of strange to say that a perverted ghost had told him and was now going, ¡®It¡¯s me! Me!¡¯ When Chi-Woo just kept staring at him, Ru Hiana opened her mouth blankly, ¡°Perhaps¡­have you been listening this whole time?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Is that it? Really? You were in a coma, but was your mind awake and you could hear¡­oh my gosh.¡± It seemed as if Ru Hiana was starting to form misunderstandings by herself again. While Chi-Woo wondered what he should say, Ru Hiana was at a loss of what to do. He tilted his head. Ru Hiana¡¯s earlobes were gradually turning red like ripe apples. What had she said that she was acting like this? Did she curse him out for breaking the whole city and then sleeping his ass off? ¡°No, it¡¯s, I was just¡­¡± Ru Hiana wriggled her ten fingers for a while and suddenly turned around. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Before Chi-Woo could even say anything, she ran away after saying she would call the others in. Chi-Woo stared blankly at her fading figure and looked up. ¡ªHa¡­ Philip had a playful smile on his lips like a dog with a bone. ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡ªWhat? ¡°What had Ms. Ru Hiana said while I was asleep that she¡¯s acting like that?¡± ¡ªAre you curious? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ªYou want to know? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ªMe too. ¡°Sigh.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head while Philip laughed. * * * After waking up, Chi-Woo tried to go outside because he wanted to see what had happened to Shalyh with his own eyes. However, he wasn¡¯t able to do this because as soon as he left his room, his device rang like crazy. In fact, it wasn¡¯t long before several people rushed in and forced him to sit back down on the bed. After Evelyn, Aida, and Noel Freya confirmed that he was fine one after another, Chi-Woo could finally hear the story he wanted to hear. After the sanctuary was revived, the Abyss King hid himself, and the Abyss quickly retreated in all directions. On the other hand, the Demon Empire wasn¡¯t able to last much longer. Humanity and the League chased after the scattering enemies with resolution made firm by their past sorrows, and this went on for three or four days. They tenaciously chased after their fleeing enemies and killed them one after another, and the Demon Empire sustained enough damage for them to be considered almost extinct. It was to the extent that Ru Amuh confidently said that 8 or 9 out of 10 would not have survived. Although it was a pity that they couldn¡¯t completely annihilate all of them, it couldn¡¯t be helped, since their enemies had run away with all the strength they could muster, and humanity and the League had to consider the possibility of them getting attacked once they left the sanctuary. After spending some time listening to the stories, Chi-Woo¡¯s stomach rumbled. He had been lying down all week. His stomach was empty, and his throat was dry. A small banquet was held at the Seven Stars home base when the sun began to slowly set. Frankly, it was more like a gathering where they dined together than a banquet. While they resumed their previous conversation, Chi-Woo filled his stomach. Everyone laughed and chatted as they had all survived a crisis together. However, though this was the moment they had been dreaming of while their bodies and minds were exhausted by war, they didn¡¯t feel fully happy once their dreams became reality. Chi-Woo had heard that Alice Ho Lactea had recovered and opened her eyes. Although this was a huge relief, there was still one person left. Chi-Woo felt like he would only be able to revel in the joy of winning the war once that person returned safely. ¡®Rather than staying like this, I should at least send a rescue team¡­¡¯ While Chi-Woo could barely focus on the food and deeply contemplated, he felt a gaze on him. He turned around to see a silver-haired girl staring intently at him. When Chi-Woo mouthed ¡®what?¡¯, Hawa immediately answered, ¡°A wish.¡± ¡°A wish, why so suddenly?¡± ¡°We decided to grant each other¡¯s wishes. You promised then.¡± ¡®Did I?¡¯ Chi-Woo looked confused and then he suddenly recalled a memory. [If we both survive this war¡­] [Can you fulfill one request of mine?] After confirming their survival and conversing, Hawa had suddenly asked him to fulfill a request out of the blue. At that time, he had replied like this. [No.] [I¡¯m not saying I would never grant your request, but if I must, I want you to grant mine too. That¡¯ll be only fair.] [Then, why don¡¯t I receive the payment in advance, and you grant my request first? Like right now?] [Pray.] And as he asked, Hawa prayed earnestly. He didn¡¯t know if that prayer worked, but they did get the result they wanted. They were able to block the Sky Castle¡¯s attack. ¡°Right?¡± When Hawa asked for confirmation, Chi-Woo felt a bit taken aback. She was right, but he didn¡¯t expect her to remember that. ¡°Uh¡­.um¡­What kind of request are you planning to make?¡± He felt anxious because he had made Hawa do all kinds of embarrassing things for losing a bet. What if she suddenly asked him to take off his underwear in front of everyone and scream? ¡°Just to be clear, I can only fulfill requests within the scope of common sense,¡± Chi-Woo hurriedly laid a safety net just in case. ¡°Please speak informally to me.¡± Chi-Woo looked at her questioningly. She wanted him to speak informally to her rather than the other way around? Hawa said, ¡°It¡¯s a request you can easily accept, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± That was true, but he couldn¡¯t help but find it sudden. Thus, he decided to ask why. ¡°Why do you want me to do that?¡± ¡°Just because.¡± Hawa shrugged. ¡°If I have to give you a reason, it¡¯s because I feel like you unconsciously refrain from doing so?¡± Chi-Woo felt called out. How did she know? He thought about when it first started. He had gotten into an elevator, and a kid followed him in. At the time, he had asked, ¡®What floor? I¡¯ll press it for you.¡¯ Then the little boy¡¯s answer shocked him. Word for word, the boy had said, ¡®Mister, it¡¯s the seventh floor. But why are you speaking to me informally? It¡¯s your first time seeing me.¡¯ After the shock, Chi-Woo had never dropped his honorifics without permission regardless of who they were. Anyways, as expected of a guide, she really had sharp senses. ¡°Go ahead and say it. Come on.¡± Feeling troubled, Chi-Woo stared at Hawa as she kept urging him. She seemed to have an intense fixation on getting him to speak informally. Then his eyes widened. Before he knew it, his surroundings had become quiet. Everyone had stopped eating and was staring at Chi-Woo and Hawa. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just do it for her if she wants it so badly?¡± Byeok began moving her spoon again and continued, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the leader of this group? Moreover, your position has been even more solidified after this war.¡± Byeok added that there was no organization where the leader spoke in honorifics to their subordinates and told him he should have done this way earlier. Chi-Woo looked around, silently asking for help, but no one supported him. Instead, Eval Sevaru even nodded fervently in agreement with Byeok. ¡°Do it. Why are you making her wait? You call yourself a man, but can¡¯t even keep your promise?¡± When Chi-Woo still seemed to hesitate, Byeok repeated herself firmly, ¡°I told you to do it for her.¡± In the end, Chi-Woo reluctantly conceded under his master¡¯s stern order. ¡°¡­Okay, Hawa. I¡¯ll talk casually to you from now on.¡± Finally hearing Chi-Woo speak informally to her, Hawa broke into a rare grin. She seemed quite satisfied with the way Chi-Woo looked away in embarrassment. Byeok snorted. ¡°Seriously, geez. What¡¯s so hard about speaking informally.¡± This novel is available on "pawread dot com". Chi-Woo replied, ¡°I get it, so be quiet now, Byeok.¡± Byeok was going to eat another spoonful when Chi-Woo¡¯s informal speech made her stop. ¡°What?¡± She was ready to look up and say something, but then everyone suddenly stood up and rushed toward Chi-Woo like a swarm of bees. ¡°Teacher, actually I¡¯ve been wanting¡ª¡± ¡°Senior! Me too! Me tooooo!¡± Ru Amuh and Ru Hiana stood at the forefront and begged and urged Chi-Woo to speak informally to them as well. ¡°No, wait. What¡¯s up with everyone?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. This isn¡¯t right. Why is everyone trying to easily reap the rights I¡¯ve earned for myself fair and square¡ª¡± While Chi-Woo asked in bewilderment, Hawa jumped from her seat and protested, but it was of no use. The dining table became noisy as they all quarreled with each other. In the midst of the chaos, Byeok made a threat to Chi-Woo that no one could laugh at, ¡®If you want to call your master Ran-Eum, then I¡¯ll start calling you oppa in the future.¡¯ In the end, it was concluded that as the leader of the Seven Stars, Chi-Woo would drop his honorifics and speak informally to everyone from now on. CH 417 The one who benefitted the most from the recent war was the Sernitas. All the other factions suffered considerable damage, while the Sernitas lost only one Sky Castle. Nevertheless, humanity and the Cassiubia League had won in the end, while the Sernitas had lost. And the fact was that humanity and the League not only survived but rose victorious in a war considered unwinnable. Thus, they were naturally beside themselves and thought they were living in a dream. But considering that they had gone through such a miraculous victory, the atmosphere at Shalyh was surprisingly quiet and non-celebratory. It was because the damages the League and humanity had suffered were too great for them to think about rejoicing and throwing a festival. And though they didn¡¯t lose as much as the Demon Empire, it could be said that they lost almost half their original forces. More than half of the troops who left Shalyh to defend the last gate had died, and the number of casualties surpassed 70%. More than 50% of members of humanity were killed in this war, and thousands of heroes who saved worlds on other planets met their end on Liber. Thinking of the many valuable and precious lives lost, people couldn¡¯t simply rejoice. Still, it wasn¡¯t all that bad. Those who survived held a ceremonial funeral for those who had passed away and worked eagerly to restore the city. And the biggest change that arose from the war was the relationship between humanity and the Cassiubia League. The two groups had fought back-to-back with their lives on the line, overcame a great danger together, and won. Thus, it was only inevitable that the bond between them would¡¯ve grown deeper than before. A big factor in this change was their changed perception of their realities. Before facing the coalition army, Chi-Woo had told them that they needed to show strength and courage; and to do so, they needed to have hope. Such words became reality now that they had overcome the worst enemy possible¡ªthe coalition of the Sernitas, the Abyss, and the Demon Empire. Now, they no longer asked, ¡®Can we possibly accomplish that?¡¯ They had already proven with results that they could. Though it was a victory they gained with great bloodshed and countless losses, it gave them a new sense of confidence they had never had before. One could see this change in the residents of the city. People who had lived day-to-day for simple survival now looked noticeably brighter. They now hoped and expected Liber to return to how it had been before, and the previous event seemed to prove that the World hadn¡¯t died and was instead coming alive. Of course, these were all rewards that were not yet noticeable at a glance. They would only truly come to light as these changes took firmer shape over time. Nevertheless, most naturally thought there should be a noticeably large reward after overcoming such a great ordeal, and it was easy to guess to whom the biggest reward went. *** A studious student was rewarded with good grades. For an employee who showed great achievements, they were rewarded with salary raise, bonuses, and promotions. Thus, for those who made splendid achievements in this war on Liber, what reward would they get? The answer was merits. Depending on how influential their action was in bringing about Liber¡¯s salvation, they accumulated more merits. Then, they could offer the merits to the god they served and receive greater power in exchange. Thus, for those using the growth system, war was a huge growth opportunity. Considering how great and influential this war was, it was evident that those who survived this war would grow stronger. Chi-Woo was no exception. After going outside to help with the restoration project in Shalyh, Chi-Woo had to run back to the Seven Stars headquarters after only five minutes. It was because a great commotion arose wherever he went. He was fine with people recognizing him. Though it was a bit embarrassing and awkward, that part was still endurable. But he couldn¡¯t endure it when people raised both arms and cheered that the ¡®little legend¡¯ was here. He didn''t know who the heck gave him such an absurd nickname, but it appeared that he would have to refrain from going outside for the time being. Chi-Woo sat in his office and turned on his device. He could sense a change inside himself, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what it was. At times like this, checking his user information was the best way to find out. ¡®Let me see¡­first¡­hm?¡¯ After carefully reading the user information in the air, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes stopped on one line, specifically the innate ability section. [Ab?????? ???????ty EX] ¡®A¡­? What?¡¯ He had had the ability since he first entered Liber. It was his only EX rank ability, and it used to be completely censored with question marks. After using the unknown power inside him a couple of times, the last letters were revealed. Now, after his fight with Bael, the first couple of letters were also revealed. He still didn¡¯t know what the ability could be with only these clues. ¡°Shit,¡± then Chi-Woo exclaimed, and his eyes turned wide. He saw that one of his innate abilities, ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯, had dropped to 0. ¡®What, shit. What the heck?¡¯ Now that he thought about it, he recalled hearing notifications that Deterrence was activating. Without it, there was no way he would have resisted and endured for so long. It seemed that Asha had judged that the situation was too serious and activated Deterrence on their own. Chi-Woo was able to win the battle thanks to Asha¡¯s quick decisive thinking, but he couldn¡¯t help but cover his face with both hands. The World¡¯s Milestone, Asha¡¯s Deterrence, and the Power to Rule the World were all abilities that he could only activate through Blessed Luck. What if he could never use them again¡­? It was frightful to even think about it. He lost everything that had helped him overcome the previous crises. Thus, he needed to recover his Blessed Luck as fast as possible. Fortunately, he had a method in mind, which was to use the Kobalos¡¯ fire pit as he had done before. The problem was that to recover 1 of Blessed Luck, he needed to offer 5 million merits. Thus, in order to replenish it completely, he would need 500 million merits. ¡®How many merits do I have? I remember leaving about 100 million.¡¯ Chi-Woo called forth his fostering information while looking nervous. A total of 100 million wouldn¡¯t be enough; he would only be able to restore 20 points of Blessed Luck with that much, and that wasn¡¯t the only thing he had to consider. Right now, Chi-Woo needed to save as many merits as he could in order to upgrade the abilities in his fostering information or his other abilities; and the higher the ranks of the abilities, the more merits he would need. ¡®Please, please¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo prayed inside his mind and checked his remaining merits while chewing his lower lip. Soon, his jaw dropped. [User Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s merits: 1,079,231,262] He clenched his eyes shut and opened them again to confirm that the numbers didn¡¯t change. A billion? It was such an astonishingly great amount. The number of merits he gained was several times more than the amount he had received from going back to the past and saving the World. In terms of tiers alone, this was enough for him to rise from Grand Master to Challenger and have more left. ¡®With this much¡­I¡¯ll have 500 million merits left even after restoring Blessed Luck to 100.¡¯ Chi-Woo sighed in relief. Then, he tilted his head curiously. Of course, Chi-Woo believed he had been a key player in this battle, but even considering that, the amount of merits he had gained was almost excessive. After some contemplation, he realized the reason. ¡®El Dorado¡¯s Treasure.¡¯ It was one of the special abilities Chi-Woo had gained from the Core of Balance. It added an additional amount of merits on top of the merits he already accumulated as long as he didn¡¯t violate the vow he made to La Bella or acted with immoral intentions. In this war, Chi-Woo had reinstated the balance of powers that existed on Liber, and since this result was exactly in alignment with the vow he had made to La Bella, it appeared that the merits he accumulated had ballooned and multiplied. ¡®I should set aside 500 million merits for now, and with the remaining 500 million¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo did the calculations in his head. Though he had won, he had experienced his powerlessness more times than in any other situation and almost died more than once. The end was merely a new beginning, and likewise, the fact that he had overcome the recent crisis didn¡¯t mean Liber was saved. In the future, there could be a crisis just like this one, or perhaps even greater. When that happened, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t want to struggle as he did this time. He wanted to have the upper hand from the beginning and secure a victory he could expect. And in order to do that, he needed to become much stronger than he was now¡ªfor the brother who would surely come back to Shalyh if not anything else. *** Right after the holy territory was established again and the Sernitas¡¯ Sky Castle crumbled, the Abyss retreated without hesitation. Needless to say, the Demon Empire had no say in this entire process. The Demon Empire was basically used as bait, and unlike the Abyss¡¯ Seven Chasms, who quickly and orderly escaped from the battlefield, the Demon Empire failed to regain order. When they finally realized what was going on, they found themselves in a hopeless situation where they were surrounded by enemies. Unlike the orderly Abyss, the frantic Demon Empire troops became easy targets for humanity and the Cassubia League. From then on, the Demon Empire couldn¡¯t even hope to escape or forge a path out. Enemies circled them all around and chased them down with the intention of annihilating every last one of them. Even the great demon, Agares, had to abandon his legions to save his life, and he couldn¡¯t sigh in relief even after escaping the holy territory. Humanity and the League chased after him for many days and nights with great bloodthirst. Thus, Agares had to keep running without rest and focused solely on fleeing. In the meantime, the already crumbling Demon Empire¡¯s troops were squashed completely. Only on the fifth day did Agares realize that his enemies had stopped pursuing him. It was then Agares noticed that he was alone. There was no one around him; no legions nor other great demons or Bael. He felt miserable. They had begun this war with twenty great demons and a great and powerful army. Who would¡¯ve guessed the utter devastation would happen to them because of one battle? Everything was over. ¡°Urgh¡­sob, sob¡­.¡± In the end, Agares couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and burst into tears. The second-ranking great demon in the Demon Empire was crying. Even Agares thought his situation was laughable and pathetic, but he couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions. How could the Demon Empire, which had once established itself as one of the four main factions on Liber, meet such an end? It was as if they had played right into the hands of their enemies. It was then Agares felt a belated sense of regret. He regretted not having listened to Shersha and blamed his past foolishness. But there was no point crying over something that had already happened. After crying for a long time, Agares finally settled his heart. Still, he didn¡¯t stop feeling miserable. His legs felt weak, and he almost wanted to just collapse to the ground, but he endured. Agares pushed himself to move his legs. The Demon Empire hadn¡¯t fallen yet. They had left the minimum troops to defend their territories, and he thought there would surely be other great demons like him who had survived this war somehow. No, even if there weren¡¯t any, if Bael had realized the situation at the last gate and managed to escape somehow¡­and if she returned alive, they could form a new faction with her as the center. Of course, they might not be able to recover their full strength, but they would at least be able to survive. And if they continued like that, perhaps an opportunity for them to rebound would find them. ¡®Yes, as long as there¡¯s Bael, things could change,¡¯ Agares thought. With this one hope, he forcefully dragged forward the feet that felt more like lead. After staggering forward for a long time, Agares finally reached his destination, and he stopped moving with difficulty. He had reached the Demon Empire¡¯s main base alive. He had come all this way with the determination to revive the Demon Empire. It soon became a certainty and fuel for Agares to keep on going. And now, it was the time for him to confirm what he had been hoping for. Agares looked toward the Demon Empire¡¯s main base with eyes full of hope that surely more great demons than he expected would¡¯ve survived. ¡°What¡­¡± But soon, his face lost all color. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°What¡­ What¡­.¡± He looked at a loss for words as he stared blankly at the terrible scene before him. After standing like that for a while, he collapsed to the ground. What hope he had been holding onto crumbled, and it looked like he had instantly lost all meaning in life. CH 418 After the war ended, Shalyh, which had been half-destroyed, was finding its former self day by day. With the full support of the League, the collapsed buildings were reconstructed, and roads were newly built. The more the reconstruction progressed, the more lively the streets became, but the Seven Stars was still surprisingly quiet in consideration of Chi-Woo. Of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t have a very authoritative personality. Although there was a saying that a person¡¯s status changes them, Chi-Woo had not held himself like a privileged individual even after becoming the leader of Seven Stars, and his attitude had not changed even now. Nevertheless, the members of the Seven Stars stayed quiet in consideration of Chi-Woo¡¯s concern for his brother. Of course, he did it unconsciously and tried to not make it obvious by acting like his usual self. ¡°Yes, certainly. As Mr. Eval Sevaru said, they¡¯ll also soon¡­?¡± Chi-Woo stopped mid-sentence and slightly widened his eyes when Eval Sevaru gave him a strange smile. He took a moment to figure out why Eval Sevaru was smiling at him like that. ¡°Ah, um. So that¡¯s it. As you said, Eval.¡± A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. When Chi-Woo hurriedly corrected himself, Eval Sevaru¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°You promised us, boss. I was almost disappointed.¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips at Eval Sevaru¡¯s soft laugh. After Hawa¡¯s public announcement at a dinner not too long ago, it was decided that Chi-Woo would talk informally to everyone as the leader of Seven Stars. Since his members wanted it so much, Chi-Woo was forced to agree, but he wasn¡¯t used to speaking casually. Habits were scary, and it felt awkward to suddenly speak informally when he had maintained formal speech with everyone all this time. ¡°Didn¡¯t you profess before everyone that you¡¯ll speak informally? Of course, I know that you¡¯re trying, boss.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mr. Eval Sevaru. I don¡¯t understand why I have to speak informally, and I don¡¯t understand why everyone wants it so much. What¡¯s wrong with speaking in honorifics?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Eval Sevaru looked at Chi-Woo, who was unconsciously grumbling without dropping honorifics once again, and rubbed his chin. ¡°Then, boss, I dare to ask you this. Is there a reason why speaking informally is bad?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ªI don¡¯t think it¡¯s bad, but it feels kind of iffy to speak so casually without permission. Mr. Eval Sevaru, how do you feel when a stranger speaks informally to you at the first meeting?¡± ¡°Of course I won¡¯t feel good. But are we strangers?¡± When Eval Sevaru replied with a question, Chi-Woo found it difficult to answer. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t we have a relationship where it¡¯s completely acceptable for you to speak informally to us?¡± ¡°¡­Even so, I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a good reason why I have to give up speaking in honorifics.¡± An employee speaking informally to their boss was socially unacceptable, while it was common and completely acceptable for an employer to speak informally to their employee. However, not all bosses would opt for informal speech with their employees. This was Chi-Woo¡¯s logic, but Eval Sevaru calmly refuted, ¡°No, there is a reason.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because if you stick to honorifics like this, there is a possibility that others might look down on you.¡± ¡°I find that hard to agree with.¡± ¡°Well, I respect your thoughts. Since we¡¯re all from different planets, there¡¯s bound to be cultural differences.¡± Eval Sevaru shrugged and continued, ¡°But this is Liber. There are laws and policies established in accordance with the situation and the environment here.¡± When Chi-Woo tilted his head, Eval Sevaru cleared his throat. ¡°Boss, you know how heroes like me think of the legend, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I was let in on the true nature of your relationship, but¡­let¡¯s say that a hero who doesn¡¯t know your relationship with the legend sees you talking casually and treating him however you like, then what do you think that hero will think of you?¡± ¡°Well¡­that I¡¯m one crazy punk?¡± ¡°Of course, but what if the legend accepts your behavior like it¡¯s nothing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That hero will look at you and think, ¡®Wow, what the hell happened? Even Ismile Nahla can¡¯t act so recklessly with the legend, so who is he?¡¯ Then they¡¯ll think that you¡¯re a big shot they can¡¯t carelessly dismiss.¡± Eval Sevaru waited for Chi-Woo to refute him. When Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say anything, he continued, ¡°We can also use Ru Amuh and Yunael as an example. They¡¯re heroes who are quite famous in their own right in the Celestial Realm. What would other heroes think when they see two famous heroes bow and act politely to you?¡± ¡°I understand what you mean, but isn¡¯t that all just a show in the end?¡± Chi-Woo replied sharply without intending to. He meant to counter the argument by saying the other heroes¡¯ respect and reverence didn¡¯t really come from the heart. ¡°So what¡¯s the problem with that?¡± However, Eval Sevaru did not back down an inch. ¡°They say it takes only three seconds for a person to decide their first impression of another person in their first meeting. On the other hand, it takes an average of 60 meetings with someone to change their first impression.¡± Eval Sevaru firmly continued, ¡°That¡¯s why keeping up an appearance is necessary, even if it¡¯s all for show. There¡¯s no more effective way than that to arouse others¡¯ imagination and establish a firm impression of you on a subconscious level.¡± Chi-Woo opened his mouth and tried to say something, but Eval Sevaru beat him to it. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t personally prefer it, it can¡¯t be helped because you¡¯re in a world where someone of your position should behave like this.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Of course, I know very well that you¡¯re not an authoritative person relative to your background. It¡¯s understandable as few people would like to be authoritative if it¡¯s taken to the extreme, but on the other hand, it¡¯s also a problem if a person with authority is not authoritative at all.¡± Chi-Woo closed his mouth because he could understand to some extent what Eval was saying. Eval wasn¡¯t saying that he should be authoritative, but rather he would have no choice but to even if he was reluctant. Chi-Woo fell into thought. Authority was the power to command or enforce others to comply. It also referred to being socially recognized by individuals or organizations in a specific field and the power to influence others. If this authority was shaken, members of Seven Stars as well as the very organization itself could be affected as well. This was probably what Evan Sevaru was getting at. Chi-Woo had no idea that Eval Sevaru would make Chi-Woo¡¯s reluctance to speak informally into such a big issue. However, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t argue against that, so he nodded in the end. ¡°I see, Mr. Eval¡­no, I got it, Eval. I feel super awkward, but I¡¯ll try to get used to it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯d like to tell you to take your time if possible, but¡­as you said, please get used to it as fast as possible. There will come a time when we¡¯ll soon need it. At least until then¡­¡± Chi-Woo scratched his head and blinked. He was about to look up and ask Eval what he meant, but Eval Sevaru was already bowing and turning away. ¡®There will come a time when we need it?¡¯ Chi-Woo frowned; it was hard to understand no matter how much he thought about it. As soon as the door closed, he heard it open again. Chi-Woo wondered if Eval Sevaru had returned, but his eyes widened because it was not Eval Sevaru, but a woman of quiet beauty. ¡°Our Ran-Eum is here?¡± Byeok Ran-Eum came to a stop. When she glared fiercely at him, Chi-Woo immediately bowed in a hurry. ¡°I apologize, master.¡± ¡°Punk, you really have gone crazy this time.¡± Byeok gnashed her teeth. ¡°Did you hurt your head in this war?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­ It¡¯s just I got a serious scolding from Mr. Eval Sevaru just now.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He told me to hurry up and get used to speaking informally, so¡­¡± Byeok snorted. ¡°You rascal. Even then, how dare you address your one and only master in that manner?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, in my anxious heart, I wanted to get used to it as soon as possible¡­¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re trying in your own way, but¡­tsk, anyway, I got it. Make sure you listen to what he says; he¡¯s steps ahead of you at reading the flow of the situation.¡± Chi-Woo inwardly sighed because Byeok seemed to be letting him off easy for his impertinence; frankly, he had merely been teasing her. ¡°Anyway¡­are you free in the afternoon?¡± Byeok clicked her tongue and finally brought up the main subject at hand. ¡°In the afternoon? Yes, I¡¯m free.¡± Then she gave him a strange look for a moment and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Then pack my lunch box and bring it to me. Get ready now.¡± Chi-Woo looked puzzled because the request had come out of nowhere. She wanted him to pack a lunch box and bring it to her?¡± Byeok continued, ¡°I have something urgent to do and have to go right now, but I still haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± ¡°¡­Where do I find you?¡± ¡°At the official residence,¡± Byeok said clearly and added, ¡°Since Noel is supposed to eat with me, it would be great if you prepared a lot.¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­I got it.¡± Chi-Woo nodded, still a bit confused. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go ahead and wait for you.¡± Chi-Woo stared at her back as she moved away. He had packed lunch boxes for her dozens of times. It was a bit sudden, but it wasn¡¯t a strange request. Following the order of his stern master, Chi-Woo enthusiastically got back into cooking after not being able to do it for a long while. He prepared so much food that Byeok could stuff herself to death and went out carrying the lunch box. He had worried about this on his way to the official residence, but as expected¡ª ¡°It¡¯s the little legend!¡± ¡°Long live the little legend! Hooray! Hooray!¡± Chi-Woo had to endure intense embarrassment as everyone who saw him gave a rowdy cheer. ¡®Damn it¡­I didn¡¯t expect her to get revenge like this for speaking a bit informally to her.¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s mood gradually worsened as he climbed the stairs to the top floor of the official residence, where Byeok was waiting for him. The further up he went, the stronger he felt that he should give her the lunch box as quickly as possible and get out of there. If he stayed any longer, the resolve he had finally strengthened after Eval¡¯s lecture would waver again. ¡°Master, I¡¯m here¡­¡± He opened the door with a light knock and was soon startled. Byeok was enjoying her tea on the sofa, and Noel Freya was standing with her hands politely clasped in front of her, next to the desk. They both glanced at Chi-Woo when he entered and gave him a soft smile as if they¡¯d been waiting for him. However, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t looking at them; his eyes were only fixed on one person. Chi-Hyun sat at his desk and looked intently at the document in his hand. Then he looked up at Chi-Woo, who was standing still like a stone statue. ¡°¡­Hm? You¡¯re here.¡± With these words, Chi-Hyun looked down again. Chi-Woo stared intently at the man he had thought looked most natural to be sitting on that desk chair looking at documents. His mouth slightly gaped, and the lunch boxes in his hands fell to the floor with a loud clang. Frankly, while he was climbing the stairs, he had imagined seeing his brother reading documents at the desk like usual when he opened the door. He had dismissed it since he thought it was all wishful thinking. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, grab a seat already. It¡¯s distracting.¡± It was really Chi-Hyun. It was really his brother. Judging by his irritating and awful tone, it couldn¡¯t be anyone but his annoying brother. ¡°Ha.¡± Chi-Woo let out a hollow laugh. Although it was more of a snort stemming from the ridiculousness of the situation, it was the first time he had laughed since the war ended. Chi-Woo looked back at Byeok, sitting while feigning ignorance. He had wondered why she suddenly asked him to bring a lunch box to the official residence. She should have just told him right away. He never imagined that she would get her revenge like this. Chi-Woo stared at Chi-Hyun for a long time and suddenly asked, ¡°When did you return?¡± His voice sounded a bit hoarse. ¡°47 minutes and 15 seconds ago,¡± Chi-Hyun answered calmly. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long.¡± It hadn¡¯t been one hour yet. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen my messages?¡± Chi-Hyun could have replied before he came; Chi-Woo was disappointed since he had sent dozens of messages. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it.¡± However, Chi-Hyun gave an unexpected answer. ¡°As soon as I returned to the sanctuary and the device was reactivated, notifications rang like crazy.¡± In other words, he received too many messages that Chi-Woo¡¯s messages unintentionally got buried. ¡°Just how many messages did you get?¡± ¡°About ten thousand.¡± Chi-Woo doubted his ears. He had sent only 30 messages. Then who sent the remaining 9,970? Chi-Woo looked to the side, and Noel Freya, appearing anxious for some reason, hurriedly averted her eyes. There was nothing but a wall in the direction she was looking in. He had been wondering why Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t contacted him, but the culprit had been someone else all along. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo turned back to Chi-Hyun and looked at him with a fed-up expression. ¡°You¡¯re working as soon as you come back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s feeling shy. So shy,¡± Byeok interjected. ¡°Since he feels awkward making eye contact with you after all this time, he¡¯s pretending to work¡ª¡± ¡°Three,¡± Chi-Hyun suddenly said apropos of nothing. ¡°Master, if you speak any more nonsense, I will reveal your age in order from the last digit.¡± Byeok instantly closed her mouth and sipped her tea quietly. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve made some achievements in this war, haven¡¯t you?¡± After successfully quieting Byeok, Chi-Hyun raised his eyes and looked at Chi-Woo. ¡°I heard a brief report from Noel. What do they call you? Little legend?¡± The way his tone slightly rose at the end made it sound like he was teasing him. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve worked hard. Little legend.¡± No, Chi-Hyun was definitely teasing him. He was questioning if the title of legend was even appropriate for someone like him. Of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t get riled up. ¡°Yeah, you also worked hard.¡± Rather than getting angry, he replied with a soft smile and then said, ¡°Shit head.¡± Chi-Hyun faltered after going back to look at his document with a flat smile. He raised his head and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± Chi-Woo grinned. ¡°I said great job, you shit head.¡± ¡°Why am I a shit head?¡± ¡°You are a shit head. You shit such a generous amount and left everything to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I just think about how I had to go back to the past and clean up the shit that you left behind¡ª¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t finish because Chi-Hyun had risen from his seat indignantly. ¡°Come here. I said come here right now!¡± There was no use retreating. Chi-Hyun grabbed and locked Chi-Woo¡¯s head under his armpit before squeezing tightly, saying he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°No! Hyung! Why are you being like this all of a sudden! Hyuuung!¡± Caught in a headlock, Chi-Woo struggled and resisted by hitting Chi-Hyun. ¡°You crazy bastard! You not only went back in time, but you changed the outcome of something that¡¯s already happened? Are you out of your damn mind?¡± ¡°But thanks to that, we were able to win anyway!¡± ¡°No matter how¡ª¡± ¡°Then you should¡¯ve stopped me back then!¡± ¡°!¡± Chi-Hyun flinched. ¡°You got completely crushed and even threw a tantrum like a¡ª¡± Then the next moment, Chi-Woo let out a scream because Chi-Hyun had tightened his grasp even more. ¡°What? Crushed? Want a fight? A rematch?¡± ¡°Fine with me! You really want a go? Want to end up like Bael?¡± ¡°Ha! You¡¯re full of crap! You¡¯re letting your ego get too big for your head!¡± When Noel tried to stop the two brothers while they fought fiercely without backing away, Byeok got up from her seat and said, ¡°Leave them alone. Let¡¯s just let the two release their frustrations and grievances, at least for today.¡± Then she left the room without hesitation. Noel Freya looked back at the two brothers and realized why. The corners of Chi-Hyun¡¯s lips were raised very slightly even while he shouted like an angry person. And the same went for Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo had never cracked a smile since they won the war, but today, at this moment, he was positively beaming¡ªlike a child who had forgotten all his worries. CH 419 Noel Freya and Byeok left the room to give the brothers some space. Once they were the only ones left in the office room, the two brothers stopped bickering and sat while facing each other. Chi-Woo opened the multiple-layered lunchbox he brought. Then he was stunned to see Chi-Hyun dive into the meal and devour everything. He wasn¡¯t just eating the food hungrily, but like a man possessed. ¡°What¡­.? Do you have a group of beggars inside your stomach or something?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned wide. ¡°But I thought it¡¯s not necessary for you to eat anymore.¡± ¡°I already passed the stage where I need to continuously supply nutrients to my body for survival,¡± Chi-Hyun replied with his cheeks full of food. ¡°But I haven¡¯t forgotten the joy of eating and drinking.¡± Hearing this, Chi-Woo understood where his brother was coming from. Chi-Hyun had said that during difficult times, he remembered the snacks he left inside his room and endured. Those snacks could be substituted for proper food, drinks, and other treats of the same vein. Chi-Woo stared piercingly at Chi-Hyun as he moved his spoon at terrifying speed. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. He felt that the war was finally over with his brother¡¯s return. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± After watching his brother eat and not saying anything for some time, Chi-Woo said, ¡°I beat Bael.¡± Chi-Hyun was lifting the multi-layered lunchbox over his face and shoving its content down his mouth when he snorted. Though he didn¡¯t say anything, his face seemed to say, ¡®So what?¡¯ But Chi-Woo didn¡¯t relent in the slightest, and his eyes sparkled even more intensely. ¡°And it¡¯s not just the great demon Bael! I beat Bael after she¡¯d accepted the Sernitas!¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s hand stopped this time. He slightly lowered the tilted lunchbox from his mouth and sighed a bit exasperatedly. ¡°¡­Ah. Don¡¯t act out unnecessarily. I told you to behave yourself this time, but you¡­¡± He sounded conflicted, but in the end, Chi-Hyun went back to tilting the lunchbox to his mouth again. Chi-Woo wanted to ask what his brother meant, but held back. Since this war was his first official meeting with Bael, it didn¡¯t matter much to him whether or not she died. Yet Bael was someone his brother had known since a very long time ago. Perhaps she could¡¯ve been their real ally this time if only her goal had aligned with his brother¡¯s. But now, that was no longer possible. Silence flowed in the room again, and the only thing that could be heard was the sound of Chi-Hyun clacking his spoon. ¡°¡­Hyung.¡± After hesitating a bit, Chi-Woo called out to his brother again, and Chi-Hyun glanced at Chi-Woo. ¡°Will we be¡­able to return home?¡± Chi-Woo asked. Though they had overcome a huge hurdle, it was too early for them to talk about returning home. Liber was still far from getting its salvation, and Chi-Woo was aware of this. Yet Chi-Woo was curious about how much better the situation had become since he first entered Liber and how high the possibility of them returning home was. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Chi-Hyun replied curtly. Chi-Woo made a bitter smile. ¡®That¡¯s what I thought,¡¯ he was about to say when Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°Still, if we safely overcome the next crisis¡­we might be able to think about returning home then.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo asked in shock. It hadn¡¯t been long since they overcame the last big crisis, but another one was coming again? ¡°What are you saying? Are you sure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not confirmed, but¡­it has been forewarned to us.¡± ¡°When?¡± Before Chi-Hyun answered, he gulped down the soup in a separate container and wiped the corners of his lips with the back of his hand. ¡°The moment we won this war.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face fell. He didn¡¯t know what his brother was saying at all. ¡°Are you saying that the Sernitas and the Abyss are going to come back for revenge soon?¡± Chi-Hyun smiled dryly. ¡°Then, we won¡¯t have anything to contemplate about since we will just have to decide between fighting or not.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about enemies from the outside,¡± Chi-Hyun said and pointed his spoon toward the ground. It seemed he was gesturing at Shalyh¡ªin other words, humanity and the Cassiubia League. Chi-Woo thought about this and gasped. ¡°No way¡­are you talking about a traitor or something?¡± ¡°Hm, rather than a traitor¡­ Well, if you really think about it, I suppose that¡¯s right. Since I¡¯m talking about those who won¡¯t hesitate to weaken their own forces for their self-gain.¡± It sounded like Chi-Hyun was suggesting that something like an internal conflict would arise among humanity and the League. ¡°Why do you think that? It hasn¡¯t been long since we gathered our strengths to overcome this recent crisis.¡± ¡°They will of course all join hands when it looks like everyone will die. Why wouldn¡¯t they fight for their lives?¡± There was the expression ¡®enemies on the same boat¡¯; no matter how much two parties hated each other, if they faced a difficult situation together, they would help each other and unite under one goal. Yet what would happen if they were no longer in a difficult situation? ¡°Do you think the relationship between humanity and the Cassiubia League will worsen?¡± Chi-Hyun shook his head. ¡°Even if I disregard the League, the conflict I¡¯m talking about could happen within humanity.¡± The more dire the situation was, the more people were willing to collaborate; they didn¡¯t even have the luxury to think about anything else after all. But the opposite would also be true, and considering that, Chi-Woo understood a bit of what Chi-Hyun was saying. ¡°That¡¯s how it usually is,¡± Chi-Hyun said nonchalantly. ¡°When people¡¯s bellies are full and their lives become more bearable, there¡¯s bound to be those who start getting ideas. It¡¯s their way of trying to get compensated for their past sufferings and whatnot.¡± Chi-Woo suddenly recalled what Zelit had told him before. If the original four factions on Liber were the main forces with vested interests, humanity was an emerging force; and what humanity was trying to do right now could be seen as a revolution. Regarding that, Zelit said that throughout history, it was very rare for a revolution to succeed. Most of them did well in the beginning until they suddenly broke apart for various reasons. If one looked at Earth alone, the Taiping Rebellion and the Yellow Turban Rebellion were both such examples. ¡°Nevertheless, don¡¯t think about doing anything. You should just keep your house in check¡ªyou know, your Seven Stars,¡± Chi-Hyun warned when he noted how serious Chi-Woo looked. ¡°You should start with fixing that overly polite way you speak to your members.¡± We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡°I¡¯m already working on that.¡± ¡°You might not think it¡¯s important, but this is Liber, not Earth. In the end, the one with strength¡ªhm?¡± Chi-Hyun stopped. He thought Chi-Woo would ask him what the big deal was about his way of speaking, but Chi-Woo immediately agreed to it. After a moment of surprise, Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°¡­Did you hear that from Eval Sevaru? Yeah, if you listen to that guy, you at least won¡¯t suffer losses.¡± Then, he nodded while snorting. ¡°It¡¯s difficult.¡± Chi-Woo sighed while stretching his arms. ¡°Since we crushed the Demon Empire, I thought we would only have to deal with the Abyss and the Sernitas.¡± ¡°I already told you, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself,¡± Chi-Hyun said firmly, and Chi-Woo raised one of his eyebrows higher. ¡°I told you I defeated Bael.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Good job. Really good job.¡± Chi-Hyun stirred his soup with a spoon and continued. ¡°I¡¯m sure you now know why I told you to not even dream of it.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know how to answer. After going through the recent war, he knew his brother hadn¡¯t been wrong. If a myriad of miracles and coincidences hadn¡¯t happened at the same time, the ones who would be celebrating in this place wouldn¡¯t be him and his brother, but Bael. ¡°If you want to talk to me about that, reach at least Master tier first.¡± ¡°Hey, come on, what is your tier then?¡± ¡°Grandmaster.¡± Chi-Woo blinked twice because he was a bit surprised by what his brother said. ¡°What? You aren¡¯t a Challenger?¡± ¡°Challenger is not a tier you can just reach because you want to. Anyways, can I eat in peace now?¡± Chi-Woo wanted to point out that Chi-Hyun had been eating the whole time, but he managed to swallow his words. ¡°Oh yeah, hyung, I want to ask you one more thing.¡± ¡°Ah, what now?¡± ¡°What is our relationship with Alice?¡± That stopped Chi-Hyun from lifting the spoon again. ¡°I also heard that our mother¡¯s name isn¡¯t Okboon, but Elrich, and that our family from her side is Ho Lactea. What¡¯s that about?¡± Chi-Hyun''s face hardened and turned solemn. He didn¡¯t look like he was in the mood for jokes anymore. *** Chi-Woo left the official residence looking a bit shaken up. In the end, he failed to get an answer for his question, and his brother refused to talk. His brother only inquired about the one who gave him the information. Because of how fearsome Chi-Hyun looked, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t simply answer that it had been Ismile. After that, his brother instantly dashed out like he had something urgent to take care of. Because of how chilling his brother looked, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t attempt to stop him. ¡®Seriously, what in the world happened¡­?¡¯ Chi-Woo scratched his head and sighed. His head was in a mess because of the conversation he just had with his brother. Even though he had overcome a huge hurdle, he couldn¡¯t rest easy thinking everything was over. His brother always thought several steps ahead and told him what would happen. Thus, it seemed like he should do something about it, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly what he should do. His brother had also told him to not try or force anything. ¡®He told me to reach at least Master tier.¡¯ Perhaps the answer was to become stronger. On Liber, strength was the same as money. The more the merrier. And though Chi-Woo had all the intention to become stronger, he needed to take one step at a time. His first priority was raising his tier, and Diamond was the highest tier that most heroes could reach normally. After firming his resolve, Chi-Woo quickened his steps. ¡ªI think it¡¯s about time. Meanwhile, a voice that sounded like a fierce wind blew from somewhere. ¡ªYes, that seems to be the case. I have no objection to it after going this far. There was a sensual voice, perfect for seducing the opposite sex. ¡ªI agree. This time, it was a low-pitched voice embedded with mystical mana. Several voices swirled around the white space. ¡ªHm, it seems that everyone agrees¡­ A rough, low voice that sounded like it would belong to a general responded. ¡ªWhat do you think? Astraea¡¯s daughter? Everyone looked toward where the goddess dressed in white cloth with a deeply pressed-down hood stood. In her hands, she was holding a balance scale. *** There weren''t many places that Ismile could escape to, and he was soon caught by Chi-Hyun. ¡°No, I really had no idea. How would I know how clueless he was? Do you think I would¡¯ve told him if I had known?¡± Ismile said while groaning. Under Chi-Hyun¡¯s order, he was pressing his face into the ground with his arms held behind his back. His head and feet were his only points of support, while his butt was high in the air. One would wonder why a hero would struggle so hard to maintain a position like this, but it was because he had been beaten to near death by Chi-Hyun just a second ago. ¡°It¡¯s really true. It just slipped out while I was talking to him. Please spare me. Come on, we are friends,¡± Ismile said nonstop as cold sweat poured down his back. He couldn¡¯t see because he had his head on the ground, but he knew with certainty that Chi-Hyun was seriously contemplating whether or not he should kill him. Ismile thought he could play around for a bit after the war, but his blabbermouth put him in trouble once again. And though he was begging for forgiveness and apologizing, he was cursing at Chi-Woo for betraying him in his mind. Nevertheless, his top priority at this moment was to survive Chi-Hyun¡¯s ire, and Ismile continued to beg. Then, he suddenly realized that Chi-Hyun was no longer contemplating ways to kill him, and he looked up slightly. He saw Chi-Hyun staring at the space before him with a serious face. It appeared something significant had happened. Ismile gulped. Perhaps this was his ticket out of this pinch. ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s reply came much later. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a request to defect.¡± Ismile¡¯s forehead wrinkled. Then, he focused on listening to Chi-Hyun¡¯s following words. ¡°Majority of the great demons who survived are asking us to accept them.¡± ¡°What? Why would they¡ª¡± ¡°The Demon Empire fell to ruins.¡± Ismile stopped speaking. That was how shocking the news was. He blinked fast for a while and in the end, let out a deep sigh and said, ¡°So in short, you are saying that the Demon Empire fell, and those who barely managed to survive want to surrender to us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it seems to say,¡± Chi-Hyun calmly agreed. ¡°They say that the troop they left in their main base for defense was wiped out. So thoroughly that there¡¯s not even a single survivor. But I suppose we will hear the exact details after meeting them in person.¡± Ismile shared Chi-Hyun¡¯s mixed sentiments. The Demon Empire used to be one of the most powerful factions fighting for dominance on Liber. The fact that such a power disappeared in what seemed to be overnight hung on his mind. ¡°And one more thing. This came just now.¡± Chi-Hyun wasn¡¯t finished. ¡°It¡¯s a message from the Celestial Realm. Soon, they will be sending the largest number of reinforcements ever to be transmitted¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun stopped momentarily and continued slowly. ¡°And they will be the last reinforcements to be sent to Liber.¡± A new glint passed through Ismile¡¯s eyes, but he quickly recovered from the shock. ¡°¡­That means¡­¡± he said in a low voice while quietly getting up. ¡°I suppose this is the start of the three becoming four.¡± Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t say anything. He shifted his gaze from the sky and turned around, staring at Ismile while the man wore an uncharacteristically serious expression. ¡°Who told you to get up?¡± Chi-Hyun asked. ¡°I apologize, sir!¡± Ismile shoved his head back into the dirt. *** ¡ªI acknowledge your promotion to Diamond Tier and bestow you the class of Cadinalis. A familiar voice rang near his ears in a completely white space. ¡ªI expect you to play a pivotal and central role in the progress of humanity, which will continue to grow bigger. Chi-Woo bowed deeper. With this, he succeeded in reaching the Diamond Tier. It was definitely no easy feat, but it was only expected that Chi-Woo would reach the tier. After all, every big accomplishment Chi-Woo had made in the previous war was akin to passing a promotion test. ¡®But anyways, a Cardinalis¡­¡¯ It was a bit of an unexpected class, and Chi-Woo fell into deep thought. Cardinals was based on the latin word, ¡®cardo¡¯, which meant ¡®hinge¡¯. As the hinge was the part that allowed a door to open and close, a cardinal was meant to fulfill a pivotal role for the Church. The Korean equivalent of Cardinal, ¡®chu-gi-gyeong¡¯, contained the Chinese characters that meant ¡®an apparatus that plays a central role¡¯. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know exactly what this class would mean for him, but he thought La Bella would have a good reason for the choice¡ªjust like how he received the class of Inquisitor and placed judgment on his opponent to recover balance. ¡®Thank you, Goddess La Bella,¡¯ Chi-Woo expressed gratitude inside his mind and waited for her to continue with a smile. No matter how long he waited, however, he didn¡¯t hear La Bella speak again. Chi-Woo was confused. He thought it was time for him to receive promotion privileges now. Chi-Woo glanced upwards and looked dazed. He didn¡¯t know when it had happened, but before he realized it, he was surrounded by several gods. Shahnaz, the White Horse General, and gods he supposed were Mamiya and Miho. Furthermore, there was the god that Alice had apparently established. ¡ª¡­Furthermore. La Bella continued. ¡ªWe will declare you a great saint and discuss whether you can rise to the Master Tier. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes turned wide. What La Bella said meant only one thing: this was possibly a two-tier promotion. CH 420 There was a saying that ¡®time is the best medicine.¡¯ Forgetting was a blessing given to the human brain. Painful and difficult memories, even happy memories gradually faded and were forgotten as time passed by. That was the case for Chi-Woo in the recent great war. The misery of the war and the relief of victory gradually became merely one of the many events that happened over time. Of course, since it was such a big event, it hadn¡¯t become a dim, summer night¡¯s dream just yet, but enough time had passed for him to step away from it and look at the future that was about to come. There was still too long a road ahead of Chi-Woo for him to linger on his memories of the previous war. Now back to the main point. Humanity and the League had won the recent war. This fact was undeniable, but what was next? After fulfilling the challenge of ¡®winning and surviving¡¯, what were the appropriate next steps? Chi-Woo agonized over this. There were many things that came to mind, but once he tried to act upon it, he didn¡¯t know where to start. The first reason was that Chi-Woo was the leader of an organization, and his decision didn¡¯t affect only himself. Secondly, there were way too many things to do. Since he had to consider dozens of people rather than a couple, and he had to weigh the importance of each task, he was left at a loss by the whole affair. Of course, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t need to rack his head in frustration for answers. There was someone who was way better at reading the future than him¡ªfor example, Chi-Hyun. Chi-Woo was about to send a message right away, but hesitated. Come to think of it, there was no need to bother such a busy guy. Although it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to ask his brother for help, he didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to seek out Chi-Hyun every time a problem like this arose. He couldn¡¯t rely on his brother forever and needed to know how to become independent. But above all, he had recruited someone for a moment like this. Chi-Woo immediately called for Eval Sevaru. ¡°Boss, you want to know what you should do in the future?¡± Chi-Woo simply asked what he should do, but Eval Sevaru immediately understood what he was truly asking¡ª''what steps should Seven Stars take in preparation for the political and economic storm stemming from the recent victory?¡¯ Eval Sevaru briefly organized his thoughts and gave a difficult answer, ¡°Of course, Seven Stars must prepare in line with the power of humanity¡­and I can go on, but boss, you don¡¯t like hearing such general answers, right?¡± ¡°Yes. No, yeah.¡± ¡°We need to get bigger. Or to be more precise, we need to get ready to increase our weight class.¡± Eval Sevaru continued, ¡°What we foresee would happen as a result of this war can be largely divided into two parts. The first is the fall of the Demon Empire. And the second is the arrival of new reinforcements from the Celestial Realm.¡± He cleared his throat and continued, ¡°Of course, both are just unconfirmed rumors at the moment, but it¡¯s basically an established fact.¡± As Eval said, the other factions would not leave the Demon Empire alone, which had become so weak that it was embarrassing to call them a faction. It was the same for humanity. In this war, humanity had lost a great number of valuable and precious heroes. Therefore, rumors circulated that the Celestial Realm would send reinforcements on a large scale to supplement their manpower. ¡°But what has that got to do with us preparing for the future?¡± ¡°The Demon Empire worked harder than anyone to capture the Liber natives and use them as slaves. Thus, the fall of the Demon Empire means that most of the enslaved natives would be liberated.¡± Where would the natives flee while the control of the Demon Empire weakened? There was only one answer¡ªthe last stronghold of humanity, the holy city, Shalyh. ¡°And from what I heard, the reinforcements that will arrive this time will be the largest ever. Unless there¡¯s a change, it¡¯s highly likely that this will be the last group of heroes to be transmitted from the Celestial Realm to Liber.¡± Eval Sevaru calmly continued, ¡°The two factors would lead to the increase of humanity¡¯s power. Under the current circumstances, being established as a faction on Liber means increasing your weight class.¡± In short, humanity would absorb the natives released from captivity and accept the largest reinforcements ever. ¡°Thus, Seven Stars should also prepare to get bigger in size. If everyone bulks up while we stay the same, we¡¯ll naturally fall behind.¡± Chi-Woo pondered. After listening to Eval¡¯s organized thoughts, he could now grasp the gist of what he should do. ¡°Then what do you propose I do first?¡± ¡°Sir, you need to re-establish the system,¡± Eval Sevaru replied without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Chi-Woo tilted his head. ¡°Of course, since we¡¯re an organization, there needs to be an established system, but I thought it¡¯s already been established somewhat after you joined. Why do we have to re-establish it?¡± ¡°What I¡¯ve established is the basic, most minimal system. If we want to survive in the future, we need to become a much more professional and systematic organization than we are now.¡± Eval Sevaru shook his head and continued, ¡°And the system that I¡¯m talking about is a bit more inclusive. Boss, your status has risen exponentially since the war. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that you¡¯re second only to the legend. If we use this to our advantage, we can further cement Seven Stars¡¯ position.¡± He continued with a stronger voice, ¡°If you find it difficult to understand, consider the Demon Empire and the Abyss. It would be good to think about why these two factions with established systems went as far as reorganizing their internal affairs for a fresh start.¡± A good part about talking to Eval Sevaru was that he didn¡¯t tell Chi-Woo what to do but suggested topics to think about during the conversation. Chi-Woo clutched his head and said, ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying that I should clean up the internal affairs of Seven Stars first. On second thought, if we establish a clear system now, there will be no confusion when we accept new people in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly right, sir. If you¡¯re planning to operate a small elite team, our current system will do, but the story changes when there are more than dozens of members.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the current status of the Seven Stars?¡± ¡°Would you like to take a look? It would be clearer to see it in an organized document than to hear it in words.¡± Eval Sevaru immediately handed over a piece of paper. The following words were written: [Leader: Choi Chi-Woo Administrator: Eval Sevaru Advisor: Byeok Ran-Eum First Team: Ru Amuh/ Ru Hiana/ La Hawa/ Salem Eshnunna/ Onorables Evelyn Second Team: Emmanuel Eustitia (External Partner) Third Team: Yunael Tania/ Aida/ Jin-Cheon/ Abis/ Aric Miscellaneous: Yeriel Lilly Dula Mariaju (External Collaborator)/ Asha(?)/ Fenrir Cub(?) ¡°At the time of Seven Star¡¯s creation, several people following you were semi-forced into the first team due to understaffing. Therefore, the first team with Mr. Ru Amuh as the team leader should be regarded as a temporary team.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡­happened.¡± ¡°If we exclude the second team since it¡¯s an external group, we have the same issue with the third team. Ms. Yunael also became a team leader on conditional terms, and after that, no other discussion took place over the issue.¡± Chi-Woo made a bitter smile. It was all as Eval Sevaru said. Rather than just hearing about it and thinking inside his head, it became clear to him after seeing it on paper. He hadn¡¯t realized how serious the issue was; now that the facts were laid out in the open, it became clear that he had been leading Seven Stars without any clear plans and instead had been going by a rule of thumb. It was no exaggeration to say he basically just let it run by itself. Of course, Chi-Woo had been distracted by a series of incidents, but he couldn¡¯t blame Eval Sevaru after all this time because he held all the personnel authority as the Seven Stars leader. In Eval Sevaru¡¯s perspective, he probably didn¡¯t think he could step up without permission when Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t taken any action. ¡°Boss, you have to start from scratch. You need to move those who need to be moved while also recruiting new people. Of course, you should decide the direction we¡¯re taking to achieve that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree. If some of the members from the first team are on a mission, we have to get new members¡­ I¡¯ll have to go around and look for potential recruits right away.¡± Chi-Woo smacked his lips as if he was already getting a headache. ¡°¡­What?¡± Eval Sevaru asked in a shrill voice. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re going to look for heroes yourself and put them in teams?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°All the teams?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m planning to do. Why?¡± Since Chi-Woo could see other people¡¯s user information, he thought this was the ideal plan, and he also planned to look for other stars in the process. However, Eval Sevaru¡¯s response didn¡¯t seem favorable; it seemed like he was shocked to find Chi-Woo going off track after he¡¯d been doing so well. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to see it, but Philip also smiled a little wryly. ¡°No¡­why are you doing that, boss¡­¡± Eval Sevaru looked at him with such a dumbfounded expression that Chi-Woo became baffled instead. ¡°Uh¡­¡± He simply blinked because he didn¡¯t know why Eval Sevaru was acting like this all of the sudden. * * * After concluding his conversation with Eval Sevaru, Chi-Woo was lost in thought about the man¡¯s reaction a while ago. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure it out. In the end, he initiated the plan, ¡®Help me, Chi-Hyunremon¡¯[1]. Chi-Hyun looked annoyed that Chi-Woo kept barging into his office without notice, but since Chi-Woo was his brother, he listened seriously to his concern. And he snickered after getting the full story. ¡°What the. Why are you laughing?¡± Chi-Woo protested when his brother just stared at him with a flat smile, but Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t reply. After a while, he suddenly straightened his posture and said, ¡°Chi-Woo.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You are, well, how do I say it? You¡¯re not aware of this, but you tend to put people into very clear-cut categories when dealing with them.¡± ¡°Do I?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head as if he didn¡¯t know this. ¡°Yeah. Once you judge that someone has entered the line you¡¯ve drawn, you¡¯ll try to take care of them as much as possible. I¡¯m not saying that part of your personality is bad, and it wouldn¡¯t matter if we were on Earth. But where you and I stand now is Liber.¡± Adding that this wasn¡¯t the only concern, Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re the leader of an organization, and a powerful group with unlimited potential for development in the future at that.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with my personality¡ª¡± ¡°It does matter.¡± Chi-Hyun sharply cut him off. ¡°During war, well, that¡¯s fine. You played the drum and the fiddle, but can you really say that you did it all by yourself from the very beginning to the end?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Chi-Woo gaped. It was true that he had made the biggest contribution and achievements in this war, but it would be a lie and immoral of him to say that he didn¡¯t receive any help from others. ¡°No, I received a lot of help.¡± ¡°Yeah, running an organization is almost exactly the same. The bigger the scale, the more you have to delegate.¡± Chi-Hyun paused and folded his arms. ¡°Since you already talked to that guy, you know roughly what¡¯s going to happen in the future, right?¡± Chi-Hyun was referring to Eval Sevaru, and after Chi-Woo quietly agreed, he continued, ¡°A lot of things will happen from now on, and among them, there will definitely be events that will require your influence.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°If you pay attention to each and every one of them, you¡¯ll feel overburdened by it someday. When that time comes, you¡¯ll have no choice but to lean on those around you. To put it simply, you¡¯ll have to ask for help from those who trust and follow you.¡± Before he knew it, Chi-Woo was carefully listening to Chi-Hyun because for some reason, he felt that his brother was saying something very important. Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Then you should know how and when to trust and entrust tasks to them as well. Until when are you planning to take care of each and every one of them? Like changing a baby¡¯s diaper. That¡¯s nothing short of ignoring and looking down on those around you.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to ignore¡ª¡± We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. ¡°Even if that wasn¡¯t your intention,¡± Chi-Hyun cut him off, ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that it can be interpreted like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s especially true for the Celestial Realm heroes. They were treated as saviors in their respective worlds. Don¡¯t look down on the egos of heroes.¡± Only then did Chi-Woo finally realize what Chi-Hyun was saying. Chi-Hyun was right about everything. In terms of life as a hero, Chi-Woo was basically a beginner; he wasn¡¯t in the position to teach or take care of anyone. Even if he acted with good intentions, others might think, ¡®What¡¯s with this punk? Is he looking down on me? Why is he micromanaging me?¡¯ ¡°You should just make important decisions that only you can make and take responsibility for the incidents caused by those you¡¯ve accepted into your organization. That¡¯s the only role you have to play in Seven Stars. If you do more than that, you¡¯ll get tired of each other.¡± Chi-Hyun emphasized his following words, ¡°The leader only needs to determine the direction, and then the members will follow on their own.¡± Upon reflection, Chi-Woo now understood a little bit why Eval Sevaru had reacted like that. Looking back, he had claimed that he would give authority to each team and let them work autonomously; that was the picture of Seven Stars he had painted. Eval Sevaru must have decided to join after agreeing to that, so rather than interfering in each and every task, Chi-Woo should be leaving his members in charge. Since he had broken his initial promise and overturned it, it was only natural that Eval Sevaru would feel taken aback. He needed to think of his position rather than dismissing them as nothing but words. Since a stone carelessly thrown could hit a frog and inadvertently kill it. ¡°¡­It¡¯s difficult. Being a leader.¡± Chi-Woo sighed and smacked his lips. The more he thought about it, the more difficult being a leader seemed. ¡°You better keep that in mind. A foreseen event is merely an incident, while an unforeseen event will likely turn into a problem. If you don¡¯t want to be shaken when that happens, you have to do a good job keeping the balance.¡± With these words, Chi-Hyun was about to go back to his documents, but paused. He glanced at Philip, who was going, ¡®Yep, yep. That¡¯s right,¡¯ and agreeing whole-heartedly, and then looked back at Chi-Woo. ¡°And¡­¡± After a short pause, Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°You must be busy not only with Seven Stars, but also with your personal affairs, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your promotion.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s jaw dropped a little. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious. Diamond tier is a given, and considering La Bella¡¯s personality, she probably even discussed promotion to Master tier.¡± When Chi-Woo nodded with a stiff expression, Chi-Hyun snorted, ¡°So tell me. What did the gods say?¡± 1. Reference to Doraemon, a fictional character in a Japanese manga/anime series. ? CH 421 Steel, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, Grand Master, and Challenger. That was the growth system that differentiated heroes into different tiers. In short, one could say that the higher a hero¡¯s tier was, the more active they had been in this world. The way to raise one¡¯s tier was simple. They needed to make achievements, accumulate merits, and offer them to the god they served. Each tier was divided into four ranks, and the first step to rising in tiers was moving up from rank IV to I. The next step was to accumulate enough merits to make the jump from rank I to the next tier. Only then would they be eligible for a promotion, and they would reach the next tier after passing a test. Yet this process only applied until the Diamond Tier. This was because the Diamond Tier was the highest tier that a hero could reach simply by accumulating and offering merits. In other words, the conditions for promotion changed starting from the Master tier. To be specific, the original conditions remained, but a new one was added. If one dove into what a ¡®master¡¯ meant, it held the meanings of a controller and administrator. A master ruled over others with their own will and exerted considerable influence over their surroundings. Thus, when gods judged whether a hero was eligible to be promoted to Master tier, they discussed if the hero in question had the ability to rule over an organization, business, or something in the same vein; and if they were capable of actively exerting influence over society. That was why merits weren¡¯t the only thing that mattered starting from the Master tier. Even if a hero participated and contributed in every event while steadily accumulating merits that way, they couldn¡¯t rise to Master tier without the necessary qualifications. Perhaps they could zip through the Diamond tier, but if they didn¡¯t do anything particularly memorable and significant, they would not be promoted further. In other words, a hero would not be acknowledged by hard work alone. Thus, the system was structured in a way that there were very few heroes who could rise above Diamond tier, and most didn¡¯t even dream of reaching Master tier. If Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t made the accomplishments he made a couple of days ago, some of the gods might have felt a bit more conflicted. During the war, however, Chi-Woo had firmly established himself as a great influential figure not only for humanity and the Cassiubia League, but the entire Liber. Thus, all the gods showed a positive response to Chi-Woo¡¯s promotion. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Chi-Woo was promoted to Master tier on the spot. He had merely passed the first test¡ªa very strict screening process where one god¡¯s opposition would be enough to disqualify one; for the second test, he needed to prove himself. ¡ªYou have the qualifications¡­hm. ¡ªIs there a problem? ¡ªI don¡¯t really know. His rise to Diamond tier is under La Bella¡¯s jurisdiction, so there¡¯s nothing I have to say about that, but it might be too early for us to promote him to Master tier in this instance. ¡ªIsn¡¯t it all right? He already proved himself well enough. He defeated that poor child twice. While surrounded by several gods, Chi-Woo heard many voices debating among themselves. ¡ªIt¡¯s hard to say that he won with his own strengths and capabilities both the first and the second time. Luck played too great a part in his achievements. ¡ªLuck is also a skill. ¡ªIt seems that he relies on luck heavily on every occasion. There¡¯s a part of me that wants him to win with certainty just like how one particular hero does it. ¡ªI can¡¯t agree with you. One can¡¯t rise to Master tier with skills alone. They need luck too. ¡ªDo you say that knowing who I¡¯m talking about? ¡ªWhy would you even make that comparison? The hero you are talking about is at Grand Master tier, not Master tier. Do you not get it? ¡ª¡­Am I imagining things, or is your tone getting hostile? The White Horse General and Miho seemed to be seconds away from raising their voices. ¡ªStop, you two. Please stop now. A soft, low voice interrupted them. It was Mamiya. ¡ªThis is a place for us to make a fair judgment, not a place for argument. That calmed White Horse General and Miho before they could get into an argument. Eventually, several gods turned to Mamiya. They seemed to be asking for his opinion with their gazes. ¡ªIf I may present my opinion¡­ I¡¯m more sympathetic to Sir General¡¯s viewpoints. ¡ªHm, as expected, you have good sense. The White Horse General sounded pleased by Mamiya¡¯s response. ¡ªWhy¡­ By contrast, Miho appeared shocked that Mamiya didn¡¯t take her side, and her voice wavered. ¡ªPlease calm down. I acknowledge the achievements that this man has made. Considering them, it¡¯s no wonder we are discussing whether we should raise him to Master tier here. Mamiya continued in a calm voice. ¡ªIf the subject in question was an ordinary hero, I would¡¯ve also agreed to the promotion without much hesitation. But because this man is no ordinary hero, it leaves me conflicted. ¡ªReaching Master tier means that one will be surpassing a standard of sorts. But the standard for this man is on a different level than that of an ordinary hero. It¡¯s in a completely different dimension, in fact. Knowing this, I understand that¡¯s the reason Sir General wants to wait it out to assess the situation a bit more. When Mamiya turned to the general for confirmation, the White Horse General nodded eagerly. ¡ªYes, it is just as you say. Did everyone hear him? Do you think I¡¯m arguing because I don¡¯t like this man? I want to help him. But shouldn¡¯t I at least make the minimum effort to keep up my duty to other planets? The White Horse General squinted and looked up as if he was looking warily at somebody else. Mamiya made a bitter smile. Mamiya already knew that some great being was watching over this space with wide and eager eyes, yet he still needed to say everything that needed to be said. ¡ªI share the same opinion as Sir General. This is why I¡¯m hesitant to agree and think we have to use a different standard for our friend here. The other gods grew quiet at Mamiya¡¯s claim. Most of them seemed to be agreeing with him. ¡ªWell¡­if you say so¡­ In the end, Miho seemed to have become convinced despite disagreeing with the White Horse General earlier. Then, Mamiya¡¯s gaze shifted to another god. ¡ªIt looks like we¡¯ve organized our opinions somewhat. What do you think about all this? ¡ªSpell out the ways he should prove himself. Like she usually did, La Bella got to the point in a flat voice. ¡ªI like how clear-cut you are. That¡¯s good. I don¡¯t have any more complaints. Then, let us go one by one on what we want to see from our friend here. Mamiya smiled and looked around the space. ¡ªHm, should I start? The White Horse General coughed, cleared his throat, and spoke. ¡ªBecome stronger, much stronger than he is right now. The White Horse General emphasized this point one more time while stroking his long beard. ¡ªAll things succumb to stronger power in the end. Become so strong that the things that dared to push you back can no longer even look up at you. In short, the White Horse General was saying that Chi-Woo should become so strong that he could overwhelmingly beat a great demon like Bael. Then, as soon as the White Horse General finished speaking, a voice fierce as the rushing whirlwinds rang. ¡ªYou still only have three stars. Quickly find the other four and complete the Seven Stars. That¡¯s all I will ask. Shahnaz considered both reason and her emotional attachments to Chi-Woo and stopped at an appropriate level. ¡ªYour decision when fighting the Sky Castle was rational, but it wasn¡¯t interesting. This novel is available on "pawread dot com". Mamiya spoke next. ¡ªI hope that you¡¯ll act differently this time and embrace the darkness. That is my condition. Perhaps this was expected of Mamiya. Rather than talking clearly and succinctly, he gave an ambiguous condition. It was impossible to know what Mamiya meant yet. ¡ªExcluding yourself, put at least three among the Celestial Lights under your command. The voice infused with mystical mana spoke this time. It appeared to be the god that Alice had established, and though this was Chi-Woo¡¯s first time meeting the god, the god seemed to have positive feelings for him. ¡ªHm~ Well¡­ Then, the owner of a sensual and seductive voice spoke. ¡ªAh, I will place that child¡¯s awakening as my condition. The god said while clapping as if she had just come up with something good. She was referring to Hurodvitniru¡¯s cub. It would be such a waste to just leave them on the side. ¡ªThough still a cub, with proper guidance, they will be of great help in spreading your influence in the future. With this, five gods had stated their conditions. ¡ªYou guys are¡­too much. In response to Miho¡¯s condition, Mamiya chuckled sadly. ¡ªHmph, isn¡¯t it up to the person what kind of condition they will place? Miho retorted sharply, and Mamiya looked away. ¡ªWell, that¡¯s true. Then¡­. There was only one god remaining: La Bella. Chi-Woo turned to stare at her, and the two met each other¡¯s eyes. ¡ª¡­Regain balance. A low and strong voice rang inside the space. Chi-Woo wanted to ask more about it, but La Bella was already raising the balance in her hands. ¡ªAs the backbone of humanity! The white space shook with La Bella¡¯s shouting. *** ¡°I see,¡± Chi-Hyun said after listening to everything Chi-Woo described. ¡°They already decided on it. Seriously, they¡­¡± ¡°Decided on what?¡± Chi-Woo asked, and Chi-Hyun sighed. ¡°It means that the gods already agreed to raise you to Master tier in their hearts.¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t really seem to be the case¡­ Why do you think that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear from the conditions they gave,¡± Chi-Hyun said carefreely. ¡°Neither easy nor hard. It¡¯s not some unbelievable condition like telling you to defeat a three-faction alliance or something.¡± ¡°Well, that will be a bit much.¡± Thinking about what Chi-Hyun said, it was true. Compared to his previous experience with promotion tests, these conditions weren''t that difficult to fulfill. ¡°From the gods¡¯ point-of-view, you¡¯ve already fulfilled the most important condition. The other conditions are just extras they put forth for the sake of it. Furthermore, they are all things you need to do anyway.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­? That seems to be the case too.¡± ¡°If another hero is facing evaluation to reach Master tier, you should ask them about the conditions they received and compare theirs with yours.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted and leaned into his chair. ¡°Anyways, if you are going to do it, do it properly. Furthermore, you don¡¯t have much time. Quickly finish organizing your internal ranks first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Guests are going to visit in a couple of days.¡± That was all Chi-Hyun said before going back to his documents. He waved a hand at Chi-Woo like he was going to focus on his work again. Chi-Woo wanted to tell his brother to finish what he started, but in the end, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t say what was on his mind. It was because Chi-Hyun seemed to have no intention of telling Chi-Woo what it was, and for some reason, his brother seemed preoccupied with various matters. In the end, Chi-Woo shrugged and turned around. With the sound of the door closing, Chi-Hyun¡¯s face turned serious. He let out the sigh he had been holding in, glanced at the window, and murmured to himself. ¡°Already a Master¡­¡± *** After leaving the official residence and returning to the Seven Stars headquarters, Chi-Woo thought about the condition that La Bella gave him. It was to regain balance as a central figure of humanity. He was at a loss of what to do when he first heard it. Rather than something like, ¡®Find all the Seven Stars¡¯, this was a rather ambiguous condition. He had had no clue what La Bella wanted from him. But after talking to Eval Sevaru and his brother, he had an inkling as to what that could be, as well as the reason his class was changed to the Cardinalis and how that connected to his promotion to Master tier. One needed to strike when the iron was hot, but a thousand-mile journey started with one step. Chi-Woo reaffirmed his resolve and sought Eval out as soon he returned to Seven Stars. Then he asked, ¡°Eval, I¡¯m planning to reorganize Seven Stars from today. Is there something that I should know first and foremost?¡± Eval looked a bit taken aback by the sudden question, but he immediately responded, ¡°I think it would be wise to consult the first team first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Like all organizations, the bond between team members is essential,¡± Eval continued while clearing his throat. ¡°With the exception of Ru Hiana, the first team is made up of superb elites, each possessing great and special skills. However, the bond between the members is not as strong as one would expect. It¡¯s almost nonexistent.¡± ¡°Why do you think that¡¯s the case?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact reason, but from what I heard before, the first team seems to think more highly of you, boss, than anyone else. Rather than Ru Amuh¡¯s team, you could say it¡¯s your team instead.¡± If that was the case, the team wasn¡¯t fulfilling its original purpose¡ªto act independently as a team with their own authority and autonomy. It could be considered a positive for Chi-Woo that the team was serving only him, but it was a weakness for Seven Stars in the grand scheme of things. This was because the moment Chi-Woo disappeared, the team would lose its purpose, and its members would soon disperse. ¡°That can¡¯t happen. The first team needs some bonding with Captain Ru Amuh. Thus, exempting Ru Hiana, I suggest you move La Hawa, Salem Eshnunna, and Onorables Evelyn out of the first team.¡± ¡°Do you think I should move those three to another team?¡± ¡°That could be a solution, but it¡¯s not one I would recommend. Since those three have a deep connection to you and are Liber natives, I think it would be hard to expect them to adopt a professional mindset like heroes from the Celestial Realm.¡± Eval continued after collecting his breath for a bit, ¡°So even if you move them to different teams, nothing much will change. Thus, I think you should think about managing them yourself.¡± ¡°Me? In my team?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t always move on your own, boss. Of course, you could pull out members whenever you need them, but rather than doing that, it would be more organized if you just form a new team for yourself.¡± Chi-Woo understood what Eval was saying. What he had been doing until now was akin to a country¡¯s national team calling back the country¡¯s players from foreign teams when the Olympics came. This inevitably resulted in confusion and gaps, and it seemed Eval was pointing this part out. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying. Then, we should get new members for the first team.¡± ¡°Yes, well, that¡¯s probably the case. And on that¡­¡± Eval trailed off to glance at Chi-Woo. Chi-Woo said without hesitation, ¡°Let Ru Amuh take care of that on his own. This is his team we¡¯re talking about, so he should pick his members himself.¡± Hearing this, Eval¡¯s face instantly brightened. If Chi-Woo had chosen the members and put them on the first team again, it would only result in the same dynamic as before, and Eval would¡¯ve suspected that Chi-Woo was perhaps wary of Ru Amuh. If Ru Amuh personally picked out his members as the first team¡¯s leader, on the other hand, the team¡¯s dynamic would change. A team for Ru Amuh would be completed, and a special bond between only the members of the first team would form. Eval didn¡¯t know why Chi-Woo wanted to suddenly reorganize the teams, but he had essentially declared that he would keep his interference with the teams¡¯ arrangement to the minimum. This was the start of a new beginning for Seven Stars. ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s do that for the first team. Then¡­¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s one more thing I''d like to point out¡­¡± CH 422 After a long discussion with Eval Sevaru, Chi-Woo immediately called for an all members meeting. He first began organizing the system by announcing the internal affairs of Seven Stars in front of every participant. He had already talked to Eval Sevaru to some extent, but Chi-Woo also asked the first team¡¯s members for their thoughts about the creation of a main team just in case. Their responses were as expected. Hawa replied, ¡°Yes, I agree.¡± As for Eshnunna, she said, ¡°Haha, my cute ice¡­ah, yes. Of course, I will accept.¡± And the same was true for Evelyn as well. ¡°You¡¯re finally calling for me? You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been waiting~¡± All three gave a positive response as if it were given. As Eval Sevaru said, they were forced to join the first team in the early days of Seven Stars due to the shortage of personnel. They all hoped to return to Chi-Woo¡¯s side whenever the time came. Ru Amuh also easily accepted the change; judging by how he didn¡¯t look very disappointed, everyone seemed to share the same thoughts. This clearly illustrated the problem with the first team that Eval Sevaru had pointed out. Chi-Woo said, ¡°Ru Amuh, you should recruit new people. Don¡¯t worry and go for whoever you want.¡± ¡°Would it really be all right to pick the people I want?¡± ¡°Yeah, as long as you¡¯re confident that you can manage them.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll do as you say. Teacher, I¡¯ll find heroes who fit the status of Seven Stars.¡± Like this, Chi-Woo finished organizing the first team. However, it was far from over. ¡°And¡­¡± Chi-Woo shifted his gaze from Ru Amuh to the handsome black-haired young man sitting next to him. Emmanuel looked slightly nervous. ¡°I heard from Eval Sevaru. You want to officially join the Seven Stars?¡± ¡°Yes, Teacher.¡± Emmanuel bowed. He had been treated as an external collaborator so far since he also led and operated an organization named after his family. However, after the war ended, Emmanuel expressed his desire to disband his organization and join Seven Stars. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Can I ask why?¡± ¡°Through this war¡­no, it was way before that. Ever since I entered Liber, I¡¯ve constantly felt my shortcomings.¡± Emmanuel smiled bitterly. He wasn¡¯t lying, he truly felt that he was lacking in everything. The reason why he had entered Liber in the first place was out of a childish desire to be acknowledged by his family through accomplishing tasks and making achievements. The same was true for setting up his organization. He was able to gather a following and build a sizable force thanks to his reputation as a Celestial Light, and he only set up an organization because he saw Apoline do so, and he didn¡¯t want to lose to her. Since that had been his mindset from the very beginning, problems were bound to arise. ¡°Should I say that I was immature¡­ Yes, I am way too immature compared to you, Teacher.¡± Emmanuel continued with an embarrassed tone, ¡°I had only been briefly entertaining the idea. It wasn¡¯t until after the war a while ago that I made up my mind. I felt strongly that I should learn more about everything to leave a footprint worthy of the title of a hero in this world.¡± Emmanuel stared at Chi-Woo with fierce passion. ¡°That¡¯s why I became certain that I would be able to learn a lot if I¡¯m next to you in the future.¡± Listening quietly, Ru Amuh smiled as if he felt the same way as Emmanuel. His overzealous gaze made Chi-Woo feel somewhat burdened, but he didn¡¯t show it. He had discussed this with Eval Sevaru in advance. ¡®Eval said it wouldn¡¯t be bad for Seven Stars if Emmanuel joined.¡¯ Just the fact that a member of a top family of the Celestial Lights had joined them would greatly bolster Seven Stars¡¯ prestige and status even further. If Emmanuel, who had great pride in his family name, found out this was the reason why they were accepting him, he might not be happy about it, but it couldn''t be helped. Exchanges should be equal, and Chi-Woo should also get something in exchange for giving what Emmanuel wanted. From now on, Chi-Woo needed to learn to think like Eval Sevaru. Chi-Wo asked, ¡°Then what about your original organization?¡± Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at "pawread dot com" ¡°I¡¯ve already announced the news and told them that I¡¯m going to disband the organization. I¡¯m planning to only bring one or two of the most useful and trustworthy people among those who want to follow me and let go of the rest.¡± ¡°Already? That¡¯s fast.¡± Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but be awed inside his mind. What would Emmanuel do if Chi-Woo had refused to take him in? Of course, there was no point contemplating what hadn¡¯t happened further. ¡°All right, if it¡¯s Eustitias, we¡¯ll welcome you with open arms. I¡¯ll give you one of the outer buildings and the position of the second team leader, so try to make a great team with your talent.¡± Chi-Woo felt awkward while talking, and at the same, he could see why Eval Sevaru and his brother had urged him to speak informally. If he spoke formally with honorifics like usual, he would have said something like, ¡®Welcome, I look forward to working with you.¡¯ However, speaking informally in turn changed what he said, and it really felt like he was in a position of authority. He checked Emmanuel¡¯s expression just in case, but Emmanuel didn¡¯t look displeased or annoyed. ¡°Thank you, sir! I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Rather, Emmanuel bowed with joy and showed his gratitude. And like this, the second team was now established. Chi-Woo moved on to the next group. ¡°I¡¯ll join,¡± Yeriel said as soon as their eyes met. ¡°Honestly, I moved here before that dumbo and well¡­¡± Yeriel was originally a guest at Emmanuel¡¯s organization, but she was left with nowhere to go after Eustitia disbanded. ¡°But I¡¯d like to set a few conditions. First of all, there¡¯s no need for me to form a team that focuses on external activities. You agree with that, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Chi-Woo easily agreed. In the recent war alone, Yeriel had shown her true value by creating weapons for combat rather than going out and fighting directly. ¡°Even so, I¡¯d like to be given the position of team leader. I don¡¯t plan to abuse or carelessly use my authority, but I don¡¯t want to be pushed back in official settings.¡± In other words, she was saying that since Emmanuel had become a team leader, she also wanted to have the same status. Her words could be considered brash, but given her value, it was understandable. Eval Sevaru had also said that they must keep Yeriel at all costs even if he failed to recruit anyone else; Chi-Woo had no reason to refuse. He had originally wanted only his stars to lead teams, but after accepting Asha as his third star, the plan went a bit awry. He couldn¡¯t ask a jelly lump as big as his palm who couldn¡¯t even speak properly to make and lead a team. Chi-Woo thought it would be perfectly fine if Yeriel filled the vacancy. She wasn¡¯t a star, but this could be seen as a rather low price in exchange for a talent who was attracting attention as the alpha and omega in the weapon manufacturing industry. ¡°All right. Then you can use your current workshop as it is as your building, and I¡¯ll give you the position of the third team leader. The third team is exempted from having to go out on missions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Sounds great to me. I have no complaints.¡± When Yeriel accepted it easily, Eval Sevaru slightly smiled. Originally, every single person here was a talent that ordinary people couldn¡¯t even dream of recruiting. However, thanks to Chi-Woo, the recruitment process went on extremely smoothly. On the other hand, it was understandable as they had high expectations for Chi-Woo as part of the Choi family, and he had definitely proven himself in the recent war. Only a fool wouldn¡¯t recognize the one who would go on to lead humanity in the future. There was no reason for them to not get on board unless they were wanderers by nature like Ismile Nahla. And like this, Chi-Woo successfully created the best situation in which the owner, manager, and players were all happy. However, as even the most valuable treasure could have a flaw, not everyone was happy. There was one person who looked clearly unhappy. Shortly after Chi-Woo said he¡¯d accept Yeriel as the third team leader, Eval Sevaru saw that Yunael¡¯s expression had turned uncomfortable. When he subtly glanced at Chi-Woo sitting in the main seat, Chi-Woo immediately said, ¡°Then that¡¯s it for today¡¯s meeting. Everyone is free to leave.¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes instantly sharpened and looked at him as if she was asking, ¡®Really? What about me?¡¯ Her bright, red face looked ready to explode at any moment. ¡°Ah, Ms. Yunael, please stay behind for a while.¡± Her expression calmed down a little when her expectations were met, but she still seemed to be gritting her teeth in intense betrayal. When everyone but the three of them had left through the door, Chi-Woo addressed her. ¡°You seem like you have something to say.¡± ¡°Come oooon!¡± Yunael shouted her complaints as if she had been waiting all along. ¡°What the hell¡¯s up with that? Wasn¡¯t the position of the third team leader originally mine?¡± ¡°Well, it was a temporary position,¡± Eval Sevaru answered quickly on behalf of Chi-Woo. ¡°Yes! It was supposed to be a test! But what¡¯s this!¡± Yunael shouted angrily. ¡°Seriously! I won¡¯t even complain if she¡¯s at Ru Amuh¡¯s level. Emmanuel was an external collaborator, but since he was appointed as a team leader way before me, I¡¯ll admit that he should be second team leader. But this isn¡¯t right, is it? Why that bitch of all people¡­!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a bitch, but Ms. Yeriel Lily Dula Mariaju, Ms. Yunael.¡± When Yunael crossed the line, Eval Sevaru corrected her in a stern voice. ¡°And there¡¯s no way the boss has any intentions to look down on you, Ms. Yunael. That¡¯s just how it happened, and you¡¯re still a team leader. You can take the fourth team.¡± ¡°But then that means I was pushed back by that bi¡ªYeriel!¡± Eval replied, ¡°Ms. Yunael, the number of the team that you¡¯re in charge of is not that important. It¡¯s just a number.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Yunael let out a hollow laugh as if she found that point ridiculous. As Eval had said, Chi-Woo wondered if the number was that important. However, Chi-Woo changed his mind when, contrary to what he said, Eval looked as if he could empathize with her. Chi-Woo understood a little bit then why his brother had told him to never underestimate a hero¡¯s ego. A moment of silence passed between them. Yunael crossed her arms, and her thumb twitched while she gritted her teeth with an angry expression. ¡°Fine. What can a humble and lowly Tania like me do when the great Mariaju wants something?¡± She spoke in a sarcastic tone and then suddenly lifted her chin. ¡°Then please confirm my position as the third star. At this very moment!¡± Eval Sevaru laughed in shock as Yunael spoke in an absolutely unyielding tone. He admitted that Yunael had made some significant achievements, and that the Tania name was great, but there should be a line. The only person among humanity who could dare to threaten Chi-Woo like this was the legend. ¡°Ms. Yunael, you act like it¡¯s your given right.¡± Thus, Eval Sevaru put on a stern expression and said this with the intent to dampen her spirits a little. ¡°Yeah, no shit. It is my given right.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Eval Sevaru was taken aback by her unexpected answer. ¡°Hey, boss, you should say something too. You definitely told me back then. You promised me!¡± Bewildered, Eval glanced at Chi-Woo. He had promised her? If that was the case, Eval couldn¡¯t argue against her further. ¡°Well¡­haha. Let¡¯s calm down first. Ms. Yunael, I think you¡¯re misunderstanding¡­.¡± Eval Sevaru stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth when Chi-Woo raised his hand. ¡°Yunael.¡± Chi-Woo called out her name and said bluntly, ¡°You can¡¯t be the third star or the third team leader.¡± Then Chi-Woo and Eval both heard Yunael¡¯s sharp intake of breath. Her eyes widened as if she was a criminal sentenced to death. ¡°W-What did you say?¡± ¡°The third team leader is Yeriel, and the third star of the Seven Stars has already been given to this little guy.¡± Chi-Woo pointed at Asha, who was playing on his shoulder. ¡°Then what about me!¡± Thud! Yunael slammed the desk and got up while dragging her chair roughly. ¡°You will be the fourth team leader and the fourth star.¡± Unlike her, Chi-Woo spoke with complete calmness as if he never intended to reverse this decision. Yunael seemed to have caught the meaning behind his tone and looked speechless. ¡°No¡­ha¡­¡± She gaped for a while and didn¡¯t so much sit back down but collapse into the chair. ¡°¡­Why?¡± she asked with a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± She looked at Chi-Woo with hollow and hazy eyes. ¡°I know that there was some noise and commotion when I first joined Seven Stars, but that¡¯s all in the past now. Ever since I joined, I haven¡¯t acted recklessly even once and instead quietly followed orders. But why¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. Contrary to Aida¡¯s concerns, Yunael remained faithful to her duty; Chi-Woo acknowledged this and said, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then at least tell me a good reason. So I can force myself to accept it.¡± Still, considering her words, it didn¡¯t seem like Yunael wanted to leave Seven Stars either. Chi-Woo smiled brightly. ¡°That¡¯s precisely why.¡± Yunael immediately frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not because you¡¯re bad. It¡¯s because you¡¯re good. So I decided to switch you to the fourth star and fourth team leader.¡± Yunael blinked; she couldn¡¯t understand him at all. ¡°What are you suddenly¡­saying?¡± ¡°Why do you think I named our organization Seven Stars?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Yunael gaped. As someone whose personality was essentially defined by her simple-mindedness, she had never thought about such a thing. ¡°Do you know what each of the Seven Stars mean?¡± Chi-Woo asked one more time before continuing, ¡°The first star is the vanguard. They have to be more perfect than anyone else since they stand at the very front. To the point where no one can find a single fault with them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then let me ask you, are you confident that you can become more perfect than Ru Amuh?¡± Yunael quietly shook her head. She also knew how monstrous Ru Amuh was as a hero. ¡°Then¡­what about the fourth star?¡± Although her attitude had softened a little bit, Yunael carefully asked for clarification. Chi-Woo immediately replied, ¡°It¡¯s the center. The center of the stars.¡± ¡°The center?¡± ¡°Think about it. Where is 4 among 1 to 7?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡®1, 2, 3, ¡­7, 6, 5¡­.¡¯ Yunael counted her fingers one by one and soon gasped in realization. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s perfectly in the middle, right?¡± Chi-Woo raised his chin as if he was telling her ¡®I told you so¡¯. ¡°The fourth star is the heart of the Seven Stars like a maestro commanding an orchestra at the center of the stage.¡± Eval Sevaru tilted his head and frowned. He had been wondering how Chi-Woo was going to handle this incident but¡­ What? 4 was between 123 and 567, so it was the center? ¡®With all due respect, it was complete hogwash,¡¯ he thought. If Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been the one who made the argument, Eval would¡¯ve snorted and asked what kind of gibberish he was talking about. Yunael replied, ¡°Then¡­it¡¯s all because you expected me to play a central role in Seven Stars¡­¡± Eval Sevaru couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Chi-Woo replied, ¡°Yeah, if there¡¯s a vanguard, there needs to be someone at the center and the rear, and I want you to take center stage as the backbone of the Seven Stars.¡± Yunael¡¯s eyes twirled around and around. ¡°Uh¡­¡± How should she describe it? She was hit by a myriad of emotions, including a sudden sense of pressure, as well as the joy and relief that Chi-Woo trusted her this much. Several conflicting emotions coexisted at the same time. ¡°If you say that so suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Suddenly? No, that¡¯s not the case. When we went back to the past, as well as during the recent war, I felt assured thinking you would be the fourth star.¡± At that moment, Yunael had an eureka moment. She hadn¡¯t been sure because it was so out of the blue, but after hearing what he said, she became certain. It seemed that Chi-Woo¡¯s trust in her had grown significantly after these two events, and thus he wanted her to take on a heavy responsibility. If she thought of it like this, everything made sense. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­no way. That was on purpose¡­?¡± Only then did Yunael understand why Chi-Woo had purposely changed her team leader order, and her mouth slightly dropped open. ¡°¡­¡± Eval Sevaru also gaped as this fool squirmed. What, seriously, this worked? For real? ¡°Yeah. Actually, the third star¡¯s role is simply to support the first and second stars, but considering the abilities and accomplishments you¡¯ve shown so far, I don¡¯t think you fit the role of support.¡± Chi-Woo nodded with great gravity and had a serious expression on his face, but he was actually laughing inside. ¡°I think you fully deserve the spotlight too, and you¡¯ve shown the ability to do that.¡± ¡°Well, Ye¡­s. That¡¯s right.¡± After doubting his ears, Eval Sevaru began doubting his eyes when Yunael furiously nodded. Being persuaded by such groundless words went beyond a lack of common sense and entered the realm of an innate intelligence problem. It was to the extent that Eval Sevaru became sad for her as a fellow hero. ¡®No, there¡¯s no way. It can¡¯t be.¡¯ She didn¡¯t get persuaded by this, right? It must be an act, right? ¡°Do you understand now?¡± While Eval Sevaru had a hard time believing that Yunael was not acting, Chi-Woo asked in an infinitely caring and kind tone. ¡°¡­S-Sorry. But you should have told me earlier. I didn¡¯t even know that and thought¡­¡± Yunael tended to be led by her emotions; she lost her temper easily, but she was also easily moved. After hearing his explanation, she became convinced that Chi-Woo had purposely changed her position in consideration of her, yet she had failed to understand the meaning behind his actions and gotten angry. Chi-Woo smiled internally when he saw her avoiding his eyes because she felt apologetic. ¡®Good. She¡¯s falling for it.¡¯ Then Chi-Woo continued, ¡°While I reorganized Seven Stars this time, I decided on a policy.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Reward good behavior and punish bad conduct,¡± Chi-Woo said clearly. ¡°I¡¯m going to give prizes to those who did well, and punish those who didn¡¯t do well. It¡¯s simple, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s simple.¡± ¡°This criteria will be thoroughly evaluated only based on the process and the results. This means that the criteria won¡¯t change from person to person. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand for sure.¡± Without even realizing it, Yunael became a rattle who nodded to Chi-Woo¡¯s every word. ¡°In that sense, you did well, Yunael.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s smooth words flowed out effortlessly from his mouth. ¡°I mean it. You really did well.¡± ¡°No, well¡­I just did what I was told to do¡­¡± ¡°So I should reward you, not just with words.¡± Chi-Woo stared at Yunael, who had her hands clasped and was at a loss of what to do. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again.¡± Then he asked, ¡°Will you be my fourth star?¡± Yunael gulped visibly. ¡°Yunael, I think you¡¯re the only one who fits the position of the fourth star among the Seven Stars.¡± Eval Sevaru was still having a hard time believing that all this was real. Yunael¡¯s ears and neck weren¡¯t as red as before, but they were still red enough that Eval expected her to get angry at any moment, yelling at Chi-Woo if it was fun to pretend to comfort her and tease people like this. And she would have been completely justified in her actions. He thought their boss had gone too far this time, but Eval Sevaru was mistaken. ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡± The lioness who had roared violently just a few minutes ago disappeared without a trace. ¡°All right¡­¡± Yunael buried her face in her hands and softly murmured , ¡°I will¡­be your fourth star¡­¡± Instead, it was replaced by a shy bride before her first night of marriage. CH 423 With Yunael¡¯s answer, the alarm rang, and a message popped up in the air. [¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯ has been opened.] [The amount of trust that Yunael Tania has towards user Choi Chi-Woo will be measured.] [Measuring¡­ Measurement is complete.] [Trust 99.9%] ¡®What?¡¯ Chi-Woo almost doubted his eyes when he saw the percentage. It was very close to a hundred and was the highest among the stars. It was even higher than Ru Amuh¡¯s level of trust in him, and the man hung onto Chi-Woo¡¯s every word. ¡®What? Why is it so high?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered. He was satisfied enough with his stars meeting only the minimum trust percentage; and though it was true that he and Yunael had gone through a couple of ordeals together, he didn¡¯t think they had done anything that could lead to an almost 100% trust level. Thus, he thought there might be something other than simple bonding at play here. Chi-Woo was not wrong to think this. When Yunael was using the Kobalos¡¯ fire pit, her passionate feelings had even stirred up a foreign god¡¯s heart and made the god do what she had planned to refuse at first. But neither Chi-Woo nor Yunael knew exactly what that was. Yunael, especially, couldn¡¯t comprehend what emotion she was feeling after having lived with no sex for so long. Chi-Woo tilted his head in confusion, but went on to read the rest of the message. [Whether they are adults or children, everyone loves receiving compliments. This is especially true when the compliments come from a parent, and their effects are amplified. In this way, giving compliments is an important parenting tool. First of all, it helps build your child¡¯s confidence, which allows the child to foster their mental capacity so that they can build better and more positive relationships. The establishment of such healthy relationships has a positive influence on the child in that it leads to a proper attitude and internal progress. Thus, in these ways, giving compliments is a good tool, but it shouldn¡¯t be used excessively. As it is not right to say what is right is wrong, you must not compliment your child for their wrongdoings. Compliments must be given according to the situation and occasion, and you must know how to discipline your child when necessary. Excessive compliments could stunt your child¡¯s growth.] [Trust level surpassed required condition.] [Accepting ¡®the resourceful and brave hero¡¯, Yunael Tania, as user Chi-Woo¡¯s fourth star.] With this, the process was completed. Yunael was officially registered as Chi-Woo¡¯s fourth star. However, it was still far from over. ¡°Uh¡­it¡¯s over? Is that all there is to it?¡± ¡°No, wait,¡± Chi-Woo said and contemplated. After seeing Yunael¡¯s user information, there wasn¡¯t an ability that particularly piqued his interest. That meant contrary to what he usually did, he could be the one to share an ability with her, and Chi-Woo wondered which ability among his that he should share. ¡ªI recommend Golden Ratio. Chi-Woo heard Philip¡¯s voice then, and his eyes slightly widened. ¡®Why Golden Ratio?¡¯ Golden Ratio was said to create the most beautiful body with the perfect proportions. And just by achieving the perfect balance in physique, the user gained tremendous benefits. It was what allowed an ordinary human like Chi-Woo to grow at exponential speed in a very short time frame. Thus, Chi-Woo was a bit taken aback to hear that he should share such a rare and special ability with Yunael. ¡ªI¡¯ve seen that pervert Byeok teach this lady before. Philip began. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t miss the insults against his master, but he thought he should hear Philip out first. ¡ªBut how should I say this? She¡¯s good, really good¡­but there¡¯s a sense of unfamiliarity or awkwardness in her movements. ¡®A sense of unfamiliarity? There¡¯s no way Master Byeok wouldn¡¯t have noticed though.¡¯ ¡ªYes, but pervert Byeok didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ ¡ªWhy even ask? Don¡¯t you know your master¡¯s personality? If it¡¯s something she doesn¡¯t think the person can do anything about, she doesn¡¯t even bring it up. ¡®Really? Then, what could be the problem?¡¯ ¡ªPhysical imbalance. And thus, Philip explained that because of the special characteristic that all members of the Tania family shared, Yunael had lived with no sex for a long time. She remained sexless even after entering Liber for some time until her sex was suddenly decided for some unknown reason. ¡ªThat¡¯s when the gap formed. Women and men had physical and psychological differences based on biology. To put it bluntly, Yunael had lived too long without sex, which gave rise to the problems she was suffering from. Usually, it was normal for Tania members to choose their sex in their adolescent years at the latest, yet Yunael¡¯s sex had failed to manifest so late into her life that it worried her parents. In the end, Yunael went through her adolescence and growth spurt and finished developing as a hero in that state. However, after training and adjusting to a sexless body for so long, Yunael had become a woman overnight because of a certain someone. With such a rapid and sudden change, the balance she had maintained for over twenty years crumbled. ¡ªFrom what I can see, it¡¯s hard to expect dramatic growth from her until she fills in all those gaps. However, if you share the Golden Ratio ability with her, wouldn¡¯t her physical imbalance be immediately resolved, and the path to progress open wide for her again? ¡ªHm, isn¡¯t that right? Think about it. ¡ªI¡¯m certainly not saying this because I¡¯m curious about how the Golden Ratio would affect a woman¡¯s body rather than a boring man¡¯s, so don¡¯t misinterpret my words. It sounded like Philip had let slip his true intentions in the last sentence, but Chi-Woo decided not to dwell on that. He did think that Philip had a point. There was nothing to lose¡­no, there were certainly things he would lose, which were his precious Blessed Luck; it had taken him 500 million merits to refill it to 100. But Yunael was someone who had risked her life many times for him, and for reason unbeknownst to him, had somehow reached a trust level of 99.9% toward him. Thus, for a trustworthy companion like her, Chi-Woo thought it was worth trying to give her the ability even if he had to use Deterrence too. With this thought, Chi-Woo shared ¡®Golden Ratio¡¯ with Yunael. In addition to that, there was another thing he had to do. [Yunael Tania- Page (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent¡¯: Reach at least 90% in trust (Complete) 2. Become acknowledged by ¡®Byeok Ran-Eum¡¯, the Celestial Realm¡¯s examiner, and become her disciple (Complete) 3. Break the contract with the White Horse General and form a new contract with the goddess of Balance, La Bella (Complete) 4. Use at least 6 and at most 8 points of ¡®Blessed Luck¡¯ (Incomplete) All the basic conditions were met. Chi-Woo raised the chains in his left wrist without hesitation and used the maximum amount of Blessed Luck needed. [The Power to Rule the World has been used.] [Innate ability [Blessed Luck] consumed (100 ->92).] [To transform Yunael Tania¡¯s physical body into a vessel, the Power to Rule the World begins ¡®Total Modification¡¯.] Chi-Woo blinked rapidly. Whenever he used the Power to Rule the World, it only ever modified abilities, yet an exception seemed to be happening. Discover the complete story on pawread dot com. ¡®A vessel? Total Modification?¡¯ Chi-Woo wondered and stared at Yunael. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Yunael gasped and turned around before falling from her chair. Then she lay limply on the ground. Everyone was astounded by the sudden change, and soon afterward, chilling bone-cracking sounds came from Yunael¡¯s body, and she began to flap on the ground like a freshly caught fish. ¡°B-Boss?¡± Eval looked from Chi-Woo to Yunael frantically. ¡ªWhat? What¡¯s happening to her? Philip also shouted in shock. Chi-Woo was likewise startled by what was happening and thought that he had perhaps been too hasty. The reason for Yunael¡¯s wild reaction to the Golden Ratio could be found in the first line of Golden Ratio¡¯s description¡ªthe ability was created out of Divine Blood, which stemmed from Core of Balance. Things might¡¯ve been different if Yunael possessed Core of Balance like Chi-Woo. Golden Ratio was too much to bear for a simple human body. This was a mistake. Thus, Chi-Woo acted fast and immediately used the Power to Rule the World again. As soon as it confirmed the transformations that were happening to Yunael¡¯s body, the Power to Rule the World was activated to solve the problem. Thus, even though she didn¡¯t have Core of Balance, her body was primed in a way that helped her accept Golden Ratio without setbacks. Perhaps it was no coincidence that he had used 8 Blessed Luck points only for Yunael since this wasn¡¯t a problem that could be solved by 7. This could be another one of those special arrangements a greater being had made. Nevertheless, the two men and one spirit stood anxiously and watched the situation unfold since they were in the dark. ¡°Let¡¯s get a priest immediately¡ª¡± Seeing Yunael¡¯s skin split like spider webs, Eval was about to dash outside and fetch help. ¡°Everyone wait,¡± Chi-Woo said while raising his hand. He looked piercingly at the gaps forming in Yunael¡¯s body and said, ¡°Let¡¯s¡­wait a bit¡­we shouldn¡¯t act too hastily¡­¡± Chi-Woo had a strong feeling that was what they should do. *** After opening her eyes, Yunael frowned. She was hit with a horrible stench. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Yunael blinked hard. She remembered conversing with Chi-Woo, but not anything afterward. She didn¡¯t know why she was lying on the bed nude either. And that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°W-What?¡± Yunael gasped when she looked around her. Her body felt sticky, and there were yellowish-black gel-like substances all over her body. There was so much of it that her bed sheets were entirely colored in yellow and black. Then, Yunael screamed. She saw a large clump of skin in the corner of the bed like a cicada shell. Confused, she looked around with a deep frown. Her body felt different. Besides the strange substances around her and the terrible stench, she felt refreshed, and her mana seemed stronger than before. What in the world happened? After struggling for a bit, Yunael cursed, ¡®Ah, sh¡­!¡¯ And she sloppily put on some clothes before going outside. When her head was in a mess, she always practiced swinging her spear; so as soon as she arrived at the yard, she swung her spear like she usually did. She hadn¡¯t noticed anything in the beginning, but as she continued, she began to feel something. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Something felt different from before. Things were connecting more easily and smoothly. Right after her sex change, Yunael had to make great efforts to adjust to her new body. Even though humans were adaptable animals, that didn¡¯t apply to all situations. Case in point, a born leftie couldn¡¯t use their right hand as well as their left hand no matter how much they tried. Even though she had no trouble in her daily life, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity during battle from time to time. That was a part she found difficult to fix no matter what she tried, but today, that sensation completely disappeared. It felt as if she was wearing an item of clothing that not only fit her perfectly, but also matched her style. Yunael tilted her head curiously and stopped swinging her spear to check her user information. She gasped. It hadn¡¯t been her imagination. All her physical abilities had improved, and her mana in particular was substantially better. But the biggest change she felt was the recovery of the sense of familiarity with her own body that she had lost for some time. In this current state, she thought she could become much stronger as long as she honed her body well. ¡°Wow¡­awesome¡­¡± Since she wasn¡¯t a complete fool, Yunael finally realized this was the gift and blessing from Chi-Woo that she had heard about from Aida and the change she had felt from Ru Amuh. After admiring her new physique for a while, she met eyes with somebody else. It was the fenrir cub. ¡°Hello.¡± Feeling giddy, Yunael smiled widely and greeted the cub. However, the fenrir cub didn¡¯t greet her back, but instead spat on the ground and turned around while covering their nose. ¡°¡­¡± It was then Yunael realized that her body was still reeking of a terrible stench that she woke up to and headed to the bathhouse. ¡ªUmeheheheh. As if he had been waiting for the chance the whole time, Philip quickly chased after Yunael. He had been gulping with an open mouth, and he was about to chase after her into the bathhouse when a holy light scattered amid the heavy steam as soon as the door opened. ¡ªKiaaaaaaaaaaaaah! When the light touched him, Philip felt a soul-wrenching, burning pain, and he ran away screaming. ¡°¡­What? Why are you shooting holy energy all of a sudden?¡± Yunael looked warily at the person in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Evelyn, who was already in the bath, snorted. ¡°Anyways, did your conversation yesterday go well¡ªhm?¡± Evelyn was about to ask what Yunael had talked to Chi-Woo about yesterday before she quickly changed the topic of conversation. ¡°What¡­happened to you?¡± ¡°What¡­w-what are you doing?¡± Yunael staggered backward when Evelyn suddenly got up and stomped toward her. Then, she put her hands all over Yunael and stroked her body. ¡°W-What are you doing? Ah seriously!¡± Yunael was not used to such treatment even after becoming a woman. ¡°Stop moving for a bit.¡± But Evelyn remained unbothered and busied herself studying Yunael¡¯s body. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Then, after some time, she curled her tongue and asked, ¡°How did you become so pretty?¡± ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Of course, my face is much more beautiful,¡± Evelyn said while flicking her wet hair back and scanning Yunael¡¯s body with her finger from top to bottom, ¡°But I¡¯m talking about your body.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a work of art,¡± Evelyn added. Just as she said, a soft line trailed from Yunael¡¯s neck to her shoulders, following her breasts to the dramatic curves of her waistline. Her hip drew a pair of S-lines on both sides and connected to a long pair of legs. Nothing was too much or too lacking. Everything fit just right, and all parts of her body oozed feminine charm and power. Even Evelyn, who took care of her appearance and body daily, couldn¡¯t help but admire Yunael¡¯s physique. ¡°It¡¯s no joke¡­it¡¯s as if I¡¯m seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s body.¡± Yunael felt a bit embarrassed under Evelyn¡¯s gaze, but when she heard her murmuring, questions popped into her mind. ¡®She saw the boss¡¯s body? Where?¡¯ Yunael felt confused and irritated at the same time. Then, she stopped and wondered, ¡®¡­Why does that make me angry?¡¯ *** After the Seven Stars finished organizing their ranks, Chi-Woo was able to rest for a couple of days. Both Eval Sevaru and his brother were right. It was enough for him just to give general directions, and without him meddling in each and every matter, the Seven Stars would be able to roll on their own; and the leaders of the first, second, third, and fourth teams would go through their own rebuilding and reorganizing process. Thus, Chi-Woo got to focus on his own main team. ¡°Ok, Hawa, repeat after me. The main wife is Evelyn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You repeat after me too, Eshnunna. The first wife is Evelyn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo looked away from Evelyn as she urged the other two to do something. With this, the Seven Stars¡¯ system was officially set in place. If they could maintain these rules, they wouldn¡¯t waver in face of most troubles and obstacles. The only thing left for Chi-Woo to do was to reach Master tier. And to do this, he needed to fulfill the conditions the gods gave him. Wanting to become stronger even a second sooner, Chi-Woo was ready to get on the task immediately, but unfortunately, he had to put a halt to his plan because the guests that Chi-Hyun talked about were arriving. And the problem was that more than one guest was coming to Shalyh. CH 424 After he finished organizing Seven Stars¡¯ internal structure, Chi-Woo turned his attention to other places. He needed to meet all the conditions set by the gods to rise to Master tier. To summarize, they were as followed: 1. Become stronger than now. 2. Fill all the three remaining vacancies in the Seven Stars. 3. Embrace the darkness. 4. Excluding himself, have at least three Celestial Lights under his command. 5. Awaken the fenrir cub. 6. Correct the balance as the backbone of humanity. First, he put the third and sixth condition on hold, as the conditions were too vague and ambiguous. They were not conditions that he could resolve immediately. Therefore, it was more effective to clear 1,2,4, and 5 first in order. He had a rough idea how to fulfill the first condition; after fighting Bael, he had a sort of enlightenment. However, it would take some time for his body to acquire and absorb it as part of himself. Since he couldn¡¯t leave his position right now, he thought he could go into isolation and train as soon as all the work was sorted out. As for the second condition¡­it was a condition that he could achieve right away if he really wanted to. Of course, he had no intention to just go for anyone so that he could fulfill this condition; he needed to pick someone with great growth potential, worthy of investing his Blessed Luck in. On second thought, Chi-Woo remembered what Aida had told him after he modified the past and returned to the present, so he immediately called for her. ¡°Aida. How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been well thanks to your care.¡± With her eyes closed. Aida tucked her snow-white hair behind her ear and gave him a calm smile. After Yunael took charge of the fourth team, Aida was also assigned to her team. It became the most completed team among Seven Stars with Jin-Cheon, Aric, and Abis staying as members from Yunael¡¯s temporary team. The fourth team had a scout, three warriors, and one priest; the balance was decent if excluding the fact that they had no mage. Aida continued, ¡°I think we¡¯ll be out on a mission soon.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Well, nothing can curb her enthusiasm right now.¡± Then Aida suddenly tilted her head slightly while adding, ¡°Come to think of it, I was quite surprised. Considering her personality, she would have never wanted to be the fourth team leader¡­¡± Not long ago, Aida had been worried that Yunael would threaten to leave Seven Stars after being deprived of her position as the third team leader at the most recent meeting. However, when Yunael came back, Aida was surprised by her excessive enthusiasm instead. Chi-Woo grinned. ¡°She was a little upset, but after talking it out, she perfectly understood my decision¡± ¡°No!¡± Aida immediately cried out, as if she was telling him to stop with the fucking bullshit. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. No matter how well you try to convince her, that child never listens. Her parents and I both gave up a long time ago.¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback by her harsh words. What, it was to that extent? It didn¡¯t seem like Yunael was that bad¡­ ¡°That¡¯s why I was surprised. What kind of sorcery did you use to change that child¡¯s mind?¡± ¡°What do you mean sorcery? I did nothing of that sort.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, there must be something else¡­ Do you have any ideas? For example, her attitude towards you is strangely different compared to the others¡­¡± At that moment, Aida¡¯s eyes and the tone of her voice changed subtly, as if she was looking forward to something. But of course, our dear Chi-Woo simply shook his head. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know. Nothing comes to mind?¡± ¡°Please think about it carefully.¡± ¡°I have no clue.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± For some mysterious reason, Aida showed signs of great disappointment and began muttering something incomprehensible, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yunael. Since you two are like this, there¡¯s no¡­¡± Chi-Woo was curious about what was suddenly up with her, but there was a more important matter to take care of. ¡°Aida, do you remember what you told me before?¡± A quick look at "pawread dot com" will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°What exactly do you mean?¡± ¡°You said that there was a star in Shalyh, right? To look around when I have the time.¡± Aida gaped in realization. ¡°Not long ago, there was a review to raise my tier to Master. If I want to get a promotion, I need to fulfill various conditions, and one of them is to find the rest of the Seven Stars.¡± Aida looked surprised by the news that Chi-Woo might be promoted to Master tier. ¡°I want to fulfill this condition as soon as possible, but I can¡¯t just accept anyone. So I would like your help.¡± Aida closed her mouth. Chi-Woo¡¯s promotion to Master tier was at stake. In other words, this matter was directly related to the status of the organization to which she belonged. She couldn¡¯t answer carelessly. When he saw Aida fell deep into thought, Chi-Woo quietly waited for her answer. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I said.¡± Aida finally opened her mouth and broke her silence. ¡°I sincerely apologize, but I may have to take back my words.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Chi-Woo asked. ¡°Did the star disappear?¡± Since they had gone through a great war not too long ago, it was reasonable that Chi-Woo would be concerned, since the star could have been swept away by the flames of war and burned down before they even got to bloom. ¡°My lord, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Fortunately, Aida shook her head. ¡°I think anyone can be a star, but there is a clear difference in how bright a star can shine.¡± Aida continued, ¡°In that sense, it¡¯ll be better for you the brighter the star is, right? Bright enough to clear the darkness and shine upon Liber.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­wait a minute, that means.¡± ¡°The future has not been decided yet. The past and present are fluctuating as a result of new possibilities arising from the originally determined future.¡± Only then did Chi-Woo realize why Aida had said she needed to correct herself; since the situation had changed from before, her words had also changed¡ªin a better way than before. Aida continued, ¡°The sky is currently calling the stars.¡± Aida smiled brightly. ¡°If there¡¯s no sky, there are no stars either. So my lord, you don¡¯t have to go out of your way to look for stars anymore.¡± Whether they knocked on the door of Seven Stars by themselves or ran into each other coincidentally, the stars would come on their own and fall into place¡ªthat was how Chi-Woo understood her. Chi-Woo was about to dismiss her, saying he understood what she meant, but someone suddenly knocked, and the door burst open. ¡°Boss,¡± Eval Sevaru said as soon as he came in, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but I think you should go to the official residence right now.¡± Chi-Hyun had called for him. * * * Several other people were gathered at the official residence besides his brother, including Alice, Ismile, Apoline, and more. They were all familiar faces, and besides them, he saw several other influential figures of the League, including old man Mangil. The group of attendees were the same as those at the emergency meeting held when news got out that an enemy coalition was formed. The only difference was that the one taking the podium was not Ismile, but Chi-Hyun. ¡°The Demon Empire has fallen.¡± As usual, Chi-Hyun immediately brought up the main subject at hand. ¡°According to the reports from our information network¡­there are only ashes left everywhere.¡± Chi-Hyun relayed the shocking news as if it was no big deal, but not everyone was like him; most stopped breathing at the news of the Demon Empire¡¯s end. Frankly speaking, the fall of the Demon Empire was an expected occurrence. To use humanity as an analogy, the Demon Empire had essentially lost 80% of their heroes, including Chi-Hyun, in one war. In short, they were as good as ruined. However, there was a big difference between being ruined and the literal fall of the entire Demon Empire. There was a saying that a precious treasure was still priceless even with a defect, and even if the rich got ruined, their wealth would still last three generations. The Demon Empire had almost used up all their forces, but there were still some left. A minimum number of troops were left behind to defend their territory and there were some great demons who had not responded to the General Assembly¡¯s decision. There should be more than ten great demons; not a number the League and humanity wouldn¡¯t be able to beat, but not something to be taken lightly either. Thus, it was unbelievable that they had been completely swept away not long after the war ended. The only faction that could accomplish this shocking feat were the Sernitas. It seemed as if they had been watching and waiting for the Demon Empire to weaken, and as soon as they did, they revealed their teeth and gobbled the Demon Empire up at once. ¡°Let¡¯s hear the details directly from those involved¡­¡± Everyone looked questioningly at Chi-Hyun. Hear the details directly? ¡°All of you are aware that the Demon Empire captured natives and enslaved them,¡± Chi-Hyun continued calmly. ¡°With the fall of the Demon Empire, most of their slaves have been freed. From what I heard, the slaves freed all other slaves to the best of their ability all over the former Demon Empire, and as a result, a large number of refugees are currently on their way to Shalyh.¡± A couple of faces turned befuddled. Normally, slaves had no choice but to share their fate with their owners. Thus, they should have died along with the demons. However, they weren¡¯t just liberated, but had gathered their strength and escaped from the Demon Empire? This wasn¡¯t something that someone of a mere slave status could initiate and lead. In times of crises, there were only a handful of beings in the Demon Empire who could direct and lead such a task. ¡°For your information, I heard that there are a few great demons as well as demons among the refugee groups.¡± In other words, the survivors of the Demon Empire have expressed their intention to surrender. ¡°Ha!¡± The incredulous response came immediately. ¡°How ridiculous¡­! What are they going to do if they come here? Do they think we¡¯ll accept¡ª¡± Mangil stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth because Chi-Hyun was staring intently at him. ¡°No, it¡¯s not something I can decide alone.¡± He coughed and looked away. However, most seemed to agree with Mangil. As mentioned before, the Demon Empire had captured the most captives among all the factions, indiscriminately enslaving both League members and humanity. Thus, they had also clashed the most with the two factions, and it was only natural that humanity as well as the League would have ill feelings for the Demon Empire. The Sernitas and Abyss were enemies to them too, but there were many who were particularly hostile towards the Demon Empire. Considering their long-lasting antagonistic relationship, they had hoped that the Demon Empire would face a fate worse than death. ¡°The messengers said they¡¯ll be here soon. We¡¯ll have to make a decision before that.¡± A curious glint appeared in several people¡¯s eyes. Chi-Hyun hadn¡¯t already made a decision; the decision would be made before that? Then that meant¡ªeveryone¡¯s gazes moved towards one particular person. However, the one getting the attention looked dumbfounded. Chi-Hyun sighed inwardly when his brother simply blinked with a blank expression. After the meeting was quickly concluded, he added, ¡°You stay for a while.¡± Chi-Woo, who was about to get up, put his butt back down. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± after everyone except Noel and Chi-Woo had left, Chi-Hyun immediately asked. Taken aback, Chi-Woo looked around. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Then who else?¡± Chi-Woo stared at Noel; she opened her eyes wide and shook her head like crazy. ¡°Hurry up and tell me.¡± At Chi-Hyun¡¯s egging, Chi-Woo smacked his lips. He wondered why Chi-Hyun was asking when he was going to do whatever he wanted in the end. ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± ¡°Because your opinion is the most important.¡± Chi-Woo doubted his ears. Did his brother just say this? For real? No, that couldn¡¯t be. There was no way. It was impossible. Then perhaps¡­ ¡°Are you a fake made by the Sernitas?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Chi-Hyun spat out in annoyance. Noel looked nervously at Chi-Hyun when he closed his eyes and breathed in and out deeply. ¡°¡­People only see what they want to see,¡± Chi-Hyun fortunately continued in a calmer tone not long after. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to directly participate in the recent war. Of course, I jumped into the Sernitas¡¯ main camp to set up the stage, but it¡¯s doubtful the natives will be aware of something that even heroes don¡¯t know well.¡± He went on to explain in a quiet voice, ¡°But unlike me, your contribution to the war was plainly shown for all to see. There are numerous people who witnessed your feats on the battlefield, and rumors have already spread about your achievements. In other words, it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the public sentiment is now overwhelmingly in your favor among both humanity and the League, and since you made the greatest achievements in this war, everyone will admit that you have the greatest say in the post-war process. And that¡¯s why your opinion will have the biggest influence¡­¡± But after he finished, he glared at Chi-Woo. ¡°Did I seriously have to explain all that for you to understand?¡± ¡°¡­No, I just thought you¡¯ll decide everything by yourself like always.¡± Feeling slightly awkward, Chi-Woo scratched his head, and Chi-Hyun snorted. ¡°I have no intention of doing so this time.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Because I feel like it.¡± Then both Chi-Woo and Noel furrowed their brows. Needless to say, it was a serious and crucial matter whether to accept a group of Demon Empire survivors who had expressed their intention to surrender. So far, Chi-Hyun had decided on all important matters like this without a single exception. No one dared to express their opposition or carry it out in action. Such was the status of the legend; he had absolute power as the first light of the Celestial Light. However, this time, he declared that he wouldn¡¯t be making the decision. He had said it indirectly in front of everyone and made his intentions clear to Chi-Woo. What he did was equivalent to an emperor wielding absolute authority declaring that he would transfer some of his authority to another, and if things went wrong, the one receiving this authority had the potential to surpass him. Would Chi-Hyun have said the same thing if someone else was sitting in front of him instead of Chi-Woo? Noel could confidently say no. How he had reacted to Mangil just now was a prime example; Mangil had merely spoken out of anger, but Chi-Hyun immediately shut him up with a glare. Even from Noel¡¯s point of view, she could tell the glare was meant to tell Mangil to know and stay in his place. Chi-Hyun would have probably reacted in the same way if it had been any other Celestial Lights as well. Thus, it was clear that Chi-Hyun had said what he said in consideration of Chi-Woo. ¡®Then why?¡¯ Noel couldn¡¯t guess what was on Chi-Hyun¡¯s mind. ¡°Chi-Woo.¡± Chi-Hyun opened his mouth again. ¡°You told me that you came to Liber to help me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chi-Woo was taken aback. He certainly remembered saying so, and he also clearly remembered how his brother had reacted. ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s what happened, but¡­¡¯ ¡°Then prove it.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s face stiffened. It was all too sudden. Honestly, it was what he had wanted to hear when he first met his brother. Now Chi-Hyun was finally saying that to him, but he had no idea why his brother suddenly made the decision after all this time. ¡°You remember what I told you recently, right?¡± Still taken aback, Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Good. Then that¡¯s enough.¡± Chi-Hyun exhaled a long breath and leaned his back into his chair. ¡°I told you everything that I wanted to say. The rest is all up to you.¡± After saying this, Chi-Hyun grinned very slightly, as if he found this situation a bit humorous. And at that moment, Noel, who had been listening in silence, slightly gaped because she thought she could finally understand Chi-Hyun¡¯s intentions. ¡®¡­No way. Don¡¯t tell me, my lord is¡ª¡¯ CH 425 After leaving the official residence and returning to the Seven Stars headquarters, Chi-Woo realized that his brother had been right. Majority of the people Chi-Hyun had contacted didn¡¯t return home, but were instead waiting for Chi-Woo at Seven Stars. It was so that they could discuss the issue Chi-Hyun had brought forth and most importantly, hear Chi-Woo¡¯s opinion about the topic. However, Chi-Woo failed to meet their expectations. It was because he shared a contrasting opinion to theirs, which went along the line of, ¡®The Demon Empire is our enemy. How could we accept their surrender now after all this time? I can never acknowledge them. We should completely wipe them out given the chance.¡¯ His opinion sparked disagreements and fiery arguments. The responses from the Cassiubia League were even more passionate than he expected. ¡°You might not know because you came from the Celestial Realm, but it¡¯s different for us natives on Liber! We fought them for thousands and thousands of years! It¡¯s been a tiresome and excruciating battle between our forces!¡± Even Mangil, who usually respected Chi-Woo, shouted fiercely. ¡°We have to consider Liber¡¯s greater good? Don¡¯t make me laugh! Do you think those scums will help us? No! They¡¯ll join hands with the Sernitas in the end and try to bring us to ruins again! Shouldn¡¯t you know that better than anyone else!?¡± The half-demon Murumuru, who already loathed demons, shouted with veins popping out of their throat. The Celestial Lights shared similar responses. They wondered if they really needed to accept the demons despite the League¡¯s fierce refusal and the risk of causing a feud with their close allies. Still, in consideration of Chi-Woo, they showed a bit of support for both sides, but that only poured oil on the fire. Soon, the conference room was divided into two sides: one for the Cassiubia League, and one for the heroes, and shouting matches erupted from both sides. Due to how great their difference was, it was almost impossible to find common ground for compromises. And after the debate intensified further, Chi-Woo clutched his forehead as a dull headache began to form. This was the arrival of the pain that they had predicted would come. *** Even after a couple of days passed, there was no conclusion. Yet time continued to pass until the destined day came, and the large number of refugees they had anticipated arrived at Shalyh. Around noon, crowds flocked to the city walls and gates like clouds, but many of them had been waiting since early in the morning to take a look at the refugees. Discounting the dead, it was no exaggeration to say that at least half of the missing persons among humanity had been captured by the Demon Empire. Perhaps not all those captured would¡¯ve been able to escape the Demon Empire, but many hoped to see their loved ones. While fervently believing that the missing were still alive, they had endured until now with only the hope of seeing their loved ones again, which led them to wait at the gates anxiously since dawn. Finally, the city¡¯s gates opened. Perhaps it was because they had survived from the ravages of war, the refugees looked terrible at first glance. The refugees were hurriedly let in, and the crowd who had been waiting rushed up to them. There was no point in trying to control them; they wouldn¡¯t listen. And no one could stop a crowd of people who had been waiting day by day just for this moment. And in this mess of a reunion between the city¡¯s residents and the refugees, desperate cries calling for family members, lovers, friends, and others rang all around the gates. Of course, not all would be able to find their lost family members again. People were aware of this, but they were all desperate. They hoped that even if their loved ones weren¡¯t in the mix, they would at least hear news about them. Furthermore, since the size of the refugees was significant, many also thought they had a good chance of finding who they were looking for. Soon afterward, what one hoped only in their dreams turned into reality. Events that could only be called miracles began to arise, and those who had reunited with their lost loved ones were swept by a feeling that they couldn¡¯t put to words. Was there more to say? They simply hugged one another and shed tears. In such instances, one could think it was a very emotional and touching scene. Yet as everyone knew, reality wasn¡¯t so dream-like for all, especially in a world like Liber. And even those who managed to meet their loved ones couldn¡¯t simply shed happy tears about their reunion¡ªno, there were many more instances where they couldn¡¯t. It was because the majority of the refugees¡¯ mental and physical conditions were so dire that many wondered how they had even managed to survive the journey to Shalyh. The stories went like this. A wife saw her husband being carried toward the gates. In a fit of excitement, she ran up to her husband, only to realize that he was missing both arms and legs. Her husband didn¡¯t say anything but silently cried, and the wife wailed. ¡°Honey? Honey! Why¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ailee? Ailee! Come to your senses! This is your dad! It¡¯s your daddy!¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± A father cried frantically while holding onto his daughter, who only stared back with hazy eyes while drooling from the corner of her lips. There were many people like them. It was only expected considering that the Demon Empire didn¡¯t consider slaves as living creatures, but commodities. They treated slaves as items, and if one considered how many great demons possessed perverted hobbies, it was too optimistic to expect their captives to return in one shape. And this wasn¡¯t only the case for the human natives, but also members of the Cassiubia League. About five out of ten met their tribemates in despairing conditions. It was the same for the heroes. ¡°Ah, wait, isn¡¯t that him?¡± ¡°Who? Huh¡­uh¡­?¡± There was a small number of heroes among the refugees. They had arrived at Liber as recruits, but had disappeared without a trace after failing to reach the assembly point. Many thought these heroes had simply gone missing and were surprised to find out that they had been captured by the Demon Empire as slaves. They didn¡¯t fare any better than the other refugees; instead, most of them were in even worse states because they had been treated as rare toys. Their conditions were so clearly severe and terrible that the Celestial Realm¡¯s heroes also flew into rage. They had wished for the missing to be alive, but they returned to them in states that were worse than being dead. Facing such a cruel reality, many first refused to believe what they were seeing. And when they finally managed to accept reality somewhat, tears flowed down their faces, and mournful cries erupted from all around. After a long time, the commotion began to settle down a bit, and the crowd that had only been shedding tears while refusing to accept reality found themselves filled up with a new emotion: rage. Not just those who had found their families and tribemates in terrible states, but also those who had failed to find their parents, siblings, and companions. They freed themselves from their sense of loss by replacing it with vengeance. Their aimless rage was directed to one particular target, and without exception, every single one of them jumped up to the city walls. There was a considerable crowd still waiting outside Shalyh. Though most of the humans and Cassiubia League refugees had entered, the Demon Empire¡¯s survivors were still outside. It wasn¡¯t that they chose not to come inside, but that they couldn¡¯t. They could easily guess what sort of treatment they would receive if they brashly went in. It was obvious that the demons and demonic creatures waiting outside Shalyh¡¯s walls would be feeling very anxious. It wasn¡¯t long ago since their empire last crossed swords with humanity and the League. Of course, none of the surviving great demons had participated in the war. They followed Shersha¡¯s will and didn¡¯t respond to the call for general assembly till the very end. But as Chi-Hyun said, people only saw what they wished to see. The crowd burning up with fury couldn¡¯t consider any of the aforementioned facts, and with their blazing eyes, all they saw were loathsome enemies. It was hard to tell who began it, but soon, there were yells. ¡°Piss off!¡± With a furious yell, a rock fell sharply and strongly from the city walls. All sorts of shrieks and cries erupted. People shouted intense profanities until their throats felt like bursting and threw everything they could grasp. The Demon Empire remained still and quiet. With so many attacks flying toward them, it seemed they ought to protect themselves with a magic barrier. Yet they stood still as if they deserved the punishment. Shersha was among the group, and she stood in her spot, receiving all the crowd¡¯s rage. The rain of attacks was reminiscent of the gate siege not too long ago. Then, with a heavy thud, Shersha wavered. ¡°Shersha?¡± Astarte gasped and tried to approach her, but stopped. It was because Shersha had raised a hand at her. Shersha shook her white, silverish hair, and Astarte gritted her teeth. It appeared a rock had hit her head straight-on, and blood trickled down from Shersha¡¯s forehead. Seeing the great demons remain calm, the demonic creatures also stayed still; parents and children and lovers simply hugged each other or huddled together to protect themselves. However, the sight only rekindled the fire burning inside the crowd¡¯s hearts. How could the demons act like this after rendering their parents, siblings, children, and lovers into such states? ¡°Those bastards, I should just¡­!¡± Eventually, humanity and the League couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and pointed their spears and arrows at the demons. ¡°Stop!¡± With a sudden shout, a group quickly climbed up the city walls. ¡°What do you think you all are doing?¡± Heads turned at the sudden command. Though they were all vicious and thirsty for blood, they had to stop when they saw the newcomer. That was how formidable the person was. ¡°What are you¡­!¡± Chi-Woo let out the breath he had been holding when he reached the top of the wall and looked around. Though he had expected the human and League refugees to be in bad conditions, he didn¡¯t think it would be to this extent. After an awkward silence, a middle-aged man rushed forward, almost rolled over, and kneeled down. ¡°Sir hero! Please¡­look at my child!¡± The man wailed like he was puking blood. He wasn¡¯t telling Chi-Woo to heal his child. He knew that even a hero wasn¡¯t omnipotent. He simply wanted Chi-Woo to look at his child¡¯s condition and empathize with him. And starting with that man, there came many other voices who began to call out to Chi-Woo. They rushed at him, relieving their sorrows and pain and hoping for Chi-Woo to understand. Chi-Woo became speechless. From all around, eyes pleaded at him to mercilessly crush the evil party in front of them just like how he had protected Shalyh against the powerful alliance army. Their desires and wishes brought unexplainable pressure on Chi-Woo. It was a different sort of pressure than the one he felt when he faced the alliance army for the first time. ¡°Just give us your command! I will immediately go down and shred those bloody bastards apart!¡± The Cassiubia League responded similarly. Their hands trembled as they clutched onto their bows, and they were barely suppressing their desire to shoot this instance. And while Chi-Woo stood at a loss for words, the Cassiubia League members accepted his silence as agreement and turned around. They immediately placed arrows on their bows and aimed down the city walls. They were about to shoot when they flinched. ¡°¡­A human?¡± They weren¡¯t just humans, but human children. Children who looked to be about eight or nine were blocking the Cassiubia League. ¡°What?¡± They angrily growled. ¡°Move aside if you don¡¯t want to be shot before them.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean we can¡¯t?¡± ¡°They helped us,¡± the children said, and the Cassiubia League snorted. ¡°That¡¯s because they were all doomed! Piss off! Quickly!¡± Though the children¡¯s eyes wavered with fear seeing the sunlight reflect off the tips of the arrows, they persisted. ¡°They didn¡¯t just help us escape. They disagreed with the war and didn¡¯t participate in it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Though we were captured as prisoners of war, we weren¡¯t really treated as slaves. They treated us just like how they did demonic creatures and strictly prohibited discrimination,¡± one of the children explained articulately. ¡°I understand how you feel, Mister, but these demons are not the same as the others. They protected and took care of us. They even released the slaves captured in other territories.¡± The League members stiffened hearing the child¡¯s words. Now that they thought about it, they did hear rumors that among the great demons, there were very rare ones who treated their captured slaves as proper humans. There was a time when they had hoped that their captured loved ones had been brought there. But today, all that hope and expectations disappeared and turned to nothing. Thus, the child¡¯s words failed to move the League members¡¯ hearts. ¡°¡­So what? What are you telling us to do then? Even if what you are saying is true, they belong to the Demon Empire.¡± ¡°No¡­!¡± ¡°Stop. I don¡¯t want to listen anymore. This is your last warning. If you don¡¯t want to die, move aside, human child.¡± The League members pulled their bowstring. The child flinched and looked around helplessly. Seeing their pleading eyes, Chi-Woo moved. Discover the complete story on pawread dot com. ¡®This will be harder than I thought,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought with a sigh. *** Meanwhile, a woman and man were watching the scene unfold at the city walls from a distance. From time to time, Noel glanced at Chi-Hyun, but Chi-Hyun showed no response. He simply watched what was happening and didn¡¯t intervene like he said beforehand. It seemed that he was intent on letting the situation unfold as it would. Noel licked her drying lips. She pitied Chi-Woo for having to deal with the mess. Right now, the only one who could lead this situation into the direction Chi-Woo wished for was Chi-Hyun. Of course, there would be grumblings and disgruntled faces if the legend stepped forward and accepted the Demon Empire, but the disagreement would end there as it had always happened. The legend was a hero who had proved himself time and time again despite all unfortunate circumstances. Every step he took, he was walking on the strong foundation of trust and faith he had built; it was a weapon that only the legend possessed, and an asset not yet permitted to Chi-Woo. If Chi-Hyun would just provide his support, nine out of ten Celestial Realm¡¯s heroes would show absolute support for the decision. Chi-Hyun must be aware of this fact too. Yet he simply watched from afar as if he was watching some fireworks from next door, and Noel felt frustrated. Noel had a general guess on what Chi-Hyun¡¯s intention was, but didn¡¯t know why he had to go this far. She fully empathized with Chi-Woo in this situation and felt sorry for him. It was as if Chi-Hyun had thrown a headache-inducing problem at Chi-Woo, and Noel wondered if the brotherly bond that they had finally managed to mend would get broken again. Noel was especially worried about that. In the end, Noel whispered from his side, ¡°My lord, if you would just step in a bit¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Chi-Hyun said firmly. ¡°Then, the fulfillment of his condition might not be acknowledged.¡± Noel tilted her head. She didn¡¯t know what Chi-Hyun was talking about. ¡°What she wants isn¡¯t collaboration, but for him to truly stand alone. She wants him to really go out of his comfort zone and accomplish what he set his mind to do,¡± Chi-Hyun replied. Again, Noel didn¡¯t know who Chi-Hyun was talking about. Chi-Hyun swallowed what he was about to say. Silence stretched between them once again before he broke it. ¡°¡­As his older brother, I can¡¯t stand in his way of progressing forward.¡± With that, Chi-Hyun turned away. CH 426 Contrary to Chi-Woo¡¯s wishes, the Demon Empire wasn¡¯t able to return to Shalyh that day because both humanity and the League furiously protested. Since the opposition was much stronger than expected, even Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t forcibly carry out his plan. Thus, he tried to seek out Shersha for now, but Eval Sevaru stopped him. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°The public is extremely uneasy and in disarray. They¡¯ll take your every word and action and blow it out of proportion. Please wait until things settle a little.¡± In other words, Chi-Woo should stay low for the moment since he might earn people¡¯s anger and distrust for no good reason. Because of that, Chi-Woo could only watch as members of the former Demon Empire withdrew. ¡°Everyone has their own circumstances. Depending on their circumstances, their perspective also changes.¡± When Chi-Woo returned to the Seven Stars and said nothing for a while, Eval Sevaru carefully gave his advice. ¡°The reason why the Liber natives, the Celestial Realm heroes, and the League members are so angry and hostile towards the Demon Empire is clear.¡± He continued, ¡°Sir, with all due respect, let¡¯s say that you lost your brother, the legend, to the Demon Empire. Or he came back alive but in a terrible state. Will you still accept the Demon Empire then?¡± Chi-Woo groaned quietly because that brought back the trauma he had shoved into an unseen part of his mind. When he went to the future, how had he reacted when he saw his brother¡¯s headless corpse? He had immediately gone berserk and blown everything away. As much as he tried to, he couldn¡¯t even say yes as a lie. ¡°They¡¯ve lost their parents, siblings, friends, comrades, and spouses.¡± As the weaker victim, they had only lived because they couldn¡¯t die, in a gloomy and melancholy state in which they had no choice but to wait without an end in sight; they had endured and endured further with only the hope of seeing their loved ones again, but¡ª ¡°Everyone will understand and sympathize with those who rage and lament as a result of what happened today. Even though that kid was telling the truth.¡± Eval continued, ¡°Anyone who opposes this extremely reasonable reaction and natural progression will be branded a traitor. The only difference is the level of hostility. Boss, you and even the legend are no exceptions.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes. Eval Sevaru was right. ¡°Nevertheless,¡± Eval Sevaru said as the muscles of his neck tensed up, ¡°Why do you want to accept the Demon Empire even at the price of living with those repercussions?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is there a reason other than what that child said?¡± Chi-Woo organized his thoughts briefly and said, ¡°I promised that I¡¯ll save them in exchange for helping me out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an oral promise without a witness. No one will acknowledge it.¡± ¡°We also lost too much blood in this war. There are still two strong enemies left. The situation calls for us to partner up with even our enemies.¡± ¡°Considering the current atmosphere, forcing an alliance out of necessity will only lead to a rebellion.¡± ¡°¡­I need to rise to Master tier.¡± Chi-Woo let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s the condition that God Mamiya gave me. I can only reach Master tier after accepting the Demon Empire.¡± Embrace the darkness was Mamiya¡¯s condition. He hadn¡¯t understood what the god meant at the beginning, but he realized it after the Demon Empire came. ¡°It¡¯s an extremely personal reason.¡± However, Eval Sevaru shot him down relentlessly, and Chi-Woo clicked his tongue, having expected Eval¡¯s rebuttal. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m not trying to discuss whether the reasons you listed are right or wrong. For those who trust and follow you, those reasons are more than enough. But¡­¡± Evan Sevaru trailed off. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t need him spelling things out to know that in order to gain both humanity¡¯s and the League¡¯s support, he needed a clearer and better justification. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Feeling conflicted, Chi-Woo wiped his face. ¡°I see their points¡­I think I can understand what they¡¯re feeling¡­but if I don¡¯t accept the Demon Empire now¡­I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll regret it later¡­¡± Since the public sentiment was in such stark contrast with what he wanted, Chi-Woo considered visiting Shersha and suggesting they return to the devildom. However, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, an ominous feeling reared its ugly head; he got a strong feeling that he should never let them go like this. This meant only one thing; he needed to accept the Demon Empire at all costs. ¡°We have to, we have to accept them¡­but I have no idea in the least how to persuade the others¡­¡± ¡°Boss.¡± Eval Sevaru¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You said this was related to you rising to Master tier, right?¡± Chi-Woo nodded silently. ¡°A master is not someone that persuades and makes others understand their decisions; rather, they make people obey and follow them. It¡¯s the same for justification.¡± Eval Sevaru softly continued, ¡°It¡¯s an excuse or reason to carry out an action, but it¡¯s not just limited to moral principles that one must follow. Name or status can be justifications themselves, making it so that others have no choice but to understand and accept your points; a justification can be something people have to accept even if they don¡¯t like it.¡± Chi-Woo fell into thought. Eval Sevaru waited for a long time and bit on his lower lip. ¡°¡­I apologize if I have crossed the line. Boss, I hope you make a decision you won¡¯t regret.¡± With this, Eval Sevaru bowed and left the office. ¡®A decision I won¡¯t regret.¡¯ Chi-Woo repeated Eval¡¯s words in his mind and leaned into the chair; the breath he had been holding rushed out of his mouth. ¡®It¡¯s hard. So hard¡ª¡¯ When he faced the enemy coalition, he had thought there wasn¡¯t ever going to be anything more difficult than that, but now he believed he should rectify this thought. Frankly, it was much better when everyone gathered their strength and only focused on fighting. It felt like he was walking on thin ice now; with one misstep, everything would crack and burst. Chi-Woo looked up into the air with hazy eyes. He needed to accept the Demon Empire. His intuition was shouting this, and he needed to do this to rise to Master tier. The problem was the method. Every time he thought about the how, a murky and foggy cloud filled his mind. It was at that moment, Chi-Woo, who had his head tilted back and was knocking his forehead with his fist, noticed a spirit. ¡®Mr. Philip.¡¯ Philip blinked. ¡ªWhat? ¡®Mr. Philp, do you know what to do at times like this?¡¯ ¡ªAt times like this? Uh¡­well¡­roughly? Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. He had just thrown a question with the intention of grasping at straws, but Philip knew of a way? Ah, come to think of it¡ª ¡®Mr. Philip, you were Salem¡¯s King, right?¡¯ Although more famous as a demon hunter, Philip had been the king of a country. He must have experienced pushing ahead with an agenda that his subordinates and the public were fiercely opposed to. ¡®What should I do? If it were you, what would you have done?¡¯ ¡ªHmm¡­ Chi-Woo looked at him like a lifeline, but Philip¡¯s reaction was lukewarm. ¡ªI don¡¯t really want to tell you. And he rejected Chi-Woo. ¡®Seriously, why?¡¯ ¡ªBecause I feel like there¡¯s no point, and there¡¯s no clear-cut answer for this. You should do what you want, so both the process and results are meaningful. ¡®But I can still use your method as a reference.¡¯ ¡ªNo. You can¡¯t. Even if I tell you, you can¡¯t do it. Never. Philip said with certainty. Chi-Woo gnawed at his lips when it seemed like Philip wouldn¡¯t help him, but then he suddenly exclaimed, ¡®Wait a minute. Then what if you do it?¡¯ ¡ª? ¡®If you don¡¯t think I can do it, then Mr. Philip, you can give me a direct demonstration.¡¯ What the heck was he talking about? Philip pondered and was left aghast when realization hit. ¡ªYou¡­you¡¯re telling me to possess you? ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡ªHey, come on, that makes no sense. What the? ¡®What do you mean it makes no sense. Last time, with Ru Amuh¡ª¡¯ ¡ªThat¡¯s different from this! Do you think a trivial personal event like that could be equated to something that will affect the entire humanity and the League? Philip said in a slightly angry tone. ¡ªAnd your brother told you to prove yourself to him. It¡¯s no simple homework, but a test. You want me to take the test for you? ¡®No, what kind of metaphor is that? When did I tell you to do everything? I¡¯m just asking for a little help. An opportunity for me to learn from watching you.¡¯ ¡ªNo. It¡¯s none of my business. You figure it out on your own. ¡®Come on, Mr. Philip!¡¯ Chi-Woo called out to Philip a couple more times, but he didn¡¯t budge. ¡®You¡¯re really going to be like this?¡¯ ¡ªStop asking me. I already told you no. ¡®Mr. Philip, have I ever made a request like this to you before? No, right?¡¯ ¡ªWell, yeah. You never did. I admit that. ¡®On the other hand, I listened to several of your requests, Mr. Philip.¡¯ Philip paused. ¡ªHey, that¡¯s¡­ He was about to protest but found himself at a loss for words; it was true that Chi-Woo had listened to him relatively well so far. Of course, most of them were generally advice for Chi-Woo, but technically, there were requests as well. For example, the matter with Eshnunna¡­ ¡®Even the matter with the Armed with the Sixth Element.¡¯ ¡ªHey! Philip jumped up and down. ¡ªGeez, I told you I was sorry back then. And it¡¯s been useful for you, right? ¡®That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m just talking about how there was a situation when you pushed ahead with a matter I said I didn¡¯t like. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m forcing my decision on you right now.¡¯ ¡ª¡­ Since Philip was clearly wrong in that matter, he had nothing to say in protest. ¡®You¡¯re right. Even if you tell me, I might not understand or be able to do it, but as they say, learning through experience can be a hundred times better than just hearing about it. I¡¯m only asking for one demonstration. Please just let me get a rough idea. I won¡¯t ask for more help, and I¡¯ll do the rest myself.¡¯ Chi-Woo pleaded, ¡®I¡¯m really at a complete loss, Mr. Philip.¡¯ That was true as well. How can a guy who was just starting to lead about 20 people face a crowd of thousands in the worst and most extreme condition? It wasn¡¯t that Philip didn¡¯t understand how he felt, but¡­ ¡ªSigh¡­ Philip sighed repeatedly. Since Chi-Woo, who usually never made a request like this, was asking so earnestly, his stone-like heart began to waver. ¡ªFuck, yeah it¡¯s my fault. I guess it¡¯s all karma. Philip agonized for a while and reluctantly made a decision. ¡ªJust this once, and as I said, I¡¯m not going to help you with everything. Chi-Woo¡¯s expression brightened; he felt like he had suddenly earned a thousand troops when he was surrounded by enemies on all sides. ¡ªAnd one more thing. Philip said flatly. ¡ªDon¡¯t regret it. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡ªDon¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m going to do a half-ass job. I¡¯m going to do it properly. I¡¯m really going to do it, but¡ª Philip smacked his lips. ¡ªI¡¯m only going to give you a demonstration as you said, and how you see and accept it will all depend on you. So don¡¯t blame me whatever the consequences of that may be. Chi-Woo immediately agreed as it was a given. ¡ªI warned you. Philip said in a threatening tone and crossed his arms. Chi-Woo saw Philip fall into thought and asked, ¡®So how about it? Do I pass over my body now?¡¯ ¡ªNo. Philip shook his head. ¡ªNot now but later. Since the matter is so serious, I think I need to think about it more. And there¡¯s something I need to look into¡­ * * * The next morning, Eval Sevaru woke up to Chi-Woo¡¯s call and immediately headed to the office. ¡°Did you call for me, Boss?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Standing respectfully, Eval Saveru tilted his head slightly because for some reason, the air around Chi-Woo had suddenly changed. Chi-Woo usually seemed like a noble scholar or a saint, but today¡­how should he describe it? Today, he felt the majesty and dignity of a king radiating from the man. ¡°What is the public opinion like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as before,¡± Eval Sevaru said clearly. ¡°They¡¯re ready to fire at the slightest provocation.¡± ¡°As expected.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°Boss, why don¡¯t we first wait a bit to see¡­¡± ¡°Although they say time is the best medicine, it doesn¡¯t always apply. Even a beast can never forget the grudge of losing its baby until its death. How can they calm down easily?¡± Eval Sevaru blinked. ¡°Well, y-yes.¡± Taken aback, he agreed and asked just in case, ¡°Perhaps you have made your decision?¡± ¡°I made my decision a while ago. To accept the demons and demonic creatures.¡± ¡°There will be fierce opposition.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. If we leave the situation like this, the dissent and resentment will only grow deeper. I should at least alleviate it before it festers.¡± ¡°By alleviate¡­¡± ¡°First, it¡¯s safe to say that there¡¯s no public opinion favorable towards accepting the Demon Empire at this moment, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s of course¡ª¡± ¡°Excluding the Demon Empire,¡± Chi-Woo cut him off. ¡°When we declared to accept the Demon Empire.¡± ¡®Ah¡¯. Eval Sevaru gaped, and a glint flashed through his eyes. Soon, he straightened his posture and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s generally the case, but there are still some in support.¡± An example would be the Kobalos tribe among the Cassiubia League. After receiving a life-changing favor from Chi-Woo, they unconditionally supported whatever decision Seven Stars made. The same could be said about the Celestial Realm heroes; their support wasn¡¯t as fervent as the Kobalos tribe, but there were quite a few influential groups that could voice their support. ¡°Well, let¡¯s put aside the League for now¡­that means there are quite a few heroes who can support us.¡± ¡°Since the legend declared a neutral stance, they¡¯ll try to remain in our good graces as much as possible.¡± ¡°Then we can say that we have at least one friendly organization among both the League and the heroes. Then the natives¡­¡± When Chi-Woo stared at him, Eval Sevaru answered with a wry smile instead. ¡°Hm, how is our image in the eyes of the natives?¡± ¡°Needless to say, it¡¯s the best right now.¡± ¡°Even before the war?¡± ¡°Boss, your achievements played a great part in that, but Evelyn and Aida¡¯s contributions are also significant. Both of them regularly visited the natives and helped them out, treating people with holy energy in the name of volunteer work.¡± Chi-Woo looked surprised. ¡°And¡­I¡¯ve been doing relief activities as much as I can. Of course, it¡¯s done in the name of Seven Stars as well.¡± ¡°This is good. Not bad.¡± A soft smile tugged at Chi-Woo¡¯s lips. ¡°If we suddenly start to carry out volunteer work after yesterday¡¯s incident, our intentions would look too obvious. But the story changes if we¡¯ve been doing it consistently. I won¡¯t even need to make preliminary preparations.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. You can move straight to the main objective at hand.¡± Eval Sevaru spoke with a much brighter expression. ¡°Okay, even if the natives all share the same will, there must be people leading them. Let¡¯s first find them first and¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but we¡¯ve already found them.¡± ¡°What? Already?¡± ¡°Because I had a feeling you wouldn¡¯t change your mind.¡± The two men shared a smile, and Chi-Woo, or to be more precise, Chi-Woo who had handed over his body to Philip, was left the only one confused. Philip had talked about preliminary preparations and whatnot, but he couldn¡¯t really understand what they were talking about. However, the conversation seemed to be going smoothly. Unlike when Eval talked to him, they were getting along perfectly well. ¡°This morning, Evelyn told me she was going to go take care of the refugees. Boss, would you like to go and meet them?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Philip, who had borrowed Chi-Woo¡¯s body, smiled. ¡°Choose a few important people and bring them to me instead. Tell them I¡¯d like a word.¡± ¡°And by bringing them, you mean¡­¡± ¡°Of course, bring them to me politely without any breach of courtesy.¡± Eval Sevaru¡¯s gaze changed. Chi-Woo had been so indecisive yesterday that Eval found it a waste of his great last name, but he had completely changed in one night. ¡°Yes, sir! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Eval Sevaru answered louder than ever and turned to leave the office excitedly, wondering, ¡®What¡¯s suddenly up with him?¡¯ CH 427 Around noon, Eval Sevaru came back with the natives that Chi-Woo had requested. Seven Stars was the most well-known and revered organization among all the organizations currently existing in Shalyh. Thus, the natives looked a bit nervous and intimidated when they first entered. But as Eval treated them with respect and Chi-Woo also addressed them kindly, they began to open up. Chi-Woo decided to wait to hear what Philip would say, yet Philip didn¡¯t speak up as much as Chi-Woo had expected him to. He simply nodded and empathized with the natives, listening quietly as the natives expressed their sorrow and rage. And after a while, the natives grew quiet. They had poured out all the emotions in their heart as much as they wished to, and now they glanced at each other and Chi-Woo. Eventually, one of them mustered up the courage to ask, ¡°Sir hero¡­are you planning to accept those damn heinous devils into Shalyh?¡± Chi-Woo remembered the person who spoke. He was the middle-aged man who came running to him, imploring him to take a look at his daughter. At his words, everyone¡¯s gaze turned toward Chi-Woo. ¡°It¡¯s as you say,¡± Chi-Woo said. There were gasps among the natives. It was as they feared. The middle-aged man¡¯s gaze wavered anxiously before it finally found its place, and a new glint came to his eyes. ¡°Then, why did you ask to see us?¡± His careful tone instantly turned aggressive. The daughter he had treasured and loved so much came back after losing her mind. There was nothing more for this father to lose now. ¡°It¡¯s because I have a request to make.¡± ¡°A request?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not oblivious to the current situation. If I accept the Demon Empire like this, there would definitely be backlash,¡± Chi-Woo said calmly. ¡°That is why I want to ask for your help.¡± ¡°What help?¡± ¡°I want you to soothe the anger the natives are feeling toward the Demon Empire.¡± All the natives looked shocked and appalled. Like they couldn¡¯t believe what they were hearing. The middle-aged man especially stared at Chi-Woo with eyes bulging in disbelief. If the young man in front of him was a regular man rather than a hero, he would¡¯ve cursed profusely at him. The middle-aged man inhaled deeply. ¡°You¡¯ve found the wrong person,¡± the middle-aged man said, suppressing his anger. ¡°Not all of us are against what you suggested. A group of refugees came to the city yesterday saying the same things as you do.¡± As the middle-aged man said, the humans and the League members who stayed in Purupuru¡¯s territory did agree with the idea of letting the Demon Empire in. ¡°Their opinions are in alignment with the judgment I made. Thus, I do not have to seek them out and ask for their understanding.¡± ¡°Understanding? Did you say ¡®understanding¡¯?¡± the middle-aged man shouted. ¡°How could you say something like ¡®understanding¡¯?¡± He felt someone tap on his elbow, but he ignored it. As said before, he had nothing left to lose. ¡°In the end, you are the same as the other heroes! You all are just heroes in name alone but no different from thugs! How foolish of me to go around shouting that Sir Chi-Woo was different! That the Seven Stars he led was different! That he was the true hero who would lead us to salvation! I was a complete fool!¡± The middle-aged man shouted so loud that his voice echoed in the room. ¡°In the end, you were the same!¡± After saying everything in his mind, the middle-aged man then realized what he did. Nobody could deny the achievements that Chi-Woo had made until now. But in his fit of anger, he dismissed all of them in front of Chi-Woo while insulting the rest of the heroes. If another hero heard those words, they would immediately swing their sword at him. Yet the middle-aged man simply heaved with bloodshot eyes and didn¡¯t retract his words, excusing them as a slip of the tongue and whatnot. Even if he was to die, he wanted to stop the city from accepting his worst sworn enemy, the Demon Empire. A heavy silence filled the room, and surprisingly, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t appear angry. He remained calm and looked understanding as he did from the beginning. The middle-aged man felt irked by Chi-Woo¡¯s reaction. He would prefer it if Chi-Woo got angry instead so he wouldn¡¯t feel so conflicted. ¡°¡­What¡¯s your reason?¡± the middle-aged man asked in a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°A reason?¡± Chi-Woo murmured shortly. Then he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Before that, it seems like you are misunderstanding something. I do not empathize with the natives who speak well of the Demon Empire.¡± ¡°What? But just before¡ª¡± ¡°I simply said their opinions are in alignment with the judgment I made.¡± ¡®Opinions¡¯ and ¡®judgment¡¯ sounded similar, but they held different meanings. ¡°Then, is your opinion¡­the same as ours¡­?¡± ¡°How could it be any different?¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°I have saved many planets besides Liber, and countless lives died in the process. Do you think I, of all people, wouldn¡¯t know how you all feel?¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s lips twitched. Among the lives lost, he thought about how many would have shared a deep connection with Chi-Woo. He couldn¡¯t even wrap his head around it. ¡°I had experienced such losses even after coming to Liber.¡± Thus, the middle-aged man found the situation even more befuddling. ¡°Then why¡­!¡± Chi-Woo looked straight at the natives and replied, ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯ve made my judgment.¡± The two looked each other in the eyes. The middle-aged man frowned again. It sounded like the conclusion was the same as before, and Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t back down from his stance. ¡°So, what about it?¡± The middle-aged man raised his voice again. ¡°Can¡¯t you just ignore us and call upon those who agree with you and push through with what you want by force? Why did you have to call us¡­!¡± ¡°As I said before, I want to ask for your understanding and gain your collaboration.¡± ¡°Ha! When did you start caring about the opinions of weaklings like us¡­!¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t ¡®weaklings¡¯,¡± Chi-Woo said, ¡°You all are also heroes.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± The middle-aged man hesitated. The other natives responded similarly and wondered what Chi-Woo was getting at. ¡°Of course, I could reply the same way as the child who stood in front of the Demon Empire¡¯s survivors did. And I can add onto it to make a plausible reason to persuade you all, but I won¡¯t do that,¡± Chi-Woo said. ¡°It¡¯s because I think you all are heroes just like us. Thus, I need to ask for your understanding.¡± The middle-aged man and the other natives opened and closed their mouths wordlessly at the sudden declaration. After a momentary silence, Chi-Woo let out a long, tired sigh and leaned into his chair. ¡°What I¡¯m going to say from now on¡­is my personal thoughts.¡± This wasn¡¯t his judgment, but his opinions. ¡°It happened a long time ago. When was it? Yes, it was when I first arrived at Liber from the Celestial Realm.¡± Seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s bitter smile at the remembrance of the memory, the natives couldn¡¯t help but focus on the story. ¡°The situation at that time was more dire than now. There was no place to rest peacefully and no food to fill our stomachs, so we had to cook mud to eat.¡± One or two of the natives nodded from the memory. ¡°It was then the incident happened. Enemies rushed from all around us, and we were powerless.¡± It was a situation where they could only await their deaths. ¡°The first ones to step forward were Hakop and Malala.¡± They were the middle-aged couple and the first natives to offer themselves as sacrifices after Giant Fist and Mua Janya. When Chi-Woo mentioned those two names, a native raised his head slightly. ¡°You know¡­their names?¡± The native sounded slightly surprised. Of course, Philip hadn¡¯t known their names. It was Eval¡¯s doing. He found it out under Philip¡¯s command. ¡°From the sound of it, it seems like you were also there.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I was there.¡± ¡°Did you know those two?¡± ¡°Of course I did. We were neighbors.¡± The native nodded senselessly. Chi-Woo responded with a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. They were my companions. How could I not know their names?¡± ¡°You consider them¡­your companions¡­.?¡± The native looked extremely touched. It seemed that he had known the couple very well. ¡°Those two gave up their lives for us. Why wouldn¡¯t they be my companions? But they weren¡¯t the only ones.¡± Chi-Woo said in a low, solemn voice. ¡°With them taking the first step, many got up and willingly chewed on poisonous herbs. One after another, they bade their farewell and met their end, all for the salvation of Liber. That was how they offered their lives to the temporary, shoddily-made altar.¡± Chi-Woo looked up and stared into space as if he was reliving the memory. ¡°And it¡¯s thanks to them, who offered up their precious lives like mere firewood, that we are now standing here.¡± Chi-Woo looked empty in reminiscence. ¡°¡­You know, I usually don¡¯t like thinking about the past.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice dropped even lower. ¡°Rather than regretting and recounting what happened before, I think it¡¯s more important to prevent the same thing from happening again. But for some reason, I can¡¯t forget the memory from that day, and it keeps lingering in my mind.¡± Chi-Woo collected his breath slightly and continued, ¡°And whenever the memory comes to my mind from time to time, my resolve becomes firmer. It reminds me that I have to fulfill the wish that my companions left us with no matter what.¡± The natives flinched. They were getting goosebumps all over their bodies, and they found themselves pinned down by Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze when his wandering eyes settled on them. ¡°But the process¡­is still so cruel. Though it¡¯s taking firmer shape and turning into reality, I can¡¯t fathom how much more blood we¡¯ll have to shed to meet our goal. Not just us, but the League would have to lose many precious lives. Of course, I do not fear sacrifice. As a hero, I¡¯m determined to lose my life if necessary. But,¡± Chi-Woo put more strength into his voice to emphasize this point, ¡°There¡¯s one thing I wish to make true¡­it is to minimize the blood that you all would have to lose.¡± With his eyes lingering on the natives, Chi-Woo continued, ¡°You have all shed too much blood, so much that it would be dangerous if you lose any more. But if blood loss is inevitable, and it can¡¯t be prevented no matter how much we try, we need to use others to substitute for the loss. We need to make those who should pay for their sins shed blood in your stead. That¡¯s the only way and the judgment I made.¡± The middle-aged man seemed dazed. ¡®Making someone else shed blood in our stead. He wasn¡¯t so foolish that he didn¡¯t get what these words meant. ¡°Are you saying we should make them slaves and send them off to the battlefield just as they had done to us? And use them as meat shields?¡± the middle-aged man asked. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°That¡¯ll only cause more trouble and disturbance. It would be preferable to chase them away or kill them instead of doing that. I¡¯m saying¡­ We should provide them with an environment in which they won¡¯t hesitate to shed their blood. And above all¡­I¡­¡± Chi-Woo suddenly hesitated. After a long pause, he opened his mouth with some difficulty. ¡°I can¡¯t help but think about what would happen afterward.¡± Discover the complete story on pawread dot com. The natives¡¯ eyes widened. ¡®Afterward?¡¯ ¡°Our mission ends after we get rid of all the enemies that disturb Liber. After finishing the mission, we will probably return to the places we need to go. Then, the rest of you will have to work together to rebuild the ruined Liber. And if things go back to how they used to be, the ones who will rule Liber wouldn¡¯t be the Sernitas, the Demon Empire, or the Abyss. It won¡¯t be the Cassiubia League either.¡± Chi-Woo lowered his eyes and looked at the natives straight-on. ¡°It¡¯s you all. I believe that only humans can be Liber¡¯s true owners.¡± Starting with the middle-aged man, the natives gradually opened their mouths. This was why. This was the reason Chi-Woo told them that they couldn¡¯t shed more blood and came to his conclusion. They finally understood the reason behind Chi-Woo¡¯s judgment. Of course, accepting and agreeing to it were two different matters. ¡°I know that whatever I say might sound like excuses to you. You probably want to say, ¡®Just send me to the battlefield¡¯¡ªthat you would rather shed blood than to accept those fiends.¡± The middle-aged man nodded. It was just as Chi-Woo said. If he could just shred those Demon Empire bastards to pieces, he would prefer to jump into war. ¡°I¡¯m repeating myself, but I know with my whole heart how you all feel. Even so, I seek your understanding. Because¡­I¡­have to keep my promise from that day.¡± The atmosphere was tense and so suffocating that it felt like something would burst any second. Everyone had their heads lowered solemnly, and the middle-aged man worried his lip, recalling the words he had just blabbered in a fit of rage. Was Chi-Woo like the other heroes? No, certainly not. One could tell just by the words Chi-Woo had said. While everyone was only focused on the present, Chi-Woo alone was looking ahead at the future¡ªwhile remembering the promise made to the natives whose names even he didn¡¯t know of. Who could be called a hero if not this man? The middle-aged man wanted to die in embarrassment that he had yelled so viciously at such a hero. ¡°To be frank with you, this is perhaps my stubbornness. It is my selfishness to pay the price of being that stupid fool who couldn¡¯t even save his companions.¡± Despite all that, the hero didn¡¯t rebuke him but accepted him. When Chi-Woo got to his feet, the natives raised their heads. ¡°You can insult me all you want and curse me out. I will accept all your insults and whatever rocks you throw at me in the streets,¡± Chi-Woo continued. The natives shook their heads. They couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°So, I make my plea. Just this once, won¡¯t you help this stubborn, selfish fool!¡± All the natives gasped in shock when Chi-Woo bowed at them at a 90-degree angle. Their mouths gaped wide open, and their minds went blank. If they had to tell the truth, they didn¡¯t really know what to say or think. They didn¡¯t think they could ever forgive the Demon Empire. However, this hero wasn¡¯t seeking their forgiveness, but simple understanding for the sake of Liber and, ultimately, their future. Truthfully, there was no need for this hero to go this far. The natives knew that they weren¡¯t heroes or League members. That they were merely wandering background characters whose presence didn¡¯t matter. If the hero wanted to ask for support or understanding, he should be asking other heroes or the Cassiubia League members. He could¡¯ve simply ignored their opinions and did what he thought was right. Yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t do that and didn¡¯t hesitate to bow to them. The middle-aged man gritted his teeth. Every time he remembered his daughter, a rage burned from the bottom of his feet to his head¡­but for some reason, his heart wavered. Chi-Woo remained unmoving, and the middle-aged man looked deeply conflicted. Chi-Woo had called the natives his companions and them ¡®heroes¡¯. Even the middle-aged man knew that it wasn¡¯t true, but this hero¡¯s intentions appeared pure. He had simply wanted to be their companion and wanted them to make a choice just like the natives named Hakop and Malala. The middle-aged man closed his eyes. This was the hero who had returned to Shalyh alone to protect the city. He was always the first one to step forward in every crisis and solve the problems they were facing each time. He was the one who recovered humanity from the trenches and put them back into the current limelight, and he didn¡¯t forget to look back at the natives no one cared about. Though this hero said that he was acting out of his selfishness and was trying to carry all the blame on his shoulders, the middle-aged man knew that he was a hero who cared about Liber¡¯s salvation and future more than anyone else. He cared to the point of foolishness and cared so deeply that he would bow and implore them to help him out just once. The state his daughter was in when she returned to him still lingered in his mind. ¡°¡­¡± At this moment, the middle-aged man couldn¡¯t turn away from the hand that was reaching for him. Thinking this, he got to his feet, and the other natives followed. Eval, who had been watching everything quietly from afar, smiled. It was because as soon as they got up, the natives got down on their knees again. ¡°Please get up¡­¡± ¡°Raise your head, sir¡­there¡¯s no need to lower yourself so far¡­please¡­¡± ¡°We¡­we were the one in the wrong¡­!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t realize your true intentions¡­!¡± *** Chi-Woo¡¯s meeting with the natives ended in a success. Everyone returned teary-eyed and promised while crying that though they wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive the Demon Empire, they would accept the demons. And they would all try to help make Chi-Woo¡¯s vision happen. ¡°Since you¡¯ve changed the hearts of the natives who had been most fiercely opposing the idea of letting the Demon Empire in, it would only be a matter of time before the rest follow. That¡¯s how public opinion works. Really splendid work, boss,¡± Eval exclaimed in admiration and turned around. Now that Philip had set everything up, it was up to Chi-Woo to take care of the rest. ¡ªAh, I feel like I¡¯m going to die. It¡¯s been so long since I went all out like this. Philip returned Chi-Woo¡¯s body to him as soon as Eval went outside. After recovering his body, Chi-Woo looked up at Philip in surprise. Philip was sprawling in the air. ¡ªWhat are you staring at, man? ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just really impressed.¡± ¡ªHmph. Did you have a good time watching the show? ¡°Yes, it was touching. As expected, one should treat others genuinely¡­¡± Philip snorted. Chi-Woo was touched? If that was the case, Chi-Woo had a long way to go¡ªnot as a human, of course, but as a ¡®master¡¯. CH 428 No, Philip couldn¡¯t just let it be. He had planned to just keep his mouth shut, but he needed to say a few words of advice. ¡ªBeing genuine also depends on the circumstances. ¡°What?¡± ¡ªJust bowing down isn¡¯t the answer. There are people who you should do that to and those you shouldn¡¯t. Philip spoke like a master teaching his disciple. ¡°Then just now¡­¡± ¡ªTo make an analogy, the natives are like grass. Philip continued. ¡ªThey take it for granted that they will get trampled on like weeds. Then what does it mean when they suddenly gather together and try not to get trampled on anymore? That means there¡¯s a good reason for their behavior. ¡ªThen you shouldn¡¯t try to trample on them like usual. Rather, you should show them that you are willing to get trampled on instead. ¡ªCome to think of it, you told me you were just a regular person where you came from, right? Chi-Woo answered Philip¡¯s sudden question with an affirmative. ¡ªThen there must also be someone similar to a king there. Imagine if such a person bowed and apologized politely to you. ¡ªHow would you feel? Of course¡ªChi-Woo would be surprised. He would be at a complete loss and not know what to do. Since the president of a country was going so far, he would think he should back down. Only then did Chi-Woo understand how the natives felt. ¡ªThe important thing is being on eye level. Your attitude needs to differ based on the situation and who your opponent is. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Philip smacked his lips as he saw Chi-Woo nodded. First of all, it was good that Chi-Woo was ready to learn, and he was probably digesting the scene he just witnessed through his own lens. However, whether it was in the right direction was a whole different matter. Frankly, Philip thought there was little chance that Chi-Woo would be able to solve this problem smoothly. It was not that he didn¡¯t acknowledge Chi-Woo as a hero; he was already a great hero. However, the problem this time lay in Chi-Woo¡¯s personality, or in short, his innate nature. His natural disposition was completely at odds with his current status. From Philip¡¯s perspective, Chi-Woo didn¡¯t like standing on top of anyone. Philip couldn¡¯t understand him at all. A man should have the inherent desire to stand on top of others at least once. However, for some reason, Chi-Woo was extremely reluctant to do so, as if it was something to be avoided at all cost. Anyway, this was it. Philip had helped more than enough. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t the only one who advised Chi-Woo; there was Eval Sevaru, and Chi-Hyun had also told him many times how he should behave himself. Of course, they hadn¡¯t told Chi-Woo exactly what to do, and everyone wanted Chi-Woo to come to the realization and break out of the eggshell by himself. One thing was for certain¡ªunless Chi-Woo realized the true meaning behind people¡¯s request for him to speak informally from now on, which Hawa had unintentionally set in motion, it would be a long way for Chi-Woo to rise to Master tier. * * * Encouraged by Philip¡¯s demonstration, Chi-Woo immediately decided to take action. He waited for the appropriate time and contacted the influential tribes in the League. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as easy as when Philip was doing it because they were not natives, but tribes with their own respective strengths. Still, in Chi-Woo¡¯s perspective, he thought he made some progress. ¡°Fine, fine! I got it! Okay!¡± Because of his extreme persistence, Mangil from the buhguhbu tribe raised both hands in surrender. ¡°We¡¯ll stay quiet so just do whatever you want! But that¡¯s it. We¡¯ll only refrain from voicing our opposition, and if you expect more than that, you¡¯ll put us in a tight spot. We also won¡¯t provide any support for those Demon Empire bastards to settle in Shalyh.¡± Mangil growled as if to make it clear that it was his bottom line. Chi-Woo decided to be content with that since they had changed from refusing to ever accept the Demon Empire to giving in. Persuading the half-demon tribe was a bit more difficult. ¡°Damn it! I told you I got it! Do whatever you want!¡± Murumuru slammed the door with a furious expression. Since their tribe hated the Demon Empire more than any other tribes, they probably had a difficult time accepting the demons. While they didn¡¯t completely accept the Demon Empire, they agreed to recognize the Demon Empire¡¯s surrender with caveats. Eval Sevaru, who was trying to coordinate the situation as best as possible, listened to Chi-Woo with an absurd expression. ¡°No¡­why all of a sudden¡­ Boss, weren¡¯t you planning to go slowly¡­?¡± Chi-Woo replied, ¡°It¡¯s hard to change the way people feel in a short period of time, but we can¡¯t just leave the Demon Empire hanging outside forever.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°We need to first let them in after asking for others'' understanding. Helping them settle down will come next. We need to give them a chance. A chance for the Demon Empire to create its own justification.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong, but then why did he¡­ Eval Sevaru backed down with a grim expression while thinking, ¡®What¡¯s gotten into him again?¡¯ Philip sighed and shook his head. A few days later, in the name of Seven Stars with Chi-Woo leading the effort, the surrender of the Demon Empire and their entry into Shalyh were officially decided. * * * At the same time, in a white space where several giants were gathered, a heavy silence passed between them. The giants, in various shapes and sizes, silently mused while watching the scene at the center. Among them, a general with a guangdo spoke. ¡ªThis is a bit¡­too much. ¡ªWhy? Search "pawread dot com" for the original. A stunning, beautiful woman with nine tails immediately responded. ¡ªFrom what I see, he¡¯s trying hard enough. ¡ªIf effort were everything, I wouldn¡¯t say much either. No, should I even consider that effort? The woman with nine tails sharply refuted. ¡ªIf you¡¯re referring to the possession, that spirit belongs to that child. Is there a problem when he¡¯s just using what he got? ¡ªI felt this before, but the way you think is way too different from mine. ¡ªAnd he actually produced results. Since they accepted it in the end. ¡ªI don¡¯t think I can continue conversing with you. The White Horse General and Miho both looked at a particular god. Mamiya, who was stuck between them once again, responded with a bitter smile. Since he was the one who set this condition, he needed to pitch in with his thoughts as well. ¡ªEmbrace the darkness. It¡¯s the condition that I gave. Embrace means to benevolently hold or accept another but¡­looking at the present, it¡¯s questionable whether I can use embrace to describe the situation. Ah, of course, it¡¯s also true that there is room for interpretations depending on what perspective you choose to focus on. Mamiya started out negative, but corrected himself at the end when Miho glared at him. Then he continued. ¡ªWell, even if that¡¯s the case, I wonder what La Bella thinks¡­ He tossed the baton to La Bella because her condition as well as his were at stake in this case. Then La Bella, who had been fiddling with the scale in her hand, suddenly raised her arm. Mamiya and Miho were aghast as she seemed ready to throw her scale. That would mean Chi-Woo¡¯s attempt to rise to Master tier was a failure¡ªone god¡¯s opposition was all it took to put a stop to the promotion test. ¡ªLa Bella? Let¡¯s wait a bit more. Mamiya hurriedly stopped La Bella. ¡ªI admire and praise you for making a fair decision without any hesitation even though he¡¯s your apostle. Should I say it¡¯s as expected of the daughter of justice and the goddess of Libra who protects balance? However, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too early to make a judgment when things are not over yet¡­? Without any regards to his words, La Bella was about to throw her scale when¡ª ¡ªWait a minute! Miho cried out hastily. ¡ªCan¡¯t you give him one more chance with this? La Bella¡¯s eyes briefly shifted to the center. There was¡­ * * * ¡°This is not it,¡± Chi-Hyun muttered shortly. ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡± He repeated himself while looking down at the document in his hand. Noel, who was responsible for giving him the report, looked at Chi-Hyun with nervous eyes. He said he wouldn¡¯t intervene, and Chi-Hyun really kept his words. However, this didn¡¯t mean that he had completely withdrawn his attention; quite the contrary, he had been watching Chi-Woo with keen interest, and initially, he had been a little pleasantly surprised. When the hostility towards the Demon Empire was at its peak, the atmosphere among the natives changed somewhat within a few days. Their hostility hadn¡¯t disappeared, but it was clearly subsiding as days went by. The first step Chi-Woo had taken was not bad¡ªno, it was rather impressive. Chi-Hyun had truly thought so until he looked into what really happened. He was stunned, but even then, he still decided to wait patiently, but things got worse and worse. ¡°Stupid punk¡­¡± Chi-Hyun whispered to himself. He had thought it was too early, but even then, he tried to at least consider Chi-Woo¡¯s determination. If things went on like this, it was safe to say that Chi-Woo¡¯s promotion to Master tier would become a pipe¡¯s dream; even if they were to disregard Mamiya¡¯s condition, Chi-Woo had definitely gone against La Bella¡¯s conditions. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to become the backbone of humanity nor fix the balance; rather, he was disrupting the balance. Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t let things go like this; even if he had to twist the flow, he needed to obtain one more chance from La Bella for Chi-Woo. ¡°Noel.¡± When Chi-Hyun called out to her, Noel, who had been anxiously fretting, flinched. She didn¡¯t want to believe it, but as expected¡­ ¡°W-What?¡± Noel was shocked after hearing Chi-Hyun¡¯s words. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°But¡­then¡­¡± ¡°¡­.Noel Freya.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed as he saw Noel hesitate. ¡°Who was the one who swore to do everything I ordered you to if I just allowed you to follow me?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Or has your subject of loyalty changed?¡± ¡°My apologies!¡± Panic-stricken, Noel immediately bent down and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say, my lord.¡± Noel chewed her lower lip after speaking and thought to herself, ¡®He¡¯s fucked.¡¯ * * * Under the guidance of Seven Stars, the Demon Empire entered Shalyh. Chi-Woo had expected this, but they were not welcome. Cold glares came from all sides. As this was Chi-Woo¡¯s decision, no one dared to come forward and publicly criticize it, but the agitated and tense atmosphere surrounding the city made it clear what the residents of Shalyh were thinking. In fact, no one lent a helping hand in the process of laying the groundwork for the Demon Empire to settle down. Seven Stars had succeeded in securing an area for the Demon Empire by making an inquiry to the official residence in advance, but the real problem came after that. Construction work needed to be carried out, but the buhguhbus made it clear that they were not going to do anything for the Demon Empire. Given the circumstances, it was difficult for other groups to come forward. According to Eval Sevaru, the atmosphere made it so that anyone stepping up to help would be branded a traitor. Due to all these factors, Seven Stars had to take charge of everything. Eval Sevaru couldn¡¯t handle the work alone, so they even needed to hold a meeting to redistribute work. ¡°I¡¯m still doubtful to be honest if we have to accept them by going this far,¡± Yeriel complained and expressed her dissatisfaction. Thanks to the AI Armor she created, the finances of Seven Stars were more abundant than ever. Yeriel had planned to reinvest most of the earnings into research and development, but her plan was now put on hold indefinitely. Since the request for funding to the official residence was taking a long time to be reviewed, Seven Stars had to use their own money to create a base for the Demon Empire. Yeriel continued, ¡°I find it a bit hard to agree to. Well, I know it can¡¯t be helped since oppa¡¯s promotion to Master tier is on the line, but¡­that fucking Mamiya bastard, why did he give such a shitty ass condition.¡± Chi-Woo smiled bitterly. She wasn¡¯t wrong, and it was a sharp criticism that he needed to face sooner or later. It might be better to get hit by them now. Chi-Woo said, ¡°I know all of you are busy, but please pay great attention to your respective tasks. As you all know, there¡¯s going to be quite a significant amount of hostilities from the residents.¡± ¡°Hostility would be the least of our problems.¡± Yunael pitched in. The problem wasn¡¯t going to just end with hostile feelings from the residents; there were more groups with a grudge. They were all quiet now because of Chi-Woo, but there was no guarantee that this would last forever. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for an incident to break out at any time, especially in a place out of reach for Seven Stars. Since Chi-Woo was also well aware of this, he strongly emphasized his following words, ¡°I¡¯ll also do my best, but whenever anyone has the time, please patrol the temporary base, and if you see a bad situation, sort it out so that problems won¡¯t arise.¡± Then he added, ¡°Anyway, all of you are the only ones I can trust right now, so please do this favor for me. It¡¯s okay even if it¡¯s only for a while, so please pay attention to the Demon Empire and don¡¯t create problems that¡¯ll earn us more criticism than now.¡± Regardless of what they each thought, everyone here followed the leader¡¯s decision, and they all nodded without much difficulty. After the meeting, Chi-Woo was about to leave at the very end when¡ª ¡°Boss!¡± The door suddenly burst open, and one person rushed in¡ªit was Eval Sevaru. ¡°I have¡­grave news!¡± Eval Sevaru was in such a hurry that he didn¡¯t even steady his breathing before shouting. Chi-Woo wondered what the hell was going on, and as expected, it really was grave news. ¡°The official residence has refused funding.¡± ¡°What¡­did you say?¡± Eval Sevaru wasn¡¯t done. ¡°And they announced that the area that was temporarily allocated for the Demon Empire can also be taken back according to future discussion¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s brows trembled. He was already baffled that the funding he thought he would receive for sure was rejected, but the temporary zone was also going to be taken back? This could only mean one thing¡ªthe surrender of the Demon Empire, which was officialized by the leadership of Seven Stars, was going back to square one. ¡°By whose order?¡± ¡°By the legend¡¯s.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s expression stiffened at Eval¡¯s reply. ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡± His brother had definitely told him he was going to just stay still. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either¡­but it¡¯s certain that the legend has stepped forward.¡± Eval Sevaru confirmed what Chi-Woo still found hard to believe and continued, ¡°All the leading groups in Shalyh except for you, boss, have been called for a meeting. He gathered everyone¡¯s opinions and expressed his. Soon, a meeting to officially discuss this matter will take place¡­¡± There was only one reason why no one had been able to publicly voice their dissent even though they were full of complaints about the Demon Empire¡ªit was all because of Chi-Woo. It had been the same case before; Chi-Woo had played such a big role in the recent war that no one dared to voice their opposition, and everyone was tactfully keeping their mouth shut. All except for one person, and after being silent the whole time, the man finally opened his mouth. The one revered by all, the legend, Choi Chi-Hyun expressed his opposition to Chi-Woo¡¯s decision. The situation that Chi-Woo had managed to bring about began to fluctuate violently once again. CH 429 The current hottest topic in Shalyh was the city¡¯s acceptance of the Demon Empire¡¯s survivors. This story was being told wherever one went, but as expected, the majority of the city¡¯s residents had mostly negative things to say. Six to seven people out of ten couldn¡¯t understand Seven Stars¡¯ choice at all. Noel was of the remaining four to three. She didn¡¯t mindlessly support Seven Stars¡¯ decision, but didn¡¯t disagree with them upfront either. She admitted that Chi-Woo¡¯s decision to accept the Demon Empire¡¯s survivors seemed rather hasty, but she thought they needed to let the situation play out for a bit longer. That was the attitude that many had started with, and surprisingly, the human natives didn¡¯t show strong opposition either. They gritted their teeth seeing the Demon Empire enter Shalyh, but they seemed to be suppressing their desires for blood as if they knew the situation couldn¡¯t be helped. The heroes and the League responded similarly. They glared at the demons and demonic creatures with wide eyes, but let the issue be for now. This novel is available on "pawread dot com". If the situation continued to progress like this, perhaps the city¡¯s residents would become more accepting of this change as Chi-Woo intended. Yet something happened before such a day could arrive. With just one person¡¯s declaration, the situation that Chi-Woo had organized fell to ruins. The culprit was the man standing in front of Noel. What was the reason? Why in the world was he acting in this way? After all, Chi-Woo was this man¡¯s younger brother. Couldn¡¯t he have waited a bit longer while putting his trust in Chi-Woo? Noel contemplated deeply while glancing at Chi-Hyun and suddenly flinched when she heard rough footsteps coming from the corridor outside the door. The noises got closer before¡ªbang! The door slammed open, and a young man barged into the room. Noel chewed on her lower lip when she saw Chi-Woo. He was heaving and looking bright red. He didn¡¯t say anything even after coming inside and simply glared at Chi-Hyun with cold eyes. Chi-Hyun responded similarly. He kept his eyes on the documents in front of him and remained calm. Feeling the suffocating, tense atmosphere between the two brothers, Noel squeezed her eyes shut. She knew this would happen. A volatile silence filled the room, and it felt like something would erupt at the slightest touch. ¡°¡­The official residence is a place where official businesses are conducted.¡± The first one to speak was Chi-Hyun. ¡°There¡¯s a proper order of actions to take in all processes. This includes meetings and everything else.¡± Chi-Hyun finally peeled his eyes away from his documents and looked up. ¡°I recall telling you specifically many times that this is no place to just barge into like this.¡± Chi-Hyun smiled in response to Chi-Woo¡¯s glare and said, ¡°Did you hear me, Seven Stars¡¯ leader, Mr. Choi Chi-Woo?¡± ¡°¡­Mr. Choi Chi-Woo?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. He wanted to yell at his brother that he came for official business, but he knew his brother would then tell him to go through the proper procedures before coming to him. Chi-Woo inhaled deeply and stomped toward the front of the desk. ¡°What happened?¡± Chi-Woo wanted to ask what the reason was behind Chi-Hyun¡¯s sudden behavior; and why Chi-Hyun wanted to stand against him. Chi-Woo clutched Chi-Hyun¡¯s desk strongly and said, ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t planning to act however I felt this time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You told me to give it a try, and that my decision was important.¡± Chi-Hyun couldn¡¯t deny it. The Celestial Lights and Noel had stood witness. ¡°Then why¡ª!¡± Unable to overcome his anger, Chi-Woo struggled to even get the words out. ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Chi-Hyun admitted, to Chi-Woo¡¯s surprise. ¡°So what?¡± Chi-Hyun sounded like he couldn¡¯t be less bothered. ¡°I said that because I didn¡¯t expect you to do something so completely idiotic.¡± ¡°¡­What? What did you say?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s eyebrows wiggled at Chi-Hyun¡¯s harsh insult. ¡°What was so idiotic?¡± ¡°I want to say every part of it.¡± Chi-Hyun crossed his fingers. ¡°But I suppose I should admit that there were things you did well too. Your actions in the beginning were alright. You did quite a good job appeasing the natives.¡± Chi-Hyun spoke calmly, ¡°Even though it took some extra time, you pulled every side closer to you and calmed the mood, which in the end, overturned public opinion. It¡¯s the standard among the standards. Yes. It wasn¡¯t bad. From that point, I thought I should see how things play out and even approve a temporary zone to be established to let the Demon Empire¡¯s survivors settle.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded and then glared at Chi-Woo. ¡°So why would you suddenly act out?¡± Chi-Hyun asked. Chi-Woo was about to retort because he also had something to say about this topic. ¡°Furthermore, it seems to me you weren¡¯t even the one behind the natives¡¯ change of mind after some digging.¡± Chi-Woo pursed his lips, shocked that Chi-Hyun had found out. ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know?¡± Chi-Hyun laughed humorlessly as if he had Chi-Woo in the palm of his hand. ¡°If you accept someone else¡¯s help, you should do a good job making it yours. Someone set up everything for you, but you couldn¡¯t even play the field right. You went too far that things can¡¯t be turned around.¡± Chi-Hyun looked at the now speechless Chi-Woo. ¡°Is there any reason for me to keep observing and standing by?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I only acted after thinking I couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.¡± ¡°I also¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you also have things to say on your end,¡± Chi-Hyun cut Chi-Woo off like he had no intention to hear his brother out. ¡°But I clearly told you last time. If you really intend to rise to Master tier, you should use this opportunity to prove yourself to me.¡± It was the conversation they had before. Chi-Hyun told Chi-Woo to reach at least Master tier if he wanted to play on a bigger field. Chi-Woo thought his brother had simply told him that out of worries, but that was not the case. Chi-Hyun seriously meant his words and more. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll understand up to this point when you didn¡¯t in the first place.¡± In other words, Chi-Woo failed to prove himself from the beginning. ¡°Can¡¯t you give me a little more time?¡± Chi-Woo said what Noel had been wanting to say. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Chi-Hyun instantly responded. ¡°Why should I?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what more he could say to a response like that. ¡°If I don¡¯t like the beginning part of a book, I drop it without any lingering feelings. It doesn¡¯t matter to me how interesting or fun the latter part of the book is.¡± Chi-Hyun shrugged, indicating that there was nothing else that could change his personality. ¡°¡­The story ends there.¡± After staring at Chi-Woo for a long time, Chi-Hyun picked up his documents like he had nothing more to say. ¡°Hyung.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Chi-Hyun shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t consider you my brother in things relating to this matter. Thus, you should do the same and don¡¯t think of me as your brother.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice sounded sharp. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more I want to say. You only have two options now.¡± Chi-Hyun cleared his throat and continued. ¡°You can acknowledge your incompetence and quietly back down, or you could fight me head-on and accomplish what you want with your own hands, whoever stands in your way.¡± Chi-Hyun added, ¡°If you insist on wasting your breath on more conversation¡­then, I will tell you that there will be a general assembly in the official residence addressing Shalyh¡¯s residents in a couple of days.¡± ¡°General assembly?¡± ¡°I will hear you out then. Of course, it¡¯s up to me whether I respond to you or not. If you don¡¯t come, I will also accept that as a form of answer.¡± With those words, Chi-Hyun went back to his documents. As he always did, Chi-Hyun made a one-sided declaration. He simply said whatever he wanted to say and cut off the conversation on his own. Chi-Woo knew that even if he continued to push for a conversation, his brother wouldn¡¯t speak anymore. Chi-Hyun would ignore his every word and disregard his very presence. It was such an infuriating way to converse. If he could, Chi-Woo wanted to muster all the profanities he knew and hurl them at his brother, but he suppressed the urge with superhuman patience. It was because of Eval¡¯s earlier plea. ¡ªI can¡¯t guess the exact reason either¡­but it¡¯s a meaningful move that hints at various political intentions. Thus, Eval had begged Chi-Woo that even if he had to go, he shouldn¡¯t fight with the legend; or else the situation would become more difficult, and the legend would use Chi-Woo¡¯s every action to make another political move. Remembering how Eval had begged him to trust him and listen to him, Chi-Woo kept his mouth shut and turned away. ¡°¡­How pathetic,¡± he heard his brother say from behind him. ¡°I told you to organize your group internally from the beginning. What could a guy who can¡¯t even manage his subordinates properly do¡­?¡± Chi-Hyun murmured loud enough for Chi-Woo to hear. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know what nonsense Chi-Hyun was blabbing now and clenched his fist so tightly that veins popped out from the back of it. He had a strong urge to throw a powerful punch at his brother. ¡®¡­Just this once.¡¯ But in the end, Chi-Woo closed his eyes and quietly left the room. *** Thud. After the door closed, Noel parted her lips slightly and let out the breath she had been holding. She was worried that Chi-Woo would explode in the middle of the conversation because of how far Chi-Hyun seemed to be pushing his brother. Even Noel thought Chi-Hyun, who she respected above everyone else, had sounded arrogant and really punchable. The words ¡®you went too far¡¯ almost escaped from her mouth, but she managed to hold them back remembering Chi-Hyun¡¯s warning not long ago. Still, Noel couldn¡¯t help but say something and address the situation in a roundabout way. ¡°Will he¡­be all right¡­?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be,¡± Chi-Hyun responded calmly. ¡°He¡¯s probably seething in anger. I thought there was a 92% chance that he would throw a punch at me, but he fared better than I expected.¡± ¡®Aha, you already expected it? And why is it 92% instead of 90%?¡¯ Noel thought to herself. Then, she expressed that she asked the question not because she was truly worried about the young master, but because she was curious about her Lord¡¯s intentions. ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°Because it needed to be done.¡± Noel licked her lips. It was as she expected. Yes, yes. Of course, Chi-Hyun never did anything without his reasons. Expecting Chi-Hyun to say nothing more than that, Noel was about to close her mouth and purse her lips¡ª ¡°Noel.¡± But surprisingly, Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t cut off the conversation like he usually did. ¡°What do you see when looking at this?¡± Chi-Hyun spread out three fingers¡ªthe forefinger, middle finger, and the pinky¡ªand drew a line downwards. When he did that, glowing blue mana left actual lines in the air. Noel¡¯s eyes turned wide, and she blinked fast. ¡°Three lines.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s three lines.¡± Chi-Hyun smirked and asked, ¡°Then, what do you see outside of these three lines?¡± Noel looked at the lines that resembled a railway or a two-lane expressway and tilted her head. She wasn¡¯t supposed to look at the lines themselves, but what was around them? ¡°Uh¡­two spaces? Am I right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chi-Hyun nodded like that was the answer. ¡°From the side of the two lines on the edges, there¡¯s infinite space,¡± Chi-Hyun said while tapping on the lines on the farthest right and the farthest left. Then, he pointed at the space beyond the left line and said, ¡°Consider this space to be the territory that guy made only for himself.¡± Then, he moved his forefinger to the space beyond the right line. ¡°This side is the outside territory. In other words, the area that he doesn¡¯t consider or care for.¡± Noel still looked a bit confused. Did Chi-Hyun mean that Chi-Woo had too black and white a view regarding his allies and enemies? But that didn¡¯t seem to be the case when she thought more about it. It sounded like Chi-Hyun was talking about something more profound. ¡°He likes things that are clear-cut. Without leaning toward one side, he divides things exactly in half so that no one would think it¡¯s unfair.¡± When two people shared two pieces of bread, how many should one person get so that there weren''t any disputes? It was simple; each person would get one piece of bread. ¡°Thus, he has an extreme dislike for outside forces¡ªwhoever it is¡ªtrespassing into the spaces he already dictated as his own or organized for his own purposes.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Of course, he isn¡¯t so foolish that he would make a whole fuss because I crossed his line.¡± Chi-Hyun tapped on each line drawn in the center. ¡°But these are warning lines.¡± ¡°Warning¡­lines?¡± ¡°Yes, when someone trespasses into his territory, he tells them not to enter and endures exactly three times. After the third time, he reveals his true nature.¡± Noel¡¯s eyes turned wide. Endure? And what was the young master¡¯s true nature? ¡°You could say it¡¯s his self-justification. No, I suppose it could be a form of self-induced hypnosis,¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°He thinks that since the other party went too far, and he endured long enough, it will be fine for him to do whatever he wants from then on¡­¡± Chi-Hyun trailed off, but Noel supposed that the ¡®true nature¡¯ of Chi-Woo that Chi-Hyun was talking about was considerably dangerous by his tone. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not criticizing him for that. Perhaps that sort of personality would be problematic on Earth, but it¡¯s not really bad in a world like this one.¡± Liber was different from Earth. In a way, it was a world where one could do anything. As long as one had a good reason for it, it didn¡¯t really matter if they took a life in this instance¡ªprovided that they had the power to do so. After a brief pause, Chi-Hyun said, ¡°But the problem is that he is unnecessarily fair.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°He can¡¯t differentiate the times when he should be fair and when he shouldn¡¯t.¡± Chi-Woo detested outsiders crossing the lines he had drawn, and accordingly, he didn¡¯t try to step outside these three lines he set up if he could really help it. In other words, as much as he expected others to not cross the line, he also tried to do the same. ¡°But you can¡¯t do that.¡± If all existences of not only Earth but also the universe at large lived like Chi-Woo, there would be no wars. There would be no need for the Celestial Realm, which worked day and night to maintain the proper balance and order of the universe. But that wasn¡¯t reality. Like how the vast majority of planets had wars, people crossed lines. Chi-Hyun knew this better than anyone else, and he knew that to achieve his goals, there were times when he needed to cross lines. Yet Chi-Woo avoided doing that at all costs. But if Chi-Woo always maintained that attitude, he would surely run into problems. And above all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to become a ¡®Master¡¯, who could force others to accept lines and limits that even he thought were unfair. ¡°That¡¯s why I acted the way I did.¡± Chi-Hyun let out a deep sigh and glanced out of the window. ¡°To make that guy cross the lines he set up for himself with his own feet¡­¡± He saw Chi-Woo speed out of the official residence and smirked with satisfaction. ¡°I need to rile him up a bit. He¡¯s in perfect shape right now.¡± CH 430 After leaving the official residence, Chi-Woo walked down the street aimlessly. He knew that Eval Sevaru was waiting anxiously for him, but he didn¡¯t want to return to Seven Stars while in this emotional state; he needed to calm down a little. Like a stray arrow not knowing where to go, Chi-Woo wandered listlessly and reached the zone temporarily allocated to the Demon Empire. It seemed as if he had unconsciously made his way to the place where he had patrolled several times in case the Demon Empire survivors fell victim to any attacks. Then Chi-Woo looked around blankly and furrowed his brows. Although the buhguhbus were not involved in the construction of the Demon Empire¡¯s zone at all as Mangil had told him, Eval Sevaru carried out the construction by purchasing and supplying materials in Seven Stars¡¯ name and mobilizing demons as workers for the renovation. Therefore, the residents here should be busy at work now, and the zone bustling with activity and full of dreams and hopeful sounds of the demons who had found a new home. However, for some reason, the construction site was dead quiet. Chi-Woo looked around with a puzzled face and heard a strange noise shortly after. It was different from the hubbub he¡¯d heard from yesterday; the noises were ones of madness and bloodlust. But above all, the metallic smell of blood in the air made Chi-Woo instinctively quicken his steps. His eyes became big as saucers when he saw the shocking scene that was unfolding. ¡°Fight! Fight properly, you fucking scoundrels!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you got? Want me to show how it should be done?¡± A total of four demons were swinging their fists at each other with blood soaking them from head to toe, and a dozen of half-demons were surrounding them. Every time the demons¡¯ fists drew blood, enthusiastic cheers erupted. It was no different from a dog fight. ¡°Seriously~ Are you guys kidding me? If you fight like that, the food we promised¡­?¡± A half-demon was chuckling while watching the demons fighting and killing each other. Then he turned around and saw a familiar young man fuming in anger, and he blanched. The young man was someone that everyone in Shalyh was extremely familiar with, and the frightened half-demon walked backward while going, ¡°Uh¡­Uh¡­¡± and fell on his bottom. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with you?¡± Only then did the other half-demons laughing frantically notice the situation. A couple of them looked around, and soon, the whole group fell silent. Chi-Woo walked forward in the sudden silence, and every time he took a step, the half-demons staggered back with a bewildered expression. Chi-Woo stopped walking when he saw a familiar face sitting in the middle of the make-shift battle arena. Their eyes met. ¡°¡­Everyone back off,¡± Murumuru murmured quietly and stood up from their seat with a sigh. Murumuru crossed the arena and stood in front of Chi-Woo, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± Chi-Woo took a sharp breath and raised his chin to the fullest; although his anger was at a boiling point, he decided to hear Murumuru out, and what the half-demon said to him was truly flabbergasting. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°What, it¡¯s not a big deal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just entertainment.¡± Although the Demon Empire had entered Shalyh after many twists and turns, everyone knew that the current situation of the Demon Empire was dire. The construction effort was slow-going and quite lacking, and the same was true for the food supplies. The inhabitants of Shalyh weren¡¯t starving, but they weren¡¯t well off either; the situation only got better after trade began with the League. The food produced in Shalyh was far from enough, and thus, they had no choice but to rely on external supply. And that was where the problem lay. No one was willing to give free food to members of the Demon Empire when they had nothing, not to mention money. Seven Stars¡¯ intervention wouldn¡¯t change much; even if they bought food with extra money, it would not be easy to acquire food for so many. In addition, they were already using a lot of money on the construction, and the official residence said they would reclaim the allocated areas, let alone give their support, so they were left in an extremely difficult and insecure situation. If Eval Sevaru hadn¡¯t requested various organizations such as Ho Lactea and Afrilith to purchase food by proxy for Seven Stars, the Demon Empire survivors would have been completely starving. However, even that method had its limit. The half-demons weren¡¯t going to miss the chance when the Demon Empire refugees were struggling to barely survive each day. ¡°On our way we noticed they looked pretty hungry, so in exchange for free food¡­¡± ¡°Are you seriously telling me to believe that now?¡± Looking back at where Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze was directed, Murumuru smacked their lips because the amount of food that the half-demons brought was just barely enough to give a family a single meal. This wasn¡¯t support, but an attempt to clown and take advantage of the Demon Empire survivors¡¯ pitiful situation, and Murumuru was well aware of this fact. In fact, Murumuru had no excuses the very moment the fighting arena opened. ¡­No, Murumuru did have something to say. Chi-Woo said, ¡°I certainly remember you making me a promise before.¡± Murumuru clenched their teeth and replied, ¡°I kept my promise. I tolerated the Demon Empire¡¯s entry into Shalyh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around with me. I just¡ª¡± ¡°Then what more do you want me to do?¡± Murumuru ended up raising their voice in the end. ¡°Joke? Do you think I¡¯m joking? Did you even consider my situation when I had to deliver what you told me to my tribe?!¡± If Murumuru had been alone, they would have listened to Chi-Woo¡¯s request without much difficulty because even if they didn¡¯t like it, they could just close their eyes and endure it for once. However, Murumuru was not alone. Although the half-demon tribe was considered small compared to the other tribes, their population was over several hundreds, and while Murumuru could speak for their entire tribe, they weren¡¯t in a position of absolute power. Delivering Chi-Woo¡¯s words would make Murumuru¡¯s position in the tribe precarious; it was inevitable considering that the entire half-demon tribe considered the Demon Empire their mortal enemy. ¡°What do you want me to do when they at least pretend to listen to me if I coax them like this!¡± What would happen if Murumuru wanted to fully carry out Chi-Woo¡¯s will? The other half-demons would never accept it, and even before Murumuru could try anything else, they would be branded as a traitor and kicked out of the tribe. So in exchange for accepting the Demon Empire inside Shalyh, Murumuru was letting the half-demons relieve the frustrations they had accumulated so far; this was the best Murumuru could do. ¡°Honestly, I still don¡¯t understand your decision.¡± Murumuru also knew that this conversation was over, but they decided to speak everything they had been holding in. ¡°As you are well aware, I, of course, and all of the half-demons hate humanity as much as the Demon Empire. But we are tolerating humanity since we¡¯re well aware that both of us are knee deep in danger, so it¡¯s not time for us to quarrel. We¡¯ve also been fighting together for a while as well.¡± Then he added, ¡°And, yeah. To tell you the truth¡ªyou¡¯re not bad. No, you¡¯re pretty good. You gave us the chance to make up for our mistakes when the Demon Empire first invaded Shalyh. You¡¯re also not a human from Liber, and you¡¯ve made achievements that made me acknowledge you even if I don¡¯t want to. That¡¯s why I¡¯m even more confused. It¡¯s not just anyone else, but you, who¡¯s been leading the way in defeating the Demon Empire! Why on earth¡­!¡± Chi-Woo stared blankly at Murumuru, who was shouting about all the sufferings and pain they had to endure so far. Murumuru was unable to finish, and after huffing in anger for a long time, they faced Chi-Woo with burning eyes. ¡°And do you know what makes me angrier?¡± Murumuru said in a low voice. ¡°When the AI Armor first appeared in Shalyh and everyone was so eager to get their hands on them¡ª¡± Under Chi-Woo¡¯s order, Seven Stars had delivered the AI Armor sets to the Kobalos and half-demon tribe, the very first among the Cassiubian League. Thanks to the AI Armor they received then, many members of the half-demon tribe, which already had a small population, were able to survive. Murumuru continued, ¡°I was honestly shocked then. I didn¡¯t expect you to come to us when there were many other powerful and influential groups, and you even came directly to give them to us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You told me that it was payment for when you attacked the Demon Empire¡¯s base and we offered our help, but¡­I knew that wasn¡¯t the only reason. At least that¡¯s what I think. At that time, I thought there was more to this gift than just paying off debt¡­!¡± Murumuru¡¯s voice rose again as they couldn¡¯t control their volume even if they tried. ¡°So tell me. Was I mistaken?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you telling me that the enemies who made our blood flow are more precious than your allies, who have been fighting on your side so far!?¡± Murumuru¡¯s shouts echoed in their surroundings. Murumuru believed that Chi-Woo should turn a blind eye to this matter and let it go if he would even consider their position a little. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only reason. Murumuru actually thought that Chi-Woo would tolerate such treatment to the Demon Empire refugees because¡­ ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, is this it?¡± Murumuru gritted their teeth. ¡°You guys can do it, but not half-demons?¡± Having been listening like a statue so far, Chi-Woo¡¯s expression immediately changed. He blinked quickly and looked as if he doubted his ears. ¡°What¡­are you¡­¡± Murumuru, who was about to pour out another round of complaints, paused only after seeing Chi-Woo¡¯s face and hearing him stutter. ¡°What do you mean? Of course, I¡¯m¡­¡± Murumuru looked carefully at Chi-Woo for a moment and realized. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Murumuru gaped and said, ¡°Seven Stars also¡­¡± Then they let out a hollow laugh. ¡°Ha. Was that it? You and me both. The Seven Stars and us too¡­¡± Chi-Woo wanted to ask what they meant, but he couldn¡¯t because Murumuru was already shaking their head despondently and turning away. For some reason, Chi-Woo kept his mouth shut with the feeling that he shouldn¡¯t try to talk to Murumuru right now. The half-demons had long disbanded, and Murumuru also trudged wearily away. Then the demons, who had been nervously glancing around, swiftly left the place as if they were running away while clutching the food cast on the ground. After some time, an individual carefully approached Chi-Woo while he was standing alone. Sensing a presence, Chi-Woo turned around and slightly gaped. It was a woman with flaming red hair and fair skin, which was rare for a great demon. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°Hm. It¡¯s my first time meeting you here.¡± Astarte smiled wryly. She was right. Chi-Woo tried to visit Shersha and Astarte earlier, but he couldn¡¯t, and the same had been true after the Demon Empire survivors were allowed to enter Shalyh. Eval Sevaru had asked Chi-Woo to wait for the situation to unfold a little more, but it was also due to Astarte putting the meeting on hold, saying that the situation was too difficult now, and she would go see him later. Shersha¡¯s condition was so bad that Astarte said she couldn¡¯t leave her side for even a second. Chi-Woo offered to check her condition, but Astarte refused even that. Although she gave a reasonable explanation that sending a saintess wouldn¡¯t be helpful since her power was at the opposite spectrum of a great demon, it was obvious to everyone that Astarte had rejected the offer due to the circumstances. A quick look at "pawread dot com" will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°Since then¡­I think it¡¯s the first time,¡± Astarte continued. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a proper reunion, but¡­I¡¯ll have to take a rain check since the situation is not very pleasant.¡± Astarte flipped her hair back in the flowing wind, and her expression seemed somehow empty, as if she had given up. ¡°Have you been watching?¡± When Chi-Woo suddenly asked, Astarte paused and soon nodded with a bitter smile. ¡°I was watching, long before you came.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± If Astarte had stepped in, the situation would have been settled long ago; even though the Demon Empire¡¯s position was no different from a dog that had gotten lost and run away, she was still a great demon. Of course, considering the Demon Empire¡¯s position, she couldn¡¯t fight them for real, but she should have still been able to chase them off. ¡°Yeah, I would have stepped up usually,¡± she calmly continued. ¡°But I changed my mind a few days ago.¡± She sighed and said, ¡°Because some people told me off.¡± ¡°What did they say¡­?¡± ¡°If we want to continue living in this city, don¡¯t act out and keep our mouths shut¡­¡± Chi-Woo frowned. Who dared to say this to the Demon Empire survivors when they had been accepted in the name of the Seven Stars? Moreover, it was hard to imagine that someone would have the guts to say that to a great demon. ¡°By the way, they came from the same place as you.¡± Which meant that person was a Celestial Realm hero. Who was it? His brother? Ismile? Chi-Woo began to think of the possible candidates one by one. ¡°They weren¡¯t after me.¡± Chi-Woo looked at her questioningly as she continued, ¡°The one they were after was¡­Shersha.¡± What was this now? ¡°You must have heard about it. Shersha¡¯s condition is extremely bad. I don¡¯t know what she saw, but the shock she received was so great that she even got aphasia. Frankly, she has been lying down the whole time since we entered Shalyh.¡± ¡°It was that bad¡­?¡± ¡°They must have seen her powerless state by coincidence¡­and four or five of them secretly broke in with bad intentions.¡± Chi-Woo, who had been listening quietly, instantly scowled. Wondering if he had heard her right, he looked at her, not wanting to believe her following words. ¡°After taking off her clothes while she had lost her will to resist, they were playing rock-paper-scissors to decide the order. If I hadn¡¯t come back in time or had been a little bit late¡­I¡¯m sure a terrible thing would have happened to her.¡± The shocking news hit Chi-Woo like a truck, and his mouth slowly opened. His conflicted mind became blank at once. The words ¡®don¡¯t lie¡¯ came right up to his throat, but he managed to swallow them back down. He also realized his short-sightedness, as he recalled why Eshnunna had become enemies and fought the heroes of the fifth and sixth recruits in the past. Since the Celestial Realm heroes treated even natives who cooperated with them like this, there was no need to mention how they would treat members of the Demon Empire, who had been their enemy until very recently. They probably had even less qualms about committing their wrongdoings. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I beat the crap out of all of them and chased them out. Even in a situation like this, there is an unacceptable line,¡± Astarte said calmly and blinked because she could see Chi-Woo¡¯s shoulders and chest move while he heaved. ¡°Why¡­¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice trembled as the words tumbled out. ¡°If you¡¯d come and tell me¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Astarte looked rather surprised by Chi-Woo¡¯s words, as if she hadn¡¯t expected Chi-Woo to react so strongly. ¡°Uh, well. Obviously, I don¡¯t think you and your group would have encouraged such a thing. However, I took what happened as a sign that we need to endure offenses of this level because it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t misunderstand me. I¡¯m not blaming you guys because all we managed to do was postponing the war rather than stop it. Since we failed to fulfill our obligations, I can¡¯t ask you to take responsibility¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying!¡± In the end, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and shouted. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth¡ªthis was a phrase that Chi-Woo also liked. If the great demon in front of him was someone like Zepar, Chi-Woo wouldn¡¯t have cared in the first place. However, it was different for the demon survivors who entered Shalyh. Though they used to be enemies, those particular demons opposed the war, and above all, they treated the human captives as they would ordinary demons. Chi-Woo had seen it with his own eyes. Thus, they shouldn¡¯t be subject to such abuse and should instead be shown the same courtesy. Chi-Woo asked again, ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Astarte gaped in surprise, unable to resist the fierce pressure coming from Chi-Woo. * * * After Chi-Woo left, Astarte, who was blaming herself for saying something that she shouldn¡¯t have said, suddenly tilted her head. While she was talking, Chi-Woo had not said a single word. After quietly listening to everything she had to say, he simply uttered a couple words. Although it was to himself, Astarte clearly heard what he said. ¡®Two times¡­?¡¯ CH 431 Chi-Woo looked dreary while returning to the Seven Stars headquarters. If Evelyn had been by his side, she would have placed her hand worriedly on his forehead and asked, ¡®Oh my, what¡¯s with your complexion? Are you sick?¡¯ Of course, Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sick or hurt anywhere, but there was a reason his face was all red and heating up like it was a volcano about to erupt. It was because of what he just heard from Astarte. [After what happened that day, I thought I should go find you.] [So I went out early in the morning, but on my way, I saw the commotion you just witnessed. I was about to intervene because I thought things were getting overboard¡­but then, I noticed someone observing the scene curiously from afar.] [If I was not mistaken, the person I saw was¡­one of the members of Seven Stars.] After hearing these words, Chi-Woo realized why Murumuru had spoken to him that way. Chi-Woo was stunned. In a recent meeting, he had clearly told all his members to constantly monitor the Demon Empire¡¯s zone in case anything happened. He had said that with a clear reason and purpose in mind. It was to prevent incidents like that from happening, but also to show Seven Stars¡¯ will to the city¡¯s residents. By surveilling the Demon Empire¡¯s zone, they would be warning those who wanted to harm the Demon Empire survivors that they had to be wary of the Seven Stars if they acted out. Thus, how could a member of the Seven Stars simply watch the survivors from the Demon Empire getting harassed instead of stepping in? Furthermore, watch the scene play out with interest and amusement? It was obvious how the people in the surroundings would¡¯ve thought about the member¡¯s behavior. It was not a stretch to think that Murumuru did what they did in broad daylight because they thought Seven Stars tolerated certain behaviors within specific limits. It gave Chi-Woo a headache thinking about how other groups might think of the situation after the recent incident. However, that wasn¡¯t the only thing that was giving him a headache right now. After coming to his room with a pounding heart, Eval Sevaru greeted him with bad news. Eval''s face looked red and angry as he said, ¡°Boss, I have some alarming news. The public opinion among the human natives seems to be returning back to square one.¡± Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t just the human natives. It was the same for the Celestial Realm¡¯s heroes and the Cassiubia League. As soon as Chi-Hyun revealed his stance, it was expected that the finally settling public opinion would fluctuate again. But the way Eval spoke of it seemed to indicate that things were far worse than their expectations. There must be a reason. Perhaps a group that didn¡¯t look well upon the Demon Empire¡­ ¡°It seems to be because of Eshnunna.¡± Why would Eshnunna¡¯s name come up? Chi-Woo wondered. Eval continued with his explanation, but Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t actually listening anymore. He heard the words, but he didn¡¯t have the capacity to think. ¡°It seems like she misspoke while talking to the natives she was close to¡­¡± Eval was saying. Chi-Woo knew Eshnunna used to be the Salem Kingdom¡¯s princess. She had a close bond with the natives she used to lead in the forest the seventh recruits had found themselves in upon their arrival at Liber. Thus, it was understandable she would still keep in contact with them, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t stray away from the direction that Chi-Woo had decided for Seven Stars. Like how Eval stopped Chi-Woo from going to meet Shersha so that he wouldn¡¯t give people more fodder for rumors, Eshnunna also needed to choose each word she spoke carefully. And she wasn¡¯t such a fool that she wouldn¡¯t get this fact. Thus, despite knowing all this, she must have still acted against Seven Star¡¯s will. How should he take this fact? Chi-Woo¡¯s head was so full and messy that it felt like it would explode. He tried to calm his heart by breathing in and out deeply, but the emotions that had been stirring since his visit to the official residence kept boiling upwards and finally reached the top of his head. [¡­You are pathetic. I told you to organize your group internally from the beginning. What could a guy who can¡¯t even manage his subordinates properly do¡­] His brother¡¯s words crossed his mind like a sharp arrow. Flick. It was then Chi-Woo clearly felt something that had been barely managing to hold out in his head snap. After a momentary pause, Chi-Woo spoke up. ¡°¡­Bring.¡± ¡°Sorry, what did you just say, sir¡­?¡± Eval asked, and Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes opened wide. They flashed as Chi-Woo commanded once more. ¡°Bring everyone here. Now.¡± Eval¡¯s breath stopped for a moment. *** ¡°Ah, damn it. What is it again?¡± Yunael frowned. She had been conversing with her fourth team members when she got a message from Eval, telling everyone from Seven Stars to gather at the leader¡¯s office. ¡°What¡ªwe just had a meeting not long ago. Why is that guy calling us so often? He just asks for a meeting every chance he gets.¡± Yunael grumbled, but she still got up from her seat since Chi-Woo was the boss in the end. She brought the fourth team outside and headed to the main headquarters. ¡°Yes, yes, sir. Fourth team is here¡ª?¡± She was about to open Chi-Woo¡¯s office door and enter when she stopped. It was because the mood in the room was different from usual. Following the message, all members of Seven Stars had gathered inside the office, but no one was sitting down. They all stood stiffly, looking tense and nervous. ¡®What¡­¡¯ Yunael murmured to herself and carefully entered the office. Even a hearty and brazen person like Yunael knew how to read the room sometimes. Chi-Woo was sitting at his desk, but she couldn¡¯t see his face because the chair was turned 180 degrees away from her. And even though he should¡¯ve heard her coming inside, he didn¡¯t acknowledge her. ¡°Boss, everyone¡¯s arrived,¡± Eval informed him, but Chi-Woo didn¡¯t budge. Even after he had summoned everyone here, Chi-Woo showed no response as if he was lost in deep thought. Everyone closed their mouths seeing Chi-Woo like this. This was no mood for someone to brashly talk, and a heavy silence weighed down on everyone in the room. In the end, Chi-Woo broke the heavy silence. ¡°¡­Let me just ask you all one thing.¡± His voice sounded very low. ¡°Do you all remember what I said in the last meeting?¡± His tone wasn¡¯t soft like his usual self, and his voice sounded slightly hoarse. Yunael instinctively curled her shoulders inwards slightly. ¡°I am asking if you are all carrying out what I ordered.¡± Ru Amuh quietly nodded. As the epitome of hard work and sincerity, he didn¡¯t forget his teacher¡¯s command and had been pouring his all to carry it out. Just today, he surveilled the Demon Empire¡¯s zone from dawn to noon with Ru Hiana. Emmanuel did the same, though not to the same degree as Ru Amuh. He patrolled around the Demon Empire¡¯s zone and at the least didn¡¯t do anything that went against Chi-Woo¡¯s order. Yunael looked a bit startled. Though she had patrolled the area the day she got the command, she stopped caring about the matter with the excuse that she had to lead the fourth team to complete missions. Still, she didn¡¯t do anything that was against Chi-Woo¡¯s order, either. ¡°Um¡­¡± While everyone was warily looking at Chi-Woo, one person cautiously raised her hand. ¡°I¡­do remember what you said¡­but I was so busy at the production site these days¡­¡± ¡°Yeriel, get out.¡± ¡°What? No, sorry! I¡¯ll stop holing up in the factory all day! I¡¯ll work hard on patrolling from now on so don¡¯t chase me out please!¡± ¡°No.¡± Chi-Woo sighed. ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s fine for you to leave since this matter has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Knowing how busy Yeriel was with overseeing the main production of AI Armors, Chi-Woo had no reason to reprimand her. Furthermore, one of the conditions that Yeriel asked for during recruitment was to not have to do outside activities. The anxiety on Yeriel¡¯s face was soon replaced with relief. She wanted to ask why he had called her in the first place when she was already so busy, but kept her thoughts to herself. She also could read the room and knew she had to be cautious right now. After confirming her safety, Yeriel wanted to stay and watch what unfolded afterward with popcorn, but¡­she thought she could be swept into the mess if she did that. Thus she quietly left the office. Thud. After the door closed, silence fell upon the room again. However, the silence didn¡¯t last as long this time. ¡°I told you all to walk around the zone designated for the Demon Empire because we don¡¯t know what will happen.¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice sounded cold and empty. ¡°I don¡¯t remember telling any of you that you could go on a nice stroll instead.¡± This was work, not play. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t expect you all to prevent every incident.¡± One person couldn¡¯t do everything. Even if one of them was on constant patrol, it would be impossible for them to stop everything that would happen. ¡°Those looking for a chance could aim for the time we aren¡¯t surveilling or act in places that we can¡¯t see.¡± Yes, Chi-Woo understood those facts. ¡°But discounting the incidents that couldn¡¯t be prevented¡­why would anyone not stop an incident that is happening right before them?¡± An emotion stirred up in his voice, and he continued. ¡°Not just that, but go so far as to create a completely contrasting atmosphere from the one I talked about?¡± Starting from Ru Amuh, all the team leaders glanced at one another. They finally realized the reason why Chi-Woo had called all of them to his office. It wasn¡¯t that one of them couldn¡¯t prevent an incident, but didn¡¯t. Furthermore, somebody had acted completely at odds with Chi-Woo¡¯s command. ¡°How am I supposed to take that?¡± This was something the leader of Seven Stars had personally requested his members to do, yet someone had not just ignored his order, but worked against it. For someone like Ru Amuh, who almost worshiped Chi-Woo, doing such a thing was unimaginable, and his usually calm demeanor cracked to reveal a hint of bloodlust. He glanced at the people around him, and Emmanuel and Yunael shook their heads saying it wasn¡¯t them. Then Chi-Woo revealed the culprit himself. ¡°Eshnunna.¡± ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Eshnunna replied, startled to be singled out. ¡°I heard that you met some natives not long ago.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°What did you say to them?¡± Eshnunna gaped slightly. It seemed she was coming to the realization what was happening and why Chi-Woo was reacting like this. ¡°I¡¯m sure the natives voiced their complaints about our decision. What did you say in response to that?¡± Eshnunna opened and closed her mouth without saying anything and lowered her head. Yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t allow that. ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sor¡ª¡± ¡°Did I tell you to apologize?¡± Eshnunna pursed her lips after trying to say she was sorry. ¡°Yes. No, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think of repeating those three phrases again,¡± Chi-Woo said in a low voice. Eshnunna stood silently for a while. She looked like she didn¡¯t know what to do, and Chi-Woo didn¡¯t speak anymore. And eventually, in the flowing silence, she sensed Chi-Woo¡¯s strong will that he would get an answer from her no matter what. She opened her mouth. ¡°I¡­just went to see them like any other day¡­everyone was so agitated¡­so to comfort them¡­¡± ¡°Comfort.¡± Chi-Woo snorted. ¡°Yes, sure you could comfort them. But couldn¡¯t you have comforted them in a slightly different way?¡± For instance, she could¡¯ve not empathized with the natives¡¯ feelings about Seven Stars¡¯ decision; instead, she could¡¯ve heard them out, assured them, and asked them to wait and trust the Seven Stars just this once. That was how she should¡¯ve acted. ¡°If you found it difficult to agree with me, you could¡¯ve brought it up during our last meeting,¡± Chi-Woo said in disbelief. ¡°How could you echo their sentiments and act like that? Are you backstabbing me?¡± ¡°No!¡± Eshnunna shouted without meaning to and flinched. She saw Eval giving her a quick look, warning her not to rashly raise her voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to backstab you¡­I just did it so thoughtlessly¡­¡± This was true. She had no intention of doing such. It was just¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t you a member of Seven Stars?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°¡­Yes¡­I am¡­¡± Eshnunna barely managed to answer. ¡°But how could you lack this much self-awareness?¡± Eshnunna was once a princess, and accordingly, she should know the influence such a position bestowed. At least that was what Chi-Woo thought. ¡°¡­I thought you were smart.¡± Chi-Woo turned around and shook his head. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you talk to ice all day, your head has become hard as ice as well.¡± Eshnunna¡¯s eyes turned wide. She was close to tears, but she knew she couldn¡¯t cry. If she did, she would be doing a greater wrong. ¡°It was a clear slip of a tongue.¡± Eshnunna swallowed back the tears welling up from inside her and hung her head. ¡°From now on, I will take extreme caution with my actions and words and set the mistake I made right today.¡± That calmed Chi-Woo for a moment, but of course, not everything was over yet. There was still one person to address. Compared to this person, Eshnunna¡¯s mistake was just cute. ¡°La Hawa.¡± Hawa had been glancing at Eshnunna as she fought back tears with her head lowered. She flinched when Chi-Woo called her out. ¡°Did you have fun at the battle arena?¡± Hawa¡¯s head jerked up as soon as she heard these words. ¡°Not only did you join the audience to watch the fight instead of stopping the situation¡­¡± Tap, tap. The speed at which Chi-Woo tapped on his chair¡¯s arm with his finger increased. ¡°I heard that you even went to join the arena because you wanted to participate later on.¡± The room became even quieter than before. Everyone was looking at Hawa with shock and disbelief. They all looked like they couldn¡¯t wrap their heads around what they were hearing. If what Chi-Woo said was true, Hawa¡¯s mistakes were on another level from Eshnunna¡¯s. No, it couldn¡¯t be called a mistake. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± What everyone was thinking popped out of Chi-Woo¡¯s mouth. Hawa blinked fast. She gulped hard and thought she was fucked. But she still tried to maintain her calm to get out of the situation. ¡°Ah¡ªthat¡¯s not what¡­¡± Hawa put on an uncharacteristically soft smile when she spoke, but Chi-Woo turned his chair around to face and meet eyes with everyone at that moment. To access the premium content, go to [ pawread dot com ]. ¡°¡­Hawa, are you smiling?¡± Hawa saw it then. It was a pair of eyes that she had never seen directed at herself. Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes were wide-open and blazing with fury. CH 432 ¡°You think this is funny? Is this situation a joke to you?¡± Hawa¡¯s expression froze. She could feel a clear sense of hostility from Chi-Woo that went far beyond mere irritation, and she thought¡ª ¡°Why? Is it as fun as the battle arena?¡± It was different. Alarms rang furiously that something was different this time. The awkward smile disappeared, and Hawa lowered her head and gaze unconsciously as she didn¡¯t have the confidence to look at him anymore. ¡°Sor¡­¡± Hawa, who was about to apologize instinctively, quickly swallowed her words. Chi-Woo had already told them to not even think about saying the words ¡®yes¡¯, ¡®no¡¯, and ¡®sorry¡¯. ¡°What¡­happened¡­was¡­¡± Hawa¡¯s perpetually monotonous voice came out trembling; she desperately tried to control her breathing. What she needed to do right now was give him a clear answer. ¡°While several teams were patrolling the zone¡­I heard that there had been a couple of clashes. It didn¡¯t go as far as a full blown fight, but the atmosphere was quite harsh.¡± We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. Hawa managed to continue, ¡°At that time, I was patrolling the zone alone in the middle of the night.¡± Then Hawa fell into thought after discovering the arena. Originally, she would have immediately interfered and sorted out the situation, but the fact that she was alone made her rethink this decision. Of course, if she revealed that she was a Seven Stars member, it was unlikely for the situation to escalate out of hand, but it was questionable whether the half-demons would obediently listen to her. It was a reasonable line of thinking since the half-demons had demanded to know what they had done so wrong and yelled angrily even when Chi-Woo was the one confronting them. If it had been Hawa, they would have resisted even more fiercely. As a scout, Hawa learned to consider all possible scenarios from Chi-Hyun, so it was understandable that she would have been more cautious. After brief consideration, Hawa¡¯s conclusion was to put herself in the half-demons¡¯ shoes a little. She quietly watched the situation and suddenly jumped into the arena when she found the right timing. Then she overpowered all the demons who were fighting for food instantly, hitting only parts that would allow her to subdue them while minimizing injury. Her sudden intervention quickly cooled down the excitement, but surprisingly, the half-demons only grumbled a bit and withdrew. It was the same for the demons. Originally, they would have to fight for a long time, but it ended quickly. They were hurt less than expected, and since Hawa gave healing potions to each of them, no one had any complaints. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad method per se if the focus was on resolving the situation at hand, but the problem they were tackling was one that couldn¡¯t be treated as an isolated incident. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Chi-Woo snorted as soon as Hawa finished her explanation. ¡°Even if your words are true¡ªcouldn¡¯t you have returned to Seven Stars to request help?¡± Chi-Woo pinpointed the gap in her explanation. As he said, that solution definitely existed. ¡°Hawa.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°La Hawa.¡± Chi-Woo called Hawa one more time and asked, ¡°Are you doing this so you can return to being Shahnaz Hawa?¡± Hawa instantly raised her head back up. Hawa¡¯s last name was dependent on the god she served, and thus, Chi-Woo¡¯s words only meant one thing: it was a threat to cut off her connection with La Bella. Or in other words, take back everything he had given her so far and kick her out. And Chi-Woo truly had the power to do so, since he was La Bella¡¯s apostle who had directly absorbed La Bella¡¯s holy relic. Chi-Woo asked, ¡°Is that why you¡¯re saying nonsense now?¡± Hawa¡¯s lips trembled. It felt as if she was being cornered at the edge of a cliff; there was nowhere for her to go further back. ¡°I wanted¡­to¡­monopolize¡­the merits¡­¡± In the end, Hawa muttered her confession. This was a thought that only Hawa, who served the goddess of balance, La Bella, could think of, since Hawa¡¯s method maximized the balance between the two. However, the problem was that her decision clearly went against the direction Chi-Woo had set for them. This fact could not be denied. ¡°Because of merits¡­¡± Chi-Woo repeated blankly and sighed. He leaned into his chair with an empty laugh, ¡°Our Hawa. How amazing. You know how to juggle both sides.¡± He spoke as if he was proud, but everyone knew he wasn¡¯t complimenting her. He wondered how he should address this burn. Chi-Woo tapped his armrest with his index finger and finally said, ¡°¡­Hawa.¡± With her head down, Hawa flinched as Chi-Woo¡¯s voice became even lower. ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smart kid. So you must have known.¡± As he said, unless Hawa was really out of her mind, she probably hadn¡¯t carried out her actions while thinking, ¡®I hate the Seven Stars! I¡¯m going to ruin Chi-Woo¡¯s plan!¡¯ However, Hawa¡¯s excuse did not impress Chi-Woo. No matter what her reasons were, the consequences of her action did not change. This was not an incident that could be excused with a simple, ¡®I didn¡¯t know. It was a mistake.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think Hawa was stupid enough to believe so either, which made him even angrier. ¡°Why would you do something that I didn¡¯t even ask you to do?¡± Chi-Woo snorted again as he couldn¡¯t understand her actions even if he thought more about it. ¡°Hey.¡± Then he suddenly made a straight face and stared at Hawa. ¡°You¡­do you think you¡¯re that great?¡± Hawa was not a Seven Stars team leader. She was just one of the members of the main team led by Chi-Woo. Her only justification was that she had followed Chi-Woo for a long time, but she wasn¡¯t even the one who had been following him the longest, and her skills as well as experience was far behind the first team leader. Moreover, Ru Amuh, who could be considered the second-in-command among the Seven Stars, followed Chi-Woo¡¯s orders to the tee. ¡°¡­No, sir¡­¡± Hawa was also well aware of this fact. A mere member had committed a grave mistake that even Ru Amuh wouldn¡¯t be forgiven for. ¡°You think you can do whatever you want?¡± Hawa bit her lower lip at Chi-Woo¡¯s icy cold voice. ¡°Or.¡± Chi-Woo slowly tilted his head. ¡°Do you have any complaints about my decision?¡± ¡°N¡­¡± ¡°If you had, you should have told me then.¡± ¡°No¡­I¡­¡± ¡°If you had told me earlier, then I would have let you out of Seven Stars, and then you would be free to do whatever you want without anyone telling you off.¡± Then he said, ¡°Would you like to leave now? Seven Stars?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice softened like his usual self. At the same time, Hawa¡¯s breath stopped. He wasn¡¯t just saying this because he was angry. It wasn¡¯t a threat either; Chi-Woo really meant it. He was giving her an opportunity to settle the matter without embarrassing herself further. Of course, this wasn¡¯t something Hawa could accept. She wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it if he announced his decision to kick her out, but she sincerely desired such a thing to never happen. Now that everything was laid in the open, though, she was at the mercy of his decision. In the end, all Hawa could do was shake her head like crazy, looking at Chi-Woo with an anxious expression. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes with a long sigh. * * * How long had it been? After being tightly shut for a while, the door to Chi-Woo¡¯s office opened. Then one by one, the Seven Stars members filed out of the room. Given that everyone was exhaling the breath they had been holding, it would seem they had all found the meeting suffocating. The moment Evelyn, who was supporting Eshnunna, carefully closed the door¡ª ¡°Ugh¡ª¡± Eshnunna dropped her head and burst into tears, giving into the urge she had been suppressing so far. She tried not to cry but couldn¡¯t help it as she recalled what Chi-Woo had just told her. [I¡¯ll give you one day.] [You need to clean up your own shit, right?] [If you can¡¯t clean it up, don¡¯t come back to report to me. Pack your bags and leave by tomorrow.] [¡­If you understand, everyone get the fuck out. I can¡¯t stand the sight of you all.] His chilling last words made a particularly deep impression on her. He had said he couldn¡¯t even stand the sight of them. It was something she had never heard from him, but what was even scarier was that Chi-Woo¡¯s words didn''t feel like a simple warning. ¡°Wahh¡­wahhhh¡­.¡± Perhaps because her deep sadness rose like a tide, the tears wouldn¡¯t stop after it began to flow. The other Seven Stars members could not hide their mixed feelings as they stared at Eshnunna. When they first heard what she did, they had all planned to criticize her and ask her if she was crazy, but all such thoughts disappeared as soon as they left the office. She had been crushed brutally to the extent that they felt a bit sorry for her. Her confidence, which had been raised after becoming a proud member of the main team led by Chi-Woo himself, had been shattered right in front of everyone. Chi-Woo¡¯s chilling words had been terrifying for those merely listening to the conversation; no one even dared to imagine how the subject of the verbal beatdown must have felt. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ru Hiana?¡± ¡°¡­Uh? Uh, yeah. Okay.¡± Ru Hiana nodded with a dazed expression. She hadn¡¯t regained her senses just yet. As someone who always remembered her senior like a warm and soft spring breeze, Ru Hiana was shocked to see Chi-Woo¡¯s attitude just now. Emmanuel also hurried along. He wanted to give his own two cents, but the other members were not under his jurisdiction, and there was no reason for him to get involved. ¡°Stay extra alert for the time being.¡± The same was true for Yunael. ¡°There must be a good reason a guy who doesn¡¯t even swear usually would get that aggressive.¡± She took her teammates down the stairs and murmured quickly. ¡°Anyway, going outside is on hold as of now. We¡¯ll be living in the Demon Empire¡¯s zone for the time being.¡± Originally, Yunael had planned to go on a mission, but she changed her mind right away as she didn¡¯t want to get on Chi-Woo¡¯s bad side like those two just now. As for the remaining members¡­ ¡°Come here.¡± Evelyn hugged the remaining two, and Eshnunna jumped into her arms and cried as if she had been waiting for this moment. Hawa, who would have normally hated it and evaded her hug, quietly let her hold her. ¡°What should I do now? I really didn¡¯t mean to¡­!¡± Eshnunna sobbed. ¡°What do you mean? You need to patch up the situation well, and if you can¡¯t, you have to leave on your own. Anyway, the situation is not okay at all, but don¡¯t cry.¡± Evelyn patted Eshnunna on the back and soothed her. Hawa was quiet, but her condition was no different from Eshnunna¡¯s. Her breathing was rough and uneven, and her shoulders were frantically moving up and down. Tears dripped down soundlessly from her eyes. Even though she had experienced what the world was like at an early age, she was still a young girl. There was nothing more scary than facing the true ire of someone who usually didn¡¯t get angry. Since Evelyn was also taken aback, Hawa must have been surprised as well¡ªno, she was probably extremely shocked. Just the fact that a cold and emotionless girl like Hawa was showing her tears was evidence enough. Evalyn wanted to console them and say it would be all right and not to worry, but she didn¡¯t do that since Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t seemed to be joking. He would¡¯ve said the same thing even if it had been Ru Amuh or she who had caused this incident. If they couldn¡¯t solve this problem? Then they really would be thrown out without hesitation. Evelyn needed to save them, and there was only one way to do this¡ªto do exactly what Chi-Woo ordered them to do. Evelyn said, ¡°Let¡¯s calm down and think about the possible solutions first. We have to solve it by this time tomorrow. I¡¯ll help you, okay?¡± * * * ¡ªWow¡­ A small exclamation rang in the white space. ¡ªIsn¡¯t this¡­a new look? The soft and harmonious voice came from Mamiya. ¡ªI never expected him to behave like that. What an interesting sight. I think it was worth postponing our judgment just for that. Mamiya laughed and looked at the other gods for their reactions. ¡ªHmph. He still has a long way to go. The White Horse General snorted and grumbled. ¡ªStill¡­it¡¯s a lot better than his usual docile self. Yeah, if you¡¯re a master in name, you should at least have a side like this. However, the White Horse General didn¡¯t seem displeased. A master was a ruler and needed to draw obedience from people. The means and methods were diverse; it could be through wisdom or virtue, or it could be through power or fear. There was no correct answer. The important part was that they should always be able to show the appropriate reaction depending on the situation, and that was the type of true master that the gods thought was the most fitting for Liber¡¯s current situation, and the way Chi-Woo had behaved himself just now dispelled some of the gods¡¯ concerns. The story completely changed if this type of disposition was not missing in Chi-Woo, but rather had been hidden inside him. ¡ªIf that attitude doesn¡¯t end up being a one-time thing, and if he knows to be authoritative when the time calls for it¡­I think my conclusion about him will also change. Mamiya spoke in a slightly expectant tone and suddenly smiled. ¡ªWhat do you think¡­? He turned to La Bella to ask, but soon realized that there was no need for the question; La Bella, who had been touching her balance scale and wondering if she should throw it, had gone back to holding the scale as usual after witnessing the recent development¡ªas if she was going to wait and see for now. CH 433 The group meeting struck the Seven Stars members like a sudden storm, and right afterward, the organization saw a change more pronounced than ever. In summary, one could say that they had strengthened their surveillance around the Demon Empire¡¯s zone. The intensity of the surveillance was on another level than before. If the Seven Stars had acted like mediators in the past, now, they were all judges and punishers. No, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that they were fanatics who didn¡¯t permit any action that went against Chi-Woo¡¯s will. They didn¡¯t stop at verbal warnings and often resorted to force to carry out Chi-Woo¡¯s will. It didn¡¯t matter who they were dealing with; there were no exceptions. And because the Seven Stars were going so strong in this matter, many of the organizations antagonizing the Demon Empire were stunned. They thought the Seven Stars would back down a bit after the legend publicly revealed his stance. But instead of cowering in face of it, they were pushing their intentions greater than before. ¡°What? What¡¯s with Seven Stars?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure they know what the legend said. If they are still acting like that despite knowing that¡­¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it mean that they want to go against the legend? It really is surprising.¡± ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t know. Even if it¡¯s Seven Stars, could they match the legend¡­¡± The topic that was all the rage these days reached its height of interest. Everyone was interested in the fight between Seven Stars and the legend over the authority on Shalyh. Most thought it was impressive that Seven Stars had risen high enough to battle the legend, but that was all. No one believed that the legend would lose. Despite that, one thing was clear: the incidents that had been slowly increasing in the Demon Empire¡¯s zone dropped back to 0 again. People began to realize that the Seven Stars truly meant the warning they had given before. This novel is available on "pawread dot com". And news of this soon reached the official residence. ¡°Rumors have it that young master called all the members of the Seven Stars and was very angry¡­¡± ¡°Angry my ass,¡± Chi-Hyun smiled thinly after hearing Noel¡¯s report. ¡°I bet all he did was bark a bit. If that guy had really gotten angry, Seven Stars would¡¯ve flipped upside down¡ªnot figuratively but literally.¡± Noel looked curiously at Chi-Hyun. ¡°Then¡­my Lord, have you ever seen young master get truly angry?¡± ¡°Of course I did. That guy is my family after all.¡± ¡°How was he?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chi-Hyun swallowed what he was about to say. He recalled the times when his brother couldn¡¯t accept his destiny and resented the whole world and everything inside for it. The Chi-Woo at that time was dangerous enough to explode at the slightest tap; so dangerous that it even gave him the chills. While waiting for Chi-Hyun¡¯s response, Noel tilted her head in confusion. Chi-Hyun was suddenly trembling slightly. ¡°Noel.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°You know the general assembly addressing Shalyh residents that will be happening soon?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you willing to speak on my behalf? I will write you a script, and you can just read it out loud.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± *** Chi-Woo sat alone in his office and couldn¡¯t wipe off the smile on his face. After calling everyone and getting angry at them, the Seven Stars members¡¯ attitude changed 180 degrees. Eshnunna visited the natives she had spoken to before on the very day of the meeting and let them know her position. From the sound of it, it seemed like she had thrown her previous reputation out of the window and made a great fuss, demanding to know who had distorted her words. Hawa also sharpened her sword. After waiting all night, she suddenly ambushed, beat up, and chased away everyone attacking the Demon Empire¡¯s survivors as soon as the battle arena opened. And she didn¡¯t stop there, but instead wandered around the Demon Empire¡¯s zone and solved all sorts of problems there. She worked day and night with bloodshot eyes to correct the misunderstanding that her past action had caused. Soon, word spread that Seven Stars had released a hunting dog. The two of them weren¡¯t the only ones making a change. All the team members changed their attitude. They collaborated and decided on their shifts so that surveillance inside the Demon Empire¡¯s zone would never have a gap. Even Yeriel, who didn¡¯t have to do outside activities, felt compelled to participate without being told to do so. And after seeing all his members work in unison to carry out his command, Chi-Woo was happy, but also couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of bitterness too. They should¡¯ve done this from the beginning. Why couldn¡¯t they have listened when he was speaking nicely? These people would do well as long as they set their minds to it. Why did he have to get angry to make them act¡­? Chi-Woo pondered deeply about the difference in the way he addressed them. What was the exact difference between the first and second meetings that would produce such drastically different results? Chi-Woo was still contemplating this matter when he heard knocks on the door. The door opened, and Emmanuel came in. ¡°I apologize for visiting you so late at night, sir. I¡¯m here to give my daily patrol report¡­¡± Now, his members did things without even being told to. After finishing his report, Emmanuel was a bit taken aback; Chi-Woo was staring intently at him without saying anything. He thought perhaps he had made a mistake, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. He recalled what had happened to Eshnunna and Hawa not long ago and stood anxiously. ¡°Emmanuel,¡± Chi-Woo finally said. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡± ¡°Yes, please ask away, sir.¡± ¡°Do you remember when we first met?¡± ¡°Our first meeting¡­ Do you mean the time at the official residence?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Chi-Woo nodded. ¡°When we first met, our relationship was not like it is now.¡± ¡°Ahahaha¡­that¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°Then, your attitude instantly changed after I revealed my family name.¡± The awkward smile on Emmanuel¡¯s face immediately disappeared. ¡°Yes, that was how it was, sir.¡± Chi-Woo had actually asked this question before, but the person he was speaking to at that time was Emmanuel from the future, not the present. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°What made you change?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± *** After Emmanuel left, Chi-Woo remained in his seat. He sat there all night even past his bedtime. [If I must speak to you honestly¡­the family name ¡®Choi¡¯ was enough to change my mind and heart. Fame is not given for free and for no reason, especially at the Celestial Realm where heroes like us gather.] [The Celestial Realm is a place where existences who are judged special enough to save a world in an era are gathered. But some are always better than the others. And even those ¡®better¡¯ heroes are divided by ranks. There will be stronger heroes, even stronger heroes than them, and heroes much stronger than them all.] [In that sense, the Twelve Celestial Lights are the true victors who have won this endless battle for the title of the strongest over an immeasurable length of time. They are the peak of power. And among these twelve families, the Choi family stands at the top. They are the first family among the Celestial Lights.] [Thus, I have to admit that I couldn¡¯t help but see you in a different light after realizing that you were a member of such a family. That¡¯s the power that prestige holds. The prestige alone comes with so much power, so it¡¯s needless to say what would happen if one is able to prove that they can live up to their name.] [That¡¯s the reason I decided to follow you instead of the legend on Liber.] Emmanuel spoke frankly and plainly, and Chi-Woo got a sense of what he meant. Most people would be surprised when somebody revealed that they were descended from a great historical figure. No, it wasn¡¯t necessary to even go that far. When a famous sports player married and had a child, fans often placed their own expectations on the child and hoped the child would grow up to become a great sports player like their father or mother. This was even more so in the Celestial Realm, which placed great emphasis on bloodlines. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s why¡­¡¯ Chi-Woo¡¯s unwavering eyes slowly closed. [A master is not someone that persuades and makes others understand their decisions; rather, they draw out obedience and make people follow them.] [It¡¯s the same for justification. It¡¯s an excuse or reason to carry out an action, but it¡¯s not just limited to moral principles that one must follow. Name or status alone could be reason enough so that others would have no choice but to understand and concede your point; a justification that they have to accept even if they don¡¯t like it.] This was what Eval Sevaru had told him. [You are, well, how do I say it? You¡¯re not aware of this, but you tend to put people into very clear-cut groups. I¡¯m not saying that your personality is bad, and it doesn¡¯t matter if we were on Earth. But where you and I stand now is Liber. Don¡¯t look down on the egos of heroes.] He remembered what his brother had told him. [Being genuine also depends on the circumstances. Just bowing down isn¡¯t the answer. There are people who you should do that to and those you shouldn¡¯t.] Philip¡¯s words also passed through his mind. ¡°¡­¡± Chi-Woo had remained silent when Philip gave him this advice, but he actually knew what they meant and what they expected of him from the beginning. Chi-Woo had been made aware by Eval as well, yet Chi-Woo didn¡¯t carry out Eval¡¯s advice for one reason: he didn¡¯t want to cross the line he had maintained until now. It was his selfishness, and in the end, all he gained were the lines he had set in place. If he wanted to grab something out of reach from within his line, there were only two choices he could make. He needed to go out of the line himself to grab it, or ask somebody else to do the task for him and return to the space inside his line. However, he couldn¡¯t expect the latter this time. What he wanted right now was too immense and enormous for him to rashly ask anyone to grab it for him. And the only person capable of grabbing it was acting against his will and manipulating from behind the scenes to push Chi-Woo out of his line. [You can acknowledge your incompetence and quietly back down, or you could fight me head-on and accomplish what you want with your own hands, whoever stands in your way.] His brother had said this to him. The gods told him the same thing. Among the conditions they gave, there were two that had been unclear to him. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t known what they meant at first, but as time passed, he naturally began to understand them. The answer came to him after the current events. Like his brother, the gods were all pushing him to change. Chi-Woo really disliked this situation where he was forced to make one choice. He didn¡¯t want to make a decision, but right now, he had only one option. His mood soured the more he thought about it. He didn¡¯t want to experience something like this ever again. Then, what did he need to do to prevent something similar from happening in the future? There was no need for Chi-Woo to contemplate any longer. The answer was already given to him. All he had to do was make the decision. By the time Chi-Woo thought up to this point, the darkness that enveloped the office room had mostly cleared up. The night passed, and dawn came. Bright sunlight seeped in from the window and reflected off Chi-Woo. Then, the office door opened. Eval came to clean the room and was surprised to see Chi-Woo. He didn¡¯t expect Chi-Woo to spend the whole night in the office alone. ¡°What¡­did you not sleep, sir¡­?¡± Eval said and gave Chi-Woo a pitying look, assuming Chi-Woo must have stayed up because of deep concerns. ¡°Eval.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Tell the official residence that Seven Stars will participate in the general assembly that¡¯ll be held soon.¡± Eval¡¯s eyes turned wide at the sudden command. ¡°You want me to pass on the message to the official residence¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, officially, after taking the proper procedures.¡± A new glint appeared in Eval¡¯s flustered eyes. Chi-Woo¡¯s mood was different from yesterday''s. His worried face looked settled now, while his eyes no longer wavered. It seemed he had organized everything in his head and heart and came to a conclusion. It was like the time when the war against the coalition army became a certain future, and they were making their way outside. Chi-Woo¡¯s gaze had shone with his determination to win at all costs. Knowing that Chi-Woo had made up his mind, Eval politely bowed. ¡°¡­I understand, boss.¡± Eval left the office, and Chi-Woo smiled wide enough to reveal his teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t think of me¡­as your brother¡­I see, that was what he meant.¡± Chi-Woo understood exactly what Chi-Hyun meant then. Fine. Let it be. His mind was made up. Human natives? The Celestial Realm¡¯s heroes? Or the Cassiubia League? He would make no exception. Even if he had to force them to obey his will, he would not let anyone push him to do anything from now on. Of course, this included the legend and even the gods who looked down on everything from above. This was what he would do as the absolute ¡®Master¡¯. CH 434 The sky was clear and calm, but Shalyh had been bustling with activity since the morning. Whether the Demon Empire would stay in Shalyh or be driven out¡ªeverything was going to be decided today. Although it had been a pivotal matter garnering most of the attention of the city¡¯s residents, it wasn¡¯t the only reason there had been such a hubbub since the start of the day; the matter no longer concerned only the Demon Empire. Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo. When asked who were the most well-known human heroes at the moment, every single person would name Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo. One was a legendary hero admired by all heroes, and the other was a self-made pioneer who had made contributions that no one could replicate, albeit only limited to Liber. Moreover, Chi-Woo was not alone. He led an organization called Seven Stars that even Ho Lactea had to make way and step down for. The Seven Stars members were also renowned and amazing in their own way. Starting from Ru Amuh and Yunael Tania, who were called the rising supernovae of the Celestial Realm, there were also the Celestial Lights, Emmanuel Luciano Eustitia and Yerial Lily Dula Mariaju. And not to be left out was Onorables Evelyn, who had an esteemed reputation as the White Horse General¡¯s saintess. Shortly after Chi-Woo¡¯s public announcement, Seven Stars strengthened their surveillance in the Demon Empire¡¯s zone¡ªno, ¡®strengthened¡¯ didn¡¯t even begin to cover it. Their actions only meant one thing, and it was that they all agreed to follow Chi-Woo¡¯s will. In short, Chi-Hyun¡¯s actions could be interpreted as putting brakes on the decision made by Seven Stars, but the entire Seven Stars as a whole made it clear their rejection to that. As a result, the two giants boasting of great size and power were beginning to show signs of a full-fledged collision. Given the situation, the heroes as well as the natives and the League paid great attention to this matter. Of course, most of the residents of Shalyh were certain of Chi-Hyun¡¯s victory. In the first place, Chi-Hyun was a hero with absolute power that even the Last Dragon dared not to cross in matters related to Shalyh. One could tell just by looking at the other Celestial Lights, including Ho Lactea. Although the Celestial Lights had received immeasurable attention when they first entered Liber, the attention did not last as long as they thought it would. There was also the unique situation on Liber, where hordes of heroes entered one single world when normally one should be enough. Frankly speaking, however, it was mostly because when it came to Chi-Hyun, everyone else was simply trying to play catch-up. Chi-Hyun was a hero who had enough power and capacity to push ahead with a plan even if all the members of Shalyh opposed it. Moreover, he had the support of the majority of the residents this time. Therefore, many people talked about how even Seven Stars wouldn¡¯t be able to win this time and said, ¡®they had been too hasty¡¯, ¡®it was too premature¡¯, and other comments of the same vein. It was to the extent that some would joke, ¡®The enemy coalition was actually the fake boss, and the real boss has finally appeared.¡¯ Anyway, the die had been thrown and the water had been spilled. At the central tower, Apertum, the fate of the Demon Empire as well as the direction the two heroes would take would be decided this afternoon. Time flew by, and the sun in the middle of the sky slowly set and turned tangerine. It wasn¡¯t long before the city sank into the twilight sea. People began to gather in twos and threes in the colossal tower at the center of Shalyh. * * * ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Evelyn fixed Chi-Woo¡¯s clothes neatly and gave him a satisfied smile. ¡°It¡¯s an important occasion. You should dress appropriately.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Chi-Woo also responded with a soft smile, but the smile soon disappeared, and a dark cloud fell over his expression. Evelyn tilted her head and softly curved her eyes. ¡°What, you¡¯re back to speaking politely? Weren¡¯t you going to speak informally to everyone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a private setting.¡± ¡°You talk informally to the others in private as well.¡± ¡°But Lady Evelyn, you¡¯re older than them¡ª¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Chi-Woo paused for a moment. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Evelyn smiled brightly. Although she had an alluring smile on her face that would mesmerize all onlookers, Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t help but shudder. It was only for a moment, but he got goosebumps all over his body. It was even more pressure than when he faced Bael head-on. Chi-Woo thought for a second that Evelyn had gone back to her Abyss Witch days even though he knew that was impossible. ¡°That¡¯s so mean. How can you say that when you¡¯re the one who brought me back to life as a human?¡± Evelyn glared at Chi-Woo when he said nothing. ¡°You should consider my age when I died as my current age. At that time, I was a beautiful maiden at the tender age of eighteen.¡± Chi-Woo wanted to say, ¡®the age of your body may be so, but the age of your soul is¡ª,¡® but he obediently nodded. Even Chi-Woo with all his denseness knew that in cases like this, his only response should be ¡®yeah lol¡¯. ¡°And about speaking formally only to me in private¡ªit¡¯s nice because it feels like I¡¯m receiving special treatment, but you should at least leave out Lady and just call me Evelyn.¡± It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com". ¡°Then what about Ms. Evelyn?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What about Ms. Onorables?¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse.¡± ¡°¡­I see, Evelyn.¡± ¡°Good. Good boy.¡± Only then was Evelyn satisfied, and she stood on tippy toes to pat Chi-Woo¡¯s head. How dare she pat the leader of an organization on the head like a dog? Chi-Woo was about to assert his dignity as the Seven Star leader, but gave up because Evelyn was way too pretty. He had the thought every time he looked at her, but she really was a mesmerizing woman. That had been true when she was a witch, and it was still the same after she was resurrected as a saintess. It was to the extent that he wanted to request a portrait of her and made it a family heirloom to be passed down generation after generation. Evelyn smiled, and after dropping her hands, she continued, ¡°I should reward a good boy like you.¡± She leaned close to Chi-Woo, making him nervous, and then whispered something into his ears as if she was sharing a secret. When Evelyn moved away from him, Chi-Woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t completely guarantee it, but there¡¯s a high possibility¡­ So how about it, do you think it¡¯ll help?¡± ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯ll be worth a try to bring it up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. It was worth the risk.¡± Chi-Woo nodded as he stared at Evelyn¡¯s bright beam. Frankly, Chi-Woo had always trusted Evelyn. It wasn¡¯t just because she was beautiful. She was the one member of Seven Stars who knew his will and understood him better than anyone, and she devoted herself to helping him. In fact, Philip had also told him recently that Chi-Woo had been benefiting from Evelyn as she had consistently and continuously cared for the natives and raised Seven Stars¡¯ favor among them. ¡°Now that we¡¯re ready, shall we go?¡± Evelyn spun around and slapped Chi-Woo on the back. Chi-Woo began moving. When he went outside, everyone was waiting for him with Eval Sevaru in the lead. They all looked nervous, and in particular, Eshnunna and Hawa were maintaining their positions like trained soldiers. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t particularly glance at them, and after exchanging a look with Eval Sevaru, they left the main gate with the members following behind him. Numerous gazes fell on them as they went their way, but Chi-Woo walked forward with his eyes never straying from the front. Soon after, a magnificent tower appeared. Chi-Woo¡¯s expression became determined as the entrance of Apertum slowly became closer. He was going to win. And conquer. * * * Apertum. It was the tower built by Zelit as a space open for everyone; the number of visitors to Apertum was several fold more than those who went to the official residence. It was a place where one¡¯s rank determined their level of privileges, while it was also an extrajudicial place where no one could use that to exercise their authority. This was also the reason Eval Sevaru had changed the venue of the general meeting from the official residence to Apertum. The official residence was the building where Chi-Hyun resided, and naturally, there was a symbolic meaning to the place the legend lived in. Since going to the official residence was equivalent to crossing enemy lines, Eval Sevaru thought Apertum with its neutral status was the better choice for the meeting. Chi-Hyun accepted Seven Stars'' requests to change locations. However, it wasn¡¯t without condition. In exchange for moving the general assembly to Apertum, Chi-Hyun would use his innate ability, image representation, at the venue. In other words, Chi-Hyun was explicitly declaring that he would make the venue his territory. Of course, Eval Sevaru vehemently opposed it, but he had no choice but to accept the additional term after hearing Chi-Hyun¡¯s justification: ¡®This matter is being watched with keen interest by all residents of Shalyh.¡¯ ¡®Even if it is difficult to hear everyone¡¯s opinions, allowing them to observe the process and make them understand the outcome will prevent further problems from developing later on.¡¯ ¡®However, Apertum isn¡¯t big enough to accommodate everyone, so what¡¯s the problem with arbitrarily expanding the capacity?¡¯ In short, Chi-Hyun was saying that he would have done the same even if the general assembly had been held at the official residence, so Eval Sevaru had no choice but to bite down his opposition and accept Chi-Hyun¡¯s term. Anyway, it already made a significant difference that the location had changed from the official residence to Apertum. As a result, the top floor of Apertum where the general assembly was to be held was currently abuzz with great commotion. It wasn¡¯t only the Celestial Realm heroes; the League and the majority of the natives had also entered. If the enemy attacked and blew up Apertum now, 70-80% of the population of Shalyh would die then and there. Moreover, as Chi-Hyun declared previously, the top floor of Apertum had been changed according to Chi-Hyun¡¯s taste. Under such circumstances, Zelit¡¯s schedule was extremely hectic. Today, at the request of Chi-Hyun, he was in charge of the overall hosting of the meeting. Besides the hosting, it was the first time that so many people were coming in, so there were many things that he needed to pay attention to. And among this frenzy, he received a notification. Zelit¡¯s eyes widened when he hurriedly checked the message. Then he cleared his throat and spoke up. ¡ªQuiet! A voice amplified with mana rang out. ¡ªThe general assembly is about to begin. Everyone, please be quiet! Zelit spoke as loud as he could, but his cry only echoed hollowly. Since there were so many people, he couldn¡¯t control them at all. Then at that moment¡­ ¡ªEveryone. Suddenly, someone spoke from a higher place. ¡ªSilence. A heavy and solemn voice with far more powerful mana than Zelit¡¯s rang out¡ªit was Chi-Hyun. Since it was a space he created, Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice clearly reached everyone, even those sitting at the furthest corner. As a result, what had been like a bustling marketplace instantly quieted. The heavy silence brought indescribable pressure, and Zelit gulped. A word. A single word was all it took to make everyone shut their mouths as if they had all rehearsed it beforehand. This was proof that Chi-Hyun had completely taken control of the space. Just how far could he go in this space¡­? Zelit fell into thought and shook his elongated head. He wanted to help Chi-Woo, but he couldn¡¯t. The host must be fairer and more neutral than anyone else. In the midst of this silence, everyone suddenly heard footsteps, and they turned to where the sounds were coming from. Following the approaching footsteps, a figure appeared at the entrance. The moment he entered Chi-Hyun¡¯s image representation, Chi-Woo¡¯s view changed completely. The huge circular space, reminiscent of a dome stadium, was quite dim. Excluding the Celestial Lights and the top leaders of the League, who had been treated as some sort of VIPs and seated closer to the front, it was hard to make out who were sitting in the filled stairwell seats in all directions. There was only one place where the light shone. It was the towering round stage in the center. However, the central stage was higher than expected; so much so that it allowed Chi-Hyun to look down on everything. Chi-Woo tilted his head and looked up, frowning when he saw his brother standing tall on the central platform and looking down at him. At the perfect timing, he saw a long staircase going up to the stage right in front of him. Was his brother telling him to go up there? As he was about to take a step forward¡ª Flash! Suddenly, the light went off, then another spot was illuminated; not the stage but way below, or more precisely, the bottom of the stairs. Chi-Woo narrowed his eyes. He clearly understood Chi-Hyun¡¯s actions, which meant, ¡®This is where you stand in this space.¡¯ His brother was looking down on him, but Chi-Woo had no choice but to look up at his brother. The intention behind Chi-Hyun¡¯s action was crystal clear. Though it was a treatment that made his lips twist into a bitter smile, Chi-Woo started moving without causing a scene. He stood where the light shone on and looked up confidently. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ If he wanted to be the one standing up there, he could just climb up and steal it from Chi-Hyun, so his current position was irrelevant. As soon as this general assembly was over, their positions would be reversed. He had come here with that intention in the first place. There was a bit of a stir at Chi-Woo¡¯s entrance, but soon, a dead silence returned to the hall. The indescribable tension it brought broke Zelit out of his reverie. He came back to his senses, took a deep breath, and finally opened his mouth. ¡ªThen starting from now. ¡ªWe will begin the general assembly on the agenda of the reexamination and treatment of the Demon Empire¡¯s survivors after their entry. And like this, the clash between Choi Chi-Hyun and Choi Chi-Hyun, not as two brothers but two giants, officially began. CH 435 ¡°I will go first,¡± Chi-Hyun said as soon as the general assembly began. ¡°First of all, let me confirm the facts.¡± Chi-Hyun immediately got to the point. He wasn¡¯t the type to drag things out, and he thought the result of this assembly would probably be decided in ten minutes. ¡°A month ago, the Demon Empire expressed to us their willingness to surrender. Seven Stars dictated on their own to accept the Demon Empire¡¯s surrender and all the processes that surrounded it. Do you agree with this point?¡± Chi-Hyun asked, and Chi-Woo looked irked. ¡°On our own?¡± Chi-Woo¡¯s voice also turned sharper. ¡°I acknowledge that I led the process of accepting the Demon Empire¡¯s survivors, but not that we acted on our own.¡± The two clashed fiercely from the start. ¡°So, you won¡¯t admit that you acted one-sidedly.¡± Chi-Hyun smiled faintly after hearing Chi-Woo¡¯s response. ¡°Of course, you went through the hurdle of asking several groups for their understanding. Yet that process was flawed, and rather than persuading them, it seemed more like Seven Stars was one-sidedly relaying their views and enforcing their stance,¡± Chi-Hyun continued, ¡°Thus, it seems right to say that Seven Stars did act on their own.¡± Unlike his carefree, relaxed tone, Chi-Hyun was also feeling tense from the inside. Perhaps that shouldn¡¯t matter in this case, but Chi-Hyun had never beaten Chi-Woo in an argument before. He knew the reason for it too and was aware of the methods his brother often utilized to win. First, Chi-Woo heard his opponent out till the end. After listening to each word carefully, he confirmed the facts once more. ¡®You said that, right? Right?¡¯ And after confirming his opponent¡¯s claims, Chi-Woo would begin his rebuttal. In other words, when arguing with his brother, Chi-Hyun wouldn¡¯t be able to take back his words once he spoke them. Thus, he needed to be careful about every word that he used. ¡°This is the reason why I decided to step onto this stage.¡± In times like this, he shouldn¡¯t give his opponent anything to latch onto and turn against him. ¡°It¡¯s true that I delegated this decision of accepting the Demon Empire to other groups, including Seven Stars. Yet Seven Stars didn¡¯t take enough consideration of the opinions of the Shalyh residents when leading the process.¡± With this statement, Chi-Woo could no longer say that he simply did what he was told to do by Chi-Hyun. Chi-Woo closed his eyes momentarily and inhaled deeply. He didn¡¯t like the current situation. It felt like he was being interrogated as a defendant in court. Rather than an assembly, this was more like a public hearing. ¡°It isn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t consider the opinions of the Shalyh residents.¡± Chi-Woo opened his eyes with a long sigh. ¡°But I was aware that my decision went against the general sentiments.¡± ¡°I am curious about the reason.¡± With this, the opening was over, and they were diving into the main topic. ¡°Is there more for me to say?¡± Chi-Woo replied. ¡°An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. It¡¯s a saying I like. I believe that those who did wrong should be punished. And if those survivors of the Demon Empire had committed a crime, I would¡¯ve empathized with all your views and made a decision accordingly. Yet the fact is that they didn¡¯t commit a crime.¡± The Demon Empire captured humans and made them live miserable lives as slaves. Yet there were rare great demons among them who didn¡¯t do such. They protected humans and took them under their wings like they would the demons in their territories. An example of such was Purupuru¡¯s territory, which Chi-Woo had visited, and such instances were proven without much doubt with testimonies of former slaves from these territories. ¡°So,¡± a cold smile formed on Chi-Hyun¡¯s lips, ¡°Is that your only reason?¡± Was that all Chi-Woo could come up with after coming to this stage? Chi-Woo met Chi-Hyun¡¯s chilling eyes and gritted his teeth. ¡°No, I have one more point to make, sir.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone here remembers the time when the Demon Empire first attempted to invade Shalyh.¡± When the Demon Empire first assessed that it was time to crush humanity, they headed to Shalyh. Because they were able to predict the Demon Empire¡¯s moves beforehand, however, humanity and the Cassiubia League achieved an easy victory and crushed the Demon Empire mercilessly. ¡°The person who gave me the most important information at that time was the great demon named Shersha, who is currently in Shalyh,¡± Chi-Woo continued. ¡°We have to consider this matter as a precedent.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Though the Demon Empire, Abyss, and the Sernitas united under a coalition recently, there are definitely individuals from these factions who don¡¯t think well of their group¡¯s decision. There are those who think Liber can¡¯t be handed over to aliens and must wholly exist only for those born here,¡± Chi-Woo continued. ¡°There are certainly great demons in the Demon Empire who wish for that, and some have in fact proven that by helping us. There¡¯s no reason that might not be the case for Abyss.¡± There were always those who held contrary opinions from the majority in any organization. In order to make such individuals actually act on their thoughts, there needed to be a path for them to live after taking actions. What would happen if they killed those who switched sides and helped them? It would send a message to everyone else thinking about switching sides that they mustn¡¯t act on their thoughts¡ªthat they must stay loyal to their factions. Thus, humanity and the League must treat those who went as far as to defect with proper respect and care. At the least, they needed to provide these individuals with a way to live and aid their assimilation. Chi-Woo¡¯s words had a clear effect on the audience, and they began to murmur. Chi-Woo just highlighted the possibilities of forces inside the Abyss who opposed the Sernitas. The enemy of my enemy was a friend. It would be a huge help to them if even one chasm following the Abyss King switched sides. Chi-Hyun looked a bit taken aback. His brother had brought up a new and fresh perspective that he hadn¡¯t expected. But there wasn¡¯t anything more to it. If that was all his brother prepared, in five minutes, Chi-Woo would be sitting with his shoulder slouching, looking defeated and sad. While scanning the murmuring audience, Chi-Woo met eyes with Evelyn, who was sitting close to the central stage. He was able to make the point he just brought up thanks to her. Evelyn had told him that she felt there was something off when seeing the Abyss King in the recent war and investigated what was going on inside the Abyss. With the investigation, she unearthed a couple of important pieces of information. It was news that there was a structural change after the disappearance of the Abyss Queen. This was the secret Evelyn had whispered to him earlier and the foundation of the argument that Chi-Woo just brought up to his audience. ¡°How na?ve.¡± Yet the noisy audience immediately became quiet when Chi-Hyun uttered only one line. ¡°It¡¯s as if I¡¯m seeing a newbie who just rose to the Celestial Realm recently.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his face remained ice cold. He nodded. ¡°A hero¡¯s true duty is to save a world from a crisis. I admit that. But¡ª ¡± His words took a turn as he enunciated each syllable clearly. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Nevertheless. And I do mean nevertheless, saving a world isn¡¯t the end.¡± Chi-Hyun spoke like a teacher chiding a disciple. ¡°You have to also consider the process it took to reach your goal. One can¡¯t use any means possible to achieve salvation. That wouldn¡¯t be proper salvation.¡± Chi-Hyun continued. ¡°You must walk the path that everyone can accept. Only then will we all get closer to the ideal that everyone wishes for. Walking such a path is not that difficult. You must never compromise what you believe is right.¡± Chi-Woo looked at his brother with disbelief, but Chi-Hyun simply met his eyes straight-on. How could a guy speak like that after making all that trouble in the past? ¡°You said it yourself¡ªthat the human natives are heroes.¡± Since he hadn¡¯t been expecting an answer anyways, Chi-Hyun immediately continued. ¡°It¡¯s as you said. We from the Celestial Realm aren¡¯t the only heroes. The Cassiubia League who shed blood while fighting alongside us and the human natives who supported us quietly from behind are heroes just like us.¡± Chi-Hyun cleared his throat. ¡°A hero¡¯s duty isn¡¯t simply to defeat the crisis endangering a world. They also have the responsibility of turning a ruined world back to normalcy. This means that we must also consider what will happen after this world¡¯s salvation.¡± Chi-Hyun said firmly. ¡°And on that note, the Demon Empire is an impurity that doesn¡¯t suit the rightful and orderly salvation of this world. This is, of course, true for the Sernitas and the Abyss as well. Anyone can see that by looking at Liber¡¯s history.¡± Chi-Hyun explained, ¡°The Demon Empire had fought consistently for dominance over the Middle World with humanity since the beginning of history. They bared their fangs at humanity every chance they had, and there were many times when the world almost fell into ruins because of them. They had shown insatiable greed to swallow up this beautiful planet and for thousands of years, they had been playing the role the Sernitas are playing now.¡± Members of humanity and the Cassiubia League looked deeply sympathetic to Chi-Hyun¡¯s words. The Demon Empire was an enemy their ancestors had fought against to protect the Middle World. Even if they joined hands right now, who knew what would happen once the Demon Empire recovered their power? ¡°Even when Liber was faced with the greatest crisis it had ever faced, they never made a different decision. In other words, it¡¯s not only out of a simple sense of revenge that we are rejecting the Demon Empire.¡± Chi-Hyun¡¯s voice was authoritative and firm. ¡°Thus, the judgment I made is simple.¡± Chi-Hyun tore his gaze off Chi-Woo and looked around before continuing, ¡°We are the only ones qualified and entitled to decide what would happen to this world after its salvation. And the vast majority of us decided that we can¡¯t trust the Demon Empire.¡± Chi-Hyun met the countless gazes pouring onto him. His cold voice was soon strengthened with more force as he declared, ¡°We can¡¯t accept the Demon Empire for the future we envision. Thus, we have to administer punishments befitting their crimes and kill all of them to the last survivor, uprooting them out of existence.¡± Chi-Hyun clenched his fist and raised it in the air. ¡°This is the proper conclusion. For a healthy and bountiful future, everyone gather your hearts¡ª¡± Chi-Hyun shouted while imbuing mana into his voice. ¡°As heroes!¡± In reality, this was all part of a not-so-noteworthy performance. However, it was scary when a person who didn¡¯t usually get angry got mad, and the unexpected nature of his outburst gave his words greater gravity as his mana-filled voice rang inside the enclosure. ¡ªWaaaaaaaah! A thunderous applause was followed by a thunderous cheer. They went beyond simply clapping. They all thought they were working for a brilliant, shining future that existed only for them, and the entire audience¡ªthe human natives and the Cassiubia League¡ªgot up, raising both arms and shouting their hearts out. The heroes from the Celestial Realm were the first ones to start as they had always admired and praised the legend. They shouted, ¡®As expected of the Choi family! He lives up to his name!¡¯ and clapped. ¡ªThe legend! The legend! The legend! The legend! Soon, the stadium burst into a frenzy. All of them cheered for Chi-Hyun in their own ways and waved their raised arms. Whether Chi-Hyun spoke from his heart or not, his words exactly expressed what the vast majority of the audience was feeling, and they celebrated him for giving them voice. Of course, there were exceptions who didn¡¯t sympathize with the rest of the audience. For instance, Apoline sat cross-legged in her seat with her arms crossed like she wasn¡¯t pleased by the current situation while glancing behind her. Meanwhile, Alice was clutching both hands and praying for Chi-Woo. Yet they were the minority. The entire venue soon became one that existed solely for Chi-Hyun. Chi-Hyun heard his name being called from all over the place and looked below him. ¡®How is it?¡¯ he thought, looking at Chi-Woo while he was standing still. ¡®Will you be able to overturn this situation¡­?¡¯ But that was where Chi-Hyun¡¯s thought came to a halt. He thought for sure Chi-Woo would look flustered and would be twiddling his thumbs, not knowing what to do. Yet Chi-Woo was smiling. He hadn¡¯t seen wrong. Chi-Woo was smirking and chuckling soundlessly. ¡°You¡¯re laughing?¡± Chi-Hyun spoke out loud, and the commotion died down slightly. ¡°Ah¡ªit¡¯s just so funny,¡± Chi-Woo replied. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°How could I not find all this hilarious?¡± Chi-Woo shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s as if I¡¯m seeing a stadium with stuffed pigs.¡± The settling commotions instantly died down. ¡°¡­Stuffed pigs?¡± Chi-Hyun furrowed. That was a strong remark¡ªfar beyond the line. ¡°Even though you are a war hero, you can¡¯t justify unwarranted insults.¡± ¡°Well, I apologize for that part. Anyways, thank you for your speech. I listened to it well,¡± Chi-Woo easily apologized and let out a deep sigh. Then, he repeated the words he had just heard. ¡°You say that we are all heroes¡­and thus, we are the only ones who can decide this world¡¯s future¡­¡± Chi-Woo looked up at Chi-Hyun. ¡°That¡¯s your point, right?¡± Chi-Hyun flinched and realized it then: Chi-Woo was just getting started. CH 436 Chi-Hyun tried not to answer. He had said those words, but wasn¡¯t sure how they could be used against him. In cases like this, it was best not to say anything. At that moment, the host, who had been quiet so far, opened his mouth and said, ¡°Please give an answer.¡± ¡®¡­Why is this punk suddenly intervening after being quiet so far?¡¯ However, Chi-Hyun was the one who had asked Zelit to moderate the discussion. In the end, Chi-Hyun was forced to answer, ¡°That¡¯s right, but before you continue, you need to explain yourself for the insult just now.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t calling that an insult going too far? I just told the truth as it is.¡± ¡°What are you specifically referring to?¡± ¡°I said that because there are some double standards involved,¡± Chi-Woo continued. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this when we collaborated with an enemy other than the Demon Empire, right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the Sernitas and Abyss, you should refrain from making any hasty speculation. Even if it¡¯s not the Demon Empire, anyone¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making a hasty speculation,¡± Chi-Woo cut him off. ¡°Do you remember how the seventh recruits joined the earlier recruits?¡± After getting out of the forest, the seventh recruits settled down in a fortress near the border. However, this fortress did not make a good long-term base. Thus, they recaptured the capital of the former Salem Kingdom, and the seventh recruits were able to join the previous recruits there. ¡°It was entirely thanks to the Abyss that the previous recruits were able to safely reach the capital of the former Salem Kingdom.¡± As he said, the heroes who had arrived earlier were only able to travel across the dangerous path crawling with lurking enemies thanks to Evelyn, who had been the witch of the Abyss at the time; she had personally led an army to occupy the attention of the Demon Empire. ¡°I was the one who made a deal with the Abyss,¡± Chi-Woo quickly went on, ¡°No one took issue with that at the time.¡± There was no need to even mention the reason why. ¡°It was because we were so neck-deep in our problems that we were thankful for even a small reprieve we could earn by holding an enemy¡¯s hand. The fact that we still have a long way to go is the same now as it was then. But just because we have settled down somewhat and overcome a crisis that almost extinguished us once, our attitudes instantly changed. So tell me, how is everyone not acting as anything but a stuffed pig?¡± When they were hungry, they would eat anything without being choosy, but now that the situation had changed, their attitude completely flipped. Though he understood what Chi-Woo meant, Chi-Hyun¡¯s attitude remained unchanged. ¡°I already told you. The Abyss and the Demon Empire are in different categories.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Chi-Woo immediately refuted. ¡°The Demon Empire was our enemy, and the Abyss is still our enemy. They both joined forces with Sernitas and targeted us. It¡¯s the same as before. What are you saying that¡¯s so different?¡± ¡°Even if they¡¯re all our enemies, the shared past is different. This is the first time that the Abyss has emerged as an enemy of humanity on Liber, but that¡¯s not the case for the Demon Empire. Therefore, the extent of antagonism is bound to be different.¡± Chi-Woo let out a hollow laugh at Chi-Hyun¡¯s explanation. ¡°That¡¯s funny. If past grievances are more important than our present realities, why are we gathered together in this city? And why did the League gather at the Cassiubia Mountain Range?¡± Would humanity or the League have joined forces like this if the situation hadn¡¯t gotten to this point? The answer was no. Humanity as well as the League were both races that had at one point hated and fought with each other, just like Eshnunna¡¯s Salem Kingdom and Shahnaz Hawa¡¯s nomadic tribe had been hostile to each other in the past. The half-demon tribe was a good example as well. Moreover, those three examples were far from the only ones; there were most likely a lot more. And yet they were now together under one banner for a single purpose. ¡°I¡¯m saying the same standard should be applied to this instance; just as you put aside the past for a while and held hands with each other to survive. We¡¯re all still hungry. It¡¯s not time for us to be picky about a hot or cold meal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter that can be simply compared to a cold meal,¡± Chi-Hyun said flatly. ¡°What you say sounds reasonable at first, but being rational does not necessarily mean that you are right. It¡¯s arrogant to think that everyone will think like you.¡± He softly continued, ¡°If the Demon Empire had fought alongside us from the very beginning, your words would have sounded more convincing than they are now. But no, they hadn¡¯t done that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The demons have committed all kinds of atrocities so far. And their attempt to attack us even ended up leading to their downfall. However, you want us to accept them so that they could lend us a little strength now? No matter what the current situation is like, that¡¯s a demand that clearly exceeds our psychological and emotional tolerance.¡± Chi-Woo closed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I have to tell you this for you to understand, but¡­¡± Then he opened his eyes wide, the muscles in his neck tensing. ¡°The Demon Empire survivors who had expressed their willingness to surrender did not commit the atrocities you mentioned. Rather, they helped us, took care of our family, and even tried to gather and help them escape as much as possible!¡± Chi-Hyun groaned. From the spirit he was showing, Chi-Woo seemed ready to even reveal that Chi-Hyun had temporarily teamed up with Bael and accepted her as a comrade in the past. ¡°¡­Even so, our will is firm.¡± Chi-Hyun thought this topic would only lead to his disadvantage, so he decided to wrap it up here. ¡°Even if we can cooperate right now as you said, no one knows what will happen later.¡± In short, he was saying that there was no need to take risks considering what would come after Liber¡¯s salvation. ¡°Therefore, there is no place for the Demon Empire in the future that we¡¯ve pictured. The absolute majority think so and hope this will be the case.¡± ¡°Is what the majority wants the right thing to do?¡± It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°That¡¯s a dumb question. We¡¯re not here to discuss right or wrong. If both of us have good reasoning, what more should we base it on?¡± ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you just tell me the truth?¡± Chi-Woo gritted his teeth. ¡°The majority just needs someone to vent all their emotions and anger at.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t say you¡¯re completely wrong, but I¡¯d like to correct one part. Our anger is perfectly justified, and the Demon Empire is only getting the punishment it deserves.¡± Chi-Woo sighed. What Chi-Hyun just said was no different from declaring, ¡®No matter how hard you bark, I¡¯ll definitely kill the Demon Empire.¡¯ In this sense, none of his words got through to him. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying.¡± Chi-Woo glared at Chi-Hyun for a while and sighed. ¡°In any case, the Demon Empire must endure our anger no matter what. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± He wasn¡¯t asking Chi-Hyun. ¡°Does everyone agree with that?¡± There was no answer, but the silence was in itself an affirmative. Chi-Woo read the mood of the crowd and nodded. ¡°In that case, I see.¡± ¡°If all of you must kill the Demon Empire survivors who are seeking refuge at Shalyh even though they¡¯re different from the Demon Empire members as we know it, and if you¡¯re just doing this because all the targets of your anger have disappeared, and you need a punching bag¡ªand if you know that it¡¯s not the Demon Empire survivors who committed those atrocities but still choose to blame it all on them¡ª¡± If that really was their reason, then Chi-Woo had only one thing to say to them. ¡°Then all right, Seven Stars will accept the decision of the general assembly.¡± The stadium fell into a commotion at his sudden declaration. Chi-Hyun¡¯s eyes also narrowed. However, Chi-Woo wasn''t done yet. ¡°And I will propose another agenda here today. As soon as the Demon Empire¡¯s punishment is over, Seven Stars will leave Shalyh.¡± That was a bomb dropped out of nowhere. Chi-Woo announced that the Seven Stars would leave Shalyh and walk their own path. The audience quickly grew even noisier with the shocking declaration Chi-Woo made out of the blue. Chi-Hyun also looked as if he doubted his ears. He even looked a bit disappointed. ¡°How ridiculous. Are you throwing a tantrum?¡± ¡°What do you mean a tantrum?¡± Unlike them, Chi-Woo was extremely calm. ¡°This is a place where even if individuals didn¡¯t commit a crime, they are punished just for the fact that they were part of a group that did wrong.¡± He continued calmly, ¡°In that sense, isn¡¯t Shalyh a place for those who committed war crimes? How can I bear to live together with them?¡± ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± Even Chi-Hyun was aghast this time; he had hoped Chi-Woo would cross the line, but that was too far even by Chi-Hyun¡¯s standards. Chi-Woo was essentially turning everyone sitting here into enemies. Chi-Hyun had no idea what the hell Chi-Woo was thinking. If Chi-Woo was acting like this because he was too angry and couldn¡¯t control his emotions, he had made an irreversible mistake. ¡°I clearly told you before. To watch what you say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m making up stories. All I did was relay the facts as they were.¡± ¡°What part of that is the truth?¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t reply to Chi-Hyun¡¯s question right away and let the silence stretch. When he felt the heat flowing and began to boil around him, he smiled brightly. However, his smile lasted only for a moment; soon, his expression turned deathly serious, and he shouted, ¡°Ru Amuh!¡± Shortly after, the tightly shut entrance opened with a bang, and a handsome blond man strode in with three leashes in his hand. The three people he was dragging were in a complete mess; they couldn¡¯t even walk properly. Ru Amuh dropped them roughly in front of Chi-Woo, where the light allowed everyone to clearly see them. The audience briefly forgot their anger and focused on the newcomers. In an instant, all eyes were on them. ¡°These are heroes from the Celestial Realm like us,¡± Chi-Woo said, ¡°And they recently trespassed into the Demon Empire¡¯s zone and attempted to rape a girl.¡± The audience erupted into greater commotion, and Chi-Woo continued, ¡°According to the demon who chased them out, they took off all her clothes and were laughing and deciding their order with rock, paper, scissors.¡± If what Chi-Woo said was true, no excuses could be made; it was a clear war crime. Chi-Hyun finally recognized Chi-Woo¡¯s intention and tried to hurriedly intervene, ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± However, Chi-Woo immediately cut him off as he knew what Chi-Hyun would say. ¡°That¡¯s the enemy. We¡¯re just merely returning to them what we also experienced. So it doesn¡¯t matter. Are you going to say that?¡± He gently raised the corners of his mouth and asked, ¡°Then what about this? What about the heroes who forced their allies, the natives, to sacrifice themselves even though they refused?¡± Chi-Hyun frowned at Chi-Woo¡¯s question. ¡°Don¡¯t muddle the discussion. I don¡¯t intend to defend this incident, but for what happened at that time, there was at least a greater cause for their actions. It¡¯s obviously different from war crimes.¡± ¡°For the greater cause, the greater cause¡­then let me ask you two more questions.¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head and asked, ¡°What about the heroes¡¯ demand for sexual favors toward native women?¡± The commotion disturbing the hall stopped for a while. Chi-Woo took advantage of the silence to raise his voice one level higher, ¡°What about trying to force the princess of a fallen kingdom, who had gathered and led the remaining natives for us, to sleep with them in exchange for help?¡± He wasn¡¯t just making up stories; the fact that he specifically identified those involved was proof that he was making true accounts¡­ Moreover, everyone was well aware that given the current circumstances, things like that were more than likely to happen. ¡°Should these actions also be seen as noble and great actions for this world¡¯s salvation and Liber¡¯s future?¡± Chi-Hyun shut his mouth for the first time. The hall became even more chaotic at his silence. Unlike the Celestial Realm heroes, who had shut their mouths and become silent, the League and the natives became even more rambunctious. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t miss this either. ¡°Why are the League and natives causing such a stir?¡± At his sudden question, the League and natives all responded with a confused expression. ¡°Are you all so innocent?¡± Everyone scowled and narrowed their eyes. From the Demon Empire to Celestial Realm heroes, and now, the target suddenly shifted to them. There were probably some of them who thought, ¡®What about you?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in advance. Yes, I have nothing to be ashamed of. Since I entered Liber, I can confidently say that I have done nothing that I would be ashamed of under this sky.¡± Then he asked again, ¡°What about you all?¡± This was the limit of Chi-Hyun¡¯s patience. As Chi-Hyun thought, Chi-Woo had already crossed the line way too far. The audience had merely come here as observers, but suddenly became the accused. There was no way they would just stand still. ¡ªThat¡¯s completely ludicrous! ¡ªEven if you are telling the truth, that¡¯s only the sins of a few bad actors! ¡ªWhat a faulty logic based on hasty generalization! ¡ªYes. How can you treat us all like criminals just because a few people acted like that? Do you think that¡¯s right? ¡ªDon¡¯t muddle the point with your shrewd words! All kinds of criticism poured out towards Chi-Woo. Amid a flurry of attacks with various abusive language mixed in, Chi-Woo stood unshakable. Rather, he felt a little dejected that their response was exactly as he had expected. ¡°How funny.¡± He smiled blandly. ¡°Do you really think they¡¯re the minority?¡± Chi-Woo turned around 360 degrees. ¡°Are you really that confident?¡± He took in all of them and said, ¡°I serve La Bella, the goddess of balance who is fairer and more neutral than anyone else, and I¡¯m her apostle.¡± At that moment, magic happened. ¡°If I take each and every one of you currently residing in Shalyh to La Bella and ask her for her judgment, and when the results come out¡ªwill you all react the same way as you do now?¡± It was a magic that instantly silenced the audience, who were about to rise and furiously protest. It wasn¡¯t just the Celestial Realm heroes. People were the same no matter where they were, especially in a world like this. On Liber, all the states that originally ruled the middle world were destroyed, leaving the land lawless. Anything could happen in a world like this, and it wouldn¡¯t be strange. Whether it was losing all hope and surrendering oneself to their desires, or committing atrocities for survival; the natives and League members were no different from the Celestial Realm heroes in this regard. On the contrary, they could be seen as even worse than the Celestial Realm heroes. No one could guarantee what had happened in places where the majority of people¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t reach, or if there was really anyone who hadn¡¯t had a single experience killing and stealing from others or allowing their instincts and desires to get the better of them. Only then did Chi-Woo¡¯s question, ¡®Are you all innocent? Are you really that confident?¡¯ finally reach their hearts. The noisy hall became still as death. A powerless person¡¯s shouts were nothing more than a dog¡¯s bark. Coming from a powerful being who had the potential and ability to carry out their will, however, it became a threat. What if Chi-Woo really made good of his words? Then it was guaranteed that at least a third of the current audience would disappear, and that was the lowest estimate. In other words, those who deserved punishment were not the ¡®minority¡¯, but might be a ¡®greater majority¡¯ than expected. And Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t finished. ¡°By the way, those who wanted to punish the entire Demon Empire through guilt by association are now talking about the error of hasty generalization when they become the target¡­¡± It seemed as if he was talking to himself, but Chi-Woo murmured for everyone to hear him. The audience flinched at his biting remark. ¡°...It would have been really great if you could have applied that same standard to the Demon Empire. So that there could be some consistency.¡± Dead silence flowed throughout the whole audience, and the volatile atmosphere instantly cooled. ¡°You all said you wanted a healthy future for Liber.¡± Chi-Woo scanned the venue and continued, ¡°For the results to be healthy, the process must be healthy too. If the process is not just, the results cannot be just either.¡± He looked up at the central stage where the bright light shone. ¡°What do you think? Oh great legend.¡± Then everyone¡¯s eyes shifted to one person again, towards the individual who willingly stepped forward for their own sake. Yeah. If it was him, if it was the legend, he would say something for their sake. Expectant gazes poured to Chi-Hyun from all sides. However, Chi-Hyun¡¯s lips remained sealed shut. ¡°¡­¡± He simply stared down at Chi-Woo with a complicated expression like a person left suddenly speechless. ¡°The Demon Empire was our enemy, but we are allies who fought together so far, so they are in a different category.¡± While the audience waited anxiously, Chi-Woo took the stage again and continued his spiel. ¡°Thus, you can¡¯t accuse us of crimes without a good cause. If that¡¯s what you think, I understand.¡± He quoted what Chi-Hyun had said before and answered his own question. ¡°Then I will also stray away from the path I¡¯ve been walking so far and commit war crimes in hidden places as much as possible whenever I feel like it¡­ Ah, actually, it won¡¯t matter if I get caught. Since I¡¯ve been fighting for us harder than anyone else, right?¡± He asked with a shrug. Chi-Hyun¡¯s mouth opened briefly and then closed again. Everyone clearly witnessed Chi-Hyun¡¯s logic, the declaration that they had sympathized with, cheered on, and supported, getting crushed one by one. ¡°¡­You said earlier that we are all heroes.¡± Chi-Woo took his eyes off Chi-Hyun and asked everyone, ¡°Will you still consider me a hero even if I do so? Or should I be looking up at you as heroes?¡± He asked again, ¡°Do you really think of yourselves as heroes?¡± And again, ¡°Are we all¡ªreally heroes?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the kind of hero we want to be and strive for¡ª¡± Chi-Woo stopped talking briefly, and his gaze sharpened. He looked back at everyone with piercing eyes. ¡°If it¡¯s a hero like that¡ª¡± He spoke quietly but clearly so that everyone could hear him, ¡°To hell with it all.¡± If that was what it truly entailed, to hell with being a hero. CH 437 Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. The stadium that had been stirring up in a great commotion only a couple of minutes ago was swept by a strange silence. They had all praised Chi-Hyun as everyone¡¯s hero, put him on a pedestal, and cheered for a future that existed solely for them. Yet Chi-Woo had torn down Chi-Hyun¡¯s heroic speech right in front of them. All sorts of emotions rose from their hearts, and they felt such a strong sense of discomfort that they wanted to rise from their seats and leave. But they couldn¡¯t, and they were left at a loss for words. Not many could stand up confidently when asked if any of them were innocent and faultless. Of course, there were a selected few who could say that they hadn¡¯t committed any of the crimes Chi-Woo accused them of, but those people had agreed with Chi-Woo in the first place. They had walked a similar path that Chi-Woo took and possessed similar thoughts as him. And even though some didn¡¯t think exactly the same as Chi-Woo, Chi-Woo¡¯s words would make them rethink what a hero was. A hero could be described in many ways, but in short, they were those who sacrificed themselves. Their sacrifices weren¡¯t limited to their lives, but also their fortune, honor, and anything that could personally benefit them. And at times, they could also sacrifice their feelings for the salvation of the world. Chi-Hyun¡¯s speech was sweet to hear but at its core, it didn¡¯t require any of them to sacrifice anything. In Celestial Realm terms, they would be acting more like the ¡®modern-type of heroes¡¯. Of course, some could ask what the problem with that was and question the absolute necessity for heroes to sacrifice everything. And they wouldn¡¯t be wrong¡ªif the world in question wasn¡¯t Liber. Liber was a world where thousands of individuals, each worthy of saving one world in one generation, were gathered. It was only natural that they would each hope for a different future, and ideological clashes and disagreements would occur. Thus, at times like this, they had no choice but to make sacrifices. They had to give up something, let go of what they wanted, and put aside their own desires¡ªjust like those who had sacrificed their lives at the altar in the beginning like kindlewood: Giant Fist, Mua Janya, Salem Yohan, Lionheart who led the fifth recruits, the native couple Hakob and Mala, and many more. It wasn¡¯t as if those people hadn¡¯t had their own desires and wants. They must have also wanted to live, have people they wanted to see, and a future they wanted to reach. Yet they gave up their wishes and threw them away forever without hesitation for the sake of other people, their future, and Liber. It was thanks to them that they were able to reach this point. If not for them, they wouldn¡¯t be standing in this stadium but some secluded, ruined outskirts. That was why Chi-Woo was certain that they wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve salvation on Liber if everyone lived as they wished. If people¡¯s wishes aligned with Liber¡¯s salvation, perhaps there would be nothing to disagree about; yet if their wishes were at odds with the salvation of the world, they would have to hold back and accept reality even if they didn¡¯t want to. And currently, the remaining members of the Demon Empire could be of help to the salvation of Liber. This matter wasn¡¯t just about increasing the number of troops. Chi-Woo¡¯s intuition, which had never been wrong so far, was shouting at him to act on this, and he was sure that this was the reason Mamiya had set up the particular condition. The moment Chi-Woo thought this, a faint white light poured out from his hand. It was his weapon, ¡®Armed with the Sixth Element¡¯. As soon as the wavering light solidified into a club, he walked up to the heroes that Ru Amuh had dumped nearby. They had already been shaking in fear, and Chi-Woo¡¯s approach made them visibly flinch. The audience responded similarly. What Chi-Woo intended to do was clear: he would kill the heroes the moment it was decided that the Demon Empire would be punished. Because these men had done the same crimes committed by the Demon Empire. It didn¡¯t really matter whether Chi-Woo killed people like them or not. The important part was what would happen afterward. Seven Stars threatened to leave Shalyh, but they would not truly do that. Instead, there was a higher possibility that they would use today¡¯s decision as a precedent to swing their swords mercilessly at Shalyh. Perhaps they would catch every single one of those who had committed a crime, reveal their sins, and punish them. ¡°If you still insist on destroying the Demon Empire, perhaps you can do just that. But you must all know that it will be nothing more than an indulgence to release your emotions and stress, and it will have nothing to do with the salvation of Liber. There¡¯ll be nothing heroic about it.¡± Chi-Woo made a bold blow against Chi-Hyun¡¯s claim that wiping out the Demon Empire would be for Liber¡¯s future, yet Chi-Hyun didn¡¯t open his mouth. Though he had been criticized heavily for everyone to hear, he remained silent. His response seemed to mean one thing. The audience began to think of one possibility when suddenly, one person sitting in the VIP audience seats stood up. He was a tall, slender man wearing loose clothes. ¡°We¡¯re in a meeting right now. Please sit down¡­!¡± Zelit immediately tried to warn the man. ¡°I am Ismile.¡± But the man shut him down with a few simple words. ¡°Ismile Shain Hakmart Nahla.¡± His name alone gave him the qualification to speak, and he walked toward the center of the stage. Unlike his usual, carefree attitude, he looked solemn and serious. Chi-Hyun glanced at Ismile and waved his hand. Flick! A burst of light lit Ismile into view. He stopped walking and looked at Chi-Woo, his eyes piercing and cold, and while glaring at Chi-Woo, Ismile spoke in a low voice. ¡°How impudent.¡± It was an antagonistic provocation. ¡°You have absolutely no manners.¡± Ismile clicked his tongue like he wasn¡¯t pleased by the situation. ¡°Even though you are a war hero who has achieved several great feats for Liber, this isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Are you really asking because you don¡¯t know?¡± Ismile asked. ¡°Do you even know where you are?¡± With his arms crossed, Ismile continued in a reprimanding tone. ¡°This is a place that Choi Chi-Hyun prepared. The legend did it while putting his family name on the line.¡± Ismile said, ¡°This isn¡¯t a place where someone like you can run their mouths as they wish. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say to you. When addressing the legend, show the proper respect and attitude.¡± Chi-Woo didn¡¯t know why Ismile had stepped forward at first, but he realized it now. ¡°Is the family name Choi that important?¡± Chi-Woo asked just in case, and the response he expected came back at him. ¡°How could you even ask that?¡± Ismile responded like he had been waiting to be asked the question. ¡°How long are you planning to make a mockery of us?¡± For this part, he was probably speaking from his heart rather than acting. The debate just now between Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo ended with Chi-Woo¡¯s victory. Chi-Hyun¡¯s arguments were all torn down, and he had failed to refute any of Chi-Woo¡¯s points and insults. Normally, the meeting would¡¯ve ended just like that¡ªif Chi-Woo¡¯s opponent hadn¡¯t been Chi-Hyun. What Ismile was insinuating was basically this: ¡®I can¡¯t refute anything you said but remember your status and cower back down.¡¯ Because Chi-Hyun was losing with his words, he was trying to push Chi-Woo down with authority and power. The more shocking part of all this was that the majority agreed with Ismile. And the reason was simply what Chi-Woo had said before: this was the legend they were talking about¡ªa member of the Choi family. [It¡¯s the same for justification.] [It¡¯s an excuse or reason to carry out an action, but it¡¯s not just limited to moral principles that one must follow. Name or status alone could be reason enough so that others would have no choice but to understand and concede your point; a justification that they have to accept even if they don¡¯t like it.] It was exactly as Eval told him. This was the reason Ismile had stepped onto the stage and pretended to not know who Chi-Woo really was. He was asking how long Chi-Woo was planning to hide his identity and telling him that if he was really planning to lead, it was about time for him to step up. ¡®Is the family name Choi that important?¡¯ Before, Chi-Woo would¡¯ve asked this question earnestly and tried to disprove the point, but that was no longer the case. There was no other method he could employ at this spot. There was no reason for him to refuse any longer when there was an easy path to take. ¡°Then, I will also put my name on the line.¡± As soon as he spoke these words, Chi-Woo clearly saw a smile flash through Ismile¡¯s face. ¡°Your name?¡± Ismile looked completely immersed in his role now. ¡°We all know your name already. What I¡¯m talking about is¡ª¡± ¡°Chi-Woo is just my personal name rather than my family name,¡± Chi-Woo replied with a faint smile. ¡°¡­What?¡± Ismile stopped for a moment. He scrunched up his forehead like he had no idea what Chi-Woo was going on about. Chi-Woo let out a small sigh. Yes, there was no need to hesitate any longer. He was already determined. ¡°My name is¡­¡± Chi-Woo looked around him¡ªhis brother and everyone surrounding his brother. ¡°Choi Chi-Woo.¡± Everyone he had met told him to not reveal his name, that he should keep it a secret until he returned home. Yet it didn¡¯t matter now. He didn¡¯t have enough strength then, but he had enough power to reveal his true identity now. The already quiet stadium was swept by an oppressing silence. ¡°¡­What?¡± Ismile blinked hard. ¡°Choi¡­? Choi¡­Chi-Woo?¡± He looked blankly at Chi-Woo. ¡°Choi Chi-Woo is your name?¡± He sounded doubtful. Then, he snorted like he was beyond baffled. He glared at Chi-Woo like he was a madman and scoffed, ¡°Ha! As if!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± A calm voice interjected then. Ismile swung around and asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s speaking the truth.¡± With her legs crossed and head slightly tilted in a haughty manner, Apoline responded, ¡°He¡¯s the youngest son of the first light of the Celestial Realm¡¯s Celestial Lights¡ªthe child of Choi Su-Ho, who is also known as the legend of the former era, and Elrich Ho Lactea, who is also known as the progenitor of the Second Coming. Choi Chi-Woo.¡± Apoline almost added that Chi-Woo used to be engaged to her in his youth, but quickly swallowed the words. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong per se, but she knew it wasn¡¯t something to be revealed in this situation. Apoline fake-coughed and got up. ¡°I, Apoline, will testify to this man¡¯s claim in the name of Afrilith!¡± Her clear voice rang throughout the stadium and echoed. At that moment, the quiet stadium erupted into a great commotion. Unlike the time they antagonized Chi-Woo, they looked confused and unsettled now. They were baffled since almost nobody knew about Chi-Woo¡¯s true identity. It was safe to say that basically 99.9% of them weren¡¯t aware of this fact. Even the heroes of the Celestial Realm were deeply shocked, and of course, the Cassiubia League and the human natives had no idea. ¡°What¡­does this mean?¡± Unable to bear their curiosity, one Cassiubia League member asked a male hero near them. The hero was out of breath and frozen in his spot. But after the Cassiubia League member asked him two times, the hero finally regained his senses and replied, ¡°Um¡­so that means those two are related by blood.¡± ¡°Hm? What?¡± ¡°G-Give me a moment. Ha. Even I¡¯m stunned by the revelation. I need to organize my thoughts.¡± The hero exhaled and slapped their cheeks hard enough to make a loud noise. ¡°In short, we have the legend on one side, and we just learned that the other side is his brother. Not just someone he knows, but a younger brother related to him by blood.¡± ¡°¡­Is this really true?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know either.¡± The hero stroked his aching cheeks and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s shocking¡­but I think I understand it now. As I thought, he wasn¡¯t just a nobody, but a member of the Choi family¡­¡± It all made sense¡ªthe achievements that Chi-Woo had made, the way those arrogant Celestial Lights pushed aside their pride and allowed Seven Stars to take the limelight, and how the legend had been slightly favoring Seven Stars. This explained everything. Chi-Woo was a member of the Choi family. Everything was falling into place now. But the hero still had a hard time believing that the youngest son of the Choi family he had only heard from rumors was revealing himself here, on Liber. ¡°It appears the Celestial Lights were already aware of this.¡± A female hero who eavesdropped on the conversation from the upper seats added, and those around them looked down. It was as she said. Besides Ismile, who was gaping in shock on the ground, Alice from Ho Lactea, Emmanuel from Eustitia, and Yeriel from Mariju all appeared calm. It was as if they had known beforehand. Apoline had vouched for Chi-Woo on Afrilith¡¯s name, and all of them were staying quiet. It went without saying that pretending to be a Celestial Light was a grave sin. If the family the person was claiming to be part of was the Choi family, the sin would be even greater. If Chi-Woo was lying, Chi-Hyun would be perfectly justified to drop a ball of fire and lightning onto Chi-Woo¡¯s head. Yet Choi-Chi-Hyun¡ªa well-known member of the Choi family¡ªremained quiet. He simply looked down at Chi-Woo with a complicated expression and a hint of bitterness. His silence proved that Chi-Woo was speaking the truth. CH 438 While the commotion continued to grow like an uncontrollable fire¡ª Clap, clap, clap, clap¡­ Applause could be heard among the chaotic din. It was from Alice. She stood up and was applauding alone, not towards the center stage but below. Though it was just one person, the meaning behind her action was crystal clear. Ho Lactea was showing her support towards Chi-Woo among the two brothers here. Apoline clicked her tongue. She felt like Alice had stolen her turn from her, but she followed suit and clapped. Then Emmanuel and Yeriel also joined in, and the rest of the Seven Stars members got up and began clapping as if they had been waiting for this moment. Although it was only limited to the Celestial Lights, an absolute majority of the top leading heroes declared their support for Chi-Woo. Seeing this, the Celestial Realm heroes became fiercely conflicted. They had thought Ismile had gone a tad too far, but they hadn¡¯t stepped forward because a part of them agreed with what Ismile said. The legend was the legend in the end. They didn¡¯t want to see the hero they admired and trusted be pushed back and step down. However, if the person who put the brakes on the legend was another Choi, the story changed. Even more so if it was the hero who had proved himself to be superior to anyone else on Liber and lived up to his family name. Conflicting thoughts warred in their heads longer than expected as they struggled to make up their minds. While all the heroes exchanged nervous glances with each other, something happened that made their eyes widen. A sudden round of applause erupted from one side of the venue. It was from the League, the Kobalos tribe to be more specific. Thanks to Chi-Woo, the Kobalos tribe had been freed from their cycle of curses and obtained salvation. As a result, they supported him unconditionally. They had been watching quietly, but as soon as the opportunity arose, they stepped forward and showed their undying support. The surprising part was that it wasn¡¯t only the League who was showing their support. The natives also began standing up from their seats and applauding, and it wasn¡¯t just a fraction like the League, but the majority. Philip had played a crucial part in this. Although they were briefly shaken by Chi-Hyun¡¯s speech, Chi-Woo¡¯s declaration evoked the same emotions they had felt that day. They didn¡¯t know much about the Celestial Lights or how great the Choi family was, but considering the actions and actual results Chi-Woo and Seven Stars had shown so far, they thought Chi-Woo was worth trusting and following. As a result, the situation changed a little. The applause, which had originally been buried in the loud disturbance, gradually grew in volume and became loud enough to be heard clearly among the commotion. Moreover, those who had agreed with Chi-Woo from the very beginning but had been unable to openly show their support stood up and joined, until support and disapproval were almost equal in force. However, it was still not the same yet. There were still more people sitting still than supporting him. Those who were at a loss looked at the stage for answers, with a glimmer of hope that the legend might finally do something now. However, before long, their eyes opened wide with astonishment. Gasps could be heard all over the place because as soon as Chi-Woo took a step forward, Chi-Hyun, who had never moved before, took a step down in response¡ªnot to anywhere else, but down the stairs. The meaning behind his action was clear. The legend, who was all heroes¡¯ idol, was admitting defeat and retreating. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Someone let out a sigh. It was a sight they had never wanted to see. However, they also realized now that the step Chi-Hyun had taken was the final nail on the coffin. Like this, the tide had changed. This turning flow was no longer reversible. Of course, as Chi-Hyun had his fame as the legend, he wouldn¡¯t immediately lose all his influence at once, but it would be difficult for him to enjoy the same absolute power as before¡ªas a result of the new rising sun in Shalyh. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Thus, Chi-Woo, who went up the stairs and Chi-Hyun, who went down the stairs, brushed past each other in the middle. Those who clearly witnessed this scene all made a decision unconsciously; though it was difficult to consciously accept the legend¡¯s withdrawal as they had been worshiping and admiring him for so long¡­if it was another Choi, if it was someone from the same bloodline as the legend, and above all, considering Chi-Woo¡¯s performance on Liber so far, there was sufficient reason to acknowledge and accept this new rising sun to stand on top of them all. Those who were watching eventually made a decision and raised their hands. Then they clapped in earnest. Before anyone realized it, most of the people who had been sitting were standing up and applauding. The atmosphere in the hall was like a bomb just before the fuse burned down. Everyone stared intently at the young man who was bringing down the existing legend and becoming the new legend, as if they were never going to forget this sight till the very end of their days¡ªno, even if they die. ¡®¡­What¡¯s this?¡¯ While climbing the stairs, Chi-Woo tilted his head. When he passed his brother, there was a subtle smile tugging Chi-Hyun¡¯s lips. He might have just imagined it, but perhaps his brother had¡­ Chi-Woo¡¯s thoughts came to a halt, as before he knew it, he had arrived on top of the center stage. He was standing where his brother had been standing in the beginning. Under the light, Chi-Woo slowly looked around. All around him was the sound of applause; everyone he could see was clapping. The loud, rip-roaring applause felt like a rainstorm. Of course, not everyone was clapping. There were still those who were sitting in their seats; that was the case for the buhguhbu tribe and the half-demon tribe. Mangil and Murumuru were both staring at Chi-Woo intently as if they were going to watch him until the very end to see what he would do. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t been able to understand them in the past, but now he thought he could understand why. All he had to do was show them. ¡°Ru Amuh,¡± Chi-Woo called out to Ru Amuh, then Emmanuel and Yunael. He announced, ¡°Further strengthen the patrol of Shalyh, especially the Demon Empire¡¯s zone. If anyone tries to commit a crime by any chance, punish them immediately, regardless of race or status.¡± Chi-Woo saw Ru Amuh bow and called the next person. ¡°Eval Sevaru.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Cooperate with the official residence to provide food and resources. We need to establish proper living conditions for the inhabitants of the Demon Empire zone as fast as possible.¡± Eval Sevaru bowed politely in response. ¡°I command everyone.¡± Chi-Woo took his eyes off Eval Sevaru and looked back at the audience. ¡°The holy city, Shalyh, humanity, and the League will¡ª¡± He unconsciously clenched his fist and finished, ¡°¡ªaccept the surrender of the Demon Empire survivors from today onwards, and accept them completely without exception.¡± He declared in front of the entire League and humanity, ¡°I¡¯ll personally punish those who cannot accept this decision, so everyone will need to keep this in mind and pay special care to follow my order.¡± A glint appeared in Mangil¡¯s and Murumuru¡¯s eyes. The next moment, one of the buhguhbus jumped up from his seat. It was Dangil. He applauded Chi-Woo boldly and without reservation, paying no attention to the sharp and stinging gazes of his tribe members. And Mangil, who was staring up blankly at Dalgil while biting his lower lip, soon lowered his eyes and looked down. He sighed deeply with indescribable feelings boiling inside him, and soon, he got up and began clapping. Murumuru also quickly followed suit, though they didn¡¯t get up from their seat. Murumuru was the only half-demon who clapped for Chi-Woo. Then someone suddenly screamed. - ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥! And with this, resounding shouts from all over the place filled the hall. The applause and cheers were bigger and fiercer than the ones Chi-Hyun had received. * * * Shortly after the conclusion of the general assembly, Shalyh became noisier and busier than ever due to Seven Stars¡¯ declaration. The leader of Seven Stars, Chi-Woo, once again made his stance clear that he would accept the Demon Empire into Shalyh in front of everyone. In the end, even the legend, Chi-Hyun, could not break the will of Seven Stars and resigned himself to defeat. Thus, it was only natural that Chi-Woo¡¯s declaration would become the hot topic of conversation. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the only reason why the atmosphere in Shalyh became more heated than ever even through the night. Everyone was busy talking about the hero¡¯s revelation of his identity at today¡¯s general assembly. While they were anxious about the legend¡¯s diminished influence, they also felt a strange sense of anticipation and excitement that they couldn¡¯t understand. How should they describe it? It felt like a king who reigned as an absolute ruler for thousands of years was stepping down from his throne after being unable to beat the passage of time. However, if the person who inherited the throne was of the same blood with the existing king, it was understandable. Even the most beautiful flower could not last ten days in full bloom, and even the strongest authority could not reign supreme for more than ten years. Just as his son, Choi Chi-Hyun, took over the position of his father, Choi Su-Ho, it was a natural process for Choi Chi-Woo to continue the legacy, albeit there was a lingering sentiment that it felt a bit too early. Additionally, there had been conspiracy theories saying that the youngest of the Choi Family had been raised as their secret weapon. ¡°Maybe the legend intended this entire situation.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be that surprised because Liber¡¯s the perfect stage for a Choi¡¯s debut.¡± Several heroes offered their own interpretations like this. If their guess was correct, they basically just witnessed history being made. They wondered what Chi-Woo, who proudly announced that he would become the new legend, would show them in the future with Liber as his starting point. Just imagining it sparked immense anticipation. And while the majority of heroes accepted and acknowledged Chi-Woo, this was not the case for everyone. Although Chi-Woo¡¯s declaration definitely caused a strong stir in Shalyh, it was unreasonable to expect everyone to follow his words immediately. Still, if one looked at the meeting of the buhguhbu tribe after the general assembly, the change was clear. ¡°Sir, what are you planning to do?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± ¡°Still, we can¡¯t just stay still¡­¡± ¡°What are you going to do even if that¡¯s the case? Should we step forward and turn everything upside down?¡± Mangil responded bluntly to every question; his face looked stiff and serious, but inside, he was grinning in satisfaction. It felt sweet to see their reaction after they had screamed and made such a fuss when he relayed to them Chi-Woo¡¯s initial request. ¡°Sir, I mean¡­who knew things would turn out like this¡­how could anyone expect the legend¡­and the Seven Stars leader¡­sigh¡­¡± After the general assembly today, the buhguhbu tribe¡¯s spirit had been dampened, and they were now acting much more cautious. ¡°What¡¯s up with everyone? What do you guys want me to do?¡± Mangil flew into a rage. ¡°So what did I tell you? If you¡¯d all just sucked it up for once and helped him out, we could have shown off our connection with him and been on his good side. But now¡­¡± Mangil clicked his tongue and with a shout, turned away as if he was not going to deal with this anymore since it was all their fault. ¡°Sir Mangil¡­¡± Then a desperate and pitiful voice called out to him from behind his back. No one knew how Shalyh would turn out under the new leadership of Seven Stars, but in this situation, there was only one thing that the buhguhbus wanted¡ªto not fall behind in the new flow of Liber. Originally, they wouldn¡¯t even need to worry about this matter, since the buhguhbus had maintained friendly relations with Seven Stars so far. However, with this recent incident, they had rejected Seven Stars¡¯ request for support and thus damaging the goodwill between them. If they had accepted Chi-Woo¡¯s request in the beginning despite their reluctance, they could have enjoyed the fruits of their relationship and rejoiced in celebration. However, now even the unexpected profit they had reaped from participating in AI Armor¡¯s production might all be obsolete. Mangil sighed loudly so that everyone could hear him and said, ¡°Hey, all of you. Of course, I understand how you all feel. Why wouldn¡¯t I? Who knew Seven Stars would go so strong? As you all said, how could anyone have expected the situation to turn out like this?¡± Mangil began swaying the leaders of his tribe to his heart¡¯s content. He stared at the now silent leaders, and all the pain and worries he had been feeling recently melted away like snow. Although he couldn¡¯t have even brought this topic up in the past, it was okay for him to do so now. Why? Because as of today, Chi-Woo had risen to a position of that level; where he was not making a request but an order. Even the legend, who was said to be unbeatable even if the entire Shalyh gathered together and fought him, had stepped back. Mangil simply had to create an atmosphere where it seemed like they had no choice but to follow Chi-Woo¡¯s order. ¡°Everyone needs to think carefully from now on. You all got a rough idea now after the general assembly, right? On who¡¯ll lead Shalyh in the future?¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, just wait for now. I¡¯ll talk to Dalgil and go meet the Seven Stars leader soon.¡± At Mangil¡¯s words, a few of the leaders¡¯ expressions brightened. * * * The situation was similar for the half-demon tribe. ¡°As you may have all witnessed at today¡¯s general assembly, the head of Seven Stars proclaimed his intentions to all residents of Shalyh.¡± After the general assembly, Murumuru gathered everyone as soon as they returned to their zone. ¡°It¡¯s no longer a request but an order, an order that even the legend can¡¯t do anything about.¡± Murumuru continued, ¡°I understand how you all feel, and I won¡¯t waste my breath convincing you. I have no intention of forcing you to follow his orders either, but be warned: while you are free to do whatever you want, each of you will have to take responsibility for it.¡± In other words, as of this time, if they got caught by Seven Stars for their misdeeds, they needed to handle it on their own, and the half-demon tribe would not get involved even if they died. ¡°This is the decision I, Murumuru, made for the sake of our tribe.¡± With these words, Murumuru dismissed everyone. Once they were alone, Murumuru suddenly let out a burst of laughter while recalling the previous general assembly. ¡°Ha. Yeah, he should have done this earlier. He has the right and power to do so¡­¡± It was so much easier and comfortable to simply follow his lead like this. CH 439 Like everywhere else, there was also a great buzz inside Seven Stars. ¡°What? Am I the only one who didn¡¯t know? Everyone knew except for me? Seriously?¡± ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°Same! I didn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Me neither¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me.¡± Yunael shouted, and Jin-Cheon, Abis, Aric, and Aida all responded in that order. But besides them, it appeared that everyone had already been aware of Chi-Woo¡¯s identity. ¡°You knew it too?¡± Yunael pointed at Asha, who was playing on top of Evelyn¡¯s shoulder, and Asha nodded. ¡°Is it the same for you?¡± Hawa nodded. ¡°Really? Are you sure? You aren¡¯t joking, right?¡± Hawa nodded a bit hesitantly this time. ¡°Seriously¡ª?¡± Yunael plopped down on the sofa and glared at the ceiling above her. ¡°Uh¡­um¡­did you really not know?¡± ¡°Yes! I didn¡¯t know!¡± Yunael jumped up and shouted. ¡°Really¡­? That¡¯s a bit strange. Haven¡¯t you been around him for some time now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but how could I know unless he tells me!¡± ¡°Even without being told¡­weren¡¯t there many clues?¡± ¡°Ah, I mean, I did see him act close to the legend! But who knew they would actually be blood-related?¡± Yunael accused everyone in the room guilty of keeping her in the dark and yelled at them for not letting her know. Then, in the end, she yelled that she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and rushed out. Meanwhile, Chi-Woo and Eval were conversing. Though they had gone over a big hurdle, for some reason, something had been bugging Chi-Woo, and he couldn¡¯t simply feel relief; he kept recalling his brother¡¯s face as Chi-Hyun went down the stairs while he went up. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°It seemed a bit strange,¡± Chi-Woo said and smacked his lips. ¡°My brother isn¡¯t someone who would do such a shoddy job. It felt like he had purposefully offered points that I could attack.¡± Eval smiled brightly. He agreed with most of what Chi-Woo said. Considering the kind of hero the legend was, the weaknesses he displayed in this debate were too critical and obvious. There was no other explanation than that he had purposefully acted the way he did, but¡­it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°What are you so worried about, sir?¡± Eval said in a bright voice. ¡°It¡¯s the legend we¡¯re talking about. There¡¯s no need for him to prove anything. He simply has to live up to his name.¡± It was as Eval said. His brother was already the legend. He would do well for himself without Chi-Woo worrying about him. He needed to worry about himself instead. Chi-Woo closed his eyes. He still couldn¡¯t forget the feeling he got when he climbed up to the upper stage and received everyone¡¯s applause. The pressure and sense of authority still lingered in his mind. And after standing before all those people, he needed to meet their expectations and prove his words so that none of them would regret having followed him. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s the way,¡¯ Chi-Woo thought. Then suddenly, the door burst open, and one person jumped in without a knock. ¡°Yunael¡­?¡± Chi-Woo blinked hard seeing Yunael heave as she came inside. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡­.!¡± Yunael pointed at Chi-Woo with her index finger before quickly dropping her hand. Even though she was angry, she knew it wasn¡¯t right for her to point fingers at her boss. ¡°Choi¡­!¡± ¡°Choi?¡± Chi-Woo tilted his head, silently telling her to go on. And now that Yunael thought about it, she realized she didn¡¯t know what to say. After all, it was up to the person to decide whether or not they would reveal their real name. ¡®Still¡­!¡¯ Yunael opened and closed her mouth without saying anything. Chi-Woo and Eval both looked intently at her, and over time, Yunael¡¯s face turned more and more flushed. ¡®Ah damn it, what am I supposed to say?¡¯ In the end, she simply yelled, ¡°Ah nuwhggggk!¡± ¡°Huh? What did you just say? Mr. Eval, did you understand?¡± ¡°No, I thought I was seeing a zombie.¡± Yunael murmured incomprehensibly and shouted, ¡°¡­Ah, whatever! How annoying!¡± Then she turned around and ran out of the office while cursing her lack of eloquence. ¡°¡­What is she going on about?¡± Chi-Woo looked baffled and watched Yunael move farther away. Eval shrugged. *** The next day, the uppermost floor of the official residence was lit early in the morning as usual. Surprisingly, the person overseeing matters of the city at the desk wasn¡¯t Chi-Woo. Chi-Hyun was still holding the spot as before, while Noel stood uprightly across from him. ¡°You came to work in the end,¡± Noel chuckled while seeing Chi-Hyun review the documents before him. ¡°I thought after you were released from your position, you would rest a bit. Weren¡¯t you really relieved yesterday?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t matter to me much. I also sent him a message to use the official residence,¡± Chi-Hyun responded indifferently. ¡°Then what happened?¡± ¡°I immediately got a response.¡± ¡°From Young Master? What did he say, sir?¡± ¡°He told me to work instead of playing around¡­¡± Noel almost burst out in laughter, but barely managed to hold it in. She thought Chi-Woo would have received quite a scolding for his remarks. ¡°But you went a bit too far this time.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have given me a heads-up on what you were doing, sir? I thought you were really trying to hold Young Master back¡­¡± ¡°I did try to hold him back.¡± ¡°Come on, please don¡¯t lie, sir. It¡¯s been many years since I started following you. I knew you did it on purpose.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I set up the situation to some degree, but I did my best to work against him given the limits.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you did. But I bet Young Master must be somewhat aware of what you did.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether he knows it or not.¡± Chi-Hyun snorted. Knock, knock. It was then they heard someone knock on the door. Noel answered and was surprised to see Eval at the door. ¡°Hello. Good morning, sir.¡± Eval appeared with a joyful smile, and Chi-Hyun reacted with a slight jerk. It was obvious for what reason Eval had come to see him early this morning; he probably came to talk about their collaboration at the official residence. Yet when he saw the massive bundle in Eval¡¯s hands, Chi-Hyun corrected his assumption. ¡°Haha. Well, I came just for this¡­¡± Eval cautiously placed the giant bundle on the table. ¡°If you haven¡¯t eaten yet, our boss wants you to enjoy this meal while it¡¯s hot, sir¡± Eval crinkled his eyes and bowed politely before leaving the room. Chi-Hyun looked a bit taken aback, while Noel exclaimed in admiration, ¡®Oh my, oh my¡¯. Chi-Hyun looked dazed for a moment and glanced at the bundle before him. He untied the cloth, revealing a multi-layered lunchbox set. It didn¡¯t just have one or two layers, but seven layers. ¡°See. I told you Young Master would know,¡± Noel said. Chi-Hyun scratched his head and smirked. ¡®Ha, he did consider my position,¡¯ Chi-Hyun thought. There was no reason for him to not accept this meal when Chi-Woo must have gotten up early in the morning to prepare it for him. Furthermore, the taste was pretty much guaranteed considering that Chi-Woo might have become a chef if destiny hadn¡¯t sabotaged him. ¡°May I also eat with you?¡± Noel¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Chi-Hyun easily agreed to share his meal since seeing the feast in front of him put him in a generous mood. He hummed and took down every tier of the lunch box when a paper stuck in between fluttered down. Chi-Hyun picked it up and read it without much thought. ¡°Wow, it looks so tasty. Look at this sir. The care that was put into this meal¡­is there anything Young Master is bad at¡­?¡± Noel was saying when she looked up at Chi-Hyun confusedly. Chi-Hyun¡¯s face was hardening as he stared holes into the piece of paper he had just picked up. Then veins popped out of his forehead. Brrr! The chair dragged across the floor roughly as Chi-Hyun shot to his feet, gripping so hard onto the piece of paper that his hand shook. ¡°My Lord¡­?¡± ¡°A moment,¡± Chi-Hyun said and slammed the window wide open before jumping out. What in the world? Noel hurriedly rushed to the window to see what was going on and soon found out the reason behind Chi-Hyun¡¯s action. ¡°Stop¡ª!¡± Chi-Hyun was screaming crazily while chasing somebody. As expected, the person running away was Chi-Woo. ¡°Stop! I told you to stop!¡± ¡°Heeelp¡­!¡± ¡°What? To a loser? A loser? How dare you say that to your older brother?!¡± ¡°Ah, it was a joke! Just a joke!¡± ¡°A joke? You think you can just kid around with me?!¡± Chi-Woo escaped with all his might, but he was caught by Chi-Hyun not long after. ¡°Ahhh¡ª!¡± ¡°Say it to my face.¡± ¡°Ah, come on. You did lose to me¡­!¡± ¡°Are you seriously¡­!¡± Even as he was put in a headlock under Chi-Hyun¡¯s arms, Chi-Woo continued to blabber. Seeing this, Noel shook her head. Not just her, but everybody watching this scene would probably be thinking the same thing, which was, ¡®What? I thought they had a bad relationship. I guess not. They have such good brotherly love for one another. I see. Thank goodness.¡¯ *** A couple of days had passed since the general assembly, and in the meantime, a clear change had happened in Shalyh. Seven Stars didn¡¯t really do anything new. They continued to patrol the Demon Empire¡¯s zone as they had done before and progressed with their construction work. Yet there was less resistance to their activities now. First of all, incidents that had been happening in the Demon Empire¡¯s zone from time to time sharply declined, dwindling from almost no incidents to basically zero. Though the Seven Stars team captains couldn¡¯t be certain of it yet, at this rate, it appeared that it would soon be unnecessary for Seven Stars to do a separate patrol around the zone. Even the half-demons weren¡¯t appearing near the area. It was the same for their construction project. After Eval warned of the wrath that would follow if the residents didn¡¯t collaborate with the construction work and gave them a one-day deadline, many organizations, with the buhguhbu tribe leading the way, visited Seven Stars. They apologized for refusing the request several days ago and swore to give them all their support. And it wasn¡¯t all just talk. On that very day, they began to organize the construction site around the Demon Empire¡¯s zone. Furthermore, finding resources and food for the Demon Empire was no longer a problem. No group would dare to refuse to supply the goods when the official residence stated that they would pay for them. Thus, the desolate and dreary Demon Empire¡¯s zone soon became more vibrant. More exchanges happened inside the zone, starting with the human natives who had received protection under some great demons¡¯ help. They hadn¡¯t been able to make the step before because they were wary of how the other human natives would react, but it didn¡¯t matter now. Chi-Woo had already said that he would punish anyone who went against his order. The reason why the situation settled so fast was mainly because of the general assembly that happened not long ago, but there was another reason that played a great part in this change. It was a rumor that many people had witnessed Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo showcasing their brotherly love. The rumor begot numerous speculations. Many said that the general assembly was a preplanned stage of sorts and a ploy to put Chi-Woo in the spotlight, or something along the line. Yet all these speculations had little influence on the public opinion surrounding Chi-Woo. It was because first and foremost, Chi-Woo was an accomplished hero who everyone acknowledged for his deeds, and he didn¡¯t reach his position through mere nepotism. Secondly, whether the speculation was true had no bearing on the situation. With the recent incident, Chi-Woo had gained influence that could match the legend¡¯s, or even surpass it. Thus, it didn¡¯t matter if his brother had set everything up. In military terms, it was as if the army¡¯s highest authority and the second in command had joined hands and made it even harder for the soldiers to oppose their orders. In the end, it was all up to what Chi-Woo would do from now on, and people would only be able to evaluate how he did in the future. Chi-Woo finally decided to make the time to go out to the streets and stroll around the Demon Empire¡¯s zone. After a tour around the zone, the impression he got was that nothing was out of the ordinary. Everything was going smoothly except for the fact that he was almost beaten near death after provoking his brother a couple of days ago. There was nothing more for him to do than to hope that things would continue as it was now. And after confirming that the scene he dreamed of when he first accepted the Demon Empire was finally coming to reality, Chi-Woo smiled bitterly. Perhaps there could¡¯ve been an easier path to take, but after much difficulty, they finally reached this point. After looking with satisfaction at the human and demon children running cheerily across the streets, Chi-Woo turned around. He was about to return to the Seven Stars headquarters when a notification in his head stopped him. Chi-Woo turned on his device, and his eyes turned wide. It was a message calling for his presence. *** While all this was happening, all the gods confirmed that the Demon Empire had been properly established in Shalyh and looked satisfied. They could find no fault in the matter. ¡ªIt¡¯s good. Mamiya spoke. ¡ªEmbracing the darkness was my condition. I felt a bit nervous considering his personality¡­but this isn¡¯t bad. I wouldn¡¯t give him full marks, but it¡¯s still impressive. ¡ªThen¡­ With a bright smile, Mamiya raised his arms high and yelled. ¡ªI, Mamiya, approve of Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s rise to Master tier! Simultaneously, the token in his hand shone dazzlingly. ¡ªI, La Bella, also approve of Choi Chi-Woo¡¯s rise to Master tier. The token La Bella held also shone. With this, Chi-Woo managed to gain the approval of two gods. Since he had completed the two hardest conditions, it was safe to say that Chi-Woo¡¯s rise to Master tier was guaranteed. ¡ªSince there¡¯s not much to the rest of the conditions¡­it would just be a matter of time. ¡ªTch. When is he going to train? He has to put into practice the realization he gained from the last battle. The White Horse General appeared anxious for Chi-Woo to complete his condition. ¡ªHaha. Why don¡¯t you wait patiently, sir? Since the recent trouble is almost settled, he will focus on raising his tier again soon. Mamiya comforted him. ¡ªWhy don¡¯t we call it a day since there¡¯s no need for us to agree on the remaining ones? Mamiya said that since the other conditions beside the White Horse General¡¯s were clear, there was no need for the gods to discuss them further. ¡ªYes, we have no reason to stay around here. Miho agreed with Mamiya. Thus, the gods were about to return to their respective spaces¡­ ¡ª¡­Hm? Mamiya suddenly flinched and gasped. ¡ªIs there¡­an interference? From a higher dimension¡­! Not just Mamiya, but all the gods stopped moving in shock and looked at one another. After a momentary pause, the White Horse General calmly murmured. ¡ªIt¡¯s a changed variable. Hm. I see. It¡¯s as you say. It¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s actually better. The White Horse General stroked his beard like he was talking to somebody. ¡ªGood. Do as you wish. Then, my condition can be replaced by this. He nodded with great force and smirked. ¡ªI will call that guy as soon as he is prepared. CH 440 The messenger was Eval Sevaru, and he relayed to Chi-Woo that an official letter had arrived from Apertum, requesting for an emergency meeting. ¡®Apertum?¡¯ That meant Zelit had sent it. Tilting his head, Chi-Woo wondered what had happened and moved towards Apertum. When he arrived at the entrance, several people were already there to meet him. They immediately recognized Chi-Woo and politely guided him inside. On the way, Chi-Woo felt them steal furtive glances at him. It was probably because he had recently revealed his family name. Chi-Woo smiled bitterly. Although he didn¡¯t enjoy attention like this, he needed to get used to it now. When he entered the conference hall inside the tower, he saw some familiar faces. While greeting them with his eyes and sitting down, a few more people came in. They were all influential residents in Shalyh. Was it because the shock from the general assembly a few days ago still lingered? A strange silence hovered around the conference room. However, the silence didn¡¯t last long as soon after, there was the sound of urgent footsteps, followed by Zelit¡¯s appearance. ¡°Thank you for coming. The reason why I called everyone here is¡­¡± Zelit got straight to the point as he arrived. ¡°A message I received from the Celestial Realm.¡± Zelit¡¯s following words were definitely significant enough to justify an urgent meeting. ¡°The Celestial Realm have completed the recruitment process of the twelfth reinforcements.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. They weren¡¯t just surprised by the news, but also by the person who announced it. Originally, Chi-Hyun was the one fully in charge of overseeing the recruits, who regularly arrived from the Celestial Realm. However, this time, Zelit was suddenly playing the role. No, it may not be sudden after all; if they thought about it in connection with the recent general assembly, Chi-Hyun¡¯s action could be interpreted as him delegating some of his responsibilities and obligations. ¡°The Celestial Realm has said this will be the last reinforcements they¡¯ll be sending to Liber. Moreover, they have chosen the recruits more selectively this time than any other previous deployment, and it is also the largest number of recruits ever.¡± The conference room erupted into a stir. ¡°Hmm. The last wave of recruits. It¡¯s much earlier than I thought.¡± ¡°Should we take this as good news or¡­.¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s good news. They not only carefully selected the best heroes, but are sending the largest number of recruits.¡± ¡°Well, no wonder. The ones who really wanted to prove themselves are already here. Considering that heroes who had been waiting to see what would happen are coming in crowds now, it seems that even the Celestial Realm think Liber¡¯s situation has significantly improved.¡± ¡°In that case, it¡¯s not a bad turn of events. Although it¡¯s a bit of a stretch to say it¡¯s entirely good since it feels like the Celestial Realm is trying to make a final winning move. Well, just the fact that it¡¯s now worth betting on Liber¡¯s future is¡­¡± Zelit waited for the murmurings to subside and continued, ¡°The twelfth reinforcements will be sent right to Shalyh. Thus, there is no need to send an expedition team for them.¡± Everyone softly exclaimed at Zelit¡¯s words. Most of the recruits that had entered Liber were transmitted to extremely harsh and hostile environments, and each time, those who had previously entered had to secure safety around the expected transmission point for the new recruits. A prime example was when Chi-Woo successfully subjugated the Hala Forest, where unknown dangers lurked, for the tenth reinforcements. It was great to think that they didn¡¯t have to go through such an ordeal this time. ¡°The arrival of the twelfth reinforcements will be organized by Apertum. Does anyone have any objections?¡± They had all expected this when Zelit was the one relaying this news instead of Chi-Hyun. Of course, no one had complaints. Strictly speaking, Apertum was an area where everyone exercised equal authority, and it was also the place where meetings and recruitments were held. In fact, there was no better public institution than Apertum in Shalyh, excluding the official residence. ¡°Then from now on, I would like to discuss the number of coins that each organization will be allocated for the recruitment event. First of all, 100 golden coins will be set aside for Seven Stars¡­¡± Zelit granted Seven Stars the greatest authority that only one organization could receive at the recruitment event without hesitation. Of course, no one voiced their complaints. The coins were allocated according to the amount of merits each organization had accumulated recently, and during the period between the eleventh reinforcements and the twelfth reinforcements, the organization with the most achievements by far was Seven Stars. * * * After their meeting was over, someone grabbed Chi-Woo when he was standing up with his bag full of golden coins. ¡°Hello?¡± It was a woman with a veil over her face. ¡°Hello.¡± Chi-Woo recognized Alice and immediately greeted her. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a while since we last saw each other.¡± Alice sounded slightly cheerier than usual; she seemed happy that Chi-Woo had greeted her back. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, would it be okay for us to go to a separate place and talk? It won¡¯t take long.¡± A separate meeting with Alice Ho Latea. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± There was no reason for him to refuse, so Chi-Woo easily nodded. Then he followed her out of the meeting room. Thus, he didn¡¯t notice that Apoline had missed her chance and turned around with a ¡®tsk¡¯ after watching Chi-Woo move further away. After moving to Ho Lactea¡¯s residence, Chi-Woo began conversing with Alice, and Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t able to hide his surprise. He had been certain that she would talk to him about the twelfth reinforcements after the meeting today, and he was expecting requests for a little concession or to form an alliance. However, Alice didn¡¯t talk about any of these topics. Instead, she merely asked about how he was doing and brought up the general assembly recently, making small talk along those lines. This was¡­how should he describe it¡ªyeah, it was similar to the way he visited his brother sometimes to talk about all sorts of topics. It felt like a family gathering at a dinner table where everyone chatted away. Although Chi-Woo couldn¡¯t see her face because it was covered by a veil, judging by her voice, Alice was definitely enjoying her conversation with him. He felt this every time he saw her, but she was a strange person. First, it was clear that she thought favorably of him, and to a significant degree rather than an ordinary degree. Ismile had told him that the Ho Lactea Family was a descendant of a god. Alice had not only sacrificed her extra life by taking the first attack from the Sky Castle for him, but had almost risked her last remaining life. At that point, it could hardly be considered basic goodwill. It was something that only family members would do for each other. ¡®Family¡­¡¯ [What? You really don¡¯t know anything?] [Your mother is a Ho Lactea¡­] Ismile had let slip some information by accident, but Chi-Woo clearly remembered what he had said. The Ho Lactea, who was known as the second of the twelve Celestial Lights, was his mother¡¯s family. In short, there was currently at least one person among the entire Choi Family who was originally from Ho Lactea. Otherwise it wouldn¡¯t make sense. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com". Of course, since Ismile was the one who said this, all of it could be nonsense, but considering his brother¡¯s reaction when he asked him about it after he said he heard it from Ismile, it didn¡¯t seem like a lie. His brother hadn¡¯t said a single line of rebuttal, and Chi-Woo had heard that Ismile almost died and came back from having one foot in the grave. Then what kind of relationship did he have with the woman in front of him? Was she at least his cousin? No, since Ismile said she was not from the direct family line, they might be more distant in blood than that. Maybe she was something like his cousin twice removed, and in that way, they would be considered basically unrelated. Besides, did Ho Lactea even bother with blood relations in the first place? Since they were descendants of a god, looking at Greek and Roman mythology¡­ The more he thought about it, the more confused he became, so Chi-Woo unconsciously frowned. Alice slightly flinched at his reaction. ¡°Ah¡­are you perhaps busy?¡± she asked carefully in a slightly crestfallen tone. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have taken your time¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that.¡± Chi-Woo shook his head. ¡°So Ms. Alice¡­are you my nuna?¡±[1] Chi-Woo had been racking his head and wondering what to say, but the words just tumbled out of his mouth at her question. ¡°Or are you younger?¡± Alice immediately stopped talking. Judging by how her beautiful lips revealed under the veil slightly widened, it seemed as if she didn¡¯t know how to take Chi-Woo¡¯s words just now. ¡°Uh¡­are you telling me that you don¡¯t even consider me your nuna? Or are you warning me to not act like one after all this time? I-I¡¯m sorry. Did I act too familiar with¡­¡± Moreover, judging by how she began to ramble, she seemed to have received quite the shock. Chi-Woo quickly waved his hand in denial as her imagination and misunderstanding seemed to be taking flight and going wild. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± He didn¡¯t waver for long. It was time for him to get an answer. After a short contemplation, Chi-Woo said, ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the relationship between the Choi and Ho Lactea Family. Not even the slightest idea. The only reason why I was able to find out that there was some kind of connection was because Mr. Ismile recently¡­¡± While Chi-Woo spoke, Alice¡¯s mouth slowly closed again. When he finished his explanation, her lips were sealed tightly shut like a stone statue. ¡°¡­No way.¡± After a long silence, Alice murmured as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Really? Is everything you said really true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No one ever mentioned Ho Lactea to you even once since you were born? Then you have no idea who Elrich, no, your mom is?¡± Chi-Woo nodded. This was normal for him as he had lived as an ordinary person until he came to Liber. However, he didn¡¯t reveal everything to her; he simply told her that ¡®he grew up knowing nothing about Ho Lactea.¡¯ ¡°This is¡ªthis is completely ridiculous¡ª¡± And Alice was furious. ¡°This is absolutely ridiculous. No matter how¡­how can they¡­¡± She spoke in an extremely angry voice and rose indignantly from her seat. ¡°Please wait a moment please. I¡¯ll visit him in person and ask about his intentions.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to go so far.¡± ¡°No, this is something that should have never happened for anyone. Why did he deliberately control and hide information¡­¡± Although Chi-Woo tried to stop her, Alice didn¡¯t listen to him. She quickly left her zone after declaring confidently that she¡¯d demand an answer from Chi-Hyun and told Chi-Woo everything once she came back. Now left alone, Chi-Woo became anxious; he had a bad feeling about this for some reason, and again, his intuition was right. It wasn¡¯t even one hour later when Chi-Woo was stunned to see Alice come back stumbling. Her clean and fresh looking veil came back soaking wet. Seeing that she was still sniffling, it seemed that she had cried her heart out. Chi-Woo didn¡¯t even have to ask who did this to her. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Chi-Woo asked, but Alice didn¡¯t reply. She collapsed at the table as soon as she sat down on her chair. Her trembling back as she sobbed looked extremely pitiful and sad. ¡°Please calm down first. I¡¯ll go and talk to him.¡± Chi-Woo felt bad and was about to turn around and complain to his brother, but Alice hurriedly grabbed his arms to stop him. ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± She called out to him with an urgent voice. ¡°If you go now¡­I¡¯ll¡­¡± Judging by the way her wet lips were trembling, it seemed as if she had been threatened with murder. Chi-Woo clicked his tongue. No, what the hell did Chi-Hyun say to her to make her react this way¡­ If he had known this would happen, he would have gone with her. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­today¡­¡± She meant that he should go now. Chi-Woo wanted to send a message of complaint to his brother, but considering Alice¡¯s position, he thought he shouldn¡¯t act recklessly. After thinking this, Chi-Woo comforted Alice and left Ho Lactea. He didn¡¯t feel good while going back to Seven Stars; an uncomfortable feeling lingered in the corner of his heart. After meeting Giant First, he had thought he had found out most of the secrets about his family, but that hadn¡¯t been the end. He felt like he had only merely scratched the surface. There was something else that was much more important, and he thought he would only feel relieved after finding out what it was. However, at the same time, Chi-Woo had a strong feeling that he should never tread lightly with this conflict. He had felt this every time this problem was mentioned. Since his brother had never once given in and revealed anything to Chi-Woo, he would probably keep it hidden now as well. It was still not the time, and Chi-Woo probably needed to wait a little longer. * * * Chi-Woo had been debating whether he should turn to make his way to the official residence, but he barely managed to suppress this desire and return to Seven Stars instead. He couldn¡¯t force something that wouldn¡¯t work and needed to focus on the present. He had successfully gotten over a huge hurdle recently, but there was still a lot of work to be done. Among them, Chi-Woo¡¯s top priority was his promotion to Master tier. There were originally six conditions he needed to fulfill. Since it was safe to say that he had completed two at the general assembly not long ago, that left him with the other four relatively clearer conditions; he knew what was demanded of him at least. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that they were easy to fulfill. The first condition was to get stronger than he was now. This was the most ambiguous of his four remaining tasks. He had no idea how much stronger he should be. He thought that he should ask Master Byeok for help and set a time to properly train, but he¡¯d only know once he started it. The second was to fill all three of the Seven Stars positions that were currently vacant. This was at least easier than the other conditions. Since the twelfth reinforcements were arriving soon, he would probably be able to resolve it then. The third condition was to have at least three of the Celestial Lights excluding himself follow him. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t sure how he should go about it. Since Emmanuel and Yeriel were already both his subordinates, he had two, and this meant that he needed only one more Celestial Light. ¡®I¡¯m also a Celestial Light too. Why won¡¯t they count me in?¡¯ He thought about this for a moment, his lips soon twisted into a thin smile. There was no way the condition would be so easy to fulfill considering that it was one of the requirements to raise his tier to Master. ¡®As for the remaining Celestial Light¡­¡¯ There were Chi-Hyun, Apoline, Alice, and Ismile. If shortcuts and tricks didn¡¯t work, he needed to find a person who would work as his subordinate and devote themselves to Seven Stars until at least Liber was saved. In that sense, he needed to exclude his brother and Ismile, and it wouldn¡¯t be easy to achieve with Apoline or Alice either. They were both heads of their respective organizations, so they wouldn¡¯t easily accept his request. And they all had their individual circumstances. He needed to wait and see for this condition as well. Since the Celestial Realm would be sending out the largest scale of heroes ever, there may be a Celestial Light or two among them. ¡®That guy¡¯s a problem too.¡¯ The fourth condition was to awaken the fenrir cub¡¯s power. Chi-Woo hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the cub since he brought the cub from the Hala Forest. However, the problem was that the cub didn¡¯t want to do anything either. Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t even joking as all the cub did was eat and wander around wherever they felt like it and then come back and sleep, and it was to the point that Chi-Woo was starting to doubt if the cub really was a descendent of that fierce Hurodivituru. Chi-Woo thought he should start paying attention to the fenrir cub from now on. Then from the corner of his vision, one person suddenly caught his eye. He saw a silver-haired girl standing hesitantly on the other side of the open door. With a nervous expression, she seemed to be agonizing over whether she should knock or not. Chi-Woo sighed. ¡°¡­What.¡± ¡°I think you need to go in a hurry.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Chi-Woo frowned. There was so much to do, but the number of visitors had increased significantly these days. ¡°If it¡¯s not urgent business, then¡ª¡± He tried to push it off. ¡°It¡¯s from Goddess La Bella,¡± Hawa hurriedly said. Chi-Woo shut his mouth. The story changed when it was not just anyone, but the god he served. ¡°¡­I got it. I¡¯ll go soon.¡± Chi-Woo soon moved to a white space and heard something unexpected. ¡°Other¡­conditions?¡± ¡ªYes. Not only Sir General White Horse¡¯s condition, but also the other three conditions. Mamiya replied clearly to Chi-Woo¡¯s question. ¡ªOf course, you must be flustered by the sudden change in terms, but¡­would you like to hear the situation? 1. Nuna means older sister, but men can say it to any women older than them they were close to depending on the situation. ? CH 441 the gods, including mamiya, revealed the reason they called chi-woo. ¡ªan interference came from a place so high that we can¡¯t even dare to fathom it. the gods explained that the place that the interference came from was even beyond the scope of their comprehension. ¡ªthis interference exactly pinpoints you. chi-woo wondered why he was chosen and singled out among all the many existences on liber. ¡ªit¡¯s understandable that you would be baffled. we are also confused since it¡¯s so sudden¡­ and the gods proceeded to say that they had come up with several speculations by deducing the reasons for the interference. the first was that an event that shouldn¡¯t have happened in liber¡¯s current state had happened. ¡ªyou must know liber¡¯s situation better than anyone else. it¡¯s a planet where even its world had disappeared. that¡¯s what liber¡­no, should i call it asha now? ¡ªanyways, though you went back in time and modified the past to revive the world¡­asha¡¯s powers are extremely weak compared to a normal world¡¯s. it¡¯s almost nonexistent. that¡¯s the current status of asha. chi-woo nodded after digesting what mamiya was telling him. he realized that mamiya was right when thinking about the past. the world¡¯s condition had been so dire that she couldn¡¯t even endure his brother¡¯s power. it wasn¡¯t much different now. thus, it was surprising and suspicious that a phenomenon that easily surpassed his brother¡¯s ¡®second coming¡¯ had occurred and without causing any other abnormalities. ¡ªit¡¯s definitely suspicious, but let me tell you something interesting. since the path is already open, i will show you that first. mamiya explained, and simultaneously, a vast array of light formed at the center of the six gods, coloring the white space and blinding chi-woo before it gradually dissipated. then it turned into an oval shape and fluctuated like ocean waves. chi-woo realized what it was as soon as he got a good look. when he used the kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit, he remembered seeing something similar. it was a portal connecting to another dimension, and it was the source of the interference that the gods were talking about. ¡ªwith the appearance of this interference, we received a revelation of sorts. we will tell you the revelation now. mamiya cleared his throat and continued. ¡ªit was to call you, choi chi-woo, and make you decide whether or not you will take this path. chi-woo tilted his head. he had been feeling anxious, but the mission was simpler than he expected it to be. yet mamiya wasn¡¯t done. ¡ªand to go into more details¡­this path is a kind of junction created by somebody¡¯s strong will. it also appears to be set so that it only opens when a special condition is met. what did this mean? ¡ªlet me tell you the rest of the revelations first. if you go on this path, the conditions to your tier promotion would be modified. chi-woo blinked hard. his promotion conditions¡­? ¡ªwith your promotion, we meant to give you the standard benefits and things that will allow you to surpass your past self. but if you choose to walk this path, all that will become meaningless. there¡¯s something you must give up to walk this path. chi-woo¡¯s face fell. in simple terms, this meant that chi-woo would have to give up all the rewards he had been promised with his promotion to pass through this cluster of light. ¡ªthere¡¯s no result without a cause. of course, the formation of this portal is an event that occurred outside of the norm and ignored the normal laws of causality. but even the existence utilizing this irregularity can¡¯t completely escape the rule of the universe. ¡ªbut besides that, it¡¯s amazing no matter how many times i see it. even an existence on the ninth tier can¡¯t get around this rule so freely even though they can bypass them. who could it be that they can¡­ mamiya murmured in astonishment, but chi-woo shook his head. this was too much. he didn¡¯t even know what existed inside the cluster of light. perhaps it could even be a trap, set up by somebody to stop him from progressing further¡­ search "pawread dot com" for the original. ¡ªi suppose we can keep that possibility in mind, but it is very unlikely. think about it. if this existence really intended to sabotage you, they wouldn¡¯t hand over the choice to you. they will probably force you to make a choice, and of course, we would¡¯ve stepped in then. mamiya had a point. but then what was the reason behind this existence¡¯s actions? ¡ªwe don¡¯t know that either. as said before, this is an interference coming from an existence beyond our comprehension. thus, the fact that such a being would interfere at this point in time clearly means that there¡¯s a reason we can¡¯t find out yet. and that could be another potential or opportunity for you. it appeared that mamiya and all the other five gods wanted him to go inside the cluster of light. chi-woo was a bit taken aback. besides everything else, he was most curious about who the existence that brought upon this interference was. if he at least knew who it was, perhaps he could guess what all this was about. chi-woo contemplated for a long time and suddenly thought of one being. before entering liber, he had shared a short conversation with a being at the library. was it perhaps¡­ ¡ªthat was what i thought too, at first. but it¡¯s not her. a low voice pulled chi-woo out of his thoughts. ¡ªshe said that herself. it was the white horse general. ¡ªshe said that it¡¯s an interference that even she cannot fathom. furthermore, she also wants you to take this path. it¡¯s the same for me. if you decide to walk this path, i will consider the condition i gave you as complete. sensing that chi-woo was struggling with a mess of thoughts, the white horse general interjected to voice his opinion. but that would make everything seem meaningless. what was the point of rising to master tier when he would have to give up all his promotion rewards? no, it wouldn¡¯t be completely meaningless since he would be able to rise to grand master in the next promotion. still, chi-woo couldn¡¯t overcome his confusion and decided to organize the situation once again, taking it slow to go over one thing at a time. 1. an existence that even the gods couldn¡¯t decipher singled him out and caused an interference. 2. the interference was the creation of a portal that connected to who-knows-where. 3. and to go there, he needed to offer all the promotion rewards he would¡¯ve gotten by rising to master tier. 4. what he could earn there was impossible to learn at the present. ¡°¡­¡± anyone could see that it was a gamble and an adventure. if the beings who recommended this decision to him weren¡¯t gods, he would¡¯ve instantly refused and turned around without a second thought. yet the gods were urging him to go through this light portal more aggressively than he would expect in a decision like this. they were telling him to choose for himself but clearly expressing their desire for him to go. even la bella, who had remained quiet the whole time, did the same. there would be no need for him to contemplate further if he could be certain that he would get something that far surpassed his promotion rewards by going through the light portal, but there was no guarantee of that. chi-woo closed his eyes. he had a hard time making the decision. this was a problem he couldn¡¯t know the answer to right now. then, as he had always done before, he needed to trust his intuition in situations like this. ¡ªoh! chi-woo tried to listen to his intuition when he suddenly heard a loud gasp. he was shocked as soon as he opened his eyes. he was standing right in front of the portal. he had left the choice to his intuition and before he even realized it, his body had unconsciously made its way to the portal. ¡®what? it¡¯s at this level?¡¯ chi-woo was astonished. his intuition was basically telling him that he needed to go inside at all costs. chi-woo glared at the cluster of light and sighed deeply. for the first time, he seriously considered going against his intuition, but in the end, he shook his head. he had never done such a thing before. for now, he made a temporary decision, but he couldn¡¯t enter the portal now since he didn¡¯t know when he could come back. ¡°could you give me some time to think?¡± for the first time since he came here, chi-woo voiced his thoughts out loud. ¡ªwhat? what more do you need to think about? the white horse general said a bit disapprovingly of chi-woo¡¯s desire to postpone the decision. ¡ªcalm down, sir. we need to consider his position. since he doesn¡¯t know how long he will have to leave his post, he would need time to organize. in response to mamiya¡¯s words, the general calmed down and closed his mouth. ¡ªgo ahead, sir. and please visit us again when you are certain. but keep this in mind while you are making your decision¡ªeven we don¡¯t know how long this portal will last. chi-woo nodded, taking it as mamiya¡¯s warning that he shouldn¡¯t take too long to come to a decision. *** after returning to reality, chi-woo fell into deep thought. right now, he had two choices. the first was to continue as things currently were and receive guaranteed rewards. the second was to give up all his promised rewards to seek something potentially bigger. but these choices weren¡¯t the only things he needed to concern himself with. ¡®but why now of all times¡­?¡¯ soon, the twelfth reinforcements would arrive at shalyh. they were going to be the largest elite forces that the celestial realm had ever sent, and if he did well after their arrival, he would be able to solve at least half of the remaining conditions for his tier promotion. furthermore, he didn¡¯t know whether it was all right for him to leave his post for so long at a vital time like this. but while he was agonizing over the matter, he recalled what his brother had told him before. ¡®no, wait. the problem is¡­¡¯ chi-woo tapped on his desk with his finger and called eval in to explain the situation to him. after hearing what chi-woo told him, eval spoke without thinking for long. ¡°yes, i understand. if you have to leave your post, please do so,¡± eval coolly responded. ¡°can i really do that?¡± ¡°if you are worried about the twelfth reinforcements, there¡¯s no need.¡± eval shrugged. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter whether seven stars participate in the recruitment process or not anyway.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°it¡¯s as i said. even if we don¡¯t participate in the event, we will be able to bring in the heroes we want. that¡¯s the current position seven stars is in,¡± eval said with overflowing confidence, and chi-woo laughed humorlessly. ¡°is it because i¡¯m a choi?¡± ¡°that¡¯s the case, sir.¡± heroes were very weak when they first landed on liber, and they needed to grow stronger desperately. thus, pretty much all the heroes desired help from an organization who could provide professional support for their growth. thus, how would they feel about an organization where all sorts of famous heroes, including the celestial lights, were part of? and on top of that, what if the leader of such an organization was the youngest son of the choi family, who had been shrouded with mystery until now? in addition to curiosity, all sorts of great interest would be directed toward seven stars; it didn¡¯t seem like an exaggeration to say that a hundred out of a hundred heroes would be interested in joining, especially heroes who considered themselves special. ¡°the descendents of a god, the ho lactea? the greatest bloodline among humans, the afrilith? all that is meaningless now. whatever conditions those two organizations offer, we would be able to surpass that and more with your presence in seven stars alone.¡± it was then chi-woo finally understood what aida had told him before. she had said that he could simply wait, and the stars would naturally come to him. ¡°well, i suppose we have no reason not to participate, though. we got our gold coins too.¡± eval raised the pouch that chi-woo had received. ¡°good. but if i happen to be away when the recruitment event happens, bring aida with you. i¡¯m sure she will be able to help you,¡± chi-woo said. ¡°yes, i understand. i¡¯ll give the captain of the fourth team a heads-up.¡± ¡°also, could you tell everyone to come? i think it¡¯d be better to tell them personally that i might be away for a while.¡± thus, eval gathered everyone at chi-woo''s office, and chi-woo explained the situation to them. surprisingly, all the members accepted the news calmly. it was because it wasn¡¯t the first or second time chi-woo was doing something like this. after finishing the meeting, chi-woo went outside. he wanted to meet shersha before he left, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t do that. astarte told him that shersha had finally fallen asleep after suffering from insomnia for a couple of days. ¡°how is ms. shersha¡¯s condition?¡± chi-woo asked. ¡°a bit better than before. she stumbles on some words, but she is beginning to talk a bit more now. but¡­¡± though this was fortunate news, astarte¡¯s expression still looked a bit downcast. it seemed shersha¡¯s condition was more severe than he had expected. ¡°please understand. though she is a great demon, shersha is different from us. she¡¯s a girl who has never killed even a bug with her hands.¡± thus, she was in great distress after witnessing the demon empire¡¯s miserable downfall and going through such terrible experiences in shalyh. perhaps those incidents were just the tip of the iceberg. chi-woo didn¡¯t dare to fathom what she had witnessed and gone through exactly that she would be suffering like this. he wanted to ask her in person, but decided to back off after hearing that shersha needed to settle down first. ¡°i plan to be away for a bit.¡± ¡°hm? will it take you a long time?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know how long it will take. still¡­¡± chi-woo glanced at the house that shersha was sleeping in and looked back at astarte again. ¡°i hope that i will be able to see ms. shersha healthy when i come back.¡± ¡°¡­of course!¡± astarte smirked. ¡°i¡¯m sure shersha feels the same way. she didn¡¯t speak a word no matter how many times i tried to talk to her, but she showed a little bit of response whenever i mentioned you.¡± then, astare said that she had told shersha everything chi-woo had done for the demon empire¡¯s survivors without missing a detail. that she was certain shersha was also thankful to him too. after the conversation was over, chi-woo moved again. with this, he had taken care of all the urgent matters. but he continued to contemplate over everything after returning to the seven stars headquarters. ¡®will i be able to save liber with this choice?¡¯ or would he have a better chance of doing that by following the current path and rising to master tier the original way? he knew that there was no guarantee of him saving the world just because he rose to master tier. the world¡¯s situation was too dire for that to be the case. there was nothing he could be certain of yet. [this path is a kind of junction created from somebody¡¯s strong will.] mamiya said that this was a junction. a junction was the starting point where many paths diverged. if he could gain an important clue to saving liber by taking this path, he could understand why the gods would have encouraged him to take it and why his intuition continued to pull him toward it too. in the end, he would only know the answer after everything unraveled. though he was still conflicted, chi-woo thought he could come to a decision if he had to take either one of the two choices presented to him. chi-woo went to his bedroom, kneeled on one leg, closed his eyes, and prayed. soon afterward, he heard mamiya chuckle. ¡ªgood. you came earlier than i expected. ¡°i¡¯ve decided.¡± chi-woo walked toward the wavering cluster of light without hesitation. CH 442 the moment chi-woo stepped inside, a brilliant light filled his vision. it was so bright that it blinded his vision briefly, but chi-woo tried hard not to close his eyes as he didn¡¯t know what would be waiting for him at the end of this portal. chi-woo forced his eyes open to the best of his ability ¡®¡­how much longer do i have to walk?¡¯ no matter how much he walked, there was no end in sight. even when he stayed still and waited, there were no signs that he would be transported to another place. when he began to think that this was a type of ordeal where he needed to endure and reach the end of this long path, he felt the bright light that filled his vision quickly subside. then something white that wasn¡¯t light covered his vision. the moment he recognized it, ¡°huuuuff!¡±, his stifled breath rushed out, and the same sensation he felt when he tripped came over him. chi-woo barely managed to stop himself from falling before he raised his head. his surroundings were extremely noisy. all around him were voices that sounded shocked. there weren¡¯t tens of hundreds of them, but still an immeasurable number. he had finally arrived at his destination. chi-woo wondered who on earth had called him here, going so far to even demand his rewards for promotion to master tier. ¡®let¡¯s see what they look like.¡¯ chi-woo firmly resolved himself in an instant and looked up with a deep breath. ¡°¡­¡± immediately, his mouth opened wide. even though he had prepared himself, confusion spread across his face like watercolor. ¡°what¡­¡± then his expression turned shocked like those around him. ¡°what the¡­what¡­¡± his reaction was only natural. the vast, seemingly boundless white space was packed with people, but the problem was that they were not strangers he¡¯d never seen before. ¡°what the heck? who are all of you?¡± chi-woo looked around. ¡°where am i? who are you?¡± and wherever he looked, they were all¡ª ¡°¡­doppelgangers?¡± there were chi-woos everywhere. or to be more exact, everyone existing in this space was all chi-woo. the chi-woo who just spoke up continued, ¡°or are you all sernitas, newly created with my information?¡± chi-woo looked around and became speechless when he saw another chi-woo reveal his intention to fight. doppelgangers? sernitas? that was what he wanted to say. besides, there were just too many, way too many chi-woos. thousands, tens of thousands¡­no, maybe over hundreds of thousands¡ª! bam! suddenly, there was an explosion, and the chi-woos on one side quickly withdrew in shock. ¡°die!¡± discover the complete story on pawread dot com. ¡°no, you die!¡± a fight broke out between chi-woos. one held a burnt club, another held up a club of light conjured with armed with the sixth element, and they collided in an instant. ¡°yeah, i knew it! ha! why, was copying my weapon too hard for you?¡± ¡°bullshit! i guess you didn¡¯t apply the information from the kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit?¡± they screamed at the top of their lungs and fiercely fought each other. battles like this were taking place everywhere. ¡®what should i do? first, i should also¡­!¡¯ chi-woo, who had no idea what to do, was putting up his guard against all directions and was about to pull out his ghost-busting club. however, his surroundings suddenly became quiet, and no one said a word, including the chi-woos who had been secretly taking out their weapons like him. all the chi-woos who were fighting each other immediately stopped what they were all doing without a single exception. then everyone tilted their heads and looked up¡ªat the universe beyond the white space that surrounded them. the next moment, chi-woo was captivated by a strange sensation. the u.s. astronomer, carl sagan, once pointed at earth in space and called it a pale blue dot. more than feeling like they were no more than a lab rat, the moment they faced the outer universe, all the chi-woos felt as if they were even less than the dust floating in space. they felt the presence of a giant, which seemed to encompass the entire universe, lean back and look down at this space. a silence where they couldn¡¯t even hear a pin drop permeated the entire space. ¡ªhmm. suddenly, a familiar voice rang in his ear. ¡ªthere¡¯s more than i expected? this can¡¯t be¡­ although the voice was slightly thin and echoed in his ears, he thought it was definitely familiar. ¡°who are you?¡± one chi-woo asked. ¡°are you the one who called us here?¡± chi-woo was hit with a strange feeling as he saw a chi-woo calmly ask a question, and he thought, ¡®am i that calm?¡¯ there was no reply from space. it seemed as if the giant was pondering. at that moment, a light suddenly streamed down. it grew bigger and left a long tail of light like a meteor falling from space. of course, unlike a meteor, the light didn¡¯t crash headlong. it stopped mid-air and quickly began to take shape. then most of the chi-woos doubted their eyes as a figure appeared into view. ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± the person who was speaking while floating in the air was a woman. ¡°i¡¯m the one who called all of you here.¡± no matter how many times chi-woo looked at her, she was a woman with a bored expression, and she looked strangely familiar. judging by her long hair, the curve of her upper body, narrow waist, and hips, she was definitely a woman, but chi-woo couldn¡¯t erase the thought that she looked a lot like him. yeah, if he had an older or young sister, she might have looked like her. ¡°what?¡± then one person let out a shrill sound. ¡°what? who are you?¡± chi-woo instinctively turned around and was shocked again. it was because the woman gaping and pointing looked exactly like the woman in the air. they looked like identical twins. on second thought, there weren¡¯t only men in this place. whether they were chi-woos or not, there were also a few women who looked like chi-woo, and they all looked exactly like the woman in the air. ¡°what do you mean who?¡± the woman in the air said bluntly. ¡°then who are you?¡± ¡°me? i¡¯m choi yoo-joo.¡± ¡°i¡¯m also choi yoo-joo.¡± ¡°?¡± when the woman in the air revealed her name as choi yoo-joo, the woman who also identified herself as choi yoo-joo tilted her head. ¡°choi chi-woo¡­choi yoo-joo¡­¡± the chi-woo who had boldly asked the woman in the air for her identity muttered to himself and asked another question, ¡°then ms. choi yoo-joo? would you tell us the reason you brought so many choi chi-woos and choi yoo-joos here?¡± one choi yoo-joo shouted, ¡°i didn¡¯t call everyone here!¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m not asking you. i¡¯m asking the person floating in the air.¡± one of the choi yoo-joos who had been standing around adamantly denied it, and the choi yoo-joo in the air stared down at the scene and smacked her lips. ¡°yeah¡­i should tell you. however, before that,¡± she stopped mid sentence, and then her eyes flashed. ¡°i need to weed out the crowd at least once.¡± ¡°what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°i tried to pull in as many as possible, but there are way more than i expected.¡± ¡°what are you talking¡ª¡± ¡°i¡¯m saying that there are choi chi-woos and choi yoo-joos who are not supposed to be here. i have no idea what on earth they were thinking when they crawled all the way here¡­¡± the choi yoo-joo in the air scratched her head and continued with an irritated tone as if she found this whole situation very troublesome. ¡°first of all, i need to see if each of you really deserve to come here. if you don¡¯t, i¡¯ll send you right back.¡± ¡°bullshit!¡± then a furious voice rang out. ¡°you¡¯re the one who told us to come here. but now, you want to send us back as soon as we¡¯re here?¡± a chi-woo with gloomy eyes shouted with his face stained with fury. ¡°do you have any idea what i¡¯ve offered to come here?¡± quite a few choi chi-woos and choi yoo-joos nodded. however, the choi yoo-joo in the air didn¡¯t look fazed in the least. she stared at the angry chi-woo and smiled blandly. ¡°did i force you to come here?¡± ¡°w-what?¡± ¡°it¡¯s true that i opened the way for you, but wasn¡¯t it your choice?¡± the angry chi-woo gaped. he tried to shout something but¡ª ¡°you and i are born as different sexes, but if we share the same fate, i¡¯m sure your intuition must have told you this¡ªthat you can¡¯t, it¡¯s not you.¡± the angry chi-woo shut his mouth at her following words. ¡°i gave a separate revelation just in case¡­well, if you didn¡¯t even understand that, it¡¯d be better for you to go back even if you¡¯re qualified. how are you going to save anyone with such an empty head?¡± the yoo-joo in the air let out a cold sneer. the angry chi-woo gritted his teeth, but didn¡¯t dare to attack as he recalled how she had encompassed the entirety of the vast universe and looked down at the space where they all were before she revealed herself. her presence had been so overwhelming that he didn¡¯t even dare to fight. ¡°anyway, can you stop making such a fuss for paying a price that¡¯s not even worth mentioning? i don¡¯t know how many people this applies to, but there must be choi chi-woos and choi yoo-joos who have given up all the rewards for their promotion to master tier to come here.¡± a buzz arose at choi yoo-joo¡¯s words. ¡®what? rewards for promotion to master tier?¡¯ ¡®are they crazy?¡¯ ¡®mine¡­mine wasn¡¯t that big.¡¯ being one of the few that fit choi yoo-joo¡¯s criteria, chi-woo scratched his cheek in puzzlement. ¡®what¡¯s happening?¡¯ he had thought they had all paid the same price, but that wasn¡¯t the case. chi-woo organized his thoughts. the conversations exchanged so far had given him some insight into the situation, but it was still too early to jump to conclusions. he thought he''d be more certain if he heard more, but¡­that woman in the air named choi yoo-joo seemed like no ordinary opponent. ¡°if you all understand¡­i¡¯ll start.¡± the yoo-joo in the air exhaled and tucked her long hair behind her ears. the next moment, there was commotion all over the place because without them willing it so, their celestial realm devices all opened up and disclosed their user information. it didn¡¯t reveal everything, but one innate ability. [ab?????? ???????ty ex] it was the same for chi-woo. he looked at the innate ability printed out in the air. it was the ability he had had since he first opened his user information, but he still hadn¡¯t been able to uncover what it was, and it was still shrouded in mystery. why did this ability open up so suddenly? he was soon able to find out the answer. ¡°you go back.¡± ¡°you too.¡± ¡°you haven¡¯t even unlocked a single letter yet? no, weren¡¯t you able to? anyway, that¡¯s amazing in itself too. you stay for now.¡± ¡°wow. what¡¯s up with you? you unlocked only the latter two syllables¡­you¡¯re crazy. you¡¯re definitely going back.¡± it wasn¡¯t even a second. 0.1 second. no, it might be even less than 0.01 second. in less than the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of chi-woos and yoo-joos were disappearing. it was hard to believe even though he was seeing everything unfold with his own eyes. it was a frightening speed. he heard her voice everywhere but couldn¡¯t follow her movement. like this, countless numbers of chi-woos and yoo-joos were one-sidedly dismissed without being able to say a single word. after careful observation, chi-woo thought he could guess what her criteria was in deciding whether to let someone stay or to kick someone out and send them back. ¡®she mentioned syllables.¡¯ chi-woo couldn¡¯t see the other chi-woos¡¯ and yoo-joo¡¯s user information. however, judging by how his ability was forcibly disclosed, he could guess what she was looking at. it must be the number of ¡®?¡¯ that had been revealed. ¡®no. that¡¯s not it.¡¯ she didn¡¯t send back someone that hadn¡¯t even revealed a single syllable and let them stay. then rather than how many ¡®?¡¯ they revealed, it was¡ª ¡°wow-!¡± it was then he heard an exclamation. the yoo-joo in the air, who had been moving so fast that he couldn¡¯t even see her, stopped for the first time. she stopped in the air and was looking down at one person. it was another choi yoo-joo just like herself. ¡°you unlocked two syllables in the first word? at this point in time?¡± she stared at the yoo-joo standing right below her with surprise. ¡°the latter part is clean on top of that. amazing. it¡¯s perfect. at this time, i could also only open up the first syllable of the first word but¡­¡± she clicked her tongue and let out an empty laugh. ¡°i see. you must be the counterpart of that crazy guy earlier. if there is such a ruined fate, there must be a perfect fate like yours.¡± she rubbed her chin and nodded. then the yoo-joo, who received such lavish compliments, smiled softly. ¡°then may i stay here?¡± ¡°of course. even if you want to go back, i¡¯ll cling to the edge of your pants and beg you to stay.¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll stay.¡± ¡°good. just wait for now. it¡¯s almost over.¡± the yoo-joo in the air smiled and turned right away. then numerous chi-woos and yoo-joos began to disappear again. chi-woo felt an unknown sense of anxiety as the crowd around him thinned. he felt confident, but no one knew what would happen. and his concern turned out to be warranted. although he couldn¡¯t see her¡ªchi-woo clearly felt yoo-joo pass by him at a tremendous speed, and while she did, she reached out toward him without hesitation. ¡°you retur¡ª¡± return like this? really? although he didn¡¯t know the exact criteria, he had come here after giving up all his rewards for promotion to master tier. just when he was thinking this¡ª ¡°¡­what?¡± yoo-joo, who seemed like she wouldn¡¯t stop again, stopped. then she soon revealed herself. ¡°you came here at the price of your promotion rewards to master tier? you?¡± all eyes focused on him, including the yoo-joo who had been praised for her ¡®perfect fate¡¯. chi-woo¡¯s posture stiffened further. ¡°no way. how can a fate that reveals a syllable in the latter word¡­¡± yoo-joo muttered to herself as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing and then, getting a good look at chi-woo¡¯s innate ability, she froze. ¡°¡­uh?¡± she blinked like crazy in that state and then tightly shut her eyes and opened them again. then she softly said after seeing that chi-woo¡¯s user information had remained unchanged, ¡°a syllable from the first and second words¡­are both revealed¡­?¡± she frowned, and her fair brows arched. ¡°what, what¡¯s with you?¡± the yoo-joo in the air showed a similar but different reaction from when she saw the yoo-joo with perfect fate. ¡°this¡­a fate like this¡­¡± her reaction beforehand was ¡®that¡¯s amazing¡¯, but this time, it went beyond mere surprise to extreme shock, as if she was witnessing a miracle that should have been impossible in front of her. ¡°what came first?¡± the yoo-joo in the air was speechless for a while and then shouted like a thunderbolt, ¡°¡®ab¡¯ or ¡®ty¡¯, which was unlocked first! hurry and tell me!¡± she didn¡¯t even give him time to answer and quickly urged him. ¡°the latter. and the first syllable unlocked next.¡± ¡°¡­no way.¡± yoo-joo¡¯s frown deepened further. ¡°the star that should have already entered the path of retrogression are going back in order¡­it¡¯s something that should have never happened. unless you changed your own path¡­¡± yu-ju quickly muttered to herself and turned around. ¡°and there¡¯s no counterpart either?¡± she bit her lower lip gently and continued muttering, ¡°if it¡¯s the one and only fate¡­then¡­¡± she suddenly opened her eyes to the fullest. ¡°¡­perhaps.¡± she raised her head and stared blankly at chi-woo. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re¡­¡± CH 443 choi yoo-joo looked at chi-woo with mixed feelings from the air. then she finally regained her senses and, after trying to send chi-woo back, she dropped her hand. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­stay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°i request you to stay. could you please stay? i beg you!¡± her attitude took a complete turn. she sounded so desperate that chi-woo couldn¡¯t even scold her for trying to send him back without figuring things out properly. thus, he ended up nodding confusedly, and the yoo-joo in the air looked relieved. after that, the same thing that happened before repeated. she sent back many chi-woos and yoo-joos while leaving one or two of them every now and then. eventually, the weeding-out process ended. there weren¡¯t many people remaining compared to the large crowd from the beginning, and now there were significant gaps in the space that had been filled with people from corner to corner. ¡°¡­yes, this is more like it,¡± yoo-joo bitterly murmured after the screening process. she let out the breath she had been holding and rose into the air. ¡°first of all, congratulations.¡± she looked around at the remaining chi-woos and yoo-joos.¡°you all are¡­how should i say this? yes, you and i are the remaining chois who have a slight chance of reaching the future we desire at this current time.¡± all the chi-woos and yoo-joos blinked hard and glanced at one another. not all of them understood what this yoo-joo was saying. then one chi-woo opened his mouth. ¡°parallel universes.¡± it was the chi-woo who had asked a question in a calm manner before. ¡°we are chi-woos and yoo-joos who live our own destinies in our own worlds¡­is that right?¡± he asked in a polite voice. ¡°that¡¯s correct.¡± the yoo-joo in the air looked at the chi-woo with a slight look of surprise. as he said, they came from different parallel universes, also known as alternate realities or parallel worlds. ¡°it doesn¡¯t really matter if we are man or woman, what our names are, or what kind of lives we had lived until now.¡± the yoo-joo in the air extended her hand. ¡°the important part is that our roots are the same. in other words, we are existences that branched out from one origin.¡± a shining seed formed in the air. soon, the seed sprouted and grew roots from below; and from above, it shot out endlessly and formed branches to almost infinity. seeing the tree of light, chi-woo understood that he was one of the infinitely growing branches. the chi-woo who had asked the question stared intently at the tree of light and asked, ¡°then who are you¡­?¡± ¡°who do you think i am? want to take a guess?¡± ¡°the future.¡± the chi-woo answered like he had been waiting for the chance. ¡°you are the other us who had reached a faraway future that we hadn¡¯t reached yet.¡± ¡°you really are smart. no wonder you came all the way here. i will call you smart chi-woo from now on. how is it?¡± ¡°ahaha¡­.¡± smart chi-woo scratched his cheeks awkwardly in response to the nickname that was suddenly given to him. ¡°it¡¯s as you say. unlike you all, who came from different points in time, i¡¯m chi-woo and yoo-joo from the future. in earth terms, there¡¯s probably a difference of a couple decades between us.¡± ¡°wait, then how old are¡ª?¡± ¡°smarty, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°ah, yes, ma¡¯am.¡± smart chi-woo immediately clasped his lips as the yoo-joo in the air opened her eyes threateningly. ¡°you are me from the future? really? what happens next?¡± then another yoo-joo hastily asked. it was understandable that she¡¯d be curious after hearing that one of them came from a faraway future. ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°what happens to liber? liber!¡± chi-woo wondered if the yoo-joo in the air was even allowed to reveal this information as it was a secret from the heavens. but there was no need to worry, as she dismissed a rule like that like it was nothing and replied. ¡°of course i saved liber. do you think i¡¯d be standing before you all if i hadn¡¯t saved it?¡± it was then a sharp voice spoke up. ¡°then what are we here for?¡± among the many chi-woos, one of them glared disapprovingly at yoo-joo. ¡°why should we believe you? even if you are telling the truth¡ªthat makes it less comprehensible why we would be called here.¡± ¡°what can¡¯t you comprehend?¡± ¡°is there really a need for you to go this far? if you really saved liber, there should be nothing left for you to do. isn¡¯t that what we wished for?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t make sense that you¡¯d organize an event of this grand scale out of simple goodwill without a purpose in mind. are you seriously just telling us to trust you?¡± it was as he said. if the yoo-joo in the air had accomplished all her wishes, she should¡¯ve been able to live well and worry-free. but the fact that she was doing something this large-scale raised some doubts. the yoo-joo in the air remained silent. she simply looked down at the chi-woo doubting her. ¡°you are smart. but since we already have a smart chi-woo¡­you should be something else. i¡¯ll call you grumpy chi-woo given how grumpiness is written all over your face.¡± she was basically admitting to at least half of what grumpy chi-woo said with this statement, yet it seemed that grumpy chi-woo wanted her to answer his question instead. ¡°shut up and just answer my question.¡± ¡°well, it¡¯s true. i called all of you here because there¡¯s something i desire. it¡¯s for a very personal purpose, but it¡¯s also not a bad opportunity for you all. of course, it depends on how you all make it.¡± ¡°that must mean you didn¡¯t save liber properly,¡± grumpy chi-woo immediately retorted. ¡°or even after you saved liber, you couldn¡¯t fulfill all your desires. you must still have some regret or lingering feelings. so you are trying to set the past right according to your own standard through us.¡± the chi-woos and yoo-joos here would¡¯ve gone to the future or past at least once. thus, it wasn¡¯t difficult to deduce the motivation of the yoo-joo in the air. grumpy chi-woo talked like he could see through her, and yoo-joo in the air raised one eyebrow. grumpy chi-woo smirked seeing her reaction. ¡°do we have any reason to help you?¡± grumpy chi-woo asked. ¡°what?¡± ¡°if you really think about it, you basically failed. even if you¡¯ve amassed great strength, it¡¯s meaningless if that happened after a great length of time.¡± grumpy chi-woo jutted his chin. ¡°in other words, what¡¯s the point of hearing the advice of a failure, who failed to fulfill everything she desired while saving liber?¡± chi-woo thought grumpy chi-woo had a point and was about to ponder on it when a short burst of laughter escaped her mouth. ¡®pft.¡¯ soon afterward, the yoo-joo in the air couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and burst into loud laughter. ¡°ahahahahaha!¡± she even clutched onto her belly and doubled over like she couldn¡¯t get over how hilarious the situation was. grumpy chi-woo stared up at her and gritted his teeth, looking a bit taken aback. ¡°what are you laughing about? what¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°no¡ªyou really are something, aren¡¯t you?¡± after laughing senselessly for a while, the yoo-joo in the air finally calmed herself down. ¡°how long has it been since i had a proper laugh? thank you so much. but by the way, you are very confident¡­let me have a quick look at you.¡± to read the uncut version, go to pawread dot com. at that moment, grumpy chi-woo felt a mysterious energy search him from head to toe. ¡°hm~ look at him. how nice. the path had been set up for you since you were young and that allowed you to quickly become a master on liber. many died and many were killed¡­and you lost as much with it¡­ you walked a very bloody path to come here; well then, that explains quite a bit.¡± the yoo-joo in the air wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and chuckled. ¡°should i tell you something?¡± then, she continued like an adult looking pitifully at a child. ¡°you know the future that you just judged right now? it¡¯s just as you said. i couldn¡¯t accomplish everything that i hoped for. to be exact, i didn¡¯t get what was most important to me¡ªwhat i personally think is even more important than the salvation of liber.¡± ¡°what is more important¡ª¡± ¡°but i accomplished pretty much everything besides that. here, i will give you a quiz,¡± she cut off grumpy chi-woo. ¡°not just to you, everyone in this space, or everyone i just sent back. this question is for all the chi-woos and yoo-joos who came from this one root. how many people do you think reached a similar timeline as me?¡± the grumpy chi-woo looked a bit taken aback. ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°how many chi-woos and yoo-joos do you think accomplished the future i reached, discounting me?¡± grumpy chi-woo closed his mouth. it seemed that the yoo-joo in the air hadn¡¯t really expected an answer. she spread out only her index finger and said, ¡°just one.¡± everyone looked stunned. among the countless number of chi-woos and yoo-joos, how could there be only one? ¡°besides me, there¡¯s just one among the chi-woos who accomplished it.¡± a small commotion arose from her bold statement. ¡°wait a moment. does that mean that i won¡¯t be able to save liber¡­?¡± ¡°don¡¯t cry. it¡¯s too early to jump to conclusions.¡± the yoo-joo who had jumped up and down in glee immediately looked despondent at the news, and smart chi-woo comforted her. ¡°but yoo-joo from the future said¡­¡± ¡°even if what she said is true, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s completely impossible.¡± ¡°what do you mean? why?¡± ¡°because your worldline might be the same as hers.¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s nothing. let¡¯s focus on the announcement for now.¡± smart chi-woo smiled bitterly at stupid yoo-joo. all sorts of questions poured out to future yoo-joo in the air. ¡°one? out of all these destinies, there¡¯s just one?¡± they asked. ¡°yes, there¡¯s one among the chi-woos¡­no, there used to be one,¡± future yoo-joo continued. she changed from present tense to past tense. this seemed to mean that the chi-woo who had saved liber was no longer around, and smart chi-woo didn¡¯t miss this point. ¡°by that, do you mean¡­?¡± it was only for a moment, but future yoo-joo¡¯s face hardened. she didn¡¯t answer. ¡°¡­how can we take your word for it?¡± grumpy chi-woo retorted, and future yoo-joo sighed. ¡°you sure talk a lot. if you are that suspicious, why don¡¯t you just go back?¡± ¡°i came here by making an offering. i can¡¯t return empty-handed.¡± ¡°i will come up with a reward especially for you. it¡¯s not that much of a bother to do. so? do you want me to send you back now?¡± ¡°¡­even if it¡¯s advice from a failure, i¡¯m sure it¡¯s worth hearing you out.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure it is. well, do whatever you want since you are also at a worldline that piques my interest a little bit¡ªthough not to the level of those two from before.¡± future yoo-joo snorted and looked around her. ¡°does anyone have more questions?¡± yoo-joo seemed to be telling them to ask her their questions now instead of bringing them up later. ¡°could you tell us what this space is?¡± as expected, smart chi-woo raised his head and posed a question. ¡°it¡¯s a temporary space i made for you all,¡± future yoo-joo responded, but smart chi-woo didn¡¯t seem satisfied with her answer. ¡°according to the revelation, this place is a kind of junction¡ª¡± ¡°a junction?¡± future yoo-joo snorted in disbelief. ¡°is that what the gods on your end told you?¡± ¡°¡­that is the revelation i received.¡± ¡°well, i suppose it isn¡¯t wrong¡­but it¡¯s not certain yet.¡± ¡°what do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°it¡¯s up to you guys whether this place would be a mere bus stop that would lead you to your scheduled destinations, or if it would lead you to a new place and allow you to hit a new milestone.¡± in other words, coming here alone didn¡¯t guarantee rewards. smart chi-woo nodded in understanding and asked another question after organizing his thoughts. ¡°then, what is it that we have to do here? and what would we earn after succeeding?¡± it was the question that everyone wanted to ask the most. they got a sense of what future yoo-joo¡¯s goal was, so in the end, the most important question was about themselves. what did they need to do here, and would they be able to gain something that surpassed what they had given up? everyone¡¯s eyes shifted up to future yoo-joo, and she shrugged. ¡°nothing.¡± what? seriously? there was nothing they could earn? but future yoo-joo wasn¡¯t done speaking. before grumpy chi-woo could lose his temper, she continued, ¡°and everything. everything that anyone could wish for.¡± the mood that could¡¯ve turned foul immediately settled. ¡°i told you. it¡¯s all up to you.¡± they could return to their respective worlds empty-handed, or on the contrary, a path that would allow them to gain everything could open up. there was a possibility that they could achieve what countless chi-woos and yoo-joos had failed to do. this was the purpose and reason why future yoo-joo brought everyone to this space. ¡°what do we need to do now?¡± grumpy chi-woo quickly asked. ¡°do we have to fight each other until there¡¯s only one left?¡± it was a simple and rough method, but also the cleanest. however, future yoo-joo didn¡¯t intend to allow that and laughed humorlessly. ¡°it¡¯s so like you to think that way. so like you.¡± she clicked her tongue and turned around. ¡°seeing it yourself once is better than me explaining it to you a hundred times,¡± future yoo-joo raised her hand a bit expectantly and asked, ¡°want to have a taste of it first?¡± she put her middle finger and thumb together to snap them before anyone could say anything. ¡°why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± flick! at that moment, the space changed completely. CH 444 ¡°©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥!¡± piercing screams erupted from all directions. no, it sounded too desperate and heart-wrenching to be described as screams. it would be more accurate to say that it was a roaring cry. the quiet space shook with terrifying force as if there was a major earthquake. it felt like the whole space was going to turn upside down, and they were going to drop right into space. in the meantime, the light bursting out everywhere began to dash at high speed like a runaway locomotive with a broken brake. and inside this madly fluctuating light¡ª ¡°ugh¡­!¡± chi-woo endured with his teeth clenched, or to be more precise, he was trying his absolute hardest to hold on for dear life. ¡®get angry and destroy everything.¡¯ chi-woo had only felt this intense compulsion once in his life; not in the present, but in the future. moreover, it was even worse now than it had been then. it wasn¡¯t just a feeling of anger and the desire to destroy. all kinds of negative emotions, including despair, were shaking up all his senses and his entire mind. ¡®this is¡­!¡¯ in the past, he would have been overwhelmed by these emotions from the very beginning, but he wasn¡¯t like that anymore. chi-woo supported himself with the ¡®realization¡¯ he had obtained and ¡®accepted¡¯ from his battle with bael. however, this was the extent of his resistance. he could only barely endure and maintain his state of mind, and even then, it was only for a brief moment. chi-woo¡¯s face turned into a scowl as he felt the impulse to destroy overcome him like a tsunami. ¡ªperhaps. in that brief instant, a snippet of the conversation he had had with byeok ran-eum after the war flashed through his mind. ¡ªby surpassing the limits of your bowl, a new bowl might be made. ¡ªthen it might be better¡­ ¡ªto just empty it¡­ to read the uncut version, go to pawread dot com. * * * the light that filled the space began to go out one by one. the horrible shrieks that had been echoing from all sides also suddenly stopped. the vacancy left was filled with only groans. not too long ago, the chi-woos and yoo-joos had been standing on two feet, but after the lights went out, not a single person was standing. they were all lying on the ground and groaning in pain. smart chi-woo was on the ground and couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, and grumpy chi-woo was grinding his teeth and wriggling like an insect with sweat pouring out from him. stupid yoo-joo was sprawled on the ground like a frog and had passed out. it was also the same for the yoo-joo who had been living a perfect life on earth and liber and was greatly praised by future yoo-joo. although perfect yoo-joo lasted longer than the others, she soon reached her limit and collapsed the moment the light surrounding her went out. the hard, white floor was as soft as a feather bed. after panting for a while, she closed her eyes tightly. ¡®just now¡­what the hell¡­¡¯ it felt like someone¡¯s desperate and dreadful feelings at a specific time had completely overlaid her own. it was such a terrible compulsion that she didn¡¯t even want to think about it. she wondered what the hell someone had to go through to feel such grotesque emotions. perfect yoo-joo shivered and opened her eyes. when she looked up and found future yoo-joo, her eyes widened. she thought she had withstood the longest among this group, but that hadn¡¯t been the case. although almost all the lights had died out, there was still one light left. and future yoo-joo was staring intently at the light with a slightly affectionate and sentimental look while hovering in the air. ¡°i see. it¡¯s not finding rationality in paradox, but pure truth¡­ since now, you¡¯ve been¡­ no, not yet. i can¡¯t be sure yet¡­¡± future yoo-joo murmured to herself like she was monologuing and shook her head vigorously. finally, the light that was burning to the very last extinguished, and chi-woo was revealed from under the cluster of light. he stumbled a couple of times as if his head hurt and then fell on one knee. however, unlike the other chi-woos and yoo-joos, he didn¡¯t roll on the floor and groan in pain. seeing this, perfect yoo-joo¡¯s face fell slightly. ¡°you lasted longer than i thought.¡± floating in the air, future yoo-joo approached chi-woo while he panted hard. ¡°but still, as expected, you can¡¯t do it in one try¡­¡± she looked a bit disappointed. her reaction was beyond ridiculous, but chi-woo didn¡¯t reply because his lungs were frantically gasping for air. ¡°¡­so how about it?¡± future yoo-joo asked. it was a question of myriad implications. chi-woo was still silent because he was still breathing hard, but he raised his head. he felt like he just experienced something he had vowed never to go through again. he wanted to wave his hands and shake his head if someone told him to go through the same process again, but he had to persist. the experience made him realize to some extent what he had to do in this space. what future yoo-joo said was right¡ªthis was an opportunity. an opportunity to grab and utilize something much greater than just the rewards of a promotion. if he returned like this, an opportunity like this would never come again. thus, chi-woo rose to his feet resolutely. ¡°one more time.¡± future yoo-joo¡¯s nervous expression brightened a bit. ¡°yeah. so that you¡­yeah, that¡¯s how you should be.¡± seeing the small smile on future yoo-joo¡¯s face, perfect yoo-joo gnawed on her lower lip, and she glared at chi-woo as he stood alone like a triton among minnows. even though she was the definition of perfection and was evaluated as even more outstanding than future yoo-joo at the same point in time, future yoo-joo¡¯s attention was now solely directed at that man. should she call it pride? perfect yoo-joo, who had always walked the path of the best whether on earth or liber, could not accept that there was someone better than her. thus, she forced her still trembling body to get up and said, ¡°me too.¡± seeing perfect yoo-joo stand up while her entire body shook, future yoo-joo smiled and raised her hand. flick! * * * some time ago, right after the great war. the factions of the defeated enemy coalition went their separate ways. the sernitas, which had destroyed and absorbed the remaining demon empire, thought that although they had benefitted while only losing one sky castle, they still lost in the end. to avoid the same outcome from ever happening again, they needed to do a thorough analysis of why they failed. however, the analysis showed no signs of ending, or to be exact, there had been no progress. it was somewhat understandable since they wouldn¡¯t have lost the sky castle so easily if analysis had been possible in the first place. after lengthy consideration, the sernitas came to the conclusion that ¡®this being¡¯ was an existence that they couldn¡¯t analyze at their current level. the moment they, or to be exact, all the consciousness that made up the sernitas, realized this, they were filled with intense excitement. they had left the planet with the ambitious aspiration to become a perfect being and encompass the entire universe, but at one point, they realized that they had hit an invisible wall. the excitement and joy they felt when they first threw themselves into the vast universe and embraced a new lifeform didn¡¯t last as long as they had thought. after reaching a certain level of completion, everything became pretty much the same. there was a clear limitation to abandoning disadvantages and only incorporating advantages. a new shock was needed; a fresh shock that would surpass all the information collected so far. and finally, there emerged an existence with information of that level. they needed to extract that information by any means possible, no matter what the costs may be. this was something that all the consciousness agreed upon without exception. however, it would be a lie if they said they were confident. by mobilizing all the information they had accumulated so far, they had thought they stood at least a 50% chance of success, but that confidence shattered with the sky castle¡¯s destruction. at this rate, they would surely lose. of course, it was still too early to determine the victor, but for the sernitas, who only carried out their plan when success rate reached at least 70% to 80%, it was an impossible suggestion for them to risk their lives for a plan with only a 50% chance of victory. the sernitas debated about this issue for a long time, and while they struggled to make a decision, one consciousness who had been existing for a very long time shared their opinion¡ªwhether they could even analyze this being with the information they currently have. so rather than forcing an impossible analysis, they should focus on accepting this being instead even if they had to give up everything else. the idea received countless support and just as many disagreements. in the midst of this stark contrast of opinions, an event compelling the opposing party to change sides occurred. the reason was simple: the sernitas¡¯ surveillance network had spotted an interference. they had no idea what kind of interference it was. however, as soon as the sernitas found that the being who caused the unknown interference was the existence they were on guard against, the sernitas felt an unknown sense of crisis. the consciousness with the power of prophecy persistently warned that irreversible situations could come to be depending on the outcome of the interference. as a result, the sernitas finally made a decision. of course, it was not an easy decision since they needed to predict and prepare for all foreseen problems as well as unexpected variables. in order to do this, they needed time, but since they didn¡¯t have much time to prepare, they needed to quicken the process as much as possible. thus, the sernitas left only the most minimal consciousness and raked all the remaining consciousness together, beginning their preparation to create a vessel that could hold all possible variables¡­ the sernitas¡¯ changes were soon discovered by the abyss. upon receiving the report that the sernitas had ceased all external activities, the abyss king fell into thought. he wondered if the abyss should join hands with humanity and the league and attack the sernitas at this time, or¡­ the abyss king tilted his head back to look up at the sky. originally, the secrets of the sky had been invisible and unknown to him, but after eating the queen, he could see and read the signs in the sky. the abyss king let out a hollow laugh as he had succeeded in making an observation similar to the sernitas. first of all, it was suspicious that liber was calm and quiet as if nothing was happening. if an interference of that magnitude had occurred, it would be normal for something to appear on this side as a result; that was the law of causality. a law that even a god could not go against. however, nothing happened. it didn¡¯t make sense unless someone was dealing with that massive cause and effect. and what if this speculation was true? what kind of existence could carry out an interference of such a massive scale without suffering any side effects? and what were their reasons and intentions? it was a great matter that couldn¡¯t be easily overlooked. the sernitas probably felt some sense of crisis and initiated an extraordinary counterplan to deal with this by suspending all external activities. that would explain everything. ¡®if that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯ the abyss couldn¡¯t stay still either. the abyss king smiled insidiously. the situation had just turned interesting. though how things would end was a mystery, he had no intention of withdrawing easily like this. from that day on, the abyss also began to make preparations¡ªa preparation for when the interference¡¯s outcome was revealed¡­ * * * how long had it been? there was no need to eat, drink, or sleep in this space. if the chi-woos and yoo-joos really wanted, they could stay awake all 365 days throughout the year. however, even if their body was fine, it didn¡¯t mean their mind was. things that originated from the mind such as willpower had a clear limit. ¡°ack!¡± escaping from the light, chi-woo barely managed to keep down his heaving breath before gasping out again. he didn¡¯t even know how many times he had tried; he stopped counting long ago. it was said that humans were adaptive animals, but this phrase should be rectified as of today. he had thought the experience would get better the more he underwent it, but he couldn¡¯t get used to it no matter how many times it had been. rather, the more he did it, the more traumatized he got. chi-woo breathed hard for a while and looked around. when he first came here, there was no room to even move around. after future yoo-joo weeded out the chi-woos and yoo-joos, there were still quite a few people left, but the number had decreased noticeably more since then. now, he could easily count the number of chi-woos and yoo-joos left if he wanted. their reasons for departure were varied; some lost hope that they would ever succeed, and others left to deal with urgent matters in their worldlines. in that sense, chi-woo was in a fortunate situation. since he had successfully overcome the great war and finished organizing seven stars¡¯ internal affairs, he had some leisure time. ¡°ugh¡­¡± at that moment, he heard someone burst into tears. it was a man¡ªa chi-woo. chi-woo from another world was lying on the floor and shedding tears with snot coming from his nose. ¡°i miss you¡­i miss you so much¡­¡± chi-woo felt a bit sad while seeing him. who could insult him and call him pathetic? as long as they were human, it was natural for someone to miss their parents. chi-woo sometimes thought of his father and mother too¡­ ¡°evelyn¡­¡± ¡®¡­what?¡¯ ¡°sniff¡­i want to fall asleep in evelyn¡¯s arm¡­i want to rub my cheeks against evelyn¡¯s arms¡­¡± chi-woo doubted his ears and wondered if he had misheard. ¡°then evelyn will smile at me like always¡­and pat my head¡­and pat my back too¡­waaaahh¡­¡± chi-woo stared and gaped at the chi-woo who was whining for evelyn and desperately rubbing his cheeks against the floor. how should he describe his current emotion? it was an intense self-loathing. grumpy chi-woo said, ¡°sigh¡­how could that fucking idiot be another version of myself¡­¡± chi-woo deeply sympathized with grumpy chi-woo¡¯s lamentations this one time. ¡°you¡¯re being too harsh.¡± smart chi-woo, who was sitting nearby and resting, smiled bitterly. he put both hands on the ground and sighed. ¡°it¡¯s natural to want to see your lover. i also miss yunael.¡± ¡°what, that wild boar-like girl? you certainly have a unique taste.¡± ¡°what do you mean she¡¯s like a wild boar? watch your mouth. do you not know how cute and lovely yunael is?¡± ¡°shut up. just imagining it makes me want to throw up.¡± grumpy chi-woo spat on the ground as if he found that idea extremely unpleasant. smart chi-woo smacked his lips and said, ¡°geez, what¡¯s up with your reaction? then who did you end up with?¡± when grumpy chi-woo did not answer, suspicion spread in smart chi-woo¡¯s eyes. ¡°no way, hawa¡­?¡± ¡°no, the only life partner i have ever acknowledged is el lache teresa. don¡¯t get any funny ideas.¡± smart chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°el lache teresa¡­? who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°what? she hasn¡¯t come into your world yet?¡± grumpy chi-woo replied flatly. smart chi-woo was about to say something but closed his mouth and fell into thought for a bit. ¡°¡­wait a minute.¡± then he got up from his seat and began walking around. ¡°if you all don¡¯t mind, shall we talk for a moment? between us?¡± it seemed as if he was trying to gather people together. perfect yoo-joo, who was taking a short break, also received an offer. she gave it some thought and glanced at chi-woo, whom she thought of as her competitor. ¡°if he accepts, i¡¯ll also join.¡± chi-woo was taken aback when his recovery of body and mind was suddenly interrupted. she should just join if she wanted to; why was she dragging him into this? ¡°okay! then let¡¯s decide!¡± chi-woo suddenly heard a loud cry. subsequently, he felt someone hook their arm with his like a snake. ¡°oppa, you¡¯re going to join, right? let¡¯s all take a break, okay?¡± stupid yoo-joo approached him without him knowing and pulled him close with a bright smile. chi-woo groaned. he was chi-woo, and she was yoo-joo; his mind felt muddled while he processed everything. grumpy chi-woo tried to ignore the offer, but since the number 1 and 2 people who had grabbed future yoo-joo¡¯s attention decided to join the discussion, he also followed suit. ¡°so,¡± once they were all sitting together, grumpy chi-woo first spoke up, ¡°what are we going to discuss? don¡¯t tell me you want us to describe every part of the life we¡¯ve lived so far?¡± smart chi-woo tilted his head and said, ¡°why don¡¯t we all say from which point in time we came from?¡± ¡°point in time?¡± ¡°yes, point in time. if you tell us about a big event that happened recently, i think we can get a rough estimate,¡± smart chi-woo said while looking intently at one person. chi-woo felt his gaze and an unknown sense of pressure. it seemed that smart chi-woo had a lot of questions for him. ¡°by the latest big event, are you talking about the war with the enemy coalition?¡± thankfully, another person answered first without being asked. ¡°if it¡¯s that war, fortunately, we were able to resolve it.¡± smart chi-woo¡¯s eyes slightly widened at perfect yoo-joo¡¯s words. ¡°you were able to resolve it?¡± ¡°yes, in the end, we were able to rescue my older sister and successfully destroy the enemy coalition.¡± ¡°how, how did you do that?¡± stupid yoo-joo also inched closer to her and asked. perfect yoo-joo continued as if it was no big deal. ¡°i judged that it was impossible to protect shalyh, so i immediately gave up on it, and by utilizing the base we secured within the demon empire¡¯s mainland, we quickly¡­¡± chi-woo tilted his head as soon as he heard her first sentence. ¡®give up on shalyh?¡¯ he understood her thought process, since he had almost given up the city too. however, the reason why he couldn¡¯t do that and insisted on a war despite everyone¡¯s opposition was because of his intuition alone. since he felt that he shouldn¡¯t give up shalyh then, he risked everything to save shalyh. other people wouldn¡¯t have been able to understand his decision, but everyone here were other versions of himself. they should have also learned from a young age that it was better to not go against their intuitions for most cases¡­ ¡°¡­while my sister was holding out, i made a secret agreement with the abyss, and at the promised time, we struck the demon empire and provided a way for her to escape¡­¡± mid-sentence, perfect yoo-joo suddenly paused because she saw her competitor tilt his head as if he found her words strange. she narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked the man sitting across from her. ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t think so. i think you want to say something. please go ahead.¡± the other chi-woos and yoo-joos watched their conversation with interest. chi-woo had no choice but to speak up when the yoo-joo ushered him to quickly talk. he asked, ¡°then what happened to shalyh?¡± ¡°shalyh was destroyed.¡± ¡°shouldn¡¯t that not have happened?¡± ¡°if you¡¯re talking about our intuition, i was also aware of it, but it was an inevitable choice. and as a result, i was able to obtain something much greater.¡± ¡°ah, i see.¡± chi-woo tried to drop the issue. he didn¡¯t want to have a useless argument about who was right. however, perfect yoo-joo didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°then what about you?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°you must have also experienced the same war.¡± ¡°well, yes.¡± ¡°were you able to protect shalyh?¡± ¡°yes, well. somehow,¡± chi-woo replied casually. he thought there would at least be one among this big group who had achieved the same result¡ª ¡°¡­what did you just say?¡± until he heard perfect yoo-joo¡¯s reply. she continued, ¡°wait a minute. perhaps¡­are you mistaken? i¡¯m not talking about the invasion of the demon empire on their own.¡± ¡°yes, i know. you¡¯re referring to the invasion when the sernitas, the demon empire, and abyss all came together as a coalition.¡± ¡°¡­you fought all three factions at once and succeeded in defending shalyh?¡± perfect yoo-joo asked again. ¡°yes.¡± her eyes shook at the confirmation. ¡°how¡­?¡± ¡°uh¡­since they came in pushing from one direction, we held on for dear life at the last gate, and then the enemy coalition¡¯s detachment went to shalyh by herself and¡­¡± ¡°w-wait? so you¡¯re saying¡ª¡± while chi-woo listed out the events as they came into his mind, smart chi-woo suddenly interjected, ¡°that you faced the enemy coalition head-on and won in a battle of strengths?¡± ¡°yes, yes.¡± how many times did he have to say the same thing? chi-woo complained inside his mind, and then he finally got a good look at the others¡¯ reactions. along with grumpy chi-woo, pathetic chi-woo, stupid yoo-joo and of course, perfect yoo-joo and smart chi-woo were all looking at chi-woo with their mouths open¡ªas if they were staring at the biggest liar in the world. startled, chi-woo quickly blinked and asked, ¡°¡­what¡¯s with you?¡± CH 445 everyone looked stunned by chi-woo¡¯s affirmation. like they had a difficult time believing him. ¡°i can¡¯t believe it. how could you have pushed them off in a battle of strengths¡­?¡± ¡°i share the same sentiments¡­but if what he just said is true, it probably means that this person has the highest chance of saving his world among us.¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t make sense. it wasn¡¯t even a situation that could be described as ¡®war¡¯.¡± ¡°seriously, man. why are you bluffing so hard? do you want us to call you liar chi-woo or something?¡± all the chi-woos and yoo-joos around him added their two cents. ¡°¡­we can confirm the truth then. ha!¡± grumpy chi-woo turned around and called out to someone. soon, future yoo-joo glanced at them while hovering alone in the air. ¡°come over here and take a look at his past¡ªjust like how you looked at mine.¡± ¡°what? how dare you command me.¡± grumpy chi-woo asked more politely, ¡°could you show us the time when the sernitas, the abyss, and the demon empire created a coalition to invade shalyh? i¡¯m sure it also happened in your timeline.¡± ¡°¡­yeah, that¡¯s right. but why?¡± ¡°what did you do then? did you manage to protect shalyh?¡± ¡°well¡­¡± future yoo-joo blinked hard, and grumpy chi-woo¡¯s mouth distorted a bit. ¡°apparently, there¡¯s somebody among us who managed to rise victorious in a clash against that unbelievable coalition. what do you think about that?¡± if this was true, this meant that among these countless chi-woos, this ¡®other version of themselves¡¯ was in the best situation. this chi-woo had the highest chance of reaching the future that everyone wished for. yet the one who created this space and gathered them here wasn¡¯t chi-woo. the one who had gotten closest to the future they wished for wasn¡¯t the male choi chi-woo but the female choi yoo-joo. this was the point grumpy chi-woo was getting to. ¡°if what that guy is saying is true, shouldn¡¯t it be chi-woo from the future who was talking to us right now instead of you?¡± read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at "pawread dot com" ¡°we can¡¯t be certain that this chi-woo will rise victorious. nobody knows what will happen afterward.¡± ¡°in that case, it¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯ll fall that far after what he¡¯s achieved. the fact that he managed to overcome a situation like that also shows his capabilities. do you think a guy like that will suddenly mess up so severely?¡± ¡°i think you have some good points, but there¡¯s no guarantee that this future chi-woo would create a space and call all of us there.¡± ¡°then there¡¯s only one explanation¡ªfuture chi-woo was able to avoid any lingering feelings and regrets, unlike future yoo-joo.¡± while grumpy chi-woo and smart chi-woo talked, future yoo-joo quietly listened. she looked like she was deep in thought, but not long afterward, her eyes gradually widened. it seemed that she recalled something she had forgotten for a long time, and her mouth gaped. ¡°¡­you are right.¡± with her confession, grumpy chi-woo and smart chi-woo stopped their conversation and turned to her. ¡°yes, that¡¯s what definitely happened. that¡¯s why¡­why did i forget that?¡± she murmured to herself, and then her face brightened. her smile was so radiant it was like she couldn¡¯t hold back her happiness. it was the first time she showed true emotions since she appeared. then future yoo-joo flicked her head around and looked at choi chi-woo. the next moment, she rushed to chi-woo and hugged him tightly. ¡°you bastard! this was what you meant? you did it once, so i have the right to also do it¡­¡± future yoo-joo was saying things chi-woo couldn¡¯t understand. he almost pushed her off, not knowing what was happening, but he couldn¡¯t do that. not only were future yoo-joo¡¯s hands too strong and powerful, but she was also trembling intensely all over. it was as if she was finally reuniting with a companion she hadn¡¯t been able to forget and had been waiting for a long time. ¡°no¡­what¡­¡± chi-woo lightly pushed her off when future yoo-joo didn¡¯t let go after a while. everyone was looking at them with a dazed expression. it was then that future yoo-joo finally regained her senses, and her cheeks flushed. ¡°¡­what is the meaning of this?¡± grumpy chi-woo asked, baffled. ¡°no¡­uh¡­just¡­¡± future yoo-joo fake-coughed and continued. ¡°anyway, upon checking, what he said is true.¡± ¡°it¡¯s true?¡± ¡°what are you surprised about? i told you. this man is from a worldline without symmetry.¡± ¡°could you explain in simpler terms? i don¡¯t get what you mean.¡± ¡°well, it doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°what?¡± grumpy chi-woo raged as future yoo-joo waved her hand. smart chi-woo watched future yoo-joo¡¯s abrupt behavior while stroking his chin and suddenly raised his head upright like he just realized something. ¡°!...no way¡ª¡± smart chi-woo was about to say something while looking at chi-woo, but closed his mouth again. it was because future yoo-joo had shot him a ferocious glare. though she didn¡¯t say anything, her intention was clear. she was telling him to not blabber his mouth about this matter even if he could about other issues. though he didn¡¯t know the reason, smart chi-woo kept quiet. future yoo-joo breathed out from her nose and rose into the air. then she said, ¡°anyway, don¡¯t doubt him. all of you who remain in this space are still here because you can hold your ground. but even among you all, there are divisions and ranks.¡± future yoo-joo gave one of them a pointed look while saying this, as if she was telling her addressee to carve these words onto her heart. perfect yoo-joo clenched her teeth under future yoo-joo¡¯s strong gaze. *** after talking to the other chi-woos and yoo-joos, chi-woo realized how different everyone could be even though they were different versions of himself. what they simply shared was origin and fate. the way they lived their lives, who they built relationships with, and what they experienced was different for each chi-woo and yoo-joo. the big framework that they came to liber because of their fate was the same, but all the paths they had since taken were different. this was the important part, as it meant that they all went through different processes. regardless, the fact that they had gotten here meant that they had the minimum qualifications to reach the ideal future that future yoo-joo talked about. in other words, everyone had their own reasons or driving force that allowed them to stand in this space. smart chi-woo suggested that they share information about what this driving force was by gathering routinely. chi-woo agreed full-heartedly to the proposal. since the worlds they lived in were different, there was nothing to lose. this was a good opportunity for him to learn what he might have missed or failed to learn in his work on liber. participating in the information exchange would definitely be beneficial to him once he returned to his world. ¡°to quickly get stronger, it¡¯s best to receive guidance from a master. of course, master byeok is amazing, but at this point of time, ms. philina is also a great choice. master byeok specializes in sprouting a seed on a barren ground, while ms. philina is someone who will bloom that seed into a flower¡­ah, you don¡¯t know who ms. philina is? she is a spirit who was once the queen of the salem kingdom and was widely renowned as a demon slayer. do you really not know her?¡± ¡°so, you are concerned about how you would go about gathering three celestial lights under you? who do you have right now? yeriel and emmanuel¡­what, you are basically done. you can make apoline the remaining one. what are you even worrying about? i swear to you that she¡¯ll come to you if you call upon her. at that point of time, she¡¯s probably worrying herself about it even if she pretends not to. it¡¯s because she has such a strong sense of pride. she will never come to you first unless you take the initiative to ask her¡­¡± ¡°hm? you are also worried about the fenrir cub? why? ah¡­did you really bring the cub to your place and just let them be?...ah, seriously? i should¡¯ve known. even though they have the blood of a wolf god, they¡¯re still a kid. what would a child born not even that long ago know? tch, listen to me carefully. the most important thing is to give the cub a name. not just any name though. for example, the name hurodubitniru means ¡®renowned wolf¡¯. thus, you should also treat the cub sincerely and¡­¡± after talking around with various people, chi-woo was able to find the solutions that would allow him to fulfill all conditions to rise to master tier. of course, he didn¡¯t only take from them. after future yoo-joo displayed great interest in chi-woo, the majority of the chi-woos and yoo-joos had also become interested in him. ¡°how fascinating. but it¡¯s a bit regretful. it sounds like there could¡¯ve been an easier way to accept the demon empire¡¯s survivors,¡± one of the chi-woo interjected in the middle of the conversation. ¡°if it were me, i would¡¯ve ended the conversation in the first round. the method is simple. you know there¡¯s an ability called halo in the fostering list? you can offer all your merits and raise halo to at least s rank. with this method, i was even able to earn the half-demons¡¯ reverence.¡± a bright light emitted from saint chi-woo¡¯s back, and he looked just like a holy saint; chi-woo could sense awe and admiration rise in his heart. chi-woo thought he might consider this method, but saint chi-woo quickly added, ¡°i won¡¯t stop you if you want to use the method, but think long and hard about it. it¡¯s very useful, but how should i say this¡­? the stronger the halo effect gets, the more it becomes a curse rather than a special skill. people try to purify their heart and mind when they see me and even make prayers to my name. honestly, i also wanted to date ms. evelyn, but she said she could never develop such feelings for me when she sees me¡­sob.¡± chi-woo smiled wryly when saint chi-woo recounted how evelyn had rejected him. though there were some stories like this that amounted to no more than a laugh, there were other stories of other paths taken that were definitely worthwhile to listen to. ¡°there¡¯s no need to go out of your way to train heroes. you know why? it¡¯s because they already made all their achievements in other worlds. thus, all you have to do is help them recover their powers.¡± ¡°i agree. the most important thing is to amass as many merits as possible, but there¡¯s another way¡ªusing blessed luck. although you mustn¡¯t waste it by any means, you can¡¯t be too stingy with it either. since there are ways to recover it, you should use it when necessary even if the situation doesn¡¯t seem so dire.¡± ¡°though what you say isn¡¯t wrong, there are some people that make you wonder. you should especially be wary of hawa. you all must know what i¡¯m talking about after seeing her user information. though her skills are quite useful, you don¡¯t know in which direction she will spring off. if you want to help her grow stronger despite that, you should properly put her on the right path.¡± all their pieces of advice were priceless to chi-woo, who was just looking to go into master tier. there were also some really neat tips mixed in too. ¡°by the way, i will tell you all the several secret dungeons i found. you can accumulate merits and retrieve a couple of useful items there. there¡¯s one place where other heroes don¡¯t even dare to touch, but we can breeze through it. you know what i mean, right?¡± ¡°if i had to pick the most important miracle among the ones i¡¯ve experienced in liber, i would pick my meeting with that person without any doubt. i can¡¯t say anything other than that our meeting was coincidental. you all should try searching in case the person isn¡¯t dead yet. you would know who i¡¯m talking about at first sight.¡± there was also very valuable information that he would¡¯ve never known if it wasn¡¯t for somebody else telling him. chi-woo tried hard to listen to and burn into his memory everything they had said so that he could act upon it once he returned to his world. and as they continued to do this, time passed. though it was always terrible and painful to go through future yoo-joo¡¯s trials, nobody complained. perhaps they would¡¯ve gone mad if they had to go through these hardships by themselves, but they weren¡¯t alone. though it eventually got to a point that there wasn¡¯t any more information for them to share with one another, they didn¡¯t stop talking. they let out the thoughts and feelings they had been hiding deep inside their hearts for a long time and comforted and encouraged one another. it was as if they were a community of people who gathered to clear one game. as they were all ¡®i¡¯ and ¡®me¡¯, they could grieve and empathize with each other better than anyone else. and as they continued to communicate, nicknames began to emerge such as smartie, stupid, pervert, saint, grumpy, playboy, perfect lady, and so on. they differentiated between one another with these nicknames, yet there was an exception. among them, there was one person who wasn''t addressed as any nicknames but his full name. it was chi-woo. no one suggested doing that or anything, and it was what happened naturally; for no clear reason, they always called him choi chi-woo. perhaps it was their intuition telling them that it was what they should do and what would happen. CH 446 shalyh was particularly busy today. numerous people went in and out of apertum. the twelfth reinforcements, announced by the celestial realm, had finally entered liber a few days ago. as they were told, it was the largest number of reinforcements to this day, and at a rough estimate, thousands of people had entered, so their arrival received great attention from shalyh. besides the sheer number of incoming heroes, the quality was not bad either. considering that a lot of organizations had lost a large number of their forces in the recent war, many of them showed great eagerness to participate in the drafting event. of course, no one dared to even covet the top heroes and consider it possible to recruit them as all the organizations believed seven stars would sweep all the best items, while they would pick up the leftover ones. although they all waited like hyenas, they didn¡¯t catch sight of chi-woo for some reason; they didn¡¯t even see him in seven stars¡¯ area either. when several people, unable to suppress their curiosity, asked about chi-woo, eval sevaru gave them a benevolent smile and said, ¡°our boss said we¡¯re all working hard, and we¡¯re in this together, so why should we have to compete? he thought it was right to share good opportunities like this fairly within the established framework.¡± he continued, ¡°thus, he said he would utilize the rules, but he would wait quietly in his area. after all, him showing up here can render the rules useless even if that wasn¡¯t his intention.¡± he spoke eloquently but in short, he was saying, ¡®you guys were afraid we were going to eat up everything, right? but here, we¡¯ll be generous and leave after eating the best parts moderately.¡¯ those who took his word as it was exclaimed. if seven stars monopolized all the top heroes, they would be unable to vocally complain about it, but they would grumble to themselves that seven stars was eating up everything. however, they gained hope after hearing that seven stars would leave after a moderate meal. they all praised chi-woo as a hero with great morals and were satisfied by his decision, and those who had a good head on their shoulders reacted the same way as well. although they interpreted eval¡¯s words, ¡®we¡¯ll utilize the rules¡¯ as ¡®we¡¯ll still take all the best items. if you have any complaints, why don¡¯t you come fight us?¡¯, they decided to be satisfied with this as it was true that chi-woo was showing his consideration somewhat by not coming here. although this wouldn¡¯t happen, if seven stars really wanted to, they could take more than 90% of the twelfth reinforcements here. and like this, the second recruitment war began. since negotiations were already done in advance, seven stars were able to finish their recruitment quickly; after obtaining the list of heroes ahead of others, eval sevaru had made his choices, and they aligned with aida¡¯s pick once she took a quick look. after a short discussion between the two, the chosen heroes were called by seven stars, and as soon as they were given detailed explanations, they made their decision to join. eval sevaru didn¡¯t look too pleased upon his return to seven stars. he had originally planned to bring back four heroes, but among them, only three came. he let slip one of them in the end. he was rejected as soon as they met in the recruitment event. eval asked if the fourth hero had decided to join another organization, but the individual refused to even receive a coin, saying that they had no intention of joining anywhere. it couldn¡¯t be helped with how firm the rejection was. although it did leave an unpleasant taste in his mouth, it was fortunate that he was able to at least bring back the other three. ¡°hello~¡± one man and two women. among them, a young woman shook her hand gently with a lively voice. after a brief greeting, she looked at the existing seven stars members gathered here one by one. ru amuh, emmanuel eustitia, yerial mariaju, yunael tania¡­ the young woman exclaimed as if it was amazing to see a gathering of such famous heroes, whom every celestial realm hero had heard of at least once. ¡°wow~! amazing! judging by how many famous people are gathered here¡ªas i heard, this organization must be doing quite well!¡± yunael snorted. she wanted to retort, ¡®who the hell are you to judge us¡¯, but she suppressed it; just like how this hero knew who she was, yunael also knew who she was. yunael had heard that besides everything, this hero was definitely skilled. although she wasn¡¯t a member of a celestial light or a prestigious family like hers, that was what made her even more amazing. unlike them, who had the backing and halo of their family behind them, she had climbed to the top from the very bottom through pure grit and skill and made a great reputation for herself. though it was irritating the more yunael thought about why someone of such caliber and skill couldn¡¯t have come to liber earlier, considering their current circumstances, yunael welcomed her as a great addition to their force. ¡°so, when can i meet the choi¡¯s second young master, whom i have heard so~ many rumors about? i came here to see him.¡± this came from the bald male hero, who had been grinning and enjoying the idle talk. the woman who kept her eyes closed like aida and gave off a reticent impression was curious about this as well. moreover, the fact that none of these heroes were intimidated by the famous heroes and could speak up for themselves was proof that they had high confidence as heroes. eval sevaru calmly replied, ¡°as i told all of you during the recruitment event, our boss is unable to make an appearance due to personal reasons. i¡¯ll let you meet him as soon as he comes out again, so let¡¯s first finish what we have to do first.¡± currently, chi-woo was not technically absent from the seven stars zone; instead, he was in a state of suspended animation. frankly, eval didn¡¯t know his exact condition because chi-woo just had one knee on the ground with his head lowered all day long, without showing any signs of movement. eval tried to lay him on the bed, but evelyn dissuaded him from touching chi-woo, so he just let him be. he was quietly waiting now because chi-woo had told him something like this might happen in advance, but eval was a bit worried as chi-woo seemed to be taking longer than he had expected. still, it was chi-woo. there was nothing urgent going on, and since chi-woo promised to come back, he needed to trust him. search bit.ly/3ibfjkv for the original. ¡°well, all right. there¡¯s no way he won¡¯t show us his face at least once before we return to the celestial realm, right?¡± the woman who greeted everyone first accepted eval¡¯s words with a shrug. then she turned around and looked at everyone one by one and said, ¡°anyway, nice to meet you all! i¡¯m sure many of you already know, but~¡± she shouted cheerfully with a broad smile, ¡°i¡¯m el lache teresa! i look forward to working with all of you~!¡± * * * sharing information and conversing with each other was good and all, but in the end, what mattered was reaching their goal. that was the ultimate reason for their existence in this space. the condition offered by future yoo-joo was simple. they were to control at least a little bit of the berserk state that she had artificially caused. ¡°i don¡¯t expect any of you to gain full control of it.¡± that was a height that even she couldn¡¯t reach, so future yoo-joo advised that they should try to endure it by creating a balance even for a moment. of course, if it was as easy as it sounded, the space wouldn¡¯t be filled with their groans in the first place. every time they tried, the chi-woos and yoo-joos always ended up groaning in pain for a long time from the side effects of their failure, and the aftermath was far from a walk in the park. ¡°¡­it¡¯s only a matter of time before my mind collapses at this rate,¡± grumpy chi-woo grumbled to himself, but they weren¡¯t empty words. the feelings that were coming into them from all sides was¡ªhow should they put it? it felt like all the curses and evils that existed in the universe were being pushed into them. moreover, they felt like an ordinary person being thrown bare in the middle of jupiter, where razing thunderstorms and storms the size of ordinary planets constantly swept through. merely withstanding a situation like that was enough to push their minds to their limit, let alone trying to control it. of course, with future yoo-joo¡¯s ability, the situation automatically stopped before irreversible damage could be inflicted on their minds, and the side effects of going berserk were nullified. but even then, the mental distress put upon the chi-woos and yoo-joos substantially increased as time passed. and in the end, a commotion erupted. ¡°what the hell!¡± one chi-woo collapsed and shouted at the top of his lungs¡ªit was pervert chi-woo. ¡°what the hell is this! what do you want me to do! why did you call me to go through this torture!¡± since he was the guy who constantly whined, ¡®i want to see evelyn! i want to rub my cheeks against evelyn¡¯s arms. wahhh¡¯, everyone usually looked at him with disgust, but today, they looked at him with understanding. because they all felt the same way as pervert chi-woo. pervert chi-woo shouted for a while and soon collapsed to the floor shedding tears. ¡°what am i supposed to do if i can¡¯t¡­¡± only wretched sobs intermittently broke the stillness of the space, and future yoo-joo didn¡¯t say anything. she looked down at pervert chi-woo with a calm expression, and when his sobs died down, she said, ¡°if you don¡¯t want to¡­you don¡¯t have to do it.¡± everyone¡¯s faces changed at her unexpected words. what did she just say¡­? ¡°if you want to quit, you can quit. i¡¯ll send you back.¡± it wasn¡¯t a threat. her soft voice seemed to be giving him sincere advice. pervert chi-woo slowly lifted his tearful face from the ground, as if he was asking her if that was really okay. of course, there were those who didn¡¯t think the same as him. ¡°what bullshit are you suddenly saying?¡± grumpy chi-woo asked sharply. ¡°it¡¯s as i said. truthfully, you all know it right?¡± future yoo-joo calmly continued, ¡°there are those who feel like they may or may not be able to do it, but there are also those who feel like they can¡¯t do it no matter how many times they try. aren¡¯t i right?¡± she wasn¡¯t wrong. it was obvious that the majority would be in the latter category. this was not something they could attempt only through effort or talent. grumpy chi-woo was emotional, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. he immediately understood what future yoo-joo meant. the chi-woos in this space were all different versions of himself from different worldlines, but that didn¡¯t mean they matched 100 percent. in the first place, future yoo-joo had said that the only thing they shared was the same source of fate. except for that, they were basically different people. in other words, even if one person succeeded, it didn''t mean other chi-woos and yoo-joos could do it. grumpy chi-woo¡¯s face twisted with anger. then why did future yoo-joo¡­ ¡°and you still called all of us here even though you knew that!¡± he gritted his teeth. ¡°just to fulfill your goal!¡± future yoo-joo stared at him. she seemed to be looking at him with sympathy as if she understood everything he was feeling, and that only made him angrier. she should¡¯ve called only those who could do it, but why! grumpy chi-woo glanced at chi-woo once with blazing eyes and was about to continue when¡ª ¡°i won¡¯t deny it but¡­it¡¯s for you guys too.¡± but he swallowed those words when future yoo-joo said that. he asked, ¡°what do you mean it¡¯s for us?¡± ¡°do you all really think you didn¡¯t gain anything from coming to this space? honestly?¡± grumpy chi-woo paused. he had paid a price to come here, but¡­it would be a lie if he said he hadn¡¯t earned anything. he had earned valuable information that he would have never known originally, and not just one or two pieces of information, but quite a lot. ¡°it¡¯s not just information,¡± future yoo-joo calmly continued. ¡°the important part is possibility.¡± she stopped mid-sentence and stared at the tree of light with countless branches that had previously been created in the air. ¡°a possibility that no one has ever reached yet. not even him¡­a future that has never been opened.¡± her eyes looked a bit sentimental as they focused on one particular branch. ¡°if this meeting opens the way to that future, and our wishes are fully realized without a hitch¡­and if even one of us can create that future¡­¡± future yoo-joo stared intently at the tree of light for a while and suddenly made a bitter smile. ¡°¡­who knows?¡± then she said with a conflicted voice, ¡°unlike me who had to stop at this level of interference, the other me who achieved everything perfectly¡ªmight save us all?¡± the space became silent. pervert chi-woo had stopped crying. he couldn¡¯t help but do so after hearing her words. he had a strong feeling that the yoo-joo who came from the future with experience that the current chi-woos and yoo-joos hadn¡¯t had was about to say something very important. the silence continued for a while before future yoo-joo exhaled the breath she had been holding and smacked her lips. ¡°anyway, i think you all have talked about everything you needed to, so if you don¡¯t think you can do it, why don¡¯t you consider returning? it won¡¯t be a good choice to waste precious time either.¡± with these words, she turned around. the chi-woos and yoo-joos stood in their place. everyone blinked silently, lost deeply in thought. ¡°¡­¡± and the one and only chi-woo, who belonged to the former and not the latter category that future yoo-joo talked about, made a bitter expression. he didn¡¯t know why, but he felt that because of what future yoo-joo just said, something they¡¯d been putting off was finally going to begin. CH 447 it was just as his intuition told him. chi-woo entered his berserk state and then, when he couldn¡¯t endure it any longer, he stopped. chi-woo escaped the light while breathing heavily, and he felt that something was off. he thought it was about time for grumpy chi-woo to curse out loud at least once or twice, but he was particularly quiet today. chi-woo couldn¡¯t hear his characteristically loud grumbling either. chi-woo realized then that he barely heard any groanings when they rarely ceased before. he looked around curiously, and that was when he heard a familiar voice. ¡°good to see you.¡± chi-woo turned to see smart chi-woo. he walked slowly toward chi-woo like he was very tired. what came out of his mouth next was shocking to chi-woo. ¡°grumpy chi-woo returned to his world. he personally asked ms. yoo-joo to send him back.¡± chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened a bit. ¡°he said he wanted to return since the situation wasn¡¯t great where he came from¡­ he apologized for going first and asked me to pass on his message to you all. i told him to at least pay his farewell, but he still left early.¡± smart chi-woo weakly laughed. chi-woo¡¯s expression blanked. he didn¡¯t say anything and couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. who could stop grumpy chi-woo from leaving when the situation was urgent? they couldn¡¯t spend thousands of years hanging out in this place when their individual worlds were falling to ruins. chi-woo was aware of that, but¡­for some reason, he felt a bit regretful. there was no more information for them to share, but he wanted them all to remain together and walk toward the future they wished for together, as friends they could never have again. ¡°i¡¯m sure¡­he¡¯ll do well on his own,¡± chi-woo said after a long pause and smiled softly. ¡°certainly. though he didn¡¯t succeed, he is returning after gaining invaluable information. perhaps he would end up surpassing us,¡± smart chi-woo said jokingly with a bright smile. the two shared an empty laugh. the information would certainly be helpful and could better their situation somewhat, but it wouldn¡¯t be able to completely alter the path that they had been walking on. thus, they knew that grumpy chi-woo¡¯s fate was already set in stone the moment he returned to his world, but neither of them said that aloud. they couldn¡¯t attempt to comprehend how grumpy chi-woo must have felt when he took his premature leave, knowing what was waiting for him at the end of his path. thus, they just hoped and wished for success in grumpy chi-woo¡¯s struggle. after that, nobody brought grumpy chi-woo up again, but his return became a signal of sorts. those who had felt conflicted after hearing future yoo-joo¡¯s heartfelt advice began to make their decisions one by one. the chi-woos and yoo-joos who had filled up the space from corner to corner noticeably dwindled. there were those who stayed and continued to try because of lingering feelings, but soon, they also realized that future yoo-joo hadn¡¯t been lying. to reach her future, they needed to endure the mysterious power inside them. yet they couldn¡¯t do it after hundreds and thousands of attempts, and it felt like they wouldn¡¯t be able to do it even after ten thousand tries. talent and effort alone wouldn¡¯t be enough even with the help of overlapping miracles and coincidences. while they were all chi-woos and yoo-joos, there were those¡ªthe vast majority¡ªwho couldn¡¯t ever accomplish this task. the more they attempted, the more they realized the truth to future yoo-joo¡¯s words. eventually, it simply became a matter of whether they could accept this truth or not. those who accepted the truth early returned to their individual worlds, and those who accepted it late returned after finally discarding their lingering feelings. among them, there were those who were close to chi-woo. ¡°yeah. i think i will return now. i don¡¯t think it will work no matter how many times i try it¡­it doesn¡¯t seem right for me to make evelyn wait for so long too. heheh,¡± pervert chi-woo said. ¡°brother, have faith. i am stepping down now, but that¡¯s simply because i personally am lacking in some ways. my faith in you is always resolute,¡± saint chi-woo said. ¡°if you succeed later, don¡¯t forget me. all right? you are going to look for me first, right? right? you know i only have you,¡± stupid yoo-joo said. they left one after another. their reasoning was similar. it was because they felt like they shouldn¡¯t leave their positions for so long. it was then chi-woo realized how much better his situation was compared to everyone else. there were even some among them who came in the middle of war. chi-woo didn¡¯t feel good whenever he had to bid farewell to one of them. it was because most of them added a line or two before they left, saying they were sorry. chi-woo didn¡¯t know what they were sorry about. there was nothing for them to apologize for. chi-woo closed his eyes and shook his head hard. he had to stop thinking about those who had already left and focus on those remaining. *** time continued to flow in the space. before he realized it, there were only a couple of chi-woos and yoo-joos with him. he could count their number with two hands. and not longer afterward, that number decreased to the point that he counted them with one hand. now, there were only three of them left. chi-woo went to talk to one of the remaining three. it was because though he had lasted for a long time, he was paying his farewell in the end. ¡°are you returning?¡± ¡°yes, that¡¯s what i decided on. though it¡¯s late¡­i do have to return in the end.¡± smart chi-woo gave him a sad smile and let out a deep sigh. he smacked his lips like he was hesitating to say something. ¡°don¡¯t say you are sorry,¡± chi-woo interrupted before smart chi-woo could say the words, and smart chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°i heard it so many times that i don¡¯t want to hear it anymore. there¡¯s nothing for you to be sorry about.¡± smart chi-woo blinked fast and smiled widely. ¡°do you know why people kept apologizing to you though?¡± ¡°pardon?¡± ¡°the reason they kept saying sorry.¡± chi-woo shook his head. ¡°it¡¯s simple. they all felt it intuitively. ¡®ah, i can¡¯t do it no matter how much i try.¡¯¡± chi-woo was about to say, ¡®even if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need for them to apologize to me,¡¯ but smart chi-woo continued. ¡°and if there¡¯s a single person among us who can arrive at a future that even future yoo-joo didn¡¯t make it to¡­¡± smart chi-woo said in a calm voice, ¡°that¡¯ll be you.¡± chi-woo became speechless. he didn¡¯t know what to say. he wanted to deny it and say that smart chi-woo could do it too, but his mouth wouldn¡¯t open. ¡°i didn¡¯t mean to pressure you. i¡¯m just saying how things are. because that is what my intuition is telling me,¡± smart chi-woo said. that was what chi-woo¡¯s intuition was telling him too. ¡°well, i don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen to choi yoo-joo¡¯s side, but¡­¡± smart chi-woo sighed and glanced in one direction. choi chi-woo and choi yoo-joo; they were similar but different. it was a strange paradox, but there was one thing they could be certain about. ¡°you are the best choi chi-woo among us.¡± if this chi-woo couldn¡¯t do it, no other chi-woo or yoo-joo could do it. this was what smart chi-woo genuinely believed. ¡°oh yes, and¡­¡± it seemed that smart chi-woo didn¡¯t want to leave just like that. thus, he walked a couple of more steps and whispered something into chi-woo¡¯s ears. seeing chi-woo¡¯s eyes turn wide, smart chi-woo smiled and hit chi-woo¡¯s chest lightly before turning around. he walked away to return to his world. that was how smart chi-woo left. *** now, there were only two of them: chi-woo and perfect yoo-joo, who had lived a life no one could find fault in. the two didn¡¯t say anything to each other and no conversation took place. whenever their eyes met from time to time, perfect yoo-joo always looked away first. it was as if she had been purposefully avoiding him since the beginning of their meeting. after the first conversation that smart chi-woo led on the first day, they had only talked to each other a handful of times. from chi-woo¡¯s perspective, perfect yoo-joo was a very interesting and strange existence. she always slept at the same time and woke up at the same time. she also routinely had meals at set times after making the request to yoo-joo, and she always ate the same thing. though this was a space where all that was unnecessary, she kept to these routines strictly. furthermore, she didn¡¯t skip her training even in a space like this. she divided her day into periods for training, trial, and breaks in between right to the second. it almost felt as if she was a very precise machine programmed to do only repetitive movements. one day, chi-woo couldn¡¯t overcome his curiosity and after eating his meal and warming up, followed her on a run. perfect yoo-joo ran slowly and glanced toward him. her gaze seemed to be asking him what he was up to. ¡°there¡¯s something i¡¯m curious about. may i ask?¡± chi-woo looked intently at perfect yoo-joo. she didn¡¯t open her mouth, but she didn¡¯t say no either. ¡°what¡¯s the reason you are repeating the same routine every day?¡± chi-woo asked out of pure curiosity, but at the question, perfect yoo-joo deeply frowned. the way her eyes crinkled seemed to indicate that she was offended. ¡°you are¡ª¡± perfect yoo-joo was about to say something but closed her mouth again. her throat visibly moved as she gulped. soon afterward, she glared at chi-woo with blazing eyes. ¡°¡­this is how i had lived until now.¡± though she looked calm now, there was a strange sense of sharpness to her tone. ¡°way before i came to liber; since i was on earth and even before i learned the secrets of my family.¡± ¡°¡­¡± to read the uncut version, go to pawread dot com. ¡°whenever and wherever. this is how i had lived, and that¡¯s why i managed to come all the way here.¡± her voice and eyes were all tense and guarded. chi-woo was a bit taken aback. though they had always been awkward around one another, this was the first time she showed any animosity toward him. ¡°¡­yes, i bet you won¡¯t know anything about that. how lucky of you.¡± with these words, perfect yoo-joo turned around. she looked forward and ran harder so that she could widen the distance between them. unlike her, chi-woo gradually slowed down. he stared as perfect yoo-joo went farther and farther away from him. ¡°it¡¯s an inferiority complex.¡± he suddenly heard a voice from behind him. ¡°she can¡¯t accept it. why can''t it be her and why it seems like you¡¯ll be able to do it,¡± future yoo-joo said. ¡°i¡¯m sure she is confused. she thought she was the best in the world, but that wasn¡¯t the case. she might feel like her whole existence is being denied,¡± future yoo-joo said and clicked her tongue about how perfect yoo-joo was still too young and childish. her words seemed to indicate that this was the limit and end of perfect yoo-joo in a way, and chi-woo felt a strange urge to protest. ¡°you never know. there may be other circumstances we don¡¯t know¡ª¡± ¡°you also know that¡¯s not the case,¡± future yoo-joo said snidely, ¡°has there ever been a time when our intuition was wrong?¡± chi-woo couldn¡¯t say that there was. ¡°anyways, don¡¯t worry about it too much. she¡¯s she, and you are you.¡± she shrugged and turned around. chi-woo nodded quietly. ¡®yes. we¡¯re going to separate anyway. i should stop caring about her,¡¯ he thought resolutely. but that day came earlier than he thought. not long after this conversation, chi-woo freed himself from the ravaging state for a break and heard a sob. though the yoo-joo was muffling herself with both hands, sobs seeped out, and she cried quietly and sorrowfully. he didn¡¯t see future yoo-joo around. that meant this yoo-joo could only be perfect yoo-joo. chi-woo quietly got up to give her some space. he wanted to at least allow her to cry her heart out as she wished. when chi-woo came back, he couldn¡¯t find perfect yoo-joo anywhere. it was as if she had never been here in the first place. ¡°she left,¡± future yoo-joo told him calmly. ¡°she¡¯s gone?¡± ¡°yes, where were you? she stirred up a great fuss.¡± ¡°what do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°i just gave her a piece of my mind because she said she was leaving.¡± chi-woo tilted his head. he couldn¡¯t imagine perfect yoo-joo throwing a fit at all. what in the world did future yoo-joo tell her exactly? ¡°i asked her why she held on so stubbornly when she knew it wasn¡¯t going to work. i told her she should have returned ages ago.¡± ¡­no wonder perfect yoo-joo would be so angry. she was already suffering so much. she must have lost it after hearing something like that. ¡°there was no need for you to have gone so far with someone who already decided to leave.¡± ¡°¡­i just felt the need to.¡± future yoo-joo smiled bitterly. ¡°i wanted her to realize that she was just a fish in a pond. and if she changed a bit with the realization¡­¡± ¡°would that have any meaning?¡± ¡°of course there is. why wouldn¡¯t there be?¡± future yoo-joo said, looking a bit taken aback. ¡°after all, she¡¯s me, and i am her.¡± for a moment, chi-woo didn¡¯t react. he needed a bit of time to understand everything that she was saying. ¡°her worldline is my worldline, and her future is mine¡­what? did smartie not tell you?¡± chi-woo finally understood and looked at her wide-eyed. ¡°how could that be? didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t at her level when you first saw perfect yoo-joo?¡± ¡°i said that on purpose,¡± future yoo-joo snickered. ¡°why?¡± ¡°well¡ª¡± she rolled her eyes once and continued, ¡°i didn¡¯t want her to feel a sense of relief after seeing me. how should i explain this? i remember being really desperate during this time even though i pretended not to be.¡± future yoo-joo breathed out deeply. ¡°of course, there¡¯s a low chance that will happen considering my personality, but i didn¡¯t really know what sorts of thoughts she would have if she learned that i am her future.¡± future yoo-joo spoke nonchalantly like this was no big issue, and chi-woo recalled what smart chi-woo had told him right before leaving. it was then future yoo-joo¡¯s words that brought him back to reality. ¡°anyways, what are you going to do?¡± chi-woo looked at the space around him again. it felt so unfamiliar to him now. it was vast and empty. no one was left except for him. only chi-woo remained. CH 448 chi-woo didn¡¯t know how much time had passed since he came to this space. it could be several months or several years. perhaps even longer than that. he had lost his sense of time a while ago. after even perfect yoo-joo left, chi-woo became the same machine as her; he tried, failed, and tried again and again like a machine going through the same motions. however, he still wasn¡¯t able to produce a clear result. it felt as if he could get the hang of it if he just took a step forward, but that one step always felt just out of his grasp. as a result, chi-woo got a bit anxious. he couldn¡¯t be too late. he thought he should go back now¡­ truthfully, he wanted to go back. he had already been conflicted and felt torn countless times because of how hard it was. if there was still a chi-woo or a yoo-joo in this space and trying alongside him¡ªhe might have really returned. he would have left everything to them and return to his world with a light heart. however, there was no one in this space except for him. he was the only ¡®me¡¯ left. at first, he wanted to achieve results for the other versions of himself that had already returned. however, his heart slowly swayed over time. did he¡­really have to? even if he couldn¡¯t achieve results in this space and returned empty-handed, wouldn¡¯t the future depend on how he made it in the end? he obtained some valuable information and¡­ like this, his desire to return disguised as reasonable justifications continued to tempt him; it was proof that his mind was getting weaker. only then did chi-woo fully understand how those who had returned felt. they must have all been conflicted like this, but this wasn¡¯t the only problem. again, chi-woo failed and escaped from the light. ¡°¡­upppp!¡± he raised his head at the voice of someone calling out to him and saw future yoo-joo. judging by how she was urgently shouting while shaking his shoulders, he seemed to have briefly lost his mind. ¡°wake up! can you recognize me?¡± ¡°¡­ah, yes.¡± ¡°i was worried! how stupid of you!¡± future yoo-joo shouted and reached out to wipe chi-woo¡¯s chin with the back of her hand; he hadn¡¯t realized it, but there was saliva all around his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± at some point, his sense of reasoning had been paralyzed without him realizing. that¡­that had been really dangerous. although he wasn¡¯t directly influenced by the experience of going berserk, he couldn¡¯t prevent the indirect effects. with one misstep, he might have lost his sense of reasoning. this was the side effect of repeatedly attempting to control his berserk state without taking a break. originally, he had gotten enough rest in between and managed the state of his mind and heart by talking to everyone, but he couldn¡¯t do that anymore. ¡°are you okay? want to rest for a bit?¡± chi-woo shook his head. ¡°¡­no. one more time¡­¡± ¡°no. sit down and rest.¡± future yoo-joo pressed chi-woo¡¯s shoulder and forced him to sit down. then she also sat next to him. silence stretched for a good while. chi-woo stared blankly in the air for a moment, and his mouth gaped. ¡®ah.¡¯ he had blanked out again. no, he couldn¡¯t. he couldn¡¯t let that happen. while thinking this, he was about to say, ¡®i rested so i¡¯ll try again¡¯, but future yoo-joo suddenly said, ¡°i couldn¡¯t save my older sister.¡± the confession came out of nowhere. ¡°i¡¯m talking about yoo-ra. of course, in your world, she must be your older brother. the name is choi chi-hyun, right?¡± future yoo-joo laughed and asked him, but her eyes were not laughing at all. ¡°what do you mean¡­?¡± chi-woo asked, taken aback. ¡°it¡¯s as i said.¡± she slightly stretched her arms and put one hand on her chin. ¡°it¡¯s funny. i saved liber and everyone who followed me, but i couldn¡¯t save the most important person¡­¡± future yoo-joo continued as if she was in a trance, and there was deep regret and sorrow in her words. ¡°¡­it¡¯s my fault.¡± she murmured like she was giving a monologue. ¡°if i had been successful, no, if i hadn¡¯t done that in the first place¡­but there was no other way. if i hadn¡¯t done that, everything would have been all over.¡± chi-woo couldn¡¯t grasp what exactly she was talking about, but it seemed as if the cause of choi yoo-ra¡¯s death in yoo-joo¡¯s world was inevitable. ¡°after returning to earth like that¡­how do you think i felt like?¡± chi-woo couldn¡¯t reply exactly. how would he feel if he lost his brother and returned to earth? it was such a terrible outcome that he didn¡¯t even want to imagine it. even if he returned safely to earth, he would be in great despair. a quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡°that¡¯s right. every day felt pointless. i wondered what i have been doing all this time and for what reason, i¡­¡± as she spoke, future yoo-joo¡¯s voice gradually quieted. ¡°¡­it¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°i saved everyone, but why wasn¡¯t i saved?¡± chi-woo nodded instinctively. the reason he had entered liber in the first place, the reason he had braved through numerous life-and-death crises and survived was all because of his older brother¡ªto return to earth with chi-hyun. the moment he couldn¡¯t achieve that goal, chi-woo and yoo-joo would have lost everything. since he could sympathize with her, chi-woo could understand why her grief-stricken voice was slowly rising and getting louder. ¡°then.¡± at that moment, future yoo-joo¡¯s voice suddenly calmed down. ¡°one day, a man appeared before me.¡± she continued, ¡°that man was¡­just like me. he lost his brother¡­he saved everything but couldn¡¯t save himself¡­¡± chi-woo flinched. ¡°that man said let¡¯s find a way together. wouldn¡¯t two be better than being alone?¡± he was the only person who shared the same pain as her and understood her. chi-woo looked at her. future yoo-joo had already turned around to face him. their eyes met. a gentle smile was on her lips like a spring breeze. taken aback, chi-woo asked, ¡°then that man¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, he was me from another world. i told you, didn¡¯t i? among us, there was only one other person who reached the same future as me.¡± ¡°yes, you did.¡± ¡°¡­you know.¡± then suddenly, future yoo-joo blushed like she was feeling a bit shy. ¡°i liked that man.¡± chi-woo flinched and wondered if he had heard her wrong. what did she just say? ¡°you liked that man, no¡ªthe other version of yourself in another world?¡± ¡°yep.¡± ¡°what, why?¡± ¡°what do you mean? is there a reason you shouldn¡¯t like someone?¡± ¡°no, but that¡¯s a bit¡­weird.¡± ¡°what¡¯s weird? i think you¡¯re the one who says that.¡± in the end, chi-woo had no choice but to say, ¡°ah, is that so.¡± still, no matter how hard he thought about it, he found it iffy, but future yoo-joo sounded a bit angry so he decided to change the subject. ¡°why did you like him?¡± ¡°¡­just.¡± future yoo-joo tilted her head and rested it on her knee. after carefully choosing her words, she continued, ¡°because he was amazing?¡± ¡°what was amazing about him?¡± ¡°well¡­he looked strong. i¡¯m not talking about physical strength, but his inner qualities. even though we went through the same experience, he didn¡¯t give up. i thought that was really cool of him. should i say that i admired him even though he was another version of me?¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± ¡°if it¡¯s him, he might find a way¡­i had such a conviction. so we decided to solve the problem together¡­¡± future yoo-joo¡¯s voice gradually died down. ¡°¡­i might have trusted him too much.¡± ¡°what happened?¡± with this question, the conversation that had been flowing like water suddenly stopped. yoo-joo closed her mouth, and it was only after a while that she finally said, ¡°he disappeared.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°i was unable to meet him anymore¡­never again¡­¡± chi-woo became speechless. future yoo-joo¡¯s words didn¡¯t indicate that they had simply separated; it seemed that he had died or suffered a worse fate. for example, he could have tried to find a way to save his brother and thus himself, but wasn¡¯t able to find a way in the end, and in despair, he eventually destroyed his own world. then it would be safe to say that the particular future had ended at that point. chi-woo wanted to ask if this was the case, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the words because the sadness in yoo-joo¡¯s tone when she mentioned the man¡¯s final moments was almost similar to when she talked about losing her sister. ¡°that damn bastard¡­he should have at least told me in advance¡­how can he give me hope and then¡­¡± it seemed as if future chi-woo had destroyed his world without saying anything to future yoo-joo. ¡°yeah, what a bad guy. he has no sense of responsibility,¡± chi-woo said this to comfort her. in times like this, it was best to insult the person to make the other person feel better. however, future yoo-joo immediately raised her head and glared at chi-woo. ¡°don¡¯t insult him. what do you know about him that you can insult him? you have no idea how hard it must have been for him!¡± ¡­then what was he supposed to do? chi-woo laughed emptily and lifted his shoulder, ¡°why did he do that? and so suddenly?¡± ¡°¡­i don¡¯t know,¡± future yoo-joo murmured in a sullen voice. ¡°but¡­he was having a really hard time when i last met him.¡± ¡°really?¡± ¡°yeah. i¡¯ve never seen him like that before. he seemed really remorseful and was down on himself.¡± ¡°what did he say¡­¡± ¡°he said he¡¯d been thinking wrong in the first place. it was a power that couldn¡¯t be controlled, so it was inevitable that it would become unstable if he forcibly tried to control it. he needed to think of it in a different way, but if he had realized this truth earlier¡­¡± future yoo-joo softly said with a dazed expression; even now, she couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying then. however, she understood one thing: it was too late for them to turn things back, and there was really no solution now. and her conjecture hadn¡¯t been wrong as soon after this, she never met that chi-woo again. his future had completely disappeared after that meeting. ¡­why did it matter now? future yoo-joo sighed and exhaled the breath she had been holding. frankly, she had been so shocked at that time that she also considered following his path to death. however, she created this space and tried to interfere in the past as if she was possessed by something. and she had hoped that if anyone could realize even a little earlier what he was saying and resolve his regret, they might be able to change the future. however, in the end, her plan ended up in failure. no chi-woo or yoo-joo remained in the end. there was only one person left, and he showed some potential, but in the end, it was the same for him. time was not infinite. rather than forcing him to continue trying and lose his mind, it was better to send him back when he was at least relatively sane. there was also one more important reason. future yoo-joo, who created this space, would soon¡­ ¡°ugh¡­¡± future yoo-joo showed signs of intense suffering for a moment, but soon took a deep breath, and her complexion improved. she cleared her throat and said, ¡°if you want to go back, you can do so.¡± chi-woo would have normally responded, ¡®no, i will do it one more time.¡¯ but no matter how long she waited, he didn¡¯t reply. future yoo-joo bit down a bitter smile. she thought, ¡®as expected, you¡¯ve already half-given up too.¡¯ it was understandable, and he deserved applause just for enduring this long. he probably had been forcing himself to endure for the sake of other versions of himself who¡¯d already returned, and if that was the case, it was pointless for him to try further. future yoo-joo decided to prepare herself and said, ¡°no, you should go back now. you¡¯ve worked hard so far.¡± ¡°so¡­rev¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s a bit of a shame, but it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going back completely empty-handed, right? so return before it¡¯s too late and¡­what?¡± future yoo-joo, who had been talking with an empty expression, suddenly blinked and turned around. chi-woo hadn¡¯t answered her. from a certain time point, he wasn¡¯t listening to her at all. ¡°what?¡± she asked again but as expected, he didn¡¯t reply. future yoo-joo stared intently at chi-woo with a flustered expression. with his head down, chi-woo covered his mouth with one hand and kept muttering to himself, as if he was calculating an incredibly complex math expression in his head. after not moving for a while, chi-woo suddenly widened his eyes as if he realized something. then he quickly turned around. ¡°ah!¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°that¡¯s it. the other way¡­and emptying the plate¡­yeah, that¡¯s it. that was what it meant.¡± then chi-woo jumped up and said, ¡°one more time.¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°quickly! hurry!¡± chi-woo no longer looked like he was about to die, and he hadn¡¯t gone insane either. his eyes were glistening brightly, and he looked more intelligent than ever. future yoo-joo saw his face, and an emotion she had forgotten a long time ago began to rear its head. ¡°¡­what is it?¡± even as she thought, ¡®i shouldn¡¯t do this¡¯, she couldn¡¯t help but recall her first meeting with him. it was all because this chi-woo¡¯s eyes looked the same as that man¡¯s at this moment. ¡°why are you giving me hope again?¡± she said ¡®again¡¯. chi-woo had received future yoo-joo¡¯s attention, but he hadn¡¯t given her hope or expectations. this was also something she was clearly aware of. thus, the reason she said this was simple: the future chi-woo who had found yoo-joo and given her hope, the chi-woo yoo-joo had been talking about was none other than him. his worldline was connected to numerous chi-woos and yoo-joos. frankly, he had also known the truth because smart chi-woo had tipped him off before returning to his worldline. though it was only a guess, it was a pretty convincing one. future yoo-joo seemed aware that smart chi-woo had told him the truth, but she pretended like she didn¡¯t know and revealed it for the first time only now. he could see why she had hidden it. his future self had saved everyone, including liber, but he couldn¡¯t save his brother, and he wasn¡¯t able to find a way to fix this situation and ended up destroying his future. this was the ending currently awaiting chi-woo, and he needed to change it in this space right now. ¡°¡­it¡¯s just this once.¡± after a while, future yoo-joo stood up. ¡°this is the last time. it¡¯s really the last time. you got that?¡± ¡°yes, i got it, so please hurry up and prepare the space for me.¡± ¡°what are you suddenly talking about?¡± ¡°weren¡¯t you implying that you¡¯d trust me one more time?¡± future yoo-joo looked around with a chuckle. ¡°the way you talk big sometimes is exactly the same.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not such a bad guy with no sense of responsibility.¡± ¡°do you like spitting at your own face? is that your fetish?¡± they joked like this for a while. then chi-woo took a deep breath, and yoo-joo also raised her hand. her mouth slightly twitched as she looked at him, but soon shut tightly. she was afraid and hesitant, but she trusted him because he had made her believe in him. what more did she need to say? future yoo-joo flicked her fingers without further delay. flick. CH 449 after the great war was over, chi-woo had requested to meet up with byeok. having listened to everything chi-woo told her, she said, ¡°accepting fate is to obey the natural order and role of the universe. rejecting fate is the reverse, which is to go against the natural order.¡± chi-woo listened to byeok carefully and blinked fast. ¡°but in the end, that¡¯s all from the perspective of a human. think about the heavens that had set up that order. there can only be light with darkness. without it, there will only be brighter and dimmer lights.¡± chi-woo tilted his head right and then left in confusion. ¡°that is the basic principle of yin and yang.¡± uncaring of how chi-woo was keeping up with her speech, byeok continued calmly. ¡°there can only be subordination when there¡¯s domination and domination when there¡¯s subordination. thus, accepting and rejecting fate are two sides of the same coin, and the two are the same.¡± ¡°¡­master,¡± chi-woo couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and interjected, ¡°your dull disciple is too obtuse to follow what you are saying. thus, i plead with you to share your teachings with me.¡± ¡°didn¡¯t i just share my teachings with you?¡± ¡°i beg you to explain things in simpler terms, master. right now, it sounds like you are trying to explain the rate at which entropy accelerates using probability theory.¡± ¡°¡­¡± byeok looked at chi-woo like he was pathetic and smacked her lips. ¡°i suppose you can¡¯t really call it teaching. there¡¯s nothing beyond what you personally felt after hearing my words.¡± byeok was one of the few figures who knew of the secrets intertwined with chi-woo¡¯s birth. thus, she knew this subject wasn¡¯t something she should brashly talk about. ¡°but if i must explain it in a way that someone as thick-headed as you can understand¡­¡± byeok tapped her lips and continued, ¡°you were walking toward one goal until now. but then, you realized that you¡¯ve been walking on the opposite path the entire time.¡± this was the act of going in reverse. ¡°you realized this only recently and stopped walking. then, you even turned around and changed directions.¡± this was the act of going on the right path. ¡°what are you going to do from now on?¡± ¡°um¡­shouldn¡¯t i go to the path that i should¡¯ve taken at the beginning?¡± ¡°you are going to chase after fate¡­?¡± byeok said and shook her head. ¡°that means you are still human.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°that¡¯s what your heart feels, but not your body. this also could be called rejecting fate of sorts.¡± this didn¡¯t sound good to chi-woo. but it didn¡¯t seem like byeok was scolding him either. he didn¡¯t know what it was exactly, but it sounded like byeok was telling him to make the decision now. ¡°wherever each stream flows to, in the end, it ends up in the ocean.¡± chi-woo still looked confused, and byeok took her pipe from her mouth and hit the ground frustratedly. ¡°think about it. when did a change occur in your body and what did you feel then?¡± chi-woo flinched and shrunk back. tsk, tsk. byeok clicked her tongue and let out a deep sigh. ¡°anyways, i can understand a bit better now why la bella stuck the core of balance into your heart as soon as she saw you.¡± hearing this, chi-woo placed his left hand on his chest unconsciously. this novel is available on "pawread dot com". ¡°if things have been prepared since then¡­perhaps¡­you¡¯ll surpass the limits of your vessel and make a new one.¡± vessel? what was she talking about now? chi-woo heard his master clearly murmur. ¡°then perhaps¡­it¡¯s better to empty it.¡± *** in the white space, future yoo-joo looked above her and thought about the conversation she had just had. ¡®what? i should believe him one more time?¡¯ future yoo-joo smirked. ¡®is he stupid?¡¯ she didn¡¯t tell him all that to hear those words. she already believed in chi-woo. yet she still told him that this was the last attempt because it would be the last one not only for him, but also for her. though she had called countless chi-woos and yoo-joos into this space, it didn¡¯t make an impact on any of their individual worlds. furthermore, though these countless numbers of people went into berserk mode many times, it didn¡¯t inflict even the slightest damage on them. it didn¡¯t make any sense unless future yoo-joo had overturned the laws that had been established since the beginning of the universe; she had done just that and accomplished the unbelievable. to be exact, she managed all the impact herself and was still doing that. though she had only gone through a half-awakening, the power she had was already too great and grand that most couldn¡¯t attempt to fathom them, and it was enough to flip the universe¡¯s laws. nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t complete. it could be called a half-awakening, but at the end of the day, it was still a failed awakening. yes, future chi-woo and future yoo-joo were all failures if they really thought about it; they both failed to perfectly control this mysterious power in the end. thus, abusing such an unstable power would result in¡ª crack! a crack formed on future yoo-joo¡¯s cheek. it was only a small fracture in the beginning, but it splintered into countless cracks and spread out from the center. ¡°¡­huh?¡± future yoo-joo gasped. she knew this would happen, but it was happening much faster than she expected, which was something she had never experienced before. future yoo-joo hastily looked up toward the ravaging light. her eyes widened. ¡°the light¡­¡± it wasn¡¯t in its berserk state. it was intense and rough like before, but only as uncontrollable as a young child¡¯s whining. the light that chi-woo embraced was more stable than at any other time. what in the world was happening? future yoo-joo looked around, flustered, and something came into her vision. it was the tree of light that she had created on the first day. she saw it then. the tree of light hadn¡¯t moved in the slightest until now, but it began to go through a change. it was a very small change. then, one of its countless branches began to tilt slightly. ¡°¡­!¡± future yoo-joo stared at it in shock and blinked madly. then, she clenched her eyes shut and opened them to stare at the tree again. she was sure of it. the branch had changed directions. not long afterward, a look of understanding and resignation appeared on future yoo-joo¡¯s face. though it was a very small change, it was enough. ¡®¡­it¡¯s true.¡¯ future yoo-joo looked up at the light again. ¡®it¡¯s real this time.¡¯ she was curious about what was happening inside the light and wanted to hear the details personally when it was all over. though she felt regretful that she couldn¡¯t do that, it was fine. it was enough that she had witnessed the change just now. of course, no one could tell what the changed future would entail. it could be better than the predestined future or worse. in other words, it was all up to chi-woo from now on. but in the end, he really succeeded in clutching his own destiny in his hands. ¡®as i thought.¡¯ she hadn¡¯t seen wrong. this man was truly amazing. ¡®still¡­it¡¯s a bit regretful.¡¯ future yoo-joo swallowed back her feelings of regret and quietly closed her eyes. her whole body cracked and split like a field in a drought. there was a bright smile tugging her lips; for the first time since forever, it felt like she would have a good dream. *** like how sudden news often came in the night, a great commotion arose in the small hours at seven stars. everyone was sleeping peacefully when they suddenly felt a strange surge of energy. el lache teresa, who had drunk and eaten her full today at the celebration for her promotion, got up while clutching her head. when she felt the enormous wave of energy from the window, she kicked the door open and rushed outside. the closer she got to the source of the energy, the more she leaned forward. ¡®isn¡¯t this place¡­?¡¯ it was where the seven stars leader resided. she had been told that the seven stars leader was dealing with some personal business, so outsiders shouldn¡¯t enter the building recklessly. she passed over the matter, thinking he was abstaining from all contact to wholly devote himself to training, yet today, all the seven stars members were gathered in front of his door. ¡°what happened?¡± teresa asked as soon as she arrived at the scene, but no one could answer. they all seemed to be wondering the same thing. ¡°it seems¡­we will have to enter the door to find out.¡± evelyn judged that they needed to go in to check before it was too late, and she stepped forward. eval didn¡¯t say anything. they had been told to wait, but things could¡¯ve gone wrong. if that was the case, they needed to go save their leader as fast as possible and take the proper precautions. evelyn took eval¡¯s silence as approval and clutched onto the door lock. eventually, she opened the door without hesitation, and they all saw what was happening inside. every single one of them froze in their spots. *** chi-woo was surrounded by light just like before. as if he was floating on the ocean, he let his body get carried by the waves. he stayed still and gave up control over himself. as a result, he was able to experience something that had never happened to him before. the tidal wave of negative emotions that had pushed toward him washed away instantly, while surging power continuously rushed in without stopping. it was an unfamiliar sensation and experience. usually, chi-woo would¡¯ve resisted since the beginning, and the unknown power would¡¯ve run wild the more he tried to push it back. that had been the case up to this point. but now that chi-woo had changed his attitude and mindset to accept everything instead of refusing it, this power also changed. negative emotions were nothing but the cover this unknown power wrapped itself with whenever it popped out. they weren¡¯t what it was. this power was himself¡ªnot him from another world, but chi-woo. it was simply and wholly him. they weren¡¯t two but one from the beginning. they should¡¯ve been born and grown together, but for some unknown reason, they were separated. one had been isolated by outside forces and became unable to come out to the world all this time. at least that was what it thought until a gap suddenly formed, and it rushed out at the chance to get out. though they became two, it wanted to return to one like how they originally were. but it was rejected. not knowing the reason, it persisted. it was angry that it was rejected when it finally managed to get to this point. this was the reason it had pushed harder the more chi-woo pushed it away. it was asking chi-woo why he was rejecting it when they were one. chi-woo only realized this fact now. he didn¡¯t need some great revelation or rise to the peak to figure this out. along the same line, there was no need for him to exert dominance or be subjugated. he simply needed to acknowledge that they were one and accept it. thus, he needed to go through an emptying process. he needed to empty his mind and body so that he could accept this power for itself without any prejudices or resistance. of course, that wouldn¡¯t be enough. after he acknowledged and accepted this power, he would fill himself up with it. this process was long overdue, but it was fine. because he was finally taking the first proper step in the right direction after countless meaningless steps. chi-woo was no longer afraid of this. after all, no one would be scared of themselves. a while later, his body filled up with the power limitlessly pouring into him. it filled him up to the brim so that there wasn¡¯t even the tiniest gap. he felt a strong sense of regret then. it was as if the power was telling him, ¡®only this much? i have so much more.¡¯ chi-woo made a faint smile. ¡®i¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯ he thought. ¡®i think this is my limit right now¡­i¡¯m too lacking¡­¡¯ he was addressing himself. ¡®could you¡­wait a bit longer¡­? ¡®it won¡¯t take long¡­because i¡¯m not going to stop here¡­¡¯ something strange began to happen. ¡°so next time¡­i will for sure¡­¡¯ did chi-woo¡¯s sincerity reach the power? the power that had been forcing itself in stopped. it was the first time this had happened ever since chi-woo learned of the power¡¯s identity. it seemed to accept the situation as long as chi-woo wasn¡¯t denying its existence and roughly pushing it off. instead, he was simply asking the power to wait a little longer for a complete reunion. ¡ªif that¡¯s the case, of course i will wait! after all, it¡¯s a request coming from ¡®me¡¯! its answer clearly reached chi-woo. flaaaaaash! chi-woo¡¯s eyes burst open. CH 450 when chi-woo opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a white space. unable to overcome his joy, he was about to call out to future yoo-joo and share the good news, but he stopped in the middle of turning back. ¡°?¡± he was in a white space, but it suddenly looked cramped. he couldn¡¯t see future yoo-joo either. this was¡ª ¡ªyou¡¯re finally back. chi-woo became dumbfounded as he heard mamiya¡¯s voice. soon after, he realized what future yoo-joo had meant by the last chance. ¡®ah¡­¡¯. he had no idea this was what she had meant. he looked at the center of the space just in case, but the portal of light future yoo-joo had created was gone. he couldn¡¯t go there again, at least not for now. he needed to tell her. although he wasn¡¯t entirely successful, he had to tell her that he had finally gotten favorable results. then he could say goodbye to future yoo-joo with a smile. chi-woo stared at the air where there was nothing left for a while with lingering regret and suddenly heard murmurs around him. he heard a few exclamations as well. all six gods were staring at him. ¡ªhow amazing. although i wasn¡¯t able to directly see the process, i can guess from your current state. mamiya spoke in an admiring tone and looked around before continuing. ¡ªhe listened to our wishes and kept his promise. thus, it is our turn to keep our promises. they were talking about the promotion to master tier. since he went to future yoo-joo¡¯s space at the price of the promotion rewards, he couldn¡¯t obtain any special privileges, but it was still important to rise to master tier since it was a prerequisite for grand master tier. chi-woo tilted his head after hearing mamiya¡¯s words. he hadn¡¯t fulfilled all the conditions for master tier yet. then why¡­? ¡ªalthough there are still some conditions left, is there any point to them now? chi-woo understood. as mamiya said, most of the remaining conditions would be met sooner or later. thinking back, he had also heard about all the special and useful tips for liber¡¯s walkthrough at future yoo-joo¡¯s space. ¡ªdo you know how you look in our eyes now? chi-woo shook his head at mamiya¡¯s question. ¡ªyou look like light. mamiya said clearly. ¡ªyour mind and body are brimming with light like those who have reached enlightenment after a great series of tribulations and reached sainthood. chi-woo unconsciously looked down at his body. ¡°¡­¡± it looked no different from usual, but if the gods said so, that must be the case. though chi-woo had no way of knowing, mamiya seemed to be filled with awe. ¡ªoriginally, you would only rise in tier after we take your merits. however, you weren¡¯t able to get any rewards or special privileges from this promotion. thus, this promotion won¡¯t cost you anything. chi-woo¡¯s mouth slightly widened. in a way, it was a favor from the gods. then rising to grand master wouldn¡¯t be so far off either. ¡ªi think this is enough. mamiya took a step back as if his role ended here. then another god stepped forward. la bella didn¡¯t say anything to him; she was able to guess everything that had happened and what chi-woo had done in that unknown space by looking at the state of her apostle¡¯s body and soul upon his return. he came back with not only liber¡¯s salvation in his hand, but also his fate. that was enough. ¡ªmay your light shine on liber, whose darkness has not been lifted. then la bella shouted, raising her balance scale. ¡ªas of this time, i acknowledge your promotion to master tier and name you saint! her cry echoed vigorously in the white space. * * * at the same time, each and every single one of the seven stars members who opened the door to chi-woo¡¯s lodging were all frozen due to the strange phenomenon occurring inside. chi-woo was still kneeling on one knee and praying as he had been on the first day, but there was light swirling all around him. even in the middle of the night, a cluster of sacred-looking light driving away the darkness was swirling all around chi-woo like an angry cloud. then at some point, all the light zeroed in on chi-woo. they flowed into him like water and disappeared somewhere. this novel is available on bit.ly/3ibfjkv. chi-woo¡¯s eyes opened wide. he inhaled deeply and smiled joyfully at the pleasant feeling left in his body. was it success or failure? if he had to pick one of the two, it was more the latter, but it wasn¡¯t like what it used to be. originally, he would have difficulty breathing and be in intense pain as if he was on the verge of death in exchange for using his power. however, it wasn¡¯t that chi-woo couldn¡¯t control it; he just couldn¡¯t accept all of it due to the size of his ¡®bowl¡¯. then the answer was simple. he just needed to expand his bowl to accept all the power. at last, he was finally able to control the mysterious power¡ªno, this was proof that he had communicated with the self inside him. chi-woo immediately turned on his device and accessed his user information. 1. name & rank: choi chi-woo (ex) 2. sex & age: male & 23 3. height & weight: 180.5 & 73.5kg 4. denomination: ¡®the goddess of scales¡¯ and ¡®guardian of balance¡¯, la bella 5. tier: master 6.class: exorcist ¡ú monk ¡ú advanced exorcist ¡ú high-ranking exorcist ¡ú inquisitor -> cardinalis ¡ú saint 7. heavenly title: three lines 8. disposition: neutral his tier now changed to master and¡ª [abso???? ???sality ex] a smile tugged at chi-woo¡¯s lips as he confirmed that his innate ability was now roughly revealed. in the past, he hadn¡¯t had the faintest idea what it could be, but now he could make a guess. this was the biggest difference compared to before. ¡°b-boss.¡± then chi-woo heard a bewildered voice. it was from eval sevaru. it wasn¡¯t just him. he heard a large number of his members from the other side of the open door. how long had the process taken him? they were all faces he missed, but on the other hand, it made him laugh. it was probably because he talked about all sorts of things with his other selves. at the end of the day, they were them and he was him. they had their own relationships, and he was building relationships here that were unique to him. chi-woo finally got up to his feet. come to think of it, there were some people he¡¯d never seen before. he greeted everyone with a bright smile and said, ¡°i¡¯m back.¡± * * * what chi-woo was most curious about was how much time had passed. after hearing from eval sevaru that four months had passed since the twelfth reinforcements entered liber, he couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. since he had left before the reinforcements arrived, chi-woo had been gone for almost five or six months. it was almost half a year. although that wasn¡¯t long in comparison since it felt like at least a few years had passed in future yoo-joo¡¯s space, it was not a short time. it was more than enough time for the new members among the twelfth reinforcements to reach gold tier with seven stars¡¯ support. after returning to reality, chi-woo weighed the importance of his work. he wanted to immediately focus on training and expand his bowl, but he also needed to consider his position. last night, eval sevaru smiled brightly at him and said, ¡®you¡¯re finally back.¡¯ chi-woo couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that he¡¯d go back into seclusion to train as soon as he returned. moreover, he couldn¡¯t let the valuable information he heard rot without use. numerous thoughts came into mind, but the very first thing he thought of was meeting the newcomers. they had been waiting nearly six months for him. meeting them was his top priority. he was also looking forward to seeing what kind of heroes aida and eval sevaru had chosen. this was also the same for the new members. teresa, who had shown off her extraordinary sociability through her easygoing and humble disposition contrary to her esteemed reputation since her joining, paid special attention to her clothes today. this was their first official meeting with the leader of seven stars, who she had been looking forward to meeting since the very beginning. she didn¡¯t even think about whether he really deserved to lead them or not in the first place. above everything else, he was from the choi family; considering that he was from a family that reigned over everyone since its inception, there was no reason to doubt his leadership. even then, her first impression of him left her quite surprised. though she was a rare priest type hero, teresa almost knelt down and prayed last night as a faithful servant of god because she mistook him for a god as soon as she saw him. although he was a human on the outside, he didn¡¯t seem human with all the holy energy radiating from the inside. ¡®well, if there was nothing special about him, that would be disappointing in itself.¡¯ moreover, it was impossible that chi-woo would be just an ordinary hero considering he was the product of the union of a choi and a ho lactea that once made a scene in the celestial realm. chi-woo was a child of elrich ho lactea, who was known as the vassal of the ho lactea¡¯s progenitor and the golden child even among the ho lactea family, which was known for being founded by gods. teresa took great pride in the fact that she had gotten to where she was today with no backing at all, but she wasn¡¯t the type to feel bitter towards those who had a different starting line than her. instead, she considered joining seven stars as a kind of opportunity, a rope that would raise her name further on the stage called liber. since it had fallen right in front of her, teresa was going to tightly clutch the rope in her hands and use it to climb higher. ¡®i¡¯ll show him. that i¡¯m superior to most celestial lights.¡¯ teresa laughed inside her mind and opened the door with a smile. like this, the three heroes began their first meeting with chi-woo. * * * ¡°hello, i¡¯m choi chi-woo.¡± ¡°i¡¯m teresa.¡± ¡°lazak al-umaru. you can just call me umaru.¡± ¡°please call me eun-hyang.¡± after briefly introducing themselves by saying their name, teresa spoke first, ¡°sir, i¡¯m honored to meet you like this, but on the other hand, i¡¯m a little worried. anyone who ascended to the celestial realm would have heard about the choi family¡¯s greatness till their ears hurt.¡± teresa would have normally crossed her legs, curled her hair with her index finger, and chattered like a lark, but now she talked with an extremely calm and pious voice. ¡°but when i saw you in person, i truly felt like a firefly under the bright moonlight.¡± it was because the concept she decided to adopt today was a holy and mysterious saintess. ¡®it¡¯s our first meeting.¡¯ she considered her easygoing nature her charm, but she also needed to know how to change her attitude according to the situation and at least show that she wasn¡¯t a complete buffoon. she glanced at chi-woo and the smile on his face, thinking, ¡®yeah. you like that i¡¯m sucking up to you? i¡¯ve never seen anyone who doesn¡¯t like compliments. anyway, why don¡¯t you give an answer after hearing all that?¡¯ ¡°no, not at all.¡± of course, chi-woo understood that she was saying, ¡®we heard your name until our ears bled, but have you heard of our names?¡¯ in a roundabout way, so he replied with a smile, ¡°you¡¯re being overly modest. if a saintess who has received el¡¯s blessing, a warrior who has defeated a dragon, and the great du are merely fireflies, then the entire sky will be covered in fireflies.¡± teresa looked satisfied with chi-woo¡¯s answer. ¡°haha. what an honor. i had no idea that even the choi would know me!¡± the bald giant named umaru burst into laughter, and the woman named eun-hyang nodded and expressed her quiet satisfaction. heroes died and lived for honor. since chi-woo not only knew who they were, but also mentioned their achievements and added ¡®great¡¯ to eun-hyang¡¯s family name ¡®du¡¯, all three of them couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased. of course, chi-woo had never even known anything about heroes before, let alone heard of their names, but he had heard about them several times in future yoo-joo¡¯s space. moreover, it wasn¡¯t technically the first time they¡¯d met. just before the demon empire first invaded shalyh, he had briefly seen two of them in the future with emmanuel. [fuck! it¡¯s over! it¡¯s all over! what are we going to do from here?] [in the end, even that ru amuh¡­!] [what the hell do you mean what happened!] [fucking hell! why, did i say anything wrong?] he had heard teresa and¡ª [i can¡¯t believe it¡­that ru amuh¡­] [how did¡­we end up¡­like this¡­?] eun-hyang as well. when first seeing them in the future, he had never imagined that they would meet like this¡­ but teresa felt a little different from then? she was also a bit different from what he heard. ¡°oh my, you praise us too much.¡± teresa fake-coughed, not knowing in the slightest what chi-woo was thinking. as the proverb went, ¡®be nice to others if you want others to be nice to you.¡¯ they both exchanged compliments and pleasantries. teresa had been worried that the youngest young master of the choi family might be a haughty and overbearing person, but as expected of a choi, there was dignity among those at the top. teresa felt relieved, but she didn¡¯t let down her guard. although chi-woo seemed more generous than expected, she also needed to behave well while he was still being nice to them. how should she put it? it felt like she should never make an unacceptable mistake in front of the man. ¡°ah, sir, you can speak to us informally.¡± ¡°well, all right. i¡¯ll do that.¡± the atmosphere wasn¡¯t bad for a first meeting. ¡°i heard that everyone worked hard while i was gone.¡± chi-woo glanced at the three. ¡°although it¡¯s been some time, i can¡¯t help but ask, what is your reason or motive for choosing seven stars?¡± there was a saying that those who had prepared in advance won. teresa, having prepared herself for this moment, shouted ¡®yes!¡¯ internally. ¡®that¡¯s right. i¡¯ve been waiting for this question.¡¯ umaru said, ¡°well, i have nothing much to say. i just heard that this place was the best, and i wanted to work with a choi who had been surrounded by so many rumors.¡± teresa laughed inwardly at umaru¡¯s words. he was mistaken if he wanted to win the leader¡¯s favor with such simplicity and a plain character. as soon as she joined, teresa had analyzed seven stars in detail, and the conclusion she reached was that this organization looked simple at first glance, but there was actually a complex system in place. she could tell just by looking at this meeting. how many times would she be able to have a separate meeting with this man in the future? not many because of his position, she would bet. a person of such high authority had to oversee a large number of people; if she passively waited for her turn to come, she wouldn''t be able to exchange many words with the man before she returned to the celestial realm. ¡®i can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯ she didn¡¯t come to liber to follow him around in the far background. when this world was about to be saved, she wanted her name to hang proudly beside chi-woo¡¯s. additionally, it would be perfect if she could continue her relationship with the next legend. though she had succeeded in getting on the same boat as him, this was not enough. she needed to get closer to him. then she needed to raise her position above the present level, at least to the point that she could have a private meeting with him if she wanted. after analyzing the structure of seven stars, teresa was able to find two ways to fulfill her wishes. the first was to join the main team, and the second was to become the leader of a team. the former would allow her to interact with chi-woo more closely than anyone else, and the latter would grant her significant power and independent authority befitting the position. after seeing evelyn, teresa gave up early on the first method because she thought it would be hopeless. then there was only one way left. ¡®sorry to everyone here, but¡­¡¯ teresa glanced sideways at umaru and eun-hyang, who were sitting on both her sides, and smiled. she was the one among them who would take the seat of a team leader. and to do so, she needed to make the most of this opportunity. teresa cleared her throat and said, ¡°currently, the enemies left on liber can be largely divided into two¡ªthe abyss and sernitas.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°at that point, i entered liber.¡± chi-woo¡¯s eyes slightly widened. CH 451 chi-woo asked teresa her reason for choosing seven stars, but she responded to his question by suddenly talking about the current situation on liber. he looked at her curiously. ¡°compared to the reinforcements who came before us, there¡¯s a sense that we are here too late. thus, i was greatly conflicted before coming to this place. perhaps being early or late shouldn¡¯t matter concerning the salvation of a world, but i wondered what i could do with my will alone¡­¡± terea went on while looking very serious and refined. ¡°but then, i was able to find the answer to this question in an unexpected place.¡± ¡°the answer¡­?¡± chi-woo asked, and teresa cheered inside her mind. she thought the fact that chi-woo asked a question meant that he was hooked. ¡°it was at apertum when i first heard the name ¡®seven stars¡¯.¡± after teresa confirmed that chi-woo was looking at her with surprise, she straightened her back. ¡°seven stars! realization struck me that the group would light up the dying torch that was liber! all the worries filling my mind cleared instantly!¡± teresa said very passionately. ¡°ah, i see! that¡¯s why they are called seven stars! i came to this place to provide a bit of my aid for their purpose! that immediately came to my mind once i learned of the meaning behind their name!¡± teresa thought it would be too obvious if she sang praises of chi-woo. since he probably had lived a life where he was always put on the pedestal, that wouldn¡¯t work. thus, she emphasized the connection she felt toward seven stars, the organization he had established. ah, there was no way this wouldn¡¯t work. it was a flawless way to appeal to him. look at him! this hero who was said to be more special than anyone in the celestial realm was nodding now while looking only at her! teresa laughed to herself, ¡®ohohoho!¡¯ and in her mind, she gave herself a good pat on the back. yet outwardly, she had her hands gathered in prayer and couldn¡¯t look more holy and subservient. while she was thinking such thoughts, she glanced at chi-woo. he was simply stroking his chin without saying anything, but it appeared she had succeeded in leaving a good impression on him. she couldn¡¯t go farther than this, because going overboard would only backfire. she thought she already had success with this much. after nodding slowly, chi-woo turned to the others. ¡°okay, i understand. what about you, du eun-hyang?¡± ¡°you can just call me eun-hyang, sir. also, my answer is the same as hers,¡± eun-hyang replied with a slight bow. ¡°lady teresa took the words right out of my mouth.¡± ¡®ha!¡¯ teresa snorted as soon as she heard that. she thought that seeing their leader¡¯s response had made eun-hyang crave some of the interest she had gained, and eun-hyang was trying to ride on her coattails after her successful attempt. well, it didn¡¯t really matter. in cases like this, the person who said it first won everything; those who said it afterward made little impact. it seemed clear the one who would rise victorious in this spot was her! teresa was sure of that. at least, that was what she thought before chi-woo turned back to her and asked, ¡°i see. then what is the answer?¡± ¡°¡­excuse me?¡± ¡°the meaning behind seven stars as you understood it.¡± chi-woo clearly witnessed teresa¡¯s eyes widening and her mouth opening slightly. ¡®¡­huh?¡¯ she quickly shut it close. ¡°ah¡­¡± she hadn¡¯t prepared an answer to this. ¡°haha¡­ahahaha¡­well¡ª¡± teresa quickly rolled her eyes and turned to eun-hyang. ¡°i feel like i¡¯ve been talking too much. is there anything you¡¯d like to say?¡± ¡°it is at you our leader has directed the question. thus, it is only right that you gain the privilege to answer.¡± ¡®ah, damn it! not even a little help! see how she is trying to back off now. this sneaky weasel!¡¯ teresa cursed profusely inside her mind, but of course, dared not let those words out of her mouth. she managed to smile, but her gaze wavered. ¡°well, seven stars¡­seven starrrrs¡­.¡± her nose reddened and eyes became misty, and chi-woo thought he should stop joking at this point. just as grumpy chi-woo told him, there was a cute side to her. ¡°haha, it¡¯s fine. the meaning behind seven stars is¡­¡± chi-woo explained, and teresa simply nodded with her head lowered. parts of her neck came to view between the locks of her hair and were completely red. on the other hand, after hearing chi-woo¡¯s explanation, eun-hyang raised her hand and asked if she could ask just one question. ¡°then, does that mean getting a team to manage means that you¡¯ll become one of the seven stars, who will play a pivotal role in the salvation of liber?¡± ¡°not necessarily, but generally, yes. since ru amuh, emmanuela, and yunael are all stars i¡¯ve chosen.¡± there were also yeriel and asha, but they were exceptions with special roles. eun-hyang¡¯s eyes widened with chi-woo¡¯s affirmation. ¡°then, i would like to be a star in this place, sir,¡± she said. teresa immediately flicked her head toward her. she glared at eun-hyan piercingly. eun-hyang didn¡¯t back down either. a tense atmosphere flowed between the two, and only umaru appeared uninterested in the topic. he actually yawned like he was bored. ¡°why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± chi-woo said while looking at the two and added, ¡°if you can, that is.¡± *** the interview with the three newbies was over. chi-woo recalled the three user information he saw from time to time during the interview process. name & rank: el lache teresa (¡î¡î¡î) name & rank: lajak al-umaru (¡î¡î¡î) name & rank: du eun-hyang (¡î¡î¡î) though he would need to observe them a bit more, his first impressions of them were all right. it wasn¡¯t bad that all their dormant potential was three stars either. though their stats weren¡¯t stellar as ru amuh¡¯s, it would be unfair to compare them to a rising supernova like him. anyways, with this, chi-woo had confirmed their individual goals. two out of three had the ambition to become part of seven stars. that was better for him. but there wasn''t an infinite number of vacancies for the stars; there weren¡¯t many left, in fact. in order to take those positions, they needed to prove that they were fit for them. in some ways, one person''s victory and a loss were already foretold, but the decision wouldn¡¯t be made this instant. furthermore, it would be better for him to get everything done once he finished everything he had been pushing off. *** organizations in shalyh hadn¡¯t rested while chi-woo was gone. they recruited heroes who came in as the twelfth reinforcements, replenished the forces they had lost during the great war, and focused on cultivating their recruits. almost half a year later, their efforts came to bear fruit. likewise, the seven stars hadn¡¯t exactly been playing around, but their activities seemed trivial and conservative compared to their scale and reputation. thus, many had been shocked by the way seven stars seemed to have been acting out of consideration of the other organizations. but that would soon be over. now, they would straighten their hunched backs and fly toward the sky. they would become so big that they would be able to make even the legend back away. chi-woo already had some people in mind to help him with this goal, and he went outside without hesitation. the demon empire¡¯s zone was more vibrant than at any other time. demons who had been cautious of even going outside during the day now went around freely; and among them, there were those who didn¡¯t appear to be demons or demonic creatures. it seemed the demon empire¡¯s survivors had been completely accepted as part of shalyh. chi-woo walked around the area for a while and stopped when he spotted a girl from not so far away. the gray-haired girl was watching children playing in the streets. then, she turned around and looked in chi-woo¡¯s direction. chi-woo moved. ¡°shersha.¡± ¡°i knew. that you would come. today.¡± shersha¡¯s prophetic abilities were superb enough for even chi-hyun to be wary of it. it was in a different league compared to aida¡¯s. while aida specialized in finding and saving people, shersha¡¯s ability was closest to prophesying the future. ¡°how have you been feeling?¡± ¡°it¡¯s good. much better than before.¡± chi-woo was about to say that was good, but then he paused when he realized that something was different; shersha¡¯s way of speaking had changed a bit. it sounded much more natural than before. shersha looked a bit embarrassed by chi-woo¡¯s attention and replied, ¡°i¡¯m trying to change it. after i began to be able. to speak again.¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± ¡°because this place. isn¡¯t the demon empire,¡± shersha replied. she still divided sentences into shorter phrases though. then, shersha cautiously looked up toward chi-woo. ¡°is it strange¡­?¡± ¡°of course not.¡± chi-woo smiled and shook his head. ¡°it¡¯s much better than before. ¡° shersha smiled faintly like she was relieved. now that chi-woo thought about it, they had so much to talk about. they had been pushing their conversation off because things kept coming up. thus, they changed locations to shersha¡¯s residence and when they arrived there, chi-woo saw astarte waiting for them. astarte prepared tea, and chi-woo heard what had happened after the war. as heard before, the faction that crushed and doomed the demon empire was the sernitas. yet the surprising part was that they had put bael on the frontline to complete this task. ¡°i couldn¡¯t believe it,¡± shersha said in a hollow voice, like she still couldn¡¯t believe how things turned out. ¡°why? bael, why¡­?¡± for the humans, it would be equivalent to chi-hyun dying and coming back from the grave, only to annihilate humanity and the cassiubia league. it really was that shocking if they didn¡¯t know what truly happened. ¡°it probably wasn¡¯t bael,¡± chi-woo said after hearing everything. ¡°near the end of the great war, bael accepted the sernitas into her. her information went to them at that time.¡± in other words, the bael that crushed the demon empire wasn¡¯t the great demon, bael. it was nothing more than a puppet that the sernitas created with the information they newly acquired. ¡°we thought so too¡­but that¡¯s why it was harder to believe,¡± astarte said after having been quiet until now. ¡°shersha warned her many times before. she told bael to never stay with the sernitas alone.¡± a heavy silence filled the room. they pondered about the reason bael still made the decision despite that. perhaps the loss at the gate had had a significant impact on her mind and body, compelling her to make a move she shouldn¡¯t have made. in this way, one could say it was chi-woo who pushed bael to that length. yet chi-woo didn¡¯t regret anything he did that day. bael was his enemy that day. if he hadn¡¯t killed her, she would¡¯ve killed him. and shersha and astarte thought the same. though chi-woo was the one who had caused the death of their loved one, they didn¡¯t consider him their mortal enemy. it was not only because they grew up in a society where it was accepted and natural for the strong to eat the weak, but also because it had been bael¡¯s choice to be absorbed by the sernitas in the end. after a long pause, shersha murmured in a low voice, ¡°¡­i want to recover it.¡± chi-woo didn¡¯t know how to respond if she meant that she wanted to get bael back from the sernitas. he smacked his lips because that wish couldn¡¯t be fulfilled. ¡°she isn¡¯t saying that she wants to save bael,¡± astarte said. ¡°she wants to thoroughly destroy her remnants.¡± what did this mean? chi-woo looked perplexed, but he understood after hearing the whole explanation. ¡°bael is the first-ranking great demon. in a way, you could consider her a demon lord of sorts and the peak of the demon empire¡¯s power. and only the demon lord can open and close the path that connects our demon world to the middle world.¡± the demon empire survivors hadn¡¯t chosen not to return to the demon world; they couldn¡¯t. bael was extinguished as a great demon but her existence continued on, unable to either die or really live. ¡°then, now¡­¡± ¡°bael died, but her existence wasn¡¯t extinguished. so, you could say that the sernitas possess the authority of the demon lord.¡± chi-woo finally understood what shersha meant. by completely erasing bael¡¯s existence, which was now in sernitas¡¯ hands, they planned to establish a new demon lord. only if bael died would they be able to get a new great demon who would rise to the first rank. ¡°will you help us?¡± chi-woo contemplated this for a bit. it wasn¡¯t an easy decision. this could end up giving rise to a demon lord who would drive liber to ruins hundreds or thousands of years later. while worrying about this, chi-woo recalled chi-hyun from the past, and all his worries disappeared immediately. his brother had tried to hold onto too many things. he strived for perfection beyond necessary, which resulted in the disappearance of the world. it was a problem that chi-woo didn¡¯t even need to concern himself with. they could think about what would happen in a thousand years when the time actually arrived. for chi-woo, who lived in the present, this current moment was the most important. this novel is available on bit.ly/3ibfjkv. ¡°¡­there¡¯s a saying. enemy of your enemy is your friend,¡± chi-woo said after organizing his thoughts. ¡° join seven stars.¡± he extended his hand and said, ¡°let¡¯s do this together. shersha hesitated, but she shyly took chi-woo¡¯s hand, as if she had already known this would happen. CH 452 as soon as they finished organizing, shersha said she¡¯d take a few demons with her and join seven stars. chi-woo succeeded in gaining their cooperation more easily than he thought and didn¡¯t immediately return to seven stars. there was one more stop he needed to make. it was one of the conditions offered by the six gods. to have at least three celestial lights under his command; he had one candidate in mind. one of the other chi-woos had told him the solution, saying there wasn¡¯t even need to worry. chi-woo planned to do as he was told, but he still had a hard time believing it. ¡ªit¡¯s for real, man. it¡¯s basically just an automatic win, for real. ¡ªi¡¯m telling you, she¡¯s like the childhood friend in a dating sim who started out with max affection level. i don¡¯t know why, but she likes me a lot. ¡ªof course, she¡¯s human, so her feelings will be hurt if you just ask her to come all of the sudden. so i¡¯m telling you, if you give the impression that you want her, everything will be solved. ¡ªhaving three stars for potential isn¡¯t common, and she¡¯s a magician at that. if you use the power to rule the world on top of that, you¡¯ll have someone with killer firepower. ¡ªhave you tried it? try it. tell me how it goes after¡­oh, right. will we not be able to meet again once we separate? chi-woo heard that if he approached apoline first, everything would work out on its own, but he had a hard time believing it because he had experienced first-hand how strong her pride was. ¡®will it really work¡­?¡¯ * * * apoline had been sitting at her desk since morning and had not moved even a bit. or to be more exact, she was looking down at a few sheets of paper scattered on the desk with an extremely strained expression. it was a letter of resignation; a document stating that they were leaving afrilith. she wasn¡¯t even surprised now as she had received letters of resignation in the past. it had been a rare occasion before, but the number of people leaving increased significantly after the great war. the arrival of the twelfth reinforcements was the decisive blow, and strictly speaking, the afrilith has been on a steady decline since its establishment. at the time, it surpassed seven stars in size and was comparable to ho lactea, but now, to put it bluntly, it had fallen to a level where she couldn¡¯t even give out her business card. in other words, it was the fall of a noble family¡­ no, it had never even reached such high status. the celestial realm¡¯s afrilith was an elite family, but liber¡¯s afrilith could not even be considered nobility. apoline let out a self-deprecating laugh and swiped her face with both hands. who could she blame for this situation? it was all because she was incompetent. what was the reason heroes had flocked like clouds when she first created this organization? it was simple: because of the name afrilith. however, apoline had not performed well enough to live up to her family name. she hadn¡¯t made any remarkable achievements nor made great contributions during the great war¡ªand this was the result. since she hadn¡¯t met the expectations of her members, it was natural for those who didn¡¯t find her offer attractive to leave. however, she couldn¡¯t just let the situation be, so she had tried to rally recruits among the twelfth recruitments with the determination that this might really be her last try. however, when the hero she invested coins and approached rejected the offer by saying, ¡®afrilith¡­? i don¡¯t know. rather than being the tail of a snake, i think it would be better to be the head of a chicken.¡¯, she could only laugh emptily. they hadn¡¯t said tail of a dragon, but a snake. that accurately reflected the current state of afrilith; it was a worthy name, but not substantial. of course, that was not to say that afrilith was the weakest organization in shalyh. compared to ordinary organizations, it had potential and a considerable force. however, the fact that she even compared her organization with mediocre organizations deeply hurt her pride. originally, her organization should have been compared to seven stars or ho lactea, but afrilith¡¯s current status was too low to make the comparison. she would be too ashamed to return to her family at this rate. would her parents and older sister and brother understand if she said, ¡®well, i did as much as others did.¡¯ ¡®there¡¯s no way.¡¯ the afrilith needed to always be the best; she had grown up with that mindset from birth. she had come here after talking so big, but¡­ ¡°¡­should i have done the same as them?¡± apoline muttered unconsciously while sitting in a daze. when emmanuel dismantled his group on his own and yeriel followed him right behind, she had clicked her tongue and said that they had no pride, but they were probably clicking their tongues at her now. apoline sighed deeply and pushed her beautiful platinum blonde hair up in frustration. she had no idea what to do now. she couldn¡¯t see a solution in sight. and that were the circumstances under which chi-woo suddenly visited, taking apoline completely by surprise. the offer he made after that was even more surprising. * * * chi-woo spoke for a long time, but in summary, seven stars was about to officially begin their move and wanted apoline to be part of it as a celestial light member. or in short, he was telling her to join the seven stars, which was what apoline had been wishing for. truthfully, there was one instance when apololine, unable to bear the heavy burden weighing on her, made up her mind to propose to chi-woo a merger. however, alice ho lactea beat her to it and took chi-woo away before she could even approach him, so she hadn¡¯t even been able to bring it up. ¡°all the heroes who enter here earnestly wish for liber¡¯s salvation. then we have no reason to compete. who¡¯ll criticize us when we¡¯re just trying to unite our strengths for a single purpose?¡± seeing chi-woo passionately persuade her, apoline immediately realizes¡ª¡®ah, he¡¯s giving me a justification. for me.¡¯ it was impossible to not understand his intentions. seven stars. choi chi-woo. he was someone who made even the legend, his older brother, back down. to put it bluntly, afrilith was nothing compared to him. what if this man really wanted her organization, afrilith? apoline wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything even if he opted to absorb them through more aggressive means. however, chi-woo didn¡¯t want afrilith, or to be exact, there was no need for him to do this. whether he accepted afrilith or not, seven stars was doing well on its own. nevertheless, the reason he came directly and made an offer¡­there could only be one. ¡®since i was once his fianc¨¦e, he is¡­¡¯ apoline was already well aware that chi-woo secretly cared about her. the fact that he sent a separate messenger to her when yeriel first invented the ai armor was proof of this. thus, she was thankful to him, but felt even more sorry. she was also embarrassed because it felt like she couldn¡¯t meet his expectations. ¡°i¡¯m not sure i¡¯ll be of much help¡­¡± that might have been the reason she said this meekly unlike her usual self. usually, she would have responded by shouting, ¡®what kind of nonsense is that!¡¯ ¡°of course you will. you¡¯re an afrilith.¡± since chi-woo approached her like this, apoline was at a complete loss; he had given her a justification to help her save face. but above all, there was no room for pride anymore. she needed to face reality before it was too late. would she remain at the bottom with unknown heroes, or would she stand by him and leave her name in history even if she wouldn¡¯t be the one and only main character? ¡°i know it¡¯s not an easy decision, but please consider it in a positive light. seven stars will treat afrilith no less than eustitia and mariaju.¡± with that, chi-woo stood up from his seat. after he left, apoline fell into thought. honestly, there was nothing more to think about. originally, she had wanted to be like ho lactea and stand by him proudly on the same playing field¡ªand she still wanted that now. but all her conflicting emotions melted like snow when chi-woo said that he wanted her. she made up her mind. apoline reached out for the paper on her desk with a slightly different expression than before; it was an expression of relief. * * * the next few days, shalyh became noisy for the first time in a while. it was because seven stars, which they all thought had been hibernating until now, had finally made their first move, and it was no ordinary move. first, many organizations that coveted the abilities of the great demons had tried to woo the demon empire, but there was news that shersha, who had refused all offers until then, had joined seven stars. second, there was news that afrilith was going to pack up and dissolve. while the first was understandable somewhat, the latter was shocking as afrilith¡¯s dissolution meant that apoline was going to join seven stars. otherwise, there was no reason for her to dissolve her organization. even a member of the afrilith family, who were known for their pride as much as the ho lactea, were bowing down at a choi. and like this, seven stars held three of the celestial lights in their arms¡ªfour including chi-woo. some feared that seven stars might be monopolizing the powers too much, but such narratives didn¡¯t gain much strength as there were many people dismissing those concerns as nonsense. ¡°come on, seven stars need to reap some benefits for themselves too.¡± mangil was one of them. ¡°regardless of everything, they always take the lead and step forward whenever something happens. and what else¡ªhe has waited for a long time too. compared to what he did, this is nothing.¡± theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3ibfjkv. mangil, who received a lot from seven stars including the ai armor, enthusiastically defended them more than anyone else. this was also the moment eval sevaru¡¯s efforts at apertum showed results. thanks to him, the public sentiment seemed favorable to seven stars absorbing the demon empire survivors and afrilith. a commotion erupted in seven stars instead. no, rather than a commotion, it was more accurate to say that a subtle tension began to flow between the members, especially among the new blood from the twelfth reinforcements. teresa smacked her lips bitterly. ¡®this is what he meant?¡¯ he had told them if they wanted to be a star, they had to prove themselves. teresa thought she could finally understand what he meant now. du eun-hyang and umaru weren¡¯t her only competition. ¡®the fact that an afrilith is joining must mean that she was at least guaranteed one of the team leader positions, or it wouldn¡¯t make any sense. then¡­¡¯ chi-woo made a clear statement not too long ago. though the current team leaders were not all stars, he was planning to fill all the remaining team leader positions with stars. teresa had thought that she''d definitely get at least one of the three seats left, but this was no time to relax. ¡®there¡¯s no guarantee that there are two seats left. he may have saved only one spot for the twelfth reinforcements.¡¯ chi-woo¡¯s move after his return raised the competitive spirit among the members. of course, unlike them, there were those who screamed in happiness instead; it was eval sevaru. he couldn¡¯t help but show his admiration for chi-woo every day. ¡®what¡¯s suddenly up with him recently?¡¯ in the past, there were times when chi-woo acted like he didn¡¯t know anything like an ordinary person, unbefitting his last name, but after coming out of his room after half a year, he had suddenly changed so much. his actions showed no hesitation, and at the same time, he had taken complete control over the internal affairs of the seven stars with a single action. ¡®did he pick up a walkthrough somewhere¡­¡¯ anyway, it was good that their organization had bulked up. if they just struck the right balance befitting their bigger body, the golden age of seven stars would begin. eval sevaru had no doubt that this would come to be. * * * after successfully making his first move, chi-woo steadied his breathing for a while before making his next. it was because he saw a small wolf lying leisurely and rolling around in the lobby. chi-woo¡¯s mouth twisted as he saw the fenrir cub lounging around after a big meal once again. he concealed his presence as much as possible and crept toward the cub. and when he was right in front of the cub, he screamed, ¡°woofwoofwoofwoof!¡± naturally, the fenrir cub, who had been sound asleep, jumped up in fright. ¡°barkbarkbarkbark!¡± the cub barked frantically for a while, and after seeing chi-woo staring down at him, he stopped barking. then he lowered his tail and turned away slightly. the reason the fenrir cub avoided chi-woo was simple; it was because chi-woo nagged at him endlessly, asking when the cub would go out and do something productive. what was so bad about playing a bit? he had to go out and work anyway when it was the time. why must chi-woo keep badgering and pressuring him? ¡°you there? stop.¡± the cub pretended not to hear and sneaked away, but it was wishful thinking because chi-woo walked right up to him and lifted him up. ¡°where are you going?¡± ¡°arf!¡± ¡°hey¡­no, that¡¯s not it. i should give you a name now since i can¡¯t call you ¡®hey¡¯ forever.¡± ¡°arf¡­ruff?¡± the cub, who had been struggling to get out of chi-woo¡¯s grasp, stopped at chi-woo¡¯s words. ¡°i¡¯ll give you a name.¡± the fenrir cub quickly turned towards chi-woo; his eyes seemed to be saying, ¡®you¡¯re finally doing that, you fucking bastard.¡¯ ¡°hmm, a name, a name¡­¡± under the cub¡¯s half-expectant and half-worried eyes, chi-woo fell into thought. the cub¡¯s mother, hurodvitniru¡¯s name meant the ¡®famous wolf¡¯. in fact, hurodvitniru had the reputation as the most famous fenrir on liber. thus, giving the cub a proper name was the most important¡­that was what stupid yoo-joo had strongly emphasized to him over and over again. ¡°terminator. it means a very strong wolf that will blow even the sernitas into smithereens in one shot. what do you think?¡± the fenrir cub flinched and shook his head like crazy. he got the meaning, but he didn¡¯t want to live with such an awful name. chi-woo called out several names he had in mind, but the cub fiercely rejected all of them. it was to the extent that the cub convulsed with bubbles in his mouth. ¡®geez, this is one hell of a picky dude.¡¯ chi-woo smacked his lips, but he wasn¡¯t worried. he had prepared an appropriate solution for this as well. CH 453 the solution chi-woo came up with was to gather everyone¡¯s strengths and collaborate. under chi-woo¡¯s command, all seven stars members gathered in one place. with so many people working together, it seemed evident that they would come up with at least one name the fenrir cub would like. ¡°¡­¡± that was what chi-woo had thought until he realized he had been thinking too simply. ¡°what about white fluff? or white ball?¡± ¡°bark!¡± ¡°his eyes are quite ferocious. what about killing machine? isn¡¯t it cool?¡± ¡°bark, bark, bark, bark!¡± the fenrir cub didn¡¯t like any of the suggestions. he got angry every time the seven stars members suggested a name they thought of. ¡°ha. this one has quite a temper and likes to bark. how about we call him yappy? how is it?¡± teresa extended her hand while smiling brightly and calling the fenrir cub adorable. ¡°kaah¡ª! ptooey!¡± the fenrir cub spat on her hand. teresa went speechless in shock, and yunael stepped forward, unable to bear it any longer. ¡°ah, that¡¯s enough. you should just be named poopee since that¡¯s all you do. you are nothing more than a leech that just eats and poops every day. how dare you be picky¡­.¡± ¡°ruffruffruffruff ruffruffruff rufffruffruff.¡± ¡°...aida, what did he say just now? i didn¡¯t have a good feeling about that.¡± ¡°he said he¡¯ll think about it if you change your name to fucking bitch,¡± aida said calmly. ¡°what?¡± yunael¡¯s voice rose. ¡°did i say anything wrong? all this little thing does is stuff himself with food and pee and poop every day! isn¡¯t that right?!¡± yunael shouted, and the fenrir cub kicked while pooing and peeing at her as if he was saying, ¡®yes, you are right. see.¡¯ yunael backed away screaming and declared that she would shove that bastard into a boiling cauldron this instant. and while all the fourth team members held her back and calmed her down, chi-woo rubbed at his temples. though yappy and poopee were going too far, there were some names that were all right. chi-woo wondered what kind of grand name the fenrir cub was expecting that he was rejecting every proposal. that was what chi-woo thought, but he considered ¡®all-right¡¯ were nacho, lulu, and kkala. as a descendant of a god, the fenrir cub didn¡¯t want to live with such terrible names that seemed to have no basis or proper background. ¡°wallie.¡± then the one person who had been observing the scene quietly spoke. it was eshnunna. when everyone turned to her at once, she looked a bit taken aback and cleared her throat. ¡°it means to guard, protect, and defend. i thought it would be quite fitting even though it doesn¡¯t have much meaning besides that¡­¡± wallie? it didn¡¯t sound too bad. but besides how it sounded, chi-woo wanted the fenrir cub to stop being so stubborn and just accept any name at this point. chi-woo looked down at the fenrir cub, who seemed to be giving the name a consideration. ¡°how is it?¡± chi-woo put a little force into his voice to make the fenrir cub decide now. as someone who had only been watching and observing people until now, the fenrir cub quickly understood what chi-woo meant. he still wasn¡¯t very satisfied with the name. its meaning was okay, but the sound of it wasn¡¯t great. it didn¡¯t really seem to fit a prestigious and noble heritage as his, but it was still hundreds and thousands of times better than names like barkie or fluffball. and above all, it appeared that chi-woo would decide on any name if he refused this one, so he decided to accept the name in the end. thus, after despairing endlessly at everyone¡¯s dreadful and nonexistent naming sense, the fenrir cub weakly nodded. with this, the cub¡¯s name was decided. from then on, nobody including chi-woo called the fenrir cub, ¡®hey¡¯ or ¡®you¡¯; it had gotten a new name, ¡®wallie¡¯, which meant ¡®to protect and guard¡¯ and ¡®god¡¯s friend¡¯. *** though they had given him a new name, wallie didn¡¯t grow rapidly and reached full potential overnight. no significant changes occurred except his behavior, in fact. after the day he got his name, wallie began to follow chi-woo everywhere with asha. this included the time chi-woo took care of his businesses, ate, and slept. it appeared wallie considered chi-woo his sole master now. since then, wallie would bare his teeth at any stranger trying to approach chi-woo until chi-woo patted his head and said that it was all right. chi-woo thought he should watch how things would play out with wallie for a bit longer and decided to address another problem. he consulted eval about internal organization since seven stars had almost doubled in size. ¡°i don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to leave a team to apoline, sir. considering how big of a decision she made to join us, i think it¡¯s only proper for us to treat her accordingly.¡± chi-woo¡¯s thoughts aligned with eval¡¯s. though apoline had joined seven stars later than emmanuel and yeriel, they needed to remember that she was a celestial light. furthermore, she was extraordinarily skilled and experienced, and it would be too cruel of them to ask her to start from the bottom. this novel is available on bit.ly/3ibfjkv. ¡°we¡¯ll have two teams left after giving the fifth team to apoline. if the new recruits are willing to take care of a team, i think it¡¯ll be a good idea to open up the path for them.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°why don¡¯t you establish some kind of standard? they would only be able to move in the direction you want if you give them a clear guideline.¡± everything eval said was right. then, after discussing what these guidelines would be, chi-woo asked just to be certain. ¡°is there anything else? like a problem that i don¡¯t know of?¡± ¡°rather than a problem¡­¡± eval tilted his head and continued, ¡°i heard that the first team has difficulty increasing their numbers. ru hiana told me.¡± ¡°what? do they perhaps still only have two people?¡± ¡°certainly not, sir. they decided on an archer while you were gone¡ªa hero named dulia. i was informed that you knew her.¡± dulia was a hero chi-woo had some acquaintance with. when shalyh was still a ruined city, they worked on the same team, and she acted as a guide for the expedition to rescue yunael. though she had quite a temper, chi-woo remembered that she still did everything that she needed to do well. he also recalled her having a bad relationship with yunael, but perhaps that didn¡¯t matter since they would be on different teams. ¡°dulia. that¡¯s not bad. so what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°they are having a hard time finding a priest. since the first team¡¯s captain is so outstanding, they don¡¯t really need a mage, but a priest is a different topic.¡± a team¡¯s attacking range and firepower could benefit from the addition of a mage, but the existence of a priest was like a lifeline. nevertheless, since heroes usually took roles where they stood at the frontlines of battle, it was nearly impossible to find a professional priest-type hero. even among the twelfth reinforcements that broke the record in number of newcomers, there was only one priest, el lache teresa. ¡®should i look for a priest on my end as well?¡¯ chi-woo wondered. usually, it wasn¡¯t his role to meddle with team recruitment, but it was different this time. the fact that eval was even bringing up this issue meant that ru amuh needed help. since it was a matter concerning ru amuh of all people, chi-woo couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to it. he thought he should go search for a priest and give ru amuh his own suggestions at the least. ¡°i will look into that matter too,¡± chi-woo said. ¡°yes, i understand.¡± eval bowed politely at chi-woo. *** a couple of days later, what had only been rumors were soon confirmed to be true. shersha, astarte, purupuru, and apoline from the afrilith family officially joined seven stars. a welcoming party was held to celebrate the joining of these new members, and chi-woo introduced the new members to everyone before mentioning apoline separately again. ¡°apoline yelodi afrilith will take charge of the fifth team temporarily,¡± he announced. as eval told him, no commotion arose. no one even asked questions and seemed to accept this announcement like they had anticipated it. ¡°but this is unexpected.¡± ¡°what is?¡± in the middle of stuffing herself with food, yeriel turned back to emmanuel and asked. ¡°i¡¯m talking about apoline.¡± emmanuel continued while tilting his glass. ¡°i thought she would never lower her pride even if the world turned over.¡± ¡°really? i thought she would come eventually. she changes her attitude based on who she¡¯s dealing with.¡± ¡°what do you mean exactly?¡± ¡°she acts strong to the strong, but weak to the weak.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t think teacher is weak at all.¡± ¡°did you not understand what i said? i¡¯m talking about the attitude, stupid,¡± yeriel said in a scolding tone, but she also shared the strange feeling that emmanuel got. three of the celestial lights who came to liber under a special summon had now joined chi-woo. no one had the slightest inkling that they would be working in unison like this when they first came to this planet. what would¡¯ve happened if their leader was chi-hyun instead of chi-woo? ¡®the group will never look like this. not that he¡¯ll accept us from the beginning.¡¯ of course, no one could swear anything with absolute certainty, but it seemed most likely that they would have been working separately if it hadn¡¯t been for chi-woo. it was then yeriel thought she was perhaps part of a historical moment that might never come again. after the celebration ended, chi-woo had a separate meeting with apoline. ¡°you can speak to me freely, sir.¡± ¡°ah, if you say so.¡± ¡°of course, i am also a member of seven stars. and i know how to separate personal and professional life.¡± apoline¡¯s attitude and tone were strangely subservient. it wasn¡¯t like her, but what she said was true. ¡°yes, thank you for bringing that up first. also, although i said the fifth team would be temporary, it¡¯s basically decided that you will take charge of it, so please do your best. i trust you.¡± apoline was the one his countless other selves had all said without exception that had to be made a star. they said that if there was a limit to how many times they could use the power to rule the world, they would have chosen apoline as the third star. of course, as someone who put great importance on his personal experience and thoughts rather than what other people told him, chi-woo planned to make the decision after observing apoline a bit more. but he knew there must be a reason why so many people had complimented her. unless there was something serious that disqualified her for the position, he planned to make her one of his stars. after the meeting, apoline got out of chi-woo¡¯s office. perhaps it was because of the alcohol; her face was all red. ¡®he said he believed in me¡­¡¯ she thought she had laid down everything, but something began to stir up inside her. what was it? what was this indescribable feeling of satisfaction? apoline recalled the conversation she just had with chi-woo. after joining seven stars, she understood better why emmanuel and yeriel would follow chi-woo. though chi-woo was a hero more special than any other, he didn¡¯t have the attitude of one. one would think someone hailed from such privilege and background would look down on those around him, but he always got down to other people¡¯s eye level when talking to them. and considering how outstanding his personal skills and strengths were, it was no wonder that so many great people would gather to follow him. he had everything¡ªmorality, military arts, and wisdom. women often fell for the men they respected, and chi-woo was definitely a hero who she had a lot to learn from. now that she had joined seven stars, apoline thought she should learn properly from chi-woo. of course, she wouldn¡¯t only learn. in a way, she had been chosen and thereby been acknowledged for her skills. thus, she couldn¡¯t let chi-woo spoon-feed her everything. ¡®i already received so much.¡¯ she thought she couldn¡¯t expect more than this. it was time for her to return the favor now. apoline resolved herself and changed directions instead of returning to her place. she arrived at another room and was about to knock on the door when it suddenly burst open. a female demon with glasses came out awkwardly and bowed when she saw apoline. ¡°oh, h-hello! and welcome!¡± it was as if she had been waiting for apoline, and she moved aside to let apoline in. apoline was a bit taken aback. though she had been eyeing purupuru during the welcome celebration, she hadn¡¯t said anything to her. flustered, she entered the room and saw a small gathering. great demons who had just joined seven stars were enjoying themselves separately at another celebration party. among them, a gray-haired girl looked intently in her direction. ¡°we were just talking about you¡­okay, good,¡± shersha said as soon as they met eyes. ¡°we¡¯ll be your team members. all of us. it¡¯s not bad if it¡¯s you.¡± though she was shocked, apoline soon realized what was happening. shersha was the demon empire¡¯s saintess and treasure, and it seemed that she lived up to her name. ¡°i like how fast the conversation is going.¡± apoline smirked and stomped toward them before slumping down on one of the chairs. ¡°can i join you all?¡± ¡°of course. we¡¯ll be together all the time from now on,¡± astarte said while pouring her a drink. ¡°come to think of it, what are each of your classes?¡± ¡°you must know shersha¡¯s, and i am basically an assassin. purupuru is a warrior.¡± ¡°what? a warrior?¡± ¡°ehehehe¡­.¡± ¡°don¡¯t underestimate her. even though she doesn¡¯t look like it, she possesses considerable strength.¡± the four women passionately discussed and exchanged their opinions, but the conversation couldn¡¯t go on for long because apoline was quite weak to alcohol. ¡°ah¡­shersha¡­.shershaaaaa¡­you can see the future riiiiight¡­.?¡± drunk witless, apoline clung to shersha. ¡°theeen¡­can you see my future¡­.? you know, like my luck in marriage¡­or love¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± shersha sighed. according to her prophecy, everything would go well for apoline except for one thing. and this was it. CH 454 the most important work chi-woo had in mind was almost over. he had recruited only the best players, but he didn¡¯t intend to do anything with them right away, since they also needed time to adapt and assess their new environment. thus, chi-woo also intended to take a breather. however, he changed his mind as there was one thing left on his list of things to do as soon as he came back. he had given separate orders to eval sevaru to find out about it, but there was no news yet. the fact that he still hadn¡¯t heard from eval sevaru, a person unrivaled for his efficiency, meant that he was met with serious difficulty, and his progress had been hampered. chi-woo didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. then finally, eval sevaru visited his office, and as expected, it wasn¡¯t good news. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, boss. i couldn¡¯t find them.¡± ¡°¡­is that so?¡± ¡°yes, i searched like crazy with only the name you¡¯ve given me, but¡­¡± eval sevaru bowed deeply in apology. although eval sevaru wasn¡¯t to be blamed, chi-woo couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment. ¡®they told me to look for them at all costs.¡¯ it was one of the valuable pieces of information he had heard in future yoo-joo¡¯s space. although yoo-joo, who had lived a perfect life so far, considered chi-woo her rival and had an inferiority complex towards him, she sincerely participated in their sessions of information sharing; and perfect yoo-joo of all people said that the word lucky coincidence or miracles didn¡¯t even begin to describe this ¡®existence¡¯. of course, since they were in different worldlines, he thought this person might have already died, but¡­he couldn¡¯t just give up without doing anything. ¡®no, not yet.¡¯ that person could still be alive and might just be somewhere other than shalyh. however, even if that was the case, that was a problem in itself. how was chi-woo going to find this person in this massive world that was liber? even with the power of seven stars, it would be extremely strenuous. ¡°i should borrow apertum¡¯s power.¡± after much consideration, chi-woo decided to borrow the power of a proper organization with collective intelligence. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter how much it costs. post a notice that i¡¯m willing to buy information about this matter, no matter how trivial.¡± then chi-woo found and handed over the black card he had received from zelit. although there might have been doubts about why chi-woo was going so far to find one person, eval sevaru took the card without hesitation. how could a mere crow understand the intentions of a roc that flew across the boundless sky? in the eyes of eval sevaru, chi-woo was already a giant looking down from a higher place than anyone else. * * * eval sevaru immediately issued a notice that very day. while waiting for news from apertum, chi-woo decided to take care of the remaining work he had. all that was left to do was take care of the original members of seven stars. [you can¡¯t neglect the existing members just because you got new members.] one chi-woo had advised him. [not everyone is like ru amuh.] [they are people in the end, and they are people who gathered solely because of their trust in me, in us.] [they disagree, fight, become disappointed, and then eventually leave¡­ it¡¯s really hard. managing people¡­] although it wasn''t life-changing information, it was something that a lot of chi-woos and yoo-joos could empathize with. for the time being, since he had no choice but to pay more attention to the new members, chi-woo had to give the original members something they could focus separately on. after some preparation, chi-woo stormed into the official residence. ¡°again, you¡­!¡± chi-hyun was about to voice his irritation when he saw chi-woo storm into his office without knocking once again, but¡ª ¡°...did something urgent happen? still, it would have been nice if you had contacted me in advance.¡± chi-hyun¡¯s attitude softened as soon as he saw the seven-tier lunch box his brother had brought with him. offering the meal made with great care as a bribe, chi-woo told chi-hyun that ru amuh, who was basically like his hand and foot, was having a hard time finding a priest, so would his brother be so kind as to do him the favor? ¡°a priest.¡± chi-hyun twirled his quill pen and stared at chi-woo. then he said, ¡°noel.¡± standing still, noel blinked in confusion. then she was startled by his following words, ¡°from now on, work as a part-time member of seven stars.¡± ¡°what? sir, whaaaat?¡± a part-time member. chi-hyun was basically telling her to go and help seven stars¡¯ first team whenever they needed help. chi-woo¡¯s mind also blanked out for a moment. ¡°uh¡­really? is that okay?¡± frankly, it was true that he had come here with noel in mind. if it didn¡¯t work out, he planned to ask if he could borrow her for a bit. but chi-hyun was more magnanimous than he seemed. ¡°your eyes are clear, your words are unadorned, and your actions are not hesitant. those are at least proof that you aren¡¯t making a thoughtless request.¡± chi-hyun continued while ignoring noel, who was gaping in shock. ¡°well, it doesn¡¯t matter. i was planning to give her to you anyway.¡± noel freya was a hero whose ability was proven by the fact that chi-hyun had kept her by his side. chi-woo was deeply grateful that such a hero would become an external ally of seven stars. had it been before, chi-woo would¡¯ve also considered noel¡¯s opinion, but he no longer did this. he had enough worries of his own, so he needed to know when to take as much as he could. moved by chi-hyun¡¯s offer, chi-woo placed the final nail in the coffin by saying, ¡°ms. noel, i sincerely look forward to cooperating with you in the future, and i¡¯ll see you soon.¡± noel seemed to have a lot to say, but chi-woo quickly ran away. chi-hyun would take care of the rest, and all he needed to do was reap the benefits. after returning to seven stars, chi-woo immediately called the first, second, and fourth team leaders. then he told them the location of a secret dungeon he had heard of in the space created by future yoo-joo to each of the teams. he hoped that they would do some team activities, earn merits, and obtain good equipment. dungeons were called the highlights of adventure, but it was basically nonexistent on liber. in other words, it was not a place they could find and go just because they wanted to. thus, it was shocking that chi-woo suddenly knew the location of a dungeon. ¡°ru amuh, don¡¯t worry too much,¡± chi-woo said. he hadn¡¯t missed the worried expression on ru amuh¡¯s face. ¡°i¡¯ve recruited a priest for you. you know noel freya, right?¡± ¡°sir? ms. noel freya is¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m just saying that if there¡¯s no one else you have in mind, you can get her help. i¡¯ve already asked my brother.¡± he had recruited a priest for ru amuh¡¯s team; chi-woo¡¯s role ended here. it was up to ru amuh whether he wanted to accept chi-woo¡¯s help or not. of course, there was no reason for him to not accept it. soon after, the team leaders walked out of the office in a daze. ¡°well, it¡¯s nice that he¡¯s taking care of us and giving us a bit of preferential treatment as team leaders,¡± yunael said in a slightly smug tone. ¡°yes, i was surprised. i¡¯ve heard from sir eval sevaru, but i didn¡¯t expect him to have already recruited a priest¡­¡± ¡°what¡¯s there to be surprised about now? he¡¯s someone who does extraordinary things as often as eating a meal. this is at least within the realm of common sense.¡± ru amuh agreed with her point, but he still looked down at the paper in his hand with a puzzled expression. ¡°it¡¯s the same with the dungeon location. although he¡¯s been away for half a year, how did he know¡­?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t let that slip, first team leader,¡± emmanuel interrupted the conversation between the two. ¡°are you doubting teacher?¡± ¡°you should know i didn¡¯t mean it like that, second team leader.¡± ru amuh frowned and clearly showed his irritation. ¡°second team leader, aren¡¯t you the one doubting my loyalty?¡± emmanuel said there was no need to say more and tempted ru amuh into finishing the conversation with their swords. this was normal for emmanuel, but yunael shook her head when she saw ru amuh quickly falling for the provocations. ¡°seriously, men.¡± * * * it had been a long time since they''d gotten such a noteworthy mission, and it was also a task that chi-woo had brought them himself, so the team leaders eagerly jumped into action. they left for an expedition at once as if they were competing with each other, and the once bustling seven stars soon became quiet. ¡®come to think of it, i also need to take care of the main team.¡¯ evelyn, hawa, and eshnunna. they rejected the first team, which was basically guaranteed success. since chi-woo had been away for a long time recently, he hadn¡¯t been able to take care of them. he needed to take them out to get some fresh air to feel rewarded for their efforts, but¡­ ¡®i still have one task left for now¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­when do i train?¡¯ his hands had been full and didn''t have the time. fuck, this was why old man mangil and murumuru had pushed him so hard to take charge, so that they could relax and reap the benefits. chi-woo suddenly felt his brother¡¯s greatness and let out a soundless scream. by then, the long-awaited news arrived. apertum¡¯s power was truly astounding. knowing that the request came from chi-woo, zelit had mobilized all the power of the tower and run around in all directions; in the end, he succeeded in finding a clue for chi-woo. although chi-woo had had high hopes, he was a little taken aback when he saw a little child brought to him. he smiled and guided the nervous child inside. after getting some snacks and tea, the child seemed to relax a bit. chi-woo immediately got to the main point. ¡°so, i heard that you know the whereabouts of the person i¡¯m looking for.¡± ¡°yes, but¡­how do you know her?¡± ¡°well, one way or another.¡± when chi-woo glossed over it without properly answering, the boy looked at him suspiciously, but continued without further questioning, ¡°i was a slave.¡± the story went like this: before he came to shalyh, the boy had been living in servitude. unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t in a place ruled by great demons on shersha¡¯s side, so his life had been unimaginably miserable. ¡°while i was living day by day because i couldn¡¯t die¡­it was a coincidence that i met her. because i was a slave, and she was a resident.¡± ¡°wait, she was a demon empire resident?¡± ¡°yes, but she was in a much worse situation than us. since we¡¯re slaves, we¡¯re at least treated like commodities and receive basic care, but she was treated like a street dog.¡± ¡°why? you said she was a resident.¡± ¡°it¡¯s because she was a half-demon.¡± ¡°ah.¡± half-human, half-demons were an unfortunate race abandoned by both humanity and the demon empire. after humanity collapsed and the situation reached this point, their treatment within the league got better than before, but those in the demon empire seemed to be leading the same life. anyway, although their circumstances were different, the boy and the girl quickly got close because of shared misery. ¡°since she was so quiet, we didn¡¯t talk much, but¡­i think we were close because she sometimes secretly brought me food and helped me with my slave duties.¡± ¡°yeah, and then?¡± ¡°then¡­¡± sadness suddenly shone in the boy¡¯s eyes as he was talking. the sudden invasion of the sernitas had been the cause of their separation. the demon empire, which had already been in complete disarray, fell into chaos. however, this was an opportunity for slaves like the boy, since a significant amount of control on them was lost. the captured league members and humanity fled at night after much deliberation, and the boy¡¯s friend had been among them. originally, he should have never revealed their escape plan, but he trusted his friend and secretly revealed it to her. fortunately, his friend didn¡¯t betray him, and their escape wasn¡¯t found out, so they were able to escape the estate. like this, they thought they had succeeded¡ªuntil they met a group of enemies near the border. ¡°enemies?¡± ¡°yes, they said they were the abyss.¡± the boy bit his lower lip. ¡°i don¡¯t know how they learned about our escape and waited for us there, but¡­¡± ¡°you and the others encountered the abyss there, and they didn¡¯t let you go peacefully.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± the boy barely managed to nod. ¡°then, did your friend¡­meet her end there?¡± ¡°no, she¡¯s probably not dead.¡± ¡°why do you think that?¡± ¡°they told us that if we obediently follow them, they won¡¯t kill us.¡± read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at "pawread dot com" ¡°then at that time¡­¡± ¡°yes, when everyone gave up, lady astarte¡¯s legion appeared and opened the way, occupying the enemies¡¯ attention for us. thanks to them, i was fortunately able to escape, but my friend¡­¡± the boy stopped talking and closed his mouth, as if he found it difficult to go further. it must have been hard for him to even survive in the midst of that chaos, and he still felt guilty for not grabbing his friend¡¯s hand at that time. chi-woo said, ¡°then you don¡¯t know what happened to your friend after that.¡± ¡°yes, but i don''t think she''s dead yet. if what they said was true.¡± rather than that being the truth, it sounded like he really wanted it to be true. the boy¡¯s story ended there. it was a common one shared by many here, but it was very valuable information in this case ¡°yeah, thank you. it must have been hard for you to tell me this, but you did a great job.¡± chi-woo gave him the promised rewards, and the boy bowed in gratitude. after sending the boy back, chi-woo went to find evelyn. there was no better person to go to for information about the abyss. ¡°if it¡¯s that direction¡­i think you¡¯re talking about balim?¡± as expected, evelyn gave an answer as soon as she heard chi-woo¡¯s explanation. ¡°balim?¡± ¡°yeah, two monarchs three six¡ªah, should i say seven chasms now? anyway, balim is a chasm on the king¡¯s side, and she¡¯s shrouded in mystery.¡± evelyn continued to explain that even in the two monarchs three six alliance period, balim had barely made an appearance. ¡°if that child was captured in her territory¡­she might not be dead. one of the queen¡¯s spies saw the abyss king go to her base a few times. the spy said it seemed like balim was conducting an experiment in secret¡­¡± then what the boy said made sense. what if that child had been caught for some kind of experiment? although the demon empire¡¯s treatment of their slaves was exceptionally severe, the sernitas and abyss didn¡¯t treat their slaves well either. ¡°however, i can¡¯t guarantee what condition the child will be in even if she¡¯s alive.¡± the problem was as evelyn said. anyway, a lot of time had passed since then, and even if she was not dead, there would still be a problem. chi-woo didn¡¯t even want to imagine¡­what her condition would be like. evelyn noticed chi-woo¡¯s concern and added, ¡°but if you still want to go¡­i have to go with you this time.¡± chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened. it was the first time evelyn had expressed this much willingness. however, upon reflection, he could guess why; it was a matter related to the abyss after all. ¡®if an all-out war breaks out, we can¡¯t do it alone, but if it¡¯s just one opponent¡­¡¯ chi-woo punched the calculators in his head and soon made a decision. ¡°it¡¯s going to be hard with just the main team, right?¡± ¡°probably. it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t trust you, but we¡¯ll be heading to the enemy''s camp. we don¡¯t know what the situation will be like.¡± ¡°i see, i understand now. thank you.¡± chi-woo turned around without giving a definite answer. although the abyss was an enemy they needed to fight anyway, everyone was trying to take a breather in the aftermath of the great war. however, there was a reason to fight now; there was what perfect yoo-joo had said, but it was also to fulfill evelyn¡¯s sincere wish. in the past, he would have been nervous before he even started, worried that this event would escalate into an all-out war, but that was not the case anymore. ¡°eval sevaru.¡± ¡°yes, boss.¡± ¡°call the main team and temporary fifth team.¡± at chi-woo¡¯s words, eval sevaru¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°and.¡± the moment eval sevaru thought, ¡®he¡¯s trying to do something again,¡¯ chi-woo added, ¡°let¡¯s create a temporary sixth team as well.¡± ¡°by sixth team¡­have you decided on the temporary team leader?¡± quick-witted as ever, eval sevaru immediately caught chi-woo¡¯s intention. chi-woo grinned, ¡°i¡¯m going to think about that after i come back.¡± like this, seven stars was finally on the way to completion. CH 455 there was no need for them to drag things on for too long. as soon as they finished their preparations, seven stars departed from shalyh. their purpose was to rescue their target if she was alive and defeat balim while they were at it. perhaps some would think their main and side goal had been flipped, but chi-woo was confident in his decision. after all, this goal concerned an individual who perfect yoo-joo declared as one of the most important driving forces that allowed her to achieve success. of course, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that he would benefit the same way as perfect yoo-joo had since they were from different worldlines, but he wanted to confirm the truth at least once. ¡°hahaha. i¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s all right for me to be part of this expedition,¡± umaru said. he was riding in the same carriage as chi-woo and kept grinning like he was happy about something. chi-woo looked at umaru for an explanation, and umaru smiled mischievously and glanced sideways. was he talking about their team members? chi-woo tilted his head. there were evelyn, eshnunna, hawa, apoline, shersha, astarte, purupuru, teresa, eun-hyang, asha, and wallie. chi-woo went over the list and soon realized why umaru looked so pervy. unlike what his rough appearance suggested, it seemed that the man¡¯s head was full of far-fetched dreams and imaginations. chi-woo snorted wryly. *** though they hadn¡¯t arrived at their destination yet, the expedition members had to get out of their carriage. it had been long since they passed the border, and not knowing what dangers awaited them if they ventured further, their driver was hesitant to continue. though this area had become unclaimed land with the fall of the demon empire, there was still no safe place for them on liber except for the cassiubia league¡¯s mountain range and shalyh. since they had already discussed this matter before starting on this journey, chi-woo and the others calmly got off their vehicle and began their march. perhaps it was because this land was where the demon empire once enjoyed its glory, shersha¡¯s face fell a bit. astarte also kept her mouth sealed, while purupuru became noticeably down. in an attempt to brighten the dreary mood, evelyn said, ¡°the abyss is also a place where communities live in the end.¡± it seemed that teresa wanted to break the stifle silence too and immediately responded. ¡°huh? humans live in abyss? no way.¡± ¡°not humans, but communities. it''s your prejudice that you immediately think of humans. i think anyone who can use language, tools, and make up a society can be called a community.¡± ¡°aha, in that sense. the abyss is also a place where communities live.¡± ¡°see? and places where communities live are all similar. there are the rulers and those who are ruled by them¡ªjust like the food chain.¡± in a pyramid of strengths, the abyss king stood at the very top, and then came the seven chasms who carried out his will. hearing this explanation, teresa tilted her head confusedly once more. ¡°huh? chasms? as in fissures on the ground?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°like deep holes below?¡± ¡°that¡¯s the dictionary definition of their titles, but you can think of it in a metaphorical sense. they are all existences almost impossible to escape from once you fall for their traps.¡± teresa still looked confused, and evelyn poked her cheek with her index finger and said, ¡°for example, there are countless people around me who can¡¯t free themselves. they fall for my beauty and charm, right? that¡¯s what it means.¡± evelyn wasn¡¯t speaking in a joking tone. she looked serious like she was telling the truth as it was, and surprisingly, no one laughed or took her words as jest. it was because it was the truth. teresa even clung closer to evelyn saying, ¡°that¡¯s true! you are so pretty, unnie!¡± ¡°i see. then how should we understand this enemy named balim?¡± eun-hyang asked from behind. ¡°she¡¯s the chasm of despair.¡± while patting teresa¡¯s head, evelyn said that it was a good question. ¡°those who fall under her control drop into a chasm of despair whether they like it or not. her victims struggle against her powers and in the end, give up and lose all hope.¡± ¡°how interesting,¡± eun-hyang said, sounding slightly intrigued. she was excited that she was finally facing a proper enemy after coming to liber. not long afterward, they had to stop their march. hawa spotted a suspicious trace. *** based on a faint trace from a couple of months ago, hawa was able to deduce dozens of pieces of information as if the incident had happened only yesterday. thus, they were able to correct their course, and the seven stars members made camp very late in the night. since they were in enemy territory, and night duty was of utmost necessity, they got in pairs of two and vigilantly kept watch. fortunately, nothing happened that night. but at the break of dawn, shersha¡¯s eyes suddenly burst open. then she hastily sat up and crawled out of her tent as fast as she could. it looked as if she was running away in panic. ¡°¡­hm?¡± eun-hyang, who was sensitive to changes in her surroundings, opened her eyes. she saw shersha quickly crawl across the ground like a dog and looked curiously. she wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed shersha¡¯s strange action. ¡°purupuru! get up! purupuru!¡± ¡°ung¡­.¡± ¡°shersha just went outside!¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± ¡°quickly!¡± when you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3ibfjkv. eun-hyang blinked hard seeing astarte and purupuru rush out of the tent to follow shersha. evelyn, hawa, and eshnunna had all been on night duty together since they were the last shift, and they were stunned to see the three great demons run out of their tents with messy hair flying behind them. ¡°what is it? what happened? did you all have a nightmare or something?¡± evelyn tried to calm them down with a soothing voice. ¡°no, that¡¯s not it¡ª¡± astarte was about to say something when suddenly, an explosion rang from inside the tent. boom! it sounded as if a rock had struck someone¡¯s head strongly. surprised, hawa hurriedly pushed away the curtain and looked inside the tent the noise was coming from. ¡°¡­.?¡± they definitely just heard the noise, but it was completely peaceful inside¡­.except for the air. hawa saw everyone¡¯s faces darken, and her expression also turned sour. a very pungent smell assaulted their senses. teresa, who had been sleeping peacefully, began to shift, and her eyes began to slowly twitch. ¡°ah¡­shit¡­.¡± she opened her eyes, unable to hold back from cursing. ¡°why are you cursing?¡± eun-hyang, who was half-awake already, asked. ¡°ah, it¡¯s because i smell something nasty while i¡¯m trying to sleep!¡± ¡°it¡¯s the same for me,¡± eun-hyang instantly replied. soon, the two heaving ladies looked toward umaru, who was sleeping with his back turned. they looked intently at him before teresa kicked umaru¡¯s butt hard while cursing, ¡°ah, damn it!¡± umaru didn¡¯t even budge. ¡°why don¡¯t you hit him harder? much harder,¡± eun-hyang suggested, and teresa, who was already angry, put more strength to her legs. but as soon as she kicked him again, umaru aggressively farted repeatedly, blarp, blarp, blarp, like his butt had a mind of its own and was getting angry. ¡°what¡ª!¡± ¡°this crazy bastard?!¡± soon, eun-hyang also joined teresa in the act, and umaru¡¯s air pollution stopped only after a thorough beating. because they had beaten him with great anger and stirred up quite a commotion, everyone woke up earlier than scheduled. ¡°blergh¡ª¡± while hawa puked from an upset stomach, apoline yelled at the three great demons outside. ¡°how could you three escape by yourselves! aren¡¯t i on the same team as you?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i have no excuses to make.¡± ¡°i¡¯m the team leader! if you guys act like this in a time of crisis, how can i believe you next time?¡± ¡°our actions were more habitual than intentional, honed from repeated experiences and spending a long time with shersha. we knew shersha must have a reason for suddenly fleeing. anyways, we will be more careful next time.¡± meanwhile, umaru pleaded for his life while kneeling on the ground with eun-hyang¡¯s sharp blue sword at his throat. ¡°hey, hear me out. there¡¯s a reason i farted.¡± ¡°do you really need a reason, sir? there¡¯s no need to explain yourself. it¡¯s a natural physiological phenomenon for a living person,¡± eun-hyang replied. ¡°then what¡¯s with the sword?¡± ¡°but there¡¯s a limit to everything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± thus, umaru explained how he had a terrible nightmare while he was sleeping. ¡°it was so, so scary. so scary that i even peed or pooped without meaning to.¡± ¡°what kind of nonsense¡­ ah, wait. did you perhaps¡­¡± teresa glared at umaru irritably when a change of expression came over her face. umaru smiled awkwardly and scratched his head. ¡°even i can¡¯t help but feel uncomfortable. can i go take care of myself a bit?¡± eun-hyang and teresa stepped backward in great panic. following them from behind, eshnunna also looked like she was experiencing great culture shock. ¡°that is a¡­hero¡­?¡± the nightmare of the fifth recruits came to her mind again, and she blankly murmured. after the situation settled somewhat, evelyn said, ¡°it must be the same for umaru.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± teresa asked with teary eyes, having also puked beside hawa. ¡°majority of us had nightmares tonight.¡± ¡°really? i slept very well though,¡± teresa said, but that wasn¡¯t the case for eun-hyang. ¡°i see. it¡¯s true i also had a nightmare. when i heard what umaru said, i thought it was a mere coincidence¡­¡± ¡°is there anyone else who had nightmares? if there are, can you raise your hands?¡± the majority of the fourteen people raised their hands. the ones who didn¡¯t raise their hands were chi-woo, teresa, evelyn, asha, and wallie. evelyn¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®anyone who possesses holy energy in whatever forms didn¡¯t have nightmares.¡¯ the implications were clear. evelyn sighed and said, ¡°it seems balim has found out about us.¡± with this, their plan to ambush balim was over. perhaps they should¡¯ve expected it when they were trespassing into her territory. ¡°what does this mean? why would she make us have nightmares¡­¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it to gradually drag us into despair? perhaps she is trying to exhaust our minds and bodies by continuously giving us nightmares,¡± eun-hyang shared her theory. but evelyn didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°who knows? i¡¯m not too sure. perhaps it¡¯s a warning¡­¡± it was then shersha finally spoke. ¡°too hasty. it will be all right. for us to continue going this way.¡± everyone turned towards her. of course, no one really understood what shersha meant. it was the same for chi-woo, but he didn¡¯t try to dive into it. it was because the moment shersha tried to exactly explain what she meant, heavenly punishment would fall on her. thus, he said, ¡°anyways, we¡¯ll only know once we get there. let¡¯s pack up and go.¡± *** they recommenced their march at noon. on their way, they could clearly feel that they were gradually getting close to the center of balim¡¯s territory. though the sky was clear, their surroundings were dark. gloomy air whirled around everywhere, and a mysterious, unpleasant, and sticky feeling seemed to cling to their entire body and weigh them down. exactly two days after they sensed the changes, the expedition team identified what they presumed to be their destination. it was a facility built around a huge pit that they couldn¡¯t see the end of; it looked like a secret base of sorts. what was more surprising was the materials used to construct the base¡ªnot bricks or limestones, but humans. the humans weren¡¯t even dead, and the arms and legs that peeked out from places wiggled. it looked like a twisted exhibition of tangled living humans. all the heroes were furious at the sight. ¡°i can now understand why balim is called the chasm of despair,¡± eun-hyang murmured calmy after looking quite stunned. ¡°it¡¯s a place where a sound mind can¡¯t help but despair.¡± teresa seemed to have a weak stomach as she vomited again. but it was understandable because there was an indescribable metallic and putrid stench all around them. ¡®it¡¯s strange,¡¯ chi-woo thought while staring at the grotesque sight before him. this place was a secret dungeon that his other self from another world had told him about. that chi-woo had said that the dungeon was difficult to conquer, but not for someone like him. however, he didn¡¯t hear that there would be structures made out of humans near the chasm. of course, changes like this could be well accounted for since they lived in different worldlines, and even their timelines were different. nevertheless, chi-woo was hesitant to simply venture in. it was because the person he was looking for happened to be in a location that matched his other self¡¯s description. was this all a mere coincidence? ¡®let me think,¡¯ chi-woo mused. the chi-woo who had told him about this dungeon didn¡¯t even mention balim. he just said it was a dungeon. yet evelyn said that balim had established this place as her resting place long ago, and that there was a high possibility she was conducting secret experiments here. more questions popped into his mind until chi-woo came to a conclusion. ¡®maybe that chi-woo came here in his world when balim had already finished her business and left.¡¯ then, it would make sense that chi-woo would¡¯ve mistaken this place as an ordinary dungeon. yet that wasn¡¯t the case for this world. balim hadn¡¯t finished her experiment and was still here. chi-woo didn¡¯t know the exact reason, but there was a high chance that his actions might have influenced balim¡¯s behavior. or there could be another circumstance that he didn¡¯t know yet. above all, if this speculation was true, it was unfortunate for the chi-woo who had told him about this dungeon, but fortunate for him and his world. because it meant that he still had the chance to stop this ongoing experiment, and they would have another reason to destroy this place instead of just finding someone. CH 456 after organizing his thoughts, chi-woo raised his head. ¡°what are you going to do?¡± apoline asked as if she had been wanting to ask all along; judging by how she was wiggling her hands, she seemed ready to cast a spell and swept away everything in her path. ¡°let¡¯s move closer for now.¡± ¡°move closer¡­?¡± apoline tilted her head and asked, but chi-woo did not repeat himself. since they didn¡¯t know what kind of hidden traps there might be, apoline¡¯s method wasn¡¯t a bad idea, but it was not a feasible plan since he didn¡¯t know if the person he was looking for was among the tetris-like pile of humans. moreover, it didn¡¯t matter if there was a trap. ¡®i can just crush everything in my path.¡¯ chi-woo currently had the power to do so. apoline didn¡¯t say anything else. the leader of this expedition was chi-woo; since she knew this fact better than anyone else, she had no intention of acting outside her authority. * * * the expedition team resumed their march until they stopped again in front of what looked like fences weaved with humans. pained groans came out from all over; it was even more grotesque up close, and no matter how many times they looked at it, it left a bad aftertaste in their mouths. however, it seemed as if a few humans were still conscious as they struggled to stare at the expedition members with bleary eyes. meeting their protruding eyeballs that seemed ready to pop out, chi-woo felt his hope that the person he was looking for might still be alive died somewhat. could he still consider these people alive? the members also seemed befuddled whether to see them as victims to be rescued or monsters to be eliminated. ¡°ugh¡­uh¡­¡± then one of the humans glancing at the expedition members groaned. ¡°uh¡­are you all right¡­?¡± purupuru, who had spoken unwittingly, regretted saying the words as soon as they left her mouth. how could she ask that when these people¡¯s limbs were grotesquely bent and intertwined with each other? ¡°ug¡­ghh¡­gr¡­grrk¡­!¡± judging by the person¡¯s bloodshot eyes and desperate mouth movement, it seemed as if he had something to say, so purupuru cautiously moved her ear closer to him. ¡°uh¡­weh¡­¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°uhwehy¡­laee¡­¡± purupuru couldn¡¯t understand a single word. then she flinched when dozens of pairs of eyes suddenly stared at her, and their gazes were far from amicable. rather, they were full of resentment and hatred, as well as deep despair. purupuru stepped back unconsciously, feeling an indescribable fear. ¡°laeee¡­twe¡­!¡± when purupuru finally understood that he was saying ¡®late¡¯, the bloodshot eyes suddenly turned red, and the human flesh began to swell like balloons as if air was pumped into each cell. ¡°kyahhhhhhhhh!¡± purupuru ended up shrieking from the horrifying sight of foam oozing from the twisted, inflated bundle of flesh. at the same time, she pulled up her skirt and reached under it. bam! she blew up the inflating humans in one shot with a huge hammer. ¡®where did that come from?¡¯ chi-woo wondered at the large hammer in purupuru¡¯s hand, which was almost the size of her body. ¡°s-sorry! i was so surprised¡­uh, what?¡± however, she soon realized there were more pressing matters. it wasn¡¯t just the human fence in front of her. the entire fence surrounding the base and the humans that made up the various structures inside were all swelling up. for some, their heads and limbs elongated, and for others, their bodies were separating. they were all changing into a variety of bizarre and extremely unnatural shapes. there was even a case where the human bodies burst into pieces and mixed together. ¡°abyss monsters¡­!¡± soon after, eshnunna gasped after seeing their final form. the human fences had morphed into abyss monsters, and most of the expedition members had direct experience confronting them during the great war. at that time, the league were the ones that mainly dealt with the abyss monsters, and they had been pushed back helplessly in the beginning and were only able to barely fight back after one of the league¡¯s leading forces, the gigas tribe, arrived at the battlefield. it seemed that these powerful and ferocious monsters had been under balim¡¯s control. the expedition members slowly tilted their heads back to look up at the massive monster. it seemed to have been made by forcibly piling up humans into layers. then the monster raised its foot as if to trample on the expedition members. just before it could step on them¡ª ¡°light!¡± teresa cried out sharply and raised her hand. white barrier wrapped around the expedition members and instantly blocked the monster¡¯s foot. bam¡ª! the aftershocks alone shook the ground under the expedition members¡¯ feet. fortunately, teresa¡¯s shield was not broken. the giant monster applied more pressure and pushed harder, but it stood firm. of course, the abyss monster wasn¡¯t their only enemy. ¡°there¡¯s quite a lot of them.¡± umaru spat on both palms and took out a fairly large ax. ¡°this is great.¡± du eun-hyang readied herself too. ¡°i can finally get a real taste of a world under a galaxy-level crisis.¡± she looked around and put her hand on the handle of the sword on her waist. ¡°ack¡­! fuccck¡­!¡± and teresa was sweating and spitting out a swear word. ¡°stop chit-chatting¡­and do something¡­! damn¡­!¡± hawa, who was about to pull the string of her crossbow, paused because one of the expedition members was missing. and she was moving behind the monster and soaring up fast with bat-like wings on her back. it was astarte. when everyone realized it was her, she was suddenly behind the giant monster¡¯s head. she pierced her dagger right through its head as the blade radiated bright red energy. thuuuuud! the gigantic monster was cut cleanly into two from the top of its head to its groin. teresa exhaled the breath she had been holding, and astarte landed on the ground with ease, barely out of breath. ¡°¡­hm?¡± then she faltered. a myriad of hands suddenly stretched out from the giant monster¡¯s body and frantically grabbed at the surrounding monsters. it dragged the other monsters into its body as if it was swallowing them, and new flesh began to generate from its cut side and clung to the original body. in the blink of an eye, the giant monster was completely restored and furiously kicked at astarte. bam! a fireball came out of nowhere and struck the monster¡¯s face, and the foot hit only air. the monster tilted and tried to regain its balance, but¡ª bam, bam, bam, bam! one after another, the fireballs hit the monster until it eventually lost its balance and fell backward. thud! the earth shook once again. the expedition members took a short breather, but it was not over yet. it was just the beginning. all the parts that made up the fallen monster tried to frantically rise again, and the giant monster wasn¡¯t their only enemy. monsters that had completed their transformation stopped twitching and began glaring at the expedition members, full of murderous intent. it was a truly astounding swarm, and although they didn¡¯t look as powerful as those in the great war, their numbers were several fold greater. ¡°i think balim¡¯s trying to exhaust us as much as possible before we reach the central chasm¡­or she¡¯s trying to buy time.¡± shersha said it was urgent, but she also said it was fine for them to keep going as they had been doing. the situation was urgent, but it was okay for them to go at their pace? these words seemed to contradict each other¡ªbut only if both statements were referring to the expedition members. what if that wasn¡¯t the case? [urgent.] the first word shersha uttered had not been intended for the expedition team. then there was only one person she could be talking about¡ªbalim. balim could have felt threatened after finding out that the expedition members, or to be more exact, chi-woo, had invaded her territory. if that was the case, evelyn¡¯s theory would gain more ground, and it made sense that balim suddenly became urgent and was trying to buy more time. ¡°i think it would be better to divide the team into two.¡± the reasoning for evelyn¡¯s suggestion was simple. take a necromancer as an example, they could summon and control a powerful army of undead soldiers, but if their enemy extinguished their main source of strength, the necromancer couldn¡¯t do much else. thus, evelyn was suggesting that while one team held out against the monsters, the other team should infiltrate the chasm and quickly end the situation by killing balim. while ambush was involved in this plan, it was the most standard method for dealing with the situation. moreover, there was a reason why evelyn brought this up. she was asking chi-woo to leave the role of infiltrating into the chasm and dealing with balim to her, since their opponent belonged to a faction that she had been part of for a long time. chi-woo didn¡¯t think it was a bad idea and glanced at evelyn. ¡°yes, but take some of the others with you just in case.¡± then he shifted his gaze and said, ¡°eshnunna, hawa, du eun-hyang, umaru, teresa.¡± the five answered chi-woo¡¯s call. they knew what he was going to say even before he gave an order; it was probably to safely escort evelyn to the pit. ¡°ha, this is quite flashy from the start.¡± umaru chuckled and tightly clutched his ax. ¡°sir, i¡¯m beyond honored to be tasked with such an important responsibility. i¡¯ll do everything in my power to live up to your expectations.¡± du eun-hyang bowed politely and sidled up to evelyn. teresa didn¡¯t say anything. she chanted spells loudly as if she wanted a specific someone to hear and cautiously assessed her surroundings. she was trying to earn some points by showing, ¡®look at me! unlike these two who are joking around, i¡¯m showing a serious attitude!¡¯ when the first team centered around evelyn was about to rush towards the pit, evelyn heard chi-woo¡¯s voice coming from behind their back. explore the extended edition on pawread dot com. ¡°don¡¯t overdo it.¡± evelyn paused and turned around. ¡°¡­ha.¡± after giving him a mysterious smile, she turned back. like this, the expedition was divided into two, leaving five members outside. apoline, astarte, purupuru, shersha, and chi-woo. there were also asha and wallie, but they were excluded for now. in addition, shersha specialized in prophecy and didn¡¯t have any ability to fight, so she should be regarded as a non-combatant. ¡°i thought you would leave at least one or two more people.¡± astarte groaned when the expedition team¡¯s power dropped sharply. of course, she didn¡¯t really mean it because chi-woo had stayed behind. however, contrary to her expectations, chi-woo didn¡¯t seem intent on getting involved. he stood next to shersha with his arms folded and didn¡¯t move at all. he¡¯d been acting like that even when the giant monster appeared. astarte thought that he would step forward if he had to, but apoline had a different idea. the important mission was left to evelyn and the temporary sixth team with the new members, but chi-woo remained here. this meant only one thing. ¡°no,¡± apoline said. she could guess chi-woo¡¯s intention. ¡°it¡¯s better this way.¡± crackkkle! glorious flames rose from both her hands. * * * the expedition team evelyn led began to break into the pit. they heard loud explosions and tremendous blasts, but they didn¡¯t even have time to turn around as monsters were rushing toward them from all directions. ¡°do i need to slow down?¡± evelyn asked while running. teresa glanced at her and cast the spells she had prepared without hesitation. then brilliant light wrapped around all of the members¡¯ bodies and their weapons. umaru jumped out as if he had been holding back the whole time and wielded his axe firmly with both hands. he spun around like a windmill and rushed ahead. ¡°wahahahahhaha!¡± the flesh and blood of the monsters shot in all directions every time they were caught by his swirling axe. it was like watching a great portion of meat being grounded in a blender, and thanks to umaru, the road ahead was clear. however, the enemies weren¡¯t only coming from their front. ¡®that stupid bastard¡­!¡¯ hawa poured out insults at him as she saw monsters chase and rush towards them from left and right as well as from behind. just when she thought their formation was ruined because of that blasted bald-headed warrior¡ª swish! a sharp wind suddenly brushed past hawa¡¯s hair, and that wasn¡¯t the end. accompanied by bright light, gusts of wind erupted everywhere in an instant. and by the time hawa¡¯s flying silver hair settled back down, she saw countless slashes splitting the monsters lunging at them before the monsters fell into pieces. ¡°please don¡¯t worry, milady.¡± clank. du eun-hyang¡¯s voice could be heard along with the sound of a sword being sheathed. ¡°as long as i¡¯m around, these evil fiends will not touch even a hair on milady¡¯s precious head.¡± ¡°oh my, i feel so reassured,¡± evelyn said with a bright smile before coming to an abrupt stop. it wasn¡¯t just her. all the members running towards the pit did the same. there were also a few who almost fell but managed to regain their balance. it was because they suddenly felt the sensation of someone pulling at their ankles from the ground. when they looked down, the monsters that du eun-hyang had cut into pieces were wriggling and swelling anew as they had expected. ¡°¡­proliferation?¡± their numbers were much greater than before, and the speed of their recovery was extraordinary. ¡°it touched me.¡± evelyn shook her foot lightly before beaming again. ¡°milady, i forgot to tell you it¡¯s from now on. please watch me from now on.¡± du eun-hyang likewise shook her foot and eloquently corrected her previous promise. ¡°hmm¡ª¡± evelyn quickly scanned her surroundings. her teammates had removed the wriggling body parts at once, but there were too many of them. there was still a long way for them to reach the pit, since their enemies increased the more they killed them. ¡®balim mixed in pretty annoying characteristics. well, i guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ evelyn had wanted to keep it hidden until she met her, but¡ª''ah, all we have to do is reach the pit, right?¡¯ a sudden thought occurred to evelyn, and she looked back at eshnunna. ¡°my disciple,¡± she said with a stern look. ¡°your master wants to see the skills you have been honing for a while.¡± eshnunna blinked at evelyn. she got what evelyn wanted, but¡­ ¡°why are you talking like that all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°ah, i¡¯m just playing chi-woo.¡± ¡°playing chi-woo?¡± ¡°yeah, something like that.¡± evelyn glanced back and winked. ¡°ms. magician! hurry up and do something! i¡¯ll buy you time to cast a spell!¡± umaru shouted while striking a monster that was about to get up. ¡°no,¡± eshnunna clearly said, ¡°i don¡¯t need it.¡± she had already finished her preparations. since when? since the giant monster first appeared. at that time, she hadn¡¯t been able to step forward because her ice would clash with apoline¡¯s fire. frankly, she was still a bit worried about using her powers now, but this was not a time to be hung up on it. ¡®it probably won¡¯t matter.¡¯ since she heard that apoline was a member of a well-known family in the celestial realm, she probably wouldn¡¯t be affected by an attack of this level. after making up her mind, eshnunna shouted. ¡ªf-r-e-e-z-e¡ª! her words echoed throughout the area, and the blowing wind grew cold. in an instant, the air froze. whooooosh! suddenly, a terrible snowstorm ravaged the area. the temperature dropped sharply in an instant; sub-zero wind took control of their entire surroundings and froze all the monsters that were ready to rush toward them. ¡°¡­whoa.¡± umaru¡¯s jaw dropped. when he touched a frozen monster, it shattered into pieces and crumbled down. however, this phenomenon lasted for only a brief moment. soon, the monsters began to shake slightly. ¡°as expected of the descendant of matryoshka, the glacier empress. even though it¡¯s less than a tenth of her power at her prime, i¡¯m still proud of you, my disciple,¡± evelyn said something that sounded like a backhanded compliment and quickly passed by the frozen demons. eshnunna looked displeased, but she had used so much mana at once that she couldn¡¯t even complain, and she ran behind evelyn while gasping for breath. they were able to reach the pit like this, but ran into trouble again. the pit was too deep, and there were no stairs leading down in their sight. they couldn¡¯t jump in since they didn¡¯t know how far the drop would be. even balim waiting down there would find it ridiculous if they dropped to their death like that. ¡°ms. magician, can you make a path for us to go down with that ice again? i think it¡¯ll be fun to slide down¡­ah, sorry.¡± umaru gave a somewhat reasonable suggestion, but soon corrected himself when eshnunna shot him a murderous glare while still out of breath. judging by her deathly pale face, she needed to restore her mana a bit more. at that moment, a crack appeared in one of the monsters close by. soon, they began to hear noises everywhere, and there were signs of the ice thawing. while everyone was wondering what to do, they suddenly found themselves lifted into the air and brought down the pit. the one responsible for this was none other than evelyn. teresa blinked quickly. this wasn¡¯t a holy spell, but magic? ¡°unnie, you aren¡¯t a priest, but a magician¡­?¡± evelyn replied with only a soft chuckle. soon, with the roaring monsters behind them, they disappeared into the pit as if they were getting sucked in. eshnunna also stared at evelyn¡¯s back with wide eyes. she didn¡¯t know why, but evelyn didn¡¯t feel like the saintess of the white horse general at this moment. instead, it felt like evelyn had returned to the days when she was renowned and exalted as the witch of the abyss. CH 457 while evelyn¡¯s team attempted to enter the chasm, the seven stars members remaining on the surface were fighting nonstop. they had to handle the endless waves of enemies rushing toward them with a total of seven people. among them, only three could actually fight, but the team was holding on better than one would expect. though monstrous beasts were running toward them with no consideration for their lives, they weren¡¯t pushed back and continued to advance forward. they didn¡¯t crumble easily because great demons such as astarte and purupuru were enduring resolutely on the frontlines, but their success could be mostly attributed to apoline¡¯s overwhelming firepower. babababam! every time she gestured with her hands, explosions erupted and burned up a group of beasts without leaving a trace. apoline was the gifted child and product of the afriliths who stubbornly insisted on a pure bloodline. thus, she possessed the innate ability named ¡®blood legacy¡¯, which granted her the optimal body for magic. furthermore, she had acquired her special ability ¡®order of creation¡¯ through tireless efforts since she was young. with the combination of these skills, apoline could pour out mana and powerful magic like a limitless spring. she conjured and controlled dozens of fireballs at once and moved them across the battlefield. ¡°it¡¯s strange.¡± yet after kicking a beast which was writhing in pain while burning, astarte¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°seems like their numbers are increasing.¡± it wasn¡¯t her imagination. though apoline was displaying magic strong enough to rival the firepower of a whole army, their enemy showed no sign of decreasing. instead, they were increasing exponentially as if they were proliferating. ¡°huh?¡± purupuru gasped when she suddenly felt a gust of cold wind. it dropped to negative degrees and hit them with icy air. it was a large-scale magic, strong enough to freeze and immobilize a whole swarm of monsters momentarily. thanks to this magic, they were able to catch their breaths, but they couldn¡¯t celebrate. soon afterward, they heard the sound of ice cracking from the frozen monsters. it seemed it would only be a matter of time before they broke out of the ice and moved again. but the more concerning part was the aftereffects of the magic. evelyn¡¯s team was able to use the recent attack to trespass further inward, but on their side, the ice magic worked against them more than it helped. it was because as long as the ice¡¯s chill remained in the area, the effectiveness of apoline¡¯s fire magic would be limited since fire and ice were on opposite ends of the spectrum. ¡°that fool¡­!¡± astarte gritted her teeth. ¡°it can¡¯t be helped¡­ i¡¯m sure they also have their hands full¡­ still, i wish they would¡¯ve controlled their powers a bit more for our sake¡­¡± purupuru said in a slightly weary voice. they could easily conclude that the other team made their decision knowing they had chi-woo on their side. but chi-woo had been standing beside shersha and not moving an inch as if he was just watching a play. apoline clenched her teeth without a word. ¡®that woman¡¯s mana¡­beat mine?¡¯ fire that had been burning all around died out in a blink of an eye. even though fire was at a disadvantage against ice, this was still unthinkable to her. after all, the mage on the other team wasn¡¯t a celestial realm hero like her, but a liber native. of course, apoline didn¡¯t know that eshnunna was a descendent of the great glacier empress matryoshka, who dominated an entire era, and a disciple of the abyss¡¯ witch, evelyn¡ªbut apoline felt a great blow to her pride about what just happened. she couldn¡¯t accept the fact that eshnunna¡¯s mana had suppressed hers. another hurdle on top of another hurdle, and two unfortunate events overlapped. right after evelyn¡¯s team entered the chasm, the number of monsters increased. they might have an easier time if some of the monsters chased after evelyn¡¯s team and fell into the chasm, but for some reason, most of the monsters didn¡¯t even go near the chasm. after failing to block evelyn¡¯s team and thus losing their targets, the monsters rejoined the rest of the groups and attacked apoline¡¯s team. soon, a different scene from before unfolded. this was the result of apoline¡¯s fire magic losing its effectiveness. the lingering effect of the ice magic acted as an armor and shield for the monsters that they lasted a little longer even when they were struck by fireballs. and since their numbers had increased by severalfold, the battle instantly tipped to the expedition team¡¯s disadvantage. apoline¡¯s chaotic mental state also had a hand in worsening the situation. she wondered what chi-woo would¡¯ve thought seeing a celestial light like her get beaten by a native magician. even though she tried to focus on the battlefield, she had a hard time pushing aside the intrusive thoughts. moreover, apoline was having a hard time keeping track and moving her arms and legs fast enough. realizing the state she was in, apoline gasped. ¡®don¡¯t make me laugh. i was beaten? how preposterous! the afriliths are the best when it comes to mana. i will not lose to anyone.¡¯ after a continuous outpour of attacks, the magic suddenly came to a halt. astarte stopped swinging her sword and glanced behind her. she knew the situation was bad. many disadvantageous conditions were stacked on top of one another, but seeing that the battlefield was tilting to the other side faster than she expected, she guessed that some kind of problem had occurred with apoline. she didn¡¯t know what it was, but she thought apoline should recover her composure first. yes, that was what she needed to do. but astarte saw apoline rise to the air with both her arms crossed and raised above her head. her surroundings were filled with all sorts of geometric shapes and a startling number of magic circles. seeing powerful mana gathered with apoline at the center, astarte flinched. it was too late to react then. ¡°don¡¯t make me¡ª!¡± apoline uncrossed her arms and swung them to the sides. ¡°laugh!!!¡± simultaneously, countless magic circles exploded in their surroundings. red light surged as the circles shot out fire, not just once, but multiple times in a row. babababam! a group of monsters was swept by a ball of fire in an instant, and fearsome burning trails began to form here and there. it looked as if the world was turning into hell after getting hit by a great calamity. filled to the brim with powerful mana, the magic was clearly effective. any remnants of ice on the monsters completely melted away. most of the monsters who had been rushing forward nonstop were burned to a crisp that their forms were hardly recognizable. still, there were a small number of them remaining. the little pieces of charred flesh showed slight movements on the ground. then, they sucked up the pool of water that hadn¡¯t evaporated yet and raised themselves back up while quickly regenerating. they really had an exhaustingly stubborn life force. ¡°haha¡­hahaha¡­.?¡± apoline, who had been laughing with satisfaction thinking she had won, looked surprised. astarte also looked taken aback. if apoline had swept away their enemies with that one blow, they would¡¯ve accomplished a part of their goal, but that wasn¡¯t the case. the monsters¡¯ regenerative abilities surpassed their imaginations. ¡®there was no need for her to go so far,¡¯ astarte thought. the mission of the team remaining on the surface wasn¡¯t to annihilate their enemies; it was to endure until the team that trespassed into the pit defeated balim. though their situation had worsened, it wasn¡¯t to the point that apoline needed to go this far. they would have endured longer if apoline had controlled her mana and used it moderately. yet she had gone all in suddenly. astarte didn¡¯t know the reason exactly, but she could make some guesses. ¡®is it because of that guy?¡¯ chi-woo hadn¡¯t budged since the battle began. he hadn¡¯t even opened his mouth. his intention was clear. in the first place, he had built the expedition team with newly recruited members outside of the main team in order to test the skills of the newcomers. now that things had gotten to this point, however, they needed to borrow his strength. it seemed that chi-woo had come to the same conclusion then, and he loosened his arms. the glove in his hand glowed white. ¡°no!¡± a shrill scream rang. it was apoline. ¡°no¡­it¡¯s fine¡­ i can still go on¡­so please¡­¡± she said pleadingly while her arms and feet trembled. it was as if she was possessed by an unknown sense of fear. soon, she collapsed to the ground. her complexion didn¡¯t look good, and her face was very pale without any color. that was the side effect of using too much mana at once. there wasn¡¯t even a little bit of mana inside her right now. even a limitless pool would run out if she flipped it upside down and poured it out at once. yet apoline still forced herself to get up. she knew chi-woo was strong through experience and witnessing what he did in the great war. she clearly remembered how he had run to the center of the battlefield and beheaded the great demons, disorienting the enemy armies. and he must be much stronger now. he would be able to get rid of most of the monsters and sweep this area clean with only a few flashes of the light in his hand. but¡ª ¡®no.¡¯ he came to her first and chose her. he expected something from her. he, who was under more expectant gazes than anyone else on liber, put his expectations on her. thus, she needed to meet those expectations and prove that she had been the right choice. this was the reason he had been watching without moving. ¡°i still have more¡ª!¡± apoline forced herself up and cast a spell when a clump of bright red blood burst out of her mouth. then, she wavered and rolled to the ground. ¡°no¡­still a bit¡­more¡­¡± ¡°quit it now!¡± after apoline floundered her arms about, astarte shouted frustratedly. she understood why apoline was being so stubborn, but this wasn¡¯t the place or time for it. the burning monsters were getting up again, and their numbers were much greater than before. the ashes left in the aftermath of apoline¡¯s magic had proliferated and created more monsters. ¡°now¡­?¡± astarte was about to shout when she stopped. it was because a small, white hand stopped in her path. ¡°shersa¡­?¡± shersha had approached her without her noticing and was quietly shaking her head. she was telling astarte to not say another word. while astarte couldn¡¯t understand, she did close her mouth. she knew there must be a reason shersha was acting this way, and she soon learned of it. chi-woo walked up to apoline and met eyes with her as she struggled on one knee. then, he said, ¡°it¡¯s unseemly.¡± explore the extended edition on pawread dot com. ¡°¡­ah¡­¡± those were words she didn¡¯t want to hear from him the most. despair overtook her face in an instant. at least until she heard what he said next. ¡°it¡¯s unseemly, but¡­¡± what was a star? a star was an entity that shone on its own like the sun. some would confuse earth with a star, but it wasn¡¯t one. it was simply a planet that received and reflected sunlight. the star chi-woo had in mind was similar yet different from that. it was fine for a star to emit its own light, but it was also fine even if it couldn¡¯t. it simply needed to have the will to shine. that was the most basic condition it must fulfill. in that sense, apoline¡¯s actions left a deep impression on him. there was nothing that eye-catching about her performance except her sheer firepower, but her burning passion had reached him. it was her intense will to prove herself. considering that, her actions weren¡¯t unseemly. even if she couldn¡¯t shine alone or even if she was still far from rising to the night sky and was rolling on the ground instead, it was fine as long as she had the will to shine on her own. ¡°you are still a star.¡± everyone¡¯s eyes shifted to chi-woo. they all seemed to be asking what he was saying suddenly. apoline blinked fast, but chi-woo didn¡¯t say more. there was no need to explain in more detail. he had confirmed her will, and the result of that was basically guaranteed; there was no need for him to hesitate any longer. chi-woo extended his hand to apoline, who was looking at him blankly. ¡°¡­¡± like she was enchanted, apoline reached out as well before clutching chi-woo¡¯s hand like a lifeline. soon afterward, the fire that had been dying out began to burn up again. crackle...! CH 458 one thing chi-woo had learned in future yoo-joo¡¯s space was the correlation between special privileges and the power to rule the world. the power to rule the world did what was most appropriate to the subject and drew out their power with the highest efficiency possible. although he couldn¡¯t know in advance whether this process would lead to evolution, reconstruction, or creation, he could narrow down the possible results. for example, what if he used the power to rule the world with the intention to compensate for the weakness of a subject, but the subject grew on their own and eliminated their weakness beforehand? then the power to rule the world would judge that there was no need to address the subject¡¯s weakness and apply its power in a way that would more effectively increase the subject¡¯s power. in this way, the power to rule the world was more effective the higher the subject¡¯s level was. of course, it wouldn''t be effective if the subject¡¯s level was too high like choi chi-hyun, since chi-woo couldn¡¯t even use the power to rule the world if the subject was beyond the scope of power it could exercise its ability on. however, chi-hyun was an exception among exceptions, and that was not the case for apoline. [¡®7 ways to become a great and respected parent¡¯ has been opened.] [the amount of trust that user apoline yelodi afrilith has towards user choi chi-woo will be measured.] [measuring¡­ measurement is complete.] [trust 99.9%: perfectionists are overly thorough to the point that they don¡¯t allow a single mistake. although apoline yelodi afrilith has grown up with countless compliments and boundless affection since she was a child, she is always hungry for more no matter how much she ate like an evil spirit. the reason for that is because she is a perfectionist. she is not satisfied with just being good. since she has received very high expectations since she was young, her own expectations of herself is also extremely high. no matter how well she does, her inner self would always shout ¡®more, more.¡¯ then, with an unexpected reunion, she finally discovered the man she had kept in her heart for a long time and deemed worthy of respect more than even her parents¡ªwho could finally satisfy her never-ending desire for recognition.] [apoline¡¯s trust in you has exceeded the necessary requirements.] [you have chosen apoline yelodi afrilith, ¡®the princess of waiting¡¯ as your fifth star.] ¡®good. let¡¯s activate my sharing ability¡­ wait, what¡¯s up with the trust level?¡¯ chi-woo was shocked to see a whooping 99.9% trust. how could the trust level be so high when he hadn¡¯t even interacted with her that often? although it was clear that an error had occurred, he decided to move on for now considering the situation. after accepting apoline as a star, he immediately used sharing. the ability he was going to give her was none other than golden ratio. outside of very special situations, the golden ratio had a low chance of failing. moreover, it was what all the chi-woos and yoo-joos had said in unison should be shared with apoline. the golden ratio upgraded all physical abilities by one rank, and it created a body that could increase the efficiency of any action by several times. however, the true value of the golden ratio was that it achieved a ¡®perfect balance¡¯ for the user¡¯s body, and this was the reason he had to share the golden ratio with apoline; because she already had an ability related to this called ¡®mana ring.¡¯ ¡®w-what¡¯s this?¡¯ apoline couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. all the bones in her body moved and fit anew, and her skin peeled off with new flesh sprouting to replace it. it felt like she was being reborn, but in real-time. originally, it would have been normal for anyone else to lose consciousness like yunael, but it was a little different for apoline. since her body had already been prepared to some extent with her ability, mana ring, it was easier for her to accept the transformation caused by the golden ratio. ¡®what? why all of a sudden¡­!¡¯ moreover, apoline couldn¡¯t hide her surprise seeing the changes taking place in her body. the rings that were created all over her began violently spinning as if they were going berserk before merging into one giant circle like an infinitely rotating loop. apoline¡¯s breath hitched as she sensed the enormous amount of mana flowing in all directions from the circle. if her mana had been a stream of water that rose and surged or an endless spring, it was now like a river flowing out of the ocean. the sea would never run out and reveal the land at the bottom no matter how much water she scooped from it. ¡®this is¡­!¡¯ it was a lot; it was too much that her mana rings couldn¡¯t handle it. apoline was about to instinctively close her eyes, but her eyes soon widened instead. ¡®my mana rings¡­?¡¯ they were enduring it, or to be more precise, they were trying to evolve by replacing old clothes with new ones. with the transformation, apoline¡¯s body was now able to contain mana greater than the ocean as it reached a perfect, natural balance beyond artificial harmony. in fact, apoline felt the unnaturalness that she had never noticed before gradually disappear from her body. but it was still far from over. following the clear sound of metal clinking, she found herself completely wrapped by chains. [the power to rule the world has been used.] [innate ability [blessed luck] consumed (82->76).] [the power to rule the world ¡®strengthens¡¯ apoline yelodi afrilith¡¯s basic ability, ¡®disaster caused by fire¡¯.] the power to rule the world chose to strengthen her ability, and it exerted its power in the direction of maximizing apoline¡¯s strengths. the next moment, apoline clearly felt the mana that had filled up and even overflowed from every part of her body heat up. it was an extremely intense and wild energy; she felt as if she could melt and destroy anything. she had no idea what had happened all of a sudden, but she had no time to worry about such a question. before she knew it, white steam that was clear enough for everyone to see rose from all over her; even her nose as if she was an angry bull. and she was like a bubbling lava just before it erupted. ¡®at this rate¡­!¡¯ apoline rose indignantly to her feet as if she could no longer bear it. then she opened her mouth and screamed until she felt like her throat would burst. at the same time, red mana exploded like a volcanic eruption. accompanied by her fierce roar, flames shot through the sky, shaking the ground and the air as if a nuclear weapon had been dropped. it was so intense that even the monsters about to rush in stopped and stared blankly. they stared at the terrifying disaster of scorching heat as the fire engulfed them at the slightest contact. * * * meanwhile, evelyn¡¯s team was still plummeting down the chasm. it was deeper than expected. if they had jumped in without thinking, there would be no bones left intact once they landed. when they were getting anxious that they might really reach the abyss like this, they finally felt the soles of their feet touch the ground. it was unpleasantly damp and a bit sticky. the members did not try to make out the ground. it was hard to see because their surroundings were pitch-dark, but the rotten and nasty smell that stung their noses made it clear what had happened here. the members looked around, but it was in vain. then they heard a soft laugh from somewhere. at the same time, umaru quickly grabbed the ax on his waist and threw it toward the sound. smack, they heard an old skeleton break, but umaru bit his lips as the laughter continued. then came teresa¡¯s blessing, followed by an outpour of countless slashes from du eun-hyan upon one target. she clearly felt the sensation of cutting through something, but she soon stopped swinging her blade as the laughter continued. she didn¡¯t know what exactly their opponent was, but it seemed as if physical attacks didn¡¯t work on their enemy at all. ¡ªit¡¯s no use¡­ soon, a fairly old voice rang out; it sounded like scratching iron, and hearing it alone incited discomfort. ¡°good work, everyone.¡± in response, evelyn stepped forward. ¡°this is enough. don¡¯t overdo it.¡± in other words, she was saying that this was an enemy too early for heroes who had just reached gold tier to face, so they shouldn¡¯t step forward needlessly. ¡ªi¡¯ve had my doubts¡­but it¡¯s true¡­ the opponent seemed to know evelyn. her voice sounded a little flushed, even a bit happy. ¡ªi didn¡¯t expect you to be alive¡­no¡­should i say you resurrected¡­as a human¡­ ¡°oh my, you recognized me immediately?¡± ¡ªof course¡­it¡¯s hard to find someone of your beauty anywhere¡­ ¡°although that¡¯s an obvious but nice statement, it feels kind of unpleasant? it doesn¡¯t make me very happy to hear compliments from an old skeleton with no flesh left.¡± ¡ªhmm¡­? what do you mean¡­i remember you falling into the abyss thousands of years before me¡­ ¡°¡­¡± when they were on the same side, evelyn was balim¡¯s senior by far. evelyn had nothing to say after bringing up age for no reason. she cleared her throat. ¡°that was after i died. i¡¯ve recovered the body i had when i was alive.¡± ¡ªyes¡­that¡¯s true¡­ surprisingly, balim easily agreed with evelyn. ¡ªamazing¡­how amazing¡­how on earth¡­ she couldn¡¯t help but show her admiration, but the next moment¡ª ¡ªgood¡­you¡¯ll be a very interesting experiment¡­ evelyn smirked after hearing balim¡¯s conclusion. she knew this would happen. ¡°can you even beat me?¡± ¡ªhow absurd¡­ balim asked with a questioning tone as if she couldn¡¯t understand evelyn¡¯s confidence. ¡ªwhen you were the witch of abyss, you were definitely scary¡­and truly astounding¡­but not anymore¡­ as balim said, when onorables evelyn was the abyss witch, her name had been renowned throughout liber; not only the demon empire, even those on the same side as her were cautious around her. however, the evelyn of those days no longer existed. even if her knowledge as a witch remained intact, it was a power that a mere human body couldn¡¯t take. it was ridiculous to think that a living person could endure and replicate a height reached after thousands of years of trials and effort that only the dead could reach. even a saintess loved by god was no exception. the difference between the witch of abyss during her peak and a saintess with less than a few years of experience was as big as night and day. thus, it was reasonable for balim to look down on evelyn, who had become a human being in name and reality. ¡ªsurrender obediently¡­quietly¡­then, you won¡¯t have to endure horrible treatment¡­ balim¡¯s words could be seen as a form of benevolence, a courtesy towards a leading figure who once propped up the abyss. ¡°you sure talk big.¡± of course, evelyn was unfazed and snorted. ¡°while i was gone, your head sure grew a lot. isn¡¯t that right, our dear balim?¡± she put one hand on her waist and smiled. ¡ªif you must cause yourself more suffering¡­ balim didn¡¯t push for her suggestion any further. soon, a dark blue light rose from the darkness, and a skull wearing a hood was revealed. however, before balim could make a move, she flinched. evelyn¡¯s smile deepened at her reaction, and her eyes glistened. ¡ªwhat¡­! balim wasn¡¯t mistaken. she didn¡¯t know what suddenly happened, but she felt a tremendous amount of divinity from onorables evelyn; a power that even exceeded her days when she was the abyss witch. * * * what happened that day was totally unexpected for evelyn. in the dead of night, she saw a mysterious and suspicious man break into her room. however, it turned out not to be a suspicious man, as the person looking down at her from her bedside was none other than chi-woo. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± evelyn¡¯s eyes burst open, and she tilted her head. ¡°want to share a bed? all right, let¡¯s do that. come and lie down.¡± she chuckled and tapped on the bed. however, she soon paused as chains suddenly wrapped around her whole body. ¡°uh¡­um¡­¡± she blinked with a bewildered expression. ¡°i respect your taste. well, i don¡¯t think it¡¯s bad either, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit sudden?¡± this novel is available on "pawread dot com". ¡°i¡¯ve heard from a lot of people.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°some told me that what i accomplished was amazing, but criticized me for doing everything by myself¡ª¡± evelyn blinked at the sudden remark. ¡°and rebuked me for not trusting others.¡± ¡°chi-woo?¡± ¡°if only i trusted a bit more, and if i had given an opportunity for the people around me to use their abilities better and walk alongside me¡ª¡± evelyn, who was about to ask what he was saying out of the blue, closed her mouth. ¡°then the present and future may be better than¡­now.¡± though chi-woo wasn¡¯t actually drunk, he looked like a drunk person saying what had been on his mind with some liquid courage. ¡°honestly, i don¡¯t really understand. there¡¯s a saying that if you can¡¯t keep a promise, you shouldn¡¯t make it in the first place. no one knows what will happen.¡± chi-woo said as if he was talking in a stream of consciousness. ¡°but even then¡­¡± he hesitated for a while and then continued, ¡°i don¡¯t know why, but i couldn¡¯t forget their words. the whole time after i heard them.¡± it didn¡¯t seem like chi-woo was speaking in gibberish. rather, it sounded more like a confession as he continued, ¡°i can¡¯t stop thinking about that even after i returned here. looking back, it might be because of my brother.¡± what? evelyn gulped at the tension between her and chi-woo and tilted her head. why did he suddenly mention her brother-in-law? ¡°i¡¯m not just blaming him for no reason, but i really think it¡¯s because of him. he always said, no, you can¡¯t, don¡¯t do it, save it, don¡¯t waste it. those are the kind of things he told me every day.¡± it wasn¡¯t just on liber; chi-hyun had been saying those words to him on earth since he was very young. chi-woo continued, ¡°at some point, i think those words brainwashed and stifled me.¡± evelyn listened quietly to chi-woo. she didn¡¯t know exactly why, but she had a hunch that she was about to hear something very important today. ¡°but now, i won¡¯t do that anymore.¡± at the shalyh general assembly, chi-woo had surpassed chi-hyun. the result of that day was tantamount to chi-woo declaring that he would no longer be in the shadow of chi-hyun¡¯s name. then he let out a long sigh. ¡°but¡­i thought i was finally free, yet some of my bad habits still remained. if i had decided not to be swayed by my brother¡¯s words, i should have thought of you first, but¡­¡± after a brief pause, chi-woo continued, ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± why was he apologizing? evelyn pondered and realized why. come to think of it, she once said something similar to a confession to chi-woo. and what was the result? she was rejected outright, and his reasoning was funny. he said he couldn¡¯t do it because of his brother. she hadn¡¯t understood why he had given her such a reason, but she understood it now. chi-woo brought up him being freed from his brother¡¯s control to tell her that he was going to reverse his decision on that day. evelyn thought, ¡®yeah, you were also a man in the end. to make up for the mistake on that day, you suddenly barged into my room with no warning and did something so drastic.¡¯ he was wilder than she thought. it was a bit sudden, but¡­if he was sincere, there was no reason for her to reject him. evelyn tilted her chin up with an haughty expression for him to go on. he needed to show some sincerity to catch a lady he once rudely rejected. ¡°but i won¡¯t make you one of my stars, ms. evelyn.¡± ¡­what was he suddenly going about? judging by the flow of the conversation, he should be confessing now. evelyn became a bit nervous, but¡ª ¡°because i want you to always be by my side rather than carry out missions independently.¡± she was relieved to hear this. it was now beyond doubt that he was going to confess; those were the kind of words only used in a proposal. ¡°i see.¡± evelyn smiled softly while being tightly bound. originally, she had planned to play hard to get once or twice, but contrary to her inner thoughts, her mouth moved of its own accord and accepted his proposal. ¡°all right. it¡¯s a little extreme, but i also like bondage play. no, actually, i¡¯ve never done it before so i don¡¯t know, but i think i¡¯ll like it if it¡¯s you.¡± chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened at evelyn¡¯s honest confession, but soon, he smiled and said, ¡°you can look forward to it.¡± evelyn flinched. she could look forward to it? what the¡­ he looked like a scholar, but was he actually an experienced expert? ¡­how good was he? ¡°i¡¯ll give you something much better than that.¡± much better than that¡­? evelyn gulped. soon after, the chains that encircled her shone brightly. the power to rule the world was activated. CH 459 the light from the center brightened the dark chasm. ¡ªwhat happened¡­ balim groaned weakly. thorns made of light penetrated into her heart and bound her so that she couldn¡¯t even budge. all the members froze in place because they were stunned by evelyn¡¯s way of fighting. though she was clearly using divinity, her way of wielding it was no different from a witch. balim couldn¡¯t comprehend what was happening at all. even though evelyn had reached the peak as the abyss witch, she currently had the light¡¯s blessing. considering that she was now using power on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from her previous power, she should have had a difficult time. yet evelyn was utilizing her divinity as deftly as she would her knowledge from her past. ¡®how could this be possible?¡¯ balim wondered, not knowing that chi-woo had awakened evelyn¡¯s ability ¡®the light of wisdom that never goes out¡¯. all streams returned to the ocean in the end. and because balim didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind these words, she didn¡¯t understand what was happening. ¡ªhow in the world¡­? before balim even finished speaking, thorns of light encircled her and struck her. in the blink of an eye, she became a hedgehog with spikes of light all over her body, and as she felt a powerful divinity eat her away, she laughed humorlessly. ¡°do you get it now?¡± evelyn said with a drawl. ¡°tell me then. why did you leave your remnant in this place when you are on the run?¡± everyone thought they heard wrong. evelyn was saying that the balim in this place wasn¡¯t the main body, but simply a remnant of herself. ¡ªdon¡¯t misunderstand¡­. balim snorted. ¡ªthis body is simply a guard¡­to protect this place while i¡¯m gone¡­ in other words, evelyn and her team were the lucky ones to come to this place while she was gone. ¡°oh my. do you really think that¡¯s true?¡± evelyn leaned toward balim¡¯s thorn-filled body. facing her bright smile, balim pursed her lips. the abyss¡¯ witch, who she had thought was extinguished, was alive, and she now possessed a more dangerous power than before. this wasn¡¯t news to be dismissed. ¡°anyway, so you are just a guard.¡± evelyn smirked. ¡°that makes me curious. you are someone who¡¯s always hidden behind a thick veil. hm?¡± ¡ªhow regretful¡­so regretful¡­. balim lamented. ¡ªi¡¯m sorry, your majesty. if i just had a bit more time¡­ she murmured in a low voice, and evelyn opened her eyes wider. ¡°what in the world were you doing here?¡± ¡ª¡­are you curious? balim¡¯s voice suddenly dropped in pitch, and she let out an insidious laugh. ¡ªif you are curious¡­i will show you¡­!¡± *** meanwhile, there were great explosions and commotions happening on the surface. apoline was shooting fire everywhere she went, and she flew in the air and entertained herself by creating explosions. apoline felt like she was having the time of her life, and using mana that had become a level stronger than before, she displayed overwhelming firepower. sparks and fire continued to burn, and everything that she wished for came true. this was it. this was what she had been seeking. she was able to make into reality what was inside her head, and apoline couldn¡¯t contain her happiness. ¡®what? freeze them? don¡¯t make me laugh!¡¯ ¡°let the¡ª¡± apoline shouted, unable to contain the passion that stirred up inside her heart, ¡°world buuuuurn!¡± bababababam! a volcano erupted, and a pool filled with trails of fire boiled. when the sparks dissipated, no monster remained in sight. the fire had thoroughly swept the scene, and though she was a bit out of breath, apoline didn¡¯t look the tiniest bit tired. she looked relieved instead, and her face seemed to still burn with fiery passion as she looked behind her. she looked like she was asking, ¡®how was i?¡¯ but stopped. chi-woo wasn¡¯t looking in her direction, but staring intently at the chasm with a hardened expression. ¡®why¡­hm?¡¯ she was disappointed for a moment before she also sensed the formidable energy flowing out of the chasm and focused on it. boom! an explosion suddenly burst out from the hole. it was so strong that even those standing upright staggered. the great demons who had been watching apoline in a daze also looked back at the chasm. ¡®what?¡¯ chi-woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. he thought he could leave things to evelyn, for whom he had awakened with the power to rule the world. yet his intuition was suddenly sounding an alarm that hadn¡¯t rung before. it wasn''t urgent, but it wasn¡¯t good news either. ¡°¡­how regretful.¡± he heard another voice then. ¡°so regretful. it¡¯s so regretful.¡± shersha continued to repeat how regretful she found the situation. ¡°it was the best time to stop the plan, but not for what we each wanted. if we came a bit sooner. a bit¡­¡± shersha murmured incomprehensibly, and a trickle of tears flowed down from her eyes. it was unclear what the reason was, but shersha seemed to be lamenting something. then, after tearing up, shersha turned to chi-woo and asked, ¡°could you turn things back? if it¡¯s you, it might be possible.¡± a commotion broke out, and several figures quickly rose to the surface. there were the members who had gone inside the chasm. as soon as their feet touched the surface, they ran crazily as if they were running away from something. ¡°i-inside¡­!¡± umaru stammered while pointing at the chasm he ran out of. ¡°there was no balim, but only her remnant in this place. it seems we came after she left her position,¡± evelyn relayed the situation to chi-woo. chi-woo nodded. he had thought the situation was too calm and easy considering that they were dealing with one of the seven chasms. chi-woo didn¡¯t feel the same level of danger that he had felt at the great war even once since he came to this place. ¡°but i¡¯m sure of what he was doing here, because¡ª¡± before evelyn could finish speaking, everyone¡¯s eyes snapped to the chasm. a dark shadow popped out, and a monster landed on the ground with four legs. the monster differed from both the monsters they saw here and those at the great war. it didn¡¯t look like it was made out of tangled human body parts, nor was it large as a house. its neck was about two meters long like a giraffe, while its body was thin as a hyena. yet parts of its body still retained human forms. it appeared as if they were seeing a human turning into a monstrous beast. ¡°can we say that this is the successful product of balim¡¯s experiment?¡± eun-hyang asked, seeing the monster glare and heave in their direction. ¡°rather than a successful product, we should say it''s still incomplete,¡± evelyn answered. that monster was the core of balim¡¯s plan. hearing this, chi-woo felt all the missing puzzle pieces come together. he understood why shersha had spoken the words she had just now. of course, he couldn¡¯t be certain of it yet and needed to confirm it himself. chi-woo took one step forward, and the monster that was salivating lunged with a new glint in its eyes. it rushed toward chi-woo while umaru and the others looked on, wide-eyed. at frightening speed, the monster struck with its sharp claws, but failed to slice its opponent in two. instead, it was caught. chi-woo had reached out and captured the monster¡¯s hand. the monster looked taken aback and flustered when it realized that it couldn¡¯t free itself no matter how much it struggled. this seemed to hurt its pride, and the monster growled and worked harder. chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®look at this guy?¡¯ chi-woo put more pressure into his hands, and the monster¡¯s arm bent with a crunch. but despite what was happening to it, the monster pushed forward. in the meantime, its flesh swole with protruding parts while its body became a couple times bigger as if it was evolving in real time. seeing this, chi-woo felt a faint foreboding feeling for the first time. he needed to act a second faster when suddenly¡­. *** where was i? it was a place that gave me a bad feeling for some reason. and it wasn¡¯t very interesting; only leftovers remain. if i were my owner, i would¡¯ve cleaned up this place in an instant. yes, i would¡¯ve surely done that. but why was i only watching from the sideline and not stepping forward? ah, no wonder. my owner shared my sentiment and thoughts. yes, that was right. i did want to fight, but these guys were a bit too much. ah, who cared? i just wanted to rest next to my owner and take a nap after a long time. how nice that the surroundings were getting warm. it was just the perfect timing. ¡­hm? what was that? this feeling? who was that? it seemed stronger than the ones i saw here but¡­still too weak compared to my owner. but¡­why? what was this feeling of anxiety? it was strange, really strange. it wouldn¡¯t leave my mind, and i thought i couldn¡¯t let that guy be. there was no way, but perhaps my owner could fall into danger. and i had to stop that at all costs. i needed to protect my owner because my owner was my friend. *** we are "pawread dot com", find us on google. an eerie moonlight shone over them. simultaneously, the monsters¡¯ arms snapped off. both the monster and the seven stars members who had been watching the fight gaped blankly. even chi-woo stopped to stare while pulling out his ghost-busting club. white mane whirled in the wind, and four legs landed on the ground; a pair of fierce eyes glared at the monster piercingly. he growled, his fangs revealed and lit by the stream of moonlight. ¡°you¡­¡± chi-woo blinked hard at the fenrir standing tall confidently to protect him. it was wallie. though he was no longer small, seemingly having grown out of his cub phase, it was definitely wallie. he looked just like how hurodvitniru would look in her younger days. chi-woo used the power to rule the world just in case. [?- page (1/1)] 1. ¡®7 ways to become a great and respected parent¡¯: reach at least 90% trust (complete) 2. eat the flesh and drink the blood of a great demon at a single-digit rank (complete) 3. awaken ¡®raw divinity¡¯ (incomplete) 4. manifest ¡®mad moon fangs¡¯ (complete) 5. use at least 5 and at most 7 points of ¡®blessed luck¡¯ (incomplete) wallie had managed to manifest the ¡®mad moon fangs¡¯, which was one of his conditions to awaken. it was as stupid yoo-joo said. giving the fenrir a name was most important. because of her clumsiness, she was able to quickly provide a situation for the fenrir to awaken without intending to, but that wasn¡¯t the case for chi-woo. he had given the fenrir a name after rising to a certain level, so there weren¡¯t many situations for the fenrir to live up to his name, which meant ¡®to protect¡¯. thus, the slight crisis this time acted as a catalyst for him to awaken. wallie flung his body forward, and a crescent moon sliced across the monster and made it burst. it didn¡¯t even seem like a proper match because one had such a clear advantage. even the kings of the hala forest, who boasted of unbelievable regenerative power, couldn¡¯t do anything against hurodvitniru. it was because they couldn¡¯t easily regenerate the parts that had been ripped to shreds by the power of the mad moon fangs. thus, it was only inevitable that a mere monster that was still an incomplete product of an experiment would have difficulty against wallie. soon, the monster fell to the ground. it had such a stubborn lifeforce that it continued to wiggle even with all its limbs torn off. awooooo! wallie let out a long howl and stomped on the monster¡¯s head. then, he turned to chi-woo. ¡°that¡¯s enough, wallie. good work.¡± ¡°awoo¡­?¡± ¡°no, come back now.¡± wallie looked a bit disgruntled by this order, but obediently pulled his paw away and backed off. chi-woo walked up to the monster and looked down at it while it writhed in pain. ¡°isn¡¯t this the child¡­the one you¡¯ve been looking for?¡± evelyn approached chi-woo cautiously and asked. there were two reasons she hadn¡¯t fought the monster herself. first, she wasn¡¯t confident in beating this monster without getting a scratch on herself; and second, she thought chi-woo needed to check the state of this monster first. she knew the true reason chi-woo had come to this place. chi-woo wordlessly nodded. that seemed to be the case. otherwise, this monster wouldn¡¯t have been so noticeable among the countless imperfect products. chi-woo looked down at the monster with some bitterness in his expression. that seemed to be the long and short of it. balim, one of the seven chasms, oversaw the abyss¡¯ monsters. and these monsters were the results and products of experiments that balim conducted. after losing considerable force during the great war against the gigas tribe, balim tried to replenish her supply. to do this, she needed subjects to evolve into monsters and thus, she got his hands on any living creature she could find. the half-demon girl that the boy talked about had been imprisoned in this place when all this happened. yet making a monster was no easy task. since each of them was a powerful fighting tool, ordinary humans couldn¡¯t evolve into the kind of monsters that balim wanted. then, after producing countless failures, one person caught her eyes. it was the half-demon girl, whose response surpassed even her expectations. thus, she disobeyed her king¡¯s order to put everything on halt and retreat; instead, she made the decision to stay. while she left the area to meet the abyss king in person to convince him, chi-woo appeared¡­.yes. the half-demon girl he had been looking for was now a monster. ¡®is this what shersha was talking about?¡¯ to accomplish their plan, there was no better time since they were basically ransacking an empty house. yet this wasn¡¯t the time that chi-woo or the girl wanted. they should¡¯ve come sooner to save the girl when she was still in the right state. there was no turning things back now. sensing the girl¡¯s exceptional nature, balim had changed the girl according to her own will, and the result of that was right in front of their eyes. shersha sighed at the heaving monster. it really was a shame. the girl would have risen to great heights with her enormous potential under chi-woo¡¯s guidance, but was now ruined simply because of someone¡¯s greed. it was as if a gem that could¡¯ve been more beautiful than any other was thrown into the trash can. still, it was too early to give up everything. though they were late, there was still an opportunity. after all, chi-woo was someone who could turn back what had already been flipped over and change the result of a roll after the die had already been cast. CH 460 chi-woo smacked his lips. he had no intention to give up like this because of the unknown sense of anxiety he had felt earlier. he had dealt with the monster with some difficulty, but what about afterward? for example, what if balim retrieved it and made use of all its remaining potential to complete the experiment? then chi-woo couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of monster would come out. perhaps a monster that would even surpass bael might be born. if perfect yoo-joo¡¯s words were true, there was a high chance that could happen. then there was only one method left¡ªto kill this girl. it wouldn''t be a bad choice. they got lucky; he could end balim¡¯s experiment at this place. ¡®but¡­¡¯ it would be too much of a shame because of perfect yoo-joo¡¯s words. perfect yoo-joo had said that she had only shared her abilities to her stars before and had never once been on the receiving end. however, this girl was the only exception. ¡®in exchange for training her, perfect yoo-joo said she shared one of her abilities¡­¡¯ if this was true, this girl would not only help seven stars grow, but also help him grow. this was a once in a life opportunity for chi-woo, who had been determined to get stronger after the great war. he wanted to turn back time, to a reality where he had arrived a little sooner and saved her. in fact, there was a way for him to do just that. ¡°asha,¡± chi-woo called out. ¡°how much deterrence does it take to bring this monster back to its original state?¡± asha, who had been sitting on chi-woo¡¯s shoulder, squirmed. after a while, something similar to asha¡¯s will was transmitted to his mind. ¡®¡­w-what? 30?¡¯ chi-woo was shocked by asha¡¯s response. for reference, the amount of blessed luck needed to awaken evelyn¡¯s power was 10. even that was astounding, but now he needed to use 30, not 20? he couldn¡¯t help but doubt his ears and fall into thought. his remaining blessed luck was 76. he could use it if he wanted, and he still had merits left to replenish it. however, the question was whether the girl was worth it. a total of 30 points of blessed luck would be the equivalent of 150 million merits. additionally, chi-woo would probably need to use power to rule the world later on. to put it bluntly, she had to show potential for growth that rivaled at least ru amuh to make up for his investment. it was not an easy decision to make. chi-woo closed his eyes after some contemplation. whenever he felt conflicted, he focused on his intuition. then it was not difficult for him to come to a conclusion; to the point that his concerns felt pointless. ¡®she¡¯s worth that much.¡¯ chi-woo let out a hollow laugh and opened his eyes. since the situation had gotten to this point, he believed he should consider this positively and think that he was just using the merits he would have had to use anyways to rise to master tier. as soon as he made up his mind, chi-woo called out to asha and said, ¡°use deterrence and bring back this half-demon girl in her original form.¡± * * * at shalyh. the seven stars¡¯ zone was bustling with activity as the teams that had gone on an expedition returned one by one. although they looked rugged and dirty when they returned, everyone¡¯s expression was bright as the light baggage they had started out with became heavy upon their return. this was how a dungeon expedition was usually like. it was hard to find a proper dungeon, but once discovered, a jackpot was guaranteed. they would not only earn merits, but obtain several useful pieces of equipment. the team members were overjoyed by the rewards they reaped through this expedition. as with the first and second teams, the fourth team led by yunael felt the same. ¡°it¡¯s on me! i¡¯ll treat everyone today, so drink until you pass out!¡± yunael, whose life motto was work hard and play hard, shouted. of course, none of her team members opposed the idea. they waved their hands in the air, saying, ¡®yay¡ª¡¯ only one of them was particularly quiet. ¡°aida! what are you doing? don¡¯t think about skipping out like usual and come join us to¡ª?¡± yunael stopped midsentence and was shocked when aida suddenly turned around and pushed her away. ¡°a-aida?¡± yunael looked at her with a stunned expression, but aida ran outside without saying anything, and barefooted at that. yunael couldn¡¯t hide her surprise because this was very different from the aida she was used to seeing. after standing still for a brief moment out of shock, yunael rushed out after aida. once outside, yunael saw the other seven stars members, including chi-woo, return and stopped running; it seemed as if they had arrived a little while ago. and aida was on her knees, hugging and caressing a girl. ¡°thank you for coming. i¡¯m really glad you¡¯re here¡­¡± filled with indescribably deep emotions, aida constantly whispered to the girl. * * * after successfully completing their expedition, chi-woo returned to shalyh, accompanied by an unknown girl. on the day they returned, aida put herself forward to be the guardian of the unknown girl, and chi-woo accepted her request. frankly, there was nothing much to being the girl¡¯s guardian; her only role was to help the girl adjust well to the new environment. however, it was a necessary role as the girl¡¯s condition, which was reversed with deterrence, couldn¡¯t be considered normal in any way. since this wasn¡¯t something he could do anything about right away, chi-woo decided to wait and see for now. aida literally devoted herself to caring for the girl, and she hadn¡¯t taken one step away from the girl for even a single moment since they returned. a few days later, aida grabbed the girl¡¯s hand and headed to the seven stars cafeteria. ¡°did you call for me, my lord?¡± when aida arrived, chi-woo asked her to sit down and serve the food he prepared. the girl sat quietly the whole time until chi-woo sat opposite her. chi-woo stared at the girl with her head down. as a half-demon, her eyes and hair were dark, but perhaps because her human blood was strong, her skin had a strong beige undertone. when using asha¡¯s deterrence, chi-woo was shocked to see the monster return to the shape of a girl because of how thin she was. she wasn¡¯t just skinny. at first, he had thought he was looking at a telephone pole because all her bones were visible. moreover, on their way back¡­he didn''t know exactly what was wrong, but she looked as if she had lost her will to live. her eyes were like a decaying dead fish, and her face was downcast; a dark and gloomy atmosphere hung over her, and ever since she woke up, she hadn¡¯t spoken a single word. thus, chi-woo hadn¡¯t even heard her voice, let alone found out her name. ¡®it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s lived a normal life anyway i see it¡­¡¯ 1. name & rank: - (¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î) 2. sex & age: female & 16 3. height & weight: 147.9 cm & 37.6kg 4. class: - 5. heavenly title: - 6. disposition: - [strength f] [durability f] [agility f] [stamina f] [mental fortitude f] chi-woo was shocked when he first saw her user information. five stars. her potential was five stars. even ru amuh, who was an extraordinary genius, started out with four stars, so chi-woo couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. however, he was disappointed by the way the girl had been acting since she woke up. besides the fact that she didn¡¯t have a disposition, and that her mental fortitude was f, chi-woo couldn¡¯t sense any will to do anything from the girl. he didn¡¯t know whether it was due to the side effects of balim¡¯s experiment, or whether she had been like this originally. however, he could roughly guess what kind of life she had led considering she didn¡¯t even have a name. ¡ªsince we¡¯re slaves, we¡¯re at least treated like commodities so we receive basic care, but she was treated like a stray dog. unfortunately, the boy¡¯s words were true and not just a metaphor. ¡®it¡¯s difficult.¡¯ in this state, she was not much different from a doll that could understand human speech. it was to the extent that if they placed an empty-headed fool next to her, they might seem normal compared to her. ¡®i used 30 blessed luck. in terms of merits, it was 150 million¡­¡¯ while worries clouded his mind, chi-woo said first, ¡°you must be hungry, so why don¡¯t you grab a bite first?¡± read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com" the girl slightly lifted her head. she stared at chi-woo with empty and emotionless eyes. ¡°eat.¡± only then did the girl seem to understand, and she smashed her head into the plate. she stuffed the food into her mouth like an animal, shoving it in with both hands. gobble, gobble-! it didn¡¯t look good to see her stuffing her cheeks until it looked as if they might burst. ¡°no, you shouldn¡¯t do that. why don¡¯t you use a fork¡­¡± aida tried to teach her, but the girl didn¡¯t budge. she paused for a moment and gently raised her fist as if asking aida if she wanted to eat together. when aida sighed, the girl tilted her head and went back to eating again. ¡°my apologies, my lord.¡± aida apologized as if she was ashamed. ¡°i tried to teach her every meal, but she won¡¯t listen¡­¡± chi-woo looked at the girl as hurriedly stuffed her mouth with food and said, ¡°stop.¡±something curious happened then. the girl, who had been eating without rest, stopped. aida¡¯s expression changed into one of surprise. ¡°don¡¯t eat like that, but use a fork.¡± the girl stared at chi-woo. ¡°when you eat pasta, you need to use a fork. roll it gently with your fork and eat it in one bite, do you understand?¡± the girl gently squeezed the fork chi-woo pointed at. then she turned it a few times in the air and stabbed it into the pasta. ¡°¡­?¡± the girl stared at chi-woo again blankly as if she found her action just now strange. ¡°no, not like that. like this. copy me.¡± when chi-woo demonstrated how to use a fork, the girl surprisingly followed along well. she stabbed the pasta with her fork, turned it gently, and put it into her mouth. after seeing her follow his order, chi-woo said, ¡°¡­she follows instructions well?¡± ¡°i¡¯m surprised as well.¡± aida¡¯s mouth widened. ¡°i see. i get it now. it¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t listen to me, but there was no reason for her to listen.¡± ¡°what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°it¡¯s simple. my lord, are you aware of the hierarchy of animals?¡± no matter which animal it was, if a group was formed, there was bound to be a hierarchy. humans were no exception, and this was clear even by looking at pet dogs. dogs tended to obey and follow orders from those they thought were higher in the hierarchy than them, but if that wasn¡¯t the case, they didn¡¯t listen well. chi-woo replied, ¡°even then, it¡¯s a bit weird to think of a half-demon as a mere beast.¡± ¡°i also think it¡¯s regretful, but if you ask me about her exact level of intelligence right now, there¡¯s no other answer i can give.¡± since chi-woo had been observing her the whole way back and knew this was an undeniable fact, he couldn¡¯t refute it. ¡°but even if her intelligence is like that of a beast, it doesn¡¯t mean she doesn''t know anything.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°this child is aware of how she had lived, what she¡¯d gone through, and what has been happening to her since she met you,¡± aida said in a serious tone. ¡°to put it bluntly, you are basically a god to this child right now.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you exaggerating? it hasn¡¯t been long since we met¡ª¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m not exaggerating.¡± aida shook her head and cleared her throat. ¡°think about what her life was like before she met you. it must have been miserable. she must have spent every day hungry, looking for food without even a name. not to mention that she was captured by balim and turned into a test specimen.¡± she patted the girl¡¯s head and continued, ¡°and my lord, you were able to solve everything the girl hadn¡¯t been able to solve so easily. thus, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that this child considers you a god and follows you.¡± chi-woo snorted. ¡°well, besides returning her to her original state, if she thinks i¡¯m a god just because i provide her with food and clothes, liber must be overflowing with gods.¡± ¡°that¡¯s a difference in perspective,¡± aida went on calmly. ¡°my lord, let¡¯s pretend that someone suddenly appears in front of you and saves liber just by turning over the palm of their hand. how would you see that person?¡± ¡°¡­i would think they¡¯re really amazing and be in awe.¡± ¡°yes, that is the same for this child.¡± just as humans considered transcendent beings as gods and followed and respected them, if ants had any intelligence, they would also consider humans gods, since humans had built a civilization that ants could never even imagine. ¡°¡­is that so.¡± only then did chi-woo understand aida¡¯s words, and he thought he could understand a bit how the girl looked at him now. with that in mind, he finally got a sense of how he should treat this girl. she was definitely not stupid. rather, she was clever and noticed who was at the top of this group. it was a basic survival tactic to obey the words of the top leader; thus, she didn¡¯t listen to anyone else but chi-woo since he was a being that inspired fear and awe in her. ¡°flora,¡± chi-woo suddenly said as he stared at the girl, who had devoured all her food and was now smacking her lips. ¡°it means flower. it¡¯s your name that i just thought of.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°of course, i don¡¯t want you to be a flower.¡± he stared at the girl, whose dull eyes were blinking nonstop. ¡°rather than becoming an actual flower¡­just as a seed germinate, i hope you bloom like a flower.¡± chi-woo continued, ¡°i¡¯ll help you blossom.¡± the girl showed no reaction; she just stared at chi-woo with slightly wider eyes than before. ¡°flora. that¡¯s a great name,¡± aida smiled brightly and responded. then wallie, who had been quiet so far, suddenly raised his head after hearing her name. ¡°then flora, go rest for today. you¡¯ll be meeting someone with me tomorrow¡ª¡± ¡°woofwoofwoofwoof!¡± wallie sprang up and barked fiercely at chi-woo. ¡°w-what the? what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± chi-woo was flabbergasted to see wallie shaking with a sense of betrayal. ¡°uh¡­um¡­¡± aida decided to keep quiet because she could guess why wallie was acting like this. it felt a bit out of line for her to convey wallie¡¯s fierce protest, which was, ¡®you stirred up hell of a fuss when you were naming me, but why did you give her a reasonable name on the first try? is this discrimination?¡¯ that night, chi-woo had a dream. it was a strange dream where he was holding a wolf-shaped shield in his left hand and a beautiful sword decorated with flowers in his right hand. CH 461 the next morning, chi-woo woke up from his sleep and got out of his lodging. he was shocked to see that flora was waiting for him right outside the door without moving an inch. according to aida, flora had been waiting before dawn broke and stayed there even when she told her that it was too early. ¡®what in the world?¡¯ she had waited all night long without sleeping just because he said they should go somewhere the next morning. chi-woo smacked his lips. after giving her a full meal and flora displaying how good she was at using the fork now, chi-woo took her to his master. ¡°what¡¯s all this fuss early in the morning?¡± byeok asked. ¡°i came to you in a hurry because there¡¯s a crucial request i must make to you, master,¡± chi-woo said, meaning that he came to her not as the leader of seven stars, but as her disciple. byeok raised her pipe and said, ¡°speak.¡± ¡°i would like to ask you to take in this child as your disciple.¡± byeok was about to place the pipe into her pipe when she stopped. she looked at the thin girl who had her head bowed. ¡°who¡¯s that child¡­?¡± ¡°her name is flora. she¡¯s the only survivor we found in our recent expedition, and that¡¯s the name i gave her.¡± ¡°i heard about it. i thought it was strange when i heard that you were keeping her at your place and even had a guardian oversee her¡­¡± byeok took a puff from her pipe and smacked her licks. ¡°i¡¯m sure you are aware that i don¡¯t take in anyone as my disciple.¡± ¡°yes, i¡¯m well aware of it.¡± we are "pawread dot com", find us on google. ¡°but you still brought her to me knowing that. she¡¯s not even a hero from the celestial realm, but a native girl who isn¡¯t all grown up.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not trying to force this decision on you or make an order to you, master. please take a good look at her just once.¡± ¡°¡­well, that¡¯s not much to ask,¡± byeok accepted the request without much difficulty. though she looked a bit taken aback, she thought she could kill some time with this girl. ¡°i will do it properly since it¡¯s a request coming from you. you may leave now that i¡¯ve heard you loud and clear. i will tell you once the results are decided,¡± byeok said. ¡°thank you.¡± chi-woo bowed and turned to flora. ¡°one¡¯s master is like the sky. consider master byeok¡¯s words like mine and follow them.¡± flora bowed just like chi-woo did. soon afterward, chi-woo left, and only byeok and flora remained in the room. there was a heavy silence. neither flora nor byeok said anything. ¡®it really is strange. very strange.¡¯ byeok studied flora closely and narrowed her eyes. this was the girl chi-woo had personally brought and requested her to train. unless chi-woo was trying to fool around with his master, who he considered as high as the sky, there must be something special about the girl. no matter how much she studied the girl, however, she didn¡¯t see anything noteworthy about her. she didn¡¯t seem to possess a powerful amount of mana; and far from being blessed by the heavens physically, she looked like she had been suffering from malnutrition instead, which was worrisome. ¡®seems like i will have to take a personal look at her.¡± byeok flicked her pipe and got up from her seat. she thought flora would naturally follow her, but flora didn¡¯t even budge, so she had to return to the room again. just to try it out, byeok told flora to follow her, and only then did flora get up and move her feet. byeok didn¡¯t know whether she should call the girl stupid or very obedient. her expectations dropped a bit, but she didn¡¯t let it show as she took flora out of the main building. ¡°look carefully from now on,¡± byeok said and brought a sword. she swung it four or five times and said, ¡°copy me.¡± then, she threw the sword to flora¡¯s feet as the girl stood fixed. ¡°swing until you are satisfied. swing until you think you¡¯ve displayed the greatest swing you can make,¡± byeok said and slumped down on a random spot nearby, putting a pipe into her mouth. she planned to observe flora a bit before enjoying a nice nap under the morning sunlight. she thought the matter would be done when she opened her eyes again. and if flora was still swinging her sword restlessly till then, she might give flora a compliment or two for her will and determination. byeok yawned with her mouth wide open and jerked her head for flora to begin. good at listening, flora grabbed the sword without hesitation. she flinched a bit when she clutched the sword, but byeok nonchalantly passed over the matter. soon, flora raised the sword and got into the stance that byeok had demonstrated to her and swung from up to bottom. whoosh¡ª! byeok¡¯s eyes opened slightly wider because the sound was clearer than she had expected, but in the end, the surprised look on her face was replaced by a thin smile. considering that flora was a native girl who didn¡¯t know anything, she had quite a good stance. this could be a talent, but byeok remained indifferent. of all the numerous heroes she taught, there were plenty with talents equal or greater to that. ¡®if taught well, she¡¯ll be able to reach hawa¡¯s¡­hm?¡¯ byeok was about to finish her assessment of flora when her forehead creased. ¡®what is she doing?¡¯ while swinging the sword, flora kept stopping before recommencing her attempt. and every time she did this, the sound of her swing changed. slightly taken aback, byeok looked at flora with surprise. clang! suddenly, it sounded as if an iron was cast in the air, and byeok¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡®what¡ª?¡¯ it was then byeok noticed that flora¡¯s posture was a bit different compared to the beginning and was still changing. every time flora stopped and recommenced swinging, there was a small change in her posture. yet the result of the change wasn¡¯t small at all. ¡®no way.¡¯ byeok had told flora to display the greatest swing she could make. she had spat out those words without much expectation, yet flora was putting those words to reality without any help or advice, but based on personal intuition and senses alone. what in the world was this? byeok was befuddled by the sight she was witnessing. sling. this time, it sounded as if space was getting cleanly split into two. byeok was so shocked that she got to her feet without realizing it. she focused entirely on the sword that flora was swinging. thus, byeok didn¡¯t notice that inside flora¡¯s empty, dazed eyes that looked so lifeless that it seemed as if they would never be filled, an unknown and strange passion was beginning to stir. ¡°¡­again!¡± byeok called out, but it was unnecessary. sling, sling, sling, sliiiiing! the sound of space splitting continued to ring. byeok¡¯s gaze wavered senselessly. she looked with her mouth gaping wide open, and her pipe slipped out of her loosening grip. this wasn¡¯t a rose blooming out of a polluted garbage pile. right now, she was witnessing a scene even more miraculous¡ªlike something being made out of nothing. sometime later, byeok came to her senses and turned on her celestial realm device to call someone. ¡ªmaster byeok? ¡°ru amuh¡ªno, first team captain. can you come to my place for a bit?¡± ¡ªsorry? ah yes, i understand. byeok hung up and stared intently at flora. even though she had witnessed what had happened with her own eyes, she still couldn¡¯t believe it. that was why she called ru amuh. geniuses recognized other geniuses after all. *** the expedition had been a success. after exchanging stories and enjoying his time outside, umaru returned to seven stars while humming. he was heading to the main building when a faint sound tickled his ears. it was sharp yet clear and had a certain rhythm to it. umaru smiled. as someone who was well-trained in swordsmanship, he instantly recognized how special the sounds were. ¡°oh my. who is swinging their swords so excitedly?¡± there was nothing for him to do anyways. bored, umaru thought he should go watch and walked toward the source of the sound. the sound of whooshing wind continued endlessly until umaru arrived at the scene, and he saw that there were already a couple of people who had gathered before him. their eyes were glued to one place with their mouths agape. ¡°what? why¡­.?¡± soon afterward, umaru was making the same face as these spectators. ru amuh was on the ground looking shaken and surprised, and in front of him, there was a girl kneeling on one leg and heaving quietly with her shoulders going up and down. ¡°¡­n-no way.¡± umaru stuttered in astonishment. ¡°how could it be? mr. ru amuh was beaten?¡± telling everyone to quit it now if they were trying to trick him, he asked while looking around. ¡°it wasn¡¯t an¡­official duel,¡± eun-hyang replied. ¡°they banned the use of mana and only used their swords.¡± umaru laughed humorlessly. even considering that, it wasn¡¯t a situation that he could simply accept. ¡°don¡¯t lie¡ª¡± ¡°it¡¯s not a lie,¡± teresa cut him off. ¡°of course, the first team¡¯s captain didn¡¯t go all out and he didn¡¯t really lose.¡± now that umaru looked again, he realized that while flora¡¯s eyes were still hollow, she was gnawing her lower lip like she was slightly enraged by something¡ªit was as if she thought she really had a chance of winning. ¡°but he almost lost. if he hadn¡¯t rolled on the ground at the end, he would¡¯ve been struck with a proper blow.¡± umaru felt chills run down his back. teresa was saying that flora basically won 99% of the fight. umaru¡¯s face hardened. when he was first admitted into seven stars, he challenged ru amuh with the same conditions and couldn¡¯t forget how thoroughly overwhelmed and beaten he was. ¡°hey, flora. do you know what you did exactly?¡± umaru asked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure you don¡¯t. anyway, i can¡¯t accept this,¡± umaru said while stomping toward flora and clutching his axe threateningly. ¡°bring it on. let¡¯s also have a duel.¡± flora settled her breath and glanced wordlessly at byeok. byeok nodded slowly, and with her permission, flora let out a deep sigh and got up. umaru got into position with a smirk. ¡°let¡¯s see. if you make me try my hardest, i will acknowledge you.¡± *** while conversing in chi-woo¡¯s office room, both chi-woo and eval simultaneously turned to look out of the window. it was noisy outside. ¡°boss, it seems that you should take a look at what''s going on,¡± eval said, and chi-woo got up immediately. there was quite a sight to see. he didn¡¯t know what happened, but flora was on the ground dripping blood, and evelyn and aida were healing her while the other members jeered at umaru. they were asking if umaru had gone mad, how he could have gone so far against a kid and so on. ¡®but still?¡¯ chi-woo tilted his head curiously. ¡°boss!¡± teresa spotted chi-woo coming their way and relayed everything that had happened to him. ¡°that umaru bastard tried to kill the child you saved! it was because it hurt his pride that she was putting up a better fight than he expected!¡± ¡°ah! that¡¯s not it!¡± umaru denied the claims exasperatedly. ¡°i restrained myself in the beginning because i only wanted to test her skills! but she kept telling me to fight properly in between. what else could i¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°don¡¯t lie, sir!¡± eun-hyang retorted sternly. ¡°that child didn¡¯t open her mouth a single time while training! in the first place, she isn¡¯t someone who knows how to talk!¡± ¡°no! ah, this is driving me insane!¡± though he couldn¡¯t deny their claims, umaru felt like he was going mad trying to explain himself. nobody else had seen it, but he clearly saw the girl glance up and down at him with clear annoyance; furthermore, she swung her sword aggressively from time to time as if she was speaking to him with her whole body that he should quit playing around¡ªto stop being so boring and do this properly. umaru began to use more and more of his powers until flora stopped egging him on. of course, he was clearly in the wrong for mixing mana into his attacks. it was an accident that happened because he was so focused on going in the direction flora wanted. but one thing was clear: ru amuh had succeeded in overpowering flora even while restraining himself until the end, but umaru had failed to do that. fortunately, flora soon regained her senses. because umaru had pulled back as much as he could with the last blow, flora¡¯s wound wasn¡¯t deep, and she had only been knocked out momentarily. flora looked around blankly but flinched when she saw chi-woo. like a dog seeing its warden, she quickly got up. though chi-woo heard many chattering around him, he didn¡¯t pay attention to them and only focused on byeok¡¯s response. ¡°the first day that we met¡­¡± byeok said. ¡°do you remember the exam i gave you?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°how long did it take you to meet my standards?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°that child¡­it took her less than ten tries.¡± byeok shook her head and said in a trembling voice, ¡°in less than ten tries, she made a perfect swing that surpassed even the standard i set.¡± and it wasn¡¯t just a coincidence as flora repeated the perfect swing many times after that. ¡°i won¡¯t ask any question right now,¡± byeok said and walked up to flora like she had a more urgent matter to take care of. it seemed that she was going somewhere when she grabbed flora¡¯s arm and turned around. ¡°wait¡­!¡± chi-woo called out to her, but byeok didn¡¯t pay attention and simply dragged flora away. she seemed possessed as she moved. yet byeok had to soon stop because flora was resisting with all her might to stay in place. ¡°ah, seriously¡­!¡± byeok chewed on her lower lip anxiously, turned around, and shouted at chi-woo, ¡°i need to go see your brother!¡± hearing this, chi-woo realized what byeok planned to do. in order to create the proper training environment for flora, byeok was going to ask chi-hyun to make his image representation space. with this, the superintendent of the celestial realm who was notorious for being tough and strict had acknowledged flora¡¯s potential. this meant only one thing: they struck the foretold jackpot. *** ¡°¡­what?¡± chi-hyun couldn¡¯t hide his surprise when byeok suddenly visited him with a girl. not only had she barged in without warning, she told him to create his image representation space out of the blue. chi-hyun wanted to ask if byeok learned only bad things from her own disciple, but pursed his lips again after seeing the girl. he clearly saw with his eyes and sensed the enormous potential overflowing from this girl¡¯s whole being. it was like the vast ocean. ¡°what a pity,¡± chi-hyun said calmly after a short silence. ¡°if this girl had grown up in a better environment, there might¡¯ve been no need for us to come to liber.¡± ¡°it can¡¯t be helped. there are very few people who live up to their full potential everywhere,¡± byeok said, and chi-hyun nodded. even on earth, if everyone had found their talents properly, perhaps the planet would be overflowing with geniuses. chi-hyun nonchalantly accepted this fact, and byeok frowned. ¡°by the way, you don¡¯t appear that surprised. i thought you would show a more dramatic response than that.¡± ¡°is there a reason to be that surprised?¡± ¡°don¡¯t be too assured of yourself. perhaps this child could surpass you.¡± chi-hyun smirked. he wasn¡¯t laughing at the ridiculousness of the thought. considering the girl¡¯s potential, it was a real possibility. perhaps she could really surpass him decades or centuries later. while he agreed to part of what byeok said, though, it didn¡¯t give him a reason to be surprised. one would get sick of a type of food if they kept eating the same thing over and over again no matter how tasty it was; likewise, one would be numb to everything else after they had experienced something unbelievably shocking again and again. the girl¡¯s potential was definitely surprising, but if chi-hyun had to rank all the beings he¡¯d met in his lifetime in terms of potential, she would only be in second place. the first place belonged to someone else. and after spending quite a long time with that someone, it was only natural that chi-hyun wasn¡¯t that surprised by this girl. while she was like the vast, seemingly boundless ocean, all water was still under the sky. CH 462 there were two main reasons why chi-woo brought flora to seven stars. it was to promote individual growth and complete the seven stars at the same time. in that sense, the current flora was like a seed. it was entirely in chi-woo¡¯s hands what fruit it would grow and bear. as such, chi-woo intended to spare no effort and resources so that the fruit would be as appetizing as possible; then it would be that much sweeter when he picked it and took a bite. to that end, chi-woo delegated full authority over flora¡¯s growth to byeok ran-eum. if she met byeok¡¯s criteria for potential and talent, there was no better person to train a newbie. byeok, who directly witnessed and experienced flora¡¯s true value, immediately submitted flora¡¯s training plan that day. for flora¡¯s rapid growth, the first thing she asked for was a god to sponsor her. since this wasn¡¯t a difficult request, chi-woo took flora to visit la bella. as expected, la bella welcomed flora with open arms and immediately accepted flora as her follower. as a result, flora awakened her mana and gained access to the growth system at the same time. when chi-woo returned with flora, byeok took her to the image representation space that chi-hyun had activated for them. although he had entrusted byeok with full authority, chi-woo did not just sit idly by. he periodically visited the image representation space and exchanged opinions with byeok. ¡°it¡¯s so unfortunate.¡± although they finally began official training, byeok couldn¡¯t hide her regret as she taught flora. ¡°perhaps due to her living too long with a weakened body, her constitution has also been tailored to it. if she had led a normal life, things wouldn¡¯t have gotten this bad¡­¡± byeok emphasized the basics, and the basics was essentially the foundation a building was built upon. the wider and stronger the foundation, the higher the building could be built, and the more stable it would be. however, the problem was that flora didn¡¯t have any foundation at all. she was trying to stack bricks one by one, but since flora didn¡¯t even have a frame, let alone a foundation, they couldn¡¯t stack anything. of course, byeok could create a quickly improvised frame and raise a foundation, and she was confident that she could lift flora to a certain height despite the constraints. however, it would be too great of a shame. doing that was tantamount to cutting down her potential while she could soar so much higher. on the other hand, it would take too long to cultivate the soil step by step. it may have been fine after the great war, but there was no guarantee that byeok could cultivate her properly in time for the next big event. ¡°in other words, master, you¡¯re saying¡ª¡± thus, chi-woo stepped up. he needed to solve the problem that was out of byeok¡¯s power for her training plan to gain momentum. ¡°if we balance flora¡¯s body properly, we can speed up her growth?¡± ¡°if only we could¡­it would more than speed up her growth.¡± byeok looked at him with a hopeful expression. if chi-woo could lay a perfect and ideal foundation for flora to grow upon, it would be no different from giving wings to a tiger and allowing a serpent to ascend as a dragon. chi-woo decided to solve this problem by accepting flora as his star and sharing one of his abilities. originally, he had planned to get her abilities instead, but that was something to consider later on. even if he wanted to get an ability from her right now, she had no abilities to share with him. after flora achieved sufficient growth and bloomed her ability in the future, he could just cancel the sharing and receive her ability through asha¡¯s deterrence. anyway, it wasn¡¯t even worth pondering whether he should accept flora as his star. he had this in mind from the very beginning since he invested blessed luck amounting to 150 million merits on her. however, he was concerned about whether her trust level was sufficient for him to make her his star. he needn¡¯t worry, though, and what he saw when he activated his special privilege made him doubt his eyes. [¡®7 ways to become a great and respected parent¡¯ has been opened.] [the amount of trust that user flora has towards user choi chi-woo will be measured.] [measuring¡­ measurement is complete.] [trust 100%: parents are like a child¡¯s mirror. like father, like son. like mother, like daughter. the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. there¡¯s a reason it¡¯s said that a parent can be known by looking at their child. currently, flora is a complete blank sheet of paper like a newborn baby. it goes without saying who flora will use as reference to draw her very own picture on the blank sheet. just as the front wheels of a cart have to go right so that the rear wheels can also make a turn, please keep that in mind and be careful of your actions. before flora could experience a proper environment, she experienced the world called ¡®you¡¯. she already considers user chi-woo as a god-like being and is following you. every word you say and every action you take will have a profound effect on flora.] [flora¡¯s trust in you has exceeded the necessary requirements.] [you have chosen flora, ¡®the nameless girl¡¯ as your third star.] he hadn¡¯t expected it, but her trust in him was 100%. chi-woo was completely flabbergasted, but what was clear was that aida¡¯s analysis of flora had been on point. he fully realized the weight of her words only after reading the messages. ¡®i¡­¡¯ chi-woo¡¯s expression darkened. he now felt like he could identify the uncomfortable emotion that had been weighing on him. in the past, he probably would have given flora a choice, for her to receive her tribe¡¯s care and live as a normal girl. however, chi-woo didn¡¯t do that this time. he one-sidedly decided the girl¡¯s fate by giving her a name to use her as a means to achieve his goal. this was a fact that could not be denied. it wasn¡¯t too late for him to undo his decision now, but chi-woo clenched his teeth and dismissed the thought. a master was not a caring person, but someone who drew obedience from all. he had been prepared since the general meeting when he turned the entire shalyh, including his brother, into his enemy. thus, he couldn¡¯t go back to his past ordinary self. chi-woo accepted flora¡¯s obedience and was going to take full responsibility over her growth. he would turn the nameless girl who was treated like a wild street dog into a brilliantly shining star in liber''s night sky, brighter than any other star. chi-woo shook off his inner thoughts and shared his golden ratio without hesitation. flora¡¯s already empty eyes moved to gaze at him blankly, and she soon closed her eyes and collapsed. not long after, flora¡¯s skin began to crack, and her flesh began splitting. a dark, red liquid, which looked dirty and old, flowed constantly through the cracked skin. it was the bad energy piled up in flora¡¯s body, and there was such an unbelievable amount that it was hard to believe it could come out from one person¡¯s body. it was to the extent that chi-woo could instantly understand why byeok had lamented the lost opportunity so much. after a few days, flora¡¯s physical transformation came to an end, and she opened her eyes. byeok revealed a rare, bright smile; the training could finally begin properly now. * * * time flew by. after byeok took flora into the image representation space, she never came out even once. she lived inside as if leaving the space for even one second was a waste and focused all her attention on training flora. although not as much as her, chi-woo also visited often. there were times when he stopped by even though he didn¡¯t have anything to do. each time, chi-woo checked flora¡¯s user information from afar and watched her train. today was another day like that. 1. name & rank: flora (¡ï¡î¡î¡î¡î) 2. sex & age: female & 16 3. height & weight: 160.5 cm & 47.5kg 4. denomination: ¡®the goddess of scales¡¯ and ¡®guardian of balance¡¯, la bella 5. tier: iron iv 6. class: swordfighter 5. heavenly title: the late blooming god of war theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. 6. disposition: - [strength d] [durability d] [agility d] [stamina d] [mental fortitude f] [mana d] her average physical ability excluding mental fortitude was now d. for reference, rank c was a rank that an average person could only reach by putting in extreme effort all their life. flora had already almost reached that point. moreover, she had acquired all the necessary basic skills thanks to byeok¡¯s dedicated guidance. of course, flora was not an ordinary human being, but a half-demon with the blood of a demon, a species known as a race of fighters, flowing in her veins. moreover, while she was in the image representation space, where time moved slower than reality, the golden ratio also exerted a positive influence on the efficiency of everything she did. however, it was undeniable that she showed remarkable growth even considering all these factors. flora grew and became stronger day by day, accepting byeok¡¯s teachings like a dry desert absorbing water. it was now no exaggeration to say that she was above the celestial realm heroes who just entered liber. again, chi-woo stared at flora while she was completely immersed in her training like usual. ¡ªdon¡¯t compare yourself to her. philip suddenly spoke to chi-woo. ¡ªthat¡¯s how life is. you go through situations you can¡¯t do anything about, whether it¡¯s related to a person or a job. flora¡¯s growth was shocking to philip as well. her potential was astounding, and she had amazing talent to support that potential. if potential was the limit, talent equaled speed. though in philip¡¯s perspective, flora didn¡¯t necessarily have higher potential than chi-woo, her talent far surpassed his. of course, he was basing that on where chi-woo had been before the great war. after the war, chi-woo seemed to have reached some kind of awakening, and it was now difficult to easily gauge his talent. but what was clear was that flora was an existence that would make people lament the unfairness of life. philip was already jealous as a dead spirit, so how would a living person feel? since chi-woo had been envious of ru amuh and apoline at one point in time and called their abilities cheat-like, philip thought chi-woo would feel bitter again. ¡°it¡¯s all right.¡± however, chi-woo¡¯s response was surprisingly calm. ¡°no, it¡¯s rather good. i hope flora can surprise me even more than now.¡± philip¡¯s eyes widened like he was questioning chi-woo what had gotten into him. however, chi-woo was being sincere rather than spouting empty words. the faster flora got stronger and the more beautiful and colorful ability she bloomed, the better it would be for him. ¡ªwow, that¡¯s bold of you to say. philip showed a bit of admiration. ¡ªwell, that¡¯s not bad. being generous is the privilege of the strong. i thought you were envious because you often visit and watch her. ¡°rather than jealousy¡­i¡¯m trying to get some motivation.¡± ¡ªmotivation? ¡°yes, i¡¯m almost done with everything i planned, so i¡¯m thinking about my own training.¡± ¡ªtraining? that¡¯s good. yeah, you haven¡¯t done it for a while. i mean, you were busy one way or another. philip nodded and agreed with chi-woo¡¯s words. ¡ªso how are you going to train? ¡°everything.¡± ¡ªwhat? ¡°as long as it doesn¡¯t harm my balance, i¡¯m planning to do everything by any means possible as long as it¡¯ll make me stronger.¡± chi-woo really intended to do this, and he wasn¡¯t just talking about training. there were many other ways to get stronger. one example was raising his tier to grand master. or utilizing his merits to use the growth system. his plan to share flora¡¯s ability was one of them. he needed to get stronger. it wouldn¡¯t do for him to fall behind. he must be ahead of everyone else as a master. the moment flora caught up to him, her admiration for him would vanish. a person shouldn¡¯t look back at a line they crossed. in order for him to keep pushing ahead, he had to be truly willing to do anything and everything. chi-woo blinked and looked up at philip. then he asked, ¡°will you help me?¡± philip¡¯s eyes widened. he turned left and right once and pointed at himself with his index finger. ¡ªuh¡­me? chi-woo nodded. ¡ªwhy? there¡¯s ms. byeok too. of course, she¡¯s currently training flora, but she¡¯ll oversee your training if you ask her. ¡°of course i¡¯ll become stronger than i am now if i learn from master byeok. but¡­¡± one choi yoo-joo had said that byeok was a great master, but so was philip¡ªit was philina in her worldline, but the point still stood. ¡°come to think of it, i don¡¯t think i ever learned properly from you, mr. philip.¡± philip¡¯s expression turned serious at chi-woo¡¯s words. ¡ª¡­do you really mean it? he asked with a puzzled look. it wasn¡¯t that philip hadn¡¯t helped chi-woo at all. however, all he had done was give him a few words of advice every now and then, and it was difficult to say that he had taught him officially. it was because philip had been afraid. philip couldn¡¯t move more than a certain distance away from chi-woo under contract, so in a way, it could be said that he had observed chi-woo closer than anyone else on liber. as such, he had witnessed several times when chi-woo almost went berserk. and it was terrifying. it was a power that byeok and even a great being like chi-hyun did not dare to touch. however, if he taught chi-woo and influenced that mysterious power, and as a result, something wrong happened¡­ philip smacked his lips. ¡ªwill you be okay? if i touch the wrong thing and¡­ chi-woo was also aware of philip¡¯s concern, so he said, ¡°that won¡¯t happen.¡± philip looked taken aback, and he stared at chi-woo with confused eyes. chi-woo had said that he would use any means and methods possible. he hadn¡¯t said that because he had given up and was letting himself be swept by the flow. moreover, he didn¡¯t even look determined to take dangerous risks. chi-woo literally just said it as it was and was reassuring philip that what he was concerned about wouldn¡¯t happen, and it was all right now. philip¡¯s eyes glinted; he could now guess what had changed in chi-woo right after the great war. ¡ª¡­okay. ¡®i see. did you decide to accept it without fearing it anymore?¡¯ staring blankly at chi-woo, philip muttered to himself and smirked. he suddenly recalled his first meeting with chi-woo. at that time, chi-woo was like a reckless simpleton. even though he didn¡¯t know anything, he stubbornly asked philip to teach him, and philip had teased him by saying that he was far from ready. however, a guy like that had grown up before he knew it into an existence like the sky, whom everyone who wanted liber¡¯s salvation looked up to. the important thing was that the chi-woo in front of him now was not the chi-woo back then. therefore, philip¡¯s answer was bound to be different. ¡ªit¡¯ll be fun to teach you now. yeah. let them do this. CH 463 after the great war, liber fell quiet. as if all the factions in the world had wordlessly agreed to do the same thing, there was a temporary ceasefire. of course, technically speaking, the sernitas had quickly made a move right after the war to demolish the demon empire. but why did they do that? the reason was simple. the unimaginable coalition of the three factions formed in order to maintain the status quo with the original four. their plan was to crush humanity before they got bigger and threatened them even more. having failed in reaching their goal, the sernitas needed to make up for the loss, and they chose the demon empire as the sacrificial pawn. chi-hyun had expected all that up to this point. thus, he focused on the aftermath and tried to predict what the sernitas¡¯ next move would be after they absorbed the demon empire. since they didn¡¯t lose anything besides one sky castle in the great war, it appeared the sernitas had the means to run wild with all other factions having suffered critical damage. yet chi-hyun¡¯s prediction turned out to be wrong. after destroying the demon empire, the sernitas had been quiet as a mouse and were still maintaining their silence. like a hermit on a mountain, they had halted all external activities. it was the same for the abyss. factions that had fought vigorously before and during the war showed not even the slightest stir. chi-hyun was hit with a foreboding feeling from this sudden silence. there must be something. there was no reason otherwise that these factions would be so quiet, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what that reason was no matter how much he thought about it. and though he didn¡¯t know what they were scheming, he thought it would be worth a try poking at them. thus, he had helped behind the scenes in seven stars¡¯ recent expedition with balim as the target. balim was one of the seven chasms that went through a hierarchy change recently. chi-hyun had thought the abyss would react if the expedition team targeted balim, or at worst, things could escalate into a bigger event. thus, chi-hyun personally moved and spied on the abyss. though the expedition team wasn¡¯t able to catch balim in the end, they achieved some results: they put an end to an experiment that the abyss was secretly conducting, yet the abyss still didn¡¯t move. it might have been a secret base, but they had trespassed into one of the abyss¡¯ territories all the same. even then, the abyss remained on the sidelines like spectators. ¡®there¡¯s definitely something going on.¡¯ unless the abyss were absolute trolls who suddenly decided to kill themselves, nothing seemed to explain their behavior. thus, it bothered chi-hyun even more. anyway, seven stars¡¯ expedition confirmed one thing at least: the sernitas and abyss were hiding something with their current silence, and it was a very well-kept secret. and once their secret plans were complete, the two factions would reveal themselves to the world and begin moving again, which wouldn¡¯t be good news for the cassiubia league or humanity. thus, they needed to move before that and not give the two factions time to complete what they were doing. ¡®i should have a talk with the dragon,¡¯ chi-hyun thought and got up from his seat. *** the seven stars headquarters buzzed with conversations about their new recruit recently. when chi-woo first brought her back, flora was just some nameless, pitiful girl. but in only a couple of days, she became one of the most promising individuals in seven stars. it was only expected since she had successfully proved herself against ru amuh and umaru. there was even talk that chi-woo had brought flora back to make her one of his last stars. in reality, that had already happened and was evident in the way chi-woo had been acting recently. besides byeok, chi-woo also frequently visited the image representation space that chi-hyun had prepared. all of seven stars¡¯ team captains responded similarly. flora had managed to almost land a blow on not just anyone, but ru amuh. even though ru amuh had gone easy on her, flora had been wholly untrained when she fought him; she was like a blank sheet of paper. while nothing was set in stone at the moment, they thought if they got to return to the celestial realm, she might go with them. other members thought similarly, but they couldn¡¯t help but have conflicting feelings. they couldn¡¯t say anything since it was chi-woo who personally brought flora into their fold, but her existence made them anxious. if the rumors were true, there was only one star position left. ¡®what should i do? what should i do?¡¯ teresa bit her fingernails out of nervousness. truthfully, she knew this would happen. the fact that eun-hyang, umaru, and she were in one team seemed to mean that chi-woo planned to pick one star among them. she thought the star would be chosen after they came back from the recent expedition, but there was no signs of that happening even after quite some time. the implication was clear: they were still lacking. even teresa admitted that none of the three of them had showcased their talent in a notable way during the last expedition. furthermore, being adequate wasn¡¯t enough. they needed to show a sparkle that would catch chi-woo¡¯s eye, yet in the recent expedition, they had only thrown away this precious opportunity. at this rate, if chi-woo brought along another outsider like apoline or flora, she might not even have a chance at the last spot. ¡®i need to make myself shine somehow¡­¡¯ teresa thought. but it wasn¡¯t only her or the temporary captain of the sixth team that was having such thoughts. there was one more person on the main team who shared their sentiments. though she couldn¡¯t even dare to show her intention for the seven stars position, hawa intently watched chi-woo as he went to the image representation space to check on flora again. in her usually emotionless eyes, there were conflicted feelings swirling inside. *** having been focusing on flora¡¯s training, byeok noticed a change recently. she knew that chi-woo came to the training site from time to time to quietly watch flora before leaving. but one day, he stopped showing himself. why wasn¡¯t he coming to watch even after entering the image representation space? byeok asked around and found out that chi-woo was training in another place. it was only natural for a hero to train. she would willingly help him out if he asked for it. since chi-woo had risen to a certain level now, she could take a look at him from time to time while teaching flora. yet chi-woo didn¡¯t go to her to request help. for some reason, a slight sense of dissatisfaction and bitterness crept up to her when one day she saw him training with the ghost that tagged along with him wherever chi-woo went. after watching him quietly, byeok tilted her head. ¡®isn¡¯t that training¡­?¡¯ byeok divided training into three types. the first two were ones that trained the body or mind. the third trained both at the same time. currently, flora was training her physical body 100%. since she had the perfect foundation, she needed to keep running on it. in contrast, chi-woo was focusing all his senses on training his mind and heart. this was evident in his training process. besides mana training, flora was focusing on using her body, while chi-woo barely moved. he either bathed in sunlight at the peak of a mountain in a lotus position, or quietly immersed himself in meditation under the waterfall. the only times he used his body were when he did shadowboxing for a bit. it was understandable. chi-woo was at a stage where he couldn¡¯t expect big gains in a short period of time by training his physical body. and if byeok had to choose between the first two types of training, she preferred the physical training a bit more. for mental training, it was difficult for one to make significant progress unless one had the proper understanding and state of mind. ¡®it might be easier to push his body to the limit and force him to reach realization¡­¡¯ byeok thought; from what she knew, chi-woo¡¯s mental state wasn¡¯t that outstanding. she considered going up to them to give chi-woo her guidance, but stopped herself. it was because chi-woo and the women-chasing ghost who always circled around him were both whole-heartedly and seriously immersed in their training. *** ¡ªjung-gi-shin describes the three factors that make up a living human. ¡ªjung is the essence. it is made up of the original substance of life, including the air that one breathes and the tangible nutrients that the human body receives to maintain life. ¡ªwith jung, a person¡¯s gi or energy is generated. and with gi, a person¡¯s shin comes to being. therefore, one could say that gi is a form of energy that connects one¡¯s jung and shin. ¡ªshin describes the mental activities that take place in a person¡¯s brain. in other words, it is their mind. nothing more or less than that. ¡ªthus, training the jung-gi-shin starts with the shin. through one¡¯s shin, a person learns to control their jung and gi. ¡ªin the end, this was all just one process. from body to energy¡ªfrom energy to mind. ¡ªwith the harmony of these factors, one could lead their human body to a new path¡­ philip shared his knowledge about the human body that he had learned after experiencing death, and chi-woo quietly listened. byeok had misunderstood one thing. the purpose of this training wasn¡¯t for chi-woo to rise to a new level. more than that, he didn¡¯t feel the need to awaken himself again. instead, he was trying hard to understand what philip was saying like he was studying. after his battle with bael, chi-woo had gained a new understanding, but he couldn¡¯t sort it out properly when he tried to break it down exactly. to put into words what the realization was, it was a sensation that let him do everything he put his mind to; but he couldn¡¯t exactly describe what it was with that. chi-woo thought that the sensation would be somehow connected to the power inside him. if that was the case, it was only natural that he couldn¡¯t comprehend what it was with his current level of understanding. thus, he needed to contemplate this matter longer and gain a new way of understanding. to that end, he needed to get right to the core of the principle of jung-gi-shin; then it would serve as a strong foundation for him to understand his mind and body. after all, there was the saying that all mathematical formulas were derived from elementary arithmetics. chi-woo¡¯s training was like that. rather than learning some difficult skill, he thought he should further dive into the fundamentals. of course, knowing it alone was meaningless. he would need to also learn how to apply this knowledge in practice and use it in real-life situations. for the full version, visit pawread dot com. ¡®gi is a medium of sorts. with the creation of life, it connects with the jung. with the beginning of thought, it connects with the shin.¡¯ coming from the brain, gi was used to operate the jung and shin. chi-woo used his shin to recall his battle with bael. he tried to remember how he had fought then and what would¡¯ve happened if he had fought another way. then, a strange thing happened. like how 1+1 was 2, but 0 +2 and 3-1 all equaled 2, philip¡¯s explanation opened a new way of thinking for chi-woo. by approaching the same situation in a different way, new truths came to him one by one. and when he understood and utilized them, the sensations that he had forcefully pushed down became digestible. for example, philip had given him a piece of advice during his battle with bael. ¡ªthe remaining method is to turn soft to strong¡­ the strong overcame the soft and the soft overcame the strong. only clinging to these principles was the same as putting limitations on himself. even though it was efficient to smolder the strong with softness, there was no need for him to swear upon it. after all, he could respond to the strong with greater strength and softness with greater softness too. the key was for him to understand the basis of these logics and apply them. ¡ªand to carry out this logic in practice, you need to master the essence of stillness in movement¡­. if chi-woo mastered the relationship between stillness and movement, everything would naturally follow even if he didn¡¯t learn the others. this was what philip wanted to tell him. with the thought in mind, he could imagine without limits by using energy to operate his body and mind as his foundation. ¡ªbe like a storm but also like the mountain breeze. be like the mountain breeze but also like the storm. ¡®i see.¡¯ ¡ªeven the same storm could be accompanied by lightning or rain. ¡®i suppose that¡¯s one way to think of it.¡¯ chi-woo understood what philip had advised ru amuh a long time ago in another way. ¡ªi guess you¡¯ve heard a thing or two¡­but that¡¯s not what i mean. i¡¯m saying that if you focus too much on strength, you would be limiting yourself in ways of raising strength. ¡ªyou know how to withdraw and be flexible, but once you decide on a direction to go, you tend to rely on it too much. this was the main point that philip was trying to pass on to chi-woo. it was then chi-woo realized that philip hadn¡¯t just been bluffing when he said that he could¡¯ve beat ru amuh from that time. philip became excited then; chi-woo was showing a small change as he understood his teachings one by one. after coming back from his solitary training, as a spirit, philip saw chi-woo¡¯s mind and body filled with light. it was as if he was seeing a holy master returning after great trials and reaching enlightenment. soon, the light grew fainter. what had once been scattered all over was neatly put into place one by one. seeing this process, philip realized instinctively that chi-woo was in the midst of rising to new heights even without achieving new realizations. chi-woo himself felt this change clearly. the vessel inside him that made up his body was widening, and extra spaces began to form. to make an analogy, it was like how a cluttered room gained more empty space after the unnecessary items were organized. ¡®then¡­¡¯ as he had done inside future yoo-joo¡¯s space, chi-woo activated the power inside him without hesitation. byeok and chi-hyun would¡¯ve been shocked and horrified if they knew what he was doing. even philip foamed in his mouth in terror. ¡ªhey, hey! you crazy bastard! even though chi-woo had acknowledged and accepted this power inside him, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he still needed to be careful around it. thus, how could he just draw it out of himself like this? philip jumped up and down trying to stop chi-woo, but soon settled down. his mouth gaped open as he stared at chi-woo. chi-woo didn¡¯t look pained or tortured as he had done before. it was the same for his power. instead of running berserk, it flowed calmly like a river. it was more stable than any other time and even looked a bit happy. and while being smoldered by this cluster of playfully fluctuating light, chi-woo smiled. he had made a promise. even though the power had been too much for him then, he had promised to accept it someday after trying again and again. ¡ªit¡¯s not going berserk¡­? philip, who didn¡¯t know about the promise the two shared, stared in a daze as chi-woo and the light resonated with one another. CH 465 the subjugation of the abyss! it was just a couple of words, but the meaning they held wasn¡¯t trivial by any means. until now, humanity and the cassiubia league had been on the defense. even though they sometimes ventured outside to attack, their purpose had always been to protect their territories. yet humanity and the cassiubia league were finally deciding to take the offensive this time. after being one-sidedly beaten until now, this was a completely new turn of events for them. of course, they couldn¡¯t simply celebrate the news. there were still many matters to worry about. besides predicting the odds of their victory against the abyss, they had to consider another factor. ¡°the sernitas,¡± zelit said. ¡°what happened to them? is there any news?¡± the sernitas wasn¡¯t an existence that they could simply ignore. it would be too naive of them to hope for the sernitas to remain inactive while humanity and the cassiubia league attacked the abyss. they didn¡¯t know what the sernitas would do exactly, but it was clear that they would take some kind of action. ¡°we decided to confront the sernitas at the cassiubia mountain range in case they made their move,¡± chi-hyun said. having guessed what chi-hyun meant by those words, zelit replied, ¡°that means¡­we will have to subjugate the abyss with only the forces from shalyh.¡± the entire meeting place became quiet upon zelit¡¯s announcement. this changed things again. if all the forces in the cassiubia mountain range and shalyh concentrated on fighting the abyss, the chance for victory wouldn¡¯t be low. after all, no matter how strong the abyss king was, the cassiubia league and humanity had not just one or two, but three figures who could oppose him one on one. yet if the last dragon, who represented the cassiubia league, dropped out of the war to defend the mountain range¡­the situation became a bit more ambiguous. it made one wonder, ¡®will we be able to exterminate the abyss with forces from shalyh alone?¡¯ defending against enemies invading their lands was vastly different from initiating an invasion into an enemy territory. at the same time, although it would be difficult, it didn¡¯t seem impossible since chi-woo would be joined by chi-hyun in this war. chi-hyun was the legend who had kept the majority of the sernitas¡¯ forces busy in the previous war, and he possessed enough strength to rival a whole nation. if the two forces¡ªchi-hyun and chi-woo¡ªjoined hands, the situation seemed doable somehow. many of those attending the meeting were occupied with a myriad of thoughts, and no one dared to speak rashly. they were careful to voice their opinions given the current situation. ¡°why don¡¯t we seek cooperation with the abyss? if we could deal with the sernitas first¡­¡± zelit said cautiously. he did have a point. that would allow the cassiubia league and humanity to focus their whole attention on one place while gaining a strong ally¡ªas long as they could guarantee that the partnership between the three forces was steadfast, that was. ¡°we considered that scenario¡­but it¡¯s too risky. the last dragon and i share the same opinion on that matter,¡± chi-hyun said, and everyone nodded in agreement. it was the same for chi-woo. he recalled what ismile had told him before and realized why his brother and the last dragon would take such a stance. [why do you only consider the positives when talking about alliances?] [if we make an alliance with a faction, i bet that faction would secretly send out a messenger to pass on their plot to backstab us. that¡¯s the kind of world this place is.] these were enemies who had fought one another to the deaths until now. even if they joined hands out of necessity, who knew when they would let go of the hands in their grasp and betray their allies? what if they believed the abyss and attacked the sernitas, but were attacked on both sides in the end? that would be the end of humanity and the cassiubia league. it was horrible to even think about the possibility. thus, the conclusion was simple. rather than risking unknown danger for some unreliable collaboration, they should bear the worst-case scenario from the beginning and take care of the two remaining enemy factions by making them one. in the first place, it remained a fact that the sernitas and the abyss were both enemies they needed to eliminate from liber. everyone came to accept chi-hyun¡¯s stance. while the forces at the cassiubia mountain range surveilled the sernitas, the forces in shalyh would subjugate the abyss. this was the reveal of another great ordeal, but nobody grumbled or complained. things were different from before. they now had confidence, and the situation was much better compared to the time they defended against the three-faction alliance in the great war. ¡°i will announce the day we¡¯ll depart when it¡¯s decided. everyone, prepare yourselves thoroughly from today on,¡± chi-hyun declared, and the meeting came to an end. when the attendees left, each of their faces was filled with an indescribable sense of passion and fervor. in a pitch-black darkness, they were finally beginning to see a path leading to the salvation of liber. *** after the meeting was over, chi-woo returned to seven stars. it was because murumuru had followed him with another companion, saying that they wanted to talk to him for a bit. chi-woo thought they were seeking to secure their supply of ai armor for the upcoming war beforehand, but he was off the mark. ¡°i heard a rumor that the seven stars is taking care of one of our kind,¡± murumuru said unexpectedly. ¡°i will begin by thanking you for saving her. it seems like she¡¯s doing well, but there¡¯s no need for an organization of your size to go to such lengths.¡± ¡®what are they going on about now?¡¯ chi-woo wondered. ¡°i¡¯m saying there¡¯s no need for you to feel responsible over someone who is one of us. you can leave her with us. we will take care of her well.¡± chi-woo thought he heard wrong. he couldn¡¯t tell if murumuru was trying to steal flora away from them, or was really speaking out of the kindness of their heart for a fellow half-demon. if it was the former, this was a good reason to fight, but¡­after a short consideration, chi-woo came to the conclusion that murumuru¡¯s intention was closer to the latter. half-demons were outcasts shunned by both humanity and the demon empire. thus, the group showed strong wariness and antagonism to outside groups, but on the other hand, tended to be very tight-knit. this was evident by how murumuru came to personally thank him for saving some nameless half-demon girl as a representative of their kind. ¡°thank you for your offer, but i have no intention of expelling flora from seven stars,¡± chi-woo calmly refused. ¡°it¡¯s not out of a sense of responsibility or loyalty that we¡¯re keeping her here. we brought her to seven stars because we saw her potential.¡± if chi-woo¡¯s speculation was right, murumuru should leave without any complaints, and as expected, murumuru didn¡¯t say anything else. murumuru simply gave chi-woo a strange look. it was true that murumuru had been keeping an eye on flora. but that wasn¡¯t because murumuru recognized flora¡¯s true worth or potential. the fame and reputation of seven stars were already tirelessly spoken about, and the group was one of the top forces among not just shalyh, but the entire humanity and the cassiubia league. one could tell just by the fact that chi-hyun had moved the designated meeting place from the official residence to apertum. though this could be a menial detail, one couldn¡¯t ignore the symbolic meaning that this tiny action carried. it meant that the single-minded, dominant legend respected the seven stars and catered to them. anyways, because of how much influence seven stars held, information about existing and newly joined members and so on often became big news. and not so long ago, murumuru heard a strange rumor that seven stars had accepted a half-demon girl as one of their members. it was definitely good news for them if true. [seven stars accepted a half-demon¡­?] [aren¡¯t each of their members no joke?] [hm. it seems that they are keeping it quiet because there¡¯s something going on, but¡­] [should we investigate this matter?] the news of one of the half-demons joining seven stars alone changed the way shalyh residents saw them. in fact, the number of organizations who sought out half-demons to use them as mercenaries or other recruitment purposes had been increasing since then. this demand would only rise further once chi-hyun mentioned the upcoming war. ¡®i heard those two were brothers. then, chi-woo could¡¯ve learned about the war beforehand, and naturally¡­¡¯ murumuru thought perhaps chi-woo had planned this whole event to promote a smooth cooperation between the half-demons and other groups. murumuru had come to the conclusion because they didn¡¯t know flora¡¯s true potential and couldn¡¯t think of any other reason seven stars would accept a half-demon. ¡°well, if you say so. all right. you said her name was flora, right? please take care of her,¡± murumuru said and got up. there was some big misunderstanding, but it was fine. though murumuru didn¡¯t like to feel indebted to someone else, they seemed ready to drop the issue this time. it was because murumuru thought they had an idea why chi-woo was doing such a favor for them. ¡°i¡¯m not saying it¡¯s bad, but it seems a bit too much. it¡¯s almost like an overkill. all we did was accept that silver-haired girl¡¯s request and aided her a bit.¡± ¡°¡­sorry? who?¡± ¡°what? did you not know about it?¡± *** this was what had happened before seven stars went on their balim expedition. hawa was spending many days feeling conflicted about her position in seven stars. as days passed by, she felt her presence in the group become smaller. it was natural since she was a liber native rather than a celestial realm hero, but she knew better than anyone else that such thoughts were nothing more than excuses and self-justifications. this was evident by how eshnunna was getting treated when she had been dealt the same cards as her. though they were both on the main team, the level of performance the two displayed was different. eshnunna was treated like 1.5 elite force, while hawa was at most a secondary force. she was just a guide. nothing less, nothing more. she couldn¡¯t say that eshnunna was simply lucky for having evelyn as her master either since hawa had received training under a hero called the legend at one point. how did things reach such a state? thinking back, her plight seemed to originate from a particular point in time. [hawa.] [are you¡­laughing?] she remembered the moment chi-woo glared at her with chilling eyes. even though quite some time had passed then, her body still shuddered whenever she recalled his gaze. she supposed that she now knew what the enemies felt when they faced chi-woo. at that time, hawa tried to desperately fix the situation by surveilling the demon empire¡¯s zone all day long and diving into battle to protect them without hesitation. thanks to that, she was able to escape grave punishment, but not completely, as shown by chi-woo¡¯s behavior. from then on, chi-woo had never once called on hawa or even spared her a glance. it was as if she weren¡¯t even there. chi-woo was frighteningly cold once he turned his back on someone, and with her quick wits, hawa instantly felt that chi-woo wouldn¡¯t have even the slightest care in the world even if she declared that she would leave seven stars. thus, there seemed to be only two choices left to make. she could quietly leave the organization, or she could cling to her position with all she had. of course, she didn¡¯t even give the first option any consideration. as someone who had personally experienced how advantageous it was to be a member of seven stars, not just in shalyh, but in this world, she couldn¡¯t give that up easily. yet she didn¡¯t want to stay in the group when her presence didn¡¯t matter. thus, the only remaining method was to somehow get into chi-woo¡¯s favor again. from then on, hawa changed. first of all, she paid extreme attention to her words and actions. to avoid doing anything that she could later be reprimanded for, she thought twice or thrice before carrying her thoughts into action. she also routinely participated in the charity activities that evelyn went to, visited the half-demons and apologized to them, and so on. furthermore, she completed works that she wouldn¡¯t have even imagined herself doing in the past. but she knew it would be too naive of her to expect chi-woo to recognize her again for doing things that should¡¯ve been natural to her from the beginning. she needed something else to move his heart again. thus, while circling around chi-woo, hawa gained an opportunity. she saw it when the boy who visited seven stars after seeing the announcement at the apertum returned home. after receiving money from seven stars for his information, he returned with a pouch full of money in his clutch, plain as day for all to see. originally a native foremost, hawa knew life on liber better than anyone else. like how not all celestial heroes were heroic, it was the same for the natives. not every strong person was evil, and not every weak person was good. hawa secretly tailed the boy and got an intuitive feeling when she saw him walk into the alleyway while several poor natives took furtive glances at his pouch. if it wasn¡¯t for the balim expedition, she might have watched over the situation for 24 hours. but hawa needed to leave for the expedition soon, and after contemplating a bit, she sought out the half-demons. she explained the situation and asked them to look over the boy, and murumuru easily accepted the request. though they didn¡¯t have the best relationship with one another, hawa had sincerely apologized to them before and given them commissions. furthermore, they couldn¡¯t refuse a request from a member of seven stars. when hawa returned from her expedition, she heard from murumuru about what had happened. several people targeted the boy, and murumuru¡¯s team chased them away severely. it wasn¡¯t significant in the grand scheme of things, but without hawa, things would¡¯ve been different. and hawa could¡¯ve led chi-woo to find out about it, but she didn¡¯t. she quietly waited for her chance, and her wait was finally rewarded today. after listening to murumuru¡¯s retelling of what had happened, chi-woo called hawa for the first time since that incident. hawa straightened her back, looking slightly tense. it was because chi-woo was staring at her coldly. chi-woo only spoke after a long stretch of silence. ¡°why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± ¡°i only did what was expected¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t play ignorant and answer me properly.¡± ¡°i thought it wasn¡¯t right for me to do that,¡± hawa said the answer she had prepared beforehand as soon as she heard chi-woo¡¯s reply. ¡°i didn¡¯t want to give you the impression that i did something just to show off,¡± she admitted honestly. chi-woo stared intently at her as hawa gulped nervously. then, he said, ¡°good job.¡± hawa¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°you took care of something i overlooked,¡± chi-woo admitted his mistake. well, it was hardly a mistake in others¡¯ eyes; it was surprising that chi-woo had complimented hawa, but that was how chi-woo¡¯s personality was; he said ¡®good job¡¯ on a job well done and ¡®bad job¡¯ on a job poorly done. and hawa did well this time. chi-woo had thought that the deal with the boy was finished after he gave him the promised sum and stopped caring about it, but if he had learned about the boy¡¯s misfortune later on, he would¡¯ve felt discomforted by the news. thanks to hawa¡¯s quick thinking, she prevented an incident from happening. in that sense, hawa clearly did a good job. he couldn¡¯t deny this fact. ¡°i made a promise when i decided that seven stars would turn over a new leaf.¡± it was to give rewards to those who properly deserved it and punish those who did wrong. ¡°even if it¡¯s something small, you did something well and deserve a reward.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the conversation was going in the direction hawa wished, but for some reason, she was feeling tense. hawa licked her lips. ¡°what do you want?¡± chi-woo asked. originally, she planned to ask for forgiveness when chi-woo asked this question. but she thought, ¡®is that really what i want?¡¯ chi-woo told her to not put up an act and speak honestly. ¡°give me power, sir.¡± chi-woo raised one eyebrow. ¡°i hope that you¡¯ll also give me power like the others,¡± hawa revealed her true desire now that the situation arose. chi-woo looked at her intently and tapped on his desk. ¡°do you want to be one of the seven stars?¡± ¡°it would be a lie if i said i didn¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°i have no intention of offering you one of the star positions, nor do i think you are suitable for it.¡± read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at [ pawread.com ] ¡°i know it¡¯s a long shot.¡± it would be nice to become a star, but she didn¡¯t dare covet it. still, she wanted power. chi-woo glanced at the chain around his wrist and looked back at hawa. [you should be especially wary of hawa.] [you all must know what i¡¯m talking about after seeing her user information.] [though her skills are quite useful, you don¡¯t know where she will spring off to.] [if you want to help her grow stronger despite that, you should properly set her in the right direction.] chi-woo recalled what grumpy chi-woo had said during their time in future yoo-joo¡¯s space. ¡°why should i?¡± chi-woo asked. ¡°if you¡¯ve acted like this before, i might not have even hesitated to grant your request. i would¡¯ve given you the power even without you asking for it.¡± however, hawa didn¡¯t do that. although she was young, she had learned the way of the world too early. ¡°so, how can i trust you?¡± ¡°is there really a need¡­for you to trust me?¡± chi-woo frowned. maybe he heard her wrong, but he didn¡¯t care. while touching her neck, hawa calmly said, ¡°you already have my lifeline in your hands. you can just yank the leash whenever i stray from the right path¡­for forever.¡± chi-woo hadn¡¯t expected this response at all and looked greatly taken aback. ¡°¡­huh?¡± CH 466 chi-woo looked calm on the outside, but he was flustered. she asked him to keep an eye on her forever. he understood what she meant, but it sounded a bit strange. of course, even though hawa didn¡¯t mean it like that¡ª ¡ªwhoaaahhhhhhah! chi-woo put his hand on his forehead as philip made a fuss and huffed loudly. anyway, technically she wasn¡¯t wrong. chi-woo¡¯s current class was saint. it was a position above la bella¡¯s apostle and of course, a cardinalis. in fact, he was virtually la bella¡¯s agent, and if he demanded the suspension of hawa¡¯s sponsorship with a proper basis, la bella could not easily ignore his request. in that sense, it was true that chi-woo held the leash on hawa¡¯s neck. chi-woo pondered for a while. after organizing his thoughts, he said, ¡°i have nothing more to give you after that day.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°no matter how hard you work and try to bloom your talent, no matter how great a performance you show and how many merits you earn, that will remain to be true. it¡¯s like that even now. my mind won¡¯t ever change in the future.¡± chi-woo stared at hawa, who had her head slightly lowered. hawa hadn¡¯t worked particularly hard for this matter or earned significant merits. technically, what she did for the boy was just another trivial matter. however, it was the first time that hawa had ever moved for the sake of another person. a girl who showed no consideration for others was trying to change herself. the fact that she was working to match chi-woo¡¯s pursuit did move him a little, but even then, he hesitated. the power to rule the world was truly an extraordinary ability. if this ability was known, it would attract a great deal of attention not only from liber, but also from the celestial realm. it was to the extent that the moment he saw it, chi-hyun had cursed and called chi-woo insane. chi-hyun also repeatedly made him swear to never abuse its power. chi-woo didn¡¯t think his brother was wrong. of course, being too stingy with it would be a problem, but overusing it would also be a problem. thus, he only used it after going over the consequences numerous times. ¡®my intuition is¡­quiet.¡¯ his intuition, which alway gave him some kind of signal in a situation like this, was silent today. as a result, it was entirely up to him whether to use the power on hawa. ¡°hawa¡­you¡¯ve been with me for quite a while.¡± they¡¯ve been together since he entered liber as the seventh recruits. the memory of them living closely together in a cave felt like yesterday. chi-woo was also human in the end, and he knew that hawa was desperate for strength. he wanted to accept her request for old times sake as long as she was prepared to pay the appropriate price. ¡°i¡¯ll give it to you, if you like.¡± hawa¡¯s eyes opened slightly. ¡°however, you have to pay a price for it.¡± ¡°if it¡¯s just a price¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s the relationship that you and i have built up so far.¡± hawa flinched. with all her shrewdness, she immediately understood what chi-woo meant. while chi-woo had put it in as gentle a way as possible, what his words meant was extremely cold and cruel. ¡°i can give you strength. but if you cause trouble¡­it would become my problem as well, since i was the one who gave you that strength.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°if that happens, i won¡¯t be able to forgive you. i have no choice but to finish you.¡± there were no second chances. if hawa caused a problem like last time again, her relationship with chi-woo would end that day. simply put, he would have to kill her. ¡°i¡¯ll give you strength if you¡¯re ready to accept it,¡± chi-woo calmly said. they were not empty words, nor words to threaten or blackmail her. he sincerely meant everything he said, and hawa felt it too. that day, she had clearly realized that if chi-woo really wanted, he could throw anyone away. ¡°yes.¡± hawa nodded despite knowing what she was getting into. ¡°i¡¯m prepared.¡± ¡°think carefully and answer.¡± chi-woo raised his hand. clang, the chain on his wrist stretched out and wrapped around hawa¡¯s neck. the very moment hawa unconsciously reached for the chain, it immediately began to strangle her. chi-woo pulled at it. ¡°ugh¡­!¡± hawa made a suffocating sound, tilted her head sharply, and fell. ¡°you won¡¯t be able to reverse your decision.¡± hawa collapsed on her knees and raised her head with difficulty. her eyes trembled as she looked up at chi-woo, who was looking down at her like a king sitting on a throne. ¡°i¡­won¡¯t bark¡­¡± as the chains tightened around her throat, she stuttered out the words. ¡°i¡¯ll follow you¡­like a faithful dog¡­so¡­please don¡¯t¡­throw me away¡­¡± chi-woo let out a long breath and said, ¡°¡­if that¡¯s your choice.¡± he activated the power to rule the world. ¡°then endure it.¡± [la hawa- page(1/1)] 1. reach at least 90% in trust for ¡®7 ways to become a great and respected parent¡¯ (complete) 2. be promoted to ¡®platinum¡¯ tier (complete) 3. show absolute obedience to choi chi-woo, the ruler of shalyh (complete) 4. use at least 3 and at most 7 points of ¡®blessed luck¡¯ (incomplete) ¡°i also hope that¡ª¡± [the power to rule the world has been used.] [innate ability [blessed luck] consumed (76->69).] ¡°you¡¯ll become an eve who didn¡¯t eat the fruit from the tree of good and evil¡­!¡± crackle! the chain around hawa¡¯s neck shone brilliantly. [the power to rule the world ¡®creates¡¯ hawa¡¯s innate ability, ¡®masochist reparation¡¯. 1.[masochist reparation a] ¨C a type of shamanic witchcraft from a shaman that has long served a god. the user¡¯s body gets stronger the greater the crisis she is in and the more pain she endures. enduring the pain of wearing ill-fitted clothes is equivalent to self-abuse. the user is willing to accept abuse with the determination to right her wrongs. though this ability makes the user more powerful the more they endure, the user must be careful. as soon as she takes off her new clothes just because it feels a bit stuffy, everything she received in return for her resolution would come back to hit her like a boomerang. * * * after dealing with hawa, chi-woo called everyone and delivered what he heard at the meeting. he told them to be prepared since they decided to subjugate the abyss with shalyh¡¯s power alone. the members reacted to the news similarly. if they successfully subjugated the abyss, their only enemy left would be the sernitas. it seemed as if everyone was deeply affected because the end was finally near. of course, thinking like this now was no different from counting their chickens before they hatched. they could probably only discuss their final plans after successfully subjugating the abyss the soonest. after the meeting, chi-woo called evelyn separately because of chi-hyun¡¯s request. evelyn was once the top leading figure of the abyss as one of the members of the two monarchs three-six alliance. as such, she must know about not only the monarchs of the abyss, but also basic information about the seven chasms. as the saying went, ¡®if you know your enemy and yourself, you can win every battle,¡¯ knowing their enemy and preparing in advance would be of considerable help. evelyn readily agreed to help because there was no reason for her to decline. ¡°then should i first tell you about her highness, the abyss queen, who used to rule half of abyss?¡± ¡°if you¡¯re talking about the abyss queen¡­wasn¡¯t she extinguished?¡± ¡°she wasn¡¯t extinguished, but defeated and eaten by the abyss king.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s not. i¡¯m saying that the king absorbed her. why do you think the abyss king purposely ate the abyss queen?¡± by this, evelyn meant that the abyss king had forcibly absorbed and combined with the abyss queen. evelyn continued, ¡°during the great war, the abyss king suddenly disappeared from the battlefield, right?¡± ¡°yes, that¡¯s what i heard.¡± ¡°he didn¡¯t actually disappear. he went back.¡± ¡°by that¡­are you talking about teleportation?¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m not talking about moving to a location.¡± evelyn shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m talking about moving to a point in time.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°he went back in time.¡± to access the premium content, go to [ pawread.com ]. chi-woo was shocked. ¡°he regressed? that makes no sense¡­ i mean, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case, right? the fact that we won the great war hasn¡¯t changed.¡± if the abyss king had gone back in time, the great war could have proceeded more favorably and easily for his side. however, the future hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°it¡¯s not regression. he only turned back his own time.¡± it took a moment for chi-woo to understand evelyn¡¯s words. ¡°for example, let¡¯s suppose you suddenly received a fatal wound. what if you can return your body back to 10 minutes ago before you¡¯re on the verge of dying? then what do you think will happen?¡± only after hearing her explanation did chi-woo open his mouth in realization. ¡°the abyss king can only do a little more than the example i gave. he can only turn back his own time. it¡¯s not powerful enough to rewind the entire world¡¯s time at once.¡± if the abyss king had the ability to invoke regression whenever he wanted, the winner of the war would definitely have been the abyss. ¡°by the way, this ability was originally the abyss queen¡¯s.¡± it was then chi-woo realized what evelyn meant when she said that the abyss king had eaten the queen. chi-woo said, ¡°it really is troublesome. if he can use that ability continuously, he basically has many extra lives.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know about that part, but he probably can¡¯t use it recklessly. i can count the number of times her highness used that ability with one hand. in my personal opinion, i think that a heavy price needs to be paid every time that ability is used.¡± ¡°that¡¯s a relief then.¡± ¡°yeah, it would be a relief. if he could only turn back time to the past, that is.¡± chi-woo furrowed his brows. ¡°it¡¯s not just the past.¡± evelyn cleared her throat and continued, ¡°he can go to the future too by arbitrarily speeding up the time flowing around him.¡± for example, this meant that if he used this ability on flora, she could increase the speed of her growth dramatically, and the flora 10 years into the future would be incomparably different from her current self. ¡°of course, there will probably be many restrictions other than what i know. but still, we have to be careful. it¡¯s a tricky ability to deal with depending on how you use it.¡± ¡°yes, that seems to be the case.¡± chi-woo decided to etch this into his memory. ¡°all right, then next¡­¡± * * * after his conversation with evelyn, chi-woo visited the official residence with a document summarizing the information she had told him. ¡°good work.¡± chi-hyun glanced through the document and nodded. ¡°we will draft a war plan based on this information. if it¡¯s true, it would be of significant help.¡± he pushed the document to one side, saying that he needed to make a copy of it first and then asked chi-woo, who was sitting still, ¡°what do you think of this war?¡± ¡°huh? well¡­a war that we must win?¡± ¡°well, that¡¯s not wrong.¡± chi-hyun nodded. ¡°but it¡¯s not enough to just win.¡± his voice suddenly quieted. ¡°we must thoroughly overwhelm them from beginning to end. we need a complete, perfect victory so that we can subjugate the abyss and then immediately fight the sernitas after.¡± chi-woo could guess what chi-hyun was trying to say. he was planning this war with the worst scenario in mind. if the sernitas made their move, it was highly likely that the forces at the cassiubia mountain range alone wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. at most, they would hold on for dear life and collapse eventually. thus, they needed to subjugate the abyss before the cassiubian mountain range collapsed, and with their maximum power intact as well. ¡°there¡¯s me, but the seven stars are also important. you and your members will play a central and key role in this war¡­?¡± chi-hyun stopped mid-sentence and glanced at chi-woo. chi-woo was grinning even though he was in the middle of saying something important. ¡°¡­why are you smiling?¡± ¡°no, i just thought it was a good thing that i rose to master tier.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°besides everything, you do keep your promise very well. in the past, you would have told me to know my place and stay holed up in shalyh, but now, you give me important roles without hesitation.¡± chi-woo chuckled boisterously, saying that his brother had changed a lot compared to before. thus, he didn¡¯t see the moment chi-hyun¡¯s face stiffened and continued to say, ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ve gotten pretty strong too. i don¡¯t know about the sernitas, but i don¡¯t think i¡¯ll lose against the abyss¡­ maybe i¡¯m stronger than you.¡± chi-woo prepared to make a run for it as soon as he said those last words because he thought his furious brother would immediately rush toward him. however, for some reason, his brother didn¡¯t show any reaction. he just looked down at the desk with a slightly blank expression. soon after, chi-hyun sighed and quietly stood up. ¡°¡­chi-hyun?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve got work to do. i¡¯ll go ahead first.¡± then he immediately turned around and walked towards the door. ¡°uh¡­¡± with a slightly flustered look, chi-woo watched his brother¡¯s back as he quietly opened the door and left. CH 467 the next day, chi-woo went to his office after eating breakfast and found someone waiting for him. it was evelyn. her face looked worn-out like she had trouble sleeping the night before. ¡°what happened? are you okay?¡± chi-woo asked. ¡°¡­i had a dream,¡± evelyn replied wearily. ¡°a dream about the abyss queen¡­¡± chi-woo fixed his posture then and asked, ¡°was it a prophetic dream?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know¡­¡± evelyn clenched her eyes shut. ¡°her highness came into my dream¡­and gave me a warning of sorts¡­? anyway, i remember it being a very important message¡­but i can¡¯t remember¡­ah¡­¡± evelyn¡¯s face filled with annoyance unlike her usual self while she told this story, and she grumbled frustratedly as she struggled to recall the dream. that was how dreams tended to be. no matter how vivid one was, many forgot most of it when they woke up. find the original at "pawread.com". ¡°anyway, i don¡¯t have a good feeling about this. it seems that the abyss is preparing something,¡± evelyn said after inhaling deeply. ¡°i¡¯m not certain. of course, it would be nice if i¡¯m worrying over nothing¡­but i thought i should tell you beforehand.¡± chi-woo could¡¯ve told her that everything would be all right, and that news of the war might have affected her mind so that she shouldn¡¯t worry too much. however, chi-woo didn¡¯t simply dismiss evelyn¡¯s words and instead considered them carefully. it was because what evelyn said aligned with what chi-hyun had mentioned in the last assembly when he announced their decision to exterminate the abyss. he said that the sernitas and the abyss were making suspicious moves. they were too quiet. chi-woo also thought it was strange. they had blasted off one of the chasms¡ªbalim¡¯s secret base. he thought the abyss would respond in some way after that, but surprisingly, they made absolutely no move. no explanation seemed applicable other than that they were secretly plotting something. and with evelyn''s warning, there seemed to clearly be something going on. the intuition that had remained silent about hawa was now ringing loud alarms. it was saying that things would be too late if he waited until the war to act. he needed to alter things before that¡­ hm? ¡®alter?¡¯ the word suddenly popped into his head and confused him. what was he supposed to ¡®alter¡¯ exactly? chi-woo contemplated this for some time. *** meanwhile, the atmosphere in the abyss was quite dreary these days. it was because of a rumor surrounding the abyss king. after the great war, the abyss king suddenly hid his presence. it was clear that he was somewhere in the abyss''s main territory since each of the seven chasms had gathered after being summoned by him. but after the meeting, the chasms also disappeared without a trace. there was evidence of them entering abyss¡¯ territory, but no sign of them leaving. the same thing happened again and again until there was only one chasm remaining, and even that one responded to the king¡¯s summon and was never seen coming out of the place. all sorts of rumors arose about the situation, but nobody knew what was happening except the individuals involved. an example was one of the chasms, gotaya. gotaya was on one knee with his head bowed. ¡ª gotaya, my faithful chasm. the voice seemed to be flowing out of the darkness. ¡ªdo you know the reason i called you? gotaya raised his head slightly at the abyss king¡¯s question. it was then he saw the debris and rubbles around him. there were six piles in total, and gotaya said calmly. ¡ªyes, i¡¯m aware of it. ¡ªgood. then¡­ the abyss king smiled faintly. ¡ªit is time for you to die for me. an insidious shadow cast over gotaya¡¯s head and opened its mouth wide. ¡ªyes, i understand. gotaya accepted death without hesitation, and the shadow swallowed gotaya from the head. there was a chilling sound of bones breaking and crunching. gulp, gulp. after some time, there was a gulping sound like the shadow was drinking something. there was no recognizable trace of gotaya remaining, and another pile of rubble was added to the six. after absorbing gotaya, the abyss king let out a long sigh. he leaned against the chair and closed his eyes. the abyss surrounding the king became deeper and thicker as if time was flowing on its own around him. and a spark burst out as the abyss king¡¯s energy fluctuated and increased abnormally. flash! that was only the start. soon afterward, the abyss king¡¯s whole body began to warp crazily. it melted, crumbled, and broke apart as if he was getting one-sidedly beaten up. and when he reached a terrible state that looked as if he was just moments away from disappearing, the abyss king¡¯s time stopped flowing. parts of his body recovered as if time was rewinding until he returned to the moment right after he consumed gotaya. he let out a lamenting sigh. ¡ªeven with this, it doesn¡¯t change¡­ as evelyn said, the abyss king had gained the ability to manipulate time with certain limits after consuming the abyss queen. using the ability, the abyss king was able to learn a piece of important information: he would be extinguished in the forthcoming future, as shown by what happened when he turned the time of his mind ahead to a certain point. naturally, he couldn¡¯t sit by and let this happen after learning this truth. to escape the future where he was extinguished, the abyss king resorted to all possible efforts, but the future remained the same. thus, in the end, he decided to call the seven chasms one by one. gotaya was the last, and with him, the king had absorbed all the chasms and was stronger than ever. yet the future didn¡¯t change. the abyss king let out a humorless laugh. how could things not change after he went so far? perhaps if he had more time, things would¡¯ve been different; whoever it was, someone had a sure-fire plan to kill him at just the right time. the abyss king let out a long sigh. with this, he did everything he possibly could. he couldn¡¯t do more than this, and even if he did, it would be meaningless. still, something did come to his mind. he had used the queen¡¯s ability with the intent to escape the future where he was extinguished. he quickly turned time with hope and expectations. but what would happen if he turned time after learning that everything was useless? what choice would his future self make? would he accept death like this, or continue to struggle using another method? there weren¡¯t too many chances to find out now. the queen¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t something that he could use limitlessly. he was able to use it however he wanted so far because it wasn¡¯t him who was activating the power. instead, the queen was still alive inside him and had been bearing the weight of the use of her power. but that was also reaching the limit now. he felt that the queen was becoming worn-out and weak after enduring numerous uses of the time-shifting ability, and she could disappear any moment now. if the result was the same this time too, the abyss king had planned to quietly accept death¡ªbut then he shook his head. no, he couldn¡¯t lose hope now. he couldn¡¯t give up; only then would another path to the future open. after clearing his mind, the abyss king used the queen¡¯s ability. sometime later, he sensed some kind of change and looked down at his body. ¡ª¡­hm? ¡ªha¡­haha¡­ it was hard to tell whether he was happy or shocked. but soon afterward¡­ ¡ªin the end¡­finally¡­! hahahahaha¡­! the cavity echoed with what sounded like the laughter of a madman. *** chi-woo had been busy these days since chi-hyun wasn¡¯t the only one preparing for the upcoming war. chi-hyun had emphasized many times that in case they had to battle the sernitas, they had to win an overwhelming victory against the abyss. this was difficult to do with shalyh¡¯s forces alone without those from the cassiubia mountain range. but it wasn¡¯t impossible. to quickly break apart an enemy, the best method was to strike the head of the enemy¡¯s army at the beginning of the war. if they could deal with the abyss king from the start, they would be able to win the war without suffering great casualties. thus, the most elite and strongest forces in shalyh decided to go after the abyss king¡ªnot just one, but two people. while the rest dealt with the seven chasms, chi-woo and chi-hyun would go after the abyss king. with this, the framework of the plan was established. chi-woo wanted to practice working with his brother in preparation for the fight, but chi-hyun said that would be unnecessary. chi-hyun said chi-woo could fight however he wished and he would give his support; he was confident in matching chi-woo''s pace whichever way chi-woo fought. like that, the preparation for the war progressed smoothly, but the worry that had lodged itself in a corner of chi-woo¡¯s heart grew. he was still concerned about evelyn¡¯s warning and didn¡¯t like the flow of everything that was happening. before it was too late, he needed to alter the flow right now. but in order to do that, he needed to find a tiny gap to alter. chi-woo went inside the image representation space whenever he had the time, but it didn¡¯t fully satisfy him or give him peace of mind. and as this went on, byeok finally sought out chi-woo while bringing flora with her. every single member of the seven stars was busy preparing for the war except for two people. chi-woo had given byeok and flora the leeway so that they could wholly focus on their training. and because byeok was also aware of the current situation, she trained flora harder; she was so harsh that even the emotionless flora showed resistance for the first time. ¡°with this, you could say that she gained everything she possibly could with training alone. of course, she isn¡¯t in a perfect state yet, but we did everything we could given the circumstances. the rest needs to be made up with the growth system.¡± training wasn¡¯t the only way to become stronger, and one could say that utilizing the growth system was the main method of growing one¡¯s power. flora¡¯s current tier was iron, and if she accumulated a bit of merit and raised her tier, she could receive special privileges. and just at the right time, a very special event that could help her gain experience¡ªthe war with the abyss¡ªwas happening. and many anticipated that flora would grow explosively through this war. but before that, chi-woo thought he should take what he could. he hadn¡¯t poured so much of their resources and time into flora simply out of goodwill. it was actually for his own benefit in the end, and now, it was time for him to check how much the person he cared for had grown. 1. name & rank: flora (¡ï¡î¡î¡î¡î) 2. sex & age: female & 16 3. height & weight: 160.5 cm & 47.5kg 4. denomination: ¡®the goddess of scales¡¯ and ¡®guardian of balance¡¯, la bella 5. tier: iron iv 6. class: swordfighter 5. heavenly title: the late blooming god of war 6. disposition: - [strength b] [durability b] [agility b] [stamina b] [mental fortitude e] [mana b] chi-woo¡¯s mouth gaped slightly open after he checked her user information. her physical attributes all reached b rank in the short time he hadn¡¯t seen her. her growth rate was astonishing even considering that he had shared golden ratio with her. perhaps it was made possible because of the different passage of time in the image representation space. ¡®at the least, she would¡¯ve only trained for several years,¡¯ chi-woo thought and nodded. then, he said, ¡°flora, do you remember the promise you made with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°i will take back the ability i gave and retrieve your power. in return, i will give you a new power,¡± chi-woo said. he was going to take back golden ratio and receive one of flora¡¯s abilities through sharing. and he would use the power to rule the world on her¡ªthat would come first considering its activation mechanism. it was better to use the power to rule the world when the other party was in their best state. there was no need for him to hesitate. chi-woo raised his chain and used the power to rule the world. then, he checked its activation conditions. ¡°?¡± chi-woo frowned. CH 468 [flora-page(1/1)] 1. reach at least 100% in trust for ¡®7 ways to become a great and respected parent¡¯ (complete) 2. become acknowledged by ¡®choi chi-woo¡¯, the ruler of shalyh, and become his ¡®star¡¯ (complete) 3. raise ¡®mental fortitude¡¯ among physical abilities in user information to at least ¡®e¡¯ (complete) 4. become acknowledged by ¡®byeok ran-eum¡¯, the celestial realm¡¯s examiner, and become her disciple (complete) 5. use at least 10 and at most 70 points of ¡®blessed luck¡¯ (incomplete) theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread.com ]. ¡®¡­wait a minute?¡¯ chi-woo closed his eyes reflexively. then he immediately checked the conditions printed in the air again. when the text remained unchanged, he turned around before looking back at it again. nevertheless, the range of blessed luck required in the fifth condition remained unchanged. it was still ¡®use at least 10 and at most 70 points¡¯. ¡°what are you doing all of the sudden?¡± byeok looked strangely at the suddenly agitated chi-woo. however, chi-woo couldn¡¯t answer. he tried not to swear in most cases, but he found himself struggling to swallow the words now. seriously, what the fuck? it wasn¡¯t like flora was a vacuum sucking up blessed luck; she required not 1 to 7, but 10 to 70 points? blessed luck wasn¡¯t just lying around in the streets. that would be equivalent to 50 million to 350 million merits. chi-woo hurried to check his remaining merits first. [user choi chi-woo¡¯s merit count: 320,875,352] he used to have over 1 billion, but he spent 500 million to recover his blessed luck once he hit 0. he had spent 150 million to replenish the blessed luck he used to activate deterrence on flora. he also spent about 110 million to raise the rank of divine blood and core of balance. although the expedition against balim had earned him some merits, it was basically a drop in the bucket. ¡®no¡­isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡¯ of course, if 70 points were too much, he could just use 10. however, when he thought about doing so, his blasted intuition began to pester him even though it¡¯d been quiet about hawa, questioning whether he really was going to waste the power to rule the world when it could only be used once on an individual. ¡®since you¡¯re going for it, let¡¯s go big and really reap the benefits,¡¯ his intuition said. he could always earn more merits, but this was an opportunity that would never come by again. ¡®geez, i don¡¯t know if i can even earn this amount of merits ever again. you hear me?¡¯ if it hadn¡¯t been for the great war, he wouldn¡¯t have earned more than 1 billion merits. ¡®this is strange no matter how much i think about it.¡¯ perfect yoo-joo had told him that she offered 10 points of blessed luck to that child. chi-woo had been very shocked when he heard that. except for evelyn, the power to rule the world had only ever required single-digit blessed luck from him, even for ru amuh. chi-woo didn¡¯t understand how the range would suddenly become 10 to 70. it was so bizarre that he couldn¡¯t even begin to wrap his mind around it. however, there was one thing that chi-woo wasn¡¯t aware of. the range of points required for the power to rule the world¡¯s activation was way more flexible than he ever imagined. what was the reason the requirement had almost never exceeded one digit for every subject he had used it on? the reason was simple. it was because he¡¯d been using the power to rule the world for someone else¡¯s sake rather than his own. however, it was different this time. from the very beginning he accepted flora as his star, chi-woo had done it with the intention to use this girl¡¯s growth as nourishment for his own growth. therefore, the power to rule the world took into consideration not only flora¡¯s growth, but also chi-woo¡¯s. thus, it was only natural that there would be extreme fluctuations in the requirement. strengthening a mortal existence that was no different from a mere worm and strengthening someone with the possibility of becoming a supreme existence even among immortals¡ªit was ridiculous and thoughtless to even make the comparison. just like how it cost only a small amount of money to repair a normal iron sword, it cost an enormous amount of money to repair a world-renown sword. in other words, the range of blessed luck required to activate the power to rule the world depended on the value generated. it was for the same reason that materializing the knowledge evelyn accumulated as an abyss witch required greater blessed luck than strengthening ru amuh. however, since chi-woo didn¡¯t know this fact, he could only assume that something had been twisted and changed from then. ¡®wait.¡¯ chi-woo flinched because he felt like he had finally found what he¡¯d been looking for all this time. ¡®twist¡­?¡¯ the abyss was brewing some kind of scheme. rather than leaving this flow as it was, chi-woo thought he should twist it in advance. however, this ¡®twist¡¯ had appeared before his eyes. of course, it was difficult to find the connection between the two, but he couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that they were connected. chi-woo sighed deeply and stared intently at the innocent flora. already wary of him, flora lowered her head in a hurry; she rolled her eyes looking flustered, wondering if she had done something wrong. ¡°why are you acting like that to her again?¡± now that she had basically become flora¡¯s mother, byeok said that kids should be allowed to be kids; why was he killing his baby¡¯s confidence? chi-woo smacked his lips. he looked conflicted, but he soon made his decision. he had used 30 points of blessed luck on flora when he used deterrence, and if he used 70 now, the maximum number of points¡ªthen he would have used a total of 100 blessed luck on her, which was equivalent to 500 million merits. ¡°you¡­you better show your worth.¡± chi-woo clenched his teeth. first, he brought the kobalos¡¯ magic fire pit and recovered 31 of his blessed luck. like this, his blessed luck went back to 100. [user choi chi-woo¡¯s merit count: 165,875,352] however, his remaining merits decreased by half. then chi-woo raised his arm with the chain bracelet wrapping around his wrist. his hands trembled as he cried figurative tears of blood. he really had no choice but to do this. [the power to rule the world has been used.] [innate ability [blessed luck] consumed (100->30).] a brilliant light shone around flora. soon after, a notification sound rang, and a message appeared in the air at the same time. [the power to rule the world ¡®creates¡¯ ¡®flora¡¯s innate ability, ¡®the heaven¡¯s vessel¡¯.] chi-woo frowned as he checked the new message. the heaven¡¯s vessel. it was different from the skill he¡¯d heard about. perfect yoo-joo had definitely told him that a talent-related skill had emerged in her worldline, and that she was able to easily reach a high level thanks to sharing the talent that was strengthened by the power to rule the world. he had no idea what had caused the difference. however, one thing was clear: at this very moment, the flow of the world had twisted. * * * time flew by. all preparations were completed, and finally the d-day arrived. ¡°here you are, teacher.¡± when chi-woo walked outside, ru amuh, who had been waiting for him early, smiled and greeted him. chi-woo responded with a smile. the blonde young man with a sword at his waist looked as dignified and self-assured as ever. ru amuh was someone whose presence alone reassured chi-woo since they had overcome numerous trials together, and he could always trust his back to ru amuh. that was what ru amuh meant to him. ¡°sir, the second team is ready.¡± emmanuel followed suit. the tragic hero, who had once wilted before being able to fully bloom due to unexpected misfortune, changed his life 180 degrees after meeting chi-woo. he had made a leap with a fortune great enough to overturn all his past misfortunes, and he was now trying to jump higher than anyone else. ¡°¡­¡± yeriel was silent. her eyes were dull, and her expression was full of irritation. she had to make ai armors and use evelyn¡¯s information to develop new weapons that would be effective against the abyss. it was no wonder she hadn¡¯t been able to sleep; considering her profession, it was inevitable that she would be the busiest before going to a war. and yunael¡­why didn¡¯t he see her anywhere? ¡°i¡¯m sorry, sir! i¡¯m a bit late!¡± ¡°that¡¯s why i said you should sleep a little early.¡± ¡°jin-cheon? shut up.¡± ¡°you were so excited about going to war after all this time. seriously, it made me think we¡¯re going on a picnic.¡± ¡°hey.¡± chi-woo smiled dryly when heard yunael and jin-cheon argue. though yunael was usually hot-tempered and rash, she was a hero that always stepped up in times of great importance. chi-woo had no doubt that she would do the same during this war as well. ¡°well, i¡¯m also itching to go to war. i want to burn the abyss down as soon as possible and go after the sernitas.¡± the same was true for apoline. after the balim expedition, she had completely regained her confidence. it was much better to see her confident and slightly haughty rather than depressed and sullen. the team leaders weren¡¯t the only eager ones. additionally, umaru, teresa and du eun-hyan were also full of enthusiasm to be selected as the last remaining star. chi-woo looked at each member one by one, and then his gaze landed on the girl behind evelyn. flora was looking up at the sky with a blank expression. feeling his gaze, she lowered her head and met his eyes. they were his stars. the stars were finally together and going after the sernitas. it would be seven stars¡¯ first time to light up liber¡¯s night sky. ¡°since everyone¡¯s here¡­let¡¯s go.¡± the sky was clear without a cloud in sight, while shalyh had been bustling with activity since early dawn. in particular, a huge crowd was gathering near the gate. ¡°it¡¯s time to leave.¡± eval sevaru rushed to inform chi-woo, who had been standing still. then he said, ¡°i wish you all the best.¡± chi-woo nodded and began moving, and the seven stars members followed right behind him. then the shalyh forces followed suit. while they moved, countless gazes fell on them. the natives lining up on both sides threw flowers everywhere chi-woo went. they waved and shouted, or clasped their hands tightly together to pray for their victory and safe return. amid their support and blessings, chi-woo passed through the gate. that day, an expeditionary force gathered for the purpose of subjugating the abyss was dispatched with chi-woo¡¯s seven stars and chi-hyun at the center. moreover, the cassiubia mountain range also raised a large army and headed for the sernitas¡¯ border. there were only two steps left until liber¡¯s salvation, and one of those steps was finally taken. * * * the expeditionary force that left shalyh marched towards the abyss. it was a war that was started with the worst case scenario in mind. chi-hyun had calculated the situations that would most likely come true and prepared the appropriate countermeasures for each. the basic strategy adopted by the expeditionary force was a coup de main. it was an offensive operation that broke through the enemy''s camp in one swift stroke by utilizing rapid maneuver and the element of surprise, and their goal was to reach where the abyss king was. it was an obvious choice as they didn¡¯t know when the sernitas would make their move and how long the cassiubia mountain range would be able to hold out; in addition, it was difficult to deal with enemies one after another with shalyh forces alone. as such, the closer the expeditionary force got to the abyss¡¯ mainland, the more their wariness grew. however, the expeditionary force could not hide their disappointment upon arriving at the border as not a single enemy could be spotted. it was the same even after they entered the border. they couldn¡¯t see any enemy. furthermore, even the fortress they had expected would be their biggest obstacle, which reminded them of the last gate¡¯s canyon where they had blocked the coalition, was completely empty. they had planned to move around it even if it¡¯d take some time; a bloodless victory had been completely outside their expectations. feeling suspicious, chi-hyun sent out scouts, but the news they delivered was all the same. they found traces of the abyss in many parts of the fortress, indicating that they had stayed here for a long time, but not one of them could be seen at the moment. chi-hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®what are they up to?¡¯ unless the abyss had abandoned their main camp and fled, there was only one explanation¡ªin exchange for most of their territory, the abyss had gathered their entire army in one place. the intention behind such a move was clear. it was to carry out a total war in a limited territory: something chi-hyun had wanted to avoid the most. CH 469 after passing the point that they expected would present the most challenge, the blue sky gained a tint of red. the expeditionary force stopped marching and got ready to camp outside, setting up tents and gathering to prepare for dinner. ¡°now that i think about it¡­what kind of place is the abyss?¡± eun-hyang suddenly asked after quietly eating for a while. everyone threw her a glance before turning to evelyn. ¡°¡­ah¡­¡± teresa frowned like she was conflicted. the fact that evelyn was the abyss witch at one point in time was a secret even inside seven stars. there were some people who knew about it before, but after the balim expedition, the majority of them learned about the matter. thus, teresa thought it would be a sensitive issue to openly discuss. ¡°did i say something wrong?¡± eun-hyang asked. she didn¡¯t seem to think the same as teresa and talked like this was no big issue. ¡°ho, ho. i¡¯m so sorry, unnie. eun-hyang can be insensitive sometimes¡­¡± teresa chided eun-hyang a bit, but didn¡¯t put a stop to the conversation. she worded her response in a way that suggested there was no choice but for evelyn to spill the truth since things had gotten to this point; and truthfully, teresa was curious about this too. just in case, she glanced at chi-woo since she knew he treasured evelyn. thankfully, he didn¡¯t appear that interested in this topic. ¡°it¡¯s okay,¡± evelyn said softly like she considered teresa¡¯s antic cute while putting down her spoon. ¡°hm. so the abyss is¡­¡± she placed her index finger on her chin and pushed it slightly up. after a moment of hesitation, she continued, ¡°you know how you sometimes feel like you are in a very deep pit while living?¡± everyone nodded at her words. yes, there were times when they all felt like that. ¡°it¡¯s a world where that feeling comes true in the literal sense rather than the figurative sense.¡± they sort of got what she was saying, but¡­what was the world like then? ¡°when i was alive, i was born chosen by god. but i couldn¡¯t overcome my trials and took my own life.¡± seeing the responses of those around her, evelyn felt that her explanation was lacking and continued, ¡°i think because of that, i was branded a sinner and fell to the abyss.¡± listening wordlessly, chi-woo understood. a person who committed suicide couldn¡¯t pass the river of three crossings or the river styx. pretty much any religion on earth considered suicide to be a grave sin that one must never commit. that seemed to be a similar case on liber. ¡°did you say you fell to the abyss after taking your own life?¡± eshnunna sounded startled by the news. ¡°then, yohan¡­no¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay. rather than taking his own life, he offered his life to a god.¡± ¡°will he be all right then?¡± ¡°yes. i never saw anyone at the abyss who sacrificed themselves for the greater good. not a single one,¡± evelyn replied, and eshnunna sighed in relief. coming back to her senses, she gave evelyn an apologetic look. ¡°but that¡¯s too much, master. if you really think about it, you were just a victim¡­¡± ¡°no, you don¡¯t have to make it sound better than it is¡­i decided to run away at that time.¡± the atmosphere turned solemn. not liking that kind of mood, evelyn continued calmly, ¡°when i first fell to the abyss¡­i don¡¯t know. to tell you the truth, i don¡¯t really remember what happened that well. i didn¡¯t know where i was, nor did i really want to know.¡± she didn¡¯t feel sleepy or hungry either. she simply stared into space blankly for several days. ¡°after some time, my mind came back to me, and when i looked around, there was nothing. absolutely nothing.¡± if she could, she would¡¯ve really died, but she couldn¡¯t do that. only when it was too late did evelyn realize that she no longer had a body, that her consciousness and the soul it stemmed from were the only parts of her remaining. in that state, evelyn wandered around listlessly and mindlessly. a long stretch of time passed after that. in a way, it healed her and made her feel numb to the pain and vengeance she felt during her time alive. for the first time, evelyn felt lonely. it could be anyone. she just wanted to meet and talk to someone. surprisingly, evelyn¡¯s wish was granted as soon as she had the thought. there was an existence greater than anyone she had met. it was someone who had fallen to the abyss much earlier than her. ¡°i met the abyss queen for the first time then¡­and established myself in the world called the abyss before becoming part of the chasms she ruled.¡± teresa looked confused by evelyn¡¯s explanation. ¡°how should i say this¡­it¡¯s a place that¡¯s hard to understand.¡± ¡°well, i¡¯m saying it¡¯s a place where beings live in the end. in whatever place, communities and societies always form matching that world. in the abyss, gaining the king¡¯s or the queen¡¯s favor was the key to participating in the society.¡± evelyn added with a smile that if they were so curious, she could personally give them the full experience, and teresa ardently declined. no matter how curious she was about something, she didn¡¯t want to die. *** after finishing their dinner, the expeditionary force went to sleep. since they were in enemy territory, they didn¡¯t lower their guard, and without exception, everyone took turns being on night duty. after his shift, chi-woo went to bed early and slept like a baby until the next morning. ¡°¡­hm?¡± eventually, chi-woo opened his eyes and looked perplexed. why did no one wake him up? that wasn¡¯t all. he found himself all alone with only the mess of used beddings keeping him company. chi-woo rubbed his bleary eyes and got up. outside was a chilling, bleak silence, and after getting out of his tent, chi-woo¡¯s face hardened. something was definitely wrong. ¡°¡­what¡­?¡± search "paw?ead.com" for the original. he didn¡¯t see anyone¡ªnot just inside the tent, but outside too. all the expeditionary force who he had left shalyh with disappeared overnight without a trace, leaving only him behind. what in the world happened? at first, chi-woo thought he was dreaming. he slapped his cheeks and pinched his thighs, doing all sorts of things to wake himself up. however, his surroundings remained the same, and he realized that he was in reality. of course, realizing and accepting this reality were completely different matters, and soon chi-woo wandered around the camping site, yelling until his throat felt like it would burst. ¡°evelllllllllyn!¡± ¡°ru amuuuuh!¡± ¡°hey, stop being so noisy.¡± at least, until he spotted someone eating alone in the middle of the campsite. ¡°¡­chi-hyun?¡± chi-woo asked suspiciously after he spotted chi-hyun looking calm and indifferent. everyone was gone except his brother? furthermore, his brother was just leisurely stuffing himself with food. it was so suspicious that chi-woo took out his club of light and looked wearily at chi-hyun. uncaring how his brother reacted to him, chi-hyun glanced at chi-woo and snorted. ¡°if you have the energy to go around yelling, you should also eat. fill your stomach.¡± ¡°how can you eat in a situation like this?¡± ¡°i¡¯m telling you to replenish your stamina beforehand in case of unexpected situations.¡± the way he responded and talked was certainly like his brother, so chi-woo put away his club for now. with the feeling of relief washing over him, chi-woo ran to his brother and struck up a conversation. ¡®when did you get up?¡¯ ¡®around break of dawn.¡¯ ¡®was the campsite the same as now?¡¯ ¡®yeah¡¯ ¡®what about me?¡¯ ¡®you were sleeping peacefully.¡¯ ¡®why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡¯ ¡®i wanted to think quietly for a bit.¡¯ then chi-woo asked the most important question. ¡°what happened? what does this situation mean?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± chi-hyun answered calmly, and chi-woo looked at his brother, baffled. ¡°there¡¯s something you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°did you think i know everything in the universe? i only know things i have a deep understanding in,¡± chi-hyun said while swallowing another mouthful of food. ¡°but i understand one thing.¡± ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°they one-upped us.¡± chi-hyun let out a low sigh. ¡°it¡¯s not that they gave up on their territory¡­but that they didn¡¯t have a reason to protect it.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t understand a thing you are saying,¡± chi-woo said a bit irritably. he was feeling a bit anxious. the situation was flowing in a bad direction, and he didn¡¯t like his brother¡¯s nonchalance. ¡°calm down. you have to keep your composure in situations like this. you will miss things the more urgent you feel,¡± chi-hyun said calmly, ¡°take a breather and look around calmly. if it¡¯s the current you, i¡¯m sure you will be able to see it.¡± following chi-hyun¡¯s guidance, chi-woo looked around. it was the same. the campsite looked the same as it did when he just got out. except for his brother, nobody¡­ chi-woo flinched. for some reason, it felt as if someone had just moved past him. he wasn¡¯t mistaken. he closed his eyes, and after heightening his senses, the faint sensations grew a bit clearer. it was a very strange feeling that was hard to describe. there was definitely no one in this area except them two, but he felt the presence of other people. and they didn¡¯t seem to be standing idly by. as if they were swinging their swords fiercely, he kept feeling something sharp. and if he wasn¡¯t imagining it, he also noticed a faint smell of blood. after focusing on his senses for a while, chi-woo opened his eyes and murmured. ¡°hyung. just now¡­¡± ¡°yes, it seems that they are fighting.¡± chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened. he pointed at the ground as if he was asking, ¡®right here?¡¯ chi-hyun started explaining in a low voice. the abyss was a world that was originally in a separate dimension. it was a place where people who had committed grave sins that they couldn¡¯t receive forgiveness for during their time alive went to. considering that those who fell to the abyss couldn¡¯t hope to seek any sort of salvation and had to wander meaninglessly forever in isolation, it was similar to hell in earth¡¯s terms. unlike the different hells on earth, though, the abyss was an empty, masterless place without a ruler like king yan of the underworld or hades. the majority of abyss¡¯s dwellers were terrible fiends, and when such beings gathered in one place, wars erupted every day. in a place where no one died, the abyss was filled with only pain and intention to kill one another. thus, wars never stopped. even if one beat everybody and reached the peak, it was only momentary. the abyss didn¡¯t permit anyone¡¯s rule. and as the seemingly endless fights continued, two existences emerged. it was the abyss king and queen. the two knew that the stage called the abyss was made in a way that there could be no everlasting victor. thus, the two joined hands. they made their own factions and silently agreed to not interfere with one another. within a thin border, they maintained their shaky balance of power so that the society they finally built in the abyss would not crumble. that was the backstory of how the abyss, which had only been a place of punishment, came to become a world with some sort of structure and order. ¡°the abyss was originally a world where beings wandered listlessly and fought endlessly¡­the fact that the abyss king and the queen managed to create a new world in such a place indicates that they both have special abilities,¡± chi-hyun said calmly after finishing his explanation. ¡°that world was also made here.¡± chi-woo frowned. ¡°is it something like the territorialization that great demons do?¡± chi-hyun shook his head. ¡°if it was only at that level, i would just be laughing right now.¡± ¡°then what is it¡­?¡± chi-woo asked in shock. ¡°it¡¯s an astral world,¡± chi-hyun said. ¡°it seems that the bastard of a king called upon the entire abyss world.¡± chi-woo¡¯s breath hitched. this meant that the middle world and the abyss world had combined. in other words, the abyss had merged with reality and created the ¡®other world¡¯. ¡°does that mean everyone got swept into that astral world?¡± ¡°yes. and there are more than one,¡± chi-hyun emphasized. then he went on to explain what had caused him the greatest grief. if the matter was as simple as a couple of worlds combining together, he would¡¯ve acted already, but it was more complicated than that. chi-hyun¡¯s senses were picking up on at least nine worlds. and these nine astral worlds were all moving and disrupting chi-hyun¡¯s senses. this was unbelievable. there should¡¯ve only been two beings who could create a new world in the abyss. at most, they should¡¯ve been able to create two worlds, and even that would be going too far. it was simply baffling how so many worlds¡ªnine in total¡ªcould be formed. and facing such an astonishing situation, not even chi-hyun could act rashly. it was then chi-woo felt a strange, mysterious sensation pass by his surroundings again. after listening to his brother¡¯s explanation, chi-woo got a grasp of what these sensations could mean and frowned. shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force had been separated into nine astral worlds, and they were fighting the abyss¡¯s army there. CH 470 chi-woo stood frozen in shock for a while and finally came to his senses. this wasn¡¯t the time to act like this. he needed to come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible, but the thought only led him to another question. ¡°first of all, i want to make sure that we¡¯re in the middle world, right?¡± ¡°well¡­you can think that way for the time being.¡± just like he did in the abyss, the abyss king had randomly built a world and forcefully overlaid it with the middle world¡ªand not just one or two, but nine worlds. ¡°why did he keep only you and me specifically in the middle world?¡± ¡°only the abyss king can properly answer that question, but i think it¡¯s probably for the purpose of separating us. rather than directly confronting you and me, i think he intends to exclude us for now and diminish our power as much as possible.¡± the abyss king¡¯s action was understandable as the expeditionary force included not one but two figures that were extremely burdensome to deal with. it was hard for the abyss king to guarantee victory one-on-one with either chi-woo or chi-hyun, not to mention two-on-one. thus, he had separated the two from the expeditionary force and immediately carried out his plan. ¡°okay, then¡ª¡± chi-woo sucked in a deep breath. ¡°what should we do in this situation?¡± chi-woo had no idea what to do no matter how much he thought about it, but he was sure that his brother would be different. although it seemed as if even his brother hadn¡¯t expected this situation, if it was chi-hyun¡ªif it was the hero praised and revered as the legend, he must have gone through a similar situation like this before. chi-woo was sure that chi-hyun could come up with a solution. ¡°there¡­is a way.¡± as expected, his brother had an answer. ¡°there are about¡­two methods we can choose from in the present situation.¡± moreover, chi-hyun had two solutions in mind rather than just one. of course, this wasn¡¯t something that chi-woo could be mindlessly happy about. although it wasn¡¯t bad that they had options, the person who said this was chi-hyun; if his brother, who sought extreme efficiency, had been pondering so long about these two methods¡­ ¡°there must be serious pros and cons for both.¡± chi-hyun smirked in response. ¡°they say experience is the best teacher. you at least catch on quicker than before.¡± he said words that sounded like both a compliment and an insult and cleared his throat. ¡°to put it in a way that you¡¯ll understand, this is what the abyss king has done.¡± chi-hyun spread his hands, and dozens of shining threads of mana flowed out and entangled with each other like crazy to form a sphere; it looked like a tangled mess of electric wire. ¡°since it seemed like he couldn¡¯t devour liber, he decided to wreak havoc and mess it all up instead.¡± although it was an explicit metaphor, the abyss king¡¯s action wasn¡¯t completely incomprehensible. humans would sometimes make similar decisions; they destroyed something if they thought they couldn¡¯t have it. chi-hyun continued, ¡°returning the current situation back to normal is like unraveling this complicated thread.¡± as mentioned before, there were two methods. ¡°here we have to make a choice,¡± chi-hyun said slowly. ¡°do we trust those who came with us¡ªor not?¡± chi-woo¡¯s eyes slightly widened at chi-hyun¡¯s unexpected question. what was he saying now? he asked, ¡°what if we trust them?¡± ¡°then we wait for now,¡± chi-hyun said clearly. ¡°materializing a world of this level means that the abyss king used an appropriate medium matching the world he created. only by defeating that medium can the expeditionary members get out of the world they¡¯re in, and this is something that can only be done from inside each world.¡± in short, chi-hyun was saying that they had to hope and pray that the expeditionary members who were scattered across different worlds would escape on their own and return safely. ¡°we don¡¯t have to wait until the medium of every world is destroyed. five. once around five worlds are destroyed, this tangled skein that we don¡¯t know where to even begin to unravel would become much more stable. then i may see a different way to handle this situation.¡± although he wasn¡¯t sure, if this plan worked out, there was a high possibility that their situation would improve. ¡°but then there¡¯s no way for us to step in right now. there is literally nothing we can do but trust them and wait.¡± as chi-hyun said, if chi-woo trusted his teammates, and they lived up to his trust, they could opt for a safer and more reliable solution. chi-woo wanted to trust his teammates. however, considering the abyss king had done something that far surpassed a great demon¡¯s territorialization, he couldn¡¯t just be optimistic about the results. chi-woo asked, ¡°what if we don¡¯t trust them?¡± ¡°then we carry out our original plan.¡± as soon as he said this, chi-hyun immediately cut the skein he¡¯d conjured into two. ¡°like this.¡± then he said, ¡°the abyss king is hiding in one of the worlds. upon finding him, we immediately break through the passage that connects here and there and defeat him.¡± all anomalies were solved by dealing with the core of the problem. in that sense, this was the most standard and efficient method. however, chi-woo felt an unknown sense of anxiety. ¡°if you choose this method, though, you can¡¯t guarantee the safety of the expeditionary force.¡± ¡°what? why?¡± ¡°i told you that currently, the nine worlds are systematically linked to each other.¡± they didn¡¯t know what kind of tricks the abyss king may have put in place; there was a high possibility that as soon as there was external interference, a series of unknown problems would arise. perhaps the different worlds might be separated like that and left stranded. chi-woo, who had experienced such a case at the former salem academy, could roughly guess what his brother was warning him about. given how little certainty they had, this was an option that should never be chosen. if something went wrong, there may be a catastrophe in which he would separate from his teammates forever. ¡°can¡¯t we just¡­go over each world and solve it one by one?¡± support us at bit.ly/3ibfjkv. ¡°you want to unravel each string one by one¡­well, that¡¯s also a possibility.¡± then chi-hyun added, ¡°if only we can find the beginning of the thread.¡± ¡°if we look for it in earnest¡­won¡¯t we be able to find it¡­?¡± chi-hyun snorted. he created the tangled skein again and held it out to chi-woo, as if telling him to untangle it. ¡°look for it.¡± in the first place, the tangled skein was a metaphor to help chi-woo understand what the situation was like. if it was as easy as it sounded, chi-hyun wouldn¡¯t have ruled out such a possibility to start with. in the end, there was only ever one option. ¡­no. chi-hyun must really be considering the second option since chi-woo hadn¡¯t gotten dragged in and was left behind with him. of course, chi-woo had no intention to give up his teammates, and he chewed on his lower lip. he needed to trust them, but it felt uneasy for him to stay still and do nothing. chi-hyun finished what he had to say and asked chi-woo, ¡°so, what are you planning to do?¡± * * * chi-hyun¡¯s prediction was spot on. seven stars¡¯ first team were befuddled by the sudden change in their situation. they had gone to sleep after completing guard duty first, but when they woke up, most of the expeditionary force was gone. the only ones left were the members of the first team and a part of the expeditionary force. realizing the situation they were in, the first team gathered in the center. everyone put their heads together and shared opinions, but they couldn¡¯t think of a concrete plan. later, they all closed their mouths and looked at one person, hoping that he would lead them out of this dilemma with a wise decision. ru amuh didn¡¯t say anything. he simply stared intently at the dense mist flowing around them, which hadn¡¯t been there before they fell asleep. ¡°what do we do?¡± ru hiana asked with an anxious expression. she had endured and waited so far, but when ru amuh continued to remain silent, the anxiety in her heart grew to unbearable proportions. ¡°ruahu!¡± even when she called out to him, there was no answer. in the end, ru hiana couldn¡¯t endure anymore and was about to approach him, but¡ª ¡°we have no choice but to wait for now.¡± noel gave her opinion. as promised, she had joined seven stars¡¯ first team according to ru amuh¡¯s request. ¡°young master and my lord must have noticed the situation by now. rather than messing up their work, we should stay quietly¡ª¡± ¡°no.¡± then someone interrupted noel. ¡°we can¡¯t do that.¡± ru amuh finally opened his mouth and broke his silence. ¡°currently, we have been separated from the expeditionary force for an unknown reason. rather than being far away from the place we are in, it feels more like we¡¯re in a completely different dimension.¡± ru amuh¡¯s s-rank synesthesia allowed him to analyze their current situation almost perfectly with only his senses. ¡°though we don¡¯t know what happened to our allies, including those two¡­i¡¯m sure if it¡¯s teacher and the legend, they would have noticed the situation by now and are working on countermeasures.¡± ru amuh¡¯s calm voice seemed to have the mysterious power to quell everyone¡¯s anxiety. noel tilted her head. ¡°yes, that¡¯s why i suggested waiting quietly¡­¡± ¡°however, a significant amount of time has passed since we realized our situation. that must be the same for those two. still nothing has happened yet.¡± he was suggesting that chi-woo and chi-hyun should have done something by now if they were able, but nothing had happened yet. ¡°it¡¯s either one of the two. there¡¯s no proper measure at the moment, or they¡¯re trusting us and continuing with their original plan.¡± ¡°hm¡­.¡± ¡°in order to make sure that there¡¯s no problem with the original plan, we can¡¯t stay still like this. we need to do at least something for teacher and the legend.¡± surprisingly, ru amuh¡¯s argument was consistent with chi-woo¡¯s wish. moreover, it was the method that perfectly matched the ideal situation painted by chi-hyun. although noel seemed to have a lot to say, she didn¡¯t open her mouth. she had joined the expedition as a team member, not as a team leader. she was aware enough to watch how she behaved. moreover, ru amuh was known as the right arm of seven stars, and the young master valued him to the point that he considered ru amuh his alter ego. as such, noel thought he must have a good reasoning behind his decision. on the other hand, she was a little envious. how good was their trust in each other that he could think like that? noel said, ¡°all right. then what should we do first¡­?¡± ¡°first¡­¡± dulia, who had been on the lookout, shouted hastily, ¡°what? when? suddenly!¡± out of nowhere, dark shadows emerged one by one through the thick fog flowing around them. they were fully clad in dark armor with eyes glowing red from inside their helmets. dulia screamed as she found an overwhelmingly large figure among them. ¡°black heavy armor¡­spear¡­giant¡­general of darkness? it¡¯s general of darkness gotaya! it¡¯s gotaya!¡± he matched the description evelyn had given them about gotaya perfectly. all the people gathered around ru amuh began murmuring amongst themselves. they had no idea how gotaya had suddenly appeared, but one thing was clear¡ªgotaya, one of the seven chasms and the abyss king¡¯s guard captain, had appeared with an army. gotaya¡¯s forces gradually emerged and surrounded the seven stars members in the center of the campsite. everyone took a step back and put their backs together with a nervous expression. ¡°ruahu¡­!¡± ru hiana gulped and called out anxiously to ru amuh. ¡°it¡¯s all right,¡± ru amuh calmly murmured while pulling out the long sword from his waist. ¡°it¡¯s perfect timing.¡± ru hiana blinked. ¡°what do you mean perfect timing? what do you¡­?¡± however, she couldn¡¯t finish her question because ru amuh had suddenly rushed out with a kick to the ground. shocked, ru hiana quickly called out to him, but ru amuh did not stop. he rushed toward gotoya, who had now completely revealed his grandeur appearance. general of darkness, gotaya. according to evelyn, gotaya was a faithful follower that the abyss king always kept closely by. though the seven chasms weren¡¯t divided by ranks, if she had to compare them, he would no doubt sit on top in terms of power. hearing this, emmanuel and yunael had quarreled with each other for a long time. they argued that they should be the one to deal with a being at that level. listening in on the conversation, ru amuh had quietly laughed without saying a word, but¡ª ¡°ruahuuu!¡± ru hiana shouted at the top of her lungs as gotaya¡¯s army stampeded toward ru amuh with their weapons. at that moment, ru amuh¡¯s eyes flashed. it was almost at the same time that a terrible windstorm erupted from ru amuh¡¯s swing, and it collided head-on with gotaya¡¯s forces. whooosh! then everyone, including ru hiana, clearly witnessed what happened next. kabbooooom! the enormous army charging toward ru amuh at once was swept away by a sharp and powerful storm and scattered all over at once. [i, emmanuel, should take charge of fighting that fiend called gotaya.] [what the heck? what are you suddenly talking about! of course, i, yunael, the balance keeper of seven stars, should take him!] while the conversation that day flashed through his mind, ru amuh stared at gotaya and ran towards him like a storm. his face seemed to be saying, ¡®don¡¯t make me laugh. i¡¯m the one who would get him.¡¯ CH 474 as soon as evelyn received the authority to enter other astral worlds from the abyss queen, she immediately began to cross through them. thanks to the queen, evelyn was able to observe the flow of the astral worlds to some degree, so she prioritized worlds that were beginning to crumble. the fact that a world was disappearing meant that the core that formed it had been eliminated. although it was good that the medium had been defeated, this was a trap laid by the abyss king in the first place. evelyn needed to save them before they fell victim to it and could never get out. evelyn¡¯s prediction was spot on. when she arrived, gotaya¡¯s world was on the verge of disappearing with ru amuh inside. evelyn arrived by the skin of her teeth and quickly took ru amuh and the others to the next world. although emmanuel was discovered half-dead in wraith¡¯s world, they fortunately arrived in time to rescue him and his team. like this, evelyn managed to put out the hottest and most urgent fire, but there was no time to rest since they never knew when or where another fire would break out. evelyn went straight to the next world. there, they succeeded in rescuing yeriel and her team, who were on the verge of annihilation due to the collapse of the defense line against gorgo. by that time, they had recovered a substantial size of the expeditionary force. of course, there were also many casualties from the battles taking place in their respective worlds. emmanuel was seriously injured, to the point that it was impossible for him to continue fighting, and yeriel had used up all the weapons she brought. nevertheless, they were in a much better situation than when they were all separated. ¡®it¡¯s not bad.¡¯ of course, evelyn didn¡¯t think that they would be able to keep up this smooth progress. the abyss king must have noticed the situation by now, and he would definitely try to implement a countermeasure. before that, they needed to push this momentum as far as they could. therefore, evelyn moved to the next world without a break¡ªand succeeded in saving even seven stars¡¯ fourth team, who were fighting fiercely against the metal giant golem, ¡®taros,¡¯ with yunael taking the lead. ¡°uh, uh?¡± yunael was stunned to see her allies, led by ru amuh and evelyn, come popping out of nowhere in droves. ¡°what, no¡ª!¡± after hearing a brief explanation of what had happened, yunael¡¯s face turned red, and she shouted, ¡°then you should have gone to the other worlds first! why did you come to me!¡± while ru amuh and emmanuel had won their respective battles, yunael alone had joined forces with the others before she could defeat the enemy on her own. as someone with very high self-esteem, yunael¡¯s pride was hurt. ¡°it¡¯s because we were in a hurry. we needed to get through the different words as fast as possible. of course, i know how talented and skilled our dear yunael is, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. we¡¯re in the middle of a war.¡± ¡°well¡­that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± yunael settled down a little when evelyn, who knew her temper well, soothed her gently, but yunael couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment. ¡°i could have really won¡­we were so close to winning¡­¡± giving her a sideways glance, jin-cheon suddenly shouted, ¡°geez! what a relief! we almost died. it¡¯s such a relief! thank you so much for coming here before it was too late. hooray!¡± he shouted loudly as if he wanted the entire neighborhood to know. yunael gritted her teeth while jin-cheon snickered at her, but she held back because as evelyn said, they were in the middle of a war. with the surviving members in tow, evelyn moved on to the next world¡ªthe sixth world. when they reached the sixth world, what greeted shalyh¡¯s expeditionary forces was a huge sea of fire that burned the whole world. amid the feast of fire was what seemed like a legendary serpent, and a girl sat on top of it receiving everyone¡¯s cheers. from a glance, it seemed that apoline had just knocked down one of the seven chasms, basilisk. swiping back her long, platinum hair and showing off, she opened her eyes wide when she saw the space suddenly split, and a group of people rushed out. after hearing the whole story, she turned to emmanuel with wide eyes. the man was still on ru amuh¡¯s back while groaning in pain. apoline¡¯s lips curled into a bright smile. ¡°aha, is that so? well, you could have taken your time. i don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve all seen it, but my overwhelming firepower utterly crushed my enemy.¡± she wasn¡¯t lying. with power awakened by chi-woo¡¯s power to rule the world, she had burned all the forces of the abyss, including the basilisk, without leaving a trace. ¡°come to think of it, isn¡¯t flame magic basilisk¡¯s only weakness? well, it was great that we saved time though!¡± irritated by apoline¡¯s arrogance, yunael gave her a sour reply. although she had said it in a slightly roundabout way, apoline was not stupid enough to miss that yunael was basically saying, ¡®don¡¯t get too cocky when you got lucky and encountered an opponent who was naturally weak against your ability.¡¯ although it was true that apoline was supposed to be in charge of defeating the basilisk when they were making plans beforehand, apoline snorted and folded her arms with a smile. ¡°please don¡¯t mention it. it was only natural as one of the seven starts. in that sense, i¡¯m very proud of emmanuel. he risked his own life to defeat wraith so that we wouldn¡¯t waste time.¡± then she said nonchalantly, ¡°oh my. on second thought, all team leaders have knocked down one of the abyss chasms, right? no way, is there someone who didn¡¯t¡­¡± yunael groaned. they went back and forth with their verbal spar until jin-cheon interjected like a weasel and teased, ¡°wow! this is so amazing! the fifth team leader burned the entire abyss forces all alone, including one of the seven chasms? our fourth team kept getting pushed back and was saved in the nick of time from certain death by the rescue team! wow! how amazing! wow!¡± ¡°¡­hey.¡± this was the limit of yunael¡¯s patience. ¡°you come here. come here for a sec.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want to~¡± yunael huffed and puffed while striding towards jin-cheon, and jin-cheon hurriedly ran away. ¡°ohohoho.¡± apoline laughed with a hand covering her mouth before she suddenly fell on her butt. surprised, she looked around and saw the basilisk gradually disappear along with the world. as evelyn said, there was no time for them to play around. * * * meanwhile, the abyss king, who had hidden himself in the last of the nine astral worlds, slowly lifted his head. as evelyn had predicted, he was receiving information about each world in real-time, and he was taken aback by how things had unfolded. there was a reason why the abyss king had twisted the war situation so much. after continuously using the abyss queen¡¯s powers at her expense, he had finally reached a conclusion. at present, there was no possible method for the abyss to beat the league and humanity even if they mobilized an all-out effort, or to be more precise, it was the pair of brothers they couldn¡¯t beat¡ªchi-hyun and chi-woo. when he first joined the coalition, he hadn¡¯t thought of the league and humanity as a big deal. and even though significant time had passed since then, when did the situation become so dire? the abyss king identified the cause in the great war, which inflicted serious damage on not only the league, but also humanity. it was a known fact that those who survived the war had become stronger through the experience of the great war¡ªbecause they had earned merits and upgraded their user information. thus, the abyss king decided to take advantage of that and absorb their increased strength for himself. since the power of the abyss alone wasn¡¯t enough, there was no other choice he could make. of course, chi-hyun and chi-woo were completely excluded from the plan. he thought there was no need to take such great risks. if he had also sent them to an astral world, he had no idea what would happen with them running wild inside. thus, he used the abyss queen and seven chasms he had absorbed earlier as mediums to create the astral world and brought in shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force. winning or losing was irrelevant; it would be good if the abyss won, but it would be all right if they lost as well since he planned to melt all the divided astral worlds and absorb everything inside. yeah, that had been his original plan, but something he couldn¡¯t overlook happened. an existence that could freely cross through worlds suddenly showed up, and the woman was moving to a world that was still intact with those who should have melted along with the worlds they were trapped in. in other words, she was buying time. it was obvious who had made this happen. ¡ªseriously¡­even till the very end, you¡¯re trying to hold me back. the abyss king smacked his lips, thinking the abyss queen should have just disappeared without a fuss. of course, nothing would change in the end¡­but it was bothersome to leave the situation as it was. he didn¡¯t like it. while he was organizing his thoughts, another world was sorted out, and another one of the seven chasms died. moreover, it was before evelyn¡¯s group even got there. a glint appeared in his eyes as he watched the world in question. ¡ªhow interesting. he murmured unconsciously. ¡ªinteresting. really interesting. he contemplated for only a moment and soon made his decision. when he had used the abyss queen¡¯s powers, thinking it would be the last time, or to be more precise, when he had observed the changes inside his body after using her power, he had already made his final decision. having learned how he would die and meet his end, the abyss king had long crossed the line of no return. there was no reason for him to hesitate anymore. ¡ªi¡¯m curious. well, a chicken is not bad instead of a pheasant in an urgent situation¡­ he briefly muttered and rose to his feet. * * * yunael and apoline joined shalyh¡¯s expeditionary forces and moved on to the next world under evelyn¡¯s guidance. if there was a world in which victory was overwhelmingly won without much damage like ru amuh¡¯s, there must also be a world where the opposite was the case. evelyn¡¯s group got to see their allies being nearly wiped out. there were very few survivors left, and even they were resisting desperately and quickly collapsing. amid their desperate fight against huk cheong-ram, teresa, du eun-hyang, and umaru almost shed tears when they saw the rescue team arrive. to access the premium content, go to [ pawread.com ]. on the contrary, huk-cheong-ram fell into a dilemma. it was hard enough to deal with evelyn, who had recovered her powers as the abyss witch, but there was also ru amuh. and there were those he didn¡¯t know, namely yunael and apoline. the two attacked him so aggressively that even huk-cheong-ram found them too vicious, and he couldn¡¯t endure their concerted attacks. in the end, huk-cheong-ram was extinguished despite his resistance. it was a miserable and sad end for one of the seven chasms who once terrorized the entire liber. after they defeated huk-cheong-ram, evelyn counted the remaining worlds. starting with her majesty the abyss queen¡¯s world, they defeated gotoya, wraith, gorgo, taros, basilisk, and huk-cheong-ram. now, the only chasm left was balim, and if they defeated balim, the abyss king would be waiting in the only remaining world. the abyss queen had told her that all she had to do was open a way to connect the passages together, and the rest would fall into place as long as she played her role. thus, if they defeated balim, evelyn would have fulfilled all her duties here. for now, they needed to first get out of this world, which was beginning to collapse while huk cheong-ram disappeared like the previous ones. evelyn brought everyone together and immediately opened the way to enter balim¡¯s world¡ªno, she tried to. ¡°¡­ah?¡± ¡°lady evelyn, what is the matter?¡± when evelyn paused, ru amuh, who had been waiting quietly, approached immediately and asked. however, evelyn didn¡¯t reply. she simply stared at the air with a bewildered expression. she quickly waved her hand again in a hurry, but all she touched was empty air. the space refused to open up as if something invisible was holding it together. when things began to go off rail, yeriel slowly lifted one brow. yunael and apoline, who were in the middle of arguing who was the one who defeated huk cheong-ram and who did a bad job, also turned to look at evelyn. after standing blankly for a moment, evelyn opened her mouth and stammered a response. CH 475 ¡°w-what?¡± ru hiana stammered. ¡®did i hear her wrong?¡¯ she frowned and asked, ¡°what did you just say¡­.?¡± ¡°¡­no.¡± evelyn replied blankly, ¡°the path to the next world¡­won¡¯t open.¡± until now, evelyn had gone across several astral worlds and retrieved her allies. but rather than saving them, it would be more accurate to say that she had bought extra time for them since they couldn¡¯t escape the astral worlds altogether. of course, evelyn expected the abyss king to act at some point to undermine their progress. for example, they could arrive at a world that the abyss king personally oversaw. even though she had received the authority to move across the astral worlds, she knew it would be difficult to penetrate through a world that the abyss king had personally established given that he possessed the same authority. however, that time came earlier than she thought. according to her calculations, there should¡¯ve still been the world with balim left. thus, she didn¡¯t know how to interpret the current situation. ru hiana looked around nervously. as it had been with all the past worlds, basilisk''s world was also showing signs of disappearing. seeing the very world crumbling around her, ru hiana hurriedly asked, ¡°what can we do now?¡± no one answered. ru hiana grew even more anxious and turned back to ru amuh, but he also seemed at a loss for what to do. in the first place, they had only been able to reach this point thanks to evelyn¡¯s guidance. had it not been for her, he would¡¯ve been swept by gotaya¡¯s world and disappeared some time ago. thus, even ru amuh couldn¡¯t think of a solution to this problem. evelyn remained silent for a while until she let out the sigh she had been holding in. no matter how long she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t think of a way out either, and escape appeared impossible. thus, there was only one thing left for them to do, which was to trust the man who always turned the tide when things seemed impossible. *** chi-hyun continued to survey the flow of the astral world. the current situation didn¡¯t look bad. he didn¡¯t know who it was, but somebody was organizing the intertwined astral worlds one by one at an increasing speed. if the flow continued like this and the astral worlds returned to perfect stability, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the side effects of their plan. but after a while, chi-hyun realized that he had called their victory prematurely. the exact moment evelyn arrived at basilik¡¯s world, chi-hyun sensed that another astral world was warping. it truly was surprising because it happened before the flow that he had been keeping track of even reached there. he didn¡¯t know what had happened exactly, but it appeared that the shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force there had succeeded in defeating the chasm of the world they fell to without outside aid. ¡®it¡¯s not a complete impossibility.¡¯ it would be possible if there was a hero like ru amuh, but something strange happened after that. that world crumbled at an exceedingly fast rate as if it was getting absorbed rather than disappearing. it truly was strange. a world didn¡¯t disappear instantly after somebody defeated a chasm. according to chi-hyun¡¯s calculation, the flow he had been following should¡¯ve reached the world before it completely disappeared. but how could this happen? it was then chi-hyun realized that among the nine astral worlds, there was one with a particularly strong presence. ¡®a world absorbed another world?¡¯ that was something that seemed to surpass logic. chi-hyun realized that perhaps the very foundation of his calculation was wrong and decided to organize his thoughts. he needed to find out the cause of the abnormality. ¡®even i couldn¡¯t predict the appearance of the sudden flow from inside the astral worlds. it¡¯s very likely the abyss king didn¡¯t expect it either. but there¡¯s no way he would remain inactive after sensing the flow¡­i¡¯m sure he¡¯s interfered somehow.¡¯ then, it seemed clear that the astral world which was quickly expanding its influence was the root of everything that was happening¡ªthat was the abyss king¡¯s world. he could understand up to that point. ¡®but why did he divide the worlds up like this? into nine at that?¡¯ realizing that he had thought wrong in the first place, chi-hyun returned to the starting point of his thought process. shalyh¡¯s expeditionary forces were scattered into nine astral worlds, and they had to battle the seven chasms across each world. a flow suddenly appeared to counter that, but as if it was trying to hurriedly respond to the flow, a world was absorbed¡­ ¡®a medium acts as a preceding condition for something to exist. thus, for an astral world tethered to individual chasms to continue existing¡­¡¯ there must be a being that connected all of them. after thinking up to this point, chi-hyun arrived at a new hypothesis. of course, he couldn¡¯t be certain of it a hundred percent, and there was still something that didn¡¯t align with his thoughts. but he at least had an idea of what the abyss king¡¯s true goal was and who could be the force behind all the unbelievable things he had done. yes, it was the group that had succeeded in being many but one: the sernitas. ¡°¡­is he out of his mind?¡± chi-hyun gritted his teeth. having waited anxiously until now, chi-woo looked back at chi-hyun in surprise. ¡°that¡¯s what he decided in the end¡­ his greed made him cross the line.¡± ¡°what are you talking about?¡± chi-woo asked, hearing chi-hyun¡¯s murmur. chi-hyun sighed and explained, but because he used difficult words without intending to, chi-woo still looked at him confusedly. ¡°to make a comparison, think about the great war again.¡± ¡°the great war?¡± ¡°yes. you saw the sky castle that time, right?¡± chi-woo nodded. he certainly did. how could he forget? it gave him chills even thinking about it now. ¡°think about the principles of operating the sky castle¡¯s particle beam.¡± ¡°that¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°it didn¡¯t differentiate between ally and foe and swallowed up all that had died during the war. then, after going through some sort of internal process, they turned the corpses into a form of energy.¡± chi-hyun spoke as if he had personally witnessed what had happened at that time. ¡°the abyss king created the astral worlds after becoming part of the sernitas for a similar reason. i¡¯m sure it¡¯s not exactly the same, but you can see a similarity at the core.¡± in other words, if shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force died in the astral worlds, they would go through some kind of process and become energy. then, they would be absorbed along with the chasms. after the sernitasized abyss king absorbed all the worlds, he would fight the two remaining enemies, chi-hyun and chi-woo. even if the shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force defeated a chasm in an astral world, their victory had no significant effect on this plan since the astral world would be absorbed when the chasm disappeared. when that happened, the shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force would meet the same fate and turn into energy and fuel for the abyss king. this was the plan that the abyss king had thought of. rather than a well-thought-out master plan, it was more like his last desperate attempt at survival. it was like a cornered mouse trying to bite a cat. and that wouldn¡¯t have mattered much to them if this mouse wasn¡¯t becoming a monster mouse by the second. of course, all this didn¡¯t change the fact that the abyss king had been backed into a corner. the astral worlds had gained stability compared to before, and chi-hyun had pinpointed the world where the abyss king was. ¡°then, shouldn¡¯t we quickly go while the worlds are still around?¡± as chi-woo said, the best method seemed to be to penetrate through the world''s passageways and get rid of the abyss king. everything would return to normal then. but with the move the abyss king just made, chi-hyun¡¯s plan was thwarted. ¡°¡­chi-woo.¡± chi-hyun suddenly asked a question to address the issue. ¡°what about your intuition?¡± because he hadn¡¯t expected this question, chi-woo stared at his brother blankly. ¡°what is your intuition telling you?¡± chi-hyun asked again. it really was a surprising question, but chi-woo focused on his intuition first. soon afterward, his face turned a bit downcast. ¡°it¡¯s not very good,¡± chi-woo said and caught himself when he saw chi-hyun¡¯s face darken. this was probably not the answer his brother was looking for. however, he couldn¡¯t have lied either, and his brother looked like he had been hit by a sudden calamity. ¡°then¡ª¡± ¡°chi-hyun, wait.¡± before chi-hyun could say something, chi-woo cut him off and said. ¡°let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°let¡¯s do as we originally planned to do. before it¡¯s too late.¡± chi-hyun didn¡¯t say anything, but he appeared pretty reluctant to go with the idea. ¡°what is it again?¡± chi-woo said frustratedly. ¡°i will only understand if you tell me.¡± to read the uncut version, go to pawread dot com. chi-hyun seemed conflicted about whether he should tell chi-woo or not, but in the end, he opened his mouth. ¡°the original plan was for me to open up a passageway¡­then both of us would go through the path and deal with the abyss king.¡± though opening a passageway to an astral world hadn¡¯t been part of their original plan, they had decided back in shalyh that the two of them would be the ones to fight the abyss king. ¡°but that became impossible.¡± ¡°what? why?¡± ¡°the abyss king¡¯s world rapidly grew stronger, and its influence is only becoming greater. if we just let it be, it could really blanket over this middle world. thus, if i am to open a passageway to the astral world, i will have to continuously maintain it.¡± ¡°what, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°with this level of influence, the abyss king probably has omnipotence comparable to a god. if you don¡¯t want to get completely dominated by that guy, you need to maintain your connection with the middle world as much as possible. only then would you be able to also wield your full power.¡± in other words, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for chi-hyun to open a passageway for them. he would need to forcefully maintain the connection after opening it up, or else the abyss king would close the passageway again. then no one knew what would happen. this was the reason chi-hyun hesitated. ¡°i need to remain here and manage the passageway. under the current circumstances, that alone will keep my hands full.¡± in short, chi-woo would have to fight the abyss king alone. it was then chi-woo realized why his brother¡¯s expression had fallen when he heard his response. his brother worried for him and didn¡¯t want to send him alone when the situation was turning for the worse. it was the same for chi-woo. what he had said before wasn¡¯t a lie. he didn¡¯t know exactly when it¡¯d started, but he felt a sudden surge of alarm and anxiety. despite that, chi-woo replied coolly. ¡°what? that¡¯s all? i thought you would have something more serious to say. this is good actually.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°i was getting annoyed that i had to share the work with you. with this, i will be able to take all the merits for myself. i was getting worried because i have been using too many merits these days. this is good.¡± then chi-woo carefreely said he should use this opportunity to reach grand master tier too. but of course, that kind of talk didn¡¯t work on chi-hyun. ¡°this isn¡¯t something you can talk so carefreely about. you said you came to liber because of me.¡± ¡°well¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s the same for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°after you came here, my first priority changed.¡± it changed from the salvation of liber to his brother¡¯s safe return home. though chi-hyun spoke in a calm tone, his expression looked more serious than at any other time. ¡°i know. the situation would only get worse over time. i know it¡¯s best to send you away this instant too.¡± that was why chi-hyun had asked chi-woo what his intuition was telling him. if chi-woo had said his intuition was telling him things weren¡¯t bad, chi-hyun had planned to send him to the abyss king¡¯s world immediately. yet chi-woo¡¯s intuition was yelling at him that he mustn¡¯t go, and knowing what that meant, chi-hyun couldn¡¯t come to a decision. perhaps others would be baffled hearing that he was hesitating for something like his brother¡¯s intuition, and chi-hyun would¡¯ve usually agreed. he didn¡¯t deny the importance of intuition, but he didn¡¯t swear by it either. it was simply something to keep in mind. yet there was an exception to all things, and chi-woo¡¯s intuition was one of them. it was frighteningly accurate, and it didn¡¯t turn off and on but instead remained consistent and boasted an accuracy rate of 100% since chi-woo was born. knowing what the source of this abnormal intuition was, chi-hyun couldn¡¯t ignore what it said further. ¡°i don¡¯t know what you might think¡­but if i have to choose between all the shalyh expeditionary force and you, i will choose you without hesitation.¡± chi-woo pursed his lips. before, he would¡¯ve gotten angry with his brother, asking what nonsense he was spouting. but he didn¡¯t get angry this time. he knew that his brother didn¡¯t say those words out of malice, and after thinking from his brother¡¯s perspective, he understood. his brother¡¯s words were concise, but sincere. still, that didn¡¯t mean he would just accept what his brother said. at that moment, chi-woo felt a strange feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. [¡­i don¡¯t know.] [but¡­he was having a really hard time when i last met him.] [yeah. i¡¯ve never seen him like that before. he was really regretful and self-deprecating.] for some reason, what future yoo-joo told him flashed through his mind. yes, just as when he had acknowledged his fate in future yoo-joo¡¯s space, he felt like he was standing in front of an important fork for the future. he was originally planning to keep this a secret, but he thought he should reveal it to his brother. if he didn¡¯t say it right now, he might really regret it as she had told him. thus, chi-woo opened his mouth. CH 476 although chi-woo opened his mouth, nothing came out. he had no idea what to say. before leaving shalyh, chi-woo had said these words while planning for war with his brother: [in the past, you would have told me to know my place and stay holed up in shalyh, but now, you give me important roles without hesitation.¡­] of course, he had said it as a joke, but he had also said that with the thought that his brother was finally acknowledging him; that was what he had thought, but that wasn¡¯t actually the case. his brother¡¯s reaction back then was¡­how should he describe it? chi-hyun hadn¡¯t really said anything, but for some reason, his reaction caught chi-woo¡¯s attention. even after that, the image of his brother getting up from his seat without saying a word and leaving kept surfacing his mind randomly. thus, chi-woo now needed to tell him the same thing properly. ¡°i know.¡± chi-woo cleared his throat. ¡°i know what you¡¯re worried about, but i have to go. because i promised myself. to acknowledge and accept it, but never be swayed by it.¡± chi-hyun looked bewildered at chi-woo¡¯s sudden declaration. chi-woo took a deep breath calmly and said, ¡°the intuition that you¡¯re talking about¡­no, it wasn¡¯t simple intuition. you must know it too. what kind of life i have lived since i was born.¡± chi-woo wanted a normal life more than anyone else, but whatever he did, his daily life was fraught with bizarre and strange incidents. ¡°i kept wondering why. why should i be the only one living like this? when i was on earth, i didn¡¯t know anything and blamed and despised my family and the world for no reason.¡± was it because he had finally revealed a bit of his inner thoughts? chi-woo quietly opened his eyes and stared at chi-hyun. ¡°of course, i still don¡¯t know everything, but¡­i got to learn a little bit about the truth after coming to liber.¡± the next moment, white light surrounded chi-woo¡¯s body. from both eyes as well as his limbs and body, dazzling light poured out. chi-hyun¡¯s expression contorted as he saw chi-woo¡¯s eyes shine through the brilliant light. ¡°you¡­!¡± ¡°calm down, chi-hyun.¡± chi-hyun was about to shout something, but his mouth shut close against his will. surprised, he felt a contradictory sense of being ¡®forced¡¯ to calm down at the same time. what the hell was that? chi-hyun had encountered all kinds of strange and unbelievable things, but he struggled to understand what had just happened. ¡°this power¡­no, this fate. i know what you think of it, but look carefully.¡± chi-woo spread his arms wide and said, ¡°how does it look?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°do you think it still looks dangerous?¡± chi-hyun shook his head with a dazed expression. he had no choice but to agree; the light coming from chi-woo¡¯s body didn¡¯t look dangerous in the slightest. rather, it flowed smoothly as if it was right at home and was not only coexisting with chi-woo, but also resonating stably. but above all, the force that chi-hyun felt just now was something he had never experienced before. without even a bit of exaggeration, he would say that the voice seemed to have rung from the sky. like chi-woo¡¯s words were a verse in the bible, chi-hyun calmed down after being told to calm down. that was all. yes, that was all, but that was something that should have been impossible. chi-hyun remembered seeing chi-woo use that power several times. however, from chi-hyun¡¯s point of view, that was unlikely to be the power¡¯s true form. of course, although a small fragment of it was enough to demonstrate terrifying might, it was technically only a part of the unruly power inside chi-woo going berserk. however, just now, chi-woo had succeeded in using his power properly, albeit a very small amount. what the hell was going on here? to describe what happened, the core of balance that la bella had put inside chi-woo¡¯s heart at princess sahee¡¯s urging could be seen as the preparatory process. and to put it simply, chi-woo had basically submitted his application as a test-taker. there was nothing much to it, and the application only became meaningful after he took the test and passed it, thus receiving a certificate. on the other hand, despite this simple metaphor, chi-hyun knew how difficult and challenging this process was, as the test was the way of reaching the heavens. chi-hyun had no idea how chi-woo had succeeded in qualifying in such a short period of time. ¡®come to think of it¡ª¡¯ he had observed an unpredictable interference before; he had no idea what it was. it seemed that a lot had happened to his younger brother while he wasn¡¯t able to pay attention to him. soon, the light gradually faded from chi-woo¡¯s body. ¡°i just thought that¡­the source of my intuition that you mentioned might also be derived from this fate¡­¡± chi-woo looked down at his hand before looking back up. ¡°that¡¯s why i have to go further.¡± ¡°why did you¡ª¡± ¡°if i¡¯m right,¡± chi-woo cut him off, ¡°if i just follow my intuition as i¡¯ve been doing so far¡­in the end, i¡¯ll just be conforming to my fate.¡± chi-hyun closed his mouth again. ¡°but that¡¯s not supposed to be the case. then i¡¯ll be unable to keep the promise that i¡¯ll acknowledge and accept it, but not be swayed by it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s why i¡¯m going to go even though my intuition is shouting at me that it¡¯s not safe. and even if this anxiety materializes in reality¡ª¡± he was going to overcome it. this was what chi-woo thought was the true meaning of pioneering his own fate. chi-hyun closed his eyes. he felt proud of his brother; this was his first thought as soon as he heard what chi-woo said. he was really proud and impressed by chi-woo. in most cases, chi-hyun would have sent chi-woo off and told him to give it a try¡­ yeah, if it was like most cases. however, chi-hyun could not do that this time because he knew what the fate chi-woo was talking about was. the intuition worked in simple logic. if chi-woo did as his intuition said, he at least wouldn¡¯t suffer any losses. on the contrary, if he went against his intuition, he would lose something no matter what. this meant only one thing. in the latter case, it was already a fixed future that something bad would happen to chi-woo, and without a single exception, that had been the case so far. as such, chi-woo was essentially declaring that he would change a fixed future. in other words, he was going to change the laws of causality according to his desires and needs and literally exercise ¡®absolute causality¡¯. what an insanely unbelievable feat that would be. chi-hyun raised his hand and pointed up with his index finger. following the gesture, chi-woo looked up at the vast sky with no end in sight. ¡°there¡¯s more than meets the eye,¡± chi-hyun said. ¡°what you proposed to do is no different from putting the rules governing the universe¡ªno, the entire universe under your feet.¡± it should be obvious that the present universe wouldn¡¯t just stand by while this happened. ¡°an enormous chaos will arise.¡± chi-hyun¡¯s voice sounded a little shaky. ¡°and the center of that chaos will aim at you with absolute certainty because you¡¯re the cause of the chaos.¡± this novel is available on bit.ly/3ibfjkv. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t think of it as a light matter. the abyss? sernitas? i¡¯m not exaggerating when i say that they¡¯re merely dusts compared to the chaos that will arise from you.¡± chi-hyun quickly continued, ¡°powerful gods that look down at not only la bella but also princess sahee¡ªand even further, war gods that lead those ridiculous gods as their pawns.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°as the chaos grows stronger, an asura who can calm that chaos will be created. then the universe will create another being to deal with that asura, and the process will repeat forever and ever until someone breaks that endless cycle. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°if that happens¡­the ordinary daily life that you¡¯ve been wishing for will¡­.¡± chi-woo fell into thought as chi-hyun trailed off, unable to continue. gods who could look down on princess sahee¡ªthat must mean gods at the ninth or higher celestial rank. and chi-hyun spoke of a war god that could command even these gods, and the cosmic chaos that would break out as a result. chi-woo, who had borrowed the power of indra, a ninth celestial rank god, from a talisman given by his mentor, was aware of the seriousness of chi-hyun¡¯s warning. however¡­ ¡°it¡¯s all right.¡± chi-woo smirked. ¡°that won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°chi-woo.¡± ¡°even if i¡¯m the cause, i don¡¯t want that result.¡± ¡°chi-woo!¡± ¡°hyung.¡± the two called out to each other and closed their mouths at the same time. they stared at each other with an indescribable gaze. in fact, no more words were needed. chi-hyun was telling his brother that he shouldn¡¯t cross the line that couldn¡¯t be undone while he was still able to turn back, and chi-woo was telling chi-hyun to trust him this once. they had been making the same point to the other this whole time. since they hadn¡¯t been listening to each other, their argument had been going in circles. a brief silence fell between them, and then they heard someone clear his throat. ¡ªuh¡­i¡¯m a third party¡­and i don¡¯t want to intervene in another person¡¯s family matter, but¡­ it was philip. he glanced at chi-woo and stepped forward. ¡ªbut i probably know this guy better than you, at least when it comes to his time on liber. i¡¯ve been hanging out with him since i got out of salem. as a person who has been watching him every second from the time he knew nothing, i dare say¡­ philip continued with an air of dignity. ¡ªi think you can stop worrying about him now. chi-hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡ªfrom what i¡¯ve seen, he¡¯s not a hero or anything. a noble and lofty sacrifice? he has no interest in that in the first place. there¡¯s only one thing this guy wants. he wants to grab your hand and return to earth even a second faster. that¡¯s what i¡¯m saying. ¡ªit¡¯s only for this that he¡¯s been trying to survive and going through all kinds of hardships. i¡¯ve never seen him turn his eyes toward another goal besides that. chi-hyun unconsciously nodded at philip¡¯s words. ¡°it¡¯s not liber that i¡¯m worried about¡ª¡± ¡ªi know what you¡¯re worried about. philip shook his head and interrupted chi-hyun. ¡ªthen let me ask you one question. philip suddenly asked. ¡ªdo you think your brother will seriously turn out the way you¡¯re worried about? chi-hyun smacked his lips; rather than being rendered speechless, it seemed more like he was carefully choosing his words. ¡ªlet¡¯s not bring other matters into this conversation. philip waved his hand. ¡ªplease just answer yes or no. when chi-hyun closed his mouth, philip gave him a sly smile. ¡ªyou can¡¯t answer because if you say yes, you¡¯ll be a shithead, right? since it¡¯s obviously thanks to this guy that liber got to this state. that alone should be proof for you. don¡¯t you think so? chi-hyun remained silent, but philip continued as if he didn¡¯t expect an answer in the first place. ¡ªisn¡¯t that right? you, as his older brother, know the kind of person he is better than anyone else. he didn¡¯t just talk big, but has actually shown you this much result¡­ isn¡¯t it about time to trust him? nothing more, nothing less. ¡ªjust once. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªcan¡¯t you just trust him this once? philip let the moment stretch. though he had so much more he wanted to say, pushing further would be rude not only to chi-hyun, but also to chi-woo. philip looked at chi-hyun and suddenly smiled. ¡ª¡­but it¡¯s not like i don¡¯t understand you at all. chi-hyun¡¯s concerns were reasonable. despite what chi-woo wanted, his intuition was telling him that it was unsafe. it was bound to be difficult for a blood relative to send him off on his own. nevertheless, chi-woo wouldn¡¯t be alone. philip put his arm around chi-woo¡¯s shoulder. ¡ªwell, hold tight to your worries. you said it was the astral world, right? that means that i can play a role as a spirit. and¡­ there was a bark. wallie, who was sitting next to chi-woo, stood up and barked at chi-hyun as if he was saying he¡¯d also follow along as well. philip grinned. ¡ªthis guy is saying the same thing. chi-woo would not be alone. philip and wallie would join him. therefore, chi-hyun should try putting his trust in chi-woo as his younger brother painted a happy future where no one would have to cry or be sad and everyone could laugh. chi-hyun stayed silent. without a word, he closed his eyes and seemed lost in thought. as time went by, chi-woo stared at chi-hyun with slightly nervous eyes. how long had it been? ¡°i¡­¡± chi-hyun slowly opened his eyes as if he had made up his mind. ¡°i have no intention of taking back my words.¡± chi-woo scowled, but chi-hyun then continued, ¡°if i had to choose between you and the shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force, i will choose you no matter what.¡± philip smacked his lips as if he was fed up with chi-hyun''s stubbornness, and wallie also growled while revealing his mad moon fangs. ¡°so¡ª¡± chi-hyun suddenly extended an arm. ¡°you better do a good job.¡± crack¡ª with the sound of air splitting, cracks began to form where chi-hyun¡¯s palm was. ¡°if you don¡¯t want me to make that decision.¡± chi-woo stared at the space that had been forced open, and his eyes widened with joy. his brother, who had never backed down on this matter, finally took a step back for the first time. CH 477 after realizing that they were stuck in basilik¡¯s world, shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force was in great distress. the world they were in was crumbling by the second with them trapped inside. at this rate, they would disappear along with the world. it was preferable to die fighting than die like this. nobody wanted to meet their ends in this manner, but there was nothing they could do. the situation the abyss king had set up while going so far as to defy the law of causality was truly firm and complex. there might be a way out if there was a member among them who was so extraordinary that they could free themselves from such rules, yet there was no one like that. there was nothing they could do with their current members. thus, in the middle of this chaos, the seven stars members remained quiet. they simply glanced at one another in silence. they wanted to raise their swords and weapons to disperse their helplessness, but it was meaningless when they had no comprehensible plan. still, it didn¡¯t seem right for them to stand around and wait to see how things would play out. thus, they turned to evelyn, the one who had been leading them until now. ¡°¡­¡± but when they saw her lower her head with a look of grief on her face, all the seven stars members smacked their lips. the fact that evelyn, who had reached the pinnacle of her previous faction as the abyss witch and furthermore received the abyss queen¡¯s blessing, was acting like this indicated that things were truly hopeless. ¡°it seems like¡­there¡¯s no way out of this situation anymore,¡± when even ru amuh said in a resigned tone, it seemed like the final nail in the coffin. they wanted to deny what was happening, but about one-fifth of basilisk''s world had already disappeared. ru hiana whimpered. they came all this way, but they might have to disappear without changing anything. yet she didn¡¯t cry. she continued to say that things were not over yet, and that there was surely a way out. and unable to accept defeat, she was about to shout at others to not give up when¡ªboom! everyone flinched. evelyn, the seven star members, and the shalyh expeditionary force who were in great distress all rose their heads. then, their murmurings stopped, and everyone looked above them. the basilisk¡¯s world was still gradually disappearing, but everyone felt it then. there was an enormous wave of energy that was so strong that it even penetrated the tightly sealed doors of this world. it went straight across worlds that couldn¡¯t be seen and pierced through the other one. a giant passageway of energy that connected different worlds formed. and between them, everyone sensed a figure crossing the passageway, followed by an animal running on four legs closely behind him. just like how chi-hyun and chi-woo had felt the shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force in the astral worlds all the way from the middle world, those scattered across the astral worlds also felt these two figures, and they felt familiar. ¡°¡­ah.¡± realizing who those were, evelyn let out a gasp unconsciously. she had looked like she was about to give up everything, but now an indescribable feeling soared to her chest. like a wilting flower blooming again, evelyn¡¯s pale face regained color. without any words of assurance, just the sheer realization of who had come to this world washed away all the worries in her heart. it was as the abyss queen had told her. there was no way he wouldn¡¯t do anything. evelyn¡¯s gaze shifted from left to right, and soon tension drained from her body. her shoulders dropped slightly, and she let out the breath she had been holding. turning around, she gave the others a relieved and serene smile. like there was nothing more to worry about, each of the seven stars members also smiled. no words were needed. humanity had sent out their greatest trump card to save them. the rest of the shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force responded similarly. though there had been a great commotion just before, the basilisk''s worlds regained its silence. the world was still crumbling, but no one was worried. ru amuh walked toward them and said without any hesitation or doubt, ¡°everyone, please just wait a bit more. he is here.¡± that was all that needed to be said. *** after chi-hyun forcefully opened the doors of the world that the abyss king closed, chi-woo rushed in with philip and wallie before it was too late. while chi-woo was running across the passageway of energy that chi-hyun had made, chi-woo kept taking furtive glances at philip. philip tried to ignore it at first, but because chi-woo didn¡¯t say anything but only glanced at him, he shouted frustratedly. ¡ª¡­what! what¡¯s the deal!? do you have anything to say!? ¡°no, just because.¡± chi-woo smirked while philip got angry at him. ¡°i was just grateful.¡± ¡ªhuh. what are you saying that for? philip snorted. ¡ªyou seem to have gotten something wrong. i didn¡¯t say what i said for your sake. i said it because i was also feeling frustrated. finally, i¡¯m voicing what i¡¯ve been thinking for a long time. it was to put my mind at peace. got it? chi-woo smiled. was it philina? it was the name of philip¡¯s female counterpart in other worlds, and chi-woo remembered the other versions of him saying that she had quite a coy personality. it appeared that philip was the same as her except for the sexes. ¡°but i¡¯m still grateful.¡± ¡ªah, okay. i got it, so stop. philip quickly waved his hands like he was embarrassed and smacked his lips. ¡ªanyway¡­will you really be alright? this novel is available on "pawread dot com". ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡ªyou know what your brother said. i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking¡­but i think there would be a good reason if someone like your brother tried to stop you so fervently. after all, chi-hyun had said there could be an enemy so strong that they could consider the future abyss and sernitas as mere dust in the universe aiming for him. of course, philip would worry after hearing that. chi-woo looked to the front again and said, ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡± ¡ª? ¡°i will think about it then.¡± ¡ªwhat? ¡°when i was young,¡± chi-woo cleared his throat, ¡°there was a time when i was in great pain and anger because living was so hard. i resented and hated the world and even my family at that time.¡± ¡ª¡­what was so hard about your life? though this was a bit of an unexpected turn of conversation, philip decided to go along with it for now. ¡°there were many reasons, but¡­if i had to pick one, it¡¯s because my future looked bleak. i couldn¡¯t see hope,¡± chi-woo said in a low voice. ¡°i wondered how i should live and whether my situation would become better.¡± philip fell quiet. he had seen how those who had lost hope live their life. ¡°that¡¯s when i met my past mentor¡­and he told me something that changed my life.¡± ¡ªwhat did he say? ¡°he asked me why a young guy like me was already worrying about my future. he told me to just focus on what was happening right in front of me.¡± ¡ªha! philip burst into laughter. ¡°thus, that made me think, ¡®why was i worrying about a future that hadn¡¯t even come yet more than unnecessary and falling to despair about it?¡¯ especially when life is already so hard, even right now.¡± ¡ªdon¡¯t you think that sounds a bit irresponsible though? ¡°tomorrow will be another day. i can think about what will happen when that day comes,¡± chi-woo said firmly. ¡ªwell, the future will have become the present. i get what you are saying. the best way was to prevent unwanted futures from happening before they did, but philip didn¡¯t bring them up. it was because, in life, there were times when there was simply no other choice¡ªabsolutely no choice at all but to act against their intuition. and chi-woo was showing what kind of attitude he would take when such a time came. it was simple but clear. sometimes, there was nothing more effective than simplicity. ¡ªgood. should we focus all our attention on the most pressing matter right now, which is capturing the abyss king? ¡°yes, that¡¯s it. isn¡¯t it so simple and nice when you think like that?¡± chi-woo said, and wallie barked in agreement. chi-woo smiled brightly and looked sideways. besides philip and wallie, he couldn¡¯t see anyone, but he felt gazes from all around him. they were desperate and pleading, and sensing to whom the gazes belonged, chi-woo affirmed his resolve. they had done everything they could do on their end, and thanks to them, the stage was set for his brother to make a passageway through worlds safely. it was now his turn to meet their expectations. his brother had told him that if he needed to choose between the expeditionary force and him, he would pick him without hesitation. it hadn¡¯t been a lie. chi-hyun would probably still slow down the rate at which the basilik¡¯s world was disappearing as much as possible besides making the passageway. but if a situation arose where he couldn¡¯t support both shalyh¡¯s force and chi-woo, he would choose without a moment of delay to put all his focus on maintaining the passageway. [if you don¡¯t want me to make a choice like that¡­you¡¯ll have to do a good job.] in other words, chi-woo needed to defeat the abyss king before that situation arose. how long had he been running? eventually, chi-woo saw a space that had been forcefully broken and cracked at the end of the passageway. chi-woo flung himself forward without hesitation and disappeared into the crack. soon afterward, his vision blurred. *** ¡ªkufufufu¡­ laughter continued without stopping. ¡ªkuah! kuahahah! hahahahaha! it was the mad laughter of someone who couldn¡¯t contain his joy. not long afterward, the abyss king stopped laughing. there was suddenly an intruder before him. it was chi-woo. chi-woo walked toward the abyss king and stopped. thick fog flowed around him, but there was nothing in his surroundings. it was as if he was in a barren wasteland, and there was nothing besides the abyss king, who sat alone and laughed continuously. the abyss king wore dark armor, and his eyes narrowed when he saw chi-woo. the dark smoke flowing between the abyss king¡¯s armor gave off a different sense of energy from the time they met at the great war. chi-woo had heard that the abyss king had changed because of the sernitas, but it appeared that there was more to his transformation. chi-woo didn¡¯t know what it was exactly, but it was probably the cause of the foreboding feeling that he kept having. ¡°you look happy,¡± chi-woo greeted the abyss king. ¡ªhm, i sure am. chi-woo snorted when the abyss king accepted him with open arms. ¡°i thought you would be shuddering and hiding like a coward. how surprising.¡± ¡ªi suppose it¡¯s not too far-fetched to think that. the abyss king responded to the provocation coolly. ¡°then, instead of stirring up a great fuss and getting beaten up, can¡¯t you just die peacefully? i¡¯m quite a busy man.¡± ¡ªtruthfully, there¡¯s a part of me that wants that. one of chi-woo¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡ªafter struggling so much, i thought about dying peacefully if things didn¡¯t work out even till the end¡­that¡¯s what i thought at one point. no, that¡¯s what i thought not so long ago. though chi-woo couldn¡¯t see the abyss king¡¯s face because it was covered by a helmet, he was sure the abyss king was smirking with all his teeth showing. ¡ªbut not anymore. furthermore, his voice was confident throughout the entire conversation. what could possibly make someone who had been preparing for his death become this confident? there must be some basis behind his confidence. it didn¡¯t seem likely that he would act like this simply because of the power he borrowed from the sernitas. thinking about the abyss king¡¯s specialty and natural traits, chi-woo thought of one possibility. ¡°did you have a good meal or something?¡± ¡ªhm. i did enjoy a true delicacy that i might never get to try again even if i search the entire universe. the abyss king was so full of confidence that he easily spoke about what had happened. ¡ªit¡¯s something that i hadn¡¯t expected at all. i had been keeping my eye on the treat, but it was really something i absorbed at the spur of the moment and at the risk of setbacks because of how urgent my situation was. the result surprised even the abyss king. it was as if he picked up a random fallen stone on the ground and realized that it was a very rare gem he wouldn¡¯t be able to find anywhere in the world. ¡ªthus, naturally, my way of thinking changed. i thought my fate wasn¡¯t to die after all, and the heavens hadn¡¯t forsaken me yet. ¡°what?¡± ¡ªbecause heavens came inside me! the abyss king shouted, and a thought passed chi-woo¡¯s head. ¡®wait a minute¡­¡¯ while coming to this place, chi-woo had felt numerous gazes. there were evelyn, ru amuh, and other seven stars members. but there was one person he had failed to sense. ¡®¡­wait. then¡­¡¯ chi-woo thought of the person and realized the source of the abyss king¡¯s confidence. CH 478 the abyss king did not meet with the sernitas, or to be exact, there hadn¡¯t been a single point of contact between them since the great war. feeling deeply conflicted about chi-woo¡¯s existence, the sernitas had stopped all external activities after observing an unknown interference. after that, they shut all doors to the outside tight. on the other hand, it was most important to note that the abyss king had not become one with the sernitas during the great war; there was one reason that had happened later even though the abyss king had never come into contact with the sernitas since then¡ªwhen he used the abyss queen¡¯s power to move his time forward, thinking it was for the last time, his body transformed. explore the extended edition on pawread.com. the abyss king was transformed into a sernitas. sensing his sudden connection with the immeasurable consciousness, the abyss king was at first despondent since this meant that his future self had failed to find a solution and eventually asked the sernitas for help. it felt like yesterday when he laughed at bael for failing to resist the sernitas¡¯ temptation and driving the demon empire to destruction. however, he could no longer mock bael for her folly. originally, he would have rewinded and canceled his transformation as if it had never happened. however, the abyss king didn¡¯t do so¡ªno, he couldn¡¯t because he saw no alternative. he saw no way out other than this. it was then that the abyss king decided to bear the backlash of defying causality. from the time he decided to remain a sernitas, he had already prepared himself for all the consequences, and in his final desperate attempt, the abyss king decided to cross the line. in fact, the abyss king had planned to die for real, but of course, he wasn¡¯t going to die peacefully. since he had already crossed the line, he was going to do everything he could do. when the consequences of defying causality came for him afterwards and when there was nothing more to struggle with, at that time, he really had decided to accept death. however, seeing the girl who was left alone after knocking down balim by herself, he decided to absorb the entire world with her in his sense of urgency¡­ * * * ¡°¡­flora,¡± chi-woo murmured. come to think of it, flora was the only one he hadn¡¯t sensed. if the abyss king had absorbed flora, it was understandable that he would be showing that much confidence because flora had the ability chi-woo was sharing with her, the heaven¡¯s vessel. ¨Cwas that girl¡¯s name flora? the abyss king chuckled. ¨Cit¡¯s really amazing¡­i didn¡¯t think much of her. who would¡¯ve thought that there would be a creature in that world with potential that even i can¡¯t digest in one shot? ¡°really? i was a bit worried, but that¡¯s a relief.¡± ¨Chmm? what are you talking about? ¡°you said you haven¡¯t digested her yet, right? then that means if i just kill you before she¡¯s digested, i can get flora back.¡± ¨Ci think you¡¯ve misunderstood something. you¡¯re half right but half wrong. the abyss king corrected chi-woo with a leisurely and relaxed voice. ¨Cthe girl named flora is clearly still alive in me¡­but i¡¯ve already become one with her. i¡¯ve already shared everything with the girl, so even if you kill me, you can¡¯t get her back¡­ ¡°ah.¡± chi-woo raised his hand and cut off the abyss king as if he didn¡¯t even need to listen any longer. then he said, ¡°i know what you mean, but don¡¯t worry about it because i¡¯ll deal with it on my own.¡± ¡®right? our asha can solve this later, can¡¯t you?¡¯ chi-woo tapped asha while they perched on his shoulder and cracked his neck. ¡°anyways, it¡¯s time to settle this. shall we?¡± when he reached out, the white glove turned into light and formed a club. ¡°so why did you have to touch other people¡¯s things? do you have a death wish?¡± ¡ªwhy don¡¯t you calm down? i want to talk to you first. ¡°yeah, a conversation is good, but there¡¯s no need for us to just talk, right?¡± chi-woo twirled the shining ghost-busting club in his hand. as he said, a conversation could be carried out not only through words, but also iron and blood. ¡ª¡­i guess you haven¡¯t grasped the situation yet. the smiling abyss king stretched out his arms slowly in front of him. ¡ªthen let me show you some of it. soon, something came out of the abyss king in all directions. the energy split into several branches, wriggling and rising at a frightening speed. gotaya, wraith, gorgo, taros¡­they were all chasms that had been absorbed earlier. chi-woo had been slightly nervous, wondering what the abyss king would do, but he snorted after seeing the chasms quickly take shape. however, it wasn¡¯t over yet. the abyss king clenched his hand, and the next moment, all seven chasms were united into one. they gathered together in a lump and expanded, soon merging and morphing into a huge giant. its entire body was filled with the endless darkness of the abyss, and it felt as if chi-woo was seeing a black hole that absorbed everything. ¡ªdo you understand now? the abyss king laughed. the resurrection of the seven chasms was not a big deal, but this was a completely different story. the abyss king had just created a different being. this was something that only a god could do. thus, this was proof that the abyss king had surpassed being a mere sernitas and become another kind of existence after absorbing flora, who possessed the ¡®heaven¡¯s vessel¡¯. ¡ªif you still don¡¯t get it, i¡¯ll show you. thud¡ªa black hole in the form of a giant took a step, which was all it took to narrow the distance between the giant and chi-woo. then when chi-woo felt a terrifying pressure that seemed to stretch his whole body like a piece of taffy, a whirlwind suddenly lashed out. at the same time, a sharp moonlight streamed down diagonally into view, and the darkness giant lost an arm while faltering and tilting. the giant hurriedly stepped back in shock. then the pressure that seemed to be turning the tide to the abyss king¡¯s favor noticeably subsided. ¡°growllll¡­!¡± a ferocious growl rang out. before he knew it, wallie was confronting the darkness giant at an angle. when chi-woo glanced back, wallie turned toward the darkness giant and revealed his moonlit teeth as if he was saying, ¡®i¡¯ll take care of this guy, so don¡¯t worry about him and focus on the abyss king.¡¯ ¡ªoh my. a fenrir¡­and a descendant of hurodivituru at that. the abyss king was momentarily impressed by wallie, but only in the sense that he found the turn of events entertaining. ¡ªthe mad moon fang that even tore a god to pieces and killed them¡­how terrifying. but¡ª then the giant¡¯s arm sprouted back as good as new. considering that even the kings and queens of the hala forest had struggled to recover from the mad moon fangs, it was a surprising development. ¡ªit seems like he hasn¡¯t awakened his raw divinity yet? abyss king said mockingly. ¡ªeven hurodivituru at her prime wouldn¡¯t be able to guarantee victory in this fight. with a cub like him¡­he¡¯s simply another delicacy falling onto my plate. chi-woo turned to the side for a moment and whispered something to asha. chi-woo felt asha¡¯s affirmation, and after deciding to leave the unknown monster to wallie, he took a step forward. the abyss king had been talking so much for quite some time that it was getting suspicious. it was as if he was trying to buy time to finish his digestion. the darkness giant tried to stop chi-woo, but had to step back after being repeatedly blocked by wallie¡¯s interference. it even got one leg cut off and fell during this process. of course, it recovered immediately and stood up again, but chi-woo was able to get right in front of the abyss king thanks to wallie. ¡°how long do you intend to hide? there¡¯s no place to back off to anymore.¡± the abyss king smacked his lips when he saw the darkness giant fight wallie. ¡ªif you so desperately ask for greater pain¡­let me ask you one more question for the last time. he let out a long sigh. ¡ªdo you want to work under me? chi-woo had originally intended to fight without answering, but he couldn¡¯t help but stop his club mid-swing. that was how unexpected and surprising the abyss king¡¯s offer was. ¡°¡­what?¡± chi-woo asked with a baffled expression. goodness. even the sernitas had extended an offer of non-aggression, but the abyss king¡¯s proposal was for him to become his subordinate. ¡ªno, you don¡¯t have to serve under me. you meet more than enough of the qualifications . yeah, i¡¯ll give you equal treatment. chi-woo was so dumbfounded that the abyss king would speak as if he was being extremely generous to chi-woo. silently, he blinked at the abyss king. however, the abyss king seemed to be mistaking that as chi-woo giving the offer some consideration, and he continued even more enthusiastically. ¡ªlet¡¯s join hands. if it¡¯s you and me, the sernitas won¡¯t even be a problem. we can go beyond this cramped liber and rule the entire universe. i acknowledge you, so join me. chi-woo finally realized why his brother said that the abyss king had gone crazy even before they met like this. the abyss king had not just lost his mind, but seemed to have inhaled a whole jar of drugs. thus, he asked, ¡°are you¡­crazy?¡± ¡ªwhy do you think i¡¯m crazy? the abyss king asked in a serious tone. ¡ªi¡¯m the heavens. i became one with the heavens in this vast universe! at that moment, a tremendous and terrifying force gushed out from the abyss king¡¯s entire body. at the same time, he burst into hysterical laughter as if he had really lost his marbles. however, he stopped laughing shortly after. ¡°¡­¡± chi-woo stared blankly at the abyss king and suddenly burst into boisterous laughter. ¡°¡­ahah!¡± he laughed while clutching his belly as if he considered the abyss king the biggest fool in the world. ¡°ahahahhahahahaha!¡± he even wiped his tears while laughing because of how funny the situation was to him. ¡°geez, it¡¯s like a blind man describing an elephant¡ª!¡± ¡ªa blind man? how am i blind? ¡°i mean, it¡¯s true. you don¡¯t even get a full experience. you¡¯ve only licked the bow, yet you¡¯re acting like you tasted a rare delicacy.¡± ¡ªi¡¯ve only¡­licked the bowl¡­? ¡°you got it all wrong¡­you really are misunderstanding something. heaven¡¯s vessel is not the heavens.¡± originally, chi-woo had had no intention of telling the abyss king the truth, but the abyss king was being so pitiful and sad that he couldn¡¯t help but reveal part of it. ¡°it¡¯s merely a vessel that holds the heavens. in other words, it¡¯s a form of qualification. well, it¡¯s true that your level increases with just that, but¡­the purpose of a vessel is to hold something in. thus, the value changes depending on what you put in it.¡± as the saying went, casting pearls before a swine, and likewise, drawing stripes on a pumpkin did not make it a watermelon. although it was an undeniable fact that the abyss king had risen to a higher level of existence after absorbing flora, which slightly opened up a new possibility, that was the extent of the change. the fact that he was the abyss king remained true. in other words, he was bound to be different from chi-woo, who was born with such a fate from the very beginning. the difference between them was greater than heaven and earth. ¡°in my view, you and flora are not much different. and with similar things getting combined, the end result isn¡¯t something to write home about. well, i¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll understand even if i tell you all this¡­¡± chi-woo thought that the abyss king would definitely reject the reality and deny it, or get angry because he couldn¡¯t accept it. however, he was wrong. ¨Ca vessel is just a vessel¡­ in other words, it¡¯s just a shell¡­ hmm, well, you have a point. even if you wear the shell, what¡¯s inside is still the same¡­ the abyss king muttered in a slightly flustered tone. he seemed to be taking chi-woo¡¯s words seriously. ¨Cthen what¡­am i supposed to do? he earnestly asked like a mad scientist who desperately craved wisdom and was burning with a passion to learn. ¡°what do you mean? this all arose from your stupid delusion.¡± chi-woo barked out a hollow laugh. ¡°it might have been different if you ate me, but just because you absorbed flora¡­¡± ¨Cah, is that so? at that moment, the abyss king¡¯s tone changed. his strained and struggling tone instantly brightened, as if he had finally found a way out of this desperate situation. ¨Ci see. you¡¯re right. that¡¯s what i should do. he muttered and nodded to himself several times before finally standing up. ¨Cthen¡­ he spoke in a flushed voice as he stared at chi-woo. there was a moment of silence before he suddenly shouted. ¨Ci just need to eat you! at the same moment, he rushed out like a bullet. ¨Che¡¯s coming. philip quickly said. chi-woo, who had already been on guard, immediately clutched his ghost-busting club and hit the ground, facing the abyss king head on. like this, the battle between chi-woo and the abyss king, with both of their existences on the line, began. CH 479 chi-woo and the abyss king clashed. a club of light collided with the flowing darkness. boom! the atmosphere thundered violently. it felt as if the entire world was shaking from the collision alone. the club made of light and the iron mace shook, and chi-woo and the abyss king exchanged glances before backing away. but before the abyss king could take another step backward, the club swung his way. ¡ªthis is nothing¡­! the abyss king yelled and swung his mace¡ªno, that was what he tried to do when a loud bang exploded. before he could finish swinging his mace once more, the abyss king was left looking dumbfounded. his surroundings were fluctuating recklessly as if time was quickly rewinding. it was then he realized that he was flying across the air, and as soon as he came to the realization, he smashed into the ground. he left a deep indentation and skittered a considerable distance away. never in his wildest imagination did he think that he would roll on the ground like this after becoming the abyss king of this empty world. it was a very humiliating moment, but the abyss king didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it. it was because as soon as he managed to raise his head, he saw darkness flow out of his body like vapor. the part of his dark armor that shielded his stomach was broken. until now, the armor hadn¡¯t cracked a single time since he became the abyss king. it wasn¡¯t a critical hit. still, he was shocked that his armor would be damaged after a single collision. he thought he had surely blocked chi-woo¡¯s attack, but that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°what to do now?¡± he heard footsteps then. ¡°it looks quite expensive. did you get insurance for it?¡± the abyss king regained his senses after hearing chi-woo¡¯s voice. ¡ªi don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, but¡­anyways, this is surprising. the abyss king expressed his admiration while raising himself up. ¡ªyou are the first one to have damaged this armor. chi-woo¡¯s mouth twisted upon hearing the abyss king¡¯s complimentary tone. ¡°is that so? would you give me anything other than compliments? for instance¡ª¡± chi-woo yelled and simultaneously swung his club. ¡°what about one of your arms!¡± an enormous explosion burst around the abyss king again, but it failed to reach the king. ¡ªit seems i underestimated my opponent too much. the abyss king had already backed away and fixed his posture. then, he asked. ¡ªdo you know the significance of an armor? ¡°what?¡± ¡ªone wears armor to protect themselves from outside attacks. the battle had already begun. whatever the abyss king said, chi-woo had absolutely no intention of playing along with the trickeries. he wanted to test if the abyss king would continue to flap his mouth after he crushed his jaws. ¡ªbut it¡¯s different for me. the dark armor shielding the abyss king began to split into many pieces the next moment. chi-woo frowned at the falling armor pieces. though the abyss king¡¯s armor had been damaged from the first attack, that had only been a small part of it. furthermore, chi-woo¡¯s last attack had missed. in other words, the abyss king¡¯s armor wasn¡¯t crumbling because of his attack, but by the king¡¯s own will. ¡ªmy armor exists to protect others from me. the abyss king¡¯s body was revealed. there was nothing but darkness. chi-woo knew the abyss king wasn¡¯t human, but his body was so strange that it was hard to describe. if he had to put into words what it looked like, he would say the abyss king¡¯s body was like the miniature version of the darkness giant he had made. it also looked like a shadow. of course, chi-woo knew there was no way the abyss king was simply that. and there were countless arms and legs the size of ants rising and falling all over the abyss king¡¯s body. it looked like a pitch-black swamp where a hundred thousand or more people were swimming, all crammed together. chi-woo let out a humorless laugh. ¡°did your armor weigh you down or something? was it like a thousand or two thousand tons?¡± ¡ªrather than that¡­it¡¯s just that my body is so difficult to control, even for me. the abyss king gave him a cryptic smile. ¡ªalso, i realized that i couldn¡¯t go easy on you. though it was by the standard from when he was his normal self, the abyss king realized that chi-woo was someone he had to go all out on from the beginning. the broken armor pieces on the ground and even the iron mace in his hand were sucked into his body. the more the abyss king absorbed, the more his darkness deepened as if he was sucking in even the light around him, and the arms and legs as well as the screeching that came from inside him became fiercer. chi-woo also felt the energy flowing out of the abyss king suddenly deepen like it was becoming more compressed and sturdier. ¡ªkuaaah¡­! the abyss king¡¯s whole body shuddered. soon afterward, he raised his head and shot off like a bullet. his speed was incomparable to before, and there had been no warning signs. then, he extended his fist forward. it was a simple and rough attack, but when chi-woo instinctively raised his club, what happened next made him flinch in shock. countless hands sprouted out of the abyss king¡¯s arm and stretched toward him. without any hesitation, chi-woo¡¯s ai armor deployed in all directions when it was known to concentrate on the exact point of attack. then, it maddeningly pounded, scratched, and wavered in the air to block the abyss king¡¯s attacks. the number of hands that came out of the abyss king¡¯s body was so numerous that it blocked chi-woo¡¯s vision, and for a moment, chi-woo thought he was in a dark room with no light. and besides these endless hands that extended toward chi-woo, the abyss king was also swinging his main body¡¯s fist at him. chi-woo blocked the attack with his club, but the pressure he felt while holding his weapon was so intense it felt like both his hands were getting crushed. the abyss king continued to push, landing a punch on him and sending him flying across the air, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. ¡ªif this isn¡¯t enough¡­! for the full version, visit [ pawread.com ]. seeing that chi-woo was enduring better than he looked, the abyss king¡¯s body fluctuated and wiggled. after the wavering stopped, he kicked off the floor. splaaash! his speed wouldn¡¯t be compared to a bullet at this point. seeing how he only left a hazy afterimage, his speed was closer to the speed of light. the abyss king caught up to the still flying chi-woo and bombarded him with attacks. bam, baaaam! even chi-woo couldn¡¯t counter all the countless flurry of attacks that were pouring onto him with just his club. the ai armor was barely blocking many of the attacks, and chi-woo felt the energy supply going from his heart to the ai armor quickly depleting. it was as if a furiously circulating motor engine was screeching before it burnt to a crisp. ¡ªnot yet¡­not yet¡­! the abyss king didn¡¯t stop. he followed chi-woo closely behind and landed a whirl of attacks on chi-woo like a storm. the ai armor that had been barely managing to keep up started to make cracking noises throughout the barrier. eventually, it couldn¡¯t hold on any longer, and a part of it broke. it happened because though chi-woo still had mana left, the abyss king¡¯s attack speed surpassed the ai armor¡¯s regenerative rate. the abyss king¡¯s darkness rushed into the openings and struck chi-woo¡¯s body. when bright red blood spurted out like a fountain, the abyss king was about to rejoice. yet he soon saw chi-woo¡¯s divine blood flow back into his body, and his injury healed in an instant. at the sight of such unbelievable regenerative power, the abyss king momentarily stopped attacking and hesitated. he felt a mysterious sense of danger. he was attacking with all his might, yet only managed to inflict an injury that his opponent could easily recover from. a seed of doubt formed in his heart, but the abyss king quickly shook his head. ¡ª¡­no wonder. in the first place, the abyss king had suspected that chi-woo wasn¡¯t pure human anyway. though it had been before he demonstrated his full power, there was no way that a being who managed to crack his armor at the beginning of their fight would be a mere human. ¡ªthen¡­! it was too early to make judgments. the abyss king¡¯s body wavered more strongly than at any other time. then, he warily settled down on the ground. his body had become something other than what could simply be described as dark or black. soon afterward, he disappeared without a trace. no form or sound could be spotted, and an uninformed bystander would¡¯ve only seen a dark meteor-like shape move at the speed of light. in a flash, the abyss king swirled around chi-woo. it didn¡¯t take him even a second, and in that short time frame, he poured out countless attacks. after repeating this process a couple of times, he felt something break and crumble. seizing the chance, the abyss king clutched his hands together and raised them high in the air. then the numerous dark hands flowing out of the abyss king¡¯s body likewise joined hands and struck chi-woo hard. white light descended vertically across the air and even went through the ground. like stuffing food into an already full mouth, space began to swell up in lumps starting from where chi-woo was shoved into. soon afterward, there was a series of explosions as parts of the ground burst, unable to contain the impact any longer, and debris shot up to the sky. there was heavy smoke and a giant mushroom cloud as if a nuclear bomb had gone off. eventually, the smoke faded little by little and revealed a wasteland that looked like it had been ravaged by war. the crater looked like one an asteroid would leave on the ground, and standing on the edge of it, the abyss king exhaled the breath he had been holding. ¡ªhuff¡­puff¡­! he inhaled and exhaled roughly for a while and laughed. just like how he had absorbed the abyss queen and the seven chasms one by one, the abyss king had absorbed countless other existences to this day. though the beings he absorbed were biologically dead, their consciousness remained because only then could the abyss king wholly use and accept them. it was an extraordinary ability, but it did come with some side effects. the more existences he accepted, the heavier the burden the abyss king felt. this was what he meant when he explained to chi-woo that even he had a hard time controlling his body. thus, it had been a gamble for him to discard the armor that had helped him suppress the consciousnesses inside him and thereby relieved his burden. still, he was confident to almost certainty. after absorbing the girl named flora, the abyss king felt his control and authority increase incomparably from before. this was how he had succeeded in controlling the numerous consciousnesses earlier; not just once, but three times. he had succeeded in suppressing them and managed to endure when using all of them at once. this was clear proof that his power had risen to new heights. yet power was like the ocean one drank from when thirsty. though he had gotten his hands on a power much more resilient than before, he felt a thirst he couldn¡¯t put into words. from the battle just now, the abyss king realized that chi-woo hadn¡¯t been lying. he was beginning to feel his limits when he used his newly-gained power for the third time. the heavens signified a vast, limitless universe, but the fact he felt his limits meant that he hadn¡¯t yet fully embraced the heavens. still, it was fine. he found the solution to this problem, which was chi-woo. and he had just smashed this solution down, so all he had to do was eat chi-woo as he had always done. ¡ªbut besides that, it really is worrisome. what if there¡¯s not even a trace of him left? maybe i should¡¯ve held back a bit. no, no. he wasn¡¯t someone i could hold back on. the abyss king murmured to himself like a madman and chuckled. then one step at a time, he walked forward. ¡ª¡­ yet he couldn¡¯t take the next step. the cloud of dust rising everywhere around them eventually settled. the abyss king looked down at the center of the crater where the smoke was thickest and stammered. ¡ªw-what¡­ CH 480 when chi-woo and the abyss king began a full-fledged battle, wallie was also in the midst of a fierce battle with the darkness giant. the fenrir, in particular hurodivituru, was one of the strongest on liber. in the days when the fenrirs flourished, even the demon empire could not easily reckon with them, and the king candidates of the hala forest had tried to avoid hurodivituru too. wallie was the descendent of that famed hurodivituru, and he was showing why the fenrirs had been so revered and feared in his fight against the darkness giant. the mad moon fangs tore the darkness giant twice his size to pieces several times. however, strictly speaking, that was all wallie could do. although he had achieved the desired goal of not letting the giant get in chi-woo¡¯s way, the battle was at a standstill since the darkness giant regenerated and stood up again no matter how many times wallie made it collapse. frankly, it couldn¡¯t be helped since while the mad moon fangs were powerful enough to kill a god, wallie hadn¡¯t awakened his divinity, which was a prerequisite for mad moon fangs to show its full power. wallie was thus unable to tap into his full potential. of course, even without fully awakening its power, the mad moon fang was powerful, but as time passed, this fight inevitably became more and more disadvantageous for wallie. while the darkness giant was the same as it had been at the very beginning, wounds began to accumulate on wallie¡¯s body over time. in fact, wallie knew better than anyone that things would get difficult if nothing was changed. no, no, he needed to protect his friend and partner, but at this rate, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. then¡­! ¡°groooowl¡­!¡± a deep growl full of murderous intent came from wallie¡¯s throat as he glared menacingly at the darkness giant. * * * the abyss king stammered. the sight he witnessed at the center of the huge crater so completely betrayed his expectations that he was flabbergasted. he¡¯d mobilized all the consciousness that existed inside him with that attack; he even compressed and condensed them thrice before shooting the end result out at once. he had been certain that chi-woo would be sprawled on the ground pathetically, but chi-woo was standing tall in the center of the crater with his feet firmly on the ground. although white steam was coming up all over his body, his posture hadn¡¯t been compromised at all. ¨Ceven though i did this much¡­ it didn¡¯t work? he didn¡¯t even manage to burn chi-woo¡¯s hair? what the hell was going on here? what was happening completely defied the abyss king¡¯s belief. chi-woo paid no heed to the abyss king¡¯s confusion and gently raised his head while lowering his club. the moment their eyes met, the abyss king felt the unknown sense of anxiety that he had barely shaken off rear its ugly head again. ¨Chehe. it was worth teaching you. philip murmured as he emerged as a spirit behind chi-woo¡¯s back and smirked. the abyss king¡¯s attack was certainly formidable; it had gone through three stages of evolution, and the past chi-woo would¡¯ve taken the attack head-on with all his potential and strength. although there was no telling for sure how that would end, chi-woo wouldn¡¯t have been completely unscathed. however, chi-woo smartly chose ¡®resonance¡¯, or to be more precise, he embraced the abyss king¡¯s attack as if he was deftly redirecting it. the abyss king seemed to have been too stunned to notice, but philip clearly sensed it with his spiritual senses. there was a tremendous amount of energy swirling around chi-woo. the abyss king¡¯s energy was added to chi-woo¡¯s, so chi-woo was emitting an even more terrifying amount of energy than before. of course, the abyss king¡¯s attack was much stronger and fiercer than expected, so chi-woo hadn¡¯t been able to take in all of it. some of it had spilled out or hit him, but that much was trivial. philip grinned. ¡ªbut i still find him irritating. you¡¯ll have to give it back properly, okay? the abyss king also sensed the terrible, intangible energy flowing around chi-woo. soon, the white light spread out around chi-woo and began to materialize into reality. when the violent fluctuation distorted even space¡ª chi-woo lightly kicked the ground. in an instant, he revealed himself to the abyss king. shaking the atmosphere violently, a club of light swung down diagonally. the abyss king wasn¡¯t flustered, or to be more precise, he tried to stay calm. his control over and compression of the consciousness were still being maintained, so it would be different from before, but this thought¡­ ¡°i¡¯ll return it right back to you.¡± ¡ª¡­? chi-woo disappeared as soon as the abyss king raised his head, and he saw the light shining from all directions. it was too late by the time he realized what was happening. before his mind could register it, various streams of light that each had the power to kill even a demigod surrounded his entire body from head to toe and rushed toward the abyss king. ¡ªughuahegkuhack! a piercing scream like a pig¡¯s squeal burst out of the abyss king¡¯s mouth. cut, stab, swing, pierce, hit, mince¡ªwas this how an animal in the slaughterhouse felt like? the abyss king struggled to regain his senses as the club indiscriminately struck his head, shoulders, knees, and feet all over. he felt like a cloth flying in a swirling storm, and it was so powerful that his consciousnesses were gradually fading. it wasn¡¯t an illusion as his body wasn¡¯t able to bear it any longer and was actually being torn apart. amidst the pain of his entire body and all his consciousnesses being dismantled, the abyss king trembled with an unknown fear. he now understood why bael had so desperately resisted during the great war. ¡ªughhh¡­! the abyss king was frantically resisting like bael at that time. however, he soon found to his shock that his body was not recovering; or to be more exact, it was recovering, but it was ripping and tearing apart as soon as it regenerated. chi-woo¡¯s attacks were overwhelmingly faster and more powerful. at this rate, he might really be extinguished. no, this could not be his end. a possibility had finally opened up for him, and all there was left was for him to become the heavens. he couldn¡¯t disappear in vain like this. since his mind had long become unsound, when his consciousness quickly faded, the abyss king thoughtlessly reconnected a line that had been deliberately cut off¡ªhis connection with the sernitas. * * * the abyss king¡¯s renewed connection was also unexpected for the sernitas. there had been no contact between them, but the connection was suddenly rekindled. moreover, the sernitas had felt the abyss king¡¯s information change dramatically at some point in the past, but the connection was one-sidedly cut off before they could analyze it. the sernitas were baffled by the sudden turn of events. they were one but many and many but one, and they didn¡¯t have the concept of a main body. however, how did an independent individual cut off their connection to them on his own? something like this would have never happened normally, and the sernitas fell into deep thought. first of all, something definitely happened to the abyss. they wondered if they should resume external activities to find out more about this phenomenon, or stay like this and focus on their original goal. after exchanging opinions among themselves, more were in favor of the former. this was because they had made an extremely strong move and gone as far as locking themselves up to deal with chi-woo, but they hadn¡¯t made any significant progress. they realized that the current information they had obtained from the great war was insufficient. thus, they needed to find a new way by combining existing and new information. still, none of the methods could guarantee even a 50% winning rate. the conclusion they then reached was that the information they currently had was not enough. so even if they had to take risks, they needed to go look for new information. their opinions were slowly tilting toward this idea, and if things went on like this, they would need to clash with the cassiubian league forces, who were keeping watch on the sernitas. the sernitas were really on the verge of starting a military campaign after accepting that opinion. however, a strong survival instinct was suddenly transmitted to them from the outside, and the broken connection was restored. the sernitas hurriedly analyzed the situation and were a bit dumbfounded by what the abyss king had done on his own. even in their perspective, the abyss king had gone too far, to the extent that it was hard for them to understand why he made such a risky and dangerous move. the sernitas were taken aback, but as a collection of countless consciousnesses, they immediately analyzed the situation and soon reached a conclusion. the dire situation that the abyss king faced was like rain in drought to the sernitas, who were severely lacking in information. this was a valuable opportunity to get chi-woo¡¯s information when their understanding of him was almost nonexistent. of course, their optimism was restrained as they had been beaten hard by chi-woo before. the abyss king had made a lot of attempts and made some outrageous moves, but still, the power difference between him and chi-woo was evident. there was only one thing for the sernitas to do here. they¡¯d help the abyss king as requested and get as much information as they could by making him live as long as possible. as a result¡­ * * * ¡ªheughhh¡­! the abyss king felt an unprecedented power spring up inside him at the same time an enormous number of new consciousnesses were connected to him. chi-woo also felt the change in the abyss king. he had attacked with the intention of ending the abyss king with this final blow, but the abyss king suddenly began to regenerate at a terrifying speed after being ripped apart. the torn pieces began to interweave and merge before being restored to their original form. ¡ªit suddenly¡­feels like there are a lot of spectators. as philip said, chi-woo suddenly sensed countless gazes staring at this place. it was obvious who those gazes belonged to. the sernitas, who had been quiet all this time, must have finally intervened when the abyss king seemed close to dying. ¡ªacck!¡­! ackkack¡­! the abyss king seemed to have difficulty even speaking properly. he looked extremely unstable as his body constantly shook while he made choking noises, as if he was really going to blow up like this. then the abyss king actually exploded. his body suddenly swelled up to an exponential size and¡ª ¡ªackkkkkkkkkkk! for the full version, visit [ paw?ead.com ]. like a massive fountain, it burst and shot out darkness, and in an instant, their surroundings darkened. if chi-woo¡¯s vision was considered dim before, it felt like the whole world was now drenched in darkness. the fog, wasteland, crater, and even the abyss king disappeared in the darkness. chi-woo found himself in a place so dark that it was in stark contrast with la bella¡¯s white space. chi-woo tried to locate the abyss king when he suddenly looked down and realized that the blood flowing through his body was reacting to the surrounding environment and starting to boil. it was the first time his divine blood was responding so much that he was a bit taken aback. additionally, he was hearing an incomprehensible whisper. it sounded as if there were hundreds and even thousands were murmuring at once, and it rang from all sides and disrupted his hearing. the consciousnesses spewed outside flew around like crazy and spat out vengeful curses. only then did chi-woo realize why his divine blood had reacted so strongly and that there was no need for him to look for the abyss king. each and every consciousness that plunged the astral world in blackness made up the abyss king, and it seemed as if the astral world itself had assimilated with him. chi-woo, who had been standing tall, suddenly flinched and withdrew. something invisible and hidden in the darkness landed on where he had just been standing. he didn¡¯t know what it was, but could sense the powerful venom coming from it. since chi-woo didn¡¯t even budge at the outpouring curses, one consciousness seemed to have sprayed poison at him. the entire world was filled with a malice that wished and desired chi-woo¡¯s death. over time, their methods got more intense and violent. chi-woo was able to stand normally because he had raised his ability, divine blood, to rank a, but any other hero would¡¯ve turned into a handful of blood in less than a second; that was how evil and full of malice this space was. ¡ªwell¡­i don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to stay here for long. philip looked around the dark space and quietly muttered, and chi-woo strongly agreed because he felt like his body was going to melt because of his gradually heating divine blood. ¡ªthen¡­? philip punched the air and asked. ¡°no.¡± however, chi-woo shook his head. it was only a very small amount, but it was true that he could use that power inside him in a more stable way than before. still, he didn¡¯t want to use it yet. should he say that it would feel like he was using it as a crutch if he tapped into it when facing a danger of this magnitude? but above all, it was time for his training inside the image representation space to pay off. ¡°though the user information said i should be extremely careful with it since frequent use could deteriorate my personality¡­¡± since the situation called for it, there was no getting around it. in order to deal with a corrupt and fallen world, he needed power of equal magnitude, and with his class being saint, he had the power to change the world. chi-woo tightened his grip on the ghost-busting club and tilted his head. soon after, with the activation of chi-woo¡¯s class ability [stigmata s], light bloomed in the darkness. CH 483 it was something that chi-woo and even the sernitas, who were sharing consciousness with the abyss king, couldn¡¯t have predicted. they heard a sudden cry, and the connection they had managed to reestablish with great efforts showed signs of cutting off again. the abyss king was trying to free himself from their control once more, and the sernitas hurriedly analyzed the situation. ¡ª¡­! they exclaimed in shock. the abyss king had done something he shouldn¡¯t have¡ªsomething truly unbelievable. at this point, there was really no turning back. ¡ªwarning. warning. warning. warning. some suggested that they needed to gather more information, but as a collective, the sernitas immediately cut off all connections with the abyss king. otherwise, they might be hit with great backlash along with the abyss king. it was then chi-woo sensed the abnormalities happening around him. ¡ªwhat? philip also asked worriedly and looked around. the world that had recovered more than half of its luminance was darkening again. chi-woo didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. how should he describe it? just a moment ago, the abyss king had been barely maintaining his existence and appeared like he couldn¡¯t cope any longer. then, it should¡¯ve been normal for all the consciousnesses that made up the abyss king to escape from his control and run wild. but instead, they seemed to be merging into one. they weren¡¯t simply sharing abilities or anything else in the same vein, but were combining into one being. it was illogical, and chi-woo could only think of one kind of existence that could accomplish such nonsensicality. ¡®is he perhaps¡­becoming a god?¡¯ there was no way. a god wasn¡¯t such an attainable existence; one couldn¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t become a god simply because they wished to. otherwise, there would¡¯ve been no need for the sernitas to wander across the universe as they did. still, chi-woo couldn¡¯t be certain of it because the abyss king had absorbed flora, who held the ability ¡®the heavens¡¯ vessel¡¯. even if he didn¡¯t become a god, he could become an existence equal to it. ¡ªchi-woo! philip cried out then, awakening chi-woo to his senses. chi-woo raised his head and blinked hard. the darkening world was recovering its light again. what in the world was happening? chi-woo couldn¡¯t understand anything. ¡ªthere! philip pointed in one direction and shouted hurriedly. the darkness that had consumed the world at one point didn¡¯t disappear and was getting sucked into the air and gathering. a dark figure absorbed all the darkness and lengthened in shape. it stretched from top to bottom like a stick of toffee and took the form of a giant sickle. soon afterward, it tilted slightly and swung toward chi-woo. chi-woo couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the looming sickle of darkness. it was an attack just like all the previous ones, but it felt more formidable and threatening than anything chi-woo had felt before. true to his feelings, the sickle came down while slicing through the world. breaking from his reverie, chi-woo raised his club and kicked off the floor. simultaneously, the sickle struck the point where chi-woo used to be standing. fortunately, he was able to escape the attack by a hairbreadth, but that wasn¡¯t the case for philip. rather than struck, the sickle only grazed him ever so slightly, but philip¡¯s eyes turned wide seeing the part the sickle had touched. the sickle continued to move, fluctuating wildly once like it was melting and changing forms into a whip. like it was going to cut chi-woo down, it flung out. just when chi-woo was going to block it with his club, philip urgently cried out. ¡ªdon¡¯t try to block it. avoid it! thus, chi-woo changed directions. he didn¡¯t hear any noise this time, but his surroundings were falling apart. it started with the space that the darkness sickle had sliced through. like peeling the skin of an apple, the slice revealed the outer space that existed outside of liber. from the back, the space where the whip had struck wrinkled. a deep gash had been left on the world itself, and where philip had been grazed had completely disappeared. rather than leaving any wounds, it just went missing as if it had never been there in the first place. it became nothing¡ªa nonexistence that disappeared from reality. philip gritted his teeth. ¡ªthey have a single-minded determination. ¡°what¡­?¡± it can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3ibfjkv. ¡ªit¡¯s the manifestation of this determination, and the tenacity to carry out this will. a will was one¡¯s intent to accomplish something, and tenacity was the quality of pouring all of one¡¯s mind and heart into a single task. all the consciousnesses that made up the abyss king combined their wills to kill chi-woo. tens of thousands of consciousnesses were stacking on top of one another and were single-mindedly shouting, ¡®kill, kill, kill, kill¡­¡¯ the resulting effect was truly outstanding, as shown by the last two attacks. the abyss king¡¯s determination had contorted even the world¡¯s rules. ¡ªyou can say that it¡¯s a deadly bloodlust. philip quickly continued. ¡ªi don¡¯t know what that guy did, but he can materialize his will and¡­? philip stopped mid-sentence when he saw the abyss king¡¯s form separate into a hundred parts, which then morphed into sharp thorns that could pierce anything and circled around chi-woo. before philip could say another word, the abyss king¡¯s will had turned into thorns with chi-woo as the target. ¡ªdamn it! philip cursed. his intuition told him that they should avoid ever getting hit by the abyss king¡¯s attacks, but at this rate, it would be impossible to evade every single thorn. chi-woo managed to avoid them somehow, but the thorns altered trajectories as soon as they missed and aimed for chi-woo again. the scope of attack was gradually narrowing, and it seemed evident that chi-woo would soon be surrounded on all sides by the thorns. defying the rules of the world was the same as ignoring the abilities that chi-woo had gained from his growth on liber. thus, he had no other choice now but to draw out that power inside him. ¡ªit can¡¯t be helped! chi-woo! first¡­! philip swallowed the rest of his words and stared blankly at chi-woo as his eyes glowed, and his entire body radiated with fluctuating light. chi-woo was using that power before philip even told him to, but despite that, he was still getting pushed back. kakakaka! a thorn finally got close to chi-woo. though it failed to advance further because of the light pouring out of his body, chi-woo still groaned in response. this attack wasn¡¯t meant to wound him and make him bleed, but to hit the very core of his existence. without any cause or extra thoughts, it seemed to purely strive for the result of death. if there was only one of them, it would¡¯ve been manageable. yet as philip had already said, these wills piled up indefinitely and weighed them down. chi-woo almost couldn¡¯t believe the situation. his fate and the power inside him had allowed him to wield absolute dominance over all his opponents until now. of course, he was using a very tiny portion of its full capabilities, but he had never been pushed back by an opponent after he drew it out. furthermore, the quantity and depth of the power he could wield had increased when he shared heaven¡¯s vessel from flora. chi-woo didn¡¯t know exactly how the abyss king had managed to push his power to this level, but he understood why philip had told him to never take a hit from him. the manifestation of the abyss king¡¯s single-minded determination was truly formidable, so dangerous that it could infiltrate his one and only fate and cause serious alterations. ¡ªhow¡­! philip bit on his lip. meanwhile, the thorns imbued with the abyss king¡¯s terrifying determination were restlessly shooting at chi-woo. from far away, chi-woo looked like a hedgehog. perhaps the only way out was for chi-woo to go beyond the level that was safe for him when drawing out his power. if chi-woo also went 100% rather than using only a tiny piece of his power, he could change the situation. but that would be like putting the cart before the horse. he would return to the time when he would go berserk, and he didn¡¯t have any more second chances. in the end, philip realized that chi-woo had no more options left and suggested chi-woo to back off. he told chi-woo to enter the passageway that his brother was still maintaining and return to the middle world. it was a strategic retreat. though they still didn¡¯t know what the abyss king had done, he must have sacrificed something to gain his current power and would suffer the consequences afterward. accordingly, there was no reason for chi-woo to go out of his way to continue fighting the abyss king head-on. since the abyss king was already going haywire, they would simply have to wait for him to self-destruct and disappear. hearing philip¡¯s suggestion, chi-woo drew out all his remaining power and detonated it. between the exploding thorns, chi-woo moved in a flash. philip¡¯s idea wasn¡¯t wrong as long as chi-woo could safely escape this place. chi-woo soared into the air and found himself surrounded corner to corner by dark matter. seemingly intent on grabbing onto him, the abyss king¡¯s consciousnesses fiercely enveloped him. then, before he could even respond, they wrapped around chi-woo like a net and caught him. because everything happened in an instant, neither chi-woo nor philip could do anything. soon, the world that had been in great turmoil and chaos fell silent. ¡ªfu¡­ until a menacing laughter flowed out. ¡ªfu¡­kufufufu¡­.kuhahahaha¡­! it was such strange and mad laughter that it was hard to believe that it had come from the abyss king, but all that didn¡¯t seem to matter now. the abyss king had finally achieved his goal. then his laughter came to an abrupt stop. ¡ªfuha¡­. the abyss king couldn¡¯t contain his astonishment after detecting the enormous potential contained inside his consciousnesses. he now understood why chi-woo had laughed at him before. he thought he had become the heavens when he absorbed the girl named flora, but now he could sense how absurd his belief had been. the endless potential he sensed from chi-woo sent jitters across his whole body. if he could, he wanted to roll on the floor while laughing hysterically to express his joy, but he contained himself. he didn¡¯t have much time left since the numerous consciousnesses that made up his existence were dying off exponentially. but now, he got his hands on something that could cover all that loss and much more. as he had always done, the abyss king would absorb chi-woo. then, he would be born into a new existence. even if he couldn¡¯t contain this being and had to spit it back out, it didn¡¯t matter. if he could take even a small part of such an existence, he would be satisfied. ¡ªugh! the abyss king suddenly groaned. simultaneously, the darkness that enveloped chi-woo fluctuated widely. ¡ªw-what¡­? the abyss king¡¯s voice trembled. why would his absolute determination, which could even defy the law of causality, shake? the abyss king tried to maintain control of all the consciousnesses inside him that were wavering again. this wasn¡¯t a power that he could properly control anyways; the abyss king¡¯s mindset when using it had always been to ¡®reap the gain first before thinking about paying the price¡¯. when a person spent all the money they had, they needed to leave the game without any regrets. yet the abyss king was someone who couldn¡¯t do that. he took loans to borrow money to continue playing. when he created the astral world, it was as if he had taken out a great loan, and he continued to do that repeatedly after the start of his battle with chi-woo. it was something the abyss king could do because he had consumed countless consciousnesses and absorbed them. then, he eventually hit the jackpot with one of them and discovered a true goldmine named flora. that was when he began to get greedy. with the new gains he made, he decided to use all his bets to take chi-woo. of course, as expected, that was no easy process. after being pushed into a corner again, the abyss king made another huge gamble. he invested all the consciousnesses including flora to take out loans again. it was such an enormous sum that it managed to overturn the law of causality that he had already surpassed. and because he had gained the ability to manipulate causes and results according to his own will, it seemed like a sure-fire method. however, there was a price for everything. unless it was someone who could bear the consequences of it like future yoo-joo, all beings, including the abyss king, would suffer setbacks for breaking the law of causality. at least that was what should¡¯ve happened, but the abyss king made the countless consciousnesses inside him bear the consequences for him. it was definitely not right and wasn¡¯t a normal procedure. and in the end, the abyss king would also be indirectly affected. he had only won himself a short reprieve, and before all his consciousnesses were swept away by the law of causality, he needed to catch chi-woo and pay back all his loans. fortunately, he succeeded in his plan before it was too late. he just needed to absorb chi-woo¡­at least that was what he had thought. ¡ªah¡­! the abyss king realized that he had thought wrong from the beginning. no matter how outstanding a gambler was and whatever means he used, a gambler could never beat the casino. furthermore, there was no way he could defeat the government that authorized the establishment of the casino or the county that provided the room for all that to take place. neither would he be able to defeat the planet that allowed the land to exist, the galaxy that embraced this planet, or the universe that contained this galaxy. there was no need to even mention how he would play against the heavens. ¡ªn-no¡­! the abyss king clutched the consciousnesses that were going berserk and tried to calm them down, but it was far too late. when he couldn¡¯t beat chi-woo even with the sernitas'' support, the result of the fight had already been decided. an indescribable pain took over his mind. it felt like his whole body was getting shredded. and amid the consciousnesses falling into countless pieces, the abyss king clearly saw a giant pillar of light burst through. booooom! CH 484 while he was on the verge of being eaten by the swarm of abyss king¡¯s will surrounding him on all sides, chi-woo was swept by an unknown feeling. it was a strange and mysterious sensation that he had never experienced before. after acknowledging his fate and accepting it, the power that had always been stable and remained in line with chi-woo¡¯s vessel had suddenly begun to grow in size on its own. ¡®what¡­!¡¯ chi-woo couldn¡¯t hide his surprise because it felt like he was going berserk like before. it was the first time this happened even though he hadn¡¯t crossed the line himself. originally, he would have tried to control it somehow, but chi-woo failed to do so. no, he didn¡¯t try. although the symptoms were the same as when he was about to go berserk, it wasn¡¯t as violent as he thought it would be. rather, it felt as if he had skipped time and space and was walking in advance on a path that he would take in the distant future. above all, his intuition was telling him to not worry, that this was not dangerous, and he should never forget this moment. meanwhile, the energy that continued to increase in strength and size filled chi-woo¡¯s vessel. then chi-woo felt his vessel overflow. unable to hold back, he screamed with all his might. as a result¡ª bammmmmmmm! a huge pillar of light blew up all the dark wills and rose high in the sky. after some time, chi-woo regained his senses and blinked. ¡®¡­ah?¡¯ how should he say it¡ªtoo many things had changed out of the blue. first of all, his view was different. everything was small in his eyes. when he looked down, he saw the astral world that he had been standing on until a moment ago. he also saw the astral world where his teammates were waiting for him and the middle world where his brother was maintaining a passage. all those worlds looked small enough for him to hold in one hand. furthermore, if he put his mind to it, it felt as if he could see them as smaller than ants, no, much smaller than even that. it was not just his field of vision. looking around slowly, chi-woo slightly lowered his gaze. he couldn¡¯t see his body. it felt like he had and didn¡¯t have a body at the same time. rather than a physical body, it was as if the intense flow of light flowing like the milky way around him was his original limbs, as if he could do anything with the light if he wanted to. ¡®it¡¯s incredible.¡¯ chi-woo couldn¡¯t even think of closing his wide-opened mouth. ¡®it¡¯s not enough to say it¡¯s astounding. this¡­this fate is¡­¡¯ he had acknowledged and accepted it and was qualified with the heaven¡¯s vessel. since then, chi-woo was confident that he could tap into a small part of the power of fate that seemed endless to him. however, that was a complete miscalculation. he was not even a frog in a well. the portion of fate that he could resonate without difficulty was less than a chick¡¯s eye compared to the present. it was embarrassing to even call it a grain of dust. the same was true even now. chi-woo felt that he was still incomplete in this condition. rather, it could be said that only at his present state would he be considered having gained control over a piece or a fragment of the power inside him. ¡®i see.¡¯ it was only after reaching this state that he fully realized this state was the path future yoo-joo and his future self had wanted so earnestly to walk on. although he hadn¡¯t reached his full potential, it was clear that he was in the middle of going there. the thought put a bitter smile on chi-woo¡¯s face. he hadn¡¯t known the full implications of his brother¡¯s words, but it was different after becoming like this. how long would it take for him to even get to this state? hundreds of years? no, it would take tens of thousands of years at least. even gaining control over a fragment would require so much time, so how long would it take to fully complete himself? he couldn¡¯t even dare to imagine it. certainly, chi-woo was not wrong¡­ yes, that would have normally been the case. however, what was notable in this situation was that he had taken a shortcut to that path right now. then another question arose. originally, he would have only reached this state after tens of thousands of years of hard work and training, but why had he skipped all those processes at once? suddenly, the wind blew from below. although it wasn¡¯t blowing in the atmosphere, somehow it felt like the wind to him. chi-woo instinctively looked down and realized the answer to his question after seeing the dark matter wriggling like a worm in the astral world. it was the backlash for abusing causality. the abyss king had committed a felony by violating the law of causality¡ªnot once or twice, but many times. normally, he should have disappeared a long time ago as a consequence of defying the law of causality. however, the abyss king had been buying time by expediency, and the universe was not going to let this slip. as the abyss king kept using the consciousnesses he absorbed as a shield to keep delaying the price he had to pay, the law balancing the universe eventually came to a conclusion¡ªby borrowing the power of the nearest being to the abyss king, it intended to force the abyss king to pay the price. as a result, the backlash of causality that the abyss king had converted into a new form of energy was given to chi-woo. that power was meant for that alone, not to be used to save someone or target anyone else. the power had one set purpose: to exterminate the abyss king. ¡®that¡¯s why.¡¯ in short, it was not a sudden awakening, but a temporarily granted power with a fixed condition. once the goal was reached, he would return to his original self. nevertheless, this moment wouldn¡¯t be useless. rather, it would be a very meaningful experience for chi-woo. having experienced something and not made all the difference. chi-woo looked down calmly at the dark wriggling wills. ¡°¡­¡± he felt strange. perhaps because he could see the providence of the universe at a glance, he didn¡¯t feel any joy or much emotion to begin with. the abyss king was just a bug; nothing more and nothing less. that was how the abyss king looked like to him now. then chi-woo lifted what he thought was his foot. the squirming abyss king also looked up, and then all the consciousnesses that made up his existence froze at the bewildering sight in front of them. how should they describe the existence looking down on them? a giant? no, that was not it. it couldn¡¯t be compared to a mere giant. [it¡¯s like a blind man describing an elephant.] chi-woo¡¯s sneer passed through the abyss king¡¯s mind. exactly as the man had said, even though he didn¡¯t know anything, even though it turned out that he was nothing, he had shouted he was the heavens like a blind man. all the dark wills that made up the abyss king trembled with fear; intense fear and regret came belatedly. however, it was way too late now. something invisible descended and blanketed all the dark wills that had gotten disrupted, and not only the astral world, but also the shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force on standby, chi-hyun in the middle world and even shalyh¡ªno, all beings on liber clearly felt a footstep shaking the earth and the magnificent and solemn echo that stirred the entire planet. thud. all chi-woo had done was take one small step. nevertheless, the abyss king couldn¡¯t even let out a squeak. when chi-woo gently stepped away, all he could see was the abyss king with his body bizarrely twisted. other than that, everything had exploded. the consciousnesses that had once reached tens of thousands in number and remained persistent despite the backlash of causality had evaporated¡ªall except for one. that was the only reason chi-woo hadn¡¯t extinguished the abyss king. chi-woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. he had been wondering what the man was doing, but the abyss king still hadn¡¯t given up. he was trying desperately to maintain his existence by fully absorbing flora in any way possible. frankly, flora¡¯s existence was on the verge of losing consciousness. although it must be a side effect of the abyss king violating the law of causality, chi-woo had no idea that his absorption of flora had progressed this far. ¡®at this rate¡­it might be hard even with asha¡¯s deterrence.¡¯ strictly speaking, there was nothing that could not be done with the world¡¯s deterrence within liber, as deterrence was basically a magic bullet for everything. however, it could demand an amount of blessed luck that was virtually impossible to obtain. then when chi-woo expressed his will, the squirming form that was the abyss king rose into the air, stopping only once he approached the pillar of light that was still piercing through the sky and maintaining an awe-inspiring figure. soon after, from the pillar came a hand formed by light. then it stretched out and penetrated the abyss king straight through. as if removing his heart, something was pulled out from inside the abyss king. the slender and frail girl with black hair was none other than flora. after carefully holding her safe in his grasp, chi-woo roughly threw the abyss king in another direction. at that moment, the wind that had been blowing constantly suddenly stopped. the vast columns of light slowly faded away. the view that looked down on everything gradually returned to normal. chi-woo¡¯s bodily senses came back one by one, and when he realized that he was stepping on the ground¡ª¡°heuk¡­!¡± he collapsed with a sharp intake of breath. his whole body was drained of energy. it felt like it¡¯s been a while, but it felt familiar at the same time. a strong sense of weakness overtook his entire body. he wanted to lie down like this, but chi-woo managed to stop at kneeling on one knee and gasping for breath. he had no strength to even lift a finger. he tried to steady his breathing for a while and slowly raised his head. he saw what looked like a torn, worn-out rag in front of him. it was the abyss king. surprisingly, the abyss king still retained his form, his consciousness, and his existence. although he had become dwarfed beyond comparison, he was still alive by a thin line. even the great demons risked their existence as a last resort, but the abyss king had not bet on his existence until the very end. chi-woo was not sure if he should describe it as being cowardly or having a strong desire to survive. either way, it didn¡¯t matter. the abyss king had tried hard to survive by any means possible, but now even that was over. it was then he heard a faint, barely audible murmur. ¡ªnot yet¡­ ¡ªit¡¯s¡­not over yet¡­ chi-woo let out a hollow laugh. the abyss king should also be well aware of his condition; chi-woo couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue at his obstinacy. ¡°why don¡¯t you stop now?¡± he continued, ¡°the karma that you accumulated would probably be no joke. when are you going to erase them all?¡± there was no point even talking about the karma that the abyss king had accumulated in this battle. perhaps even if the time between the big bang and now passed again, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to erase all of it. there was no longer a possibility for the abyss king to exist anywhere in the entire universe. ¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter. even though he must be well aware of this, the abyss king sounded aloof as if he didn¡¯t care about that in the least. support us at bit.ly/3ibfjkv. ¡ªreincarnation¡­is pointless¡­i don¡¯t want to leave¡­my existence¡­in such a worthless way¡­in that eternal cycle¡­ ¡°what can you even do?¡± chi-woo snorted. ¡°there¡¯s nothing more you can do.¡± all that remained was the abyss king¡¯s original existence and consciousness. however, at this point, it didn¡¯t have any value. ¡ªno¡­ however, the abyss king replied as if he had been waiting for this question. it might have been an illusion, but chi-woo felt like the abyss king was laughing. ¡ªthe one¡­who has to pay the price¡­is not me¡­but you¡­ what was he even talking about? ¡ªthe universe¡­the law that encompasses the entire universe¡­will be on guard against you¡­after learning that you controlled¡­the law of causality for a brief moment¡­ strictly speaking, the abyss king wasn¡¯t wrong. [what you said is no different from saying that you¡¯ll put the rules governing the universe¡ªno, the entire universe under your feet.] [an enormous chaos will arise. and the center of that chaos will aim at you with absolute certainty because you¡¯re the cause of the chaos.] chi-hyun¡¯s warning was based on the same reasoning. chi-woo was an existence who would announce the beginning of a new universe and establish a new order. therefore, there was no way that the law that previously maintained the balance of the universe would welcome him. ¡ªif i try to erase your existence¡­i thought the universe might turn a blind eye¡­even if it violated the law of causality¡­ the abyss king continued, his sentence choppy with many pauses. ¡ªi had no idea¡­i miscalculated that¡­they¡¯ll take my sin for breaking the law¡­more seriously than yours¡­ however, there was one truth he had learned through this. ¡ªthe law to keep the balance of the universe is¡­very¡­very fair¡­more than you think. ¡ªas it did for me¡­you will not be an exception either. CH 485 the abyss king¡¯s logic was simple. the law of causality that acted as a core to the balance of the universe was fair to everyone. its effects could vary by person, but it didn¡¯t go easy on some and hard on others. in other words, the abyss king was saying that though he had crossed the line, chi-woo had done the same, so he would also have to suffer the same consequences as him. ¡ªwhat utter nonsense! philip shouted as soon as he heard this claim. it was most ridiculous to hear this from the abyss king, someone who had broken the law of causality over and over again until now. philip turned to chi-woo to tell him to not even give the slightest attention to this nonsense, but what he saw made him falter. ¡ªchi¡­woo¡­? with his head slightly lowered, chi-woo tightly pursed his lips. this wasn¡¯t the response philip had expected, but chi-woo couldn¡¯t find any points to refute in the abyss king¡¯s logic. there was something that hung in his mind preventing him from simply brushing off the abyss king¡¯s words as mere nonsense: flora. originally, his plan was to defeat the abyss king as fast as possible and save flora with asha¡¯s ability, ¡®deterrence¡¯. that plan was going awry now. the abyss king was more vicious and persistent than he had expected, and as a result, they used up a lot of time. ¡ªit can¡¯t be helped¡­the only thing i could¡¯ve trusted at that time¡­was that girl¡­ the abyss king chuckled. he seemed to have noticed chi-woo¡¯s reaction. in other words, the abyss king had succeeded in absorbing flora with the power he gained by breaking the law of causality multiple times. flora tried to resist, but she couldn¡¯t endure against the abyss king¡¯s newly gained power, and when chi-woo nullified the abyss king, her consciousness barely remained. it was a miracle that there was still a small part of her left, and when he saw her condition, chi-woo instinctively came to a conclusion: ¡®ah, this would be difficult with deterrence alone.¡¯ and even if it was possible, he would need an almost impossible amount of blessed luck. thus, he bypassed the backlash of a thousand years worth of laws of causality to save flora. it was because if he returned without her now, he thought he would never be able to save her. that was where chi-woo crossed the line. there was only one reason chi-woo had been able to walk the path future yoo-joo and his future self desperately yearned for: to punish the abyss king. this power was endowed upon him for only that purpose, and thus, he must not use the power for anything else. and when he defeated the abyss king, flora was already part of the abyss king¡¯s body. thus, according to the law of causality, flora couldn¡¯t be separated from the abyss king, and chi-woo needed to defeat both of them, together with the other consciousnesses. however, he used the power for annihilation to save an individual rather than doing that. ¡°¡­¡± truthfully, chi-woo was aware of what had happened. it would be a lie to say that he hadn¡¯t known, but he thought he made a choice that he needed to make. it was because of the characteristic of the sharing ability. [sharing s]¡ªthe ability to jointly share an ability between two or more people. a user could share an ability besides the physical abilities of a chosen star. a shared ability couldn¡¯t be deleted or changed, and it automatically disappeared when the star disappeared. if flora was extinguished with the other consciousnesses, heaven¡¯s vessel would disappear along with her. they still had a long and arduous path ahead of them, but this ability was the qualification that allowed chi-woo to stand in front of the starting line. ¡®that¡¯s why¡­¡¯ chi-woo had sensed that something was off since before. before he extinguished the abyss king and right after he saved flora, he felt his power-up quickly wear off. and there was the fact that the abyss king still remained even though he should¡¯ve disappeared a long time ago. like how chi-woo was able to act on behalf of the law of causality, the abyss king remained to make chi-woo bear the consequences of going against the law of causality¡¯s will. one could argue that the abyss king had broken the law of causality by swallowing flora from the beginning, so chi-woo was justified in saving her. however, the being he had to appeal to wasn¡¯t human. it was a will that maintained the balance of the universe and was so strong that it couldn¡¯t be compared to any other existence. even if it were possible to converse with it, the law of causality would simply respond, ¡®that is the karma the abyss king would have to bear and isn¡¯t something that you can involve yourself with¡¯. and chi-woo couldn¡¯t deny that he had used the power for something that differed from its original purpose. ¡ªdidn¡¯t¡­i tell you¡­? ¡ªthe current universe¡­doesn¡¯t look favorably upon your existence¡­ the universe wouldn¡¯t miss this chance to punish chi-woo. there was only one reason chi-woo wasn¡¯t hit by the backlash for what he had done right now. the law of causality was giving him a chance to right his wrongdoing. it was telling him that it wasn¡¯t too late to kill flora now; or more exactly, it was telling chi-woo to turn the possibility of him gaining heaven¡¯s vessel to zero by killing her. when chi-woo understood this, he realized why he had been feeling a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu for some time. ¡®it was you.¡¯ he finally found the existence that had been tormenting him since his youth. as a young boy, chi-woo had had many dreams: he wanted to be a chef, a teacher, and a photographer. but events that could only be described as mere coincidences always obstructed and hindered him from achieving his dreams. it was the same when all that failed and he decided to be a preacher, a monk, or a shaman. chi-woo felt hopeless that he couldn¡¯t do anything with the unusual circumstances he was born under. it was as if some unknowable existence was constantly telling him to not attempt anything, but live quietly and die just like that. chi-woo thought that existence was the world or fate, or even a god. but that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®it was you.¡¯ it was the will that sought to maintain the universe¡¯s balance: the law of causality. it was this bastard. whenever chi-woo tried to do whatever he wanted to do, it would sabotage chi-woo, who possessed the potential to hamper the universe¡¯s balance if he grew. everything made sense now. chi-woo didn¡¯t know if this had been the abyss king¡¯s plan all along, or if it was a trap laid by the law of causality after looking for a chance for all this time. if his brother was right, it probably didn¡¯t like the fact that chi-woo even came to liber and grew stronger. it intended to watch how things played out in the beginning, but chi-woo gaining heaven¡¯s vessel was the last straw. after organizing his thoughts, chi-woo felt a stir of emotions boil inside him. it¡¯d been a while since he felt like this. he had no idea. he had absolutely no intention to distort the balance of the universe since he came to liber, and it was the same now. the only thing he wanted to do was save liber and return to earth with his brother, spending the rest of his life there doing whatever he wanted to do. if the law of causality just let him be, he would¡¯ve lived a quiet, peaceful life till he met his end. but after realizing the situation and understanding everything that had happened until now, chi-woo couldn¡¯t do that. that was how humans tended to be; they wanted to resist the more they were forcefully pushed down. ¡°i¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± chi-woo said. ¡°why don¡¯t you try?¡± he looked up at the sky and basically declared that he wouldn¡¯t play into its hands. he wasn¡¯t just bluffing either. first of all, even though he had broken the law of causality, it wasn¡¯t to the level of the abyss king. thus, in comparison to that, the backlash he would receive wouldn¡¯t be so strong¡ªat least that would be the case if the universe¡¯s will was really as fair as others claimed. and above all, chi-woo was an existence on a different level from the abyss king. thus, he might be able to endure it. ¡ªkufufufufuf¡­ a burst of dark laughter flowed out. ¡ªthat arrogance¡­that confidence¡­i envy you¡­i envy you so much¡­and the fact that you can¡­ his voice was full of lingering feelings. ¡ªas you say¡­with this much¡­it would only be able to impose slight drawbacks on your end¡­and will have to stop there¡­ chi-woo¡¯s eyes narrowed. it was clear that the abyss king knew what was going on. ¡ªthen¡­what about this¡­? the abyss king¡¯s voice suddenly became a bit livelier. ¡ªi can make you pay the price of it¡­using whatever means¡­there¡¯s no need for me to personally pay the price¡­ it was then chi-woo felt that something was going wrong. the anxiety he felt when his brother first opened the passageway to this world resurfaced. was there still something else remaining after his battle with the abyss king ended? ¡ªi am very curious¡­about the girl¡¯s potential¡­more than any other existence¡­ it was then chi-woo came to a realization. the reason why ordinary people fell ill after spirit possession was because their fate was to accept a god, but they refused that fate. and the rejection of such a fate didn¡¯t end with simple illnesses. even those around the person would be harmed and tormented so that the person in question couldn¡¯t refuse anymore and had no other choice but to accept said god. in other words, rather than making the choice by themselves, they were forced into making the decision. the abyss king was aiming for something similar. ¡ªafter saving an existence of that much worth¡­you will have to pay a matching price¡­ equal exchange¡ªchi-woo had to give up vitality matching flora¡¯s life with the life of those around him. there was one reason the abyss king had chosen a method like this, and he went on to explain everything. ¡ªto a great being like you, i will leave a wound so deep that it can¡¯t be erased even a hundred and thousands of years later. and whenever you recall that wound, you will think of me. this is the way i chose to leave myself in memory¡­! it was difficult to describe the reason for the abyss king¡¯s actions as bad intentions or pure greed. but the abyss king had told the universe¡¯s will that this was a chance for chi-woo to be marked with a scar he would never be able to forget, and the will of the universe accepted it. since it couldn¡¯t personally bother chi-woo, and chi-woo wouldn¡¯t listen to it even when given the opportunity, it needed to make chi-woo succumb to it by force. intervening so personally and deeply would¡¯ve normally broken the rule of equity, but it was possible at this point in time as long as the countless consciousnesses that made up the abyss king acted as the medium. the wind blew. this was the backlash of the law of causality. the abyss king¡¯s remains blasted off and scattered across the air, and simultaneously, the world began to quickly change. *** at the same time, chi-hyun¡¯s face paled. ¡°what¡­!¡± chi-hyun was maintaining both the passageway that chi-woo had taken and basilisk''s world. then, a surge of energy that he couldn¡¯t push back rushed forward. it scattered the energy chi-hyun had been maintaining basilisk¡¯s world with. he tried to hold on, but it was useless. it was a level of power he had never felt before, and it felt so definite it seemed like it was carrying out the answer it had already chosen. shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force responded similarly. they had been waiting patiently when the sudden turn of events left them astounded. the world that had been slowly disappearing at the pace of a snail was quickly crumbling. ¡°what happened!¡± ¡°what¡¯s going on? what in the world!¡± there was a great commotion. the seven stars members responded similarly. it was then alice quickly got onto her knees. ¡°return¡­¡± she gathered her hands and prayed desperately. ¡°return¡­ return¡­ return¡­¡± for a very short moment, the world stopped crumbling, but like a gear stuck with a foreign substance, it wiggled some more and eventually broke free and began to turn again. support us at pawread.com . ¡°ah¡­!¡± the world started disappearing again, and alice¡¯s face filled with despair. it was then the world¡¯s flow suddenly stopped. it crumbled like a sand castle on beach and suddenly stopped like a freshly taken picture. what in the world was happening? no one had any idea, and they exchanged looks with a dazed expression. *** ¡ªit¡¯s usually hard to make an intervention of this level¡­ ¡ªeven someone like you, who has accumulated so much karma, was able to forcefully establish a connection with chi-woo. this was possible because of your firm determination and desire. in the middle of this strongly fluctuating flow, philip flicked his finger. ¡ªunless this exact sequence of events occurs again, it¡¯s not something you can replicate. ¡ªthen, we just need to overcome this ordeal somehow and make you disappear. in the fluctuating flow, the abyss king¡¯s voice came. he asked philip who in the world he thought he was and why he was suddenly intervening. ¡ªwhat do you mean? philip picked his ear and said carefreely. ¡ªif you really think about it, i¡¯m also a consciousness inside chi-woo. he blew his pinky and continued. ¡ªyou can take out another consciousness and make them bear the consequences of your actions. with that, you can earn temporary postponement. philip smiled brightly at the flustered flow of energy around him. ¡ªi saw somebody doing that, and it looked quite fun. ¡ªso, i want to have a try at it too. the abyss king¡¯s will asked philip if he truly thought someone like him was equal to that girl, and if he could bear the weight of it all. ¡ªme? of course not. philip shrugged. ¡ªbut didn¡¯t i tell you? it¡¯s enough to earn temporary postponement until your desperate attempts to leave an impact turn into nothingness. i think i am capable of that much. ¡ªafter all, i am a spirit who once sacrificed myself for a country. philip chuckled, and the flowing energy around him wavered. the abyss king¡¯s will told him that there was no way he could do it, and that he should stop sputtering nonsense. ¡ªwhy can¡¯t i? philip opened his eyes wide and retorted. ¡ªdidn¡¯t you do just that? you¡¯re trying to replicate what we¡¯ve done to you, and now we¡¯re simply doing the same. that would only be fair. the fluctuating energy around philip stopped as if the abyss king was rendered speechless. ¡ªisn¡¯t that right? philip smirked and asked while looking up. ¡ªi am asking you, the damn fair universe¡¯s will! soon afterward, the flow of energy that had been rushing toward basilisk¡¯s world changed directions and began to gather toward one spirit. from a very deep pit came a voice, shouting, ¡®no way, this can¡¯t happen.¡¯ but in the midst of it, philip¡¯s excited laughter rang. CH 486 the swirling darkness gradually faded and then disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place. at the same time, the endless howls of the abyss king died down like they were washed away. soon after, the astral world, which had been devastated by the battle so far, began to fade; it wasn¡¯t disappearing, but in the process of returning to its original state when the source and cause of its current state¡ªthe abyss king¡ªwas gone. chi-woo only had to wait, and he would see everyone again¡ªhis brother waiting for him in the middle world and the shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force anxiously waiting for him in the astral world. however, there was something more important to chi-woo than meeting them right now. ¡°mr. philip!¡± he cried out philip¡¯s name desperately and tried to force his fatigued body to move. ¡ªyeah, what? then a translucent spirit flickered into existence in front of chi-woo. it was philip. chi-woo, who had stumbled to get up and was standing precariously, stopped when he saw philip blinking back at him nonchalantly. then he fell on his butt, staring blankly at philip while he asked in a daze, ¡°¡­what the heck?¡± ¡ªwhat? ¡°no. you just¡­¡± ¡ªhm? ah, it¡¯s nothing much. philip waved his hand in a careless tone. ¡ªi told you. i was a hero when i was alive, and i swore to defend my country even after i died. then he glanced down at the still unconscious flora and continued. ¡ªi¡¯m a famous spirit after all. covering up for just one kid isn¡¯t a big deal for me. he coughed regally and crossed his arms. ¡ªbut don¡¯t let down your guard. while it¡¯s true i¡¯m taking the brunt of the backlash instead, it¡¯s only for finishing the abyss king. in the end, all you got is a brief reprieve. in other words, i didn¡¯t perfectly handle all the backlash because the oh-so-great universe¡¯s will judged that this matter went against what it considered as fair. ¡ªthus, it¡¯ll be coming after you again sooner or later. be careful. well, it can¡¯t use the abyss king as a medium anymore, so the same thing won¡¯t happen to you again, but¡­ chi-woo breathed a sigh of relief. if things went wrong, he might have lost his precious comrades right in front of his very eyes¡ªthe shalyh¡¯s expeditionary forces as well as philip. he didn¡¯t know what the backlash would be, but it was better for him to be the one to deal with it. he could never let others sacrifice themselves in front of him ever again. with the tension drained from his body, he lost what little strength he had left. then he sprawled on the ground after sitting down. ¡°you¡¯re fine, right? that¡¯s a relief¡­¡± philip didn¡¯t say anything; he just smiled with his arms crossed. ¡ªanyway, it¡¯s over. this war too. he looked up at the sky and murmured to himself like he was monologuing. ¡°¡­yes.¡± chi-woo yawned with his mouth wide open. he wanted to run back to everyone and rejoice in their victory, but for some reason, he felt a stronger desire to sleep. it might have been because he¡¯d gone over his limit, or maybe the backlash of going against the law of causality was coming after him as philip had predicted. regardless of the reason, an irresistible need to sleep was rushing over him. ¡ªwell, you did the most work, but you have to also acknowledge my contribution this time. agree? theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3ibfjkv. as he said, chi-woo had to admit that philip had played a critical role this time. philip had said that he could take a more active role since the astral world was a spiritual world. he had really kept his promise. ¡°yes¡­i agree¡­¡± ¡ªonly by words? you need to give me a reward. you said you¡¯d reward those who did well and punish those who did bad. chi-woo cracked a small smile. he had been keeping himself awake, but he couldn¡¯t help but yawn as sleepiness overcame him. ¡°yes¡­what kind of reward¡­¡± ¡ªthen, can i ask for ms. byeok¡¯s underwear? ¡°¡­mr. philip¡­?¡± ¡ªplease. ¡°no.¡± ¡ªwhat, why are you suddenly being so stern? while resisting sleep, chi-woo cleared his throat with a frown. ¡ªi¡¯m kidding. i¡¯m not even a living person, so there¡¯s not much i want, but¡­i do want to go visit salem. it¡¯s been a long time. ¡°all of the sudden¡­?¡± ¡ªsudden? it¡¯s where i was born and grew up in, and it¡¯s also where i gave everything i had when i was alive. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªand¡­it¡¯s also where my ancestors and my family are buried. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ª¡­chi-woo? there was no reply. chi-woo was already sound asleep. ¡ªhey, punk. i¡¯m trying to talk here¡­ philip tried to wake chi-woo, but suddenly paused. soon after, he sighed and slightly stretched his shoulders with a resigned smile. then wallie and asha, who had been glancing anxiously at philip, carefully approached him. they couldn¡¯t help but glance nervously at him because, because¡­ ¡ªhey, asha. philip called out to asha. ¡ªperhaps¡­is it possible? no, i¡¯m only asking, just in case. asha remained silent. of course, asha couldn¡¯t speak in the first place, but it wasn¡¯t a positive response either. they were clearly hesitant like they didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡ªwell, that¡¯s probably the case. i¡¯m fine. philip smirked. ¡ªi¡¯m fine. for real. he said again and looked up at the sky. ¡ªthis is enough. it¡¯s not a bad way to go. i¡¯m satisfied. he repeated this over and over again. that it was okay, and he had done a good job, as if to comfort himself. * * * after some time, the once-divided world finally returned to its original state. shalyh¡¯s expeditionary force, who had been trembling with anxiety, cheered when the familiar scenery appeared into view. they hugged each other and shed tears of joy. and then all their eyes shifted to a particular place¡ªwhere chi-woo was lying unconscious. chi-hyun was already standing there. ¡°i see¡­¡± chi-hyun heard what had happened from philip and nodded with a slightly remorseful expression; philip was going from transparent to completely invisible. in fact, his feet were already almost gone. ¡°that¡¯s¡ª¡± chi-hyun was about to say something, but closed his mouth when philip waved his hands. ¡ªit¡¯s all right. i¡¯ve already prepared myself. you must be busy with the post-war process, so you should quickly go take care of that. normally, chi-hyun would have gone, ¡®is that so? okay, fine,¡¯ and then turn around without hesitation. however, he hesitated this time uncharacteristically. although the spirit in front of him was not a living person, he was someone who had been looking after and helping his brother more closely than anyone else on liber. chi-hyun¡¯s mouth twitched, and he finally managed to say, ¡°¡­thanks.¡± philip gave him a warm smile; although it was just a single word, he was well aware that chi-hyun was showing his sincere gratitude as an older brother. ¡ªyes, well. good luck with the rest. soon, chi-hyun turned around. ¡ªand try trusting him. he paused when he heard philip say that from behind his back. ¡ªhe¡¯s your brother after all. it sounded like a request. chi-hyun didn¡¯t respond right away, but nodded a beat later. philip watched chi-hyun gradually walk away before lowering his gaze. ¡ªhey, asha. then he said. ¡ªlet me ask you a favor. * * * chi-woo was walking somewhere. it seemed like liber, but he was walking in the middle of a city he¡¯d never seen before. for some reason, however, it looked familiar. he couldn¡¯t put a finger on it, but for now, he pushed it aside and walked on. soon after, he saw a majestic palace and went inside. he hadn¡¯t seen a single person on his way. the palace was likewise quiet. then at one point, chi-woo stopped walking without even realizing it. there was another person beside him. the young man was wearing armor and a nice cape like a knight, and he sat on the throne with a golden crown adorned with colorful jewels¡ªit was none other than philip. ¡°hey.¡± it was salem philip. ¡°welcome to salem¡¯s palace.¡± philip rose from his throne as soon as he saw chi-woo and welcomed him. chi-woo was shocked by philip¡¯s sudden appearance and the way he looked. he didn¡¯t seem like his usual spirit self. moreover, even his voice sounded like it belonged to a living person. ¡°w-what is this? where is this, and what¡¯s up with the way you look¡ª¡± ¡°now, now, let¡¯s not waste time on minor details,¡± philip told him to drop it and not be such a stickler. ¡°just enjoy it. let¡¯s enjoy this moment.¡± then he dragged the confused chi-woo outside. chi-woo felt a little strange, but followed him without resisting; for some reason, he felt like he should do that. philip led chi-woo from place to place and guided him around the royal palace. of course, philip didn¡¯t just show him around. in fact, sightseeing was only second priority, and philip was busy chattering away. ¡°hey, do you remember? back in the days when you didn¡¯t know anything, you¡­¡± ¡°why are you suddenly talking about that¡­¡± ¡°seriously, i lost sleep because i was so worried about you. did you know that, punk?¡± ¡°what, you¡¯re a spirit. how can you sleep¡­¡± ¡°come on, i¡¯m just speaking in the figurative sense!¡± of course, they didn¡¯t just talk. while recalling memories of their training, the two even went outside and dueled, saying they should find out who was stronger for good today. ¡°i told you to fix this, but you¡¯re still doing it!¡± ¡°mr. philip, i¡¯m probably stronger than you now!¡± ¡°haha! don¡¯t make me laugh! you¡¯re still¡ªah, wait a minute! using that power is foul play!¡± after dueling like this for a long time, they picked a random spot to sit down and began talking again. ¡°hey, so who pulls at your heartstring the most? be honest. you must have one or two people in mind. i won¡¯t tell anyone, so just give me a hint. ah, excluding ms. evelyn.¡± ¡°why leave out ms. evelyn?¡± ¡°come on, let¡¯s leave the final boss for last. anyway, is it hawa? eshnunna? or¡­¡± chi-woo, who had been caught in philip¡¯s antics without realizing it, followed him around and laughed. he got a strange feeling sometimes, but these thoughts soon disappeared because he hadn¡¯t had so much fun for a long time. at this moment, at least, he had no worries. it felt like he was hanging out with a close friend of the same age. meanwhile, the city, which had been brightly lit when philip first showed him around, began to slowly glow red. philip got to his feet and patted his pants. this time, he led chi-woo to the peak of a hill outside the city. it was quite tall for a hill, so they could get a clear view of the salem capital. philip looked at the setting sun and suddenly said, ¡°i guess time¡¯s almost up. when you¡¯re having fun, time passes quickly.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± philip didn¡¯t immediately reply. he stood still for a long time and said, ¡°¡­i¡ª¡± his voice was soft. ¡°i think it¡¯s about time for me to leave.¡± ¡°what are you¡­¡± chi-woo looked around in surprise. philip smiled bitterly when their eyes met. his expression gave chi-woo a rough idea of what philip meant. actually, he had been thinking that there was something strange when he found himself in an unfamiliar place from the start. but still¡ªhe hadn¡¯t really believed it. chi-woo stared at philip silently and soon opened his mouth. ¡°you said that wasn¡¯t it.¡± a slightly hoarse voice came out. ¡°you said you were fine.¡± his voice trembled. he wanted philip to tell him that it was just a joke. that he should relax. ¡°then why¡ª¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± philip cut chi-woo off. ¡°i¡¯m already dead, and all of you are still alive.¡± philip continued with a shrug. ¡°and it¡¯s a bargain when you look at the number. there are already so many in the seven stars. if it¡¯s just me, it¡¯s a cheap price to pay, don¡¯t you think so?¡± chi-woo¡¯s expression twisted with anger. if they were purely comparing the number of lives that could¡¯ve been lost, philip was not wrong, but chi-woo didn¡¯t want to think of it that way because philip, after their meeting in salem, had been a dear comrade, friend, and teacher. he had been with chi-woo longer than anyone else. philip smiled as if he could clearly read chi-woo¡¯s thoughts on his face. ¡°i know. i know what you want to say.¡± philip raised both hands, gesturing at him to calm down. ¡°you said no. to not talk like that and think about doing such a foolish thing. it doesn¡¯t matter to you since that¡¯s just how you are.¡± then philip stopped talking and suddenly pursed his lips. ¡°but¡ªwhat can you do?¡± he slowly touched his chin with his hand and glanced at chi-woo. then he said, ¡°when i¡¯m a fool.¡± he chuckled. ¡°yeah, i¡¯m a fool. when i was alive, i protected my country with my life and swore to protect it even after i died. i¡¯m an idiot and a fool who only knows one thing after i get into it.¡± philip exhaled. ¡°¡­honestly, in the beginning, i was just going to stick around and go sightseeing around the world.¡± he muttered as if he was confessing and suddenly stretched his arms with a laugh. ¡°but at some point, i started to cheer for you. i don¡¯t remember exactly when.¡± philip chuckled at chi-woo¡¯s blank face and winked. ¡°anyway¡­i¡¯m telling you to not be too hard on yourself.¡± chi-woo parted his lips, but¡ª ¡°it was my choice. i did it because i wanted to.¡± however, philip didn¡¯t give him a chance to talk. ¡°¡­yeah, that¡¯s all.¡± philip exhaled deeply, and his expression became subdued. the setting sun lingering in the city crept up the hill, and it was now shining upon philip¡¯s face. philip slightly narrowed his eyes and looked up at the sun with a grin. then he pulled at chi-woo¡¯s arm. the two men stood side by side and silently watched the setting sun. chi-woo opened his mouth to speak many times; he wanted to say something. he had to say something, but he couldn¡¯t bear to say anything. although it was only his guess, he had a feeling that philip¡¯s sincere wish was simply to¡­watch the setting sun with him. neither of them knew how long it had been. when the evening sunset reached peak redness, and the burning twilight devoured not just the city, but even painted the hills red, chi-woo suddenly came to his senses and turned around. ¡°philip¡ª¡± when he finally managed to say something, he couldn¡¯t continue because he was suddenly alone. flustered, chi-woo hurriedly looked around. philip was nowhere to be seen. at that moment, chi-woo clearly felt a tap, like someone was patting his shoulder to cheer him up. then¡ª * * * chi-woo¡¯s eyes burst open. CH 489 chi-woo was angry. the more he thought about it, the more enraged he became. who did this law of causality think it was that it dared order him around? after finding out the one responsible for the dreadful life he had led in his youth, chi-woo couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. it was the same this time too. because chi-woo didn¡¯t do what it told him to do, it took philip away. at this point, the universe¡¯s will was no different from a god who raised hell when someone destined to be a shaman didn¡¯t live a spiritual life. though chi-woo wasn¡¯t rebellious by nature, he was certainly not a pushover who only listened without resisting. who cared if the universe¡¯ will turned its back on him? this was what he wanted. recalling all the times he was screwed over by the universe¡¯s will, his opponent had crossed the line way more than three times. thus, there was no way chi-woo could compromise. ¡°you asked if my goal was revenge,¡± chi-woo said. ¡°yes, that¡¯s what i¡¯m going to do.¡± he would become great and greater still so that a mere existence like the universe¡¯s will couldn¡¯t look down on him. he would become so great that the law of causality wouldn¡¯t dare to even touch him. then, he would have his revenge. he would forcefully give a body to the universe¡¯s will and have it born as a living creature. then, chi-woo would make it live the same despairing life he had lived while losing the many people it loved. chi-woo would make it repeat a painful life like that forever. only after making it go through the cycle of death and rebirth a thousand times would chi-woo be satisfied, but in order to fulfill this goal, he needed to become an existence who had no equal in the universe. byeok didn¡¯t even need to ask if chi-woo was being serious because the answer was clear from the rage burning up in him. ¡°then, the answer is decided.¡± byeok smiled. ¡°you have to win even while bearing all the disadvantages.¡± chi-woo nodded. it was what he had decided to do since chi-hyun gave him the warning. he would put an end to his battle with the universe¡¯s will on liber. he didn¡¯t know how long he would have to fight from now on, but he couldn¡¯t whine about the difficulty of it already. ¡°but it really solidified my resolve after talking to somebody. thank you.¡± chi-woo nodded and walked away. ¡°let me ask you one more question.¡± chi-woo turned around when byeok spoke up. ¡°do you regret it?¡± ¡°sorry?¡± ¡°do you regret taking flora in?¡± ¡°no, not at all,¡± chi-woo immediately responded. ¡°i¡¯m actually grateful. i want to thank her for holding on and not dying before i got to meet her.¡± this was what chi-woo genuinely thought. if it wasn¡¯t for flora, chi-woo would still be in the dark about who his true enemy was. and it was thanks to her that he gained another goal and all the reasons to fight and become stronger. perhaps that was why chi-woo¡¯s downcast and empty expression recovered its usual vitality. there was also more strength to his steps now. it felt as if the chi-woo that everyone knew had returned. though chi-woo couldn¡¯t see it because he was turned away from her, byeok was smiling wider than she had ever smiled while looking at him. then she waited for chi-woo to disappear into the seven stars headquarters before speaking again. ¡°did you hear all that?¡± byeok turned to one of the pillars supporting the ceiling. a girl eventually emerged from behind the pillar and showed herself. it was flora. ¡°i¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen and heard him,¡± byeok said and let out a long sigh after seeing flora¡¯s cautious nod. ¡°so stop blaming yourself. that guy is actually grateful to you instead.¡± flora blinked hard in surprise. though she had never spoken or expressed her emotions until now, her eyes seemed slightly misty as she looked at the spot chi-woo had disappeared from. *** the dreary atmosphere at the seven stars headquarters soon lifted and was replaced by the usual vigor. chi-hyun and byeok hadn¡¯t been the only ones worried about chi-woo. with the start of those two, the rest of the seven stars members gained the courage to approach chi-woo. one day when chi-woo was catching up on work, he heard someone knocking on his office door. ¡°come in.¡± somebody opened the door and walked in cautiously. the sound of footsteps slightly overlapped, indicating that there were two people coming in. thus, it didn¡¯t seem like eval sevaru. chi-woo looked up and saw eshnunna enter with hawa. ¡®this is quite unexpected.¡¯ since it was an unlikely pair, chi-woo was a bit taken aback. ¡°excuse me¡­¡± eshnunna hesitated with an amicable smile and put down the small bowl she was holding. ¡°d-drink this, sir.¡± the smell of warm tea wafted up to chi-woo, and he looked back at eshnunna confusedly. ¡°i heard that this is good for clearing your head and calming your mind. and¡­¡± eshnunna said while looking a bit flustered. chi-woo wondered why eshnunna was giving tea to him all of a sudden, but he decided to accept it since she had brought it all the way here. ¡°okay. thank you.¡± with that dry response, he pushed the teacup aside and was about to resume his work when he caught sight of the anxious look on eshnunna¡¯s face. chi-woo then realized that it was unlikely eshnunna had come simply for the purpose of giving him tea, so he lifted the teacup to his mouth and gestured for her to sit. eshnunna and hawa finally sat down in relief. as if they had planned on it beforehand, they put as much distance between them as possible. chi-woo was taken aback once more. ¡°how come you two came in together but are sitting so far apart..?¡± the two quickly sat right next to each other as if they were saying, ¡®we don¡¯t fight anymore. our relationship is perfect. ho ho.¡¯ ¡°so.¡± chi-woo put down his tea cup and interlocked his fingers. ¡°what are you two here for?¡± for a moment, the two simply glanced at each other wordlessly. they hadn¡¯t come because they had a particular business to ask chi-woo about. it was understandable that chi-woo would be surprised by their behavior, not knowing that the two visited him after losing a battle of rock, paper, and scissors against the rest of the seven stars members. ¡®what are you stalling for? quickly tell him.¡¯ ¡®you go first.¡¯ ¡®i set the stage for a conversation by giving him tea.¡¯ ¡®it¡¯s disgusting for you to act like you¡¯ve done your part after doing something so trivial.¡¯ the two exchanged their feelings with their gazes alone for a while. ¡°¡­i wanted to pass on goddess la bella¡¯s message.¡± in the end, hawa opened her mouth. ¡°she asks you to visit her if you¡¯ve settled your feelings¡­¡± ¡°ah.¡± chi-woo realized then that he needed to calculate how many merits he had earned from his war against the abyss. perhaps la bella was planning to promote him if she was giving the message through hawa. he had been neglecting that with his mind occupied by philip and the law of causality. ¡°i see. i will go visit her soon.¡± then, the conversation cut off again. when chi-woo gave them another strange look, hawa and eshnunna glanced at each other again. hawa¡¯s gaze seemed to be saying it was eshnunna¡¯s turn now, and eshnunna seemed to be wordlessly asking hawa if she was serious and cursing at her, but hawa simply shrugged. in the end, eshnunna had no choice but to reveal the true purpose of their visit with a smile. ¡°are you all right, sir¡­?¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°well¡­not so long ago¡­¡± eshnunna hesitated, and chi-woo exhaled deeply. ¡°are you talking about the time i cried?¡± eshnunna was grateful that chi-woo brought it up first, but she didn¡¯t know what to say after that. ¡°yeah, i¡¯m fine. did you come here to ask me that?¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± ¡°are you curious why i cried? did you come here to fulfill your curiosity?¡± ¡°s-sorry?¡± eshnunna stammered, flustered. ¡°that¡¯s not it, sir,¡± hawa quickly replied. ¡°no, how could you ask that¡­¡± eshnunna also belatedly expressed her hurt feelings. ¡°then, what is it?¡± ¡°i was just¡­worried about you.¡± eshnunna decided to speak honestly at this point. ¡°i couldn¡¯t sleep because i¡¯m so worried about you¡­¡± chi-woo remained nonchalant. ¡°so, i was wondering if there was anything that i could do¡­¡± chi-woo was about to say that there was nothing for her to worry about when he stopped himself. he suddenly remembered the request philip had earnestly made about eshnunna when they were talking about seven stars in his dream. [i know you are not the type to trust a person again after they betray your trust.] [well, i know eshnunna was the one in the wrong at that time, but¡­can¡¯t you let go of it once for my sake?] [of course, i¡¯m not saying you should just let it go. i¡¯m only asking you to give her one more opportunity even if she has to pay the price for her mistake.] it appeared that eshnunna had been on philip¡¯s mind as he was leaving because they were of the same blood. thus, chi-woo swallowed the words he was about to say and instead responded, ¡°hm, well, thank you for your consideration, but¡­¡± he rolled his eyes and smiled. but that smile disappeared in an instant, and after contemplating for a moment, he said, ¡°if that¡¯s how you two feel¡­there is something you both could do for me.¡± chi-woo¡¯s voice lowered as he fixed them a look. ¡°but are you guys¡­serious?¡± ¡°ah yes! ask us to do anything.¡± ¡°you shouldn¡¯t be so quick to agree.¡± after hurriedly nodding, eshnunna flinched when she heard the warning from chi-woo. ¡°once i say it, you guys have to fulfill it. this is how serious this task is.¡± chi-woo¡¯s expression was more solemn and serious than at any other time. ¡°will that really be fine with you both?¡± he leaned into the chair and stared piercingly at them. ¡°can i really¡­make this request to you?¡± both hawa¡¯s and eshnunna¡¯s faces hardened. this was a task even ru amuh, chi-woo¡¯s right-hand man, knew nothing about. they didn¡¯t know what exactly was going on, but chi-woo had mourned with many tears and wanted their help now. and the important part was that chi-woo had asked them to fulfill this task instead of ru amuh. ¡®this is an opportunity,¡¯ hawa thought. ¡®an opportunity to recover the lost trust and become chi-woo¡¯s closest aide.¡¯ eshnunna thought likewise. until now, chi-woo had been someone who solved all problems alone without asking for others¡¯ help. a hero like that not only showed his tears, but was making a request to them now. as someone who had been saved by chi-woo before, eshnunna couldn¡¯t refuse this request even if he told her to cover herself with oil and jump into a pit of fire. ¡°yes, i¡¯ll do it!¡± hawa shot up from her seat passionately. ¡°me too!¡± eshnunna also got up and straightened her back with her hands clasped together. ¡°good. then¡­¡± chi-woo nodded. ¡°show me some aegyo.¡± [1] ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± the room was quiet for a moment, filled with indescribable stillness and silence. while both eshnunna and hawa looked confusedly at chi-woo, he gave them a demonstration by doing the act himself and getting into the pose. ¡°hawa, like this, you can act like this. eshnunna can go like this. see how cute it is? okay?¡± after finally regaining her senses, eshnunna managed to mutter, ¡°ah, what?¡± ¡°what¡­are you doing right now?¡± hawa asked in a baffled tone. ¡°what do you mean? you guys said you would do anything.¡± chi-woo tilted his head. ¡°are you kidding me?¡± eshnunna immediately shot back. ¡°there¡¯s a limit to how much you can tease a person! how can you behave like this to someone who came all the way out of worry for you¡ª!¡± ¡°i got it, so why don¡¯t you try first?¡± ¡°i won¡¯t!¡± eshnunna shouted in rage. ¡°do it.¡± ¡°don¡¯t want to,¡± hawa refused. now that she thought about it, chi-woo had always been a guy like this. she remembered all the nonsense he pulled while they stayed at the cave, and she couldn¡¯t help but shudder in rage in remembrance of the memory. she had forgotten because he had been behaving himself. thus, chi-woo¡¯s attention turned to eshnunna. ¡°no!¡± as soon as they met eyes, eshnunna screamed. ¡°i can¡¯t. no, i won¡¯t! never¡ª!¡± she would rather die than do something like aegyo. ¡°i told you. you can¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°you deceived us. that was an unfair contract based on unreasonable grounds and no proper justifications. i can¡¯t acknowledge it!¡± eshnunna argued with some sort of logic. ¡°that¡¯s true.¡± it seemed that chi-woo admitted that much. ¡°a proper justification¡­¡± relief flooded over eshnunna until chi-woo continued speaking. ¡°that reminds me¡­do you remember the contract we made before?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°you know, at the border fortress. don¡¯t you remember?¡± eshnunna¡¯s eyes turned wide. with her good memory, she remembered the time when chi-woo left to go to the evelaya volcano to retrieve goods for them. she had told him that she would grant any request if he came back alive at that time. ¡°i will use that request now.¡± ¡°w-w-w-w-what! how the hell¡ª!¡± eshnunna¡¯s face turned bright red, and she yelled back in shock. ¡°do you realize that you are crossing the line right now?!¡± ¡°that¡¯s enough. even if she promised that time¡ª!¡± the two who had been in conflict with one another now yelled back in unison. ¡°crossed the line.¡± chi-woo stroked his chin. eshnunna wasn¡¯t wrong. since he didn¡¯t like irrational things and crossing lines, he was also careful not to break them. but of course, there existed exceptions; for instance, when he was the victim of someone else¡¯s wrongdoings, he didn¡¯t hesitate at all to pay the other person back in the same way. ¡°if you are talking about lines¡­you two are the ones who crossed it first.¡± hearing this, both eshnunna and hawa became quiet because they knew instantly what chi-woo was talking about. recalling the memory alone gave them shudders; it was the first time chi-woo had ever insulted and scolded them. but they couldn¡¯t question why he was bringing up something that happened in the past now. though they had gone over that incident somehow, chi-woo never officially gave his forgiveness. there was a time when he didn¡¯t even spare them a glance. they could only bring up the incident in a joke after some time had passed, but at that time, chi-woo¡¯s rage was real. discover the complete story on pawread dot com. ¡°well¡­if you don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s fine.¡± chi-woo shrugged nonchalantly and returned to his documents. hawa gritted her teeth, while eshnunna clenched her eyes shut¡­ yes, although she didn¡¯t want to admit it, considering the kind of person chi-woo was, he was letting them off easy by offering to erase their past wrongs with just one aegyo. a great amount of time later, eshnunna opened her mouth slightly. ¡°¡­it.¡± ¡°hm?¡± ¡°fine! i¡¯ll do it! i said i¡¯ll do it!¡± eshnunna said, and hawa thought she had no choice but to do the same now. she clenched her teeth, balled up her fists, and raised them to her cheeks. eshnunna also raised her trembling index fingers to her face. soon afterward, hawa glared at chi-woo with her balled-up fists beside her face like a baby kitten with her claws out. ¡°kuh¡­¡± she kept gritting her teeth like she was asking why in the world chi-woo would ask her to do something like this. and eshnunna, with her index fingers poking both her cheeks, lowered her eyes like she was dying of embarrassment. ¡°¡­¡± as someone who had grown up with strict discipline as the princess of a country, this was unimaginable. she had never even done aegyo to her father! as someone who had always lived a strict, solemn, and serious life, she felt like this was a dream rather than reality, having to act cute in front of some guy. ¡°what a magnificent sight.¡± chi-woo clapped for them. ¡°it¡¯s to the point that i want to record it in a drawing and show it to everyone.¡± ¡°stop your nonsense,¡± hawa said sharply. ¡°that¡¯ll never happen,¡± eshnunna said firmly. ¡°who knows?¡± chi-woo smirked. only time could tell whether their firm refusals would hold true. 1. acting cutesy. there are some cutesy behaviors that go through trends. some people do it to show affection to lovers, family members, friends, and so on, but sometimes, aegyo can also be used as a punishment for those unwilling to do it. ? CH 490 war brought in money. or more accurately, other people¡¯s wars brought in money. in any case, there were many cases where people made great profits by selling weapons during war, so there was merit to this statement. the same was true for liber. of course, since the value of money had fallen sharply, having money didn¡¯t mean much, but still, war could be seen as a mechanism providing heroes the opportunity to grow using their life as a collateral. therefore, war could be seen as a type of currency. the more difficult the war, the more merits heroes could earn and invest in their growth. in that sense, the survivors of the war against the abyss hit the jackpot. of course, compared to the previous great war, the rewards they got weren¡¯t as great. however, considering that the abyss was one of the four factions controlling liber, the majority ended up raising their tier by one level at least and had some merits left over. among them, seven stars hit a home run. most normal heroes saw the platinum tier as their highest goal among the tiers of the growth system. frankly, reaching platinum tier was no easy task either. statistically, only 1.5% of all people reached platinum tier or higher; in other words, one had to be in the top 15 in a school with 1,000 students. since that was the case for platinum tier, there was no need to even mention how difficult it was to reach master tier. however, among seven stars was someone who managed to overcome the extremely difficult ordeal with a chance slimmer than a needle hole. following chi-woo, a second hero succeeded in reaching master tier, and he was the first team leader of the seven stars¡ªru amuh. as soon as it was known that he had risen to master tier, all the seven stars members congratulated him. of course, not everyone was sincere. there was a reason most heroes set platinum tier as their goal; one couldn¡¯t reach master tier just because they wanted to. simply building up merits was not enough. all the gods involved in the growth system participated in the screening, and the hero being assessed could only rise to master tier after the gods reached an unanimous decision. moreover, the hero needed to prove themselves. if even one god opposed the promotion in this process, the promotion would be suspended indefinitely. frankly, there had been a few other people who went through the screening besides ru amuh. there was second team leader emmanuel, fourth team leader yunael, and fifth team leader apoline. and they all failed without exception. they had not received a unanimous vote during the screening process. since all three of them were fierce by nature, they couldn¡¯t accept the result and confronted the gods about it, but they all received the same answer. [if it weren¡¯t for him, would you have been able to come this far?] to this question, neither emmanuel nor yunael or apoline could say ¡®yes¡¯, or they would be going against their conscience. of course, ru amuh had also received chi-woo¡¯s help. however, in the eyes of the gods, while it was true that ru amuh was able to grow faster thanks to chi-woo¡¯s help, he would have reached the same level on his own in due time. this wasn¡¯t the case for the other three heroes. since they were well aware of how astounding the powers that chi-woo had given them was, they couldn¡¯t argue against the gods. in the end, they stepped back quietly with a red face, filled with embarrassment. thus, in their innermost thoughts, they couldn¡¯t purely congratulate ru amuh¡¯s success, who, according to the gods, had already proven himself and received a promotion after passing the screening process. of course, ru amuh was also human. he humbly bowed in response to everyone¡¯s congratulations, but ru hiana clearly saw ru amuh smiling as soon as he heard that the other three team leaders had failed their screening process. even though he hadn¡¯t shown it, it seemed as if he had been bothered by how the three of them had fought over the position of second-in-command for seven stars before. anyway, this made ru amuh equal to chi-woo in terms of tier. however, no one thought they would be on equal footing because whenever there was a war or incident, the number one contributor and mvp had always been chi-woo. therefore, there was no doubt that it would be the same this time, and a large gap would emerge between them again. since chi-woo hadn¡¯t gone and visited the god he served yet, they were merely waiting for the day this would be revealed. * * * the subject of everyone¡¯s expectations was currently staring at the air alone in the office. [user choi chi-woo¡¯s merit count: 2,120,627,735] chi-woo¡¯s total merits were around 2.1 billion. considering that the merits he had earned during the great war was 1 billion, this was an astounding amount. a hero who was not familiar with the situation would have posed the question, ¡®how did you earn even more merits than during the great war?¡¯. but, this was understandable considering chi-woo¡¯s ability and his experience in the war against the abyss. first of all, chi-woo had an ability called el dorado¡¯s treasure, which allowed him to accumulate additional merits, and in addition, the abyss king wasn¡¯t so much a single individual but the amalgamation of countless consciousnesses. in fact, it was more accurate to say that the abyss king was the abyss itself. since chi-woo had defeated a being like that alone, it was reasonable that he would earn such an extraordinary amount of merits. chi-woo tapped the message printed in the air with his index finger. a total of 2.1 billion merits. a normal hero would have cheered and exclaimed, ¡®wow, i¡¯m rich!¡¯, but it wasn¡¯t enough for chi-woo. although it was not a small amount by any means, he needed a lot more to reach his goal. ¡®it took 10 million merits just to raise my tier to master, so¡­¡¯ considering that the number of merits required to reach the next tier increased by the multiples of 10, the merits needed to become grand master would be 100 million. if he could even aim for the final tier, the challenger, it would probably take 1 billion. thus, he needed 1.1 billion merits for now. moreover, he needed to set aside around 400 to 500 million merits to recharge his almost depleted blessed luck to be on the safe side. all in all, he was left with 500 million merits he could use on his fostering information. ¡®well, i can¡¯t be sure yet¡­¡¯ he would only know exactly after meeting la bella. chi-woo got up and kneeled on one knee, his head lowered. as soon as he opened his eyes and looked up, the world around him changed. the gods surrounded him in a white space as they did when he was promoted to master tier. ¡ªyou¡¯re finally here. a deep and rough voice boomed. it was the white horse general. ¡ªseriously, you should have come earlier¡­ chi-woo heard a murmur of complaint about him not coming right away after regaining his senses. although many eyes were looking at him from all sides, chi-woo felt a particularly intense gaze from the front. when he looked up, he saw a goddess with a balance scale in one hand. when chi-woo looked at her, la bella hastily opened her mouth. ¡ªwell¡­your body¡­i mean¡­ the way she stuttered awkwardly indicated that she had something to say to him. when chi-woo tilted his head, he suddenly recalled the message hawa had delivered for la bella. he could guess what she was trying to say. ¡°yes, i¡¯m fine.¡± chi-woo smiled faintly. ¡°i¡¯m sorry to have troubled you, and thank you sincerely for your consideration.¡± la bella smacked her lips. she was about to say something, but¡ª ¡ª¡­yeah¡­ in the end, she ended the conversation with a simple reply. ¡ªhaha, oh my. then chi-woo heard a soft laugh. ¡ªhe does look a bit thin. i guess even the goddess of balance feels a bit bad for her follower after seeing him in person? mamiya smirked and continued. ¡ªdidn¡¯t you say that he was extremely lacking just today? i¡¯m sure you talked about how he wasn¡¯t bold enough when he was on the road to transcendence, and that he was clinging too much to mere matters of life and death. and if he came here, you were going to give him a stern scolding¡­ mamiya quickly stopped his teasing when la bella suddenly turned to glare at him. ¡ªah! the one we¡¯ve been waiting for has finally arrived. let¡¯s commence with the judging process then. mamiya immediately changed the subject, and miho covered her mouth and chuckled. ¡ªi¡¯ll go first. the white horse general said. ¡ªthis man is aiming for a greater height, and he has proven in recent battles that he has the ability and qualifications to do so. all that was left was his will¡­ i have nothing to point out now that he wants it. i value his will very highly. therefore, i, the white horse general, express my approval for the promotion of user choi chi-woo to grand master. the white horse general clearly expressed his opinion. ¡ªi concur. then mamiya immediately followed suit. ¡ªi thought about whether there were any points of concern, but thinking about it, the answer came to me easily. is there any user of the growth system out there who can surpass this man and reach grand master? mamiya looked around as if challenging anyone to step forward and prove him wrong. ¡ªchoi chi-hyun. then la bella, who usually remained silent, opened her mouth. ¡ªisn¡¯t he already at grand master? mamiya realized he had misspoken. ¡ªi mean apart from choi chi-hyun. ¡ªthen you have said it correctly in the first place. not everyone, but everyone excluding choi chi-hyun. ¡ª¡­ah, yes. mamiya also had things to say in response to la bella¡¯s comeback, but held it in because he knew why she was acting argumentative. while miho clutched her stomach and soundlessly laughed, mamiya coughed. ¡ªwell, in conclusion, i¡¯m also in favor of a promotion. if i had to choose the one that best suits the title of grand master, i would definitely pick user choi chi-woo. ¡ªi just said¡­ ¡ªah, what i just said also included user choi chi-hyun. i regarded choi chi-woo more highly than him. for your information, it¡¯s my personal opinion, so i won¡¯t accept any argument against it. when la bella tried to make a snide comment again, mamiya quickly added a disclaimer. la bella looked frustrated, but she couldn¡¯t say anything about it since mamiya was complimenting her child. ¡ªmay i ask what the others think? when he saw la bella close her mouth, mamiya asked triumphantly. ¡ªi¡¯m also in favor. ¡ªme too. it¡¯s only natural. are there even any one among us who¡¯s against it? shahnaz and then miho expressed their opinions. a few gods nodded at her words. ¡ªwell, i like how everyone so easily gives an answer when judging this guy. when we were judging the other three, we were all on the edge of our seats. the white horse general said in a slightly grumpy tone. ¡ªyeah, it really was amazing. since a particular someone even said during the screening process that they would rescind the vote in favor of ru amuh¡¯s promotion just because another god voted against the child they sponsored. shahnaz added in a slightly sarcastic tone. when judging emmanuel, yunael, and apoline, the gods had erupted into heated debates. since it was also good for a god if the hero they sponsored reached a higher tier, conflicting opinions were bound to arise. however, chi-woo¡¯s case was different from the others. it was no exaggeration to say that he was almost unrivaled on liber. as a metaphor, it was as if the world¡¯s top expert had taken a university interview test. if the gods wanted to object to his promotion, a being that had already proven himself over and over again, they needed an argument that everyone could sympathize with and understand. however, far from presenting a different opinion, the gods thought it was meaningless to even judge him. ¡ªif everyone unanimously agreed¡­ mamiya glanced at la bella. now, if only she agreed, chi-woo¡¯s promotion to grand master would be formalized. however, la bella didn¡¯t open her mouth. her silence seemed to be a form of protest that they had more to discuss. the same went for the other gods. no one opened their mouths carelessly, but their silence spoke loud enough. mamiya could tell that everyone agreed with la bella, and he smiled softly. ¡ªi guess¡­it seems everyone shares the same opinion on this matter as well. chi-woo looked puzzled. he wanted to hurry up and receive the special privileges for rising to grand master tier so that he could provoke his brother by saying that they were now equal. moreover, the gods had been subtly fighting a battle of nerves with each other until a while ago, but the atmosphere suddenly became serious. ¡®why?¡¯ while chi-woo was wondering, mamiya opened his mouth. ¡ªchallenger. chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡ªwhat are you so surprised about? mamiya laughed and continued. ¡ªjudging by the amount of merits you¡¯ve saved up, you must have kept that in mind. ¡°yes, i did¡­but i didn¡¯t think it''d come out like this right away.¡± he had asked his brother about the challenger tier before; at that time, his brother had told him that challenger was not a tier that he could reach just because he wanted to. of course, the same was true of master tier and grand master tier, but he thought there were greater implications to his brother¡¯s words. ¡ªit¡¯s not wrong, but¡­in the case of user choi chi-hyun, it¡¯s not that he couldn¡¯t rise to challenger tier. it¡¯s more accurate to say that he didn¡¯t rise further. mamiya continued. ¡ªhe refused to be promoted to challenger tier. chi-woo was surprised because it was the first time he heard this. ¡°why?¡± ¡ªwell, i don¡¯t want to tell you on his behalf since he has his personal reasons. this was understandable; although his brother was a human, even the gods couldn¡¯t treat him carelessly. instead, they respected his wishes. thus, chi-woo decided to move on for now and ask chi-hyun later. ¡ªanyway, we did discuss your promotion to challenger tier. ¡°do i have to go through a separate review process? or do i have to prove myself?¡± ¡ªno, that¡¯s not the case. the process of reaching challenger follows a completely different trajectory. mamiya cleared his throat. we are "pawread dot com", find us on google. ¡ªfirst, before we discuss the terms¡­i have to tell you this. CH 491 there were extra conditions. it was only expected when chi-woo was reaching the highest tier that even surpassed his brother, the legend¡¯s tier. of course the promotion would come with special conditions. ¡ªthe growth system¡¯s challenger tier is nothing more than a placeholder. yet chi-woo¡¯s forehead creased after he heard that. ¡ªas the name would suggest, a challenger is a person who challenges. ¡ªum...ah, yes. to explain it in a concept that you will understand, it¡¯s like challenging for the champion title. in other words, rising to challenger tier didn¡¯t mean you would be a champion, but that you would gain the right to fight the champion. ¡ªthus, the challenger will simply gain the qualifications to challenge, and they wouldn¡¯t gain special privileges as they did with the previous promotions. theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. mamiya continued. ¡ªbut regardless of that, you will have to offer your merits. chi-woo was even more confused about the conditions. the growth system¡¯s core principle was that heroes offered merits to the god they served to expedite their growth. thus, what mamiya had just said went against the growth system''s very founding principle. ¡®is this perhaps why chi-hyun stopped increasing his rank from grand master tier?¡¯ chi-woo thought. ¡®then, i won¡¯t do it either,¡¯ chi-woo wanted to say, but stopped. the growth system was one of the systems that allowed the current celestial realm to exist. there must be a reason such an unbelievable condition was put in place. but if that wasn¡¯t the case¡­ ¡®come on¡­there¡¯s no way,¡¯ chi-woo thought there was no way what he was thinking was right and decided to listen further. ¡ªyes, i understand how you feel. you must be wondering if we really are asking you to give up a great number of merits just for a title. it¡¯s not like you are some hopeless pushover. chi-woo smiled when mamiya clearly read his thoughts. ¡ªof course, we aren¡¯t asking you to simply give up your merits. we would just be robbing you then. yes, that was certainly the case. chi-woo nodded, and mamiya smirked. ¡ªbut for me to tell you the reason behind these conditions¡­we need to change the topic once more, so i ask for your patience. then, mamiya continued. ¡ªthe challenger tier is the highest tier that even surpasses the grand master tier. it¡¯s not a tier given to just anyone. thus, a user must meet a total of three conditions to reach it. mamiya raised his hand and spread out his thumb, middle finger, and pinky. ¡ªthe first condition is to reach grand master tier. ¡ªthe second condition concerns whether or not the user realistically possesses the worth and principle to challenge the goal they are wishing to fulfill. chi-woo¡¯s eyes opened slightly wider. worth and principle? ¡ªthe salvation of liber can¡¯t be the end of it¡­ you have to know exactly what you will fulfill by saving liber. in other words, chi-woo had to have a goal greater and more concrete than saving a world. mamiya¡¯s mystical voice continued. ¡ªextinguishing bael and returning the abyss king to nothingness were all good. they all left a positive impact on the salvation of liber, and they are important to highlight when discussing your promotion to master or grand master tier. then came the twist. ¡ªbut all those things are only concerned with the salvation of liber. of course, you could claim the contrary for the sernitas¡¯ case. nevertheless¡­ after saying all this with a smiling face, mamiya¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed. ¡ªbut that¡¯s not even nearly enough to qualify one for challenger tier. chi-woo finally understood what mamiya was saying. a challenger was someone who did a challenge that anyone would feel a sense of awe and admiration for. only after doing that would he earn the challenger tier. ¡ªand the third¡­condition is merits. i told you before that the challenger tier is like gaining the right to compete for the champion title. chi-woo nodded. ¡ªthe battle is not over just because you earned the right to challenge. how do you think you can become a champion then? ¡°you will set up a match and win it.¡± ¡ªyes, it¡¯s as you say. then, what do you need to do to set up a match? chi-woo blinked hard. he didn¡¯t understand what mamiya was getting at now. ¡ªthere¡¯s no need for you to overthink it. mamiya said while smiling. ¡ªyou need money. a match can¡¯t be set up with only players. there needs to be a stadium, and you need to pay for the entrance fee. isn¡¯t that right? the match will only materialize with money poured in. ¡°uh¡­that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡ªthat¡¯s the role merits play in the promotion to challenger tier. that¡¯s why you need to offer merits. chi-woo looked like he had no idea what was going on. ¡ªyour explanation is too secular. the white horse general complained, and mamiya responded regretfully. ¡ªi only tried to explain the matter in the context of the culture user chi-woo was brought up in. ¡ªeven if that¡¯s the case, you went too far. how could you compare it to an entrance fee¡­seriously! the white horse general shook his head and cleared his throat. ¡ªto challenge something can also mean that you are fighting something head-on. thus, diving into a challenge is no easy task. that¡¯s especially the case for great challenges. ¡ªa challenge that isn¡¯t hard can¡¯t even be called a challenge in the first place. the second condition already made it so that the challenger¡¯s challenge couldn¡¯t be easy. it forced the user to set a goal where they would have to face countless struggles and hardships. ¡ªthus, the merits the user offers when promoted to challenger tier are used to help the challenger a little bit when they face the expected hardship to reach their goal. chi-woo¡¯s mouth gaped slightly open. he finally understood mamiya¡¯s analogy now. chi-woo¡¯s challenge wasn¡¯t liber¡¯s salvation or the sernitas. it was the will of the universe¡ªthe law of causality. it was so that no one could control him and force him to do their bidding again. thus, chi-woo was determined to become a being greater than any existence who looked down at the universe. of course, it was easier said than done, and the universe¡¯s will would continue to hinder him. it would probably intervene in the upcoming war with the sernitas, and this was the foreboded hardship that the white horse general talked about. ¡°hm¡­i get what you¡¯re saying, but there are some parts that i still don¡¯t understand. if this is an opponent that i will inevitably fight in the end, i don¡¯t know what¡¯s the point of offering merits. why would i have to offer merits to secure a challenge that¡¯s going to happen regardless?¡± ¡ªthe merits don¡¯t determine the result of the challenge, but provide the cause for it. mamiya responded again. ¡ªyou¡¯re the one who will have to jump into the match and see it to the end. but in that whole process, the merits you offered will provide something that can influence the situation in favor of the result you wish for. ¡°wait. does that mean¡­.?¡± ¡ªyes. it means that it doesn¡¯t just set up a match. to expand on the analogy, you¡¯ll be able to duel in the stadium you picked on the day of your choice. in other words, mamiya was saying that merits wouldn¡¯t affect the hardships that would come from the process of rising to challenger tier, yet it could provide a little something to influence the result. in the great war, chi-woo faced his enemies at the gate after making preparations. he was only able to endure thanks to these preparations. on the other hand, when he was fighting the abyss, he fell into the abyss king¡¯s trap. thus, the war that his team should¡¯ve overwhelmingly won turned out to be more difficult. and knowing from personal experience the difference between fighting on home ground and playing an away game, chi-woo understood how important all these factors were. chi-woo didn¡¯t even expect much. he just needed a small clutch when hardships came his way. if only he could get that, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to offer his merits. ¡°then, how much will i have to offer¡­¡± ¡ªhmm...to tell you the truth, this is the condition that¡¯s a bit questionable. chi-woo¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise. ¡ªfirst of all, the number of merits you have to offer isn¡¯t set in stone. having thought of using about 1 billion merits, chi-woo began to feel a bit nervous. ¡ªthe bigger the stage you are trying to set, the more money you¡¯ll need. thus, the amount of merits you need to offer depends on the challenger¡¯s goal¡­ mamiya glanced at chi-woo and smacked his lips. ¡ªbut your challenge is something not even we dare to try. if chi-woo¡¯s goal had been something like, ¡®bringing peace to the galaxy including liber so that another galaxy-level crisis doesn¡¯t happen again¡¯, the amount of merits chi-woo currently possessed would¡¯ve been enough. but what chi-woo was planning to challenge was something that far surpassed such a goal; it was to step on the entire universe. there was no existence who could fathom how great of a challenge this was and how much merits this task would require. the only definite thing was that he had nowhere near the number of merits he needed to reach challenger tier. ¡°do i really need to offer merits? can¡¯t i just do it¡­?¡± ¡ªit¡¯s not impossible, but you¡¯ll be giving up the advantages for the fight without rising to challenger tier. chi-woo frowned. the only option left seemed to be lowering his goal, but that would also make everything meaningless. chi-woo let out a long sigh. ¡®if i could, i want to¡­i really do¡­¡¯ facing the upcoming battle with the sernitas where liber¡¯s survival was on the line, chi-woo desperately needed this chance. and thus, chi-woo felt the same anxiety he had felt right before he arrived at the astral world. the anxiety he had felt at that time was turning to reality now, and unable to stop it, chi-woo lost philip as a result. if he let go of this matter saying it couldn¡¯t be helped¡­chi-woo felt like he would lose someone even more precious to him than philip. ¡°it probably won¡¯t be enough with 1 billion¡­no, even 2 billion, right?¡± ¡ªunfortunately¡­ mamiya sighed. ¡ªwe also want to grant your request, but there are processes you must take. you must know it after going through the judgment. this is¡­ it appeared that even the gods had no choice. ¡ªif there¡¯s something that you can use as a loan¡­ it was then someone chimed in. both mamiya and chi-woo turned to the source of the voice simultaneously. ¡ªhe has one. flora. la bella continued. ¡ªnot long ago, that child made a new vow. she said she would offer everything for you. chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened. did flora say that? but why? mamiya also knew what kind of existence flora was and what kind of ability she possessed. ¡ªhm, but with one life¡­ yet mamiya still appeared dissatisfied with the deal. ¡ªno, she¡¯s betting on everything, not just her life. i¡¯m sure you all know what kind of existence she will become in the future. everyone knew that. flora¡¯s potential surpassed even ru amuh¡¯s, and after gaining the heaven¡¯s vessel, her already boundless dormant potential became infinite possibilities. flora didn¡¯t stand out as much because of liber¡¯s unique situation and the fact that she was near chi-woo; but if she had been in a normal world, she would have been the center of all the talks. the fact that a starving girl who didn¡¯t know anything managed to defeat one of the abyss¡¯s chasms after training for a short period of time already showcased her potential. at the least, it seemed definite that she would become an existence whose name would be known across the universe. and with some effort, it wouldn¡¯t be a reach to predict that she would acquire status akin to a god¡¯s. thus, it was shocking that a girl with such overwhelming potential and talent would be leaving her entire future in chi-woo¡¯s hands. ¡ªha¡­i can¡¯t believe it. that child had no emotions to speak of not so long ago. why would she¡­ mamiya was very surprised, but it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t know what it meant for flora to bet on everything. ¡ªstill, it¡¯s not enough. ¡ªeven if you give most of your merits and offer flora, who could become even greater than us someday, it will only fulfill the minimum amount of merits necessary. ¡ªof course, considering how great your challenge is, we could say that it¡¯s still impressive¡­? mamiya suddenly trailed off. his face was blank as he stared at chi-woo. it was the same for the other gods. all of them looked flustered and murmured amongst themselves with no concern for their own dignities. and chi-woo was just as shocked. a part of his chest heated up, and streaks of light began to seep out of his clothes. not long afterward, a piece of paper emerged from chi-woo¡¯s chest and floated into the air. chi-woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡ªisn¡¯t that¡­! mamiya looked up at the piece of paper with shock and confusion. ¡ªyes, i forgot about that. the white horse general laughed wryly. of course he would know what it was since it was what had brought him to this place. it was the special talisman chi-woo¡¯s mentor had made for him¡ªthe three gods of heaven. this was the last remaining talisman left. ¡ªthis is really surprising. did he really see this far into the future? a mere human did¡­ no wonder king yeomra made all that fuss. the white horse general shook his head, awe-struck. mamiya also looked like he was still in a daze. one of chi-woo¡¯s talismans had summoned a high-ranking general of the jade emperor, white horse general, to liber and maintained his ascension. furthermore, another one, the talisman of indra¡¯s divine retribution, had allowed for the manifestation of the legendary weapon, vajra, which belonged to a ninth celestial ranking god. though the first two talismans were of such levels, the third one was one that chi-woo had sworn again and again to never use unless absolutely necessary. it was something he had preserved for the most urgent situation. thus, chi-woo was baffled. he wondered how much discipline and an unbelievable amount of merits a person would need to accumulate to be able to draw a talisman like this. he couldn¡¯t fathom it, but with this¡­ ¡ª¡­that¡¯s enough. with chi-woo¡¯s merits, flora, and this talisman, chi-woo could guarantee his challenge. there was nothing more to check since chi-woo¡¯s will had already been confirmed many times. ¡ªwill you embark on this challenge? la bella asked. ¡°yes.¡± chi-woo nodded like he had been waiting to be asked and answered without a moment of hesitation. ¡°i will take on this challenge.¡±